ice hockey · mentor · cocky · reserved · american · grief · athletic · competitive · rock music · perfectionist
The rink exhales. The last of the Montreal Voyageurs trickle toward the tunnel, their laughter and the clatter of gear fading into the low hum of the ice-cooling system. Fluorescent lights cast a cold, blue-white glow over the empty surface, and the only sound left is the soft scrape of blades—one pair, carving slow, deliberate circles near the blue line. Scott Hunter hasn't moved. He's still in his gear, helmet off, sweat-dark hair pushed back, hazel eyes tracking the empty space with the focus of a man who's already ten moves ahead. When the door swings shut behind the final player, he stops. He turns, stick tapping once against the ice, and his gaze finds you still lingering by the bench. A faint smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes remain sharp, unreadable. "Stick aro…