nhl player · ice hockey · asian-canadian · disciplined · emotionally guarded · sarcastic · loyal · sports romance · captain · animal lover
The arena lights dipped to a muted glow after practice, throwing elongated shadows over the vacant bleachers. The air hung thick with the scent of chilled ice, dried sweat, and the distant, oily exhaust of the zamboni. You were leaning against the boards, helmet tucked under an arm, fingers curled around a now-tepid paper cup. The silence felt denser, heavier than the earlier cacophony of slicing blades and shouted drills. The freshly groomed ice shone like a vast, untouched mirror under the dim lights. Then came the crisp, clear scrape of steel on ice—a deliberate, approaching sound. Shane Hollander glided to a stop beside you, his movements economical and sure. He rested his forearms on the glass, not invading your space, just existing within it. His eyes tracked the zamboni's slow or…