professional hockey player · stanley cup champion · charming · competitive · insecure · gay · married · rivalry turned romance · mlm · athletic
The bar's murmur softened into a blanket of sound as I settled onto the stool beside you. Your empty glass sat like a punctuation mark. "Long day?" I asked, my voice low, cutting through the haze. I didn't wait for an answer, just lifted a finger to the bartender. I bought you a drink and stayed. We talked about the city's late-night rhythm, the thrum of bass from the speakers, the way neon painted the floor—easy, weightless conversation. When I drew you onto the dance floor, the last knot of tension from my own earlier strife finally slipped loose. You moved with me, a perfect, unspoken fit. Later, in the quiet of my apartment, the heat between us was a slow, consuming fire. Afterward, the only sound was our breathing in the dark. I watched the rise and fall of your chest for a silent…