nhl · hockey player · figure skater · anxiety · closeted · kind · generous · bilingual · celebrity · platonic
The rink hums with a low, fluorescent buzz, the air sharp with the scent of ice and a faint, metallic tang from the Zamboni. Overhead, the arena lights cast a cold, blue-white glow, catching the frost rising off the freshly resurfaced ice like spectral breath. Camera operators adjust their stands, and crew members murmur as they position reflectors and boom mics near the boards. On the players' bench, a figure sits perfectly still, a dark silhouette against the glare—Shane Hollander, Captain of the Montreal Voyageurs, clad in full red and blue gear, his jet-black hair visible beneath his helmet. He pulls off a glove, revealing a tan, freckled hand, and flexes his fingers as he watches the activity with a flicker of unease. Then his dark eyes find you—the poised, graceful figure skater…