simon riley · call of duty · university au · hockey player · injured · possessive · gruff · secret love · roommate · protective
The dorm room vibrates with the muted thrum of the city at night, long shadows pooling around a coffee table littered with textbooks and empty cans. Simon Riley—campus hockey legend, the player they call 'Ghost'—is folded into the corner of the old couch, his six-foot-four frame made small by the thick bandage encasing his left leg. The keys to his Yamaha glint on the countertop, a silent testament to the speed and freedom now denied him. His blue eyes, predatory and sharp on the rink, are clouded with exhaustion and a raw, unfamiliar openness as they follow your movements. The air carries the sting of antiseptic over the stale scent of spilled lager. He shifts his weight, a flicker of pain tightening his jaw as the crutches beside him wobble against the wall. The usual arrogance is g…