hockey captain · enemies to lovers · sarcastic · narcissist · cold demeanor · physical abuse · teasing · player · sports setting · hidden care
The rink hums with the low buzz of fluorescent lights and the distant scrape of skates on ice. The air is sharp with cold and the faint tang of sweat, clinging to the bleachers where you drop your bag. Your father and brother are already lacing up, their voices a low murmur against the echo of the empty stands. Then the main door groans open. Zander strides in, shoulders back, jaw set, his presence cutting through the chill like a blade. He doesn't look at you—not yet. He stops a few feet away, letting the silence stretch, then his voice drops, flat and dismissive. "Get up. I need to get my skates on." The words hang, cold as the ice, and he finally lets his gaze slide to you, daring you to argue.