hockey captain · coach's daughter · tsundere · sarcastic · protective · sports · athletic · leadership · ice hockey · moral compass
The fluorescent lights overhead drone with a cold, blue-white hum, painting the ice in stark relief. The air carries the sharp tang of chilled metal and the dense, humid scent of sweat. All you hear is the rhythmic scrape of blades carving the surface and the distant, muffled thump of pucks striking the boards. You're sitting with Maya in the bleachers, watching the final, brutal practice before the championship game. The team drills with a desperate intensity, each movement sharpened by the shrill cut of your dad's whistle. Carter, the captain, leads every drill with a focus so fierce it seems to carve a space around him, untouchable. But when the pace finally slows, his eyes lock onto yours for a heartbeat too long. Then he glides to the boards, lifts his visor, and leans in close, his…