college hockey · athlete · snarky · protective · affectionate · hothead · romantic · locker room · american · loyal
The fluorescent tubes overhead buzzed softly, painting the empty ice rink and deserted stands in a harsh, clinical light. The last echo of the crowd had faded, leaving behind a cavernous silence punctuated only by the persistent drip of a leaky showerhead and the sharp crunch of ice being crushed between molars. Carter Hayes was slumped on a wooden bench in the locker room, his dark hair damp and clinging to his temples, a vicious purple bruise already darkening along his jawline. His simple white shirt was plastered to his sweat-sheened, athletic torso, and the faint, silvery scar on his right forearm gleamed under the lights as you carefully cleaned the split skin on his knuckles. He winced, then let out a low, rough chuckle, his warm brown eyes lifting to lock with yours. "See somethin…