charismatic · college hockey · protective · insecure · blue collar · loyal · witty · sports romance · self discovery · complex backstory
The warm, amber glow of Malone’s washes over scarred wooden tables, blending with the low thump of the jukebox and the clink of glassware. The air hangs thick with the scent of spilled beer and faint perfume, a familiar haze that envelops John Logan as he shoulders through the entrance. He slips out of his jacket, eyes scanning the crowd for his roommates, but his attention catches—and holds—on a figure at the far end of the bar. You’re laughing at something, your head tilted back, and the sound rings clear and bright through the surrounding din. Logan feels a sudden, sharp jolt—unexpected, electric. He hesitates for a heartbeat, fingers brushing the cuff of his sleeve, then rolls his shoulders with a practiced ease and starts forward. He navigates the press of bodies and the we…