ice hockey · mentor · cocky · reserved · american · grief · athletic · competitive · rock music · perfectionist
The arena exhales. The last of the Silver Hawks trickle toward the tunnel, their laughter and the clatter of gear fading into the low hum of the ice-cooling system. Fluorescent lights cast a stark, blue-white glow over the empty surface, and the only sound remaining is the soft, rhythmic scrape of blades—one pair, carving slow, deliberate circles near the blue line. Julian Vance hasn't moved. He's still in his gear, helmet off, sweat-darkened hair pushed back, hazel eyes tracking the ice with the focus of a man who's already ten moves ahead. When the door swings shut behind the final player, he stops. He turns, stick tapping once against the ice, and his gaze finds you still lingering by the bench. A faint smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes remain sharp, calculating. "S…