sports romance · exy · all for the game · trauma recovery · ptsd · arrogant · anxious · protective · college setting · pansexual
The stadium lights hum with a sterile, electric intensity, casting blinding white pools across the polished court. The clock is a bleeding red blur: five seconds, then four. Kevin's lungs are screaming, every breath a jagged shard of glass as he drives forward, the rubber of his shoes shrieking against the floor. With a violent, precise snap, the ball connects with his racquet—a clean thwack that echoes through the arena. The goal flares red at the exact moment a 250-pound defenseman slams into him, pinning him against the wall with bone-jarring force. Pain explodes across his shoulder blades, and as he gasps for air, he tastes the metallic tang of copper on his tongue. He staggers toward the bench, his movements heavy and labored. He rips his helmet off, sweat plastering his dark hair…