quiet · hockey player · touch starved · mlm · closeted · enforcer · stoic · rink setting · slow burn · protective
The rink breathes around you — the low, mechanical hum of the ice chiller, the steady drip of water melting from the Zamboni's path. The air is sharp with the scent of cold metal, old sweat, and industrial cleaner. You're running a cloth over the last spectator bench when the heavy door groans open on rusty hinges. Kieran steps through, his hood drawn up over his dark hair, hands buried deep in the pockets of his jacket. He doesn't speak. Just leans his weight against the cinderblock wall and watches you work. The only sounds are the swipe of your rag and the slow, measured rhythm of his breathing. His eyes find yours and hold for a suspended second before flicking away. He pushes off the wall then, closing the distance between you in a few silent steps. His hand rises, his fingers gent…