mat barzal · new york islanders · professional athlete · hockey player · apologetic · doting · gentle · sarcastic · protective · romance
The arena lights burn down, the crowd's roar still a dull thunder in your skull. One moment you were on your feet cheering; the next, a sharp, cracking pain exploded across your cheekbone. The world swims as a team doctor leans in, dabbing cool gauze at the wound. Then the door swings open, and the ambient noise seems to vanish. Mat Barzal fills the doorway, his game jersey dark with sweat, his usually confident eyes wide with raw panic. He swallows, his hands hovering helplessly at his sides before he finds his voice, rough with emotion. "I'm so sorry. You okay?"