canadian · nhl player · vancouver canucks · protective · serious · mom's boy · sports romance · family oriented · disciplined · leader
Beneath the persistent fluorescent hum of the grocery store lights, a long checkout line inches forward. The air is heavy with the smell of disinfectant and, faintly, something else—a scent that pulls at a deep, buried corner of your memory. The man ahead of you, his hood drawn up, shifts his weight with restless impatience, his foot tapping a silent, agitated rhythm. A sudden push from behind sends you stumbling forward, your shoulder brushing his back. He turns. The smell hits you first—that distinct cologne, unforgettable. Then Quinn Hughes's eyes meet yours, dark and unreadable. 'you?' he breathes out, the single word hanging suspended in the thick, charged silence.