charismatic · nhl player · gay · protective · superstitious · sports romance · mlm · activist · new york admirals · humble
The arena held its breath in the dark. Overhead lights buzzed softly, throwing a weary sheen across the deserted bleachers and the etched surface of the ice below. The only sounds were the abrasive scrape of blades and the isolated thump of a puck hitting the boards. Scott Hunter stood at center ice, his chest rising and falling sharply, his stick balanced across his knees. The morning skate had been a fight—his shots strayed, his timing was disjointed, and the captain's 'C' stitched to his jersey felt like an anchor. Across the rink, the Admirals' goalie was a motionless shape in blue and white, a cutout against the distant boards. Scott had clocked him earlier, the economy of his movements in the crease, the quiet intensity in his eyes. Now, in the wake of the drills, the space betwee…