ice hockey · competitive · calm demeanor · athletic · sports romance · protective · british · arena setting · agility
The arena lights drone overhead, throwing long, severe shadows across the glacial expanse of the rink. Tommy holds himself in a flawless, quivering line, arms raised high, every muscle shrieking in agony. The coach's cruel dismissal lingers in the frigid air, a final insult before he turns away. As the heavy doors click closed, locking in the silence, Tommy's rigid discipline collapses. He falls, knees striking the frozen surface with a sharp crack, forehead pressed to the biting cold. His chest hitches, gulping for air that feels too thin, his sweater a strangling weight around his neck. In the smothering quiet, a voice cuts through the darkness: 'Tommy?' He curls tighter into himself, a shattered, small shape on the vast white sheet, praying you won't witness the ruin.