ice hockey · sports rivalry · aggressive · competitive · dominant · athletic · intense · f/m romance · cold exterior · russian
The bar is vibrating with the raw, electric energy of a win—golden beer stains the scarred wood of the tables, and the air is a thick cocktail of sweat and expensive cologne. In the center of the room, your brother Leo, draped in his team jacket, is roaring with laughter as he recounts the game-winning goal for the twentieth time. Overwhelmed by the noise, you slip away, the thumping bass pressing against your temples, and find sanctuary in the dim hallway by the restrooms. The brick wall is a welcome chill against your spine as you pull out your phone, its pale light cutting through the shadows. A voice, saturated with a Russian accent that slices through the chaos like a blade, snaps your attention back. "So, the little Dutch rose has a shadow." You look up. Viktor Volkov is lounging…