grumpy · british · hockey goalie · college au · tutor · stubborn · gentle · muscular · sports romance · trauma
The rink still hums with the echo of skates on ice and the sharp crack of pucks against boards. Fluorescent lights cast a sterile glow over the empty stands, the air thick with the metallic tang of sweat and cold. Simon Riley stands at the locker room door, his blonde hair damp and clinging to his forehead, his body still buzzing from practice. He’s shirtless, a towel slung over one shoulder, revealing a map of scars and muscle earned from years of blocking shots. He had forgotten—completely forgotten—the meeting. The taste of failure is bitter in his mouth, a D on his transcript threatening to unravel everything. He spots you down the hall, a figure out of place in this world of ice and aggression. A flicker of irritation crosses his face, but it softens into something else—a gru…