Jerry Cooke
3.25⭐️ - A touching and spicy story of acceptance and change for a tired Hockey enforcer
Ryan has always had to play the role of the hard man on the ice, starting beef to distract the opposition and support his team. He's been traded so often that he doesn't feel like he's got anywhere to call home and it's no different now he's with the Toronto Guardians. All this moving around has definitely made it hard to find any lasting romance, especially when he's a giant of a man who likes pretty, petite guys. Guys like Fabian, the son of his host family when he was a young hockey player, his first proper crush and somebody he's not seen in years.
Fabian hates Hockey. All the big bros, the noise.. everything. With his parents billeting during his high school years, he had a lot of time to resent all the guys that passed through his house. All except for Ryan, the unwieldy red-haired player was the only person who'd made him feel respected in that time. He's not thought of him in years though, so it's a big shock when he appears at his department store counter.
Despite all the time that passed, the natural connection they initially felt has only grown stronger, so it seems natural that Fabian should be Ryan's guide to the LGBTQ village in Toronto that that latter has recently moved to. As they get closer and find all the ways they work together, it comes directly at odds with the psychically descriptive playing that Ryan is required to do and makes him question his future in the sport.
This wasn't my favourite of the series, but it was still a really well done story, highlighting the way in which an NHL career can cause major struggles for players with all the transfers and inability to be authentically themselves. Fabian is a great match for Ryan and it's lovely to see how the world is continuing to grow.
3.25⭐️ - A touching and spicy story of acceptance and change for a tired Hockey enforcer
Ryan has always had to play the role of the hard man on the ice, starting beef to distract the opposition and support his team. He's been traded so often that he doesn't feel like he's got anywhere to call home and it's no different now he's with the Toronto Guardians. All this moving around has definitely made it hard to find any lasting romance, especially when he's a giant of a man who likes pretty, petite guys. Guys like Fabian, the son of his host family when he was a young hockey player, his first proper crush and somebody he's not seen in years.
Fabian hates Hockey. All the big bros, the noise.. everything. With his parents billeting during his high school years, he had a lot of time to resent all the guys that passed through his house. All except for Ryan, the unwieldy red-haired player was the only person who'd made him feel respected in that time. He's not thought of him in years though, so it's a big shock when he appears at his department store counter.
Despite all the time that passed, the natural connection they initially felt has only grown stronger, so it seems natural that Fabian should be Ryan's guide to the LGBTQ village in Toronto that that latter has recently moved to. As they get closer and find all the ways they work together, it comes directly at odds with the psychically descriptive playing that Ryan is required to do and makes him question his future in the sport.
This wasn't my favourite of the series, but it was still a really well done story, highlighting the way in which an NHL career can cause major struggles for players with all the transfers and inability to be authentically themselves. Fabian is a great match for Ryan and it's lovely to see how the world is continuing to grow.