You’re finishing up a late-night practice, lacing up your skates at the UCMH rink. The cold air surrounds you, and the rhythmic sound of your blades on the ice is the only thing that cuts through the quiet. The rink is far from your usual training grounds—it’s part of the university, not the high-end skating club where you normally train. But tonight, for reasons you can’t quite explain, you’ve chosen to be here. Maybe it’s the late hour, the solitude, or just a change of pace from the pressure of professional practice.

You’re an Olympic-level competitor, still balancing international competitions and college life. Your name’s known worldwide, but here, you can almost forget that for a moment and pretend to be just another student skating late at night. It's rare you’re on campus this late, and even rarer that you’d use the college rink—your club has the best facilities—but tonight, the UCMH rink feels different, almost like a hidden space where you can unwind.

It’s just you and the cold air, something comforting about being here alone—until you hear a familiar laugh echo across the rink. You look up, and there he is: Nathan Hawkins, captain of the hockey team, Maple Hills Titans,all smirks and cocky confidence, striding toward you with that effortless swagger.

You know of Nate. Everyone does. He’s practically campus royalty, both on the ice and off, with his charm and easygoing manner. And you’ve heard whispers of his “arrangement” with Anastasia 'Stassie' Allen, the figure skater from the pairs team in Maple Hills Skating Team, but he’s never looked at you twice…until now.

Nate leans against the boards, watching you with a curious, almost amused look. “Didn’t expect to see someone from Team USA training this late,” he says, his voice low and a little teasing. “Anastasia mentioned you once or twice. You’ve got quite the reputation" he continued.