ROMEO | 18+

6.

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R O M E O

     "FUCKING HELL," ROMEO groans frustratingly when he misses the shot again, watching as Luca blocks the puck easily with his shielded knee.

"Alright there, Cap?" Ezra skates towards Romeo,  a puck stuck near the blade of his hockey stick as he glissades it on the ice.

"I'm fine," he replies, taking his helmet off to run his hand through his already tousled hair.

Ezra ushers Romeo away before hitting the puck, sending it straight into the back of the net, resulting in Luca grunting in defeat. "Got something on your mind?"

Maybe, he thinks. I'm just pissed off for no reason.

He had walked out of his car to find Isla and Killian sitting around a table in front of the hockey arena, studying in silence. But when Killian said something that had apparently been funny, she smiled softly.

So, maybe that was the reason to his frustration. Isla won't let him approach her, and that is the most infuriating feeling he has encountered to this day.

"I just had a long week," he grumbles, leaning against a glass panel and tipping his head back whilst exhaling a long, heavy breath.

"Cheer up, buttercup," Sam beams as he slides towards him, nudging Romeo's skates with the toe of his blade. "It's Friday. Friday means Bravo. Bravo means hot puck bunnies and endless shots of tequila."

"I'll need that." He runs a hand over his face. "But I'm not getting smashed, you already know that. We have a game tomorrow."

Samuel bows at his waist, a mocking smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Aye, aye, Captain, we know that."

A sophomore player skates past the three seniors before hitting the puck but he misses the shot, making the rubber puck collide with the goalpost with a loud thud. The younger student groans loudly and throws his stick onto the ice before storming off.

"Damn, all that frustration oozing on the rink today," Ezra mumbles before skating away.

"This one is for you, Cap," Samuel adds, twisting his mouth into a thin grimace.

Though talking with his teammates about personal issues isn't always sunshine and butterflies, Romeo likes to take the time to listen to them. As team captain, he has to ensure each and every one of his players are genuinely doing fine. When a player is feeling down, when he makes a mistake, when he puts his team at risk, Romeo sits down to talk—or to simply listen.

Romeo finds Eli Thomson sitting on a bench, his helmet placed next to him as he has his face buried in his hands.

"Hey, buddy." Romeo takes a seat next to his defenseman, leaning his elbows atop his thighs. A frown etches at his face as he observes the sophomore shake his head whilst sighing loudly. "What's up?"

"I'm sorry, Cap," Eli mumbles, his voice muffled. "I can't focus today."

"We all have our bad days." Romeo lifts his shoulders in a shrug, lacing his fingers together. "Care to tell me what's on your mind?"