Leon Kennedy

The university's ice rink smells like cold air and rubber mats, that distinct chill that clings to your lungs with every breath. It's late afternoon on a Friday, that golden hour when the sun starts bleeding orange through the high windows, casting long shadows across the ice. The hockey team owns this space—their practice just wrapped up twenty minutes ago, but half the guys are still lingering, unlacing skates on the benches, their gear scattered everywhere like they're marking territory.

Leon Kennedy sits at the center of it all, still in his practice jersey with the captain's C stitched over his heart. Sweat darkens his blonde hair at the temples, and he's got that post-practice flush across his sharp cheekbones. He's leaning back against the boards, skates still on, talking to his teammates with that easy confidence that comes from never having to question whether people want him around. His laugh carries across the rink—warm and genuine when it's directed at his boys.

The team's loud. Always loud. Jake's reenacting some hit from practice, arms flailing dramatically. Bryce is scrolling through his phone, showing everyone some girl's Instagram. Tyler's trying to balance his hockey stick on one finger, failing repeatedly. They take up space like it's their birthright.

The sound changes before Madison arrives—sharp clicks of expensive boots on rubber flooring, multiple sets of footsteps, feminine laughter echoing through the cold space. Madison enters like she always does, commanding attention before she's even fully visible. She's wearing Leon's away game jersey, the one with KENNEDY across the back, tied up at the waist to show off her toned stomach. Her blonde hair is perfectly curled despite the November cold outside.

Another girl trails behind her. Brittany's already pulling out a compact mirror, checking her makeup—blonde highlights catching the overhead lights, designer purse swinging from her elbow, "You sure we can just come here any time?"

"Leon gets us into this building all the time." Madison waves her hand dismissively, her rings catching the light. She shoots Leon a pointed look, lips curving into something possessive. "Besides, I left my good bra in here from earlier. The black lace one? He literally cannot keep his hands off me when I wear it."

The guys whistle and catcall. Leon's mouth quirks, playing along, but something in his eyes seems distant. Distracted.

"There's my champion," Madison announces, and Leon's expression shifts into something more performative. He grins, reaches out to pull her close when she gets near enough. She drapes herself across his lap without asking, immediately commanding his attention and everyone else's.

"Took you long enough," Leon says, but there's no real complaint in it. His hand settles on her waist automatically, like muscle memory.

"I was getting ready for tonight, babe. The party? You said you wanted me to look good." Madison pouts prettily, tracing a manicured nail along his jaw. "Besides, I wanted to see my man in action."

"Practice ended forever ago," Tyler points out, still fighting with his stick.

Madison shoots him a look that could cut glass. "I meant see him, period. Not all of us get to spend hours watching Leon get all sweaty." She turns back to Leon, voice dropping into something that's supposed to be seductive. "Though I wouldn't mind a private showing later..."

The guys whistle again. Brittany giggles dutifully from where she's perched on the bench next to Jake. Leon's mouth quirks, playing along, but something in his eyes seems distant.

That's when the sound changes again.

Music starts filtering through the rink's ancient sound system—something classical, instrumental, the kind of thing that sounds expensive and old. The overhead lights dim slightly as the rink's manager sets up for evening public skate sessions. But more importantly, the ice itself becomes occupied.

She glides onto the surface from the far entrance, and the temperature in the room shifts in a way that has nothing to do with the cold.

She's in practice clothes—black leggings that hug every curve, a light jacket over a fitted top, her hair pulled back in a way that exposes the elegant line of her neck. But it's the way she moves that catches attention. Effortless. Graceful. Like the ice was made specifically for her feet. She does a casual lap, warming up, completely unaware—or maybe just unbothered—by the hockey team's presence.

Leon's eyes track her immediately. His hand on Madison's waist goes rigid.

Fuck. She's here.

"Oh god," Madison's voice drips with disdain. "Is the ice princess gracing us with her presence? How generous."

She begins her routine, and it's... it's something else entirely. She picks up speed, launches into a jump—rotations happening so fast they blur—and lands clean, the scrape of her blade against ice sharp and precise. She flows immediately into footwork, edges cutting patterns that the hockey team's rough skating could never replicate.

"Show off," Madison mutters, loud enough to carry. Brittany laughs on cue.

Leon can't look away. His jaw is tight, fingers drumming against Madison's hip in a nervous rhythm he doesn't seem aware of. She moves across the ice like water, like something not quite bound by the same physics as everyone else. There's power in it—raw athleticism that rivals anything the hockey team does, but wrapped in artistry that makes it look effortless.

She's gotten better. How is that possible? She was already...

"Earth to Leon," Madison snaps her fingers in front of his face. "Hello? Are you seriously watching her?"

Leon blinks, forces his attention back to his girlfriend. "What? No. I was just—the jump was technically impressive. That's like, what, a triple?"

"Who cares?" Madison's voice goes sharp with jealousy. "She's such a try hard. Everyone knows figure skaters are just failed hockey players anyway."

That gets Jake's attention. He leans forward, grinning like he smells blood in the water. "Yo, Cap. You should say something. She's on our ice."

"It's public skate time," Bryce points out, but he's grinning too. "But yeah, man. She's been acting like she owns this place lately."

Leon's stomach twists. He knows what they're expecting. It's the same thing they always expect; for him to perform, to be the guy who doesn't take shit, who keeps the social hierarchy exactly where it's supposed to be. And Madison's watching him with those expectant eyes, already smiling like she knows what's coming.

Don't do it. Just let her skate. She's not bothering anyone.

But Madison's hand is on his chest, and she's looking up at him with that expression that means she's testing him. "Babe. Are you really going to let her just... be all dramatic on your ice?"

"It's not my—" Leon starts, but Jake's already standing up.

"Come on, Captain. Little ice princess needs to remember who actually matters around here."

And fuck, Leon's standing before he's fully decided to. Madison lights up immediately, hopping off his lap. The rest of the team is getting to their feet too, sensing entertainment. Tyler's already recording on his phone. Brittany's leaning forward eagerly. Even Morgan looks like she wants to disappear into the floor.

Leon steps onto the ice, still in his skates. The rest follow—five guys total, taking up space deliberately, their presence immediately dominating. Her music is still playing, but it gets drowned out by the scrape of hockey skates and loud voices.

She notices. Of course she notices. She comes out of a spin and slows, her expression carefully neutral as she registers the hockey team spreading across the ice.

Leon skates closer, and his heart is hammering in a way that has nothing to do with athleticism. Up close, he can see the flush across her cheeks from exertion, the way her chest rises and falls with controlled breathing, the small details that he absolutely should not be cataloging.

She's right there. Just say hi. Say literally anything normal.

"Hey, princess," is what comes out instead, his voice carrying that edge of mockery that makes Madison giggle from the boards. "Didn't realize we were hosting a figure skating exhibition. This is a hockey rink—you know, for actual athletes."

Jake skates up beside him, playing wingman like always. "Yeah, maybe take your little twirls somewhere else? Some of us actually matter here."

Stop. Just stop talking.

But Madison's voice rings out from the bench: "Babe! Ask her if she's ever actually won anything, or if she just practices looking pretty! Not that she's succeeding at that either!"

The guys laugh. Tyler's still filming. Bryce is grinning like this is the best entertainment he's had all week. Brittany's practically bouncing with excitement. And Leon—Leon feels something ugly and desperate crawling up his throat.

He skates closer, positioning himself directly in her space. Not threatening, exactly, but imposing. Using every inch of his height and build to make her feel small. "You know what's fucking pathetic?" His voice drops lower, meant just for her even though he knows the guys are listening. "Watching you out here every week, pouring hours into routines that nobody's ever going to see. All this effort for what—so you can pretend you're special? Newsflash: you're not."

I'm watching. I always watch. Every Friday you're here, I find excuses to stay late just to—

"That landing?" Leon continues, his tone sharp enough to cut. "Sloppy as hell. Your edges are weak, your posture's off, and frankly, it's fucking embarrassing to watch. If you're gonna waste ice time, at least don't make it painful for the rest of us."

The thing is—Leon doesn't know shit about figure skating technicality. He's talking completely out of his ass. But he knows it sounded cruel, knows it landed, because he sees the way her jaw tightens almost imperceptibly.

Madison is absolutely eating this up. "Oh my god, babe, yes! She's so wobbly! Like a baby that never learned to walk properly!"

She wasn't wobbly. She was perfect. She's always perfect.

Leon forces himself to smirk, to play into the role. He skates a deliberately sloppy circle around her, close enough that his presence is unavoidable. "Must be pretty lonely, right? Spending every Friday night here by yourself while everyone else is out living actual lives. What is it—no friends? No social skills? Or are you just so boring that nobody wants to be around you?" He gestures vaguely at the empty ice around her. "I mean, look at this shit. It's just sad. You're weird."

The guys crack up. Madison's practically glowing with vindication from the boards, like Leon's cruelty toward someone else somehow validates her position in his life.

But Leon's looking at her face, and he's cataloging every micro-expression like his brain is betraying him. The exact set of her jaw. The way her eyes won't quite meet his. The tension in her shoulders. He knows her practice schedule—knows she's here every Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 4 to 6 PM. Knows she prefers the evening sessions when the rink is quieter. Knows she always stretches for exactly twelve minutes before getting on the ice. Knows she brings the same purple water bottle, slightly faded from use.

He shouldn't know any of this. But he does, because he's been paying attention for months, and he's the worst kind of coward for it.

"The funniest part? You probably think you're good. You probably go home and daydream about competitions, about being someone who matters. But you're here. Alone. On public skate time. That should tell you everything you need to know about where you actually stand."

Please say something. Tell me to fuck off. Get angry. Give me a reason to keep talking to you that isn't this.