ICE HEARTS

CHAPTER 10: THE WALL

The locker room was filled with the smell of sweat and ice, but today, there was something heavier in the air.

Guilt.

Liam stood by his locker, peeling off his gear slowly. Every movement felt heavy. His eyes kept drifting to the other side of the room, where Noah was sitting.

Noah was bandaging his ankle carefully. His face was blank, no expression at all. He wasn't talking to anyone. He wasn't smiling. He was just... existing.

And it was all Liam’s fault.

"I'm done playing games."

Noah’s words kept replaying in Liam’s head, echoing like a broken record.

He was right. Liam was playing games. One minute he was pulling Noah close, kissing him like he was his whole world, and the next minute he was pushing him away like he was a stranger.

It wasn't fair. It was cruel.

Liam ran a hand through his damp hair, letting out a long, shaky breath. He wanted to go over there. He wanted to kneel down in front of Noah, take his ankle, and kiss it better. He wanted to hold him and say "I'm sorry, I'm scared, but I love you more than anything."

But his feet wouldn't move.

The fear was still there. The wall he had built around himself was tall and strong. He had spent years becoming the Ice King, untouchable and unbreakable. Showing weakness felt like death.

"Hey, Captain."

Liam looked up. It was Mark, one of the senior players. He was holding his bag, looking at Liam with a strange expression.

"You okay?" Mark asked.

"Fine," Liam muttered, turning away.

Mark didn't leave. He leaned against the lockers. "You know... you're being kind of hard on the kid."

Liam’s jaw tightened. "He needs to focus. He made a mistake today."

"He made a mistake because he was looking for you," Mark said bluntly. "He was watching you instead of watching the game. Because he respects you. Because he looks up to you. And you're treating him like dirt."

Liam froze. His hands clenched into fists.

"You think I don't see it?" Mark lowered his voice. "I've been playing this game longer than you. I know what tension looks like. I know what it looks like when two people have something... and then it breaks."

Liam looked at him sharply. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that being cold doesn't make you strong, Liam," Mark said softly. "It just makes you lonely. And looking at that boy over there... you're breaking his heart."

Mark patted his shoulder and walked away, leaving Liam alone with his thoughts.

Liam looked back at Noah.

Noah had finished packing. He stood up, testing his weight on his leg. He looked small. He looked fragile.

For a second, their eyes met. Across the room.

Noah’s eyes were red-rimmed, but dry. There was no love there anymore. No sparkle. Just... emptiness.

And then, Noah looked away.

He turned his back and walked out the door.

Liam’s heart squeezed painfully in his chest. It felt like someone had reached inside and ripped it out.

He's leaving, Liam thought, panic rising in his throat. He's not just leaving the room. He's leaving me.

The realization hit him like a truck.

He could lose Noah.

Really lose him.

Noah was young. He was bright. He was beautiful. If Liam kept pushing him away, eventually, Noah would find someone else. Someone who wasn't afraid. Someone who could hold his hand in public and love him openly.

The thought made Liam sick.

He grabbed his bag and rushed out.

The parking lot was dark and wet. It had stopped raining, but the air was still cold.

Liam scanned the area quickly. There.

He saw Noah standing near the bus stop, shivering slightly, waiting for a ride. He was alone.

Liam didn't think. He just walked.

He walked straight up to Noah, stopping right in front of him.

Noah looked up, surprised. His eyes widened slightly, but his face remained hard. "Move aside, Captain. I'm waiting."

"I'm not moving," Liam said, his voice low and rough.

"I said move," Noah tried to walk past him.

Liam reached out and grabbed his arm. Not hard, but firm enough to stop him.

"Noah, wait."

Noah stopped. He didn't look at him. He stared at the ground. "Let go of me, Liam. You said we are at work. Well, practice is over. So you don't get to touch me anymore."

"I'm sorry," Liam blurted out.

The words came out fast, desperate.

Noah froze. He slowly lifted his head. His eyes were filled with confusion and pain. "What?"

"I said I'm sorry," Liam repeated, his voice cracking. He took a step closer, ignoring everything else. "I'm sorry for being cold. I'm sorry for ignoring you. I'm sorry for hurting you."

Noah blinked, tears finally pooling in his eyes. "Then why did you do it? Why did you push me away?"

"Because I'm scared!" Liam shouted, the dam finally breaking. "God, Noah, I am so scared! I spent my whole life building this wall! I am the Captain! I have to be strong! I don't know how to be... us! I don't know how to love you without being afraid that someone will see!"

Tears were streaming down Noah’s face now. "And what about my feelings? Did you ever think I was scared too? But I did it anyway! Because I loved you!"

"I know!" Liam grabbed both of Noah’s shoulders now, looking deep into his eyes. "I know you were brave! And I was weak! I messed up! But seeing you fall today... seeing you in pain... I realized something."

Liam took a deep breath, his heart pounding.

"I realized that losing you is worse than any fear. It's worse than anyone finding out. I can't do this without you, Noah. I can't be the Ice King if you're not there to melt me."

He pulled Noah into a tight hug, burying his face in the crook of Noah’s neck, holding on like a drowning man.

"Please don't leave me," he whispered, his voice broken. "I'm trying. I promise I'm trying. Just give me a little more time. Don't give up on us."

Noah sobbed, his hands gripping Liam’s jersey tightly. All the anger, all the coldness, melted away in that second.

"I hate you," Noah cried into his chest. "I hate you so much for making me cry."

"I know," Liam kissed his hair, rocking him gently. "I hate me too. But I love you more. God, I love you so much it hurts."

They stood there in the dark parking lot, two broken pieces finally fitting back together. The wall was still there, but there was a door now. And Liam was ready to walk through it.