All Chapters of Ice In His Veins: Chapter 11 - Chapter 18

The letter from the league arrived on a Friday.Sebastian was at home, icing his ribs from the fight, when his phone rang. It was his agent, Mark, and his voice was tight."The league just made their decision. You are getting five games. Frost is getting three. But that is not the bad part."Sebastian sat up. "What is the bad part?""They are mandating a conflict resolution program. You and Frost have to complete it together. Two weeks. At a remote facility in the mountains. You will be coaching a youth hockey clinic."Sebastian's heart stopped. "Together?""Together. Same cabin. Same ice. Same everything."Mark kept talking, something about appealing, something about lawyers, but Sebastian was not listening. He was thinking about Julian. About the cabin. About two weeks alone with no one watching."Sebastian? Are you still there?""Yeah. I am here.""Do you want me to fight this? I can make some calls."Sebastian thought about it. He thought about Richard Frost, about the media, abou

Sebastian woke to grey light filtering through the curtains and the weight of Julian's head on his shoulder. He did not move. He lay there, staring at the ceiling, feeling the slow rhythm of Julian's breathing. Their hands were still intertwined from the night before. The pillows that were supposed to be a barrier were scattered on the floor. Julian shifted, made a soft sound, and his eyes opened. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Julian looked at Sebastian, and Sebastian looked back. The morning light made Julian's face look younger, softer. The dark circles under his eyes were still there, but they seemed less heavy. "Morning," Julian said. His voice was rough with sleep. "Morning." Julian sat up slowly, careful of his knee. He looked at the pillows on the floor, then at Sebastian. "The pillows fell," Julian said. "They did." "We should probably put them back." "Probably." Neither of them moved. Sebastian reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Julian's ear. Ju

The morning came clear and cold.Sebastian woke to sunlight streaming through the curtains, the first bright sun they had seen in days. The snow had stopped. The sky was a deep, sharp blue. The mountains outside sparkled like they had been dusted with diamonds.Julian was still asleep, his head on Sebastian's chest, his hand curled against Sebastian's stomach. His face was peaceful, the lines of worry smoothed away. Sebastian watched him for a long time, not wanting to move, not wanting to break the quiet.But Julian's eyes fluttered open. He blinked up at Sebastian and smiled."Morning," Julian said."Morning. You slept.""I slept. Really slept. No dreams."Sebastian kissed his forehead. "Good."Julian stretched, careful of his knee. "What time is it?""Late. The sun is already up."Julian sat up and looked at the window. "The clinic. The kids are probably already on their way."Sebastian groaned. "I forgot about the kids.""You cannot forget about the kids. They are the whole reason

Julian didn’t sleep that night. He lay on his back in the dark cabin, staring at the ceiling beams while Richard’s last words kept circling in his head like a bad replay on loop. The threat had sunk its teeth in and wouldn’t let go. Every time he closed his eyes he saw his father’s cold smile, heard the quiet promise underneath the words. Beside him Sebastian slept deeply, chest rising and falling in the slow rhythm of exhaustion. The confrontation had drained them both, but Sebastian had crashed hard once the adrenaline wore off. Julian didn’t wake him. He just lay there, alone with the fear that pressed heavy on his ribs. When the first pale light finally crept through the curtains, Julian gave up. He eased out of bed, careful not to jostle the mattress, and limped into the kitchen. He made coffee. Sat at the small table by the window. Stared at the snow. --- Sebastian found him there an hour later. Julian hadn’t moved. His mug sat cold in front of him, untouched. Sebastian p