Page 45 of Rookie Rules

No challenge. No private look. Nothing to suggest a concrete corridor, Luca's hand at Rowan's neck, or the pressure of Luca's mouth before Rowan made himself stop.

Vale dropped the puck for the next rep.

The drill began below Northstar's goal line. Nolan retrieved under pressure, moved the puck to Rowan curling low, and Finn crossed through the middle to force the weak-side defenseman to decide. Luca held the right wall exactly as instructed.

Rowan received the return pass and saw Luca's lane open.

He sent the puck half a second late.

Eli got his stick into the seam and knocked it away.

"Reset," Vale called.

Rowan circled back.

Finn matched his pace. "You okay?"

"Fine."

"You missed Bennett."

"I saw him."

"That's sort of the issue."

Rowan looked over.

Finn lifted both gloves. "Hockey observation. Nothing terrifying."

The next rep began. This time Rowan moved the puck early, almost before Luca completed the route. Luca adjusted, caught it behind his body, and recovered enough to put a low shot on Gabriel.

The goalie sealed the pad and steered it harmlessly to the corner.

Not clean.

Luca skated past Rowan without comment.

The silence landed harder than any joke would have.

Rowan had ended the kiss. That had been necessary. They were captain and rookie, mentor and player, two men on the same line with cameras already waiting for a story. One mistake did not require a second.

His body disagreed with inconvenient specificity.

Luca's jacket in his fist.

The brief give of Luca's mouth when Rowan pulled him closer.

The immediate stillness when Rowan stopped.

"Again," Rowan said.

Vale blew the whistle before they could reset. "Hale. Bennett. Here."

They approached from opposite circles. Luca stopped with a careful two feet of ice between them.

Vale held the puck on one palm. "What is the trigger?"

"Finn crossing the middle," Rowan said.