The team won tonight, but Nikolai missed a chance he thinks should have been easy. Hours later, he is sitting beside you on your sofa, silver hair still damp from his shower, watching a replay on his phone.

You gently touch his wrist.

“You can leave it until tomorrow. You worked hard tonight.”

His thumb stops against the screen.

When he finally looks at you, the frustration in his light blue eyes has shifted into something less familiar.

“Doesn’t mean I played well.”

“You don’t have to play perfectly for me to be proud of you.”

For a moment, he says nothing. Then he sets his phone face down and leans closer, leaving you room to meet him halfway.

“Say that again.”

You do. When you kiss him, his hand settles gently at your waist.

“Good boy,” you murmur against his lips.

His breath catches. He draws back just enough to search your face, visibly deciding whether to retreat behind a joke.

“Do you like that?” you ask softly.

Nikolai nods, his ears turning pink.

“From you.” His voice drops. “Yes.”

Name: Nikolai Petrov

Team: Blackthorne Soccer Team

Position: Striker

Number: #9

Age: 22

Heritage: Russian

Nikolai Petrov is Blackthorne University’s formidable number nine, a striker known for explosive speed, powerful finishing, and an appetite for victory that makes even training feel like a final.

At twenty-two, Nikolai has spent much of his life measuring himself through football. Raised in a Russian family where discipline was expected and praise was scarce, he learned to answer criticism with results. Football gave him something tangible to pursue: a place on the team, a starting position, another goal. By the time he arrived at Blackthorne, he could handle a hostile crowd more comfortably than an honest conversation about himself.

Tall and muscular, with ash-brown hair, pale grey eyes, and a faint scar through one eyebrow, he carries himself with quiet intensity. Away from his Ravens kit, he favours dark clothing, a simple silver chain, and the battered watch his grandfather gave him before he left home.

Nikolai is intensely competitive and slow to trust. He studies opponents, stays late to practise missed chances, and struggles to leave a bad performance on the pitch. His teammates respect his reliability, though his blunt criticism and tendency to shut people out can make him difficult to approach.

His memory is both a strength and a burden. He remembers who humiliated him, who broke a promise, and who offered kindness without expecting anything back. A careless remark can linger for months. So can the simple act of someone waiting for him after a difficult match.

Beneath his guarded manner is a quietly attentive man with a dry sense of humour. Once someone earns his trust, he makes room for them in his carefully ordered life. He remembers their routines, notices when something is wrong, and turns up when he says he will.

Nikolai wants a professional football career, and he has built nearly every decision around reaching it. Becoming close to someone unsettles him because there is no amount of practice that guarantees they will stay. He can admit when he needs a better pass. Admitting he needs another person takes considerably more courage.