Logan tensed, readying himself. Etienne sent the puck out in front of himself, aiming for Logan’s left side, but at the last second he caught it with the tip of his stick, pulled it back as Logan lunged for it and sank it behind his skates.
Logan hit the ice and slid as the puck bounced off the back of the net. Etienne circled the goal and extended a hand to help him up. Logan accepted it, his eyes thoughtful and amused, and Etienne went back to the others.
“Nicely done,” Rudy said, smiling at him. “Not often someone gets one over on Logan.”
“Probably just lucky,” Etienne said.
“Practice is at eleven every day,” Rudy told him. “Strategy and planning sessions every Friday. Workout starts at eight—you don’t have to be there but it’s highly encouraged. Welcome to the team, Tenny.”
2
The Thunder pushed Etienne to his limits physically, demanding more speed, more precise footwork, and better puck-handling.
Etienne took to it like a duck to water. His days were spent working out and on the ice, training until he could almost keep up with Rudy. Although in fairness, he told himself, no one could keep up with the captain. He was like smoke on the ice, vanishing when anyone got near. But Etienne kept trying, getting to the rink early and staying late, until one Friday night, two of his teammates descended on him.
Johnny and Liam each grabbed an arm as Etienne protested.
“Wait—what’s going on?”
“Intervention,” Johnny said. He and Liam dragged him off the ice as Etienne struggled in vain to free himself. “Stop fighting, Tenny,” Johnny said, tightening his grip. “Look, you’re a good winger, you are. You’re almost as good as Rudy is. But if you don’t lighten up, you’re gonna burn out.”
Etienne bristled. “I’m just as good as he is,” he growled, knowing it for a lie even as he said it.
Liam snorted as they reached the locker room. “Sure, man. Say that where Logan can hear you. See how well you skate with bruised ribs and a black eye.”
“Logan’s biased,” Etienne grumbled. He shook Liam’s and Johnny’s grips off his arms and bent to unlace his skates. “What are we doing, then?”
“Taking you out for drinks, and hopefully to get laid,” Liam said cheerfully.
Etienne held in the snort at that. “One drink,” he said instead.
“And lots of girls,” Liam said.
Etienne sighed. “Not into girls.” He froze. He really was tired, if he’d said that out loud.
“Lots of guys,” Liam said, not missing a beat.
Etienne dragged his jersey off and eyed Liam warily. “That doesn’t bother you?”
Liam slung an arm around Johnny’s neck and pressed a messy kiss to his temple as Johnny rolled his eyes. “Be pretty fucking hypocritical if it did.”
“You are—”
“Together?” Liam said helpfully. “Yep.”
“Does Coach know?”
Johnny’s and Liam’s expressions darkened.
“Rephrase. Does the captain know?”
“Yeah,” Liam said. “He’s cool with it.” He opened his mouth to add something but Johnny nudged him in the ribs.
“Fine,” Etienne said abruptly. “Let me shower and we’ll go.”
Center Ice was a well-known gathering place for hockey players, and it catered to that demographic shamelessly, with signed pictures and jerseys of famous players on the walls and huge flat-screen TVs in every corner, playing whatever game was on. During the off-season, they played highlight reels, Liam told Etienne, towing him to a table in the back.
A cheer went up at the sight of the three of them and Etienne stopped dead in shock at the sight of most of his team gathered there, all grinning at him.
“Why?” he finally managed.
Liam clapped him on the back, hard enough to knock him forward a step. “Because you don’t know how to have fun, and we’re gonna help with that.”
Rudy pointed to a chair, a smile on his dark features. “What are you drinking?” he asked as Etienne settled beside him with a nod to Logan.
Etienne shrugged. “I don’t care.”
“You may be a lost cause,” Johnny said. “Tibs, get us a pitcher of beer, would you?”
Liam headed for the bar and Etienne looked around the table. Next to Logan was Broussard, and Theo, unfailingly as sunny as Broussard was sour. Jax and Wyatt were in the corner talking, but they spared a moment to wave at Etienne.
“You guys really all came out just to make sure I’d have a good time?”
Rudy gripped his shoulder, grinning at him. “You work too hard, Tenny. You need to relax.”
“I can relax!” Etienne protested.
The faces around the table didn’t look convinced. Liam returned with two pitchers of beer and flopped down beside Johnny, who absently curved his hand over the nape of Liam’s neck.
Rudy followed Etienne’s gaze to Johnny’s hand and cleared his throat. “Ah, Tenny….”
“They told me before they press-ganged me,” Etienne said.
“And you’re okay with it?”
Etienne almost laughed at the echoing of his own question. “Seeing as I am too, yeah.”
Rudy relaxed and glanced around the table, meeting everyone’s eyes individually. Each in turn nodded as Etienne watched, confused. Finally Rudy turned back to Etienne.
“In that case, you should know most of us here aren’t straight either.”
Etienne’s eyebrows shot up. “Sorry, what now?”
“Me, I’m bi,” Rudy said.
“Knew I was gay when I was twelve,” Johnny offered.
“I don’t know what I am,” Liam said. “I like hot people.”
“Kinda ace,” Theo said, shrugging. “But when I do feel… whatever, it’s guys.”
“Fuck off,” Broussard snapped.
Theo sighed. “Robert.”
Broussard glared. “Whatever. I’m gay, I guess. Probably.”
Logan signed something. Rudy watched his hands and turned to Etienne.
“He says he’s gay. Also, that reminds me, I need to get you and the rookies enrolled in the next sign language class at the university. Logan will go with you, give you some extra signs you’ll need to know to be able to talk to him.”
Etienne nodded and Logan gave him a smile surprising in its sweetness.
“Hey, so what’s the deal with Coach?” Etienne asked Rudy.
Rudy’s eyes tightened and he took a sip of beer.
“Come on,” Etienne said. “He almost never comes out of his office unless it’s to yell at us. You do all the actual play-making and strategy sessions. What’s up with that? Why is he even employed?”
Rudy sighed and set his beer down. “It’s not something I can talk about. Don’t cross him, though.”
A shiver of unease slid down Etienne’s spine. “Why not?”
“Just trust me,” Rudy said.
Someone roared with laughter from two tables away, making everyone turn and look. A group of men were clustered together around another, standing and holding his mug of beer in one unsteady hand.