Etienne huffed a laugh and pulled Adam’s pants off.
The Freeze were everything Adam had prepped Etienne for. They were also raucously welcoming, loud and friendly as they warmed up before the game. Etienne found himself relaxing almost immediately, settling into his groove and finding his rhythm.
He meshed well with Li, slim-framed, dark eyed and unsmiling until Etienne sank a puck five-hole on the goalie, Shannon. Li’s grin lit up his face and Etienne grinned back as he circled behind the net.
They won the game 7-3 and Etienne managed a goal and an assist to loud cheers from the stands.
He went home drunk on success and adrenaline, fucked Adam on his ridiculous golf course, and woke up to a message from his agent.
“Their left winger is going to be out the rest of the season, and their coach loves the way you fit into the third line,” she informed him. “How’d you like to finish your season as a Freeze?”
Etienne blinked a few times. Was he hallucinating? Adam looked at him, eyes wide and questioning.
“I—yes,” Etienne finally managed. “I’d like that.”
Adam threw his arms in the air silently and fell over backward on the bed as Etienne hung up. “You’re on your way, baby!”
Etienne laughed and crawled on top of him. Adam grinned up at him, hair rumpled and love bites on his neck from the night before stark against his fair skin. Etienne was hit by a sudden rush of emotion that roared through him, leaving him shaking.
“Tenny?” Adam sounded worried.
Etienne closed his mouth, shuddering. He couldn’t say it, couldn’t give words to this new feeling that was still so young and tender in his chest. It was too fragile, and he wanted to cherish it a little longer. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you,” he finally said.
Adam poked him in the ribs. “You’re here because of you. But maybe I helped your confidence a little. I’m okay with that.”
“You and me,” Etienne said, and kissed him.
19
Adam found his moment two weeks later, when Coach Benton called him into his office.
“Just wanted to go over a few things,” Coach said cheerfully. “The community outreach coordinator says you’ve been instrumental in boosting both ticket sales and attendance in the events she’s scheduled. She wants to know if you’re willing to host a camp next summer for kids in underprivileged areas.”
“Yeah, actually,” Adam said, perking up. “That sounds awesome.”
“Good, good. You’re settling in well,” Coach said. He glanced through papers. “I may shuffle the lines around a bit, but you’re a solid addition to the team and I’m glad we have you.”
Adam ducked his head. “Thank you, Coach.”
“That’s all, you can go.”
Adam hesitated. “Actually, there was something I wanted to talk to you about.”
Coach lifted his heavy eyebrows.
Adam opened and closed his mouth. The words wouldn’t come at first.
Coach Benton waited.
“Um. I’m gay,” Adam blurted.
Coach Benton said nothing, folding his hands on the desk.
Adam fidgeted. “Need you to say something, Coach.”
“Well, I’m glad you felt you could tell me,” Coach said. “Are you going to come out to the team?”
“I—yes. I want to. I think. Do you—” Adam snapped his mouth shut.
“Do I what?”
“Do you think they’ll be okay with it? Are you okay with it?”
“My son is gay,” Coach said. His eyes creased with his smile and Adam sagged with relief. “Yeah, Cary, I’m fine with it. What about the NHL? Are you thinking of coming out to the organization or just the team?”
“I… don’t want the publicity but I also don’t want to hide anymore,” Adam admitted. “Everyone will look at me different and I just want to play hockey. But—”
Coach picked up a pen, twirling it idly between his thick fingers. “Let’s start with the team,” he suggested. “I’ll get with our PR contact, let her draft something up for when you’re ready. In the meantime—stay out of the headlines unless it’s for good things, you got it? Rescue a little old lady or a kid from a burning building, fine. But no wild parties, no picking up random guys who turn out to be underage or packing cocaine, nothing that could smear your image and the team’s.”
“I won’t,” Adam said earnestly. “I’m—I have a boyfriend. No wild partying for me, I promise.”
“Okay, good. Is it that kid Etienne?”
Adam blinked. “How—”
Coach laughed. “I met him when we were at the hospital. You made him your emergency contact, Cary. That kind of thing tends to be a giveaway. He’s a good guy. I liked him.”
“Well yeah, it’s him.”
“And he knows you’re doing this?”
“Yes sir. He understands the ramifications.”
“How do you want to tell the team? You want me to do it or you?”
Adam considered. The idea of telling everyone individually was exhausting. “I’d like to tell my line and a couple of others, I think. Once I do that, you can tell the rest of the team for me, if you don’t mind.”
“Fine by me,” Coach said. “Let me know when you’re done. Now get out of here, you’re missing practice.”
“Yes sir,” Adam said, and escaped gratefully.
He took Jake, Victor, Hideki, and Hunt out for lunch after practice the same day, too nervous to wait any longer. Jake, always delighted by the prospect of food, buried himself in a giant milkshake and several oversized steak wraps as Adam tried to keep from squirming.
Hunt fixed him with cool, dark eyes. “Everything okay, Cary?”
“Yeah. Um. There was something I wanted to tell you guys.” Adam tore his napkin into shreds as Jake nudged him with a meaty shoulder.
“You’re not leaving the team, are you?”
“Nah,” Adam said, relaxing enough to smile at him. “I just—I have some news, and I wanted you guys to be the first to know, because you’re my closest friends on the team.”
“Are you pregnant?” Jake asked, and laughed at his own joke.
Adam gave him a mock-glare. “No, but I am seeing someone.”
Jake and Victor exclaimed with delight. Hideki and Hunt traded glances and said nothing.
“What’s her name?” Jake demanded. “What’s she look like? Show us a picture, man, I’m sure you’ve got a thousand of them.”
This was it. Moment of truth. Adam dug his phone out and unlocked it. He’d caught a rare picture of Etienne in bed one day, early in the morning when Etienne was too sleepy to protest. His eyes were half-closed against the sunlight, mouth curving up in a laughing objection as he reached out one hand to stop Adam from taking the picture, but Adam had been too quick for him.
It was his lockscreen. He set the phone on the table and slid it across to Jake.
Jake choked on his milkshake, spraying strawberry ice cream onto the tabletop, and Adam snatched the phone away before it could get ruined.