Irresponsible Puckboy (Puckboys 2)

“So you can be with me? Aww, honey, I didn’t realize we were picking each other over our careers so soon in our relationship.”

Ezra takes a glass of dark liquid over to Lane. “It sounds like you might need this.”

“Thank you.” Lane throws it back.

“Only way to deal with me,” Oskar points out.

Lane sets his glass down and says so low I almost miss it, “We both know I can deal with you.”

“It’s starting,” Ollie says.

Ezra turns up the TV to where the skills portion starts.

When Anton’s introduced, Ezra yells at the TV, “Kick ass, baby!”

“Why didn’t you go with him for support and cheer him on from the stands?” I ask.

“I love him, but I love having All-Stars week off more.”

“Ooh,” Soren says from across the room where he’s sitting with Ollie. “It’s all downhill from here. When you’d rather rest instead of being invited to All-Stars, there’s only a few years left before the dreaded retirement word starts floating around.”

Ezra’s face falls. “Why would you say such a mean thing?”

Soren laughs.

“There’s nothing wrong with retirement,” Ollie says. “I’m going to welcome it come July.”

I snort. “You think New York is making it to the Stanley Cup game this season? Really?”

“Hey, we have more of a chance than Vegas.”

Everyone snickers, so Dex and I flip them all off.

Foster and Anton compete in the shootout competition, and seeing two queer guys out there is amazing.

“Idea!” Ezra yells out of nowhere.

We all groan. This could be anything from let’s start a drinking game for every goal scored to let’s have an orgy.

“No, hear me out. We have the goal of getting a queer dude on every team. What if we buy our own expansion team and have an all-queer team?”

“You got that kind of money?” Dex asks.

“No, but we could all pool and own our own team.”

“No,” we all say at the same time.

“You guys are no fun. I’m just saying, look at those two out there. All of us together, we’d be unstoppable.”

“Except with Ollie and Soren retired, we have like six players. Great team,” I say dryly.

“More would come out,” Ezra says. “I happen to know someone itching to come out.”

“Oh, seven,” I deadpan. “That changes everything.”

“Fine. No queer team.”

“It’s not a bad idea,” Lane says. “Maybe not going as far as having an expansion team, but all of you getting together in the off-season and doing events for queer kids. Exhibition games or a one-week training camp … that kind of thing.”

“Exhibition,” Oskar mutters, pumping his eyebrows at Lane.

Lane ignores him.

“Anton would be all over that,” Ezra says.

“So would I,” Dex adds.

“Really?” I cock my head at him.

“Could you imagine the look on the kids’ faces from the Rainbow Raiders if we all walked in and told them we’re playing hockey with them?”

I grip Dex’s hand. “We’re up for that.”

“I think it’s a great idea,” Soren says. “I know you all think Ollie and I are the reason you have careers because we were the first to come out, but the next generation are going to look up to you guys. You’re the future of queer players in the NHL, and you need to do everything you can to make sure your voices are heard and that other queer people out there feel represented.”

There are murmurs of agreement, but then Anton wins the shootout, and Ezra’s out of his seat cheering.

Dex leans in closer to me and says, “What you’ve got here is really special, isn’t it? I don’t think I’ve understood it until now. You’re not just a bunch of guys who have something in common to bond over. It’s a brotherhood.”

“They’re my hockey family. No, they’re our hockey family. You’re one of us now too.”

His smile is blinding. “Yeah, I am.”