11
The banquet had been a success. The team had accepted them.
Layton's family had accepted them. The scouts had been polite.
Everything had gone better than any of them had expected.
But now they were at the celebration dinner, surrounded by teammates and laughter and the kind of joy that Spencer had never thought he would experience.
The restaurant was packed. The team had reserved a private room in the back. Everyone was drinking and eating and having the time of their lives. Spencer sat between Layton and Zavier, their legs pressed together under the table.
Layton was telling a story about the championship game. Everyone was listening. Everyone was laughing. Spencer watched him and felt his heart swell. Layton was so confident, so charismatic, so completely different from the angry captain who had tried to take Spencer's head off on the ice.
Zavier was quiet, as usual, but he was smiling. He was actually smiling. Spencer had never seen him smile so much. It made something warm spread through his chest.
Drew Matthews stood up and raised his glass. "A toast. To the co-captains. To the best damn team in the league. And to Spencer, Layton, and Zavier, for showing us what real love looks like."
Everyone raised their glasses. Spencer felt his cheeks flush. He wasn't used to being the center of attention. He wasn't used to people celebrating him.
Layton squeezed his hand under the table. "You deserve this. All of it."
Zavier squeezed his other hand. "We deserve this. Together."
Spencer nodded. He couldn't speak. His throat was too tight.
The dinner continued. People were talking and laughing and telling stories. Sophie Gibson was talking to Terry King about the championship game. Reggie Tanner was trying to explain the rules of some board game to Drew. Skyler Bradley was quietly making sure everyone had enough to drink.
Spencer felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around. Skyler was standing there, his sharp eyes taking in everything.
"Can I talk to you for a moment?" Skyler asked.
Spencer's heart skipped. "Sure."
He followed Skyler to a quiet corner of the room. Skyler's expression was unreadable.
"I've known for a while," Skyler said. "About you three. I saw you at the cabin. I saw you at the banquet. I've been watching."
Spencer's stomach dropped. "What do you mean?"
Skyler shrugged. "I mean I know. And I'm happy for you. All three of you. I just wanted you to know that I'm not going to say anything. Your secret is safe with me."
Spencer stared at him. He didn't know what to say. He had been so careful. He had thought no one had noticed.
Skyler continued. "I've known Layton for three years. I've known Zavier for three years. I've never seen them look at anyone the way they look at you. You're good for them. They're good for you. That's all that matters."
Spencer's eyes were burning. "Thank you. I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything." Skyler clapped him on the shoulder. "Just keep being happy. That's all I ask."
He walked away. Spencer stood in the corner, his heart pounding.
Layton appeared at his side. "What was that about?"
Spencer said, "He knows. About us. He's known for a while. He said he's happy for us."
Layton's face went pale. "He knows?"
Spencer nodded. "He said he's not going to tell anyone. He said we're good for each other."
Layton let out a breath. "That's... that's good. I think."
Zavier joined them. "What's going on?"
Spencer told him. Zavier's expression was unreadable.
"He's been around for years," Zavier said. "He's seen everything. If he says he's happy for us, he means it."
Spencer nodded. "I know. I trust him."
They went back to the table. The dinner continued. But Spencer couldn't stop thinking about what Skyler had said. He couldn't stop thinking about the fact that someone had noticed. Someone had seen them.
It was terrifying. It was also liberating.
The dinner ended. Everyone said their goodbyes. Spencer, Layton, and Zavier walked out together.
The night air was cold and sharp. Spencer shivered. Layton wrapped his arm around him. Zavier wrapped his arm around both of them.
Layton said, "That went better than I expected. The banquet. The dinner. Everything."
Zavier said, "Yeah. I didn't think people would be so accepting."
Spencer said, "I didn't either. But they were. They really were."
They walked to Layton's car. They drove to Layton's apartment. They sat on his couch, tangled together, none of them wanting to let go.
Layton said, "We need to talk about what happens next. About us."
Spencer's heart pounded. "What do you mean?"
"I mean we need to figure out what we are. What we're doing. How we're going to make this work." Layton's voice was serious. "We can't just keep pretending we're just friends. We can't keep hiding."
Zavier said, "I agree. We need to be open about this. With everyone. Not just the team."
Spencer nodded slowly. "I know. I've been thinking about it too. I don't want to hide anymore. I've been hiding my whole life. I'm tired of it."
Layton reached out and took his hand. "Then let's not hide. Let's be open. Let's be honest."
Zavier took his other hand. "Let's be together. Openly. Honestly. No more secrets."
Spencer looked at them both. He loved them so much it hurt. He had never felt this way about anyone. He had never been so scared and so hopeful at the same time.
"Okay," he said. "Let's do it. Let's be open."
They kissed. All three of them. Soft and sweet and full of promise.
Layton pulled back. "I love you. Both of you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you."
Zavier said, "I love you too. I've never said that to anyone before. But I mean it. I want to be with you forever."
Spencer's eyes were burning. "I love you both. I never thought I would feel this again. But I do. I want to be with you forever."
They held each other tight. None of them wanted to let go.
Spencer fell asleep on Layton's couch, surrounded by the two men he loved. He woke up in the middle of the night to find Layton still holding him. Zavier was pressed against his back.
He didn't move. He didn't want to wake them. He just lay there and let himself feel it.
He was loved. He was wanted. He was home.
The next morning, they woke up together. The sun was streaming through the window. The room was warm and quiet.
Spencer looked at them both. They were still here. They hadn't run.
Layton kissed his forehead. "Good morning."
Zavier kissed his shoulder. "Good morning."
Spencer said, "Good morning."
They lay in bed for a long time, talking about nothing and everything. They talked about hockey and school and their families. They talked about their hopes and their fears.
They talked about their future.
Layton said, "I want to wake up like this every day. I want to be with you every day."
Zavier said, "I want that too. I want to build a life with you. Both of you."
Spencer said, "I want that too. I want all of it."
They made a decision. They were going to tell the world. Not just the team. Everyone.
They were going to be open. They were going to be honest. They were going to be together.
No more hiding. No more secrets. Just the three of them, together, forever.
Spencer's heart was pounding. He was terrified. But he was also hopeful.
They were going to do this. They were going to be together. Openly. Honestly.
And nothing was going to stop them.
The next few weeks were a whirlwind. The news spread quickly. There were articles. There were interviews. There were people who supported them and people who didn't. But through it all, they stayed together. They stayed strong.
Layton's parents called every day. They were supportive. They were proud. They wanted to meet Spencer and Zavier properly. Layton promised they would.
Zavier's family was more complicated. His father refused to speak to him. His mother cried on the phone for an hour. But Zavier didn't back down. He told them he loved them, but he wasn't going to hide. He wasn't going to pretend to be someone he wasn't.
Spencer's sister Lacey called him every day. She was overjoyed. She had been worried about him for so long. She was so happy he had found people who loved him.
Spencer felt like he was floating. He had never been this happy. He had never felt this loved.
But there were also hard moments. There were people who stared. There were people who whispered. There were people who made cruel comments. Spencer tried to ignore them. He tried to focus on the people who mattered.
Layton and Zavier were always there. They held his hand. They kissed his forehead. They told him it was going to be okay.
And it was. Because they were together.
One night, they were lying in Layton's bed. The lights were off. The room was dark and quiet.
Spencer said, "I never thought I would have this. I never thought I would be happy."
Layton said, "You deserve this. You deserve to be happy."
Zavier said, "We all deserve this. We've been through so much. We deserve to be happy."
Spencer's eyes were burning. "I love you both. I love you so much."
Layton said, "I love you too. I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone."
Zavier said, "I love you. I love both of you. I'm going to spend the rest of my life showing you how much."