12
The cabin was quiet. The fire crackled in the fireplace.
The snow fell softly outside the windows.
Spencer sat on the couch with Layton and Zavier, their bodies pressed together, none of them wanting to let go.
The week had been a whirlwind of emotions.
The banquet. The acceptance. The open declarations of love.
But now they were alone, and the reality of what they had done was starting to sink in.
Layton's hands were shaking. He had been jittery all day, unable to sit still, unable to focus on anything. Spencer could feel the tension radiating off him. He reached out and took Layton's hand.
"Talk to me," Spencer said. "What's going on?"
Layton shook his head. "I don't know. I don't know what's happening to me. I'm terrified, Spencer. I've never been this scared in my life."
Zavier moved closer. "Terrified of what?"
Layton's voice cracked. "Of everything. Of what people are going to say. Of what my family is going to think. Of what the scouts are going to do. I've worked my whole life for this. I've worked my whole life to get to the NHL. And now I'm afraid I've thrown it all away."
Spencer's heart ached. He understood that fear. He had felt it himself, every time he had been outed, every time he had been betrayed. The fear of losing everything you had worked for. The fear of being rejected by the people you loved.
He said, "You haven't thrown anything away. You've gained something. You've gained us."
Layton looked at him. His eyes were red-rimmed. "I know. I know that. But I can't stop thinking about what might happen. What if the scouts don't want me? What if my family disowns me? What if—"
"Then we'll figure it out." Zavier's voice was low and steady. "We'll figure it out together. That's what we do. That's what we've always done."
Layton's face crumpled. He started to cry. Big, ugly sobs that shook his whole body. Spencer pulled him close. Zavier wrapped his arms around both of them.
"I'm sorry," Layton sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm supposed to be strong. I'm supposed to be the captain. I'm supposed to—"
"You're supposed to be human." Spencer's voice was soft. "You're allowed to be scared. You're allowed to cry. We're here for you. We're not going anywhere."
Zavier said, "We love you. That's not going to change. No matter what happens, that's not going to change."
Layton cried for a long time. Spencer held him. Zavier held them both. The fire crackled. The snow fell. The world outside was cold and uncertain. But inside the cabin, they were warm. They were together.
Finally, Layton's sobs subsided. He pulled back and wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall apart like that."
"Don't apologize." Spencer kissed his forehead. "You needed to let it out. That's okay."
Layton nodded. He took a deep breath. "I love you. Both of you. I don't know what I would do without you."
Zavier said, "You don't have to find out. We're not going anywhere."
They sat in silence for a long time. The fire crackled. The snow fell. The cabin was quiet and peaceful.
Finally, Spencer said, "I'm scared too. I've been scared my whole life. Of being found out. Of being hurt. Of being alone. But I'm not alone anymore. I have you. I have both of you. And that makes all the difference."
Layton squeezed his hand. "I'm scared too. But I'm less scared when I'm with you."
Zavier said, "I'm scared too. I've been scared for so long that I forgot what it felt like to not be scared. But when I'm with you, I feel like I can breathe. I feel like I can be myself."
Spencer's eyes were burning. He had never heard Zavier say so many words at once. He had never seen Layton so vulnerable. They were both opening up to him, sharing their fears, trusting him with their deepest insecurities.
He said, "We're going to be okay. All three of us. We're going to figure this out. Together."
They held each other tight. None of them wanted to let go.
The next few days were a blur of emotions. There were phone calls from family members. There were articles in the news. 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.
The team was incredible. They rallied around the three of them, offering their support, defending them against the haters.
Drew Matthews made a point of sitting with them at every meal.
Terry King told anyone who would listen that they were the best players he had ever played with.
Reggie Tanner made them a get-well card, even though they weren't sick.
Sophie Gibson made sure their schoolwork was taken care of.
Skyler Bradley made sure everyone knew that anyone who had a problem with them had a problem with 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."
They held each other tight. None of them wanted to let go.
Spencer fell asleep to the sound of their breathing. He woke up in the middle of the night to find Layton and Zavier still holding him.
He smiled. He had never been so happy.
He was home. He was finally home.
The night before the banquet, they were all in Spencer's room. They were not having sex. They were just holding each other. Talking about their futures. About what comes next.
Layton said, "I want to be with you forever. I know that sounds insane. But I want it."
Spencer said, "I want it too."
Zavier said, "Me too."
They talked about the future. About the NHL. About what it would be like to play together, to travel together, to build a life together. They talked about the challenges they would face and the ways they would overcome them.
Layton said, "I know it's going to be hard. I know there are going to be people who don't accept us. But I don't care. As long as I have you, I don't care."
Zavier said, "I feel the same way. I've spent my whole life being afraid. I'm done being afraid. I want to be with you. I want to be happy."
Spencer said, "I want that too. I want to be happy with you. I want to build a life with you. I want to wake up next to you every morning."
They fell asleep tangled together. It was the best sleep any of them had ever had.
Spencer woke up the next morning with Layton's head on his chest and Zavier's arm around his waist. The sun was streaming through the window. The room was warm and quiet.
He looked at them both. He loved them so much it hurt.
He kissed Layton's forehead. He kissed Zavier's cheek.
They stirred. They woke up. They looked at him.
Layton said, "Are you ready?"
Spencer said, "I'm ready."
Zavier said, "We're in this together. Remember? Together."
Spencer nodded. "Together."
They got dressed. They walked to the banquet together. They held hands. They didn't care who saw.
The banquet was held at a fancy hotel downtown. The room was filled with people. Players. Coaches. Families. Alumni. Scouts.
Spencer stood in the corner with Layton and Zavier. They were all nervous. They were all holding hands.
Coach Miller gave a speech. Terry King gave a speech. Drew Matthews made everyone laugh.
Then it was Layton's turn.
Layton walked to the podium. He looked out at the crowd. He was terrified. Spencer could see it in his eyes.
But Layton started his speech. He talked about the season. He talked about his teammates. He talked about how much this team had changed him.
Then he said, "There's something I need to tell you. Something I should have told you a long time ago."
The room went quiet.
Layton looked at Spencer. Then at Zavier. They nodded. They were ready.
Layton said, "I'm in love. I'm in love with my teammates. With Spencer and Zavier."
Gasps. Whispers. His mother's face went white.
Layton continued. "I know this might be hard for some of you. I know it's going to be hard for my family. But I can't pretend anymore. I can't hide who I am. Who we are."
Spencer stood up. He walked to the podium. Zavier followed. They stood together.
"We're together," Spencer said. "All three of us. And we know it's unconventional. We know it's confusing. But we don't care. We're in love."
Zavier said, "We hope you can accept us. But even if you can't, we're not going to hide."
Silence. The room was frozen. No one moved. No one spoke.
Then Coach Miller stood up. He started clapping. He was the first one.
The rest of the team followed. They were all clapping. Drew Matthews was cheering. Terry King was wiping his eyes. Sophie Gibson was crying happy tears.
The scouts were nodding. The alumni were uncertain, but they were polite.
Layton's parents stood up. They walked toward him. Layton's heart pounded.
His father said, "You're my son. I love you. I'm sorry it took me so long to understand."
His mother hugged him. She hugged Spencer. She hugged Zavier.
Layton broke down. He was sobbing. Spencer and Zavier held him.
The banquet ended. Everyone was talking about it. The news would spread. But for now, they were happy. All three of them.
They left together. They drove to the cabin. They were going to celebrate. Just the three of them.