I wrap my free arm around his waist, ignoring the gasp that ripples through the crowd. His eyes widen in surprise. “Really? You sure about this, Rookie?”
Hell to the yes, I’m sure about it.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything else in my entire life.” I at him. “I love you, Louis Tremblay.”
He stills, his mouth dropping open. We’d talked about maybe doing something to “come out” publicly after the season ends, but now that we’re going to the playoffs, we could be playing for a couple more months.
I’m the one who’s been hesitating. Lou’s been ready to shout about us from the rooftops, but until right this minute, I’ve been too busy working through all the different variables and scenarios, trying to figure out all the risks of what could happen.
But right now, with 18,000 people watching us, more than anything in the world, I want to claim this man as mine. This man is my home, and I want the entire damn world to know about it.
I crash my mouth down onto his. It’s not a tentative peck; it’s a claim.
Louis melts into me, his hand coming up to cup the back of my sweaty neck, holding me there like I’m the only thing keeping him upright.
The arena goes silent for a split second, like a collective intake of breath, and then it explodes. It’s louder than the win. It’s deafening.
I don’t know if they’re cheering or shocked or confused, and honestly, I don’t give one tiny rat’s ass. I kiss him until my lungsburn, tasting the coffee on his tongue and feeling the scratch of his stubble against my chin.
When we finally break apart, I rest my forehead against his. We’re both panting like we just played three periods of overtime.
Louis opens his eyes. They’re shining. He’s grinning like an idiot.
“So,” he says, breathless. “That just happened.”
I laugh, a ragged, happy sound that bubbles up from my chest. I look around the arena. The lights, the faces of the fans, our team surrounding us, catcalling and wolf whistling. It’s bright and loud and overwhelming. And it’s home.
“It sure as hell did.” I grin. “And it’s about to happen again.” I lean in to kiss him again when he pulls back slightly.
“I love you too.”
“I know,” I reply with a cocky smirk. Again, his mouth drops open in shock, right before a laugh bursts out of him, and he drags my head down to his in another scorching kiss. We stay there, standing in our shared crease, our arms wrapped around each other as the crowd roars and our team celebrates around us.
And I’ve never been happier in my entire life.
