Rating:

Not Rated

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

M/M

Fandoms:

Heated Rivalry (TV), Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid, The Shots You Take - Rachel Reid

Relationships:

Troy Barrett/Harris Drover, Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Past Troy Barrett/Adrian Dela Cruz, Mentioned Adam Sheppard/Riley Tuck

Characters:

Troy Barrett, Harris Drover, Adam Sheppard, Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Zane Boodram, Wyatt Hayes, Luca Haas, Brandon Wiebe, Adrian Dela Cruz, Dallas Kent, Young (Game Changers), LaPointe (Game Changers), Evan Dykstra, Nick Chouinard, Cliff Marlow | Cliff Marleau

Additional Tags:

Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Book 5: Role Model (Game Changers), Post-Book 6: The Long Game (Game Changers), Angst with a Happy Ending, Troy Barrett loves Harris Drover, Protective Ottawa Centaurs (Game Changers), Supportive Ottawa Centaurs (Game Changers), Warning: Dallas Kent, Past Infidelity

Language:

English

Series:

Part 13 of Troublemakers

Stats:

Published: 2026-03-25 Words: 6,450 Chapters: 1/1

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Summary

Troy finally faces the fallout from his time in Toronto but the Centaurs have his back.

(I decided to explore some of the loose plot lines from RM)

Notes

So, this was written because I realised that there are a few plot lines from the books, specifically around Troy that weren't completely resolved and I don't know if Unrivaled will cover them so I did.

Also, again warning for canon mentioned sexual assault because Dallas Kent and also a discussion of how court treats sexual assault victims. Which is not kind. I urge anyone who has experienced this sort of trauma or isn't in the right head space, please give this one a miss. Your mental health is worth more than my dumb story.

If anyone had ever asked him, Troy Barrett would say that November 2019 was probably the worst time of his life. He had been dumped out of the blue by the man he had convinced himself was the love of his life, only to learn less than a week later that Adrian had been cheating on him for months and planned to marry his side piece. The allegations coming out against Dallas Kent and how Troy had been dragged into that conversation by the media had been the match that lit the fuse on his temper and the resulting explosion had seen him dramatically pushed to Ottawa as a punishment.

Thankfully, that move had been a blessing in disguise, since it had allowed him to meet Harris, the actual love of his life and learn that Hockey could be more than disgusting locker talk and bullying. It had allowed him to finally become comfortable with who he was and cut the dead weight (Mainly his piece of shit father) out of his life.

But still, it didn’t stop the fact that November and December were probably the worst months of Troy’s life.

However, this particular month was shaping up to be a strong contender for that title.

Troy had been expecting the call. The allegations against Dallas Kent had blown up and since Troy had been his friend when he was offending, well, it was clear he would eventually be called to tell his side of the story. The Centaur’s legal team had pre-empted it and even got him in contact with a lawyer.

As they had all suspected, once the case had been opened, Troy had been contacted by the Toronto police. His allegations may have been a shot in the dark, but they made it seem that he had heard or seen something.

His lawyer had come with him to the questioning. Thankfully, the police officer running the case had made it clear that Troy was not a suspect. None of the women involved had mentioned him in their initial allegations and when asked, had firmly denied he was present or involved.

Still, he had given his statement as best he could at the time and had been let go with the warning that he may be called to testify at court. It hadn’t stopped Troy from feeling like utter shit.

The officer had mentioned times and places to him, where Kent had allegedly forced these women and Troy hated that he could remember being at a few of the places, although he had left before the actual incidents. Maybe if he had stayed longer, that jackass wouldn’t have touched those women. The other dates always seemed to coincide with times he had been with Adrian, which hurt even more, knowing now that he was being cheated on at the time.

The knowledge that he had wasted time with Adrian when he could have stopped Dallas destroying these women's lives hurt more than Troy was willing to admit. He had made sure after giving his statement, to make another large donation to a local women's shelter.

Unfortunately, his good intentions didn’t mean he escaped the call up, the subpoena for court delivered to him one morning. Kent’s defence wanted to cross-examine him.

Troy was just glad he had spoken again to his lawyer about it, learning what his rights were.

He knew, objectively, that Kent’s lawyer's main goal would be to discredit him. To make him seem unreliable, a liar. And Troy’s job was not to give them enough to spin his words. Vicki, the lawyer who had been at his side through this, had helped him understand the tactics which may be used and how to keep his calm. Made him understand the worst thing he could do was try to fill the silence.

“Simple answers Troy. Just the truth.” She had explained on the phone, the night before he had to fly out to Toronto. He had not been looking forward to it. Even if he hadn’t been going back for a court case, he was definitely still persona non grata in Toronto.

Thankfully, Troy had only been called for the last days of the multi-day trial. He didn’t have to sit through the story again. But he did have to watch one of the other witnesses being cross examined. It had been even more ruthless than he thought it would be, the woman reduced to tears as the Lawyer had lambasted her, twisting her words and no one had stepped in to stop him.

Then, when the woman had been led away, it had been Troy’s turn.

To say the atmosphere in the Court was oppressive had been an understatement. Several of his former teammates had been in the watching gallery, glaring at him. Kent too, had been there, sitting with his lawyer. The look he had thrown at Troy as Troy stepped up to the stand had been pure hatred.

Briefly, Troy wished Harris had been with him. Harris had wanted to come, to not let Troy face this alone but Troy had begged his boyfriend to stay behind in Ottawa. He knew that his past was most likely going to be dragged into this and although he knew Harris knew of his faults, he still hated the idea of Harris having to listen to Troy’s public failings being laid before a court.

Standing in the witness box, Troy had tried not to let his fear show as he was sworn in. In fact, he had been so focused on not making a fool of himself so early, he didn’t notice the soft murmur from the crowd until he glanced up and saw someone had entered the court, taking a seat in the back.

Troy immediately recognised him. The solid build wrapped in the tailored suit, the salt and pepper hair. Adam Sheppard, still Toronto’s favourite son, had stepped quietly into the court room.

The man caught Troy’s eye and gave a small nod and Troy knew the man was here for him. Harris, or maybe Ilya, must have called him and Adam, being the good person he was, had decided to attend to support Troy.

Riley wasn’t with him, not that Troy blamed the man. He would rather be anywhere else but in court right now and couldn’t fault anyone for staying away if they could.

Still, seeing Adam sitting there had given Troy a small bit of courage to do what needed to be done. To right this wrong.

The cross-examination had been, as predicted, brutal. Kent’s lawyers had tried to spin Troy’s every word, even trying to suggest Troy had been involved in Kent’s actions. Thankfully, Troy hadn’t let them rattle him like they so clearly wanted, giving only clear, calm and decisive answers to their questions. He didn’t fall for the pointed silences which begged to be filled. Didn’t let them lead him. He held his nerves and it seemed, the lawyers were the ones getting flustered. Even Dallas, who must have thought Troy would roll, had looked more and more nervous as the questioning continued and he realised that Troy wasn't breaking.

Finally, the Magistrate decided it was enough and had told the lawyer to wrap up his questioning. The lawyer, shoulders slumped, had sat back down next to Kent.

Troy tried not to let the relief show on his face as he was formally dismissed from Court.

Feeling lighter for the first time since he had been handed the subpoena, Troy had stepped out of the witness box and strode down the walkway towards the exit, ignoring the looks from the spectators. As he reached the edge of the seats, he saw Adam rise to follow him out.

Outside, the media was waiting but Troy had ignored the cameras and mics shoved in his face, pushing his way through the scrum. Once he was free, he hesitated. He had been told by the prosecution he may be needed for two days, depending on how long the cross examinations took, and so had scheduled his flight for the next day, hopefully to get home before the next game (Troy had been lucky enough to be offered the use of the Centaur’s jet to get to Toronto and back so he didn’t have to deal with the public. Unfortunately, the plane had to be elsewhere for the rest of the day, and Troy was not going to push the friendship by calling up and asking for it to come get him early. The team's owners were awesome, and he didn’t want to make them think he was demanding or ungrateful), which left him to spend a night in Toronto.

Now, after being released from Court earlier than expected, Troy found he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t want to sit in the court room, watching the rest of the cross examinations take place. He didn’t want to go walking around Toronto where he could potentially stumble across an angry fan. And he didn’t want to sit in his hotel room and feel sorry for himself.

Fortunately, Adam had been right behind him, the man coming up and placing a hand on his shoulder, wordlessly steering him towards a car. Troy didn’t know where the other man was taking him, but he wasn't surprised when the car stopped outside a cute looking cafe.

Adam hadn’t hesitated, simply directed Troy inside and ordered a coffee for them both before he sat down to talk.

Adam had been in town, he claimed when they had finally been settled at a table, their suit jackets discarded and their ties loosened, to visit his kids, ex-wife and her new husband and a few friends and decided to check on him. Even though Troy knew it was probably an excuse, he had been grateful enough not to challenge the other man. Adam had become a bit of a mentor to Troy, keeping in touch since his and Riley’s visit to Ottawa and Troy was glad to have the man in his corner.

Eventually, coffee had turned into dinner and an invitation to stay at Adam’s apartment for the night instead of his hotel room. Troy had been happy to accept, the thought of being alone in a cold hotel for the night unappealing and potentially dangerous. Troy remembered well, his first roadie with the Centaurs, how he had drunk himself into oblivion because no one was there to stop him. That mood had been similar to how Troy was feeling now and it was probably safer for him to be around someone he trusted instead of alone with his own thoughts. Troy desperately wanted to be home with Harris and Chiron but staying at Adam’s place was a good second option if he had to stay the night.

So he had stayed, finding a bit of pleasure in talking with his idol. Adam had been full of stories of his and Riley’s lives in Nova Scotia. Their wedding the previous year and the plans Adam had for a belated honeymoon to Iceland. How Adam had taken to coaching the peewee hockey team in Avery River and how Riley had started a second hand gear swap in his store and Wyatt had donated a whole bunch of goalie gear in various sizes for the kids (It was a well-known fact that the goalies pads were the most expensive pieces of uniform and the price was putting a lot of parents off letting their children play the position. Wyatt had been vocal about trying to get more kids to play goalie and it looked like Riley was doing his part to try and up the numbers. Avery River was probably going to become the feeder town for all NHL goalies at this rate, all thanks to Riley Tuck)

Troy had told his own stories, about his and Harris’ plan to attend and review as many day spas around Ottawa as they could and the new collaboration between Drover’s cider and The Kingfisher bar in New York. How the apple picking season had been incredible this year and how the Drovers were starting to offer family days where people could come and pick apples and learn about cider making if they wanted. How the rest of the Centaurs had offered (Actually demanded) to attend the first open day to boost interest and Ilya had almost crashed the truck while showing off for the media. (He wasn’t drunk. Just an idiot)

Swapping funny stories with his idol, it turned out, was just the thing to bring back Troy’s good mood. It had been a nice way to end a trying day.

Adam had driven Troy to the airport the next day, making sure he was safe and comfortable enough to fly (Adam was very aware of why Troy was nervous about flying but the timing of the court case had meant he couldn’t road trip to Toronto without missing the next game) and leaving him with a request to bring Harris to Avery River for a visit soon (And a warning not to let Riley trick him into going on a beach run. Apparently, that was a favourite prank of Riley’s and both Adam and Scott Hunter had fallen for it. In fact, if Adam was to be believed, the only person who had managed to keep up was Kip Grady)

Then finally, Troy had gotten home and back into the arms of his boyfriend. He had hoped that would be it. Unfortunately, it seemed that there was more shit coming Troy Barrett's way. It had been a few days since he had returned from Toronto, and he had finally managed to relax back into his normal routine when it all turned to shit again.

Ottawa was playing against Boston and Troy had been on the ice for his warmup before the puck drop and generally enjoying himself, throwing small and friendly chirps his teammates way to get a rise out of them and keep the energy high. The Boston team was always going to be a challenge, especially since Ilya was their former Captain and they knew his tricks and Cliff Marlow was their current Captain, so Troy was ready for a hard game. In fact, Troy had been back in the hockey mindset, when his world had shifted once again.

It was common, when a celebrity attended a game, for a shoutout to be made before the puck dropped. Troy never paid too much attention to it. Occasionally, he did when it was Rose Landy in one of the boxes, because Shane always seemed to get dragged to a club when his friend was in town and would ask the team to come along. And no one was going to refuse to attend a Rose Landy party. She was fun and didn’t treat any of the players like they were dumb jocks, unlike some celebrities had during parties Troy had attended back in Toronto.

Sometimes the celebrity was invited to the locker room to hang with the players. Although Troy could only remember that happening once during his time with the Centaurs and that had been Fabian Salah (And it wasn’t even Fabian but Ryan Price who had come to the locker room. Ryan was still a friend of Wyatt Hayes and had been a coach for the Game Changers camps for several years now so of course he was invited. It had only been the third time Troy had interacted with Ryan since his move from Toronto, the second during his first GC camp, and they still hadn’t moved past their awkwardness. Ryan, despite his impressive frame, was a timid guy and Troy had been cruel to him. He didn’t deserve the other man’s forgiveness and the fact that Ryan would say anything to him at all, let alone be nice was more than Troy felt he deserved)

So, Troy didn’t care to know who was in the box. In fact, Troy was content to block out all that stuff. Until he had made the mistake of glancing up at the screens above the ice and saw him.

Adrian fucking Dela Cruz. Troy’s ex. Standing in the box and smiling for a cheering crowd before the big screen played a trailer for some movie he was starring in.

Troy forced down the bile in his throat and continued his warmup, trying not to let his discomfort show.

Once he had finished, he jumped into the players seats, pressing himself to the side of the box where the cameras couldn’t see him and tried to fight down the rising nausea. And the rage.

Why the fuck was Adrian here? Never, in their whole relationship, did the guy express even a passing interest in Hockey. Hell, Troy had invited him several times to his games and every time, he was given some excuse about ‘Not wanting to make it obvious Adrian was in love with one of the players’. The only time Troy remembered Adrian actually attending a Toronto game, it was to promote a show he was on. Adrian had been interviewed at the time and proclaimed himself a fan of the opposing team, which just so happened to be Montreal. Hell, he had even mentioned Shane Hollander, like thirsting over the man wasn’t a huge giveaway of his sexuality. Troy had tried not to let that string, even as he deluded himself into thinking Adrian was protecting them by jokingly making the pass.

Now he knew better. Which was why it made no sense for Adrian of all people, to be here, in Ottawa, at Troy’s game. And…. Troy quickly glanced up at the screen….fuck. He was even wearing a Centaurs jersey. Not just any jersey. The special Pride Jersey from their last Pride match, specifically the game where Troy had come out.

The sheer audacity of the man.

Yes, Troy knew Adrian was out. It was kinda hard not to know, since his coming out announcement doubled as him telling Troy he had been cheating on him. But just because the other man was wearing their jersey, didn’t mean Troy had to like the guy. He just hoped it wasn't his name and number on the back. He definitely wouldn’t put it past the asshole.

Fuck, he wished Harris was here. But Harris wasn’t allowed in the players box during games and besides, he would have a lot of work to do. During games, it was all hands-on deck for him, getting all the content he would need to do his job in the coming week. Still, Troy would give anything for a brief glimpse of his boyfriend right now.

“Hey Barrett! You’re in my seat, man.” A voice called, breaking through the angry spiral.

Troy glanced up at one of the younger players, LaPointe, as he skated over, throwing his foot over the boards to get into the box. Like everyone else, the kid had his superstitions, and Troy knew that included being very particular about where he sat. But Troy was not in the mood to leave his hiding spot.

“Fuck off, LaPointe.” He snarled back, his hand tightening on his stick.

LaPointe looked stunned at the response. Normally, he was a cheerful kid, unassuming and kind. He wasn’t afraid to throw a punch if needed but he wasn’t the type to deliberately go looking for trouble. Troy didn’t think he had heard anything other than the most mild chirp from him. The guy didn’t deserve Troy’s ire but now it was coming out, Troy couldn’t keep a lid on it. He was pissed. Pissed at how much he had been dragged into Kent’s shit, pissed at the City of Toronto as a whole, pissed at Adrian popping up like he wasn’t a cheating asshole. And pissed that, when all he wanted to do was hug his boyfriend, he still had a game to play.

“Jesus Man, you ok?” The kid finally asked.

“I told you to get lost.” Troy replied. He knew he was being far too harsh and would have to apologise but it was for the best for the kid to get away, before he exploded.

“Alright.” The kid said uncertainty before making his way over to the other side of the box, as far away from Troy as he could manage. Leaving Troy alone with his foul mood.

Unfortunately, Ilya Rozanov, with his almost supernatural ability to see things others missed, had noticed. Troy saw the man glance questioningly at him as he leant against the boards, talking to Shane and Bood, his eyes narrowing.

Fuck. Well, whatever the man had to say, he would just have to say it. And if that was to make Troy publicly apologise to LaPointe, he would. Just not yet. Let Troy have his sulk.

Finally, time was called on their warmup and after the announcements were made, the starting team all skated back onto the ice, ready for the puck drop. Troy jumped on the line with Hollander playing center and Haas on the left wing. This was a common tactic since Shane joined, putting him and Ilya on different lines unless they were doing a power play. It stopped them from becoming predictable and put Shane’s hockey focused mind to good use.

It also seemed that the two considered chirping and body checks a form of foreplay. Bood had already told them several times that if they didn’t cool it, he would pull Assisting Captains rights and dump an ice bucket on them. The crowd may love it, but the team didn’t need that insanity in the locker room when they were trying to wind down after a game.

Then the puck was dropped and Troy tried to push everything out of his mind except Hockey. Unfortunately, he knew he was playing angry.

His passes were sloppy. Luca and Shane were good enough that they could cover for his slips so it wouldn’t be noticeable to the fans but on the ice, everyone could see Troy was in a terrible mood.

Even Cliff Marlow had skated past and muttered ‘Cool it Barrett’ at him during a reset in play. Troy wasn’t proud to admit; he may have tried to body check the bigger man for that one. Thankfully Marlow hadn’t taken the bait and simply shoved him off, but Troy definitely saw the other Captain throw Ilya a look.

Finally, the first period was over. Ottawa had managed to pull ahead, no thanks to Troy who was just glad to get off the ice for a moment to gather himself. Being on the ice, feeling the phantom eyes of Adrian on him had been torture and he just wanted to go to the locker room where he knew no one could see him.

Unfortunately, as he sat in his stall, trying to radiate ‘Don’t talk to me’ energy as he ripped the tape off his stick, he could hear the conversation between his teammates. Troy hadn’t told anyone except Harris about Adrian, so he knew that there was no malice intended but it still hurt when the topic of conversation turned to his ex’s presence.

Wyatt Hayes was an unapologetic comic book nerd. Hell, he had made being a nerd in hockey cool. And unfortunately for Troy, Adrian’s best-known role was playing a fucking Superhero. Of course, Wyatt was going to talk about it.

“Man, did you see? Adrian Dela Cruz, The Crimson Dagger is here! How fucking cool is that?” The man said excitedly to Boodram as he toweled down his sweat soaked hair. His voice, always loud, practically bashed into Troy’s skull.

“I thought you hated that show.” Bood had replied as Troy curled in on himself.

“Yeah, the show sucked. But man, the things he did with the character were incredible.” Wyatt answered happily.

“I wonder why he is here.” Tanner Dillon said. “He’s not from Ottawa.”

“Maybe filming?” Bood replied. “Those Hollywood types are always on the move.”

‘Yes.’ Troy thought bitterly. ‘Always on the move. On the move to someone else's bed.’

“Hey, didn’t he once publicly thirst over Hollander? I am sure I remember that happening.” Dillon replied.

Troy saw them all glance over at Shane who was standing with Ilya and Wiebe, discussing something.

“Nah, forget Holly. They are interviewing him right now and you should hear what he just said about Barrett!” It was one of the kids, Young said.

Troy felt as if he had just been dropped into an ice bath, his body freezing up, his heart pounding. He turned as the others gathered around Young, looking at his phone where the guy must have been playing the interview.

“Oh man! Barrett, you gotta see this!”

Then the phone was thrust into Troy’s face. On screen, Adiran was holding a microphone and still in the Centaur’s jersey.

A voice off screen started talking.

“So, Adrian, you once said that Shane Hollander is your favourite player. Now that both of you are publicly out, are you looking to meet your hero? Maybe get his number?” The voice asked.

Adrian, movie star grin plastered on his face, turned to the camera. Troy felt like Adrian was looking straight at him, like the man knew he was watching.

“I admire Shane Hollander and it's thrilling to know we both represent the LGBTQ+ community. I would love to meet him in person but he’s married. On the other hand, Troy Barrett’s on the team and an equally incredible player. I wouldn’t mind getting his number.”

Then Adrian winked.

Troy felt sick again. He knew Adrian no longer had his phone number. Troy had changed it after coming out, wanting to cut all ties to anyone who he deemed no longer worthy of being in his life (namely his dad and the Toronto players who he previously considered friends but who had sided with Kent). The new number had been given only to people he trusted, the Centaurs, Harris and his family and Troy’s mum. Adrian had not made the cut.

And now, here he was, practically begging for Troy’s number. Why, Troy didn’t know but he didn’t like the theories his mind conjured up. Adrian hadn’t cared for their relationship when they were in it. Of course, he wouldn’t care for Troy’s relationship with someone else.

Troy practically threw the phone away, his composure hanging on by a thread but the others didn’t seem to notice, again crowding around the video and talking excitedly.

“Hey. We should invite him here after the game.” That was Evan Dykstra pitching in. And his comment was greeted with a chorus of agreement. Troy wanted to disappear.

“Hey Cap! How ‘bout it?” Dillon called. In his peripheral vision, Troy saw Ilya glance up from his own conversation

“What?” Ilya asked, as if he hadn’t heard the group.

“Let’s invite Adrian Dela Cruz down here after the game to celebrate us beating Boston.” Dillon replied and Troy swore, he saw Ilya glance his way.

“No.” Ilya said firmly after a long moment of studying the crowd. His tone left no room for arguments, but Dillon had never been the brightest.

“Why not? He even said he wasn’t interested in Hollander anymore. He’s more interested in Barrett now.” Dillon practically whined. Ilya’s eyes grew hard as beside him, Shane crossed his arms, looking annoyed.

“It’s still no. And you are being very disrespectful to Harris.” The Russian replied.

That shut everyone up. Dillon looked uncomfortable as the rest shifted and muttered apologies. Harris was a favourite of the whole team, and no one wanted to upset him. Hell, Hayes had once joked that if Troy and Harris ever broke up, Harris was getting the Centaurs in the divorce, and no one had argued. Not even Troy.

“We just thought….” Young said before trailing off, glancing at his feet, the atmosphere awkward. Thankfully it was broken only moments later when Coach Wiebe spoke up.

“Guys. Boston won’t beat themselves. Time to wrap it up and get back out there.”

That brought the whole team back on track, everyone grabbing their gear and exiting the room. Troy hurriedly taped up his stick and shoved his helmet back on, leaving his mouth guard out.

Rising to his feet, he was surprised to be met by Shane, the other player gently grabbing the sleeve of his jersey, indicating for him to stop as everyone else left. Finally, they were the only two left in the room.

“So….Adrian?” The other man asked and Troy had to remind himself that if Ilya suspected something, he had probably told Shane. “Good guy or…?” Troy gritted his teeth before turning to Shane.

“He’s a cheating asshole.” He almost spat.

Shane’s eyes widened in shock and then narrowed in understanding.

“Ok.” He said, giving a small nod. “Well, cheating assholes don’t deserve a space in our minds. Kick him out.” Troy could hear Shane’s old Captains voice leaking through.

Troy swallowed hard and nodded. He didn’t know if he could do that. Not right now. But he would try.

Shane gave him a small smile before gently tapping his helmet against Troy’s. A small sign of affection. Then he was pushing Troy back onto the ice.

The second period was a shit show, Troy barely skating. Thankfully, Ilya had decided to shake things up on the line, moving everyone around to ‘test out some things' Troy knew it was really to give him some time off the ice, but he was glad for Ilya. He didn’t know if Shane had said anything to the other man or if Ilya just had a hunch but still, it helped. Unfortunately, it had allowed Boston to stage a comeback, and the score was tied as the second period came to a close.

And to make things worse, the guys wanted to continue their campaign to get Ilya to invite Adrian. This time, thankfully, Harris had taken a break from his work to come to the locker room. Normally he didn’t come into the room during a game, saying he was too distracting, but Troy knew his boyfriend would notice Troy’s mood. Unfortunately, the locker room was too crowded for Harris to risk broaching the subject of Adrian. He did, however, cringe when Dykstra brought up the topic.

“Come on Cap!” The man was practically begging, a few of the other guys nodding. “It would be so cool to have a celebrity in here for once.”

“I said no.” Ilya barked back and Troy could see the Russian was starting to lose his cool.

“Just for a few minutes?” That was Chouinard, who must have been recruited to the cause during the second period. His tone was grating and Troy had had enough.

“He said No, Nick.” He snapped.

Chouinard looked at him in surprise.

“What the hell Barrett? I was just trying to get some good publicity. Besides, he’s your fanboy.”

Despite Harris placing his hand firmly on Troy’s shoulder, nothing could stop Troy from rising, pushing himself into Nick’s personal space.

“He’s not my fanboy. He’s my fucking Ex.” He all but spat out.

The room fell silent, everyone stunned by the admission. Troy glanced around at the shocked faces, staring back at him. All except Harris, Shane and Ilya. The first two looked sympathetic and the later looked murderous. Seeing their faces made the brief flush of angry energy subside and Troy found himself slumping back onto his seat.

“And he’s a cheater. At least, he was with me.” He muttered, glancing down at the ground. Harris reached forward, grabbing his hand and giving it a comforting squeeze.

“Shit man. I’m sorry.” He heard Nick say. Troy just nodded as he leant back against Harris’ shoulder.

“Yeah, that was messed up of us. Sorry Barrett.” Bood added.

“And he’s a cheater? Man, what a dick.” Wyatt this time.

“Yeah, no way is he allowed in here. Fuck that.” Dykstra.

“Hang on. Didn’t he say he wanted Troy’s number? If so, that's gross.” Young.

There was a hum of agreement and despite everything, Troy felt better. He knew the guys weren’t trying to hurt him when they rallied Ilya for the invite. And even though he had been fearful to admit his previous relationship, he knew the team had his back.

“It’s ok.” He heard Harris whisper against his ear. And Troy chose to believe it.

The rest of the break rushed by and soon they were called back onto the ice. Shane had given him a nod and Ilya had muttered about Troy not having to do that but for the most part, Adrian was now a banned topic in the locker room and Troy was thankful for it. So caught up in his head, he didn’t notice how Harris quickly pulled Ilya aside and muttered something to him.

The final period was brutal and the teams remained tied. With only a minute to go, Wiebe decided for drastic actions and once again, they changed their lines. Ilya jumping onto the wing with Shane.

Normally with these sort of power plays, Troy was also on the line. He knew he was their third best player after the two and their best shot to win this. But as he got ready, Ilya shook his head.

“No. Haas has this. It’s almost the end. Head to the locker room and take a shower.”

Troy opened his mouth to argue, and Ilya shot him a look.

“No argument. You have had a shit few days. Get some rest. Wiebe knows you are going off ice.”

Troy felt his shoulders slump, but he didn’t bother to argue. Ilya was stubborn and he wasn’t wrong. Troy had spent most of the last period exhausted both physically and mentally. Getting a shower first would mean he could get out of the arena faster and get home where he could cuddle with Harris and forget everything.

Nodding, Troy turned to head down the ramp and to the locker room as Ilya skated out to Center Ice with the rest of the team, ready to fight for the win.

Pulling off his helmet, Troy was ready to throw down his stick as he entered the empty locker room. Which wasn’t empty.

Someone was sitting in Troy’s stall. He blinked.

“Harris?” He asked. “What are you doing here?”

His boyfriend rose from his seat, eyes fixed on Troy. Normally, Harris wouldn’t leave the stands until the final siren and then would head to his office for some quick work. Hell, they had gotten their timing down to a fine art, Harris knowing exactly when to leave to meet Troy as he was picking up his bag and heading out the door so they could head to their car together. Seeing him here, sitting all alone in the locker while the game was still on was odd.

“Aren’t you supposed to be working?” Troy asked. Harris shrugged.

“Gen is covering for me.” He said. “Just for tonight. I asked her because there was something more important I wanted to do and to do it, I needed to be here and I know the timing isn’t the best and I had hoped it would be better but now is as good a time and..”

“Harris, you’re rambling.” Troy pointed out. His mouth felt dry. Harris talked a lot, but he only really rambled when he was nervous.

“Oh right. Sorry buddy.” Harris grinned, taking a step forward so he was in front of Troy. “Anyway, I wanted to ask you…”

Suddenly Harris dropped to one knee, and it was then that Troy realised his boyfriend was wearing a shirt and suit jacket, not the warm jacket he had worn when they arrived for the game. And then his brain registered what exactly Harris was doing as the man grabbed his hand.

“Oh shit.” He breathed

“Troy. I love you so much. I can’t imagine my life without you in it. Will you marry me?”

Troy was speechless. But his body knew what to do, even if he couldn't find the right words.

With his free hand, Troy reached down and grabbed the shirt collar, dragging Harris back to his feet. Then he lunged forward, crashing their mouths together in a deep and hungry kiss, trying to put all of his feelings into it. Startled, Harris released his hand and Troy used the moment to wrap his arms around the man, pulling him close without breaking the kiss.

The height difference was a little awkward, since Troy was still wearing his skates and skate guards and his padding made him bulkier, but Harris didn’t complain so Troy didn’t either.

Finally, the need for oxygen forced Troy to draw back a little but he kept his grip on the other man. Harris gazed up at him, eyes bright.

“So, is that a…?” He asked.

“It’s a yes.” Troy said. He couldn’t stop smiling as a huge grin appeared on Harris’ face. And then the tears came.

Troy hadn’t cried in years, not since he was a little boy but with all that had happened over the last few weeks, he felt he was entitled to show a little emotion.

Harris didn’t say anything, simply hummed comfortingly and pulled Troy back into a hug.

Above them on the ice, the crowd roared and Troy just knew the Centaurs had just scored the winning goal, but Troy could care less. He was in the arms of the man he loved who he was going to marry.

After so long dealing with all the bad things in his life, of dealing with Kent’s crimes and Adrian’s bad behaviour, it was nice to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

—--

The rest of the Centaurs soon entered the locker room in a jovial mood, made even better when they learnt not only were they celebrating a win, but celebrating an engagement. Of course, the announcement was soon made on social media and of course, the Boston Players in the visitors' locker room made their way to the Centaurs Locker room, wanting to congratulate the happy couple as well, everyone quickly making plans to go out and celebrate.

Troy saw Harris thank Ilya for getting him off the ice and well, now his early sendoff made a little more sense. His friend had worked with his boyfriend to turn a shit day into the best moment of his life.

No one even remembered Adrian Dela Cruz, left rejected in the stands. And honestly, Troy was happy to forget him. He had a bright new future to plan for.

And he couldn’t wait to start.