Archive of Our Own

Hit me with your eyes ain’t no compromising

We’ve been tryna fix two people who don’t need fixing

It’s a tiebreaker, hands are tied, baby

Quinn finishes the season from hell with nothing to show for it other than a broken wrist and a slight concussion. They’re out on the first round of playoffs, losing the series to Nashville 4-2. What a fucking joke.

To add insult to injury, his parents, who were going back and forth between his brother’s playoff games and his, got stuck in Jersey because of the weather. There’s no one waiting here, and he gets to go home alone. At least when he was at the hospital he had Elias there, now Elias is home with his wife. 

Quinn is alone.

It’s only the second summer after getting together with Trevor and he already can’t remember what that life was like, starting the summer with nothing to look forward to except training and relaxing. Now, he starts the summer, anxious to reunite with his boyfriend.

He has a selfish thought of wishing Trevor was still in Anaheim. At least they’re not in the playoffs, and even if they had gotten in, he would’ve at least been on the same fucking time zone. Philadelphia was, as far as Quinn is concerned, a billion years away.

He gets a text from Trevor, a picture of him with Jack, Luke, Ellen, and Jim.

Quinn is pissed off enough to only reply with a thumbs up emoji.

See, he knows he’s being a bitch, but he’s exhausted, miserable, and now upset that Philadelphia is a hop skip and a jump (or less than two hours) away from each other. Ellen and Jim couldn’t make it to Quinn’s games with the weather, but they drove down to Philly to watch Trevor’s. Really, Quinn should be happy.

It is nice that his parents have taken the news well. Quinn told them around New Year’s, some months after getting together with Trevor. It wasn’t even much of a conversation, just a “I’m dating someone” followed up with Trevor’s name when they asked. Jim, of course, was pleasantly surprised. He immediately kept calling Trevor his son in law, even if Quinn and Trevor had only been together about half a year at the time. 

Ellen, Quinn suspects, already knew. Quinn thinks Jack told her, but no one will confirm it.

The rest of that season passed so smoothly, filled with phone calls, video calls, random flights to see each other when possible. They were in the same time zone for the most part and it worked. so. well. 

Then, summer came along and no matter the fact that they spent every single day together, it was ruined by the news of Trevor’s trade. Quinn was happy for Trevor, sure. Great team, fun city, closer to Jack and Luke. The Philadelphia trade truly was great for Trevor’s career.

Horrible for their relationship, though.

Quinn is somewhat used to that time difference at least, thanks to Jack and Luke. They still call now and then, sometimes get a chance to video call, and when luck is on their side, sometimes they’re on the same time zone for away games. It’s not horrible.

What is horrible, however, is having to see each other’s lives through pictures. Quinn especially hates any pictures where Trevor gets to see Jack and Luke. He should be happy to see his favorite people all in one place but he can’t help but feel jealous, like the world moves on without him. Like he’s forgotten.

Which is, unsurprisingly, how he feels sitting home alone after losing the playoffs and breaking his left wrist.

He hasn’t even told anyone. He’s seen the replay of him falling and it didn’t even look that bad, no one would think he broke anything, so he’s sure his parents didn’t think anything of it. Especially since he would usually tell them, but instead of doing so, he’s withdrawn and throwing himself a pity party on the West Coast.

---

The next day, he wakes up to texts on his phone. His mother asking him to call her when he can, his father telling him there will be other seasons, and Jack’s “Fucking Nashville”.

His stomach hurts at seeing 6 notifications from Trevor, and he wants to ignore it, but he also can’t be a shit boyfriend. He’s already feeling bad for the thumbs up emoji to the picture Trevor sent of him with Quinn’s family. 

Trevor: sorry, just saw the score. Ignore the picture

Trevor: damn I really thought you guys would tie it up

Trevor: sorry, probably shit thing to say

Trevor: are you mad at me?

Trevor: sorry

Quinn sighs. He feels bad for being upset at Trevor. It’s not even that he was really mad at him. He was upset at the fact that Trevor is in Philly but Quinn knows it’s not his fault. It’s not Trevor’s fault that he’s so far away, that he gets to see Quinn’s brothers more than Quinn gets to see anyone. Trevor’s even having a fantastic season, almost like he’s thriving being on the East Coast.

Almost like he’s thriving being so far away from him, Quinn can’t help but think.

Quinn: nah it’s ok.

Quinn: have fun, good luck!

It’s a shitty response and all it does is make Quinn feel more like shit for sending it.

His phone rings before he’s put his phone down and his stomach burns reading Trevor on the caller ID. Maybe he can ignore it.

And maybe Trevor’s calling him to end the relationship because he’s such a shit boyfriend.

“Sorry” Quinn mumbles as a greeting.

Trevor hums over the line, “I’m sending you a plane ticket, I just want to make sure you don’t have anything else to do today. Are you available to fly out at 5pm?”

Quinn winces. He doesn’t want to have to turn Trevor down but he can’t think of anything else he wants to do less than to fly East and have to go to one of Trevor’s games, or even Jack and Luke’s. He wants to be supportive but all the losses of the season, both on and off the ice, have accumulated and Quinn just wants to wallow in his sadness.

“I don’t-” Quinn starts but Trevor cuts him off.

“Quinn, I’m sending you to your lakehouse. Disconnect from it all, throw your phone at the bottom of the lake for all I care, but get out of Vancouver, yeah?”

“Yeah,” Quinn sighs out, “I can fly out at 5pm.”

There’s a buzz on his phone where he’s sure he’ll see a flight itinerary.

“Sorry I’m a shit boyfriend.” Quinn tells him.

Trevor huffs out a laugh, “You’re literally the love of my life, Quinn Hughes. Don’t think you can change that this late in the game.”

Quinn smiles, closing his eyes and finally breathing out. There’s so much relief to know he’s not fucking everything up like he thinks he is. “This late in the game? We’ve only been together two years, Trevor.”

“Ah, but I’ve known you for a lot longer than that.”

“I'll see you in Michigan. Go get ‘em."

Trevor laughs, “‘Go get ‘em’? So romantic. Here's looking at you kid”.

Quinn laughs, “I love you, Trevor.”

“I know, baby." Trevor replies softly. And Quinn knows Trevor only calls him that when he thinks Quinn is being annoying or difficult, but Quinn appreciates Trevor telling him gently.

He sighs, “I know, I know, I'm sorry. Thanks you for booking me my plane ticket.”

“Of course, love. Go relax. I love you always.”

“Love you too.”

---

Quinn spends the whole flight to Michigan wondering what his life would be like if he hadn't let himself love Trevor the way he does now. 

He tries to push off the thoughts trying to break in that ask and what if Trevor stops loving him the way he does now.

---

Trevor arrives at the lakehouse first before any of their friends. The Flyers getting out on the second round of playoffs.

Quinn only knows from his mom texting him final game results and key notes like that one game Trevor got an overtime goal, or that other game with Jack’s hatty. Jack and Luke are still in it, but Trevor is back in Michigan, back in his arms, so Quinn is okay.

He knows it’s selfish that he’s happy Trevor is off the playoffs, he wouldn’t ever dream of telling anyone. He wouldn't ever share that he has a fantasy of them winning the Stanley Cup at the same time. Impossible, impossible dream of them both getting to celebrate themselves and each other together. He’s also selfishly happy that Trevor was out before Jack and Luke so it buys them alone time at the lakehouse before the rest of the group come over post season.

Trevor walks through the front door of the lakehouse, with the key Jack gave him years before Quinn and him even got together. First thing he does is slam a hoodie at Quinn’s chest. He’s been obsessed since the start of their relationship about Quinn wearing Trevor’s clothes. Most of Quinn’s tshirts and hoodies are now from Trevor, but Quinn doesn’t mind, he barely shops for himself anyway. Plus, the look in Trevor’s eyes every time he sees him in a shirt with ZEGRAS on the back makes Quinn’s stomach flutter, so it’s a win-win, really.

The second thing he does is scold Quinn the moment he sees the cast on his left wrist. He video calls Jim right away and complains that Quinn is keeping secrets from them and Quinn has to sit through scolding from not only his parents but from Trevor too. It’s okay though, cause he still has his right hand for Trevor to hold.  

They don’t watch hockey, only keep up with Quinn’s parents texting them scores and schedules, but they spend most of their day in bed, so they don’t check their phones too often.

By the time Jack and Luke get in, they’ve had almost a week of the place alone to them, and have maybe had sex in every single room available. Not that he’s about to tell anyone that, though.

Trevor tells them the minute they step foot inside with a, “Guess where Quinn and I have not have sex in this place. Hint. There’s none.”

Luke scrunches up his nose in disgust and Jack just laughs.

“Trevor, you fucker! I own part of this house.” Jack punches him in the stomach.

Trevor tries to punch back, “Not for long. Once Quinn and I get married, I’m buying out your share.”

They laugh as they chase each other around the house, trying to land punches on each other.

Luke turns a raised eyebrow at Quinn, “Once you guys get married, huh?”

Quinn exhales, “He’s been saying that shit all season, picked up even more this past month. I don’t know man.”

Luke hums, “Must be why he asked Jack about your ring size.”

“What?!” Quinn exclaims, feeling faint.

“I don’t know man,” Luke shrugs, “I just hear them on the phone.”

Luke walks away before Quinn can ask anything, as if dropping that bomb doesn’t change Quinn’s world. Sure, Quinn knows Trevor has been mentioning it more often, joking about it here and there, but he wasn’t aware Trevor is actively asking for ring sizes and, maybe even shopping for a ring.

What’s Trevor even thinking? Get engaged in the summer then have to go back to different coasts? Would a ring realistically make that any better?

Quinn ignores the thought that it actually might make him feel better to have a tangible reminder that Trevor does love him enough to think about a future together. 

---

Quinn spends all of his June sharing a bed with Trevor, waking up with the sun to work out, then taking a dip in the lake. Eating lunch with the other guys that come in and out of the house, then eating dinner in private most nights with Trevor. They spend every single waking moment in each other’s pockets and it still trips Quinn up that it’s not that different to the years before Trevor and him started dating.

Only now, Trevor’s holding his hand most of the time. If not holding hands, then arms wrapped around each other, or if they’re lucky to steal some time away for themselves, kissing the minutes away.

July passes by the same, but except Quinn has started to notice Trevor running his fingers back and forth around Quinn’s ring finger on his left hand once the cast is taken out. He also accidentally catches a peak at Trevor’s phone one night and sees he’s looking at rings. Another day, he finds Trevor’s phone opened, resting on the counter as Trevor makes them both a bowl of cereal, to a page on his notes app detailing Quinn’s ring size, their birth stones, possible wedding dates, and even honeymoon destinations. 

It even has a list that’s cut off at the bottom that starts with “dates to propose”. 

So july is nice, it’s fun, it’s lovely, but Quinn also goes to sleep each night stressing about what he would say to Trevor if and when he proposes. 

He wants to say yes, of course, but it’s not that simple. 

It can’t ever be that simple.

---

It’s early August when Trevor breaks their schedule of doing nothing but work out and sleep together. 

“Jamie and Cam are coming, so we’re going to the rink to train.”

Quinn raises an eyebrow. They’ve all been training together at their local rink but also in their basement with their trainer, or at a sponsored training session.

“Oh? Are they training with us?” Quinn asks.

Trevor doesn’t meet his eyes and replies with a, “Nah, sort of a Flyers only, so it’s just us three.”

“Oh,” Quinn says. He wants to follow it up with something nice, or a question, or a good wish, but he’s jealous and upset at being excluded. He knows it’s crazy of him. Hockey is hockey and it doesn’t factor in relationships, especially not at the NHL level. 

He still thinks it sucks to be excluded, though.

“Cool.” He adds as an afterthought to sound happy for Trevor.

“Yeah, I didn’t know they were coming up here but I guess Jack told Cam he should stop by and then his trainer found out and the team heard about it, so…” Trevor trails off.

“Go birds.” Quinn chokes out, throat dry.

That startles a laugh out of Trevor and it makes Quinn slightly better. 

Trevor walks closer and grabs Quinn’s face, giving him a quick kiss on the lips, smile still wide. “That’s for football, love, but I appreciate the sentiment regardless.”

Oh, so Quinn had accidentally mumbled out a ‘go birds’ as he started spiraling. He thought maybe he was making that up. “Sorry.”

Trevor sighs, “I’m sorry, Quinn. I wish I could ditch them and stay with you, but…”

Quinn nods, “Yeah I get it. You should go, season is soon.”

All Trevor does is stand there and stare at Quinn, like he’s trying to read something or maybe send a thought to Quinn telepathically. “Alright, I’m going but let me tell you something first.”

He doesn’t say anything, instead he pulls Quinn in for a slow, deep kiss.

Quinn swears he feels Trevor pouring in extra love in it.

He’s totally absolutely gone for Trevor, no doubt about it. Somehow, though, he’s able to fall more in love with Trevor in that moment.

---

Trevor ends up going with Cam and Jamie out to train a couple of days a week. It’s not even at the same time Quinn and the rest train so it’s not like Quinn is distracted. Apparently the guys vote for Luke to deal with the sad and spiraling Quinn.

Or maybe Luke just knows Quinn is the only one who will sit through a romcom with him. Luke is absolutely obsessed with them, and the guys always tease him about it.

Something about them now, when Quinn is going through it, swinging back and forth from “Trevor and I are so totally in love and can conquer anything” to “Trevor will find someone better in his own team and I’ll be irrelevant come next season”, makes Quinn absolutely hate them.

He scowls at the screen and states how unrealistic happily ever afters are, or the thinking that love conquers anything.

They’re watching Fever Pitch, one of Luke’s favorites, and Quinn scoffs for a fiftieth time.

“They should just break up, they’ve got totally different ideas for their lives.”

Luke sighs, “She’s literally learning about baseball for him. That’s love, Quinn.”

“Yeah well,” Quinn pauses, struggling to put the words together. “It’s just cause they’re falling in love now. After this, there’s no upside. Everything else is downhill from there.”

“What the fuck are you even talking about?” Luke turns to look at Quinn.

“I’m just saying. At least when they were starting out it felt like they had so many possibilities because you can only go up from there. But once you’re together with someone there’s no up, there’s only fizzle-out break up or crash-and-burn break up.”

“Jesus, Quinn." Luke hisses out.

“What?" Quinn asks, “I'm right and you know it."

“Are you really freaking out about you and Trevor, man? You guys are so good together."

“Being ‘good together’ doesn't mean shit if we're on opposite sides of the continent. Different countries. Different fucking time zones, man. He's going to find someone better that doesn't wake up hyperventilating about the idea of people finding out we're dating.”

“Has he told you that?" Luke asks.

“No, but he will soon.”

Luke sighs. “You should talk to him about it.”

Quinn should do a lot of things, but act like an insane boyfriend with anxiety and give Trevor a reason to break up with him is not one of them.

“Seriously, Quinn, Trevor loves you an insane amount. Like, he's always been obsessed with you and somehow it's worse now that you're dating. He's going to love you way long after we're all a billion years into the ground.”

Quinn laughs. Wishing it would be enough. “Love isn't everything in a relationship."

Luke scoffs, “You act like you know everything, Quinn. It's not just love, sure, it's making the decision to choose him. So if you decide it's not enough, don't put that on love, or the universe, or fucking Trevor.”

“Of course”, Quinn replies softly. 

Luke sighs into the couch. “I just don’t understand why you’re so fucked up. It’s not like our parents divorced. They’ve been together forever, why don’t you think you get that?”

Quinn doesn't respond.

He’s not sure if it’s because he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore or if it’s because he has no answer for Luke. He’s not sure what his issue is really, all he knows is he will disappoint everyone, including and especially Trevor.

---

It’s nearing the end of their stay at the lakehouse, the last training Trevor has with Jamie and Cam, and Quinn is yet again watching a romcom on their basement TV. The rest of the guys are upstairs in the living room playing video games. Or watching something, Quinn didn’t pay attention.

Luke’s got on Leap Year, and it’s been years since Quinn’s watched it so he gets deep into the plot and the scenes, he jolts when Luke speaks.

“Would you freak out if Trevor proposed?”

Quinn hums and admits, “I know he’s thinking about it. I accidentally saw his notes app.”

“I keep trying to push him off it because I keep having this nightmare that Trevor proposes and you laugh at him, and then you both and Jack blame me for letting it happen.” Luke mumbles.

“What the fuck?” Quinn turns to look at him, “Why would any of that happen?”

Luke shrugs, “I know too much. I watch these with you and have had to hear plenty love isn’t all you need speeches from you but then I overhear Trevor talking to Jack about world could fucking end for all I care, at least I have Quinn and that’s all I care about. And I just keep wanting to scream at you two to talk about it but you won’t! And I don’t know why you won’t! You both are so obsessed with each other, as you should be, really, but it’s like you want to live in this fantasy world, and having that love in the real world is too much.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means,” Luke stresses the word, “that you would rather put off any talk about proposals even though you yourself have been talking about when you get married, rather than do the work in this life to get to that marriage.”

Huh. Quinn’s not looked at it like that. He has been thinking about a theoretical marriage, but in another world, one where it could happen.

He hasn’t thought much about what they might have to do to make it a possibility in this one. Even with all his spiraling and anxiety, he hasn’t stopped once to think about it being possible.

He hums, “Yeah, you’re right. And stop having nightmares about it, we’d never blame you.”

“And?” Luke prompts.

Quinn sighs, “And I’ll think about what you said.”

Luke nods once, “You fucking better. See, everyone should take my advice.”

“Yeah, yeah, you should stop while you’re ahead.”

---

And the longer we go the better

The chance is we’ll lose forever

It’s a tiebreaker, hands are tied baby

Rather keep you in my life as you are, baby

It’s Sunday, October 4th, and they’re both officially done with preseason games. Their regular season picks up this Thursday, and there’s still so much work to prepare for them, but Quinn has planned a little bubble of a break to get to see Trevor, before the official season starts.

They get less than twenty four hours at the lakehouse, the only time they’ll have before playing against each other in Philly a full two months after this. If Quinn hadn’t planned this quick getaway for them, it would have been 3 months of not seeing each other, not kissing, or even just holding hands. It’s tragic, but Quinn pushes away the thought.

There’s no plans at all for today, mostly just lounge on the couch, legs intertwined, and shared breaths, holding each other and ignoring the world. Ignoring their shit schedules mostly.

Quinn goes ahead and fucks it up by bringing up the constant thought he’s had since forever, even more now that he’s seen how well Trevor plays with Jamie on the powerplay. He’s always been somewhat jealous of Jamie, has spiraled even more about it since Trevor spent some days practicing with only Jamie (and Cam) in the summer.

They’re scrolling their schedules on their phones, trying to see if there’s anything they missed, any couple of hours they can see each other during the season, and are coming up empty.

It brings up the thought again for Quinn. That Trevor would be happier with someone in his time zone, someone he can see more than a couple of hours every three months.

“Jamie’s looking good this season.” Quinn starts.

Trevor only hums, scrolling through his calendar.

Quinn moves his leg against Trevor’s, knocking it against his a couple of times to get his attention.

“What?” Trevor asks.

“You should date him.”

Trevor squints at Quinn, “What? Who? What?”

Quinn laughs, trying to pretend he’s calm about it, and that it’s not ripping his heart apart. “Jamie, he looks good this season. You should date him.”

“I should date Jamie. Because he looks good this season?”

“Not just because of that no, but-”

Trevor cuts him off. “I’m not dating anyone else, shut the fuck up.”

Quinn sighs, “I’m not telling you to date anyone else,” except he is.

“So what are you saying?” Trevor asks harshly.

“I'm saying maybe dating Jamie would be better for you in the long run.” Quinn tells him.

Trevor scoffs, “What the fuck, Quinn. I mean this in the nicest way possible, fuck you."

“Trevor," Quinn pleads. “You're going to wake up one day and realize there are better choices."

“Quinn, baby." Trevor starts, bringing up his hands to either sides of Quinn's neck.

Quinn winces at the nickname, but Trevor must notice it cause he runs his fingers through the ends of Quinn’s hair near his neck, and corrects himself. “Quinn, light of my life and love of my soul, I have known you for decades. I know you. I knew what I was getting into, and I've always known about your self-destructive tendencies.”

“I don't have self-destructive tendencies.” Quinn scoffs. 

Trevor sighs and whispers out, “I double dare you to let yourself love me then.”

“It's not that simple."

“It is for me." Trevor half shrugs. “But maybe, if you are trying to pawn me off to anyone else-”

Quinn tries to interrupt that he's not pawning Trevor off to anyone, but Trevor continues. “Maybe you're not in love. Or maybe you are but you don't want to be or maybe you do. I don't know, Quinn, cause you won't tell me.”

“I tell you I love you all the time!" Quinn insists. 

Trevor looks away and pauses. “I'm not fighting over this, Quinn. I can't fight about it with you.”

Quinn scoffs, “See, you tell me you want to talk about it but shut down when I do.”

“This isn't you talking about it, Quinn, and you know it.” He pauses. “This is you self destructing and taking me down with you."

Quinn scowls, he doesn't know why Trevor keeps saying that. He's not doing this to self-destruct, he's doing it because Trevor will clearly find out soon that it's so much easier to date a teammate he sees all the time than someone across the continent that he won’t see for months. 

“Trevor," Quinn starts but Trevor cuts him off.

“Don't, Quinn. Don't break my heart."

Quinn wasn't going to, he's not sure what he was going to say exactly but he wasn't out to break Trevor's heart. All he's trying to do is save them both the hurt from that, why can't Trevor see that.

He's about to protest, tell Trevor that no, he wouldn't do that and that's why he thinks they should take a break, but Trevor's breath hitches, a sign he's about to cry.

“Can you just hug me and pretend you didn't come here to break up with me, please?” Trevor asks quietly. 

Did Quinn come just to break up with him? He doesn't think so, but then again he's not so sure his plan to make Trevor see he might want to date someone easier that isn't Quinn is much different than a breakup.

It’s not like Quinn was planning to bring it up. He didn’t buy the plane tickets and work hard to find a small section of time for them to meet, just to cause a fight. But, a small voice reminds him, he did think it would be easier if Trevor breaks up with him now rather than telling Quinn at the end of the season how he’s just gotten so much closer to Jamie.

“Yeah," he breathes out, pulling Trevor into his arms. “Sorry. Yeah, I'm here. I'm sorry.”

They stay like that for a while, hugging each other on the lakehouse couch, knowing their time is running out. Both for today, and probably, Quinn thinks, in their relationship.

Trevor pulls back from the hug after some minutes and mumbles out a, “Did you really want to break up?”

No. Yes. Quinn doesn’t fucking know.

“I don’t know,” Quinn whispers honestly, “I just know I can’t keep spiraling out about you being on the East Coast with all this potential and feel like I’m stopping you from having a better life.”

Trevor hums, “How about this. We call it a tie. You stop talking about breaking up, and I stop looking for a ring.”

“Trev,” Quinn starts, “You literally kept telling me all you wanted was a holiday proposal like in the Hallmark movies. You deserve that.”

“All I want is you, Quinn.” Trevor tilts his head, and adds “Guess it’s a cliché for a reason.”

Quinn feels shit about it. Sure, he would love a proposal, a marriage, a happily ever after, but he can’t see that realistically with both of them in the NHL, in different countries, across the continent. What would he even do, give up hockey? His team? There’s a reason professional athletes don’t date.

“What if we don't have the happily ever after you think we'll have?” Quinn whispers. 

Trevor stares at him for a while. “What if we do? We don't have to rush to the ending, just yet.”

Quinn can't help but wonder if Trevor really never thinks their NHL careers might bring their ending faster than they think. 

They spend the rest of the time they have that night watching alternating between a basketball game and a romcom Trevor loves, and Quinn wallows in the constant spiraling thought that’s so familiar to him nowadays. He’s the only one to ever be in love with someone in a different team. 

---

Quinn, as he finds out, is an idiot with misogynistic tendencies. Well, maybe that's a bit too far. He loves and appreciates women, yes, but he forgets there’s always been women professional athletes that have dated and even gotten married to each other. 

It starts almost two weeks after their lakehouse meet up. It’s been a bit tense after that, not too much. They’re not arguing, they’re not talking about breaking up or getting engaged, but they’re also not talking much. Not because they’re fighting, but because the season starts up and they no longer have much time to actually talk about anything serious.

The Canucks are in Dallas for a game, but there’s a special awards ceremony a couple of hours before the game, something for the WNBA players. Quinn and some others from the team are invited to attend but only Quinn makes it, the rest of them choose to rest after their travels.

It’s a nice enough ceremony, Quinn still isn’t sure he understands what it is, but he meets some of the WNBA players from the team. One of them, Paige Bueckers.

They’re making small talk, Paige actually follows hockey some but she watches more the Stars and some other players from the northeast, so there’s not much common ground but then she mentions Azzi, as if Quinn is supposed to know who she is.

It takes about three more mentions before Quinn gets up the courage to ask, “And who’s Azzi again? Is she here?” He glances around.

Paige laughs, “Nah, she’s on another team right now. Sorry, I forget not everyone knows. She’s my girlfriend.”

“Oh!” Quinn nods. Oh. Paige says that so easily, admitting she’s dating another WNBA player and no one bats an eyelash.

Quinn glances around, “And like, people know you’re dating?”

“I forget male athletes don’t have the freedom we do.” Paige jokes. “Yeah, people been known. It’s no big deal.”

He nods and part of him wants to shift the conversation another direction, thinks if he talks about it enough, Paige might pick up on it and everyone will find out he’s also dating another player in his league.

“And it’s not hard dating someone in another team?” He asks.

Paige narrows her eyes, “If you’re trying to imply that our relationship would hinder the game-”

Quinn cuts her off. “No! No, I mean like, the distance. The different schedules.”

“Oh!” She’s back to lose body language, laughing, “Yeah it could be hard, but we’re at least closer now. I used to be here while she was in Connecticut. So at least that’s better”

“That’s good.” Quinn smiles at her. He wishes he could ask a million questions more, but finds he doesn’t have to.

Paige hums, “She’s actually getting traded here soon, I think. I hope. We’re working on doing a package deal but we’re not sure if we want to come here, or-” she looks away. “Well. I don’t know.”

“A package deal?” Quinn asks.

“Yeah, you don’t have those?”

Quinn shrugs, “I don’t know, I don’t think so. I mean, maybe? People have been traded together, I guess.”

Paige nods, “Yeah I guess maybe PWHL haven’t had any players do it, since the two married players were already on the same team. I think.”

It’s like Quinn somehow forgot all about Marie-Philip and Laura. He’s met them, too, but somehow he forgets they got married after they were teammates. Sure they met before PWHL, but that’s almost Quinn and Trevor’s story, right? Except, sadly, Quinn and Trevor are not teammates.

“Right, yeah, bit different.” Quinn comments absentmindedly, distracted by the thought of maybe, just maybe, he should think about reaching out to Marie-Philip and Laura.

Paige squints at him, and it makes Quinn squirm. Like she’s reading him. “Let me know if you need my lawyer that’s drafting up the package deal. Should probably work the same with your league, give or take a few rules.”

Ah, he’s been made. He smiles at her, “Thanks. Actually, yeah that would be nice.”

“Sure thing, bro.” Paige nods, “You should come to Dallas.”

“Not a fucking chance.” He laughs.

---

He calls his mom first, the moment he gets back to his hotel room after the game, to tell her about meeting Paige. His mom apparently loves Paige and is pissed he didn’t ask her more about her career, or her game play, but is distracted enough when he brings up the package deal she was talking about.

“And is there a reason you brought this up?” She asks.

He absolutely knows she is aware why he brought it up, but apparently she’s going to make it difficult for him by making him say it. “I want to look into it, to do one with Trevor.”

She hums, “What did he say when you told him.”

“Well,” he sighs, “I haven’t told him yet. I want to tell him after I make sure the lawyer thinks he can do it and it makes sense for both of us.”

“Don’t keep secrets from your boyfriend.” Ellen chastises. 

“I bought a ring, did you know?” 

He hears a small gasp on the line. “Did you ask him?”

Quinn laughs. “No. I bought it the first December we were together. I was so close to proposing that first Christmas, but I chickened out.”

“Do your brothers know?” She asks. He wants to laugh at the idea he told anyone and they somehow kept it a secret in the years since then.

“No, I didn’t tell anyone.”

She hums, “Is there a reason you didn’t tell anyone?”

“I started thinking about the next step. Like we get engaged, and then what? Get married while we’re a million miles away with barely no time to see each other?”

“Long engagements exist, Quinn.” She says, as if he might find that helpful.

“Yes, mom, but what good is a ring if I can’t even set a date.”

“So.” She says after a pause. “I guess we’ll look into this package deal and see if you can use that ring soon?”

Quinn sighs, “Yeah. I need to know before he tries to give me a ring.”

“Oh?” She exclaims, “Is that coming soon?”

“He’s trying”, he smiles even if she can’t see him. “But I think I bought myself some months by tabling it during the season.”

“Well I guess we’ll have to call that lawyer up first, then, huh?”

He tells her he’ll send over the lawyer's information so they can set up an appointment soon and he’s about to hang up when his mom tells him, “I hope you get to use that ring soon, sweetheart.”

“Yeah, me too.”

---

Quinn gets back home after the road games, and wants to go straight to his bed but unfortunately, he’s got to sort through the mail housekeeping left him on the counter. It’s all mostly junk mail mixed with some promo stuff he gets sent, but there’s also a postcard with a picture of the Liberty Bell off to the side.

He grabs that first, knowing who it might be from, and flips it around.

I know something else that’s broken like this bell

There’s a heart drawn under that with a zigzag line running down the middle, like a broken heart. It startles out a laugh from Quinn because he was thinking it was going to be some sappy shit, and yes, part of him was concerned that it wouldn't be smart because it would have been visible to random strangers in the post offices and could have gotten leaked, but part of him was still hoping it was sweet.

Instead, well, it’s heartbreaking apparently.

There’s nothing else written on it, except their names and addresses, but he video calls Trevor anyway, glancing at the clock and feeling shit that he can’t remember what Trevor’s schedule is like today.

Trevor answers with a wide smile and heart eyes and a, “good morning, handsome!”

Quinn squints at the screen. “How are you so happy when your heart is broken?” He pulls up the postcard to the screen, so Trevor can see what he’s referring to.

Trevor laughs, accidentally tilting the phone so Quinn can’t really see him, but he can still hear the laugh. “I sent that shit weeks ago! How are you just only now getting it?”

“Oh,” Quinn says, “So you’re no longer heartbroken?”

There’s a small shrug from Trevor, “Got that postcard from our team outing the day I got back to Philly, after you tried to break up with me.”

“I did not try to break up with you!” Quinn scoffs.

“Dude, I listened to breakup playlists for like a week after that!”

Quinn bites back a smile, walking over to drop on to the sofa, “And why would you do that?!”

“I was fucking sad, Quinn!” Trevor exlaims, and Quinn can tell he’s not joking around now.

“Yeah,” Quinn draws out. “That was shitty, of me, I’m sorry. I really don’t think I was trying to break up with you, though.”

“You don’t think? You don’t know?”

Quinn shrugs one shoulder, “I don’t know what I was trying to do, honestly. I didn’t think it would come across like I wanted to break up with you.”

Trevor sighs, “So what were you trying to do?”

“I think I was scared you’ll realize soon that I’m a shit boyfriend, and I ruined your twenties by not letting you go out and get a better partner.”

“Oh,” Trevor hums. “I mean, I just think maybe you forget I knew it wouldn’t be easy, back when I was trying to get you to like me.”

Quinn huffs, “Trying to get me to like you?!” 

They don’t talk about it much, about the year Trevor pretended to be his secret santa. They talked about the different presents Trevor had given him, in the first couple of months after they got together, but not about their emotions during that time frame. It’s not something Quinn didn’t talk about for a reason, it just hasn’t come up since they already got together and told each other how they feel. 

“Yeah, y’know, with the Secret Santa presents.” Trevor prompts.

“Trev, I liked you well before that, you know that right?”

Trevor makes a disbelieving face at him, eyebrows narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I mean you didn’t get me to like you, I liked you before that summer we drew secret santa names. Like maybe a year or so before.”

“What. Do you mean?” Trevor asks again.

Quinn snorts, “I don’t know what you need me to repeat. But, you knew that. I mentioned it after I told you I liked you, right?”

“No!” Trevor yells, “You did not!”

“Oh,” Quinn hums, “I thought I did. But what do you mean you knew it wouldn’t be easy?”

“I mean that you have these tendencies to think you’re not worth the hassle. Like when they made you captain and you emailed management three times to make sure they considered other options.”

“Better to make sure.” Quinn defends.

“Well, baby,” He stares at Quinn through the screen. “Let this be a formal statement that I’ve considered the options years ago and have decided you are the best I’ll ever find and only one I’ll ever want, so I’m no longer looking or considering other applications, okay?”

Quinn sighs, “Stop calling me baby, I know you only call me that when you think I’m annoying.”

“At least I’m not planning a whole romantic retreat for a couple of hours just to ruin it by trying to break up.”

“Well you got me there, Trevor.”

Trevor laughs. “I have to go to practice but I want you to really think and get it through that lovely head of yours that I would 50 First Dates you for the rest of my life if I have to, and remind you every day how much I love you and only you.”

Quinn blinks, “How is it you added an Adam Sandler reference to one of the most romantic things you’ve ever said to me?”

“What can I say, that guy’s romantic as hell.”

---

Trevor keeps his promises by sending him good morning texts that say “Good morning, Quinn! My name is Trevor and I am very in love with you.”

Quinn thinks it’s really unnecessary since they would tell each other “I love you” all the time. Every phone call or video call ended with it, and they would text it every night. It really wasn’t necessary, but it still makes Quinn smile because it reminds him of the conversation they had. 

Trevor also takes to texting him more now, flooding his text thread with any thought he ever gets or anything he sees throughout the day. Quinn, somehow, absolutely loves it.

Trevor: Did you see Bella Hadid got engaged?

Quinn: no but congrats to her?

Trevor: must be nice

Trevor: to get engaged I mean

Quinn: why don’t you ask her

Trevor: lmao yeah let me just call up Bella Hadid and ask her

Quinn replies with a thumbs up emoji as he gets ready for practice but a phone call comes in fast.

“Quinn Hughes, do you not know who Bella Hadid is?” Trevor screams.

“Am I supposed to?”

Trevor won’t stop laughing on the other side of the phone and Quinn sighs.

“Oh man, that was a great laugh. I absolutely love you, baby.”

Quinn makes a face Trevor can’t even see, but he’s scrunching up his nose at the nickname. “Just because I don’t remember who she is-” He starts.

Trevor laughs again, cutting him off. “You’re just amazing and I love you for it.”

“I know,” Quinn sighs, “You say it all the time.”

Trevor’s silent for a beat. “Should I stop saying it?”

“Absolutely not!” Quinn scoffs. “I’m just saying I don’t need to be reminded like you think I do.”

“Well I know words really aren’t your thing, but they are mine, so.”

Quinn sighs, feeling bad. He’s never been one for writing cutesy letters like Trevor, and he’s never really had to do it in their relationship. Except, he’s been a bitchy boyfriend lately, so maybe it’s time to change that.

He hums and tells Trevor. “I know, I know, and I love you too.”

Trevor sighs on the other end. “It’s too long till I see you next.”

“Yeah,” Quinn agrees. He wants to tell Trevor everything about Paige’s conversation, how maybe they can actually see a day where they’re both in the same team, how that’s been what keeps him going while they’re still so far away from each other.

Trevor sighs again. “If only someone could send me something to remember them by.”

Quinn can feel the smile on his face being the sappy, fond one he’s seen in pictures when he’s looking at Trevor. “Yeah? Like what?”

“Chipotle would be nice, I think.” Trevor says.

Quinn really needs to get going but he places the order to have Trevor’s food delivered at his apartment in Philly. “Ok, you should see it in half an hour.”

Trevor yells a thank you before adding. “I mean it’s not a ring, but it’ll do for now.”

Quinn rolls his eyes. “Maybe Bella will let you borrow hers.”

Trevor laughs for half a minute before hanging up.

It’s not until later that night that Trevor sends him a screenshot of a news article stating Supermodel Bella Hadid got engaged. It's got pictures of her flaunting her ring in a lovely garden, flowers surrounding her, as well as some quick facts about her.

Oh. So she's definitely not someone Trevor can just call up. He sees now why Trevor was laughing at him.

Quinn: congrats to your friend

He might as well play into the joke.

Trevor: I'll call her right up and tell her

Quinn: maybe ask her for venue picks

Trevor: ?!?!? Don't play with me rn

Quinn: idk what you mean

Trevor: I'll propose TONIGHT, don't tempt me

Quinn responds with the side eye emoji and smiles down at his phone. 

He dreams that night of a garden proposal, complete with horses in the background and golden light falling on every inch of the garden. It's exactly like the pictures in the article, except it's him and Trevor holding hands, matching rings on their left hands.

Soon, he tells himself. Soon he whispers again to Trevor, all the way across the continent. 

---

In the two weeks after that video call, Quinn gets 2 more post cards, a letter, and a present the size of a fridge. 

Because it is a fridge. 

Quinn’s fridge breaks, and he complains about it in the group chat with his parents and Trevor, named fam and partners made by Jim. Unsurprisingly, he has yet to ever add any of Jack’s or Luke’s partners over the years. When asked about it, Jim states it’s because he’s not sure they’ll last long enough to be considered partners, something that’s pissed Jack and Luke to no end.

Quinn knows it’s because Jim loves Trevor like a son and he keeps waiting for Jack to get his life together and actually date someone for longer than a year, instead of the months-long flings he keeps having with girls he meets during the summers. Luke, on the other hand, never tells them if he’s seeing anyone, so they can’t even think about adding them or not.

When the fridge comes in at first, Quinn assumes it was his mom, but after a phone call, she tells him she definitely didn’t buy him something he should buy himself. Another phone call later, and Trevor confirms it was him. 

When asked about it, all he says is, “well, you won’t let me buy you a ring, so.”

The post cards are from Montreal and Nashville, the two away games Trevor has during those weeks, and honestly, Quinn admires him for finding the time to get a postcard from each place. There’s not much on it, just a we up here and a we down here, but it makes Quinn laugh and, he will admit, it makes him feel loved.

The letter isn’t long and only contains what Trevor says is what he wishes he could’ve written on the post cards if he wasn’t scared it could get out. It’s just phrases like, wish you were here, and my bed was cold, wish you could warm it up. Cliché and all, it makes Quinn blush.

Trevor has been really kind and reassuring and nice, and all Quinn has been in return is an anxious headache who apparently never let his boyfriend know that he actually liked him well before Trevor even pursued him.

It’s just, he’s not good at heartfelt emotions through words or gifts. Quinn’s idea of a gift is practical and necessary. He pays for everything when he and Trevor are together. He sends Trevor his favorite food after a bad game. He is even the one who renews Trevor’s car registrations and has Trevor on all his streaming services. That’s his idea of love, making Trevor’s life easier.

It’s also selfish, he knows, that he gets to enjoy all the little postcards and letters, and Trevor gets nothing in return.

He just can’t stand the idea of buying stamps.

The best he can do is write Trevor a letter and just hand it to him when they play each other in a little over a month. Except, he makes the mistake of writing the letter in an old blank notebook, and he doesn't really stop writing. It’s just easier, when their daily conversations are sparse, to write on the notebook things like That new movie came out, we should watch it in the summer, and I accidentally might have been staring at the ring I bought you again, wishing I could give it to you soon, and I think Paige’s plan might actually work.

---

I’m letting go of the reasons history keeps repeating

Took me so long to see it, I know you know I’m trying

There’s a little over a week until Thanksgiving, and Quinn’s sort of journaling slash writing the longest letter ever to Trevor has revealed he’s not thought about getting married because he doesn’t know what it would look like. Not the actual relationship part, he’s happy with that, thank you.

Who would change their last name? Would they have all their property under both their names? Would there be a prenup? Would they want a big wedding? Would they need to fill out more paperwork on their insurance?

He thinks about calling his dad about that last one, but instead tries his luck and calls Trevor. There’s always a chance he won’t answer between games, practices, meetings, and naps, but Quinn really is going crazy about this now.

“Hello?” Mumbles out a sleepy Trevor. Ah, nap then.

“Sorry,” Quinn says. “I can call you later, it’s not important.”

Trevor hums, “It’s you, of course it’s important.”

“It’s really not, go back to sleep, babe.”

There’s a long sigh and rustling on the line, then Trevor comes back. “I’m awake and alert now, talk.” 

“So, if we get married, ” Quinn starts. 

Trevor interrupts with a mumbled “when”.

Quinn nods, “Right, so when we get married, do we change our last names?”

Trevor hums as a question.

“Do you become Trevor Hughes?”

“There’s already too many Hughes in the NHL, I will not be another one.”

“So then,” Quinn starts out slowly, “Do I become Quinn Zegras?” He doesn't dislike the idea of being married to Trevor at all, but he sort of dislikes the idea of no longer being a Hughes.

Trevor snorts, “No way in hell. Quinn Zegras doesn’t even flow.”

“So,” Quinn drags it out.

“So what?”

“Do we have to hyphen our names?”

“Oh, Quinn Hughes, love of my life and light of my soul.”

Quinn rolls his eyes and asks a dry, “what?” he already knows it’s going to be a snark remark.

“You know you don’t have to change your last name at all right?” Trevor asks.

Quinn scoffs, “So then what’s the point of getting married?”

Trevor makes an I don’t know noise from the back of his throat. “So I can say ‘Have you met Quinn Hughes, my husband?’” 

There’s a pause on the line before he adds, “And all the boring stuff like to be able to make medical decisions for each other, land ownership, sharing bills, and on and on.”

“Well that brings me to my next question.” Quinn clears his throat. “Would we sign a prenup?”

Trevor sighs and hangs up and it startles Quinn, thinking he might have messed up somehow, but a video call notification comes through soon.

“Okay, what’s up?” Trevor asks right as Quinn answers. “Why all these questions?”

Quinn shrugs, “I don’t know. I don’t know what a marriage is like.”

Trevor nods, and pauses to think. “Well, we figure it out, yeah?”

“Yeah? You got experience being married?” Quinn jokes.

“I have experience being in love with you. And bullshitting through adulthood. I think we’re qualified.” Trevor smiles.

Quinn hums, “So where did we land on a prenup?”

“I gotta be real with you, man.” Trevor sighs, “If it was anyone else I would say sign that shit. But it’s me and it’s you, I really don’t care either way. In my happily ever after, we never divorce and paperwork doesn’t exist.”

“Yeah but,” Quinn interrupts. 

“I know,” Trevor closes his eyes and leans back down on the bed. “I know. We can let lawyers figure that out, yeah?”

Quinn nods. Yeah, that actually is simple enough. A lawyer, actually, surprisingly, will probably resolve almost any other question he has about paperwork and legality of it all. Funny enough, he’s already got one working on some other paperwork for them, so he might be able to get the same firm to resolve this too.

“Oh.” Quinn’s surprised. That’s basically all the questions that has plagued him for months, all resolved by just talking with Trevor about it.

“Oh?” Trevor asks.

“Yeah, that’s it.”

“What’s it?”

Quinn shrugs, “That’s all the questions I had, really.”

Trevor lights up, “Yeah? So where did you land?”

“On what?” Quinn asks.

“On if you wanna marry me or not.”

Quinn scowls, “I’m not taking that as an official proposal by the way. And I never was debating if I wanted to or not, I was just wondering about all the details on it.”

Trevor laughs, “Baby, when you started this phone call, you started it with if we get married. You definitely were debating if.”

Was he? Quinn doesn’t think so. “You must have heard me wrong.”

Trevor’s still smiling, but his eyes are slipping shut. “Asshole.”

Quinn hums, “Before you go back to sleep, one last question. Did you want a big wedding, or?”

Trevor’s eyes fly open in surprise. “Yeah?”

Quinn shrugs, “Trevor, this isn’t an official proposal, so shut the fuck up, okay?”

Trevor nods.

“I am looking forward to getting to marry you.” 

Trevor smiles into his pillow and laughs, “Worth waking up from my nap, I guess.”

“‘I guess’?! You fucker.”

Quinn still hears Trevor’s laugh long after he hangs up.

---

By late November, Quinn not only has the Package Deal Proposal finalized with his parents and his lawyer, but he's got lawyers within the firm working on prenups drafts as well as other legal paperworks they might need to finalize a marriage. 

He feels on top of the world, even though he hasn’t really been able to talk to Trevor much after that conversation that resolved all of Quinn’s questions regarding marriage. It’s enough to keep him going, but he really is missing Trevor, he’s taken to writing on his journal slash long letter to Trevor more these days.

There’s no longer doubt in his mind he wants to marry Trevor. Even when he had doubts, it was more about the logistics, not about his connection with him. Now, though, that everything is cleared up and he feels like he’s ready for it, he’s itching to get married. He accidentally finds the ring he stored away years back, the first December after getting together. 

It’s less of an accident, and more that he needed to see it again. He hasn’t pulled it out of the back of his drawer in years, and he wonders if it even looks nice still. Once he pulls open the box and sees two matching rings, he remembers he had bought wedding bands, thinking of proposing with Trevor’s, back in the day, and he’s since realized engagement rings are different rings than wedding bands. He still doesn't understand why there's multiple rings involved in a marriage.

They’re matching black gold wedding bands with a small 2024 engraved on it, the year they got together and when Quinn first planned on proposing. There’s room on it, the jeweler told him, in case he wants to engrave something else on it, but Quinn always wanted to wait to decide with Trevor.

He puts his on, just to test the fit, but then stares at his finger for a couple of minutes, just sitting with the emotions and thoughts it brings. First there’s a bit of anxiety, sure. At the thought that he might be wearing this every day for the rest of his life, but that soon fades away and turns into the anxiety of wearing any jewelry and the safety issues it might bring.

This particular freak-out is not new. He went through it the first time, back when he bought the rings, and it’s why he decided on the gold band. His jeweler had mentioned it’s one that’s easily broken by EMTs and emergency personnel. The jeweler also added a passive aggressive, “and of course athletes don’t wear it during workouts or games, so there’s less of a risk.”

As if Quinn was supposed to know. He’s never had to wear a wedding ring.

The next emotion he works through is a mix of love/fondness/amazement that he might, no, will get to marry Trevor and he’ll have him as his husband. He will meet new people who will only know him as Quinn Hughes, husband to Trevor Zegras, who will ask him how his husband is doing in small talk. Quinn Hughes will soon be someone’s husband and that’s a heavy thought.

There’s some other thoughts and feelings floating around but the one he follows more is the excitement humming in his skin, like the feeling before a Playoff game. One that feels like his life is right where it’s supposed to be, like it’s about to change for the better. He’s looking forward to and counting down the days until the summer, when he can finally ask the question he’s been wanting to ask Trevor for years now.

This summer, he’ll get down on one knee, and make Trevor his husband.

---

Trust fall on me, put it all on me

I’ll take you places if you just learn to follow me

Let it be said, Quinn can’t be blamed for becoming obsessed with the rings. He’s taken to wearing his for a couple of hours around the house and feeling the way it sounds clinking against a cup, or the feel of the cold against his finger. Twirling it with his thumb is his new go-to move that makes him smile every single time.

He’s also gotten the idea for the engraving on the rings, and he can’t stop thinking about how easy it would be to just get that done before the summer. 

He doesn’t even have that thought long before he maybe already gets them engraved. It turns out, a quick phone call to his jeweler, and they send someone to pick up the rings at his house, and then drop it off a week or so later.

He gets them back right as he’s packing for the road games out East, so he packs them along with his clothes and journal (not journal), mostly to show his parents. Ellen will be happy to finally get to see the rings, and Jim will be happy Quinn is making steps to legally make Trevor part of the family. Jack and Luke might get to see the rings, too, if Quinn is feeling generous.

He also gets a phone call from the law firm looking into the prenup and contracts, and  they tell him they’ve got all of it ready for them to sign, and they have given it to Jim and Ellen to pass them along to him. They also mentioned in passing that both camps have looked it over and are both more than happy about it.

And.

This part stops Quinn in his tracks. The firm, their management, and their parents looked over their NHL contracts and have all come to the decision that it is stated they can not get fired over any marriage. They might get benched, might even get traded come summer, when their contracts with the teams are up, but the NHL can’t legally fire them for marrying each other.

It’s a nice surprise to hear that, considering it’s been an underlying stress for him while he keeps thinking about proposing in the summer, to think they would be outright fired on the spot because of it. Now, Quinn is reassured that the worst they can get is benched or traded.

Which is fine, considering they’re about to ask teams to take them as a package deal. Quinn’s contract would take a considerable hit money-wise, but it turns out Luke was right. All you need is love. That, and the amount on his savings account that would still be there if he ends up losing a couple of thousands in his income.

It’s the calmest he’s ever been in, probably years, knowing everything is ready for him and Trevor to start their next chapter together. He can’t head East fast enough to see him again.

Quinn flies out ahead of the team, leaving Friday morning to spend a little more time with his family and Trevor. The Flyers don’t have a game that Friday, and they don’t have to travel until Sunday, so really, it’s a gift from the universe, a reward for Quinn finally getting his act together. 

He lands in Philly and practically runs to an Uber to take him to Trevor’s house and steal some hours of making out and hooking up, and laying in each other’s arms, before Trevor drives them the two hours to Hoboken to have dinner with the Hughes. 

Quinn can’t stop smiling all day, can’t stop crowding Trevor into any wall, and pressing small kisses to Trevor’s lips, cheeks, and even hair.

Trevor keeps laughing and asking him what’s gotten into him.

Jack finds it annoying. Luke thinks Quinn is going through a mental breakdown, and Ellen’s eyes keep shining like she knows a secret.

Friday winds down, and the original plan was for Quinn to stay with Jack and Luke for the night, but he can’t let go of Trevor and he decides to sacrifice some sleep to be able to drive back with Trevor to Philadelphia that night. He holds Trevor’s hand throughout the drive and bites down a grin.

“What is going on with you?” Trevor asks again, laughing.

Quinn huffs out a laugh, “I can’t believe how much I missed you.”

Trevor snorts, “Quinn, what is up? We’ve gone longer without seeing each other, and you do not act this obsessed. I’m loving it, of course, but I’m also kinda worried.”

“Okay, so you’re saying I never show my love and appreciation to get to see you?” Quinn asks.

“I’m saying,” Trevor stresses the word, “That when we last saw each other, you tried to break up with me. We’ve talked since then, yes, and of course I know you love me, but I was actually worried I was going to have to convince you again that we should keep dating.”

Quinn hums, guilt seeping in for his past actions. He guesses he has always been the more timid of the two, always stressed this could all disappear, or they could be found out and Trevor would blame him for ruining his career.

“Well I’ve been a shit boyfriend.”

Trevor cuts him off with a “No, you have not!”

Quinn squeezes Trevor’s hand in his, “Wait. I have been a shitty boyfriend, and have let my anxiety bleed through and affect you, and I’m sorry for that. I’m trying to be a better partner to you and show you my love with my actions as well as my words.”

“Wow,” Trevor tightens his grip on Quinn’s hand. “I really was so scared I would have to talk you out of breaking up with me again, but I’m glad I don’t. It’s been one of my favorite days ever, and this is a great way to close it out.”

“Well technically, we have a couple of hours left in the day, where we will spend it alone in your apartment. I’m sure we can make it even better.” Quinn smiles.

“Oh shit, yeah.” Trevor breathes out. “I definitely have an idea of what we can do tonight.”

---

Quinn’s dad, bless him, comes to pick him up in Philly. Quinn really thinks it’s Jim’s excuse to hang out with Trevor some more, but Quinn overlooks it for the moment, because he really didn’t want to rent a car or pay an Uber to make the drive back. Plus, Trevor’s busy with the team, he wouldn’t even be able to think about bringing him back to Hoboken. 

On the drive back to Jack's apartment, Jim decides it’s time to have a heart to heart. Quinn sighs.

“I’m just saying,” Jim continues, “If you think you don’t want to marry him, or you want to break up with him, don’t hesitate to tell me. You know I love him, but you’re my son. Of course your feelings are more important to me.”

Quinn sighs one more time, “I know dad, but I don’t want to break up with him. I’m planning on proposing this summer, okay? It’s okay, dad.”

“Oh,” Jim frowns at the windshield. “So why was Luke telling us during the summer that we couldn’t bring up engagements in front of you because you get easily spooked.”

“That was months ago, dad.”

“Well, we really haven’t had a chance to talk in some months, right?” Jim asks.

Quinn shrugs, “Mom knows I bought the ring some years back, and she knows I had them engraved last week.”

Jim scoffs, “Your mother was the one who told me I had to have this conversation with you and reassure you that you can make any decision you need to about Trevor!”

“Well,” Quinn snorts. “It seems you were set up by your wife, there.”

“Let me tell you something, Quinn. You marry the love of your life, and it feels like you will always get to be with your best friend, against all obstacles.”

Quinn smiles, and goes to reply, but is cut off by Jim.

“But best friends also love pulling pranks on you. You gotta stay alert.”

Quinn snorts, remembering the amount of pranks Trevor’s pulled on him over the years. “Yeah, I’ve learned that lesson already.”

Jim turns a smile at him, and hums. “You guys will make it. I know it.”

Warmth covers his chest. Quinn is confident he knows it too.

---

After the game against the Devils, Quinn stays with Jack and Luke, spending time with their parents while they can. Since the next couple of games are in New York, only some hours away, he only has a short drive from their place in Hoboken.

Even when the Devils leave on Tuesday for their short road trip out west, Quinn stays in the apartment and hangs out with his parents, mostly talking about the paperwork the law firm sent them, and the timeline Quinn has set up for the summer.

He doesn't get to see Trevor until Sunday, when he would get to spend some time with him before their game on Monday, so he tries to speed up his days by training and keeping his head locked in to the games when he’s not talking contracts with his parents.

It’s on Friday, before Quinn has to leave for Long Island a couple of hours before the game, that his mom mentions she brought the contracts for him to read over before filing it in their Michigan house until Quinn needs them in the summer.

He should be walking out the door to meet his team, instead, he pauses with the intense desire to sign it right then and there. He has to push himself to leave, but keeps thinking about signing it, just so it’s ready for when Quinn proposes in the summer.

The internal debate continues as he gets ready for the game, during the actual match, and even after. He’s not focused, which shows up on his stats that night, but at least they win, so he can focus on that later.

The idea just becomes too tempting. What if. What if they just sign it now that they’re in Philly. Would it change anything? They’d file it in the Philadelphia courts instead of the Michigan ones, but Quinn wouldn’t be the one to file it, so for him it’s the same. He was planning a big wedding, fill the gardens of the country club with friends, family, teammates.

But. What if.

He corners Jack and Luke as they walk into the apartment on Saturday morning, just before he has to leave for Boston. He’s got maybe an hour, so he tries to talk fast.

“I think I’m asking Trevor to marry me.”

Luke nods, supportively and mumbles an “alright, bro.”

Jack squints at him. “I know?”

“What do you mean you know?”

Jack shrugs. “I thought we knew you guys were getting married. Help me out here, Luke.”

They both turn to Luke, who shrugs. “I mean we knew, but we gotta be supportive, I think. He’s processing, we applaud him for it, Jack.”

Quinn shakes his head, trying to move forward. This wasn’t what he was going to focus on, and they’re derailing the conversation. 

“Anyway,” Quinn glares at them. “I was going to do it this summer.”

“A summer proposal, groundbreaking.” Luke deadpans and Jack snorts.

Quinn punches both of them on their shoulders before continuing. “What I’m trying to tell you is I’m going to ask him now.”

Jack frowns, “You’re going to ask him on a phone call?”

Quinn sighs and closes his eyes. “I knew I should’ve had this conversation with mom and dad instead of dumb and dumber-” Luke interrupts with a “hey!”

“I play him on Monday, yeah? I want to ask him then.” He finishes.

Jack and Luke nod with an ohh in understanding. 

“Except,” Quinn keeps going. “I think I’m going to sign the prenup then with him, as well as all the other necessary paperwork.”

They nod, waiting for more.

“And I kept thinking. Well, what if we also sign the marriage certificate then.”

Luke laughs, “Like get married this week?”

Quinn frowns. “I don’t know why that’s so funny, but yeah.”

“Because!” Luke explains. “Just some months ago, you were a pissy fucker about how love isn’t everything and marriage is stifling, and all your anxious emo shit, and now you’re here telling me you’re not only proposing, but you’re getting married!”

Quinn snorts. “Yeah, alright. What do you think, Jack?”

If he’s being honest, Jack was the one he’s been scared to ask, because Trevor was always Jack’s friend. Just like when Quinn wouldn’t let himself even think about dating Trevor in case Jack got upset, he was somewhat worried Jack would think Quinn is ruining everything by doing this.

Jack grins and jumps on Quinn in a hug, “Oh my god, I’m so glad you’ve stopped being an idiot!” Quinn laughs along, and tries to push Jack off him.

“Ok, well, I’m glad you’re both on board because I think I’m going to do it here on Monday morning.”

“You’re proposing in our apartment?” Luke asks with distaste.

Quinn snorts, “No, the contracts, and I guess the actual marriage ceremony. I’m asking him on Sunday night, which was when I was hoping to do both proposal and marriage, but you fuckers have a game that night.”

“Yeah,” Jack starts out sarcastically, “How dare the Devils plan a hockey game in the height of Hockey Season.”

Quinn punches his arm one more time. “But it actually works out great cause I’ll propose in Philly, in private like I originally wanted.”

Luke scoffs, “Yeah, no one wants to see that, thank you.”

Quinn punches Luke this time, and gets punched back by them both.

“Alright, ow, I get it.” Quinn throws his hands up in truce. “Thanks, guys. I really wanted to make sure you both didn’t think it was too crazy.”

Jack snorts, “Oh no. It’s absolutely insane. But I’m glad you’re doing it.”

“Do you want to see the rings?” Quinn asks. 

They spend the rest of the time they have, all of twelve minutes, looking at the rings and going over the details for Monday.

---

Quinn is absolutely fucked when it comes to the actual proposal. Every time he’s visualized it, it’s a nice private moment by the lake, maybe during golden hour, after a nice day of relaxing on the dock, sun kissed all day, warm in each other’s arms.

Now it’s 40 degrees, windy, and the sun sets too early in the day. At least there’s no snow on the ground to create a slush he’ll have to kneel in, but the rest is shit. Especially, considering he’s in a city he doesn’t know much about.

He pulls up his phone immediately on his way to the Boston game, and Googles things like best place to propose then adds in private, then finally adds last minute, when most of these require a notice. He wants to make this moment magical for Trevor, he would rather not propose in Trevor’s rental in the middle of the city, but he’s starting to think he might have to.

It’s almost right before the team arrives at the rink that he runs across Bartram’s Garden and thinks it’s perfectly distant enough from the general public that this proposal might work. He just might have to drop a pretty penny to book it private for them tomorrow, and pray against hope that no one’s already booked it for tomorrow. Sunday. A prime weekend day.

He sends the website to Ellen along with a “I’m willing to pay half my savings to get this tomorrow.”

She sends back a “I might be able to get it with a ‘please’.”

He sends back praying emojis before putting away the phone and focusing on the pre game meetings and warm ups. He keeps the excitement of the proposal as momentum for the game, and ends up with two goals and two assists. He’ll take it.

---

He gets a phone call first thing after changing and heading back to the team plane.

“Don’t freak out.” Ellen starts.

Well he’s already officially freaking out. “What happened?”

“No money in the world, apparently, would let us book that place privately. I have worked the last couple of hours to find another option.”

Quinn will absolutely end up proposing in the middle of Trevor’s high rise open plan kitchen apparently. “Any luck?”

“I called in a couple-” She’s cut off by Jim yelling “A lot!” in the background. “Yes,” She continues. “A lot of favors, and made some investments. I got you a farmhouse just outside of Philly, but it’s clean, pretty, and most importantly, private.”

Quinn sighs. “Farm?”

“Not an actual farm, there’s no animals.” She defends.

“Well. I guess nothing was going to be as good as my plan A.” He mopes.

She hums, “I’m sorry that place didn’t work out, Quinn.”

Quinn’s startled enough to laugh. “It’s not like I had my heart set on that place. I meant my plan A of the lakehouse in the summer, what was at one point, my original plan.”

“Oh,” she says. “Well then, I honestly think this place is a close second. There’s rooms, and a lot of acreage. You guys can even head over there tonight if you want.”

Quinn does love the idea of getting even more private time with Trevor. Originally, he was going to head back tomorrow mid morning, but Trevor should already be back at his apartment, maybe he can get Trevor to meet him there.

---

It takes a while for him to make it to the farmhouse. By the time he gets there, it’s a bit past midnight and Trevor’s been there for a couple of hours. Quinn’s taken to carry the rings in his carry on, so he doesn’t have to bother returning to Hoboken to get them. He makes good time getting there straight from his game in Boston.

Trevor had sent him a picture and a rough description of the room he chose for them. He sneaks in, hoping to at least get to talk about their week together, but Trevor is passed out asleep already in bed. Quinn joins him, and holds him close, feeling like he’s not been able to do this enough times as he should be.

In the morning, Trevor wakes up first, and informs him Jim dropped off some takeout from a nearby diner. Quinn wants to be embarrassed for how much he’s relied on his parents for this whole proposal and overall marriage, but he finds he doesn’t actually care. He’s more pleased that his parents are excited for him and want him to marry Trevor, even if it’s a rushed last minute plan since he finds he can’t go one more day without being married to Trevor.

Quinn and Trevor have breakfast in the kitchen with the floor to ceiling windows letting in the bright winter sun and it’s such a quiet, slow moment between the two of them, Quinn can’t wait to get to do this forever with Trevor.

“So what’s the plan for today? Why did we come out to this farmhouse, and is the answer you’re about to kill me and leave my body here?” Trevor asks.

Quinn scoffs, “As if I could live without you.”

“Ohhh,” Trevor laughs, “Mr Loverboy has lines!”

Quinn hides a smile into his coffee before clearing his throat. “Actually, I thought we’d just have a nice, quiet, peaceful day away from anyone, and relax before we have to play each other tomorrow.”

“Ah, before we kick your asses on the ice?”

“In your dreams, Zegras. I just need you to remember you love me before we embarrass you tomorrow.” Quinn smirks. 

Trevor kicks Quinn’s foot under the table in mock offense, but then uses his foot around Quinn’s chair legs, to drag the chair closer to himself. “Come here and say that to my face.”

Quinn yelps, “You’re going to scratch the wood!”

“I’d like to scratch your wood.” Trevor hums.

“Oh my god, Trevor, we can’t stay in bed all day!” Quinn laughs as Trevor’s already worked in tilting Quinn’s chair so he’s sliding on to Trevor’s lap.

Trevor grabs Quinn’s face and kisses him slowly, leaving Quinn breathless and defenseless, until his phone loudly breaks the moment. He checks the caller ID and sees his mom, so he excuses himself and goes to lock himself in the downstairs bathroom ignoring Trevor’s “are you keeping secrets from me?!”

“So,” Ellen starts. “Before you freak out, I had him sign all kinds of NDAs and he’s someone already thoroughly vetted by the firm, so it’s not a big deal, okay?”

Well that’s one way to give Quinn a panic attack. “What?” He asks.

“We have someone going over, not close, you won’t even see him and he won’t even be close enough to hear you.” She pauses. “But he will take pictures of your proposal.”

Quinn sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What if he posts it, though? We could get fired before we actually get married because there won’t be evidence they know we’re getting married, and there’s also-”

“He’s ironclad, Quinn.” She cuts him off. “The firm says he’s done some work with bigger celebrities that he’s kept secret. It’s okay.”

He breathes in and out, annoyed at himself for getting anxious again, when he’s worked through this. Hell, he’s the one moving up the timeline because he absolutely needs to be married to Trevor now thank you very much. “Right, yeah, you’re right. When is he coming over?”

“Well, I know you mentioned you wanted to do it around sunset so I told him that, but he’s just going to be waiting far outside, and keep an eye out for when you do go outside together.”

Quinn’s mind is jumping through the timeline of how he can get the ring without Trevor noticing, and then convincing him to go outside for a walk.

Oh shit, he realizes, he should probably brush his hair to look presentable and not at all like they’ve been making out (and hopefully having sex soon) all day. Plus, he realizes now, he didn’t really pack a good outfit if they’re getting photographed.

“Shit, I didn’t bring an outfit. I don’t know if Trevor did, I should-”

Ellen cuts him off. “Well thankfully Jim has the key to Trevor’s apartment, and he was able to get a nice button down shirt and slacks, as well as one of yours from your bag here, and he’s taken them to get drycleaned and will deliver it with lunch later. Just keep an eye out for it to make sure Trevor isn’t the one who sees it.”

Quinn nods along, “Okay, yeah, thanks. And thank you for all the work you both have done on this, I know I should’ve waited and planned it all out so it’s not like this, I just-”

“Quinn,” Ellen cuts him off again with a laugh. “We’re doing this because we love you both. Plus,” She laughs, “We’re excited! Our first son in law! Now go spend some time with him.”

“Okay,” He smiles. “Will do. Thank you, love you.”

When he gets out of the bathroom, he sees Trevor lazily sitting at the kitchen table still, scrolling his phone with one hand, and the other arm around the chair Quinn just left. Trevor glances up and pats the chair when he sees him.

“Come on, let’s jump back in where we left off.”

Quinn laughs, and pulls Trevor up from the chair. “Why don’t we head back to bed instead?”

“Oh?” Trevor’s eyes light up. “I could be convinced, only if you turn that phone off.”

Quinn smiles and pecks a kiss on his lips. “I can’t shut it off, I’ve got an alarm, but I can work to make it up to you instead?”

Trevor looks between his eyes, clearly trying to figure out what Quinn is keeping from him, but he seems to move past it because he only whispers, “Ok, deal.” before kissing him.

---

They spend the rest of the time in bed, before Quinn drags them to the main, luxurious, bathroom to take a slow and intimate shower together. He realizes most of the time they shower together, they’re only doing it to hook up, and then actually clean themselves in record time. Mostly because their days together are 90% in the summer in the lakehouse, when they’re sharing a house with 10+ hockey players.

They really should do this more often.

They get each other off, of course, but they take their time. Afterwards, Quinn takes his time applying Trevor’s shampoo, then rinsing him off, and Trevor decides to do the same for Quinn. The hot water in this place also lasts forever it seems, so it’s very difficult for them to actually get out of the shower.

The only reason they do eventually leave the shower is because Quinn makes them when he thinks it’s almost 4pm. His dad is supposed to show up around then with more food, and more importantly, their clothes. He dries quickly and puts on a tshirt and sweats in a hurry after he sees his dad texting him a five min.

“Why are you in a rush?” Trevor asks, still drying himself.

“My dad is dropping off lunch, I have to get it off the porch so it doesn’t freeze.” Quinn replies. Hoping to get the clothes in the house before Trevor decides to go say hi to Jim.

Sure enough, Trevor goes to reach his clothes and says, “Oh! I’ll go say hi to Jim!”

“No, no, stay here. Um,” Quinn looks around the bathroom. “Maybe blowdry your hair like you like it. I’ll go get the food.”

Trevor shrugs, “I blow dry my hair when I’m going in public, Quinn. I have no plans to do that.”

“Yeah,” Quinn frowns. This is more stressful than he thought it’d be. “But I wanted to take a picture with the house.” He improvises, and actually, he should’ve thought of that earlier. It would also cover their walk later. “We barely have any pictures together, and-”

Trevor’s eyebrows are scrunched up in confusion when he says, “We take pictures all the time.”

“And,” Quinn stresses, “my mom wanted one to send to her friend that rented us this place. To show them we enjoyed it.”

“Oh,” Trevor raises his eyebrows in surprise and says slowly, “You’re going to send it to someone we don’t know? They’ll assume we’re together.”

“We are together.” Quinn states.

Trevor tilts his head in question. “Yes, I mean we know that, our friends and family know that, but since when are we telling people that?”

He’s got him there.

“Oh! This is my aunt’s place. So she already knows.” Quinn lies.

“Your aunt? That lives in Canada?”

Quinn nods quickly and opens the door, “Good real estate option, anyway, I really should get our food before it gets cold.”

“I’ll find out your secrets, Quinn Hughes!” Trevor yells out the door.

Quinn is yet again reminded of how he sucks at doing anything romantic. This is why he doesn’t throw surprises, he’s getting hives with the stress already.

---

After they eat dinner, Quinn talks Trevor into changing into the clothes his dad brought, pretending he had it in his carry on bag. He thinks Trevor is suspicious but he doesn't comment on it, only follows Quinn's lead. 

Finally, when the sun glares at them low enough Quinn knows the sun is setting, he's frazzled enough to start to drag Trevor outside before realizing he's forgotten the ring. 

He ends up bolting back into the house with a confused “What the hell, Hughes?!" from Trevor echoing behind him. He really needs to get his nerves calm or he's going to end up stumbling over the actual proposal.

Once he gets to his bag, he takes a second to breathe and make sure he pulls out Trevor's ring, leaving his in the ring box, buried at the bottom of his bag. 

And now he's just supposed to carry this very valuable and sentimental ring in his slacks pocket with no case or way to make sure it doesn't fall out?!

He keeps his hands in his pockets, stressed as hell, but tries to keep his posture comfortable.

“What was that?" Trevor asks as soon as Quinn joins him right outside the door. 

Quinn shrugs, “I had to make sure I closed the sink tap.”

Trevor squints. “Okay and where's your phone?"

“Huh?" Quinn turns to look at him, eyebrows drawn in. He purposely left both his and Trevor's phones inside so no one ruins the moment and it doesn't show up in the pictures. 

“For the picture we're taking?" Trevor asks.

Oh right, shit.

“Well,” Quinn starts. “Let's just walk around first, maybe find a good location.”

Trevor laughs as he follows Quinn on a walk through the garden. “I wanna ask what's wrong with you again, but I'm sort of enjoying this wild and random Quinn.”

“Yeah?" Quinn smiles.

“Yeah,” Trevor shrugs. “I think we were stressed all summer, I feel like we didn't get to have fun like we did the summer before.” 

Quinn hums. It sort of was a shit summer after a shit season.

“Which I've thought about for months.” Trevor continues. “Like, what was so different between the years, y'know?"

Quinn shrugs, “Well for me, I hated being farther apart than we used to be, and we saw each other less, and I just kept thinking ‘I can't do this for the rest of my life’.”

Trevor flinches slightly, “Like with me?" He sticks his chin up, like he's bracing himself for Quinn to agree.

“No, no." Quinn grabs and squeezes Trevor's hand. “No, of course I want the rest of my life with you.”

Trevor only nods.

“It was the- the everything, the schedules, the time zones, the jealousy. I couldn't stand that your teammates got to see you and I didn't. It was frustrating that feeling of getting left behind.”

“You're not-” Trevor starts, but Quinn squeezes his hand again with an “I know."

“So what's different now?" Trevor asks.

Quinn just raises an eyebrow at him. 

“I mean it's basically the same schedule but you don't seem as upset as you were last year.” Trevor explains.

“Oh,” Quinn nods, “I realized it's stupid to be upset at the circumstances when it's literally us living our dreams.”

Trevor frowns, “Yeah but my dream is also to be with you. And so far hockey seems to be getting in the way of that.”

Quinn smiles warmly at Trevor. “Well since we both dream of being together.” He trails off, stopping mid walk now that they're in the middle of the garden.

The flowers there are darker than ones he'd see in the summer, but they're beautiful regardless and he thinks if the photographer is actually out there, it might look nice in the pictures.

Trevor tilts his head, “Yeah, haven't we known that, though?"

Quinn can't help but laugh. “Yes, but I was saying. Since we both dream about being together, I have to tell you also about my dream I haven't shared with you.”

“Okay." Trevor prompts.

“When we started dating, I don't think I knew exactly what I wanted.”

Trevor glances around nervously. “Well that's not exactly what I was hoping to hear."

“Sorry, sorry," Quinn huffs out a laugh. “I mean more that I didn't have long term plans, didn't think about what it would mean for us and our career. I just wanted you.”

“Ok, better." Trevor grins.

“And I bought you a ring that December.”

Trevor gasps. “You're lying!" 

“No, I really couldn't figure out what to get you for Christmas. I wanted to give you me, my life, my love.”

“Not loving the past tense.” Trevor laughs.

“And as you know, I didn't give you the ring. I got too into my head. I started thinking about how it was too soon, how we were only dating a couple of months by then. It would be stupid.”

Trevor scoffs, “We knew each other for over a decade, Quinn! It would not have been too soon."

“Yeah well," Quinn laughs. “Like I said I got too into my head. But then I thought about it more, how we would keep that marriage a secret, what it would mean to our careers, how you might regret it.”

“I wouldn't regret it, for the record. But yes, I know there's a lot of reasons not to.”

Quinn really should've written down what he wanted to say because he's still not sure how to say it. Does he just outright ask him? Is he supposed to say something romantic? Can he? Does he have that romance in him?

Quinn bites his lip and scans the horizon, wondering if the photographer is there and ready for him.

“By the time the next Christmas came around, I had talked myself into thinking maybe we never needed to get married. We'd live in secret forever, keep playing in our teams, and retire decades from now into each other's arms.”

Trevor huffs, “I would retire after like two seasons, Quinn Hughes. Don't make me do that.”

Quinn laughs and brings him in for a kiss. “I won't make you do that. Instead.” He grabs the ring in his pocket, keeping his fist closed, and kneels in front of Trevor.

“Oh my god," Trevor breathes.

“Trevor Zegras. I have never been as sure of anything in my life as I am that I love you, I will always love you, and I want to marry you and spend the rest of my life with you.”

Trevor breathes out a “Yeah” that sounds like a question and Quinn can't be sure if he's agreeing with the marriage proposal or asking. He squints against the sun to look at Trevor, but Trevor seems frozen. 

Quinn realizes he still has the ring in his clasped hands and finally shows it to Trevor. “I'm also obsessed with the idea of you being my husband, and seeing this ring on your finger that means you are mine and I am yours.”

“Quinn Hughes, I need you to ask.” Trevor whispers with full energy.

“Oh, right! Trevor Zegras, will you do me the honor of-”

Trevor cuts him off by dragging him up and kissing him deeply. 

Finally, they pull away and Trevor answers. “Yes, yes, yes, yes!" 

Quinn can't stop smiling as he slides the ring on Trevor's left hand ring finger, hands shaking with emotions.

“Wait, wait!" Trevor stops him. “I saw something, is it engraved?"

“Oh!" Quinn can't believe he forgot. “Yes, yes, here."

He pulls the ring off to hand it to Trevor so he can see. Trevor grabs it carefully, full of wonder, and tilts it carefully to catch the sun.

2024   I'd like to keep you mine

Trevor's eyebrows furrow. “I'd like to keep you mine?"

Quinn nods.

“I mean it's cute, don't get me wrong, I absolutely love it, but is it a reference to something?" Trevor asks.

Quinn laughs softly. “There was this phone call back in April. Like, the April before we started dating.”

Trevor's eyebrows raise in surprise but he doesn't say anything.

“I think you were coming off a game or going to it but you were in the bus with the team and you didn't want them to take your phone and put it on speaker."

Trevor snorts, “Yeah those fuckers loved to do that." 

“And you said," Quinn shrugs. “You said, ‘I'd like to keep you mine tonight’ and I remember replying that over and over in my head, wishing it was you.”

“The secret santa?" Trevor asks incrediously.

Quinn nods, “I always wanted it to be you, but at that moment I felt even if it wasn't you, I would've done anything to have you say ‘I'd like to keep you mine’ full stop.”

Trevor pulls him in for another kiss and whispers against him, “How do you even remember what I said in a random phone call from years ago.”

Quinn shrugs a shoulder, “I think about that phrase anytime I look at you." 

“Okay Quinn Hughes, stop saying romantic shit and put that ring on my finger now, please!” Trevor holds out his left hand.

Quinn slides it on carefully, realizing his vision is blurry because there’s now tears in his eyes, but he can’t stop grinning. “Do you like it?” 

Trevor jumps to wrap his arms around Quinn in a big hug and Quinn hears Trevor sniffling into his neck. “Absolutely amazing surprise, I thought I would be the one to propose, and I was going to do it in the summer.”

“Well I was going to do it in the summer too, but I beat you to it, I guess.” Quinn says as they pull apart and look at each other.

“You fucker.” Trevor shoves at him playfully. “Proposing was my right as the one who kept sending you love notes in secret santa presents.”

Quinn shrugs, “You gotta be faster, my love.”

“I’ll show you faster when we beat the Canucks tomorrow.” Trevor keeps playfully shoving him back to the farmhouse door.

“Dream on, Zegras.” Quinn shouts as he runs back to the house, getting further from Trevor so he can’t shove him anymore.

Trevor chases after him. “That’s Zegras, fiance to Quinn Hughes to you!”

---

When they get back into the house, they see a basket with champagne with chocolate covered strawberries and some other fresh fruit. 

It makes Trevor laugh. “Wait, was this Jim? Is this why Jim kept showing up? They knew?”

Quinn blushes. “I wasn’t lying when I said I was planning to propose in the summer. This was all planned last minute right before I flew out to the East Coast. Mostly because the rings were ready and I was dying to give it to you, to see you wear it, for you to be my husband.”

“Rings?” Trevor yells.

“Yeah,” Quinn shrugs, “That’s technically a wedding band and it came in a set. I have one for me, for when we get married.”

Trevor pauses as he’s pouring them each a glass of champagne. “Oh,” He says casually, “So we could just get married tomorrow.”

Quinn laughs, “Actually, about that.”

“Shut the fuck up! Oh my god, yeah?” Trevor grabs Quinn’s face in excitement.

“Tomorrow morning, we’re going over to Jack and Luke’s, where our law firm-”

“Our law firm?” Trevor cuts him off.

Quinn sighs. “Yeah, there’s actually more paperwork than just a marriage certificate, sorry. We have to sign the prenup-” Trevor nods.

“And then we have to look over the package deal and approve it,” Quinn continues, “I think there’s also other paperwork to sign, but I’ve had our lawyers look into it so I didn’t have to.”

Trevor hums, “Our lawyers?”

“Yeah, I have one, got you one, but then there’s also some others that work to communicate with the two, I don’t know, I just pay them.” Quinn shrugs. “But your camp, like your parents, management, everyone gets consulted by your lawyer.”

“Holy fucking shit.” Is all Trevor says for a bit, and Quinn doesn’t know what that means, if Trevor is upset he wasn’t consulted, or that he went behind his back to talk to his people, or if he’s just upset this many people knew and kept it a secret. 

He doesn’t get time to ask before Trevor kisses him fiercely, almost accidentally knocking over the champagne bottle that still sits near them on the table.

“Yeah?” Quinn breathes out once they pull apart. “You’re not mad?”

Trevor laughs, “Mad? That while I thought my boyfriend was on the other side of the continent, forgetting me, he was actually working to get things together for us to get married before the end of the season, even?”

“Well, I did all that without consulting you, or including you at all.” Quinn shrugs.

Trevor wraps his arm around Quinn’s waist. “Baby, you pay for my car registration renewal. Do you really think I want to be involved in the boring paperwork part of getting married?”

“Okay, I just wasn’t sure because I didn’t want to assume you’d want to get married this soon, and take-”

Trevor cuts him off. “Definitely always assume I want to marry you now. Take me wherever, my fiance Quinn Hughes.”

“Not fiance for long.” Quinn snorts.

“That’s ok, I much prefer calling you my husband.”

---

Later that night, they’re lying next to each other, trying to go to sleep, but Trevor keeps asking questions like if he can shower with the ring, should he take it off for games, what would he do with the ring when he’s playing, and would he have to buy one of the silicone rings.

He’s admiring it the whole time, lifting it up to the moonlight, and shifting it on his finger. “Hey! I got my holiday proposal after all.”

Quinn, who has been just humming for the most part, with some necessary replies here and there, hums again.

“I love holiday proposals.” 

“I know.” Quinn mumbles.

“I love that it’s darker. I love the black bands.” He adds.

“I know.” Quinn replies again.

Of course he knows. He knows everything about Trevor’s tastes and style, he absolutely got these because it’s what Trevor would have liked.

“Now is this Tungsten or Titanium?” Trevor asks, tilting his head, and squinting in the dark as if he could tell.

“Gold.” Quinn answers, yawning.

“Huh,” Trevor squints again. “They make gold in black?”

Quinn hums again.

“Is gold better than tungsten?” Trevor asks.

Quinn scoffs, “It’s better because if there’s an emergency and they need to cut it off, they can cut through gold easier than the others.”

Trevor brings his hand back into his chest, guarding the ring. “No one is cutting my ring!”

“In case of emergencies only.” Quinn agrees.

Trevor hums and buries his face in Quinn’s neck. “I like that your anxiety bleeds into what ring you get for me. Others might consider something like fashion or-”

Quinn cuts him off. “I care about your finger and your wellbeing over fashion.”

“I know, I know, and I’m not saying I care. This looks fire as fuck and I love every part of it. All I’m saying is of course you take into consideration safety protocols.” Trevor reassures him as he returns to his original position of hand in the air above them, trying to catch the moonlight.

Quinn hums again. “I’m wearing my ring on my chain for the games, but you can choose what feels good for you.” He adds, forgetting he only hummed as a response earlier.

He really is sleepy, but Trevor is buzzing with too much energy.

Trevor nods, “I guess I’ll do that. I mean my first choise is wearing it during the game anyway.”

“No.” Quinn states abruptly, cutting off that idea altogether. Safety aside, it’s not even like it could be seen under their gloves.

Trevor sighs, “Yeah, I know.” He brings his left hand down and puts it on Quinn’s chest, right above his heart. “I can’t wait for you to wear yours and I can see how sexy it’ll be on you.”

Quinn snorts, “It’s just a ring.”

“Ah, but it’s a ring that makes you mine.” Trevor sighs.

Quinn puts his right hand over Trevor’s, playing with the ring. “I’m always yours.”

Trevor smiles into Quinn’s neck. “But it feels…” He trails off.

“Yeah.” Quinn sighs, “Yeah, I know. Tomorrow.”

Trevor hums, sounding like sleep finally got to him. “Tomorrow.” He mumbles.

Trevor ends up falling asleep before Quinn, even though Quinn's been near dreamland for the last half hour. He finds himself staring at Trevor's ring, feeling totally complete at this moment. 

He falls asleep soon after and dreams of a garden full of flowers, bathed in golden light, and horses running softly. He's been here before, he feels, only vaguely feeling like it should be a Supermodel instead of him and Trevor in the middle of the garden.

The dream shifts into the farmhouse garden, darker flowers now, and clear blue sky along with the golden light. Trevor's in his arms, and there's no horse in sight but it feels as perfect and warm as the first dream anyway.

“This was my dream,” Trevor says in an airy voice. 

“I know, ” Quinn replies.

“This is a dream. You're dreaming.” Dream Trevor tries to tell him again.

“I know. ” Quinn says again. But somewhere in his mind he knows Trevor really is in his arms, and that alone is all Quinn needs. 

---

The next morning isn’t as slow as Quinn would’ve liked. They end up running back to Trevor’s to get ready there. Quinn keeps telling him he’s got clothes at Jack and Luke’s apartment but Trevor keeps telling him he will wear one of Trevor’s shirts to their actual wedding, if it’s the last thing Trevor does, thank you very much.

“It’s not an actual wedding.” Quinn keeps telling him, and he’s getting cursed out about it in return.

They calm down a bit more on the drive, having to sit for two hours in the car lets them breathe. 

When he stops at a stop light, Trevor turns to Quinn on the passenger seat and grins.

“What?" Quinn laughs as he asks.

“You're going to be my husband by the end of the day!" Trevor laughs.

Quinn bites back a grin and says, “Not too late to back out now, Zegras.”

Trevor scoffs. “I'll marry you in this car right now, Hughes”

Quinn laughs as the light turns green. He's feeling so loose and relaxed which he did not expect at all. He thought he might be stressed for both the actual ceremony and the fact that they're doing this before a game in the middle of the season. 

This is the most confident he's ever felt about any decision he's ever made. 

By the time they get to Hoboken, Jim, Ellen, Trevor’s parents and siblings, as well as the county clerk the law firm sent are waiting for them at the apartment.

Jim and Jack had cleared the living room, so Quinn and Trevor stand by the tall windows during the ceremony, and the rest of the guests stand behind them. 

It’s a standard wedding ceremony, complete with the basic vows. Quinn didn’t have them change anything, both because he didn't really have time to speak to the clerk beforehand, but also because it's not like he gave this part much thought. 

In the summer, they’ll do the big wedding, full of tearjerking speeches and cliché picture slideshows. Today, he wants to do the elopement. The race to marry Trevor as fast as humanly possible because he can’t stand not being Trevor’s husband one second longer.

Quinn and Trevor can’t stop grinning at each other throughout the whole ceremony. Once the time comes to put the rings on each other’s fingers, Trevor rushes to move his hand closer to Quinn so he would start. He was complaining for the full half an hour when they took his ring away to get the ceremony ready, stating that Quinn gave him the ring already, so he should be able to keep wearing it regardless.

Once it’s Trevor’s turn to put the ring on Quinn’s finger, he does so in one movement, smoothly and quickly sliding it in, and keeping hold of Quinn’s hand. The county clerk says some more things neither of them pay attention to because the blood is rushing in their ears, excited that they're so close to the husbands part. 

“You may now kiss your husband.” The clerk says, but they start kissing before he’s even done with the sentence.

He hears their families awing and cooing and can see the camera flashes behind his closed eyes but he takes a second to memorize this moment in every detail.

His first kiss with his official husband. Husband. It does not get old. 

There’s champagne and a brunch for them all, but Trevor and Quinn have to first sign what feels like a billion copies of paperwork that would cover their prenup, the marriage, the insurance paperwork, their power of attorney. When they get to the Package Deal contracts, Quinn explains to him he can sign that later, since he hasn’t explained it to Trevor fully yet.

Trevor shrugs, “I trust you.” Then, after Quinn glowers at him, he adds, “And my management and attorney who you said looked it over.”

After finally finishing the boring part, they’re able to join their families and cut the cake Ellen brought. It’s a small celebration, completely different from what either of them planned for their wedding, but it’s the best thing to ever happen to either of them.

Plus, they’ll get their huge wedding soon. Now that they’re officially married, they can wait.

---

They’re officially married on a Monday, December 21st, between their hectic NHL schedule, right before a match against each other. Quinn can’t even say if he remembers the match exactly. All he keeps focusing on is the weight of his wedding ring on the chain he’s wearing. Trevor’s wearing a matching one, and sometimes, if the light catches it right, Quinn can see part of his chain under his pads and uniform.

He keeps having to bite back a grin throughout the whole match. Especially when Trevor catches his eye and winks. 

---

Lean into the light, come out of the dark

your life’s not over, it’s starting

Lean into the light, come out of the dark

forget what they said, it’s all in your heart

They don’t get to do anything together after the game, but Quinn already knew they wouldn’t have any time. Still, it sucks to get on a plane and fly away from his husband. He bites back a smile at just the thought of his husband.

It’s back to texts and short phone conversations in between games and practices. Still, though, the wedding band he’s been wearing on his chain is enough to calm his doubts about being able to do this long distance for longer.

The Sunday after their wedding, Trevor is in Seattle, finally in the same time zone. They don’t get to see each other, but they get to have a phone call that lasts well over an hour and they call that a win. Plus, when the Flyers finish the game and the team goes back to the hotel room, Trevor takes a rental car and drives it to Vancouver, arriving at Quinn’s house well into the night.

What a honeymoon.

Quinn has to leave a couple of hours after waking up, the Canucks play in Seattle, but Trevor decides to stay at the house. 

“I’ll have a nice moment here in my new house, since I own half of it.” Trevor says,

Quinn laughs, “There’s a prenup that begs to differ.”

“Oh, that,” Trevor shrugs, “The prenup is just there so we don’t get too powerful and accumulate too much wealth.”

“The prenup is there so no one can tell you years from now that I was using you for your money and fame.” Quinn explains. 

Trevor scoffs, “As if I would listen to people anyway.”

Quinn smiles down at the bag he’s packing for the short trip to Seattle, and comes across the journal that started out as a letter to Trevor, originally.

“Oh yeah,” Quinn throws it at Trevor, who catches it swiftly. “Happy anniversary, consider this your official first anniversary gift.”

Trevor scowls, “Well I don’t think it’s fair you didn’t tell me we’re celebrating our first week anniversary.”

Quinn kisses him quickly. He really should get going. “I started this out as a letter to send you months ago, but then it got too long and it accidentally became a kind of journal, I think. But these were things I was writing to you. I actually meant to give this to you when I proposed but I was too stressed to remember.”

“I’ll forgive you for keeping this from me if you forgive the fact I’m definitely reading this instead of watching your game.” Trevor smirks up at him.

Quinn presses another kiss, and grabs Trevor’s ring on his chain. “I might, but I don’t forgive you for not wearing your ring while you’re here.”

“I’ll fix that just for you, dear husband.” Trevor jokes as he pulls off the chain to take off the ring and slide it on his finger.

Quinn smiles, “I’ll be home later tonight.”

They both grin widely at the thought of doing this another time. A not so distant world where they’ll easily tell each other I’ll be home soon, and it means their shared house, where they live together for most of the year.

---

When he gets home, Trevor attacks him at the door, pulling him close and kissing him as soon as the door closes. Quinn huffs out a surprised laugh, but kisses Trevor back, melting into Trevor’s arms.

“Well that is the best way to come home.” Quinn says breathlessly, “But what was that?”

Trevor shoves the journal into Quinn’s chest. “You just make me read the most romantic shit ever, then leave all day!”

He can’t even remember really writing anything really considered romantic. As many books as he’s read, he can’t really get poetic like he wishes he could.

“Trevor, I don’t think anything I wrote in there was romantic, are you sure?”

Trevor scoffs. “This is 58 pages of cramped hand writing of you working through the anxiety you had in our relationship, and deciding to get past it and marry me anyway. The parts where you talked about how much time and work went into working on the Package Deal, as well as the prenup? That itself showed how much love you have for me.”

“Of course I love you.” Quinn says softly.

“See, and I know that.” Trevor nods, “But then I also read the part you wrote towards the beginning of the book, where it says your original proposal and wedding plans, and also the part where you planned how much of your yearly contract you’re willing to cut to make sure we end up playing on the same team.”

Trevor drags Quinn back into him, holding him close. “It just reminds me there’s so much of your love that goes on in the background. It’s this steady low hum that I sometimes don’t realize is there, but it is, and you love me.”

Quinn laughs, “Wait ‘till I tell you about the plans A through Z for the proposal last week. Philadelphia is a shitty place to propose in, let me tell you that.”

“So why did you?” Trevor asks, and Quinn feels like he’s genuinely wondering.

“Well, like I mentioned, I needed you to be my husband now. Plus, I wanted to do it where our friends and family were near, so they could come to the wedding.”

“And proposing in Philly instead of Jersey?” Trevor asks.

Quinn shrugs, “My first thought was to propose in front of the Liberty Bell."

“Broken, like my heart.” Trevor nods, referring to the postcard he sent months back.

“Yeah, except it's harder to book that place privately and discreetly, even on a Sunday. Plus, then I kept thinking how much Philadelphia has meant to you, I know you love it for what it's done to your career and being closer to your friends.”

Trevor shrugs, “Philly's been good but my favorite thing about it is it's where you proposed."

“Technically I proposed outside of the city.” Quinn points out.

Trevor smiles at him. “Thank you for the journal. I know we don't get to talk much during the season. I liked seeing the things I missed.”

Quinn nods. “Did you see the Package Deal part and what it would mean?”

Trevor brings them to the sofa and pats the seat next to him. “Yes but tell me about it. The basketball player told you?"

So Quinn tells him the plan. The way they could be together, maybe on a team. But first, they'll have to beg to have a team take them both. 

Worth it to keep his husband. 

---

February brings the Olympics and Quinn had hopes to get to spend some time with Trevor, but it's so busy, they don't see each other alone for even an hour a day.

Then, it's immediately back to practices, games, and team meetings. He's so swept up in just following the schedule, he doesn't realize he's in New York City when Paige is also there.

He doesn't realize, but she does, immediately calling him to take her out for lunch with a “You owe me big time. You're paying, bro.”

They go to a trendy place in Manhattan that's able to seat them privately, Paige complaining the whole time that if they had more time, she could show him better places in Connecticut but his schedule sucks. 

“So did my lawyer hook you up or what happened?” Paige asks him as soon as they put their order in.

Quinn nods, “I think he was busy but he got someone in his firm to help and now I'm paying most of that firm's salary.”

Paige squints at him. “Whatchu mean?”

“I got them to also do my prenup and anything else we needed to get married.” Quinn laughs.

“Oh," Paige draws out the word, confused. “Wait, so you're getting married?"

Quinn smiles and brings out the chain under his shirt to show her the ring. “Got married actually, in December.”

“Oh shit!" Paige grins, “That's fire bro, congrats!”

Quinn mumbles out a “Thanks" and puts the chain back inside his shirt.

“So is he here tonight? Is it someone in your team?" She asks.

Quinn shakes his head. “I wish, nah. He's in Philly. We're waiting till the end of the season when we're both up for free agency.”

“Must be hard to be married but not together." She comments.

“Yeah well, I think the long distance is easier now that we're married. We were dying before that.”

She nods. “Long distance sucks."

“How's that going for you guys, by the way?" He asks. He's not sure if he could ask if she's planning on ever getting married, so he asks this instead.

She glares at him. “You really don't follow along with my career, huh?"

Quinn blushes, “Well. My mom does, if it helps.”

“Well at least you're honest.”

“So what's up, what did I miss?" He asks.

“We're both playing here now. New York took us both, so we're here getting everything ready for the season.”

“Wow, that's great!" He wants to hug her but there's a table between them. “You should've brought her to dinner, if she's here.”

Paige shrugs. “She's in Connecticut right now, she wanted to come but-”

Quinn cuts her off, “That's ok, I'll meet her at my wedding, yeah?"

“Uh." Paige glances at his shirt where the ring sits behind it. “Didn't that already happen?"

“It was a quick, small wedding. We're doing a big one in Michigan with everyone in the summer.”

Paige smiles, “Oh, yeah, we'll be there! Well. Y'know, if there's no game and we can go.”

Quinn nods. “You're going to have to send me your schedule so I can make sure you can come.”

“Bro, just Google me." Paige kicks him under the table.

Quinn laughs, “Y'know what. I'll let my mom plan the date around your schedule.”

“Tell her she failed with you when you call her next, please.” Paige taunts.

“I'm removing you from the guest list." 

---

I can’t believe I almost went my whole life

Without you in it

Epilogue:

The summer is once again, spent in each other’s pockets, nothing new there. Trevor doesn’t actually buy Jack out of the lakehouse, like he keeps joking he will. 

Quinn thought about buying another summer house with Trevor but Trevor keeps telling him there's no point. They'll obviously love to keep spending most of the summers with the guys. Trevor tells him if he really wants to buy a house together, they can buy one wherever they end up living throughout the season. After they find out which team would take them. 

So even though they are married, they’re still chilling with 10 or 20 other hockey players, doing the same ol’ thing.

Except, this time, they leave a couple of weeks in, during late June, to go to Greece for their honeymoon. It’s all Trevor promised, back when he was hyping it up in January, and Quinn can’t help but think about how different this trip is compared to their first Greece trip they took the summer after first getting together. 

This time, when they come back to the states, they don’t go straight to the lakehouse to train. They meet up with Jim and Ellen and their lawyer to finalize their package deal paperwork to submit to the teams.

At first, they were only going to take it to either the Canucks or the Flyers but Luke talks them into submitting it to the Devils as well. “You miss the shots you take!” He kept saying. Quinn has since stopped trying to correct Luke’s quote cause he knows he’s doing it on purpose.

After that, he thinks about submitting it to the Stars as well, fully talked into it by Paige. In the end, he submits their package deal to every team in the league. You miss every shot, or something like that.

He talked about it with Paige, once, asking her if she’s got any tips on how he should come out or tell people about his relationship, or if she knows how to go about it. Paige had shrugged and helpfully added, “Don’t know man, never had to do that shit. Everyone just knew we were together.”

Quinn and Trevor decide to fake it ‘till they make it. Every time they meet a rep or have to talk to one on the phone, they act like it was always known and obvious that they’re in a relationship. Of course they’ve been out forever, and how could they not know about Quinn and Trevor.

Once they sign with a team, and it gets released to the press and to the world, they’ll talk about their relationship. That's something for them to deal with in the future. For now, Quinn doesn’t care if the public knows or not. He’s taking a page from Paige’s book.

Quinn snorts at the thought of taking a paige from Paige’s book.

“What?” Trevor asks.

Quinn laughs, “Nothing, nothing. Are you ready to look over the deals they sent us?”

Trevor stops him before they both walk into the office in the lakehouse. Ellen, Jim, and their lawyer is waiting for them, so Quinn is trying to hurry them both in, but he pauses to look at Trevor. “What?”

Trevor gets down on one knee and pulls out a mug. It’s one similar to the first one he gave Quinn years back now, but it’s a picture of both of them during their first kiss as an official married couple, from their first wedding, their rushed wedding, not the proper one their planning on having at the end of the summer. “Will you marry me?” He asks.

Quinn grabs the mug and realizes it says something under their picture. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. Trevor turns the mug so Quinn can see it. The back is a picture of Trevor making a hand heart and under it, marry me, quinny

“You’re a fucking asshole, I thought we said you would drop that stupid nickname.” Quinn laughs, shoving Trevor.

Trevor looks offended, “I absolutely did not say I would!”

Quinn smiles at the mug again and says, “I’ll marry you again after we find out where we’re playing next season.”

Trevor grins, “Okay, deal.”

“Let it be said, though,” Quinn starts with a serious face. “I was the one to propose first.”

“Only because you fucking wouldn’t let me, baby.”

Quinn bites back a grin and grabs his husband’s hand. He might not know where they will be playing this season, but he knows they’ll be playing together, and frankly, that’s all he cares about.

His happily ever after with his husband, Trevor.

---

They do eventually have their big wedding they dreamed about, that same summer at the country club near their lake house.

Everyone they've ever met is there, family, friends, teammates, and Paige and Azzi. Everything happens in a blur for Quinn, as he's taken from getting ready, to pictures, to the ceremony, back to more pictures, then finally the reception, that he doesn't see Paige until well into the night.

She's standing with Azzi next to her, talking with Luke, and Quinn heads over and hugs her. He can't be grateful enough to Paige for throwing him a lifeline, the idea he needed to catapult him into finally realizing he could marry Trevor and live out his happily ever after.

“Hey! Congrats on that win, you guys!" He says after ending the hug.

Azzi nods and thanks him and congratulates him on the wedding.

Paige gasps, “Are you actually following my career?!"

“Only cause there's no hockey on. I can settle for watching a boring sport meanwhile.” Quinn jokes.

Paige goes to punch him, but Azzi's hand on her shoulder stops her. Which is how Quinn gets blinded by the star on Azzi's hand.

“Oh shit!" Quinn turns to Paige. “Engagement ring?!"

Paige grins, “Yup! Designed it myself.”

Trevor pops up next to Quinn, grabbing his hand in his and greeting Paige, Azzi, and Luke. “What are we talking about?" He asks.

“The galaxy on Azzi's finger!" Quinn exclaims.

Trevor whistles, “Shit that's fancy."

Azzi laughs while comically showing it off, pretending to pose a couple of times. “Yeah, I gotta thank you, Hughes. I think you inspired Paige to finally propose."

“Yeah, that's a fucking lie." Paige laughs.

Quinn laughs along. “Yeah, I think she saw my wedding band and got jealous."

“More like I was offended and knew I could do better than that ugly ring."

“He gave me a beautiful ring, thank you very much." Trevor defends Quinn.

Paige smiles at Trevor. “Blind leading the blind."

Luke finally interjects, asking them when they're getting married.

“We haven't set a date, but probably in the winter. We didn't want to do it in the season.” Azzi replies.

Quinn hums, “I'll send you my schedule so you can plan around it."

“As if you're invited!” Paige jokes.

Luke snorts, and Quinn rolls his eyes.

“Where did you guys end up, by the way? Where are you playing this season?” Paige asks Quinn.

He cuts off Trevor who was about to reply. “You really don't follow along with my career, huh?" Quinn taunts Paige with the same phrase she told him months back. 

Paige rolls her eyes and looks at Trevor. “Are you sure you want this as your husband?"

Trevor looks at Quinn and grins. “I'll keep him mine." 

The End