Chapter Text
#1 Team in the MHL
Haasy: hey guys, ik the bbqs are usually team and wives only but is it cool if I bring a friend of mine from Europe?
he's also an athlete if that helps
Bood: of course!!! Hope he's okay with spice ;)
Hayesy: Bood don't kill the kid, they're not used to flavour over there
Haasy: hey!
thanks Bood :)
Cap: Hayes is not wrong.
but excited to meet him Haas!
@Harris Chiron is coming yes? I want Anya to have friend
Barrett: Harris is on a mandatory phone break, but yes he says he will bring him
Cap: :)
Cap sent a photo
look she is excited!
Young: awwwwww now I wanna dog
LaPoint: bro you can't take care of yourself
Young: says the guy I had to pull out of a bush two nights ago
LaPoint: it was comfy!!!! plus I only went in because Haas said it would be fun
Young: I rest my case.
Haasy: was I wrong?
Haasy sent a video
seemed like you had fun
Cap: @Chouinard what is this???? I thought you were taking care of them?
Barrett: oh no.
Young: Run!!!
Chouinard: I was chasing after Holmberg! They promised they would be fine, I was only gone a few minutes!
Cap: will talk later.
and remember team meeting in 30!
I have things to say :)
private messages
the guys said yes to you coming!
btw I said you were my friend so we don't have to come out if you dont want to
but I promise they would be good about it
Meine Liebe: sweet! I can't wait to meet the guys you dont shut up about <3
I think im ready. if you trust them, I trust them
plus hockey is weirdly progressive now.. im sure it'll be fine
yay! im so excited!
a little nervous too tbh but I mean they're cool about all the other queer players
and Troy is literally dating our social media guy
never thought I'd hear that about hockey
Meine Liebe: which were the two you think are dating again?
the ones on your walls in Zurich?
Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander.
Ilya's my captain.
...I didn't think they were dating...just thought it would be cool if they did
Meine Liebe: yeah big difference there babe...you drew fan art...
but I'm excited to meet the man whose watched us make out for years lol
why did I invite you
Meine Liebe: cause you love meeeeeeeeee
and you wanna show off your sexy race winning boyfriend
true.
I gotta go to the meeting, call after the race?
Meine Liebe: ok! talk to you then ❤️❤️❤️
drive safe! Watch corner 3, you tend to go wide
Meine Liebe: he pays attention 🥰
i love when you talk racing
say hi to Russias Greatest Fuck Machine 😏
OH FUCK OFF
IT WAS ONE FIC
nvm your uninvited
Meine Liebe: you're*😘
now go to your meeting!
Centaurs Locker room
Shaking his head fondly, Luca shuts off his phone, slipping it into the pocket of his team joggers. A bubble of excitement forming in his chest at the thought of being out with Eric, surrounded by his best friends and teammates. When he first developed this crush on the cute Formula 3 driver he trained with, he never would have thought the feelings would be mutual, let alone turn into a long term relationship. Obviously their respective families know but it's different within their sports. Thanks to the work of players like Scott Hunter and his shockingly supportive teammates, its relatively safe for Luca to come out but the same is not the case for Eric Fischer, a German-American driver racing for the LLM Indycar Team. Within American motorsport - and motorsport in general - its best practice to keep your mouth shut on anything that isn't God or cars. For larger European based teams like McLaren or Mercedes it's much more inclusive or at least not outwardly hostile but for a smaller historic American team run by a conservative NASCAR Champion...the tolerance is quite limited. Of course they would love to be public about their relationship, but not at the expense of ones career. For now parents and the Centaurs is enough.
"Okay team, listen up! I have important things to say!" Ilya announces as he enters the packed locker room and stands on top of a centre bench.
As usual, the captain has no trouble pulling focus and quieting the chaos that is a room of hockey players. Even though he's been playing on the team for months, Luca is still starstruck by his idol and - though he would never admit it - gay awakening. He often has to fight his inner fanboy in order simply do his job and not just stare at Ilya, however to his delight his job at the moment is to stare at the pretty Russian. Well, that and I guess listen.
"Now." he begins, clapping his hands together or emphasis.
"You may hear rumours. I will clear them now. I like men." all but two of the Centaurs are looking at each other, trying to understand what's going on.
Troy is not reacting, instead watching Ilya like a proud father. Luca, on the other hand, is completely frozen. He can't really figure out what he's feeling. Shock, obviously, definitely excitement, but also an odd anxious feeling he can't quit place. Maybe it's due to his worry over the potentially bad reason Ilya's telling them, or his own hidden sexuality as if Ilya coming out will give him away. Tomorrow. After tomorrow, he will no longer be keeping such a massive part of himself from his hockey family. There's a low rumble in the room but Lucas thoughts are racing so fast, any of the noises outside of his own head are silent. Except one, apparently.
"Yes - Yes - Okay - Enough! I like both. Am bisexual...I guess. But is not important thing." Ilya says to the once again captured audience. "People have been talking about my life. Why am I boring now, why I don't party, where I am, blah, blah, blah. I want my team to know why I'm..." Ilya pauses, trying to find the word he learned last night, "aloof, and secretive. Well, I have fiancé. He proposed not long ago. I want you all to meet him. Or at least know he is there. He might be coming to barbecue tomorrow. Be nice to him or do bag skates next practice." He pauses a beat to let his team process. "Okay. Thats it. No questions. Coach will start normal meeting now."
Quickly the room erupted in cheers and general encouragement. As Ilya sits back his bench, Luca sees him get pulled into the arms of his right winger. Lucas head is spinning. This is so much to process. Known womanizer, Ilya Rozanov, is bi, in a relationship with a man and is bringing said man (his fiancé!!!!) to the barbecue. The same one that Luca himself was going to bring his secret boyfriend to. Well, at the very least this should take some spotlight off of him, less pressure, he figures.
_
Luca barely registered a word Coach Weibe said that whole meeting. Instead his brain decided to remain locked on Ilya. It's freaky that his idol and captain decides to come out to the team at the very same event as himself. He is really living up to his "little Ilya" reputation, he thinks with a silent laugh. The team starts walking out towards the ice to begin warmups, each patting Ilya on the pack as they pass him. Luca can't bring himself to get up, not yet, so he stays in his cubby just staring at his hands as the room grows quiet. Looking up he notices Harris has entered the room and is walking towards him closely followed by Ilya and Troy. Oh no. The - apparently - queer avengers are cornering him. Before he can really let his mind panic, they sit around him as Ilya starts.
"So. Your friend is more than that yes?" It's like a bucket of ice has been dumped on him and his mind is nothing but static. How did he figure it out? Has everyone known this whole time?
"It's okay Luca. Out of everyone, we understand." Troy interjects
"Yeah, Troy just had a feeling and we decided it's better to ask now so you have support." Harris adds, looking at his boyfriend softly.
"Is true though yes? I am never wrong about gay hockey players."
"Ilya!" Troy and Harris say in unison
"what? I got you two together didn't I?" as Troy and Ilya start lightly bickering, Luca starts to come back into his body.
"yeah. Eric's my boyfriend." he says quietly, bringing the front lines attention back to him. "I don't know what I am, but I know I love him and I know I hate keeping it from everyone."
"Da. Keeping secrets from team is terrible. The Centaurs are good people and will be good about it. You're okay, but is still scary yes?" Ilya says gently, putting his arm around the rookie.
Luca is hit with a wave of relief and deep sadness, finally letting himself feel the weight of his secret. "It's awful, I know everyone's been great with you and Harris" he says, gesturing between Troy and his boyfriend. "and I guess you too, now." Ilya nods solemnly. "I know it will be fine, I trust the team, but it's still so scary. Especially for Eric." Luca finishes, resting his head on his hands, trying to stop tears from spilling out.
The men around him give him a minute, offering small comforts as they wait for the young player to continue. After a minute or two, Troy starts the conversation again. "you said he - Eric - is an athlete...he's not a hockey player is he?"
"no, no. I'm not that stupid." he notices Ilya wince for a brief moment before putting on his normal stoney expression. odd. He continues "he's a race car diver. Indycar. I know hockey isn't perfect but it's still much easier for me than him. His team, fans, and some sponsors are really conservative. He would lose everything for being gay. Hell he might lose everything for being openly supportive of gay people at all. He got a lecture from his team principal over being friendly with me publicly because I'm on the 'woke' hockey team"
“That’s horrible” Harris says softly.
“Yeah what the fuck?!” Troy exclaims. “Thats so not okay!”
“I know but what can you do? We hope he will get an offer from a better team when his contract is up, but right now this is the best chance he has at living his dream.”
“I’m sorry things aren’t better for him. Let’s be a soft place for Eric.” Ilya says, gently rubbing Luca’s back. “Thank you for trusting us, we are here for both of you.” That earned nods from the other two. Luca loves his team. “Tomorrow, we do it together, mini me.” That earned a laugh from the Swiss player. “Now, Luca. Get your shit together for practice, we will meet you out there.”
With that the older players get up and make their way to the rest of the Centaurs, who are no doubt warmed and waiting. Luca takes a couple minutes to collect himself before joining them. Younger him picked a damn good role model.