Oops, I'm Engaged to My Rival

Synopsis

Dylan Mercer, captain of the Stonebridge Storm, spends a rare off-day in Bellmore with his secret fiancé, Andrei Novak, captain of the rival Bellmore Vipers. When Andrei asks Dylan to join him at Wade Dexter's team BBQ, Dylan's old anxieties resurface. He's spent nearly ten years hiding their secret, terrified that his teammates and the hockey world would never accept them. At the BBQ, Dylan is stunned by what he finds. The Vipers are nothing like the Storm. They're open, accepting, and genuinely kind. They already embrace Cole Ramsey and his boyfriend without question. They stock Crest Clear ginger ale in the fridge because someone remembered Dylan doesn't drink in season. They talk about misogyny and homophobia as those things matter. Sitting among fairy lights and woodsmoke, watching Andrei laugh with his team, Dylan realizes he's tired of pretending. When Reed Callahan asks how they became friends, Dylan simply tells the truth: they've been together for ten years, and they're engaged. Then he calls Andrei over in Vostran and kisses him in front of everyone. The Vipers erupt not in judgment but in celebration. They toast the engagement, add Dylan to the Moon-Lighters group chat, and casually threaten to beat up any Storm player who gives him trouble. For the first time, Dylan believes that he and Andrei can exist openly, in this sport, in this city, and in each other's lives, without having to hide.