Chapter Text
Prologue
May 2017
“After over a decade in the wilderness, Scott Hunter and his teammates taking home hockey’s biggest prize.”
The commentary blared out from the TV at the centre of the room. Nine-year-old Leo lay slouched on the sofa across from it, his wavy brown hair falling just above his eyes as he watched the final seconds play out. Six-year-old Luca rested his head against his older brother’s pyjama-clad leg, struggling to stay awake as it was well past his usual bedtime.
“..is finally making history tonight. Fifteen seconds remaining.”
Leo glanced over at his father, who sat in an armchair not far from his young sons. It was tradition for the trio to watch the MLH finals together, despite their home team, the Ottawa Centaurs, never making it close to hockey’s biggest stage.
“Marleau holds it behind the net. Ten seconds remaining as Marleau passes it.”
Leo wore his favourite hoodie, the one he always wore to school, to hockey practice, and really anywhere he went. Per his mom’s teasing, it usually smelled like he did just that. It was red and designed like a hockey jersey, adorned with the Maplebrook Wolves logo and a customized Romano 81 nameplate.
“They're running out the clock. The New York crowd is on its feet. They can't believe it!”
“That’s game,” his father announced as the buzzer sounded, lifting himself out of his chair while two dozen red jerseys stormed the ice of Madison Square Garden. “Time for you boys to get some sleep. It’s a school night, remember.”
“But Daddddddd,” the older boy complained, “I want to watch the cup lift! You let me stay up last year, so you have to now!”
“Leo...”
“Dad please, I promise I’ll go straight to bed as soon as it’s over!”
His father sighed. “Fine. But I better not hear any complaints about you being tired tomorrow,” the man said as he lifted the now fast-asleep Luca off of his older son’s lap. “I’ll be back once I put your brother down.”
“Yay, thanks Dad!” Leo exclaimed as he watched his younger bro be carried off to bed. His attention quickly turned back to the TV.
“I cannot believe what I am witnessing right now!”
The eldest Romano returned and sat down on the sofa, laying an arm around his pre-teen son’s shoulders. The pair watched on as captain Scott Hunter skated his way towards the MLH Cup, the increasingly tired Leo nuzzling his head against his father’s Centaurs t-shirt.
“The 2017 Champions!”
Leo yawned as the trophy was passed around. The young boy nudged his dad before pointing at the television, drowsily proclaiming “that’s gonna be me one day.”
The man chuckled. “You need to work on that backhand first if there’s going to be any chance of that.”
“My backhand is great! Remember when I megged that guy on Napanee with a backhand and Charlie scored?” Leo recalled, grinning over the fond memory.
“Incredible scene down here as the Cup is passed around. Hunter seems to be looking out to the fans. No doubt a recognition of their sticking with him.”
“You guys lost that game, by the way.”
“But not because of my backhand!”
His father chuckled again. “I guess not,” he said, combing a hand through his son’s unruly hair.
“Is that a fan? Big moment for that fan if true.”
“Huh, lucky guy,” he commented. “You better invite me on the ice when you win the cup, young man.”
“I will,” Leo responded softly.
“Hunter now trying to get someone's attention, apparently inviting someone from the crowd down to the rink. He just hopped the boards.”
Father and son watched on as Scott Hunter led the fan onto the ice. The older man shifted away from the boy as the pair on the ice began to embrace, his brow furrowing.
On the TV, the two men looked at each other with a gaze Leo recognized only from his parents’ wedding photos, which sat on the mantle just below where the scene was playing out. Scott leaned into his partner’s face, and just as their lips made passionate contact –
click – the screen went black.
“What was that?” the young boy asked his father, looking up at the man who was massaging his temple, seemingly in frustration, with his hand still grasped on the remote. “Did they kiss?”
“Go to bed. Now.”
“But Dad, it wasn’t over!”
“NOW!” his father shouted. The man slammed the remote against the living room wall, sending a shiver through his terrified son’s small frame. “And don’t mention a word about this to your brother, or anyone for that matter. Understand?”
“Yuh... yes. Sorry, Dad” Leo squeaked out, heart racing, his small body flooded with both fear and confusion.
The boy rushed to his bedroom, his bare feet padding against the hardwood floors. He made it there just as the hallway light flicked on, his mother appearing in a robe from his parent’s bedroom door. Leo quickly shut his own door and slipped into bed under his blankets. Hugging himself as tears started to stream down his reddening face, the young boy realized that he was shaking.
He had never seen his father so angry before. And over what? Was it that he had stayed up past his bedtime? Was because that Scott Hunter had kissed that guy? Had he done something wrong?
Leo began to full-on sob, hugging the stuffed figure of the Ottawa Centaurs’ mascot, Spartacat, that always sat perched on top of his pillows. His young mind raced back to the kiss that had happened on their TV screen just moments ago.
Were Scott Hunter and that guy... boyfriends? That can’t be right, he thought. Two guys can’t be in love with each other. Leo’s mind sorted through everyone he knew who was “in love”. His mom and his dad, his grandparents, and even his friend Blake who was dating a girl in Grade 5, a whole year older than him. But all of those were a boy in love with a girl, a girl in love with a boy. This whole situation didn’t make any sort of sense to him.
Leo wiped his tears with the sleeve of his favourite hoodie. He could make out the faint sounds of his parents’ conversation down the hall, and decided to listen in.
“Mark, it’s not that big of a deal. He probably doesn’t even know what it meant. And it’s definitely not worth breaking the remote and screaming at him over,” his mom said in a hushed, but slightly aggravated tone.
“It’s a father’s job to protect their kids from degeneracy. He’s still a little boy, he shouldn’t be exposed to that filth.”
“I’m not a little boy...” Leo mumbled, really just to himself.
“Exactly, he’s a little boy. A little boy who is probably terrified and crying right now. All because his father decided to scream at him in the middle of his favourite game. He looks up to you, y’know. And he loves watching hockey with you. You’re gonna take a little boys favourite thing in the whole world away from him, for what? For a kiss that he barely saw? That he probably wouldn’t have even noticed if you hadn’t overreacted?”
His father sighed. “I’m sorry, Caroline. I just can’t stand to have my son see that nonsense. It’s not natural. It’s a sin.”
“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to Leo.”
“I’ll chat with him in the morning”
“Do it now. And Mark...”
“What.”
“What if one of our boys turned out to be gay?”
Gay? Leo’s thoughts were spiraling. Is that what Scott Hunter is? And I could be gay?
The man responded in a cold tone, using a word that Leo had never heard before.
“No son of mine will ever be a fucking fa-”