Victory Is the Only Thing That Can Keep You Alive

I woke up to my phone chiming on the bedside dresser. There was only one person who could be messaging me before my alarm.

I looked over at the screen to see a text from Sid, 'WAKE UP CAM, TIME FOR HOCKEY!' with a picture attached of his stupid smiling face and a protein shake in hand.
'I KNOW I CAN'T WAIT! Nemo on the other hand isn't so stoked,' I sent back a picture of my little fur ball curled up on the pillow next to me.
'Tell Nemo Uncle Sid says wake up and get ready for hockey.'
'Will do, see you in a few hours.'
'Make sure Geno's awake.'
'I will ring him now.'

But I wasn't going to ring Geno just yet, I promised I would ring him at six thirty so I was going to use the half an hour I had left to shower and get myself ready mentally.

The playoffs didn't end well last season for us and there was no way we could go out like that again, not when we were so close to winning the Stanley Cup.

I got out of the shower and changed into my penguins tracksuit, something I hadn't worn in what felt like forever before finally picking up my phone to ring Geno.

“Cam,” he sounded exactly how I expected, tired and nothing like I felt.
“Hey, I promised I would call in the morning so here I am.”
“You sound too happy for morning,” he groaned.
“Yeah I know, I am about to make breakfast.”
“Should make breakfast for me,” I could just imagine his pouty face that would make me want to kiss him if only to get that expression from his face.
“I already bringing you coffee.”
“Not fair, I make you breakfast all week, help paint house too.”
“So?” I pressed as I headed out to put the kettle on.
“Be nice to boyfriend.”
“Geno,” I sighed, “there will be plenty of mornings for me to make you breakfast don't worry.”
“Ok,” he groaned.
“Alright well I have to get going and if you don't get out of bed you won't get coffee from me either.”
“Ok I get out of bed,” I could hear him moving around so I was satisfied enough that I could leave him to his own devices.
“I will see you at the rink soon.”
“With coffee.”
“Yes with your coffee,” he was sounding more alive and his usual sassy banter was evident so I let him go.

By the time I had taken my insulin, had breakfast and made a coffee each for Geno and myself with my new coffee machine it was time to head to the rink for our off ice tests.

When I got to the rink a majority of the guys cars were already there and in particular Sid and Geno were. It made my heart pound to think that this was all happening again, the season was starting but this time I wasn't the rookie, I wouldn't be able to excuse my mistakes anymore and that kind of scared me.

I climbed out of my car, heaving my gym bag over my shoulder and headed inside, down the long hallway to the locker room, travel mugs in hand.

I juggled my things to find my key card before swiping it to open the doors to head into the locker room.

"Cameron!" A few of the guys cheered as I walked in almost startling me off of my feet.
"Shit guys," I gasped, "don't do that," I put my head down and walked over to my stall.

"Hey Cam," Geno snuck up behind me and if my heart was already pounding it was through the roof now.
"Oh my god don't scare me," I straightened myself up.
"Sorry."
"It's ok, here's your coffee," I handed over one of the travel mugs for him.
"Thanks," he swooped in and gave me a quick peck on the corner of my mouth.

"Woooooo G," one of the guys cheered followed by a round of woof whistles.

"Alright," I turned around and put on a brave face doing a double check that not of the staff were around before speaking up, "yes Geno and I are together, no that does not mean you guys can chirp us about and no we aren't telling people so please don't talk about it."
"On ya Cam, your secret is safe with us," James saluted Geno and I before going back to minding his own business.

If we could get the guys on our side about this I guess it would make it a bit easier.

“So are you guys ready for the pain to be inflicted?” I asked as a few of us were sitting in our stalls putting knee or ankles braces on and psyching ourselves up.
“Been training all summer,” James flexed his biceps and woah he was looking good, honestly all of the guys looked good, especially Geno who was happy to stand shirtless in the middle of the locker room chirping Duper about something while he drank the coffee I made for him.

I don't know why I had been so worried about all of this. The guys weren't assholes, they weren't going to out us to the world, they weren't going to treat me any different because of my new status with Geno, they were treating me just the way they had before and I couldn't have been happier about it.