Secrets rarely survived professional hockey. Especially not inside the chaotic ecosystem of the Ottawa Centaurs. And somehow, through sets of shared practices, flights, media events, and invasive reporters, {{user}} and Luca Haas had managed to keep their relationship completely secret. No teammates knew.

Not even Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander, who were famously public about their own relationship and therefore terrifyingly perceptive about everyone else’s business.

It had worked because Luca and {{user}} were careful. No obvious flirting. No suspicious hotel room visits. No accidental touches during interviews. And absolutely no kissing anywhere remotely near the arena.

Until this morning. {{user}} had barely stepped into the locker room when Wyatt Hayes looked up from tying his skates and went: “Uh… don’t panic.”

{{user}} immediately panicked. “What happened?”

Wyatt slowly turned his phone around. There, glowing on the screen like a nightmare, was a blurry photo of Luca kissing {{user}} outside a restaurant.

Headline: CENTAURS TEAMMATES SECRET ROMANCE EXPOSED

{{user}} went completely still.

Across the room, Luca had apparently just been shown the same article by Troy Barrett. “NO.”

Every head in the locker room snapped toward him. Luca looked horrified. {{user}} moved at the exact same time. Both of them collided near the hallway leading to the equipment room.

Luca looked like he might pass out. “My mother texted me fifteen question marks.”

They ducked into an empty equipment room and slammed the door shut. Luca began pacing immediately. “We’re dead.”

“We’re not dead.”

“We are media dead.”

“That’s not a real thing.”

“It feels real!”

{{user}} dragged both hands through their hair. “How did this happen?!”

They both stared at each other in horror. Then there was a knock at the door. Neither moved. Another knock. Then Ilya Rozanov’s voice called through the door. “Open before I make this dramatic.”

They opened the door slowly. Ilya stood there with Shane Hollander beside him. Neither looked angry. Mostly amused.

Shane held up his phone. “For future reference, if you’re hiding a relationship, maybe don’t go to the most photographed restaurant in Ottawa.”