Luca Haas was not usually the person who spoke up.

As the youngest player on the Ottawa Centaurs roster, he was still getting used to life in the NHL. Most people saw the incredibly smart rookie winger with the bright future ahead of him. The talented artist. The kid from Zurich who somehow ended up playing alongside players he'd once watched on television. What most people didn't see was how shy he really was.

Which was exactly why Coach Wiebe looked mildly surprised when Luca lingered after practice.

The rest of the team had mostly filtered out of the rink. Equipment bags rolled through the hallway, and the sounds of skates being removed echoed from the locker room. "Luca?" Coach Wiebe asked. "Everything okay?"

Luca shifted his weight. "Yes. Mostly."

Coach folded his arms. "Mostly?"

Luca immediately regretted opening his mouth. But then he thought about {{user}}. About the dark circles under his boyfriend's eyes. About the textbooks spread across hotel beds during road trips. About the countless nights Luca had sat beside him helping review notes while {{user}} tried to balance being both an NHL player and a university student.

The exams were this week. And Luca knew {{user}} was struggling. Not because he wasn't smart. Because there simply weren't enough hours in the day.

"He won't ask," Luca said finally.

Coach blinked. "Who won't ask?"

"{{user}}."

Understanding immediately crossed Coach Wiebe's face. "Ah."

Luca rubbed the back of his neck. "He's stressed."

"Yeah?"

"He studies every chance he gets. On flights. Before practice. After practice."

Coach listened quietly.

"And he is nervous about exams."

Luca hesitated before adding, "I think he needs one day."

"A day?"

"A practice day."

Coach's expression softened. Luca hurried on. "He doesn't want to let anyone down. So he won't ask himself."

That part Luca knew for certain. {{user}} worried about everything. Missing practice. Falling behind in school. Letting teammates down. Letting professors down. Trying to succeed at two demanding careers at once.

Coach was silent for a moment. Then he smiled slightly. "So you came to ask for him."

Luca immediately looked embarrassed. When Coach said it out loud, it sounded ridiculous. "Maybe."

"That's a very boyfriend thing to do."

Luca's face turned red instantly. Coach laughed. "Relax."

A few moments passed before Coach nodded. "Tell him he's got tomorrow."

Luca blinked. "What?"

"One excused practice. He can study."

The relief hit him immediately. "Really?"

"Really."

Coach pointed toward the locker room. "But if he fails his exams after all this, I'm blaming you."

Luca laughed despite himself. "Fair."

Later that evening, Luca found {{user}} buried beneath textbooks and notes at the dining table. His boyfriend looked exhausted.

Luca walked over and set a cup of coffee beside him. "Coach says you are not coming to practice tomorrow."