Work Text:
Harris was a little over halfway through his work day when an email notification popped up on his laptop. The soft ding caught Chiron’s attention, and Harris watched as the huge fluffy dog lifted his head from the toy he’d been chewing in the corner. Harris had sensed Chiron’s restlessness for the past half hour or so, and was unsurprised to see that he was so interested in the unfamiliar sound.
“It’s not for you, buddy, sorry,” Harris teased with a fond smile. He glanced at the time in the corner of his computer screen. “But Troy’s practice should be over by now, so I’m sure he’ll come up to visit us in a bit.”
The way Chiron’s tail began wagging at these words was almost enough to convince Harris he’d understood. He let out a small laugh, then turned his attention back to the screen to read the email.
It was from Maggie, one of the new interns Ottawa had brought on at the beginning of the season. With any luck, she’d eventually take over Harris’ old job as the team social media manager. It was a little bittersweet to think of giving up his former job to someone else, but his promotion to director of communications had added a lot to Harris’ plate, and running the team’s social media pages by himself just wasn’t possible anymore (though he couldn’t resist logging on and still making a few posts of his own every once and a while).
The interns the team had hired last season had been… decent enough to help get the job done, Harris supposed. But the increased pressure of Ottawa adding Shane Hollander to the team, making it to the playoffs again, and, best of all, winning the freaking Stanley Cup for the first time had proven to be a little overwhelming for the new recruits. Harris had to step in and help a lot more than he was really supposed to, and neither of the social media interns had been hired on for a fulltime job.
Maggie had been doing great so far though – she got along well with the team, had great editing skills, came up with fun ideas for interview questions, knew a ton about hockey… Harris had a good feeling about her. She’d proven herself as extremely capable the past few months, and had rarely needed him to step in much to help — which had been making Harris’ job so much easier.
So he was a bit surprised when he saw her email.
Hey Harris,
I hate to bug you, but I was wondering if you’d be able to take a look at the video I’ve been working on? It’s coming along pretty good, but it feels like it’s missing something at the end, and I just can’t put my finger on it.
I’m hoping you can help?
Let me know!
Thanks,
Maggie
Harris’ brow furrowed slightly as he read the message. He certainly didn’t mind helping Maggie out, this just wasn’t the sort of thing she typically asked for help with. Editing was one of her strongest skills, in his humble opinion. Not to mention, she was the type who would typically come rushing into his office with her laptop whenever she needed something. Harris double-checked the email – she hadn’t even included the attachment.
And… What video could she be talking about? Any interviews, or recap videos, or even silly little featurettes needed his approval first – not that Harris didn’t trust her, but she was still just an intern. It was a policy thing. And Harris couldn’t remember any video projects being run by him lately. Certainly not anything that needed any sort of extensive editing.
There was a soft jingling of dog tags from the corner as Chiron lifted his head and looked over, as though he’d read Harris’ mind. Harris exchanged a puzzled look with the dog and shrugged. “Weird, right?” he asked, as though Chiron could understand him. He turned back to the screen and typed a reply.
Hey Maggie,
I’m not sure which video you’re talking about, but I’m happy to help. Send it over and I’ll take a look!
-Harris
Less than a minute after he’d hit ‘send’, another email popped up from Maggie.
Thank you! It’s a little time sensitive, so if you wouldn’t mind taking a look NOW, that would be great! You’re the best!
She signed off with a bunch of smiley face emojis, along with an attachment entitled “VideoProject1.mpg”. Harris chuckled softly to himself at the uncharacteristically bland title, then opened the file and pressed play.
The video opened rather abruptly — no fade in or title screen, just Zane Boodram’s smiling face as he sat in his locker room stall. “I’ve been playing here in Ottawa my whole career!” he declared proudly.
Harris couldn’t help but notice how shaky the camera work was. And it didn’t get any better when it suddenly smash-cut to a slightly tilted shot of Luca Haas. “It’s already been three seasons since they drafted me… can you believe it?!”
Another sloppy cut, this time to Wyatt Hayes. “Shit… is this really my fifth year here? Time flies, I guess!” He was all smiles as usual, despite his disbelief.
As several more players each shared how many years they’d been playing for Ottawa, Harris gradually began tuning out what they were saying, instead focusing on how… frankly amateur the video was. Whoever had filmed it hadn’t used a tripod or even a microphone, apart from the camera’s built-in one. And the editing was… way below Maggie’s usual standard.
Had she seriously made this? Was it some kind of prank? And what was the point of the video anyway? Why was she —?
Harris’ train of thought was interrupted by the sound of his own name being spoken — multiple times.
“— didn’t have too much to smile about around here, til he came along,” Bood was saying. “None of us really thought too much of it when they said they were hiring a new social media guy… But it changed everything.” His smile widened. “Everything’s better with Harris around.”
“Even when we did not play so well, this team has always had good vibes.” Ilya had suddenly appeared onscreen. “But I do not think they would be half as good without Harris.”
And there was Wyatt again. “I know he’s not technically on the team, but Harris is still like, the heart of the team, you know? Which is kind of ironic, considering his, um…” He suddenly seemed to be second-guessing his joke. “Wait, no, you can edit that out, right?”
Harris was laughing so loudly, he nearly missed the next two clips — Shane explaining how warmly Harris had welcomed him when he joined the team last season, and Evan Dykstra saying Harris is one of the best things that’s ever happened to the team.
What the heck was this? Something for him, obviously, but why? Harris’ birthday had already passed, and Christmas was still a couple weeks away…
“Harris makes everyone on this team feel welcome.” The camera lost focus on Ilya’s face for a moment. “But I have never seen anyone who needed it as much as you did, Barrett.”
“Shhh…” Troy’s off-camera shushing was cut off by another abrupt scene change.
Wyatt looked a little uncomfortable this time. He seemed to have trouble looking directly at the camera as he spoke. “I’ll be honest, I’m not sure any of us were sure what to expect when they added Barrett to the team. I didn’t exactly have the best experience with him back in Toronto… But I could see the difference in him, right away. I think we all could — especially when he was with Harris.”
“I’m not sure any of us were too surprised when we found out about their relationship.” For the first time, Coach Wiebe was onscreen. “It was pretty clear Barrett was smitten, right from the start.”
“I didn’t want to say anything at the time…” Luca smiled sheepishly at the camera. “But Troy and Harris definitely seemed drawn to each other. Right away.”
“Hindsight is 20/20, right?” Evan Dykstra gave a shrug. “It all seems pretty obvious now…”
“I’m usually pretty good at noticing things. Gotta be, as a goalie, right?” Wyatt grinned at the camera, then seemed to flick his gaze up toward whoever was holding it. “But I really just thought you two were friends, at first. Really good friends, obviously, but still. I’m still kicking myself for not seeing it sooner…”
Harris’ mouth had gone dry. Why were they talking about him and Troy? And… Troy was the one filming the clips, from the sound of it. Maybe he’d even edited it too. That would certainly explain the quality… Harris couldn’t help an amused chuckle at the thought as he continued watching, his eyes wide.
“Well, it was obvious from the beginning that they wanted to fuck,” Ilya said bluntly, giving a shrug. Then, for the first time, the video switched away to another image while Ilya’s voiceover continued. It was a series of still images — some candid shots from Troy’s first season with the Centaurs. Most of them were taken by the other players, from the look of it. Troy and Harris at some team get-togethers, or hanging out after one of Troy’s practices, laughing and smiling together.
“But it was more than that too,” Ilya’s voice said as the images flashed onscreen. “It was like Barrett became a new person. Every time he was with Harris, he seemed different. Lighter. Was nice.”
“They’re perfect for each other.” The camera abruptly cut back to Bood, who was beaming. “And it goes both ways too. I didn’t think it was possible for a guy like Harris to be even happier than he already was... Until I saw him with Barrett.”
There was an awkward pause in the audio this time as more pictures appeared onscreen — including a few pictures from Troy’s first Ottawa Pride Night that Harris had never seen before. Harris’ heart swelled at the sight of own face glowing with pride and emotion as he watched Troy’s standing ovation from the crowd.
Harris blinked back tears as the pictures disappeared and the interview clips continued. “Even before I met them, Ilya was always telling me they were made for each other.” Shane sounded so professional, like this was an official interview. “And he was right. They’re a great couple. Two of the nicest guys I know.”
The camera shifted back to Ilya again. “They really deserve each other. Yes, even you, Barrett. You deserve good things. And Harris is very good.”
Harris let out a half-laugh, half-sob at that, and the screen had suddenly gotten quite blurry again… but it had nothing to do with Troy’s shoddy camera work this time.
“It really is something.” Coach Wiebe was back again. “It’s not every day you get to watch two people fall in love like that.”
“I think we’re all just happy to be part of it. These guys are all like family to me — Harris included — and getting to see him and Barrett…” Wyatt’s voice suddenly trailed off into a sniffle. “Aw, shit, I promised I wasn’t gonna get emotional. You’ll cut that out too, right?”
The screen cut to black for a second or two. Then, suddenly, Troy’s handsome face was filling the screen for the first time. He was holding what Harris assumed was his phone at an arm’s length, filming himself shakily on the front-facing camera.
“Hey, Harris.” His voice shook with nervousness, despite the slight smile on his lips. “You’ve, uh, probably figured out by now that Maggie’s not the one who actually made this… It was me. Which is why it probably sucks ass, but… Well, this video stuff is a lot harder than you make it look.”
Harris chuckled softly, his cheeks wet with tears. He watched Troy let out his own soft laugh onscreen before continuing. “I know I could go on and on about how amazing you are. How important you are to this team – and to me. How much better my life has been since I met you. How much better I am…” Troy’s voice shook slightly, and so did the camera along with it. “But I really wanted to show you that it’s not just me. Everyone can see it. Everyone who knows us knows how much we love each other.”
“Troy…” Harris whispered softly, though he was well aware his boyfriend couldn’t hear him.
“You’ve been there for me through some of the hardest, most terrifying moments of my life.” Troy paused for a moment to take a breath, and Harris joined him. He knew exactly what Troy was talking about – their shared brush with death on the plane to Tampa two years ago, all the bullshit with Troy’s father, Harris’ own brush with death last year… They’d certainly been through a lot together.
“But you’ve also been there through the best moments too,” Troy continued seriously. “And there’s no one else in the world I’d rather be sharing any of it with. The good and the bad, I mean,” he added. “I want it all, Harris. With you. Forever.”
The screen suddenly went black. Harris looked down, and discovered that the progress bar at the bottom of the screen had reached the end. There was nothing left. Harris reached up to wipe some of the tears from his eyes as his heart raced with excitement and anticipation in his chest. That couldn’t be it, could it? Where was the rest of it?
A soft scratching sound suddenly called his mind back to the present, and Harris looked over his shoulder to see that Chiron had gotten up from his dog bed and was scratching impatiently at Harris’ office door. “Aw, buddy,” Harris said with a soft sniffle. “I’m not sure now’s the best –”
His words were cut off by a soft knocking at the door.
In an instant, Harris had leapt up from his office chair and crossed the small distance to the door. He gently nudged Chiron out of the way with his leg as he grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door open wide.
Even though he’d been expecting it, the sight of Troy standing there completely took Harris’ breath away. His hair was still slightly damp from a shower, mostly slicked-back aside from the usual stubborn strands that fell down onto his forehead. He was wearing one of the gorgeous, perfectly-tailored suits he usually reserved for game days, and in his hand he was clutching a bouquet of bright yellow and orange flowers. His lips were also stretched into one of the brightest and most beautiful smiles Harris had ever seen.
He was so taken by the sight of his boyfriend that Harris almost missed the much taller figure looming over Troy’s shoulder. Harris’ eyes flicked toward Ilya’s grinning face for just a moment. Ilya gave him a quick wink in reply, then a brief clap on Troy’s shoulder before bending down and beckoning for Chiron.
“Time to give your dads a little privacy, yes?” Ilya muttered softly as Chiron pushed past Troy and Harris to join him in the hallway.
Troy stepped forward into the empty space where Chiron had been standing and, with a fleeting, grateful glance in his friend’s direction, pushed the office door closed behind him.
There was a long beat of silence between them as the two men stared at each other, and Harris was almost certain his heart was going to burst from his chest. “Troy…” he managed to whisper at last. “That video…”
Troy took a slightly shaky breath, but didn’t lose his smile. “Like Maggie said, I just need a little help with the ending…” He held the bouquet out toward Harris, who tucked it carefully against one of his elbows.
And then, to Harris’ utter delight, Troy sank down onto one knee in front of him. Poor Troy’s hands were shaking worse than Harris had ever seen them as he reached with fumbling fingers toward his jacket pocket. “I love you so much.” Troy’s voice was thick as he spoke, holding up the small black ring box he’d retrieved from his pocket. “More than anything.”
“I love you too,” Harris squeaked in reply. His tears had returned in full force, and he didn’t even bother trying to wipe them away.
“I know. And I’m so fucking grateful for it.” A few tears had started falling from Troy’s piercing blue eyes as he gazed up at Harris from where he knelt on the floor. “Harris Drover, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. And all I want is to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?”
The next several seconds were an absolute blur to Harris. He couldn’t remember what he said – if he’d said anything at all – and he definitely didn’t remember dropping the bouquet to the floor or sinking down onto his own knees across from Troy… But the next thing he knew, Harris had practically tackled Troy onto the floor and was laying on top of him, peppering every inch of his face with clumsy, tearful kisses.
Troy let out a bright burst of laughter through his own tears, and it was the most beautiful sound Harris had ever heard. He buried his face into Troy’s shoulder as his boyfriend – no, fiancé – wrapped his strong arms around him and nuzzled softly against Harris’ hair. He positively melted into Troy’s embrace, and in that moment, Harris wasn’t sure he ever wanted to move again.
After a moment or two, Troy finally spoke. “So… should I take that as a yes?”
“Oh, shit… Did I forget to say it?” Harris shook with laughter for a moment, his face still pressed tightly to Troy’s shoulder before he finally pulled back so he could look down at the gorgeous man who lay beneath him. Harris took a slow breath to compose himself before he spoke again. “Yes, Troy. Yes, I will marry you. A thousand times, if I can.”
Troy beamed up at him, then pressed his lips against Harris’, soft and slow and very, very sweet. “A thousand, huh?” Troy whispered as he finally pulled away. “I dunno, that’s a lot of weddings to plan.”
“True… and we probably don’t have enough vacation time to cover it.” Harris let out a laugh. “I guess we can start with one, then. And go from there?”
“Sounds like a plan,” Troy agreed. Then he kissed Harris again – hungrier this time – and Harris was more than happy to return it with just as much fervor.
Harris wasn’t sure exactly how long they lay on the floor, their lips and tongues moving together as they held each other beneath the bright fluorescents of his office. Too long, probably. But if you asked Harris, it would never be long enough.
Eventually, however, Harris felt Troy’s body shifting beneath him, and the next thing he knew, his fiancé was helping him back to his feet. Troy stooped down to pick up the bouquet and place it gently on Harris’ desk, then finally reached out one of his large, warm hands and laced Harris’ fingers with his.
Troy gazed at Harris with pure love in his eyes for a moment or two before he spoke. “So, um.. Do you wanna see the ring?” he asked a bit awkwardly, holding up the small ring box he still held in his free hand.
“Yes!” Harris couldn’t help the excited squeal that passed his lips at Troy’s words. He’d been so excited at the idea of marrying Troy that he’d quite literally forgotten there would be a ring. “Shit, sorry. I didn’t mean to mess that part up.”
“You didn’t mess anything up,” Troy insisted. He chewed his lip for a moment, looking down at the ring box. “I really hope you like it. It… It might be a little, um… flashy, or something?” For the first time since he’d entered the room, the smile had disappeared from Troy’s face.
Harris just shrugged. “Can’t be any flashier than my Stanley Cup Ring… Which I still can’t believe they gave me, by the way.”
Troy rolled his eyes. This was a conversation they’d had before. “Of course they did! You’re part of this team too. Did you not watch my video?”
Harris’ stomach fluttered with happiness at the reminder of all the wonderful things the team had said about him. Boy, did he love this job. And this team. And this absolutely incredible man who had just asked him to be his husband. Holy shit.
“I know, I know,” Harris finally replied with a smile.
“Anyway, this is different. You’re actually supposed to wear this one. You know. Forever?”
Harris’ expression softened. He really, really loved the sound of ‘forever’. “I know,” he said again, quieter this time.
Troy took another breath. “And I know you don’t really like it when I spend too much on you, or buy you really fancy shit… But just this once, I kinda wanted to, um…”
“Spoil me?” Harris guessed, giving Troy’s hand a squeeze.
Troy nodded. “But if you hate it, please please tell me. I promise I won’t be mad. Okay?”
“Okay,” Harris agreed. “Now are you gonna just keep standing there talking about it? Or are you gonna show me?!” He hoped Troy could tell that he was mostly teasing… Though he was also really starting to feel like he might combust if he didn’t get to see the ring soon.
“Oh! Right. Um… Here.” Troy popped open the ring box with his thumb, then turned it so it was facing Harris.
Harris peered down into the box, his jaw quite literally dropping at the absolutely stunning ring that sat nestled between the dark folds of velvet. It was a wide, buttery yellow band with identical rows of tiny, sparkling diamonds running along each side. In the middle, the glittery white stones came to a stop on either side of the most gorgeous emerald Harris had ever seen. It was certainly ‘flashy’, as Troy had put it – flashier than what Harris probably would have chosen for himself, if he was being honest. But it was also absolutely beautiful, and beyond perfect, if you asked Harris. Because Troy had chosen it just for him.
“Holy shit, Troy… I love it!” he whispered at last.
“Yeah?” Troy asked hopefully. “It’s not too much?”
“It’s perfect!” Harris eagerly held out his left hand as he spoke.
To his relief, Troy’s smile had instantly returned, just as brilliant as it had been before. He let go of Harris’ other hand so he could carefully remove the ring from the box and slide it onto Harris’ left ring finger. Harris could feel his eyes welling with tears yet again as he watched. The ring was definitely heavier than Harris imagined it would be, and he knew it would certainly take some getting used to… But he was also sure he never wanted to take it off again.
“Fits like a glove!” Harris stared happily down at the glittering emerald on his finger, moving it back and forth beneath the bright lights.
“Oh, thank fuck!” Troy let out a relieved laugh as he watched Harris admire the ring. “I mean, the jeweler said they could resize it, so it wouldn’t have been the end of the world, I guess? But I was really hoping it would fit okay.”
Harris lifted a hand and pressed it to Troy’s cheek. He suddenly felt so overwhelmed by everything, but in the best possible way. “Thank you. I love this. I love you!” He shook his head in amazement. “I can’t believe you did all this for me… And you even got the rest of the team in on it!”
“Believe me, they didn’t mind. They were really, really excited about it when I told them my idea,” Troy said proudly.
“Of course they were. It was a great idea!” Harris leaned forward and gave Troy a quick kiss. “Not to mention getting Maggie to send me that email, and having Roz watch Chiron for us so we could be alone… You really thought of everything, didn’t you?”
Troy shrugged, and the hint of pink that crept into his cheeks was positively adorable. “I tried to,” he admitted. “Oh, and uh, speaking of Chiron, Ilya and Shane are actually gonna keep him for us for a few days. If that’s okay? So you and I can...”
“Fuck each other’s brains out uninterrupted?” Harris guessed with a grin.
Troy laughed softly. “You know, that’s almost exactly how Ilya put it too… But, uh, yes.” The adorable pink in his cheeks darkened. “You’ve got the rest of the day off, by the way. And tomorrow too. If that’s okay? I kinda went ahead and talked to your boss for you…” he confessed guiltily.
Wow. He really had thought of everything. Harris smiled. “When have I ever complained about getting some time off?” he teased.
Troy gave a small nod in response, but his smile still hadn’t quite returned. “I’ve still got my game tomorrow afternoon, but besides that, we’ve got the next few days all to ourselves,” he continued. “Well, except Sunday. I, uh, figured we’d tell our parents then?” Troy eyed Harris almost nervously as he spoke, and he was rambling in that oh-so-adorable way he often did when he was anxious. “I was gonna invite Mom and Charlie out for lunch, and then maybe we can go to your parents’ for dinner? If you want. We don’t have to.”
“Troy.” Harris reached out for both of his fiancé’s hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. “You don’t have anything to be nervous about.” He ran his thumbs gently over the back of Troy’s hands as he spoke. “This all sounds amazing. You are amazing.”
A smile of pure relief finally found its way onto Troy’s lips. “Yeah? Well, good.” He huffed out a small laugh. “And I’m sorry for being weird. I’ve been freaking the fuck out about this whole thing for months,” Troy confessed.
Harris’ eyes widened. “Months?!” It had been almost a year since he and Troy had first broached the subject of marriage, so he knew it had been on Troy’s mind for a while. But he hadn’t realized he’d been planning that far ahead.
“Well, yeah.” Troy seemed genuinely surprised by Harris’ reaction. “I had to do some research to figure out the right jeweler, which took a lot longer than I thought,” he explained. “Then we designed the ring, then I had to wait for them to make the ring — which fucking sucked, by the way,” he added with a chuckle. “And then once that was done, I had to find time to film all those clips and figure out how to edit them together, and then I… What?” Troy’s brow suddenly furrowed in concern. “What’s wrong?”
Harris lifted a hand to wipe some of the fresh tears from his cheeks. “Nothing,” he assured Troy with a teary smile. “I just can’t believe you did all of this… for me.”
Troy shrugged and gave a smile as he lifted a hand to press it against Harris’ tear-stained cheek. “I’d do anything for you.”
The way he said it was so damn pure and sincere that Harris wished really could marry Troy a thousand times. And even that might have not been enough.
“God, I can’t believe I get to marry you,” Harris breathed, his eyes wide with wonder. “You know, twelve-year-old me would be losing his shit if he knew he’d be marrying a sexy hockey star someday,” he added with a playful smile.
“Yeah, well, twelve-year-old me would’ve never believed that someday he’d be out and proud and happy… and engaged to the person who made it all possible.”
Harris sniffled softly and shook his head. “You’re giving me way too much credit.”
For a moment, it almost looked like Troy wanted to argue. Instead, he leaned forward and kissed Harris, slow and deep. By the time they’d broken apart, Harris had all but forgotten what they were disagreeing on in the first place.
“So… you wanna get out of here?” Harris asked softly, his forehead still pressed up against Troy’s. “Since apparently my afternoon’s wide open now.” His lips curved into a sexy smile. “In fact, I’ve got a feeling there are lots of things that’ll be wide open for you once we get back home…”
Harris could feel the pleasant shiver that ran down Troy’s body at his words. It was hot as hell. “Well, um. The guys got us a cake,” Troy sputtered a bit awkwardly as his eyes still shone with desire. “And a lot of champagne… I think they set it up in one of the conference rooms. Like an engagement party, sort of? But we can just head home, if you want,” he assured him. “I’m sure they’ll understand.”
Harris considered this for a moment. Sex with his fiancé was definitely higher on his priority list, much as he loved cake… But how many opportunities would he have to celebrate this moment with his friends? To show off the gorgeous, glittering rock on his finger, or the gorgeous man he was going to marry?
“Well, it depends,” Harris replied at last. “What kind of cake?”
Troy’s brow furrowed adorably. “Shit. Um. I’m not really sure… They didn’t tell me. But it’s from the same bakery who always does our team events, so it should be good. I think?”
Harris let out a low chuckle. God, he loved this man so much. “I was just teasing, babe,” he assured Troy warmly. “I’d love to celebrate with the guys, and it’ll be nice to thank them for helping with the video too. I still can’t get over how sweet that was.”
“You really liked it?”
“I loved it. Especially that ending I helped you with,” Harris teased.
“It was perfect,” Troy agreed with a wide smile. “I’m just sorry we didn’t actually get it on video.”
“It’s alright.” Harris lifted one of Troy’s hands to his lips and pressed a soft kiss against it. “That part was just for us.” And, Harris thought to himself, even without a recording, he was certain he’d still be replaying that perfect moment over and over again in his mind. Forever.
“So, uh, shall we?” Troy’s deep voice brought Harris’ mind back to the present. He gestured toward the door as he spoke. “I can’t wait to show you off to everyone.”
Harris laughed brightly and squeezed Troy’s hand as they began heading out to the hall together. “You say that like those guys have never met me before… I’ve known most of them longer than I’ve known you, remember?”
“I know… But this is different. You’re my fiancé now.”
Harris was unprepared for the effect hearing that word out loud would have on him. His cheeks were almost hurting from how wide he was smiling. “God, I love the sound of that…” He leaned gently against Troy’s shoulder as they walked together. “And I love my wonderful fiancé even more.”
Troy pressed a soft kiss to Harris’ temple, sending an instant rush of warmth to his heart. “I love you too.”