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“I guess I should go say hi to everyone,” Zach said and Ramsey shot him an incredulous look like they both didn’t know exactly who he’d be looking for.

He found Gavin exactly where Ramsey had said he would be, leaning against a wall by the bank of pinball machines. Elliott was racking up major points on a Star Wars themed one, Mal practically pressed up against his back as Ell’s fingers flicked over the controls, nearly too quick to make out.

Jacob Braun was standing next to Gavin, and Zach wasn’t particularly surprised to see him there.

He’d heard around the grapevine—though Finn hadn’t come to them and told either of them specifically—that they weren’t just coaching now, but dating.

Zach might’ve been more concerned, but it was so obvious how much the new relationship suited Finn.

His smiles came quicker, bloomed easy as breathing across his face, and his play had never been more confident, like he was finally figuring out how to exist in his own skin.

If Jacob had anything to do with that, then Zach wholeheartedly approved.

“Hey,” Zach said, approaching them.

“Hey,” Gavin said, and Jacob nodded.

“Good to see you, man,” Zach directed at Jacob.

“You too.” Jacob gave him a friendly pat on the shoulder.

“Where’s Finn?”

“Dominating Ivan and a bunch of the rookies at foosball,” Jacob said, sounding proud as hell.

“We were reminiscing,” Gavin said.

“I didn’t realize you two knew each other before,” Zach said, glancing between Gavin and Jacob.

“I coached him once. The Four Nations tournament.”

It took Zach a moment, and then he realized what tournament Gavin was referring to.

That tournament. The one where Morgan and Hayes had played together, Hayes scoring the winning goal in the championship game.

The one that had sent his best friend tumbling down a black hole of misery that he had yet to drag himself out from.

“Didn’t realize you and Reynolds ever played on the same team,” Zach joked.

“Honestly, we avoided each other,” Jacob admitted. “Which was better for everyone.”

Gavin chuckled under his breath, like he agreed.

Zach tipped the rest of his beer down his throat, uncomfortably aware that he was the only one who knew what had really been going on at that tournament .

“Hey, another round?” Jacob said, gesturing with his bottle.

“Sure,” Zach said, and Gavin shrugged his agreement.

He was gone in a minute, leaving him and Gavin alone. Of course, Elliott and Malcolm were only a dozen feet away, at the pinball machines, but they were so wrapped up in their own world it was like nobody else existed.

Zach slipped closer to Gavin, nudging his shoulder against Gavin’s. “How’re you doing?” he asked in a low voice. Not that anyone was paying attention to them.

A bomb could’ve gone off right now and Elliott and Mal probably wouldn’t have noticed. Elliott was gazing up at Mal, and he was looking down, like Elliott was the best thing in the entire world.

Zach wanted to say he didn’t know what that felt like, but goddamn it, he did.

“Oh, fine,” Gavin said. His eyes cut to where Elliott and Mal were laughing together. “Just keeping an eye on those two.”

“Amazing at the beginning of the season that they didn’t like each other.”

Gavin made a scoffing noise. “I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t had to witness it. You’re later than I expected you to be.”

“Hayes called,” Zach said. “It’s after midnight where he’s at. Boston? Toronto? I can’t remember.”

“I don’t really miss those days,” Gavin said. “A different hotel room every other day.”

“Me either,” Zach agreed.

After Christmas, they’d gone back to their regular routine like nothing had happened. They’d talked last night and the night before and the night before that. Every night since it had happened.

But Hayes was right that this was different. The first time they were together in the same room, and it wasn’t technically for work-related reasons.

Gavin looked hesitant, too, kind of like Zach felt. Like he was trying to figure out if they should talk about it. Or if they should pretend that Gavin waking up in his arms wasn’t a thing they both wanted.

“I . . .” Gavin swore under his breath. “I don’t love the holidays.”

“Really?” Zach teased with faux earnestness. “I had no idea.”

Gavin shot him a glare, and the heat of it crawled under Zach’s collar and slid down his spine.

“I know you can see it, but I want to tell you that this year was . . .better. Better than I expected.”

Zach had been trying to play it cool, still half-afraid he was going to scare Gavin off from this new closeness, but there was no way he was hiding the thrill that sent through him. Or his smile.

“Yeah? I’m glad. Really glad.” Zach dipped his head down, making his voice low and intimate. Gavin flushed.

And oh yeah, it was on, baby. Hayes was right. Gavin wanted this, and he just needed Zach to push them over the finish line.

How perfect would it be if they finally got together on New Years Eve? A new start and a new beginning, all for them.

“You ever play these?” Gavin asked, gesturing towards the bank of pinball machines.

“Yeah,” Zach said. “I’m okay. ”

Gavin held out his hand and Zach wasn’t sure what he was doing until he was taking Zach’s wrist with a light touch and tipping a few quarters into his hand. “Give it a go,” he said.

Zach half-expected Gavin to stay over where he was at, but to his surprise, he followed Zach as he picked a machine at random. He didn’t drape himself over Zach like Malcolm did to Elliott, but he was close enough Zach could feel the heat of his body.

He dropped the quarter and dragged his mind back to the machine in front of him.

For a few minutes, Zach focused on the game, figuring out the good spots to hit, the idiosyncrasies of the paddles. By the time he was on ball three, Gavin leaned in and said, “Better at this than you said.”

Zach glanced over. Felt his fingers tremble on the controls at the look in Gavin’s eyes. Heat, singeing him. Pupils dilated. Hands shoved into his pockets like he might reach for Zach if he thought he was allowed to.

Swallowing hard, Zach nodded. “It’s been awhile.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“Just . . .uh . . .riding a bike,” Zach said.

“Right.” There was a glimmer of mischief in Gavin’s expression, like he was thinking of something else.

And okay, it had been awhile for Zach, not just playing pinball but flirting with intent and wanting badly to take it farther.

Ever since the summer, when he’d gone to Michigan, he hadn’t even been vaguely interested in anyone else or even hooking up.

But it had been years for Gavin. And he hadn’t ever done anything with a guy before.

Zach would be the first .

It made his breath short and his skin hot.

He missed the ball completely, pulling the paddle a whole half-second too late.

Shrugging, he turned to Gavin. “You wanna go?”

“I’ve never done this before,” Gavin said.

But with Hayes’ words echoing in his head— lean into it, and make it happen— Zach put his hands on Gavin’s waist, gently pulling him over, where he’d been standing a second ago.

Gavin tensed, but then he relaxed.

“Have a little fun,” Zach suggested slyly.

“If you insist.” Gavin shot him a smile, a little shaky around the edges. But determined, too.

Like maybe he was scared, too, but the fear mattered less because he wanted this as much as Zach did.

“I do,” Zach said. He inserted a quarter into the machine.

Gavin wasn’t as good at it as Zach was, but it was fun to watch his brow furrow in concentration and to witness as his reflexes came to life, again.

Between balls two and three, Gavin turned to Zach, astonishment creasing his expression. “This is a little like hockey.”

“A little?” Zach raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, a lot like hockey. It’s a wonder Mal’s not better at it.”

“He’s still learning to let go and play with instinct instead of focusing on the skill he knows,” Zach said. “But he’s gonna get there.”

“Imagine how many points he’s gonna put up when he does that.”

“Nobody’s gonna be able to stop him out there,” Zach agreed .

They played half a dozen more games, exchanging machines, laughing together.

It was only then that Jacob arrived back, a sheepish expression on his face. “Shit, sorry,” he said. He was flushed and Zach wondered what he’d been up to—and if Finn had been involved. “I got distracted by the foosball tournament.”

But he handed out new beers and hung out for a minute or two before Finn arrived, too.

Jacob didn’t hesitate to wrap an arm around Finn’s waist and drag him close. “You two enjoying the pinball?”

“It’s fun,” Gavin said. He scratched at the label with his thumb nail. “More like hockey than I expected.”

“If you think that, you should come join us at the foosball table. Brody’s there. And his boyfriend. Don’t let anyone tell you that football players are better than hockey players,” Finn said. The tops of his cheeks were pink, and he looked happy.

Like he’d just won and also like he’d gotten to claim whatever he wanted as a prize.

“Sure, we can do that,” Gavin said, and Zach tried not to be disappointed that they were joining the rest of the team.

He’d get Gavin alone, again. They both wanted it, and Zach just had to figure out a way to make it happen.

They spent the next hour making the rounds of the arcade, joining in Finn’s foosball tournament, then watching as Elliott and Ramsey took each other on at DDR, Ell wiggling his hips suggestively at Malcolm after, who looked equal parts embarrassed and thrilled.

Before Zach could really realize how close it was, Ivan announced that it was only five minutes to midnight .

Zach wasn’t stupid enough to think he was going to get a kiss, but he’d at least expected to be in the same room as the clock ticked down.

“He went to the bathroom,” Ramsey said under his breath, like he’d totally figured out why Zach was looking around.

“That—I wasn’t,” Zach tried to protest, but Ramsey just rolled his eyes.