Game Changers, #6
The Long Game
by Rachel Reid
Contents
Chapter Three
Overview
Shane invites Ryan and Fabian to a low-key double date at a gay pizza bar, testing Shane and Ilya’s comfort with public queerness. Conversation exposes the strain of secrecy, the league-manufactured rivalry, and the distance of their schedules. Fabian’s gratitude for Ryan’s camp role contrasts with Shane and Ilya’s closing doubt about showing love.
Summary
In the morning, Shane recruits Ryan to fetch camp gear and nervously invites Ryan and his boyfriend, Fabian, to dinner. Ryan, relieved that others also know about Shane and Ilya, agrees to meet at a pizza place.
That evening, Shane and Ilya join Ryan and Fabian at a gay bar serving pizza. Shane battles nerves while admiring Ilya, and Fabian’s charisma unsettles and intrigues him. Fabian reveals he is performing Friday; Ilya has already bought tickets as a surprise. A starstruck server recognizes Fabian, underscoring Fabian’s public ease versus Shane and Ilya’s secrecy.
Over drinks and food—Shane sticking to his strict diet—they discuss teams, distance, and the rivalry the league built between Shane and Ilya. Fabian gently questions why they stay secret after so many years, making both men consider whether hiding is more draining than backlash.
When Ryan steps away, Fabian thanks them for including Ryan at the camps, calling it healing after his difficult split from pro hockey. Ryan returns to a quick, open kiss from Fabian, a simple intimacy that Ryan still half-hides but enjoys.
On the drive home, Shane and Ilya tease about Fabian’s beauty and Ryan’s transformation, then wonder how they appeared as a couple. Ilya admits they are great at pretending not to be in love and perhaps bad at showing it when they can, leaving both men quiet and uneasy.
Who Appears
- Shane HollanderProtagonist; invites Ryan and Fabian to dinner, struggles with public queerness, strict diet, questions the cost of secrecy.
- Ilya RozanovShane’s secret boyfriend; confident in public, buys concert tickets, admits they hide love too well.
- Ryan PriceFormer NHL enforcer; anxious but supportive, attends double date, openly affectionate with Fabian.
- Fabian SalahMusician and Ryan’s boyfriend; charismatic, challenges secrecy, thanks them for helping Ryan heal, invites them to his show.
- LeoServer who recognizes Fabian, highlighting Fabian’s public visibility.