Love in the Shadows ~ Dean Portman x OC

Epilogue: As If No Time Had Passed At All

Pov: Adam Banks, June 6th 2007, Anaheim, California

"It's the final game of the 2007 Stanley Cup with a heated face off between the Anaheim Mighty Ducks and the Ottawa Senators" I'm on the Ottawa Senators after playing for the Toronto Blue Jays right out of university. Canada was lovely. They legalized gay marriage 4 years ago and are generally accepting of differences. When I officially came out to the press in 2004 it was met with just average questions and very little backlash. Especially from my team who got me a cake (he didn't eat it due to the "cake eater" trauma lol) and a bottle of whiskey. Everyone there is so nice and it's just like Minnesota with better syrup and different sports teams. I got my law degree at UNB and I've been planning to become a public defender after the NHL. I love fighting for the little guy on and off the ice so it's perfect fit for me.

It's my final game before retirement and ironically, it's against the Anaheim Ducks. Morgan and Dean came out to see my game which is nice. They got married back in 2002 and I attended the ceremony and attended the grand opening of their music cafe that had weekly open mic nights and was the same location of the cafe Portman worked at as a teenager in Chicago. It's now a popular local spot for all sorts of kids and people to hang out in. They legally adopted Portman's siblings and have been raising them as their own ever since (even though they're both adults now).

I get on the ice as the crowd goes wild for me as they know it's my last game win or loose. With all the preparation for my switch into law and retirement front the NHL, I wonderfully forgot who is a player on the Ducks. None other than ole' Captain Duck himself, Charlie Conway.

We haven't seen each other since the day before I left the US in 1995. I was not keen on a reunion but it's been over a decade and things socially have changed so I'm not totally concerned.

My final game in the NHL, Charlie, who's apparently still in his prime, gets the puck past me and 2 of my teammates and gets the last goal of the game. They were already up 1 so he simply secured the win. It was disappointing to go out on a loss that we were so close to winning but it is what it is.

Me and my team went to a bar in Anaheim to celebrate my retirement after the game. We laughed and drank like Canadians and had a jolly good time. Soon most of them left and the ones who didn't were absolutely shit faced in the corner. I sat, relatively tipsy, at the bar watching whatever was playing on that TV. Probably highlights from the game but I wasn't totally paying attention. The door opens and a warm June breeze hits me, causing me to turn towards it. In walks the now 27 year old Charlie Conway looking exactly the same as he did all those years ago, granted he's a bit more burly but otherwise the same. He walks over to me and smirks
"The Adam Banks I knew would've never let such a cheap shot get past him"
"Well the Charlie Conway I knew wouldn't gloat to a retiree "
"Well then maybe you didn't know me" He laughs as he sits down next to me
"Oh I knew you very well, Spazway!" I look at him sarcastically at the mention of his old nickname
He goes quiet for a second before replying "That you did Banksie. Better than I knew myself it seemed"
I glance over at him quizzically urging him to go on "Oh? How so?"
"This is hard for me so just- just let me get it all out before you talk" He looks down at the bar top, avoiding my eyes
I nod as he continues "I was wrong to react the way I did back then when you, no. When we had that odd moment. I was scared of jeopardizing my future and getting backlash but that's no excuse for practically icing you out like that. I'm sorry. I'm gonna be honest, I came to your house that day... hoping you'd beg me to stay and talk it out but you didn't. I thought you hated me so I convinced myself I hated you too and that it was somehow your fault for everything. When you left, I'm gonna be honest, I was inconsolable for days. I thought it was a ploy or a vacation until Dean was talking about your scholarship to UNB. That day I went home and listened to nothing but Billy Idol and Queen. I was questioning my whole life and world view because a part of me missed you as friends do but the other part... missed you like you were a soldier going off to war and I was some dame praying for your safe return. It took a long time for me to accept anything about myself but I think I've got it now"

He now looks up at me and shifts slightly to face me more. "Adam Banks, my name is Charlie Conway and I am a..." he takes a deep breath "bisexual man. I am attracted to both men and women"

I smile at him, knowing first hand how hard it can be to come out and officially label yourself, especially in a place where it isn't even legal (becomes legal in 2013 in Cali). "Congratulations Charlie. I'm glad you finally found yourself and told me"
"Yeah well the telling you part was easy. I never would've known I liked dudes if it wasn't for you"
"Well I'm glad my misery led you on your journey to self discovery"
"Well no, it was something else about you that led me to my discovery" He gets a bit closer to me
"Was it my coming out? I hoped it would encourage gay people to accept themselves so I'm touched that it helped one of my oldest friends"
"Jesus Christ you're dense," Charlie mutters as he yanks my hand from the bar top to just underneath it. He holds mine as softly as his callouses allow him to "Adam. You're my gay awakening because I find you attractive"

Ohhhhh now I know what he means
Oh

"You-" He nods
"After 12 years I finally hear it. You know I dreamed of this when I was a kid. I never imagined I'd be this old when this happened but, hey I'll take it" We laugh and suddenly as if no time had passed at all, we were 9 again, standing in the middle of the Ice Palace rink shooting the shit like we used to.

After a while, the bar was clearing out as final call was approaching. Me and Charlie are equally as tipsy now but still sober enough to function.
"Crazy question, would you like to come back to my place?" Charlie offers
My face flushes as I grasp the implication of "back to his place" and my mind starts rerunning the old scenarios I used to imagine with Charlie and I. I clear my throat nervously and reply "For real?"
"...Yeah. I uh, guess I owe you as much for everything"
"Well don't do it because you owe me"
"No, no! I didn't uh mean it like that. I meant like... casually uh...ugh. Just come back with me"
"Ok. Lead the way Conway"

"Casual" was thrown out the window the second Charlie shut his front door. The two finally being alone, comfortable, and free. That "casual" hook up became official in the year 2013 with a little paper; a marriage license.

W/C: 1313
AHHHAHAHAHAHAHAH IT'S FINALLY OVER. It's been wonderful to work on this and I hope you enjoyed! Sorry it's so ducking long (ha get it?), not intentional but it also was?? idk man... quack