At the gala, Maverick notices Emmy seems overwhelmed and hasn’t eaten. He rescues her from a conversation with a reporter, bringing her a plate of chicken tenders and mashed potatoes. Emmy confides in him about the sexist criticism and double standards she constantly faces as a female athlete. Maverick reassures her, calling her a role model and beautiful. Later, they share a slow dance, and Maverick admits he paid the DJ $1,000 to play the song. During the dance, they play their “question of the day” game, asking each other if they want children. The charged atmosphere leads them to sneak away to have sex.

On New Year’s Eve, Emmy decides to stay home while Piper goes out. Maverick, who is babysitting June, invites Emmy to his apartment next door. She arrives in 7 minutes and 32 seconds, winning their bet for a midnight kiss. To thank him for placing the winning bid on a lunch date with her at the charity auction, Emmy gives Maverick a puzzle; he suggests that Rachel go on the lunch date with Emmy in his place. Emmy meets June, and the three celebrate together. They share resolutions, with Emmy’s being to make DC a permanent home. Maverick expresses his desire for their arrangement to become long-term. At midnight, he kisses her.

Maverick asks Emmy to spend the night, a first for their relationship, and she agrees. While playing their question game, they share their deepest vulnerabilities. Emmy reveals her difficult family history, including her mother’s resentment of her hockey career and her father’s paralysis from a broken cervical vertebrae sustained in a beer league game accident a decade ago. Maverick, in turn, confesses that he was placed in the foster care system due to his mother’s mental illness and that his playboy lifestyle is a defense mechanism born from a fear of not being wanted. Emmy comforts him, telling him he is worthy of love. Maverick has a realization that he sees a future with her. Their intimacy deepens when Emmy asks to have sex without a condom, telling him she is on the pill. Maverick agrees, stating this means she is his “for good.” Afterward, he reflects that home is wherever she is.

Before a game against the Dallas Wildebeests, Piper informs Emmy that her emotionally abusive ex-boyfriend, Cole Meyers, has been called up from the AHL and will be playing against them. The news triggers memories of Cole’s verbal abuse, during which he demeaned her talent and claimed her success was due only to her looks. In the tunnel before the game, Emmy tells her teammates about her past with Cole, breaking off with a sob before she can fully describe his threatening jokes about letting their teammates have sex with her. The team, led by a furious Maverick, immediately rallies around her and vows to protect her and retaliate against Cole during the game.

During warmups, Cole approaches Maverick and makes casual conversation, oblivious to Maverick’s connection to Emmy. Early in the game, Emmy scores a goal with an assist from Maverick. Soon after, Maverick has Hudson instigate a fight with Cole, then joins the brawl already in progress, accepting the ejection that comes as a consequence. He uses the opportunity to brutally beat Cole and tell him that he’s with Emmy now. As officials escort him off the ice, Maverick turns to Emmy and makes a heart shape with his hands. In the aftermath, he realizes he wants to be Emmy’s boyfriend and partner, not just a teammate or lover.

After the Stars win the game, the team celebrates in the locker room. Coach Saunders says he will be shocked if Maverick is not suspended. Emmy reflects that the third-man-in rule meant ejection was the inevitable consequence of Maverick’s actions. The players reaffirm their support for Emmy and praise her performance. Emmy tends to Maverick’s injuries, and they play their question game. He tells her she makes him feel important and purposeful, while she admits he makes her feel safe and powerful. Maverick confesses that he cares about her more than he has ever cared about anyone.

Following the fight with Cole, Maverick earned a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head. Weeks later, Maverick hosts a team dinner at his apartment. During the party, Liam and Piper share a quiet moment while playing a video game. Emmy and Maverick sneak away to his bedroom for a sexual encounter while their teammates are just outside on the balcony. To keep her from being heard, Maverick gags her with her own underwear. Afterward, they play a lighthearted round of their “question of the day game” about their favorite pizza toppings and popsicle flavors.

On the team’s Heroes and Legends Night, Maverick arrives at the arena wearing a custom D.C. Stars jersey with Emmy’s name and number on the back. Emmy is stunned and deeply moved by the public gesture of support, calling it “the most romantic thing anyone’s ever done for [her]” (329). Taking the opportunity, Maverick confesses he wants more than a casual arrangement and officially asks her to be his girlfriend. Emmy happily agrees. As she leaves for her locker room, Emmy tells Maverick she wants him to have sex with her later while he is still wearing her jersey.

Emmy has a girls’ night in with Piper, Lexi, and Maven, where her friends lament their recent bad dating experiences. Emmy takes the opportunity to confess that she and Maverick have been secretly sleeping together since November and have recently become an official couple. She expresses her happiness but also her anxiety about her future, as her contract with the Stars is only for one season. Maven remarks that Maverick always swore he would never settle down, proving Emmy must be special to him. The friends toast to good men, and Emmy reflects on how her relationship with Maverick has made her feel grounded and no longer alone.