On Wednesday, Troy feels uncomfortable during a team hospital visit. He’s paired with Wyatt, whose wife works at the hospital, and meets two young patients, Danny and Nathan, along with Nathan’s father, Greg. Troy signs postcards for both Nathan and Greg. The visit stirs memories of when he was hospitalized with a broken leg at age 11. His father was critical and unsupportive, so he feels in awe of Greg’s kindness and resilience.

Harris arrives with Chuck the beaver, the Centaurs’ mascot, and photographs the visit. He privately recalls his own childhood hospitalization and how meaningful a Centaurs visit had been to him. In the patients’ lounge, Troy and Ilya play video games against two children. Across the room, Troy catches Harris’s eye and gives him a genuine smile meant only for him, prompting Harris to acknowledge his developing crush. As players board the bus afterward, Troy asks Harris about Chuck’s costume, and they share a lingering look during which Troy’s gaze drops briefly to Harris’s mouth.

Over the following week, Troy visits Harris’s office three more times, always bringing coffee, and asks numerous questions about Harris’s experiences as an openly gay man. He’s particularly curious about the dates that Harris has brought to team events. Troy awkwardly attempts a compliment, telling Harris that he should have a boyfriend because he’s nice and not bad looking. Harris laughs, and eventually Troy does, too. When Harris asks about Troy’s own dating life, Troy abruptly leaves.

That evening, worried about the next day’s game in Toronto, Troy considers going to a gay bar but dismisses the idea. Harris texts to check in, and when Troy admits that he’s anxious, Harris invites him to drive around looking at Christmas lights.

In Harris’s truck, Troy enjoys Harris’s homemade mulled apple cider and opens up about his family, describing his parents’ messy divorce, his father’s remarriage to a much younger woman, and his mother’s travels around the world with her new partner. Harris asks why Troy was ever friends with Dallas. Troy explains that they were rookie roommates, that Dallas was the type of man his father approved of, and that Dallas had been his best friend until the accusations emerged. Harris offers sympathy.

They visit a neighborhood known for elaborate light displays, and Harris uses a Darth Vader decoration to present a parallel between Vader’s redemption and Troy standing up to Dallas. Troy points out a classically decorated house resembling one that he would like someday, prompting Harris to invite him to spend Christmas with his family. Troy declines, citing his upcoming move into an apartment. On the drive back, Harris sings along to Christmas music while Troy reflects on his powerful, unexpected attraction to him.

Before the Toronto game, Troy sits in the visiting dressing room consumed by anxiety. Ilya takes him aside and reassures him that the team has his back. During the game, the crowd boos Troy while his former teammates, especially Dallas, taunt him relentlessly. Troy scores in the third period with Ilya’s help, after which Dallas unleashes an antigay tirade at both of them. Ilya punches Dallas, receives a game misconduct, and winks at Troy before leaving the ice. In the final minute, Dallas tackles Troy and screams that they were friends, and Troy is shocked to see tears in his eyes. Ottawa loses.

The narrative moves forward to the team’s trip to New York. Ilya convinces Troy to visit the Kingfisher, a gay bar owned by NHL players Scott Hunter and Eric Bennett. It’s Troy’s first time in a gay bar. They meet Scott; Eric; Scott’s husband, Kip; and a bartender named Kyle who’s Eric’s boyfriend. Troy witnesses couples kissing without incident and feels overwhelmed. He spots a rainbow apple pin on a bulletin board and asks Kyle if he can have it, saying that it’s for a friend.

As they walk back to the hotel, Troy asks Ilya why he punched Dallas. Ilya says that the insults weren’t the reason and adds that he has never claimed to be straight, which prompts Troy to come out to him. Ilya is supportive, correctly deduces that Troy has feelings for Harris, and reveals that he’s bisexual. When Troy mentions rumors about Ilya’s rival, Shane Hollander, Ilya becomes evasive and ends the conversation.

Harris and Gen conduct a holiday photo shoot with Ilya and Chiron. Troy arrives unexpectedly with a latte for Harris, and Ilya persuades him to join the shoot. Harris helps Troy pick a sweater and elf hat, and they share a charged moment when Harris adjusts Troy’s hair. After Ilya leaves, Troy poses alone for additional photos.

Troy asks if Chiron needs a walk and invites Harris along. During the walk, he gives Harris the apple-and-rainbow pin from New York. Harris is thrilled, immediately pins it to his jacket, and hugs Troy, who’s initially stiff but then embraces him tightly. When they pull apart, Chiron has tangled his leash around their legs, causing Troy to stumble into Harris. Their noses brush, and they stare at each other before Troy bends down, untangles the leash, and abruptly leaves.

On Christmas Eve, Troy is alone in his new apartment. He turns on the television only to see Dallas on sports highlights and Adrian on a superhero show, so he turns it off. He reflects on his past behavior and his desire to change and then finds comfort browsing the team’s social media. He discovers Harris’s personal Instagram, where the profile photo is the pin that Troy gave him. On Christmas morning, Harris texts him, and they exchange messages throughout the day. That night, they text for over an hour, flirting and sharing emojis. Troy considers it one of his best Christmases.

On the team plane heading to Tampa, Florida, following a victory in Raleigh, North Carolina, Harris works on his laptop while the team celebrates. Troy, who scored two goals and was named first star, sits beside Harris and says that he wants to fit in with the team. Harris says that the team likes him and that he does, too. Troy looks anguished and begins to say something when a loud bang rocks the plane.

The plane drops suddenly. The pilot announces that they’ve lost an engine and are preparing to make an emergency landing. Troy and Harris grip each other’s hands as they brace for impact, with Harris trying to keep Troy calm by saying that he’ll get ice cream after they land. The plane lands safely to applause and relief. Harris’s laptop is broken, but he can’t bring himself to care.

Later at the hotel bar, Troy is flooded with adrenaline and the memory of wanting to kiss Harris during the crisis. He reflects on the injustice of living in secret because Adrian wouldn’t have been able to properly mourn him if he had died and they’d still been together. Troy and Ilya discuss the clarity that near-death experiences provide, and Ilya tells him to pursue what he wanted on the plane. Troy watches Harris comforting a teammate across the room and decides that he wants to give something back to Harris, not just take comfort from him.