Chapter Text
Scott turned the corner, ready to advance on Kip and throw the man against the wall, cupping his groin until Kip dropped his jeans to allow Scott to explore fully. However, when he saw Kip already hard at work brewing tea and reading the back of various over-the-counter medicines, he realized that Kip was too far focused for Scott to interrupt. They’d just need to save that for later.
“Hey, how is he?”
Scott let out a heavy sigh. “You know, a little out of it. I’m going to stay close just incase he falls or something. Unless you need me.” Scott wiggled his eyebrows suggestively as he inclined forward, wrist limply extended in Kip’s direction.
Kip grasped him by the wrist and gave it a shake, eyes aglow in affection at Scott’s antics. “There will be plenty of time for that later, like tomorrow. Right now I have this tea to finish and I’m going to heat up that vegetable soup I made earlier to see if I can coax him into eating.”
Based on their brief conversation, Scott doubted that Shane would manage any food. The tea and meds would be challenging enough. However, they could at least try if nothing else.
While Kip poured the tea into a small cup, Scott busied himself with prepping the guest room. There really wasn’t much he needed to do, but he wavered as the guest room was right next to the bathroom, so he would hear if Shane needed him. He turned down the covers on the bed and carried a small wastebasket from his office to set by the bed for the heaps of tissues he was sure Shane was about to go through. Speaking of which, he raided their closet in the laundry room and grabbed as many boxes of tissues as he could carry. He doubted that Shane would need this many, but he wanted it to be an option.
‘Since when have you gotten so soft,’ Scott thought to himself. ‘Never did I imagine that I would be looking after anyone, let alone Shane fucking Hollander with by boyfriend fussing over him in the kitchen. How the times have changed.’
Scott could grumble to himself all he wanted. There was nothing about this that he ever wanted to change. Perhaps not having Shane sick at his house, but other than that, he could see this being a more usual occurrence. They needed to stick together so that when shit hit the fan (and it would) they would have each other. That was what Kip was always insisting and it just took until now for Scott to listen.
It wasn’t long after the room was set up to Scott’s liking that he heard the shower switch off, followed by two messy sounding sneezes. “Hish’hue! Hsih’hue!” Although small by comparison to Scott’s own, they sounded like they voided Shane of whatever energy he had left, the thick, crackling coughs that followed not helping matters.
Scott bit his tongue to stop from blessing him. It was best for Shane not to be self-conscious with realizing that Scott was just outside until he came out. Scott kept shuffling about the room in an effort to make everything seem as comfortable to Shane as possible. Tissues were at the ready on the nightstand, an extra blanket folded at he foot of the bed incase he grew too cold. It was also close to his and Kip’s room if he needed anything during the night.
‘I know he’s not a child, but he’s still so young and everyone needs someone to care for them when they’re like this.’
Scott had Kip and Shane would’ve had Ilya if only they were the ones facing off and not New York vs. Montreal.
The sound of the bathroom door easing open broke Scott out of him rumination, head swinging to look over his shoulders. There Shane stood in a pair of plain sleep pants and a long sleeve Under Armor hooded shirt with a kangaroo pocket in the front that hugged his muscular trunk. Damp hair clung to his forehead with beads of moisture dripping into his eyes. Shane appeared unaware as he held a crumpled ball of toilet paper to his nose, breathing noisily through his mouth.
Scott grasped a new tissue box he found in the closet and peeled over the thin cardboard from the top before handing it over. “Think this might be nicer than toilet paper.”
Shane’s eyes warmed in relief as he took the box from Scott. “Thags,” he mumbled, voice plummeted into the pits of stuffiness. He pulled a handful free and blew his nose into them, wincing at the strain. “Ugh, dothig.”
“Damn, really thought the steam may help.” Scott jogged a few paces forward, arm throw over his head to beckon Shane forward. “I think Kip might have some other things that may help.”
Shane brightened at the possibility of some relief and tottered after Scott like a lost puppy. The two padded into the kitchen where Kip was waiting on them, a mug of steaming tea already set on the edge of the counter.
“Hey! Feel any better?”
Shane screwed up his face at the question and took the mug of tea instead. He lifted it to his lips and blew over the surface, ripples dancing though the murky liquid. Shane took a few hesitant sips, reveling in the warmth that flooded down his throat. He kept sipping at it until the tension seemed to loosen in his shoulders. Unfortunately, his shoulders weren’t the only thing the tea loosened.
Shane gave a timid sniffle, which only seemed to force the ever present buzzing in his nose into a full blown sensation. He hurried to set the tea down in favor of the tissues, clamped so hard over his face that his entire face was briefly obstructed. His shoulders began to lift as his breath caught on the end of a jagged exhale.
“Hih…eh….Hish’hue! Hish’hue!” Shane blew his nose hesitantly, which only served to cause the ticklish sensation to blossom even fuller. “Hish’hue! Hish’hue! Hshhs’Hue!” This time when he blew his nose he didn’t allow for a breath in between, fingers massaging each nostril through the tissues to calm anymore sneezes that may be lurking deep within his nasal passages.
“Bless you,” Kip chirped, eyes soft in sympathy.
Shane surfaced a moment later from the wilted tissues, nostrils faintly glistening despite his attention to them. “Sorry,” he croaked in embarrassment.
“There’s no need to be sorry. Everyone gets sick sometimes,” Kip reasoned with a pointed look to Scott, who was just standing beside Shane unsure how to respond.
Shaking his head to clear it, Scott rested a hand on Shane’s shoulder and gave him what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. “Yeah, absolutely. You just caught yourself a nasty one. That’s America for you. Everyone always spreading all their germs around.”
“Luckily we have medication that can help with that,” Kip interrupted as he pushed two large bluish green capsules towards Shane. “These will make you tired, but I think sleep might be a good idea for you at the moment.”
Shane blushed at Kip’s observation, palm outstretched to take the pills. He tucked them onto his tongue and chased them down with a few sips of tea. The large pills lodged in his sore throat, a few deliberate swallows needed for them to roll down his esophagus. Shane dipped his head in appreciation, self-conscious as he grabbed another handful of tissues and pressed them to his nose to collect any stray drips.
Kip hurried himself to grab the bowl of warmed up soup and a spoon, sliding it over to one of the stools on the other side of the counter where Shane was already hovering on. “Eat as much as you can. Do you want some orange juice? I think we have some freshly squeezed.”
To both Kip’s and Scott’s shock, Shane’s face crumpled as tears began to drip down his face. Shane was quick to lift a hand to cover, though the quaking of his shoulders was all the clarification that the two men needed to see what was happening.
“I told you that orange juice was a step too far,” Scott hissed at a lame attempt at a joke as Kip looked beyond out of his element. He knew Shane from a few interactions, and mostly what Scott had told him, but that wasn’t a ton to go off by. Seeing him breakdown wasn’t what he expected, nor knew what to do with when it was someone he didn’t know as well as Scott.
Despite his half-assed comment, Scott pulled up the stool next to Scott. He rested a hand on Shane’s shoulder as the younger man only broke down harder, cries turning into full body, wracking sobs. Although out of his own element as well, Scott didn’t pull away. If anything he leaned closer towards him so that their heads were bowed together until their foreheads almost touched.
“It’s okay,” Scott soothed in the most reassuring voice he could muster. “It’s alright.”
“M’sorry,” Shane choked out between sobs.
Scott shook his head, exchanging a worried glance with Kip. “There’s nothing to apologize for. The adrenaline crash from the game and that fever you’re sporting isn’t helping things. These things happen.”
The last time Scott was sick he remembered being curled on the shower floor, water spilling over him as he sobbed into the drain. Kip had to sit with him for almost twenty minutes before Scott was able to lift his head, let alone drag himself from the floor. They chalked it up to fever, but the stress of their entire situation certainly hadn’t helped matters. They hadn’t talked about it afterwards, though that single look he shared with Kip showed that they were both recalling the same event.
“I miss him,” Shane croaked. “I wish he was here.”
Scott’s heart ached in sympathy. Of course he knew who Shane was talking about, though he guessed that Shane was never able to tell anyone that before. He wouldn’t tell Ilya, fearful not to make the Russian feel worse for not being here. Scott wasn’t sure if Shane was out to parents, and even if he was, sharing that information would just make them worry. No, this was something he only felt safe telling Scott.
“I know.” Scott reached into Shane’s other hands for the tissues. The crying spell was doing his sinuses no favors and he knew that it must be making Shane rather uncomfortable. “I know we’re not even close to Ilya, but we’ll do all that we can. Is there anything you can think that you need that we can help with?”
“Yes,” Kip pipped up as he had been lingering back, allowing Scott to have his moment with Shane. “Anything at all?”
Shane sawed the tissues under his runny nose, sniffling heavily. “I-I don’t know.”
“Let’s start with some food.” Scott nudged the bowl closer to Shane, hoping that may entice him. “Eat as much as you can and we’ll get that orange juice. Then you can sleep for as long as you need to.”
Scott went to stand when Shane suddenly reached out, fingers enclosed around his wrist. Scott hung back, knee rested on top of the stool in case Shane needed him to sit back down.
“Thank you.” Shane’s eyes shone bright with tears. The confidence of a professional hockey player completely vanished, leaving a young man that needed simple reassurance and a place to lay low. Scott Hunter could offer both of those things along with his fiancé, Kip.
Scott gave a dip of his head, a hint of embarrassment prickling down the back of his neck. “Don’t mention it, kid.” Scott gave Shane’s hand a gentle squeeze before Shane released him, pleased to have a task even if was as mundane as grabbing orange juice from the fridge.
Kip came around with the glass already in hand, looking back at Shane through quick, fleeting glances.
“Don’t make it obvious,” Scott warned.
Kip turned back to him. “I’m sorry, Scott.”
“He’s just young and emotional. Don’t you remember being that age?” He swiped the glass from Kip and filled it to the brim with the freshly squeezed orange juice. He doubted that Shane would be able to drink this much, but perhaps it would coax him to drink as much as possible. “He needs rest and meds is all. He missed Ilya and wants his boyfriend with him when he’s not feeling well. I think we can both relate to that.”
Scott was of course referencing one of his away games when he received a phone call at three o’clock in the morning New York time when he was in San Francisco. Kip was on the other line whimpering due to a sudden migraine, most likely due to stress from his studies. There was nothing Scott could do from afar besides offer words of encouragement and comfort on the other end of the phone. He longed to be there with Kip, and when that wasn’t an option, it felt like his heart was being torn from his chest. He could only guess that was how Shane felt right now.
The Admirals player turned back around before too much time passed with the glass in hand, pleased to see that Shane was eating some of his soup, albeit it hesitantly. He sipped periodically at his tea, though when Scott set the orange juice down, Shane took a few greedy gulps as though appreciating something cold for him to drink.
Scott drifted back over to Kip and wrapped an arm around his middle to pull him close. Kip laughed as he slumped into him, shoulders pressed against Scott’s chest. The hockey player draped his arms over his shoulders, face buried into the curve of his exposed neck. Goosebumps sprouted along Kip’s arms as he lifted his own hand to cradle his fingers through Scott’s thick black hair, tugging lightly.
“Easy,” Kip chided as Scott continued to kiss him along his collarbone that was covered by his shirt. He filtered his gaze to Shane, who appeared oblivious as he kept eating his soup.
Scott rolled his eyes. “He’s done far worse, I’m sure!”
“Doesn’t mean he wants to see us doing anything.” Kip reluctantly pulled away from Scott, even when Scott let out a whine at the loss of his presence. He started to finish the dishes while Scott dealt with his duffle, separating his clothes into what needed to be washed and what could be used next game. By the time the two of them finished their familiar post home game routine, Shane was sitting back on his stool, blowing his nose into another bundle of folded tissues.
Kip cleared his dishes despite Shane’s protest that he could help. The older man waved him off, claiming that Shane was a guest in their home, which meant that it was Kip’s responsibility. Scott felt himself fall in love with him all over again at how tender he was being to a man that he didn’t know all that well, just knew that he was in a similar situation to Scott and that he could use the nurturing and support of men who had been where he was and could help whenever possible.
“Hish’hue! Hish’hue! Hish’Hue!”
Scott’s head turned the second he heard the volley of sneezes, an all too familiar sound. Shane’s head was bowed into his hands as he let out a few rattling coughs in the aftermath, tissues never leaving his face even after he blew is nose once more. Scott could only imagine how much it must hurt as even on the best of days, the frigid temperatures of the rink could be brutal.
“Babe,” Scott whispered, shoulders pivoted to face Kip.
“Yes?”
“Can you grab the Vicks?”
Kip sped off without a second thought, returning not long after with the all too familiar jar. Scott grazed his fingers over Kip’s when he handed over the Vicks before handing it over to Shane. “This may help with the soreness on your nose and your breathing at night.”
“I-I don’t snore,” Shane argued, nose wrinkling at the very thought.
“I’m sure tonight you do.”
Shane returned Scott’s own incredulous look with one of his own. He slowly started to stand with his hands pressed into his pockets, the Vicks tucked down there as well. He faced the two men with hunched over shoulders, the visible parts of his face pale while his hair remained damp with no attempts to dry it. The brightness of his nose only exemplified the irritation, skin started fleck around his round nostrils.
“Thanks for everything,” Scott began as though giving a speech, breath catching in the middle to force out a harsh cough. He barely managed to compose himself as he lifted his head, avoiding looking either man in the eye. “Everything you did was super generous.”
Kip waved him off once more. “Don’t even give it a second thought. We just want you to feel better.”
“Absolutely,” Scott added. “Let us know if you need anything. Like I said, we’re right next door.”
Despite the offer being there, Scott knew that Shane wouldn’t. He was embarrassed enough at imposing on them enough, no matter how many times himself of Kip assured him otherwise. All they could do now was give him the space that he so desperately craved.
Shane shuffled back to the guest room with the tissue box still tucked under his arm. He didn’t make it far before he was forced to pull another sheet free, face pressed into the folds. “Hish’hue! Hish’hue! Hish’HUe!”
“Bless you,” Scott and Kip chorused.
Scott chuckled as he pulled Kip close now that there wasn’t anymore prying eyes. Truthfully, he would’ve done this even if Shane was watching. If anyone would understand, it would be Shane.
“Poor kid,” Kip commented as he trailed a few light kisses along Scott’s bearded jaw. “He sounds downright awful. Maybe we should have him take his temperature?”
“I’ve think we’ve done enough hovering over him for one night. He probably just wants to sleep and forget this whole night happened, and maybe call Rozanov.”
That would be the first thing that Scott would do if he was in Shane’s predicament: call Kip. There may not be anything anyone could do from a distance, though at least there would be a sympathetic ear to recognize their plight.
“I’m glad he has us, though,” Scott continued. “You more like it. You’re the one who actually recognized something was off with him despite not knowing him that well.”
Kip shrugged. “You would’ve noticed eventually, I’m sure.”
“Yeah, I’m not.”
Kip laughed as Scott scooped him up and set him on top of the counter, Kip falling back with a grunt. “What are you doing,” Kip asked, without much of a bite in his words. “Shane is in the next room.”
“He sure didn’t worry about that when things were reversed.”
“What?”
Scott shrugged his question off as he set to kissing Kip deeply, teeth trailing along Kip’s bottom lip. Kip moaned into his ravenous embrace, head tipped back to expose his throat. Scott latched on hungrily, skin worked between his teeth as he sucked hard. The sound that left Kip’s lips warmed Scott too much before his fiancé pulled away, the loss of Kip’s presence creating a vacant hole in Scott’s heart.
“Scott,” Kip panted, fixing Scott with an amused look. “We really shouldn’t. What if Shane needs something out here?”
Scott swallowed his retort in case it drifted all the way down the hallway. Kip was right, no matter how much Scott wanted to push things. There would be time for that later, when Shane Hollander wasn’t in their apartment.
“M’glad I can still do things for you when you’re surrounded by big, burly men all day, throwing each other around,” Kip teased, stepping down from the counter. He glanced back over his shoulder to make sure Scott was following him as he started towards their bedroom. “Almost starts to make a man jealous.”
Scott leapt after him, stealing a final deep kiss along his neck before calling first shower and disappearing into the bathroom before Kip could follow. Ordinarily this would be a time for both of them to relax before bed, but Scott was meticulous about showering once he got home from every game, even if he did so in the locker room. Shane being across the bathroom didn’t help, so Kip took the opportunity to retreat into their bedroom to get some reading done for his next week of classes, knowing that Scott wouldn’t be far behind.