Chapter Text
Stanley Cup Finals, 2022
This was Henry’s first time at a hockey game and it was overwhelming. They were seated in a VIP suite to avoid the crowds mobbing them but the frenzy was still palpable. This was probably due to the fact that this was their first real chance at winning the Cup, ever.
Alex tried to explain to Henry what was going on on the ice but he himself was too wrapped up in the game to really be good at it, which his boyfriend didn’t mind. He was perfectly content with following the puck and cheering when Ottawa scored. Which they did, a lot.
The one thing that was obvious, even to the untrained eye, is how well the entire team worked together. Henry didn’t know much about the history of the team but from what Alex told him, it wasn't an easy feat to manage to reach that amount of cohesion. However the real scene stealers were, obviously, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. They seemed to be able to read each other’s minds, one of them always being right where the other expects him to be. It was beautiful to witness, like a perfectly timed choreography.
Eventually, the Centaurs won and it was an explosion of joy on the ice, and in the crowds. Shane didn’t realize it right away. He stared at the scoreboard, dumbfounded, before he felt his teammates tackle him in a hug. They did it. They fucking did it. They proved everyone that said playing with his husband would distract him. That he killed his career by standing with his husband. They won a fucking Stanley Cup with the Ottawa Centaurs.
Before he realized it, tears were streaming down Shane’s face, he looked around for Ilya just to find him next to him, doing the exact same thing. They crashed into each other and they kissed. On center ice. In front of thousands of people.
The kiss was unlike any other they shared before. It was barely a kiss with how hard they were grinning but it still felt like the best kiss they ever had. It felt like a promise. It felt like those romance books kisses, like fireworks but also like a calming wave. It felt like a promise that so much more was coming for them. And with their teammates wolf-whistling and the crowd cheering for them, it felt like home.
Henry and Alex witnessed it from their box and they both let out a tear at the display. It was beautiful to see, and they could only imagine how great it was for the players to be able to show their love in such a public way after hiding for such a long time. They didn’t know how long exactly, but they knew it was a long time.
Afterwards, in the locker room, the mood was at an all time high, the champagne and the tears were flowing and Shane thought that he would probably never feel this happy again. Until Harris came to grab him and Ilya. “What’s going on?” Shane asked, alarmed.
Harris smiled. “Nothing too serious, don”t worry. It's just- um- How do I say this?”
“Get on with it Harris, Shane is about to have panic attack.”
“Alexclaremontdiazandhenrytheprinceofenglandarehereandtheywanttomeetyou!” Harris said, in one single breath. Shane blinked.
“Come again?”
“The first son of the United States and his boyfriend, the Prince of England, are here and they want to meet you to congratulate you!” Harris seemed to be barely able to believe the words that were coming out of his mouth.
“What the fuck.”
“What Ilya said.”
And suddenly they were face to face with Alex Claremont Diaz and Henry Fox-Mountchristen Windsor, still sweaty and sticky from the game and the champagne because they didn’t have time to change or take a shower and no one knew what to say.
Shane was prepared for a lot of social situations, being media trained from the age of 12 will do that to a person, but somehow the lessons must have skipped the “whatever the fuck you’re supposed to do in front of two very prominent political figures who somehow managed to live through the same very public scandal as you a few months before you did” chapter. So, he froze.
Thankfully, Ilya was very talented at breaking the ice.
“Should we…. bow? Or something? Sorry, I don’t know how to behave around royalty, we only have Putin and oligarchs back in Russia.”
Everyone seemed to relax instantly, the prince chuckling. “God no, please don’t. Don’t use honorifics as well, just call me Henry.”
“And I’m Alex.”
Well, I’m Ilya” he pointed to himself. “And this is Shane” he pointed to his husband.
They shook hands and Alex spoke first. “Congratulations on the win! That was beautiful to witness.”
Shane exhaled a breath he didn’t even know he was holding and relaxed. Hockey. He could talk about hockey. He was good at talking about hockey. “Oh, thank you so much! We worked really hard to get there.
Ilya chuckled. “You mean, I and the rest of the team worked really hard. You came in when work was already done, I had the hardest job.”
Shane rolled his eyes. “Yes my love, I know, you were carrying this team on your back for the longest time blah blah blah.” He faced the other couple. “Sorry about him.”
Henry smiled. “Oh don’t worry, I have the same one at home.”
Alex grinned. “Oh, don’t act like you don’t love it.”
Suddenly, a loud voice coming from the locker room interrupted them. “Hollander, Rozanov if you don’t hurry the fuck up we’re leaving without you-”
“DON’T say that to them you know that’s what they want us to do”
The quatuor laughed. “Well then, I guess we should get going.” Alex said. “Congratulations again!”
They shook hands and Ilya and Shane shared a look. The one where you could tell an entire conversation was taking place but no one else could understand what was being said, until Ilya addressed the other couple. “Woud you want to come to bar with us and the team, to celebrate?”
It was Alex and Henry’s turn to share a look. The blonde spoke up. “Well, we wouldn’t want to intrude, you certainly want to celebrate with your team.”
Ilya grinned. “Oh, don’t worry there will be a lot of that anyway, and maybe if you come they might leave us alone a bit.”
Shane chuckled. “You’re not forced to do anything, you probably have a lot better to do than hang out with loud and drunk hockey players, but just know that if you come the team is really great and really safe.”
Ilya nodded. “Of course they are, or else I would’ve fired them myself.”
Alexand Henry looked at each other before nodding. “You know what, why not. I don’t think we had anything else planned tonight anyways.” Alex said.
“Yes, because Ottawa is very boring city.” Ilya said, which earned him a punch on the arm from shane. “Ouch.”
“Don’t even start. I’d say I’ll tect you the time and address but. Um. Well.” Shane shrugged with an awkward smile while Ilya rolled his eyes.
“I can’t believe you’re flirting with them right in front of me.”
“Ilya, what are you talking about.” Shane said, in the flattest tone possible, knowing exactly where he was going.
“Well, you’re obviously asking them for their numbers. Are you tired of me? Is it because they’re young-”
“And we’re done here!” Shane pulled Ilya back to the locker room while the other couple watched the interation with an amused glint in their eyes. “I’ll ask Harris to give you my number. He’s our social media guy, he’s really nice, but he might freak out a bit. Please don’t tease him too much.”
“Noted!” Alex said and the couples waved to each other before going their separate ways.
A few moments later, a terrified Harris stumbled his way through giving Shane’s phone number to the First Prince of the United States and the Prince of England while the other two tried to convince him that he really, really, couldn’t do anything to upset them.
This was about to be a fun night.