Chapter Text
Interlude.
Marlow, Connors and Pike had a plan. It was mostly Marlow's plan. But the other two were still getting credit, like most group project members. Marlow was also planning on only taking one third of the blame if it crashed and burned. The plan was definitely going to work though, so there was no need to worry. Everything was going to be ok. He was just going to confront his notoriously grumpy private captain about his love life and why he seemed to be cheating on his perfect lovely Jane with his rival. Or maybe thinking about cheating. Again the group wasn't entirely sure what exactly was happening in the Rozanov and Hollander world. Only that something suspicious was happening and they didn't like it.
Not the whole being bisexual thing. That was fine. It was the person Rozanov had picked that was a problem. Other people, including some on their team would definitely have issues with the entire situation, but Marlow made a habit of not speaking to those people. And tripping them by ‘accident’ on ice.
He had a rare day off, and unfortunately had been saddled with babysitting his niece and nephew. Which he didn’t actually mind, he just really wished he could have been napping instead. But apparently being a parent was more exhausting than being a professional athlete, because his brother had been at his wits end when he had answered the door.
“Take the rugrats out. Take them anywhere, please.” He had begged. “Take them to the museum or the harbor. I don't care. Just don't kill them and bring them home. Later.”
And with that Marlow had ended up at the Natural history museum. It had been a quick, if stressful ride on the T to get there, oddly enough, a trip made easier by Rozanov’s presence. Marlow was still confused as to how he had ended up in this situation. Ilya had called him while he was on his way to get the kids, and had volunteered to help him. He knew his captain had a soft spot for children, but to give up a rare day off, was unheard of.
Thus had he arrived at the Harvard Museum of natural history woefully unprepared for two sugar fueled children, and one slightly goofy Russian. It seemed like a good time to have a mild confrontation about life choices as any., In hindsight he could have picked a better place to do it than in the room full of creepy stuffed dead animals and glass eyes, but really he couldn't even take full credit for that one. He blamed Rozanov for it.
They had just exited the very beautiful, much less creepy room full of flowers in glass cabinets when unprompted Rozanov announced with genuine sadness, “Stegosaurus never saw flowers.” Which was a sentence Marlow would pay to have anyone else have heard. Not only because Rozanov’s accent was very entertaining when trying to pronounce the long dinosaur name.
“What?” Marlow repeated dumbly.
“The dinosaur. With the spikes on back? Flowers evolved around twenty million years after it went extinct.” He sounded to Marlow like he was quoting someone else.
The kids scampered away, as Marlow grabbed his captain by the shoulders and stared into his eyes, “Who are you and what have you done with my captain. How do you know those words?”
“Jane told me.” Rozanov shrugged, unbothered the corners of his lips twisted up into a happy smirk. He had been like that more and more lately. Marlow was only a little bit worried about the ever present good mood. He let go of his shoulder sighing, before realizing now was the perfect moment to enact the plan. The very very good plan. The plan that was very thought out. The plan that entailed exactly one step. Asking Rozanov and Hollander directly.
So as Marlow lost sight of his two charges into a room full of dead animals, he opened his big mouth and asked, “Roz are you cheating on Jane?”
Rozanov gave him such a scandalized look it was like he wasn't aware of his reputation for being a flirt. “No?” he replied.
Marlow raised one eyebrow, doubtful but before he could open his mouth Ilya continued.
“We only became,” he paused searching for the word, “exclusive a few months ago?” Marlow watched him count out numbers on his fingers before holding up one hand. “Five months. Anniversary is next week. Should I send flowers? Or maybe chocolates. I'll send both.” There was a nervous and excited energy to Rozanov's words.
Marlow was now even more confused, "Haven't you been seeing this girl for years? Also like no one celebrates a five month anniversary. That's not a thing.” Rozanov pouted at him for that.
“We were lovers before, but that is not a word I am allowed to use anymore since Jane’s parents caught us and I said that to them.”
“You have met her parents?!”
“Da. They love me.”
This was so much worse than they had ever thought. The whole plan was going terribly, or rather very well, but with terrible results. Marlow was finally getting answers out of his friend, and all he had had to do was ask, but on the other hand Rozanov was not telling the whole truth. Not only was he not talking about Hollander, but he also knew that Jane had been something serious for far longer.
“Ilya.” He said. Trying to defy the odds and make Rozanov take something serious-well seriously for once.
“Cliff.” Rozanov responded by raising an eyebrow.
No time like the present, “I know you and Hollander are,” he paused, “also lovers. Or something.”
Rozanov looked mildly worried for a moment, searching his friend's face for every expression change. Seeing no hate, only worry on Marlow's face, he laughed to himself. “Marlow. I just said. Lovers is not allowed anymore.”
“What about Jane though? She’s ok with this?”
Rozanov was laughing too hard to speak now. He covered his face with his hands and bent over somewhat, as if his body was unable to get enough oxygen in to keep him upright. Marlow was a little worried he had damaged his captain, and Boston's best player irreparably. “Marlow. What is Hollander’s first name?”
“Shane. Why?”
“Ok,” he poked his face out from behind his hands, “and what is the name of the ‘girl’ I have been texting for years?”
“Jane. I still don't see- oh.” Marlow stopped. They were all so so stupid. To be fair, Rozanov and Hollander were included in that, but they could be considered marginally less so because somehow it had worked.
“I never said Jane was a girl. You all decided that. Fuck you even saw him teach me new fun facts. You thought what? I was cheating on Jane with Shane? That I had two smart, trivia-knowing people who both lived in Montreal?”
“We just thought you had a type?” Marlow said, sounding pathetic. "I am sure there are two smart hot people dumb enough to date you in Montreal."
Rozanov’s face sharpened at this, his whole body tense and still. The contrast between his easy laughter and frozen in fear was enough to send Marlow into fight or flight. “Who is we?”
“Uh… me and Connors to start. But um. We have been talking to Hayden Pike from the metros too about all this. We heard you talking on the bench about fish lies and we just started noticing things.” Ilya’s face dropped at the word Hayden.
“I have to go-” Ilya said, walking away at a rapid speed, his phone already out. “I need to warn him before that sixteenth rate idiot gives him a panic!”
Marlow heard him as he sped around the corner begin to talk to someone on the phone, “Hi, don't freak out Лисёнок, but some of the less dumb teammates of mine have figured us out. And apparently Hayden as well-” the sound faded into the distance, as well as Marlow's only help with his niece and nephew for the day. He vowed to send a very nice apology gift to Rozanov, especially as he remembered how he had slammed into Hollander and given him a concussion at the end of last season. So many things were making more sense.
There was the sound of shattering glass in the room full of dead animals, followed by a screech of triumph Marlow unfortunately recognized.
“Oh fuck-the kids!” he dashed into the room, thoughts of Rozanov and Hollander momentarily forgotten.
Hayden, and more realistically Jackie sat Shane down a few days later. He had been expecting it since Ilya’s call. Dreading, and expecting it. Ilya had calmed him down after a few hours, soothing him by telling him Marlow had seemed more concerned by him maybe cheating on Jane with Shane than by any other piece of information. He was even debating messing with Hayden a little bit, playing dumb with this whole conversation, but he realized as soon as Jackie was involved that this wasn't going to work.
When he heard Hayden’s opening statement however, he really wished he had prepared for it a bit better, because his best friend decided to start the conversation with; “So you are gay and fucking Ilya Rozanov.”
Next to him Jackie put her head in her hands, and Shane gently thunked his own on the table in front of him. The conversation rapidly improved from then on, with both Jackie and Shane deciding that Hayden was banned from talking. If he wanted to ask a clarifying question he was required to take his phone out and text it to Jackie for approval before she would ask Shane.
All in all it probably went marginally better than with his parents, because at least Hayden had perhaps witnessed some of their behavior over the years together. It also definitely went worse because Hayden was a bit lacking in emotional intelligence. But the love was there. So by the end of the afternoon Hayden had reluctantly agreed to be less of an asshole to Ilya, and even meet him in a neutral setting.
Shane waited till he was almost out the door to drop an abbreviated version of the plan he had for the two of them to come out. He was down right delighted when Hayden swooned into Jackie's arms at the thought of Ilya moving to Ottawa.
“He can't become a Canadian. Please, Shane, you have to admit this is a step too far. Boston is perfect for him. America is perfect for him!”
“Hayden, sweetie,” Jackie put a hand on his shoulder, comforting her husband while rolling her eyes to Shane, “I think no matter what Ilya is going to become a Canadian citizen when he marries Shane.”
“No one said anything about marriage!” Hayden wailed.
Jackie shushed him and rubbed his back as Shane laughed, gleefully fleeing the scene. Behind him he could hear Jackie slowly explaining the concept of marriage to her husband of nearly a decade.
It honestly could have gone worse. And now several of the most important people in both his and Ilya’s life knew about them, and seemed to be pretty ok with things. It was enough to make him halfway hopeful about their future.