Chapter Text
Ilya would have had a great practice if he weren’t worried so much about Shane and his team. After Shane left, he thought a bit more about the whole situation. He didn’t know much about Montreal's locker room, but from what Shane had said, it wasn’t good. Ilya tried to foster a good environment in the Boston locker room and, except for one or two outliers, he had, but Shane had more of a disadvantage in creating that same type of space. Shane wasn’t just gay; he was half Asian. Combine that with his naturally less sociable attitude, and while Shane was a great captain, Ilya could imagine how he had less influence over the room.
Ilya knew that even coming out to the Raiders would be an ordeal, and he had the advantage of a less hateful team. Ilya also couldn’t imagine losing his best friend on the team. He knew that Cliff would be one hundred percent okay with Ilya being bi or dating a man. He was surprisingly the most vocal against gay slurs in the locker room, especially after his niece and her girlfriend had come out.
Ilya was suddenly hit with the image of him and Shane playing on the same team. Practicing against each other every day, riding together to games, sharing hotels, coming home, and sleeping in the same bed every night.
But Boston didn’t have the cap space for another player right now, especially Shane Hollander, and Shane had two more years left on his contract. It just wasn’t in the cards right now. Maybe one day. Ilya knew that as much as he loves Boston, if the day came to play on the same team, or even closer to Shane, he would leave in less than a heartbeat.
When he did finally come home, it was with even less of an idea of a solution than when he left. Just as Ilya finished closing the door, Shane was in his arms and dragging him into their room and onto the bed.
“Hayden didn’t buy it,” Shane said from Ilya’s neck, pressing into him like he was trying to melt their bodies together, “He’s going to tell everyone. Not right now, but eventually, the whole team will know.”
“It’s okay. Hayden won't tell anyone right now if he knows what's good for him. And that gives you some time before next season to get ahead of everything.” Ilya said into Shane’s hair. “One problem at a time. What’s your plan?” Ilya knew that even if Shane didn’t quite know what to do, he had to have a plan brewing.
Shane groaned as he rolled over so he could speak without being muffled. “Well, first thing I need is a new manager. No matter what happens, even if somehow my mom fully accepts me and you, I still need a manager that isn’t my mom. I have a couple I’ve been looking at already, but I will need to pick up the pace on actually choosing one.”
“Yes, that’s a good idea.” Ilya thinks it over. “I think maybe I need a new manager too. I have a Russian one, and if anything comes out, I will need a not Russian one.”
“Maybe we could have the same one. One who will know everything and can help us prepare in case anything happens, or one who will know why we are making the moves we are.” Shane reached over to grab his phone and pull up the list of potential managers he had been looking at for the last few months. “That also narrows down the choices a bit too. Right now the only ones that have the credentials, time, and ability to meet both of our needs are Farah Jalali and Helen Richardson. But Farah has more experience with international clients.”
“Okay, so we go with Farah Jalali.” Ilya turned his head to look down at Shane and brought a hand up to brush through Shane’s hair. “See? One problem at a time.”
Shane closed his eyes and took a deep breath, enjoying just being in Ilya’s presence. Enjoying just lying there for a minute, together. Everything is going to be okay. Problem one is solved.
The next item on the list is his team. Shane really didn’t want to think about the team situation right now. He had no idea where to go or what he wanted. That would probably be a conversation for his new agent. Okay, the next item was to keep Hayden quiet. AKA get a girlfriend.
“Hayden isn’t going to keep quiet for long. Especially once he confirms that yes, I am gay and no, I don’t want to change that. I only have one idea right now, and that is to get a girlfriend. Not just your name on my phone, but one that they can see and one that joins the WAGS.” Shane knew that Ilya would hate this idea, but what other choice did he have? He needs time, and how else is he supposed to get everyone off his back?
“Shane, moya lyubov, I hate this idea.” They sat in silence as each considered the idea. Ilya didn’t want to see another person hanging off of Shane if he could help it, but more importantly, he didn’t want Shane to have to pretend just to be able to play hockey. Shane also didn’t really want a girlfriend, and he really didn’t know where to get one that would be okay just being very public but also not actually being in a relationship while Shane has a whole boyfriend waiting for him.
Ilya sat up with a sudden epiphany. “Shane, you could date Svetlana. She already knows I am dating a boy, and I think she knows it's you.” Shane sat up too, thinking about it a bit more.
“She is also from Boston, so I could pretend that I know her through Boston Lily and we just started dating after I cut things off with Boston Lily.” The more Shane thought about it, the more he thought that it might just work.
“Okay, Sveta is in a meeting right now, but I can call her and have her come over tonight, so you can introduce her to the team before the Metros leave Boston,” Ilya said.
“Okay, we have some time till then. Any ideas of how to spend it?” Shane asks, looking pointedly at Ilya. He wanted to stop worrying about all of this. He wanted to spend time with his boyfriend. He wanted Ilya to pull him out of his head.
“Maybe a couple,” Ilya answered, rolling over onto Shane.
~ ~ Definitely written out intense very hot sex scene ~ ~
A while later, Shane had reached out to Farah, explaining his situation, leaving out the big secret stuff, and had scheduled a meeting with her to discuss bringing him on as a client and his expectations. Task one complete.
While he did that, Ilya had invited Svetlana over with only the suggestion that she should meet ‘Jane’. Task two halfway done.
Shane turned on the Buffalo-Toronto game and tried to ignore the impending collapse of his life. Right at the second quarter ended, Buffalo leading 4-2, Svetlana walked through the door. She stopped briefly for a moment, taking in Shane and Ilya side by side on the couch before sitting down next to Ilya to watch the game like there was nothing out of the ordinary.
“So you are ‘Montreal Jane’?” Svetlana asked, turning to Shane as the final buzzer went off at the end of the game. Buffalo won 5-3.
“Yes, I’m Shane Hollander.” Shane started, “but you know that. Nice to meet you” He continued at the unimpressed look Ilya gave him.
“I have heard so much about you. Ilya never told me it was you, but I guessed from how intense he was about you. Was the rivalry ever real?” Svetlana turned fully towards Shane now.
“Well, it depends on how you define rivalry. If it’s hatred, then no, I have never hated Ilya. If you define it as wanting to beat someone more than you have wanted anything in the world, then yeah, the rivalry was and is the realest thing of my life.” Shane answered.
Svetlana asked a lot of questions. From “When did you two get together?” to “Well, when did you two actually meet?” to “How long have you been in love?” (the whole time). Ilya said she would have questions, and they decided to let her get to know Shane a bit before giving her the proposal.
Once she was done, Ilya turned towards her with a serious face, “Sveta, we have a favor to ask.”