Chapter Text
Ilya woke to the sound of a blender. A soft smile crossed his face when he realized Shane must have woken up early to make them breakfast. It was the morning of his second live show. He was more excited than nervous this week. He and Dani had worked really hard to perfect the routine this week. Ilya slung his legs over the side of the bed and made his way towards the kitchen. He stood at the edge of the kitchen, taking in the sight of his beautiful husband. Shane was standing at the counter, back to Ilya, making smoothies. It looked like Shane had also started making avocado toast with eggs and bacon. He had been insistent that Ilya eat a big breakfast each morning before going to practice. Shane, being Shane, made sure Ilya had snacks, protein bars, and Pocari Sweat, a new electrolyte drink Shane had found recently, in his duffel. He always gave Ilya enough to share with Dani so that they could take their snack breaks together. Dani had told him that he didn't need to do that because she brought her own snacks, but Ilya told her that Shane would keep packing them whether she ate them or not. She had eventually relented and accepted the snacks.
After a minute or two, Shane turned around and noticed Ilya standing there. His face lit up with the soft smile that was only ever for Ilya. Like being pulled by a magnet, Ilya made his way to stand behind Shane, arms around his waist and chin on his shoulder.
"It smells delicious. Thank you, moya lyubov."
Shane relaxed into his hold, leaning against Ilya's chest.
"Of course. Today is a really long day for you. You're going to be awake for 16 hours; you need fuel. I know they will provide lunch, but I can bring some for you, Dani, and Pasha if you want. Actually, I can bring lunch for anyone you want. Just tell me how many people."
Ilya hid his smile in Shane's neck. It still overwhelmed him sometimes being cared for in this way. He had gone so long without it, and he still felt undeserving at times. He had been working with Galina, and it had gotten better, but sometimes it just hit him, like now.
"Thank you, sweetheart, but I had lunch on set last week, and it's actually very good. They make sure there are plenty of options for everyone. I can ask if you can eat lunch with us on set. I saw some family members there during lunch last week. We could get something from craft services and eat it in my trailer."
"That could be nice. Ask Melanie, and if she says yes, then we can invite Dani, Pasha, and Lana to eat with us. I got to talk with Dani and Pasha at family dinner last week, but I haven't had a chance to meet Lana yet. It would be nice to get to know her, Dani and Pasha better."
"Okay, then I will ask when I arrive and text you." Shane kissed his cheek before removing Ilya's arms from around his waist.
"Time to eat, or you'll be late."
Ilya sat at the island once Shane set the plates and smoothies on the table. They sat and talked while eating before Ilya had to start getting ready. He got ready quickly, not bothering with doing his hair since it would be done once he arrived. He changed into a Centaurs shirt and sweatpants, then grabbed his duffel bag and walked toward the front door. Shane was already standing in the entryway, keys in hand. He drove Ilya to practice every morning before coming home to do his own stuff. He would go on a run, do work for the foundation, and maybe go to a local rink to get some practice in. He grabbed Shane's hand before pulling him out the door and towards the car. They got in, Shane in the driver's seat and Ilya on the passenger's side, and started driving towards the now familiar DWTS studio.
‧₊˚✧🪩✧˚₊‧
Ilya walked inside and greeted Melanie like he did every morning.
"Good Morning, Melanie. How are we feeling this morning?"
"Already tired, and we've still got 12 hours until showtime."
"I can imagine. You guys work so hard, and we are all very thankful. Also, are family members allowed to come eat lunch at craft services?"
"Shane planning to come for lunch today?"
"If it's allowed, yes."
"Yes, he can come. You guys can grab food from craft services and either eat in there or take it back to your trailer. I want to meet the infamous Shane, so find me if he comes."
"Of course. I keep forgetting you haven't met yet. I will bring him to you after we eat."
"Thank you. Now, head to hair and makeup before they yell at me over the walkies."
Ilya gave her a small salute, which she mimicked; it had become something they did every morning when he arrived. He walked towards the hair and makeup area. When he walked in, Dani, Jennifer, and Jan greeted him, all already seated. As soon as he sat down, there were hands in his hair messing with his curls. Florence made eye contact with him in the mirror, one eyebrow raised questioningly.
"Ilya, did you do anything to your hair this morning, or did you just roll out of bed?"
"Uh, the second one." Florence let out a sigh behind him while the other cast members and stylists laughed.
"Ilya…"
"But, Florence, you are like a magician with my hair. Anything I did to it this morning would be nothing compared to whatever you're going to do."
"I know, Ilya, but your hair is like a rat's nest. I'm going to have to brush it out, and you know I hate brushing curls."
"I'm sorry. I will take a shower before I come next time, promise."
"Thank you. That's all I ask."
Dani leaned forward from her spot a few chairs down from Ilya.
"Florence, hold him to that. If he doesn't come next week with freshly washed curls, tell me, and I'll tell Shane."
Ilya's jaw dropped.
"Dani, you're going to tattletell on me to my husband?" She just shrugged her shoulders with a smirk on her face.
"If that's what it takes to make my lovely Florence's job easier, then yes."
"Whatever." He sank slightly down in his chair, pout on his face. Jennifer was the next to speak.
"You know, it's very fun to see this side of you, Ilya. I've seen you on the ice and in interviews, but this is a whole different person. I love it." There was a genuine smile on her face as she spoke.
"Ah, yes. In Boston, I was told to play up the bad-boy Russian persona. At the time, I didn't mind because I was a bit moodier, and there was so much going on in my life that I embraced it more. It was more of a mask than who I really was. Once Shane and I really got together and my life started looking up, I started shedding that persona. Moving to Ottawa helped. The team there was so opposite from Boston and let me just be myself. It was refreshing."
"Well, I'm glad we get to meet the real Ilya Rozanov," Jan said from the chair to Ilya's right. Ilya just smiled as Florence continued fixing his hair.
After an hour or so, Ilya was finished with hair and makeup, so he made his way to the waiting area to meet Dani, who had finished just before him. When she saw him walk in, she stood up.
"Ready to go to costumes?"
"Yes, let's go."
They walked to the costume department. They were handed their costumes for tonight. Ilya wore black jeans, a white button-down, and a jean vest. Dani wore her opening-number outfit: a red dress. She would change into her dance outfit after the opening. Once they finished getting dressed, they walked to the ballroom for their camera blocking and individual rehearsal before the group dress rehearsal. They ran through their dance a few times with the camera crew to make sure everything went smoothly for tonight's show. They made their way back into the waiting area to review the footage Dani had gotten on her phone. They sat down and watched the video, Dani pointing out a few things they could fix before tonight.
"Overall, I think you're doing really well. This dance is really difficult. I'm proud of us." Ilya threw an arm around her and pulled her in close.
"I'm proud of us too. We're going to kill it tonight."
‧₊˚✧🪩✧˚₊‧
Shane did end up coming to set for lunch. They grabbed some food together before taking it back to Ilya's trailer. Dani, Pasha, and Lana joined them. The five of them sat around telling stories and getting to know each other. Ilya hadn't spoken much to Lana, so it was nice to get to know her a bit outside of just being Pasha's partner. Ilya had asked her some questions about being on 'Once Upon A Time' because he had watched that show when it was on. It was also something he hadn't experienced before, and he was curious. She, in turn, asked Shane and Ilya questions about hockey and being professional athletes. Shane had invited her to visit them once the season was over. Ilya had joked that they should have a post-season cast party at their cottage in Ottawa, but Shane took it seriously. He thought it was a great idea, and Ilya could tell he was already mentally planning for it. After an hour, a knock came to the trailer door.
"Hey guys, we need you for content for socials." A PA yelled from outside the trailer. Shane stood up and threw his trash away.
"That is my cue. I will see you guys at the show. Good luck tonight." He said to Dani, Pasha, and Lana before turning to Ilya.
"I'm going to go and work on things for the foundation with Mom. I shouldn't have any questions, but if I do, I'll text you. I'll come and see you before the show like I did last week. I love you." Shane leaned in to give him a quick kiss before leaving.
"You guys are so in love. It's disgusting." Dani joked.
"What foundation was he talking about?" Lana asked.
"We run a foundation together called The Irina Foundation. We raise money for mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and youth inclusion in hockey. We host inclusive hockey camps for kids in the summer. Hockey is a very expensive sport to play, which can limit who can actually play. We try to give access to kids who maybe can't afford all the equipment. We use some of the donations to buy gear for kids. We invite our friends to help us coach the camps. It gives kids the chance to learn from the best in a safe environment. We donate a lot of money, like I said, to different mental health organizations. It's very important to us. Shane's mom helps us run the foundation, and it's named after my mom, Irina. She died when I was 12 after she lost her battle with depression. Shane was the one who brought up naming it after her. He wanted to try to help others in her honor and keep her memory alive." He could feel tears stinging the back of his eyes as he spoke. He looked around and noticed there wasn't a dry eye in the room.
"That's really beautiful, Ilya. Your mother would be very proud of the man you've become. If you're interested, I think it's worth talking to someone about a charity auction. The show has done it before, and they might do it again, especially since it's your charity. They could hold an auction of costumes, props, and signed items from the show and donate the proceeds to the Irina Foundation." Pasha suggested with a hand on Ilya's shoulder.
"I didn't know they did that. I will mention it to Shane and Yuna this week and see what they think. I'm also donating all my earnings from the show to the charity. I don't need the money. I'm just doing this for fun."
"You should announce that on the socials. It could help spur more donations to the foundation if people knew you were donating your earnings to it. You've got a lot of people watching this show who don't know that you have this incredible foundation, but I think you should tell them. We're going to film with the socials team right now, so we can mention it to them." Dani said. She stood up as she spoke so they could all start leaving the trailer.
They did end up talking to the socials team, who said it might be better to announce it during tonight's live show. They could do it after their dance when they're in the Sky-Box with Julianne. She reminded them to talk to Melanie about it before the show, though. Melanie had agreed that announcing Ilya's plans to donate would be a nice addition to the show. She told them she would let everyone know that Ilya would make the announcement after their dance so everyone on the crew could plan for it time-wise.
Shane came back later that evening, before the show started. He wished Ilya luck and mingled with some of the other cast a little bit. Ilya could tell everyone talking to him was starting to get to his husband, so he placed a hand on Shane's back and told everyone he needed to rejoin his parents. There was a silent show of thanks in Shane's expression as Ilya led him towards the door to the audience. Ilya rejoined Dani and waited for their cue that the show was about to start.
‧₊˚✧🪩✧˚₊‧
"Live from Hollywood, it's Latin Night on Dancing with the Stars"
Ilya watched the opening number to Despecha by Rosalia from the Sky-Box, leaning his arms against the railing so he could see clearly. He had learned last week that the pros learned these dances in only three hours. He was amazed because they looked like they'd been rehearsing for weeks. They finished the number, then Alfonso and Julianne made their way to the center of the ballroom floor.
"Welcome to Dancing with the Stars. It's Latin Night!" Alfonso said into his microphone. He and Julianne stood side by side in matching red outfits.
"Woo! And that incredible performance number was choreographed by our own Daniella Karagach and Pasha Pashkov." Ilya cheered loudly from his spot, next to Lana. The other celebs were laughing, and Julianne pointed at him. He knows the camera is on him now, so he cheers louder.
"That's just a sample of the spicy Latin moves you're going to see tonight. Let's welcome our stars!" Alfonso waved his hand in the direction of the Sky-Box, where the pros had joined them, now wearing their outfits for tonight. They went down the line, reintroducing everyone to the TV audience, just in case they forgot since last week. Dani and Ilya were the last couple, so they waved at the camera quickly before it panned back to the hosts.
"Latin Night" is going to be hot, hot, hot," Julianne says while pretending to fan herself.
"Alright, we'll start the night off with Kit Connor and his partner, Emma Slater." Alfonso cheered before walking off backstage. The lights dimmed as Kit and Emma walked onto the stage. Ilya and Dani were going last tonight, so Ilya made himself comfortable and watched the performances. For the most part, Ilya thought everyone was doing really well given that it was only the second week. He made sure to greet all the couples as they came back up into the Sky-Box after their dance. Once Jack and Jenna took their places on the dance floor, Ilya and Dani were ushered backstage to wait for their turn. They were given last-minute touch-ups before being told it was their turn. They stood in their positions through the commercial break. Ilya could hear the cameraman count down as he shook out his shoulders. He could hear the start of this week's video playing in the background as he waited.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT START
[Flashbacks from Week One play across the screen before showing Dani and Ilya sitting on the rehearsal room floor.]
ILYA: Last week felt like being shot out of a cannon, in a good way. We did well, but the pressure is definitely higher this week.
[Dani claps her hands together and points at Ilya]
DANIELLA: Well, this week is Latin Night. We are doing a samba to Mi Gente by J Balvin. It's going to be the hardest dance you learn all season.
[Ilya puts his head in his hands, then picks it up, running his hands through his hair.]
ILYA: So, what makes a samba hard?
DANIELLA: If you lose the bounce, you lose the entire dance.
[clip of Dani teaching Ilya the whisk]
DANIELLA: To move your hips to the speed of the music is already difficult. But to move your hips with a samba bounce is another level.
[More shots of the pair practicing samba rolls, the whisk, and other parts of the dance. Next clip shows Ilya with sweat on his face, breathing heavily, his hands on his hips. He's looking at Dani.]
ILYA: I see why it's one of the most challenging dances on the show. I'm worried because if I lose that beat, I'm going to mess up the entire routine.
[Ilya starts trying to walk and bounce at the same time. Both Dani and Ilya are laughing.]
ILYA: I don't think I can do the bounce. I feel like I'm walking like an antelope.
DANIELLA: (in Russian) Are you a quitter, Ilya Rozanov?
ILYA: (in Russian) Absolutely not, show me again.
[A closer-up shot of Ilya talking directly to the camera.]
ILYA: In Week One, we set a high bar, and now there's this expectation that we're great. I want to try and prove that expectation right this week.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT ENDS
"Dancing the Samba with his partner Daniella Karagach, it's Ilya Rozanov!"
They are bathed in blue light; Dani stands behind him. When the music started, he felt her hands come from behind to grab his vest. He spun her around, the bass dropped, and Ilya lost himself in the dance. He felt the energy from the crowd, from Dani, and from the music. He gave it his all before the dance ended, with the spotlight on him and Dani. She had her leg by his waist, and his hand was on her thigh. As soon as he heard the cheers from the crowd and Alfonso, he leaned in to give Dani a hug, both of them laughing. They broke apart and made their way to stand next to Alfonso near the judges' table.
"Ilya and Daniella with a samba to a song that will stick in my head for the next year. And they are loving you here in the ballroom. Alright. Carrie Ann." Alfonso said as the pair took their spot.
"Ilya, in my 20 years of judging this show, I've never seen a contestant quite like you. You're kind of a conundrum because you're a little bit of a beginner. But then those hips are expert level. I mean, I just have to say what everybody is thinking, okay? That's not to take away from all this work you're putting in because I can see you're learning the technique. This was a huge improvement over last week in your posture and fluidity. Your body moved smoother and wasn't as stiff this week. There's still room for improvement, but definitely a step up from last week. Great job, you guys." Carrie finishes. Derek goes next.
"No, listen, dude, I have to say that is very, very impressive to see, like, that whisk motion. And the bounce." Derek stands up and demonstrates a whisk from behind the desk.
"You did great. I know last week I said to make sure you were connecting with Daniella, and I can tell you took that to heart. Your connection this week on the dance floor is much better. Okay, Bruno, your turn."
"Snake-hipped wonder! The fluidity of your dance improved this week. I can really tell you took all our comments and really implemented them." Bruno stood up and yelled. Everyone laughed because they expected nothing less from the man. Alfonso placed a hand on Ilya's shoulder.
"Thank you, guys. You can head on up to the Sky-Box. Thrilling theme nights are on their way, including Disney Night, Y2K Night, and Musicals Night. Julianne." Ilya and Dani made their way up to the Sky-Box. At the top of the stairs, they were greeted by cheering and hugs from everyone. They stood beside Julianne with Ilya's hand around Dani's waist.
"Samba rolls, bacharas, the whisk, I mean, what was the most difficult part about finding that samba bounce?" Julianne asked.
"My quads hurt. It's all the going up and down, and Dani doesn't take it easy on me." Ilya demonstrated going up and down for the audience. Dani laughed and mouthed "No, I don't" at the camera.
"No, she does not. I love it so much. Also, Ilya, I was told you have an announcement to make." Julianne asked questioningly. She offered him her microphone; he took it.
"Yes, I am going to be donating all of my earnings from the show to The Irina Foundation. It's a charity that I co-founded with my husband. We raise money for mental health awareness, suicide prevention, and youth inclusion in hockey. These causes are very close to my heart. I believe that speaking up about mental health saves lives, and that's what we aim to do with The Irina Foundation. If you want to join me in donating, you can go to our website. Thank you so much." Everyone in the Sky-Box clapped for his speech.
"That's really beautiful, Ilya. If you want to donate to The Irina Foundation, you can go to the website shown on your screen. Now, let's get your scores." Julianne said.
Ilya bounced on his feet as he turned to face the judges.
"Carrie Ann Inaba"
"8!"
Ilya's hand on Dani's waist squeezed tighter.
"Derek Hough"
"8!"
He pulled Dani in for a hug and held her while they waited for Bruno.
"Bruno Tonioli"
"8!"
Cheering erupted from the Sky-Box. Ilya picked Dani up and spun her around. Julianne laughed at them before continuing the show.
"Alright, 24 out of 30 for Ilya and Daniella. Their total for both nights is 43 out of 60. Remember, you get 10 votes per couple per voting method, so you've got plenty of chances to save your favorites from tonight's double elimination. Alfonso."
Congratulations came in from all the cast. Lana and Pasha came over specifically to wrap the pair in hugs. The four of them walked back down to the backstage area to prepare for the end of the show.
"That's it for the second week of competition. Here's where everyone stands on the combined judges' leaderboard. At the top are Hilary and Val and Ilya and Daniella with 24 out of 30. Voting is almost closed. We will go announce the two couples who will be going home after this commercial break." Alfonso said directly to the camera.
The crew ushered the couples out to stand in their spots as they prepared for the elimination. The tension in the air was so thick that Ilya felt like he was choking. Everyone was nervous, and no one wanted to go home, but two of them would be.
"Whatever the outcome, we did a fantastic job, Ilya. Let's try to be positive." Dani whispered to him.
"You're right. I just want this so bad."
"I know, and you've done everything you can. It's up to the viewers now." He felt her head fall on his shoulder, and he put his head on top of hers, pulling her close.
"5, 4, 3, 2…" came from the cameraman, and then they were live again. Alfonso and Julianne stood together in the middle of the ballroom for the second time that night. Alfonso brought the microphone to his face before speaking.
"Welcome back to Latin Night. Voting is now closed, and here are the results." Julianne spoke next.
"Good luck to all of you. We've combined the judges' scores from tonight and last week with your live votes from both nights. Now, in no particular order, let's find out which couples are safe and the two couples who will be going home tonight."
Red lights filled the stage. Ilya could see Shane, Yuna, and David from his spot. All of them looked as nervous as he was. Their hands clasped together, focused, zeroed in on the stage.
"The first six couples who are safe are Trinity and Jan, Jack Innanen and Jenna, Kit and Emma, Jason and Witney, Spencer and Ezra, and Ilya and Daniella!" Alfonso cheered.
Ilya yelled. He was pulled into a group hug by Jack Innanen, who was standing next to him. He felt relief fill his body now that he was safe. He tried to quiet his excitement as they announced the last safe couples.
"The next couples who are safe are Hilary and Val, Ashley and Mark, Lauren and Brandon, Jennifer and Alan, Lana and Pasha!"
He ran to hug Pasha and Lana. It was only week two, but they were some of his best friends, and he couldn't imagine doing this without them. He watched Jack Wolfe and Rylee, Alexander and Britt, and John and Sharna make their way further down the stage.
"While not necessarily the bottom three, one of these couples is safe. The other two couples had the lowest combined total of judges' scores and viewer votes from our first two nights of competition, and will both be leaving right now." Alfonso said solemnly. Julianne wished everyone luck before continuing with the final results.
"Based on the combination of the judges' scores and viewer votes, the final couple who is safe is John and Sharna! That means unfortunately tonight was the last night for Jack and Rylee and Alexander and Britt."
Everyone came down from the stairs to offer hugs to the eliminated couples. Ilya hadn't gotten to know any of them very well, but it was still sad to see anyone leave. The hosts gave the outro before the director announced they were off air. The floor soon filled with family and friends. Ilya saw Shane, Yuna, and David approaching them from his peripheral. He left the group and made his way to them. Yuna immediately wrapped him in a hug.
"Oh, I'm so happy you guys made it through." She said while rubbing a hand up and down his back.
"Me too. It's sad when people go home, but happy that Dani and I get to stay at least one more week."
They kept talking until Dani and Pasha joined them. Yuna and David greeted them.
"Shane, Ilya, family dinner tomorrow night. Daniella and Pasha, you are invited again if you want to come."
"We would be honored. Nikita loved playing with Anya last week, so we will see you guys tomorrow evening. Ilya, I will see you in the morning for rehearsal. It's a new week, which means a new dance."
"Of course. I'll see you in the morning." He looked at Shane, who asked if he was ready to go. Ilya kissed his cheek.
"Yes, let me go change, then we can leave."
"Okay, we'll wait for you here."
An hour later, Ilya was showered and lying in bed with Shane. He fell asleep excited for what the next week would bring.