Chapter Text
The Voyageurs won 3-2, Hollander breaking the tie in the last minute. Nobody on the ice was prepared for a blue and red blur to snatch up the puck and bury it in the net from the center of the ice. The Bears lost, but it didn’t matter to them at all. After all, the Boston/Montreal club night was still on.
~~~
Jane
10:37pm
Ilya Rozanov
shanyaaaa
you are turning down marly tonight, yes?
Jane
I don’t know. He has dibs.
Ilya Rozanov
that’s not funny shane
Jane
I’m sorry, любовь. It’s the “Bear Code of Dibs.”
I cannot break.
Ilya Rozanov
are you serious???
what the fuck
it’s just a dib
Jane
Tell Marleau he can’t hit on me anymore because it’s “just a dib” then.
Go on.
Ilya Rozanov
…….
shanya i am sorry i didn’t call dibs
marly made unprecedented dib
Jane
If you can learn “unprecedented” you can learn how to call dibs on your boyfriend.
🫶
Ilya Rozanov
((((
you break my heart (((
</3
Jane
I’ll see you at the bar after Marleau tries to claim his dib.
Ilya Rozanov
…
about that
Jane
What do you mean “about that?”
What did you do.
Ilya Rozanov
other bears may have lined up and made dibs in case marly fails while i was in bathroom during break before second period
i am last in line
Jane
????????
What the fuck?????
This is absurd.
I have to spend my entire night getting hit on by straight hockey players?? Really??
Ilya Rozanov
…might be only reason team night was organized
was NOT my idea
i had no say shanya
Jane
😐
You owe me.
So much.
Ilya Rozanov
i am sorry i did not piss fast enough
i did not think entire team would turn gay for you during that time
or at all
Jane
You have dibs on sleeping on your couch all alone tonight.
Ilya Rozanov
NOO SHANYA I AM SORRY
((((
Jane
🤷🏻♂️
Ilya felt a little jealous, sure. Nobody wants to see their partner get hit on unless they’re into that stuff, and he didn’t think he was.
He was certainly more amused at the idea of over twenty hockey players all lining up to get rejected. Even though he doubted any of the Bears were actually gay, each and every one of them was going to be embarrassed as hell after their rejection. Shane didn’t do cheesy pickup lines. Even when Ilya used them on him, they didn’t work.
After Boston lost, each player came together for a group brainstorm on what they thought might work on Shane. Ilya heard the lines they had planned.
Shane was going to tear them to shreds. Ilya was so excited.
~~~
The Bears made sure to get there a bit late just so they could, according to Marleau, “Go over tonight’s game plan.” The group couldn’t have been more conspicuous to passersbys if they tried. Twenty-three hockey players drowning in expensive cologne and dressed in expensive streetwear discussing how to bed their rival captain most efficiently while completely stone-faced had to be a wild thing for the bouncer to watch.
“We all agree, the dib is intact. It’s valid. So NONE-” Marleau gestured wildly to the group. “-of you will be interfering with ANYONE’S attempts. Especially mine. I know you all want me to fail, But is that the Boston way?”
A collective “NO!” was heard.
“Will your pickup lines be weak?”
“NO!”
“Will one of us be taking home Shane Hollander tonight?!”
The group exploded. They took Marleau’s pep talk as seriously as they would one before a game. Ilya was entirely over being jealous tonight. This was gonna be good.
Jane
11:45pm
Jane
Is Marleau yelling outside?
I thought I heard someone yelling a locker room pep talk. 😭
Ilya Rozanov
uh yes, duh
group must be prepared to hit on someone as handsome as you
Jane
That’s insane. 😂
Hayden is worried you’re all about to jump us.
Something about Marleau “Rallying the troops for revenge.”
Ilya Rozanov
maybe we will jump hayden pike before we leave
would be very fun
stupid pike
Jane
Oh my god why do you hate him so much?
He did nothing to you.
Ilya Rozanov
🤷🏼♂️
Once the group was done yelling and jumping on each other, Marleau said his last words before they entered.
“May the best man win. Now get in there!”
~~~
Shane stood between Hayden and JJ at the bar as they all nursed their drinks. Since he came out to his team, they had been the only two that were actually supportive of him. Neither of them knew about Ilya, but he was fine with their support as is. The rest of the Voyageurs kept their distance, staying on the dance floor or on the upper level of the club.
JJ was saying something about some video he saw on Instagram the other day when they heard it.
Marleau was outside, yelling like his life depended on it. He was quickly followed up by a cacophony of roars from what could be assumed to be the rest of the Bears. It almost sounded like a pep talk?
“Is that Marleau out there?” JJ asked, now ditching his previous talking point.
“Dude he sounds like he’s hyping up Boston to come kick our asses.” Hayden looked a bit concerned. “The guy’s hollering like he’s trying to rally his troops.”
Lily
11:45pm
Shane Hollander
Is Marleau yelling outside?
I thought I heard someone yelling a locker room pep talk. 😭
Lily
uh yes, duh
group must be prepared to hit on someone as handsome as you
Shane Hollander
That’s insane. 😂
Hayden is worried you’re all about to jump us.
Something about Marleau “Rallying the troops for revenge.”
Lily
maybe we will jump hayden pike before we leave
would be very fun
stupid pike
Shane Hollander
Oh my god why do you hate him so much?
He did nothing to you.
Lily
🤷🏼♂️
The group outside exploded into one last fit of yells and cheers before they went silent and made their way inside, one by one. Ilya walked up to the bar, shooting him a subtle apologetic look before ordering a vodka and walking away. Not long after, the trio noticed Marleau lock his eyes on Shane.
“Shane,” Hayden wearily noted. “I think Marleau is coming for you. Like right now.”
He was right. Marleau slowly sauntered over to the bar, grabbed Hayden’s stool and dragged it further away from Shane, and leaned on the bar in his place. Hayden sputtered, almost offended at the act. Shane decided to play dumb.
“Can I help you, Marleau?”
There was a devilish, borderline seductive glint in his eyes. “Yeah, Hollzy, uh,” He actually licked his lips. Oh my god. “you could help me with something.”
“What?” Shane turned in his seat to face Marleau more fully.
The other man leaned in slightly and darkened his tone as he smiled. “You were on fire out there today. I can see why you were number two for the draft. Keep it between you and me, but I think that you were number one. Can’t have Rozanov knowing that I… favor you over him.”
He was really leaning into this bit, huh. “Marleau, I-”
“Please. You can call me Cliff, freckles.”
Wow. He was really leaning into this bit. If it even was a bit. Wow.
“Cliff. I’m flattered, really, but are you going somewhere with this?”
He chuckled softly. “I just admire how hard you play on the ice, I’ve really never seen anything like it before, honest. Boston doesn’t have the same… drive you have.” Somehow, he stepped closer and leaned in even more, leaving one of his legs slotted between Shane’s knees as he sat on his barstool. His breath was warm as it hit Shane’s mouth and chin. “I was just wondering if you’d come over and practice with me before you leave for Philly. I’d really appreciate it if you'd be so kind as to help me get into the same groove you have. I’d love to go head to head and learn how to play with you.”
Wow. That’s- that’s uh. Woah. Damn.
Shane was flustered. It was pretty obvious what Marleau was trying to do. He thought that the alternate captain would’ve been a bit less direct since he was, y’know, a STRAIGHT HOCKEY PLAYER, but obviously that assumption was wrong. Was he straight?
“Sorry, Cliff. Gotta save my energy for uh- for the other matches coming up. We gotta head off to play Philly late tomorrow, so I don’t think I’ll have the time.”
Marleau looked dejected, but threw in one last hail mary. He pulled a pen out of his pocket, grabbed a napkin off of a stack on the bar, and began to write.
“Ahh, no worries. Off-season is coming up pretty soon, though.” Once he finished writing, Marleau softly took hold of the hand Shane had placed on the bar, traced his fingers all the way back towards his lower arm, and put it back down on the bar as he placed the napkin under it. “If you ever feel like you want to waste some energy next time you’re in Boston, give me a call. I’d love to hear you.”
Marleau untangled himself from Shane’s legs and began to walk away before pausing. “Or just call me. I’d love to hear you either way.” With that, he made his way towards Ilya, sitting not that far off.
Shane turned his gaze back to where Marleau stood and met eyes with Hayden, who looked like he was filled with abject terror. “What. the. fuck. Just happened, Shane.”
JJ and Hayden spoke fast, overlapping questions tearing from their mouths.
“Did Marleau just hit on you?!”
“Marleau’s gay?!”
“‘I’d love to hear you?’ What the fuck?”
“‘I’d love to go head to head and learn to play with you?’ Holy shit!”
Right as Hayden began to scoot his chair back to its original spot, someone dragged it back with him still on it.
“Heya, Hollander. Do you mind if I pick your brain real quick? I won’t take you for long, trust me.” Connors was next up, apparently.
Hayden looked past Shane and Connors and directly at JJ. They both paled as they realized what was about to happen.
“What’s it like being a center? I bet it’s gotta feel real good being on top for your team.”
Shane realized that the quality of pickup lines was quickly devolving. It was going to be a long night.
~~~
Ilya was stunned by Marleau’s attempt. Still not jealous, but not even amused now. His heart was with Shane, but he had to admit that the attempt was hot, regardless of the bad lines he used.
“Swing and a miss, I think. If I had more time, I think I could’ve made it work.” Marleau strolled up to him, looking honestly kinda disappointed.
“Marly, I say this is a friend. That was hot. It looked like it might’ve worked a small bit.”
Connors walked away from Shane with a frown on his face.
His alternate lit up. “You really think that, Roz? You’re the best, man.” He nudged Ilya with his shoulder before continuing, “Maybe you’d really be the best man if I had another shot.”
“So disappointed, and for what? Awww, do you have little crush on Canadian golden boy, Marly?” Ilya joked.
Carmichael walked away. He forgot his beer next to Shane as he left.
“Pshhhhh, nah man! I’m straight, I wouldn’t- I wouldn’t, y’know, like actually do it with Hollander.” There was something interesting in Marleau’s tone. It was like he was trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince Ilya. Noted. “It was a dib. I was just ribbing on the other guys when I was saying all that ‘opportunity’ stuff. You know that right?”
Ilya stayed silent and looked at Marleau blankly.
Hammersmith talked to Shane for ten seconds before getting rejected. The same happened to St-Simon five seconds after that.
“Right?” Sure Marly. Uhuh. Convincing. Even Shane in the shower when they met was less obvious.
“Riiiiiiight. You are very very straight and only love women very very much. Okey, Marly. I totally believe you.”
Marleau sat and looked off into the distance at nothing as he drank his scotch. He looked like he was trying to connect some dots in his head. Ilya thinks he already connected them.
Sebbin, Johansson, and Ivanov all walked away as a group. It was sad how fast they were all being turned away.
~~~
Hayden and JJ stared at Shane, absolutely gobsmacked after almost the entire Boston roster tried their various pickup lines on him.
“Dude. What is happening”
“Capitaine, why is the entire Boston team after you tonight?”
Shane looked at JJ, then at Hayden. It was comical how far Hayden was dragged away from the other two by the Boston players. There was easily a few feet between them.
“I dunno. I think it’s a bet or something.”
“Why would they be betting on getting into your pants, mon ami? Crazy.”
Hayden waited and scanned the room before quickly scooting his stool back to where it was an hour earlier. As if it were a cue, Ilya walked up behind Hayden and dragged the stool back before inserting himself between him and Shane. Hayden almost screamed in frustration.
“Hello, Hollander.” He smiled.
Shane rolled his eyes. “Did your team finally run out of players? You the only one left now?”
Ilya stepped forward and leaned in like Marleau had earlier in the night. “Oh, come on Hollander. Be a good sport. Not everyone is so attractive that an entire hockey team comes to flirt.”
“Fuck you, Rozanov-“
“Ah ah ah, you mean ‘Fuck me, Rozanov, yes please-’” Ilya’s voice grew dark. “Isn’t that right, Shanya?”
It’s been years and somehow Shane couldn’t fight the heat creeping across his face and ears. He could see Hayden behind Ilya, looking utterly baffled.
“Listen, how about you say your goodbyes and you meet me outside. Я выебу тебя так жестко, что тебе будет больно садиться в автобус до Филадельфии.” He tilted Shane’s chin up slightly with his index finger. “I know you understand what I said.”
Ilya turned around and started to walk away before quickly stopping behind Hayden. In one swift motion, he dragged Pike’s chair back another foot and a half. He chuckled as he walked over to Marleau, said something that made him blush, and strolled out.
Hayden sat, unmoving in his seat. JJ got up, dragged him and the stool back, and sat back in his own seat.
“Capitaine. What in the world was that?”
“I’m pretty sure that was Rozanov hitting on me.”
“Why are you blushing?- Shane. Dude.”
“What, Hayden?”
“What did Rozanov mean by ‘I know you understand what I said?’ Do you know Russian?”
“I mean,” Shane didn’t know how to explain himself. “I guess?”
Hayden looked personally offended. “What the fuck do you mean you guess? You guess?! When were you gonna tell us that?!”
“I dunno, I guess I wasn’t going to. How would that even come up?”
“Now, Shane! It would come up now when Ilya fucking Rozanov starting flirting with you IN RUSSIAN!”
Hayden did have a point there. It did come up.
“Capitaine, what did Rozanov say to you?”
Shane’s face turned bright red. He absolutely could not tell Hayden and JJ that Ilya just told him that he was going to fuck him so hard that he wouldn’t be able to sit on the bus to Philly.
“You know what, I think I need to head out. I’m feeling super tired, so I think it would be best if I went back to my hotel room.”
Both his friend’s eyes widened.
“You’re leaving? Now?”
“You seemed fine a moment ago. Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas?”
“I think I just drank a little bit too much and it gave me a headache. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
“Shane.” Hayden looked at him with the most solemn expression he’d ever seen. “Are you about to go sleep with your arch rival Ilya Rozanov? Please tell me I’m misinterpreting this.”
“I’m uh- I’m gonna head out. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.” Shane practically jogged away from the question, giving the two a pretty clear answer.
Hayden and JJ looked at each other for a long while.
“Capitaine is definitely sleeping with Ilya Rozanov.”
“Out of all twenty-something dudes, he somehow picked the worst one.”
“You have to admit, Rozanov is a pretty attractive man-”
“JJ don’t even play with me right now bro.”
~~~
Ilya stood under a streetlight as Shane jogged up to him.
“Wow, Shanya. I can’t believe you’re so eager that you are running to me.”
He rolled his eyes and scoffed. “Don’t flatter yourself, Rozanov.”
“Really, is Rozanov now? I am hurt.” He began to lead the way back to his car. “You would never believe what I realized about Marly after you rejected him!”