Chapter Text
July 2021
Cliff tries to balance the tray packed full of lime wedges and salt-rimmed tequila shots as he makes his way towards the boisterous Centaurs table. As he weaves through the dance floor, he glances over at Barrett and Pike staring in horror at Jackie and Harris, conspiring together in a far corner across the room.
“Dude. This is not good. Like, don’t get me wrong, I love Harris, he seems super cool - but the two of them together could take down the entire MLH with their combined knowledge. Like I thought, Jackie knew everything about everyone, but he puts her to shame!” Hayden looks shell-shocked as he nods Marlow over, “Hey, man! Bring those over here!”
Cliff approaches somewhat apprehensively. The bachelor party hadn’t gone too well, with the two of them just awkwardly nodding and muttering ‘hey’ for the entire duration of the weekend. As if that could make up for the knockout incident of 2017. He liked Troy, though, and he was grateful that Ilya had him in Ottawa before Shane was able to join the team. But Hayden was quickly realizing that he and Troy were going to need some kind of distraction from the chaos they just unleashed with their partners’ new friendship.
Troy knew that all the Ottawa WAGs had been super welcoming to Harris, but he was happy to see Jackie connecting with him, too. Looking around the celebration, it seemed possible that this could be them one day. A melting pot of hockey players, family, and friends celebrating their love. Or at least trying not to kill one another as he was about to see with Marlow and Pike.
Hayden quickly grabs three shots and puts them out in front of them. Troy slams his hand on the table, “To the happy couple?” Hayden rolls his eyes before nodding his head to the side, if not begrudgingly, “To the happy couple…” Cliff stares at him a bit longer, ready to jump on the defensive for Rozy, “To the happy couple.” He maintains eye contact with Hayden as he shoots it back, who looks away before grabbing a wedge.
Troy glances between the two of them, trying not laugh at the chirping he is fully expecting to start any minute. He figures he’d dive on in first, “So, how long did the two of you know about them? I mean, when I came out to Ilya, he told me he was bi, but he wouldn’t tell me who he was seeing. I suspected it was Hollander, but he never confirmed it until the video dropped.”
He immediately regretted the last part. He knew Pike felt terrible about the whole thing. Even Ilya, whose favorite activity next to drooling over Hollander (as he’d learned) was chirping Pike, was adamant that it wasn’t his fault. Marlow evidently was not so magnanimous.
“Yeah, I think a lot of us were made aware of the full extent of it then.” He glared, unblinking at Pike, who looked wary of grabbing another shot, as if Marlow was gonna swipe a puck from him in the process. Hayden’s face dropped at the exchange, and he played with the navy cloth napkin in front of him.
Cliff and Ilya didn’t keep in as close contact as he would have liked after he left Boston, but he was protective of the little fucker. There was a part of him that was upset that Ilya never felt comfortable coming out to him, but he understood why. Even after Scott Hunter - Hollander and Rosanov was an entirely different thing. The day the video dropped, he reached out to him, but he wished they hadn’t been outed that way.
“Fuck Brad.” He says as he grabs another shot. Hayden and Troy join him, “Fuck Brad!” The Centaurs table looks over and raises their glasses in unison, “Fuck Brad!”
Hayden sets the shot glass on the table and continues attempting to create some kind of origami figure that perhaps Ruby could be proud of. “...I…I suspected something was up for a while. Shane was always texting this girl, Lily, in Boston, and they’d hook up every chance they got, but like, he never told us anything about her. And if you asked him anything, he’d immediately shut up and leave the room. When he came out to me as gay, I was honestly just confused about what happened with her. It wasn’t until Rosanov had been in Ottawa for a few months that I’d started really putting two and two together.”
Something clicked for Marlow. “Lily?” Hayden lets out a nervous laugh and nods back, “Yeah, very creative of them, right?” Marlow does seem to think it’s creative as he lets out a deep belly laugh. “Man, I used to always tease him about his Montreal girl, Jane. Every freaking game, he’d be on his phone, texting her, blushing like I’d never seen the man blush before. Everyone always talks about what a womanizer he was, and don’t get me wrong, he was a fucking beautician, but he was whipped when it came to Jane.” He looks over at Shane and Ilya wandering out of the house, appearing to fix their clothes. “I guess it all worked for Lily and Jane, huh?”
Hayden and Troy glance over at them and laugh. Hayden sets out shots again, “To Lily and Jane.” Troy and Cliff echo him as all three tap the table before shooting back. Troy tries to calculate how many more shots he can handle when he hears Bood and Wyatt chanting at the next table, “Haas! Haas! Haas!” Luca is kneeling, chugging what Troy thinks is his third Ice of the night. The team kept finding new places to hide them, and apparently, this latest one was carried out by Svetlana. Her eyebrows disappeared beneath her curls as she blinked in horror at the concept of Haas drinking anything that disgusting…but she was happy to contribute to the chaos. Rose pulled her away, holding two glasses and a tall blue bottle that Cliff recognized immediately. He stared a bit too long because he caught Rose looking at him as they left. He nodded in her decoration and she whispered something to Svetlana, who in turn waved at Cliff very obviously.
“I’m happy he has you guys.” Troy stares at Hayden, startled by the blunt confession. He knew how protective he was of Shane. “What? I am. We treated him like shit. I mean, look around. Me and JJ are the only Metros here. Do you have any idea how many fucking weddings he went to? He brought home 3 cups! I hate that he left, but the team pushed him out. Meanwhile, your entire fucking roster is here.” Pike is emphatically pointing at the Centaurs crowd, who, as if to prove a point, Wyatt stands on his chair saluting Ilya, bellowing, “Oh Captain, My Captain.”
Marlow knew he was right. Even from Boston, there were only a few showings. And sure, Ilya could’ve kept in touch better. No one understood why he’d leave the team that drafted him for Ottawa. The lack of loyalty. But he grew up with them. Won them a cup. Maybe not as many as Hollander did in Montreal, but still. He was their captain. He was glad Roz had Ottawa. And most importantly, Shane.
Ilya and Shane make their way through the dance floor to the Centaurs' table before Ilya takes a dramatic bow. “And what of my beautiful husband, Shane Hollander?” Shane has somehow managed to turn even redder as the entire table rushes him, cheering. He glares at Ilya, who is somehow standing off to the side, not crushed on the floor under a pile of drunken full-grown hockey players, hiding behind his hands, laughing at the madness before blowing him a kiss.
“God, he’s such an asshole.” Troy shakes his head as Shane tries to get Ilya to help him up. Meanwhile, Ilya is calling over the photographer to make sure she gets a shot of the pile-up. This time, Marlow grabs the glasses and puts them out in front of everyone, “To the Asshole.” He nods at Hayden as he does so, who shockingly pushes back the glass. “Fuck, I need to slow down. Jackie’s gonna kill me if she’s solo with the kids when this wraps up.”
“Daddyyyyyy - swear jar!” Pike might as well have yelled fire in a theater. Ruby and Jade run up to the table, flower tiaras askew, and cake smeared across their faces. Hayden is in the process of wiping up Jade’s face when Ilya sweeps up Ruby and swings her in a circle, “How is it possible I have not danced with the most beautiful girl in the room?” Jade stomps her feet indigantly and glares at him. Ilya settles Ruby down before picking up Jade and saying very adamantly, “But I did not see you! Montreal’s 14th-best hockey player was blocking you.” Jade giggles and squeals, “Uncle Ilyaaaaa.” Ilya drags over Shane before declaring the next course of action, “Ok, girls. Here is the thing. We didn’t get to dance with you at our last wedding. Would you do us the honors?” The girls wander off to the dance floor with the two of them.
“Uncle Ilya?” Marlow stares in disbelief at Pike, “Just how often do you hang out with Rozy?” Hayden rolls his eyes. “Don’t get me fucking started.” He pauses for a moment, though, before begrudgingly admitting, “The kids ARE brokenhearted about Uncle Shane and Ilya being farther away. Also Jackie. She loves Shane, but she and Rosanov like really hit it off. Especially with the kids. Guy’s an asshole, but he is really good with kids.” Troy stares at the pair of them on the floor, passing the girls back and forth as they dance on their toes. “Meh. I don’t know. Sometimes I think it’s all just an act. He’s kind of the biggest softie I know.”
“Gentlemen.” David Hollander nods at them with a thin smile as he takes a seat next to Hayden, patting his leg. He and Yuna had danced the last 6 songs together on the floor, and he was looking for a reprieve as she spoke with the photographer about some final shots for the night. He leans over to shake Troy and Cliff’s hands, introducing himself, “I’m David - Shane’s dad.”
Troy mumbles hello, but Cliff looks like he wants to hide under the table. “Hi - I’m - Um. Congratulations. And I’m so sorry…about…you know.” He makes some motion with his hands as if to mimic a shove. David didn’t seem to recognize him until that moment. His smile disappeared before he pats Cliff’s arm, “Just maybe try to avoid Yuna tonight.” Hayden nearly spits up the water he’s trying to responsibly chug down. Yeah. He’d advise avoiding Yuna, too.
David looks at Shane and Ilya on the dancefloor with Ruby and Jade, and wipes at his eyes. “It’s hard to believe how long it took our boys to get here, but here we are.”
“How long exactly did it take them…?” Troy asks somewhat sheepishly while glancing over at Harris, who is now making his way over to the table. Marlow nods towards Pike questioningly, “Rookie season, right? I think that’s when I first remember spotting texts from Jane.” Hayden starts to nod until David interjects proudly, “Summer before.”
“WHAT?! Did you know?” Troy is grateful he’s not the only one shocked by the revelation, as Harris puts his arm around his shoulders. He tries to close his jaw as he shakes his head and looks up at Harris. “Fuck no. I mean, I knew that explained the move to Ottawa, but wow. I don’t think anyone on the team won that over-under.”
David thinks back to that day a few years back at the cottage when he walked in on them. And the awkward, albeit necessary conversation, that followed over lunch. How Yuna went over every interaction with Ilya over the years, later in bed that night, unable to fall asleep. “David, the summer before would’ve been the CCM shoot. I - I could be wrong, but I think I think that’s when they first became lovers.” He cut off Yuna before she could continue, “Darling, I am very happy Shane told us, and I am very proud of him. But on this, I think he and I are in agreement, and there should be no further use of the word lovers.” Looking over at them now, though, he can’t help but think that maybe it was the right word. If there were two people who loved each other, it was them.
Shane and Ilya - arms wrapped around each other’s waists- stumble over to the table. David gets up and gives them both a hug. He takes a moment to say something to them out of earshot of everyone else. Marlow notices Ilya is the one to blush - yeah fucking right, Russians never blush. David places a hand to his cheek as if reassuring him before giving both him and Shane a hug and leaving to find Yuna. “Have a good night, gentlemen.”
Shane takes his father’s spot and glances at the half a dozen or so shots still sitting on the tray. “Hayden. Troy. Cliff. How ARE we doing here tonight?” Hayden groans and holds up his hands in defeat, “Uncle.”
“Ah, but Pike, if only this is how you always admitted defeat to me on the ice. Would be much simpler. The girls would understand immediately.” Ilya chirps as he sits down next to Marlow. To prove the point, he leans over and grabs a shot and downs it without flinching. Shane gazes at him and then grins. Never breaking eye contact, Shane downs two shots in a row. Ilya sits there staring in amazement, lime wedge in hand. “Excuse me, have you seen my husband? I don’t know where he went. Very nice, polite Canadian boy. Only drinks ginger ale.”
“Shut up, asshole.” Shane grins back proudly. “Yes, but I am now also your husband. So, I am Mr. Asshole Husband.” Ilya says before winking at him.
Hayden raises his eyebrows at Ilya, “14th-best hockey player?” Ilya shrugs, “Shane left. You can move up, I guess, from 15th. I think so, probably.” Hayden rolls his eyes before getting up and roughly shoving at Rosanov’s hair. He’d sooner get slammed into the boards by Marlow, but he had grown to like Ilya. He was an asshole. But a good one.
He walks across the room and goes up to Jackie, hand out in front of him. She takes it, and the two of them go off to the dance floor, her head resting on his shoulder. “I swear, if they make baby number five tonight, they are naming it Ilya,” Ilya says to Shane in a matter-of-fact way. “Oh, please, you just want to hear him say Uncle again.” Marlow and Ilya look at each other before shrugging their shoulders in unison, “Yes.”
Harris, at this point, whispers in Troy’s ear and pulls him up. “And on that note.” The two of them sneak off to the dance floor before Troy pulls Harris in close, and they sway together, amid the rest of the couples on the dance floor.
“Y’know, Shane, I gotta say, as happy as I am for you two, I can’t deny I’m sad to lose my wingman. I’m like a rare breed going extinct; everyone else is shacked up.” Marlow says looking around at all the married - or soon to be - couples around the room.
“Yes, yes - your wingman. You’re right, I still owe you for All-Stars.” Ilya says as he winks at Shane, who proceeds to blush up his ears. Marlow glances between them, recognizing Ilya’s game he’d seen only too many times in action.
“Well, as parting gift, I will tell you this. There are two beautiful, sexy, funny women - who I know are very sad to be losing the two best hockey players tonight. And they keep looking at you. I’d say they have bad taste, but -” Ilya motions to himself and Shane, “also they stole my vodka, so.”
Marlow looks over at Rose and Svetlana, who are, in fact, looking over at him. He gets up, pushes the chair in, and nods at the married couple, “Lily. Jane. Much obliged.” Giving a salute before sauntering over and grabbing an empty glass, before picking up the blue bottle at said table.
Ilya laughs and moves over to the seat next to Shane, who has his head in his hands on the table. “Please don’t tell me you’re trying to set Cliff up with our exes.”
“What? It is consolation prize. Marlow is tall, handsome hockey player. Besides, must keep Rose distracted so she doesn’t try to chase after second best hockey player with beautiful freckles.”
“Second best?” Shane nods at him. “Yes. But with beautiful freckles.” Shane pushes his chair out before making his way towards the house. “Where are you going?” Ilya follows him, no better than Anya. “Oh, I think I left something in the trophy room.” Shane winks at him. “Ya tebya lyublyu.” Ilya grabs his arm and pulls him towards the house, grinning ear to ear.