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Shane had convinced Ilya to come to his cottage, Ilya couldn’t deny him. Shane had planned his request so sweetly and they’d both been tired from another game gone well.
Everything during that time at the cottage had been the best time of his life. Their privacy had been uninterrupted and a perfect time for them to reveal their honest feelings to each other. Shane had eventually called Rose Landry to tell her the good news of them being a couple.
The introduction had been awkward, Ilya had clearly made a mistake choosing the word “lovers” but Shane had brightened with love when he chose the word “boyfriends”.
Soon after, Rose Landry had come to visit, it had been that day Rose suggested it. “People get married in secret. Hollywood stars want to avoid the tabloids, it happens. It would guarantee Ilya a passport and safety from any russian laws. He is a free agent. He could apply to the Ottawa centaurs as planned and once he starts with them. Well, you COULD get married if you WANTED to. I could help.” Rose suggested.
“He literally just became my boyfriend Rose.” Shane chastised. “She has good idea. It would be something else, something not Svetlana.” Ilya aknowledged. Shane frowned at the mention of their conversation, and the reminder that Ilya had suggested marrying Svetlana for a passport.
“We can discuss this later Ilya.” Shane said. Ilya had accepted it, discussing it would lead to possible proposals and, Ilya was not prepared that moment for possible proposals. They didn’t take long however to see the merit in it, the risk of discovery was less worrisome than the risk of Russia. Shane had been the one to propose and it had been perfect.
Rose had been an unstoppable force, she planned out the wedding like an invasion, secrecy and efficiency her priority. Maybe in another world, Shane would have taken more time to propose, and the wedding would have been less sudden and tumultuous. Ilya had loved their wedding though, it had been a very small affair, with only Svetlana and Rose Landry. Shane had missed having Hayden and his parents there but, they didn’t know, and it wasn’t the plan to tell them yet.
Things afterwards had been easier than Ilya had expected, directly after the wedding he had struggled with feeling like people would know, that they would look at his face and see he loved Shane. He had nightmares that everything would be snatched away. Shane had been supportive. Ilya knew though, in some hopeless part of him, good things go away.
It did today, they were both on the ice, it was the first time Ilya had faced Shane as a Ottawa player after the wedding. Shane smiled at him so prettily, and then Dykstra hit him wrong.
Shane hit the ice and Ilya was already skating over to his husband. The shouting paramedics words blended in his ears under an ocean of icy fear.
“Shane?” Ilya asked, deaf to the words of those around him. “Hollander?” He asked again as Shane remained unmoving. Paramedics began loading Shane onto a backboard with practiced efficiency. Shane mumbled things throughout, Ilya couldn’t hear him over the shouting of people on the ice. "Ilya, please stand back," an authoritative voice said.
Ilya’s panic settled into his bones, his vision centred only on Shane. “Is he allright?” Ilya pleaded with the paramedics. “Is he allright?” Ilya begged again, a hand pushed him back off the ice and away from a disappearing Shane. Ilya did not know what to do. A hundred horrifying scenarios went through his head, Shane could be paralyzed, dying, dead. He stripped off his gear in a mechanical daze and was out the stadium doors in moments.
They would take Shane to the hospital, Ilya already knew which. He had been given the info for the local medical team present during this game. He was thankful for that.
Ilya arrived in that same cold daze, unsure what to do once the blinding fluorescent hospital lighting hit him. He walked in and saw Shane’s parents passing by, a staff member guiding them through a set of doors.
“Sir, my name is Tera. Players and teammates will have to wait in the waiting rooms. It is family only past this point.” A staff member blocked him, if he hadn’t been so panicked he would have been impressed by this small woman blocking him from entering. The hospital security guy had just stared at him wide eyed, possibly starstruck as he had pushed past the reporters and into the hospital.
“I am his husband. I am family, I have to see him. He could die. I HAVE to see him. Please.” Ilya begged.
Tera’s face sobered. “Do you have any documentation to prove that? Photo’s, your certificate of marraige? I can’t allow you in with just your word sir, you are not in his emergency contact.” She insisted.
“The photos are in the safe, with the certificate.” Ilya responded thoughtlessly. Oh, he realised. How stupid. He didn’t know the combination. They had been worried about keeping it secret, and he didn't even think to ask the combination. He had just been happy for Shane to lock it away safely, some part of him assuming Shane would always be there to open it.
Yuna Hollander emerged from the doors that surely led to Shane pacing with distress, and talking on the phone with a worried expression.
“I’m sorry sir. You need to leave.” Tera insisted, disbelief evident on her face. “Yuna!” Ilya called. He didn’t even know why, he had just hoped, maybe somehow she would listen. Yuna’s face fell into a mask of rage when she saw him. “Why is ROZANOV here? Get him OUT! Go play your asshole games with someone else’s injured son Rozanov! This is fucking innapropriate!” Yuna yelled angrily.
Ilya’s tongue was lead in his mouth. He didn’t know what to do. The starstruck security had arrived, with friends. Their expressions darkly serious. They escorted him out, he was still too frozen to speak or know how to act, allowing them to blindly guide him out somewhere into a back parking area.
Ilya stood, sweat cold on his skin, still in his team clothes from the match. The mechanical sound of a lighter drew his attention. Two women in scrubs stood huddled together giggling over a phone passing a cigarette hidden between them.
“OH MY GOD. Stop torturing us. We don't care about your red carpet Hollywood stars. There is ONLY Rose Landry. Feed usssss.” A red haired woman said. “Right?! Who else even exists, I need my hit. Gimme it.” Her black haired companion responded.
Ilya’s heart stuttered. Rose. Rose would know what to do. He walked over to the women. “Excuse me.” Ilya said. The women startled.
The red haired one took him in with a growing alarmed expression, from his shoes all the way up his sweat soaked clothes to his messy hair. The black haired womans eyes widened as she reached out with an almost hypnotised expression, touching a finger to his pectoral before the Redhead snatches it away.
“What do you want?” The alarmed redhead asked. “Where is Rose Landry now?” Ilya asks as non threateningly as he can. “What, oh, you're a fan? Girl, here, let me show you, she is about to go out on to the red carpet.” The black haired woman responds immediately holding her phone so all three of them can see.
Ilya hears the location of the red carpet event from the tiny phone speakers and nothing else. “Spasibo!” Ilya shouts in thanks, already racing away.
He was grateful he had his sportscar since he left the stadium, parked there before the game so he could ride off, pretending that he owned a flat in Ottawa for hookups.
They had planned it so that they wouldn’t share a car when he and Shane left and his team would assume he was just flashy and obsessed with getting laid. It blended in well with the other sports cars at the event. He parked it, abandoning it as close as he could get and pushed his way through confused reporters and fans.
Within seconds one or two exclamations of Rozanov?! started up from those few Hollywood obsessed that also followed hockey.
“ROSE LANDRY!!” Ilya shouted. His voice louder than even the loudest of squealing fangirls in the crowd. A few people startled and stepped back in fear. Security guards turned their heads.
Rose also turned at the commotion and spotted him. He pushed his way closer and Rose moved to him. “Oh wow. Ilya Rozanov! What a surprise, are you here to seduce me with sweaty hockey player aesthetic?! Rose asks, clearly trying to play off the scene.
“Fuck that! Nothing matters. The closet doesn't matter. Shane is in the hospital! They won’t let me see him! He could be dying! I need you! Please Rose.” Ilya begs.
Rose’s eyes widen, before a determined expression claims her face. “Miiiiles! WE ARE LEAVING! The gays need us!” Rose shouts over the crowd.
Miles pauses immediately while stepping from his vehicle. Her expression communicates something to him and he gestures dismissively to the man that was about to drive off with his sleek black car. Rose grabs Ilya from the crowd and leads him to Miles's car where they all quickly pile in. Reporters and fans exclaim in shock and confusion.
In seconds they are leaving the event, Miles taking Ilya’s directions to the hospital he just left. Rose takes Ilya’s hand as they exit the vehicle and Miles trails behind them, mildly confused but following warily due to the somber attitude from Rose and Ilya.
Rose glides through the doors with her red carpet dress fluttering around her ankles stunning everyone around them, Ilya and Miles following her wake. The security looks truly baffled this time. Tera walks up to their small party with professionalism. “Rose Landry, and…guests?” She says lifting an eyebrow in query.
“Let him in for gods sake, let this sad gay man see his husband!" Rose insists. Tera’s eyes widen in surprise. "I was at the wedding! Let him in!" Rose persists.
“You can confirm they are legally married?” Tera asks. “Yes. Call the cops on me if you don’t believe us. In fact, someone get me Yuna Hollander.” Rose demands.
“I will go ask for her. Please wait here.” Tera responds, she exits through the forbidden Shane door as Ilya stares at it with desperation. Yuna emerges. “What??” She stutters in surprise, seeing their strange group of flawless hollywood stars and sweaty hockey player.
“Your son is gay Yuna, this is his husband. This is not a joke. Let this poor man see his husband before he has a mental breakdown.” Rose insists.
There are a few gasps behind them. Tera glares chastisingly at the source before her face slips back into professionalism.
“Mr Rozanov previously mentioned their marraige documents being in a safe. If you have access to your sons home, and access to his safe you could collect them to confirm. We just need your permission for him to pass through as his emergency contact Mrs. Hollander.” Tera states.
Ilya looks at Tera with broken hope. Yuna gapes. “Please believe us Yuna.” Rose pleads.
Yuna looks at Ilya, her eyes narrowing in thought. “How about this? Shane has a always had a silly habit when he takes off his clothes whenever he changes at home, since he was a kid. What is it?”She asks.
“He folds everything as he takes it off, neatly and cutely. It's adorable.” Ilya responds with a shattered smile. Yuna’s eyes grow impossibly wider with realisation.
“Oh.” Yuna exhales. She faces Tera. “He can come through, only Rozanov.” She says as she turns to the group. “I will have my husband check Shane’s safe. If you are lying you will wish you were never born.” Yuna threatens.
Rose smiles victoriously. Ilya’s eyes fill with moisture and relief. “I will wish that anyway if he dies.” Ilya responds.
Everyone looks at him with concerned and shocked expressions as Yuna takes him by the arm and guides him away from the group and finally through the forbidden door, leading him to Shane where he lies in a hospital bed.
They make eye contact and Ilya can finally feel the ice on his heart melting. Shane’s eyes light up with love and Ilya is floored with gratitude that he is alive.
“Ilyaaaaaaaa” Shane croons sweetly. Reaching a hand out to him. Ilya takes his hand and steps close to Shane.
“Mom look its Ilya!” Shane says with obvious joy. Yuna looks between them, a knowing entering her eyes as she faces her sons unconcealed adoration.
“Hollander.” Ilya says as he touches Shanes face gently. His heart inflates with love and worry. “You scared me.” Ilya admits, blinking away tears.
“No husband you can’t cry, you'll give it away. It’s a secret. Mom its a secret” Shane responds, clearly drugged and unable to understand his own confession. Yuna’s eyes soften and become wet with tears. Shane tries to wipe away Ilya’s tears with a clearly uncoordinated hand, his other wrapped to his chest in a sling.
“Fuck, Shane.” Ilya presses his face into Shane's hand. Tears flowing down his face. “Ya tebya lyublyu. Never scare me like that again.” Ilya says, his voice cracking with emotion.
“I love you too. I won’t do anything, I am off for the season. We can go home and you can make me tuna melt. I want a tuna melt.” Shane insists dreamily. Ilya smiles.
“Gimme kiss.” Shane requests, tilting his face to Ilya’s and trying to pull him in with his uncoordinated hand. Ilya obliges him, unable to resist after everything the day had wrought.
“Ohh my boy.” Yuna sighs, crying openly. She wipes her tears with her sleeve. “I will give you two some privacy. We can discuss this when he isn't on so many painkillers and I will let the staff know you are free to be here. I’m so sorry Rozanov, if I had any idea.” Yuna says with kind eyes.
“Ilyaaaaa. Hisss name isss Ilyaaa mom.” Shane pipes in with slurred words, the fatigue of his interaction clearly hitting him.
“Oh. Ilya, of course.” She confirms, her hand over her heart. “I will see you boys again soon.” Yuna nods to Ilya and exits the room.
Ilya faces Shane as he smiles and sweetly fades into slumber, the heart monitor beeping with his steady heartbeats. Ilya grips his hand tenderly and sits next to him on the bed.
This wasn’t what they planned but he was here, his husband was here and Shane’s mother seemed accepting and kind. They would have all their tomorrows to figure this out and he could stay here by Shane’s side. Ilya thinks.
Ilya kisses Shane’s hand and closes his eyes. Peace filling the moment. Somewhere outside were all the people that would have questions about this. This moment though, nothing else matters, just him and Shane. Alone. Together.