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Shane would like it to be known that it is not his fault that the stadium is now full of women carrying lilies. He blames Rose, in fact he blames Rose and every member of the Montreal Metros, especially Hayden.
You see after returning from the All-Star game and getting back together with Ilya, Rose demanded that they give their relationship a proper send off to show her fans that there is no ill will between them.
She said it would be so funny for her to give him flowers. She said it would be so funny that she spread an inside joke with the lilies. Shane is not laughing right now; in fact, he’s being laughed at by every single member of his team.
“I feel like this is what the world means when they say one pretty woman can ruin your life.” Hayden laughs out as he looks onto the sea of women in Hollander jerseys with lilies in their hands. He claps the Shane back and he can only feel a hot rush of shame. “I think every florist in Montreal is not out of lilies now, I guess Boston Lilly will be happy!”
“So Captaine, which of these women are you taking home tonight, they all seem pretty willing!” Shane elbows J.J. “I’m taking none of them because this is ridiculous.” He steps out onto the ice to get everybody to start doing warmups and mind their own business.
Shane loves Rose, he does, but dear lord why did she have to like stirring shit so much. The lilies alone would’ve been fine, but the Instagram post was a complete separate problem that has led to every person in Montreal thinking he’s free game.
RosePetals @RoseLandry
Sooo grateful to see the game tonight! Confirming rumours that @ShaneHollander24 and I have broken up, but no hard feelings
ps: ladies, he’s a big fan of lilies
*photo attachment of Rose handing Shane a bouquet of lilies and him kissing her cheek at the end of the game*
They’re playing against the Admirals tonight, thankfully a home game and across the ice he can already feel Scott smirking at him and looking to the stands. As warm ups close in Theriault calls them in, he places Shane centre first line and sets the rest of the speech off to him.
“Alright guys,” he starts feeling their eyes crawl to him, “I have a good feeling about tonight's game let’s play for everybody in those stands cheering.” A few of the Rookies cheer, which he’ll count as a win, but Hayden is lowly cackling next to him.
“Easy for you to say Holzy, half the people out there are in your name and bringing you your favourite flowers, give us something really route for!” Annoyingly the rest of the team cheers very loudly so Shane resigns himself to this cruel punishment.
“Fine, since you’ve all been pestering me about my love life, if we win tonight I will collect one of the lilies from one of the lovely people out there before they inevitably throw them.” Both J.J and Hayden scream directly into his ears, and all Shane can think about is how this is going to be a long game.
He almost drags his feet to the face off with Scott. “You’ve got a lot more fans here then I remember Rook.” The weight on his shoulders lightens a little bit, “yeah, I think I’ve got something to fight for tonight.”
They laugh and Shane wins the face off. Montreal ends up winning by a point, Shane’s a little shocked, he guesses that All-Stars really upped Scott’s game somehow, though not enough to beat him today.
He moves his team to form a line and start the shake off before they start to celebrate. He’s stopped from moving by Comeau’s smug grin as he twists him around and almost flings him towards the plexiglass.
“Go on Hollander, you promised if we won you’d pick out a girl!” Shane freezes, like full body, as the rest of his team start jeering and the Admirals wait patiently for him to finish with whatever this is. He knows for a fact the jumbotron is focused on him right now, so he tries not to look panicked, he doubts he succeeds.
More importantly, he knows Ilya is watching. It was fine doing this with Rose since he knew no feelings were there, but if he does this with a random woman who is holding a very suggestive sign it would be disaster since he wouldn’t be able to tell him why until another half an hour after press.
So, Shane does what he does best and thinks. He scans the line of women and finds exactly what he’s looking for nestled amongst the fans. A little girl clutching onto a lily with her family right beside her. It’s a smart option, will look great for optics.
He skates over leisurely, so the family has time to realise what is happening. The boys behind him also realise and almost groan in disappointment. Shane skates right to the glass and gives the little girl a wave.
Above the roar of the crowd, he can’t outright ask anything, but he point to the lily and back to himself tilting his head to telegraph his question. It’s almost like the sun has opened up the way she excitedly nods back. He does a little throwing motion with his hands, and thankfully the parents get the message and help the little girl throw it over, along with a small jersey he happily he signs.
He waves a goodbye and skates back to reorganise his rowdy group into a neat line for handshakes. He is unsurprised when every single member of Scott’s team compliments him on his new flower tucked behind his ear.
With every compliment he can’t help but think of Iliya, and frankly he hopes that when he’s watching on at home he knows Shane is thinking of him too, touching the flower and wishing it was Iliya touching him and undressing him.
“Shane, come on, that was the perfect opportunity to gain a rebound girlfriend.” Hayden starts as they clean off. “I’ve told you, it’s too soon for me to start dating again, plus I made that little girl’s day.”
“Saint Hollander strikes again, if you’re next taking any of them, I might try my hand.” Shane laughs along to the rest of the chorus and prays that media is swift tonight. He isn’t sure why he hopes for something that will never happen, but then again, things are getting serious with him and Ilth him and Ilya, so maybe dreams can come true.
That night he goes home and has two problems waiting for him; Lily and an angry email from Theriault and Marcel. The first seems less taxing.
Lily:
very pretty goal in the third period
If I were there we could fuck after
will have to wait for me
Only a few weeks
then I buy you fancy flowers
You:
thank you
I think the whole lily thing is a little wild
it will die down
Lily:
I hope not
how will I dramatically mock our undying love without one
you better keeping fuelling it
You:
why do I have a feeling you enjoy the unintentional claim these women are giving you
Lily:
I have no idea what you talk about
these lilies could be for any lily
I definitely did not take screenshot of you with one
You:
sure you didn’t, why would you
you totally don’t like the why I look with you plastered on me
Lily:
no, we can’t do that away from each other
but I will help
send me a picture of your cock
I know you are hot and bothered Hollander
You:
Who taught you that one
and only if you ask nicely
Lily:
Marlow taught me, very useful
if I send a voice note of me begging, will you give
You:
...
yes
Shane is not proud to admit that it takes him another half an hour before he looks at the other message that is technically more important. Turns out, despite him only picking up one lily, in his absence the women of Montreal decided to throw all their lilies onto the ice in the hopes of finding anyone, or maybe just throwing them away.
Theriault’s entire email is just him ranting about how much the Zamboni driver complained about cleaning up the flowers, at least Marcel gave him an actual suggestion to work with. Thus, reluctantly Shane opens up his socials and posts the same bland message everywhere.
Holzy24 @ShaneHollander24
To everybody who showed up for the game tonight, thank you! I just want to tell you I loved the lilies, but for the sake of the poor Zamboni drivers please do not throw them on the ice afterwards.
I’ll let you do it when I win the cup!
But, since I love a good competition, keep bringing them, because if you’re lucky and we win, I’ll pick you out of the crowd. #ShanesLily #Hockey #Montreal
He is not surprised when the post gets and enthusiastic response. While he tends not to scroll on comments, or even use social media for that matter, he decides to take a peek into the comments to see what everybody is thinking.
He closes the app quickly when he sees about fifty variations of ‘yes daddy’ and ‘yes sir’ lingering under the post. Somehow, somewhere, God is laughing down on him for think this could ever escape him.
<->
Unsurprisingly, Montreal do win a couple of games before the playoffs for this season. Which means after each win the entire team watch with baited breaths to figure out who he’s going to pick. Sadly he does not get away with picking out kids every time.
He kept doing it to the point that Hayden had banned him from picking them in favour of him trying to sleuth out Shane’s type. When faced with women and told to pick out his type Shane kind of just freezes.
What is he supposed to say; blonde, asshole, fat ass. It could certainly work but Shane feels like he’s basically lying to his entire team, more then he already is. Luckily for him, the night that Hayden does this is a very fun one.
“Did you see who’s in the audience today?” J.J cackles as he skates past, they’re up by two goals, with only five minutes to go, so it’s looking like a win. But that does not mean Shane is going to lose his laser focus, he won’t just beat Los Angeles, he will pummel them.
“Who’s in the crowd?” He asks, watching as lines change. “Maria Espanosa, from the chronicles movies.” Hayden lets out a low whistle, “you know what I’ve heard, I think she has a very pretty Lily in her possession.”
“Too bad our captaine only favours one pretty lily.” The two giggle like bandits, Shane makes sure to slap them across the top of the head to make sure his disappointment sinks in. “If you two focus for the next few minutes, and she’s close enough to the glass, I’ll accept the flower.”
They hoot and holler and give their best attempts at wolf whistling. When the time comes for the puck drop, he’s never seen the two of them more focused, almost drilled into the game like men possessed.
It gets to the point where they actually score another goal before the final buzzer. When it comes time to pick out his lily from the crowd they’re smiling ear to ear. “Come on captaine, it’s time to pick out the lucky lady!”
“Fine fine, I’ll do it, but I’m hoping that you know I’m praying that for the rest of the season there’s a celebrity, because you’ve never played as good as this before.” Hayden puts an affronted hand to his chest while J.J just pushes him closer to the glass.
Shane is internally praying that Maria is not by the glass, but when he’s turned, she’s all he’s met with. Despite him being gay, he can in fact recognise a beautiful woman when presented with one, if he couldn’t the wild jeering from his team as he steps closer would do it for him.
He can already picture what the commentator is saying, as if it’s some form of stat, ‘Shane Hollander finally picks a woman from the crowd, no surprise it’s a celebrity, he’s got a type!” The noise in his ears only gains volume as his path is very clear, and he stops right in front of her.
As if this is some big performance Maria kisses the flower and gives him a strange look before throwing it over the glass. Since it’s already a performance Shane makes sure to catch it before leaning into a bow and blowing her a kiss.
He skates away quickly, tucking the pink flower behind his ear like always as he takes off his helmet and joins the line shake. The novelty of the lilies has worn off now, and so he’s free game for chirping as everybody on his team and not gives a wolf whistle.
He feels bad for Maria as he steps off the ice and is ushered to the post-game interviews. Marcel makes sure that the lily is very prominently positioned in his hair, in turn he’s almost blinded by the flash of y the flash of cameras as he walks up to the stage.
“Mr Hollander, would you say there was a reason you played an excellent game tonight?”
“Our team had a lot of focus and drive today, I wouldn’t say it’s any one reason, but maybe a good night’s sleep.” He laughs nervously as he fields questions and dodges around the obvious. They’re all trying to ask about the actress without so many words, until it gets to ESPN.
“Shane, would you say you have a close connection to Ms Espanosa!”
“Uh,” he startles, “I have not personally met Maria, but Rose told me she was very nice when they filmed together, and I thought it would be a fun friendly gesture, you know how much I like my lilies.” The little gag joke gets a trickle of laughter and Marcel thankful gives him a hand sign to say he’s free to wrap it up.
He would like to say he does so expertly but he’s basically vibrating out of his skin to get out of there. He changes in record time and rushes to meet the team so that they can all bus back to the hotel.
At least five guys make references to Maria, asking if they should be expecting to see him in the morning, he brushes it off. He sits in silence, going over plays in his head as the bus trudges back to the hotel.
He almost gets dragged behind Hayden as they make it to their hotel room. “You sure you didn’t want to go out with Maria tonight? I know the guys say shit, but like nobody really cares.”
“You know I have Lily Hayd.” it slips out before he can think about how much he’s actually told the man. The response is a wide grin. “Oh my god, so you two are really serious. Probs to ya man, does that mean Rose was conceding her place by giving you lilies?”
Shane flops onto his bed and groans into his pillow, “maybe.” The following cackle isn’t helpful. “Good for you man. I can’t believe you have like a hundred girls every night trying to get in your pants by reminding you of your girlfriend, Boston Lily’s got to think this is hilarious.”
“Oh, don’t you worry Hayden, she ranks how pretty the lilies are.” Speaking of the devil his phone chimes and when the name lights up, he can’t help but blush, his face giddy with love. Hayden instantly picks up on who it is based on his smile alone, last month he called it the ‘dopey Lily smile’.
“Alright, I know when I’m not wanted. Tell Lily I said hi, I'm taking a shower.” Shane waves him off, “tell Jackie I said hi.” He opens his contacts and is unsurprised to find the string of messages.
Lily:
Why Pike and Boiziau so focus
Is third period, you winning
Oooh very nice goal
Yay you win, if only you were in Boston
Time for you to receive a lily
Remember to think of me babygirl
Hollander did you just pick a woman
Do I need to fight this woman
Why do you go after famous celebrities
Oh, she is Rose friend
Boooo
You:
Hello to you too Lily
Don’t worry I always think of you when bringing home my prize
If only we were in Boston, the things I’d do
Just a few more weeks
J.J and Hayden made a bet with me; their attention for me picking Maria
Don't worry, you’re the only Lilly for me
Lily:
I already know this, do not worry
I feel nothing about pretty flirting women
You:
You shouldn’t, you know since it doesn’t matter
Lily:
Yes, doesn’t matter
I bring you best flowers
Now talk about last goal
Very beautiful, like your face and your freckles
You:
Oh yeah, because I caught your game highlights
That hattrick was perfect
Lily:
Call me
;)
<->
Shane is very excited for tonight’s game, to the point he almost makes a joke to Hayden that if he plays his cards right, he’d be taking home two lilies. Luckily, he was in a good enough mindset to remember that Hayden does not know Lily is here, in Montreal, because that would fuck up the entire secret.
He and Ilya have been texting all day, frankly all week leading up to tonight. The game is in Montreal so he’s certain there will be a nice lady he can get the lily from, and then he can shake hands with his lily wearing his signature flower.
For the first time ilya is meant to come over to Shane’s house. He's been prepping to stash away everything they need for tonight. He's got about five bottles of lube in different locations in the house; he will not be caught with his pants down unprepared.
And if he is, good for him.
He’s almost bouncing with excitement as they get ready on the ice. He’s given the team a few pointers and he makes sure to drift over to the no cross warm up line to do his stretches. Shane can almost count to five before Ilya rocks up.
“Hello Hollander, you ready to get ass pummelled.” Shane puts on a glare, but frankly nobody is more ready to get pummelled then him. “We’ll see who does the pummelling at the end of the night, eh Rozanov?”
“Oh no, between you and me Hollander, I don’t think you top.” Ilya laughs loudly and then takes in the crowd. “Have you got your eye on a specific admirer tonight, pick your favourite Lily from the garden.”
“Fuck off Rozanov, stay on your own side!” Shane smiles from behind where Hayden skates to. “Ahhh Montreal’s 15th best player, I am on own side, da?” He does a petty little spin to show off just how much he is on his own side, but does drift back his team eventually, leaving Shane with only a soft smile shared between them.
“What was he giving you crap about now?” Shane rolls his shoulders and signals to get the group together, “just wondering which lily I would pick out tonight, nothing too bad.”
“And which lily will it be tonight?” Hayden smirks, slightly elbowing Shane. “I don’t know Hayd, if you find somebody, nice, pretty and not too eager then tell me and I’ll take the flower tonight if we win, but first boys, we’re going to win!”
He says the last part louder getting a response of cheers and promises to win just to for his sex life alone. Little do they know Shane is going to be getting laid tonight whether they win or not, though it is always more fun when they do.
They’re at a tie by the third period when it all goes wrong. With the cheers in the wind carrying behind him Shane doesn’t see it coming. He stupidly looks back to Rozanov chasing after him and is blind to Marlow bumping into him.
The hit is hard, but he barely feels the pain as he crumples onto the floor. His brain is muddy, the ice barely feels cold underneath him. He can hear the muffled sounds of screaming but more importantly he can make out one person, “Ilya.”
He doesn’t realise he’s said it out loud, he doesn’t realise anything as the cold depths of darkness consume him. Shane thinks he can hear somebody asking for him to keep his eyes open, but he can barely even remember his own name right now.
When he wakes up things feel lighter and wrong at the same time. The bed he’s in is scratchy and nothing like the one in his house, more importantly Ilya isn’t here. It's morning after the game, one person is meant to be in his bed right now, and he isn’t here.
This sucks.
“Shane, could you please try to focus, I need to test your eyes.” As much as Shane wants to pout and fight to find Ilya, the lady is being very nice and so he spends a few minutes bored as she goes through test.
They’re the standard tests for a concussion, he doesn’t know why he’s being tested for this. “Alright, thank you sweetheart, now how would you feel about getting some visitors in?” His mind goes to Ilya instantly, btu by now he knows he’s in a hospital.
Ilya can’t show up at a hospital, it will Hayden and his parents. As much as he loves, all he really wants right now is Ilya. Reluctantly he knows people will want to check on him so he nods. The nurse smiles and says she’ll let him in soon.
Shane braces himself to console his best friend when a tall mop of blond curls walks into the door, “Ilyaaa!” He winces and Shane hopes he isn’t being too loud, he doesn’t like when people do that.
“Shhhh, I just, uh wanted to.... are you okay?” He is backed against the wall and almost shifts away from Shane as if he is hiding something. “Concussion and a fractured collar bone, out for the play offs, bla bla bla.”
“Could’ve been worse.”
“Could’ve been worse,” he parrots, begging with his eyes for Ilya to inch a little closer. “Marlow feels bad, he did not mean to hurt you.”
“I know, it’s a part of the game, we all get our bell rung eventually, right?.” His words slur as he talks, but he hopes he’s being good enough for Ilya to understand. “Right.” Then a thought sparks to life. “Hey, heyyyy,” he calls
“shhh, shh,” Ilya whispers in his nice soft voice. Shane takes his hand, finally getting him close enough. “That’s better.” Ilya looks anywhere but his face, and in the background, Shane can hear the soft clink of metal on wood as something is placed down. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t text you last night.”
“No, it’s okay,” warmth blossoms under the skin Ilya runs his thumb over. “I was excited about last night, I’m mostly mad at Marlow for fucking that up.” Ilya does not let out a laugh like he hopes. “he feels really bad.”
“You know I had a whole plan to ask you something.”
“Maybe it’s better if you just rest now.”
“I was going to ask you-” “-Hollander” “Will you come to my cottage this summer. Don’t go to Russia, come to my house, we’ll have so much fun, it’s so private, no one will know.” Ilya’s eyes look gutted, “Hollander, you know we can’t do that.”
“We could have a week or even two, be completely alone, together.” The only response Shane remembers getting is a simple ‘maybe’. He feels an overwhelming hope for something, anything. He wakes up again an hour later and it’s Hayden in the chair next to him, Ilya long gone.
What shocks him the most, now that the drugs have worn off, is that there’s a nice vase with some lilies in it. “Hey man, take it easy, you got hit pretty bad.” Hayden helps him up. “Who brought the lilies in?”
Hayden scoffs, “Rozanov collected some from the audience after the game and brought them in, supposedly one of the nurses had asked him about it when he came to visit. Do you remember?”
Yeah, Shane absolutely remembers.
When he’s discharged from the hospital he makes sure to keep the lilies in the best condition of their lives. They die before the summer. He doesn’t bother to find new ones until he watches Scott Hunter pull his boyfriend down from the stands.
He buys the lilies when he knows there is hope.
<->
Shane has a boyfriend now, a very pretty boyfriend. One who is no longer out being a manwhore when he’s not around. Of course, this realisation comes with a few extra difficulties. “We need to tell Svetlana. She is coming to Boston same weekend as our game; she will want to stay and will not take any false excuse.”
With his parents already finding out due to their mishap, and Hayden figuring it out himself only a month before, Shane is just a little bit antsy about having another person know. “ilya, are you sure she won’t just accept the whole ‘Jane’ thing.”
“Oh no, Sveta already knows Jane is a man, she pieced it together last year, I'm half sure she is aware it is you Hollander. Now I need to tell her we are serious.” His stomach curdles at the thought of a single person knowing about them for so long and actually being able to keep it a secret.
“You trust her with your life, right?” He can picture Ilya nodding along on the other side, “da,” he bites his lip and thinks it over. “Go ahead and tell her then, just let it be known if she’s cool about everything, I want to meet her.”
Ilya’s following chuckle is melodious, and Shane can just about fall asleep with that sound alone. Sooner than later, he’ll be in Boston and he’ll be able to hear that sound in person, just a few more days. The next morning Ilya sends him a series of texts.
Lily:
I talk to Sveta this morning, she is very happy
She says ‘I can’t believe you bagged the pretty one’
I agree, I will show you how much I agree in a few days
She has a surprise for you on game night
You:
Do you mean you have a surprise for me Lily
Lily:
No, Svetlana
she is being all smirky and quiet
She grins at her phone like a villain
You:
Yeah, Hayden does that does that sometimes when we’re in Boston
Guess I’ll have to find out the surprise in a few days
Will you be good for me while we wait
Lily:
Da, I will be good
Then I show you I am the best
You:
Don’t worry baby, I already know you’re the best
Lily:
Does not matter
I enjoy proving it to you
Shane quickly backs out of the conversation from there, he’s supposed to be on a plane by the end of the night and still has practise he has to go to. Since Hayden now knows about who exactly Lily is when the rest of the team make little remarks about her Hayden can only gag and wiggle his eyebrows.
It is not as funny as he thinks it is. When he takes the seat on the plane next to him and not so subtly leans over to look at Shane’s phone as he texts Ilya a see you soon message. “Whose lily are you actually planning on taking for today’s game, kid again? Maybe hope a Boston fan brought one to keep the rivalry alive?”
Shane shrugs, despite how much he loves to plan everything else, he doesn’t plan who he picks the lilies from, it feels sacrilegious. He didn’t plan on choosing Ilya, so it only makes sense that the flower meant to represent him is also chosen on a whim.
“No clue, I haven’t heard anybody famous coming, so we’ll see when we get there.” Hayden seems to accept this, nodding before putting on his headphones and becoming instantly dead to the world. Shane’s got to give it to him, nobody does a dad nap like Hayden Pike.
They touch down in Boston the night before the game, and since it’s so late Shane finds himself telling Ilya he’ll just meet him at the game, following the rest of the team to hotel. The only message in response is a very devious looking winky face.
It's not the usual horny one that he sends when Shane is in town, but rather something nefarious. Shane doesn’t think about it as he goes to practise the next day, it’s only when he arrives to the game that he realises something is off.
As per usual when it comes to playing against Ilya, he does his stretches at the boundary line, like clockwork Ilya comes to meet him there. This time Hayden thankfully distracts J.J from interfering. “Hollander, I hope you play well tonight. I would like towards the stands and pick your lady now, should be easy, da?”
Ilya sends him a very pretty smile, to the point that Shane forgets to think about Ilya is actually trying to tell him. His boyfriend skates away before Shane can ask further questions. He does take a moment to scan the crowd for something interesting, but he can’t quite figure out what he’s meant to be seeing yet.
He does his usual captain’s speech and goes to meet Ilya in their first face off. “You have a very pretty woman waiting for you today, she told me she wants to meet with you later.”
Ilya says it in that mocking tone that Shane now knows is only there to throw off the referees and other players. It’s only meant to be talking to Ilya, btu Shane still find himself a little confused, Ilya wins the face off.
Unsurprisingly, the entire game is a close one, Shane only scoring the final goal in a last-minute hat trick. When he turns around, he can’t tell if Ilya is actually seething or just trying to reign in how horny he is right now.
Now, despite the win, Shane knows it’s going to be hard to find a lily in the crowd, Boston is notorious for hating him. This fact only shocks him more when a tall black woman descends from the Boston Raider’s family section.
In her hands is a very pretty arrangement of lilies. She comes down gracefully, like a very threatening angle. She makes it all the way to Boston's penalty box then leans over the railing, giving him a look like it’s no brainer.
Svetlana.
Shane grins wide, and he knows the people at home are going to be piecing together who she is by now, running a million theories a second about why on earth Shane Hollander is about to accept lilies from Ilya Rozanov’s well known friend and fuck buddy.
For once in his life Shane doesn’t actually care about all of the ramifications and potential backlash he just skates quicker. “Would this be for me Svetlana?” She laughs. “You’re much funnier in person, Ilyusha doesn’t give you much credit, he calls you boring.”
“Oh I know, he’s quite fond of that nickname.”
“Like you aren’t too. Well, come on, are you going to take my lilies, they come from a very trusted source, I only require that you give my name and number to Rose Landry in return, she’s a very beautiful woman.”
She feels stupid as he nods, taking the flowers from her outstretched hands. In a split-second Svetlana reaches over the barrier and kisses him on the cheek he laughs it off, waving goodbye as he skates back to the lineup.
“Stealing the hearts of others women, very rude Saint Hollander.” he shakes Ilya’s hand, “fuck off Rozanov, you’re just jealous your girl likes me more.” Ilya fake grumbles and moves next in line. The rest of the Boston team seems a little bit mad about the whole thing, giving him crap for taking the flowers, but he knows the truth.
He fields media, dodging questions about the lilies like always. Adn when he is returned to the hotel it is no surprise that Hayden only smirks when watching him back away his stuff and head towards the exit.
“You off to go collect the rest of your lilies captain?” Shane rolls his eyes, “yes I am, room’s all yours for the night, if you lie to cap for me in the morning I’ll owe you babysitting.” Hayden lazily gives him and thumbs up and Shane leaves with a pep in his step and the lilies still tucked under his arms, somehow they smell exactly like Ilya.
<->
Hayden cashes in that babysitting package far earlier than expected. They’re in the summer break between the next season and things have been looking good. Ilya has moved to Ottawa, and they’ve had their traditional sex vacation in the cottage already, so Shane isn’t all that mad when Hayden calls him.
Surprisingly, Ilya is all too happy to tag along and watch the kids, something Hayden grumbles about when he opens the door and sees the both of them. Luckily for Shane, Jackie is there to defuse the tension.
She also hands over a bouquet of pretty lilies before she basically drags Hayden out of the house. They are instantly bowled over by two tyrant forces. “Uncle Shane! Uncle Ilya!” Ruby and Jade call as they cling to their legs.
Shane picks up Ruby and spins her around before putting her pack down, which only leads to her going to Ilya to be carried around along with Jade. “Uncle Shane, did you know mum and Dad are going to a wedding today?”
“Oh really, do you know whose wedding?” Ruby shakes her head. At the same time Arthur comes in. “Can we paint your nails?’ The girls squeal excitedly and rush to put on their best seal eyes. He looks at Ilya and he has this fond expression on his face; it makes Shane’s heart all fluttery.
“Yes, btu you know the rules, put a mat down first so we don’ spill on mum’s nice rug.” they nod and scramble to get different supplies. “I am surprised at the organisation of the little Pike. Shocking for Montreal’s 15th best player.”
“Oh, fudge off Ilya...they clearly got it from his better half.” Ilya laughs loudly, almost clutching at his stomach as they make their way into the room with the laughing kids, he makes sure to put the flowers on the kitchen table before they get ruined.
They sit down, and everybody does their best not to move as Shane and Ilya do the final coats of nail polish. He can feel everybody’s eyes on him as he concentrates on doing Ilya’s nail polish, it has to be perfect.
“Are you and Uncle Ilya married?” The question is like a bombshell and Shane just freezes while laugh lets out an almost pained sound. “Yeah, is he your husband?” Ruby asks. Ilya moves making the brush slip. “No.”
“Are you his husband?”
“That’s not how-” Shane pauses, “we’re not married.” Arthur doesn’t let up, “are you going to get married?” he looks to Ilya for help. “Do you think we should?” Shane panics for a response.
“Do you love each other?” Jade asks, and at the same time Ilya responds ‘yes’ while Shane says ‘we’re friends’. The girls gasp and clutch each other, their nails thankfully dry now. “We could have a wedding today!”
“Can we?” Ruby asks, Ilya turns to him with something behind his eyes, if Shane could place it he’s recognised it as love. “What do you say sweetheart.”
Twenty minutes later, Shane finds himself in the stupidest situation, wearing a magician’s cape, a top hat, and holding a pink plastic ring in one hand and his lovely bouquet of lilies in the other. Down the other end of their makeshift isle Ilya is waiting for him in a red sequined bow tie and his own fake flower head band.
Shane is a little disappointed when his husband isn’t wearing matching lilies for him. Across from him stands two seven-year-old girls in princess dresses while Arthur clutches his hand as he walks Shane down the isle of stuffed toy audience in his nicest firefighter costume and fresh blue manicure.
When he makes it to the end, Arthur presses play on a toy that plays a fifteen second recording of Moana. “This is the wedding of Shane Hollander and Ilya...” Jade narrows her eyes at Ilya. “Rozanov,” he supplies.
“Rose-noff,” she nods, continuing as Shane snickers. “Shane keep it together; this is our wedding day.”
“Shane, do you promise to love Ilya and be his husband forever?” Ruby asks. He can feel his eyes mist over at the question, he looks between Ilya and the lilies in his hands, fiddling with the latter. His throat feels tight. “I do.”
“Ilya,” Jade says, “do you promise to love Shane and be his husband forever?”
“I do,” he says, staring straight at Shane, “forever.”
“Okay, do the rings now.” Jade demands as Ilya takes his free hand and slips on the purple heart shaped ring onto his pinkie finger. In turn Shane does the same, the ring barely fits past the tip of Ilya pinkie.
“I now pronounce you husband and husband!” Ruby shouts thumping the floor with her foot like it’s a demand to God. “I was supposed to say that” Jade argues. “No you weren’t! You say the kissing thing.”
“Oh yeah, you may now kiss.”
Shane leans in and Ilya gives him a quick peck as the kids throw handfuls of paper into the air. In the background he hears Arthur pressing play on his Moana song again. As they stand close together, Shane swears all he can smell is the overwhelming scent of lilies, and he wishes he could freeze the moment and live in it.
But he can’t. So, he helps the kids pack up and get ready for when Hayden and Jackie arrive. Neither of them comments on the way his and Ilya’s eyes look just that little bit more red. They say their thanks and when Shane leaves he makes sure to take the bouquet with him.
When they get home, he scours the house for the perfect vase, filling the bottom with water and trimming the stems before neatening placing them in. He sits the vase on their dining room table. He feels Ilya’s hands wrap around him from behind and smiles.
“Technically, tonight is our honeymoon Hollander.” Shane leans back, “that it is. Have you got plans to celebrate?” Looking up at him Ilya has his classic devilish smirk, but Shane can see the giddiness behind it.
<->
Being outed is not fun, Shane will never say it is and anybody who thinks it was the easy way out for both him and Ilya can go die in a hole. However, he’s kind of glad it happened, maybe not when it did, but he’s glad that he gets to live his life in the sun with his Husband right beside him.
Sure, Montreal were dicks about the whole thing, but Ottawa isn’t Montreal, and from what Ilya has told him about the rest of the team, The Centaurs are not the Metros. In fact, ilya been excited all day for training camp, which is strange.
His husband does not like to wake up early, he doesn’t like to be told to do things, he kind of hates training as a whole. So, having Ilya wake up at the same time as him to join him on a morning run and his following routine is just plain weird.
He’s been basically bouncing in the car as they ride towards the rink, Shane didn’t even have to fight him on keeping Anya at home. It's like he’s planning something, the wide smile does not help Shane believe it’s something nice.
“You know, just because I’m new does not mean I’m a Rookie. I better not see stupid pranks today.” Shane threatens as he pulls in the parking space, at the other corner of the lot he can see Boodram getting out of his car, waving to Dykstra.
“Of course, мой любимый, I know this, there will be no mean pranks, da?” Shane nods, very aware Ilya did not say no pranks full stop, out the corner of his eye he can see Bood notice the car and run inside.
“Alright, come on husband, time to work off the summer bod.” Ilya grins, smacking a kiss to his cheek. Shane revels in the moment, wanting to bottle up the visage of him and Ilya walking hand in hand into a rink.
It’ll be the first of hopefully many for them. Eerily, the front desk is quiet as they walk in. Shane’s met Harris, he’d assume he’d be there to greet them, or maybe somebody at the front desk, instead he is being greeted by his husband’s giggles. With his deep Russian accent not only are they intoxicating but making it very hard for Shane to want to go to practise.
“Come sweetheart, I show you way to locker room.” Ilya puts a hand on his back, and they walk down silent corridors together. As they get closer and closer to the final destination Shane feels his nerves set in.
“Are you sure we’re going the right way? I mean obviously you know where you’re going, but there’s no noise.” Shane can feel his breathing tighten just a little, and as if he can sense the same change Ilya stop and makes him turn to look him in the eyes.
“Shane, мой сексуальный кролик, trust me, I only want to do something fun. I kill our team otherwise, would be fun, we make new one together, maybe keep new Rookies.” he gives Shane a toothy grin and he can almost feel his bones turn to jelly, melting into a puddle by his husband’s feet.
“Okay. Are you going in first Captain?” Ilya tilts his head and nudges Shane a little forward, “no, I think it is better you do honours.” Still feeling like his nerves are a hundred tiny ants his pulls the door open to a man on his knees, full gear on.
“Welcome to the Ottawa Centaurs gorgeous, I heard you like lilies.” He takes one from behind his back and offers it to Shane. “Troy, is your boyfriend not around? This is shameless, even for the man who almost asked my husband for my number.”
“Don’t worry, I think I got his seal of approval for this one.” He places a cheeky kiss to Shane’s cheek and then moves out of the way and onto the ice. He side glances Ilya and walks further into the room, right by his locker Wyatt Hayes leans right by his new cubby.
“I may be a goalie, but I think I’d let your puck in.” He shoots finger guns at a very flustered Shane and then tucks his lily behind Shane’s ear before rushing to the ice. He gets ready quickly, and is handed both a stick and a lily from Dale the equipment manager.
Dale is too nervous to give a pickup line. From there Ilya all but pushes him onto the ice where he is escorted to the centre in what he can only imagine is the Centaur's best shot at recreating the Bachelor.
Coach Wiebe skates over, mindlessly handing him an empty bouquet holder. As if aware Shane needs help understanding its purpose Ilya takes the three lilies he’s been given and puts them in the holder before skating to Wiebe's side.
This focus Shane to now see that every one of the Centaurs have lined up are now holding lilies, or well Troy’s holding Harris who is very excited to be holding a lily. Wyatt’s acting in some amalgamation of a guard dog.
One by each of the players go down the line with their own pick-up lines. The rookies; young, Holmberg and LaPointe all get very flirty, whereas Bood and Dykstra make digs at Ilya. Lastly is a very flush Luca Haas.
“I’ve always wanted to give you one of these, but I think when the crazy started I was too old to be cute and too young to be professional, so please take this.” Shane is surprised that the strength he’s using to grip the lily hasn’t crushed the poor thing.
Shane takes in his fierce blush and decides to be a menace. “Thank you Luca, your crush will be noted.” For good fun he ruffles the kid’s hair and then turns to the new pack of Hyenas. “And thank you, to the rest of you for the lovely flowers, I can’t believe my husband didn’t think of this, how rude. To think, he knows how much I love lilies.”
The embarrassing acting is worth it to see Ilya smile. Bood just looks at him strangely. “Dude, why do you like lilies, they don’t have a particular smell?”
“Well, if you need to know, for our entire relationship, I'm in Ilya’s phone as Jane, and he’s in mine as Lily. The flowers were inside joke to tell Ilya that nobody has anything on him.” Troy gags in the crowd while Harris coos.
“And are you going to tell us how long you’ve been dating?” Dykstra asks playfully. Shane looks to Ilya and smirks. “Not in a million years.”
<->
Glory has never tasted so good. It rolls on his tounge and cements itself deep into Shane’s viens. To win right along side the love of his life is something Shane will never get enough of. It win thing to wing alongside him, it’s another to do it openly.
At the start of the season Shane was happy to have the support of just the Centaurs, they showed it in their own dumb way, but he loved them for it. Shane had faced the reaction of the entire city of Montreal, he had not looked forward to his first game with Ottawa.
He certainly hadn’t expected for Ottawa to offer him any lilies. In his infinite wisdom, Shane had forgotten the audacity and thirst of his hometown. With Ilya right there beside him, with their first game as a solid win, several men from the stands started calling out his name.
A few brave ones had done the same in Montreal, but they certainly did not have the balls to do it in front of his husband. To Ilya’s credit, he was a good sport, he all but dragged Shane towards the glass.
Ilya had pointed out several men he thought were attractive, like they were window shopping for a third. If Shane happened to spot the pattern in which they all looked eerily similar to him, then who’s to blame him for keeping quiet.
That night he’d picked out a boy with the same wild curls as Ilya. The public still doesn’t, and didn’t, quite know that they actually represent their darling captain, so Shane had watched as the poor man almost fainted on the spot as Shane skated away blowing him a kiss for fun.
That kiss had been imaginarily intercepted by Ilya with his stick. Sadly, his husband did not have any shame, not even after becoming a meme. Now though, no is something completely different entirely.
For once the Ottawa stands are packed to the brim, thousands and thousands of fans waiting in the wings. They are taking shitty seats just to support him, to support Ilya, to support Troy and Luca. They’re rooting for a team lovingly nicknamed the Alphabet Mafia.
When Shane scores his second goal for the night, he doesn’t mentally dedicate it to Ilya like he did the first, but rather for those still cheering him on, those in the stands willing to fight for him. Five minutes later the buzzer sounds and all Shane hears is screams.
They echo in his eardrums, and he can barely even process it. They’ve won. For the first time in a long time Ottawa has won the Stanley cup. He watches as Ilya takes the cup, raising it above his head.
He does a joyful wide loop of the arena before circling in on Shane, passing it off with a kiss to the cheek and a promise for the future. Shane raises it just as high and as if on cue people start throwing things onto the ice.
It takes Shane a moment to process, but the colours hit him like a train. “You did promise, mmmh.” Ilya says as he nuzzles into Shanes neck, himself passing off the trophy. On the ice are hundreds and thousands of lilies, all different colours and varieties.
Some of them are wrapped in bouquets, others are single. He thinks he can see at least ten in the Centaurs colours, and one set that has been twined together, one Montreal the other Boston, he’s not sure how they did it.
Tears prick in his eyes and Shane can’t shake it. He’s dedicated years of his life to this sport, to his fans, to the thrill of life, and finally he’s getting his flowers for it. Finally, he gets to win the cup, his boyfriend, and his city.
He’s in such a shock that he barely notices when Ilya’s weight leaves him, he certainly doesn’t notice the Centaurs forming a sort of protective semi-circle around his shocked body. He doesn’t notice it until the cheering changes it’s tone.
Until he sees Ilya.
<->
Ilya Rozanov is not a coward. He is Russian, they are incapable of cowardice. But he must admit sometimes when he looks at Shane all thoughts go out of the glass thing. His husband is pretty, the most pretty Canadian.
Nothing compares to his husband, to his freckles, to the cute scrunch of his face. For years he has watched his adorable and perfect Shane go to the glass and call for a flower. They are lilies, is meant to make him feel better, but it only makes it worse.
He feels sick to the stomach at the thought of Shane being able to go home with any of them, with the sea of people holding out flowers for him like proposals. Only he should do that. And yet he has spent years waiting for stupid Canadian safety Visa.
He could not kiss his husband in public for years, and for years these people flaunt their attraction to him. Even Sveta. She did it for him, but the pain still lingers, it attacks deep in the night when he defenceless and his one shield is asleep, so peacefully tucked away that he would not dare wake him with his problems.
They play on the same team now, but still Ilya is not allowed to give him lilies. Shane says no PDA in front of the team, not unless they win the cup. So, he hasn’t bitten his tongue for an entire season. He has skated up to the glass alongside the light of his life and helped pick out a lily that means everything he can’t say.
Ilya has gotten a spark of joy every time Shane has picked out a person with the same features as him, from his height to his smile, or more commonly his hair. He hopes in turn that Shane understands him when he points out people in the crowd.
When his eyes can’t help but search for that jet black hair, those dimples, to those heartbreaking freckles. These people call out to him like some ancient siren song. As if he can only be lulled into the depths of the waves by Shane and Shane alone.
Most nights Ilya finds himself believing the opposite, that without Shane, Ilya would’ve succumbed to the waves long ago. Drifting amongst the unknown and forgotten just like his mother had before him, found only by an innocent who cared.
Maybe it would’ve been Marlow, but Ilya doubts without Shane he wouldn’t have gotten that far. Poor Svetlana would’ve found him cold to the touch after a night out. His death would’ve been marked as overindulgence, the same affliction that killed his mother.
But Ilya is not alone, he is not his mother trapped by his country and the man he fell in love with does not keep him ground like his father did her. No, Shane makes him fly freer than he is willing to admit.
Ilya had planned for tonight; he had planned for his team to win. He made a separate group chat for it. Months in advance. He knew they were going to win, how could they not, they had gay love on their side.
He will finally get his moment; he will finally get the privilege that old dinosaur Scott Hunter had fought for; he will get to kiss his husband on the ice and return to play the next season. He will get to have his cute couple moment for fans to clip like they do with Troy and Harris.
He will show his adoration loudly and publicly, like he has wanted to the whole season, and since he’s doing it, he may as well do it right. He had the team debate flowers and florist, booked in advance, aware that Ottawa loves his very sexy husband.
They would perfect, bigger than anyone else would be able to throw onto the ice, proof that he loves Shane more than anybody else every could. He knows his city will throw their lilies onto the ice, so he will not be singular, thus he must be showstopping.
As Shane scores that final goal and the time runs out Ilya lets out a very shaky breath. Sure, he’d planned for victory, he told everybody it was coming. But achieving it is so different from thinking it will come.
He takes the cup for a loop, before the flowers drop and nobody else can. He tries to ignore the semi audible sobs from the other team, instead honing in on Shane. He knows that the noise is throwing him off. He stands almost motionless, watching the crowd, but Ilya smiles as his glossed-out gaze seems to clear as it tracks Ilya moving closer.
All Ilya can feel right now is pride.
He hands over the trophy with a conservative kiss on the cheek and steps back to watch his husband raise their cup, in awe as the stadium cheers with him, throwing their flowers like there is no man in the world more suited for their attention. Ilya can’t help but bitterly agree, if Shane were single he too would do everything in his power to have him.
For once he doesn’t better away his bitter jealously, leaning into his husband the second the trophy is passed off to Bood. From his position he can see the rest of the team, they look at each other and nod in sink, the cue for Ilya to bring in his gift.
He skates to the benches and Wiebe pulls it out from a very large bag. It would’ve ruined the surprise if he had brought it himself. “You’ve got this kid, we’re all rooting for you, kiss him good for us.”
Ilya can’t help but grin, “I always do, da?” he keeps his cooky smirk, dropping it into earnest relief as he makes his way to Shane. “Those aren’t lilies.” He points out, Ilya wants to make a joke about how perceptive he must be, but he bites it down for the sake of the moment.
“Why would I give you flowers that everybody else does, I don’t need to give you a flower to remind you of me when I am already yours.” Shane holds his hand up and skates to where Harris is now by Wiebe, recieving a glittery lily.
“You’re right, you shouldn’t be giving me flowers that remind you that I love you, but I should give you one.” Ilya feels his face flush, not that he’d say it did, as Shane’s hand gently grazes his face and places the lily behind his ear.
He’s so close that Ilya can take in every inch of his face. On his right side there is a dimple in his smile, and all of the cute freckles on his face could join together to form the worlds most beautiful set of constellations.
“I love you Ilya, and me and all my lilies will serve as a reminder of that until the day we die.” The way he says it sounds like they’ll go down together, and Ilya can only hope for that outcome. He chokes on a sob, and it’s embarrassing that Shane can hear right now.
“Я тебя люблю,” he whispers. Shane still hears it, clutching at where his hands still rest on the bouquet. “if these aren’t lilies Ilya, what are they?” The question shakes everything out of him and lays it bare on the ice for the world to see.
He can see the cameras in his face, zooming in closer so that the lip readers at home can dissect this conversation further. “They are native Canadian and Russian flowers, a perfect mix of the two of us. Very powerful, very strong. Winners, lovers.”
Like always Shane does his cute little face scrunch and Ilya wants to bottle up the emotion that bursts within him, saving it for a rainy day. But he knows now he doesn’t have to, no when Shane is going to be by his side for the rest of his life. Every step of the way, no matter how many bouquets of flowers Ilya will have to buy to prove it to him too.
He shifts the bouquet in his arms and use a free hand to pull out one of the flowers, it’s such a pretty shade of red that matches with their uniforms. “I would like these to serve as a reminder to you too. Wear it in the press, i will too. We make big fashion statement.”
Shane laughs, a melodious tingle that shoots straight through his spine. The laugh throws Ilya so off guard that he doesn’t see it coming, it’s defiantly not because Shane is faster than him. In a single moment Shane grasps at his face and pulls him in for a kiss.
It's warm, and not it all caste. Shane slides right in with him and it’s magical. Ilya can almost feel the world alive underneath his skin. In this kiss the rest of the world fades away, the roaring fans, the hoots and hollers of his teammates.
He expects at some point for Shane to stop kissing him, excepts he just keeps pushing him back until they’re pressed against each other and the change rooms. He’s gasping for air, and he’s exactly where he wants to be right now, maybe with a little too many people watching and too many clothes on.
If you were to ask Ilya what victory tastes like he’d have to say ginger ale, sweat and sin, with just that underlying smell of pine. Perfectly encapsulating his favourite part of this sport, the love of his life, his greatest competition and his one equal. The Jane to his Lily. His husband Shane Hollander.