Chapter Text
One positive, Hayden thinks, is that the kids love the new house. The previous owners had left a frankly impressive swing set behind and Hayden had spent a weekend with David making sure it was still safe to play on.
The trade hadn’t been entirely unexpected — Hayden is a solid player, worth something when the bigger names are locked behind no-trade clauses. Ottawa had been a surprise, but Hayden hasn’t had many complaints so far. And at least they have Shane’s parents if they had to leave Hayden’s in Montreal.
But the kids are happy — Hayden and Jackie have barely been able to pull them off the swing set, yelling about princesses and pirates. Ruby and Jade are even being good about including their brother, which is really all Hayden can ask for.
He grins over at them from his spot on the patio; Jade and Ruby are both trying to push Arthur on the swing. It’s going about as well as Hayden expected.
Shane should be here any minute with the last of Hayden’s things from Montreal — things he’d left at Shane’s or J.J.’s, probably a couple things he’d left in the locker room. Shane had also promised a homemade meal with his parents, which Hayden is at least as excited about as seeing his best friend for the first time in a few weeks. That has definitely been an adjustment. Hayden misses Shane so much that he’d imagined his Jeep driving past the house yesterday when he and Jackie had been assessing the landscaping during Amber’s nap. But whoever it was hadn’t stopped, because it wasn’t Shane. There was no reason for Shane to be in Ottawa a day early, and it’s not like surprises are really his thing.
The sound of tires in the driveway pulls Hayden out of his thoughts.
“Kids, go say hi to Uncle Shane!” Hayden calls. The swing set is immediately abandoned as the kids dart for the sliding glass door into the house, shouting over each other.
Hayden laughs as he follows them.
Shane is already on the floor, wrapping Arthur in a hug even as he nods along to whatever Ruby and Jade are telling him. Behind him, David and Yuna are smiling, arms full of dishes.
“Lets let the Hollanders inside, okay?” Jackie asks, shifting Amber to one arm so she can take a bag from David.
The girls back off, letting Shane scoop Arthur up as he stands.
“Hey, man.” Shane grins, reaching out to wrap Hayden in a one-armed hug. “Missed you.”
“I missed you, too, dude.”
“Mom, you got it all?”
“Yes. Catch up with Hayden.” Yuna waves them off with a grin.
Arthur slides out of Shane’s lap the second they sit down in the living room, running after his sisters as fast as he can. Hayden is kind of impressed by how well he can keep up — the girls have hit their growth spurt and Arthur’s never been that tall. Maybe there’s a future in track in field ahead of him.
Shane is watching him, too, smiling.
“You ever think about kids? Y’know, finding a nice girl, settling down…”
“Sometimes.” Shane admits, settling back into the couch. “Not, uh. Not with a girl though.”
Hayden leans forward, eyebrow raised.
“No?”
“No.” Shane takes a deep breath. “I’m, um. I’m gay, Hayd.” He admits, eyes flicking back and forth between Hayden and the floor.
“Thanks for telling me, man.” Hayden scoots closer. “You’re getting another hug now.”
Shane nods, eyes a little wide. Hayden pulls his best friend closer, wrapping his arms around Shane’s shoulders. After a moment, he can feel the tension bleed out of them.
“I know you didn’t think I’d be shitty about it.” He teases. Shane huffs.
“Not you, no. Some of the other guys… I’m less sure.”
“Well, whatever you decide you want to do, I’m in your corner. Uh, from Ottawa, I guess.” Hayden pauses. “Do your parents know? Are you seeing anyone? Is there anyone you want to be seeing?”
“Mom and dad know. I told them when we were up at the cottages.”
Hayden blinks. The Hollanders had been up at the cottages a few weeks ago.
“Good. I don’t think I can keep a secret from your mom.”
“It’s not worth trying, honestly.”
They sit for a second, and Hayden is about to ask if Shane is seeing anyone again, but Yuna calls them to dinner and Hayden forgets the whole thing.
Team dinner before their first official practice surprises Hayden. More than Rozanov inviting him to an unofficial practice the day before, just him and some of the veterans skating around and shooting the shit more than anything else.
“You okay, Pike?” Boodram asks, setting another plate of chicken down on the table. Hayden nods slowly.
“Things in Montreal were… very different.” He admits, making a face. Bood nods.
“That’s what we hear.” He says. Hayden raises an eyebrow, wondering who might be giving the Centaurs alternate captain information about the Voyageurs locker room, but finding he doesn’t care enough to press it when Bood walks away.
Rozanov is dancing between groups of players and WAGs, laughing and making conversation with everyone. Reluctantly, Hayden can admit it probably contributes to making him a great captain, but he hasn’t said anything to Hayden yet. (He’s actively ignoring the fact that he and Jackie have only been here for about five minutes.)
But then, sure enough, Rozanov is making his way over to Jackie, offering to take Amber as Ruby and Jade drift off to make friends with some of the other kids, Arthur following behind. Hayden tries to follow their lead, settling in with the team. Rozanov is still talking to Jackie, bouncing Amber seemingly absentmindedly. Hayden doesn’t have the energy for that right now — maybe in a little bit, after a beer or two — so he makes his way to the porch, where Dykstra, Chouinard, and Hayes are sitting around a fire pit.
“Pike! Welcome to Ottawa.” Chouinard says. “Pull up a chair, man.”
“Settling in okay?” Hayes asks. Hayden nods.
“I think so? The kids are excited to be here, and I know Jacks is having fun getting to know the girls.”
“Yeah, Caitlyn said she’s a riot.” Dykstra says.
“We’re really glad to have you here.” Hayes says, leaning forward.
“Yeah, Hazy’s been dying to have someone to talk super heroes with since he got here.” Chouinard laughs, bumping Hayes with his shoulder.
“Yeah, man! Shane mentioned that-”
“We’ll leave you to it.” Dykstra laughs, nudging Chouinard, who laughs and stands.
“Beer, Pike?”
“Oh, sure. Thanks.”
The two of them wander off, leaving Hayden with his new goalie.
“How are you really settling in?” Hayes asks, settling back in his chair.
“I…” Hayden runs a hand through his hair. “Maybe it’s conceited, but I didn’t think I’d get traded? I’ve been playing on Shane’s line since we were rookies, y’know?”
Hayes nods.
“I get it. But I think you’ll be happy here. It’s a good environment, these are good guys.”
“Even Rozanov?”
“Yeah, even Rozy. He’s a bit of a pill, but he’s a good guy. Good captain.”
“Honestly? I think I’m starting to see it. But don’t tell him I said that, I’m supposed to be on Shane’s side.”
“My lips are sealed.” Hayes laughs.
“Thanks, man. My reputation depends on it.”
Hayden relaxes after that, getting into it on the latest Batman run as the rest of the party continues around them. The conversation shifts as other members of the team come out to the porch, and at some point someone puts a plate of food in Hayden’s hand — probably Jackie, since it’s all his favorites — along with another beer. Even Rozanov stops to chat for a minute, chirping Hayden like he usually does.
“Good night?” Jackie asks later as they lead the kids to the car. Hayden is holding Ruby and Jade’s hands and Jackie is carrying a very sleepy Arthur. In a surprising show of helpfulness, Rozanov is carrying a sleeping Amber. He sets her in her car seat, then slips back to the party with a wave.
“Yeah. I think things are gonna be good here.”
“Good.” Jackie grins over at him. “I know you miss Shane, because trust me, I do, too. But he’ll be here when he can, you know that.”
“Yeah. I’ll miss J.J. too, but…”
“I get it.”
“How’re the WAGs?” Hayden asks, getting the girls settled into their car seats.
“They seem really cool, I’m excited to get to know them.” Jackie grins. Hayden smiles back at her.
Ottawa will be good. He’ll make it good.
One of their first preseason games is against Boston. Hayden doesn’t quite know what to do with himself — for the last ten years, Boston has been public enemy number one. Voyageurs fans had burned effigies of Rozanov in the streets. And while, yeah, Hayden thought that was taking it a little too far (not that he’d ever tell Rozanov that), he can’t help but still feel the extra thrum in his blood. Like his body is trying to remind his brain that this game matters.
And it does. Hayden can admit that. He hasn’t gotten a ton of time on the ice yet, but it’s early still. Part of him wonders if that’ll change today, if Wiebe will put him in to see how he does under that kind of pressure.
“You coming today?” Hayden asks Jackie as he shoves breakfast in his mouth.
“We’re doing a WAG brunch. Yuna’s gonna watch the kids.”
“Good. I’ll see you later, then.” He drops a quick kiss on her lips before scarfing down another bite of breakfast and heading for the door.
“Drive safe.” Jackie calls after him.
“Love you, too!” Hayden shouts back. He can hear Jackie laughing as the door into the garage closes behind him.
The atmosphere in the locker room is the same as it has been in the few weeks of practice they’ve had — lighthearted, easy. Fun. Hayden had almost forgotten that hockey is a game first and foremost.
It makes him think of Shane, far more serious than he should be. The near-permanent furrow between his eyebrows, the inward slope of his shoulders. Rozanov doesn’t do that. He’s singing something with Hayes, clapping Bood on the shoulder, even bumping his shoulder against Hayden’s own with a laugh. It’s not just confidence, because once he was on the ice, no one was more confident than Shane Hollander (except maybe the man in front of Hayden now). It was… Hayden stumbles over the thought.
It was acceptance.
For all his talk about the Voyageurs maybe understanding, Hayden doesn’t think Shane really believed it. He doesn’t believe it, not after seeing what an actually accepting locker room looks like. Hayden takes a deep breath, then shoots Shane a text, reminding him that Hayden loves him.
Hayden shakes his head fondly as he slides his phone back into his bag - of course Shane knows the Cens' preseason schedule. He takes a deep breath, then squares his shoulders and turns to face his new captain. Rozanov’s eyebrows are furrowed, but they smooth under the attention of the team.
“I hear Boston is very happy to see us.” He smirks. “Especially me, of course, but also surprisingly Pike.”
Hayden laughs with everyone else, leaning into It when Bood claps his shoulder. Rozanov’s speech continues, but Hayden’s nerves have settled now. He shouldn’t be surprised, but it continues to amaze him exactly how good Ilya Rozanov is at the actual captain part of his job. It’s more than just being good at hockey, Hayden knows that from when he was Shane’s alternate. (Once upon a time, he knows Rozanov would chirp him for that, something about how captaining had nothing to do with hockey ability if someone picked Hayden to do it. Now Hayden’s not so sure.)
“We go out, and we win today. We show them that we are not fucking around.” Rozanov finishes. The locker room erupts into cheers.
Hayden is one of the first down the tunnel, Rozanov right on his heels.
The energy between them all is electric. They even squeak out a win — just barely, the final score is 3-2 in their favor — and Rozanov drags them all to Monk’s with the promise of the first round being on him.
Hayden can’t help but shake his head — Rozanov is acting like they’ve just clinched a playoff spot — but he gets it some once they get there. The Bears have all come out, too, and the players are all chatting, teams mixed between tables. At some point, Hayden finds himself having a very serious conversation with Cliff Marlow about whales.
Later, he’ll realize that this is what really settles him. That Ilya Rozanov is actually a fantastic captain, and that Hayden is glad to play with him.
He’d never thought he’d see the day.