Archive of Our Own

There are a lot of very good things about being in love with Ilya Rozanov.

He’s the only boyfriend Shane has ever had, but he’s certain he’s the best one in the world. Despite their actual time together since becoming boyfriends being quite limited due to their busy schedules and living in different cities, he’s already proven that a hundred times over.

Shane loves everything about being with Ilya, except for the fact that he has to keep it a secret. It’s not that he wants to tell the public - at least not for a long time, maybe not until they’re retired. He values both of their careers too much for that. But he does really want to be able to share their joy with the people closest to them.

As soon as they decided to tell one more person each - in his case, Rose, and in Ilya’s, Svetlana - he was both terrified and excited to actually set that plan into motion.

He told Rose over FaceTime only about a week after Ilya consented to it, and she took it very well. After the sudden, unplanned, and incredibly stressful experience of telling his parents, he figured it would be a breeze, and he was right.

It was still the first time he said the words “Ilya Rozanov is my boyfriend” out loud in that order, which made him feel a bit like he was floating up out of his body, but her gasp and excited squeal quickly brought him back down to earth.

About a month and a half after that, Shane boards a plane to Boston to meet Svetlana.

It’s early December, and the season is in full swing, but he hasn’t seen Ilya since Montreal played in Boston a few weeks ago. They had a perfect night together, but it was only that one night, and not a long enough visit for Shane to properly meet Ilya’s best friend.

As hard as it was to carve out two days in his schedule so he could come to Boston, Shane understands the importance of this. He already introduced Ilya to his family, and Svetlana is basically Ilya’s - she’s known him longer than anyone alive on this planet apart from his shitty brother. He didn’t want to wait until the next time the Metros play in Boston, which won’t be until February.

He also really didn’t want to wait to see his boyfriend until Ilya comes to Ottawa for Christmas, so he probably would’ve found a way to make the trip regardless.

Not long after his flight takes off from Montreal, Shane begins to feel anxious.

He’s been so excited to see Ilya all week, and so busy with games and practice and sponsor meetings, that he hasn’t really stopped to think about the significance of meeting Svetlana. He knows her role in Ilya’s life is a big one, and a somewhat complicated one - they’ve never been in love, but he definitely loves her a lot.

He’s become comfortable and confident enough in his relationship to not be overly jealous about the fact that they’ve hooked up in the past, or that Ilya once mentioned the possibility of marrying her for a green card, but it’s impossible to forget. Shane knows this is somewhat hypocritical, considering he hooked up with Rose, but it’s also really not the same thing at all, considering Ilya actually enjoys sleeping with women.

This isn’t the main reason for his nerves, though. Mostly, he just really wants Svetlana to like him. Seeing Ilya hit it off with his parents this past summer was such a beautiful thing for Shane, and he wants to be able to return the favour.

About twenty minutes into the flight, he decides to text Rose. One of the privileges of her being in the loop is that he can actually talk to someone about all of this now, someone other than his parents. When he called her a few nights ago to tell her about this trip, he was very grateful not to have to explain the nature of Ilya and Svetlana’s previous relationship to his mom or dad in order to vent about it.

Shane

On the plane to Boston. Svetlana’s coming to Ilya’s for dinner tonight. Wish me luck 😅

Rose’s reply comes back within moments.

Rose

I’m sure it will be great, don’t stress! And at least you’ll get to see Ilya soon, right? I know you miss him.

Shane

Yeah, I really do. Ugh, idk why I’m so nervous. I want her to like me.

Rose

You’re super likeable, Shane. Plus she’s into hockey right? Just talk about that if all else fails

Shane exhales, grateful for the reminder. He could talk about hockey for hours, much more easily than talking about himself or his feelings.

Shane

Yeah, good point. Thanks 😊

Rose

Any time. Have fun tonight! 🩷

Btw I still want to meet Ilya soon. We need to plan something!

If it’s this difficult finding time in their own schedules to be together, adding a movie star into the mix is nearly impossible, but Shane hopes she’ll at least be able to come to the cottage next summer.

Shane

Of course! He wants to meet you too.

This is a bit of a lie, since Ilya hasn’t explicitly stated that, but Shane is excited to finally introduce them and hopefully eliminate any remaining negative energy Ilya has towards her just for being his ex-girlfriend. He knows they’ll get along well once they meet and Ilya remembers that Shane is not only one-hundred percent gay, but also one-hundred percent committed to him.

Before Rose responds, he gets another text.

Lily

Hope you are having a good flight. Let yourself in when you get here, I will be starting dinner. Sveta will come later, I want you all to myself first 😘

Shane is grateful that he’ll get a bit of time alone with Ilya to decompress after the flight - and for other activities, presumably - before Svetlana comes over.

Jane

Sounds good. See you in less than 2 hours ❤️

Lily

❤️😁🍆

Jane

Omg, you’re like a 12 year old.

Lily

I am making eggplant parm! Get your mind out of the gutter, Hollander.

A few hours later, Shane feels the anxiety starting to creep in again.

Ilya barely let him get through the door before pinning him to the wall and beginning to take off his clothes. He made good on the promise of his emoji - even if he is actually making eggplant parm for dinner - while also ensuring that Shane would have enough time to shower and change before Svetlana arrived.

They showered together, even though it was too soon for either of them to go for round two, because no amount of their precious time together during the season was to be wasted. Ilya did eventually give him some privacy to get dressed, mostly because he needed to finish up dinner, and Shane tried on every item in his suitcase twice before settling on a dark brown knit sweater and jeans.

“Is this okay?” he asks Ilya as he walks back out to the kitchen area, awkwardly pulling on the hem of his sweater.

Ilya looks up from the salad he’s preparing, a smile on his face as he looks Shane up and down.

“Yes, of course. It’s casual,” Ilya reminds him, gesturing to the plain black hoodie and sweatpants he’s wearing. “Just dinner at home, Shane.”

“I know, but I wanna make a good impression. From the pictures you’ve shown me, she seems to have really good style.”

“She does, but she will not like you for your fashion sense,” Ilya insists, walking over to him and resting his hands on his waist. “Or your…not having any.”

“Hey!” Shane frowns, looking down at his outfit. “My stylist chose this sweater.”

“Yes, I know, sweetheart, you look very handsome,” Ilya assures him with a laugh, running his hands up his sides and all the way to his neck, thumbs lightly stroking his jawline. “I meant that she will like you because you are impossible not to like. And because she knows how happy you make me, and how much I love you. Okay?”

Shane nods, letting his forehead rest against Ilya’s for a moment.

“Okay. I love you too.”

Ilya responds with a kiss, followed by another, and another. He’s beginning to walk Shane backward toward the counter when the doorbell rings.

“I will let her in,” Ilya says, lightly pecking Shane’s lips once more as he steps back.

Shane sits on a stool at the counter as Ilya walks over to the door. He can hear Svetlana before he sees her, exchanging a flurry of rapid Russian with Ilya. Shane can make out a couple of words from his ongoing Duolingo lessons, but not enough to really piece together what they’re saying.

When she walks into the kitchen with Ilya trailing behind her, Shane can’t help but be captivated by Svetlana. The photos Ilya showed him didn’t really do her justice - she’s beautiful, but in an intimidating kind of way.

She’s wearing tight black jeans and heeled boots, and when she takes off her coat to pass it to Ilya, the top underneath is just as flattering. Her curly hair is perfectly styled and she has a full face of makeup on, though Shane suspects she would be very pretty even without it.

He knows it’s somewhat irrational, but he feels jealous all over again. He might not be into women, but surely anyone who is would be into her.

“Shane Hollander,” she says with a tight smile, looking at Ilya and then back at Shane. “I still can’t believe you kept him from me all these years, Ilyusha.”

“Was not just my secret,” Ilya reminds her, hanging up her coat and walking over to Shane’s side. “Shane, this is Svetlana. Sveta, my boyfriend, Shane.”

Shane relaxes a little at the way Ilya proudly calls him his boyfriend, as well as the way he’s now resting a hand on his upper back.

“Nice to meet you,” Shane says stiffly, standing up and walking over to give her an awkward handshake. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Me too,” Svetlana smiles. “Mostly your hockey career, since Ilya has told me very little. You are a very good player, probably the best centre Montreal has ever had.”

Shane blinks in surprise. “Uh, wow. Thanks.”

He looks back at Ilya, who shrugs. “Sveta is very honest, so this must be true. Now come sit, I will open the vodka.”

He would generally refuse, considering he has a game in a few days, but Shane thinks a bit of alcohol might help ease his nerves a bit. Thankfully, Ilya knows him well enough to make him a fairly weak cocktail of vodka and cranberry juice instead of giving it to him straight like his and Svetlana’s.

They all sit down in the living room, Shane and Ilya on the couch and Svetlana on the chair facing them. Shane doesn’t realize his knee is bouncing until Ilya gently places his hand there and gives him a soft look.

“So, um - you’re American, right?” Shane asks, breaking the silence and meeting Svetlana’s gaze. She appears to still be sizing him up, observing him. “But you and Ilya grew up together, so you must’ve spent a lot of time in Russia.”

“Yes, my father is Russian and my mother is American,” Svetlana confirms. “I split my time when I was younger. Summers were always in Russia. I’ve been working here in Boston for years now, so it’s been nice having Ilya so close, whether we’re here or in Moscow.”

Until six months from now, when he moves to Ottawa for Shane. He’ll rarely be in Boston, and when they come out someday, he’ll never be able to go to Russia again.

God, she probably hates him for that, if Ilya’s even told her yet.

“Right,” Shane says, ignoring the pit in his stomach at the realization. “Boston’s great.”

Svetlana exchanges a look with Ilya and her eyes widen slightly. They seem to be speaking the kind of language that only two people who have known each other all their lives can understand, one without any words required. Considering they actually speak another language that Shane doesn’t understand, they could be using that, but Shane’s grateful that they’re sticking to English for his benefit.

“Thankfully, Ottawa is a quick flight away,” she adds with a smile. “And Ilya’s told me about this incredible cottage of yours. Very Canadian.”

Shane feels his shoulders relax slightly. They’ve clearly already talked about this.

“Yeah, it’s great,” Shane says, his hand covering Ilya’s where it still rests on his knee. “You should come next summer.“

“Thank you, I would like that,” she says, sipping her vodka. “I would also like to meet your famous ex-girlfriend. I’m a fan.”

Ilya groans dramatically. “I knew you were going to ask that.”

Shane laughs, squeezing Ilya’s hand. “We could do that sometime, sure. Rose is actually really wanting to meet Ilya, too. She’s the only other person who knows about us, other than my parents, so it would be fun to all hang out.”

“Yes, so much fun,” Ilya says with an eye roll, patting Shane’s leg. “We should all go on a cruise.”

Dinner is ready not long after that, and Shane is relieved that the evening passes pretty pleasantly now that the ice has been broken and some drinks have been consumed.

He happily answers Svetlana’s questions about hockey and what it was like winning the cup two years in a row. She talks about her father’s MLH career and her job selling luxury cars.

Shane also seizes the opportunity to ask a few probing questions about what Ilya was like growing up, and she gladly recounts a story about him falling flat on his face while they were skating on a frozen lake.

Ilya stays mostly quiet through the meal, only chiming in occasionally to add a detail, but Shane can tell by the way he’s smiling every time he looks over at him that this means more to him than he even fully realized.

When it’s time to clear the table and wash the dishes, Shane offers to help, but Ilya quickly shuts him down.

“You stay and chat,” Ilya murmurs, brushing a kiss to his temple as he takes his plate that makes Shane’s eyes flutter shut. “Be right back.”

As Ilya heads to the kitchen to clean up, Shane and Svetlana are left alone for the first time.

It’s no longer as tense between them, but there is still a lot remaining unspoken.

Feeling emboldened by the vodka, Shane decides to bridge that gap.

“I was kinda nervous about meeting you.”

Svetlana raises an eyebrow. “Really? Why?”

“Well, I mean, you’re Ilya’s best friend,” he says, staring down at his hands. “And I know you guys have a lot of history, and now suddenly he’s in a relationship and moving to Ottawa and it must be weird-"

He stops talking as Svetlana reaches across the table and gently takes one of his hands in hers.

“Shane,” she says softly, squeezing gently. “It’s not really…that sudden for me. I’ve known he’s been in love with someone - Jane - for a long time.”

Shane nods slowly, processing this. He supposes that if Hayden knows about “Boston Lily,” it makes sense that Ilya’s closest friend would know about “Jane.”

“Did you know it was…me? Before Ilya told you?”

“Not exactly, but I knew it was a man, and that it was different from any of his casual flings,” she says. “I suspected that it might be you, especially when you got hurt last season and I saw how terrified he was.”

Shane’s heart clenches again at the memory, once again wishing - more for Ilya’s sake than his own - that the injury hadn’t happened when Ilya was on the ice with him, unable to react in a way that was proportionate to seeing the person you love get seriously hurt.

“I will miss him, but I would much rather he be in Canada and happy than in Boston or Moscow and sad, like he has been for so long,” Svetlana continues. “He’s had a hard life. I’m sure he’s told you.”

Shane nods solemnly, thinking of every conversation they’ve ever had about his family - the loss of his mother, the cruelty of his father and brother.

“Since this summer, he’s been different. Lighter, happier.” She squeezes his hand again, a small smile appearing on her face. “I don’t see it like you’re taking my friend away from me, Shane. If anything, it’s like…you brought him back.”

This is almost enough to make Shane burst into tears, but he settles for squeezing Svetlana’s hand back and looking at her with watery eyes.

“Thank you,” Shane breathes. “I…that’s all I ever wanted for him. He deserves to be happy.”

“Yes,” she agrees. “So, you must promise me that you won’t break his heart. Losing you would destroy him, and he’s had more than enough pain for one lifetime.”

“I won’t,” Shane says firmly, without missing a beat. He couldn’t even if he tried, honestly. A life without Ilya is already inconceivable to him. “I would never. I promise.”

The intensity and resolve with which Shane says this seems to put her mind at ease, and Svetlana finally lets his hand go and sits back in her chair, finishing her drink.

“Then you and I will be good friends, Shane Hollander,” she smiles. “You’re more fun to talk about hockey with than Ilya. You might actually be a better player, too, but-"

“What are you saying about me?” Ilya demands as he walks back into the room, hearing only the end of their conversation.

“I’m telling your boyfriend he’s a better hockey player than you,” Svetlana says with a smirk. “Sorry, Ilyusha, but he has two cups.”

“I won first!” Ilya asserts, sitting back down next to Shane. “And I was the first draft pick, don’t forget.”

“Yeah, but I was the rookie of the year,” Shane grins, earning a dramatic gasp from Ilya.

“I can’t believe this, the two people I love most betraying me,” he shakes his head. “I will never  invite you both for dinner again.”

“Nooo, I like him!” Svetlana insists. “We will talk about something else. Tell me more about this foundation you’re starting? In memory of your mother, right?”

Ilya smiles, grabbing Shane’s hand and bringing it to his lips for a moment.

“Yes. We are hoping to announce it next year…”

By the time Svetlana leaves that night, they’ve all had a couple more drinks and told a few more stories. They both hug her goodbye, and she gives Shane her phone number, which feels like a stamp of approval.

They settle onto the couch together, enjoying the warmth of each other’s embrace, as soon as she’s gone.

“I like her,” Shane says, fiddling with the blanket that Ilya draped over them. “I was nervous about meeting her, but she’s really cool.”

“I know,” Ilya responds, kissing the top of Shane’s head. “Sveta liked you too, I could tell. Thank you.”

“For what? You made dinner, I just showed up.”

“You suggested I tell her, you flew all the way here to meet her,” Ilya says, lightly stroking his arm. “And you were very nice. It made me happy.”

“She was nice, too, I can see why you love her,” Shane says, and Ilya hums in response. “I noticed she calls you, um…Ilyusha? Is that, like, a nickname?”

Ilya chuckles against his temple, pressing another kiss there.

“Yes, kind of. Is common in Russian, for friends and family, but there are different versions. My mother would call me Ilyushenka.”

Shane nods, thinking. “Do you want me to call you one of those? Like, is it weird to you that we’re so close and I don’t call you anything special?”

Ilya looks at him for a moment, his eyes a bit misty, before shaking his head.

“No. Is up to you, but it doesn’t make a difference to me,” he says. “Every time you call me Ilya - or even Rozanov, or babe sometimes now - it is the best thing I have ever heard.”

Shane’s lip trembles slightly before Ilya kisses him, and he’s grateful to be able to pour his love into the kiss rather than try to put into words how emotional that just made him.

“Let’s go to bed,” Ilya whispers against his lips between kisses.

Shane nods, continuing to kiss him all the way to the bedroom.

Christmas Eve in Ottawa comes with a lot of snow, a very welcome break from the hockey season, and the even more anticipated arrival of Ilya Rozanov.

Shane’s been pacing around his parents’ living room since he got there from Montreal this afternoon, occasionally taking a break to help his mom with the food or check Ilya’s flight status for the millionth time.

He was so worried it would be cancelled when he saw the weather forecast, but mercifully, it was only delayed about an hour.

“He’ll be here soon, Shane, try to relax,” his mom tells him as she comes into the living room with a glass of wine, sitting on the couch next to his dad. “His flight landed, right? He’s probably already in the Uber.”

“Yeah, he texted a few minutes ago,” Shane confirms, though he doesn’t sit down or relax.

It’s partially the normal kind of anticipation to see his boyfriend after weeks apart, but there’s also a fair amount of nerves associated with Ilya coming to spend the holidays with him and his family.

He shouldn’t be nervous, considering how much they hit it off this summer, but it’s been months since that happened. And unlike last time, Ilya is actually staying with him at his parents’ house tonight before they all go to the cottages tomorrow.

“You must be excited to see him,” his dad says, probably trying to distract Shane from his pacing. “It’s been a few weeks since you went to Boston, right?”

“Yeah,” Shane says, thinking about the night they had with Svetlana and how much he’s missed Ilya since then. “And a little nervous. Not about seeing him, just…this. Christmas. It might be a lot.”

“We’ll make sure he feels comfortable, honey,” Yuna assures him. “You know, the first time I met your dad’s family was Thanksgiving, and I was terrified, but by the end of the weekend, I knew I was going to marry him someday.”

“That’s not really helping take the pressure off, Mom,” Shane sighs.

“I just mean that we’ll welcome Ilya with open arms, just like your grandparents did for me,” she clarifies, patting David’s knee. “Plus, we’ve already met him, so the hard part is over. This is just…a normal family holiday with our son and his boyfriend, right?”

Shane nods, exhaling deeply and checking his phone again. Only two minutes have passed since the last time, and he can’t really be surprised that there aren’t any updates from Ilya between him getting in an Uber and his arrival here.

Ten minutes later, there’s a knock on the door, and Shane practically leaps from the couch to run over and open it.

“Hi-"

He doesn’t let Ilya finish his greeting or even step through the front door before he throws his arms around him in a tight hug.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Shane murmurs into his neck, trying to burrow as close as possible despite the thick winter coat and sweatshirt that are in his way.

“Me too,” Ilya says, hugging him back just as tight. “But it’s very cold and snow is getting in the house, lyubimyy.”

Shane reluctantly pulls back, acknowledging that Ilya is right and they probably shouldn’t leave the door open during a snowstorm.

He lets Ilya into the house, helping him with his suitcase, which is both heavier and larger than the one he usually brings.

“What’s in here?” Shane asks, wheeling it into the foyer. “This is a lot bigger than your other one.”

“Winter clothes take up space,” Ilya shrugs. “Also presents.”

Shane blinks. “Ilya, you didn’t have to-I know you don’t even really celebrate Christmas the way we do.”

Ilya had told him a bit about the Russian custom of exchanging gifts on New Year’s Eve, a tradition he maintains with only Svetlana. He hardly celebrates the Orthodox Christmas in January, and the Western Christmas has basically just meant a few days off from hockey for him since moving to the US.

“Yes, but this year I am with my boyfriend and his family who do celebrate this way,” Ilya insists. “Is no big deal, Shane.”

Shane, of course, bought presents for Ilya, and he knows his parents did too. He had told Ilya not to bother, but he should’ve known he wouldn’t listen.

“Okay,” Shane says, leaning in to kiss Ilya softly. It doesn’t escalate, given his parents are just in the other room, but there’s an unspoken promise of more to come once they’re alone at the cottage. “Come in, dinner will be ready soon.”

Ilya takes off his coat and boots and lets Shane lead him into the kitchen, where his parents are both standing in front of the stove and laughing about something.

“Ilya!” Yuna exclaims, dropping the wooden spoon on the counter and walking right over to him. “We’re so happy you’re here.”

She doesn’t hesitate to wrap him in a warm hug, which Ilya doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, he has a huge smile on his face when Yuna pulls back.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Ilya says politely.

“Of course, we’re glad you could make it,” David says, clapping Ilya’s shoulder. “I hope the flight was okay, I’m sure the airports were crazy today.”

“Not too bad. I am just relieved the flight wasn’t cancelled.”

“So are we, Shane was refreshing the tracking website every five minutes,” Yuna laughs, earning a glare from Shane. “What, it’s true!”

“Ah, you missed me,” Ilya smirks, lightly poking Shane in the side.

“Obviously,” Shane says, rolling his eyes affectionately. “You want something to drink? We have beer, wine, vodka, hot chocolate, eggnog, Coke…”

Ilya seems a bit overwhelmed by the choices. “Coke for now, please. I don’t want to fill up too much before dinner. It smells delicious.”

“Mom’s making nikujaga, it’s a Japanese dish. Kind of like stew,” Shane explains, passing him a can from the fridge. “We have it every Christmas Eve.”

“I can’t wait to try,” Ilya smiles.

About an hour later, their bellies are full of food, and they’re all sitting in the living room drinking hot chocolate.

Shane’s happy to see that they seem to have picked up right where they left off last summer, with Ilya and his parents happily chatting throughout dinner about the season so far and how they’re going to be spending the next several days of the holiday break.

“We can do gifts and breakfast here in the morning and then get going after that,” Yuna suggests. “I figured we would do Christmas Day and dinner at our place, since it’s all decorated, but then I’m sure you boys will want your privacy.”

They would typically be at the cottage already, but since Ilya couldn’t fly in until tonight, they figured it would be better to go in the morning than take on the two-hour drive at night in this weather. Shane would normally be a bit thrown off by the change in routine, but it’s a small price to pay for Ilya being here.

“Yeah, we’ll sleep at mine,” Shane agrees, omitting the reason why that’s so important to him. Neither his parents’ house here in Ottawa nor their cottage is big enough for them to have sex under the same roof. “Does that work for you, Ilya?”

Ilya, who is sitting next to him on the couch with their legs touching, just nods and sips his drink for a moment.

“Thank you for changing your plans for me,” he says, looking from Shane to his parents. “Shane mentioned you usually sleep at the cottage on Christmas Eve.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble at all,” David insists, getting up to put another log on the fire. “We’ll still be there for Christmas. I think you’ll like it, it’s beautiful up there when it snows.”

“I can imagine,” Ilya says, looking down at his mug. “It’s so…quiet there.”

“Even quieter in the winter,” Shane says.

While his dad talks about ice fishing on the lake - one of his favourite winter cottage activities - Shane looks over at Ilya, who is listening intently to every word.

Without saying anything, he reaches for his hand and tangles their fingers together, bringing them to his lips to press a quick kiss there. Neither of his parents reacts, and Ilya responds only by squeezing his hand back and smiling at him for a second. It feels so wonderfully normal.

“Have you started thinking about house hunting in Ottawa yet, Ilya?” Yuna asks.

“Mom, he hasn’t even signed for Ottawa yet-"

“I know, but he will!” Yuna says. “It’s a no-brainer for them. They’ve never had a star signing like that, at least not in this century.”

“No, no house hunting yet,” Ilya says, his cheeks slightly flushed, either from the compliment or the beverage. “I will probably wait until I sign. Might rent for a few months. I’m sure Shane will have real estate advice for me.”

“I did grow up here,” Shane points out. “I might know a thing or two.”

“Yes, you should quit hockey and become a full-time realtor,” Ilya jokes, running his thumb over the back of Shane’s hand.

Yuna laughs. “Yes, I’m sure Shane will be helpful, but we actually live here. If you need any help looking, or even a place to stay until you find something or while you’re in contract talks, please just let us know. You’re always welcome here.”

Ilya is silent for a moment, his hand tightening slightly around Shane’s, before he nods.

“That would be very nice,” he says. “Thank you.”

Shane catches the look in Ilya’s eye - some mixture of awe and disbelief - and decides to change the subject back to one of Montreal’s new rookies. As lovely and kind as his parents are being, he knows Ilya isn’t necessarily used to this kind of family dynamic, so he doesn’t want to overwhelm him.

They decide to go to bed not long after. They both had morning practice today before making their way here, and a long run of road games before that. They haven’t even had that much time to talk on the phone lately, due to the constraints of shared hotel rooms and different time zones, so they’re more than ready for some alone time.

“This is our room,” Shane says after giving Ilya a brief house tour and leading him down the hallway. “Well, technically, my childhood bedroom.”

He opens the door so Ilya can drag his big suitcase inside, taking in his surroundings as he does so. The contents of the room are basically the same as they were when Shane left for Montreal years ago - a bookshelf full of hockey medals and trophies, a Metros flag, some photos of him with his parents or childhood teammates.

“You have always been a hockey nerd,” Ilya smiles. “I am just surprised there is no poster of sexy vampire-"

“You’re the worst,” Shane groans, still deeply regretting telling him about his childhood crush on Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. “And I was in the closet, remember? Couldn’t exactly put up posters of hot guys in my room without raising suspicion.”

“You could now,” Ilya says with a shrug, plopping down on Shane’s bed. “I would be happy to send you a poster, we just did new photoshoot last week. I could even autograph it, very exclusive-"

Shane interrupts him by straddling him on the bed, kissing him deeply and running his hands through his hair. Ilya returns it greedily, his hands immediately slipping underneath Shane’s t-shirt and feeling his skin.

“I missed you so much,” Shane moans. “I can’t wait for tomorrow night.”

“Yes, same,” Ilya sighs, leaving a trail of kisses down his jawline.

It’s a real testament to how much Ilya respects his parents that he’s not trying to fuck him right now, actually. Despite his better judgement, Shane is still tempted when he feels Ilya’s erection pressing against his.

Reluctantly, he climbs off of Ilya’s lap and lies down next to him instead, their hands loosely tangled between them.

“Are you having a good time so far?” Shane asks.

He knows it’s not the sexiest way to spend one of the only breaks they get outside the summer, and that in previous years Ilya probably spent it in Moscow or travelling somewhere hot and sunny, surrounded by hot girls either way. It means a lot to him that Ilya chose to spend it with him and his family.

“Are you joking?” Ilya replies, looking at him incredulously. “I get to experience a real Canadian Christmas with my boyfriend and his family. And this is the most time we’ve had together since summer.”

“Yeah,” Shane says, a small smile creeping onto his face. “I mean, I know you wanted to be together, and obviously we’ll have fun at the cottage, but-"

“No buts, Shane,” Ilya cuts him off, pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “I am so happy to be here. A bit nervous, too, but happy. It was so nice of your parents to let me come.”

Shane lets out a laugh, making Ilya frown with confusion.

“Sorry, I just - let you? I don’t think my mom would’ve let me hear the end of it if you didn’t come,” he says. “They were really excited about spending more time with you.”

Ilya looks at him with glistening eyes for a second before burying his face in Shane’s neck and pressing soft kisses from his collarbone to behind his ear.

“Ya tebya lyublyu,” Ilya whispers against his skin, sending goosebumps up Shane’s spine in the best way.

“Ya tozhe tebya lyublyu, moya lyubov',” Shane says in response, his pronunciation careful and still a bit stilted.

Ilya pulls back abruptly with a wide grin on his face.

“You have been practicing.”

“Yeah,” Shane says sheepishly, lightly tugging on Ilya’s curls. “It’s a hard language, I wish I had more free time to spend learning it-"

“No, you are doing a good job, Shane,” Ilya says, kissing his nose. “Thank you.”

They curl up together in the bed that’s definitely too small for two fully grown men, neither of them really caring.

Shane realizes just before he falls asleep that he hasn’t been this excited for Christmas morning since he was a little kid.

The rest of the season feels almost unbearably long.

As the playoffs get closer, the pressure mounts for both the Metros and the Raiders. The increased intensity leads to less free time for phone calls and fewer opportunities for weekend getaways.

Shane knows the light is at the end of the tunnel. As soon as they’re both done their seasons, they’ll be at the cottage together. Then, Ilya can sign for Ottawa, sell his house in Boston, and - god willing - they’ll never be that far apart again.

He knows it’s coming, but it feels like a lifetime away when they’re playing games on opposite sides of the country and haven’t had the chance to talk properly in days.

Eventually, summer comes, and he’s never been so okay with being eliminated from the playoffs. Obviously, he’s disappointed at first, because he loves hockey and his team and no amount of cup wins could ever really be enough, but by the time he gets home, he already has a text from Ilya - whose season ended a few days earlier in a pretty brutal game six against Washington - that he’s booked his flight to Ottawa.

They haven’t seen each other in a month, so it takes everything in Shane’s power not to attack Ilya with kisses the moment he picks him up at the airport. He exercises just enough restraint to wait fifteen minutes until they can pull over on a back road and make out for long enough to sustain them for the rest of the drive.

They have a lot of lost time to make up for, so they spend the first three days pretty much exclusively in bed or in the shower or on the couch - always touching, never apart unless absolutely necessary (Shane draws the line at them going to the bathroom together).

The fourth day, when they’re finally sated enough to leave the house for a few hours, they go to his parents’ cottage for lunch and some discussions about the Irina Foundation and their plans for the next year or so. Yuna is already prepared with spreadsheets and documents for them to look over, and though it’s all a bit overwhelming, Shane is relieved that Ilya seems more excited than stressed.

That evening, they’re cuddled up on the couch watching a movie when Shane receives a text. His phone has largely been on do not disturb for the past few days, but he was chatting with Hayden earlier and must’ve forgotten to turn it back on.

Ilya whines slightly when Shane adjusts their position - with Ilya essentially lying on top of him - to grab his phone from the table.

Rose

I’m in MTL for a few weeks of re-shoots starting tomorrow, are you in town? I miss you!!

Shane pauses for a second to think before gently nudging Ilya.

“Hey, how would you feel about Rose coming to visit?” he asks. “She’s in Montreal, and I haven’t seen her in a few months.”

Ilya redirects his attention from the movie to Shane, propping himself up on one elbow. His expression is basically unreadable.

“I know you have…reservations about her, but she’s super nice, and she really wants to meet you,” Shane continues. “And it wouldn’t be for too much of our time here, just a weekend or something-"

“Yes, invite her,” Ilya shrugs.

“Are you sure?” Shane asks. “I don’t have to, I just thought it would be a good opportunity for you to meet her and-"

“Shane, relax,” he says, kissing Shane’s shoulder. “It will be fine. I know she is your friend. You were fine meeting Svetlana even though you know we hooked up in the past. And, like you say, you are extremely gay, so-"

“I don’t think I ever said extremely,” Shane mumbles, but he’s happy that point got through to Ilya. “Okay, thank you. She’ll be really excited. Oh, and you’re welcome to invite Svetlana too, obviously, I know she wanted to meet Rose.”

“She’s in Russia for a few weeks, but another time,” Ilya smiles, clearly happy that Shane even suggested it. “I was thinking she could come here for a weekend before pre-season, if you can come from Montreal. It will be easy for me once I’m in Ottawa.”

“Yeah, of course,” Shane agrees, squeezing his hand. “Okay, I’m gonna text Rose back.”

Shane

I’m actually at the cottage with Ilya. Would you be interested in coming here? Maybe this weekend?

It’s a couple hours from Montreal, I could come pick you up or you could rent a car.

Her reply comes instantly.

Rose

OMG YES

I can come Friday afternoon, does that work?? I’ll rent a car

I can’t wait to meet Ilya!

Shane

That’s perfect. See you Friday 😄

The day Rose arrives at the cottage is bright and sunny - the warmest one yet this summer.

While Ilya swims and does some chores outside, Shane spends most of the morning indoors getting the guest room ready, making sure they have everything they need for food for the weekend, and removing any evidence of the fact that they’ve basically been using this place like a sex den for the past week (including relocating the bottle of lube that had been sitting on the coffee table for days).

By the time she arrives, Shane is satisfied with his work, and Ilya has showered and changed into shorts and his Raiders t-shirt.

“Are you gonna wear that every time I introduce you to someone?” Shane groans.

“Yes,” Ilya grins devilishly. “Especially Hayden, even though I will be an Ottawa player by then. Or maybe I’ll wear your jersey instead.”

“I hate you,” Shane grumbles, but the kiss he gives Ilya a second later contradicts his words.

The doorbell rings before they can take it any further, and Shane runs to get the door.

Rose, unsurprisingly, manages to still look like a movie star after hours in the car. She has big sunglasses, jean shorts and a green tank top on, and she’s carrying a huge duffel bag.

“Oh my god, this place is insane!” she exclaims as she walks in, pulling Shane into a tight hug. “It’s even better than the pictures.”

“Thanks,” Shane smiles, taking her bag from her when they pull back. “How was your drive?”

“It was fine, lots of trees,” she shrugs. “Now where the hell is your-"

Ilya comes around the corner on cue, a polite smile on his face.

“Hi, Rose,” he says. “Nice to meet you.”

“Rose, this is Ilya,” Shane says, as if she doesn’t already know that.

Rose brushes past Shane to pull Ilya into an equally tight hug, beaming at him.

“I’m so happy to finally meet you, too,” Rose says, looking pointedly back at Shane. “I’ve heard so much about you. From Shane and hockey Twitter.”

“Ah, yes, I heard you are a hockey fan,” Ilya says. “Detroit, right?”

“Michigan born and raised, but I am a bit biased toward Montreal since I met this one,” Rose jokes. “Mostly still Detroit, though. Are you sure I can’t convince you to transfer there instead of Ottawa? We could really use you.”

Ilya raises an eyebrow, and Shane realizes that they hadn’t explicitly agreed to tell anyone beyond his parents and Svetlana about the upcoming transfer until it’s finalized and made public.

“I told her, I hope that’s okay,” he says.

“Of course, is no problem,” Ilya says, and thankfully seems to mean it. “It will be public soon.”

Not for the first time, Shane is grateful that his boyfriend is a much less anxious person than he is.

“My lips are sealed, don’t worry,” Rose says quickly, clearly talking about more than the Ottawa move.

“Shane trusts you, so I do too,” Ilya smiles. “He also tells me you like wine, can I get you some?”

“Fuck yes,” Rose grins, looking from Ilya back to Shane. “I like him already.”

After an hour or two sitting out on the dock, enjoying the late afternoon sun and swimming in the warmer-than-usual lake, Shane is impressed by how quickly they’ve all fallen into an easy flow of conversation.

He was concerned it might be a bit tense at first, like when he met Svetlana, but Ilya seems to be much more comfortable around Rose from the start.

The only indication of any lingering feelings of jealousy he might be harbouring is the fact that he’s acting a bit more possessive than usual, but Shane really doesn’t mind that much. Not when it basically just manifests as Ilya touching him more often or calling him only English pet names - sweetheart, babe, my love - that he knows Rose will understand.

They’re in the middle of a conversation about the reshoots Rose is currently filming for the new X-Squad movie when Ilya moves from his own chair to the arm of Shane’s, leaning in close.

“Do you want another beer, sweetie pie?” Ilya asks him, kissing his cheek.

Shane knows he’s just fucking with him now more than anything, but he only manages a half-hearted eye roll in response.

“Sure, thanks.”

“Rose, more wine?” Ilya asks, still stroking Shane’s back.

“Yes, please!”

Ilya kisses Shane one more time - this one on the forehead - before getting up and walking back toward the house.

“Let’s go back in the lake for a bit, I didn’t even know it got this hot in Canada,” Rose teases, slipping off her cover-up and descending the ladder into the waist-deep water.

Shane follows her, enjoying the feeling of the water against his skin as he wades slightly deeper.

“You two are so adorable, I can’t handle it,” Rose says once Ilya is definitely out of earshot.

“I swear he’s not usually this affectionate around other people. Not that he’s had very many opportunities, but still,” Shane says. “He might still be a bit jealous of you.”

“Really?” she asks, eyes wide. “I hope he knows he has no reason to be.”

“I’m pretty sure if he actually thought he did, he wouldn’t be so nice to you,” Shane says honestly. “He can be…blunt.”

“Well, I think he’s been lovely, considering I’m technically your ex,” Rose laughs. “Oh, and he’s super fucking hot. I mean, I knew that from seeing him on TV and in pictures, but seriously. I can’t wait until you guys come out someday and I can brag to all my friends about the time I hung out with shirtless Ilya Rozanov on Shane Hollander’s dock. My brothers are all straight, but I think even they would be jealous.”

“Oh my god, Rose,” Shane groans, though he completely agrees. “But yeah, he’s super fucking hot.”

“And I bet the sex is like-"

“I’m not answering that,” Shane says, but he can’t help but smirk as he thinks about the incredible blowjob he received this morning.

Later that evening, after the sun has set and they’ve finished eating the burgers and salad Shane made, they’re all comfortably sitting around the fire.

Rose doesn’t bat an eye when Ilya squeezes himself between the couch cushion and Shane so they’re sitting as close as possible and swings his arm around his shoulder. Shane flashes her a quick glance of apology, but he makes no effort to move and can tell that she doesn’t really care in the slightest.

“Thank you for having me,” she says after they’ve watched the fire for a few minutes, enjoying the calmness and the soft music playing from Shane’s Bluetooth speaker. “It’s really beautiful here, and such a nice break from the craziness of work right now.”

“Of course, I’m so happy you came,” Shane says. “Relaxing and getting away from the world is pretty much why I built this place, so it’s nice to be able to share it.”

He squeezes Ilya’s hand when he says that, hoping he understands that he’s talking about him, too. The kiss to his temple he gets in response seems to suggest that he does.

“You too, Ilya,” Rose adds. “I appreciate you letting me crash your romantic getaway. I know you probably didn’t like me very much when I was dating Shane, which makes total sense-"

Ilya opens his mouth to interrupt, but closes it when Rose smiles knowingly at him.

“It’s okay, seriously,” she insists. “I mean, I would’ve hated me, too. I just wanted to say - for whatever it’s worth - that even if Shane wasn’t completely gay, there’s no way it would’ve worked between us, because it’s painfully obvious how in love he is with you.”

Shane can feel some tension leave Ilya’s body, his grip loosening slightly. He buries his face in Shane’s shoulder for a minute, pressing a kiss there.

“Yes, he is obsessed with me,” Ilya says, the intended levity of his words doing little to distract from his rosy cheeks. “Thank you for saying that, Rose. You are nicer than I would’ve thought a big celebrity would be.”

“Thanks,” Rose grins. “You’re a lot nicer than you seem on TV, too.”

“Shh, don’t tell anyone,” Ilya says, lacing his fingers together with Shane’s. “Is a big secret.”

“Who’s gonna hear, the loons?” Shane teases him.

“Are there a lot of loons up here?” Rose asks.

“Oh my god,” Ilya groans, resting his head on Shane’s shoulder. “Do not get him started.”

When he’s back in Montreal for pre-season, Shane decides it’s time to tell Hayden.

For one thing, he’s now been officially in a relationship with Ilya for over a year, which is really long past the amount of time you should go without telling your best friend something so important. The longer he waits, the more upset Hayden might be when he finds out.

The second reason he really can’t wait is because he decided he wants to come out to the team this year - not to tell them he’s dating Ilya, but that he’s gay - and he’s going to need Hayden’s support for that. Plus, he owes it to him to tell him privately, rather than in a crowded locker room.

He’s more anxious about this than he was telling his parents or Rose, though he supposes he was kind of thrown off the deep end with his parents when his dad found him making out with another man, and Rose figured out he was gay herself. Technically speaking, this is the first time he’ll actually be saying the words out loud to someone who doesn’t already know.

He lets out a breath as he parks in the Pikes’ driveway. Hayden had told him at practice today that Jackie was taking the kids to her parents’ for a few days, so they have the place to themselves. It’s the perfect opportunity, so Shane knows he has to take it.

Before he goes in, he pulls out his phone to text Ilya. It’s been less than a week since they said goodbye in Ottawa, after Shane helped him settle into the apartment he’s renting while he looks for a house to buy, but he misses him like crazy. He still can’t believe they’re only two hours apart now - it feels like a dream.

Jane

Just pulled into Hayden’s. Wish me luck.

Lily

It will be fine. He’s your friend. I am so proud of you.

Jane

Thanks babe. I’ll call you when I get home tonight. ❤️

Lily

❤️

Armed with a renewed sense of bravery, and a reminder of why this is all worth it, Shane gets out of the car and walks up to the door.

“Hey man,” Hayden says, opening the door a few seconds after Shane knocks. “Come on in. Want a beer?”

“I’m driving,” Shane says. “Do you have-"

“Yep, Jackie bought some this morning when I mentioned you were coming over.”

He goes to the fridge and returns with a ginger ale for Shane and a beer for himself. He’s probably gonna need that, Shane thinks.

They sit on the couch and Hayden puts on ESPN - which, like most days since the news of Ilya’s transfer broke, is currently dissecting why the hell he would leave Boston for Ottawa, and what that means for both teams this season.

“I still can’t believe this,” Hayden murmurs, nodding toward the TV. “Even if he didn’t wanna sign with Boston again for some reason, like…of all the fucking teams in the league, Ottawa?”

“Yeah, it’s crazy,” Shane agrees, swallowing the lump in his throat.

“It’s gonna be so easy to beat him now, though, you must be psyched about that,” Hayden laughs. “I mean, he’s good, obviously, but with that team…I knew he was a dick, but I didn’t know he was an idiot, too.”

It’s gotten almost unbearable at this point to listen, let alone engage with, this kind of shit talk about the man he loves more than life itself. This is yet another reason he needs to tell Hayden now - he’s not sure he can take that anymore. He can handle faking it for the media, even his teammates, but not with his best friend.

“Look, Hayd, um…I actually have to tell you something.”

Hayden’s head turns quickly, his eyes going wide.

“Oh, fuck, Shane,” he says, making Shane’s brow furrow in confusion. Surely there’s no way he knows about Ilya already. “Don’t tell me…you’re not leaving Montreal, are you?”

“What?” Shane shakes his head. “No, no, it’s not that.”

Hayden breathes a sigh of relief, sinking back into the couch cushions.

“Okay, thank god,” he says, sipping his beer. “What is it, then?”

Shane inhales and exhales slowly, replaying Ilya’s texts in his mind. It will be fine. He is your friend.

I am so proud of you.

“I’m…gay.”

Hayden goes silent, a few different emotions crossing his face that Shane can’t really decipher.

He feels a bit like his chest is going to explode by the time Hayden finally speaks.

“Wow, that’s…” He pauses for a second, shaking his head. “Thank you for telling me.”

“I’m sorry it took me this long,” Shane says sincerely. “It’s just…hard. Obviously.”

“Yeah, I bet,” Hayden says. “I mean, not that there’s anything wrong with it. I support you, one hundred percent.”

“Thank you,” Shane says, breathing a small sigh of relief.

One bombshell down, one to go.

“I’m sorry if you thought I wouldn’t be cool about it-"

“No, I didn’t,” Shane insists. “It wasn’t that. I just - I didn’t even fully accept it myself until, like, a year and a half ago.”

Hayden nods slowly, the gears in his brain clearly turning as he processes this.

“Who else knows?”

“Not many people,” Shane says quickly. “Just my parents, since last summer. And Rose, but that’s only cause she figured it out herself when we had sex and it was a total disaster.”

“That explains a lot,” Hayden breathes. “I really couldn’t work out why you would fumble such a hot girl. I thought maybe you were hung up on Boston Lily or something.”

Here we go, Shane thinks. He supposes he could keep Hayden in the dark about Ilya for a bit longer, since he won’t be telling the team or anyone else about that part of his life any time soon, but he really doesn’t want to.

Every person they’ve let in on their secret so far has made it feel a bit more real for Shane, and that’s all he wants. To build a real life with Ilya, even if it has to happen slowly.

“There’s something else,” he says timidly. “I’ve actually been seeing someone for…a while now.”

“Really?” Hayden blinks, obviously still reeling a bit from his first revelation. “Okay, who is - um - what’s his name?”

Shane hesitates, his eyes flicking back to the screen for a second, which is still showing footage of Ilya’s Boston highlights from over the years.

“Ilya Rozanov.”

Hayden’s initial reaction isn’t what he expected, like rage or disappointment or something else in that realm.

Instead, he bursts out laughing.

“What the fuck, man, what kind of sick joke-"

He stops abruptly when he meets Shane’s gaze.

“Wait. You’re - you can’t be serious. Rozanov?”

Shane just nods, unable to suppress a small smile. “Yeah.”

“But you’re - he’s a - holy shit, Ottawa. That’s why-"

Hayden’s brain seems to be malfunctioning, but he still managed to put that much together, so Shane decides to help him out.

“Yes, he moved to Ottawa to be closer to me, and because we’re launching a charity together soon,” Shane clarifies. “We’re…in love, and we have been for a while. It’s serious.”

Hayden grabs his beer and finishes it, which Shane supposes is a fair reaction. It still sounds crazy even to his own ears when he says it out loud.

“Hold on, you said you just accepted that you were gay last year,” Hayden says after a minute, pinching the bridge of his nose. “So - so you broke things off with Rose, and I guess Boston Lily too, and then you started-"

This time, Shane is the one to burst out laughing, unable to restrain himself.

“I’m sorry,” he says, seeing Hayden’s look of confusion. “It’s just…come on, dude. Boston Lily?”

Hayden continues to stare at him blankly before his eyes widen again in realization.

“You’ve been with Rozanov since…”

“The summer before our rookie season,” Shane finishes. “It was just casual hook-ups for a long time, though. We didn’t make it official until last summer. We both had some stuff to work out to get to that point, but…we’re really happy now.”

“Holy shit, I need a stronger drink than this,” Hayden exhales.

“I know it’s a lot to process,” Shane says. “But I kinda wanna tell the team soon. Not about Ilya, but that I’m gay. So I wanted to tell you the full story first.”

Hayden nods, straightening his posture.

“Yeah, of course,” he says. “I mean, hopefully people are a bit cooler about that stuff now after the Scott Hunter thing. That was - I mean, that must’ve been a big deal for you, right?”

“Definitely,” Shane agrees. He won’t get too into detail about the sequence of events leading to his and Ilya’s relationship tonight, when Hayden is already overwhelmed with information. “It was huge for both me and Ilya.”

“Okay, you calling him Ilya like that will never not be weird,” Hayden says, shuddering slightly. “But I’m happy for you. And sorry that I spent so many years trying to set you up with girls.”

“It’s okay,” Shane laughs. “You didn’t know.”

Hayden nods. “Well, I’m glad I do now.”

Shane stays for another couple hours, most of which is spent playing video games and answering the questions that pop into Hayden’s head every few minutes.

“Wait, but I’ve seen like a million pics online of Rozanov with hot girls, was he just-"

“He’s bi, so he likes girls, too.”

“Okay. Cool.”

“Did you ever let him win a game?”

“Fuck no.”

“When you got hurt playing against Boston, and he stayed on the ice…”

“Yeah.”

“I just can’t believe I never put it together.”

“You were pretty busy trying to beat the shit out of Marlow, to be fair.”

“Hey, I was defending you!”

Eventually, they call it a night, with loose plans for a dinner with him and Jackie sometime soon when Ilya’s in town.

Shane feels another weight lifted off him as he drives home, and even more so when he finally walks through the front door and gets to properly talk to his boyfriend for the first time that day.

Ilya answers the FaceTime call pretty much instantly. He’s sitting up in bed, shirtless, with a sleepy smile on his face.

“How was it?”

“Actually really good,” Shane exhales, sitting down on his couch and turning on a lamp. “I figured he would be okay about it, but he was totally supportive. Surprised, but supportive.”

“Bravo Pike for not being homophobic to his best friend,” Ilya says sarcastically, but he looks genuinely relieved, too. He must have known how much it would’ve crushed Shane if Hayden hadn’t taken it well. “Did you tell him about us, too?”

Shane nods. “I thought I should just…rip off the bandaid while he was already kind of in shock.”

“And?”

“He was a lot more surprised about it being you than me being gay or having a boyfriend,” Shane chuckles, remembering the look on Hayden’s face. “It took him a second to piece the whole Boston Lily thing together, I thought his brain was gonna explode.”

“I can’t wait until we play Montreal,” Ilya grins, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Maybe I will tell him before the game about what we were doing during that phone call last summer, fuck with his head a little bit.”

“Absolutely not!”

Hayden can never find out about that phone call, or he’ll never hear the end of it.

“About that, though, I was hoping we could have dinner with Hayden and Jackie sometime soon when you’re in town,” Shane suggests. “I told him he could tell her, but she’ll keep it a secret, don’t worry. She’s super nice, too, I think you’ll like her.”

“Okay,” Ilya shrugs. “Our first double date. Could be fun.”

“Yeah,” Shane says - he hadn’t thought of it like that, but there’s another normal couple milestone he’ll get to check off the list. “How’s your night going?”

“Mostly boring, missing you and watching TV,” Ilya says, settling back into his pillows. “Your mom came and dropped off dinner for me again. Was very good.”

Shane smiles. His parents have been very helpful - maybe a bit too helpful - since Ilya moved to Ottawa last week, but Ilya doesn’t seem to mind at all. He’s grateful that they’re doing everything they can to make him feel at home there, especially when he’s not there to help him adjust himself.

“She’s really excited to have you in Ottawa,” Shane says. “She keeps talking about how it’s been too long since she’s had a son around to take care of.”

Ilya’s face briefly contorts with that now-familiar expression of astonishment and joy and maybe a bit of fear, too. Shane is well aware that it’s been a very long time since he’s felt the kind of love and support that comes from family, and while he doesn’t want to overwhelm him, he does want him to realize that none of this is going away.

“Is nice to have family close,” Ilya says quietly. “You are still coming next weekend, right?”

“Of course, I’ll be there around four on Friday if traffic’s not too bad.”

“Okay,” Ilya smiles. “Maybe we can drive past the house I am thinking of buying.”

“Oh, so you do want my real estate expertise?” Shane smirks.

“Sure,” Ilya says. “But mostly because it will be your home, too, so you should like it.”

Shane’s breath catches in his throat, his cheeks feeling warm.

It’s no different from the way he already thinks of the cottage as being just as much Ilya’s home as it is his, so he understands the sentiment completely, but he’s still choked up at the thought.

They’re truly building a life together, one step at a time, whether it’s telling their loved ones about their relationship, or establishing a charity that means so much to both of them, or looking at houses that they very well might share someday.

He’s in no rush to retire, but the thought of moving back to his hometown, getting married to the love of his life, starting a family of their own…god, he’s gonna cry.

“You know I hate it when you say that stuff when I can’t kiss you,” he says, wiping at his eyes. “Fuck, Ilya.”

“Sorry, moya lyubov,” Ilya says with a soft smile. “You can have twice the kisses when you get here.”

“Deal,” Shane laughs, his fingers lightly tracing Ilya’s face on the screen. “I should go soon, I have practice in the morning.”

“Or you should take off your clothes and tell Hayden you will be late for practice because you stayed up late jerking off on FaceTime with your sexy boyfriend.”

“Ugh, gross,” Shane rolls his eyes, already pulling his shirt over his head.