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“Hayden, I really have to go-” Shane starts, trying to get around Hayden to the door of their hotel room. “I have plans.”
“With Lily?”
Hayden’s not stupid. And, by the way Shane freezes, Hayden was right on target.
“What?”
“I’m not an idiot, buddy.”
“I would never-”
“It’s not hard to put two and two together. You’re gay, you have someone in Boston that you won’t even tell your best friend about. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that he’s affiliated with the Bears, dude.”
Shane blinks at him.
“You don’t have to tell me who he is, but if you wanted to… well, you know the only person I’ll tell is Jackie.”
That at least gets a laugh out of Shane.
“I appreciate it, Hayd. But I really have to go. The team leaves for Seattle tomorrow and-”
“Fine, fine. But we’re getting dinner tomorrow and you’re telling me every- you’re telling me as much as you want.”
“Sounds good.” Shane grins, and Hayden darts in for a quick hug before stepping away from the door.
“I’ll see you later.” He says.
“Ah. Tomorrow?”
“Go get him, tiger.” Hayden laughs.
And then Shane’s gone. Weirdly enough, Hayden feels like a proud dad.
“You are late.” Ilya frowns. “I was getting worried.”
“Sorry. Hayden…” Shane starts, stepping into the hall so Ilya can shut the door behind him.
“Ah, of course.” Ilya waves off the rest of the explanation.
“He almost figured us out, actually.”
“Pike?”
Shane nods.
“He asked if I was seeing Boston Lily tonight. He doesn’t know that you’re you, but he’s close. And-” Shane cuts himself off with a shake of his head.
“You want to tell him.”
“Only if you’re okay with it.”
Ilya nods slowly.
“I think it would be good.” He admits. “You trust Pike. Will be good for you to have someone to talk to.”
“He’ll tell Jackie.”
“I trust Lady Pike more than her husband.”
There’s a lull in conversation as their food is delivered. Shane pulls out plates and silverware as Ilya brings the bag in.
“You ordered for me?” Shane asks softly. Ilya smiles.
“You sent me menu yesterday. Said you would probably get the fish.” He shrugs.
“Thank you.” Shane smiles Ilya’s favorite smile, soft and just for him.
“But what about you? You should have people, too.” Shane says.
“Sveta.” Ilya says immediately. “I have been thinking about telling her for a while. And maybe… maybe Marly. I am not sure.”
“I think Svetlana is a great idea.” Shane doesn’t say anything about Marlow, but Ilya didn’t think he would. Shane doesn’t know Cliff beyond him being the cause of Shane’s concussion a few years ago. But he’s been on Ilya’s line for a long time, and Ilya trusts him to not be weird about this. He hasn’t been weird about any of Ilya’s other shit over the years.
“You are very settled today.” Ilya notes. Shane shrugs.
“Hayden was… really normal about the whole thing. Made me think that maybe we don’t have to hide from everyone.”
“I am glad.” Ilya reaches over to squeeze Shane’s hand.
“They could probably help us, too. If we needed them to run interference or something. Take heat off of us.” Shane muses. Ilya grins at him.
“My lovely planner. Please eat your dinner so I can suck your cock.”
And while Ilya does always want to suck Shane off, he’d said it mostly to make Shane blush and look at him like he is right now — a mix of turned on and affronted. It’s one of Ilya’s favorite expressions.
“Ilya!” But Shane is laughing, and Ilya can tell by the way he’s shifting in his seat means that he’s turned on now, too.
“Eat, moya lyubov'. You have late flight tomorrow, we have time.”
“First you can’t wait to get my pants off, and now we have time? Make up your mind, Rozanov.” Shane grumbles. God, Ilya missed him.
“Have to make the most of every visit, da? Unless you want to multitask…”
Shane makes a face.
“Pass on that, thanks.”
“I will figure something else out.”
"Marly, you free for dinner tonight?” Ilya asks as he finishes putting his gear away. They’d had a good practice, late in the afternoon since they don’t play until tomorrow. Ilya had taken his time with Shane, then sent him back to the hotel with the slightest limp. He’d be able to blame it on a rolled ankle.
“Sure, Cap. Your place?”
“Da. Come over in an hour?”
Cliff snaps off a salute, less sarcastic than usual. Ilya appreciates him.
Ilya is pulling pelmeni out of the freezer when Cliff lets himself in.
“It’s serious if you’re pulling out the comfort food. You dying, Roz?” He asks, leaning against the counter.
“No. Is good thing.”
“But there is a thing.”
“Yes. And beer in the fridge.”
Cliff helps himself, popping one open for Ilya and setting it on the counter.
“You ask me about my Jane.” Ilya starts, keeping himself busy with the food. He moves automatically, starting to put a salad together before remembering that Shane isn’t here.
“She the one that got you eating vegetables?” Cliff teases.
“Da. He is.” Ilya forces the words out as casually as he can, stilling as he watches Cliff process the information.
“Jane is a man.”
“Yes.”
Cliff nods. The silence stretches.
“Marly-” Ilya starts.
“It’s not a problem, Roz. Just give me a second to process.”
“You don’t want all information at once?”
“There’s more?”
Ilya nods. Cliff takes a deep breath.
“Alright, lay it on me.”
“Jane is Shane Hollander.”
“Fuck, Roz.” Cliff laughs. Ilya grins, hands unfreezing. “You don’t do anything halfway, do you?”
“Never.”
“That’s why you looked so fucking smug at practice. You had him here all morning, didn’t you?”
“We have to make the most of the time we have together.” Ilya shrugs.
“You really love him, huh?” Cliff asks.
“Very much. I am thinking… maybe is time for me to leave Boston. Be closer to him.”
“Montreal can’t afford you.” Cliff says instantly.
“Would not go there even if they could. I do not trust.”
“So where- Roz. Are you gonna go to Ottawa for this man?”
“Am considering my options.” Is all Ilya says. Cliff lets out a low whistle.
“He must really be something.”
“He is everything.”
“You’re right, Hayd.” Shane says as Jackie sets a glass of wine in front of him.
“About Lily?” Hayden confirms.
“Tell us about him.” Jackie says. “We want to know everything.”
“He makes me so happy. And he makes me stop thinking so much.”
“But what’s his name? You’re killing us, dude.”
Hayden doesn’t like the smirk on Shane’s face as he looks up from his plate.
“Ilya Rozanov.”
The silence that lands at the table is almost tangible. Hayden can see Shane starting to panic.
“Of all the men in Boston, of all the men in the entire league. It’s Rozanov?”
“Always has been.” Shane admits, getting shy again.
“As your best friend, I will make the same effort he does to get along.”
Jackie grins at him, so clearly is was the right thing to say. Which makes the fact that Shane looks surprised a little unnerving.
“We’re so happy for you, Shane. And we’re glad that you told us.”
“You guys are my best friends. You and- fuck, I’m gonna have to tell J.J..”
“Yeah, man, I’m not falling on that sword for you. But I’ll be right there when you do it, if you want.”
Shane just nods, looking vaguely haunted.
“That’s a later problem.” Jackie decides. “Tell us all about Ilya.”
As it turns out, Shane has a lot to say.