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Tomorrow was valentines day, and Shane finally finished his card for Ilya after a few hours. He worked really hard on his card – when you open it, it unfolds into different sections with pictures of them together, a love letter, a calendar marking February 14th, and a collage of Anya. Shane had thought really hard of what to include since they had made so many moments together since going public, but eventually got his card finished right before 12am.
Shane quickly got ready for bed before hopping next to a snoring Ilya, who had already made his card earlier. Shane snuggled up against him and soon fell into a deep sleep. When he awoke, his body felt empty as he lay on his bed by himself. He got up and walked down the stairs to find Ilya standing in the kitchen making tuna melts. As soon as Ilya saw him, a crooked grin ran onto his face; he ran and picked up Shane like he weighed nothing, despite him being 90kgs (200lbs). Ilya spun Shane before letting him down and after he cupped Shane's chin while falling into a slow kiss.
“Morning Shane, happy valentine.” Ilya whispered while pulling away from the kiss. Their foreheads were still touching as they looked into each other's eyes. “I make heart shapes tuna melt, for the occasion.”
“Occasion.. Since when did you become Shakespeare" Shane responded, smiling giddily. Ilya didn’t respond as he got up to grab the tuna melts and placed them on the table. Shane played with Anya before he sat down onto a dining chair and ate his sandwich with Ilya. Once they both finished, Shane excitedly stood up while smiling like a puppy and told Ilya to get his card so they could open it. Shane’s face melted Ilya’s heart but his instructions got Ilya to fetch his card and fast. At this point, Ilya was holding in his laughter while holding a card with an illustration on the front that showed a finger going into a hole made by another two fingers. It was clearly made to represent what Ilya does to Shane every night, and Ilya thought it was the most hilarious thing in the world. Both him and Shane got to the couch, where Anya was taking a nap.
“Ilya! Open mine first!” Shane pleaded, he was extremely stoked to see Ilya’s reaction to his well thought out card. Ilya picks up Shane’s card and carefully unfolds the sides – his heart liquifies at the effort. He thinks about what took Shane so long and realised how stupid his own gift is. Ilya opens the love letter first, it reads:
“To my dearest Ilya,
I love you so much and I probably have always loved you. From the start. I’m glad we stopped hiding from the world now, even though it wasn’t intentional, it was for the better. I’m so happy I can love you loudly and can shout that you’re mine to the world – even if I fell in love with you in the shadows of hotel rooms. Ilya, I always think of my future with you, but I realise I should cherish all my time with you. Because I love you. Ya tebya lyublyu, moy solnyshko.’’
Before he knows it, Ilya’s entire face is wet. He bursted out crying midway through. Ilya already knows he loves Shane more than he loves the world but knowing Shane loves him like that too hits deep in his chest; the only other person who ever loved Ilya like Shane does was his mother, Irina. Shane cradles Ilya and kisses him softly as the blonde cries into his shoulder. Ilya soon shuts up so he can see the rest of Shane’s card. In the middle of the card, pictures of them throughout the years sat – it starts with the selfies Ilya took when they presented at the most sportsmanlike award back in 2014, then moving on to pictures taken in 2021 when they got outed. At the bottom of the card, lies a calendar with its pages in February and a red circle marking the 14th. On the side that’s opposite to Shane’s letter is a paper that Ilya unfolds to reveal a carefully handcrafted collage of their dog, Anya.
“Shane, moy lyubov.. You are the sweetest, prettiest, frecklest, person ever.” Ilya says so quietly that it’s just above a whisper.
“Frecklest isn’t a word, Ilya!” Shane loudly exclaims with the biggest shit eating grin on his face.
“I love your card. You put so much effort.” Ilya utters, “I feel bad about my card. Is not good like yours.”
“No Ilya, I’ll love any card you give me. It’s okay.” Shane voices. He picks up Ilya’s card and carefully unwraps it before bursting out in laughter. “Ilya! Seriously!”
Ilya’s card was… accurate to say the least. Shane was laugh-crying as Ilya just stared at him. He thought that it would be funny to have his card depict a sexual scene in such a stupid way – but as Ilya saw Shane’s card, he regretted not doing more for him.
“Shane.. You are not helping..” Ilya exclaims. Shane promptly closed his mouth, but a smile stayed rested on his face. “I should have done more, my card is bad.”
“Ilya, please, it’s fine. Your card is perfect; at least give me the chance to read what you wrote.” Shane replies in a soft tone.
“Fine. Okay.” The Russian answers. Shane opens his card, and inside read:
“From Ilya, to Shane
Shane, my baby. Is funny, yeah? My card. I love you more than the world, even if you are my world. Your freckles are the prettiest, they are like the stars in sky. Moy pomidor, moy lyubov, moy kotenok, moye vse. I want to fuck you all night, your cute hole pulses for me. You have 143 freckles on your face. Your eyes roll back. You get very red. The side of your eyes wrinkle when you smile. You come all over me in thirty seconds. I love you. Ya tebya lyublyu, Shane Hollander.”
Shane’s face gets hot as all the blood rushes to it, turning him bright red. His heart softens as he reads, he didn’t know how many freckles he had – until now. He didn’t know the side of his eyes wrinkle when he smiles, he didn't pay attention to it. But Ilya does, he always has, and Shane can’t help but think Ilya can be so romantic, more than himself, even when English isn’t his first language. It’s unfair how flustered Shane can get around Ilya when it should really be Shane who’s more romantic and the freckled man can’t help but fall in love all over again, even if he has been loving Ilya since the start.
“Ilya, this is the most romantic and sweet thing I’ve ever read. I can’t believe you love me so much.” Shane says after a short pause. “I don’t know how I ever pretended I don’t love you.. even to myself.”
Ilya freezes up – Shane’s gay yearning eyes staring up at him waiting for a response. The curly haired man finally comes up with an answer after a minute.
“I also have always loved you, since you say I was not allowed to smoke outside World Juniors. Do you really think I am romantic, Hollander?” Shane immediately responds to him, finally getting the response he was anticipating for.
“Of course, moy lyubov, don’t feel bad about what you gave me. It might be the third best thing you ever gave me, aside from Anya and our wedding rings, of course.”
Ilya speedily clears up his fogging mind, and chirps back at Shane with a huge smile on his face.
“What about my dick?”
“Ilya!.. Okay maybe you’re right, fourth best thing.” Shane replies. Ilya didn’t actually expect him to say that, but as soon as he does, the tall blonde gets heart eyes and swiftly picks up Shane before carrying him upstairs to their room. Shane already knows what’s coming (him, soon) and starts biting against Ilya’s neck.