Work Text:
Ilya:
Ilya reached under his shirt to pull out the gold chain and look at the new addition: his black and gold engagement ring. He could feel it against his chest but sometimes he just needed to look at it and feel the rush of euphoria thinking about a future where Shane was his husband.
“What are you doing?” Shane asks, peaking around the corner from the kitchen to see Ilya lounging on the couch, staring down his ring.
“Ah, just enjoying us. Together.” His face shifts into a small frown. “I wish you didn't have to go back to Montreal tonight.”
“I know. Me too, but the team flies out in the morning.”
“You know what I think?”
“Hm?”
“There is better team for you. They have great captain. Tall, handsome Russian. I heard he’s best player in league. Probably world.”
Shane walks over to the edge of the couch, closer to Ilya, making his heart flutter. “You are not the best player!”
“Well who else could it be?” Ilya says playfully, then grabs Shane’s arm, pulling him until he collapses onto the couch against Ilya. Shane fights him for a moment, but quickly gives up and settles head against Ilya’s shoulder
“You really think I could play for Ottawa?” Shane asks. Ilya does really think Shane could play for Ottawa. He knows Shane never imagined leaving Montreal but after he came out to his team last year, things had been less than friendly. It wasn’t the whole team of course, but Shane talked about hostile practices and overhearing conversations from some of the younger players about wanting a different captain. Ilya knew what they meant, they wanted a straight captain who embodies the expected image of Hockey.
Ilya considers a joke but instead says, “I think the plan to come out when the season is over and then get married in Summer is nice. I just wish we could have more. Be a couple like the rest of the guys and their wives or girlfriends. And sometimes I just feel like liar.”
“Why?”
Ilya gets a little frustrated at that question. How can Shane not understand that all this hiding feels like lying.
“Because.. The guys, they ask me things about my life and I can either lie or tell half truths.”
“Oh.”
“Is okay.”
“But you kind of just said it’s not okay. But it could be okay. Maybe at least a little bit until Summer when it's really okay.” Ilya could see the gears turning in Shane’s head but had no idea what he just meant.
“What?”
“Would you want to come out to your team? If that’s your stressor then would it not be good for you to tell them? Especially if our concern about you coming out was our relationship being figured out but we were gonna tell them soon anyway then it doesn’t really matter does it? Well it matters of course but like in a good way.”
“Ehh yes? Sorry that was a lot of questions I do not know which I am answering.”
“Ilya, what do you want to do?”
Ilya grins, his wide toothy one that’s reserved for Shane. “I want to come out to my team.”
——
After a lengthy discussion with Shane before he had to leave last night, Ilya still has no idea how or when to tell the team. He could pull a Troy Barret and kind of just, say it, or he could be flashy like Scott Hunter, except no, Ilya does not strive to be like that fossil.
Fortunately, a few days later the opportunity falls into his lap after a particularly grueling practice.
“All right team!” Bood’s voice boomed across the locker room, forcing the tired faces to look over to their alternate captain. “We’ve had a rough go about it lately. Need a cheer up. Barbecue at my place this weekend, bring your partners and kids. This’ll be fun!”
Ilya once again finds himself proud to be on this team, with his alternate always knowing what the guys need and a group that actually wants to spend time together. He is soon ripped from his train of thought by a questioning Bood standing over him.
“Cap, are you gonna join us this time?” He asks.
“Yeah cap you never come to these but maybe this time’s the charm?” Holmberg chimes in.
“Ehh I don’t know.” Ilya states it more as a “no” than an “I don’t know” because he knows that he’ll want to soak up every last minute with Shane before they both hit the road for long trips.
“You could introduce us to your Montreal girl. I know you’ve been seeing her for a while. It could be nice, we don’t bite.” Ilya doesn’t even register who says this. His head is spinning with a mix of thrill and panic because he’s just been given an opportunity to bring his team, no, his friends, into his personal life. His Montreal girl. Jane. Shane. Ah fuck it.
“I never said I had a Montreal girl.” Ilya prompts. Troy Barrett looks over to him, knowing what’s coming, giving a supportive nod. The majority of the team seems to not get the hint.
“Dude, I think you spend half your time texting Jane.” Wyatt says.
Ilya sits down in front of his stall, suddenly feeling a bit sick. All attention is on him as he clears his throat. “I do. I text Jane a lot. But, Jane is not Jane. Jane is a guy. A guy who I’ve been with for years.” He exhales, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.
A chorus of support rings out across the room. A slap on the back from Troy and a friendly shoulder pat from Bood.
“Rozy, we appreciate you telling us man and we’d still love to meet him if you want. Tell him about the barbecue at my place. Me and Cassie love hosting the Centaurs family.”
Ilya takes a minute to gather his thoughts. He’s still a bit frozen in fear. He knew that this team would support him, it’s just a little scarier in the moment than in the imagination.
“Okay. I think we would both like that. I’ll bring him with me this weekend.”
“Yessss Rozy.” Ilya gets an assortment of shoulder slaps and fist bumps as the guys leave for the afternoon.
——
Ilya calls Shane the minute he gets in his car.
“Hello moya lyubov.” Shane’s voice coos. “How was practice?”
“Fucking terrible. But after, after was not so bad.”
“Oh?”
“I was invited to another team barbecue and they suggested I bring my Montreal girl. So I told them there is no Montreal girl, is Montreal boy.”
“Ilya, that’s great. Congratulations! Are you feeling good about it?”
“Mm, yes. They are very supportive. It’s just they still want to meet him. I told them he will come to barbecue.”
Shane’s line is silent for a second, admittedly long enough that Ilya panics a bit. Until, “That would be nice. Let’s go to a barbecue together.”
Ilya smiles into his phone.
Shane:
Shane is man enough to admit to himself he is freaking out a little. Okay, maybe a lot. In his defense, he and Ilya are about to go to an event together. As a couple. For the first time. Ilya has already chirped him for changing once, but his outfit just isn’t right so he refolds and retries three more times before Ilya is dragging him into the car.
“Shane, you are freaking out.” Ilya says as he buckles his seatbelt.
“No, I’m just thinking.”
“Yes, thinking about how you are freaking out.”
“You’re the worst.”
“I do not think so. I think you love me.” Ilya returns a seriousness to his face when he says, “We do not have to do this. Is a lot.”
“Hey, I am not bailing on you. This is a big step, but it’s a good big step and I cannot wait to enter the next chapter of my life with you.
“Sap,” Ilya says playfully as he leans over to kiss Shane before starting the car.
——
Ilya pulls in behind a line of cars trailing up the street and down the driveway of a beautiful contemporary house that Shane deduces is Bood’s place. Ilya turns the car off (a sensible SUV) and turns to Shane.
“They will love you,” Ilya states, simply.
“Of course, I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to see a rival at a team event.” Shane is trying his hand at some Ilya-style sarcasm but is honestly just panicking. This will make his fiance so happy but the anxiousness still sits in the front of his head making it hard to dig out all the good that will come from this.
“They will be thrilled. They think Shane Hollander is very cool, kind of like how I think Shane Hollander is very cool.”
Shane hates that that stupid comment actually makes him blush.
“No really though, Haas might be so star stuck he falls over. Did you know he had posters of us on his walls growing up?”
“Really?”
“Yes. Maybe you can sign napkin for him and make him swoon.”
Shane giggles and moves to get out of the car, not before Ilya pulls him into a quick kiss across the center console.
The two hold hands as they walk up to the front door and then break away as Ilya knocks. They are greeted by a very surprised Dykstra who says nothing for a frankly awkward amount of time.
“Cap,” Dykstra nods his head in greeting. “Hollander?” Dykstra pushes his body back against the door to make room for them to come in. Ilya walks in confidently as Shane follows, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. He surveys the room, realizing only a few people are inside. Bood, his wife Cassie, Young and Dykstra of course.
Bood eyes them with an infectious smile. “Well I’ll be damned. Shane Hollander! Welcome! It’s nice to officially meet the man behind our captain’s smile.”
Shane reaches out to shake his hand. “Yeah it’s good to be here.”
“Hey, I’m Cassie,” Shane shakes her hand as well. “Everyone’s out back, there's drinks in the cooler and you’re welcome to any food or games.”
“Thanks,” Ilya chimes in, giving Cassie a quick hug and fist-bumping Bood.
“Um… What the fuck. Your boyfriend is Shane Hollander?” Dykstra has suddenly come back to join them on planet Earth.
“I mean we knew he had game!” Young shouts from across the room where he appears to be fiddling with a speaker, shockingly unfazed by the new development.
“Yes, I am in love with Shane Hollander. Now come on moya lyubov,” Ilya says as he drags Shane out to the Boodram’s back deck where a mess of voices can be heard with the others following behind them.
“Careful moy pomidor there is step,” Ilya says as he guides Shane over the threshold of the screen door to reveal a beautiful outdoor setup with heaters, string lights above and the fanciest grill Shane has ever seen. Around the corner Shane sees the source of the voices as most of the team and their partners are gathered on and around outdoor couches and chairs. The group is laughing together, all holding plates with Bood’s grilling and bottles that Shane can assume is the famous Drover Cider. The scene feels… warm.
Ilya continues to lead Shane towards the group by his hand. It’s kind of cute how excited his fiancé is just to show him off.
“Cap! It’s good to…” Wyatt starts but is quickly sidetracked by the Shane Hollander shaped elephant on the deck.
“Hold up,” Holmberg says. “Is THAT your boyfriend?”
Shane stifles a laugh at the dumbfounded faces that have all come to look at Shane and Ilya.
“No, that would be ridiculous,” Ilya says, annoying Shane and dampening some of the shocked expressions. “Is my fiancé.” Ilya leans to kiss the side of Shane’s head as woos, cheers and questions ring out.
Ilya clears his throat, regaining the team’s attention. “Now, there’s a few things I must tell you. Shane and I have been together for many years, it has never affected our hockey because on ice, we are rivals, but off ice he is my lover.”
“No, ew. Not that word Ilya,” Shane says and a few of the guys laugh.
“Is true, no? Anyway, the other important thing is that I trust you, but not the rest of the world. We plan to come out after we get married this Summer but until then, this stays between us, da?”
Shane indistinctly hears things like “Yup” and “You got it cap!”
“Okay, now resume your fun,” Ilya finishes, turning away from the group still guiding Shane by his hand but this time over to where the food is.
“You doing okay?” Ilya whispers to Shane as they walk away.
“Yeah. That was really nice. None of them were weird about it.” Shane turns back to look at the group who is clearly surprised, watching the two as they get their food, but he can tell no one is saying anything negative based on the genuine smiles.
As they head back towards the cheerful bunch, Troy, who was leaning against Harris, sits upright to create room for Shane and Ilya to join them on the couch.
Harris looks at them quizzically. “Umm Ilya,” he begins, “you know we’re all very happy for you and everything but hello? You’re gonna marry Shane Hollander?”
”Yes, keep up Harris,” Ilya responds.
Shane playfully rolls his eyes at Ilya, settling in against his chest and digging into his grilled salmon.
——
Shane mostly spends his night glued to Ilya’s side, making their rounds to different groups of people. They get a lot of questions naturally, Shane knows this relationship wasn’t exactly expected but it still has him pretty tired by the end of the night. They do end up staying the whole time though, with Shane hitting it off with everyone. He understands why Ilya loves this team so much. They’re not just accepting, but supportive. He especially likes Cassie, she kind of reminds him of Jackie. Both of them being self-proclaimed head of WAGS and all.
At the end of the night, The Boodram’s wave them off and they begin the journey back to the car. Ilya tosses his keys to Shane, seeing as he went a bit heavy on the Drover Cider.
When they get in the car, they turn to each other, smiling.
”That was nice,” Shane says.
”Very,” Ilya replies. “I can’t wait to marry you.”