Chapter Text
Shane Hollander was having a day, which his mind - still in librarian mode - had dubbed the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, courtesy of a child begging their parent to read it over and over again for the half hour he was shelving in and around the children’s area.
To begin, he slept through his alarm. A classic mistake, which he had never made before. He promptly woke up twenty minutes later, but he was still thrown having to take a shorter run and then had barely enough time to drink his tea with a book. His routine is completely thrown, and while it hadn’t seemed significant, Shane spends the rest of the day feeling tight and jittery, moments away from a full-blown panic attack.
It doesn’t help that when he arrives at the library, three people have called in sick, spreading their team thin across multiple engagements during the day. So, now he has to worry about not getting sick on top of covering for his colleagues and keeping up with his own workload.
And, as is his luck, the most eventful parts of the library’s day all happen while he’s at the front desk. A child projectile vomiting across the foyer? Yes, he was witness to that. A patron approached him, complaining about someone doing crack in the bathroom? No problem, ma’am, Shane Hollander knows exactly what to do (he did not, in fact). Security guard getting threatened because they asked a patron to not vape inside the library? Yep, that happened and he had to de-escalate. Getting yelled at because he couldn’t help a patron find the blue book that was on a display shelf, two meters from the front desk, seven years ago? Also happened and he just stared at them blankly with a smile, not even able to get a word in until they huffed and walked away.
And of course, this all happened before lunch, so when midday hit, he practically ran into Rose’s arms. Her and Kip, who had been accompanying her for off-site community outreach, both hummed sympathetically as he complained between bites of his salmon bowl.
“Fuck it has been rough - is it a full moon?” Rose asked, unlocking her phone and typing something in. “I’m at the front desk next, I’m scared now, Shaney.” She shivered, looking up from her device with a dramatic look on her face
“Ugh it’ll be fine. It’s just been one of those mornings. How was the outreach?”
Rose lit up, having recently been able to build a relationship with the oh-so-exclusive private care facility nearby. It had been a small pet project of hers and even he could admit, it was an impressive feat considering their exclusivity. He listened as she rambled - talks of possible collaborations, private visits and workshops - all very exciting when she paused, practically jumping from her chair. She grabbed Kip's arm and shook him excitedly.
“Kip, I almost forgot - tell Shane what you told me!”
The man blushed, pulling his arm away, having been silently listening to their conversation while scrolling on his phone, interjecting every now and then. Shane leaned, eyebrows raised expectantly as he cleared his throat.
“Well, Scott told me he planned a romantic getaway to this cottage this weekend - we’re leaving tonight - and well, he’s been really weird lately.” He paused, biting his lip and clearly thinking about his next words. “He’s not been weird weird, but like, he’s been really jumpy and twitchy. Also, he keeps mentioning the most random stuff about holiday destinations and celebrity weddings, which we all know for a fact, he does not give a single flying fuck about.”
Rose was practically vibrating in her seat as she exclaimed, “he’s SO proposing this weekend, Kip. Don’t you think so, Shane?”
Shane wasn’t sure what to think. He was trying to figure it out in his head, doing mental gymnastics trying to figure out how she got to that conclusion, but they were both looking at him expectantly, so he just smiled. “Yeah, he definitely is, buddy.”
Kip seemed to loosen after that, as if Shane believing was the best indicator that he wasn’t going crazy about thinking he was about to get engaged. Funnily enough, Shane wasn’t actually sure that was happening, but he wasn’t the best at reading these sorts of social cues, so he sent out a silent prayer that Scott Hunter was getting down on one knee this weekend.
With the mood lifted, that day went on. Post-lunch wasn’t as bad with him helping with some research inquiries and continuing preparation for an upcoming project.By the end of his shift, he’s ready to curl up on his couch with a ginger ale. As he trudged out the back door, he noticed a figure waiting, leaning against the wall. When she noticed him, she stood and walked over,
“Hi honey, did you want to grab dinner? I tried calling earlier but I figured you might have been busy.”
Shane quickly pulls out his phone, noticing the missed calls and texts from hours before. “Shoot, uhm- sorry, mum. It has been a kind of rough day.” She nodded sympathetically, pulling him into a hug.
The stress of the day seemed to melt away under her embrace, the faint smell of her conditioner and perfume immediately instilling comfort and nostalgia. She pulled back and looked at him, taking in the notable bags under his eyes and dishevelled hair - from him, no doubt, running his hands through it close to a million times.
“Well? Do you think you’re up for dinner? I was thinking about that new Italian place a few streets over that we’ve been eyeing?
He looks into her eyes, taking in the gentle stare - one he’d been lucky enough to have his entire life - and sighed, breathing deep through his nose and letting his body relax. “Yeah, that will be nice. Is dad joining us?”
She smiled bright, pulling him in for another hug that jostled him from side-to-side. “No, he’s got a work dinner, so I thought it may be a nice mama and Shane night.” She always spoke with confidence, as if knowing exactly how this conversation would play out. Was he that predictable?
Nobody knew him better than his own parents, so he melted as she slipped her arm through his elbow and pulled them in a direction. He was her baby, so it was only natural for him to fall into step and let her make all the decisions - it was a fact that left him feeling deeply comforted.
Of course, he momentarily forgot that she also caused him the most headaches when she got a smidge overbearing.
“You what?” Shane gasped, his mouth falling open as he stared at his mother, sat across the table from him, chewing a mouthful of pasta as if she hadn’t just dropped a bomb on his head.
“Oh honey, it’s not a big deal. He was extremely handsome.”
“It’s not a big deal? You just said you gave a complete stranger my number and showed him a photo of me?”
“I mean, I also said he was extremely handsome, Shane. I think you’re picking and choosing what to hear.”
“I’ll be sure to tell dad that.”
“I’m telling you, baby. He was so handsome. I was telling him all about you an-”
“Pause, did you just say you were telling him about me? Mum!”
“Don’t be silly, Shane. You’re obviously not making any moves in the dating scene, so I showed him a photo of you and gave him your number. Let me know if he calls, dear.”
“You can’t just give strangers my number, mother. What if he is a serial killer? Wait, pause, how did you even meet him? Was he just a random guest at the museum?”
“Oh, did I not mention he’s a firefighter? Very manly man if you ask me.”
Shane froze, staring at the woman across from him before leaning back and taking a deep breath. “Yuna Hollander, I think you are half-assing your storytelling
“Oh, sorry - I forgot. We had a fire drill and had to evacuate, but it was fine-”
“How do you forget a fire drill?"
“You talk to a lovely young man for twenty minutes who promises he will be good for your son, that’s how.”
Shane groaned, staring down at his salad before taking a large bite. Yuna could be a little overbearing sometimes, always meaning well, but sometimes doing more harm than good. He listened to her talk a bit more, explaining the small problem with an alarm in the foyer that had all guests and staff evacuated from the premises.
“Honey, are you okay?”
“I’m listening… Just feeling a bit overwhelmed,” Shane admits, his lips fighting a pout. Yuna leans over and places her hand on his arm, rubbing in slow, clockwise circles like she knows will ground him.
“Shane… I didn’t mean to overwhelm you. I’m sorry, I just… You’ve grown into such a great man and I don’t want to push you, but when it comes to things like this you need a little guidance stepping out of your comfort zone.” She pauses, pulling back her hand and looking at him. “It’s scary, but you deserve a break. Also, please trust me when I say he’s extremely handsome and extremely interested.” She smiles reassuringly, sipping from her glass of wine.
Shane lefts out a breath and forces a laugh. “Okay, you keep talking about how handsome he is - what exactly did you tell him about me?”
“Well, just that you’re gay and single and that I am probably never getting grandchildren any time soon because of how shy you are-”
“Mum - seriously? Now I just seem desperate."
“Lighten up, honey. I’m trying to get grandkids in the next decade - let me dream at least.”
There was a natural lull to the conversation as she let out a dreamy sigh, taking another sip of her wine and staring off into the distance. Shane just stared at her, affronted, before huffing out his own dramatic sigh and finishing off his pasta.
-
His apartment was encased in shadows by the time he got home. He moved about in the dark effortlessly, turning on his lamps - a routine he took great care of doing every evening. He stripped, placing his clothes in the hamper and stepping into the steaming shower, letting the hot water loosen his muscles. He closed his eyes, leaning his head back as he thought about the day.
A lot had happened - the week itself being extremely busy, so he definitely needed the weekend to reset. Shane hummed to himself, contemplating the different routines laying themselves out, as he lathered his body in his special lavender soap that he only pulled out on rough days like this. He would still go for his run in the morning, but maybe he’d stop and get breakfast on the way home? Maybe he could stop by the bookstore and pick up the next volume in the series, which he’s almost finished.
He stepped out of the shower, beginning his meticulous drying routine, which started with his head, left arm followed by right arm, torso, left leg then right. It was a routine he didn’t need to think about anymore, his hands moving automatically as he made a mental note to ask Rose if she wanted to go to a pilates class on Sunday.
It wasn’t until he curled up in bed, opening his messages to text Rose when he noticed a new text from an unknown number.
Unknown number
are you really so much of a brat that even your mama knows?
Shane bolted upright, dropping his phone as if it had burned him. He berated himself for forgetting the great upheaval of the day - Yuna’s reveal of handing out his number as if it was free candy on halloween. He took a few steady breaths, feeling around the bed until he found his phone and slowly turned it on again.
Shane
Oh god
Are you the mystery man mum was telling me about?
Unknown number
maybe
are you the picky brat she was telling me about?
Shane could feel a blush building up on his cheeks. Those words had no effect on him, of course, but maybe he needed to ask his mother exactly what she told this stranger.
Shane
No
Definitely not me
Goodbye
Unknown number
hmmmmm
i think you are maybe a liar who lies
so normal and not bratty of you
i’m ilya
Shane tested the syllables on his lips. IL-YA. He felt heated, angry at Yuna for setting him up, but he kept coming back to the emphasis she had on this man’s looks…
Shane Hollander did not like surprises. He never strayed from routines or let anything distract him from said routines. But after a shitshow of a day and years of jokes from his family and friends about never dating and still being single, he couldn’t help but think about the man on the other side of the screen.
So, the ancestors probably stood and applauded when he bit his lip and slowly typed a response.
Shane
I’m Shane :)