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“Fuck! Again?!”
Hollander. Hollander. Hunter. Hollander. Half these damn cards were of him!! Thirty packs. Shane Hollander bought 30 packs of NHL Official Trading cards and had nothing to show for it. Except for himself apparently.
Okay that's a little dramatic, but you try pulling thirty (again, 30!!!) fucking packs of cards and still never ending up with one you want! Getting duplicates of his own was even more annoying in his opinion since the league already gave him a few duplicates.
Why was Shane still opening packs if he already had his own card? Well, you see, Shane had a secret. Shane had a few secrets if he was being honest, but this one was a bit more innocent than the others. He absolutely loved collecting hockey cards. He always had, even when he was little. Since Shane had become a permanent feature in trading cards, most people assumed the allure was gone or that he grew out of the addiction.
He did not.
To be fair, he definitely doesn’t collect the way he used to. He used to be insane about it. Binders full of cards, all separated by team, position, and how rare they were. Yes, 8 year old Shane Hollander had an organizational system for his obsessive collection, that shouldn’t really shock anyone. These days there's far less binders and structure. Really his collection has dwindled down to just a small, pocketsized photo album he keeps hidden in a box next to his bed. It's discrete enough that if someone was to find it they would probably dismiss it as a family photo album. But had they looked inside they would see Shane’s most prized cards. All sporting the same cocky smirk of one man:
Ilya Rozanov.
Ilya Rozanov was a beast on the ice. He was a loudmouth, self assured asshole who constantly pushed Shane to do better. Since their rookie seasons they had been paired as arch rivals, a fact that would make people absolutely lose their minds if they ever found out about his secret collection. But, then again, that would probably pale in comparison to the reaction if the public ever found out they’ve been fucking their entire professional careers.
Embarrassing as it is, Shane’s little collection actually started around that time too. The first piece of Ilya Rozanov he collected wasn’t even a photocard at all. It was a small cutout of the young Russian decked out in gear from the CCM photoshoot that started everything. Shane was still not sure what possessed him to cut out Ilya from the cover when he opened his mail to find the catalog graced with their stand off. All he knew is the cutout fit perfectly in the little photo album his mother gifted him to save his own trading cards in, so that's where he kept it.
Shane’s mouth spreads into a small smile at the memory. He would forever be thankful that being stupid, reckless, and horny at 18 brought him the love of his life. Ilya and his relationship was far from perfect. They still were forced to hide their love from nearly everyone around them, but they were at least able to finally admit what they meant to each other. After years of dancing around the idea, they were finally committed and more in love than ever. All the anxiety about being outed and pressure from the fans seemed to fade away when it was just the two of them. Shane figures they’ll cross that bridge when the time comes. They’ve figured out a flow that works for them during the season one way or another.
But that’s not to say Shane doesn’t miss Ilya when he’s away. The Montreal player had spent nearly a decade stealing hidden moments with his boyfriend, whether they were official at the time or not. After waking up next to him nearly every day this past summer, Shane feels the loss harder than ever before. It seems a bit more ridiculous since Ilya would only be 2 hours away for this season, not in an entire different fucking country. And yet, as soon as Ilya was forced to leave the cottage to start his preseason practices, Shane found himself feeling empty and alone. He had considered just launching into hockey mode to help distract him from the ache he felt in Ilya's absence, but his boyfriend convinced him to give himself a bit more rest before the season started. According to Ilya, Shane was to relax at the cottage a few more days, then come up to Ottawa for a night to say goodbye before trekking it back to Montreal for his start of season practices at the end of the week.
So that was how Shane’s night turned into a mess of NHL trading cards and disappointment. After tossing his losses in the bin, he decided he was in need of a little pick me up. Climbing up the stairs and settling on their bed, he began to flip through his Ilya collection. He can’t help but smile looking through the years. Ilya has always been talented. A cocky bastard, but talented beyond belief and seeing some of his accomplishments immortalized in print gives Shane such a rush of pride. Even with the reminders of moments that still make his blood boil- Ilya being chosen as first draft pick being one of them.
He finds himself doing this every so often since Ilya left. It’s crazy to think he would ever feel so lonely at the cottage since it once was a place of solitude for him. And yes, he could just send a message or even facetime him if it was that bad, but Shane knows the Russian is busy. So, he comforts himself by flipping through his little book of Rozanov. He knows he needs to be more careful because one of these days Ilya is going to stumble upon it and Shane doesn’t think he can handle the humiliation of Ilya getting further confirmation he’s always been this obsessed with him.
As he flips through the album, he lands on a spot that has been left blank for years. The one card he still is searching for. Shane’s absolute favorite and Ilya’s rarest card- the 2014 Stanley Cup Ilya Rozanov card. Not only was it a monumental achievement in his early career, but the card depicted a very sexy, very sweaty Ilya hoisting the cup up and kissing it. Shane remembers sitting on Hayden’s couch with his teammates sitting around him complaining about how Ilya didn’t deserve such an honor. Shane remembers being so proud of Ilya, his eyes almost tearing up at the sight of the man that he had been quickly falling in love with accomplishing a dream that they both shared.
As Shane reminisces, he recalls something Hayden had mentioned earlier in the day. Apparently the Pike household was in chaos because the toy the twins wanted for their birthdays was completely sold out. He said he found some online marketplace thing to get them. Hayden was complaining because the price was jacked up so much, but all shane could think now was that one crazy fan had to have the card he needed. He would pay whatever stupid fee they want if it meant he gets his hands on that Stanley Cup Ilya card.
-
A few hours later, Shane crawls into bed after his usual facetime with Ilya. Tonight, much like any other night, the conversation quickly took a less than speech oriented turn, resulting in the Metros player taking a second shower for the night. Clean, warm, and satiated, Shane crawls into bed and grabs his phone to finally take a peek at the resale thing Hayden mentioned. Shane barely believed his luck, within minutes he found thousands of listings for Ilya merch- including photocards!
There was only one person selling Ilya’s 2014 Stanley Cup card in this whole marketplace, but Shane had finally tracked it down. He was beyond ecstatic. That was, until he realized the seller had no price listed and claimed to only be willing to trade. Shane quickly messaged the account asking what card they were looking for. He hoped it was one of the 60 cards he pulled earlier in the night because he really didn’t want to part with a different Rozanov card. Then again, Shane had been looking for this specific card for years so he could probably make the sacrifice.
-
With Ilya back in Ottawa, Shane gets back to his preseason routine seamlessly. As he sits on the counter during his regularly scheduled drink smoothie and text boyfriend time, he notices he has a message from the card reseller.
janesboy: I have the card, but I am only looking for trade. I want the special edition Hollander with the rookie trophy. Do you have it?
Shane could hardly believe his luck! This dude wanted the one card the NHL gave him a frankly absurd amount of duplicates of when it came out. This was gonna be the easiest trade deal ever.
hockey2481: Yes! I actually do have that one. Can we trade today? Where are you located?
janesboy: I am in Ottawa. I can meet, but only today. This is the address.
Huh. That’s a weird coincidence. The seller had sent the address of a small trail that Shane had introduced Ilya to after he officially joined the Centaurs. It was mostly forgotten about by the general public which made it the perfect spot to take Ilya without too much stress.
Meeting a stranger on a desolate trail probably wasn’t the smartest decision he could make, but how could he turn this chance down? The seller being in Ottawa means not only does he get the card he’s been looking for but also, he’ll have an excuse to see his wonderful boyfriend who’s pretty face is on the card, in person! It's too much of a win to not take the risk. Shane rationalizes it by telling himself he’ll let his dad know where he’s gonna be.
hockey2481: I can be in Ottawa for 11. Does that sound okay?
janesboy: Yes. I will be there. Do not forget the Hollander card.
hockey2481: I promise I will not! See you then.
Shane can hardly contain the smile on his face. He’s just so excited! He just got off the phone with his parents, letting them know he and Ilya wanted to have them over for dinner tonight. It had been Ilya’s idea. After hearing that Shane was planning to come over tonight before heading back to Montreal, he immediately asked if he could cook and invite Yuna and David. Shane still felt like this was all a dream sometimes. Like, come on, his hotter than hell boyfriend who moves countries for him wants to cook for his family? If 18 year old Shane could see them now he’d probably faint.
Shane was so lucky. He was also lucky that Ilya was so excited about dinner that he didn’t really push Shane for more info on why he was coming out of schedule. Especially since they had agreed Shane would stay at the cottage until tomorrow. Whatever, he’s not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
–
Despite his excitement, Shane is still an anxious mess about this meetup. He could ruin everything he and Ilya have worked hard to keep private in the matter of seconds if this person recognizes him. Shane has been running through every scenario in his mind during the 2 hour drive, but all he can settle on is convincing the guy it's some sort of prank, maybe? Shane takes some deep breaths as he pulls into the lot. True to his neurotic nature, he’s there about 15 minutes earlier than they agreed.
As Shane waits he bargains a bit more with himself. He’ll be fine. This will be a quick deal and even if the person thinks they’re Shane Hollander there will be no real proof considering any identifying feature would be concealed to some degree. That’s right, he went as far as to dress in a disguise for this. He tried to make it very nondescript: a baggy sweatsuit combo complete with hat, sunglasses, and facemask. He was definitely covered a bit more than necessary for the end of summer to say the least. He felt a little stupid with the hat and facemask, but he was too paranoid to talk himself into taking them off.
At exactly 11AM a very fancy black car pulls in a few spots down. Within moments, Shane’s phone lights up with a notification.
janesboy: I am here.
Shane double checks his disguise in the mirror before readying himself to get out of the car. But before Shane can open the door, his phone rings with more messages.
janesboy: Thank you for trading me the Hollander card. I am a big fan.
janesboy: Not of him, but his mouth.
janesboy: I am excited to have the card for the best dick sucker in the NHL.
Shane’s heart is in his throat. What the fuck? Does this person know? Why is he saying this about him to a fucking stranger? Shane immediately spirals, rereading the messages to see if there was something he’s missing. What the fuck is this guy taking about? Is he trying to be funny? Shane being gay is more of an open secret in the league after telling the team, but not to the public.
Either way, there’s no way in fuck Shane is getting out of this car now. Someone willing to say shit like that is not someone he wants to be recognized by, that’s for sure. Thank god he never texted that he had arrived, now he can just ghost this dude and move on. After the panic attack subsides, of course.
Suddenly, there’s a sharp tap on Shane’s passenger side window. Terror grips him as he whips his head up, just to come face to face with a set of baby blue eyes that he knows better than his own. The sharp sense of relief he feels at seeing his boyfriend is quickly taken over by the mortifying realization that said boyfriend would only have known he was here for one reason. Fuck. Shane was never going to live this down.
“Oh, fuck off. You have got to be kidding me.” Shane unlocks the door despite his words.
Ilya throws his head back in a laugh before opening the door and climbing inside; greeting his lover with a sweet, tender kiss before Shane could get another word in. Shane loses himself in the kiss for a moment before the reminder of where they are and why comes crawling back. He grips his boyfriend’s curls and yanks him off his mouth.
“No, stop distracting me. You’re such an asshole!” Shane swats at the cackling Russian beside him, channeling his humiliation into annoyance. “I mean, c’mon! What the fuck, Ilya! What if it wasn’t me? You just sent someone a message about me sucking dick out of the blue?!”
Ilya chuckles, “Relax, моя любовь. I knew it was you after I saw your car parked here. I’m sure you were 15 minutes early, too. I didn’t know you like to collect trading cards,” Iyla’s thumb brushes across Shane’s freckled cheek. “So much to learn about my beautiful boyfriend.”
Shane flushes neon red. He’s never been this embarrassed in his life and that includes Hayden walking in on them that one time. “It- It’s none of your business!” he stammers trying to deflect the question hidden in Ilya’s tone.
“Uh, uh, uh. I don’t think so,” his menace of a boyfriend places his hands on either side of Shane’s face, forcing their eyes to finally meet. “You don’t get to brush this off, мое солнышко. Not only do you plan to meet some random man in the woods, but you also hide a secret collection of cards from me?”
Ilya pressed a kiss to his forehead, caressing Shane’s cheeks with his thumbs once more before continuing, “You don’t need to be embarrassed, моя любовь. I’m so flattered. I wish you would show me the others you have coll-”
“Hold on! If you didn’t know it was me, were you just planning to also meet some random person in the woods?” A beat passes and before Ilya begins to speak only to be cut off once again, when Shane finally fully processes why Ilya was there in the first place.
“Hold on- you were collecting MY card too! Why am I the one catching all the heat here?”
“What? Why are you overheating?” Shane ignores him, knowing his boyfriend is trying to derail his train of thought.
“AND it's a card from our rookie year you wanted? What, do you have a whole collection of my stuff? How long have you been doing this?”
Ilya is looking away as he answers, his face flushing a bit despite his constant protests insisting that Russians do not blush.
“I may have started collecting your cards after Harris did a video of us opening some and I got duplicates of your most recent edition. Everyone was teasing me for my bad luck, but…” He trails off, clearly not wanting to admit something here.
“It had been so long since we saw each other and we still had a few weeks to go. I just missed you a little more that day so it was nice to have an excuse to have a piece of you with me.”
Oh. Oh god. How was Shane this lucky? God, Ilya was the cutest, sweetest, hottest man he’s ever seen. He missed him so he saved a stupid photocard of him? Fuck. Now he has to come clean, doesn’t he?
“That’s so sweet, Ilya” He tried to buy himself a little time by capturing the Russian's lips again. He only gets to bask in the glory that is Ilya Rozanov’s mouth for another few moments before the man is pulling back and arching a brow, as if to ask, and now you?
“Okay, fine. I’ve been collecting your cards since they started being printed.”
Shane pauses for a breath before tacking on, “Actually, I technically started collecting before you had an official card. I got a copy of our CCM photoshoot that was in a magazine and decided to cut it out and put it in an album I had laying around. I don’t know why, but it just felt right. Which is ridiculous because we had only even met up once at the time,” Shane chuckles at the end, trying to soften the insanity of what he just said.
When he finally finds the courage to meet his boyfriend's eyes, Ilya is staring at him with nothing but awe and adoration. The syrupy look quickly shifts as a lazy smirk takes place on his still blushing face.
“So,” He drawls, “You have been hooked from first taste, yes?”
Shane pushes his shoulder again and scoffs, ”You wish.”
“Don’t have to wish! My pretty, pretty boyfriend just admitted it!”
-
Later, after a nice evening hosting Shane's parents, the two sleep soundly. Legs intertwined as if they were always meant to be there. Maybe some small part of Shane deep down knew from the beginning that this is where they would end up. Together, safe in each other's arms.