Chapter Text
February 2011-A Bar in Montreal
"And may we always beat the Bears!" Comeau shouts at the top of his lungs.
The guys with shot glasses in hand down them in an instant. Shane fiddles with his ginger ale before taking a sip. He usually doesn't go out with the team, but on occasion Hayden convinces him to come to a celebration. Tonight is a good pick because it will give him some plausible deniability for where he's headed after the bar.
JJ slides up between Shane and Hayden and drapes his arms over them. "Did you see the girls in the corner? They've been eyeing us since we got here. It would only be polite to introduce ourselves."
Shane bites back a frown. He would rather be doing literally anything else. Especially given that he's agreed to meet Rozanov in a hotel room in a couple hours, but, for the sake of plausible deniability, he knows he'll allow himself to be dragged over.
Hayden turns his head so fast that Shane worries about whiplash. "Well, it couldn't hurt to introduce ourselves."
JJ bounces over to the group of three who have been allegedly eyeing them. JJ immediately begins making small talk.
"My name is Jean-Jacques, but my friends call me JJ and we are all friends here, yes?" JJ smiles. He pokes Shane's shoulder, who gives half a grimace, before his media training kicks into high gear and a facsimile of a smile appears. "The is Shane Hollander. And of course this is Hayden Pike."
Hayden can't stop staring at the pretty woman with long dark hair, curled at the bottom and sparkling green eyes.
The brunette holds out her hand toward Hayden, who is still standing in front of her in some type of shock. "It's wonderful to meet you Hayden. I'm Jacquline, but since we are in fact, all friends, you can call me Jackie."
Hayden snaps out of his daze at the sound of his name. "The pleasure is mine."
Shane watches as his friend gently grips Jackie's hand and gives it a kiss like in the romance movies his parents enjoy on their date nights, and then looks at the time.
He best be getting to Rozanov's hotel room. However if he would have known that Hayden would grow from his co-rookie line mate into his best friend and that his best friend just met the love of his life, maybe he'd have tried to stick around longer.
But as it stands, he has a rival to meet.
---
Pre-Season 2011-An Apartment Building
Shane brings a dessert from his favorite bakery. One that makes a sugar free, dairy free, gluten free chocolate cake that suits his long list of dietary requirements, that makes it so he can afford a small slice. He also got a slice of the Strawberry Crème Dream for Hayden and ChocoCaramel Explosion for Jackie.
Today he is going to the shiny new apartment Jackie and Hayden decided to move into together. Jackie is finishing out her degree in kinesiology this year and so they wanted to find a place that was equidistant to the practice rink and her college. The building is grey brick with sleek and modern lines complete with a doorman. Hayden and Jackie live on the 7th floor. "I'm Shane Hollander, here to see Hayden Pike? 712?"
The doorman smiles. "Of course." He calls upstairs to get approval before gesturing to the open elevator. "They said to add you to permanent guest list."
Shane gives a small smile. He likes hanging out with Hayden. Most people seem to prefer his media persona and get angry when that isn't who he is all the time, but Hayden always says how glad he is to 'see beyond his mask' when they head back to their shared hotel room on road trips. Hayden also appears to listen and enjoy his thoughts and opinions about the most recent hockey book he's reading, which is nice.
He knocks on the door. Hayden answers with a huge smile. "Shane, my man! How are you?" He claps Shane on the shoulder knowing that hugs are less preferred.
"Hayd, you saw me yesterday." Shane pushes him out of the doorway.
"That was over 24 hours ago!" Hayden exclaims indignantly. "Who knows what could have changed? Like maybe you decided that red meat isn't on the banned list and I can break out the steaks we have in the fridge!"
Shane laughs as Jackie shouts from the kitchen, "Hayden Pike if you think about changing this menu, I am leaving!"
"Fine, fine, I did spend all that time grilling the salmon." Hayden smiles, "I even got a fancy cedar plank and everything."
Jackie leaves the kitchen and walks over to Shane and extends her arm so Shane can choose a half hug or handshake. He decides to go for the half hug today. "Thank you for cooking. I know he didn't do any of the actual work."
"Hey, I take offense to that!" Hayden smiles. "Not only did I grill the salmon, I marinated it! And grilled the vegetables, Jackie wouldn't let me chop them."
"Probably for the best, we can't have you losing a finger this close to the start of the season." Shane teases.
"You cut yourself with a knife one time and then all of a sudden..." Hayden trails off muttering under his breath into the kitchen.
Shane takes off his shoes and sweater to hang on the hooks by the door. "Jackie, it's lovely in here! I love how you decorated the place."
"How do you know I didn't decorate?"
"Hayd, I saw your last apartment." Shane smiles. "I did hired a decorator for mine because I know I don't have as good an eye as a professional, but this is a good mix of classic pieces and modern decor."
"Thank you Shane. In my last apartment I had most of these as pieces from my grand-mère's house once she went into an assisted living. Now, she's beating everyone at bridge and I have gorgeous walnut furniture my great grand-père made." She guides Shane to the dining table that is in an adjacent space to the kitchen, split with a half wall.
Hayden finishes setting the table and laying out the salads, quinoa, salmon and roasted vegetables. "Tada! Dinner!"
Shane nods his head. "Jackie thank you for cooking, it looks delicious. Hayden the fish looks... edible."
Hayden mock gasps. "How dare you question the integrity of my fish!"
They laugh and pile their plates with food. "So." Hayden says.
"So?"
"Shane." Jackie says with an air of seriousness and she then takes a deep breath and holds out her hand, showing off a golden ring with a cat-eye shaped emerald surrounded by several small diamonds along the boarder.
Shane blinks. "That's a very pretty ring?"
Hayden shakes his head with a small smile. "Shane, my dude, she's showing you her engagement ring."
"Oh." Shane looks between the two of them. "Oooh! Congratulations guys! I'm so happy for you both!" Shane did remember at the one Metros meet up they had in the summer that Hayden was thinking about going ring shopping, but he hadn't heard anything else.
"And, I'd love it if you'd consider being one of my groomsmen?" Hayden says, a little more apprehensively.
Shane sits for a moment, thinking about weddings and the attention that fall on the people at the front. He knows most people look at the bride and groom, but he also knows that if he were doing something weird it would be in pictures and people might talk about it. Hayden looks up from the bite of salad and his eyes look hopeful. Shane sighs internally for a moment for the scrutinization of being in the wedding party, but genuinely smiles. "Of course, Hayd you're one of my best friends. I would be honored." He channels his inner Rozanov for a moment and adds "Congratulations on marrying up."
Hayden smiles back and grabs Jackie's free hand. "Don't I know it."
Jackie places a kiss on his cheek. "And may you never forget."
The three chat about the current drama in the WAG chat. Hayden because he lives for the drama and Shane because he needs to know who is going to be too distracted for their preseason game in two days, so he can cover for them on the ice. They eventually break out the desserts and Hayden convinces them to play a round of Catan.
Shane has some really good friends. Even if no one is willing to trade him any sheep.
---
June 2012-A Flower Field
"I'm going to throw up." Hayden says pacing a small hole in the Groom's Suite.
Hayden's Best Man is his best friend from childhood. They were in kindergarten together and played hockey together until juniors when Dean decided he wanted to focus more on advanced classes with the end goal of being a doctor. They have remained good friends even as time moved on, Dean attending as many games as he can in Toronto where they grew up.
Dean sighs and plops in the chair next to Shane, who is absentmindedly fiddling with his cufflinks while scrolling through a contract his mom sent over for a new brand deal opportunity. "Can you do something? I've tried all my tricks."
"Huh?"
"To get him to calm down? Like I don't know, maybe what a locker room assistant captain speech might sound like, but for his wedding?" Dean gestures towards Hayden imploringly.
Shane thinks for a minute. "Pike!" He exclaims like they were on the ice. Hayden stops and looks at Shane. "Listen up. Today is the day you are going to marry the love of your life. Ever since you met Jackie you've been talking about her non-stop and as your roommate, I know you've been talking to her non-stop. This is the start of the rest of your lives together. Do you want to be this panicked mess or do you wanna go out there and marry the woman you love?"
"Yes I want to go out there and marry the woman I love!" Hayden exclaimed loudly, nerves calming. "Let's do this!"
Shane extends his had and pulls Hayden into a bro hug, one fist landing on Hayden's back. Ever since he learned there was going to be an A on his chest next season for assistant captain, he started practicing speeches again and figuring out ways to engage with his teammates. He's always appreciated a bro hug for the brevity of contact and minimal invasion of his personal bubble. Shane murmurs to his best friend, "You got this. Today's gonna be amazing."
"Thank you for being here, Shane." Hayden gives his back one more thump. "Alright! Time for photos."
---
Shane holds his hands gently clasped in front of him. He made sure to ask Jackie what pose she would like best in her wedding photos. Hayden acted aghast, clutching his heart, that Shane did not care about his opinion, as Shane was his groomsman. Shane had just smirked and said "It's Jackie's wedding, you just happened to end up on the guest list."
Shane's smile is fully genuine, as he watches two people who folded him into their life with Hayden going from being his road roommate to weekly dinners at their apartment to even the occasional night out on the off season where he has a beer and Hayden and Jackie drink so much that they end up drunk on his couch as he shepherds them back from the bar.
"Do you Jaqueline Annabelle Clément, take Hayden Anthony Pike to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
The smile that bursts out on Jackie's face is enormous. She squeezes Hayden's hand tighter. "I do."
"Do you Hayden Anthony Pike, take Jaqueline Annabelle Clément to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
Shane can't see Hayden's face, but he knows that he must be grinning from ear to ear as he says "I do."
"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."
Hayden pulls Jackie forward as the audience begins clapping. He dips her and they have their first kiss as a married couple.
Shane claps the hardest he ever has because his two best friends are in love and now they're married. He couldn't be more excited for them as they enter into this next part of their lives together.
---
December 2012-Hayden and Jackie's Apartment
"Fuck Ilya Rozanov." Hayden says booing at the Bears game replay playing on ESPN.
Ilya is bragging yet again about being the best player in the league. "I am ahead in goals! Assists, bah, boring. I swish into the the net with my very good, very strong back hand." Ilya winks at the camera.
"Yeah." Shane says a little distracted by the shirtless wink. "Fuck that guy."
Jackie brings over a platter of snacks, ranging from vegetables, to fruit, to cheese and sits herself in Hayden's lap wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "Shane."
Shane looks up from the celery piece he was dipping in the homemade dairy-free protein-rich dip he made for the occasion. "What?" He looks at her sitting on Hayden's lap and rules out divorce, but the last time she said his name like that she announced they were getting married. "Did something else life changing happen?"
A wide smile breaks out across both Hayden and Jackie's faces. In unison, almost like they practiced, they shout, "We're having twins!"
Shane's eyes glance down at Jackie's stomach before he can stop them. He quickly raised them back up to the smiling faces in front of him. "Twins?!"
"Yep, Jackie Pike, mother of two!"
"Hey and Hayden Pike, father of two!"
Shane laughs. "Congratulations, guys! I'm so happy for you!" He stands up and gives them both half a hug. "How far along are you?" Shane thanks his mom's guilty pleasures of romcoms for showing him what to ask in this moment.
"We're about 3 months in. I'm slowly starting to show and we made it past the first trimester. You're like the 1st person we've told outside of family."
Shane smiles. "Thank you for telling me! I'm honored! Please make sure to send me your registry!"
"Of course! The twins already love their Uncle Shane!" Hayden smirks. "And his deep, deep wallet filled with Rolex money."
"I see how it is Hayd, you only want me for my money!" Shane smiles again. "Seriously though. You guys are going to be great parents. I'm so excited to become an Uncle. Thank you for giving me that title."
Jackie pats him on the shoulder. "There is no better word to describe you to our little ones. They're always going to know they can count on Uncle Shane."
"Yeah, they certainly can."