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Shane was 8 when he started playing goalie. It was by accident. They needed someone in the net because Jessie was out sick with the flu and no one else could fit in the pads. Shane didn’t want to play the position but Yuna talked him into it by saying it would help his team and showed that he was a team player.
He ended up loving it.
Years later he would fall in love with Ilya Rozanov, star center, and one of the only players who could score against him. They had played against each other for years. Having met at world juniors back when they were barely out of their teens and then drafted together to the MLH. During their rookie season people took notice how Ilya would fight to get a goal past Shane and somehow a joke turned into a rivalry.
Of course it was anything but. After games in the hotel rooms or in the darkness of Shane’s apartment they’d fuck.
It led to falling in love.
They make their relationship work somehow.
Ilya gets traded from Boston to Ottawa. Shane stays with Monteral.
They get outed. The league is horrible to them. But they make it through.
They get married.
Shane leaves Monteral after being their starting goalie for almost 10 years. He gets signed by Ottawa as well and it’s perfect.
He and Ilya get to be out as a couple and play together. No more rivalry. No more pretending.
Their first game together Ilya kisses the nose of Shane’s goalie mask before the game making him blush but they win. Shane gets a shut out. Which is even more amazing.
The next game Ilya does it again and they win again. 3-1.
It becomes part of their pregame routine. Ilya makes sure to kiss Shane’s mask before each game, even if Shane isn’t starting. He’ll kiss the tip of his nose as he sits on the bench.
The team notices because of course they do. Wyatt, the other goalie jokingly starts to kiss Shane as well before the games and Shane playfully shoves him off but they end up winning 5-2.
The next game Ilya and Wyatt are there ready to give Shane a kiss.
“Really Wyatt?” Shane asks.
“Hey it worked the last time, can’t mess up the flow now,” Wyatt says and quickly kisses Shane before skating away.
They win again.
Wyatt’s out the next day due to the flu so only Ilya kisses Shane like normal and they lose. Shane tried his hardest but LA was just better.
“It’s because Wyatt wasn’t here to give you your pre game kiss,” Bood says after the game.
“No it’s not,” Shane replies, trying to shrug it off.
“It is!” Bood shouts, “Rozy kissed you like he always does but Wyatt wasn’t here and we lost.”
Dykstra agrees, “He’s right. We have to stick to the pre game routine.”
Shane rolls his eyes, “We didn’t lose because Wyatt didn’t kiss my mask before the game.”
The next game Wyatt’s back and the whole team makes sure Ilya then Wyatt kiss Shane before the start of the game.
They won 3-0.
Another shut out.
The team rushed Shane, giving him head butts and hugs for the shut out over Nashville. Ilya pulls his mask up and gives him a real kiss.
“I’m so proud of you,” Ilya says and kisses him again.
The next game the whole team lines up to give Shane a kiss before the start of the game and Shane’s embarrassed but it works.
Some days it works better than others. Of course it gets picked up and shown all over social media. Shane gets asked about it after a game where they went into a shootout and he feels his face heat up but says that he started when the team saw Ilya do it so they all started doing it.
They make it to the play offs playing third in their division. They have to play against Tampa Bay who are ruthless. They fall in 5 games to the Bolts. Not because of Shane. Tampa Bay is just too good.
The team lines up one last time to kiss Shane’s mask as a thank you and Shane can’t help but smile as they do.