Work Text:
Calgary.
2018.
All Stars.
Canada vs USA.
____
Even after the great success of Hollander and Rozanov on the same team (and the same line) at last year's All Stars, this year the league had decided to separate them and pit them against each other again, Canadian Teams vs USA Teams. It was sort of sad for all the other first line centers in the league, but Hollander v Rozanov was always too good to pass up and other players enjoyed getting to play with them rather than having to play against them for once so they never took it too hard.
It was the last few minutes of the third period and the score was locked at 3 - 3. Despite this being a friendly game with no stakes, it was being taken completely seriously by those on the ice, playing like it was the Olympic final.
Ilya and Shane had ended up on different shifts at this point in the game so Ilya sat back and enjoyed watching Shane in Beast Mode. Ilya leaned his stick up against the low wall in front of him as he sipped lazily from a drink bottle, watching as Shane battled America for the puck like Yuna's life depended on it. Ilya could hear the familiar grunts of the wrestle for control, the slapping of sticks against the ice, and the wobbling of the perspex, followed by the unfortunate crack of a stick breaking in half. He watched as Shane's face turned to fury and he threw the broken handle of his stick to the ice. Before Ilya could even react, Shane, still in pursuit of the puck, skated past the America bench, swiped Ilya's stick from where it was poking up above the wall, and continued on.
Ilya's mouth dropped open, dumping water down his front.
COMMENTATOR 1: ... Did Shane Hollander just steal Ilya Rozanov's stick?
COMMENTATOR 2: ... Can he do that?
COMMENTATOR 1: Well he just did! For those who missed it [SLO-MO REPLAY, including Ilya accidentally spitting water down his front]. And no, technically that should be an illegal equipment penalty but the referees seem to have missed it. Oh wait, hang on.
REF ON THE ICE: 24. CANADA. MINOR PENALTY - ILLEGAL EQUIPMENT.
[close up on Shane on the ice, laughing and doing a one shoulder shrug. Before he makes his way to the Penalty Box he skates back over to Team America]
"Thanks." Shane said with a bright smile, handing the stick back to Ilya.
Ilya stared, wide-eyed and silent in response, and slowly reached forward to reclaim his stolen stick from his secret boyfriend. Once Ilya had it back, Shane skated across the ice where the Penalty Box Attendant was impatiently waiting for him. "Worth it." Shane giggled, as his not sorry at all face filled the jumbotron screen.
COMMENTATOR 2: Only at All Stars!
COMMENTATOR 1: Only at All Stars, Jeff.
(A GIF of Ilya and the water starts making the rounds in the Metros group chat. Shane forwards it to Ilya with a “You’re usually so good at swallowing 😉.”)