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Jackie shouldn’t have shown him the video.
“I’m serious,” she says laughing , shoving her phone into Shane’s hands across the kitchen island. “Look at his face, He looks like he’s about to confess to crimes he hasn’t even committed.”
On screen, some guy freezes mid-step as his wife calls his full name.
Shane watches the shift tension within the guy immediately building around the room, the look of oh shit on his face.
Then the “I love you,” from his wife and the way the guy deflates.
Shane huffs out a laugh. “That’s evil.”
Jackie grins. “That’s funny.”
“It’s psychological warfare.”
“And you’d be so good at it.”
Shane hands the phone back, but the idea sticks. It sits there, somewhere in the back of his mind, quietly brewing.
Because yeah it’s funny.
Also because Ilya would absolutely lose his mind.
2 weeks later, they’re having everyone over at the cottage for a fun summer get together, and by everyone it’s his parents, Hayden and Jackie who left the kids with Hayd’s parents, JJ, Troy and Harris, Bood and Cassie, Luca and Wyatt and Lisa, the others and their spouses were either busy with their families and kids, other summer plans and or travelling.
By the time everyone’s at the cottage, it’s no longer just a passing thought.
It’s a plan.
They’re out on the deck. The place is loud, so many people, too many overlapping conversations, the easy chaos of teammates and family packed into one space. Someone’s arguing over music, someone else is halfway through opening another bottle of something, and Anya is making her rounds getting pets and treats from everyone.
Ilya ends up with her, of course.
He’s got her tucked against his chest, one hand absentmindedly scratching behind her ear while he talks to Troy and Harris. He looks so relaxed.
Poor guy doesn't know what’s coming.
Shane watches him from across the deck.
Then glances at Jackie.
Jackie, who immediately clocks the look and lights up.
“Oh my God,” she mouths.
Shane jerks his head slightly toward the phone in her hand.
Film.
Jackie tries and fails to hide her grin as she casually lifts it.
Shane takes a breath.
And then
“Ilya Hollander-Rozanov.”
It’s instant, the way Ilya freezes mid-sentence, completely still.
Like someone hit pause.
Anya squirms, sensing the shift, and Yuna is suddenly there, smoothly lifting her granddaughter out of his arms like she’s extracting a civilian from a danger zone.
“Come here, baby,” she murmurs.
David pats Ilya on the shoulder. “Good luck, son.”
JJ snorts, already laughing.
“Oh shit, what did you do?” Hayden asks Ilya amusedly.
“Shut up Pike, Nothing!” Ilya hisses at Hayden trying to hide the fear in his voice, rather unsuccessfully.
Troy and Harris are backing up afraid to get caught in the blast radius, and he thinks he hears a splash at the lake, so he glances over his shoulder quickly.
did… Did Luca and Wyatt just jump in there?
Ilya just looks at Shane, and yeah, deer in headlights doesn’t even begin to cover it.
“What…” he says, immediately, voice tight. “What’s wrong moya lyubov ?”
His eyes flick briefly to Troy, to the others, like he’s searching for context, for help, for anything.
He finds none.
Shane starts walking toward him.
Slowly
Anticipation is thick in the air.
“Ilya,” Shane says again.
Ilya’s already shaking his head a little. “Sorry, sorry what did I..”
Shane steps right into his space.
Lets it hang for just a second longer.
So Ilya in his panic, rushes on, words tripping over each other.
“I didn’t do anything! okay, I might have finished the last of that fat-free ice cream you like, but I was going to replace it… And and the thing with the charger, that wasn’t me!” Ilya says spiraling, “it was already…well, I mean, I broke it, but it was already loose!”
JJ makes a strangled noise somewhere behind him.
“And, okay, and the plant on windowsill, I didn’t kill it, I just forgot to water it for, like, a week, but it was dying already” Ilya says trailing off
“Holy shit,” Hayden mutters, too delighted.
troy is facepalming, whispering to his friend to just stop talking.
Ilya finally cuts himself off, dragging a hand through his hair, looking at Shane like he’s bracing for impact.
Then… “I just wanted to tell you that I love you.” Shane says with a sweet smile
Ilya blinks.
Laughter breaks everywhere at once, JJ nearly doubles over, Hayden claps a hand over his mouth, Bood, Cassie, Troy, all of them, even Yuna and David are laughing.
Traitors all of them
Jackie lowers her phone.
Ilya just stands there.
Blinking
“You..” he starts, then stops, then tries again. “You…” trying to process what just happened
Shane is already laughing, reaching for him, completely pleased with himself.
“You asshole,” Ilya finally manages, but there’s no heat in it, just shock, and something like reluctant admiration.
“I got you!” Shane says, delighted.
“You…” Ilya exhales sharply, dragging a hand down his face. “I can’t believe you… you scared the shit out of me” , huffing out a laugh.
Shane laughs and hugs him then says “but we’re totally circling back to those confessions tomorrow” Ilya’s eyes widened slightly.
Later after Ilya has recovered from the mini heart attack that Shane caused.
They’re all sitting around the table eating, Ilya can see Jackie sending Harris the video out of the corner of his eye, JJ and Hayden are too delighted to watch it again, and the others are just chatting away and having fun.
He leans in just enough and puts his lips to his husband’s ear, voice low so only Shane hears it. “Just wait until they all leave.”
Shane turns to look at him confused.
Then, with the faintest hint of a smirk,“ then we’ll see who will be laughing.”
Shane blinks.
“…worth it,” he decides.
And that just makes Ilya shake his head, smiling.