Chapter Text
A drizzle of rain pattered against the windows of Shane's cottage. On the couch, Shane and Rose sipped Moscow mules made with ginger ale - a cocktail Shane began to enjoy only after meeting Rose.
Rose laughed at something Shane said which made Ilya look up from putting away food in the kitchen. Shane was so relaxed as Rose laughed, both smiling with flushed cheeks.
"I met a fan who told me that her man proposed to her at the restaurant we went to for Valentine's day!" Rose recounted with mirth. "They went there because of us!"
"The place with the weird chandeliers?" Shane asked.
"No, the one that put way too much truffle on your pasta."
"Why do those sorts of restaurants want to put truffle on everything?"
"I think it's a conspiracy. They're paid by big truffle. And truffle isn't even that good!"
"Truffle propaganda!"
They both laughed and sipped their drinks.
Ilya knew exactly what restaurant they were talking about: an exclusive, reservation-only Italian bistro that produced its own wine on site. It boasted a sophisticated menu, crafted from locally sourced ingredients, created by European-trained chefs, each dish expertly paired with a house wine.
So how did Ilya know all of that? He looked up the restaurant after Rose posted photos of her and Shane's romantic view of the estate's rolling vineyards.
Rose also posted photos of Shane sipping a glass of red wine... and some sort of dessert with a strawberry rose and heart details made with chocolate... and the big bouquet of pink and white flowers Shane had gifted her. Oh, and a diamond tennis bracelet, both pictures in the box that said "from: Shane" and wearing it at the restaurant as she drank her own wine.
A diamond fucking bracelet. Ilya snapped the lid on a food container as remembered all of those little diamonds. So many diamonds even Svetlana's eyes got wide when she saw the photo.
Shane had posted two photos: a selfie of him kissing Rose on the neck as they toured the vineyard, and later, their meals which did, in fact, have a lot of truffle. Shane's creamy pasta dish fit nowhere into his macrobiotic diet he harped on about.
Cursing Rose and the pasta was the last thought Ilya remembered having that night years ago. By the time Svetlana had come to pick him up to head to a club, he had finished half a bottle of vodka and carton of cigarettes, the ashtrays around his place filled smashed and half smoked Marlboros.
"My manager made me take that little koala keychain off of my purse, too." Rose continued, the conversation having migrated to a new story. "I'm sure you saw the tabloids about it. People really thought I wasn't over you!"
"Yeah, I think some of the guys mentioned it." Shane swirled the ice around in his cup. "I didn't think people would get so worked up over something from the zoo gift shop."
"Me neither!"
"And I didn't think the team would be so invested either. But the merch people were happy we were selling so many Hollander women's shirts. My mom was even trying to think up some collab thing where they put rose decals on the merch jerseys."
Ilya gritted his teeth. A collab? With Rose Landry? All because they were dating? How stupid! How childish!
Rose tilted her head back a laughed. "Oh my gosh that screams PR relationship! We were risking it enough with those cheesy ad campaigns. How did anyone actually think we liked each other in that perfume commercial!?"
"My parents loved it, and the team teased me when it would come on the TV at the gym, but like half of them were secretly jealous."
"No way! They bought that, too!?"
Ilya remembered the fragrance ad. Rose and Shane were on a boat in some Mediterranean cove, wearing tiny white swimsuits, rubbing all over each other while smoldering into the camera. To Ilya, it was basically porn. He hated that ad, and it seemed to show every time he was training. The rest of his team loved it though, hooting and hollering for Shane. How could Rose and Shane talk about that so casually? The ad was obscene!
A chuckle from Shane followed by a cackle from Rose tipped Ilya over the edge. He slammed the fridge door.
"Anya needs a walk," he announced, getting Anya's leash and heading for his sneakers.
"Oh, Ilya," Shane began, "I think Anya is sleeping."
"No. She is awake. Come on. Walk."
Upon hearing her favorite word twice, Anya roused from her nap and happily met Ilya at the front door. He fastened the leash to her harness, and before Shane could make any more protest, the two were out the door.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Ilya returned, clothes and dog damper than when he left. He made sure Anya shook herself off outside because, as predicted, she ran right over to Shane as soon as Ilya opened the door.
"Hey, you're back! Hi, girl!" Shane gave Anya a series of vigorous rubs as she excitedly greeted him. "Why did you go out in this weather? The rain was going to pass soon enough."
Ilya ignored Shane's question as he kicked off his shoes and walked to the kitchen to get into the fridge. "Rose Landry is not here?"
"No, she was going to go out with some friends she hadn't seen in a while." Shane leaned over the armrest of the couch to look at Ilya. "We'll meet her for brunch tomorrow."
"Wow fun." Ilya opened a beer and sat at the opposite of the end of the couch, looking dead ahead. He could smell Rose's perfume on the blankets, a noxious combination of musty florals and medicinal fruit.
Shane cocked his head at Ilya. "You had a good walk?" He said as scratched behind Anya's ears.
"Yes." Ilya kept his gaze locked on the other side of the room.
"Anya probably didn't need a walk in this weather. But maybe we can get a treadmill or something for dogs so she can keep getting her exercise."
Ilya barely nodded before taking another swallow of beer.
Shane's stomach twinged. He wanted kisses and cuddles on the couch. He wanted to play with Ilya's hair. He was Ilya to scratch his back. But Ilya was so uncharacteristically cold. Sure, Rose's visit was a stressor for Ilya, but she was away now.
Shane sat in silence for another moment as Ilya drank his beer, never moving. Even Anya seemed curious about Ilya's change in behavior. Shane watched Ilya covertly, giving Anya most of the attention. He wanted to slide over and kiss Ilya, crawl into his lap, figure out what was bothering him, but upset Ilya didn't act like this. Sure, he got more avoidant, but he was also vocal, sassy, and would push Shane's buttons just to cover up his own sadness.
This was an Ilya Shane did not know. The closest version of Ilya Shane could compare this to was Sochi Olympics Ilya, but even that Ilya was slightly more willing to talk.
Shane stood. "I am going to read in bed," he said, plainly.
"Okay." Ilya took another sip of beer.
"Okay." Shane walked past Ilya, and the familiar smell of cigarettes filled his nose. Shane almost - almost - made a comment about thinking Ilya had quit smoking ages ago, but he didn't have the heart. So Shane got himself ready for bed, put on his glasses, and read until Ilya wandered in.
Ilya was slow in the bathroom, taking an atypically long shower, then remaining in the bathroom for more time than necessary. He eventually made his way to his side of the bed and got in. He laid flat on his back with one hand tucked under his head.
Shane glanced at him for just a moment before going back to reading.
Ilya pursed his lips. Highlights of Shane's conversations with Rose played in his mind: Valentine's day, the zoo, the commercial, all of the posts online, all of the tabloid headlines. The perfect "it couple." The perfect friendship. He should have said no to Rose staying over. Who lets their boyfriend's ex stay for multiple days?
And they acted like their relationship was so fun and romantic and nothing. A joke. It's so funny that Rose kept the koala and that people thought she was in love with Shane Hollander. Ha ha jerseys with roses and "Hollander" in girly font. Yes, let's drink cocktails and laugh at being in love. So hilarious!
"Ilya?" Shane murmured. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes, fine," Ilya retorted.
"You're mumbling."
Oops. Ilya took a breath. "Did Centaurs really buy cologne?"
Shane turned to actually face Ilya. "What?"
Ilya shot a side-eyed look at Shane but quickly adverted his gaze when met with Shane's cute face behind his reading glasses. "Rose said they bought the cologne you advertised."
"No, they didn't buy any cologne as far as I know."
Ilya frowned. "So why did she say that?"
"I don't think that-" Shane paused, suddenly realizing where Ilya had gone wrong. "Oh, she meant they bought the relationship, not the product."
Ilya nodded. Shane went back to reading. Shane's words swirled in Ilya's mind. The bought the relationship...
"Shane." Ilya began. "Why would they need to buy your relationship with Rose?"
"Because it wasn't real."
Ilya's blood pounded in his head. His heart raced. He felt his face and chest getting hot, and it took all of his strength to keep his composure next to Shane who was just reading as if this conversation was the least interesting thing in the world.
"Wasn't... real?" Ilya replied through gritted teeth.
"Yeah, sort of a PR thing." Shane turned the page of his book. "It was Rose's idea, and it really worked."
Ilya clenched his fist over his stomach. So Rose was behind this. She thought of how to keep Shane away from him. She schemed and plotted like a witch, and she loved every second of it.
And she loved remembering it, talking about it, laughing about it. She loved getting Shane to remember how happy he was.
Ilya threw the blankets off of himself and stood, facing away from Shane, fists still tight and head spinning.
"Ilya? Are you feeling okay?"
"You returned bracelet?" Ilya turned over his shoulder slightly, fist pulsing with each word.
"What bracelet?" Shane removed his glasses and watched Ilya stand tensed a few feet away.
"Diamond bracelet. Valentine's day."
"Oh no, I think she still has it. She picked it out."
Ilya gritted his teeth. "And she got you nothing."
"No, she got me a sweater made of some fancy wool and a pair of sunglasses. They were really nice."
Ilya turned now to face Shane. He furrowed ha brow and stared. "Sunglasses?"
"Yeah, they were uh, Mee Mee?"
"Miu Miu?" Ilya corrected.
"Yeah! I don't wear them too much, though. They are nice."
"You don't wear because I wear!" Ilya raised his voice and pressed his finger to his chest. His face started getting hot. "You let me wear sunglasses that bitch gave you for Valentine's day!?"
"What the fuck, Ilya? Don't call her that. She's not a bitch."
"Oh, you are right, Hollander." A vein in Ilya's temple pulsed as he stuck his finger out at Shane. "If anyone is bitch, is you!"
"Ilya, what-"
"You let her drag you around like accessory for 2 fucking years, Hollander! And did you like? Playing dress up and being Rose fucking Landry's little bitch pet?"
"Shut the fuck up!" Shane snapped. He slammed his book onto the bed. "You're being a dick for no fucking reason!"
"She was so much better than me, huh?" Ilya being to move about the room. "So pretty and perfect."
Ilya ripped his phone charger out of his wall socket and shoved it into an old backpack. He then opened his dresser and shoved some workout clothes inside, too. "So easy to just pretend. So easy to make real."
"Ilya, it was fake! We weren't-"
"But you still want her around! To laugh and pretend again!" Ilya swung the backpack over his shoulder. "To think of her when I wear sunglasses!"
Ilya marched out of the bedroom.
"Ilya! Stop!" Shane jumped out of the bed and followed Ilya. "What are you so mad about? We weren't actually together."
Ilya kept a quick pace as he headed for the front door, snatching his car keys from the kitchen counter. Anya, despite that typically being a sign of a walk in the woods, stayed away under the dining table.
"Not together..." Ilya put his shoes on without looking at Shane. "Seems so easy for you to fake how you feel. You should have been actor, Hollander. You could pretend always."
"No, Ilya, you know it wasn't like that."
Shane reached for Ilya's arm as Ilya opened the front door, but Ilya shook him off. He walked down the steps, got into his car, and drove down the driveway and into the night.
Shane stood on the open doorway, cold, damp air replacing the warmth of his cottage. Anya nuzzled into Shane's hand after decided Shane needed him more than the dining table.
Shane scratched Anya's head before leaning down and giving her a hug.
"I want to call Rose," Shane whispered into Anya's neck. "He's so mad, Anya. What did I do? What am I supposed to do? What if he doesn't come back?"