Chapter Text
Yuna Hollander takes pride in her elegance, her ability to negotiate the best of the deals for his darling son, and, of course, in her son. For the longest time, Shane had been her only focus. It was a bonus that she was also a die-hard hockey fan, but being her son’s manager gave her a way to protect him in ways she might not have done if he had gone to other professions. Does it make her an obsessive mother? Maybe. But Shane deserved that obsessive kind of love. One that was entirely biased towards him. David often jokes that Shane was Yuna’s longest and most successful project. She would reply with indignation, but secretly she loved to think she had been successful and helpful in making her son’s career.
Despite the professional success, Yuna knew how isolated Shane was in his personal life. It wasn’t that he was exceptionally reserved or shy, no. He wasn’t. But Shane had learned to become less visible in the crowds; his talent shone through the darkest crevices and crooks, and it was prone to make those who were not used to light feel blinded. Envy was an ugly root that leeched on the very soul of those who fell for it, rotting them from within.
It was some serious allegations to make, but knowing all she knew about the Metros now, with Shane officially being a centaur, Yuna recognised the rotten core of the Montreal management. Someone as exceptional as her son would only thrive among a group that recognised he was bound to be better than the rest.
Ilya was an exception, and oh, such a sweet exception it was. Ilya challenged Shane every step of their success; he didn’t only match his strides, but he also compelled Shane to take larger steps, aim higher and higher without fearing the fall.
When they first found out about the relationship, when the hype had died down, Yuna did what she does best. She found out every possible thing about Ilya Rozanov she could possibly find on the internet. Somewhere along the research, she unconsciously shifted Ilya from son’s boyfriend position to her possible second son. She built her mental binder named Ilya Rozanov, the rival captain, shaped into her son within a week.
It didn’t help that David, untouched by the intense hockey loyalty and bias, had already been in favour of the Russian kid who nervously initiated their first conversation with New Yorkers; he was charmed by the fumbling, broken and accented English.
Naturally, their over-the-top, overprotective, slightly obsessive parenting style immediately roped in their second son.
Shane was a must-protect baby of the house, but Ilya became the light with his everlasting humour, constant chirping, and unadulterated innocence every time Yuna or David gave him an ounce of affection. He was learning to accept it, he was starting to bask in it, flourishing into a full-fledged menace under their roof.
It didn’t help that he was competitive enough to provoke Shane, a spitfire that rivalled Yuna’s ferocious love, and to their absolute delight, still a child in his heart that looked up to David like he could do no wrong. You might never catch him actually saying this, but despite the obvious choices, David was Ilya’s favourite Hollander. He also ignored the fact that it was totally not because his own father had never been a dad to him, like David has been.
All in all, their family of three became a family of four within a week of knowing each other, and it was almost as if they had never been apart.
But sometimes, when the nights were a bit quieter, when the exhaustion set in a bit heavier, he'd cuddle up to Yuna on the couch, he’d admit to his other family. One that he had made all on his own. He talked about whimsical events in Boston, about his best friend Marly, his closest friends who had been with him through everything, and the rookies he considered his babies.
Ilya was just 17 when he became a bear; it had only been 5 years since he lost his mother. The bears had seen him at his prime, at his worst, at his start, and also when he reached the end, only to start with centaurs all over again.
Yuna and David often talked at length about Ilya’s past. Sharing their opinions, exchanging what they found out about Ilya to make sure they have learned him thoroughly. Somehow, they were making up for all the years he had gone without a family. It was a lot of years to catch up on.
When they found out about the engagement, they had been thrilled. But in the privacy of their room, Yuna mourned for a family Ilya couldn’t have anymore. Russia was officially out of the picture, and even with its drawbacks, it was still supposed to be home. One that Ilya would lose forever.
They vowed to make sure it’s all worth it, that giving up one family for another would never become a regret.
What they didn’t expect was the found family making its way to Ottawa for the wedding. The Month before the wedding marked the start of the weirdest, most inexplicable, and wildest 2 months of the Hollandeer household.
If you ever ask her, Yuna would probably call it a fever dream, but it wasn’t. It was real. Her house was infested with two rosters of MLH teams who called themselves family in law of the Hollanders and refused to leave until Yuna admitted she is a foster mom to all those adults.