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Module 1: Dealing with Difficulties
Ilya took deep breaths as he calmed himself down. He could do this.
He left home at 17. He has lost both parents. He permanently cut ties with his brother. He moved to another country, again, and signed with a struggling team. He chirped at old guards – big, intimidating, veteran enforcers – since he was a rookie and got his shit rocked and lived. He gets countless pucks aimed at him (only some purposefully) at lightning speed as a job hazard.
He could do this. He can chase away the big, furry spider currently staring him down from its perch on the kitchen cupboards above him.
It moved.
Nope.
“Shaaaaaaane!!!” Ilya would not say that that was not a scream, but if it made his husband come to the kitchen faster then…
“Give me a sec!” came Shane’s reply from somewhere in the house.
How long is a second? It certainly isn’t as short as it sounds like because Ilya could feel his hair turn grey as he waited for Shane to round the corner, whilst staring at this huge arachnid to make sure it doesn’t attack him.
“What is it?” Shane asked as he came in, holding some beer bottles to give away to their guests. Of all the days this had to happen, it happened while they were hosting the team that spring.
Ilya, wordlessly, and okay maybe a bit shakily, pointed at the spider that is still staring at him. Shane followed the direction that he was pointing at.
The spider moved.
Ilya yelped. (And fine, maybe, he hid behind Shane.)
Shane raised his brow and looked at the hand clutching his shirt sleeve. An amused smirk on his face as he saw the look on Ilya’s face.
“Ilya, it’s just a spider.”
“No, it is not! Spiders are small and jumpy and scared of humans. This one did not even leave when I stared it down!”
“Yeah, because it’s trying to make you not notice it! Wolf spiders are–”
“Whoa whoa whoa. First, you have wolf birds, and now you have wolf spiders? What the fuck is wrong with Canada?”
Shane was laughing so hard, he had to put the bottles down to clutch his sides.
“Yes, yes. Laugh at my misery. I moved to Canada to be closer to you, and this is thanks I get.”
Shane peered at him as his giggles subsided. Ilya looked so much like a petulant child.
“You big baby,” he said fondly and kissed Ilya’s cheek. “Let me get a cup and paper to trap it so I can release it outside.”
As Shane got to work, with Ilya definitely a few feet away from the action, ready to bolt at a moment’s notice, they didn’t realise they were being watched. Carter LaPointe stood a few ways away, having heard his captain’s distressed shouts. He was about to help out when he saw Shane rush in. In normal circumstances, he would be walking away, but was held captive by the spider discussion.
“Okay. All done!” Carter heard Shane say.
“You have some very big spiders here in Canada.” His captain’s tone sounded so severe.
“Don’t worry,” Shane replied as he stepped closer to put his arms around his husband’s waist. “I’ll protect you.”
Carter took it all in and got to thinking: Yeah, dealing with bugs – or the things they hated, really – for your loved ones should be a given. Just like what Hollzy did for his captain just now. He filed away this information for later and joined the rest of the Cens when he started hearing the telltale sign of Roz and Hollzy start to make out.
Years later, at 37, when his seven-year-old daughter screamed for him, crying about a cockroach she saw in the bathroom, Carter LaPointe remembered that spring afternoon with clarity. Yeah, he’ll definitely and happily deal with bugs for his loved ones.
Module 2: Utilising Arm and Core Strengths
Mark Holmberg was behind Roz and Hollzy, on the way to the locker room, when a realisation struck him: Cap has never, not once since Hollzy joined the team, carried his bag. Hollzy has always been the one to carry both bags on one side, leaving his other hand free to hold Roz’s hand.
Like now.
And it’s not like he heard Roz ask or that Hollzy grumbled about doing so. It’s a very natural course of action, as in, they’d get ready to leave, and Shane would just…pick up both bags. Sometimes they’re both quiet as they walk, sometimes they’d be talking, or sometimes there would be some banter between them. But Shane would always carry the bags. Even when they were fighting, or the team could tell some tension was present: Shane. Carries. The bags.
Sure, there were exceptions like when one of them had to stay behind, or they came in separately, or when Shane hurt his shoulder that one time. But they were so far and few in between that Mark could probably count them on one hand.
Huh. Interesting.
A few days later, Mark was inside the team bus, looking out the window and tuning out Young and Hazy’s debate on comic characters. Young was seated right next to him, though, while Hazy was across the aisle, so he wasn’t doing much of a good job tuning them out. He’s just praying that Haasy, seated behind them, doesn’t weigh in at all because it will become a full-blown argument. Haasy likes to be a little shit and then sits back to watch the chaos he has created.
As if the universe knew he was tuning out the noise around him, it gave him a distraction in the form of the hockey husbands: Roz and Hollzy walking up to the team bus. They were behind Dykstra, who was loading up his stuff in the bus compartment below. The two were talking, and Mark could not really hear what was being said, but he did notice that Hollzy, once again, had both their bags in his hands. He then gestured for Roz to go inside while he loaded up the bags. Roz complied, giving Hollzy a quick smooch on the cheek.
Before he could think deeper, though, the unmistakable voice of Haasy piped up. “I mean, I personally think Iron Man is not crucial to the Avengers at all.” It sounded like a curious child, innocently putting out his very first opinions to the world.
“Well, see, I think yes –”
“You take that back right now!”
Mark groaned and turned to glare at Luca, who, predictably, was leaning back on his seat as he watched Young and Hazy’s healthy debate transform into a row. He had a satisfied smile on his lips.
A month later, the team was in Los Angeles. Most of the time, the husbands would disappear post-game whenever they were here because brands would be taking advantage of that fact to pull them in on some photoshoot. Or they’d hang out with Rose Landry, whom the husbands would not bring around the team much to Mark’s disappointment (Rose Landry tried to say hello to you during the wedding, Roz said once, but all you did was stare at her. Embarrassing). But this time, due to the schedules – brands couldn’t book them in time and Rose Landry (yes, full name still) was in Europe to film something – Roz and Hollzy went out with the team for the day, which ended up being, somehow, in Rodeo Drive for a bit of shopping.
Mark didn’t even know who suggested it. One minute, they were finishing up breakfast, and the next, he was in the backseat of LP’s rented car along with Young at the passenger seat and Haasy beside him. The team decided to go their own ways once they arrived there, with most of the married ones hitting up jewellery stores while the singles — aka them — spent money on designer items.
It was three in the afternoon when the Cens regrouped. As they waited for the others, Mark watched as the husbands came into view from the crowded pavement.
Roz, enjoying his (almost finished) ice cream in one hand, while holding a stuffed toy that looked suspiciously like Anya in the other.
Hollzy walking beside him, more bags than man. Both of his arms are covered with designer bags – YSL, Balenciaga, Bvlgari, Dior, Armani, Tiffany & Co., Hermes, LV…you name it, and it’s probably there. He wasn’t even breaking a sweat and was strolling as if he didn’t carry half the goddamned store on Rodeo Drive. He was even casually talking to Roz as they made their way to the meetup point.
Mark can see some people taking photos, and it will no doubt end up on some tabloid or celebrity Instagram page by tonight.
“Damn,” Dykstra said, whistling. “Did those two buy the whole place?”
Hazy laughed. “You’re one to talk! You wanted to buy a section of Cartier for Caitlin.”
“Sometimes I forget that those two are like, rich rich and not just from hockey,” LP commented.
And as the rest of the team kept on with their comments and teasing, no one said anything or even noted it out of the ordinary for Hollzy to always be the one carrying all of Roz’s stuff. As if that was a given in any relationship.
Which, again: Huh. Interesting.
He locked that memory in for later. He isn't in a relationship now, but Mark is determined to keep these lessons in mind for when he’s in one.
Two years later, as he happily walked around the amusement park with his girlfriend beside him, Mark remembered that memory. Here he was, currently holding the biggest stuffed toy the park has that he won for his girl while she freely uses her hands to hold her snacks, and realised that, right, holding your partner’s stuff for them is not really a big deal. He’d happily do it, without question.
Module 3: Planning Ahead
“Where are you off to this summer?” Charles Young heard Bood ask Cap in the locker room as they all prepared to go home. They were in the midst of playoffs, but the team liked to talk about other things, especially plans in the near future, to not feel so pressured.
“Why? You are obsessed with me, yes? You want to come?” The teasing came almost automatically.
“Fuck off, Roz,” Bood may have rolled his eyes, but the amusement was there. “It’s your first wedding anniversary this summer. What’s the plan?”
Roz shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Whoa whoa whoa,” Boyle butted in. “Roz! Anniversaries? Big deal? Hello?”
It was Cap’s turn to roll his eyes. “I know this, okay? I am best husband after all,” he paused to allow the protests that came from the other married members of the team at that statement. “I already have Shane’s gift. But I really can not tell you what’s happening this summer.”
Hazy looked at him with all seriousness. “Roz, please tell us you planned something.”
“But I didn’t.”
Choui gasped, eyes wide. “What?! We need to help you plan. Now!” He looked around, and the guys were all nodding. Even the single ones. Even Charles.
Fuck, did his captain really not plan anything?
Again, Roz rolled his eyes. “Guys, relax. I didn’t plan because I was told not to.” At the questioning silence that followed, he continued. “Shane always plans our trips. He has never let me handle those things, especially if we’re going together.”
Charles’ eyebrows met as he digested that information and realised that yes, this seems to be true. He didn’t really notice before because, well, the team flies private and usually has the staff to lead them to wherever they need to be in airports. However, he remembered another conversation back in preseason when Bergy asked what he needed to know about travelling to Europe after hearing the husbands share a bit about their honeymoon sightseeing and the travel involved. Bergy first asked Cap, but then the Russian turned to his husband with a “Shane?”, cueing Hollzy, who was standing next to him, to take over the conversation.
He now remembers that it was Hollzy who gave a thorough (or as thorough as one can be in a noisy locker room while changing out of their gear) explanation that Bergy ended up taking his phone out to take some notes. Looking back at that exchange, Roz was not trying to include the new member of the team in a discussion but to have him answer the questions instead because, well, Roz truly didn’t know what arranging the trip entailed. That was all Hollzy. Their captain just got to come along.
Before he could come to a conclusion, though, the topic of their discussion stepped out of the shower area and into where the stalls were. Everyone’s attention turned to the newcomer, who was currently drying his hair with a smaller towel and wasn’t looking at them. A beat later, Hollzy noticed the silence, and he looked at the team.
“What?” he asked, eyes going from person to person until they found Roz.
Who was looking at the others. “Go ahead. Ask him.”
Bood took it upon himself to do so. “Hollzy, Roz said you always plan your trips. Is this one of his jokes or…?”
If anything, the other man looked confused. “Uhh, no? I mean, no he’s not joking. Yes, I always plan our trips. Especially if it involves airports.”
“Shane was the one who planned our honeymoon.”
Hollzy was nodding. “Yes, I did. Researched everything about it, too. Ilya just had to be there.”
“Wait so, you have never let Roz here plan trips? Is it because he’s a disaster?”
“Wow. Fuck you, Bood.”
“I don’t know. I just do it. My mom has never had to think about where she’s going if she’s with dad so…” He then gestured between him and Ilya, as if that explained everything.
And weirdly enough, it did. The guys just nodded and went on to talk about other things they’re planning. Roz reached for his phone to check on Anya through the dog cam he’s got connected to on his phone while Hollzy started getting dressed.
It got Charles thinking, though. Navigating airports was stressful enough for domestic flights alone; imagine going on an international trip. Imagine having to do it for both you and your partner. And to plan everything else as well – the packing, booking hotels, and arranging your itineraries? It’s hurting his head now, and he’s only imagining the whole thing while Hollzy apparently has been doing it for a while now.
Still, Charles thought about it. Maybe this is a good way to treat your loved one: just let them enjoy their vacation without having to think too much about anything else.
As the plane took off for his honeymoon, years later, Charles’ mind drifted to that day in the locker room. His wife doesn't have to think about anything else when she’s with him and he doesn’t want her doing so. She already thinks too much in her line of work and taking these vacations is the only real chance she has of not worrying about anything or anyone. Charles will do that for both of them.
Module 4: Understanding Your Budget
It was no secret that Luca idolised both Rozanov and Hollander. So much so that he’s got a poster of Rozanov and Hollander in his childhood bedroom (even though Roz would like to believe he’s the only one whose poster was up on those walls). At first, his fascination was purely about hockey, like techniques on shots and how to be a fast skater. Then, as the two became captains, it evolved into chirping and knowing the rules so he could best bend them to his will when convenient. And then, when he was in the team with Roz, how to become an efficient team player and elevate his skills.
And then, most unexpectedly, when Hollzy joined the team, how to spoil those he loves.
Like now. The team was currently in Tampa, spending their free afternoon by the beach, soaking up as much of the sun as possible, before leaving the hotel that evening to then go to freezing Chicago. Some were in the water – Roz, Young, Bergy, and the two rookies the team acquired this season were in the midst of some kind of competition, while there were those attempting to get their swimming laps in like Barrett and Dykstra – but most of them were on the lounge chairs.
Those who were seated were engaged in different forms of activity: Hazy, LP, and Dillon were playing on their switches, Bood was sleeping, Boyle was on a call with his wife, Choui was sipping his margarita, and the rest were trading gossip they gleaned from other teams. Luca thought this was the perfect time to sketch while Hollzy, next to him, was reading a book.
Luca looked up in time to see his captain walking over to the lounge chairs, with those he was playing with in the water trailing behind him. He stopped where his husband was.
“Shane, I need your wallet. I promised ice cream to these babies.” Roz said as he held out his hand. Hollzy put down the book he was reading and openly ogled the captain (which Roz definitely noticed as he flexed his muscles; Luca focused harder on his sketchbook). Once he was done appreciating the view, he handed his card over to Roz, who then exclaimed, “Let’s go raid the ice cream store boys!”
As the guys cheered, Hollzy rolled his eyes and continued his reading. It did not escape Luca's notice that they all came back with almost obscene amounts of ice cream in their cups.
The next time he saw this was on Rodeo Drive when they were in L.A. As the husbands came to a stop in front of the team with Hollzy being almost covered in designer paper bags, everyone started their ribbing.
“Did you two empty all the stores here?” was a question from Choui.
Hazy then quipped, “Maybe I should ask for an increase in my next contract.”
“So many people are taking photos. You’ll go viral again,” grumbled Barrett.
“Damn, should’ve tagged along with you two,” was LP’s wistful thinking.
“All of those endorsements and you couldn’t get freebies?” asked Dykstra.
Roz, having finished his ice cream by then, answered, “Shane’s endorsements paid for all of these.” He was wagging his eyebrows, lips upturned. “I feel like very high-class mistress. Very ‘Pretty Woman’ of me.”
The guys guffawed. None of the stores they hit sold anything deemed affordable by the general public, and, judging from the size of some of those paper bags, the two definitely coughed up more than a few thousand in total. Or, well, Hollzy did.
“Aren’t you paid more than your husband? Why is he the one paying for all of these?”
Hollzy shrugged, rustling the paper bags in the process. “I like draping Ilya in expensive stuff.”
“Okay you know what: Fair. I just bought a couple of bracelets for Cait because I like seeing her with jewellery,” Dykstra said, nodding, as if all of that made sense.
“I can’t talk. I just got Harris an apple brooch from Tiffany.”
As the guys recounted the ways they lovingly spent money on their partners, Luca’s thoughts ran. It sure would be nice to spoil his loved ones like this. And if, in the future, he meets the love of his life, he would also want to be able to afford everything they’d want and more. Sure, money isn’t the end-all, be-all – other factors matter more in a relationship – but having plenty of it sure does help.
Luca needs to figure out quickly how to grow his money to be able to do this. He’s getting paid well by the MLH, but: one, he would want to diversify his portfolio or whatever it is Hollzy was saying the other day; and two, playing hockey isn’t forever.
The thought came back to Luca, in force, when, in July, after the craziness that is their second Stanley Cup in a row and members of the team receiving awards, including Roz getting MVP again, he saw Cap’s Instagram post. It was of Roz leaning over a bright blue sports car, arms outstretched on top of the hood as if hugging it, eyes closed, and a smile on his face. The caption said it all: thanks to my sugar daddy ♥️. Shane, now much more comfortable with being out in a supportive environment, just replied with: 🤑🤑🤑
The post went viral, of course, and Luca made a mental note to consult with Hollzy on how to get money beyond hockey.
It was worth it, Luca thought years down the line. The hard work he put in at the start of his career was worth it. Being good at hockey (which he could be less humble about now – he’s currently the Cens’ captain and a regular fixture at All-Stars) led to him being more visible outside of hockey circles and scoring endorsements, which led to more money he can put into his investments on the Hollanders’ advice. Which led to him now watching as his fiancé picked out an art piece to buy for their living room. And when his fiancé smiled brightly at one particular painting, Luca just smiled back and reached for his wallet, carefully covering the price tag as he paid for it.
DH100: Pre-requisite to SH101
Yuna was trying to distract herself from thinking too much about her sons’ meeting with Crowell. She knew it would turn out mostly fine, and if it didn’t, she had Farah and a bunch of other lawyers on her speed dial. Still, she’s a mother and couldn’t help but worry.
As she finished preparing her tea, her phone pinged with messages from Shane.
Shane: It went well.
Shane: We think.
Shane: Ilya and I are exhausted. Will talk to you and Dad tomorrow. Love you.
Shane: [Crowell meeting recording.mp3]
Yuna sent a heart emoji as a reply and started transferring the recording into a secure folder. She also made multiple copies of it and saved it to different folders and drives. Once that’s done, she pressed play.
Not even a minute into it, Yuna had to get up from her chair and pace. Fuck Crowell. The gall. The sheer audacity. Shane and Ilya turned this sport around when they got drafted. They enjoyed the renaissance that resulted from Shane and Ilya's careers. And this is how they are treated? Fuck him and fuck–
“I choose him.”
Yuna stopped so abruptly that one could almost hear a screech at the action.
Sure, she didn’t doubt that those two would choose each other above all else, but to hear it so plainly stated jolted her.
Sent her back to 1987.
In David’s parents’ house.
David came from a comfortable family. Not quite the ones who rule the world, but those who sit in board rooms and decide employees' futures. They have access to exclusive men’s and women’s clubs. David enjoyed a privileged upbringing, friends with politicians’ sons and those who went to boarding schools and people who don’t think twice about jet setting to Europe at a moment’s notice. It was expected of David to go to a prestigious school and succeed his father.
Yuna came from an immigrant background. Her parents saved and scrimped every dollar they could from the small shop they had. Her mother took on extra jobs, mainly working part-time altering clothes. Yuna had to help out after school and at weekends. She also had a paper route on weekend mornings. Her friends were the children of the other storeowners in the area and their summers consisted of going to the local public pool. She had to fight tooth and nail to get that college scholarship.
They met as college seniors in that one class they both took for extra credit. It was love at first sight, so to speak.
But not without its troubles.
Their differing experiences in life were often a point of contention – David had to learn how privileged he was, and Yuna had to learn how to ask for help. But they got through that. It turned serious enough that David wanted to introduce her to his parents.
The first time she met his parents, it was in a public place. A restaurant way out of Yuna’s price point as a student with a part-time job, with lights so dim she almost had to squint. The menu didn't even have prices on it, and it used words like line-caught, reduction, and velvety. Yuna felt as if she was plucked from Earth by aliens and put on a similar planet for an experiment.
George and Beatrice Hollander were…polite. While they asked the right questions and maintained the correct amount of socialisation, there’s an undercurrent to the way they treated her. Yuna didn’t know what it was at first. David definitely sensed something was up, too, because he excused both of them right after dessert. Yuna even caught the slight frown that his mom let slip but quickly masked.
“I’m sorry they acted weird,” David said as they left the restaurant. His eyes were troubled, as if trying to figure out something.
“David, it’s okay,” she replied, running her hands up and down. She smiled at him to show she was really okay with it. “Maybe they’re just not used to meeting any of your girlfriends?”
It was as she was lying down on her bed in her dorm room later that night that she realised it was the same attitude she’s faced from her classmates who came from a wealthy and white background. A sense of gobsmacked wonder that they couldn’t believe she – a second-generation immigrant of Asian descent, not of the same status as them – exists in the same orbit as them. A question of “Her? Really?” to an invisible entity whenever she’s paired with them in class.
Yuna’s stomach twisted. David was so sweet and tried so hard that she sometimes forgets they came from different worlds. She hadn’t prayed in a while, but that night, she sent a quick one asking for guidance and a plea that she could spend more time with him, even if it might end in heartbreak.
Thankfully, no other interaction from the Hollanders happened after that apart from a quick hello during graduation.
David and Yuna went on to work in their fields. It was as they celebrated their fifth anniversary that David proposed to her. She said yes. Even though the memory of the night she met David’s parents was as clear as day in her mind, she said yes. Even though the fervent prayer she sent that same night – to be with David as long as possible, even if it ends badly – was still being repeated every night since, she said yes.
Two days later, David brought her to the Hollanders’ house for lunch and to tell them about their engagement. Yuna had to stop herself from having a panic attack; the quiet confidence in David’s face got her to nod along. This is it, she thought. She’s going to find out today if her prayers were strong enough.
As the help cleared the plates, David caught their attention. “Mother, Father. I have asked Yuna to marry me, and she gave me the honour of saying yes.”
David was clearly expecting warm congratulations and acceptance because his face turned stoic when he was met with silence from his parents. Yuna’s knuckles were turning white from clutching the napkin on her lap as the silence went on.
George and Beatrice exchanged looks.
“This joke is not appreciated, David.” There was an edge to Beatrice’s tone.
David sucked in a breath. “I am very serious, Mother.”
“This is enough, son,” George spoke up, eyes boring holes at David. “We allowed you your time with your paramour,” (He spat the last word, and it took everything in Yuna not to flinch. They were talking as if she wasn’t in the room.) “And we can not believe that you would go so far as to marry her!”
“Father–”
“David, this is preposterous! You are not telling us that you’re bringing her into this family. And you!” Beatrice turned to her. “What wiles did you use to get our son to be like this?”
This time, Yuna couldn’t keep her shock in. This was so vicious. She has faced many types of hate in her life – being Asian, being a woman, being below middle class – but those were more of the passive type. But here, she’s being hated for being Yuna and what that could mean to the good standing of the Hollander family.
The sound of her gasp, quiet as she tried, got David to stand up. “Enough!” Her sweet, sweet David’s face was thunderous. Yuna had never seen him like this. Not even when they lost a hockey game three times in a row. Not even when he was passed over for that promotion.
George stood up, too. “You are not to talk to your mother like that, young man!”
David took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself down. His eyes still held that fire, and his voice was still on edge when he spoke again. “I apologise for raising my voice. But you will not speak to, and of, my fiancée that way.”
“Fiancée!” David’s father sputtered, turning red in anger. “You insist on bringing that woman into the family, and you may as well not be our son!”
David tensed up. Yuna could see his fists balled so tightly that the action had her worrying about him breaking his bones. She gathered her wits to look around her and was struck by the tableau. Beatrice was glaring at her, but otherwise so still. George and David were engaged in a stare-down, neither father nor son backing down.
Yuna looked down at her lap again and felt tears pool at the corner of her eyes. She can’t let this happen. David can’t lose his family like this. The prayer she kept repeating every night haunted her.
Maybe their time was up. Maybe –
“I choose her. I choose Yuna.” David looked at her stunned face and held his hand out to her. She took it.
As David practically dragged her out of that house with him, into their new life together, she sent up another plea: Let me be worth it. Let me show this man that I will always love him.
Back to the present, Yuna felt tears running down her face. The recording had stopped five minutes ago, and her tea was now cold. She had been staring into space, memories of long ago playing in her mind.
And of how proud she was of Shane.
Shane, who grew up with no siblings, but in a home as lovely as her and David can make it to be. Shane, who grew up solidly middle class and whose only obsession from a young age was hockey. Shane, who grew up with so much determination in him as instilled by Yuna. Shane, who grew up ready to take on the world for love like David did.
As Yuna wiped her tears, she couldn’t help but talk to whatever being was up there. Not to send another plea, no. But to send her gratitude.
Thank you for sending us Shane, who is so much like his father. Thank you for sending him Ilya, so he is not lonely.