Chapter Text
“Hayden?”
There were a lot of ways Shane had wanted to spend their last morning together in Montreal before Ilya had to drive back to Ottawa for practice. Being woken up by his best friend banging on his front door was not one of them.
Hayden’s face was ashen as he asked, “Have you guys been online at all today? I’m guessing not…”
The story spilled out excruciatingly slowly considering how quickly Hayden was babbling. FanMail. Twitter. Brad. Kissing. Viral. Outed.
Fuck.
Shane could feel his pulse in his ears, he knew he should be panicking but he felt frozen.
There was a loaded silence where it seemed no one knew what to say next. Surprisingly it was Ilya who broke it, offering forgiveness and a very practical, “I guess it’s time to call Rose.”
Which yeah, fuck, it was absolutely time to call Rose.
It started, unsurprisingly, with a text from Shane and ended with boxed wine and a late night at the Ottawa house.
Shane:
My mom has been on my case again about needing a contingency plan now that Ilya and I are able to spend more time together in public.
She’s brought it up a lot over the years, but I have no idea what we could possibly prepare other than some useless statement with rainbows.
Rose:
I’m sure she doesn’t mean to freak you out!
And it never hurts to be prepared for the worst
As much as it sucks to think about
Shane:
I know.
It’s not rational, but it’s totally freaking me out. If we’re outed it’s going to be a mess either way. We lose our careers, Ilya could be deported, the whole world hates us. There's no PR spin that really fixes any of that, you know?
Rose:
Wait.
I have an idea.
When will you and Ilya be in Ottawa for the break?
I have an idea but I need to put my thoughts together first
Shane:
I’ll be there in 10 days, just finishing wrapping up media and team obligations now that our playoff run is over. You’re welcome to come any time, you know that.
Rose:
PERFECT.
I have a break in my schedule in 2 weeks!
Ill book a flight, leave the planning to me
Just make sure you’re stocked on boxed wine and face masks 😘
Shane:
I’m going to regret this, aren’t I?
Rose:
🥰
Rose arrived in a whirlwind of rolling suitcases and large, official-looking binders with her logo plastered all over them.
Long hugs were exchanged, Ilya and Shane carried her 5 suitcases up to her usual guest room “sorry boys! I didn’t make a pit stop home after filming wrapped for the latest music video, just came straight here!”, and once they were all settled on the couch with dinner, wine, and skincare, Rose set her two giant binders on the coffee table with a flourish.
“Okay. My Master Plan. Say no if you want to, and I fully expect you to say no at first because I know you, but I’d like for you to hear me out and ask questions first.” Rose had fully turned in her recliner so she was facing Shane and Ilya who were on the couch, legs tangled and expressions wary but open.
They exchanged a look that seemed to hold an entire silent conversation before turning back towards her and nodding.
She counted it as a first small win and took a deep breath to center herself. The plan was a little crazy, but she loved these idiots and wanted to use any resources available to help them. That she also happened to be an expert in public opinion after so many years in the spotlight was a plus.
“I’ve been toying with the idea lately of using my music for storytelling beyond my own experiences. An album that’s fresh and disconnected with my own personal dating history. I’ve been making up these characters to use, but it’s missing that spark of reality and I’d hit a wall with it.”
She checked to make sure the boys were still following. Their faces had morphed into familiar expressions of support, like they always did whenever she talked about her career.
She was so lucky to have them as best friends.
“When Shane messaged me about a back-up plan to help with PR in case you’re outed, I had this insane thought— we can use my fanbase to sway public opinion and completely overwhelm any negativity that pops up online. The NHL has about 15 million followers across platforms,
I have over 300 million. They care about money and public perception, so we force them to back you up with the sheer volume of my fans.”
Letting that sink in for a moment, Rose took a few sips of her wine and leaned back. She knew what the next question would be and who would ask it. She knew her best friend too well.
“How?” Shane had pursed his lips and his brow was furrowed, head tipped adorably towards Ilya, “I don’t doubt you, but even when we were dating, your fans didn’t pressure the league?”
Ilya ducked his head a bit, scratching lightly at his nose, “Ah, you have no idea котенок since you don’t use social media, but there was a crazy surge in ticket sales and Hollander jerseys as soon as the photos started hitting magazines.”
Ilya’s eyes flicked to Rose, and even though this was an old and well worn topic, she still shot him an apologetic look. He flicked his hand as if dismissing her apology, unneeded after all their friendship had been through over the years.
“The league social medias were a bit of a mess. Every comment section flooded with Landries, edits of you on the ice to Rose’s songs, hockey fans demanding ESPN stop showing Rose in the stands. It was a very big deal and brought in new fans to hockey. It died down quickly after the breakup, but the Landries definitely haven’t forgotten.” Ilya finished explaining to Shane, whose jaw had dropped in shock.
He shook his head slightly, “I had no idea, no one told me. Or if they did, I missed it because I was too busy trying to convince myself I wasn’t gay…”
“Is okay,” Ilya grabbed his hand, threading their fingers together. “I’m sure Yuna was well aware,” he teased lightly to cut through the tension.
A chuckle burst out of Rose, “oh my god, she totally was. My management team was in very close contact and they had their eyes on every possible outcome. I think they all breathed a sigh of relief when we had an amicable split!”
Shane dropped his face to hide against Ilya’s shoulder, letting out a playful groan, “Oh fuck that’s mortifying,” but his shoulders shook with the giggles he couldn’t fully suppress.
“Anyways! I was thinking, we use an album to tell your stories. You each help me co-write the tracks, tell your story the way it deserves to be told without being invasive, and we drop the album whenever we need to take over the public interest. We get millions of my fans to back you up and pressure the league into supporting you, and you get to spin it any way you want. Full control”
Pitch made, she wandered to the kitchen and poured herself a refill from the wine box to give them a moment in private as they processed.
Once they were alone, Ilya spoke first, running a tender thumb across Shane’s freckles, “Lyubimyj, we changed the narrative, this would give us a chance to control it too.”
Shane let out a shaky exhale. It was a lot. It was so much when they’d never shared any of their story before. The idea of the world knowing about him and Ilya was terrifying.
“Ilya, this has been our secret for a decade.”
“Yes, but if this album ever is released, then it is only because the world already knows about us. Is just a back up plan for a worst case scenario,” Ilya reasoned, his voice sounding so soft but tinged with melancholy, “but if you hate it, then of course we can think of something else.”
Shane was silent for a moment, head bent and eyes locked on their intertwined fingers before he raised his chin and gave Ilya a look of determination, “No you’re right, we should at least have something ready just in case. Rose made some really good points and we can get some more clarification on the details before we make any final decisions.”
They sealed it with a kiss, and thus the first meeting of The Tortured Players Department began.
What followed was months worth of logistics crammed into a single week of nonstop meetings and work.
Shane and Ilya would be credited as co-songwriters for the album, but would not reveal which of them wrote each song. It gave them another layer of privacy against invasive theories while still staying honest with their stories.
Shane, it turned out, had taken Choir as an elective for his Fine Art credit (no way was anyone getting him on a stage while attempting to act) and understood music theory. He could sing decently well, but never had any interest after passing the class.
Ilya had a voice that was meant to be limited to private shower performances or singing along to the radio while on the road. He was, however, raised as a good Russian son and was easily the most accomplished pianist of the group.
The three of them made for a surprisingly strong songwriting team.
Yuna got involved to help handle messaging and merch, making sure that none of Shane or Ilya’s sponsors could find them in breach of contract for anything they planned to sell. She had allowed one proud tear to fall when the boys told her about the album before jumping straight into logistics and sending out a round of ironclad NDA’s.
Rose’s management was ecstatic. They ran projections for hundreds of scenarios and drew up game plans for any possible contingency. No matter what happened, if the NHL didn’t back their play, they risked financial ruin.
If Montreal continued to ostracize Shane, Ottawa was more than happy to trade for him. If Crowell suspended them, they would launch their own line of vanity jerseys and the Landries would boycott all of the NHL’s sponsors. If Ottawa was pressured to release Ilya’s contract, Ilya had a job offer from Rose Landry Inc. that would sponsor an American visa until he could file for Canadian asylum.
As far as Plan B’s went, it was pretty foolproof.
The best part was Rose, who was so excited to tell their story and was lit from within by all the inspiration. She had promised over and over that she was doing this for them and to get her creative spark back, there was no pressure to ever release the album unless they wanted to.
Songwriting sessions with Rose felt like a form of therapy. Sometimes euphoric, sometimes heavy, but always left them feeling like a weight had been lifted.
By the end of summer, demos were being recorded and Shane and Ilya’s work was done. A full scale PR nuke was primed and ready for the day that FanMail Brad would inevitably stomp all over their house of cards.
Rose answered the phone before the first ring could even end, “Oh thank god. Are you two okay??”
She could hear a loud, long exhale come through before Shane’s voice said, “We’ve been better, I don’t think the panic’s hit quite yet.” Some rustling and a low murmur could be heard in the background, then Shane continued, “the video’s been going viral for a couple hours, and our phones are blowing up from our agents and NHL management. Is it time to implement the plan?”
It was. It was absolutely the perfect moment to drop the album and make their countermove, but, “Shane, are you sure? Both of you? Because once we do this, there’s no taking it back,” Rose cautioned.
Ilya’s voice sounded steady as he replied this time, “We are sure. Thank you, Rose.”
“Yes, thank you so much Rose. I’m sure I’ll be freaking out soon, but thank fuck we had a plan ready,” Shane sounded shell shocked and her heart ached for them. No matter how well the damage control worked, they would always have the original choice taken from them now.
“Alright, I’ll let my team know it’s time to launch. I love you guys, please call me if you need anything!”
When the line went dead, Shane sent one last text to his mom.
Shane:
We’re okay. I love you. Rose has our go ahead to drop the album, we’ll be reposting the announcement and then turning on DND. Please only call if there’s an emergency.
Yuna:
I love you both. I’m so sorry, sweetie, but it’s going to work out. I’ll handle the coordination with Rose’s team, take care of yourselves ❤️
Rose 🌹 Landry ✅ @roselandry
I am so incredibly proud to share this album and this extraordinary love story with the world. It’s been my greatest creative endeavor yet, and I owe it all to two of the best people I know.
I hope you fall in love with their love as much as I did while creating this record 🤍
@shanehollanderhockeyplayer @Rozanov81
#TheTorturedPlayersDepartment
🔁Shane Hollander ✅ @shanehollanderhockeyplayer
It was the end of a decade, but the start of an age. я тебя люблю, Ilya
🔁 BIG ROZ ✅ @Rozanov81
Who were we to fight the alchemy? Je t'aime tellement, my Shane
🔁LANDRIES4EVER @landriesforever
NO FUCKING WAY OUR QUEEN JUST DROPPED A 16 TRACK ALBUM ON A RANDOM TUESDAY??? FEATURING 2 HOCKEY PLAYERS???????
🔁eras tour tix pls @landryverse
HELLO MA’AM YOU ARE MID-TOUR, WHEN DID YOU HAVE TIME TO WRITE THIS!?!?
🔁 Rose’s Rose Toy @roselvr13
The WHIPLASH of thinking Hollandry is back together but then seeing the hockey players are actually gay !!!! QUEEN ALLY @roselandry 🌈🌈🌈
🔁 Grainy Livefeed Is Life @rosenation315
WHO are these hot men and WHY are they on an album with THEE Rose Landry? 👀
🔁 Rose’s Defence Attorney @rosedefendr
THE OPENING TRACK IS A HOLLANDRY DUET???? IS THIS REAL LIFE????
🔁 Landry Sports Center @LandrieESPN
This account has been dead since Hollandry split, but guys WE ARE SO BACK!!! Buying a Hollander and a Rozanov jersey to wear to the next Eras show 😍😍😍
🔁 Hollanov Truther @hollanovisreal
YOU GUYS DONT UNDERSTAND. THIS IS ALL OF MY SPECIAL INTERESTS ALL IN ONE ALBUM. IM ON LIVE STREAM REACTING TO THE ALBUM RN IN TEARS 😭
WYDM “A DECADE” SHANE HOLLANDER??