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Shane woke up in his Saskatchewan hotel room all alone.He was supposed to meet his parents downstairs in the lobby to talk about his brand deals and ads,he was the 17 year old "amazing player" superstar after all. His plans were ruined when meeting up with his draft opponent,Ilya Rozanov,a rude Russian transfer player who was very competitive,decided to mess with him after their picks. God he was such an unlikable asshole.
Going back to his hotel was easy,it was a small parking lot that needed to be crossed before you realised the automatic doors opened in your face. While stepping inside the hot air in the lobby he noticed nobody was there. No staff. No players. Not even his parents who were just here 10 minutes ago. What the hell?
He stepped outside again,a cold air hitting his lungs as the parking lot was replaced by a garden full of roses and oddly arranged pavement surrounded by trimmed grass. He turned his back and saw the hotel was gone. What the fuck,was this a sick dream? He needed to wake up and get to the draft. He quickly slapped himself hard on the cheek,leaving a big,red mark that would go away in mininimum 2 weeks. This was not a dream.
Then..a tall,kinda tanned,handsome man appeared in his sight. He had medium lenght black hair,long lashes,plump lips and looked oddly simmilar to him.
"What the fuck." The man said.
Then another man appeared. He was gorgeous. Thick blonde curls that covered his forehead and muscular arms that stuck out to Shane in that moment. And that ass,my god.
Wait.
What the fuck was he thinking? He didn't like boys.
Shane was too stunned to speak,who were these men and why was he in their yard?
"I'm...i'm uhh...i'm sorry?" Shane stuttered.
"Ilya,what.the.fuck." the man said,looking at the other.
"Is that you? Like..at seventeen?" The other said.
"Let's test him." And he came closer. "What's your favourite team?"
"The uh..Montreal Metros." Shane said.
"Interesting." The blonde man said as he also came closer.
He had an accent that Shane had only heard when he spoke to Ilya Rozanov the other minute. "What about your sexual life,is it interesting too?"
"Ilya,what the fuck,get away from him." Pause. "me." another. "Whatever!" One of them said.
Ilya. He couldn't be..could he? What was this,some sort of future sighting? And why was he living with that idiot from the parking lot?
"What is this? Where am I?"
"I think you are..I have no idea actually..how old are you?" The older Shane said.
"I'm seventeen,i just got picked to play in the NHL!" Shane said,proudly.
"Uh huh,and what was last thing you did?" The blonde man said.
Shane seemed to think for a second.
"I met that asshole in the parking lot,I hope he doesn't get drafted first,I would be so dissapointed.." Shane admitted.
The blonde man laughed,like actually laughed.
"I think you will be dissapointed faster than you think,then."
"Are you two like...Shane and.." he seemed confused. "Me...and...Rozanov? From the future?" Shane accentuated the last word more than necessary.
The men looked at each other,understanding the other even from just a look.
"It's complicated,kid. Focus on your career and everything will come to you." Older Shane said.
"I don't want to spend my time with..." he put on a disgusted look "Ilya Rozanov!"
Ilya laughed again.
"What would you say to him,if he were here right now? Best hockey player at seventeen"
"Best player my ass! I would tell him he should suck a dick and that he could only dream of going to a good team,cause with an attitude like that you don't get anything in life!!" Shane got all riled up while saying it,anger flaring through him.
Older Shane stopped older Ilya from saying another word,then he said. "Be respectful,you don't hate him." Then he smiled.
He fucking smiled.
"You're not me!! I would never say that! Ilya Rozanov is an asshole who should go home and cry to his mother about his loss."
At that older Ilya got serious. Tension was all over the room.
Pause.
"Come on,he doesn't know." Older Shane whispered in his ear.
"Know what?" Shane was confused.
"Nothing. Go back,go win that draft,go to your dream team and just go with your gut." Older Shane said.
Shane took a deep breath in.
"So...are you two..what?"
"Married." Older Ilya pulled out his necklace with both his crucifix and ring on it.
Shane was stunned. "MARRIED?" silence. "What the fuck,I'm going to faint." Then he panicked.
"How old are you? Why are you gay? Do you have kids? do you fuck? Why don't you fuck girls?" Worse. "Do you eat breakfast together?"
Older Ilya rolled his eyes.
Then Shane continued. "Do you have pets? Do I play for the Metros? Do you have Stanley cups? Do you two kiss?!"
Older Shane laughed. "Shut up,my god!" pause.
"Yes we are married,yes we have a dog,the rest you'll figure out along the way."
Shane felt like he was about to faint. He had a blank expression in his eyes and his mouth was hanging open unconsciously.
His eyes went to both of their muscles.
"How often do you work out? I have a strict macrobiotic diet that my mom makes me keep and I go to the gym 3 times a day."
Older Shane was so over with all his questions,he had no idea he used to be so annoying.
So older Ilya took them.
"He works out 4 times a week,depending on the Cents' programme and timing with the games."
Wait,was he hearing right,the Cents?! As in The Ottawa Centaurs?!
"Can I see you guys' rings?" He looked up to them as they both took their necklaces off. He admired them on a table they had arranged two summers ago,when Anya wanted to have a personal low table to eat on like the educated girl she was and still is.
Some hours later they ended up on the living room couch.
Older Shane and Ilya were laying on top of each other,older Shane sitting in Ilya's lap.
Shane was in a corner all alone,thinking how was it possible for this to happen,he was straight and clearly not searching for a talk with the boy that just told him he's a loser in a Saskatchewan parking lot.
"You have really cute freckles." Older Ilya pointed out. "Embrace them,never be ashamed of them."
He realised he asked his mom to put on some tinted sunscreen before he left outside for a walk in the hotel parking lot.
But he couldn't have knew that,could he?
He touched his face,soft fingertips against his cheekbones. "Thanks?"
"Cutie pie." Older Ilya said,then started rubbing softly at Older Shane's thigh and he didn't even flinch,what the fuck was happening?!?!
Shane got flustered. "I won't uhh...I won't allow it! Only mom is allowed to call me pet names!"
Then he looked at his older self again,he looked so mature and handsome,his stubble was visible on his chin and his hair was the perfect lenght,not short,but not long. He noticed the blonde man playing with his back hairs. "So..how old are you?"
Older Shane stared a bit at him,then confessed. "I am 35. Ilya as well." He said as he gestured subtly to his husband.
Shane calculated the years in his head,how long was he going to know Ilya? 18 years? God that was going to be longest period in his life. That man was annoying as hell.
"But I don't understand.." he said as he looked at them,all touchy with each other. "You're not a...homosexual." pause. "Are you?.."
Older Ilya laughed. "Shane..did you ever touch yourself..down there?"
Shane seemed to be offended. "What the fuck?! No! I'm not gay!" But his lack of eye contact made both Older Shane and Ilya realise that was a lie.
Shane got up from the couch and started analyzing the framed pictures on their coffee table. Some seemed recent,while in others Shane looked the same age as him. He took one of the pictures in his hand and showed it to Older Shane. "What year was this?"
Older Shane seemed to look at it,even though he knew what photo it was. "Uhh..I think this is Vegas,2014."
"2014?!" Shane seemed surprised. "You look so in love and it's like 6 years away!"
Older Ilya took the matter in his own hands "what year are you from?"
"2008,I just met that asshole.." Shane seemed to think. "You..in the parking lot."
Ilya seemed to acknowledge the information,then said. "Okay." Pause. "Go home and just go with the flow." Another pause. "Whatever happens will happen."
Shane liked how that sounded. No pressure. "Okay" pause. "how do I go back home?"
The men both tried thinking of a solution.
"Where were you the moment you..came here?" Older Shane asked.
"I finished listening to Rozanov shit talking and wanted to go back to mom in the hotel." Shane responded.
Older Shane tried going back in time at the moment he was supposed to meet with Yuna inside the hotel. Then Ilya interrupted.
"You met with Yuna after talking to me?"
"Yeah,I told her you were an annoying ass." Older Shane smirked.
Then it clicked.
"Did you see a man who lost his keys in the parking lot?"
Shane was confused. He proceeded to think hard. "I think so,yeah." Pause. "He was desperate to find them."
Older Shane rushed to the kitchen,grabbed something dangly and came back.
"Take them,give them to him."
Now Ilya was confused. "What the hell? What is that?"
"Hayden's keys,he once told me during my rookie season that he needed to change his whole door and some bullshit that i don't remember and I don't want to."
Shane tries to take the keys from his hand,but his hand gets slapped.
"Not before you give me a hug." Older Shane said. "Remember you are the strongest,the smartest and the fucking best,kid! Then he hugged Shane.
Shane smiled a bit,which he didn't usually do and reciprocated the hug.
Then older Shane added something else. "And beat Rozanov's ass,everytime." Pause. "Promise me."
Both Shanes laughed together now,while Ilya was just in a corner with his hands folded against his chest.
"Don't make plans you can't change,Hollander." But then he smiled too.
Shane took the keys and he immediately found himself in the parking lot from eighteen years ago.
Ilya Rozanov was still in the same place as last time,still trying to light up his cigarette.
Shane winked challenging at him while Rozanov only smirked. Game fucking on.
Shane went inside the hotel lobby where he found both his parents sipping from coffee cups.
"Where were you,Shane?" Yuna said,pissed off. "Do you know how many people are waiting for you?"
"Chill mom,i just wanted to meet my opponent" he said as he gestured towards Rozanov.
"How is he?" Yuna asked.
"Interesting." Shane said.
Next goal was trying his best to win every game against him,as his older self told him.
Let's fucking go get it.