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BREAKING: NHL stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov both in a critical condition after car accident 

The accident occurred at 9:47 this morning on the outskirts of Ottawa. The two players were travelling together when the car they were in was hit by a drunk-driver running a red light. Hollander and Rozanov have been admitted to Ottawa General, and are both being kept in medically induced comas due to the severity of their injuries. The driver of the other car is reported to have died at the scene. 

The two hockey stars are famously rivals, and it is unknown why they were travelling together, or why Rozanov, who usually spends his summers in his home country of Russia, was in Ottawa. Are they secret friends off the ice? 

***  

“Shane. Pike is calling again,” called Ilya from the sofa. 

They’d had a lazy morning. Shane was just finishing washing up the remnants of their breakfast, but abandoned it to go grab his phone from the living room. He’d spoken to Hayden only a few days ago (and wasn’t that a phone call to remember!), so figured it must be important for him to call again so soon. 

Ilya passed him his phone once he got close enough. 

“Hayden?” he answered, swatting away Ilya, who seemed to be interested in a repeat of the last call. “Is everything okay?” 

“Shane, I’m sorry to interrupt your downtime, but is there any chance you could come to Montreal and look after the kids for a few days? Jackie had a nasty fall and is going to be in hospital for a couple of days. The kids, except for Amber, are currently with her parents, but they were meant to be heading off to Thunder Bay tomorrow, and I really don’t want to ruin their plans if we don’t have to.” 

“Slow down Hayden,” Shane said, glancing over at Ilya, who had been listening into the call. Ilya nodded. “Of course I’ll help out.” 

“Thanks, man. You’re a lifesaver.” There was a pause. “And you can bring Lily too.” 

“Umm, what are you talking about Hayden?” he said, gaze once again shifting to Ilya. 

“Don’t be coy. I’m not deaf. And just because I’m sleep deprived doesn’t mean I didn’t notice what was going on last time I called. I’m assuming that was Lily, and she’s there with you?” 

Shane widened his eyes, feeling himself flush. 

“Don’t worry. I know you’re private. I won’t even push to meet her if you don’t want, but don’t feel you have to abandon her there for me. Either way, I need to go now, the doctor has just come in. Just send me your ETA. Thanks again.” 

With that, Hayden hung up. 

“Shane, breathe. It’s just Hayden. He is your best friend. He is bad hockey player, but I don’t think it would necessarily be bad thing if he found out. If you want me to stay here, I will entertain myself, but I will also happily go with you. I would love to meet Pike’s thousand kids.” 

Shane got his breathing under control. In another situation, he would have given himself more time to freak out, but Hayden needed him right now. Jackie was only a few weeks post-partum, and Hayden would want to be by her side without interruption. But he didn’t want to abandon Ilya. They’d only just finally worked everything out, and he didn’t want to waste a second of this summer together. 

“Come with me. You can stay in the car until Jackie’s parents have left. We can deal with Hayden and Jackie later.” 

“I love you so much,” said Ilya, pulling him into a hug. “And I’m so proud of you.” 

Packing didn’t take long. They packed enough for a couple of days. If they needed more, they could pop to Shane’s Montreal apartment, or his sex condo where a few of Ilya’s clothes had been left behind over the years. 

Soon they were on the road. Maybe if a part of Shane’s brain hadn’t been preoccupied by potentially coming out to Hayden and Jackie soon, he would have been able to react sooner. But it came out of nowhere. One moment they were driving along, arguing amiably about who was the faster skater. The next, the car was rolling, turning over and over. Somewhere, someone was screaming. Maybe it was him? Maybe it was Ilya? Maybe it was both of them? He felt something dripping down his face. His whole body was pain. And then there was nothing. 

***  

David had called and texted his son, with no response. He knew he was on a silent retreat, and didn’t want disturbing, but they were out of dishwasher tablets, and it didn’t make sense to make the half an hour drive to the store if he could just pop by Shane’s to grab enough to get by until their next grocery shop. He figured Shane would forgive him. 

When he arrived, the cottage was silent. Shane’s car wasn’t in the driveway. Maybe he’d gone out? 

He let himself in and called out, just in case Shane was inside, but got no reply. He headed straight for the kitchen and grabbed the dishwasher tablets from under the sink.  

He was about to turn and leave when he noticed a piece of paper stuck to the fridge with a magnet. The first thing that drew his eye was the magnet itself. It was a Boston Raiders magnet. Then there was the piece of paper. That looked like... It couldn’t be... 

He was interrupted by a call from Yuna. 

“I need you to get back here now. Something has happened to Shane.” 

He shoved the piece of paper in his pocket before rushing back to the car, dishwasher tablets abandoned on the counter. 

Yuna was in a frenzy when he reached home. 

“My dear, what’s happened?” 

Unable to speak straight away, she just handed over her phone.  

BREAKING: NHL stars Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov both in a critical condition after car accident 

“They’re at Ottawa General. I called the hospital. They weren’t able to say much, but they’re both in the ICU. What were they doing together? Shane was meant to be on a silent retreat. He hates Rozanov.” 

The piece of paper was burning in David’s pocket, but he didn’t think it was time to bring it out right now. First, they needed to get to their boy. 

“Let’s just get to the hospital. We can ask questions once we’ve seen Shane.” 

David drove. He didn’t think Yuna would be safe to drive right now. Not that he wasn’t also terrified for their son, but he was better able to compartmentalise and focus on getting them there. 

Once they got to the hospital, they were shown to a private waiting room. After a few minutes, a doctor joined them. 

“You are the parents of Mr Hollander?” she confirmed. “Before I go over Mr Hollander’s injuries, I wanted to check if you know of anyone we should contact for Mr Rozanov, the passenger of the car? We haven’t been able to get in contact with his emergency contact yet.” 

Before Yuna could reply, David put his hand on her shoulder. 

“We are also here for Rozanov.” 

The doctor smiled sympathetically. 

“I am afraid, unless you are family, or a registered emergency contact, we can’t release any details to you.” 

“We’re family,” said David. 

“Wha...” started Yuna, but David squeezed her shoulder and subtly shook his head. 

The doctor frowned. 

“What is your relation to Mr Rozanov?” 

“We’re his in-laws.” 

There was a moment of disbelieving silence. Yuna spoke first. 

“David, what...” 

He silenced her with another look, pulling the paper out of his pocket and handing it to the doctor. 

“Here’s proof.” 

The doctor unfolded, and stared down at the paper in her hands, eyebrows raising in surprise. 

“Well in that case...” 

She handed the paper back to David and started a rundown of both the boys’ injuries. Both had received head trauma, as well as multiple lacerations from broken glass and torn metal. Shane was worse off due to the car having hit the driver’s side, as well as his recent concussion. He had a broken arm and multiple fractured ribs. They were both in medically induced comas and would remain so for a few days at least. They had both undergone surgery right after they’d been admitted, but for now they remained stable. As long as there were no surprises, they were likely to make a full recovery, but until they were conscious, they couldn’t rule out brain damage. 

“You can go visit them now. Visting hours end at 7pm. There’s a maximum of two people per bed.” 

She showed them to the ICU. Shane and Rozanov’s rooms were next to each other. They rushed to their son’s side. He looked so pale and small in the hospital bed, surrounded by machines and wires and tubes, and covered in bandages. 

“My baby,” cried Yuna, reaching down to gently cup Shane’s face. “Oh, my poor baby.” 

David reached down and squeezed his son’s hand, before sneaking out, and into the room next door. He sat down next to the bed. 

“Rozanov, or I guess I should call you Ilya now. I don’t know what exactly has happened between you and Shane, but you’re obviously important to him, and that means you’re important to us to. You’re family now, and we’re here for you.” 

He chatted away mindlessly, recounting what they’d had for dinner the previous night, an interesting article he’d read in the New Yorker, anything to fill the silence, in the hope Ilya would know he’s not alone. He was in the middle of a story about his time playing hockey for McGill when he heard the door open behind him. 

Yuna settled into the chair on the other side of the bed, but didn’t immediately speak, just stared down at the face of the person she’d believed Shane hated for so long. Eventually she cleared her throat. 

“What did you show the doctor to prove we’re family?” 

He pulled it out of his pocket and handed it over. 

“It was attached to Shane’s fridge with a Boston Raiders magnet. It’s dated yesterday.” 

He saw Yuna’s eyes widen as she realised what she was holding. 

“Is this real? You’re sure it’s not just a joke?” 

“It certainly looks and feels real. And it would explain why they were together. I guess we won’t know the full story until one of them wakes up. But until then, we will support them both.” 

***  

Shane was on cloud nine. They’d both finally admitted their love for one another. They had a plan to make their future possible. His mind went back to only a few days ago when their future had still been uncertain. Ilya had been talking about marrying Svetlana, and he’d understood why, but the thought had been so painful. He didn’t want Ilya to marry anyone but him. He wanted Ilya to marry him. It wasn’t part of their plan, but if Ilya said yes, it would help protect him, help establish his presence in Canada. They were in Ontario, so they could apply for a licence today, and get married tomorrow. They would need witnesses, but he was sure they could get a couple of city hall workers to be their witnesses. He had some boiler plate NDAs he could get them to sign just in case. But this was a silly idea wasn’t it. It was far too soon. But Shane was sure this was what he wanted. 

Ilya turned over next to him. 

“You’re too awake. Come snuggle,” he said, reaching grabby hands up towards where Shane was leaning against the headboard. “You’re thinking too much.” 

He slid down till he was horizontal, facing Ilya. 

“I’m just thinking about our plan. What if we get married?” 

Ilya blinked at him. 

“That is most un-romantic proposal ever.” 

“I know it’s too soon. But I love you. And I want to be with you forever, so why not? You were already thinking about marrying Svetlana anyway.” 

“I told you before, that was just backup plan. You don’t need to be jealous.” 

Shane reached up and stroked Ilya’s cheek. 

“Ilya Grigoryevich Rozanov, will you marry me?” 

“You’re serious? Yes. Of course, yes,” Ilya replied, tears welling up in his eyes. 

Once they’d hugged and cried and fucked about it, they headed to city hall to get their marriage licence and book their ceremony for the next day. It was worryingly easy. They were assured everything would be handled discreetly, and nothing would get out from any of the city hall employees. 

The ceremony itself was quick and efficient, but they both still cried. And then they were back at the cottage. And they were husbands. Shane didn’t think he’d ever wipe this smile from his face. 

After a long session in bed, they were lazing in each other's arms. 

“Now we’re married, I guess I should tell my parents. I could hide my secret boyfriend, but I don’t think I want to hide my husband from my parents. We should invite them to dinner later in the week.” 

“If you are sure. I would love to meet them.” 

“They’re going to love you once they get to know you. It’ll be a shock, but I love you, so they will too.” 

*** 

Hayden glanced at his phone. It was an hour past the time Shane had said he would be there, but he hadn’t heard anything. Jackie’s parents were still with the kids. He’d texted half an hour ago but hadn’t had a reply. He dialled Shane’s number. It rang for so long, he thought it was going to just go to voicemail, but eventually someone picked up. 

“Hayden, it’s Yuna.” 

“Hi Yuna. Is Shane there? He was meant to be arriving to look after the kids an hour ago. Is everything okay?” 

“I’m afraid not. Shane was in a car accident. I guess he was on his way to you when he was hit by a drunk driver. He’s in the ICU at Ottawa General. Him and Ilya.” 

He could hear Yuna’s voice wavering as she spoke. 

“Oh god, I hope he’s going to be okay. Jackie’s parents can stay with the kids. They’ll understand.” 

Then the last thing she’d said processed. 

“Him and Ilya? As in Ilya Rozanov? But I thought he was with his Boston Lily.” 

“Boston Lily?” 

“The girl he’s been texting almost as long as I’ve known his. He always meets up with her whenever we play Boston, and I was sure he was with her at his cottage, but, wait... Lily, Ilya. Fuck. It’s been Boston Ilya this whole time!” 

It suddenly occurred to him that maybe Yuna hadn’t known all this, that if he was right about his suspicions, he might have just inadvertently outed Shane to his mother. 

“I mean...” 

“That would certainly explain things,” said Yuna sounding weary. “I’m sorry to have to share the news with you. You’re very welcome to visit if you’re able. They’re expected to be here for at least a week, but it’ll be a few days before they’re awake.” 

“Jackie had a fall, which is why I asked Shane to babysit. But I’ll visit if I can. Or video call if not, when he’s up to it.” 

He didn’t want to consider the possibly that his injuries might be serious enough that he wouldn’t be up for it once, or God forbid if, he woke up. 

“We’re an unlucky pair aren’t we. Give Jackie my love. And I’ll keep you up to date on how Shane’s doing.” 

“Thank you.” 

“Right, I’d better get back to my son and son-in-law. Thanks for calling.” 

With that Yuna hung up, and Hayden was left there, mouth hanging open. What had she meant by son-in-law? Surely, she hadn’t meant it literally? There was no way Shane was actually married to Rozanov, was there? 

***  

When Cliff saw the news, his first emotions were shock, then worry, then confusion. Why was Roz even in Canada, let alone in a car with Hollander, rather than in Russia like usual? He’d called up the hospital, hoping to get any news, but they hadn’t been able to tell him anything. The only thing they’d told him, was that he wasn’t alone. He had family with him, and he could contact them to get any updates. 

He was happy Roz had family with him. He’d been worried he’d be there all alone. He wasn’t sure Roz had much family left these days. He thinks he has a brother, though they don’t seem to get on very well, and he would be in Russia anyway. Maybe Svetlana? 

Just as he’s pondering this, Svetlana’s name appears on his phone. He picks up after only one ring. 

“Svetlana? Are you with him? How’s he doing?” 

“I’m not with him. I’m in Russia. I can’t get a flight back for another two days. They called me, as his emergency contact, but couldn’t say much over the phone. Is there any chance you could go up to Ottawa and visit? I don’t want him to be alone before I get there.” 

“I called the hospital, and they said he had family with him. I thought that might be you?” 

“No... And it’s definitely not his brother. He wouldn’t fly out, even for this. I wonder... I did not know for certain, but maybe this confirms things... You know about Jane?” 

“His Montreal girl? You think she’s with him, that’s who the hospital meant?” 

“I think his Jane is in the hospital with him, yes.” 

Well, if Cliff couldn’t get an update without travelling to Canada, and as a bonus, he might finally get to meet the mysterious Montreal girl, he wasn’t going to pass up this opportunity. It was almost enough to make him forget his worry about what a bad shape Roz might be in when he got there. 

“I will get the first flight I can, and I’ll update you when I’ve seen him. There isn’t much in the news other than it being serious, so I’ll let you know how he’s doing.” 

“Thank you. You’re the best. And Jane too. Let me know how Jane’s doing.” 

For a moment, he wasn’t quite sure whether she’d said Jane or Shane. It could have been either. 

“I will. Speak soon.” 

Within half an hour he was in the back of an Uber on the way to the airport. Four hours later, his plane was touching down in Canada. Five hours later he was pushing open the door of Roz’s hospital room. 

At first, all he saw was his friend, so still and small and vulnerable on the hospital bed, half concealed by tubes and wires and bandages. The he noticed the vaguely familiar woman in the seat next to the bed. He cleared his throat and held out his hand. 

“Cliff Marlow. I’m a teammate of Roz’s.” 

She took his hand in a firm handshake. 

“Yuna Hollander.” 

So that was why she looked familiar. She must be here for her son. 

“The hospital told me Roz had family with him. Do you know where they are? His best friend Svetlana is stuck in Russia, and I want to be able to update her on everything.” 

“I can call the doctor and get them to give you a rundown of his injuries.” 

He frowned. 

“I already asked, but they said they needed permission from his family before sharing anything. Svetlana and I thought maybe Jane was here, and that’s who the hospital was talking about?” 

“Jane?” 

“Yeah. Roz’s girl in Montreal.” 

Mrs Hollander suddenly burst out laughing. 

“Jane. Lily and Jane. I bet they thought they were so sneaky.” 

Cliff just stared in bewilderment. He worried she was having a mental breakdown. 

There was a knock in the door. There stood a man Cliff was guessing was Hollander’s father. 

“Yuna? Are you okay?” 

Cliff stepped back to let the man get to his wife. 

Mrs Hollander took a few deep breaths to steady herself. 

“I’m fine. It’s just... First Lily, now Jane.” 

“Ah.” Mr Hollander nodded his head in understanding. 

Cliff was still completely lost. 

“What’s going on here?” 

“Sorry. We’re... Jane’s family.” 

“Roz is dating Hollander’s sister?” 

Mrs Hollander hummed, seemingly in assent. 

“Let's find the doctor to update you.” 

They left him alone with Roz while they hunted down the doctor. Something still wasn’t quite right with this picture. Cliff had been sure Hollander was an only child, and when he pulled up Wikipedia on his phone, that confirmed it. Maybe she was a cousin? But why hadn’t Mrs Hollander just said that. His mind flicked back to that moment at the end of his call with Svetlana. That moment of bad audio warping a ‘J’ to almost sound like a ‘Sh’. But that would be ridiculous right. There was no way. But at the same time, it would explain so much. 

“Fucking hell Rozy. You don’t do things halfway do you. I’m going to need to hear all about this when you’re awake.” 

***  

The next few days passed so slowly, and so quickly all at once. During visitor’s hours, Yuna barely left the bedside of one of her boys. And yes, she was already thinking of Ilya as her boy. She barely knew him, and had looked down on him for so long, but he was special to Shane, and seeing him in such a vulnerable state, no other family there for him, made her heart bleed. At least he had Cliff (who she was pretty sure had worked out their secret by now, or at least part of it), who was staying nearby, and visited every day. And his friend Svetlana was due to fly in the next morning, just in time for Ilya to be brought off sedation. They were planning to keep Shane under for another day at least, but once they were both awake, and were able to be moved from the ICU to a normal ward, she had already arranged that they would get a double room. She wasn’t going to let them be separated longer than necessary. And she was going to be there by Ilya’s side as long as he wanted. 

The chatter online about the accident was still mostly just concern and well wishes. There was also a fair amount of speculation what the two of them had been doing in a car together, but thankfully, most people were settling on the secret friends idea. Only a small corner of the internet was close to the truth. But she was already making contingencies. It only took one person at the hospital leaking something, and she didn’t want it getting out before her boys were ready. 

Shane’s phone had been constantly buzzing with messages from friends and teammates. The screen was badly cracked, and almost unusable, but she’d at least managed to answer it when Hayden had called. She’d also answered a call from Rose Landry the day before. The actress was in the middle of filming in LA, but promised she’d head up as soon as she had a free couple of days. Yuna didn’t know much about her son’s relationship with Rose. It had come out of nowhere. Shane hadn’t even told them himself. They’d found out from an article online. And then just as quickly, it had been over. When they’d spoken about it, Shane had always seemed kind of shifty. Had she been his beard? Or maybe her son was bisexual, and it just hadn’t worked out? 

Ilya’s phone on the other hand was beyond repair. Before Cliff Marlow had turned up, she’d been worried about trying to get in contact with his friends and family. The hospital had assured them they’d been in contact with his emergency contact, but she was in Russia, and unable to get there for a few days. She'd since learned that Ilya had no family left, just an estranged brother, and that made her more determined to welcome him with open arms. 

She had managed to contact Ilya’s agent and keep him updated, but she didn’t like the man. He was a gruff Russian man, who didn’t really seem to care beyond wanting to know when Ilya would be back on the ice. She was already putting out feelers to Shane’s agent and a couple of others to see whether they’d be open to a new client. She was vaguely aware of the LGBT+ situation in Russia, and wasn’t convinced the guy would be willing to keep Ilya on if their secret came out. 

And that was a whole ‘nother thing wasn’t it. Russia. Assuming this was all real, the marriage certificate was real, it wouldn’t be safe for Ilya to go back to his home country if this got out. He had one year of his contract left in Boston, but maybe after that he could move to a Canadian team. Maybe even sooner depending on how his recovery went and whether his team would release him early. Shane could sponsor him to get permanent residency, and eventually citizenship. She’d even been looking into the process to claim asylum in Canada, just in case. She would have to talk to them both once they were well enough. 

***  

Beep. Beep. Beep. 

What was that incessant beeping? It didn’t sound like his or Shane’s alarms. It was far too regular, though as he listened, it seemed to speed up slightly. He tried to reach out in the direction of the noise, but nothing happened. He tried to open his eyes, but again, nothing happened. He started to panic, his breathing coming out harshly, the beeping increasing in frequency alongside his panic. 

“Hey, Ilyusha, calm down. You’re good. You’ve been in a coma for two days. Let your body come out of it at its own pace.” 

Sveta. That was reassuring. He let his body pull him under again. 

The next time he regained consciousness, it hit him all at once. His eyes flew open. 

He was lying in a hospital bed. On one side he saw Sveta. On the other side Marly. 

“What happened? Where?” 

His throat felt so dry his voice came out as a barely audible rasp. Sveta helped him to take a small sip of water before answering. 

“You’re in Ottawa General, in the ICU. You and Shane were in a crash.” 

Oh God. Shane! 

“Don’t panic Ilyusha. He’s right next door. He’s still unconscious, but they’re just being cautious because of his previous injury. They should be waking him tomorrow. If you’re doing well, they might even let you see him before they move you to the regular ward.” 

He felt slightly less panicked. Then he remembered Marly was there too. He knew Sveta had suspected about him and Shane for a while. Did Marly know now too? He glanced over at his friend, but only saw happiness and relief in his expression. 

“Man, I never thought I’d see the day when you settled down, but doing it by tying down the hottest man in the NHL, that is some game!” 

Okay, so that answered that question. 

There was a knock at the door. 

“Ilya, you’re awake!” said Yuna Hollander. She turned and spoke to the other two in the room. “Hayden has just arrived and I’ve left him with Shane. Do you mind if David and I take a turn with Ilya?” 

Sveta and Marley said their goodbyes, saying they would head to the cafeteria for something to eat. As soon as they were gone Yuna Hollander made her way into the room followed by her husband. 

“Ilya, dear, how are you feeling?” 

How was he feeling? He hadn’t yet catalogued his body. His brain felt kind of fuzzy, which he guessed was mostly pain medication. He didn’t really feel his limbs properly. He felt kind of floaty. But at least nothing seemed to be missing. 

“Feel...” 

He was broken off by a coughing fit due to his dry throat. The coughing definitely didn’t help. He felt his body protest at the sudden movement. Yuna helped him to drink a little more water before he continued. 

“Feel kind of high,” he finally managed. 

She chuckled. He took that as a good sign. If she was able to laugh, her son couldn’t be in too bad shape. 

She gave him a quick rundown of his injuries. He didn’t understand everything. But the highlights were nothing was broken, but he had a moderate concussion and multiple cuts. The worst being a jagged cut on his right leg, which had bled enough for him to require a transfusion, and a couple of cuts on his right cheek that were likely to scar. 

“Shane?” he asked. 

Yuna hesitated before explaining Shane’s injuries. 

“The car was hit on the driver's side, so he was worse off.” 

Yuna explained the broken arm and ribs, as well as the additional worry due to his recent concussion. 

“All the scans so far have come back clear, so we’re hopeful there won’t be any lasting damage, but we won’t know for sure until he wakes up.” 

Yuna finished explaining, then reached out and clasped Ilya’s hand. 

“I’m not going to say I’m not incredibly curious how you ended up here, but now isn’t the time for questions. That can wait till you’re both in a state to answer them. But I just wanted to say, you’re family now, so we’re here for you. Whatever you need.” 

“How?” 

David chuckled at the memory. The man hadn’t spoken, and Ilya had almost forgotten he was there. 

“Right before we heard the news, I popped over to Shane’s cottage to borrow some dishwasher tablets. I saw your marriage certificate on the fridge. Then we heard about the accident. I didn’t know what to do and just shoved it in my pocket. Which was useful because I had to show the doctor to prove you were family so they would give us updates on your condition. I didn’t even show Yuna until after we were settled. I’m assuming it’s real?” 

“Yes,” Ilya croaked. “No rings yet, but very real.” 

“Well then, welcome to the family, son.” 

David leaned over and gently clasped him on the shoulder. Ilya could feel happy tears welling up in his eyes. Maybe everything was going to be okay. 

***  

Hayden stared down at the unmoving form of his best friend. As soon as Jackie had been well enough, he’d rushed to Ottawa. Her parents had cancelled their trip in the end, so they were able to look after Jackie too, and Hayden had needed to see Shane. 

There was a part of him that blamed himself for the accident. If he hadn’t asked Shane to babysit for him, Shane wouldn’t have been driving, he would have been safe, curled up in his love nest with his secret boyfriend (fiancé? husband?). Instead, they were both in the ICU. 

He’d heard that Rozanov had properly woken up not long before, but Shane was still being kept under. Would Rozanov ever forgive him? Would Shane’s parents ever be able to look at him the same way, knowing he was the reason their son was injured? 

He couldn’t stop the tears spilling down his face. 

“He’ll be okay,” came a gruff voice from behind him. 

He started, quickly wiping at his face. He turned to see Cliff Marlow coming towards him. He settled himself in the chair opposite. 

“Did you know about...” he trailed off gesturing between Shane in the bed and the room next door. 

Hayden shook his head. 

“He had a girl in Boston called Lily, but I didn’t know...” 

“Roz had a girl in Montreal called Jane. Never seen him smile at his phone as much as when he was texting her, but he always denied it. I guess that makes sense now. Who would have thought?” 

Marlow chuckled to himself. 

“This is all my fault. They were driving to Montreal to babysit for me. I should...” 

“Stop that!” interrupted Marlow. “You can’t think like that. It could have happened for any reason. You weren’t the one driving the car that hit them, so it’s not your fault.” 

“But...” 

“No. If I have to drag you next door to get Roz to tell you that himself, I will. It was an accident. You’re not going to help anyone by blaming yourself.” 

“It’s not just that. Because of the accident, they’ve been outed against their will. So far it’s only family and friends, but what if it leaks further. Enough people are questioning what they were doing together in the first place.” 

“Whatever happens. We’ll be there for them. They won’t be going through this alone any longer. I know you probably don’t think much of Roz, but I can assure that under all his brashness and insults he’s really just a puppy once you get to know him.” 

Hayden wasn’t quite sure he believed that, but he owed it to Shane to give him the benefit of the doubt. 

“If you’re staying in town tonight, feel free to join Svetlana, that’s Roz’s childhood friend, and me for dinner. We can exchange Jane and Lily stories.” 

They exchanged numbers, and then Marlow was heading out. Hayden sat lost in his own thoughts for what felt like hours before Shane’s parents came to take over from him. 

“I’m sure Ilya wouldn’t mind the company if you didn’t want to leave just yet,” said Yuna as she took her seat at Shane’s bedside. “You two should get to know each other better. I’m sure it would make Shane happy if you were friends.” 

And wasn’t that right. Shane was like a brother to him. If this thing between him and Rozanov was as serious as it sounded, the guy was practically his brother-in-law now. Maybe the other guy being high on pain meds would take the edge off. 

He shuffled next door, knocking to announce his presence. 

“Pike! I feel so lucky. Montreal’s 15th best player is coming to visit me in hospital!” 

Or maybe it wouldn’t. 

“Rozanov,” he acknowledged, standing awkwardly just inside the door. 

“No. Call me Ilya. We’re brothers now.” 

“Then call me Hayden, not Pike.” 

“Fine, Hayden. Now sit down. You’re hovering.” 

Hayden moved to sit down. 

“When you say brothers...” 

Ilya broke out in what could only be described as a feral grin. 

“Brother-in-law. Shane and I are married. Surprise!” 

“When did this happen?” 

“Few days ago. Not quite sure on time right now. Day before accident.” 

“Shane was dating Rose Landry only a couple of months ago. How did this happen?” 

Ilya grimaced. 

“Was Shane’s last panicked attempt at a woman. But we’ve been something for 7 years now. Is not as out of the blue as might seem.” 

“Ah, yes. Lily...” 

“Yes, that’s me,” replied Ilya with a grin. “You know, I’ve known Shane longer than you have. We got together for the first time before he even met you!” 

“When could you have even? I assumed it was just hooking up after games, but if it was before...” 

“We first met 2008 World Juniors. Shane introduced himself, told me off for smoking, shook my hand twice. I could not look away from his beautiful freckles. Then after draft, there is moment in hotel gym, but nothing happened. Then we do joint photoshoot for CCM, and let's just say someone got a little too excited to be sharing a shower with me, and things happened from there.” 

Hayden did not want that image in his head, so he quickly moved on. 

“So what, you just hooked up after games for 7 years? I know you slept with plenty of women it that time too. How did you go from that to marriage?” 

Ilya sighed. 

“Truthfully has been building for long time even if we’ve been denying. Neither thought it was possible to be together, so we just skirted around feelings. Then I invite Shane to stay the night, make him tuna melt, call him by first name, and he freaks out and runs into Rose Landry’s arms. Luckily, she is clever. She breaks up with him and tells him he’s gay. We get back together at All Stars, finally admit it is something more, but still deny ourselves. Then my father dies, and Shane gets injured. I never told him, but I almost tried to end things for good that day. If Marlow hadn’t hit him, I probably would have. Then Scott Hunter kisses smoothie maker on live TV, and suddenly everything doesn’t seem quite so impossible. So I go to Shane’s cottage. We finally get to share more than a few hours together. We confess our love to each other. And Shane wakes me up in night with plan for how we can be together. Then wakes me up again with proposal. So we get married next day. Then some idiot drives through red light when we were just trying to help friend, and we’re here. Simple.” 

Hayden doesn’t think he’s ever heard Ilya talk for so long, let alone with such a dopey smile on his face. 

“So you were engaged for a single day?” 

“How long were you with Jackie before you got married?” Ilya countered. “Shane and I have been together a lot longer than that.” 

“Touché. But still, what was the rush?” 

Ilya shrugged. 

“Why wait? Plus, is good for me. If this gets out, Russia will not be happy. I will probably never be able to safely go back there. But I still have Russian passport. This adds protection.” 

He suddenly looked much more serious. 

“I will always be proud of my Russian blood. But I do not want to belong to a country that doesn’t deserve me. Only thing left for me back home is my mother’s grave. But I carry her with me, so can live without.” 

He reached up to his neck where his iconic gold necklace usually sat. When his hand came up empty, he panicked. 

“Mama’s necklace, where is it?” 

“They probably had to remove it when you were in surgery. I’m sure it’s in with your belongings somewhere.” 

Hayden laid a calming hand on Ilya’s shoulder.  

“I’ll look for you. Don’t worry.” 

He went to the cubby in the corner of the room. Sure enough, there was a bag containing the remnants of the clothes he had been wearing during the crash. And among them was a smaller clear bag containing a few smaller items including a set of keys, a dead phone, and a golden necklace. Luckily the necklace seemed mostly unharmed other than a few small scratches. 

“Here it is,” he said, holding it out for inspection. “Do you want me to put it on you?” 

Ilya thought for a moment, then shook his head. 

“Can you put it on Shane? He needs it more than me right now. I will get it back when he is awake.” 

“Of course.” 

After that he chatted away with Ilya about anything. They discussed his kids, they discussed how Jackie was doing, they discussed Canadian vs Boston vs Russian weather. Once he got over the Rozanov of it, he found he actually quite liked talking to the man. Sure, he was ruthless with his chirps, but he was never truly mean. And he’d seen over the day just how much he cared for Shane, so he couldn’t all be bad. 

Eventually it was time for him to head out and meet Marlow and Svetlana for dinner. On his way out he snuck back onto Shane’s room, and slipped the necklace round his friends neck. 

“I think you’ve got a keeper. Good on you.” 

***  

“Roz would straight up blush at his phone when Jane texted.” 

“Shane would act super shifty about Lily's texts. Even when he headed out to meet up, he would still try and deny it.” 

“One time I caught Roz watching that documentary Shane did about his cottage. I started commenting about how hot he was, and Roz tried to brush it off, but he was so obvious. I wouldn’t have put it past him to have got off to that yoga section at least once.” 

They all laughed, and Svetlana smiled to herself, happy she’d organised this. 

They were interrupted by a new figure at the table. 

“Is this the Hollanov support group?” 

“Hollanov?” Hayden questioned, looking up into the face of Rose Landry herself. 

“It’s the ship name for Ilya and Shane,” Svetlana explained before shifting to make space for Rose. 

“I hope you don’t mind; I invited Rose to join us when Yuna let me know she’d be getting in tonight.” 

“Of course not. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Cliff Marlow,” Cliff said, holding out his hand. 

“Oh, I know. I’m a big hockey fan. Not just because of Shane. Speaking of Shane, how are the first boyfriends of hockey doing?” 

“Husbands,” corrected Hayden. “They got married the day before the accident.” 

“I still can’t believe Ilya got married and didn’t invite me,” complained Svetlana. 

“They didn’t invite anyone,” added Cliff. “Shane’s parents only happened to find out because his dad found the marriage certificate at his house.” 

“I’ll bet that was a shock,” replied Rose. 

“They woke Ilya up today. He’s doing pretty well all things considered, though he’s been high on painkillers all day. They’re planning to take Shane off sedation tomorrow if everything goes to well. Hopefully you’ll be able to talk to him tomorrow afternoon.” 

The evening went well, but before too long they were all ready to head back to their hotels and collapse. Tomorrow was going to be another tough day. They’d been lucky that Ilya had woken okay. She hoped it wasn’t too much to ask for the same for Shane. 

***  

Centaurs 4 life @centaurstomp78 

So I was at a restaurant last night, and you’ll never guess who was in the booth next to me. Rose Landry, Cliff Marlow, Hayden Pike, and some chick who I think is a friend of Rozanov’s. 1/ 

Centaurs 4 life @centaurstomp78 

I guess they’re all here to check in on Rozanov and Hollander in the hospital. And I know there’s been a lot of chatter about why they were together in that car, but I think I have the answer, and boy is it juicy. 2/ 

Centaurs 4 life @centaurstomp78 

They were trying to be private, and I didn’t want to snoop too obviously, so I didn’t hear everything, but I definitely heard the words “Hollanov”, “husbands” and “marriage” in there. 3/ 

Centaurs 4 life @centaurstomp78 

I mean, maybe it was all a joke, but if it’s not, this is huge! 4/4 

Jarrod @j-dog-4 

@centaurstomp78 You’re being delusional. Proof or it didn’t happen. 

Danny @danielle75402 

@centaurstomp78 I doubt any of them even know what Hollanov is. At least try better if you’re going to make something up. 

Hockey Girl 69 @centaursgirlie69 

@centaurstomp78 You might be onto something. I swear I saw the two of them outside Ottawa town hall the day before the accident. I couldn’t be sure because they were in baseball caps and sunglasses hiding their faces.

[Attached: Blurry image of Shane and Ilya leaving Ottawa town hall. They’re very close to each other. Their faces are hidden, but their wide grins can be seen.] 

***  

Shane’s awareness came back in parts. First his smell came back. He recognised the clean chemical smell of a hospital. Then came his hearing. The beep of a heart rate monitor, the murmur of nearby voices. Then sensation. The feel of scratchy hospital sheets, the feel of a cannula in his hand and a tube under his nose, the weight of a necklace around his neck. Wait... 

His eyes snapped open and his hand flew to his throat. 

“Ilya,” he croaked out. 

That was Ilya’s mom’s necklace around his throat. Ilya would never part with it unless... 

The memory of the accident slammed into him. Tumbling over and over, unable to do anything but take it. What if... 

“Calm down. Deep breaths. In. Hold. Out. Ilya is okay. He’s next door. He woke up yesterday. He wanted you to have his necklace so he was with you until he can see you.” 

As his mother reassured him, he slowly managed to get himself under control. 

“Don’t strain yourself. Just relax. You’ve been in a coma for five days since the accident. Hayden and Rose are both here to see you, but we’re only allowed two at a time, so we’ll have to take our turns...” 

“Hayden,” interrupted Shane. “How is Jackie? What about the kids? We were meant to look after them.” 

“They’re all fine. Jackie is well on the way to recovery. She’s back with her parents who stayed to help with the kids.” 

Shane nodded. 

“And they’re hoping to move Ilya out of the ICU to the normal ward today, so they might be able to bring him in to see you before they take him to the new room. Hopefully you’ll be able to join him tomorrow. And then you can both come back with us when you’re discharged.” 

“You know about Ilya? What do you know? Does everyone know? How did we let this happen?” 

Shane was pretty sure he was hyperventilating, but he couldn’t seem to prevent it. His parents knew. Hayden and Rose probably knew. Did the rest of the world know too? He was sure their accident would have made headlines. He was sure there would have been speculation about why they were together. Had anyone worked out the truth? Was Ilya safe? Would they ever play hockey again, or would they be shunned? 

He felt his vision start to go spotty from lack of oxygen and tried to focus on his mom’s voice counting breaths. Eventually they evened out. 

“Good. You’re all good. We all love you. I’m sorry you never felt able to tell us yourself, but we’d never think any less of you for it. I’ve only known Ilya for a day, and he’s been high on pain meds for most of it, but I can already tell why you would love him.” 

“I’m sorry, mom. I want you to know I tried hard not to be...” He couldn’t even say the word out loud. “But I...” 

“Oh honey, no. There’s nothing wrong with you. You have nothing to apologise for. I’m not going to say it’s not going to be hard. The NHL isn’t exactly the most open-minded of organisations. But at least you know it’s not just the two of you now. Now you have Scott Hunter too.” 

Shane felt his vision starting to blur with tears. 

“It’s thanks to Hunter that Ilya and I finally started thinking we could actually be together somehow. Before Hunter, we just hooked up and tried to ignore our growing feelings. If it weren’t for Hunter, we would still be deep in denial. He would have stayed in Boston, or gone back to Russia. We wouldn’t have had this time together at the cottage. We wouldn’t have finally admitted our love to each other. We wouldn’t have gotten married.” 

His eyes widened at what he’d just admitted. They probably didn’t know that last part. Unless Ilya had told them when he’d woken up. 

His mom chuckled. 

“Don’t worry. We already know you’re married. It was very lucky too. Otherwise, the hospital wouldn’t have been allowed to update us on Ilya’s condition until Svetlana arrived from Russia.” 

“Svetlana’s here too? Wait, when did you find out? How? If you knew before Ilya woke up, he couldn’t have told you...” 

“It’s a funny story, but for now let’s just say, if you want to keep something secret, best not to leave it stuck on your fridge where someone popping round to grab some spare dishwasher tablets might find it.” 

“You didn’t...” he said, horrified at the thought of his mom stumbling across that out of the blue. 

“It was actually your dad. Which is probably a good thing. You know me. He didn’t even show me until we were in the hospital.” 

“You know, son, we used to joke you would marry hockey if you could. I guess we were right after all!” added his dad from where he’d been sitting silently on the other side of the bed. 

After his parents had joked a bit more, his mom had done a rundown of both his and Ilya’s injuries. When he’d asked after the driver who’d hit them, his mom had just given him a sad smile and moved on. And then his parents had switched out with Hayden and Rose, and there had been more tearful reunions. 

“I’m just so glad you’re okay. I think if you’d woken up with brain damage, I would never have forgiven myself,” admitted Hayden. 

“None of this is your fault, Hayd.” 

“I know, I know. Marlow has already told me that enough times.” 

“Marlow?” 

“Yeah, Cliff Marlow. He came to visit Ilya.” 

Shane brought his good arm up to his face. 

“Is there anyone who doesn’t know now?” 

“Well, most of the world doesn’t know. There is at least one blurry photo of the two of you outside City Hall on Twitter. But it’s blurry enough that it can’t be proven it’s you, and no-one's really taking it seriously. People are just confused about what you were doing together. Leading theories are secret friendship or one of you lost a bet.” 

“People are stupid,” added Rose. “To most people the idea of Canadian golden boy Shane Hollander being in a relationship with the Russian Sex Machine Ilya Rozanov seems completely farfetched. Since I got spotted visiting, more people believe we secretly got back together.” 

Once he’d been reassured that they weren’t imminently at risk of being outed, he asked after Jackie and the kids, and chatted about the movie Rose was filming. 

Then Marlow took over. 

“Hollzy! Good to see you awake. Roz’ll be happy to see you. They’re just getting him set up in a chair to wheel him to his new room, but they’re going to bring him in here for ten minutes first. Gotta say I didn’t think you had it in you to tie down the playboy of the league.” 

“Oh, he’s definitely had it in him.” 

Shane’s attention snapped to the doorway. There was Ilya, being pushed in a wheelchair by who he assumed must be Svetlana. 

“Illyyaaa!” 

“Solnyshko!” 

Svetlana wheeled him next to the bed, and he reached out to grab Shane’s right hand. He pulled it towards him and placed a loud kiss on it. 

“If Svetlana hadn’t threatened to key my Lamborghini if I so much as think of trying to stand up, I would be climbing into that bed with you and never letting you go again.” 

“Aww, Roz. I would never have pegged you as such a romantic,” teased Marlow. 

But Shane barely heard him. All his focus was on Ilya, scanning him up and down cataloguing all the visible injuries. The hospital grown left the nasty scar on his leg visible. It looked angry and painful. And his right cheek was marred by small red gashes. But he was in one piece, and beautiful as ever. 

“They’re so cute together,” Svetlana murmured to Marlow. “Maybe we should leave them to it.” 

“How are you feeling, dorogoy?” 

“Much better now you’re here.” 

***  

The next day, Shane was deemed well enough to be moved out of the ICU. Yuna helped him get settled in his new joint room with Ilya, then left them to have some alone time while her and David grabbed lunch in the hospital cafeteria. 

Hayden and Rose had both had to head home, and Svetlana was due to fly back to Russia early the next morning, but Marlow was planning to stay around to help out as long as was useful. David had already set up Shane’s old bedroom and the guest bedroom to host the three of them. 

When they returned from lunch, she wasn’t entirely surprised to find Ilya had abandoned his own bed and was snuggled up next to Shane. Both were fast asleep. 

“They were like this when I got here,” said Svetlana, looking up from her phone on their arrival. “I’ve never seen Ilyusha look so peaceful.” 

She just hoped that peace would last. The continued silence from the boys about the accident was causing increased speculation online. She really needed to talk to them about releasing a statement. But she wanted to at least wait until they were settled back home before putting that on them. 

She already had contingency after contingency planned and had set some of them in motion. She’d raised the situation with Ilya’s agent with him, and he’d been quick to agree it might be wise to find a new agent. She’d already spoken to Farah, Shane’s agent, and there was a freshly prepared contract, just awaiting a signature. With the boys’ permission, Farah had been brought up to date with the full situation, and even without the signed contract, she was already putting out feelers to Boston and Ottawa. With the full extent of their injuries still not released, it seemed Boston might be more likely to release him early if requested. While a part of Yuna was disappointed in Ilya’s willingness to abandon the team that drafted him, she reminded herself that this was bigger than hockey, and this was about loyalty to her son over a team. 

Ilya was given the all clear to be discharged that afternoon, but he had insisted that he was staying with Shane until they were both cleared. Svetlana had said her goodbyes once visitor hours ended, making Ilya and Yuna both promise to keep her updated. And then Yuna and David were headed home too. The next morning, they would do some last-minute grocery shopping to make sure everything was stocked ready for their sons’ arrival. With any luck by this time tomorrow, the five of them would all be settled back in their home. 

***  

As much as he would miss his teammates, he would miss Shane more if he stayed in Boston. After some long hard conversations with Yuna, Shane, Farah, and Marlow, they’d agreed that trying to transfer to Ottawa was what he wanted. It would mean he was only a two-hour drive from Shane, and he would be able to apply for permanent residency in Canada, and eventually, with enough time, citizenship. 

Due to their various injuries, mainly the head trauma, neither one of them would be getting back on the ice by the start of the season. Farah was using this to put pressure on Boston to release him from his contract a year early, and it looked like it would work. Now they were arranged around the dining room table, with Farah joining via video call, ready to discuss the latest updates. 

“So, it’s good news. Boston have agreed to let you go with only a small penalty to compensate them. I assume given the situation you'd be happy to pay such a penalty. Honestly, it’s less than I expected. And a draft contract with Ottawa is ready for you to review. If all is good, you could be signing it tomorrow.” 

“That’s great news,” said Yuna. 

“Yes, it is. We’ll only be two hours away.” 

“What if we weren’t?” asked Shane frowning slightly 

“Huh?” 

“I’ve been talking to Hayden.” 

“So that’s what you were doing when you disappeared.” 

“I think this accident has really put things in perspective for me. Hockey was always the most important thing to me. I always thought I would retire with Montreal. But you’re more important to me than hockey. I don’t want to spend any more time apart than I must. Plus, I’m pretty sure Montreal wouldn’t accept me if I came out. Hayden agrees. I think JJ would eventually, but everyone else is always throwing about homophobic chirps, and they refuse to do pride nights even for show, saying it’s a distraction. With my broken arm and ribs, I’ll be out for longer than Ilya, so do you think there’s any way I could go to Ottawa too? I’m willing to take whatever pay cut necessary. I think my husband will make enough to support me.” 

Ilya stared at him open mouthed, as if he couldn’t quite believe this was happening. 

“Moy lyubimyy. You would leave Montreal for me?” 

“You’re leaving Boston for me. It’s only fair.” 

“Yes, but I don’t love hockey the same as you.” 

“I love you more than hockey. I would choose you over hockey every time. This accident taught me that.” 

Farah cleared her throat. 

“Well, it’s a good thing that I put out feelers to Montreal too, just in case. You’ve still got a few more years on your contract, but if you waived your no trade clause, it’s probable that we’d be able to work something out with Ottawa, as long as we do it before Ilya’s signing is announced.” 

“Do it. Whatever you need. I want to be with Ilya.” 

Before he even realised he was moving, he’d lunged forwards and had Shane wrapped tightly in his arms, tears rolling down his cheeks. 

“Ya tak tebya lyublyu. What have I done to deserve you?” 

“I love you too. And I don’t want to hide you. Once you have your PR card, I want to come out. I want everyone to know how much I love you.” 

The tears came even faster. 

“Yes. Anything.” 

***  

Within a week, they were both officially Centaurs, though the announcement wouldn’t be made until the beginning of the pre-season. 

Two months later, it was time for their transfers to be announced, and they decided they didn’t want to wait any longer. Ilya’s PR application was in progress, and they had a whole team of Centaurs immigration lawyers working on it. It would be another 10 months before it got approved, and they had decided they couldn’t wait that long. They felt secure in their position with the Centaurs, and their lawyers already had a backup plan in case Ilya needed to apply for refugee status before he got his PR. So, they were going to do it.  

***  

Ottawa Centaurs ✅ @ottawacentaurs 

We are pleased to announce the signing of both Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. Both will remain on IR for the beginning of the season, but we look forward to seeing what they can do as Centaurs once they are fully recovered. 

Boston Raiders ✅ @bostonraidersofficial 

We thank @rozanov81 for his service as a Raider, and wish him all the best for the future. 

Montréal Metros ✅ @montrealmetros 

We wish @shanehollanderhockerplayer a smooth recovery after his accident, and thank him for all his years of hard work as a Metro. 

Shane Hollander-Rozanov ✅ @shanehollanderhockeyplayer 

@rozanov81 and I want to thank everyone for their best wishes after our accident. We also thank the friends and family who have been able to be by our side supporting us through our recovery. We both are well on our way to being fully healed and hope to be back on the ice soon. 

We know there has been much speculation as to why we were travelling together, and we want to set that to rest. 

Ilya and I are in a committed romantic relationship. This summer, due to the bravery of @scotthunterofficial, we made the decision to take our relationship to the next level. In July, we got married in a private ceremony. 

The rivalry was always real, it was just fuelled by love, not hatred. 

We look forward to this new chapter playing together as teammates for the Ottawa Centaurs, though I’m sure we will still find ways to compete against each other. 

Ya tebya lyublyu Ilya. ❤️ 

Ilya Hollander-Rozanov ✅ @rozanov81 

🔄 Reposted @shanehollanderhockeyplayer.

Moy muzh. Ya tozhe tebya lyublyu. 🩷💜💙 

***  

It felt so good to have the ice under his skates again. Ilya had played his first match with the Centaurs three weeks ago, and now Shane had finally been cleared to get back to playing too. 

The Centaurs had welcomed them with open arms. Even when they were still on IR, they’d been invited to all team gatherings. It felt more like a family than a team. It was something Shane hadn’t experienced before. 

Tonight they would be playing Boston at home. They’d already met up with Marlow before the game, and had plans to meet up with the rest of the team after. There had been no bad blood from anyone on the team after they’d come out. Even the Boston management had been surprisingly supportive, waiving the penalty for breaking contract early as a gesture of support. 

Montreal had been another story. Shane didn’t really want to think about it. He knew now he’d made the right decision getting out when he did. He only felt sorry for Hayden who was still stuck there. JJ had taken a while to come round, not because of him being gay, but because of it being Rozanov, but they did at least keep in contact semi regularly now. 

Hunter had been quick to express his support both publicly and privately. He'd even suggested a double date next time they played the Admirals in New York. 

The public response had been mixed. There was a fair amount of outcry, and accusations of match fixing, but no data to back it up. But there had been more support than expected. Ilya’s first game back, the arena had been awash with pride flags, including many bi pride flags. Shane had been up in the WAGs box and had seen Ilya’s wide smile as he’d headed out onto the ice for the first time to deafening cheers. 

It seemed tonight would be no different. The noise as Shane and Ilya headed out onto the ice side by side for warmups was almost overwhelming. 

“You hear that, solnyshko? They love us,” said Ilya, leaning in to be heard. He grabbed Shane, and they skated out, linked hands raised between them. The cheers grew even louder. 

Then suddenly there was a hush. Shane looked around, wondering what was going on. 

“Hey lovebirds,” called Connors from the other side of the ice. “You’re on Kiss Cam.” 

He looked up, and sure enough, there they were on the jumbotron, faces surrounded by a large heart shaped outline. 

“Shall we give the people what they want?” asked Ilya, pulling Shane to face him. 

Shane just grinned and pulled Ilya’s face towards him. He didn’t care that people were watching them. He didn’t care that they were on live TV. This moment was for him and Ilya alone. 

“Hey! It’s Kiss Cam, not Eat Each Other’s Faces Off Cam,” called Cliff. 

Shane pulled back, flushed, but happy. 

If you’d asked him a year ago, he wouldn’t have thought any of this possible. But now here he was, kissing his husband, the love of his life, on the ice, to thunderous applause. Life couldn’t get much better.