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“Iss they’re just some friends from my hometown, it’s not a big deal.” Paul Baker says, sitting on Issa’s bed, on top of purple and pink checkered sheets adorned with pillows of all different shapes and sizes.
“Then why won’t you tell me who they are, Paul Baker! Last time you had ‘just some friend’ over it was Julia freaking Fox, I need to be prepared.” Issa said as she changed for the fourth time in the last ten minutes. “How is this? Too much? Too little? Oh my god it’s gonna be Justin and Hailey Bieber isn’t it? But then I won’t be able to bring up politics!” She’s running around now, like fully running through her room.
Paul Baker stands up and grabs Issa by her shoulders, she looks him in the eyes. “Issa, I can’t tell you to calm down because that's misogynistic, and your feelings are valid and heard. I just need you to not worry about anyone else but us, okay?”
Issa visibly calms down, her shoulders lowering from her ears. “Youre right… ugh, Paul Baker! What would I do without you?" She looks in the mirror and decides the skirt and top she’s wearing look… incredible. “Okay I’m good! I’m good, I look cunt, my body tea, these bitches won’t know what hit em!” Paul Baker laughs and sees an uber notification on his phone.
——
“Okay so you have known them since high school? Or preschool?” Issa’s right leg is shaking, Paul Baker puts his hand on it, but it just bounces along with her leg. “Shane I have known since preschool, we used to play hockey together in Ottowa. Him and his husband moved there some time ago. We keep in touch.” Issa’s attention is not with Paul Baker at this moment, she is on her third glass of pinot noir and they sat down 20 minutes ago.
Paul Baker looks at the door of the restaurant, recognizing his old bestie right away. Issa follows his line of sight and chokes on her wine.
“SHANE HOLLANDER AND ILYA ROZANOV?!” Issa stands up, everything on the table clatters and falls. “YOUR PRESCHOOL BEST FRIEND WAS SHANE FUCKING HOLLANDER?” People are looking at them now, Shane and Ilya are standing next to the table, eyes wide and worried. “I’m assuming you didn’t tell her.” Shane sighed.
Ilya went over to one of the waitresses and asked for a more secluded table, along with a 100 dollar bill and an apology for messing up the table.
A few minutes later, when everyone has settled and Issa is in… less shock than she was before. The date finally starts.
“First of all, sorry for having that be my first impression. Second, no he didn’t tell me about who we were meeting.” Ilya chuckles, Shane glares at him. “Lastly, it is so nice to meet you two, I have been keeping up with your love story since it became public. Love the foundation, love your work, not really into hockey. I’ve been to some lower league games with Paul Baker though! It’s important to share interests, read that on Reddit r/relationship tips.”
Ilya can’t stop giggling and turns to Shane “I like her” Issa lets out a breath of relief “Thank god.”
“Well, Issa, thank you so much and I’m very sorry about the situation you’re in. I hope you can still enjoy-” Issa jumps up “Yes! Yes of course I can, everything is good and fine- You guys good on drinks? Paul Baker please get some drinks.”
Paul Baker smiles and waves over the waitress “Hi, sorry, could we order a round of drinks? Two pinot noir, one ginger ale and what vodka do you guys have?” The waitress already looks apologetic “Burnett’s…” Ilya grimaces. “Right, okay. Could you just bring over a glass with one ice cube? Thank you so much!” The table looks over at Paul Baker in question, he reaches underneath the booth to grab his tote bag. What he pulls out is a huge bottle of Beluga Vodka. “Paul Baker!” Ilya reaches over the table and kisses Paul Baker on the forehead “Ты лучший!” Shane blushes and looks around, hoping they didn’t just cause another disturbance.
“Не стоит благодарности” Paul Baker says as he puts the bottle on the table. Waiting for the glass to arrive so he can pour some for Ilya. Issa is fucking dumbfounded, who is this guy? “You know Russian??? This entire time??” Paul Baker and Ilya laugh, Shane looks over at Issa in slight pity. “I taught him some things, we playstation together.” Issa suddenly recalls Russian sounding words coming out of Paul Baker’s headset when he played COD.
“How have you remained such close friends? I can’t imagine how busy you two must be. Ottawa Centaurs did amazing last season.” Ilya can’t help but gloat over Issa’s words, he did that, with his husband at his side, his Shane. “To be honest, Paul Baker helped me with my uh-” Shane hesitates “My sexuality. Cause he is-
“Fluid” everyone says in unison.
"Right. He is the first person I've ever shared any thoughts about it with, of course it didn't fully sink in till I found my husband. But, it was nice. It was hard out there, especially in the hockey world.” Issa feels like tearing up.
“I heard Paul Baker could have beaten Shane if he kept playing!” Ilya says to lighten the mood, it works.
“Fuck you!” Shane elbows Ilya in the chest, Ilya pecks Shane’s lips, short and sweet. Issa feels like she’s melting. She looks over at Paul Baker, there's appreciation in his look towards the happy couple. But also something… more. Longing maybe?
They have some more drinks, Paul Baker even convinces Shane to have a glass of the vodka he brought for Ilya. The bottle is almost empty and he and Issa have drunk the equivalent of 2 bottles of pinot noir.
“Paul Baker is married! Did you guys know that?” Issa drops, slurring her words.
The table goes quiet, Shane looks at Paul Baker. “You are? To Issa?” Paul Baker gets red, Issa regrets saying anything, the pinot noir made the decision for her.
“I had some visa problems, so in order to stay in the country I married… Anton. “Shane chokes on his ginger ale, Ilya bumps a fake potted plant off the table. “You married Anton? Are you sure that’s a go-” Ilya bumps Shane with his elbow this time.
Issa turns to Paul Baker “What is NHL’s Shane Hollander talking about? Paul Baker?” He grabs her hand. “Let’s talk about this when we get home, okay? I need to get some air.” Paul Baker stands up and leaves the table, Shane goes after him.
—
Paul Baker, sorry I said anything. You really should not have made me drink vodka. Shane says, seriously. But Paul Baker chuckles. “You like Anton, you have told me that… why didn’t you tell me you two got married?”
Shane looks up at him. “Because! I love Issa, I love all of the guys at the house, they’re like my new family. I don’t want to ruin that Shane.”
He slumps down against the wall and sits on the concrete floor, Shane hovers over him. “Paul Baker, you have helped me so much through every single thing in my life. I called you when I first hooked up with Ilya all those years ago, I called you when he got into that plane accident, you were at our second wedding.”
“Still mad I wasn’t invited to the first” Shane kicks at Paul Baker’s feet. “Shut the fuck up!” Paul Baker giggles.
“You don’t have to know everything, but promise me you will be nice to Issa? I really like her, she’s exactly like you described.” Shane grabs his arm and pulls him up. “Be clear with her, she’s open minded, I’m sure she will understand.”
Paul Baker has tears in his eyes, he grabs Shane and pulls him in for a hug, Shane doesn’t fully lean into it but pats him on the back. “Thanks, bud.”
–
Issa is fully freaking out.
“Oh my god he doesn’t love me, he talked about it with Shane fucking Hollander… Do we break up? We weren’t even really together because I don’t believe in stupid things like labels but we were… ARE! Are! Oh my god I’m already speaking in past tense-”
Ilya just looks at her, she reminds him of Shane when he has his panic attacks.
“Issa” She keeps rambling, he scoots over and sits next to her. “Issa, everything is okay.” She looks at Ilya Rozanov of the Ottawa Centaurs and hugs him. “Again, can this please not be added to my first impression folder, I swear I’m cuntier than this.” Ilya laughs and pulls her back so he can look at her.
“Paul Baker loves you, very much. He tells me every time we game, or on phone with Shane.” He grabs a napkin from the table and dries her tears, careful not to mess up her eyeliner, Sveta used to give him so much shit for that even though he was trying to help.
“Just because he might also have feelings for other people, which I’m sure you knew, he doesn’t love you any less. Would never ever mean he loves you less. понял? Understood?”
Issa feels like sobbing again, but then her wine headache would add to her crying headache so she decides against it. “I love you Ilya.” She goes back in for a hug. “Love you too, girl.”
They sit like that for a minute ‘till Shane and Paul Baker head back and join the table.
“Should I be jealous?” Shane chuckles as he sees the man he loves comfort Issa, the same way he had done with Paul Baker.
“Never, my кролик.” Ilya scoots back towards his spot next to Shane, handing over Issa to Paul Baker. Everyone decides to park the conversation for now. They are in town for a week and would love to catch up more, without alcohol and feelings involved.
Ilya and Issa are pretty similar it seems, they have even planned a solo shopping date next thursday.
After some time both parties decide it’s time to head out, Shane and Ilya bicker over who gets to pay the bill. Paul Baker would interject, but that vodka kind of cost him his last dime. Shane wins, Ilya insists that he pay for next time.
With a final hug goodbye, they part their ways. Issa and Paul Baker take the metro back to the house, Issa lays on top of Paul Baker across four chairs. As she drifts in and out of sleep, he presses a kiss to her forehead.
Once home, Issa has regained her energy due to her power nap. She bursts in the door and sees the rest of the gang waiting on the couch.
“And! And! Who was the mystery couple?” Anton asks. Issa runs into his arms and gets pulled on the couch. Anton looks over his shoulder and smiles at Paul Baker, then pats the space next to him on the couch.
As he sits down, Anton grabs his arm, Billie lays against one leg and Samir is draped over the other, while Issa retells the entire date with tiny details added to it. Like she always does.
This is where he belongs, surrounded by the people he loves.
He’s gonna be okay.