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The cottage always gave Shane away.
Not because he'd say anything outright, but because whenever he was planning something there, he developed exactly three tells: he vacuumed outside of the allotted schedule, he checked the weather every ten minutes and he became deeply suspicious whenever Ilya wandered anywhere near the fridge.
"Don't open that."
Ilya paused with one hand on the handle, his other hand resting against the photo booth strip attached by a little Ottawa Centaurs magnet.
"...Why?"
"No reason."
"You said that very quickly."
"I just... don't."
Ilya raised an eyebrow. "Is there food in there?"
"No."
"You are lying."
"I am not."
"You looked at the ceiling."
"I always look at the ceiling."
"You literally never look at the ceiling."
Shane sighed dramatically, pressing both hands over the fridge door. "Fine. Just... trust me?"
Ilya looked at him for a long moment before smiling despite himself. "I trust you."
He turned away and Shane visibly relaxed. The moment he disappeared into the living room, Ilya shook his head. He hadn't looked in the fridge because he already knew.
Well... he didn’t know.
But Shane had accidentally left "Birthday BBQ Shopping List" open on the iPad two days earlier. Then he'd spent forty-five minutes insisting Ilya couldn't come to the cottage until Saturday afternoon because "the plumbing was weird."
The plumbing had never once been weird, Shane was too particular about the maintenance for it to be anything other than perfect. Then Yuna had texted Shane while they were sitting together on the sofa.
Does he suspect anything?
Shane had nearly thrown his phone across the room trying to hide the notification. So yes, Ilya knew. Or at least he knew enough.
But Shane had been trying so hard. His boyfriend was spectacularly bad at keeping secrets, and even worse at lying, but he'd put so much effort into this one that Ilya couldn't bear ruining it.
So he pretended.
——————————
Saturday afternoon arrived warm and bright. The drive to the cottage after their morning breakfast date was filled with Shane talking far too much about entirely unimportant things.
"The highway was busy."
"Mhm."
"I think we'll need more sunscreen."
"Mhm."
"I saw a dog this morning."
"What kind?"
"...Golden."
"You don't know dog breeds?"
"It was... gold."
Ilya smiled out the window. "You are nervous."
"I'm not."
"You have been talking for forty-three minutes."
"I always talk."
"You've repeated the dog story twice."
"I liked the dog."
When they finally pulled into the gravel driveway, Shane insisted on carrying every bag himself, Anya following him close behind. "You stay here."
"I can help."
"No."
"...Why?"
"I just..."
Shane rubbed the back of his neck.
"...Need five minutes."
Ilya nodded solemnly. "Of course."
Five minutes later, Shane finally opened the front door.
"You can come in now."
The second Ilya stepped inside -
"Surprise!"
A chorus of voices filled the cottage. He laughed immediately. Standing in the kitchen were David and Yuna wearing matching paper birthday hats that Yuna had clearly forced onto her husband. Anya was yipping and barking, the party hat placed onto her head moments before now slipping down to cover her eyes.
"Happy birthday!" Yuna beamed before pulling Ilya into an enormous hug.
David followed with a firm pat on the shoulder. "Happy birthday, kid."
"Thank you."
Shane stood awkwardly nearby, watching Ilya's face with obvious anxiety. "...You like it?"
Ilya looked around. The dining table had been decorated with blue and silver streamers. There were burgers waiting outside by the barbecue. Someone had found hockey-shaped balloons, there was even a cake in the middle of the table.
It wasn't extravagant. It was perfect. "I love it."
Shane's shoulders finally dropped. "Really?"
"Really."
"You weren't expecting anything?"
Ilya looked directly at him. "...Not at all."
Yuna snorted into her drink.
Shane frowned. "What?"
"Nothing," she said.
David coughed suspiciously.
"I think your mother is laughing because you've been acting guilty for three days."
"I have not."
"You absolutely have."
"I've been subtle."
All three of them stared at him. "...What?"
——————————
The afternoon settled into the easy rhythm that always seemed to happen at the cottage. David manned the barbecue with absolute confidence.
"No one touches my burgers."
"I'm literally just bringing cheese," Shane protested.
"Exactly."
Yuna arranged salads while simultaneously telling embarrassing childhood stories.
"When Shane was eight, he cried because he thought the barbecue smoke meant we'd set something on fire."
"I was a child."
"You were eleven."
"I was emotionally delicate."
"You still are," David muttered.
"I heard that."
Ilya laughed harder than he had in weeks. He helped carry plates outside, sat on the deck overlooking the lake and watched Shane bouncing between conversations making sure everyone had enough food.
Every few minutes, Shane glanced over.
Just checking. Making sure Ilya was happy.
Every single time their eyes met, Ilya smiled back.
——————————
As evening settled over the lake, they lit the little string lights wrapped around the deck railing.
The cake appeared and Yuna insisted everyone sing.
David sang approximately three keys lower than everyone else and Shane forgot half the words in his haste to make sure the candles didn’t go out before Ilya got his chance to make a wish.
It was perfect.
When the plates were cleared away, Yuna announced she wanted tea.
David followed her inside, claiming someone had to "supervise the kettle."
Which left Shane and Ilya alone on the deck. The lake reflected the last pink streaks of sunset. Shane leaned against the railing beside him.
"So..."
"So."
"You had a good birthday?"
"The best."
"I'm glad."
A comfortable silence settled between them, Shane eventually nudging his shoulder.
"...You knew."
Ilya looked over. "Knew what?"
"You knew."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You absolutely knew."
Ilya held the act for another few seconds before laughing. "I suspected."
"I knew it!"
"You are terrible at secrets."
"I thought I was doing really well."
"You told me not to open the fridge."
"There was cake."
"You left your shopping list open."
"...Right."
"You nearly launched your phone into orbit when your mother texted."
"...Also true."
Shane groaned, throwing his head back. "I wanted to surprise you."
"You did."
"No, I didn't."
"You did."
Shane frowned. "But you knew."
"I knew you were planning something."
He reached over, taking Shane's hand. "I didn't know exactly what."
"And?"
"And watching you try so hard was adorable."
Shane rolled his eyes. "You let me think I was fooling you."
"I wanted you to enjoy surprising me."
"You pity-laughed your way through my secret operation."
"I lovingly protected your feelings."
Shane laughed despite himself. "I can't believe you."
"I know."
They stood quietly, fingers intertwined. Eventually Shane looked toward the cottage. "You know..."
"What?"
"This place feels very different now."
Ilya followed his gaze. The lights glowed warmly through the windows. Inside, David was gesturing dramatically while Yuna laughed at something he'd said.
"I was thinking exactly the same thing."
Shane smiled. "Remember the first time Dad caught us here?"
Ilya laughed immediately. "Oh, I remember."
Neither of them would ever forget it, they'd been sneaking around for months. Not officially together. Not officially anything. Just... whatever impossible thing they were becoming.
"I still wake up thinking about that."
They both laughed. Then Shane looked back through the window, David was now washing dishes while Yuna dried them. Completely at home, comfortable with no more secrets to keep. No pretending.
"They love you," Shane said quietly, resting his temple gently on Ilya’s shoulder.
"I know."
"You know Dad tells everyone you're the son he didn't have?"
"I have heard."
"He says you barbecue better than me."
"I do."
"You absolutely don't."
"I definitely do."
Shane squeezed his hand. "It's strange."
"What is?"
"How scared we were back then."
Ilya nodded. "And now?"
"Now Dad's teaching you his burger recipe."
"And your mother keeps asking when we're getting another cottage."
Shane smiled. "I like this version better."
"So do I."
The voices inside drifted out through the open window. Yuna was calling them in for tea, whilst David was arguing that tea required cookies. This was home now.
Ilya looked at Shane. "You know..."
"What?"
"You still surprised me."
"I did?"
"I knew there'd probably be a barbecue."
Shane looked hopeful.
"But I didn't know how happy it would make me."
For once, Shane had no joke. He simply leaned over and kissed him softly. Then, hand in hand, they went back inside to the family waiting for them.