Chapter Text
The cool afternoon breeze announced the beginning of fall in New York, with its streets crowded with people and the characteristic sound of taxis driving by. The cosmopolitan vibe attracted Ilya, and he would have liked to live there if he hadn’t been in Boston. But nothing compared to the wonderful life he had built with Shane in Ottawa, the most boring city in the world.
Shane walked beside him, holding his hand. Ten years had passed since that meeting with Cronwell, and they had never looked back at the days of hiding. Ten years since they had become husbands.
They were heading to the King Fisher to meet up with Scott and Kip, making the most of the trip and spending some pleasant time together, taking advantage of the visit to New York for foundation matters.
As they passed a pizzeria that promised to sell the best pizza in New York, like so many others, they heard someone say “Excuse me, are you two a couple?”
They both turned to look at the stranger, who was accompanied by another man holding a professional camera and filming them.
Shane immediately tensed and frowned. He stepped slightly ahead, shielding Ilya. “Yes,” he replied with distrust. “Why?”
The man holding the microphone explained that they went around asking about love stories in New York, and they had seemed like an interesting couple to interview.
Ilya gently grabbed Shane by the bicep to lean over and get a good look at the man. “Yes, I know you; I love your Instagram page,” he said cheerfully, and felt his husband’s body relax.
“Thank you. Would you mind telling us the quick story of how you first met?” he asked them.
They looked at each other and couldn’t help smiling as they remembered that cold day in Saskatchewan.
Ilya immediately launched into answering “We met in 2008 during a hockey tournament; he came over to introduce himself, and I knew I had to see him again.”
Shane squeezed his hand and gave him a conspiratorial look.
“Wow, that was... 23 years ago... you must have been young.”
“Yes, we were 17,” Shane confirmed.
“What was your first impression of each other?”
“That he was an asshole,” Shane continued, and they both let out a loud burst of laughter. “I paid him a compliment, and he didn’t return it, and on top of that, he told me he was going to beat me.”
“And I did, yes?” Ilya reminded him. Shane rolled his eyes with a smile. “Besides, my English wasn’t that good back then; I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of cute boy.”
“And for you?” the interviewer said, turning to Ilya.
“I thought he was the prettiest boy, with the prettiest freckles.” Ilya watched Shane blush.
“After 23 years, what do you like most about each other?”
“I love that he’s so kind, selfless and always takes care of people. He makes me want to be brave,” Shane answered without thinking twice. “I love that he’s a tease and drives people crazy all the time.”
Everyone laughed.
Ilya kissed his hand and answer “I love how dedicated he is and how much of a planner he is; for everything, he has to make an Excel with different steps.” Laughter echoed again. “He makes me want to be a better man, and I couldn’t imagine my life with anyone else.”
“Wow, that’s so beautiful... Do you have any advice for new couples out there?”
“Learn to communicate properly; good communication is key. We could have saved so much time and avoided going in circles if we had done that,” Shane answered genuinely.
“Yes, we were young and so stupid,” Ilya added with a giggle.
“What are your plans for the future?” the interviewer asked them once more.
“We retired two months ago, and right now we just want to travel together and enjoy a quiet life before starting our family,” Ilya answered calmly.
“Yes, and dedicate time to our foundation,” Shane said, looking at the love of his life.
“Yes, so please, if you care about mental health visit our site irinafoundation.com”
“What are your names?”
“Ilya.”
“Shane.”
“Thank you, Ilya and Shane, for your time.”
They both thanked him in return and walked away holding hands.