Chapter Text
You wish, Hollander,” I finally hear.
Shane looks like he is about to die , but he huffs and pushes himself harder, refusing to give up. The pounding of sneakers on the trail .
Suddenly, Ilya is right beside Shane, drenched in sweat, T-shirt balled up in one fist. Ilya winks at him before speeding past him like a cartoon character. Shane grunts in frustration and tries to catch up, but Ilya’s long legs and seemingly superhuman stamina were making it impossible.
Ilya reaches the end of the trail first, arms raised in victory. Then he collapses on a grassy patch at the edge of the small parking lot.
“How fast” Ilya says to me
8 minutes and 39 seconds I say
“What the fuck” Shane says panting
Ilya flops onto his back, shaking with laughter. He mops at his forehead with the damp shirt he is holding. “I almost let you win.”
“Liar.”
“The view was not bad. From behind. Almost worth staying there.”
“Shut up.” Shane says
“I like those little shorts.”
Shane laughs, but it sounds more like a steam engine puffing. “Thanks.”
“Shane you were 1 second slower, but you both beat your best time”
Ilya props himself up on his elbows and tips his head back, rolling it side to side. His hair is soaked, curls plastered to his face and neck, chest slick with sweat. The small crucifix he always wore had slid up, resting against his shoulder.
Shane drops to his knees beside him. “I just hate that you can outrun me. It doesn’t make sense.”
Ilya opens one eye. “Maybe you should eat carbs.”
“I eat healthy carbs.”
“You eat nothing.”
“You smoke.”
“Almost never.”
“You had a cigarette last night.”
Ilya cracks a grin. “How do you know?”
“I have a nose.”
Ilya reaches out and gently boops the tip of Shane’s nose. “A cute one.”
“Oh my God,” I say. “You two are so annoying.” as I laugh
I stand up from where I was sitting on the grass and I look at Ilya. “Also, I found a cigarette in my yard last week.”
Shane straightens immediately. “I knew it.”
Ilya looks at me betrayed. “Snitch.”
“Well don’t throw your cigarettes in my garden,” I say, grabbing my bag.
Without warning, Ilya grabs Shane and rolls them both, ending with Shane flat on his back and Ilya stretched out on top of him, grinning.
“You’re disgusting,” Shane says, shoving weakly at his chest.
“We are both disgusting,” Ilya replies, dipping down to kiss him quickly.
“Enough,” I say loudly. “We need to go. Home. You both need to shower.”
“Yes,” Shane agrees immediately. “Shower.”
“Fine,” Ilya says, springing up and offering Shane a hand. “Up.”
“You are entirely too full of energy,” Shane mutters, taking it.
“Hm, I can think of ways to use it,” Ilya says casually.
“Nope,” I say, swatting Ilya as he passes me. “Absolutely not. You have a video call with Farrah in twenty minutes, so shut that thought down right now.”
Ilya sighs dramatically. “Why do we need this call?”
“Because she’s your agent,” I say. “And her literal job is to check in on you.”
Ilya had officially signed with Shane’s agent before he moved to Ottawa and between me and my mom, we ran the Irina Foundation and coordinated most of their schedules.
“We could tell her,” Ilya says suddenly.
“Tell her what?” Shane asks.
“About us.”
Shane freezes. “What? Today? Now?”
Ilya shrugs like he’d suggested ordering takeout. “She probably knows already.”
“That—why would she?”
“We are together at your house. You are gay. I am hot.”
Shane rolls his eyes
“It’s… soon,” Shane says carefully. “We should talk about it first. Figure out wording and timing and—”
Ilya looks at him with a mix of fondness and mild impatience. “It is not complicated. And if she does not support us, she should not be our agent.”
Shane presses his lips together, clearly spiraling.
Ilya turns to me. “Caitlin, do you not think we tell Farrah?”
“Ilya,” I say, exhaling, “what did I tell you about springing life-altering decisions on my brother mid-sweat?”
I could practically see Shane’s brain sprinting.
“Shane,” I add, softer, “relax. She will support you if this is what you guys want to do”
Shane sighs
“Yeah, she would” he says
“So we tell her,” Ilya says immediately.
Shane looks between us, then sighs again .
“Okay,” he says. “But if I pass out, this is on both of you
I just laugh and roll my eyes at my intense neurotic brother