Rating:

General Audiences

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

M/M

Fandoms:

Heated Rivalry (TV), Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid

Relationship:

Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov

Characters:

Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Ottawa Centaurs WAGs Ensemble (Game Changers)

Additional Tags:

Texting, WAG Shane Hollander, WAG chat, Established Relationship, Secret Relationship, Coming Out, Relationship Reveal

Language:

English

Stats:

Published: 2026-03-22 Words: 2,393 Chapters: 2/2

Centaurs Best Halves

Summary

Jane joins the Ottawa Centaurs WAG chat. Eventually, it makes it easier to be brave.

Chapter 1

Chapter Summary

This is the text CSS skin I used!
And this is the hover translation skin

timelines aren't real and they can't hurt me (Shane is out to the Voyageurs but they don't know he's in a relationship. The Cens know that Ilya is bi, but he's specifically told them about Jane, who they think is a woman. the plane happens earlier for the sake of a part two that's already in the works.)

edit 6/11/26 - removing the series bc i wrote myself out of the planned sequel by having Shane meet the WAGs and can't figure out a way out of that hole lol

Chapter 2

Chapter Notes

Shane takes a deep breath, looking around the living room a final time. The house is impeccably clean, but Shane is still restless. Anxious.

He can’t back out now, and he doesn’t want to, but the idea of coming out to the Centaurs WAGs is as worrying as it is freeing.

“Shane. . Please take a breath.” Ilya says, smoothing his hands over Shane’s shoulders before wrapping him in a hug, Shane’s back pressed to Ilya’s chest. Shane pulls in a shuddering breath, leaning back against his fiance, letting his head drop to Ilya’s shoulder.

“You can still cancel. Job emergency, had to go back to Montreal.” Ilya says softly. Shane shakes his head, knowing Ilya will feel it.

“I don’t want to cancel. I want… Ilya, if something had happened to you, no one official would have known to tell me. At least…” Shane takes another deep breath. “At least, when Marlow checked me, you were there. You had ways to get information.”

“Yes.” Ilya agrees slowly.

“And we talked about the summer. I know you’re tired of hiding, baby. And I think… no. I am, too. I’m sorry it took me almost losing you to realize it.”

“Shane.” Ilya breathes. Shane turns in his arms so he can lean up for a kiss.

“You will be okay if I also tell the team?”

“Yes, Ilya. If you want to, tell them.”

“Might be fun to tell WAGs but not team.” Ilya laughs. “But I will wear ring and see what they say.”

“Seriously. Whatever you want to do.”

“. I know. Thank you.” Ilya kisses Shane again. “When will WAGs be here?”

“Any minute. What are you doing with the guys?”

“We are skating on the canal, then dinner. We will be out for a while. Plenty of time for you to bond.” Ilya teases. “Wish we had more time now, though.”

Ilya kisses Shane again, starting with his lips then mouthing across his jaw and down his neck.

“Ilya…” Shane groans. “Later.” He pushes weakly at Ilya’s hips.

“Mmm. Promise?”

“Yes. Now go before you’re late.”

“Fine.” Ilya groans dramatically, stepping away from Shane. “I will see you later, zvyozdachka.”

“See you later, baby.”

Shane leans back against the kitchen counter to watch Ilya leave, tugging on his boots and grabbing his keys off the hook by the door.

“Kelly! Glad you are here. Jane is in kitchen.” Ilya says as he’s stepping outside. Shane freezes, then forces himself to relax. Kelly is his friend. This is going to be fine.

“Jane?” Kelly calls, slipping her shoes off at the door. Shane smirks — Ilya had made fun of the shoe rack Shane had insisted on, but it’s done exactly what Shane wanted. They don’t have people over often, but they always take off their shoes.

Shane takes a deep breath.

“In here, Kelly. Hi.”

“Oh, you’re-” Kelly shakes her head. “It’s so good to finally meet you in person, babe.” And then she’s wrapping her arms around him and squeezing, tighter than he’d expected from a woman as small as she is.

“You’re not upset?”

“About what?”

“I’m not a girlfriend, for one.”

“Yeah, thanks for that!” Kelly laughs. “There’s gonna be like. Pressure now. For me and Tanner.”

“Do you-” Shane is interrupted by the door opening again, Caitlin and Cassie spilling inside.

“Holy shit, this place is huge.” Cassie says.

“Selena got held up waiting for the sitter, but Heather is on her way.” Caitlin calls. “Where are we?”

“Kitchen!” Kelly answers.

“I brought wine.” Cassie adds. “Does Roz even have wine glasses?”

“Yeah, we have my parents over for dinner sometimes.” Shane says, turning to pull them out of the cabinet.

“Shane Hollander?”

“Hey, Cassie.”

Caitlin doesn’t say anything for a moment, brow furrowed as she takes in Shane — his socked feet, his ease in Ilya’s kitchen, the ring on his left hand.

“Thank you for trusting us, sweetheart.” Caitlin says, wrapping Shane in a hug like Kelly had. “Does anyone else know?”

“My parents. Ilya said he might tell the guys today.”

“Might?” Kelly asks.

“He was entertained by the idea of you knowing but not them.” Shane says, rolling his eyes fondly. “It’s not… he trusts them. I’ve just been scared.”

“Oh, god. Of course.” Cassie breathes. “Come here.”

Cassie wraps Shane in a hug of her own as the door opens again.

“Selena’s right behind me.” Heather says. “Are we getting Jane hugs?”

“I want a Jane hug! I feel like she gives good hugs.” Selena says. Shane hears the door shut.

“Jane gives great hugs. She’s very strong.” Caitlin says. “Cass brought wine, get over here.”

“Ooh, I love a wine afternoon.”

Cassie doesn’t let Shane go until Selena and Heather join them in the kitchen, when she just passes Shane over into the next hug.

“Oh!”

“Surprise?”

“I’m glad you’re not lonely anymore.” Is all Heather says before she pulls him close.

“Thank you.”

“Living room?” Kelly asks. “Someone has a story to tell.”

“There’s really not much to tell.” Shane protests, but he accepts a glass from Cassie and leads the way to the couch.

“You said ten years. Before his rookie season.” Selena says, making herself comfortable. The other WAGs follow suit, and Shane sighs as he joins them.

“Which you failed to mention was also your rookie season.” Cassie adds, leaning over to smack Shane gently on the knee.

“That would have really flown in the face of the whole secret thing.”

“So does this.” Heather points out mildly.

“After we got engaged… after the plane… I’m more scared of not having him than I am of what other people might have to say.” Shane admits.

“Ugh, you two are gonna make me cry again.” Caitlin says, taking a sip of her wine.

“Sorry, Cait.” Shane shakes his head, laughing a little.

“All will be forgiven if you tell us the entire story of how we got here.”

“Well, if that’s the only way, we’d better settle in.” Shane can’t help his smile. He’s never gotten to tell the whole story before.

“It started in Regina, when I stood in the freezing cold and told a beautiful boy that he wasn’t supposed to smoke right outside the door of the area we were playing in. It was 2008.”

Chapter End Notes

Ilya comes home a while later to find that they've door dashed more wine and are all giggling in the living room. he tells the guys about Shane a couple days later, at practice. he was right - their reactions are hilarious, and even funnier because the WAGs knew first