Rating:

Mature

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

M/M

Fandom:

Heated Rivalry (TV)

Relationship:

Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov

Characters:

Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov

Additional Tags:

Soulmates, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Fluff and Angst, Mild Smut, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Autistic Shane Hollander, Depressed Ilya Rozanov, Spoilers for Book 6: The Long Game (Game Changers)

Language:

English

Series:

Part 2 of Lies and Secrets

Stats:

Published: 2026-07-14 Words: 3,130 Chapters: 1/11

The Long Road of Lies Ends with Truth

Summary

Every time your soulmate lies, their words are written on you.

Shane lies more than he's ever done, and Ilya lies less than he's ever done.

Notes

i do appreciate everyone for commenting such sweet things on part one. thank you so much for reading my story and enjoying it for what it was. it's these people who convinced me i should move on to The Long Game. obviously there is no show, so i won't be following anything but the book. as i did in the first part, i will be taking events and quotes from the book. i will be adding my own scenes and dialogue. i am also going to write mostly from shane's pov.

i wanted to do this book too bc i see so much potential issues in this au that's going to be exciting to dive into. i'm very excited. i hope you enjoy it too.

Chapter 1

It's funny how life twists and turns upside-down.

Shane remembers the reality of constant buzzing under his skin. The thrum that sent shivers through Shane's forearm to every bone in his body. His soulmate mark was permanently active, lying left and right about things, as if his soulmate took it as a challenge to be noticed. His soulmate was determined to grab Shane's attention and hold it forever. Look at me. Look at me. Look over here.

There was a time when Shane didn't want to meet his soulmate. Shane had dreams and goals, and absolutely nothing was going to stop him. He wanted to play hockey, and there were so many variables that threatened the life he sought after. What if his soulmate didn't like hockey? What if they wanted Shane to stop playing, and they were angry Shane was always gone. What if they wanted to get married and have kids because that was their dream? All Shane dreamt about was playing hockey, winning Stanley Cups, and seeing his jersey in the Montreal stadium.

A soulmate wasn't any part of the equation.

Especially one that lies, and his soulmate lied like they were being paid to do it. Shane didn't want a soulmate who lied. He didn't believe in lying. He didn't see the point of lying. Telling the truth was much better. Less miscommunication, less confusion, less stress, and Shane couldn't lie. He sucked at lying.

Of course, the one time he does lie, it's to his fucking soulmate because apparently his soulmate was a beacon for lies. His soulmate lied and lied, including when he found out Shane was his soulmate, and he lied to Shane too.

Ilya Rozanov was the biggest liar in the world. He lied so fucking well. He fabricated lies like one would crochet a scarf. Meticulous and daring, such as an arrogant, too-confident surgeon. His tongue was his tool, and he could lie under the radar even with Shane near. He just got creative, and Shane hadn't caught him.

Ilya might as well be one of those fae that Rose reads books about. Beautiful Ilya with his wicked ways of making his lies sound like lies, when they were in fact truths.

You'll always get the truth from me, Hollander.

Shane will always get the truth from Ilya, but most of the time they were layered with distractions and teasing.

Believe me. Biologically speaking, I can't lie to you. It doesn't mean I won't have fun while I do it.

Shane was just understanding Ilya, reading through the lies to find the bolded truth, embracing his soulmate and his mischievous tongue, when his life turned upside-down. Suddenly, Ilya changed direction. He wasn't lying anymore, at least not in the way he used to.

Before they got together. Before Shane found out the truth.

Ilya wasn't lying as much as he did. He hardly lied at all. Shane didn't realize how much he cherished the tingles of his soulmark until they stopped happening. He would feel his skin hum with each lie Ilya told throughout the day, and he told dozens. Hundreds. White lies. Loud, detailed lies that made no sense. Shane felt each and every one, and he blushed and his heart fluttered in response to his obnoxious soulmate. Shane swore Ilya loved to lie for the fun of it.

Now, Shane's forearm could be silent for hours, days, or even weeks. No tingles or warmth. Nothing to savor and blush at, thinking about his soulmate irritating someone for the fun of it. Ilya does it all the time during games, and he aimed them at his opponents and teammates. Shane will look at his arm while he's watching an Ottawa game and scoff at the ridiculous things his soulmate was saying. Poking and prodding at players, making Wyatt or Bood laugh. Ilya loved the attention, and he loved making people laugh.

It's been four years since they started officially dating, and Ilya was uncharacteristically solemn compared to before. Shane could define it as earnest. He'll laugh and tease, and then go quiet and serious. He still makes jokes. He'll poke and effortlessly make Shane angry on purpose - for whatever reason Ilya loved doing that.

Shane doesn't want Ilya to lie to him. He was honest from the start when he stated he didn't want his soulmate to lie to him. He doesn't like lying. He's not the best at detecting lies, and he didn't see the point of them.

However, it almost felt wrong from how little Ilya lied these days. It should make Shane ecstatic for his soulmate to be always truthful to him, but that fun, playful side of his boyfriend was suspiciously muted. Alarmingly quiet.

It shouldn't make any sense because they are a team now. They are together and hiding from the world. They are supposed to be lying. They are required to lie to everyone - their teams, friends, and fans. Shane has lied more than he ever had.

But for Ilya? He has told the truth more than he ever had.

It gave Shane anxiety. Every day that passed with Ilya not lying made him more tense and reeling. He found himself lying more, just to make up for Ilya's lackluster performance. He found himself strengthening his defenses, fortifying his truths, and increasing his shocked nerves, desperate to make up for what Ilya might let slip.

"Do you want to tell people?" Farah, his agent, asked.

"No," Shane quickly choked out. His tongue barely kept up to the squeak of his answer.

While Ilya, calm and collected, said, "Not yet."

Shane, who had no idea how to interpret that, rushed to clarify that not many people do.

Shane didn't want Farah to know, but for some reason, Ilya - Mr. Honest - wanted to tell her. Shane was onguard the second Ilya brought it up, and immediately argued that it was too soon. Ilya, cool as a fucking cucumber, just shrugged and said Farah probably knew already. Determined to have everything right, Shane insisted they wait and figure out how they explain the situation to her. He thought the lover of lies would be open to this.

But then Ilya blindsided him by saying it wasn't complicated. He said it with a blank, easy expression, and Shane waited for his forearm to tingle because Ilya was lying. This was all sorts of complicated.

But his skin never did, and Ilya proceeded to set Shane's nerves on fire by trying to answer Farah's call on Shane's phone, half-naked.

"You're supposed to be a good liar," Shane hissed. "How did you get away with anything?"

Ilya just looked at him, and got dressed.

Shane trusts Ilya not to tell anyone about their relationship, but the less Ilya lied, the more anxious Shane got. The more anxious Shane got, the more he lied. His anxiety-driven adrenaline barely fit in his chest, and he felt out of control. He did what he could to stay in control, at least with the aspects of his life he could. Ilya made fun of his eating habits, but Shane was desperate to hold onto something he could have full control over.

Speaking of…

"Don't forget to always wear long-sleeves," Shane tells Ilya. It was the first day of camp, and important people are going to be there. He doesn't want anyone to catch his lies on Ilya's arms.

"I figured I would wear tank tops," Ilya replies flatly, drinking his coffee.

"What-"

"I'm kidding," Ilya grunts. "We are good at protecting this. We have been doing it for years."

Shane scoffs. "Barely! Ryan Price saw my lies on you last year! When you sprained your wrist. You rolled up your sleeves! What if that happens again?"

Ilya shrugs, and he sits in the chair beside Shane. "You could try not lying."

"As if. It's you I'm worried about," Shane scolds lightly. "You rarely lie, except for joking with the kids."

"I lie plenty," Ilya says. He runs a finger along Shane's jaw. "I tell the kids Hayden is a good player."

"Hayden is my best friend," Shane retorts. "He's the alternate captain. You think he'd be alternate captain if he was a bad player?"

Ilya pouts, sticking out his bottom lip. "I thought I was your best friend."

Shane smiles, and he runs his fingers through Ilya's curls. Ilya leans into his touch. "You're the best friend I kiss."

Ilya turns his head to kiss Shane's palm, and Shane's chest warms. The warm, fuzzy feeling slips into desire when Ilya's lips travel to his fingertips. His tongue grazes his skin, and Shane sucks in a breath.

Ilya grins, and his teeth gently nibble on his fingers. Shane shifts in his chair, and reluctantly, he gets to his feet. Ilya lets him go, his pupils dilated and sparkling with dark amusement.

Shane swallows, and he puts distance between them by going to put his coffee mug in the sink. Black coffee. "I'm serious about no kissing either. Don't, like, be sexy."

"Impossible."

Shane's forearm doesn't tingle, which means Ilya fully believes in the statement. He narrows his eyes. "No flirting either."

"Hm."

Ilya stands, bringing his arms above his head to stretch them, and his shirt rides up to reveal his abdomen. Shane's lips part, and his cheeks feel warm. His pants feel suddenly too tight. "Don't do anything like that today."

Ilya tilts his head. "Why? Are you turned on?"

"No," Shane denies.

They both look up at Ilya's outstretched arm. The word No sits in black, bolded letters on his pale skin. Ilya laughs, delighted, and his brows dance.

"Shut up," Shane scowls.

*************

Camp goes how it always does. It starts with Ilya making the kids laugh, making fun of Hayden, and then splitting them all into groups based on their positions.

Shane does his best to coach the young hockey players, but he doubts he does it well. He's in the middle of mumbling out instructions when J.J. comes up to kindly take over. After listening to J.J. successfully explain the game of hockey, Shane searches for Ilya. Ilya was with two young girls, talking to them at their level with a considerate, patient tone. One of the girls giggles and blushes.

Mildly annoyed at how many people have a crush on his soulmate, and also feeling silly because it was a kid and didn't matter, Shane finds a visibly distressed boy trying to finish a drill. He goes over to help, since one-on-one training is easier than a whole group of kids.

The boy's name is Cody, and he successfully completes a drill, and Shane high-fives him for it. Cody smiles wide, showing off a dimple in his cheeks. He races off to tell his friends. Feeling accomplished, Shane smiles.

"Let me see your arm."

Shane looks to his left to find Hayden, who was frowning. "Uh? Why?"

"Just for a second, buddy," Hayden pleads.

Unsure what's going on, Shane pulls off his gloves and works his sleeve up to reveal his forearm. The skin was free of tattooed words.

For some reason, Hayden makes an annoyed sound. He looks accusingly over his shoulder at Ilya. "He told me I was good at passing."

"You are good at passing," Shane says neutrally and fixes his sleeve.

Hayden rolls his eyes and gestures wildly at Shane's arm. "Yeah, but I didn't think he'd admit that! And mean it!"

Shane glances at Ilya, who was now helping another girl correct her stick placement. He crouched down when he spoke to her, looked at her in the eye, and spoke to her with care. Warmth bloomed in Shane's chest at the sight of Ilya interacting with children.

"He's been especially honest lately," Shane admits. Hayden huffs. Shane ignores him.

Shane can't help but worry about Ilya being truthful about the wrong thing. What would he accidentally say to the wrong person on this honest streak of his?

Shane wasn't sure what to think when Ilya fires a puck directly behind his head. Shane was in the middle of talking to a reporter when it happened, and Shane screamed in surprise and then let out another scream of fury at Ilya.

He couldn't believe Ilya did such a thing, especially at a camp where they coach young children to play hockey. It was unprofessional and childish, and Shane was pissed. What did the others think? What's a perfectly reasonable explanation for a coach to launch a puck directly behind another coach?

Shane ignores Ilya for the rest of the day, not talking or looking at him at all, not until they're alone in the office. Shane has no plan to talk, but Ilya pulls it out of him by asking what his problem was.

And Shane explodes. "The problem is that I'm trying to run a camp with a fucking toddler!"

"Is this about the puck thing?" Ilya asks innocently.

"It's about you having to always make me look like an idiot!"

Ilya crosses his arms. "Come on."

"Why'd you do it? Because Laurent's handsome?"

"Laurent," Ilya says sourly, like the sound of his name made his nauseous. "So you are attracted to him."

"What? No." Ilya grabs his arm and lifts his sleeve forcefully. Shane's face burns, reading the bolded word on his skin. Ilya's eyes are full of black flames. "I mean, yes. He's nice to look at, but-"

"And he liked looking at you," Ilya snaps bitterly.

Shane avoids meeting his eyes. "You weren't even there."

"I could tell."

Shane glares. "You almost gave me a heart attack with that stupid puck, and why? Because you thought I was flirting?"

Ilya huffs. "You don't know how to flirt."

Shane narrows his eyes. That wasn't an answer. It was the closest to Ilya has gotten to lying like he used to, skirting away from the truth like he dodges cars on the road in his fancy sport cars.

This time, Ilya looks away. "I was jealous, maybe."

A small part of Shane perks up at Ilya being jealous.

"I…It was stupid, okay? I am not proud."

Ilya looks at Shane, who is smiling smugly. "What did you think was going to happen?"

Ilya doesn't smile back. His voice turns painfully small. "Maybe you would think he was nice. Hot. Not a rival hockey player."

Shane isn't used to seeing Ilya like this. Uncertain and ambivalent. There was no tingle on his skin, revealing the honesty of Ilya's words.

He doesn't understand how Ilya could think this way. He exhales, exasperated. He checks the slightly open door and steps forward. "I have the spent the whole day trying not to be obvious about how fucking in love with you I am."

Shane doesn't miss the way Ilya glances at his own arm. Shane's heart drops to his stomach.

Did Ilya expect to read his words on his skin?

"Shane-"

"No. Shut up," Shane says seriously. He steps closer to meet his gaze. "If you really don't get that I'm not going to leave you for the first cute guy who smiles at me, then I don't know what we're even doing, Ilya."

"I'm sorry," Ilya croaks. His eyes turn bright and slightly wet. He rubs at them. "Was a weird day. I was maybe just… I'm sorry."

Shane takes Ilya's left arm in his, and he holds it between them. The bare skin of his forearm out. Shane keeps his voice steady, not allowing any uncertainty to grow. "I'm yours. I'm your soulmate. You're my soulmate. You know that."

Ilya opens his mouth, but then he changes his mind. He kisses Shane, and Shane kisses back with as much feeling and passion as he can manage.

Then Ryan catches them, and Shane nearly breaks an ankle getting away from Ilya. He can imagine how it looks, walking into a room with two people. One person holding the other one's left forearm, and then kissing. Ryan already read Shane's lies on Ilya's arm. Finding them kissing was only more evidence for them being soulmates and being together. If there was any doubt for Ryan that Shane and Ilya were soulmates and had rejected each other.

Which terrifies Shane even more. There was no denying here, especially after Ryan witnessed two situations that couldn't be explained by anything else. Thankfully, Ryan leaves without bringing up the obvious. Ryan looks pale, and Shane thinks he might throw up too.

"Ryan and his boyfriend are soulmates," Ilya reveals.

Shane's eyes widen at the news. "They are?"

"Yeah." Ilya shrugs. "Maybe we can go out this week with him and his Fabian."

"Like a double date?" Shane asks. He's never gone on one of those, except during high school. Those were awkward.

"Sure. Why not?"

Going out into public with another queer couple makes Shane's panic rise. His blood goes cold in alarm, and he scrunches his nose. He supposes there wouldn't be any harm to go on a double date with another queer couple, who are soulmates too. The realization brings a smile to his lips. "Wow. We could really do that, couldn't we?"

Ilya is watching him. He smiles tentatively, and his eyes brighten. "We could."

Later, while Shane freaks out again over Ryan knowing, Yuna brings up the idea of telling the rest of the team. Shane's heart nearly bursts out of his ribcage in blind panic. Ilya is silent, keeping busy making dinner. The only comments he makes are responses to Shane reminding him of what he can't eat. 

"We could tell Wyatt, maybe," Ilya murmurs. Shane rejects the idea, along with telling anyone else, and Ilya goes quiet again.

Shane wishes they could tell more people, but the risk was too high. Everything could collapse and shatter if the wrong person knows, and Shane can't even think of losing his team. The whole league and its fans would turn against them, and Shane would lose everything. They have to hide. They have to stay on the league's good side and wait for retirement to come out as a couple. Even then, it will be difficult, and they'll face backlash.

"I'm willing to play the long game," Shane whispered to Ilya once. "A decade. Two decades. You're it for me. I would do anything for you. You're my soulmate. I love you."

All Ilya said in response, "I love you too."

He hugged Shane close, and Shane buried his face in his neck.

It'll be difficult, but they can do it. Ilya knows how much Shane loves him. Shane told him he's more than willing to wait, willing to love Ilya however he can. He told Ilya all of this many times.

Every time, Ilya told him he loved him in return.