Rating:

Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning:

Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories:

Gen, M/M, Multi

Fandoms:

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

Relationships:

Shane Hollander & Original Female Character(s), Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Shane Hollander & Scott Hunter, Kip Grady/Scott Hunter

Characters:

Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Original Female Character(s), Scott Hunter, Kip Grady

Additional Tags:

Character Study, POV Shane Hollander, Social Media, Post-Book 2: Heated Rivalry (Game Changers), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Episode: s01e06 The Cottage (Heated Rivalry), Timeline What Timeline

Language:

English

Series:

Part 2 of shane and his lesbian cousin

Collections:

Prongs_Antlerz favourite hockey yaoi

Stats:

Published: 2025-12-22 Updated: 2026-02-04 Words: 5,427 Chapters: 5/?

shane hollander for lesbians

Summary

"I’m ready to come out as your cousin," Missy says over the phone, "There’s gotta be some lesbians following you, you’re butch as fuck."

"I don’t know what that means."

"I’m gonna send you some selfies, okay? I’ll even write the caption for you."

"My profile isn’t your dating app, Missy."

--

or: Shane Hollander comes out as an ally. For his gay cousin, of course.

Notes

unbetaed, i wrote this in one go and i barely looked it over so if there are any mistakes no there arent

i was an nhl fan when they made the pride nights official and stopped watching before the ban on pride tape, guess i subconsciously knew they would eventually disappoint me in that regard too. this fic borrows from the history of that mess but since scott hunter is gay and out and a stanley cup winner babyyyy things will be better here. i think

edit: this used to be titled “do it for her dot jpeg” i changed it back to the doc placeholder name that stuck

Chapter 1

It begins with a text from Missy.

can i have your game tape after 🫴

What are you talking about?

pride night, fool!!! ill be there

use the lesbian tape

for me

your favorite lesbian

You’re the only lesbian I know

that is SAD

Which brand is the lesbian tape?

you dunno…

i failed i should not be educating you but i failed :(

She sends him an image of horizontal stripes forming an orange to pink ombré with a white bar in the middle.

this is the lesbian flag

It’s pretty

right???? use ittttt

I don’t think we have that

tf you mean

I think we only have the rainbow tape

that’s IT?

Yeah

bro

bro

bro

does the league even know WHY they have “pride” nights

whos it all for!!!!!

To show our support for the gay community

not what i meant

fuck

i need to give you

like

assigned reading

or something

you wanna powerpoint presentation

Is the rainbow bad?

The text bubble appears. And then it disappears. It comes and goes, long enough for Shane to put his phone down. He’s seen the rainbow flag before, obviously. It’s the symbol for the gay community, which he supposes now includes him. Last season, the Eagles had used rainbow tape for the first time in league history. This season, every team has their own Pride Night with themed jerseys and themed tape. Shane has mixed feelings about it.

Not one designer had asked the players how they’d feel about wearing a jersey with a rainbow colored fleur-de-lis. And the tape? It’s Renfrew, he’s not putting it on his blade. Loose threads everywhere, he doesn’t know how Hayden swears by them. The man isn’t even sponsored.

But Missy is coming.

Shane sighs. Missy knows. He knows. She knows he knows. He knows she knows. Can’t knowing be enough? Now, it seems like the rainbow might be a bad idea after all. That stinks. Pride Night is meant for people like Missy. It’s meant for Scott Hunter. If Pride Night is meant for him and Ilya, he has a list of changes.

Boston had hosted their Pride Night last month. Ilya had gone without the tape too. He wore the rainbow jersey like everyone else during the game, fulfilling his obligation for the night. But the tape is a personal decision and Ilya is still a Russian citizen. He won’t ever go home, Ilya has vowed this, but maybe they can visit Saint Petersburg. Maybe visit the cities that shaped Ilya’s hockey, brought him to Regina, to Shane. 

His phone buzzes.

its acceptable

sorry i went down a rabbit hole i guess you guys are stuck with what you got

didnt find anything else representing the other flags only the rainbow

How many flags are there?

SO MANY

heres the bisexual flag

Missy sends him an image of three horizontal stripes: pink, purple, blue.

the pansexual one

Pink, yellow, blue.

trans

Blue, pink, white, pink, blue.

oh my god the bears missed an OPPORTUNITY

Brown, orange, yellow, tan, white, gray black. There is a bear paw on the top left corner.

What does this have to do with the gay community?

i cannot believe youre making me be the one to tell you

no

wikipedia im tapping you in

She sends a link.

Shane clicks on it.

Holy shit, Ilya has his own flag.

That’s a lot of flags

yeah

i guess it wouldve been a logistical nightmare or something

a lot to manufacture for just one night

idk i was kinda hoping that the players would just think oooo pretty and picked whatever

What would you use the lesbian tape for anyway?

Are you thinking of becoming a hockey player too?

oh HELL no

idk i wanted to brag ig

shane hollander for lesbians :)

I only know of two

And fuck Clarissa

i think you might know more than they let you know

but thanks anyway

For what?

for being someone i could tell

i will also accept the puck you score with

would get more on ebay

Wow

i kid i kid ;)

Hey, if you want to come to a game, let me know next time. I can save a ticket for you at the box office

nah its okay

appreciate it, but hockeys not my thing

i just know theres gonna be beautiful queer hopefully single and into bird biologists women out there :)

Wow.

Shane rotates his goal puck in his shorts pocket. A few more questions, a few more lame-ass, incendiary questions, and then he can go home. The Voyageurs had won, if only these people would care. 

“How has the theme of tonight affected your gameplay and how do you manage big distractions while focusing there on the ice?”

“I see a lot of fans out there with really colorful posters. I’m glad to know we have their support and that they know we support them. I don’t think that is a distraction.”

“Pride Night has come from the efforts of Scott Hunter who has become a gay activist for the league after coming out. Do you agree with the changes he’s been making to the game?”

“As far as I know, Scott Hunter hasn’t gone into the rule book.”

“Don’t you think he’s on a slippery slope—”

“It’s one night,” Shane says firmly. “It’s one game out of 82 and if my math is correct, that is 1% of the regular season and for playoff teams, even less than that. But if you think that’s shoving it in your face, then we’ll have to agree to disagree.”

Jesus Christ, none of these questions are about hockey. He doesn’t want this beat reporter in the locker room again, but pissing him off is not a good enough reason to end this man’s career. Missy wouldn’t have gone to this game if it weren’t for the theme. Missy wouldn’t have gone to one at all.

Shane doesn’t want to be here answering these questions, but he’s the best one to be doing it. Nobody on the team knows about him, or Ilya, or him and Ilya. They don’t know that it’s personal in more ways than one. He doesn’t want Missy to watch this either, to see how badly this joke of a reporter wants to lead him to an answer that would denounce her.

All those flags Missy had sent him. All those people sharing one night. Her efforts to show Shane what is out there and who is out there, to bring him into the fold of a community they both share. Missy expecting the league to have hockey tape with the colors of the lesbian flag because she’d assumed that if the league was hosting pride nights, they would know who pride had applied to. Logistical nightmare, she had said. Maybe. Maybe not. The tapes could’ve been donated. The tapes could’ve remained here for future Pride Nights. The tapes could’ve been included in raffle prizes. He could’ve given the tapes to Missy.

“Are you saying the League should have more Pride Nights in the season?”

“Every team is hosting one. I think Scott Hunter and the YCP have done fantastic work with their advocacy. As the captain of the Voyageurs, I’m proud to be a part of this and support my family. No further questions.”

shanes sexy back arch @shanesgirlsgirl
SUPPORT HIS FAMILY??? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN

shanes sexy back arch @shanesgirlsgirl
is he saying that somebody on the voyageurs is gay??? is he saying his family member is gay?? is he saying that the gay community is his family???

shayden #1 @showholelander
HE’S PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS #ShaneHollanderComingOutParty

get behind me scott hunter @admiralswim
dooooon’t make me laugh shane hollander gives the most pr answer to a shitty question and yall think he’s coming out as gay ? give me a stanley cup win kiss

shayden #1 @showholelander
“most pr” he mentioned his FAMILY!! he’s a private person he never does that the gay community obviously means something to him!!!

get behind me scott hunter @admiralswim
“private person” girl i know what his house looks like

Shane Hollander @ShaneHollanderHockeyPlayer
To clarify my comments from last game, someone who I had recently reconnected with is a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. I know Pride Night means a lot to her and I’m happy to show my support for her and her lifestyle.

shanes sexy back arch @shanesgirlsgirl
oh my god… 2 S L G B T Q I A AND THE PLUS AT THE END!!!! THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS

Chapter 2

Chapter Notes

After that, people text him. He replies to some.

Lily: You are so sexy when shutting up stupid reporter

Lily: If he is a better man, he would be on knees for you

Me: Are you a better man?

Incoming call from Lily.

Missy: HER AND HER LIFESTYLE

Missy: im crying i cant even

Me: You can’t even what?

Missy: I CANT EVEN!!!!

Missy: you wanna be straight passing

Missy: you wanna be straight passing sooooo bad

Me: Do I pass?

Me: Was it a good answer?

Missy: you included two-spirit it is IMPOSSIBLE to fail you

Me: I have some questions by the way.

Missy: 🚬

Missy: you may ask me one

Me: Smoking is bad for you

Missy: ITS NOT EVEN REAL BRO

Rose Landry: Oh My God, Shane!

Rose Landry: Huge!!!

Rose Landry: I’m SO proud of you

Me: It’s not a big deal.

Rose Landry: Yes, it is! She’s lucky to have you on her side. I’d love to meet her!

Me: Do you want to tell me something, Rose?

Rose Landry: HAHA

Mom: Shane, were you talking about our family?

Me: It’s not for me to tell, Mom

Mom: I just want to be supportive

Mom: We’re thinking of putting up a rainbow flag outside the house. Show the neighbors where we stand!

Me: That’s a bit much, isn’t it?

Mom: It’s okay! I had a phase in college too, but well, that was before your dad.

Mom: Does that count?

Me: MOM?!

Scott Hunter: Hey, do you want to get drinks after the game on Saturday?

Scott Hunter: I know a pretty good spot.

Me: Yeah, sure 

Me: Scott Hunter wants to go out together after our game

Incoming call from Lily.

Chapter End Notes

i need to cite my fucking sources (of inspiration).

bisexual yuna

shayden girlies in the last chapter

anyways happy christmas! i do have a family but thankfully i dont live with them so i get to write silly gay fanfic during this hour and any hours that i want! next chapter will come soon im already writing it lolololol

Chapter 3

Chapter Notes

happy ny this chapter kicked my ass and for what

Ilya is near inconsolable.

do not be having fun without me

you are not hostage you can say no anytime like right now

It would be rude

you are rude to me all the time 25 8 ((((

It’s 24/7

night is longer without you in slutty glasses

That was almost romantic of you

Boyfriend who say no to romantic sexy night do not deserve romance

I’m not saying no. I’m just postponing it

i should be priority!

you put geriatric scott hunter and his jailbait boyfriend over me???

I AM YOUR TOP

“Are you alright, Holls?”

Shane shoves the cause of his coughing attack into his coat pocket and clears his throat. Scott Hunter stands in front of him, freshly showered with a wet curl hanging over his eyes. Years ago, that might’ve done something for Shane. Now, his face feels hot for an entirely different reason. Dammit, Ilya.

His pocket buzzes again. Shane reaches in and switches his phone to silent. He won’t be able to get through tonight with Ilya calling for his attention.

A strong part of him wants to cancel the outing even now, but Hayden hadn’t cared about Shane leaving with the one out gay player in the league when he’d realized he’d have the hotel room to himself for a few hours. Besides, Shane doesn’t want to come off as a sore loser. The game had ended with a shootout loss. Shane got his, but so did Vaughnny and Scott—the latter with a fucking nasty spin before lifting a backhand into the let. Geriatric, Ilya said. Who had taught him that word?

“Yeah, I’m good,” Shane says as he follows Scott to the parking garage. “This place we’re going… Is it a club or a bar or…”

After Scott had won the Conn Smythe that fateful season, he’d invited a bunch of players to a gay club in Las Vegas. Shane doesn’t want to go to a club anywhere, but a gay club might actually kill him before his time.

“It’s a bar,” Scott answers, unlocking his car. It’s a sensible Honda CR-X. Shane’s mom drives one. “It’s called the Kingfisher. English pub-y. And uh, it’s a gay bar, if you’re cool with that.”

Shane buckles his seatbelt. Fuck, did he pause for too long before doing that? “Yeah, um, I’m cool with gay. Gay people, they’re like my family.”

Like his family. They are his family. Missy. And then him, he’s part of his family too. And Mom. Shane can’t wrap his mind around it, a time when his mom and dad weren’t in love. His mom with another woman. Is it genetic? Does he have gay ancestors?

Scott looks at him in a way that Shane struggles to decipher. Then he returns his eyes to the road before Shane can tell him to do that, making a turn once the red light becomes green.

“That’s real nice of you to say,” Scott replies. “I caught your post-game interview and then I saw your tweet. It means a lot to have another captain behind the initiative, you know? Yeah, there was a lot of pushback at the beginning, but I can’t believe all the teams are doing it. I honestly expected a small handful.”

Shane nods before remembering that Scott can’t see him. “Uh yeah, man. It’s not a big deal.”

But it is a small problem that is growing. As he goes through his readings, assigned by Missy, more things stick out in the locker room and on the ice. Shane is the captain of the Voyageurs and while he’s a self-proclaimed ally, he does not speak for the rest of his teammates. Scott Hunter kisses his boyfriend at center ice and his name becomes a curse, representative of sin, and Shane has aligned himself with the devil.

Shane needs to stop thinking like that. His parents didn’t even raise him under any particular religion. He had to ask Missy how to pray in front of the butsudan because he could survive her specific judgement, but no one else’s.

He follows Scott into the bar. First thing he notices is that it looks like a bar. It’s narrow with stools and booths along the opposite wall. There’s only one television to watch anything and it’s on coverage of the game they’d just played. The bartender gives them a wave, which Shane returns on instinct, before pointing his thumb to an occupied table at the other end.

“Thank you, Kyle,” Scott says, already on a beeline. He swoops in to kiss the man. “Hey, babe.”

“Hey, you,” the man replies with a pleased smile on his face.

They look into each other’s eyes.

They continue to look into each other’s eyes.

What is Shane doing here? He looks around and notices Chinese takeout on the table. Didn’t Scott say this was an English pub?

“Is that allowed?” he asks.

Both men turn to look at him.

Scott coughs. “Holls?”

“Sorry,” Shane says. He gestures. “That’s from a different establishment, right? Or does this place serve Chinese food too?”

“Oh my God, Hollsy.”

Scott’s boyfriend laughs. “I thought you were—oh, never mind. I’m Kip.” He extends a hand.

“Yeah, this is Kip. My boyfriend,” Scott needlessly introduces. His smile, too, is big and happy.

Shane shakes Kip’s hand. “Shane Hollander. I’m an ally.”

“Jesus Christ,” Scott says, ducking his head into his hand, which does not help Shane’s confidence. “He’s also the captain of the Voyageurs. Dude, sit down.”

Shane does as he’s told. Admittedly, he feels out of place here. There is no precedent in his life for how to behave in this scenario. Shane has met the WAGs of his teammates before—he was there when Hayden met Jackie at the club. Well, he has attended dinners at their house. Maybe he can take that and adjust it for this. Except Scott and his boyfriend, Kip, are not feeding him.

“Want an egg roll?”

“No thanks, it’s against my diet.”

Kip doesn’t know his nutrition plans like Jackie does. It’s not his fault. Do Scott and Kip have kids? Probably not, that would be big news. But at the same time, nobody knew Scott had a boyfriend at all. Shane definitely had no idea, but he didn’t know he was gay for a long time. Missy said he didn’t have a gaydar, whatever that was. Scott Hunter didn’t seem gay. Ilya hadn’t seem gay and then he started jerking off in front of Shane in the showers, and he still didn’t seem gay. How did Ilya know Shane had it in him to be gay?

“Are you alright, Shane?”

“Howlonghaveyoubeendating?” Shane clears his throat. “How long have you—did you meet here? At this gay bar.” The bar that is gay.

Kip snorts. “Not at the Kingfisher, no.”

“It took me a long time to step foot in this place,” Scott shares.

Kip takes Scott’s hand and holds it. Shane looks at their joined hands because they’re on the table for him to see.

“We actually met at a smoothie place,” Scott continues. “Four years ago.”

Four years, Shane thinks. From the beginning, he and Ilya have been together longer.

“Blueberry smoothie, extra banana,” Kip adds.

“Please don’t share my secrets.”

“Shane, as an ally, you are under oath to never reveal Scott’s smoothie order.”

“I wouldn’t,” Shane says, even though he wants to text Ilya immediately. It doesn’t even make sense as a flavor combination. His phone is warm in his pocket, he keeps holding it. Four years and Scott brought Kip down to the ice. Four years and Shane was sitting on Hayden’s couch, watching Ilya dedicate his cup win to his mama. They were barely anything back then, but Ilya was everything too, at the same time. “Four years.”

“Not the whole time,” Scott admits. “I said before that it took me forever to step foot into this place. And that made it hard.”

“It’s okay,” Kip says softly.

Scott shakes his head. “You’re being sweet, but no, it wasn’t. Nobody could know I was gay. I couldn’t even handle standing in the same room as Kip if it wasn’t at home. It was… bad.”

“But we’re here now,” Kip says.

“Yeah, we are.” Scott squeezes Kip’s hand. He makes a sound that is almost a laugh. “I can’t believe I’m in a gay bar with my boyfriend and Shane Hollander.”

“I also can’t believe that,” Shane says.

“Shut the fuck up.” Scott is grinning. “Ah, you’re not a teammate, you don’t have to be nice to me.”

“I’m Canadian?”

“Half my team is Canadian.” Scott rolls his eyes. “Oh shit, I invited you for drinks and we have no drinks.” 

“Ginger ale, please?”

“Sure, I’ll be right back.” He leaves them there at the booth.

The resulting silence isn’t awkward, because Kip is eating his Chinese food so there’s no expectation for Shane to talk.

“He’s hard on himself,” Kip says between bites, reminding Shane that people can choose to talk whenever they want. “He thinks that if he’d come out sooner, it would be better.”

“Are things not better now?”

“There’s a difference, I think, between Canadian kindness and being accepting.”

“Oh,” Shane says. He gets cold under his jacket.

“But I’m in the WAGAB chat. Wives and girlfriends and boyfriend, singular. And I’m on call for when Holly wants to attend a show with somebody who knows the difference between modernism, post-modernism, and post-post-modernism.”

“Yeah, one is after the other after the other, right?”

Kip laughs. “We take the wins we can get.”

Shane laughs too, sort of. Because it becomes less funny the more he thinks about it and he cannot stop thinking about it. In other words, Scott and Kip are saying that the Admirals aren’t fully accepting of Scott’s sexuality even though he’s their captain and being gay and good at hockey right in front of them. Shane wants to shake them, tell them to get a grip. Kip is just a regular guy who loves Scott Hunter. He’s no different from anybody else except Scott Hunter loves him back.

Being an ally is hard. It gets Shane so worked up and it’s not even about him.

Chapter 4

Chapter Notes

unbetaed. i told myself i was gonna update tonight so i did

get behind me scott hunter @admiralswim
why is shane hollander at the kingfisher right now

get behind me scott hunter @admiralswim
with huntsy and a very hot guy too

get behind me scott hunter @admiralswim
i pinched myself like five times but this man’s side profile does not lie

ash @scotthuntersveneers
isn’t the kingfisher… you know…

get behind me scott hunter @admiralswim
i can feel a new thought forming [shoots] not on my watch

ash @scotthuntersveneers
bitch share with the class

Hayden’s asleep. While Shane can go into the stairwell, he doesn’t want to get caught outside their room at one in the morning, which is why he’s sitting in the bathtub with his laptop on the toilet lid playing 10 Hours of Shower Sounds White Noise Relax and Be Calm. In the time he’d spent at the bar, Missy and Ilya texted him independently.

Missy: youve infiltrated my feed

Missy: im getting breakdown videos of the barons powerplay

Missy: and your growing mullet is giving people gender envy somehow

Lily: text me when you are back ok

Lily: i want to come to your face not conclusions

Shane texts Ilya first, his heart growing impossibly more fond at Ilya’s jealousy.

Me: Are you still awake?

Lily: you are alive!

Lily: good scott hunter and accomplice have not kidnapped you for sex dungeon

Lily: too bad i cannot save you now

Lily: you will swoon in my arms for different reasons later

Me: You have all these ideas about me and Scott Hunter. Where did they come from?

Ilya sends him a link. It says a lot.

He and Scott had not go unnoticed.

Shane’s stomach twist. He closes his eyes and lets the shower sounds wash over him. He was only grabbing a drink. It’s not strange and unusual for Shane to go out with another captain after a game. It’s not strange for him to meet that gay captain’s boyfriend either. It is, in fact, really okay. He’s shaking Scott’s hand without gloves on like Princess Diana.

Fuck.

Is that homophobic for him to think? Princess Diana did that to prove that gay people were actual people. It’d been huge in the 90s, but Scott doesn’t have AIDs. It would’ve been fine if he did—well, no it wouldn’t, it’s a pretty serious illness, but Shane doesn’t think Scott has AIDs. He looks pretty healthy. Healthy enough to clinch the win with his goal tonight. Shane shouldn’t have made that connection though. If he’s serious about his support, he cannot be using stereotypes like that.

It takes time to unlearn the stigma against gay people and to stop perpetuating it. This is what he wants to do. Being gay isn’t a big deal and being near gay people shouldn’t be either. Still, Shane hadn’t expected a play-by-play of his outing with Scott and Kip—and these assumptions.

These people seem to be Scott’s fans though. Does Shane also have fans who would be… fine? If he were gay? Missy is fine with it, as his gay cousin, but she’s not a fan of Shane Hollander the hockey player. Sometimes, Shane wishes hockey can be their thing too, like how Ilya shares it with Svetlana, but he understands why she wouldn’t care—most times. Ilya’s due to sign with the Centaurs after this season. She doesn’t know that his boy is Ilya, but maybe she would care then. It’s not Shane’s secret to share however.

Shane scrolls to read more. None of these tweets say anything about a sex dungeon. Before he can text back to ask what the hell Ilya is ever talking about, his phone rings.

“Shane,” Ilya purrs into his ear. “Why are you not—oh? You in shower?”

“I’m sitting in the bathtub.”

“Sitting—? Explain. Image I have in my brain looks very sad.”

“It’s a fake shower on my laptop. I’m sitting in the bathtub since Hayd’s asleep right now.”

“You are pretending to shower? Why not real one and you show me on Facetime?”

“Horn dog,” Shane says. “My phone isn’t waterproof.”

“You are millionaire who can buy new phone,” Ilya groans. “You promise me sexy times. I must tell news, Shane Hollander is lying liar who lies.”

He continues to lament in Shane’s ear about how big of a cockblock Shane is, how betrayed he feels, how Shane must be jailed for one million years. It’s his own version of poetry, a long-winded soliloquy. Shane puts his hand down his pants, feeling devious, and wanting to see how far he can go until Ilya gets a clue.

Not far.

After they’re properly satiated, and Shane properly cleaned up, he asks Ilya a question.

“Does it bother you? That I’m doing this ally stuff?”

Last summer, he had come up with a plan for them. They develop a charity together—which is still in the works because it’s more than just submitting an application with the CRA. Ilya signs with Ottawa. They retire and fade to obscurity. They marry. Ilya gets a Canadian passport. And then from there, if they want to make a public statement, long after their playing careers… They can do that. It can be a chapter in a Queer sports history book. That’s all they’d have to be.

This allyship plan is a new plan. It’s not going to replace their original plan, but it’ll run adjacent to it. It may influence the original plan. It may throw wrenches.

“Shane, when you call yourself ally, I must laugh,” Ilya says. “You are gay.”

“But we’re not telling people that,” Shane says. He makes a conscious effort to stop pulling at the loose elastic of his boxer briefs. “Some of the tweets were insinuating stuff. Like Scott and I might be dating.”

Ilya gags into his ear.

“His boyfriend was literally with us, Ilya. Nothing is happening.”

“You stand next to Scott Hunter and he hits you with gay beam,” Ilya says. “This is on Twitter so must be true.”

“Okay, so it bothers you more that Scott Hunter might’ve been the one to turn me gay.”

“MIGHT’VE?”

Shane groans. Every time Scott Hunter is mentioned, he feels that Ilya forgets how it had started. Which is ludicrous since he’s the one who had insisted to Shane’s parents, Summer before, when meeting them properly at their cottage.

“Can we be serious for a second?” Shane asks. “I’m basically telling the world that I’m okay with gay people while we’re trying to tell them that I’m okay with you too. It’s not going to screw things up, right? With Russia?”

And it’s something he should’ve talked with Ilya beforehand, but the post-interview after Pride Night had pissed him off and then they started a road trip and he hadn’t been able to discuss anything with Ilya properly with the different time-zones until now. And he could’ve had more time if he had just said no to Scott, but that had felt like a test he needed to pass. Now it’s nearly two in the morning for them both with him in New York and Ilya in Raleigh.

“Russia already screwed. Impossible to unscrew.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want you to be exiled from there.” When he finds himself thinking about Sochi and his attempts to talk to Ilya back then, Shane cringes. Missy had sent him a few websites on Queer history in Canada, but she wouldn’t think about Russia. Shane had went down a rabbit hole. He should care that the first Pride Parade was in the year his parents were born, but more importantly, llya could be prosecuted under the gay propaganda law just for wearing the Pride Night jersey. He hasn’t yet. But the possibility is always there if he comes back.

“You are fine. There is nothing for me there, Hollander.”

Not nothing. Shane closes his eyes. Not nothing.

“You are nice Canadian boy standing up for family,” Ilya continues. ”Russia does not care about you, but they understand that. Probably.”

“Okay,” Shane says. He takes a breath. “Would you want to meet my family? I mean, Missy?”

“Your lesbian cousin?”

“Yeah. She’s really cool and she wouldn’t spill and she’s teaching me all this stuff even though she doesn’t have to—”

“Shane. My lawnmower. You are rambling.”

“Did you just call me a lawnmower?”

“Your Russian improving,” Ilya says. “Sorry, I have early flight tomorrow. We talk later, okay? Good night.”

“Good night,” Shane says. And then, “I love you,” even though Ilya’s already hung up.

Before he turns off his laptop, Shane looks at the timeline of the video. 01:37:34. The longest pretend shower of his life and it brings him no clarity.

Chapter 5: interlude: ilya

Chapter Notes

this was scraps for chapter three before chapter three became shane's night out. it still feels underwritten ngl

Ilya has a problem.

It is one in the morning and he cannot stop replaying the last ten seconds of Shane’s controversial post-game interview. I am proud to be a part of this and support my family. I am proud to be a part of this and support my family. I am proud to be a part of this and support my family.

No further questions.

His hand in his pants. His dick half-hard about it. Shane shutting down the stupid reporter, fierce look in his eyes. Ilya wants Shane to put it on him even if Ilya has done nothing wrong. Shane is being sexy. Ilya would be in the mood if Shane’s words themselves weren’t making his guts twist. Hand at the base, no pleasure inside.

He knows the family Shane speaks of.

Missy.

Shane’s cousin.

Ilya has not met her. She is somehow more busy than hockey players. If Shane was not Shane, Ilya would call him a liar. A trickster. But he has seen pictures of her, like Shane, but without freckles. Like Shane, but with long, wavy hair. He watches her videos, sometimes, on Instagram. She is also fluent in the wolf bird’s call.

I am proud to be a part of this and support my family.

Does she know how lucky she is to have someone like Shane? She could have been a family secret—shh! But Shane puts on the rainbow jersey and uses the rainbow tape—Ilya cannot believe it! He imagines Shane using nail clippers on every loose thread he finds, littering the locker-room floor before it’s time to line up.

It’s actually driving Ilya crazy. No longer can he tease Shane about reading hockey books during his time off from hockey. Now Shane sends Ilya historical facts about people like them. Worst of all, he sends Ilya historical facts about people like Ilya. Shane’s trying to connect—Ilya understands that, but he doesn’t want to look back. He’s trying to fucking leave. There is nothing for him back there. He doesn’t want to know. He’s already lived it.

Ilya tosses his phone aside and removes his hand from his pants. Curling up over his body pillow, Ilya takes a bite and wishes he had gone for something cheap to tear into. 

There's shit he wants to tell Shane, but they don't translate well as texts. They don't translate well as English either. He has barely formed them in Russian, currently manifested as nebulous feelings of bleh and ugh and I don't like it. Why would he? Four games in the regular season, playoffs up to seeding. The time they have is short. Their homes a tiny pocket of the universe. If Ilya opens this door, woosh! Flood. 

Although at this rate, Shane might learn Russian just to deepen his understanding of Ilya's culture—supposedly. Ilya’s Russian culture is Sveta now. Irina dead. Grigori dead. Andrei blocked. Sonia’s trust fund will eventually face a paycut once Ilya signs with Ottawa. He hopes she’ll forgive him. It would not matter if she doesn’t. 

He has to laugh. Playing shit hockey to be two hours away from Shane Hollander. Ilya has done it before, but that was short lived. Had won the Cup before Shane achieved back to back wins. 

Ilya will just have to do it again. 

Chapter End Notes

i decided that ilya's niece was named sofiya, diminutive being sonia.