Rating:

Mature

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

M/M

Fandoms:

Heated Rivalry (TV), Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid, Game Changers | Heated Rivalry - All Media Types

Relationships:

Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Kip Grady/Scott Hunter, Kip Grady & Shane Hollander & Scott Hunter & Ilya Rozanov

Characters:

Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Scott Hunter (Game Changers), Kip Grady, Yuna Hollander, David Hollander

Additional Tags:

Coming Out, Yuna Hollander Finds Out About Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Protective Scott Hunter, Awkward Conversations, Fluff and Humor, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, no beta we die like men, Good Parents David Hollander/Yuna Hollander, Love Confessions, Mild Sexual Content

Language:

English

Series:

Part 2 of Seasoned Gay to the Rescue

Stats:

Published: 2026-03-03 Completed: 2026-03-08 Words: 10,398 Chapters: 3/3

Now That I Have You, I Won’t Let You Go

Summary

Scott fears the wrath of Yuna Hollander. He does not need that woman to end his life before he gets to share the rest of it with Kip. It also makes him feel more and more like a parent. Oh god, did he just adopt two baby gays? “Yes,” he can hear Kip’s voice in his head, “yes we did.” Scott doesn’t know if he wants to laugh or cry.
-
After helping Shane and Ilya confront their feelings, Scott sends them back to Ottawa to face their new reality and Shane's parents. Sequel to Lecture From a Seasoned Gay.

Notes

Right when I was about to post this the Ao3 black out hit T^T
Thank y'all so much for your support on the first one so I hope this lives up to sequel expectations!! <3

Chapter 1: Time to Go Home

“This will never work,” Ilya says, taking the oversized hoodie from Kip. It’s technically Scott’s hoodie and Ilya feels somewhat dwarfed in it but he won’t say that.

They’re standing in Scott’s apartment taking lessons from the barista on “how to blend in like a normal person without looking like a stereotypical guy who’s definitely up to something shady.” Which means no baseball caps and sunglasses.

“Yes,” Kip insists, “It will. The key is to dress completely opposite of how you normally would, look extremely exhausted from your day job-”

“My day job is hockey.”

Kip presses his lips into his customer service smile, “Yeah, but unless they follow hockey-”

“Most people do.”

“Rozanov,” Scott scolds, “Stop being a dick to my boyfriend.”

“I am not being a dick,” Ilya shoots back, “I do not understand how this sweatshirt will make me look like not famous hockey player. It has stain! Ugly stain! What is this from? Your mushy old man food?”

“Just trust me,” Kip urges and motions for Ilya to put it on. “I promise no one will recognize you.”

“Ilya,” Shane comes over, already in his carefully crafted disguise. A short sleeved shirt with a sweater vest, baggier khakis, and the glasses that Ilya loves to see him in. His hair is frizzier and more unkempt. “Just do it.”

Ilya stares at Shane for a long time saying absolutely nothing. Shane squirms under his gaze. “Yes, I believe you now.” Ilya snatches the hoodie and puts it on. “But my face is very handsome,” He continues, “I will be recognized.”

“Nothing that a shitty hairdo can’t fix,” Kip grins and Ilya scowls. He does not want Kip messing with his curls.

“It’s just until we get to Ottawa," Shane gently reaches for Ilya’s waist wrapping his arms around him. “And then…” He swallows hard, “and then…”

Scott resists the urge to comfort them, this was something they needed to work through together. He could say anything but if they lost their nerve, that was it.

Ilya presses his forehead to Shane’s and shuts his eyes. “It will be okay solnyshko.”

“Will it?” Shane asks softly and then pulls away, keeping his eyes on Ilya’s. “I want this to go well. We can’t get recognized at their airport. And when they pick us up, oh god.” Shane sinks to the floor, his hold on Ilya never releasing. “Oh god, this is… this is…”

Ilya drops to the floor with Shane and holds him tightly. “Shane. You are having panic attack. It will be okay. Look, I will let Kip touch my hair and wear shitty old man clothes for you.”

Shane’s eyes look so glossy that Scott isn’t sure if Shane’s doing it on purpose or if he just naturally looks that doe eyed with Ilya. Either way, Scott is 100% sure Ilya is never winning an argument that involves Shane making those eyes at him. He wonders how many times it’s actually happened.

They kiss and Scott shares a look with Kip that means they’re definitely thinking the same thing. Kip smiles at Scott while Ilya helps Shane back up off the floor.

“Okay,” Ilya breathes out, “Make my hair look shitty.”

-

Scott ends up walking Shane and Ilya to the gate and because for some reason he decided to buy a ticket to make sure they actually got on the plane.

Their disguises worked like a charm. TSA didn’t even take a second glance at their passports even though they clearly said Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov. Turns out Kip is magical with his ability to disguise people. Ilya’s even wearing glasses that make him look (objectively) less attractive and weirdly enough ages him down. In their current getups, they did look a bit like misplaced teenagers. And what was he? Their dad? Their fucking gay dad. Unintentionally.

Scott shivers and refocuses his thoughts. He pulls out his phone and texts Yuna another update.

Scott: I’m with him at the gate waiting for him to board.

Yuna: You’re with Shane? You didn’t just drop him off?

Scott: I bought a ticket to escort him.

Scott: I wanted to make sure he makes it home to you.

Yuna: Thank you. Keep me updated.

Scott: I will.

He fears the wrath of Yuna Hollander. He does not need that woman to end his life before he gets to share the rest of it with Kip. It also makes him feel more and more like a parent. Oh god, did he just adopt two baby gays? “Yes,” he can hear Kip’s voice in his head, “yes we did.” Scott doesn’t know if he wants to laugh or cry. But right now he wants to just make sure Shane and Ilya make it on the plane. Part of him is tempted to purchase a ticket right then and there and go with them but fuck that really make him feel like a chaperone. He does not need to give Ilya any more ammunition.

Scott is sandwiched between Shane and Ilya who are nothing but balls of anxiety. He glances at Ilya who's nervously fiddling with the straps on his backpack and bouncing his leg so hard it makes the whole bench bounce. He glances at Shane who’s chewing the hell out the straw in his drink. He wants to grab Ilya’s leg and snatch the straw from Shane’s mouth and tell them to calm the fuck down. But he won’t because he’s not a dick. And because more than anything, Scott understands the fear that’s taking them over.

Here, in public he can feel their nerves. They’re both so fucking scared and Scott wants nothing more than to sweep them both up in his arms and tell them that everything will be okay but… but then he’d be a hypocrite. Because he’s still in the closet too. He can’t even guarantee for himself and Kip that things will be okay. But he can try to make things a little better.

Shane and Ilya don’t have seats together to avoid unnecessary attention, and Scott might have purchased some seats to secure a mostly empty flight for them. He’ll never tell them that though. It’s a small gesture and he’s filthy rich so it’s fine. Kip thought it was a nice gesture. He watched as Scott paced around the room on his phone and panic bought almost the whole plane. At that point, maybe he should’ve gotten a private jet. But that would’ve caused too much publicity.

“Flight 2345 heading to Ottawa is boarding at Gate 15.” The announcer says. Scott watches both Shane and Ilya jump like they’ve been electrocuted. Good fucking lord, these kids are going to kill him.

“Okay,” Scott stands and turns to the pair who stand with him. “That’s you.”

Shane nods and his hands don’t stop fidgeting. Scott pulls him into a hug, “The flight is only an hour and a half,” he whispers to Shane, “try to relax a little. It’ll be over before you know it.”

Shane nods but Scott can tell he doesn’t believe him. “Thanks. For everything.”

“Of course.” Scott turns to Ilya and opens his arms. He doesn’t think Ilya will hug him so he’s genuinely shocked when Ilya actually moves forward and lets Scott wraps his arms around him. “Take care, kid.” He says.

Ilya just nods, “Goodbye Hunter.”

“Okay.” Scott pulls away but gives him a gentle squeeze. “Fly safe, both of you. Text me when you land. If not, I have your mother’s phone number.”

Ilya gives a short wave, “Okay grandpa.” He says it loud enough that a nearby old woman does a double take. He watches her attempt some mental gymnastics to figure out the math of how he could be anyone’s grandfather.

He watches them disappear into the plane before he texts Yuna.

Scott: They’re on the plane.

Yuna: They?

Oh fuck.

Scott: Shane.

Scott: Sorry, I forget that I don’t need to be discreet all the time.

He hopes the pronoun slip-up can be passed off.

Yuna: Thanks for letting me know.

-

The plane isn’t as much of a nightmare as Shane worried it would be. He was terrified for a multitude of reasons. One, he’s bringing Ilya home. Or meet his parents because his brain fucking broke and he needed Scott Hunter to come and save him. Two, he hates travelling. Not the destination or the hotels, the actual act of travelling. The seats are too small, his legs do fit quite right, it’s either too hot or too cold, the altitude makes his head feel thick, the noise is too much, and overall it’s a horrendous sensory experience that makes him want to sit in a quiet dark room for awhile.

But he’s got a blissfully empty row and can see Ilya’s form just across the aisle. Actually, the whole plane is basically empty which seems to confuse the staff. But he’s not going to complain. He notices that Ilya’s got an empty row too and he’s already stretched out.

The flight attendants do their announcement remarking on the empty plane and throwing in a few jokes about Ottawa being “busy” and no one wanting to leave New York. The jokes are… bad but they make some of the other travellers laugh.

They take off and Shane tries to relax. He’s pulled up the seat divider and leans against the window. He tries a breathing exercise he learned from yoga but it’s not doing him any good. All he can think about is how hard his heart is beating. How sweaty his hands are and how scared he is to face his parents. Fuck, was this a bad idea? He opens his eyes and looks towards Ilya who’s somehow managed to curl up in his seat. He can’t help but wonder if Ilya is just as terrified.

Ilya wants to sink into the seats and fall through the sky until he’s not scared anymore. He can’t believe he let Scott fucking Hunter hug him. He can’t believe he’s going to meet Shane’s parents. He can’t believe that he’s going to meet Shane’s parents and be out to them. As… as what? They are lovers, yes, but is he going to say that to the Hollanders? What if Shane says “friend” or "acquaintance?". His heart sinks. They said “I love you” already. Now that they’ve said it he doesn’t want to go back to what they were. Just fuck buddies… were they ever just that?

Not realizing that he’s doing it, Ilya searches his heart for an answer. He knows for certain he doesn’t want something casual with Shane. Not anymore. He wants more. Fuck, he wants so much more with Shane. Shane is his everything. He wants… he wants Shane’s forever. He doesn’t care that he’s being greedy.

Ilya sits up and turns his head to glance back at Shane and finds that Shane is looking at him. His expression tells Ilya exactly what he needs to know. They’re both scared. And they both want so much to run to each other. But they’re on a plane. In public. So they can’t. Ilya forces himself to tear his eyes away from Shane. He curls back up in the seat counting down the minutes.

Shane is going to have a fucking panic attack and he can’t do that here. He needs somewhere quiet and less stimulating but he’s trapped in a fucking metal tube being shot through the fucking sky and Ilya isn’t there to hold his hand. He squeezes his eyes shut hoping to block out more of the plane. Why couldn’t he have Scott’s hoodie? At least it would’ve helped-

Something heavy falls on his head and the darkness blots out the sun. And then he smells… Ilya? He freezes and opens his eyes. No one is there but when he looks up, Ilya isn’t in his seat. He’s walking past him towards the bathrooms, gesturing for Shane to pull the hood up. Fuck, he loves Ilya.

-

Yuna stares at Shane’s horrendous outfit as he walks out of baggage claim and into the pickup curb. Who dressed her baby? He was not in any of his branded clothes, his hair was unkept, and his reading glasses were on. What the hell did Scott Hunter do to him? She’s appalled. Shane looks like a completely different person. Not so different that she and David don’t immediately recognize their son, but still.

“Sweetheart,” She greets immediately, pulling him into a hug. She notices how he melts into her and buries his face into her shoulder. Oh, he’s going to cry. “Hey,” She whispers, recognizing that he’s on the verge of a breakdown. “It’s okay. I’m here. Dad’s here. Let’s go home.”

David has already popped the trunk and stowed Shane’s bag. “I already have food at home,” David smiles at his son.

Shane pulls away and nods, his head turning towards a stranger with a pulled up hoodie standing behind the. Yuna assumes he’s there waiting for his ride but he’s also standing a little too close to her child. This man does not need to be that close. Immediately she positions herself between him and Shane.

“Excuse me.” Yuna is polite enough to Ilya, clearly not realizing that it was him at first. “Sir, if you’re waiting for a taxi-”

“Mom,” Shane quickly cut in, “It’s fine.”

“It’s fine?” Yuna parroted incredulously, “Shane who-” She stops when she takes a good look. “Rozan-”

“Just get in!” He hisses and throws Ilya’s bag into the trunk.

Ilya lets himself be corralled into the backseat with Shane hurriedly slamming the door behind them.

Yuna exchanges a look with David and gets in the passenger seat so she can properly interrogate her son on why the fuck Ilya Rozanov is in her car.

She watches Shane tear off the sweater vest and almost throws it away in disgust. Ilya’s shedding the Under Armor hoodie and hands it to Shane who puts it on. He throws up the hood and sighs in relief. Yuna knows Under Armor does not sponsor Shane or Ilya, but they do sponsor Scott Hunter. She hopes no one managed to snap a picture of them because she does not want to deal with that PR nightmare.

It’s a two hour drive to the cottage so she knows they have a bit of time. But the silence in the car is deafening. David keeps tossing her concerned glances and looking at their passengers in the rearview mirror. No one says anything and for now, Yuna is okay with that. She can tell that Shane is overstimulated and buzzing with nervous energy. She has so many questions but now is not the time to ask them. Shane needs quiet and she doesn’t want to push him. He’ll talk when he’s ready.

She watches Shane and Ilya in the mirror. For once the Russian isn’t saying anything snarky or cocky and he looks… small. She doesn’t remember ever thinking that about Ilya and it bothers her. This is her son’s rival, his sworn enemy and he is just sitting in her backseat staying quiet and looking like a wounded animal. Yuna has so many questions. And then she notices.

Ilya Rozanov is holding Shane’s hand. Not just holding it either, their fingers are intertwined and Ilya’s thumb is gently rubbing Shane’s. It’s so familiar, and affectionate. She and David theorized that Shane was gay, of course they did. He never showed interest in girls and didn’t care to talk about the subject of dating. Hockey was his life. But this… was this a recent development? She thought Shane hated him. Clearly he doesn’t if they’re holding hands. For how long?

Her conversation with Scott Hunter pops back into her mind. How he reassured her that Shane was safe. She knew something happened. Did that mean… did Shane get outed with Ilya? Was there going to be a hailstorm of media backlash and homophobia coming for them? But that means…  Something strikes Yuna in the chest and a sense of dread fills her.

The realization hits her and she has to tear her eyes from the rearview mirror. Shane didn’t trust her or David to come out. She wasn’t safe. She’d made her baby feel so unsafe that he couldn’t say anything to her. She tries to blink away tears and suddenly there’s a hand in lap. She looks and sees David with his own misty eyes. He figured it out as well. Of course he did, the brilliant man. They don’t need words to say what they’re thinking so Yuna just takes her husband’s hand and holds it tightly. 

The rest of the drive is silent and somewhere after the first 45minutes, Shane and Ilya fall asleep. Ilya’s mouth is slightly open and Shane’s body has fallen sideways to rest in Ilya’s lap. Whether consciously or not, Ilya’s hand rests protectively on Shane’s shoulders while the other limply holds Shane’s hand.

Not wanting to wake them, Yuna speaks softly, keeping her eyes on the mirror for any indication that the pair might wake up. “When?” She asks.

“The All-Star game,” David immediately responds, “It has to be. They had so much chemistry I thought maybe Shane had developed a crush. They were on opposite teams but it looked like they were having so much fun playing against each other."

Yuna nods glad her own personal theory was confirmed. “But… why not tell us?” There’s a hint of desperation in her voice. “Did he think… did we not show him that he’s safe with us? Did we push him too hard?”

David reaches over and grabs her hand squeezing it gently, “I hope not. I hate the idea that he felt like he couldn’t. I never wanted him to think that we wouldn’t support him. No matter what.”

“I mean,” Yuna sucks in her breath, catching a glimpse of her own watery eyes and tears that will not fall. In that aspect, she knows she and Shane share the same eyes. Always holding back, always presenting in the face of emotion. “Maybe we should’ve dropped hints that we suspected that he was gay. So that he would’ve felt safer.”

David squeezes her hand again, “Maybe. But he’s here now. And we move forward.” For a second he takes his eyes off the road to smile at her. “So, what’s the plan?”

He knows her so well and Yuna feels her heart swell. She married a good man. “We go home and feed them,” She states, “let’s let them rest for tonight and tomorrow we talk.”

Chapter 2: Lovers to Boyfriends

Chapter Summary

“So…” Yuna tries to put the pieces together. “You’ve been in love all that time?”
“No, no, no!” Both Shane and Ilya laugh for a moment and then…
“Actually, yes,” Ilya says seriously.
And Shane turns to look at him, “Yes?” His heart is doing summersaults.
-
Shane and Ilya have dinner with the Hollanders and finally talk about their relationship.

Chapter Notes

Thank you all so much for the continued love!! It makes me heart so full! I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's got a lot of feels. <3

Yuna doesn’t feel like waking them when they arrive at her and David’s cottage. There’s no way she’s taking them to Shane’s cottage. She’s reasonable enough to give them some time, but she is not letting them out of her sight. They can retreat to Shane's cottage after they've had the chance to talk.

Yuna can’t remember the last time she saw Shane sleeping so peacefully. And in Ilya Rozanov’s arms no less. It still scares her, but she pushes that feeling aside. She needs Shane to see that his mom and dad are safe people. Tonight is not the night for interrogations. Tonight is for showing him (and Ilya) love and normalcy.

Shane jolts awake when the car door shuts. He’s created a little wet spot on Ilya’s pants and quickly wipes drool from his face. He looks at Ilya who’s got worry written on his face, but it softens when he meets Shane’s gaze.

“Hello,” he smiles.

Shane smiles back and whispers softly, “Hi.” Then he remembers where they are and anxiety seizes him like there’s no tomorrow. They’re in his parents car, and he’d fallen asleep on Ilya. In front of his parents. His parents, who don’t know that he’s gay (probably, definitely by now) and have no idea why he basically disappeared for three days in New York. And then came back with his rival without saying why. They’re going to kill him. He’s going to die.

“I’m gonna fucking die,” He whispers.

Ilya stiffens when he says it and takes Shane’s face into his hands. “No.” He locks his gaze with Shane’s, his eyes holding something so determined that it somehow grounds him. “You will not die. This is scary, yes? But you are brave. And I am here with you. You are not alone.”

Shane doesn’t have words but he nods and leans into Ilya’s hands. “I love you,” he mumbles softly. 

There’s a knock on the car windows and they look to see David. He waves at them, “Coming down?” I know you’re both tired but you can’t stay in the car. Come inside, I’m making spaghetti. Mom said she needs to run to the store. Unless you want to go with her?”

Sharing a quick glance with each other, Shane and Ilya slide out of the car. They throw a quick “thank you” to David who carries their bags inside.

Ilya sticks close to Shane. He wishes things were different and Shane was introducing him to David and Yuna like a normal couple instead of whatever this might become. He was hoping to walk in with Shane hand in hand with smiles and a lot less nerves. Or the appropriate amount of nerves. And not wearing Scott Hunter’s clothes because he didn’t pack any of his own. Part of him is a little impressed at Scott’s physique and how his clothes seem to make Ilya feel smaller. It’s… comforting but he will never say that and would rather drink gin than admit that to anyone but himself.

“You didn’t have to,” Shane tells David, attempting to reach for the backpacks.

David smiles and moves them out of Shane’s grasp, “I’m your father, of course I’m going to. Whether or not you ask.”

They enter the Hollander’s cottage and David is struck with the realization that he has no idea how to handle the bedroom situation. Does he offer Rozanov the guest room? Or does he automatically assume that they’re going to share Shane’s? He also doesn’t want to stand there in the hallway because what kind of message is that sending to his son?

David takes the risk and beelines for Shane’s room. “Be an ally.” He tells himself. Playing it cool (or as cool as he thinks he is), he nudges Shane’s door open and sets the backpacks down. Thank god they had the good sense to put a queen sized bed in Shane’s room when he was younger.

Shane wants to fling himself into the void when David just turns and smiles at them, stepping out of the way so they can enter Shane’s room. He’s too… nonchalant about everything, it makes him nervous. His hands are so sweaty that he swears they’re going to leave stains in Scott’s hoodie.

“Okay,” David smiles at them, “I’m going to start getting that pasta ready and mom will be back soon. Shower, relax, take a nap, or whatever. Um… Shane you can help Rozaov-”

“Ilya.”

“Sorry, Ilya. Where to find the towels and things.” He points at Ilya’s backpack, “I noticed it was light, did you bring a spare change of clothes?”

Ilya shakes his head.

David claps him on the back and nods, “Alright then. You look like you’re about the same size as Shane. After your shower you can wear some of his for now. I’m not sure how long you’d like to stay but I’ll have Yuna pick something up for you. You’re uh- who sponsors you?”

Ilya is at a loss for words and he looks to Shane for help. “Uh, Adidas.” Shane manages to squeak out.

“Okay, Adidas.” David nods and pulls out his phone and starts to text Yuna. “Let me know if you boys need anything.” And then he’s heading back towards the kitchen. “Oh!” He shouts back, “You don’t have to keep the door open if you don’t want to!”

And the panic attack hits. Shane sinks to the floor scrambling to hold onto anything that’ll ground him. Ilya grabs Shane’s hands and he latches on. “Focus,” Shane tries to instruct himself, “Breathe.” But he can’t. Everything is spinning and his breath is coming out too fast. His heart is going to fucking explode and he cannot fucking handle what’s happening.

“Shane,” Ilya whispers and pulls him close. He wraps his arms around him and takes one of Shane’s hands to place over his own chest. “Breath with me solnyshko. In and out.” He takes a deep breath letting Shane feel him. “Like this. With me.” He takes another breath and feels a spark of relief when Shane copies him.

When his breathing evens out, they sit on the floor of Shane’s room. “I think this is okay, yes?” Ilya asks softly.

“I don’t know,” Shane groans. “It’s… this is weird.” He looks up at Ilya noting the hurt on his face. “Not us.” He clarifies, “We are not weird. The weird part is… I didn’t think it was going to go like this. We haven’t even talked or anything.”

Ilya plays with Shane’s hand. “He did not offer a guest room.”

Shane shook his head, “He didn’t.”

“He knows we are…” He motions a hand between them not wanting to say any words. He wants to say boyfriend, but he doesn’t want to scare Shane by saying it. “Together?”

Shane nods slowly, “Maybe? Probably.”

Ilya raises his eyebrows at him.

“Fine, okay, yes. Definitely.” He groans and curls up into himself.

“Is okay,” Ilya whispers, “I am here with you. We um… we do boring plan. You’re always planning something. I can um… we shower, yes?”

“Not together,” Shane hisses, “Not here.”

Ilya nods seriously, “Not together. But we should. And I do not want to be in old man clothes anymore.”

“Me either,” Shane admits.

“Ah,” Ilya breaks out into a grin, “So you admit Hunter is an old man? I will tell him you said this.”

Shane laughs, “You’re an asshole.”

-

Dinner is ready an hour later with Shane and Ilya having showered. Shane had panicked and worn the blue shirt Yuna had bought him years ago. He wanted to show them that he was still their good son who didn’t lie… except that he had lied. He’d lied for years and now this might completely fuck everything up.

And Ilya is in Shane’s hoodie. It’s so soft and smells like Shane and Ilya wants to wrap himself in Shane’s clothing forever. He’s nervous about having dinner with the Hollanders. They’ve been nothing but kind to him, but he can sense Yuna’s protectiveness. He can’t really blame her either, he's an intruder in their home. He’s the rival they hate.

They shuffle into the kitchen feeling like children. “You think it’s too much?” They hear Yuna asking David. Shane’s heart clenches. They’re being too much? It strikes a certain chord of fear in him. The fear that he’s somehow a burden on his parents. That’s he’s not good enough and not living up to their expectations of him. Oh god, he’s failing them.

“Maybe,” David laughs a little, “But it’s sweet. I’m sure they’re-” He spots them standing in the hallway. “Hey!” He gestures to the already set table. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Uh-” Shane tries to explain but instead all that comes out is, “With meatballs?”

David smiles and places a bowl of parmesan cheese on the table. “Of course.”

Shane shuffles forward with Ilya trailing so close he’s almost stepping on the back of his heels. They sit opposite David and Yuna and Shane is shaking so badly that the serving spoon rattles in his hand.

“Shane?” Yuna asks softly.

“I-” Shane starts, his voice wobbling. He swallows hard and his voice steadies although his eyes remain wet. “I’m sorry.”

“Shane,” Yuna leans forward, “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything. Not tonight.”

“No,” Shane insists, he’s on the verge of a panic attack but he can’t stop now. He needs to get everything out or he’s going to burst. “I don’t want to wait. I can’t.” He looks at Ilya who reaches out and places a hand on his shoulder. Shane leans into it, glad for his presence.

Yuna and David remain silent waiting for him to continue.

Shane takes a deep breath. “I’m gay. I like Ilya. A lot. I-” He looks at Ilya and says, “I love him.” He looks to his parents prepared for the looks of disappointment that he isn’t the straight son they thought he was. Instead, he’s met with sympathy. David gives him a small encouraging nod.

“That’s um… we’re…” Shane rubs his thumb against his eyes pushing tears away. He’s not going to let them fall.

“Lovers.” Ilya provides, proud of himself for the word choice.

“No Ilya,” Shane whispers, “That’s gross.”

“Oh.” Ilya mumbles and then adds, “Why is that gross? I am saying that we are in love.”

“I’ll tell you later,” Shane replies. To his parents he almost begs, “Can someone say something?”

“So you’re in love?” Yuna asks, hoping her tone doesn’t sound judgmental. It’s the last thing she wants Shane to think. 

“Yeah,” Shane nods, sinking lower into his seat.

“And you?” David asks looking at Ilya, “You have quite the reputation as being a ladies man.”

Ilya shrugs, “Is not untrue. I have been with many women but I have only ever been in love with one person.”

Shane smiles a little at that, “Same here. Only one.”

“Was it during the All Star game?” David asks. “Because you both had some serious chemistry at the All Star game. I know it was East vs West but on the ice, you both looked like you were having so much fun together. I thought maybe you developed a crush.”

“What?” Shane’s face starts turning red. “Did you think- you- me gay?”

“Oh honey,” Yuna says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, “We had our suspicions of course. But we wanted you to be the one to figure it out.”

“Yeah,” David explains, “We thought that maybe your rivalry with Ilya might be… well…” He glances at his wife and then sighs. “Like how little boys pull pigtails on the playground to get a girl’s attention.”

Ilya looks thoroughly confused. “I do not understand this.”

“It’s like saying that someone isn’t sure what to do with their feelings so they react in… unconventional ways that seem antagonistic.” David tries to explain.

“That is odd.” Ilya states. “But no, it was not the All Star game.”

“So when?” Yuna asks.

Shane glances at Ilya, “Since our rookie season.”

“Since your rookie season!?” Yuna exclaims. She wasn’t expecting that at all.

“No, is not true.” Ilya corrects, “The summer before.”

“Not helpful,” Shane whispers.

“So…” Yuna tries to put the pieces together. “You’ve been in love all that time?”

“No, no, no!” Both Shane and Ilya laugh for a moment and then…

“Actually, yes,” Ilya says seriously.

And Shane turns to look at him, “Yes?” His heart is doing summersaults.

Ilya nods, “Yes. I might not know, but my heart did. When I saw you for the first time. I think about you all the time.”

Shane’s face brightens and he smiles, “I love you.”

“Ya tebya lyublyu.”

There’s a sniffle from Yuna, her eyes misty. “Since their rookie season.”

“The summer before,” David adds fondly.

Yuna clears her throat and gestures to the uneaten food, “Please. Eat.” She watches with a swell of love in her heart as Ilya takes Shane’s plate and piles scoops on pasta until Shane tells him to stop. There is something else weighing on her, but for now she’s content to let them eat.

-

After dinner, Shane and Ilya help to do dishes. They’re about to retire to Shane’s room when Yuna stops them. “Shane,” She calls, “Let Ilya relax for a while. Dad and I want to talk to you.”

Shane gives a nervous look towards Ilya before nodding. Ilya gives him a light kiss on the cheek before disappearing into Shane’s room.

“Come sit,” Yuna instructs, guiding her son to the couch. David grabs a ginger ale from the fridge and hands it to him. They sit opposite Shane.

Shane shifts uncomfortably. “What’s this about?” His voice wobbles. “Is this about me being gay? Because if it is, I promise I tried. I’m really sorry.” He won’t make eye contact and his hands clench into his shirt.

Yuna gasps softly and immediately gets up to hug him. “Baby no. This has nothing to do with you being gay.”

Shane shakes his head, the tears finally spilling. “I really tried to like girls. I tried really hard. I just… I can’t help it.”

“Look at me,” Yuna orders, “Shane look at me. Look at me.”

Yuna’s heart breaks when he finally does. There’s so much pain in his eyes, so much fear and she’s the one who put it there. David gets up as well and wraps his arms around Shane.

“We love you so much,” Yuna insists, “We are so proud of you. All of you. You don’t need to be sorry for anything.”

“Nothing you can do will ever change our love for you, Shane.” David squeezes him. “We love you. I love you.”

“I’m sorry that you felt like you couldn’t come to us,” Yuna apologizes.

“We’ll do better,” David assures.

Shane cries a bit louder and leans into his parents letting them envelop him.

When the tears are done, Yuna knows she needs to ask the harder questions. They pull back and Yuna wipes his tears. “Okay,” she says. Drink ginger ale, because we still need to talk about something else.”

Shane nods and opens the can. The cold drink does wonders to soothe him.

“Is this about Ilya?” He asks.

“No, honey.” Yuna assures him. She glances at David and then asks. “Why were you at Scott Hunter’s house?”

Shane chokes on his ginger ale.

“Because,” Yuna continues, “He told me he wanted to introduce you to his boyfriend.”

“Yeah,” Shane gulps down water, “He um, he’s gay too.”

“I gathered,” Yuna agreed. “But that’s not why I’m asking. Shane, you sounded like you were going to cry on the phone. And when I asked you to put Scott Hunter on, he also kept reiterating to me that you were safe.”

“Did you… come out to him?” David ventures to try and piece together a scenario. “Or were you outed?”

Shane shakes his head wondering just how much he can omit without telling his parents that he had sex with Ilya, it made them feel like shit after, and he crashed so hard that Scott Hunter noticed.

“I was just having a really bad day,” Shane explains, hoping it suffices, “And Scott noticed. So he tried to cheer me up.”

Yuna doesn’t believe it for one second. “Shane.”

“Mom.”

David tries, “Shane. You sounded very distressed on the phone. We know it’s not because you were having a bad day. We know what your bad days look like.”

“We’re not trying to force you to talk to us,” Yuna said gently, “But if you were hurt on that shoot we need to know.”

“And why did Ilya come back home with you? Shouldn’t he be in Moscow?” David added.

Shane chewed his bottom lip, his hands starting to fidget with his shirt.

“Shane?” Yuna’s voice softened even more which did not help the tears that sprang up. “Honey, did something happen?”

Shane shook his head vigorously, “I thought Ilya broke up with me.” It wasn’t the truth but it was the semblance of it.

“And how does Scott Hunter fit into the picture?” Yuna still sounds skeptical but if Shane can give enough details for her to be satisfied, maybe it will be okay.

“He noticed that I was in a bad mood and tried to cheer me up,” Shane is slow and deliberate when he talks, he needs her to believe this.

Yuna presses her lips together sharing a look with David. And Shane knows that she knows he’s hiding something. But he can’t say, doesn’t want to say. Because that’s just fucking embarrassing.

“Shane,” David reaches out and takes Shane’s shaking hands away from his shirt. “Whatever it really is, we won’t judge you for it. We’re your parents. We love you no matter what.”

Shane just nods but he can’t look at them. “That part’s true,” Shane finally admits, “I thought Ilya didn’t want to be with me anymore. I just… kept spiraling about it. I felt like shit and I couldn’t function. And Scott noticed but he thought…” Shane swallows hard, “He thought something bad happened to me. So he took me back to his apartment and sort of… came out to me. I don’t think he meant to but he’s living with his boyfriends so he wanted to know if I’d be cool with it.”

“Oh honey,” Yuna adds her hands to David’s, still holding their son. “I’m sorry you felt like you couldn’t come to us.”

Shane shook his head, “I… I didn’t know how. I thought this would blow over but it didn’t.”

“Blow over?” Yuna’s voice is still gentle, “Were you feeling like that for a while?”

Shane nods slowly, “Since the awards in Vegas.”

“Since Vegas!?” David is alarmed. “You’ve been suffering all that time?”

“It’s fine now,” Shane insists, “Scott was going to call you but then he figured out why I was…” He does not want to say ‘dropping’ in front of his parents. “Upset,” he decides. “And then he called Ilya and forced us to talk.”

“Oh, so Ilya was still in Boston.” Yuna concludes.

“No,” Shane corrects, “He was in Moscow.”

David and Yuna both freeze. “He flew from Moscow to New York?”

Shane nods.

Yuna’s eyes prickle and a very small smile graces her lips, “He dropped everything and flew from Moscow to New York, for you.” Again he nods, feeling his heart swell. Yuna pulls him into a hug and kisses his hair. “You should invite Scott Hunter and his boyfriend to come visit.” Yuna finally says, “We need to thank him properly.”

“I can text and ask,” Shane agrees, already planning in his head. He needs to make sure Scott and Kip stick to his version of the story before they accidentally spill to his parents the real reason. “But I don’t know about their schedules or anything like that.”

“Well just ask,” David rubs Shane’s back. “You’ll both be here for the summer anyway.”

Both… Shane didn’t consider the idea that Ilya would be going back to Russia. How long could he stay? He wants forever, but he can’t ask that.

Luckily, David picks up on this and says, “Let’s not think about that right now. It’s late, you should sleep. You’ve had a long few days.” Shane gives his parents one last hug before shuffling into his room.

Ilya is sitting on Shane’s bed, anxiously waiting for him to come back. “What did they want to talk about?” He asks making room for Shane.

“Why I was at Scott Hunter’s place and why you came home with me.” Shane pulls back the covers and slides in with Ilya.

“Did you tell them?”

“Sort of.” They lie down and Shane wastes no time turning himself into Ilya’s little spoon. His arms wrap around Shane holding him close. His nose is buried in the cook of his neck and Ilya can’t help but place a small kiss to his shoulder scar.

“What is sort of?”

“I told them that I thought we… broke up.” The words sit heavy on his tongue and Ilya stiffens against his back. Broken up implies that they were a couple to begin with and it make's Ilya's heart clench. Because they weren't and yet it felt like they were.

Shane continues, “And that I was so upset that Scott Hunter tried to cheer me up.”

“I’m sorry,” Ilya mumbles.

“Don’t be,” Shane replies, tangling their fingers together. “It wasn’t fair of me to assume. Before then it was just sex. And texting.”

“And sexting.” Ilya teases.

Shane grins, “Yeah. And sexting.”

Ilya pulls Shane in as close as he can get them. He wants to melt into Shane’s body.

“You said yes earlier,” Shane whispers after a moment of silence. He flips over to face Ilya.

“What?”

“Earlier, at dinner.” Shane clarifies, “When my mom asked if we’ve been in love since the beginning. You said yes.”

Ilya swallows and nods carefully. His stomach is twisting with anxiety. “I don’t want you to think I’m pathetic.” He says instead of answering.

Shane places a gentle hand on his face. “I would never think that about you.”

“Good.” His voice croaks trying to hold back emotion.

“Can I ask when you knew?” Shane looks at him like he’s made of stars.

Ilya can’t look at Shane, he doesn’t want to see his reaction. “The first time we had sex at your condo,” he says, “Afterwards. You kissed me.” He lifts a hand and presses it to his lips remembering the moment. “And here.” He taps his forehead. Ilya’s voice cracks and he’s glad his eyes are closed because he knew if they were open he’d let the tears fall. “I knew it then. I knew that I loved you.”

“Ilya,” Shane whispers and there is so much love in his voice that Ilya can’t help but look at him. The tears fall and blur his vision. “I love you.” Shane kisses him softly. “I love you so much. Oh my god, I love you.”

“Ya tebya lyublyu.” Ilya lets himself cry and Shane holds him tightly. And then, “I want to be your boyfriend.”

Shane’s head jerks upwards trying to look at Ilya. In an instant he sees the flash of fear in Ilya’s eyes. He just put his soul on the line and he’s afraid of Shane’s rejection.

“I mean-” He starts but Shane isn’t going to let him take it back.

“I want to be your boyfriend too.”

Ilya cries for what feels like the hundredth time, “We are boyfriends, yes?”

“Yeah,” Shane laughs lightly and kisses him. “Yeah, we’re boyfriends.”

Bonus Scene:

Scott keeps glancing at his phone so much that Kip finally puts his book down and stares at Scott until he breaks.

“What?” Scott asks.

“You’re staring at your phone. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing." Scott says and then looks at Kip wondering if his eyes are coming off the same way that Shane's does when he wants something. "What if we took a vacation?”

“We? Together?”

“Yes.”

Kip gives him an all knowing look. “Is this proposed vacation to Ottawa to see two closeted hockey players?”

“...you said it, not me.”

Chapter End Notes

I promise, Scott and Kip are coming back in the next chapter!

Chapter 3: BBQ at the Hollanders

Chapter Summary

“Did you talk to Scott Hunter and Kip?” Yuna asks when Shane finally puts his phone down.
“Yeah,” His brow furrows in confusion. “They’re um… they’re already in Ottawa.”
Yuna raises an eyebrow. “They are?”
David frowns, “I thought they were in New York.”
“They were.” Shane replies, starting to help himself to pancakes. “Scott said they were inspired to take a vacation.”
-
The Hollanders invite Scott and Kip to their cottage for a family barbeque.

Chapter Notes

Last chapter y'all! Also, I'm fully aware that I'm fucking with the timelines here, so just imagine that Scott and Kip meet a few years earlier than they were supposed to. Enjoy!

The next morning brought a new light to the Hollander household. And it’s breakfast when Ilya feels like crying again. Shane sits at the table texting Scott Hunter chewing on one of his hoodie strings.

“Ilya,” Yuna says, handing him a rather large paper shopping bag. “These are for you. I think I can speak for all of us when we say that we hope you stay for the summer. Or longer if you’d like.”

Ilya takes the bag confused, “What is this?” He sets the bag on the table and opens it. His heart swells when he realizes what it is. It’s a shopping bag full of clothes. Some are casual and meant to be worn around the house, but the others are all in his appropriate sponsored brands. And even a pair of brand new Nike sneakers. “This-” Ilya hates how his voice cracks. “I can’t accept this.”

“You can and you will,” Yuna orders. “And that’s that mister. Understand me?”

Ilya nods voice thick with emotion, “Thank you.”

“Good.” Yuna smiles, satisfied.

“Pancakes,” David announces carrying over a stack of stunningly beautiful blueberry pancakes. Ilya’s mouth waters when a plate is set in front of him. With a slab of butter and drowning in syrup, Ilya feels a pang of emotion. The last time someone made him breakfast or ate with family was back when his mother was still alive. That had been so long ago he’d forgotten what it felt like to be loved. So he savors the moment and the way the sickeningly sweet pancakes make his mouth water and his jaw hurt.

“Did you talk to Scott Hunter and Kip?” Yuna asks when Shane finally puts his phone down.

“Yeah,” His brow furrows in confusion. “They’re um… they’re already in Ottawa.”

Yuna raises an eyebrow. “They are?”

David frowns, “I thought they were in New York.”

“They were.” Shane replies, starting to help himself to pancakes. “Scott said they were inspired to take a vacation.”

Ilya suspects it was more than that but he’s too content to keep shoveling pancakes in his mouth to say anything.

“Well did you invite them over?” Yuna presses.

Shane nods, “Yeah. I did.”

“And?” She continues.

“Oh, they said yes.”

“Shane,” Yuna scolds lightly, “Details, please.”

“Uh, they’re here for two weeks.” Shane fills in reading from his phone, “So whenever.”

“How about tonight?” David asks, looking around for table consensus. “I can head into town, grab some nice steaks? Good beer, Russian vodka, of course. We can barbecue!”

Yuna smiles and nods, “I like the sound of that. Shane?”

Shane nods and glances at Ilya who smiles with his mouth full. “Sure,” Shane agrees and texts Scott.

Shane: Hey, my parents want to know if you and Kip want to come over tonight? For bbq.

Scott: Yes. What time?

Shane: My dad says 6pm?

Scott: We’ll be there.

-

After Yuna and David leave, Shane and Ilya depart for Shane’s cottage. Ilya can’t help the excitement when he walks in for the first time. He’s always wanted to see Shane’s house. Especially after he saw Shane doing yoga on TV.

Shane is rambling on about water and Ilya turns to look at him. He doesn’t want to talk about water, he wants to talk about them. Or have sex with Shane. It’s probably the longest they’ve gone without touching each other and Ilya is hungry.

“Shane,” Ilya drags out his name sauntering forward.

“Ilya.” Shane smiles letting himself be backed into the glass. 

They’re nose to nose and Ilya tips Shane’s chin up and kisses him, his hand gripping his jaw. Shane moans into the kiss, looping his fingers into Ilya’s new sweatpants and pulls him close. He can still taste pancakes in his boyfriend’s mouth. “Boyfriend,” Shane thinks giddily, “Ilya is my boyfriend.”

Shane breaks their kiss and pulls Ilya towards the couch. Ilya follows after him, a bright and lovestruck smile on his face. They fall into the cushions kissing and grabbing at each other's sloths desperate to shed them. Shane whimpers when Ilya grinds down on him, thrusting up to gain more friction.

“Il-Ilya.” He throws his head back relishing in the pleasure of Ilya kissing his neck. Everything is buzzing and he’s embarrassingly hard. If Ilya keeps going he’s going to- “W-wait, hold on.”

Ilya stops and pulls away slightly. “Everything okay?”

Shane nods and blushes. “I was um… it was…”

A grin splits Ilya’s face. “Were you going to come in your pants?”

His face goes redder. “Fuck you.”

Ilya kisses him gently, “We can if you want.”

Shane cocks his head slightly. “You want to bottom?”

Ilya shrugs, “Is not my favorite, but if you want to.”

For a moment Shane thinks about it and then shakes his head. “Not today. Or maybe later. I don’t know. I just really want you right now.”

They go back to kissing until Shane speaks again. “What if you stay?”

“Stay?” Ilya asks, nipping at his boyfriend’s neck. “Stay here?”

“Y-yeah.” He stutters through a gasp. “Do you have to go back to Russia?”

For some reason, Ilya never considered that before. He doesn’t have to but it’s what he does. He pulls away from Shane but props himself up on his elbows. Shane places his hands on Ilya’s arms looking up at him. “I can stay?” Ilya asks.

Shane nods, “Of course. I would… I would like it if you stayed. Here. With me.”

“Can I stay for the whole summer?” Ilya blurts out before he loses the nerve.

Shane’s face breaks out into a smile and he steps forward taking Ilya into his arms. “Yes, stay. Please.”

Ilya smiles and backs Shane into the glass. “Good. Then I will stay.” He attacks Shane in kisses, drinking in his laughs.

“I love you,” Shane gasps out, never tiring of saying it.

“I love you too,” Ilya kisses Shane again, slipping his tongue into his mouth. He keeps kissing until Shane is practically writing beneath him. “Can I touch your dick now please?” He asks.

Shane laughs, “Please.”

-

Yuna does not know what someone is supposed to do when someone comes out. But she needs to show her support without explicitly saying “I know you’re gay and it’s okay.” She finds herself in the bakery section of the store.

She and Shane weren’t the biggest fans of cake or overly sweet things in general, but everyone else might be. Ilya for sure based on the way he enjoyed breakfast, and David certainly would. Scott and Kip might enjoy a cake. Anyway, it was the gesture that she needed.

Delightfully, there was a rainbow cake already made so without a second thought she grabs it and sticks it in the cart.

“I found this,” David says, coming up behind her carrying a bottle of vodka with the name written in Russian. “According to the internet it’s a good one.” He peers into the cart when he puts the bottle down and holds up a case of beer with a rainbow on it.

“Great minds,” Yuna laughs.

“What else are we missing?” David asks, looking down into the cart. They’ve definitely gone a little overboard on ingredients but having leftovers isn’t a bad thing.

Yuna checks her list. “That’s everything.”

They check out, pack the car and start heading back to their cottage.

“Gaydar,” David suddenly says, turning down the volume of the music.

“What?” Yuna looks at her husband.

David smiles, proud of himself. “I remembered hearing someone say it once. It’s like when gay people can sense one another. Gay-radar. Gaydar. I’m betting that’s how Scott Hunter knew something was wrong with Shane. He probably sensed that he and Ilya were broken up.”

Yuna has no idea if that’s even accurate but she’s not well versed enough to say. “I suppose so?” She replies. “Do you think that’s how Shane and Ilya started? They used gaydar?”

“I want to ask,” David admits, “But I don’t want to embarrass them.”

Yuna laughs, “I think maybe we can wait to ask that.”

-

“Are you sure I look okay?” Scott asks, once again fixing his hair in the car’s window reflection. They’re parked in the Hollander’s driveway. Kip carries a nice bottle of wine and maybe they’re a little overdressed for the occasion. Well, Scott is. He wants to make a good impression.

“You look fine,” Kip reassures for the millionth time, “It’s just a barbecue.”

“We’re meeting the Hollanders.”

“Our co-parents?” Kip teases and Scott groans. “You’re the one who said ‘our children’ earlier.”

Scott laments, “I regret saying that to you.”

Kip laughs, “No you don’t.” He sets the wine on the hood of the car and takes Scott’s hands in his own. “You look fine. Your hair is very fine, and we are going to go knock on the door now. Okay?” He picks up the wine in one hand and holds Scott’s with the other.

“I love you,” Scott can’t help himself.

Kip smiles, “I love you too.”

They make their way up to the driveway when the door is automatically opened by Yuna Hollander. She gives them a polite smile.

“So,” Yuna says and Scott can feel her sizing him up. “You’re the adult in this situation?”

Scott swallows hard feeling like he’s about to be scolded for doing something wrong. He wants to say “No, I’m not the adult. I’m so sorry, please don’t put me in time-out.” But that’s ridiculous so instead he says, “I do my best, ma’am.”

Her gaze softens, “Shane told us what happened. Thank you for being there for him. For both of them.” She looks at Kip and her face brightens, “Hi! You must be Kip.”

Kip beams at her, “Hi Mrs. Hollander. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Oh,” Yuna laughs, “Call me Yuna.”

“We brought wine,” Kips smiles and holds up the bottle.

“Wonderful! You can put the wine in the cooler. We’re just in the backyard.” Yuna claps her hands together and ushers them through the house and into the backyard. “So Kip, have you ever been to Canada before?”

Kip’s hand still holds Scott’s as they follow Yuna. “Uh, no. My first time. And from what I’ve seen so far, it’s pretty amazing. Not that we’ve done much yet. But I love art history so I’m excited to go to all the museums.”

“Oh you are going to love them!” Yuna gushes. “David! Look who’s here!”

David closes the grill and walks over hand already out to shake Kip and Scott’s hands. “Hey, I’m David. Shane’s dad.”

Scott lets go of Kip to shake David’s hand. “Hi, how’s it going?”

“Pretty good, pretty good. I hope you like steaks!”

“Love them.” Scott grins. He notices Shane and Ilya playing soccer in the grass. It’s Shane who notices first and stops their game to jog over. He looks brighter, healthier, and much lighter than before. His face is beaming with life that makes Scott’s heart warm. Even seeing Ilya with a small bounce in his step and a more relaxed expression makes him glad he intervened when he did.

“Oh look Shane,” Ilya chirps, “The meteor missed one!”

Scott rolls his eyes and bites back a “Fuck you, Rozanov.” He’s not sure about Yuna or David’s stance on swearing but he’s not about to start now. Instead he calls back, “Ever the comedian, Rozanov.”

Scott claps Shane on the back when he reaches them. “Good to see you, kid.”

“Hi Shane,” Kip sidles up with a hug.

Shane is all smiles, “Good to see you both too.”

“Aww,” Ilya fake pouts, “Aren’t you happy to see me too?”

Kip lets go of Shane and hugs Ilya. “Of course, we’re happy to see you.”

“Sure.” Scott answers good-naturedly but gives Ilya a genuine smile to show that he actually means it.

“Beer?” David asks cracking open a six-pack.

“Yes please,” Scott smiles and takes two and passes one to Kip.

Kip sips, “Woah! This is great, I’ve never had Canadian beer before.” Scott takes a sip of his own. It is pretty good.

“Hey Ilya,” David opens the cooler and starts scooping ice into glasses, “Come check out this vodka I got.”

Scott watches in amazement as Ilya gravitates to David’s side. He’s getting excited about vodka and David is treating Ilya like he’s always been a part of their lives. It’s an incredible scene to watch and there’s a part of him that longs for his parents.

He never stopped grieving them, and most days have become easier but today is a day when he wishes they were around. Watching the Hollanders interact with Ilya and Kip… he wonders if his own parents would’ve loved Kip as much as David and Yuna seem to love Ilya.

“Scott,” Yuna touches his arm gently and he turns to her. “Forgive me if these are invasive questions, but I gotta ask.”

“Sure,” Scott says.

“How long have you and Kip been together?”

Scott smiles, “Only a few months.”

“What!?” Shane and Ilya both turn to look at Scott and Kip.

“Yeah,” Kip nods, “I thought you knew that?”

“How? I thought you’ve been together for years!” Shane exclaims.

Kip smiles and walks over to slide his arm around Scott’s waist. “I guess it does seem like that.”

“But-” Ilya’s mouth is open in shock. “Shane and I have been lov- seeing each other for years. You two are already living together?” Was that jealousy Scott was detecting?

“I uh,” Scott laughs, reciprocating and wrapping his own arm around Kip. “I fell in love. And I knew that I didn’t want to let him go.”

Kip leans into Scott, “And I love him too. You know, after our first date he asked me to move in with him.”

Ilya laughs at that and Scott blushes. He nudges Kip, “Hey, you said yes.”

“Yeah,” Kip looks up at him fondly, “Yeah I did.”

“Sometimes,” Scott says, getting lost in Kip’s eyes, “It just takes a small leap of faith to change everything.” He does realize that everyone’s gone silent until he looks back at the group. Shane and Yuna have wet eyes, David looks like he wants to hug them, and Ilya… Ilya is looking down into his vodka glass.

“You change things,” Ilya says loudly but not looking up, “For me. For us. I think… I would not have understood how much I love Shane if you hadn’t called.” His voice cracks a little towards the end.

“Ilya,” Shane whispers and immediately goes to his side. They whisper something to each other and it ends with a soft kiss.

“We’re glad it did,” Kip says and raises his beer. Everyone does the same and they drink.

“I wish you boys didn’t have to hide,” David says, opening the grill and continuing to cook, “It must be so exhausting.”

The comment catches Scott off guard because he’s never heard it before. Hiding was so natural at this point but… it was exhausting. He saw it when he looked at Kip. Kip, who lived his life out in the open with his queer friends group, accepting father, and hung out at a gay bar. Kip, who was his secret.

There’s a different kind of silence that befalls the group. The one that means they’re still just a little bit alone. Three queer hockey players in a whole league of heteronormative expectations.

“It’s lonely,” Scott finds himself admitting, “And it’s not fair.” He feels Kip squeezing his side.

“So what?” Yuna asks, “Is your plan to stay in the closet until you retire?”

Scott shares looks with Ilya and Shane. They all know the answer.

“I don’t know, probably.” Shane sighs.

“Probably yes,” Ilya confirms.

Scott nods, “Yeah.”

Yuna looks just as devastated as Scott knows they all must feel. “Oh no,” She shakes her head, “That’s so sad.”

Shane shrugs, “Not much else we can do.”

“We could lose everything,” Scott feels his grip on Kip tightening just a little.

“Well, that won’t do.” Yuna shakes her head going in momager-mode, “We need to come up with a plan. A statement for each of you just in case something leaks. Or if you want to come out on your own. Oh, Scott, who’s your manager? I can help and reach out to some brands. Quietly of course, there are some huge opportunities for all of you. Especially-”

“Mom,” Shane cuts her off. “Mom, no wait. We’re not there yet.”

“No, of course not.” Yuna continues, “But it never hurts to be prepared.”

Scott laughs. He can’t help it. He laughs because Yuna is so perfect. Because Shane and Ilya have the best support system. Because even though he’s known Yuna Hollander for less than an hour she’s already included him in her plans. He can’t stop laughing.

“I think he is broken,” Ilya says, “Is time to call retirement home.”

Scott shakes his head and keeps laughing. “Sorry,” he finally manages to speak, “I’m not laughing at you. It’s just that…” He smiles at the family in front of him. His gaze settles on Shane and Ilya, “I love that you both have so much support here.”

“Not just them,” David points out, “You both too.”

“Exactly,” Yuna smiles, “All four of you have me and David. Whatever you need.”

A moment later, Scott feels his phone buzz. He looks down just in time to see Kip slipping his own phone into his pocket. Puzzled, he checks his messages.

Kip: Damn. Out-parented by the Hollanders. ;P

Scott laughs harder.

After that, the conversation slips more into hockey and Kip’s interest in art history which David finds fascinating. He goes into some article he read about in The New Yorker (Ilya makes a face at Shane and mouths something at him that makes the other boy laugh and whack him lightly).

David jumps up, “Ah! I hope you boys love cake!”

“Cake?” Ilya perks up and Scott watches Shane’s nose wrinkle a little.

“Yes!” David does an odd half-jog into the house and returns carrying- oh lord. A rainbow cake. On the frosting, it reads in scraggly decorative gel “Congratulations”.

“Dad,” Shane says carefully, his face bright red. “What is this?”

Yuna beams, “We picked it out at the store! We didn’t really know what to do when someone comes out but we thought a celebratory cake would be nice.”

“Is very good!” Scott has never seen Ilya smiling this much. He’s seen him smile on the ice when he’s being a little shithead, but this is different. The Russian is genuinely happy. “I think this is great choice.”

David beams and starts slicing pieces. “Good! Because we’re proud of you for being brave.”

“Oh my god,” Shane groans in embarrassment.

Kip laughs, “Well, Shane if it makes you feel better my dad did the same for me. Bought me a whole cake and even put up balloons and streamers in the house. It was just the two of us but I think it was the best party I’ve ever had.”

Scott graciously accepts cake. It’s a horrendous grocery store cake but it’s probably the best cake he’s ever eaten. Even Shane, through a grimace, accepts the bite that Ilya feeds him. Scott laughs and leans into Kip. It’s been an amazing day.

“Oh!” David snaps his fingers, “I just remembered something I wanted to ask you all.”

“What is it?” Shane asks.

“How does gaydar work?”

Chapter End Notes

Thanks for sticking with me through this fic, I hope y'all enjoyed it as much as I loved writing it! Please do drop a kudos or a comment, it'll really make my day <3

For now, this is just a two part series. But I'm a huge sucker for writing about protective Scott Hunter, so if you're interested I'll be adding to this little collection (if you'd like to subscribe for more without subscribing to me as an author).