Rating:

General Audiences

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

M/M

Fandoms:

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

Relationship:

Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov

Characters:

Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Original Characters

Additional Tags:

POV Outsider, lgbtq ally, We love an ally, 5+1 Things, Keep It Secret, Oblivious Shane Hollander, Missing Scene, Fluff, Trans Character, author does not know how hockey works, author does not speak Russian, the injury scene comes up a surprising amount, from multiple angles, Fluff and Angst, hockey referee, hockey officials, No beta we die like Grigori Rozanov, you can pry the em dash out of my cold dead hands

Language:

English

Stats:

Published: 2026-02-24 Completed: 2026-03-16 Words: 7,577 Chapters: 6/6

Five People Who Kept Their Mouths Shut + 1 That Did Not Have Any Chill

Summary

Hollander and Rozanov do their best to keep their relationship private, but there are some instances along the way where people figure out their secret.
The Hotel Security Guard
The Nurse
The Server
The Make-up Stylist
The Referee
+ Fucking Brad
Here's the story of five times someone found out the truth and kept their mouths shut, and the fallout for the one person who didn't.

Notes

We all know about the one person who found out and didn't keep it a secret, but I wanted to highlight the possible (probable) times that someone found out about Hollander and Rozanov and kept their secret for them. The last chapter is going to be a short one with Brad getting just a little bit of fallout for blabbing to the internet.

Chapter 1: The Hotel Security Guard

Chapter Summary

Gotta love an unlikely ally.

Chapter Notes

Okay, I broke my format right off the bat, and this one's actually two people finding out together. The rest of the chapters are just going to be one person.

6 Months Ago

“You signed the NDA?” Budd asked his new trainee, Derek.

Derek pulled a face. “Yeah, I signed the NDA. Not sure why it was necessary, given we are watching hallways while people sleep in their rooms.” 

Budd rolled his eyes. He did not have patience for this kid. “It’s Vegas, you wouldn’t believe the kind of crazy shit I’ve seen. Not to mention, we get a lot of high-profile guests at this hotel. Actors, touring musicians, hell, we have contracts with most of the major sports leagues. It’s important that we help maintain their privacy, got it?”

“Got it!” Derek held up his hands.

“So if no one is getting hurt, or breaking the law, or damaging property, we keep it to ourselves.”

“I said I got it.” Derek put down his hands. “I need the job more than my five minutes of fame anyway, right?”

“Exactly.” 

Summer 2011

Derek slapped Budd’s shoulder. “Budd, Budd! Look, it’s Rozanov and Hollander on the rooftop!” 

“God, you’re obsessed with those guys. The rivalry probably isn’t even real! It’s just made up for publicity.” Budd rolled his eyes.

“No way. Have you seen them against each other on the ice? Fucking brutal! They hate each other.”

“Well, better watch them close in case one takes a swing.”

“Dude, good point! Hey, I’d have to go down there and break it up.” Derek said, grinning.

“And if one of them happens to sign your arm while you’re down there…”

Derek laughed. “I could come up with some paperwork for them to sign, make it more subtle.” 

Budd laughed, then looked back at the screen. “Look at that, they look angry.”

“God, I wish these cameras had sound. What I wouldn’t give to hear what they say to each other."

“Oh, Hollander’s leaving.” Budd narrated.

“He’s offering his hand? He’s such a classy guy.” Derek laughed.

“Oh shit, Rozanov is pushing him against the wall.” 

“Oh shit, is he gonna hit him for real?” Derek is standing out of his chair.

“Wha–woah!” Budd gasped. “That’s not how you usually fight someone.”

“What the fuck?” Derek stood slack-jawed, watching the two rivals make out. Then Shane pulled away and pushed back against Rozanov. “Wait, he didn’t like it?”

“Oh shit, now he’s gonna punch him.” Budd leaned in closer.

“No, he’s walking away,” Derek said, watching the screen as Hollander walked away, and Ilya turned around and went back to the railing. Derek gave a nervous laugh. “Did that just really happen?”

Budd turned around and gave Derek a stern look.

Derek raised his hands. “Hey, man.” 

“Derek, I swear to god.” Budd pointed his finger at him.

“Hey, I’m not saying nothin'!” Derek waved his hands in surrender.

“If I hear one peep on the news about this, I swear to fucking god, Derek!” 

“It’s chill, Budd, I’ve got a gay cousin!” Derek said, his voice rising an octave.

“Yeah, and I’ve got a gay son!” Budd yelled.

There was silence for a minute as they both took a breath and settled into their seats again.

“I won’t say anything, I promise,” Derek said in a calmer voice.

“Good.”

There was another long pause. Then Derek spoke again. “Not for nothin’, but if Ilya Rozanov pushed me up against a wall and kissed me like that, I wouldn’t say stop.”

Budd just laughed.

Chapter End Notes

I've got two more chapters already written! Subscribe for updates!

Chapter 2: The Nurse

A haggard-looking blond nurse carrying a bedpan called out to another nurse in the hall.

“Andrea, there you are! Room 1145 keeps pressing the call button. I haven’t gotten a chance to check on 1132. Can you go get his vitals?” 

“Sure thing, Becky. I got you.” 

“Thank you! You’re a lifesaver!” 

Andrea laughed as she headed into the room of the famous hockey player. If only she could tell her dad she met Shane Hollander today. He’d be so excited. 

“How are you feeling, Shane?” Andrea asked after Rozanov left. 

“I’m good. I’m good.” Shane giggled. 

“What’s your pain level?” 

“Oh, comes and goes.” 

“Well, don’t forget you have a button here for the pain meds. If it gets bad, you can just click that button. It’s best to stay on top of the pain, it’s more effective that way.” 

“I don't want to take too much,” Shane replied in a small voice. 

“It’s set up to stop when it reaches the max. It’s not possible for you to take too much by pushing the button.” She watched as he nodded and pushed the button. “There you go, good job.” 

Shane blushed and sighed a little as the meds kicked in. “Don’t let Ilya hear you say that, he’ll be jealous.”

“Ilya?” Andrea perked up. Why would Ilya be jealous? “I think he’s got plenty of women in Boston. I don't think he even noticed me.” 

Shane’s face fell at that. “Um-um. I don’t like thinking about the girls in Boston.” 

Okay, this man is so high right now. “Well, it was sweet of him to visit.” 

“Yeah, I’m glad I got to see him again before he flies out.” Shane sighed and closed his eyes. “I don't get to see him very much.”

“Yeah? I always thought the league kept throwing you two at each other because of the rivalry. Good publicity and all that. Raise your arm for me, I’m gonna take your blood pressure.” 

“Yeah, that’s true. One good side to the rivalry, I guess.”

Andrea leaned in close. “So it’s just for show, right? You don’t hate each other?” 

“Shhh…no one’s supposed to know that,” Shane whispered. 

She smiled. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with me. Patient confidentiality.” She mimed zipping her lips. 

Shane laughed. “Yeah? I could tell you anything, huh?” 

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.” 

Shane’s face fell a little, and his brow furrowed. “That’s just it. I want to tell you. I want the whole world to know how much I love him…” 

Her eyes widened, and her face broke into a smile. Holy shit, does Shane Hollander have a crush on Ilya Rozanov?

He blinked a little and shook his head. “I mean. I don’t—I care for him—as a friend—a colleague, I mean.” 

“Of course. How could you not after all these years of playing together? Gotta respect his talent, right?” 

“God, he’s so talented! His hands…”

Wow, he’s smitten. Poor guy. She laughed, and Shane realized he was saying too much. 

“I don’t…I don’t know why I keep saying everything that comes to mind.” 

“It’s okay, I’ve heard way worse confessions, don’t worry about it.” 

“Just forget I said anything…” Shane’s words slurred together as he dozed off. 

“I’m pretty sure you’re gonna forget this whole conversation, Shane.” Probably for the best. 

“Hi Dad,” Andrea answered the call while falling into her favorite chair after her long shift. 

“Andy, how’s my favorite daughter?” 

“I’m your only daughter, and I’m exhausted.” 

“You worked today, then?” 

“Yeah, I worked yesterday and today, but I have tomorrow off, thank god.” 

“That’s good, glad you get to sleep in tomorrow.” He paused. “I was just watching the Montreal-Boston game and heard Shane Hollander was taken to your hospital.” 

Andrea chuckled. “Subtle, Dad.” 

“Hey, I’m just making conversation!” He laughed. “I just hope the kid’s alright. It looked like a bad hit.” 

Andea sighed. “I saw the clip too. It looked pretty brutal.” 

“So…”

“I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of Shane Hollander in my wing of the hospital.” 

“Right. But if he was, and you knew he was okay…” 

“If he wasn’t okay, I think I’d be a lot more bummed during this conversation.” 

“Oh, okay, that’s true. And you’re not bummed?” 

“Nope. I’m very tired, but very glad I get to help people feel better.” 

Andrea could practically hear her dad’s proud grin over the phone. “That’s really good to hear. I’m glad you are such a good nurse, Andy. I’m glad Shane was taken to your hospital. When I heard he was going there, I knew he’d get the best care possible.” 

Andrea was not crying. “Thanks, Dad.” 

“Love ya kiddo.” 

“Love you too. Goodnight.” 

“Goodnight.”

Chapter 3: The Server

Chapter Summary

You just know someone in that restaurant heard something.

Chapter Notes

“Oh my fucking god, Julia! You sat the Rose Landry in my section?!” 

“Yeah, and she said that she’s meeting Shane Hollander, you know, that hockey guy she just started…I don't even know if it’s official or not! You have got to get me all the tea if they seem legit or not!” 

“Okay, okay, I will.” 

Erin switched out her apron for a fresh one and took a deep breath before going for some water glasses for the table. “Be chill. Be chill.” She hyped herself up before rounding the corner to Rose’s table. 

Rose was looking at the menu and turned to Erin with a smile. 

“Good evening, Ms. Landry, I’m Erin. I’ll be your server tonight. Here’s some water to get you and your guest started. Anything I can get you while you’re waiting?” 

“Thank you, please, call me Rose. I’ll take the Rosé, and do you have any Ginger Ale? Shane will be here soon, and I know that’s what he likes.” 

“Absolutely, I’ll be right back with those.” 

Julia caught her eye from the Hostess table as she approached. “How’s it going?” 

“Super good, I haven’t made an absolute fool of myself yet. I need you to cover for me, I gotta run to the dep next door and buy a six pack of Ginger Ale.” 

“What? Why?”

“Because Rose fucking Landry asked if we had it for her date and I didn’t say no.” 

Julia shook her head. “Why are you going above and beyond for her? She can handle us not having ginger ale, and if she can’t, then she’s not worth the effort.” 

“Yeah, I know, I just panicked. I’ll be quick. My section is slow tonight anyway. Here’s hoping she’s a good tipper.” 

“You’re so sweet, Erin. This job does not deserve you. I’ll cover for you.” 

“Thanks.” 

Erin was back in 5 minutes flat with a six-pack of Canada Dry. She smiled as she rushed past Julia, who was checking in a very handsome Asian man…Oh, that’s Shane Hollander. 

She made her way to the kitchen, picked up a glass, and filled it with ice. She took a tray and put the ice glass, ginger ale, and the Rosé on it, then walked towards the front of the house. She paused right around the corner and took a deep breath, looking in the strategically placed mirror she used to check on guests without them seeing her. Shane was just sitting down. She rounded the corner.

Shane looked up at her and smiled sweetly. “Hi.” 

“Good evening, Mr. Hollander, I’m Erin. I’ll be your server tonight. I have the Rosé for Rose.” She set the glass down smoothly. “And a Ginger Ale for the king of hockey.”

Shane chuckled. "Please, call me Shane, although the king of hockey has a nice ring to it.” 

Erin chuckled, maybe a little too much. Then cleared her throat and recovered. 

Shane picked up the menu in front of him, “You have ginger ale here? I looked at the menu online, and it wasn’t on there.” 

Erin blushed a little, “Uh, it’s a limited special for today only.” 

Shane looked from her to Rose with a cute, quizzical expression. 

“That’s the sweetest, you didn’t have to do that.” Rose filled in for Shane.

Erin shook her head. “Oh, it was not a problem, really.” She cleared her throat again. “Would you like to hear the specials, or do you need a few minutes?” 

“Oh, I know what I’m getting. Do you need some time, babe?” 

“I’m ready to order too. I don’t need to hear the specials. I’m going to have the grilled chicken and rice.” 

“And I’ll have the salmon with rice.” Shane took the menu from Rose and passed them to Erin. 

“Absolutely. Any appetizers?” 

“No, thanks,” Shane said with a smile. 

“Alright. I’ll be back soon. If you need anything at all, just flag me down. I’m happy to help.” She took the menus and tray back to the hostess table. 

“Oh my god, you’re blushing!” 

“I called him the king of hockey. Why did I do that?” Erin slumped and pouted.

“You did not!” Julia laughed. 

“I did! I could cry!” She pushed Julia aside from the computer so she could put in their order. 

Julia couldn’t stop laughing. “But at least he got his ginger ale.” 

“No, he was actually really sweet about that. They recognized that it was something special I did for him. Which, honestly, is more embarrassing.” 

“Alright, get back out there, it’ll be okay. Don’t forget I need the tea!” 

“I’m working on it!” Erin whispered as she left to check on her other tables. 

“I can take your plates if you’re done,” Erin asked. 

“Yes, thank you,” Rose said. 

“Anything else I can get for you? Any more ginger ale, wine, dessert?” 

“No, we’re fine, thank you. Two ginger ales were enough.” Shane replied.

“Alright, well, I’ve got four more in the back if you want one for the road.” Erin Joked.

Shane laughed. “No, hide it in the back of the fridge for the next time I’m here.”

“Honestly, that’s a great idea. I’ll put, ‘for Shane Hollander only’ on them.” 

Both Rose and Shane laughed. “Alright, I’ll be back with the check, but stay as long as you’d like.” 

“Thank you.” They both said as Erin took away their plates. 

She brought them to the kitchen, then went to the computer to close out the table and print the bill.  

“Seriously, if he wasn’t here on a date with Rose, I would swear he was flirting with me.” 

“Gross,” Julia said.

“No, not in like, a creepy way. I don’t think he’s actually flirting with me. I think he’s just really nice. And maybe like, a little oblivious.” 

“Okay, I’m going to need more details than that,” Julia said. 

“Yeah, don’t worry. I’ll give you every detail when they're gone. I just gotta drop off this check and check on my other tables.” 

Erin took the check and paused for a breath in her usual spot. Then she heard Rose talking. 

Rose sighed. “Sorry, I don’t think I’m going about this the right way.” 

“Going about what?” Shane asked.

Rose paused. “I really like you, Shane.” 

“I like you too.” 

“But I have a feeling that…maybe I’m not doing it for you?” 

Shane scoffed. “Yes, you are.” 

“I know you like talking with me.” 

“Yeah.”

“Do you like kissing me?” 

“Sure,” Shane answered way too fast. 

“Wow.”

“No! Of…of course I do! Sorry.”

“No, hey, don’t apologize.” Rose paused. “I just…I have a feeling…and maybe I’m completely off-base here, but…I don’t know, I feel like maybe you’d rather be kissing…miles?”

Oh, wow. Erin thought from where she stood out of sight. 

“Hey, it’s okay, it’s really okay.” Rose almost whispered. 

“It’s not.” Shane paused for a long time. “I do like you. I really do. I like talking with you, I like being with you, I like all of it.” He paused again. “I know the…sex stuff is a problem, but—”

“It’s not a problem. A problem is something you can fix. We’re more like a square peg in a round hole. Ew. No, I'm sorry, forget I said that. Um…we’re just—we’re not meant to fit, and it’s really fine. I just…don’t think that we can keep trying.” 

“I get it. I think…I think…” Shane trailed off. 

“Hey, you don’t owe me any explanation.” 

“I feel like I kind of do.” 

“You really don’t.”  Rose paused. “Can I ask if you’ve ever been with another guy?” 

Erin looked in the corner mirror and saw him nod. 

“Have you ever told anyone that before?” 

Shane shook his head once. 

Awe buddy. Erin’s heart melted. 

“Was it different, with a guy?”

“Of course,” Shane said. 

“Was it better?” 

Shane took a deep breath. “Yeah, it was…it was better.”  

Oh my god, you’re breaking my heart, Shane Hollander. Erin thought. 

“The thing is, I…I kind of prefer being the hole rather than the peg.” 

Erin slapped her hand to her mouth to keep from laughing.

“Wow! That is the best thing any gay boyfriend of mine has ever told me!” Rose laughed.

“You’ve had other…?”

“Oh, I was in theater school, like seventy percent of my boyfriends have left me for other guys.” 

“Seventy percent?” 

“Probably closer to eighty percent.” They both laughed. 

Awe Rose! We gotta get you a straight one for once, or bi or pan works too! Erin thought. 

“Wow.” Shane laughed.

“You should follow Miles back on Instagram.” 

“No. I mean, not no. But I just need to sort some things out first.” Shane replied.

“Of course.” 

“And I was kidding about Miles, but he totally would. Like in a heartbeat.” 

“You haven’t said anything to him, have you?”

“No, definitely not, and I never will.”  

Oh my god, Rose, you absolute queen, as if I could love you any more. Erin thought.   

There was a long enough pause, she thought it was finally safe for her to get them the check without suspicion of eavesdropping. When she came back for the check, they had already left. She brought the ticket back to the register and finally looked at the tip, and her jaw dropped. 

“Look at this tip, Julia!” 

“Holy shit! That ginger ale really paid off, my god!” 

“Yeah, you’re telling me.” 

“Alright, so what did you learn?” 

Erin schooled her features. “Uh, nothing.” 

“Ha. I’ve known you for five years. I know when you know something. Spill.” 

Erin shook her head. “It’s not that big of a deal.” 

“Oh my god, did he come onto you? Do I need to go make this guy regret the day he walked in here?” 

“What? No! Shh!” She glanced around to make sure they were alone. 

“Then what?” 

Erin sighed. “It’s just that at the end it kind of sounded like Rose was breaking up with the guy.” 

“What? Did she say why?”

Uh, ‘cause he’s super gay…Erin took a deep breath. “No, I didn’t hear why. But I can imagine she’s going to be going back to LA soon, and with both their schedules…it was probably never going to last long. It sounded very amicable.” 

“Oh, that’s so sad!" Julia pouted. "You should have slipped him your number. You said he was flirting earlier.” 

Erin shook her head. “I never feel right doing that with a customer.” 

Julia wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, I get it, but with a guy like Shane Hollander, you gotta shoot your shot. Hey, maybe he’ll be back.” 

“Yeah, maybe. If he does, I've got four ginger ales with his name on them.”

Chapter End Notes

I am currently still writing the next chapter, but it's giving me plot issues so we will see if I get it out as quickly as these three. I haven't even touched 5 or 6 yet, but I have some ideas. Please subscribe for more updates, and leave a comment and a kudos! I really appreciate the feedback!

Chapter 4: The Make-Up Artist

Chapter Summary

A series of conversations between Shane and Rose…and Rose’s make-up artist Tess.

Chapter Notes

A couple of things I need to say before we dive into this chapter. First, I’ve seen discourse online about people being upset with Rose’s casual conversation on speaker with Shane while the Make-up artist was there. They say that Rose outs Shane in that scene, but if you look at the actual dialogue, nowhere does she say anything about Shane being gay. They talk about keeping a secret from his parents. They talk about him lying to his parents, but it could be inferred that the lie is about their relationship. Then Rose says she could pretend to be a lesbian to help him break it to his parents that they aren’t together. I don’t find anything bad about that conversation, even if Shane doesn’t know he’s on speaker, which he absolutely knows he’s on speaker, even if it’s not said explicitly. Rose talks to her make-up artist while having that conversation, and the make-up artist replies. Anyway, that's not when the make-up artist finds out. (at least not in this fic) I don't include that conversation in this fic, because I didn't see a need to rehash it.

Second, I had a hard time establishing when exactly Rose and Shane’s relationship starts and when exactly they break up. In the show, they just have the Establishing date of October 2016 before the tuna melt scene, then there's a dinner with his parents, then he meets Rose, and then there’s like a media blitz, and she attends a game, and THEN an establishing date of two weeks later before the Montreal-Boston game and the club scene after. But like, how long was it between the tuna melt and the club scene?? Then there’s another bedroom scene and the breakup at the beginning of the next episode, and then an establishing date isn’t even a date, it just says All-Star Game. Google says All-Star games usually happen in Late January or early February, so I just went with early February for that. But the timeline I found online was from the books, and that wasn’t really lining up with the TV show, so I just made up a timeline that made sense to me, and it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else. It just has to make sense to me, for me to do it.

Third, the make-up artist isn’t named or given pronouns in the credits or episode, so I just went with She/her and named her Tess. If she shows up again in the next season and they name her and use different pronouns, I will do my best to remember to come back and edit this fic.

November 2016

“Oh my god, Tess, I’ve never been happier to see someone in all my life. Get me out of this body paint! I can’t handle it for one more second.” Rose rushed into the trailer at the end of her long day of shooting. 

Tess laughed and helped Rose out of her costume so they could begin to remove the prosthetics and body paint. Just as they started, Rose’s phone rang. Rose glanced over and saw that it was Shane, but her arms were both occupied. 

“Could you answer and put it on speaker, please, if you don’t mind listening in?”  Rose asked. 

“As if you would have to ask!” Tess put Shane on speaker. 

“Shane, you’re on speaker, and my make-up artist Tess is here.” Rose made sure to say.

“Hi Tess!” Shane greeted. 

“Hi Shane!” Tess replied. 

“How was your day?” 

“Ugh, long. I am never doing anything with prosthetics again! Remind me I said that.” Rose said.

Shane laughed. “Well, I suppose there’s plenty of roles without prosthetics. Shouldn’t be too hard to manage.”

“You would think, wouldn’t you?” 

“You’re going to put Tess out of a job, though.” 

“I do regular make-up too, so that’s not a problem for me.” Tess chimed in.

“Am I going to see you tonight?” Rose asked.

“I could be convinced to come over.” 

“Good. I miss you.” 

Shane made an indecipherable noise. “I miss you too.” 

“I’ll text you when I’m on my way home.” 

“Okay, see you soon. Bye.”

“Bye,” Rose said, then heard the call end when Shane hung up. 

“Is he as sweet as he seems on TV?” Tess asked

Rose sighed, “Sweeter, if you can believe it.” 

“Ugh, that's so great. You deserve to have a good one for once.” Tess said. She’d been with Rose on multiple shoots now, so she’d heard a lot of details about her past relationships. She was overdue for a nice one, that was for sure. 

Rose smiled and closed her eyes. “I don’t know, I don’t want to jinx it. We’ve only been on a few dates. What can you really know about a guy in such a short time?”

Tess looked at Rose’s reflection in the mirror. “I know he’s sweet. Is he respectful?”

Rose opened her eyes. “Yes.”

“Does he keep up a conversation, ask you questions?” 

Rose nodded. “Yeah, he does. We have some of the best conversations I’ve had with a guy, actually.”

“Does he respect your boundaries, ask for consent?” Tess asked. A bit of a forward question, but Rose and her had covered a lot of personal topics.

Rose looked a little confused by that question. 

“Uh, oh, I don’t like that look.” 

“No, it’s nothing like that.” Rose shakes her head. “I’m just thinking about it, and he doesn’t ask for consent, but I’m realizing I’m kind of the driving force in that department.”

“Oh, he doesn’t….you’re the one making the moves on him?”

“Yeah. I mean, he doesn’t….he’s an active participant, but he doesn't initiate.”

Tess is a little taken aback by that, but they come in all shapes, who is she to judge? “Well, that’s fine. Who cares who initiates it if everyone’s having a good time, right?” 

Rose nodded. “Right.” 

December 2016

“So, no phone call to Shane?” Tess asked. For the last month, Rose had been on the phone with Shane every time she sat in her chair. The last few days, though, it had been conspicuously lacking in the Shane department. Not even a little story about something funny he did. 

Rose gave her a small smile and shook her head. “We broke up, actually.” 

Tess had to practically pick her jaw up off the floor. “What? Why?” 

Rose shook her head again. “We decided we were better off as friends.” 

Tess looked at her with a doubtful expression. “Rose, you really hit it off with this guy. What did he do?” 

“We get along so well, but the romance just wasn’t there. There wasn’t a spark, you know?” 

Tess hung her head, “Ugh, that’s awful. I’m so sorry.” 

“I made him promise to be my friend, though, so really, there’s no reason not to call him.”

“I mean, we’re going to be here for a while, you could call him right now.” 

Rose smiled and pulled out her phone. 

Eventually, Shane answered. “Hello?”

“Hey Shane, you’re on with Rose and Tess.” 

Shane laughed. “Hi, Rose and Tess.” 

January 2017

“–And then I’m like–” Rose walked into the trailer mid-conversation. “Hey Tess, I’m on the phone with Shane.”

“Hi Shane!” Tess called out.

“Hi Tess!” 

“Anyway, I was like, Miles, you can’t just string a guy on like that. You have to tell him what you’re feeling.” 

Shane chuckled. “And how’d he take that?” 

He hit me with, ‘It’s complicated.’” Rose lowered her voice in a terrible impression of Miles.

“Sounds like maybe you need to let it go. He’ll figure it out eventually on his own.”

“But he would figure it out so much sooner if he would just listen to me!” Rose sighed in exasperation.

“Listen, I gotta go. Practice is starting.” 

“Fine! You’re no help at all!” 

“Not sure how much help I can be to Mile’s relationship twice removed from the conversation.” 

Rose laughed. “Alright, go. Have a good practice.”

“Alright. I’ll text you later. Bye” 

“Bye.”

March 2017

“Hey, Tess, last day of shooting! Let’s get me out of these prosthetics and get me home!” Rose said as she entered the trailer.

“Rose, did you…have you checked your phone?” Tess asked in a muted tone.

Rose’s expression fell. “No, it’s been in my bag in here. What is it, you’re scaring me.”

“I just…I heard that Shane got hit pretty bad in his game today. He was taken off the ice on a stretcher–” Tess explained. 

“What?! Is he okay?” Rose immediately grabbed for her bag to find her phone.

“I don’t know, they haven’t released a statement yet. The game just ended, like ten minutes ago.” Tess sighed. “I’m so sorry. I’m sure he’s–I’m sure he’s going to be okay.” 

Rose got her phone out and took it off do not disturb. Her phone flooded with notifications. She went to her messages. “He hasn’t called or texted.” 

“It just happened like, an hour ago. I’m sure he’s been busy.” 

“I’m calling him.” They both listened to the ringing as it went to Shane’s voicemail. 

“Hello, this is Shane Hollander’s voicemail. Leave a message after the beep, and I’ll return your call as soon as I can.” 

“Shane, are you okay? I just heard about the accident. Call me when you get the chance.” Rose left the voicemail and then immediately texted him. She pulled up Instagram to see if any statement had been made by the Metros. She checked her DMs to see if maybe Shane had messaged her there. 

“Yuna Hollander?” Rose said.

“Hmm?” Tess asked, trying to follow along.

“Yuna sent me a DM on Instagram.” Rose read it aloud, “‘Hi Rose. We haven’t met, but I know you and my son, Shane, are close. I don’t think he’s gotten a chance to message you yet, but I didn’t want you to worry. I just spoke to the doctors. He has a concussion and a broken collarbone, but he’s going to be alright. He’ll be out for the rest of the season, but will make a full recovery by the Fall. Try not to worry. I’m sure Shane will reach out as soon as he can. Yuna.” 

“He’s alright.” Tess sighed.

Rose wiped a tear from her eye and nodded. “Yeah, he’s alright.” 

Summer 2017

Tess was in the back of the trailer, looking through the storage closet for more body paint. She could have sworn she had put a case of it back here. She did not want to have to trudge all the way over to Main Wardrobe to restock. They were already running behind schedule. 

“Shane, what is it? You sound stressed.” Rose entered the trailer with the phone on speaker.

Tess froze where she stood in the closet out of sight from Rose. She almost said something, almost exited the closet to make her presence known, then she heard Shane.

“Are you able to talk privately? Is Tess there?” 

Oh fuck, I need to go out there now…I gotta let them know I’m here. But her body didn’t move before Rose responded.

“No, it’s just me. I think Tess is getting more supplies. I’m alone. What’s going on, Shane?” 

Shit. It’s okay, you can still go out there now– Tess thought, but before she could, she heard Shane speak again.

“You know how I was at the cottage on a silent retreat?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, that was a lie. I wasn’t on a silent retreat.”

“Yeah, I figured as much.” Rose laughed a little. “Where were you really?”

“I was–I was still at the cottage, but I wasn’t alone. I–I was there with my boyfriend.”

Fuck me! I should not be hearing this. Tess looked around for a window to jump out of, but all she saw was the blue paint she was looking for. She silently waved her hands about, trying to decide what to do, but ultimately decided to stay put and hope Rose didn’t find her.

“Boyfriend!?” Rose squealed. “You’re seeing someone? Since when? Why didn’t you tell me? Wait, is this the guy you were telling me about? I need all the details!” 

Uh, you KNEW he was gay?? Tess thought, then she shook her head. No, not important! Don’t share all the details! I don’t want to know all the details–well, I do but not like this!

Shane laughed. “Uh, I don’t…it’s complicated. Yes, it is that guy. We’ve–we’ve been seeing each other casually for years. Just–just hookups, you know? Not when–not when we were together. I had called it off before that. I was–I was confused. Conflicted. I got back together with him after we broke up, and invited him to the cottage when I was hopped up on painkillers after the accident. We only, it’s only been official since the cottage.” 

Oh my god, Shane! Tess thought.

“Oh my god, Shane!” Rose squealed again. “What’s his name?” 

DON’T say his name! I don’t want to know! Tess thought.

“I–I can’t tell you who he is, I’m sorry.” Shane stammered.

Oh, thank god! Tess sighed in relief.

“Oh, my god, it’s totally fine. I shouldn’t have asked. I’m so glad you told me you have a boyfriend! I’m so happy for you!” 

Shane gave a nervous laugh. “Yeah, I–I just wanted to thank you. If it wasn’t for how kind and accepting you were to me when we broke up, I don’t think I would have had the courage to give it a real shot with this guy. You–you helped me accept who I was. You showed me that other people might actually accept me for who I really am too. I’m not like—I’m not going to be coming out publicly anytime soon, but my parents know now, and I wanted you to know too.” 

Tess’ chin dropped open. This guy is such a gem. He’s too good for the world.

“Shane! I’m crying!”

You’re crying? I’M CRYING! Tess thought as she waved her hands in her face to keep the tears from falling.

“I’m a little speechless. I’m so happy for you. I’m so glad I was able to help you figure that out. I’m so glad we’re friends. I love you.” 

“I love you too.” Shane sighed. “Anyway, I know you don’t have a lot of time, I just really wanted to tell you.” 

Rose sighed. “I’m so glad you did. I do need to go find Tess and get ready, though. I’ll call you later, okay? You can tell me as many details as you’d like when I’m home.” 

“Okay, sounds good. Bye.”

“Bye.” Rose hung up the phone and sniffled a little more before exiting the trailer. 

Tess sighed in relief. Shane, if you never come out, I will carry your secret to my grave, I swear. She grabbed the blue paint and waited a few more minutes before exiting the trailer and circling around to find Rose on the lot. 

Chapter End Notes

I don't have the next chapter written yet, and I won't be able to write much until Sunday. So...be patient, subscribe, and I promise an update will be coming soon-ish. Just not as quickly as the daily updates I've been able to do so far. Thank you for all the kudos and those who comment! I love hearing what you think, it warms my heart!

Chapter 5: The Referee

Chapter Summary

Rozanov assumes that no one on the ice can understand the russian he spouts when Shane is on the ice. Rozanov is wrong.

Chapter Notes

I do not know anything about how hockey works, and yet I have the audacity to write a referee-centered chapter. Sorry, not sorry. I refer to the refs as referees or officials. There is a difference from what I can tell, but I don’t feel qualified enough to explain it here in the notes. I probably use the terms wrong, and again, I say, the audacity of the author knows no bounds. Everything I know about hockey I learned from google.
I also don’t speak Russian. All Russian translations are from google translate, I am a little sorry for that one.
This one got a little angsty, folks. I was really on a roll with my all-fluff-no-angst fics I’ve written so far for this fandom (which is entirely out of character, for me), but this chapter literally begged me, ‘please, please put some angst in there, just a little bit, as a treat?’ And who am I to deny the fic what it needs?
The injury comes up again in this chapter (see aforementioned note on angst), and if I had known ahead of time that it would come up so much in this fic, I would have put some sort of warning at the front. I honestly could have done another whole chapter on the Paramedic, too.

January 2014

People were often surprised to learn that Erik spoke fluent Russian. He didn’t have a Russian last name, and although Erik was a Russian name, it was a common enough name in the west that it didn’t even garner any questions. His mother was Russian, married a Canadian businessman, and came to live with him in Toronto, where Erik had been raised. She had made sure he spoke her language, though. Her English wasn’t very good, especially in those first years when he was young. When it was just him and her, she would speak only in Russian, only switching to English when his dad came home from work. 

He held it close to his chest, especially on the ice, where the secret often gave him insight he might’ve missed. He had used it a few times to call unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, but not often enough to tip off the other Russians. 

So when he skated to center ice for the faceoff between the two well known rivals, of course he was listening closely to the Russian spoken by Ilya. Given a thousand guesses, he would not have been able to predict what he heard.

The Russian narrowed his eyes in an intense glare before quietly saying, “Moy dorogoy, ne zastavlyay menya zhdat' segodnyashnego vechera. YA khochu potselovat' tebya pryamo seychas.” My darling, don’t make me wait for tonight. I wanna kiss you right now. 

Erik quickly schooled his features to avoid letting on that he understood every word. 

Shane smiled at him before saying in English, “You ready for me to show you how it’s done?” 

Ilya gave a sly smirk, “YA pokazhu vam, kak eto delayetsya, segodnya vecherom, kogda my budem za zakrytymi dveryami.” I’ll show you how it’s done when we’re behind closed doors tonight. 

Erik came back to his senses after a much longer pause than typical. He dropped the puck and got out of the way of the face off. Trying to focus on the game, but distracted by replaying what he heard Rozanov say. Erik had heard his fair share of innuendos on the ice, but usually they were at the expense of the other player. Rozanov’s chirps read more like flirtation. And the thing of it was, Shane had no idea what was said to him. 

The game, oddly enough, continued in typical MLH rival team fashion: fast-paced and brutal. Rozanov and Hollander certainly weren’t pulling any punches as they took turns slamming each other into the boards. Back at the faceoff for the second period, Rozanov and Hollander readied for the puck drop. The score was tied 2-1, with the Raiders in the lead. 

“Kogda ya sdelayu khet-trik, ya vynesu tebya so l'da i poluchu svoyu nagradu.” When I get the hat trick I’m gonna carry you off the ice and collect my reward. The Russian whispered, then switched to English. “Don’t make me wait, I can’t stand it.”

“Haven’t you ever heard? Good things come to those who wait.” Hollander gave a cheeky grin as Erik dropped the puck. What the fuck is happening? Was Hollander flirting back? 

Hollander won possession and scored, tying the game up. 

The rest of the second period was neck and neck, but neither team managed to score again. Erik skated up to the face off with a trepidation he hadn’t experienced since working his first professional game. I’m reading way too much into this. There’s no way Rozanov is gay for Hollander. 

“How’d you like that called shot, Rozanov?” Shane grinned. 

“O, lapochka, takaya Umnitsa.” Oh, cutie, so clever. “But we both know you like it better when I’m calling the shots.” Rozanov switched to English right as the puck dropped, and he took possession. 

Erik shook his head. He didn’t even try to disguise that one. 

At the end of the third period, the other official blew his whistle, calling a penalty against Marlow for slashing. 

During the power play, Pike scored with an assist from Hollander, putting the Metros in the lead as the time ran out.  

The metros all piled onto Pike and Hollander. Erik skated down the ice, trying to stay clear of the celebration. He passed Rozanov as he skated to the exit. “Bozhe, segodnya vecherom on budet nevynosim. No nichego strashnogo. On vsegda tak rvotsya vperod, kogda oderzhivayet pobedu.” God, he’s going to be insufferable tonight. That’s okay. He’s always so eager when he’s coming off a win. 

2017

With referee crew rotations being what they were, Erik hadn’t worked a Montreal-Boston game since 2014. He thought about the rivals from time to time, especially when they did interviews, or at the All-Star Games when the league practically threw them at each other. He wondered if the rivalry was all an act, and if the talk he had heard on the ice was some inside-joke-chirping or something more. There wasn’t anything he would do about it, even if he knew, but it definitely piqued his curiosity. The only thing that dulled his excitement for the faceoff was the knowledge that Rozanov just lost his father. This was his first game back after his return from Russia for the funeral. He entered that first faceoff with his full attention on the rivals and anything they had to say. 

So when the rivals faced off and said nothing to each other, he was a little taken aback. When they looked at each other with gleeful smiles, he was confused. They hit their sticks together in playful anticipation of the puck drop, and he could swear he heard the two fully suited-up hockey players giggle. The puck dropped, Hollander took possession, and skated off toward the goal. Before he could get very far at all, Marlow slammed him to the ground, and he stayed down. 

Erik raced to his side, but Rozanov was already there, standing over Hollander, saying, “Are you okay, Shane? Get up! Pozhaluysta, moya lyubov', otkroy glaza.” Please, my love, open your eyes!

Erik pushed Rozanov out of the way so he could check on Hollander, who still wasn’t moving. “Ilya, please, stand back.” 

Erik knelt next to Hollander, quickly assessing his condition with Ilya still standing over his shoulder. Thankfully, Shane’s eyes opened. His forehead knit in a confused expression. 

Ilya was mumbling in Russian, “Ne ostavlyay menya, ty mne nuzhna! S toboy vse v poryadke, mne nuzhno, chtoby s toboy vse bylo v poryadke, pozhaluysta, bud' v poryadke.” Don’t leave me, I need you! You’re okay, I need you to be okay, please be okay. 

“We’re not alone, Ilya,” Shane slurred. “They can see us.” He tried to move his hand, reaching for Ilya, but stopped abruptly, his face contorting in pain. 

“Shane, stay still! The paramedics are on the ice. They'll be here in a second. I need you to stay still.” Erik held his hand gently to keep it from reaching out to Ilya again. 

The paramedics were there now, taking over for Erik. He stood and pushed Rozanov further back to give the paramedics space. 

“Is he okay? Fucking tell me!” Ilya shouted as Erik guided him toward his bench. His eyes filled with concern for the injured player. 

Erik was distantly aware of other players fighting on the ice in his peripheral, but he focused on Ilya, knowing if he let go, he would skate back to Shane. 

“Moya lyubov', pozhaluysta, bud' v poryadke, ya lyublyu tebya. Ty dlya menya vso. Pozhaluysta, bud' v poryadke, Sheyn. Mne nuzhno, chtoby ty byl v poryadke.” Rozanov was just, stream of consciousness speaking in Russian. My love, please be okay. I love you. You’re my everything. Please be okay, Shane. I need you to be okay. 

Erik’s heart broke. If he wasn’t sure before, this definitely confirmed it for him. Rozanov and Hollander were in love. “I need you to get back to your bench, Rozanov. The paramedics have him now, they’ll take care of him.” 

“Mne nuzhno byt' s nim, on nuzhdayetsya vo mne. YA ne mogu yego poteryat'.” Rozanov looked like he was on the verge of crying. I need to be with him, he needs me. I can’t lose him. 

“Rozanov! Look at me!” Erik shouted. 

Rozanov stopped speaking and looked Erik in the eyes.

Erik continued, in a gentler tone, “You need to focus on the game now. The sooner the game is over, the sooner you can check on Hollander. There’s nothing you can do for him right now. He’s with the Paramedics.” 

That seemed to snap Rozanov out of his panic enough to resume the game. The paramedics were off the ice, the fights had been broken up, Rozanov was on his bench for now, and Marlow was in the penalty box. The game continued, but it was far from normal. Any time Rozanov was on the ice, it was if a robot had taken control of his body. He went through the motions, but there was nothing but a glazed expression in his eyes. 

“Chem bystreye zakonchitsya igra, tem bystreye vy smozhete provedat' Sheyna.” The sooner the game is over, the sooner you can check on Shane. Erik would occasionally hear him mutter in Russian, which stabbed him in the heart every time. 

Eventually, the game came to an end. He heard in the official’s locker room that Shane had a concussion and broken collarbone. I wonder if Ilya knows yet. Should I tell him? Erik’s thoughts were racing a mile a minute while he changed out of his uniform. But no, although not strictly forbidden, he always erred on the side of caution and avoided all unnecessary contact with the players. It was important to maintain neutrality. How can I maintain neutrality now, knowing that these two archrivals are actually Star-crossed lovers? 

“Erik!” 

Erik jolted in surprise at the interruption. “Wha-?”

“Woah, hey! I didn’t mean to startle you. Did you hear what I said?” The other referee for the night, and his friend, Patrick, looked at him in mild concern. 

“Uh…yeah, sorry. I mean, no, I didn’t—I was just thinking about Hollander. What did you say?” 

“Oh, I know. What a weird game. I hate it when a player gets hurt. The rest of the night, you can just feel the tension in the air, you know?” 

Erik nodded. “Yeah, totally.” 

“I’m glad Hollander is going to be okay, at least.” Patrick continued. 

“Yeah, thank god for that.” 

After a moment, Patrick asked, “Hey, you speak Russian, right? I heard one of the other refs say you did.” 

Erik’s stomach sank a little. “Uh, yeah. My mom’s Russian. Immigrated when she married my dad.” 

“Did you…happen to catch any of what Rozanov was saying? He was in a complete funk the rest of the game. Every time I skated past him, he was muttering in Russian.” 

“Oh, yeah, I noticed that too. Uh…he was—he was just saying stuff like, “god I want this game over.” Erik paused, “I just think that Shane getting taken off the ice like that shook him up a little. You know, another elite athlete goes down like that, it’s gotta remind you of your own mortality.” 

Patrick shook his head. “Yeah, totally. Man. Nights like tonight just remind you that they're all just real people, you know? Not rivals, not players, but people with real lives and families and shit.”

Erik nodded. “Yeah, I feel for the guy. He just lost his dad, too. It’s been a rough few weeks for him.” 

“Oh shit, you’re so right, man. God, I hope he’s okay. I hope both of them are.” 

Erik nodded as he shut his locker. “Me too. Let’s get the heck out of here.”

Chapter End Notes

I kind of combined the book version and show version of the injury scene, and added a little more dialogue from Ilya.
You probably would have gotten this chapter last night, but AO3 was down! Again, I don’t have the last chapter written yet, so it’s going to be a few days, at least, before I can get it published.
If you wanted to check out my other Heated Rivalry fic in the meantime, I would be ever so grateful. All fluff and playful banter, I promise!”

Chapter 6: Fucking Brad

Chapter Summary

Brad faces pushback. Spoilers for Game Changers book 6: The Long Game.

Chapter Notes

I’m not much for vindictiveness, so this last chapter was very difficult for me to write. I mainly started this fic because I wanted to write about all the allies that did keep their secret, not the one that didn’t. The premise just fit this 5+1 format so well that I figured I’d let chapter 6 be a problem for my future self. Well, now future-self is present-self, and I’m mad at past-self for putting me through this. I ended up writing a small scene with just a bit of comeuppance. I’m very sorry if you were wanting a full chapter of Brad getting all the payback he deserved. Perhaps that’s a sign to you to write your own fic.

“Hey Jeff, how ya been?” Brad greeted his friend as he set down his lunch bag onto the cafeteria table and plopped onto the seat across from him.

Jeff didn’t greet him. He just gave him a withering look.

“Woah, who got you in such a mood?” Brad chuckled.

Jeff shook his head. “I can’t believe you did that, Brad.”

Brad sighed. “Not you, too.”

“So I’m not the first one to tell you how much you royally screwed up, then? I’m not the only one in your life who can see what an absolute wretch you are?”

“I don’t know why everyone is being such a pill about this. I did the hockey world a favor! These two are playing on opposite teams and living out the conspiracy of the century, compromising the integrity of the game, and I was the one that had the balls to expose it! People should be thanking me.”

Jeff scoffed. “You really are a self-righteous prick. You think they are pulling punches? It’s like you’ve never actually watched them play. They are both the best in the league, archrivals, and you think they got those titles by playing soft?”

Brad rolled his eyes. “It’s the principle of the thing. If they weren’t doing anything wrong, why did they fucking hide it?”

“Have you been online since you posted it? Have you seen the backlash they are getting? They didn’t tell anyone because they knew that people wouldn’t understand. They knew that the world would be a lot more dangerous for both of them if they did.”

“That’s the cost of being famous, Jeff. I don't feel sorry for them in their mansions, sitting on their millions of dollars they earned by building up a farce of a rivalry!”

“That rivalry was pushed on them from day one by the league. You think they got any say in it at all? They’re getting death threats, did you know that?”

“I’m getting death threats too, did you know that?”

Jeff sighed. “Didn’t anyone tell you that’s the cost of being famous?” He stood from his seat and picked up his lunch tray. “We work together, so I have to be civil, but I don’t have to be your friend, and I don’t have to eat my lunch with you. Have the day you deserve.” Jeff walked off and sat down at another table with some of their other coworkers without giving him a second glance.

Chapter End Notes

Thank you to all who commented and left kudos! I have loved hearing your thoughts and how much you fell in love with these side characters as much as I did.