Rating:

Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

M/M

Fandom:

Heated Rivalry (TV)

Relationships:

Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Shane Hollander & Hayden Pike

Characters:

Hayden Pike, Shane Hollander, Jackie Pike, Ilya Rozanov

Additional Tags:

Hayden Pike Finds Out About Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Good Friend Hayden Pike, Jealousy, Episode: s01e05 I'll Believe in Anything (Heated Rivalry), Shane Hollander is High on Pain Medication, Podfic Available

Language:

English

Series:

Part 17 of [challenge] Heated Rivalry Febuwhump 2026

Collections:

febuwhump 2026

Stats:

Published: 2026-02-17 Words: 1,398 Chapters: 1/1

like the back of my hand

Summary

Hayden is the person who knows Shane best. Even if he sometimes feels like he doesn’t know him at all.

Surely, that fear won’t be proven right after Shane’s concussion… right?

Notes

For Day 17: Finger in the Wound

“But… he isn’t sleeping with a married woman, is he?”

Jackie puts her book down and looks at Hayden. “Do you think he would?”

Hayden sighs. “He wouldn’t be the first guy.”

“It’s Shane. You probably know him best.”

The snort that escapes Hayden has no business sounding as bitter as it does. Because – Jackie is right. It’s not just some guy. It’s Shane. Shane, who’s official godfather to the twins, and listed in their will as a potential guardian for all their kids. Hayden would trust him with his life. Shane doesn’t even trust him with Lily’s existence.

And yet, Hayden is probably the person who knows Shane best. Jackie isn’t wrong there, either.

“It’s been quite a long affair if it really is a married girl.”

“You didn’t see him, after – after they broke things off. He was wrecked. I… I think he’s actually in love, Jackie. And he’s not telling me. What am I supposed to think?”

“That it’s Shane, and his mind works in mysterious ways?” Jackie puts her book on the nightstand and scoots closer, kissing his cheek before moving his head so she can kiss him properly. “You know he needs to figure shit out fully before he says anything.”

“Now who has to pay into the swear jar?” Hayden smiles against Jackie’s lips, sliding his hand over the baby bump that’s getting more pronounced with every passing day.

“All the gremlins are asleep. Anyway. Be there for him. You know you’re his best friend, too.”

Hayden hums and switches the light off before sliding under the covers properly. He’d like to think he is, is the thing. Shane’s best friend. But sometimes it feels like he barely knows Shane when Shane knows everything about him, and no matter what Jackie says, he can’t shake the knowledge that there is at least one big aspect of Shane’s life he’s never been privy to – and at this rate, won’t ever be.

Hayden doesn’t drop his gloves often, but he doesn’t even think when the reality of Shane, on the ice and unmoving, sinks in.

It’s not much of a fight, what he and Marleau are doing. Even Hayden can admit that. But it’s a sign nonetheless: you don’t fuck with our Captain, even when the enforcers aren’t on the ice.

Mostly, though, it feels like a performance. Marleau is looking a little wide-eyed, too, and he doesn’t really resist when Hayden grabs his jersey, and so they kinda sway while they wait for the refs to pull them apart. Which they do, just in time for Hayden to watch another official push Rozanov back towards the bench, because apparently, while Hayden was busy trying to avenge his Captain, fucking Rozanov tried to figure out how bad Shane’s injury was. To what end, Hayden isn’t exactly sure. Maybe to gloat how he’s better – more sportsmanlike, in this case – than Hayden once again, instead of keeping his teammate on a tighter leash.

Hayden glowers at him across the ice, though Rozanov is fully ignoring him, and then watches the medics stretcher Shane off the ice while the entire stadium claps.

There’s a figure slinking through the hallway ahead of Hayden when he returns to the hospital the next morning. He’s still Shane’s medical proxy while his parents are on their way back from visiting extended family, and he’s loathe to leave him alone for too long.

Especially when shady dudes are loitering outside a hospital room door behind which is an utterly defenseless Shane. This one is dressed in a dark jacket and with a touque jammed onto his head, his shoulders hunched like he’s about to commit a crime. Hayden catches up to him just as the guy reaches for the door handle, so he grabs him by the elbow and –

“Rozanov?”

Rozanov yanks his elbow free, glowering at Hayden.

“What are you doing here?”

“Is free country, yes?” Rozanov’s accent is thick, and there are dark rings under his eyes. The stubble on his cheeks suggests that he’s not shaved today, and the curls peeking out from under the toque are a mess. He looks… pretty bad. Worse than usual. Even his sneer looks weak. “Anyone can come bring well-wishes.”

“Yeah, but… it’s you.”

“Yes,” Rozanov says impatiently, “and I am captain of team who injured – your captain. It is called sportsmanship. Maybe you have heard of it?”

“Yeah but… from you?”

“I don’t care. I will go bring well-wishes, and then he is all yours.”

“No,” Hayden says, moving towards Rozanov on instinct. Rozanov seamlessly takes a step back, though that makes his elbow collide with the doorjamb. He hisses but doesn’t take his eyes off of Hayden. “I don’t trust you with him.”

For some reason, that makes Rozanov stare at him, like he can’t believe Hayden would say that. What, did he hit his head last night, too?

“Well?” Hayden asks after several seconds of silence and motions towards the door.

“I don’t think –”

“Don’t tell me you’re chickening out now? Where’s your sportsmanship?”

Rozanov’s jaw tightens, but then he turns with jerky movements and pushes the door to Shane’s hospital room open, enough that the two of them can slip through.

Hayden almost runs into Rozanov’s back, because Rozanov has stopped barely a step into the room.

“Hey,” Rozanov says. There’s something in his voice that makes Hayden wish he could see his face.

“Ilyaaaa,” Shane drawls and he – he sounds happy.

Rozanov stiffens. “Hollander.”

“You came!”

You came? Hayden feels dizzy for a moment, because – did Shane expect him?

“And you brought Hayden! Hiiiii Hayden!”

Hayden smiles, even though he feels sick with all the things he’s missing. Shane, clearly high, is calling Rozanov Ilya. Appears happy to see him. Hayden’s seen a lot of guys with concussions over the years, but not one of them was suddenly buddy-buddy with his enemy. What the fuck is going on?

“They have given you good stuff?”

“Yes,” Shane agrees unnecessarily, “as a make-up for ruining our plans last night.”

Hayden can’t help but choke a little. Our plans last night? Is – is Shane seeing Lily and Rozanov? The thought turns Hayden’s stomach, even though it makes sense.

“But you’ve met Hayd! So that’s even better now. Not better than sex, but –”

“Hollander,” Rozanov cuts him off, and now he sounds resigned. “Shane. Please. You – do not want to say this right now.”

Hayden gears up to protest, except it does feel like Shane wouldn’t be saying any of this if he were in his right mind.

“But you’re my people,” Shane says, and it should be a happy moment and instead Hayden feels like crying. “I love you both, you’re my two most important people – except Mom and Dad, but they don’t count – and I am so happy. Ilya and Hayden, Hayden and Ilya, Ilya Ilya Ilya –”

“Shane,” Rozanov says again, helpless. He turns to Hayden and looks him straight in the eye. For once, he looks entirely serious. Serious, and pained. “Pike. You hate me, but – you will break his heart if you hate him over this, too. So. Please don’t hate him.”

“I would never hate him,” Hayden says on autopilot.

“Yes, Ilya – nobody hates anyone. You are too important.”

From this angle, Hayden can see how Rozanov’s face goes soft, just a little, before he just looks sad.

“I am sorry,” Rozanov tells him. “He would not want you to find out like this, and – I am very sorry. I – will go.”

“Nooo,” Shane whines from the bed. “You didn’t even give me a kiss!”

Rozanov sighs, glances at Hayden, but then steels himself and makes his way over to Shane’s bedside, like he’s powerless to resist.

And Hayden – Hayden suddenly remembers that Shane didn’t only hook up with Boston Lily in Boston. He also was unavailable whenever Boston came to town. Not a married woman then. Not a woman at all, probably – but Ilya fucking Rozanov.

And Shane, whom he thought his best friend, didn’t tell Hayden about either. Wouldn’t have told him if he’d had any choice in the matter.

There’s suspecting your friend is keeping things from you, and then there’s being slapped in the face with it.

“I’ll – wait outside,” Hayden says hollowly, and then flees the room to sort his thoughts.

So much for being the person who knows Shane best.

Fuck.

Works inspired by this one

[PODFIC] like the back of my hand by xianvar by bunsprout, Elany, tinyhappysun, with (wilfriede0815), xia_pods