Rating:

Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories:

F/M, M/M

Fandoms:

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

Relationships:

Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Cliff Marlow | Cliff Marleau/Original Female Character(s)

Characters:

Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Original Children of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, Cliff Marlow | Cliff Marleau, Boston Bears | Boston Raiders WAGs Ensemble (Game Changers)

Additional Tags:

Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Hybrids, Autistic Shane Hollander, POV Outsider, WAG Shane Hollander, Texting Fic, Coming Out, but as a hybrid bcs the gay thing is not a problem in this worldbuilding, Fluff and Humor, we are done with the angst yall, Mpreg | Male Pregnancy, Unhealthy Relationships, But not between Shane and Ilya, Omega Shane Hollander

Language:

English

Series:

Part 3 of Cheetah Shane

Stats:

Published: 2026-03-08 Updated: 2026-03-09 Words: 9,031 Chapters: 2/3

Faults (That Are Not)

Summary

Emma is the Boston Bears' A-WAG, and has been so for as long as she and Cliff have been together.

The idea of Rozanov having a partner was crazy. The idea of him having a male partner (even an omega) was even crazier. But the idea of him having been with this male partner for multiple years, with children in the mix, and with none of the WAGs or the team knowing?

Yeah, Emma wants answers. Sue her.

Notes

Okay we're starting the texting fic bcs I couldn't resist!

Edit: I'm glad this one is getting so much attention, but if you are (re)reading this and have not read the first two fics in this series, you will probably want to do that to get full context for what info Shane is avoiding here.

Three parts, we might move to Shane's POV next chapter and Ilya's in the third (or we might just stick with Emma, we shall see!) The next part will probably be up next weekend, unfortunately I can't really write much during the week rn.

Lmk if you see any formatting errors, I decided not to get a full workskin going for the sake of getting this up in a timely manner.

Also I continue to have very little idea how hockey or anything related to it works. My apologies if any of the Boston players have different first names than I've given them here or if any of them had canonical WAGs, to my recollection Boston gets basically zero detail on that front so I decided to run with my own ideas. Hope y'all enjoy them! (And lmk if you have a favorite WAG, I had so much fun creating these characters.)

Chapter 1

Emma doesn’t know what she expected Ilya Rozanov’s partner to be like–if she would have even managed to wrap her head around the idea of him having a committed partner, given his reputation–but she’s fairly certain that there would’ve been certain qualities she would’ve expected. Female, for one. Probably omega, but she could see Rozanov going for a beta if she were a model or something. Blonde. Very blonde. Good chance that her boobs were bigger than her head.

Which is why she is deeply surprised when Cliff texts her during one of the Bears’ trips out to the Western conference with a phone number and tells her that it's, “Roz’s mate. Apparently he finally agreed to be added to the WAGs chat. All I know is his name is Shane.”

Shane.

Well, that knocks basically every assumption out of contention, except for him potentially being blond. And an omega. Probably.

Still, Emma is nothing if not a dedicated A-WAG (and the closest thing they have to an organizer, given the absence of a C-WAG for as long as she and Cliff have been together,) so she saves Shane’s number in her contacts and prepares to add him to the groupchat.

She should probably warn everyone else first. So that everyone has the time to go through the five stages of confusion before Shane has to witness it.

 

Bears WAGs 🐻

October 17th, 2016

 

Hey everyone! Sounds like we finally have a C-WAG again! I’ll be adding Roz’s mate, Shane, here in a few minutes, but I wanted to give everyone a few minutes to get their screams out first.

Ellie (St-Simon): Shane???? And here I was waiting for when we would get our C-WAG Natasha or smth 😂

Hanna (Carmichael): Is that the only Russian woman’s name you know???

Ellie (St-Simon): I mean… Marvel fan, it is the first one that comes to mind

Nate (Sebbin): Finally, I am freed of the burden of being the only man in this chat

Katie (Hammersmith): You love us Nate!

Nate (Sebbin): And I will love you more when I have another dude to share my pain. Do we know if he’s an omega orrrrrr?

No idea. I’m presuming so, but… Cliff said nothing, and he’s the biggest gossip I know, so probably Roz said nothing either

Melissa (Kane): Sounds like Roz

Sadie (Dubek): Okay but I’m just so ready to ask him so many questions about our captain. Like… How do you pin down a man like that???

Hanna (Carmichael): You’re married, Sadie

Sadie (Dubek): Don’t remind me

Hannah (Varkov): Knowing Roz, Shane’s probably a 21 y.o. model and Roz slid into his DMs like 2 months ago 🙃

Nah, Cliff’s known that Roz has had someone for at least like… A year or two now? Very vague on the specifics but he had a theory

Mellisa (Kane): Ooooh secret long-term WAG

Nate (Sebbin): I still think we need a new acronym

Katie (Hammersmith): Okay but HWABG is literally the worst think on earth

Nate (Sebbin): Okay but. Consider. I didn’t get added here until Evan had already mated me, bite on the neck and everything. And apparently Shane is Roz’s “mate”, too. Alpha dudes who are into omega dudes wait to announce until the bite is healed, this is a fact. MWAG works!!

If Shane wants “MWAG,” we will change to MWAG. Deal?

Nate (Sebbin): Deal.

Ellie (St-Simon): Deal!

Hanna (Carmichael): Finally, we have someone to make decisions

Sadie (Dubek): Did Emma not count???

Hanna (Carmichael): No. Em is too nice for her own good.

Okay I’m going to go ahead and add him. Go around and say who your HAB (MHAB??) is, and pls be efficient. Minimal interrogation until he’s got contacts saved.

 

Emma rolls her eyes, and decides they’ve probably had enough time to get things out of their systems. There’s a few lurkers in the chat who still haven’t said anything, but everyone who’s likely to speak already has.

 

Welcome Shane! I’m Emma, Marlow’s fiancée! 

Hanna (Carmichael): Hi Shane! I’m Hanna, Carmichael’s girlfriend.

Ellie (St-Simon): Hi Shane! I’m Ellie, St-Simon’s wife.

Nate (Sebbin): Hey Shane, I’m Nate, Sebbin’s mate

Sadie (Dubek): Hi!! I’m Sadie, Dubek’s wife (separated rn, but working through it)

Hannah (Varkov): Hi Shane. I’m Hannah (yes there’s two of us), Varkov’s wife.

Katie (Hammersmith): Hiya! I’m Katie, Hammersmith’s girlfriend

Melissa (Kane): Hello! I’m Melissa, Kane’s… something. We’re on and off but the WAGs love me so I’m here anyway. And also I have his bite mark but I refuse to be called his mate soooo

Shane (Rozanov): Uh, hi. It’s my first time in a WAGs chat, obviously. I’m Rozanov’s mate.

Mellisa (Kane): How long have you two been together?? We know basically nothing but it doesn’t sound recent if he already has you mated up.

Shane (Rozanov): Yeah, it’s been a few years.

Nate (Sebbin): And you’re only joining us now because… 🧐 Also are you an omega? (I am, I know most guys who are mated to alphas are, but just wanted to check)

Shane (Rozanov): I’m just not very sociable, I guess. And yeah, I’m an omega.

You’re definitely not alone. Everyone here who actually talks is, except the two Hanna(h)s

Hanna (Carmichael): I’m a beta!

Hannah (Varkov): And I’m an alpha. Which tracks with Kiril being the only omega on the team (don’t worry, the guys are all good abt it, your man runs a tight ship)

Shane (Rozanov): Good to hear.

Nate (Sebbin): Oh! BTW, we have a debate for you to settle. We’ve been trying to find a new acronym for WAGs for like yeaaaaars now, and we’re currently thinking MWAG, since you and I (and Melissa, in a purely factual and removed sense) are all mates. So, do you give your blessing to MWAGs or must we continue to search?

Shane (Rozanov): Why am I the one who has to settle this debate?

Because you have arrived as C-(M)WAG to free me from my tenuous position of power as A-WAG

Shane (Rozanov): Is that… A good thing???

Hanna (Carmichael): Yes. Em has been trying to get out of this ever since she and Marly got engaged. Hard to be a wedding planner and a WAG organizer at the same time.

Shane (Rozanov): Oh, well… I doubt I’ll have much time or ability to do much organizing, either, unfortunately.

Sadie (Dubek): Are you busy with work or smth?

Shane (Rozanov): No, I’m stay at home. But we have triplet toddlers, and a set of twins on the way, so I’ve already got my hands full.

Melissa (Kane): Jfc Shane, tell your man to get a vasectomy

Hannah (Varkov): Is he trying to make a new hockey team or smth??? I second the vasectomy comment

Nate (Sebbin): Can we get back to the MWAG debate??? (And Shane, you know birth control that works for omega men exists, right??)

Shane (Rozanov): It’s fine, guys. We agreed no more after this set. And twins are a lot easier to handle than triplets, so I’m already doing a lot better than last time.

Melissa (Kane): Okay, but can we interrogate the “triplet toddlers” comment??? Shane how long have you and Roz been together?? That you have toddlers???

You don’t have to answer anything you don’t want to, Shane.

Ellie (St-Simon): Ignore Em, I want to knowwwww

Shane (Rozanov): It’s fine. We’ve been mated since the summer of 2012, and I got pregnant with the triplets a few months after that. They’re 3, now.

Sadie (Dubek): I could barely handle one three year old, let alone three of them. How are you surviving all that???

Shane (Rozanov): They’re fine, honestly. Ilya and I split the work whenever he’s home, and the kids aren’t that bad anyway. I mean, a little worse now that they know how to run, but once we ran out of lamps for them to knock off tables, things got a lot more manageable.

Katie (Hammersmith): Knocking lamps off of tables????? I think you have nightmare toddlers, Shane

Shane (Rozanov): They just have the zoomies, alright?

Nate (Sebbin): Jfc

Hanna (Carmichael): Please tell me you’ve childproofed that house.

Shane (Rozanov): We did most of the obvious things when I was first pregnant, and we fix any new hazards that we discover as soon as we realize. The lamps were just one of the things we realized a little too late.

Ellie (St-Simon): I’m starting to think I should take back everything I said about wanting to know anything. I think every detail I learn about your household is going to put me one step closer to an insane asylum.

Nate (Sebbin): Can we pls make a decision about MWAGs??? Pls???

Shane (Rozanov): Fine. MWAGs is better.

Thank god.

 

====

 

Emma manages to contain herself until Cliff is home, before she starts interrogating him (read: gossiping, because in truth, Emma is just as much of a gossip as her fiancé.)

“Did you know that Roz had kids?”

Cliff blinks at her, setting his bag down and closing the door to their house behind him. “What?”

“Roz. He has kids. Plural.” Emma leans against the wall of the entry hallway. “Shane said they have triplets. And a set of twins on the way.”

“They– What? I haven’t been over to Roz’s house in forever, but that doesn’t sound right.” Cliff takes a step past off the doormat, stopping as soon as he sees Emma’s pointed look at the shoe rack. He slips off his shoes, not bothering to untie them. “I mean, sure, I knew he had someone. Hasn’t actually picked anyone up in years. But kids? Never heard about them.”

“Well Shane says they exist.”

“And have you seen any pictures? Maybe Shane and Roz have some kind of strange bet about how wild of a lie Shane can pull before anyone notices.”

Emma snorts. “I think they’d have already lost by now. Or won? Whatever. We were all having the hardest time believing Shane, especially once he started talking about his toddlers taking out lamps by running around the apartment.”

“See? Wild lies,” Cliff says, finally shoe-free, as he comes into Emma’s space, wrapping an arm around her waist and pressing a quick peck to her lips. “You know Roz. Don’t believe a thing he or his mate says until you have video proof or you see it with your own eyes.”

Emma nods. “Have you– I mean, have you met Shane?”

“Nope.” Cliff takes her hand, gently pulling her toward the living room. “Seen the contact name a million times, but I’ve never even seen a photo of the guy.”

“Geez,” Emma says. “Do you think we could at least convince them to come over for dinner, or something? Get Shane to come to wine night?”

“You can try,” Cliff says. He sits down on the couch, and Emma happily plops down next to him. She hasn’t seen him in almost two weeks, sue her for being clingy. “But I’m not putting money on it, with how long Roz has hid this guy.”

Emma bites her lip. “Do you think… It’s because Shane’s a guy? I mean, an alpha man and omega man together isn’t that weird of a couple, and we’ve all known Nate since Sebby even got traded here in the first place–”

“I don’t know, Roz is a weird guy sometimes,” Cliff says. He shrugs. “Maybe he just wanted to keep his private life private.”

“Maybe.”

“Don’t worry about it so much, babe.” Cliff brings her in for a kiss, and Emma lets some of the tension drain. “We’re ordering in tonight, right?”

“And going over the guest list after dinner,” she reminds him.

“Sounds perfect.”

 

====

 

Bears MWAGs 🐻

October 25th, 2016

 

Nate (Sebbin): Hey does anyone know how to get blood out of fabric? Our little one scraped her knee at school today and obvs neither Evan or I have periods, so we’re not the most familiar with blood on clothes. Thanks!

Shane (Rozanov): Baking soda + water.

Hanna (Carmichael): …How did one of the only 2 other people in this chat who doesn’t have periods answer first?

Katie (Hammersmith): Saliva also works! But I doubt you want to do that in this situation

Hanna (Carmichael): …Katie are you okay?

Shane (Rozanov): Ilya picks fights and then pretends he’s not hurt, and then I have to wash little bits of blood from our sheets when I realize he had untreated cuts on his arm.

Hannah (Varkov): As the third person in this chat with no periods, I’m not sure whether to be impressed or worried by that answer.

Do I need Cliff to talk with Roz about picking fights??

Shane (Rozanov): Emma, your fiancé get in more fights than my mate does. I don’t think that would help.

Yeah, to defend your mate when he’s being a pest

Shane (Rozanov): It gets them minutes on the power play after the other team gets penalties for fighting! Not the strategy I’d use, but it does kind of work.

 

====

 

Bears MWAGs 🐻

October 29th, 2016

 

Ellie (St-Simon): Who’s coming to the game tonight?

Me!

Nate (Sebbin): I’ll be there.

Hannah (Varkov): Me too

Hanna (Carmichael): +1

Katie (Hammersmith): Still in Philly, unfortunately. But I’m coming up for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

I’m guessing Melissa and Sadie are probably not coming, as usual. Shane?

Shane (Rozanov): Couldn’t get a babysitter, unfortunately.

Ellie (St-Simon): You could bring them along, if you needed to. We’ve got a WAG box (MWAG box?? Do we need to talk to venue staff and get the name officially changed??) at all home games, and since none of us are bringing kids this time we could help you watch them.

Shane (Rozanov): Maybe another time. They’re all a little sound-sensitive, so we’d probably need to get them special ear protection, first.

Sadie (Dubek): Not to pry (and feel totally free not to answer) but are your kids on the spectrum? My daughter is.

Shane (Rozanov): We’re still in the diagnostic process, but probably. I am, and my parents both have some obvious traits (but never got diagnosed) so it probably runs in the family.

Sadie (Dubek): Sounds like you probably have it covered, then. If you ever want to chat, I’m here! My daughter is six, now, so we’re navigating the school transition. 

Shane (Rozanov): Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. Should be fine, though. Everyone in my family is low support needs, and it’s kind of just in our family culture.

Sadie (Dubek): Even with Roz? Like, he’s not messing with any of that family culture?

Shane (Rozanov): He’s Russian, which is about 80% of the way to Autistic when it comes to expressing emotions

Hannah (Varkov): 😂I know Kiril’s family has been in the US for generations, but I can kind of back that up.

Shane (Rozanov): Plus Ilya just loves our kids so much, and he trusts me to know what they need. So it works out.

I’m glad you have him, Shane. (And he has you. I’m guessing that second part is probably more important, knowing Roz.)

Shane (Rozanov): No comment.

Ellie (St-Simon): Awwwwwww

 

====

 

Bears MWAGs 🐻

November 5th, 2016

 

Melissa (Kane): Okay update. David and I are off again. This man is pissing me off.

Ellie (St-Simon): What did he do this time?

Melissa (Kane): We were talking about if we had any kids, whose last name they should get. I said that boys should get his last name, girls should get mine, and then if they want to switch when they’re teenagers they can decide for themselves.

Ellie (St-Simon): And what did he say?

Melissa (Kane): That he “couldn’t imagine a daughter of his not having his last name.” How does he fucking think I feel????

Hanna (Carmichael): Men are awful.

Katie (Hammersmith): You’re dating one, thoughhhh

Hanna (Carmichael): A decision I regret every day. But, correction: Alpha** men are awful. (Love you Nate and Shane. And Hannah. Omega men and alpha women are the sunshine of my days)

Hannah (Varkov): You know you can break up with your boyfriend and date an alpha woman, right??? Bcs that seems like it’s what you want

Hanna (Carmichael): We’re here to support Melissa.

Nate (Sebbin): Mel!!! I know you’ve already thought about it, but I do think you should look into getting the bond broken if you know that your values are so different. You’ve got health insurance from your work, right?

Melissa (Kane): Yes, but it doesn’t cover bond breaks. Only ‘necessary procedures’

Hanna (Carmichael): Because freeing someone from unwanted (and sometimes abusive) relationships is an unnecessary procedure 🙃

Shane (Rozanov): If you know it’s what you want to do, I’m sure some of us could pitch in. Ilya lets me control the budget in our house, and we have money set aside every year for charities and stuff like that, I could talk with him and we could send some of that your direction if you need it.

Melissa (Kane): Thank you so much, Shane!! But I don’t want to take that from you guys with nothing in return, plus I think I would need to get David to sign off on it too. Which he isn’t going to do rn

Hanna (Carmichael): Or you could always get a court order. Just saying.

Melissa (Kane): He’s not that bad. Just… Different than I would like him to be.

Hanna (Carmichael): Okay and you’re still basically trying to get a divorce; Massachusetts is a no-fault state for legally enforcing bond breaks when desired by either party.

Shane, in case it wasn’t clear, Hanna is a lawyer.

Hanna (Carmichael): Not yet. Just an L3 who’s very stressed about taking the Bar in the near future.

Shane (Rozanov): That’s still super impressive, Hanna.

Nate (Sebbin): Remind me how the hell Ryan convinced you to date him???

Hanna (Carmichael): Unfortunately the same instincts that made me study civil rights law also made me look at that man and decide I could fix him.

Katie (Hammersmith): Not your responsibility to, tho!!

Hanna (Carmichael): Oh, I’m aware.

 

====

 

Bears MWAGs 🐻

November 19th, 2016

 

Shane (Rozanov): [image: three young children, all wearing layered coats, snow pants, and knitted hats. There are two girls and one boy; all of them are sitting on a metal bench with ice skates on their feet.]

Shane (Rozanov): First skating lesson for our little ones! I wanted to get them started as soon as they turned 3, but Ilya convinced me to put it off until they all had their coordination and motor skills a little more under control.

Katie (Hammersmith): Oh my god they’re so cuuuuute!!! I take back everything I said abt them being demon babies

Sadie (Dubek): What are their names, if you don’t mind us asking?

Shane (Rozanov): Yuliya, Irina, and Mikhail (left to right.) Irina’s the oldest by about five minutes, and she’s named after Ilya’s mother.  

Ellie (St-Simon): That’s so sweet! Are you going to try to get them to play hockey in a few years, or…?

Shane (Rozanov): Maybe. I hope they’ll like skating, and they definitely have hockey genes on both sides, but we’re not going to push them to do anything if they don’t want to.

Hockey genes on both sides? You play hockey too?

Shane (Rozanov): Ilya jokes that there’s no one on earth who likes hockey more than me. Unfortunately I could never go pro, but I played a lot as a kid and teenager. My dad played, too, and my mom was a speed skater.

Nate (Sebbin): So what I’m hearing is that you two are in fact trying to make a hockey team out of your kids.

Shane (Rozanov): Ilya would probably like that. But like I said, we’re probably done after this pregnancy.

Hanna (Carmichael): Probably? I thought you said you were definitely done. Shane stand your ground, I’m begging you.

Shane (Rozanov): I mean… It’s more my decision than his. And I’m not sure I’m ready for there to be only one more round of first skate days.

Melissa (Kane): Your honor, this man is officially Baby Crazy

Katie (Hammersmith): You know that being pregnant affects your health, right? Like especially if you have a lot of pregnancies with multiple babies within a few year period. (Med student, here)

Nate (Sebbin): Again… How are these jocks getting genius partners?? Like I’m sorry but Evan and I are both dumb as rocks 80% of the time, and at least he has the concussions to blame

Shane (Rozanov): It’s fine, Katie. We check in with my doctor before we go off birth control, I promise. We follow all medical advice.

Nate, babe, have you considered that 'dumbass' is just your type?? And not all hockey players are literally dumb as rocks??

Nate (Sebbin): And you’re marrying Marly. Who apparently had no idea that Roz had kids despite being his best friend for multiple years

Shane (Rozanov): In Emma and Marlow’s defense, we were doing a lot to try to keep the news from spreading.

Ellie (St-Simon): Why though??? Shane we could’ve been enjoying baby picks!! We love you and your little ones!!

Ellie, your husband got traded to Boston last season. You wouldn’t have been here when the triplets were born.

Ellie (St-Simon): And???

Hannah (Varkov): Some people like privacy, Ellie

Ellie (St-Simon): Okay but not from us. We’re sooooo nice, I promise.

Nate (Sebbin): And definitely not gossipy as hell 😉

 

====

 

Bears MWAGs 🐻

November 25th, 2016

 

Hannah (Varkov): Reminder that it’s wine night tonight! Katie, you’re in town, right?

Katie (Hammersmith): I am!! Can’t wait.

Hannah (Varkov): Shane, do you need me to text you my address? Roz probably has it, but I can send it to you again in case you don’t want to deal with Roz’s terrible organization system

Shane (Rozanov): Address for what, sorry?

Hannah (Varkov): Wine night. We try to do one once every month or two; it used to be at Em’s, but since she got too focused on wedding planning we decided to move it to my place. Kiril’s out visiting one of his college friends, so it’s just us (+ any kids we bring. But anyone who drives and brings kids isn’t actually allowed wine. Not that you can have it right now anyway, I guess)

Shane (Rozanov): Oh. I don’t think I’ll be able to come this time, sorry.

Sadie (Dubek): Why not? Again, don’t worry about bringing the kids. We always have at least a few, so there’s a play area to set up in advance. Totally baby-proofed for the little ones.

Shane (Rozanov): I just don’t want to break them out of their evening routine without any preparation. Maybe I can come to the next one? The triplets just need a bit more warning time before we change their routines at all.

Sadie (Dubek): Oh, totally. No worries, then! We’ll probably have one the week after Christmas, if you’d like to come to that one.

Or any of the home games! Like was said in here before, we are totally happy to help you watch the triplets from the MWAG box.

Ellie (St-Simon): Yes plss!! Shane I would love to meet your kids!!

Shane (Rozanov): We’ll think about it. Again, it’s just a little difficult socializing when you have kids who are special needs. I always want to make sure that they have what they need, before I think of any other priorities.

Ellie (St-Simon): Totally! But we’ll be here when you (and they!) are ready.

Shane (Rozanov): Thanks. But don’t be surprised when they starting acting more like Roz than me.

Katie (Hammersmith): Oh no was I right about them being demon children

Shane (Rozanov): Only sometimes.

Chapter 2

Chapter Notes

I lied, you get one more chapter before I disappear for five days(-ish).

We're in Shane's POV for this chapter; for the final chapter (which is probably more of an epilogue, at this point) we're probably going back into Emma's POV. I was considering Ilya's but also we wouldn't get more MWAGs chat in Ilya's pov and I love these characters too much for that.

Hope y'all enjoy! (Also, if you somehow still have not read the first two fics in this series, you will probably want to do that for full context before we get into Shane's pov!)

Shane carefully folds the blanket as he pulls it from the dryer. There’s two other blankets in the dryer with it, identical in all ways except color, and Shane has been dying to wash all of them for the past three days after Yuliya started coughing. Unfortunately for him, his little ones were very possessive over their blankets, and it had taken a well-timed diversion (old Scooby Doo cartoons from the 70’s) to let him get the blankets in the wash.

There’s a tug on his pant leg, shortly followed by a weight leaning on the same leg, and Shane doesn’t even have to look to know who will be there.

“What is it, Baby Bear?”

Mikhail (or Mishka, as Ilya more often calls him) has his arms wrapped tightly around Shane’s left leg. He bites his lip, looking up at Shane, and slowly unfurls his arms, stretching them upward, and says, “Up!”

Shane sighs, leaning down and picking up his son, carefully settling him against Shane’s hip so that he doesn’t press against his baby bump. Mishka wraps his arms around Shane’s shoulders without having to be reminded.

“Where are your sisters, Baby Bear?”

The little brown ears atop the boy’s head twitch, at the same time his eyes narrow in concentration, and he says, “...the living room,” as if he believes there’s something Shane will not want to know.

“And why are you here?”

“Because I miss you.” Mishka tightens his grip. “I look up and you’re gone.”

“I know, baby,” Shane says. “But look! Your blanket is ready. Do you want to take your blanket back to your bedroom, and I can come in a few minutes with your sisters’ blankets?”

Mishka hesitates for a second, looking between Shane and the blankets, and then silently nods his head.

Shane sets him down carefully, handing him the folded red blanket as soon as he’s certain the boy’s feet are on solid ground.

Little feet scutter off, and Shane gets to folding the remaining yellow and purple blankets.

They had both been a little surprised when Mishka was born. If Shane were honest, he’d been hoping none of his babies would be hybrids, but as soon as he learned he was having multiple he knew it was unlikely. So he’d suspected, based on his rudimentary high school biology knowledge, that they’d end up with roughly half cheetah cubs and half fully human babies.

Both of Mishka’s sisters had come out with cheetah ears and tails, roughly what Shane had expected. Ilya had adored both of them as soon as he saw them, without any question, and they went down the list of possible names while they waited for Shane’s labor to continue and deliver the final fetus. Twenty minutes later, Mishka was born with his little bear ears and tail, and Shane had looked at Ilya and asked, without thinking, which of Ilya’s ancestors had fucked a bear.

A few days later, after a combination of genetic testing and lineage mapping, a doctor had attempted to explain their best theory for how a cheetah hybrid and a human ended up with a bear cub. Shane hadn’t understood most of it. But, in short: due to Canadian hybrid experiment policies in the decade when Shane’s parents were born, combined with the way the Soviets had encoded hybrid genes in their experiments, Mishka had received recessive bear hybrid genes from Ilya (or, more specifically, a forgotten hybrid grandparent,) which were triggered and manifested by Shane’s hybrid genes to make him more like an American bear hybrid.

Ilya hadn’t cared all that much, he’d just found a teddy bear with fur that matched the color of their son’s hair and taken hundreds of photos that he insisted were “Too cute, Shane!” 

The explanation had drilled something else into Shane, though: the chance any of their children would ever appear fully human was very low, much lower than the half he’d expected. Most of their children would be cheetah cubs; some would be bear cubs; others might be somewhere in between. All three of their existing children were technically somewhere in between, genetically, even if they appeared to be only of one hybrid species.

It wasn’t the future Shane would’ve wanted for his children, given the way the world would inevitably treat them.

But it’s not like Shane is able to change that. And he loves them. Bear and cheetah genes and all.

 

====

 

December 5th, 2016

 

Emma (Marlow’s Fiancée): Hey Shane! I just wanted to see if you and Ilya would like to come over to have dinner with me and Cliff later this week? You’re welcome to bring the kids if you want, we can try to childproof :) Or we can bring some food over to your place if you’d rather be in your own environment. We’d just love to hang out as two couples, however works best.

 

It’s a very nice invitation. Shane also has no idea how to respond.

It had been Ilya’s idea, for Shane to join the MWAG chat. He’d been bringing it up for years, once every few months, and Shane had categorically shut him down every time. And then the triplets had turned three, and Shane knew he wouldn’t be able to keep them secret for very long, and the idea of existing in the minds of a few of Ilya’s teammates’ partners had seemed much more preferable than the idea of existing in the mind of the general public who liked hockey.

But Shane is still hesitant to see any of them in person, or to share anything about being a hybrid. Every picture he’d shared with the MWAGs (still a small number) he’d made sure that all hybrid characteristics were absent. Ears covered with a hat. Tails tucked into pants or at least out of frame. The MWAGs all seemed like nice, progressive people. But none of them had ever even mentioned anything about hybrids, and Shane had learned too many times before that progressiveness on one issue didn’t mean they would be okay with him being a hybrid.

And more than them being okay about Shane… Ilya wasn’t the type of person who bought a hybrid pet just to breed it. But the moment anyone who didn’t know the intricacies of their relationship learned Shane was a hybrid, they would assume it. And as much as Ilya didn’t seem to mind, Shane didn’t want to put him in that position.

So Shane is in limbo.

He hates being in limbo.

“Ilya,” Shane says, walking into the living room and finding his mate exactly where he expected to find him: lying on the couch, buried under a pile of their toddlers. “Marlow’s fiancée texted me to ask if we want to have dinner with them.”

“Marly what?”

Ilya lifts his head off the armrest to look up at Shane, and Yuliya (who is lying on Ilya’s chest with her little arms wrapped around his neck) starts to mumble in the way that she does whenever her rest is disturbed.

“His fiancée, Emma? She invited us over to their house for dinner later this week. And she already ruled out basically all of my go-to excuses. They’ll childproof their house if we need to bring the kids, and they also offered to just bring food and come here.”

“You do not want Marly’s food, I promise,” Ilya says. “They come here, I cook.”

“Ilya–”

“What?”

“That’s not the point, and you know it isn’t.”

“What is point, then?”

“The point,” Shane says, sitting down on the edge of the couch near Ilya’s feet, “is that I haven’t told them anything about me. Or the little ones. Being… Like this.”

Shane doesn’t have to specify the “this” in question, both because it’s obvious and because Mishka immediately abandons his place napping against Ilya’s thigh to crawl into Shane’s lap. His bear ears press against the skin of Shane’s neck, as the boy curls up against Shane’s chest and immediately returns to sleep.

“Okay, and it’s Marly and his fiancée.”

“Emma,” Shane corrects.

“Marly and Emma. Marly is good man, and you like the WAGs, so what is problem if they know?”

“I just–” Shane isn’t about to rant all of his thoughts to Ilya. Not with the children here. He never wants them to think that he’s ashamed of them. “I’m not sure telling them everything all at once is a good idea.”

“They already know you are my mate, we have been together four and a half years, is telling them one more thing that big of deal?”

Shane sighs, looks down at his son in his lap and his daughters lying on Ilya. All of them are–more or less–asleep.

“If they have any bad reactions, I don’t want the kids to be around.”

“Ah.” Ilya runs his hand through Yuliya’s hair, gently detangling a lock of her loose black curls. “Maybe we ask Svetlana to watch them for a night, and we go to Marly’s, then.”

“Let them find out about me, before the kids?”

“Exactly.”

Shane considers it. There have been much worse plans over the years, certainly. “I– I’ll think about it. I think I can stall for another hour or two before I have to answer.”

“You do that, then.”

 

====

 

Hi Em. We really appreciate your offer. We don’t want to make the kids overwhelmed, so we’re going to find a babysitter, but Ilya and I can come over. What day were you thinking?

Emma (Marlow’s Fiancée): That’s great, Shane! You deserve a break, even if it’s just a few hours. How does this Friday sound? Or we could do Saturday after the game, but I know the guys will be tired.

Let me talk to Ilya, I’ll let you know for sure by Thursday.

Emma (Marlow’s Fiancée): Sounds good. Looking forward to actually meeting you in person!

 

====

 

Bears MWAGs 🐻

December 6th, 2016

 

Nate (Sebbin’s Mate): I totally forgot until now, but we should wish Hanna and Katie good luck on their exam seasons, right?? (I don’t think anyone else here is a student, correct me if I’m wrong)

Sadie (Dubek’s Ex(?)-Wife): I think you’re right. Good luck ladies!

Hanna (Carmichael’s Girlfriend (is going to dump him)): Thank you, Nate!

Katie (Hammersmith’s Girlfriend): Thanks for the thought Nate!! We actually have exams basically all semester tho

Nate (Sebbin’s Mate): Should we just wish you good luck like every other week, then?

Katie (Hammersmith’s Girlfriend): Basically. But I’ll take all the good wishes now and channel them throughout the year

Emma (Marlow’s Fiancée): Good luck!

Hannah (Varkov’s Wife): Good luck Hanna and Katie!

Good luck!

Melissa (Kane’s… Mate(?)): Is now a bad time to mention I’m doing my masters? But also good luck girlies!!

 

====

 

December 8th, 2016

 

Tomorrow works. See you then.

Emma (Marlow’s Fiancée): Can’t wait!

 

====

 

Shane adjusts the toque on his head once more. You can’t see anything, sure, but the fabric keeps irritating his cheetah ears, and he’s not sure how long he’ll be able to put up with this before he just tears the hat off. And that’s not to mention the fact that he’s wearing over-sized sweatpants and keeping his tail curled around his left thigh.

“I know how the kids felt, now. On skate day.”

Ilya laughs, combing a hand through his hair as if it’s not already perfectly sculpted. “What was the longest Irina kept her hat on?”

“Two minutes,” Shane says. “Unless you count the helmet.”

“And if you do count the helmet?”

“Ten.”

Their oldest had taken a break every ten minutes, skating to the edge of the ice and wrapping her arms around Shane’s waist over the boards, refusing to let go until Shane helped her unbuckle her helmet and spend a minute free of the pressure. There were special helmets made for hybrids, but it could take months for them to arrive, and they inevitably arrived right as a kid was due to size up. But they’d ordered them anyway, as well as the next size, in the hopes that it would let the triplets focus on skating rather than on the sensory side of it.

“You don’t have to wear it, you know,” Ilya says, coming up behind Shane and wrapping his arms around the omega’s waist. His hands rest on Shane’s baby bump–still second trimester, but much more visible than Shane would like. “I trust them. Marly, at least. And you trust Emma, right?”

“Yes, but– I want to wait. At least until we’re inside the house.”

“Okay. Then you put on hat in the car, you take it off when we get inside. Only ten minutes, yes?”

“You make it sound so simple.”

“Because it is.” Ilya kisses Shane’s neck. “Sveta will be here soon. You decide if you want to wear hat or not. Or wear it first, then take it off later. Whatever makes you comfortable.”

“I just–” The bedroom door is open, and Shane can hear the triplets in their bedroom down the hall, the baby-gate they’d installed to keep the girls from zooming around the house closed. They’re far enough away, likely preoccupied by whatever game they’re playing, that Shane doesn’t think they will pay any attention. “I’m worried. What they’ll think about–”

“They won’t think bad about you,” Ilya says. “Emma already knows you, yes?”

“Not that. About… You. Legally, I’m still… Your pet,” Shane whispers the word like it’s something dirty, the way he never would have before he and Ilya were involved. It had been a fact of life, then, now it feels like an affront to everything they are. “And that’s what they’ll see, at least for the first few minutes, right?”

“Maybe. But then they’ll see that I love you, and that you do not listen to me when I am being an asshole, and they will understand.” Ilya pauses. “Our babies shouldn’t have to hide, either, Shane.”

“I know.” Shane can’t be ashamed of them. And he can’t hide them forever. Telling their friends is a lot easier than telling the public in general. “Let me go kiss the triplets goodnight, and then I’ll be ready.”

“Okay.”

 

====

 

“Deep breaths. You will be okay. Hat on or off, for now?”

“On,” Shane says, slipping the toque back into place, checking it in the rearview mirror. Looks natural enough, and it barely presses down on his cheetah ears. “Okay.”

“Okay,” Ilya says, removing the keys from the ignition and reaching for his door handle. “Let’s go.”

They’re greeted at the door by Marlow, who Shane recognizes immediately from all of the post-game interviews whenever Ilya is too tired (read: still pissed about a fight and moping in the showers) to do press. As they’re led inside, Shane sees Emma.

She’s not one to share pictures in the groupchat, but she’s about what Shane might’ve expected. A little shorter than himself, with pale skin and dark brown hair that she wears in a bun. She looks at Shane like she’s studying him, which… He supposes that he’d rather be studied than judged.

“Shane! Nice to meet you properly,” she says, holding out a hand for him to shake. “Is it cold out?”

“It was, yeah.”

Ilya leans over his shoulder to faux-whisper in his ear. “She’s telling you that you can take your coat off now you’re inside, dear.”

“Oh.” Shane shrugs out of his coat, passing it to Marlow to hang on the coat rack, and hesitates about whether or not he should take off his toque. If he takes it off later, he has more control over what he can tell them to gauge their reactions. But if he takes it off now… It looks like he’s not scared.

If he doesn’t take it off now, he won’t take it off later.

Shane takes off the toque, combing his fingers through his hair and letting his ears wiggle as they adjust to the indoor temperature.

There’s a moment of quiet, not silence–there’s the muffled sound of the TV playing on low in the other room, sounds like commentary on a football game–before Ilya breaks it.

“So what terrible food are you making for us tonight, Marly?”

Emma snorts. “I’m cooking, don’t worry. And it’s just pasta. We’re going fully Kosher the second half of the month for a few weeks around Hanukkah, and Cliff’s making me do the rotation of all our other favorites that break the rules before then.”

“Pasta’s not Kosher?” Shane asks.

“Not if you have both dairy and meat on it,” Emma replies. “And I like my pasta with a pile of shredded cheese.”

“Ditch the meat, then?” Shane suggests.

“Not a chance,” Marlow replies. “I’m just pumped up for the chocolate coins.”

“Of course you are,” Emma says, laughing. “Elementary schooler at heart, I swear.”

“That’s me,” Marlow says. “And Roz, too, I’m guessing.”

“Elementary schooler? Me? No, I am far too sexy.”

“Stop,” Shane says, placing his hand lightly on Ilya’s arm. “Not in front of our friends. Please?”

“Oh, but Marly already knows how sexy I am, and Emma has heard so much!” Ilya grins. “Is not new information.”

Shane sighs, turning to Emma. “You see what I put up with?”

“Oh, I’ve known for a while what you put up with,” she replies. “If anything, I was expecting him to be worse.”

Shane grins, and he lets the tension drain more fully. They end up in the kitchen (well, kitchen/dining/living room, because of course their house is open plan) and Marlow and Ilya immediately start chatting about something that happened during practice the previous day. Shane tunes it out almost immediately (mostly because he’s only passingly familiar with most of the people involved in the story) and focuses on watching Emma preparing the ingredients for the pasta.

It doesn’t look overly complicated: noodles, a bag of shredded cheese, marinara sauce, tomatoes sitting on a cutting board, and a bag of frozen meatballs set on the counter to finish defrosting.

“Am I right in guessing that you were actively avoiding meeting everyone at once?” Emma asks, her voice low. “Not that I doubt your kids’ routines or anything, but… You were dodging pretty hard. All the time.”

Shane chuckles. He doesn’t meet her eyes, but she doesn’t seem to mind. “Yeah, I was dodging.”

“Your own social issues getting in the way, or uh… That?” Emma gestures to the top of her own head, as if she too were about to grow an extra set of ears.

“Combination of the two.”

“Do you want to talk about it? I understand if you don’t, but it could be nice to talk. With someone other than your alpha.”

Shane bites his lip. It would be nice, and he does already have a base level of trust with her. Plus she seems to be not freaking out, which is about as much as Shane hoped for. “Where should I start?”

“Wherever you want. You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.” She washes and dries her hands, reaching for a knife to begin cutting the tomatoes. “Although I might have questions. You can always tell me to fuck off, if you don’t want to answer them.”

“Understood.” Shane lets himself smile, and then takes a deep breath. “Both my parents are hybrids, so I was raised… Separately, from the ‘normal’ world. Only really started interacting with full humans other than medical and admin staff once I was a teenager traveling for hockey.”

“So you did play hockey.”

“Yeah, but only in the hybrid leagues. All hybrids without human parents are clustered into hub facilities in big cities, and most facilities had a team for at least a couple of sports. I was in Ottawa, first, and then Montreal once I turned eighteen. Both of them had hockey teams.”

Emma nods at him to continue.

“When I was twenty-one, this woman shows up. Alpha, objectively very pretty, all that. Facility staff tells me that she’s taking me to my new guardian, who’s a professional hockey player.”

Emma’s eyebrows raise, her gaze drifting pointedly to Ilya.

“Yeah. The woman was his friend, Svetlana, who originally got me as like… A joke gift. Some kind of pun about Ilya liking pussy too much or something. But Lana and I got to know each other, and by the time she turned me over to Ilya, she had already figured out I had like… Kind of a celebrity crush on him? So she convinced Ilya to actually keep me. And then I ended up going to Russia with him over the summer, and we got together while we were over there. Mated basically as soon as we got back on US soil, and things kind of went from there.”

“Sounds like it’s worked out, then.”

“Yeah,” Shane says, exhaling as he realizes just how correct she is. “Compared to what could have happened… It’s definitely worked out.”

“And he’s good to you?” Emma asks.

Shane nods. “He’s great. I mean, the biggest thing we had to get over was like… Cultural differences about what it means to be a hybrid? Because for him, hybrids are just people, not… Pets. Like here. And I was really in my head, for a long time, about what he really thought of me, and about what other people would think about him, and… Yeah. It took a while.”

“Sounds like it might still be taking a while,” Emma notes.

“Yeah. I think it is.” Shane swallows. “Now it’s… Less about us, because I know he loves me, and I know he’d still be with me if I weren’t a hybrid. It’s more about our kids, now. Since they’re hybrids, too.”

“All of them?” Emma asks.

Shane nods.

“Are you worried about them? I mean, being hybrids and on the spectrum can’t be the easiest thing in the world.”

“I am,” Shane admits. “But mostly… They’re kind of in this weird legal gray-area, right? Because they’ve got a parent who’s considered fully human. And so when they grow up, they’re not… Pets. They’ll legally be independent adults, right? But everyone’s going to look at them and think that’s what they are. And so they’re going to have to be super careful about keeping their ID on them all the time, so they can prove they’re not a stray, or whatever. And there’s tons of people now who are like that, sure, but… The number’s still under a million, I think. Less than 1% of the US population, and a similar percent in Canada.”

Emma fills up the saucepan with water, not saying anything for a minute as she sets the pot on the stove and begins to boil the water.

“You said ‘considered’ fully human. About Ilya.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you want to tell me what that means? You don’t have to.”

Shane bites his lip. It’s technically Ilya’s secret, but it will come out the moment anyone sees a picture of Mishka. “We think one of his grandparents was a bear hybrid and Ilya just didn’t know. Because I only have cheetah DNA, and our son’s a bear hybrid, so he had to have inherited it from somewhere. But… Between being from Russia and only being a carrier for the genes, he’s legally fully human.”

Emma nods. “Makes sense. And I’m guessing you’re not that keen on making that news, in case someone tries to get his status switched?”

“I mean, it’s very unlikely,” Shane says. “Probably the only way in which having Russian citizenship helps, since the only people they legally consider ‘hybrids’ are imported Western ones.” Shane shrugs. “Ilya’s actually trying to get citizenship either in the US or Canada. Since tensions keep getting worse.”

“I mean, he’s lived here in the US for a long time, now,” Emma says. “That seems like the obvious path, right?”

“We thought so for a while, but… There’s actually a Canadian law that if a Canadian citizen’s only biological child was a hybrid, that you can follow the line down and essentially consider mating bonds between a hybrid descendant and a human non-citizen as a marriage? Like, essentially as a way to give them someone to inherit their shit. And my dad’s mom is still alive, and she’s fully human, so… We’re hoping we might be able to get Ilya Canadian citizenship that way. Which would make it a lot easier to visit my family, and it would ensure that we don’t have to live in Russia long-term, once Ilya retires.”

Emma smiles. “Seems like as good a plan as any.” She looks across the room to where the alphas are sitting on the couch, now arguing about something over the sound of the TV. “I must admit, it is a little funny that Ilya’s got some bear genes.”

“Oh, trust me, he tells me all the time about how our son is going to grow up and play for Boston.”

“We said he was building a hockey team!”

“Well, our daughters could both be good forwards, if they end up liking skating. I think Mishka’s either going to be goalie or defense.”

“Mishka?”

“Mikhail. We usually call him Mishka.”

Emma nods, keeping an eye on the pasta. “Do you want to keep the whole hybrid thing under wraps, for now? If you’re nervous about telling the other MWAGs, I can rip off the bandage and do it for you. You can turn off notifications for an hour or two and I can let them get all their reactions out without you having to see any of it, if you’d like.”

“Maybe,” Shane says. “That… Might be good. For my own sanity.”

“Well, you can think about it and let me know.” Emma freezes, then looks back up at Shane as if she’d forgotten something very important. “Wait– That picture you sent of your kids, you made sure the top of their heads was covered! Do you have more photos? I bet they’re even cuter!”

“They are. Here, let me find some.”

 

====

 

Bears MWAGs 🐻

December 20th, 2016

 

Emma (Marlow’s Fiancée): Hey everyone! I have Shane’s permission to share something that he wants you all to know but was a little nervous about telling everyone. He’s going to be offline for the next hour, so pls keep your reactions in the chat contained to the next hour (at least until we’ve all gotten used to the idea.) I’ll send another reminder at the end when time is up.

Nate (Sebbin’s Mate): Uh oh should we be nervous? This doesn’t sound good

Emma (Marlow’s Fiancée): Nothing bad! Just not something you probably would’ve expected.

Hanna (Carmichael’s Girlfriend (is going to dump him)): Still a super ominous way to lead into the topic, in any case.

Katie (Hammersmith’s Girlfriend): I second that

Emma (Marlow’s Fiancée): Anyway. So you’ve all probably noticed that Shane has been avoiding coming to in-person events with us.

Sadie (Dubek’s Ex(?)-Wife): Wasn’t it just because of his kids?

Emma (Marlow’s Fiancée): Partially, but not entirely.

Emma (Marlow’s Fiancée): So Shane is actually a hybrid. (Cheetah, to be more specific. Pls do not call him a cat hybrid in general.) Ilya is legally his guardian in addition to being his mate, but Shane has assured me that Ilya thinks the whole system is stupid and would rather just be his husband.

Katie (Hammersmith’s Girlfriend): …Okay that was way more wholesome than I was expecting. Like, sounds sweet, at least

Hanna (Carmichael’s Girlfriend (is going to dump him)): Ellie, before you even say anything, no you are not allowed to pet Shane. Or his kids. Are his kids hybrids too??

Emma (Marlow’s Fiancée): Yes. He didn’t get super into details so idk if the twins will be as well, but all three of the triplets are. (The girls are like Shane; their son is a bear hybrid. The genetics are overcomplicated and I’m not going to try to explain.)

Ellie (St-Simon’s Wife): Hannnnnnaaaaaaaaaa

Hanna (Carmichael’s Girlfriend (is going to dump him)): They’re still human children, Ellie!

Ellie (St-Simon’s Wife): Okay and consider that I would be brushing their hair either way (w/ Shane and Roz’s permission, ofc)

Nate (Sebbin’s Mate): And if they didn’t give permission?? Also wait, there son is a bear??? I have so many terrible puns I want to make and I’m limiting myself to the ones abt sports bcs that’s a literal toddler, but like…. Wow nature is wild

Katie (Hammersmith’s Girlfriend): There’s literally nothing natural about hybrids, Nate

Nate (Sebbin’s Mate): Okay but giving the Bears captain a bear baby??? Idk, things that might make me believe in god or smth

Katie (Hammersmith’s Girlfriend): I for one would just like to say I am also deeply relieved for Shane’s health. Feline hybrids (of all specific species!! I’m not calling him a cat!!) are able to carry up to four fetuses at a time without it being more dangerous than a single-fetus pregnancy. So like. He’s still insane and baby crazy, but definitely less than I thought

Melissa (Kane’s… Mate(?)): At least we have that, I guess

Melissa (Kane’s… Mate(?)): Wait a second!

Hanna (Carmichael’s Girlfriend (is going to dump him)): …oh no what now

Melissa (Kane’s… Mate(?)): …Does this make Roz a furry???

Emma (Marlow’s Fiancée): And that was exactly the question that Shane did not want asked. Wrap it up, y’all!

Ellie (St-Simon’s wife): We still have twenty minutes left tho!

Emma (Marlow’s Fiancée): And you can spend it talking about wrapping paper or something, idk. What weird holiday traditions do you have? Anything that’s not about Shane, Roz, or their kids.

Katie (Hammersmith’s Girlfriend): Well in my family we’ve been using the same kind of wrapping paper for like thirty years because my aunt bought like twenty rolls of it before it was discontinued, and since she couldn’t store all of it in her basement she was just giving it out to everyone, and now none of us ever have to buy our own wrapping paper.

Nate (Sebbin’s Mate): …I think it was a hypothetical question, Katie, but good to know where to go if I ever need wrapping paper on short notice

Katie (Hammersmith’s Girlfriend): My whole family lives in a small town in Minnesota, it’s absolutely not short notice.

Nate (Sebbin’s Mate): You didn’t take any with you??

Katie (Hammersmith’s Girlfriend): No??? It’s ugly as hell

Hannah (Varkov’s Wife): I put my phone on silent to go to the movie theatre ONE TIME