Rating:

Explicit

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

M/M

Fandom:

Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid

Relationship:

Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov

Characters:

Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Rose Landry, Svetlana Vetrova, Jackie Pike, Hayden Pike

Additional Tags:

Speed Dating, Alternate Universe, Falling In Love, Love at First Sight, New Relationship, Blizzards & Snowstorms, Anal Sex, Anal Fingering, Blow Jobs, shane has a cat, Dating, Slice of Life, Analingus, Frottage, Fluff and Smut, Ilya has a bad knee, Sports Agent Ilya, physical therapist shane

Language:

English

Stats:

Published: 2026-03-21 Completed: 2026-03-22 Words: 34,335 Chapters: 10/10

Caught By Surprise

Summary

Shane Hollander has been out of the dating game for a few years. Deciding to get back into it, he goes to a speed dating event recommended by a friend. He isn't expecting much, just a chance to get his feet wet, but is surprised to meet the love of his life.

Notes

I wrote a little ficlet for Valentine's Day and the theme was speed dating so I decided to try my hand at writing a fic about it
It's not my best work but it was good to just kind of get it out there. I wrote this during a very stressful time over the last month and a half and I think I just needed something sickly sweet.
I do hope you enjoy this nonetheless.
💖

Chapter 1

Chapter Summary

Shane is convinced to give speed dating a try

October - Montreal

Thursday

“Just a few more reps, Liam. You got this.”

Shane Hollander watched his patient, Liam, as he did two more prone rows with a five pound dumbbell.

Liam had come in for physical therapy with a shoulder injury. He was a university swimmer and had torn his rotator cuff in practice. He’d had surgery and was now working on mobility and strength in PT, which was how he had come to work with Shane.

Shane enjoyed his job. It wasn’t what he had imagined himself doing as a career but it was one that he was proud of and that he got a lot of fulfillment out of.

Physical therapists had helped him with his own recovery when he’d been in Junior hockey. Plagued by several concussions, subsequent migraines, and various leg and arm injuries, his dreams of a professional hockey career had come to an end before he’d turned seventeen.

It had been disappointing and Shane had been a bit adrift, wondering what he would do now, after having been one of the most promising up and coming prospects in hockey.

But he had remembered working with the PTs during his recovery. It had been hard work but Shane had always thrived on hard work. He remembered the exercises and sessions being turned into mini competitions, competing against himself as he worked on building back strength and mobility.

So he’d decided to pursue it as a career himself. If he couldn’t be a pro, at least he could help the pros out.

Shane loved working with athletes of all kinds and of all ages.

He’d worked with some NHL players, some Olympic athletes. Lots of university students.

The work was stable but ever evolving. It kept him on his toes with new research coming out all the time.

He liked being useful, knowing that he was helping people, and continuing to educate himself.

And he hadn’t given up hockey completely. He still played in a beer league, fairly low key, but it was good for him to have that social outlet. He was the kind of person that needed a reason to leave his house because otherwise he would just be too comfortable.

“Nice job,” Shane said when Liam had finished his reps. He took the dumbbell, helping Liam sit up. “How’re you feeling?”

Liam rotated his shoulder a little. “Those reps are brutal.”

Shane chuckled. “I know. But it’s important to keep you moving.”

“Yeah. For sure. I’m still a little stiff. Weaker than I want to be.”

“The strength will come. We’re working on getting your muscles to function like normal. Strengthening them again. You’ll get there.”

They went through a few more exercises before Liam was done for the day and Shane was onto his next patient.

It was a busy day, which was usually what Shane preferred.

He had dinner plans with one of his closest friends, Rose. He was looking forward to that, he loved spending time with her. He was a bit of a homebody, preferring his own company, spending time with his cat, but he was trying to be better about socializing.

He had a good group of friends; a few close people he trusted, and he got along well with his coworkers.

Life was, overall, pretty good. Maybe not very exciting but that was okay. Shane didn’t need exciting. He liked comfortable, perhaps a bit boring for most, but that was okay.

After work, he said goodbye to his coworkers and took the Metro back home.

It was an easy ride, about ten minutes, and then a five minute walk to his apartment building.

It was a brisk October evening, the days slowing growing colder. The city was sporting a bright pop of autumnal colors, with winter looming right around the corner.

Shane took the elevator up to his floor, walking to his door, greeting one of his neighbors and her kids as he passed them in the hall.

At his door, he took out his keys, smiling as he heard the loud meows coming from the other side.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” he chuckled, unlocking the door.

He got an indignant meow in response as he stepped into his condo.

“Yes, hello, I’m home.”

A fluffy mass of white and brown fur immediately began rubbing against his legs and Shane laughed. He slid his backpack from his back onto the floor and leaned down to scoop up his cat.

Eloise was his two year old brown seal point ragdoll. She was the cutest thing in the whole world and Shane loved her to death.

They had come into one another’s lives when they had both needed someone. Eloise had been part of a litter of kittens that had been rescued from a kitten mill and Shane had fallen in love with her at first sight.

Shane was a pretty rational person. He didn’t really think much about huge, cosmic things, but he truly believed that Eloise was his soul cat. She was sweet and affectionate but also independent, seeking out attention when she wanted it, otherwise spending her time in her cat tree, looking out the window, or curled up on Shane’s pillow napping.

She had some kidney issues and needed to be on a special diet and medication, but was otherwise a very healthy cat.

She loved to sit on his shoulders and rub herself against him when she wanted attention and they had a routine of curling up together on the couch while Shane read up on new research or watched hockey.

She was his favorite photography subject and he had a bunch of photos of her around his condo.

He kissed her fluffy head a few times and then put her down, chuckling as she shook herself out and meowed some more.

“Let me take off my coat and shoes and I’ll be right with you.”

He watched as she padded over to her cat tree by the window and hopped up onto it, finding a perch that pleased her. She sat, perfectly poised, tail wrapped around her feet, as she looked out the window.

Shane laughed, going into the kitchen to grab a can of ginger ale, before taking it to his bedroom so he could look around at what he should wear for dinner.

He already had a general idea but he set his soda aside on a coaster on his bedside table, pulling out his phone to text Rose.

Shane: any thoughts on what I should wear?

Instead of texting him back, Rose video called him.

He chuckled as he picked up.

“Hi.”

“Hello, you! Show me your closet!”

Shane did as requested, turning his phone so she could take a look, and pulled different items so she could see them, before she told him which ones to wear.

“Oh you’re going to look so handsome!” she said excitedly. “I am so pumped to see you! We’re overdue for a catch up.”

“I know. I’m sorry it’s been so long.”

Rose smiled softly on his screen. “It’s okay. I just miss you. I can’t wait to see you… and eat my body weight in cheese.”

Shane laughed. “I miss you, too. And we can get as much cheese as you want.”

“Thank you for supporting me.”

“Always.”

Rose giggled. “Go get changed. I have to finish getting ready, too! I’ll see you in a little bit!”

“Okay. Sounds perfect.”

“Love you!”

“Love you, too.”

They said goodbye and ended the call, Shane feeling buoyed by the quick chat.

Sometimes he forgot what it felt like to spend time with other people and how good that made him feel.

Shane was around people all the time but it was different when it was your friends.

He was an introvert and liked spending time alone but sometimes he forgot that he could actually go out and do things. He had people who liked spending time with him, wanted to spend time with him.

He knew he needed to make plans with Rose more often, with all his friends really.

It was difficult at times. He never wanted to bother anyone or be a burden. But he had to remind himself that the people who cared about him cared about him and he needed to let them.

Shane got changed, fussed with his hair, then made sure that Eloise was fed. He finished his ginger ale, brushed his teeth, checked his outfit and hair one more time, before he grabbed everything he needed, and left the condo.

The wine bar that Rose had chosen was very trendy. Everything was all plush blue velvet and dark wood, the lighting low, the entire place smelling like lavender.

Rose was a few minutes late, walking into the bar dressed in a pair of trousers and a long sleeved blouse that made her blue eyes pop. She smiled brightly and Shane couldn’t help but smile back.

“I’m sorry I kept you waiting,” she said as they hugged and bussed cheeks.

“You didn’t. It’s okay.”

Rose looped her arm through Shane’s and they went to the host stand together. They were led to an intimate table for two and given wine and food menus.

First order of business was a cheese plate and what bottle of wine they wanted to split, before placing their order.

"I think the Beaujolais looks good," Rose said. "What do you think?"

"Let's do it." Shane trusted Rose's judgment.

They ordered the wine and the cheese plate once their server came by.

"Excellent choice," their server said.

They returned a few moments with the wine, allowing them to taste it, both agreeing that it was very nice. Their server poured them a glass each and left the bottle. Rose and Shane tapped their glasses together, before diving into their catch up.

Rose had a very active social life. She was a drama teacher, working in a high school, and doing performances at some of the local theaters around town. She traveled occasionally, doing work in other cities in Canada and around the U.S. She was an incredible actress and director.

Shane liked hearing about her students and what plays she was working on, making sure to attend her performances, and support her in whatever way he could.

They were both currently single, though Rose was actively dating, while Shane hadn’t even considered dating since his breakup over two years ago. He’d just felt a lot of inertia and anxiety in putting himself back out there.

“You should join me in dating hell,” Rose teased, popping a piece of cheese into her mouth.

“Yeah, because the way you describe it sounds so appealing,” Shane replied, sipping from his glass.

Rose grimaced and chuckled. “That’s fair.”

Shane laughed, shaking his head a little.

“It’s been a while though, yeah?” Rose asked.

Shane chewed on his bottom lip. “Yeah.”

“Would you think about getting back into it?”

“I don’t know. Probably.”

They’d had this conversation before. Shane’s friends weren’t pushy but he knew they worried about him and only ever had his best interest at heart. He didn’t love stepping out of his comfort zone and the idea of dating was, admittedly, uncomfortable.

Shane had come out publicly when he was twenty-five, having come out in his early twenties to his family and very close friends.

During that time, he'd met and become friends with Montreal Voyageurs defenseman Jean-Jacques Boiziau when J.J. had come in for PT after tearing his ACL.

J.J. was so infectious and extroverted and he and Shane had hit it off right away, J.J. surprised by Shane's witty sense of humor.

When J.J. had finished his PT, he'd invited Shane to a party at a friend's restaurant, and that was where Shane had met Laurent.

Things had been great at first.

Laurent was a reporter for the local news station, a little older than Shane, more experienced. It had been nice, being with someone, experiencing love, kind of learning what it was like to be in a relationship.

Shane had been hooking up with guys prior to that and had had a few, secret relationships, but none that were long term.

The relationship hadn’t been a bad one necessarily but at some point, they had just started to want different things.

It was the first time Shane had really felt heartbreak and it hadn’t been fun.

It had been two years since the breakup and he just hadn’t put himself back out there, though he knew he probably should.

He thought about being in a relationship, of sharing his life with someone other than his cat, of integrating his life with someone else’s. He wanted something soft and domestic. He wanted someone to love and care for. Someone who would happily love and care for him, too.

But the question was… would anyone want that with him?

He knew he could be anxious, neurotic, a lot. It took him time to warm up to people, to open up, to trust. Sometimes people weren’t willing to be patient and that was difficult.

Rose was watching him knowingly. “What’s the hold up?”

Shane shrugged and blushed. “I don’t know.”

Rose reached out and rested her hand on his. “You’re hot, you’ve got a great, stable career, you’re smart, you own your own condo, you have an awesome sense of humor, you’re one of the kindest, sweetest people. You’re a catch! Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

“I mean, I guess so. I don’t know. Does anyone even want commitment? It just seems like people want to hook up.”

Rose chuckled. “I’m sure that there are plenty of people out there who want commitment. You just have to find them.”

“That’s the worst part.”

Rose laughed and Shane smiled, taking another sip of wine, and then took a piece of cheese.

“I know I have to put myself out there.”

Rose nodded.

“Can’t I just speed-run right into intimacy and trust? I hate small talk.”

Rose laughed. “I know. I wish it was that easy. But you're really good at it! And you’re funny!”

Shane felt his cheeks warm. “Thanks, Rose.”

“It’s true.”

Shane smiled and nodded. “I’ll consider it.”

“Good. We can commiserate together. Men are so fucking boring, except you and like, three other guys I know.”

"Gee thanks," Shane laughed.

They spent the rest of dinner talking about their ideal partners and what they both considered when it came to relationships.

Now in his thirties, Shane thought a lot more about stability. He wanted to have someone who he could laugh and cook with. Someone who would travel with him on occasion and would like summers at the cottage as much as he did. He wanted affection, of course, to be known and understood and loved.

He wanted to get married and have kids.

And Shane did know that he was attractive, not just physically, but with everything else in his life. It was just hard to see when he had a hard time believing that at times. He could admit that part of that was his fault. He didn't get a lot of positive feedback because he didn't date. He was just in his own head.

He knew nothing would change if he didn’t do anything about it.

“You know I’m always here to pump your tires,” Rose assured.

“I know,” Shane chuckled. “And I’m always here to do the same.”

“I know. You’re the sweetest.”

They leaned into each other for a moment before paying for their wine and food, and got ready to go back out into the chilly night.

“Can I walk you home?” Shane asked, since Rose was only a few blocks away.

“See? The sweetest!”

They walked home, arm-in-arm, making plans to meet up again next week and agreeing to go through the arduous process of dating together, before Shane dropped Rose off at her apartment.

They hugged goodbye and he made his way toward the Metro.

***

Monday

Shane was on his lunch break when he got a text from Rose.

Rose: You should check this out! I know the guy who's running it! He's the dramaturge I work with!

She’d sent along a link that was for some kind of speed dating event. Shane looked dubiously at his phone for a moment before following the link. It brought him to a brightly colored web page with SPEED DATING FOR QUEER MEN at the top.

He shook his head a little, smiling to himself, as he scrolled the page.

The website was for an LGBTQIA+ organization that did all different kinds of meet-ups. They had book clubs, speed dating, mixers, hikes, a running group, all kinds of activities to help queer people meet other queer people in varying capacities, from friendship to dating to support.

Apparently they were hosting a speed dating event at one of the fancier hotels downtown in two weeks, having rented out the event space to host.

It was open to queer men of all persuasions to meet and mingle and maybe meet someone. There would be a kind of cocktail hour vibe, with two drink tickets per person, and access to finger foods.

Shane had never done speed dating before and he appreciated that the site had a section on what speed dating entailed, which was very helpful. He wasn’t so sure about how eight minutes of conversation was enough to get a vibe about someone and if you were interested in them but he wasn’t an expert, so what did he know?

He laughed a little to himself and texted Rose back.

Shane: Per our arrangement…

Shane smiled as he watched the wiggling ellipses on his screen as Rose typed.

Rose: I am locking down plans with a guy named Philippe as we speak!

Shane went back to the website and looked at their sign up form. It was pretty general. They asked for his information, name, age, occupation, and then some more specific questions about interests and lifestyle.

It seemed pretty straight forward.

The event had a $25 cover, which wasn’t horrible, especially given the location.

Rose texted him again and Shane opened the message, looking at a screenshot she had taken of this Philippe guy.

He was handsome, in his thirties, apparently working as a baker, which was interesting. Rose did love bread.

Rose: he has a dog, too!

Rose: I wanted you to have his info, just in case

Shane: yes, thank you

Rose: send me the confirmation receipt for the speed dating thing 😉

Shane: yes yes fine 🙄

Shane sighed, filling out the registration application, paid the cover, then took a screenshot of the confirmation page, and sent it to Rose.

Rose: YAY!!!

Rose: I'll tell Marco you'll be there!!

Shane: I hope it’s worth it…

Rose: It’ll be great! Worst case, you learn what you like and don’t like, y’know? You don’t have to go in thinking this is the ONLY shot you have to meet someone

Shane: Yeah… you’re right

Rose: It’s a good place to start and I’m proud of you ❤️

Shane smiled.

Shane: thanks ❤️

Rose: any time! We can talk more about things when I see you on Friday. Can’t wait!!!

Shane: 🙌🙌🙌🙌

He set his phone down to finish his lunch, chuckling softly to himself. He had no idea what he was getting himself into but Rose was right. He didn’t have to go in expecting to meet the love of his life there. He just had to be open to the process. It was ripping off the band-aid and hopefully the start of just allowing himself to get back into dating again.

He could do it. He’d done plenty of hard things and this would be no different.

Chapter 2

Chapter Summary

Shane isn't expecting to meet anyone at speed dating but is caught by surprise

Two weeks later…

“Okay,” Shane said, looking at himself in the mirror. He had opted for a very simple outfit; nice chinos, a soft gray quarter-zip, and ankle boots. He wasn’t dressed up but the clothes suggested that he put in some effort, plus, the chinos made his ass look great according to Rose. He couldn’t disagree.

He turned to Eloise, who was perched on his dresser, licking her paw. Technically she wasn’t allowed to be up there but he let it pass for now.

“What do you think?” he asked her.

She looked at him with her big blue eyes, blinking slowly, and made a soft ‘mrrp’ sound.

Shane nodded. “I’ll take that as your approval.”

He fussed with his hair, wondering if maybe he should have gotten it cut. He used to always have his hair short but had grown it out a bit over the last year. It was long enough to pull into a ponytail now and while he liked it, sometimes he worried that other people wouldn’t.

He took a breath, closing his eyes, relaxing his shoulders.

“It doesn’t matter what other people think, Hollander. If someone likes you, they’ll like you long hair or not.”

He nodded to himself and opened his eyes, then checked the time.

“Time to go. C’mon you.”

Eloise hopped off the dresser as Shane made to leave his bedroom.

He made sure he had his wallet and keys and phone, sending a quick text to Rose just to update her, then slid into his elegant wool coat.

“Goodbye, Ellie,” he said to the cat, kissing the top of her fluffy head. “I’ll see you in a few hours. Be good. No parties while I’m gone.”

Shane left his condo, walking to the Metro, hands in his pocket, braced against the chilly evening.

He arrived at the hotel, welcoming the warmth of the lobby, looking for signs indicating the speed dating event. He was about ten minutes early and nervous.

There was a board set up that indicated where the event would be held so Shane followed the directions, finding the event space that had been rented out.

There was a table in front where a stocky, rugged man with neatly combed blond hair and a beard sat. The table had another sign that indicated the event and there were some clipboards, pens, a roll of paper tickets, and name tags laid out.

The man had a name tag on that read Harris D.

“Hi!” the man greeted with a big, warm smile. “Are you here for speed dating?”

“I am,” Shane replied, smiling back.

“Can I have your name, please?”

“Shane. Um, Hollander.”

The man, Harris, looked over a list he had attached to a clipboard, running his finger down the names and paused at finding Shane’s. He had a green highlighter and highlighted Shane’s name.

“Perfect! Welcome, Shane! Thank you for joining us, we’re so happy to have you. I'm Harris, one of the volunteers. I’ll have you take one of those sheets of paper from any of the clipboards and a pen. The sheets are for you to indicate any of the guys you met and if you’re interested in being connected. We’ll collect them at the end of the evening and send out an email to anyone who matched. If you wouldn’t mind making a name tag. And I have two drink tickets for you, so help yourself to the bar, it is cash only after you use your tickets if you’d like additional drinks.”

Shane nodded, listening as he filled out a name tag with an available sharpie, sticking it to his quarter-zip, then grabbed a sheet of paper and a pen.

“Here are your tickets,” Harris said, handing them to Shane, who thanked him. “And I’ll give you a basic run down of what to expect. You’ll be split up into two groups. One group will sit at a table and you’ll be at that table for the whole event. The other group will rotate around the room, stopping at each table, kind of round robin style. You’ll have eight minutes to chat and one of us organizers will be sure that you know when your time is up and to move on. Any questions?”

“Um, my friend Rose knows the person running this. I think his name is Marco…”

“Oh yes!” Harris beamed at him. “He stepped out for a minute to grab our microphones but he should be back soon. I’ll let you know you’re here.”

“Thanks so much.”

“Of course! My pleasure! I hope you have a great time! You’re a little early so help yourself to any of the food and the bar before we get started. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask!”

Shane smiled back and nodded. “Thanks so much.”

He moved away from the table, looking around at the set up. There were maybe ten or twelve tables set up, the room lowly lit, with electric candles on each table, and nice table cloths. There was one table laid out with heavy appetizers and a bar that seemed fully stocked.

Overall, the vibe was fairly romantic, and intimate.

Shane went to the bar. He didn’t intend to drink more than two drinks and he’d stick to light beers. He wanted to be in the moment, even if he was nervous.

“How can I help you?” the bartender asked, his voice carrying a Québécois accent. He wore a name tag as well, which read Maxime.

“Can I have your lightest beer?” Shane asked, in French.

Maxime smiled, nodding his head slightly. “Of course,” he replied, also in French.

Shane smiled and Maxime opened a cooler, pulling out a beer.

“Would you like a glass?” he asked.

Shane shook his head. “The bottle is fine.”

Maxime smiled again, a little flirty. He opened the bottle and handed it to Shane.

“Thank you,” Shane said and gave Maxime one of the drink tickets, along with a five dollar bill.

Maxime shook his head. “Thank you but it’s policy to not accept tips at events.”

Shane felt his cheeks heat. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Maxime chuckled. “You’re sweet.”

He took Shane’s drink ticket, placing it into a medium sized vase on the bar.

“Have fun tonight.”

“Oh thanks. Um, I hope you do, too.”

Maxime smiled and laughed and Shane smiled back before stepping away from the bar. A few other men had arrived, some of them milling about, perusing the food table, or coming up to the bar.

Shane took out his phone and texted Rose.

Shane: I’m here, got a beer, wish me luck

Rose: You’re gonna crush it! Can’t wait to hear all the dirty deets!

Shane smiled, shaking his head, and put his phone back in his pocket.

He took a steadying breath, sipped his beer, and went to mingle.

There were a wide variety of men from all walks of life, which was nice to see. Marco, Rose’s friend, found him and they chatted for a bit which was fun, and he made Shane feel pretty welcome.

Overall, Shane felt mostly okay, and it was good to just chat with some of the other guys, finding that he wasn’t the only one who was nervous.

Eventually, Marco got their attention, using a microphone set up to a portable speaker.

They were split into two groups; group A would take a seat at any of the tables and group B would be the group that walked around to each table. Shane was in group A.

Eight minutes of conversation until everyone had met at least once.

At the end of the night, their lists would be collected, and information passed along for anyone who matched.

“There aren’t that many of us doing this, so it may take some time to get an email from us because we do all of our matching by hand! But rest assured, we will reach out!” Marco said. “Happy speed dating!”

Shane sat at one of the tables with his paper and pen, nervous again, but also kind of excited.

It had helped to break the ice with some of the guys early on, resuming conversations, and then getting the opportunity to meet some of the other guys.

He threaded his fingers around his beer bottle, tapping his thumbs against the damp glass as he waited. He looked up and smiled as a man pulled out the chair across from Shane, and sat as the speed dating began.

“Hi, I’m Shane,” Shane said, smiling and offering his hand.

The man across from him shook his hand and smiled back. “I’m Evan.”

Shane talked with three different guys; Evan, Matt, and Henry.

They were all very pleasant and very different, but Shane wasn’t feeling a particular pull toward any of them. He was caught between putting their names down in the hopes of maybe getting to know one of them better during a longer date, or not putting any of their names down at all.

He didn’t love the position that put him in. He didn’t want to be rude…

He sighed, flicking the pen in his hand back and forth between his fingers, when the chair across from him was pulled out.

Shane looked up and it was like the whole world stopped.

The man across from him paused before sitting down, his and Shane’s eyes meeting.

It was like Shane tried to take everything in all at once; golden brown curls that fell over the man's forehead and around his ears, hazel eyes under dark brows, sharp angled cheeks, handsome stubble, and a plush mouth.

He was stunning but even in that moment of just looking at one another, Shane felt something. A familiarity almost, a connection.

He had no idea how long they stared at one another before they both laughed and the man sat down across from him.

“Oh my god. Hi.”

The man smiled, wide and bright. “Hi.”

“I’m Shane.”

Shane extended his hand and the man took it, shaking it. He had a firm, warm grip, his palms calloused and broad, his fingers long.

“Ilya.”

His voice was deep, accented, and Shane was spellbound.

“It’s nice to meet you.”

“And you. Having a good night?”

“I think so,” Shane chuckled. “It’s been kind of wild. I’ve never done this before.”

“Neither have I.”

“Really?” Shane was kind of relieved to hear that.

Ilya nodded. “Really. Was different so I thought, why not try?”

“Yeah, for sure! It’s very different but… fun.”

Ilya chuckled. “Yes.”

“So besides never having been to a speed dating event before… what else should I know about you?” Shane asked.

Ilya’s smile softened a bit, going crooked, and he looked at Shane flirtatiously. Shane felt his cheeks warm at that look. Ilya was… unfairly handsome.

“What would you like to know, Shane?” he asked, his voice all sultry.

Shane wanted to know a lot of things but he wasn’t sure any of them were appropriate for this setting.

He chewed on his bottom lip. “Uh, do you like sports?”

Ilya laughed, though it was warm and amused and Shane felt the heat in his cheeks spread down his neck and to his ears.

“Sorry, that’s a lame question…”

“No, no,” Ilya replied, his eyes on Shane. They were a unique kind of color, almost gold in the low light. “I like sports. A big hockey fan.”

Shane brightened. “Oh yeah? Who’s your team?”

“Boston.” Ilya’s smile turned a little wicked and Shane let out a surprised laugh.

“Well that’s unfortunate.”

“Are you a Montreal fan?”

“I am.” He held out his hand. “It was lovely meeting you, Ilya but uh…”

Ilya laughed, taking Shane’s hand, and holding it in his for a moment. The gesture surprised Shane and he swallowed, blinking at Ilya.

“A little rivalry never hurts.”

Shane had to glance away, overwhelmed by how flirty Ilya was being, and how much he was enjoying it.

“I guess that’s true. Makes things more interesting.”

He looked back at Ilya and Ilya smiled, releasing Shane’s hand, and took a sip of his beer.

“What do you do for work?” Ilya asked.

“I’m a physical therapist.”

Ilya’s brows raised and he looked interested. “Oh yes?”

Shane nodded. “Yeah. I work with a lot of athletes, usually university kids, some pro athletes and Olympians. It’s great. I love my job.”

“It must be very interesting.”

“It is. It keeps me on my toes, which I like. What about you? What do you do?”

“I am a sports agent.”

“Oh no way! That’s cool!”

Ilya laughed. “Yes. It is. I work with hockey players, mostly.”

Shane’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”

Ilya nodded, sipping from his glass again. He was smiling over the rim and his eyes sparkled.

“Way cooler than my job.”

Ilya shrugged. “I don’t know about that. Different. We still meet interesting people.”

“That’s true,” Shane nodded.

They talked some more about work and hockey and their other interests. Apparently Ilya liked to cook and bake and he listened as Shane talked about photography. Before either of them realized, their time was up.

Shane found himself disappointed at that, wishing he could talk to Ilya for eight hours instead of eight minutes.

“It was very nice to meet you, Shane,” Ilya said, shaking Shane’s hand, and maintaining eye contact. It made Shane’s heart flutter.

“It was really nice meeting you, too, Ilya.”

They smiled at each other and Ilya squeezed Shane’s hand before letting him go. Shane watched him as he moved to the next table, biting his lip. He turned to the sheet in front of him and wrote down Ilya’s name.

By the end of the night, Shane had met twelve different men, and had written down only one name.

Ilya.

It felt risky, just writing down the one. The statistics alone didn’t work in his favor, but Ilya was the only person who Shane had felt any sort of real spark toward.

Shane handed in his paper, thanked Marco and Harris for a wonderful evening, and then headed home.

He didn’t see Ilya after he left, which was a little disappointing.

Shane was sure that Ilya had put down other names and he was sure that other guys had put down Ilya. Who wouldn’t have? He was one of the most attractive guys there, so charming and personable beyond just his good looks.

Shane had been utterly captivated by him and talking had come so easily, their conversation flowing. Shane hadn’t felt all that self-conscious either, he’d been so wrapped up in Ilya’s company.

It felt good talking to him, like he was really listening, and invested.

Shane had left the hotel feeling like he was floating on air. He had never experienced anything like what he had experienced with Ilya before, even in just those brief eight minutes.

Shane had felt special. Excited. It was risky to only list Ilya’s name, sure, but he was going to be brave. He would see what happened and if nothing came of it, at least he’d learn something valuable from the experience.

He hoped.

It wasn’t like he would have his heart broken. He might just be disappointed and he would cross that bridge when he got there.

Back at home, he was greeted by a very needy Eloise. He scooped her up, letting her drape across his shoulders, as he texted Rose to let her know that he had made it back home safe.

Rose: YAY! OMG! Tell me EVERYTHING!

Shane: do you want me to call?

Rose: YES

Shane chuckled, video calling.

“Oh hello!” Rose greeted. She was in bed, her face covered in some kind of facemask, and a headband. “Eloise! My girl!”

Shane chuckled, nuzzling into Eloise’s fluff. “You gonna say hi to Auntie Rose?”

Rose made some kissing and clicking noises, finally getting Eloise to look at the camera, where she promptly started rubbing her face. Shane and Rose laughed.

“Alright, ma’am. Come on.”

Shane transferred the cat to his lap and held his phone up to see Rose.

“Hey.”

Rose giggled, smiling wide. “Hi! Tell me everything!”

Shane told her all about the speed dating, mostly detailing how everything had looked and how the process had operated. He knew she would want to know about how he had met, so he talked about some of the other guys and how that had felt.

“So, you didn’t meet anyone you really clicked with?”

“Uh, I mean,” Shane sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “There was one guy…”

Rose’s blue eyes went huge and she pulled the screen to her face that all Shane could see was one eyeball and part of her nose.

“TELL ME!!!”

Shane laughed. “His name’s Ilya. He’s very handsome. Funny. Charming. We only talked for eight minutes and I wish it could have been for a lot longer.”

“Oh Shane! Aww! What did you talk about?!”

Shane felt his cheeks warm. “Just random stuff. Hockey. Our jobs. Hobbies. Things like that.”

“And?” Rose gestured with her hand for Shane to continue.

“Uh, well, he’s a Boston fan…?”

“Boo!”

“My sentiments exactly. Uh, he’s a sports agent and works with hockey players exclusively which is pretty cool. He likes to cook and bake, which was cute. Um, yeah. That’s about it.”

“What did he look like?”

“Tall. Kind of blondish curly hair. Really handsome face. A nice smile.”

“We love a curly haired man.”

Shane laughed, shaking his head a little. “I put his name down. He was the only one…”

“Really? Oh! So bold!”

Shane shrugged. “We’ll see what happens. The odds are stacked against me but…”

“You’re quite the catch yourself, sir! And don’t you forget it! I’m sure plenty of guys put you down, too.”

Shane smiled. “Thanks, Rose.”

“Don’t thank me! It’s true!”

Shane chuckled. “Thanks for this. For encouraging me to go. I just hope I hear back from him.”

“Of course. Anytime. You know I’m always here to support you. And you will! There’s no way he didn’t think you were hot AND interesting.”

Shane shook his head. “Thanks. Don’t think I forgot about Philippe, by the way. I’m here to support you, too. ”

Rose laughed. “Oh I know! I promise to keep you posted! You’re the sweetest.”

“Good. I’m holding you to that.”

They chatted a little more about Rose’s upcoming date and then said their goodbyes.

Shane took care of the cat, then got ready for bed, wondering if he’d get an email, and if Ilya was thinking about him, too…

Chapter 3

Chapter Summary

Ilya was pretty sure that love wasn't for him until he met Shane...

Monday

Ilya Rozanov was refreshing his email. Again.

He was terribly distracted, which was sort of embarrassing, but he couldn’t help himself.

Going to the speed dating event last week had been mostly to appease his therapist. Well, not appease necessarily, but it was part of what he was working on in therapy.

Putting himself back out there. Actively looking for a partner.

Ilya had never had much of a love life. He had a long history of hookups, utilizing sex as a way to try and outrun and avoid confronting his past, which had worked for a while… until it hadn’t.

Which was how he had found himself in therapy in the first place.

He’d done a lot of work over the last few years. Processing and coming to terms with the abuse and neglect he’d suffered at the hands of his family, the tragic and traumatic loss of his mother, and the brutal motorcycle accident that had ended his NHL career.

He’d been diagnosed with depression. He was on medication.

Dating and relationships had been the furthest thing from his mind while he worked on himself, adjusting to this reality that he had never imagined for himself.

He was resilient and he had managed to find his way, but that didn't mean he'd come out of his experiences unscathed.

He had a great job that he enjoyed. He had a steady group of supportive friends. He was well-liked and overall, successful.

But he’d been through a lot and it had taken a long time to get to the place that he was in now, especially because he’d had to pivot pretty hard.

He’d gone back to school. Gotten a Master’s degree. Started his own agency.

If anything had been going for him, it was that Ilya always wanted to be the best. He liked being competent. And that drive had pushed him.

So being here now, obsessively refreshing his email, waiting to hear back from the speed dating coordinators, was actually a good thing, even if he felt kind of like an idiot.

Ilya honestly hadn’t expected for anything to come out of going to the event. He had promised Galina that he would try and that would be his first step to exploring dating for the first time. The event itself had been reasonable and relatively uneventful.

Ilya found it easy to talk with people, to charm them. He was a good conversationalist. He knew he was funny in a snarky, sarcastic kind of way, he was a good listener, and he was handsome, which never hurt.

But what he hadn’t anticipated was meeting Shane.

Ilya had known it was unlikely to meet the love of his life at an event like this but he had felt an instant connection with Shane. A knowing.

Maybe that was crazy but the moment they’d met eyes, Ilya hadn’t wanted to be anywhere else. He wanted to sit across from Shane and talk with him for hours.

He was easily the most beautiful man there. Dark, glossy hair, a sharp jawline, a perfectly sloped nose, doe-like eyes, pretty pink lips, and a smattering of freckles across his cheeks and nose, which was perhaps his most striking feature.

He had seemed nervous, at first, blushing easily. Their conversation had flowed so naturally, and Ilya had liked listening to Shane talk, enjoying his sense of humor, and finding that they had some things in common.

At the end of the night, Shane’s name was the only one that Ilya had written down on the sheet of paper they’d been given at the start of the event.

Maybe that was foolhardy on his part but there just hadn’t been anyone else he was interested in.

He wasn’t normally like this. Yes, he wanted a relationship. He wanted to love and be loved. He wanted a family. It had just never seemed like something that was in the cards for him.

He hadn’t ever really believed he was worth loving. And it had been easier to deny himself that, to tell himself he didn’t need it, that he was above it.

The fact of the matter was that, Ilya was desperate for it.

It just felt ridiculous that the first man he met at this thing was making him feel this way.

He was very comfortable in his bisexuality and was open to dating men and women. If he considered his history, he’d say that about seventy percent of the people he’d been with were women. Statistically speaking, it was more likely that he’d end up with a woman.

It was easier, in a way. He could meet women at bars, mixers, even some work events. Meeting men took more concerted effort, so he figured he could put a little effort in.

He’d just thought he’d mix it up a bit, putting himself out there in dating both, seeing where that led.

It had just surprised him. He hadn’t expected to feel this way so quickly.

Maybe he should be more worried about that…

He sighed, scrubbing his hands over his face, and shook his head. He looked at his phone. He had a meeting with one of his clients soon and he needed to focus, not worry about this stupid email.

Ilya pushed away from his desk and stood up slowly. His bad knee was a little stiff. As the weather got colder, his knee tended to bother him more, but nothing he couldn’t manage. He flexed his leg a bit, reminding himself to do some stretching later, particularly before and after his workout. He made sure he had everything, grabbing his phone, and left his office.

Ilya enjoyed working as an agent. He was good at it. Good with the players, good with negotiations. He especially liked working with the European players, especially rookies, helping them adjust to life in North America, and making sure that they were set up for success.

His agent had been like a father-figure to him, helping guide Ilya into his professional career, and even helping him after it had ended, and his whole life had been turned upside down.

He would always be grateful for his North American agent, Carson Davies.

The decision had made sense at the time. He was in a new market and his intention was to stay in North America even after he retired. So he’d gotten an agent in the States and that had been one of the smartest things Ilya had done.

He was still friends with Carson. He was retired now, enjoying time sailing with his wife and grandkids. But if not for him, Ilya wasn’t sure he would have made it out after his accident alive.

He had been in a horrible place, scared, injured, with no one to support him.

But Carson had been there.

He’d been the one to convince Ilya to get his agency certification, to go back to school for his Master’s.

Doing his job, as much as Ilya truly enjoyed it, was also his way of paying it forward.

A lot of these kids came in knowing very little English or how things worked in terms of how they were paid, what taxes they had to pay, how to invest and save for their futures. Ilya always wanted to set his guys up for success and he worked very hard to make sure they knew what was going on.

So he was going to meet with Vanya, who was a first round draft pick. He’d gone second overall, which Ilya was immensely pleased about, though not really for himself. Vanya was incredibly talented and he had had a rough go of things. No one knew about the difficulties he'd had back home, except Ilya.

It was one thing to have US and Canadian players with tragic stories, quite another when it was a player from Russia, especially when they barely spoke English.

But Vanya was a good kid and Ilya was happy to offer whatever kind of support and guidance he could. He wanted to be sure that Vanya was set up for success because that was what he deserved.

***

By the time Ilya returned to his office, he had forgotten about the email he’d been waiting for.

One of the perks of working was being distracted and Ilya had always liked distractions. At least this one was useful and productive.

He got a few things done for Vanya, sent a few more emails, then packed up for the night.

He had plans to meet one of his closest friends for drinks and he texted her to let her know he was on his way.

Ilya opted for a cab, watching the city pass him by, rubbing his slightly achy knee absently.

It took about fifteen minutes to get to the bar. He paid the cab and got out onto the sidewalk, heading inside.

He looked around, spotting a head of immaculate blonde hair, and informed the host he would be heading to the bar.

“Sorry I’m late,” he said, in Russian, resting a gentle hand on Svetlana’s back.

She turned, her hair swishing over her shoulder as she looked at Ilya, bright blue eyes meeting his.

“Hello,” she greeted, also in Russian. “It’s okay. Sit.”

Ilya slid into the seat next to her, bussing his cheeks against Sveta’s. She slid a menu over to him and took a sip from her martini’s glass.

“Did I keep you waiting long?”

She shook her head, wiping a lipstick stain from the glass with her thumb. “Not at all. I got here maybe ten minutes ago?”

“Good.”

Sveta chuckled softly, patting his arm.

“What are you drinking?”

“A martini.”

“Is it good?”

“Serviceable.”

Ilya nodded. “I’ll stick to beer then.”

Sveta smiled at him, shaking her head.

Ilya ordered a light beer and glanced at Sveta as she rested her chin on his shoulder. They had met when they'd been in their mid-twenties. They had both been in Master’s programs at the same university at time and had hit it off almost right away.

Ilya hadn’t expected to meet a fluent Russian speaker in school, let alone one who looked as beautiful as Svetlana Vetrova.

She had been born in the States, her father being Sergei Vetrov, a superstar player for the Boston Bears in the 90’s. She had traveled back and forth between the US and Russia growing up, speaking English and Russian all through her childhood.

They had dated for a very short time, about two months, before deciding they were better off friends; their personalities far too similar to make a relationship feel tenable.

Ilya had always appreciated Sveta’s friendship. She was incredibly intelligent and savvy. She had an MBA and was the Head of Marketing for the Bears back in Boston. She was in town for a franchise conference.

They didn’t see one another as often as they used to now that Ilya was in Montreal but they made a concerted effort to keep in touch.

“So,” Sveta hummed. “How is everything going? Catch me up on life.”

Ilya smiled, thanking the bartender when she brought Ilya his beer.

“Life is good,” he replied, looking at her. “Work is great. Therapy is fine. I’m okay.”

“Just okay?”

Ilya shrugged a little. “Yeah.”

Sveta’s blue eyes tracked Ilya’s face. Her blue eyes were unnerving. They were bright in her perfectly shaped face, her hair so light it was almost colorless. Sometimes Ilya felt like she was looking into his soul.

“Try again,” she suggested, tapping the back of his hand with a perfectly manicured nail.

Ilya huffed a laugh and sipped his beer. “What do you want to know, Sveta?”

She smiled. “Are you seeing anyone?”

He and Sveta had used to hook up, even after they’d stopped dating, but then Sveta had met someone. Ilya was genuinely happy for her and that relationship. But then she had started bothering him about his relationship status.

Ilya knew it was out of love. She worried for him.

Ilya smiled at her indulgently. “No. But I did go to a speed dating event…”

Sveta looked at him, surprised. “You what? Ilyusha!” She pushed at his arm. “Tell me!”

Ilya laughed, shaking his head a little. “There’s not much to tell. It was interesting. It was for queer men, so, something different. I wouldn’t say I disliked it or anything.”

Sveta blinked at him, leaning her elbow on the bar. “Did you meet anyone?”

“Uh, one person. Maybe.”

Ilya took another sip of his beer.

“Maybe?”

“I don’t know. We hit it off but you only get to talk for eight minutes. I’m waiting to see if we matched. Apparently the organizers will connect anyone who matched.”

“Matched how?”

Ilya explained how the speed dating worked and Sveta nodded along, intrigued.

“So you only wrote down one name?”

Ilya nodded.

“Do you think he wrote your name down?”

“Probably. I could tell he was into me. I was into him. But he seemed nervous, maybe. Unsure, too. Possible he chickened out.”

Ilya shrugged. He hadn’t looked at his phone in a few hours. He resisted the urge to check it now.

“I doubt that. You’re very charming.”

“But am I charming enough to beat out anxiety?”

“You’d be surprised what people would do if they’re horny enough.”

Ilya laughed, nearly choking on his beer, and Sveta grinned at him.

“I’m just saying.”

Ilya gave her a look and Sveta just shrugged, polishing off her drink.

“How’s your life going?” Ilya asked, because it was only fair.

He listened as Sveta talked about work, her boyfriend Thomas, catching him up on everything that had happened in the few months since the last time they saw one another.

Ilya missed when they lived in the same city but he was grateful for how giving of her time Sveta was. They texted pretty much daily and tried to video call when they could. Ilya had met Thomas, the last time he’d been in the U.S.

He was a good guy. A research scientist and professor at Harvard. Also a huge Bears fan. Ilya liked him. He and Sveta were a good fit.

The night wound down and Ilya paid for their drinks, walking with Sveta out into the chilly night.

They waited on the curb together for their respective cabs and Sveta rested her head on Ilya’s shoulder, a hand on his back. Ilya leaned into her, kissing the top of her head.

“You’re sure you’re okay?” she asked softly.

“I’m positive.”

“If I find out you’re lying to me…”

“I’m not,” Ilya laughed. “I promise. I’m fine. Even getting into dating and everything.”

“Mm. I am proud of you for that.”

“Thank you.”

A cab pulled to the curb.

“This one is yours,” Ilya said and Sveta stepped away. Ilya opened the door for her and she looked at him, resting her hand on the door.

“Let me know how everything goes.”

“I will.”

“Good. I love you. I’ll text you when I’m back at the hotel.”

Ilya smiled. “I love you, too. Thank you.”

Sveta slid into the cab and Ilya closed the door, waving at her through the window as the cab pulled away from the curb.

Ilya got back to his condo about twenty minutes later. He flipped the lights on and shuffled inside, taking his time.

He hung up his coat, dropped his keys in a bowl on a table by the door, slid off his shoes.

Not for the first time walking into his quiet, empty apartment, he wished he had a dog.

He went to the kitchen, turning on more lights, grabbed a seltzer from the fridge, and opened it. He leaned back against the kitchen counter and finally looked at his phone as he sipped from the can.

He went to his email, flipping through it, and paused.

Ilya blinked.

Waiting in his inbox, sent about five hours ago, was an email from the speed dating organizers.

He opened the email.

Hi Ilya!

Thanks so much for participating in our Queer Men's Speed Dating last week! We wanted to let you know that you matched with Shane Hollander. Below is Shane's contact information and he's been given yours! Feel free to reach out at your leisure! Thanks again for participating and we wish you and your match all the best!

Shane Hollander

Phone: +16135792468

Email: shane.hollander@gmail.com

Ilya read the email again, smiling despite himself. It felt ridiculous to feel so excited about a stupid email. But here he was.

It was a rare occurrence for something like this to happen to Ilya; for him to feel so drawn to someone. He had experienced plenty of sexual attraction before. He was good at telling when people found him attractive and when other people found one another attractive.

He knew that Shane was into him and the feeling was mutual but Ilya had no idea about any of the rest.

But that was the point he supposed.

He had to just “trust the process” and see what happened. The first step was to get in touch.

Ilya hadn’t heard from Shane and presumably he had gotten the same email around the same time. Maybe it was the anxiety Ilya had sensed. Maybe he needed someone to make the first move.

It was late though. Almost midnight.

Ilya considered for a moment, then shrugged. He copied Shane’s number and placed it into a new text chat.

Ilya: so when are we going on a real date?

He wasn’t expecting a response back because of the time, which was okay, something to look forward to in the morning.

Sveta had texted him so he made sure to text her back. He was glad she was back safe and sound at her hotel. They’d see one another again before she went back to Boston.

Ilya took his seltzer to his bedroom to start getting ready for bed. He was half-undressed when his phone buzzed on his nightstand.

He glanced at it and did a double take.

+16135792468: I’m sorry… who is this?

Ilya choked back a laugh, picking up his phone.

Cute.

Ilya: Ilya

Ilya: From speed dating

He watched the dancing ellipses, wondering what Shane Hollander was doing up at this hour.

+16135792468: OH MY GOD! I’m so sorry!

+16135792468: I did get the email that said that we had matched but I wasn’t sure about texting right away or like, how any of this works

Ilya laughed, sitting on his bed. Shane’s anxiety was very endearing, even over text

Ilya: It’s fine 😂

Ilya: I didn’t think you would respond, it is very late

+16135792468: It is, yeah, I guess I just couldn’t sleep

Ilya chuckled, warmed by how honest Shane was being. How sweet.

Ilya: would you like to go out?

He watched the ellipses appear, then disappear, then reappear a few times, before finally getting Shane’s response.

+16135792468: I would love to

Ilya: okay

Ilya: I have a friend in town so my schedule is busy this weekend but how about next?

+16135792468: yeah! I’m free!

Ilya: Friday or Saturday?

Another pause in response and Ilya could imagine Shane looking at his calendar. He seemed like the type to be very organized.

+16135792468: Saturday is perfect

Ilya: perfect

They talked a little about different places and ultimately decided on a bar that seemed to be reasonably close for both of them. Ilya added the date to his calendar.

Ilya: I’m looking forward to it

+16135792468: me, too ☺️

Ilya: Goodnight, Shane

+16135792468: night

Ilya huffed a soft laugh, flopping back onto his bed. He added Shane to his contacts as Shane Hollander - Speed Date.

It seemed he would have a lot to catch Svetlana up on when he saw her for brunch tomorrow.

Chapter 4

Chapter Summary

Shane and Ilya go on their first date

A week later…

Shane smiled as he looked at his phone. He texted Ilya back, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside, looking at himself in the mirror as he toweled off his hair. He shook his head, feeling silly, but also unable to help himself.

It had been a long time since he had felt this excited about someone.

Since Ilya had texted him a week ago, they had been talking every day. It wasn’t constant, since both of them were working, but there was usually a good morning text, a mid-afternoon check in text, and then more texting in the evening.

It was enjoyable, having someone to chat with. Ilya was fairly responsive, which was great, but Shane felt good about not totally jumping to conclusions if he didn’t get a response right away.

The texting felt mature. Adult. It was nice.

Shane had plans this afternoon, visiting some of his closest friends, Hayden and Jackie Pike, and their four kids.

Shane had met Hayden in Juniors and they had stayed friends, even after Shane’s concussions, and Hayden getting drafted to the Montreal Voyageurs.

He’d been best man at Hayden’s wedding and was the godfather to the two eldest Pike children, twins Ruby and Jade.

While Hayden had had to take a little time to adjust when Shane had come out, he had been accepting, and was open to hearing about Shane’s dating life.

He’d met Laurent and they’d even been on a few double dates together.

Hayden had always been supportive, doing his best when Shane had been struggling in his relationship, even if he didn't quite have the same experience as Shane.

Being with Hayden and Jackie and their four kids had been a great distraction when he and Laurent had broken up.

Shane hadn’t had anything to really talk about since he’d been single for so long but he planned to tell Jackie and Hayden about his upcoming date. Rose already knew and she had been so wonderful about it.

Shane had also talked to J.J., who had been excited for him, and duly protective.

Shane hadn’t told his parents, mostly because he knew his mom would ask a million questions that he couldn’t answer. If he and Ilya ended up being something more serious, then he’d tell his parents.

For now, they just texted. They didn’t follow one another on social media yet, but Shane had found Ilya’s LinkedIn. His headshot was model level good. It was kind of intimidating.

Ilya Rozanov: Have fun with your friends

Shane: thank you! Talk to you later 😎

Ilya Rozanov: 😉

Shane finished getting dressed, made sure Eloise had enough food and water, and said goodbye before he was out the door.

Shane usually took public transit but he drove to Hayden and Jackie’s, since they lived in Brossard.

When Shane arrived, he texted Hayden, who opened the private gate so Shane could park in their driveway.

Shane jogged up to the door, smiling as it opened before he reached it, Hayden standing there with his two youngest kids, Arthur and Amber, in his arms, and Jade and Ruby behind his legs.

“UNCLE SHANE!” the children chorused, making Hayden wince, and Shane laugh.

“Hi guys!”

Shane opened his arms and was mauled by the twins, giving them hugs, listening to them talk over one another as they talked at him, so it was hard to make out what they were saying. The twins had dark hair and olive complexions, like their mom. Arthur, much quieter than his sisters, approached him, and Shane smiled at him.

“Hey buddy,” he said, scooping Arthur into his arms. He looked more like Hayden, with his blond hair.

He greeted Amber last, smiling at her as she peered out at Shane from her dad’s arms, and booped her nose, making her giggle. She looked like Hayden, too, also blonde.

But all four kids had green eyes, like both their parents.

“Jade! Ruby! Inside! Let’s go!” Hayden called.

The girls came running because Shane was heading into the house and he was one of their favorite people.

Shane greeted Jackie briefly from where she was in the kitchen getting lunch ready and Shane was dragged along to play with the kids.

Shane loved the Pike children. They were a handful, for sure, and he couldn’t imagine taking care of four little ones, especially if your partner was gone more often than not from October to June, but he loved visiting.

He knew he wanted kids but he definitely didn’t want four. Two seemed like a reasonable number.

He listened to the girls chatter on about Taylor Swift and let them put friendship bracelets on his wrists. He sat with Arthur and read him a storybook. He let Amber make him plastic hamburgers and french fries.

He got to chat a little with Hayden, but mostly they were focused on the kids until Jackie called everyone in for lunch.

Lunch was, like pretty much everything, chaotic, but enjoyable.

After lunch, the kids were set up in the living room with a movie and the adults retreated to the kitchen to chat and catch up.

“I didn’t get to say hi to you properly,” Jackie said, giving Shane a hug.

“No one did,” Hayden sighed, hugging Shane once his wife had let him go.

“It’s fine. You know I love the kids.”

“And they love you. Thanks for coming by.” Jackie squeezed his arm.

“Of course. Thanks for having me.”

They chatted for a bit about what was new in Hayden and Jackie’s lives; mostly that hockey was going “fine,” the Voyageurs were okay this season, in the midst of a rebuild with Hayden as a veteran player, and Jackie was going to go to graduate school next year when Amber started Kindergarten.

The kids were all doing great. It was still wild to see how big they had all gotten. They had their own personalities and interests. Shane could remember when they were small enough to fit in the crook of his arm.

“What about you, dude?” Hayden asked. “What’s going on with you?”

Shane sipped from his ginger ale can.

“Not a lot. Same old, same old. Busy at work.” Shane tapped the side of the can with his finger. “I, uh, I have a date tomorrow.”

“Wait. What? Really?!” Jackie exclaimed, her hands clasped together. Hayden blinked, looking surprised, which Shane supposed made sense.

Shane wasn’t really the kind of guy to change his routine but he was glad he was doing it. Nothing would change if he didn’t do something to change it and Rose knew how to encourage him without being pushy.

He nodded. “Yeah. It should be good, I think.”

“That’s so exciting!” Jackie said, nudging Hayden, and Shane hid his smile as he sipped from his can of ginger ale.

“Y-yeah. Yes. Totally. Very exciting,” Hayden added.

Shane chuckled. “It’s okay, Hayd. Take your time.”

“No! I’m serious! That’s great, man! You’ve been single for a while. This is good.”

Shane smiled and nodded. “Thanks. Yeah. He, um, he seems like a good guy.”

“Does he have a name? How did you meet?” Jackie asked.

“He does, yes. His name is Ilya. And we met at a speed dating event.”

“Speed dating?” Hayden gave Shane a quizzical look.

Hayden and Jackie had met at twenty-one in a bar, on a dance floor, which was like something out of a rom-com. It was sweet but not at all the standard for meeting people and dating nowadays.

“Yeah. You have a group, you split it into two. One group sits at a table, the other group rotates. You converse with whoever you’re seated with for eight minutes, then move on. At the end of the night, you hand over this paper that has the list of names of people you’re interested in seeing again. Then the organizers send an email with their contact information if you’re a match.”

“Huh. Interesting.”

“It wasn’t so bad.”

“How many names did you put down?”

Shane turned his head to look at Jackie. “Just one.”

“Really? Wow! This Ilya guy must have been pretty great!”

Shane’s cheeks warmed again. “Yeah. I mean. He was, uh, good-looking. He made me laugh. We had some things in common.”

“Do you have a picture?”

“I found his LinkedIn profile? He has an Instagram, too, but it’s private, and his profile picture is a fire hydrant.”

Jackie and Hayden both laughed.

“Let’s see the LinkedIn, then,” Hayden said.

Shane slid his phone out of pocket, unlocked it, and opened his browser. He pulled up Ilya’s LinkedIn profile and showed it to Hayden and Jackie.

“Oh wow, Shane,” Jackie said and Shane’s face went warm again, a smile tugging unbidden at his lips.

“Yeah…”

Jackie giggled, nudging him playfully. “Good for you. He’s a lucky guy.”

Hayden’s brows were furrowed and he was staring at the picture. Hard. “Wait a sec. I know this guy!”

“You do?” Shane asked at the same time Jackie said, “how?”

“He’s an agent! Some of the guys on the team are his clients! I’ve seen him around. Heard about him and stuff. Apparently he’s really good. The guys like him.”

“That’s good to hear,” Shane said, pocketing his phone.

"He's alright looking, too, I guess."

Shane smiled and covered his mouth as he laughed.

They chatted a little more about the speed dating experience and what Shane had liked about Ilya.

“It’s hard to know in just eight minutes if things will go anywhere but we laughed a lot. We talked about hockey and work. He was really easy to talk to, so, that was nice. We’ve been texting.”

“I’m happy for you, man,” Hayden said. “It’s great you’re getting back out there.”

“Thanks.”

Shane hung out for a few more hours, talking with Jackie and Hayden while the kids napped, promising to keep them posted about dating and how things went with Ilya.

He said goodbye to the kids, promising to visit again soon, and was back home to start prepping for his date tomorrow.

He was going to have to call Rose and ask for more wardrobe feedback.

***

For this date, Shane had opted for black slacks, his nicest pair of ankle boots, and a navy sweater. The bar they were going to was a little elevated but not so much so that he needed a tie or anything.

Shane had texted Ilya that he had arrived and Ilya had texted back that he was about two minutes away, so Shane waited in the small lobby-ish area by the host stand.

He was nervous, rocking back and forth on his heels a little, checking his phone, glancing out the window to see if he could catch a glimpse of a tall man with curly hair.

But then Ilya stepped into the bar and Shane had to do a double take.

His usual curly hair was swept back and styled, looking more wavy, and revealing a slight widow’s peak that Shane found oddly adorable.

His cheeks and nose were pink from the cold and he wore a black wool overcoat.

“Hi,” he said, greeting Shane with a bright, crooked smile and his elegant accent. “Were you waiting long?”

Shane shook his head. “Not at all.” He smiled.

“Good.” Ilya gently touched his arm, moving closer. “Shall we?”

Shane nodded and Ilya went to the host stand to give his name. They handed over their coats and were led to a private table with comfortable armchairs and a table between them. Ilya rested a very light hand on Shane's lower back and the gesture made Shane all fluttery and warm.

They were given menus once they were seated and the host left.

“Have you been here before?” Ilya asked as Shane casually looked over the menu.

“I haven’t,” Shane replied, glancing up. “But I’ve heard really good things. My coworkers were saying that they have great cocktails.”

“Yes. Some of the best.”

Ilya looked unfairly handsome in the low, moody lighting of the bar. He was clean shaven today, with that pushed back hair. Shane hadn’t noticed that he was wearing earrings until they caught the light and the sleeves of the collared shirt he wore were rolled to his elbows, revealing tattoos on his left forearm.

There were so much Shane wanted to know about him. He knew this was only their first date but there was just something about Ilya that made Shane really curious.

“Have you been here before?” Shane asked.

Ilya shook his head. “No. First time. Thought it would be fun. And is quiet. Easier to talk.”

Shane smiled, feeling his cheeks warm, stomach swooping at the idea that Ilya had decided to share this first time experience with Shane. It was oddly sweet.

“It is. I like this.”

“What are you thinking to drink?”

Shane turned back to the menu. “I don’t know. I’m usually more a beer guy. I drink wine sometimes. I tend not to drink cocktails.”

“They have some wine and beer,” Ilya said, leaning over to point them out on the menu. He smelled amazing. Shane couldn’t exactly pinpoint the smell but it was kind of musky and sweet.

“Oh. Thanks.”

He blinked, trying to center himself a bit, and focus on his options. “What about you?”

“Hm, maybe a martini. They make theirs with good Russian vodka. Hard to find here.”

Shane looked up from his menu again. “Are you Russian?”

Ilya smiled at him, his expression playful. “Oh. What gave it away?”

Shane’s face and neck and ears went hot as ice ran down his spine.

“Oh, I mean, I just…”

Ilya reached out and rested a hand on Shane’s knee for a brief moment. “Is okay.”

Shane blinked, taking a breath, and smiled awkwardly back at Ilya. Ilya’s expression warmed and he patted Shane’s knee before moving his hand.

“I am from Russia. I’ve been in Canada for a long time, I have my Canadian citizenship. I like Canada.”

Shane chuckled. “It’s not too bad.”

“Better than Russia.”

“I can imagine. And, uh, I like your accent. For the record.”

Ilya chuckled softly, tilting his head slightly. “Thank you.”

Shane nodded.

“Do you want anything besides a drink?” Ilya asked.

“Oh, um…”

“Take your time.”

Shane laughed. “I’m sorry. I’m not usually this anxious. It’s just been a while since I’ve been on a date.”

“Is okay. Me, too. We are not in a rush.” Ilya gave a casual shrug. Shane couldn’t detect any sort of anxiety or discomfort. He seemed pretty relaxed but it was relieving to know he wasn’t alone.

“Thank you.”

“Of course.”

Shane decided on a glass of merlot and then he and Ilya talked over the snack options, deciding on the Bavarian pretzel and three cheese plate to share.

A server arrived to take their order, filling their water glasses, and took their menus as he left.

They made a little small talk before the server came back with their drinks, plates, and napkin rolls with utensils.

Shane tried his wine. It was very good, so the server poured him a glass.

“Honestly,” Shane sighed. “I know nothing about wine. One of my best friend is basically a sommelier. I just know what I like the taste of.”

Ilya chuckled softly. “Is good to know what you like.”

Shane nodded, taking a sip from his glass, and Ilya met his eyes meaningfully.

It hadn’t gone unnoticed by Shane that there was attraction between them, a kind of chemistry that Shane hadn’t felt very often with people. He just felt drawn to Ilya and he was getting the vibe that Ilya felt the same.

“So tell me more about you,” Shane said, feeling bold. “We only had those eight minutes at speed dating, I’d love to have a real conversation.”

Ilya nodded, watching Shane with interest.

“Okay. Hm, let’s see…” Ilya held his martini glass in his hand, his free hand resting on his other bicep as he considered Shane’s request.

“I was born in Moscow, in 1990. I came to the United States when I was nineteen. I had been drafted to the Boston Bears in the first round of the NHL.”

Shane leaned forward in his seat. “You what?”

Ilya laughed. “I was drafted by the Boston Bears. First round.”

Shane shook his head, leaning back into his seat. “Wow. Holy shit.”

“I am a little surprised you did not know this, Mr. Hockey Guy.”

Shane laughed. “This would have been… 2009?”

“Yes.”

“Mm, yeah. I didn’t really pay attention to that draft year…”

“No?”

Shane shook his head. “It was supposed to be my draft year, too.”

Ilya looked surprised, his eyebrows raising as he looked at Shane. “Really?”

“Yeah. I had had a series of concussions in 2007. I ended up getting another one and fractured my collarbone in 2008. It effectively ended any hopes of a professional career.”

Ilya’s expression was one of dismay and Shane shrugged a little.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay. Shit happens. I’ve had time to kind of move on from that. It was just a lot of bad luck. Wrong place, wrong time. I didn’t want to give my dream up but I was running the risk of causing some serious long term damage so… I pivoted.”

Ilya’s brows furrowed. “Yes. I understand that.”

Shane smiled a little. “So you’re drafted. Then what?”

“I play for a year and a half and get into a motorcycle accident.”

Shane’s mouth fell open. “You’re kidding.”

Ilya pressed his lips together and shook his head. He stretched out his left leg. “Was bad. I was lucky to still be alive. No concussion, which is amazing, but broken bones. Compound fractures and things. I needed two knee surgeries. I couldn’t skate.”

Shane’s heart fell into his feet and he covered his mouth with his hand. “Oh my god. I’m so sorry. That’s horrible.”

“Was bad, yes. But I walked away alive so… there’s that.”

“I cannot even imagine.”

“I think you can.”

Shane huffed a laugh. “I mean, I understand watching your dreams vaporize in front of your eyes and your life imploding, definitely.”

Ilya nodded and took a sip of his drink. “Exactly.” He smiled at Shane. “I am very fond of physical therapists.”

Shane laughed. “Oh I bet!”

“Is true! They helped me walk again. I can skate, too, but the cold and bad weather is uncomfortable. I was young when everything happened, which helped.”

“You bounce back faster. Recovery is easier. Well, relatively speaking.”

Ilya chuckled. “Exactly.”

Shane sat back in his chair, just observing Ilya, surprised at how quickly they’d gotten into some pretty intense stuff. But Shane guessed that was all good to know. They were learning about each other.

“What’re you looking for?” he asked, knowing he was changing the subject, but honestly curious. He wanted to know where Ilya stood and if these deep conversations would be worth continuing; if it could possibly lead somewhere.

“In dating?”

“Yeah.”

Ilya considered the question. “Commitment. Something long term. I’m tired of hook up culture. And you?”

“The same.”

Ilya’s eyes scanned Shane’s face, lips turning up in the corner. “I think I would like to keep getting to know you, Shane Hollander.”

Shane smiled. “I think I’d like to keep getting to know you, too.”

Their food arrived and they switched over to lighter topics, talking about their work and hockey, Ilya’s baking adventures, and Shane’s current photography projects.

They talked about Eloise and Shane showed Ilya pictures, laughing as Ilya gushed over her, which was surprisingly sweet.

They talked for a long time. Hours.

Shane was discovering that Ilya was a bit of a playful asshole but in a way that was incredibly charming. He was hard to read at times and Shane wondered if Ilya actually liked him or not, even with all the things they had in common.

Ilya was so laid back and comfortable and Shane was pretty much the opposite. But Ilya did make him feel comfortable and it was surprisingly easy to just continue the flow of conversation. Shane had even gotten Ilya to laugh a few times, so, that was good, right?

By the end of the night they were playfully arguing over who would pay the check or if they’d split it.

“Next time,” Ilya said, holding the billfold out of reach.

“Next time?” Shane asked, blinking at Ilya.

“If you want.”

Shane smiled, cheeks going warm. “Yeah. I would.”

Ilya smiled back and nodded. “Okay.”

He slid his credit card into the little holder at the top of the fold and handed it off to the server.

They made plans for another date before the server brought back Ilya’s card. They left the table together, getting their coats, calling cabs, and waiting inside instead of out in the cold.

“I had a lot of fun tonight,” Shane said. “I’m excited to see you next week.”

“Me, too,” Ilya replied with a smile.

They walked outside together since Shane’s car was almost there and he turned to Ilya.

“Hug?” he asked, holding out his arms.

Ilya laughed and hugged him. He was warm and firm against Shane and he really did smell amazing.

They pulled away just as Shane’s car pulled up. Ilya walked the few steps to the car, opening Shane’s door for him.

“Oh thank you,” he said.

“Get home safe.”

“Thanks. You, too.”

Shane slid into the car and Ilya closed the door, waving a little, and Shane waved back as the car pulled away from the curb.

He sighed, sitting back in his seat, and chewed on his bottom lip, smiling. He felt all warm and squirmy inside.

Maybe he shouldn’t have been feeling this way after a single real date but he couldn’t help it. He had had a lot of fun. Ilya was so easy to talk to and they had a lot in common. Shane was interested to see where things went. He was hopeful, which was new for him, and he reminded himself to just enjoy the ride.

Things would be whatever they would be.

Chapter 5

Chapter Summary

Three dates later...

November - Three dates later…

Ilya liked Shane Hollander.

Meeting him at the speed dating event had made Ilya curious. He had wanted to learn more and spend time in Shane’s company, just the two of them.

When they’d met for drinks, Ilya hadn’t expected to tell him about the motorcycle accident. He usually waited until it was absolutely necessary to disclose things about the trauma in his past but Shane had been so open with him, it only seemed fair to be open back.

It was obvious that Shane was a nervous person. Hesitant. But he relaxed and opened up with Ilya.

There was just something about when they were together that felt easy. Comfortable.

Ilya wasn’t ever really uncomfortable with people in general. He was an extrovert and he liked socializing, small talking, teasing.

But when it came to being open and vulnerable, that was much harder.

He didn’t feel that way with Shane.

It was strange. Even just after that initial meeting, that first date. Ilya felt like he’d known Shane for years. Opening up to him felt simple.

Maybe he just felt that way because it wasn’t really the real shit. They hadn’t talked about his family, which was an entirely different can of worms. But they'd get there. Possibly. Eventually. One day.

Ilya was charmed by Shane, drawn to him in such a way that he had never experienced before with another person. He was beautiful, but also so earnest and honest and adorable.

They were having dinner tonight and Ilya was excited.

The last few dates had been just drinks and snacks. But this was an entire meal. With the possibility of maybe going home together.

They’d talked about sex, their sexual and dating histories. It had been a bit of a relief that Shane still wanted to see Ilya after learning about his long list of lovers but no real relationship experience.

They’d kissed, but usually in goodbye as they were heading home after a date, brief but sweet.

Ilya wanted more.

He was under the impression that Shane was a cautious person, taking his time to warm, and feel comfortable. But they had already shared a lot and Ilya felt pretty certain that they at least liked each other as people.

So he would make it clear he was interested. He’d flirt, maybe make some innuendo, but if Shane wasn’t into it, Ilya would respect that.

He liked Shane and he didn’t want to push anything that Shane wasn’t comfortable with. When the time was right, it would be right. There was no need to rush.

Ilya didn’t want just sex from Shane. He wanted to see if things between them could be a real relationship. It surprised him to hope that they could ultimately make that happen. But only time would tell.

Ilya finished dressing, having decided on a cream colored roll neck sweater and dark brown slacks. He fixed his curls a little, then put on some cologne, before he left to meet Shane at the restaurant.

They’d only been able to see each other once a week but they texted every day. Shane was busy, his job quite hands on, so he was often delayed in his responses, always apologizing, which was cute but unnecessary.

Ilya liked talking to him, generally. Flirting was fun, too, they had some pretty good banter, but Shane was just fun to chat with. Easy to tease but smart and surprisingly witty.

Ilya enjoyed the pictures he sent of his cat, though he would have liked to see pictures of Shane. But one thing at a time. This wasn’t just a hookup. Ilya wanted to see where things went with Shane. He was hopeful that there was more there, which was new for him. He didn’t usually feel this way.

He couldn’t really put his finger on what made Shane different but he supposed it didn’t matter.

It was nice. Ilya was enjoying himself.

Ilya slid into his overcoat and headed out, texting Shane he was on his way. He imagined Shane would be there at least ten minutes early. Being late was when you arrived on time, which amused Ilya.

The restaurant wasn’t far from his place so he could walk, which helped his knee a bit. The cold weather wasn’t very kind on his joint but moving was better than staying still. He’d have to stretch a lot tonight.

The evening was pleasant, though cold. There was some snow on the ground, a few inches from a day or so ago, but the night was clear and crisp.

Ilya waited to cross a crosswalk, smiling at seeing Shane’s familiar silhouette waiting outside the restaurant. Seeing him made Ilya all warm, an unusual sensation for him.

He crossed the street and raised a hand in greeting as Shane spotted him. Ilya could visibly see his shoulders relax and he smiled, offering a little wave.

“Have you been waiting long?” Ilya asked. He rested a hand on Shane’s hip and leaned down to kiss him gently in greeting.

Shane’s cheeks turned a deeper pink and he glanced away, then back at Ilya. He was so fucking cute Ilya could hardly stand it.

“No. Only a few minutes.”

“Good,” Ilya replied. “Let’s go in. Is cold.”

Shane nodded and Ilya rested a hand on the small of his back as they headed inside the restaurant.

They were seated at a high top table near the window in the restaurant. It smelled amazing and Ilya was surprisingly hungry but his attention was on Shane rather than the menu.

Shane’s hair was tucked behind his ears and he was dressed in what looked like a very soft dark gray sweater that fit his broad shoulders perfectly.

He was looking at the menu and Ilya let himself just admire, taking in the way the candlelight accentuated Shane’s cheekbones, and Ilya followed the line of his freckles. He was absently chewing on his bottom lip as he read.

Shane lifted his eyes, as if noticing Ilya’s eyes on him. Ilya didn’t look away. He smiled and Shane smiled back, letting out a soft laugh, glancing away, then back at Ilya, cheeks going pink again.

Shane blushed easily and often, and Ilya loved it.

“What?” Shane asked.

“Nothing,” Ilya replied. “You are beautiful.”

Shane let out a surprised laugh, his cheeks staining a deeper pink. “Stop.”

“What? I am serious. I cannot tell you that?”

“No, no. It’s fine, just, I’m not used to hearing it, I guess.”

Ilya hummed and nodded in understanding. "Then I will just have to tell you more."

Shane let out another laugh, cheeks and ears going red. "Ilya…"

Ilya just chuckled.

Shane shook his head a little. “You, um, you’re very handsome.”

Ilya smiled, tipping his head. “Yes. Thank you.”

“Oh my god.” Shane rolled his eyes, which just made Ilya laugh more.

Their server arrived and they ordered drinks, leaning over to look at the menu together to decide on appetizers to split. Once that was decided, they chose their own entrées.

The server came back with their drinks, two glasses of wine, and then took their food orders.

They chatted for a bit about their weeks. Shane wasn’t much of a talker. He liked to listen but once you got him on a topic he really enjoyed, he wouldn’t shut up about it.

Ilya liked when he got Shane to go off about his interests. It was endearing and it was obvious how happy and excited Shane got about it. Ilya enjoyed listening to him and was just happy that Shane was happy.

Currently, he was explaining new research about regenerative rehabilitation and how new technologies that utilized regenerated tissues could help some PT clients increase their functionality and improve their quality of life.

“It’s so fascinating,” Shane said. “It could help people reduce or completely eliminate pain and allow them to live more independently.”

Ilya nodded along as he listened. Shane laughed, self-conscious, brushing his hair behind his ear.

“I’m sorry. I’m blabbering.”

“No,” Ilya replied, resting his hand over Shane’s on the table. “Is interesting.”

“You’re sweet. It’s okay if I’m boring you.”

Ilya let his fingers brush lightly over Shane’s skin. “You’re not.”

Shane smiled and Ilya smiled back, continuing his gentle touch.

“That’s all I had really.”

Ilya chuckled, keeping his hand on Shane, enjoying the contact. And it seemed Shane was, too.

“Okay.”

Their appetizers arrived and Ilya removed his hand to make space. They divvied up small plates and napkin rolls, then dove into the apps; arancini and house made garlic focaccia.

“Boston is going to be in town next month,” Ilya said casually as he ate a piece of the arancini.

“Oh are they?” Shane asked, raising a brow at Ilya as he, smiling a little.

Ilya couldn’t help but smile back. “Yes. They are.” He took another bite of arancini. “Would you like to go?”

“To a Montreal-Boston game? With you?”

Ilya shrugged. “Would you prefer to go with someone else?”

Shane huffed a laugh. “No. I just… you sure you’re gonna be okay heading into Voyageurs' territory as a Bears fan?”

Ilya smiled. “Maybe I like it.”

Shane smiled back, laughing, and shaking his head. “If you say so.”

“Is that a yes then?”

“Yeah. Of course. I’ll get to rub the victory in your face in person.”

“Are you competitive, Shane?”

“Extremely.”

Ilya chuckled. “I can tell.”

Shane took a bite of focaccia and Ilya looked at him, licking his lips. He noticed the way Shane’s eyes darted to his mouth, then back to his eyes.

“A little rivalry never hurt, right?”

Ilya nodded his head to the side, enjoying the flush of warmth that ran through him. He liked this kind of banter with Shane. He liked that Shane was often a little nervous, sweetly so, before he relaxed.

It didn’t take as long now for him to open up. He was getting more comfortable with Ilya, which pleased him. Ilya was feeling pretty confident about taking Shane home with him tonight.

He liked this kind of slow burn; flirting and bantering. He liked that Shane was trusting him. It was nice to be trusted. And Ilya supposed he was beginning to trust him, too.

Things were moving but not too fast. At least, Ilya didn’t think so. He was working on not second guessing things. Even if it was new and kind of scary.

They finished their appetizers and Ilya pulled out his phone so they could look at seats.

“Now?” Shane asked, surprised, but smiling.

“Why wait?”

Shane shrugged. “I guess you’re right.”

“I’m always right.”

“Are you now?” Shane raised one brow and Ilya winked at him.

Shane shook his head and chuckled.

They decided on seats and Ilya paid for the tickets. He'd usually get tickets for free from his clients but since this was for play and not work, he would just pay for them himself. Though Shane was putting up a valiant effort in trying to get Ilya to split the cost.

“You can buy dinner tonight then,” Ilya said.

“Fine,” Shane huffed at him and Ilya smiled. Shane was so easy to rile.

Their entrées arrived and they ordered another round of drinks, planning their hockey date.

“It’s a late game so, dinner before?”

“I think so.”

“I can make reservations. It’ll be crazy on a game night.”

“Okay.”

Shane smiled, taking a bite of his fettuccine alfredo with broccoli and chicken.

“Oh man, this is really good.”

“Good.”

“How’s the chicken parm?”

“Delicious. This is my favorite food.”

“Really?”

Ilya nodded. “Like a little kid.”

Shane laughed. “It’s cute.”

Ilya widened his eyes in exaggeration, leaning forward a bit. “You think I am cute, Shane Hollander?”

Shane laughed some more, cheeks going pink again.

CUTE!

“Yes. Yeah. I do.”

Ilya smiled at him softly. “You’re cute, too.”

Shane looked down at his plate, still smiling. “Thanks.” He took another bite of his food. “This is one of my favorite dishes but my absolute favorite is my grandmother’s omurice.”

“What is that?” Ilya asked, intrigued.

“It’s a Japanese dish. It’s basically an omelette with fried rice and ketchup.”

Ilya nodded in interest. “You are Japanese?”

Shane nodded. “On my mom’s side. My dad is white. Uh, Dutch, French, and Scottish.”

Ilya listened as Shane spoke a little about his upbringing, the things he was exposed to and learned from his maternal grandparents.

“My parents are awesome. My mom can be a lot sometimes but I think it’s because we’re so similar. Kind of high strung. And I’m an only child so that probably doesn’t help. My dad is the chill one in the family.” Shane looked up at Ilya. “What about your parents?”

Ilya didn’t answer the question right away. It wasn’t that he had been dreading this question, exactly. It was easier to talk about his family now but it was also a pretty heavy topic. He didn’t want to sidestep the question because that wasn’t fair but he also didn’t want to bring down the mood.

“They are both passed.”

Shane’s face fell. “Oh, Ilya. I’m so sorry.”

“Is okay. Nothing recent. My mother died when I was twelve and my father when I was twenty-six.”

“Were you close to them?”

“I was close to my mother.”

Shane’s expression was soft and sympathetic, but not pitying, which was a relief. He reached a tentative hand across the table, resting it over Ilya’s.

“Do you have any siblings?”

“A brother, back in Russia. We are not close.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Is okay,” Ilya chuckled a little. “You are sweet but is fine.”

Shane offered a little smile, his thumb brushing over Ilya’s hand in a soothing gesture. It was a comforting, kind touch.

“Maybe you can tell me about your mom sometime.”

“Sure.”

They just looked at each other for a few moments, Shane’s hand still on Ilya’s.

“Maybe I will learn how to make this,” Ilya said, motioning at Shane’s place. “I will make you dinner sometime.”

Shane smiled wider. “I’d like that.”

They finished their entrées, turning their conversation back to lighter topics, flirting and laughing.

Their server left a dessert menu and they ordered the tiramisu to split and a cappuccino each.

They kept talking, even after the check was paid, both of them surprised and chagrined when the host came over to the table and asked if they wouldn’t mind moving to the bar because the restaurant needed the table.

They sat at the bar for one more drink before closing out and heading outside. They both lingered, standing close, still talking, neither of them wanting to leave, which was a good sign.

“It’s a little cold,” Shane noted and Ilya reached out, pulling him closer. Shane went easily, pressed up against Ilya, looking up at him.

Ilya scanned his face, before leaning down a bit. Shane sighed softly, closing his eyes, and Ilya kissed him.

Shane’s fingers touched his face, holding him there for a moment, before they parted.

“Better?”

“Mm. Yes.”

Ilya chuckled and Shane sighed.

“I should go…”

“Should you?” Ilya asked, nuzzling at Shane’s cheek.

Shane hummed, bumping his nose against Ilya’s. “I mean…”

“Come back to my place.”

Shane looked up at him with big, dark eyes, his lips slightly parted. Ilya’s eyes wandered Shane’s face, reaching his hand up to gently brush his thumb over Shane’s mouth.

“Say yes,” he whispered and he watched Shane melt.

“Okay. Yes.”

Ilya hummed and kissed Shane again, holding his chin between his thumb and forefinger. Shane’s hand fisted in Ilya’s sweater.

“We can walk to my place,” Ilya murmured when he broke the kiss. “Only six or seven minutes.”

Shane nodded. “Okay. Yeah. Let’s go.”

They smiled at each other and Shane leaned up onto his toes, kissing Ilya quickly, before wrapping his arms around one of Ilya’s, leaning into him.

Ilya kissed the top of his head and steered them in the right direction.

The normally quick walk felt like it took forever. Ilya could feel the tension between himself and Shane, both of them eager to get back to Ilya’s apartment.

When they finally arrived, Ilya keyed into the building, heading to the elevator. They stepped inside when the elevator arrived and Ilya had Shane backed up in the corner, kissing him, before the door had closed.

To his delight, Shane kissed him back, his hands fisting in Ilya’s curls as they kissed messily, desperately, bodies pressed as close as they could get.

The elevator stopped and they both pulled apart. Shane’s mouth was red and kiss-swollen, his cheeks flushed, eyes dark, hair mussed. Ilya wanted to devour him.

He swallowed, taking Shane’s hand. They’d arrived at his floor.

Shane laughed, soft and breathless, and Ilya couldn’t help but laugh, too.

They arrived at Ilya’s condo and he let them in, pulling Shane inside, and closing the door behind him. He backed Shane up against the door, locking it.

He brought his face close to Shane’s, noses touching.

“Nothing you don’t want,” Ilya murmured.

Shane closed his eyes for a moment, his nose brushing Ilya’s as he nodded. “I’m a little rusty so… might need to take it slow…”

Ilya chuckled and kissed Shane’s cheek. “Me, too. Slow is good. No problem.”

He nipped Shane’s ear, kissed what he could of his neck. Shane sighed, reaching to push his hands under Ilya’s jacket, and Ilya shrugged it off.

Shoes next, toed off and kicked to the side for both of them. Ilya cupped his hand against Shane’s cheek, tilting his chin up a bit with his thumb, and kissed him again. His hands wandered over Shane’s sweater, feeling the firm muscles of his pecs, his abs.

He slid his fingers under the sweater to touch warm skin and Shane shivered, his hands on Ilya’s chest, sliding down his torso to his pants, undoing his belt, his fly.

Ilya inhaled softly as Shane slid his hand into Ilya’s underwear. He was surprised by the boldness. He honestly hadn’t expected that from Shane but he certainly wasn’t mad about that.

He rested his hand on the door, over Shane’s shoulder, biting his lip as Shane wrapped his hand around Ilya’s dick, and started to stroke. His hand was warm, a little calloused, his touch tentative.

Ilya sighed and Shane lifted his eyes.

“Is this okay?”

“Yes,” Ilya murmured, before kissing him again, sliding his tongue eagerly into Shane’s willing mouth. They needed to be wearing a lot less clothing.

He held Shane’s face in his hand, ending the kiss, eyes meeting Shane’s as he jerked Ilya in more confident strokes.

Ilya ran his thumb over Shane’s pretty pink lips, the skin soft and warm and a little wet. He pushed his thumb into Shane’s mouth, humming in approval as Shane’s eyes slid closed and sucked.

His mouth was warm and wet and perfect. Ilya wanted it wrapped around his cock.

Ilya pulled his thumb from Shane’s mouth, meeting his eyes again as he stuck his finger in his mouth, watching Shane’s mouth fall open a little.

“Fuck,” he murmured and surprised Ilya again by flipping their positions, and going to his knees.

He wasted no time, tugging Ilya’s pants and underwear out of the way, and taking Ilya into his mouth.

Ilya swore in Russian, one hand resting in Shane’s hair, the other landing on the wall. Shane slid a hand up Ilya's body, squeezing Ilya’s pec. Ilya rested his hand over Shane’s, watching him, amazed and turned on.

It had been a while since he’d been with anyone, so he wasn’t going to last long at all if this was how things were going, but he was pretty sure Shane was in the same boat.

He looked beautiful on his knees, pretty pink lips wrapped around Ilya. Ilya watched him for a few moments, unable to help himself.

“Stop, stop, stop,” he finally managed to say and Shane pulled off of him, getting back to his feet. He was wonderfully disheveled, looking at Ilya with big, nervous eyes.

“Was that not…?”

Ilya gently brushed his thumb over the corner of Shane’s mouth, kissing him.

“No. Was perfect. A little too perfect maybe…”

Shane let out a tiny laugh. “Oh. Okay.”

They both smiled at each other and Ilya kissed Shane again, just because he wanted to, because he could.

“Come here,” he murmured, bending down a little to get his hands under Shane.

“Wha—? Oh!”

He hefted Shane into his arms and Shane wrapped around him. Ilya walked them through the condo, toward his bedroom, kissing Shane as he went. He would give Shane a proper tour later…

“Your knee…” Shane managed to get out between kisses.

“I’m fine,” Ilya assured. And he was. Mostly. At least his bedroom wasn’t far.

He set Shane on his feet, stepping away for a moment just to turn on the lights, dimming them, but at least they wouldn’t get lost in the dark.

Shane was looking around, before turning back to look at Ilya.

“Are you okay?” Ilya asked.

Shane smiled at him and nodded.

“Yeah. I’m good.” He chewed on his bottom lip, glancing away for a moment, then looking back at Ilya through his lashes. “Can I take your clothes off?”

Ilya laughed. “Of course.”

They kissed some more, laughing and smiling as they peeled off clothing, dropping pieces onto Ilya’s floor, hands roaming all over, and into hair.

He ran an appreciative hand over Shane’s chest, his skin smooth and warm and firm. He backed Shane up against the bed and Shane sat, shifting backwards, and Ilya crawled in after him.

Ilya settled over Shane, looking down at him, and Shane looked back. Ilya kissed his mouth, his jaw, his neck, working his way down Shane’s body, pressing kisses as he went until he was settled between Shane's very impressive thighs.

He wrapped his arms around Shane’s thighs, licking his cock from base to tip, lifting his eyes to watch Shane. He had lifted his head, lips parted, watching.

“Jesus,” he huffed, flopping back onto Ilya’s pillows. Ilya chuckled, taking Shane into his mouth, and putting his blowjob skills to good use.

It was a little like riding a bike, getting back into the rhythm of things. Shane was warm and silky against his tongue and Ilya unwound one arm to slide his hand up Shane’s torso to his pec, squeezing.

Both of Shane’s hands fisted in Ilya’s curls as he panted and moaned above Ilya.

“Fuck, Ilya. Oh god.”

Ilya hummed around Shane, making him gasp, appreciating Shane’s noises, how into this he seemed to be. He was louder than Ilya had anticipated, which he found very sexy.

“Ilya. Shit. I’m— fuck! You have to—”

Ilya doubled down as Shane’s hands tightened in his hair, listening to Shane let out a helpless moan as his body tensed, and he came in Ilya’s mouth.

He slowed down a little, relaxing, working Shane through it until he went boneless, breathing hard. Ilya pulled off of him carefully, swallowing, and pressing kisses to the inside of both of Shane’s thighs.

He leaned back, sitting on his heels, looking at Shane. He was beautiful, but there was something more about seeing him like this. Pleasure made him and Ilya wouldn’t mind seeing what more they could do.

But one step at a time. They were both getting into the swing of things.

“I’m sorry. I just… couldn’t…”

Ilya smiled. “Is fine. I don’t mind.”

Shane hummed, closing his eyes for a moment, and Ilya lay next to him, happy to just wait and see what Shane wanted.

After a few moments, Shane turned his head, and shifted up onto his arm.

“Can I, um, finish what I started?”

Ilya smiled at him and kissed him. “Yes.”

Shane hummed, continuing to kiss Ilya as he pushed him onto his back. They kissed for a bit, just because, though Shane reached between them to slide his hand over Ilya’s dick, making him gasp softly.

Eventually they pulled apart and Shane worked his way down Ilya’s body, pressing kisses to Ilya's chest and torso, settling between Ilya’s legs.

Ilya hadn’t been expecting to be so taken with how Shane looked there, fingers dancing down Ilya’s quads as he settled, kitten licking at the head of Ilya’s cock. The sight was unbelievably hot and Ilya knew he wasn’t going to last long at all, watching Shane's pink tongue darting out of his pretty mouth.

Shane sucked under the head for a moment, before taking Ilya down, perfect pink lips wrapped around him.

Ilya swore in Russian again, one hand in Shane’s hair, the other tossed above his head.

It was mesmerizing to see Shane like this, to appreciate what he was doing, and how he looked doing it. Sexy as hell.

“Mm. I like that. Keep going.”

Shane hummed, the vibration going straight to Ilya’s balls, making him pant. It was almost embarrassing how close he was already. Ilya tugged at Shane’s hair a little and he instinctively sped up.

“Fuck.”

Shane held onto Ilya tighter and Ilya could feel his orgasm, just out of reach.

“Shane,” Ilya managed to say, in warning, but Shane didn’t move, sighing out of his nose as Ilya came in his mouth.

His body flooded with the pleasure of it, eyes locked on Shane as he held himself there, before pulling off of Ilya carefully, wiping his lips.

He carefully extricated himself, coming to lay at Ilya’s side, and Ilya reached for him, kissing him. He liked kissing Shane, his lips warm and soft.

They settled together, Ilya staring up at the ceiling as Shane lay next to him, kissing his shoulder.

Ilya blinked, turning his head to look at Shane.

“Okay?” he asked, reaching out a hand to brush his fingers over Shane’s cheek.

Shane smiled and nodded, closing his eyes. “Yeah. I’m great. You?"

"Great."

Ilya shifted to his side so they could look at one another properly. Shane opened his eyes, looking sleepy but content, cheeks all rosy, lips still red and kiss-swollen, hair mussed.

“Would you like to stay?”

There was no pressure, of course, though Ilya wasn’t quite done with Shane yet.

“Yes,” Shane said almost immediately and Ilya chuckled. Shane smiled, looking a little self-conscious. “If that’s alright.”

“Of course. I would not have offered if I didn’t mean it.”

“Fair.” Shane shook his head, then sat up. “I just have to see if someone can check in on the cat…”

“Of course.”

Shane paused, then kissed Ilya, making Ilya smile, before sliding out of bed, going to the foot of the bed to grab his pants, and phone.

Ilya settled, watching him, appreciating the elegant lines of Shane’s body. Ilya could tell he still played hockey. His ass and thighs were very impressive. Ilya wanted to press a kiss to his hipbone, the round of one muscular glute…

Shane texted someone, then looked at Ilya, all shy and sweet.

“Um, where’s your bathroom?”

Ilya laughed and slid out of bed.

“Let me give you a tour…”

Chapter 6

Chapter Summary

Shane and Ilya spend the night together and go to a hockey game

The next morning…

Shane woke up to ticklish kisses being pressed to his shoulder.

He smiled, humming softly, and rolled over, opening one tired eye.

“Good morning,” he murmured, his voice a little rough from sleep.

“Good morning,” Ilya replied, smiling down at him.

It had been a long time since Shane had shared a bed with someone. He hadn’t anticipated staying overnight at Ilya’s but he wasn’t complaining.

He’d actually slept great but that might have been because they’d stayed up until 2am having some of the best sex of Shane’s life.

This was new for him. He and Ilya were still getting to know one another and while last night into the wee morning hours had been very educational, they were only seeing each other. Shane wouldn't have stayed the night if it was anyone else.

But Ilya made him feel safe. And comfortable. Which was rare.

He had been so considerate and warm and sexy. Shane had enjoyed seeing this new side of him, just as much as he had enjoyed his body.

He felt kind of bad about leaving Eloise alone but Rose had been kind enough to check in on her and had been very encouraging about Shane staying over, so that was pretty encouraging.

And he was currently all wrapped up in Ilya's bed, warm and cozy, and very unwilling to move.

“You been awake long?” Shane asked as he stretched, then reached up to touch Ilya’s face, brushing a hand into his curls.

“Not very long,” Ilya replied, turning his head to kiss Shane’s palm. “Are you hungry?”

“Mm… not quite yet. I could go for some coffee though.”

Ilya smiled at him, soft and warm. “I think I can help with that.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes.”

Ilya lowered his head, kissing Shane once, then twice, leaning away to look at him again.

Shane smiled back, sure that he looked like a dreamy idiot but unable to help it. Ilya was just so… so… he couldn't even put it into words.

Shane wasn’t necessarily in a rush to get back home, though he wouldn’t be able to stay all day. Regardless, he intended to enjoy this.

Shane liked Ilya.

Kind of a lot, actually.

“Can I help?”

“No,” Ilya kissed him again. “Stay.”

Shane hummed. “Okay…”

They kissed some more before parting. Ilya slid out of bed and Shane watched him, unable to stop looking at his perfect ass. His gait seemed a little off, favoring his left leg over his right. Shane frowned a little, concerned, and hoped their extracurricular activities hadn’t agitated Ilya’s knee too much.

Ilya picked up his underwear from the floor and disappeared into the en suite bathroom. Shane sighed, stretching out on the bed, smiling to himself.

He really was having a fantastic time. He felt… hopeful. It was a good feeling.

Ilya came out of the bathroom, dressed in nothing but his underwear… and a knee sleeve. It made Shane smile.

“Do you like espresso?” Ilya asked, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest.

He had a nice chest; muscular, lightly dusted in dark hair, with a snarling bear tattoo on his left pec, and tattoos from his shoulder to his wrist on his left arm. He wore a necklace with what looked like an Orthodox cross pendant.

“Yeah, I do.”

“I’ll make you a latte, then.”

Shane smiled. “You can make me whatever is easiest.”

Ilya waved his hand dismissively, pushing off the door, and turned, walking to the kitchen. Shane laughed, shaking his head.

He could kind of see Ilya through the doorway, so he curled up on his side, blankets tucked around him, watching as Ilya went back and forth in the kitchen with mugs and espresso and milk.

Shane had never had anyone do this for him before and he found it quite adorable and sweet. It was a pleasant surprise.

He had sort of anticipated that Ilya might kick him out and Shane would never want to overstay his welcome but it seemed that Ilya liked having him here. Offering him food and coffee.

Ilya came off as being so cool and confident, but he was also very soft and considerate.

The dichotomy was very (and unfairly) attractive.

Shane honestly would never have thought that speed dating would put him here. Not that four dates and sleeping together meant anything exactly but… Ilya wanted commitment and so did Shane so… why wouldn’t he have some hope?

He closed his eyes, trying not to get too ahead of himself.

Just enjoy this, Hollander. Relax.

Shane listened to Ilya in the kitchen, the espresso machine making all kinds of noises. He tossed an arm over his face and smiled, chuckling softly.

A few minutes later he heard bare feet on the hardwood floors and moved his arm to see Ilya with two mugs in his hands. He set one down on the bedside table, waiting for Shane to sit up, before handing him the other mug.

“Thank you,” Shane said.

“Of course.”

Ilya slid into bed next to him and Shane smiled, feeling his cheeks warm as he took a sip of coffee.

“Oh. This is good. What’s in this?”

Ilya smiled at him from over his own mug. “Maple syrup.”

“Really?”

Ilya nodded.

“I would never have thought of that.”

“No? But is so Canadian.”

Shane laughed. “Yeah, I guess it is. I’m usually a black coffee guy but… I like it.”

Ilya chuckled. “Good.”

Shane smiled at him. “Is your knee okay?”

“Yes. Fine. A little stiff but okay.”

“Okay. Let me know if it’s bothering you or anything.”

Ilya nodded though Shane imagined that he was the type of person to minimize his pain and discomfort. He’d let it go for now… but something he’d keep an eye on.

They settled in to bed together, sipping coffee, checking phones, and idly chatting.

Shane was struck again by how pleasant it was to be with Ilya. His usual anxiety about interpersonal interactions, especially of the romantic variety, felt tempered. Sometimes it felt like he’d known Ilya a lot longer than he actually had.

They were familiar with each other in a way that Shane hadn’t ever really experienced before.

“Are you hungry?” Ilya asked, glancing sideways at Shane as he leaned back against the headboard.

His legs were crossed at the ankles, mug held on both hands, resting on his stomach. He looked effortlessly elegant and handsome, with his curls tumbling over his forehead. Shane could just look at him for hours and not get bored.

“I could eat,” Shane replied, his head leaning on his hand.

Ilya nodded. “Okay.”

He leaned in, kissing Shane, before he rolled out of bed, leaving Shane smiling.

He grabbed their empty mugs and made his way to the kitchen.

“Do you need help?” Shane asked.

“No.”

Shane laughed, getting out of bed, and going to the bathroom. He changed back into his underwear and went out into the living room.

He watched Ilya in the kitchen for a moment, before he looked around Ilya’s space. He’d gotten a tour last night, though truthfully they’d been more focused on one another than anything else.

Ilya’s place was very tasteful. Everything was very masculine, lots of dark colors and wood. There weren’t really any personal pictures but there was some art. Shane spotted an XBox and some games.

There was a very inviting sectional couch, with throw blankets, and an armchair. There was an alcohol cart, arranged with different liquors and glasses. Shane spotted a cane, too, set off to the side.

He meandered into the kitchen, Ilya at the counter, cracking eggs one handed. Shane shook his head. What couldn’t this guy do?

He came up behind Ilya, wrapping his arms around him, pressing a kiss between his shoulder blades. Ilya chuckled, resting his clean hand over one of Shane’s.

“Hi,” he said.

“Hi. Am I going to be in the way?”

“No,” Ilya replied, even though Shane absolutely was. Shane smiled, pressing a few more kisses to Ilya’s back, before stepping away, and sitting at his kitchen island.

“You sure I can’t help?”

“Yes. I work better when I have an audience.”

“Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

“I’m a show off.”

Shane laughed and he caught Ilya’s smile.

It was nice, sitting in Ilya’s kitchen, talking about everything and nothing, having breakfast together.

Shane offered to do dishes, which Ilya refused, before he’d picked Shane up and brought him back to bed.

They made out for a long time, just kissing and caressing, before having sex, and then taking a shower together.

It was sexy and intimate and Shane didn’t want to leave, even though he had to get back to Eloise.

He’d changed and Ilya had walked him to the door, where they were kissing again, stalling.

“When can I see you again?” Ilya purred, rubbing his stubbly cheek against Shane’s. Shane laughed, kissing him some more, hands tangled in Ilya’s curls.

“As soon as possible?”

“Mm, tomorrow?”

Shane laughed. “I think I can make that happen…”

Ilya smiled, cupping Shane’s face in his hands, kissing him a few more times before they finally parted.

“I have to go,” Shane sighed, brushing his nose against Ilya’s.

Ilya nodded, smiling. “See you tomorrow.”

***

December

“You have the tickets, right?”

“Yes, Shane,” Ilya chuckled, kissing the side of his head.

“Sorry, sorry.”

“You are nervous.”

“I mean, a little.”

“Why?”

Shane looked up at Ilya as they walked down the street from the bar they’d holed up in to the arena to see the Voyageurs play the Bears.

He’d actually never gone to a hockey game as a date before. Laurent enjoyed hockey, but not as much as Shane, and hadn’t gone with him to any games, even when Shane had gotten tickets for free from Hayden and JJ. This was a nice switch up.

He was excited to be at this game with Ilya, particularly because Ilya was just as into it as he was but…

“I’m just nervous about you,” he said.

“Me? Why?” Ilya smiled a little, looking at Shane, confused.

“I mean, Montreal fans can be…” Shane paused as a man with his buddies across the street yelled, “Hey! Fuck you, Boston!”

“That.”

Ilya laughed. “Will be fine. Don’t worry. This is not my first time.”

Shane sighed. “I know.” He shook his head. “It’s going to be even worse when we beat you.”

“I would not be so sure about that.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Yes.”

Shane snorted. “What are we betting?”

“Hmm,” Ilya said thoughtfully. “If Montreal wins, I will blow you, fuck you, whatever you want.”

Shane’s cheeks burned, his mouth dry. He swallowed reflexively.

“And if Boston wins?”

“The same.”

Shane laughed, surprised. “Seriously?”

“What?” Ilya shrugged. “I am a simple man.”

Shane shook his head. “I’m more than just a piece of ass.”

“Are you?” Ilya asked, reaching down to squeeze Shane’s ass.

“Stop!”

Ilya snickered and Shane pushed him away playfully.

“Oh you like it, Hollander.”

“Shut up. We’re in public.”

Ilya smiled at him and Shane rolled his eyes, which only made Ilya laugh more.

Ilya was right though. Shane did like it. He liked the banter and teasing. He liked Ilya being handsy. He liked joking about sex, though he really did hope that Ilya fucked him when they went back to his place, regardless of who won (though Shane really hoped it was the Voyageurs).

They’d been seeing one another since October, making time to see one another multiple times in a week if possible, Shane spending time at Ilya’s place over the weekends.

They hadn’t talked about commitment or labels or anything but Shane knew it was what he wanted. He’d told his parents about Ilya, all of his friends knew.

He wanted to be Ilya’s boyfriend.

He turned to look at him, just as Ilya turned to look back. He smiled, his expression soft, and leaned in to press a kiss to Shane’s forehead.

Shane bit his lip, his insides melting. It felt like maybe Ilya wanted that, too.

Shane leaned into him as they got closer to the crowds on the way to the arena.

They waited in a relatively short line, Ilya showing the entry staff their tickets, both of them being playfully ribbed about coming to the game together.

They went through metal detectors, then to the concourse for drinks, and then to their seats.

Shane appreciated that Ilya didn’t mind getting to the arena so early. It was busy but not as busy as it was about ten minutes to puck drop.

They didn’t have to wait a million years in line, they could settle into their seats, and chat a little before the game started.

“So you know two players?” Ilya asked.

Shane nodded. “Yeah. Hayden Pike and JJ Boiziau. I’ve known Hayden since juniors. We stayed friends and JJ was a former client who came in for PT.”

Ilya nodded as he sipped his beer.

“And you have how many clients on the team?”

Ilya smiled. “Two for Montreal, five for Boston.”

“Between the two of us, we probably could have gotten free seats.”

“Ah, but that is not so romantic.”

Shane smiled and bumped Ilya with his elbow. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.”

The seats around them filled up, Montreal fans booing at Ilya, who seemed to revel in it, and a few Boston fans who cheered and offered fist bumps, that Ilya enthusiastically returned.

The game started after the national anthems and Shane appreciated that he and Ilya didn’t really talk much during play. They were both watching the ice, with some commentary about a pass or a check or a missed call.

They weren’t afraid to give one another shit about the other’s team but Shane liked Ilya matching his energy.

They found a good system and rhythm for first intermission, the score sitting at 0-0 going into the second.

Montreal scored first, the whole arena exploding in excitement. Ilya sat in his seat, looking unimpressed. To Shane’s chagrin, Boston answered with a goal of their own less than a minute later.

“Fuck,” Shane huffed as Ilya cackled next to him.

The third period was stressful as hell, both team battling it out, with no results, leading them into overtime.

“Bonus hockey,” Ilya chuckled, nudging Shane with his elbow.

“The most stressful kind,” Shane grumbled.

OT lasted about a minute before Boston scored.

The few Boston fans in the arena went wild while the Voyageurs fans stayed quiet. At least the team had played well. Shane didn’t really have any complaints. No horrible turn-overs, defense had been pretty good, Boston had just manged to best them.

Which was annoying as fuck.

Shane watched, arms crossed, as Ilya high fived and hugged the other Boston fans seated around them, shaking his head.

“Are you finished?” Shane asked, unable to hide the annoyance in his voice. Ilya grinned at him.

“Yes. Let’s go.”

They got out onto the street and started making their way toward the Metro, which was packed.

Though Shane was pissed about the loss and Ilya’s smugness about it, he did appreciate that Ilya kept him close on the crowded train, an arm wrapped around him, making sure Shane didn’t fall when the train started and stopped.

He even pressed a few kisses into Shane’s hair, which admittedly thawed Shane out a bit.

They got back to Ilya’s place, shoes toed off by the door, jackets hung up.

Shane turned toward Ilya and Ilya smiled at him, sneaking his hands under Shane’s jersey, to wrap his index fingers into the belt loops of Shane’s pants, pulling him closer.

Shane rested his hands on Ilya’s chest and looked into his sparkling hazel eyes, his plush lips pulled into a little mischievous smile.

Shane rolled his eyes, which made Ilya laugh. He rested their foreheads together, noses touching.

“Congratulations,” Shane huffed and Ilya kissed the corner of his mouth.

“Thank you,” Ilya chuckled, before bending down a bit, and hauling Shane over his shoulder.

“Ilya! What the fuck?!”

“I am claiming my prize, no?”

Shane went limp, which made Ilya laugh, though he didn’t falter as he walked them to his bedroom.

“Is my special night, Hollander.”

“Oh my god.”

Ilya set Shane on his feet at the end of his bed, turning on the bedside lamps, before he joined Shane. He leaned back against his dresser, looking Shane up and down. His gaze was admiring and Shane felt his cheeks heat under Ilya’s gaze.

“Take off your clothes…”

“Asshole.” Shane laughed softly, closing his eyes for a moment, and started to do as he was asked.

He took off his jersey, folding it, resting it on a chair by the door. He did the same with the sweatshirt he wore underneath, his t-shirt, then his jeans, and then his socks.

Ilya chuckled softly and Shane looked at him.

“Okay?”

“All of it.”

Shane’s cheeks heated as he pulled off his underwear, dropping it on top of the pile of clothes. Ilya gave a little nod of approval.

“Get on the bed.”

Shane slid into bed, leaning back against the pillows, no idea what Ilya had planned. He watched as Ilya pulled off his own jersey, dropping it haphazardly to the floor, then pulled off his shirt, his jeans, his socks, and underwear.

It wasn’t exactly a strip tease but watching him was more mesmerizing than Shane would have thought. He licked his lips, his eyes wandering all over; from Ilya’s muscular shoulders to his broad chest, his firm stomach, strong thighs, and those long, long legs.

Ilya crawled into bed with Shane and Shane reached for him immediately, wanting him as close as possible.

He slid his hands into Ilya’s curls, kissing him, bracketing Ilya’s hips with his legs.

Shane hadn’t ever kissed anyone who was as good at kissing as Ilya was. He was so commanding, yet so gentle. Shane could kiss him for hours and be content.

So they kissed, hands in hair, roaming over pecs and arms, cupping faces. Ilya kissed his neck, his jaw, Shane’s hands wrapped around his triceps.

“You gonna fuck me?”

“Eventually,” Ilya hummed and Shane let out a little laugh, biting his lip as Ilya nibbled on his neck.

“Turn around.”

He shifted away, giving Shane space to turn over onto his hands and knees. He was filled with anticipation, already hard from watching Ilya undress, and making out, having a vague idea of what Ilya was thinking.

Shane felt him shift behind him, saw him reach into the bedside table drawer for the lube, and a condom.

Shane rested his chest on the bed and felt Ilya’s hand run down his spine. Shane relaxed, lips parting slightly on a sigh as he was touched, Ilya’s touch soothing, almost worshipful against his skin.

“Okay?” he asked, leaning over Shane, pressing a few kisses to Shane’s back.

“Yeah.”

Ilya pressed one more kiss between Shane’s shoulder blades, before Ilya’s hands grabbed Shane’s ass, pulling his cheeks apart.

“Oh fuck yes,” Shane sighed, unable to help himself. Ilya laughed, pressing a kiss to one of Shane’s glutes.

Ilya had eaten Shane out several times since they had started sleeping together and it was one of the most incredible things Shane had ever experienced. Ilya was so fucking good with his tongue, it was kind of unreal.

He felt that first initial press of Ilya’s tongue against his rim, starting with gentle fluttering, making Shane practically melt into the mattress, eyes sliding closed, mouth slack. This was hot as hell and also so relaxing.

Whatever random worry Shane had in the back of his mind floated away and all he could focus on was how good it felt to be with Ilya like this.

He couldn’t help put moan and pant, Ilya pulling his cheeks further apart to get deeper, switching to long confident strokes, circling his tongue, making Shane whimper.

“You like this?” Ilya asked, pulling away to speak.

“Yeah. Fuck yeah. God. Don’t stop.”

Ilya chuckled, pressing a kiss to Shane’s right ass cheek, leaning back in again, and Shane practically purred.

Shane wasn’t sure how long Ilya ate him out but he was completely lost in the pleasure of it, unaware of the noises he was making, knowing he was leaking all over the comforter.

He was brought back to reality when Ilya pressed his tongue into him. The sensation was so wild and sexy, Ilya’s tongue warm and wet and intrusive. Shane moaned, hands fisting into the comforter.

Ilya leaned away after a few moments of fucking Shane with his tongue, kneading his ass with his hands, before releasing him.

Shane heard the pop of the lube cap, then Ilya’s gentle fingers pressing against his rim. Shane hummed, pushing himself back, making Ilya chuckle.

“So needy.”

“Want you to fuck me.”

Shane looked over his shoulder at Ilya, feeling bold, or more likely just horny enough to not be self-conscious. Ilya looked back, his hazel eyes sparkled, and Shane was under the impression that he was enjoying himself.

“I will,” he replied, sliding his finger unceremoniously into Shane, making him moan. “Promise.”

Ilya nudged up against Shane’s prostate making him shudder and swear and Ilya hummed happily, apparently content to just play with Shane before fucking him.

Shane couldn’t complain though. It was so fucking good, even if it was also kind of torturous.

Ilya’s fingers sank into him, carefully curling and twisting and stretching him open.

“So good for me,” he murmured and Shane whimpered at the praise. He loved being told he was good and Ilya knew it.

He smiled, pressing a kiss to the dimples in Shane’s back. He took his time, fingering him with intention, waiting until Shane was begging.

“Fuck. Ilya. Will you please— ah, Jesus! Fuck me.”

Ilya pushed his fingers into Shane as far as he could, making Shane whimper, before he withdrew them, unwrapping the condom, and popping the lube cap again.

“Is this what you want?” Ilya asked, pressing his cock against Shane’s hole.

“Yes. Come on.”

Ilya’s hands gripped Shane’s hips as he slid into him, pushing into him in one slow, long stroke. They both groaned. Shane’s head fell forward, mouth open, eyes closed. He loved the feeling of being filled, that pleasant fullness.

He wasn’t sure who was getting more out of this bet, himself or Ilya, but it seemed kind of like a win-win either way.

Ilya fucked into Shane firmly, not particularly fast or slow, a moderate pace that would leave them both hanging on for a bit.

“So good for me, Shane. Perfect.”

“Mm. Yes. Love this.”

Shane felt Ilya shift a bit, leaning over him, changing the angle slightly, which made him moan. Ilya kissed his back, forehead pressed against Shane’s spine.

He paused then and Shane’s eyes opened, confused. Ilya’s hand stroked along his ribs, patting his hip.

“Turn over,” he said. “I want to see you.”

Ilya pulled out and Shane flipped onto his back, reaching for him. Ilya pressed back inside and Shane pulled him down to kiss him messily, wrapping his legs around him to pull him closer.

“Okay?” Ilya asked.

“Yeah. Great. You can go harder.”

Ilya smirked. “So eager.”

Shane nodded, biting his bottom lip. “Feels so good.”

Ilya hummed, kissing Shane again, and fucked him harder. Shane held onto him, the room filled with breathy noises and moans, the headboard thumping rhythmically against the wall.

Ilya was watching Shane’s face, his hazel eyes dark with desire, plush lips parted, cheeks flushed, curls all a mess.

Shane reached down between them, wrapping a hand around his cock, watching Ilya’s eyes drift down to watch, something Shane had learned he liked to do.

“Fuck, Shane. Are you going to come for me?”

“Yeah. Shit. I’m so close. Don’t stop.”

Ilya sped up and Shane stroked himself furiously, gasping as his orgasm washed over him, making a mess all over his hand and stomach as Ilya fucked him through it before he stilled and came, too.

He pressed his face into Shane’s neck and Shane held him, turning his head into Ilya’s damp curls as they both caught their breaths.

Ilya pressed soft kisses to Shane’s skin and Shane closed his eyes, boneless and relaxed.

After a few moments of basking, Ilya lifted himself, kissing Shane’s mouth, and pulled out of him carefully. He got out of bed and Shane starfished out on the mattress, blinking slowly as he watched Ilya disappear into the bathroom.

He came back out with a damp cloth and cleaned Shane up, which was sweet, and they curled up together, snuggled up under Ilya’s comforter.

Shane hummed, brushing his fingers over Ilya’s chest hair, fiddling with his chain. Ilya kissed his forehead and Shane closed his eyes.

After a few moments of consideration, he leaned away to look at Ilya’s face. Ilya looked back, smiling softly.

“I have a question,” Shane said, his heart pounding.

“Okay.”

“Um…” he swallowed, licking his lips, glancing away for a moment, then looking back. “What… are we?”

Ilya’s dark brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Like, uh, I know we talked about not seeing other people and stuff but… do you want to be, more than that? More than just dating, I guess?”

Ilya looked at him for a moment, a little smile tugging at his mouth. “More? Like boyfriends?”

Shane blinked, feeling his face and ears and neck go hot, his mouth completely dry. He could only nod.

Ilya chuckled, one hand reaching up, his thumb stroking over the freckles on Shane’s cheek.

“Of course.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Probably.”

Shane laughed. “I mean. Yeah.”

Ilya nodded, smiling fondly. “So. Boyfriends.”

“Boyfriends.”

Shane was very tempted to giggle and kick his feet, but settled for a little happy wiggle, and pushing himself back into Ilya’s space.

Ilya laughed, wrapping his arms around Shane, and squeezed him, kissing into his hair.

“I really like you, Ilya,” Shane murmured into Ilya’s chest.

“I really like you, too, Shane.”

Shane smiled, snuggling in close, and closed his eyes. He was happy. So happy. It felt good to have this. This closeness and intimacy. He liked Ilya, a lot, and Shane didn’t think it would really take that much to fall in love with him completely.

But this was good. Really good.

“You are happy?” Ilya asked softly, stroking Shane’s hair. Shane tilted his head back so they could look at each other again.

“Very happy. And you?”

Ilya’s expression was so tender that Shane’s heart wobbled. “Very happy.”

Shane reached up to cup Ilya’s cheek and rested his forehead against Ilya’s mouth. He pressed a kiss there and Shane hummed.

“Good. I always want that for you.”

He could feel Ilya smiling, pressing another kiss to Shane’s forehead, before Shane pushed Ilya onto his back, and lay mostly on top of him.

Ilya laughed and Shane smiled, peppering kisses to his face.

"How's your knee?"

"My knee is fine. Thank you."

Shane hummed, nuzzling his nose against Ilya's cheek, one of Ilya's hands stroking his back.

He didn’t know exactly what the future would hold for them but he was hopeful, and that felt like a good place to be.

Chapter 7

Chapter Summary

Ilya is in love

January

“Oh you’re in love.”

Ilya turned his head to arch a brow at his best friend as she leaned against the counter behind him while he stood at the sink, washing out a wine glass.

She was speaking in Russian, keeping their conversation private.

“Am I?” he asked, turning back to his task.

“It’s very obvious.”

“Is it?”

Sveta moved closer, coming to stand next to him.

“Don’t play coy. It’s written all over your face.”

Ilya gave her a look and she giggled, bumping her hip against his leg.

“He’s very cute. I like him.”

Ilya smiled. “He is. I’m glad.”

“I think he’s good for you. Very put together. Mature. Sweet.”

Ilya chuckled. “Okay.”

“I do mean it. I like Shane a lot. I’m happy for you.”

“I know. Thank you.”

“I left him with Thomas. They were talking about real estate.”

Ilya laughed and Sveta chuckled, resting her head on his shoulder. “Proud of you.”

Ilya nodded, rinsing soap from the glass in his hands. “It’s hard, sometimes. New. Running away was always easier but… he’s worth it.”

“Good. You’re worth it, too. Let him care about and love you. You deserve that.”

“Okay,” Ilya replied softly and Sveta rubbed his back.

“Let it happen. It’ll be good for you.”

Ilya huffed a laugh. He knew she was right. And he was just letting himself be in it. He wasn’t perfect and relationships were new but he really, really liked Shane. He loved him, actually. Loved and liked him.

He maybe wasn’t ready to tell Shane that yet but it was the truth and at least Ilya had been able to admit it to himself.

And he was trying to get better at letting himself be cared for. He enjoyed doing the caring, but it seemed to make Shane happy to return the favor so… he was doing his best.

“Oh, sorry. I can come back.”

Ilya and Sveta turned, Shane standing in the doorway to the kitchen, empty wineglass in hand.

“You’re fine!” Sveta assured. “I was just bothering him.”

Shane smiled, looking between the two of them. “Okay, um, do we have any of the shiraz, left?”

“I can open another bottle,” Ilya said, letting Sveta kiss his cheek, before she made to leave the kitchen.

She paused, kissing Shane’s cheek, too, leaving behind a smudged lipstick print on his rosy cheeks that made Ilya smile.

“You sure everything’s okay?” Shane asked once Sveta was gone. He moved further into the kitchen, joining Ilya by the sink as he dried his hands.

“Yes. Everything is fine. Sveta likes you.”

“Oh yeah?” Shane asked, looking pleased, his cheeks turning an even darker shade of red. “That’s good to hear.”

Ilya smiled, his heart fluttering in his chest just looking at Shane’s happy face, and having him here, meeting Ilya’s friends. He reached out, gently rubbing the lipstick from Shane's face with his thumb.

“Are you having fun?”

“I am! Your friends are great! So welcoming. It’s been awesome getting to know everyone.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it. They are awesome.” Ilya turned, picking up the bottle of shiraz and uncorked it, holding it out.

“Thanks,” Shane said, holding out his glass and Ilya poured the wine into it. “Do you need any help?”

“No. I’m done. You’re okay?”

“I’m fine. Everyone has been really nice. I was talking to Thomas. It was very cool to meet the hockey guys. They’re all really great. And it was cool to see Harris again!”

“Yes. Good. Okay.”

Shane smiled and rested his hand on Ilya’s arm. “I’m good. Everyone has been great. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

Ilya shook his head. “No. Is fine. I’m just glad everyone could meet you.”

“Me, too.”

Ilya shifted closer, cupping Shane’s face in his hands, and kissed him.

“Thank you for being here.”

Shane smiled, rubbing their noses. “Thanks for having me.”

“Always.”

They kissed again and Ilya slid an arm around Shane’s shoulders as Shane placed his around Ilya’s waist, heading back into the gathered party together.

It had been important to Ilya for Shane to meet his friends. They were really the only family he had, so Shane getting to know them, and fitting in, was a pretty big deal.

He’d met Shane’s parents and his friends right after the new year, which had felt like an enormous step for Ilya. He’d never met a partner’s parents before, or their friends, and he hadn’t wanted to mess anything up.

Ilya knew he was good with people. He was charming and funny. He wanted to win everyone over and he seemed to have succeeded. He liked Shane’s parents. Shane was a lot like his mom, Yuna, and Ilya had gotten on well with dad, David.

Ilya had gotte some pretty positive feedback from Shane, too, that everyone had liked him and approved of him, particularly Shane's friend, Rose.

Shane had expressed his anxiety about meeting Ilya’s friends but he seemed to be doing just fine. There were a few pro hockey players in crowd, Cliff Marlow, Zane Boodram, Wyatt Hayes, and Troy Barrett, with their partners, all of whom were Ilya's clients as well as his friends. There were some work colleagues and of course, Sveta and Thomas.

Ilya had a lot of acquaintances but a fairly small group of close friends. He didn’t mind it. Quality over quantity and all that.

He could be as nonchalant about it as he liked but he really did want Shane to like his friends, and vice-versa.

And everyone was getting along.

It was a fun night, just getting to hang out and relax all together, and for Shane to be the shining star of the night.

When the night wrapped up, Ilya watched as his friends said goodbye to Shane, telling him how nice it was to meet him, that they couldn’t wait until the next time, and to not let Ilya get away with anything.

As Ilya led his friends out, he was told, by everyone, how lovely Shane was, how sweet he and Ilya seemed together, how happy they were for them.

Ilya knew that everyone would love Shane but it was still nice to hear, to have that affirmed.

Sveta and Thomas were the last to leave, and Sveta held Ilya tight at the door.

“Let him take care of you. And you take care of him, too, okay?”

“Of course.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too. Text me later.”

“I will.”

Sveta let him go and Ilya shook Thomas’s hand, watching them walk down the hall, before he closed the door, and turned to look at Shane.

Shane was standing in his living room, hands resting in the back pockets of his jeans.

“That was pretty good, right?”

Ilya laughed, stepping away from the door, and strode over to his boyfriend. He wrapped his arms around Shane and kissed all over his pretty freckled face, listening to Shane laugh, his arms coming up to hold Ilya, too.

“They loved you.”

“Yeah?” Shane chuckled as Ilya pressed a long kiss to his cheek.

“Mhm.”

Ilya looked at him, his face all adorably crinkled in happiness, and fuck. He was so in love with this boy.

It hadn’t taken long at all.

Ilya thought his heart would put up more of a fight but it had served itself to Shane on a silver platter. And rightfully so.

Shane was so earnest and sweet and kind. He was so caring and affectionate. He was smart and funny and had adorable little quirks. There wasn’t anything about him that Ilya didn’t adore or find charming and adorable.

Ilya hadn’t ever believed in soulmates or true love or anything like that. But he was pretty sure his heart had known that it belonged to Shane the moment they’d set eyes on each other at speed dating.

Ilya had never felt so understood by someone. So seen.

“What?” Shane asked, softly, his expression so open, curious, and tender.

“Nothing,” Ilya replied, just as softly, and kissed him. “We should clean up.”

Shane chuckled. “Okay. I think we can manage that.”

Shane helped Ilya clean up dishes and utensils and glasses. They tossed bottles and cans and packed up leftovers.

Shane even found Ilya’s vacuum, cleaning up crumbs from the floor, and couch cushions.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Ilya said when he’d finished.

“I wanted to,” Shane replied, sliding his hands into the back pockets of Ilya’s jeans, pulling him close.

Ilya chuckle, wrapping his arms around Shane’s shoulders.

“Thank you,” he murmured, kissing the tip of Shane’s cute little nose. “Did you have fun today?”

“I did. It was nice meeting everyone. They were amazing.”

“Everyone loved you.” Ilya kissed Shane’s cheek.

“Yeah?”

“Mm.” Ilya kissed Shane’s neck.

“I loved everyone, too.”

Ilya smiled, nipping lightly at Shane’s skin. “I’m glad.”

He leaned away, looking at Shane for a moment, gently brushing some of his hair behind his hair, stroking his cheek.

“Is important to me. That you like my friends.”

Shane smiled. “I did. And I’m glad they liked me.”

“I knew they would,” Ilya hummed, kissing Shane’s mouth, and hugged him close. Shane squeezed his butt before hugging him back, making Ilya laugh.

“We should go to bed,” Shane sighed, his face tucked against Ilya’s neck.

“Yes. We should.”

But Ilya had plans for Shane first…

***

Sunday

“I have a question for you,” Shane said on Ilya’s phone screen.

They were both in their respective beds, sated after some intense video sex, chatting before they said their good nights.

“Okay.”

Ilya adjusted his head on his arm, watching Shane.

“Do you want to get snowed in with me?”

His cheeks were adorably pink and he looked so shy and sweet. The ask was an adorable one and not what Ilya had been expecting.

“We’re supposed to get like, twenty-something inches of snow this weekend and I thought it might be nice if we spent it together. If you want.”

“I would love to,” Ilya replied. “I have not seen your place. And I want to meet Eloise in person.”

Shane laughed. “She’s going to love you. You’re like a nuclear power plant, she’ll be all over you.”

“Looks like you have competition, Hollander,” Ilya teased, waggling his brows at Shane. Shane rolled his eyes.

“Shut up.”

They both laughed and Shane paused, going quiet as he looked away, off screen.

“Speak of the devil…”

Ilya watched as Shane slid out of bed and out of view. He could hear his bedroom door opening.

“Come on in then.”

A loud meow followed and Eloise appeared on the screen, purring loudly.

“Ellie! No!” Shane sighed as the cat knocked over the phone, rubbing up against it, purring some more.

Ilya laughed.

“Hello beautiful girl!” he said in Russian.

“Come here, you menace,” Shane huffed, picking the cat up and adjusting the phone. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. Is cute.”

Ilya smiled as he watched Ilya and Eloise on the screen, chuckling as Shane kissed her fluffy face, the cat not seeming to mind at all.

“Are you excited for Ilya to stay over this weekend? Hmm?”

Eloise meowed and stretched, making both men laugh.

“I am very excited to meet you,” Ilya replied. “And will be nice, to be together.”

“Yeah,” Shane replied, setting the cat down, and smiling softly at Ilya. “I think so, too.”

He yawned then and Ilya’s heart wobbled.

“I should let you sleep.”

“Mm. We both need to go to bed. We’ll figure out logistics this week. The storm is supposed to start Friday night, if you want to come over after work, maybe?”

“Okay. I can do that.”

“We can talk more tomorrow.”

“Yes,” Ilya laughed. “Goodnight, Shane.”

“Goodnight, Ilya.”

Over the course of the week Ilya and Shane talked about Ilya staying during the blizzard. He would come by on Friday and leave sometime on Sunday or Monday, depending on how bad the snow was.

He was bringing his work laptop just in case and Shane was more than willing to let Ilya use his condo if he couldn’t get back home.

Ilya packed some extra clothes, just in case, and everything he needed for his knee. It was already acting up before the snow had even started. Significant changes in barometric pressure tended to mess him up a bit.

His knee was not liking this incoming storm and he was glad that he didn’t have to worry about shoveling.

When Friday rolled around, Ilya had had his staff work from home since the weather outlook was pretty bleak and a few members of his team commuted into the city.

Ilya knew that Shane was in the office today but he had gotten a text from him saying that they were closing early due to the weather and he would be home in about an hour if Ilya wanted to come by.

So Ilya finished his tasks, checked in on his team, and his clients who were local. Once that was done, he signed off, made sure he had everything he needed for Shane’s, and headed out.

When he got to Shane’s place, Shane answered the door dressed in a hoodie, sweats, and bare feet. He looked comfortable and cute, smiling brightly at Ilya.

“Hi,” he said, laughing softly as Ilya kissed him in greeting, wrapping his arms around Ilya's neck.

“Hi.”

“Come in.”

Ilya moved into the condo and Shane closed the door behind him. The condo smelled like Shane; citrus and mint.

Eloise appeared, bounding into the room, before skittering off again. Shane shook his head.

“Scaredy cat.”

He took Ilya’s bag, despite Ilya’s protesting, but he just smiled, waiting for Ilya to take off his shoes, and hang up his coat on the coat hooks by the door.

“Let me give you a tour,” he said, taking Ilya's hand, and leading him into the condo.

Ilya dutifully followed Shane as he showed him the living room, bathroom, his office/guestroom, and the main bedroom with the en suite bathroom.

Shane’s condo was very tastefully appointed. It wasn’t overly decorated, but there were things around that were very Shane. There were lots of pictures of Eloise, hockey memorabilia, the leather sectional looked cozy, with the Canadian-looking plaid throw pillows and blankets.

Shane’s bedroom was simple. Navy comforter, white pillow cases, a leather bench at the foot of the bed, a dresser lined with a few boxes that might contain a watch or cufflinks. Overall, fairly spartan, very neat.

Ilya was kind of excited to poke around in Shane's bathroom. He was sure it was as organized as a pharmacy.

Ilya was glad he was here, in Shane's home. He was looking forward to riding out the blizzard with him.

“Make yourself at home,” Shane said. “I went food shopping so we should have everything we need.”

“Oh yes?” Ilya asked, moving closer to Shane, hands in his pockets.

Shane nodded. “Yeah. We should be good to just hunker down.”

Ilya watched as Shane’s eyes darted to his mouth. He licked his lips. Ilya smiled, cupping on of Shane’s cheeks in his hand, stroking a thumb over his freckles, tilting his head up a bit to kiss him.

Shane practically melted against him, his hands finding their way under Ilya’s Henley, touching skin; across Ilya’s waist, his stomach, up to his chest, then to his back.

Ilya ran his hands into Shane’s hair, down his back to his ass, finding their way under his sweatshirt.

They kissed and tugged off clothes, dropping everything to the floor. Ilya glanced toward the bed, wondering what the best approach was to get into it, before Shane took his hands, leading him around to the side, tugging Ilya into bed with him.

Shane flopped backwards, making Ilya chuckle, as he crawled in after him. He winced, his knee not enjoying this motion, or him putting his weight on it.

“You okay?” Shane asked, resting a hand on Ilya’s arm.

Ilya nodded, kissing the corner of Shane’s mouth. “I think you on top.”

Shane hummed. “Okay.”

They switched positions, Shane straddling Ilya’s hips. Ilya reached up to squeeze Shane’s pecs in his hands, making Shane laugh and blush.

“What?” Ilya chuckled. “They’re nice.”

“If you say so,” Shane murmured, leaning over Ilya to kiss him.

“I do.” Ilya wrapped his arms around Shane, smoothing his hands down his back, squeezing his ass, giving one cheek a little smack, making Shane gasp. “All of you is nice.”

“Shut up.”

“No.”

Shane huffed and Ilya kissed him some more, before breaking the kiss, and glancing at one of Shane’s bedside tables.

“Uh, both sides have, um, lube and stuff…”

“So prepared.”

“Fuck off, Rozanov.”

Ilya laughed, leaning over to open the drawer, pulling out a bottle of lube and a strip of condoms.

“I think we will need more than this.”

“Oh my god,” Shane laughed, resting his forehead on Ilya’s shoulder. Ilya smiled, turning his head to kiss into Shane’s hair.

“Are you gonna fuck me or what?”

“Yes, yes. So impatient,” Ilya replied, looking up at Shane when he sat up. Ilya popped the lube cap with exaggerated purpose, pouring some onto his hand in front of Shane, arching a brow at him meaningfully.

They both chuckled and Shane shook his head, kissing Ilya again.

Ilya took his time. He hadn’t ever opened Shane up like this, being able to watch him, see how expressive he was.

Shane looked so good, dark hair a bit mussed, cheeks flushed, perfect pink mouth parted, eyes dark with desire.

Ilya teased a finger against his rim, circling it gently, watching Shane’s eyes slide closed. When Shane relaxed, Ilya pressed a finger into him, slow and careful, Shane’s mouth falling open, a little moan escaping him.

Ilya didn’t rush, moving with deliberation, enjoying the way Shane’s cheeks flushed darker, brows furrowed, how he bit his bottom lip.

“You are very beautiful,” Ilya said, adding a second finger, smiling a little as Shane swore. He tilted his head back, sighing, as Ilya fingered him more expeditiously.

“You’re not so bad yourself,” he replied, lowering his head to look at Ilya through half-lidded eyes, a smile teasing his very kissable lips.

“Is that so?”

“As if you don’t know how hot you are.”

“You think I am hot?”

“Obviously.” Shane squeezed Ilya's pecs as if proving his point.

Ilya chuckled, leaning up a bit to kiss Shane, and nudge up against his prostate. Shane whined and panted and Ilya settled back against the pillow, humming.

He kept that rhythm up, finding Shane’s prostate every few strokes, adding a third finger, watching Shane slowly start to lose his patience. His cock was leaking all over Ilya's stomach.

“Fuck, Ilya. Enough. Want you in me.”

“Already?”

Shane fit Ilya with an angry glare, making him look like a frustrated kitten. It was adorable and as much as Ilya enjoyed making Shane beg, he really did want to fuck him. They had the whole weekend. Ilya would find time to really drag things out and take his time.

He removed his fingers, reaching for a condom. He slid it on and added more lube, before Shane sat back and sank down on him before he’d even had a second to prepare himself.

“Holy shit,” he groaned, in Russian.

Shane looked down at him after a moment, lips quirked up in a little smirk.

“Hold onto something,” he breathed and Ilya blinked, gripping Shane’s hips.

Ilya was not expecting Shane to ride the hell out of his cock, but holy fucking shit.

Shane planted a hand on his chest, his other hand gripping the back of Ilya’s left thigh, ruthlessly bouncing on his dick, and Ilya didn’t think he was going to last long at all.

The onslaught was intense. He could feel Shane everywhere, watching his face, pleasure-filled and lax, as if this was the best thing he’d ever experienced in his entire life.

Ilya couldn’t remember how to speak English, murmuring in overwhelmed Russian about how beautiful Shane was and how good he felt; hot and tight and perfect.

Then Shane stopped, switching to a slow grind, making Ilya swear. Shane hummed, biting his lip against a smile.

“C’mon, Rozanov,” he sighed, surprisingly steady. “Can’t handle a taste of your own medicine?”

“No one said that,” Ilya ground out, swallowing. “Fuck, Shane.”

Shane closed his eyes, letting his head fall back a little as he rolled his hips, careful and controlled, grinding against Ilya.

Ilya stroked his hands over Shane’s thighs, slid one hand up Shane’s chest, to his pec, teasing a nipple, making Shane hiss.

“God,” Shane murmured. “So good.”

Ilya was tempted to thrust up into Shane but Shane started to speed up on his own and Ilya held on, watching Shane’s face, and then his cock bouncing between them. He wondered if Shane could come without being touched.

Probably.

“You gonna come for me?”

“Are you going to make me?”

Ilya could see a spark in Shane’s eye. So competitive. But Ilya honestly loved that about him. He never backed down from a challenge and Ilya would be sure to reward him for it later.

He could tell that they were both close, teetering on the edge. Shane’s perfect ass slammed down over and over in Ilya’s lap and he gripped Shane’s ass, head tossed back against the pillow.

“Fuck. Shane.”

His body stilled, pleasure washing over him as he came, eyes forced open as he watched Shane, seeing the moment where he lost control. He let out a plaintive little noise, body shuddering as he came all over Ilya’s abs.

They were both frozen for a few moments, breathing hard, Shane leaning over Ilya, Ilya’s hands still holding onto his ass.

Then Shane smiled and laughed and Ilya smiled and laughed, too. Shane collapsed on top of him and Ilya wrapped his arms around him, holding him close, unbothered by the mess between them.

Shane nuzzled against his neck and Ilya smoothed his hand up and down his back, kissing into his hair.

“That… was incredible.”

“Yes. Very.”

Shane sighed, relaxed and loose, and Ilya closed his eyes, smiling. They stayed like that until Ilya slid out of Shane. Shane leaned up on his arms, peeling them apart, and gave Ilya a few soft, tender kisses.

“One sec,” he said, getting out of bed, and Ilya watched him go to the bathroom. He heard the water running and smiled.

He startled when something jumped onto the bed, turning his head to see Eloise investigating him, sniffing at his feet.

“Hello gorgeous,” he said, in Russian. The cat was unperturbed and intent on smelling Ilya’s leg from foot to hip.

“Ellie!” Shane exclaimed.

The cat looked at him, meowing, and went back to her task.

“At least wait until he has clothes on,” Shane huffed, moving Eloise out of the way. “Rude.”

Ilya chuckled. “I don’t mind.”

Shane laughed, shaking his head. He put the cat on the floor and joined Ilya in bed, cleaning him up with a warm, damp cloth, and leaned over him so they could kiss some more.

Ilya slid his hand into Shane’s hair, holding him as they kissed.

“You hungry?” Shane asked when they’d finished.

“I could eat.”

“Wanna see what I have?”

“Okay.”

Shane smiled, his dark eyes tracking Ilya’s face. Ilya smiled back, soft and adoring, knowing it was written plainly for Shane to see. And he found that he didn’t mind. He wasn’t going to shy away from it, even if it was a little scary.

He reached up, caressing Shane’s cheek with the back of his hand.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Shane murmured.

Ilya nodded. “Me, too.”

Shane leaned down again, kissing Ilya some more, before they finally broke apart.

“You can show me how good of a cook you are,” Shane said as he rolled out of bed.

Ilya chuckled, following suit. “I would love to.”

He gathered up his discarded clothes, putting his underwear on, and folded the rest, leaving them on a chair per Shane’s direction. He went to grabs his bags and brought them to Shane's room, pulling out his pajamas which consisted of a pair of black sweats, a black t-shirt, and a Boston hoodie.

The hoodie made Shane roll his eyes and Ilya smacked his butt playfully as they went to the kitchen together.

Ilya peeked out of the window, the snow starting to fall heavily, and sticking. It looked beautiful and peaceful and he was glad to be warm and cozy inside with Shane.

Ilya found Shane in the kitchen, looking in the fridge. He looked over his shoulder, smiling, and motioning for Ilya to move closer.

“What’s speaking to you?” he asked.

Ilya smiled. “Hm. Let me see.”

They went through what Shane had in his fridge (which was quite a bit and more than enough) and they decided to make some carbonara with broccoli rabe, cracking open two beers before they got started.

Shane had a reasonably sized kitchen, which was great, because they were not small men, and they were able to move around one another pretty well as they cooked together.

They made a very good team, dividing tasks, each being in charge of one part of the meal.

Shane had put a hockey game on in the background but mostly they were just talking, and having to chase the cat out of the kitchen because she really wanted the pancetta.

They sat at Shane’s kitchen counter when the food was done, watching the snow fall out the window, talking about the hockey game, and laughing about Eloise, who seemed very happy to be sitting in Ilya’s lap.

“Told you she’d like you,” Shane chuckled.

"Who doesn't like me?" Ilya asked, scratching under Eloise's chin and making kissing noises at her as she lifted her head for more, purring like crazy.

After dinner they cleaned up the kitchen and stretched out on Shane’s couch together, snuggled up under a blanket, watching an action movie.

Eloise curled up against them and Ilya enjoyed petting both Shane's and the cat’s heads, leaving them both purring.

They stayed up until the movie was over, then got ready for bed. Ilya learned that Shane had a very long, intense dental routine, so he sat in bed, waiting.

Being here with Shane was more comfortable than Ilya would have thought. They’d spent plenty of time at Ilya’s place, often spending a night or two together.

But there was something about being in Shane’s home and the added coziness of the blizzard. Ilya had never done this with anyone before, spending this kind of time with someone he cared about.

Not since he was a kid anyway.

Shane was so sweet. Eager to please. Wanting everything to be perfect. And Ilya didn’t need it to be perfect. Just being here with Shane was enough. But he loved how hard he was trying. It was sweet and endearing.

And it made Ilya feel special. Like he was worth it.

Eloise jumped onto the bed to keep Ilya company, making him chuckle.

Ilya was more of a dog person but Eloise was a really sweet cat. Very fluffy. Kind of dog-like actually. But he wasn’t sure if the belly was a trap or not.

She kept rolling over onto her back, stretching out, and mewing at him. It was really cute but he didn't want his hand to get all sliced up if she was simply trying to trap him.

“You can give her belly rubs,” Shane said from the bathroom doorway. “She loves it.”

Ilya glanced up and smiled, looking back at Eloise, and rubbed her fluffy belly. She didn’t attack his hand, she simply stretched out and purred, giving him slow blinks.

“Alright, fluff-and-stuff, bedtime,” Shane said, scooping Eloise into his arms. Ilya watched Shane kiss her head, before placing her into a very luxurious pink cat bed Shane had for her in the corner of the room.

Watching them together was adorable. Shane was so gentle with the cat and it was obvious that they both loved each other.

Once Eloise was settled, Shane crawled into bed with Ilya and Ilya opened his arms, smiling as Shane snuggled up against him, tangling their legs.

His whole body relaxed and Ilya gave him a little squeeze.

“Goodnight,” Shane murmured, his breath warm against Ilya’s skin.

Ilya kissed his forehead. “Goodnight, Shane.”

Chapter 8

Chapter Summary

Shane and Ilya spend their first night during the blizzard together

Saturday

Shane woke up to soft muttering in a language he didn't understand.

He blinked open groggy eyes, peering into the gray darkness of his bedroom. Ilya was next to him, also barely awake, and Eloise was attempting to sleep on top of his head, having woken Ilya up.

“Eloise,” Shane hissed. “Enough.”

Shane sat up, lifting the cat from off of Ilya, and moving her to the floor. “Stop.”

He rolled back over, snuggling up against Ilya. “I’m sorry about her.”

“Is okay,” Ilya murmured, pushing lightly on Shane’s shoulder. “Turn over.”

Shane chuckled, rolling onto his other side, and hummed as Ilya spooned against his back. He was warm and familiar and it felt nice to have him close like this.

Shane found his hand, tangling their fingers, and snuggled down under the comforter. He could hear the wind and snow against the windows but it was safe and warm right here.

He closed his eyes and fell back to sleep.

He woke up an indeterminate amount of time later to Ilya nuzzling the back of his neck and pressing kisses to the skin he could reach.

Shane smiled and hummed, stretching out a little, and glanced over his shoulder.

“Good morning,” he murmured.

“Good morning,” Ilya murmured back, pulling Shane closer, giving him a little squeeze.

Shane loved this. He loved waking up in Ilya’s arms, all warm and cozy under the covers, and knowing that he would have this for the next few days.

He was surprised to realize how much he missed dating someone and being with them. He was content with his own company, having his own routine, doing this own thing. Being alone had never really bothered him. But he didn’t mind the disruption when it was Ilya.

And maybe part of that was because Ilya understood him. He was flexible. Willing to do what worked for Shane, but pushing him outside of his comfort zone, too. Shane couldn’t expect Ilya to always be the flexible one and Shane enjoyed a challenge… even if it was uncomfortable at times.

But he didn’t need to worry about that at the moment. He was just going to enjoy this and how good it felt to be wrapped up in someone’s arms. To feel safe there.

Shane rolled over in Ilya’s arms, chuckling softly as they looked at each other, Ilya’s hazel eyes still sleepy. Shane reached up to brush his curls and touch his scruffy cheek, smiling as one of Ilya’s hands crept under his shirt, touching skin.

“You want coffee?” Shane asked, snuggling himself into Ilya’s space, closing his eyes as Ilya kissed his forehead.

“Few minutes,” Ilya murmured back and Shane smiled, hand resting against Ilya’s face.

They enjoyed a few quiet moments of just existing together, cuddling and caressing, occasionally laughing, as if neither of them could quite believe that they could have this.

And then Ellie decided it was time to demand breakfast by yowling and jumping onto the bed.

Shane groaned and Ilya chuckled, amused.

“Really, dude?” Shane asked, peeking out from over the comforter as Ellie pawed at his face. “Bro…”

“She is hungry! Look! Famished! She must be fed!” Ilya exclaimed.

“Don’t encourage her. She’s a brat.” Shane sighed and shook his head. “Okay, okay. One second.”

He looked at Ilya, who had rolled onto his back, stretching out, his shirt riding up to reveal a sliver of golden skin that Shane wanted to press his mouth to…

He bit his lip and sighed, turning back to the cat.

“I’m coming!”

Shane got out of bed, scooping Eloise into his arms, holding her like a football, and took her into the bathroom with him.

“You need to be nice,” he told her, placing her on the floor. “We have a guest.”

Shane used the bathroom and washed his hands, picking the cat up again, and let her onto his shoulder.

Ilya was sitting up in bed, looking all rumbled and adorable. He looked a little surprised, smiling wide at seeing Shane with the cat.

“She can do tricks.”

“When she wants to,” Shane replied, scratching under her chin. “C’mon, you menace. Breakfast.”

Shane went to the kitchen, putting Ellie down on the floor, making her breakfast, and adding her meds.

Once she was eating, he turned to the cabinets, pulling mugs down, and gearing up to make coffee.

He heard Ilya’s bare feet on the floor, the sound making Shane’s heart flutter. It was an intimate sound, hearing someone else’s steps in his home. He liked it.

Ilya whistled and Shane glanced over his shoulder to see him looking out the window.

“Is pretty bad out there.”

“Oh yeah?”

Ilya nodded, letting the blind fall back into place as he walked to the kitchen.

“Good thing we will stay inside,” he hummed, coming to stand behind Shane, wrapping his arms around him.

Shane smiled, chuckling as Ilya kissed behind his ear. He started the coffee machine and rested his hands over Ilya’s, leaning back against him.

He could get used to this…

“We could just spend all day in bed,” Ilya murmured against Shane’s temple.

“Tempting.”

Ilya huffed a laugh, pressing light, little kisses into Shane’s hair and against his skin, making Shane’s toes scrunch happily.

The coffee machine beeped when it was finished and Shane opened his eyes, leaning away only a little to pour coffee.

“Milk and stuff is in the fridge. Sugar is on the counter.”

Ilya hummed, kissing the small bit of exposed skin where Shane’s neck met his shoulder, before pulling away and going to the fridge.

“For you?” Ilya asked, adding a splash of milk to his coffee.

“I’m good.” Shane reached over, opening a drawer. “Spoons and everything are in here.”

“Thank you.”

Shane smiled. “You’re welcome.”

Ilya added sugar to his coffee and Shane took note. He liked his black, usually.

They left the kitchen, Shane going back to his bedroom to grab his phone. He stopped short as he noticed a fluffy cat tail poking out of Ilya’s bag.

Eloise turned, peeking quite adorably out of the bag, and meowed happily at Shane.

“Get out of there!” he hissed at her. “You are getting your fluff all over Ilya’s clothes!”

Ellie did not care in the slightest that that was what she was doing and seemed very happy to be in a contained space with comfy clothes to curl up on.

Shane shook his head, placing his coffee down, and took the cat out of the bag.

“If you keep it up, you’re sleeping in the living room,” he told her, placing her down, and then grabbing his phone.

He picked up his coffee and nudged Ellie away from Ilya’s bag with his foot.

“Get!”

Ellie meowed at him and trotted away, going to her cat tree. Shane closed the bedroom door.

“I’m sorry. The cat found her way into your bag.”

“Is okay,” Ilya chuckled. “As long as she is comfortable.”

“She’s spoiled enough,” Shane replied, coming into the living room.

Ilya was sitting on the couch, watching the cat, rubbing absently at his knee. Shane tilted his head, watching for a moment, before setting down his coffee, sliding his phone into his pocket.

“Your knee okay?” he asked, getting to his knees, resting his hands on Ilya’s leg.

Ilya looked at him, surprised. “Fine.”

“You sure? The weather making it flare up?”

Ilya blinked. “Just a little sore.”

Shane smiled. “Okay. Do you want anything? Ibuprofen? Compression? A bath?”

“Shane, you don’t have to work.”

“I’m not working. I like this. I want to help, if I can.”

He rubbed his thumbs into the sides of Ilya’s knee and Ilya made a face.

“That hurts?”

He nodded.

“Okay. I’m going to get you some ibuprofen and a compression sleeve. That’ll help.”

Shane didn’t wait for Ilya to protest. He got up and went to the bathroom, grabbing the pain meds, then went to the kitchen to grab something Ilya could have so he had something in his stomach before he took them, and water.

He brought everything to the living room, setting it down next to his coffee.

"I have a sleeve, in my bag," Ilya said.

"Perfect! I'll grab it."

Shane smiled at him and went and got the sleeve.

He came back, getting to the floor, and pushing Ilya's sweatpants leg up. “You really don’t—” Ilya protested.

“I want to.”

He looked up at Ilya and Ilya looked back. He seemed uncertain, or maybe uncomfortable. Shane was under the impression that Ilya didn’t get taken care of very often; maybe because he didn’t let people or because he didn’t have any one who would.

But that changed now. Shane wanted to take care of him, just like Ilya took care of him.

“Is that okay?” he asked softly.

Ilya’s eyes tracked his face and he nodded after a second, his cheeks going pink. It was disarming, seeing him flushed like that. Shane smiled.

“Thank you.”

"It's my pleasure."

Shane helped slide on the sleeve, making sure that it was on correctly, and was comfortable, then watched Ilya take the ibuprofen.

Shane sat up on his knees, between Ilya’s legs, resting his hands on his thighs, and smiled at him.

“I like doing this kind of stuff,” he said. “I care about you and I want you to be okay.”

Ilya nodded. “Okay.”

Shane smiled. “Okay.”

He sat up on his knees, hands on Ilya's thighs, and leaned in to kiss Ilya gently. He cupped Ilya's face in his hand, the kiss as sweet, soft and tender as Shane could make it. He hoped that it properly conveyed how much he truly cared and loved Ilya.

They broke the kiss and Shane rested their foreheads together for a moment, nuzzling his nose against Ilya’s. He had the wildest urge to tell him that he loved him...

“You are very sweet,” Ilya murmured.

Shane smiled and huffed a laugh. “So are you.”

“Don’t tell anyone…”

Shane hummed, nuzzling against Ilya’s cheek, and kissed his cheekbone. He rubbed his hands over Ilya’s thighs before standing up, kissing the top of his head.

They settled on the couch together to drink their coffees, Ilya swinging his legs into Shane’s lap. Shane chuckled, resting a gentle hand on Ilya’s knee.

It was an unsurprisingly quiet morning.

They finished the pot of coffee between them and Shane made breakfast, forcing Ilya to stay on the couch, though Ellie seemed happy to keep him company.

Shane listened to Ilya laughing and talking to her very sweetly in a mix of English and Russian. Shane was curious about what Ilya was saying in Russian. He noticed that Ilya spoke in Russian during sex sometimes, too. Shane had assumed that it was mostly swearing, but sometimes he spoke to Shane in very soft, tender Russian.

It made Shane wonder…

He finished plating their breakfast (scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, and toast) and brought everything into the living room.

Ilya was sitting with Ellie cradled in his arms like a baby, talking softly to her. Shane could hear her purring.

“Oh she loves you,” he said.

“She is so cute.”

“She is,” Shane agreed. “When she’s not being a huge pain in the ass.”

Ilya chuckled, settling Ellie on the back of the couch, and turned back toward Shane.

“Thank you,” he said as Shane handed him a plate.

“My pleasure. Really.”

They ate breakfast, talking about the snow.

“Do you like the cold?” Shane asked.

“I have never lived anywhere warm,” Ilya replied. “I don’t mind it. You?”

“I don’t mind it either. But it’s nice to enjoy the warmth sometimes.”

“Yes. I like California. Florida.”

Shane nodded. “I have a little cottage, by a lake. It’s a few minutes from the cottage I used to go to as a kid. My parents still own it but I wanted my own. It’s nice. In the summer time.” He glanced at Ilya. “Maybe we can go sometime.”

Ilya glanced back and smiled.

“I’d like that.”

They finished breakfast and Ilya helped clean up. He was definitely walking better and seemed to be much more comfortable, which pleased Shane.

“You need to shower?” Shane asked as they loaded the dishwasher.

“Mm, if you’ll join me.”

Shane’s cheeks burned and he glanced at Ilya, who was watching him with a little smile on his face. Shane laughed and Ilya pulled him close, chuckling as he kissed Shane’s forehead and the top of his head as Shane curled into his space, wrapping his arms around him.

Ilya rocked them back and forth and Shane looked up at him.

“I’m happy.”

“Me, too.”

Ilya kissed the tip of his nose and Shane giggled. Ilya said something in Russian, kissing his cheek.

“What’s that?” Shane asked.

Ilya smiled softly at him. “What’s what?”

“What you said…”

Ilya considered for a moment and Shane wondered if he’d over stepped when Ilya kissed his forehead again and said, “sweetheart.”

“Oh.” Shane’s heart raced at hearing the word. His cheeks and ears and neck were all warm. He felt like he was going to melt into a gooey puddle in the middle of his kitchen.

No one had ever called him that before, let alone in two languages.

He let his forehead thunk against Ilya’s chest.

“Do you not like it?” Ilya asked.

“No. No. I love it. I just… no one has ever called me that before.”

“Then you have not dated anyone good.”

Shane barked out a laugh. “Oh my god, Ilya.”

“What? Is truth.”

Shane laughed and squeezed his boyfriend close for a moment.

“Let’s go,” Ilya murmured after a moment, taking Shane’s hand, and leading him back toward Shane’s bedroom.

Shane opened the door and they stepped inside, going to the en suite. It wasn’t a large bathroom, but it was serviceable.

Shane turned on the water so it would warm while Ilya disappeared, coming back with one bottle of lube and a condom, making Shane laugh.

They peeled off clothing and Ilya took off the compression sleeve.

“My knee is not working, not my dick,” he said. “I can still fuck you.”

“Ha-ha.”

“Yes, I am very funny, thank you for noticing.”

“Get in the shower, asshole.”

Ilya just snickered and slid into the shower, pulling Shane in with him.

They kissed a lot, hands roaming and caressing and stroking over wet skin, smiling against each other’s mouth. Shane let Ilya press him up against the glass of the sliding shower door.

Ilya opened Shane with more expediency than he had last night, pushing into Shane slow and careful, before fucking him hard and deep.

He tangled their fingers, hands pressed to the glass, and Shane didn’t even care if his neighbors could hear him over the sound of the shower.

He’d never had sex like this before.

Sure he had enjoyed sex with previous partners, but there was something about sex with Ilya that was just more.

Ilya was certainly Shane’s type; big, strong, and a top. He was gorgeous, with his golden brown curly hair and sparkling hazel eyes and generous mouth. He was funny and warm, confident and charming.

And he really cared about Shane enjoying himself, wanting whatever they did between them to feel good for him. Shane appreciated the dedicated attention, truly, but he also wanted to be sure that Ilya got the same attention, too.

“Going to come for me, sweetheart?” Ilya purred against Shane’s ear.

“Yes. Fuck. Oh god, Ilya. Don’t stop.”

Ilya squeezed Shane’s hands, fucking him harder, until he came, body shudder, cheek pressed to the glass.

Ilya came a moment later, his hands squeezing Shane’s, forehead landing on Shane’s shoulder.

“Fuck that was good,” Shane hummed as Ilya wrapped his arms around him, pressing kisses to his shoulder and neck.

“Mm. Yes.”

Shane chuckled, closing his eyes, resting his hands on Ilya’s forearms, and leaning back against him.

They separated eventually, actually showering this time.

Ilya flopped Shane’s towel on top of his head when they’d finished, ruffling his hair.

“Hey,” Shane laughed.

He peeked out at Ilya, holding the towel around his face, and Ilya smiled brightly at him, kissing him.

They changed, finding Eloise bouncing all around the living room, and Shane showed Ilya her toys.

They played with her for a bit, talking about what they might have for lunch, games they wanted to play. Shane had video games, board games, card games.

They ended up on the couch again, playing an RPG that Shane hadn’t been able to finish, continually stuck on one particular boss fight, which Ilya managed to beat in one shot, and then teased Shane about.

This then turned into Ilya playing while Shane helped keep track of tasks and mission items. They made a surprisingly good team and Shane found that he kind of liked just watching Ilya play.

The day passed by leisurely.

They made lunch and napped. Had slow, sleepy sex, then checked the weather. They watched some hockey, prepped and cooked dinner, Ilya told Shane about what he said in Russian, which was fascinating, and had Shane blushing at times, too.

They took care of the cat, who loved Ilya, wrapping herself around his shoulders.

“Hussy,” Shane cooed fondly at her.

They spent some quiet time on the couch, texting, or just scrolling social media , feet touching because they had to be touching all the time when they were in the same vicinity, apparently.

They watched a movie, all snuggled up on the couch, then tidied up a bit before going back to Shane’s bedroom.

All things considered, the day should have been boring. Shane didn’t mind boring but he had expected Ilya to maybe get stir crazy or restless. But he seemed completely content and happy just to be in Shane’s company, which warmed Shane to his core.

He was still giddy about having Ilya here for this long and it was reassuring to see that Ilya was enjoying himself, too.

“Are you going to behave?” Shane asked Eloise as she curled up in her cat bed. He gave her some pets and a kiss to her head, before turning to Ilya. He was sitting at the end of the bed, the leg with the bad knee stretched out.

“You doing okay?” Shane came over, getting to the floor to check Ilya’s knee over.

“Fine,” Ilya chuckled. “A little stiff.”

Shane nodded. “We can leave the sleeve on if you want.”

“Maybe a good idea.”

Shane chuckled softly, looking up at Ilya, who was watching him with interest. Shane smiled small, pushing Ilya’s thighs apart, and leaned in to nuzzle his face into Ilya’s crotch. It was a little bold, perhaps, but he felt like he couldn’t help it.

There wasn’t much Ilya needed to do to turn Shane on. Just him existing in such close proximity to Shane was enough, which seemed crazy, but was simply just a fact.

Ilya inhaled, one hand finding its way into Shane’s hair, running through the strands.

“Shane…”

He rested his hands on Ilya’s thighs, lifting his head and sitting up on his knees, kissing Ilya deeply, and Ilya kissed him back, holding his face in his big hands.

Shane climbed into his lap, pulling off his shirt, and trying to yank off Ilya’s. They laughed as Ilya pulled his off, tossing it aside, running an appreciative touch down Shane’s chest, before his hands gripped Shane’s ass.

Shane reached between them, pressing his hand to Ilya’s cock, making him sigh, before Shane started tugging his sweats and underwear down enough to get his dick out.

“We shouldn’t be wearing clothes,” Shane huffed as Ilya’s fingers tugged down Shane’s pants and briefs, too, just enough…

“Later,” was Ilya’s reply, his hand pressed against Shane’s waist, eyes on Shane’s face. Shane pushed Ilya onto his back, leaning over him, one hand bracing himself, the other wrapping around their cocks.

Ilya hummed and Shane kissed him, stroking his hand over them both. Ilya’s hands pushed under his waistbands, kneading Shane’s ass, which made Shane smile. He appreciated how much Ilya seemed to like his butt.

They kissed messily, foreheads pressed together, making soft, needy noises. Ilya reached a hand back, and Shane followed the line of his arm, laughing breathlessly as Ilya pulled a bottle of lube from under a pillow from that afternoon.

Shane took it, uncapping it, pouring some onto his hands before going back to work.

He ran a hand over the heads of their dicks, sighing, watching Ilya’s face, listening to those pleasant little noises he made.

“Da. I like that,” he murmured, so Shane kept going, pressing kisses to Ilya’s face, speeding his hand up.

“God, Ilya. So good.”

“Mm. Don’t stop.”

Shane shook his head a little, kissing Ilya again, panting and whining against his mouth.

This was so simple but so sexy. Shane loved watching the way Ilya fell apart underneath him, gasping and sighing and moaning, eyes unfocused, cheeks flushed, lips parted.

He reached up, squeezing Shane’s pec, cupping his face, and Shane stroked faster, Ilya’s mouth falling open.

“You gonna come for me?” Shane panted and Ilya nodded his head, and Shane brushed their mouths together.

Ilya swore in Russian and Shane felt him tense, letting out the softest little moans as he came, almost shivering. Shane worked him through it, tumbling over the edge after him just a moment later, and pressed their mouths together. His hand slowed and stilled, all a mess, but perfect.

Ilya’s hands smoothed up and down his back and Shane pressed their faces together as they caught their breaths.

Ilya smiled, blinking slowly, looking completely blissed out and beautiful. His hand cupped Shane’s cheek and he kissed the corner of Shane’s mouth. Shane hummed, turning his head to kiss Ilya properly.

“You okay?” Shane chuckled.

“Oh yes,” Ilya replied.

They both laughed and kissed some more and Shane ran his clean hand into Ilya’s curls. He rubbed their faces together, making Ilya hum, before he carefully extricated himself, fixing his clothes, before going to the bathroom to clean off his hand, and bring a wet cloth back to clean Ilya up with.

Ilya hadn’t moved, which made Shane chuckle. He joined him back in bed, cleaning him up, and kissing him some more, before letting Ilya fix his pants.

He was pliant and relaxed, smiling warmly at Shane, touching his face, looking a little dreamy, and sweet.

And Shane really did love him so much.

They just looked at each other for a moment and Shane’s heart flipped. He swallowed, touching Ilya’s cheek, brushing his thumb against his cheekbone.

“I love you,” he said, before he could stop himself.

The words hung in the air between them and Shane felt dread slide uncomfortably down his spine. Ilya looked back at him for a moment, surprised, but then his expression softened. He smiled, fitting his palm against Shane’s cheek.

“I love you, too.”

Shane sighed, dipping his head slightly, closing his eyes.

“Thank God.”

Ilya laughed and Shane laughed, too, lifting his head, and letting Ilya pull him close, kissing him.

“I mean it,” Shane breathed. “I do.”

“I know. Me, too.”

Shane sighed and Ilya pulled him into his arms, kissing into his hair. Shane’s eyes stung. He was a little scared, feeling this much for Ilya, and what felt like so quickly. But Ilya felt the same. He loved Shane, too. So maybe there was no need to panic.

“Okay?” Ilya asked, looking at Shane, brushing a thumb gently under Shane’s eye.

Shane nodded. “Yeah. I’m okay.”

Ilya smiled at him and kissed him gently.

They let each other go long enough to get under the covers and snuggle against the same pillow.

“Was that too much?” Shane asked softly, licking his lips.

Ilya’s face screwed up, brows furrowed, nose wrinkled. “What? No. Was sweet.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes.”

Ilya closed his eyes and shook his head a little, resting a hand on the back of Shane’s head to guide his head down so he could press their foreheads together.

“Was perfect.”

“Okay.”

“I love you, Shane.”

Shane let his shoulders relax, closing his eyes as they filled with tears.

“I love you, too, Ilya.”

It was so easy, loving Ilya. And that was perhaps the biggest surprise. Shane had never felt love like this, where it didn’t feel like something he needed to fight to find. It just came naturally; in the way Ilya made him laugh and feel safe. The way he listened and teased and cared.

Maybe that was stupid but it was how Shane felt.

“Come here,” Ilya cooed softly, pulling Shane closer. Shane sighed and went, letting himself be held and comforted.

Everything was okay. They had each other. That was all that mattered.

Chapter 9

Chapter Summary

Parting is such sweet sorrow

Monday

“Are you going to miss me?” Ilya asked as he pressed tender kisses to the delicate skin at the inside of Shane’s thighs.

“Huh?” Shane asked, sounding completely out of it, which made Ilya chuckle, and turned him on even more than he already was.

He’d been spending the better part of the morning worshiping Shane, edging him within an inch of his life, though he hadn’t reached his breaking point.

Yet.

Ilya was three fingers deep, occasionally teasing Shane’s prostate as he fingered him, interspersed with kissing his thighs, sucks his balls, and sometimes giving his cock some attention.

He enjoyed dragging things out like this. Shane claimed it was torture but Ilya just wanted to appreciate Shane like this for as long as possible, admiring and loving on him. And Shane liked it. The protesting was just part of their shtick.

Shane lifted his head slightly, looking almost drunk; eyes half-lidded, lips kiss-swollen and parted, hair mussed, cheeks flushed. He had hickeys on his neck and the insides of his thighs, his cock hard, leaking onto his stomach.

Ilya let his fingertips drag down Shane’s quad as he turned his head to drag his mouth over the inside of Shane's right thigh.

“Are you going to miss me?” he asked again.

Shane groaned, flopping back onto his pillow.

“Yes.”

Ilya hummed, turning his head to suck one of Shane’s balls into his mouth, making him moan and arch.

“Fuck, Ilya. Jesus Christ. I can’t…”

“Can’t what?”

Shane made an annoyed, helpless sound.

“Fuck me. Please.”

Ilya chuckled, worrying another mark in Shane’s thigh, making him gasp and moan. He kissed and licked over the mark, pleased to see it.

“Well… because you asked so nice.”

Ilya removed his fingers, and watched Shane’s hands press against the headboard above his head. He was breathing hard, all flushed and dewy, looking desperate and horny.

Ilya had to admit that it was sexy as hell to have Shane like this and to explore this with him. They’d been testing the waters, trying a few new things over the long weekend they’d been able to spend together.

Shane liked being good at things; being tasked with something and then praised for his obedience.

This morning, Ilya had wanted to see how much he could take before breaking, and because he wanted to drag things out, giving something Shane to remember him by, though he doubt they’d spend more than three or four days apart.

Oddly enough, that felt like too many.

Ilya slid on a condom and slicked himself, leaning over his boyfriend, one hand planted over his shoulder, the other by his lower arm, and pushed into him steadily, carefully.

But Shane seemed unhappy about that because he wrapped his legs around Ilya and pulled him closer.

“Fuck, Shane,” Ilya huffed, hips pressed to Shane’s ass.

“Come on,” Shane breathed. “Want you.”

Ilya kissed his chin. “You have me.”

Shane looked at him, as if surprised by the statement and Ilya kissed his bottom lip before finding a hard, fast rhythm that had Shane tossing his head back, mouth falling open, gasps and pants pulled from him.

His hands gripped to Ilya and Ilya watched his face, completely enamored with him. Shane was so stunning like this, lost in pleasure. It made him.

“More. Harder,” he whined and who was Ilya to deny him anything?

He shifted his hands, gripping Shane’s legs, and pushing them up, past his ears, burying himself deeper inside him.

“Ilya. Holy shit. Yes. Just like that.”

Ilya felt a little wild, fucking Shane hard and fast, legs bent back impossibly, impressively far. Shane looked blissed out of his mind, like he was on another planet, moaning so loudly Ilya was sure his neighbors could hear him.

And that was honestly pretty hot.

He watched Shane’s head fall back, eyes closed, making the most delicious noises. He reached between them, wrapping his hand around his cock, and stroking furiously.

“Are you going to come for me, sweetheart?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

“Yeah. Yeah. Fuck yes. Oh god, I’m coming, I’m coming—”

Shane’s arched and cried out, his body spasming around Ilya as he fucked Shane through his orgasm, watching him spill all over his hand and chest and belly.

“Going to come,” Ilya ground out and lost it when Shane said, “yeah. Come on. Give it to me.”

Ilya came hard, eyes locked on Shane’s, leaving him unable to move or speak. He released Shane’s legs and Shane wrapped them around him again, pulling him close.

Ilya went easily, leaning most of his weight on top of Shane, making him practically purr.

“Stay,” Shane murmured.

Ilya kissed his cheek. “As long as I can…”

Shane sighed. “I am going to miss you…”

“Mm. Me, too.” Ilya leaned away, carefully pulling out of Shane. He didn’t move far, shifting to lay next to him. “But will only be a few days.”

“Yeah?” Shane turned his head to look at him.

“Of course. There is always time for you.”

Shane smiled, cheeks blooming pink. Ilya smiled back and leaned in to kiss him softly.

“Be right back.”

He went to the bathroom to rid of the condom and clean up, finding the washcloths and plucking one from the pile, bringing it back warmly damp for Shane. He paused to give Eloise some pets, before he returned to bed to clean Shane up.

He watched the way Shane relaxed into the mattress, humming happily at the careful attention Ilya gave him, looking well-fucked and content.

They settled back in for more cuddles, Shane apparently eager for the closeness.

“We should do this more often,” he murmured.

“What? Long weekend sleepovers?”

Shane chuckled. “Yeah.”

“Mm. I am not opposed.”

Shane shook his head, rubbing his face against Ilya’s neck. “Good.”

They both dozed back off, spooned together, before being roused again by a hungry Eloise who was demanding breakfast. Shane was out of bed first, changing into underwear and Ilya’s t-shirt while Ilya stretched out and luxuriated in bed a little while longer. He watched Shane with the cat, appreciating his perfect ass and strong thighs.

Eventually Ilya followed. He found his own underwear and donned a hoodie, finding Shane making coffee, Eloise eating her breakfast.

Ilya came up behind him as he’d been doing for the past few mornings, kissing behind Shane’s ear, and resting his chin on Shane’s shoulder.

He liked this domesticity. The easy routine they had found themselves in. Coffee and breakfast, playing with the cat and napping. Talking about everything and nothing.

Ilya didn’t mind the cold or the winters. But he was already excited about the summer and spending it at Shane’s cottage.

He didn’t consider himself an outdoorsy person, he was much more of a city guy, but he loved that Shane wanted to share the cottage with him, and knowing that they could have the time away, together, just the two of them.

And Eloise, of course.

As the coffee percolated, Shane turned in Ilya’s arms, holding onto him, tucking himself against his chest.

Ilya smiled, rocking them gently back and forth, pressing kissing into Shane’s hair.

He didn’t want to leave. It was nice being here with Shane and the cat. He liked the comfort and coziness of it, of having Shane nearby.

Even if they were just sharing the same space but not talking, it was nice. Ilya liked that they both felt comfortable enough that they didn’t have to perform. They could just be.

They loved each other.

That fact alone was enough to bowl him over.

Shane loved him. And he loved Shane.

Ilya hadn’t ever been in love with someone before and it was wild and weird and wonderful. Scary, too. But mostly great.

He supposed if that was how he was feeling, then he was on the right track.

He couldn’t promise that he wouldn’t get spooked. Or that something might go wrong. He just hoped he had it in him to stick around and work things out. He thought he would.

Shane was worth it. Even if maybe he was too good for Ilya. But he’d always been a bit selfish.

“You sure you can’t stay another night?” Shane asked, lifting his head to look at Ilya.

Ilya smiled at him, looking at that handsome, earnest face, and kissed the tip of Shane’s adorable nose.

“I would love to, but I need to get back to work.”

Shane sighed. “I guess so.”

Ilya chuckled and kissed him properly.

“When are you free this week?”

“Mm,” Shane sighed, squeezing Ilya. “Friday evening through Sunday.”

“I think I can make that work…”

Once coffee was done, Shane poured two mugs. Ilya added milk and sugar to his, then let Shane take his hand, leading him to the couch. They opened the windows, Ilya sitting against the arm of the couch, Shane resting against his chest as they watched the snow.

Eloise came to join them and they checked their calendars before firming up plans to see each other this week.

The snowing had mostly stopped with the occasionally flurry. The city was white and muted, all beautiful and wintry.

They finished the pot of coffee and made breakfast, eating in the living room.

Ilya helped Shane clean up, then he started packing, and making sure he had some clean clothes to wear.

Eloise kept trying to jump in his bag, which was very cute. She stole one of his socks, which was hilarious, and Ilya just watched Shane chase her around until he finally caught her and got the sock back.

“You are an absolute menace!” Shane said to her. “Jesus.”

“But a very cute one,” Ilya added.

Shane rolled his eyes. “Don’t encourage her.”

Ilya chuckled and smiled, watching as Eloise wiggled out of her dad’s arms, and went right into Ilya’s bag.

“Seriously?” Shane huffed.

“Is okay, Eloise. You can come home with me.”

Eloise meowed happily in response.

Ilya did manage to finally get his bag packed, without the cat, parking her on his shoulders, where she seemed to enjoy draping herself.

He set aside his clean clothes and placed Eloise onto her cat bed, patting her head.

“How’s your knee?” Shane asked from where he was leaning against the doorframe.

“Okay,” Ilya replied, flexing his leg. “Better.”

Shane smiled. “Good.”

“I will shower,” he said, standing in front of Shane. “If you want to join me.”

Shane smiled up at him. “Sure.”

The shower was surprisingly tame, at first. Mostly they just held each other under the warm spray and kissed a little.

They washed each other’s hair, which was intimate and sweet. No one had ever done that for Ilya before, so it was new, but he liked it. Particularly because Shane seemed so focused.

Even washing each other was surprisingly vulnerable and they ended up sucking each other off before finishing their actual shower.

They toweled off and changed. Ilya wore jeans for the first time that weekend, paired with a black Henley, and a hoodie.

“You have everything?” Shane asked him.

Ilya nodded. “Yes.”

“Okay.”

“Come here,” Ilya said, opening his arms, and Shane came.

“Thank you for coming,” he murmured, face tucked against Ilya’s shoulder. “This was a really amazing weekend.”

“Yes,” Ilya agreed, turning his head to kiss into Shane’s hair. “Was perfect.”

Shane nodded, turning his face into Ilya’s neck, and Ilya kissed his forehead, just holding Shane close. He smelled like citrus and mint.

“Text me when you get home.”

“Of course.”

“And call me later?”

“I will.”

Shane sighed and leaned back to look at Ilya. Ilya cupped his face and kissed him. Shane slid his hands into the back pockets of Ilya’s jeans, squeezing his butt, and making him laugh into the kiss.

They parted and Shane rubbed their noses.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“I love you, too,” Ilya whispered back.

They finally parted and Ilya slid into his shoes, then his coat, making sure he had his bag. He said goodbye to Eloise, kissing Shane a few more times, warm and sweet, before he was out the door.

“Bye,” he said, offering a little wave.

“Bye.” Shane waved back.

It was weird, leaving the condo. He hadn’t expected to feel so… at home there.

It was certainly too soon for him and Shane to be moving in together but Ilya was surprised that the idea didn’t freak him out.

He was actually really into it.

Coming home to Shane. Making meals with him. Talking and teasing and laughing.

Both of them doing their own thing but always coming back together.

Being able to be together.

A part of Ilya was afraid of when or if the other shoe would drop but he reminded himself to enjoy the moment.

He couldn’t predict the future. Whatever happened would happen but he was pretty sure that he and Shane could tackle it together.

It took him longer than anticipated to get home but he managed it.

He set his bag on the floor, kicked off his shoes, and hung up his coat. The condo felt empty and quiet.

Ilya flipped on the lights and pulled out his phone.

Ilya: home ❤️

Shane: Good! I'm glad you made it safe ❤️

Shane: I miss you already 🥺

Ilya: I miss you, too

Shane: okay, only four more days

Ilya: not so bad. will be worth the wait

Shane: it always is

Ilya: 😉

Chapter 10

Chapter Summary

Summer at the cottage

July - The Cottage

Shane woke up to sunlight streaming through the windows and the sound of someone puttering in the kitchen.

He smiled, stretching out, and rubbing his face into his pillow.

He was at the cottage, a moderately sized two bedroom house he’d saved up for, bought, and updated.

It was his favorite place in the whole world, right on the lake, about ten minutes from his parents.

Shane had always loved the lake and being out in nature as a kid. He'd spent every summer at his parents’ cottage, learning all different kinds of bird calls, and constellations, catching frogs, fishing.

It was his favorite place in the whole world. Private and peaceful.

He had always dreamed about sharing his own cottage with someone someday; coming up during the summer and spending a few weeks by the lake, grilling, swimming, hiking, having sex...

Ilya was the first person who had ever been here.

Shane had bought the place after he and Laurent had broken up. Besides Eloise, the cottage had helped him get through that breakup, keeping him distracted, and giving him something to work on, to focus all his attention toward that wasn't his broken heart. It gave him something to feel accomplished about.

The cottage was, in many ways, his true home. He wanted his partner to love it as much as he did. 

Shane rolled over, rubbing his eyes as he heard the pitter-patter of little paws on the wooden floors.

He smiled as he spotted Eloise’s tail before she hopped onto the bed, meowing at him, demanding pets.

“Good morning,” Shane murmured to her, chuckling as she rubbed against his face and flopped against his side, rolling over onto her back, and wiggling around.

Shane scooped her into his arms and cuddled her, smiling fondly.

He lay there with the cat purring away on his chest, listening to Ilya in the kitchen. Shane’s heart wobbled, loving that Ilya felt comfortable enough to be up and doing things without feeling that he had to wait for Shane.

Shane wanted Ilya to feel comfortable here, even if he wasn’t an outdoorsy person. 

Shane chuckled to himself, thinking about the other night, when he’d had to remove a spider from the bathroom because Ilya had been all grossed out. It had been hilarious.

But he loved that they each had their strengths. It felt complimentary. They played off one another well and they made a good team.

Mostly, Shane was just glad Ilya was there and they got to have the next two weeks to just rest and relax together.

Shane let Ellie go and rolled out of bed. He went to the bathroom and changed into one of Ilya’s t-shirts, before wandering out into the kitchen.

“Oh,” Ilya greeted as Shane wrapped around him from behind. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” Shane hummed, enjoying Ilya’s warmth and the familiar smell of him. He nuzzled against his upper back, pressing a kiss there, and slid his hands under Ilya’s shirt to press his palms to his skin.

Ilya chuckled, pouring coffee into the mugs he’d set on the counter.

Shane reluctantly let him go, accepting the mug, and a kiss, as Ilya handed it to him.

He smiled dreamily, feeling his cheeks warm, watching Ilya add milk and sugar to his coffee.

He leaned casually against the counter, one foot crossed over his ankle, sipping from his mug.

They looked at each other for a moment and Ilya smiled.

“You look good in my clothes,” he said.

Shane grinned. “I know.” He held out his hand and Ilya took it, letting Shane lead him into the living room.

They curled up together on the couch, looking out at the lake.

“It’s nice here,” Ilya said as Shane leaned back against him.

“Yeah? You like it?”

“Mm. Maybe if there were less bugs…”

Shane laughed, turning his head to kiss Ilya’s neck. Ilya’s fingers stroked over Shane’s belly and Shane felt a pleasant bloom of heat at the touch.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me, too.”

Shane closed his eyes and hummed as Ilya kissed his forehead.

"Maybe I'll take some pictures of you."

"Naked pictures?"

"Not unless we're inside…"

"You are no fun."

"I'm very fun!" Shane protested.

Ilya laughed, holding him close, and kissing his temple.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

FIN