Rating:

Explicit

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

M/M

Fandoms:

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

Relationships:

Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Shane Hollander & Ilya Rozanov, Shane Hollander & Ottawa Centaurs Team Ensemble & Ilya Rozanov, David Hollander & Shane Hollander & Yuna Hollander, David Hollander & Shane Hollander & Yuna Hollander & Ilya Rozanov, Shane Hollander & Ottawa Centaurs Team Ensemble, Shane Hollander & Ottawa Centaurs WAGs Ensemble, Ottawa Centaurs Team Ensemble & Ilya Rozanov, Ottawa Centaurs WAGs Ensemble & Ilya Rozanov, Zane Boodram & Ilya Rozanov, Cassie Boodram/Zane Boodram, Nick Chouinard/Selena Chouinard, Lisa Hayes/Wyatt Hayes, Caitlin Dykstra/Evan Dykstra, Evan Dykstra & Ilya Rozanov, Luca Haas & Shane Hollander & Ilya Rozanov, Luca Haas & Ottawa Centaurs Team Ensemble, Troy Barrett/Harris Drover

Characters:

Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, David Hollander, Yuna Hollander, Anya | Ilya Rozanov's Dog, Nick Chouinard, Zane Boodram, Troy Barrett, Harris Drover, Cassie Boodram, Caitlin Dykstra, Lisa Hayes (Game Changers), Luca Haas, Selena Chouinard, Holmberg (Game Changers), Young (Game Changers), Wyatt Hayes, Evan Dykstra, Svetlana Vetrova, Rose Landry, Cliff Marlow | Cliff Marleau, Ottawa Centaurs WAGs Ensemble (Game Changers), Ottawa Centaurs Team Ensemble (Game Changers)

Additional Tags:

Humor, Fluff and Humor, Angst and Humor, Texting, Texting Fic, Social Media, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Fluff and Angst, Light Angst, Established Relationship, Married Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Ilya Rozanov Misses Irina Rozanova, Ilya Rozanov Loves Shane Hollander, Shane Hollander Loves Ilya Rozanov, Ilya Rozanov is Obsessed With Shane Hollander, Soft Ilya Rozanov, Shane Hollander Walks Ilya Rozanov Like A Dog, Anxious Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov is a Little Shit, Ilya Rozanov is Whipped, Ilya Rozanov is Loved, Shane Hollander is Whipped, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff and Crack, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Not Canon Compliant, Ottawa Centaurs Player Shane Hollander

Language:

English

Series:

Part 5 of O-Town’s Fillies Back Again

Collections:

Anonymous, Anonymous

Stats:

Published: 2026-06-19 Words: 11,001 Chapters: 1/1

Shane has been added to the group chat.

Summary

Ilya
Guess what

Shane
What?

Ilya
We are getting married tomorrow!!

Shane
Oh shit, I meant to tell you
A thing came up, sorry!
Totally unavoidable

Ilya
SHANE

or: Hollanov take the 'two birds, one stone' approach to their wedding day.

Notes

couldn't leave you all unsatisfied, now could i? 😏

Shane ❤️💦😍

Friday July 11^th, 8.35am

Ilya

Sweetheart?

Shane

Yes?

Ilya

Guess what

Shane

What?

Ilya

We are getting married tomorrow!!

Shane

Oh shit, I meant to tell you 😬

A thing came up, sorry!

Totally unavoidable

Ilya

SHANE 😭😭😭

I can hear you laughing in the gym 😒

Shane

Sorry, baby 😂

Are you up now?

Ilya

Yes, coffee is on

Shane

Be there in 5

And Ilya?

Ilya

Yes, my little demon?

Shane

We’re getting married tomorrow. ❤️

Ilya

Sorry

I have a thing 🤷

😘Shane

Fiat 500 Horse Boys 🐎🏒🌈

Friday July 11^th, 10.57am

Bood

right

we are officially on the 24 hour countdown!!!

Nicky C

EYOOOOOOOO

Hazy

I CAN HEAR THE BELLLSSSSSS

💃🏻 Cap

Boyle

stocking up on kleenex as we speak

and not in the kinky way

Holmberg

let’s fucking gooo!!!!!!

Evan D

Checklist:

Emergency hair products - Nicky ✅

Wedding cake - Boyle/Nic ✅

Music - Evan ✅

Cufflinks - Bood ✅

Cider - Troy/Harris ✅

Photography - Hazy ✅

Vibes - Babies ✅ ✅ ✅

Okay, I think we’re good to go with the checklist??

@Hazy did you get the disposable cameras?

Hazy

Got ‘em!

Bood

@Cap will get to you early tmrw with the cufflinks 💕

Cap

Thank you darling

Did Shane like them?

Bood

he hasn’t seen them either

but you’re both gonna love them, promise

Haasy

That is BRAVE

Bood

ahhhhhh, my boy

never doubt me

Boyle

many men have tried to doubt the grill king™️

they have all failed

Evan D

It simply can’t be done

💪Bood

Young

this is going to be fucking sick

Troy

For once, Young

You’re actually so right

Cap

Okay! Ground rules:

😭 All of you need to CRY as a gift to me

🍷 We have spent literally thousands of dollars on alcohol so everybody (parents of Boodlet excluded) must help us drink this

✈️ Do flight mode in the ceremony, I do not want to be distracted by your sex app pings

🏡 Do NOT break anything in my Shane’s cottage you animals

❌ Bedrooms are off limits so you cannot be nosy little perverts

👫 Please do not tell Yuna and David terrible stories about me, I think they have finally forgotten I am reformed slut 🙏

🥊 Because of that, if you see Marleau from Boston approach either of them you have full permission to use force to stop him from talking

Nicky C

Permission to find Marleau and get the slut stories for myself??

Cap

I suppose I cannot stop you

But I cannot do puzzles with David if he knows what Cliff knows about me

😂Boyle, Haasy

Holmberg

👀 👀 👀

Hazy

You don’t need to worry about the crying, boss

I’ll do enough for half the team

Boyle

aww, bub

Hazy

Fucking LOVE a wedding 😭

Holmberg

what time do the old people leave?? so i know when to fetch @Troy’s zimmer frame from the hallway when his shuttle arrives

😂Young

Troy

Too late to instigate a no kids at the wedding policy, @Cap?

💀Evan D

Cap

New ground rule!

If you two do not behave, I will push you both into the lake

Or I will let Hayden Pike’s twin daughters do it so that it is double embarrassing for you

Troy

Cold, but fair

Truce @Holmberg?

🤝Holmberg

Boyle

how you feeling, @Cap?

any nerves?

Cap

To have lots of people in my back garden? Yes lots

To marry Shane? Zero

❤️Holmberg, Troy, Bood

Nicky C

😭😭😭

Hazy

And I’m gone 😭

Young

brooooo 🙌🌈

😂Troy

Evan D

Softest team in the league smh

Family 🏡

Friday July 11^th, 11.02am

Yuna

Morning, boys! Caterer has confirmed she’ll be over at 11 tomorrow to set the food up. Won’t need to use the kitchen after all so she’ll be gone before the ceremony at 1!

Ilya

Terrible news

Shane dumped me

Shane

You have got to stop saying that! People are going to believe you 🙄

David

Shane, buddy. No one who’s met you is buying that for a second.

😂Yuna

Yuna

Farah called too. Are you definitely sure you’re happy with the trade announcement being tomorrow as well?

Shane

It’s fine.

Ilya and I have a fun idea for telling the boys

👍Ilya

David

Never thought I’d see the day…

Shane

?

David

My boy had a fun idea!

Shane

What the hell, Dad???

Ilya

😂 😂 😂

Ouch

Yuna

You and Ilya need to stop spending so much time together 😂

👎David

Ilya

Never!!

Yuna

Anyway, I’ll tell Farah that we’re good to go! I think Ottawa was planning on a lunchtime announcement, but not sure when Montreal are confirming.

Shane

Sure.

David

Fuck ‘em

Ilya

Very well said, David

@Yuna I think we know everything we need to about tomorrow, yes?

Will you promise to enjoy the day and not look at your phone?

Farah is handling everything

Yuna

I know, I know. I promise! I’m off duty tomorrow.

Ilya

We just want you there ❤️

❤️Shane

Yuna

And I will be. I’m so excited!

David

I’m also planning on locking her phone somewhere in the cottage. Just in case.

Shane

Good move.

I’ll send you some hiding spots

🙈Ilya

David

Love you, boys. See ya tomorrow!

Yuna

We love you so much!

Ilya

Love you ❤️

❤️Shane

Bood🥵🏒

Friday July 11^th, 12.02pm

Bood

heyooo king

how’s the final morning as an unmarried man going??

Ilya

Hello, my prince! 👑

Busier than I thought it would be

I mean what the fuck

I thought that we had everything sorted??

Bood

afraid that’s just part of the circus that is a wedding day, my son

you can never tell her this, but i blocked cassie’s mom on her phone the afternoon before

Ilya

YOU DID NOT?? 🫨

Bood

i did

she kept sending cass loads of freakout texts about flowers not being bright enough, one of the bridesmaids showing up with a hangover, canapés looking dry

just serious crazy person vibes

Ilya

Yuna has been great with the wedding stuff

The trade stuff, a little more intense

Bood

it’s a fucking big trade though, i get it

Ilya

So do I

And she is amazing

But we asked for the news to go out tomorrow so that it wouldn’t be the most important thing that happened to him that day

And I worry that he will be thinking about it too much if we keep talking about it

Bood

will you?

Ilya

Maybe a little

But for me it is just a good thing, yes?

My husband on my team, us being together all the time for the first time ever

Is not so simple for him

Bood

it’s complicated, and it shouldn’t have ended the way it did

but i’m gonna bet that when the news breaks tomorrow he won’t give a fuck

he’ll be too busy watching me pull unstoppable moves after marrying you 🕺

Ilya

…That makes it sound like you are marrying me

Bood

you wouldn’t know what to do with all of this 💅

Ilya

True

And I would never break up the Boodlet’s family 🙅🏼

Is Cassie going to be okay tomorrow?

Bood

darling

she’s pregnant, not dying

Ilya

I know!!

But I want her to be fine

Do not tell the boys, but Shane and I were going to give her the key to the master bedroom if she wanted to go and lie down during the day

Bood

that would be great, actually

thanks bub!

Ilya

Tell her not to open any drawers 👀

Bood

that woman is going to open every drawer she finds

Ilya

Ahh shit

Then the consequences of snooping are her problem!

😂Bood

Bood

do i even want to know what she’ll find

Ilya

I will be more than happy to send you some links 😏

Bood

you dirty dog 😏

ok i gotta run some errands, but i’ll check in later

don’t freak out, don’t stress

everything is going to be amazing

Ilya

Yes

Love you!

Bood

LY ❤️

If Ilya never saw a rose again after tomorrow, he’d be fine with that. They were on every surface in the cottage’s kitchen, dethorned stem after stem piled high on the kitchen island, the dining table, the shelf that sat above the sofas of the living room. In the middle of them, Shane stared at the sea of reds and pinks, slightly bewildered, looking like a teenage boy who’d found himself in a florist’s on Valentine’s Day.

“Do you think we have enough roses?” Ilya joked.

Shane made a noise like hmm, distracted as he looked around, picking up a rose with intent - only to replace it on the pile a moment later.

“Shane,” Ilya said.

“What?”

“You are freaking out.”

“I am not freaking out,” Shane replied curtly, eyes wide and now rubbing one wrist with his other hand. Ilya watched him from the doorway for a moment longer before stepping into Shane’s eyeline, gently prising his fingers from his pulse point and pushing his own thumbs into Shane’s palm, kneading at the tension he found there.

“You are definitely freaking out.”

“Why did we order so many fucking flowers?”

“Table displays, bouquets for Ruby and Jade, aisle decorations, vases for inside,” Ilya rattled off, pressing into Shane’s hand with every list item. “And because you know I like them, and you are very cute and want to make me happy. The decorator is coming in the morning to put the arrangements together.”

“Right, yeah,” Shane replied, eyes squeezing shut so tightly that it furrowed the space between his eyebrows. Ilya leaned in and pressed a kiss there, leaving his lips on the skin there until it softened.

“Talk to me,” he muttered to Shane’s forehead.

“I’m fine,” Shane said quietly.

“I will ask again if I need to, and it will be very annoying for both of us.”

Shane huffed a laugh, and tilted his head backwards until their noses bumped. He opened his eyes and they stared at each other, a little cross-eyed, while his jaw worked. In the garden, the rumble of a sit-on lawnmower started up as the landscaper cleared the area for the chairs and tables.

“I wish she hadn’t said when they were posting it,” Shane admitted after a moment.

Ilya sighed. “Yes. Me too.”

“I don’t want to know. I didn’t want to.”

“I know.”

Shane moved a hand to the back of Ilya’s neck, twisting at the short curls of the nape. He’d had it cut at the start of last week, at Shane’s insistence. If they fuck it up, you’ll have almost two weeks’ growth on it.

“Will you hate me if I think about it tomorrow?”

Ilya pulled his head back and raised an eyebrow. “I think we have a problem if I hate you on our wedding day.”

Shane smiled reluctantly, just a touch, and gave Ilya’s hair a tug. There was a gentle pull as his engagement ring caught on a couple of strands. Nothing painful, just a moment of sharpness that he soothed away with a finger to Ilya’s scalp when he noticed.

“I’m being serious.”

“So am I.”

“I’m worried that I’ll think about it.”

“Shane,” Ilya started. “You will. But we picked tomorrow so that you will have more to think about than that. No internet, no old team, no meetings.”

“I don’t want it taking up space,” Shane whined. “And I’m so worried that I’ll be so happy, but it’ll – ugh, I don’t know. It’ll be rattling around somewhere in here.” He wobbled his head minutely, and Ilya smiled.

“Sweetheart. You would not be you if you weren’t thinking about hockey on our wedding day.”

“That’s reassuring,” Shane deadpanned.

Ilya laughed. “Shut up and let me finish. You can have space for two things tomorrow. Two big things. Just try not to let the worry be bigger than our day, yes?”

“It won’t be,” Shane replied firmly. “You believe me, right? Nothing is bigger than tomorrow.”

“I believe you. But I know you, too. So how about this: after we have been very mushy in front everyone and signed boring paperwork, we will go inside and you can freak out for ten minutes. Then we forget about it, go back outside and get very drunk and kiss each other all afternoon. Okay?”

It was Shane’s turn to raise an eyebrow. “You’ll let me freak out about hockey?”

“I would love to know how you think I could stop you.”

“You make me sound really dull sometimes.”

“You are very dull. Your first word was probably ‘misconduct’-”

“-How could a baby say a three-syllable word-”

“-But I love you for it, and I will not have you worrying on our wedding day that you do not have me in your corner when something big happens.”

Shane pulled Ilya into his chest, wrapping his arms around Ilya’s neck while he felt Ilya’s snake around his waist and up his back. As Ilya’s hands passed slow swoops up the length of his spine, Shane remembered another hug, lake-damp and frazzled, in the same spot three years prior. The solid warmth of Ilya’s chest against his, the light exhales against the divot of his shoulder. You are brave.

“Okay,” Shane muttered. “Schedule me in for a ten minute post-vow hockey freakout. Then back outside to gross everyone out with our kissing.”

Ilya laughed, a puff of air through his nostrils. “I will ask them to put it in the order of service.”

O-Town’s Fillies Back Again 🐎👩🏽🥵

Friday July 11^th, 12.56pm

Shane H

[image attached]

We have too many flowers.

I think?

Nicole B

holy shit shane

your wedding photos are going to look like the poster for american beauty

Caitlin D

That is a crazy specific reference, but somehow it is absolutely bang on

Cassie B

Y’all might have taken the ‘lover boy’ titles too literally...

Caitlin D

Since when do you say y’all?

Cassie B

I’m just trying it out!

Is it a no?

Nicole B

hard no babe, sorry

Cassie B

Damn 😭

🤣Lisa H

Selena C

SHANE

THAT IS SO MANY ROSES???? 😂

Shane H

I know! 😩

I guess I never really considered how many roses is too many??

Ilya loves them so I just like, bought them

Harris D

Damn, I need to send this photo to Troy 🥴🥴

😂Selena C, Nicole B

Lisa H

Oh honey 😭

Ladies, I think I know what we have here...

Cassie B

Do tell? 👀

Lisa H

Shaney baby’s got the jitters!!

😭Caitlin D

Shane H

No, I don’t!

We have literally everything planned

It’s all fine

Lisa H

Darling, you’re talking to the woman who makes a binder for everything

So please believe me when I say that no amount of planning stops the pre-wedding jitters!!

Nicole B

she’s right

i’m the chillest bitch on the planet and i spent the whole night before throwing up

Caitlin D

“Chillest bitch on the planet” like you didn’t cry the whole way through your first dance

Nicole B

mind your business

Selena C

LMAOOOO

I bet Boyle didn’t know what to do with that

Nicole B

oh he straight up thought i was pregnant

😂Harris D

Cassie B

OMG is that why he was so panicky at the toasts??

Nicole B

yes lmfao

Caitlin D

This makes so much sense omg

He kept stealing every prosecco I tried to give you

No wonder he got so drunk

Shane H

I’m fine

It’s just like 100 people in my house

And the biggest day of my life

And I have too many fucking flowers

Okay, maybe I’m a little stressed

Selena C

WELL

First thing’s first

There’s no such thing as too many flowers on a wedding day!!!

Caitlin D

She’s so right

It’s all going to be fine, Shane!

Shane H

No I know

It’s going to be be amazing

But how is Ilya not stressed about this??

Cassie B

Oh honey

That boy is STUH-RESSED!!

Z hasn’t been off his phone all week👀

Harris D

He’s sent me no less than 15 links to ‘dog bridesmaid outfits’ in the last fortnight… 😂😂

Nicole B

shut up omg

Shane H

Oh my god, we cannot have this fight again

He’s been convinced that he can train Anya to be a flower girl 🙄

Caitlin D

So you’re telling me that your fiancé has been attempting to train a dog to walk down an aisle on cue

And you think he’s NOT losing it?

Shane H

I mean, it is kind of on brand for him

Cassie B

That’s fair tbh

Harris D

He’s definitely panicking 😂

Lisa H

Shane, listen to me

Everything is going to be perfect! 💕

And if you have flowers left over, get your decorator to arrange them into extra bouquets and give them as gifts

Selena C

OOOH YESSS

Nicole B

your brain is so sexy, lisa 😮‍💨

😏Lisa H

Shane H

Oh.

That is actually kind of perfect

THANK YOU! ❤️

❤️ Lisa H

Caitlin D

Now that’s sorted

Will you please go and do a shot of tequila or get railed by your man to take the edge off

😭Harris D, Selena C

Cassie B

CAIT FFS 😭😭

Caitlin D

WHAT?

He needs it

Nicole B

you are just and correct to say it

hollander, go and get laid

Shane H

No!!

I have SO much to do

O-Town’s Fillies Back Again 🐎👩🏽🥵

Friday July 11^th, 1.39pm

Harris D

He’s gone silent 👀👀

Caitlin D

Yeah, they’re fucking for sure

Cassie B

Thank god he can’t get pregnant

They’d have 25 kids by now

😂Lisa H, Selena C, Nicole B, Harris D

“Lisa said we could give the leftovers away as gifts.”

“Hmm?” Ilya replied against the back of Shane’s neck, fingers running across his sternum and foot tracking a path up and down Shane’s shin where they were intertwined on the hastily kicked-down bedsheets.

“The flowers. Lisa said if there’s leftovers, we can get the decorator to build them into arrangements to give them away after. It would be nice to give Mom one, and Jackie. And the girls, too. And Rose. And maybe you could give one to Svetlana? Do you think that they’d travel alright if we couriered one to Farah? Is it weird if we only give certain people a bouquet, though? Does that make us look like dicks?”

“Oh my god, Hollander. I am literally still inside you and you are already stressing again.”

Shane rolled his eyes. “This isn’t stressing.”

“No?”

“No. I’m emergency planning.”

Ilya raised his head up from the pillow and peered towards the door, sniffing exaggeratedly. “I cannot smell smoke.”

“What?”

“Smoke. There is no smoke, so no fire. So no emergency, yes?”

Shane shifted his head to look behind his shoulder and give Ilya an unimpressed look. “You’re not funny.”

“I am very funny,” Ilya retorted, pulling out of Shane and rubbing his hip lightly in sympathy at his answering wince of discomfort. He grabbed Shane by the shoulder and rolled him onto his back before plastering their chests together, wiggling cheekily at Shane’s huffy ew at the tackiness sticking between them. Once he settled, he raised a hand to Shane’s cheekbone and stroked lightly across the freckles there.

“How are you not nervous about this?” Shane asked. “And why am I going so fucking crazy?”

Ilya placed a noisy kiss to Shane’s clavicle. “You are not crazy. You are my little perfectionist. It’s like an experiment, yes? Lots of variables tomorrow, so you are trying to control what you can.”

“I guess.”

“And of course I am nervous,” Ilya admitted. “Is a big day. You only plan to do it once, right?”

Shane raised an eyebrow. “You fucking better.”

Ilya laughed. “But it is us. So it will be fine.”

A small smile grew on Shane’s face, and he turned his head quickly to press his lips to the thumb that was still resting on his cheek. “Yeah?”

“Yes. We have had a fucking year of it, Hollander. A decade of it. I think we can handle having too many flowers.”

There was a loud sneeze from the hallway, and both men turned to it quizzically before realising that it could only have come from Anya. There was the sound of the tags jingling on her collar as she shook herself off, and the soft clack of her claws as she headed out of the back door. Shane laughed.

“Do you think dogs can have pollen allergies?”

“I think we are probably going to find out today.”

Shane’s phone buzzed on the nightstand, and as he leaned over to grab it, Ilya stretched his arm across his torso, burying his hand under the ridge of Shane’s shoulder and using it to nuzzle deeper into Shane’s chest, head moving to lay over the steady thump-thump of his slowly settling heart rate. Shane absentmindedly slipped his hand into Ilya’s sweaty curls whilst he unlocked his phone with the other, sighing lightly as he opened his messages.

“Yuna?” Ilya asked softly.

“Farah,” Shane replied. “Wants to know if I want to do a final check on the press release.”

“Tell her no,” Ilya said, firm now. “We have said everything we need to about this.”

Shane nodded, using this thumb to type out a slightly politer version of Ilya’s words before sending it with a whoosh. Ilya echoed his nod, and his head went back to Shane’s chest, hand coming back from under Shane’s shoulder to worry at the chain around his neck, dragging the cross along and back. He heard the phone lock, before the hand in his hair went lax as Shane shuffled to bring himself further down the bed.

“Hey,” he started, fingers framing Ilya’s jaw. “You okay?”

Ilya nodded again. “Yes. Happy.”

“Happy and?”

Ilya considered his words for a moment. “And a little sad.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes,” Ilya whispered. “I want my mama to see me get married.”

Shane breathed quietly next to him, steady and true as his mind lingered on the present tense. I want my mama. It was a thing that didn’t go away, he knew, but twisted and morphed inside Ilya’s chest as he made space for it alongside the rest of his life. It was an ever-present lump of pain, and even if Shane couldn’t take it away for him, he could cradle it in his palms or press his fingers in gently like he was soothing a cramp. Ease it off just enough to help Ilya take a breath.

“I know, baby.”

“I’m okay.”

“I know you are. But you’re allowed to be sad about it too.”

Ilya wanted to show her everything. He’d had a dream recently, something nice and simple. In it, she’d stood in their kitchen, him in his wedding suit, and Ilya had given her a tour of the cottage like Shane had done for him once before. This is my house, big and light and filled with more laughter than we were allowed to have in ours. The lake, where the breeze that rolled off it in the morning would have ruffled her curls and made getting a comb through them a nightmare. Anya, who rolled onto her back when she met strangers because she was too trusting by far. My Shane, who bought me too many flowers because he wanted our wedding day to be perfect for me.

When it ended, he’d woken up slowly as the morning dawned, and it had taken him a minute – even after all this time – to remember that she wouldn’t be sitting at the counter, sipping a tea and greeting him with her once-sunny smile.

“Half an hour,” Ilya said into the peace of the room, and the dust motes reflected by the daylight shifted as Shane answered him with a tight squeeze around the waist. “Half an hour in bed, and then we can go and tidy the lounge.”

“If you think I am vacuuming the carpets with come on my stomach, you are actively insane.”

Ilya snorted into the meat of Shane’s neck. “Fine. Half an hour, shower, then tidying.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Fiat 500 Horse Boys 🐎🏒🌈

Friday July 11^th, 4.45pm

Holmberg

yo @Cap

any hotties coming tomorrow??? 😏

Haasy

Oh babe

This is pathetic

Hazy

Tragique

Boyle

you can’t keep own goaling yourself like this, man

Troy

Bergy needs to know how much Lynx Africa to put on

😂Evan D

Cap

No hotties with kiddy kink

😂Troy, Nicky C

Sorry!

Evan D

LMAO

Cap

Oh! I did forget to warn you, actually

@Hazy I need you to be cool

Hazy

What am I going to do??

Cap

Ahh, I see

You have forgotten who Shane’s best friend is

I will remind you: I had the worst two months of my life when they dated

Hazy

Oh FUCK

Young

no fucking way brooooo

shes actually gna be there ?

Cap

Well, yes

Obviously

Nicky C

What am I missing here???

Boyle

dig around up there, nicky boy

you’ll find the braincells you need to work this one out

😂Cap, Troy

Evan D

Pro tip: Holmberg will not be hitting that tomorrow

Nicky C

WAIT

ROSE FUCKING LANDRY IS GOING???

Hazy

I’m weak all over 😭

Holmberg

oh it’s so over for me

Haasy

It was never begun for you

Cap

Probably a good job you reminded me

Please all do whatever you need to do to be normal tomorrow!

Troy

No one elaborate

😏Nicky C

Hazy

Fuck off, I don’t mean it like that

Boyle

he’s a nerd, remember?

this is like madonna turning up for him 🙏

Troy

Gayest straight boy ever

🦄Boyle

Evan D

Like you wouldn’t have given it a shot back in the day, Barrett

Troy

Well you see

When a man loves another man’s dick very much

Cap

You probably could have, to be honest

She collects gay boyfriends like my grandmother used to collect thimbles

Troy

She does??

Cap

Please remind me to introduce you to my husband, Shane Hollander

You might have heard of him?

Evan D

So what I’m hearing it’s going to be a hottie parade, but none of them will go for Holmberg

😂Haasy, Boyle

Holmberg

hey!!!! 😭

hurtful

Cap

Do not be mean to my son!

But yes

Sorry Bergy

😭Holmberg

Sveta will flirt a lot but is just because she is Russian

Boyle

sveta?

Cap

Svetlana!

My friend from home & Boston

https://instagram.com/prf-or9...

👀Young

Nicky C

Mother of god

What do they put in the water in Russia???

Haasy

Who wants 10 bucks on Bergy dropping a drink down himself when sees her

😂Troy, Evan D

Troy

15 says he introduces himself by the wrong name

Evan D

I’ll take that action

Holmberg

oh my god i need a better suit

Young

the suit isnt the problem, bro

😂Haasy, Hazy, Boyle

Evan D

OOP

😂Nicky C

Hazy

CHILD ON CHILD CRIME

💀Cap, Troy

Nicky C

SOMEONE CALL THE JUVY

😭Holmberg

Family 🏡

Friday July 11^th, 5.12pm

Yuna

Montreal should be going out early afternoon.

Shane

Mom

I don’t want to talk about this

Yuna

I just thought it would be useful information!

David

Honey, maybe we leave off on this for now?

Yuna

Fine. I think Farah already messaged you earlier about the statement?

Shane

Mom

Ilya

Thank you, Yuna

We really appreciate all of this

But I think we just want to focus on the other big thing happening tomorrow

That is more important, yes?

Yuna

Of course!

I didn’t mean to imply otherwise

Ilya

You didn’t!

But maybe we do not want to talk about this anymore

Yuna

Got it. Sorry, kiddos

Ilya

Is okay

Thank you ❤️

David 🧩

Friday July 11^th, 5.15pm

David

I promise she means well.

Ilya

I know she does

But it is making Shane nervous

I only want him to be happy tomorrow

David

He will be!

I’ve cracked open some wine to distract her.

Ilya

Ah! You scoundrel

The merlot?

David

Yes!

Thanks for standing up for him, son.

Ilya

Always ❤️

I love him

David

👍

Bood🥵🏒

Friday July 11^th, 6.22pm

Bood

ZB🔥 has invited you to play 8 Ball Pool! Download in the App Store now.

game on, king

Ilya

Oh it is over for you

Russians are very good at pool

Bood

literally not a stereotype

Ilya

Is too

Bood

is not

Ilya

Whatever 🤷

I am good at pool

Bood

we’ll see

Bood🥵🏒

Friday July 11^th, 6.41pm

Ilya

Absolute fucker

Bood

“russians are very good at pool”

Ilya

You cheated!

Bood

and how exactly would i do that

Ilya

You found a way

Bood

world’s worst loser 💀

feeling ok?

Ilya

Yes! I think we are pretty much ready now

Shane has been flapping like that bird game all day

Bood

bird game?

omg are you talking about literal flappy bird 😂

Ilya

That one!

Bood

what a vintage reference

Ilya

Christ

I am getting married tomorrow 😭😭

Bood

hell fucking yes you are!!!

proud of you

❤️Ilya

and are we all set for our little game plan? 😏

Ilya

We are! 🙈

Announcement goes out from the team at lunchtime

Bood

i still cannot fucking believe it

that cup is OURS next year

Ilya

I know

I think it is illegal to be this happy

Bood

naahhhhh

you’ve earned it, dear

also

wiebe told me about his convo with shane last week

Ilya

Ah!

We wondered if he would

Bood

is he really cool with it?

Ilya

He made it very clear he did not want AC

His exact words were: “Boodram earned it”

And we talked before anyway

You are my alternate, Boody.

Bood

fucking hellllll

Ilya

And don’t worry, he is very good at taking orders 😏

Bood

he’s gonna read these texts and kill you one day

Ilya

Like I have not seen him discussing my dick with Rose

Bood

he does not!!!

Ilya

Oh yes

“I did not know sex could be THIS GOOD Rose Landry”

“How is it THAT BIG Rose Landry”

Bood

man fuck off 😩

you’re an idiot

Ilya

Remember that English phrase I like?

Takes one to know one

Bood

shut up

now, you need to go and hang with your man

Ilya

He is not leaving my sight tonight 🫡

Bood

well then

one last time for an unmarried ilya rozanov…

get someeeeee! 😭🍆

Ilya

😭😭

See you tomorrow, darling

Bood

sweet dreams, future mr hollander

😭Ilya

The house had an eerie silence about it after the whirlwind of the day. Landscapers, delivery people, and one very earnest sommelier had long since departed, leaving Ilya and Shane alone in a home which had, simply put, never been cleaner. And for a Hollander house, Ilya thought, that was no mean feat.

“So,” Shane started into the quiet. “Do we like, watch a movie now?”

“I do not know,” Ilya replied, equally confused. “Do you want to?”

“I mean, sure?”

“So that is no.”

“Not really, no.”

The pair of them stared at one another for a moment before cracking up into matching bewildered grins. Ilya wandered over to Shane’s place by the sofa, throwing in a dramatic shoulder shimmy to make him laugh, and grabbed him by the hands. Pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

“Hello.”

“Hello. I love you.”

“And I love you. Come and sit on the dock with me?”

Shane nodded fondly, and the pair of them slipped out the back door, Anya darting past them to nose around in the freshly-trimmed grass idly. Hand-in-hand, they walked past the chairs, the arch at the end of the short aisle, the buckets of water now holding Shane’s too-many flowers. Down the small slope of the shoreline, and onto the wood of the dock, which let out a small squeak. The dwindling light of dusk sent pink and orange shapes across the lake’s surface, rippling as the pair of them sat in silence, removed their shoes, and dropped their feet into the water.

“You really want a cigarette right now, don’t you?”

Ilya snorted. “Yes. But I won’t.”

Ilya turned his head to face Shane, only to find him already studying his own profile, a small half-smile quirking one side of his lips. “Can I help you?” he asked.

“Just looking at my husband.”

There’d been a feeling in Ilya’s chest from the moment they’d met. In the early days, that first day, he’d put it down to the shitty cigarettes he’d scrounged from the only convenience store open near the rink. Or the cold air, too bitter for his lungs and pressing discomfort onto his other organs. Later on, he’d thought it was simple lust, the anticipation that twisted behind his ribcage merely a thrumming placeholder for the satisfaction he wanted from Shane. After that, it was fear, and he’d struggled in vain to push it away and bury it, bury it, bury it. And then, finally, when honesty was the policy, he’d admitted what it was. It was the feeling of his heart try to rip itself out of its home to lay itself tidily at Shane’s feet, a heady surge of adrenaline that made it nervously stutter and jump about. And here, now, there it was again. Take it, he wanted to say.

“My husband,” he said instead, barely a murmur.

Shane lit up. “Your husband.”

Ilya twisted Shane’s engagement ring around the meat of his finger, and heard the patter as Anya made her way down the dock to join them. Shane kicked one of his feet through the water, swirling it around with his heel.

“Are you nervous?”

“Shitting myself. You?”

“Also shitting myself.” Ilya waited a moment, trusting that Shane would understand his next question. “Are you sad about it?”

Shane considered it for a moment. “I think I am. I’m disappointed, maybe. I really thought I’d retire there.”

“I know you did,” Ilya said. “But is it bad if I am selfish and happy because you are here now?”

“No,” Shane replied, another smile ghosting across his face. “I’m happy to be here with you. I just – I don’t know. I wish it hadn’t ended like this. I wish I’d been enough for them.”

“Shane,” Ilya started firmly. “There is no world in which you are not enough. For hockey, for me. God, I fucking hate them, sweetheart. I hate them so much.”

“I want to as well. Maybe I’ll get there someday.”

“You will. In the meantime, I will hate them enough for us both, yes?”

“Sounds good,” Shane said, reaching a hand up to pass a thumb over Ilya’s chin, catching at the apple of it and stroking lightly. “But I don’t want to think about this anymore. I do mean it, by the way.”

“Mm?”

“I’m so happy, baby.”

Ilya leaned over to place a kiss to Shane’s lips, lingering a moment to breathe in the coffee on his breath and the remnants of his cologne, woody and faint.

“Then I am doing my job properly.”

O-Town’s Fillies Back Again 🐎👩🏽🥵

Saturday July 12^th, 7.41am

Selena C

SHANEY’S GETTING MARRIED TODAY!!!!!!

🎉Harris D, Nicole B

Cassie B

IT’S HAPPENINGGGGGGGGGG

Caitlin D

The birds are singing and the sun is shining!

OUR BOY IS GOING TO BE A HUSBAND

😭Selena C, Lisa H

Nicole B

i’m so excited!!!

how are you feeling, honey?

Shane H

GOD

Amazing

Terrified but oh my god

I’m getting married!!

😭Lisa H, Cassie B

Harris D

Is there anything you need us to do, Shane??

I’ve got my outfit sorted so if you need anything last minute, I can run out! ❤️

Shane H

I think we’re all good

But thank you! I really appreciate it.

And please thank your mom for all the cider!

❤️Harris D

Lisa H

Okay, but give us outfit deets Harris?

Nicole B

is troy going to blow up

😂Cassie B, Caitlin D

Harris D

Oh, he’s a dead man 😏😏😏

Caitlin D

HEYOOOOO

Cassie B

Hands where we can see them today!! 🫣

😂Harris D, Shane H

Harris D

It’s not me you need to be telling!!

Nicole B

sit in the back row, i’ll cover you

Selena C

NICOLE!!!

Shane H

If I can request no handjobs until after I’ve said my vows, that would be great!

💀Lisa H

Cassie B

I’m dead

Harris D

Absolutely no funny business at the wedding, promise 🫠🫠🫠

Caitlin D

BOOOOOOO 🍅

Lisa H

You cannot be promoting wedding sex IN FRONT OF THE GROOM!

Shane H

Honestly, today I could NOT care less 😂

Just do it where Ilya can’t see you, or you will literally never hear the end of it

Nicole B

huge news guys

wedding sex endorsed by groom!!!

Shane H

I’ll only be called a hypocrite by the end of the day 🤷

Caitlin D

At least he’s self-aware

💀Cassie B, Selena C, Lisa H

Fiat 500 Horse Boys 🐎🏒🌈

Saturday July 12^th, 9.59am

Evan D

LIMBER UP BOYS

Nicky C

DUST THE MOVES OFF

IT’S TIME TO CUT THE BIGGEST FUCKING RUG YOU’VE EVER SEEN

Holmberg

happy wedding day cap!!!

🥳Young, Haasy, Troy, Bood

Boyle

they’re trying to get me to sit down

but i’m simply too ready

Haasy

[image attached]

Which tie?

Hazy

Wait are you getting dressed now??

Boyle

ok, maybe i’m not that ready

Haasy

No! Just trying to get the outfit right

Bood

and are we sure about the jacket

Haasy

Bro 😭😭

Cap

Hello boys!

Thank you all

@Haasy neither tie works with the suit

Haasy

Fuck

Cap

You do not need a tie! That is what ‘summer wedding casual’ meant

Troy

Talking to a bunch of straight men, brother

It’s a miracle they’re not wearing flip-flops

Evan D

Heterophobia!!!

😂Troy

Nicky C

Fuck you

[image attached]

🥵Boyle, Hazy, Bood

How’s that for summer wedding casual??

Hazy

OH SHIT NICKY!!

Tear it up king 🔥🔥🔥

Young

looking gd nick !

Troy

Consider me told

You look great, man!

Cap

Very sexy

Selena will be fighting everyone off with sticks

Nicky C

Then good luck to everyone 😏

💯Hazy

Young

wait shit is no one wearing a tie

i already bought one

cap r u ?

Cap

I think it is probably expected I will dress a little fancier today

Yes?

Young

true

can i wear one ?

Cap

You do not need my permission to wear a tie, Young

😭Troy

Evan D

Adorable

[image attached]

Thoughts?

Bood

swap the shirt for a light blue

then it’s go-time

Evan D

My hero

😘Bood

Boyle

are we getting a glimpse of the tux, roz

or will we just have to wait for our eyes to melt off our face

😏Cap

Cap

[image attached]

💣Bood, Hazy, Haasy, Holmberg

Nicky C

Oh SHIT!!!!!

Troy

Well goddamn

Hazy

If Roz & Hollander disappear at any point today, we know why they’ve gone 🥵

💀Haasy

Cap

Thank you boys!

Universe might explode from having this many sexy people in one place

Now, I am going to fuck off

I will see you all at my WEDDING!! 😭

❤️Haasy, Young, Bood, Boyle, Hazy, Evan D

Bood

see you soon, tiger

❤️Holmberg, Nicky C, Troy

“Need a hand?” came a soft voice from the doorway. Ilya looked up from where he was holding his tie by the mirror to see David standing at the room’s threshold, deep grey suit complemented by a white lily pinned neatly to his lapel.

“Please,” Ilya replied, and with a nod, David stepped to stand in front of him, hands leaving his pockets to take the tie from Ilya and toss it gently around his neck, fold his collar up, and slip the silk material underneath it.

His father had tied his tie many times in his life. Galas, awards evenings as a teenager, Grigori’s work events where respectable family was the theme of the day and certainly not dead mother and cokehead brother. But his father’s fingers had been so rough, tugging at the knots until the starched material around his neck had grazed and pulled at the skin. His father tying a tie for him had always left him coiled tight with frustration, jaw clenched as he silently listened to whatever muttered tirade of do not embarrass me, Ilya had crossed the space between them.

But here, now, in the peace of his bedroom where only the muffled murmurs of guests laughing in his garden beyond the window could be heard, David’s fingers smoothed delicately over the fabric, lightly tested the gap between shirt and throat with a forefinger to make sure it sat comfortably for him.

“You are gentler with it than my father was.”

David hummed under his breath, considering. “I’ve always tried to be gentler than my own father was too.”

“It comes easily to you,” Ilya replied.

“And it will to you too. Now,” David said quietly, warmth playing around the corners of his mouth. “Feeling good?”

Ilya nodded, took a breath. “Feeling good.”

David looked up at him for a moment and quirked an eyebrow. “I was scared shitless. Couldn’t wait to get out there and marry Yuna, but I also just wanted to grab her and run a mile.”

He stared expectantly at Ilya for a moment, before they both winced and chuckled at the sudden whining feedback sound of Evan plugging in the sound system outside.

“Maybe,” Ilya started slowly. “Maybe I am also a little scared shitless?”

David laughed. “I’d think you were mad if you weren’t, Ilya.”

He finished with Ilya’s tie, taking a final look at his collar and adjusting either side between thumb and forefinger before nodding, satisfied.

“I didn’t think I could ever have this, you know?” Ilya said.

“Marriage?”

“Marriage with Shane. A life with Shane. I still feel so lucky that I have him.”

Ilya’s eyes left David’s to flit around the room, and he watched as Ilya’s shoulders dropped the more he saw the evidence of his life here, laid bare and littering the stillness. The closet door that wouldn’t quite shut because it was filled with both of their clothes, and they hadn’t gotten around to moving their less worn things into the guest bedroom’s wardrobe yet. Two chargers, two water glasses, and two indentations on two top pillows where two heads slept next to one another, night after night.

“You deserve this day too, Ilya. You deserve this life as much as he does.”

“How can I?” Ilya whispered.

David cupped Ilya’s cheeks between his hands, angling his head to face him. There were some words that needed focus, attention, a deliberate beat spoken eye to eye. David would not be confused with a cold man in a cold house in Moscow who tied Ilya’s tie too roughly and made him think that it was what he had earned. He would not be Ilya’s father, and he would not be his own.

“Because you two are good men. I’m not a believer in much, but I believe that good men deserve good lives.”

There was a knock at the door, a quiet triple-rap that had David relax his position enough for Ilya to step back, eyes red-rimmed but grateful. It was the same triple-rap Ilya had heard on top of his cubby in the locker room at the start of his first practice in Canada, accompanied by an amused I take it you’re my new captain? that had managed to dissolve the bubble of nerves clogging the spot where his throat met his chest.

“That will be my best man.”

David nodded, took a moment to straighten Ilya’s lapels one final time, and clapped him lightly on both shoulders.

“Then I’ll see you out there, son.”

David headed to the door, opening it to find Zane, dressed to the nines and holding a pair of velvet boxes.

“Hey, Mr Hollander,” he said happily.

“Looking good, Boodram. And that’s David to you,” David replied warmly.

Zane chuckled. “David, then. Would you mind giving one of these boxes to Shane on your way past?”

He passed off one box to David, who cracked it open slightly, careful to shield it from Ilya’s view. He let out a small breath, a quiet exhale that didn’t quite form around a wow.

“Jeez. Above and beyond.”

Zane grinned. “I was pretty proud of them. Got them made to order.”

“And the idea?”

Zane shrugged. “I listen when Roz talks.”

David nodded gently, still smiling. “I have a feeling that I’ve got a lot to thank you for over the last few months. For both of them.”

“Ugh, not you too,” Zane replied fondly. “It’s not anything they wouldn’t do for me.”

David nodded again, sticking his hand out for Zane to shake. Behind them, Ilya watched with a slightly wobbly smile as the men pulled on the handshake tightly, before David broke it and threw a wink back at Ilya, heading down the hall.

“You are determined to kill me, Boody,” Ilya said quietly, shaking his head as Zane stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Zane just smiled at him amusedly, stepping up to grab Ilya’s sleeve and twisting it so that the small hole meant for the cufflinks faced him.

“Nope, you’re just a big baby.”

Ilya rolled his eyes like maybe. “Did you really have them made?”

Zane nodded, fussing with Ilya’s cuff, the velvet box tucked into his other hand. “Sure did. None of the ones I looked at felt right, and I wanted you both to have the same ones.”

Ilya smiled weakly again. “Zane,” he started.

“Ilya, I’ve told you this a million times. You never have to thank me for anything. It’s just what you do for family.”

Ilya swallowed thickly, downturned eyes turning to the window for a second. “I always wanted a brother like you,” he admitted quietly.

“Like me?”

“One who loved me.”

Zane’s fingers stopped on Ilya’s sleeve as he grabbed him by his upper arms, ducking slightly to catch Ilya’s eyeline. There’d been a moment on Ilya’s first day, right at the start, where Zane had worried that he wouldn’t fit. That the team dynamics he’d spent so long cultivating, the ease and the friendship that saturated the locker room, would be thrown off balance by a big name, a big salary, and a big ego. He’d been proven wrong a hundred times over.

“Given freely, and never needing to be earned or bought. Okay?”

Ilya nodded, coughing to clear his throat after a moment of silence and nodding to the box. “Go on then, Boody. Kill me again.”

Zane smiled, stepping back with a clap. “Well, I know you love this cottage, and I remember you saying that this is where things changed for you guys. So I ran with that.”

He handed the box over to Ilya, who opened it and stared at the cufflinks for a moment, before pushing the open box back into Zane’s hands and bringing both of his own to cover his eyes, heels pushing hard into the sockets.

“Fucking Christ,” he moaned, voice choked.

Zane laughed and looked down at the cufflinks, more than a little proud of his choice. There, nestled in on the black velvet cushion, sat two simple golden birds, no bigger than a dice apiece. Loons.

“Like I said,” he said simply. “I listen when you talk. Shane’s mom helped with the species, though. Turns out I know fuck all about birds.”

Ilya pulled his hands away from his eyes long enough to pull Zane into a bruising hug, arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders.

“You will have to give me a pass, just once more,” he murmured into Zane’s jacket.

“Huh?”

“Thank you.”

“Your tears are thanks enough. Now let’s hurry up and get you fucking married,” Zane replied with a laugh, arms coming up to clap Ilya’s back. He paused for a moment, hiding a smirk. “My wife and son are craving cake.”

Ilya pulled back sharply, eyes wide. “Son?”

Zane grinned again. “Remember those errands I ran? We found out yesterday. Cass said I could tell you today as a double act of evil.”

Well, Ilya thought, what a way to go. Done with attempting to hide it, Ilya dropped a punch, followed by a wet sob, onto Zane’s shoulder. “You are such a fucker.”

“Takes one to know one, darling,” Zane commented, untangling himself from Ilya and shoving him towards the doorway. “Shift your ass, Rozanov.”

Zane closed the door behind him as they made their way down the stairs, Ilya roughly scrubbing a hand over his face. “We’re thinking about calling him Milo.”

“Please fuck off!”

“I hope he gets Cassie’s smile.”

“Boody, don’t make me commit a murder on my wedding day.”

@NHLOfficial BREAKING NEWS: Shane Hollander (MTL #24) to move to OTTAWA CENTAURS in 3-year trade deal. More here: https://www.nhl.co…
[12.07.23 13:30]

@ESPN JUST IN: Shane Hollander (MTL #24) will start the 23-24 season with the Ottawa Centaurs in career-first move! Read more: https://www.espn.co…
[12.07.23 13:31]

@WhatthePuckPOD WTF!?🚨Shane Hollander moving to Ottawa Centaurs? 🫨 We’re reacting to the trade move over on YouTube LIVE: https://youtu.be/827ev…
[12.07.23 13:33]

@tsn_official SHANE HOLLANDER (#24) TO JOIN OTTAWA CENTAURS, TRADE FROM MONTREAL METROS CONFIRMED https://tsn.ca/breaki…
[12.07.23 13:34]

@SimonCarrawayNHL Insane move from MTL to trade Hollander. Would ask why the Centaurs – but I think we can guess. This week’s Substack is writing itself… #MTL #NHL #ShaneHollander
[12.07.23 13:35]

@OttawaCentaurs Who needs one star center when you can have two? 😏 We’re delighted to welcome Shane Hollander (#24) to the team! Full press release here: https://ottawacentau…
[12.07.23 13:35]

If there was a god, Ilya was going to thank him. Her. Them. Whatever.

There was an ink stain on his finger from the officiant’s leaky pen, his tie was already loose around his sweaty neck as the summer sun moved directly overhead, and fifteen feet away from where he stood, glued to the end of the aisle that he’d just walked down, his husband threw his head back and laughed at something Svetlana had said. Rose slapped him on the arm, David shook his head, and Ilya felt distinctly like he might cry as he watched them. He trailed one hand over the arrangement of roses that sat by the back row of chairs, fingers delicately tracing the petals as he scanned the crowd. Zane had a hand on Cassie’s bump, rubbing it unconsciously while they talked to Hayden and Jackie. The twins were running around with Anya, who barked happily as Arthur sprinted after them. Cliff was chatting idly with the rookies, his laugh booming across the garden as Young and Luca looked comfortable, if not a touch nervous.

Ilya had always felt that his life had been separated into pockets. One pocket had Svetlana, Russia, and their bubble of understanding that came from knowing what Russia was, how it made you feel, and how it co-existed with the America of it all. One had Cliff and the rest of the Raiders, a boisterous, laddish bunch where back-slapping was a kiss on the cheek and calling someone a dick was akin to a marriage proposal. A pocket for the Centaurs, all ragtag warmth and humour and scented with the faint smell of charcoal. And one for Shane, Yuna, David and – even Ilya had to admit – the Pikes, which was peace and happiness, shattered only by the sound of children’s laughter on a hazy evening.

And now he was watching those pockets stitch themselves together. Seams messy, but unmistakeably connected now. Charcoal, vodka, name-calling, and love. All in his back garden.

Across the way, his eyes found Yuna where she stood chatting with Lisa, Nick, Coach Wiebe, and Scott Hunter near the table of canapés. With a small smile, she discreetly tapped her watch before taking another sip of her champagne and turning back to the conversation. Well, then. Showtime.

Ilya ambled quietly up to Shane, trying not to interrupt but unable to stop himself from pushing his lips to his husband’s – his husband! – damp nape. Without breaking his flow, Shane pushed himself back into Ilya’s chest, the free hand not clutching his glass coming down to tangle with Ilya’s own.

“Sorry,” Ilya said quietly. “Can I steal my husband for ten minutes?”

Svetlana rolled her eyes. “For God’s sake, Ilya, restrain yourself.”

Ilya scoffed, but Shane twisted to face him, eyes wide. “Ten minutes?”

“Ten minutes,” Ilya repeated with a nod. “Right on schedule.”

Shane blew out a breath before turning back to the group, waving a hand dismissively at Rose’s look of concern. “Be right back.”

He let Ilya lead him back into the house, the pair of them rolling their eyes as a couple of the boys wolf-whistled, but Shane’s grip grew tighter and tighter the closer they got to the back door. They slipped inside, and the soft slide of the door as it closed muffled the chatter and music from outside. Out of sight, through to the kitchen, where the only fresh sound was the faint buzz from the fridge. They stopped by the island, and Shane dropped Ilya’s hand, sighing heavily.

“Okay-”

“-Wait,” Ilya interrupted, pulling out his phone quickly.

“What are you doing?”

“Setting a timer. Ten minutes to freak out.”

Shane laughed incredulously. “You really weren’t joking about the schedule.”

“Nope. I know good timekeeping makes you horny, so really it is a win-win.”

Shane shook his head, coming to flop onto Ilya’s shoulder at they both watched him press the start button on the timer. Once he’d pressed it, Ilya moved his hands between them to undo the button on Shane’s jacket, snaking his arms around his waist and scratching lightly at the curve of his spine through the fabric of his shirt.

“Okay,” Shane started. “Okay, this is fine.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Have you checked anything?”

“No. We had an agreement, remember? No internet.”

“Okay, good.”

Ilya watched as the clock ticked down. Eight minutes to go. Shane’s head twisted so that he could bury his nose behind Ilya’s collar, rubbing lightly at the skin there.

“Now or later?” Ilya asked.

Shane hummed under his breath. “Give me a moment to decide.”

“Of course. Pike and JJ know, yes?”

“Yeah. Told them last week.”

Six minutes. The song outside changed to something upbeat, bass thudding against the stone walls of the cottage and inspiring a couple of whoops from the crowd.

“It’s going to be okay, right?” Shane asked quietly.

Ilya pulled back and removed a hand from his back and used it to lift Shane’s head off his shoulder, angling him so that they were level, gazes locked. “It is going to be better than okay, sweetheart,” he said with a grin. “It is going to be amazing.”

Shane’s eyes searched his, light slowly flickering behind them as his own smile grew. “Yeah, it is.”

Ilya nodded again, heart fluttering as he watched the resolve settle onto Shane like a blanket draped around his shoulders.

“Fuck it, new freakout record,” Shane said after another minute, jaw jutting and lips pursed.

Ilya raised a brow. “What?”

Shane reached between them to tap the pause button on Ilya’s phone. Five minutes to go.

“I don’t need ten minutes. Let’s do it now.”

Ilya choked out a laugh, the one that he knew was reserved for when Shane did something so spontaneous, so new, that his body had no choice but to expel the what the fuck are you where did you come from how do I love you this much in one fell swoop.

“Really?”

Shane nodded once. Declarative. “Really. Let’s do this, Hollander-Rozanov.”

The pair slipped unnoticed back into the garden five minutes ahead of schedule, Shane grabbing another two glasses of champagne from a side table and handing one to Ilya. He took it with a conspiratorial grin, and they clinked them together once. Two partners-in-crime.

“I love you,” Ilya said.

“I love you,” Shane replied. “So much. Now go find Bood.”

Ilya whispered his agreement, kissing Shane on the cheek and darting into the crowd. Shane beelined for Yuna, who wrapped an arm around his waist and squeezed tightly as he greeted Scott with a strong handshake and Coach Wiebe with a small, restrained nod. Wiebe returned it, eyes warm and a smirk playing around his mouth.

“Hollander.”

“Actually,” Shane said with a tut. “I think you’ll find it’s Hollander-Rozanov now.”

“Hell of a mouthful to get on a jersey.”

“Ah, I think I’ll stick to Hollander on ice. Might be difficult to tell us apart, you know?”

Wiebe let the smirk form now, nodding slowly while Scott looked politely bemused and Yuna grinned.

“Might well be.”

Ilya found Zane, still draped around Cassie but now standing with a few members of the Centaurs and chatting politely to Harris, Cliff and his plus one. Sarah, Ilya’s brain supplied. When he saw Ilya he smiled, briefly unwrapping himself from his wife to pull Ilya into a hug.

“There’s my guy,” Zane said breezily.

“Careful,” Cassie laughed. “Don’t let Shane hear you say that.”

Zane rolled his eyes, but Ilya played it up, pretending to dip Zane romantically and cackling at the small shriek he let out. Letting him go, Ilya’s eyes fell to Cassie’s stomach.

“Feeling okay?” he asked.

Cassie nodded. “Feeling good, Roz. The fucker will not stop moving though. It got legs and decided it wanted to be a kickboxer.”

She grabbed Ilya’s hand and flattened his palm, pulling it to her stomach and placing it just off-centre. Underneath it, Ilya felt a gentle thud and his gaze flitted back up to hers, where she smiled warmly.

“Crazy, right?”

“Crazy,” he replied, voice a little hoarse. After a second, he coughed lightly and turned back to Zane, who was eyeing him with a look that was half-amusement, half-sentiment.

“Boody, we are good to go.”

Suddenly, Zane was all business, straightening himself and ignoring the looks of Hazy, Evan and Holmberg. “Got it.”

Ilya turned back and found Shane’s eyeline, giving him a wink which was returned in kind and followed by a nod to Bood. He pulled out his phone, took it off flight mode, and watched as Shane did the same. In their little group, Bood took his own out of his pocket and started tapping, stepping back subtly when Holmberg tried to angle his head to see the screen. After a moment, he looked up, locked his phone, and returned it to his pocket. Cleared his throat. Ilya braced himself for the force of the yell he knew was coming.

“Yo, team!” Zane hollered. A few of the guys responded, and conversations across the garden fell silent. “I think the group chat is broken. Can someone check it for me?”

Ilya watched as, one-by-one, his team pulled out their phones, looking confused, reconnected them, and started navigating to the chat. Shane was still looking at his phone.

Fiat 500 Horse Boys 🐎🏒🌈

Saturday July 12^th, 2.29pm

Shane has been added to the group chat.

Shane

Hey, fellas

Room for one more?

“Shut the fuck up!” Holmberg yelled, breaking the silence as the team stared down at their screens.

“Oh my god,” Troy started weakly. “Oh my fucking god.”

Evan looked up in disbelief, waving his phone at Wiebe. “Coach?”

“Come on,” Wiebe said mildly. “You didn’t think I’d be happy with just one of them, did you?”

And then it was uproar, yells flying in every direction as the team threw themselves at Shane. He’d had the forethought to put his glass down and tuck his phone away, which left him open to being tackled to the ground, tux and all, by Nick, Hazy, and Young. He laid on the floor laughing as the dogpile grew, and Ilya watched as David pulled his phone out of his pocket to take photos of it.

“I am going to lose my fucking mind!” Hazy screamed.

Boyle appeared next to Ilya, grabbing him bodily by the head and pulling him in to push a smacking kiss to Ilya’s crown. “Unbe-fucking-lievable, Roz.”

“You’re welcome, Joshy,” Ilya said with a wink.

“We’re going to be fucking unstoppable.” Boyle turned to Cliff. “You might want to retire now, Marleau.”

Cliff looked a touch green. “You know what? I might just get on that.”

“Hey, animals!” Ilya yelled. “Get off my husband, or you will put him out of action before he even hits our ice!”

Ilya jogged to where his team were slowly rolling off Shane. Luca was over to one side, looking like he was staring at an oncoming train in some imperceivable middle distance. As he reached his husband, he came to stand right over him, feet either side of Shane’s waist, and placed his hands on his hips. Looked down at Shane, who was still laying on the grass, arms wide, eyes closed, and hair a mess, giggling to himself.

“Need a hand up, twenty-four?” Ilya asked.

Shane’s eyes opened and gazed up at him, the brown of his irises almost caramel in the sunlight. There was that feeling in his chest again, heart beating out a samba as his eyes traced Shane’s face. He’d spent ten years thinking wait no, this is the most in love with Shane Hollander I’ll ever be, but right now, Ilya wasn’t sure how there could possibly be room inside him for more.

“Thanks, baby.”

He extended a hand out to Ilya, who grabbed it with a clap and leaned backwards, pulling Shane to his feet. Once he was upright, Ilya took a second to dust off Shane’s shoulders, readjusting his crumpled jacket by the lapels and tucking a loose strand of his fringe backwards. Then he slid his hand around Shane’s neck and pulled him in roughly for a kiss, mouth opening into it as Shane grasped at his waist and tugged him flush.

@MontrealMetros After 10 years with the Montreal Metros, we extend our gratitude to Shane Hollander and wish him the best in Ottawa. Full statement here: https://www.montrealmetr…
[12.07.23 16:47]

@SimonCarrawayNHL Any truth to the rumours that Hollander was forced out by a hostile work environment?
[12.07.23 16:48]

@OttawaCentaurs See you next season 👋😘
[12.07.23 17:00]

@ShaneHollanderHockeyPlayer

Double whammy. My husband and I will see you in Ottawa very soon! @ilyarozanov81

[13.07.23 13:01]

[Image carousel:

Slide 1: Anya panting happily next to a bucket of roses in the cottage’s back garden. It’s early, and behind her you can see a blurred row of chairs, an arch in the distance, and a sunrise.

Slide 2: Ilya caught mid-laugh in profile, his glass of champagne sloshing over his hand. He’s in conversation with people out of frame, tux jacket long gone and curls askew. His eyes are squinting against the sun in his face.

Slide 3: Ruby and Jade Pike, dressed in matching light green dresses. They’re posing at the camera, waving small bouquets of roses, but their faces are covered with heart emojis.

Slide 4: One of David’s photos of the Centaurs’ dogpile. Though most of the bodies are blurred by motion, underneath the pile of men Shane’s grin is visible, broad and radiant. He’s struggling to get an arm around Nick’s shoulders to clap it. Young’s face is frozen in a scream.

Slide 5: A photograph taken by a wedding guest of the moment Boyle grabbed Ilya. He’s pressing a kiss to Ilya’s head, and Ilya is grinning, eyes screwed shut.

Slide 6: Nicole and Caitlin draped over one another on a sofa by the firepit. It’s later in the evening, and the two of them are visibly drunk, flushed and hair a mess. Nicole has her legs draped over Caitlin’s lap, and Caitlin has pulled the hem of Nicole’s dress up to mid-thigh, looking at the camera with a scandalised expression.

Slide 7: Ilya and Shane kissing under the arch in the garden, taken the moment after the officiant declared them husbands. Arms in the crowd are just starting to raise to throw rose petals in the air. Shane has both hands gripping the sides of Ilya’s face, and Ilya’s arms are wrapped around Shane’s midriff, leaning backwards so that Shane is pressing forwards.

Slide 8: Svetlana and Rose pouting for the camera in the evening, arms wrapped around each others’ waists. In the background, Holmberg is very clearly staring at them both.

Slide 9: Ilya chatting to David and Yuna, Arthur Pike hitched on one cocked hip. Arthur has his face tucked into Ilya’s neck, and Ilya’s head is leaning lightly on top of his.

Slide 10: Shane, Hayden, JJ, Zane, and Hazy on the dock at sunset. They’ve all lost their jackets, and Shane’s face is flushed. Hazy’s reaching past JJ to ruffle Shane’s hair, while Hayden’s mouth is open in the middle of an exaggerated cry.

Slide 11: A photo taken by another guest, in the dwindling final hours of the reception. It is from behind the sofa outside, looking over the firepit. Ilya and Shane are silhouetted by the flames leaning against one another as they sit, one of Ilya’s arms round Shane’s shoulders and fingers tangled with Shane’s.]

O-Town’s Fillies Back Again 🐎👩🏽🥵

Sunday July 13^th, 3.10pm

Cassie B

How do I have a hangover when I’m pregnant and sober

Caitlin D

Everyone shut up

Selena C

I might never recover

Harris D

Too much no-no juice 🤮🤮🤮

Nicole B

paging dr @Lisa H

can you either fix me or kill me

Lisa H

Sorry

Dr Lisa died last night 🤮

Cassie B

Hangovers aside

I just realized something

Caitlin D

What?

Cassie B

@Shane H, you’re on the team now

Right?

Shane H

Morning

Or afternoon

Whichever it is 😵

And yes?

Cassie B

Which means that technically, you and Ilya are both players

Shane H

Oh god

Cassie B

And WAGs

😳Lisa H

Nicole B

oh sweet merciful jesus

Shane H

Cassie

I’m too fragile for this right now

Selena C

JESUS CHRIST

Harris D

Please let me have some reprieve from him

PLEASE!!!!

Ilya R has been added to the group chat.

Ilya R

Beautiful hungover WAGs of Ottawa

Did you miss me? 😏