Summary:

When a particularly hard hit during an All Star practice scrimmage turns to an actual fist fight, Hayden Pike and Ilya Rozanov end up in timeout. or Coach Murdock puts Hayden in a broom closet with his best friend's rival turned boyfriend and he uses the opportunity to give Ilya Rozanov a “shovel talk.” Standalone fic! Ilya Rozanov was a fucking asshole. So was Coach Murdock, who was coaching the All-Star Team and who, after Hayden and Rozanov got into a fight during a practice. It actually went to blows. Shane would be pissed when he found out about it. This All Star Game might be the final nail in the coffin of the fucking fan voted fantasy draft that was some marketing scheme cooked up to get more people into hockey. Either way, Hayden had a split lip and there was already a bruise forming over Ilya’s eye. Yeah, Shane was going to be super pissed. At least he’d be pissed at both of them. At least, Hayden hoped he’d be mad at Rozanov too, seeing as he started it by slamming Hayden into the boards during a scrimmage. Hayden had told Rozanov to fuck off and shoved him and somewhere in the mix it had become an actual fight. Okay, so maybe Hayden wasn’t the best at controlling his emotions and Rozanov knew exactly how to get under Hayden’s skin and burrow in like a tick. Coach Murdock took both of them to a room not much bigger than a penalty box, opened it, made both of them stand inside of it and then said: “Work it out, kill each other, I don’t care but you better come back ready to play hockey instead of boxing.” Hayden ignored Rozanov at first. “This does not seem to be working it out or killing each other. We should listen to our coach.” Rozanov had settled on his own crate and was being annoying. “Do you ever shut the fuck up?” Hayden snapped. Rozanov’s eyes twinkled with amusement. The fucker loved messing with Hayden. “W e, Russians, we talk all the time.” Hayden admittedly did not know enough Russians that weren’t hockey players (who were a mouthy bunch in general) to confirm or refute that. “Well, maybe if you could stop talking, I can calm down and we can go back out there.” “But we haven’t decided if we’re going to figure it out or kill each other,” Rozanov winked. His eyes were very pretty. Hayden couldn’t lie. Rozanov was objectively attractive, especially according to Jackie’s friends, who hated Rozanov as much as anyone in Montreal did but who couldn’t deny that he had a look about him. Rozanov, who could apparently read minds, smirked. “Do you think I’m pretty, Pike?” The blush happened instantly, a family curse. “Oh you do!” Rozanov cheered. “Fuck off!” Hayden bit out. He was such a dick. “Too bad for you, I am taken,” Rozanov grinned and he actually looked like he was stupid fucking in love when he did that. It made him harder to hate but also- “Shane told you I know?” He asked, keeping his voice low. He doubted anyone was listening but you could never be too careful. “I was surprised you figured it out.” Rozanov said with a nod. “He’s my best friend,” Hayden pointed out. “Yes but you are, in Russia we say, not everyone is home. In English, it’s something about a bad knife in the drawer.” He stroked his stubble. “Not the sharpest knife in the drawer,” Hayden corrected and then groaned when Rozanov smiled. “Yes exactly! You are not the sharpest knife in the drawer.” Rozanov was still grinning. “I’m very sharp,” Hayden returned. He had also been the victim of more than one concussion so maybe a little less sharp than average. Rozanov laughed again. Hayden was considering the coach's suggestion of killing Rozanov but Shane would probably be a lot pissed off if Hayden did that. “Tell me, do I bother you, Pike?” Rozanov asked. “Yes,” Hayden answered without thinking. Rozanov hummed. “Why?” “You’re an asshole,” Hayden responded. “Yes, but so is Boiziau and you and him are friends,” Rozanov said. “Why am I special?” “Well, I thought you hated my best friend,” Hayden said. Shane and Rozanov had supposedly been rivals and along the way Hayden started hating Ilya too. “I love him,” Rozanov said like it was simple, like it was easy, like it was breathing. Hayden understood that, but it made his heart warm that someone cared like this about his best friend. “He tells me to stop teasing you, but I do not want to.” Even if that someone was an asshole. Speaking of: “Shane is my best friend-“ Hayden opened. “I am his best friend,” Rozanov corrected. “You are second best.”