written for the prompt butch for @hollanovaweek
hollanova, rated T, 493 words, read on ao3
Shane's head is resting on Ilya's pillowy chest in the king-sized bed at the cottage. She maintains that Ilya's boobs are ridiculously huge for an athlete who works out for hours every day. They feel like heaven in Shane's hands, plush and big compared to her own A cups.
Shane can't get hung up on Ilya's tits. They just had sex after all, and now that they've said they love each other two nights ago, they haven't been able to keep their hands off each other. They'll probably have sex in another hour or two, once Shane's clit stops tingling.
But right now, Shane has a question that has been nagging at her for monthsāyears, really.
"Why do you go by 'Ilya'?" Shane asks, her voice partly muffled by soft breast tissue.
Ilya laughs, and Shane feels the rumble. "It is my name, Shane."
Shane rolls her eyes, sitting up. She doesn't want to leave the warmth of Ilya's chest, but she can't focus in these conditions.
"I know it's your name, asshole. But it's also not, like, your given name."
"Ah, you remember it, huh? I've tried to make the world forget."
"Tsetsilya," Ilya finishes.
Shane nods and settles against the headboard. Ilya shuffles up and their shoulders press together.
After a long beat of silence, Ilya sighs. "I do not like my name."
"Like, it just doesn't feel like you?"
Ilya runs her hand through her short curls. "It is too feminine. Girly. My father always insisted on calling me my full name. Very unusual in Russia, but I think he wanted to remind me every time we spoke that I am a woman, not the son he wanted."
Shane finds Ilya's hand and interlaces their fingers. "That's awful."
"My Mama called me 'Tsilya' when I was little, and then just 'Ilya' when I got older. Even 'Ilyusha', sometimes. 'Ilya' is usually name for boys, but Mama didn't care."
Ilya told her about her Mama's suicide last night, and Shane's heart is still aching. "Ilyusha," Shane tries. "That's beautiful."
"Ah, that is," Ilya shakes her head and actually blushes, "almost too much. Wow." After a moment, she switches the focus to Shane. "Your name is also usually for boys, yes?"
"Yeah, usually. I got teased for it a bit in school by the girls, but in hockey, when I had to play on the boy's teams, I think it made them take me more seriously. Like once I had my uniform on they could pretend I wasn't a girl at all. It certainly made it easier to avoid having to have a boyfriend," Shane jokes. "And anyway, I've always liked my name."
Ilya squeezes her hand, catching Shane's eye. "I like it, too. And no more boyfriends. Just me and you, Hollander."
"Me and you, Rozanova" Shane confirms grin spreading across her face
With all that cleared up, Shane is free to turn her attention back to Ilya's magnificent tits.