they are sitting together on a sun lounge at the hotel private beach. shane sitting at the edge between ilyaâs legs with ilyaâs arms wrapped around his waist and his chest pressed against shaneâs back. and ilya has been kissing his husbandâs neck for a while now. shane is so warm from sunbathing and still feels salty because he was in the ocean just a short while ago. and it was ilya who called shane over to sit down and reapply sunscreen, and even the taste of ocean and sunscreen didnât stop ilya from kissing him â nothing will ever stop ilya from kissing shane actually. and shane says âilya, i want to go for another swimâ and ilya replies âno sweetheart, you have to stay here with me. weâre on our honeymoon arenât we? that means you have to stick close to me all dayâ and shane chuckles and ilya hugs him and kisses him behind his ear and says again âjust three million more kisses on your neck and you can go back to the oceanâ and shane says with a smile âthree million kisses will take all dayâ and ilya replies âthen youâd better let me get startedâ
Ilya and Shane, but itâs just them seeing each other as a version of their husband no one else understands them seeing.
To Ilya, Shane is the funniest, sexiest, bitchiest and downright FREAKIEST person he knows. He tells everyone he knows this, yet for some reason no one seems to believe him. His husband is such an asshole, and Ilya loves him for it.
While to Shane, Ilya is his soft and most precious baby. A heart of gold and with feelings so wide and deep he is breathless at just how much he CARES. Sunshine itself. Shane laughs at how people describe his âscary, no-smiling Slavic nightmare of a husband.â See Ilya! He DOES get sarcasm (he does not.)
Some Sundays, when he is home and not hungover, Ilya goes to church. Orthodox, Russian-speaking. He puts on a suit, likes the way it hugs his shoulders and his hips tightly. He sits in the rough wooden pew, body aware of itself. He lets the easy language wash over him, unthinking. He knows the prayers, mumbles them softly with the others.
During communion, he crosses his arms and receives a blessing instead. He doesn't go to confession anymore, he likely never will again. He will keep his sins to himself; they are precious to him.
After the service, he goes to the annex and indulges in the free, shitty coffee, mingles shyly with the other congregants. Breaks off a piece of fresh pirozhki, crumbs falling on a papery napkin, lets the babushkas tell him all about their lovely, single granddaughters. Recently, some of the children figured out he plays for the Raiders, shyly coming up to him to ask him to sign their service programs. Then, weeks later, they expect him and bring pucks and silver sharpies.
Sometimes, when gossiping with the women or talking hockey with the men, he has to lean in and ask someone to repeat something, not recognizing a Russian word, and he worries he's forgetting. He thinks to ask Shane if he ever can't recognize a word in English or French, but thinks it's too vulnerable, memory being a strange and painful topic for both of them.
He always leaves earlier than all the others, pocketing one more pirozhki for the road and sneaking out without saying goodbye.
The cathedral is the only place in Boston where he is reminded of home and mama and himself. He goes mostly just so he can be in a room where everyone speaks Russian, where he doesn't have to waste precious energy translating all this stupid English. Sometimes, when he is feeling particularly indulgent, he listens to the singing children and he allows himself to believe. In this brief belief-state, he is deserving of his lover, he will see his mother again someday. It barely lasts a minute, and then the heels of his feet start to hurt in his dress shoes.
Ilya waking up in the middle of the night, not particular reason- heâs just blinking awake with a long inhale and he frowns when he feels the lack of weight on him, lack of Shane on him.
Heâs cold. Heâs still half asleep, one eye half open and his hand blindly starts patting around the bed, empty sheets. He groans and rolls over towards the right side of the bed, arm out still searching.
He smiles when he finds warm naked skin, flattens his hand and slides it up and realises heâs grasping at Shaneâs flank, the smooth skin of his side. Heâs so fucking warm and lovely. Ilya groans and gets his other hand to reach for Shane too, using his grip to pull Shane back, towards his body. Shane makes a soft squeaking sound, a grunt and Ilya wraps both arms around Shaneâs body, pulling him in, jostling Shane until Ilya is sprawled on his back with Shane up on his chest.
âWhatâssit?â Shane grumbles into Ilyaâs neck, squirming as he finds a comfy spot on top of Ilya, face shoved into his neck. His hand lays flat on Ilyaâs chest and Ilya sighs, smiles, content. Better, much better. Ilyaâs hand slides down to wrap around Shaneâs waist, fingers wrapped around where it pulls in. Ilyaâs other hand grasps the covers, pulls them up from where heâd disturbed them, tucks them up around Shaneâs shoulders.
âWhatâs? Are you okay?â Shane asks, words all jumbled together against Ilyaâs jaw, lips and exhale warm. His hand slips up from Ilyaâs chest to cup his face, his big warm hand cupping Ilyaâs cheek, thumb dragging back and forth slowly.
âYou were very farâ Ilya whispers, dances his finger tips along Shaneâs lower back, senseless little shapes.
âWoke up aloneâ Ilya huffs, pouts into Shaneâs hair and nuzzles his nose against Shaneâs scalp, the smell of him comforting.
âOhâ Shane sighs and breaths slow and heavy and Ilya wonders if heâs fallen back to sleep but then.
âSorryâ he turns his head to press a half kiss against Ilyaâs chest, thumb resuming petting over Ilyaâs cheek
âYou just come get meâ Shane whispers, snuggles himself into Ilya like he can get closer, socked foot rubbing slow lines up and down Ilyaâs calf, occasional breaks of his toes pulsing against the muscle before he resumes their rubbing.
âOkay?â Shane asks when Ilya doesnât reply, voice fuzzy with sleep.
âYes, of courseâ Ilya replies, shoves his smile into Shaneâs silk soft hair, drags his face down to kiss at Shaneâs ear, hand flat now rubbing wide circles over his back.
â âKayâ Shane replies with a happy sigh and he presses into Ilya, hand still cupping his face, his nose pressed to Ilyaâs cheek.
Ilya falls asleep, smiling and smushed to Shaneâs face, tangled close and warm.
blessed with the divine vision that bb shane was a fucking STICKLER for equal application of rules when he was an itty bitty. he'll accept the rules just fine, but they will now be HOUSEHOLD rules.
and most of the time it's fine. shane's bedtime is 7:30 pm because he is so itty bitty, but yuna and david have always just gone to their room after that so bb just assumed they were also following The Time To Sleep rules.
which is all well and good until nana is visiting while staying with her sister, it's 7:40 pm, and she is just cooing and delighted at bb shane just repeating "night NIGHT" over and over from the doorway to the living room because she is not understanding that this is not him being cute and saying goodnight.
this is attempted enforcement of the rules because nana, it is time for NIGHT NIGHT and you are clearly NOT ready for night night, and to TOP IT ALL OFF!! YOU ARE KEEPING MAMA AND DADDY FROM NIGHT NIGHT. RULES!! BROKEN!! RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS LITTLE BABY FACE. >:(
Ilya Rozanov is a big, beefy athlete who gets paid millions to violently smash into other men on the ice, and he transforms into a dramatic damsel in distress the moment his husband comes into the room. There is no jar that is opened or trash that is taken to the curb by anyone but Shane.
âShane, TV remote is all the way over there. Is almost in other time zone. My arms are weak, can you get it please, Shane.â
âShane!! Shane, I have cut from cardboard! Itâs bleeding, Shane, can you do first aid? I think I need mouth to mouth, Shane, Iâm fading fast!â
âShane, I am so thirsty I think my throat is atrophied from being dry.â (Earns a âwow, atrophied, where did you learn that word?â from Shane.)
âShane, Iâm getting sick, can you rub special cream on my chest? I am losing strength, Shane, I donât think there is much time.â
*walks in door, first thing he says* âShane, I almost was stranded today. My car was on E and my big, strong husband was not there to pump gas. I was coasting to gas station on fumes and vibe only, Shane.â
I honestly don't think Yuna struggles to accept Ilya's role in Shane's life. I know a lot of people find her overbearing (although I don't think we really saw that in the show) and even though we see her guiding Shane early on (he was a baby) about wearing his sponsored outfits or handling his brand deals, we never see her pushing Shane into anything he doesn't want. She understands he needs help with things (every person does) but she's respectful of his boundaries and independence.
We see this a little bit when she waits while Shane's 'freaking out' to see how Ilya will handle it.
She likes that Shane has another person in his life that can support him - one that he is probably much more receptive to than his mom and dad. Yuna knows about that first hand - it was so much easier to let David bare some of her burden than her parents. And vice versa.
So Yuna has no problem stepping back and allowing Ilya to be Shane's main support person.
Yuna: Hi honey! Just saw the game. Is Shane okay?
Ilya: He is okay. Very grumpy though so maybe no phone calls tonight.
Yuna loves that Shane has such a wonderful, understanding partner to lean on. It's really all a parent wants, to know that their child will be taken care of. And Yuna is very confident Ilya will take care of her Shane.
The first time she's absolutely confident of that is when Shane is downright angry.
"No, mom, it's fucking ridiculous," Shane fumes, blinking. He's gotten better over the years, but when he was little, he couldn't get angry without crying.
"I know," Yuna agrees with him because that is usually the best thing to do. She glances over at Ilya, who seems relatively unbothered at Shane's anger.
"It's in the contract for a reason," Shane continued, paused, and then smacked his hand on the table. Not hard, but hard enough.
At that, Ilya stood up. "Come on."
"What?"
"We are going to the rink," Ilya stated simply, grabbing his and Shane's jackets from the coat rack.
Yuna winced. Shane didn't get angry too often, but ordering Shane around when he was angry never went well. He was going to-
"Fine," Shane said tightly, grabbing the jacket Ilya held out to him and walking through the door Ilya held open.
Yuna raised her eyebrows.
"I will fix," Ilya said quietly to her, smiling. "Tire him out. We will be back before dinner."
"Okay," Yuna smiled back, surprised.
As she locked the door behind Ilya, she found herself realizing she really trusted Ilya with Shane.
He was so confident with what Shane needed, so in step with him. After years of hearing how her son was emotionless, hard to read, anti-social, blank stare, etc. She knew he wasn't. He was so expressive and she didn't understand how others couldn't see that. But Ilya could read him so well - he always seemed to know what he needed, even when she didn't.
SHANE HOLLANDER, MLH STAR, DIES FROM ACCIDENTAL OVERDOSE (click to read more)
Thatâs the headline Ilya reads on his Google alerts when heâs home alone. More and more articles start coming out, his phone pinging with different versions of the same sentence over and over. Every website claiming this horrible, twisted lie that Shane Hollander is dead.
It has to be a lie after all. This must be wrong. Theyâre all surely misreporting things and itâll turn out that Hollander is alive, safe in his boring home in Montreal. Ilyaâs confident there will be a statement made soon but heâs too impatient to wait for that.
Sure, they havenât spoken since the day Shane fled from his home, leaving Ilya to clean up half-eaten tuna melts and their mixed come off his chest.
And Ilya didnât reach out after Shane got a nasty hit in San Jose a few weeks agoâ one that left Shane with a fractured collarbone and concussion. He tortured himself with the footage and drafted an âare you okay?â text but he never sent it. He had been a coward.
He wishes more than anything that he sent it now.
He calls Shane. Itâs 8PM in Boston, which means itâs 8PM in Montreal and even Shane isnât lame enough to be in bed so early.
No answer to his call. No answer to his texts. Nothing.
He calls and calls and calls and fucking calls but thereâs nothing. No response, no answer. Not even a âreadâ receipt. Shane isnât cruel. He would call him. Even with this fractured something that they are (or were), he would have reached out. He would have heard about the news by now and called Ilya back or texted to say it was fake. That he was fine. That it was idiots being idiots and talking about something they knew nothing of.
So why the fuck is Shane not answering? The only reason he wouldnât is if⊠is ifâŠ
Ilya doesnât know what heâs doing until heâs in his car and headed to Montreal. His phone dies halfway through the trip from attempts to get in contact with Shane. Still nothing. Heâs in a state of delirium when he crosses the border into Canada, with no plan other than making it to Shaneâs house.
If Shaneâs alive, heâll be in his home and heâll answer the door. And if not⊠Ilya doesnât want to think that far.
Shaneâs lounging on his couch, half asleep and frustrated at the world. Heâs still reeling from getting the worst, most frantic phone call from his parents earlier that day.
And all because heâd gone to the hospital earlier. There had been unforeseen conflicts with his medication and some supplements heâs taking, something that risked leading to an overdose if not caught as early as it was.
Somehow that afternoon trip led to someone violating HIPPA and even more confusingly, led to quite a bit of the population mistaking him for being dead.
For once Shaneâs thankful his mom talked him into keeping a landline when buying a home. âYou never know what may happen Shane,â she had said.
Wasnât that the truth? The whole reason for the urgent visit was because he got dizzy that morning, his vision and balance going off kilter, and he had dropped his phone, breaking it beyond repair. It was added to his list of annoyances with today. If not for his parents and Hayden having his home phone number⊠they might have believed the news for much longer than they had to.
Itâs 1AM when furious knocking wakes him up. He must have fallen asleep down stairs. Shaneâs groggy before it really hits him that someone is at his front door. No one in their right mind visits at one a.m.
He gets up and peeks through the peep hole and swings the door open before he even knows heâs going to do it because itâsâ
Ilya.
He looks like shit. Eyes red-rimmed, hair like he went through a wind tunnel. Heâs wearing flannel pajama pants, slides, and a sweatshirt. He looks like he just rolled out of bed.
He doesnât get any words out before Ilya knocks the breath out of him by collapsing into him. Itâs a hug but feels a bit like a tackle too. If Shane werenât as athletic or as on guard at seeing Ilya, he may have fallen backwards.
It takes several moments to register Ilya is shaking in his arms.
No. Ilya is crying in his arms.
Shaneâs brain searches for anything that would make this confusing thing make sense. He begins to think it may be a dream he has yet to wake up from but then it hits him.
The article. His phone being broken. His parents had called everyone they thought was important.
Actually Mr. and Mrs. Hollander I know you think I am the slutty one but your son regularly begs me to fuck him so hard that he cries so. Thank you for pasta
So, I got an anon a few weeks ago asking what my favourite hc for how Joe and Nicky got together was. I realised then that I don't have any one interpretation that I prefer, but instead many that I love in equal measure. As compelling as their canon backstory is, it is also very vague vis-Ă -vis the timeframe or the dynamic of their early relationship. This has of course been great fanfic fodder. Here is a reclicst focused on the various ways these two could have gotten together and my favourite takes on them. All mostly emotionally centred around them getting together, all canon tl (well, more or less) and separated in thematic categories. Behind the cut because this is long as hell
They developed a friendship which eventually becomes a romance.
The Plate of Eclipses by Tam_Cranver
Yusuf and Nicolo in Bukhara in 1120 trying to solve a fun mystery & survive having feelings for each other. This has everything to me: delightful characterisation, cute friendship, them both being gay disasters, lots of yearning, a very cool medieval mystery plot and writing which made Bukhara in 1120 feel like a real living breathing city I could walk into. I re-read this very regularly I love it so.
The Other Matter by Survivah
Skip and hop through multiple decades as Nicolo and Yusuf slowly make their way from where they started to becoming lovers. Nicolo agonizes a lot. I am pretty sure this is a fandom classic at this point, seeing as it was posted very early on and I'm not sure I don't know anyone who hasn't read it, and for a good reason! It is excellent. There is also The Dragon by the same author which has a very similar idea except they're friends which benefits. Both fics are fantastic.
(don't) blame it on the moonlight by @bewires
Five times Nicolo and Yusuf faked being in a relationship and two times it was real. Who doesn't love a well written ye olde historical fake relationship?? I love this a lot and i think the characterisations are excellent also. Just a really fun concept well written!
No Words Necessary by Jordanisonfire
Just a really well executed slow-burn, starting from when they die in Jerusalem and ending when they're in a relationship after a long while has passed. For whatever reason I have never been very drawn to fics that cover the whole journey from Jerusalem to them getting together (I like to jump around I guess? have the fic be more In medias res) but this one I like a lot. Great characterisation, interesting backstories, good writing, delicious slow burn... what's not to like?
The Lamp of Nicholas by Viridianpanther.
Yusuf and Nicolo parted ways some time after making peace. It has now been 25 years and Yusuf is imprisoned, and of course Nicolo ends up involved. Have not read this in ages but remember it being really lovely and fairytale-like. I am also not usually a huge fan of 'it took them decades to get together'-fics but some times it works and this is definitely one of the times!
They start with hate fucking (or at least fucking before they're friends) but OOPS it turns into feelings.
life is a gradual series of revelations by @emjee
Fucking to pass the time ends up becoming a bigger emotional problem than either of them could have guessed. Funny how that happens! Somehow simultaneously hilarious and completely devastating. Starts really light but ends somewhere very emotional by the end. Also the Crazy Ex-Girlfriend companion songs are perfect.
nothing but love on my mind by @bewires
They're not friends but Nicolo is down bad and Yusuf decides to let him hit it even though he finds Nicolo deeply unromantic (but not unsexy, unfortunately for him). Again this is very delightful to me. I love Nicky's terrible pickup lines and I love how weak Yusuf is for them. Just a really funny dynamic to me. And the ending is cute!
Sticking Points by KushielsMercy
Just lots and lots of them being very mean and very funny and hate-fucking each other for ten years. Not usually my favourite dynamic for them but this fic I like, particularly because they both come across as huge assholes and somehow here it is fun for me to imagine. Also the feelings when they do happen warm my heart.
They became insane about each other before they could even speak the same language
Covenant by Delphi
Joe and Nicky on the banks of Euphrates on the way to Baghdad swearing eternal loyalty and lowkey getting married very soon after meeting. Short but really very powerful piece. Again one that I return to regularly, because it is so SO good.
Kneeled in Shaking Thrill by Pagian
Yes, this one was gifted to me, yes I am biased but who doesn't want to imagine Joe and Nicky falling in love and making love even before they can really talk with each other? I sure do, and this is such a gorgeous take on the concept. The sex scene is soooo beautiful i can't deal with it.
Morning Prayers by me, lol
Can you tell I love this concept? Feel free to ignore this horrendous self-rec but this is the only get together fic i have written and also i think the concept is good so there you go. Yusuf is having morning after anxieties about what having sex with Nicolo means for them but unfortunately they can't talk about it because of said language barrier. Anxiety ensues.
Timey wimey magic was involved (the AU section)
If Never Again If Every Day, by @gallifreyburning and @takiki16
Post Tog1, through mysterious magic Nicolo from 1099 and Nicky from 2021 change places in time. Nicolo from 1099 ends up in San Fransico with Joe and the gang and Nicky from 2021 ends up at the siege of Jerusalem right after he killed Yusuf that first time. Is this strictly canon compliant? No! But it is set during when they meet and does also include multiple versions of them getting together for the first time so I am allowing it on here. And it's an incredible fic, so who is gonna argue with me. If i can put INAIED on a reclist i will. And it made sense here bc it is not the only one excellent timey wimey get together fic there is also.
Retrograde by @pinkninjapj
Another absolute fandom classic. Nicky gets displaced in time every time he dies so he experiences their life non-linerally while Joe goes about it the normal way. Devastating and also incredible. If you haven't read Retrograde what are you doing. Guaranteed to make you very emotional (in the best way possible). Also includes them getting together but of course it is more complex than that.
---
Bonus extra rec: Summerwind by @non-un-topo
an AU where Yusuf and Nicolo were childhood friends in canon tl. And yes it is as devastating as it sounds. This is here at the end because it doesn't really fit any of the categories (and it's not really about them getting together romantically really, but much more focused on other aspects of them and their relationship) but i love it a LOT and i could not in good consciousness not include it in a fic about their meetings and backstories. And it's excellent!!!
shane (a little tipsy) being cornered by a few fans at a bar one night and they ask him whatâs the best thing about coming out, expecting him to say something motivating like self-expression and liberation and shane just goes
âi donât know, probably that i can have ilyaâs photos on my phone now :).â
and the whole of non bigot hockey twt just fucking crash out and montreal metros and crowell gets burned at the stake
hollanov at one of boodâs bbq one fine day and one of the wags (lisa hayes, wyattâs wife) was complaining about curly products no longer good for her hair since she moved to ottawa, and shane started asking her questions about her hair, then eventually suggesting a bunch of products to her. lisa assumed it was what was in ilyaâs shower and since ilyaâs hair always looked so good, shaneâs recommendations should be solid.
they met again at a post-game party a few weeks after and lisa was gushing to the other wags about how shane knows the products so well and ilya takes such good care of his curls. ilya happened to walk by their table and get called into discussion about hair products. to which he shrugged and said he used whatever shane bought. always worked out for him, didnât it?
it turned out that when he moved from boston, the good old shampoo and conditioners didnât work with the weather anymore, and for a while ilyaâs curls were a bit dry and untamed. it bothered him a little, but he still looked hot with it being messy, so he complained once when he was getting ready in the morning to shane then let it go. shane then went on a extensive research on curly hair and weathers and products, with an entire spreadsheet on convenience and length of routine because they were athletes and canât really spend too long scrunching curls. trials and experiments landed him on a few products that were easy to apply daily, and some extra stuff ilya could use every once in a while to keep the hair shiny.
ilya sort of forgot about the extra stuff most times, so shane took it as his responsibilities to sit him down and properly go through the deep care routine. usually ilya sat on the floor and shane on the sofa, and shane would massage the products into his scalp and ilya slowly dozed off on shaneâs lap, and he would always wake up with shane sometimes playing with his hair, or massaging his temples. itâs ilyaâs favorite time, and he loved being pampered by shane so much that when they started playing together on the cens and live together full time, he would bring all his products to the living room and sit between shaneâs leg.
the cens and wags thinks shane is generally a more high maintenance person with his skincare regime and his laundry habits (disclosed by a drunk ilya rozanov yapping about how his husbandâs way of folding a sweater is the hottest thing ever graced planet earth), but once shane was comfortable sharing with them all during parties they soon realized ilya rozanov - menace, cool guy, king of the dgaf war - is the biggest diva on hair maintenance.
which then led to them realizing shane and ilya had carved their own life to accommodate the other so meticulously that it was impossible to maintain either of them at that point. the pair of them practically conditioned the other into receiving the highest standard treatment.
Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned by kat_writes_smut | explicit | 37.7k words â Shane has led a sheltered life with his family, growing up deeply religious in a small village somewhere in medieval Europe. His quiet world is disturbed when a new priest takes over the town's church. Shane is really fucking gay, and he has no idea that it is even an option.
The Long Way Home by kooksie | mature | 21.9k words â Shane canât stand his college roommate and teammate, Ilya Rozanov. Canât stand his arrogance and his messiness and his constant sleeping around. But then the entire team, Shane included, welcomes their families to campus for Parents Weekend. And Shane also canât stand that Ilya is alone.
aw he fuckin the weed man (for weed) by heauregard | explicit | 19k words â Weed man Ilya thinks Shane is too adorable to pay for weed.
You Can Lie (Not to Me) by newtntommy | mature | 51k words â Every time your soulmate lies, their words are written on you. Shane doesnât lie often. His soulmate does though.
Heaven Help Me by Space_communist | explicit | 11.6k words â What if Shane hadn't shaken Ilya's hand that day in Saskatchewan and they remained actual rivals till later in life? What would a much older Shane and Ilya's first time look like?
english as a second language by Idday | explicit | 7k words â Shane's been fucking Ilya Rozanov for a decade and yet somehow the more time they spend together the more he realizes how little he actually knows about Ilya, like, as a person. As a partner. Again, he wishes he spoke Russian. That they had any shared native language besides sex and hockey.
dust bunnies by ghosttotheparty | explicit | 37k words â The whole world thinks Shane is gay because of some stupid internet rumors, and he doesn't even have to confirm it. He's losing control of his entire life and he needs somewhere to put what little he does have. Ilya has open hands.
we'll be afraid of nothing by satorussuguru | teen+ | 8k words â You said I was boring and you were right and I need you to say it again so I know where I stand, so I know what you think of me, so I can stop waiting for the other shoe to drop.
treat me like an afterthought by lupus | explicit | 26.7k words â A meet-ugly turned friends with benefits frat boy college au. Shane is convinced heâs nothing more than just another hookup on Ilyaâs extensive roster. Ilyaâs spent his whole summer plotting on how best to lock Shane down.Â
don't ask (and i won't tell) by londonfoglatte | explicit | 4k words â the Centaurs are a wonderful team. accepting. kind. curious. it's that last one that has Shane wondering if heâd rather be back in montreal, hiding in the closet, than here, making up for the failures of the Canadian sexual education system.
My Very Personal Trainer by AlicefromtheNightmareland | explicit | 88k words â Shane Hollander never meant to hire the cocky Russian trainer his teammate J.J. raved about. But one look at Ilya Rozanovâcurly-haired, smirking, built like sinâand Shane was lost.
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