Hockey God Shane Hollander playing the best game of his goddamn LIFE during the first game against the Metros after he joins the centaurs, with his Husband, hockey god in his own right, by his side and the sheer determination to prove to himself that he is as great as he can be, that the metros only made it because of him, that despite all of the change nothing has broken in him.
They win. Of course they win. Its no fucking contest. Its not a question, not really, for anyone except for Hockey God Shane Hollander.
And then Hockey God Shane Hollander, who should be fucking ecstatic over this win over showing his old team exactly where they stand without him, showers so long his team starts looking towards Ilya in question. Showers so long his teams starts trickling out to celebrate, with Ilya's encouragement. Showers so long his skin's beet red and close to blistering under the heat, and everything's pruning, and somehow he still doesnt feel clean. Ilya's leaning against the doorway, saying "team's gone moya lyubov you stay any longer in here and i think you turn into fish", and Shane's crashing to his knees with a choked out gasp. Curling in on himself on that dirty fucking shower floor of the bell center's visitor locker room. The fucking stadium that built him, shaped him, was supposed to retire him. Trying to force breath into his lungs that carried him through one of the hardest games of his life. Ilya's turning off the water wirh a hiss at the temperature and kneeling to meet him knee for knee, soaking both pant legs in the process. Folding himself over shane to hold him as much as hes able to, cooing reassurances, putting a stop to apologies, and guiding breathing techniques but never once judging the adrenaline crash or ugly sobs or half mumbled self deprecating nonsense spilling from Shane's mouth because this isnt the time for it. No, its time for Hockey God Shane Hollander to fall apart in his husband's arms, the one place he has *ever* allowed himself to truly fall apart, until he can get back up and do it all over again.
Only after his tears stop and both of them are aching from the tile and the game and the emotional turmoil, do they stand, dry off, and head back to the hotel pressed so tightly together one could only guess where shane ended and ilya started or vice versa. Anyone who watched the Hockey Gods, the first husbands of hockey, walk out of that stadium saw them as the victors they were, cold and a step removed from those beneath them, and certainly didnt see the cracks beneath.
(Why do i love putting Shane into situations?? I dont really know but I do enjoy making him suffer. Theres something so so delicious about him being crushed under the weight of his own perfectionism/guilt/shame while still being the absolute best)
((Their position is directly inspired by a Klance fanart where Keith promises Lance he'll get him back to his family. Do you know the one? Am I too old now?))
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