🩷 stephanie-rose
🩷 emmanatural connoisseur
🩷 read my fics: lord of the lake // gifts given & words unspoken // in tight places // masterlist
🩷 please tag snakes
🩷 wincest shippers & terfs fuck off and die
After a lot of begging and pleading, Hayden manages to convince Shane to go shopping with him.
Shopping isn’t number one or even number twenty seven on the list of things Hayden wants to do, especially on a roadie, and especially in Boston, but it’s his anniversary coming up, and Hayden wants to get a nice present for Jackie. And it’s hard to sneak away to buy something when he’s home. So the early arrival in Boston, with no hockey requirements until tomorrow, presents a good opportunity.
“Can’t you just buy something online?” Shane asks. They’re standing outside the hotel, waiting for their ride to the shopping center. It’s kind of cold, Boston unaware that it’s late April, and Shane’s hands are shoved in his pockets, while Hayden’s are tucked under his armpits. They should’ve waited in the lobby, but Hayden didn’t want to bump into any of the guys. A group of them are going out tonight. Hayden doesn’t want them to ask where he and Shane are going instead. Arguably buying a present for your wife is the straightest thing you can do, but some of their teammates would probably say something different.
“I don’t have a ton of ideas,” Hayden admits. “Looking around in person is easier.”
“If you say so,” Shane says. “I don’t know anything about this.”
“Don’t you buy things for your anniversary with Lily?” Hayden asks. Shane stares out at the road.
“If I were dating anyone,” Shane says. “Which I’m not, but if I were, we probably haven’t been dating long enough for any anniversaries.”
“Bro,” Hayden says. “Even if you haven’t been official with this guy, you’ve been texting for many years. You haven’t done any anniversaries?” Shane shrugs.
“Is that the car?” he asks, pointing. Hayden glances at his phone screen, then at the black Toyota Camry that’s pulling up to their hotel. The license plate on the front of the car matches the one listed on Hayden’s app.
“Yes,” Hayden says, and after confirming with the driver they get into the car, Shane behind the driver and Hayden behind the empty passenger seat. The drive isn’t long. Hayden picked out a nearby shopping center, with a jewelry store and a couple clothing stores. He isn’t going to haul Shane through the clothing stores, because Hayden can’t even manage clothes shopping, but if he’s desperate after the jewelry store he’ll do a lap.
Hopefully the jewelry store will work. Hayden remembers Jackie saying she needs some new earrings, so if he can just find something she’ll like, they can go back to the hotel before dinner.
The driver drops them off and Hayden leads the way inside. It’s a local place, but it looks basically like any other jewelry store Hayden’s ever been to: warm white lighting and soft carpet, low glass cases snaking around the room, crammed full of sparkly stuff. Shane looks around, eyes wide, and Hayden wonders if Shane’s literally ever been in a jewelry store before. The store is empty except for a girl behind the counter, inspecting a ring through a magnifying glass. A bell chimes as they walk in, and the girl looks up from her work.
“Hi, welcome in,” she calls. “Are you looking for anything in particular, or just browsing?”
“Just browsing for now,” Hayden says.
“Alright! My name is Maddie if you need any help,” she says. Hayden shoots her a thumbs up and she turns back to whatever she was doing before.
“I’m thinking earrings,” Hayden tells Shane in a low voice. Shane nods. Hayden leads the way through the store, scanning the cases. Diamond earrings, maybe? Or would she prefer color? Red or blue for the Metros, or maybe her birthstone? These kind of things make Hayden want to pull his hair out. “Let me know if you see anything Jackie would like.”
“Okay,” Shane says. He still looks a little uncomfortable. Hayden owes him a million drinks or something for going with him, and also agreeing to take anything they buy back in his suitcase so that Jackie won’t see anything in Hayden’s bag.
A display of red jewelry catches Hayden’s eye, and he stops to look. Shane wanders slightly away to inspect a display of pearls.
The door chimes.
Hayden does, sometimes, usually in Montreal, get recognized. Shane does too, more than Hayden does. Hayden doesn’t think they’ll get recognized in a jewelry store in Boston, but you never know, so he kind of looks over his shoulder to see who it is, just in case it’s a guy in a Raiders jersey or something.
It’s not a guy in a Raiders jersey.
It’s so much worse.
“Rozanov?” Hayden croaks. Shane shoots up from the display case like he’s been shot, whirling around. Rozanov’s eyes widen, then he grins.
“Hollander and Pike? What are you doing here?”
“What does it look like?” Hayden asks. “What are you doing here?”
“Same as you, probably,” Rozanov says. He shrugs, sliding toward a display case that’s closer to Maddie than Hayden and Shane. “Shopping.”
“Right,” Hayden says. Rozanov looks down at the case beside him. Hayden watches him for about a second, then turns back to the rubies. Who is he kidding. Jackie never wears red.
Shane’s fist is clenched. If he’s so worked up about shopping in the same store as Rozanov, they can go find another store, but honestly Rozanov being here is kind of an endorsement of the place, right? Rozanov is rich, and local, so this must be a pretty nice store.
“Rozanov,” Shane says. Hayden braces himself for a fight. “Are you ring shopping?” His voice sounds strangled.
As a rule, Hayden tries to keep up with the news on hockey players. Maybe not every single tabloid rumor, but it’s good to know what’s being said about who, and especially if anybody ends up on the actual news, it’s always smart to be aware. Hayden’s pretty sure if Rozanov was rings-serious with a girl, he would have at least heard of him having a girlfriend.
Then again, he hasn’t heard of Rozanov being seen with anyone in clubs or bars for…a while. So maybe he does have someone, and he’s just keeping it lowkey.
“Rings? Hollander, you always are jumping to conclusions,” Rozanov says, rolling his eyes. Though Hayden can clearly see that Rozanov is standing in the men’s jewelry section, the rings right by his hip.
“So what are you doing, then?” Shane asks. “Who are you shopping for?”
“Can I not be shopping for myself?” Rozanov asks. “Who are you shopping for?”
He wonders if Rozanov, too, will make fun of him for shopping for his wife. Instead, Rozanov fixes them with an almost dreamy look.
“It is almost my beloved’s birthday,” he confesses. “I am looking for something for her.”
“You have a girlfriend?” Hayden asks.
“Yes,” Rozanov says. “My beautiful Jane. I do not know what she would like, but I thought the jewelry store would give me ideas. Maybe a necklace?”
Oh. That’s kind of sweet. Hayden certainly didn’t know what kinds of things to get Jackie back when she was his girlfriend.
“You want to get Jane a necklace?” Shane asks. Rozanov looks at him and shrugs.
“Maybe,” he says. “As I said, I do not know. I thought maybe she would want something with my number on it.” He waggles his eyebrows at them. Shane turns bright red.
“Jackie has one of those,” Hayden says. “It’s like, a big sparkly 35. She wears it to games.”
Rozanov lights up.
“Yes, maybe my Jane wants a big 81 around her neck,” he says. He makes a square with his fingers, approximately the size of a playing card. Jackie’s is smaller, like a nickel or something. Hayden can just imagine Ilya Rozanov’s WAG showing up to a game with a giant, stupid expensive 81 around her neck. “Pure gold, made of diamonds.”
“Or maybe not,” Shane says.
Hayden wonders if Shane’s ever sad that Lily, whoever he is, can’t come to games all decked out in Hollander gear. Or maybe he does come to games. Lots of dudes come in a #24 jersey. Nobody would see a random guy wearing a Shane Hollander jersey to the game and assume he was fucking the captain.
“Maybe I get it carved,” Rozanov says. “On a pendant. Do you do carvings?”
“Engravings,” Shane corrects.
“Yes, we do! It might take about a week, though,” Maddie says. “We have some blank pendants over here, if you want to check them out.”
“Ah, okay,” Rozanov says. He follows her over to the other section. Hayden rolls his eyes and looks for something green. Jackie’s eyes are green. Maybe he can find some earrings that match.
“Is jewelry really the gift? For partners?” Shane asks.
“Jackie likes it,” Hayden says. He squats down by a case of emeralds to see better. “But there are lots of gifts to get people.”
“Oh,” Shane says. “Okay. I don’t want to mess anything up. If there ever was an anniversary. Which there wouldn’t be.”
“Right, because you aren’t dating anyone,” Hayden dutifully recites.
“Right,” Shane says.
“See anything you like?” Maddie asks.
“These are lovely, but I do not know if my Jane would like any of them,” Rozanov says.
“Well,” Maddie says. “You could check out her birthstone, see if any of those necklaces catch your attention. Especially since it’s a birthday gift.”
“Sure,” Rozanov says. “What is May birthstone?”
“Emerald,” Maddie says. “Which are right over here, by your friend.”
“Not my friend,” Rozanov says. Hayden stands up as he approaches.
“Hey, uh, Maddie, could I get a closer look at these earrings?” he asks.
“Of course!” Maddie says. She unlocks the case and pulls out the earrings in question. Rozanov bends over to look at the emerald jewelry.
“What do you think, Hollander? Any of this good for Jane?”
“Does Jane even like jewelry?” Shane asks. Rozanov shrugs.
“I have never seen her wear any,” he says. “But I don’t think she has any, either. Maybe she would like a necklace if she had one.”
Hayden tries to imagine a girl who never wears any jewelry at all. Sure, they exist, but he has a hard time imagining that kind of girl going for Ilya Rozanov. Or Ilya Rozanov going for her.
“I guess,” Shane says.
“Shane, buddy, do you think these match Jackie’s eyes?” Hayden asks. Shane comes over.
“I don’t really know what color Jackie’s eyes are,” he says. “I guess, maybe.”
“Matching the gems to her eyes is actually kind of romantic, Pike,” Rozanov says. “Maybe you are not totally and completely hopeless. Just hopeless at hockey.”
“Man, fuck you,” Hayden says. He opens his phone and holds it up next to the earrings, looking between his lockscreen picture of Jackie and the earrings next to him.
It’s just a grainy picture on a screen, but Hayden thinks they look good together.
“Maybe I should get Jane some chocolate,” Rozanov says. “That would match her eyes.”
“We actually have some chocolate opal pieces,” Maddie says. “If you want to look.”
“Maddie, you are an angel,” Rozanov says. “Take me to them.”
“Don’t you think Jane would rather have something that matches your eyes?” Shane asks. He’s not looking at anyone in particular. Hayden isn’t sure if he’s pissed off that they’ve been cordial to Rozanov for so long, or if he’s embarrassed to have an opinion about this at all. “So that every time she sees it, she would think of you? There are lots of blue gems…aquamarine, tanzanite, blue diamond…” He trails off, his cheeks going red.
Nobody says anything.
“Sapphires are also blue,” Maddie offers.
“They’re too dark,” Shane says. “Um, not that I know what color Rozanov’s eyes are.” He looks away quickly. Rozanov is beaming.
“Dude, I didn’t know you knew anything about gems,” Hayden says.
“I really, really, don’t,” Shane says. “Hayd, those earrings are great. I think Jackie will love them. Can we go?”
“Sure,” Hayden says, kind of surprised.
Maddie rings him up.
“Uh, see you tomorrow, Rozanov,” Hayden says. “I hope you find something for Jane.”
“Oh, I think I will,” Rozanov says from his spot by the aquamarines. “I hope Jackie doesn’t get too embarrassed when she sees the score tomorrow.”
“I hope Jane doesn’t get too embarrassed about the score,” Hayden shoots back.
“I’m sure Jane will be very happy when we win tomorrow,” Shane says. Hayden has got to help Shane with his chirping.
“In your dreams, Hollander,” Rozanov says.
“In your dreams,” Shane says. “The way you guys were shooting in that game against the Puffins last week was criminal.”
“Aww, you were watching,” Rozanov says, pretending to fawn. “I never knew I had such a fan.”
“You’re all set!” Maddie says, and Hayden grabs Shane by the hoodie to drag him out before they start an all out brawl in the middle of the jewelry store.
“Well, we lasted a whole ten minutes before fighting with Rozanov,” Hayden says as Shane furiously texts next to him while they wait for the uber. “That’s got to be some kind of record.”
Shane doesn’t respond. Hayden grabs at his phone.
“Hey!”
They tussle over the phone; Hayden sees a flash of the screen before giving up. It's a text to Lily, and it says: DO NOT buy me necklaces for my birthday asshole!!!
Oh yeah, Shane’s birthday is coming up. It never occurred to Hayden before what gay guys get each other for their birthdays. Not necklaces, apparently.
Back at the hotel, Hayden relinquishes the earrings over to Shane.
“You just bring them over next time we have dinner, and then I’ll hide them at home,” Hayden says.
“Sounds good,” Shane says. He finishes tucking the box into his duffel, then stands up. He glances at his phone. “Alright, I’m gonna head out.”
“What!”
Shane levels him with a look. Oh yeah. Boston.
“Right,” Hayden says. “See you tomorrow, then. Have fun with your boyfriend who doesn’t exist.”
“I will,” Shane says innocently. He has a tiny little overnight bag in his duffel, and he takes it with him. Hayden stares at the closed door, and then flops back on his bed, already dialing Jackie.
i do believe destiel is fully canon btw. not half, not ambiguous. full and complete canon. not necessarily because i always believe in the audience's ability to put two and two together and not be hindered by their heterosexual goggles, but because it wouldn't even be a topic of discussion if they were straight. "does dean reciprocate?" is not a question some people debate because the story itself wasn't clear enough, it's only a debate because we live in, say it with me, a society
jacobvanloon
izzy806
yousharknotpass
vaporwave
baratheonpilled
