5k, cliff marleau & ilya rozanov, offscreen hollanov, rated t
creator chose not to use archive warnings
🐟 pov outsider
🐟 drunken late night conversations
🐟 cliff marleau is clueless but his heart's in the right place
🐟 shane hollander isn't physically present but he's taking up all the space in ilya's head
🐟 this fic is an obvious excuse to dwell on ilya having A Bad Time™ because there's not enough of that imo
🐟 and connors is just in the background hustling everyone at darts
description: After a losing game, Cliff ends up at a bar with a melancholy Ilya Rozanov, but it's clear Rozanov is upset about more than just the game. Cliff attempts to offer emotional support and then some relationship advice, even though he's not stellar at either.
Cliff knows what lovesick looks like, and Rozanov has got that look in spades. He’s practically dripping in it.
“That sucks,” Cliff says simply, because it does. Because there’s nothing else to say, really. It’s not like Cliff’s got any great relationship advice up his sleeves. Not for a guy like Rozanov, and not for himself, either. One night stands are the best he can do. The fact that Rozanov has been texting the same girl for years is absolutely baffling to Cliff; he can’t imagine seeing anyone the next day, much less giving them his number. He can’t imagine anyone wanting it, either.
Rozanov glares quietly back at him for a moment before he downs the remainder of his drink and nods just once.
“Yes. It sucks,” he says.
Which is about as good as a fucking love confession from Rozanov. Fuck. Cliff doesn’t know what to do with that. That’s fucking load bearing. No wonder the guy’s a goddamn wreck.
“This calls for another drink,” Cliff decides. Rozanov deserves it. So does Cliff, for having to give anything approaching emotional support to a guy like Rozanov.
check it out here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/77087866
