College Shane with almond mom Yuna AU
It's been a minute since the company discussed almond mom Yuna, but I have been thinking about her with a college version of Shane. I was inspired by the frat AU discussion that has been floating around lately, but this is a bit of a divergence from that.
Shane grew up with her monitoring all his food, but it felt healthy and caring because it was his normal. She made sure he had enough energy and proper nutrition for hockey without ever offering much indulgence. Sugar was incredibly discouraged, and drinking calories was essentially off the table.
He had been considered small but so fast as a young hockey player that his size was fine, but as he got into his teen years and started meeting scouts, everyone said they hoped he would grow a bit if he wanted a shot at going pro. Some even plainly said they were concerned that he was going to be too injury-prone with how lean he was compared to other guys.
When Shane signed to play in college, Yuna's lectures immediately started. The warnings of the freshman fifteen were more threatening and prevalent than any discussions of academic or athletic performance. The only concerns around partying were wrapped in the packaging of alcohol being very calorie-dense and carb-heavy. She wanted to know the school's nutritionist and mapped out every healthy food store or restaurant near campus.
All this setup is just to say that Shane finds new joy in hockey while playing in college for two reasons. Ilya and food. His team provides him access to more food in one day than Yuna would have prepared for him in almost a week growing up. They put him on a plan to gain weight and build muscle, and it's glorious. Being hit on the ice doesn't hurt nearly as badly anymore. He has way more energy and confidence in his body.
And Ilya was an even bigger surprise than having freedom around eating. He knew of Ilya through the scouting process, but also playing against him in a few international juniors tournaments. Ilya lived in Boston with his mother, Svetlana, and Svetlana’s mother after they left Russia together. Shane and Ilya live across the hall from each other on the hockey floor, play on the same line, and generally spend almost all their time together after just a few weeks of knowing each other.
Ilya kissed Shane for the first time, walking back to the dorms after the first hockey team party, and the rest was history. Now he has a boyfriend and a team who encourage him to eat more, celebrate their wins, and accept compliments. Plus, Shane may not be great at reading people, but he feels pretty sure that Ilya likes his body more as it grows, too.
His parents' first visit for his season opener was not too bad because all the weight he put on was almost entirely muscle. David is so impressed and supportive, telling Shane he's never looked better on the ice, but Shane can tell Yuna is struggling with it. She's already made comments about being careful because bulking can be a slippery slope, and reminding him to talk to his coaching staff about maintenance. Shane doesn't tell her that his coaching staff were some of his biggest supporters in putting on more weight.
They both liked Ilya and were excited to meet their son’s boyfriend officially, but Shane couldn’t help the small moments where Yuna would make a face at Ilya offering Shane a bite of something or putting more food on his plate. After his parents left, Ilya gently broached the subject because he noticed as well, and Shane finally explained what his childhood was like with food. He had never told anyone about Yuna's lectures and routines before, and Ilya vowed to himself right then that he would not let Shane question his body when they were together.
By the time Shane graduated, he had been named co-captain alongside Ilya, he set a program scoring record, he won two national championships, he and Ilya were both drafted by pro teams, and he was at least 60 pounds heavier in muscle and fat, which made him an absolute menace on the ice. He knows that his mother still struggles with it because she simply cannot stop herself from commenting on how much he eats now, but as Shane continues to rack up accolades and praise, Yuna’s words carry much less weight than he does now.