Chapter Text
"Up next we have the float for the Irina Foundation, sponsored by Adidas!"
"Yes we do Wayne, and it would seem that no expense has been spared! Just look at the size of that helmet!"
"You said it, Felicia. Luckily for these hockey players it promises to be a sunny day, because you could hide from the rain in that thing! Good thing it's hollow inside!”
"Just don't rub against it though, because you'll be finding glitter everywhere for weeks to come."
"Any chance we can get a closer look?"
"Alright, there we go! Right at the front of the float we have Scott Hunter and his husband Kip. Leave it to them to be the first in the spotlight."
"Normally you would expect Ilya Rozanov to be the attention hog."
"Speaking of that Russian superstar, he doesn't seem to be anywhere near the float, does he?"
"It appears to be the case, Wayne. We know he's in Manhattan though, because his social media has been full of Pride related posts for the last few days."
"Oh will you look at that! Ryan Price has decided to show himself after all. Perhaps Fabian Salah has something to do with that?"
"We can only guess."
"That rainbow shirt does suit him well though."
"The same could be said for Troy Barrett! Whoever fitted that thing knew what they were doing!"
"You can say that again, Felicia! And that's not all when it comes to queer hockey players, it appears. Eric Bennett seems to want to stay out of the spotlight, but how can you miss a guy that size?"
"And last but not least we have Shane Hollander! Wait, is that...?"
"That's not his own name he's wearing today, I noticed that too! Instead he's repping his husband's number. How cute is that?"
"Adorable, I'd say. It's a bit of a mystery where Ilya Rozanov is, but at least Hollander seems to be in good company. Who could this mysterious blonde at his side be? He seems to have given her his shirt to wear, so maybe she's a friend?"
"Well I''m no expert, but she appears to be cozying up to J.J. Boiziau. Perhaps she's his girlfriend?"
"Well he'll be a lucky man if that's true!"
"And for our next float we have..."
...
(Four months earlier.)
It was the busiest video call Ilya had ever been a part of. His laptop screen was taken up by seven different squares, every one of them showing a hockey player, except for the one in the middle of the top row. That place has been reserved for the most organized woman who had ever walked the face of the Earth: his mother-in-law. Yuna Hollander was reading off a list of accommodations for the weekend and Ilya was pretending to listen. He knew that Shane would get the details anyway. Ilya was much too busy trying to gauge what everybody else was thinking.
Scott Hunter was easiest to read. He had been organizing events for a few years now so this was all old hat to him. Kip wasn't present for the video call. Ilya assumed it was because Kip would be busy with Kyle to get everything in order for the Kingfisher. He'd told Ilya as much last time the two had talked; Kip had made it clear that preparations for Pride were an almost year round concern. It was his own fault for going in as hard as he did though. Pride celebrations at the Kingfisher had since become the stuff of legend.
Ryan Price said little to nothing for the entire meeting and Ilya didn't expect him to. His entire square was filled with a wall of muscle and anxiety. There were some guesses as to why Price was still wound as tight as he was, though he wouldn't just divulge that information himself. Ilya's best guess was that Price wasn't a fan of crowds and Pride was the biggest crowd he could ever find himself in.
Eric Bennett seemed at ease enough. Every now and again Kyle would pop into frame in the background in an obvious attempt to snoop. Bennett had professed his plans to surprise his boyfriend and had done his absolute best to keep the Adidas float a secret. His attempts had not been successful. It didn't stop Bennett from approaching the meeting with a laid-back smile and good cheer though.
Troy Barrett was also present, rounding out all the queer hockey players who volunteered to coach for the Irina Foundation during the summer. All of them except for Max and Leah in any case. An invitation had been extended, of course, but considering Leah was due to give birth somewhere around the start of July they weren't going to be able to make the celebrations. Ilya found this disappointing; Max was one of his favorite drinking buddies.
Troy seemed to be listening to what Yuna was saying, but Ilya saw his eyes dart away to a second screen multiple times throughout the meeting. He was planning something, Ilya reasoned. Whatever it was, knowing Troy it was probably something to do with charity. That good-hearted bastard, doubling down on his philanthropy.
Last of all were Hayden and J.J., who had been brought on as what Ilya referred to as 'token allies'.
Ilya shook himself from his bored stupor and listened to Yuna detailing the day of the parade as well as he could. All he really understood was that they were expected to arrive at ten in the morning and that the float would take off at around noon. It was all that really mattered to him. He had to admit that Yuna's efficiency was scary at times. He didn't have to lift a finger and yet he was presented with a plan of action, a place to stay, all of it. Sometimes he felt like he should be doing more. The float was going to be in name of the Irina Foundation anyway so he felt a lot of responsibility there, but both Yuna and Shane had soothed his worries on the matter by reminding him that the extra week of camp that they were organising in New York was proof enough of his desire to go the extra mile.
About ten minutes later the meeting ended. Yuna thanked them all with smiles and promises to send emails with all the necessary information before ending the video call. As soon as they were alone again, Shane let out a puff of breath. Ilya turned to his husband with an amused smile.
"What is the matter?" he asked, leaning his chin into his palm and scratching Shane's knee with his free hand.
"Not much," Shane said. "Just coming to grips with doing something so gay for the whole world to see."
"Your mother has made it easy enough."
"I suppose. If it weren't for her I'd probably still be nervous to show affection in public. Her and her damn Instagram posts."
Ilya couldn't help but grin. They had their own little squad of cheerleaders and Yuna Hollander was definitely the loudest of the bunch, though Wyatt Hayes might be close second. Ilya had asked if Hazy wanted to come celebrate Pride too, though he had yet to hear back. He liked his chances well enough.
"Did you think of anything fun to do for the rest of the weekend?" Ilya asked. They were going to be in New York for the entire weekend of the Parade and Ilya wasn't planning on sitting still.
"Not yet," Shane said. "I was thinking of doing some press for the Foundation if I can, but other than that I have no idea."
"Ah well, maybe fun will find us, no?"
Shane looked as if the idea terrified him, so Ilya kissed his concern away. Shane didn't know it yet, but Ilya would rather die than not make out with his gay husband during the gayest event of the gayest month, paparazzi be damned. "Come on," he said, kissing Shane again. "Let's go take Anya for a walk. She was whining for most of the meeting."
...
(Saturday, June 25th, 2022).
The decorations in the Kingfisher were beautiful. Scott said as much as soon as he walked in and was rewarded by an face-splitting grin from Kip.
"You really think so?" Kip asked, gesturing around at the tinseled walls and rainbow-colored Christmas lights that had been strung up throughout the place. "Kyle and I agreed that doing actual rainbows everywhere was a bit tacky."
"Don't be afraid to be honest, Christopher," Kyle said. His voice sounded muffled as he was stocking the refrigerator behind the bar. "It's fucking ugly, is what it is."
Scott didn't voice his agreement. Instead he smiled at Kip, who was frowning at being addressed with his real name. "I think it's fantastic. I wouldn't have been able to do it better myself."
"I'd love to take credit, but most of it is Kyle's doing," Kip said with a shrug. "I was busy thinking of new cocktails with stupid names."
Scott laughed and wrapped an arm around Kip's shoulder. "I know better than to argue with you there. Kyle, is Eric coming in this afternoon?"
"Not that I heard," Kyle said as he popped up above the bar. He leaned his elbows on it and played with a dish rag to give his hands something to do. "He's out shopping for art again."
"Doesn't he feel pressured to help out on such a busy weekend?" Kip asked.
"Not at all," Kyle said with a smile. "Mostly because I asked him to let us do our thing. If he really wants to help he can serve drinks tonight and tomorrow. It should be plenty busy so we can use the extra hands."
"How many people are you expecting?" Scott hadn't really kept track of the preparations either. He trusted Kip and Kyle to make sure that everything went well.
"At least two hundred people," Kip said. "We sold out every ticket for both nights."
"Seriously?"
"Of course! Fabian is a very popular musician, you know that right?"
Scott shrugged. Music wasn't his field of expertise. "So the place is going to be packed?"
"You can bet on it," Kyle said. "Most of them will be here for Fabian, but there's a drag show opener and I'm sure some people bought tickets to see that."
Scott supposed that made sense. He'd come to love the drag artists who performed in the Kingfisher from time to time. Most of them were of the comedic variety with names like Sia Later and Oliver Clothesoff, but others danced like there was no tomorrow. Scott still winced when he thought of Joosy, whose signature move was a jump into a straddle split. He could almost feel his balls in his throat at the thought of it.
"So nothing for me to do then?" Scott pretended to be disappointed.
"I don't think so, but you can have a beer and look pretty?" Kip offered.
"Don't mind if I do."
"I can help with at least one of those things," Kyle said, retrieving a beer and handing it to Scott. "The pretty part is in the eye of the beholder."
"Fuck you, Kyle," Scott and Kip said in unison. Kyle laughed and went back to the final preparations.
Scott nursed his beer for a little while and just enjoyed the bliss he felt swelling in his stomach. While he had attended several instances of Pride with Kip by now, this was the first time he got to be on an actual float. Bless Yuna Hollander and her unwavering need to get things done. All she had required of them was a few hours of their time and them agreeing to wear rainbow Adidas shirts, which Scott could live with. He was also endlessly grateful that they were doing it in the name of a good cause. Scott wouldn't have it any other way.
About halfway during the afternoon the door to the Kingfisher opened. The pub wasn't open for business yet at this hour, so Scott whipped his head around to see who had come. He was glad to see Shane Hollander and a little less so to see Ilya Rozanov, but he was pleased to note that the feeling of dread he used to get when a conversation with Ilya was on the horizon was all but gone.
"Gentlemen," Scott said, waving them over with his beer bottle. "Care for a drink?"
"That's my job, thank you very much," Kip said, kissing Scott on the cheek and making for the bar. "What can I get you guys?"
Shane looked at the list of cocktails that Kip had dreamt up, his face scrunched in thought. Scott knew Hollander was picky about what he did or didn't eat, so it stood to reason that he was the same about drinking. Ilya however didn't discriminate.
"Can I get two Scott Hunters please?" Ilya said. "Of the drink variety. The person is already claimed."
Kip chuckled and went about making the cocktails. Shane turned to Ilya with a look of protest, but it slid off his face when he saw the smile on the Russian's. "You know I don't like to drink all that much," he said, though the argument sounded weak.
"I know," Ilya stated matter-of-factly. "but this weekend is special, no? Just have one drink with me and if you don't want anymore after that I will stop my nagging, deal?"
Hollander sighed and then relented. "Sure, why not. It might help with the nerves." He sat down at the bar next to Scott and gave the place a once-over. "Place looks nice!"
"It does," Scott agreed. "All of the credit goes to Kyle and Kip though. I just came in to drink beer and look pretty." The last two words almost stuck in his throat but he powered through them. From the corner of his eye he saw Kip smile at him and that steeled his nerves. He could be cocky if he wanted to, right? That wasn't an activity reserved for Rozanov alone.
Ilya grinned at him. "You seem to be doing both very well."
That stumped Scott. He had expected pushback at the very least, not confirmation. He took a swallow of beer in order to not look like a total idiot. Then he decided to change the subject.
"Are you guys coming to see Fabian tonight?" he asked.
"Of course!" Ilya replied. "Have you ever seen him perform before?"
"I haven't," Scott admitted. "Everyone says he's really good though."
"Everyone would be right," Shane said. "We saw him live a year or two ago. Just be prepared to clutch your pearls, cause I never expected the show to be so... horny."
"Hornier than the go-go dancers Kyle hired?"
"There's going to be go-go dancers?" Ilya asked with an amused grin. He took the two glasses that Kip handed him then and took a sip from one. "Still as sweet as ever! Great work, Kip!"
Shane poked Ilya in the ribs with an elbow. "Don't underestimate Ryan Price's boyfriend, Hunter. The both of us are still surprised that those two are an item."
"I guess I'll have to see it for myself then," Scott said.
"Just be sure to do it discreetly," Rozanov said, pointing his cocktail umbrella at Scott. "You do not want Kip to become jealous."
Scott rolled his eyes. This was going to be a long weekend.
...
Ryan was watching Fabian perform from his usual spot at the back of the room, cradling a beer and not paying his surroundings much mind. The world kind of ceased to exist as soon as Fabian took a microphone into his hand. His boyfriend was looking extra enchanting today; Fabian never shied away from showing skin on stage, but every inch that he had laid bare tonight was covered in a dusting of the finest iridescent glitter. Whenever a spotlight fell on him he threw scattered rays across the room, making him seem as ethereal as he sounded.
He was so transfixed by Fabian that he didn't hear his name being called the first time. When it was said again he felt a tug at his elbow and looked down to see Troy Barrett standing there, one hand in his pocket and seeming very unsure of himself.
"Eh, hi," Troy said. He sounded awkward.
"Hi?" Ryan couldn't help but put a question mark at the end of his greeting. This scenario was giving him a sense of déja vu. What could Barrett want from him?
"I was hoping I got to talk to you before the parade tomorrow." Troy's eyes were glued to Ryan's enormous shoes. "Do you have a second?"
"Sure," Ryan said. The last time the two of them had talked, Barrett had apologized for his behaviour in the past and had admitted his sexuality to Ryan. It had been awkward beyond belief, but when Ryan had told Fabian about it his boyfriend had pointed out how difficult it must have been for Troy to do so. Especially considering how the whole world had been on his case about the Dallas Kent situation. Though Ryan didn't think him and Barrett would be fast friends he resolved right then and there to at least hear him out.
"Oh thank god," Troy said. He breathed out his final nerves and out came a stream of words that Ryan had trouble keeping up with. "Do you have anything to do after the parade tomorrow? Not that I would fault you if you did. Thing is, I kind of hoped that you would be down to help me bring some stuff around? Eh no, not just some stuff, sorry. I mean supplies. For eh... for women's shelters. I made arrangements to go by several of them and I wouldn't mind an extra pair of hands if you would be down. Wyatt Hayes is helping too if that changes anything. He's a friend of yours too, right? Sorry, I'm rambling. I'm done now. Sorry."
Ryan had to take a few seconds to let the meaning of the words sink in. Barrett was asking him to help deliver supplies to women's shelters, to do something that would bring him nothing except for maybe a sense of self-satisfaction. It made Ryan realize that some part of him still did not trust Troy and he felt like he had good reason to, but considering how much time and energy the other man had invested in putting his money where his mouth was, Ryan knew his answer right away.
"I would love to," Ryan told him. "I need to be back here by eight though, because I'm helping Fabian set up for his performance. But yeah, sure."
Troy sighed in obvious relief. "Really?" Thank fuck, Price. That really takes a load off."
"And you said Wyatt Hayes is coming?" Ryan inquired. "What is he doing here?"
"Celebrating Pride, of course," Troy said as if it were obvious. "He's one of the biggest allies in the NHL after all."
That much was true. "Okay then," Ryan said. "Let's call it a deal."
"Thank you!" Troy said. "I'm going to see if I can find Harris. Thanks a million!"
When Troy was gone Ryan couldn't help but feel stupified. Some people really could change. Barrett was a prime example, as was Rozanov. Ryan saw the Russian talking to the drag performer who hosted the evening and he looked to be having a good time. Ryan was sure that five years ago Rozanov would have at least tried to stay out of her way, no matter how funny Miss Demeanor was.
A smile came to his face unbidden. Perhaps this was going to be a great weekend after all.
...
(The next morning.)
Shane had a habit of waking up before his alarm went off, so when it blared out at eight in the morning he almost fell out of bed in a tangle of sheets. The first thing he noticed was his splitting headache. He had gone overboard with the drinks the night before and he blamed that on Ilya. The second thing that caught his attention was that his husband was nowhere to be found. Shane was alone in the hotel room.
The first thing he did was check his phone. It didn't explain where Ilya had gone off to, but he had texted Shane that he would be gone for the morning and that he would meet Shane at the start of the parade. The message also said that he had a surprise for Shane, which could only mean one of two things. The first was a sexy option, because Ilya loved to surprise Shane when it came to bedroom activities. The other possibility was a heaping helping of trouble.
So Shane got out of bed, not at all pleased that he would have to see to the morning's proceedings on his own. His mood was further dented when he tried to find his rainbow Adidas shirt after a long shower, only to find a note on top of Ilya's.
I took your shirt for the surprise. You can wear my shirt instead :)!
Motherfucker.
He had a light breakfast to not upset his stomach more than he already had and even got a short workout in at the hotel gym. He was outside the building at nine thirty as per his mother's instructions. Mom arrived not even a minute later in a rental car. Shane got in and his mood must have been printed on his face.
"Who pissed you off this morning?" Mom asked. The smile on her lips told Shane that she already knew the answer.
"Ilya, of course," he said. "The bed was empty when I woke up. He texted me and told me he has a surprise waiting for me."
"I know," Mom said, her smile turning into a wide grin.
"Of course you do."
"Yup! Nothing gets past me. Now quit being a sourpuss. We have a busy day ahead of us."
They drove mostly in silence while Shane tried to will away the remainder of his hangover. The trip took about fifteen minutes and led them to an industrial lot where most of the parade floats had been stationed. After following the instructions from the security guard at the front of the lot they found what they were looking for.
The Adidas float was enormous. It should be able to fit two dozen people without too much trouble, which Shane was grateful for. At least they wouldn't be packed together like sardines in a can. Near the cab a giant hockey helmet had been installed, large enough to shelter at least five or six people from rain that hadn't been forecast. It had been slathered in glitter and it would be damn near blinding in the full light of the sun. A gigantic hockey stick rested against it wrapped in rainbow grip tape.
It actually looked really cool.
Most of the people who would be on the float were already there. From a quick glance Shane judged that only Troy and Harris were still to arrive. Them and Ilya.
Hayden waved Shane over as soon as he laid eyes on him. Hayden was wearing a shirt with his own name on it and it was every bit as much an affront to the eyes as Shane's was. Hayden at least appeared to be in a good mood.
"There he is!" he shouted. "Come on Hollander, why the long face?"
"I'm too hungover to be cheerful," Shane said. "Also my husband is missing."
Hayden acted as if he hadn't heard the second part. "Well this might cure your hangover, Look at J.J. over there! He snagged himself a hottie this time around."
Shane followed Hayden's pointing finger. J.J. was talking to a blonde woman yards away. Hayden was right. The woman was indeed stunning. Her long hair went halfway down her back and her bare legs seemed to go on for miles. She must have been one hell of a makeup artist too, judging by the eyeliner that seemed sharp enough to cut your fingers on. As Shane got a closer look he realised how much she resembled-
"Rose?" he said out loud. For a second he was sure that his ex-girlfriend had appeared out of thin air, but then he shook the confusion from his brain. There was no way it could be Rose, because this woman was much taller than her. Even so there was something familiar about her.
Like the shirt she was wearing like it was a mini dress.
When she made a quarter turn he saw it. Before he knew it he was laughing so hard that he felt he might choke.
Shane grabbed Hayden by the elbow and dragged him along towards J.J. and the mystery woman. They caught the tail end of their conversation.
"...thought that someone so pretty would be such a fan!"
The woman gave a giggle like chiming bells. "Thank you! You're very handsome too! I hope you're not intimidated by tall girls?" Her voice was so convincingly feminine that for a split second Shane doubted his own assessment, but then she saw him over J.J.'s shoulder and grinned. The mischief in her eyes confirmed his suspicions.
"Not at all!" J.J. said with a goofy grin. Shane couldn't wait to wipe it from his face.
"Hey!" Shane said. "J.J., aren't you going to introduce us to your friend here?"
"Hey! Yeah sorry guys, I was a bit distracted." J.J. scratched the back of his head. "Hayden, Shane, this is Lily."
"No fucking way," Hayden said behind Shane. It took all his willpower to not scream with laughter.
"Hello Lily," Shane said, his smirk growing wider still. "Nice shirt!"
Lily returned the grin. "Thank you, I'm a huge fan! I always try to support you where I can, moy lyubimyy."
The smile fell from J.J.'s face and was replaced by a look of absolute horror. "No. No. No no. Nononononono."
"How do I look?" Lily asked Shane.
"Like I would leave my husband for you in a heartbeat," Shane said.
"I fucking hate the both you." J.J. walked off, leaving Shane, Lily, and even Hayden to laugh until their cheeks hurt.