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“There was something we wanted to talk to you both about,” Yuna called out from the kitchen. Ilya glanced at Shane, eyebrows raised. Shane shrugged and waited for Yuna to return.
It was the weekend before the regular season resumed after bye week, and Shane and Ilya decided to spend their final few days at the cottage during their break. They had managed to keep their relationship from the media, with David and Yuna being a big help in circumnavigating any possible leaks. And, so far, no one in Ottawa seemed to know (or care) that Shane and Ilya were together.
David had grilled salmon and an assortment of vegetables while Yuna prepared a salad. She, with Ilya’s help, coaxed Shane into having dessert with them: an angel food cake topped with strawberries. Ilya confessed to Shane later that evening he was fast becoming a fan of whatever food David planned to make for him, or, rather, them.
Yuna returned with a glass of wine and sat down next to David on the couch.
“I was looking at the schedule next month and noticed something very interesting,” Yuna said, swirling the wine in her glass before taking a sip.
“Okay? And what might that be, Mom?” Ilya nudged Shane softly with his elbow and furrowed his brow as if to telepathically tell him to let her speak.
“That both of your teams will be playing the Lightning just a couple of days apart. What would you think if Dad and I took a trip down to Tampa to see you both play? I, for one, would love to be able to cheer you on, Ilya. I can't really do that here,” she told them before taking another sip. David took her free hand in his, and gave it a gentle squeeze. Yuna had been trying to make an effort to try to get to know Ilya a little better in the little time they were able to spend together.
“We've seen you play here, of course, but everyone knows who we are. But in Tampa, no one would care if we cheered you on, Ilya.” Now it was Shane's turn to take Ilya’s hand and give it a squeeze.
“You want to root for me? But, why?”
“Why not? We just thought it would be fun for you to have someone from home supporting you. When you're not playing Shane, of course.”
Home. Yuna said “home.” She thinks I am home, Ilya thought to himself. He bit his lip as Shane rubbed his thigh. He really did not want to burst into tears in front of Shane’s parents.
“I see,” Ilya said, swallowing the lump forming in his throat. “I think I would very much like that, Yuna.”
“Great! I'll make all the arrangements. We'll take you both out, separately, of course, and not have to worry who may or may not see us.”
“That sounds great, Mom. I can't remember the last time you and Dad took a road trip to see an away game.”
“It's been a few years,” David confessed.
Ilya was unusually quiet on the short ride back to the cottage. Shane reached over and took Ilya’s hand.
“You're being awfully quiet.”
“Just thinking.”
“About what?”
“About the last time my father saw me play in person. It was that horrible game at the Olympics. He was so upset with me, ashamed. Did not understand why I couldn't get the win.”
“You were given a shit team, Ilya. It was not your fault. You did everything you could, given the circumstances.”
“I was captain. I should have made it work.” Ilya leaned his head against the cold windshield and closed his eyes. “I can't believe your parents want to go all the way to Florida to watch me play. This team is still coming together, making mistakes, and they still want to come and watch me play.”
“Us. They're coming all the way to Florida to watch us play.” Shane corrected.
“I think she was just being nice and did not want to make you jealous. They are making that trip for me, to watch me play, to cheer me on.”
“Fuck you.”
“Later.”
“Shut up! And I guess you may be right.”
“About what?”
“They are going to watch you. I can see Mom trying to connect with you. I think she feels left out because you and Dad seemed to have bonded so quickly.”
“What bonding? There is no bonding.”
“Ilya.”
“Shane?”
“My dad likes you a lot. And you like him. You both like the same things. It's okay to admit it.”
“Sounds like you are probably jealous. Perhaps the way things are going, it will just be a matter of time before they like me best.”
“That is never going to happen.”
“So jealous.”
“I'm not jealous.”
One Month Later
“I think we should take Ilya to The Columbia. I'm pretty sure I can reserve a private table in one of the smaller dining rooms,” David said. After a highly physical 3-1 loss, Shane did not feel like going out after the game. Yuna ordered room service, and Shane joined his parents in their suite. Tampa Bay had been on a winning streak, and tonight's win over Montreal made it eight straight. It was a close game, and Shane had hoped to put an end to their streak. He knew he was being childish, but he really hated losing. Ilya was blowing his phone up giving him shit for not ending Tampa Bay’s stretch.
“Sounds good, Dad. I'm sure he’ll like whatever you suggest. As much as this pains me to say this, it’s up to Ottawa now to cool them down,” Shane grumbled.
“It was a good game, Shane. Tampa is hot right now. I'd love to say Ottawa has a shot, and even though they're playing really hard, and Ilya has helped a lot, they still have a ways to go. I don’t see it happening.”
“How could you possibly know that?”
“You know your mother. She’s always right about these things. It would be nice to see them win, though,” David added. “I’d love to be able to celebrate with Ilya after the game.”
“Okay. I’ve got to ask. What’s up with you guys? Why was it so important to travel here to see him play? I mean to see us play?” Shane asked, not looking up from his salad.
“We’re all he’s got, Shane. Besides you, of course. It breaks my heart that you two have to hide your relationship and not be able to do the same stuff as other couples. Or, that we can’t just go out and have dinner with our son and his boyfriend, or hell, just be able to see our son’s boyfriend. I just want him to know that as long as you two are together that he’s got a family, and he is not alone.”
“He has his new teammates and still has friends from Boston. Plus, he has Svetlana. He's not alone.”
“No, of course he's not. I just couldn’t help but think how nice it could feel for us all to be out in public together, and not have to worry about who may or may not see us. Out of all the hockey cities, Tampa really is the best place where we could do that.”
“I guess that makes sense. Thanks, Mom, for trying to find ways to include him. It means a lot to us both. Keep this up and Ilya will truly start to believe that he’ll be the favorite son very soon.”
“Could be. I guess we’ll have to wait and see,” Yuna teased.
On Tuesday, Yuna and David had breakfast with Shane before his flight to San Francisco. Ilya’s flight was due to arrive at 4:30 later that afternoon. David made reservations for 7:30 that evening at The Columbia Restaurant, one of Tampa’s oldest and most popular restaurants.
At 7:45, Ilya joined his boyfriend’s parents in the Red Room at The Columbia. He looked around and noticed that there were only two other couples seated in the dining room. Yuna waved him over, and Ilya sat down. He took a moment to look around at the wine-colored walls and the paintings on the walls and ceiling. Built-in glass display cases filled with gold chalices gave the room an almost museum-quality feel to it. There was a pitcher of Sangria in the center of the table, and Yuna poured him a glass.
“Wow. This room reminds me of Russia,” Ilya remarked before taking a drink. David looked around.
“I didn’t even think of that. This is one of the smaller rooms here, and I thought it would be more private.”
“Yes, I like it.”
“How was your flight? All checked in at the hotel, okay?”
“Yes, Flight was good. Room is good. Now it is up to us to do what Montreal could not, and stop Tampa’s win streak. I know Shane wanted to get the win so badly. He played very well, though.”
“He did, and they did play well,” Yuna agreed. “But Tampa is hot right now. It’s hard to beat any team when they are hot. But, you know that.”
“Hmmm.” Ilya looked through the menu and decided to try the Palomilla, which was a classic Cuban steak (marinated top sirloin cut very thin), topped with chopped onion, parsley, and lime juice. David chose the same, while Yuma decided on a citrus marinated Mahi Mahi filet. They made small talk while they waited for their food.
Shortly before their dinners arrived, the other diners had finished their meals, and it was just the Hollanders and Ilya. Yuna noticed Ilya appeared to relax a little. As the tension in his neck and shoulders lessened, he talked a little louder and bolder than when he first arrived. A second pitcher of Sangria probably helped some, as well.
“Please tell me any story about when Shane was little boy,” Ilya said as he chewed his steak.
“Like what kind of story?” David asked.
“Anything. I just want to learn something new about Shane.”
“Oh, my God. I just remembered something.” Yuna grabbed David's hand. “Remember when he was six, and he was obsessed with the cartoon movie Anastasia? Every night before bed we had to watch it. He even said he wanted to be Russian when he grew up!” Yuna laughed.
“I don't believe that. You are lying,” Ilya said with a mouthful of food. His hazel eyes appeared to actually sparkle whenever he talked about Shane.
“I'm not! It’s true! Honey, tell him!”
“She’s telling the truth. He used to run around and pretend to be, oh man, I thought I would never forget those two guys' names…”
“Vladimir and Dimitri,” Ilya said. “I also loved that movie. I used to watch it with my mother. I loved watching Anastasia with her. This is exactly what I was hoping for. Thank you for sharing that with me. I cannot wait to tease him about liking Russians even as a little boy!”
“Huh, now that you mention it, that really is something, isn’t it?” David marvelled as he signalled to their server they were ready for the check.
“Don’t tease him too bad, Ilya. Shane can be a little sensitive sometimes.” Yuna told him as they waited for their Ubers.
“Oh, I know, but he knows I tease with love. He is big boy, he can handle it. Thank you for having dinner with me tonight. It beats whatever burgers we usually eat while on the road.”
“I'm really glad we did this, too, Ilya. I’m going to tell you what I tell Shane before a game. Be safe, play hard, and beat the Lightning!” Yuna told him, as she hugged Ilya goodbye. The embrace surprised him, and he hugged her back.
“I will try,” he whispered.
Ottawa scored first, and at the end of the first period, they were up 2-1. Ilya scored the second goal, and after he did, he looked in Yuna and David's direction and waved.
“You are going to hide that when Shane is around, right?” Yuna asked. David looked down at his Rozanov jersey he bought as soon as it was announced Ilya signed with the Centaurs.
“Why should I?”
“I don't know. You know how he gets sometimes. Ilya implied Shane may be getting a little jealous of all the attention we’re giving him.”
“I mean, it's not like I can really wear it all that much now, anyway. But once they retire, I'll be able to wear it more.” Yuna rolled her eyes and smiled.
“Yes, dear.”
In the middle of the second period, Yuna noticed something in the way Ilya was skating. When Tampa Bay tied the game, there was a bit of a scuffle on the ice, and Ilya was in the middle of it.
“I think something happened to Ilya’s ankle. He’s placing more weight on his left leg. Look,” she said, pointing to Ilya.
“I'm sure he's fine. You know how they both play through the pain.”
“I guess. I just hope it's not too bad…”
Two minutes into the third period, what Yuna suspected was just a sprain turned into something much worse. Two Tampa Bay players shoved Ilya hard into the boards, and within a matter of seconds, all three players fell to the ice. Ilya appeared to get the full weight of the Lightning players on top of him; all three players’ entangled limbs made it difficult for them to separate. The Tampa Bay players stood up first. They each held out their hands to help Ilya up, but he just sat on the ice motioning for the Centaurs trainer. Although it was hard to see, Yuna could tell Ilya was wincing. He was shaking his head, pointing to his right ankle, and the trainer signalled for more assistance. Yuna felt her phone buzz.
“I think I should go see if he's okay.” David told her, standing up.
“How are you going to do that?”
“I don't know, yet. I'll figure something out. Someone needs to be there for him.” David kissed Yuna’s cheek, and excused himself out of the suite.
David made his way down to the opposing players locker room. A security guard stopped him from entering the hallway.
“Sorry, sir. Only authorized personnel from this point.”
“Yeah, I know. I saw Rozanov being moved off the ice.”
“We don't allow fans past this point.”
“I need to check on him, if I can. Please.”
“And you are?”
“I'm not a fan. I'm uh, I'm-” At that moment, David saw Ilya on a stretcher being wheeled down the hallway. The moment Ilya saw David he smiled, grimaced, and tried to sit up.
“David! He’s good, please. Let him in. It's all good.” The security guard looked at Ilya and then back at David. He stepped aside and motioned for David to go through the archway. He followed the stretcher to an empty room where there was a portable X-Ray machine and an exam table.
While the tech was getting everything ready, David approached Ilya and placed his hand on his shoulder.
“How are you doing, Son?” Ilya looked up, eyes wide.
“Not good. Probably bad. I think I tore my Achilles. I felt it pull in the second, and then felt the pop when those idiots fell on me.”
“Yuna saw it happen. She was hoping she was wrong, but she has this sixth sense when it comes to injuries…” Ilya tried to adjust to a sitting position when he saw David’s jersey.
“What is that you are wearing? Is that my number?” David looked down.
“Uh, yeah, it is. I actually preordered it after they announced your signing.” Before Ilya could respond, the tech cleared his throat.
“Sir, I need to ask you to step out while I shoot the X-ray. It won't be long,” the tech told them.
“I'll be right back,” David said, patting Ilya on his shoulder.
A few minutes later the team doctor joined them in the quiet room and performed an abbreviated examination of Ilya's right ankle.
“The X-ray showed no fracture, but I think you tore your Achilles. We won't know how bad until we get you home, and you get an MRI. The Centaurs are making arrangements now to fly you back tonight and are scheduling the MRI first thing tomorrow morning. For now, I'm putting you in a boot, and you are to be non-weightbearing. How bad is the pain?”
“It’s okay. I’ve been hurt worse.”
“I’ll give you some meds to help with the pain and swelling.”
“What happens after MRI?”
“Depending on the results, you could either be having surgery later in the day, or waiting for it to heal.”
“How long will I be in the hospital?”
“Hopefully you won’t be. It is an outpatient procedure. Do you feel like you got hurt anywhere else?”
Ilya leaned back on the exam table and folded his arms. “No, just my ankle. Thank you, Doctor.”
“Try and get some rest.” The doctor walked out and left David and Ilya alone.
“Ilya, I want you to know that Yuna and I will be here for you, and if you need anything-”
“Thank you, Mr. Hollander, but I will be fine. I have a friend I can call to help me out in the next few weeks. I, um, thank you.”
“I'm going to try to move our flight to tomorrow, that is, if Yuna didn't already do so. What I'm trying to say is that we're not going to let you go through surgery alone, even if it is outpatient. I know Shane will feel better if we are there. We will, too, if I'm being honest.”
“I, I do not know what to say. Thank you. Please thank Yuna for me.”
“I will. Keep us posted, Son.”
“I will.”
The moment the plane landed and Ilya turned his phone’s airplane mode off, he saw the string of texts from his coach, teammates, Svetlana, and Shane.
It was after 8 pm by the time Shane let himself into Ilya’s condo.
Shane tried to not let the anxiety completely overtake him, but when his connecting flight was delayed due to mechanical issues, that was easier said than done. Ilya texted Shane throughout the morning to let him know the MRI showed a complete rupture of his right Achilles tendon. Surgery was scheduled for 11 later that morning. After that, Yuna and David kept Shane updated while Shane waited in Dallas.
The surgery had no complications, and he was released to go home a little after 4:00. Yuna and David arrived at the surgery center while Ilya was in recovery. He was surprised and relieved when he saw them after he woke up. A small part of him did not think they would really be there. Yuna assured him multiple times that they wanted to look after him. After they drove Ilya home, David ordered Ilya's favorite take out. Before they left at 7, Yuna made sure Ilya had everything he needed, and was settled and comfortable. As comfortable as he could be, at least.
“If you need anything, anything at all, you call us. It doesn't matter what time,” Yuna told him as she fluffed a pillow behind his back and kissed him on the top of his head.
“I don’t want to bother you.”
“You won’t. Now promise you’ll call if you need anything. Anything at all.” Yuna could be very persuasive.
“I will. I promise, but Shane will be getting here soon. I will be fine.”
“I really wish he wasn’t driving after such a long day, but I get it. He needs to make sure you’re okay.” Ilya nodded. He needed to make sure Shane was okay, as well.
“I’ll be by tomorrow afternoon to check on you,” David told him.
“Okay. I, uh, thank you. For everything.”
“No need to thank us. Get some rest,” Yuna gave him another kiss, and then Ilya was left alone, patiently waiting for Shane.
“Hey,” Shane approached Ilya and kissed him gently on his lips before sitting next to him.
Ilya smiled and threaded his fingers with Shane’s. “Hey, yourself. You look like how I felt yesterday.”
“Thanks. It’s been a helluva day. Seriously, though. How are you feeling?”
“Better. Now that you are here. The surgeon said time was on my side. I should have a full recovery and be ready for next season.”
“I'm sorry. I know you really wanted to finish the season strong with your new team.”
“Meh. It was my time, I guess. Besides, I will still be present for all games. I need to make my presence known. What about you? Are you okay? I know you don't like it when the airplane has issues. Your mom told me it was a mechanical problem?”
“I don't want to talk about that. Hayden helped keep me sane. Luckily he thought it was just the plane issues that were freaking me out. I wanted to be here so bad. Maybe we need to revisit coming out. I don't want to ever be in this situation again where I feel like I can't even check on you to make sure you are okay. I hate knowing you were alone,” Shane rested his head on Ilya’s chest, and Ilya ran his arm along Shane’s back. He saw the tears glistening in Shane’s eyes, and he tilted Shane’s jaw to kiss him.
“Hey. Hey. We're good. I'm good. And you're here now. I wasn't alone. Your parents were here, and Svetlana will be arriving tomorrow, so she can help me out for a few days.”
“I hate this. I don't want to leave you. I should be the one taking care of you,” Shane mumbled.
“You have to go back to your team. You have a game tomorrow night. You can’t take care of me.”
“But I want to. At least the next few games are home games, so I can make the drive to see you.”
“We’ll see. It’s a lot of driving Shane.”
“You’re worth it.”
“This is very true. But I do not want you to get in accident because you are too tired to drive. I guess this was something we did not think about that could happen during the season. I mean, of course we both know we could get hurt, but…”
“But now that it really happened, it sucks.”
“Yes, it does suck. There is nothing we can do about that at this time. I will be okay. We will be okay. But, if you are serious about wanting us to come out, we can talk about it. Maybe after the season ends, yes?” Ilya felt Shane nod his head against his chest.
“That makes sense. I don’t think I have the bandwidth in me to do it now. It was just something I thought about all day.”
“Me, too, moya lyubov.”
“I don’t want to leave. I don't want to leave you.”
“You don't have to leave right now, right?”
“I don't.”
“That means you can take care of me tonight, right?”
“Right.”
Six Weeks Later
Yuna sat with Ilya as they waited for the doctor.
“You really did not have to be here, Yuna. I can handle seeing the doctor myself.” Yuna smiled and patted Ilya’s knee.
“I know that. I promised Shane. Like I told you, I wanted to be here. This six week follow up is important. And, maybe I wanted to come for myself. Is that okay, Ilya?” They found out the day of Ilya’s surgery that because of privacy practices in place, no one had to know that Shane Hollander’s parents were taking care of Ilya Rozanov.
“It is. Thank you.”
“You don't have to thank me.”
“No. Not about today. Thank you for everything you and David did for me these last few weeks. After Svetlana left, you both helped me so much. I have been so used to ordering everything to be delivered for so long, I think I may have forgotten what home cooked meals tasted like.” Ilya looked down at his belly and patted it. “I don't even want to know how much weight I've gained!” he laughed.
“You'll lose whatever weight you've gained as soon as you start working out again. We, and when I say we, I mean David, have enjoyed cooking for you. We haven't made family sized dinners since before Shane got drafted. It has been really nice for us, as well. I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you, Ilya. And I really hope we can continue to see you regularly. Maybe Sunday dinner when you are not traveling? If you would like that, I mean. We won't be offended if-”
“I would like, very much so!” Ilya interrupted. Yuna reached over and grabbed Ilya's hand, squeezed, and nodded. “I'm still getting used to all of this…” Ilya said, his voice trailing off.
“Getting used to what, Sweetheart?”
“It's silly. Never mind…”
“No. Tell me, please,” Yuna prodded.
“Me being the one who is being taken care of. You and David not demanding or wanting anything in return,” Ilya sighed.
“Oh, we do want something in return…” Ilya looked at Yuna. For a brief moment Ilya thought his heart stopped beating as his chest tightened.
“We want you to never worry that you are bothering us if you call or text us. We want you to just walk into our home and not knock. We want to have dinner together once a week, time and schedules permitting. We want you to heal completely. We want you to lead your team with the confidence we know you have. We want you and Shane to be happy, and to some day not have to hide your relationship,” Yuna told him, still holding his hand. She whispered the last part even though they were alone in the exam room. Ilya’s eyes glistened with tears, and he looked away from his boyfriend’s mother. “Hey,” she cupped Ilya’s jaw and turned him to face her. “If that is too much, you can say so. I know I can get very demanding when I want to be.”
“Oh, I know. And, I am okay with all your wants. If you are sure,” he whispered back. Yuna cleared her throat, stood up, and fluffed Ilya’s hair before kissing him on top of his head.
“I’m so very sure.”
Later that evening, Shane woke Ilya by peppering his cheek and neck with soft kisses and gently rubbing his arm. Ilya opened his eyes and smiled wide.
“What time is it?” He asked sitting up, his accent thick with sleep.
“Late, or early, depending on how you want to look at it. I have an off day tomorrow, or more like today, I guess?. I wanted to see you to celebrate you not having to wear your boot. More like, I needed to see you. How are you feeling?” Ilya texted Shane as soon as he got the news that his ankle was healing ahead of schedule, and he could begin light physical therapy, as well as no longer having to wear his boot.
“Good. I’m good. Doctor said I am model patient, and by not pushing myself, my ankle could heal faster. It’s not like I could do anything even if I wanted to with your parents watching me like hawk.” Shane loved it when Ilya would try to use a new idiom.
“I’m glad they were here for you when I couldn’t. Thank you for letting them take care of you.” Ilya shrugged.
“Like I had a choice. Your mother is very persuasive and demanding. So demanding…”
“Should I talk to her and tell her to take a step back?” Ilya waved his hand back and forth.
“No. What’s done is done. Besides, I can tell her myself when we have Sunday dinner. No big deal.” Shane’s eyes widened.
“Sunday dinner? What are you talking about?”
“Dinner. On Sundays. We are going to be having Sunday dinner together. Oh. I see. You are jealous they want to have Sunday dinner with their new favorite son. No need to be jealous, Shane. They still love you,” Ilya teased.
“I’m not jealous. Just surprised I guess. I’m happy for you. I am.” Ilya took one hand and squeezed Shane’s cheeks before kissing him hard on the lips.
“You may want to tell your face that.”
“Come on. I’m beat. Let’s go to bed.”
“Let’s watch a movie,” Ilya said as he searched for the movie he wanted to watch with Shane. They slept in late, savoring the morning cuddles they both miss while being apart. Shane made them both a hearty brunch before catching up on some much needed alone time. Shane was still deciding whether he should drive back to Montreal that evening, or just get up early in the next morning and leave. As the afternoon sun faded into a beautiful sunset, they both knew Shane would be leaving in the morning.
“Okay. I’ll make some popcorn.” Shane froze as soon as he heard the narrator from the movie speak. He held the popcorn and two drinks and stood by the couch watching Anastasia accept the gift from her grandmother, and smiled when he saw Dimitri being whisked away. He placed the popcorn and drinks down, grabbed the remote, and paused the movie.
“What are you doing?”
“What? We said we were going to watch a movie.”
“Yes, but why did you choose this movie?” Ilya did not even try to hide his amusement at watching Shane’s cheeks turn a light shade of pink.
“I was in the mood for nostalgia. What? Have you not seen it? It is very good movie.”
“For kids! And, yes, I have seen it. In fact… You know what? Never mind...”
“In fact, what, Dimitri? That you used to watch this particular movie every night when you were six years old? And that you would pretend to be Dimitri and Vladimir?” Shane covered his face with his hands and plopped down next to Ilya.
“Oh my God. This was my mother’s doing, wasn't it?” he mumbled through his fingers. Ilya laughed and pulled his boyfriend into a bear hug and kissed his head.
“Maybe. Yes. Probably. What? I think it’s cute. Your favorite movie when you were little boy was about Russians, you wanted to be Russian, and now, years later, you have your very own Russian!” Shane rolled his eyes.
“Shut up! Are we going to watch this, or what?”
“Da, moya lyubov.”