Chapter Text
February 13, 2021
Shane is up much later than he normally would be, but tomorrow is Valentine’s day and he is working on a special project for Ilya. His fiance.
He isn’t used to working up to the last minute, and it is starting to stress him out. He actually started this last week thinking it would take at most a day.
He was wrong.
Shane leans back on the couch taking a deep breath, closing his eyes and rolling his neck back and forth. He exhales, sits up a bit, adjusts his glasses, and looks at his phone. Shane has spent the last few hours editing a TikTok.
He didn’t even have a TikTok account until earlier this week when he began this video.
With Valentine’s day coming up he has been racking his brain trying to think of something extra special for Ilya with this being their first Valentine’s day as fiances. They’ve never really done anything big for Valentine’s day before, but Shane has been feeling extra sentimental since their fight and the plane incident.
Typically Shane would have planned a nice date night at home, but Ilya has a game tomorrow night, so they made plans to get together next week. He still wants to give Ilya something on Valentine’s day. He really wants to get him something special and Ilya is the one who actually inspired the TikTok idea.
Ilya has a TikTok account and was showing Shane how easy it is to make videos and throw funny audios or songs on top. It looked user friendly and simple. Shane has been slowly gathering clips of him and Ilya throughout their relationship to put together into a video montage.
Shane has been here for hours today, and throughout this past week. Editing, replacing clips, changing the music, adding text, deleting text, and he finally is happy with it...he thinks.
He wants it to be perfect. He knows only him and Ilya are going to watch it, but he wants it to look good and not like a toddler made it.
“Ok, I’m going to watch it one more time. Just to make sure everything looks good and then I’m going to sleep.” Shane mumbles to himself feeling like he is about to pass out. He’ll send this to Ilya tomorrow morning at the same time his flowers will be delivered to his house. Lilies for my Lily.
Shane previews his very first TikTok.
Fools Rush In by Kinna Grannis (Crazy Rich Asians Soundtrack) begins to play.
Wise men say
“Only fools rush in”
But I can’t help falling in love with you
Black screen with the text “Happy Valentines Day” in an elegant font is shown on the screen fading into a clip of Shane and Ilya playing in the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championships. Then a quick clip of them holding their jerseys from the Draft in Los Angeles. Fading into the clip of them skating towards each other laughing and grinning at the CCM shoot before Rookie Season.
Shall I stay?
Would it be a sin?
If I can’t help falling in love with you
Clips of their face-offs and hockey highlights playing against each other play back to back. Each clip has the year written in the corner slowly counting up from 2010 all the way up to 2017 where it ends on the All Star Game pausing on the cheek kiss and fading to black.
Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Somethings are meant to be
The video shifts from professional videos to Shane’s cottage home camera system. Ilya and Shane are in the back yard of the cottage running to the lake. Then Ilya and Shane in the home gym working out Ilya has his head thrown back laughing at something Shane has said. These clips fade into Ilya’s Ottawa Home camera system where he is forcing Shane to dance with him in the kitchen as they make dinner. The last clip of them cuddling on the couch with Anya, Ilya and Shane just staring into each other's eyes and smiling.
So take my hand
Take my whole life, too
For I can’t help falling in love with you
For I can’t help falling in love with you
The next clip is still from the Ottawa home camera system. Shane is leading Ilya into the living room by his hand. The living room is filled with electric candles everywhere. Shane sinks to one knee in front of Ilya. He reaches into his pocket pulling out a ring holding it between them. Moments later Shane is getting up and they are embracing, kissing, crying and the video fades to black with the text “Ya tebya lyublyu”.
Shane is crying. “Well, I’m glad I won’t be watching it with him. He’d never let me live down crying over a video I made.” He chuckles as he works on posting the TikTok privately, so the video will download to his phone and he can share it with Ilya tomorrow.
He chuckles a bit thinking about how Ilya will react and if he thinks Shane is creepy for stealing his home camera videos...or that Shane has saved some of his own from over the years at the cottage.
Shane double checks that the video downloaded into his photos app, before plugging in his phone and going to bed.
Shane wakes up before his alarm to a video call ringing. Shifting in bed and grabbing his phone he sees Lily on the screen. He smiles sitting up in bed and swipes to answer. Ilya is on his screen smiling and . . . his eyes are a bit wet and red rimmed.
“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” He instantly is more awake seeing Ilya wipe a residual tear out of the corner of his eye.
“Moya Lyubov, Happy Valentine's Day.” Shane just blinks at him confused.
“Happy Valentine's Day” He says quickly. “Ilya, what’s wrong? Is it because we aren’t together today or has something happened-”
Ilya interrupts him. “No, yes, maybe both.” He clears his throat. “I love you so much. Nothing terrible has happened. Yes, I miss you today especially, but I need to tell you something.”
Shane has never seen Ilya so happy and anxious maybe. He really is having a hard time understanding Ilya and how he is feeling at this moment. “Please, just tell me what’s going on. I don’t think I understand.”
“I saw the video.”
“What video?”
“Moy lyubimyy, you made me most beautiful Valentine's day video. That is why I am crying. I- I never thought I would get to see us over all these years in one place. We have that documentary, but this- this shows the real us.” Ilya pauses to clear his throat again. “I love you so much and I am so excited to spend the rest of my life as your husband. I wish I was with you right now.”
Shane is tearing up and has to take a moment before speaking. “How did you see the video already? I was going to send it to you this morning with your flowers, shit, sorry I guess those aren’t a surprise either. Did I send it to you last night? I was so tired I guess I forgot.”
Ilya gives him a look. Shane doesn’t quite understand. Is it pity?
“You posted it.”
“What do you mean?”
“You posted it to your TikTok. User @HockeyFan2481 posted the video late last night and it’s everywhere.”
Yup, it was a pity look.
How could this have happened? He posted it privately. He watched a youtube tutorial on how to change the settings. They aren’t supposed to come out until this summer. Oh my god. He said it’s everywhere. Everyone has seen it. No one except Ilya was supposed to see it.
“Hey, hey, hey. Breathe. Breathe.” Shane looks back at his phone taking a deep breath with Ilya. “Everything is ok. We just moved the timeline up a bit.” Ilya smirks back at Shane
“I’m so sorry.” Shane can’t believe he just outed them.
“It’s ok. Honestly, maybe it is better this way. Hard launch. That’s what the rookies are calling it.”
“Huh?”
“My team are all very excited for us. They have been blowing up the team group chat and the rookies are calling it the most epic hard launch of all time.” Ilya smiles at Shane. “I have also quickly looked online and it’s all mostly positive. Of course, assholes here and there, but mostly people are happy for us. Everything will be ok.”
“Ok, so what do we do now?” Shane asks. Ilya blinks back at him.
“Me? You are asking me for plan?” Ilya points at his chest. Shane laughs for the first time this morning, the anxiety slowly fading as he stares at his beautiful fiance.
“Yeah, ok. I guess I am usually the planner. I just, I don’t even know where to start. My team is probably pissed. Hayden will be fine, but JJ is going to hate that I didn’t tell him. Rose will be good, and of course Mom and Dad.” Shane pauses and looks at Ilya.
At the same time they say “Yuna” “Mom” and smile.
“Mom will definitely already have a plan. I bet she has already tried calling me.” Shane sighs. “I should go and call her. I’m sorry again and I am even more sorry that we won’t be together today.”
“Ah, yes very Canadian of you sorry sorry sorry. Moy Lyubov, I have already said everything is ok. I love you and wish we were together today, but now I must get ready to win game for my fiance that told whole world how much he loves me. Every goal I score will be for you.” Ilya says with a wink.
“Ya tebya lyublyu.”
“Ya tebya lyublyu, text me how it goes with Yuna.” Shane nods and Ilya blows him a kiss and hangs up.
“Fuck.” Shane lets his head hit the wall behind him. A few moments later a call comes in from his Mom. Ilya probably texted her.
Shane accepts the call holding the phone up to his ear. “Hi, Mom.”
“I know the video wasn’t meant for the world, but Shane that video was-” Shane hears his mom sniffle a bit over the phone and her voice is thick with emotion as she says “that video was beautiful. I know your Dad and I didn't get to experience you and Ilya falling in love, but I feel like we got to be there with you in a way. Looking back at everything it feels silly to have not noticed the way you two gravitated toward each other, all of the looks, and private smiles. Honey, it really was a lovely video. I didn’t realize you knew how to make TikToks.” Shane chuckles at his mom.
“Thank you, Mom, but I think we have bigger things to talk about.”
“Right. I have already been in contact with Farah and your team's management. Do not worry about any of that. Everything has been taken care of and you will continue business as usual.”
“Mom, you know the team dynamics have been off ever since I came out to them. I doubt Coach or any of the team's management are thrilled about this.”
“I know, Honey. Trust me that we’ve handled it. Your teammates I have no control over, but- and I hate to say this, you are a free agent at the end of this year. See how they are for the rest of the season and play it by ear.”
Shane is stunned to hear his Mom, the biggest Montreal fan he knows say that. I mean he really hadn’t thought about leaving, but he also really doesn’t expect his team to be ok with this. Shane sighs dreading looking at the team group chat or going into practice tomorrow morning.
“Ok. So what do I do now?” Shane asks glad his Mom has at least handled his Coach.
“Well . . . I had an idea, but I don’t know how you’ll feel about it.”
“Mom, I trust you. What are you thinking?”
“Come to Ottawa and meet me at our house. I want to discuss it in person. I know Ilya will be gone at his game, but maybe you’ll even get to see him for a bit after his game. Either way we will make sure you are home for practice tomorrow morning.”
“Ok, I probably shouldn’t be alone today anyway. I’ll be too tempted to go online. I’ll see you in a few hours. I love you.”
“See you soon, love you.” Yuna hangs up the phone and starts typing away on her phone grinning.