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Shane’s family has never been big on Hallmark celebrations. Yuna Hollander is not the sort of person to buy into corporate bullshit, and Shane grew up knowing his hockey gear and lessons were thanks to his parents and not Santa. Shane was also the sort of child who had too many questions and found the idea of a strange man entering their house at Christmas after watching him all year unnerving so that may have contributed to Santa never giving any important gifts.
The Hollanders are the sort of family who show love and support throughout the year with small gestures and enjoying whatever quiet time Shane’s schedule allows them to have together. He’s lucky to have parents who show up to his games and show their support for both him and his husband every day, and he’s so happy he gets to share this love with Ilya.
Ilya has been nothing short of incredible this past year. Adjusting to a new team, Shane no longer being a captain, dealing with the fallout of being outed and starting what has turned out to be a surprisingly public married life could’ve broken other couples, but they’ve come out stronger and somehow more in love than ever. There have been tough moments but life has been good. Life has been really good. Life has been so much better than Shane ever let himself dream it could be from the other side of the closet. Hell, it took him years to even admit he was in a closet and now he gets to wear his husband’s name on his hyphenated jersey. The fact that they’re not only still together but are happily married and playing on the same team is a miracle. A miracle they fought against for years but one they’ve also fought like hell to have.
They get to love out loud now, and they’re taking every opportunity they can to savour every special moment. June will already be a wonderful month celebrating - hopefully - their first joint Stanley Cup win and Ilya’s birthday but Shane wants to do more to celebrate Ilya. Maybe they don’t need a date on a calendar to show their love - they make an effort every day - but you can’t blame Shane for wanting to go the extra mile now that he can.
As Father's Day approaches, Shane starts thinking. He can’t wait to have kids with Ilya in the future when they’re retired, but isn’t Ilya already a wonderful papa to Anya? Shane feels like that should be celebrated. He knows just how much Anya means to his husband, and how much she helped last season when Shane couldn’t be there for Ilya all of the time. He knows it’s a complicated day for Ilya given his difficult relationship with his dad, and no amount of Hollander Father’s Days celebrating David will erase that. Yes, Ilya has a new father-in-law who loves him like a son - Shane jokes that Ilya is the favourite child and couldn’t really blame his parents if he was - but it’s still a day that carries hurt. But it doesn’t mean Shane can’t help reclaim the day and bring new happy memories.
And so an idea takes hold when he’s babysitting for the Pike brood on a visit to Montreal. He mentions wanting to make a card to the biggest little Pikes and Ruby and Jade are fully on board. They even have glitter and glitter markers. Shane may not be the biggest fan of glitter, but he feels like it’s probably one of Ilya’s guilty pleasures, like Sabrina Carpenter or his concerning collection of Labubus. That is if Ilya had guilty pleasures. The man doesn’t seem to be capable of feeling embarrassment, and it’s one of the many, many things Shane loves about him. So Shane grabs some glitter and a gluestick and tries to get creative, much to the twins’ delight.
Except it doesn’t end with a card. Not even close.
Shane decides that a card on its own might feel a bit sad or lacklustre, so he turns to internet shopping. Then he worries that it might be weird to celebrate Ilya as a pawrent without celebrating Anya too, and he doesn’t want their poor girl to get jealous. So she ends up with a ton of presents and suddenly he’s preparing for a dog daddy holiday partially of his own creation as he falls down Amazon and Temu rabbit holes he only finds his way out of with a credit card or two. Call it his way of dealing with playoff stress. Plus it’s during Pride Month and anyone who has an issue with him expressing his love for his husband and dog is frankly homophobic.
A couple of days before Father’s Day, Shane is busy wrapping presents and realising just how overboard he might have gone when he gets a text from Hayden.
Hayden: Please tell me why my children want to make a father’s day card for their Uncle Ilya.
Hayden: What am I, a sperm donor?
Shane: Hahahaha
Shane: Ilya would probably say yes
Shane: And that your kids and wife are your only good qualities
Hayden: Why do they want to give Rozanov father’s day cards?
Hayden: He did not birth any of my children.
Shane: I mean neither did you?
Hayden: Shut up, you know what I mean.
Hayden: The man has only birthed chaos.
Shane: I really don’t know what you mean
Shane: He’s not the one who shared a video of me and Ilya kissing
Hayden: You know I am so sorry about that
Shane: And please stop apologising. Everything worked out
Shane: [picture of Shane and Ilya kissing the Stanley Cup]
Hayden: Yeah, yeah, congrats again.
Hayden: The point is, they wanted to make Ilya cards because you were making a father’s day card for Ilya when you babysat last week.
Shane: And?
Shane: I was making a father’s day card for Ilya
Hayden: WHAT?!?
Shane: I can play hockey and like arts and crafts
Shane: I contain fricking multitudes
Shane: [picture of Shane and Ilya kissing in front of the Stanley Cup
Shane: [picture of him making cards with the Pike twins featuring a lot of glitter]
Shane: See? Multitudes
Hayden: No, I don’t care about that.
Hayden: I mean is there any news you want to tell me???
Hayden: Or do you not trust me with secrets now?
Hayden: Which is fair.
Shane: I trust you. I don’t trust your social media skills.
Shane: But no news apart from a cup
Shane: [picture of the Stanley Cup visiting the Hollander-Rozanov trophy room]
Hayden: So why the father’s day card?
Shane: I was making Ilya a card from Anya
Shane: Because he is our furbaby’s papa
Shane: [picture of a glittery card with an attempt at a drawing of a dog, Anya’s pawprint in paint and the words ‘To My Favorite Pawrent’]
Shane: Are you happy?
Hayden: …
Hayden: I’m not really sure how to answer that.
Hayden: That’s a lot of glitter
Shane: I didn’t say I was good at arts and crafts, okay?
Hayden: Who drew the dog?
Hayden: I know the twins are better at art than that.
Shane: Fuck off, the drawing is mine
Shane: Congrats, you now know the two things I’m bad at
Shane: Drawing and sex with women
Shane: Three things if you count losing Stanley Cups
Shane: [picture of the Stanley Cup in Shane and Ilya’s bed]
Hayden: Jesus Christ
Hayden: I’m honestly sorry I messaged today
Shane: [shrugging emoji]
Shane: [picture of Shane and Ilya’s left hands, with wedding and stanley cup rings on their wedding fingers and the cup out of focus in the background]
Hayden: I used to think you were normal but you’re just as bad as Ilya.
Hayden: You’re perfect for each other.
Shane: I know :)
*
On Father’s Day, Shane wakes up early to wrangle Anya into her Father’s Day outfit, which is no mean feat. Trying to get Anya to wear an outfit is a bit like trying to get her to take a bath. She turns into a wriggly octopus and her paws and tail somehow multiply. Shane accidentally puts her tail through an armhole - or pawhole? - three times before finally getting her into her outfit that says ‘I Love My Papa’ with a picture of her and Ilya on it. Shane also has a similar shirt on, except his says ‘I Love Anya’s Papa’. Ilya will soon be wearing a shirt that says ‘World’s Best Pawrent’. Yes, Shane will be taking a ridiculous number of photos today.
In his defence, the prices for three custom designs instead of one weren’t that different, especially as the same picture of Ilya and Anya is on all three, and it’s only the text that changes. And Shane did have a lot of fun designing the shirts. And, not that he needs to justify his expenditures to anyone given his and Ilya’s combined salaries, but he loves being able to wear a shirt with his husband and furbaby’s faces on it. Sue him.
Shane moves the two cakes he’s had made out of the garage and into the fridge - there’s one for Ilya and a dog-safe cake for Anya - and makes a start on breakfast. He frequently has ‘if rookie Shane could see me now’ moments, and this is another one for the books as he uses dog and dogbone shaped cookie cutters to make toast which he tops with smashed avocado and poached eggs. He’s aware how ridiculous he is, but he’s also ridiculously happy. Shane puts their breakfast on a tray along with Anya’s - Shane will not be taking any questions on how much he’s spent on dog crockery, thank you very much - and heads up to the bedroom with Anya at his heels.
He’s relieved to see Ilya is still fast asleep when he walks into their bedroom - the banner, balloons and gifts he set up earlier look quite good if Shane says so himself - and Shane carefully places the food at the bottom of the bed before patting the pillow next to Ilya for Anya, who promptly jumps up and barks until Ilya wakes up.
‘Good morning my darlings,’ Ilya coos as he wakes up and finds his girl and his husband next to him. Ilya gives Anya a cuddle and leans in to kiss Shane before taking in their outfits and the decorations. ‘Shane, what is happening?’
‘We’re celebrating you because you’re the world’s best pawrent.’ Shane grins and gestures to the sign that confirms Ilya is indeed the best pawrent.
‘I don’t understand?’ Ilya rubs his eyes.
‘It’s father’s day and you’re the best papa Anya could wish for so we wanted to say thank you and let you know how much I-’ Shane stops as Anya barks, ‘Sorry, how much we love you.’
Shane hands out the card - as well as four cards from the Pike children which arrived in the post with a less than happy message from Hayden - which Ilya opens before bursting into tears.
'Happy tears, I promise. Thank you.' Ilya says.
'I hope you like it.'
'Oh. Shane!’ Ilya gasps. ‘Oh my god your shirts. I love them.’
'You have one too.' Shane says and grabs the parcel the shirt is wrapped in.'
'You are the best ever.' Ilya beams as he rips into the parcel and immediately puts the shirt on. 'I am never taking this off.'
‘I know this is stupid but you’re the best thing to happen to both of us. The idea might have gotten away from me a bit…’ Shane admits as he gestures to the decorations, gifts and breakfast.
‘Is perfect.’ Ilya declares happily.
‘Really?’
‘I think this is one of my favourite days ever. Easily top five. Along with our engagement, wedding, cup win and first hook-up. No offence to my first cup win.’ Ilya laughs and kisses Shane again. ‘You are perfect and I love you.’
Anya barks happily.
‘And I love you too, my precious little girl. I think you have the best daddy.’ Ilya gives her a cuddle.
‘No, you’re the best.’ Shane frowns. ‘And I have the banner, shirts and cakes to prove it. No arguments.’
‘If we can both win the Stanley Cup, we can both be best pawrents.’ Ilya argues seriously. ‘I have no presents for you but I can find other ways to show you later…’
‘I will never say no to that,’ Shane smiles, ‘but first, breakfast and presents.’
They demolish breakfast and then start on the presents. Ilya insists on taking a selfie with Shane and Anya before anything is opened and Shane absolutely doesn’t feel his heart making any weird flutters. And he doesn't feel any kind of way about how one day they might be celebrating today with human babies that might be part Shane or part Ilya. Nope. Absolutely not.
They help Anya open up a plethora of dog toys and treats first and only raises a questioning eyebrow once to Shane before fondly muttering ‘And you say I spoil her.’
‘Oh, you do. I just spoil her too.’ Shane admits happily, deciding that true love is his husband not asking him how much he's spent on dog presents. ‘And I might spoil you too but you deserve it.’
Once Anya is happily playing with a new squeaky ice hockey puck toy, Ilya opens up his own presents. There are a couple of silly pawrent gifts - coffee mugs with Anya’s face and a massive blanket also with Anya’s face printed on it for them to take on roadies where she can’t join them - as well as a couple of new board games, new headphones and a kindle for Ilya, and some framed photos of the three of them. Shane also had a 1500 piece jigsaw made of one of his favorite pictures of Ilya for them to make with David later.
‘Thank you, baby. I love everything. And thank you my perfect Anya.’ Ilya smiles.
‘This is kind of for both of you.’ Shane explains as he holds out one final parcel. It’s a new leash and dog coat which is pride coloured, along with three pride flags - two rainbow and a one bisexual. ‘I thought we could go to Ottawa Pride this month and take Anya wearing this. If you want to go, that is, of course. No pressure.’
He’s had the idea for a while. Pride always felt like an unattainable goal for them, but why should it be?
‘Oh my god, yes. Anya will look so cute. Can you wear something slutty? Can I wear something slutty?’ Ilya’s eyes light up.
‘Yes and yes.’ Shane laughs.
‘Maybe we just wear nothing but pride tape over jocks.’
‘That sounds painful.’ Shane winces but already knows he’ll probably do it to make his husband smile.
‘Okay, I will workshop ideas.’ Ilya grins happily. ‘But do not worry, all my ideas will be slutty.’
‘Imagine my surprise.’ Shane laughs.
‘Please, I need more photos. And then did you say there is cake?’ Ilya says.
'Not only is there cake but I made a pin the tail on Anya game.' Shane grins, and Ilya looks alarmed. 'It's a fun game, and no Anyas will be harmed. I'll show you how to play.'
'Okay. I hope there isn't dog piñata.' Ilya jokes.
'I thought about it but it felt a bit wrong.' Shane agrees.
'Phew. Now, more photos please.' Ilya smiles.
He scoops Anya and her puck toy up and Shane happily pulls a cheesy grin for the camera as Ilya takes some pictures of the card as well as the three of them in their matching shirts. He picks a few to text to Shane’s parents, the Centaurs group chat and to post to his instagram. Shane can’t find it in himself to be embarrassed. People already know he’s down bad for Ilya; it doesn’t matter if they know just how badly. Hell, he might even get some of these printed and framed.
Shane grins as he opens up the Centaurs group chat on his phone where there are already a few goodnatured chirps waiting for him about how in love he Shane. They’re not wrong. He loves his life. He loves his little family. And he's definitely making this a tradition.