The Kraken stirs.

January 2015 - All-Star game in Toronto

It’s the All-Star game, and Rozanov has just snuck into Shane’s hotel room after the game. Rozanov’s team just defeated Shane’s in overtime, so he’s a little bit moody about it.

Just as Rozanov is shutting the door, Shane notices something on top his open suitcase sitting on the luggage rack—his stuffed lion.

Yes, Shane still had his childhood stuffed animal. But it’s not like he needed to sleep with it every night. Just… when he’s home. He never packs it on road trips. He’s just gotten used to sleeping with something in his arms ever since he has been since a baby. When he’s home, he sleeps holding his stuffed lion, Leo. He doesn’t bring him to away games because he’s too nervous to lose him, or for his teammates to make fun of him. Instead he just rolls up a sweatshirt or blanket to sleep with instead. It doesn’t matter what he’s holding, he just needs something in his arms.

Shane’s not sure how Leo got into his suitcase; he must have been tangled in a sweater or something when he was packing. He just knows as sure as shit that he does not want Rozanov to see it. He will never let Shane live it down.

He tries to avert his eyes from the suitcase and put on a feigned calmness, but Shane’s never been a good actor. He shows everything on his face.

Of course, Rozanov, the asshole, spots Leo right away.

“Who is this?!” Rozanov exclaims, already picking up the lion from the suitcase.

Shane makes it across the room in two big steps, and shuts his suitcase on Rozanov’s hand.

“It’s nothing—let’s just get to it.” Shane can tell his entire face is red, the blush creeping into his ears.

Rozanov pulls his hand out of the suitcase, still gripping Leo’s leg with one hand.

“You sleep with a toy, Hollander?”

“No!” Shane protests. “I packed him by accident, all right? Please can we just get naked now,” Shane pleads.

Rozanov chuckles. “Okay, okay. Let me put Mr. Lion back though. We don’t want him to see.”

Shane rolls his eyes but opens the suitcase again so Rozanov can deposit Leo back inside.

After they’re finished. Shane slumped on Rozanov’s chest, still panting, Rozanov brings it back up.

“You know Hollander, there is nothing to be shy about. Your toy is cute. What is her name?”

Shane rolls his eyes. “His name is Leo.”

———

October 2017 - Montreal

Shane gets a photo message from Ilya. He just left Boston yesterday, their first time seeing each other since leaving the cottage a few weeks ago. Shane had been extremely nervous to see his boyfriend again, worried that the truce from the cottage might have worn off.

But it was a relief to see him, and their chemistry both in the bedroom and outside of it was as strong as ever. They spend the whole weekend in bed (sleeping and not sleeping so much), playing video games and just generally catching each other up on their lives. It was really nice, and Shane was loath to leave him to get back to his team.

When he sees Ilya’s name (well, Lily’s name) pop up on his phone with the picture message, he smiles instinctually.

But when he opens his message, his smile drops.

Ilya has sent him a photo of Leo the lion, sitting propped up on Ilya’s made bed.

Daddy, you forgot me! is what’s written in the text following the photo.

Shane blushes red, and rolls his eyes.

At the last minute, Shane decided to pack Leo for Boston. It’s not like Ilya didn’t know about Leo’s existence, and he does calm Shane when he’s feeling anxious. Shane got into Boston the night before Ilya got back from his road trip, so he was sleeping in Ilya’s bed alone for the first time ever. So, he thought having Leo there would be nice. He didn’t mean for Ilya to see him, and he certainly didn’t mean to leave him behind.

Shane rolls his eyes and replies to the message.

Jane: Be good for uncle Ilya, Leo.

Lily: Uncle?! Don’t you mean step father?

Jane: Not yet, asshole.

Lily: I will take good care of him.

Jane: 🙄

Lily: Love & Miss you.

Shane of course goes soft at that.

Jane: Love you too.

For the next month, before Ilya makes the track to Montreal, Shane receives weekly photo updates of what Leo and Ilya are up to.

Some are absolutely adorable: Leo and Ilya watching Shane’s game. Ilya pretending to give Leo a bath. Ilya giving Leo a piggyback ride.

Some are ridiculous: Ilya feeding Leo pad tai. Leo in the McDonald’s drive through. Leo in Ilya’s locker in the Boston change room. That one freaks Shane out, worried Ilya is going to give away their secret.

One is absolutely filthy: Leo jacking Ilya off. Shane does not find that one funny but he does get hard from the dick pic anyways.

Ilya brings Leo back with him to Montreal when he visits, and makes a big show of reuniting Shane with his son.

Shane plays along, “Did you have a good time with Daddy Ilya?” Shane asks Leo.

Ilya’s eyes darken immediately, and Shane understands how his innocent words got Ilya riled up.

4 year old me: why must we do this

Fantastic old woman in the leopard print coat: "Why yes, my tooth IS real silver! Nobody ever asks me that. Do you like cats?"

Loyalty (1869)

— by Briton Rivière

Loyalty (2025)

We don’t talk about this enough. With all the big romantic gestures in The Long Game, this, to me, is one of the most romantic moments.

We know Ilya isn’t a fan of Shane’s restrictive diet. He teases him about it, but Ilya is an expert ragebaiter who knows how to tease the people he cares about when they feel safe and in ways that never really hurt.

Shane is “frantic” in this scene. Ilya has the perfect opening to say something about his diet, and he doesn’t take it. He sees that Shane is panicking, steps in and fixes it. He was looking at that menu thinking about Shane and Shane’s fuckass diet that Ilya doesn’t even like. But he knows this is important to Shane. He knows Shane is already nervous about being on a date with Ilya in public and being with another queer couple. So he meets Shane’s needs without Shane ever having to ask, and he does it quietly, without drawing any attention, so that Shane can save face.

Of course he’s gonna tease him about it a little bit later because that’s what they do. But he only does that AFTER Shane’s had a chance to catch his breath and feel safe again.

Women outperform men in many sports, and in many instances, the men's versions of these sports are rewritten into completely different versions so that they can't be compared.

And if your reaction to this is "well women don't outperform men in skills that we typically find impressive" I would implore you to think about why things women tend to be better at than men are valued less by society.

If your reaction is "well that's cherrypicking examples, its such a small handful of formalized sports" I'd implore you to think of why so many popular sports are structured around the specific set of skills men are better at.

BUT THEN IN THEIR MISREPRESENTATION POLICY THEY SAY YOU CAN'T COLLECT MONEY TO A BANK ACCOUNT THAT'S NOT IN YOUR BUSINESS OR LEGAL NAME. BUT MY LEGAL NAME INCLUDES DICK, WHICH YOU CONSIDER OFFENSIVE.