A writer's place.

Ilya sees his tension right away, because of course he does, but doesn't get involved right away because he can also tell that Shane is just laying low and reading the room for a bit. He taps Shane's foot with his and shoots him a wink, and gets a quick but genuine smile in return.

They start with names and contact info for everyone, including office staff and team supports. Finally they get around to Shane and he just sort of awkwardly stands and pastes on a halfway convincing smile.

Steve starts school early. He graduates early. Everyone is under the impression that he's older than he is and he never fixed this misconception because, really. How often does your age come up?

All to say that Robin is kinda shocked when she's getting cash out of Steve's wallet and, "We're the same age."

"Yeah."

"Actually," She says, staring at Steve's unfairly photogenic driver's license photo. "I’m older than you."

She lets that sit before, "Oh my god! You're just a baby."

"Um, no?"

"You're just a little itty-bitty child and everyone lets you put yourself in danger first because they thought you were the oldest," She laments dramatically. "Next time, I will be the one who is in danger."

Of course he married a hockey player.

Don't be an idiot. He married a CAPTAIN. The #1 draft pick.

Cliff buys Ilya's house off him when Ilya moves to Ottawa -- mostly furnished, because Cliff needs pretty much everything (bad breakup, she kicked him out and somehow got his condo out of it) and what is money to Ilya Fucking Rozanov? As he settles in, Cliff starts to notice little...curiosities. The smart TV is still logged into Roz's YouTube account and the guy watches a LOT of Shane Hollander highlight compilations? And interviews? And shirtless ads? But whatever maybe it's chirping material. But also there's a ton of ginger ale in the fridge and Cliff has literally never seen Roz -- or, like, anyone -- drink the stuff. Well, he's heard Hollander does. He keeps finding more and more random but extremely telling clues like a fucking Hollanov scavenger hunt and by the time Ilya and Shane get outed, Cliff isn't even surprised, he's just glad his best friend isn't a stalker.

What is the bratva AU? 

Bratva means brothers/brotherhood, and is a common name for the Russian mafia

This AU was born when I made this silly post. A lot of people liked it and had fun with it, which is really cool! 

I now have an ongoing tag for the AU so anyone interested can explore further (or block the tag, I’m not judging if this isn’t your thing)

Aside from the original post, this is not a full fic (…not yet)

The plot

Ilya is the newly minted pakhan, or leader, or a Montreal-based bratva family following the death of his family and execution/exile of his older brother 

Shane is an officer with the RCMP, Canada’s national police force. He is assigned to go undercover and infiltrate the Rozanov family, with the goal of gathering key information and hopefully destabilizing the family while it’s already fragile from the sudden leadership shift

Shane ends up falling in love with Ilya and marrying him. Ilya does not know Shane’s true identity during this time

Shane is forcibly extracted after a few years in the family. He “dies” in a car fire, is forced into hiding and assigned a job as a beat cop in a rural town

Four years after his “death,” Ilya finds Shane and brings him back home 

What's next?

I may eventually write a full fic with this, but right now it’s just a brain worm and a bit of sandbox fun.

If you have questions or ideas, I welcome any and all in my inbox and DMs to add to this AU

Disclaimers!

Mini comic based on a scene from bloodymary fic "where nothing bleeds" by intrstellarisms, really enjoyed it and wanted to draw one of my favorite scenes from it (link for the fic).

They're smart fuckin birds, I believe in them

It started when he was a kid and he was trying to help everyone get better at hockey including the opposing teams players, he would say something like “your stick grip is weak” or “you’re slow on your right” (idk i don’t know hockey very well ESPECIALLY little kid hockey) but he says it totally deadpan because little Shanebug doesn’t understand tone yet.

This makes the other teams so mad! They try and fight him constantly! Little bitty baby hockey fights and then Yuna sits him down in middle school after the first fight that he actually gets hurt (black eye and bloody lip) and asks him what he is saying to make everyone fight him?

“Nothing mean I swear mom!!! I’m trying to be nice and help correct their form”

And suddenly Yuna gets it and explains to Shane that not everyone but especially not the opposing team likes to have their flaws pointed out to them even if it’s coming from a good place and how that could be seen as chirping.

So he stops for a while, then his coach for world juniors tells him to try and piss off Rozanov enough that they can draw a penalty. So Shane does what he does best and points out a flaw at each face off. Jokes on him though because Ilya is actively changing those things and getting better every face off because he is taking it for what it is, advice.

Which pisses Shane off, he thinks his chirping tactic won’t work now that he is older. So he points out at his first scrimmage at practice in Montreal that the center who has been there for years (who he is probably replacing) is favoring his left side is staying too far left to compensate (again I don’t know hockey so I am trying to translate things I know about soccer lol)

And the center loses it on him! Immediately yelling about the lack of respect and how a rookie makes it to the MLH and thinks they are hot shit.

So Shane realizes his chirping DOES work just not on rozanov and becomes a menace he studies game tape specifically to find holes in his opponents game and pre prepares chirps and it fucking works because all these men are so far up their own asses that they just get mad instead of using the advice.

jason doesn't want any of that wholesome family bs (they stayed for 2 more hours)

a continuation of this comic here >>>

the anime was ok though

bonus: