sick like crazy?

And like, Ilya expected them to get stopped a little. He gets recognized and stopped in Boston. But he wasn’t expecting to be recorded pretty much all day. Photos, video, the second anyone recognizes them - and everyone recognizes them - phones are out. Shane is repeatedly apologized to and told not to pay for a single thing all day. He leaves like a 300% tip on each of their purchases, but still. No one will let him pay for anything.

And everyone wants a picture. People are not shy about coming to him and asking for a picture or an autograph and Shane just - gives them whatever they want. Grown adults, teenagers, parents with small children… Shane and Ilya take a photo with each of the business owners to hang on their wall. The owner of the cafe almost cries when she sees him and gives him a big hug. She doesn’t need to ask for his order; she remembers it and she gives him a special energy breakfast ball thing she’s been perfecting with him in mind.

The bakery made his favourite cookie in the approximate shape and size of a pick because they heard he was in town and hoped he’d swing by.

“Hollander, you own a bar here?”

“Uh, nope, they just… changed it after I left. Used to be called Chez Serge. Hayden told me there’s a winebar called 2481 in the village now. Or maybe Saint Henri? I can’t remember.”

It’s fucking insane. And Ilya knew it was insane, but this… this is actually fucking crazy.

The only place that isn’t quite so bad is Schwartz’s. And after Ilya gets over the fact that Shane used to come here alone late sometimes (smoked meat sandwiches are NOT team dietician approved), he finds Shane essentially hanging out with the guy making their sandwiches at 11:30 at night. When he looks up, there’s a photo of them on the wall, and Shane’s grinning widely. “Hey Ilya, c’mere I want you to meet someone.”

They get bagels after. They just - drive to the bagel place that is open 24h, get a dozen, take yet another photo, and pick at them on the way back to Pike’s. They’re so fresh they’re still steaming.

Ilya looks at Shane from across the console. He’s been doing this the whole time? Even with the added pressure of their whole thing before it was a thing? Christ. “It was always like this?”

Shane shrugs. “I mean, not always. This was pretty bad, but it was like this every year we made the playoffs. I’d still get similar shit on years we didn’t do as well, just a little less, you know? I could at least go places without being stopped all the time. I’d still be filmed, but I think people were less proud to be seen with me? So less pictures with fans. But during the playoffs? Yeah, always like this. Why? It had to be similar for you in Boston.”

“Ah, no, Hollander. This is fucking crazy.”

“Yeah,” Shane shrugs. “Metros fans are passionate. The worst were the outfit paps. I always failed miserably at those.”

Ilya takes a breath.

Chapters: 1/6 Fandom: Heated Rivalry (TV), Game Changers | Heated Rivalry - All Media Types, Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Shane Hollander & Ottawa Centaurs Team Ensemble & Ilya Rozanov Characters: Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Yuna Hollander, David Hollander, Brandon Wiebe, Zane Boodram, Wyatt Hayes, Luca Haas, Troy Barrett, Scott Hunter (Game Changers) Additional Tags: Ottawa Centaurs (Game Changers), Post-Book 6: The Long Game (Game Changers), Angst with a Happy Ending, Everyone Needs A Hug, Hurt/Comfort, wish fulfillment (ottawa winning the stanley cup), Character Study, Injury Recovery Summary:

And that’s it, really, the crux of everything they are and always have been to each other. Carving themselves into the fabric of the mountain’s summit so that neither of them can exist there without the other. I promise I will not let you fall.

Sometimes everything you want doesn’t necessarily look like everything you want. This is a story about picking up the pieces.

(This is a story about love.) ///

Will you still be Han Solo after we die? 'Fraid not, doll. Once I'm gone, I'm gone.

ABED HAN SOLO

a camera follows ilya rozanov on a plane, stowing his baggage and finding his seat, looking out the window at a city below

flight attendant asks if she can get him anything, mr. rozanov

ilya declines

cut to

ilya walking out of the plane. a staffperson says welcome to canada

cut to

ilya picking up his bag at a baggage claim and making his way outside to where a suspiciously un-logoed land rover waits in the pick up area

ilya puts his bag in the trunk and climbs into the passenger seat

shane is waiting and hands him a tall red paper cup and says ‘welcome home’

Tim Horton’s logo appears on the screen

voiceover: They say Canadians are born all over the world, it just takes some of them longer to make it home. Tim Horton’s will always be waiting for you when you get here.

Ilya in a generic hotel room, talking on the phone as he brushes back the curtain, revealing the Moscow skyline (or some other far away place). Quick shot of him picking up his suitcase and hockey bag. Cut to him sitting in an airport, waiting for his flight, then him in another airport looking up at a departures screen with all the flights marked cancelled. Ilya sleeping at a gate.

Finally boarding, settles in his seat, offered a drink. He watches the sunset through the window.

Welcome to Canada! He collects his luggage and walks to the pick up area to the Land Rover. He climbs in, Shane says “Welcome home” but before he can offer the cup

Ilya climbs across the centre console and tries to swallow Shane’s face.

Cut to a close up of the Tim Horton’s cup in the cup holder, their grabbing hands knocking up against it.

VO: they say Canadians are born all over the world, it just takes them longer to make it home. Tim Horton’s will always be waiting for you when you get there. It can wait while you say hello though.