Maybe figuring out this life thing

I glued the threads in place to start this time which definitely helped. Still having trouble finding the best way to tie them at the end and keep the braids

Some progress pics 👇

'gifure'

It was taken by a biologist that studies birds so it seems like he knows what he’s doing. For the most part. Here’s his caption:

No parts of it extended beyond the lines, and the paper ticket was clearly displayed, impaled on a horn.

What I’m saying is this, sometimes Ilya will say something to Shane in front of the Centaurs that makes the whole locker room freeze up because if they said that shit to their own partners, they would be in the doghouse for months. But Shane will just shove Ilya or punch him in the shoulder and then they grin at each other like it was the funniest shit ever.

Imagine if Ilya said that to someone who wasn’t Shane, like maybe someone on an AHL team who has pretty much zero chance of ever winning a Stanley Cup. Then Ilya would be a total asshole who is trying to make the AHL player feel shitty. It’s an asshole move because the power dynamics are different: star MLH player taunting AHL player about something they want but will never get.

But no, Ilya’s saying this to Shane, BECAUSE he knows just how good Shane is and knows that Shane will definitely win at least one cup at some point. It’s almost like an in-joke: I know you’re good, you know you’re good, but I’m a chaos gremlin and a competitive little shit so I’m gonna rub it in your face a little that I got there before you did, just to get a reaction out of you. But the joke hinges on the fact that Ilya thinks Shane is amazing, they are equals, and it wouldn’t work otherwise.

Give me Shane "hates clubbing and bars" Hollander not minding Kingfisher in the afternoon but refusing to go at night. Give me Shane never understanding the slang (he's never online) and being overstimulated by drag brunch (it's so LOUD and nothing fits his diet even once he loosens it a little and brunch as a concept throws off his entire routine) and utterly bored by any TV show that isn't the latest game replay (is this reality TV? Is it a drama? He can't remember and he can't tell the difference but honestly he'd rather be watching hockey) and unable to remember the difference between Lady Gaga and Cher (he never listens to music anyway) and completely disinterested in changing his wardrobe (for fancy events he wears whatever his stylist tells him to but not anything adventurous, because he just wants to look acceptable not make a statement).

Give me Shane feeling alienated from gay culture the way he sometimes feels alienated from Japanese culture and being so frustrated that being himself, exactly as he is, still isn't good enough for anyone.

Give me a Shane Hollander who doesn't want to be "the gay hockey player" the same way he doesn't want to be "the Asian hockey player" but he'll suck it up because he's such an inspiration, don't you know how many kids look up to you? Don't you know how much it matters to them to see you out there loud and proud?

Give me Shane finally snapping at Ilya that clearly he's not "super gay" if he's so bad at it, because he's sick and tired of everyone being disappointed that he's not up on whatever the latest queer culture trend is and he does not want to be a "gay icon," he just wants to play hockey and love his husband, and he's not magically a different person now that everyone knows he's gay.

Give me Ilya reckoning with how coming out has only put more expectations on Shane's shoulders and noticing the roles Shane is always forced into - the Asian player, the gay player - and understanding a bit more why privacy seemed like a better guarantee of freedom to Shane than openness.

This goes on for a while until one reporter is finally brave enough to ask.

“I’m sorry, you keep saying your ‘wife-in-law’, and I feel like someone should tell you that that’s not… a thing? Do you mean your sister-in-law? Mother-in-law?”

Ilya: “No, there is no misunderstanding. My wife-in-law, Jackie. We get drinks every few weeks. She calls me her husband-in-law, I call her my wife-in-law, and our husbands both roll their eyes because that’s just how they are.”

Beside him, Shane is sleeping soundly.

He should just let it be, let him sleep. But, the thing is- Shane made him promise. Promise to wake him up next time.

Which would just be dumb. And unneccesairy. Then we would both be awake, what is the point? But Shane had just repeated his request. Promise.

With a sigh, and quite a bit of shame clinging to him for what he is about to do, he turns and gently strokes over Shane's arm.

"Mh? Wha-?" Shane shifts onto his elbow to look around the dark room instantly. "Is it Anya? Is she throwing up again?"

The concern in Shane's voice over Anya (who had an upset stomach a month ago and they woke up to her retching) makes Ilya smile softly and push closer to him.

"No. Is me."

"You?" Shane's voice is rough from sleep and Ilya noses at his throat before he settles on his shoulder. "Yes."

"...Is your stomach okay?"

"Mhmh, all good. I had a nightmare."

"Oh." Warm arms wrap around him immediatly.

The way Shane squeezes him and presses several kisses against his hairline makes Ilya breathe out. Relieved that Shane's not annoyed with him. He knew he wouldn't be. Of course he wouldn't be. He made him promise to wake him. But, still.

"That sucks. Tell me about it?" The words are sleepily slurred together, which makes Ilya smile again.

"Mh. No." He turns his head slightly to place two pecks on Shane's chest, lingering on the second one. His hand sneaks under Shane's shirt and rubs over his stomach, a soothing back and forth. "Is all good now."

"Mh'okay." There is the slightest voice crack which makes Ilya's smile grow at the memory of Shane high as a kite on pain killers all those years ago.

"Glad you woke me up."

and instead man is AGGRESSIVELY faithful

unhand him ✋ he is MARRIED ✋ (they are literally just trying to take his vitals) hands OFF!! his husband is gorgeous and will NOT appreciate this!!! (he says this to *shane* who is trying to help him back into actual clothes)