sweetheart - hollanov - @hollanovmicrofic - word count: 352 - click here to see my microfic archive!
Over the years, Ilyaβs developed a sort ofβ¦routineβ¦with women.Β
Heβs never mean or cruel, no. Having been raised by his mama, he could never dream of treating a girl like anything less than what sheβs worth.Β
But he still refuses to get close, so thereβs certain boundaries he maintains. No sleepovers, no gifts, no meeting the family. And as far as pet names? Sure, heβs been known to call a girl βbabyβ in bed, or something more degrading if she specifically asks. But he never, never uses something more intimate. Not even with Sveta.
Itβs never been a problem. His lips have never threatened to form the shape of more loving, terrifying phrases. Heβs never had to even think about what heβs sayingβthe rules have been an innate part of him.
Until he returns, in the dim light of dawn, from the bathroom of a cottage thatβs somehow become theirs in the past few days. Until he looks down and sees Shane Hollander spread out, limbs akimbo, on his stomach, snoring softly and completely relaxed, in the sheets theyβd wrecked only hours ago. Until he gazes fondly at the only piece of his heart thatβs not in his body. That stubbornly resides in fucking Montreal and insists on playing a contact sport, just to make him worry more.
Shane groans, shifting a little and pats at the empty spot in the bed where Ilya usually sleeps. β....βLya?β he murmurs sleepily, raising his head a few centimeters off the bed, not even opening his eyes.
And, fuck. Suddenly, Ilya canβt control anything about himself. The way his heart swells and thuds in his chest, the way his whole body warms and his knees weaken. The way his mouth forms around the words before he can think better of them. He just moves forward and pulls Shane into an embrace, whispering, βHere, sweetheart. I am here.β
And as Shane relaxes against him, muttering, βDonβ leaveβ¦.β
Ilya passionately whispers, βNever,β into his hair, knowing that he is well and truly fucked, speaking the truth in that moment more than he ever has before.
