Don't love you yet but probably will

The Centaurs all mumble about it quietly, speculating why they’ve been separated. Are they fighting? Are the rookies they’ve been paired with in need of disciplining and are being punished? Are Shane and Ilya splitting up?

Nobody truly believes that last one. Especially based on the pale look both star players get when they read the room assignments.

But, they dutifully go drop their things in their separate rooms, not wanting to cause a scene. They’re still pretty new to playing on the same team, and they don’t want to act like codependent divas.

Shane and Ilya spend the whole evening and fairly late into the night at the hotel lounge on their floor, loath to leave each other. They’ve taken residence on one of the couches in the corner, sitting arm to arm and thigh to thigh, both giggling and showing each other things on their phones.

This relaxes the other Centaurs, because they definitely seem to be okay?

Everyone else clears out of the lounge by eleven, knowing they have an early call time tomorrow, but Shane and Ilya don’t close the place down until after midnight. You’d think they were going off to war by the way they hug longingly and kiss each other’s foreheads goodnight.

At quarter to three in the morning, both men are separately tossing and turning in their beds, unable to sleep. They haven’t spent a night apart in months, and need each other’s presence to fall asleep.

The rookie Shane is assigned, Chapeau, is texting his other rookie buddy at 3am, asking if Ilya is asleep. He replies back right away that Ilya is loudly switching positions every few minutes and huffing and puffing, trying to get comfortable. All four are wide awake and aren’t going to play well tomorrow if something doesn’t change.

“Hey, Hollander?” Chapeau starts. “Do you think Rozy would be okay switching rooms?”

Shane sits up in bed a little too fast to be casual. “What? Why?”

“I just… want to room with Sitty tonight. Rookie things, ya know?”

Shane really wants to believe that him and Ilya aren’t being so obvious that they can’t be apart for one night, but he also can’t deny he’d love to have his husband asleep in his arms.

“Yeah Chap, that’s fine. You can go knock and see if they’re awake.”

Chapeau is immediately out of bed, suitcase in hand, and shutting door behind him.

Not two minutes later, Ilya has opened Shane’s door, evidently switching key cards with the rookie.

Shane and Ilya smile when they see each other from across the room, grinning like idiots in the darkness.

Ilya flops down into the bed, Shane tugging him into his chest immediately.

“Were you asleep?” Shane asks his husband. Ilya shakes his head no. “Do you think they switched rooms on purpose for us?” Shane asks, sounding a bit guilty.

“Yes, Hollander. For sure.” Ilya leans in and presses a kiss over Shane’s heart. “But it is for team. I would have played like shit tomorrow without sleep.”

Shane blushes bright red. “You couldn’t sleep either?”

“Fuck no. I was up playing Candy Crush.”

Shane laughs, but his heart swells with love for Ilya.

“Goodnight, Babe,” Shane smiles, pressing a kiss into Ilya’s curls.

“Love you,” Ilya mumbles, half asleep.

They’re both snoring within seconds.

we really, really should. 🚬

another piece for my noir series ;)

Shane is the #1 person Ilya gossips with. Since Shane isn’t the best on picking up subtext, all of the drama Ilya has to share is a complete surprise to him. Which makes him both the most entertained by the gossip and the most entertaining gossip partner.

Shane has an extremely dry sense of humor, and in public he’ll whisper deadpan commentary into Ilya’s ear while Ilya tries not to cry laughing.

Ilya has a very dark sense of humor that makes most people who hear it uncomfortable, but not Shane. Shane thinks it’s absolutely hilarious every time.

Ilya and Shane love to sit in the same room, do separate activities, and barely speak to each other. Shane will read a book while Ilya plays a video game, and one of them will have their feet in the other’s lap.

While everyone in the league thinks Ilya is a huge asshole, Shane thinks he’s hilarious. In fact, Shane usually agrees with Ilya’s chirps and will not defend anyone against them.