beauty and art and horror

And then, all of a sudden, there was a freckled angel waking him up by kissing every inch of his face.

Forehead? Mwah.

Between his eyebrows? Mwah.

His temple? Mwah.

His cheek? Mwah.

His nose bridge? Mwah.

His mole? Mwah.

Ilya smiled brightly with his eyes still closed. “You missed a spot.” Shane chuckled. “Mmm.”

He kissed Ilya’s nose.

Ilya tsked in disagreement. Shane laughed.

He kissed Ilya’s jaw.

Ilya groaned, God’s brightest smile still plastered across his face. Shane couldn’t have that. He couldn’t not kiss him even more. So he crashed their lips together. Ilya hummed happily against his mouth before opening his eyes. “Very good, mylysh.” He immediately kissed him again to hide his now furiously blushing face. Ilya was losing his mind.

The Ilya we see in Heated rivalry would not be throwing the first punch, he's not an enforcer. Ilya is a star center and a Pest. He wouldn't be doing his job correctly if he was punching players every other game, it would end up with not enough ice time to let him be the playmaker he's paid to be.

But being a pest can be playmaking! Find a player to bait, emotionally push them just enough that they try to fight you, and then get the fuck out of there before the ref gives you both penalties. This gets your team the power play. There is probably someone on Ilya's line dedicated to helping him get out of the fights he starts, and finishing them for him!

I also think this is also something that Shane would respect. Ilya is good at it and it's a good strategy for his team. I don't think Shane would see it as some dirty tactic, because Shane probably thinks everyone with a brain can see it for what it is! He probably thinks everyone should be able to see that being an asshole is a tactic for Ilya, that it's something to ignore and not fall for, that it's a strategy and not personal beef.

there's concern there. it's obvious. and it's SO common when it comes to bisexuality bc there's this huge and annoying misconception that bisexual people are unfaithful unloyal cheaters. and you can see it in her face as she processes the information that this is an immediate concern for her and for her son.

and now let's look at ilya's face

now he's concerned, because he knows he has to explain himself (which he does. he shouldn't have to but he does) and he's basically throwing out a hail mary to shane's parents that says hey, wait, no, i'm not gonna cheat on your son. i love your son. just because i'm bisexual doesn't mean i would hurt shane.

there's concern there. it's obvious. and it's SO common when it comes to bisexuality bc there's this huge and annoying misconception that bisexual people are unfaithful unloyal cheaters. and you can see it in her face as she processes the information that this is an immediate concern for her and for her son.

and now let's look at ilya's face

now he's concerned, because he knows he has to explain himself (which he does. he shouldn't have to but he does) and he's basically throwing out a hail mary to shane's parents that says hey, wait, no, i'm not gonna cheat on your son. i love your son. just because i'm bisexual doesn't mean i would hurt shane.

shane, head over heels in love with a crass, cigarette smoking, reckless ducati driving russian “oh, i’m not really looking to date right now, sorry.”

Someone in your friend group is REALLY excited that a popular artist just release a new song or album? Now's not the time to crush them by telling them how much you think that artist is overrated and that anyone who listens to them just doesn't know any real music. They're not hurting anyone, why make them feel bad or dumb just for being happy and excited?

Your co-worker tries to share something positive they read in the news, such whatever country you live in now has lower rates of alcoholism, or more trees than ever were planted last year in re-forestation efforts? Ask if yourself if it's necessary to "yeah, but" their positive news with a spin on making it negative. Is that helping at all or serving any purpose? In a lot of cases it's not helpful or necessary.

What do you really have to gain from crushing someone's excitement or attempts at being positive? Ask yourself what your real intentions are. Ask yourself if you actually have anything worthwhile to gain outside of crushing someone who was excited or trying to be positive.

After Ilya has moved to Ottawa, they're now so close but still so far apart. And somehow they miss each other more than ever before. Ilya is playing an away game, Shane's in Montreal. He texts Shane as he's boarding the plane. His flight number so Shane can track it, and a flirty message on my way :))) get ready baby ;) before turning his phone off.

Two hours later he's getting in an uber, checking his phone. Shane had just replied ok ♡.

"You told him what?" Svetlana asked, eyes wide and an incredulous smile on her face.

"I...I said that I could marry you," Ilya repeated casually, shrugging as he looked into his phone's camera while they facetimed, still a bit unsure as to what he'd done so wrong.

"Ilya. Ilyusha. Ilya," Svetlana repeated, shaking her head slowly and closing her eyes, looking like she was very close to either laughing or yelling. 

"Sveta," he shot back, smirking just a little. "What? What is wrong with this? It's the truth, right? You would marry me."

"Not if you propose like that," she retorted, rolling her eyes. "But tell me, what happened? How did your genius plan end?" Her tone was sarcastic; clearly she thought things'd ended terribly. Showed how much she knew about Hollander.

He grinned wider, unable to hold back his utter glee. "I have a boyfriend now. I am staying here for four extra weeks."

For a few long moments, she stared, blinking, utterly shocked. Then she sighed an exhausted sigh. "Boys are so stupid," she mumbled.

Ilya had done a lot of interviews in his life. 

He'd been asked a lot of questions–some stupid, some prying, many repetitive, and many that he'd asked people to repeat.

But as he sat in a squishy armchair in Harris's office, he honestly thought that he'd never enjoyed an interview more.

Well...

Maybe some of the interviews he'd done with Shane. But he wasn't about to admit that.

They were laughing together about the team's abysmal choices in vodka, about Dykstra's terrible taste in music, about how Coach Weibe was terrible at giving directions when they took the team bus anywhere–and Ilya felt relaxed. Happy.

Then, Harris said cheerfully, "Okay, Ilya. Now we're going to do something a little silly, but the fans always love it. I'm gonna say a word, and you have to say the first thing that comes to mind when you hear it, alright? No thinking, just go."

He grinned. "And if my responses are not appropriate for...young, impressionable audience?"

Harris chuckled. "That's why we're not live."

Ilya smirked. Of course Harris didn't trust him to do any of the Centaurs' livestreams. "Okay,” he agreed.

"Hockey." 

"Winning," Ilya replied quickly, grinning at the camera. "Always."

Harris laughed. "Alright. Goal."

"Rozanov," Ilya shot back, still beaming.

The other man chuckled again. "Okay. Gym."

"Water bottle," Ilya replied before thinking better of it, his mind instantly going back to a moment ten years ago in a dingy hotel gym with two stationary bikes and two nervous teenagers.

But the answer was acceptable and innocent enough, so Harris moved on. 

"Food."

"Uh...Pasta."

"Happy."

"Summer."

"Home."

"Shane."

It took Ilya about two seconds after he spoke to realize what he'd said and freeze, eyes widening as he stared, terrified, at Harris.

But the man just looked at him, understanding and kindness in his eyes. "....you...want me to delete that part, buddy?" he asked carefully, reaching to press a hand to Ilya's slightly-trembling knee before leaning back again.

The Unexpected Boons of Impromptu Dog-sitting

by unlikelychild

- 7,626 words, oneshot

- non hockey player Ilya, tech guru Ilya x hockey player Shane

- texting, video transcripts, tabloids

(Please read author notes first before proceed)

Summary:

Shane unexpectedly becomes Ilya’s dog sitter after he found Anya in front of his door.

Snippet: