✨ it all comes back to you ✨

A three month anniversary really isn't anything to write home about anyways. It just happened to line up with the dates of the preseason. Shane just happened to be Boston.

Shane shifts on his feet, rings the doorbell now. He's late because of the flowers, so he can't throw them out. Besides, he's doing what Ilya would call spiraling—a new word that he's been overusing the past three months, poking Shane between his eyes while he says it, you're spiraling in there, Shane. Sometimes Ilya's gaze is enough to untwist the knots. Sometimes Shane needs a firmer touch.

The door opens, and maybe this is enough. Ilya beams as he opens the door, and relief washes over Shane. It's been too long. It's always been too long.

Ilya's eyes widen when he sees the flowers.

"What is this?" Ilya steps towards Shane as Shane steps towards him, leaving them both on the threshold of the door.

"Flowers," Shane says, shoving the bouquet towards him with a distinct lack of romance. Something twists in Shane's gut, embarrassment maybe. "It's been— Three months since the cottage."

Three months of being boyfriends.

Ilya takes flowers with a careful hand. "They're lilies."

"Yeah." Shane's mouth is dry.

"Shane Hollander," Ilya says, almost sing-song, looking up at him with a grin that nearly splits his whole face. "Who knew you were such a romantic?"

"Fuck off." Shane's smiling too.

He lets himself be pulled inside, and then he follows after Ilya with a lovesick expression on his face. Watches as Ilya fumbles through his cabinets.

"Do you even have a vase?" Shane asks. "I didn't— I should have gotten one of those too, they have them at the store. I wasn't thinking ab—"

"Relax. I have vase."

Shane relaxes. Or tries too. It's a little easier every time, to pull back the anxiety that grows whenever they're apart. Shane still doesn't think he knows how to be a boyfriend. He can't even buy flowers without freaking out about it.

Ilya sets the vase in the middle of the counter. The flowers suddenly look very pink. Maybe they're too girly. Shane looks away from them towards Ilya and finds him still grinning.

"They are almost as pretty as you," Ilya says, because he's so much better at this. Shane should have said something to that effect when handing them over. Well, he probably wouldn't call Ilya pretty, he doesn't do that. "Thank you for buying me them."

"I was debating between those and the roses," Shane says, honest. Ilya walks around the counter as he talks, presses behind him. "I thought, um, roses seem kinda generic, and then lilies... Well, they made me think of you. And they smell really nice."

Shane turns around on the stool, wraps his legs around Ilya. He's better at this part, the physical part. When Ilya's touching him, he doesn't have to think so much about what he's saying.

Ilya hums, presses his nose into Shane's hair and inhales loudly. "You smell nice."

"So do you." Shane looks up at him as Ilya pulls back. His face looks soft, a glimmer of something in his eyes. "What is it? Why do you look like that?"

"I need to kiss you right now,"

"What?" Shane laughs, startled by how serious Ilya is.

"If I don't, I might have to eat you up." Ilya places an exaggerated kiss on Shane's forehand. Shane squirms a little, blushing.

"So you liked the flowers then?" Shane melts as Ilya cradles his face into his hand.

"I love them. I love you."

Shane softens the rest of the way as Ilya pulls him into a kiss.

——

i have not written something this fluffy in like so long that this kinda feels embarrassing lmao. hate to admit that i like it when they are cute as well as when they are fucking nasty. anyways, i also was able to fit some of my early boyfriends era Thoughts into this which was fun. what happens when they have to navigate their whole relationship shifting and changing? what comes easily? what doesn't? thanks for reading :)))

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