Sveta breaks her leg and she lives in a stupidly pretty loft apartment with nowhere to sleep downstairs so Ilya offers her a spare room at the cottage over the summer to recover in since she will basically have her own space.
Except that Ilya and Svetlana have their own routine together, even outside of them hooking up prior. They grew up together, mamas taking pictures of them in the tub together, no boundaries between them bc thatâs just how they are. Itâs why they slept together in the first place. Who better to try stuff with than the person whoâs grown up with you?
Shane thinks heâs prepared for this, knows Ilya in and out but the first time that Sveta picks spinach out of Ilyas teeth like itâs second nature, he feels like he should be jealous but heâs not. He laughs when Ilya barges into the bathroom while sheâs showering just to piss because heâs too lazy to go upstairs. He canât even be mad when he hears the shower door open and Ilyaâs affronted scream when Sveta turns the shower on him to run him out. (She happily mops the water up afterwards anyways so the only victim is a damp Ilya who mopes about having to change clothes)
Shane doesnât really fit into their dynamic naturally and heâs okay with it, has a weird sense of loss when he watches them but heâs so happy to see that childlike joy from them that it doesnât even really matter to him.
Except Ilya is gone for a whole two days for a sponsorship photoshoot and Shane is left with Svetlana alone for the first time that isnât a few hours or less. Itâs easy at first, nothing new. Except that he wakes up to the sound of her sobbing the first night.
Shane bursts into her room, scared out of his mind and already halfway through calling Ilya when she tries to just tell him to leave. To let it go and that sheâs just being stupid bc sheâs in pain. Shane doesnât let it go though, coaxes it out of her that she has chronic back issues, ones that are debilitating some days and she normally soaks in a hot bath but her stupid broken leg means she canât and nothing is helping anymore. She tries to shoo him out, apologizes for waking him up but Shane stops her. Tells her he will be back before he digs the fancy Epsom salts out of his own stash.
He easily finds some tiny candles, a soft floral scent thatâs similar to the perfume she always wears, and lights them in the bathroom before dimming the lights and running a nearly scalding bath. He grabs the plastic sheeting and waterproof tape they keep in every bathroom because theyâre athletes and they have to be able to waterproof injuries at a moments notice. He takes it back to Svetlana whoâs already trying to pretend sheâs going back to sleep.
âCome on, Iâve got you.â
She tries to protest, says she doesnât need someone babying her, to which Shane rolls his eyes and asks her if she wants him to call Ilya who will absolutely force her to let him help if he doesnât try to fly home immediately.
She finally lets him tape her up, not really sure where itâs going but trusting Shane bc Ilya trusts him. She startles a bit when he scoops her out of bed like she weighs nothing. He brings her into the bathroom, setting her carefully on the edge of the bathtub. Heâs gentle when he helps her out of her clothes, eyes carefully diverted even though she knows heâs never looking at her like that. Thereâs a little hammock on the edge of the bathtub, and when he helps her into the hot water he tucks her injured leg as much out of the water as possible.
The heat is incredible, and her eyes tear up with the relief her back feels. When he turns to leave she grabs his hand, voice low as she asks him to please stay. She canât have Ilya right now, but Shane is willing to be there and no one else ever has outside of her Ilya. Shane smiles, rolls up his pant legs and sits himself on the edge of the tub. They talk about nothing and everything until the water is cold and her back has stopped spasming enough that her pain meds are gonna be able to kick in finally. Shane is as calculated as ever when he lifts her out, heated towels already set up for him to wrap around her. She dries herself off, and Shane helps her get dressed again before carrying her back to her room even though she insists she can get back with her crutches.
When he goes to leave after tucking her into bed, she tangles her fingers in his and offers him the other half of the bed.
âI hear you, moving around when heâs not home. I know itâs hard to sleep without him.â
Shane hesitates for a moment, but he slides into the bed with her anyways. He know Ilya doesnât care. Heâs found them tangled up asleep together countless times over the years, but itâs never just been just the two of them.
Ilya comes home early the next morning, expecting to surprise both of them but when he checks on Svetlana first and finds both of them tangled up together, his heart nearly bursts from his chest. He slides into next to Shane quietly (after taking 30 pictures of them)
It wakes Shane just a little bit but Ilya shushes him, kissing him quietly before wrapping his arms around Shaneâs waist. He can hold hands with his Sveta this way too and even in her sleep she squeezes his fingers gently.
Itâs the best sleep that Ilya has gotten in a long time.
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