claire

ilya sets up a den down there and it’s all cosy and shane ribs him for it and is like ‘oh you should show the team next time they come over for game night’ and ilya like ‘😒 would not be a secret door then would it kotenok’ so the cens don’t know about the door even though ilya is DYING to show them.

one day they have a gathering at the house and shane starts to get really overstimulated so he goes up to their room but people keep coming to find him and bring him back so eventually he just sighs and is like fine! i’ll use the stupid secret door! fuck it! and he disappears downstairs.

ilya’s like ?? where is husband?? he checks the house and can’t find him, people are asking where he is, and then it hits him and he feels so vindicated “shane thought secret door was stupid, is not so stupid now”.

which makes me very heart eyes given ilya's reputation as like. the nhl bad boy: DON'T fuck with him. because i'm imagining maybe a more casual locker room interview (like just something behind the scenes, maybe, for the team's insta or something), and ilya is dialed in and listening and being his usual charming/cocky self and shane in the background is already mentally locking in and is not tagged in for this interview so is largely just doing his own thing because he's not really in frame so also not really registering it happening. it's just background noise to him. and so what's happening from the viewer pov is just watching the russian menace get fully manhandled out of the way without complaint because he has something of shane's in his locker and then automatically holding his hand out without looking because he knows shane is going to hand him his tape to hold for him while he looks for something else so it doesn't get lost.

just very pleased and soft about the idea of the people who are going to lose their SHIT watching Ilya Rozanov, Professional Menace be The Most Domesticated Husband To Ever Husband-

but maybe he's hanging out with rose and her friends when they're dating and hears them just good naturedly complaining about "yeah it's good, but idk man, sometimes i'd like to just make out a little" or "you know, he could at least silence his phone first. i know it's just sex, but sometimes you wanna feel special, you know?"

and meanwhile loving attentive sexual experiences georg over here is just 🤨🤨 what do you mean he doesn't go down on you for hours?? 🤨 what do you mean he doesn't check in with you until you speak up on your own? 🤨🤨 what do you mean you FAKE IT sometimes because you're tired and just ready for it to be over?? 🤨🤨 you mean he isn't laser-focused on making you feel good and checking in and telling you sweet things right into your ear? 🤨🤨 what do you mean you don't nudge his arm up to hold your jaw because just that touch as he pushes you back to the bed is enough to drop you into subspace?? 🤨 you had to clean YOURSELF up after?? he didn't wipe you down with a warm washcloth and follow it up with kissing everywhere he had just touched and touching you firm and gentle and grounding until you stopped trembling because it was especially intense and you needed him to work you back down kindly?? 🤨🤨

Then

Shane is traded to Ottawa and isn’t a captain anymore. The first couple times Shane drops his gloves is shocking at first but then he keeps doing it. Shane doesn’t hesitate to start, stop, or join a scrum because he knows Ilya knows what he’s doing and the team won’t suffer while he’s in the sin bin.

vs.

Shane then tears up when he watches the first camp unfold. Just watching all those little humans, having fun, being supported and no one makes fun of them. It unravels him in so many ways and Ilya holds him when it happens.

And while making sure this camp is everything these kids need, Ilya realises just how much Shane silently endured all those years, once he learns about common struggles for autistic people, and quietly asks "You went through all of this?" and Shane just shrugs a little helplessly, "I didn't know it could be any different", only for Ilya to say, "It can be different now."

And it is - different. They have noise-cancelling headphones, no loud whistles, disco time on the ice, with gentle lights and fun music, no one is forced to participate in anything. The buffet offers a variety of safe foods, Ilya made sure the families get sent a questionnaire in advance. He really thinks of everything and it makes Shane fall in love with him all over again.