#amber rambles

I like to think they got married young, and Yuna played on the Woman's Hockey League with the Ottawa Charge (ik the PWHL wouldn't have existed but just hold on) for a couple of years before she got pregnant and decided to retire and be on their management team instead while she raised Shane.

Since she would have time now, and she would want Shane to know his heritage, the Hollanders would visit Japan a lot, stay the whole summer (off season for Yuna and summer break for Shane. David will just have to get time off). Because of this, Shane grows up speaking: English, French, AND Japanese. He also gets the pleasure of having a bossy older female cousin AND a kind older male cousin who sometimes makes him feel like he has siblings during those summer months.

Its also nice cause Yuuri and Shane can skate together at the rink! Yuuri practicing his jumps and twists, while Shane works on his stick handling and footwork. Spending his summers as a kid skating with figureskaters (and japans future number one skater), Shane picks up some tricks and ends up having some of the most graceful footwork in the NHL. Yuuri also picks up some work out tricks and has a very powerful stride when he's outside of a routine.

Yuuri ends up following in his aunt's footsteps and goes to Montreal instead of Detroit for his schooling and training, and is thrilled when Shane ends up being drafted to the Montreal team the June before school starts, they spend that summer together in one of the Condos Shane bought with his signing bonus.

Its helpful for both of them, the next four years, living together. Shane gets someone familiar to help him out so he isn't swallowed up in the rush of suddenly being the center of attention and having the pressure of being The Best Rookie, and Yuuri has someone to help him keep his training routine and to rely on when he starts to doubt his own talent.

Its also helpful for Shane to know someone gay that he isn't in a Situationship with to hold his hand and guide him though his gay "my life will be over if anyone finds out" panic attacks. They both end up at the Sochi Olympics (Team Canada hockey and Japan's men's Figure Skating Team) and we'll, this is when the entire world realizes they're related. Not before some drama first ofc

Media is confused why Shane is always at the men's figureskating competitions, and was photographed hugging and smiling at one of the Japanese contestants. Ilya is SOOOOOO upset about this wtf why is Shane with this Twink he's not even good at skating how Dare He Be Allowed To Hug Shane. They do a little video together for funsies, where they both try out each other's sports and its a meme in the internet seeing Yuuri try and bodycheck Shane and bounce right off him, and for Shane to trip and fall flat on his ass trying to do a tight spin.

The media goes CRAZY and the fans are eating this up and it isn't until and interview post game when a reporter asks Shane if he's dating Yuuri and his response becomes an instant viral meme where he pales, gawks, and squeaks out "Yuuri Katsuki is my cousin!!"

Ilya laughs at his TV when he sees this, feeling lighter than he has in days. (Viktor takes notice that Yuuri, the figureskater everyone is talking about who looked so graceful and at peace showing his cousin how to jump.... cant seem to leave his mind)