An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
GrigOrGoHome: thinking of you today...
It was moments like this that made Shane realize he was falling for him. He had told GrigOr before leaving for this trip that it was a big weekend for him, life-changing. After he had let Ilya's name slip out after his last game, Shane had told GrigOr of his hockey career and future aspirations.
Shane was relieved to find GrigOr supportive. He wasn't sure why he was expecting a different reaction, but the relief at being openly accepted, no questions asked, made a comfortable warmth spread through his body.
GrigOr had said this was a big weekend for him too. He didn't share private details with Shane often, so he didn't know exactly why, but he didn't push it. He knew GrigOr would tell him when he was ready.
Shane wrote back, feeling suddenly at ease seeing the support of someone he so deeply cared about and who constantly showed he felt the same.
Redb1rd: ty. i'll be thinking of you too. you'll be great cuz you always are.
Shane's nerves dissipated as he shut his laptop and walked out of his hotel room, getting into the elevator to go down to see what his future holds.
Ilya beamed as he stared at Shane's...Redb1rd's...message appear across his screen. He had been ready for hours, but he didn't want to go down to meet everyone until he had heard from Shane.
If he was being honest with himself, he needed a boost. Ilya was fighting the urge to both run down, find Shane, and give him a kiss he already knew would be desperate and passionate.... and to run away so he didn't have to listen to his father talk down to him for the next few hours about what a disappointment he was to him.
I am great. Ilya told himself, closing his laptop, straightening out his jacket, and making his way down to the ballroom, repeating Redb1rd's words like a mantra to get him through the evening.
Ilya's heart felt like it stopped for a beat as he saw Shane waiting at the elevator on the same floor.
Of course they'd have rooms next to each other, Ilya thought as he found himself walking faster to catch the elevator before the doors shut, starting to believe fate had a hand in all this.
Ilya stuck his hand into the elevator doors to stop them from closing as he stared unblinkingly into Shane's eyes. Shane's expression was almost like he'd seen a ghost, and Ilya let out a small chuckle at the thought of that.
He knew Shane had still been looking him up, even though they hadn't talked about it since their last game. There had been so many moments over the last few months where the temptation to be honest and tell Shane it was him almost bubbled out of him, but ultimately Ilya decided it was a conversation that needed to be had in person.
At this point, too, Ilya was worried about how Shane would take this news. This had been a secret of his for so long now that he felt like it had gotten away from him... Ilya was feeling selfish for keeping this from him, but he kept reminding himself that he and Shane agreed to have 'the talk' after this weekend. School was out, and they both knew this weekend was the last step in seeing where their separate futures would take them...and if a relationship was even a possibility.
prguitarman
gummygunk
turnnoffyourmind
snowghoul
