So a few days ago @peachyjude reblogged a clip from 50 First Dates and I haven't been able to stop thinking about an AU since. Local teenage hockey phenom Shane Hollander had an incredible future ahead of him when a devastating head injury left him with anterograde amnesia, unable to form new memories since the accident. It's been a few years now and Shane has worked out a System(TM) and everything's great. After a devastating blowout with Yuna and David one day, Shane records a video explaining the situation to himself to watch every morning. He writes down what happens every day in his journal, and highlights key points to make it easy to review each morning. Of course, there are some nights where he forgets or is too tired or just doesn't feel like it, but that means that day is forever a blank slate, which he hates more than anything. He doesn't like having to rely on other people to tell what he's done, who he's met, etc., but he trusts himself, his own words. He catches on to a group of teenagers messing with him - he still doesn't know what exactly they'd been up to, or for how long, which infuriates him - so he starts taking photos (with permission) of everyone he meets and taking down their names - so he can have his phone face match and know if he's seen them before (and when/where) and then cross-reference in his journal.
Ilya's new in town, his first day as a barista at the coffee shop around the corner from Shane's apartment, and he tries not to be too obvious about how thoroughly charmed he is by the cute guy with freckles and a shy smile who pulls out a pair of reading glasses when he sits down in a corner with a book of short stories. They strike up conversation later when Ilya goes to clear his dishes and ask he needs anything else. Ilya thinks it's a bit odd when the guy asks to take his picture and then frowns into his phone for a bit. "We've never met before?" "Nope, first day on the job." "Oh, I just thought that maybe..." And yeah, because Ilya had felt it too, that pull of vague familiarity. That warm oh, there you are feeling that is certainly too early to feel, but at least it's not just him.
Of course this gets highlighted in Shane's journal ("new barista Ilya at the coffee shop - go back tomorrow"), and Shane keeps going back, eyes keep lighting up when he sees Ilya for the first time, recognizing him from the descriptions in his journal ("his arms are unreal" "his smile is so gorgeous" "wanna tug at his curls so bad") and the ever-growing collection of photos in his phone. Ilya eventually learns about Shane, and they start dating. Ilya becomes a regular feature in Shane's journals. The night they kiss for the first time, Shane writes a firm directive to himself for the next day ("I know it's gonna feel weird, dude, but TRUST ME ON THIS!!!") and Ilya is rendered speechless the following morning when Shane walks right up to him without the slightest hesitation, grabs his face, and kisses him within an inch of his life ("I told myself not to waste a single second not kissing you" "...I'm calling out from work").
It's not always easy. They develop a system, Shane texting Ilya a number 1-5 in the morning based on how he's feeling - 1 means he needs some time and space to process, 5 means he can't wait to meet Ilya. Some days Shane scrolls back through pages and pages of his journal, endless texts and photos - is too much work for Ilya? Ilya always insists no (a conversation, he can see, they've had several times). Shane tries to believe him. They look so happy in the pictures together.
Eventually Shane grows more comfortable trusting Ilya with his memories. Ilya reminds him of people he's met, things he said, places they went together. It doesn't bother him, the way it did when his parents did it. Ilya's reminders slide so easily into conversation, never patronizing or over-concerned. Ilya sees him, not the headlines, not the local gossip that makes its way back to Shane some days, not his stupid head ("not stupid," Ilya insists, pressing kisses to his hairlines "perfect, beautiful.")
It's not perfect, but it's great. And Shane isn't exhausted anymore.
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