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“Hmm.” Ilya said, mumbling something in Russian, pulling out and starting to clean up. Shane closed his eyes for a moment to recover, before looking up to see Ilya looking quite intensely at his wings.
“What?” Shane responded. Was there something wrong with them? He knew he hadn’t had someone preen them for a while, and it was the end of the season, so they tended to be a bit of a disaster. Professional hockey tended to do that.
“Your wings look terrible.”
“I know. I’ll have someone fix the spots I can’t reach during the summer once I get back to Ottawa.” Shane said. What Shane didn’t say was that his mum was always the person who would be doing them.
He was embarrassed to admit that he had his parents take care of stuff like that when most people had a partner or close friend to do it once they were an adult. He just didn’t have a partner, and it would feel strange to ask Hayden to do it when he had Jackie and his kids.
“Can I fix them?” Ilya asked.
“Pardon?” Shane said, shocked. Surely Ilya knew how intimate of a request that was. Preening was something done by a very close friend or partner, not a fuckbuddy or a regular hookup or whatever they were calling this. Even when in hospital, doctors would ask someone else to do it if possible. Ilya was neither a close friend, a doctor, or a romantic partner.
“Can I fix your wings?” Ilya asked again, doubling down. “I will be very gentle, promise.”
Shane had no doubt he would be. He was always so gentle, even when he… Shane reeled in his thoughts. This offer was too intimate, and he needed to say no, shower, leave, and keep the relationship they had to a minimum.
Of course, Shane had never been one for good ideas, especially when it came to Ilya.
“Sure, why not.” He said, shifting into a better position and presenting his wings. Ilya inhaled sharply, as if he hadn’t expected Shane to actually agree. Shane was still a little surprised that he himself had agreed.
“Do you… um, you are, what is the word? Picking?” Ilya said, struggling to find the right word.
“Picky?” Shane suggested, assuming that was what he meant.
“Yes, you are very picky. Usually. Is there anything you don’t want me to do?” Ilya asked. He seemed so unsure, it was quite out of character for him.
“Don’t rip anything without asking, don’t be unnecessarily violent, I don’t know, the normal stuff.” Shane shrugged, trying to be reassuring.
“Yes, okay.” Ilya breathed in again. It was starting to concern Shane.
“You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, I won’t die.” Shane thought it was kind of weird that he had suggested it but now felt so hesitant, but Shane knew what consent was. His wings were kind of itchy, but he would much prefer being slightly itchy than have Ilya be uncomfortable.
“No, I just haven’t done this in a while. I used to help my brother when we were little, but he was much smaller.” Ilya explained.
Shane was about to say something in response, but then Ilya ran his hands along his wings and his brain short circuited. It felt good in a way that was so vastly different to when his mum did it.
Shane felt himself shift into a haze as Ilya petted a certain group of feathers, the more teasing touches making way to thorough preening. He basked in the feelings from his orgasm only a few minutes ago and the positive chemicals from preening. His inner turmoil evaporated as all his nerves narrowed down to Ilya’s hands in his wings.
—
Ilya watched as Shane melted underneath him, his beautiful black, white and brown feathers straightening under his touch. He had teased Shane before about how boring his wings were, just regular beige with random spots, but they truly were beautiful.
He was incredibly grateful that Shane had allowed this to happen. He really did not know what had possessed him to ask. Of course, he knew the significance of preening, and how it was reserved for biological and chosen families. He really shouldn’t be doing it, and Shane shouldn’t have let him.
It was so lovely though, to be able to care for Shane in a way beyond sex and keeping ginger ale in the fridge for him. Shane let out a little coo, and Ilya responded easily, no reservations about being professional and manly in front of Shane. Because it was Shane, and he was safe.
—
It sort of became their routine. They would have their usual sex, and then afterwards Ilya would preen Shane’s wings. It was peaceful and intimate in a way that it was hard for either of them to find anywhere else. Shane had offered to do the same for Ilya, but he couldn’t let him.
It would remind him too much of his father, picking roughly through the delicate shafts before throwing him out into some hockey event or another, or his brother, forced to do it by their father, being especially rough just to punish Ilya for not being able to fully take care of himself. Or worst of all, his mother, delicate and careful as she told him a story about soulmates or the first humans got his wings.
They were okay how they were, no need to question their relationship or how they truly felt about each other.
—
Ilya picked through Shane’s feathers, watching as he slipped away to that place his mind went when preening. Ilya thought there was something different. He felt like Shane was getting better at relaxing, quicker to disappear underneath Ilya. He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
Halfway through the second wing, Ilya found himself thrown off balance by Shane flipping them over and curling on top of him. He was a large hockey player, and usually wouldn’t be able to be surprised like that, but he just wasn’t expecting it.
“I love you.” Shane murmured right next to Ilya’s ear, so quiet he almost deluded himself into thinking that he was hallucinating.
“Простите?” Ilya said in shock, before catching himself. “Pardon?”
“Oh, um. Fuck. Pretend I didn’t say anything.” Shane said, panic evident in his voice. He turned bright red as he attempted to move off of Ilya, but he didn’t let him.
“No, is okay. I love you too.” Ilya said, holding Shane close and hoping he hadn’t fucked up by acknowledging the thing that had been growing between them for so long.
“Oh, well, I already said it, but I love you.” Shane replied, hiding his face in the crook of Ilya’s neck. Ilya knew this was going to be difficult, but he was going to make it work for his Shane.