Chapter Text
Shane Hollander has everything. He's one of the top scorers in the NHL, he's the captain of the Montreal Voyagers, and he has 3 Stanley Cups to his name. He believes he should be happy, but his life is missing one key thing.
Love.
In his whole life, he has only had one girlfriend, and they weren't together for very long. He couldn't really bring himself to kiss her. His heart wasn't in it. It took him much longer than it should have to realize that he was gay. Since coming to terms with his sexuality, he hasn't found the time to enter the gay dating scene either.
At 25 years old, he has accomplished so much yet so little in his life. He’s proud of what he has accomplished in his hockey life, but he’s never truly found what he’s looking for in his love life. He’s never felt comfortable acknowledging his sexuality to his teammates either. The only one who knows about his sexuality is his best friend Hayden.
Hayden has tried to set him up on multiple dates, but he’s always refused out of fear.
He doesn’t know why, but putting himself out there in that way is so terrifying. Especially because he’s never gone farther than kissing someone. And at the age of 25, he fears that someone would find that to be embarrassing.
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Ilya Rozanov never liked relationships, and he never believed himself to be worthy of one either. At the age of 26, he runs a successful branch of the Russian Bratva in Montreal, Canada. He was sent here at the age of 18 by his father, and he has since taken over operations here. He has hated every time that he has had to return to Russia, but ever since his father passed last year, he no longer needs to. The obligation to go is no longer there. His older brother Andrei has taken over operations in Russia, and they only call occasionally. The calls are all business and nothing more.
It’s not like he wants to talk to his brother anyway.
He’s been alone in Canada for 8 years now, and he believes it will stay that way. Occasionally, there is someone in his bed. Man or woman, but they don’t stay long, and he doesn’t repeat people whom he brings home.
He’s never been in a relationship. Not one that has lasted more than a night.
His work keeps him busy, but he does indulge in attending a hockey game or two. He definitely has not gone because there is a cute Canadian hockey player on the team. He enjoys watching them regardless. Maybe in another life, he would have gotten to pursue hockey if his father hadn’t sent him here for business first.
Who knows if he will ever find the person he wants to settle down with? And maybe he won’t because danger follows him everywhere he goes. He wouldn’t want to subject someone to this life. He should remain alone even if that thought breaks his heart a little more every day.