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“Ilya,” Shane said softly, brushing the hair that was stuck to his forehead away gently. He was currently draped over the side of Ilya’s bed, one arm holding him up and the other in Ilya's hair, settled next to Ilya's sleeping form. “Wake up,”
Ilya's eyelids fluttered open, filled with obvious confusion. His throat let out a disoriented hum as he scanned the room before his eyes set on Shane. He immediately looked far more awake. “What're you doing here? What- What time is it?”
“Hi,” Shane replied, smiling fondly at him while running his thumb along Ilya's cheekbones. “It's 11:45, just in time”
Ilya still looked like he wasn't completely awake, wasn't completely aware or in understanding of what was happening. “In time for what?”
“For your birthday, of course. We still have a few minutes.”
Ilya stared at him uncomprehendingly for a few moments. “You're here for my birthday? But- aren't you supposed to be in Montreal right now?”
“Yes, I'm supposed to be. But I'm not. I'm here to be with you.” Shane replied, pressing a kiss to Ilya’s nose.
For a whole minute, Ilya just stared at him, trying to make sense of what was happening through his sleep-addled brain. This wasn't supposed to happen; it wasn't planned. Shane had spent the entire last week apologizing profusely precisely for the reason that he couldn't be here on his birthday, because an unavoidable team meeting had come up.
“I don't get it. How are you here?” Ilya said, “I thought you were busy, you had the team thing. And you did all of that today.”
They'd called this morning — Shane insisted on making the most of the time they had today before he was too busy tomorrow. He’d even sent Ilya an inconspicuous bouquet in the locker room, under the name of Jane, risking it just enough to let Ilya’s team know he had someone — someone who loved him very much.
He knew Shane got a little freaked out over things like that; there was always the chance someone could notice who it was delivered to and trace it back to who'd ordered it. But the fact that Shane had done it anyway had made him feel all mushy inside, even though he was trying to convince himself he was okay with spending his day apart from Shane.
He told himself he was fine with that; it was only his first birthday that was happening when he was with Shane, they had the entire rest of their lives. He already had far more than he'd ever imagined. He was just a little disappointed. It was fine. But then this-
“I know it matters to you, baby. You've been off all day. I noticed it. I know it's important, and when I realized just how important it really is, it didn't take much to get my schedule for tomorrow free.” He spoke, his thumb mindlessly rubbing along Ilya's bottom lip. “I got here as fast as I possibly could before the day ended, and I suppose I technically succeeded. I'm sorry, I know it's pretty late but—”
“Shane.” Ilya cut him off before he could finish, mortified at the burn he was already feeling behind his eyes.
“Yes?” Shane asked innocently, like he hadn't just cut open Ilya's chest and taken his heart away from him. Like he hadn't just seen through Ilya’s facade so completely and treated every emotion he found there with pure devotion.
“Shane.” It came out a little broken this time, his voice catching in his throat before he was finished speaking, and his eyes welled up immediately. He needed this. He hadn't even realized just how much he needed it before he had it, before he had Shane right in front of him when his arms had been aching to reach for him all day.
“Oh, Ilya,” Shane settled against the pillows near the headboard to free his other hand and gently pulled Ilya closer till he settled against his chest, face pressed into his neck, immediately turning the skin there wet. One of his hands came to rest at the small of Ilya's back, pushing him closer to himself, while the other embedded itself in the hair at the back of his head. “Baby, it's okay, you're okay.”
“I love you,” Ilya mumbled, voice thick with emotion, his nose rubbing back and forth under Shane’s jaw. “I missed you. So much. All day,” He pauses for a second and then, “Wanted you here,” he adds softly, almost like he didn't want to admit that.
“I love you too,” Shane replied immediately, pressing a kiss into Ilya's hair. “And I know, baby, I know.”
“Thank you,” Ilya murmured, “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Shane let out a small huff of laughter, ruffling Ilya's hair. “Don’t thank me just yet, you need to go out there with me.”
Ilya pulled back to look at Shane with a solemn expression, “Shane, if you really have any more surprises for me in the living room, I will sob”
Shane pursed his lips, “Do you want me to lie?”
“God,” He said, hiding his face in Shane's neck again. “You are horrible”
“I love you too. Now get up”
Shane pulled away, giving Ilya the chance to untangle himself from the sheets and drag himself upright. He walked all the way out while giving himself a pep talk on preparedness and how he was going to react normally. What could Shane have even gotten him? It couldn't be too hard to manage. He had already cried over his own boyfriend being in his house for his birthday; he needed to get it together.
Apparently, he shouldn't have even tried. Because there was nothing that could ever have prepared him— He really could have never even guessed—
His living room was drowning in flowers. Well, maybe that was an exaggeration, but it certainly felt so, because there were bouquets lying around almost every surface of the room, every single one of them different from the other. On the kitchen counter, there was a wrapped-up gift.
Ilya looked around at everything, stunned, and then sputtered trying to speak.
“When did you even do this? I had– I have been home all evening!”
“You sleep like the dead. And I know how to be quiet.”
Ilya smirked lightly at that, before the expression dropped again and he threw himself into Shane’s arms, holding him so tight they might as well have melded into one being if it were possible.
Shane wrapped Ilya up close to him, like he was holding his entire world in his arms. “Shh, baby, it's okay, let it out. I'm right here, and I love you, okay? I love you so much. And I missed you so fucking much too. The guys were teasing me all day today, saying I was distracted, they didn't know I was just trying to stop myself from getting to Ottawa every second just to kiss you.”
After a few minutes, the tears stopped coming, and Ilya sniffed lightly. “I’m sorry, just feeling overwhelmed, I think. Must be the sleepiness,” He said, pulling away slowly, trying to play it off, frowning at the wet patch on the edge of Shane's shirt.
“Hey, hey,” Shane's hands come up to cup Ilya’s face, “It's okay, Ilya, it's completely fine. Let's get over to the kitchen, alright? You still need to see what I got you.”
Ilya huffs and turns around, clearly trying to hide the emotions overtaking his face while walking towards the counter. Shane follows behind him, the palm of his hand a warm press at the small of his back.
“What could you have gotten me? Hope is the dil-”
“Do not finish that sentence.”
Ilya laughed, bumping into one of the bouquets on his way. “You did not need to get these many flowers, Shane. I think I get the point.” He commented, a teasing lilt to his voice.
Shane rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “I didn't know which one to get. They're all different. And then I tried to read up on flower theory to make a decision, and I kept finding new ones I wanted to get you, so I just got all of them”
Any form of humour on Ilya's face had been wiped away, replaced by a horribly soft vulnerability, but they both ignored that for the moment.
On the surface in front of them, there was an inconspicuously wrapped rectangle and a paper bag. It had the name of a jewellery brand on the side, Ilya noticed.
“Are you proposing to me, Hollander?”
“No! I mean, not—not yet.”
“Not yet?”
“Can you just open it?” Shane deflected, rocking back and forth on the soles of his feet, restless with anticipation.
Ilya obliged, his attempt at levity betrayed by his careful fingers gingerly taking the box out like he was afraid of what it would contain. There was silence as he opened the box and stared at the simple locket inside. He flipped it open delicately, and it was like all the air in the room had disappeared in a moment.
After a full minute of tense silence, Ilya spoke, his voice barely more than a whisper,
“Shane.. What is– how did you even do this?”
The locket had a picture of Irina inside, a picture Ilya recognized from his childhood. He had never gotten the chance to get it before he left Russia.
“I asked Svetlana for it.”
For a second, Ilya thought he had started hearing things. “You- what? Shane, you have never spoken to her before. She does not even know about you.”
“Yes, I- I know. But I got her number. From your phone. And I texted her, said I was Jane. She asked me many questions about you, but I think I managed to convince her I actually did know you. Well, I'm sure I did, since she helped me.”
“Helped you.”
“Yes. In getting the picture.”
“Right, yes.”
Ilya seemed to come out of some stupor at that, looking down at the picture again. Wordlessly, he picked the locket up by its chain and handed it to Shane.
“Will you put it on for me?”
Shane let out a breath of relief at that, worried that maybe he had overstepped, and immediately reached out to take it from Ilya’s hands.
“Yes, yes of course. Turn around”
He locked the clasp together and then, because he couldn't help himself, he bent forward to press a kiss to Ilya’s neck.
He felt Ilya’s entire body shudder beneath his lips before he turned back around and pulled Shane in for a kiss.
After a while, Shane pulled away faintly, his lips brushing against Ilya’s as he spoke, his fingers running through Ilya’s hair at the back of his head.
“You still need to see my other gift, baby”
Ilya closed his eyes at that, taking deep breaths.
“I do not know if I’m strong enough to face another one of your gifts today,” He said, leaning forward till his forehead was resting against Shane’s.
“Well,” Shane said, running his other hand up and down Ilya’s back, “You don't need to be.”
He pressed another close-mouthed kiss on his lips, before pulling away and dropping his hand to Ilya’s waist, the other one picking up the wrapped package. He pressed it into Ilya’s hands and stepped back, observing his reactions.
Ilya peeled off the wrapper carefully, unable to hide his sharp inhale when he saw the photo frame in his hand. When he didn't say anything more, Shane took that as his cue to explain.
“Mom sent that picture to me a few weeks ago. I thought you would like to have it.”
It was a photo Yuna had taken of Shane all the way back on that first day that they both met. In it, Shane is sitting, looking away from the camera at the rink, and from the corner of the frame, it is obvious he is looking at Ilya on the ice.
“It's the only picture we have to remember that day by, and what it meant for us. I have the same one in Montreal.” He continued, smiling now.
When Ilya still hadn't moved, Shane stepped forward again, picked the frame out of his hands, and pulled Ilya into a hug. From over his shoulder, he could see on the clock that it was 12:05 AM.
“Happy Birthday, Ilya. I love you.”
In response, Ilya kissed his shoulder, but didn't say anything more. They stayed that way, unmoving, until Shane noticed that the clock now read 12:15 AM and Ilya’s breathing had evened out in a way he recognized from when he was falling asleep.
Without pulling away, Shane spoke his name into his shoulder, which prompted no other response from Ilya than a small grunt.
“Are you falling asleep while standing, Ilya?” Shane chuckled, shifting to support Ilya’s body better.
“No, m’not”
“Baby, your entire body weight is on me right now.”
“That is a– what the fuck?” Ilya yelped as Shane hooked his arm under his knees and picked him up with no prior warning. “You don't need to do this.”
“Of course I do, it's officially your day now, if I don't spoil you rotten today, I'll change my name.” He stopped to think about something before adding, "You're like my princess today”
Ilya promptly hid his face in Shane’s neck to hide how hard that made him blush. For now, Shane spared him and didn't comment on it. He had the entire rest of the day after all.
By the time he reached the bedroom and put him down on the bed, Ilya had basically dozed off again. He left the room momentarily to lock up around the house, before returning and getting into bed next to Ilya.
He glanced over to his phone on the bedside stand where he had put it earlier in the night, and it glowed back a 12:30 AM at him.
Even though Ilya was already asleep, Shane shifted closer to him while running a finger across his jaw and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips.
“Happy Birthday, моя любовь”