Chapter Text
July 2010
Shane Hollander spent the last few hours skating towards center ice with Ilya Rozanov for the CMM Endorsement shoot in Toronto. The Director was very picky and wanted the lighting to be perfect. Shane originally thought he was going to do this alone. A few days ago his agent got a call that they wanted Rozanov and Hollander to be in it together - to reinforce the idea of rivals before the season even began.
It was a grueling photoshoot where Rozanov kept making him laugh. They looked ridiculous with their makeup and grooming underneath their helmet which nobody would even see. The Director made them skate multiple times at different speeds to make sure that it looked realistic on camera and to slow down once they reached each other.
This was the first time Shane spent a whole day with Rozanov. They first met at the Junior World Championships and it was not until the draft that they spent time together. The polls were flipping between the two rookies on who would get picked first. Shane got picked second but at least he was drafted to the team he wanted.
Once the Director announced that the shoot was over, Shane headed to the showers. Yuna, his Mom, was waiting in the rink so that they could get dinner in Toronto before they went back to the hotel and flew out the next morning. He quickly undressed, stepped into the shower, and began lathering himself with soap. He was the only one in the shower so he closed his eyes, began humming, and let the warm water relax his body. His muscles were tense and he was not sure if it was because of the shoot or Rozanov.
A turn of a knob and Shane heard more water crashing to the floor directly to his left. All the other shower stalls were open and Rozanov chose the one directly inches away from him. Shane felt eyes burning into his back so he slowly turned his head. Most athletes were strong and good looking, but Rozanov’s body was extremely attractive.
Rozanov's eyes began skimming down Shane’s body and he felt himself shiver at the thought of another man looking at him. He never felt so exposed. Clearly on purpose, the gaze lasted a little too long. Shane returned the look and began staring at Rozanov’s broad muscular shoulders, his defined pecks, and six pack that looked like a map leading to his dick. His dark brown eyes began to darken and he could feel the heat rising in his body. Suddenly, in a few seconds he could feel himself getting hard.
Shocked was an understatement. He has been naked and showered in front of other players before. He always was able to control his impulses and never dared to look at another guy. That was the number one rule of the locker room - you didn’t check out other men. Rozanov clearly started this by staring and Shane felt annoyed that he fell into Rozanov’s trap. Fuck, how could I be so stupid. I am never going to hear the end of it from Rozanov. He’ll use this against me. Shane panicked. Before it could get worse, Shane quickly shut off the water, grabbed his towel, and bolted out of the shower with shampoo still foaming on his head.
Shane quickly changed into clean clothes and was ready to get out of there when he heard loud wet footsteps drawing closer to him.
“Hollander” a deep voice greeted him as Shane looked towards the voice and saw Rozanov’s perfect body. All that was on him was a small towel, tied very loosely around his waist. “Was fun” and he started heading toward the locker directly next to Shane.
“It’s not…” Shane unable to formulate a cohesive thought or sentence. “You know, I am just tired. And warm water…”
“I mean commercial.” Rozanov smirked and began to undue the towel around his waist. Shane felt uncomfortable. He’s never felt this uncomfortable in a locker room and felt his face warm. He looked up at the ceiling because that seemed like the only safe place to put his eyes to not stare at the hot naked man next to him.
“Ah yes” Shane replied, staring intensely at the ceiling and he could hear a chuckle.
“How you play hockey if you can’t look at men”
“... long day and tired… relaxing and thinking about… my my girlfriend” Shane lied which made Rozanov laugh. Shane’s last girlfriend was months ago as he broke up with her the night he got drafted.
“You are a very bad liar” He said and Shane heard Rozanov putting on his boxer briefs. Now that he was dressed, Shane went back to eyeing the exit and calculating his escape plan. It would take Shane a few seconds to bolt out and never look back. He was lost in thought when Rozanov broke the silence.
“What’s your room number?”
“What… why?” Shane asked suspiciously. He hardly knew Rozanov. He was still a stranger.
“Just chat” he shrugged back as he put on mesh shorts and a tank top. “We’ll be seeing each other a lot” as if that was a good reason to want to talk to a stranger.
“1410” Shane responded, which surprised himself.
“I might knock” Rozanov replied “Eh, maybe around 9”
“I might answer” Shane said quickly and gathered his belongings and left. He had dinner to attend with his Mom. He could focus on that and not the way that Rozanov was looking at him which sent chills up and down Shane’s spine. It would be easiest to block this out and never think about this again.
Dinner was fine. Yuna talked about how she was surprised that Rozanov was there but thought it was a smart move from the league to include the rival rookies in a marketing campaign. She felt like this could boost up Shane’s brand and image and make him known before the season even starts. Yuna went on about all the possibilities and opportunities this could bring. Shane was pretending to listen as he gave the casual nod and affirmation whenever Yuna paused. Instead he was replaying the shower and locker room interaction with Rozanov. What the fuck does he want to talk about?
Yuna headed up to her room on the 8th floor while Shane went to the 14th. He checked his watch and it was only 8:00 p.m. He was physically and mentally exhausted but a part of him was exhilarated and curious in what Rozanov wanted to talk about.
He could not tell what Rozanov meant by coming up to his room or even why he would want to.
Was he going to fight him for looking? But that would not be fair since Rozanov was also checking Shane out.
Maybe Rozanov just needed a friend? That seemed like the most plausible answer since he is moving to a new continent with a new language. It must be a scary change which Shane could not relate to as he is only a few hours drive from his parents in Canada.
Or did Rozanov look at him with sexual desire? Shane blocked that thought because there was no way that Rozanov was gay… and no way that Shane was either. Shane always had girlfriends and there were always multiple girls wanting to go out with him. Being a star hockey player at his high school, girls were always flirting with him and making their move. More often than not he declined those advances and focused on hockey. He was not about to start his rookie season being attached. He needed to give all his time and attention to hockey and being the best at it.
As time went on and he waited, his anxiety creeped up on him and was making him spiral. He still could not figure out a motive. Rozanov is a known asshole on the ice and in interviews. He is known to get the attention of the media and celebrities - not to mention a bit of a womanizer.
Was this all a big prank? Would he come with a camera, pretend to do or wanted to do stuff and then sell it to the media? The more Shane spiraled, the more of an asshole Rozanov was starting to become in his head. Should Shane even answer if he knocks? Will he ever knock or he just knows he is getting Shane all worked up?
Shane’s palms began to get sweaty and his paranoia deepened. It was too early in his career for a scandal. He projected that to come later when he reached a level of fame and his skills proved justifiable. He started to get angry at himself for telling Rozanov what room he was in but more at Rozanov for getting in his fucking head.
At 8:55 pm Ilya shut his door on the 8th floor and headed to the elevator bay. He had no idea what Hollander’s deal was but he was intrigued to get to know him better. Ever since meeting at the Junior World Championships over a year ago, he’s been intrigued with golden boy Shane Hollander and his perfect freckles. He always thought Shane was cute but catching him stare at Ilya naked.. That got him excited. Shane ran out of the shower before anything could happen so at least meeting in the room they can be in private.
Ilya waited for the elevator and he saw that one was headed up. As the number switched from 7 to 8, he heard the elevator ding and doors open. He was about to get in when a tiny Asian woman stepped out. She looked at him with recognition as they switched places and he stepped into the elevator.
“Hi, I am Yuna Hollander, Shane’s mom…” she said, sticking out her hand but the elevator didn't register and was about to shut its doors. Ilya opened his mouth to respond but the doors closed and he felt the elevator traveling up. He sighed and was relieved that Yuna wasn’t going up to the 14th floor. But he did have a mild panic because Yuna might notice that the elevator was going to her son's floor.
It was after 9 and Shane decided that if Rozanov doesn’t knock in the next 5 minutes, he won’t answer and get ready for bed. It would fit Rozanov's character to be late. And just like that he heard a series of knocks on his door. Shane didn’t waste any time and went up to the door to let Rozanov in. He entered confidently like he owned the place and stood near the doorway with his back to the door facing Shane.
“I thought you might chicken out” he said as a way of greeting.
“I’m not.. I’m not a chicken” Shane said somewhat unsure and stepped back to provide some distance “But I think we should talk”
Rozanov grunted and raised an eyebrow.
“Do you want to sit?” Shane continued and gestured to the bed and chair at the far end of the room.
“Not really,” Rozanov said but Shane kept staring awkwardly at him without any emotion in his face.
Was Shane going to kiss him? Or did Shane want to punch him? He really couldn’t tell but figured the safest action was to walk over and sit on the bed. Shane didn’t want to sit on the bed with him so he sat in the chair - which was a few feet away from the bed.
“Hollander why are you so far?” he whined and Shane pulled the chair closer to the edge of the bed. He wasn’t about to sit side by side with Rozanov on the bed if they were just going to talk.
“Rozanov” Shane gave a look “We don’t know each other. We’ve barely had a conversation about anything. What do you want”
“Ilya” he corrected and pulled out his hand for Shane to shake. “I am Ilya and I will be a Boston Raider. Best player in the league and first draft pick” Shane shook his head but reached out and reciprocated the handshake to Ilya.
“Ilya” Shane emphasized. Calling players by their first name was a more intimate and friendly gesture so maybe this was Ilya’s olive branch of friendship. “You are such an Asshole”
“And you are boring” Ilya sighed and pushed off from the bed to leave.
“I am not boring” Shane said offendly and glared at Ilya.
“Only boring people say not boring” and he sat back down but this time lying down on his forearms and looking up at Shane.
“Really…What do you want Ilya?” Shane asked not understanding why he was lying down on his bed and was making uncomfortable small talk with him. “It’s getting late and I have an early flight tomorrow”
For the life of him, Ilya could not read Shane. Originally, he thought that Shane was badly flirting with him in the shower and locker room but now he couldn’t tell. Shane did open the door but instead of closing the space, Shane backed up. Shane suggested that they sit and Ilya went for the bed, but Shane decided to sit far away. And now, Shane keeps asking him what he wants - so matter of fact that there is no hinting of a hookup especially since he sounds like he wants to get this over fast. Maybe Ilya’s gaydar is off and he misread Shane. He was right that Ilya hardly knows him. Was Shane just being a nice and polite Canadian when inviting him in?
Ilya stared at Shane, trying to get a sense of what Shane was thinking at this moment. He could make a move and just kiss Shane… but if that wasn’t what Shane was expecting then that would be bad. Shane could start rumors or ruin Ilya’s career before it even began. His secret would be out with a man who didn’t reciprocate it back. Ilya’s eyes gazed over Shane’s head, focused on his lips, and then to his chest.
Shane’s demeanor didn’t change while Ilya was checking him out. Shane just looked bored and uninterested in this whole interaction. Ilya had the intention of kissing and fucking Shane but he made a quick decision to deviate from those plans.
“What’s it like being in North America?” was the first question Ilya could think of that was not sexual.
“It’s the only place I grew up” Shane gave a media trained answer.
Honestly, Shane was shocked. He thought Ilya was going to make a move on him as he stared at Shane’s lips longer than a person who wasn’t thinking about kissing would. But Shane wasn’t going to make the first move because of all the reasons he thought about during the time he waited for Ilya to knock. He couldn’t risk his career or want to make it awkward with Ilya before the season began. He knew he would be spending a ton of time with him throughout the season because they were rivals and often compared to each other.
“Ah so boring” as Ilya flopped down on the bed and looked at the ceiling. This was torture and now he wants to get out. If he wasn’t going to get his dick sucked by Hollander then what was the point of even being in this room.
“Is that the only adjective you know to describe someone?” Shane chuckled to himself.
“Aja-what?”
“An adjective is a word that describes, modifies, or gives more information about a noun or a pronoun.” Shane recited like he was a dictionary or giving the definition at a spelling bee.
“Do you have that memorized?” Ilya laughed, shaking his head “You sound like robot” and he began making robot noises at Shane. Shane couldn’t help but laugh too. He did sound like a robot and often is too strong and decisive in his words and actions. It was something he was trying to work on, trying to chill the fuck out and not have everything be so prescriptive.
“I sometimes sound like a robot” Shane said and blushed because it was embarrassing to admit to someone you hardly knew. “When I was doing the media training, I didn’t need much help because I was able to memorize what the PR team was saying. I think the league knows I am going to always stick to the script”
“Ah I don’t”
“We all know that you don’t.” Shane laughed
“You sound like the asshole”
“Okay, I take it back… you only know two words to describe people. Boring and Asshole”
“Yep you boring and asshole. I just asshole” Ilya points to himself and sits up.
“Well at least we agree on you being an asshole.” Shane smiles and then his face turns neutral again as he remembers why Ilya is there. “But really Ilya… why are you here? Is there something you want to talk about? I do have an early flight tomorrow and could use the extra sleep”. This was Ilya’s cue to leave. There would be no hooking up but he didn’t want the time to end. The banter felt normal and comfortable with Shane, which was saying a lot since Ilya hated talking in English. He felt stupid thinking and speaking in English, yet with Shane he felt safe.
“I like robots. I want to be friends with robots.” Ilya started and Shane made a confused face. “We will see each other a lot. Will be nice to have a friend behind close doors who is going through….” Ilya gestured to him and Shane. “Same experience… but to everyone we are rivals”
Shane didn’t have many friends because he was busy focusing on hockey and that took priority over every other aspect of his life. He also did not know anyone in the NHL and he certainly didn’t know anyone else who was at the same competitive level as Shane was. Maybe this would be mutually beneficial for them and they should become friends.
“So what are your hobbies?” Ilya asked breaking Shane’s train of thought.
“Hockey” was his immediate reply and Ilya shook his head as if that was not a good enough answer. “I read hockey books, watch hockey documentaries, and think about different plays…” Ilya gave an even more annoyed look. “Okay, I really like being outdoors and working out. I want to have a cottage in Canada where I can hike, swim and go bird watching. It will be private and just away from this hockey world.”
“Watch birds?” Ilya’s eyebrow went up and he put his hand over his mouth to not laugh.
“That’s all you got from that? And yes! It’s a legit hobby that many enthusiasts have…” Shane trailed off and began to realize how ridiculous this hobby must sound to a boy from Moscow. “Okay, next time we see each other we’ll go hiking and bird watching. You’ll see”
“Okay. you make plans. We going to be best friends” Ilya joked “But tell me more about bird watching. I’ll stay on the bed and rest my eyes… but I am interested in the cabin and birds” And with that Shane then went into his five year plan of the cottage he wants to build on the lake with lots of birds. And that was the moment that Ilya realized he could listen to Shane talk about everything and nothing forever.