Chapter Text
Muskoka, Ontario – late June 2017
Kelsey showing up at his parents’ cottage unannounced with Eli Heikkeinen in tow shocked the entire Hollander family. His mother had pulled an extra chair into the kitchen, but the small frame barely accommodated the bulky defender, who towered over all of them. Ever the prescient human being, his father had brought out chablis and vodka, half expecting something life-altering from whatever Kelsey was about to tell them. He hadn’t said much beyond “wanting to surprise them” and introducing Eli to them all, as if Shane hadn’t been checked into the boards by him a half dozen times and Yuna Hollander didn’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of the league.
Eli Heikkinen just smiled at them all, shook hands with everyone, and matched their own Canadian Politeness with an unrivaled Midwestern variety. Shane had an inkling exactly where this was going, because for whatever reason, the last time he had played against the Seattle Cascades he had ended up doing some deep dives on players, Eli included. And while the significance didn’t cross his mind at the time, he had noted that Eli had left BU in 2012, and he did wonder if Kelsey knew him at all. Now Shane was certain that Kelsey more than knew him back then.
“So,” David began. “While we are absolutely delighted by this surprise, Kels. You’ve left us in quite a suspense.”
“That’s my fault, sir,” Eli immediately said.
“David is fine, Eli,” his father replied.
“I think what Eli means to say,” Kelsey interjected, “is that I’ve had some recent developments in my life, mostly because of him.”
Yuna looked between the two of them suspiciously. “Can you stop being so cryptic about this?”
Shane snorted, which caused everyone to look at him. “What? I think it's pretty obvious, isn’t it?”
Yuna motioned for him to explain, to which Shane sighed and continued, “Eli was Kelsey’s BU hockey player, and obviously because they’re both here, they somehow reconnected and are back together.”
“How did you figure that out?” Kelsey gasped.
“He’s inherited the witchiness from his mother,” David replied, smirking.
“It’s true then?” Yuna asked, her eyes wide.
Kelsey nodded his head. “It is. And, uh… we’re engaged.”
“Oh my god!” Shane almost dropped his ginger ale.
Yuna cooed enthusiastically, “My darling!”
Meanwhile, David sat back in his seat and smiled. “Never would have seen that one coming….”
Both Eli and Kelsey pulled rings out of their pockets and put them on, with Eli leaning in to give Kelsey a resounding smooch on the cheek. For the first time in his life, Shane felt something toward his brother that he was not expecting — jealousy. It became abundantly clear that despite the time and distance between Eli and Kelsey since BU, their feelings had not gone away. They were preparing to take this journey, through the muck of homophobia that still existed in the NHL, completely unbothered and in love. They were not going to hide. Yes, Shane was completely jealous, and yet a small tear ran down his left cheek.
“Kels, I want you to have your wedding at my cottage,” he warbled, offering without thinking twice about it.
“Hollander, you really don’t have to do that,” Eli replied. “We were thinking of getting married in Vancouver and then having a nice party after.”
Shane could see Kelsey’s eyes getting beady with moisture. His brother nodded his head. “I think we could do both? Make the ceremony and party here after the paperwork? It would be much more private.”
They planned for a date in July that would allow time for the necessary arrangements to be completed. Eli wanted to consider who he would invite. Only a few teammates knew about his sexuality, and only one knew about him and Kelsey. Yuna and David wanted to make sure there was some semblance of wedding elements present, even if it consisted of a smaller ceremony and party. Shane left them to consider the options, returning to his cottage to visualize exactly where they could do things, considering the lakeside a particularly romantic option.
What he hadn’t thought about was that there might be some slight overlap between Ilya’s visit to the cottage and when the wedding was meant to take place. Either he was going to have to move dates around with Ilya, or he was going to have to concoct a very good story for his parents and the guests as to why Ilya Rozanov was at Kelsey’s wedding. Naturally, the very notion of this all sent him into a panic, so much so, that he immediately called Ilya.
“Shane?”
“Sorry, I know you’re in Russia, but I have news,” Shane blurted out, the sense of alarm clear in his voice.
“Slow, sweetheart,” Ilya soothed. “Tell me news. I am not busy.”
“Kelsey is getting married, and I offered to let him get married at the cottage the same week you are coming,” Shane spewed out.
Ilya paused for a moment, processing Shane’s words. “And you think he will not like me at his wedding, after everything that happened?”
“Uh… I don’t know if that’s the biggest problem here, Ilya.”
Ilya grunted. “Sorry, I am tired. Please explain.”
“My parents will be here. Not to mention, Kelsey’s fiancé. How am I going to explain why you’re there?”
“You told me you came out to your parents,” Ilya replied. “And that you talked to them about the situation….”
“We didn’t mention your name,” Shane splurted out.
“I see.”
“Yeah… now what?”
Ilya went quiet for a moment, lost in his thoughts. Shane feared he was going to suggest not even coming now, or shortening the visit, both terrible options. “Then we will just tell them why.”
Shane shook his head, willing himself to process what he just heard. “Tell them… about us?”
“Da. Of course. If Kelsey is okay, I will be with you when you tell your parents about us and then be your sexy wedding guest.”
“I’m very scared about this, Ilya,” Shane whispered.
Ilya’s voice, suddenly both confident and sweet, replied, “Then we will be brave together.”
He could feel his skin crawling just thinking about how his parents would react. Yuna Hollander’s disappointed gaze flashed in his mind, between the fact that Ilya played for Boston and he had fooled around with both of her sons. Oh, it would be World War III. Shane had to think of the bigger picture though. He could see himself with Ilya, longterm, maybe even for life. Would it not be more crippling to find out years later, perhaps even by accident, than for him to be honest about the situation?
If Ilya could be brave, then he could, too.
“Okay. I’ll clear it with Kelsey first and let you know,” Shane said simply.
“Okay. Text me,” followed by a smooching noise, after which Ilya hung up.
Shane quickly texted his brother to come over with Eli whenever he was done with planning. He made it clear that their parents had to stay home, at least initially. Shane did some breathing exercises as he waited for his brother to arrive. Not only would he be asking Kelsey for Ilya to come to the wedding, but he would also be potentially revealing to Eli that his fiancé had history with Ilya Rozanov. Be brave and rip the Band-Aid, right? Minutes later, his brother practically stormed into the house, Eli floating in behind him, sheepishly.
“Dear brother, why have you asked me not to come with the parentals,” Kelsey inquired, his eyebrow cocked at Shane. “Please tell me that this has nothing to do with you-know-who.”
“Uh, if by you-know-who you mean a certain Bostonian, then yes, it does,” Shane replied, smiling awkwardly as he said it. “Hi again, Eli.”
Eli instinctively offered his hand to shake, his midwestern manners taking center stage, as if he was about to call Shane “sir,” or something. Shane felt bad for what he was about to hear.
Kelsey shot Shane a look that said “get on with it,” so Shane blurted out, “I invited him up here prior to hearing about your engagement, and now there’s a time conflict.”
“Why doesn’t he reschedule?” Kelsey asked.
“Other conflicts,” Shane muttered. “Endorsement shoots, visiting home…”
“I see,” Kelsey replied, his lips growing tight at first before he closed his eyes and sighed. “Eli, baby, I have to admit something, because I’m absolutely about to fold to my brother’s request, and obviously, I trust you to keep family secrets and the like…”
Eli looked between them, his face painted with confusion. “Okay, Kels. Sounds serious.”
“My brother is inviting Ilya Rozanov to our wedding,” Kelsey said, his voice very serious.
“I’m dating Ilya Rozanov,” Shane supplied. “At least, I think we’re dating. Probably should confirm that with him….”
Eli gawked at Shane for a full minute, uninterrupted. Kelsey poked him several times, to try to get his attention, but it appeared that nothing could interrupt the processing occurring in Eli Heikkinen’s brain at that point.
“It gets worse,” Kelsey added, wincing slightly. Not like Eli would notice in his fugue state. “Rozanov and I had a thing back in Boston for a couple years, with some instances outside of those years… uh, not when we were dating, of course.”
At that, Eli’s eyes widened. “What?!”
Shane just nodded his head. “Imagine my surprise.”
“Same, really,” Kelsey added. “For me, I once imagined it was serious, but Rozanov shut that down pretty fast. Which is completely unlike him and Shane….”
They both left Eli completely speechless for another minute, until he grumbled out, “How am I supposed to compete with Roz? He’s so hot…I am nothing in comparison.”
Both Hollander brothers were left agape at that, with Kelsey sporting a pout.
“Baby, no. I love you. It's not a competition. It was just sex… and you know you’re good at that. I almost couldn’t walk that —”
“Jesus, Kels, TMI,” Shane groaned. “I just want to know if I can bring my ‘maybe boyfriend’ to your wedding.”
Kelsey shrugged. “Eel? It’s not an issue for you, is it? I don’t really care, seeing as how he’s probably going to be my brother-in-law some day…”
Shane blushed furiously at that.
“As long as he behaves,” Eli replied diplomatically, straightening his shoulders and puffing out his pronounced chest. “I mean, he’s with Shane now. I’m with you. I’m trying to be as normal as humanly possible about this.”
“Well, that’s settled then,” Kelsey said, smiling. He took Eli’s hand in his and then started to steer him toward the door. “Come on, fiancé. I’ll tell you the sordid details on the ride back. And then when my parents are asleep, I’ll let you unleash that caveman jealousy in me….”
“I heard that,” Shane yelled after them. “Use protection, please!”
“We won’t,” Kelsey jeered back.
After sending a quick text to Ilya that Kelsey gave them the green light, Shane put his head down on the table and groaned. Sometimes, it felt like everything was moving entirely too fast. This time last year, he was celebrating a cup win. After years of denial, years of shielding himself from everyone, this year he was on the verge of revealing his and Ilya’s history to his parents.
Voluntarily.
Moments Later
Piling into their rental car, Kelsey took the more scenic route to get back to his parent’s cottage. He had a brooding sense that the revelation he and Shane had dropped on Eli had not been as well received as Eli made it seem. To minimize the risk of being overheard, the car was really the only place to make it work. It didn’t feel fair, giving Eli so little time to process that information before asking him to truly evaluate his feelings, but Kelsey didn’t know if they would have time to have this conversation face-to-face before Eli had to go back to Seattle.
“Eel… are you sure you’re really okay with this?” Kelsey asked.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” Eli replied.
Kelsey chewed on his lip for a minute before asking again. “Like… really sure? Not just accepting it because I asked or because it's my brother and you’re star struck or something?”
Eli chuckled. “I get why you would ask that, but no, I’ve played against your brother enough not to be a fanboy over it.”
“So you are truly okay with it?”
“Kels,” Eli said softly. “I dropped right out of your life years ago. I don’t get to show up, ask you to marry me, and then get pissed about something in your past and put my foot down.”
“It can still feel weird,” Kelsey said quickly.
“It does,” Eli answered. “I mean, Rozanov… plus the fact that Shane….”
“I know….”
“But,” Eli continued, “regardless of feeling weird, I’ll be okay. In a way, I’m glad you’ve told me about this. It feels less isolating to know there are others in the league.”
Kelsey smiled and put his hand on Eli’s, giving it a squeeze. “Okay. I love you, Eel.”
Eli kissed Kelsey’s hand. “Love you, too, Kels.”
Muskoka, Ontario – late July 2017
A black, Mercedes SUV pulled up to the cottage in the late afternoon, two days before Kelsey’s wedding. Ilya had just flown in from Russia two days prior, and despite how needy Shane felt to see him, he forcefully argued for jetlag recovery time for Ilya. They most certainly would need their wits about them given the emotional, and for Yuna Hollander, probably even spiritual, gauntlet that awaited them. Not to mention, Shane had to overcome another hurdle — introducing Ilya to Eli Heikkinen without a fistfight happening — before the parental reveal. Those worries crowded his brain for days leading up to Ilya’s arrival, forcing Shane to run through various possible outcomes and how he would need to react to them in order to maintain everyone’s dignity.
Only when Ilya took Shane into his arms with a firm hug did those worries settle down from a boil to a simmer.
“Shane,” Ilya whispered before kissing his neck. “You are having a panic attack, nearly.”
“Obviously. My brain keeps thinking about the worst possible outcomes,” Shane mumbled back, his head firmly pushed against Ilya’s firm pecs. “Catastrophizing, as Kelsey would say.”
Ilya hummed and then pulled back. “We will survive. Both tough hockey players, yes? When am I meeting Kelsey’s mystery man?”
Tires turning in the gravel outside easily answered that question. “It appears… much sooner than I thought?” Shane squeaked. Both he and Ilya moved into the kitchen, leaving Ilya’s suitcase near the door.
Shane didn’t know where to keep his eyes. Part of him wanted to keep them fixed on Kelsey for discomfort, Eli for any signs of violence, and another to see how Ilya reacted to finding out about Eli. For what it's worth, he had hoped to have more time to prime Ilya on the fact that Kelsey was about to marry someone else in the league, given that Eli got a preview of finding out about Ilya, but that clearly didn’t materialize. Maybe he should feel bad about that fact, but given the circumstances, he would have had to cancel on Ilya without a good explanation.
“We’re here,” Kelsey called.
“In the kitchen,” Shane replied.
The moment the two rounded the corner, a delighted, yet surprised exclamation left Ilya’s mouth.
“No way! Heikkinen? Bozhe moy. Is perfect,” Ilya giggled.
Shane hadn’t anticipated this reaction whatsoever. Of course, Ilya would be delighted by the fact that there was another queer player in the league.
“Roz,” Eli replied, his voice somewhat clipped.
“Boys,” Kelsey said sternly. “Play nice. Eli, remember that Ilya chose Shane, and I chose you.”
“Yes, baby,” Eli muttered back. This did nothing but fan the flames.
“Is perfect, so perfect,” Ilya said, his tone teasing and delighted. “Heikkinen is so innocent, perfect pairing for the slutty Hollander.”
Eli spluttered at that as Kelsey rolled his eyes.
“Ilya,” Shane scolded. “Really?”
Ilya shrugged his shoulders. “Shane was innocent. Kelsey never was. Would never work out, two sluts,” he said, pointing between himself and Kelsey. “This is why I love Eli for him. Lamb and wolf. Perfect.”
Eli growled. “I am not some innocent lamb,” to which Ilya immediately snorted.
“You said ‘crackers’ on the ice and apologized for boarding me once. Lamb.”
Shane groaned. “Okay, let’s not escalate this, please.”
“Yes, please. The past is the past,” Kelsey reminded everyone. “And honestly, Ilya’s right… we were too alike.”
Ilya’s smile twisted at Kelsey’s acknowledgement. Eli crossed his arms, defensively and huffed out, “As long as you two aren’t alone in a room together….”
Kelsey scoffed. “Really, baby? You don’t trust me?”
“No, I don’t trust him,” Eli replied.
Ilya scoffed. “Ugh, you both are boring. I am with Shane, anyway. We are lovers.”
“Gross, Ilya. Lovers is like…” Shane mumbled.
“Having an affair,” Kelsey supplied. “Which in a way, in the hockey world, you sort of are?”
Shane groaned. “Please don’t remind me. God, I’m still freaking out about telling Mom….”
“Which I must see,” Kelsey added. “Sorry, but I cannot pass up ‘Yuna Hollander, Number One Metros Fan’ reacting to finding out her son is with Ilya Rozanov.”
Shane narrowed his eyes at Kelsey. “I think you are forgetting that she will also realize that he slept with you, too.”
“Fuck,” Kelsey almost shouted. “Damnit. Yes, I did forget that.”
Ilya looked practically affronted at that. “No, I am not forgettable. Everyone remembers when I fuck.”
“Roz, I swear to god,” Eli growled. “Stop talking about when you fucked my fiancé.”
Suddenly, the door to the cottage swung open. All of them immediately shut their mouths.
“Honey, it’s me and your father. We were out on a walk, saw Kelsey’s rental and that Mercedes….” Yuna Hollander trailed off as she came into view of the kitchen, David following behind her moments later.
“Oh my god.”
David looked between Eli, Kelsey, Shane, and Ilya, a small smirk on his face. “Interesting.”
Yuna turned to Shane. “Shane, baby. What is Ilya Rozanov doing in your cottage?”
“Mom,” Shane began. “Uh, there’s a very good explanation for this all.”
David brushed Yuna’s arm gently. “Honey, let’s not jump to conclusions.”
“Conclusions? David, really? I think it is clear. Why else would he be here? Wait, oh my god….” Yuna braced against the counter. “I need a drink.”
“Honey?” a concerned David asked, coming to rub Yuna’s shoulders. “I’m confused now. My brain went to ‘Eli has a friend in the league as best man,’ not whatever crazy thing you’re thinking.”
Eli scoffed at that and Ilya snorted with laughter.
Yuna pointed at Shane. “Explain. Please.”
Shane swallowed roughly. “Well, see. Uh, Ilya is my date to Kelsey’s wedding, and before Kelsey had told us about getting married, both of us had planned to hang out here for two weeks.”
Yuna put two and two together relatively quickly. “Oh my god.” She turned and faced Ilya, looking nearly hysterical. “You’re the guy! The one they were fighting over!”
For a split second, Ilya seemed to preen about that, before he realized just how bad that would look. He sank into himself, resembling, in Shane’s mind, a contrite son being scolded by his mother.
“Mom, please,” Shane calmly replied, “We’ve worked through this, mostly.”
Yuna just shook her head, muttering under her breath, before turning back to Shane and Kelsey. “You two. I can’t believe it. I thought I raised both of my boys better. Sleeping with a Boston player? Really? And him? How are you sure that this isn’t some long-term psychological warfare?”
Both Shane and Kelsey lowered their gazes, immediately chastised. This wasn’t going well, and Shane could feel liquid pooling up in his eyes.
“Now I see where you get your hockey from,” Ilya muttered, looking at Shane. He squeezed Shane’s hand reassuringly, as if he had a plan.
“Here I thought Mr. Rozanov was such a ladies’ man,” David supplied, as if he was somehow helping Yuna process the revelation. To the contrary.
“Call me Ilya. And yes, I have been with others, many women, but I’ve only ever loved one person.”
Shane’s eyes immediately shot up, locking on Ilya’s. “Love?”
Ilya nodded solemnly. “Sorry it is not so romantic to say it here, now. But your parents must know how I feel about you, Shane. If it helps them feel better about everything.”
“Ilya,” Shane replied, eyes fully teared up. He rushed over and pushed himself into Ilya’s chest, to which Ilya responded by embracing him fully. “I love you, too. So fucking much.”
In the background, Yuna let out an exasperated sigh. “I just don’t understand. Why couldn’t you find a nice boy, like Eli?”
Shane pulled his head away from Ilya’s body. “I don’t need a ‘nice boy,’ mom. I need someone who gets me. Ilya gets me. That’s all that matters. Plus… once you get to know him, you’ll realize he’s sweet.”
Ilya sighed. “I am ruined by your son, Mrs. Hollander. He makes me soft off the ice.”
Kelsey audibly snorted at that, immediately eliciting a glare from Yuna.
“Maybe we should all sit down, have some drinks and talk,” David suggested.
Ilya nodded. “Let me get vodka from suitcase. I brought the best from Russia.”
While Ilya went to get the vodka, David gently pulled Yuna away from the kitchen, the two of them talking in hushed tones. Shane got out glasses and a ginger ale for himself. Eli sat down, looking somewhat uncomfortable about the situation. Kelsey gave Shane a pat on the shoulder, a small smile appearing on his face.
“I doubt it can get much worse,” he said simply. Shane agreed, his heart hopeful.
Despite Yuna’s initial reaction, whatever David had said to her seemed to calm her down more. Sitting around the table, everyone sipping vodka or ginger ale, initially felt like a stalemate. Only when Ilya broke the silence, opening the floor to questions, did it thaw. Quick fire questions rolled off of Yuna’s tongue, ranging from “when” to “how.” All was explained. The summer before their rookie year. The pressure of the league forging a bond between them. Both coming to terms with their deeper feelings. Kelsey chimed in occasionally, making sure to draw a strong comparison between his involvement with Ilya and Shane’s. Almost like he was trying to convince their mother that yes, despite everything they talked about, this was truly the best outcome for them all.
Ilya admitted to it being misleading to involve himself with both brothers, especially as he battled his feelings for Shane. Shane came clean about his involvement with Rose being triggered by how serious Ilya got with him. They both talked about how Ilya’s Russian passport and his family complicated their relationship, the latter problem only resolving recently with the passing of his father. Yuna’s expression softened at that, immediately indicating to Shane that Ilya had started to win her over. Of course, this meant Yuna transitioned into manager mode immediately.
“We’ll get a statement drawn up, just in case something leaks,” she said. “We can’t be caught off guard.”
“Mom….” Shane groaned.
“What? I know you probably don’t want to come out,” Yuna replied, making notes on her phone.
“Well, no…not anytime soon.”
Yuna kept tapping away. “Well, then let me do this then. It’s better to be prepared. Do you two have a plan for the future?”
This piqued Ilya’s interest. “Plan?”
“Yes, a plan,” Yuna replied. “Like how are you going to see each other? Are you just going to keep secretly meeting up?”
“Probably,” Ilya replied. “I do not think we can go public.”
“Not even as friends?” Kelsey asked. “Surely there has to be a way to start changing the narrative about you two.”
“Exactly,” Yuna chimed back in. “We need a plan to change the narrative, get people used to you two spending time together. Something sensible, something meaningful.”
Eli piped up, “A charity?’
“Aww baby, that’s a good suggestion,” Kelsey cooed. Yuna snapped her fingers at that.
“Yes, that’s a great idea. Eli, I knew I loved you, you sweetie,” she said.
Shane looked between Kelsey, Eli, and his mother. “You all work way too fast. This whole thing is starting to hurt my brain. I mean, where do we even start. A charity about what?”
They all looked at each other silently for a minute, except for Ilya. Shane never had seen him so deeply in thought before, his face scrunched up in a way that meant something serious. He was struggling with something, perhaps debating whether or not to share it. A quiver shook his lower lip and his eyes teared up. Only when Ilya had described his father’s sickness had he looked this distraught, normally hiding behind a wall of Slavic stoicism. Just when Shane thought Ilya was going to break, he got up and left the table abruptly, walking to the nearest bedroom. Shane followed immediately, closing the door behind him.
“Hey.”
Ilya looked up at him, his eyes still watery, patting beside him on the bed. “Sit, please.”
Shane sat next to him and leaned his head on Ilya’s shoulder.
“Is hard, talking about my mom. Couldn’t get the words out in front of them all.”
Shane wrapped an arm around Ilya’s back and squeezed. “I’ll listen, then. You can tell me.”
“Okay.” Ilya took a deep breath. “My mom was beautiful, so kind. She was sad though and my papa made it worse for her. I found her….”
Shane didn’t need Ilya to explain any further, because instantly he knew what Ilya had found. Tears left his own eyes. “How… how old were you?”
“Twelve,” Ilya replied. “She wasn’t weak.”
“I know,” Shane murmured, burying his face in Ilya’s shoulder.
“My father tried to make me believe that,” Ilya continued. “But she was so strong.”
Shane paused for a moment, stroking Ilya’s side with his outstretched arm. “Do you want to make a charity for mental health?”
“Was first thing I thought of when Eli said it,” Ilya replied.
“Could be a hockey camp. You know, play to our strengths? Donate the proceeds to mental health and suicide prevention charities,” Shane said quietly.
A small shuttering gasp left Ilya’s mouth. Shane saw tears pour out of his eyes slowly. “She would have loved you. Like I love you.”
True to form, Yuna Hollander ran with what they came up with. By the time dinner rolled around, she had a spreadsheet and to-do list a mile long, with contacts and everything to get the ball rolling on a charity. David and Eli worked in the kitchen, cooking up chicken parmigiana for dinner. Kelsey went to the stores for some groceries. It felt odd, like they were a working family unit coming together to solve problems. Ilya laid out the complications of working with a Russian passport and his desire to get Canadian citizenship. Of course, Yuna had contacts and a plan for that, too; the only hang-up she had was with Ilya leaving Boston.
“You would leave Boston, even though they drafted you?” Her eyes narrowed.
“Yes.”
Yuna made a noise, to which Shane countered, “Mom, really? He’s not loyal to Boston, he’s being loyal to me.”
“Montreal wouldn’t want me,” Ilya said simply. “Also, no cap space. But Ottawa is rebuilding….”
“You would move to Ottawa?” Yuna looked shocked. She knew as well as anyone else did that Ottawa's hockey team had been struggling for years to rebuild and it had been even longer since they had even made it to the playoffs. It was all truly abysmal, to the point that a vast majority of the city had become casual Toronto or Montreal fans instead.
“Yes. Anything to be closer to Shane.”
David, still cooking, yelled over his shoulder, “Since their rookie year, Yuna.”
At this point, Yuna’s eyes were glistening. “The summer before,” she said quietly.
It only took an afternoon, but Shane was certain now — Ilya had won his parents over. He could breathe a sigh of relief at that.
Two Days Later
Afternoon sunlight struck the lake, the shimmering backdrop to Kelsey and Eli’s wedding ceremony. By the dock, the wedding planners had erected a birch archway, covered in various flowers native to Canada. Shane knew his mother had fretted over them endlessly in the days after Kelsey announced his engagement. She landed on a combination of yellow Canada lilies, white meadowsweet, heart-leaved asters, and bee balm, giving the archway a distinctively woodland vibe that also reflected the colors of Eli’s team. Kelsey, apparently completely uninterested in wedding planning, had let Eli call the shots. His only directive to Yuna had been “make it special for Kelsey.”
Eli had custom ordered a linen suit for the occasion, dyed in the same shade of blue found on the Finnish flag, a nod to his heritage. Kelsey wore a matching suit in a more natural linen color. White chairs lined the yard, leading up to the deck; Shane’s usual furniture had been replaced by rentals and a small buffet to accommodate the hired chef who was currently churning out Finnish culinary delicacies and some somewhat questionable midwestern fare. He had to practically hold back Ilya from sampling the foods.
“But look at it, Shane. Is like Olivier salad, but with bread!” He was pointing at a dish that Eli had called “sandwich cake” in English after calling it something Shane had no hope of pronouncing in Finnish. From what he saw earlier in the kitchen, it was sandwich toppings layered with rye bread and smothered with mayonnaise.
Shane just shook his head and frogmarched his salivating boyfriend to their seats.
While he had cut off his parents, Eli had maintained a strong relationship with two of his younger siblings who had also branched out from home. The three of them were in the process of deconstructing their religious upbringing, and because of this, Eli sent them invitations to the wedding. Shane was glad that someone from his family would still be there to support them. Both of them fussed over their older brother as they waited for the officiant to signal her readiness.
The ceremony itself was short and sweet, nondenominational, yet curiously spiritual. Shane dabbed his eyes more than once, and he heard more than a few sniffles come from Ilya’s direction. His mother had practically ruined her silk chemise from blotting her tears away, despite his father’s best attempts to offer a handkerchief. The afterparty itself wasn’t a raucous affair, due to how few people were in attendance. Eli hadn’t felt comfortable about coming out to his teammates just yet, but he had a plan to do so in the pre-season. Shane decided to let loose a bit, drinking champagne and trying the unusual food combinations, even the sandwich cake.
He let Ilya mingle more freely, keeping a subtle, yet watchful eye on him. Eli seemed to let his guard down a bit, and Shane watched both of his parents bend further to the charm that Ilya seemingly oozed out effortlessly. He chatted with both of Eli’s siblings, Otto and Lydia, getting to know them better. Otto had just graduated from college and was still trying to find his footing, and Lydia was putting herself through a nursing program. Shane admired their bravery in separating themselves from their family and the religious community that seemingly ruled over them. Hearing those stories made him feel even happier that Eli had reconnected with Kelsey after those years apart.
Around 8 o’clock, Shane had to drag Ilya away from the party. His boyfriend was on his third slice of a dessert that Lydia had brought with her, one that Shane refused to try.
“Shane, this is magic,” Ilya muttered between bites. “I must have another. Is pretzel crust with whipped cream cheese and strawberry zhelatin. Bozhe moy.”
“Baby, if you eat any more of that you’re going to be so uncomfortably full,” Shane whined.
“But is so good, I must,” Ilya pleaded.
Shane pouted at Ilya. “But if you’re too full, you won’t want to fuck me…”
He knew that would get Ilya’s attention, the man slowly putting his dish aside. “This morning was not enough for you, kotenok?”
Shane bit his lip, teasing. “I must be swept up in all of the wedding emotions.”
Ilya grabbed Shane’s hand and pulled him toward the door. “Come. No one will notice us gone for fifteen minutes.”
“They’re all going to know,” Shane mumbled as he followed Ilya back to his bedroom.
The only thing between the wedding party and them would be some lowered blinds, the living room, and a locked door.
“I’ve been waiting for this ever since I saw you in your suit,” Ilya murmured, his fingers deftly unbuttoning Shane’s dress shirt.
Shane shucked off his suit jacket, draping it over the door handle behind him. “Take me apart, baby.”
Ilya practically ripped the rest of Shane’s shirt off, throwing it unceremoniously on the floor, as their lips met. They stripped quickly as they kissed, with Ilya maneuvering them onto the bed once they completely shed all of their clothes. Quickly, Shane found himself folded up, his knees practically against his shoulders. Ilya ate his ass like it was one of those confounding midwestern desserts.
“Oh fuck, god that feels so good,” Shane moaned. He could feel circular motions around his hole, followed by quick tongue jabs that penetrated him.
“Mmm, tastes like strawberries,” Ilya growled. Shane almost had to suppress a giggle at that.
The more Ilya worked his hole, the more Shane seemingly lost control of himself. His hands started on his cock, but the twinges of pleasure that shot through him led to him gripping himself too tightly. He got entirely too close to coming, and so instead he pulled at his sheets for a bit, only moving away from that when he remembered how easily another set of the same had torn at his condo. Finally, Shane’s hands found purchase within Ilya’s curls, gently tugging them as his boyfriend continued to lash his hole.
“Mmm, I’m close, fuck Ilya,” Shane whined. “I’m going to come.”
Ilya pulled his tongue back, his warm breath caressing Shane’s thighs. He went to pull away, only to realize that Shane was still tugging his hair.
“Ow, fuck, Shane.”
“Sorry, baby. I was trying to keep my hands away from my cock,” Shane replied breathily, still coming down from his near orgasm.
Ilya just grinned at him. “Gimme the lube. I think you’re ready.”
Shane reached for his sex drawer, rifling through to pull out lube for them. “Fuck. I don’t feel any condoms. We must have used the last one this morning.”
“Oh?” Ilya’s eyebrow quirked up.
“What?” Shane asked hesitantly. “You look excited about that.”
Ilya licked his lips. “Would you like not to use one? I am tested… I mean, I told you yesterday I haven’t been with anyone else since….”
“Yeah. Okay. I’ve just… never done that before,” Shane admitted.
“I haven’t, either,” Ilya replied. “It never felt safe. And, I didn't want to find out there are little Ilya’s running around I didn't know about.”
Shane huffed out a laugh of surprise, and tried not to get distracted by the idea of tiny Rozanov children existing one day. Hollander-Rozanov children.
“Okay,” Shane said warmly. He reached up and kissed Ilya, before kissing up Ilya’s jawline, only stopping to whisper in Ilya’s ear, “I’ve thought about it, you know. You… finishing inside me.” He wouldn’t admit it, but that thought had lingered in the back of his brain for years. Ilya would never let it go if he had admitted as much.
Ilya’s gaze, totally debauched upon hearing that, made Shane’s cock twitch in anticipation. “You want to be my filthy cum slut, Hollander?”
Shane could feel himself turning red at that, which only goaded Ilya further. “Oh, you do. Fuck, I am going to enjoy this.”
With one hand, Ilya grabbed Shane’s hair and forced him back into a kiss, while the other slathered lube all over Shane’s hole and Ilya’s cock. Without teasing, Ilya pushed the tip of his cock against Shane, sinking inside slowly at first. Shane could feel himself stretching to accommodate it, and as if Ilya knew Shane’s body just as well as Shane did, he started thrusting the moment he felt Shane go slack. It was urgent, insistent, yet somehow tender and loving all at once. They maneuvered their bodies in such a way that allowed Ilya to gently pinch and suck on Shane’s nipples, sending jolts through his body.
“Fuck, Shane. Fuck. You’re so good, so good for me,” Ilya groaned with pleasure. “I’m going to come.”
“Please, fuck, please, Ilya,” Shane whimpered.
“Stroke yourself,” Ilya commanded. “Come as I come.”
“Oh, fuck! Fuck!” Shane blurted out as his cock spurted forth his release. Ilya thrust one last time, burying himself deep inside, his cock twitching as he came, groans echoing against the walls.
As Ilya pulled out gently, Shane could feel the come drip out onto his thigh. Impulsively, Shane reached down and brushed his finger against it, only to bring it to his mouth and lick.
“Fuck, Shane… you are a freak,” Ilya huffed, smiling, before reaching to kiss Shane. “My freak.”
“Yours,” Shane replied. “All yours.”
The Seychelles – early August 2017
“I can’t get over how blue the water is,” Kelsey sighed, plopping himself down in their private cabana.
For the third day, both he and Eli got to relax in the sun at a private resort in the Seychelles. Eli had wanted to go somewhere tropical, but nothing too close to North America. Kelsey just wanted a lovely honeymoon with his husband that included lots of sex and cuddles. He was so in love, Eli could have suggested Tierra del Fuego and Kelsey would have said yes. Their lives were on hold, with so many decisions looming. Kelsey could work anywhere, but paperwork needed to be processed. Eli had a no trade clause and his contract had three more years. Moving to Seattle was the only rational choice for Kelsey, which of course would necessitate an entire conversation between Eli and his team.
But right now, it was azure waters, clear skies, and a gentle heat.
“I can’t get over how beautiful you are,” Eli said, pulling Kelsey closer to their big lounger and plopping a kiss on his forehead. “These freckles should be illegal for public viewing. My freckles. Only mine.”
Kelsey kicked his feet and giggled. “You are such a dork. My dork.”
In response, Eli started kissing on Kelsey’s neck. “Oh, that’s not fair! You know what that does to me, Eel.”
“Mmhmm.”
“And we’re not close to our villa,” Kelsey groaned. “I can’t walk for ten minutes with a boner.”
Undeterred, Eli continued to alternate light pecks with moderate suction on Kelsey’s neck, which led to moans coming from Kelsey. He wasn’t kidding — not only was it a long walk, but Kelsey was wearing a Speedo! Not that Eli was much better, his damp, white boardshorts showing off every inch of his thick cock chubbing up. The towels in the cabana happened to be thinner, hiding very little. They made a run for it, towels draped to barely cover up.
Eli picked Kelsey up as they entered the villa and hauled him back to the bedroom. Plumeria and hibiscus wafted in through the window, covering up the faint scent of sex that three days and nights had imbued. Lube sat out on the bedside table, waiting. Eli gently laid Kelsey back, tugging his Speedo off methodically and slowly, allowing Kelsey’s cock to let out a satisfying thwack as it hit his stomach. He wasted no time taking his tongue to Kelsey’s balls, licking them before sliding up the shaft and circling the tip. Eli continued to tease Kelsey before swallowing him down.
“Fuck, baby,” Kelsey moaned. “You do that so well.”
Eli stroked himself as he sucked Kelsey, one hand waving for Kelsey to pass him the lube.
“That’s right, baby. Get your cock all wet while you suck me. Play with my prostate for a bit before you fuck me,” Kelsey begged.
Eli grunted, Kelsey’s cock still in his mouth, pressing a lubed up finger into Kelsey. He wiggled it around until he could find the exact spot and then pressed firmly to massage. Prickly pleasurable feelings shot through Kelsey’s abdomen, a whine leaving his mouth. Alternating between deep throating and teasing the tip helped prolong everything, but with Eli playing with his prostate, it took only a few minutes to bring Kelsey to the edge.
“Baby, I’m going to come,” Kelsey gasped, his body on edge. Eli pulled his finger out and popped off his cock.
“Not yet. Not until I fuck you,” Eli grunted.
“Fucking take me, then, baby. Knock me up,” Kelsey retorted.
Eli wasted no time thrusting right into Kelsey. They had fucked so much the past few days that he was loose enough that even Eli’s girthy cock could slide in relatively easily, with appropriate lube. Instinctively, Kelsey clenched down on Eli when he bottomed out, causing his husband to throw back his head and groan with pleasure. Kelsey pushed up his hips to change the angle at which Eli’s cock was thrusting into him, only aided by Eli placing a pillow under them.
“You like that, baby? You like the way my cock feels?”
Kelsey whine back in response, “Fuck, feels so good. Fuck me harder, baby.”
“Gonna fuck you so good, come so deep inside of you,” Eli growled back.
Talk like this made the freak come out of Kelsey. He remembered back at BU when Eli had first done this, the rush it gave him. He felt incredibly naughty, almost filthy in a way, taking another man’s load. No one else had done that to him, only Eli. Someday he would tell Eli that, reveal that extra layer of information that showed how special he was to Kelsey, but not now. Revealing his most obvious breeding kink was future cocktail cabana talk.
Kelsey brought his hands up around Eli’s neck, pulling him down into a sultry kiss. There, he lost himself in the feeling of Eli’s full lips on his as he continued to get pounded out. A few minutes passed in sex fuel haze until Kelsey returned to the brink of orgasm again, brought on even faster by Eli moving back to kissing his neck like he had done in the cabana.
“I’m close again, fuck,” Kelsey groaned.
Eli hummed into Kelsey’s neck. “Yeah? I am, too. You keep clenching on me like you do and I’m going to bust so fast.”
“Oh yeah? Like this?” Kelsey teased, squeezing his muscles to tighten up.
He could see Eli’s eyes roll back. “Fuuuuuck,” he blurted out. “Shit, fuck, I’m coming. You want me to come on your face?”
“No, baby, please,” Kelsey mewled, “Come in me, breed me, baby. Fuccckk.”
With one last thrust, Eli’s body shuddered as his cock spurted within Kelsey. Not to be outdone, Kelsey soaked his own chest moments later. Utterly spent, they both unfurled themselves on the bed, breathing heavily and sheened with sweat.
“Hmm. That was incredible baby, sliding right into you like that….” Eli hummed drowsily.
“You’re incredible,” he murmured back happily, although he made a mental note to add some pelvic floor exercises to his daily regimen. There was such a thing as too ready. But between the sun and sex, Kelsey found himself dozing off quickly, his dreams consisting of sugar-coated sweetness in the form of thoughts about the future that he and Eli would share. A gorgeous house in Seattle, a dog or two, maybe in a few years a kid giggling as he was hoisted up onto Eli’s shoulders.
In the past, he may have tamped down thoughts and dreams like these, stowed them away to collect dust in the back of his mind. When he woke up from his nap, he thought about that fact, ruminated on the dreams that had danced around in his head. The quiet of the villa, punctuated by the chirps of tropical birds outside, gave him pause to reflect on how far he had come over the past year. In some ways, his life had changed drastically. His relationship with his family, once appearing unsalvageable, now felt steady and meaningful again. An openness between himself and Shane had revived their relationship in ways that even Kelsey couldn’t have imagined.
He looked down at his husband’s sleeping, hulking figure and smiled. Eli, his true love, only brought back to him by someone’s bravery out on the ice.
Kelsey chuckled softly. In the end, it was hockey.
It was always hockey.