Chapter Text
When Shane and Ilya stepped into the bathroom, Ilya’s first step was to start the bathtub’s tap. He grabbed some bubble bath and placed some under the running water as well, watching the thing fill up, making sure the temperature was just right.
Shane just stood there, waiting, feeling secure in his footing. He felt warm despite being nude again, and free considering the other hadn’t returned the cage to him. He wondered if he could push his luck and get the collar off for the bath too, even if it wasn’t the worst thing he had to deal with.
“Ilya?” He spoke, small despite how roaring the water’s sound was.
Ilya had only just heard her. “Yes?” he asked as he shook the water from his hand.
“Do you think, just for the bath, I could take the collar off?” Shane asked, reaching up to feel along its rim, remembering the words on its tag like they were branded on his brain and not the gold plate.
“Sure,” Ilya told him, casual, like Shane had simply asked him if he wanted the window open a crack.
Ilya walked over, standing behind him, and worked open the collar. It had to get tighter before it got looser, and Shane choked a bit.
“Sorry,” Ilya spoke as he finally got the thing off of him, placing it back over by the sinks.
Shane put his hand up to his neck, feeling the skin he rarely had access to, and felt the indent of the collar there still. He didn’t dwell on that; he just enjoyed that it was off. The birthday girl was seemingly getting all her wishes today. He smiled before he realized he’d used the term girl just like Ilya. It made his skin itch in nervousness.
“Is the bath ready?” He asked, trying to move on and away from the slip-up, even if just in his head; that was somewhat worse.
“Uh…” Ilya stretched the word out as he looked over the ridge of his large tub. “Yes.”
“Good,” Shane said as he stepped closer and, in a brave act of actual control, turned off the tap. That wasn’t offensive enough for a punishment, right? Not on a day Ilya wanted so badly to be good one.
Ilya didn’t pay mind to it with a reaction, simply stepping into the tub and reaching a hand out for Shane’s. He didn’t want her to slip and fall, no matter how unlikely. She was precious. And he could not, and would not, replace anyone ever again.
Ilya laid back at the edge of the tub, his long legs fitting in the oversized tub, and spreading to make room for the other to take a place between them. Shane seemed to get the idea and didn’t complain. Just took her place willingly, even maybe, with want. Nothing beat a good bath.
As Shane moved his ponytail out of Ilya’s face he realized he’d hardly even thought of it since he’d put it up. He couldn’t let Ilya know that, though, so he made a noise like it’d been bugging him all day as he settled into his chest.
Shane hummed then, something Ilya had to ask about. Because it wasn’t the kind of hum you give when you’re relaxed. It was one you gave when you were curious.
“What is it?” Ilya asked, moving some water around boredly with his hands at his sides.
“Just like… deja vu,” Shane explained, face in thought. “Did we take a bath together before?”
Shane looked back at Ilya, genuinely curious. Ilya didn’t realize that Shane would forget it, or at least, forget enough of it. He knew he was in pain, and he knew he tried to zone out sometimes, but this was a surprise.
“Yes,” Ilya simply told him.
“When I was…on my…you know?” Shane sought further confirmation.
“Yes,” Ilya continued to affirm his faint memories. “I do not take baths often, but I thought it would help your cramps.”
Shane tried to think back on the time he was miserable, and he could only see the small moments. Covers over his head. Chest hair in between his fingers. Water droplets on his skin as a towel rubbed around him. Things like that. That and an undeniable sense of Ilya everywhere.
“You cared?” Shane asked, and the second he said it, it felt stupid. If anything, Ilya cared too much, far too obsessed not to.
“Of course I cared,” Ilya said, almost offended. “Tell me you see that.”
Shane tilted his head, thinking about it, and while he wouldn’t say he was some saint, he knew in his own messed-up way, he cared about the things he could fix that fit his narrative.
“Enough,” he settled on, not wanting to offend further. “I guess I just…”
“What?” Ilya nudged him. “Just what?”
Ilya had wanted all serious conversation to wait, but he had just encouraged him to speak, so if anything, it’d be bad not to voice his thought aloud.
“I just don’t think I would care if you were the one in pain,” He admitted with a shrug, like that alone could keep it casual.
Something flashed in Ilya’s eyes, and quickly it disappeared. He was always doing that. Always being brave, or, if pushing things down wasn’t brave, then he was just doing what he felt he had to.
“I think you would,” He simply said, not meeting Shane’s eyes anymore, focusing on some stray bubbles on his hand like it would ground him.
“Okay, but… what if I like, really wouldn’t?” Shane seemed to keep testing him, if only just to make it clear he wouldn’t. Why would he show mercy to Ilya after all? Why would he expect him to go beyond delusion?
“But I know you would,” Ilya confessed, finally strong enough to look back at Shane. “You are too good a person, Shayna, trust me, you would do the same.”
Shane bit his tongue to stop himself from fighting the sentiment any further, truly not wanting to put himself in the shoes of the scenario he’d made. He didn’t wanna know what he’d do. Maybe he didn’t wanna be a good person to him. Maybe that was fucked up. He didn’t know. The whole point was that he didn’t want to know. He looked forward again and just closed his eyes, enjoying the soak for what it was and nothing more.
Getting out of the tub was uneventful as Shane stepped out onto the bath mat that was laid out, plush under his toes. But within moments of being dried off, he was swept off his feet. Literally.
“Ilya! Put me down!” He cried out, more scared to be dropped than anything else at the moment.
Ilya was naked, still a bit damp, and built like a greek God. He didn’t even flinch at Shane’s reaction, simply holding him tight and carrying him out of the bathroom as he intended to do. He brought him over to the bed and set him down on top of all the covers.
How long before Shane trusted Ilya’s body, even if he still doubted his mind? Ilya had to wonder as he watched Shane’s body sink into the bed in relief of being put down.
“What are you doing?” Shane asked, turning his head to the left to look at Ilya.
“Massage,” Ilya simply told his wife, using his firm hands to flip her over, doing a twice-over of her plump ass and licking his lips. Focus Ilya!
“You really don’t need to-oh,” Shane squeaked a bit, cut off as Ilya’s trained hands began to delve into the deep tissue of his tensed-up shoulders.
“You hold all your worries here,” Ilya explained smoothly, as if Shane had never tried to object at all before he began to melt into him. “Just relax again, let me take care.”
Ilya smiled as he heard Shane hum in agreement into his pillow, imagining for a moment he was just permitted to take care of Shane in all the ways a husband would and not just for the massage.
The russian man worked wonders as he massaged Shane from head to toe, all along his backside. He paid special attention to some areas, taking note of what and where elicited the biggest moans from Shane. He learned that not only was Shane tense everywhere, but he liked his ass kneaded. Noted for later.
“Turn around,” He gently tapped his shin when he was done working his feet. Shane obliged, eyes closed and blissed out. “Good girl.”
Shane was either too out of it to hear it or ignored it for the greater good. Either way, Ilya was happy anytime it worked without pushback.
Ilya decided to move back up his body, still at the end of Shane’s side of the bed as he moved back up his now-hairless legs, making sure everything was perfect. Anything to keep Shane’s engine purring, pleased to know he could elicit these sounds beyond just sex, although it was still intimate.
He continued to move upwards, up and up, until he got to Shane’s shoulder, taking the right side with both hands and really working it from back to front.
Shane stretched out, his face looking like he’d just cum, reacting very heavily to this act. Not in pain. But pleasure.
“Oh, that’s so good, right there!” Shane spoke, sounding almost the same as when he’d been directing Ilya on how to angle into him.
He was trying to keep this from being sexual, but at least in his mind, he couldn’t help it. Shane was sex personified to him. And he had her laid out like a feast on the bed, all for him to touch and look at.
Ilya made sure he gave the same attention to Shane’s other shoulder, happy to do things that made the other go mad with appreciation. Anything for Ilya to associate himself with pleasure and euphoria, to Shane.
When he was gently working his scalp at the end of it, he knew there was one more thing he wanted to offer his girl.
“Shayna?” He asked.
Shane hummed, asking for him to continue, letting him know he had his attention.
“Have you ever got massage before?”
“Other than the ones from the team massage therapist?” He asked, taking a second. “No, not really…. Guess I’m missing out, huh?”
“I guess so, but is not why I asked,” Ilya explained. “I wanted to know if you knew what a happy ending was.”
Shane made another noise, scrunching his nose all cutely as he thought for a moment. “Like in a fairytale?”
Ilya held back a laugh, not wanting the other to think he was mocking her when she was finally so free and relaxed.
“No, more like….” Ilya dragged his hand back down Shane’s body sensually until he could grab at his little cock. “This kind.”
“I still don’t-oh!” Shane’s reaction was much heavier than the last time he’d interrupted his train of thought, and for good reason. Shane’s hands moved to clutch the sheets, and his mouth opened up just to get more air into his lungs.
“This is happy ending,” Ilya explained as he slowly stroked the cock in his hands, up and down with his full hand, even if he didn’t need it all for such a small little thing. “You just lie back and enjoy.”
How could Sahne argue with that? His cage was still off- probably for this reason in hindsight- so he could get all the touches he wanted without any longing. He could cum again. He could enjoy the happy ending without having to go back into all the thoughts that disappeared with the massage.
Ilya was slow and loving with it, gentle, like he was making love with his hand. He preferred to treat her clit like a clit, but this was a one-time thing, he figured. And he was a sucker for making the birthday girl cum. It was addicting, and the only excuse he had to let it happen so easily.
It only took a few minutes and a whole bunch of noises for Shane to fall apart. A very happy ending indeed, but not quite the end of his birthday, that’s for sure.