Chapter Text
Hayden Pike and Cliff Marlow weren’t exactly friends, but of course he knew the guy. He’d played against him for 6 years now.
So when Hayden runs into Cliff at a dive bar in Vegas one night in the postseason, he doesn’t feel weird going up to the Boston player to give him a pat on the shoulder and say hi. Even if Hayden fucking hated the Boston Bears, he is a friendly guy after all.
Hayden had always respected Cliff. He seemed like a good leader and was a damn good player. Except Hayden was always blocking for Hollander, and Cliff was always blocking for Rozanov. So it's not like he actually enjoyed playing against the guy. Whatever.
What was a little out of character, was that he sat down on the stool next to him and spoke with the guy for the rest of the night. He doesn’t think they’ve ever spoken for longer than 5 minutes before, let alone 5 hours. Usually a “good game, man” or a flyaway chirp on the ice. But there’s never been a reason to talk further. Hell, their best friends were the fucking rivals of the league.
It started off friendly enough, chatting about how their seasons went. Highlights of Montreal winning the cup for the second year in a row. Low lights of players getting injured. Friendly chirping about Montreal beating Boston in 75% of their games this season. And that’s how it started.
“Man, I never thought we'd be able to win back to back cups. Hollander was on a fucking tear this year.” Hayden felt proud thinking of his best friend. The best fucking hockey player in the league!
“I know, even Rozanov seemed a bit stunned. And the fact that he beat us in Boston for half our home games? Fuck that kid. He’s public enemy #1 in Boston now.” Cliff was laughing as he said this but it wasn’t hard to notice the hard set in his jaw. Hayden gets it, he can’t even think about Rozanov without feeling his blood boil either.
“Thank god for Lily. She’s truly our secret weapon” Hayden snorts.
“Lily?”
“Oh yeah. Just this girl Shane’s been seeing for years now. He’s always played better after getting with her. Guess they’re a bit more serious now because he’s started getting laid before games too. Not just after.” Hayden wiggles his eyebrows “Lucky for us this season though. We get a freshly laid Shane Hollander playing Boston every game now”
Hollander scored a hat trick against Boston every game this year and Hayden had no doubt that Lily was a factor. I should start referring to her as Lucky Lily if he keeps it up next season, Hayden mused, taking a sip of his beer.
“Huh” Cliff said, scratching at his chin. “I never knew Hollander had a girl. Thought his one true love was hockey and would’ve bet he’d marry the sport if he could. Everyone knows he’s the most boring guy in the league” Cliff shrugged, he wasn’t trying to be a dick. It was true. Shane had the reputation of only being interest on the ice. Off the ice was another story.
“He’s weirdly private about it. He’s been seeing her for years and I’ve never even fucking met the girl” Hayden’s jaw set now too. He never understood why Shane was so secretive. He’s his best friend for fucks sake and Hollander won’t even show him a photograph of the girl he’s constantly texting. Lily’s the only girl Shane has ever even mentioned since he met the kid 6 years ago and yet.
Cliff lets out an unexpectedly large laugh. “Dude. Sounds like someone else I know. Rozanov’s been fucking this chick for years yet no one knows anything about her.”
Huh. Rozanov has a regular girl? He’s always been known as a manwhore, to put it lightly. Hooking up with different girls in different cities, playing the full field of being a famous hockey player who’s been voted People’s Sexiest Man of the Year. Twice.
“Guess the rivalry continues off the ice. Who can score the most goals and who can keep their girlfriend secret the longest?” Cliff and Hayden laugh at that. As if Hollander and Rozanov would even know the other has a secret girlfriend. Hayden smiles thinking about Hollander and Rozanov having a conversation that wasn’t just hurling insults at each other. Those two fucking hated each other. Hayden thinks back to Rozanov’s 50 goal comment during their rookie season. That was truly when his asshole reputation stuck. Hayden has no idea how Marlow stands being around Rozanov every fucking day.
Cliff’s still chuckling to himself, “Hm Roz always plays better after seeing her too. Maybe that’s their secret to success. Secret hookups lead to scoring goals?”
Hayden groaned. Gross. There’s no way Shane’s getting off on the secrecy of it all. Hayden’s always assumed there was a bigger reason why Shane was cagey about Lily. Maybe she was married? But that would be so unlike Shane to be a home-wrecker. More likely that she’s also famous and they want to avoid the media spectacle. Or maybe he’s just embarrassed. He’s such a shy guy after all. Maybe it’s more serious for him than it is for her. Hayden doesn't like that thought either.
“I just wish Lily was in Montreal. Sucks that the ‘Lily secret weapon’ is only in Boston.”
Cliff pauses then. Hand stuck midair as he was reaching for his beer. “Lily’s in Boston?”
“Yeah man. Sorry to burst your bubble, not all Boston girls are loyal to the Bears.”
Cliff turns to Hayden then. Cocking his head a little to the side, his eyes are searching Hayden’s face as if he was trying to figure something out. He opens his mouth to speak. He closes it. He shakes his head a little. And opens his mouth again,
“That’s so fucking weird dude. Roz’s ‘Jane’ is in Montreal. What are the odds those fuckers have girls in each other city’s. That would be next level rivalry, man. I mean,” Cliff pauses momentarily, “What? They each know they do better after they fuck so they each get a regular girl to hook up with when playing each other?” Cliff huffs and chuckles a little as he says it, but he still looks puzzled.
It’s Hayden’s turn to pause now. Because. What are the odds? Shane’s not the type to mess around for a one night stand. Shane’s also not the type to keep secrets. And, aside from her name and location, Lily is considered top secret. And Rozanov… well Rozanov is the type. To fuck around that is. But he’s not the type for a long term romance? Fuck buddy? Whatever it is he’s doing. Yet, that’s what he’s doing with his ‘Jane’.
He doesn’t even mean to say it out loud, but it slips out as a curious whisper “or…”
Both men are silent. Hayden swaying slightly in his bar stool and Cliff rolling the base of his beer bottle in circles along the counter. They both turn to each other slowly, not quite making eye contact.
“I mean”
“There’s no way”
“He hates him”
“I don’t even know why we’d - “
“He’s been seeing Lily as long as I’ve known him”
“He’s said Jane’s come to our games before”
“Shane’s not - “
“They hate each other”
"They're not -"
Brains spinning. Words fail them. They both audibly shut their mouths.
But - Hollander hates Rozanov more than anyone, Hayden thinks.
The guys are constantly shit talking Roz in the locker room.
Except, Hollander’s never actually said anything bad about Rozonav. Usually just nods along as the rest of the guys spit out their hatred in the locker room.
But no. Hayden knows he’s heard Shane call Rozanov an asshole. Because he is a giant fucking asshole. The biggest asshole in the league.
But, Hayden’s also heard Shane call Rozanov the best player in the league. Aside from himself, of course.
And… Shane’s always tracking Rozanov’s stats. Shane’s always loved knowing everyone's stats. Hayden always just assumed it was to keep up with his biggest competitor. Obviously he’s going to keep track of his arch rivals' numbers.
Shane also loves competition. He thrives on pushing himself to his limits.
But, he’s seen it in Shane’s eyes every time they play Boston, Rozanov pushes him to compete. Rozanov is the only other player in the league that can give Shane a run for his money. And Shane fucking thrives off of it.
Hayden barely heard Cliff over the music playing in the corner, "Roz watches every single Metros game. He says it's to study his competition. Yet I've never seen him happier on the ice than when we play you guys."
The two men abruptly turn to each other. Eyes wide.
“Holy shit”
“What the fuck”
“There’s no way. Hollander fucking hates Rozanov.”
“Rozanov hates Hollander. He’s his fucking nemesis. Always calling him boring”
“And Shane’s always calling Rozanov an asshole”
Boring. Asshole. Those two words sound pretty weak now. Saying them aloud. While neither is untrue about the other, typically hockey players are spouting out the most vile words about their competition. To their face and in the locker rooms.
And yet, Boring and Asshole are... tame descriptions for the two best players in the league. You don't exactly make friends on your way to the top of the league.
Hayden closes his eyes and lets out a sigh. “You don’t really think Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are fucking each other, do you?”
Cliff starts laughing in hysterics now. Hayden can feel the laugh bubbling up in his own chest. Ridiculous. They were being ridiculous.
“Fuck man how much have we drunken tonight? Our captains? Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov? The most famous rivalry in the league? Fuck, no, dude”
Hayden keeps laughing. Cliff’s right. They’re just hammered.
It isn’t until they’re walking out of the bar 20 minutes later, when the fresh air hits their faces, that they stop laughing and turn to each other to say their goodbye’s.
Cliff claps Hayden on the shoulder, “Man, I can’t wait to tell Ilya about our stupid theory. Maybe this will force him to introduce me to Jane finally.”
The wind started picking up as Cliff was speaking. And Hayden feels the chill deep to his bones. The whistle from the wind made it sound like he said…
Jane. Shane. Lily… Ilya? Holy fuck. Hayden is frozen.
No, there's no way. Cliff would say that he's reaching. That this is a crazy theory, right? Might as well just keep his mouth shut and pretend this all never happened. He wants to pretend this train of thought never happened.
“Marlow, no fucking shot I’m telling my captain that I spent hours getting so wasted with a Bears player that we started theorizing his secret girlfriend is actually is arch rival.” Hayden laughs it off.
With one last shake of the head and a quick fist bump they turn their separate ways.
But Hayden's brain keeps turning. He's rearranging the last 6 years in his mind as if everything he knows about Shane Hollander has been a puzzle he's slowly trying to put together, and he didn't realize he was missing a big piece. Who the fuck is Lily?