Chapter Text
It all started because of Svetlana.
When Svetlana left Boston for New York to study business management there. She was always moved by money and power and ever since she was younger, dreamed of owning her own business and not being someone's pawn, getting rich and successful, strong woman like she always was.
In New York, Svetlana met Rose Landry. A stunning girl from Ottawa with big dreams of becoming a popular stylist one day. She studied fashion and design at the same university and they met during their second year, when Rose took minors in marketing. They sat next to each other and bonded over the fact that the professor was boring and old as fuck. After that, they became inseparable.
But Rose came with baggage. Not emotional, but geographical. Ottawa baggage. Which included Hayden Pike and Shane Hollander, her friends ever since primary school that she had very hard time saying goodbye to when she left for uni. But she wouldn't shut up about them to Svetlana whenever the opportunity rose.
Svetlana came with her Boston baggage too. Boston baggage came with Ilya Rozanov. Ilya Rozanov came with Cliff Marleau. Ilya and Svetlana's parents were both Russian immigrants, and being from the same culture meant they were instant besties since diapers. They both met Cliff in high school when Ilya played for their school hockey team and Cliff was his assistant player. They also became an inseparable trio very quickly.
Since neither of them ever shut up about their hometown besties, it was only a matter of time when the two groups would collide. And what better opportunity than a joint summer vacation to celebrate their graduation?
Most of them worked their asses off during and after uni, because the thought of a month and a half long summer vacation to Europe gave them instant motivation for their days. The year after they graduated wasn't glamorous at all. Rose worked as a hostess in various restaurants, practicing her best smile every night. Svetlana went back to Boston and worked at her dad's car dealership for the whole year. Hayden worked back-to-back shifts in the restaurant, saving every tip he got in a jar labeled "escape fund". Cliff did construction work with his uncle.
Shane... was never really on board with the plan to begin with.
"I don't want to go."
Hayden looked at him like he'd just confessed to hating him. "You don't want to go..." he repeated slowly.
Rose threw herself dramatically on Shane's bed. "Babe, you're going. Whether you like it or not."
"No. That doesn't sound like a vacation to me, stuck with 3 people I don't know in a house in Europe. Who knows what they're like? It sounds like torture to me." Shane shrugged.
Rose rolled her eyes. "Stop being like that. I told you many times, they're awesome. And I showed you Svetlana, she's fucking amazing!"
"And besides, Shane, it's beach! There's sand and the sea...and little drinks with umbrellas in it! It's relaxing!" Hayden says from his seat.
“And strangers,” Shane countered. “And noise. And hangovers. And… people.”
Hayden crossed his arms. "You are impossible. Rose, please."
"Shane." She took a deep breath and got up from her seat, walking over to stand in front of Shane. "You're twenty-three years old. When else are you going to just live carefree like this summer? It's gonna be fun! And after that, after the rest of our lives start and we become adults officially... maybe we'll never get a chance to repeat something like this. Please. Do it for Hayden and me. It's gonna be fun, I promise."
Shane looked up at her and sighed, then looked down at his hands again.
"Rose, I don't know. I don't like the idea.."
Rose sat down next to him, putting her hands on top of his. "Think about it, babe. Do you really want your last memory before we all scatter to be just you sitting at home?"
That one hit Shane. He thought about it a little more seriously now. What if Rose is right? What is his alternative? Sitting home while his two absolute best friends are on a beach in Barcelona, sipping cocktails and enjoying the warm sun? He stays in Ottawa the whole summer, alone? Reading books, or prepping for his masters, or scrolling through photos in group chat, watching them have fun? Thinking about all the inside jokes he's not in on, thinking that the alternative is that he stays in boring Ottawa and works more 40-hour shifts for the whole summer?
Maybe it would be a good idea to let loose just...just a tiny bit. Once in his life. Fourty five days.
He opened his eyes. "Fine."
Hayden broke into the widest grin he could possibly form. Rose threw herself on Shane and started kissing over his cheek in excitement.
"You'll see!!! We'll have so much fun!"
“I regret this already,” Shane said, though he was laughing despite himself.
________
Svetlana and Rose were in charge of pretty much everything. They didn't even want to think in what kind of shit hole they would end up if they let the boys decide where they were staying, how many beds, the location, the plane tickets. No. Not a chance. The only things boys had to care about is packing and not being late for the flights.
Shane had to admit, the moment Rose showed him the photo of a house they rented for month and a half, he almost peed his pants. It was seriously the most stunning place. It looked like something straight out of a postcard no one from Ottawa could even imagine.
And Shane, being the architect student, he felt like this was a pleasure for his eyes only. Beautiful Mediterranean house. Stunning shades of white and beige stone on the wall, terracotta rooftiles, uneven shades which made it look just cozy and lived in already. The windows and doors were framed in dark wood, which gave a contrast, a beautiful contrast to the white surrounding it. Beautiful swimming pool in the back... a hot tub. A small basketball court, or better said just a hoop attached to the wall of the house. Little yard on the side of the house covered in grape vines, that gave it such Mediterranean vibe and a small outdoor dining table under the vine overhang. It was perfect. Seriously. He can totally imagine himself living here for a month and half.
The date of the flight was set too. June 29th. That day couldn't come any faster for any of them. As the day kept getting closer, they were getting more and more nervous. When Shane started packing a few days before they left, he realized he was screwed because just the t-shirts alone he wanted to bring took up one whole suitcase. In the end he ended up with 3 large suitcases and two full backpacks of stuff. He cried about the money he would have to spend for the extra luggage, but once he heard his mom and dad were thrilled about him traveling, they were happy enough to throw in some money. Shane was really thankful for that.
The day was finally there and Shane felt like he wanted to throw up. He was very nervous... mostly about meeting everyone. Svetlana and her friends agreed to come to Ottawa and take a plane out of there because the tickets were cheaper that way, so they would be meeting them at the airport. Shane felt impossibly nervous just thinking... okay, these are the people I have to spend next month and a half with. No big deal right? Big fucking deal. What if they hate me? What if they think I'm weird? What if I think they're weird? Jesus Christ, just thinking about having to share a bathroom with someone like that for six weeks... hell no.
Okay, Shane, calm the fuck down. It's time to go.
Rose, Hayden, and Shane were first to arrive to the airport. Hayden's dad agreed to drop them off because he had the biggest car that could fit all their luggage. Well...mostly Rose and Shane's luggage. Hayden traveled with one suitcase and two backpacks. Rose and Shane both had multiple suitcases.
"When are they arriving?" Hayden asked as they waited for the others by the check-in desk.
"Yeah, the check-in closes in like 30 minutes."
"They're in taxis on the way here, Svetlana just texted me. They'll be here in five minutes, chill.." Rose said, still scrolling over her phone. But Shane couldn't chill, not with his mindset. He leaned on one of the suitcases and tapped his foot nervously, looking around the airport at all the happy faces, people happy to be there and to travel, and him just being... miserable.
"Jesus, someone is excited to be here with us.." Hayden scoffed, giving a playful punch on Shane's shoulder. Shane looked at him and sighed. "I'm fine Hayd. Just nervous."
"What are you nervous about, babe, you flew before? The plane ride is gonna be fine.." Rose said from the other side, still looking at her phone, double checking every detail her and Svetlana planned.
"Not that.." Shane sighed. "I'm nervous about these guys. I don't have a good feeling about them."
"Oh will you stop nagging for once in your life.." Rose rolled her eyes and looked up at him finally. "They're great guys. You'll see."
Five minutes later, they were here. Svetlana was the first one he registered properly, and God, she looked exactly how Rose described her. She was the epitome of a powerful, goddess-like woman. She was tall, she had dark curly hair that looked like lion's mane, and very sharp features. She didn't look how Shane imagined Russian women, in general, but she was still stunning.
Cliff was the second one he noticed. Broad-shouldered and conventionally very handsome, he had dark har and this shadow of a beard just starting to form.
But when his eyes landed on Ilya, that's when the world started moving in slow motion. He actually felt it, before his brain could process it. He was taller than the other two, back straight and shoulders always proudly pushed back, and long, curly blonde hair... he hid his eyes behind the sunglasses, but Shane could see from just his face that his look was intense too and that if he looked him in the eyes, Shane would be on the verge of peeing himself. What the fuck? These are the people I have to spend a month and a half with?
Rose smiled widely and ran over to hug them first. "Lana! Oh my god you guys are finally here!"
"Hey Rose!" Svetlana hug her back with just as much enthusiasm, almost dropping all her bags to hug her. They hugged like they haven't seen each other in years.
Cliff stepped forward next, offering Hayden a hand with an easy grin. “You must be Hayden. We’ve heard stories.”
"Hopefully good ones." Hayden said with a nervous chuckle. "Nice to meet you man...and you must be.." Hayden said as he turned to the third one.
"Ilya." He said in a plain, flat voice. "Nice to meet you."
"Hi, Ilya I'm Hayden..." Hayden said with caution as he shook his hand and then turned to point to Shane. "And this is.."
"Shane. I know." Ilya completed his sentence, stretching out his hand for Shane to shake.
"How did you know?" Shane asked with a pout.
"You're the one who almost screwed up all our plans by not wanting to go right?" Ilya said and raised his brows under his glasses. Shane stiffened immediately, a frown replacing his previous pout on his face. "Excuse me?"
Svetlana elbowed Ilya lightly. “Be nice. Behave.”
“I am being nice,” Ilya replied smoothly, eyes never leaving Shane. “I haven’t even started yet.”
Rose stood next to Shane and wrapped her arms around his upper arm. "Alright..." She said with a nervous chuckle. "Now that we all met each other we can go ahead and check in, right?"
Shane tried to keep his composure as they approached the check-in counters. He really did. But he really couldn't not with Cliff and Ilya making fun of his three suitcases behind him.
"Is he moving permanently?" Cliff snorted, trying to be subtle for Shane not to hear him, but it was impossible. He could hear the smirk in Ilya's voice when he added "Maybe he's planning a wardrobe change for every hour of the day."
Hayden coughed, badly, trying to disguise a laugh. Shane turned around and glared at all three of them.
"Sorry that I like to be prepared."
"For what, a surprise fashion show?"
"Yeah, or maybe not looking like I gave up on life." Shane frowned.
Cliff laughed openly this time. “Ouch, he’s got claws.”
Hayden chuckled and patted Shane's shoulder lightly. "Guys, it's fine, stop it now. True, he can be a little too much sometimes, but let's not start all this before we even got to Barcelona, ok?" He defended Shane, but light-heartedly.
The rest of the check-in and passport control went somewhat smoothly. As much as it could be, the other guys were yapping constantly while Shane held Roses' side. They gathered near the gate once they were through, everyone checking phones, confirming boarding groups.
Shane unfolded his boarding pass and he could feel Ilya's presence appear next to him, leaning over his shoulder..
"Ah! 18B." Ilya smirked.
"Yes. Why?" Shane said, already doubtful if he even wants to know. Ilya held his boarding pass up proudly. "I'm 18A."
"Oh Jesus Christ.." Shane sighed, his head dropping low. The dramatic sigh he let out got the attention of others.
"What? What happened? Did you forget something?" Hayden asked.
"No. I'm sat next to him." Shane said, pointing at Ilya. Ilya held up his boarding pass and waved it around, grinning. "Window seat." He sang, doing a little dance. Shane wanted to cry.
Svetlana looked over at his ticket and then patted Shane's back. "Hey don't worry. I'm 18C."
"Oh thank God." Shane let out a sigh of relief.
"Come on.." Ilya smirked, elbowing Shane's side lightly. "It's only like...10 hour flight. We can use it to get to know each other."
"Yeah... No. I think I'll have plenty of time to get to know you when we arrive there. I wanna try and sleep on the flight."
He didn't. He barely even blinked. Whenever he tried to fall asleep, Ilya would talk to him again. Ask him if he watched this movie, or if he had some fun songs to reccommend, or if he could get up so he can go to the lavatories. By the fourth time Shane had to unbuckle, stand, and flatten himself awkwardly against the seats so Ilya could slip past, he was fully convinced the man either had a medical condition or was doing it deliberately. Or maybe both. When their food arrived, Shane had to put on his headphones because Ilya chewed food too loudly. And if he wasn't talking to Shane, he would be talking to Svetlana sat next to him. So by hour 7, he just gave up on sleep completely and he was ready to arrive to sunny Barcelona looking like a zombie.
______
When they finally arrived at the house that they would call their home for the next month, everyone was completely breathless and in awe of the beauty of it. Everyone but Shane. I mean... he was impressed, really, everything he's seen out the window during the ride here, the house, the views, everything was the most beautiful thing he's ever seen in his life. He was just exhausted...
As they walked into the house and were immediately greeted by the Mediterranean-inspired living room, lots of whites and blues, everyone's mouth hung open.
“Holy shit,” Hayden said, eyes wide as he was taking in the sight. Cliff let out a low whistle. “Okay. This was worth it.”
Svetlana just smiled slowly, satisfied. “I told you.”
Even Ilya and Rose were too stunned to speak and were just walking around the place, checking out the kitchen, the gardens, and the patio. Shane, though, could only think of one thing. Two actually. Shower. And bed.Preferably in complete silence.
“Beach in ten minutes,” Hayden announced excitedly.
"No, no, pool first,” Cliff countered.
“Drinks first.” Ilya added.
Shane looked between them. "I'm going to sleep first." He muttered. They all glanced at him like he was a complete weirdo, everyone but Ilya who seemed strangely amused. "You slept on the plane."
Shane glared at him. "You didn't let me sleep."
"I tried to bond." Ilya shrugged.
"You terrorized me for ten hours!" Shane tried to argue but Rose was quick to wrap her arm around Shane's shoulder and cut him off. "Boooys! Enough! Come on Shane, we just got here, let's go check out the beach..."
"No." He frowned. "I will have a month and a half to check out the beach every single day, right now, I want to be alone and as far away from him as possible." He huffed and picked up his bag, storming off down the long hallway to try and find rooms, preferably one with a single bed. Too bad for him, every room had two beds. Three rooms, two beds each. So Shane's dream of having a room alone fell apart.
"Sooo... who's gonna share a room with Mr. Sunshine over here?" Cliff said, jokingly.
Hayden sighed. "I'll do it. And I promise he's really not that bad... he's a great guy, once you get to know him."
"Yeah, once the ice queen melts, there's probably a thin thread of fun inside him." Ilya mumbled. Everyone was silent, because honestly... they agreed. Shane could be a lot sometimes. But he really, really is a great guy.
"Alright so... beach in 20 minutes?"
_____
By the time Shane woke up from his nap, the sun was already starting to set. He appreciated the beautiful golden glow in his room, he could see the view out of the window, overlooking the hills and the sea a little bit, seeing the sun starting to dip below the horizon. It was truly something stunning, something he used to only dream about of seeing or visiting.
He could hear chatter down the hallway, too loud, as always. He could hear laughter, cabinets opening and closing, he could smell something in the air. The guys were probably making dinner. He got up and decided he needed a quick trip to the bathroom before joining them in the kitchen.
He walked out of his bedroom and down the hallway, where there were two bathrooms. Shane reached for the door handle of one of them. He didn't bother checking if it wad occupied and didn't bother knocking, because he just woke up and he also wasn't used to living with multiple people back in Ottawa, so he never had to check before.
He should have checked.
He pushed the door open and then froze. Steam still hung faintly in the air, clinging to the mirror, and water droplets traced lazy paths down tiled walls. And standing just a few feet away, was Ilya.
Fresh out of a shower. Wet. And naked.
Ilya had a hand in his hair, pushing it back from his face. Water ran down his shoulders, across his chest, over muscles that looked sculpted by Gods themselves. His skin was flushed faintly from the heat, collarbones sharp, every feature seemed to be standing out even more than Shane could notice since he met him.
Shane’s brain short-circuited. He should look away. But he didn't.
Ilya didn't move either. He scanned over Shane's shocked face, then down his body, then up his face again. Shane didn't really realize how much he was staring... how much he was staring at everything but Ilya's face.
Ilya tilted his head slightly. "Take a picture, it will last longer." He said with a smirk.
Shane shook his head and turned around quickly, storming out the bathroom and closing the door. "Fucks sake, next time lock the door!" He said through the closed door, pressing one hand on his cheek to feel the heat that was rising on his face. He probably looked red as a tomato.
Holy fuck...
Holy fuck....
Why was he blushing so much? Did he actually just...
Snap out of it Shane. It's just a body. You'd probably see it on the beach as well. Stop it.
But it wasn't just a body.
It was deeply unfair, actually. Cosmically unfair. The universe had no right giving someone that insufferable that kind of face, that kind of build, that kind of presence. The arrogance would’ve been tolerable if he at least looked average.
But no.
Of course not.
Of course, the cockiest, most aggravating man Shane had met in years also had to look like a Greek god fresh out of a shower. Jesus Christ, he just saw him naked. Who doesn't fucking lock their doors when they take a shower? What's wrong with this guy? Is he just that cocky that he doesn't care who sees him naked and who doesn't? What a fucking asshole.
And that smirk. That god damn smirk he gave Shane, once he noticed how much he was staring. Like he knew exactly what kind of effect he had on him. Shane groaned under his breath. Did he really have to fucking stare so much? Great, now Ilya is going to think Shane likes him or something. Perfect.
Shane hadn’t even realized he’d stopped moving.
He was still leaning against the hallway wall, arms loosely crossed, staring at absolutely nothing while his brain replayed the last two minutes against his will. And he was staring until he heard the bathroom door click open and Ilya stepping out. His head snapped to the side and the man was in front of him again, thankfully not naked this time, but with only a towel wrapped around his hips. As if that made it any better.
He stopped when he saw Shane still there, and one eyebrow lifted slowly.
“Oh,” Ilya said, voice smooth with amusement. “You’re still here.”
Shane straightened immediately, pushing off the wall, trying to act casual. “I was going to use the bathroom.”
"Mhm." Ilya mused. He leaned one shoulder casually against the doorframe instead, looking way too comfortable. "Aaand the other bathroom is...this way?" He said and pointed vaguely to the opposite direction.
"Shut up." Shane huffed and rolled his eyes, trying to push past Ilya to get inside the bathroom. But the moment Shane stepped to the side, Ilya stepped to the side too. His smirk got even wider.
“So,” he continued lightly, crossing his arms over his chest, which absolutely did not help the situation. “What did you think?”
Shane blinked. "Of what?"
"What you saw back there. Like what you see?"
Heat surged back into Shane's face quickly. "I didn't see anything."
“Oh?” Ilya’s tone was almost innocent. “Because you looked like you saw quite a lot.”
"Can you shut up and stop being an asshole and let me use the bathroom?" Shane's voice got slightly more irritated this time. He still tried to walk past Ilya, but Ilya once again stepped right in front of me.
"Do we have a problem or something? Is there a reason you hate me so much already or..?"
Shane let out a short, humorless laugh. “Yeah,” he snapped. “We have a fucking problem.”
Ilya’s brows drew together faintly. “Oh?”
“You don’t know how to behave like a decent human being,” Shane continued, words coming faster now, sharper. “You poke and poke and poke and then act surprised when someone’s pissed off.”
“I was joking.”
“No, you were being a dick.”
Ilya’s jaw tightened. “You don’t even know me.”
“I know enough,” Shane snapped. “You don’t listen. I said I wanted to sleep, you wouldn’t shut up. I try to walk away, you block me here. You think it’s funny to get under people’s skin!”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Ilya shot back, stepping closer without meaning to. “You think I woke up this morning thinking, ‘Yeah, let me target Shane for fun?’”
“It feels like that!”
“Well it’s not!”
Their voices weren’t loud, they were too aware of the others in the kitchen, but they were sharp.
“You’re so damn defensive.” Ilya muttered.
“Oh, I’m defensive?” Shane laughed bitterly. “You’ve been needling me all day and now I’m the problem?”
“I was trying to talk to you!”
“By not shutting the fuck up?”
Ilya’s eyes flashed. “Jesus Christ. You're really so stuck up aren't you? I like to fucking joke around, Shane, that's who I am! Are you twelve or something and you can't take a fucking joke?"
"No I can't take a fucking joke at my expense! Can you?"
"Yeah, cuz I'm not a fragile little baby boy!" Ilya frowned.
"No, you're not, you're an asshole." Shane muttered. That hit. Ilya’s nostrils flared slightly. “You know what?” he said, frustration bleeding through now. “You don’t know shit about me. You decided in the first ten minutes that I’m some cocky villain and now everything I do fits your little narrative.”
“Maybe stop giving me material then.”
“Oh, fuck off,” Ilya muttered.
“No, you fuck off." Shane shot back immediately and shoved Ilya to the side, not that hard, but hard enough so he could walk into the bathroom and lock the doors quickly before Ilya could get in to continue this ridiculous fight.
Shane pressed his back against the door and let out a sigh, trying to calm his nerves down and to make his hands stop shaking. Shane was never the type to argue, he didn't like confrontation, at all. But something about this man just made him so furious. Probably his cockiness and arrogance and the feeling that he was the only important person in the room. Shane fucking hated that. And he hated the fact that now he has to spend forty-five days, in a space next to this man.
This is gonna be the worst summer of his life. He was so sure of that.