Chapter Text
Chapter 1: Loose lips sink ships
“Don’t tell anyone,” Shane begged, tugging at Rose’s sleeve with a pleading look in his eyes.
“We would never!” Rose said it as if he had accused them both of murder.
“Your secret is safe with us,” Svetlana nodded, sipping heavily from her glass of wine.
They were all sprawled out on Rose’s bed. He had been her roommate for the past two years and she had quickly become one of his best friends. He had met Svetlana through Rose last year and now they were all friends, hanging out in Rose and Shane’s dorm often.
Shane knew Rose had her suspicions over the years - after all, they lived together - but he hadn’t even known he was gay himself until this year. He had tried for years to make it work with women. He and Rose even tried to date briefly their Freshman year (it lasted all of three months). Eventually, though, Shane had to be honest with himself.
“This explains why the star hockey player hasn’t had a girlfriend yet, I guess,” Rose mused, her cheeks flushed as she finished her third glass.
Shane was holding a ginger ale. He didn’t drink often at all, but especially not the night before an early practice.
“Have you been with a guy?” Svetlana asked, watching the liquid as she swirled it in her glass.
“No. I’m kind of nervous to even try. I don’t want to come out yet and ruin my chances with the NHL before they even start, so finding someone discreet makes it hard. Plus, it’s already junior year and I’m still so inexperienced… I’m afraid to embarrass myself.”
Svetlana smiled - a wicked grin she reserved for when she had plans that made Shane rethink their friendship. “I could help with that,” She offered nonchalantly, shooting a look over to Rose, who returned an equally mischievous smile.
“What are you two plotting? Please stop,” Shane groaned, rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling.
“My best friend, you know him,” Svetlana started.
“Ilya Rozanov? Yeah, he’s a dick. He’s my biggest competition on the ice and I have three bruises right now just from him. He checked me into the boards so hard my helmet rattled,” Shane said through gritted teeth.
He didn’t mention that every time Rozanov chirped him, he blushed. Or that he had caught himself staring at him more than once. He was even certain Rozanov had noticed, but he simply winked like the cocky bastard Shane knew him to be. Rozanov was…complicated for Shane. He was his rival on the ice, but he also sparked a curiosity in Shane he had never really felt before.
“Yes, him. Well, you know his reputation, as well,” She waved a hand in the air.
“Yeah, he’s made his way through half the dorm,” Shane said flatly.
“He’s experienced, yes. He’s also experienced in something you aren’t,” she hummed.
Shane’s eyes widened. She couldn’t mean? The concept of Rozanov liking men sent Shane into a spiral. It bobbed in his stomach, up and down, like a buoy in turbulent water. He felt so many emotions at once that he couldn’t parse any of them.
“So what?” Shane said, like Svetlana hadn’t just shattered his reality, hadn’t made him hopeful. Hopeful for what? He wasn’t sure. But he felt it, clawing its way in through the edges.
“So, he could teach you a thing or two,” She shrugged, as if she were suggesting a restaurant and not offering up her best friend for sex.
Shane should have said no. He should have laughed in her face. He should have scoffed and rolled away and gone to sleep. Instead he said, “Why would he do that?”
Svetlana and Rose smiled, which made Shane want to sink into his own skin.
“Roz loves a challenge. Plus, you’re handsome. Why would he pass that up?” Shane blushed at the idea of Rozanov finding him handsome.
“I don’t think he’d agree to that at all,” Shane said, still regretting not declining outright.
“Let’s find out,” Svetlana said slyly, extracting her phone from her pocket and finding her messages with Rozanov.
Shane wanted to protest. He wanted to reach out and smack her phone away. He wanted to yell, to tell her this was ridiculous, to moan about how he regretted confiding in them. Every argument died on his tongue, though, as he watched her type out the message.
He looked over her shoulder with baited breath, Rose against his back and peeking over his shoulder.
Svetlana: Ilyusha, I have a proposition for you.
Ilya: What?
Svetlana: I have a friend - he is very sweet, very handsome. Realized he’s gay but is too nervous to date because he’s inexperienced in bed. Up for giving him some lessons? He’s not out. Would be DL.
Ilya: No.
Shane’s breath hitched. Why did he feel so disappointed? This was the best case scenario. Getting sex lessons from his hockey arch rival was the worst thing he could do. This was good. This was how it should be. And his name had never been said, so Rozanov was none the wiser–
He yelped when he saw what Svetlana had responded with.
Svetlana: It’s Shane Hollander.
Ilya: Da. I will do it.
Rose screeched behind Shane, kicking her feet into the air. Svetlana turned to him, smug, as she attached his contact and sent it to Rozanov. Shane’s face was hot, his body clammy, his heart pounding in his chest. Rozanov said yes. Rozanov said yes specifically for him. He was going to touch Rozanov. His stomach did something complicated and he took a long pull from his ginger ale. What had he gotten himself into?
***
Rozanov texted him three days later.
Rozanov: Hollander, I hear you need help. I am very good at sex. Will teach you. Come to my dorm tomorrow at 8pm
Shane: Okay.
His mouth was dry as he stared at the messages. Was he ready to have sex with Rozanov? Would he mock him for being bad? Was he just giving him more ammo for his chirps?
Shane didn’t sleep much that night.