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Shane and Ilya had invited Hayden and Jackie over for dinner.
Shane had come out to Hayden and revealed his relationship with Ilya a couple of months prior.
Hayden was supportive of Shane’s sexuality but surprised and confused by Shane’s choice of partner.
Shane had been trying ever since to help his best friend and his boyfriend get along. It wasn’t working.
He thought that this dinner party might help things. It has to go better than the first one, right.
But before it even started, before Hayden and Jackie had even arrived, Ilya was in a mood.
His schedule and Shane’s rarely lined up. But for the first time since officially becoming boyfriends, they both had 4 days off in a row. Ilya had immediately flown from Boston to spend as much of it with Shane as possible. And now Shane had them spending night 2 with Hayden Pike.
“Why Shane? We barely get any time together as it is. I had plans for us for this evening”, Ilya winked lasciviously leaving Shane in no doubt as to what those plans were.
“We have to be sociable Ilya. We don’t have many people who know about us or support us”.
“Pike doesn’t support us”, Ilya retorted.
“He does”, Shane asserted. Hayden may be baffled by Shane and Ilya’s relationship. But Shane knew that underneath it all, he just wanted Shane to be happy and saw that, weird as it was for him to understand, Ilya made Shane happy.
“Please Ilya, try and be nice. They have 4 kids, they won’t stay long. I’ll make it up to you after”, Shane raised his eyebrows.
Ilya stole a kiss and agreed to try. He would do anything for his Hollander.
The pair arrived and it was hostile between Ilya and Hayden.
Shane tried to make the evening as pleasant as possible but the two men were at each other’s throats from the get go.
Jibes were passed back and forth. Passive aggressive comments were exchanged.
Halfway through the main course, conversation turned to who is the greatest hockey player of all time.
Ilya had, of course, immediately said himself. Hayden had rolled his eyes. Ilya had gone on the attack.
Shane had tried to placate the situation by firmly stating that Ilya was joking which the Russian reluctantly admitted.
Hayden had stated his case for some player from the 80s.
Ilya had loudly declared that “as suspected, Pike obviously knows nothing about hockey”.
At that point Hayden had had enough.
“Come on Jackie, we’re going, I don’t have to put up with this. Well done on your choice of life partner Shane, he’s an asshole".
“Hayden, please don’t go. Ilya, a word”, Shane motioned toward the hallway.
Ilya swallowed. Shane rarely used that tone. But when he did, Ilya knew he had gone too far.
Hayden smirked.
“In trouble with the mister, Rozanov?”
Ilya made a rude gesture as he got up from the table which earned him another, “Ilya!”, from Shane.
Ilya followed Shane out to the hallway.
“He can’t take a jo-“, Ilya started before he was abruptly cut off by Shane.
“Shut up. I don’t want to hear it! Hayden is our guest Ilya. You are behaving like a child right now!”, Shane quietly seethed, not wanting to be overheard scolding his partner.
“He started it by being stupid”.
Shane scoffed.
“Can you hear yourself right now?!” Shane asked incredulously.
“I don’t like him Shane”, Ilya whined.
“Well, I do, Ilya. He’s my best friend. He’s been very good to me. Please Ilya, I just want the two men I love most in the world, to get along. Please!”
“You love him? Like you love me or……”
Ilya was grinning at him now.
“Ilya”, Shane warned once more but he knew Ilya wouldn’t let it go.
“No, of course not how I love you”, he admitted softly.
Ilya smiled triumphantly.
Shane sighed.
“Please Ilya. Just try to get on with him. For me”, Shane pleaded.
Ilya could deny this man nothing.
“Ok. I’m sorry Shane. I will try. I promise. I love you. Please don’t be mad at me”.
“Thank you”, Shane pressed their foreheads together and closed his eyes.
Ilya leaned in to the touch.
“Shane….”, Ilya’s voice was laced with nerves.
“I love you too Ilya. Always. Even when you’re being an asshole”, Shane’s chest tightened as it always did when he heard Ilya ask for confirmation of his love. Ilya’s childhood had left him with a trauma that would take a while to unravel.
They returned to the table and sat down.
“I am sorry Hayden. I was being rude”, Ilya said gruffly. He looked at Shane who smiled at him proudly.
“Oh Hollander has you WHIPPED!”, Hayden exclaimed with delight.
Ilya stood back up and turned to Shane with an expression that clearly said, oh come on, he’s asking for it now!
“Hayden!”, Jackie barked, “hallway, now!”
Ilya burst out laughing.
“Finally, we found something we have in common Pike!”
Hayden stared Ilya down for a moment before smiling ruefully.
“Wouldn’t have it any other way”, he said as he followed his wife.
Ilya turned to Shane and rubbed his cheek.
“Me neither”, he said lovingly.