Chapter Text
One night not long after “I love you” Shane spread out the MHL schedule across the cottage dining table like he was preparing for a hostage negotiation. A sharpie, highlighters in an array of colors, sticky notes, and a pen he kept clicking over and over, Ilya knew he was in planner mode. The calendar itself was already color coded, because of course it was.
Ilya nonchalantly leaned against the counter with his coffee, with only creamer because he had not yet found a way to sneak in syrups or sugar without Shane noticing, watching him with a grin. He knew, in this moment, he had definitely lost control of his life and was pretending he wasn’t very okay with it.
“You know,” Ilya teased, “normal boyfriends do not make war plans.”
Shane without looking up, “These aren’t war plans. There…logistics, I like knowing the logistics.”
“Ah. Logistics.” Ilya took a slow sip to hide his grin. “Very sexy, not boring at all.”
Shane glanced up at that, eyes narrowed in warning, “Are you going to help, or just make fun of me?!?”
“I am helping. I am providing observation.”
“Your providing asshole!”
Ilya shrugged, “same thing” this time he didn’t hide his grin.
Shane blew out an exasperated breath, but Ilya knew he didn’t mean it, because his mouth twitched. Shane tapped a date on the calendar, “Okay, look. You’re in Boston all year. I’m in Montreal. So, we need to figure out when we will actually see each other, I know I’m freaking out, but I would love it if you would help me!”
Ilya rolled his eyes at this and tried to be casual, even as his insides turned to mush. “We see each other when we see each other. It is not complicated.”
“Not complicated?!?” Shane said, he pointed at the calendar. “We have totally different travel schedules most of the time, and you are on the road for two weeks straight in November.”
Ilya shrugged again, even though he was starting to understand what Shane was trying to ask for. “Then you miss me. So tragic.”
At this Shane gave me a look, the one that said, I’m being serious. Ilya felt like a hand was closing around his ribs, it had been a long time since anyone but Svetlana cared about him in this way.
So, he set his mug down and finally closed the space between them, rested his head on Shane’s shoulder to look at the calendar. He let out a sigh of exasperation, but he was already scanning the dates, already making plans of his own.
Shane pointed at it again. “Here. You’re in Montreal for a game on the 14th, and then you don’t have another game until the 20th and that one’s in Boston, can you stay an extra day?”
Ilya made a big show of thinking. “Maybe, maybe one day.”
Shane didn’t call him out, but in his head mentally committed to two days.
“And Here” Pointing to December, Shane continued, “I have a three day break after our game, I could stay for at least two of those.”
Ilya tapped the date with one finger. “You bring warm coat, Boston is cold.”
“Ilya!” Shane laughed, “I live in Canada, I think I know how to dress in winter” Ilya felt that laugh in his chest, he hoped he would always make Shane laugh like that.
He shifted his chin off Shane’s shoulder, but Placing a hand on Shane’s side he pulled the calendar closer to them, pretending he just needed a better angle. “This weekend,” he said as he pointed to a couple dates. “I will be in Ottawa for a game” and you only have game in Montreal on Thursday, maybe you come to Ottawa, and we eat dinner with your parents.”
Shane froze. Turned his head with watery eyes, his voice went quiet. “They would love that.”
Illya didn’t look at him, he couldn’t. Not when he loved this man so much, he could barely breathe. What he could do was say it, finally, because the words were always right there now.
“I love you”
Shane dropped his pen on the table, turned to look at him with transparent emotion that made Ilya feel both powerful and weak. “I love you too” like it was the easiest thing in the world.
Ilya rolled his eyes again, but it was pointless with the watery smile on his face, “Good, but move, I’m fixing your ridiculous calendar.”
“It’s not ridiculous!”
“Your right. just boring, But I love you, so I will fix it”
Shane laughed, moved a little to give him space, but Ilya didn’t let him move far, before puckering his lips for a kiss. Ilya sat down and gestured for Shane to sit. And shoulder to shoulder they sat, planning a life just days ago, neither dreamed possible.
Ilya pretended to hate it the whole time. But he didn’t fool either of them.