Chapter Text
“Rose. Where are we going?” Shane asked as Rose held him by the hand, pulling him through the streets of Los Angeles. He had been in town for a game and decided to hit up his now ex-girlfriend for a little lunch date before the game.
But clearly she had other plans.
“It’s a surprise Shane. And what kind of best friend would I be if I spoiled such a fun surprise.” She grinned widely back at him, their fingers laced as they walked. He scoffed at her response, pulling his hat further down his face as a man rushed down the road, lifting a camera to take their picture. Even though they had publicly broken up months before, the paparazzi still liked to follow them around whenever they were in public. “Shane, no matter how much you hide your face, you’re in LA with me, they’re going to follow us.”
“I know, but you would think they would have given up considering we’re no longer together.”
“…well yes. But you’re not out. So, they think we’re hiding the relationship. Not realizing that we’re just the bestest of friends, ever!” She emphasized the ‘ever’ by releasing his hand and pulling him close, smacking a kiss onto his cheek. Another shutter of the camera. “Now, let’s hurry up before we miss our appointment.”
Appointment, not reservation. Not a lunch date.
“Rose. Where are you taking me?” He whispered, keeping her close as the man walked across the street to watch from afar. Rose rolled her eyes. She stopped walked, placed her hands on her hips and faced the man as he held his up his camera. Shane held in his smirk as she promptly held up two middle fingers to the camera, tongue out. Another shutter of the camera before the man walked away, clearly done with the photo-op.
“Now, that he is satisfied.” She huffed, wrapping an arm around Shane’s. “We are going to a local clinic, since you don’t want to talk to your team doctor about how you’ve been feeling for the past month.” She said flatly.
“I told you yesterday that I was fine. It was just something I ate.”
> “Food poisoning doesn’t last a month, nor does the flu. And I love you Shane, but I don’t need you dying because you’re too stubborn to talk to your team doctor. Who knows, maybe you’ve become intolerant to salmon.”
“My body and salmon have a mutual understanding. I eat it, and it doesn't try to kill me. We’re not breaking the contract now." He joked as she laughed, continuing to pull him along. He knew she was right. He had been playing while feeling unwell for awhile but just thought that it would go away on its own. It was just the flu, or a cold. It would just go away and he would be fine. But then that turned into a week, then two, and soon it was a month and now Rose was holding open the door to a private clinic that she definitely planned in advance.
His eyes scanned the room, looking around for anyone that may recognize the Shane Hollander, but the waiting room was empty.
“Shane, this is a private clinic, by appointments only. Usually used by celebrities. They sign nda’s, the whole shebang. Let alone the fact that you’re not in Montreal, so you’ll be fine.” She placed a hand on his shoulder as she walked past him, before speaking to the receptionist. She waved her hand toward Shane as the woman at the desk looked toward him, a small smile on her face.
“Well then, let us get this MLH player back then, get his vitals, and get him checked out before the big game tonight shall we? Let’s go Mr. Hollander. We will get you in and out in a jiffy.” She stood from her desk, waving him toward the back of the office. “I’m sure you’re used to this type of assessment, but we will get all your vitals, get some blood for the doctor as a precaution, as Ms. Landry has informed us briefly what the situation was about.” She spoke softly as they walked toward the examination room, Rose waiting behind. “My name is Sara by the way. But our meeting will be short and sweet.”
“Please, call me Shane then.”
“Alright Shane, let’s get this on the road then so we can get you out of here.”
---
Shane’s phone pinged with another notification as he exited the hotel bathroom, his hands rubbing a towel over his wet hair. Hayden sat lazily on his bed, scrolling on his own phone. He had an inkling that it was one of three people, his Mom, Rose or ‘Lily’, whom he had begun texting again after the All Stars. Either way, they could wait until he was dry and dressed.
“Hey buddy, you feeling better?” Hayden asked, his eyes never leaving his phone.
“Yeah, I think I must have eaten something off earlier with Rose.” Another lie, but Hayden didn’t need to know about the clinic. Nobody else needed to know that Shane got dizzy at the game earlier and nearly empty the contents of his stomach after the game. Luckily Hayden was the only one who noticed as they were the last two off the ice.
“You should tell the team doctor tomorrow. You didn’t hit your head right? They were throwing hard hits tonight.” He questioned, finally looking up from his phone as Shane threw on a pair of joggers.
“No Hayds. I didn’t. Like I said, Rose and I tried some new place, and I don’t think my stomach liked it. I went off my performance diet a little-“ Lies. “And yeah, the game was rough. I’m fine. I feel great right now.”
“Whatever you say bud. I’m just worried. Even Jackie said you looked a little pale the last time she saw you.”
Shane huffed as he threw on a long sleeve, despite the warm weather, flopping down onto his own bed. He was done with the conversation. Between Rose, Hayden and the clinic, he was over everyone fiddling over his health. It was just a flu, a month…long…flu.
Another ping, another impatient notification.
Shane released a deep sigh as he stared at his mother’s text messages. He should have known that the photographs of him and Rose would already be online. And of course, his mother would comment on them. She was their number one supporter. Even when he told her that they had broken up, before the online announcement, she made it known that while she was very supportive of their decision, that she was upset that they did not work it out.
He closed out their thread, not wanting to ‘listen’ to her worries about his image. Did he feel guilty that he hadn’t come out to his parents yet? Of course. But he would do it when he was ready. So far he had only come out to one person. Well, two if you wanted to count Rose but she sort of came out for him. Which he was grateful for. If she hadn’t done that, then he wouldn’t be in the ‘sort of’ relationship that he is in with Ilya.
She responded with a laughing emoji as he closed the thread, as he chuckled. He loved Rose, and he truly wished it worked out between them. But his heart will always belong to Ilya.
Shane could feel the sass coming through the phone. Ilya could be so dramatic, even from across the country. For fucks sake, he is gay. How often does he have to tell Ilya this? I guess he has to remind him again.
“I see you’re back together with Lily?” Hayden’s voice rang out as Shane’s head shot up, completely forgetting that he was in the room. His ears turned bright red, his tongue peeking out to lick his lips. “You know I don’t care. Not like I pay attention to online tabloids about you and Rose. You told me you guys broke up and I believe you, but that is totally your “Lily”” he used finger quotes, “face. You’re totally smitten again.”
“Shut up Hayden.” He shot back, not able to hide back his smile. He wish he could tell Hayden that he was gay, that Lily was actually a man, and someone that Hayden hated with a passion. Soon, soon they will be able to tell everyone. His phone dinged with a different notification and as he looked down, he saw a different name flashed across the top of the screen. A name and number he had saved earlier in the day, that a receptionist named Sara told him to save so he wouldn’t think it was spam.
Shane was fully sitting up now, staring down at his phone. What could possibly be wrong with him that they wouldn’t just flat out tell him. Hayden was staring at him curiously.
“Shane? What’s going on?”
The phone slammed screen side down onto the bed, as if Hayden was able to see anything happening on the screen. Shane’s breath was ragged, his eyes wide as he tried to register what he just read. HCG. Pregnant. He just had the flu. Food poisoning. Maybe even just intolerant to salmon. Not pregnant. He was a man. There was such a small chance for men to get pregnant, and he was tested when he was a teenager. Wasn’t he?
Hayden was now staring at him from the other bed, confused as Shane took deep breaths, trying to keep the panic from surfacing. How could this even be possible?
“You good over there buddy?”
“All good.” Shane managed to squeak out. He flipped the phone back over, seeing that the clinic and sent another message.
This was too much. He couldn’t decide on what to do. He was still stuck on how this was even possible. And now—now there is another human growing somewhere within his abdomen. Where does a baby even grow in a man’s body! His mind was reeling. What was he going to do? What about hockey? He couldn’t possibly keep the baby and keep playing and hockey was his life. His career, his whole life. And Ilya. Would he want children? This was a conversation they never discussed because it was something they thought couldn’t happen.
“Ugh.” He groaned as he fell back onto the bed, his phone locked. Should he tell Ilya or just take care of the situation?
He couldn’t do that to Ilya, not after everything they’ve been through.
He took another deep breath and turned off his phone. He didn’t want to deal with anything else. He told Ilya. He will deal with the aftermath tomorrow after he has more time to process everything. He said his goodnight to Hayden and rolled over in bed, begging for sleep to take over his overactive mind. Why couldn't it just been the salmon?