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After Hayden's disastrous confession, he got home, drank a beer and stayed at his couch, thinking.
"How could I not see it?" he was in disbelief. Of course Boston Lily was Boston Raider's Ilya Rozanov.
For the longest he tried to be supportive and say stuff like 'Go see Lily, buddy.' or 'Just go have sex, I don't care!' but internally he was in pain. Years watching Shane smilng at his phone while reading a message from Lily. It hurts. And then, was Rose Landry, out of nowhere he was publicly dating a famous actress...again...pain. He should have given up already, years being his left wing, his road roommate, his best friend for fuck's sake.
Except, he broke up with her, Shane told Hayden at first hand, or at least that what Hayden thought. It was his chance, only chance, maybe last chance, so he took a deep breath. Finally mustering up the courage to tell Shane everything.
That was 5 hours ago, he continued to look at the TV not watching, just looking. The empty can on his hand made him get up to the kitchen to get a new one, he definitely shouldn't be drowning his sorrows in alcohol. Anyway, he grab two more and head to the couch, halfway through his third can he heard his phone ringing.
'Shane H'
Stupid contact name choice, he didn't even knew another Shane. Should be 'Shane S2' or 'Bunny' because Shane does look like a bunny, specially when he is mad. Maybe all these years calling Shane 'buddy' he actually wanted to say 'bunny'. "Oh wait, I NEED TO PICK UP!"
The phone was ringing while Hayden was lost in his head, the begining of getting drunk.
"Hi!" Hayden instantly regret his tone, he sounded excited and almost out of breath, Shane must think he his stupid. Letting the phone ring for so long just to sound like a fool.
"Hi" Shane responded, calm, too calm? "Hmm, so... are you free tomorrow night?" WHAT? Shane was asking if he was free? Like asking for a date?
"Yeah, yeah. I'm." Ok he was improving, sounding less anxious.
"Do you wanna have dinner here? At my place?" Definitely a date, but he couldn't stop thinking about Rozanov, yes Hayden wanted to get dinner with Hollander at his place, but he knew the truth, he loved Rozanov.
Hayden never liked Rozanov, never, he is a asshole, likes to fight and... he's the second best player in league. However, Hayden tolerated Lily, he saw how happy Shane became by just texting her, he thought she was a good person. He liked the way Lily treated Shane. He couldn't deny that. So he had to ask.
"What about Rozanov?" Quiet Shane, is never a good sign.
"Well, actually was his ideia." Rozanov's ideia? "I mean, I had plans to talk, but he wants more, he wants you to came here so we could hmm...like...interview you."
"Interview?" Hayden's mouth asked the questioned faster than his brain.
"I know It sounds weird, but actually it's not the worst solution, right?" Shane was almost asking for Hayden approval. "We could talk. The three of us." Was Hayden willing to love Shane with his plus one, Ilya Rozanov?
He was.
"Ok"
"Ok?" Shane repet turning into a question.
"Ok, I can be interviewed, I was always good at job interviews anyway. People like my charm." He heard Shane soft laugh at the other end of the call. It was worth it.
There he was, standing in front of Shane Hollander's apartment. Was not his first time there, after all, they are best buddies. Damn that was a painful thought. He took another deep breath and rang the doorbelt, two seconds later it opened.
"Hey Pike." Asshole. His accent, his blues eyes and curls. Shit, he was handsome, Hayden never actaully looked at Rozanov's face before, but he had to admit it, Ilya is handsome.
"Hi Rozanov." He answered, a little cheerless with the realization that the man Shane loves is not ugly.
They kept looking at each other, Hayden waiting to be invited him, of course he was a polited Canadian. Ilya rolled his eyes.
"I could see you through the peephole, you know?" Rozanov said smilling; "All nervous coming here trying to kiss my boyfriend."
"Ilya?" They could hear Shane's voice inside. Saved by the bell. They both thought.
"Come in." Rozanov finally gave Hayden space to get in the apartment. Shane's apartment. He took of his coat and shoes. Shane's apartment. "It's ok Pike, don't freak out." Rozanov said, his tone was soft but he still had his fucking smirk.
"I'm fine, Rozanov."
"Ok, just lie." Maybe Ilya was good at reading people or maybe Hayden was in fact a mess. They got pass the entryway, going to the kitchen, Shane was there covering the platter. He turned around and saw Hayden.
"Oh, hey Hayd." He looked good, Shane is always beautiful, but tonight he was specially good.
"Hey Buddy." Fuck! Really? Buddy? It was better to go on and call him 'bro'
"So..." Shane started, fortunately not noticing the nickname. "We should talk fisrt? And them dinner? Maybe with dinner, because will get cold? Or after dinner?" Shane was anxious, of course he was.
"Shane"
"Shane"
Hayden and Ilya talked at the same time looking at each other right after, they both wanting to stop anxious Shane to become more anxious. It was weird, just a little. Shane thanked God they were still looking at each other and not at his blushed face.
"Go on." Hayden said still looking at Ilya who broke eye contact first.
"I'm gonna talk to Pike. Alone."
"What?" Shane raised his eyebrows. "I thought we were talking to him." He said coming closer to the other two mans.
"No, you will be here and I will interview your 'buddy.'" Fuck Ilya Rozanov never lets anything slip by.
"But I-" Shane sighed
"Trust me, малыш. I won't bite him." Shane turned his head to Hayden.
"Are you okay with this?" Shane said shyly.
"Yeah, sure. I'm ok." He was not okay.
"And Shane." Ilya's tone was a bit deeper this time. "Do not peek. It's a private conversation, yes?" Ilya said or order, softly.
"I won't." Shane sighed dissapointed but agreeing.
"Ok...hmm come here Pike." Rozanov said, indicating with his head where to go. Hayden followed, thinking he would led them to the living room but it was actually the balcony.
Hayden tried not to think about how Rozanov was walking like it was his house, like he was living here. Wait, was he? No, he plays in Boston. He doesn't live here, just spends so much time here that feels like his home- okay that thinking was ot helping Hayden.
"It's too cold for you?" Rozanov asked and he suddendly remembered he took his coat off before.
"No, It's fine, for while." He hoped it was just for a while, that this was not a 2 hours conversation with a terrible ending.
"Yeah, yeah. Just wait." Ilya went back inside for a moment. Hayden took this opportunity to release the air from your lungs, just now realizing he wasn't normarlly breathing.
Looking around the balcony was weird, Shane never uses the balcony, it doesn't even have furtniture, wich is so weird, he hired a interior designer right? Why was so empty? Oh! That's right, he remembers now. Shane did not like the floor texture, he renovated everything but this small detail scape his hawk eyes. Hayden smilled, these little things about Shane only made him like him more.
"For you." Hayden 'woke up' with Rozanov's voice. He looked at him, putting two chair, probably from the dinning table, next to each other, sitting on one and pointing at the other. "Thanks." Was all Hayden said before sitting and look straight, viewing the dark sky.
"Shane loves you." Rozanov was straight forward, good Hayden could not handle euphemism right now.
"Shane loves you." Hayden told Rozanov like he already didn't know. He smilled.
"Yes, yes Shane loves us two. Is weird but true."
Rozanov sighed.
"Look Pike I don't like you, yes? But I know how importante you are to Shane, he...he needs you, like...I need him." Hayden was a little speechless, which was good because Rozanov didn't want to be interrupt. "I don't know you but for Shane I want to try, try this, us three."
'Us three.'
"Yeah, I feel the same way. Look I'm not crazy about you either, but we can make this work, right? For Shane." Hayden wanted to say more, more like. 'Well maybe, maybe for Shane we could hug, or hold hands.' But he didn't want to ruin this moment, the tension was high. It felt like a almos breakingt glass .
"I don't want to fight." Ilya said finally looking at Hayden, his eyes were a little glowy, was Rozanov holding back tears? "I feel if we fight we both lose him. We don't want that, yes?" Hayden nodded yes. 'we' He felt he was going to use it more from now own. "So we came with agreement, I was thinking-
"Oh you think?" Shit. It was bigger than Hayden, when he looked at Rozanov he felt like a teenager wanting to pick a fight. "Shit, sorry. Just...escaped." Hayden apologize. Rozanov face was serious before cracking a smile.
"Ok, Pike you are a идиот." Hayden did not knew russian but he could guess what this one meant. "I was thinking...Shane in first place, yes? No matter we hate each other, Shane loves us, so we are cool."
"I don't hate you." Hayden said. Rozanov glanced still smilling.
"Second, and this is very importante. Me and Shane started with sex, just sex, no feelings at all." Hayden looked away for a second fighting the jealousy. "We just used last names and it was very...well very hot we are so good at sex, Pike." Hayden rolled his eyes and Ilya got up.
"Can you get to the point?" Hayden knew he needs to learn their story, he wants to and now he was part of it. However, he felt Shane would tell it better, without sarcasm and Hayden just really wanted Shane company right now.
"What I am saying is." He looks for something in his pockets. "We were just sex, no baby steps, no romance. Shane loves sex, I know. But maybe, maybe he would have liked to have romance before. He deserves it."
Rozanov concluded finally grabbing the cigarette and lighting it up. Exhaling smoke before proceeding.
"I think, you look romantic, like prince. Would be good to start slowly this time." Hayden was still sitting digesting every word.
"I'd like that." Hayden finally spoke. "It's also good for us, we will get to know each other for real." Rozanov nodded his head. "I want Shane to fall for me like I did for him, I mean I know he loves me but I want him to love me more."
Hayden said carefully, he didn't want to imply that he wanted Shane to love him more than he loves Ilya, no that was not what he wanted. He just wishs to see Shane melting for him too.
"Ok, thats our agreement, you will be his romantic boyfriend, and I his romantic sexual boyfriend." Hayden actually laughed this time followed by Ilya. Rozanov was a asshole, but not a bad one. He was also happy with the word boyfriend.
Rozanov looked away to finish his cigarette and Hayden looked inside the apartment feeling a movement. He saw Shane, peeking, first he was looking at Ilya but then, he locks his glaze with Hayden's. He could tell he got a bit scare, so being a little bold he winked at him. Shane definitely smiled before running away. Hayden glance back at Ilya.
"Can I kiss him?" He wanted to kiss Shane so much.
"You need to ask him." Hayden liked this answer, it was the right one.
"Won't you be jealous?"
That was a trick question, Hayden knew because he knew how it feels too. He wouldn't be jealous to see his boyfriend kissing his boyfriend, maybe at first, but at the end they would be together and happy.
"Maybe at begining, but I won't be jealous to see my boyfriend kissing his boyfriend. We will be happy together, right?" His thoughts exactly.
"Exactly. I perfectly agree."
"Pike" Ilya pause. "I will teach you how he likes, I will give you so many notes-"
"Okay, okay I got it. You two had tons of sex before." Hayden was irritated but his imagination was playing tricks on him. Well, he likes men and Ilya does have a good body and with Shane's...oh okay. "What about us? I mean us two." Ilya raised his eyebrows.
"Do you want to kiss me Pike?" Ilya held back a smile.
"Nevermind" Hayden regretted asking.
"No, no nevermind. It's ok for me. Maybe one day, yes? You are not ugly."
Hayden decided to be the bigger person this time. "Thanks Rozy, I think you're hot too." Rozanov stayed quiet. Wow Rozanov speechless he needed to take advantage of this situation. "Did I just make Ilya Rozanov speechless?-"
"Okay, Pike you ready to get in?" Ilya interrupted his pleasure.
"Yeah, let's go." They both remembered how cold it was and rush back inside. Before heading to the living room Rozanov grabed Hayden shoulders.
"Let's not say everything to him now, yes? Let him enjoy." Hayden agreed. "And slowly...you will see his face after the kiss. It's dirty. Glowy eyes, irresistible." Ilya warned. "But today is just first date."
"Yes, just first date." Hayden repeated it as if it were a prophecy.
They smiled at each other.
"Now go Pike, go kiss my boyfriend."
"Fuck you Rozanov."