The Quiet Game – Chapter Two – Duochanfan

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14 Minutes

Chapter Two

Shane smiled as he walked into the hotel room he was to share with Hayden. The man was already away, a smirk on his face as he watched Shane do what would normally be the walk of shame.

Hayden raised his hands and began to talk. ‘Looks like someone had a good night.’

Shane grinned widely. ‘I did, I really did, Hayden. It was so good, we actually talked things out. Finally. I was so scared they didn’t want the same thing as me. But they do, I-‘ he stopped for a moment as he walked over to his bed and sat down. ‘I almost panicked, Hayden. I almost ran away from them.’

‘Everything went okay, though?’ he asked him, a look of concern appearing on Hayden’s face as he glanced his friend over.

‘Yeah, they made sure I was calm, and they talked. I told them about the family. How only my parents know ASL, and about you.’ He smiled as he told Hayden about the night with Ilya.

‘Sounds like things are getting serious between the two of you. Am I ever going to meet her?’ Hayden asked, happy that he found someone.

Shane froze. He knew he and Ilya had talked about letting a few people into the secret, but he still wasn’t a hundred percent sure if they should. He had told Ilya to tell two of the people he trusted the most. Shane trusted Hayden and somewhat trusted JJ.

Noting that Shane didn’t have his hearing aids on, he had to wave to get his attention again. ‘You okay?’ he asked as he saw Shane freeze up.

‘Yeah. I, there is something that I want to tell you. I don’t know how you’re going to react to it. But it’s about Lily and me. Something you should know before it gets more. It’s serious between us; we want to make it work, even though there is so much against us. We know that, but we want people in our corner. It’s going to be hard.’ Shane told him, his hands moving rapidly.

Hayden held up his hand. ‘Shane,’ he began, ‘You’re going too fast for me. I know I’m okay at this, but sometimes you are so damn fast, just like on the ice.’ He smiled as he caused Shane to laugh.

‘There is something that I want to tell you. It’s to do with Lily.’ He told him, sighing heavily as he got comfy on the bed. ‘I think I should tell you after the game. It’s-‘ he paused for a few moments. ‘Complicated. Very complicated.’

‘Alright, after the match we can talk. I don’t mind waiting until then.’ Hayden told him, ‘Wake up, we’ll be in half an hour.’ He added as he got up, ‘I’m going to head down to the hotel gym to get in a twenty-minute run. Want to join me?’ he asked.

Shane nodded. ‘Let me get changed.’ He said as he got up and was quick to change.  He put his hearing aids on, knowing it would be best for now, and headed down to the hotel gym with Hayden.

XxXxX

Shane and Hayden were in the locker room. Theriualt had done his usual in keeping his face away from Shane. Even though he knew that Shane was deaf and would only have one small in-ear hearing aid that would aid him in making the sounds in the stadium loud enough to hear, he relied more on lipreading and Hayden being close by to hear what was being said. Hyaden was quick in making sure what Theriualt was saying was relayed to Shane, using their little signals that they had made just for them to use.

Shane was really starting to get annoyed. He had gone to management over the problem, but was basically told to shut up about it. He was already looking for the best way to end his contract. He already found a few places where he could easily call them out on their discriminatory behavior. Especially as Therualt had been trying to find a way to get him either benched or off the team. The man had called Shane a diversity hire several times over the last couple of years, and Shane was done with it.

Shane had led the Montreal Voyageurs to two Stanley Cups and had led them to numerous playoffs since he became Captain. And even before, he knew exactly his worth on the team. Each time he had been scratched from a game, they had lost. Not once had they won. Shane knew that it had been more because Theriault and the management had built the team more around him, rather than bringing in good players who could stand on their own. The only ones able to keep up with him when he was going almost full out were Hayden and JJ. And JJ was often pushing himself a lot to keep up. Hayden played at a good level, even if no one really saw it.

Hayden nodded at Shane, telling him that Theirualt had finally finished. Shane moved around to his side, so he was now facing the room. Hand had a hand on the back of his elbow. Giving it a tap when the room was quiet and facing him, ready for his speach pregame. A way for Shane to know what was going on in the room, noise-wise.

“This is not the first time we’ve beaten these bastards,” Shane said, smirking as he could see the eyes of his team on him. Not one of them knew he was deaf. Not a single one but Hayden. Not even JJ knew. He had never really felt like it was the time to tell him. There were no problematic behaviors, but Shane just had a hard time telling anyone. He’d only told Hayden because they had billieted together when Shane had first arrived in Montreal. It had only been for a few months. But Hayden had been quick to figure things out and confront Shane. “This team has gone far, the last two years, right to the cup. We’re going to do it again, and I don’t plan on it to be only a two-year streak; I want three. Are you with me!” he called out, feeling Hayden’s fingers go up his arm, telling him to speak louder.

The room cheered and shouted as they got pumped up for the game against Boston. Shane grinned as he watched them all head out. They were warmed up and fired up, and that was how Shane liked it. He turned to see JJ and Hayden still there.

“Let’s go!” JJ called out, clapping them both on the shoulders as he began to head out.

Hayden smiled at Shane before they leftt he room, being the only two left. ‘You need to tell him about you being deaf at some point. Though how he’s not fucking learned it by accident by now I don’t know. It’s not like you hide it when we’re all together. You wear your aids almost constantly around them apart from games.’

Shane shrugged. ‘People see what they feel like they should see. I work well in the hearing world. So they think I can hear them.’

“Sad,” Hayden said, shaking his head after a moment. ‘Let’s go.’

Shane nodded, and the two of them followed the rest of the team out to the rink. The noise was thunderous, and Shane could feel the vibrations of it going through him. There was always so much energy during games. The ice felt peaceful and calm when he was playing. His mind was racing as fast as he was as he played. It was always the same.

They headed out on the ice, moving around before the first lines got into position. Shane glanced over and saw Ilya making his way over; it looked like lazy movements to everyone. But Shane could see the difference for Ilya. It wasn’t lazy, it was calculated. Each movement was a way to show the Voyageurs that they weren’t worth the effort. A way to make them angry, Ilya was always good at making it seem like another team was beneath him.

Ilya and Shane settled at the face-off for puck drop. Ilya moved a hand toward his face. Pointing at his eye. Then tapping at his chest before gesturing to Shane. ‘I Love You.’ To others, it could be seen as anything else. Because no one was looking at the two of them and thinking they were together. 

Shane smiled and laughed a little as he knew it wans’t sign language, but it was still a way for Ilya to tell him what he felt. Shane raised a hand. Curling his three middle fingers, extending his pinky and thumb out, and moving them between the two. ‘Same,’ he replied.

The two shared a grin as they tapped sticks a few times as they waited for the start of the game. The puck dropped, and in a split second, Shane had possession and shot it straight to Hayden. Without saying a word, Ilya and Shane hurried after the left winger.

XxXxX

The noise in the locker room would be deafening to anyone who could hear. They had won against Boston 3-2. Shane was thankful he couldn’t hear as the locker room door closed, as Hayden had clapped his hands over his ears, and gave Shane the stink eye. Shane laughed as they changed to shower. He knew the team was all talking about going out to celebrate.

“If you go out, no excessive drinking,” Shane warned. “We have an early flight,” he called out.

Hayden shook his head, and Shane frowned. ‘Staying in.’ He was quick to sign to Shane. He often stayed with Shane when they were on a road trip. Wanting to talk to Jackie and the kids before he turned in for the night, or did anything else. He did go out with the team, and so did Shane, just not as often as they would like to.

Shane finished in the shower and began to dry off and get changed. They filed out to the bus that was waiting for them. Shane smiled at the message from Ilya.

Lily – Booo, you suck!

Shane – Maybe you will later

Lily – My my, someone is bold tonight

Shane – Only with and for you

Lily – Be still my heart

Shane – Drama queen

Lily – Yes, I am, and proud of it

Shane – I’m going to see if Hayden will let me go for a few hours to come and see you. We have an early flight tomorrow to Detroit. We face them next.

Lily – I shall be waiting for you, and you will easily crush them. They are not good at the moment.

Shane – Mom said the same. Having trouble with the first and second lines. They have good players, but none are gelling right.

Lily – Exactly. Easy to crush and make cry.

Shane – I’ll see you soon. Love you.

Lily – я тебя люблю

Shane blushed; he had learned the Cyrillic translation of I Love You and was trying to learn how to say it, so one day he would be able to tell Ilya that he loved him in his mother tongue. He’d only just realized that was why he was learning; he had just thought it would be nice to know Russian for Ilya, even though he might never really have a true conversation in it. He had never had the chance to see Ilya write those words until now.

‘Okay?’ Hayden asked, a smirk on his face as he saw the blush. ‘Lily?’ he said, getting another blush from Shane.

Shane nodded. ‘Yeah, they just messaged.’

Hayden wiggled his eyebrows at him. Grinning as he finished dressing.

Shane rolled his eyes, “Shut up,” he said, as he put his hearing aids on. Wincing at the noise level that was still in the room. He wondered again how no one had caught on to what he was doing.

“Come on,” Hayden said as they finished and began to head out. Once more, wearing the suits they had come to the stadium in. On the bus back to the hotel, Shane and Hayden sat near the back. The rest of the team was making plans.

‘I take it you want to head to see Lily?’ Hayden asked him.

‘Yes, I would like to. I won’t be able to see them for about two months. I miss them a lot, and messaging, skyping, and that is fine, but,’ He paused, ‘Sometimes I just want to be held by them.’

Hayden nodded. ‘I understand,’ he told him, ‘I feel like that with Jackie.’

Shane nodded. ‘So cover for me. I’ll be in a few hours.’

‘Course.’ He replied, smiling softly, ‘Have fun.’

Shane blushed and smirked. Hayden laughed as did Shane. The bus finally reached the hotel, and they got out. Shane and Hayden went to their room. Shane could have had his own room and been given the choice many times over the last couple of years. But he preferred to room with Hayden. That was more because if anything happened, Hayden would be the one to inform him or wake him up.

Shane changed and looked at his friend. “I’m heading out,” he said, “I’ll try and be back by midnight at the latest.”

“I don’t mind you slinking back here at three in the morning, Shane,” Hayden told him, settling on his bed, already in what he would normally sleep in. He had plans to chill out, talk with Jackie, and order pizza and wings for himself.

Shane smiled, “I may take you up on that,” he warned him. “I’ll try to message and that beforehand. But I don’t know if I’ll get the chance.”

“You dog,” Hayden cackled at how red Shane had gone.

“Ass,” he muttered as he left, still hearing Hayden’s laughter as he closed the door

Shane was able to get out of the hotel without anyone spotting or stopping him. He got into the Uber that was waiting for him. He settled in for the short drive to where Ilya lived. The house was alight when he got there, and he knew that Ilya was home. He’d already messaged that he was. The rest of his team had gone out, but Ilya had begged off so he could meet with Shane.

Shane made his way to the door and raised his hand to ring the bell. The door opened before he could.

“Shane,” Ilya grinned as he grabbed a hand and pulled Shane inside.

“Ilya,” he smiled back, as a second later the door was closed and he was up against it with Ilya kissing him.

XxXxX

Shane rested his head on Ilya’s chest. They only had an hour before Shane had to leave to get back to the hotel. “I’m going to hate leaving,” Shane said. He reached up and took one of his hearing aids off. The feel of leaning on it irritated him. He set it aside and went back to resting against Ilya.

Ilya tightened his hold on Shane for a moment. His voice rumbled and vibrated his chest as he said, “I will miss you. I can fly up for Christmas, if you wish.”

Shane smiled, “I’d like that. My parents are visiting family in Vermont. My cousin on my dad’s side lives there. Nice big place, so a lot of the family is going. I begged off this year. I hate going. None of them will sign, and I hate always wearing my aids,” he muttered.

“I know,” Ilya said, “And I don’t mind you taking them both off, we can sit up and sign, or just lie and cuddle.”

Shane glanced up at him, “I know, I know you’re fine with me taking them off. Even when I didn’t know you could use ASL,” he smiled, “You’ve been keeping that secret from me.”

“Was going to suprise you at some point,” Ilya said, “I am not the best. But I am learning.”

“You’re doing better than 99% of my fucking family. Only my parents learned ASL in the end,” he stated. “The rest didn’t care to learn, not even to try and learn fingerspelling. I was always alone as a kid. Mom and Dad tried to get the cousins to play with me, but in the end, I was still alone. They would play games where you would always need your hearing. And like I said, most of the time, I didn’t have my aids in, but back then, they weren’t as strong as they are now. So I could barely hear anyone back then.”

“Children can be cruel,” Ilya said softly, thinking about how his brother had been with him before their mother had passed, and how he was afterward.

“Children follow their parents. And my aunts and uncles were the same. They would talk to me like I was slow, unable to even understand basic things. My aunt tried to cut up my food when I was twelve and had to stay with them for a week. They treated me like I was five and couldn’t do anything for myself. My cousins made fun of me that entire week. I refused to stay with them again.”

“I hate your family,” Ilya growled at how Shane had been treated.

“I hate yours,” Shane snorted, “We’re in the same boat there.”

Ilya nodded as Shane’s alarm began to vibrate across the table. “Your alarm is going,” Ilya stated, a soft sigh on his lips.

Shane snuggled close for a few moments. “I don’t want to go,” he confessed quietly.

“I do not wish you too either, but we have our work to do. I intend to crush you next time,” Ilya said as he brought Shane’s head around so he could look at him and kiss him.

Shane sighed into the kiss as he moved to straddle Ilya.

“Shane,” Ilya warned, “We do not have time to start something.

“Maybe in the shower,” Shane smirked as he got up, “Come on, I need to be clean before I go back to the hotel. Hayden is not going to let me live it down if I come back smelling of sex.”

Ilya laughed as he joined him, squeezing Shane’s firm ass as he passed him.

Shane made it back to the hotel ten minutes before wake up call. Hayden was smirking and already teasing him before the door could even close behind him as he got back to their room.