Work Text:
October
Ilia stood on the sidewalk a few blocks from her and Shane's apartment, waiting for Andrei to finish sniffing at a tree.
They'd gone on a nice walk to and around the park close by and were heading back so Andrei could eat dinner.
Ilia looked up at the dark sky, the moon hanging nearly full against a dark backdrop. It was too bright in Montreal to see the stars but that was okay.
It was cold, fall officially settling in, and Ilia sniffed, her nose running. She had never lived anywhere warm so the cold didn't really bother her all that much but she liked the idea of getting home to feel Shane's warm hands on her face.
"Come on, little boy," she said, in Russian to Andrei, gently tugging him along. He trotted along by her side as they walked back to their apartment building.
The PWHL season was right around the corner. Games were set to start in November and Ilia was looking forward to it. The League had expanded and it was exciting to know that they were so popular, though it was unsurprising.
Everyone watched women's sports.
Ilia and Andrei headed up to the apartment, the building warm and comfortable after being outside in the cold for forty minutes.
She pulled her keys from her pocket, unhooking Andrei's leash so he could run to their door, standing in front of it. He waited for her and she smiled, petting the top of his soft head.
"Good boy."
She unlocked the door and the dog ran inside. Ilia closed the door and watched Andrei greet Shane, who was in the living room folding laundry. Ilia chuckled, the sight making her heart all warm and gooey.
"Hello, good boy! Did you have a nice walk with your Mama?"
"We did," Ilia hummed softly, taking off her boots, hanging up her jacket, and stuffing her toque and gloves into the pockets.
"Yeah?" Shane asked, looking up from petting the dog.
Shane's hair was up, revealing her undercut, a few pieces of her dark hair falling artfully around her face. She looked cozy in a pair of black leggings, a navy blue crew neck sweatshirt, and pink fluffy socks.
Ilia smiled and nodding, coming over to wrap her arms around her wife, pulling her close.
"We did."
Shane smiled up at her, reaching up to rest her warm palms on Ilia's face, and Ilia made a happy sound at the feeling.
"You're cold," Shane murmured.
"Is cold out."
Shane chuckled and Ilia leaned down to kiss her. She loved kissing Shane. She loved how familiar this was, how easy it was to have. Something so simple but it was one of her favorite things.
"I have to feed the dog," she murmured against Shane's mouth and Shane sighed.
"If you must."
Ilia smiled, kissing the tip of her adorable freckled nose.
"I will be back."
"Okay," Shane hummed, giving Ilia a little squeeze, before Ilia pulled away and went to the kitchen, Andrei pitter-pattering across the wood floor, following after her to the kitchen.
"Are you hungry, sweet boy?"
Ilia prepared Andrei's food, setting his bowl down when she was done.
"Wait," she said, holding up a finger. He waited.
"Okay."
Andrei shifted forward to start gobbling up his dinner and Ilia smiled. "Good boy."
The dog taken care of, she want back to the living room, where Shane had gone back to folding laundry.
"Do you need help?" she asked.
Shane shrugged. "If you like. You can put something on. I wouldn't mind some background noise."
Ilia smiled and picked up the remote, flopping onto the couch. She found a show and put it on, getting up from the couch to help her wife finish folding.
It was a quiet, domestic evening, which Ilia knew Shane was enjoying before the chaos of the season set in. There would be a lot less time and energy for moments like this, so they needed to soak it up while they could.
Once clothes were folded, they put everything away together, and then went back to the couch, curling up under a throw blanket.
Shane flipped around the channels, finding a hockey game, while Ilia scrolled on her phone. They had practices coming up and they'd been making more plans with teammates as they had come back into town from visiting family or traveling during the off-season.
Ilia didn't worry so much about her time with Shane since they lived and worked together but she knew it would be busier and they would have less time for just the two of them.
She was looking forward to seeing her teammates but she also wanted to enjoy this time with Shane for as long as she could.
Ilia smiled as Shane snuggled against her, apparently content with the game on, her head resting on Ilia's chest. Ilia kissed the top of her head, fingers smoothing absently up and down Shane's back, continuing to scroll with one hand.
Ilia paused her scrolling as she came across what was undoubtedly an advertisement for a newly renovated roller rink. She scrolled through the pictures, looking at some fun, professional photographs of the space, people roller skating on a round, wooden rink.
She clicked on the link to the rink and was brought to a brightly colored webpage. She smiled, reading about the rink and what it offered.
There was a little food court kind of area, an arcade, rental skates, the wooden rink, and the option to have parties there.
She went to the page that talked about pricing and it wasn't too bad. It was $15 for access to the rink and $20 for access plus skate rentals.
"Moya lyubimaya," Ilia murmured, kissing into Shane's hair again, gently scratching her fingers into her scalp to get her attention.
"Mm?" Shane replied, sounding like maybe she'd been drifting off to sleep. The game was Toronto vs. New York, so she wouldn't be particularly invested, and had apparently she'd dozed off.
Ilia chuckled fondly.
"What do you think about a roller rink date?"
"A wha—?" Shane shifted her head to look up at Ilia, her eyes all sleepy. "Did you say roller rink?"
"Yes," Ilia replied warmly, buffing a finger against Shane's cheek.
"You wanna go on a date to a roller rink?"
"Yes," Ilia giggled, amused by Shane's brain attempting to process everything. She was so adorable when she was sleepy.
Shane blinked at her. "I mean… yeah. If you want to."
"I do!" Ilia exclaimed. "Could be fun!"
Shane chuckled, shifting slightly to press an off-center kiss to Ilia's chin.
"Sure. We can do that, babe."
Ilia smiled and wiggled happily against the couch, making Shane laugh.
"I will buy tickets for this weekend."
"Sure. Okay. Whatever you wanna do."
Ilia chuckled, wrapping both arms around Shane, turning more fully onto her back so Shane could just lay on top of her. She made a happy noise, snuggling down, as Ilia looked at her phone over the top of Shane's head.
She bought them tickets for that weekend, then went to look at dinner reservations at spots nearby, pressing intermittent kisses into Shane's hair as she dozed.
"We can go to sleep, beloved," Ilia murmured once she'd finished with her weekend planning.
"Hm?"
Ilia chuckled, cuddling her sleepy wife close.
"Bedtime," she murmured, in Russian.
Shane yawned and nodded, humming as she was hugged and squeezed. Ilia let her go and watched her fondly as she got up, stretching, her sweatshirt riding up a bit to reveal a sliver of firm stomach that Ilia wanted to kiss.
She turned off the TV and got off the couch, giving Andrei some love, before following after Shane into their bedroom.
She was already in the bathroom, starting her very long dental hygiene routine, so Ilia got changed, joining her wife in the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.
She finished before Shane and slipped into bed, waiting.
Shane finally emerged from the bathroom and Ilia placed her phone down, holding her arms out. Shane smiled, trudging over, and flopping down onto their bed, rolling over into Ilia's arms.
"Tired?"
"Yeah."
"Sleep then."
Shane sighed and nodded, tilting her head up. Ilia kissed her, tender and sweet. There was no need to rush. They still had to enjoy all of this time together without a schedule.
Shane shifted away to cuddle under the comforter and snuggled back against Ilia.
"I'm sorry I'm so beat," she sighed.
"Is okay," Ilia soothed, spooning up against Shane's back, tossing an arm over her. She kissed the back of Shane's neck.
She was looking forward to their date. It would be silly and fun, her favorite things, especially when she and Shane were together.
***
The next morning, Ilia found herself being kissed awake.
She hummed and smiled sleepily, stretching out, and listening to Shane huff a fond laugh.
Ilia rubbed at her eyes, blinking them open to look up at her wife. She was all sleep rumbled and adorable, her hair a mess, smiling down at Ilia, looking like an absolute angel.
"Good morning," Ilia sighed, reaching up to tuck loose tendrils of hair behind Shane's ear.
"Morning."
Ilia made a happy noise, smiling back at Shane, cupping her cheeks.
"May I kiss you? Or do I have to brush my teeth?"
Shane rolled her eyes and Ilia chuckled. To Ilia's pleasant surprise, Shane leaned down and kissed her. Shane usually preferred brushed teeth before making out but she'd loosened up a little over the years. Ilia certainly wasn't complaining. She loved when Shane surprised her.
She slid her hands into her wife's messy hair, kissing Shane back happily, tugging her close.
Ilia could remember a time when this was something rare and precious, when she and Shane would be together after months, sometimes years, apart. Just holding her had felt like such a gift, like water after a drought.
Now, since living together, Ilia felt so much gratitude for the time she and Shane had together. They were no less precious to her as they had been in the past, but the desperation and sadness that often accompanied their time together when they were long distance had been replaced with appreciation and peace.
Ilia would never take these moments with Shane for granted but she was relieved to no longer be left wanting and yearning.
Shae sighed, pulling Ilia back to the present, Shane's hands restless, trying to touch Ilia all at once.
Ilia flipped their positions, rolling Shane onto her back, humming warmly as Shane opened her legs, allowing Ilia to settle between them.
They kissed for a while, just enjoying a good ol' fashioned make out session; hands in hair, occasionally roaming, Shane's legs wrapping around Ilia to keep her close.
Ilia nipped at Shane's bottom lip as she broke the kiss, kissing over his cheek, down to her jaw, her neck, sucking very lightly on her skin, down to her clavicle. She moved back a bit to shift her hands under Shane's shirt, glancing up at her, and grinning as she pushed Shane's shirt up.
Shane bit her lip, her cheeks flushed, her hands resting back against the pillow under her head. She looked so pretty like that, all mussed up, thoroughly kissed, the sun peeking through the curtains, painting her in a soft glow.
"Gorgeous, kóshechka," Ilia purred, dipping her head to start pressing a trail of kisses down Shane's sternum.
Shane sighed, her hands running into Ilia's curls, scrunching them up in her fingers.
"Not so bad yourself," she murmured, making Ilia hum fondly.
Ilia took her time, she was in no rush. It was nice to go slow and indulge like this.
Ilia lifted her eyes to look at Shane, smiling softly at her, finding Shane watching, her eyes half-lidded, lips kiss-swollen and parted, cheeks flushed.
She shifted a hand down to brush her thumb over a nipple, her eyes locked with Shane's as she ran her tongue over the other.
"God, Ilia…"
Ilia smiled to herself, sucking lightly on the nipple under her lips, using her thumb and forefinger to tease the other.
She spent an excessive amount of time here because she knew how worked up Shane would get and because Ilia enjoyed it. Shane had adorable tits and Ilia was happy to give them all the attention that they deserved.
She switched sides, listening to Shane pant and whine, body arching against Ilia's.
"Are you gonna— ah!— keep torturing me?"
"Maybe…" Ilia chuckled, pressing a kiss to Shane's sternum.
Shane whined unhappily and Ilia laughed, using her tongue to lick and suck at Shane's nipples a little more, before moving on.
She shifted down Shane's body, kissing down her stomach, to her hips, before shifting slightly to get Shane's legs over her shoulders.
Ilia curled her hands around Shane's thighs, fingers stroking over her quads teasingly, before she turned her attention to the insides of Shane's thighs. She felt her wife quiver under her, one hand tangled in Ilia's curls, the other fisted in their sheets.
"Ilia," she huffed and Ilia giggled, sucking a mark into Shane's thigh, making her whimper. Shane had incredible thighs, strong and muscular, and they deserved to be worshipped.
"Patience, my beloved," Ilia said in Russian, licking over the mark.
She gave Shane's other thigh the same focus, leaving a mark there, too, before turning her attention to Shane's pussy.
Shane was always so wet, so eager, and Ilia really did love working her up, finally giving her what she wanted.
Ilia pressed her mouth to Shane's wet folds through her underwear, listening to her gasp, and moan. She went slow, pressing kisses all over, before tugging Shane's underwear to the side.
Ilia rested her lips very lightly against Shane's clit and Shane made a helpless noise.
"Fuck, Ilia. God."
Ilia smiled and hummed, Shane's legs falling open a little more as Ilya pressed her tongue to her clit.
Shane moaned louder, fingers tightening in Ilia's hair, and Ilia teased her with light circles of her tongue, before sucking gently on the bundle of nerves, listening as Shane slowly lost her mind.
"Fucking hell. So good. Don't stop."
Ilia had no intention of stopping, she went back to circling with her tongue, adding a little more pressure, switching to sliding her flat tongue over her clit, feeling the way Shane pressed against her mouth.
Ilia curled her hands around Shane's hips, smiling as she worked her mouth over Shane, knowing that she was going to come. She could feel the way her body moved, chasing her pleasure.
"Holy shit. Yes. Ilia, fuck, I'm gonna come, I'm gonna come, ah—!"
Ilia pressed her fingers to Shane's thighs, feeling the way she pulsed under her tongue, moaning long and loud into their bedroom. She pulled away slowly, looking up at Shane, her body lax, breathing hard.
Ilia kissed her groin gently, sliding her legs from her shoulders, and sat up, smiling down at her blissed out wife.
Shane took a deep breath and let it out slow, opening her eyes, and reached out. Ilia went, laying on her side, and letting Shane press against her, tucked close.
"God that was fucking amazing…"
Ilia laughed warmly, turning her head down to press her face into Shane's hair. Shane sighed, lifting her head to look at Ilia, brushing wayward curls out of her face, and cupping her cheek.
"I love you," she said, her thumb stroking along Ilia's cheekbone.
"I love you, too."
Shane smiled, sweet and soft, and kissed Ilia tenderly on the mouth.
"Your turn?" she asked when they parted.
Ilia hummed, laying on her back, hands behind her head. "If you want."
Shane shook her head and rolled her eyes, straddling Ilia, and tugging up her shirt.
"You gonna make me work for it?" Shane asked.
Ilia smirked at her, sitting up, and raising her arms above her head, saying nothing.
Shane made a face, before lifting Ilia's shirt off, tossing it aside, cupping Ilia's face in her warm hands, and kissing her again.
Ilia wrapped her arms around Shane, holding her close, pressing up against her. They kissed for a bit, before Shane pushed Ilia back onto her back.
"You're so beautiful," Shane sighed.
"Tell me," Ilia hummed, stretching her arms above her head, putting herself on display, watching the way Shane's eyes trailed over her body appreciatively.
"What can I even say? I love your curls and your mouth," she sighed, reaching up to gently run her fingers down Ilia's lips. Ilia kissed at the pads of her fingers, sighing softly as Shane dragged her hand down her neck, to her chest.
"Your perfect tits," she let her fingertips glide down Ilia's body, to her chest, teasing her nipples between thumbs and forefingers, playing with the barbell piercing in one. Ilia closed her eyes, sighing, biting her bottom lip.
Shane paused here to tease Ilia's nipples until they were hard and sensitive. Ilia loved when Shane was like this, giving her this sweet, soft attention. It always felt like such a gift to have and knowing that she was so loved.
"I love your legs," Shane continued, running her fingertips over Ilia's thighs as she kissed down her stomach. She sat back, tugging down Ilia's underwear, and Ilia lifted her hips to make it easier.
"I love how strong you are." Shane shifted Ilia's legs over her shoulders, making herself comfortable between Ilia's thighs.
She looked so good like that, a little coquettish, her hair all messy, a smile bunching up her eyes and nose and freckles.
She really was so lovely and Ilia couldn't quite believe that Shane was hers.
"And I love making you feel good," she hummed, her eyes set on Ilia's as she licked her pussy from top to bottom.
"Shane," Ilia breathed, one hand pressing to their headboard, the other fisting in Shane's hair as she went down on Ilia.
Ilia could remember when Shane had been new at this, when she'd had to guide her through the experience. Now, she was confident and sure, knowing exactly what Ilia liked, and how to bring her over the edge.
It didn't take long either, especially when Shane lifted one arm up to tease one of Ilia's nipples.
"Don't stop. Oh fuck. Shane."
Ilia came hard under Shane's tongue, body tense and spasming, pleasure rushing through her. It was always so fucking good when they were together.
Shane hummed happily, letting Ilia's legs slide from her shoulders, pressing gentle kisses to her stomach, before laying next to her.
They curled up together, blissful and sleepy and happy.
It was nice to get all cuddled up and just bask for a bit before Andrei started whining.
"I guess we should take him out," Shane sighed.
Ilia chuckled. "Yes."
She kissed Shane tenderly and smiled at her. Shane smiled back, rubbing their noses.
"Let's go."
***
The day went about the same as it did every day that they were home before the season started.
Shane wasn't complaining, she loved a routine, and she loved being able to enjoy all the time without an agenda with Ilia.
Once the season started, they would be busy, and tired, with a lot of traveling. It was nice to have this time together before they had to step back into their professional personas.
They'd taken Andrei for his walk, fed him breakfast, and made coffee and breakfast for themselves. They cuddled together on the couch with the dog, SportsNet on, talking about the rest of their day.
They had a few admin things to do; promotional stuff for Montreal's social media team and then dinner and rollerblading.
Shane couldn't remember the last time she'd roller bladed. She wasn't sure why Ilia wanted to go so badly but Shane wasn't against it. She imagined it would be a fun time for them both; something silly to do together.
Shane liked going on dates with Ilia. She felt a little like they were making up for lost time. There had been so many years where they hadn't been able to be together like a "real" couple and Shane was glad that they had the time now.
She wanted to enjoy every moment of it with her wife, wanting her to feel loved and adored, and this seemed like a small way to make that happen.
They showered and changed, doing make up and hair before they went out to do the promotional things for the Victoire's social media accounts.
They took Andrei with them, heading out to a local park. They met up with the social media manager there who filmed them with the dog, asking who was more likely to like or do certain things; Ilia, Shane, or Andrei.
It was a fun, silly video, and they reminded everyone to be sure to tune in and watch the team when the PWHL season started in November.
They walked around the park a bit before heading home, picking up lunch along the way at a local cafe, and then back home to do a little more work.
"What should I wear tonight?" Shane asked.
"Something comfortable," Ilia replied.
She was looking through their closet, considering different shirt options.
"Hm. Maybe this?" She pulled a shirt out and held it up, as if measuring it against Shane, before nodding her approval. "Yes. With those jeans."
Shane took the shirt, laughing. "Okay."
She took off her current shirt and changed into the one Ilia passed her. The shirt had longer sleeves that rested just above her elbow and fell right above her hips.
Ilia looked at her and nodded her head again. "Yes! Good!"
Then she dove back into their closet.
She came back later with a shirt and a pair of light was jeans. Shane sat on their bed, watching her wife change.
The jeans fit her perfectly and the t-shirt was oversized so she tied it into a knot in the front. She placed her hands on her hips and posed, smiling widely at Shane.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"You look great," Shane replied, meaning it. But Ilia could wear a paper bag and Shane would think she looked great.
Ilia giggled. "Thank you, moya lyubimaya."
She hinged at the waist and Shane tilted her head up a little to kiss her.
"You ready?"
Ilia nodded and Shane stood up, kissing her again.
"Let's go."
They grabbed their shoes, said goodbye to the dog, and were out the door.
It was chilly and a little windy as they walked to the Metro. It was nice to be out though, Shane's arm threaded through Ilia's, both sets of hands stuffed into pockets.
They were on the Metro for about twenty minutes before getting off a block from the restaurant Ilia had made their reservation at.
It was a fairly casual spot that did pizza, pastas, and natural wines.
They sat at a high top table by the window and Shane glanced out onto the street, watching the people as they walked by.
"Are you excited for this season?" she asked, turning back to Ilia.
"Of course. Always. Especially with the Seattle and Vancouver teams!"
Shane smiled, nodding her agreement. "Yeah. That'll be fun. I'm not looking forward to the jet lag but it's cool how much the League has expanded in such a short amount of time."
"Yes." Ilia chuckled. "Will be nice with all the fans."
"It will." Shane sighed, glancing out the window again, then back at Ilia. "I'm a little nervous."
"Nervous?" Ilia asked, picking up her glass of wine. "Why?"
She took a sip, looking at Shane over the rim, and Shane felt her cheeks go warm.
"Well… because we're married. I don't know how everyone is gonna be. I want us to be, like, professional."
Ilia raised an elegant eyebrow as she placed her glass down. "You do not think we will be professional?"
"No. I know we will. I just, I don't know. I'm worried about what other people will think."
Ilia looked at her a moment before reached out for Shane's hand. Shane slid hers across the table, resting her fingers in Ilia's. Ilia smiled softly at her, her thumb brushing back and forth over Shane's knuckles.
"You worry too much about other people," Ilia murmured gently.
"I know. I can't help it. I just don't want anyone to think differently…"
"They will. And so what? We are still us. Just married. Nothing else will change but we cannot control what other people think. Our team and coaches and staff support us and we are together. Will be okay."
Shane nodded. She knew that Ilia was right. It was just hard to drown out the noise sometimes.
Ilia leaned in closer and Shane did, too, like she was being pulled in by a magnet.
"No one else matters," she said warmly, bringing Shane's hand to her face, kissing the back of it. "I love you. Will be fine."
Shane's heart fluttered and she smiled as Ilia looked at her. "You're right. I love you, too."
Ilia smiled, releasing Shane's hand, and picked up her wine glass again. Shane did the same and they clinked their glasses together.
"Thank you," Shane said and Ilia winked at her.
Their food arrived and they split the salad, pasta, and arancini they had ordered. They decided to pass on dessert simply because they wanted to be sure they made it to their reservation at the roller rink.
They paid for dinner and were on their way.
Shane wasn't sure what to expect when they arrived at the rink.
It was fairly crowded and surprisingly modern for something that seemed so… retro.
Ilia seemed very excited, looking around and smiling and doing the little bouncy thing she did sometimes when she was really happy about something. It was so endearing and Shane loved her so much.
They went to the front desk and checked in, directed to pick up their skates, and told how the rink worked.
For the time that they were there, about an hour, they had free access to the rink and dining area.
There were little lockers to keep their things, which was nice. They slid their phones and wallets into their pockets and went out to put on their skates after making sure that their things were packed away into the locker.
Pop music was playing and the rink had a disco ball hanging above it, accompanied by multicolored lights like you'd find at a club.
Shane put on her skates, lacing them up, while Ilia did the same next to her. Shane stood up, looking at Ilia as she finished lacing her own skates.
"Okay," Ilia hummed, standing. "Ready?"
Shane nodded and went to make her way to the rink, nearly losing her balance. Ilia's hand shot out to catch her but Shane managed to rebalance herself. After years being on the ice, she was pretty good at course correcting and catching herself but the roller skates weren't really anything like ice skates.
"Okay?" Ilia asked.
Shane nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine."
After a moment, she and Ilia shuffled along until they were able to get onto the rink. People around them skated in circles with a few people in the center of the rink, directly under the disco ball, doing all kinds of tricks.
Shane had no idea what they were doing, but it all looked very intense; spinning, skating on one leg with the other outstretched, a kind of moon-walk type move.
"Wow! Look!" Ilia said excitedly, pointing as she and Shane started moving with the crowd. She turned to Shane, looking so bright and beautiful and happy, hands tapping together in small, excited clapping.
Shane smiled back at her, loving seeing her wife all bright and shiny like this. She was so fucking sweet.
"I know, I—" Shane went to say before completely losing her balance and falling on her ass.
"Oh!" Ilia exclaimed. "Shane!"
"I'm fine," Shane said, getting to her feet, though she was embarrassingly unsteady. What the fuck? She was an Olympian skater, a professional, rollerblading shouldn't be this difficult.
Should it?
"Jesus," Shane muttered, looking at Ilia. She was smiling at Shane, trying to look sympathetic, but Shane could tell that she was trying not to laugh.
"Shut up."
Ilia started giggling and Shane huffed at her.
"Sorry, sorry."
They kept going around, with Shane nearly losing her balance a few more times, before she finally got the hang of things.
"How is this so easy for you?" she asked as Ilia skated backwards in front of her.
"I don't know." Ilia shrugged casually. "I skate for a living so…"
Shane rolled her eyes and Ilia laughed.
Ilia could be so annoying sometimes but Shane had to admit that she looked really good though. Her outfit was casual but flattering and Shane always loved how graceful Ilia was, no matter what she was doing, but especially when she was skating.
Shane supposed that roller skating wasn't all that different.
"Here," Ilia hummed, holding out a perfectly manicured hand, her engagement rink sparkling every time a strobe light it.
Shane smiled at her, taking her hands, and letting Ilia lead her around the rink. They laughed and talked. Ilia attempted a few of the tricks that some of the other skaters had been doing, falling a few times, but managing a couple.
Shane tried as well, though she knew she looked far less elegant, her face all hot from falling on her ass so many times. But she managed a few things.
"Wow!" Ilia laughed, clapping her hands. "Not bad!"
"Fuck off," Shane laughed in reply.
"Why was that so hard?" Shane asked when they'd taken a break from skating for a bit. Ilia had gotten them a coke and ginger ale, and was sipping her coke.
Ilia shrugged. "Maybe because there are wheels? Not blades?"
"Maybe," Shane sighed, sipping her ginger ale. She was determined now. She was going to do this and not fall over. Maybe she'd even manage a few more tricks.
Shane narrowed her eyes as she looked at the rink, visualizing her success. Ilia laughed beside her, as if reading her mind, and Shane bumped up against her, which only made Ilia laugh harder.
They finished their drinks and Shane disposed of their cans before they went back out onto the rink, hand in hand.
This time was better. They made it around the rink without an problems and it was fun to try and do different tricks, talking to some of the more experienced roller skaters and getting some tips.
They were recognized, which wasn't surprising, and a small group had gathered around them, all excited. They took some selfies and signed some autographs, happy to plug the team and encouraging people to buy tickets to their home games.
It wasn't too bad overall, not overwhelming or crazy. They finished their skating, finishing up their session, and went to return their skates and grab their gear from their locker.
They left the rink in good moods, Shane threading her arm through Ilia's.
"That was fun," she said as she and Ilia headed back to the Metro.
"It was," Ilia agreed, pressing a kiss to Shane's toque covered head.
By the time they got back home, Shane was a little sore, and excited to curl up in bed with Ilia for some cuddles because she was cold… and just wanted some snuggle time.
"Thank you for doing this with me," Ilia said, taking Shane's hands as they stood in their kitchen.
"Of course," Shane replied, smiling warmly at her wife. She chuckled softly as Ilia wrapped Shane's arms around her and Shane moved closer to hold her, leaning up for a kiss.
"I love you," she murmured.
"I love you, too," Ilia murmured back.
Shane rubbed their noses together, so grateful for the life they shared, and being able to have these moments with Ilia. It was her favorite thing in the world.
FIN