Chapter Text
Ilya believed he may have won the lottery. As he walked into the same back alley bar he frequents almost daily for the only good Russian vodka in Boston, he laid eyes on the most beautiful human he had ever seen tending the bar. He felt his lips curve upwards at the sight of him.
Shaggy black hair that fell carelessly over his eyebrows but not so far that it covered his beautiful dark eyes. A crumpled white shirt tucked into tight black work pants that looked like they were made with his shape in mind.
Pink, pouty lips that curved into a sharp Cupids bow and, as he got closer towards the boy-
Freckles.
The most perfect constellation of sun kisses that ran over his nose and cheeks.
Ilya knew exactly what needed to be done.
Shane could just about feel his feet. Running off 3 hours of sleep, a black coffee and an old protein bar, he was more than tired. But he needed this job, he really didn't have a choice.
He had been broke all his life. Getting by, sure, but broke. Between college tuition, his share of the rent on the shitty apartment he shared with two guys he didn't know the names of and food, money was tight.
This had never been a huge problem, until 3 days ago. When he got the phone call: his parents in a car accident. Neither had died, thank god, but the injuries were severe and they both needed major surgery and care. Shane had almost passed out when he saw the bill. $75,000.
Shane's card usually declined when he paid for his daily coffee. He already tutored 4 days a week for the younger years at his school and some of his mum's friends' kids. He taught maths and science alongside getting his medicine degree and captaining the McGill hockey team. So yeah, he was fucking exhausted, but how else would he pay off this bill? His parents were bed bound for the foreseeable and they weren't exactly well off anyway.
A low voice pulled him from his thoughts.
“Vodka, please. Neat” the voice said, placing a bill on the table. When Shane spun around, his eyes landed first on the $100 bill, too much money for a glass of vodka.
But when his eyes lifted…
Shane had known he was gay since he was 16 and felt unnecessarily angry at Gabriella in ‘high school musical’. But if he hadn't figured out back then, the man sat across from him definitely would have confirmed it.
The sharp angle of his jaw covered in light stubble, golden curls jelled back to show off his chiselled face and cheekbones. But what he was most drawn to was his eyes.
Bright blue. Piercing as they stared at him and shane felt his mouth water.
“Hello?” the man pressed, and Shane realised he was most definitely staring. He shook his head and grabbed a glass.
“Yes, sorry. First day.” he explained. The man's mouth lifted into a knowing smirk. The kind that said he knew first days didn't cause people to drool over the first hot guy that walked in.
“Ilya” the man spoke again.
“Huh?”
“Ilya, is my name.” he explained.
“Oh, yeah- uhm. Im shane” he said awkwardly, sticking his hand out to which ilya smirked but pitied him, shaking his hand.
The feeling of skin on skin contact with the man sent electricity up his arm.
“You are tired” Ilya observed, it wasn't a question.
“Oh, yeah. I mean, you know how it is. College. And I haven't had time to eat yet.” he supplied unhelpfully.
“You should eat. And sleep.”
“Cant. i really need this job. It's fine, I'll sleep tomorrow.” He definitely wouldn’t sleep tomorrow, but that was nobody's business.
The man just hummed in a way that said he didn't believe him one bit but wouldn't press further.
Shane handed him his glass and the man drank. They didn't speak after that for the rest of his shift until he was walking towards his car to go home. He spotted ilya leaning against a blacked out SUV that was parked right next to his beaten up ford escort that only just gets him where he needs to be.
Ilya was holding a large takeout bag and instantly looked up as he saw Shane, smiling. He held out the bag to shane.
“Here”
“..what's this?”
“Food. you are hungry so i buy this now you dont have to cook.”
And how was he meant to reply to that?
“..but..you dont know me?”
“I know you're hungry. I'm not asking, take the food красавчик.” ilya said, his voice final. Something about the commanding tone made Shane not want to argue.
“Thankyou ilya.” he said nervously, taking the bag.
Ilya nodded and turned on his heels. “Goodnight” he said, without turning around.
Shane didn't even wait to drive home before he ate, he was so hungry. At home he was about to throw the bad away when he saw it. A card. A white business card with cyrilicc letters in gold engraving. He picked it up and turned it over. A number and a message in cursive. the message read:
Call me, Shane.
Shane typed the number into his hone without thinking and saved it under ‘ilya’
What was he doing? He didn't even know the guy's last name.
He didn't know why, something was drawing him towards Ilya.
Maybe it was how unfortunately attractive the guy was, or maybe it was the accent. Or maybe, it was the way he noticed. The way he saw not to push at the bar. Not to talk when he was tired. Noticing he was hungry. Buying him food.
Small moments of attentiveness. It meant a lot.
He sent a text.
I'm going to sleep but know that I found the card.
I'll call you tomorrow.
The reply came in less than a minute.
Goodnight, Shane.
He smiled wide as the text went through. He really fucking hoped shane would text, he just didnt think it would be this quick. Things were going easier than he thought.
“Boss!” Cliff shouted, strolling into his room and throwing himself on the bed. Cliff had been his best friend and partner in crime (like literal crime) since Ilya moved to Boston at 19. That's 7 years of dealing with his behaviour. So Ilya didn't even bat an eye at the intrusion. Instead, he decided, just this once, to be open about his life. Cliff deserved it for once.
“I have news” he declared. The speed that cliff shot up to face him was comical.
“Tell me.”
“I met boy today, oh cliff he was so-” he pressed a hand to his forehead dramatically, “ god he's so perfect. He has freckles, Clifford, freckles!”
His best friend's eyes were shining, he was beaming at the admission. “Please tell me you didn't scare him off” he joked. Though, Cliff knew he tended to come off too much. Ilya knew he would do anything not to scare Shane away.
“He said he would call me in morning, I will not sleep, only wait for call.” he declared. He was so serious, Cliff knew.
“I know you will. Don't mess this up.” he stood up and made his way out of Ilya's room. At the door he turned around, “and check if he's got a friend for me, yeah?” he said, winking.
He saved Shane's number as ‘муж’, giggling.
He didn't sleep that night.
Shane woke up the next morning, already running late. Of course. He had a class at 9 until 11 then he was tutoring for an hour. He had an hour to eat lunch then hockey practice. He would finish the day with a shift at the bar.
He already wanted to die.
He got dressed as fast as he would manage before driving to class. Finding his seat in the back, he finally managed to text Ilya. He'd be lying if he said he didn't think about it all night.
I wanted to call you this morning but of course i wake up late
I literally don't have free time until after my shift.
I'm sorry.
He wasn't surprised to see the reply come immediately, but if it gave him butterflies, that was between him and god.
Is ok, i meet you at bar, text me when you're there.
He sent a thumbs up and turned back to the class.
When 6pm came, he texted ilya he was at the bar and started his shift. Golden curls walked through the door not even ten minutes later. He beamed at the man as he took a seat and rested his chin in his hands, seemingly content to watch shane work.
“Im only working for 2 hours, you dont have to-”
“I'll stay.” ilya declared before he even asked the question. Shane smiled and bit his lip.
“Okay” he whispered softly.
Two hours pass very quickly when you get to stare at a beautiful man cleaning tables the whole time.
It wasn't long before they were both sitting against the hood of Shane's car. Shane was complaining about his busy day and ilya thought he could listen all day. When shane started talking about his two jobs, ilya asked something.
“How come you have started this job?I have not seen you here before.”
Shane went still, he bit his lip, chewing it between his teeth nervously. Ilya hated it, hated being the reason his the boy was so sad.
“I- uhm- my parents” his voice cracked and he turned his head to the side, biting harder on his lip.
“Hey, no, is ok. Look at me.” he spoke softly. Shane looked at him immediately. There were tears in his eyes threatening to fall. Ilya felt his heart break.
He took the boy's hand and held it, smiling softly when Shane's eyes went wider before his shoulders relaxed.
“You're okay дорогой, I'm sorry for making you sad.” he said.
“No!- I mean, no, you didn't do anything. It's okay.” Shane soothed, rubbing his thumb over the back of Ilya's hand. “I want to talk about it, it's just hard.”
“Okay, I understand. I will listen though, yes? No judge.”
Shane giggled at his phrasing and Ilya thought he had never heard a better sound in his life.
He watched as the boy took a deep breath before speaking.
“My parents, a few days ago, they- uh, they got into a car accident” his voice cracked again, the tear that was threatening to drop already rolling down his cheek. Ilya brought a hand up instinctively to wipe it, his heart melting as shane leaned into the touch.
“They are okay,” he continued, “well, not okay, but they aren’t dead, so.”
Ilya stayed quiet and let him continue, all whilst holding his hand.
“But there were major surgeries that they both needed….the bill, as you can imagine, was far to fucking high. I couldn't afford it in my wildest dreams but, you know, I have to, so. Here I am” he smiled sadly, gesturing to the bar.
Ilya didn't know what to say to that, not being able to find the words in English to describe how he wanted to protect this boy from anything like that ever happening again. To never let him know sadness like that again.
“Can I hug you?” is what came out instead.
Shane looked up at him, surprised, before smiling and nodding.
Ilya wasted no time, scooping the boy into his arms. Shane's head fell to his shoulder as he wrapped himself tight around Ilya, not letting go. Ilya wouldn't ever want him to.
After a minute, they let go. Shane sat back down but automatically reached for Ilya's hand. He gave it to him.
“What hospital is it?”
“Mount Auburn, why?”
Ilya grinned inwardly, “curious”
Moments later, he spoke again.
“I have a…proposition.” he blurted, “for you”
Shane looked at him curiously, raising an eyebrow for him to continue.
“Okay, i have more money than i could ever spend, i have houses and cars and land-”
“Geez rub it in a guy's face why dont you” Shane huffed.
“No, listen. I have all these things, but nobody to share it with. And all the time I am lonely, in big nice house thinking ‘I am all alone’. But now I meet you. Beautiful boy with very pretty веснушки, and i know i want to spend time with him” he risked a glance at Shane who was smiling so hard his cheeks probably hurt.
“I want to get to know you, and look after you, and let you quit shitty job and get you new car so you don't have to drive piece of plastic from 1950’s. I want to feed you and get you new clothes and spoil you like you deserve.”
“You don't have to answer now. Think about it, you have my number.” he finished, smiling softly at Shane before squeezing his hand one last time and heading to his own car.
Shane had no idea what to think.
He had never felt so at home then when he let ilya hug him. It felt like falling into bed after a long day. It was perfect. And while getting paid and spoiled to spend time with worlds hottest man really doesn't feel like a punishment, he really didn't know Ilya. He could be a serial killer!
A traitorous voice in the back of his head told him he didn't really have much else to lose if he was.
After panicking for far too long, he sent a text to his only best friend
SOS
Gay panic or serious danger?
bit of both…
Ok im coming.
I've got chocolate and my bat.
I don’t think the bat is needed today
You can never be too sure.
He snorted at Hayden but felt eternally grateful to have the type of best friend that drops everything when he needs him. (not that Hayden had anything going on other than his 70th rewatch of shameless. (he's in love with mickey milcovich and somehow makes that everyone else's problem)
The doorbell went 10 minutes later.
Hayden shoved past him and beelined straight for his bedroom.
“Okay, we're not wasting time, spill.”
So Shane did, in the simplest terms he could find. “A sexy Russian guy asked to be my sugar daddy.”
Hayden's jaw dropped almost comically.
“Oh my gosh! Shane!- wait….why do you not look excited?!”
“Uhhh because it's strange! I barely know him!”
“Okay yes but shane you know this is perfect. What's the worst that could happen? We both know how much you need this right now as well” he pressed with a sad smile at the topic.
“Yes I know, and honestly? Im really fucking tempted to say yes…i was kind of hoping for someone to be responsible and tell me its a bad idea.”
“So why the fuck did you text me?” he teased and Shane snorted.
“No, I know. I realise my mistake now. But you brought chocolate, so.”
“Ah yes, using me as always.”
Later that night, after Hayden had gone home, Shane received an email from Mimi, the doctor his parents were being cared for by. He hurried to open it, hoping to not have even more bad news.
The email read:
Dear shane hollander,
Thank you for clearing your outstanding payment of $75,000 so quickly.
And on behalf of the medical staff here at mount auburn, we thank you ever so much for your generous donation of $25,000. We will continue to look after your family to the best of our abilities but we can assure you that both Mr and Mrs Hollander are making speedy recoveries.
All the best, mimi.
Shane didn't realise the tears were falling until he finished reading.
There was no fucking way.
Shane only knew one person with the funds to make something like that happen.
9am, tomorrow. Be here. I have a decision.
Yes, sir.