Bax’s Reviews > The Long Game > Status Update

“What if they’d never met?
But they had, and they were perfect for each other in a way that probably only they would ever understand. Their relationship wasn’t easy, but it existed. They’d made it happen, against all odds, and they’d protected it.”

I don’t understand either lol it’s true, only they understand each other

“Aren’t we both concerned about that?”
Ilya didn’t answer, and Shane felt like he was missing something important. “We can talk about it if you—”
“No,” Ilya grumbled. “Is nothing.”
“Okay.” It wasn’t the first time Ilya had seemed randomly upset about something he refused to talk about. Shane worried, sometimes, that there were a lot of things Ilya wasn’t telling him.

SEEEE Shane cared alot

“Would you show me off?” Shane asked quietly.
He could feel the heat of Ilya’s gaze even without looking. “I would never stop showing you off,” Ilya said. “If I could.”

“He took a sideways step so his hip brushed against Ilya’s, then placed a hand on the small of his back. It wasn’t much, but Ilya’s whole body relaxed as he leaned back into the touch. He glanced down at Shane and gave him a small, grateful smile.”

I cannot stay mad at Shane because of this

Shane flinched, and stared at him with wide, questioning eyes.
“What?” he asked.
Kiss me, Ilya wanted to say. Kiss me and hold me in front of all these people. Pull me onstage and do it. I don’t care anymore. Please. I’m dying.
“Nothing,” Ilya said, and stepped away. “Nothing.”

Stopppp Ilya is always dying since HR too 😔

“Sometimes Ilya was so starved for touch he felt like screaming. He felt it most when Shane was close, like he was now, but off-limits.”

“Why is it a secret? You wouldn’t be the only gay hockey players. Or queer. Sorry, I shouldn’t assume.”
“I am bisexual,” Ilya said, nodding. “Shane is super gay.”
“I’m regular gay,” Shane argued.

I love Shane, but he could be exhausting sometimes. And that's coming from me. I'm sure people find me exhausting too. We're almost similar lmao

“So it’s not a super-long-distance relationship,” Fabian observed.
Shane squirmed because this was the first time anyone at the table had directly acknowledged the fact that Ilya and Shane were a couple. “It’s, um. It’s not a huge distance, but—”
“Feels farther,” Ilya said. “We are so busy, during the season. Not much time together.”

Oh Ilya

“J.J. isn’t my mom.”
“No,” Yuna said. “Your mom is the one making dinner at the end of a long day while you sit on your butt and mope. Come help.”
“I’m helping,” Ilya couldn’t resist pointing out.
“I know you are.” Yuna patted his cheek. “That’s why you’re my favorite son.”

“Shane—”
“No. Shut up. If you really don’t get that I’m not going to leave you for the first cute guy who smiles at me, then I don’t know what we’re even doing, Ilya.”
“I’m sorry,” Ilya said, because suddenly he really was. “Was a weird day. I was maybe just...” He sighed. “I’m sorry.”
Shane rested a hand on Ilya’s chest. “I’m yours. You know that.”