Chapter Text
Ilya loves Shane’s dad.
He absolutely adores the man. For all he teased Shane for how boring he was and in turn his father was, he absolutely loves it.
Shane and Yuna were relaxing in Ottawa, it’s the summer between seasons, and it’s a year after they’ve gotten married. David wasn’t kidding when he said that with Ilya in his life now, he was blessed with another son, and he was going through with that promise with a father-son trip.
“Since you have a good portion of the summer off, I was wondering if you wanted to go on a trip with this old man,” David had asked over brunch one day. “I’ve always wanted to go through Boston again, I haven’t been there for an extensive time since college.” Shane was trying to hide a smile as Ilya looked up mid-bite. Yuna was looking at Ilya with such softness it ached.
“Me and Shane?”
“Just you, if you were okay with that,” David continues.
“Shane is required to stay in Ottawa to help me with some of these photoshoot plans for the both of you,” Yuna explains. Shane squeezes Ilya’s hand under the table.
“No pressure, son. I just thought it’d be fun to take you through the city. I didn’t think you’d get to do all the tourist-y things with your schedule.”
And he was right, because Ilya wasn’t really doing the American tourist-y things that families did. He was… at bars, because there were so many, and the occasional club when they had a good night.
Ilya swallowed, because he was truly touched at the offer. He was tearing up a little, he knew, because Shane was squeezing his hand in pulses to ground him. He gave the Hollanders a watery smile.
“Yes. Of course. I would love to go with you.”
So, that was how they found themselves at the Logan International Airport, waiting for the Silverline to take them to their hotel.
“Their public transit is so old here,” David says. “At least, it’s the oldest one in America, I think. Your country is much older than the U.S., though, I’m sure.”
Ilya nods, hands holding his little suitcase. He smiles at David, and watches as the cars go by.
They make it to the hotel, a very beautiful, very modern hotel downtown, and David lets out a long, old-man sigh as he sits down.
“It’s nice to relax after traveling all day.” He looks over at Ilya, smiling. “We can go out to travel tomorrow. I like the museums here.”
Boring, Ilya thinks giddily. He’s positively thrilled by it all. It feels like he's a kid in one of those vacation movies he sees in American films and he’s kind of obsessed with it.
“Thank you, David,” Ilya says sincerely.
“Of course, Ilya. Now, if you want to order take out, choose anything you want. I just need a little nap.”
Ilya looks at the brochures that were left in the drawer and looks for some chicken parmesan nearby.
On their first full day, they walk through the Boston Public Garden and the Boston Common. Ilya smoked more than a cigarette or two on a couple of these benches. He’s smoked a few joints here, too, with his teammates. He hadn’t really made time to walk through it in the light.
“You know, they filmed Good Will Hunting here,” David says, pointing to a specific bench. Ilya frowns a little bit in confusion. “It’s a movie from the ‘90’s. I think you and Shane were really young when it came out.”
“Has he watched it?”
“Not sure. I’ve seen it many times.”
“Is it sad?” David makes a face that is very similar to an expression that Shane has made which confirms that yes, it is sad. “I will try to watch it one day.” And David looks absolutely pleased by this, and they walk through the garden.
Ilya buys them matching Boston Red Sox hats from a vendor in the Common. David grumbles a little bit good-naturedly. “Can’t believe I’ll be repping Boston in any capacity. It’s a betrayal to my blood.” Ilya laughs, and for all David’s grumbling about giving money to any Boston sports team, he takes a selfie and sends it to the Hollander-Rozanov family group chat. While David is replying to Yuna’s cooing, Ilya observes the area.
“Everything is very small here, I almost forgot,” Ilya said. “It is fast to walk around.”
“Walkable cities, huh?”
“Yes. I never realized.” They’re making their way past the Boston Public Market, having walked past several old graveyards and a couple churches. They made their way through the North End, having picked up some cannolis and baked goods at a bakery called Bova’s. The North End is highly populated by Italian-Americans with very strong Boston accents, a little harsh and brash and funny in their own way.
Now that they’ve made their way through the North End with their baked goods, they walk to Faneuil Hall. He likes the little marketplace that is indoors, it is very fun and David is clearly overjoyed. He gets himself some clam chowder while there.
“It’s customary, Ilya! They’re known for it here!” David says. Like this, he sounds so much like Shane. Or Shane sounds so much like his father, and it truly does warm Ilya’s heart.
“I should get something for Shane,” he says. They stop by one of the many gift shops and look through to see what souvenirs they can get Yuna and Shane. Ilya sees a stupid little stuffed lobster. He gets a chew toy for Anya, and then spots something in the corner of his eye.
A boot-leg shirt with his face all over it, in a Boston gift shop, in the sale section because it’s been years and yet they still have some lingering. On the back, it says, “Rowdy for Rozanov”. He cackles at the thought of Shane’s face when he sees it, but he knows that he’ll wear it regardless. He immediately buys it for his husband.
“How’s the trip with Dad?” Shane asks over FaceTime while David is taking a shower. They had a very nice dinner in the North End with some beers, and are now back at the hotel getting ready for bed.
“I’m having a lot of fun,” Ilya says earnestly.
“He’s not too boring for you?”
“How could you say that about your father?” Ilya asks, feigning offense and putting a hand on his heart. Shane rolls his eyes, adjusts his glasses. “Are you having fun planning photoshoots?”
Shane groans a little bit. “It’s just tedious work. Lots of spreadsheets.”
“You are Yuna’s son.”
“I saw the matching hats. You guys look cute.” Ilya smiles at that.
“I also got you something too.”
“With my father there?” Shane asks incredulously.
“It is not a sex thing, Hollander. Relax.” Shane sighs. “But I know your mind is… dirty. What is the expression? ‘In the gutter’. That is where your brain is.”
“I miss you,” Shane grumbles.
“Show me how much. I have my headphones on and your dad is in shower. Let me see how much you miss me.”
It doesn’t take much convincing to get Shane to put on a show for him.
Morning comes and David is up and ready to go. Ilya takes a little longer to get ready, still shaking the sleep from his eyes, but David has an itinerary for places they need to hit.
He’s ready to go in a few minutes and they’re walking along some street.
“Ah! This is the oldest subway in North America,” David says, pointing to the train stop. “We’ll have to get on it to go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.”
“You told me about this one, yes?” Ilya says. It’s hot and humid here, and the sun is shining very bright. He adjusts his sunglasses. The light catches on his wedding ring and he smiles. “This is the one with the stolen artwork. They left the frames up.”
“Yes! Let’s go. We can walk around the North End at night. It’s all on the Green line train.” Ilya hums, and they go down into the train station.
Like David said, Russia is much older than America. America’s architecture is different, a mix of many things, of many cultures and people. It is interesting in that way, and different from what he is used to.
David talks idly about the city, looking at his paper map. He points at different places that Ilya tries very hard to remember.
“Is there any place you recommend?” David asks. “I must be talking your ear off. Don’t want you to get bored of museums and parks.”
“I am not bored,” Ilya says immediately. He looks at the map seriously. “The food here is good. I liked this restaurant in Chinatown. My teammates had me try heated pot restaurant here.” David laughs a little and gives Ilya a hearty pat on his back.
“Hotpot?”
“Yes. We ate so much I thought I would explode. Very good food.”
“Well, maybe we’ll go tonight.” Ilya smiles again, and he is filled with so much warmth he thinks he could set the train on fire.
They get to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum with little to no incident. The train screeches to a halt at almost every stop, and Ilya chuckles to himself at that. It’s so old and yet they still haven’t fixed the train system. He finds it funny.
The museum, though, is breathtaking. David generously buys tickets for them both, and they go up the steps. It isn’t overtly lavish, not garish by any means, but it’s beautiful. Ilya didn’t spend much time in museums admiring artwork. His mother liked to go sometimes, but he doesn’t remember going to many. It's the glimpses of those memories that he cherishes now.
The flowers are lush in the courtyard. He does not know the name of them, but there are so many. It is very green, a little sanctuary. Vibrant and so, so beautiful. Carefully laid out with different trees and petal shades. The air is fresh and the sun is warm. He stares at the blossoms, and feels a surge of emotion.
His mother would have loved this place.
He has to tear his eyes away, and finds David wandering around with his hands clasped behind his back, admiring the work, and staring for a long while at the empty frames. Ilya comes to stand next to him and reads the plaque about how the works were stolen and haven’t come back. He looks at the empty frames, how they left them there despite there being no work to show anymore, and once again thinks of his mother.
In a way, it helps him to think that she can see the works from where she is. Resting. Somewhere no one knows, but she is at peace. Maybe in a place a little bit like this.
David gives Ilya a look, giving him a private smile. He knows his eyes are shiny with tears, but he doesn’t really care. Not in front of David Hollander. He would not judge him. They walk through the rest of the museum in quiet. Except for when David takes cheesy pictures of Ilya in front of the courtyard and also outside the gallery. He even tells Ilya to say “cheese”.
Days later, when Shane picks David and Ilya up from the airport in Ottawa, Shane gives him a firm kiss on his lips. He’s grown so much, being more comfortable with PDA, and Ilya is very proud of him. On the drive back, David is already trying to add photos to the Staples print shop so they can have them framed.
“Dad, you’ll get carsick if you keep staring at your phone,” Shane says gently, because he knows his father.
“I like these photos! We can pick them up on the way if I can just get them to upload.” Ilya helps him add some from their trip, they stop by to pick them up, and head back to Yuna and David’s.
“Thank you very much for the trip, David,” Ilya says with deep gratitude as they watch David get settled into his in-laws house after traveling for the past few days. “I had a lot of fun. It was very pleasant.”
“Thanks for coming with me and indulging an old man,” David says, hugging him tightly. He ruffles Ilya’s hair, grinning. “Now, I gotta go put these photos up! You boys have a safe drive home.”
“It’s fifteen minutes, Dad,” Shane complains.
“Be safe regardless!”
They leave David to arrange the photos into frames and find places to hang them up. Ilya smiles at the sight of their matching Boston Red Sox hat photo making it onto the mantle. Briefly, he thinks of the empty frames at the Isabella Stewart Gardner as he watches David fill his own frames up with his smiling face.
He glances up as they go outside, and imagines he is smiling at his mother and maybe, she is smiling back.
They’ve got me, Mama.