In July 2017, Shane waits in an Ottawa airport parking garage, anxious about being seen with Ilya. Scott Hunter’s very public coming-out and NHL Awards speech has made Shane hopeful but also painfully aware that being linked to his biggest rival would still be a different kind of scandal. When Ilya arrives in disguise, they keep their distance until they can drive away unnoticed.

On the highway to Shane’s remote cottage, conversation comes in cautious fragments: Shane offers stops and reassurance; Ilya admits he is glad to be there but terrified. They acknowledge that two weeks alone together is a new level of intimacy and a point of no return. Shane promises isolation—no family visits, no interruptions—and briefly takes Ilya’s hand, letting them feel “safe” for the first time in a long while.

At the lakeside house, Ilya is stunned by how private and luxurious it is, and by the fact that he is truly in Shane’s “home.” Shane nervously tries to fill the silence with practical details, but Ilya closes the distance and kisses him, and the tension breaks. They fall into each other physically, then share a surprising reveal: neither has been with anyone else since their last time together in Boston. Shane proposes a new rule for the two weeks—honesty about what they think and feel—and Ilya agrees, even as both retreat into touch when words feel too risky.

After they’ve calmed down, they spend an hour quietly cuddling and tracing each other’s features, with Ilya realizing he is deeply infatuated and that Shane’s happiness matters to him. Later, Shane proudly shows Ilya the indoor training facility, and they pass pucks while talking about Scott Hunter. Ilya admits he went to a gay club with Hunter and Hunter’s boyfriend after the Awards and felt both excitement and jealousy—wanting what Hunter has the freedom to show. Shane reacts with tight jealousy of his own, but the talk ends with teasing, a kiss, and the decision to eat together.

Back in the house, Ilya makes it clear he wants Shane’s bed, and Shane brings him to the master bedroom that feels most like home. Ilya flips over a photo of Shane’s parents, signaling both humor and secrecy, then turns unexpectedly tender and bold, admitting he has wanted Shane in his real bed for years. They have sex without their usual fear of leaving evidence, and the encounter leaves Shane overwhelmed by how different it feels to be loud and unguarded.

Afterward, Shane suggests they stay in bed for the full two weeks, but Ilya counters that he wants Shane in every room, sparring playfully about hot tubs and the pool table. The banter lands on a small, genuine confession: Ilya tells Shane he likes him, and Shane returns it—an understated but meaningful step toward the honesty they agreed to try.