Work Text:
October 2018
Hayden was a terrible dad.
“Ruby, fuck—” He needed to stop swearing.
And her knee needed to stop bleeding.
“Ruby,” Hayden said as he tried to get a better look at her leg. She was sobbing, tears streaking down her red face. And every time he tried to get near her knee, she flinched away.
Her bike laid on the ground next to them.
She was still bleeding.
Yeah, this didn’t look good. Hayden reached for his phone. He would just call Jackie, and she could pick them up, and they could bandage Ruby’s knee at home, and—
The screen stayed black.
“Fuck!”
His phone was dead. Of course, it was dead. He had forgotten to charge it last night after Jackie distracted him, and then he hadn’t thought about it during practice that morning. By the time he got home, Ruby was begging him to take her on a bike ride, and now—what was he going to do? They were stuck two miles away!
He could try to carry Ruby—there was no way he was biking home with her in his arms—but that would take too long. He could try to get help from someone who lived around here.
That would have to work.
Hayden scanned the street for houses that looked inhabited, that looked like they were occupied by families. Other parents would probably get it, right? But then, he noticed the sign. Chestnut street.
Hayden knew where they were. Shane’s new house was just a block or two over. He could go there.
“Ok, Ruby,” Hayden said. “I’m going to carry you to Uncle Shane’s, ok? And then you’ll be all better.”
* * * * *
Hayden reached Shane’s house, and thankfully, the lights were on. He set Ruby gently down on the doorstep and rang the bell. It wasn’t uncommon for Shane to go for a run at this time, so Hayden had gotten lucky. In hindsight, he hadn’t even considered what he would do if Shane wasn’t home.
“Daddy, it hurts,” Ruby sniffled. She was still crying.
Shane needed to hurry up and answer the door.
But he didn’t.
Fuck it, Hayden didn’t have time for manners. He rang the bell again.
Still nothing. But the lights were on. Shane was probably home, just not expecting anyone. He’d remember to ask Shane for a code or a key when he saw him next. Hayden had the code to his old apartment, before he moved. Shane must have just forgotten.
Still nothing.
Ruby started crying louder.
Hayden mashed the button, ringing it as many times as he could. If Shane didn’t open the door in the next minute, he’d start looking for a neighbor to bother.
“Man, I don’t care if it’s a mess in there, or whatever,” Hayden shouted. “Ruby hurt her knee, and I need your help!”
Hayden stopped ringing the bell. It was no use. He turned to glance down the street, but the door creaked open behind him.
And Ilya Rozanov stood behind it, staring with bewildered eyes at Ruby as she cried on the step.
Ilya Rozanov.
In Shane’s house.
Hayden was losing his mind. Did he fall off the bike, or did Ruby?
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Hayden hissed.
Rozanov blinked.
“Bring your child inside, Pike,” Rozanov said.
Pike stood frozen. He didn’t understand. Why was he looking at the most infuriating center in the league right now? He was supposed to be off today.
Rozanov gestured to Ruby.
Right.
Hayden picked Ruby up and followed Rozanov inside.
Rozanov disappeared into Shane’s kitchen before Hayden could say anything else. Hayden set Ruby down on Shane’s couch. He was about to start searching the house for bandaids when Rozanov reappeared, holding a first aid kit.
“How did you find that?” Hayden squeaked.
Rozanov quirked an eyebrow before handing him the kit.
“Of all the questions,” Rozanov said. “That is one you ask? Shane keeps it above fridge.”
Shane. Why the fuck was Rozanov calling Shane, Shane?
Hayden opened his mouth to ask more questions when he heard Ruby move on the couch beside him. Right, he needed to help her. Fuck, he was an awful dad.
Hayden got to work. Luckily, Shane’s first aid kit was as stocked up and organized as he had expected. He found alcohol wipes, Neosporin and bandages, plus anything else he would need in an emergency.
When Hayden touched the alcohol wipe to Ruby’s knee, she hissed and jerked her knee back.
“I know it stings, Ruby,” Hayden pleaded. “But I have to clean it.”
“No,” Ruby whined.
And then, Rozanov was at Hayden’s side, dangling a snickers bar from his fingers.
“If you let your dad fix your leg,” Rozanov said in a playful tone. “I will trade you a candy bar.”
Ruby looked at the candy, tempted. Then back at the wipe in Hayden’s hand. She hesitated. For a moment, Hayden thought Rozanov had won. But Ruby puffed up her chest and crossed her arms.
“No.”
Rozanov blew a raspberry.
And Ruby laughed.
She was actually laughing right now, despite her bleeding knee. At Rozanov, of all people. Hockey’s douchey Russian playboy wasn’t supposed to be good with kids. Hayden was probably about to have an aneurism. On second thought, they shouldn’t be bandaging Ruby’s knee here. He should call 911 for both of them.
“Ok, you are good negotiator,” Rozanov said. He pulled a second snickers bar out of his pocket. “Will you be brave for two candy bars?”
Ruby only considered for a moment. “Ok.”
She let Hayden clean her knee, only wincing a little bit. She was already chomping down on the first snickers bar by the time Hayden finished bandaging her leg. Jackie was going to kill him for letting her get so hopped up on sugar.
But Ruby was smiling. She wasn’t going to lose her leg. The cut wasn’t even that bad; it had just looked bad on the road. Crisis averted. Hayden felt like he could breathe again.
Except for Rozanov. Why the fuck was he here?
“Will you wait right here?” Hayden asked Ruby. “Dad needs to have a conversation with Mr. Rozanov in the kitchen.”
Rozanov cocked an eyebrow. “Mr. Rozanov.” He mocked, but with a sigh, he followed Hayden into the other room.
When they were far enough out of ear- and eye-shot from Ruby, Hayden spun.
“What the fuck are you doing here, Rozanov? And where is Shane?”
“Shane is on run.”
Of course he was.
And Rozanov had just called him Shane again. That was weird.
“Ok.” Hayden said. That didn’t answer his first question.
Rozanov sighed and leaned back against Shane’s counter, crossing his arms. He was wearing a pair of black sweatpants, and hold on—was that a Voyageurs crewneck? The one the entire team got last Christmas?
Rozanov was wearing Shane’s sweatshirt. What. The. Actual. Fuck.
“You have gone mute,” Rozanov mocked.
Hayden really fucking hated this guy. But he did just convince Ruby to let him bandage her leg…
“Seriously, what—” Hayden was going to ask another question, but the sound of the back door opening cut him off.
“Ilya, you should have seen the deer on the trail. It was huge,” Shane called from afar, punctuated by the click of the door locking behind him. “Where are you?”
“Kitchen,” Rozanov said. He added something unintelligible in Russian. It seemed like a warning.
And then Shane shouted something from wherever he was. The sound must have gotten garbled while it travelled through the walls. Otherwise, Hayden would have sworn Shane was speaking Russian too.
Ilya called out in Russian again, but this time, Hayden understood one word: his own name.
“Are you fucking talking about me in Russian now?” Hayden snapped.
“‘Hayden’ is actually Russian for bad hockey player.” Rozanov sneered.
Hayden didn’t get a chance to respond before Shane entered the kitchen, eyes wide. He had sweated through his workout gear, and his face was flushed. Shane glanced back and forth between Hayden and Rozanov, like he was waiting for a fight to go down.
“Man, why is Rozanov in your house?” Hayden said. “Is he squatting or something? Blackmailing you? Do you need me to take care of him?”
None of this made any sense!
“What? No!” Shane yelped. “Nothing like that.”
“Ok, then what’s going on?” Hayden looked between the two of them helplessly. “You guys hate each other. And then, he’s just here? On a random Friday? And isn’t that your sweatshirt?”
Shane sucked in a breath, but he didn’t even look Hayden in the eye. Instead, his gaze was trained on Rozanov, who was looking at him…softly? Almost the same way he had looked at Ruby, when he had encouraged her to be brave earlier. Except this look was even more familiar. There was a depth to it…which was really freaking Hayden out. He was getting some serious uncanny valley effect right now.
“Hayden,” Shane turned back to him. He balled his fists and took a deep breath. “You know that I’m gay.”
“Yeah, man,” Shane had come out to him a while ago.
But what did that have to do with ladies-man Rozanov?
“We’re together,” Shane glanced at Rozanov with a small smile, and Rozanov straightened from where he leaned against the counter, taking Shane’s hand.
Shane and Rozanov.
Shane and Rozanov?
Hayden didn’t understand what was happening right now. This wasn’t actually happening, right? Shane was just playing a prank on him. In Shane’s own house. When he hadn’t been expecting Hayden at all.
“I think he’s in shock,” Rozanov chuckled to Shane. “If I kiss you, do you think you will need new linemate?”
“Not helping, Ilya,” Shane gritted out.
“What—” Hayden didn’t know what to say. He cut himself off. His mouth just hung open.
“I’m sorry for not telling you sooner,” Shane said. “I wanted to. I was going to, soon.”
Shane’s eyes got a little glossy. Hayden hated seeing Shane look like that. He needed to pull it together for his best friend.
“No, it’s ok,” Hayden said. “I’m just…surprised.”
Hayden rubbed his eyes. He had too many questions. Where did he even begin?
“How long has this been going on?” He asked.
“We’ve been official for over a year,” Shane said.
“And lovers since the summer before our rookie season,” Rozanov added.
Shane elbowed him and glared. “Stop calling it that!”
Rozanov only grinned.
Since before rookie season. Longer than Hayden had ever known Shane. But that didn’t make any sense. Shane had been texting Lily—
Oh my god, that had been Rozanov all along, hadn’t it?
Every time Hayden had ever given Shane shit about Boston Lily flashed before his eyes. Christ, he had even mentioned that Shane played better after.
“Are you mad, Hayd?” Shane asked. “Look, I know I should have—”
Hayden had been quiet for too long.
“No,” he shook his head. He didn’t want Shane to feel bad. “I’m not mad. This is just a lot to take in.”
“It is secret,” Rozanov supplied. “The MLH. Russia—"
“I won’t tell anyone,” Hayden said.
Rozanov nodded, grimly.
Hayden sucked in a breath. He knew what he needed to do next, but he hated the idea of it because…well, it was still Rozanov.
“But I think I owe both of you dinner at my house,” Hayden said. “Especially since you helped me with Ruby, Rozanov.”
Shane raised a questioning eyebrow. Rozanov gestured to the living room. Shane must not have noticed Ruby on his way in.
“So, if you’re ok with me telling Jackie and having some of Shane’s rabbit food—”
“I know all about Shane’s rabbit food,” Rozanov huffed.
Of course, he did. He had been a part of Shane’s life for the past years—decade. Hayden was still getting used to the idea.
“If you’re ok with all that, you should both come over, soon.” Hayden said.
They agreed.