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Ilya wakes when the sunbeams reach their bedding through the windows in the cottage’s master bedroom, which is fairly early. His past self would make a point of lowering the blackout blinds, especially during their season break in summer.
However, Ilya’s and Shane’s strict MLH routines, have taken a backseat to something, or rather someone, much more important in their lives: Layla Irina Hollander-Rozanov.
Ilya vividly remembers the conversations leading up to their wedding and then the choices that needed to be made when they found the two blue stripes on the pregnancy test one morning a couple of years after saying “I do.” He allows himself to drift back mentally to two of the most life-changing moments in his life.
There had been no way Ilya would have his mother’s name as the middle name and have Rozanov, his family name, be the leading name in their daughter’s last name.
Ilya had wanted to take on the family name Hollander, but Shane vetoed that on principle because they did not need to have matching names to be a family. He further elaborated saying that he did not want to forget Ilya’s mother nor did he want Ilya to completely lose his heritage and legacy. Ilya had had a rough time wrapping his head around that but ultimately agreed to hyphenate instead of completely forgoing Rozanov as a family name.
They were and continue to be known far and wide by their family names. Ottawa Centaurs’ Hollander 24 and Rozanov 81 are still the most popular jerseys people wear, despite Shane having officially gone on break from professional hockey as soon as they figured out he was pregnant. It had been a decision awash with hyperventilation and panic attacks on Shane’s part. Through every single one of them, Ilya helped him, never pushing him toward one decision or another but hearing him out, bouncing ideas around and picking apart all nuance until the ultimate conclusion stuck. He knew how terrified Hollander was at the prospect of something so unpredictable and he also knew that they both wanted children. Ilya himself had hedged the thought of wanting to bring his own son or daughter into one of their hockey camps one day and always felt sad when it was time to say farewell to the camp kids each summer.
As expected, the Centaurs did grant Shane his deserved leave but placed him on a voluntary retirement list, allowing them to retain the exclusive rights for when Hollander returned but preventing him from returning to any other team in the MLH. Given where they were at, openly married and playing on the same team, Shane was able to accept those conditions with a content heart because it was the best option of the ones available.
Ilya shakes his head and finally gets up out of bed, shakes out their comforter, fluffs up Shane’s and his own pillow and re-checks his handiwork before padding out of the room in just a pair of black sweatpants.
Playing without Shane and not sharing the ice with his husband for the foreseeable future would be different. It had been different for the majority of last season and yet seeing him in the stands during training sessions with Layla, massive ear muffs for sound protection on her tiny little head, more than made up for that. Ilya doesn’t begrudge Shane full-time fatherhood.
Shane loves his parents, how present they are in his life, how supportive and unconditionally loving they have been for as long as he can remember. Ilya understands that Shane wants to be like that now that he’s a dad, wants to be like them. Ilya admires this about Shane and even looks up to him and his parents, Yuna and David, as the parents Ilya never really had growing up.
Shane will not be bored either way; Ilya knows from having spent countless afternoons and sometimes whole weekends babysitting the Pike family’s offspring that being a parent is the most fulfilling adventure in all of life and that it comes with sacrifice and commitment. It’s a shift from being the center of your own life and existence to transferring that to this little human that wholly depends on you for everything. Not to mention, being a parent and playing hockey isn’t the only thing they have going for them.
They have been able to expand their hockey camps to other cities, partnering with other MLH players, and have been a leading force in promoting access hockey for young Canadians all across the country. The Irina Foundation expanded its reach past Canada and into the USA with a significant volunteer roster and paid staff mental health awareness programs and suicide prevention services across both nations.
To think that all of this started with a blip of an idea right here in this house, Shane’s cabin in eastern Quebec, still blows Ilya’s mind sometimes.
Entering the living room, the sight that greets him is one he’d never even allowed himself to entertain as a young Alpha and hopeful hockey player trying to get out of Russia all those years ago.
Sitting at one end of the L-shaped light gray couch with his legs resting on the deep cushions was Shane, fast asleep with Layla bundled up in his arms. The shock of her dark-blonde hair nuzzled against Shane’s chin and even in sleep his arms are wrapped around her protectively as she slumbers peacefully on his broad chest.
During his pregnancy, Hollander insisted on continuing to work out and his body changed alongside him; his mid-section softened but his wide shoulders and masculine frame remained through sheer force of discipline and determination. He had focused more on weight, resistance training, and endurance, far less explosive movement than his MLH routine, to keep it safe for his advancing pregnancy. However, it was no less intense and utterly exhausting.
Ilya can attest to that firsthand, having worked out alongside his husband all summer break long. Shane needed the routine, a baseline of predictability that had been upended by the unpredictability of Layla’s feeding behavior, and the first few months of feeding her every two hours had been difficult despite his parents staying over frequently at the cottage and spending time in their own nearby so they could be part of the village of people that would see to Layla having the best upbringing possible.
Like anything Shane attempts in life, he yearns to become the best he can at it, and Ilya would be lying if he claimed to not find that hot, no matter the context.
Ilya looks his fill and takes a picture to share with Shane later and kisses the top of Shane’s head in passing, which gets him a soft content sound from his love that makes him smile.
He keeps walking through to the kitchen and starts making breakfast for the three of them. Layla is still on 100% breastmilk but he whips up three different breakfasts, all of them ones Shanelikes, but with Shane it’s a bit of a gamble these days. Protein smoothie is always a good and safe choice to propose except for the days when he feels starved. Ilya believes today will be one of those, a salmon egg benedict type of day, because Layla’s going through a growth spurt and wouldn’t leave them alone for food at all hours of the day. Last but not least, he cooks up his own favorite, eggs and bacon with enough bacon and extra eggs to share.
Armed with a tray full of food, he returns to the living room with black coffee for himself and a glass of water for Shane. He’s not going to guess the drink of choice for this morning as there are too many variables to narrow down the choices available.
“Morning, sweetheart,” he whispers as he slides in next to Shane and cups his palm along Layla’s tiny back. He can feel her body heat through the blanket while kissing Shane’s cheek, his jaw line, his neck, and ultimately the corner of his mouth until his husband stirs, sleepy, sweet, and adorable. Shane is blinking his warm brown eyes open, while his gorgeous lips spread into a happy content smile when he notices Ilya.
“Morning, moy lyubovnik,” Shane says, and it still makes Ilya feel fuzzy and warm to hear him use that term of endearment so freely and with such ease, even half-asleep because, of course, Hollander picked up Russian with ease and speaks it fluently and accent-free by now.
Ilya cuddles into Shane’s side with their heads resting against each other’s, their bodies touching from forehead to thigh. Family snuggles are the best, Ilya thinks and gives the two most important people in his life a gentle squeeze.
“Is that, did you make me two breakfasts?” Shane exclaims when he spots the tray of food on the coffee table.
“Wasn’t sure what you’d feel like this morning so I made both.” Ilya gives Shane a crooked smile and shrugs his shoulders.
“I love you, Alpha,” Shane says with the same sincerity as the first time they used those words with one another.
“Love you too, smart, gorgeous Omega.” That still manages to make Shane blush and Ilya leans in so their foreheads touch before he kisses Shane, unhurried and full of love, no lust in this, no primal hunger, just the contentment of being with his true mate.
Ilya offers to take Layla so Shane can eat his breakfasts. They have the baby transfer down to a science. The key is to keep skin-on-skin contact with the little baby girl at all times; she’s attuned and imprinted on both of them already. After careful shifting, she is still fast asleep and nuzzled up against Ilya’s shoulder now with his protective arms wrapped carefully around her.
Shane stares at him for a moment and Ilya blushes under his studious gaze. “Take picture?” Ilya says, starting out as a joke about being stared at, but Shane does snap a couple of photos which makes Ilya preen and his face split into a wide smile.
“Love your smile, love that you are mine, Ilya,” Shane proclaims and kisses him, cupping the side of Ilya’s face in his sleep-warm palm which the Alpha can’t help but nuzzle into.
“Go on, eat, my love.” Ilya nods when Shane pulls back.
“Yes, Sir,” Hollander jokes and sits down on the plush carpet between Ilya’s legs, leaning against his inner thigh as he polishes off both the smoothie and the protein portion of the eggs benedict, leaving the English muffins behind. Ilya huffs out a grumbled protest about wasted food and watches Shane clamber back up onto the couch. Once settled in against Ilya’s side and giving Layla a kiss to the crown of her head, Shane starts feeding his Alpha. He hands Ilya bite-sized pieces of the bun he didn’t eat along with forkfuls of his eggs and bacon. Shane smiles at him, fully aware what this kind of thing does to his Alpha.
Ilya makes a point of sucking Shane’s fingers clean after the last bite of eggs and bacon, a smirk dancing across his face when he sees Shane staring intently at his lips before their gazes lock again.
“When did you say your parents are coming today to watch Layla?” Ilya asks, innocently.
“10 am.”
“Good,” Ilya says and winks at Shane. “I think is perfect day for workout, don’t you think? Once parents are here, yes?”
“Yeah. Definitely.” Shane smiles and shifts a little where he sits.
“Must be quiet though since parents will be next door,” Ilya adds in a conspiratory whisper and he notices the shudder that races down Shane’s spine.
“Will you help me keep quiet?” Shane asks, looking at Ilya with wide-eyed innocence and slightly parted lips that bring up visuals in Ilya’s mind that are anything but.
The End.