He would never tell anyone — except maybe his very hot and understanding fiance — but Ilya almost enjoyed getting kicked out of the playoffs.

Granted, the games are fun and the cup is always a goal, but after the season is over, Ilya can breathe. There’s no pressure and no practice, no people to pretend to be okay for, no teammates to captain. Ilya can do what he likes and take his workouts a little easier.

The Ottawa Centaurs got thrown out of the playoffs by the New York Admirals a week ago. Luckily for Ilya — but unlucky for his sex-hungry dick — Shane is still in the running with Montreal, which means he gets to see his very sexy boyfriend play on the television. Shane is such a beauty to watch and it’s nice to do it without also analyzing for Ilya’s own Cup prospects.

That also means less time dicking down his very needy fiance.

He’s just finsihed a light jog (off-season workouts for the win) with Anya and sits on his couch when his phone rings. He looks at the caller ID with a confused frown as he answers.

"Jackie?"

"Ilya, I am so sorry to bother you." Jackie Pike, Shane’s teammate’s wife, sounds breathless on the other end of the phone. Ilya is not surprised; this woman is probably chasing around three children with her fourth one in her arms.

"Is no bother," Ilya responds honestly. He genuinely likes Jackie, despite her choice in annoying husbands. "We friends, yes?"

"I know, it’s just that- I know Shane is in Florida with the team, but do you happen to be at his place in Montreal?"

Ilya sits up and frowns. "What is wrong? Jackie, you are sounding panicked."

Jackie sighs and Ilya can tell she’s stressed. "My babysitter fell through and I am supposed to be in a wedding in a few hours. Would you be willing to come over and watch the kids?"

"Yes." There’s no hesitation. Ilya stands up from the couch. "I will be there in two hours. Do I bring things?"

"Oh shit, you’re in Ottawa. Forget it, I can stay home-"

"Jackie, you ask, I come." Besides, he’s alone in a giant house with only his, albiet very cute, dog for company. What else could he possibly have going on more important? Not that the grumpy, gruff Russian says this; What if Other Pike hears about it? "Now, can I bring Anya? I think kids will like soft dog."

"Yes, yes! Bring Anya and five other dogs if you want. I can’t thank you enough. I’ll only be a couple hours."

"Jackie, we are friends, yes? You said you are in wedding?" Ilya wasn’t sure if he heard the English correct. *In *a wedding is different than at a wedding, yes? "Where is this?"

"At a venue near Joliette. I swear, if I wasn’t one of the bridesmaids I wouldn’t be asking."

Ilya tries to picture a map of Canada in his mind. "Joliette is hour away? You sleep there?"

"No, no. I’ll come back, don’t worry."

ilya raises an eyebrow and he likes to think his tone reflects it. "Jackie?"

Jackie groans and he can hear rustling in the background. He’s sure she’s trying to finish getting ready. "Yes, I was supposed to stay overnight. But I will not force you to spend the whole night and morning with four rowdy kids-"

"I do it. See you in couple hours." Ilya hung up before Jackie can argue.

Standing from the couch, Ilya stretches his arms over his head. He’s glad he got a good jog in since he’s going to be in a car for the next couple hours.

"Anya! We leave soon!"

Ilya grabs his suitcase out his closet. A suitcase seems extreme, but by the time he packs two outfits, two underwear, toiletries, Anya’s leash, a large Ziploc of dog food, Anya’s set of foldable bowls, a pair of running shoes, and socks the luggage has a hard time closing.

Luckily, he keeps a good bit of his clothes at Shane’s house, so he could stay in Montreal for a while. A few days. At least until Shane leaves again for the next away game after this one.

Ilya gathers everything — including a couple of Anya’s toys and her favorite blanket to sleep on — by the front door. "Anya, girl, what am I forgetting?"

Anya sits by the door and gives a little whine. Oh, her tail is wagging like crazy.

"What is it…" Ilya surveys the house slowly. "Дерьмо!"

He goes back into the kitchen and swipes his bottle of pills off the counter. He could probably miss one day of antidepressants, but he knows Shane would never let him stay for a few days without them.

It’s important you keep on them, Ilya, Shane would probably tell him.

Then Ilya would miss perfectly good sex time with his fiancé.

No, he will not forget these. He stuffs than haphazardly into his suitcase and closes the zipper.

"Okay, Anya, let’s go!"

---

"Ilya, I can’t thank you enough!"

Ilya blinks once in surprise. "Jackie, you look stunning."

Not that Jackie doesn’t normally look great, but it’s different to see someone in formal attire for the first time. Jackie has on a floor length dress which drapes her figure perfectly; the soft mint color compliments her skin and the dainty jewelry— including the diamond studs she’s currently putting in her ears — bring everything together.

"You’re sweet, Ilya. Come on in." Ilya shuts the front door and slides out of his flip flops. Anya shakes her coat and starts her normal routine of sniffing everything she can see. "Everyone already had lunch, Arthur is playing in his play pen, the twins are in the living room, and Amber-"

Right then, Amber saddled into view of the adults. She’s a little unstable on her feet, but her excitement makes up for it.

"She’s walking!" Ilya gasps and points at his little goddaughter. "Holy shit, she walks."

Jackie laughs and picks the one year old up. "It happened the day before yesterday, right after the boys left for Florida."

Ilya gives his friend a smug smile with an eyebrow wiggle. "I see this before Other Pike?"

"Jesus, is there any way you don’t rub this in his face?"

"No," Ilya says simply. He takes Amber out of Jackie’s arms and holds her against his hip. "I need new chirp material."

Jackie shakes her head and mutters something that sounds like ‘boys’ but Ilya pretends not to hear. "Okay, Ruby, Jade! I’m leaving!"

Tiny footsteps rush into the entryway and the two six year olds do a good impression of an American Football tackle. They both wrap their arms around Jackie and talk over each other asking her to stay.

"I know, I know girls. Be good for Uncle Ilya, okay?"

"Hi, Uncle Ilya," the twins say in unison. They both give him a wide smile but don’t release their mother.

Jackie looks up to Ilya and raises a hand over one of the twins, the one wearing a pink shirt converted in sequence. "This is Jade." She gestures to the other twin is has on a shirt depicting what Ilya can only guess is a cartoon show. "This is Ruby. They’ve been trying to trick people lately."

"No, we haven’t!" Ruby argues, but she can’t stop the smile on her face.

Jackie kisses the top of her head, than Jade’s. "Yes, you little troublemakers. Be good. Call me if you need anything."

"Jackie, we good. Go have fun."

Jackie says a few more goodbyes, dragging her feet a bit before sliding on a pair of slip-ons and picking up her heels into her hand.

The door closes and Ilya is left alone in the entryway with two twins staring at him expectantly, a one-year-old on his hip, his suitcase forgotten on the floor, and a very excited dog wagging her tail against his feet.

"So, Small Pikes, why don’t you pick activity and I put my things away. Then, I win at activity, yes?"

The twins nod enthusiastically and run off to the boxes Ilya knows the board games are stored in.

"Monopoly!"

"No, Life!"

"Ooooh! Candy Land!"

Ilya picks up his previously forgotten luggage and walk to the guest room down the hall on the right with Amber still happily on his hip.

The Pikes have their guest rooms on the right side of the house while all the family rooms are on the left. Jackie explained —when Ilya had dinner here the first time — that they didn’t want guests disturbed by late night accidents, diaper changes, feedings, or other normal family commotion.

This is a good idea for guests, but not a good idea for babysitters. Ilya needs to hear those things, so he’ll sleep on the couch tonight to be closer to the kids.

He unzips his bag on the bed he doesn’t plan to use and opens it up. He leaves everything stored inside except Anya’s things and his antidepressants. The last thing he wants is for one of the children to get a hold of it. Children are curious beings and Ilya is worried they’d take them if they were found.

No, best to put it somewhere out of reach, but also where Ilya will see so he remembers to take it in the morning. The kitchen island, he decides. That’s where they usually are at his house and the Pike’s island is large enough that the twins wouldn’t be able to reach them.

Ilya makes his way back to the living room, depositing his medicine on the way, and sits on the floor where the girls have set up Candy Land.

"Okay, Small Pikes, how I beat you at game?"

They play a few rounds; Arthur ends up sitting in Ilya’s lap after whining to be let out of his play pen, Amber falls asleep against Ilya’s shoulder, and the twins win repeatedly at Candy Land.

"This game is, how you say, unfair?"

"Rigged?" Jade offers.

Ilya gapes at her. "How you know this word?"

"Daddy says it when we play with him. He loses all the time!"

Ilya fake groans and raises his face to the high ceilings. "I am compared to Other Pike. I am over."

Ruby frowns at her brother. "Arthur, you can’t have the card. This is for game."

She pulls away the few cards Arthur managed to get in his hands and Arthur starts to cry loudly at his new toy being taken away.

"Good job, Ruby," Jade crosses her arms.

"He’s to small for games!"

"Girls, girls," Ilya placates. "Ruby, be nice to Smaller Pike, he is just curious. I go find his toy. Chompy."

Ilya has both of the littles on either side of his hips as he looks around for the two-year-old’s favorite stuffed animal — which he finally found on the windowsill in the dining room for whatever reason. Arthur immediately calms down when the worn fabric touches his hands.

Ilya can’t help but draw parallels to that awful time when Shane was in the hospital after Marleau broke his collarbone and gave him a nasty concussion. Shane was anxious, full of nervous energy and fidgeting, until Ilya grabbed his hands on the hospital bed, as if Ilya solved all of his problems.

Shane and him were so stupid back then. So scared of saying what they needed to say, to reveal too much of themselves to each other, to go out on a limp for a chance to be happy.

He’s glad they both got their shit together.

Ilya kisses the side of Arthur’s head and heads back into the living room, which is now twin free. He can hear them playing in their room and decides to get some work done.

"Can I put you down now, Little Pike?" Ilya asks Arthur and successfully sets him down back into his play pen with no tantrum.

Ilya transfers Amber to a donut pillow that she likes to sleep on, making sure that she can’t fall or suffocate in any way.

With both the littles dealt with, Ilya starts his normal routine when he babysits, which has only been a couple times now. He starts with picking up the Candy Land game, moving on to the other various toys scattered around the place, and then to the kitchen where dirty baby bottles and toddler cups are gathered beside the sink.

Ilya likes Jackie, the Good Pike, to come back home to a clean house. Or cleaner since sometimes the kids destroy again what he cleaned. He knows it’s stressful to raise four kids with a husband who is gone most of the time, if not at away games than traveling or at practice or at the gym or any of the other responsibilities Pike has a hockey player and assistant captain. Jackie never complains, never yells, never — what is the English word? — disparage Pike for his job and lack of availability.

The least Ilya can do is help. It makes his brain feel better to do something that possibly helps someone he’s close to.

He runs the cordless Dyson around the kitchen, living room, and entry way. Thankfully, the cordless is very quiet so the baby doesn’t wake up. Anya whines to be let out, so he lets her in the backyard. He keeps the door open to keep an eye on the littles while he throws Anya’s ball a few times to help her get her energy out.

An hour or so later, the twins come back into the living room.

Ilya looks between the two twins. They’ve both changed into sparkly princess dresses and now Ilya can’t tell them apart. Maybe the yellow dress is Jade and the blue dress Ruby?

Ilya frowns slightly. "You changed. Who is who?"

The twin in the yellow dress smiles. "I’m Ruby!"

"I’m Jade," the one in the blue dress says as she swishes from side to side.

Ilya narrows his eyes. "Is truth? You are who you say?"

The twins look at each other and giggle. "Mayyybe," they sing in unison.

"Fucking hell," Ilya mutters.

"Swear jar!" the blue dress twin says.

"Ah, you is Ruby!"

Ruby gasps. "How did you know?!"

"Cause you narc on my curse," Ilya teases.

Both twins laugh and sit on the rug, playing on the floor with some dolls.

Okay, blue dress is Ruby, yellow dress is Jade. Ilya makes a mental note. Blue, Ruby. Yellow, Jade.

He hopes Shane and him never has twins. It is so confusing.

"Uncle Ilya, can we watch Tangled?"

Ilya walks to the couch and picks up the remote. "What is this Tangled?"

"It’s on Disney."

"Its about a lost princess-"

"-and she has long long long hair-"

"-and she runs away-"

"-and falls in love!"

Ilya tries not to laugh, but honestly the twins are too cute when they finish each other’s sentences. Okay, maybe twins wouldn’t be so bad.

How did Hayden Pike make these two princesses?

Must be all Jackie’s genes.

"Okay, okay, we watch Disney movie about long hair princess."

In the end, Ilya watches more of the movie than the kids do. Ilya’s never watched a Disney princess movie before, much less in English. He finds the English easier to follow than some of the films he watches with Shane — because they’re for children, probably — so he’s able to follow the show better than normal.

"I do not understand. Why not just sing songs to whole country? Then they find princess!"

"She’s locked in a tower," Jade says knowing.

"Yes, yes, but now she in city. She would hear. Solve everything, yes?"

Ruby giggles and shakes her head. She’s currently brushing the hair of a weirdly big doll called Raquel. American Doll or something, Ilya doesn’t know. "That’s not how princess movies go, Uncle Ilya."

"Is silly," Ilya argues. "Everything fixed, no problem."

It’s a few minutes later when Eugene betrayed Rapunzel that Ilya’s on his feet cursing in Russian. How dare this guy! They call this children show, but have the most evil characters?

"Uncle Ilya," Jade asks softly, "what does that mean?"

Ilya wrinkles his nose and sits back on the couch. "Not for small ears."

"Swear jar!" Ruby seems too pleased by her proclamation.

"No, no, is not English, so it does not count!"

When the movie ended, the girls throw themselves on the couch beside Ilya, claiming they are starving to death despite eating lunch a few hours before. Anya perks her head up off the couch and licks Ruby’s arm, eliciting loud giggles from the little girl.

"I still don’t know why he had to cut her hair so short," Ilya grumbles as he stands, Amber now in his arms. He checks that Arthur is still napping in his play pen before walking to the kitchen with the twins at his heels.

"That’s not the point of the story! The point is that he looooves her so much, he doesn’t care about how she looks!"

Ilya is pretty sure the meaning is deeper than that, but he also knows that showing little kids appearances aren’t the most important thing is a really good message.

"Still silly Disney movie. We watch more after dinner."

Ilya sets the starting-to-fuss Amber in her rocking bassinet and angles it so Ilya can see her from anywhere in the kitchen. He walks over to the cabinet pantry where the twins are waiting excitedly.

"Okay, Small Pikes, what is it you want to eat?"

The twins scrunch up their faces and hum as they think.

"Macaroni!"

Jade looks at Ruby and nods in agreement. "Macaroni, macaroni!"

Ilya chuckles and pulls out a box from the pantry that is definitely not macaroni. "Is what you want?"

"Eww, that’s rice, Uncle Ilya!"

"Oh, I see." Ilya puts that box down and grabs something else. "This, this is what you want, yes?"

The girls giggle and shake their heads.

Jade points at a yellow box inside the pantry. "It’s that one!"

Ilya makes a "oooooh" face and grabs the correct box. "Okay, okay. I make dinner. You two tell me if your brother wakes up, yes? I watch Little Pike and cook."

First, Ilya makes Amber a bottle and hands it to her. Thankfully, she’s good at holding the bottle for herself so he doesn’t have to hold it for her. "Smart Baby Pike," Ilya coos quietly.

He gets the water on the stove to boil and opens the fridge to look for more. Surely macaroni and cheese isn’t a well-rounded meal for growing kids. Ilya grabs chicken and some baby carrots out; This should do.

He starts another burner and puts a skillet with oil on it to heat up. Then, he puts a handful of baby carrots in a plastic bowl and puts it on the coffee table for the twins to eat while food cooks. He’s learned this trick from Jackie: it keeps them out of the kitchen complaining that their hungry while hot pans and boiling water occupy space in the kitchen. "It keeps them from burning themselves or me," Jackie had said. "And maybe it gives me ten minutes of quiet."

Ten minutes was all he really needed it turns out. The macaroni is done, Ilya chops the chicken up for the kids, makes a plate for each kid and himself, and sets everything on the dining table. Ruby and Jade run in when dinner is declared ready, Ilya picks Arthur up from his pen and sets him in his high chair which already has chopped-and-cooled chicken and pasta for him grab.

"Ruby, Jade, I want you to try chicken, yes? Little bit, please." Ilya looks at both girls in turn. They both sigh but nod at the request. "Good. And think of new movie to watch. I think one with more singing, yes? Is, what you call, musical?"

This got the girls excited. They started suggesting different movies to each other and try to figure out which one has the most singing. Ilya leaves them to check on Amber, who seems to have fallen asleep in her rocking bassinet. In a small fit of anxiety Ilya thinks he will never get over no matter how many kids he’s around, he checks Amber’s breathing. Relaxing, he carefully angles the bassinet to be viewable from the dining room and leaves her to sleep.

Sometimes, Ilya believes Amber is the easiest Pike. She’s so relaxed and easy going.

"Okay, Small Pikes, what is this show you call ‘Frozen?’ Is about hockey, yes?" Ilya sits at his spot in the dining room and eats his lukewarm food while the twins discuss their so-called favorite movie.

None of the kids make it through the movie. Everyone falls asleep in different positions around the living room. Ilya, now with a couple braids knotting his hair and a fresh shirt on since Amber spit up on him, carefully take Amber and Arthur to their beds. Thankfully, neither wakes up as he transfers them to their cribs.

Ilya carefully pick up a twin in each arm. He knows he can’t transfer the bigger kids without waking them, and he’s correct. Each twin wraps their legs and arms around him and he supports each one with an arm.

"Bed time," Ilya says softly as he sets Jade on her bed the Ruby on hers. He’s glad he had them change into night clothes and brush their teeth before starting Frozen earlier. It makes getting them to sleep easier.

"No, we can’t sleep."

"Why? You are tired, yes?" Neither twin could quite keep their eyes open, but Ilya can tell they’re both fighting it.

"I wanna talk to daddy."

Ilya kisses the top of Ruby’s head and helps her under the covers. "Okay. You get in bed and I call Other Pike, yes?" He helps Jades under her covers as well and turns on their night lights. "I will go see if I can get him on phone."

He turns off the main light before going back to the living room. Ilya had kept tabs on the game through out dinner and the movie, possibly a little anxious Shane would get hurt and Ilya would be 2400 miles away and unable to leave with the kids. Possibly. Not that Shane will ever know this.

The Montreal verses Tampa game ended less than an hour ago, so Shane and Hayden might be back in their hotel room. Or they could be celebrating their shutout victory. Either way, he’ll get a hold of Pike because princesses get what they want.

He sits on the couch and grabs his phone from under a sleeping Anya.

---

Today 9:03pm **Lily: **You awake?

**Jane: **Yeah, Hays and I are up watching the recap from tonight

**Lily: **You mean you are watching recap and Hays is killing himself

**Jane: **Fuck off asshole.

**Jane: **You at your place?

**Lily: **No. No sexting

**Jane: **I’m blocking you for the night. Again.

**Lily: **No wait I need something

**Lily: **Get Pike and face time me

**Jane: **Okay but ??

Jane face time incoming

"Jesus, Ilya! Are you in my house?"

"Yes, is your house." Ilya moves the phone around so Hayden can see more of his own living room.

"What- Shane what is he doing in my house?"

"I don’t know. Ilya?"

"I sit kids," Ilya waves his hand away and stands from the couch. "Reason I call. Small Pikes want to say good night to other Pike."

"Shane, why is he babysitting my kids?"

"Your sitter say no. Best Pike call, I come over and watch kid so Best Pike can go to wedding." Ilya knocks softly on the twins’ door and looks inside. The girls are still groggy, but obviously not asleep. "Small Pike One, Small Pike Two, you not sleep?"

Jade kicks her feet against her bed. "Ilyaa, we want to see daddy."

"Oh," Ilya makes a show of thinking. "If I show you Dad Pike, will you sleep?"

"Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes," both twins chant, more awake now.

"Shane, he’s talking to my children," Ilya can hear from the phone in his hands.

"Daddy!"

Ilya hands his phone over to Ruby and Jade runs over into her sister’s bed to see her dad on the small rectangle.

"Hey! My two beautiful girls!"

"Daddy, Uncle Ilya brought his dog, Anya! She’s so pretty and big and soft!"

"Then he watched Tangled with us and we braided his hair!"

"Amber threw up on him!"

"It was gross!"

Hayden laughs on the other end of the phone. "So, you two are having a fun time?"

Both twins answer in unison, "Yes!"

"Daddy, can Uncle Ilya stay with us every time you go away?"

"Yeah, he’s better than Maggie! And Anya can come over so we can play with her!"

"We’ll see girls. Roz- Ilya is a busy man who lives two hours away."

Ilya frowns. "Boo, Pike."

The twins grin up at Ilya and copy him. "Boooooo."

"Shane, he’s corrupting my children."

The girls laugh and suddenly there’s lots of yawns from them two.

"Okay, girls," Hayden says in that soft but firm way good fathers are able of doing. "It’s past your bed time."

"Boo," Jade mutters and yawns again. She’s fighting sleep.

"No, Dad Pike is right." Ilya offers his hand to Jade to help her down. "Into bed, зайчата."

Jade takes Ilya’s hand and glances back at the phone. "Love you, daddy."

"I love both of you girls. Get some sleep. I’ll be there before lunch tomorrow."

Ilya makes sure the girls are good before quietly walking out and closing the door until it’s a few inches open.

Ilya brings the phone back up to his face. "See, girls are good."

Hayden looks at the ceiling and sighs. He looks pained. "I can’t believe I’m saying this, but thank you, Rozanov. You’re good with them."

"Да. They remind me of my niece. Good girls." Ilya sits back on the couch and props his feet on the coffee table.

"I didn’t know you have a niece? How old is she?"

Ilya frowns and tries to count back. "I think she is three? I cannot see her. She is in Russia."

"I’m sorry, man," Hayden says after a silent moment. "That must be hard."

It is hard. Everyone on this call knows that, despite Ilya being happier and safer in Canada, he still misses small things in Russia. He misses his mother, he misses visiting her grave whenever he wanted, he misses the family he should have had, he misses the niece he will never be able to watch grow up.

Ilya raises a brow. Getting under Pike’s skin is easier than getting into his feelings. "You know about hard. Did you not fall on ice tonight?"

"Fuck off."

"Well, that’s my cue." Shane takes the phone from his teammate. "10 minutes of no asshole remarks. I think that’s a record. Good job Ilya."

"Anything for you, дорогая."

Ilya can hear Hayden slam his head into his pillow and faintly say, "Gah, I need to get a new roommate on these trips."

---

Ilya gets woken up the next morning by two little demons jumping on top of him.

"Uncle Ilya, we want chocolate pancakes!"

Ilya groans and turns over on the couch. "I know nothing of this. What are pancakes?"

"Ilyaaa!"

The man pretends not to hear, which works pretty well until a very wet tongue licks his face. Ilya’s eyes fly open to see Anya panting three inches from his face. "Bad girl, you choose littles over your dad."

"Good girl, Anya!" Jade says. Well, Ilya thinks that one is Jade unless the twins traded night dresses.

Ilya sits up off the couch and stretches his arms. "Okay, Small Pikes, you win. Let Anya go bathroom in backyard and I make these pancakes, yes?"

The twins go outside together with the dog and Ilya stumbles still half asleep to the kitchen, his phone in his hand. He sees that Shane texted him early this morning.

Today 6:22am **Jane: **About to board the plane. ROU1618. How’s the kids?

**TIME: **7:38am

**Lily: **Kids are good. They wake me too early. Is off season

**Lily: **Come to Pike house when plane lands?

Their plane is still in flight, so Ilya doesn’t expect a response. Ilya types in the plane info Shane provided and pulls up the tracker, a new routine they do after Ilya’s plane almost crashed months ago. He sets the phone down where he can still see it and starts on breakfast for everyone. He almost has everything done before the baby monitor picks up that Amber is awake and not happy about it.

"Hey, Small Pikes! Breakfast."

Ilya quickly sets their plates at the dining table with juice cups and maple syrup before jogging to the baby’s room. He changes her diaper and gets her dressed before Arthur also wakes up. He juggles Amber while he changes Arthur’s diaper into a pull up for the day and into day clothes.

Fuck, how does Jackie do this every day? He feels split into four different directions.

He walks into the dining room to see Ruby crying and Jade in the kitchen trying to reach the towels.

"What is this?" Ilya looks over Ruby to see if she’s hurt. "You are okay?"

Ruby sniffles and points to the floor. Ah, the orange juice is spilled onto the floor. "I’m sorry! I-it slipped."

Ilya sets Arthur into his highchair — already set with his own portion of pancakes and fruit — and Amber into her bouncing bassinet with a bottle he made earlier. Then, Ilya bends down to Ruby and wipes his thumb over her tears.

"Is only spilled juice. Nothing bad." Ilya pulls her into a hug, rubbing her back. "Does your mom get mad at you for spilled juice?" Ruby sniffles and shakes her head. "See? Is normal thing. Easy to clean."

Ilya lets her go and ruffles her hair. Jade runs up with a long train of paper towels and Ilya takes them from her. "Eat, both you. I clean."

"I’m sorry, Uncle Ilya," Ruby says and sniffles again.

"Is okay. I forgive you. Now eat." Ilya wipes up the spill, grabs the kitchen spray, wipes everything down again, and refills Ruby’s now empty cup before he sits to eat himself.

Ilya looks at his phone to check the flight status to see a text from Jackie:

Today 8:09am **Jackie: **Everything alright? I’m grabbing breakfast then should be on the road.

**Ilya: **Everyone is good. Breakfast now

**Ilya: **Maybe destroy house later. Where is Pike’s trophies? He have any?

**Jackie: **Ilya, I swear to God I will stay for lunch too if you don’t behave

**Ilya: **Good, I get more kid time. You get more relax time

**Jackie: **Don’t tempt me. I’ll be there in two hours.

**Ilya: **Take time

Ilya looks up to the girls, Jade finishing off her juice and Ruby still rubbing her eyes, though her cheeks look dry. "What we do, Small Pikes?"

"Pan!" Arthur supplies and throws a piece of his pancake.

This at least gets a smile from Ruby.

"Ruby? What you want to do?" Ilya asks her softly.

Ruby looks at her twin and thinks for a second. "I want pink nails. And purple nails."

"I want purple nails!" Jade jumps out of her seat. Ruby chases her to the living room.

Ilya looks at Arthur and Amber for a second before following the twins. He needs to clean Arthur’s hands before he can pick him up. It’s best to occupy the twins first.

"Okay, I paint nails after I clean breakfast. You want film or game?"

Both, they told him, so Ilya turns on a cartoon — Gabby’s Dollhouse — and pulls out one of their 200 piece puzzles. With a promise to be back soon, Ilya get started on the other kids and cleaning.

He starts with Arthur, cleaning his hands and face before setting him in his play pen with Chompy and some stacking blocks. He picks up Amber and holds her to him while he takes dishes to the sink. By the time he finishes everything, the twins have the puzzle almost finished.

"You are cheating? You can not do this," Ilya teases the twins.

Jade holds her chin up high. "We are very smart, Uncle Ilya!"

Ruby nods her agreement. "We do puzzles all the time! They are easy!"

"I need proof. You are like two years old."

Ilya sets Amber in the play pen to waddle around safely and releases Arthur from it. At least now he can keep his eyes on the boy.

"We are six," Jade corrects. She almost sounds offended and it makes Ilya chuckle.

"Yes, yes you are. Now, who wants nails first?"

An hour and a half later, that is how Hayden and Shane found Ilya: redoing Jade’s nails, because the other set wasn’t sparkly enough with lip gloss on because Ruby decided he needed glitter himself.

"Shane, where’s my phone? I need this as a picture."

Ilya looks up to Pike and throws a wink at him. "Your phone will break. Cannot handle my prettiness."

Pike groans and looks to his right where Shane is staring at Ilya with his "I’m-hot-and-bothered-but-I’m-trying-to-hide-it" expression. Ilya is very familiar with that look. "Jesus Christ, Shane, control your fiance."

"Impossible," Shane deadpans.

The twins run up to their dad excitedly, Jade being careful of her wet nails. Amber is taking her nap in her room and Arthur seems to have also fallen asleep on Amber’s donut pillow in the last twenty minutes.

Shane walks up to Ilya, bending down so he can give his lover a kiss. "Oh, you painted your nails too."

Ilya hold up his green nails with a suggestive eye wiggle. "You want yours? Small Pikes have to pick color. Is rules."

Shane kisses him again and shrugs. "The girls seem busy. Maybe later. Is Jackie still not back?"

"She texted. Traffic is bad. I do not mind." Ilya looks over at the twins who’ve managed to climb on top of Pike. "Was nice not to be alone."

Shane frowns slightly and kisses the top of Ilya’s head. Damn, he probably should have kept that thought to himself, but he’s too tired to try and take the comment back.

"Hey guys, you want to stay for lunch?" Pike asks them as he walks with the twins on his back.

Shane looks to Ilya for his answer. Maybe it was a cowards way to postpone a mental health conversation with his fiance — or maybe the Pike children have infected him and now he doesn’t hate Hayden Pike — but he nods. "Sounds good. Jackie should be here soon."

The three of them hang out for a bit, the twins going off to play in their rooms once hockey comes on the television. They watch recaps of the games this week. Ilya winces when he sees a clip of Shane getting hit into the boards. He knows he’s fine, but it still hurts to watch.

"Johnson is an asshole," Pike grumbles. "What did he say to you when that happened?"

"Doesn’t matter."

He said it a little too fast. Ilya looks up at Shane. "He say something?"

"Ilya, don’t," Shane warns. "It doesn’t matter."

"He say something homophobic, yes?" Ilya’s hands clench at his sides. Shane’s sexuality may be a not-talked-about topic in Montreal, but it’s slowly spreading through the league.

"Hey." Shane grabs Ilya’s hand and smooths it flat. "I don’t care what bigoted pieces of shit say to me. I know what I am and I know that I am better than that asshole. It doesn’t matter what he says. Especially when we shut them out and humiliate them in their home."

Ilya eyes Shane for a long moment before meeting Pike’s eyes. Pike gives a small nod before turning his attention back to the television.

Johnson won’t leave the next game without at least a bruise.

---

"Sorry I am so late!"

Jackie closes the door behind her and takes a deep breath. She’s in regular yoga clothes instead of the formal attire she left in. She kisses Hayden quickly then envelopes Ilya in a hug. "Thank you so much. You’re a life saver. Honestly."

Ilya smiles at his friend. "WAGs stick together, yes?"

"Who taught him WAG," Hayden complains.

"I am Russian, not stupid, Pike."

Jackie kisses her husband’s cheek as she leaves into the kitchen. "And I added him to the Montreal WAG group chat."

"What?" Pike stares at his wife in horror.

"What?" Shane looks at him with wide eyes.

"Yes, I am Lily. Girls are very funny. They do not like you Pike."

"Bullshit, Roz."

"Is true. If they met you, they would agree." Shane smacks Ilya’s shoulder and Ilya gives him a flirty wink.

"What is this on the counter?" Jackie asks from the kitchen.

The three men turn their heads to see Jackie holding a pill bottle. Ilya’s pill bottle that he hasn’t actually taken today.

"Is mine," he says stiffly. He stands and tries to act normal as he walks to Jackie to take the bottle. "I should take. Thank you."

"Is everything okay?" Jackie asks. She knows. Ilya doesn’t know how she knows what duloxetine is, but she knows what Ilya takes and why.

"Is nothing. I am not sick. Kids will not get sick." He fills a glass with water and quickly takes one. He wishes everyone would stop staring at him; He can feel it on the back of his neck.

"I don’t think she’s worried about the kids, Roz," Pike says from the living room. "Look, man, you’re family. We want you to be okay."

Ilya takes a deep breath. He’s right. Everyone here is family. He turns to look at Shane, who gives him an encouraging nod.

Of course he does. Shane’s been trying to get him to extend his support system. Something about only having Shane, who isn’t with him ninety percent of the time, isn’t healthy. Ilya thinks he forgets Ilya is Russian; Russians deal with things alone.

But Shane always wins arguments. Stupid Canadian.

"It is, uh, for me. My head sometimes is… not right. Like my mother." Ilya swallows hard. Everyone knows Irina’s story. It made headlines with the opening of his and Shane’s charity foundation. "Not… not that bad, but sometimes yes. I put them here so kids could not get them from my bag on accident."

Jackie gives him a sweet smile, and, fuck, there wasn’t a single ounce of pity in her eyes. "When I was postpartum from the twins and again with Arthur, they put me on antidepressants. It is scary, but you’re doing so well, Ilya."

Ilya refuses to cry in front of Pike and his wonderful wife. He will not. He is Russian for fuck’s sake. "Yes, Shane tells me every night."

"Asshole," Pike chokes out, but Ilya sees the small smile on his face.

Shane does not look impressed.

Jackie squeezes Ilya’s bicep. She’s undeterred by Ilya’s weak deflection. "We’re here for you. Always. WAGs stick together, right?"

Ilya smiles at his friend. "Yes."

---

Ilya checks Pike into the boards, holding him there with his shoulder. "How does it feel? Knowing I saw Amber walk before you did?"

"Fucking Christ, Rozanov!" Pike shouts. "We’re at your charity camp, not the fucking playoffs!"

Shane hard stops in front of them, raining shaved ice over them. "Hayden, Ilya, act like adults for one week. You have kids watching."

"He fucking started it," Pike says defensively with a gloved finger pointed at Ilya.

"Yes, but he’s a immature asshole. You are a father of four. Go teach your group how to shoot pucks, not curse like a pirate."

Pike skates off still grumbling under his breath. Ilya turns to his husband of two weeks with a wide grin.

"Ilya…"

"Shane," Ilya says easily and puts his stick behind his head. "You are looking handsome today. You have new skates? New freckles?"

Shane sighs exasperated. "Behave yourself or that thing I promised to do earlier? I won’t do for a month."

Ilya freezes. "You lie. You cannot hold back."

"I can and I will. I have a hand that has been wanting attention and an asshole for a husband. Behave for the kids." With that, Shane skates off to his own group to teach accuracy.

Ilya watches him leave, maybe lingering a little too long on his ass, before reuniting with his own group to teach skating drills. For the sake of his dick, he’ll behave. Even to Pike.