Rating:

General Audiences

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Fandom:

Heated Rivalry (TV)

Relationship:

Hayden Pike & Ilya Rozanov

Characters:

Hayden Pike, Ruby Pike, Arthur Pike, Jade Pike, Amber Pike, Ilya Rozanov, Shane Hollander, Wyatt Hayes, Zane Boodram, Harris Drover, Even Dykstra, Nick Chouinard, Luca Haas

Additional Tags:

Soft Ilya Rozanov, Frenemies Hayden Pike & Ilya Rozanov, Protective Hayden Pike, Long-Suffering Hayden Pike, Hayden pikes kids, Mentioned Jackie Pike, Shane Hollander cameo, Mentioned Yuna Hollander, Ilya Rozanov is Good With Children, Hayden Pike is a helicopter parent, Mentioned boston bears, Ottawa Centaurs (Game Changers), Ottawa Centaurs Player Ilya Rozanov, Jade and Ruby Pike, Ilya Rozanov babysits, Ilya Rozanov wants kids, Fluff, Ilya Rozanov is a good cook, Babysitting, Disney Movies, Supportive Ottawa Centaurs (Game Changers), Team Bonding, Ilya Rozanov Is New To The Ottawa Centaurs, Frenemies, POV Third Person Omniscient, Past Tense, Wordcount: 10.000-30.000, One Shot

Language:

English

Stats:

Published: 2026-03-20 Words: 15,641 Chapters: 1/1

Little Gremlins

Summary

When Hayden's parents are injured while Jackie is away and none of his usual babysitters are available, new Ottawa resident Rozanov volunteers to watch the kids for the week. And to Hayden's shock, he finds himself desperate enough to agree to it.
---
“What about your wife?” Ilya wondered, his question soft to make sure he didn’t upset him again. “Can she not watch kids while you visit your parents?”  

Hayden, for a moment, furrowed his brows. He never heard that gentle of a tone from Rozanov before. Ever. He thought about snapping again, but frankly, felt a bit too tired for it. Instead, he just shook his head.

“She’s not even in the country,” he admitted. “And I can’t bother her after ruining her vacation last year.”  

Ilya’s lips twitched, something akin to respect showing for a moment. “Alright, fine,” he muttered, sighing. “I take them.”  

He blinked, scoffing. “What?” he responded in confusion.  

“The kids, I take your kids,” Ilya clarified, gesturing between them. “How long will you be gone, a week? Two?” He leaned over, sorting through the other cart without permission to look at the snacks in comparison to what he already had at his house.  

Notes

This is truly an Ilya and Hayden fic, guys. Shane is literally in one scene because I just needed to feel his presence.(Set in like 2018, btw. When Ilya is signed to the The Centaurs but hasn't played with them, yet.)

Hayden stared at the cereal box like it had personally offended him; his phone dangled loosely in his hand as he zoned out in the middle of the grocery store. The boxes dull colored rebrand would mean the chances of his daughters eating it had just plummeted from its usual 80% to about 5%. Hell, he probably wouldn’t even eat it now that there was a picture of some wheat illustration on the front.  

Behind him, someone’s cart clipped his own and his head snapped towards the woman.  

“Oh, sorry,” she apologized, lips pulling into a sheepish expression as she shifted her cart to the side. “I wasn’t paying attention.”  

He blinked, her words barely processing in his head. “It’s fine,” he murmured. “No damage done.”  

She moved past him, reaching for some oatmeal, and Hayden went back to glancing at the shelves for a moment. Without really thinking about which one Jackie would approve of, he pulled the brightest cereal off the shelf. If there was a princess on the box or the promise of a prize, the chances of his kids not complaining about breakfast would rise a little bit.  

Trying to shake off his stupor, he left the breakfast aisle and went in search of berries. Those were his girls’ current favorite snacks, until something else replaced them in a week. He wasn’t trying to think about their ever-constant changing opinions, though.  

Right now, he was just trying to stock the kitchen for a few days. Days that, as of the current moment, he assumed were going to be difficult. Very difficult. It wasn’t anyone’s fault, specifically. It was just one of those weeks where everything, and he meant everything, went wrong.  

Jackie was out of town for the girls' retreat she had planned with some friends for well over six months now; it was a trip he encouraged her to take even though she worried a bit about being gone a whole two weeks. She almost never left the kids that long, especially not willingly.  

Hayden was actually looking forward to spending some time with his kids during his break, figuring out what Amber’s new favorite color was and hearing Jade screech Disney songs as loud as her tiny lungs could manage. He always loved getting to stay home with them, even if it got overwhelming. Until, of course, his parents called.  

Well, the nurse called actually. Told him there had been some sort of collision with a drunk driver, and his mother had a concussion, and his father needed surgery to remove the glass that got lodged in his chest.  

Ever since then, he’d been living in a state of disassociation, unsure what to do or how to feel. He thought about calling his wife but ruining her long-awaited trip felt cruel, especially after she had to cancel her last one the previous year. Shane was out of town, too. On a trip to Australia for some sort of charity thing Yuna put together. He was weirdly upset about having to do it, too.  

Hayden couldn’t bring three kids and a baby to the hospital. He couldn’t take care of all four while also helping his dad recover from surgery and his mom deal with her concussion. But he also couldn’t find a single babysitter who was able to make time. And he tried. Truly, he did.  

Squinting at the strawberries, trying to decide whether to buy two boxes or three, he listened to their—fourth—backup babysitter explain why she couldn’t make the short notice work. He stopped listening after being told no, though, if he was being honest.  

“I get it; it’s fine,” he mumbled, throwing all three cartons of strawberries into the cart. “I’ll figure something out.”  

Hanging up, he blew out a breath of frustration. One and a half million people and he couldn’t find a single person to watch his kids for a full week. He knew it was a handful, of course, but someone out there had to have the time.  

He was hoping a woman named Jenna would be able to rearrange her schedule for him last minute, but while he waited he was still calling everyone he and Jackie had ever let babysit for them in the past. Even the ones he didn’t particularly like because they weren’t great at cleaning or fed the kids too much sugar.  

He was so desperate, he didn’t really care. He’d clean the mess up when he got home and take them to the dentist to check for cavities himself if he could just make it through the rest of the week without drowning.  

Shoving his cart over to the blackberries, the metal crashed against another cart, and he looked up, eyes widening for a moment before they immediately narrowed. The expression, he noted, was pretty much mimicked by the man he ran into. Ilya Rozanov.  

“Ah, Pike. You shop here too?” he wondered, glancing around the store for a moment. “Thought this place was not in your tax bracket?”  

Hayden, under normal circumstances, would jeer back at him. But he was so stressed and exhausted from the past twenty-four hours of trying to manage his home and still make plans to leave town that he couldn’t really form a witty retort. Hell, it took his brain a few minutes to even remember Rozanov lived in Ottawa these days as some part of a foolish contract he signed with the Centaurs.  

“It’s the one closest to my house,” Hayden replied, less bite in his voice than usual. He still managed some, though, finding it deep down where he harbored a lot of animosity for the man. “You eat spinach? I thought you ran on Vodka and hatred.” 

Ilya actually looked almost amused by the comment, looking down at his own cart filled with a few ingredients and shrugging. “I have salad here and there,” he muttered. “You are shopping for sugar gremlins?” He eyed the cereal and fruit snacks that were littered across the bottom of the cart.  

He huffed, scrubbing his face weakly and nodding. “Mhm,” he hummed with lack luster just seconds before the phone rang in his hand. He was answering it immediately; a tentative hope sprawled across his face.  

For a moment, Ilya thought of another quip. Something about the woman’s name not being his wife’s. But that was too far, even for him. As much as he disliked Pike as a hockey player, he knew from Shane’s stories that he was a good husband and father. A loyal one. He would never cheat.  

Besides, the call seemed to be invoking more distress for him than it was clearing up, if his expression was an indication. Hayden’s shoulders slouched, eyes falling closed as he took a breath in, muttering responses that he couldn’t put much effort into.  

Ilya almost walked away, feeling today probably wasn’t the day to antagonize him. But he was nothing if not curious and just leaned over the top of his shopping cart, waiting for him to finish.  

Once Hayden hung up, Ilya was quick to ask, “What was that about?” with just a slightly less annoying tone than he usually had.  

He shoved his phone in his pocket. “Why the fuck would I tell you?” he wondered, tone harsh and filled with frustration.  

Ilya raised his hands defensively. “Woah, hey, was just a question,” he replied, gesturing to him. “You look upset.”  

“Yeah, man, my parents were in a fucking car crash,” he retorted, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “How is there not a goddamn babysitter available in one-hundred miles of this city?” Thank God the produce section was mostly empty or he’d be escorted out for this kind of behavior. 

His hand hit the edge of the shopping cart and metal rang out as Ilya’s expression shifted to one of realization. No wonder he looked so stressed. He had relatively no clue how Hayden’s relationship with his parents was, nor did he really care. But if the man was family oriented about his wife and kids, Ilya assumed he was equally devoted to his mother and father.  

“What about your wife?” he wondered, his question soft to make sure he didn’t upset him again. “Can she not watch kids while you visit them?”  

Hayden, for a moment, furrowed his brows. He never heard that gentle of a tone from Rozanov before. Ever. He thought about snapping again, but frankly, felt a bit too tired for it. Instead, he just shook his head. “She’s not even in the country,” he admitted. “And I can’t bother her after ruining her vacation last year.”  

Ilya’s lips twitched, something akin to respect showing for a moment. “Alright, fine,” he muttered, sighing. “I take them.”  

He blinked, scoffing. “What?” he responded in confusion.  

“The kids, I take your kids,” Ilya clarified, gesturing between them. “How long will you be gone, a week? Two?” He leaned over, sorting through the other cart without permission to look at the snacks in comparison to what he already had at his house.  

Hayden shook his head slowly, mouth opening and closing a few times as his brain malfunctioned. He knew he didn’t get a lot of sleep last night from the stress of worrying about his parents, but he must have gotten even less than he thought because there was no way he was hearing Ilya Rozanov offer to babysit his children for him. That was like one of the least likely things to occur in the history of the world.  

“I am not paying you to watch my kids,” Hayden told him, tone clear and definitive. He didn’t like Rozanov and he certainly didn’t trust him. Especially not with his babies.  

He wrinkled his nose. “I don’t need bribe like broke college student,” he informed him, almost offended. “Will do it for free.”  

Alright, that was another strike against things Hayden thought he would never in a million years hear from his mouth. “I- still no!” he exclaimed, shaking his head. “You’re...you.”  

“Oh, and you have so many other people willing to at current moment?” he wondered, glancing around like someone would just materialize. “You need someone to watch them, and I have no pressing plans over break. Perfect solution.”  

He did have plans, at one point. With Shane. Then Yuna insisted on some hockey charity thing in Australia, and despite both of them protesting, he was on a plane three days ago. It left Ilya in Ottawa mostly alone, aside from his new team who he was still getting to know and so far liked despite their less than disciplined routine on the ice.  

“You seriously aren’t doing anything?” Hayden questioned in disbelief. “You’re not gonna have a ton of blonde models walking around in swimsuits and drinking your alcohol until the season starts?” 

Ilya looked at him with an almost disgusted expression at the assumption. “Firstly, blondes are not my type. Second of all, Canadian women are too boring,” he listed off, ticking his fingers back as he did so. “And third of all, I have no pool.”  

Which was an entirely intentional decision, by the way. He liked to use it as an excuse to drive over to Shane’s cottage and swim in the lake, accidentally dragging him into it. A very crafty and might he add, well executed, plan. Until Yuna messed it up.  

Hayden stared at him, like some weak part of his brain was actually starting to give in. “So, no one shifty is around, then? Just you?” he wondered, fingers tapping the edge of the shopping cart anxiously. “You have the space for all of them?”  

He nodded like it was obvious. “You have four kids, Pike. Is not an army,” he clarified. “I have two guest bedrooms and assume Amber sleeps in crib as this age, yes? Twins can share bed; Arthur can have his own room.”  

He was momentarily caught off guard by the fact that Ilya knew how many kids he had, let alone that the girls were twins and the names of his two youngest. It was, fortunately or perhaps unfortunately, overshadowed by the part of his weakening resilience.  

“Amber cries a lot,” Hayden stated, like it was just a fact. “And the twins don’t shut up about Disney movies. They try to force everyone to play dolls and wear nail polish and—” 

“I know what children are like,” he interjected, nodding. “I have a niece back in Russia, my favorite relative. I babysat for my brother whenever needed, got used to clapping for twirls and braiding her hair.” He paused for a moment. “And if you spread that around, I will skin you.”  

Hayden huffed, trying to envision Ilya Rozanov as someone who styles hair and encourages dance performances. It was so out of character that even the threat he tacked on afterwards didn’t really harden the rest of the information the way he probably hoped it would.  

“And you could really keep all four of them alive and intact for a whole week?” he questioned, a thread of his sanity still hanging on. “Multiple meals a day, exercise, getting them to brush their teeth?”  

Ilya shrugged. “I do all of that each day for myself. Is not so difficult to feed a few extra mouths and wash extra clothes,” he replied. “Besides, I just bought a new, very sensible car. Is Mercades, obvious, but boring compared to one I sold.”  

Hayden felt the last shred of his doubt giving way. Maybe it was his desperation to have some chance at making it to his folks sooner rather than later, or Ilya’s surprisingly good arguments that were swaying him. He wasn’t sure. Either way, he bit his tongue as he began nodding.  

“Okay, alright if you- I mean if you’re serious about watching them and think it wouldn’t be a hassle then yeah,” he finally agreed, even as every fiber of his being screamed that he would regret it. “But I’m going to call every single day and if you so much as if miss one of them I will be back in record breaking speed.”  

“In minivan, really?” Ilya teased slightly before pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Alright, is fair enough to want to check on offsprings, I suppose.” He handed him his cell so he could type his phone number in. “Will send you address once I get home. Give me, eh, hour or two to babyproof. Have edges on the feet of couch that would be bad for Amber to hit her head on during tummy time. She has that still, yes?” 

Hayden bobbed his head slowly; he was pretty sure he felt his version of reality collapsing around him as he heard the mention of tummy time slip out of Rozanov’s mouth. He had no idea how he even knew what that was, let alone was informed enough that he would bother trying to make his house safer.  

“Uh- yeah, yes,” he muttered, trying to get a grip. “She has it every day for about an hour. She crawls, too. Fast. You can’t look away or leave the room if she’s on the ground. And Arthur sometimes tries to hit her with pillows to get her to roll over.”  

He let out a soft chuckle. “Amusing,” he murmured, quickly frowning. “Not that I will allow him to do such a thing, of course. Would be reckless.”  

Hayden squinted at him. “Uh huh,” he mused skeptically, checking his watch. “Can I bring them over at six?” he questioned, figuring that would give him enough time to drive throughout the night and reach the hospital before either of his parents woke up. “I can feed them an early dinner, so you just have to get them to sleep.”  

Ilya nodded and a few hours later, Hayden found himself packing five bags. One for himself and four for his children. All while his mind raced with dubious thoughts about his own parenting abilities. Seriously, Jackie was going to kill him for this.  

This was one of their rules, to only leave the kids with babysitters they both approved of. It scared her to no end whenever they hired someone new, always texting the sitter twice as much if they had never sat for them in the past.  

Which was why Hayden had decided not to tell her until after she came home from her trip. A choice that could either help maintain her peace of mind or earn him divorce papers, depending on how the next few days went.  

“What about my stuffie? Will he tuck her in too?” Jade questioned, looking almost as concerned about staying with a stranger as her father felt about leaving her with one. “She can’t sleep without being tucked in.”  

“I promise I’ll remind him about it,” Hayden assured her, handing her the purple backpack he’d tucked some clothes into. “Grab your sister for me.”  

She bobbed her head lazily, going to find Ruby like he asked. He blew a breath out as he watched her leave, toppling a bit side to side with the weight of the bag. The girls were, thankfully, pretty good travelers. They had been on more planes than most grown adults, already, because of his work.  

That didn’t make it much less stressful to try to get them into the car, though.  

Especially not when he always had the perpetual feeling that he was forgetting something. Although, this time, that sensation was slightly overshadowed by his own guilt and fear.  

What the hell was Rozanov thinking volunteering like this? More importantly, what the hell was Hayden thinking when he agreed to it? He didn’t really have time to wrestle with his own conscious for a third time, though. Not when his phone chimed with an address from Rozanov’s number.  

Amber stirred in her crib and Hayden reached down, hauling her out of it. He prayed to as many God’s as he could name that she wouldn’t start screaming and crying the second he left town. As funny as it might have been if Rozanov got overwhelmed by a little baby, he was actually hoping there was some truth to the story he told about being good with his niece.  

“I want a snack,” Arthur whined, bag slung over his shoulders loosely.  

Hayden felt like he was going to combust from stress. “We have snacks in the car, bud,” he reminded him, pointing to the door. “It’s unlocked, just put your bags in the trunk.”  

There was some grumbling, but after a while, his son wandered towards the front of the house. The girls followed, Jade still going on about how her stuffed animal had to be tucked in correctly when they went to bed.  

Looking down at Amber, he sighed, leaning to kiss her forehead for a moment. At least one of them wasn’t complaining about the circumstances. Granted, she couldn’t speak, yet. But still, she was the most silent so far and he would take the quiet in whatever form he could get it.  

Piling Amber’s travel crib into the back of the car alongside everything else, he strapped her into the car seat and did a headcount to ensure everyone had their seat belts on. Half the battle was gathering everyone and everything, so he supposed he was at least one step closer to managing the situation.  

“How come we don’t know him?” Ruby asked, leaning her head on the side of the window. “We know all your friends.” At least, in a roundabout way. Hayden had most of the team over at least once or twice per season, and the guys always sent birthday presents for the kids.  

“Uh, he’s...more of an acquaintance,” he answered, grimacing to himself. “And he’s doing us a big favor by watching you on such short notice, so you need to be on your best behavior.”  

“We’re always good,” Jade retorted, scrunching her nose.  

Hayden huffed lightly. “Well, be even better than good, then,” he suggested. “Be super-duper good and I’ll buy you ice cream at the end of the week.”  

“Mommy says you aren’t supposed to bribe us,” she told him.  

He tapped on the steering wheel, glancing at the GPS for a moment. “Mom isn’t here,” he reminded her. “Besides, it’s not bribery, it’s just...incentive.”  

That, of course, launched them into a conversation about what the word meant. Which spiraled into the question of how it was different than a bribe and why it was allowed now but not always. Hayden had always heard kids asked questions that were tough to answer, but he had never known just how relentless it was until he actually had them.  

To say they made his mind bend in ways that gave him a headache would be an understatement.  

Twenty minutes later or so, he pulled into Rozanov’s driveway, eyes widening slightly at the size of the house. He was rich, sure, but this was a bit ridiculous, even for him. The neighborhood was the kind that he assumed was filled with rich widows and old retired millionaires, given how many houses had water fountains in the front yard and tall balconies overlooking the porch.  

Hayden unbuckled, giving his kids a quick warning to stay put until he came back. Even in a nice neighborhood, he didn’t want them to wander into the street. He glanced at the other car in the driveway, the ‘sensible’ Mercades that Rozanov had been telling him about.  

He took a deep breath, knocking on the front door. Part of him still screamed, internally, that this was a very elaborate joke. But a moment later the door swung open, and Rozanov stood there in a t-shirt and sweatpants, eyes almost immediately looking around for little kids.  

“You have no sense of punctuality,” he stated in annoyance. “Where are children?”  

He stuck his thumb over his shoulder. “The car,” he replied, words tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop them. He still couldn’t really believe he was doing this, but given he was literally at the man’s front door, it was a tad too late to back out.  

Rozanov nodded, stepping off the porch to help him get their things. “I set up guest rooms earlier,” he informed him. “And fixed sharp edges on couch for Amber. They know not to touch outlets, I assume?”  

He huffed slightly, opening the car door for the girls to get out. “Yes, they know that,” he retorted sharply. “How many stories is this place?” he wondered, popping the trunk.  

“Just two,” Rozanov responded, shrugging. “Very tall ceilings and good natural lighting. ” 

Ruby climbed out of the car, staring up at him for a moment with the kind of scrutiny that only a young child could manage. He didn’t shy away from it, though, just waving slightly at her. She turned away from him, finding her dad at the back of the car as he sorted through their things.  

“He speaks funny,” she said as he handed her the blue backpack. “Is he sick?” 

Hayden nearly snorted, just glancing down to keep himself from smirking. Well, from showing that he already was, anyway. “He’s Russian,” he replied, tugging Jade’s bag out as well. “He always sounds like that.”  

Rozanov clicked his tongue, shaking his head in disappointment. “Некультурный человек воспитывает некультурных детей,” he muttered under his breath, reaching to take the babies bag from him. “Do not worry, I will fix that.”  

He furrowed his eyebrows in concern. “Fix what? What does that—” 

“Come along little Pikes, I will show you around,” he interjected, gesturing towards the house.  

Arthur was the first to bound towards the front door as the twins glanced back at their father, looking almost wary about the idea. Still, they hauled their bags with them as Hayden unhooked Amber’s car seat, pulling the entire thing out of the back of his car. This was going...exactly as expected so far.  

He carried Amber inside; a few things tucked under his arm as he glanced around the house. It was, he had to admit, pretty nice. Okay, very nice. Tall ceilings, like Rozanov mentioned, and plenty of windows that would provide a lot of light when the sun came up.  

The living room was spacious, the television large, and the kitchen surprisingly well equipped down to a KitchenAid on the countertops. He couldn’t see what was upstairs, aside from the winding banister to get up there, but he could swear he saw another television and what looked like the edge of a pool table from the angle he was craning his neck at.  

“Is there somewhere you want things, specifically?” Hayden wondered cautiously, feeling his skin crawl as he entered his home.  

“Guest rooms are down the hall,” he clarified, pointing towards them. “And you can leave Малыш here, for now. I will keep her closer.”  

Babies had to eat pretty often, after all. It would be foolish to walk across the house to feed her. Besides, she might wake the others and then none of them would get any sleep.  

Hesitating for a moment, Hayden placed the carrier down on the dining table. He reached to tap the side of her cheek out of habit before taking the rest of the stuff down the hall, towards the guest rooms. Pushing the door open, his eyes widened a bit at the freshly made bed and the Disney blankets laid on the edge of it. Two, of course. One for each of the twins.  

He huffed quietly in disbelief. He had mentioned they loved Disney earlier. He supposed Rozanov was actually listening.  

Setting their stuff down, he did the same in the other room, feeling ever so slightly better as he walked back towards them. The girls were already sitting at the counter while Rozanov illustrated something with his hands for them that was seemingly keeping them entertained for now. That was pretty tough to do.  

“Okay, that’s most of their stuff aside from their backpacks,” Hayden muttered, glancing at the bags they had discarded by their chairs. Tall ones that he honestly didn’t know how they got up into. “They already had dinner and Arthur had an extra snack in the car, so just make sure they brush their teeth and fall asleep before eight.”  

Rozanov nodded, to his surprise, making not quips about the early bedtime. “Alright,” he replied. “Is six days, five nights, yes? You will be back on—” 

As he tried to confirm the date he would be coming back, Amber began to cry in her carseat. Her arms flailed slightly, eyes squeezing tightly closed as her face bunched up and turned red with effort.  

Hayden immediately winced, his hopes of her staying quiet flying out of the window in an instant. “Sorry, sorry,” he apologized, unbuckling her straps. “She slept the whole way here and sometimes she gets upset when the motion stops—” 

Before he could try to soothe her, Rozanov had already slid his hands underneath her, lifting Amber into his arms and cradling her against his chest. “Shhh, is alright Малыш,” he muttered under his breath, jostling her slightly. “Вы в безопасности.”  

Hayden’s hands practically hovered in the air, as if he expected Amber to keep crying and for Rozanov to shove her back into his arms at any moment. But to his surprise, she slowly stopped crying, the tears turning to fussy mewls that died down too after a few more whispers.  

“She stopped...” he murmured in awe. “She- how did you do that?”  

Rozanov shrugged, thumb brushing over the top of her head. “I hold her, yes? Is that not what babies like when they cry?” he wondered. “Or food or nap or blanket. There are only so many options.” He figured running through all of them wouldn’t be too difficult.  

“I- yeah, I guess, technically,” Hayden responded, biting back a more nuanced response. “You’re really okay with this, then? Me leaving them here?”  

He blinked at him, pulling his hand away from the baby to gesture at the others. “Would be little late to change to my mind,” he retorted, the motion turning into one of shooing. “Go, shoo. Be with your parents, do not worry about children. I’m sure they will be delightful as long as they take after their mother and not you.”  

He scoffed, rolling his eyes, but the expression quickly softened as he reached to wrap his arms around the girls individually for a quick hug. “Love you guys,” he reminded them, muttering the word ice-cream a second time for good measure.  

Glancing around, he saw Arthur already exploring, opening drawers and cabinets in the living room. Scooping him up, he pressed an obnoxious kiss on the side of his cheek and set him back down by Rozanov to make sure they all stayed together.  

Rozanov put his hand on the boy’s shoulder to keep him from scampering off. “Will be fine, truly,” he assured him, his voice perhaps the most earnest it had ever sounded.  

“I- I weirdly believe you,” he confessed, shocking himself with the statement.  

Turning around, he fought the urge to give the kids another hug and kiss, forcing himself to walk straight out the door without looking back. The fact that he could hear Ilya asking Jade about the stuffed animal he mentioned a few minutes ago made it a lot easier, if he was being honest.  

Closing the door behind himself, Hayden climbed back into his car and stared at the house for a few moments, as if attempting to mentally prepare to actually drive away.  

Ilya could hear the engine starting after a while as he finally drove away and went to lock the door once he knew there was no chance of him doubling back in panic and regret.  

“Alright, this week will be collaborative, yes?” he muttered, gesturing the kids. “You will remind me if you get hungry or need things. That way your father does not have to worry while he is gone.”  

They bobbed their heads in agreement.  

“He always worries,” Arthur told him, his eyes rolling dramatically as his head tipped a bit with it.  

Ilya’s lipped tugged smugly, still gently swaying Amber in his arms. “Ah, yes, I figured,” he noted. “He said you ate, but have you have dessert, yet?” 

They shook their heads, eyes already widening in a bit of tentative hope. “He says sugar before bed is bad for us,” Ruby responded. “It’ll give us cavities and stuff.” 

He hummed gently, musing for a moment before glancing at his fridge. “Well, I happen to know that cavities are formed by sugar sitting on teeth not just being consumed,” he informed them, setting the baby back down gently to keep her from waking up. “So, if you promise to brush extra good, then maybe we can have a bowl...” 

The nodding was immediate, followed by overlapped promises in high pitched voices that had him chuckling. He shushed them, tucking Amber’s blanket under her chin before he pulled a few bowls out of the cabinets and grabbed spoons.  

Pulling open his freezer, the kids peered inside.  

“You have so many!” Jade exclaimed. “Mom only lets us have one type.” She claimed it was to keep them from not eating too much and making sure everyone got to pick the flavor each time it ran out.  

“Perks of adult money,” Ilya joked, gesturing at the cartons. “Do you have preference?”  

She pointed to the cookies and cream while her sister motioned to the strawberry, and Arthur kept repeating ‘chocolate’ over and over. Pulling out all three, Ilya set them on the counter and pried the lids off to scoop some out for them. Less than what he would normally eat, given they were pretty small. But he still wasn’t as uptight at their parents and tried to give them a decent amount.  

“I think you’re gonna be a good acquaintance,” Ruby muttered as she wrapped her hands around the cold bowl.  

He wasn’t quite sure what she meant by that, but smiled at the fondness in her tone, taking it as a compliment. “Do you want whipped cream, too?” he questioned. “I have some in fridge.”  

She nodded, of course, and he grabbed the can to add a little dollop to each of their bowls.  

“Thank you,” Jade muttered, glaring at Arthur who barely waited for his whipped cream before already taking a bite.  

His sister jabbed him with her elbow, and Arthur scowled, turning back to Ilya. “Thanks,” he repeated, somehow already having gotten chocolate on his face.  

Ilya chuckled, handing him a napkin that he doubted he would use very effectively. “пожалуйста,” he replied, grabbing their bags off the floor. “I’ll take these to your rooms while you finish eating, then is bedtime, right? We’ll read story and make sure everyone is tucked in.”  

He, as promised, let them take their time. Then, he held them to their end of the bargain and made sure they all brushed their teeth for the full two minutes once they changed into their pajamas.  

He read one of the books Hayden packed, something about animals that was meant to help their vocabulary. If he was being honest, it kind of improved his a bit, too. After all, he played hockey; there was no need for the word crustation to come up terribly often.  

It kind of reminded him of the days when he would babysit his niece, tucking her in with extra blankets during the winter and making her breakfast while his brother was out doing God knows what. He didn’t even realize how much he missed her until he was kissing Jade’s stuffed animal for her, making sure the toy got enough attention before turning out the lights for the night.  

Not all, of course. Just the big light. He kept the small nightlight on in the corner for them, in case they got frightened or needed to get up for any reason.  

Wandering back down the hallway, he fussed with Amber’s crib for a moment, swearing a bit more than he would have liked to admit before getting it set up correctly. He then moved her from her car seat to the crib, ensuring she wasn’t too fussy before stepping away from her to get ready for bed himself.  

Normally, he wouldn’t be asleep before nine. But he didn’t want to risk waking up any of the kids and figured they would probably be up early tomorrow anyway, so he should be too. Little gremlins like early mornings, he was pretty sure.  

Ilya crawled into bed, moving around some of his pillows to try to get comfortable. He was about to lay down when his phone rang, the sound immediately making Amber gargle back tears. He rolled over quickly, reaching to comfort her. He shushed the baby, jostling his stomach with his hand until she calmed down.  

Only then did he reach for his phone, checking it. Of course, the missed call had been from Shane. He wasn’t sure who else he was expecting at nearly nine. Returning the call, he glanced back at Amber, double checking that she had truly relaxed a bit before pulling away from her and sitting back up in bed.  

“Hey! I didn’t catch you at a bad time or anything, right?” Shane wondered as his picture popped up, looking like he was walking somewhere outside. “You usually pick up after two or three rings.”  

He was quick to lower the volume on his phone, hoping it wouldn’t disturb the baby. “No, of course not,” he assured him, voice quiet. “I was just away from my phone, is all.” He squinted at the screen. “Where are you?”  

“Some boardwalk,” he told him, flipping the camera around so he could see the view around him. “I just got finished with brunch with my mom and some other athletes.”  

Yuna had pretty much been in manager mode for the entire trip, planning every single day of the trip and only telling him what hours he had free more than anything. Not that there were many of them, honestly. Some in the early morning, if he woke up before the sun, and some late at night. This afternoon had been a rare chance to sneak away for a walk.  

Ilya hummed, idly rubbing his ear as he looked at the scenery with him. “Sounds very boring,” he noted softly. “Is what, noon there now? You plan to take nap, next, and really enjoy your vacation?” he teased.  

Shane scoffed, his eyes already rolling as he flipped the camera back around. “I’m not on vacation, but yeah, it’s twelve,” he reminded him, furrowing his brows slightly. “Which means it’s barely nine, there. Why are you whispering?”  

He pursed his lips slightly, trying to hide the smug expression that was threatening to overcome him. He had meant to text him about the kids but he got so busy babyproofing and grabbing them blankets and snacks that it slipped his mind altogether.  

“You will not believe me if I tell you,” he muttered, eyes glancing off screen for a brief moment to make sure he wasn’t about to wake the baby by talking too loudly.  

Shane had all but stopped his walk, leaning against the nearest railing to devote his attention to his boyfriend. “Okay, now you’re freaking me out,” he admitted, head tilted as he looked at him with a goofy expression. “What’s going on?” 

He sat up a bit straighter. “I have Pike’s children staying with me,” he confessed.  

As expected, Shane didn’t believe him. At all.  

He snorted a laugh, shaking his head in amusement as he grinned. “Alright, fine, don’t tell me,” he muttered. “At least come up with a better excuse, though. Something in the realm of believable like you bought a dog without telling me and its asleep. Or one of your new teammates came over and you’re hiding from them.”  

Ilya huffed, unsurprised that those were what he considered likely. He did want a dog, after all. Badly. “No, am serious, Shane,” he insisted, flipping the camera around to show him Amber who was still fast asleep.  

He could see the moment it registered to his boyfriend. Not just that there was a baby nearby, but that it was one he recognized. That was his goddaughter, after all. There were literally legal papers that gave him custody over her and the other kids if something happened to Hayden and Jackie.  

“That’s...that’s Amber,” he mumbled in disbelief, like he was imagining her.  

“That’s literally what I just told you,” Ilya responded, his voice still barely above a whisper. “Twins and Arthur are asleep in guest rooms.”   

Shane looked like he was still trying to figure out what dimension he fell into where his best friend had voluntarily left all four of his children, including a very small baby, with Ilya. He hated Ilya. Not didn’t trust or wasn’t a fan of, but utterly loathed.  

Granted, he might feel differently—for better or worse—if he knew they were dating. But to Hayden, Ilya was just their rival for the past decade. Him moving to another team didn’t change that for any reason. At least, it shouldn’t.  

“W-why do you have his kids?” he stammered, his head busy trying to come up with a reason. “Does he know you took them?” 

Ilya frowned behind the camera, watching his reaction. “I did not take them; he brought them to me. Do not make it sound like I steal his baby,” he clarified, sounding almost offended. “His parents were hurt in car crash; he had no one to watch the children. I volunteered.”  

“His mom and da—why didn’t he tell me? Why did you volunteer? How did he actually take you up on the offer?” he wondered, questions spilling past his lips before he could process half of them.  

“Probably too uh- what's the word, frazzled? He looked very bad,” Ilya told him honestly. “Think he was pretty desperate but is fine because kids and I are getting along fine so far. I plan to make pancakes in morning. Unless you think they like waffles better.”  

Shane scrubbed his hand over his face, playing catch up as quickly as he could. “No, yeah, they- either would be good, probably,” he replied. “They like smoothies, too.”  

That’s what he usually made for them when he offered to babysit for Hayden and Jackie. He had half a mind to text him, to ask how his parents were doing and apologize for not being there to babysit while he left town. But he knew he couldn’t do that without explaining how he miraculously knew about the accident.  

Ilya brought the blanket a bit higher to Amber’s chin, making sure she couldn’t fling it off herself with all the rolling around she was doing in her sleep. “Good to know,” he admitted, flipping the camera back around. “Anything else they like?”  

“I- jeez, I’m blanking a bit,” he admitted, thinking a bit harder. “Pretzel sticks and popcorn, those kinds of snacks. And pizza, too. I usually order them some, when they’re staying with me.” 

It occurred to him, rather abruptly, that he never got to babysit Amber. Not yet, anyway. Ilya had somehow managed to beat him to it.  

“Ah, so their taste buds are not so different from mine,” he murmured, nodding in approval. “Will be an easy week, then, I think.”  

“A week!” Shane exclaimed.  

“Shh! малыш is sleeping,” he scolded him sharply, pressing his finger against his lips.  

He winced. “Sorry, sorry,” he apologized weakly. “You’re watching them for a whole week? I don’t think I’ve had them longer than seventy-two hours before.”  

They were, well, a lot. He loved them, of course. They were pretty good kids, and he didn’t mind watching them. But even so, they were still absolute balls of energy, which was exhausting after a while.  

Ilya nodded. “Probably, unless Pike turns around to come get them,” he noted, shrugging. “I want him to focus on parents, though. Could be serious for their health; he shouldn’t have to worry about kids, too.”  

Shane stared at his face as the dim lightly illuminated it. “That’s alarmingly sweet of you,” he admitted.  

He grimaced slightly. “Hate Pike as a player, not a person,” he reminded him. “Besides, from what I hear he is good husband and father so there are a few redeeming qualities buried deep under ugly haircut.”  

He huffed, nodding slightly. “There it is,” he murmured, relieved he hadn’t fallen into a totally different universe after all. “Still, it’s nice of you. I know they can be a lot to handle, so if you need anything just call.”  

Or text, actually, since there was a pretty big gap between their time zones currently.  

“I think I can handle the gremlins for a few days,” Ilya replied, tone laced with fondness. “But I will let you know if there are any tantrums I can’t soothe or something.”  

Though, the rest of the night went pretty smoothly in his opinion. Aside from a few, alright, perhaps several times when Amber woke him up crying. Still, she was relatively easy to get back to bed. It just took a few soothing words or a couple of lines from the lullaby his own mom used to sing to him.  

She seemed to prefer Russian, if he was being honest. Maybe because her little brain liked the roughness his voice held when he spoke it, he wasn’t very sure. Regardless, she wasn’t much of a bother.  

Neither were the twins or Arthur, in the morning. They were up early, like he expected, already bouncing around with the kind of energy he would swear he never had, even at their ages. He made them pancakes, smothering them in berries since he saw tons in Hayden’s cart yesterday, presumably for them.  

The only off-putting thing, he supposed, was just how many pancakes they could cram into their tummies, given how small they were. Nevertheless, he kept making them as fast as they were eating them. Which was pretty quick.  

“You actually know Scooby Doo?” Ruby questioned, tearing apart another pancake with her teeth as she ate with her hands.  

Ilya furrowed his eyebrows. “Am not ancient,” he defended, spatula scraping the pan for a moment as he flipped another pancake. “I watched a lot of cartoons when I moved to America. Helped my English, like it helps you with yours.”  

“How come you still speak like that, then?” Jade wondered, dipping her pancake into a bowl of syrup.  

“I- you are a very blunt child. I respect that,” he commented with an approving nod, flopping the new pancakes onto the biggest plate at the counter so any of them could grab it. “Accent sometimes lessens but never disappears. Plus, makes people think I am angry and they like that.”  

“Why?” Arthur added.  

The boy reached for the fresh pancake and quickly burned his fingertips. He kept holding onto it, though, just dragging it to his plate before dropping it and shaking his hand out quickly, nearly smacking his sister. Ruby shoved him further away, keeping him from hitting her on accident.  

Ilya shrugged, dipping the measuring cup back into the batter. “Sort of what I am known for, I suppose,” he admitted, trying to make the pancakes look at least somewhat round as he spilled the batter into the pan. “People like that version of me.”  

Well, some of them did. His old teammates, his old fans, some random commentators who could appreciate his crudeness. Most people didn’t really like it, so much as expected it. Who was he to disappoint them? 

“Does our dad think you’re angry?” Jade asked, tilting her head as she reached for the glass of chocolate milk that he had poured for each of them.  

Ilya tugged his lips to the side. “Is complicated,” he replied, giving a weak shrug. “He knows me long time, since before any of you were born. But we are not uh- close, to say the least. Different teams rarely are.”  

Her face crinkled in confusion as she wiped the milk from her upper lip. “Why aren’t—” 

Before she could ask, his phone rang on the counter beside him. It was still early in the morning, barely even eight, yet. That would make it eleven where Shane was, though. He was probably sleeping, exhausted by the schedule Yuna kept him on.  

“Ah, give me a moment,” he muttered, turning the stove off and picking his phone up. “Eat юнцы, I will make you more if you are still hungry.”  

“Promise?” Arthur called as he turned to leave.  

Ilya turned, nodding dramatically as he backed out of the kitchen with his phone pressing to his ear. He kept his eye on the kids to make sure they weren’t going to spill their drinks or start bickering.  

“Yes, Hayes?” Ilya questioned, lips tugging into a smile as he noticed Arthurs legs swinging back and forth on the tall chair. “You beckoned at dawn for something?” 

“Eight am is hardly dawn, Roz,” he replied, pausing for a moment. “That felt weird. It’s still too early for nicknames, I think.”  

“I agree,” he replied immediately, the name, while not uncommon for him to hear, still sounding a bit strange out of a relative stranger's mouth. “Maybe at some point, though.” 

Just because he signed with the Centaurs didn’t mean he automatically knew them. They met a few times; he had been to some of their homes. They weren’t bonded, though. Not the way he considered his old team to be his friends. Hell, he still talked to most of them. Marlow every day, the others usually once a week.  

“I’ll stay hopeful,” Hayes told him. “So, you got any pressing plans today or can you make it the rink?” 

He furrowed his eyebrows. “We have ten days left of break,” he reminded him, sounding slightly confused. “Practice does not start until—” 

“No, no, we’re not meeting for actual practice,” he interjected, trying to clarify. “It’s a bonding thing we do, before coach gets involved. He knows about it, just lets us have our ritual. And you’re on the team now, sooo....”  

He trailed off, but the message was clear. He expected Ilya to be there, to partake in whatever form of team building exercises they had planned.  

“I- maybe if I had time, I would, but I’m busy today,” he explained vaguely, glancing back at the kitchen.  “Next time, though.”  

“Nooo, there’s no next time. There’s today,” Hayes insisted, voice sounding slightly whining. “What’s keeping you busy on break, anyway? I thought you said you had no plans.”  

Ilya grimaced to himself. He had said that, in some attempt to start getting to know the others and maybe even become friends instead of just teammates. In his defense, it was true at the time. Up until last night, he really was just planning to rest over the break.  

He sighed, crossing one of his arms over his chest. “Babysitting,” he confessed. “Is very last minute but I have, uh- an acquaintances kids for the week.” 

There was a slight pause on the other end of the phone, and he was pretty sure this was going to immediately ruin the tough guy act that most people thought of when they met him.  

“Oh, alright,” Hayes said, like it was no big deal. “Just bring them along. We’re family friendly.” Well, mostly, anyway. They could tone down the usual humor and not swear for a few hours if there were children around.  

He furrowed his eyebrows slightly, hesitating. “I don’t know if that is a good idea,” he admitted skeptically. “It would annoy their father and I—” He froze for a moment, blinking once, then twice. “We’ll be there,” he suddenly remarked, shifting gears quickly.  

“Okaaay, we’ll see you in an hour, then,” he added before hanging up. He wasn’t sure what caused the abrupt change in attitude, but he sure all hell wasn’t going to question it.  

Ilya hummed to himself as the line went dead. Yeah, it would definitely annoy Pike to know he took the kids to the Centaurs rink when he was out of town. But then again, he wasn’t here. And the kids had so much energy that a trip across the city might help them get rid of some of it.  

“Well?” Ilya wondered as he made his way back into the kitchen. “Do we need more pancakes or are you full, yet?”  

Jade pushed her plate away, clearly finished eating. Meanwhile, her siblings held theirs out.  

“More!” Arthur exclaimed, getting elbowed by Ruby. “Please?” he tacked on begrudgingly.  

He nodded, turning the stove back on. “More pancakes it is,” he muttered to himself, giving the batter a quick stir. “So, has your father taught you to skate yet?” he questioned curiously.  

Most NHL players with kids had stuck them on the ice in some capacity before they even started first grade, in his experience. He watched as they all nodded but noticed that it was a varying degree of agreement attached to it.  

“Sorta,” Ruby told him, shrugging. “We can skate if dad holds the back of our jackets.”  

“Holds your jacket,” her sister corrected. “I don’t need dad’s help.” 

“You hold the wall!” she fired back, like it invalidated her point.  

Ilya held up his hands, trying to wave off the experience part of the discussion. After all, how much experience could kids their age really accumulate? Hayden didn’t seem like the type of father to force his legacy on his children or make them play a sport they had no interest in.  

“Okay, varying degrees of ability then, but you have at least been on ice, yes?” he noted, seeking their assurances. When they nodded, he mimicked the gesture. “Good, that’s good. Would you want to go to rink today and skate with some of my...friends?”  

It was a loose term, currently. But he had nothing against his new team. They seemed pretty welcoming, so far, even if he didn’t know them terribly well.  

Arthur was bobbing his head immediately, as were his sisters.  

“Can we?” Jade wondered, leaning over the counter.  

Ilya nodded, pouring some more batter into the pan once it reheated again. “Of course,” he told them. “How about we have a few more pancakes and then you go get ready while I feed Amber? We can leave in, forty-five minutes?”  

Their concepts of time were, well, a bit loose still. But the girls knew how to read time well enough not to lose track of it as easily as they used to. They were thankfully well behaved enough to finish their breakfast pretty quickly, dressing themselves while he fed the baby.  

He let his mind drift, briefly, while he did, back to Shane. Or rather, what he might look like as a dad. He never really saw pictures of him with Amber or any of Hayden’s kids when they were small but knew he was around them often. It was a nice image, in his mind. Especially if he had those damn glasses on.  

But those were thoughts he supposed they had to discuss later, when they were together and not on different continents. For now, he just had to focus on the kids that actually existed. Even if they weren’t his own.  

The drive to the rink went relatively well, he thought. He might have sworn once or twice when he got cut off in traffic, but it was in Russian, so it didn’t really count, he figured. And aside from that, he mostly just listened to the kids—and maybe joined occasionally them—as they sang Disney songs. The classic ones, of course. Mulan, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid.  

If they dared to tell Hayden, he’d deny it and probably accuse the children of lying. But of course, he knew the songs.  

Pulling into the rink, the kids got out and he unhooked Amber’s car seat. He pointed towards the door, helping them pull it open and ushering them inside. He counted most of the team as present, laughing as they either laced their skates or were already on the ice.  

“You made it!” Bood exclaimed in excitement, slapping him on the back a bit too enthusiastically. “And these are the kids?” he waved at them, though they were already looking around, their attention spans shorter than they were.  

He nodded, pointing at them. “Arthur, Jade, and Ruby,” he told him, gesturing to the baby. “This is Amber.”  

He coo’d twiddling his fingers at her as she stared up at him, awake but currently still silent. “Awe, she’s adorable,” he muttered, looking up and glancing around. “You should let Harris take her; he’s great with babies.”  

Ilya furrowed his eyebrows, nodding slowly. “Strange thing to know about a man,” he murmured, mostly to himself. “Why is social media man even here? Is team bonding, no?” He assumed it would be a pretty private thing, just between them.  

Bood waved him off. “He’s not posting anything,” he assured him, not wanting him to worry about the kid's privacy. “He’s part of the team, though, in a way. We like having him around.”  

That made sense, he supposed. Just because he hadn’t been very close with his media didn’t mean it was like that everywhere. “Do you think we have any skates small enough for tiny feet?” he wondered.  

He nodded. “Yeah, we’ve been scouring ever since Hayes roped you in,” he confessed. “I’ll take them, if you want.”  

Ilya gestured towards the children, gently coaxing them towards Bood to go with him. They followed, still glancing around curiously. He wondered if they were comparing it to the rink their father played at.  

Wandering off, he went in search of Harris, who, as anticipated, looked thrilled to see the baby.  

“Oh, my goodness, look at her!” he exclaimed in a hushed voice, trying not to disturb her. “Aren’t you an angel?” he muttered as Ilya set the carrier down on the bench nearby.  

“You would not think so if you knew her father,” he noted, fussing with her blanket for a second to make sure she didn’t cold near the ice. “But we won’t hold it against her. Is perfect otherwise.”  

Harris furrowed his eyebrows slightly, realizing Hayes hadn’t actually told them whose kids Ilya was babysitting. But it didn’t really matter to him, honestly. He liked pretty much every kid he ever met, mostly because they liked him back.  

“Do you mind if I hold her?” he wondered.  

Ilya shook his head. “She likes it, actually, especially if you do the swaying thing,” he added.  

Harris lifted her out of her carrier, keeping her blankets wrapped around her as he bounced her a bit side to side. “Look at you, glancing around,” he murmured, letting her stare at the rink. “Do you see all the players swooshing by?” 

His lips quirked into a small smile. “Do you want to watch her, Harris?” he questioned, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. “I have three others to keep an eye on.”  

He nodded almost immediately. “Absolutely,” he replied, pointing towards Haas on the ice as he practically began ignoring Ilya in favor of talking at Amber. “See him? That’s Luca; he’s young, like you.”  

With a small huff, Ilya turned around and headed to find wherever Bood had taken the other little gremlins. They were, as he found a bit later, getting their skates tied on for them by him and Dykstra, little legs hanging off their benches in the locker room.  

Jade was listening intently as Dykstra explained something about keeping her laces tight to avoid accidents while her brother just fought to stay still, absently kicking his legs as Bood tied his skates. He had to hold the boy's leg down with one hand, keeping a decent distance to avoid getting hit with the blade.  

“Have you ever seen the locker rooms of your dad’s rink?” Ilya wondered, popping his head into the room.  

Ruby shook her head, waiting as patiently as she could for her turn to have her skates put on. “He says its team only,” she replied. “We’ve met the mascot, though.”  

“Ah, well today you are a tiny teammate, alright?” he muttered, walking closer and kneeling down in front of her, gesturing for her to give him her leg. “That means you collaborate with everyone and be good as group.”  

She nodded again, watching him pull one of the small skates onto her foot. He let her balance the blade on his knee, tying the laces and double checking they weren’t too constricting before gesturing towards her other leg. He was honestly surprised they even had any this size laying around but supposed he should be grateful for it.  

“You didn’t tell us their dad played hockey, too,” Dykstra commented, tilting his head towards him. “Metro’s kid?” That was the only other team nearby enough.  

Ilya nodded. “Pike’s children,” he retorted, putting down Ruby’s other leg and helping her stand, holding onto both of her hands as she wobbled.  

Bood huffed. “And here I thought you were supposed to be antisocial,” he muttered in slight disbelief. “I had no clue you were that nice to the Metro’s.” Especially given his former teams rivalry with them.  

“Am not, believe me,” he replied, shaking his head. “This is just a favor he needed.” He didn’t want them automatically assuming he was a nice guy just because he was babysitting. He liked kids and dogs, not people.  

“Mhm,” Bood hummed skeptically, grabbing Arthur by his stomach and lifting him up completely. He laughed, face scrunching as he was carried towards the risk.  

Dykstra shook his head, glancing at Jade who didn’t seem nearly as thrilled about being carried, especially not upside-down. He very gently lifted her up, carrying her in a cradle instead that seemed much more her pace.  

Ilya raised an eyebrow. “I wasn’t aware you could be thrown around like potato's,” he muttered, looking at Ruby curiously. “Was trying to be mature and careful not to hurt Pike’s precious kids. How annoying to know I didn’t need to do that.”  

She chuckled; her laugh cut off as he snatched her, putting her on his shoulders. “You’re tall!” she exclaimed, looking around from above.  

Well, everyone kind of was to her, but he was really tall compared to her own father. Besides, he didn’t really let them sit this high up, claiming it would be too scary for them.  

“Do not kick me in the face with those blades,” he insisted, holding onto her ankles as he carried her out of the locker room. “Am trusting you not to mutilate my perfect face, okay?” 

Heading back to the ice, she saw her siblings already on it. Jade was clutching Bood, nearly cutting off circulation to his arm, and Arthur was already laying down, having fallen over the second Dykstra let go.  

“For the kids of a three-time cup winner, you guys are pretty sloppy on skates,” Bood commented, chuckling as he saw Arthur slipping around like a turtle that wasn’t able to flip over.  

“Here I thought it was just some kids,” Haas muttered, coming to a quick stop a few feet away. “No one told me we’ve got legacies today.” He bent down, helping Arthur stand up, not letting go like his teammate had. “Come on Bambi, you’ll never be like your dad if you can’t find your legs.”  

“Some would call you Bambi, Haas,” Ilya jeered, pulling Ruby off his shoulders and helping her step onto the ice slowly. “Small, young, big eyes.”  

“Oh, ha ha,” he deadpanned as the others chuckled, some even downright laughing behind him.  

Ilya bit back a smirk, slowly gliding out onto the ice with Ruby’s hands still squeezing his. He could see her balance faltering, the idea of being on one straight blade a lot more difficult than it would be if she were rolling skating with four wheels or something.  

“Is pretty easy once you find your balance,” he encouraged, skating backwards and very slowly dragging her along with him. “Speed actually keeps you steady, believe it or not. Slower you are, harder it is to control. You wobble.”  

She nodded, a look of concentration on her face. She stared down at the ice, almost mesmerized by the lines being cut by the blades. “Don’t let go,” she told him.  

“I won’t,” he promised, giving her hands a small squeeze. “Do you want to move your legs a little? Pick one up just a bit and then push off it a little. Not as much as full step, though.” That would be too much and she’d probably trip over herself.  

Ruby tried it, lifting one of her skates and wobbling a bit as she put it back down, propelling herself forwards a little sloppily. He kept his grip firm, keeping her balanced as she did so.  

“Like that? Did I do it?” she wondered, sounding like she wanted to get excited about it but was waiting to make sure she got it right, first.  

Ilya nodded, hearing Hayes clapping behind them. “Looks like you’re on a one-way track to the Olympics, kid,” he noted with a respectful nod.  

“Ah, there you are,” Ilya muttered, glaring at him. “Is not nice to be late to your own get together, you know?” he questioned, mock annoyance in his voice as he kept dragging Ruby around.  

He could feel her trying, yet again, to pick up her foot and move a bit faster forwards. Her second try was much smoother compared to the first.  

“I’ve been here!” Hayes exclaimed defensively, skating with them casually. “Just had to call my wife about something. You’ve met Lisa, yeah?” Not often, but then again half of their team barely even knew Rozanov in person so far.  

He nodded once, eyes drifting between Hayes and Ruby to keep his attention on both of them. “We met before,” he affirmed. “She seemed nice.”  

“Glad you think so, she wanted to have you over for dinner sometime,” he noted. “Not that she cooks or anything, because of her schedule, but we have a killer take out menu drawer. I mean, seriously. It’s alphabetized.”  

Ilya let out a huff of amusement, not surprised to hear a pro hockey player and full-time doctor weren’t utilizing their kitchen. “Take out sounds good,” he replied, much to his own surprise. “I have like two free days after Gremlins return to their parents, if that works.”  

Hayes nodded. “I’ll let her know when I get home tonight,” he retorted, sounding a bit too chipper about it.  

“Alright, but please do not make it a big deal,” he insisted, dreading that worse than he dreaded airport security when he was already late. “I like calm dinners, not—” 

Before he could finish his sentence, his phone started to ring in his pocket. Without even looking at it, he could already guess who was calling. Hayden had said he’d been checking in, after all.  

He furrowed his brows, skates slowing to a stop. His phone was still ringing as he stared at Ruby’s hands which he promised he wouldn’t let go of like he was trying to solve a Rubix cube. He hummed, looking at Hayes for a moment.  

“Oh! Yeah, I got her,” he remarked, gently grabbing her hands to keep her upright. “You know how to hockey stop?” he asked her.  

Ruby nodded eagerly, and Hayes dragged her a bit further away to give them some space to learn it together.  

Ilya reached into his pocket, eyes rolling as he saw Hayden’s name pop up on his phone. He slid up, accepting the face time. Because, he supposed the man wouldn’t believe his kids were alive unless he saw proof of it.  

“Hello, Pike,” he greeted, slightly annoyed. “Has not even been twenty-four hours yet, are you already missing gremlins?” 

“My children, you mean?” he corrected, nodding his head. “Yes, I do. How are they? Have you accidently sent one of them to the hospital yet?”  

“Oh, was I supposed to do that if they got hurt? I thought I should let them bleed on the carpet,” Ilya retorted, staring down at his phone, squinting his eyes. “You are in car. Tell me you are not so paranoid you are driving back to Ottawa this soon?”  

That was a bit of helicoptering, even for a constant worrywart like him. Besides, Ilya was having fun; he didn’t want Pike to take his children home, even if they technically belonged to him.  

“No, I’m sitting in the parking lot of my parents' hospital; I checked on them then stopped by their house to bring them some stuff,” he replied, doing a double take of Ilya’s screen too. “Where are you? That’s not your house.”  

Or outside, or the car. It looked like rafters above his head. But that was ridiculous, right? Ilya was a jerk, but he wasn’t cruel enough to actually leave his house and abandon four children just out of spite or ego or whatever the hell else he had too much of. Unless he was. 

He breathed out a breath that caught in the air visibly, even over the face time. “Such astute observation,” he muttered. “No, is not my home. We are at rink for team bonding thing.” He tilted his head a bit. “Is that normal? Do Metro’s, do it?” 

Hayden entirely ignored his question, eyes widening in a mix of disbelief and anger. “You’re at the fucking rink?” he repeated. “You convinced me to trust you to watch my kids and then left them? Are you fucking kidding me Rozanov? You skate every goddamn day of the year and you couldn’t miss one single—” 

“Woah, woah, stop getting upset,” he insisted. “You are deaf or something, Pike? I said we are at rink. Kids are skating, too.”  

He flipped the camera around, aiming it at Arthur who Dykstra was pushing around by the back of his shirt with a death grip to keep him from falling over. Then, he showed him Jade who was in between Haas and Bood, holding both of their hands as they helped her around the rink.  

Hayden huffed in shock. “They are there,” he mumbled, watching Haas knock Bood’s shoulder while he said something funny enough to make Jade laugh as they practically carried her around the ice. “Your team is...they’re...”  

“Skating, yes,” Ilya responded, nodding to himself behind the camera. “Is pretty straight forward concept, no? We teach them to stay vertical and maybe make them better hockey players than you are.”  That was the goal, at least.  

And lastly, he showed Ruby, who had actually managed to let go of Hayes hand long enough to start learning to stop. She nearly tripped, causing Ilya a minor heart attack before Wyatt caught her, giving her a small high five for trying, and helping her do it again.  

Hayden was pretty sure he was on his fourth or fifth stroke by now because there was no way Rozanov could keep surprising him, and yet, he did. He took his kids to their rink; he got his own team to skate with them and not look they wanted to rip their hair out over it.  

“Wait, wait- where is Amber?” he asked, unable to see her. His older kids were at least somewhat self-sufficient, but she was just a baby. She needed someone pretty much twenty-four hours a day to keep an eye on her.  

“Ah, hold on,” Ilya muttered, skating across the rink towards the bench.  

Hayden saw his daughter coming into view, or at least, he was pretty sure he did. It was mostly just a blanket that happened to be her color, in the arms of a man he didn’t recognize. “Who is that?” he asked, worry temporarily flaring at the thought of a stranger with his baby.  

He stopped by the panels, resting one hand on the edge as he pointed his phone towards Amber, who was still awake but growing sleepier as she watched everyone skate in circles.  

“This is Harris,” Ilya introduced. “He’s media man but is also just here because we like him, apparently. Say hello to Amber’s dad, Harris.”  

He waved with his free hand briefly before immediately wrapping it around Amber again. “She’s an absolute angel,” he stated, bouncing her gently. “I was actually going to put her down for a nap since her eyes are getting a bit droopy but I didn’t want her to cry when the motion stops so I figured I would wait until she fell asleep and then see if I can put her down. Is that how you do it or are you trying to desensitize her early?”  

“Uh...” Hayden blinked. “Whatever keeps her asleep,” he replied.  

Harris nodded, looking down at Amber. “We’ll keep watching for a bit, then, okay?” he mumbled. “Just until you close your eyes. Which I think you’ll do very soon, right?”  

Ilya huffed, muttering something to him before pushing off the wall. He flipped the camera around, skating back into the middle of the rink.  

“Harris is weirdly good with babies, I hear,” he explained, shrugging. “I don’t understand it, either. But he’s nice. I trust him.”  

For some strange reason, Hayden seemed to, too. He had at least met the other Centaurs, very briefly. Usually before beating them. He knew of a few of them, in an extremely surface level way. Like last names and jersey number surface level but never met Harris. There wasn’t much reason to, he supposed.  

“So, you guys are really alright, then?” Hayden wondered, sounding a bit surprised. “No tantrums or problems of any kind?”  

Ilya shook his head, propping his phone against the edge of the boards. “Nope, they are behaving perfectly,” he replied. “We watched some cartoons this morning and had pancakes for breakfast. I don’t know how they can cram so many into such tiny stomachs, but I made them until they got full so—”  

“You made pancakes?” he interjected. “Like from scratch? You didn’t order them?”  

He furrowed his eyebrows. “No, of course not,” he retorted, looking almost offended. “Am good cook, Pike. You would know this if you could let me finish a sentence without acting like I just said fizzle-thrum-skiddly-dwap.”  

Hayden blinked again, forcing himself to close him mouth. This was good, he supposed. It was putting his mind at ease about his decision to trust Ilya and it meant he wasn’t going to have to rush home to fix anything. He could just focus on his parents.  

“I- yeah, I’m gonna ignore that,” he admitted. “I’m sorry to doubt you, seriously. I just worry about them, is all.”  

Ilya reluctantly looked a little softer after that comment, clicking his tongue. “Wait one moment,” he insisted, skating off camera with an eye roll.  

Hayden frowned, staring at the empty rink as he waited for Ilya to come back. It took a few moments and in the meantime, he could hear some clapping and laughter; it was lighter than anything he ever thought he’d hear on the same rink as Rozanov.  

He was pretty sure all his old team heard around him was yelling or their own tears.  

A minute later, Ilya skated back over, keeping his distance from the phone as he waved his arm in a large circular gesture. Hayden watched as Haas and Bood both skated over with Jade, along with Arthur and Dykstra, Ruby and Hayes, and Chouinard, Holmberg, and LaPointe.  

Basically, everyone on the team, and his kids. Even Amber in the very back being held by Harris, who was still in frame even though they were blurry.  

“Is proof of life, yes?” Ilya told him, giving him a thumbs up as everyone crowded together like they might be forced to do if they were taking a team picture. “Everyone is accounted for and in one piece.”  

The kids waved and Hayden could hear Jade shouting at him as she squeezed Bood’s jersey to keep from sliding around. Haas waved too, since it seemed like the right thing to do. The others laughed at him, but mimicked him, also waving at Hayden for a moment.  

He had to admit; his blood pressure had skyrocketed when he thought Ilya abandoned the kids in favor of the rink. But he’d clearly been a bit quick to jump the gun because they looked like they were having a great time. And the team seemed to enjoy having them there, too.  

Hayden wouldn’t lie, he screenshotted the image pretty quickly before they broke apart. Some of the players dragged his kids back to their practice while some just skated off, chatting with each other. Ilya grabbed his phone off the boards, eyes flitting up to Amber for a moment who Harris was finally putting back in her car seat.  

“Alright, I can admit when I’ve overreacted,” Hayden muttered reluctantly. “I shouldn’t have yelled earlier; you’re clearly good with them. So...thanks, for letting me see that, I really needed it after everything with my parents.”  

Ilya nodded slightly, resisting a quip. “We are good here,” he assured him. “Take your time with parents.” He tugged his lips to the side. “I will try to be better about informing you of things, too. Pictures and texts and stuff.”  

“Really?” he wondered, a bit surprised. “I mean, yeah. Please. I’d appreciate it.”  

Hanging up, Ilya slid his phone back into his pocket, glancing around the rink to see where all of the Gremlins had wound up. He skated off, switching between the children every once in a while, and occasionally heading back to Amber, as well.  

They didn’t leave until all of the kids were tired out, which, Ilya honestly didn’t know any kid was fully capable of until he saw them slouching around as some of the team helped them untie their skates.  

“Hayes!” Ilya called, interrupting his conversation with Harris, who looked like he was contemplating the risk of kidnapping Amber instead of giving her back.  

“Hm?” he turned, still trying to pry the car seat out of Harris’ hands. “What’s up?”  

“I just wanted to uh- say thank you,” he admitted, sounding a bit sheepish about it. “I know there was team plans and I interrupted but- well, you didn’t have accommodate small children and you did it anyway, so thanks.”  

 Hayes' lips tugged upward into a smile as he shrugged. “No problem,” he assured him, handing Amber’s car seat over to him. “We liked having them here. We liked having you, too. I know we’ve got a pretty rough reputation but we’re happy to have you and hope you at least feel a little bit of the same way.”  

Ilya nodded slightly. “I feel...like I could like it, here,” he admitted reluctantly, almost surprising himself with it.  

Leaving Boston had been brutal, despite the excitement about being closer to Shane. He left his team who were his best friends; he left a winning streak; he left a city he’d come to love, and a house he greatly liked.  

Ottawa was different in so many ways, but the team had been welcoming and even if it usually took him a while to get used to being friendly with people, they were expediting the process pretty efficiently.  

Gathering the kids, Ilya drove them home and watched them run inside with more willingness than they had when they met him last night. He was pretty sure it was mostly because of their exhaustion, though, since they almost immediately fell asleep on the couch, toppled on each other without care.  

Huffing, he took a picture of them for Hayden, sending it before he sat down and flipped the channel to something he would prefer instead of cartoons. They slept for hours, probably a bit longer than he should have let them, if he was being honest. But he just couldn’t bring himself to wake them when they looked so peaceful in their sleep.  

They looked peaceful a lot, he found. Even if it took a marathon or two worth of exersice to exhaust them.  

But Ilya liked to think he had gotten better at it. That throughout the week he got better at learning what they wanted and needed and getting it right more often than he got it wrong. 

Hayden, he thought, believed so too. Even if he wouldn’t admit it. Every picture he sent seemed to calm him down a bit, his constant reminders about bedtime and snacks dwindling until he was mostly just checking in.  

As far as Ilya knew, his parents were doing better. Not that Hayden was terribly forthcoming with the details. He had to drag them out of him, sending text after text, threatening to not show him a picture of Ruby’s new nail polish if he wouldn’t at least give him some details.  

And when Hayden finally did come back, towards the end of Ilya’s last evening with the kids, he came back to a house that actually looked like kids lived there. Unpolished, loud, everything it hadn’t been a week ago.  

“Still late,” Ilya commented, pushing the door open for him as he let him inside. “Is actually good this time, they’re not quite ready to leave.”  

He glared slightly. “You didn’t pack for them?” he grumbled, scrubbing his face.  

He had been on the road for hours—after finally feeling comfortable enough to leave his parents in the hands of a temporary nurse he’d hired to come to their house daily—and he really didn’t feel like waiting around as they fumbled through their clothes to try to make things fit.  

Ilya furrowed his brows. “What? No, they have been packed for hours,” he assured him, gesturing to the living room. “I mean, movie is not over yet. They want to finish it.”  

Hayden frowned, glancing his head around the corner. Ruby, Jade, and Arthur were on the couch; plates nestled on their laps as Mulan played in front of them. The girls had their hair braided, and even his son had some rubber bands in just so he wouldn’t feel left out.  

“You got them dinner?” he mumbled, looking back at Rozanov, who was shrugging. “You didn’t have to; I would have picked them something up.”  

He shook his head. “Is no problem,” he replied, waving it off. “We had fun making pizzas. They got to pick their own toppings and throw dough at my ceiling.” 

Luckily, they were tall enough that none had actually stuck. Not that they didn’t get close a few times. Especially Ruby.  

His eyes widened slightly. “You made them?” he questioned.  

Ilya stared at him blankly for a moment. “I have told you like four times, I am good cook,” he retorted. “I don’t feed little children ultra-processed food unless it is ice cream or fruit snacks. Tiny brains need nourishment if they want to be smart.”  

Which, they were. He could admit that for all the reasons he tended to dislike Pike, he did make some pretty amazing kids.  

“Right, right, I forgot you’re Mr. MasterChef or something,” Hayden responded, his hands raised defensively. “Thank you, anyway, for going through all of this. I know I was kind of—” 

“Paranoid? Overbearing? Annoying?” he suggested, ticking them off on his fingers.  

He rolled his eyes, shoving his hand back down. “Yeah, I get it, I was a mess,” he admitted, huffing slightly. “I didn’t exactly trust you, especially with a baby.”  

He squinted, looking for Amber now that she was back at the front of his mind. She was nestled in her car seat on the floor beside the couch, sleeping, it looked like. Still in one piece, and content, apparently.  

“Did not?” Ilya wondered, sounding a bit skeptical. “Does that imply you now do?”  

Hayden grimaced at the thought. “Eh, to some extent, I guess,” he replied earnestly, gesturing to his kids. “I mean, you kept them fed and happy for a whole week. That was pretty impressive. Sometimes, I lose one of them in a parking lot and they’re mine, you know?”  

He huffed. “They are fast,” he agreed. “Especially Ruby. Quick learner. She has a real future on the ice, if you get her lessons. Arthur not so much, maybe invest in tap dancing or something.”  

He hummed slowly, thinking it through. “I’ll give it some thought,” he told him, looking back into the living room as the movie started to end. “Think I can sneak their bags into the car while they finish the movie?” 

Ilya nodded, letting him get one step away before reaching out to stop him. “Oh, wait!” he stated, holding his finger up. “I have leftovers for them.”  

Hayden watched as he disappeared into the kitchen, opening the fridge and returning with several Tupperware in his hands of pizza and one that looked like it had a ton of brightly colored objects in it. He took both from him, face scrunching in confusion as he peered through the plastic.  

“Uh- that doesn’t look edible,” he muttered, a little concerned.  

“Hm? Oh, those are little wooden figures they painted this afternoon,” he responded with a tinge of fondness. “Paint is still drying, don’t jostle Joo Joo, Fritzy, and Hayes.”  

Hayden paused, looking back up slowly. “Hayes?” he repeated. “Like Wyatt Hayes, your new teammate?”  

The fact that his kids had chosen ridiculous names for the little figures hadn’t shocked him in the slightest, but that last one caught him off guard a bit.  

Ilya shrugged. “What can I say? He made an impression on Ruby,” he replied. “Ah, and Hayes told me to tell you he is buying her proper skates to encourage her new dreams.”  

He blinked, mouth opening and closing a few times. “I- she...we rent her a pair when he take her skating, since she grows so quickly,” he explained. “There’s really no need to make any purchases.”  

He hummed, pursing his lips. “I will tell him you said that, but I do not expect it will make a difference,” he confessed. “I watched him place order from Graf before we ever left rink. Should be at your house in a week.”  

Hayden’s eyes widened. “Graf? That’s a pro shop, Ilya!” he exclaimed quietly. “They’re gonna cost a fortune.”  

Great, now if his wife didn’t kill him for letting Ilya babysit, she would murder him for letting a player whose name she probably didn’t even know buy their child incredibly expensive skates she could barely use. That was one hell of a way to die.  

He shrugged. “Hayes seemed fine with it,” he responded. “Also, if you ever decide to change doctors, his wife is pediatrician and can get you appointment very fast for any of them.” He tilted his head, like he should at least consider it.  

Hayden huffed slightly, wishing he had a free hand to face plant with. But since he didn’t, he just turned, putting the Tupperware in the front seat and strapping it in with a seat belt to keep their figures from bouncing around on the road.  

Ilya grabbed their bags from the guest rooms, dragging them to the car, too. He helped push them into the trunk, stacking things around to make them fit correctly with how much stuff there was.  

Hayden just stared at the bags for a moment, trying to recall everything he had sent with his kids. There was a lot, he knew. They had toys, clothes, hair brushes, tooth brushes, shoes, and some other stuff. But this felt like more than he remembered.  

“You didn’t...” he trailed off, tilting his head towards Ilya, who finished stacking things up neatly. “Was this everything I brought?” he questioned skeptically.  

Ilya nodded. “Of course,” he replied, gesturing to the trunk. “Plus, a few things from the toy store we visited,” he added, clicking his tongue. “And the Centaurs pro shop, too. They are fans, now. Said my team is nicer.”  

Hayden didn’t doubt that much. He knew his own team liked the kids, always bringing gifts for them when they were over, but they never played with the girls or fully interacted aside from Shane and JJ.  

And a few days ago, he had gotten a video from Ilya of the entire team skating in one long chain, with his kids at the front of it. That was pretty damn inclusive for a few children to have everyone playing with them, specifically.  

“Look, they’re not gonna leave the house with anything remotely Centaur related on,” he prefaced, expression crumbling. “But around the house, I’ll allow it.”  

Ilya smirked, a victorious look on his face. “Knew you could never deny your kids joy, Pike,” he muttered, slapping him on the back. “Are good father, after all.”  

Hayden huffed to himself, watching as Ilya went back into the house, probably to let the children know it was about time for them to head home. He could practically hear the chorus of protests echoing from the living room. Apparently, he was no longer cool since he didn’t make them homemade pizza and splurge on unnecessary toys.  

Seriously, Hayden did a double take at some of the stuff in his trunk, now entirely certain he hadn’t brought any of it over. How much did he spend on them? 

Before he could really think about it, Arthur came bounding out of the house; his fingers still greasy from the pizza. Hayden bent down, reaching for his son and lifting him up. “There you are,” he muttered, shaking him a bit. “I thought I’d lose you to the other side.”  

“Other side of what?” he asked, hair flopping into his eyes.  

Yeesh, he really needed to take him to get a haircut. All of them, probably.  

Hayden laughed, shaking his head. “Never mind, kiddo,” he murmured, giving him a dramatic kiss on the cheek as he saw the twins walking out, followed by Ilya who was carrying Amber. “Ready to go home?” 

Jade nodded. “Are we taking my blanket?” she questioned, peering into the trunk, getting a quick glimpse as her father closed it. “It was really soft.” And Disney themed.  

“Already got them in the car,” he assured her, opening the door for her.  

“And Hayes?” Ruby double checked, waiting for confirmation before she got in.  

“He’s buckled up in the front seat,” Hayden replied, flicking her braid off her shoulder as he tilted his head towards the car. “We’ll find a place on your shelf once we get back to the house.”  

At least when Jackie asked who sent them a pair of expensive skates, he could point to the tiny wooden figure on their daughters' shelf and claim it was him. She’d probably check him into a mental hospital for too much brain damage shortly after.  

Ruby crawled into the car, elbowing her brother to get him to scoot over as she reached for her seat belt. Hayden waited to make sure it was on, then gently closed the door, reaching to take Amber from Ilya.  

“Alright, Малыш, пора идти,” he murmured to her, his voice uncharacteristically soft as he bent down slightly to talk to her. “Приятно побывать в гостях, но дома лучше..” He tapped her nose and she babbled, bringing a smile to his lips.  

“What does that mean?” Hayden wondered, watching him poke her nose again to make her laugh.  

“Hm?” he looked up, the fondness slipping. “Is nothing, just something we say in Russia— It’s good to be visiting, but it’s better at home.”  

His lips quirked, watching Ilya stand up straighter. He cleared his throat, trying to think of something to say and not managing to come up with very much. It had been a very strange week for him, after all. Not to say this wasn’t his favorite surprise, because it was probably the most comforting part of it, which admittedly was a bit nauseating.  

“You were really good with them,” he muttered appreciatively.  

“Is not so hard,” he replied. “I treat them with patience. Always listen to their stories and play along with their games. Talk, if something is upsetting them, instead of assuming it’s just a tantrum.” 

Kids were much smarter than grownups gave them credit for, he thought. They acted like just because their brains weren’t fully developed, they couldn’t see or hear or remember things. They internalized everything, too. Every comment you make about their personality or their looks. Their very existence. 

Hayden’s smile tipped downwards slightly. “Solid advice,” he murmured. “Ever think of having kids of your own?” he quired hesitantly.  

Ilya shrugged, like it was complicated. “Am not opposed to it,” he admitted sheepishly. “Just waiting for uh- right person, I guess.”  

He hummed softly, nodding. “I got lucky finding mine pretty early,” he noted, voice tinged with adoration. “But sometimes the wait makes it worth it, too, you know? For whatever it’s worth—and believe me, I know it’s worth nothing to you—I think you’d be a pretty good dad.”  

He swallowed, looking back at the car contemplatively. “It does not mean nothing, entirely,” he murmured sincerely. “And...if I do have kids, I hope they are as kind as yours.”  

Hayden huffed lightly. “Thanks, man. I’d take credit, but it’s really all Jackie,” he remarked, glancing down at Amber who was the epitome of perfect, just like her mother.  

“I don’t know about that,” Ilya muttered, shaking his head. “There is a certain...resemblance.”  

Their loudness, for sure. But also, their competitiveness and their concern for each other when one of them tripped or got shoved a bit too hard. Loyalty, Ilya might call it, even. That, they got from their father.  

“I’ll take what I can get, I guess,” he replied with a teasing lilt. “And speaking of taking, that’s what I should be doing with my kids right now. But thank you again for watching them for me; if you, you know, need me to return the favor or anything, I’d be glad to.”  

Well, glad was still a bit of an overstatement. But he would at least not curse the man out for daring to call his number or anything like that.  

Ilya nodded, taking a few steps back to slowly exit the conversation. “I have a house to clean, now, too,” he responded. “Drive safely, I do not want to hear about мои гремлины getting hurt on the way home.”  

He furrowed his brows, no clue what that meant but agreed anyway.  

Ilya watched Hayden walk around to the other side of the car, placing Amber’s car seat inside and double checking it was secure before closing the door. He got into the drives seat, buckling it and giving a small wave.  

Ilya’s lips quirked, waving back; his other hand pressed into his pocket and curled around his phone as he watched them drive away. His house truly was a mess now, yes. Walking inside, he knew he would need to clean it up at least a little bit before he headed to bed and hopefully got his usual eight hours, uninterrupted by a baby screaming or a small child who had a nightmare.  

But he bypassed it for the time being, pulling his phone out of his pocket as he sat back down on his couch surrounded by empty plates and messed up pillows. There was just something slightly more important to him about calling Shane and asking him how he felt about kids.