Chapter Text
Several hours later, after they had gone to dinner and ice cream with Shane and Ilya and discussed the apparent need for a bigger van, the end of Joey’s lease, and how, exactly, to explain to Wiebe and the GMs something that Jackie sort of guessed Wiebe already knew and couldn’t begin to guess how the GMs would react to, the kids were in bed and the adults were draped across the couch.
“Holy. Fuck.” Hayden murmured into the back of Joey’s shoulder.
Jackie reached across Joey and gently swatted her husband’s side. “Swear jar.”
Joey snorted, staring at the ceiling.
“But yeah. Holy fuck. What a day.” She leaned into Joey, who simply wrestled her into their lap. Hayden leaned over their shoulder to give her a kiss.
“What?” Joey asked, still staring at the ceiling, “You’ve never had two five year olds tell you that you’re in love with your partners and should just move in with them already instead of being a coward? Weird.”
Jackie swatted them this time, and got a kiss to the top of her head in return.
Hayden’s voice was still muffled by Joey’s shoulder. “Don’t forget the whole ‘explaining systemic homophobia and transphobia to all four of your children at the same time while still reeling from the fact that they just informed you that they actually have three parents thank you very much’ thing, baby.”
Jackie could hear Joey’s smirk. “Right, yes, of course. Have you been listening to podcasts again?”
Bemused, Jackie felt her husband sit up. “Shane gives good podcast recommendations.”
She raised her eyebrow.
“I actually think he got this one from Harris, and then recommended it to me.”
She nodded. “That makes way more sense. Apparently, Shane and Ilya were worried they were ‘bad at being gay’ or something. Please don’t ask me to explain further, I’m tired and my brain hurts.” She just snuggled into Joey’s warm embrace.
Joey shifted under her, moving their arms. Sensing what was coming, she put her arms around their shoulders. They stood, Jackie cradled in their strong arms.
“Alright, handsome. You heard the lady. She’s tired. Time to very chastely go to bed so that in the morning we can inform our boss we’re in a throuple, hire movers, and…idk, buy a bigger van?”
Hayden smirked as they walked down the hallway. “Probably gonna need to make room for another dresser in the bedroom. Lots of logistics. How to tell the team, how to keep our kids from blurting out this shit to every person they speak to. Definitely good to just go get some sleep.”
Jackie knew she was being teased. She wiggled until Joey put her down. “I will tell Ilya to tell Wiebe and Price to come to the house. You already play for the queerest team in the NHL, this can’t be any fuckin’ weirder. Yuna can handle the logistics. We don’t need to hire movers, we have Shane and Luca, and Bood and Hayes if we need them. I don’t trust either of you to buy a new van, David and I will handle it. There is plenty of room for another dresser or a bigger dresser in the bedroom. We can remodel the closet if we need to, we’re rich. After we’ve told the coaches and they’ve handled management, we can have a team dinner at the house and explain the situation. And the kids will be…what they will be, nothing will help that.” She crossed her arms across her chest. “And I have been alone in a giant house with four kids for five days and if somebody doesn’t make out with me soon I will actually, legitimately, one hundred percent combust.”
With that, she turned, tossing her ponytail, and stalked down to the bedroom.
&&
Joey exchanged a heated glance with their boyfriend, and without a word, they both bolted down the hallway as fast as possible without risking waking up any of the kids. Jackie had her hand on the doorknob when they reached her, and she pushed it open as Joey wrapped an arm around her waist from behind. They hurried her through the door, Hayden hot against their back, pulling the door closed and locking it. Jackie was swaying in their arms, and they deftly turned them so that she was pressed between Joey and Hayden. They felt Hayden’s hands settle - one on Jackie’s left hip, and one on Joey’s right.
The warmth of the bodies seared into them with unbridled joy, and Joey began laving kisses into Jackie’s neck, just below the ear. They felt Hayden lean down and could hear the sounds of them kissing. Hayden’s hand made its way up under the hem of Joey’s shirt, and they could feel him pull away from Jackie.
“I’m really glad you’re here, baby.” Hayden whispered, eyes bright in the darkness.
Joey smiled. Felt Hayden’s hand, a warm, heavy brand on their hip. Felt Jackie pressed against their entire body, soft and solid against them. The soft noise of the house beyond the bedroom door. A bedroom that would soon have their dresser, their clothes in the closet, their afghan on the bed. Four children, sleeping soundly, who believed with their whole tiny hearts that Joey was just as good a parent as Jackie and Hayden. Best friends who knew and understood and were happy for them. Being teased by Ilya Rozanov because of course the kids sorted it out for them. They pressed a kiss into Jackie’s shoulder and she hummed, leaning her head back against them.
“There is literally nowhere else I would rather be right now.”