Chapter Text
"Yes, I'll meet you there once I can find a sitter… Yes, I will remember your bag… Nicole, I can bring him to the hospital… Okay, okay, I will. Take deep breaths, you're doing great. I will be there soon… I love you too."
Zane Boodram sighed as he hung up the phone, his thirteen month old attached to his hip as he frantically navigates through his phone.
Fuck.
He honestly thought him and Nicole had been prepared this time.
Nicole's due date was next weekend. Her parents planned to come in on Tuesday and stay until after the new baby was settled. Zane and Nicole themselves planned to spend Sunday and Monday meal prepping frozen meals they could reheat for days when they struggled with having a newborn and a fourteen month old in the house.
But Nicole went into labor on Friday — a full nine days before her due date — while at the supermarket.
They have no meals prepped and no in-laws to watch their baby while their other baby gets born.
Fucking shit.
He just needed to find a babysitter so he could go hold his wife's hand until he fainted again and ate ice chips the nurses gave him.
Abigale (babysitter)
Zane: Hey, are you able to come babysit Lucas? Like now?
Abigale (babysitter): Sorry Mr. B, I have night classes tonight
Marly (babysitter)
Zane: Hey, I know it's last minute, but can you babysit Lucas asap?
Marly (babysitter): I have work tonight sorry
Adam (babysitter)
Zane: Hey man, could you babysit Lucas for us today?
As Zane waited for Adam to answer his last text, he pulled up Shane Hollander's text thread.
Hollzy
Zane: Hey, rain check for workout today
Zane: Also I'm telling you as my AC, I'm taking family leave
Zane: I'll call coach soon
Hollzy: Are you okay?
Hollzy: What happened? Can I help?
Zane started to type out a response when his phone rang in his hands. Shane's profile picture took up the whole screen.
Zane answered and brought the phone to his ear. "Hey, Hollander. Everything's fine, I didn't mean to worry you."
"What's going on?" Shane asked. Zane could hear gentle clinking over the phone that told him Shane was probably cleaning or organizing something,
Zane barked out a laugh. What's going on? "Nicole went into labor and I'm stuck with Lucas at the house. She wasn't due for ten- no, nine days. Nine days and her parents were supposed to watch Lucas while I went into the hospital with her, but her parents won't be here until Tuesday and fucking shit-"
"Bood, Zane. Take a deep breath," Shane articulated. "You need to get to the hospital. Take Lucas with you-"
"Nicole doesn't want him in the hospital." Fuck, his heart was pounding. Was his heart rate always this high? As a professional athlete, his heart rate should be low, right? "That was her one wish with the pregnancy that she doesn't have to worry about one kid while pushing another out."
"Okay, and babysitters-"
"-are all college students who have school or work tonight. Wait…" Zane checked his recent texts to see one from Adam: Can't tonight, have a final to study for. I'm free next week after Monday anytime you need tho. "And my last hope just fucking failed me."
"Don't say that. Just- hold on."
Zane heard faint rustling from Shane's end of the phone like he put his phone into his shirt. He could barely make out words being said on the other line, not to him but someone else.
"… Bood… yes, that's fine… we can reschedule…"
Lucas whined in Zane's ear and he realized he'd forgotten to keep him bouncing. He restarted the movement, but now the baby couldn't be calmed. Fuck, maybe milk? He headed into the kitchen to full a bottle with milk, Lucas' cries growing louder.
"Okay, Bood? How would you feel if we watched Lucas?"
Zane froze in his kitchen as his brain short circuited. "You- We- You would do that? And what do you mean by 'we?'"
There's a small pause on the line before Zane heard another rustling noise then a new voice popped on. A very familiar accented voice.
"Bood, it is Roz. I am with Hollander, but we can be at your place in ten minutes. That is okay, yes?"
Roz? What was Roz doing with Hollander on their off day?
What was Roz doing with Hollander two hours before Zane was supposed to meet him for extra training?
The Irina Foundation.
Of course! Those two ran a charity together. They must have had a meeting or something today.
They wanted to babysit? What the actually hell was happening?
"I don't want to make you do that," Zane said. Then backpedaled fast because, damn, did he really need a babysitter. "I mean, you both are probably busy and I don't want to ruin your off day."
Hollander and Rozanov spoke at the same time:
"You're not ruining anything, Bood. We want to help."
"I am great babysitter. Let me babysit child while Nicole gives us new Centaur."
Hollzy sighed and Zane heard what sounded like a smack from his end of the phone. "Ily- Roz, shut up and stop doing- that. No, Roz- Sorry, Bood! Roz is being an ass."
"What else is new?" Zane screwed the bottle lid on and rejoiced in the sudden silence as Lucas gladly took the bottle. "Am I awful if I take you up on your offer?"
"No. We'll be there in ten minutes. Make sure to take out Lucas' car seat so we have one for emergencies, okay?"
Roz's voice shouted out distantly, "And do not forget new baby seat for Baby Bood! Make sure is installed before hospital, yes?"
Fuck, those were both good points.
"Okay, I'll do both of those. See you both in ten."
Thankfully, Lucas' newer car seat that he'd bought last week turned out to be easy to take in and out. In less than a minute, Zane had that seat on the bench they had in the garage.
The new baby car seat, however, seemed to have been sent from Satan himself to make Zane Boodram's life — yes, his specifically, isn't he special? — so much harder.
He's a goddamn professional hockey player and he had sweat dripping down his back from trying to put this evil contraption together.
"You have trouble there?"
Zane jolted at the sudden Russian accent from behind him. "Jesus, Rozy! I'm seriously buying you a bell."
"You have said this for two years now. I think you need to material and better ears."
"Hey, Bood." Shane waved awkwardly from the open garage door. At first, when Hollander first came to Ottawa, Zane thought the awkwardness would dissipate. Now, it seemed like the very important Jenga piece of Hollander's personality — everything might collapse if it wasn't there. "Do you need help with the seat?"
Together, Hollander and Zane managed to click the baby car seat in place, with the multiple straps stretching the correct way. Roz, on the other hand, picked up Lucas from his activity chair Zane had placed him in to keep him entertained within eyesight.
"Ooo, we let boys do work, yes?" Roz cooed at the child. "They are boring, but I entertain."
"Cowor," Lucas whined and reached for the crayons left behind on the table.
"Zane, you did not tell me Lucas could speak!" Roz's smile covered his entire face. "He is smart baby, yes?"
Zane wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "He says some stuff. Color, no, bye, mama. I haven't been able to get him to day dad yet."
Roz's smile turned mischievous. "So, he does not like you either, Bood? He is mama boy. I was too, no shame."
"Either? Fuck off Rozy!"
Hollander shoved Roz's shoulder. "Ignore him; he's an ass. You need to get to the hospital."
Zane cursed under his breath. Hollander was right. "Okay, okay, um… Milk is in the fridge. You can try to feed him some solid stuff, but he's really particular about it, so don't worry if he won't eat much of it. His blanket is- fuck where did I-"
"Bood," Shane articulated, "get to the hospital. I've babysat plenty of times. We can handle Lucas, you need to focus on Nicole."
Zane nodded and yanked his keys off the garage wall. "You're right. Thank you both, I owe you, like, twenty beers."
"Go bring new Centaur home, Boodram!" Ilya called as he entered the house with the little boy still clung to his side. "We need better defense on team. Maybe baby will come out with skates."
Zane flipped off his captain and gunned his car out of the driveway. Honestly, and he would never tell Rozy least his ego got inflated two hundred percent, Zane felt so thankful that he happened to get drafted to Ottawa because it brought him such a good team and support system.
He just knew Montreal — as a team — would never come on their day off to babysit a snotty, loud, unagreeable baby with no warning. Well, maybe Hollander's friend Pike, but none of the other ones.
"Thank fucking shit!" Nicole's forehead glistened with sweat and her knuckles whitened where she gripped the bed railings. "You're here, thank god, babe."
"I'm here, I'm here." Zane kissed his perfect wife and sat on the chair next to her. "How are we doing?"
"There is no fucking we, Zane!" Nicole hissed as a contraction wrecked her body. She breathed through it rather strained. "There is just … this baby trying … to rip me in half."
Zane nodded along. Nicole was in excruciating pain and probably very fucking scared. "You're doing great, Nickie. What can I do for you?"
"Double cheeseburger with extra pickles and a large sprite." Nicole relaxed slightly as the contraction passed. "But I can't fucking eat. I just want to eat."
"I will get you McDonald's as soon as you can," Zane vowed. "Do you want a show on? Criminal Minds or Friends?"
"Criminal Minds." Nicole became properly obsessed with the show during her pregnancy. Zane might not believe it was totally healthy, but who was he to say? "Is Marly staying with Lucas? When does she need to leave?"
"Uh, Marly was busy."
"Adam?"
"Busy."
"Abigale?"
"Also busy."
Nicole stared at her husband with a frown. "Then who's with him?"
"Hollander and Roz came over. They have it handled."
Nicole continued to stare for approximately five seconds before she opened her mouth again to shout, "What the fuck? Zane, you left our fourteen month old with two of your teammates?"
"Babe, they have it handled. Hollander knew how to put the car seat in better than I did. He has like three god-kids, I think?" Were Pike's kids officially his god-children? Whether or not it's true, it served to calm Nicole down.
Nicole bit her lip and leaned back into the hospital bed. "Text them. Make sure they're okay. And see when we need to get a new sitter to take over."
"Take over?"
Nicole rolled her eyes. "I had twenty-nine hours of labor with Lucas. I'm in hour three. I don't know how long we'll be here. What if they can't stay for a whole twenty-four hours?"
"Okay, I will text them." Zane kissed her again. "Watch murder on the TV and I'll handle everything."
Zane created a new group with Rozy and Hollander
Zane named the chat Captains
Zane: How is everything?
Zane: Nicole doing good so far
Hollander: Everything is good here. I'm glad Nicole is good.
Roz: Bood
Roz: stop texting and focus on wife
Roz changed the chat name Elite Babysitters + Bood
Zane: Wife is worried about Lucas and wanted me to check in
Hollander: [image of Lucas with star puffs grasped in his meaty hand and a two-tooth smile on his face]
Hollander: He's doing great. I can sent pictures throughout the day. I know that helped Jackie when Amber was first born.
Zane: Nicole almost cried seeing that but also relaxed? So I will say send more when you can yes
Roz: yes yes baby is very cute sweetheart
Roz: do not worry about us
Zane: When do you need to leave? I don't have an ETA yet
Hollander: ??
Hollander: We are here until you are. I can skip practice tomorrow if I need to. Wiebe won't mind
Zane: Roz, did Hollander really just offer to skip practice???
Roz: yes 🙎♂️before i could offer
Roz: very rude
Roz: maybe i want baby time
Hollander: You have the C. You can't skip practice.
Hollander: Besides, I beat you in our last race. Obviously you need the practice more than me.
Zane: Wow okay
Zane: Try not to kill each other while watching my kid
Roz changed the chat name to Hollzy is mean man
Roz: [image with Shane and Lucas, Shane's arms wrapped around the child and drool dripped onto his chest. Shane didn't seem to mind the drool as he looked at the child with a soft expression]
Roz: we have this. hold your wifes hand and stop texting
After eleven hours, Cecilia Boodram entered the world screaming at 9:46 PM. She weighed eight pounds six ounces at forty-nine-point-nine centimeters with all her fingers and toes.
Zane Boodram knew his little girl was perfect. Absolute angelic perfection.
Technically, Canadian health officials recommend new mothers to stay in the hospital for a full day post vaginal births. Nicole strived to fight this every minute she laid on the hospital bed.
"I don't care. I want my own bed and I want to see Lucas."
Zane held his phone out to her. "Cap sent another photo. Hollander is reading to him and-"
Nicole shook her head. "I don't want pictures, Zane. I want my babies — both of them — in my arms."
So, against medical advice, Zane and Nicole left the hospital ten hours early and made their way home. With a pit stop at McDonald's, of course.
"What does Shane and Ilya say?" Nicole asked from the backseat because she didn't want to leave Cecilia alone.
Zane tapped his thumbs against the steering wheel. "Uh, they never responded to my text about McDonald's. I haven't heard from them for a couple hours." Zane offered food to their superhero babysitters. Despite not hearing anything, he still grabbed a few burgers for them just in case.
"You think they're okay?" Nicole asked anxiously.
Was he sure? No. Was he going to tell his postpartum wife that? Hell no.
"They're fine, babe. Probably left their phones in the kitchen or something."
A few minutes later, he pulled into his driveway and parked the car. With Lucas, they arrived at the hospital with five different bags and several pillows. Thankfully, this time they knew to just bring one tote — filled with phone chargers and entertainment — and the baby car seat.
"I'll grab Cecilia and the tote. You go inside and relax."
Nicole winced as she stepped out of the car. "You're the best husband," she kissed his cheek as she passed.
Hell yeah he was.
Zane grabbed the tote first before disengaging the car seat from its base. He expected Nicole to head straight to bed, but when he entered the house she stood frozen in the entry way to the living room.
"Nicole-"
"Shhh!" Nicole hissed and waved a frantic hand at him to come closer.
Zane frowned and walked through the kitchen, the smell of cooked food lingering in the air, set the greasy bag of McDonald's on the counter, and met his wife at the edge of the carpet. He didn't know what he expected to see, but it definitely wasn't what was in front of him.
Hollander and Roz laid on the couch side-by-side, curled into one another underneath a too-small throw blanket. The baby monitor sat in front of their faces on the coffee table and showed a sleeping Lucas on the screen from his crib.
Roz's arm wrapped fully around Hollander's waist as if Roz couldn't stand any space to come between them, even in sleep.
Nothing about the display said "teammates." Or even "platonic." Nicole even didn't let Zane hold her that close!
"They must have passed out," Nicole whispered, a softness in her voice as she watched the two men.
Zane didn't know what to say. Obviously, if there was something going on between his captain and assistant captain, that belonged between them two. Zane just didn't know how to wake them up without them knowing he knew there was something going on.
Fuck, nothing in his mind made sense right now.
"How do we-"
From the car seat at his feet, Cecilia cried out sharply.
On the couch, Hollander stirred with a groan. "Ilya," he muttered and slapped a hand against the other man's arm. "Let me go."
The Russian seemed to pull his arm tighter. Both of their eyes stayed closed."Five more minutes, Shane. I sleep."
"Ilya, I need to check Lucas." Hollander tried to stand, but Roz pulled him down.
"
"я иду (I go)." Roz kissed the top of Hollander's head and — okay, whoa, that's really not platonic behavior. "You stay, I check baby."
"Don't call me baby," Shane grumbled, already half asleep again. "You know I don't like it."
"I know, Моё солнышко (my sunshine). Nap."
Roz climbed over Hollander and stumbled his way in the opposite direction of Zane and Nicole where Lucas' room was. Nicole met Zane's eyes, both of them surprised that they hadn't been found watching that eye-opening display.
Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander. In a relationship. Together.
This was fucking crazy. Bat shit.
But after seeing them together on the couch, maybe it wasn't impossible. Mind blowing, but not unrealistic.
"Did you know?" Nicole whispered.
"I had no idea," Zane admitted. He looked around the house — which looked freshly cleaned, he'll have to thank Hollander and Roz for that, too — for a way to announce their presence without scaring either man.
"What will you do?"
"It's none of my business," Zane said automatically. He just happened to come into information that didn't belong to him. "Until they decide to tell me, I didn't see anything. Okay?"
Nicole frowned slightly. "That is sad, if no one knows. Maybe-"
"Ah, you are home," a Russian-accented voice interrupted. Roz came from the hallway and gestured behind him. "Lucas is napping. Shane took opportunity to nap too."
Zane noticed how he didn't include himself on that nap.
"Of course." Nicole smiled pleasantly. "I really appreciate you watching Lucas. I know it was a tall order."
Roz waved his hand dismissively. "No order. Shane cleaned and I knew you did not have time to meal prep, yes? I made you Russian soups, good for new mothers. Lots of protein, no tomatoes or citrus."
Zane frowned and set the tote he still held onto the empty loveseat. "Why no tomatoes or citrus?"
"Ah, is Russian thing." Roz furrowed his brow as he thought. "Something about baby's allergies so mothers avoid certain foods. I do not remember. My mama would make the soup for neighbors when baby was born, so I made for you."
"That was very sweet, Ilya." Nicole squeezed his arm as she walked towards the hallway. "I'm going to lay down."
"I'll bring you meds in a bit," Zane told her before turning to Roz. "I brought you and Hollzy burgers."
Roz smiled widely. "Ah, you are new favorite teammate! Give me greasy burgers that Shane will not touch. He can stay sleeping"
Shane.
Zane didn't comment on the first name, but he smiled as he turned around.
Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov.
Zane hoped they found their happiness together.
Written by a human in Ellipsus.