Chapter Text
Luca knew, logically, that Shane was friends with Rose Landry. He talked about her with Ilya a lot, he had heard him talking to her on the phone more than once, they did a Calvin Klein photoshoot together the summer before and everyone on the centaurs had ribbed Roz about it by taping the pictures to his locker when they dropped. That did not mean that Luca had expected Rose Landry to show up at his house at any point. Well, Daddy and Papa’s house, but Luca’s house too according to Papa. On the bright side, she seemed just as confused about Luca being there as Luca was about her being there.
“Hi!” She greeted. She was pretty, but she didn’t look much like she did in her movies. Probably because all the movies Luca had seen her in she had been painted blue and she wasn’t very blue in real life. Except for her eyes. They were blue, like Luca’s and Papa’s. “I’m looking for Shane?”
Luca blinked at her for a second. Then he nodded, flushing when he realised how awkward he was being. “Oh yeah, he’s— sorry. Shane is inside, c’mon.”
Maybe Luca shouldn’t be surprised. Shane had mentioned a couple days ago that Rose was in Ottawa for something or other. Luca just hadn’t been expecting it to be Rose Landry at the door when he answered. He thought maybe it would be Oma and Opa. They were the only ones that tended to come by unannounced.
As Rose smiled at him while she took her shoes off, Luca was suddenly acutely aware of how… little the house seemed. The pram was in the entry way for fucks sake, not moved back to the garage from when it had last been used the morning before. It would be fine if it were literally anyone else. This wasn’t one of the centaurs though, or Hayden Pike, or Oma and Opa. It was Rose fucking Landry. Luca was pretty sure she had an oscar. He was leading an oscar winning actress through the house that at the moment, felt like it was a testament to all the reasons Luca was a just stupid baby. His drop schedule was still pinned up on the fridge, marked off with a variety of glittery stickers that Opa had given him. There was a bottle in the dish drainer, Blossom was slumped over on the couch, diapers and baby powder were both written up on the shopping list. Luca wanted the ground to swallow him whole.
If she noticed any of it, she didn’t let on. She just followed him through the house to the living room where Daddy— where Shane and Ilya were sitting. Following in theme, they seemed surprised to see Luca with Rose Landry in tow, though only for a moment before Shane was standing up to greet her.
“Hey, when did you get here?” He asked, giving her a quick, welcoming hug. Rose smiled at him, glancing over to Luca who suddenly felt like there were too many eyes on him, fidgeting a bit.
“Only a minute ago.” Rose said. “Luca let me in.”
Suddenly eyes were definitely on Luca, two disapproving sets trained on him. Which okay, maybe Luca wasn’t supposed to answer the front door when he was little but Luca wasn’t little right now, so that rule didn’t apply. If either Shane or Ilya had heard the bell, Luca wouldn’t have answered the door anyway. Rose seemed to notice the looks Luca was getting, raising an eyebrow.
“Was he not supposed to?” She asked, tone light like she thought it was a joke. Luca wordlessly prayed that neither of them told her it wasn’t.
“He probably thought it was my parents.” Shane said, eyes sliding to Luca in a way that promised a lecture later. Luca fidgeted on the spot. He wasn’t little. He was allowed to answer the front door. “I forgot to mention you were coming.”
“Should not have been opening the door anyway.” Ilya scolded, he was nice enough that he didn’t add a swat to the chiding in front of Rose Landry. Because he hated Luca apparently, he continued. “Should have gotten daddy or papa.”
“Roz!” Luca complained, trying to keep his voice low. It got him an unimpressed raise of Roz’s brow.
“You know the rules.” Ilya said, unrepentant and not at all trying to be quiet. “Little boys do not answer the door, is not safe.”
Luca’s throat felt thick with humiliation, his face steaming hot. Shane guided Rose fucking Landry by the elbow towards the kitchen as though his stupid husband wasn’t ruining Luca’s life right now. “Do you want something to drink?”
Luca closed his eyes as they made their way towards the kitchen, and took a deep breath in slowly, trying to will the sudden desire to start crying away because that certainly wouldn’t help his case. When he opened them, papa was still in front of him.
“What’s wrong?” He asked, reaching out to cup Luca’s face gently. Luca batted it away.
“Nothings wrong.” He said, trying to keep his voice firm. “I’m not— stop acting like I’m little. I’m not.”
“Is a little day.” Papa pointed out, which Luca did know thank you very fucking much. The chart in the kitchen with holographic dinosaur stickers covering it said as much.
“Not anymore.” Luca decided.
“Oh?” Papa said. His voice was light but dangerous. “Is that how it works now?”
“Please.” Luca said, biting the inside of his cheek. He knew Rose was daddy’s friend, but he didn’t know Rose. Not as a person anyway. Only as Rose Landry, the hollywood movie star. Pointy had been trying to convince daddy to introduce her to the team for ages. Luca didn’t want her first impression of him to be this.
Papa sighed, reaching out for Luca again. This time Luca didn’t bat him away. “We’ve talked about this Zaychik, you do not need to be embarrassed.”
“Easy for you to say.” Luca snarked back. Papa’s lip quirked at the attitude. Luca only regretted it a little bit. Not enough to say sorry though, holding his ground as he glared at Papa.
“I make you a deal.” Papa said. “You do not have to drop until Rose leaves but you do not try and stop it if you do start slipping.”
“Really?” Luca asked.
“Really.” Papa nodded. “But I am serious Luca, no fighting a drop. Is dangerous. Rose is not going to care if you are small.”
I care. Luca thought bitterly. Outwardly he nodded his own agreement. “Fine.”
Rose was cool. She was funny, and she made daddy funny-mean in a way he tried not to be around the rookies because he thought it set a bad example. She also brought presents for everyone, including Luca, from her last movie shoot. Daddy got a magnet, because apparently that was a joke he and Rose had with each other, even if Luca didn’t get why it was funny. Papa got a silly pair of sunglasses that were shaped like martini glasses. She’d even bought Anya some treats, which Anya had taken from her with happy little yips before promptly running outside with them still in her mouth to hide them in the yard somewhere.
“Shane refused to help me so I wasn’t sure what to get you.” Rose explained when she’d handed him his little gift bag. Daddy scoffed in offence.
“I told you what he liked!”
“Art and hockey is not that descriptive Shane!” Rose replied. “Anyway, I guessed. It’s okay if you totally hate it, I promise.”
Luca dug inside the bag to find his own present inside. He furrowed his brow curiously when his hand met something soft and fuzzy, pulling it out. He blinked when he was met with a small, fluffy penguin toy. It had a little orange beak and grey fuzzy fur and a white tummy.
“Shane said you already had a jellycat, and that you liked penguins so I thought maybe you might like to add one to your collection.” Rose said, watching Luca a bit nervously with her chin in hand. Luca turned the penguin over in his hands.
He did like penguins. His favourite jammies were penguins and his favourite show was penguins. He didn’t have any penguin toys though. He only had the one soft toy and that was Blossom. She was a bunny, not a penguin. Luca wondered if she was going to like having a new friend. He hoped so. Sometimes he worried she got a bit lonely being Luca’s only soft toy.
“Do you like it buddy?” Daddy asked, nudging Luca softly. Luca blinked jarred back into his own thoughts as he cleared his throat, shaking his head and giving Rose a polite smile.
“Thanks.” He said, trying to sound more grown up than he felt. “Shane was right, I do like penguins.”
Calling Daddy Shane felt weird on Luca’s tongue, like that time Pointy dared him to lick the nintendo cartridge. He didn’t like it very much. But if he called him daddy, then Rose might think Luca was a baby. Or Papa might realise he was dropping. Luca didn’t want either of those things. If Papa realised Luca was dropping, then he didn’t stand a chance on pulling himself back out of it.
Which is what he was desperately trying to do, setting the penguin aside gently and clenching his hand into a tight fist until his nails bit at his palms inside the pocket of his hoodie. He tried to think adult thoughts. Tried to think of taxes, of game strategy, of the Canadian nation anthem. He didn’t get to try for very long before he was being tugged gently out of his seat by Papa and guided away from the conversation happening on the lounge wordlessly.
“What are you doing?” Luca asked.
“You are fighting it malysh.” Papa said sternly. “You told Papa you wouldn’t.”
Luca blinked. How did Papa even know? “No I’m not.”
“Lying is naughty Luca.” Papa replied sternly. “I know you do not like it because Rose is here, but is not something you just opt out of.”
“I’m not lying!” Luca lied. His hand was suddenly pried out of his hoodie, splayed open so they could both see the little crescent shaped indents in the palm of his hand. Papa raised an expectant eyebrow at Luca, daring him to deny it this time. He didn’t push his luck that far. Instead, he let himself be tugged along with a silent scowl up the stairs and into Luca’s room. At least, until Papa was trying to guide Luca to lay down onto the change mat.
“No!” Luca argued, wrenching out of Papa’s grip. He didn’t get very far when he tried to run, Papa snatching him up around the waist and planting a firm, stinging smack to Luca’s bottom the moment he’d yanked his pants down. Luca yelped, kicking his leg as he was wrangled onto the mat. “I don’t want one!”
“I know you don’t.” Papa said simply. “Is not up to you.”
“That’s not fair!” Luca argued. He tried to squirm away again, only to be met with another sharp swat to the rear. Tears stung at his eyes, a mix of frustration and tingly pain.
“Is very fair.” Papa said. “You told Papa you wouldn’t fight it and you did, then you lied to papa about it. You are lucky you are not over Papa’s knee in front of Rose malysh.”
Luca jerked still at the thought. Papa was quick to capitalise on the stillness, sliding a diaper under Luca’s bottom and taping it up quickly. To Luca’s relief, his shorts followed soon after before Papa was sitting him back up, holding Luca so that he had to look at Papa.
“I am not asking you to like it malysh, but I want you to understand.” He said seriously. “You will get sick if you fight your drops. It is daddy and papa’s job to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“It’s embarrassing.” Luca whined, sniffling a bit the tears that had been prickling up in his lashline spilled over. Papa hummed, wiping them away.
“I know, but is important.” He said. “I would rather an embarrassed baby than a sick one.”
Luca huffed as he was lifted back off the change table. Papa sat him on his hip, but Luca was quick to squirm down back onto his own two feet. He was a big boy. He didn’t need Papa to carry him. Papa rolled his eyes at Luca, but didn’t pick him again. He offered Luca his hand, but Luca ignored him, marching forward without his papa determinedly.
Rose and Daddy were still sitting on the lounge when Luca toddled back into the room. Part of him wanted to go hide beside Daddy because Papa was being mean, but that wasn’t what big boys did, so instead Luca sat on the furthest cushion he could away from Daddy and Papa, leaning against the armrest with a huff. When Papa trailed in after him, Luca only glared.
Shane had warned Rose that Luca was shy, when she had asked if it was alright for her to meet him. He had warned her that he was clingy with Ilya and took a minute to warm up to strangers, and to not be offended if they disappeared upstairs for a little while together to give Luca time to get used to the idea of Rose. He had not warned her that Luca was a fucking menace, which was what he had apparently decided to be that afternoon.
Shane didn’t think their baby had ever been more poorly behaved than he had been through lunch after he had stomped back downstairs and planted himself in the furthest corner of the couch to sulk. Shane had been subjected to the worlds bossiest sous chef when they had moved into the kitchen to make lunch, Luca sitting at the kitchen island and directing Shane like he was Gordon fucking Ramsey.
“No triangles! I want a normal sandwich!”
“I don’t want that plate!”
“No sippy cup!”
Rose at least seemed thoroughly amused, rather than like she was judging Shane and Ilya’s ability to parent. She had also been happy to take Luca’s rejected triangle to munch on while Shane made him another, whole sandwich this time.
“So much for shy.” She joked, when Luca had stomped away once more to set the table at Shane’s request just to give himself a break from the baby for a minute.
“I don’t know what’s gotten into him.” Shane admitted. Sure, Luca has had his moments of brattiness before, but this took the cake. Rose shrugged, taking another bite of the peanut butter sandwich Luca had rejected.
“Kids are like that.” She said. “I still think he’s cute. Reminds me of you.”
“Because he’s being a brat?” Shane snorted. Rose grinned at him.
“Exactly.” She snipped. “Do you think he liked the penguin?”
“I think he loved the penguin.” Shane assured. Rose was nervous about meeting Luca. It was sweet. She had been blowing up Shane’s phone for weeks in search of the perfect gift and advice for how to endear herself to him. She had not appreciated his suggestion of taking a page from Haydens book and secretly learning swiss german.
“You don’t get it Shane, I have no idea how kids work.” She’d complained. “What do I do if he takes one look at me and starts crying? Then I’ll start crying and we’ll both be done for.”
Truthfully, if Luca had just started crying upon seeing Rose, it might be easier to deal with. Shane knew how to deal with a crying Luca. He knew how to deal with a bratty Luca too, but he didn’t particularly want to spank Luca when Rose was there. He had never given him a proper spanking before, only a swat here and there. It was always Ilya who dealt the proper spankings out. Ilya was on his last nerve though, and Shane knew if it were going to happen today it would be Shane dealing the consequences of Luca’s actions too him. Shane didn’t blame Ilya. Or Luca, really. It wasn’t either of their fault that Luca was unknowingly pressing one of Ilya’s more complicated buttons.
Lunch passed…mostly okay. Luca’s foul mood stuck around, but he was more preoccupied with eating than running his mouth. Rose and Ilya jabbed at each other lightly before falling into easy, gossipy conversation. Rose liked to know hockey drama, which she usually got from Shane, but Ilya liked to know celebrity drama, which Shane rarely thought to get from Rose. He knew which of her co-stars sucked and which directors he had a strong urge to punch on her behalf, but he rarely learnt about things beyond Rose’s direct sphere of friends.
Rose included Luca too, despite the ever persistent pout and general demeanour of being on the brink of a tantrum. Luca, to Shane’s great relief, only seemed to be being a little hellion to Ilya and Shane. He was his usual polite self with Rose, smiling and answering her questions about their latest string of games to the best of his ability.
“I don’t like Riley.” Luca told Rose seriously, relaying their latest game against Tampa to her. Or his version of it, which mostly centred on the penalty he’d gotten for fighting Jack Riley in the third period. He was proud of it, mostly because he had skirted past getting in trouble because Riley had been deemed the instigator. “He’s a jerk.”
“Why, what did he do?” Rose asked with genuine intrigue.
“He’s just annoying.” Luca muttered, sipping carefully at his water with two hands. Half of it had been sloshed onto the table already, but the sippy cup was a fight Shane simply hadn’t wanted to have. It was only water anyway, it could be cleaned up later. “He’s mean to Nicky ‘cause he was higher in the draft which is dumb because Nicky plays way better than him now.”
“That does sound dumb.” Rose agreed, before turning to Shane. “Nicky is Nick Young right? the defenceman?”
“Yeah, he’s Luca’s friend.” Shane said, pointedly ignoring the eyebrow waggle Ilya added.
“He’s my best friend.” Luca corrected to Rose primly. “but don’t tell Pointy and Bergy, they might be sad.”
“It stays between us. Pinky swear.” Rose assured him, holding her outstretched pinky to Luca which he took and gave a single firm shake. The moment was broken when Luca broke into a wide, jaw-cracking yawn that prompted Shane to glance at the time for the first time since they had sat down. A whole half hour past Luca’s usual nap time when he was little. No wonder he was so agitated.
“Why don’t you say goodnight to Rose buddy?” Shane prompted gently, standing up to gather everyones plates and take them to the sink. “It’s time for a nap.”
Luca stopped, going stiff as he turned to look at Shane with a defiant little furrow in his brow. “I don’t need a nap.”
Ilya looked at Shane over Luca’s head, I-told-you-so written all over his face. Rose at least seemed to sense the tantrum that was about to unfold, turning to Ilya with a half-hearted excuse about gong to check on Anya that had them both abandoning Shane to the still glaring baby.
“Do you want to try again?” Shane offered simply. Luca shook his head.
“I don’t need a nap.” He repeated, grinding out each word carefully. “I’m not having one.”
“It wasn’t optional Luca, you need to have a nap.” Shane replied. Maybe on another day, if Luca hadn’t been uncharacteristically bullheaded and irritatable, Shane would hear him out. Sometimes Luca just had too much energy to sleep, and needed some quiet time instead. Today wasn’t one of those days. Today, Shane was pretty sure the only thing that was going to get Luca out this mood he was in was a good rest.
“No!” Luca shouted and in yet another uncharacteristic move, darted past Shane and bolted up the stairs away from him before Shane could even think to try and catch him. One of the doors upstairs slamming shut had Shane counting to ten slowly in his head.
Ilya poked his head back in from outside, tilted at Shane in question.
“Is he fucking possessed or something?” Shane asked bluntly, moving towards the kitchen so he could dig out the master key they had. Shane liked to think that Luca wasn’t in such a bad mood he would lock a door on himself. Shane was also realistic.
“Pretty easy possession if he is.” Ilya joked. “Not even any neck breaking or vomit.”
The question was silent, but there, asking if Shane wanted Ilya to step in.
“I’ve got him.” Shane promised. “He’s just cranky.”
“Mmm yes, is very cranky that papa and daddy don’t want him to get sick and die.” Ilya huffed.
“Go hang out with Anya and Rose.” Shane said, waving him off. It was maybe a bit of a dramatic reading of the situation, but the concern didn’t come from nowhere. “I’ll get him to bed. Hopefully he’ll feel better after he sleeps.”
“ya lyublyu tyebya.” Ilya told him.
“I love you too.” Shane returned, before pocketing the master key and steeling himself for the battle that was to come as he made his way upstairs.
Luca was being really naughty. He had been really naughty all day, now that he had enough quiet to think about it sitting on the tiles of the upstairs bathroom, the lock of the door twisted shut so that daddy and papa couldn’t get in. He wasn’t supposed to lock doors when he was little. He wasn’t supposed to shout either, or run away from changes and naptime, or open the front door. It made his tummy hurt a little as he sniffled into his knees. He didn’t want to be naughty. But he didn’t want to be a baby either. He wanted Rose to think that he was cool. Babies weren’t cool.
Someone knocked on the door, making Luca jump a bit.
“Luca?” Daddy called from the other side of the door. Uh oh.
“Go away!” Luca called back, which was naughty too, but Luca figured he had been naughty enough that there was no point going back now. It was something Pointy would say, about pennies and dollars or something. Luca heard Daddy sigh on the otherside of the door.
“Luca, you have until I get to three to unlock the door.” Daddy warned. Luca swallowed, staying rooted to the tiles. Big boys didn’t have to listen to their daddies. Big boys didn’t even have daddies. Luca was a big boy.
“One.” Daddy counted. Luca blew a quick breath out through his mouth, drumming his fingers on his knees anxiously. Daddy couldn’t do anything if Luca didn’t open the door, he reasoned. It was locked and Luca was safe.
“Two.” He should have brought Blossom with him. And maybe a blanket. If Luca lived in the bathroom now it would be kind of uncomfortable without a blanket.
“Three.” Suddenly, Luca was not very safe at all as the lock clicked open and the door swung open, Daddy giving Luca a very unimpressed stare as he looked down at him from the doorway, a key in hand.
“Uh oh.” Luca mumbled.
“Uh oh is right.” Daddy agreed, stepping into the bathroom and scooping Luca up under the armpits onto his hip, carrying him swiftly into Luca’s room. Then Luca was face down over Daddy’s lap and both his shorts and diaper were being shucked off. Luca gasped, trying to squirm off of Daddy’s lap quickly. Daddy’s hand came down fast and stingy on Luca’s backside, the smack loud in the quiet of Luca’s room. “Don’t even think about it Luca.”
“Ow.” Luca whined, twisting in Daddy’s hold. Daddy had never given Luca a proper spanking before. Luca quickly decided Daddy spankings were a lot worse than Papa spankings. Papa talked when he gave Luca spankings, explained what Luca had done wrong. He would pause to rub or pat Luca’s sore bottom soothingly sometimes. Daddy didn’t do any of that.
Daddy’s hand was quick, heavier than Papa’s as he went about peppering Luca’s backside with stinging smacks. It also didn’t pause, even when Luca started crying in earnest as the sting turned hot and moved to cover his whole bottom. Daddy kept Luca’s hands pinned on his lower back so he didn’t move to try and cover his bottom, squeezing them gently sometimes reassuringly, but he didn’t talk while he smacked Luca. He didn’t say anything until he had finished smacking Luca’s bottom, sitting him up on Daddy’s lap so that he could cry properly into Daddy’s shoulder.
“Daddy’s mean.” Luca sobbed. His bottom throbbed. Daddy shushed him gently, rubbing a warm hand up and down Luca’s back soothingly.
“You don’t lock doors Luca, you know better.” Daddy scolded softly. “And you’ve been aiming for a spanking all day mister. What’s going on huh? You don’t normally act like this.”
Luca only cried, burrowing into Daddy’s arms as much as he could.
“Is it because Rose is here?” Daddy prompted. Luca sniffled wetly, shaking his head into Daddy’s chest. It was a little bit because Rose was there, but…Luca thinks it might be a lot more than that. Too much for him to tell daddy when his head was all jumbled up and he felt all twisty. It felt silly. Papa had talked to Luca about this so many times now.
“M’sorry daddy.” Luca mumbled eventually. He was sorry. Not just because he’d gotten a spanking, though he was pretty sorry about that too. “Don’t like being naughty.”
“I know baby.” Daddy said softly, kissing the top of Luca’s head gently. “You’ve got a lot going on up here today, huh?”
Luca nodded sadly. He had too much in his brain. All the too much made Luca feel icky and act naughty.
“Do you want to talk to daddy now or after you have a rest?” Daddy offered. Luca sniffed.
“After.” He said. Maybe the too much would be gone after Luca had a sleep.
“Okay.” Daddy said. He moved through getting Luca ready for bed quietly, humming softly and patting Luca’s tummy while he got him changed into a new diaper and pulled the curtains shut so the sun didn’t peak into the room anymore. Soon enough, Luca was tucked into bed with Blossom and his new penguin, laying on his side while Daddy fussed with his covers. “Want me to stay until you fall asleep?”
Usually, Luca would get patted to sleep. Or Papa would rock him. Today, Luca shook his head. The too much was still there, and Luca didn’t want to be naughty to daddy and papa anymore. He didn’t trust that he wouldn’t be if daddy stayed though.
“Just want Blossom.” Luca reasoned. Daddy nodded.
“Me and Papa are just downstairs if you need us okay?” Daddy told him seriously.
“Okay daddy.” Luca nodded. Daddy leaned down to give Luca a goodnight kiss.
“I love you baby.”
“Love you daddy.” Luca returned. Then Daddy was gone, shutting Luca’s door softly behind him. Once he left, Luca laid there for a moment in the quiet, his bottom lip quivering. Then Luca was crying softly into his pillow, clutching Blossom to his chest tightly.
Kids were complicated. This was not news to Rose. She had nieces and nephews, she had friends with kids. It wasn’t her first rodeo gone wrong because someone’s kid was having a hard day. Shane and Ilya felt a lot worse about it than she did. Well, Shane felt worse about it, Ilya had silently dared her to be a bitch about his baby with his eyes in a flurry of adorable but unnecessary protective rage.
From what she did know about Luca, this was probably one of the worst days he had ever had. It was just everyones luck it happened to be on a day Rose was there to witness it. So when Shane came downstairs again looking a bit like he’d just been to war, Rose was quick to excuse herself to the bathroom to give him a minute to debrief and decompress with Ilya.
There were four bathrooms in Shane and Ilya’s place. Two were ensuites that were reserved for the owners of the rooms they were attached too and the one on the first floor had bad vibes Rose had never been able to explain. She’s pretty sure it’s the lights. Something about them make her feel like she’s about to be murdered scream style. Which means really there was only one viable bathroom in Shane and Ilya’s place. Today it happened to come with the added challenge of tiptoeing past the sleeping toddlers room. Which Rose thought she had succeeded at, when she had first slunk into the bathroom and shut the door behind her to fix her makeup in the mirror and splash some cold water on her neck just for the sake of it.
Then she had stepped back out and been met with Luca, teary eyed with his bunny clutched in hand and no pants on over the diaper he was wearing. He was also carrying a backpack and looked like he was about to make for the stairs, which…seemed like something she should probably stop.
“Hey Luca.” She greeted casually. Luca sniffled at her, eyes wide when he realised he’d been caught. “Whatcha doing?”
“I was naughty.” He reported, just in case Rose had somehow missed the slow crescendo of tantrums that had been going on all afternoon. “M’gonna go live with Oma and Opa now.”
“Why?”
“’cause I made daddy and papa sad.” Luca said, like it was a heinous crime. Rose’s heart clenched a bit. “I don’t wanna make daddy and papa sad, so I’m gonna go away now.”
“Oh sweetheart.” Rose cooed. “I think you going away is what will make your daddy and papa sad.”
Luca paused, blinking at her like that hadn’t occurred to him as a possibility. “Really?”
“Really really.” Rose said. “They love you so much, they would be so sad if you left.”
“But I was naughty.” Luca said.
“I think they love you anyway.” Rose shrugged. She gently tugged the backpack from Luca’s shoulder, mildly amused to find the only things in there was about five different pacifiers and a single duplo block. Everything you need to run away, really.
“I didn’t mean to be naughty.” Luca sighed, sniffling sadly. Rose hummed sympathetically. “My brain was just too much.”
“That’s okay.” Rose assured him, holding her hand out for Luca to take if he wanted. “Come on, I’ll tuck you back in and you can tell me all about it.”
Luca looked at her wearily for a moment, before he did reach out for her hand. The walk back into his bedroom wasn’t very far, but he seemed to appreciate the comfort of contact as he clambered back under the sheets. She scratched her nails over his scalp gently, laughing softly when his eyes fluttered contentedly at the sensation.
“I didn’t want you to think I was a baby.” He confessed after a moment of silence, chewing anxiously on his thumb. “Papa says it’s okay to be a baby but I still get embarrassed sometimes ‘cause lotsa people think babies are dumb. And I wasn’t doing a good job not being a baby and it made me mad.”
“Well, for what it’s worth, I don’t think you’re a baby.” Rose said. “I think you’re a pretty cool kid actually. I mean you have to be if you like penguins.”
Luca smiled at that, a soft little thing that was half swallowed by the pillow his face was mushed into. Then, he wriggled his arm out from underneath the covers of his bed, holding his pinky finger out to her. “Pinky promise?”
Rose smiled softly, reaching out to link their pinkies and shake them gently with a nod. “Pinky promise.”
“Thank you Auntie Rosie.” Luca mumbled, before breaking into a wide yawn, his eyes fluttering shut and staying that way while Rose blinked in shock. So much for shy. She grinned to herself as she extracted herself gently from the pinky tangle she found herself in. She could not wait to see the look on Ilya’s face when she told him she was already Auntie Rosie.