Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter One

June 11th 2017

Nashville, TN

post Game Six of Stanley Cup Final

As he took off his gear, set his mask down for the very last time that season, Pekka Rinne realized something. Something that had been in the back of his mind for quite some time and only now manifested itself.

He was getting old.

True, he was 34 now, would be 35 in the fall. Not old, per se, but for a hockey player? Yeah, it was considered "up there". Especially for a goalie. He knew going into the Final that the odds were stacked against him actually winning the Cup. Hell, the only goalie who had ever gotten close to winning the whole damn thing in the past few years, and was older than Pekka right now, was Brodeur right at 40, and Pekka knew that the odds of him playing that much longer were slim to nil. Both Fleury and Murray on the Penguins were younger than him, and the young, visibly saddened man sitting beside him in the locker room was even younger than that. Juuse, his "Son".

Sighing, he sat down beside the boy, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, "Little Bear, look at me, what are you thinking?"

"It..it should be us. It should be you! Why did it have to be them again?" He groaned, turning his body so that his face was now engulfed by Pekka's broad shoulder.

"I don't know. I don't know, rakas. I wish I could tell you. It just..I guess it wasn't our turn to do it."

"Well it should've been," Juuse pouted, lifting his head to look up at Pekka's face, big blue eyes rimmed with tears.

"I know, Baby, I know. I'm not disagreeing. But," he sighed again, standing back up and continuing to undress and put his street clothes back on,"the hockey gods disagree. You know how fickle they are. "

"Well, one day, Daddy. You're gonna show them. I just know it."

"You forget, Little Bear," Pekka chuckled, reaching over and gently rustling Juuse's thick, black hair,"that I am getting old. I'm ancient for a goalie."

"That's why you have us! That's why you have me! You have me and Miikka to keep you young still, Daddy. 34 is not that old..."

"It is when you'll be 35 not even halfway through next season,"Pekka sighed,"I've put my entire life into hockey, Little Bear. And what do I have to show for it? Aside from you and the team, I don't have anybody. I thought, by now, I'd be married. I thought I'd have a couple of kids."

"K...kids?"

"REAL kids, Juuse. Sons and daughters. You see," Pekka was quiet for a moment, like he was considering something, before he spoke again,"I have that ability." They both knew what that ability was. Some of the guys in the league were born looking like any other man, all parts included, but, on the inside, things were not quite as they appeared. Pekka was one of those. He had a perfectly functioning penis just like any other man his age, but, upon hitting puberty, his family discovered through a routine physical that he also had a uterus and ovaries. The doctors explained that they were most likely inactive, perhaps never going to amount to anything, and, even so, even if he did concieve, he would have to have a c-section as there was no other way for a child to come out. The way to prevent conception was obvious, as Pekka was told once he was old enough to understand, and he had taken precautions since then to keep as such, putting all of his focus and attention on hockey.

Pekka's family had never spoken of his condition after that time. They weren't ashamed of him, it was just something that they had chosen to deal with rather quietly. For all intents and purposes, he was still their son. He didn't learn until he had come to North America that his condition wasn't quite as rare. In fact, it had become a bit of a locker room joke when certain players would be going on IR for "a while" that "so-and-so must be up the duff" or "I guess he's knocked up too!". The doctors and trainers knew about Pekka, and even Laviolette was aware, just in case something should happen, but none of his teammates knew. He was afraid of how they would react.

Well, now Juuse knew, of course.

"What..what are you saying, Pekks?" Juuse was stunned, not quite sure what to think of this sudden admission by his boyhood idol,"You..you want a baby?"

The idea of it filled Juuse with glee, he couldn't deny it. Seeing Pekka get swollen with their child..it was definitely enticing. The idea was almost too much for him. Now that it was possibly out there in the open, he wanted it. Oh he wanted it badly. Yes, he wanted to see Pekka looking nearly due with their child, but he also wanted the other moments. He wanted that moment when they first felt their baby move or when they met that little one for the first time, looking into his or her beautiful eyes. He just knew, in his heart, that should it all come to fruition, they would have a beautiful child.

"I mean," Pekka shrugged,"better late than never? I'm not getting any younger. I don't want to be 50 and just now starting a family with some bimbo who's just, you know, using me for a meal ticket or a sugar daddy. And you know I love you and trust you, probably more than anybody else. I know you'd be good to me. You'd be good to..to our baby, if this works," he put a hand on his still toned, flat stomach,"Fuck, if this works..."

"You won't be so toned and tanned and perfect anymore. But, I mean, the idea of us having a baby. It would be great. I think we'd have one gorgeous baby."

"I wouldn't be Daddy anymore," Pekka joked,"I'd have to be Mommy or Mama."

"No, but you'll always be Daddy to me. So, right now? Do you want to do this now? Here?"

Pekka bit his lower lip and considered it for a moment, then shook his head,"No. Not here. It would be kind of awkward, not the place where I want to concieve a baby, you know? I can wait till home."

"Then, until then," Juuse stood and came over to Pekka, getting slightly up on his tiptoes before softly and gently kissing him,"rakkaani."

Chapter Text

Chapter Two

June 11th 2017

Pekka's House

They left the rink together, as they always did. The sounds of celebration were becoming too much for both Pekka and Juuse. Besides, it didn't make much sense for Pekka to drive home and for Juuse to take a cab or Uber when they were going to the exact same place. Juuse was teeming with excitement and a bit of arousal. At every stoplight, Pekka would reach over and pat him on the leg playfully.

"What's that for?"

"You're so eager. So willing to knock me up," Pekka chuckled, finally turning onto their street.

"Well duh," Juuse playfully rolled his eyes,"Why would I not be? Wait, are you on any, you know, pills or anything? Maybe we have to wait a little bit for them to, you know, get out of you."

"Actually," Pekka paused for a moment as he turned into the driveway and turned off the car, then he directed his attention at Juuse,"I always go off them during the offseason. It doesn't hurt me to do that, I just..I like to live without it. Without having to constantly remember to take them, you know?"

"So, God willing..."

"God willing, if all goes to plan, in a little while there will be a little half-me and half-you inside of me. Yes," Pekka nodded, motioning at his own mid-section,"And, fuck it, I..." "Can't wait any longer," Juuse murmured before stretching across the console of the vehicle and kissing Pekka deeply, running a hand through his blonde hair,"Pekks.." "Ju...Juuse," he groaned into the kiss, turning his body so that they were now facing each other. He ran his tongue over Juuse's full lips and then gently slipped it into his younger lover's mouth once the other man had opened it just slightly.

"Right here?" Pekka murmured, breaking the kiss in order to stretch his neck back, like he was inviting Juuse to lick and bite around and near his Adam's apple.

"Hmmm..." Juuse murmured, following suit and kissing the base of Pekka's neck before baring teeth and lightly nipping at the skin,"I think...maybe inside."

Pekka nodded and at that, Juuse removed his mouth from his lover's neck. Both men quickly got out of the car, leaving their gear behind for now and practically sprinted from the car to the front door. Pekka got out the keys to the front door and nearly dropped them in anticipation of getting the door unlocked, getting inside, and letting this potentially come to fruition.

The idea of being pregnant, of not being able to play for at least 9 months, probably more, should've bothered Pekka. But, instead, he was hoping that when they did this, it would take. He wanted this child. He wanted to experience pregnancy. He wondered if it was as beautiful and wonderful as his mother and sister had acted like it was. He wondered if he was going to be sick every morning for months on in or be spared that.

Though he could get through anything with Juuse at his side.

Right, Juuse.

The man who was currently quickly undressing Pekka and then himself before positioning himself just right behind the older man and then...

OH.

The time passed quickly. Pekka felt his head lean back against Juuse, moaning out in Finnish as he was taken, repeatedly. He loved the feel of his skin against his younger lover's skin, completely without the barriers of clothing or their gear to get in the way. It did not take long until he knew he was close.

"Juuse..."

"Yeah, Pekks?" Juuse panted against Pekka's ear, running a gentle hand through his hair.

"I...Oh, oh God..." he groaned and leaned into Juuse, coming hard all over the couch and could feel his younger lover tense and then release completely into him.

Once it was over, once they were completely done, Pekka turned around and looked at Juuse in the eye, a content, truly happy look in his eyes. He was completely at peace with everything, regardless of what had happened earlier that evening. "My love...thank you."

"For..for what? Why the thank you?"

"Because I just..." he sighed contently,"I just know that we've done this. Something tells me we've created something absolutely wonderful and beautiful here. I know there's no way of knowing this soon, but I just have this feeling....the best feeling."

Juuse smiled and kissed Pekka, running his fingers along the older man's playoff stubble,"I can't imagine having a baby with anybody else."

"Me neither, little bear. Me neither."