Chapter Text
“Ilya, are you sure we can do this?” Shane asked. His nervous energy radiated off of him in waves.
“Shane we have been waiting almost two and a half years for this moment, you forget who we are–“
Just then their adoption agent came into the room, the room where they would meet their daughter for the first time. Margret glanced between them, “Are you gentlemen ready to meet your baby girl?”
With tears in both their eyes, they nodded. Of course they were ready. As soon as they got the call six months ago that their profile had finally been picked after endless and agonizing waiting, they would be dads. Together.
“The nurses are getting her cleaned up and then they will meet us here. Then after you get some time to cuddle her and feed her, the records office will come. That’s when you two will fill out all the documents,” She said. “Documents?” Ilya questioned. “Yes, You’ll sign the birth certificate submission, adoption papers, and paperwork for the health department declaring her birth. It’s a lot all at once but once it’s all done, she’s officially yours.”
The door opened as Margret finished her run down of all of the things to come. A bassinet with a small blanket wrapped baby entered. Time stood still as the two Dads stood to greet the girl who would complete their small family.
“Oh my god,” the breath left Shane’s lungs as he looked at her. The top of her head was covered with a small pink hat and her body swallowed by a soft pink blanket. She truly was the most beautiful baby he had ever seen. His hands shook as he and Ilya held her for the first time. “I’ve never been so happy in my life. She is so beautiful Shane,” a small sob came from Ilya.
It’s so hard to believe that was 17 years ago. Now they were on to a whole new challenge, raising their World Champion (soon to be Olympian) figure skater.
***
Ilya was getting the laundry from the dryer like Shane had asked him to.
“Make sure you use the black basket when you get the clothes out. It’s the one for clean clothes.” “Yes Shane, I know which one you like. We’ve been doing laundry together since time began. I know which basket to use.” Shane let out a small noise of disapproval at Ilya’s snide comment. “You are such an asshole.”
Ilya will never get tired of teasing his husband. At this point in their marriage, it’s like a reward. Every huff, sigh, and gasp is like foreplay to them. Even 20 years after they both said “I do” in front of their friends (not Hayden though Ilya would add) and family, their love is strong.
“How the fuck do we have so many clothes, this is ridiculous,” mumbling to himself Ilya loaded what seemed to be an endless load of laundry into the correct black basket. It was even labeled ‘clean clothes only’ on the side. It was comical how strict Shane was with chores, but it just made Ilya love him more. His perfect, boring, sexy husband.
He was walking back up the stairs toward their bedroom, when he heard the distinct sound of what could only be described as teenage angst.
“OH. MY. GOD.” Ilya could hear the rage in Alyona’s voice…followed by a loud bang of something hitting her bedroom wall.
“Alyonushka? Are you okay?” Ilya knocked and slowly opened her door. Alyona was face down in her bed, and her face was a shade of red that Ilya didn’t even know was possible. Well, the parts of her face he could see from around the pillow were at least. “My girl, what is wrong?” the Russian words spilled from his mouth as he knelt down beside her, completely abandoning the fresh laundry he was sent to get. She mumbled something back in Ilya’s native tongue but it was very hard to understand her since she was still speaking with her face covered. “Honey you have to sit up, I cannot understand you.” She sat up, her dark eyes meeting with his much lighter pair and sighed, “Papa, if I read one more book with a third-act break-up, I'm going to kill someone.”
Ilya was very confused.
“Third-act what? What is this, who is breaking up with you? You aren’t seeing someone you would have told me,” He stated, “Tell me, who is this idiot who breaks up with my beautiful girl?”
“Oh my god Papa you are so lost. Where is Dad? He knows what I’m talking about.” Alyona hopped off her bed and went to find Shane.
Ilya was now very, very confused.
“Alyonushka! Wait! What do you mean Dad knows more than me? That is LIE!” Ilya chased after her. There is absolutely no way Shane Hollander is going to be better at understanding their daughter than him.
Shane was up in his and Ilya’s closet putting the clean shirts away. His system was perfect, definitely not obsessive in any way. First his work out shirts, then t-shirts, followed by nicer shirts, and finally dress clothes/suits. All perfectly organized by color and sleeve length. (Obviously from tank top to long sleeve.) Sweatshirts and pants were folded neatly onto the custom made shelving units they had made specifically for the primary bedroom’s walk-in closet. It was probably ridiculous to anyone else who looked at Shane’s side of the closet but to him, it’s like a wet dream.
“DAD! Where are you?” Shane almost jumped out of his skin. “Aly? What’s wrong?” Shane walked toward the hallway as Alyona pushed the bedroom’s french doors open. She looked royally pissed off. “I am so sick and tired of every book I read having a third act break-up! Or a miscommunication trope! It’s so fucking annoying, like just talk to each other! It’s not rocket science to speak! Use words! I know 3 fucking languages! It’s not hard! USE. YOUR. WORDS. TALK IT OUT!” She was nearly screaming at the end of her rant. Shane sat down on the bed and patted the spot next to him, “Sit, tell me about it.” Alyona flopped on the bed and started explaining the entire book and how absolutely stupid both characters are. Shane just listened while twisting her long blonde curls through his fingers.
“Shane, where do you want the clean stuff?” Ilya said walking in. He had waited in the hall while Shane and Alyona spoke, partly because he forgot the laundry basket in her bedroom but also because he wasn’t sure how to help this time.
He leaned against the wall listening while his heart and soul conversed in what almost seemed like a different language.
Shane and Alyona were readers. Shane read every hockey book imaginable, while Alyona thrived in the romance section. She had even once told her dads that living in the fictional world can be so much more fun than real life. Well Ilya couldn’t argue with that, he had known what it was like to want a place to escape to. He just chose hockey for his escape route instead of books. Ilya must not understand reading the way those two did. Apparently books have “tropes” they tend to follow. What the fuck is trope? Ilya is a smart man, but this time he was lost.
“Just put the basket next to the chair and I'll put it away.” Shane pointed to the bright blue chair they had picked out together years ago. It was originally going to be in the game room at the cottage, but when they brought it home they put it in their room to store and it never left.
It is the perfect reading chair according to Shane. Ilya pretended not to notice how Shane had moved it so that the sun would shine just right for reading.
“Alyonushka, are you feeling better after talking to Dad?” Ilya asked, scooting next to her on the bed. She looked at Ilya with worry in her deep brown eyes, “Papa, you caught me at a bad time. I didn’t mean to yell at you. I’m sorry.” Shane shot Ilya a questioning glance, He’d fill him in later.
“Solnyshko, you did not hurt me. You were angry yes? But I knew I did nothing wrong.” Alyona shook her head that she understood.
“Why don’t you go get ready for practice? We need to leave in about 20 minutes to get to the rink anyway,” Shane said.
“She’s going to be amazing this weekend,” Shane looked almost starstruck by his own daughter. Ilya didn’t take his eyes off her, “Yes, last contest before qualifiers. Of course she will be amazing, she’s our girl. She will do anything she sets her mind to.”
Alyona sped past, gaining speed for her next jump. She skates like a bird flying through the air. So smooth and effortless, she’s magic on the ice. Being the daughter of two world renowned hockey stars probably helps too.
A month after her first steps they had her in skates, hockey skates at first of course. Alyona however, did not enjoy playing hockey. She loved to watch. She knows the game like she knows herself, she basically grew up at the arena in Ottawa. The entire Centuars team became her family the day Shane and Ilya brought her home. The team taught her how to play every position, even goalie thanks to Uncle Wyatt.
Alyona played exactly one real game of hockey before she decided it was definitely not for her. In said game she shot the puck directly into the goal, which was great and her team (and Dads) went nuts cheering for her! But, then she realized she made the goalie cry. The pain of seeing someone cry is one thing but knowing you caused someone sadness is another. Shane tried to talk her into giving hockey one more try, but Ilya convinced him to give it up.
“She is not going to love everything we loved to do sweetheart.” Ilya had said that day to Shane. “Alyonushka is her own person, let her be that. Yes?"
It turns out Alyona was very much like both her fathers even if they aren’t biologically related. She is intelligent, determined, sensitive, and definitely a menace. She may not play hockey but in the skating world she is extremely well known for her chirping.
One judge even said on a performance tape that she would be scoring her less if she isn’t going to be kinder to other skaters. Ilya laughed about that for days. The words “little bitch” were used to describe that judge for the entirety of that competition season.
It’s not like the things Aly would say were mean they were…distracting.
Like the time she walked by a skater from France who was talking shit about her. All Aly had said was, “Oh, I can do that too my love,” in French. Which apparently is considered unsportsmanlike behavior to some judges. “God forbid a girl can speak other languages,” Aly had complained the entire way home. Both dads laughed along with her.
“Aly! Don’t forget to keep your chest up when you land, you keep dipping down. It’s throwing off your landing, that's why you keep tripping.” Coach Nadia Carr shouted across the ice. Shane found her when Aly decided she wanted to try figure skating after the hockey fiasco. Nadia is excellent with Alyona, even when the sass is at an all time high she keeps her cool.
Nadia had also secured Three national championships for Alyona, and several more junior championships. She only coached singles skaters, including Nick Petrov. Aly and Nick have been skating together since day one.
The first practice Alyona attended was for her to find out if skating was the sport for her. She was so nervous she didn’t even want to get on the ice. But Nick dragged her out there with him, and they’ve been attached at the hip ever since.
They will both be competing this weekend in Montreal. Nick has already been named as one of Team Canada’s members and Aly so far is rumored to be the first pick for the women’s spot, but winning this weekend would help lock her in place. Olympic qualifiers are just over a month away and it will be her first Olympics if she makes it.
She desperately wanted to prove to herself that she really did have what it takes to be the best in the world. That she isn’t ‘just a nepo baby with skates.’ She has heard that phrase so many times that it was practically her catchphrase.
Alyona Hollander-Rozanova, Princess of Nepotism!
God. She was sick of it.
She was beyond proud of her dads and all of their accomplishments of course. They were Stanley Cup Champions so many times over she didn’t even know the true number of times. Their trophies lined the walls of their large trophy room. (They had to turn a whole different room into Aly’s when she started bringing home title after title.) They were loving, supportive, caring dads that wanted her to have the world.
But, what about all of her hard work? She was the one on the ice. She was the one pushing the limits of her body and mind. She was the one killing herself trying to perfect her programs. Not her fathers.
“Okay Aly, let’s run through your program with music one more time and we will be finished for the day!” Coach Carr called out. Nodding, Aly took her place at center ice. The soft melody began.
This program was to a French lullaby Grandpa David used to sing to her when she would stay the night. Grandma Yuna had suggested it to Alyona one night years ago. This year was the one that felt right to use it, and it would be the best surprise. Her grandparents had no clue she would be using it for the qualifiers as well.
They also didn’t know that the rendition Alyona was using is from a video of her as a child, around 3 years old.
She was sitting in David's lap, he was softly rocking them, as they softly sang together. The video had ended with David looking at her before saying, “I will always love you kiddo.” “I’ll always love you more Grandpa.”
Alyona had found the video on Shane’s laptop where he kept a folder dedicated to Aly’s childhood. She had also been the one to take the audio from the clip and set it to a soft violin version of the same song. And for extra effect, she had left the ‘I love yous’ at the end.
Shane and Ilya stared in awe as Aly moved along with her song. (There definitely weren’t tears in their eyes.) Her blades glided against the ice like rainwater on a window pane. Effortless, that’s how it would look to someone who didn’t understand the true power it took to move like her.
However, Ilya noticed a strange emotion on her face. It was small, barely there. Her eyes spoke to him saying that there is something on her mind. Aly has been acting weird for a week. Ilya and Shane are convinced something more is going on with her but Alyona denies it.
They also have a bet on who’s correct, because they make everything a competition. Including parenting.
Ilya thinks the same stupid idiot boy Justin who plays for the high school hockey team is behind it all. The boy broke up with his baby girl on her sixteenth birthday. Who even does that? Stupid idiot 18 year-old hockey players do.
Shane however, is sure it’s not about him. Aly is very open with her parents about everything normally, but this feels different. Shane doesn’t think she’s hiding anything necessarily but something is off with her.
“Are you fucking kidding me,” Ilya practical growled. Shane looked in the direction Ilya was. Justin and his entire stupid team were making their way to the locker rooms. The boys were talking and shoving each other around like fools. Completely disturbing the end of Aly’s practice. “They must have a game here tonight,” Shane glared.
Alyona and Justin dated for almost a year. She had even told her dads that she was in love with him.
Ilya didn’t like him from the moment they met.
First of all, when he came to their house to pick Aly up for their first date, he could drive. So not only did Ilya have to realize his one and only child was old enough for a boyfriend, he could also take her out anywhere. In. His. Own. Car.
Secondly, he drove a terrible, ugly, car. It was shit brown and he hated it. Not even a new paint job would have made Ilya like it.
Third and finally, he just wasn’t good enough for Alyona. He doesn’t have the grades, the ambition, the manners even. Justin didn’t even come to the front door to meet them when he picked Aly up for their first date. He texted her, “im here.” He stayed in the car and waited for her. Not even getting out to open the door for her. Ilya was ready for the relationship to end there.
Plus he is a horrible hockey player. The puck could hit him in the face and he still wouldn’t see it. Now Ilya knows he’s probably being extra picky about who he would like to date his daughter, but it’s true.
Shane agreed mostly, but what sealed the deal for him was watching Alyona wait for him to come to her Sweet 16 party. Only for him to stand her up. All of her friends were there, but he never showed.
By the time the party was over he had texted her that “he just wasn’t into her” anymore. Justin had broken up with their daughter on her birthday, over text, after almost a full year of being together. After holding Aly for hours and finally getting her to her sleep.
Shane and Ilya thought they were going to kill that unbelievable kid. Who the fuck breaks up with their daughter on her freaking birthday of all days?
It’s not like he didn’t know, he was invited to the fucking party.
In the year since then, Aly hasn’t dated anyone else. Not even mentioned an interest in anyone. As much as that made her dads happy, it worried Shane. He hoped one pimple covered red-head didn’t ruin her idea of dating, at least not forever.
Justin must have looked in their direction because when he saw the two very angry dads, he practically ran into the locker room. “Ha, at least now we know I am still scary,” Ilya smirked at Shane. “Oh come on, he’s scared of me too.”
“My love,” Ilya purred in Russian “Not even a fly is scared of you.”