Chapter Text
Shane’s phone buzzed for the third time in ten minutes.
He didn't need to look. He knew the pattern by now—Hayden, spiraling.
Please.
I'm begging you.
Jackie is gone for THREE MORE DAYS and the kids have asked me about the amusement park approximately forty-seven thousand times.
Shane glanced at the screen and smiled despite himself, then he typed back: Then take them.
No response for a moment, then the typing bubble appeared, disappeared and appeared again.
WITH WHAT ARMY
SHANE
I AM ONE MAN
Shane snorted. He could picture it perfectly—Hayden standing in his kitchen, hair a disaster, probably stepping on a Lego while trying to negotiate a juice box truce between the twins. The image was so vivid and so Hayden that Shane felt something warm loosen in his chest.
Before Shane could respond, another message came through.
Also I haven't seen you in months. The kids miss you. I miss you. Ilya is the devil but the kids miss him too. Please.
Shane's smile softened. Months. It was true. Not because either of them had done anything wrong—just because life had gotten heavy. The weeks of handling Ilya's medication switch, where he had to allow the old medication to clear his system before starting the new one. Of coaxing him out of bed on the hard mornings. Of encouraging just one more bite of toast. Shane had been so focused on keeping Ilya afloat that he hadn't noticed how isolated they'd become.
A chaotic, exhausting day with Hayden and the kids sounded like exactly what they needed.
Shane didn't normally seek out chaos. He liked quiet. He liked routine. He liked knowing what was going to happen next. But the last few months had been so heavy, so inside, that the idea of noise and crowded walkways and overpriced funnel cake felt less like an inconvenience and more like fresh air.
And not just for Ilya.
That was the part that surprised him. Somewhere in the middle of Hayden's frantic texts, Shane had realized he actually wanted to go. Not because it would be good for Ilya—though it would be—but because he missed his best friend. He missed the easy rhythm of their friendship, the way Hayden could make him laugh without trying. He missed the kids, with their sticky hands and unfiltered questions and the way they looked at him like he was something special.
And maybe, for the first time in weeks, he wanted to do something that was just… fun.
The thought startled him a little. He couldn't remember the last time he'd used that word for himself.
On the couch beside him, Ilya was sprawled sideways, feet in Shane's lap, scrolling through his own phone. He was wearing one of Shane's hoodies. The sleeves were too short.
"Hayden?" Ilya asked without looking up.
"Yeah."
"What does he want?"
"He wants us to go to La Ronde with him and the kids."
Ilya's eyebrows rose. "The amusement park?"
"Yes."
"You hate crowds."
"I know."
"You hate waiting in lines."
"I know."
Ilya set his phone down and studied Shane. "So why are you still thinking about it?"
Shane considered the question. He wasn't reluctant; he wanted to give Ilya an honest answer.
"Because I miss him," he said finally. "And I think we could use a day that isn't…" He gestured vaguely. "Whatever the last few months have been."
Ilya was quiet for a moment. Then his expression shifted, a soft crack underneath the usual bravado. "You want to go."
“…Yeah.” Shane confirmed.
Shane looked tired. Not in the obvious, physical way; not yawning or complaining. It was in the small things. The slight droop of his shoulders. How his smile came a little slower lately. Of just…waiting. Neither of them pretended it was fine. But they didn't talk it to death either. They just stuck it out, hoping the next week would be better than the last.There had been some improvement within this past week and a half. Maybe. It was hard to tell, some days.
Ilya had been so inside his own head, he hadn't noticed how much of Shane it was costing.
But Shane wanted this. Shane wanted to go to an amusement park with Hayden and the kids. And Shane never wanted things like that.
“Then we will go.”
Shane blinked. "That's it? No argument?"
“I want the children to see me ring the bell at the game with the big hammer. Someone in their life should model athletic excellence.”
"That's… very specific."
He swung his legs off the couch and stood. "I will pack the bag."
"You want to go that badly?"
Ilya paused in the doorway, and didn't turn around at first. Then: "You said you miss him. And you said we need a day." His voice was quieter now, the teasing gone. "I've been…in my head. For weeks. You've been pulling me out of it. A day of being outside, of the kids, of watching Hayden lose his mind…of you happy…“ He looked back at Shane. “It will be good.”
Shane's throat tightened. "Yeah?"
Ilya nodded once. "Yeah."
Then, because he was still Ilya, he added: "Also I am the favorite uncle. The children miss me. This is important."
"You're the uncle who deliberately undermines their father.”
"This is why I am the favorite."
Shane laughed, and it had an easy, unguarded sound that made Ilya's smile go genuine, just for a second. Then he disappeared into the bedroom.
Shane picked up his phone. We'll come.
Hayden's response came immediately: THANK GOD. YOU'RE MY FAVORITE.
Shane grinned as he typed; I thought we were the devil.
ILYA IS THE DEVIL. YOU'RE AN ANGEL. SEE YOU SATURDAY.
Shane shook his head, still smiling, and let himself just sit with the feeling of looking forward to something. It was nice.