Chapter Text
When the Classification results came through, Hayes was not surprised. Even at the tender age of 16,he knew that he was a Caregiver.
He loved children and Littles. His energy was a magnet for them, wherever he was. He was the favourite at all Summer Camps he attended, a trusted babysitter at his community, the favourite cousin.
When Lisa came into the picture, everything clicked. She was a Caregiver and wanted to go on paediatrics. She wanted children, but also a Little. She didn’t care if they were biological or adopted.
For a doctor, she is fun, light hearted, easy going. It’s the only way to be in a marriage with the goalie of an hockey team.
Yes, Wyatt Hayes was a lucky man since the very beginning, like the universe aligned its stars for him.
Becoming a Centaur was just another perfect aligned cosmic event.
The moment he met Ilya, his hormones went into overdrive. Rapidly, he was aware that he wasn’t a lonely Little. He had a loving Caregiver and hated that other people tend for him.
And that was the moment he felt like the universe was playing a sick joke.
He and Lisa agreed to wait. With their schedules, caring for someone was a bit of a stretch. Even a Little need attention and someone at home, for non-planed drops.
But after seeing Ilya with Shane, Hayes’ heart was broken. He wanted THAT so, so bad that he could taste it.
Lisa did her best to comfort him, but she knew that this was a ticking time bomb. That sooner rather then later, her husband will retired just so they can have a Little.
And she knew that retirement will take away some of his greatest joys in life.
So Lisa Hayes sent a silent prayer to the universe.
And the universe heard it.
Luca Haas entered the team as their youngest rookie. He was small for a hockey player. Shy, soft spoken and completely star-struck.
He followed Ilya and Shane like a lost duckling and less than a month after his draft, Hayes noticed that the Caregiver acted with him just like Ilya.
After his first game, Luca dropped. Suddenly and hard. Like really hard. The poor thing one minute was entering the locker room, the next was sobbing on the floor.
Shane looked lost, with a clinging Ilya on his arms and other Little pulling at his pants.
Hayes acted on instinct, picking up the kid and rocking him until his sobs subsided. He looked small, soft and scared, curling as close as possible to him.
He took him home. He bathed him, feed him and rocked him to sleep. He got a pack of supplies at the door (thanks Shane!) that told him a lot about this sweet boy headspace age.
He called Lisa. He cried. He apologized. She smiled. She said it was perfect. He was his teammate. They would be together all the time.
Luca moved in. Sweet and shy and soft and helpful and doing his best to not be a burden.
They were loving and patient and give him time and space.
Wyatt downloaded an app and started learning German. Shane knowing smile across the plane’s aisle told him that this was the right way.
The first time he crawled in bed with them, Hayes almost stopped breathing. The first time he asked for something, he wanted to give him the world. The first time he pushed boundaries, he sighed in relief.
Step by step, Hayes’ home become Luca’s home. They become Mami and Papi. He cling to him almost 24/7 and he loved every second of it.
Yes, Luca’s was a Papi’s boy and Wyatt have zero complains about it.
Even when he’s being a little rascal.
“Hasi, come on, work with Papi…” Hayes pleaded for the tenth time in a row.
Lisa snorted somewhere on the background, ready to get out of the door.
“Babe, you could stop laughing and help me here…”
“He was clear that today was a Papi’s barnacle day, love.” She bent to kiss the kids sweaty forehead. “He doesn’t want Mami today, right, baby?”
The kid barely nod between sobs, kicking his legs on the changing table.
Hayes was lost. This is not his sweet, gentle baby. This is the fourth tantrum. And it was just 8a.m. …
The kid cried when he got him out of his crib. Then he gave him his shark toothbrush, but he wanted the giraffe one. So, of course, he screamed bloody murder. Then he didn’t want that shirt, but was unable to tell him which one he wanted. He put him on the floor, next to his shirt drawer so he could pick. Wrong again, how dared him to put him down?
And now here they are. The kid was red all over, screaming at the top of his lungs, strapped to the changing table.
The Caregiver was trying really hard to dodge the flailing limbs, but the baby was faster and unpredictable.
After a hard kick to his ribs, Hayes got to his limit.
“Enough!!!!! Stop it right now, Luca!! Right. Now!”
The stern tone on his usually gentle and funny Papi served as a switch.
The baby stopped mid crying, looking at him with wide fearful eyes.
“Schatzi...” Fuck, Hayes thinks. Fuck! “You can’t kick Papi like this, you hurt me, baby boy…”
That seemed to broke the baby’s heart. Silent tears stream down his face and he look so, so sad.
When the little made grabby hands towards him, Wyatt forgot all about the oversaturated night diaper.
He picked up the boy and cradle him.
“What’s up, hum? What is going on with my sweet little hasi? What made my honey bunny so so mad?” He soothed, rocking back and forth.
“Papi…”
“I’m here. Papi is here. What’s up?”
The kid sighed long and drained and tired.
“Such a tired baby… Why are you so mad? Tell Papi…”
He shrugged, burying deeply on his shoulder, hand fisting his shirt.
“Baby, I can help if I don’t know, Hasenkind…” He pats his bum gently. “But Papi needs to change you. You’re all wet. That’s not nice, right?”
Another shrug.
“Ok, let’s try again? Can you help Papi? Please…”
A soft nod. Two fingers past his lips, suckling softly, a desperate attempt to self-soothe.
He hands him a pacifier. “No fingers, baby, here’s your nucki.”
The baby seems settled for a bit, laying tiredly against his Caregiver’s chest, kneading his shirt, paci softly bobbing on his mouth.
He murmurs something against his neck.
“Huuum, what baby?”
“Nass…”
“I know you’re wet. Can Papi change you now?”
A small nod followed by a soft plead. “Murmi?”
“Yes, love, she’s waiting for you.”
Hayes gets up and lays him on the table, handing him his stuffed marmot (yes, a marmot and don’t even ask him how terrified he is of losing it!).
This will be a long day… It’s only 8:30 in the morning.
Yes, Wyatt Hayes loves being a caregiver. Even on the hard days…
Maybe, specially on the hard days…