Chapter Text
“Honey, do you want the blue cup, or the red one today?” Shane asked gently from the kitchen, peeking his head around the edge of the doorway so his voice carried into the play room. “We’ve got lemonade or apple juice.”
Shane was expecting an immediate response, (definetly the red cup, because he knew his girl), followed by a giggle and a sweet “Thank you, Daddy!”. So when he didn’t hear anything, he started moving down the short hallway, a puzzled look on his face. He could hear Frozen playing from the TV, the magical snowman singing about how much he loved summer. Ridiculous statement, but he was cute, and Colette loved him, so. He let it slide.
“Coco? Blue or red, baby?” His voice trailed off as he reached the room, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he took stock of the scene in front of him.
Ilya was fully spread out on their giant beanbag in the center of the room, fast asleep. His mouth was hanging open, light snores coming out in even puffs. Then his heart completely stopped when he noticed what was on Ilya’s lap - or rather, who was on his lap.
Colette was melted directly into Ilya’s chest like she was an extension of him. Her little legs were scrunched up next to his hips, one arm wrapped around his torso and her face completely nuzzled into his neck, her head fitting perfectly under his chin. Her breathing was in sync with his, chests rising and falling in slow movements, like a ship out on the ocean. Two pieces of the same puzzle. Her dirty blonde curls were wild and untamed, just like her Papa’s, and she had sticky coffee cake crumbs stuck to the corner of her mouth, from the extra piece he caught Ilya sneaking her under the table at breakfast. Her free arm was resting on Ilya’s jaw, thumb moving absently across the stubble every so often as she slept.
His heart came back to life, suddenly pounding against his ear drums as he felt an overwhelming sense of love for these two humans wash over him - pure, beautiful, life-changing love. The absolute loves of his life. He loved them so much it ached, it’s claws latching onto his soul and squeezing their way into the marrow of his bones. He could feel it everywhere, tingling in his fingertips and fluttering in his belly. It made him feel whole.
Shane kept his feet quiet as he made his way over to them, finding the remote hanging loosely in Ilya’s hand and pausing the movie. He found a blanket thrown over the back of the couch and draped it over their bodies, tucking it in gently around them without waking them up. He dimmed the lamp, then sat down and wiggled his way under Ilya’s free arm, resting his head on his collarbone and breathing in deep. Cedar, fresh rain in the summer, cotton and coffee and home.
Home. That’s the only accurate word Shane could come up with to describe this moment, because he knew that if he kept thinking about it too deeply, he would cry. So instead he kept it simple. Created a haiku of home in his mind.
My home is safe.
My home is warm.
My home is them.
With his prose dragging him under, Shane let himself drift off, a smile still lingering on his lips as Ilya wrapped his arm around his back in his sleep, placing a kiss to his forehead, falling asleep with his lips resting on his hairline.
Home.