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The sound of all three of his kids playing and being loud was one that Shane was very used to. It was the constant noise that buzzed throughout the house. The one thing that was always consistent regardless of what was going on. What worried him was when he didn't hear them playing or laughing. That's when he started to think the worst was happening.
Shane went to their usual spots, the twins bedroom, Hana's room, their room. When he found those spots empty, he went to the lesser, more off limit spots. The home gym was, thankfully, empty. He and Ilya always worried the kids would wander in here and hurt themselves with the equipment. The few times the kids did come in here, there always had to be one or both parents to keep an eye on them.
He made his way back upstairs, fishing out his phone from his pocket to call Ilya, who was currently walking Anya. Right before he was about to dial Ilya's number, he heard a distant laugh come from down the hallway. Going towards the sound, he found the trophy room/office door ajar. He opened it to find Hana sitting in the desk chair, her older siblings spinning it around rapidly.
They hadn't noticed Shane until he cleared his throat, making all three kids turn to his direction.
“Hi daddy,” Dimitri went over to him, abandoning his little sister's side to hug his dads leg. He looked up at Shane with his doe eyes that made Shane momentarily forget that they're not allowed in here.
Shane ruffled Dimitri's hair as the girls joined their brother, clinging to Shane's legs as a form of greeting.
“Daddy! Did you see Hana spin?” Ava asked excitedly.
“I did see that.” Shane said as he picked Hana up. His little girl giggled as he pressed a kiss to her cheek. “But what did papa and I say about coming into this room?”
The twins gaze sudden drifts elsewhere, their eyes looking towards each other, then at the trophies and shelves lined with awards. There's too much in here that they could break or have fallen on them. They already had an incident a few months ago where Hana had attempted to climb on one of the bookshelves with her sister's help. Thankfully Ilya caught them right before she reached the third shelf but it had shaken up both of them enough to declare this room off limits for everyone under ten.
“We can't come here.” Dimitri responded in a small voice.
“Papa got mad last time.” Ava added, looking at the ground.
“He wasn't mad, princess. You and Hana just scared him. You can't just let your sister climb things.” Shane said as he ushered the kids out of the room. He closed the door behind him, hearing the resounding click as he did so.
“But I wasn't gonna let her fall.” Ava tried to reason with him.
“Ava.” Shane said firmly as he adjusted their two year old on his hip. His tone was enough that she knew to drop it.
Once they were in the living room the twins went to play with their usual toys, making up plot lines for the new dolls Shane had bought for them a few days ago. Shane was sitting on the couch, Hana still in his arms. Their toddler was currently deep in the throes of her clingy phase. She wanted to be carried by someone at all times, constantly wanting to be at her parents' side. If she wasn't in someone's arms the water works would start instantly.
“You don't want to play with Ava and Dima?” Shane asked Hana.
“Nu-huh.” Hana said, shaking her head. She rubbed her eyes and that's when Shane noticed it. On her index finger was a plastic purple heart shaped ring. One of the rings that Jade and Ruby had used in their fake wedding so many years ago. They hadn't meant to keep the rings, but had accidentally taken them home without realizing it. The toy rings were small and cheap but they felt too sentimental to throw away. Now they had a permanent spot in their trophy room office, decorating the bookshelf along with their other achievements. Shane looked at his daughter's hand, seeing how the plastic ring was too big for her small finger.
“Hana did you take that from the office?” Shane asked.
Hana looked at the ring on her finger and then at her dad. “No.” She said, shaking her head. That was another phase she was going through, her ‘no’ phase. Anything and everything was being met with the simple word, even things that were blatantly a lie. Hana loved the word now and they knew they just had to ride it out, knowing that their two year old would eventually outgrow it.
Ava heard the question and came over to her dads side. “Daddy look!” She held up her hand, showing off the matching plastic pink heart ring that was on her ring finger. “We found them.” Ava said proudly.
On Ava's hand the ring looked a little loose but almost fit perfectly, like it was made for her small hand. Which realistically, it was considering it was a costume toy ring. But it looked like it belonged on her hand specifically.
Dimitri came over now, looking a little annoyed. “I didn't find one for me.”
Shane gave him a sympathetic look, patting the space next to him that was empty. Dimitri crawled onto the couch, cuddling up against Shane. “That was nice of you to let your sisters have them though.”
“I lost rock-paper-scissors.” Dimitri said flatly.
Shane chuckled at that. “Still, it's nice of you.” His attention went to both daughters, who were looking at each other's rings. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth at the sight. “Those rings are really special.”
“Why?” Ava asked.
“They were our first wedding rings.” Shane said, his mind reminiscing at the memory of the Pike kids pretending to marry him and Ilya. Back when they weren't even officially engaged and the idea of having kids had been just that. An idea. A concept that felt like something they'd do one day. Someday. Now here they were, seven years of being married and five years being dads. He never thought they would have all this back when they had their play wedding.
The twins give him confused looks, their eyes going to the ring that he wore on his necklace.
“Daddy, that's this one.” Dimitri said, pointing to his necklace.
“I mean yes, it is that one. But before we actually got married a little bit before this wedding. Your cousins Ruby and Jade threw us a fake wedding and married us.” Shane clarified.
Ava squints her eyes at the pink heart ring on her finger, thinking about the words her dad just said. Shane could see thought bubbles forming over her head as her brain worked in overtime at whatever problem she was trying to solve. He wanted to ask her what was on his mind but the front door opened and he heard Ilya undoing Anya's harness and taking off her boots.
“Papa!” Hana exclaimed, wriggling out of Shane's lap to go be with Ilya. Dimitri joined her but Ava stayed planted by his side. The look of focus now being slowly replaced by annoyance. Whatever she had thought, she was clearly upset by the conclusion she came to.
Shane heard Ilya in the foyer giving Hana exaggerated kisses, and then doing the same to Dimitri. Both kids let out squeals of delight as their papa showed affection to them. By the time he came into the living room, Hana was in his arms, Dimitri and Anya by his sides.
“Ah there she is,” Ilya said in Russian, upon seeing Ava next to Shane. He bent down and kissed her forehead, making their little girl let out a loud hmph. Ilya gave Shane a confused look, to which Shane shrugged slightly. Ilya sat down next to his husband, shoulder to shoulder as always. Anya went to her pillow by the coffee table, getting to work to chew on one of her favorite toys. Dimitri sits next to Ilya, cuddling up close to his papa.
“Look at what they found.” Shane said, lifting up Hana's hand so Ilya could see the purple heart ring.
As soon as he saw it, Ilya's expression softened. “Our first wedding rings.” He said fondly in Russian. He looked at Shane, heart eyes on full display, before being replaced by a look of realization. “You three went into our office?” He asked in English.
“No.” All three kids said in unison.
Shane laughed at the instant denial. Ilya gives them all a skeptical look, not at all amused at the idea they were somewhere they shouldn't have been. “You know you can't be in there. Is very dangerous, especially for Hana.”
“We didn't play on the shelf papa.” Dimitri explained. “We spun Hana in the big chair.”
Ilya is still not fully convinced and leans forward slightly to look at Ava. Their daughter is focused on the ring on her finger, completely ignoring the conversation going on around her. “Ava is that true?”
Ava gives a simple nod, not saying anything. Ilya furrowed his brows and looked at Shane. “Did they actually just spin?”
“They were just spinning in the office chair.” Shane confirmed.
Ilya opened his mouth to say more but was cut off by Ava getting up from the couch to stand in front of everyone. Their five year old daughter stood in front of them, arms crossed with a pout on her face.
“How come Ruby and Jade got to marry you?” Ava asked, her irritation was very apparent in her tone.
Shane and Ilya both blink at the sudden question. Without meaning to, Shane lets out a small laugh, covering his mouth as soon as it escapes. Ilya gave a small chuckle, equally amused at the question their little girl had just asked.
“Was very last minute because we were babysitting them, printsessa.” Ilya said gently in Russian, a small smile on his face.
“Were we there too?” Ava asked in Russian.
Shane shook his head. “No baby. This was years before you and Dimitri were born.”
With that sentence, a sad look appeared on Dimitri's face. “We weren't there?”
Ilya has one hand on Hana's back, rubbing slow circles as their youngest listens quietly. His other hand goes to the top of Dimitri's head, fixing his curls. “No Dima, I'm sorry. Was a very long time ago. Way before daddy and I were ready to have any kids.”
Their little boy is silent for a minute, processing that. “Did we go to your real wedding?”
The question fills Shane with a growing feeling of guilt, because he already knows the answer is no. His eyes meet Ilyas, who is mirroring the same expression Shane knows he has on his own face. A look of genuine guilt. They have a silent momentary exchange, wordlessly navigating how to keep this as brief as possible.
“I'm sorry, bud, you two weren't there either.” Shane apologized.
“Me?” Hana asked, lifting her head up from Ilya's chest.
Ilya pressed a kiss into her light brown curls. “No, not you either, Hana.”
“We weren't in your belly?” Ava asked them. Her expression was shifting from annoyed to the same look of hurt her brother had on his own face.
Shane could guess that she already knew the answer, but said it regardless. “No, you two weren't in my belly. That happened a year later.” Shane watched as Ava's eyes shifted between both her parents and siblings,then down at the little heart ring still on her finger. Her eyes grew glossy, but she rubbed away the tears before they had a chance to fall.
“Oh, Ava come here.” Shane leans forward with his arms open, their little girl doesn't hesitate to get into her daddy's embrace. He kissed her forehead. “You guys will be there when we renew our vows.”
Still in Shane's hug, Ava let out a muffled “When's that?”
“In three years.” Ilya answered.
Ava pulled away, tears freely falling now with no attempt to wipe them. “That's in forever!” She sniffled, wiping her nose.
“It's not that long,” Shane tried to comfort her, but he could tell the damage had been done. He rubbed her back as Ava cried. It wasn't a big show of tears, just quiet sniffles along with her constantly wiping away tears. This was never something Shane thought he would feel bad about. Their wedding wasn't something either of them thought about often, so it never really occurred to them how their kids would feel about not going.
Ilya couldn't take the sight of their daughter's tears. His mouth moved before he could even think of the words he was saying. “Do you want to get married again?”
“What?” Shane asked, his head turning to face his husband. All three of their kids were now looking at him, intrigued by their papas question.
Ilya gave a slight shrug. “Is like early vow renewal. Like a ceremony just for our kids to see.” Ilya said casually.
Shane chewed his lip for a moment, thinking about what Ilya said. His thoughts were interrupted by Hana's soft, small voice. “Please daddy.” She asked. Looking into her blue eyes Shane knew he couldn't say no to her.
Shane sighed, smiling as he did so. “Okay. Let's get married again.”
Ilya flashed a victorious grin and all three kids' moods shifted from sad to excitement. Overlapping questions and conversations came from them, making it hard for either of them to follow along. What felt like a whirlwind of a conversation ended with their kids leaving the living room and running up to their rooms to change into something nicer.
—
“I can't believe we're doing this.” Shane said as he changed out of his gym shorts.
“Why? Is fun marrying you.” Ilya said, putting on a black simple turtleneck. “Think of this as practice for when we actually renew our vows. A warm-up.”
“I don't think most couples have warm ups for that.” Shane chuckled
Ilya rolled his eyes at that. “When have we done anything like most couples?”
Shane couldn't argue with that. From the start their whole relationship wasn't the most traditional or straightforward thing. They'd always done things differently, even though it had been over a decade, and Shane should be used to it by now. Moments like this made him really realize that they weren't the most typical of couples.
By the time they finished getting ready, Shane couldn't help but stare at how good Ilya looked. That wasn't a new thought, his husband always looked good. But for whatever reason right now he looked extra good in Shane's eyes. It was an ordinary outfit, a turtleneck with the jeans he had worn to walk Anya. But something about him wearing a simple turtleneck that hugged his chest just right made Shane feel ravenous. While a part of him was glad they were doing this because it was a cute idea for the kids, another part of him was thankful he got to see his husband looking so hot.
Ilya came over, tucking Shane's hair behind his ear. “Isn't it bad luck you're seeing me right now?” Ilya asked with a grin.
Shane gave him a half smile before kissing him. “I don't believe in that.” They kissed, slowly and lazily. From down the hallway their kids were having some kind of loud discussion. Laughs were heard along with what sounded like Ava's slight pleading. Whatever was going on, they were sure they would find out soon enough. For now though, this moment was for them and them alone.
Ilya pulled away slightly, his arms still wrapped around Shane's waist. His eyes focused on his freckles, admiring them the same way he had when he first saw them when he was seventeen. “Do you want to say vows?” Ilya asked, pulling Shane close to kiss his cheeks.
“If that's what you want, then sure. I remember you telling me after our actual wedding that you wished we said our own vows. That the regular ones were ‘too boring’.” Shane said the last part in a mock Russian accent that made Ilya scoff. He kissed his cheeks more, lightly nipping at them as he did so.
“They were boring in a bad way. Not like you.” Ilya said into Shane's cheeks.
“I'm boring in a good way?” Shane asked with a slight laugh.
“You're boring in a Shane way. Is why I love you so much.” Ilya said, giving one final kiss to his cheeks.
Shane hummed to that, feeling the tips of his ears get warm. “Do you have any ideas for what you want to say for your vows?”
Ilya shrugged. “I have some ideas.” Truthfully he had so much he wanted to say about how much he loved and adored his husband. This wasn't a real wedding, these weren't real vows. He knew that, but he wasn't just going to half-ass this. Shane had given him everything he could ever want and more. He didn't know where to start when it came to describing how much he loved the man in front of him.
Their tender moment was interrupted by the sound of Hana's little footsteps running into their bedroom. From the closet they could see their confused two year old look around for her parents. “Papa?”
Ilya left Shane's side quietly sneaking up behind her. In one swift motion he picked up Hana from behind, making her burst out into giggles. Shane joined them, getting a better look at her outfit.
“Baby, why are you in your Halloween costume?” Shane asked.
Hana was dressed up in the same princess Daisy costume she had worn only a week ago. The twins came into the bedroom, both dressed in their own Halloween costumes. Dimitri looked excited in his Yoshi onesie and Ava dressed as princess Peach.
“I lost rock-paper-scissors. So now we gotta wear these.” Ava said, visibly still upset that she lost.
“They're fancy.” Dimitri said, clearly just happy to be wearing anything relating to dinosaurs.
While Shane wouldn't call the costumes fancy, he wasn't about to argue about that with his kids who just wanted to dress up. This wasn't a real wedding and it was harmless fun for them to dress up in the Halloween costumes they just wanted to wear again. He couldn't help but admire how adorable they all looked.
Ava ignored her brother's words, turning her attention to Shane. “Daddy you and papa gotta wait here so me and Dima make everything nice.”
Shane wanted to ask what she meant, but both five year olds booked it out of the room before he got the chance. Hana, who had been more than comfortable in Ilya's arms, wriggled in them, wanting to join her older siblings. Ilya kissed her cheek and she kissed his cheek back. Once he set her down and they watched their toddler join her siblings that were now downstairs.
“Should we go supervise?” Ilya asked his husband.
Shane sat down on the edge of their bed, attention on the door. They could hear loud conversations from downstairs drift up to their room. Laughs and giggles along with Ava giving instructions. “I think we'll go when they get us.” He pats the spot next to him on the bed. “For now let's just enjoy this.”
Ilya didn't need to be told twice as he joined his husband's side on the bed. They laid down together, the sounds of their three kids and the occasional bark from Anya being the only things they heard.
—
Shane felt a little ridiculous now that he was standing in his living room. He was sure the sight of them to anyone else would've been absurd to anyone else. Their three young kids dressed in their Mario themed Halloween costumes, meanwhile Ilya and him were just wearing jeans and black shirts. The kids had sat their toys on the couch, facing them so they could watch the faux ceremony. This was for their kids mainly, but he still could acknowledge that this moment would be a silly sight to see.
“Are we using our actual rings?” Shane asked Ilya low enough that only he could hear. Currently their kids were too preoccupied in their own discussions to pay mind to their dads.
Ilya glanced at the colorful plastic rings still on his daughter's fingers. “I think we use our own.”
Shane gave him a simple half smile and a curt nod. At that moment Ava clapped her hands together, getting everyone in the room's attention.
“Okay! We're starting now.” Ava announced.
Hana stood by Shane's side, her gloved hands gripping onto his jeans. Dimitri stood by Ilya's side, his hands preoccupied with petting Anya next to him. Her tail thumped on the floor loudly the more he pet her.
“Daddy up please.” Hana said, looking up to Shane.
“Hana no, they're gettin’ married. Daddy can't hold you.” Ava said firmly.
“I can hold her, princess. I don't mind.” Shane said, picking up their toddler. Hana settled into his arms quickly, burying her face into the crook of his neck. “Is that better my little Hana?”
“Yeah.” Hana said, slightly muffled.
“Okay, papa and daddy are you gonna say your thingies?”
“Our vows?” Ilya asked, a smile curling in his lips.
“Yeah! Those thingies.” Ava tilted her head slightly, her brows furrowed with confusion. “Who goes first?”
“I'll go first.” Ilya volunteered.
Shane was amused at how this was a very loosely accurate wedding. He couldn't be too surprised considering the kids hadn't been to a real wedding and had only seen them in movies and TV. Any kind of reference point they had for what they were supposed to do was going off of things they'd watched, not actually experienced.
Ilya's eyes were focused on Shane and him alone. The sight of the man he'd loved for most of his life was one he never grew tired of. Even now as Shane held Hana with one arm, and a growing smile on his lips, he felt like he was a lovesick teenage boy all over again. The same freckles he loved to count whenever his insomnia was kicking his ass, the same warm brown eyes that he could look into for hours, he could look at Shane forever and it still wouldn't be enough time for him. Shane had captured and owned his heart entirely. Trying to even begin to explain that right now felt like an impossible task.
“Moya lyubov,” Ilya said, taking Shane's free hand into his own. “My heart has been yours since I first saw you. You've given me everything I could ever want and more.” He pauses, feeling tears start to sting his eyes. “I love you so much, Shane. That will never change.”
Shane's own eyes are misty now. Tears fall and Hana attempts to wipe them roughly from his cheeks. He lets out a wet chuckle. “Thank you, baby.” Shane said as he gave her a gentle peck on the cheek.
“Are you done papa?” Ava asked after a minute. Ilya gives her a nod, and Ava turns to Shane. “Okay daddy, your turn now.”
Shane clears his throat, trying to regain some of his composure. Now that he was looking into Ilya's eyes he found his brain overwhelmed with what he wanted to say. He smiled, letting his thoughts flow before his mind could fully catch up. “You kind of took the words right out of my mouth.” He chuckled. Ilya laughs softly and squeezes his hand lightly. “I've loved you since I first saw you when we were seventeen. I know you know this already, but you've made me the happiest man alive. I don't really know what else to say besides I love you so much Ilya. I always will.” The last sentences were said in near perfect Russian, making Ilya swallow hard and tears start to fall. Years of Russian practice had been worth it just to see the tender look on Ilya's face.
It was mushy, Shane knew that. But at this exact moment he couldn't bring himself to care about that. Ilya looked at him with such hopeless adoration and love. His eyes were so tender, so genuine at the sight of his husband wearing a simple black crew neck and jeans, holding their toddler dressed in a Daisy costume.
“Daddy you're done?” Ava asked.
“Yes, Ava. I'm done.”
“‘Kay. Now is, um. Uh.” Ava looked to her parents for help.
“The rings, printsessa.” Ilya suggested.
“Oh yeah! Do the ring part now.”
Shane had to put Hana down to take off the ring from his necklace. She stuck by his leg, looking up at her parents as they took off the rings from their necklaces. Shane looked at Ilya's cross, feeling odd at the sight of it being by itself. For years he grew so used to the sight of their wedding ring next to Ilya's cross. He thought about how Ilya's necklace looked for almost the first decade of them knowing each other. That seemed so in the past and so distant now to Shane now.
They exchanged rings and placed them on each other's ring ringer. Ilya looked down at his hand, not used to seeing his ring being on it instead of his necklace.
“Papa, do you love daddy a lot.” Ava asked, rocking back and forth slightly on her heels.
“I do.” Ilya replied without any hesitation.
“Daddy, do you love papa lots?” Ava repeated the question now looking at Shane.
“I do.”
A big smile formed on Ava's lips as she said. “Now you gotta kiss!”
Neither of them need to be told twice as their lips meet. It was hard to kiss when they both couldn't stop letting out little laughs as their kids clapped and cheered at their parents' display of love.
—
“That's Auntie Sveta.” Dimitri said as he had another spoonful of strawberry ice cream.
“Was everybody there?” Ava asked, as she looked away from the ipad to Ilya.
Ilya nodded. “A lot of people showed up. Was a very fun night.”
Currently the twins were sitting on the couch with Ilya while Shane was in the kitchen preparing a small bowl of ice cream for Hana. She sat on his lap as they looked at photos from their actual wedding. The twins had begged to see any kind of photos and Ilya was never going to deny a chance to show off how handsome Shane had looked that day. He casted his ipad to the TV and now was scrolling through his wedding album.
Shane came back into the living room, two bowls of ice cream and Anya at his heels. He sat down next to Ilya, handing Hana her bowl of vanilla strawberry ice cream and Ilya a bowl of plain strawberry ice cream. Ilya accepted it, flashing a grin at his husband next to him.
“You got me some.” Ilya said, leaning over to kiss Shane's cheek.
“I know how you are. You were probably going to take little bites from the kids bowls.” Shane said with a small laugh.
Ilya's eyebrows raised as he let out a scoff. “Me? I would never do that.” Ilya said in an overly exaggerated tone.
Little giggles came from all three of the kids. Shane took Ilya's ipad so he could enjoy his ice cream in peace.
A photo of both Shane and Ilya during their first dance appeared and Ava let out a small gasp. “That's you and papa?” She asked leaning over so he could get a better look at Shane.
“That’s during our first dance.” Shane said as he leaned his head on Ilya's shoulder.
More photos of their first dance appeared on the TV. Shane looked at them from all those years ago, seeing how absolutely lovestruck Ilya looked at him. Unapologetically so deeply in love with Shane and not having to hide it anymore. Their heart eyes were on full display around other people for the first time, and it was an amazing thing for both of them to experience.
As they watched a video that Svetlana had taken of her and Ilya dancing together, Ilya offered Shane some of his ice cream.
“No thanks.” Shane said, shaking his head.
Ilya rolls his eyes. “Sweetheart you cannot be that boring to not want ice cream. Have a bite.”
Even though Shane really wasn't in the mood for ice cream, especially strawberry ice cream, he opened his mouth. Ilya gave him a spoon and Shane couldn't help but make a face at how sweet it was.
“Oh my god, Shane is not that bad.” Ilya laughed.
“It really is.” Shane said after swallowing. “I don't know how you like that flavor so much. It's so sweet.”
“That's why it's yummy daddy.” Dimitri chimed in. He had his own little matching bowl of strawberry ice cream.
This was nice, just enjoying a nice moment with their family. Ilya talking idly as the kids asked them questions and made comments. The picture that was on screen right now was one of Ilya kissing Shane's cheek, while Shane had his eyes closed in mid laugh. He wished those two on screen could see the life they would build for themselves together. To see the family they'd end up making. This life that he never imagined for himself was his. Theirs. And he would forever be thankful for that.