Archive of Our Own

July

July 5th

Shane wanted to believe this was just a bad case of food poisoning. The nearly daily, constant vomiting was something he'd only ever experienced when he had eaten something that hadn't sat right with him. But this time was different, and he could tell. Any smell would send him running to the bathroom. The mention of certain foods would make him involuntarily gag. Ilya had noticed, gently suggesting it could be more. When he had shown Shane the bag of pregnancy tests he had bought, that's when Shane knew he couldn't avoid this any longer.

Currently they are both in the bathroom, Ilya sitting on the counter while Shane paces back and forth. Shane had peed into a paper cup and dipped five pregnancy tests into it. Ilya had said that two would have done the job just fine, but when it came to this, Shane needed to be sure. They laid on the counter upside-down with their caps secured on top of a paper towel.

The timer on Ilya's phone said they had two minutes left. Two minutes until they found out life changing news. He watched Shane make a groove into their bathroom floor, going back and forth. Shane chewed on his hoodie strings nervously, completely preoccupied with the potential positive test result. They'd only been trying for only two months, so to get pregnant this soon felt like dumb luck. He wanted this, they both wanted this, but Shane had expected it to be a long journey to become a parent. In the flood of thoughts that had overtaken his head he did quick math thinking about when they could've potentially conceived. He felt a pang of embarrassment when he realized it would've been on Ilya's birthday. Shane pushed that thought out of his head, refusing to think about it any further.

“It says one minute left.” Ilya said, as he thumbed through his phone. He looked so casual about all this, as if they weren't about to find out if they were becoming parents.

“How the hell are you so calm right now?” Shane asked him, pausing his pacing.

Ilya gave him a simple shrug. “Is not shocking when we've been fucking without condoms. We try for baby, now we might have baby.”

Shane could've laughed at how simple he made it all sound. “But doesn't it feel too soon? We've only been doing this for two months.”

“Did you want it to take longer?” Ilya asked his husband.

“No. Maybe? I don't know, it just feels like we barely tried and now it might be happening.” Shane sighed.

A smile grew on Ilya's face. “You wanted to fuck more? We still can, we'd just have to be more careful.”

Shane gives him a weary look right as the phone timer goes off. Ilya turns it off, turning his attention to the five tests next to him. Shane's eyes were glued onto them with the type of focus Ilya only ever saw on him during games. He didn't make an attempt to move towards the counter though. His feet stayed firmly where they were.

“Can you look?” Shane asked, his gaze pulled away from the tests to rest on Ilya. His brown eyes were full of worry at the potential result.

“Do you want to look together?” Ilya suggested as he picked up two tests. Shane gave him a hesitant nod, and that's all Ilya needed to come over by his side. Ilya handed him one of the tests and noticed a slight tremble in his husband's hand. “Shane, look at me.” Shane's eyes lingered on the test in his hand before looking at Ilya. Ilya cupped Shane's cheek, his thumb gliding over his gorgeous freckles. “No matter what this says, it will be okay. We do this together on three.”

Shane gave his husband a simple nod. “Okay.”

“One…two” Ilya started to count down. “Three.” His voice cracked slightly at the final number. Turning over the pregnancy test he saw two very visible and very defined pink lines. He looked at Shane's test, seeing the same results.

Shane stood there, blinking at the results only for a moment. He went over to the counter, Ilya at his side as he turned over the rest of the pregnancy tests. All of them with two undeniable pink lines. Positive. Shane was pregnant.

“Holy shit.” Shane muttered. He looked at Ilya who had a huge smile on his face. “We're having a baby.”

Ilya pulled him in for a tight hug. They stayed like that for a while, feeling too overwhelmed to leave each other's embrace. This was something Ilya had wanted with Shane for so long. It had felt so impossible, so far away, but now there were five pregnancy tests confirming that he was going to be a papa.

Shane pulled away slightly, kissing Ilya's lips a bit awkwardly because they both wouldn't stop smiling. “We're going to be dads.” Shane said into Ilya's mouth.

“We're having a baby.” Ilya confirmed, a nervous laugh escaping his lips.

The timing of it all felt perfect. They had just won the Stanley Cup together this past season. Going off the high of that, on top of their one year wedding anniversary coming up, everything felt right. They were ready for this change. To welcome a new member of the family.

Shane pulled away fully from the hug, running his hand through his hair. A new look of panic on his face now. “Holy shit I don't even know how to change a diaper.” The hoodie string is back in his mouth, as he paced the room again.

Ilya took his hand into his own, giving it a gentle squeeze of comfort and reassurance. “We have nine months to learn, moya lyubov.”

“That feels too soon.” Shane said.

Ilya laughed, a genuine laugh at his husband's words. “Everything feels too soon for you.” Shane made a face but smiled slightly. “I don't know how either but we learn together. Nine months is plenty of time.”

“You say that now but it'll go by so quickly.” Shane said, looking down at the positive test again. “I kind of hope it goes by quickly, so we can meet our kid sooner.”

Our kid. Those words hit Ilya right in the heart. They were going to be meeting their kid in nine impossibly long months. Ilya hoped Shane was right, that these nine months would fly by. He could already imagine himself holding their precious baby. A mini copy of Shane, Ilya had decided. Warm brown eyes, a beautiful swirl of black hair, just a baby that got none of Ilya's features. He wanted to meet them now.

“I hope so too.” Ilya said, pulling Shane in again. He kissed his cheek, playfully nipping at it while he did so. “I can't wait to have mini you running around.”

Shane laughed at that. “And what if our baby is a mini you?”

Ilya scoffed. “Impossible. Our baby will be your little clone. Will be like I didn't even have part in making them.”

Shane laughed more, louder this time. The sound brought Anya into the bathroom. She went to lay in her usual spot of the bathmat by the shower door. “Well I hope our baby has a little bit of both of us.” He kissed Ilya's cheek and looked in the mirror. They were going from just the two of them(and Anya) to a family of three.

◇◇◇

July 11th

“Sorry it's going to be a little cold,” Dr. Choi said as she put gel on Shane's stomach. It was cold but Shane didn't mind in the slightest.

Ilya sat by his side, squeezing his hand as they waited to see their baby for the first time. Their baby. It still felt hard to believe that they were actually having a baby. A little one that would be half of him and half of the man he adored and loved so much.

Dr. Choi put the doppler onto Shane's stomach. They focused onto the screen, which currently only showed a grey image as she searched around for their baby. She moved the doppler without saying anything until she landed on a small sack, not grey but clear, with a tiny blob in it.

“There they are,” Dr. Choi said softly. Turning up the volume onto the machine, the room was filled with the sound of a steady, fast heartbeat. Ilya squeezed Shane's hand more, but kept his eyes on the screen. Worried that if he looked away their baby would disappear. That was their baby, still so impossibly tiny inside their dad. Even through the simple black and white image Ilya had already fallen in love with them, already willing to do anything for them.

Dr. Choi squinted at the screen slightly, moving the doppler over an inch. On the screen another sack appeared, and the sound of another identical heartbeat filled the room. It sounded like an echo of each other, one only slightly off by only a second. “Oh!” She said with a growing smile.

“What's that?” Shane asked, not believing what he was seeing on the screen.

“It looks like you're having twins.” Dr. Choi said gently. She took more screenshots as Shane felt his world flip upside-down.

“What?” Shane asked in disbelief. He let out a nervous laugh as he looked from the screen to Ilya, who had a growing grin on his face. “I'm sorry you said twins? As in two?”

“Yes there's two of them in there. See right here?” Dr. Choi pointed to the screen at the first baby. “That's baby A.” She moved the doppler slightly. “This is baby B.” She moved the doppler around Shane's stomach more. “Sorry, I'm just checking to make sure there aren't any more hiding around in there.”

Shane's eyes left the screen while she did that, instead looking up at the ceiling. Two. He was pregnant with twins. They hadn't planned for that at all. They'd wanted three kids, they both had made that very clear after many discussions about it. Shane had planned out how far apart his pregnancies would be, what would be the ideal age gap for his kids. The thought of having two at once had never even crossed his mind, yet here they were, rapid steady heartbeats confirming that reality.

“Looks like there's only two in there. So far everything is looking really good, but let's get them measured.” They both watched as she did that, unable to look away from the two babies on the monitor. “It looks like you're about seven weeks along.”

Her words settled into his chest. Thankfully there were only two, and they both were looking good.

“They're okay?” Shane asked to confirm.

Dr. Choi gave him a nod. “They're looking great.” She took more screenshots, this time of the two blobs that were their twins next to each other. “Do either of you have twins in your family?”

Shane shook his head. “No. No one in my family has ever had twins on either side.” He looked to Ilya who had a soft expression at the sight of their twins on the screen. Shane squeezed his hand to get his attention. “Has your family had twins before?”

Ilya kept his eyes on the screen for a minute more before looking at Shane. He thought for a few seconds before giving him a slight nod. “On my mothers side. My grandmother was identical twin.”

“Identical! You never told me that.” Shane said, not trying to hide the shock in his voice.

“Is not something I think about often. She passed when I was one so is not like I remember a lot about her.” Ilya said. “I didn't think it would be important to mention.

“That makes sense. Sometimes it can skip over generations.” Dr. Choi said with a slight chuckle.

“Can you tell if they're identical this early on?” Shane asked her. Two babies was one thing but he wasn't sure if he could handle two babies who looked exactly the same.

“They're fraternal. They each have their own placenta.” Dr. Choi said. “I'll go print these off for you guys and we'll talk more when I'm back. I'll be right back.” She turned off the machine and got up from her chair. She turned on the harsh fluorescent lights, making Shane flinch slightly. Once she was gone it was just the two of them, looking at Shane's already bloated stomach. His stomach had looked so bloated for the past week, and now it made a lot more sense as to why. Everything started to click in his head now, the worse fatigue, the constant nausea. His symptoms were doubled thanks to the two babies he was currently growing.

◇◇◇

They sat in the car in front of their garage, looking down at the ultrasound photos in Ilya's hands. The two little blobs that are their kids. Ilya wondered when they would look less like blobs, and start to actually look like actual babies. He imagined that wouldn't be for a while.

“I can't believe there's two of them.” Shane finally said, breaking the silence that hung over the car.

“We got two for one special.” Ilya chuckled softly. Shane joined him, laughing at how ridiculous this was.

“Two babies growing in there.” Shane placed a hand over his bloated stomach. “God, I'm nervous. Excited but nervous.”

Ilya took his hand, kissing it against his lips. “So am I. Is something we're doing together so is less scary.”

Shane gave him a half smile. Ilya was going to be by his side during this whole thing. That reassured him, made it feel less daunting. He thought about how this time next year their backseat would have two carseats, how their kitchen would have two high chairs to feed them, two of everything would be the new normal in their home. It was going to be a huge change but they had time to start adjusting to their new life.

—

August

August 11th

Shane eyed the small gift bag that sat on his bed with hesitance. He and Ilya had packed it earlier that day, putting the two baby onesies and the ultrasound photos in it. Those had been the first things they'd bought for their twins so far. They felt special to him since they were going to be used to announce to his parents they were expecting.

It was after dinner now and he had come upstairs to get the gift for them but also because his stomach was feeling upset. He had ended up throwing up, unsure if it had been from nerves or the morning sickness that had been wrecking him for the past few weeks. Probably both if he was being honest with himself.

He could hear Ilya talking to his mom, the TV on as his dad watched it. There was no reason to be nervous, it's not like this was bad news. His parents had known they had been trying for a baby. But he sat on the bed, digging through the gift slightly to look at the recent eleven week ultrasound scan. The two blobs in the photos that were slowly starting to take shape into babies. Those were his kids. Their kids. That fact still felt weird to him, but he was staring at the reality in his hand. He could start to see that reality with the bloated look of his stomach.

Taking a breath, he put the photos back into the bag, tucking them away into the thin white packing paper. His parents were going to be thrilled, he knew that. They'd been nothing but supportive when they'd mentioned wanting to start a family.

He got up from the bed, his stomach feeling only slightly better. Picking up the little bag he went downstairs.

◇◇◇

Half an hour later everyone was sitting on the couch, his parents looking curiously at the bag Ilya had just handed to his mom.

“Honey, my birthday isn't for another week.” His mom chuckled.

“Is early gift.” Ilya said, leaning back into the couch. He draped his arm casually around Shane.

“A whole week early? It must be a really nice gift then.” His mom asked with a smirk. She started to look through the bag, digging through the tissue paper. She pulled out one of the onesies, looking at it for a second before she realized. “Are you guys serious?” Her eyes were already watering, hugging the onesie close to her chest.

They both nodded. She got up passing the bag to David, who looked through it more. Once he was standing, his mom embraced him, squeezing him incredibly tight.

“Shane,” His dad had found the second, identical onesie and was now holding the ultrasound photos in his hand. “You're having twins?”

His mom pulled away, tearful eyes wide at what her husband had just said. She went over to where he sat, looking at the ultrasound pictures by his side. Her hand covered her mouth in shock, now seeing the twins.

“We're having twins.” Ilya confirmed with a smile.

“I'm eleven weeks along.” Shane added.

Both his parents stood up now, going over to them on the opposite end of the sectional couch. His dad hugged him, patting his back proudly. When they pulled apart, his eyes were glossy with tears. Glancing over he saw his mom crying as she embraced Ilya. Shane could see some tears lining Ilya's eyes.

“You two are going to be great parents.” His mom said, letting out a wet laugh. “Those kids are going to be so lucky to have you both as their dads.”

Shane felt his own eyes sting with tears now. Hearing his mom say that, it made everything suddenly feel very real. His parents now knew the secret they'd been keeping for these past few weeks. That they were going to be grandparents. He rubbed his eyes, refusing to cry right now.

His mom pulled away from Ilya, kissing his cheek as she did. Her attention went to Shane, and her face softened even more.

“My boy,” She said, cupping his face with her hands. Her thumb glided over his cheeks, admiring his freckles. “Oh I can't believe my baby is going to have two babies of his own.” Her voice cracked at the last word.

“I know. I'm excited. We're both a little scared but really excited.” Shane said, leaning into her touch. He hugged her, listening to her happy cries as they did.

—

September

September 2nd

It was their last day at the cottage and Shane made sure to enjoy every last minute of it. This trip had been great, a good reset they both had needed. Shane's morning sickness had, thankfully, completely gone away. He still had the fatigue, but he couldn't be shocked by that. Not when he was growing two people. He had expected that to take a lot of energy out of him.

The birds chirped overhead as he laid in the hammock. He'd been out here for an hour, just soaking in the final days of summer. Ilya played with Anya, throwing one of her favorite toys and chasing her around. Loud barks of excitement coming from her as he did so. Shane tried to imagine this with two babies. One would be against his chest, sleeping soundly while the other would be in Ilya's arms, giggling as they watched their papa play with Anya. In his head he'd been imagining their twins he pictured two adorable babies with a mix of both of their features. Their heads with a full head of wonderful curls they'd get from their papa. Two little cherubs that got the best of their traits.

Shane's thoughts were interrupted when Ilya placed a cold water bottle against his cheek. Shane flinched at the sudden cold. He took off his sunglasses to glare at Ilya, who had a victorious smug grin on his face.

“What the hell was that for?” Shane huffed as he opened up the water bottle.

“I just wanted to cool you down. You looked hot over here.” Ilya said playfully, his grin only growing wider.

Shane rolled his eyes at his husband's words. He placed a hand onto his now very noticeable stomach. There was no denying or hiding the pregnancy now. Fifteen weeks along, and the twins were doing great. Growing right and on track just as they should've been.

“Are you still feeling sick?” Ilya asked as he placed his own hand next to Shane's. They were still a few weeks off from feeling any kind of movement. Ilya knew that but still he would hope his kids would defy science and start kicking and wiggling extra early, just for them.

“No, I think the morning sickness phase is officially over.” Shane said. He hadn't thrown up or even felt nauseous in a week. Smells didn't make him gag anymore, he was feeling like himself before he got pregnant.

Ilya leaned down, kissing Shane's lips. Anya came over, nudging her head against Ilya's leg, a sign she still wanted to play. They stayed like that for a moment, enjoying each other's lips before Ilya pulled away. “Tell me if you start to feel bad. Or when you want to have lunch.” He said as he started to walk back towards the empty space in the cottage's yard.

“I will.” Shane responded as he put back on his sun glasses. He watched Ilya throw Anya's toy, praising her as she ran to fetch it.

Tomorrow they would leave all this behind, returning to their regular chaotic lives. Ilya had his first pre-season practice on Monday. There they'd announce to everyone that Shane was pregnant. Sitting out a season wasn't something he was looking forward to, but he knew it couldn't be helped. This was going to be the longest period of his life where he hadn't played hockey and the new found free time felt weird to him. His routine had been the same since he was a teenager, pre season training in September, the season starts in October, ends in April unless they make it to the playoffs. That's how he'd measured out his year since he was eighteen. Now, instead of starting his usual workouts and diets for the season, he was craving something incredibly sweet.

All of this was going to be worth it the second he held his twins in his arms. Every appointment they had, they saw them grow more and more. Falling more in love with the two little babies they only got to see on an ultrasound monitor.

Still Shane knew that not skating with Ilya would be a miserable time. He knew that he'd want to be on the ice when he'd watch Ilya's games, and want to be by his side when they won. They spent so long being apart on different teams, that the one season they had played together felt like bliss. This wasn't forever, Shane reminded himself. Next season they'd be back on the ice together, winning games and taking home the Stanley Cup again as if he hadn't just had two babies the year prior.

—

October

October 7th

Shane had started to worry at the fact they had felt any movements. He'd read so much, almost all of it saying babies started to get active at around the nineteen to twenty-two week mark. Today he was officially twenty weeks, the half-way point, and yet there wasn't even a single flutter.

Ilya rinsed Shane's hair, knowing already that Shane had about a million thoughts on his mind from his focused expression.

“Do you think they're okay?” Shane asked.

“Of course they're okay. Why wouldn't they be okay?” Ilya asked, massaging Shane's scalp.

“They still haven't moved yet.” Shane responded, leaning into his husband's touch.

Ilya stayed quiet, moving Shane under the shower's spray. Shane closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling while Ilya took in the view of his husband actually relaxing, even if it was for a few seconds.

“They will say hi when they are ready.” Ilya reassured Shane when he had fully washed out the soap.

The rest of the shower was the same as every other shower they took together. Shane talking about this upcoming season, Ilya listening intently, chiming in whenever he had a counter point. It was a good distraction, maybe even a necessary distraction from the fact their twins hadn't started to move yet.

They both got out of the shower, Ilya passing Shane a towel to dry off. Shane had put on his sweatpants when he felt something. It had been so subtle he almost thought it was just gas, but it happened again, this time while Shane had his hand on his stomach. The tiniest of flutters, barely even noticeable. He leaned against the counter, focusing on the feeling to make sure it was actually what he thought it was.

“What?” Ilya asked, starting to put on his usual grey gym shorts.

“I think they moved?” Shane said it in more of a question than a statement.

Ilya abandoned putting on his gym shorts, instead going over to where Shane was against the counter. He placed a hand next to where Shanes was, waiting to feel something.

Several minutes passed, both of them quiet with focus. Shane began to wonder if he actually did feel anything or if it had just been his mind playing tricks on him. Wanting to feel any sign of life from the twins so badly that he thought a gas was them kicking.

“They are shy now that papa wants to feel.” Ilya tried to joke in Russian.

Shane gave him a half hearted laugh, feeling disappointed they had stopped.

“Maybe I just imagined it.” Shane said, taking his hand away.

Ilya's hand lingered on his stomach, not quite giving up yet. Shane let him, never denying him a chance to be closer to their twins.

A more distinct flutter happened this time, a lot stronger than the ones Shane had felt minutes before. Both of their eyes grew big as they looked at each other in amazement.

“You heard us talking about how you two haven't said hi yet.” Ilya said in Russian, laughing as he did so. He bent down, placing two kisses onto his husband's stomach. “Hello to you too, my little angels. You had your daddy very worried.”

“I wasn't very worried.” Shane chuckled.

Ilya gave him a questioning look. “I've seen you looking up ‘when do twins start to move’ and ‘when can I expect babies to move’ all week.” Ilya teased him in Russian.

Shane groaned, half laughing a little as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “You need to stop looking at my phone when I'm looking things up.”

“No, is very entertaining to watch.” Ilya mused, switching back to English.

The flutters came sporadically, sometimes at different sides of his stomach, other times it was the same side. They both continued to get dressed, Shane feeling everything their twins did. As he dried off his hair he felt more little kicks, the feeling made his shoulders relax.

“I can't believe you two finally said hi.” Shane poked at his stomach once he was fully dressed. There was no movement to that, but that was fine. He at least knew now that they'd be saying hi more in the future.

◇◇◇

October 18th

“I think they are girls.” Ilya said, taking another bite of his scrambled eggs. “We're having two girls, I can feel it.”

Shane raised an eyebrow. “And what happens when we find out its two boys?” He asked with a coy smile.

“Shane, we're having girls. All the signs are saying girl.”

“Signs? You're just saying girls because that's what everyone's betting against.” Shane laughed. He finished up his breakfast, enjoying the last bite of turkey bacon.

Ilya shook his head. “No, I'm saying two girls because is what I want.”

“Well, we're going to find out in an hour.” Shane said. He tapped his phone to see the time. In an hour and ten minutes to be exact, they would know the sex of the twins. They'd made a compromise with each other, finding out the sex and keeping it to themselves until the birth. It was a best of both worlds situation. Shane got to know and Ilya still could enjoy seeing people guess as to what they were having. “Why do you want two girls anyways?”

“They'd be so cute. Just imagining little girl versions of you makes me so happy.” Ilya said, his tone oozing with love. He already sounded sold at the thought of being girl dads. “I already have perfect names for them.”

“You do? What're they?” Shane asked, propping an elbow onto the table.

“Evangeline and Hana.” Ilya said proudly.

“Hanas really pretty. Evangeline is a bit much.”

“We can call her Eva.” Ilya said casually as he got up to wash their dishes.

Over the past few months Shane had found himself drawn to very simple, shorter names. While Eva was exactly that, something about it didn't quite sit right with him. Eva was a cute name, he couldn't argue with that, but he couldn't imagine using it for either of their potential daughters. He thought about it, remembering a name he had read earlier that week that was similar.

“What about Ava instead?” Shane asked. It'd been the first time he'd said it out loud. He liked the sound of it much better than Eva.

“Ava and Hana.” Ilya said the names together. He smiled at the thought of his two daughters, dark black hair, and their big brown eyes. Tiny versions of Shane that he was already so in love with. “I like how they sound together.”

◇◇◇

“My goodness this little one does not want to be still.” Dr. Choi chuckled as she tried to get a clear view of Baby As sex. “Are they always this wiggly?”

Shane nodded, having grown used to the fluttering movements he'd begun to feel for the past two weeks. He knew he should enjoy these softer movements while he could, because he knew the further this pregnancy progressed, the more intense the kicks would get. “You have no idea. They’ve been moving around a lot lately.”

Dr. Choi focused, finally getting a clear view of Baby A. The tiny baby on the screen had settled down, having tired themselves out. “It looks like Baby A is a girl.” She said fondly as she took screenshots.

Ilya squeezed Shane's hand, beaming proudly at the news. They were having a baby girl.

“Let's look at Baby B now,” Dr. Choi moved the doppler to where the second baby was. They watched as the baby made small wiggles and a very faint kick on the screen. Thankfully their second baby was less active in the mornings unlike their sister. “It looks like Baby B is a boy.”

A girl and a boy. Shane felt his eyes grow misty as he watched their baby girl and boy wiggle around on the screen. Their daughter was much more energetic, kicking and wiggling as Dr. Choi took screenshots. Their son on the other hand, was only doing small kicks that Shane vaguely felt on his lower stomach.

“Our daughter is a morning person.” Ilya joked, letting out a wet laugh. Our daughter.

“She gets that from me.” Shane smiled as he watched the screen. “And our little boy looks like he is barely awake.”

“He is definitely my son.” Ilya said, wiping his eyes.

A little girl and a little boy. They weren't even here yet but they were so perfect already.

—

November

November 17th

“Your husband is killing it tonight.” Rose said as she took another bite of vanilla ice cream.

Shane smirked as he watched Ilya get surrounded by their teammates. Loud shouts of praise and joy came from the Centaurs since Ilya scored their fourth point of the night, making the score four to two.

“He always kills it.” Shane said, trying to hide his amusement in watching Ilya play. One of the twins kicked his stomach softly, celebrating their papas victory with him.

Shane was glad to have Rose spend the night while Ilya was on the road. She had texted him earlier in the day saying she had a free day tomorrow from filming in Montreal and if she could visit. Shane didn't think twice, texting her back saying she could visit and spend the night if she wanted to. She agreed, arriving thirty minutes ago right as Ilya's game started. Now they were sitting together on the couch watching the Centaurs against Las Vegas.

The TV cut to a commercial break and Rose turned her attention to Shane, who was working through his second bowl of vanilla ice cream. He caught her amused expression and furrowed his eyebrows at her.

“What?”

“I still can't believe you’re having twins.” Rose said with a slight laugh. “When you texted me the ultrasound photos I thought you were pranking me.”

“You think I'd prank you by saying I'm having twins?” Shane asked, a grin starting to spread on his lips.

“I don't know!” Rose laughed. “When you say it like that it sounds stupid. But I really did think it was a prank.” Shane couldn't help but laugh now at her confession.

“Well clearly it wasn't a joke.” Shane said as he poked at his stomach, making both babies kick at where he poked simultaneously.

Rose's eyes were on his stomach, watching the movement with a worried expression. “God, they're really active tonight.”

Shane shrugged slightly, his attention going back to the TV once the commercials ended. “They’re like that all the time now. I've just gotten so used to it by now it doesn't phase anymore.”

Rose gave a slight nod, taking a final spoon of ice cream as she watched Ottawa steal the puck. Bood skated towards the opposing goal, doing a last minute pass to Troy, who swung the puck into the net. A mix of cheers and boos came from the crowd, as the camera zoomed in on Troy's cocky smile.

They watched the game, making occasional comments and critiques as they did. Vegas scored a goal, and Shane groaned. He loved watching Ilya's games, loved seeing his husband do the sport he loved to play. But times like this he did desperately want to be back on the ice, helping his team in the best way he knew how. Instead he was at home, six months pregnant eating ice cream while both twins moved around excitedly.

The TV cut to another commercial break as the first period ended. Shane muted the TV before he started to get up to put the bowls into the dishwasher. Rose saw him starting to get up and stopped him, getting their bowls before he could.

“Rose, you don't have to do that.” Shane said.

“Oh, it's okay, I don't mind. I'd feel bad making the pregnant guy get up for this.” Rose said as she went into the kitchen.

Shane sat there, resting his hands on his bump. The TV showed one of the commercials Ilya had done this past summer with Adidas. He watched Ilya on screen, looking serious as he showed off some shoes Shane knew he barely liked to use. Rose came back into the living room, sitting down closer to Shane on the couch.

“So have you two picked out names for my nieces?” Rose asked.

Shane chuckled. “What makes you think you're getting nieces?”

“A hunch.” Rose said simply. “But don't worry though, the clothes and toys I gave you today are all neutral, just in case my hunch is wrong.”

Rose had so kindly bought him several bags of gifts for the babies he hadn't opened yet. They sat on the kitchen table, waiting for Ilya to come home so they could open them together.

“We have a few names picked out. Nothing final yet though. We're waiting to actually see them before we decide.” Shane said.

Rose chewed her lip, her eyes focused on Shane. “Can I at least get a hint? Just the first letters of the top names you guys are considering.” Rose pleaded.

Shane considered it, thinking about the names that were currently at the top of both of their lists. He gave her a weary look before letting out a defeated sigh. “A and D.”

“A and D,” Rose muttered to herself, as she leaned against Shane's arm.”Amelie and Darla.”

“No.”

“Arrietty and Dove.” Rose guessed again.

Shane chuckled again. “No, not even close.”

“Annette and Denise.”

“Rose, I'm not telling you what the names are.” Shane laughed. “You'll find out with everyone else when they're born.”

Rose let out a groan, sinking back more into the couch. “Fine, I'll wait. But the second you have them you have to text me names. I want to send you guys custom gifts with their names on them.”

“You've already given us so much, you don't have to.” Shane said softly. He appreciated the gesture but she had already bought a lot for the twins. The thought of being given any more gifts from her was a bit overwhelming.

“Oh please, I want to. I really don't mind.”

The game returned onto the TV. They went back to watching the game, Rose going back to cuddling against his arm. The twins both kicked hard, the motion lifting his shirt slightly.

“Woah, those were big ones.” Rose said, impressed at the kicks.

“You want to feel?” Shane asked. He had a strict no touching rule for anyone that wasn't family, but there were some exceptions.

“Oh my god yes.” Rose said as she placed a hand against his stomach. The twins moved around restlessly, little sharp kicks and rolls that Shane didn't bat an eye at. “Doesn't that feel weird?”

“Kind of? It feels like two little frogs moving around at all times.” Shane answered.

Rose huffed out a laugh. “Two little frogs? You just called my nieces two little frogs?”

“That's the only thing I can compare it to.” Shane said, a smile on his lips.

The twins wriggled around more, one of them kicking against Rose's hand. She let out a sharp inhale at the sudden feeling, looking at Shane and then back to his stomach. “One of them just said hi.”

“That means they like you.” Shane said as he watched Vegas attempt to score another goal. Wyatt blocked it with ease, this time the crowd had more cheers than boos.

“I would hope so. I'm trying to be their favorite aunt.” Rose said as more light flutters happened right where her hand was.

“Well your competition is Svetlana so good luck with that.” Shane said, watching as Ilya chirped at one of the opposing players. He said something back that Ilya responded to, his smug smile on full display. The destinct words of ‘Fuck off Rozanov’ coming from the opposite player before he skated away.

Shane felt a sense of comfort in seeing his husband still being the same instigator he'd always been on the ice. His life was changing in big ways soon but at least that would stay the same.

◇◇◇

November 27th

Shane was used to attention to some degree. He is a public figure and was used to getting asked questions. However, right now the Pike kids were absolutely overwhelming him with a barrage of questions.

“Uncle Shane, when are they coming out?”

“Uncle Shane you're having two girls right? Mommy thinks it's two girls.”

“Uncle Shane can we touch your belly?”

The only Pike child who wasn't asking questions was Amber, who was sleeping on Hayden's lap. Her older siblings were surrounding him on the couch, looking at him with expectant eyes as they waited for their answers.

“You guys need to relax with the questions,” Hayden said before Shane could answer. He gave Shane an apologetic look. “Sorry buddy, they're just curious.”

Shane let out a nervous chuckle. “No, it's fine. I need to start getting used to stuff like this.” In a way, Shane thought of this as good practice. He was sure his own babies would ask questions like this and he needed to get used to playing twenty questions essentially. “They’re supposed to be born in late February but they'll probably come earlier. I can't tell you what we're having, it's a surprise. And sure.” Shane rattled off the answers without giving too much details.

The kids wasted no time putting a hand on Shane's stomach. Little hands of all ages pressing against him as they eagerly wait for any kind of feeling from the two babies inside. Luckily the twins were active as they always were. They relentlessly kicked his stomach as the older kids' eyes widened from the movement.

Arthur let out a little gasp as a baby kicked right where his hand was. “I think they’re mad in there.”

Shane smiled softly at the feeling of his twins movement. The older kids giggled and made little comments as they felt the babies used Shane as their personal punching bag. From the couch he could hear Jackie laughing with Ilya in the kitchen. Ilya had been making lunch and Jackie had insisted on helping.

A particularly strong kick happened and Shane couldn't help but wince from it. The older kids noticed, giving him worried looks.

“You two need to be nicer to your dad.” Jade said to his stomach.

“Yeah, stop kicking him so much.” Ruby agreed.

A small flutter of lighter kicks came, seemingly agreeing with the older girl's words. It was probably a coincidence, not at all something the girls actually had done. But he thought their victorious grins were sweet to see.

—
December

December 25th

Christmas morning usually was a very lowkey event at the Hollander-Rozanov household. Normally it meant the two of them doing their usual morning routine, coffee and breakfast, then they'd both sit on the couch and give each other their gifts. Shane's parents were coming over later on for Christmas dinner and to exchange more gifts. They'd end off the night watching whichever Christmas movie they'd all agreed on. It was a simple tradition but Shane enjoyed it nonetheless.

Next year it will be different though. Their twins would be with them, celebrating their first Christmas. The relaxed laid back energy that they were used to would be replaced by their babies eager and excited energy. He could picture it so clearly in his head, Ilya holding one twin in his lap while he helped open a gift for the other. Their little excited giggles filling the usually quiet room. The more he let himself think about it, the more he realized it was a change that Shane was more than ready for. He knew Ilya felt the same.

They were sitting together on the couch, a pile of gift wrap and tissue paper on the floor beside them. Ilya had outdone himself with the gifts this year. Shane knew he wasn't the easiest person to shop for but Ilya always found things that he knew he'd love.

“I have one more thing.” Ilya said, handing him a small bag with Snoopy ice skating on it.

Shane took it, wondering what else Ilya could've possibly gotten him. He raised a brow at his husband who had a look of pride already on his face. “One more thing? Ilya you already got me everything I could want.”

Ilya didn't say anything as Shane dug through the bag, pulling out a tiny Centaurs jersey. He turned it around, seeing Hollander-R. with his number on the back. He dug through the bag more, finding a second jersey, except on the back it read H.-Rozanov and had Ilya's number. Shane felt his heart twist looking at the small size. He thought about their twins wearing these to their first game, seeing him and their papa on the ice.

“Ilya,” Shane's voice faltered. His throat felt tight as his eyes started to sting with tears.

“Do you like it? I know is not a gift for you exactly, but I felt like you would like it.” Ilya said softly. He picked up the Centaurs jersey that had Shane's number on it. “Is very cute, yes?”

Shane nodded, "They're so cute. I didn't even know they made merch this small.”

“Apparently they do,” Ilya scooted closer to him on the couch. He rested his head on his husband's shoulder, admiring the tiny jerseys with him.

Shane placed Ilya's jersey on top of his belly. One of the twins gave a soft kick and he couldn't help but smile at the movement. “I think one of them already likes it.”

Ilya leaned in, kissing Shane's lips. When he pulled away he put a hand on top of his husband's stomach, feeling both babies move around restlessly. “I can't wait to see you two wear these.” Ilya said softly in Russian. He pressed two kisses to Shane's stomach, making both babies kick him hard. Shane chuckled as he rubbed his stomach to try and soothe them. He took that as them agreeing with their papa.

—

January

January 23rd

Going to Ilya's practices felt like a special type of punishment for Shane. He watched from high seats as his husband zipped around with a quickness, chirping at Troy as he did so. He could have sat in the benches, he knew that Coach or anyone else wouldn't have minded. But for one thing, his lower back couldn't handle sitting on the hard wooden bench for too long, and the other was that he didn't want to distract anybody.

Chewing on his hoodie string he rested his hands over his very pronounced stomach. The feeling of one of the twins, most likely their daughter, kicking at his ribs. There was a faint kick to Shane's lower stomach that assumed it was their son.

Bood skated closer to Ilya, saying something to him that made him bark out a laugh. The sound echoed around along with a flurry of little kicks.

“Your papa isn't even near you two and you're both getting that excited?” Shane said, gently rubbing his stomach. There was no movement to that, which Shane felt slightly annoyed by. Lately they'd been loving when Ilya spoke to them, in either Russian or English. They'd kick harder and move around more, at the mere sound of Ilya's voice. Shane would often joke that they already had a favorite parent.

Shane pulled out his phone to check the time, seeing that there was fifteen minutes left of practice. The time had flown by considering he'd shown up forty minutes ago.

“I thought that was you.” A familiar friendly voice said from behind him.

Shane turned his head to see Harris, going down the stairs to join sitting next to him.

“Hi Harris.” Shane said, sitting up more in his seat.

Harris sat down next to him, leaning against the opposite armrest. He looked at Shane, his eyes landing on Shane's stomach. “How's it been going with you and your littles?”

Shane groaned. “Ehausting. Everything hurts. I feel huge. Parts of me I didn't even know could hurt are hurting. I have heartburn now that refuses to go away. And to top it off I constantly need to piss.” He realized he'd dumped all that on Harris without really meaning to.

“That sounds about right for being eight months pregnant.” Harris nodded.

“I know it's normal, especially at thirty-five weeks. But I need them out of me now.” Shane sighed. He looked back down at the ice, where Ilya was saying something to Wyatt as he stood by the goal.

Harris gave him a sympathetic look, just like everyone else had been doing to him recently. “You have three more weeks until you both meet them.” Harris said in a light voice. “And when that happens there's going to be a lot of people sending me and Troy money because you'll have your little girl and boy.”

Shane smirked. “You're still sticking to us having a girl and boy?”

Harris gave him a confident nod. “Absolutely. Some people have changed their bets to you having two girls, but I'm staying with mine.”

“Any reason why?”

Harris scanned over him with careful, focused eyes. “I can't explain it but you just seem like you're having both.”

Shane just nodded, not saying anything. Harris (and Troy in turn) were right with their guess but he wasn't about to say that with three weeks left of his pregnancy. That was for everyone else to discover when the twins were safely here, healthy and in his arms.

—

February

February 14th

The energy in their house the day before Shane's C-section was different. There was an air of anticipation that hung over both of them as they triple checked and added last minute onesies to their hospital bags.

Shane held up two of the onesie his mom had bought for them. A little beige onesie that had cute little brown bears on the stomach and sleeves. The second one was nearly the same except it had polar bears instead. Tomorrow they'd be meeting the two very tiny people who would be wearing these. After nine agonizing months he was finally going to hold the two babies who'd been kicking the shit out of him. He was going to hold them and kiss them and tell them how much he loved them tomorrow.

“Are you alright?” Ilya asked him as he packed extra diapers into their bag.

“Yeah, just thinking about tomorrow.” Shane said as he put the onesies back on the closet wrack.

Ilya went over to him, joining his husband in their baby's closet. He rested his head on Shane's shoulder, looking around at all the cute clothes they'd bought and been gifted over these nine months.

Shane shifted uncomfortably and Ilya immediately noticed. “Do you want me to hold your stomach?”

Shane gave him a simple nod, too tired, out of breath and too in pain to act annoyed at the question. Ilya cupped his hands under his stomach, lifting it up with a gentle force. Shane immediately sunk into his husband's chest, feeling the instant relief on his back and hips. With his head resting against Ilya's shoulder Shane let out a small laugh.

“What is funny?” Ilya asked, kissing Shane's cheek.

“This is probably going to be the last time you do this with them still inside me.” Shane said. “Tomorrow we'll actually get to hold them.”

There was a little kick against Ilya's hands that made him smile. “We finally get to meet you two after so long.” Ilya mused in Russian.

More sharper kicks followed as Shane rested against Ilya. The looming C-section made him more nervous than he had wanted to admit. Over the course of the pregnancy he'd read plenty of books and watched more videos than he thought he could on the whole process and recovery. It was a pretty straightforward procedure, but still his mind lingered on the negative outcomes.

Nine months had come and gone and tomorrow was the finish line for them. They'd start their family tomorrow. A whole new future would start for them tomorrow. Shane imagined himself seeing their twins, two precious babies wrapped in their swaddles. Maybe as they got older they'd get Shane's freckles but he secretly hoped they didn't. Growing up he always felt self conscious about having them and he didn't want his own kids to feel that way. He knew that Ilya felt differently, he'd been talking constantly how he hoped they'd get freckles as they got bigger.

The quiet of the nursery mixed with the sounds of Anya snoring down the hall in their room. In a few days when they brought the twins home that peaceful calm would be replaced by loud baby cries and whimpers. Shane enjoyed the quiet moment between him and his husband, knowing that it would be a while for them to have alone time like this again.

◇◇◇

February 15th

Shane had been anxious the whole morning and the feeling had only intensified now as he waited for their twins to be born. Ilya was by his side, mirroring his anxiety. His eyes stayed focused on Shane, not looking past the privacy curtain that the nurses had set up. He occasionally brushed stray hairs out of his face while they listened to the doctors and nurses work. If he wasn't doing that, his hands would wander to his cross under his scrubs, finding comfort as he played with it aimlessly.

Shane was convinced time was moving slower on purpose. Tantalizing him with the promise of meeting the twins he'd carried for nine months. He wanted to hold them now but he also understood that this was a delicate surgery and that rushing wouldn't benefit him in the long run.

They weren't sure how much time had passed when they both heard the doctor and nurses tones change.

“It's a girl,” Dr. Choi announced proudly.

Ilya stood up, looking over the curtain, his eyes glossy with tears as he saw their little girl for the first time. Covered in blood and amniotic fluid but she was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. She had a full head of dark black hair, and she was bigger than Ilya had expected. They had already known that she was measuring slightly bigger than her brother, but that wasn't uncommon for twins. He had seen she was bigger at every ultrasound appointment, but now that he saw her in person he realized he still expected her to be a little smaller. A little arm was raised in the air as she was passed off from the doctor to a nurse. He watched as a different nurse clamped off on her umbilical cord and the nurse holding her looked at him. Despite the fact she was wearing a medical mask Ilya could tell she was smiling.

“Do you want to cut the cord?” The nurse asked.

Ilya didn't trust himself to speak, instead just opting to nod as a yes. A different nurse handed him clean medical scissors and pointed where to cut. He got to see their baby girl closer now and his heart nearly gave out. She was perfect. Her little face scrunched up in annoyance from being taken out of the home she’d known for nine months. He cut the cord, and the nurse that was holding her promptly cleared out her mouth and nose with suctions. She carefully held their daughter in her other hand, and rubbed small circles into her back with the other. Ilya watched, tears falling as his daughter let out a loud, shrill, cry.

“I know, I know you want to see your dad.” The nurse said lightly as she went over to Shane's upper half. “Someone wants to hi.”

She placed their daughter on his chest, her loud cries wavered only for a second. Shane desperately wished he could move his arms, to hold her properly the way she wanted, but feeling the warmth of her skin, hearing her cries, that was more than enough.

“Hi princess.” Shane's voice cracked, tears blurring his eyes. “I love you so much.” He gave a gentle kiss to the top of her head. The sound of him speaking made her cries pause, which made him let out a wet chuckle. “You already know daddy's voice huh.”

Ilya carefully brushed a knuckle against her pink cheek. “Of course she does. Do you know your papa's voice?” Papa. He now held that title with pride. Their daughter's cries faltered, turning into whimpers at his voice and touch. “You're our little printsessa.” Ilya said softly in Russian as he gave her a very light kiss on her cheek.

They stayed like that for a few more minutes, enjoying their baby girl's company before the same nurse that had placed her there, stepped closer with her hands out. “I'm sorry but we have to go clean her up and weigh her.” She said, giving them a genuine apologetic look.

Ilya nodded but Shane felt himself hesitate before he said yes. She had never been apart from him before. Yes, he knew that she was going to be only a few feet away, that distance was something entirely new for them. Still, he nodded and felt a lump form in his throat as the nurse carried her off. Her shrill cries started up again, somehow louder and more piercing than before. His chest felt painfully empty without her there.

Ilya's eyes stayed on their fussing baby girl as the nurse cleaned her off, then weighed and measured her. She said numbers that Ilya couldn't quite make out, but he saw another nurse write down the measurements. Finally the first nurse wrapped her in a white swaddle and carefully put a pastel pink beanie with hearts on it onto her small head, her hair spilling out of it.

“Is she okay?” Shane asked.

Ilya nodded, taking his eyes off their newborn. “She misses us and her brother.”

They listened to their baby girl cry as they waited for her brother. Ilya's attention drifted from Shane to their daughter, who had been placed into a clear bassinet. He saw her gently kick against her swaddle, her little hand somehow had gotten free and was poking out. The nurse from before came over and gently redid her swaddle, making her cry even harder. He desperately wanted to go over and hold her. To calm her down and soothe her. From her perspective everything was entirely new, loud and cold. She was alone, without her twin brother for the first time ever. The more he thought about it, the more Ilya really had to fight the urge to go hold and cuddle her.

They waited for their son, but thankfully time seemed to move faster now that one baby was here. Before either of them knew it, their son was born.

“It's a boy.” Dr. Choi announced.

Ilya stood up again, catching a glimpse of their son as they pulled him out. He was slightly smaller than his sister, his face more relaxed, but he also had a head full of black hair hair. He was absolutely perfect. His heart felt impossibly full, tears falling again as he heard their daughter cry and now seeing their son for the first time. Those were their kids. The two most important people in his world and he now got to meet both of them. The process followed the same as it had with their little girl, a nurse clamped off the umbilical cord and offered Ilya the medical scissors once more.

“Time for round two.” She joked.

Ilya huffed out a small wet laugh as he cut his son's cord. Now looking closer at their baby boy he felt his chest tighten at the precious sight. Even with amniotic fluid, and blood all over him, their son looked identical to Shane. Yuna had shown him so many baby photos over the years. Photos of his husband at varying baby stages, but his mind wandered back to a specific newborn photo. In it Shane had been only a few hours old, his pink face looking peaceful in his blue swaddle. To Ilya's joy, their son was making that exact same face.

The nurse cleared out his mouth and nose with the suctions. She did the same maneuver the other nurse had done with their daughter. Little circles rubbed into his back until he cried. Ilya watched, waiting with baited breath to hear him. After what felt like the world's longest minute and half, their baby boy let out a small cough, and then started to cry.

Their son's cries weren't nearly as loud as his sisters. They were less shrill, more soft, as if he were too tired by the ordeal of being born to give the same energy his sister had. Ilya's eyes glossed over as he watched the nurse put him on Shane's chest.

“Hi buddy.” Shane choked out. He placed a gentle kiss onto the top of their son's head. “I love you so much.” Their little boys' waning cries almost stopped completely once he heard Shane speak. Shane looked up at his husband, a look of pure love on his face. Ilya made no attempt to wipe his tears at the sight of his husband and his mini me.

“Shane,” Ilya's voice was soft. “He looks identical to you.”

That made Shane's throat tight. He tried to get a better view of their baby boy's face but it wasn't working. “I can't really tell right now. All I see is his hair.” Shane said, placing another soft kiss onto their son's head.

“He looks just like you. Everything is the same.” Ilya kissed his son's pink cheek. Their son yawned, making the cutest face Ilya had ever seen. At that moment he felt like the luckiest man on earth. Two healthy babies and one of them looked exactly like the man he adored. He couldn't ask for anything better.

Minutes passed and a nurse took the now quiet baby boy to get cleaned up and measured like his sister had. She had calmed down, her crying becoming loud whimpers and grunts as she fought against her swaddle. Ilya watched the nurse repeat the process, cleaning him up, then weighing and measuring him. Their son didn't fuss as he was swaddled and the same left over Valentines day pastel pink heart beanie was put on his head. He was placed into a clear bassinet next to his squirming sister, calm and most likely already asleep. Ilya couldn't help but smile at the tiny people who hadn't been alive, not even a full hour yet. The tiniest glimpse of their personalities already showed and he couldn't wait to get to watch them grow up.

—

March

March 15th

“Relax Ava, I'm not going anywhere.” Shane laughed tiredly as his daughter impatiently rooted around his chest, trying to find her breakfast. He guided her, lining her up so she could latch easily. Little whimpers and frustrated grunts came from their one month old's mouth as she tried to find what she wanted. After a minute or two, she latched. The distressed expression on her face was replaced by a calm one as she nursed. Shane watched, still feeling exhausted from getting a generous total of an hour and a half of sleep. It had been a rough night for both newborns. Between the feedings, several diaper changes, pumping and both twins not wanting to be put back to sleep, it felt like a miracle Shane had gotten any sleep at all. “You would think she hadn't eaten two hours ago.” Shane yawned.

Next to him Ilya chuckled as he fed Dimitri his bottle. Their baby boy ate slowly, looking up at his papa with beautiful brown eyes that both twins had gotten from Shane. Ilya adjusted his hold on the bottle, making it easier for Dimitri to eat.

“You two are one month old today.” Ilya said softly. Dimitri blinked at him, not stopping his breakfast at the news.

Ava paused her nursing, a small coo coming from her before she continued to eat. Shane smiled at their baby girl. “I know, princess, that's so impressive. You two have already gotten so big.”

“That's thanks to you.” Ilya's eyes met Shane's, and Ilya gave him a kiss on the shoulder he'd been leaning on. He looked at Ava, eyes half open as she nursed with gusto. “She does eat like she hasn't had milk in days.”

“She inherited your appetite.” Shane teased.

“Is the only thing she got from me.” Ilya said, his tone still soft as he watched his daughter eat.

“That's not true she got your nose, your lips and your curls too.” Shane countered.

Morning light crept through the curtains into their bedroom. Anya slept on her pillow, belly up as she snored gently against one of her toys. This had been the morning routine they'd settled into over the month. Multiple night feedings that bled into morning feedings. Sometimes he nursed both of them in tandem, most of the time it was like what they were currently doing, where one nursed and the other drank the milk he had pumped from a bottle. They were still in the process of learning their kids' little eating quirks. Ava hated being bottle fed, usually sobbing whenever they made an attempt to try to get her used to it. There had been some successful bottle feedings for her over the month, but those had been rare. Dimitri on the other hand, was fine with either. He would nurse with no issue and take a bottle the same way.

Eventually the twins finished eating, Ava giving half hearted final pulls of milk before she unlatched. Dimitri finished his bottle at the same time, milk dripping out of the corner of his mouth. Ilya wiped it, greatly amused at his son's milk drunk expression. They were burped, both twins spitting up a little.

“You two always do such a good job.” Shane praised the twins. Ava gurgled at the praise, more awake now after she ate, while Dimitri yawned wanting to fall back asleep.

Ilya lifted Dimitri to his lips, kissing their son's chubby cheek. Dimitri whimpered slightly, not loving being moved after he'd just eaten so much.

“Happy one month birthday my little Dima and printsessa.” Ilya said gently in Russian as he rubbed circles on his son's back. Dimitri's foot kicked slightly as he started to nod off. Shane raised Ava up to him so he could kiss her cheek as well. Their little girl squeaked at her papas kiss, drool dripping down her chin.

One whole month. The time had flown by, and now here they were getting bigger and stronger day by day. In only one month they'd already learned so much about the two newborns. Their preferences and little traits that made them so different from each other. Their personalities were already starting to show more and more as the days went on were which Shane and Ilya loved to see.

The four of them laid in bed, enjoying the sounds of the morning as the world started to wake up. Dimitris' eyes started to close as he laid against Ilya's bare chest. Ava whimpered slightly as Shane adjusted her against him, wanting to stay cuddled up against her dad. It still felt very surreal to Shane that they were real. He thought back to ten months ago, seeing the positive pregnancy tests and how nervous he'd been. Trying to imagine this moment seemed impossible at the time. Yet now here they were. Ilya whispered soft praises and compliments to Ava in Russian, his knuckle brushing her cheek softly while their daughter cooed in response. Just one month ago it had only been him, Ilya and Anya. Now all of them were in bed together, Anya sleeping on the floor in her comfy bed. Their little family felt complete.