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Wyatt loves his baby.
He really loves him.
He wanted a Little so badly for so long.
And then, Luca came along.
Luca is perfect. In every aspect.
He's so cute. Just looking at him existing makes Wyatt happy.
He's funny, sweet, kind.
He has such a cute squeaky voice when he's Little.
And his giggle? Adorable.
Yes, Wyatt is in love with his Baby boy and no amount of teasing can change that.
Lisa loves her baby.
She wanted to be a mother, but most of all, she wanted to see her husband be a father.
Luca was a gift sent from heaven.
The kid is amazing in every headspace.
Sweet, kind, considerate.
Cuddly as a teddy bear.
Unbelievably cute with his soft cheeks and messy curls.
Really, what is this with the curls that makes a Little 100 times more squishable?
Yes, Lisa is in love with her Baby boy... But he's not really, really hers.
Luca loves his Mami and Papi.
Mami is so good to him. She kisses his booboos and makes all his owies go away.
She cooks everything he likes and warms his bottles just right.
She gets him the softest clothes and the cutest PJs.
She gives his Murmi baths and washes his doudous.
She tucks him at night and video calls from the hospital.
She kisses him good luck, even when he's Big.
Yes, Mami is the best Mami in the whole wide world and he loves her very much and forever.
But... But...
Deep down, he knows.
Even if he doesn't admit it.
He's a Papi's boy.
Wyatt is sure that Luca is on the cusp of dropping.
He sees the way he's wobbling a little on his skates and the loss of power on his strikes.
Shane also sees it and changed drills for him. Always the most attentive person in the room.
That's fine.
They are at the end of the practice, so perfect timing.
Luca skates towards him, puck on his stick, smiling wide.
He shoots and Wyatt blocks easily on instinct.
"PAP... Hazy!!!!!"
"Yes, kid?"
"No! Not kid!" Luca stomps clumsily. "You blocked!!"
"Yes, it's my job, Haasy..."
"No!!! Good shot! No blocking!!!"
"Luca, I'm supposed to block good shots, too." He doesn't mention that it wasn't, in fact, a good shot. "That's how we win games."
"Noooo! Luca scores!"
"Hun-hun... I see..." Hayes skates towards him. "Are we dropping, Schatzi?"
"Nooo! Big! Pway!"
"Hasi, are you sure? It's ok to drop." He takes the kid's helmet off.
"Papi!!" Luca blushes. "Maybe?..."
"Ok, that's fine. Let's go change and go home, ok?"
"P'actice?"
"It's over, see? Holzy is calling it over."
"Ok..."
Wyatt helps him toward the locker room.
As soon as Lucas skates touch solid ground, he sits down. Hard enough to huff.
"Baby? Come on, let's go get comfy."
"No!"
"No?"
"No!!!!" He sniffles. "Papiii!!"
"What, Hasenkind?" He kneels next to him.
"Uppie??"
Wyatt sighs, picking him up. "Of course, uppie..."
He just ignores the chuckles of the team.
It's a rare night off on the Hayes household.
Lisa is making dinner in the kitchen. Luca is in his bedroom, probably drawing something. Wyatt is sprawled on the couch, reading the latest comic book on his favorite series.
It's snowing outside. The house is warm and smells like chocolate because Lisa might be baking a treat for later. Soft music is playing.
Wyatt can't be happier or more peaceful.
Well, peace is short lived when you have a kid at home.
One second, he's just lying on the couch, snuggle under a blanket and the next, he's squashed under a hockey player.
"Hi, Luca" He chuckles. "What's up?"
"Nothing..."
"You know, there is a book under you..."
"Oh, sorry!" Luca sits up, elbowing his gut and almost kneeling on his crotch.
"Luca!" Wyatt squeaks. "Come on, be careful, baby..."
"Sorry, sorry." He tries to scramble away, getting tangled up on the blanket. "Not dropped..."
"Hey, hey... Where are you going?"
"Sorry, I sit here..." The kid curls on the other side of the couch, eyes downcast.
"Come here, Hasi. No need to be all the way over there. Just be a little bit more careful, ok?" Wyatt opens the blanket and pats his lap. "Come, I'll help."
Luca crawls to him, moving slowly and hesitantly.
Wyatt just pulls him over, tucking him under the blanket. The kid is lying on top of him, head buried on his neck, legs bracketing his sides.
"See? All better, hun?"
"Hum hum..." He nods.
"Baby coming over?"
"No..."
"Are you ok, bud?"
"Yeah..."
"Just feeling cuddly?"
"Hum hum..."
"That's ok... That's always ok."
He just ignores the shutter of Lisa's phone.
Luca is shy. It's a personality trait. Just that.
It's not trauma related or anything. The kid is naturally shy.
He loves oversized hoodies and long sleeves where he can hide.
He avoids overcrowded places and sticks to someone he knows at parties.
He's better now. Being in the Centaurs helped a lot. The team is amazing and being surrounded by loud rookies and bubbly Littles helped him come out of his shell.
He's also media trained, and Harris is amazing with him.
But he's still a little shy.
He rather be at his house, drawing or watching tv than at a bar. He rather get out of the ice, straight to the locker room than being interviewed. He would rather watch his friends than be part of the rowdy crew.
Little Luca is 100 times even more shy and quiet.
And that's ok.
They are just shopping. Christmas shopping. The mall is packed and Wyatt curses himself for leaving this for the last minute.
Luca is glued at his side, a nervous hand clutching his jacket.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, fine..." He glances at his phone. "I need to get something for the rookies and Bood and coach..."
"Do you want to do that now or come back later? I can come alone, kid..."
"No, I want to choose..."
"Luca, it's ok if you want to go home, honey." Lisa chimes in.
"No, I'm ok."
They don't push, but they keep an eye on him.
Three stores later, the kid is all but crawling inside Wyatt's clothes. A soft sob comes out of him.
"Ok, that's enough. Come here" Hayes pulls him to a quiet corner. "Luca, do you want to go home?"
"Nooo! Gifts, please."
"Luca, baby, we got a lot of gifts. Let's take a break and come back another day." Lisa says gently.
"No! Now! He stomps his foot.
"Luca... Age, please..." Wyatt sounds firmer than before.
"18..."
"Years?"
"Of course!!" He looks like an angry kitten.
"Ok, if you are sure."
"Hazy..."
"Yeah, kid?"
"Hug?"
"Always, come here."
They cuddle for a bit, the kid limp on his arms.
"That's ok?"
"Yes, buddy. This is always ok." He kisses his curls. "Anything else?"
"Uppie?"
He sighs. "Yeah, sure."
Lisa laughs and carries the bags. Wyatt wonders if he should buy a carrier...
"Luca, come on, baby boy. Help Mami..."
"Nooooooooo!!! Papi!!! Papi!!!"
"Sweetheart, Papi is hurt, you know that. We can all cuddle on the big bed later, but right now you need a bath."
"Papi!!!!!" He sobs. "Pwease, Papi!!!"
"Baby, Papi is here, but I can carry you. Come on, let Mami give you a nice bath."
"Nooooo! Papi!"
Wyatt is pissed. He was checked against the boards. That is a big no-no. No one touches the goalie.
But he was touched and touched badly. He's already bruised all over his right side. Luckily, nothing is broken, but he can't carry his boy around like usually.
His heart hurt a lot more than his ribs, hearing his baby crying for him on Shane's arms.
And now this.
He carefully kneels next to him. "Luca, listen to Papi. Mami will put you in the bath and get you all nice and clean. And she will put your PJs on and carry you to bed, ok?"
"Nooo! You!"
"Papi can't do that for you, baby. But I'll be in bed, ready for a snuggle, ok? I've a bottle and a new story for you, ok?"
The kid sniffs, fat tears down his cheeks. He nods and reaches for Lisa.
"Thank you, sweetie..."
Later, with his baby snuggled on his good side, softly sniffling around his bottle and clenching his shirt, Wyatt Hayes swears to kill that nasty player.
The rookies call Luca, Shaddow. The older players call him, Ducky.
Both because he follows Wyatt everywhere.
It's a radar, really. He might seem engaged on a drill or talking with someone or playing happily, if Wyatt left the room, he follows him.
Not even the bathroom is safe.
Wherever Papi is, Luca is too.
Roadies? He sleeps with Papi. Wyatt doesn't know why the team bothers to book a two beds hotel room, the kid always sleeps with him.
Sleepovers? Nope, not gonna happen. If he stays with Harris or Shane so the Hayes can have a date, they need to get him. He won't sleep anywhere besides Papi's bed. If he's Big, he stays at home, but they need to get back early. No sleeping alone.
His own bed? Great for watching tv or drawing. Sleeping? Yeah, very comfy... For half of the night. Then he's crawling into their bed or calling for Wyatt.
Airports? Holding his hand. Parties? Clinging to the back of his shirt. Bus? Right next to him.
The most alone time, Wyatt gets is during games.
He wouldn't want it any other way. He loves his cuddly boy. He loves feeling this powerful, this needed. He can make Luca's world better. Less big, less scary.
His boy loves him.
And yes, sometimes he just wants a minute alone. Maybe pee in peace. Maybe go out with Lisa and don't rush back. Maybe sleep with her just for a night.
But he doesn't want to lose any hug or kiss. To miss that sleepy smile in the morning. Those cuddles after a game. The way their bodies mold to each other.
Yes, Luca is a Papi's boy. And Wyatt is very proud of it.
Bood calls the Littles, Bears.
It started with Ilya. Maybe because of his tattoo or the Shane and Ilya-bears that he carries everywhere.
Ilya became Bood's Grizzly Bear.
Then come Troy and became his Panda Bear. Because he has a panda's survival instincts and coordination when he's Little.
No one asked for explanation when Bood started to call Luca his Koala Bear.