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"Ilya, you are not playing tonight." Shane chides for the third time today. "You are not going to go skate around spreading your illness all over the ice."
"I am not sick." Ilya protests, "Just some itchy dots, it's fine."
"The doctor said it is chickenpox. There is literally no way they’d even let you play." Shane exclaims.
"I do not know how I even get chickenpox. I have not been near any birds." Ilya whines.
"No, Ilya. You don't get it from birds, that’s just what it’s called." Shane's face wants to morph into a fond smile but he needs to stay firm. "You are going to stay here. The illness that you have is extremely infectious."
"If so bad why don't you have it also?" Ilya pouts.
"You only get it once. I had it as a kid. Most people do or they get the vaccine."
"Why don’t I have vaccine?"
"Russia does not have their own vaccine. They rely on imported doses. It isn't mandated, I guess you just missed out." Shane explains.
"How the fuck you know so much about this bird disease?"
"When I had it as a kid I got really into researching all about it." He shrugs.
Ilya huffs. He wants to be angry but he loves when Shane tells him facts about past and present hyperfixations. "So, you are going to play hockey while I sit here sick and alone?"
"You're not going to be alone. My mom and dad are going to be here any minute. They'll look after you. Dad has already picked up your antiviral medication, then sooner you start them the better." Shane runs his fingers through his husband’s curls. Anya jumps up on the couch settling herself down in Ilya's lap. "And Anya is with you. She doesn’t want you being alone. She wants you to get better."
"That is because she is precious angel." Ilya plants a kiss on the dog's head. "Will you at least win for me? For us?" He holds Anya close to his face, looking imploringly at his husband.
"I will certainly try." Shane catches Ilya's mouth in a gentle kiss. Ilya pouts lets out an indignant sound when Shane suddenly pulls away when he hears keys in the door. "That'll be them. I've got to go. I love you." Shane quickly ducks his head to give his husband a kiss on the cheek. "Please be good for them."
The look in Shane's eyes was so soft and fond that Ilya can't bring himself to protest staying home. "Fine," He sighs, "Love you too." He watches his husband hug is parents and hurry out the door.
"Hi, sweetheart." Yuna smiles sympathetically, "How are you feeling?"
"Like I got hit on the ice by Ryan Price." Ilya frowns. "Very different from if I was hit by him off the ice. He is very gentle."
"Well, I'll grab you a glass of water and you can take one of these antivirals, alright?" David says, he doesn’t wait for Ilya to reply before heading to the kitchen.
"I see where Shane gets it." Ilya smirks at Yuna. She laughs and nods along.
Ilya wakes from a quick nap to a burning itch under his skin. He tries to scratch his stomach but his hand is intercepted. "Nuh-uh," Yuna softly scolds, "You shouldn’t scratch."
"Why?" He yawns.
"If you break the skin on the blisters they will scar and might get infected." She runs a hand through his blonde curls.
Ilya grimaces, "This does not sound good."
"Nope," Yuna agrees. "I think you should have an oatmeal bath."
"Oatmeal bath?" Ilya looks perplexed.
"David bought a bath mix from the pharmacy when he picked up your medication." Yuna coaxes him to the bathroom, kneeling down to run the water. "It might feel a little chilly but if the waters too warm it can make the itching worse."
"Thank you, Yuna." Ilya wants to tear up from the woman’s motherly action.
Yuna stands after mixing the oatmeal into the tub and brings a steady hand to his face. "Of course, honey." Yuna walks to the doorway, "Soak for around 15 minutes. Pat yourself dry, rubbing will just irritate the rash further and break the blisters."
Ilya smiles at Yuna as she leaves. He strips out of his sweatshirt shirt and pyjama pants and slowly lowers himself into the bathtub. Ilya shivers as the cool water engulfs his feverish skin. He leans back allowing the milky coloured water to lap over his chest. He turns his head towards the door when he hears a knock.
"Ilya, I've left some fresh clothes for you just outside the door." David calls.
Ilya hums back in confirmation that he heard him.
"Yuna says to leave the shirt off for now. She wants to get calamine lotion on your rash."
"She knows I am a happily married man, does she not?" Ilya chirps.
"Yeah, yeah." David laughs as he walks away.
Ilya eventually pulls the plug on the bath and steps out. He is very diligent as he pats himself dry, making sure to be extra careful around particularly bad blisters. He wraps the towel around his waist and opens the door just a smidgen to snag the clothes sitting outside.
After pulling his pants on he goes to find Yuna in the living room. She has the TV on, Shane's game is about to start. "Ilya, come sit. Help me dab this ointment on your spots." She holds out a cotton wool ball for him to take. They sit together yelling at the TV while they apply the lotion to his skin.
David brings him his next dose of medication as well as some paracetamol for his fever. After taking them and pulling his shirt over his head he sits between his in-laws and watches his husband play. He ends up dozing against David's shoulder as Yuna plays with his curls. It makes him think of his mama. She was always so gentle, even more so when he was sick. His father would sneer that she was coddling him, that because of her he was going to grow up weak.
For a long time after his mother died he believed that if he was suffering, he had to do so alone. Shane and his family helped him to realise just how wrong his father had been. He was surrounded by their love and even though he was sick, Ilya felt stronger than ever. He rests and hand on Anya's back when she jumps up and curls up on his lap. He watches Shane glide over the ice, his beautiful husband who brought so much light back into his life.
Ilya finally fully falls asleep to his Shane speaking at the post-game press conference. He had kept his promise. Their team had won.