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Shane is standing in front of the mirror, currently drying his face. He throws the towel into the laundry basket afterward. He turns the light off and walks out of the bathroom with his hand reaching back to close the door. His eyes are fixed on the bed, faced with Ilya’s naked back while he lies on his side, giving Shane’s eyes a breathtaking view of the scattered constellations on it.
He walks closer to Ilya's side of the bed, then lowers his body and starts kissing his arm.
“Have you locked the front door?” Shane asks.
“Yes.”
“The back door?”
“Yes.”
“What about the door to the garage?”
Ilya doesn’t answer.
“Ilya,” Shane mumbles against his skin.
“Wait, let me think.” Ilya stilled for a second. “I have locked it. I promise.”
“Okay.” Shane straightens his body and goes around the bed to his side of the bed.
He slowly sinks his body and gets into the duvet to join Ilya and her baby girl, Arina. Tomorrow is the first day of the training camp. Ilya will go back and Shane won’t be joining the team again this season.
—
They spent the whole day at home doing nothing but snuggling. They started the day lazily, woke up and stayed in bed until breakfast time. After their breakfast, they moved to the couch outside and had a nice sunbathe together.
Shane and Ilya bathed Arina together. Shane continued to take a shower while Ilya dressed Arina. After Shane finished, Ilya took a shower while Shane breastfed Arina. Ilya then joined Shane in bed with Arina, peacefully latching onto him.
There wasn’t much they could do with Arina, especially when it was close to her sleeping window. But it was enough for Shane and Ilya to just adore their little creation.
—
“She looks so cute,” Shane whispers.
“She is. She is not thinking tonight. Her forehead doesn’t look like you when you’re thinking” Ilya responds.
“She’s tired. We had a good time today.”
“I’m going to miss her,” Ilya says, his tone becoming wistful.
“Oh, baby,” Shane murmurs while his hand reaches Ilya’s cheek, his thumb starts rubbing his cheekbone.
“Time go so fast. The last 2 months, since she came into our lives, I never wanted more. Everything feels right, just you, her, and me. It’s weird, Shane. I spent most of my life with hockey, and I feel fine for not having it. Now, I can’t continue my life where I’m not with her, you, not together all the time,” Ilya sighs.
With Shane’s pregnancy last year, Ilya had to play and travel alone for the first time since they played together on the same team. Especially when the game is across the city and the continent. He is so used to seeing Shane on ice throughout his whole professional hockey career. Even before his career started.
Now, he has to deal with reality where Shane won’t be joining him and the team this season. Adding up to his adjustment, he has to deal with continuing his hockey career and pausing his domestic and serene new life with Shane and Arina.
“I know, baby, but we can’t just cut off other parts of our lives just because something precious came into our life.” Shane smiles at him.
“Beside.” Shane brings his hand off Ilya’s cheek and starts to caress Arina’s cheek. “We’re going to be by your side, always. You’ll come home to us. Even if you’re away, I’ll do everything so we can be with you. We’re going to miss you too.”
Ilya shifts his body and brings his lips to kiss Arina’s forehead. Then moves to kiss Shane’s finger.
“Come here,” he coaxes.
Shane slowly brings himself forward. Their lips meet as they kiss slowly, savoring each other above sleeping Arina, like she’s an upside-down mistletoe.
“Now, let’s sleep. We have a lot of things to do tomorrow,” Shane says.
“Okay, good night. I love you.” Ilya kisses Shane one last time, then he lowers his head to kiss Arina’s cheek.
“I love you too,” Shane says, then he lowers his head to kiss Arina’s other cheek.
Ilya left the house around 10 am. He and Shane woke up at the same time. He sat beside Shane for Arina’s morning breastfeed. They bathed Arina together. He did Arina’s skin and body care and dressed her. He prepared breakfast while Shane breastfed her again. He and Shane had breakfast together. Shane carried Arina by the door to wave him goodbye.
Ilya’s car has completely left their driveway. He walks back and closes the door. Arina is still cradled in his arms, sleeping soundly. He walks into the living room and gently puts her down in a mobile baby crib. Arina only squirms and brings her hand closer to her face. The change of her sleeping place doesn’t wake her up.
Today will be the first time Shane spends the whole day with Arina only. He’s worried about taking care of her alone after two months doing it with Ilya as a team. But he’s also excited to spend the whole day with his baby girl.
Shane has at least one and a half hours before he needs to wake Arina for breastfeeding and also have lunch. He is going to do the laundry, do some of the foundation's work, and prepare for lunch.
Shane brings his food to the living room, where Arina is still asleep. He turned on the television to watch something while he ate. He glances toward Arina several times, just to check her. After he finished his food and cleaned the kitchen, he went back to the living room.
He sits beside Arina and starts to rub her temple in an attempt to wake her up.
“Rinochka, wake up, sweet girl. Let's eat,” he whispers. Shane starts to pull her hands from her sleeping sack. He strokes his finger up and down her arms.
“My baby, you have to wake up, it’s lunchtime. I ate delicious food. I promise.” He brings his knuckle and rubs her jawline. He continues to rub her cheeks closer to the lips corner.
Arina starts to squirm. Her head moves reflexively, chasing Shane’s finger. She finally opens her eyes, slowly blinking to adjust to her surroundings.
“There you are, baby girl,” Shane coos at her. Arina had entered the phase where she recognized and was aware of sound or voice, especially Shane's and Ilya's voices. By recognizing voices, it helps her to focus on where the sound comes from and she starts to focus on the object in front of her.
Shane slides one hand under her neck and head, then slides the other hand under her lower back. He brings her closer to his chest, where he has unbuttoned his shirt. Arina latches onto Shane while he cradles her. Arina feeds for around 20 minutes until she latches off Shane’s. Shane rubs and lightly taps her back to make her burp.
Shane brings his legs up, making a V shape between his body and legs. He lays Arina on his thighs. She wriggles around trying to adjust to her new position.
“Shh, shh, are you comfortable, baby?” Shane asks. Arina’s head slowly tilted to follow Shane’s voice and when she finally found his face, her gaze fixed on him.
“Wow, very intense, Rinochka.” Shane frowns at her for a moment before his face softens again.
“Today is our first time together alone.” Shane starts to talk to her.
“Maybe we’ll have many more days together, just the two of us while your Papa plays hockey.” Shane continues. Arina’s gaze still fixed him, her eyes widened over Shane’s voice, which filled with soft excitement.
“We’re going to spend the day snuggling, kissing, eating and sleeping. You still need to be fed every few hours, baby. Do you know that?” Shane’s index finger taps her nose softly, making her mouth open in response.
“Yes, like that. That’s how you tell me when you’re hungry. You’ll open your mouth, then you’re going to chase my fingers when I touch here.” Shane taps on her right cheek, “And here,” and taps her left cheek.
“Right now, we’re going to talk or I can tell you some stories until your nap time comes,” Shane murmurs.
“Do you know why I want you to be awake at this time?”
“Because you need to learn the difference between day and night. Your brain needs to adjust to the different time and environment. That’s why we’re sitting in this bright room. With that, you’ll help me and your Papa with your sleeping and feeding schedule.”
“And you’re already so clever, baby girl. You never fuss when I wake you like before. I think you’re a quick learner!” Shane says with more excitement. Arina responds to Shane’s excited voice by slightly tilting her chin, her widened eyes push her eyebrows and her mouth opens, almost smiling.
“Yeah, you are, baby. Then we’ll have one more awake time before your bedtime so you can sleep easily and longer. And Papa and I can sleep too. We still need more practice for that, though. Do you think so too, baby?” Shane raises his eyebrow and Arina hums in response.
“Yeah, you think so too. It’s okay, we’ll practice together.”
Shane talks more to Arina about her routine and needs. Arina responded with a soft facial expression and a sighing sound, like she was trying to make a sound.
“Your papa is very sad about leaving us today. He said that he can’t bear the thought of living a day without us.” Shane’s voice was low. “Hm, very dramatic of him, right?”
“But I will be sad too, if I have to leave my little cocoon after waiting for her for 9 months and snuggling with her every day. How can I leave you when you look like this?” Shane's palms rub her belly.
“And smell very sweet like this.” Shane lowers his head to Arina’s crook of neck and inhales to smell her.
Surprisingly, while Shane still buries his face in Arina’s neck, Arina lets out a soft sound. Shane brings his face up to see Arina’s face.
“Did you just make a sound, Rinochka?” Shane puts his knuckle under Arina’s chin. Arina gasps, trying to create a sound again.
“You can do it, baby. You’re curious about your voice too, right?”
That did it, Arina let out an “aahh” sound like she was exhaling.
“Oh, my baby, you’re making sound now. My smart baby. My clever baby.” Shane lands kisses on Arina’s face, trailing down to her neck, then her belly.
“So now we can really talk, hm?” Arina let out another soft sound.
“Yes, baby. You can answer me now, you can talk to me, or you can also tell me a story. Maybe a little later, but I can’t wait to talk with you,” Shane coos at her. Arina makes another sound, longer, with gasping in between like a pause between sentences.
“Your papa is going to be crazy if he finds out. You should tell him by yourself, how about that?” Arina’s answer with a new vowel sound, agreeing.
“You smile when you talk, my adorable malyshka.” Shane gazes fondly at her.
“Your papa will be home before dinner. We’re going to continue our talk before your bedtime with your Papa too. Now, it's nap time, okay?” As if understanding Shane’s words, Arina makes another sound, but her eyebrows furrow as she disagrees with Shane’s idea.
“I know, baby. I still want to talk with you, too. But it’s nap time. How about you sleep on my chest, just for today?” Shane rubs her cheeks and Arina respond with another soft sound.
“Okay, let’s move to the bedroom.” Shane cradles Arina in his arms and stands up.
“Don’t tell Papa that you sleep on my chest. He’ll nag at me for days.”
“Shane, you say Rinochka should sleep in her bed so her posture is right. Why you lie, Shane? Why can’t she sleep on my chest?” Shane mimicking Ilya’s voice and accent.
Shane and Arina arrive at the bedroom. Shane puts Arina in her crib for a second so he can adjust some pillows for him to rest his back while breastfeeding Arina. The crib makes a rustling noise from Arina wiggling and kicking her feet. She makes an eh sound followed by some gasping, signaling her hunger and exhaustion, her need to rest.
“Wait a second, baby,” Shane says softly. He finally sits comfortably and takes Arina out of her crib.
“See? You're hungry, baby girl.” Shane looks down at her, smiling and Arina looks at him while she makes a suckling sound.
Shane’s other hand travels around Arina’s body. He caresses her arm, he brushes his palm on her head, or he gently rubs his knuckles on her moving cheek.
“Have a good sleep, my sweet baby. I love you.” Shane brings Arina’s wrist to kiss its inner.