Chapter Text
Shane was resting peacefully on the couch, his shirt pushed up because of his huge belly, one arm bent behind his head. At least five minutes had passed since Ilya had been standing in the kitchen doorway, literally captivated by that version of his husband, so domestic and relaxed.
« If you keep looking at me like that, I’ll report you for stalking. » the canadian exclaimed playfully, his eyes still closed yet alert.
It was his omega instinct that kept him extremely vigilant; he had to protect the well-being of the creature growing inside him, and because of that his sleep had become even lighter and more disturbed than usual.
The russian didn’t let those words discourage him, walking over with long strides and carefully sitting on the edge of the couch.
« I’m not looking at you in any particular way. »
« Oh no? You were basically staring blankly. »
« You can’t say that for sure, your eyes were closed! »
Shane lazily lifted one eyelid, holding back a faint smile.
« What is it, Ilya? »
« Hmm. Nothing. » the alpha shrugged, reaching his hand toward the round curve of his womb. Ilya had always had huge hands, but lately they struggled to fully encompass that very prominent belly.
With his thumb, he began absentmindedly tracing small circles. Shane watched him silently, holding his breath.
« She moved. Did you feel it? »
The russian smiled, somewhere between awe and joy.
« She’s strong. »
« She’s your daughter. »
« Exactly. She took after me. »
Shane rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t argue with that.
« Well, let's hope she got something else from you too. »
That statement sparked a flicker of curiosity in the alpha’s eyes.
« Something else from me? Like what? »
The canadian stayed silent for a few moments, unsure whether or not to voice the thoughts that, for months now, had been pushing him to fantasize every night about their daughter’s appearance.
« Promise you won’t make fun of me. »
« Okay, I promise. »
The omega slowly pushed himself up, sitting down and stroking his belly with his right hand. It was now a mechanical gesture, something he did without even realizing it.
« I’d like it if she looked like you. I wish she had your blue eyes and your curly hair. A miniature version of you, basically. She’d be beautiful and adorable like you. » he confessed shyly, biting his lower lip and continuing to move his hand over his prominent womb.
He thought to himself that now the teasing would come, because the truth was that since he had gotten pregnant, the hormones were seriously messing with his brain chemistry: uncontrollable crying spells, sudden irritability with no real reason, insecurities that made no logical sense. It was hard to be around him and support him, when one moment he was wanting to fuck, and the next he was crying over a documentary about endangered rhinos. Lucky for him, Ilya was a saint and had a lot of patience.
« Don’t even joke about that. She must look like you and have your beautiful freckles, otherwise I’m returning her. » the russian replied simply, provoking a sincere laugh in the other.
« Sorry, but you don’t have a return policy. »
« I’m sure she’ll have your freckles. And your eyes. And your nose. I read online that asian genes can be very dominant. »
« Maybe russian ones will prevail. »
« Well, I never lose, actually. »
The canadian shot him a glare, earning a loud laugh in return.
« Come on. Ya tebya lyublyu, you know that? »
« You’re an idiot. I love you too. »
Ilya chuckled softly, leaning in to leave a kiss on his husband’s childish pout. He was so adorable that sometimes he doubted he was looking at a grown man.
« The important thing is that our little princess grows up healthy and strong. »
« Definitely. As for the rest… maybe she’ll look a bit like both of us, right? » the omega whispered, lowering his head toward his belly. Damn, it was so enormous he couldn’t even see his own feet anymore…
Ilya nodded slowly, placing a gentle kiss on that round belly that meant far more than any NHL award or recognition.
« She’ll look like us. »
And, for once, Shane had nothing to say against it.
.
« Katia, sweetheart, stay still, otherwise I can’t fix your hair. »
It had been a year since little Katiuscia had completely turned their lives upside down like an earthquake. No, it wasn’t an exaggeration: the child never stayed still, not even now as she stood in front of the mirror while Shane tried in vain to tame her curly hair.
« These curls are impossible. » the canadian sighed in resignation, trying to gather her hair into two high pigtails.
« I remind you that you insisted a lot on her being born with my curls. » Ilya exclaimed, coming up behind him and placing a soft kiss at the base of his neck.
Touché.
In truth, Shane loved those blond ringlets, especially because they made little Katia’s gaze stand out even more: dark, intense, with those slightly almond-shaped eyes, clearly inherited from the omega.
« Weren’t you supposed to be making breakfast? » the canadian asked with mock annoyance, chuckling as he kept running his fingers through the child’s wavy locks.
« It’s almost ready. Banana pancakes with chocolate chips, my princess’s favorites. » the russian replied promptly, bending down to plant several kisses on Katiuscia’s freckles, scattered across her nose and cheeks, more visible when she laughed— a detail stolen directly from Shane, much to Ilya’s delight.
In response, Katia burst into loud laughter, clapping her hands and curling her lips into a genuine smile; a smile neither of her parents had ever truly had, as if she were the simplest and most sincere version of both of them.