Chapter Text
There was no reason for Ilya’s phone to be ringing loudly and incessantly at 3:47 am. Especially not from an unknown number. Especially not from a Russian phone number. An unsaved Russian phone number.
“Mmmmff,” Shane grumbled from his side of the bed, rubbing his eyes groggily and rolling over. “What time is it?”
Ilya squinted at the bright light of his screen, half asleep and still confused. His heart gave a small lurch as he saw the Russian country code preceding the unknown number, rattling him further awake.
“Ilya?” Shane asked, sitting up in bed, his voice soft from sleep. Ilya watched the phone ring without answering.
“Babe, that’s so loud and bright. I don’t know why you don’t put your phone on do not disturb, I’ve told you a million-“ Shane stopped speaking abruptly when Ilya turned his screen to show his husband the incoming call. “Who is that?”
“I don’t know.” Ilya said, his voice crackling from lack of use.
“Alexei?” Shane asked, suddenly alert and full of concern.
“No, it can’t be. His number is saved.”
“Are you gonna answer?”
Before Ilya could reply, the call timed out and went to voicemail. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, the phone started ringing again. Ilya swallowed hard. He hadn’t spoken to Alexei, or anyone in Russia for that matter, in years. The only person from home who was even allowed in Ilya’s circle was Svetlana, and she knew better than to bring any of them up. Still, if something was wrong, or someone was sick, or hurt, or worse-
Ilya’s dark train of thought quieted slightly (if not fully) as Shane laid a hand on his back, tracing soft circles over his tense muscles. There was a question in his warm brown eyes that Ilya didn’t know how to answer.
On an impulse, and before he could change his mind, Ilya pressed the green button to accept the call.
“Da?”
——————
“Stop pacing, malysh. You are making me dizzy.”
“Sorry, sorry. I know her flight is just delayed,” Shane mumbled around the thumbnail he was chewing on.
“Exactly. It is fine,” Ilya shrugged, sounding unconvincingly nonchalant. His bouncing leg and intensely furrowed brows gave him away, and Shane sat down next to him, laying a hand on his knee, his thumbnail still firmly between his teeth. Ilya reached to gently pull it away, stroking his thumb across Shane’s cheek before letting his hand fall away.
“Should we have sent a car? Maybe she’ll be overwhe-“ Shane’s question died on his lips as a tinny voice announced the arrival of the flight from Moscow over the airport loudspeaker.
Ilya and Shane looked at each other, took deep breaths, and rose from the weathered airport chairs to meet Alina at baggage claim.
—————-
When Ilya had picked up the phone to hear the teary, shaking voice of his fifteen year old niece, he felt like he’d been punched in the gut. Alexei’s daughter. Little Alina, who was forever seven years old in the picture in his wallet, not so little anymore. In pain. In distress. Alone. When he hung up the call, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. Ilya barely had time to sink down onto the bed before the tears overtook him.
“Baby, please, talk to me,” Shane’s voice was full of concern. “Who was that? I only understood a few words, you were talking so fast.”
Ilya tried to catch his breath.
“Ilya.” Shane planted himself firmly in front of his husband and gently cupped his face in both hands. “Tell me. Please.”
“That… that was my niece. Alina.”
Confusion furrowed Shane’s brow for a moment. “Alexei’s daughter?”
Ilya nodded once, his throat still thick with tears he was desperately trying to smother. He couldn’t afford to spiral right now. He focused on his breathing, like his therapist taught him. He focused on the warmth of Shane’s hands cradling his chin, thumbs stroking his cheekbones while he waited patiently for Ilya to be ready to speak.
“She asked if she could come stay with us. Here. For a while. She said she couldn’t stand living with him anymore, that her mother won’t do anything, and Alexei-“ Ilya swallowed hard, rage bubbling in his stomach. “Alexei is worse than ever. I didn’t think it was possible, but apparently his gambling is so bad that there have been…men… at the house. Making threats. Breaking things.”
“Oh, God, Ilya…”
“Alina and her mother have been staying with her grandmother, sometimes with Polina too, but Alexei keeps showing up. Begging, everything. But nothing changes. It just gets worse.”
“That’s horrible. Ilya, I’m so sorry.”
Fresh tears spilled over Ilya’s cheeks and onto Shane’s thumbs. “I wasn’t there Shane, I wasn’t there, and she can’t get the money I left for her, because she’s not eighteen, I just abandoned her, she was just a kid, I knew how Alexei was, and I left-“
“Shh, shhh, Ilya, stop. You did everything you could. What else were you supposed to do? Kidnap her and bring her here?”
“I should have called more, I should have checked on her, I should have kept in touch with Oksana-“
“Oksana?”
“My brother’s wife. My… what is it called? My sister in law.”
“Oh.” Shane shook his head as if to clear his thoughts. “Ilya. Listen. What do you tell me when I’m panicking?”
“To breathe.”
“So breathe.”
“Shane-“
Shane gently pressed his lips to Ilya’s before pulling away. “Breathe.”
Ilya did as he was told, and Shane’s mouth quirked up into a half smile.
“What?”
“Nothing. It’s just… usually you’re the one calming me down. It feels weird to be on the other side of it.”
“You are good at it.”
Shane kissed Ilya’s forehead and slid his hands down his strong arms to interlock their fingers.
“So now what do we do?” Shane asked.
“Lyubimyy, I know this is a big thing to ask, and I’m so sorry, but can she please come? Just for a few weeks, until I get everything figured out with Oksana and Polina. Please. She’s my niece, she’s only fifteen, and I’ll make sure she doesn’t cause any trouble.”
“Ilya, she’s obviously coming. I meant how do we go about getting her flight? Does she need a Visa? Do we talk to her mom?”
Fresh tears spilled over Ilya’s lashes as he hugged Shane close to his chest and kissed his forehead over, and over, and over.
—————
Shane stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep from biting his nails. He watched the luggage carousels spinning lazily and tried to hide his nerves.
Ilya had assured him that Alina knew they were married and was okay with it, but would she be okay with him? Shane knew he was great with Hayden’s kids because Hayden had told him. And Jackie. And Ilya. And the kids, too, actually. But Alina was a Russian teenage girl with a gambling and drug addicted father and who knew what other problems. She’d resorted to calling the uncle in Canada she barely knew and hadn’t spoken to in years, even though everyone she knew was in Russia. How desperate would she have been? How could someone be so alone? His eyes fell on his husband and his heart broke a little for him all over again.
Ilya stood suddenly. He lifted a hesitant hand in greeting, his mouth forming a nervous half smile, half awkward grimace.
“Alina.”
“Dyadya Ilya.”
A teenage girl with dirty blonde waves and bright blue eyes ringed with dark circles approached hesitantly, rolling a suitcase behind her and gripping the backpack strap slung over her shoulder with one white-knuckled hand. Her faded crewneck sweatshirt hung loosely over her tall frame, and she was practically swimming in her black track pants.
Ilya rushed forward and took her bags from her, speaking quiet and rapid Russian. Shane strained to catch any words he might recognize, but couldn’t. Alina responded quietly, her eyes flicking nervously to Shane. Ilya led her over to him.
“Alina, this is my husband, Shane Hollander. Shane, this is my niece, Alina.” Ilya introduced them in English.
Shane extended a hand awkwardly. “It’s nice to meet you, Alina.”
“Hi.” Alina shook it, equally awkward. Her hands felt especially cold and small in Shane’s large warm ones.
After a stifling pause, Shane took Alina’s backpack from Ilya.
“I’m glad you landed safely. Um, welcome to Ottawa. You came at a good time, since it’s summer and the weather is so nice. It gets really cold here in winter. But, uh, I guess you’re used to it, right? Because of Russia? Um, sorry, anyway, you ready to go?”
Alina looked at Ilya with a puzzled look.
“Ah, Shane,” Ilya said. “Alina knows some English from school, but she’s still practicing. So we talk clear and slow, yes?”
“Oh! Of course. Sorry, Alina.” Shane inwardly cursed, cheeks reddening.
“No, no. I am sorry. My English not so good. I practice,” Alina said brokenly. Her accent was very thick, and with a sudden rush of emotion Shane realized she sounded like Ilya when they first met.
——————
“So, this is the kitchen. Help yourself to anything you like from the fridge or the pantry. There’s water here, and ginger ale, Coke, and orange juice in the fridge. This is the living room here, you can watch tv whenever you like, but the remote is kind of finicky so let me know - Anya, down! Let me know if you need help…. Sorry, she just gets excited around new people. You can pet her, though. Um, there are two guest rooms, so you can pick which one you want to stay in, and this is the bathroom that you’ll be using. It’ll be just for you, so you’ll have total privacy…” Shane trailed off. He was pretty sure Alina had only understood about two thirds of his rambling.
Ilya spoke to her in Russian and they exchanged a few quick words before Alina smiled shyly at Shane.
“Thank you,” she said, and retreated into one of the guest rooms, shutting the door gently behind her.
Ilya released a small chuckle.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“What??”
“You and your house tours.”
“All right, enough,” Shane rolled his eyes. “How are you? You doing okay?”
Ilya rolled his shoulders back and nodded. “Better now that she’s here.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Let me call Oksana and let her know she landed safely.”
With Ilya on the phone and Alina freshening up in her bathroom, Shane finally had a moment alone (with the exception of Anya panting happily at his feet). He realized he was still pacing and forced himself to sit stiffly on the couch. He knew, logically, that Alina would be better off with them than with Alexei. Safer. But were they doing the right thing? Taking her away from her mom, her country, everything she knew? Sure, she had asked to come, but she was fifteen. They were the adults, technically. What did they know about taking care of a teenager? Shane felt like he and Ilya had only just been teenagers themselves yesterday.
A pair of strong, warm hands landed on Shane’s shoulders, making him realize how stiffly he was sitting. Ilya kissed his cheek from behind and rubbed Shane’s tense neck and shoulders.
“Are you ok, solnyshko?”
“I’m fine. Just worried I freaked her out.”
Ilya chuckled as he walked around the couch to sit next to his husband. “No, I don’t think you could freak anyone out.”
“Shut up.”
“Is true, you are like a puppy.”
“I’m scarier than Anya.”
“Meh.”
Shane laughed and playfully hit Ilya with a throw pillow. He marveled at how, after all these years, Ilya’s teasing could still make him smile like an idiot, regardless of how stressed he was. Shane was pretty sure that they could be inside an active volcano and a chirp from Ilya would still make him blush.
“Seriously, though,” Ilya said. “Thank you.”
“Ilya, she’s family. She’s my family too, now. We take care of family.”
Ilya gave Shane the soft smile he reserved only for him and interlocked their fingers.