Work Text:
Ilya wakes up in the middle of the night. He lies awake for a moment, trying to place the noise that woke him. Shane is fast asleep in his arms, one leg hooked possessively over Ilya’s thigh.
Ilya definitely didn’t hear the door, and the alarm hasn’t gone off, so no one’s broken in. Just as he wraps his arms more tightly around Shane and resolves to go back to sleep, there’s another sound downstairs. He carefully extricates himself from Shane’s embrace and slips out of bed, padding down the stairs and into the living room.
Anya is lying on the rug instead of her little bed. She’s growling and whimpering and thrashing, though she’s clearly asleep. Something tightens in Ilya’s chest. His poor girl.
He kneels next to her and carefully strokes her fur. “Hey, Anya. Hello my sweet baby. Is okay. Is only a nightmare. I am here.”
She wakes up and barks pitifully, but she lets him pick her up so he can hold and pet her.
Now that she’s a little more quiet, Ilya can hear steps descending the staircase, and sure enough, Shane joins him after a few moments, sitting behind Ilya on the rug. Shane presses up against Ilya’s back, knees either side of Ilya’s thighs, chin hooked over Ilya’s shoulder while Ilya cradles Anya in his lap. She’s slowly calming down, whimpering and burrowing into his arms.
“Did we wake you?” Ilya asks him.
Shane shakes his head. “Don’t think so, but I could feel you weren’t there and wanted to check. What happened?” He sounds concerned even as he’s rubbing his eyes, clearly still in the process of waking up.
“She had a nightmare,” Ilya says. “I heard her bark and cry, so I checked, and she was shaking.” He rocks her, and she growls quietly, looking up at him with her big eyes.
Shane brushes his fingertips over the back of Ilya’s hand before gently scratching Anya’s head. “Poor Anya,” he says. “But your dads are here with you, hm? Nothing bad can happen to you.”
Anya licks Shane’s hand and wags her tail against Ilya’s hip.
“That’s right, Anya,” Ilya tells her. “We will protect you and you can sleep and then tomorrow we will go on a long morning walk and buy you new little dog boots and bring you treats.”
Shane smacks a kiss against Ilya’s shoulder. “You are terrible with her. No wonder she’s spoiled rotten.”
Ilya huffs. “She is not spoiled. She is very, very good dog who deserves treats every day.”
Shane laughs a little, Ilya can feel it as much as hear it, Shane’s chest against his back, Shane’s breath puffing against his neck. “Sure, baby.”
“You do not complain when I spoil you,” Ilya points out.
“Spoil me? When have you ever done that?” Shane says.
“I do not think if I start telling you now we will be done before the afternoon,” Ilya says.
Shane bites his earlobe and mumbles, “Asshole.”
“Oh, so now I am an asshole because I like to spoil my beautiful husband?”
“Shut up.”
“This makes me so sad to hear. You do not want me to honour my wedding vows?”
“Where in those fucking one-size-fits-all vows did you swear to spoil me?”
“I did, I am so sure. Love, honour, and spoil my Shane. That is what I said.”
Shane shakes his head. “You’re ridiculous.”
Ilya grins even though Shane can’t see it. “Okay, maybe I did not say it. But I was thinking it. Definitely.”
“Sure, fine, if you say so.” Shane is grinning, too, Ilya can hear it in his voice.
Ilya squeezes Shane’s knee and keeps his hand there, twisting his other hand enough around Anya’s body to scratch her belly. Anya closes her eyes and sticks out her tongue. Shane kisses Ilya’s shoulder and nuzzles his neck as they watch her breathing even out.
“You can go back to bed, Shane,” Ilya says after a couple of minutes, speaking quietly so as not to wake Anya back up. “You said you want to wake up early for yoga.”
Shane snuggles up closer against his back and covers Ilya’s hands with his own. Their rings clink together. “No way. We’re a team, Rozanov. You stay up with her, I’m gonna be right here with you both.”
“Okay,” Ilya says, leaning back into Shane’s arms. “I love you, Shane.”
“Love you, too,” Shane says quietly. He drops more kisses to the spot where Ilya’s shoulder meets his neck, quick pecks that make Ilya’s stomach swoop. The feeling makes him even giddier, makes him think that’s my husband, Shane is my husband, this is my family, they’re mine.
“Never going to leave you alone,” Shane murmurs. “I’m right here with you, Ilya. Love you forever.”
Shane talking like this means he’s dizzy-tired, halfway back to sleep by now. He’s slowly slumping further forward, his body draping warmly across Ilya’s back, his head lolling on Ilya’s shoulder. His breath is coming in little huffs against Ilya’s skin as he drifts off.
Ilya can feel Anya’s heartbeat as he holds her in his arms. Her paws twitch, like she’s dreaming of the morning walk they promised her.
Ilya yawns. His eyes are heavy, wanting to slip shut. He stays awake though, basking in getting to love his family while the sun rises over the river outside.