Hello! You can call me Finn or Finny and this is my agere blog!
About me: my big age is 22, and I regress to toddler/kid age (~6 give or take a few years). Iâm a trans guy (he/him only please!) and autistic. My special interest is film and tv, and I like dinos and space and my favourite colour is blue! There might be some cursing on this blog (limited but uncensored), and mentions of weed (very limited and always censored)
DNI: any kink/abdl/whatever blog, under 15 (this blog is sfw but thatâs just what Iâm comfy with), terfs, homophobes, racists, zionists, etc.
Might add more as I figure things out but thatâs all for now!! Have a good day everyone :D
Juraj Slafkovsky, Arber Xhekaj & Lane Hutson Agere Moodboard
Two big brothers and their baby brother, Juraj and Arber regress to their teens most times while Lane regresses a lot younger.
Juraj and Arber don't care much for cute things, they don't consume any kids content on their own but when Lane wants to, they are practically jumping at it.
Lane loves carebears and calico critters, he finds them cool and cute. He is always bringing his things to his brothers and saying "us!"
Arber is happy to get Lane whatever he wants, the kid probably owns every carebear plushie known to man. Juraj also gets Lane things, but it's mostly food since he thinks there's so many plushies that it's a hazard.
They always eat on the same plates as Lane, and mostly the same stuff since they know Lane likes it.
Lane wants to be like his big brothers, which once resulted in him trying to stop being so little. He stopped watching his shows, playing with toys and carrying a plushie everywhere...
Arber and Juraj had quickly caught on, so they started turning on kids shows so it seemed like they liked watching them, they asked if Lane wanted to play with them and would play with eachother, then they got their own carebears to carry around.
Lane eventually went back to his usual self of loving kid things, and they all had a talk. He still wants to be like his big brothers, but only when he grows up... he's happy enjoying his little life.
desc: after Shane's injury which leads to a night in the hospital, Ilya and pike find themselves in each others company and llya regresses so Hayden takes care of him!
Hayden hangs up with a sigh. He sees his phone is dry of important notifications, only having some spam and work emails. He closes his phone and opens the door to see Ilya now sucking his thumb, just watching Shane with watery eyes.
âIlya⌠you okay?â
ââAy-denâŚâ Ilya doesnât take his thumb away.
âUhmâŚâ Hayden rakes his brain, thinking what to do. âWant a uh⌠juice box or something, bud?â
âDaâŚâ
âOkay, bud. Anything else?â
âUh⌠do you have mâ⌠âippy cup wif Kiko WikiâŚâ
âA sippy cup⌠with Kiko Wiki. Sure. Why not.â
âIs at homeâŚâ
âOkay, can I get you a straw and a juice box instead?â
Ilya nods. He could do with a normal one. Maybe Hayden could turn on Kiko Riki for him to watch instead.
âDo you want snacks too, bud?â
âDa.â
When Hayden comes back, Ilya looks up and does grabby arms for the apple slices.
ââJuice, âAy-den?â
Hayden puts them down for himâthe apple slices and juice.
âYeah, Ilya. Hereâs the apple juice, bud.â
Ilya nods frantically, his thumb slipping slightly from his mouth.
âDonât worry, little guy. Here, Iâll fix the straw up.â
Ilya takes a sip to make sure itâs up to his taste before nodding.
âIs good. Fank chu, âAy-den.â Ilya drinks his apple juice until he squeezes the empty bottle.
âVery welcome. Want another one, bud?â
âDa.â
âYouâll get a sugar rush like this, bud.â
Ilya just blinks up at him and finishes his second box.
âJesus, youâre gonna be bouncing off the walls with all that sugar, Ilya.â Hayden takes the box from him and throws it in the trash.
â⌠йОНŃŃĐľâŚâ Ilya points at the six-pack of juice Hayden got.
ââŚMore?â he repeats in disbelief. âYouâre already on your second juice box.â
A pause as he stares down at Ilya, who is just looking at him with his lips parted like he has something to say but doesnât know how.
ââŚFine. One more. But then you have to sleep for a bit.â
âNuh-uh. Neyt!â Ilyaâs face changes into a mad, pouty expression.
âNo more after this one, bud. Sorry.â
âNeyt, neyt, neyt!â Ilya gets up and stomps around angrily. Oh, so he was that type of kid, Hayden thought.
âOh, come on, kid. Stomping around like that wonât get you another juice box, you know.â
Ilya sighs and sits back down. He wants his juice box.
Hayden watches Ilya huff and plop back down, pouting. He grabs another juice box from the table but holds it just out of reach.
ââŚSay âpleaseâ first.â
âP⌠pozha-lustwaâŚâ he mumbles.
âClose enough.â He hands Ilya the juice box, shaking his head slightly.
Ilya takes his juice box and drinks it still very quickly. Hayden would have savored it if he were in Ilyaâs place, since Ilya wasnât getting another one.
âSlow down, kid. Keep chugging it like that and youâll end up puking.â
Ilya slows down. He finishes it still pretty quick, but at least a little slower than before.
âNow youâre gonna be hyper, then crash hard later,â Hayden mumbles. He had enough kids to know how this thing works by now.
Ilya finishes up his apple slices, then goes next to Shane, then starts to go around the room checking it out curiously.
ââAy-denâŚâ Ilya picks up a box of tissuesâit was all he could findâand starts to take them out and scatter them all over the place.
âHeyâhey! No, no, no,â he says quickly. âPut those back.â
ââAp-kwinsâŚâ Ilya points at the napkins on the floor.
Hayden takes the box from him with a bit of struggle, and then Ilya hmphs and goes up to Hayden.
âBleh!â He sticks his tongue out at him and goes to take back the napkins.
Hayden couldnât fight back Ilyaâs tough grip as he snatched back the napkins.
âExcuse me? Kid, put those down. Now. You have âtil the count of threeâŚâ Hayden puts on his best dad voice.
Ilya looks at him and holds the napkins tighter.
âNeytâŚâ
âNo? Come here.â He makes a come-hither motion with his finger, his tone firm.
âNeyt, neyt, neyt!â Ilya stomps around and throws the tissues. Hayden tries to get ahold of him, but Ilya doesnât want to listen. He stomps and goes to Shane, holds his hand, and jumps.
âOh myâIlya, stop that. Youâre going to wake him upââ
âWan Shane to âwake up!â
He rushes over to grab Ilya by the wrist before he can shake Shane harder.
âYou donât want him waking up right now, kiddo.â
Ilya loosens his grip and just looks at Hayden with those same sad eyes as before, his mouth open. He thinks for a bit, then finally finds the words.
âMiss himâŚâ
Haydenâs grip on Ilya loosens slightly, his chest tightening at the quiet confession. The kid isnât just being stubborn; he just misses Shane. Heâs lonely.
ââŚI know,â his voice softens. âBut he needs to sleep. He canât talk to you right now.â
A pause as he studies Ilyaâs faceâthe pouty lip, the tired eyes starting to water a little.
âCâmon⌠let me take you somewhere else for a bit.â
âHmphâŚâ Ilya looks at Shane one last time before taking Haydenâs hand.
âYouâll see him soon, okay? Heâs not going anywhere.â
Hayden tries to soothe him, but as theyâre walking out of the room, Ilya starts to tear up and sniffle.
âHeyâŚâ he stops walking. They didnât have to hide; the hospital was empty. It was a private clinic, and this late at night, no one was wandering.
âDonât do that. Youâre okay.â He pulls Ilya in for a hug. ââŚYou just miss him? Huh, kid?â
âDaâŚâ
Hayden pulls Ilya closer, rubbing the tallerâs back to soothe him.
âI know, kiddo, but heâs gonna wake up soon. He needs to rest to be okay, okay?â
Ilya doesnât reply; he sniffs. Hayden thinks for a bit, then:
âHow about we go out for a walk or a ride?â
Ilya shakes his head yes, but he starts to cry into Haydenâs chest.
âSkuchayu⌠Shane, p pozhalustyaâŚâ
He hushes him gently, continuing to rock Ilya slowly back and forth.
âI know⌠I know you want him, little one. But Iâve got you right now. So youâll have to settle for me, okay?â
âW⌠wittle bit? Pwogul ya âsya⌠towâa ow pwoâawwyaâŚâ
Ilya babbles in Russian. Hayden canât understand.
âI⌠I donât get what youâre saying. Point or show me?â he says as he wipes Ilyaâs tears with his thumb.
Ilya thinks for a little, then points at Shane.
âBudiââŚâ
He then makes a walking motion.
âSorry, kiddo. He needs sleep.â
âHmph⌠Den⌠uh, Mak-dowandlsâŚâ
Hayden blinks as Ilya mumbles something about âMak dowandls.â
ââŚMak what?â he asks. âIlya. What are you even saying?â
A pause as he wipes at Ilyaâs tears again. âYou want me to make you⌠something? Like what?â
âMak Donald, âAy-den!â
He canât help but laugh, his expression softening as he realizes what Ilyaâs trying to ask for.
âMcDonaldâs, baby?â he repeats, amused. âYou want McDonaldâs?â
âMhmâŚâ Ilya nods and holds Haydenâs hand, wanting to go running to the elevator door.
âOkay, okay⌠calm down. Weâre gonna go to McDonaldâs. Stop trying to rip my arm off!â
Ilya stops suddenly.
ââAy-den!â Ilya points at a sports car through the window he saw passing by. âVwoommmm vwooom!â Ilya pretends to be driving a car as he lifts his arms and steers an invisible steering wheel around Hayden. âVwooommm vwoom!! Beep beep, âAy-den!â
âOof! Look out, you almost hit me!â
Ilya races down the hospital halls to the elevator, making vroom sounds. Hayden walks behind him. Ilya clicks the button excitedly before Hayden comes.
They get inside the elevator, and Hayden and Ilya stand close to each other as a random man is with them. Ilya looks at Hayden and slips a thumb in his mouth.
âUhh, ground floor?â the man asks, not really caring about what Ilya was doing.
Hayden nods. âYes, thank you.â
They get into Haydenâs car. Ilya gets in the backseat.
âBowinâ caw, âAy-denâŚâ
Hayden looks back and raises an eyebrow. âItâs a safe car, is what it is. Jackie picked it out.â
âBowinnnng! HeheâŚâ Ilya is giggling at his joke.
âOkay, kiddo. Buckle up or no McDonaldâs. I wanna hear it buckle!â Hayden says as he starts up the car.
âHab a spowt caw. Dis is bowingâŚâ
(Have a sports car. This is a boring car.)
Ilya babbles as he puts his seatbelt on; it snaps on with a click!
âBoring car, huh?â he teases, pulling out of the hospital parking lot. âWell, sorry to break it to you, but this âboringâ car is the only way youâre getting your McDonaldâs. So buckle up and shut up, pipsqueak.â
âHehe. PipsqueakâŚ?â
âYeah, pipsqueak.â Hayden looks through the rearview to make sure heâs okay.
âUhm⌠what it mean?â
âIt means little. Small,â he answers, a teasing lilt in his voice. âTiny. Like you.â
âSmall⌠tiny⌠Wike meâŚâ
Hearing Ilya parroting back âsmallâ and âtinyâ makes Hayden chuckle.
âExactly. Youâre tiny. Little pipsqueak, you. Barely even three years old and still sucking your thumb.â He ruffles Ilyaâs hair affectionately as he stops at a red light.
Ilyaâs face morphs into a smileâa wide, bright white smileâand he looks out the window.
ââAy-denâŚâ
âYeah?â he replies, his tone soft and affectionate. âYou need something, pipsqueak?â
âMuzyka?..â
Hayden turns on a kidsâ radio; it was already the first thing to come on.
âIs that good, kiddo?â
âDa!â Ilya says enthusiastically from behind.
They pull up to the McDonaldâs drive-thru. Hayden lowers the volume and asks Ilya what he wants.
âMc Gwiddle!â
âOh, sorry, pipsqueak. They donât have that; itâs mornings only.â
âNeyt! Mc Gwiddle!â
âItâs too late for that. What else do you want? A Happy Meal?â
âHmph⌠why? Nye ponimayet.â
âBecause McDonaldâs only makes them for breakfast,â Hayden explains. Ilya still isnât satisfied, but heâs listening. âItâs lunchtime now, pipsqueak. They canât keep making breakfast food all day.â
He pauses, turning back to see if Ilyaâs expression changed.
ââŚBut they have Happy Meals. How about you have that instead?â
âI⌠I⌠da. Happy meal. Nuggies nâ a buguh.â
âGreat. Nuggets and a burger.â
He turns forward and rolls up to the order kiosk, rolling down the window to speak into the speaker.
âHello. Can I have a Happy Meal with six-piece nuggets and a cheeseburger, please?â
Ilya yells out from behind, kicking Haydenâs seat.
âShhh! Calm down, pipsqueak,â he chides, but thereâs no real bite to it. He glances back and grins. âThatâs what Iâm trying to order, you little maniac.â
âOtay. Fank chu, âAy-denâŚâ
âYouâre welcome, pipsqueak,â he mutters, fighting against the urge to smile. He rolls his eyes, but heâs not mad in the least. âQuit kicking my seat, or Iâm not getting you any toys with your Happy Meal.â
They get the food, and Hayden puts it in the back. Ilya wants to start eating; he reaches for the food that Hayden put beside him.
âHey, no, wait. Letâs get home first.â
Ilya pouts and sneaks a fry into his mouth but doesnât eat more, not wanting to get his toy taken away.
Hayden raises the music, and Ilya smiles and bounces his head to it.
âDyadya âAy-denâŚâ
âYeah?â he replies, glancing back at Ilya through the rearview mirror. âWhat is it, pipsqueak?â
âDyadya âAy-den!â
âI can hear you; no need to shout.â
âUh⌠w⌠whewe da caw goinâ?â
âHome. Weâre going home. Maybe take a short nap, Ilya?â
âHome? Dyadyaâs home?â
âYeah, my place. Youâre crashing with me tonight.â
A pause as he flicks on the turn signal again.
ââŚUnless you wanna stay in a hospital?â
Ilya shakes his head no. The hospital is sad and scary, and⌠he doesnât like it.
âIs otayâŚ?â
âOf course itâs okay,â he clarifies, his tone reassuring. âYouâre not staying alone in a hospital, pipsqueak. Youâre staying with me. Got it?â
âDaâŚâ
Ilya falls asleep, head against the glass of the window, holding onto a blanket one of Haydenâs kids mustâve left in the car. Hayden lowers the volume of the music when he hears soft snores.
As Hayden parks the car in the driveway, he pulls up Google Translate and types in âDyadya.â His phone chimes as the translation flashes on screen: âUncle.â
He stares at it for a second, blinking.
ââŚHuh.â
He glances back at Ilya, still dead asleep in the backseat. His throat feels weirdly thick all of a sudden.
Hayden gets out of the car. He canât pick up Ilya, so he just goes to the backseat and nudges him until he wakes up. Ilya looks up and grumbles in Russian before getting out and going to the door. Hayden gets the McDonaldâs bags and follows him.
He opens the door with his key. Haydenâs house is quiet. He makes a âshhhâ hand signal to Ilya as they tiptoe to the guest room. Hayden closes the door with a sigh of relief behind him.
âYou can talk now, buddy.â
âDyadyaâŚâ Ilya mumbles, very tired, and points at the food bag.
âEat fast before you pass out on me. And donât choke; Iâm not doing CPR on a nugget.â
Ilya giggles as he eats his food happily. Hayden knows eating is banned on the bed, but heâll let it slide this time.
Ilya finishes his burger and puts the empty wrapper in the bag. He eats his nuggets and fries. Hayden is sitting with him on the bed, eating his own meal.
Ilya is sipping on his apple juice before he gives it to Hayden.
âDyadya, I wanna âippy cupâŚâ
âYou want your juice in one of those bottles?â
âDaâŚâ Ilya eats Haydenâs fries as Hayden gets a sippy cup from the kitchen. He finds one unopened gift they got at a white elephant, washes it, and puts the juice in it.
Hayden comes back and hands him the sippy cup.
âDrink slowly, Ilya.â
âFank chu, dyadyaâŚâ
Ilya gets into bed properly, puts his sippy cup on the bedside table, and cuddles up into a ball with his blanket as Hayden cleans up the food.
He finishes cleaning up the wrappers and tosses them in the trash before turning back to Ilya.
âMy roomâs right outside if you need me. Goodnight, pipsqueak.â
âNochi, dyadyaâŚâ Ilya mumbles as he slips his thumb into his mouth, a telltale sign heâs falling deeper into sleep.
Hayden looks at him one last time, and Ilya opens one eye and then says a bit louder, though itâs muffled by his thumb:
âSpasibo, dyadyaâŚâ
Hayden keeps the night light on. He closes the door but makes sure the heater is on. When he closes the door, he smiles softly to himself, still holding the McDonaldâs bag and remembering he needs to take out the trash.
desc: after Shane's injury which leads to a night in the hospital, Ilya and pike find themselves in each others company and llya regresses so Hayden takes care of him!
Shane gets checked against the boards by Ivan and goes down. It wasnât his first game against the Voyageurs since signing with Ottawa, but this time was weirdly different. They were aggressiveânot that they werenât always aggressiveâbut this time it felt like even the rooks had a fight to pick with Shane.
The fight is blurry, but thatâs no surprise; thereâs always a fight when the two teams play. The twist is it didnât start between Shane and a Montreal player, but between Luca and Evans. In the commotion, Shane caught a stray.
Shane is disoriented and only semi-conscious, unsure if heâs imagining Ilyaâs panicked questions. Medics get Shane on a spinal board and into an ambulance.
The next morning, Hayden visits Shane in the hospital. Heâs out for the entire season. The doctor said he has a TBIâheâll only be out for a day, with very short-term amnesia that should heal within two weeksâbut he canât play because it would risk second-impact syndrome.
Hayden is in the hospital room and isnât shocked to see Ilya walk in, though some of the younger nurses are clearly interested but too shy to ask for an autograph.
Hayden looks up and gives Ilya a sympathetic smile.
âHey.â
Ilya just nods in acknowledgment.
âPike. Shane is okay?â
âHeâs got a TBI, but itâs not like a scary brain injury. Itâll take like two weeks tops, and heâll only be asleep for a dayâŚâ
âWhat does⌠that mean?â Ilya tries to group the words together, but Hayden said them so quickly and under his breath.
âItâs just like a hit to the head.â
Ilya thinks for a minute, looks at Shane, and holds his hand.
âIs out for season?â
Hayden nods, and Ilya groans, squeezing Shaneâs hand.
âHe should wake up like tomorrow,â Hayden mumbles, looking at Shaneâs peaceful state.
âSleep, moya lyubov,â Ilya mumbles, his lip trembling.
Hayden looks away, giving them privacyâeven though it wasnât really private, since Shane was asleepâand pretends to be busy on his phone.
After a bit, Hayden tries to break the tension with a badly run joke.
âHeâll be really upset when he wakes up. He hates not being able to play.â
âYes, yes, haha. He will be upset I will beat the scoring record.â
âOh man, heâll be so upset. Back in likeâŚâ Hayden wants to say when you were rivals, but he remembers they were never actually rivals. âBack, uh, like a long while ago, he used to see your scoring record interviews. Heâs too competitive sometimes, hates it when guys rub it in.â
âI will make sure I win, so no guys will rub it in but me.â
âYouâre a real MVP, Ilya,â he mumbles sarcastically. They still had banter, him and Ilya, but it wasnât fueled with hatred anymoreâmore out of habit.
After a couple minutes of silence, Hayden speaks up again to cut the tension.
âBut seriously, how are you holding up? This canât be easy for you to see him like this either.â
âHayden Pike, you are good friend. Shane likes you.â
Hayden blinks slightly, caught off guard. He rubs the back of his neck.
âUh, thanks. I⌠care about him too. Weâve been through a lot.â
Ilya smiles. Haydenâs phone lights up with a notification, and the wallpaper is a photo of Hayden and his kids.
âIs very cute, your kids. Mini Pikes. They love me; I am best uncle,â Ilya smiles when he sees the wallpaper.
âYeah, they do love you. Probably because you spoil them rotten.â
âThey just say please, and how am I supposed to say no? Manners is good, so I reward.â
Hayden tries to keep a stern face but canât help the amused affection in his eyes.
âOne of these days, theyâre gonna ask for a pony or something.â
âI know good pony shop. Maybe I get them for Christmas.â
âIlya, no,â he sputters. âPlease, please donât actually buy them a pony. Itâs not a normal Christmas gift!â
He canât help but chuckle. âWhere would we even keep a pony? In the backyard?â Hayden mumbles, actually entertaining the thought before Ilya cuts in.
âYes, I know. Jackie would kill me. Will get boring gift like⌠Xbox.â
âYou know theyâll probably be ecstatic about that, right? Theyâll end up glued to the TV for days.â
âWhat do I get then? Donât tell me something boring,â Ilya says, looking at Shane and missing him and his âboringâ texts.
âOh, ughhh, you are so boring! I hear âbooksâ and I stopped listening. No wonder you and Shane are besties.â
âHere I am, trying to promote some sort of intellectual enrichment for the kids, and youâre just completely checked out.â
âNo kid wants tel-ik-she-wal in-richâŚâ Ilya mumbles, looking at Shane as he talks.
âIntellectual. Intellectual enrichment,â he repeats with a grin.
âIs boring. Boring. You are making Shane fall more asleep.â
Hayden and Ilya talk for a bit more. The hospital lets them stay beyond visiting hours because Shane is in an overnight private room.
âI will sleep here, is okay?â Ilya says, fixing himself a bed on the couch.
âHere, in the hospital room?â He glances aroundâthe cold chairs, sterile white walls, beeping machines. Not exactly the coziest place for a sleepover.
âYou sure you donât want your own bed, Ilya? Youâll probably ruin your back trying to sleep in one of these chairs.â
âNo, I donât want to leave him,â Ilya says quietly. He wasnât shy when it came to Shane, but he struggled with being vulnerable.
âYou will stay, Pike?â
Hayden thinks for a bit. He knows Jackie told him he could stay since she had the kids at a sleepover at her momâs house.
âYeah, Iâll stay. Let me just get a chair from outside.â
Hayden leaves and comes in hauling a heavy one-piece couch. He puts it down with a loud thud and flinches, making sure Shane is still asleep. He sighs in relief. Doesnât wanna wake him up any earlier; the doctor said itâs not good.
âLook at us. Two stubborn idiots guarding the sleeping idiot,â Hayden jokes.
Ilya laughs softly, looks at Shane, and squeezes his hand. He leans his head back, tries to sleep, but itâs so uncomfortable.
Hayden watches Ilya struggle.
âChrist, youâre a mess.â
Without asking, he grabs an extra blanket from the nearby supply closet and folds it haphazardly on top of Ilyaâs lap like a makeshift pillow.
âThank you, Pike.â Ilya takes the blanket and snuggles it closer. It smells like laundry detergent and lemon, probably freshly cleaned.
Hayden sits in his own seat, getting comfortable easily since heâs used to it after having to do it four times when Jackie gave birth.
About an hour later, Ilya is practically shaking in his sleep. Hayden assumes itâs the cold, but even after covering him up, it doesnât help. He leans in and hears Ilya whispering very soft, incoherent Russian as if having a nightmare.
âIlya.â Hayden shakes him gently, scared to spook him. âIlya, wake up. Youâre dreaming.â
Ilyaâs hands travel to Haydenâs back as he grips him tightly.
âHeyâhey!â He says it louder now, shaking Ilyaâs shoulder gently but firmly. âIlya! Wake up! Youâre in Ottawa. Itâs 2024. Shane is right there.â
Ilya jolts away in a cold sweat, quickly gasping and pushing Hayden off.
Hayden raises his hands in a placating gesture, keeping his voice low.
âWhoa, hey. Calm down, Ilya. Take a breath. It was just a nightmare.â
âMamaâŚâ Ilya mumbles, looking around.
âYou were dreaming about your mom, right?â he asks quietly, hoping heâs not overstepping.
Ilya looks at Haydenâhe looks so vulnerable. Hayden knew Ilyaâs motherâs story; it was shared at one of the events for the Irina Foundation. He remembers the speech; he remembers the look Shane gave him. Not being able to comfort him in front of everyone, but giving him a look that said, Youâre so brave, you can do this, I love you, you donât have to do this, I love you.
Now, all Hayden can do is offer empathy and understanding.
âIlyaâŚâ he starts, his voice gentle.
âMama⌠mamaâŚâ Ilya mumbles.
Hayden steps forward and wraps his arms around Ilya in a firm, grounding hug.
âSheâs not here,â Hayden says softly as Ilyaâs breath hitches, âbut youâre safe now. Youâre on the Centaurs. Shane is right there.â
He pulls back just enough to meet Ilyaâs gaze.
âAnd Iâm not going anywhere either.â
Hayden has four kids of all ages. He knows how to take care of people; he knows what itâs like when someone is clearly a child.
âShaneâŚâ Ilya mumbles and looks at him.
âYeah, Shaneâs here. Heâs asleep, but heâs alright.â
He pauses, studying Ilyaâs face worriedly.
âYou feeling better, Ilya? Do youâdo you want to talk about it?â
Ilya just looks at Shane.
âTouch⌠touch Shane?â
âOf course, of course you can. Hold his hand.â
Ilya very timidly holds Shaneâs hand.
âSeeping?â Ilya asks Hayden, looking up.
âHeâs just sleeping, Ilya. Heâs alright.â
âShane⌠Shane dream of?â
âShane dream ofâŚ? Well, knowing him, probably something boring,â he muses. âPucks. Hockey drills. Scoring goals, winning games.â
âHehe, yes⌠boringâŚâ Ilya says with a very soft but noticeable speaking quirk.
âYeah, heâs a bit obsessed,â he admits, his tone playful. âBoring Shane and his endless hockey stats. Canât take the man anywhere without him turning it into a game analysis.â
âHaha.â Ilya is giggling. Giggling! At Haydenâs jokes! Heâs never even laughed at them, not even smiled a little pity smile.
Ilya tries to get into bed with Shane. Hayden tries to pull him back.
âUh, Ilya, you know thereâs not enough space for both you and Shane in that bed, right?â
ââAydenâŚâ Ilya mutters as he sits back in his seat.
âYeah?â Hayden gets a bit closer to make sure Ilya doesnât try to get back in bed and possibly hurt Shane.
âBed wif Shane?â Ilya points at the bed.
âYou wanna cuddle with Shane, is that what youâre asking?â he teases lightly. âIn his tiny hospital bed, surrounded by beeping machines and sterile, cold sheets? Iâm sorry, Ilya, you canât⌠youâll hurt him.â Hayden pats Ilyaâs back.
Ilya is upset that Hayden says no. He pouts and crosses his arms.
âOh, come on,â he says. âDonât give me the pouty face.â He ruffles Ilyaâs hair.
Hayden recognizes the childlike behavior; heâs seen it countless times in his children.
âAre you three, Ilya?â Hayden knew something about this, but heâs never had to take care of Ilya.
Ilya gets close to Haydenâwhich is woah, because why is Ilya suddenly so small? Hayden almost feels bad for fighting with the guy.
âMâ four, not threeâŚâ
âOkay,â he mutters after a pause. âOkay, youâre not three. Youâre four.â
âIs diffâwent, âAy-denâŚâ
âDifferent how, Ilya? I need you to use words here.â
âHmph⌠want Shane.â
âI know you do, Ilya. He needs the sleep, âkay?â
Ilya does something Hayden would never expect: he leans against Hayden for comfort.
âHey, you okay, Ilya?â
Ilya doesnât reply; he hides his face, his hand still interlinked with Shaneâs.
Without another word, Hayden shifts slightly and pulls Ilya closer into a proper hug.
âAlright,â he mutters under his breath. âAlright.â
ââAy-den⌠why⌠uhm, thought you didnât⌠wike meâŚâ
âIlya⌠you think Iâd be here if I didnât care? Maybe at first, but it wasnât your fault. It was just my own personal insecurities. I thoughtâŚâ Hayden was going to go on, but he noticed Ilya getting bored. He stops talking, and Ilya lifts his head, smiling.
âWe redo dinnewâŚâ Ilya mumbles.
âYes, Shane would be happy. Good thinking, Ilya.â
âOkie⌠He scolded me, said⌠said Pike is best fweind, and uh⌠he wants us to get along.â
âShane said whatâŚ? Iâm his best friend?â Hayden smiled. He knew they were best friends, but heâd never heard Shane say it aloud. It was nice to hear it. âUh-huh.â
Ilya looked at Shane and nudged him slightly, then looked at Hayden with an idea.
âShane wake up. Maybe he will get mad and wake up. Shane. Shane, I didnât close the bedroom door. Shane, I ate McDonaldâs for breakfast. Shane, I⌠I let Anya chew on your Reeboks.â
He waits a little bit. Shane isnât moving, so he gets a bit closer.
âShane, I didnât pick up my socks, and I didnât pick up my towel.â
Ilya looks at Shane; his eyes start to tear up.
Hayden pulls him close, trying to distract Ilya.
âWhat are you doing?â
âHe will wake up to scold me.â
Hayden is about to say something more when his wife, Jackie, calls. Ilya looks at the number and says something in Russian under his breath. Hayden gives him a smile and steps out of the room to answer.
âHey, Jackie.â
âHey, hun. Howâs Shane?â
âHeâs⌠heâs holding on,â he responds quietly, leaning against the wall for support. âThe doctors are still doing tests, but heâs stable. Breathing on his own, and heâs responding to stimuli. It could have been worse, so thatâs something, I guess.â
âOh, will he play again for the season?â
âUhh, no. But heâll be better before the next. He has to. Ilya would sulk for weeks.â
âHow is he, by the way?â
âHonestly?â he admits. âHeâs⌠not great. Worried sick about Shane.â
A pause as Hayden struggles for words.
ââŚActually, kind of acting like a kid right now? Which is weird since Iâve never seen him act like that before.â
From Jackieâs end, Hayden can hear their newest baby, Amber, crying.
âIs thatâis Amber okay?â
âOh, sheâs just being a fussy baby. She wants her dad.â
âUgh,â he mutters. He misses his family, wishes he could just fly to Montreal. âTell her Iâm stuck here for now. Shaneâs got me on babysitting duty.â
âWhat were you saying about Ilya?â Jackie says as she shushes Amber. Hayden is reminded of Ilyaâs whines.
âJust that heâs acting like a kid right now,â he mutters under his breath.
Jackie does something with Amber and then quickly answers, âMaybe just⌠I dunno, treat him like Amber.â
âI miss Amber. I miss you, Jackie. I canât wait to seââ
âWait, wait. Arthur isâlet that go, Arthur, thatâs your sisterâs!!â
âWhat are they up to over there?â he asks jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.
âOh, Hayden, I have to go. Arthur and Amber are fighting!â
âBye, babe. I love you.â
âBye, honey. Love you too!â
tysmmm hope you enjoyed :D idea inspo from @finns-space
đ¤ How to include your fictional caregiver in your daily life (without AI!) đ¤
- Create an OC for your fictional caregiver's series/universe. Give them lore!
- Create moodboards of your fictional caregiver and what you'd like to do together.
- Plan a day or trip you'd like to go on with them!
- What are your character's best values? Try and use them as inspiration to make them proud! Example: if your caregiver is very disciplined, think of how pleased they'd be to see you take care of yourself!
- If there are meals they like, try cooking them for yourself. Who knows, they might even introduce you to your new favourite dish.
- Create a scrapbook for them, including your artwork, favourite quotes of theirs, etc.
- Use the Finch app and name your bird after your character, so you get notifications from them throughout the day, reminding you to take care of yourself.
- Make a playlist of songs that remind you of them, or would remind them of you.
- Find a colour, article of clothing or accessory that reminds you of them and 'borrow it' on days where you need extra support.
- Buy a small plush of them, or one that reminds you of them. Bring them out in your bag or pocket, dress them up, take photos of them... the possibilities are endless!
- Commission artwork, fanfics or comfort character letters.
- Have them be your inner monologue when you need a little extra support. Having a bad day? What would your caregiver tell you to cheer you up?
- Find an ask account of your character here on Tumblr and say hello (just make sure you know their boundaries!)
I hope these help, and remember, your fictional caregiver loves you and is so proud of you! đž