When Arthur offers Shane a necklace adorned with a bright red silicone shark, he doesnāt think twice before accepting. When the toddler tries to nudge the animal in his mouth however, that does give him pause.
You see, Shane loves the Pike kids, and he makes an effort to be a good āUncle Shaneā for them, but he knows he struggles to connect with them. Heās had enough nights watching the twins to know they can often find his company more annoying than fun. He follows the game rules too closely, doesnāt have a ācreative enoughā imagination, and when he says a half an hour on the tv he does actually means thirty minutes exactly (and canāt be bribed otherwise). So when Arthur got old enough to really have a personality aside from ābabyā Shane is hopeful that maybe heāll get along with a boy better.
And miraculously, he does! Kids have always kinda worried Shane, knowing heās entirely responsible for their wellbeing but not always understanding what they need. Itās not like that with Arthur though, he almost immediately feels like theyāre on the same page, speaking the same language, and something settles in Shane knowing he has a place in this extended family. Thereās still things that Arthur does that stump Shane, like needing to copy sensation on to the opposite side of his body or preferring to hide in kitchen cabinets when thereās a loud noise, but he vaguely remembers growing out of similar things when he was younger, so really itās just another point of connection for them. Overall they get along really well, having a nice time playing quietly within a defined set of rules while Ilya gleefully takes over whatever chaos the girls are getting up to in the backyard.
Shane feels like him and Arthur really get each other.
Which makes the current situation so much more upsetting. Arthur keeps pushing the shark up to Shaneās mouth, making him feel bad every time he has to gently push Arthurās hand back, all while wracking his brain trying to figure out whatās happening. Even moreso, Shane canāt parse why heās being so insistent on this, interrupting their play entirely. He feels like heās really messing something up every time he refuses, though he canāt figure out what. He can tell the little man is getting more and more upset with every rejection, but he absolutely does not want some toddlers toy in his mouth. He tries to explain this, calmly, clearly, the way they usually communicate, but Arthur just yanks on Shaneās hoodie string hard, like that was all the explanation needed. It doesnāt clear anything up though and just earns a surprised yelp from Shane. When he looks back up Arthur seems seconds away from tears and instead of responding just runs off.
Shane knows itās best to give him some space to settle before talking it over, so he instead goes about cleaning up the lego pieces they were organizing into colored piles. Itās about then that Jackie and Hayden return, and Shane fills them in, hoping they can take over the second half solving the situation (Shane is a little relieved it isnāt him doing the talking because he feels like he was the problem in the first place). They both smile, agreeing to take over while thanking Shane and Ilya for babysitting and waving them off. Shane feels like theyāre taking this too lightly, but he just nods his farewell, trying to hide how absolutely dejected he feels.
Ilya holds his hand the whole way back, giving rhythmic squeezes instead of talking.
The next time they go over to the Pikeās a few days later, Shane feels sickeningly nervous. Hayden had called sometime after that last visit and said they figured out what the problem was, but was gonna have Arthur talk to him about it. Something about a teaching moment or whatever. Great for toddlers, apparently horrible for full grown adults with only a pinch less anxiety than what is needed for spontaneous combustion.
Opening the front door Shane thinks he mightāve actually crossed the threshold to start creating flames when it suddenly all washes away as little arms wrap around his legs before he even so much as makes it out of the entryway. When Shane looks down he can see soft little dark curls buried in between Shaneās knees. Shane smiles, reaching down to pet his hair and causing Arthur to pull back a bit, still clutching Shaneās pants with one hand while the other pushes a package grasped in a tiny fist up, still looking squarely at the floor. Shane squats slowly, taking the small box with both hands, asking if it is in deed for him. Arthur just nods.
Inside the box is a sealed container with a bright red silicone hockey stick threaded on a black cord. Shane stares for a second, feeling some of that previous anxiety rise up again as heās not able to immediately understand, but figures heāll start with what he knows and thanks him for the gift. Arthurās still looking at the ground, though peeks up to catch Shaneās gaze, mumbling out something that sounds like heās asking if he likes it. And Shane really doesnāt want to mess this up, but he also doesnāt want to lie, so he goes with the next best thing of just being honest and admitting he doesnāt really know what it is.
Surprisingly, Arthur lights up and starts explaining itās something called chewelry and itās very important to wear because itās against the rules to chew on sleeves and collars and strings and Uncle Shane was gonna get in trouble chewing on his strings but daddy said you didnāt like sharks but I know you like hockey because youāre fast and you also like red like me so we got the red one that isnāt a shark but itās a hockey stick ā Arthur pauses, taking multiple deep breaths ā and you wear it around your neck so you donāt lose it and also you donāt share it because of germs but you clean them with pasta water ā Jackie mouths āboiling waterā from where sheās standing behind him ā and it makes the dentist not get mad at you.
Shane stares for a long second, trying to process the sudden onslaught of information, but before he can respond Jackie nudges Arthurās shoulder and he goes back to looking at the floor, sway back and forth. āIām sorry I tried to give you the shark when you donāt like sharks and pulled your strings and ran away. I love you.ā
Shane feels stuck for a moment but then Ilya taps him on the back and thatās all he needs to push himself forward, pulling Arthur into a tight hug, continuing the swaying motion and returning the sentiment while trying not to cry. They finally leave the entryway when Shane promises to let Arthur teach him the best way to chew on his gift.
So thatās how Shane ends up wears his new necklace for the rest of the day, and then also every time they go to the Pikeās house, and on some weekends too, and maybe to practice sometime, and during movie nights and while reading contracts and on long trips andā
Yeah, Shane thinks he likes Arthurās rule.
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