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When Ilya’s niece contacts him about a private school she’s gotten accepted to, but her parents can’t afford to send her to, he doesn’t hesitate to step in and offer to pay the tuition. They discuss travel arrangements and if she’ll want to visit him, since the school is only a few hours away. Then he asks her why she wants to move closer to him and finds out why she wants to get away from her parents.
He probably should’ve called Shane right after talking to his niece, but he wants to cuddle Chiron while having this conversation. Shane won’t really break up with him because he wants to take care of his niece, will he? Ilya finds that he keeps sinking into worry that this might be what happens. When he manages to explain to Harris that he wants to borrow Chiron and make a private phone call he gets a firm hug and Harris bundles him into his office, plops Chiron into his lap, and shuts the door. Then Harris knocks before peeking in. “I’m going to stand outside so no one bothers you. Troy just offered to get me something to drink on his way in, do you want anything?”
Ilya sinks his fingers into Chiron’s fur as the puppy snuggles into his lap, then gives his drink order. He offers to pay, but Harris waves him off. He can offer again when Troy gets here. The door closes. Ilya wets his lips and calls his boyfriend. He knows he should go through greeting and maybe a little flirting, but what comes out is, “Do you want kids?”
Shane is silent for a beat, then says, “I didn’t realize what we did could’ve gotten you pregnant. I’m blaming Hayden, he probably just needs to look at someone and they’ll be able to get pregnant.”
Ilya laughs. “He is lucky we don’t steal his daughters.”
“They love you,” Shane agrees. “They are refusing to finishing Dino Charge until you can watch it with them. They’re trying to convince Hayden he has to track down a Koda action figure for you.”
Ilya smiles and feels his shoulders relax slightly. He likes watching TV with Hayden’s kids and is touched that they insisted on watching a Power Rangers series that has a character that’s learning English as a second language. He didn’t realize they were waiting for him to keep watching. “They’re sweet.”
“But not why you asked the question. Are you alone?”
“I’m in Harris’ office. He’s guarding the door.”
“I need to meet him,” Shane decides before he hangs up and sends a request for a video chat. When Ilya accepts Shane insists on seeing Chiron and greeting Chiron before he raises his eyebrows and regards Ilya. “So, kids?”
“My niece, she’s found a private school to attend that’s not far from here and I’m going to pay for it. There’s boarding, obviously, but I want to give her to option to visit on holidays. I don’t want her to have to go home to her parents.”
Ilya watches as Shane considers this. He looks concerned, not upset and Ilya feels more of his tension unspool. Finally. Shane asks, “Why don’t you want her to go home?”
Ilya stares down to where he’s petting Chiron. He almost feels tears. He wipes at his face and no, he’s not crying yet. He just feels like he is on the inside. He forces himself to take a slow breath, then confess, “I didn’t think when I cut them off that my brother would stop doing drugs, but I didn’t realize it was both of them.”
There’s brief shock on Shane’s face, then concern. “So, we need to get her out of there.”
Ilya manages to nod. Does Shane realize he’s saying ‘we’ and not ‘you’? Why didn’t he realize that Shane would immediately help? Why was his first thought that Shane would leave him instead of helping? Ilya brushes the tears off his face. Why is this so hard? He knows he can trust Shane, so why is it so hard to tell him his problems?
“And we need to make sure she knows she’s got a home here,” Shane surmises.
“I’m not sure where to start, except to get her to the school,” Ilya confesses.
Shane nods. “Do you want me to come there sooner? We can think of some excuse.”
Ilya shakes his head. “Two days. I’ll see you in two days.”
“Two days,” Shane reiterates. “Have you told my parents? My mom will probably come up with a whole plan before we do.”
Ilya sniffs, then glances around Harris’ desk. Aren’t there tissues in here? “She won’t mind?”
“You’ve met her. She lives for making a plan,” Shane deadpans, a teasing probably meant to distract him.
Ilya nods his agreement.
“I’ll talk to her. You guys are having dinner tonight?”
“Yes, that was the plan,” Ilya agrees.
“Good. Do we know anyone that’s adopted recently? They might have advice,” Shane thinks out loud.
Ilya shrugs. “I don’t know.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Shane encourages.
Ilya tries to concentrate on the feeling of his fingers against Chiron’s fur, the way Chiron is leaning into his touch. “I can’t adopt her. My brother would not allow it. He might…he…”
Ilya pauses to take a breath then tries to indicate between him and Shane. Shane’s head tilts. “He might out you?”
Ilya nods. “To keep me from adopting her.”
“Is she old enough to be emancipated?”
Ilya frowns.
“Independent,” Shane tries to translate. “Is she old enough to take care of herself so she can separate herself from her parents.”
“I don’t know the laws around that,” Ilya admits.
Shane’s voice goes gentle as he points out, “We’ll figure it out.”
“We will?” Ilya repeats, though it comes out more like a question. He huffs. “I thought you’d, I was not expecting you to jump right in and help.”
“I love you,” Shane tells him. “You’re my boyfriend and she’s your family. So, she’s my family too.”
Ilya nods, then wrinkles his nose. “You’re not related to my brother.”
“No, I’m not. He’d need to get sober, start treating you better, and apologize for being an ass to you first, which I don’t see happening.”
Ilya agrees, then he finally spots the tissues. He starts to reach for them, but Chiron starts licking his face. Ilya pets Chiron and tells him what a wonderful dog he is, then settles him back into his lap.
“You need a dog,” Shane tells him.
“Yes,” Ilya agrees. “But not yet.”
“Eventually,” Shane comments.
“Eventually,” Ilya echoes. They say their goodbyes and Ilya sits back in Harris’ desk chair and closes his eyes in relief. Shane and his family are going to help him come up with a plan. He isn’t doing this alone.