Archive of Our Own

Shane’s laptop was open on the kitchen table and there was a color-coded, multi-tabbed spreadsheet filling the screen when Ilya leaned over to kiss him hello on Sunday morning. He’d woken up to find Shane’s side of the bed already cool and grumbled a bit about it since he’d been fantasizing about waking Shane up with a blowjob ever since Shane had done it to him on Wednesday the previous week. 

“What’s that? Work?” Ilya asked, curiously, as Shane typed something rapidly into one of the cells. 

Shane sat up and pushed his glasses up his nose, looking very serious considering it was eight in the morning on a Sunday. “Planning,” he said. “For the spring break trip to Disney.” 

“That’s not ‘til March, though, right?” Ilya went to pour himself a cup of coffee, smiling when he saw the little milk jug already filled and waiting for him next to the sugar bowl. 

“We have to be prepared.” 

The trip had been Lily’s big Christmas gift last year. She’d squealed, jumped up and down, and hugged them so hard in delight that Ilya had sworn that he felt his ribs crack. She was eleven now, and growing taller every day. Since then, she had rewatched several of her favorite animated classics and declared them superior in every way to the live action remakes. Ilya had also shown her the movie Ever After, both of them tearing up when Drew Barrymore appeared at the ball. 

He’d always had a special place in his heart for the Cinderella story, maybe because of her cute animal friends or perhaps the idea of wishes coming true. Sometimes, he felt like he was living in a dream, with a family, a great PhD advisor, making actual progress in his research, and his handsome prince charming, who was currently cross-referencing a time stamp in a YouTube video with his spreadsheet entries. 

“I didn’t realize that we had to start planning a theme park visit two months out,” Ilya said, mildly, as he stirred some sugar into his coffee and took a sip. 

Shane looked at him incredulously over the top of his glasses. He was so handsome, even when he was exasperated, that it made Ilya’s heart leap. “Are you serious?” Shane asked. “We’re late already. I should have booked the hotel before Christmas according to Barb.”

“Who’s Barb?" They didn’t have any friends named Barb. 

“This YouTube person who tells you how to win Disney. If you want the best rooms you have to reserve them early.” Shane gestured at his computer screen. 

“‘Win Disney’?” Ilya echoed. “Zaychik, it’s just a theme park.”

“And we’re going to be the best at enjoying it.” Shane went back to his spreadsheet and Ilya smiled fondly, shaking his head a little. 

“You’re too competitive.”

“We have to make the most of our time there. Do you think we should have lunch in Morocco or France on our Epcot day?” Shane sat back and tapped his finger on his pursed lips. “They said that the food and the view in Morocco is amazing but France is more classic.” 

“You’ve been to actual France, right? So maybe we go to fake Morocco instead?” Ilya shrugged. 

“Good point.” Shane went back to typing on his computer. 

Ilya edged around behind him and leaned over to press a kiss to the top of Shane’s head, inhaling the familiar warm scent and wishing for a moment that they were back in bed. He glanced down and read the tab names in the spreadsheet: Resorts, Parks, Dining Reservations, Itinerary, Lightning Lane Strategy, References and the last one, which he was currently editing was just called Contingencies. 

“‘Spice Road Table often accepts walk-up seating’,” Ilya read aloud. 

“So we aren’t locked into a specific reservation time,” Shane explained. 

“Shane. I think you’re taking this too seriously.” 

“We need to make sure we see everything, though. We need a strategy,” Shane insisted, doggedly. 

“I think it will be fun just to be there and soak in the atmosphere. Did you see that video of the big light up ball at Epcot?”

“I can budget some time for us to watch that in the evening.”

Ilya laughed and reached down to put his hands over Shane’s on the keyboard. “Or,” he said, seductively, pressing a kiss to Shane’s ear. “I distract you and you let me take you back to bed.” He pressed his mouth over Shane’s before he could say anything and kissed him thoroughly, enjoying the taste of coffee in both of their mouths. He grabbed Shane’s hand and guided it up to his chest, placing it over his nipple piercing, which Shane loved to play with. 

Shane was just giving in, making a little noise in the back of his throat and his fingers were closing around the piercing to give it a twist, when the creak of the stairs alerted them to Lily making her way down and they pulled away. It wasn’t that they were shy about showing each other affection in front of her, but the kiss had been a little passionate for so early in the morning. She bounced into the kitchen with Biscuit the cat on her heels. He slept with her every night, often curled up next to his stuffed namesake. 

“Hey,” Ilya said, going over to ruffle her hair. “Cereal?” 

“Yes, please.” She yawned and went to sit at the kitchen island. “Dad, why is your face all red?” 

“I’m just doing some Disney planning.” Shane made quick eye contact with Ilya, who muffled his snort into his coffee. 

“Ooh that reminds me, I found a new video,” Ilya pulled out his phone and poked at it, bringing up his browsing history and shuffling over to hold it out to Lily. “Front seat point of view on the dwarf mine train.” 

“Oh my God,” Lily grabbed the phone and they pushed their heads together to watch it. It was quite something, all twists, turns, and fun animatronics. There were people screaming in delight in the background of the video. “We have to go on that,” Lily said. 

“One hundred percent. Shane, Zaychik, come look at this.” Ilya called Shane over, who held up his hand with one finger extended, typing something furiously into his computer. “Whatever,” Ilya waved his hand dismissively. “Oh, I also saw this one…” He clicked over to another video and handed his phone over to Lily. 

“Dad, I want a phone,” Lily said, taking Ilya’s and hunching over it. 

“Not happening,” Shane replied, absent-mindedly. 

“Madison at school has one and–”

“Madison’s the worst, though, don’t be like her,” Ilya filled in immediately. Shane gave him a look of solidarity over the top of Lily’s head. 

Lily and Ilya proceeded to go down a rabbit hole of Disney videos and then got into a debate about whether she wanted to go to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique while they were in Magic Kingdom. Ilya had thought that she would want to go because she could get dressed up as Mulan but she categorically refused because it was Mulan’s dress instead of her armor. Ilya proposed the option more tailored for boys to dress up as knights and she made his heart melt when she said, “I don’t need to be a knight, I have you and Dad.” He coughed into his coffee to hide the fact that he was tearing up a little. “Besides, they don’t have Mulan’s armor so it’s stupid,” she finished. 

“Okay how about you two go get dressed and let me work a bit,” Shane said from the kitchen table. 

Lily hopped up and thundered up the stairs. Ilya stood up a little slower and finished the last few sips of his coffee before sauntering over to where Shane was sitting. “Is the dwarves ride on your schedule?” he asked. 

Shane navigated over to his Itinerary tab. “Monday,” he said. “We can rope drop it.”

“Rope drop?” Ilya asked, curiously. 

“We get up early and ride it first thing before the crowds get too bad,” Shane explained. “We get to go in early because we’re staying on site.”

“You are very organized.”

“You sound surprised.” Shane sat up and took his glasses off before he accepted a kiss. 

“I’m not. I know you like to plan. But you know Lily will have fun no matter what.”

“I know. I just want her to be able to experience everything.”

“Did you ever go as a kid?” Ilya asked, sitting down next to him. 

“Once. Just for a day with my parents when we were in Florida for my dad’s work. But I’ve never really been a big amusement park person. You?” 

“Nope,” Ilya shook his head. “I always wanted to, though. When I was little. Cinderella was my favorite fairy tale growing up. But then I read the Brother’s Grimm version, which is way creepier, so I like to think about the happier one.”

“We should make sure we do something fun for you, too, then,” Shane said, reaching out to take his hand. 

“No, no, let’s prioritize Lily. I’ll be excited to just be there,” Ilya said. “I’ll go change and then should we head to the grocery store?”

Shane nodded and Ilya went to head upstairs and help Lily with her hair. 

***

As the date for their trip drew closer, the details were really starting to coalesce. Rose had officially confirmed that she’d been able to meet them and Shane had reserved a room at The Polynesian for them. Ilya and Lily had watched video tours of it online and were extremely excited about the fact that the monorail went directly between it and Magic Kingdom. 

“Wow, that looks amazing,” Ilya commented when Lily showed him a video of someone having dinner inside the Cinderella castle. “I didn’t know you could do that!” 

“That’s your favorite fairytale, right?” she asked. 

“Yeah,” he said, wistfully. “Imagine living in a castle.” 

“And having shoes made out of glass!” Lily exclaimed. 

Ilya laughed. “Well, maybe not,” he said. “They would probably be uncomfortable, right?” 

Lily was spending a few days with Rose a week later and they were enjoying a child-free afternoon and evening together. Ilya really loved Lily, but it was nice to have Shane to himself sometimes. Especially when Shane had pulled him into a messy kiss when they got back from dropping her off and asked Ilya to fuck him against the wall in the hallway. Ilya had obliged enthusiastically enough that Shane was walking a little funny when they went out for dinner later and he felt absurdly proud. 

They had gone to the gym together in the late afternoon and Ilya had flirted outrageously with Shane while they were there, enough that someone had asked if Ilya was bothering him. Shane had blushed and explained, awkwardly, that “he’s my boyfriend.” Freshly showered, Ilya was laying down and reading a paper on the couch with his legs thrown over Shane’s lap while Shane poked at his spreadsheet, nibbling on a hangnail absentmindedly. 

“Ilya?”

“Mhm?” 

“What do you think we should prioritize when we’re in Disney? Since it’s only three days I think we probably won’t be able to see everything. I have a list of things I think Lily would like but I’m not a hundred percent sure…” 

Ilya set his book down and held up his hand, counting on each finger without even having to stop and think. “Meet Mulan. Meet Gaston and punch him. Go on the Haunted Mansion ride even though it’s scary. The two train roller coasters in Magic Kingdom. Teacups ride because they’re like the Whirly Cups, but that should be at night if possible because it’s prettier than during the day.”

Shane stared at him for a moment. “How do you know all that?”

“She showed me a bunch of videos.” Ilya shrugged and went back to his book. “And also it’s the only thing we talk about when I pick her up from school.” 

Shane closed his computer and set it aside, then put his hands on Ilya’s legs and pushed them apart to crawl between them. “You know her so well,” he said as he ducked his head under Ilya’s book and leaned in to kiss him. 

Ilya smiled and set his book aside, wrapping his arms around Shane loosely. “I love her, you know that,” he said, easily. 

“I love that you love her.” Shane mashed his face into Ilya’s chest, so his voice was slightly muffled. “She’s growing up so fast.”

“Before you know it she’ll be dating,” Ilya teased. 

“Oh my God, I’m not ready for that. Talk about something else.”

“Hmm, you look very cute in your glasses.” Ilya guided Shane’s chin up so he could see Shane’s pretty eyes behind the lenses and pressed a couple of kisses to his cheeks right underneath the frames. 

“You look very cute reading your book. So studious.”

“I can take a break though.” 

“Oh?” Shane shifted a little and rubbed himself up against Ilya’s hips. 

“You know, for such an old man, your sex drive is insanely high,” Ilya teased. 

“Fuck off, I’m not that old.” 

“You’re approaching silver fox territory. I swear I saw a gray hair the other day– ow!” Ilya exclaimed when Shane pinched his side. 

“I’ll show you old.” Ilya was always delighted when Shane got like this, playful and determined at the same time, and always so confident. Shane pushed Ilya’s shirt up, shoving the bottom hem of it into his mouth. Then he attacked Ilya’s chest, licking and sucking over the skin there and making Ilya moan into the fabric clenched between his teeth. 

Shane tugged on Ilya’s piercing lightly with his teeth and then sucked on it briefly before sitting back just a little. He’d gifted Ilya a platinum ring for it with a little sapphire hanging from it the previous year on his birthday and now rotated it thoughtfully as he asked, “Do you ever think about piercing the other one?” 

‘Sometimes,” Ilya mumbled through his shirt. 

“What if I did it?” Shane asked, almost casually. Ilya felt a little thrill shoot through him when he thought about it. 

“That would be… hot,” Ilya said, letting his shirt drop out of his mouth. “But are you a licensed professional?” 

Shane laughed. “Did you get the other one done by a professional?” 

“Of course not,” Ilya snorted. ”I was drunk on cheap vodka back in Russia.” 

“So naughty,” Shane said softly, that little smile on his face that meant that he was thinking about something filthy. 

“What?” Ilya asked eagerly. “What are you thinking?”

“Not right now, but… Shane trailed his fingers down Ilya’s chest. “What if I were inside you when I pierced you?” 

“Inside me like how?” Ilya already knew that he’d say yes to whatever it was, but making Shane say it was always enjoyable. 

“Like my cock in you.” Shane’s eyes flicked up to meet his. Ilya inhaled sharply and physically felt his dick leap in his pants. They’d done it before. Not very often, though. Shane really loved to bottom and Ilya would give him whatever he wanted. The idea of Shane being inside him and then putting a permanent symbol of him on Ilya’s body was… very attractive. “Or you could be inside of me,” Shane continued.

“Either one,” Ilya choked out. He was fully hard now, just thinking about it. 

“Okay. We’ll talk more. Right now, can I eat you out and then ride you?” Shane slapped his hand down on Ilya’s chest and sat up a little straighter. 

“Fuck yes, please.” Ilya started to strip off his shirt but Shane reached out to stop him before he pulled it all the way off and instead wrapped the fabric around his hands, binding them together loosely, then pressed them above Ilya’s head onto the couch cushion behind him. 

“Okay?” he asked, quietly, biting down on Ilya’s tricep gently. 

“Of course,” Ilya breathed. 

“Keep them there for me, okay?” Shane released him and reached down to pull Ilya’s pants off, stripping them off his legs with practiced efficiency. He leaned down and mouthed over Ilya’s cock through his boxer briefs, moaning a little as he did so. Ilya concentrated on keeping his hands where they were, even though he was itching to bury his hands in Shane’s hair. Shane did love getting his mouth fucked, but right now he seemed very focused on getting Ilya’s underwear off and his legs in the air. “Can’t stop thinking about your ass now,” he muttered as he tossed the fabric to the side. He shoved Ilya’s legs up and scooted down to lie between them. 

Ilya obediently hooked one of his long legs over the back of the couch and splayed the other out to the side as Shane licked lower, stopping to suck lightly on Ilya’s balls, which felt amazing, then dipping further down.

He shoved Ilya’s hips a little further into the air and Ilya closed his eyes, reveling in the warm, wet feeling of Shane’s tongue in the most intimate part of his body. He twisted his hands in his shirt, enjoying the feeling of being restrained and relaxed, letting Shane lick further and further into him, breath hitching when Shane licked a broad stripe right over his entrance. The warm wet sound was obscene and he was getting so wet that– 

“You can–” he started to say, but Shane was already moving to slide a finger in to open him wider. He knew Ilya’s body so well by this point that sometimes Ilya thought he was a mind-reader. He sighed as Shane stretched him out. 

“Thinking about being inside of you,” Shane murmured, pressing his lips into Ilya’s upper thigh. “You’re squeezing my finger so hard, imagine what it’ll feel like around my cock.”

“You’re so big,” Ilya gasped. “You have to stretch me for a long time.” He’d almost gone out of his mind the last time he’d bottomed. Shane had completely taken him apart. It was kind of funny, fantasizing about sex while they were having sex. But it was really, really getting Ilya’s engine going so he leaned into it. “But once you got in, you’d keep it in me right? When you pierced my nipple?” 

“I’d keep it so deep in you,” Shane said, adding a second finger and making Ilya moan loudly. “Come inside you so you’re marked inside and out.”

“Fuck– Shane, please–” 

Shane released his legs and stood up hastily to shuck off his own clothes. Ilya almost started to move his arms as more and more of Shane’s skin came into view but then he remembered that he was supposed to keep them above his head and forced himself to just watch and appreciate instead. 

He was rewarded for his patience by a fully naked Shane pressing a deep kiss into his mouth, sucking on his tongue, wet and messy. Then he pulled back with a smacking noise and reached down to stroke himself, eyes trailing up and down Ilya’s body. “Are you okay if I try something a little different?” he asked, his little sex smile twisting his lips. 

Ilya’s cock twitched in response and Shane smiled wider at the movement. “Of course,” Ilya said, attempting to stay calm. But then Shane turned around and mounted him backwards and he completely lost his cool. He had an up close and personal view of the most perfect ass in existence as it slid slowly down onto his cock. He clenched his hands into fists and fought the urge to reach down and grab at it. Shane was still open and wet from their hallway escapade and the idea of some of his own release still being in there, slicking the way for his cock again, was almost too much to handle. “Jesus fucking Christ,” he groaned. 

Shane glanced back over his shoulder, and smiled, then began moving his hips up and down, his ass cheeks bouncing a little each time. He moaned, and grabbed Ilya’s thighs to steady himself as he found a rhythm, driving himself down a little harder each time. “Holy shit,” he moaned. “Right there–” he slammed back and ground against Ilya’s hips. 

“Please, please Zaychik, can I touch you?” Ilya begged. It was too much to ask for him to keep his arms where they were. “I want to be good but–”

“Yeah, yes please,” Shane whimpered. And Ilya was tossing his shirt aside and his hands were on Shane’s hips in a matter of seconds, guiding him up and down and thrusting up to meet him. “Feels so good.” Shane tossed his head back and Ilya caught a glimpse of his profile, beautiful in the golden light from the lamps. 

There was nothing but the sound of them moving against each other and the occasional grunt or moan for the next few minutes as Shane rode and Ilya held on for dear life. Finally, though, Shane let out a long whine and said, “Want to kiss you…” and pulled off, moving forward onto his hands and knees, back arched like sex kitten. He turned over gracefully onto his back as Ilya scrambled forward to sprawl over him, kissing him thoroughly and deeply. 

Eventually, Ilya managed to gather his wits enough to fuck into Shane again and Shane came very quickly after that, moaning into Ilya’s mouth. Ilya was ready to follow him over the edge, but Shane stopped him gently and whispered, “Come on my face, please?” and there was no way he would deny such a sweet request. 

He stood up and Shane sank to his knees, pressing kisses down Ilya’s chest and sucking on his cock just for a moment before sitting back. His glasses were askew and slightly smudged from all of their amorous activities. He licked his lips and opened his mouth as Ilya stroked his cock and then Ilya was coming all over his face, painting stripes over his glasses, his mouth, and his cheeks. A little even got into his hair, which he knew Shane would be annoyed at later, but now wasn’t the time to worry about that. Ilya gasped as one last spurt blurted out right into Shane’s mouth and he leaned in to press an open-mouthed kiss to the head of Ilya’s cock, licking the head and swallowing around it with a happy noise. 

Ilya stood there, panting, gazing down at the most beautiful man in the world, completely debauched for him. He reached up and smeared a little bit of his release along the lenses of Shane’s glasses with his thumb, then pressed it into Shane’s mouth. Shane sucked it off obligingly, so Ilya did it again and again until Shane was sticky, but mostly clean. He kept his thumb in Shane’s mouth just a little bit longer, feeling him sucking on the digit enthusiastically, before finally pulling back and leaning down to kiss him. “Fuck,” he muttered. “You’re so fucking hot.” 

Shane licked his lips and grinned. He pushed himself to standing and gave Ilya another kiss before heading off to the bathroom to clean up. The yelp when he realized that he had come in his hair made Ilya giggle just a little bit. “I’ll come join you in the shower and wash it out,” he called. 

“You’d better– it’s your fault it’s in there in the first place.” 

“Excuse you, who reverse cowboyed me into oblivion and then asked me to come all over his face?” 

***

Florida was significantly warmer than Chicago in March. Ilya had stripped off his jacket as soon as they landed and stuffed it into his bag. Lily had screamed in delight as soon as the big Disneyworld gate came into view and she and Ilya started singing ‘How Far I’ll Go’ loudly and obnoxiously. Shane pretended to cringe but Ilya could see him smiling. 

The Polynesian resort was impressive, all high ceilings, wood panels, and tropical themed. Ilya tied the welcome lei he’d received into Lily’s ponytail and watched her fondly as she ran around the lobby while Shane checked them in. They caught a glimpse of the pool as Shane led them along the path to their room, following a map that the concierge had given him with directions marked on it.

When they approached a bungalow on the water’s edge and Shane opened the door, Ilya stopped and gave him a look. He’d seen how expensive the base rooms at the hotel were when they were planning the trip. “It’s our first time here,” Shane said, as if that was a good enough explanation. 

Lily was already running around the living room and kitchen area, laughing delightedly at the Moana theming and oohing at the balcony out the back, which had a small pool, hammocks, and cute patio set. There was a platter of fresh fruit laid out on the kitchen counter and fresh flowers on the dining room table. Ilya poked his head into the two bedrooms on either side of the living area and had to admit that it would be really nice to have the extra room for three adults and a rambunctious child. 

Rose arrived only thirty minutes later, having come directly from New York. She gave Ilya a warm hug and a kiss on the cheek before turning to greet Shane and Lily. He smiled as he watched them embrace and as Lily dragged Rose off to show her the bedroom she’d decided was theirs. 

He was acutely aware of how lucky he was to get along so well with Shane’s ex. They made for an interesting family unit whenever they were out and about together, but it was actually working great. 

Rose was warm, kind, and treated Ilya with respect. As he and Shane had gotten more serious, he’d been careful not to encroach too much on their parenting setup, leaving the big decisions like whether to switch Lily to a new school or if it made sense for her to spend a month traveling during summer with Rose up to the two of them. But more and more, they had started including him, and they actually listened to his thoughts, which was really nice. He liked to think that he knew Lily pretty well now, and appreciated when they included him in discussions. 

It was too late in the day to make going to the parks worth it, so they ended up at the pool. Ilya splashed around and went down the water slide three times with Lily. Shane was laying next to the pool, talking with Rose when Ilya pulled himself up over the edge and purposely leaned over to drip water all over him, shaking his head like a dog. Rose shrieked with laughter and Shane gave him a fond, exasperated look before tackling him back into the pool. They got yelled at by the Disney lifeguards for that and Lily was mortified. 

After dinner, Ilya had Dole Whip for the first time and the look on his face at the first bite made Shane laugh out loud. “This is the greatest thing I’ve ever tasted,” he said, immediately grabbing another spoonful. When Shane reached out with his spoon, Ilya turned away, blocking access. “I changed my mind, I’m not sharing, get your own!” 

They had an early night because Shane had them waking up six in the fucking morning in order for them to get ready, have breakfast, and make it to Magic Kingdom in time. When he’d shared the itinerary, Ilya had groaned, “Isn’t this supposed to be a vacation?” in mock indignation, but he was actually really excited. 

They were laying in bed, having said good night to Rose and Lily when Shane said, quietly. “I asked for this specific bungalow layout when I reserved it.”

“Oh?” Ilya asked, looking up from his phone where he was texting Svetlana photos from the day, three of which were his Dole Whip in various stages of being eaten. 

“The other one has the bedrooms next to each other,” Shane said, turning over onto his side. “In this one, they’re across the living room from each other.”

Ilya brought his hand to his mouth and gasped dramatically, “Shane Hollander. Are you trying to seduce me by talking about bungalow design?”

“Is it working?” Shane was already pushing Ilya’s shirt up.  

“Your ex and your child are here,” Ilya scolded in a low voice. 

“I know, so don’t scream while I’m sucking your dick.” 

Ilya ended up muffling his moans into a pillow and then returned the favor, slipping a finger inside Shane while he did, just to be a menace. Shane was holding his breath, trying not to make too much noise, until Ilya stuffed a couple fingers into his mouth and groaned lowly around them. After he came down Ilya’s throat, Ilya slapped him very lightly on the side of the face and grinned up at him. “Who did you say needed to be quiet again?”

“Fuck off,” Shane panted, staring at the ceiling. 

***

Shane was far too serious the next morning considering they were supposedly in the most magical place on earth. He came in right at six to wake Ilya up and when Ilya tried to fall back asleep, delivered a stinging slap to his ass, which both woke Ilya up very effectively and made him horny as hell. 

Rose was making coffee when they emerged from the bedroom and Lily was yawning at the table. There was fruit and cereal for breakfast and then Ilya went to shower, still yawning. Shane was pawing through his park bag muttering to himself when Ilya came back out. “Okay, I think we’re ready,” Shane said, putting his hands on his hips. “Where are the girls?” 

Lily was fussing about her hair, so Ilya went to go help while Shane glanced at his watch. They were out the door only two minutes after his scheduled departure time, but he was speed-walking towards the monorail station. Rose and Ilya’s gazes met behind him as they walked and both of them rolled their eyes fondly. Lily was running ahead of all of them, excited as only a little kid can be. 

They somehow managed to be the third party in line for the dwarf mine train ride. Ilya asked boldly to be allowed to sit in the front seat with Lily and they let him. She screamed in delight the entire ride, clutching Ilya’s hand and making him laugh. They were off of it fast enough to make it to Peter Pan before the line got too ridiculous and Shane held his hand in the boat as they flew over the tiny model of London, which was nice. 

“Can we stop here please?” Lily asked, pointing at a ship in Fantasyland, drawing out the last syllable and looking up at her dad with big eyes. 

Shane glanced at his watch. “Fifteen minutes,” he said. 

Lily was looking at all of the Minnie Mouse ears, lined up along the wall. There were so many choices! Different colors and styles, there was even one with a tiny bridal veil. “Which one?” she asked Ilya. 

“Hmm, how about these?” Ilya pointed at some sparkly gold ones. He handed them to her and watched as she tried them on and giggled at herself in the mirror. 

Ilya picked up a pair striped with pink, purple, and blue with a sparkly purple bow and popped them onto his head. “Those look amazing!” Lily crowed. Ilya caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and felt warmth spread through him at the sight, wearing his bisexuality proudly, out in the open. It wasn’t something he thought he’d have when he was growing up. 

Rose came over and they picked out a pair of blue ears for her and then Lily turned to them with a mischievous smile on her face. “For Dad?” she asked, pointing to a pair of sparkly classic Minnie ears, black with a red bow. 

“We can try,” Rose laughed. 

Lily brought them over to where Shane was standing, refreshing the app on his phone. “Dad,” she said, waving them at him. “For you.” 

He looked at the ears, then back at Lily. “Nope,” he said. 

“Come on please?” 

“Lily, I don’t need mouse ears.” 

“It’s not about need,” Rose argued, stepping up behind Lily and posing a little, showing off her ears. 

“Yeah, it’s about looking cute together as a family,” Ilya piled on, putting his arm around her and giving Shane his most winning smile. 

They all pouted just a little bit and then Shane threw up his hands. “Fine,” he said. “If we can get going. Our Lightning Lane for Tiana’s is soon.” 

Gleefully, they went to purchase the ears. Lily placed them ceremoniously on Shane’s head and giggled when she saw the result. “Does it look stupid?” he asked, flatly. 

“It looks adorable,” Rose said. “Right, Ilya?”

“Very cute,” Ilya agreed. He leaned in and pressed a kiss to Shane’s cheek. 

“Okay, let’s move on then,” Shane grumbled, but he was a little pink in the face and Ilya caught him checking out his reflection in the mirror as they walked out. 

They ended up at Colombia Harbor House for an early lunch to try and beat the crowds. It was nice to sit down and hydrate, plus the seafood was very good. Lily finished her last piece of shrimp and then turned to Ilya, looking very serious. “The haunted mansion,” she said. 

“Yes,” he replied, also very serious. 

“We’re going, right?” 

“We are, if you want to.”

“I’m scared.”

“It’ll be okay.” 

They held hands in line and Rose tried to make Lily laugh at some of the jokes on the fake headstones but Lily was focused on the darkness that was looming just past the double doors. 

Ilya was a bit flattered that Lily had chosen to cling to him for this ride. As they filed into the hexagonal room with portraits on either side, he pulled her a little closer and shielded her from the jostle of people. Shane grabbed his shirt so they wouldn’t be separated and they huddled in the middle of the room. Rose took Lily’s other hand and gave her an encouraging look. 

He wasn’t sure what it was, maybe Lily being scared or the creepiness of the room, but Ilya felt his heart begin to beat faster and his palms started sweating. When the door closed, he gulped and then a ghostly voice boomed out from above them had him grabbing at Shane’s arm.

When the room started stretching he, improbably, heard Lily start giggling beside him. She pointed up at the woman who was being revealed to be walking above a hungry alligator. “Why would she do that?” she asked, laughing. 

Ilya felt a bit sick looking at the portrait of the man sinking into quicksand and hid his face in Shane’s shoulder. When all the lights went out and a creepy, maniacal laugh echoed through the space, he let out a tiny scream and gripped Shane’s hand tightly. 

Lily’s fear had completely disappeared and had morphed into giddiness. She was jumping up and down with excitement as they filed out of the art room. When they were waiting to board the little cars, glancing at the creepy statues that seemed to stare at him no matter where he moved, Ilya turned to Shane. “Can I ride with you?” he asked. 

“Are you okay?” Lily asked curiously. 

“Yeah, I just… want to be with your dad if that’s okay?” 

“We can ride together instead,” Rose offered, and Lily agreed easily. 

“Are you… scared?” Shane asked, a tiny smile tugging the corners of his lips up. 

“No,” Ilya said immediately. “I mean…” 

“It’s okay if you are. I’ll protect you from the ghosts.” Shane reached out and wrapped his arm around Ilya’s waist comfortingly. 

“Really?” his voice came out less steady than he’d hoped it would. 

“Of course. Come on, you can do this.”

Ilya clutched Shane’s hand once they were seated in their little car. He closed his eyes as they made their way down the hall with banging doors and slowly opening coffins. When they got to the room with a disembodied talking head, he grabbed Shane’s entire arm and practically hauled him into his lap as a shield. “You know it’s not real, right?” Shane laughed, letting Ilya bury his face in his chest. 

“It’s creepy as fuck,” Ilya insisted. 

He opened his eyes for the ghostly dance party and forgot to be scared for a little while while he wondered how the illusions worked but then closed them again when they reached the piano that seemed to be playing by itself. When the little car turned around and began to tilt backwards, he squeaked and grabbed at Shane’s chest. 

“Oh my God, Ilya it’s okay,” Shane reassured him. “Just close your eyes, I’ve got you.” He placed his hands over Ilya’s ears to shut out the noise of the creepy song playing and Ilya squeezed his eyes shut until the music faded and he felt the car turning. 

He could see his own blotchy face in a mirror and Shane, looking at him fondly, while a ghost danced across the top of their car. Ilya glanced up but of course there wasn’t anything there. As the creepy bride from the attic bid them farewell and the cars started slowing down to let them off, Ilya started to feel very foolish. 

“Are you okay?” Shane asked. 

“Yeah,” Ilya said, hoarsely. “Sorry I don’t know what happened. I just got really creeped out.”

They exited the ride and caught up to Lily and Rose, who were waiting by the exit. Lily was jumping up and down and talking about a particular ghost that Ilya assumed had shown up when he’d been squeezing his eyes shut. “Can we go again?” she asked, turning to all of them.

Ilya shook his head minutely at Shane and Rose, wondering how pale his face must be, because Shane immediately bit the bullet and said, “I’ll go with you. Rose, Ilya, maybe you could grab us a drink?”

They walked back around to the entrance and waved as Lily and Shane got in line again. Rose smiled at him. “Kind of a creepy ride, right?” she asked as they meandered over to a bench and sat down.

“No kidding,” Ilya said. “I can do any thrill ride but I guess I can’t handle horror.”

He asked about her New York trip and she told him about some paintings that she’d picked out for a wealthy collector. She asked about his research and he was happy to be able to share that things were going well. It was so easy talking to her. She always seemed genuinely interested in what he had to say and didn’t remind him of how young he was. 

They lapsed into a comfortable silence and Ilya found that he was breathing easier now that he was out in the sun and away from creepy ghosts. “I’ve been meaning to tell you,” Rose said, leaning back against the bench. “I’ve really admired how you’ve been handling everything with Lily. I know it’s complicated and not the most conventional family dynamic.”

“I love Lily,” Ilya said, immediately. “She’s amazing. I don’t want to encroach on your and Shane’s parenting, but I really care about her. Thanks for including me in some of the decision-making.” 

“You know her really well,” Rose said. “Your opinion is important. And of course, as Shane’s partner, I’m sure you have values that you want to teach her and you should be able to do that. I’m grateful that you’ve been so open to all of us working together to raise her.”

Ilya tried to swallow the lump in his throat at her words. She’d called him Shane’s partner. Not just a boyfriend, a partner. And said that they were raising Lily together, like he was an equally important part of Lily’s life. “Thank you,” he said, thickly. 

“It’s amazing that you’re parenting and getting a PhD at the same time,” she continued, not realizing the effect her words were having on him. “I’m sure it’s a bit of a balancing act.”

“It’s great. I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” he said, earnestly, still trying not to cry. 

“I’m glad you’re in Shane’s life, too,” she said. “He seems so much happier with you.”

“Really?” 

She nodded. “He was always steady, of course, and a great parent. But when he met you there was something… I don’t even really know how to explain it. When he told me about you, the way he talked about you was just different than anyone else he’d ever dated. And when he asked me about you spending time with Lily I knew it must be serious.” 

Ilys was quiet. He’d known that Shane had been wanting to be careful about introducing him to Lily in the beginning, but he hadn’t realized that Shande had talked to Rose about him. The thought made his heart warm and tingly. 

“Anyway, thanks for being such a great partner. And a co-parent,” she said, reaching out and giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m glad we’re friends.” 

“Me too,” Ilya said. 

***

They were walking through Fantasyland towards Tomorrowland when Lily spotted Gaston loitering in front of the fountain with a small line forming to take photos with him. Eyes narrowed, she asked if they could meet him. Shane agreed with a tone of voice that made it clear that he had no idea how much she loathed him. Ilya, on the other hand, understood the depths of her hatred. Not only had Gaston tried to break up Belle and the Beast, but he didn’t respect Belle’s autonomy or appreciate how smart she was, so he was in for it. 

When they reached the front of the line, Gaston turned his attention towards Lily with the theatrical confidence of someone who was fully committed to the bit. 

“Well, well,” he said, looking Lily up and down. “What a delightful young lady. Has anyone ever told you that you have excellent taste? You’re standing in the presence of the finest specimen in all of France.”

“I know who you are,” Lily said, icily. 

“Of course you do,” Gaston laughed, flexing his arms slightly. “Everybody does.”

"You wanted to marry Belle even though she said no," Lily said. "Multiple times."

Gaston looked a little taken aback but he quickly recalibrated. “Ah,” he said. “A woman of strong opinions. I respect that. Belle had excellent taste in books. I, myself, prefer to be read and appreciated.”

Lily glared at him and Gaston wilted just a little. Ilya pressed his hand against his mouth and tried not to laugh. 

“Would the young lady like a photo?” Gaston asked, finally. 

“I want to know how strong you actually are,” Lily challenged. “Because you say you’re the strongest man in France.” 

“I am indeed,” Gaston said, delighted to be bantering again. “It’s not just a boast.”

“Prove it, then,” Lily said. 

Gaston laughed. “Prove it how, little mademoiselle?”

“Push-ups,” Lily said, immediately, like she’d planned it, which she probably had. “Against my dad.”

Ilya and Rose looked over at Shane, who was only half-listening, checking something in the app, and who looked up like a deer caught in the headlights. “Huh?” he asked, intelligently. 

“Not him,” Lily said. She turned and pointed at Ilya. “Him.”

Ilya blinked. “Me?” Gaston was looking at his arms, which were completely bare since he was wearing a sleeveless shirt, apprehensively, sizing him up. 

“You can do it, right?” Lily stage-whispered to Ilya. “I saw you doing those handstand push ups the other day.” She wasn’t wrong, but he’d mostly been doing those to show off for Shane. 

“Um,” Ilya said. There was a brief silence. “Okay.”

Gaston laughed heartily and clapped Ilya on the back. “A challenger!” he announced to the gathering crowd. “The strongest man in France against–” gestured to Ilya, “--whoever this is.”

“That’s my dad!” Lily yelled, and there were a few chuckles and audible ‘aww’s from the assembled crowd. Ilya glanced over and saw Shane’s face doing something complicated and enormous, despite his best efforts to maintain his composure. 

Gaston held out his hand and Ilya shook it and then they both got down on the ground. Ilya wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he had, in fact, watched several videos about this exact situation several weeks ago. Not because he’d planned this, but he’d been curious. He’d watched four different peoples’ encounters with growing fascination and there had been one specific piece of intelligence that he’d filed away. And if he’d been inspired to work on his pushup form at the gym for the past three weeks, he didn’t need to tell anyone about that. 

“On three, then,” Gaston was saying. “One, two–”

They went on three. Gaston was good, genuinely strong and this was clearly not his first time. The crowd was cheering and Lily was shouting something that was probably encouragement and definitely not impartial. 

Around twenty push-ups in, Gaston shifted his weight, lifted one hand off the ground, and kept going, grinning at the crowd, showboating. 

Ilya had been waiting for this. He shifted his own weight easily, lifted one hand and turned to the side, flashing his most winning smile. He matched Gaston’s pace and tried to ignore the burning in his arm. He saw Gaston’s arm wobble on the next rep and pushed through one more clean rep of his own before–

Gaston went down. Theatrically and dramatically, with a groan that carried to the back of the crowd. Ilya did one more pushup for good measure and then stood up, slightly out of breath and raised both arms in victory. 

The crowd actually clapped and properly cheered. Someone’s kid yelled, “Do it again!” excitedly. 

Gaston lay on the ground, one leg crossed over the other and said, “Impossible, no one beats Gaston.”

“He just did!” Lily said, and she ran towards Ilya, who picked her up despite being slightly winded and she wrapped her arms around his neck in a fierce hug. “I knew it! I knew my dad could beat Gaston!” 

Ilya laughed, his heart still rabbiting from the push-ups and now from something else entirely. 

Gaston, ever the professional, posed for photos with them anyway, making a show of nursing his wounded pride. Lily insisted on a victory photo that involved Ilya flexing next to Gaston while she hung from their biceps, a delighted grin on her face. That one was going on the photo wall at home for sure. 

They stopped for a drink at a cart near the entrance of Tomorrowland. Shane and Rose went to get drinks and Ilya and Lily claimed a bench. “That was so cool,” she said, swinging her legs excitedly. “You totally got him.”

“I can’t believe I pulled it off,” Ilya chuckled. “I’m not actually that strong.”

“You’re strong enough,” she insisted. She was quiet for a moment, still swinging her legs, then said, more softly. “Hey, is it okay? That I said that? About you being my dad.”

Ilya swallowed. “Of course it’s okay,” he said. “Why would it not be?”

“I don’t know,” she said, looking at her shoes. “I just said it really fast and I didn’t ask you first. Then Dad and Mom were looking at me funny and it just kind of came out. I don’t want it to be weird.”

“It’s not weird,” Ilya said at once, turning slightly on the bench to face her properly. “Lily, it’s not weird, I promise.”

She studied his face for a second before she grinned. “Okay. Good, because it’s true, you are.”

Ilya thought he might cry for the second time that day. He paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts and willing tears not to fall down his face before he choked out, “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” 

“What if you called me Papa,” he said. “Instead of Dad.”

Lily looked over at him. “Papa?” 

“It means dad in Russian,” he explained. “I just thought… well, you already have a dad and a mom, but maybe I could be something that’s like that but for me. So it’s not confusing and everyone knows who you mean.”

Lily considered the proposal quite seriously for a moment. “Papa,” she said, again, trying it out. 

“You don’t have to, obviously,” Ilya said, quickly. “If it feels wrong, or if you’d rather just–”

“No,” Lily said. “I like it. It’s like a secret password. Like only our family knows it. Papa.” She tried it again, testing the shape of it in her mouth, and smiled at him. 

“Yeah,” Ilya said, tearing up again. 

Shane and Rose came back right at that moment. She handed Ilya his Coke and he thanked her. “What did we miss?” she asked. 

Lily looked up at them. “Nothing,” she said, casually. “I just have a new name for Ilya.”

“Oh?” Shane asked, curiously, looking over at Ilya, who was blinking rapidly and looking away. 

“Papa!” Lily said, proudly. “It’s Russian. It means dad but like, mine, specifically." She reached out and took her lemonade from Shane. “Thanks, Dad.” Then she turned to Ilya and said, “Thanks, Papa.” Ilya felt his heart crack even more than it had when she’d been yelling at Gaston.

“Is that okay?” Ilya asked, looking up at Shane and Rose, eyes darting between them. 

“Of course,” Shane said, voice a bit rough. Ilya could see his eyes shining. Rose just nodded enthusiastically, looking between Ilya and Lily affectionately. 

“Papa, can we go on the rocket ride next?” Lily asked. “You said you’d go with me.” 

“Sure,” Ilya said, wiping a tear from his eye and hoping she wouldn’t notice. Shane reached out and squeezed the back of his neck briefly, then let his hand rest there for a moment. 

***

Ilya hadn’t really been sure what to expect from a family vacation. They certainly hadn’t gone on any when he was growing up. By the second day, Shane had discarded his careful itinerary and they were running around Epcot and Hollywood Studios without any sort of plan but it was still fun. Lily did get to meet Mulan, although she was disappointed that she wasn’t wearing armor. However, Rose reminded her about how Mulan had won the last fight against Shan Yu without any armor, and that what made Mulan great wasn’t dressing up like a man. Ilya found a pin of Mulan in her armor and gave it to Lily, who put it on her bag and then immediately asked if she could have a popsicle. 

On the last full day, they spent the morning at the hotel, sleeping in, relaxing on the patio and soaking in the sun. Shane and Rose lingered over their cups of coffee, just talking, while Ilya and Lily took turns jumping into the plunge pool and splashing each other. 

They did end up back at Magic Kingdom in the evening for the nighttime teacup ride and fireworks. Lily was leading them through the castle gate but then she stopped and looked expectantly at Shane. “Now?” she asked. Ilya looked between them, confused, and when Shane nodded, Lily leaped into the air, both arms spread wide and yelled, “Surprise!” at the top of her lungs. 

“Um,” Ilya looked at her. “Yay?” 

“No, silly, look!” She pointed up and he read the sign for–

“We get to eat in the castle?” he asked, faintly. 

“For dinner!” Lily crowed, delighted. 

“What…” Ilya looked down at her. 

“I told Dad about it. He called and got the reservation right when they became available.” Ilya looked over at Shane who was blushing furiously, but also looking rather pleased with himself. 

“I… oh my God, thank you,” Ilya said. “This is… amazing.” 

“Shane said it’s your favorite fairy tale,” Rose said, warmly. 

“Yes, from when I was a kid. I had the DVD and watched it… constantly,” Ilya said. 

He was overcome with the giggles when they had a chance to meet Cinderella inside and was probably smiling far too wide in the photo, but he didn’t care. He barely tasted the food that they had for dinner because he was too busy looking around, taking in the ambiance and turning to look through the windows, seeing the park sprawled out below them. 

“You know, I’d get you a castle if you wanted one,” Shane said, softly in his ear, as they finished dessert. 

“No,” Ilya said immediately. “I don’t need a castle. I just need our home. And you and Lily in it.” 

When they finally got home after the fireworks, it was late, and the lights from the park were shining over the lagoon. Ilya was standing on the patio, breathing in the warm night air and not looking forward to going back to the chilly weather in Chicago when Shane slid the door open and stepped out to join him. 

“This was the best trip ever,” Ilya said, definitively.

“Was it?” Shane asked. 

“It was perfect,” Ilya sighed. “Thank you for the dinner tonight, I hope it wasn’t too much trouble to arrange.”

“I know you said that you wanted this trip to be about Lily, but it was for you, too,” Shane said, quietly. “Actually, there was one other thing that I wanted to ask you–”

Ilya watched, almost in slow motion as Shane went down on one knee and pulled a small box out of his pocket. “Ilya Rozanov,” he began, eyes shining. 

“Wait!” Ilya exclaimed. “Wait, just one second!” He turned and bolted into the bedroom, upended his bag onto the bed and grabbed the little box that he’d stuffed into the bottom, just in case. 

Shane was still kneeling down, looking a bit perplexed, when Ilya came running back, almost tripping over the step onto the patio. He sank to his own knee, held up his box, and said, simply “Me too.”

“Seriously?” Shane asked, incredulous. 

“I can be a planner, too, if I want,” Ilya insisted. “It’s not super fancy but I hope you like it…” 

“You have to ask me first!” Shane laughed, loud and real.

“You already asked me!” Ilya reasoned. 

“I did not, I only said your name.”

“I knew what was going to come next.” 

“You didn’t let me finish!” 

“Okay fine, fine, go.” 

Shane sighed, exasperated and fond before he said, very quickly, “Ilya, will you marry me?”

“Yes! Shane, will you marry me?” Ilya cried, delighted. Tears were already rolling down his cheeks. 

“Yes, of course.” 

“Finally!” Lily’s voice echoed from inside. “I thought I would die keeping both secrets.” 

Shane and Ilya looked at each other. “You told her?” Ilya said at the same time as Shane said, “She knew?” 

“Put your rings on, silly boys,” Rose said, coming up behind Lily. 

Shane let Ilya slide the little platinum band that Ilya had gotten over his finger and smiled down at it before he did the same to Ilya with the black band edged in gold. “Maybe we can get some that match for the wedding?” he suggested. 

“You just want an excuse to buy me more jewelry," Ilya said, through his tears. 

“You’re not wrong. Hey, I love you.” Shane leaned in and gave him a kiss. “So much.”

“I love you too. So much,” Ilya sighed. 

“You really had a ring,” Shane said, staring down at the little band again. 

“I did,” Ilya confirmed. “For six months.” 

“Wait, what?” 

“I couldn’t find a good time. I almost did it the last time we went up north, then I actually thought about this trip, but Disney was too, I don’t know, cliche? And I didn’t want to take away from Lily’s trip so I just kept it in my bag.” 

“In your bag,” Shane said. “For six months.”

“Good thing it was still in there. Under my dirty laundry. When did you get this?” he asked, holding up his own hand and looking at the black and gold ring shining in the light. 

“A month ago,” Lily supplied. “Mom helped him pick it.”

“I have excellent taste,” Rose said. “You’re welcome.”

Ilya looked around at all three of them. “You all knew?” he said, faintly. 

“You were basically already married,” Lily said, confidently. “You’re just bad at admitting things.” She yawned, big and long and said, “Can we go to bed now? I’m tired from fireworks and keeping secrets.”

Rose went to put her to bed, blowing a kiss to Ilya and Shane, who lingered on the patio as the door slid shut behind them. 

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy,” Ilya said, as Shane wrapped him into a tight hug. 

“Me neither. I’m so glad we found each other,” Shane said quietly. 

They kissed for a few moments, soft and gentle before Ilya let Shane lead him back into the bungalow and towards the rest of their lives together.