ok the flip of my post about shane having zero awareness that people think he's cool is Ilya having zero awareness people develop anything beyond surface level connection with him
ilya knows he's charming, he knows he's hot and funny he knows he can motivate his team and he knows he's a good fuck but he doesn't know how many people want More so bad
for years in boston he's flirty and cocky over how many people come back for more in terms of hook ups with no concept of that fact that some of them linger because they want to get to know him too. he goes out and always has a fun time with his teammates and boosts morale and buys everyone shots but he doesn't actually tell the team anything Real. he's good for Fun, that's it, he doesn't realize the rookies, marleau and other players would sit and listen to him talk about Him for hours if he let them.
which is part of why ottawa is such an adjustment because he's trying So Hard but he's barely even Fun anymore so what purpose does he have? when the reality is, ilya's life is a trail of people who have been impacted by him but he fades out because he thinks he has very a Specific Purpose and sticking around or Being Known is not part of that (he doesn't know anyone would be interested anyway)
and THIS is incredibly frustrating for shane when they're married because his husband is STILL all big smiles and flirty jokes whenever they're out and Shane is watching people not just get turned on (he loves that so many people want his husband but only He gets him thank you) but also he watches people want even More while ilya is completely unaware and doesn't realize people Want to know the past behind such a dazzling smile and phenomenal charm.
shane is brutally aware of how adored ilya would be if he let anyone close enough to see how much there Is to love about him but ilya just doesn't. he makes flirty surface level comments to waitresses and bartenders and grins but always keeps it light when they start to dig for More. he flirts without even realizing because he doesn't realize how drawn people are to Him as a person not just his body. so shane's eye is constantly twitching not because the waitress wanted to fuck ilya rozanov but she WANTS HIS HUSBAND dammit
he sees ilya being an incredible leader and role model for the rookies and watches how he makes the team want to be better how he has that Thing shane never had that just makes people click. but he also then watches him step back and exist just outside the dynamic, never fully joining because he doesn't know how that's not His Role. he flirts to flatter people and then backs off because he's married but also because why would it he viewed as leading or more? there's nothing else to find
they also fuck about this but there is also a Lot of shane telling ilya how valued he is beyond that and talking about how bad everyone wishes they were married to his husband
