Watch your fingers

“Go to your bench, Rozanov. I’m not going to tell you again.”

There are a million reasons why the concussion scene works, but what hit me the hardest is that it emphasises one of the biggest costs of being closeted: Not being considered Next of Kin.

If Ilya was Shane’s acknowledged partner, he would be given information immediately and supported to follow Shane to the hospital. Instead, he drifts backwards on his skates, all alone in an arena where the only person who understands why he *needs* to know is unconscious.

They’re relaxed. Comfortable. Half-asleep together. And Ilya cannot stop looking at him.

He’s got his arm around Shane, holding him close, and instead of resting, he’s just… watching.

Soft. Adoring. Completely gone.

Like he’s memorizing Shane’s face — freckles included, because of course that’s his weakness.

Then Shane stirs. And -

Ilya fake-wakes up.

Sir. Were you pretending this whole time???

The tiny blink. The barely-there eye twitch. That subtle “oh, I just woke up too” performance — like he wasn’t openly staring at Shane with heart-eyes two seconds ago. It’s gentle, it’s human, and it makes it painfully clear that this man is down BAD.

Ilya keeps his emotions on lockdown, pretends everything is casual and under control, but ......he’s a lover boy, even if he doesn’t know how to admit it yet.

I genuinely can’t stop replaying this scene. It’s quiet, intimate, blink-and-you-miss-it — and it tells you everything about how deep he’s already in.

Wow, this Montreal girl works you up brother. Shut your idiot face, Marly. You're straight up blushing, Roz.

The Cobble Hill Townhouse located in Brooklyn, New York @workshopapd Photo by @donnadotanphoto

Light apartment in Barcelona / photos by Sandra Regalado