Tired And Angry

They get shirts screen-printed with Steve's face on it and something silly he always says, and then they all wear them to practice. They time how long it takes Steve to notice (nine minutes and only because the team had a bad case of giggles).

It's a funny prank.

Steve gets a kick out of it.

Unbeknownst to Steve or the team, the guy who made their shirts is an old friend of Eddie 'left Hawkins and got famous' Munson.

It was a known secret in Hellfire that Eddie was crushing bad on King Steve so he sent Eddie one of the shirts.

Steve calls.

Before the interviewer can finish saying, "We have someone on the line from your homet-"

"Why are you wearing a shirt with my face on it?" Steve asks. "And would it kill you to answer the phone when Dustin calls you? Or call him back? The kid misses you."

He’s cold. He’s still half asleep, one eye half open and his hand blindly starts patting around the bed, empty sheets. He groans and rolls over towards the right side of the bed, arm out still searching.

He smiles when he finds warm naked skin, flattens his hand and slides it up and realises he’s grasping at Shane’s flank, the smooth skin of his side. He’s so fucking warm and lovely. Ilya groans and gets his other hand to reach for Shane too, using his grip to pull Shane back, towards his body. Shane makes a soft squeaking sound, a grunt and Ilya wraps both arms around Shane’s body, pulling him in, jostling Shane until Ilya is sprawled on his back with Shane up on his chest.

“What’ssit?” Shane grumbles into Ilya’s neck, squirming as he finds a comfy spot on top of Ilya, face shoved into his neck. His hand lays flat on Ilya’s chest and Ilya sighs, smiles, content. Better, much better. Ilya’s hand slides down to wrap around Shane’s waist, fingers wrapped around where it pulls in. Ilya’s other hand grasps the covers, pulls them up from where he’d disturbed them, tucks them up around Shane’s shoulders.

“What’s? Are you okay?” Shane asks, words all jumbled together against Ilya’s jaw, lips and exhale warm. His hand slips up from Ilya’s chest to cup his face, his big warm hand cupping Ilya’s cheek, thumb dragging back and forth slowly.

“You were very far” Ilya whispers, dances his finger tips along Shane’s lower back, senseless little shapes.

“Woke up alone” Ilya huffs, pouts into Shane’s hair and nuzzles his nose against Shane’s scalp, the smell of him comforting.

“Oh” Shane sighs and breaths slow and heavy and Ilya wonders if he’s fallen back to sleep but then.

“Sorry” he turns his head to press a half kiss against Ilya’s chest, thumb resuming petting over Ilya’s cheek

“You just come get me” Shane whispers, snuggles himself into Ilya like he can get closer, socked foot rubbing slow lines up and down Ilya’s calf, occasional breaks of his toes pulsing against the muscle before he resumes their rubbing.

“Okay?” Shane asks when Ilya doesn’t reply, voice fuzzy with sleep.

“Yes, of course” Ilya replies, shoves his smile into Shane’s silk soft hair, drags his face down to kiss at Shane’s ear, hand flat now rubbing wide circles over his back.

“ ‘Kay” Shane replies with a happy sigh and he presses into Ilya, hand still cupping his face, his nose pressed to Ilya’s cheek.

And I mean, I get that this is more compensation for annoying tropes, and maybe some book stuff mixed in (from what I understand, the show definitely puts a bit more emphasis on the kink than the book does.)

But IN THE SHOW:

Ilya is the one who, after a nice little race/show of dominance at the gym, hands Shane his water bottle and commands him to drink. And commands him to keep going, just because he can.

Ilya is the one who, at the CCM shoot, starts jerking off in the shower at Shane. Then later, in the hotel room, you could even make an argument that he engages in both orgasm denial and forced orgasm kink when he pretends to leave before reciprocating and then continues the blow job swallowing, despite Shane trying to push him off.

Ilya is the one who tells him to drop to his knees at All Stars.

Shane keeps Ilya on the hook for two years, but Ilya persists in sending an unsolicited dick pic and flirting/propositioning the whole time.

Ilya is the one with a past with someone who, at least to my eyes, seems to be playing brat to his tamer in Russia - with the implication that the game itself isn't new to him even though the rejection is.

Ilya's the one who initiates the bathroom scene in Vegas (2.0). He's set up the exhibitionist scene in the penthouse suite.

Ilya is the one who says "No, after" when Shane wants to talk at Ilya's house. Then during the sex scene Shane initiates, is the one commanding "make me" and spitting in his hand. (I mention this only because I've seen this scene cited as a reverse of the dynamic, and I disagree with that interpretation for the aforementioned reasons.)

Ilya's also the one giving commands during phone sex ("glasses stay on") and making advances when Shane is on the phone with Hayden at the cottage. And, while it isn't sexual, I will never let go of the way he scruffs Shane's neck during the latter's panic attack at the dinner table with his parents. IN FRONT OF HIS PARENTS.

I'm not saying Ilya ISN'T romantic. Or that Shane isn't a very enthusiastic participant!

If you don't read books: Read a book. Read any book. Read a book you loved when you were a kid. Read a book that interests you now. Read an entire collection of poetry or essays and think about why the author or editor arranged those works in that order. Read an erotic novel. Read nonfiction. Read graphic novels or manga. Read a kids' chapter book or a YA novel. Read a book digitally. Read a book on paper. Read an audiobook and really focus on it - if you notice yourself spacing out, scroll back to the last words you remember and try listening again. Read any book. And then when you finish it, celebrate for a minute (get those endorphins going!) and then read another one.