if you leave

- "Hey, how was your summer? Good, good."

- "Mic'd up. I'm mic'd up. Don't."

- "Have you ever been to Greece? Told Ilya I would ask you."

- "What? No, man, he didn't say that. He said he was gonna get your ass. Yeah, man, he only fucks one ass. Yeah, I mean, I would say fuck you too but--"

- "Heeeey, davai, davai. Great assist. Hah, no, don't come closer, I'm mic'd and you know I don't trust you."

- "The Royal Tiger Towel Paper Towel Power Play. The Royal Tiger Towel Paper Towel Power Play. The Royal--"

- "HEY MATHESON. You ever been to Vegas? I said, you ever been to VEGAS? I hear they let the good hockey players go there in the summer but I feel like you wouldn't know that."

- "FUCK. Hey, ref, what the fuck was that? Oh, you didn't see that? Fuck you. No, you stay there, my husband's gonna talk to you--fuck you, put me in the bin then, this is bullshit--"

- "You have the smelling salts? Yeah. FUCK--"

- "I am mic'd. Remember I am mic'd. Nope, not even in Russian."

- "Oh, yeah, the pickle video was funny. Harris said it got a lot of views, so. Yeah, no, he actually really does love pickles that much."

- "Sinclair, you got something to say? Yeah, I'm better at hide the pickle than you are at hockey. You want to ask another stupid question?"

- "You know, I run a charity too. Oh, I just assumed that you were doing some kind of Make-A-Wish thing out here with your wingers, since it looks like this is your first day on the ice."

- "Oh, hey, look. Jackie and the kids are waving at us. Okay. Okay, Rozanov, that's enough."

- "Mic'd. Mic'd. Mic'd."

- "Hello Hockey Night, welcome to my husband's shoulder pads--" "Fuck OFF, Rozanov."

“Baby, what time is it?”

“Huh? Hold on, baby, I can’t hear you. Fuck, it’s loud in here.”

“Fuck, Ilya, yes, like that, baby, just like that, fuck—“

“Ilya, what’s— Are you crying? What’s wrong, baby, it’s okay, it’s— What’s wrong? Please, tell me, what’s wrong?”

“Fuckin’ A, Rozanov! Yes, baby! Fuck, that was a good one. C’mere.”

“Mm, baby, your feet are cold. Ah! Ilya, get your cold fucking feet off me. Put some socks on. Jesus.”

“Hold on, I’ll ask him— Baby, my mom wants to know if steak is good for dinner?”

“Your hair is so fluffy today. No, no, come back, let me— Yes. Thank you, baby.”

“Ilyusha. My baby. Ilyusha. You’re so pretty. Don’t laugh! I’m being serious!”

“You’re gonna have to skate better than that to beat me in the scoring race, baby, I’m locked in this season.”

“Fuck, baby, you’re burning up. No, asshole, I mean you’re sick. You can’t go to practice like this, don’t be fucking stupid.”

“Uh, just a beer, please. Thank you, baby, that’s perfect.”

“Ilya, baby, you want a pretzel?”

“You are going to think I’m so boring but I’m almost 40! I love performing and getting to see the fans but I really enjoy going home afterwards, getting comfortable, seeing my kids and my sweetheart.”

“Eddie Munson, a homebody?” The interviewer teases. Eddie laughs as he shrugs, “everyone is always so surprised when I say I enjoy being at home with my husband and our kids.”

He scratches the bridge of his nose, “I loved touring back in the day but one off shows are kind of my wheelhouse now, you know?”

He links his hands behind his back and sways a moment, “I get to watch my kids grow into cool little humans and spending time with my man has always been my #1 even when he’s sick of me.” He jokes before his eyes catch his manager waving him down, “oh I have to go, thank you!” The interviewer thanks him for his time as Eddie moves along.

He doesn't expect the quick interview to go viral but it does. Silly headlines like "Eddie Munson: Family Man" and "Don't Expect Eddie Munson to Go On Tour For you!". It never fails to make Eddie sigh dramatically whenever Steve sees these headlines and teases him endlessly. Whenever their kids do, he scoops them up and presses kisses to their faces even as they whine and wiggle with giggles.

"I'm sooo sorry your daddy loves you!" He exclaims as Steve laughs behind him, "what an awful life you live!" He sets them down as Steve wraps his arms around his waist from behind.

"Glad to know even fame and fortune hasn't changed my husband," Steve tells him with his chin on his shoulder. Eddie leans back into Steve's chest when Steve presses a kiss to his cheek.

Whatever you do, don't think about how emotional Ilya is here. It will break your heart for eternity.

First time he's told that he's loved by someone that isn't Svetlana, his childhood bestfriend, and its not just anyone too its coming from Shane that he's wanted for so long more than anything. He couldn't comprehend that the man he loves the most loves him back.

He is spending the summer in a cottage in Canada, didn't have to go back "home" , alone with Shane, he felt so much love seeing shane come up with a plan so they can be together and got so overwhelmed with love that he just had to say it and... Shane said it back.

He's loved and cherished and its breaking down his walls.

The proof? Ilya.

He's gentle and respectful of consent and boundaries, he never made shane feel uncomfortable for how he folds clothes before hooking up even though he did find it amusing, or how shane felt uncomfortable with so many windows even tho they were on one of the higher floors, mind you that at that point their feelings for each other weren't nearly as intense as its been later.

But he's also funny and made shane laugh alot even when he was uptight and nervous, ragebaity on the ice yes (he's still a hockey player after all) but he's a good captain and knows how to uplift his team whether its with jokes or speeches that made ME want to win their game lmao, he's always there for other people's important moment ie after scott came out and his speech at the awards (when he met scott at the bar, in the books).

Its so obvious how caring he is at the hospital scene too, he went to check on shane while also mentioning how marleau feels bad for what happened and wanted shane to know that. In episode six, reassuring shane when his dad found them, told shane he'd of course go with him to his family with zero hesitation, was there for shane as just a quiet support until shane really needed him while panicking and ilya immediately jumped in to reassure him.

But, he also cared for his father who was absolutely terrible to him and his mother, whom he FOUND when she committed (thats an entire trauma of its own). He spent his summers in russia taking care of his father, when he was away he was sending an absurd amount of money over, made sure they eat the best of food and wear the best of clothes in the hopes that it would be good enough but it wasn't and yet, and YET he still took care of them. Even after his father died and his brother being an ass, he's leaving money for his niece because none of this is her fault. It also broke me how emotional he got when shane talked about the foundations he wants to donate too and his plan like, after all this time taking care of others he got shane (and the hollanders) taking care of him and making future plans with him in mind and it got to him.

But he's also polite and respectful, he smiled at the nurse and said thank you, apologized to the bartender for his team being idiots, in episode six he's respectful of shane's family and dug into the food happily and said thank you for it later and also complimented the vodka they brought out. He played with the children at the all star weekend so beautifully and made them laugh and for god's sake! He likes to spread joy.

So yeah i do believe that she was beautiful and funny because, even though it was for only twelve years, she raised him! and he is exactly the way he describes her. Strong and beautiful and funny despite the circumstances.

He's proof that being kind is a choice you actively make every single day, that even with a shit upbringing or circumstances you can still be a good person because you choose to be. But also even though his mom left the battle at the end, she still powered through just like he is. Except he has Shane to be there for him while he fights his fight.

HEATED RIVALRY