I think my least favorite interpretation of Ilya is the "oh, Ilya's the big romantic and his kinks are really just hearts and flowers and domesticity. SHANE is the sex obsessed kinkster pervert of the two."
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!
But Ilya is definitely NOT a passive participant in their kinky adventures. From the beginning, he's known exactly what he like and he makes that very clear to both Shane and the audience.
