Swimming makes you a different kind of tired, right? And Shane knows this, has grown up in and around lakes, he built his Cottage right next to a lake. Ilya does not. Yes he's an athlete but when he comes to the Cottage it's the first time he spends a longer amount of time in the water, swimming around, doing handstands, all of it.
So his first post lake nap hits hard. Ilya, freshly showered, just meant to sit down on the couch for a second but he wakes up four hours later. Half his curls pressed to the side of his head, the other fluffy because he fell asleep with his hair still a bit wet. He's got faint lines on his cheek from where his face was pressed into one of the pillows. No idea what time it is or how long he's been asleep. It takes him a minute to come back online.
"Shane?", he mumbles, not fully awake yet but already searching for Shane.
"Right here", comes Shane's voice and, oh, yes he is. Ilya blinks sleepily at him. It takes him another minute to realise that his feet are in Shane's lap. One of Shane's hands is on his shin, thumb softly caressing it. In his other hand he's holding a book. Ilya watches as Shane puts his bookmark into the book, putting it on the small table next to the couch so he can give Ilya his full attention.
"Good nap?", Shane asks. And he's smiling and his eyes are warm and his thumb keeps caressing Ilya's shin and Ilya just feels so warm and safe and happy because he still can't believe he actually gets to have this. With neither of them having to rush, to leave, to pretend that they didn't want to stay in the first place.
So Ilya just nods, stretching and then settling back into the cussions. "Sorry for falling asleep", he says, voice raspy from sleep, eyes already falling closed again. Because, well. He did just fully pass out on Shane. But Shane just smiles at him, squeezing his shin.
"It's okay, Ilya. We have time. Go back to sleep, I'll be here."
And Ilya falls back asleep, safe and happy and with the promise of Shane right next to him.
blakekathryn
origamiaround
