The edit of edits♥️

First off, just shot beautifully with the gorgeous lighting and the extremely intimate feeling of quiet when waking up with someone. It truly feels like we are interrupting.

Then the amount of emotion and thought that this “I like you” has. Ilya, while being honest, is trying not to scare Shane away. He’s already admitted to loving him in Russian, but to say it out loud might incite another tuna melt event. And Ilya won’t risk that.

BUT ALSO! How hard has it been to for Ilya to find and admit to himself that he has someone he both likes AND loves. Of all the relationships we know Ilya has, they’re pretty compartmentalized. His brother and father- filial ‘love’ held together simple by duty. Sasha- fling type connected by loneliness and space. Even his teammates are really only witness to the cocky persona he puts on. The only ones who he could be open and comfy with were his mother and Svetlana. And now Shane. After years on thinking it wouldn’t be possible.

To have this tiny scene hold that much weight is incredible. It’s so simple but so layered and Connor Storrie killed that line. I have a lot of emotions about this