I need to see it again to pinpoint the details but I really like how the opening scene of obsession (2026) is Bear practicing his confession with a diner waitress... like already you have a woman (who is not Nikki) fulfilling the role for her, saying the response she thinks Bear would like to hear, but the moment this woman gives her own opinion, offering genuine advice to Bear (something along the lines of buying Nikki something she likes, like her favorite candy, flowers, etc)... Bear disregards it... but then ends up using Ian's recommendation from this same conversation (calling Nikki "Freaky Nikki")... like god its all already right there

What we really need to discuss is the first time Ilya gave Shane the proper aftercare they’d both been needing the whole time they’d been doing this- when all the feelings are on the table and Ilya can let shane fully go into subspace, stay there, the way they cuddle and kiss and find comfort in each other for so so long after, touches and soft kisses and whispers and Ilya telling Shane how good he is, how beautiful, how he will never understand how he got so lucky. That Shane is his treasure and then Shane is all wet eyes and chewing at his bottom lip and Ilya is frowning, worried it’s too much but then Shane just mumbles a “love you love you love you” into his mouth into more soft kissed and Ilya strokes the tremble of his shoulders and tells him he loves him back, but it’s a sorry too a sorry for them never having this before, not the full thing, Shane not understanding how sacred it feels for Ilya to have him in his arms. How incredible he feels being trusted with this most beautiful part of Shane, that he’s safe here and Ilya has him. Completely.