#devestated

Because the second Shane’s guard drops, you see something bloom in Ilya. Not lust — soft affection, maybe the first flicker of something he can’t admit yet. And that kiss? He doesn’t go for the mouth. He goes for the cheek, rubs his nose, the kind of affection when you want closeness, not just heat.

The way he lifts his chin, leaning in, trying to get closer to Shane? That’s someone who is starving for affection and quietly asking for more.

And then it just… shatters

The recoil - you can see it hit Ilya like a cold wave the second Shane panics. Shane is spiralling into his own crisis, convinced things are getting too real. But from Ilya’s side? It feels like he opened his chest for one second… and scared Shane away.

The devastation on Ilya’s face when Shane lies about the “team meeting” is brutal. He knows it’s an excuse. Responsible, rule-following Hollander does not forget meetings. And the look he gives him - this tiny, incredulous really? — hurts more than the lie itself.

And then the worst part: he tries to slam his walls back up. Calling him “Hollander” twice like he’s desperately rewinding the moment, trying to pretend everything’s fine — we can go back to normal, right? His little head shake, the attempt to reassure both of them… but he’s gutted, and trying so hard not to show it.

It’s their first true emotional collision - two young guys, both terrified, both vulnerable in completely different ways. Shane overwhelmed and unsure; Ilya convinced that showing even a hint of affection pushed Shane away.

"I love that you get cold when it's 71 degrees out. I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich. I love that you get a little crinkle above your nose when you're looking at me like I'm nuts. I love that after I spend the day with you, I can still smell your perfume on my clothes. And I love that you are the last person I want to talk to before I go to sleep at night. And it's not because I'm lonely, and it's not because it's New Year's Eve. I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." -Harry's epic declaration of love."

Thank you for "When Harry Met Sally " It will forever be one of my favourite romantic comedies.

i thought you were gonna catch me

i never stopped falling for you

now i know better, never let me