Just thinking about Ilya stargazing at the cottage and how Shane would join him and they spend the night talking about constellations and mythology...
Having grown up and living the middle of big cities since forever, one thing that fascinates Ilya most when staying at the cottage is the clear view of the night sky. Sure, here and there he had seen how beautiful the stars can be, but there is a difference between seeing and truly experiencing it. And here, in the peace and quiet it's the only time he can really relax enough to take the spectacal in that is unfolding above them. And no matter how often he had seen it already, Ilya could never get tired of the view.
Sometimes he wakes at night, takes a look at Shane, sleeping softly, cuddled next to him, a little smile on his lips, and it would break his heart a little bit to leave their bed if he wouldn't know that they have time, and he can always come back in it's warm embrace.
Careful not to wake up Shane Ilya climbs out of the bed and sneaks outside ro the dock and sits down in the wooden planks, let's his legs dangle, and just looks up. Up to the velvety night sky where the millions of stars are stretching over the firmament, blinking idly back down to him. Who would have known the night could be so dark, everything around him, the forest, the lake, is pitch black. It should feel scary, but how could Ilya be afraid, with all these stars watching over him? In a way, the night seems to hold so much more light and comfort than the day.
Somehow Ilya feels the shift in the atmosphere, before he even hears the steps on the gravel, making their way towards the dock, and Ilya feels himself getting even more comfortable. It's like he as an inner compass but instead pointing north it's always facing towards Shane.
Suddenly Ilya is wrapped in a blanket, and a hot thermos is pressed into his hands, he gratefully accepts he always forgets how cold he gets when he is so absorbed in the moment.
In the next moment, Shane sits down next to him, cuddles as close as possible to Ilya under the blanket and Ilya happily slings an arm around Shane who nuzzles his head into the crook of Ilya's neck.
"Did I wake you up?", Ilya whispers against the back of Shane's head.
"No", Shane mumbles, voice still a bit rough with sleep. "I just don't like sleeping without you."
"Don't be. I do like being here with you", Shane states between a little endearing yawn.
Ilya presses a kiss on the back of Shane's head. "Me too."
And truly could there be a more wonderful place to be than this - together with the love of his live in their own little peace of paradise, and only the stars being their witness?
It's moments like this where Ilya's heart is so full and so warm and he feels so at peace that he can actually forget about the rest of the world.
"Shane...", he pleads softly. "My Solnyshko. Malysh. Shanya..."
"What do you want, Ilya?", Shane groans and buries his face deeper into Ilya's chest.
"Can you tell me about the pictures in the sky again. The star pictures."
"Ugh. That sounds like hockey strategy. Star pictures sound much better."
"Ilyusha, I already told you everything I know about the star pictures", Shane mumbles against Ilya's chest, smiling with fond memories of nights when he told Ilya all the stories about the constellations Shane remembered since he was a kid and David sat with him and explained the night sky to him, when Shane had troubles falling asleep.
"I know." Ilya is not above begging. "But I want you to show me again. I like when you tell me stories. Please?"
How could Shane resist that? It's not that he really tried to very hard to, anyway.
He is already sitting up, leaning his head against Ilya's so they can look up to the firmament together as he raises his arm to point to the stars. "Do you see this blurry, glowing band up there? That runs through the sky like a river? That's the milky way. And if you follow the milky way you should see this very bright star, you got it? That's Albireo, and actually a double star. That's the head of Cygnus, the swan. If you connect these stars, it looks like a cross. Do Ou have it? My dad told me that there are different legends around it. In Ancient Greece, it was said that Cygnus represents Zeus, as he disguised himself as swan to seduce Leda." Shane swallows. "My dad prefered the Roman legend. They said it's represents the story of Phaeton who wanted to ride his father's sun chariot and lost control and was struck down by Zeus. And Phaeton's lover, Cygnos, was so full of grieve and spend many, many days to find his remains in a river to give Phaeton a decent burial and the God's where so touched by Cygnus sorrow and devotion that they turned him into a swan and placed him in the stars."
"Maybe Phaeton was turned into a swan, too, yes? So they can fly through the night sky together?"
"Maybe. Maybe he is just on the other side of the sky where we can't see him."
"Da. That makes sense. See, we made the story better. Okay. More star pictures, please?"
And so, they spend the night outside, hurdled together, finding picture in the stars and talk quitely until sleep sneaks up on them again and Ilya drags Shane back to bed.