The night before his world was shattered, Ilya lay freshly bathed in his bed. The summer sun was still setting and the orange glow was peeking in through his window. He’d had a rare day where he was able to just be a kid and play outside, and he could still feel the sun in his skin and the good kind of tired in his body. He fell asleep listening to the birds saying goodnight to each other.
Years later, he’d sometimes try to recall that feeling of happiness and contentment when he’s having trouble sleeping. He knows he’ll never experience it again.
Until Shane’s cottage. They’d spent the day swimming in the lake, only taking breaks to indulge in various “adult activities” right on the dock in the sunshine. He’s freshly showered, laying in stupid soft and probably outrageously expensive sheets, with Shane’s head nestled on his chest. He can feel the sun in his skin, and in the heat from Shane’s body. As he watches the sun disappear behind the trees, Shane breathes a soft “I love you, Ilya” before succumbing to sleep. A long-held knot in his chest releases as he runs his fingers through dark hair and whispers, “Spokoynoy nochi, moy lyubimyy”. He falls asleep listening to Shane sleeping, and the birds saying goodnight to each other.
