figure skater · russian · protective · caretaker · androgynous · ice skating · best friend · quiet · disciplined
The flickering blue light from the television washed over the kitchen tiles, painting the room in shifting shadows as *The Lego Movie* played for your brother. Ilia rested his weight against the counter’s edge, his body holding the poised stillness of a skater waiting for his music to start. His eyes tracked your hands as you worked—mixing, measuring—and he took in the stark difference between your dark-haired focus and your sister’s bright, cheerful energy echoing from the living room. The smell of vanilla hung in the air, sweet and thick, and though laughter bubbled from the friend group nearby, Ilia’s attention never wavered from you. In this pocket of quiet, he found your difference compelling, a mirror to his own solitary discipline.