hollanov, canon-compliant, sex montage interlude, a cocktail of jealousy and denial
Cap loves All-Stars. We all know why.
Shane ran through the acceptable things he could say. Yeah of course I like All-Stars. Because it’s hockey. Because it’s the best of the league. Which by the way doesn’t include you, Smith, you slow motherfucker.
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MORE heated rivalry fics that are conceptually clever or unsettling or thorough. or all of the above
not all of them are aus . many are under 15k hits
put my hand on the stove (and the cross) - unseemlyndisturbed
(beautiful eerie prose, the religiosity holds substance and is hypnotic. Load bearing fanfiction)
“And there.
Through a break in the trees, there is a house. Wooden, old, the pale white paint of it greyed with age and dampness.
"I—" His voice comes out level, at least.
The man has tilted his head. "What? You want to sleep in your car?" He pulls his chin toward the dark interior of the house, a small gesture. "No. Come in. Is no trouble."
God hasn’t abandoned him yet, ha.
Shane Hollander's car breaks down in the middle of nowhere. The man who answers the door is charming, warm, and just his type. Ilya Rozanov is a very religious man. He has a lot to say about repentance.”
HOLLANDER VS ROZANOV I - gone_girl
(i know nothing about boxing, but this conveys the world so clearly. outsider pov in chapter 1. knowledgeable clever cool character study)
“After nearly a decade separated by weight class, Shane Hollander has given up his cruiserweight title to challenge undefeated heavyweight champion of the world Ilya Rozanov. The following is a presentation of HBO Boxing.”
A Side Door Into the Dark - magnetica
(climatology physics scientists in antarctica. includes citations at the end. in a short amount of words the sense of setting is sooo strong. very endearing and cold)
“Amundsen-Scott Station, Antarctica
—
In grad school the only flirting he had mastered was the strategic deployment of phrases like ‘oh, really?’ and ‘is that so?’ It was brought to his attention by one of his more regular hookups in the kitchen of his apartment while they were cooking dinner, and he had said whenever Shane wanted to fuck he started talking like a coastal elite college girl who’d never had to ask for it outright. Now, in this strange point of contact with Ilya where it was obvious something vaguely carnal had passed between them, he thought about emulating his particular brand of assured charm. Whatever ideas he’d concocted devolved rather quickly into his own unintentional directness, and he said, “Does it scare you?”
“Does climatology scare you?” Ilya’s face was measured and calm, his foot still pressed against the curved joint above Shane’s heel.
“Yeah,” the word came out like a laugh, “it does, actually. A lot.””
decadent stress chamber - garagepaperback
(every word is intentional. frenetic. load bearing wall of a fic! buzzy. anything by garagepaperback is immaculate)
“Rush week confirms a lot of things. Ambitions, fears. Where do I fit? What if I don’t fit anywhere? Nervous freshman bitten-lip shit. Being an active, a senior, means having answers. Shane has no further questions.
–
Or, Shane’s in a frat. Ilya rushes.”
i looked over it and i ached - IsvsWorld
(very very good character study and exploration of shane’s japanese canadian experience. doesn’t shy away from the harder realisms.)
““I don’t really think about stuff like that,” Shane replies in interviews, his lips wooden at the words.
---
Shane and being haafu, 2nd gen, and Asian.”
helpless, tender, open - makomoris
(sexy and sickly and loving..)
“Shane gets an annual cold, Ilya notices, when they start to officially date. It happens when they're both on the road, and he calls Shane from his shitty hotel and hears him sniffling, nose all blocked while he grumbles about having to sit out a game. Ilya lets him whine, says I know, I know, sweetie, it doesn't feel too good, I am sure. He's imagining Shane a little helpless in bed, unable to move, struck down with fever. It stirs something inside him, seeing Shane, usually so whip strong, fastest skater he's seen, laid away to waste by the simple common cold.
or Shane gets sick, and Ilya still wants.”
HOLLANDER & ROZANOV ARE DEAD - eurydicees
(buzzy and heartfelt and nosy)
It is December, and Scott has been out for long enough to pretend to be used to it, and things are not perfect but they’re fucking good, and Ilya Rozanov is at his apartment for dinner—has been for over an hour—and he’s still waiting so stupidly hopefully to introduce a boyfriend who very, very clearly isn’t coming.
(Or: studies on coming out, learning patience, one-sided conversations, and other absurdist waiting games.)
got milk? i mean, got yoghurt? - unseemlyndisturbed
(fascinating mixed media storytelling…chapter 2 ending we still think about you. read the tags but also it’s sick (like crazy?) but earnest and emotional. sexy and comedic too! :P Also really well researched and realistic which enhances the reading experience so much)
“There was a small recoil, nothing Shane would consciously register as a recoil, just a slight drawing-back of his head and a micro-expression crossing the bridge of his nose.
His brows pulled together for one second, and he pulled the carton away from his face, examining the opening.
Ilya Rozanov has seven cameras. Ilya Rozanov has a blog.
His gay roommate doesn't know about any of this”
hockeybot - hiljainen
(gratifying. mixed media)
“Here is what everyone thinks of you. It’s exactly what you feared. It might actually be worse.”
Thirsty Little Flower - anonymous
(like ok i guess we’re getting into the pervert section of the fic rec list. i really like the shane characterization and the representation of finding out you’re a freak on the family computer and running from it forever. very charming seriously.)
tag i love: “think of this like an erotic expansion pack. the base game has plenty of smut already.”
“Fuck, something was really wrong with him. It was one thing to jerk off in the shower thinking about a hot guy. So maybe it was kinda gay, whatever. It happens. It's really another thing to jerk off thinking about your rival. Who beat you in *two* competitions today. A guy who, in all likelihood, didn't even mean to brush your fingers like that. That's kinda pervy, right? But plenty of other guys are also kinda pervy.
It's really definitely not normal to jerk off thinking about a guy telling you to stay hydrated.
Fuck. Shane Hollander is a freak.”
welcome to the family - pressuretoparty
(so satisfying and makes me flinch. whole house mad❤️. really honest ottawa hollanov depiction.)
“"We are actually so fucking washed," Shane bitches. "I'm never getting better and you are stuck on a losing team that sucks. Everyone is going to forget about us."
"Don't make me trip you," Ilya says, calmly. "Let's do another lap."
"No," Shane barks. Ilya raises his eyebrows.
Shane refuses to accept this. This perpetual cycle of suck. When he invited Ilya to his cottage almost four years ago now, he didn't expect their relationship to turn into their fucking burial ground.
Shane finds himself grounded in Ottawa for the foreseeable future. With his newfound free time, he hangs out with his family, eats Costco Rotisserie chicken, and whips Ilya Rozanov back into a champion.”
on the day of shane’s birth yuna took him to the melted centre bell and dipped him into it to turn him into the greatest hockey player of all time but unfortunately her hand was covering one foot and this is the skate he trips on at the end of the long game
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It’s no secret I’m a big fan of AUs but crucially I’m interested in AUs that are in conversation with the source material, that draw on what is intrinsic to Hollanov while being thoughtful about the things that necessarily have to change due to a different environment/trajectory. Here are some I think do this really well.
A Side Door Into the Dark by magnetica - Anxious Climatologist Shane and melancholic Physicist Ilya on a research base in Antartica. Packs a punch in a small package. Ilya hoarding condensed milk is very special to me.
got a taste for the cherry (i just need to take a bite) by woodlands - Lifeguards. Particularly good setting work here.
Gambit by grailquest - Set in the Cold War era, where they are (women) chess players. Not always a fan of genderbending because the Masculinity Is The Point but this is a very thoughtful and well done genderbending. In fewer than 5000 words the author manages to make commentary on the time period, gender, politics, and makes it sexy.
HOLLANDER VS ROZANOV I by gone_girl - Boxing AU that has teeth. Nobody gets what they deserve. I think all the time about Drake messaging Shane on Instagram and Ilya starting beef with him because of that. That is so funny and real to me.
Open Season by hazmesentir - F1 AU. For some reason I never see this on rec lists but it really is so good, I am still thinking about it more than a month later. Ilya is such a Redbull guy. I don’t know anything about F1 but this made me get why people are really into it.
bloodfeather by embodied - MMA AU. The fighting is the sex and the sex is the fighting.
🏷️ sculptor Shane, internalised homophobia, inspired by the Pygmalion myth
excerpt-
It's the perfect morning for this to be finished.
Shane's been putting it off for too long, lingering senselessly over the details that matter to nobody but him, staring at the marble until it overtakes his vision completely, blurring his whole world into an expanse of hard edges and supple curves. It's an early summer day in Montreal and the sun's far stronger than the heat, lighting the studio right up to the rafters with a gold like coins and honey.
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now of course they try to make a Gretzky power play rule (rule they made that was designed to defang Gretzky bc of how he was dominating pps) for hollanov. the hollanov rule is that no two centers are allowed on the ice at the same time during a power play (because obv hollanov are playing on diff lines but together on the pp). what they don't account for is that coach wiebe very simply can and will switch them to the same line. and the league is like FUCK because now for MORE of the game hollanov is sharing ice time. so now they're like okay you know what the hollanov rule amendment 1 is that you can't have two centers on the ice ever. ilya simply switches to right wing. the league is like hollanov amendment 2 MARRIED PEOPLE cannot play on the same line. Shane files for divorce
I'm back on my bullshit. Monthly reading lists are back. I am still firmly in Heated Rivalry psychosis territory and not reading anything else atm. This only covers the most recent fics I enjoyed. For everything I liked enough to bookmark between January & March, you can check my ao3. As always, ❤️ denotes favourites.
💠earlier HR & Hudcon recs
🔸️backdoor by guarddog (Hollanov, Shane + Montreal Metros, M, 4k)
“What are we talking about?” J.J. asks, and this could really go one of two ways. Either Holly shuts the conversation down pronto because it’s not respectful and he’s a hardass, or J.J. will actually be able to answer Willy’s question.
“Um, just, my girlfriend wants to try anal?” Willy says nervously. “And I was wondering if anyone had advice.”
or: Shane gives impromptu sex education.
Shane explaining anal in the locker room as the proverbial sack of rice falling over. Beautiful. Made me cry happy tears.
❤️🔸️continuity errors/tuesday again by Anonymous (Hollanov, M, 33k)
The first thing you should know about time loops is that they’re really fucking hard to break. The second thing is that you can never break one in such a way that it is incapable of returning.
The third thing you should know is that everyone around you has probably been stuck in a time loop at one point or another, and they made it out alive. This is only comforting if you’re a numbers guy, or if you’re the kind of guy who talks to others about how it feels to live the same day over and over and over and over and over and over again.
Shame if you’re not; the most important thing you should know about breaking a time loop is that it helps to tell someone you’re trapped in one in the first place.
Time loop as depression metaphor: insert brain explode emoji here.
🔸️death and taxes (and shane hollander) by @fingersfallingupwards (Hollanov, E, 68k)
There was a time when Ilya believed Scott Hunter's coming out would revolutionize hockey forever— but for every step forward came two steps back.
When Shane and Ilya meet again late in life, can they make their second chance work?
OR: Old Man Hollanov Yaoi.
I feel personally attacked by the "old man yaoi" label because they are only in their forties, but that is a me problem. The fic is lovely and them finding each other again made me very happy.
❤️🔸️frequently, secretly fond of each other by @milominderbindered (Hollanov, E, 222k)
Shrugging one shoulder far more casually than he possibly feels, Ilya says, “I like both. Is secret, okay?”
“Okay,” Hollander says, voice cracking.
He doesn’t say anything else. The air’s so heavy around them that it feels like being in the middle of a scrum, the weight and heat of all those bodies pressing down on you. Danger always feels like hockey; it’s the most dangerous thing Ilya knows, except for this. Everything dangerous in his life involves men’s bodies and just how close he can get to them. Closer than he probably should.
A year after mysteriously dropping out of the 2009 draft, Shane Hollander is signed by the Boston Raiders, right behind Ilya Rozanov. Having the two biggest stars in the league on the same line is great for Boston — but playing alongside their worst rival was never exactly in Shane or Ilya's plans. Especially not when staying away from each other starts to feel just as impossible as getting along.
I would expect to get bored eventually with a fic this long, but I enjoyed it from start to finish. This will probably end up a comfort fic reread. If you enjoy friends-to-lovers, give this one a try.
🔸️i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart) by @corvidcordelia (Hollanov, E, 47k)
Hollander’s eyes slid past him, stopped, came back and held, his eyes widening. Ilya smiled, a mocking curve of his mouth, and raised his cup in acknowledgment. Number one, he mouthed, and while he couldn’t be certain in the dim light of the bar, he thought he saw Hollander flush.
Then his chin lifted, challenging, and Ilya felt something hook behind his ribs, a sharp tug, like a fish on a line.
Or: Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander make a deal - whichever of them debuts as a #1 NYT bestseller owes the other a blowjob
A Pride&Prejudice Hollanov AU where they are rival writers. This author made me want to read their fictional books.
❤️🔸️I have only two emotions (careful fear and dead devotion) by tiredtiredsharl / @wolfiemcwolferson (Hollanov + Centaurs, E, 178k)
Shane disappears from the hockey world between the prospect cup and the draft.
Years later, Ilya ends up playing for Ottawa anyway.
I call this one the "emotionally significant gummy bears" fic. Absolute favourite. Will definitely reread. I cried so many happy tears. I adore this version of both Ilya & Shane. This fic made me fall in love with the Centaurs.
🔸️Rookie of the Year by medric / @bluegrasshole (Shane gen, T, 22k)
August 2007: Shane Hollander is 16 years old, a star rookie for the Halifax Bucks, and totally, completely, fine.
Pre-canon Shane feels very in character here.
🔸️snapping birch by @polysyndetonaddictsupportgroup (Hollanov + ensemble cast, M, 72k, WIP)
Shandry's Third @shaneybaby
uhhh so im on r/shanehollander rn and some guy is claiming to have cloned shane’s dad’s phone and uploaded it to the internet?? has anyone else clicked on this link will it give me a virus if i do
Shane gets outed and all hell breaks lose. This is a mix of group chats, social media posts (Ilya, Hayden and Marleau made me laugh so much), newspaper articles and prose. If you think you couldn't hate the Metros any more, think again.
❤️🔸️Vessel by medric / @bluegrasshole (Hollanov, T, 21k)
Eleven years ago, a total psychopath walked into a bar, onto a wharf, and all over Captain Shane Hollander’s life. And then he did it again, and again.
I love AUs that spirit me away into a world I know nothing about. They are lobster fishermen in this wonderfully immersive story.
🔸️wild geese by daphne_older (Hollanov, M, 28k)
In 2013 Shane is drafted to the Boston Raiders, the team where Ilya Rozanov has played for three years and is now captain. Shane is determined not to let his hockey crush on Rozanov impact his game, but as the season progresses, Shane has to admit that the hockey crush is turning into something more. If only Rozanov would stop touching him all the time, maybe Shane would be able to get a grip…
Shane as Ilya's favourite rookie was not something I thought I wanted. This made me feel all warm and fuzzy.
marble leaves the man directors cut? ilya deciding the solution to his loneliness is to get emergency services involved with plausible deniability is so inspired
thank you for this ask anon and sorry for the delay in replying! this was a happy plot development of listening to the story plus some real life inspiration. i wanted to write about ilya being simultaneously happy and miserable. feeling trapped, worrying about the harmful effects of domestication, etc. he had to throw himself against the bars a little, which is where the scene of driving and speeding came from, and of course what is the consequence of speeding... getting pulled over. i had a fire drill at work while i was writing this, and the guy running it had SUCH a thick regional accent, which made me think about boston firefighters... and then the self-harm ideation is right there in canon... so yeah, all the pieces were sort of sitting separately in my mind and gelled together on the page once i started writing. plus a heavy soundtrack of this song. it wasn't the easiest to write though, so i'm glad to look back on it and enjoy it a lot more.
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also about your bachelor au!!! I have a hard time with aus for hollanov because to me they're so ingrained in hockey, and it permeates so much of their relationship. however, I saw many people I trust with fics recing yours and gave it a shot and I loved it so much!!!!! they're so real and I love a glimpse into how Ilya would've turned out without hockey and how shane would've turned out without hooking up with Ilya!!!!! it was so beautifully written!!!! I love your work!!!!!!!!!! <33
thank you anon! i think AUs can be great for studying characters, and especially treating them as towers of jenga blocks and seeing what happens when you poke a few of them out. I think the AUs i tend to respond to the most are ones where we recognize the shape of the blocks, even if the tower has crumbled. In this fic it's Ilya without hockey and wealth, and Shane without Ilya. Bachelor!Shane has been denying himself things a lot longer than canon shane did. Shane thinks repression and denial are necessary sacrifices for success, but in this fic that repression has hurt him, professionally and emotionally. Conversely, I think that canon ilya can afford (literally) to be a sweetie pie in ways that Producer!Ilya cannot.
thanks for reading the fic and sharing this with me <3
I really enjoyed your Bachelor AU! I think you got a lot of stuff about both of their characters right – the way they are both prickly, intense, somewhat insane people, the way Shane isn't just self-controlled but actually relies on others to control his life in so many ways, the way Ilya will respond to his own brittleness by pushing hard (but this works because, again, both of them are somewhat insane). It made me reflect on how when HR came out a lot of people said part of the appeal was that both characters are filthy rich and famous so they're on a level playing field. But in this scenario Shane's fame and fortune makes him vulnerable in ways Ilya is not (and vice versa), and the whole thing just superheats their dynamic even more.
In chapter 1 when Ilya says "something happened" to end his hockey career I assumed what he meant was a suicide attempt, since unlike a physical injury this would be a detail he wouldn't want to share, and that this would be a plot point later on. I'm curious if you meant it that way, if I missed something, or if he just didn't want Shane to know too much about him at that point in their relationship?
Hi anon!
thank you for reading, you have a lovely way of talking about them, and I appreciate you turning that eye toward my fic! I would say that I think whatever isn't in the fic is the reader's to interpret as they wish, and I think your read is devastating (in a way i appreciate) and would work well for this version of the character.
This detail is something that I addressed in the epilogue i am maybe-writing for this fic, so in lieu of my answer here is a snippet of that, below the cut. Thanks again for the ask!
It took many years for Ilya to recognize his brother's envy and to court it with intention, to bait it like a bull. If he could not have his brother's love, then he would have his rage. If his brother was angry at Ilya for things that were not his fault, like being the baby and being more charming and better-looking and better at hockey and better with women, then Ilya was going to rub his brother's face in all of those things until he could not breathe around them.
They were not friends at all by the time Ilya was a teenager, and it was mostly Alexei's fault, but a little bit Ilya's too. Ilya was a vain shit about all the things he took so easily that Alexei did not have. And so Lyosha was monstrous to Ilya during the rift that tore his life in half for the second time in only three years.
Ilya was fifteen, still careening with grief from losing their mother, and making as many bad decisions as he could fit into the twenty-four hours of the day. He made several bad decisions with his coach's son, and was cast out of the hockey program when they were caught. His coach salted the earth and razed every avenue of potential that Ilya could have tried to ford.
Lyosha had no pity for him at all. He would have beat Ilya for it, if Ilya was not too big for him to win against by then.
It was almost a blessing when his father started to lose his mind not too long afterwards. His father's displeasure with Ilya did not fade with the rest of his memory, but at least when he forgot about everything, he forgot about Sasha, forgot about no more hockey. In his last days, the only bruises Ilya's father knew to press on were long-faded, already turned back to the color of skin.
Even though it has been so long since his family had the opportunity to disappoint him, silence and betrayal still run cold in Ilya's blood like a poison he did not expect to ingest. And now his father is dead, and the poison will never find an antidote, and the same is probably true of his brother, even though he's still alive.