Leonidas

Below are 16 recommendations to honestly incredible fics, some of them are really popular and you might already know them but we have over 20K fics in this tag (insane) so I think this list might still be useful for someone.

(Some of these might fit in more than one category, but I choose the one that I belive better represented the fic)

☆ Character study

Compatible by jewelledfoxes

Explicit / 18K / One-shot

Ilya’s blood has always run hotter than Shane's.

Or: Yay Hollanov free use! Everybody cheered!

(It's about sex but it's also about their relationship and I have read it several times totally recommend it)

The Performer by toxotes

Explicit / 14K / One-shot

Sometimes they're curled up on the bed together afterwards and Shane runs his hands up and down llya's body, rhythmic and smooth, touching just to touch. Ilya stunning in the literal sense of the word: Shane is paralyzed by him, struck dumb. Desire may never be a problem here, but understanding is: Ilya feels distant and incomprehensible to Shane.

A cross-section of Shane Hollander's sex life

(It deals with a lot of complicated feeling about sex and attraction and Shane growing up and accepting himself)

Us until You by chaentics

Mature / 10K / One-shot

you, plural.

or: Svetlana has Ilya, and then she does not.

(Svetlana POV on ilya during the whole hollanov situationship)

My 30-Days of Anon HR Freak Shit by Anonymous

Not a One-shot but a series of One-shots (kinda)

(It's really filthy but has really good writing and there's delightful character studies in most of the fics)

☆ AUs that explore Shane and Ilya's relationship with a slight twist (might include magic)

don't leave me this way by frenchleaves

Mature / 36K / One-shot

ilya gets hit on the head during the emergency landing in Tampa and thus begins his week-long stint as a ghost. whatever bad thing that can happen, the proceeds to do so. it's definitely not fun for ilya, and definitely not fun for shane either.

(It's a lovely read and the summary explains it pretty well, you should read this)

for the bible tells me so by vividblossom (dirtymudblood)

Explicit / 17K / One-shot

Shane Hollander struggles to reconcile his faith with his undeniable attraction to a man.

Or a case study in Lust.

(Shane featuring Religious Guilt because why not?)

☆ Time travel (yes it has its own category)

fall in love again and again by Ehlihr (ehlihr)

Mature / 24K / One-shot (kinda)

Chapter 1: Shane wakes up on the same Tuesday over and over again after leaving Rozanov in a rush. Tuesday is his second least favourite day of the week, so he's not really happy about it.

Chapter 2: Ilya notices Shane acts strangely. He just never remembers

(Not a fan of the groundhog day trope but this fic made me reconsider that)

circle back season by Anonymous

Teen / 9K / One-shot

At the cottage, Shane and llya meet eighteen year old Shane Hollander. This is really only a surprise for one of them. Everyone handles it as well as can be expected.

(The time traveler's wife AU basically)

nothing's ever the way that i remember it (i don't want a violent end) by queenofseventeen

Mature / 31K / One-shot

Quietly, in a voice that couldn't disguise his pain, Ilya said, "I already chose you, Hollander." Then so silently that it was barely different from breathing. "Sometimes I wish I hadn't.

(a.k.a llya expresses regret about choosing Shane and Shane gets sent back in time to fix it only in this universe Ilya never came onto him at all.)

(Shane time travels and decides to choose ilya in a different universe)

☆ Hollanov getting outed in different ways

for richer or poorer by lowkey_existential_despair

Explicit / 14K / One-shot

There was a twitter post. A video. The caption said #pissgate. The video started playing automatically, and Ilya saw the nondescript white tile of the Metros locker room, and then the camera peered around a corner, and there he was. There Shane was. It played just long enough for llya to hear himself-say it-and Shane- piss on me. please-before his phone fell from his nerveless fingers and shattered on the concrete.

(I was put off by the watersport tag for a long time until I finally read it and all I have to say it that it deserves to be read even if you aren't into that)

me and my wild boy, and all of this wild joy by colacatenjoyer

Not rated / 4K / One-shot

All in all, it could have been worse.

It's not like you can measure the full length of Shane's dick, or see the exact moment that llya swallows down the mess of spit and his own cum from Shane's mouth after he sucked the life out of him.

It's just, well, everything else.

(A video gets leaked and they deal with the aftermath)

☆ Cute and hilarious and kinda weird (in a good way)

a load of lies by badmetaphors

Gen / 5K / One-shot

BREAKING: Local man gets pavlov'd by the KonMari method, more at 11.

(Featuring Centaurs and Ilya's laundry kink)

Baby By Me by Anonymous

Teen / 7K / One-shot

In which a single misunderstanding spirals into becoming the MHL's greatest secret: Shane Hollander is pregnant.

(Exactly as described in the summary, hockey boys are incredibly stupid in this and it's hilarious)

Teenage Dirtbag by Nullevoy

Teen / 5K / One-shot (but it's part of a series)

Clips and photos of llya's teenage years in Russia get leaked

(Teenage ilya is a menace that wears tracksuits everywhere)

Impacto by ilyacruzeirense

Mature / 16K / One-shot

When Canada's hockey star, Shane Hollander, is your twin brother, it's expected that llya Rozanov becomes part of your life; just not in the way that the public may think.

Or, 5 times that Hudson, Shane's twin, notices something more than a rivalry was happening + 1 one time Ilya finds out that Shane has a brother

(Super weird concept but absolutely fantastic fic 100% would recommend)

Dinner Tonight? by FriPie

Explicit / 15K / One-shot

There was nothing standard about Shane and Ilya's relationship, so it really shouldn't have been so surprising that they had their first date over a decade after meeting each other.

It also shouldn't be surprising that it took roughly five minutes before it turned into a competition.

Below are 16 recommendations to honestly incredible fics, some of them are really popular and you might already know them but we have over 20K fics in this tag (insane) so I think this list might still be useful for someone.

(Some of these might fit in more than one category, but I choose the one that I belive better represented the fic)

☆ Character study

Compatible by jewelledfoxes

Explicit / 18K / One-shot

Ilya’s blood has always run hotter than Shane's.

Or: Yay Hollanov free use! Everybody cheered!

(It's about sex but it's also about their relationship and I have read it several times totally recommend it)

The Performer by toxotes

Explicit / 14K / One-shot

Sometimes they're curled up on the bed together afterwards and Shane runs his hands up and down llya's body, rhythmic and smooth, touching just to touch. Ilya stunning in the literal sense of the word: Shane is paralyzed by him, struck dumb. Desire may never be a problem here, but understanding is: Ilya feels distant and incomprehensible to Shane.

A cross-section of Shane Hollander's sex life

(It deals with a lot of complicated feeling about sex and attraction and Shane growing up and accepting himself)

Us until You by chaentics

Mature / 10K / One-shot

you, plural.

or: Svetlana has Ilya, and then she does not.

(Svetlana POV on ilya during the whole hollanov situationship)

My 30-Days of Anon HR Freak Shit by Anonymous

Not a One-shot but a series of One-shots (kinda)

(It's really filthy but has really good writing and there's delightful character studies in most of the fics)

☆ AUs that explore Shane and Ilya's relationship with a slight twist (might include magic)

don't leave me this way by frenchleaves

Mature / 36K / One-shot

ilya gets hit on the head during the emergency landing in Tampa and thus begins his week-long stint as a ghost. whatever bad thing that can happen, the proceeds to do so. it's definitely not fun for ilya, and definitely not fun for shane either.

(It's a lovely read and the summary explains it pretty well, you should read this)

for the bible tells me so by vividblossom (dirtymudblood)

Explicit / 17K / One-shot

Shane Hollander struggles to reconcile his faith with his undeniable attraction to a man.

Or a case study in Lust.

(Shane featuring Religious Guilt because why not?)

☆ Time travel (yes it has its own category)

fall in love again and again by Ehlihr (ehlihr)

Mature / 24K / One-shot (kinda)

Chapter 1: Shane wakes up on the same Tuesday over and over again after leaving Rozanov in a rush. Tuesday is his second least favourite day of the week, so he's not really happy about it.

Chapter 2: Ilya notices Shane acts strangely. He just never remembers

(Not a fan of the groundhog day trope but this fic made me reconsider that)

circle back season by Anonymous

Teen / 9K / One-shot

At the cottage, Shane and llya meet eighteen year old Shane Hollander. This is really only a surprise for one of them. Everyone handles it as well as can be expected.

(The time traveler's wife AU basically)

nothing's ever the way that i remember it (i don't want a violent end) by queenofseventeen

Mature / 31K / One-shot

Quietly, in a voice that couldn't disguise his pain, Ilya said, "I already chose you, Hollander." Then so silently that it was barely different from breathing. "Sometimes I wish I hadn't.

(a.k.a llya expresses regret about choosing Shane and Shane gets sent back in time to fix it only in this universe Ilya never came onto him at all.)

(Shane time travels and decides to choose ilya in a different universe)

☆ Hollanov getting outed in different ways

for richer or poorer by lowkey_existential_despair

Explicit / 14K / One-shot

There was a twitter post. A video. The caption said #pissgate. The video started playing automatically, and Ilya saw the nondescript white tile of the Metros locker room, and then the camera peered around a corner, and there he was. There Shane was. It played just long enough for llya to hear himself-say it-and Shane- piss on me. please-before his phone fell from his nerveless fingers and shattered on the concrete.

(I was put off by the watersport tag for a long time until I finally read it and all I have to say it that it deserves to be read even if you aren't into that)

me and my wild boy, and all of this wild joy by colacatenjoyer

Not rated / 4K / One-shot

All in all, it could have been worse.

It's not like you can measure the full length of Shane's dick, or see the exact moment that llya swallows down the mess of spit and his own cum from Shane's mouth after he sucked the life out of him.

It's just, well, everything else.

(A video gets leaked and they deal with the aftermath)

☆ Cute and hilarious and kinda weird (in a good way)

a load of lies by badmetaphors

Gen / 5K / One-shot

BREAKING: Local man gets pavlov'd by the KonMari method, more at 11.

(Featuring Centaurs and Ilya's laundry kink)

Baby By Me by Anonymous

Teen / 7K / One-shot

In which a single misunderstanding spirals into becoming the MHL's greatest secret: Shane Hollander is pregnant.

(Exactly as described in the summary, hockey boys are incredibly stupid in this and it's hilarious)

Teenage Dirtbag by Nullevoy

Teen / 5K / One-shot (but it's part of a series)

Clips and photos of llya's teenage years in Russia get leaked

(Teenage ilya is a menace that wears tracksuits everywhere)

Impacto by ilyacruzeirense

Mature / 16K / One-shot

When Canada's hockey star, Shane Hollander, is your twin brother, it's expected that llya Rozanov becomes part of your life; just not in the way that the public may think.

Or, 5 times that Hudson, Shane's twin, notices something more than a rivalry was happening + 1 one time Ilya finds out that Shane has a brother

(Super weird concept but absolutely fantastic fic 100% would recommend)

Dinner Tonight? by FriPie

Explicit / 15K / One-shot

There was nothing standard about Shane and Ilya's relationship, so it really shouldn't have been so surprising that they had their first date over a decade after meeting each other.

It also shouldn't be surprising that it took roughly five minutes before it turned into a competition.

writing prompts to evoke nostalgia

a collaboration with @theluckywizard and @exalted-dawn-drabbles. thanks!

a childhood blanket

a nursery rhyme

old clothes that no longer fit

a home-cooked meal

meeting an old friend

the smell of a character's parents' home

an old portrait

a long-standing grudge

a long-standing prank war

finding items thought lost while cleaning

telling stories by the fire

coming home for a visit

a years old scar

comfort food

visiting an old haunt

seeing someone who looks exactly like an old friend but isn't

sibling in-jokes

an old favorite song

an old hated song

childhood pets

holiday gatherings

giggling underneath the covers

parents fussing over their adult chlidren

embarrassing baby stories

climbing into a loved one's bed after a nightmare

waking up to the smell of cooking

hitting one's head on the same low-hanging beam

marks on the wall that marked your growth

passing on a beloved object to the next generation

finding an old secret stash

doing chores the way a character's parents taught them

coming back to find nothing has changed (except for character)

timeworn decorations

an object thought unimportant kept as a treasure

the same weather as for an event in one's youth

receiving heirlooms

stargazing

a tune you almost forgot

the same spot in the floor still squeaks years later

bedsharing with family

Typhros is considered an incurable and seemingly inevitable illness which has potentially been such for several hundred years; whether it is or it isn't, the idea of it as such is almost certainly ingrained. Given Essek has only been working on this long enough that people genuinely believed his mother was traveling, it is not unlikely that this first attempt would not have worked—but I do think his mother had some faith that he could've done it in the long run. Not necessarily in time for her, but perhaps in time for others. But at this point, if this first attempt hadn't worked, it seems quite likely Essek would've thrown himself further into the project as he has already pursued it, which would've done far more harm than good, so she removed herself from the equation.

How Trent clearly kept her isolated, working alone, because it kept her desperate and angry. And I think to Trent, a desperate and angry Owelia was the easiest Owelia to control, and the most dangerous to his enemies. How Astrid and Eadwulf would mourn each other. How they mourned Dain, who we knew nothing about, who died without pain; died thinking he had served the great Empire with his life. But Owelia died in immense pain, alone, perhaps the only thought on her mind that maybe, maybe this meant she won because Bren looked so pitiful.

How she was a halfling, quick on her feet, and specializing in poisons and acids and doesn’t that sound horribly familiar? A mirror to not just Caleb, but Veth too. Who was her family? Although we don’t know yet in the shows canon if all Volstruckers killed their family like in the campaign, or if it was a unique test for Bren, I wonder. Was her family loving? Did she at one point have someone who would care if she died?

"Do what you have to do."

"Not what I came here for."

"What do you want from me?"

"Don't talk to me ever again."

"I will see you later, ok?"

"What a silly question to ask."

"I can't stop thinking of you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Feel free to never come back."

"You are always on my mind."

"That was such a dumb idea."

"Do you have a better plan?"

"I don't feel like doing that."

"What more is there to lose?"

"Don't you see that I'm hurting?"

"I love you, but not enough."

"A little help would be great."

"You can't handle a little pressure."

"I know what I am doing."

"My life is empty without you."

"How am I supposed to know?"

"I don't want to hear it."

"This was a spectacularly bad plan."

"It's good to know you're safe."

"Don't come near me ever again!"

"What a silly thing to say."

"I couldn't care less about you."

"This is not what I expected."

"Where are my manners, my dear."

Essek and Caleb at Jester and Fjord's wedding party, k-i-s-s-i-n-g

*

When the hand-shaking and back-slapping is all done (for now, for now), and Jester’s skirts have been thoroughly checked for rotting inter-dimensional plant matter—when the sun is a brand at the edge of the sea and the first guests are trickling off in the direction of the Chateau for the reception—when there is a moment, it seems, between the surreal duties of love and friendship and family—Essek touches the small of Caleb's back, and tilts his head toward a quieter spot at the edge of all the pomp and circumstance, just a little way along the cliff. They slip through the well-wishers with nods and glib promises to speak tonight (“Oh definitely, we’ll see you there, ja, ja” ... “who was that?”).

Caleb sinks onto the little bench, tucked discreetly behind a few conjured pink trees, with a sigh that he feels in his terrible, creaky, forty-two-year-old joints. It has been a day. It has been, perhaps, more like at least three days packed into one.

Essek joins him; he is quiet. Watching. He worries, of course.

Caleb brushes a knuckle over the pristine silk of Essek’s trousers, pulled taut over his knee. “I’m alright, Schatzi. We came through fine. I promise.”

Essek catches his hand, softly.

Caleb looks up; it’s enough to make Essek smile, a little.

That’s enough to make Caleb smile a little too. “How are you?”

Essek’s arched eyebrow is a scold in itself. “You are incorrigible. I am perfectly well. I was not abducted by a mad hag in the past hour.”

He is impossibly beautiful in the dying light (he is always most beautiful when he is just a little cross…or when he is reading, or when he is terribly focused in the garden, or when he is casting, or when he is tangled in Caleb’s sheets with a little sweat on his brow and his dear lips set open, panting softly; Essek is beautiful rather a lot of the time, is the thing).

Caleb raises his other hand to trace the plane of skin between Essek’s sharp collarbones and lush pink silk. “I like this.”

Essek’s eyebrow arches further. “The place I’m not clothed?”

Caleb grins. “Always, dear.” (Essek glares, with no affront at all.) Caleb inclines his head. “No. No, the outfit is beautiful. You did a wonderful job.”

Essek smiles properly at that, small and pleased; he has fretted over the outfit, Caleb knows.

“I have not seen you in this neckline outside the house before. It’s a beautiful top. You pull off the pink better than I do.”

Essek scoffs. “It’s a ridiculous colour. But you look lovely; we both did very well.”

Caleb runs his pointer finger where Essek’s thick glut of pearls touches his throat. “Hoarding all our components?”

“Don’t you dare.”

Caleb grins.

Essek smacks him where their hands are still joined. “Terrible man.”

The last sun makes amber of the pearls in his elegant hair and spangled over his perfect, ostentatious shoulders; catches the silver at his eyelids and puts fire in his ringlets and all the pale edges of him. He has always been a creature of magic to Caleb: a powerful, dangerous thing that Caleb really shouldn’t touch and does anyway, again and again and again. He looks like it, here, now, even soft-eyed with relief and concern and pleasure in the moment and the elation of the day.

Essek reaches a little awkwardly with the wrong hand to brush the huge, blousy flower tucked behind Caleb’s ear; he is not moving his other hand from Caleb’s. Murmurs, “I’d say I can’t believe you accepted this, but—Jester.” His fingers pause a moment...then trail decisively down over Caleb’s jaw, a proprietary path through his beard.

Caleb lets himself be pulled closer as Essek’s fingers catch beneath his chin. “She is a hard lady to say 'no' to.”

“Mmm.”

Essek’s lips are cool and sweet and very slightly sticky with cosmetic.

Caleb shuts his eyes: the easy fire of the last sun over the ocean; Essek’s fingers curled into his own, oh so gentle but decidedly not letting go; Essek’s index finger sweetly directive at his jaw; the quiet breeze off the water, easing the humid heat of the coast; Essek’s kiss, familiar and undemanding, banked warmth and welcome.

Maybe tonight, if he’s not exhausted and/or intoxicated beyond capability, he’ll chase that warmth: Essek is exceedingly lovely today, and he was terribly flirtatious this morning, and there is always something in the relief after surviving, and well, weddings and all that.

For now, he deepens the kiss just a little, just enough to properly ruin Essek’s lip gloss, just enough to let him know: they are here. They survived, as they do. The world is good and they are in it together. Essek breathes in like surfacing from sleep; his mouth tastes like cinnamon and promises and home.

The sun sinks into the water; the clouds are co-operating with Jester’s terrible colour scheme.

The world is good, and they are all in it here together.

Caleb clasps Essek’s hand.

Everything is right with the world.

Below you can find all the submissions to Vaxleth Week 2025. Any late entries will be added to this list, too.

Day 1 - Wings/Wild Shape

Acting Catty - Dragon_Princess (@you-poopin)

Underneath His Wings - Vaxildanscyare (@vaxildanscyare)

Falling or Flying - RavenDruid (@ravendruid)

Safe Space - TiamatZX (@tiamat-zx)

Be still, my Indelible Friend - Through_jupiters_eyes

A lifetime of weird - GreatHouseOfDel

Hummingbird (Chapter 1) - EchoingArias

Vax’ildan - vaxildanscyare

Wings - Telpelote (@telpelote)

Day 2 - Tempest/Champion

The Tempest and Her Raven Champion - RavenDruid

Titles - Dragon_Princess

A Drag Path - Vaxildanscyare

A Battle Couple’s Cruise - TiamatZX

Hummingbird (Chapter 2) - EchoingArias

Vax’ildan - Vaxildanscyare

Champion / Tempest - hxneybunni

Day 3 - You know I'm in love with you, right? / High-Five

I’ll Crawl Home To Her - RavenDruid

You Know I’m In Love With You, Right? - Dragon_Princess

“You know I’m in love with you, right?” - TiamatZX

Dancing forever with you - Whiplaaash123 (@silverpleatherjacket)

Whose Branches Extend Into Heaven - EchoingArias

Enamorado de Ti - TheDrowningOne (@thedrowningone)

Vaxleth - Vaxildanscyare

Day 4 - Modern Au/Any AU

Thorns Around The Dagger - Vaxildanscyare

Jailbird - TiamatZX

Happily Ever After (Part 1: The Ceremony) - RavenDruid

The Most Formidable Revolutionaries - EchoingArias

Modern AU - Telpelote

Day 5 - Free Day

Happily Ever After (Part 2: The Reception) - RavenDruid

Momentary Mending - TiamatZX

Kitchen Talk - GreatHouseOfDel

Free Day - Vaxildanscyare

Day 6 - I'll find you, I promise/First Meeting

Lost Without You - RavenDruid

Your Guardian Angel (Meeting the Princess) - RavenDruid

No matter how far you go (you'll come home to me) - Whiplaaash123

A Promise Kept - TiamatZX

Day 7 - Fresh Start/Reunion

The Dawn of a New Era (Prologue) - RavenDruid

Everything Changes - TheDrowningOne

✧ Broken ribs suck. You don’t just “walk it off.” Breathing hurts. Laughing hurts. Existing hurts. Characters with rib injuries won’t be doing heroic sprints.

✧ Concussions aren’t instant naps. Dazed vision, nausea, dizziness, maybe even personality changes, but they’re not going to collapse neatly like in the movies.

✧ Blood loss is sneaky. It’s not just about dramatic pools of blood. It’s dizziness, confusion, and the body getting cold as circulation tanks.

✧ Adrenaline lies. Someone can take a serious injury and not feel it until the fight’s over. That “I didn’t realize I was bleeding until later” trope? Very real.

✧ Twisted ankles are brutal. One bad step and suddenly running is off the table. Even walking hurts like hell. Perfect way to ground a chase scene.

✧ Burns linger. Even small burns hurt more than most people expect. Blisters, infection risk, constant pain, it’s not just a cool scar later.

✧ Dislocated shoulders = useless arm. Characters can’t keep swinging a sword or firing a gun. They’re basically fighting one-armed until it’s fixed.

✧ Shock is a thing. Pale skin, trembling, rapid heartbeat, and eventually disorientation. A character might not even realize how bad their wound is.

✧ Stitches aren’t magic. Getting sewn up is painful and recovery takes time. They’re not instantly battle-ready after a needle and thread.

Liars make stories twist, characters clash, and readers question everything. But not all liars are created equal. If you're writing one, ask yourself: what kind of liar are they? Because there’s more than one way to deceive…

Many types of liars

the one where you know they are lying

the one where you never know that they are lying

the one who lies about everything

the one who lies to themself

Writing Tips:

Know why they lie

Every liar has a reason. Is it survival, manipulation, shame, love, power, or habit? Understanding their motive helps you shape their behavior and emotional responses.

Use subtext and contradictions

Liars rarely say "I'm lying." Instead, they contradict themselves, dodge questions, or over-explain. Let their words and actions subtly clash.

Let the lie shape the plot

A good lie should ripple through the story. It creates misunderstandings, false alliances, and dramatic irony. Use it to mislead characters and readers.

Use silence

Sometimes the most powerful lie is omission. What a character doesn’t say can be just as revealing as what they do.

Play with perspective

Use unreliable narrators or shifting POVs to blur the line between truth and fiction. This keeps readers guessing and deepens the mystery.

Show consequences

How are characters reacting to someone lying to them? What happens if people find out a character lied?

Vaxleth Week 2025

November 17th - November 23rd

Day 1, November 17th: Wings / Wild Shape Day 2, November 18th: Tempest / Champion Day 3, November 19th: You know I'm in love with you, right? / High Five Day 4, November 20th: Modern AU / Any Au Day 5, November 21: Free Day Day 6, November 22: I'll find you, I promise. / First Meeting Day 7, November 23: Fresh Start / Reunion

Vaxleth week is a project that has been in the works since the beginning of the year when a group of Vaxleth lovers decided there wasn't enough love for these two disasters. With the end of Campaign 3 still fresh in our minds, there wasn't a better time to start this journey, so we invite you to come on it with us!

Why November? We decided we wanted to celebrate the beginning of Vax and Keyleth's relationship, and November 19 was the date that Episode 33 aired, the one where Vax'ildan finally confessed his feelings for Keyleth.

How can I participate? You can participate in any way you want, either by writing lovely fanfic, drawing artwork, making edits, and even through cosplay! Make sure you use #VaxlethWeek in any platform, such as Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr, or @ us here @vaxlethweek, and we will reblog and share it! (For anyone who is writing fanfic, there will be a collection on AO3 if you post there!)