Calm your mind

RATED T | WORDCOUNT 6K | TW: Shootings, home invasions, vomiting, hospitals, outings, homophobia

or…hollanov get outed because of a home invasion, and the shooting isn’t even the worst part of ilya’s year! i wrote this in a fugue state so if u see any mistakes….no u dont <3

The officer sitting across from Shane looks far from sympathetic. It might worry him, if he wasn't so busy staring at the flecks of maroon currently buried beneath his fingernails.

"Why were you at Rozanov's apartment, Mr. Hollander?"

Shane blinks. "What?"

"Why," The officer repeats, leaning forward, "Were you at his apartment? You have to admit, it's pretty strange to—"

"We're together." Shane interrupts, tone flat. It doesn't make his stomach churn to say it out loud. It doesn't make him want to shrink into the uncomfortable plastic chair he's sitting in. "We had a three-day stretch with no games, so I was staying with him."

The officer bristles. He has a nametag, but Shane has no interest in reading it. He seems, overall, unconvinced. Shane supposes if he was a cop who was clearly awful at his job and stuck on the night shift, he'd probably be just as miserable.

"Okay," He sighs, "Let's start again. Tell us what happened, from the beginning."

It's a waste of time. Shane is making bad decisions, right now, this much he knows; he's talking to cops in a tiny detainment room in the hospital, with no lawyer, without his mom, without his agent. None of this is smart. He's outed himself to about a thousand people over the past three hours, and none of it fucking matters, because Ilya could have died.

Shane looks back at the dried blood on his hands. It's staining his t-shirt, too, and his sweatpants. No-one has offered him a change of clothes or even a towelette to clean his hands. It's evidence, says the little voice in the back of his head that sounds like Rose's true crime podcasts, if Ilya dies, they'll need it as evidence.

If Ilya dies, it might be all he has left of him. His blood, on his hands. Shane is struck by a vision of himself in forty years, old and alone and still covered in the blood he couldn't bring himself to wash off.

"Mr. Hollander," The officer prompts. Shane resists the urge to roll his eyes. "From the beginning again, please."

ch5. WIP, alternating POV Scott and Shane. 30k words.

"But. All that hiding. You… don’t get the years back. There’s another season and it’s the same game, same expectations, another chance. But the time is gone.” Shane feels a pitying sadness, unsure of where the conversation has gone, these uncharted waters. There’s no screen in the four-seaters, he quite literally does not know where they are over North America, how far to home.

In which Scott Hunter accepts a trade to Montreal, just as Shane Hollander is named captain.

Or: what if i spin scott hunter and shane hollander at each other like two high-strung beyblades??? ilya and kip will both show up, eventually. along the way: so much canadiana i'm making myself sick on the maple syrup.

And after getting over my initial (rather emotional) response, I wanted to reply properly, and explain just why that hit me so hard.

So back around twenty years ago, the internet cosplay and costuming scene was very different from today. The older generation of sci-fi convention costumers was made up of experienced, dedicated individuals who had been honing their craft for years.  These were people who took masquerade competitions seriously, and earning your journeyman or master costuming badge was an important thing.  They had a lot of knowledge, but – here’s the important bit – a lot of them didn’t share it.  It’s not just that they weren’t internet-savvy enough to share it, or didn’t have the time to write up tutorials – no, literally if you asked how they did something or what material they used, they would refuse to tell you. Some of them came from professional backgrounds where this knowledge literally was a trade secret, others just wanted to decrease the chances of their rivals in competitions, but for whatever reason it was like getting a door slammed in your face.  Now, that’s a generalization – there were definitely some lovely and kind and helpful old-school costumers – but they tended to advise more one-on-one, and the idea of just putting detailed knowledge out there for random strangers to use wasn’t much of a thing.  And then what information did get out there was coming from people with the freedom and budget to do things like invest in all the tools and materials to create authentic leather hauberks, or build a vac-form setup to make stormtrooper armor, etc.  NOT beginner friendly, is what I’m saying.

Then, around 2000 or so, two particular things happened: anime and manga began to be widely accessible in resulting in a boom in anime conventions and cosplay culture, and a new wave of costume-filled franchises (notably the Star Wars prequels and the Lord of the Rings movies) hit the theatres.  What those brought into the convention and costuming arena was a new wave of enthusiastic fans who wanted to make costumes, and though a lot of the anime fans were much younger, some of them, and a lot of the movie franchise fans, were in their 20s and 30s, young enough to use the internet to its (then) full potential, old enough to have autonomy and a little money, and above all, overwhelmingly female.  I think that latter is particularly important because that meant they had a lifetime of dealing with gatekeepers under our belts, and we weren’t inclined to deal with yet another one.  They looked at the old dragons carefully hoarding their knowledge, keeping out anyone who might be unworthy, or (even worse) competition, and they said NO.  If secrets were going to be kept, they were going to figure things out for ourselves, and then they were going to share it with everyone.  Those old-school costumers may have done us a favor in the long run, because not knowing those old secrets meant that we had to find new methods, and we were trying – and succeeding with – materials that “serious” costumers would never have considered.   I was one of those costumers, but there were many more – I was more on the movie side of things, so JediElfQueen and PadawansGuide immediately spring to mind, but there were so many others, on YahooGroups and Livejournal and our own hand-coded webpages, analyzing and testing and experimenting and swapping ideas and sharing, sharing, sharing.  

I’m not saying that to make it sound like we were the noble knights of cosplay, riding in heroically with tutorials for all.  I’m saying that a group of people, individually and as a collective, made the conscious decision that sharing was a Good Things that would improve the community as a whole.  That wasn’t necessarily an easy decision to make, either. I know I thought long and hard before I posted that tutorial; the reaction I had gotten when I wore that armor to a con told me that I had hit on something new, something that gave me an edge, and if I didn’t share that info I could probably hang on to that edge for a year, or two, or three.  And I thought about it, and I was briefly tempted, but again, there were all of these others around me sharing what they knew, and I had seen for myself what I could do when I borrowed and adapted some of their ideas, and I felt the power of what could happen when a group of people came together and gave their creativity to the world.

And it changed the face of costuming.  People who had been intimidated by the sci-fi competition circuit suddenly found the confidence to try it themselves, and brought in their own ideas and discoveries.  And then the next wave of younger costumers took those ideas and ran, and built on them, and branched out off of them, and the wave after that had their own innovations, and suddenly here we are, with Youtube videos and Tumblr tutorials and Etsy patterns and step-by-step how-to books, and I am just so, so proud.  

So yeah, seeing appreciation for a 17-year-old technique I figured out on my dining-room table (and bless it, doesn’t that page just scream “I learned how to code on Geocities!”), and having it embraced as a springboard for newer and better things warms this fandom-old’s heart.  This is our legacy, and a legacy the current group of cosplayers is still creating, and it’s a good one.  

OP also invented armsocks.

The CCM photoshoot. After Shane gets added, CCM inform Ilya that he cannot eat peanuts for at least 24 hours prior to the shoot (since they'll be in each other's faces and they don't want to risk killing the #2 overall pick).

Maybe the stylists gossip or smth, but it all amounts to Ilya knowing about the allergy from the jump and being one of the very few who don't treat him like he's fragile or deserves pity.

oh MAN okay okay: so i feel like they wouldn't be telling someone else's medical information, BUT i 100% feel like yuna puts things like an allergy-free set in shane's rider from the very start, and yeah she has to bring down the hammer sometimes especially when shane is new in his career so people are a little eyeroll about new kid on the scene being picky (it's one of the reasons she's ALWAYS on these sets with shane), but it's just a default of, "hey, craft services cannot have X, X, or X, and approved styling products are X, X, and X. all substitutions must be cleared by his management at least 48 hours in advance."

so ilya gets told as part of this shoot, "hey, we don't allow blah, blah, blah on set for allergy reasons" without saying there's actively a person who is being considered here. and ilya is new! he doesn't really know how all of this works yet no matter how confident he has to act about it, so as far as he knows, this is just how ad sets work. i also cannot remember of it was an ask or a question i got, but i THINK someone also told me that stuff like peanut allergy warnings are not super common in russia but relatively VERY more present in north america, so i also 100% buy ilya being like, "cultural thing, maybe? normal for over here?"

and he and shane are making smalltalk at the side of the rink, and ilya brings up that he organized the shoot, and he's still looking for more stuff to say to keep them talking (because tbh? just a lil nervous about talking to his crush especially after admitting he arranged this and still not sure if shane is vibing back or not and also still working on getting fully comfortable with english), so he brings up, "crazy we cannot even have peanut butter here, yes?" because again: DOESN'T KNOW THIS IS A SPECIFIC REQUEST. STILL THINKING THIS IS PROBABLY JUST A LIABILITY THING FOR AD SETS IN GENERAL OR SOMETHING.

and shane immediately is wondering if he's being made fun of or something?? did someone tell??? is rozanov being shitty about this?? is this a dig? but no. he said "we". he's not assuming it's shane's fault (wouldn't be his fault anyway, but it's how shane thinks about it). and he doesn't know rozanov yet, so he's not going to bust out his medical history when he doesn't have to, especially if he thinks rozanov MIGHT be shitty about it if he's going to bring up the set rules. so he just "yeah, they're pretty strict about it." so now ilya is just internally like 'yeah, so okay. this is how things go. his mom is his manager so she probably knows all the rules and told him. noted.' which tbh? kind of a relief. now he knows something important for this career (ooooh ilya).

so they agree to meet up, but ilya has now been thinking about the forbidden allergies purely the way you will when someone brings something up to you and tells you not to eat it (not even spitefully against the rules, just "man, someone mentioned peanut butter and said not to eat it, and now i REALLY want some peanut butter"), so he does something like get thai food with peanut sauce for dinner, and then obvi he has a mint right before meeting up with shane, but he's trying to act SO cool guy and going through the whole bother of brushing his teeth and using mouthwash would feel like Doing Too Much (jesus christ, teenaged boy with a crush). so his breath doesn't SMELL like peanuts, but he hasn't scrubbed any potential traces clear.

and the hookup with them happens pretty quick from first kiss to finishing, so shane at the end is catching his breath...and catching his breath...a-and catching...his breath. and then realizes that his throat and chest going so tight is a reaction and not just being fresh out of orgasm (and really FUCK his life. he gets the first sexual experience he has ever wanted and now THIS? FUCK his fucking EVERYTHING).

and ilya hasn't seen someone have a reaction before, so he doesn't actually know what's happening at first. is this? a freakout? "hollander, are you ok-" but then shane is scrambling up and tearing through his bag and ilya is just ?? what??? is goign on right now?? and then shane finds his epipen and doesn't want to sit on hotel floor because Gross but manages to wobble back to the bed and use it, and ilya STILL doesn't know?? what the fuck is happening?? but hollander couldn't really breathe right and now he stabbed?? himself?? with something?? and ilya can read context clues enough to understand that this is a medical thing, which is alarming, but also shane in the aftermath of using the epipen is shaking violently because that's just a side effect of it, and he's still catching his breath, but ilya bunches up the comforter to put around him because he thinks maybe he's just shivering??

and shane manages to get his breath back enough to say, "hey, ca-can you ca-call an ambulance?" and ilya is ?! yes but ?! and then shane realizes he's still naked so need to fix THAT first (fuck his FUCKING life), so he starts to get up and ilya (who is tbh a little freaked out right now because still doesn't know what's happening but shane looks Not Okay) just gently pushes him back down and grabs his (ever so helpfully neatly folded) clothes for him and puts them beside him on the bed and also puts his own clothes back on SO fast because obviously that needs to happen Now, and when he gets done, shane still hasn't gotten his shoes on or something because shaking still and also still has fucky blood pressure so getting a head rush leaning over, so ilya ends up helping.

and then ilya calls for him and also just. doesn't feel okay leaving him. their rivalry hasn't set in yet and this is the first time they've done anything so what even is there to hide (nothing obvious is on the bed, and beside a crumpled tissue in the bin, there's no other evidence), and also people already saw them talking during the shoot today so not beyond the realm of possibility that they'd just be doing more of that since they're already in the same hotel. and yuna was leaving the hotel earlier to get a drink with a friend or something who happens to be in town, so shane doesn't want to ruin that for her over a stupid reaction (and also wants to feel like an adult and not have to have his mom come running when she already stayed with him all day because of his allergies when he KNOWS it's noteworthy for someone's mom to be doing this), so when the paramedics ask about if anyone needs to be contacted or if anyone's coming along, he very honestly is like, "no, my mom's busy."

and ilya fully on impulse tells shane, "i can come. if you want." because like. he's already here. he still doesn't FULLY understand what happened here. but shane looks really sick rn and he knows from meeting her in the elevator that yuna was leaving the hotel, and he doesn't know why shane wouldn't just call (maybe she doesn't take her phone when she goes out?), but HE wouldn't want to take an ambulance ride by himself if he felt as bad as hollander looks right now (he almost certainly would end up doing it because who else would there be to come with him, but he wouldn't WANT to). and shane is a little thrown, but yeah, he doesn't know him well but it's not like he has a secret to keep from him at this point and maybe not a bad idea to have someone who can call his mom on his phone if he needs them to because of a secondary response or something.

so ilya ends up going to the hospital with him, and they end up talking because what else is there to do in this four hour observation window. and shane confesses to his allergies and being the reason the set couldn't have allergens on it. and ilya can read people. he can see that shane is bracing himself here. but ilya doesn't actually care. he'll chirp hollander and have fun with him, but he's not actually going to make fun of someone's medical condition, especially when they've ended up in the hospital because of it.

(and because. of him then eating something. that triggered that medical condition. oops.)

and they actually end up getting along during this time they've got 1:1, and of COURSE yuna finds out shane's not in his room because she went by to say goodnight and also hand over a new sponsorship deal someone sent over while she was out and got printed in the business center at the hotel to let shane look at it (prefers papers he can touch instead of reading on a phone), but shane?? didn't answer?? honey, you feeling okay?

and now yuna does end up at the hospital and is surprised at finding rozanov there, but as shane is scrambling, rozanov hops in with an excuse of saying he went up to see if shane wanted to work out together (a wink wink that only shane will understand lmao), but then shane started having a reaction. so now what yuna knows about ilya rozanov is that he was actively trying to hang out with her son and be friendly AND he then helped her child during an allergic reaction and even went with him to the hospital after.

and through the power of yuna, ilya and shane end up exchanging numbers because yuna won't say it but she's always excited when shane ends up making a new friend, so she drops a, "why don't you boys trade numbers? then you can hang out the next time you're in the same place for something."

so now they've started texting WAY earlier than in canon, and to shane's mom at least it's understood they're not really enemies right from the start (with the context of ilya is actually nice to shane in person, she understands that the rivalry is just an nhl narrative, and she understands marketing and spin), so she encourages shane in texting him, and even when they're in the same place (like at all stars), she encourages them meeting up and getting dinner together.

and for shane's part, ilya teases him about it later, but it's not mean or exclusionary. they plan on getting dinner with shane's parents for the first time or something and rozanov hits him with a, "i should order peanuts again and try to kill you, do you think? or is twice just bad manners?" and it's such a relief to have someone who thinks it's something that can just be joked about. rozanov doesn't treat him differently now except for asking shane now and then about stuff just because he's not wanting to kill shane the next time they meet up lol.

and they've seen things like them at the edge of an event being dumb teenagers but in a way that's really sweet with ilya trying something and going, "mmm no, they are liars, i think. tastes like poison for hollanders." so they also?? just assume?? that ilya's family also knows they're friends?? and yuna atp has answered questions for ilya before on contracts or brand deals because he doesn't always get translations of things but won't ask because doesn't want to get condescended to, so at a certain point she noticed him frowning at something and looking back and forth between a dictionary on his phone and the paper he was looking at and just pulled a "need some help?" and ilya resisted at first because Pride...but also yes, please.

but then they go up to ilya and his father at this event??? and the vibes are Off??? they know ilya by now so they know he's funny and sociable?? but he is now SILENT?? and glances at his father before he speaks? and uuuuuh that sure is some clues to follow.

and on TOTAL impulse one day, david at dinner or something just so casually observes that the flight back and forth to russia for holidays must be hard. and ilya (who was making fun of shane for not wearing his glasses but also helping him look at the tiny ass allergy warnings on this menu) looks up and SO neutrally goes, "yes, is very long. i don't usually go back. just for summer." because zero chance he's getting into the guilt of feeling relief at having an excuse he knows he shouldn't be using.

but then david AGAIN SO CASUAL is just, "well, if you want a shorter plane ride, you're always welcome to come stay with us."

and I'm fucking WEEPING imagining the end of the night when everyone is starting to pack up and go home and he hears david say, "okay, wait, where are mine?" because everyone's in a shuffle collecting jackets and leftovers and kids, and then yuna comes up behind ilya and puts a hand on his shoulder in a "gotcha, stay put" mom gesture and calls back, "I've got one of them. where did shane go?"

B R U H

(read more because JESUS this post is getting long)

they say they're dating now, and yuna and david are a little surprised but encouraging but also ask how long and mmmm. hm. okay. so...

so they manage to convey the "since the very start, yeah" of it all, but like. yuna and david KNOW about ilya's reputation. they love him dearly but they also know boy was rockstar-style sleeping his way across the nation by all accounts. and also they now know shane was dating rose like. VERY recently.

which means we have, "but, ilya, honey, you were cheating? there were so many-wait, shane? were YOU cheating, too? you even brought rose to dinner!"

which means no matter WHAT other changes there were in this universe, we still get

and feeling ABSURDLY powerful in a way that feels good finally after weeks of feeling so shitty, ilya buys the stupid peanut butter, takes it home, cracks it open, and eats it with a spoon sitting on his couch because who cares. he can cross-contaminate everything he wants now. it's not like he has to think about it anymore. he's been doing this since he was a teenager but it's fine. over now. no problem.

and he sits on his couch in this dark house knowing that shane is in the same city as him but doesn't want to see him. and he can only eat this at all because it doesn't matter anymore if he and his home are safe for shane.

because shane doesn't want him anymore.

he manages three spoonfuls before he goes back to the kitchen, screws the lid shut, tosses it in the trash, and then takes the trash outside for good measure. getting it completely out of his house. he goes up to his bathroom and brushes his teeth even though he's not going to bed yet. he doesn't think about why he's doing this even when there's no one to kiss tonight who would need him to do this.

and he feels fine about it. really.

they've done more of their own separate work as they've gotten older and cultivated their own brands and publicly pushed the rival element of their friendship, but they still do work together sometimes, mainly for work for BIG companies that can afford to have them both

and this one is for like. tom ford or something. they're wearing suits and looking very Serious Face. and in the past, they would have been catching each other's eyes and making each other laugh, ilya more than shane because shane has perfected the art of getting ilya with a single look over the years because it's funny to make him lose the not laughing competition. they've literally been doing this since 18. they're good at it. and it's fun and easy and there's bts footage of stuff like them arguing over snacks (there's more snacks. they just both wanted this one because it's fun to playfight about it), and for shane especially, it's always felt better having ilya on the same set as him. it makes it way more fun for both of them. ilya has even trusted his mom's necklace around shane's neck during shots where his neck needs to be bare for the picture. there's so much fun and trust between them on these days.

but not on this one.

it's stilted, and they stumble around things the way they haven't since they were 18 fucking years old and brand new to this and to each other. shane doesn't make ilya crack up and break because ilya doesn't even look at him. there are too many things in between them now for it to keep flowing when something so massive has buckled and broken and twisted. it isn't fun. it isn't easy. they eat on either side of the set. they're not playing words with friends on their phones in between set-ups and then playfully verbally abusing each other about their scores. they don't speak. they don't look at each other. they don't split a pack of chips because shane will protest about the macros but also end up taking all of the ones ilya hands him.

for one shot, ilya has to take his necklace off, and shane halfway perks up, ready to at least have this little gesture of trust, this little sign that he and ilya still have an understanding between them, that-

ilya puts it in his pocket.

If you enjoy hurt/comfort and injury/trauma recovery fics, this is one you should definitely check out. The writing is beautiful and it is by turns harrowing and tender, the subject matter treated with the seriousness it deserves without ever becoming too heavy. Serious warnings for graphically-described homophobic violence and medical trauma. I have enjoyed following along with this fic so much, and I am kind of sad that it is finally over.

Word Count: 91k Fandom: Heated Rivalry (TV), Game Changers | Heated Rivalry - All Media Types Rating: Explicit Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov Characters: Shane Hollander, Ilya Rozanov, Ottawa Centaurs - Character, Montreal Voyageurs | Montreal Metros Team Ensemble (Game Changers), Roger Crowell Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Angst, Hockey Injuries, hypoxia, Hospitalisation, Montreal Voyageurs | Montreal Metros Being Assholes (Game Changers), Shane Hollander’s feral revenge spree, Breathplay, both the fun and and unfun kinds, Homophobia, Supportive Ottawa Centaurs (Game Changers), Racism (Implied), Medical Trauma, Face-Fucking, Unreliable Narrator, Whump, Hurt Ilya Rozanov, Trauma, it’s brutal but they still get to be soft, Memory Issues, taps roof of this fic: this bad boy can fit so much medical trauma in it, Post-Book 6: The Long Game (Game Changers), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Panic Attacks, Light CBT, Cockwarming, Disordered Eating, BAMF Shane Hollander, Freak4Freak Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Inappropriate use of Mr Brightside, Fuck the Montreal Metros, Face Slapping

Excerpt:

The first sound Ilya hears is a thin, discordant symphony of beeps and whirs. Something vibrating. 

The next thing he hears is…wet. A sort of shaking, gargling sound, that feels like the ugliest crying he’s ever heard. And through it, Shane’s voice. 

“I’m with him now, mom. He’s— he’s not fine. He’s not. I know—”

Ilya wants to ask who’s not fine, but he can’t feel his own body, his mouth, enough to ask.

“Yeah,” Shane is saying, only slightly calmer. “I know. He wasn’t breathing—“

Ilya knows there’s a link, between the clinical musicality of medical settings, Shane’s audible, awful distress, and his own physical incapacity. It’s just, it’s so tenuous, and the air around him is so thick, so heavy. It would be easy, to sleep, a little. 

Summary:

today (and every day) is a beautiful day to read this fic. forced marriage but make it hockey, sex tapes, angst, did i mention sex... you could not ask for more...

In late 2014, celebrity photos start dropping. Ilya deletes his texts, his photos, a video he should never have taken. It isn't soon enough.

I love this fic, I love this Ilya, I love this Shane. Run don't walk:

There is a tense note in Hollander’s voice. This is not unusual, because Hollander is held together by latent panic

AND

Maybe Hollander feels like this all of the time, like his skin will crawl away without him if he does not hold himself still.

AND

I wrote some more! (New fanfic at the top!)

Hollanov: A History (or, the fangirl group chat fic)

Fangirls Annie, Casey, and Morgan start a group chat that Lily joins, but 22,000 words. Morgan (not a hockey fan!) makes a powerpoint to prove to her friends (who are Boston hockey fans) that Hollanov is real. Annie lives in Ilya Rozanov's building, but only mentions that in the group chat six months after Lily joins. Oops.

Someone called this my FrizzyAnya Cinematic Universe, because while it is 100% a standalone story, there are easter egg references in here to a number of the fics below on this list. It felt a little bit like my capstone project at the end of the semester.

When Wyatt and Jackie Team Up It's All Over (The D&D Fic)

Wyatt (DM) POV, 11,000 words. Jackie helps Wyatt get a group of hockey players together to play D&D. There has to be a little scheming to make it happen. The game they play is based on (the setup and opening of) Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. (No spoilers for that beyond what's on the book jacket.)

(*This is extremely nerdy but I don't really think you need to know anything about D&D to understand it. It's mostly just silly chaos.)

Welcome to Florida

Shane POV, 2,300 words. How Shane ended up by the rooftop pool during All Star weekend.

Team Bbq! Be there at 3:00! 

Hayden and Ilya POV, 4,900 words. Hayden invites Lily to the team bbq at the end of the regular season. No one is prepared for who shows up. (*I think this is my funniest fanfic)

And I (Ilya) am mad at Marlow too

Cliff POV, 450 words. Shane's injury from Marleau's perspective

Soulmates in Every Universe

Canon but with soulmates, 2,800 words

Someone Needs to Tell Lily

Hayden knows the hospital will update Shane's emergency contact (his mom) about his injury, but who will tell Shane's secret girlfriend?

Irina Rozanova is Proud of Yuna and David Hollander (New!)

Irina Rozanova loves her son and hates to see him feeling alone. She can't move on until he's loved as much as he needs.

This Doesn't Leave the Group Chat

Lily is the biggest shipper in the hollanov fan girls group chat.

I Could Marry Svetlana

Ilya POV, 1,600 words. Ilya has a plan to marry Svetlana in order to stay in North America to be with Shane, only he tells it to Svetlana rather than Shane.

Three 8-year-old Girls in a Coffee Shop

Ilya POV, 540 words. Ilya will NOT stand for someone claiming to be Shane's girlfriend, even if that someone is three 8-year-olds in a coffee shop.

All the Girls Know

Neighbor POV, 1,100 words. Ilya's neighbors are very loyal to him. Julie can tell Ilya and Shane love spending time with kids so she hatches a plot to give them that chance.

Learn Russian with Shane Hollander

Shane POV, 1,000 words. Ongoing. Shane wants to learn Russian. So do we. The words are slowly introduced into the story as he learns them, and then repeated for emphasis as we learn alongside him. (Meant as an educational experience.)

The (fake) fake marriage

Immigration Officer POV, 1,100 words, Everyone knows Shane and Ilya are getting a fake marriage for immigration purposes. Everyone, that is, except the immigration officers assigned to their case.

The things Hayden will do for his wife (and his best friend) (definitely not for himself)

Hayden POV, 2,800 words. THE phone call from Hayden's perspective. The mute button on Shane's phone didn't work and Jackie's a bit of a voyeur.

No one's allowed to flirt with Shane except Ilya

Ilya POV, 900 words, Ilya and Shane run into Shane's Mexico hookup while on vacation. Ilya gets jealous.

Shane's passcode has been 1221 since 2011, duh

Hayden POV, 3,500 words, Hayden and J.J. can't stand seeing their friend Shane so heartbroken over his ex girlfriend Lily. So naturally they steal her number off his phone to try to convince her to get back together with him. Chaos ensues.

About that Spare Key

Svetlana POV, 1,300 words, Svetlana has used her key to Ilya's apartment pretty liberally in the past, but it's been a while since she's seen him. She'll just pop over to hang out, and maybe hook up with Ilya and whoever he brings home. Only Ilya isn't the person to walk through the door.

The One Where Ilya Rozanov Takes Up Video Editing 

Ilya POV, 1,200 words. Ilya is a sappy little lovesick puppy. He tries to pull a prank on Shane but he's a little too in love for it to really work and ends up giving him a silly little gift instead.

I know you better than that 

Svetlana POV, 900 words. Show canon with an alternate ending, Ilya and Svetlana on the bed talking about Shane Hollander. She has a pretty good idea that he's keeping secrets, and she's going to keep the conversation on Shane until she gets her answer.

It wasn't just "1221"

Scott POV, 2,900 words. Scott didn't go three years between hearing 1221 and starting a fight on the ice with Shane with nothing in between. There was more than just that in his head when he decided that yes, Shane Hollander really did have something going on with Ilya Rozanov.

Ilya Rozanov is the World's Biggest Troll

Cliff Marleau POV, 2,500 words. 5 times Ilya Rozanov told his Boston teammates that he was hooking up with Shane Hollander and they didn't believe him, and 1 time they finally do.

The Group Chat Needs One More to be Perfect

Jackie Pike POV, 3,400 words. The WAGs are determined to get Shane's girlfriend into the group chat. Jackie appoints herself to go on a little spy mission to recruit Lily.

Everyone Needs Ilya

Yuna Hollander POV, 1,400 words. If Ilya didn't accompany Shane to the cottage it would have been harder for Shane. But I think it might also have been harder for Yuna. How do you believe that can be true without the evidence right in front of you?

I Want a Mom (and Dad) That Will Make It All Better

David Hollander POV, 900 words. Shane goes outside because he wants to apologize to her and he needs the apology she offers him. But Ilya stays inside with David. What does Ilya need?

How Hard Could It Be to Seduce Rose Landry? 

if you’re scared of wolves by sleepingintheculdesac

Words: 88,300 | Chapters: 10/11

In another life — or maybe the next one, or maybe the one before — Ilya Rozanov learns that some roads only lead to one place. No matter how you take them, the wolves are always waiting at the end.

Maybe that's why, in December 2008, Ilya wakes up with the distinct, inexplicable sense, that he has already lived this life before.

Some things, it turns out, are inevitable. The question is whether he is.

-------

Deep in the depths of Youtube, there is a channel. It’s not huge. A few thousand followers at most but those followers are dedicated to its host. 

The channel, called ‘David Builds It’ was a rather sweet little self-help channel. The premise was simple. The older gentleman, David, would film various tutorials designed to help people learn how to do everyday tasks. From tying shoelaces to building cabinets. Painting decks and oil changes. Creating a fishing lure and even taping up a hockey stick. 

The lore of David was a little fuzzy but in the few months since the creation of the channel, his loyal followers had tried to collect all the little tidbits they could, to create a comprehensive picture of the man they had all fallen in love with. 

From what they had pieced together, he was an older Canadian man, still handsome even in his 60’s. He was retired from a Government Job and possibly lived in Ottawa or its surrounding. He had a wife he adored and children. No one was certain how many or what age they were but he had more than one, based on the small comments he made in regards to ‘The Boys’ which littered his videos. He never named names, always filmed his videos in areas with limited identifying features, either outside or in a custom build workshop. 

He may also have grandkids? He had mentioned the term ‘The Kids’ in several videos but no one was 100% sure if he was referring to his own children or other people. It could be both. Some said it wasn’t. Given his age, it was a bit odd that the first video he dedicated to ‘The Kids’ was about how to change the lightbulb in the fridge. Not something young children needed to know. So maybe the kids were also ‘The Boys’?

There was a third group he referred to, called ‘The Team’ which also got the occasional reference and who the viewers were fairly certain was some sort of friends group. Not much was known about this group but David had mentioned one time, as he showed how to properly clean a blackstone BBQ, that he had learnt it from one of the guys on the Team.

The viewers also knew that David was an ally. That had been made clear when he had worn a t-shirt with ‘Free Dad Hugs’ written across the front in rainbow font in one of his videos, which had led his fans to believe that one of his ‘boys’ may be gay. When his followers had questioned it in the comments section, he had even gone so far as to reply that he had gotten it for Ottawa Pride the week before he filmed the video in question. 

That had definitely earned him a few more followers, with people reaching out confessing that as members of the Queer community, they had used his videos to learn things their own parents refused to teach them because of their sexuality. 

Occasionally, viewers would send him requests. Little asks for him to attempt. The first one was also David’s first live stream. A viewer asked him to build a Bekant Desk from Ikea on a livestream. It had been meant as a joke, the desk notoriously difficult to build but David had taken on the challenge with gusto, setting up his camera in his workshop. This livestream, far from discouraging David (even if he did admit that the desk had beaten him and the weird contraption was far from correct) had led him to profess he wanted to get better and try again. It was also the first time viewers heard the voice of his wife. The woman didn’t appear on camera, but it became evident early on that she was behind the force behind the channel, offering occasional suggestions and reminders when David lost his tools and laughed with him at the absurdity of the task. 

That livestream had ended with David asking his unnamed wife if one of ‘The Boys’ would like the Bekant and his wife laughing at him.

Quickly the faceless woman who had married David won the crowd over and although she was invisible to the viewers, she and David were quickly dubbed ‘couples goals’ for their good natured jokes, close to chirping and the way David smiled on camera when his wife complemented and encouraged him made his already handsome features light up. 

Of course, it had all started somewhere. 

The very first video from David had been titled, ‘For my Boy’. It had been a fuzzy, slightly out of focus video, going through the steps of how to properly tie a bowtie. The quality had been terrible but David’s charm had quickly won over his followers as he interspersed his tips for getting the perfect bow with comments about how proud he was of his ‘boy’ and how he hoped that everyone could take something positive from this. His outro, with his promise to be there for his family and always willing to help them to the best of his ability had fully won his position as an internet darling, albeit a lesser known one. 

The following videos were an upgrade, the quality and lighting improving but they were sporadic. Sometimes David would post a few times a week and sometimes he would go radio silent for weeks on end. His followers would often leave comments and #wheresdavid would inevitably pop up during the longer breaks. One time, David had returned to livestream after a few weeks of silence, apologising and saying he and his wife had been in Las Vegas. Since that had been the week of the MLH Awards and David was a proud Canadian who had done a few videos about maintaining hockey gear (his tutorial on how to sharpen skate blades had been one of his more popular videos), a few of his followers had asked him if he had seen any famous hockey players while he was there. David had even read out the comment and grinning, stated he had. 

And yet, David had refused to be drawn any further into the conversation, even when a few people had asked if he had met Ottawa’s own hockey darling, Shane Hollander. He had simply smiled and continued to teach his viewers how to change the chain on a chainsaw. 

But one day, a livestream became David’s most memorable. Because it featured The Boys. 

David had been in his workshop. He had wanted to show his viewers how to build a dog house. Apparently it was meant for one of the boys, as a gift. 

David had been mid build, drilling a hole into the frame of the house. Between the drill use and his own rambling which had included talking about a restaurant he and his wife had gone to the night before, he hadn’t heard the footsteps or the door opening. 

In fact, the first time he seemed to register someone else was in the room was when another man stepped into view, his back to the camera. He had dark hair and was wearing a red shirt but with his face turned away from the camera, it was difficult to see his features.

“Hey dad.” The man said and David quickly turned off the drill, looking up from his work and smiling. 

“Hello boys.” He greeted, smiling. “What brings you both here?”

“Sorry to bother you. We were wondering if we could borrow the chainsaw? A tree fell down outside the cottage and it's partly blocking the driveway. Ilya leant ours out to Zane and he hasn’t given it back yet.” The dark haired man said. 

David immediately placed the drill down. 

“Of course you can.” He replied, turning to look for the tool in question. Another figure stepped into view, this one with blonde curls and wearing a black singlet. Unlike the first man, this one moved to the partly made dog house and leant down to get a better look, pulling him in profile but thanks to the light, it was still hard to make anything out. 

“Is this the house for Anya?” He asked, glancing up as David moved out of view briefly. 

“Yep.” David replied from off screen, the sound of things being moved around audible. 

“She already has a perfectly good dog house. You are spoiling her dad.” The dark haired man said. 

“I’m no worse than you boys.” David stated as he stepped back into view. “Besides, I thought it would make a good video.” He nodded towards the camera. 

Both men turned to face the camera, their features becoming immediately visible. And immediately recognisable. 

“Dad. Are you livestreaming?” The dark haired man, who those who followed Canada’s most popular sport would recognise as one of the top Hockey players in the world, Shane Hollander, asked. The man next to him, who was definitely the Ottawa Centaurs Captain and Shane’s husband Ilya Rozanov, leant forward to read the chat which was currently exploding.

“Yes. I thought it would be fun.” David said as he hefted the chainsaw onto the bench beside his work.

“Huh.” Shane said as beside him, Ilya grinned and waved. 

“Hello people.” Ilya said. “Are you enjoying Papa's video?”

“I’m sure they are Ilya. I’ve seen the analytics.” Shane said as Ilya straightened up. 

“Good. The first video was for me, you know.” Ilya said. 

“We know Ilya.” Shane said, grinning. “You have never struggled with a bowtie since.”

Ilya smiled. 

“Haas also appreciated the video. He used it for the MLH Awards. As did some of the other Rookies.” Ilya boasted.

“We are all very proud of the kids.” David stated, as Shane grabbed the chainsaw. 

“Thanks Dad. We will get out of here.” He said.  

The door opened and footsteps approached. 

“Boys. Are you bothering your father?” David’s wife asked. 

“No.” Shane blurted out as Ilya grinned. “Yes.”

“It’s fine Yuna. They were just watching the livestream chat.”

Off screen, Yuna chuckled. 

“I bet.” She said. 

“Anyway, we had better get home. Enjoy your build Dad.” Shane said, grabbing Ilya’s arm and dragging him out of view. 

David, far from looking disgruntled at his work being interrupted, clapped his hands together. 

“Right. Let’s get back to it everyone.” He said and picked up his drill. 

—--

@Sweetheart60

Holy shit!!!!!

@Yayayoda

WTF Just happened???

@Sarahspaceship

Was anyone going to clue me in that DILF David Builds It is SHANE HOLLANDERS DAD!?!?

@LoonieLou

Wild Hollanov sighted on a dad building channel? What even is this?

@StarWarsGay

Guys! The Boys are Hollanov!!!!! All this time!!!

@NastyNeil21

Gay Icon David is dad to the gayest hockey players ever. Makes total sense. 

@Ohcanada2089

OMG He is so sweet!!!! I’m gonna cry!!!!

—---

The next day, a post was made on the channel, featuring a picture. It showed David, sitting on the steps out front of his house, his arm around his wife Yuna. On his other side, sat Shane and Ilya, the two hockey players pressed up against each other and holding hands. All four were smiling for the camera. The caption for the image read ‘Thanks to everyone for supporting this channel and my livestream featuring My Boys. I am going to take a few days off but will be back soon to finish the doghouse with you all. Looking forward to bringing out many more projects in the future. Best wishes, David Hollander aka, David Builds It.’ 

It went viral.

---------------------------------

So this was inspired by a prompt here on Tumblr about David Hollander starting a helpful YouTube channel. Credit for the idea goes to the OG prompter, @angusbeefiestick

I decided to do this as a little celebration for finishing my massive series and as a break from my Hollanov Fake Dating AU. And because the idea wouldn't leave me alone.

rated E - 9k - complete - cliff/ilya, ilya/svetlana, ilya/shane

Did you hear about Laurette’s boy? Cliff, the oldest one. He got drafted to the Boston Raiders. Heard he’s doing well for himself.

Link to masterlist of completed fic recs

Give these Ao3 authors some love! Will move these fics to the main masterlist when they are completed.

thermometer (for rectal use only) by @CrispySkys (10 chapters as of 5/7/26)

~ Shane Hollander is a good vet. He can diagnose patients, neuter animals with Shakira blasting from the other room and deal with a few cat scratches. What he cannot manage is professional hockey player Ilya Rozanov being an overanxious dog dad and flirting with him, especially when he can barely tell.

Don't Feed Me (I will come back) by @Ada_Parker (4 chapters as of 5/12/26)

~ Shapeshifter + Folklore/Fantasy AU! Rozanov mysteriously vanished in Russia the summer before his rookie season. Now, retired hockey player and two-time biography writer Shane Hollander is determined to solve this cold case (definitely not because of some decidedly queer encounters he shared with Rozanov before his disappearance.) The weird dog (and local cryptid?) that keeps digging through his trashcans at night is decidedly unrelated.

the neighbors by @ilyastunamelt (3 chapters as of 5/10/26)

~ Shane has a hot new neighbor named Ilya Rozanov who has sex really loudly at night. Shenanigans ensue. (Crack fic)

As the Romans Do by @kooksie (1 chapter as of 5/11/26)

~ Roommates AU! As a straight man, Ilya Rozanov has never had a gay roommate before, but it’s going pretty well. Shane Hollander is kind, silly, and an even bigger hockey nut than Ilya. So when Shane starts bringing men over, and Ilya begins to want to bash their fucking heads in, Ilya comes to a startling conclusion: He must be homophobic.

Love and Other Curses by Anonymous (2 chapters as of 5/14/26)

~ After the injury sidelines him for the season, Shane retreats to his cottage with a breakup text he can’t stop rereading and a future he’d almost let himself want. The plan is simple: recover, train, and forget about Ilya Rozanov. Then Ilya shows up at the edge of the property like he never left at all. (TW: Outing)

Of Whiteboards and Wooing by @siriuslymcfly (2 chapters as of 5/8/26)

~ Soulmate AU + University AU + Roommates AU! Your soulmate's first thoughts about you are written on your body. It's Spirit Week at Snowsill University and Ilya has an agenda. It may or may not include wooing his possible soulmate with a whiteboard.

Speak Now by @thequietbetweenstars (5 chapters as of 5/10/26)

~ Shane has loved Ilya for most of his life. He never planned to tell him. Then Ilya announces he’s getting married to Svetlana. Shane congratulates him, helps plan the wedding, stands beside him through engagement dinners and venue tours and bachelor parties, and tries very hard not to let years of being in love with his best friend ruin everyone’s lives. It works. Until it doesn’t.

Three Questions for a Dragon by @JSwander (3 chapters as of 4/16/26)

~ Spirited Away AU! with Russian folklore. Shane Hollander finds himself trapped between worlds, living among the spirits without his memories of the human world. The only creature that seems to know him, seems to want him dead.

Just Enough of You by @NotALonelyTraveler (6 chapters as of 5/9/26)

~ Shane is a good brother and fills in for his identical twin, Henry, during a photoshoot. Enter: Ilya Rozanov. One case of mistaken identity leads to disastrous outcomes.

Conquest of Love by @ElectricFairy (3 chapters as of 4/5/26)

~ The new king is in search of a wife. Shane volunteers himself to the task—he just didn’t expect to fall in love with a stranger along the way. Secret identity AU! + Medieval AU!

Find Me At the Starting Point by @Pollenate (6 chapters as of 4/18/26)

~ The Centaurs’ plane crashes and Ilya Rozanov dies. Roughly three months later, Shane Hollander dies on the ice. And then he wakes up in 2008, on the day he met Ilya Rozanov for the first time.

Slow and Unsteady by @goldenish (5 chapters as of 4/22/26)

~ Ao3 user accessible only. Ilya and Shane get drafted to Ottawa two years a part. Friendship comes first, followed by everything else that comes with falling in love with your best friend. Autistic! Shane Hollander and Depressed!Ilya Rozanov.

The Antidote to Loneliness by @kmart1885 (12 chapters as of 4/20/26)

~ After months of being ghosted by Ilya, Shane gets diagnosed with Stage 4 Hodgkin's Lymphoma. He and Ilya have never been more disconnected, so he resigns himself to fighting this without Ilya in his life. Ilya knows he was an asshole last Spring. Shane has been ignoring him all summer. But he figures that once he's back in North America and the season starts, he'll be able to get back in Shane's good graces. And then Montreal announces that they have placed Shane Hollander on Long Term Injured Reserve and he panics.

you don't go to parties by @sleepylex (5 chapters as of 4/12/26)

~ Ilya is frat president and hockey co-captain at U of Montreal, Shane is the other co-captain and NOT a frat boy. Their sneaking around over the years has gotten them into a tangled mess. set in an AU post-tuna melt scene, Ilya has the crash out of a lifetime when he realises the only person he wants at his frat parties is Shane and will do anything to get him at one.

good on my own accord by @impetuous (16 chapters as of 5/1/26)

~ Instead of becoming a center, Shane is a goalie. Ilya and him aren't rivals, per say, but sleeping with a man who had a specific offense-related vendetta against him and a wrist shot like a jet engine to back it up was probably ill-advised just the same. (Fic in which Shane gets to be his lovely autistic self and not have to be so high-masking all the time).

Just Half a Step Behind by @LiseyFi (14 chapters as of 4/12/26)

~ Shane's battle with cancer, loosely inspired by the real story of the author and their girlfriend. Really angsty, incredibly well written. Prepare to cry because it is so cute and so heartwretching.

do you have a library card? cause i've been checking you out by @seafoodsoup81 (8 chapters as of 4/16/26)

~ Shane Hollander is a librarian. Ilya Rozanov is the Captain of the Ottawa Centaurs, and ran out of printer ink while trying to fill out his Canadian citizenship application.

reflektor by @veilofimagination (2 chapters as of 4/12/26)

~ Canon-Shane accidentally dimension travels to a different universe, and is on a mission to fix AU Shane's fucked up life.

words we don't say; things we don't do by @mariee_ward (7 chapters as of 3/26/26)

~ University AU! Starring hopeless romantic art major Shane and Russian hockey player on a scholarship Ilya. More angsty than one would expect, fantastic writing.

i only threw this party for you by @LunarMoonstone (7 chapters as of 4/18/26)

~ In which popular hockey fuckboy Ilya Rozanov falls madly in love with the university's golden boy Shane Hollander. Somehow, they go from being the talk of campus to becoming that couple.

tenure plan by @ingenuitiveHamilton (5 chapters as of 4/10/26)

~ Shane and Ilya hooked up as college students, and never spoke again. Now they're both professors at their alma mater. OR Professor Shane Hollander’s (unintentional) ten-year plan to finally lock down Dr. Ilya Rozanov.

spinning out, waiting for you. by @residentrookie (7 chapters as of 4/24/26)

~ A week after returning from their honeymoon, Shane gets in a car accident that threatens the future he and Ilya so painstakingly fought to build.

First Overall by @YingBuBu (46 chapters as of 4/25/26)

~ Ilya didn’t know what Shane saw in him, but you can't just fall for a man you barely met. You can't just fall so deep and so quickly. Shane went first in the draft, and then threw it away by choosing Ottawa. A bad team. A losing future. No Cups. No real rivalry. OR

Shane got his second chance. This time, he refused to wait for years to get his Ilya. He had to take him fast, before depression or any other crap got him. But if he touched the timeline wrong—if anything went off-script—what did it cost?

Rumor Has It by @hazzacherries (20 chapters as of 3/27/26)

~ When Russian actor Ilya Rozanov’s personal scandal hits the tabloids, his publicist Shane Hollander is dragged into an unexpected plan: fake a romance to save his client’s reputation. Shane has to survive lunches, red carpets, and every “accidental” touch, all while keeping his composure. But as the cameras keep clicking, what started as a professional nightmare might just get… complicated.

Last Apartment in Boston by @cloisblog (5 chapters as of 4/16/26)

~ Russian model Ilya Rozanov is enchanted when he meets the beautiful, anxious mess that is Shane Hollander. Too bad that Shane is entirely clueless. Annoyances to roommates to lovers.

Table for Disaster by @LeGrinch (6 chapters as of 4/11/26)

~ Shane has only one job: go to a blind date as Hayden and make sure it ends in disaster. It should be easy, except nothing ever is when Shane gets involved.

Footnotes on Loneliness by @laceymabel (10 chapters as of 4/10/26)

~ In hopes to improve his English, Ilya Rozanov subscribes to the New Yorker. He does not expect himself to fall in love with a column, especially columnist Shane Hollander. (The writing in this is phenomenal!)

White Noise Machine by @nursdaylight (4 chapters as of 3/2/26)

~ Shane is a student doctor on the spectrum that just completed his pediatrics rotation. His new next-door-neighbor's baby won't stop crying. Said next door neighbor is also extremely hot.

Honey, you're familiar like my mirror years ago by @airascloud (5 chapters as of 3/28/26)

~ Shane was supposed to go pro, but an injury early into his Juniors career set him on a different path as a hockey coach for beginner players. Ilya is a pro NHL player on the Centaurs. Fate decides to rectify its past mistakes, and organizes a soulmate body swap...hours before a home game against the Boston Bears.

Spitfire by @ottermaiden (4 chapters as of 2/20/26)

~ Shane is a moderately famous celebrity architect who does not have a crush on Top Chef winner Ilya Rozanov, thank you very much Jackie Pike. But if Rozanov just bought a beautiful historical house that is in desperate need of remodeling...well that's another story.

Winter's Witch by @Daxtious (5 chapters as of 3/1/26)

~ Witch! Shane and Wolf Familiar! Ilya. Fantasy AU with excellent worldbuilding, beautiful scenery description, silly courtship rituals, and a good dose of whimsy.

The Dead Don't Share by @loveleighalissa (2 chapters as of 3/7/26)

~ Shane Hollander knows the cold. He knows the dripping in the walls, the shadows that move, the presence that clings to him like frost. The haunting has followed him for years — jealous, possessive, and growing stronger. When it turns violent, the only person who can cut through the chill is the rival he can’t seem to escape. Ilya Rozanov, meanwhile, is pretty sure Shane is in love with him. Or at least flirting very badly. Either way, he’s determined to flirt back.

Easy to Find by @agetwellcard (5 chapters as of 4/4/26)

~ Nine years after Ilya decided to end things with Shane, he runs back into him. Shane is working as a hockey commentator, while Ilya is married to Svetlana and living in the US as a retired hockey player. Although he knows he shouldn't, he allows himself to get to know Shane again.

Call Me With You by Anonymous (6 chapters as of 2/25/26)

~ After a traumatic car accident, Shane wakes up as his boss Ilya Rozanov's wife. He hates Ilya, and Ilya doesn't seem to have a good relationship with his wife, Jane, either. Shane's own body is in a coma in the hospital. He doesn't know what to do, especially when his boss is expecting him to be his wife. (Very K-drama coded, reminds me of Mr. Queen)

salt kiss by @viviolet (6 chapters as of 4/5/26)

~ Selkie AU! One night, Shane Hollander finds a unconscious man on the shore and brings him home. His first mistake was thinking it was a man. or: Ilya's a selkie. Shane doesn't know.

Reroute and Breathe by @Watermelon_Milk (2 chapters as of 1/27/26)

~ After being forced into an early retirement from the NHL due to debilitating mental health issues, Shane Hollander moves back to Ottawa in an attempt to rebuild his crumbling life. Two years later, at the age of 23, he's an ice rink manager and only slightly less miserable than before. And the cherry on top? He is in love with his obnoxious Russian assistant manager.

Deep With Devils by @damaskrose (5 chapters as of 4/19/26)

~ Urban Fantasy AU! Shane is an exorcist. Ilya is a temperamental bathhouse spirit. The rest is history.

eat your young by @paocai (9 chapters as of 4/22/26)

~ Catching Fire/Mockingjay AU. Really great fic, does a really good job of adapting each of the characters to their respective Hunger Games match. Ilya and Shane are both young Victors, so TW for sexual exploitation.

Come On, Mess Me Up by @burkiebeans (11 chapters as of 3/24/26)

~ Ao3 user accessible only. College AU where Ilya Rozanov is the star college hockey player at BU, and Shane Hollander is just a sweet, nerdy student who tutors him.

When the World Ends by @Heeley (6 chapters as of 1/24/26)

~ Zombie apocalypse AU! Shane and Ilya are forced to survive together at the start of the apocalypse, trapped in a hockey stadium filled with cannibalistic infected.

is there life on mars? by @succulentsofa (11 chapters as of 2/19/26)

~ The Martian AU! On Sol 6, the Ares Three mission goes horribly, horribly wrong. Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov find themselves having to deal with the consequences. Namely: being stranded on Mars, together.

a parade of my own making by @vettelian19 (7 chapters as of 2/4/26)

~ Four months before the MLH draft, Shane Hollander stops playing hockey. No one knows why. (Shane runs a hockey camp, Ilya is a professional NHL player with no purpose in life).

Hiding away by @The_green_fairy (3 chapters as of 1/6/26)

~ After a brutal game, Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov—rivals on opposite sides of the ice—are supposed to hate each other. But when a Russian hitman appears in the arena parking lot with a gun aimed at Ilya, Shane doesn't think. He just moves. Now Shane's in the ICU with a bullet that was meant for Ilya, and someone wants the Boston forward dead. When it becomes clear the threat isn't over, they end up hiding together at a remote cottage.

Nothing to Win (And Nothing to Lose) by @daisywillliveforever (1 chapter as of 1/7/26)

~ Soulmate AU! Ilya Rozanov is Shane Hollander’s soulmate. Shane isn't sure that he's Ilya's.

Teeth of ivory, smiles of gold by @iffervescent (8 chapters as of 4/19/26)

~ Modern Royalty AU! Shane Hollander, Duke of Montreal, is invited to Prince Ilya of Russia's marriage candidate/matchmaking party.

there ends all my knowledge by @butidontreallycare (4 chapters as of 2/16/26)

~ Firefighter! Ilya and ER Doctor! Shane

retrograde by @Ayes (7 chapters as of 3/13/26)

~ Ilya doesn’t die when his plane goes down. But he forgets. When Ilya is marked as missing from the Centaurs’ plane crash, nobody knows why Shane’s game goes to shit. Benched by his coach, Shane goes to the place Ilya was last seen: the Blue Ridge Mountains. A story about finding yourself when you don’t know who you are, and about falling in love with the same person twice.

sweet breath, cigarette smoke by @violentfictionaldelights (6 chapters as of 2/8/26)

~ Fake dating AU! When beloved hockey player Ilya Rozanov finds himself in trouble after a drunken tweet Shane Hollander steps in and saves the day.

Desperate Measures by @dabforpalermo (6 chapters as of 3/1/26)

~ Ilya Rozanov’s life flips upside down when he’s granted parental rights to his recently orphaned 5-month-old niece. Shane Hollander’s life flips upside down when the two of them move in next door. Or: Shane Hollander, certified Baby Whisperer, is the only thing that can get his next door neighbours screaming infant to stop wailing.

It's All Coming Back to Me Now by @wetwellie (8 chapters as of 4/7/26)

~ Shane is cursed as a child so that he may never remember anyone he meets. He wakes up remembering nothing. Ilya Rozanov is the rival he can't forget-even when he does. A story told in endless firsts.

The Distance Between Us by @norman123 (15 chapters as of 2/8/26)

~ Space Travel AU! Shane Hollander joins the crew of The Ottawa led by Ilya Rozanov—precise, calm, and difficult. Two years in the narrow space of a ship. Work you can’t run from. And closeness you can’t escape. (The worldbuilding is so delicious in this fic, truly feels like reading a sci-fi novel.)

Star Seekers by @Kingadrianos (5 chapters as of 2/10/26)

~ Space Opera AU! Ilya Rozanov just wanted to get off the Kaaxium mining colony that had been his prison since the Earth broke. As it turns out, deep-space has raiders, cash bounties, advanced alien technology, and masked super-soldiers who learned their social skills from a toaster. Amidst intergalactic corporate sabotage and the slow unraveling of worlds, two former school rivals find themselves drawn back into each other’s orbit. Whether they know it or not. (Excellent worldbuilding, excellent romance, will leave you on the edge of your seat. Like The Princess Bride but set in space.)

a way back to us by @vividblossom (2 chapters as of 2/25/26)

~ Shane and Ilya are both retired hockey players and divorced single dads when they meet again at Ottawa's Junior League years after their situationship went south.

Under Pressure by @ilostyournumber (4 chapters as of 1/19/26)

~ Soulmate AU! Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are soulmates, playing for the same university and both trying to go pro before their freshman year of college. But, every time you think about touching your soulmate, the other person feels it on their skin.

boy so confusing by @varinn (1 chapter as of 1/17/26)

~ University AU! Shane Hollander is a sophomore in University. Shane Hollander loves studying physics. Shane Hollander believes Ilya Rozanov is dating a woman. Shane Hollander thinks Ilya Rozanov wants to kill him. Shane Hollander is wrong about a few things.

If im haunting you (you must be haunting me) by @adoringlandry (4 chapters as of 1/19/26)

~ Shane dies in a hotel room right before he's drafted and becomes a ghost. His rival, Ilya, is the only person who can see him. 

Peer Review by Anonymous (1 chapter as of 1/16/26)

~ University Professor AU! Shane checks Rate My Professor expecting validation and finds himself losing to Ilya Rozanov, the physics professor with no syllabus discipline and a cult following. A petty bet is made. Lectures are supervised. The entire student body ships

Where Have All The Flowers Gone by @unreliablemargin (3 chapters as of 1/15/26)

~ In early Cold War Berlin, a city divided by borders, paperwork and quiet surveillance, Shane Hollander—a meticulous Canadian specialist assigned to a checkpoint annex—meets Ilya Rozanov, a charismatic Soviet soldier whose confidence masks both danger and longing.

I'm In Love With My Landlord by @learnthemusic (3 chapters as of 1/14/26)

Don't Feed Me (I will come back) by @Ada_Parker (4 chapters as of 5/12/26)