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HOLLANOV FIC REC

I have become obsessed with this genre of fic written in POVs that look at Shane and Ilya's relationship from the outside. Not only do they always bring such neat perspectives and juicy humour, but always a lot of heart. I've found this especially true with fics written specifically from Hayden's eyes. As the best friend of a guy who holds his cards close, his discovery journey's are often a fun and wild ride. 💖remember to kudos & comment on fics you read 💖

Outsider POV

🏒 911, Jackie speaking by camiii / @camiii - 6k “Jackie?” Shane’s question cuts through the silence, and Jackie winces at the frantic rasp of his voice. “Right here, honey.” She tries to keep her voice light, wrapping her hand around Hayden’s wrist and meeting his worried gaze over the phone. “What’s going on?” - Ilya is hurt, but the hospital will only talk to "Jane". zannithinks: what an absolute beauty of a story. Seeing the boys through Jackie's eyes was so special, shattering preconceptions, redefining the meaning of friendship, and highlighting the importance of the right to be there for the ones you love.

🏒 Maybe: Jane by anatomybygreys - 5k The Boston Raiders tease Rozanov about his mystery long distance girlfriend, sending Jane stories and embarrassing pictures of Ilya. Shane and Ilya don’t think much of it - until Theo Michaud gets traded to from Boston to Montreal and updates his contact list. zannithinks: this was perfection, a retroactively obvious but never seen before complication; featuring a lovely sense of team camaraderie and Ilya's attention-loving antics. Special nod to Hayden and Shane who are the definition of Subtle (yikes)

🏒 It’s Always Hollander and Rozanov, Right? by Internerdionality / @internerdionality - 5k Five times Scott Hunter thinks about Hollander and Rozanov together, and the one time he gets to watch. zannithinks: this is what we all secretly wanted! Scott clocking the boys, and liking what he sees more than he thinks he should. That final scene is soooo hot!

🏒 moments to be tolerated by thestarsarewinning - 3k There’s a muffled shout from next door. And another. Hollander, Luca thinks, and then wishes he hadn’t been able to tell. - five times the Centaurs hear Shane and Ilya having sex, and one time no one hears zannithinks: what a fun little ride through the trials and tribulations of having Shane and Ilya on your team, for better or for worse (RIP) those poor boys

🏒 Drunk and Disorderly by FireflyAlchemist - 3k “Wait, Mr. Raiders fan,” Rozanov calls. Constable Sullivan pauses. “I get a phone call, yes?” - Unable to do what he normally does after Montreal games, Ilya goes out to a club, gets super drunk, and ends up getting picked up by Montreal police for public intoxication. Sitting in a holding cell, the only number he can remember is Shane's. zannithinks: what a sweet character study of our favourite bad boy who's secretly a marshmallow. This ends with tooth-rotting sweetness!

🏒 you bottom feeder by heyy_jude - 2k He heard a rough grunt, and then Rozanov’s voice. “Get on your knees.” A muffled thump. Rozanov moaned appreciatively. - Scott Hunter overhears something he shouldn't have. He enjoys it a little too much. zannithinks: ok this is just a fun and fantastic consideration for everyone - Scott deserves more orgasms after all the grief these two give him!

🏒 The Elevator by Lexi_Leckstar - 1k Yuna shot up. “The elevator!” she screamed in horror. - Yuna wakes up the night after Shane and Ilya came out to them. zannithinks: what a funny little premise paired with a big squeeze to the heart from a mom just trying her best.

Hayden Pike POV

🏒 I Like Jane For You by Icopythefax / @exactphoify - 17k After a mix-up leaves Hayden with the wrong phone for three days, he ends up learning more about Ilya Rozanov and his secret girlfriend, Jane. zannithinks: you may notice I say that every fic is my favourite Hayden-discovery fic, but THIS ONE holds a truly special place in my heart. This legitimately had me on the floor unable to breathe through the entire range of human emotions. If you read any fic, it must be this one!

🏒 your good buddy lily by larry_larson / @larcenistarsonist - 17k of all things, hayden doesn't expect a t-shirt to be the thing that exposes it all zannithinks: oooh this one stands out for the way it touches on Hayden's complex emotions surrounding Shane, beyond friendship and into the intricacies of being celebrity athletes. A great look at what's beyond the mask of a supportive best friend, and it isn't always pretty. A standing ovation from me!

🏒 Hayden Gets The Message by KarsKars - 5k He hadn’t meant to look. Honest. He really hadn’t. But Shane was in the shower, and Hayden had picked up what he’d thought was HIS phone. - Hayden starts to put the pieces together and figures things out much sooner than expected. zannithinks: Hayden playing Sherlock Holmes is a kink of mine.

🏒 the other line by Anonymous - 5k Shane's not that subtle. - the phone call from Hayden's side. zannithinks: ok I love the turmoil in this one, and I actually love just how turned on Hayden gets from not only Shane's voice but knowing he's coming undone.

🏒 hayden pike v the ‘lily’ thing by goldengalaxies - 4k “Just hang up.” A very, very familiar Russian voice. What the fuck? Ilya goddamn Rozanov was with Shane, at the cottage. With Shane. - hayden has a long standing dislike for ‘lily’. a second phone call at the cottage makes him dislike lily even more zannithinks: this author has an entire series of outisder POVs focused around the discovery of hollanov, and honestly each one is fantastic! This one I particularly enjoyed for it's short scenes through the whole timeline and Hayden being a true Hater right from the beginning.

🏒 you his boyfriend or something? by ingberry - 2k Shane is at a sports bar in Tampa when people at his table start talking shit about Ilya. It becomes impossible to keep his mouth shut. - an alternative retelling of how Hayden finds out. zannithinks: Technically this isn't Hayden's POV, but... it's still mostly about our beloved best friend. The last few lines took me out at the knees.

🏒 take away the salt from your eyes by playinginthunderstorms / @playinginthunderstorms - 2k "Shane." "What," Shane snaps, yanking off his shirt. Then he freezes, holding onto it with both hands like he's only realized what he's been wearing, and says with equal vehemency, "Fuck," and flings it toward the headboard. "Fuck!" He says again, louder. - Shane gets back to his hotel room after running away from Ilya's place in Boston and panics. Hayden is also there. zannithinks: ok this has to be at the top of my list of Hayden discoveries. The dialogue, the mess of emotions, the authenticity in every word. love love love to see it!

more rec lists: canon/canon divergent | a/b/o + bdsm au | outsider pov + hayden

given that i read over 350 fics last year, this list seems awfully short. however, these are the ones that have stayed with me for one reason or another. fics that are still WIPS are excluded from this list, here's hoping i get to add them on the 2026 one. also excluded are any rereads. i'm sorry i've had to make the summaries shorter than they originally were, but this is very long even now. if you'd like to know why these particular fics stood out, feel free to ask!

align by ripki: What if Wille was the older brother, born to be the Crown Prince?

come closer and see into the dark by @bigalockwood: A ghost pandemic has descended over Europe, the dead back from their restless sleep to haunt the living. The only line of defense – young people with the ability to perceive ghosts. When a case goes horribly wrong, Wilhelm’s agency is thrust into a fight against an unknown opponent – and suddenly, staying alive seems harder than ever. If only Simon cared a little less whether stupid Wilhelm lived or died.

even if it’s just us by queerfrogprince: When Wilhelm loses his brother weeks before the end of his second year of uni and is left alone with his grief, a pre-booked summer trip around Europe, and no one to take in Erik's place, he finds himself inviting Simon, his former high school best friend (and long-time crush). The only problem? Wilhelm and Simon haven't spoken for two years, and the last time they did, Simon kissed Wilhelm, and everything between them got horribly and irrevocably awkward.

gonna get you back by @oui-oui-holly: Wille never returned to Hillerska after Christmas break and never spoke to Simon again. Fourteen years later, on Wille’s 30th birthday, they meet again by chance. Simon’s first instinct is to get as far away from Crown Prince Wilhelm as possible. But then inexplicably, he finds himself wanting something different. Something wrong. He wants fucking revenge.

hard to break by @simons-purplehoodie: A roommates to lovers story involving love, heartbreak, abuse, healing, and learning how to love again.

the honeymoon suite by @stretchoutfics: Wille is stuck up in the far north doing his military service, Simon in Stockholm studying. They've come to an arrangement about how they're going to handle their relationship while they can't be together: they're no longer exclusive. After three months apart, Wille has a weekend's leave and they can finally see each other again. They have a lot to talk about. Amongst other things.

land between our bodies by @phneltwrites: An exes fake dating fic.

love in your pocket by @dreamyelectronicmusic: Wille likes slipping his hands into the front pocket of Simon’s hoodie when he hugs him from behind. One day he finds something a little unexpected inside.

love that he’s like this (hate that i’m like this) by @wilmonsfolklore: Simon has been secretly in love with his best friend Wille for months, and when Wille finds a picture Simon took of him sleeping he is forced to confess his feelings.

never not you by @pagegirlintraining: It's been twelve years since Wille publicly denied being in a viral sex tape with Simon, and they've been great friends for years. While Simon's in a committed, long-term relationship and his dreams of becoming a successful musician finally seem to be within reach, Wille's still struggling with his fate of being the Crown Prince, and everything that means for his love life. When nothing goes as planned for Simon, though, and friendly comfort turns into more, how will they cope with the consequences?

revolution 0 by starryskiess: They’ve held each other a billion times. This is home, Simon thinks, gulping in the soft fragrance of flowers and soap and Wille until his head is spinning with it. If Simon breaks down silently into Wille’s shoulder, who is to tell? Water is water, and tears get embedded in shiny rain pearls like blue into silver. This is home, and he never gets to have it again.

they say all wounds heal with time by insieme: Simon does a self portrait for a university class, and old memories and feelings come up.

’tis the damn season: spring by littelbluefish: Nothing dramatic. No swooping strings, no lightning strike. Just Simon thinking I want you to kiss me, exactly like that, every day.

vinyl by @vvachillessongvv: Wilmon meet, shotgun a joint, have sex, listen to Rumours on vinyl, have sex again, and fall in love (not necessarily in that order)

where the bilberries grow by @gulliblelemon: Simon and Wille meet when they are 9 years old. They strike up an unlikely friendship despite only being able to see each other for a few weeks every summer. This tells the story of those summers, of dizzying highs and heart-wrenching lows.

more fics! more fics i've liked! there's no theme! we don't need a theme! fic fic fic.

I've tagged the authors where I knew their Tumblr handles. You can find all my previous rec lists here.

Rage– Goddess, Sing by willefroggie - Greece in the age of heroes. When Simon is exiled to Phthia, he expects to fade into obscurity: resigned to the clipped footnote of a kingdom’s story. That is, until Prince Wilhelm selects him as his Therapon– his closest companion and most trusted confidante. Called into a war that is not their own, Simon and Wilhelm must decide just how far they’re willing to go for the things they hold most beloved. The Song of Achilles AU

Look What You Made Me Do by @iwouldnevergetintofanfic - When the scandal-ridden royal family faces some serious protests, a passionate anti-monarchist who sees a chance for change meets a crown prince desperate to keep the status quo. At first glance, Wilhelm's reasons seem obvious to Simon. But very soon they get to know each other more intimately than either of them expected, leading them to realize that maybe everything isn't as black and white as they thought.

young royals drabbles by TwoBlueGoldfish - a collection of drabbles all >1,000 words. each chapter is its own individual story!

Lost (My Heart) in the Woods by @pagegirlintraining - Forced to hide out in an abandoned cabin together until the storm clears up, Simon quickly learns that Wilhelm might not be exactly who he's made him out to be.

Kept you in mind (got the paper cuts to prove it) by @skibasyndrome - It's too good to be real. It's too good to be real, Wille should have known. He should have stopped before they stumbled their way into this guest room, should have stopped before they ever started talking again, he should have looked away when their eyes met. It would've been easier than having Simon pull away from him, flat hand on Wille's chest, creating a distance that seems impossibly far, even with his knees bracketing Simon's hips.

Can't be unseen by @sixbynine-da - Wille gets roomed with Simon when he starts at Hillerska. And thats all fine, until Simon catches an eyeful.

Someone To Care by @gulliblelemon - Simon is fed up of people making excuses for the Crown Prince, so when he misses their group project, Simon goes to give him a piece of his mind. And finds Wilhelm needing something different.

Taking My Shot by @oneofthosebells - Three times Simon didn't want Wille to see him cry; and one time he was absolutely fine with it.

i’m still reading through the wilmon tag on ao3, but i’d like to share some recs in very arbitrary categories. i’m not going to re-rec anything i’ve recced before. more lists to come!

this is, i believe, my third list of friends-to-lovers fic recommendations... listen, i love it, you love it, we all love it. we know why we're here.

Met You At The Right Time by @iwouldnevergetintofanfic -5 times Wille and Simon weren't ready to be in love and 1 time they were.

An Excellent Idea by @gulliblelemon - When Simon is single for the first time since moving in, Wille’s conviction regarding the superiority of friends with benefits gets put to the test. Because everyone knows there’s one sure way to fuck up any casual arrangement.

Wash me in the water by @skibasyndrome - after training, Wille and Simon stay behind to take a shower together

Something Sweet by @gulliblelemon - Wille is on holiday with his friends. Simon might just be the death of him.

In Your Love by @vvachillessongvv - After Wille survives a tragic accident that takes his brother's life, his best friend Simon is there to help him pick up the pieces. But feelings can only stay buried for so long.

One date, two dates... wait, dates? by @larrylover3000 - After a rather unfortunate incident where Simon non-accidentally pours water all over Wille, the two are asked to sort out their problem in Boris’ office. Truths are brought to the table - along with a whole lot of water.

An indelible design marked on the body- under the skin- for eternity. How very them. Sometimes the mark is subtle and sometimes its powerful but the art they put on their body tells a story!

we’ll make a home on the cracks (glowing review) (T, 27K) @bigalockwood

Flowers in the Dustbin (T, 13K) @oneofthosebells

Idag och imorgon (E, 169K) by despssurlaneige

Got My Heart On Your Hand (G, 2K) @hergrandplan

My Bad (M, 53K) @iwouldnevergetintofanfic

i don’t feel like our love is brand new (E, WIP 395K) @prince-simon

Is It Over Now? (E, 75K) @iwouldnevergetintofanfic

Tattoo (G, 2K) as part of the Protected Series by bastuba

one hundred and seventeen (E, 14K) @prince-simon

Hate Me Like You Love Me (E, WIP 129K) @in-amor-veritas

Growing toward the light (M, 31K) @bigalockwood & @enjoythesilentworld

Almost Is Never Enough (E, 211K) @in-amor-veritas

Love too big for a love song (I’ll be writing about you for the rest of my life) (M, 191K) @sunshine-rudberg

We’re not who we used to be (E, 75K) @iwouldnevergetintofanfic

The honeymoon suite (E, 14K) @stretchoutfics

Love is Blind (E, 278K) by despassurlaneige

Sanguine Labyrinth (tattoo AU) (E, Series WIP 27K) by paintersong @alltoowille

after the crowd's gone, i'll be the last one- Ch 2 -Food these two return in Ch 16- Venezuela and Ch 23 Parents (T) @bigalockwood

Chasing our Sunlight (E, 137K) as part of the Yours to keep series by fitz_y

first act of freedom (G, 1K) by danisanerd

it's about time (this is what it looks like) (N/R 2K) by larenswriting @tawmlinsun

Two Drowning Coals (E, WIP 51K) @unfortunate17

*I have been reading yr fanfic long enough now that I KNOW my memory has missed some -it’s a community so please add your picks to the list!

i’m still reading through the wilmon tag on ao3, but i’d like to start sharing some recs in very arbitrary categories. i’m not going to re-rec anything i’ve recced before. more lists to come!

this list highlights stories where wilmon find each other again after some time apart, where this isn't their first rodeo, where they can't stay apart... that unique ache of having tried before and finding something worth trying again! i'm really calling this "exes - or something like that" - it's not always straightforward!

i've tagged the authors where i knew their tumblr handles - please feel free to tag others in replies/reblogs!

Future Favourite Regret by @gulliblelemon - Simon spots Wille across a crowded room. After spending a night together, they go their separate ways. But apparently the universe thinks they're not done yet and keeps flinging them into each other's paths, much to Simon's dismay, or delight (he's not quite sure yet).

To be Yours (am i making you feel sick) by historyofman - simon and wilhelm meet again, three years later, falling into both old and new habits.

Can I Take You Out To A Concert Six Months From Now? by @moonlightfrogsandkisses - written for Young Royals Week 2025 prompt #1: Playlist (song-inspired)

Never Not You by @pagegirlintraining - While Simon's in a committed, long-term relationship and his dreams of becoming a successful musician finally seem to be within reach, Wille's still struggling with his fate of being the Crown Prince, and everything that means for his love life. When nothing goes as planned for Simon, though, and friendly comfort turns into more, how will they cope with the consequences?

land between our bodies by @phneltwrites - Simon groans. “It’s really hard! What am I supposed to say? Hey, remember how we had one last night together and we said goodbye and I never gave you a birthday present and then the school closed? Well. Can you pretend the breaking up part didn’t happen to get some assholes off my back?”

you pierce through my heart by @caramelpenguin - Simon says Wilhelm's name on stage after twelve years of no contact.

i am leaving, i'm unleashing by makeitdust - what happened between wilmon leaving the end of year party and the sunrise at the lake

I don’t think they saw each other for the first time when they kissed in the hallway, maybe they talked on the phone in between obviously but it would have been so nice to see.

I feel like there is a lot of stuff that is sort of implied that happend behind the scenes, but we have to puzzle that all together. It would be so nice the hear them talk about something that we didn’t necessarily witness but that does confirm that they do have conversation off screen and that not everything that they do is either make out or fight. I really missed that in season 3.