NATURE KNOWS NO KINGS

The way my entire body locked in on reading this request.... I couldn't be more proud that you have asked me!!! this!!!

Some disclaimers:

I’m a sadist ilya truther. I’ll read any dynamic if it’s good but that is my strong preference

I have a HIGH pain threshold. I’ll read 10k words of miscommunication/existential angst before a sex scene and I’ll love every second

I like fics where ilya stays in boston and shane in montreal. long distance is sexier and has more tension!

I don’t particularly like schmaltz. (I read a fic where baby shane got lost in an airport and was found by irina and it was fine! Lovely even! But i know who i am and it’s not That. so.)

I don’t care about the unfinished fic thing??? This seems to be a dealbreaker to a lot of people. But I’ll call out if a rec is ongoing.

Okay let’s give a special mention to

Drag Hunt by R_Knight

because what can we say that has not already been said. (unfinished but don’t be silly). Shane gets a career ending injury and goes to England (is it the Cotswolds? In my head it is) to Discover Himself. What he discovers is he wants to get hunted for sport. Impeccable. The author should start writing romance books. I inhale each chapter when the ink is still hot.

I will read anything by creamsicle_melt (this is an author whose bookmarks are my curated hr fic list to try 🫶). Some highlights:

these and other lucky witnesses - READ THE TAGS/warnings. I have never been a medical fetish person but this fic made its points... we're jotting down some notes, we are nodding in agreement. I love when authors take hollanov cnc to its natural feeding ground of exploring Shane’s need to get what he wants without asking, and Ilya's need for control.

like one of your girls - I love fics that examine Shane’s feelings about Ilya’s dating/hookup history in a way that is normal and realistic. i think he would be insecure as fuck about this!! i think growing up in the early 2000s in a homophobic hockey culture would do things to your brain! i think ilya should get to exploit that!!

i like this author so much that i read all their hockey rpf. We've never been more back.

Empty Nester by NaturalDisasters

A magnum opus omegaverse fic (unfinished but planned out i believe). In order to be able to play in the (evil) NHL omega shane has to take all the drugs and suppress his instincts etc. Which all gets thrown into chaos when he sniffs ilya and they’re true mates. You know how it goes. a LOT of angst in this one. I honestly snorted the revelations chapter like a speedball. It was the middle of the night and i was scratching at the walls of my enclosure, howling at the moon.

Kiss With A Fist by NaturalDisasters

Childhood friends to lovers, STAY WITH ME, au where Shane gets hit in a fight and gets upset about how much he likes it. and the only solution is obviously beg his best friend to start hitting him on the regular. this is set in the american south in the summer and you can FEEL the humidity. i am not a childhood friends to lovers or complete AU person but you HAVE TO have to read this (and the sequel! pray god the author writes more!)

dreadful need in the devotee by insatiablegaydesire

Sometimes I just NEED to read about vampires you know? and then this came across my desk and it might be the BEST thing in the past six months etc etc. anyway so shane’s the vampire and ilya is his human dom and like… the way he uses shane’s vampirism against him in their power dynamic is the sexiest vampire shenanigans i have read in a long time.

Decisions, Decisions by jewelledfoxes

THEE!!! BEST!!! TPE FIC. Honestly a thesis level hollanov to me. this COULD BE the book to me. You know that post that’s like ‘hollanov total power exchange is in the canon for those with eyes to see’, this is that but going deeper and darker and much hotter than probably the books ever could or would. PARTICULARLY love the restaurant scene as I have a real soft spot for fics that touch on Shane’s food issues. Sometimes I go to this author’s page to see if they’ve written anything new because we need to hear to prophet speak!

to give and hazard all by nightrose

This is a bunch of interconnected oneshots (do we still call them that? sorry. i grew up on ffnet and it shows) of hollanov in a TPE relationship. VERY good. I especially loved the phone call fic (from the four corners of the earth, can be read standalone) which digs into shane ‘failing’ one of their rules around food and ilya going through a journey of the soul because he can’t use bdsm to fix an eating disorder. girl it’s just emotions

Oh, the Lips That Tell Me Lies and I Can't Wait to Kiss by jewelledfoxes

From those few months where we were all kicking our feet about shane inventing cnc from his own beautiful brain. Very hot but with enough intellectual interest in the characters’ inner lives to have depth.

Route 96 Kanata by Anonymous

I feel like this is very well known and doesn’t need an introduction?? If not, an AU where shane gets injured before being able to join the NHL and is going Thru It and then along comes hockey superstar ilya rozanov. Painful but you’ll love it

good things come by Ccainao3

Long distance orgasm control type beat. Ilya is nasty in this one in the best way. It’s from Ilya’s POV (the sequel is from Shane’s, also excellent) which I always love especially in TPE stuff. I feel like it is safer/easier to write from the sub’s perspective but we love to see a sadist being sadistic and loving every minute. Good for him!!!

the entanglement of undone threads by boxysmiles

Shane gets a season ending injury and crashes out about it. I love fics that delve into Shane’s relationship with hockey and him not coping with the fact that this has to end at some point. And also we should talk about the messy uncomfortable position of hockey within his relationship with Ilya!! Also a great lens on Shane’s perfectionism. Not the place to go for pure filth but very very good.

Cigarette holder by newghost

i have a soft spot for cigarette play fics. is there any real ‘’’’sex’’’’ here? No. Is it the sexiest thing you will read today? YES!!!!!

the marble leaves the man by citrusses

I LOVED this. Ilya starts doing insane shit so that emergency responders have to come and help him and shane when they’re still closeted. Such a great exploration of Ilya’s need for their relationship to be seen in the gap between the first and second books.

what does this room look like by vioyia

Intoxication fic, more shane’s beautiful brain stuff, filth.

multitasking by spelling__bee

fun, smutty telepathy situation (Ilya can read Shane’s mind and not vice versa), romantic filth.