Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Characters/Pairings: Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, Yuna Hollander, David Hollander, Hayden Pike, Zane Boodram, Evan Dykstra
Rating: Explicit
Length: 26,873
Content Notes: contains depictions of homophobia and slurs, state-sanctioned and from individuals
Creator Links: pucksandpower on AO3
Themes: hurt/comfort, angst (with a happy ending), established relationship, canon LGBTQ+ characters, character development, au: fork in the road

Summary: One security camera. One leaked video. One choice that changes everything.

Ilya Rozanov loses his country, his team, and his shot at Olympic gold in a single night. But he doesn’t lose Shane, and that makes all the difference.

A story about finding home in a person, not a place. About choosing love over legacy. And about winning the medal you never knew you needed, standing next to the one person who matters most.

Reccer's Notes: Time to emerge from my Heated Rivalry obsession, with... Heated Rivalry recs! This goes au after the book (after season 1 of the show), so I guess it's a little spoilery if you haven't read the book or seen season 1. The plot takes a very different turn at the 2018 Korean Winter Olympics in PyeongChang. It's told from Ilya's point of view after what initially seems an utter disaster following which he has to flee the Russian authorities. Although it starts with trauma, most of the story is about how Ilya's life is rebuilt, with Shane being central to that, as are his teammates, and Shane's parents. It's an engaging story with great characterization and fun banter between Ilya and Shane, Ilya often being his usual in-your-face, snarky self. A heartwarming story with plenty of comfort to offset the initial hurt.

Fanwork Links: when the world sees (we run toward each other)