Like pretty much everyone else, I fell straight into the Heated Rivalry tunnel.
I tried to be responsible. I waited. I told myself: āCome on, 5 episodes out of 6, you can pace yourself until the last one drops.ā
I binged them all in less than 24 hours, then immediately went book huntingā¦ and burned through all six books of the Game Changer series. Which, honestly, if youāre a regular AO3 inhabitant, is basically childās play.
And the last episode isnāt even out yet.
And I know this has already been said a thousand times but ... oh my god, itās so Lestappen-coded it hurts.
Hear me out for a second.
Ilya: sassy, sarcastic, blond, bi, strong accent when he speaks English, kind of an asshole on the surface but actually a total sweetheart off the ice. Hyper-perceptive. Loves animals (especially dogs). A bit of a party animal (at least at first). Collects sports cars. Has a pretty questionable, harsh, aggressive father who only values him as long as heās winning. And he has a very obvious weakness for Shane every time he speaks Frenchā¦
Shane : dark-haired, good guy, always polite and charming in interviews. Extremely disciplined. Very close to a loving, supportive family. Deeply loyal to his team (which, letās be honest, doesnāt always fully support him back). Speaks English and French. Physically smaller than Ilya.
They meet in the junior series. Same age. Universally framed as the great rivals of their generation. The two most talented players in the league. Same role, same position. Both super hot. They know each other inside out.
And then thereās this passage:
"And playing with him was everything he had imagined it would be. He actually felt bad for their left wing linemate, Carson, because as far as Ilya was concerned there was no one else on the ice. Hollander could actually keep up with Ilya, and it was like they were reading each otherās minds when they passed the puck. They had barely had any time to practice together; they just clicked in a way Ilya never had with any other player. It was exhilarating."
Does this remind you of anythingā¦ or is it just me slowly losing my mind? š«
