Like pretty much everyone else, I fell straight into the Heated Rivalry tunnel.
I tried to be responsible. I waited. I told myself: “Come on, 5 episodes out of 6, you can pace yourself until the last one drops.”
I binged them all in less than 24 hours, then immediately went book hunting… and burned through all six books of the Game Changer series. Which, honestly, if you’re a regular AO3 inhabitant, is basically child’s play.
And the last episode isn’t even out yet.
And I know this has already been said a thousand times but ... oh my god, it’s 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 he’s winning. And he has a very obvious weakness for Shane every time he speaks French…
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, let’s be honest, doesn’t 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 there’s 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 other’s 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 anything… or is it just me slowly losing my mind? 🫠