[stardustpainter]

Ilya trying to outplay his demons

[dailyconnorstorrie]

take this one with a huge pinch of salt i guess until any official announcement

[sinmonger]

Connor Storrie has been nominated for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on Saturday Night Live!

[dailyconnorstorrie]

Emmy Nominations 2026: List Of Nominees

See the complete list of 2026 Emmy nominations, with every nominee across drama, comedy, limited series, acting and more.

Connor Storrie has been nominated for an Emmy for 'Guest Actor in a Comedy Series' at the 2026 Emmy Awards!

[dailyconnorstorrie]

'Heated Rivalry's Connor Storrie Lands 1st Emmy Nom For 'SNL'

'Heated Rivalry's Connor Storrie became a first-time Emmy nominee this morning for his hosting on NBC's Saturday Night Live.

Heated Rivalry may not be eligible for Emmys but one of its stars got a nomination anyway. Connor Storrie, who plays Ilya Rozanov on the hit Crave/HBO Max hockey romance series, became a first-time Emmy nominee this morning for his hosting on NBC’s Saturday Night Live.

It is part of the meteoric rise for Storrie, who 15 months ago was still waiting tables in Los Angeles while looking for his acting break. It came when he was cast alongside Hudson Williams in Heated Rivalry, which became a pop culture phenomenon following its November-December run, turning Storrie and Hudson into global stars overnight.

The show’s breakout success led to Storrie’s quick SNL booking in February, landing him a high-profile hosting gig some actors pursue for years.

Tapping into his improv training at the Groundlings, Storrie showed commitment to every sketch on SNL, playing everything from a Victorian man to a stripper hit by a car.

As Deadline reported, Heated Rivalry is out of Emmy contention because it did not meet the foreign production eligibility criteria as it is produced by a Canadian company for Canadian streamer Crave and distributed by Canadian conglom Bell Media with no U.S. ownership. (It can compete at the International Emmys.)

The series has been earning accolades elsewhere, including breaking Canadian Screen Awards records by winning 16 awards, including Best Drama Series and Best Lead Performer (Williams).

[hollanovscuckchair]

Mushy time, if you were to rewrite their proposal, how would it go down?

hello my friend. now, the issue with rewriting their proposal means rewriting or reconfiguring everything else around it too. including the 'plane crash' or 'plane emergency landing' more accurately. i am personally not a fan of how anticlimactic the whole thing is (i am afraid this might turn into a rant sorry). like many people have pointed out the story of TLG and ilya's mother lends itself more towards ilya attempting to commit suicide or perhaps being reckless with his life and ending up in a car crash. i am more of the inclination that it points to him likely being reckless whilst driving and crashing during sort of a depressive spiral. but in the universe of the plane crash i think it is incredibly anticlimactic that shane knows ilya is okay before he even talks to ilya. where's the drama? where's the heart racing intensity? shane should, from a good story telling stand point if you're going to keep the stupid plane, get ilya's messages and ilya's phone should break or die before he can reassure shane. and shane hears about the Cens plane the same. on the team bus. and he panics. his whole body feels ill. he feels like his world is crashing around him and he has these intense messages on his phone and he is heartbroken and calling ilya but the phone is going to voicemail automatically and its saying 'hi this is ilya i will never listen to your message' and shane is just shoving his knuckles into his mouth and repressing a sob and pressing his forehead into the glass window and tears are streaming down his face. this is the drama. this is what we want. okay? so in my universe the plane incident has to be much more dramatic. or completely rewritten as something else.

anyway. after not getting through to ilya shane is calling calling calling. everyone. farah. his mum. sveta. trying to see if anyone has heard anything. and he is spiralling the same. realising that he has no legal rights to ilya if ilya is dead. realising he would be entirely unable to mourn ilya publicly. realising he would mourn ilya forever and alone. because that was a devestating revelation for him in the book. and i am connected to it. the question of who ilya's nok is and who would decide what happens to ilya's body and where he would want to be buried and and and. shane doesn't know these things bc they weren't even at the part where they get to have each other yet. not properly. so they haven't thought about anyone dying yet. and how cruel it would be to lose ilya before they got their future.

so shane finally knows ilya is okay. hours later. a phone call from an unknown number coming through in the early hours of the morning and shane is sobbing. hiccupping unable to breathe when he hears ilya's voice murmuring "is okay, sweetheart, i am okay" and shane is saying "i love you so much i can't lose you i can't live without you i can't i can't i can't" and ilya is shushing him and shane is shaking and saying "no you don't understand, ilya. i could have lost you and then what? i just get to spend the rest of my life pretending you were nothing to me. no i can't do that anymore" and ilya is confused but shane is sobbing too much to make sense so he is just shushing and humming and getting shane to calm down and they fall asleep on the phonecall still. listening to each other breathing.

they reunite afterwards. kissing on the front step of ilya's home. kissing kissing kissing. no proposal. they have romantic, loving, intimate sex. they reconnect physically and then they talk. about how ilya has been feeling. like his sacrifices for them aren't being appreciated by shane and that he doesn't regret anything or resent shane but he needs more. he needs something more. because he is struggling. and he is telling shane about galina and shane is listening. really trying to listen and nodding and they fall asleep after ilya has talked through all his fears and shane is kissing his forehead until ilya falls asleep.

there is a ring. in the bedside table. shane wakes up early in the morning. ilya is still asleep. looking so young and serene with his blonde lashes curled against his cheek and his mouth parted in quiet snores. and shane is just looking at him, fingers carding through ilya's curls, tracing over his ears, brushing across his jaw. he has put the ring box between them and is waiting for ilya to wake up. ilya wakes up yawning loud and obnoxious and smiling a little dopily and shane is asking "how are you, baby" and ilya is saying "i have a headache" and shane is nodding because they'd both cried a lot and headaches are to be expected and they both probably need more sleep and some electrolytes and then ilya is trying to nuzzle closer to bury himself in shane's pecs but his face bumps into the ring box and he is squinting at it, confused. shane isn't saying anything. ilya raises a brow and shane grins, reaching between them and opening the box.

and ilya is pushing up onto his elbow and looking down between them and squinting at the ring and his eyes get teary and he's asking "is this bc i almost died?" and shane is shaking his head. "no, it's because i don't want to live a life without you beside me. i want you. i want a life with you. i want everyone to know you're mine and i'm yours. and i am so sorry it took almost losing you to realise i was being stupid but i promise i see it now. i see you. i love you so much." and ilya is asking "everyone?" and shane is nodding and saying "if you had of died i would have mourned you alone, forever. no one would know. no one would know how much i love you. how funny you are. how sweet. how perfect. how kind. i want the world to see the ilya rozanov i know. the man i love. my man." and ilya is doing that eye thing he does when he's processing and his eyes are going back and forth and shane is still talking "i choose you. i will always choose you. in every life. you are the only choice. marry me ilya, be my husband." and ilya is actually sniffling and crying and nodding and shane is grinning and the ring still doens't fit in my version and they are making out in between the sheets and kissing through the tears and ilya is asking "what do we do now?" and shane says "we figure out a plan. i was thinking summer" and ilya is saying "summer?" "for coming out, for getting married." and they have sleepy lots of eye contact fingers intertwined sex.

anyway, i don't mind the proposal but i have an issue with the wording. ilya needs to know that he is chosen. not because of the plane crash. not because shane was going to die. i need ilya to hear explicitly he is chosen. but because shane wants him. wants a life with him. wants things to be better for them. it's not too dissimilar from the original bc i don't hate the proposal but i hope you like it x

[maggieflowers]

The Cens emergency landing is such a flop. Sorry RR but this is how it should have gone and I really hope Jacob does something like this. What is the point if we don’t get Shane to have that breakdown?

I’m enjoying this fic atm

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Anyone else have any plane fics to recommend?

[actuallysara]

this. in season 2. or else.

[manhasetardis]

Irina is a smart and curious child with big dreams. She gets into figure skating. She’s good, she wants to be the best. In her late teens she gets a boyfriend. He’s good at first, sweet, but soon starts getting jealous and controlling. Every time she’s not with him, she has to tell him what she’s doing and with whom. She stops going out, she gets more and more isolated. She’s with him all the time. It’s not enough. When she arrives 5 minutes later than the agreed upon time, he accuses her of cheating and hits her.

She’s 19 now, she hasn’t been with him for almost a year. She’s doing better. Her mother asks her if she doesn’t want to start going out again. She means well. She’s so beautiful. She meets an older man. He isn’t as sweet as her first boyfriend was, but look where that got her. He treats her well and clearly cares about her. He works for the police and is well connected. He’ll protect her.

She’s 20 now and pregnant. She wanted to try figure skating again. Or maybe go to college. Grigori keeps calling her a silly girl. He tells her she only has to make him look good. She’s so pretty. She just needs to not embarrass him. Can’t she see how the other wives behave? How is it so difficult to organize a party? Doesn’t she have everything she needs?

Alexei is born and she’s so tired. She doesn’t know what she’s doing wrong. She wants her mother but Grigori barely lets her see her. Alexei is a difficult baby, she thinks. He cries all the time. She can’t get him to eat. She can’t get him to sleep. She has barely slept herself. ‘How is this so difficult for you?’, she hears, ‘every woman does it.’ She dreams of disappearing.

Alexei finally sleeps for a few hours and meal time is easier now that he eats solid foods. She likes spending time with him. But he needs her too much sometimes. There’s something in him that reminds her of Grigori. She doesn’t dwell on that; she can’t resent her own child. She dreams of having her own house, of skating, of going to school again.

Grigori thinks she spends too much time with Alexei. He’s a big boy now, he shouldn’t need his mother so much. He starts getting jealous of his own son. She leaves Alexei crying sometimes; it’s better that way. She needs to pay attention to Grigori.

Alexei has a fever and Grigori tells her to get dressed; they have a party to attend. She tells him no; she will stay and take care of her child. He grabs her, locks her in her room, and reminds her of her place in the house. She can hear Alexei crying, a weak cry. She starts screaming and banging on the door, she has to get out. Something breaks and she can’t hear Alexei anymore. Her throat is raw from screaming when the door is open. ‘You will remember what I can do.’ She doesn’t say no again. She starts thinking of her plan to leave, she will try to take Alexei. She will be good for now.

She’s pregnant again. She can’t sleep; she can’t eat. Alexei is acting strange, has more tantrums. He’s cruel sometimes, he keeps reminding her of Grigori. She can’t have another son. She will not survive all the crying and sleepless nights. She keeps making monsters. She mustn’t think that. Alexei keeps asking for her attention. Grigori reminds her she needs to spend time with him; she is not to lock herself with her child again. She needs to leave. Her life is over. She will never escape now.

The moments she has alone, she keeps talking to her son. Ilya, she will name him. He’s her only comfort now. She begs him to please help her. He can’t be difficult. She will do her best to protect him, but he has to be good. She tells him her fears, she confides in him. She’s terrified. ‘Please don’t be like your brother, please.’ She loves Alexei, she does. ‘I won’t survive if you are like him.’ She will need to find a way to leave.

Ilya is born. He looks like her. He’s a sweet baby, nothing like Alexei. He eats when she asks. He sleeps through the night. He never cries. She worries about that sometimes but when she looks at him, he looks well. Big eyes focused on her. He’s starting to smile now, every time he looks at her, he smiles. She can’t help but smile back. She continues to talk to him, tells him all her worries, asks him to help her. He’s all she’s got.

Alexei is getting more difficult now. He never stands still, always running, always breaking things. Grigori doesn’t like that, tells her she doesn’t know how to raise him. Alexei gets in trouble in preschool, he’s hitting other kids. The teachers say he’s a cruel boy. Grigori makes him change schools. She wonders if they were right, if whatever is wrong with Grigori, whatever is wrong with her that makes her hate her own child sometimes, has been passed to him. But then she sees the way he is with Ilya, so gentle, so careful, always making him laugh. Ilya can’t take his eyes off him, always trying to copy him. Ilya’s first word is Alexei’s name. Ilya is like that, bringing the best in everyone.

Ilya is 3 now. He loves playing with mama. They are picking flowers outside when he sees Alexei. He rushes to him and offers him the prettiest one, tall and golden yellow with pink on the outside. Alexei doesn’t even look at it and shoves him to the side. His father is right behind, an angry look on his face. He pats his head and goes inside. There’s loud noises. He looks at the ground and the flower is destroyed. His mama is hugging him and that’s when he notices he’s crying. ‘Forgive him’ he hears her say, ‘he doesn’t know how to do better. Maybe we can make him a drawing to cheer him up.’ At night he goes to Alexei’s room to give him the drawing but he doesn’t go in. He notices some bruises on his wrist, like he sees in mama sometimes. He wonders if she noticed.

Mama is lying in bed. She had been there with her eyes open for a few hours, the way she is sometimes, when he went to her. She’s petting his hair now, it’s nice. ‘Have I ever told you about the boy I dated before I met your father?’ He hears her talk about a man who’d scream at her and hit her. She tells him about leaving him. She seems so small, her eyes are on the ceiling, her voice goes on. He closes his eyes and hugs her. ‘What is wrong with me to keep choosing this? How can they sense it in me?’ She is the strongest person he knows. He can hear Alexei turning up the volume of the TV in the living room.

Ilya started hockey lessons. He loves how fast he can go, it’s like he’s flying. His father goes to see him sometimes, it’s the only time he’s seen him smile at him. He prefers when he goes with mama, she always tells him he’s the best. The coach is talking to his father now. He has his ear to the door but he can’t make out any of the words. When his father opens the door he doesn’t say a word. Later, he takes him out to eat ice-cream and tells him he’ll be the best no matter what it takes. It doesn’t feel good like when mama tells him, it feels like an order.

Yesterday kids at school made fun of him for playing with flowers. They say he’s like a girl with pretty curly hair. But they don’t say it kindly like his mama when she tells him he’s beautiful. They say it with fists and kicks that left a bruise on his tummy. So he decided, today he will not be going to school. Mama finds him in bed, he tells her he’s scared. ‘Yes, it’s scary,’ he hears, ‘but you’re brave.’

He’s alone at school today but he prefers it that way, no one bothers him. He sees a girl coming his way and he wants her to leave. He will not be rude though, so he just makes a silly face at her. She beams, takes his hand and says ‘you’re such a stupid boy, I’m Sveta’ They are running now and he never wants to stop. He thinks he loves her.

Alexei has been watching TV for over an hour now. He promised Ilya he would play with him, so Ilya decided to turn it off to remind him. He’s chasing him through the house now, but he’s not mad, he can hear him laughing. He turns back to look at him smile, when his father opens the door. It hits him and he falls to the floor. He’s never seen his father so angry. Two punches followed by a whimper and his brother is on the floor. ‘You should know better, you can’t let him do whatever he wants.’ ‘Yes papa, thank you papa.’ His father leaves without looking at him. Ilya reaches for his brother, he wants to comfort him, but gets shoved away. There’s blood on his shirt now and an ache on his ribs. Good, it’s him who deserved to get hurt.

He’s going home from school when some older boys show up. He knows they are trouble. They are going after him, and he’s running as fast as he can when Alexei shows up. He can rest now, Alexei will always protect him.

He’s trying to skate but his legs are too heavy. He’s too hot and too cold at the same time. His head hurts. Keeping upright is hard but he knows if he sits down, he will not be able to stand up again. He throws up and his coach is calling him. He will be calling his parents. ‘Please don’t, please don’t’, he dreads seeing his father’s face if he has to leave early. It’s his mama who picks him up. The way home is hard, he’s too tired. She helps him get into bed. He’s burning up. ‘He’s lazy and a liar, you can’t believe everything that boy says, you’re turning him too soft,’ he can hear his father’s voice on the phone. His mama comes back. She gently rubs his back, his face, his wrists. ‘No Ilyusha, he loves you.’ He falls asleep.

His father is screaming at mama. He can’t make out all the words but it’s enough; ‘sissy, soft, you’re ruining him.’ He grabs her and pins her down, red, angry face so close to hers. He’s at his father’s back, tiny fingers trying to hold his hands; he’s in the air now, being taken to the bathroom. He locks Ilya in there. He can hear everything in the other room. ‘I’ve calm down, papa. Thank you, papa.’ He opens the door now, he can leave. He’s on his mama’s bed, can feel her making soft circles on his wrist. Later at night, when he can hear his father snoring, he goes into their room. He crawls to his mother’s side and notices she’s looking at him, tears in her eyes that won’t fall. He lies on the floor and holds her hand, watches her as she falls asleep. It becomes a habit; he always has to check on her.

Alexei broke a window playing football. He’s not breathing right, words scrambled on their way out of his mouth. ‘You have to tell him it was you. He won’t hurt you.’ Ilya can still see his father’s hand on his arm.

Ilya got punched today, some boys at school who didn’t like him. Sveta is helping him clean his wounds like she has done so many times before. Alexei sees him and Ilya feels a little safer. ‘When will you learn to toughen up? Such a fag.’ Sveta kicks his shin.

Word gets around that Ilya is the best at hockey. He’s bigger now, stronger. Boys don’t mess with him anymore. He’s learned that he can be loud and mean, and everyone wants to be around him. He’s never felt more alone.

His father is going to hit his mama, he’s sure. He raises his hand and Ilya holds it. ‘Stop.’ His father is looking at him, twists his arm. It hurts but he doesn’t show it. It gets him to stop. ‘My sweet guardian angel, you will always protect me,’ his mama tells him. ‘Promise me you’ll always be my sweet, soft boy. He can’t take that from you.’ He turns his head away from her, tears running down his face.

He’s beating records now. He can hear his coaches saying he’s the best they’ve ever seen. He remembers skating for the first time with his mama. He will get her out of here, he will be the best and make sure they will escape.

His mama spends days on her bed, not moving, barely eating. He talks to her one day, asks her if she’s ever thought of leaving. ‘I can’t leave you Ilyusha, you’re my reason to stay.’ ‘Take me with you,’ he doesn’t say.

His mama is having a good day today. They spent the whole morning together like when he was little. They have to go to school in the evening, Alexei is receiving an award. It’s almost time, he’s changed his clothes. His mama is napping but he’ll have to wake her. She won’t move, she won’t breathe. She’s holding her necklace, he’s holding her. There’s a ringing in his ears, he can hear a high, ragged sound but he can’t tell where it’s coming from. His father is in the room now, telling him to move. His feet won’t cooperate. He gets pushed away. ‘This was an accident,’ his tone brooks no argument. In his own room, he realizes his throat is raw. He looks at his hand and sees the cross staring at him. ‘You’re free now. You should have taken me with you’, he doesn’t say.

Alexei won’t look at Ilya anymore. Ilya keeps practicing and he’s getting better and better, no one can compare to him. Alexei won’t look at him. His father brings him to parties, introduces him to all the right people. He will be a star. ‘I have to keep him in line, he gets lazy otherwise.’ Alexei is in a bathroom somewhere hooking up with a girl and doing coke. He still won’t look at him. Ilya gets more and more popular. Alexei will join the police, like father did before. His father won’t look at Alexei.

He meets Sasha. He likes him. He’s fun and Ilya can be fun with him. People enjoy when he’s fun. Sasha can be soft too, in his own way. Ilya appreciates that, he hasn’t been soft in a long time.

Ilya starts hooking up with girls sometimes and he’s having fun. They like that he doesn’t care and when he’s a little mean. He prefers Sveta though, they can cuddle afterwards.

He sleeps with Sasha and that’s a different rush. He feels unstoppable. He’s the best, even Sveta thinks so, and she knows more than anyone else.

He knows he’s good but now he’ll have an opportunity to show it too. Shane Hollander thinks he can’t see right through him, but he won’t act so nice once Ilya beats him. He knows what he’s like, perfect, golden boy, from a perfect, golden family. He’s not used to competition. But why does he seem genuine then?

Hollander is good. Not as good as him, but good. Playing is fun again. And he’s learning that teasing him is even more fun. He keeps thinking about him, but that’s only because he’s not used to having someone on his level.

He gets drafted first. He is the best like he promised his mama. He escaped, but he isn’t free.

Hollander is a surprise. He’s never had this much fun with anyone else. He’s a risk and that’s part of it. He keeps feeling wrong-footed, he doesn’t follow the same script as everyone else. He hides so much and yet he’s so genuine. He can’t stop poking him, and poking him, and poking him. And Hollander lets him. Seems to like it. It’s exhilarating.

He needs to be pushed, to be teased, to be touched. But he also craves gentleness and softness. Ilya can give him that without it being more.

He sees his face on a stupid ad. He wants to text him. He had a good practice today. He wants to text him. He’s making friends, and going out. He wants to text him. He texts Sveta instead.

Hollander wants him, that’s clear. And that’s good, he’s used to being wanted, he likes being needed. He can give him what he wants. He can make it fun, so Hollander will keep coming back.

Ilya is back in Russia. His father is getting sicker, Alexei is unbearable, only talks to him to ask for more. Ilya almost hit him today. He really is his father’s son.

Ilya needs Hollander, wants to text him. But he’s reminded of the poison that is his family, he’s reminded of the risks. He won’t risk Hollander.

He wins the Stanley Cup. He escaped, but he still isn’t free. ‘For you Mama, it was always for you.’

Hollander still wants him and it gets easier to breathe. He likes how he reacts to his teasing and it’s good sex, that’s the only reason. No point in stopping, it’s just having fun and they both clearly enjoy it. He won’t ruin him though, he won’t get close, there’s no reason to. Ilya dreams of an escape, but he will just keep hanging around for as long as he wants him to.

It keeps being fun. He’s never felt more alive. Playing is better than ever. He goes out, his teammates like him. He’s popular, everyone wants him. He’s not hooking up with random people as much but that’s because he’s feeling better than ever, he doesn’t need it as much anymore, and that’s the only reason.

He wonders what Hollander is doing, what he's eating, what he's reading. He collects little pieces of information, how he looks when he focuses, how he talks to reporters and how he chirps on the ice. He wants to know.

He’s counting down the days to meeting Hollander. He’s texting him. He thinks it would be good to hang out with him more, outside of sex. He wants him to stay the night. He wants him to drink the ginger ale he bought for him. He wants to cook him a meal and he wants him to eat it. He wants to kiss him. He wants to hold him. He wants and wants and wants.

He learned that he can’t want things a long time ago, but he’s stupid, it takes too many times for it to truly sink in. Every time he sees Shane with her, he’s reminded of the same lesson. He wasn’t made to have, only to give.

He knows Shane wants him, he’ll just have to accept that it’s only for this. He can be fun, he can give him that.

Seeing Shane again is better and worse than he could have anticipated. He can’t stop looking at him. Maybe he can have him again, and without her, which is better than he imagined.

Shane wants more, but he doesn’t understand. Ilya isn’t that, he isn’t big and fun and laid back, he’s broken, and small, and scared. He can’t want that, so why does it feel like maybe he can?

His father dies and he has no reason to see his brother again. It should be freeing, he’s not sure why it doesn’t feel that way.

He calls Shane, he always wants to talk to him. For once, he is the one who wants more, more, more, but he’s learning to be happy with what he gets.

He can’t breathe. He wants to go to him and hold his hand. He’s not moving. Is he breathing? He needs to get to him. His feet won’t cooperate. He gets pushed away. Everything his heart touches dies.

He’s fine and smiling and relaxed. He is okay. He will be okay. He wants to comfort him. He wants to give him everything he asks for. He can’t tell him no, but he doesn’t know how to make this possible.

Scott Hunter is kissing a man and he hopes. Maybe he will be free.

He’s scared, but he can be brave, he can be soft. He’s trying, he shares little by little and Shane catches him. He can be loud, and fun, and mean, and scared, and small, and soft. He’s always there. He looks at big sad eyes with tears that won’t fall and he remembers. He hears him laugh and sees him smile and he remembers. He wants to hide, but he’s held and he remembers. Shane looks at him and sees him and he remembers. He can be loved.

[hollanovscuckchair]

the boston year is overrrrrrrrr

my baby is complete D:

[maggieflowers]

If you ship Hollanov then you have to read this.

[framebyconcois]

'Turpentine' Movie Adds Paul Walter Hauser, Boyd Holbrook & Michael Peña

Craig Zobel's thriller 'Turpentine' has brought on Paul Walter Hauser, Boyd Holbrook, Michael Peña and more in undisclosed roles.

New cast addition announcements to Turpentine

[hollanovscuckchair]

I'll meet you at the cottage (IMYC) by windoq - masterpost

The fifth and final part of The Boston Year.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Summary: After spending Christmas with the Hollanders Ilya realises he has unfinished business in Moscow; namely, saying goodbye to his mother's grave and recovering the pieces of his history. Before meeting Shane at the cottage for their second summer together - and before upending his life and moving to another country once again - Ilya decides to return to his home city and attempt to lay his past to rest.

Chapter One: Ilya POV

Behind him a stall opened, Ilya’s gaze flicked up from his phone to the mirror, catching as two men stumbled out of the cramped space. The first balked when he saw Ilya and scurried away but the second… fuck. The second was fucking Sasha. Ilya vaguely remembered Svetlana mentioning that Sasha was back in town and wanted to catch up, vaguely remembered shrugging, non-committal, when she’d asked if he was interested in seeing their old friend.

The ‘friendship’ he had with Sasha had not been like what Svetlana had. Their relationship had been secret, frantic sexual encounters in storage closets at ice rinks and in bedrooms when their fathers weren’t home. The kind of sex that was fine-but never more than just fine. Ilya had since had sex that was great, mind-blowing, life-affirming. Sex that was devastating and romantic and so intimate he’d felt cracked open. What he’d had with Sasha had been teenage experimentation and intimacy borne of assured mutual destruction.

________________________________________________________________

Chapter Two: Shane POV

Sometimes he thought about how much worse it would all get if he ever came out. The gaudy, rainbow-saturated Pride collections he’d become the face of. The last thing about himself that was just his turned into another selling point, another key demographic his brand could reach, another box to check in the gambit of representation. There’s a world of opportunity here, if they do it right his mother had said. About his sexuality. About his relationship. His own mother attaching dollar signs to the last shred of himself as a person, not a brand, that he had left.

If he ever came out, hockey would move further down the list of things he was. Not Shane Hollander: hockey player, generational talent, Hall of Famer, legacy builder. But Shane Hollander: gay, half-Japanese, representative of inclusivity in sport, hockey player. The one thing he wanted to be remembered for, to be admired for, moved to the bottom of the list.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chapter Three: Ilya POV

(Please be aware that this chapter contains: mentions of domestic abuse, depictions of violence, descriptions of blood, descriptions of nausea, homophobic slurs, references to wound stitching and hospitals.)

His brother hadn’t changed at all since Ilya had last seen him. Same angry eyes, same twisted expression, same hard-set jaw. So much like their father, too much like their father.

“I was just leaving,” Ilya said. He was suddenly, acutely, aware that he hadn’t thought through how bad this could be for his sister-in-law and niece.

“Why the fuck is he here, Yelena?” Alexei growled, storming into the room, making the space feel suddenly tighter, smaller, the high-ceilings pressing in. Ilya stepped into his brother’s path, attempting to shield Yelena from view with his body.

“I just wanted to see my niece,” Ilya said, placating. “I came by to see her.”

“You don’t fucking get to see her,” Alexei crowded him against the dining table.

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Chapter Four: Shane & Ilya POV

The thing was, Shane hadn’t meant to lose it on Ilya.

He’d had a plan. Call Ilya. Make sure he was okay physically. Tell him that he had people who loved him, who were worried about him, who were here for him at any time of the day or night. Try and prod into how he was coping emotionally. (Maybe have phone sex with him if that would help alleviate some stress.) Remind him that he could access early check-in online from tomorrow morning for his flight to Ottawa. Tell him, again, that he was loved, so loved. Hang up. Call again in a few hours. Rinse and repeat.

Losing it had not been a part of the fucking plan.

Shit.

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Chapter Five: Ilya POV

“I know you probably don’t want to talk to me about it,” David began, eyes locked ahead, as if trying to give Ilya some semblance of anonymity, like in confession, “but I just want to ask… are you okay?”

“I…” Ilya clamped his mouth shut. Lying to David didn’t feelright. “Honestly?”

“Ideally.”

“No,” Ilya shrugged and David nodded, glancing at him briefly to smile.

“We can talk about it,” he offered. Though the look in his eye told Ilya that David knew he wouldn’t want that.

“No thank you,” Ilya laughed, shaking his head. David hmm’ed and turned back to the road, checking his blind spot before changing lanes.

________________________________________________________________

Chapter Six: Shane & Ilya POV

Ilya had been at the cottage for four days but still Shane felt like he was waiting for the man to suddenly slip through his fingers, dissolving like fog over the lake on a sunny morning. So he just needed one more minute.

They hadn’t talked about Russia yet. Shane wanted to blame the wild, frantic, mind-blowing sex they just couldn’t stop having for Ilya’s reticence, for the lack of a conversation, but… Ilya’s suitcase was still in the boot of the Range Rover, and he hadn’t gone outside once since Shane had shown him the plaque for Irina. It had been storming for the past two days, the sky dark and rumbling, endless sheets of rain pounding on the steel roof, loud and rhythmic but also soothing, cocooning them inside the cottage; the wind and the rain and the thunder background noise beneath the sounds of their bodies moving, their mouths gasping. It had been a perfect few days but still… they had not talked about Russia.

Shane was not delusional; he knew Ilya would avoid the topic for as long as possible, maybe forever if he could get away with it. He’d known Ilya for far too long to be under any impression that the man would just open up willingly.

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Chapter Seven: Shane & Ilya POV

“You didn’t come back to bed last night,” Shane murmured, eyes locked on Ilya’s, assessing. Looking too closely. Ilya did not want to be seen.

“I did,” Ilya lied and Shane’s mouth pinched.

“You didn’t,” he insisted and then his eyes dragged from Ilya’s face to the glass jar, crowded with discarded cigarettes, and he frowned. “How many have you smoked?” he asked, an edge to his tone, bordering on reproachful.

Ilya was too tired for a lecture. He just shrugged. That only seemed to deepen the line forming between Shane’s dark brows.

“You really shouldn’t be smoking,” he griped. “It’ll make you sick.”

“Everyone dies eventually, Hollander. Fucking relax,” Ilya snipped, stubbing out his dwindling cigarette and lighting another. Only for the satisfaction of making Shane’s eyes narrow, a glare levelled at the thing, the kind of glare Shane usually reserved for when Ilya was really pissing him off.

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Chapter Eight: Shane & Ilya POV

Shane rolled his eyes but interlocked his finger with hers, like he would when he was a boy. It was juvenile but it warmed something in him that still missed the summers of his childhood.

“Are you two making secret deals?” Ilya asked, approaching them.

“Top secret, no assfaces allowed,” Svetlana retorted and Ilya flipped her off, ignoring her as he stood over Shane, dripping lake water all over the blanket.

“You’re getting water all over the rug, asshole,” Shane grumbled. Which was a mistake. Ilya shook his head out like a dog, spraying Shane and Svetlana with droplets of cold water. “Asshole!”

“Ilya!” Svetlana shrieked. Ilya just grinned, toothy and wolfish.

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Chapter Nine: Ilya POV

When Ilya was ten, he broke his arm. It was his first real hockey injury, and he’d been so damned proud of it. He’d fallen wrong. The entire weight of his body crashing down on his arm because he’d forgotten to twist, to tuck in his elbows, and he could still remember the snap of it, the sudden searing pain, the ice cold beneath him and his nerves suddenly on fire. He’d smacked his chin on the way down, the end of his stick bumping into his mouth, knocking his tooth right from his gums. The bloody baby tooth his first real trophy. He was a man now. A real hockey player. His mama had let him keep the tooth in an empty matchbox beside his bed.

Grigori had lectured him when he’d gotten home from the hospital. Unimpressed by the cast Ilya proudly showed off, disappointed that Ilya’s season was over. Not because Ilya was hurt but because Ilya had been careless. He could remember his father saying, ‘you know better than to fall like that, Ilya. You are just like your mother. Finding any excuse to avoid your responsibilities.’

The arm never healed right, and sometimes, when it rained, it ached. A deep, throbbing pain; a permanent bruise on his radius.

[maggieflowers]

I couldn’t recommend this fic enough. It’s top tier. The whole Boston Year is beautiful, especially for those who enjoy in canon, in character fics

[hollanovscuckchair]

I'll meet you at the cottage: Chapter seven by windoq

Summary: Chapter Seven

The fifth and final part of The Boston Year!

“You didn’t come back to bed last night,” Shane murmured, eyes locked on Ilya’s, assessing. Looking too closely. Ilya did not want to be seen.

“I did,” Ilya lied and Shane’s mouth pinched.

“You didn’t,” he insisted and then his eyes dragged from Ilya’s face to the glass jar, crowded with discarded cigarettes, and he frowned. “How many have you smoked?” he asked, an edge to his tone, bordering on reproachful.

Ilya was too tired for a lecture. He just shrugged. That only seemed to deepen the line forming between Shane’s dark brows.

“You really shouldn’t be smoking,” he griped. “It’ll make you sick.”

“Everyone dies eventually, Hollander. Fucking relax,” Ilya snipped, stubbing out his dwindling cigarette and lighting another. Only for the satisfaction of making Shane’s eyes narrow, a glare levelled at the thing, the kind of glare Shane usually reserved for when Ilya was really pissing him off.

[sluthollander]

just realized how hard the gladiator costume is gonna go. like yes ilya rozanov wearing a gladiator costume is hot as hell in theory but ilya rozanov played by connor storrie??? it is genuinely going to be the hottest anyone has ever looked. we are not prepared for this my friends

[hollanovscuckchair]

I'll meet you at the cottage: Chapter five by windoq

Summary: Chapter Five

The fifth and final part of The Boston Year!

“I know you probably don’t want to talk to me about it,” David began, eyes locked ahead, as if trying to give Ilya some semblance of anonymity, like in confession, “but I just want to ask… are you okay?”

“I…” Ilya clamped his mouth shut. Lying to David didn’t feelright. “Honestly?”

“Ideally.”

“No,” Ilya shrugged and David nodded, glancing at him briefly to smile.

“We can talk about it,” he offered. Though the look in his eye told Ilya that David knew he wouldn’t want that.

“No thank you,” Ilya laughed, shaking his head. David hmm’ed and turned back to the road, checking his blind spot before changing lanes.

[wyatthazy]

🥹 Heated Rivalry | 1.06

[maggieflowers]

Is there a fanfic of the rest of this day? Like what they say in the car, what happens when they get back to Shane’s and then his parents coming round at 5pm.

Would love to read. If anyone has seen or read any please share 🙏

[tomdayaland]

A new trailer for The Odyssey.

[maggieflowers]