Fandom: Heated Rivalry
Characters/Pairings: Ilya Rozanov & Yuna Hollander, Shane Hollander & Yuna Hollander, background Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov, background Yuna Hollander/David Hollander
Rating: Teen
Length: 22,445
Content Notes: no AO3 warnings apply. Canon-typical discussions of racism and homophobia.
Creator Links: SecretsOfTheUniverse1987 on AO3,
Podcath on AO3Themes: Fluff, AU - fork in the road, Friendship, Canon LGBTQ+ characters, Family, Family of choice, Mentors & proteges
Summary: Yuna Hollander has always loved hockey, from the first time her father sat her in front of a television screen to watch a game after dinner. It was the one thing she most looked forward to passing on to her own children, and she’s grateful that Shane took to it the way he did. She’s proud of everything he’s accomplished and will accomplish, and of the man he’s becoming. So, when Shane tells her, the summer before his rookie season, that he’s gay, she’s determined to do everything she can to ensure that his identity won’t keep him from what matters most to him: hockey.
Over the course of his rookie season, Yuna helps Shane navigate the politics of the MLH and make plans for his future, a future she becomes increasingly certain is going to feature Ilya Rozanov in a starring role.
Reccer's Notes: This is told from Yuna's POV and is a great character portrait of Yuna, and the nature of the AU makes the story inherently gentler on both Shane and Ilya than canon. Yuna and David learn about Shane being gay after the CCM shoot, and realize that he's with Ilya far earlier as well. Yuna of course starts taking Ilya under her managerial wing as well, in their rookie season. There are the usual hockey-culture-related barriers and stresses, but everything comes to a head a lot sooner in this AU, with an easier outcome for Ilya and Shane. The resolution of the fic is far fluffier than canon, as a result. A lovely read, and the podfic is excellent.
Fanwork Links: you can sing a different song - story on AO3, and the podfic by Podcath is
here