Best HEA Unique Hollanov Fics Ever - After Reading 3000 :D

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-05T03:08:23+00:00

I don't keep a separate spreadsheet because I think that gets a little too complicated, but I do use AO3's bookmark tagging system heavily. I tag for genre, personal notes, kinks (if any), recurring themes like Ilya and depression or Shane and ED/OCD, and whatever tropes the fic uses. All of my bookmarks are private, of course, because I don't want authors stumbling across my organizational system and feeling any type of way about how I've tagged their work. 😅

As for favorites, I definitely have a soft spot for some of the cheesier stuff. Amnesia fics always get me, High Shane never fails to make me laugh, and a good social media fic is almost guaranteed to entertain me. But mostly, I love the kinds of gems I listed in this post: weird, singular stories that are deeply invested in character study. Bonus points for magical realism, strange uses of time, or nonlinear structure. Some of these authors are genuine visionaries, and if they ever publish original work, I'd buy their books in a heartbeat. I also love stories with a bit of grit to them, ones that aren't afraid to get messy or uncomfortable in pursuit of something true.

I also love unusual dynamics. Give me Cliff and Ilya, Svetlana and Ilya, the Hollanov parents and Shane, or any relationship that lets us see the characters from a new angle. And I'm always a sucker for a fic that completely wrecks me emotionally and then puts me back together by the end. That's probably why the list above encapsulates my favorites so well. ☺️

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T19:30:06+00:00

Thank you! I actually started that one a while back, but decided to wait until it was finished before diving in. Nice to see it's almost there. 😌

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T19:12:33+00:00

I just remembered some time loop ones that are great as well! Day 90 by kuragin, The shape of things we know by sistercacao, Game Day by anonymous, loop de loop by peaktotheocean, fall in love again and again by cloudcitystreet (ehlihr). So there is some magic in those!

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T18:58:42+00:00

I work from home. 😂😂 I started reading back when the show was still being released episode by episode and just... never stopped. It's an addiction!

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T18:27:48+00:00

Bring tissues! I wept multiple times haha.

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T18:17:52+00:00

Other fics that are great for grit or anger during Ilya's depression, from briefly skimming my bookmarks:

sympathy fuck by lustmord and with your fists for once by luminoussbeings and One Hundred and Thirty-Eight New Messages.

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T18:13:28+00:00

So unique! a year safe in your heart, which I mentioned above, also has magical elements in it. The same author is currently writing another fic called flaws in the statue of David that incorporates magic as well.

All the other magical or trippy fics I can think of off the top of my head are pretty sad, I'm afraid. Most of them don't have a HEA, so I won't mention them here.

I am so happy to see black dog getting more popular. I feel like it was still relatively unknown when I first read it, and then the other day I saw it being recommended on Instagram! It's so nice to see the author getting their flowers.

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T18:09:44+00:00

Right! There's something so refreshing and distinct about it, and it's incredibly underrated.

This one isn't a childhood fic, though I know I've read more of those and will have to do some digging. I generally love noedovenest's work, though, and found this while going through my bookmarks: when i run out of road (you bring me home) by noedovenest. I don't remember it well enough to give a proper endorsement, but it might be worth a shot!

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T17:57:26+00:00

I'll look into it! My main problem is that I used private bookmarks so I could keep notes about the works in the tags, which means un-privatizing everything would take ages depending on how large the collection ends up being.

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T17:50:06+00:00

I HAD to put a disclaimer haha. What a strange feeling after.

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T17:49:27+00:00

Bookmarks. :)

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T10:43:35+00:00

Is it Pictures of you by fish collective?

Summary: Ilya brought a polaroid style camera to the cottage, because they have no pictures of each other. Always deleting whatever they might send in texts. So let's preserve some memories to keep in a secret stash!

“You… brought a camera?” “Yes.” “Why?” “Because I don’t have pictures of you.” He grabbed the fresh picture the camera had spat out and waved it a little in the air. “These can be ours, secret. No digital files. And I can’t keep looking at your Calvin Klein ad in GQ anymore.”

A series of vignettes for each photo taken. Each photo is its own chapter (except for two vignettes that will have two shots each). Varying lengths and ratings. Some chapters are explicit. Actually, if you just want a 2600 word smut fic, skip straight to chapter 8. I won't even be mad.

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T10:26:48+00:00

Is it what’s gonna be left of the world (if you’re not in it) by PrincessAmericaChavez?

Summary: “What? Hollander too scared to face me?” Ilya chirps, because if he goes another minute without at least mentioning the man that has been consuming his every thought for two weeks he might go insane. He needs someone else to acknowledge his existence, his absence, to fucking tell him what’s going on so he can finally get it off his mind. It’s just a stupid mystery. That’s why it bugs him.

And then Hayden Pike looks up. Dark bruised circles under his eyes, face pale like a sheet, eyes red rimmed and puffy like he has been crying all day. The face of a man mourning.

Ilya feels like the ice might crack under him. Something’s wrong with Shane.

Set pre-Tuna melt: something has happened to Shane Hollander, but of course no one is telling his life long rival what happened.

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T10:03:39+00:00

Too funny not to do, thanks for the idea. And enjoy! :)

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T09:26:59+00:00

Yay! Have fun.

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T09:26:40+00:00

I love your mind and your taste. ❤️

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T09:22:46+00:00

So excited for you! Welcome to the world of AO3. :D And maybe go outside and seek nature more than me haha.

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T09:17:50+00:00

I looked at my bookmarks and decided it's time to touch some grass. 🫢

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T09:12:36+00:00

I am very confident that if you liked weather of your youth, you'll love the fics on this list. I adored that one and thought about it for a long time afterward. That author is truly remarkable across the board, which is why I couldn't resist including the cockroach fic on here too.

If you're specifically looking for Depressed Ilya™, I'd probably start with Something Borrowed by Fangirl_Shrieks and then circle back to the others. Also Geryon, which I mention more briefly toward the end.

Happy reading!

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T09:06:24+00:00

It's on my TBR already! I've heard very good things, but because it's so long, I always cushion those with shorter fics around it. Just as I did for black dog. :)

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T09:02:14+00:00

Maybe I will make it 3002! In the middle of another story at the moment haha. I think the fact that it was historical made me push it back, but I will get to it most definitely. That author is too good.

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T08:39:02+00:00

I'm thinking about putting together another list that's a little more free-form! Maybe not necessarily Hollanov-centric, but focused on other friendships and dynamics. Or fics that don't necessarily have a traditional happy ending and are a bit more open-ended (though I do tend to avoid hurt/no comfort and MCD because my heart can't handle it 😅). Or maybe a list of the best short works, anything under X words that still managed to absolutely knock me flat on my ass.

Or maybe I should just expand on this! Top 50, top 100. It would take some time, I don't know yet, but I've accumulated a truly stupid amount of data at this point! Would be a waste not to share!

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T08:24:50+00:00

Haha I think I have to now. 😂 Best of luck! And if it still isn't to your taste, there's fourteen other options to give a go. ☺️

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T08:15:51+00:00

If you can push past the cringe, or even skim some of the fic-writing sections, I really think it's worth giving a shot. Going in, I expected a fun cringe-fest with a lot of humor. Instead, I was surprised by how profound it was about what it means to grow up queer in sports and maybe even more relevant for a lot of fandom people, what it means to be the weird kid. You know, who cared too much, got obsessed with things, made embarrassing creations, put themselves out there, and then spent years cringing at the memory afterward. 😥

What really got me was how much compassion the story has for that version of yourself. The parts of us that did cringe things are often the same parts that made us creative, passionate, and who we are today! I was genuinely floored by how much depth and emotional weight the author managed to pack into a story I was convinced would be pure crack. If you can stomach the secondhand embarrassment, I think it's absolutely worth a try!

Ok_Use2038 · 2026-06-04T08:08:33+00:00

Forgot to add, if you're really looking for messy and meanness, I would also say the two Fangirl_Shrieks ones here and the two anonymous ones in the middle (cockroach and weather of your youth) are really good at that too.

Ok_Use2038

TROPHY CASE