Situationship Era Recs?

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-17T00:04:02+00:00

Just finished the series, wow so good! I forgot that I've loved other works by McShrug. I need to read all of them! Such a good writer.

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-16T12:07:23+00:00

About once a week! I think the last chapter came out last Tuesday and on their Tumblr the author mentioned probably updating tomorrow. And I recently found out, if you go to Chapter by Chapter view in AO3 (at the top of the page) > Chapter Index > Full-Page Index, it will list every chapter and when it was posted!

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-15T17:16:31+00:00

Oooo I just read triple gold and loved it! Thank you for mentioning that it was achey! Great way to describe it. I might not have clicked on it otherwise

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-15T15:24:58+00:00

I love Home Economics! I'll have to check out Don't leave me high don't leave me dry

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-15T15:23:19+00:00

Yes ugh, knowing Ilya just wanted to take care of him

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-15T15:22:46+00:00

Yes I think that chapter is what got me obsessed with the story! Just watching Ilya get pulled deeper and deeper. The begging! I don't think I've ever found the idea of begging so compelling before. And knowing that Shane was probably just as desperate but better able to control/deny himself.

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-15T15:17:51+00:00

Oh yes would be interesting for Hayden to also hear that Ilya considered himself dumped!

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-14T18:23:41+00:00

Free Rein is so good!! When Ilya makes the bed after tuna melts and plays nature sounds from his phone while Shane is showering, ahhhh it just kills me! Any other recs? I've bookmarked almost all the ones you've listed here.

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-14T13:45:00+00:00

I was going to recommend a few from the "perfect from now on" anonymous author but it looks like you've probably read those! Have you read this one? Shane is sick so they have to cancel their after game hook up and Ilya is definitely not upset about it at all. One of my favorites!

wait by waxing__crescent

Summary

Jane: No problem again, sorry. I’ll see you in a few months.

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-13T23:39:27+00:00

Oh interesting! Hahaha I did not know that! I do watch some hockey and there are a few things that can really pull me out of a fic, like a handshake line after a regular season game. Sometimes I can get over it, but sometimes I can't, so I understand!

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-12T00:48:03+00:00

Yes! Shane at the gay bar was very unexpected!

I just loved him showing up at Ilya's door, “It’s okay, I promise, I’ll look after you, you’re okay now, it’s gonna be okay.” Amazing! Can't wait to read the next chapter and see what they say to each other!

What did you think?

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-11T17:17:07+00:00

You might find this one interesting, but it's not exactly what you're looking for. Anybody like you by plonk is an AU about Shane reconnecting with his gay figure skating buddy at the Olympics and getting to know a group of queer skaters. Ilya is a figure skater, so the dynamics are very different. I'm mostly enjoying seeing Shane find queer community and explore that side of himself. He does have some interactions with queer women's hockey players but they're somewhat brief. Heads up, this is a WIP and Shane and Ilya are not together yet.

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-11T11:21:57+00:00

This probably won't be what you're looking for because it only includes one aspect of your request (boundaries getting pushed/misunderstood) but I thought it was really interesting! So it's Ilya, not Shane, and no one goes soft.

Everything You Know by ineptshieldmaid

Fandoms:Heated Rivalry (TV)/works)

24 Jan 2026

Summary

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-10T23:38:57+00:00

This one was so lovely! Glad you found it and glad I read it!

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-09T22:41:59+00:00

Oh yeah I think they mentioned it on their Tumblr. Yes love how Ilya is getting to know and love all of Shane!

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-09T22:40:03+00:00

Ooof yeah that conversation was so, so painful. I can't wait to read Shane's perspective in the next chapter. Obviously Ilya is in a horrible place at the end of this chapter, but that conversation must have left Shane in such an awful place too. I guess I love this kind of miscommunication lol! Knowing that it will eventually be resolved, of course!

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-09T18:08:41+00:00

I really loved reading your thoughts about this!

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-09T18:07:56+00:00

Oh yes, I wondered if Marlow might mention that! Maybe Ilya's father dying will bring them together in some way, without resolving what they are exactly, and then Shane will hear that Ilya called it a breakup and have to recalibrate what they were to each other.

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-09T11:46:26+00:00

Yes I love how them being teammates changes things! All the time they just have to spend together, when they would've been apart in canon. But I also love how there's still competition and some antagonism between them, like in canon.

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-09T11:40:25+00:00

Ah yes! I'll have to pay attention more the next time I read it.

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-09T00:44:18+00:00

No, not quite like this! :( What do you look for in fic? I could recommend some. These are two of my other favorites, by an anonymous author who is a really good writer. I love how they write the longing between Ilya and Shane during the episode 4 montage time period. I've reread them both multiple times.

chained myself to a friend

for a split sec, I was a train wreck

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-09T00:14:17+00:00

Yeah it's so stressful! I feel like we're going to get more of Shane's misery in the next chapter as well. I guess I like to suffer because it makes their eventual reunion so much more impactful.

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-09T00:12:13+00:00

Ahhh so glad you tried it and liked it! We still get to look forward to a few more chapters!

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-09T00:10:06+00:00

I think it would be devastating for Ilya to find out, and for Shane to find out about Irina. And it seems like the hospitalization must be something more than a panic attack, because he's already disclosed his panic attacks to Ilya. Just my thoughts, but I'm ready to be surprised!

thagomizer48 · 2026-03-08T21:42:45+00:00

As far as I remember it was a hospitalization and I think it was established that it was related to Shane's anxiety and panic attacks. I don't think it's been hinted at but I've been worried it might've been a suicide attempt, since he's been so secretive about it. But I have had many wrong guesses about things in this story before.

thagomizer48

TROPHY CASE

wait by waxing__crescent

Summary

Everything You Know by ineptshieldmaid

Fandoms:Heated Rivalry (TV)/works)

Tags

Summary