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Hi! So I’m not a writer! Truly. I aspire, I adore, I brainstorm at 3AM, but the actual writing part? Not my strongest skill.
That said, my brain will not stop generating Heated Rivalry ideas. Like, so many ideas. Ridiculous amounts. Too many to keep to myself.
So I figured I’d put them all together in one place, this little prompt collection, in case any real writers out there want to take something and run with it. If anything here sparks inspiration, makes you laugh, or gives you the final puzzle piece you needed for your own fic, then mission accomplished.
Please feel free to use, remix, expand, steal with love, whatever. No credit needed (though I’d love to read anything that comes from these prompts if you want to share!).
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you find something here that lights a fire under your creative brain.
1. Bored
After years of stolen weekends and hotel rooms, living together feels like a dream- until Shane starts to wonder if Ilya’s getting bored. He must miss women? Or the rush of sneaking around? They’re together all the time now so there’s no time to miss each other. And honestly, Ilya’s constant teasing about Shane being “boring” is not helping.
Then the sex slows down. Then it stops. Which feels particularly alarming, because- let’s be honest- their entire relationship started as sex.
(Meanwhile: Ilya is not bored, not cheating, not going anywhere. He’s just mortified because his new antidepressants have absolutely nuked his libido, and he has no idea how to talk about it.)
2. All Stars
After playing on the same team for years, the NHL decides to stir the pot and puts them on opposite teams for All-Star Weekend.
They haven’t faced each other as rivals in forever, and suddenly the cameras want the drama back.
Do they chirp? Flirt? Get too competitive? Pretend nothing’s weird?
3. Shift
Chronicle how their relationship shifts from purely physical to way more.
It starts simple: they only hook up when their teams play each other, or when they happen to be in the same city for things like the NHL Awards or All-Star Weekend. Not
much kissing, no talking, no lingering.
Then things start to change. A little more kissing- just for fun. A little more talking. Staying just for a bit after.
They start going out of their way: meeting when they both have games in New York State. Then when one’s in NYC and the other’s in New Jersey. Then Anaheim and LA. Then Ilya “just happening” to stop in Montreal before flying home to Russia for the summer (they both know that layover excuse is a lie). And again on his way back to Boston.
The turning point: Ilya sneaks to Shane’s place in Montreal, using the door code Shane gave him, but Shane has fallen asleep waiting. Instead of waking him for sex in a bit, like Shane half-asleep asks him to, Ilya climbs into bed and just holds him. It’s the first time they sleep together without doing anything else.
Shane wakes up at dawn apologizing for ruining the night.
Ilya tells him it’s fine.
(And secretly thinks it’s the best night they’ve ever had.)
4. Toys
The Long Game mentions that their collection has expanded over the years, mostly thanks to Ilya’s habit of buying “presents.” So let’s take a little tour.
From Shane’s lonely first (sad) dildo to the drawer that’s now bursting with toys Ilya swore were “for variety,” every piece tells a story. I imagine some are thoughtful, some are ridiculous, all of them are very them.
5. Paparazzi
After they’re outed, the press can’t get enough of hockey’s most talked-about couple. Cameras everywhere, endless speculation, zero peace.
Shane wants to lay low.
Ilya, naturally, starts trolling the paparazzi.
6. Crush
Harris slips up and accidentally reveals that Troy used to have a crush on Shane.
7. Thank You
Shane admits to Scott Hunter that he’s indirectly responsible for getting him and Ilya together, and even thanks him. Ilya hates every second of Scott getting that credit.
8. Pet Names
Ilya has endless pet names for Shane. Shane has… none. He tries to fix that, with varying levels of success and embarrassment.
9. Tattoo
Ilya already has the loon tattoo for Shane. Shane decides to get a tattoo as well- something he never thought he’d do.
Just something small. Just for Ilya.
10. Presenting
Years ago, the NHL thought it’d be cute to have the “rivals” present a sportsmanship award together (it went viral).
Now they’re married, and the league asks them to recreate the moment.
Rachel wrote some of the banter they used on stage in 2014 here: https://www.rachelreidwrites.com/news/2024/3/24 if that helps!
11. Translation
Ilya says the soft, vulnerable things he’s too embarrassed to tell Shane in Russian, knowing Shane won’t understand.
Shane does the exact same thing back in French.
12. Rose
We explore how Rose figured out about Shane and Ilya since she’s the only one whose discovery we never actually see.
13. interview
Shane wants the focus to be on hockey, not their relationship, and he’s tired of fielding questions about it every game. Ilya gets it; it was a bit of a shock to the league.
So they agree to do one low-key, honest interview, no glossy magazine spreads, no dramatic photoshoots, just a casual, tell-all conversation to get everything out there so people will finally stop asking.
They choose their friends from camp, Leah and Max, who run a small but beloved hockey podcast.
14. Sugar Baby
“How much money do you need?” Ilya asked.
“I don’t know. I just want what I’m worth, y’know?”
“Of course. But consider maybe your very wealthy husband.”
Ilya spoils his husband that’s it!
15. Whipped
Once Shane joins the Centaurs, it becomes painfully obvious to everyone that he is the only person who can actually keep Ilya in check. The team thinks it’s hilarious how completely whipped their captain is, and the chirping/trading begins immediately.
And something rare happens- Ilya is genuinely embarrassed.
16. Brother
Ilya talks to his brother for the first time since being outed, and it obviously doesn’t go well. He’s hurt by the conversation and even more annoyed at himself for caring so much.
17. Russia
Before coming out, Shane and Ilya had planned one last trip to Russia so Shane could see where Ilya grew up, and so Ilya could visit his mother’s grave one more time. Being outed ends those plans instantly.
Shane feels awful about it, so he starts quietly collecting imported Russian goods- vodka, candies, snacks you can’t get anywhere else- to bring a little piece of home to Ilya.
18. Change
Explore the small, intimate firsts of their relationship: exchanging keys, leaving clothes and toothbrushes at each other’s places, realizing they have “spots” in each other’s homes even the first time they trust each other enough to stop using condoms. All the quiet milestones!
19. Coach’s Son
The first man Ilya ever hooked up with, his coach’s son, finds out about the outing and reacts. Maybe even reaches out.
20. Road trips
Road trips are supposed to be about team bonding, strategic plays, and maybe a few too many energy drinks. But for the Ottawa team, there’s only one real battle happening every away game: who has to room next to Shane and Ilya.
The walls are thin, the couple is loud, and the roster has devolved into full-scale negotiations that would make the UN proud. Bribes are exchanged, alliances are forged, and one poor rookie may never sleep again.
(Shane is mortified when he finds out.)
21. Injury
When Ilya went down on the ice the first time, Shane had to stand stone-faced on the opposing bench, gripping his stick so hard his knuckles turned white. He wasn’t allowed to touch him, wasn’t allowed to care- not where anyone could see.
Years later, when it happens again, he’s not hiding anymore. He’s off the bench before the medics even reach Ilya, skating like his lungs are on fire.
(Also: Ilya’s fine. Mostly. He milks the attention shamelessly.)
22. Jersey
Post-outing, Ilya shows up to a Montreal game in Shane Hollander’s jersey. A week later, Shane returns the favor at a Centaurs game. The cameras eat it up. Hockey Twitter loses its mind. Their teams have Opinions™.
(Bonus points for sexy times after in said jersey.(I think Ilya would REALLY like Shane in his jersey.))
(More bonus points for an epilogue where it’s The Centaurs’ Pride Night so they have Hollander-Rozanov jerseys.)
23. Anxiety
Being out together means eyes on them all the time- cameras, fans, reporters, teammates, everyone.
Ilya doesn’t care. He’s always lived loud, and now he finally gets to love loud too. Shane… overthinks everything. How close is too close? How much is too much? Is hand-holding fine? Is kissing after a game too much? Is breathing too much? He wants the focus to stay solely on the hockey and not their relationship (impossible).
Ilya tries to brush it off, but it stings more than he’ll admit. What’s the point of being out if they still have to hide?
And somewhere between the nerves and the noise, they have to figure out how to just be together.
TLDR
Shane’s caught between the pressure of the spotlight and the boy he loves.
Ilya’s just tired of pretending they’re something less than they are.
24. Fight
Ilya picks a fight with Shane during a game over absolutely nothing- well, nothing except the fact that Shane’s dating someone, Rose, and it’s making him insufferably jealous. Which is rich, considering how many women Ilya’s been seen with. Now he’s in the penalty box, fuming, and has no one to blame but himself.