!!THIS IS INSPIRED BY THE PREMISE OF HR. ALL CHARACTERS ARE ORIGINAL!!

Fandom– Original Work (sapphic; for fans of Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry)

Rating – Mature

Title – No Love Lost

Genre – Sports romance / enemies-to-lovers / slow burn / angst with a happy ending

Off-site link – https://archiveofourown.org/works/91674771/chapters/244088341?view_adult=true

Summary – Grace Yang has spent her whole career making sure nobody looks too closely at her. Mila Vuković has spent hers making sure they can’t look away. They’re the greatest rivalry their sport has produced. It’s a great story. It’s also not a true one. No Love Lost” is what actually happened. Seven years of it, in the gaps between cameras, handshake lines, hotel hallways, and the one word neither of them ever said out loud. A loosely sapphic reimagining of the premise of Rachel Reid’s “Heated Rivalry.”

I went looking for a very specific fic — the sapphic version of Heated Rivalry — and I could not find it anywhere. So I got mad and wrote it myself.

Grace is the sun: warm, beloved, the best closer the game’s ever produced, and secretly holding back. Mila is the ice: cold, foreign, untouchable, the one defender alive who can put Grace’s fire out, and secretly unraveling. Four times a season they meet at center court and give the world exactly what it wants. Nobody knows what it costs them.

It’s a very slow burn. Sun vs. ice. Enemies-to-rivals-to-lovers where the “enemies” part is a performance. Seven years of pining across a basketball court. Love triangles and media leaks. A secret big enough to swallow two whole lives.

WIP, updating regularly, and I’m having the time of my life with it. Comments and kudos genuinely make my week. Come suffer with me. 💛

I just realized something huge that broke my heart. I can't believe that after 6 months of obsession I still have new thoughts about this show/books. I just wanna preface this by saying that this realization may be huge for me but obvious for other people, so keep that in mind.

All this time they spent hiding, they were scared of being found out, for different reasons- be it internalized homophobia (shane), fear of career impact (both), russia (ilya), etc.

So it went from hiding their own feelings to their own selves, hiding from each other, and hiding from the world.

And then I realized that on top of all the obvious fears / impacts of being found out, there's something else: that if they are found out, they will lose each other.

So the first part of it is, if we are found, we'll lose our career / reputation / safety etc.

And underneath it is also: if we are found, we'll lose each other, we'll lose this, we won't be allowed to be together.

So not just protecting themselves/ their career but also protecting their love.

It also really explains to me the logic behind their initial plan of waiting till retirement.

Oh my god I cannot take it. It's heartbreaking 😭🥺 these poor boys.

I am wondering if this is the sense you've got as well?

such a perfect encapsulation of all the communication issues between Shane and Ilya up until this point. Shane mentions his parents and not giving them the leftovers so as not to blow their cover and Ilya says,

“Yuba and David yes?” And then pauses.

Shane doesn‘t understand this is an invitation to a say more about them, so Ilya adds “And?”

Shane STILL isn’t picking it up (sweet Shane) so finally Ilya is forced to be direct “Tell me about them.”

Shane is still struggling to carry the conversation “what do you want to know?” Ilya leaves it open, ”tell me anything.“ They kind of banter like this a bit teasing about being boring, and the Ilya asks what he really wants to know, “Do they know?”

For Shane, who basically only equates his sexuality with his love for Ilya, he interprets this is a question about their relationship. Ilya clarifies, “no, about you.” Ilya is trying to understand why he wouldn‘t tell his otherwise loving and open parents with whom he is incredibly close about this part of his life. He doesn’t understand that for Shane, the only part about being gay that means anything is how he feels about Ilya. But Ilya interprets this is Shane’s fear? Embarrassment? Lack of importance? As to why he hasn’t told them.

Ilya points out he can tell them he’s gay without outing their relationship. This leads to Shane’s line “it doesn’t really matter” which I think Shane meant, it doesn’t matter because I can’t tell them about you. But Ilya interprets this as “this relationship doesn’t matter. You don’t matter”

it’s basically Vegas and Tuna meltdown all over again, except they a little more open and on better terms now. Oof.

Even my cinema profile on Instagram knows what I like and showed me a repost of this interview where somebody asked for his hair routine. Our funny Ilya, I mean Connor 😁, makes some jokes, tell some true about a team behind his beautiful curls and then says he wanted to shave his hair.🤭 Hudson says he want that too or a crazy hair. Well, he waited a lot to do it and it does look great with the hair shaved 😎 as always. 😏

So, for those complaining yet complaining about a curless Ilya: we could have a very crazy hair for Shane🤣 Nah, we know we wouldn't, Shane would never ever have a leopard print hair.😆

I started watching the show after so many of those interviews starting to pop-up on the feed of my personal account there and I can't wait to they finish the filming and we get some more of those videos.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DcEs04BlZm_/😍

Welcome back Loons to GCPN. The Heated Conference has its first winner. The Neck Kiss took down the Knee Kiss and punched its ticket to Round 2!

With the Heated Conference officially underway, we turn our attention to the Rivalry Conference as Round 1 action opens. The "My Boyfriend?" kiss has drawn a first-round BYE and automatically advances to Round 2.

That leaves one matchup on today's card:

Bathroom Kiss vs. Shane's Dad 👀 Kiss

Which kiss survives Round 1 and moves one step closer to the championship?

How to vote: To keep voting simple, head to the pinned VOTING BLOCKS comment below and upvote the kiss you want to advance. Only votes on the official voting comments count.

Why do I feel like people aren't talking enough about how perfect the casting for Ryan Price and Fabian is??

Like first off all, just for reference the guy that Shaheen is standing next to is 188cm and Daniel is 194 so imagine the height difference...

Also they both just truly embody the roles. I truly need to see the two of then on set or off set just for science 😏

hello!! my friend and i made a heated rivalry roleplay and it’s becoming rly hard to find people to join, if anyone’s interested please lmk!!! it’s on discord and everybody is open besides shane, ilya, and svetlana!!

the first time I watched it I felt like Ilya was kind of being a jerk and felt terrible for Shane. but now, after several rewatches and some reading, I get it.

First, their prior encounter at Shane’s apartment is when they both start catching feelings. Ilya, as usual, is much quicker to realize this than Shane, as he hightails it out of there after Shane’s tender forehead kiss. On their way out Shane brings up Russia, and in his sweet obliviousness, does not get how high stakes it is for Ilya.

Then we have the Sochi disaster. Shane has no idea how bad it is for Ilya atm. The early loss, his dad’s mental decline, the real threat of being exposed. Shane is trying to connect but does not get how threatening that is to Ilya at every level. So Ilya does what he thinks is best and puts distance between them.

Shane is hurt obviously, but doesn’t get it. We have the bathroom reconnection where both of them can’t help be get sucked back into their orbit, despite the conflicted feelings.

So now I see the set up for their meeting in the penthouse. Ilya is trying to see if they can just go back to how it was, focus on the physical—but is is still incredibly attuned to Shane. He notices Shane’s discomfort at the window and remedies it.

I see now also that Shane is enjoying the power play. and when he tells Ilya he needs him, Ilya basically loses his mind.

unfortunately, post sex Shane brings up the worst possible topic—going back to Russia. Again, he doesn’t get it and Ilya is not going to engage to explain. So he signals it’s time to gtfo and Shane does.

Previously, I read Shane’s elevator scene as a bit heartbreaking. Now I see it more as Shane’s own recognition of how deep he’s in. The quiet “fuck” acknowledging how intense his feelings have become.

oh man. These two. My heart breaks for them both!

Rachel was at a Red Sox game tonight and was asked how Ilya and Shane would act if they were there. I can totally picture her response! 😂

Source: Deadline

Depending on if they release season 2 the same way as season 1, how will you watch?

Will you watch each episode weekly? Or are you going to wait until all episodes are released and binge it?

And a third, most likely option, you watch it weekly and then binge the whole series after the last episode 😝

I know it is a while away, but I am debating how I am going to watch it…

They’re going back to the cottage!
This makes me so happy!!

Welcome Loons to GCPN (Game Changers Programming Network) and the opening round of The Kiss Off!

Thirty Shane & Ilya kisses. Two conferences. One title. We're putting the kisses of Heated Rivalry head-to-head to crown the Ultimate Heated Rivalry Kiss. The bracket is set and it's time to get Round 1 underway.

We open play in the Heated Conference where the First Kiss has drawn a first-round BYE and automatically advances to Round 2.

That leaves one matchup on today's card:

Burgers Neck Kiss vs. Hayden Call Knee Kiss

Which kiss survives Round 1 and moves one step closer to the championship?

How to vote: To keep voting simple, head to the pinned VOTING BLOCKS comment below and upvote the kiss you want to advance. Only votes on the official voting comments count.

This is a shitty zoomed in screenshot from my phone, but LOOK AT SHANE’S FACE!! I saw what was probably a slight slowed gif of the All Stars helmet kiss, and noticed the split second of surprised joy on Shane’s face, before it settles into something a little more subtle for public consumption. And now I can’t unsee it. They are such good actors. Shane’s micro expressions particularly are excellently done.

I’m not sure I’ve picked the right flare, let me know if I should try and change it.

Hi everyone! I’m one of the latecomers to HR, as I watched (and rewatched) the series only a few weeks ago and got absolutely hooked. I also just got the book (HR specifically) so I guess I am part of the loons now ;)

But now I’m running into something of a problem, because I’m excited about this series and would like to talk to people about it, as there’s just a lot to say about both the story and characters itself as well as its impact on society as a whole. However, I notice I’m a bit awkward about bringing it up to people and just not being sure if it’s socially acceptable to do so.
I wouldn’t say I feel ashamed for liking HR and I’d like to be more sex positive and open about this kind of thing, but I feel there’s still something of a taboo on watching/reading explicit stories in general, and specific prejudices as well about straight women (as I am) being interested in MM romance. I guess I’m a little worried people will react negatively to me mentioning I like this series or categorise me in some way because of it.

So now I’m very curious how other people feel about this: do your friends/family/partner know you are a fan of HR? Have you recommended the series to people, and if yes did you add a warning about the explicit content? How did they react? Have you watched the series with other people? Are your books (if any) proudly on display in your bookcase or do you hide them away?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts and experiences!

Прив, Loons!

Shane told me I should encourage participation. So post your memes. If they are funny, perhaps I will laugh. If they are not funny, I will still laugh but for different reasons.

Do not embarrass yourselves.

 —Ilya Rozanov

Art by me :)
Some recent sketchbook drawings

First of all, I love the Connor Storrie version of Ilya, but I just found out about an actor online called Vasiliy Stepanov, and that’s what he looked like decades ago. I think that’s how I pictured Ilya when I read the book, what do you guys think?? And I do see the book and shows like two parallel universes, but I do paint the pictures following RR’s description instead of the cast in the show.

Magari è stato già chiesto o discusso.

Secondo voi T. terrà la struttura 5+1 della prima stagione.

A me sembra improbabile. Se davvero introducono le altre due coppie subito, fanno un singolo episodio della s2 e s3 episodio per ognuna? Entrambi nella 2s?

Farà andare tutte le storie in contemporanea?

Sono molto combattuta.