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words we don't say; things we don't do by mariee_ward
Fandoms: Heated Rivalry (TV), Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid
14 Feb 2026
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Summary
Shane is a hopeless romantic trapped in a hookup culture, desperately wishing a one-night stand would turn into a love story. Ilya is a Russian hockey player on a scholarship, carrying the weight of his family's expectations and a future that feels like a house of cards.
When a mutual friend sets them up, an instant, electric connection sparks - and then sputters. For an entire agonizing year, they orbit each other through house parties, weddings, and chance campus encounters. Every conversation is a minefield of words they don't say; every moment alone is haunted by things they don't do.
Shane, certain his feelings are unrequited, tries to move on. Ilya, terrified of jeopardizing his tightly controlled world, holds himself back. It's a dance of exquisite frustration, where the greatest risk isn't rejection, but finally telling the truth.