Competition is Better With a Friend
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I'm Reading Your Lips (You're Speaking My Language) by Anonymous
Heated Rivalry (TV), Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid
2025-12-22
Rozanov cocked his head. “You speak Russian? Or just the curse words?”
“Yes, I speak Russian,” he snapped, defensive and angry. He knew that it had been a mistake to even try to be friendly with Rozanov. “Why? Do I not look Russian to you?” He scoffed.
“No, not really,” Rozanov said. Some of his teammates laughed, although they mostly looked surprised that Shane was speaking to them at all. Rozanov didn’t laugh, though. “Are you Russian?”
“Go fuck yourself.”
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Despite an inauspicious start, when Russia’s Ilya Rozanov learns that Canada’s Shane Hollander is fluent in Russian at their first World Junior Championships tournament, it changes everything and sets them on a different course. Instead of being branded as rivals from the very beginning, Ilya and Shane start off as friends.
And, after all, a little friendly rivalry never hurt anyone, did it?
- Part 1 of Competition is Better With a Friend
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 30,455
- Chapters:
- 4/4
- Files:
- 5 versions
- AO3:
- #76003496
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A Twitter-fic companion piece to "I'm Reading Your Lips (You're Speaking My Language)" set post-chapter 3—will NOT make sense without reading that first and WILL spoil the story for you!
- Part 2 of Competition is Better With a Friend
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 1,598
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Files:
- 2 versions
- AO3:
- #76149451
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“You will not be so nice when we beat you,” Ilya told Shane Hollander, holding onto his hand, not letting him pull away. Not yet. But Hollander’s brow furrowed, not in anger but in confusion. “Ah, um, sorry,” Hollander said. “Merci. My English is bad. Worse… than you. Maybe slower?” And he leaned in, like that would help him understand. Ilya’s eyebrows rose, and his smile widened. Or, Ilya Rozanov grew up in Russia. Shane Hollander was raised in France. When they first meet, neither of them can speak English very well. Somehow, it’s easier to understand each other when words aren’t getting in the way. (Stand-alone remix of “I’m Reading Your Lips (You’re Speaking My Language)” but this time neither of them are native English speakers, and learning a new language is sort of like falling in love, if you think about it.)
- Part 3 of Competition is Better With a Friend
- Language:
- English
- Words:
- 7,862
- Chapters:
- 1/1
- Files:
- 2 versions
- AO3:
- #79323831