Rating:

General Audiences

Archive Warning:

No Archive Warnings Apply

Category:

Gen

Fandoms:

Heated Rivalry (TV), Game Changers Series - Rachel Reid

Relationship:

Shane Hollander/Ilya Rozanov

Characters:

Ilya Rozanov, Shane Hollander, Anania, Anania Williams, Yuna Hollander

Additional Tags:

Gaydar, Drag Queens, Trans Character, Social Media, Press and Tabloids, Youtube show, Oh no is this RPF?, RPF, flirtatious Ilya, Shane and Ilya bicker, Bickering as Flirting, fighting as flirting, playful banter, No beta we die like Grigori Rozanov, you can pry the em dash out of my cold dead hands, POV Outsider, Post-Book 6: The Long Game (Game Changers)

Language:

English

Series:

Part 4 of Heated Rivalry Articles and Reactions

Stats:

Published: 2026-04-12 Words: 2,939 Chapters: 1/1

Ilya Rozanov Tests Anania's Gaydar

Summary

“Name three reasons gay people need marriage equality.” Anania prompts.

“Oh, easy.” Ilya says. “So I can marry Canadian man for citizenship.”

“Okay, can you step into my office?” Anania turns around.

“Okay.” Ilya turns around with them.

“So, that’s a reason that some might say the opposition might use against gay marriage equality.”

“They don’t want me as Canadian citizen?”

“Well–”

“I am national treasure. Canadians love me.”

Shane can be heard scoffing from offscreen.
~
OR: Ilya Rozanov goes on Gaydar and is interviewed by Anania to see if she can guess if he’s gay, straight, or a homophobe. She’s surprised by how well he’s doing.

Notes

I do not speak Russian. All Russian is unfortunately from Google Translate.

I posted a version of this with Shane the other day, so if you like this one, go read that one too!!

COLD OPEN

Shane and Ilya are running full speed next to each other away from the camera at an angle. Anania stands in the foreground looking at the camera with resigned annoyance. She turns around to watch them with a sigh. 

JUMPCUT

Anania is wearing the same long-sleeve black mesh leopard print top under a black and hot pink patterned summer dress that she wore in the video with Shane Hollander. Her hair is wavy brown, shoulder-length, with half pulled up. They are standing next to Ilya Rozanov, wearing black haram-style joggers with a stripe of floral embroidery up the side, and a sleeveless black shirt. A gold chain peaks out of the shirt around his neck. His light brown curly hair is parted on the side and tamed with product. 

“I’m Anania, this is Gaydar, and I’m going to find out if you are gay, straight or a homophobe. What is your name, and what are your pronouns?” 

Ilya smiles at Anania, “Ilya Rozanov, I use he/him pronouns.” 

“What’s the difference between the gay scene in Canada and America?”

Ilya smiles and scoffs, “At first I thought you were going to say between Canada and Russia.”

Anania shakes her head, “No, we’ll get to Russia in a little bit.”

Ilya shakes his head, “Okay, uh…Well, I never really played the gay scene in either places, but if it’s similar to the club scene, America is more fun.” 

Anania throws her head back, “I live!” 

“Canada is nicer, though.” 

“Sure, sure.” Anania looks at her cue card. “Name the Russian musical duo–”

“Ah, we got to the Russian question.” Ilya smiles.

Anania laughs, “Well, we wanted to give you an easy one first. Name the Russian musical duo that presented themselves as lesbian by kissing on stage until 2003 when they admitted that their producer ‘made us out to be lesbians when we were just singing for lesbians. We wanted people to understand them and not judge them. That they are as free as anybody else.’”

“Oh, t.A.T.u.” Ilya answers easily.

“Yes!” Anania cheers. “What are your thoughts on t.A.T.u.?”

“Messy.” Ilya frowns in disapproval. 

Anania laughs.

Ilya tilts his head side to side before continuing.“Okay, they were messy. Never stopped being messy. Not how I would have done things, but they did bring queer rights into the conversation. In some ways, they reinforced stereotypes…but for young gay people, they saw themselves on stage for first time. It was disappointing later when we found out it was fake. Also, Julia is homophobe now, so that’s not good.”

“Yeah. Hate to see it.” 

“But Katina is…fine, so one out of two?”

“Honestly, that was so generous.”

“But the music slapped.”

“Period! Love All the Things She Said.”

“Yes, but, you know, I feel sorry for you, because the original Russian version of this song is soooo much better.” 

“Oh, crazy that you assume I don’t speak Russian.” Anania looks offended.

Ilya’s face lights up, “O, vy govorite po-russki? Zamechatel'no! Teper' ya mogu skazat' vam, kakaya vy krasivaya, na svoyem rodnom yazyke.” Oh, you speak Russian? Wonderful! So now I can tell you how beautiful you are in my mother tongue. 

“Ilya!” Shane calls from off camera. 

“Okay, well, I don’t actually speak Russian, but from that reaction it was either flirting or a slur.” 

Ilya shakes his head. “No, not a slur. I don’t use slurs in any language on or off the ice.” 

“Okay, a gentleman! So it was flirting.” 

“I said you are very beautiful.” 

Anania looks at Ilya with coy eyes, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. Shane scoffs. 

Ilya turns and talks to Shane. “Is a fact, Shane! Is it flirting to state a fact?” 

JUMPCUT

“Alright, next question.” Anania clears their throat. “What gay person could you beat in a foot race?”

Ilya coyly grins. “Many, but the closest one to me is Shane Hollander.” 

“Fuck off! I’d beat you any day!” Shane calls out.

“As if!” 

“Let’s fucking go Rozanov, right now!” Shane enters the shot. 

“Oh, god.” Anania steps back out of the way. “Guys? Can we—”

JUMPCUT 

Shane and Ilya are running full speed next to each other away from the camera at an angle. Anania stands in the foreground looking at the camera with resigned annoyance. She turns around to watch them with a sigh. They are neck and neck, but Ilya pulls out ahead and touches a tree just before Shane. He lets out a whoop and puts both hands in the air, breathing deeply. 

“I beat you!” Ilya huffs. 

Shane, wanders back out of frame, “Go fuck yourself, Ilya.” 

“I’d rather fuck you.” 

“I’m still fastest on the ice.” 

“You beat me one time!” 

JUMPCUT

Ilya is standing next to Anania, breathing heavily with his hands on his hips and a grin plastered across his face. 

Anania still looks annoyed. “Alright, that put about a thousand points in the straight category, just in case you were wondering.” 

“What? Gay people can’t be competitive?” Ilya asks. 

“It wasn’t that you did it, it was how you did it. I don’t think there’s any need for me to elaborate, we all saw it.” Anania shakes her head. “Give me a bisexual stereotype.”

Ilya gives a little chuckle. “Bi people are promiscuous. Sleep with sooo many people, have multiple partners at once.”

“Really doing your part to break those stereotypes, Ilya.” Shane calls out.

Ilya’s smile widens with a gleam in his eye as he chuckles. 

“There are so many comments from the peanut gallery today!” Anania shakes her head in disbelief. 

“He started it, I’m just getting retribution!” Shane explains.

“He used to be so polite and well media trained and then he married this one.” Yuna interjects.

Ilya laughs harder. 

“Wow!” Anania cackles. “Anyway, yeah that’s a major bi stereotype. It happens to be true a lot of the time–” She throws her head back and laughs. “Just kidding! Just kidding!”

Ilya laughs along with them, playfully elbowing her. 

“No, I know *a* bi person who doesn’t sleep around.” Anania laughs and then shakes her head, shouting, “I’m KIDDING!” 

“Not all bi people are promiscuous.” Ilya agrees with a smile, “I don’t understand why not, but…” 

Anania laughs. “Any other stereotypes?”

Ilya nods, “Yeah, people think bi people are just doing it because they want to be part of the gay community, or something. Or that it’s a phase on the way to being gay.”

Anania nods, “Yeah, what’s with that?”

“I mean, in some cases it is. Some people will say they like both men and women until they are more comfortable with their actual sexuality.” Ilya glances off-camera.

“Hey! I was figuring it out!” Shane calls.

Ilya scoffs. “I know, it’s okay.”

Anania laughs. “Okay, I’m gonna need the full story after the show.” 

“It’s such a good story.” Ilya draws out his words for emphasis.

“Okay, we’ll talk later, we’ll talk later.” 

“Okay.” Ilya nods.

“What’s your favorite gay movie?”  

Ilya’s eyes go dart back and forth as he thinks. Finally, a coy smile crosses his face, “Remember the Titans.”

Anania cackles. “No, but that’s such a good answer!” 

Ilya chuckles. 

“That kiss in the locker room?” Anania giggles.

Ilya nods.

“I mean, he wasn’t actually gay though.” Anania recalls.

Ilya gives a disbelieving look. “Of course he says he’s not gay to his football team. It was the 70s. Gay people aren’t coming out now to their teams. I know a lie when I see one, and that man was gay.”

“No, I mean in real life. The real life Sunshine said he wasn’t gay.” 

Ilya shakes his head. “Who the fuck cares about real life, I’m talking about the movie! Sunshine in the movie was gay, his team just wasn’t ready for it so he said it was a joke.”

Anania smiles, “Okay, interesting take, I’m here for it.” 

“Thank you!” Ilya says.

“Russia has several laws prohibiting promotion of LGBTQ identities. What does the most recent law prohibit?” 

Ilya nods his head. “Yes, the most recent law in 2023 prohibits public expression of LGBTQ identities. Which is very...subjective, and harmful to those affected. People now have to hide their identities even more than usual.” 

“Terrible. Russia, do better.” Anania shakes her head.

Ilya leans into the mike and looks directly into the camera, “Yeah, Russia, do better.” 

Anania laughs.

“I can do that now because I am Canadian citizen.” Ilya smiles.

“I live! I’m happy for you, that’s great.” 

“Thank you.”

Anania flips to the next cue card, “What does cisgender mean?”

“Oh sure, give the Russian an English vocabulary question.” Ilya stalls.

Anania laughs, “Hey now I–famously–do not write the questions.” 

“Yeah, okay.”

“So do you know what it means?”

Ilya sighs, scrunching up his nose, “Uh ...is another type of gender like nonbinary?”

Anania scrunches her face a little, “Okay, well nonbinary isn’t one gender, it’s a spectrum, it’s anyone who falls along the spectrum from male to female.”

Ilya closes his eyes and nods, “Yes, yes, yes. That’s what I meant to say.”

Anania nods, “Okay, yeah and cisgender is anyone who identifies with the gender they were assigned at birth.”

“Mmm, okay so opposite of trans?”

“Yeah, it’s like straight, for gender.” Anania explains.

“Ilya nods, okay, so I’m cisgender?”

Anania laughs, “Well don’t tell me that, because I’m supposed to be guessing.”

Ilya grimaces, “Sorry.”

Anania just laughs again. 

“Name three reasons gay people need marriage equality.”

“Oh, easy.” Ilya says. “So I can marry Canadian man for citizenship.” 

“Okay, can you step into my office?” Anania turns around. 

“Okay.” Ilya turns around with them.

“So, that’s a reason that some might say the opposition might use against gay marriage equality.”

“They don’t want me as Canadian citizen?” 

“Well–”

“I am national treasure. Canadians love me.” 

Shane can be heard scoffing from offscreen. 

Anania laughs. “Alright, but let's think of a few other examples.” She turns back around and Ilya follows.

“Okay, politically correct answers only. I didn’t realize it was that type of show.” 

“Alright, that’s uncalled for.” 

“Because love is love, and people should marry who they want to marry.” Ilya waves his limp wristed hand around, rolling his eyes. 

“Okay, yes, but like, some more tangible reasons.” 

“Okay, I do actually know this one. Because it’s important for gay people to be able to have the right to make medical decisions on behalf of their partner if they aren’t able to speak for themselves.”

“Yes, good. We got there. Anything else?” 

“Yes. If gay people don’t have marriage rights, it actually leads to discrimination in other ways too. Like, in Russia, we don’t have gay marriage, and this…eh…leads to more…pozor…more…”

“Stigma.” Shane supplies. 

“Yes, Stigma.” Ilya nods.

“Right.” Anania nods. “That’s so true. Okay you redeemed yourself.” 

“Okay, good.” 

“Okay, don’t name them, but how many closeted athletes do you know of?”

Ilya’s eyes go wide and he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. He licks his lips, and lets out a playful chuckle. “Sooo many.”

“I knew it! They’re all out there getting into each other’s hotel rooms…”

Ilya chuckles. “Uh huh.”

“Do you know of any outside of Hockey, or…?”

Ilya grins and nods. “Oh yeah.”

“Really? Ya’ll have a group chat?”

Ilya laughs, “Yes, absolutely we do. Is great group chat.”

“I live! Work!” 

Ilya’s still smiling, but gives a more genuine answer, “Yeah, is interesting time to be gay in sports. For so long, all of us were alone in our closets. But, people like Scott, and others–they made a way forward. Now, a lot of athletes are still in the closet, but they can at least reach out to those that are out and have that support. I had lots of athletes–both professional and not–reach out to me and tell me how much it meant to them.”

“Awe, I love that.”

“I mean, there are some that didn’t come out to me that I just clocked.”

Anania cackles.

“Some I clocked who haven’t even come out to themselves.” Ilya gives a coy smile.

“You know that’s right!” Anania laughs. “They’ll get there.”

“Yeah. I might give them a little nudge.” Ilya gestures a push with his hands.

Anania cackles.

“Do you want to go to bar tonight? Oh, I didn’t tell you is gay bar? My bad, so sorry.” Ilya holds up his hands in surrender. 

Anania bends over laughing. 

“Next minute, where is my friend? I came to bar with friend, and he went home with someone else!” 

Anania stumbles, she’s laughing so hard, elbowing Ilya, “Stop it! I can’t!” 

JUMPCUT

Anania, more composed, continues with their questions. “Can you name a gay bar in Ottawa?” 

Ilya gives a look of recognition, “Oh, there’s that place in Lower Town, what’s it called?” He waves his hand around and looks to the side, trying to think. 

“Find it.”

“They have drag shows there, very fun, what’s the name?” 

“You watch drag, who’s your favorite drag queen?” Anania jumps on the mention.

Ilya looks her up and down, “Are…you a…drag queen?” 

“Yes!”

“Then you of course! Vy – prekrasnaya koroleva!” You are a beautiful queen! Ilya winks.

“Oh my god, Ilya!” Shane calls in exasperation.

Anania poses flirtatiously, “Oh, such a charmer!”

“He didn’t even answer the question yet!” Shane shouts.

Ilya turns to him, “What’s that bar called?”

“I am not helping you!” Shane says heatedly.

“The Lookout? Or something like that?” 

“Yes! Work!” Anania smiles with pride. “What about Boston?”

Ilya shakes his head, “I didn’t go to any in Boston. I didn’t feel like I could yet.”

“Awe sweetie!” Ilya pouts her lip.

“In New York though, there’s the Kingfisher. When you go in, tell them Rozanov sent you, they love me there.” Ilya winks at the camera and gives a flirtatious smile.

“Ahh! Tell ‘em!” Anania grins.

“I know the owners, Kip and Kyle.” Ilya chuckles.

Shane lets out a laugh from behind the camera.

“I love that!”

“Have you been?” Ilya asks.

“Not yet, I will have to go now.” 

“What are you doing after this?”

“Ilya!” Shane calls out. “I’m right here!”

Ilya just shakes his head in annoyance. “You can come too, if you want.” 

Anania licks her lips and fans herself with the cue cards. “Boys, stop fighting over me!” 

JUMPCUT

“Okay, last question.”

“Awe, so soon?” 

Anania smiles, swaying from side to side. “I know, can’t get enough of me.” 

Ilya winks at them. 

Anania’s jaw drops, but she reads the next question. “Alright, What is the gayest sport?”

Ilya grins and gives a slow chuckle. “I think you are expecting me to say Hockey, but my answer is doubles luge.”

“Doubles luge?” Anania gives Ilya a quizzical look.

Ilya smiles at them, “Can I see you in your office?”

Anania giggles and turns around with Ilya.

“Do you watch the Olympics?” Ilya asks in a low voice.

“I–famously–don’t watch sports.” Anania shakes her head. “I’m so sorry, I know you are both Sports Guys TM, but I’m out of my depth.”

Ilya holds their elbow, and shakes his head, waving his other hand. “Is okay, Shane watches enough sports for both of you.”

Anania laughs.

“Luge is when a man lays on his back on a sled and goes down slippery ice tunnel down hill very fast.”

“Ohhhh, okay, I think I’ve seen that before.”

“Yes, and doubles luge is when two men lie on top of each other, strap themselves to the sled, and go down slippery ice tunnel very fast, together. Oh, and they wear skin tight clothing, leaves nothing to the imagination.”

“Wow!” Anania looks shocked. “They strap themselves to the–”

“Mmhm.” Ilya nods with a knowing smile.

“Are they face to face?” 

“No, they are both face up, so—”

“Ass to—”

“Ass to Cock” Ilya laughs. “It’s either very brave or very stupid. I can’t decide which. Also, technically, it’s a mixed gender sport, but it’s male dominated. Men choose to only partner with men.”

“Wow, wow, wow.” Anania turns back around and Ilya follows. “That was the correct answer.”

“Oh, no can I change my answer?” 

“I don’t know that was a pretty good answer, you think you can top that?” 

Ilya wiggles his eyebrow, “I can top anything.” 

Anania jaw drops, and she’s knocked speechless. “Ah!”

Ilya laughs, “No, my real answer is, every sport is gay because we play every sport. Sports are for everyone.”

“I live! Tell ‘em!” Anania does a little dance. “We’re everywhere!”  

“Yes.”

Anania fans herself with her cue cards. “Okay, that was fun but now I’ve got to guess if you are gay, straight, or a homophobe.”

Ilya shrugs at the camera while Anania drags out her pause.

“I can’t even pretend to guess anything else, you are so obviously bisexual. Like, if I was told to draw a picture of a bisexual, it would be a very shitty stick figure of you.”

Ilya laughs.

“Am I right?”

Ilya nods, “Yes, I am bisexual.

Shane coughs off camera.

“--and married to my beautiful husband, Shane Hollander.” 

Anania shakes her head, “You hate to see it.”

Sound Playing Over the Credits

“My favorite part about that was, you said the closest gay person to you that you could beat was your husband, which implies that you don’t think you could beat me in a foot race.” Anania explains. 

“Ah, we could find out!” Ilya pants. 

Anania scoffs, “In these heels? Please.”

“Some other time, then.” Ilya laughs.