troubled thoughts and self-esteem to match

Title: troubled thoughts and self-esteem to match

Author: honeybearbee

Fandom: Hawaii Five-0

Pairing: Steve/Danny

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 13,751

Warnings: Violence, blood, language, mention of torture, death (but no one major). Spoilers for Iron Man.

Summary: Wherein Steve runs a company devoted to weapons, gets kidnapped, sees the error of his ways and becomes a superhero. Oh, and manages to drive Danny crazy. So, all in all, it's not too different from the show.

Why you should read this: It's a mashup of Iron Man and Hawaii Five-0! Why wouldn't you read it? I like to think it isn't that far off from the show and that the characters stay true to themselves as well as who they are supposed to represent.

loving you with my whole heart by honeybearbee

Title: loving you with my whole heart

Author: honeybearbee

Fandom: Merlin

Pairing: Arthur/Merlin

Rating: Pg-13

Word Count: 30,026

Warnings: Semi-spoilers for the later series of Merlin, violence, minor mention of blood, possessive behavior, jealosy, kind of crossover with The Sentinel (but no knowledge of that show is needed.)

Summary: Set in a universe where Sentinels and Guides are quite prolific, Arthur, the Sentinel, finds Merlin, his Guide. While they have some problems at first they settle into an easy relationship. However, things from Arthur's (and even Merlin's) past come back to haunt them. Will they weather through these difficulties or will they be broken apart irrevocably?

Why you should read this: Because I wrote it! It's got angst, romance, and humor! (Hopefully!) I tried to stay as close to the show as I good (even with it being set in the present) and hopefully the characters are true to form.

A Study in Natural Philosophy by Mad_Maudlin

Title: A Study in Natural Philosophy Author: Mad_Maudlin Fandom: Merlin Pairing: Arthur/Merlin Rating: R Genre: First Time, Romance, Action/Adventure, Angst, Humor, Hurt/Comfort Word Count: 13,358

Summary: It wasn’t all that unusual for people to hide their daemons; Merlin, however, seems to be taking it a little far.

Why You Should Read This: Because it’s a His Dark Materials fusion! Everyone has a daemon, and Arthur becomes obsessed with figuring out what Merlin’s is. But hardly a day can go by without these two getting into trouble. A “magic revelation” fic, pretty short in comparison to other fics rec’d here. Mad_Maudlin is an excellent author, and I could picture everything that happened perfectly. She did a great job capturing the feel of the show and incorporating it into her fic.

I’ve Got Nothing To Do Today But Smile (The Only Living Boy in New York) by gyzym

Title: I’ve Got Nothing To Do Today But Smile (The Only Living Boy in New York) Author: gyzym Fandom: Inception Pairing: Arthur/Eames Rating: R Genre: Alternate Universe, Romance, First Time, Humor, Angst Word Count: 19,867

Summary: Arthur’s a corporate lawyer, Eames owns the coffee shop across the street, and all good love stories start with a quadruple shot latte.

Why You Should Read This: After watching Inception, what I wanted more than anything was canon-based fics, which are rather rare in this fandom. This was the first AU I tried, and only because gyzym is *amazing* and I trust her ability to make me love something I’m initially reluctant about. This fic is about what you’d expect from the author – great characterization, fantastic writing, and an engaging plot. Arthur is a stuck in a job he hates, completely unhappy there – and then Eames shows up across the street, getting Arthur addicted to his coffee and making room in Arthur’s life for himself.. This is another feel good fic, really – the angst comes from Arthur’s unhappiness with his job. Not too long a fic, and a fun one at that – so everyone should give it a try : )

The Request by cloudyjenn

Title: The Request Author: Cloudyjenn Fandom: Supernatural Pairing: Dean Winchester/Castiel, Sam/Jess Rating: PG-13 Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, First Time, Romance, Drama, Humor Word Count: ~36,000

Summary: When Sam Winchester prays for his brother, Castiel is finally sent on his very first assignment. But what should be a simple love match turns into much more and Castiel finds himself risking everything to ensure the happiness of his extremely frustrating charge.

Why You Should Read This: The author has a fascinating take on angels and their relationship with humans. In this world, humans make a request via prayer, and an angel is dispatched to make sure the human gets what they asked. Angels are often seen on the streets, and it’s widely regarded as no big deal. Dean Winchester is Castiel’s first assignment, and naturally things do not go smoothly. With all the angst on the show, it’s nice to have a light-hearted read, and this is a great one. This fic snuck up on me; I read and enjoyed it, but didn’t think much of it – it was only later, as time passed, that I realized that I could not get this fic out of my head.

Indistinguishable from Magic by barrowjane

Title: Indistinguishable from Magic Author: barrowjane Fandom: Star Trek XI Pairing: Kirk/Spock Genre: Romance, action/adventure, angst, first time Rating: R Word Count: ~40,000

Summary: After an incident investigating a research vessel, the crew of the Enterprise find themselves in a different place and Kirk realizes he may have to follow the rules of this odd, almost fairy-tale world to get them home.

Why You Should Read This: Brilliant written and characterized, and so emotional. The fairy-tale world is fascinating, just like the entire plot to this fic. The author did a great job of making you feel throughout the fic, which is – in my opinion – the hallmark of a good fic.

Pavlov by Kalimyre

Title: Pavlov Author: Kalimyre Fandom: Stargate SG-1 Pairing: Jack O’Neill/Daniel Jackson Genre: Angst, First Time, Drama Rating: NC-17 Word Count: 29,816

Summary: Daniel has a theory. Can you ever really have too many ‘Aliens Make Them Do It’ stories?

Why You Should Read This: This fic is also known as “the one where aliens condition Jack and Daniel to have sex together.” Jack and Daniel are locked into what appears to be a doorless room, and blinking lights and tapping sounds condition the boys. A great spin on the “Aliens Made Them Do It” trope, and the relationship build between them is believable and perfect. The sex is hot and the author does great dialogue (I do so love bickering) and the ending is pure gold.

I want you to want me by sirona

Title: I want you to want me Author: sirona Fandom: Hawaii Five-0 2010 Pairing: Steve McGarrett/Danny Williams Word Count: 45,097

Summary: It’s all his damned knee’s fault. If it wasn’t for his body’s betrayal, no one would have found out about the fight club, or about his dad practically leaving them to fend for themselves after their mother’s death. And they certainly wouldn’t have sent the four of them kids to Hawai’i, to live with their aunt and uncle. Although, Danny has to admit that the class president offers a not-so-small consolation…

Why You Should Read This: This fic starts off as an AU and then segues into canon neatly. The author did a wonderful job with the emotions in this fic – the death of Danny’s mother is so sad, and the children’s reactions to said death are believable.  I could see teen!Danny as the author wrote him – hurt, trying so hard to keep it together while he takes care of his siblings, resorting to fighting as an outlet. The author was very good at creating younger versions of our beloved characters and making it clear that they will grow into the people we know from the show. Steve is a goof, Danny is so responsible, and everything is lovely.

The Matter of Chicago by LuciaZephyr

Title: The Matter of Chicago series Author: LuciaZephyr Fandom: Dresden Files (Book ‘Verse) Pairing: Harry Dresden/John Marcone Word Count: 150,523

Summary: Another way the Baron rose to power. Another way the wizard became a Knight. This is what happens when you take your lessons in heroism from Machiavelli and Vetinari.

Why You Should Read This: Because this is the Dresden Files fic, in my opinion. What would have happened if Harry had accepted Marcone’s offer to work for him? How would that have changed events in the books? Lucia has an amazing grasp on the characters. Marcone is sly, calculating, but completely accepting of Harry and his personality. Harry is as he always is – protective of his city, powerful, reckless. Marcone wants a partnership, he doesn’t want to squash Harry, and he’s willing to wait for what he wants. This fic covers a lot of ground – both in terms of going over the first few books and Harry and John’s relationship. Believable, plotty, gradual, wonderful, alternate reality fic.

EVent Horizon Books by daughtershade

Title: Event Horizon Books Author: daughtershade Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis Pairing: McKay/Sheppard Word Count: 25,305

Summary: The unique thing about Event Horizon, and something Rodney was quite proud of, was that the store itself was a physical representation of the mind of its owner. The filing system that had so amused Sheppard served a greater purpose. The problem was that Rodney hadn’t yet figured out just what that purpose was. He only knew that he liked things a certain way. If one took a moment to piece the filing system together, they would realize that it told the story of one man, perched behind his counter, trying to fend off the world.

Why You Should Read This: This fic is woefully unknown. As far as I can tell, the author hasn’t posted a link to the McKay_Sheppard livejournal community, so most don’t even know it exists, which is a damn shame. It deserves way more hits and kudos than it has :D Rodney owns a bookstore with its own unique organization and John owns a surf shop a few businesses down. John barges his way into Rodney’s life, pulling a reluctant Rodney out of his quiet life and into one with friendship and teenagers and surfing (and, eventually, love). I love that owns his own business in this – many AU’s have John owning a shop and Rodney being a patron, but this is a refreshing take. It’s also not filled with angst (though there a little), which is another nice change – for all the variety the SGA fandom has, there aren’t that many fics that are long and mostly happy all the way through -  and sometimes I want a happy read to match my good mood. Read this, you won’t regret it!

Gun, with Occasional Kangaroo: A Love Story

Title: Gun, with Occasional Kangaroo: A Love Story Author: Runpunkrun Fandom: Due South Pairing: Kowalski/Fraser Word Count: 12,690

Summary: Frannie’s got a romance novel with a big strapping Mountie on the cover, shirt hanging open, hair blowing in the wind, you know the kind.

Why You Should Read This: Due South was great at taking implausible, crazy plots and making them seem normal within the context of the show – and this fic does the same. Who would suspect a kangaroo of being on the streets of Chicago, of all places? Casefic, but it’s Due South casefic, which means it’s hilarious and random and slashy :D A delightful, fun read that’s not too long. If you’re in need of cheering up, this would be an excellent fic to try!

Pairing Pendragon/Merlin by anon

Title: Pairing Pendragon/Merlin Author: anon Fandom: Merlin Pairing: Arthur/Merlin Word Count: ~24,500

Summary: Arthur is a BNF and Merlin is his prized beta.

Why You Should Read This: Because Arthur is a HBO Camelot fandom BNF and Merlin is his fanfic beta. What more reason do you need? ;) I love this fic – I love how it captures fandom, told from the view of beloved characters. I love how Arthur comes to depend on and value Merlin, how they decide to meet in real life – now that I think about it, there isn’t anything that I don’t love about this fic. You should totally read this, it’s fun and light-hearted, and fandom-focused! Written for the Merlin Kink Meme, then reposted in a neater format.

Observations by anon-j-anon

Title: Observations Author: anon-j-anon Fandom: Star Trek Reboot Pairing: Kirk/Spock Word Count: ~400,000+

Summary: First Officer Spock comments on life aboard the Enterprise and his service under Captain James T. Kirk.

Why You Should Read This: This is the Enterprises’ five year mission told through the reboot characters. It’s first person Spock point of view, but don’t be scared off. This fic is extremely long, but the progression of Kirk and Spock’s relationship is fantastic – gradual, from the movie ‘verse strained relationship, to friendship, to more. It’s fascinating to read TOS experiences told through the reboot characters, and the author does a fantastic job of nailing down Spock’s characterization, and through his eyes, a great job on everyone else’s characterizations.

Running on Empty by Sholio

Title: Running on Empty (ff.net) Author: Sholio Fandom: Stargate Atlantis Pairing: None // Gen Word Count: ~90,000

Summary: Sheppard and McKay are captured by Wraith, implanted with trackers and released to run and die.

Why You Should Read This: This is a fantastic action/adventure, hurt/comfort fic that focuses on John and Rodney. The situation is made worse because John has amnesia, Rodney isn't good with physical fighting and has no idea where John is. With a hive ship in orbit, there is a never ending supply of wraith and they have no idea where the 'gate is at. Then Rodney stumbles on the natives of the planet...

Named by McLachland

Title: Named Author: McLachland Fandom: Supernatural Pairing: Dean Winchester/Castiel Word Count: 95,000 Warnings: Blasphemy.

Summary: Jesus Christ is dead. Somehow, that isn’t the worst part of Dean’s week.

Why You Should Read This: This was the first Supernatural fic I ever read. I had no interest in the fandom before, but this fic left me craving more. Amazing crafted, wonderfully characterized, with a plot twist that I never saw coming – this fic is fantastic. There are no words for how amazing I find this fic – the human language is limiting, in this case. To give any details would give too much away – but I laughed, I cried, I felt anxious and I celebrated. This is one of my top 5 favorite fics ever.

All The Girls Out On The Stoop by mirabella

Title: All The Girls Out On The Stoop Author: mirabella Fandom: Hawaii Five-O 2010 Pairing: Steve McGarrett/Danny Williams Word Count: 12,778

Summary: Danny’s Veela genes have never been a problem before now. Now? They’re a problem.

Why You Should Read This: This fic is hot. Danny meets his mate, which causes him to go into heat. Steve becomes even more of a neanderthal as criminals begin to respond to the pheromones Danny is putting out, and Danny is desperate not to coerce Steve into something he wouldn’t normally want. The sex scene burns in the best possible way, and a possessive!Steve is always a delight.

I Don't Dance by Lex Munro

Title: I Don't Dance

Author: Lex Munro

Fandom: Iron Man/Avengers

Pairing: Tony/Steve

Word Count: 18,310

Warnings: Weird movieverse fusion (because I started writing it before Iron Man 2 and didn't finish it until well after Captain America...), slightly AU (because I wanted a different Avengers lineup than ended up being in the movie), angsty fluff (flangst), humor, romance, brief language.

Summary: The one where Tony falls in love with Steve but is all wrong for him, which is okay, because Pepper is the best matchmaker in the history of ever.

Why you should read this: 182 kudos, 37 bookmarks, and glittering testimonials such as, "I burst into laughter so many times while reading this. (It was a nice break from bursting into tears while reading some of your other stories.) This was so cute and sweet and completely in-character in a way that's left me a little bit giddy."