![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Carlos “Cougar” Alvarez/Jake Jensen
Categories/Genres: Pre-Canon, Friendship, Romance, Humor, Fluff
Length: Medium (5054 words)
Warnings: N/A
Author on LJ:
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
torakowalski Author Website: torakowalski
Summary:
“Okay, no,” Pooch says, holding up his hands, “there is no way I’m gambling for money against you and Cougar.”
Jensen frowns, leaning across the table to make wide, concerned eyes at Pooch. “Is it because we’re just that fucking good?” he asks.
“No.” Pooch knocks the edge of the pack once, twice against the table. “It’s because I’m pretty sure you can read each other’s damn minds.”
Review:
There's a lot of things I like about this fic. The characterizations, the instinctive way Jensen just gets Cougar, the amusing (if brief) additions from the rest of the cast. I love how concise the fic is and how colorfully the characters are written; they pop out of the text in full 24-bit color, bright and enchanting. The overall tone of the fic is light and cheerful, but shaded with just enough of The Losers' canonically characteristic darkness to give it a bit of heft.
But mostly I just want to rec this because of the third to last sentence, in which Cougar tells Jensen that he loves him in such a natural and Cougar-ish way that I literally read this fic repeatedly just to get to that one sentence.
All You Have To Do Is Open Your Eyes
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Carlos “Cougar” Alvarez/Jake Jensen
Categories/Genres: Alternate Universe, Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Angst, Drama, Friendship, Fluff, Romance, Healing, Slow Burn
Length: Long (33841 words)
Warnings: Descriptions of assault and sexual assault
Author on LJ:
ladyjanelly Author Website: LadyJanelly
Summary:
Jake Jensen left the Army before he ever had a chance to be a Loser. Cougar meets him anyway.
Sometimes what a man needs to have a chance at happiness is losing the battle he’s been fighting his whole life.
Review:
Note: This fic contains descriptions of homophobic violence of both sexual and non-sexual nature committed against a gay character. The violence occurs off screen, but is frankly discussed by the characters.
I'm not quite sure where to begin, when it comes to Walk a While With Me. It's an incredible work that strikes an impeccable balance between a slowly developing romance and the realism of Cougar and Jake's respective mindsets and traumas. Between Cougar's deeply internalized homophobia and Jake's previous sexual assault, it's not by any means what I would consider an easy read, but the friendship that forms between the two men and the quiet weeks they spend together working on Jake's fixer-upper houses cushions the sharp edges. The result is a poignant fic that digs deep into the reader's emotions, but never quite cuts. It's about hurt and pain, but more importantly it's about healing.
Need is a prominent theme in Walk a While With Me. What Cougar needs. What Jake needs. What they need from each other. What they needed from others that they did, or didn't get. LadyJanelly explores the evolution of Cougar's needs as he comes to terms with his homosexuality and how they are affected by his deepening relationship with Jake. It's a stark contrast, looking at Cougar as he is introduced in the fic and then at his decisions at the end of the fic, but LadyJanelly writes his journey with such deftness that the change is fluid and inevitable.
The supporting characters range from the Losers to several original characters. Each is excellently written, particularly the OCs, who are quirky and interesting and stand out without removing the focus from Cougar's narration. They provide texture and richness to the story, interacting with and affecting Cougar and Jake's relationship even in absentia and helping the story move forward in a very organic way.
Walk a While With Me
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Carlos “Cougar” Alvarez/Jake Jensen
Categories/Genres: Post-Canon, Angst, Romance, Family, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friendship, Domestic, Cooking, Misunderstanding
Length: Long (19304 words)
Warnings: Original character death, mercy killing
Author on LJ: coinin
Author Website: coinin
Summary:
In which Cougar goes home, goes on a road trip, and learns to cook.
Review:
Fair warning, the first chapter of this fic follows the declining health and eventual passing of an original character, Cougar's grandmother. It's not an easy thing to read, but the obvious love between Cougar and his grandmother, the easy, familiar relationship between them, and Cougar's devoted care during his grandmother's final few weeks makes it worth the pain of her passing.
The Losers holds tightly to the theme of families, both found and of blood. In All the Tongues of Men and Angels explores the latter when Cougar takes his slowly dying grandmother back to her father's home in Mexico to live the rest of her days in peace. Well, relative peace, considering that she insists that Cougar learn to cook, starting from the very basics of chopping vegetables and moving up through tortillas made from scratch, until he is cooking of his own volition, emotionally conning his ailing grandmother into eating just a little bit more in spite of her flagging appetite.
When Cougar makes his way back to Jensen, cooking becomes an act of expressing himself in lieu of words. What started out as obeisance to his grandmother becomes a labor of love that Jensen is largely bewildered by, never quite understanding what Cougar is saying without actually saying until Cougar's grief for his grandmother finally cracks him open enough for the words to spill out and for Jensen to finally understand.
Two short and delightfully fluffy epilogues, Unexpected Sweetness and No Home Complete Without a Cat round out the series, and are not to be missed.
In All the Tongues of Men and Angels
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Carlos "Cougar" Alvarez/Jake Jensen
Categories: AU, Domestic, Friendship, Romance
Length: Long (26k)
Warnings: Runaways, Canon Typical Violence, Past Child Abuse
Author on LJ: http://amethystina.dreamwidth.org/
Author Website: Amethystina’s Ao3
Summary: When people tell you to be wary not to pick up strays they usually refer to puppies and kittens, not gangly, hyperactive seventeen-year-olds with bright blue eyes and infectious smiles, but Carlos thinks that they should. The similarities are undeniable, after all, not only in terms of appearance and mannerism but also the way you get instantly and irrevocably attached.
Jacob Jensen should come with a warning sign, simple as that. And possibly also a manual.
Review: A cute little alternate!origin story for Jacob Jensen. It is usual to find a Losers' fic narrated by Carlos. Mostly because he doesn't talk much.
So it is interesting to see a nice, long fic that narrated by Carlos, who has quite a lot going on under the surface, while still managing to stay very stoic.
Runaway
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Jacob Jensen/Carlos "Cougar" Alvarez
Categories/Genres: AU, Action/Adventure, Family,
Length: Long (20k)
Warnings: Apocalyse; Character Death
Author/Artist on LJ:
taibhrighAuthor/Artist Website: Taibhrigh's Ao3
Summary: Specialist Jake Jensen is assigned a last minute mission that seemed like it was going to be a walk in the park. What he wasn't expecting was the apocalypse that started after, but who really ever expects that?
Review:Why couldn't it be zombies is a nice change of pace from the usual Apocalypse fic.
It starts out dark, when the world ends, but in the end it turns into a ode to neighbors and what they can do when they pull together. Taibhrigh rights a great Carlos and Jensen romance, and it is nice to see how supportive they are of each other. Where the story really takes off and shines though is once Jensen and Carlos start helping to create a post-apocalyptic township.
The story covers a lot of time and it has the feel of an origin story and oaral history that I loved.
Why Couldn't It Be Zombies?
Fandom: Losers/Leverage
Pairing: Cougar/Jensen/Eliot
Categories: Action/Adventure, Crossover, Domestic, First Time,
Length: Long (21,000)
Warnings:PTSD, Attempted Rape, Kidnapping, Assassination
Author on LJ:
ladyjanellyWebsite: Lady Janelly's Masterlist
Summary: A one-night-stand becomes a whole lot more. If only life were that simple.
Review: I basically re-read this fic twice, back to back, because it was just so much fun! It takes place after the end of the Loser's movie and during an alternate time-line ending for the Leverage.(If you haven't seen the end of Leverage you won't be spoiled, since this was written before that came out.)
Jensen and Carlos pick Eliot up for a one night stand and everything spirals out from there. What I like so much about this completely impossible pairing is that in Carlos and Jensen, Eliot is able to find people who can match him for dangerous and who he doesn't have to hide from.
It's a nice change of pace from a lot of the Eliot/Hardison/Parker stories I've read where Eliot tries to forget about or downplay his past.
Even though you don't see them for most of the story Hardison and Parker are still awesomely bad-ass and In character. The story isn't as dark as the warnings make it out to be, but that being said please read with caution.
What Livin' is For
Fandom: Losers/Leverage
Pairing: Cougar/Jensen/Eliot
Categories: Action/Adventure, Crossover, Domestic, First Time,
Length: Long (21,000)
Warnings:PTSD, Attempted Rape, Kidnapping, Assassination
Author on LJ:
ladyjanellyWebsite: Lady Janelly's Masterlist
Summary: A one-night-stand becomes a whole lot more. If only life were that simple.
Review: I basically re-read this fic twice, back to back, because it was just so much fun! It takes place after the end of the Loser's movie and during an alternate time-line ending for the Leverage.(If you haven't seen the end of Leverage you won't be spoiled, since this was written before that came out.)
Jensen and Carlos pick Eliot up for a one night stand and everything spirals out from there. What I like so much about this completely impossible pairing is that in Carlos and Jensen, Eliot is able to find people who can match him for dangerous and who he doesn't have to hide from.
It's a nice change of pace from a lot of the Eliot/Hardison/Parker stories I've read where Eliot tries to forget about or downplay his past.
Even though you don't see them for most of the story Hardison and Parker are still awesomely bad-ass and In character. The story isn't as dark as the warnings make it out to be, but that being said please read with caution.
What Livin' is For
Title: Team Dynamics, Family, and Other Things That Will Hurt You
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Cougar/Jensen
Categories: Angst , Pre-slash, Pre-series, Sad Story
Length: Super!Epic
Warnings: Homophobia; Semi-graphic depictions of violence; Child Abuse;
Author on Ao3: Pistol pistolbunny
Author Website: n/a
Summary: The man tells him how joining up is like starting a whole new life, becoming a better person. He talks about incentives, career opportunities, health care, and saving plans, but Jake can’t stop staring at the picture of a man and woman looking proudly at their daughter in uniform.
Review: Once you start on this series you’re not going to be able to put it back down. Even if it means you’re reading with one hand and trying to cook with the other.
Jensen’s voice in this is just amazing. His just the right mix of completely crazy and brilliant with a dash of dorkiness thrown in. Parts of the story will have you sobbing while others will have you laughing your head off. Basically…go…and don’t worry if you don’t know much about the Loser’s fandom.
Because this is one awesome origin story.
Team Dynamics, Family, and Other Things That Will Hurt You
Title: Team Dynamics, Family, and Other Things That Will Hurt You
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Cougar/Jensen
Categories: Angst , Pre-slash, Pre-series, Sad Story
Length: Super!Epic
Warnings: Homophobia; Semi-graphic depictions of violence; Child Abuse;
Author on Ao3: Pistol pistolbunny
Author Website: n/a
Summary: The man tells him how joining up is like starting a whole new life, becoming a better person. He talks about incentives, career opportunities, health care, and saving plans, but Jake can’t stop staring at the picture of a man and woman looking proudly at their daughter in uniform.
Review: Once you start on this series you’re not going to be able to put it back down. Even if it means you’re reading with one hand and trying to cook with the other.
Jensen’s voice in this is just amazing. His just the right mix of completely crazy and brilliant with a dash of dorkiness thrown in. Parts of the story will have you sobbing while others will have you laughing your head off. Basically…go…and don’t worry if you don’t know much about the Loser’s fandom.
Because this is one awesome origin story.
Team Dynamics, Family, and Other Things That Will Hurt You
Title: Team Dynamics, Family, and Other Things That Will Hurt You
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Cougar/Jensen
Categories: Angst , Pre-slash, Pre-series, Sad Story
Length: Super!Epic
Warnings: Homophobia; Semi-graphic depictions of violence; Child Abuse;
Author on Ao3: Pistol pistolbunny
Author Website: n/a
Summary: The man tells him how joining up is like starting a whole new life, becoming a better person. He talks about incentives, career opportunities, health care, and saving plans, but Jake can’t stop staring at the picture of a man and woman looking proudly at their daughter in uniform.
Review: Once you start on this series you’re not going to be able to put it back down. Even if it means you’re reading with one hand and trying to cook with the other.
Jensen’s voice in this is just amazing. His just the right mix of completely crazy and brilliant with a dash of dorkiness thrown in. Parts of the story will have you sobbing while others will have you laughing your head off. Basically…go…and don’t worry if you don’t know much about the Loser’s fandom.
Because this is one awesome origin story.
Team Dynamics, Family, and Other Things That Will Hurt You
Title: Team Dynamics, Family, and Other Things That Will Hurt You
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Cougar/Jensen
Categories: Angst , Pre-slash, Pre-series, Sad Story
Length: Super!Epic
Warnings: Homophobia; Semi-graphic depictions of violence; Child Abuse;
Author on Ao3: Pistol pistolbunny
Author Website: n/a
Summary: The man tells him how joining up is like starting a whole new life, becoming a better person. He talks about incentives, career opportunities, health care, and saving plans, but Jake can’t stop staring at the picture of a man and woman looking proudly at their daughter in uniform.
Review: Once you start on this series you’re not going to be able to put it back down. Even if it means you’re reading with one hand and trying to cook with the other.
Jensen’s voice in this is just amazing. His just the right mix of completely crazy and brilliant with a dash of dorkiness thrown in. Parts of the story will have you sobbing while others will have you laughing your head off. Basically…go…and don’t worry if you don’t know much about the Loser’s fandom.
Because this is one awesome origin story.
Team Dynamics, Family, and Other Things That Will Hurt You
Title: Team Dynamics, Family, and Other Things That Will Hurt You
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Cougar/Jensen
Categories: Angst , Pre-slash, Pre-series, Sad Story
Length: Super!Epic
Warnings: Homophobia; Semi-graphic depictions of violence; Child Abuse;
Author on Ao3: Pistol pistolbunny
Author Website: n/a
Summary: The man tells him how joining up is like starting a whole new life, becoming a better person. He talks about incentives, career opportunities, health care, and saving plans, but Jake can’t stop staring at the picture of a man and woman looking proudly at their daughter in uniform.
Review: Once you start on this series you’re not going to be able to put it back down. Even if it means you’re reading with one hand and trying to cook with the other.
Jensen’s voice in this is just amazing. His just the right mix of completely crazy and brilliant with a dash of dorkiness thrown in. Parts of the story will have you sobbing while others will have you laughing your head off. Basically…go…and don’t worry if you don’t know much about the Loser’s fandom.
Because this is one awesome origin story.
Team Dynamics, Family, and Other Things That Will Hurt You
Title: Team Dynamics, Family, and Other Things That Will Hurt You
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Cougar/Jensen
Categories: Angst , Pre-slash, Pre-series, Sad Story
Length: Super!Epic
Warnings: Homophobia; Semi-graphic depictions of violence; Child Abuse;
Author on Ao3: Pistol
Author Website: n/a
Summary: The man tells him how joining up is like starting a whole new life, becoming a better person. He talks about incentives, career opportunities, health care, and saving plans, but Jake can’t stop staring at the picture of a man and woman looking proudly at their daughter in uniform.
Review: Once you start on this series you’re not going to be able to put it back down. Even if it means you’re reading with one hand and trying to cook with the other.
Jensen’s voice in this is just amazing. His just the right mix of completely crazy and brilliant with a dash of dorkiness thrown in. Parts of the story will have you sobbing while others will have you laughing your head off. Basically…go…and don’t worry if you don’t know much about the Loser’s fandom.
Because this is one awesome origin story.
Team Dynamics, Family, and Other Things That Will Hurt You
- - - -
Title: Rubber Ducky, You're the One
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Cougar/Jensen
Categories: Dark, Fluff, Family
Length: Medium (4,500)
Warnings: Dark; Discussion of Past child abuse and molestation
Author on LJ:
creedficWebsite: Open Air Insane Asylum
Summary: Jensen and Cougar share some down time at his sister’s place. A slice-of-life story showcasing a strange domesticity, with glimpses of Jensen’s disturbing past.
Review: I've wanted to rec this fic for a while, but have been waiting for Creed to put it up on a public archive and now that it has been posted, I recommend that you all go over and try to read it. Mind the warnings though.
Domesticity fic that is only possible in the Losers'verse. With the discussions of rubber ducks as practice dummies. Automatic toilet roll changers and the Jensen family's collective inability to use a blow torch.
Rubber Ducky, You're the One
- - - -
Title: Rubber Ducky, You're the One
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Cougar/Jensen
Categories: Dark, Fluff, Family
Length: Medium (4,500)
Warnings: Dark; Discussion of Past child abuse and molestation
Author on LJ:
creedficWebsite: Open Air Insane Asylum
Summary: Jensen and Cougar share some down time at his sister’s place. A slice-of-life story showcasing a strange domesticity, with glimpses of Jensen’s disturbing past.
Review: I've wanted to rec this fic for a while, but have been waiting for Creed to put it up on a public archive and now that it has been posted, I recommend that you all go over and try to read it. Mind the warnings though.
Domesticity fic that is only possible in the Losers'verse. With the discussions of rubber ducks as practice dummies. Automatic toilet roll changers and the Jensen family's collective inability to use a blow torch.
Rubber Ducky, You're the One
- - - -
Title: Rubber Ducky, You're the One
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Cougar/Jensen
Categories: Dark, Fluff, Family
Length: Medium (4,500)
Warnings: Dark; Discussion of Past child abuse and molestation
Author on LJ:
creedficWebsite: Open Air Insane Asylum
Summary: Jensen and Cougar share some down time at his sister’s place. A slice-of-life story showcasing a strange domesticity, with glimpses of Jensen’s disturbing past.
Review: I've wanted to rec this fic for a while, but have been waiting for Creed to put it up on a public archive and now that it has been posted, I recommend that you all go over and try to read it. Mind the warnings though.
Domesticity fic that is only possible in the Losers'verse. With the discussions of rubber ducks as practice dummies. Automatic toilet roll changers and the Jensen family's collective inability to use a blow torch.
Rubber Ducky, You're the One
- - - -
Title: Rubber Ducky, You're the One
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Cougar/Jensen
Categories: Dark, Fluff, Family
Length: Medium (4,500)
Warnings: Dark; Discussion of Past child abuse and molestation
Author on LJ:
creedficWebsite: Open Air Insane Asylum
Summary: Jensen and Cougar share some down time at his sister’s place. A slice-of-life story showcasing a strange domesticity, with glimpses of Jensen’s disturbing past.
Review: I've wanted to rec this fic for a while, but have been waiting for Creed to put it up on a public archive and now that it has been posted, I recommend that you all go over and try to read it. Mind the warnings though.
Domesticity fic that is only possible in the Losers'verse. With the discussions of rubber ducks as practice dummies. Automatic toilet roll changers and the Jensen family's collective inability to use a blow torch.
Rubber Ducky, You're the One
- - - -
Title: Rubber Ducky, You're the One
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Cougar/Jensen
Categories: Dark, Fluff, Family
Length: Medium (4,500)
Warnings: Dark; Discussion of Past child abuse and molestation
Author on LJ:
creedficWebsite: Open Air Insane Asylum
Summary: Jensen and Cougar share some down time at his sister’s place. A slice-of-life story showcasing a strange domesticity, with glimpses of Jensen’s disturbing past.
Review: I've wanted to rec this fic for a while, but have been waiting for Creed to put it up on a public archive and now that it has been posted, I recommend that you all go over and try to read it. Mind the warnings though.
Domesticity fic that is only possible in the Losers'verse. With the discussions of rubber ducks as practice dummies. Automatic toilet roll changers and the Jensen family's collective inability to use a blow torch.
Rubber Ducky, You're the One
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Gen
Categories: Crack, Humor, Supernatural
Length: Short
Warnings: Bad Language
Author on LJ:
maratonistaWebsite: n/a
Summary: Jensen had been a puppy for exactly three hours, and already Clay wanted to kick him. That’s what Jensen did to you: he made you want to kick fucking puppies.
Review: Maratonista is an awesome animal transformation writer. Puppy!Jensen and Bunny!Cougar are both very much themselves despite their unusual new forms.
But it's Roque that really takes the cake, with his supper puppy wrangling powers and his ability to handle team mates transforming into small, furry, cute, baby animals, while making threats of violence if anything should happen to said puppy or bunny.
In For a Penny
There and Back Again
Fandom: The Losers
Pairing: Gen
Categories: Crack, Humor, Supernatural
Length: Short
Warnings: Bad Language
Author on LJ:
maratonistaWebsite: n/a
Summary: Jensen had been a puppy for exactly three hours, and already Clay wanted to kick him. That’s what Jensen did to you: he made you want to kick fucking puppies.
Review: Maratonista is an awesome animal transformation writer. Puppy!Jensen and Bunny!Cougar are both very much themselves despite their unusual new forms.
But it's Roque that really takes the cake, with his supper puppy wrangling powers and his ability to handle team mates transforming into small, furry, cute, baby animals, while making threats of violence if anything should happen to said puppy or bunny.
In For a Penny
There and Back Again
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chasethestars