Title: Hold It All At Bay
Fandom: Check Please!
Pairing: Eric Bittle/Jack Zimmermann
Categories/Genres: Alternate Universe, Psychic abilities, Soul Bond, Drama, Romance, Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Length: Epic (49957 words)
Warnings: Consent issues by way of emotional projection

Author on LJ: psocoptera
Author Website: psocoptera

Summary:

The theory of extrapolative synchronization of the mirror neurons was debunked back when he was still in his teens, so Jack is reluctant to mention that he can smell Bitty's pies baking from across campus.

Review:

As odd as it may sound, I really enjoy a little realism in my fantasy. Not realism in terms of how the fantasy world's people behave, but realism in the scientific sense. If a fantasy setting has magic, then there should be rules that the magic follows. If there are mermaids, then it would only make sense for them to have gills. And et cetera.

psocoptera takes the soul bond trope and dissects it through two differing perspectives: the scientific and the spiritual. Jack, who is extremely empathic, takes a controversial medication to dull his receptiveness to others' emotions. Bitty was taught as a child to redirect his attention in order to control his emotions, as they tended to reach out and influence others'. The contrast of their respective regimens alone is, for me, the most fascinating aspect of a story with a vast but lightly explored backstory.

Contrast in general is the name of the game in Hold It All At Bay. Not only do Bitty and Jack's upbringings contrast, but their reactions to their respective feelings differ in the extreme. They even contrast with their canonical and fanonical characterizations. Though Jack is canonically prone to anxiety, Bitty calms and centers him in psocoptera's story, and Jack accepts what he feels for Bitty with considerably more ease than Bitty does. A pivotal portion of the romantic plot is actually focused on Bitty's anxiety regarding Jack and the possibility that Bitty's forceful ability has accidentally forced an emotional attachment that Jack believed to be genuine.

The alternating POVs provide vast insight into Bitty and Jack's respective thoughts, but I found the outside POVs to be especially charming. They're well written with distinctive voices that give a strong sense of the personality behind them. The original characters that are introduced have flavor and depth, and while I personally disagree with psocoptera's decision to make Shitty not believe in ESMN, him and the other canon characters read so remarkably true to Ngoizi's vision.

Hold It All At Bay

Title: Winters Children
Fandom: Marvel MCU
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Bucky Rogers
Categories: AU, Kids, Friendship, Family, Romance
Length: Epic (67k)
Warnings: PTSD, Child Abuse, Domestic

Author on LJ: neery
Website: Neery's Ao3

Summary: When their attempts to recreate the super soldier serum failed, Hydra started trying to breed Captain America clones from his genetic samples. Unfortunately, the serum's effects aren't passed down genetically, so instead of an army of tiny Captain Americas, they get a bunch of tow-headed, asthmatic, allergic, immuno-compromised little Steves.

And then the Winter Soldier stumbles across Hydra's failed experiment...

Review: Baby Steve Roger clones and actual realistic PTSD issues, What more could a girl want?

Neery did a great job with this fic. I read the whole thing in a night. Each of the Clones has their own interests, issues, and personalities. Something that is amazing in a fic about a bunch kids, much less a bunch of clones.

I love Bucky in this. He's so in fully rendered and his thought processes are so right for somebody dealing with past imprisonment and brain washing. And to see him deal with raising a bunch of tiny Stevens is just too cute!

Winter's Children

Title: The Lazarus Gap
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Clark Kent/Lex Luthor
Categories/Genres: Amnesia, Identity
Length: 40156
Warnings:

Author/Artist on AO3: Author/Artist on AO3: Dolimir

Summary: A post-Exodus AU. Helen never happened. Everything else did.

Review: First let’s start with a summary because this does not encompass the glory this fic deserves.

Lex Luthor, caught in an explosion, wakes up and can’t remember anything about his life. There are many people telling him who he is supposed to be but he doesn’t want any of it. The only thing he has to hold onto are stories about his best friend. Martha Kent tells him about how he’s friends with her son and how when her son knows he’s hurt he’ll come back from the city for him. Lex kind of builds up this phantom Clark Kent in his head as perfect. The only good thing in his life to be proud of when all his past sins are being presented at his feet.

After being abducted and almost killed a second time he let’s people think he’s dead and starts his new life. Stuck in a wheelchair he lives at a monastery with the priest that saved him the second time. It’s just the two of them until a green eyed man drops into the mix with the name Jerome Kent and it turns out Lex isn’t the only one trying to run from the past.

This leads to a beautiful moment where Clark becomes jealous of himself. Lex admits he’s still waiting for the boy Martha told him about to find him because she swore he would. Clark justs wants Lex to see him as he is.

There is a whole lot of story here. Lex finds a purpose for himself and I love how it makes me feel justified in believing in Lex. I’ve always felt without the bad influences in his life he would have gone down a completely different road. In this fic he shows Clark how you can be a bit smarter about saving the world then just stopping the bad guys.

The Lazarus Gap

Title: The Trouble with Threesomes and Supernatural Soul Mates
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Chris Argent/Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Categories: Angst, AU,Slash, First Time, Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Supernatural.
Length: Epic [87983 words]
Warnings: Canon Levels of Violence, Minor Characters Deaths, Age Diference, Alpha!Peter.

Author Website: Akira_of_the_Twilight(on AO3)

Summary: Peter looked at Stiles from the corner of his blue eyes and smirked. Stiles swore he saw a flash of red Peter’s eyes, but it might of have been his brain’s lack of oxygen making him hallucinate. “I’m looking for my soul mate. Christopher Argent. I believe he volunteered to be taken in for questioning.”

An iron fist clenched Stiles' heart. This man was Argent’s—Christopher’s soul mate?

Stiles stared at the Peter’s wrist, examining every detail of Peter's soul mark. Stiles couldn’t find anything different between his and the blond’s.

Stiles lifted his hand and ghosted his fingers along Peter’s forearm.

It was lightning all over again, and Stiles yanked his hand back, only to have it caught in an unbreakable grip.

Frosty blue eyes burrowed into Stiles', and he couldn’t stop himself from gulping. The smirk on Peter’s lips grew as the corner of his mouth quirked higher, and he drew Stiles’ hand close to his face.

Peter’s nostrils flared slightly as he stared at Stiles’ soul mark. He pulled Stiles forward, pressing soft lips to Stiles wrist.

“Now what would your name be?” Peter purred.
[original summary]

Review: I want to start this fic by saying I wanted to find a good Stiles/Peter/Chris fic, and I was surprised to find such a big and awesome one. I love how it has a twist, where the Soulmate trope is not that simple and that the soul marks give an interesting feel to their relationship. The best part of the fic it’s that we get equals amounts of relationship develop and supernatural action.

Basically Chris and Peter are already in a bond, believe they are only soulmates to each other when Stiles stumbles upon them in a very shifty situation. What follows is a mad dash to figure out what it’s going on, with Stiles figuring out the supernatural element in his soulmates and himself. There are two good subplots, one with Kira’s and Scott’s relationship and another with the Alpha Pack. This fic is just the first of a series, and gives a good base to what will develop in the third story, equally as great.

One of my favorite things about this fic is that the author handles so well the age difference; the fic has several points of view on Stiles joining an already established relationship, with older man. We also see through all the series moments of vulnerability on all of them, and Stiles adapting himself not only to a relationship, but to the image his mates present to everyone around him.

I really like their characterization, while the author warns about out of character behavior, I think they gave a great treatment to each character. Peter and Chris are truly amazing portrayed, and only Stiles had for me a little of variance on the more innocent side, less awkward and funny and more insecure and vulnerable.

If you give it a try, do read the other two fics, because they are amazing. The second is very sweet and domestic, and the third one is darker, a case fic where Stiles shines developing his new powers.

The Trouble with Threesomes and Supernatural Soul Mates

Title: Breaker of Horses
Fandom: Marvel comics (616, main continuity)
Pairing: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Categories: slave fic, AU, drama, romance, angst
Length: Epic [47943 words]
Warnings: interspecies romance between human and centaur

Author on LJ: sineala
Author Website: Sineala's AO3

Review:

Author’s Summary: What do you do when the Roman Empire you were raised to love consigns you to the sands of the arena? Antonius is a prince of the Dacians, captured in war and sold as a gladiator. He yearns for his freedom. Stephanos -- the last living centaur -- is his fellow slave and trainer. Centuries old, disillusioned by a Rome that has become a shadow of itself, Stephanos has all but given up on life... until he meets Antonius, and both of their lives are forever changed.

This is an amazing story that was written for this year’s Reverse Bang over at the cap_ironman community and was inspired by some amazing artwork of gladiator!Tony and centaur!Steve. I might preface this with the fact that I’m not usually good with AU’s that radically change the setting like this, but this fic totally won me over and intrigued me from the get go. It’s hard to write a setting like this convincingly and at the same time keep this characters who they are and sineala does justice to both. She puts so many awesome details about Roman culture in there and then manages to sneak in the comic references right in on top of that. I think my favorite thing how Stephanos’ story parallels Steve’s super soldier history.

It’s a wonderful adventure story with some nice action and fight scenes (and it’s obvious how much research about gladiators went into those), but even more than this it’s the story of “Antonius”, who very much still is Tony at the heart of it, from privileged childhood to the pit of the arena and his fight against having his freedom and dignity taken from him, making friends (which involves meeting "Avengers" in gladiator guise) and who doesn't give in to circumstances. The romance is a delicious and wonderful cherry on top. The emotional scenes are vibrant and hit me right where it hurt sometimes and the character arcs that unfold in the story alone are making this a worthy read. The angsty themes are running high with this one, which with the themes of slavery and fights to the death in the arena isn’t surprising. But there are also quieter scenes of friendship and blossoming, uncertain romance to balance that out.

And above all it’s just so well written.

As the author points out the fic contains no centaur/human sex, so this doesn’t need a right out bestiality warning. There is the interspecies romance and kissing, though, that not everyone might enjoy. Those who are here for the xenoromance though might be glad to know that the relationship is consummated in a NC-17 sequel fic.

Breaker of Horses

Title: Courting Death
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairing: Sam Winchester/Dean Winchester
Categories/Genres: Reaper AU, Family, Romance, Soulmates
Length: 50,723
Warnings: Incest

Author/Artist on AO3: Theproblemmatique

Summary:Sam Winchester lived the first six months of his life in a happy family; the next twelve years as John Winchester's only son, and the last decade as an orphan. He's supposed to die at twenty-two trying to save the woman he loves from a fire, because he doesn't have a brother to pull him back. But the night Sam meets his Reaper he discovers that Death is overly fond of pop-culture references, too beautiful to be real, and reluctant to kill him.

Review: A new spin on an old romance, this clever little fic adds a surprisingly sweet layer in the middle. Dean is a reaper who keeps letting Sam slip by him, even encouraging him back to life. It’s adorable how these too banter over Sam’s often nearly dead body.

But the true treasure of the story is Sam’s relationship with the secondary characters. It’s surprising to think I never imagined how characters like Bobby and Ellen felt about the boys. I knew they saw themselves as slightly responsible for them but I never empathized with them as much as I did in this fic when you see how sad they were that Sam was always so alone.

Courting Death

Title: Tomorrow's Game
Fandom: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Jared Padalecki/Jensen Ackles
Categories/Genres: Time Travel, Angst
Length: 41693
Warnings:

Author/Artist on Sinful Desire: Karfraegh

Summary: Jared's lover is dead. He is recruited to a new secret program to become a protector of time, he can go back but the rules of time say he can't save Jensen. It is enough to break any man ... but what will it do to a man on the edge ... ?

Review:
This stands out in my memory as unique. It's a mixture of quantum leap/terminator that I haven't seen before. What I remember most is the trailer someone made for it. I will add it at the end of this rec and you will see what I mean. It's emotional and scary and inspires a lot of awe for something that is under two minutes. It's extremely clever with how it mixes together different movies to get it's message across.
The fic itself is less scary and more sweet. While Jared experiences pain and struggles with not saving Jensen and creating a paradox, Jensen himself eases a lot of it for Jared without knowing what's going on and ultimately ends up being smarter than Jared gives him credit for. Protecting the ones we love is an extreme weakness of mine and this fic certainly hit home.

Tomorrow's Game Trailer by Di


Tomorrow's Game

Title: Get Off (Me)
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Peter Hale/Stiles Stiliniki
Categories: AU, Domestic, Hurt/Comfort, Romance,
Length: Epic (77k)
Warnings: Rape, Dubious Consent

Author on LJ: gingersnapwolves.tumblr.com
Website: Ao3

Summary: Stiles hates being left behind with Peter while the pack is fighting monsters, because he never knows exactly what Peter will get up to.

Review: This is not my usual rec, there is graphic rape in this. Read with caution. The main relationship starts out somewhat triggery as well.

I don't usually read or rec anything that is this triggery, but KouriArashi is one of my favorite authors and I enjoy Peter/Stiles and their respective snark so I decided to give the fic a try.

I am very glad I did. Despite their relationship's rocky start. Peter and Stile's manage to put together one of the most mutually respecting relationships that I have read. They push each others boundaries, they make mistakes, they are intentionally mean to each other, but that is what makes their relationship what it is. It is so nice to see amoral people getting a realistic relationship of mutual support. Instead of just two people using each other.

tdlr: Read the warnings, and feel free to skip both chapters 8 and 9 if you want to give the fic a try anyway. The first seven chapters can stand alone.

( More info about Chapters 8 and 9 )

Get Off (Me)

Title: After The Storm
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Categories: Kidfic AU,Slash.
Length: Epic [41357 words]
Warnings: Mild Graphic Violence, Investigations and Cop persecution.

Author Website: matildajones(on AO3)

Summary: Derek's mind flits to Stiles’ face. It’s a hard face to forget and for some reason Stiles is one of the only things Derek can think about without feeling like he’s lost something.
Erica grins. “When are you going to see him next?”

“He’s a cop,” Derek says gruffly.

“So?”

Derek remembers being at the station, he remembers all those fucking people who thought he had killed his own sister. Laura. He hates all of them, and says as much aloud.

Erica hums. “Sounded like you didn’t hate him.”
--
Dealing with the death of his sister, Derek spends most of his time helping out his family. He meets Stiles and as soon as Derek's willing to admit his attraction towards him, he discovers that Stiles is dealing with his own problems at work. He needs help - help that Derek's all too willing to give. There's something about Derek with his strange, glowing eyes and quick ability to heal that makes Stiles trust him when maybe he shouldn't. [original summary]

Review: First of all: Stiles is a cop. Second: Kid Fic. And third and most important: impossible not to love this fic. I’m serious, it’s so good it will give you cavities - because sweetness is never too much. And at the same time, there is plenty of drama and action to put you in the tip of your seat, just wanting to know who is the bad guy.
Clearly this is an AU, where werewolves are still real, and selected members of the Hale family are still alive. Stiles slowly finds out about the supernatural, at the same time he lives a not so easy life as cop. Allison is more present than Scott in this fic, and she is Stiles’ super badass partner, which me makes me super happy! It rare for me to like Allison, and this fic totally gave me sneaky feels on her part.

The kid fic part I announced is super cute, and full of surprises. Derek is the sweetest taking care of the kids and Stiles is all marshmallow in seeing the big guy being soft. The only thing that may seem slightly off in this fic is how much Stiles trusts Derek so fast around the kids, but if you go feeling in the blanks, the experience isn’t too jarring.

In the end, this fic is a super good read and has some nice surprises or at least some nice touches, for those that are quicker in finding the end before it arrives.


After The Storm

Title: Howl
Fandom: Glee
Pairing: Kurt Hummel/Noah Puckerman
Categories: Romance, Mpreg, Angst, Supernatural
Length: Epic [82633 words]
Warnings: Werewolves, Violence.

Author Website: ADHeaven(on AO3)

Summary:
Kurt Hummel is a young werewolf just trying to survive high school. As the son of the pack leader and a gifted male capable of bearing children, he is coveted by the other werewolf boys. However, it is the human bully, Puck, who is there in his time of need. Because it is taboo for a wolf to mate with a human, Kurt and Puck battle their attraction to one another until something neither of them expected draws them together again. [original summary]

Review:
This is a werewolf AU, where Kurt is a special snowflake! Kidding, or not so much. This story is a favorite of mine, mostly because we see a Kurt that is powerful and confident, and Puck that isn’t really sure what he is doing. So expect a refreshing take on Puck’s and Kurt’s relationship with themselves and each other.

Another characterization that is gold it’s Burt, he is even more badass in this fic and slightly harder than in the show, which is obviously a result of the plot and the background story of Burt as a leader of a pack. I really like that while Burt loves Kurt and gives him some leeway, he is always worried about the pack as a whole.

Besides the evolution of Puck’s and Kurt’s relationship, and the very hot smut, there is also an element of suspense, introducing Puck’s own constitution and family; this elements create tension into the story and soften the romance side of it. Be also prepared to see male pregnancy and discussion on a male carrier, not always savory, but there isn’t a birth, so it might be ok for people that don’t dig the trope.


Howl

Title: Two Plants and a Girl
Fandom: Trigun
Pairing: Meryl Stryfe/Millions Knives, Vash the Stampede/Milly Thompson
Categories/Genres: Action/Adventure, Amnesia, Angst, AU, Drama, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Kids, Post-Canon, Pregnancy, Romance
Length: Epic (74,073 words)
Warnings: Minor (OC) character death, Non-descriptive mention of child molestation, Descriptions of gore

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Thunk

Summary:

Meryl becomes more important to Vash than he wants to admit. But Knives sees it. Knives capitalizes on it. But he finds it increasingly difficult to exploit the Insurance girl, for reasons far too old, and not buried deep enough.

Review:

I'm not entirely sure how I've gone this long without reccing this fic. Probably because it's posted on FF.net. No, don't run away! It's good, I swear!

Two Plants and a Girl is an AU fusion of the Trigun anime and the backstory that's revealed in the manga. It picks up from where the anime leaves off, with Knives slowly recovering from his fight against Vash in the anime's finale under the watchful eyes and tender mercies of Vash, Meryl, and Milly.

What I really appreciate about this fic is that Thunk knows their stuff. The bits and pieces of background and worldbuilding incorporated into the fic are sourced from the manga and thoroughly contemplated, providing a much more nuanced and believable Knives than the anime's straight-up-psycho interpretation. He's still an unrepentant asshole, but his canonical actions have weight and meaning and consequence that don't sit easy with him even a century later.

Thunk also presents a reasonable and quite logical plan to give Knives and Vash what they both want, pushing compromise rather than conflict in an anime/manga that basically centers around the conflict between the two. That's not to say that Thunk sucks all the friction out of their relationship, however.

Thunk also deals with Knives' massive damage with deft storytelling. The pacing of the story, which jumps over various stretches of time, can make it seem contrived on occasion, but the emotional depth of the events and the consequent growth of Knives' shriveled little soul signal to the reader a rocky but definitely substantial progress that is satisfying to watch.

There are some moments that are oddly OOC, mostly related to the forced early attraction between Knives and Meryl, and the very end, when Knives is so overcome with guilt and grief that he becomes a weepy parody of himself, but barring those, the interaction between the two is pretty damn great.

If you ever watched the Trigun anime and clicked away from the finale wondering, well, now what?, you absolutely read this fic. Yeah, I know it's on FF.net, but would I ever lead you astray?

Don't answer that.

Two Plants and a Girl

Title: Wild Horses
Fandom: Teen Wolf
Pairing: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Categories: Angst, AU, First Time, Slash.
Length: Epic [78917 words]
Warnings: Scars, Permanent Injury.

Author Website: thepsychicclam (on AO3)| (on tumblr)

Summary: Derek's a drifter with no home, no destination, and no will to live. Stiles works on his family's failing cattle and horse ranch while all his friends are going off to college. When Derek falls asleep in a random barn, exhausted and half-starved, he doesn't expect to wake up on the other end of the sheriff's shotgun. And Stiles sure as hell doesn't expect his dad to invite the drifter in for breakfast. [original summary]

Review:
This fic is amazing! It’s a tiny bit cliche, the whole farm!au and wounded Derek running away, but at the same time, the story is deeply emotional, and not overall cheesy, though there are some very sweet moments towards the end that get pretty saccharine. Don’t be scared, that is good! The fic finds a good balance between emotional growth and vulnerability, which makes the sweeter moments refreshment to all the anger both Stiles and Derek have by the tons.

We have an au, where the Sheriff is still the Sheriff and Boyd, Parish and Isaac help around the farm, mostly for board and food. Lydia, Jackson, Scott and Danny are Stiles's friends from school, and there are a bit apart from the life in the farm. No werewolves included, but there is still plenty of angst and part of the Hale’s are dead.

You can count on a whole lot of angry fighting and headbutting with Stiles and Derek, and them dancing around each other for the longest of times before they finally get together. Which doesn’t erase their problems or how much they still fight. There is a great quality baking and wood carving, horse riding and tending to farm, which includes some castrating here and there, but I won’t comment on it. The sex is explosive, sweet and hot, which makes the fic even better.

The Sheriff of course is amazing and brings out so many touching moments with both Derek and Stiles that it makes me very happy. The flow of the story isn’t interrupted by any major plot twist, but we have some tension that doesn’t dissolve as easily. Erika, Cora and Laura also appear in the story, with minor scenes.

This fic also counts with amazing art by maichan and geeky-sova, embedded in it.


Wild Horses

Title: The Leonardo Effect
Fandom: Assassin's Creed
Pairing: Leonardo/Ezio, Ezio/OFCs, Leonardo/OMCs
Genres: AU, Romance, Drama, Pining, First-time, Mystery, Prostitution, Historical
Length: Epic (67,378 words)
Warnings: Dub-con, prostitution, period-appropriate homophobia

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: phoenike @ AO3

Author's Summary:
To Ezio’s best knowledge, Leonardo's idea of debauchery was staying up until morning with a bottle of wine and too many sketching supplies. But why would the gondolier have lied? It was a heavy accusation. In both Firenze and Venezia, mere allegations of unnatural conduct had condemned men to be pilloried or hanged.

Review:
After overhearing gossip about Leonardo having apparently been on trial for sodomy, Ezio is tormented by the revelation and determined to find the truth. It's a familiar plot, and this is a well-written and historically minded version of it. It's well-paced, with their budding romance a very slow burn as Ezio struggles to make sense of what he's feeling while trying to uncover Leonardo's past. His preconceived notions of Leonardo as wholly bookish and naive are challenged, leaving us with a much more three dimensional character that is an awesome read to slowly find out about. This is also a fic about Ezio's own horizons being broadened as he gains some maturity.

This fic is a series, accompanied by some equally well-written flashbacks. They contain spoilers for the main fic though, so are best left till after it.

The Leonardo Effect

Title: Thistledown
Fandom: Merlin
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Genres: AU, Genderswap, Romance, Historical, Adventure, Cross-dressing, First-time
Length: Epic (90,547 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Violette_Royale @ AO3

Author's Summary:
South-west England, 1140. Sixteen-year old Merlin is a novice nun. One day, she finds a wounded knight, and offers to hide him from his enemies. When she falls to temptation and shares a bed with him, the consequences are more far-reaching than she could ever have imagined, changing her life forever.

Written for this KMM prompt: Arthur/Merlin historical AU. Merlin is a [nun]. Arthur is a knight who asks Merlin to hide him from his enemies. At first he is happy to sleep on the floor, then he asks to sleep in Merlin's bed, then he cuddles close to Merlin to keep warm.

Review:
This is a romance through and through. Watching Merlin and Arthur's relationship develop is a delight; they're unable to keep their hands off each other, and yet they are also still the bickering pair we know and love. Girl!Merlin, for all that she's a nun, is still completely in character. Both of them are completely clueless when it comes to sex, and the way they learn and mature together is sweet and funny, and always equal and respectful.

Most of the fic is about their pilgrimage to return a holy relic to its place of origin, and their subsequent travels through the holy lands in the period between the First and Second Crusades. Their journey is wonderfully described and just as fulfilling to read as their romance. A beautiful fic in all aspects.

Thistledown

Title: Louder than Words
Fandom: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Jared Padalecki/Jensen Ackles
Categories/Genres: Deaf!Character, Angst, Romance
Length: 45,934
Warnings: Cheating, Seizures, Medical condition

Author/Artist Website: Splash Pink

Summary: Jared throws a party for his best friend, looking forward to meeting the girl in his life. Jensen wasn't quite what he was expecting.

Review:
This is quite a brutal story for someone like me who always likes to see the best in people. Everyone in this fic is a piece of work. Even Jensen who is deaf. In a lot of stories people with disabilities are seen of as sweet victims. Yet here Jensen doesn't even consider pulling any punches and is downright cruel at times. It makes you hurt to see how they treat each other but it certainly makes you sit up and respect at the same time.

Yet this also adds to the deliciousness of some moments that are just heartbreakingly funny. My favourite being when Jared falls through Jensen's window drunk. I am also a sucker for stories that treasure someone who clearly doesn't think they deserve it.

This isn't Splash Pink's original website. I miss the days I followed her/his dreamwidth so I hope it's okay to point towards this tribute site someone has set up with all their work.

"He's really deaf?"
"Yep." David almost sounded proud.
"He's kinda…I dunno…pretty. For a guy."
Across the yard, Jensen flipped him the finger.
David grinned and hid a laugh behind his bottle. "And he's real good at lip reading."
"Fuck." Jared sighed, and ran his hand through his hair. He needed a haircut. And a hangover kit.

Louder than words

Title: Your Highness
Fandom: Kingsman: The Secret Service
Pairing: Harry/Eggsy
Categories/Genres: Royalty AU
Length: 40077
Warnings:

Author/Artist AO3: Galahard

Summary:


Review:

I love royalty AU's that stay away from the angst. We have all fantasized about being royalty and finding our knight in shining armour. You need this childish lightheartedness in your life, trust me. And with Eggsy in the spotlight you can it's live vicariously as someone who has only ever recieved negative attention slowly starts to realise there is a lot about him that makes him unique.

Your Highness

Title: How to Train your Angel Wolf Boyfriend
Fandom: Jupiter Ascending
Pairing: Jupiter Jones/Caine Wise
Categories: Domestic, Post-Canon, PWP
Length: Epic (75k)
Warnings: Sex, lots of sex

Author on LJ: username
Website: OctoSally

Summary: The fact that she was still a little annoyed with him for the “I’m closer to a dog than you” quip might have informed what she did next.

She patted the warm cement next to her, and said, in the firm tone she’d heard animal trainers use:

“Caine, sit.”

[Pretty much what it says on the tin. Jupiter Jones and Caine Wise figure each other out, post-canon. Basically my exploration of their relationship and where it might lead. EDIT: Now COMPLETE! Enjoy the sex and plot and wacky OCs!]

Review: A lot of kinky sex, with lots of interesting world building, and relationship building along the way.

Octosally has a deft hand with weaving together long, intricate sex scenes with character building experiences. Jupiter experiences the complications of universe sized business inheritance while trying discover what it means to be queen of the earth and Caine's mistress.

How to Train you Angel-Wolf-Boyfriend

Title: Under Wicked Sky
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Pairing: Sokka/Zuko
Genres: AU, Angst, Adventure, Romance
Length: Epic (60,310 words)
Warnings: Rape

Author on LJ: N/A (There is an LJ with the same username but I can't tell if they're the same person.)
Author Website: suge @ FF.net

Author's Summary:
During a raid Zhao captures Zuko and Sokka. They escape with dificulty, but surviving the uncharted earthebender territory and each other is the real challenge.

Review:
In this AU of season one a Zuko captured and raped by Zhao after their battle escapes with Sokka, who is cuffed to him. Forced to co-operate with each other, their relationship is just as rocky as you would expect, with romance blooming very gradually between the hurt and distrustful boys. Zhao is believable as the villain; you can image that the man who thought nothing of killing the moon could be as cruel as this. It's kind of like seeing a more realistic Avatar, the behind the scenes of the more kid-friendly main story. The darker places this fic goes, as well as the politics it explores, feel like different facets of the same canon.

This story isn't without its flaws. Spelling and grammar mistakes are rife, and the comma usage makes some of the sentence structure a bit jarring. Overall though, the great characterisation and plot are more than enough to make up for these little irritations.

Under Wicked Sky

Title: Student Teacher Relations
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Categories/Genres: Highschool AU, Student/Teacher
Length: 99619
Warnings: Barely underage, like a week

Author/Artist on LJ: katie_the_sith
Author/Artist Website: On Sinful Desire.org

Summary: Sam is young popular basketball captain in High School, and Dean is his new Assistant Coach, will Sam be able to resist that golden skin and freckles?

Review:
This is one of the first fics I have ever read and still in my memories as one of the best. Sam and Dean completely in their flavour. You find Sam determined to do everything the hard way and bitching at Dean to do the same and Dean with his fond indulgence for life and simple things making him a push over, making it hard for him to decipher the angst Sam is bringing his way.

Spoilers:

What makes this unusual as far as a student teacher fic goes is that it is done in defense of the teacher. It's clear throughout all this fic that Sam knows himself. Yet when they get caught, Sam is already 18 and still his parents prosecute despite his wishes.

I love the fact its pointed out that Sam is smarter, stronger and bigger than Dean. That he is more emotionally intelligent and even that while he read medical textbooks Dean was reading Harry Potter despite being the older teacher. You are left in no doubt that Dean had no power over Sam's decisions yet what it comes down to is when they first started having sex, less than a month before he turns 18 and that's all it takes to risk Dean being put away forever.

This fic has many sweet moments. Most is Sam and Dean getting to know each other.

Student Teacher Relations

Title: Crush
Fandom: Supernatural
Pairing: Sam/Dean
Genres: AU, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Outsider POV
Length: Epic (61k words)
Warnings: Incest

Author on LJ: sonofabiscuit77
Author Website: N/A

Author's Summary:
Five years after the apocalypse didn’t happen and Sam and Dean have settled down, or as much as the Winchesters can ever settle down. Sam is a college professor and Dean a well-respected small business owner and they’re learning how to balance work, hunting and dog-ownership while coping with the metaphorical and literal scars of war. Life’s not perfect, not for a (sort of) out and proud couple in small town USA with a lot to hide, but they’re dealing, that is, until Dean employs one sexually-confused teenager who develops an unhealthy obsession with both of them... Switching between five years earlier and now, we learn how the boys came together, how they made it through the big fight and whether they’ll ever manage to find that flighty temptress, happily ever after.

Review:
Full of tension, both dramatic and sexual, this fic really kept my attention. The relationship between Sam and Dean is at its incestuous best here - fucked up and weird and yet intense and compelling. The fact that for half of the fic we're viewing Sam and Dean's relationship through the eyes of a formerly-straight, hair-triggered teenager really adds to that intensity. His inner monologue and his huge crush on Dean are very well written, perfectly portraying the all-encompassing nature of teen infatuation and sucking the reader into his at times awkward and funny longing.

The fic switches between his and Sam's POV as it shows us what happened between Sam and Dean before their current domesticity. Their story is both an interesting character study and a scorching hot sexual journey, as we read about their relationship developing both sexually and romantically, and how it has changed them and those close to them.

This author has also written plenty of other long and well written Supernatural fics - I highly recommend checking them all out if you haven't already.

Crush