Fandom: STARGATE: ATLANTIS
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Length: 1,900 words
Author on LJ: facetofcathy
Author Website: AO3
Why this must be read: This is a post-DADT story. It's short, sharp and I adore the dialogue between John and Rodney. Crackalicious!

With Appreciation

Fandom: STAR TREK: REBOOT
Pairing: none
Length: 1,100 words
Author on LJ: quigonejinn
Author Website: none
Why this must be read: *clutches chest* Reading this just breaks my heart every time. It's a character study of Spock that says everything about who he is. Oh, Spock.

Young

Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: Panic at the Disco GSF
Length: ficlet
Author on LJ: longtime_lurker
Author Website: Fic Tag
Why this must be read:

Kink is fast becoming a bandom specialty, not because it's all anyone writes, but because almost everyone who writes it does it well. There's a wealth of amazing kink!fic in bandom, some of it being kink for kink's sake, some of it using the kink to develop characters and relationships in an in-depth way, all of it gorgeous and worth reading. I love reading about boys (and girls) and their kinks, the things that make them who they are, and so I'm really excited to be reccing my first kink!fic of the month.

This ficlet, inspired by some amazing fanart from the talented blackboggart, leans more toward "kink for kink's sake" and is a fabulous introduction to the world of bandom kink. longtime_lurker presents round characters and dynamic situations in a short time, captures the very essence of what makes kink so delicious, and does so without miles and miles of plot. The basic premise is this: Brendon gets corset piercings to celebrate the band's signing. It's not just the piercings that speak to Brendon's character, it's why he makes them permanent and along the way, seeing his band's reactions to it showcases their relationships with him and each other.

These things are very subtly woven through the fic and what you'll probably notice upon first read is just how hot these boys are. There's great use of UST here, and the kink is beautifully drawn and handled, which is just the way I like it. So go read, have a gander at the pretty art, tell the author you loved it, and read again.

( excerpt )

the ties that bind

Fandom: YAMI NO MATSUEI
Pairing: Tatsumi/Hisoka
Length: About 24,000 words
Author on LJ: lyrebird
Author Website: LB*M
Why this must be read:

Because it's one of the best Tatsumi/Hisoka fics in the fandom and quite possibly the longest. Lyrebird's Hisoka and Tatsumi are well crafted, with all their virtues and their flaws coming into play.

A common problem with Tatsumi/Hisoka fic is the tendency for it to revolve around their feelings for Tsuzuki. However, while Lyrebird certainly doesn't ignore Tsuzuki, Hisoka and Tatsumi are drawn to each other for reasons of their own.

What makes this story especially enjoyable, at least for me, is the attention paid to Hisoka's martial arts skills. They're an important part of his character, but usually forgotten about. In Umbral Embrace, it's Hisoka's decision to improve his kendo skills that provide the catalyst for everything else, but more than that it gives an interesting look at Hisoka's personality.

( Excerpt )

Umbral Embrace

Fandom: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Pairing: Anya/Dracula
Length: short one-shot
Author on LJ: keswindhover 
Author Website: Fanfiction by Keswindhover

Why this must be read:

An absolutely hysterical comedy of errors featuring Anyanka, Dracula, a comely tavern wench, a hungover landlady, copious amounts of pale ale and no matter how hard Anya tries peoples lives keep getting better.

Accidentally making even one person’s life better was regarded as sheer carelessness in the Vengeance Demon profession, and a considerable blot on one's copybook. Spectacularly improving the lot of four people, and incidentally stimulating the economy of a large stretch of Yorkshire, could only lead to a disciplinary interview, and very likely a formal warning - something generally delivered with red hot pincers.

Whitby By Moonlight

*slams the breaks on the Cortina and spins to a stop in front of the crack_van*

Hello! This is Mikey, and I'm running late on starting this up. I've never done much by way of recs, and I'm terribly intimidated, and I hope that everyone really really likes the stories I'm going to recommend. *frets* I was thinking about being clever and doing a "theme month" but, eh, I'm not that clever so I'll be reccing stories that I simply love, because I love them and because we've got some downright fantastic authors in our ranks. Really! We do! For example:

Title: 50 Things You May or May Not Know About Gene Hunt
Fandom: LIFE ON MARS - UK
Pairing: Sam Tyler/Gene Hunt, Gene Hunt/OMC
Length: short
Author on LJ: walkerbaby
Author Website: Her masterlist of fic
Why this must be read:

I love backstory; I write it, I read it, I roll around in it like a cat in yarn. I particularly love it when a writer anchors that story with realism, and balances it with both the joy and angst of a life fully lived. Walkerbaby hit that note perfectly with this list of 50 things, covering the arc of Gene's whole life. Wonderfully executed, heartbreaking (warning: character death, although done "off screen"), and inspiring, this is definitely one of those "this SHOULD be canon!" type of fics. *purrrrs*

50 Things You May or May Not Know About Gene Hunt