Fandom: DC COMICS
Pairing: Tim/Kon (Robin/Superboy), Bruce/Dick (Batman/Nightwing)
Length: long: 11,500 words
Author on LJ: impertinence
Author Website: LJ Memories (Also see fic tags)
Why this must be read:
This one is also oodles of fun, especially the Kon POV, but I think my favorite parts are the scene with Dick and Tim. Nightbird Banter! And bonus giant killer alligators!
The sex scene is ridiculously hot yet awkward. Oh, boys!

Friday I'm in Love

Fandom: SHAKESPEARE -- THE MERCHANT OF VENICE
Pairing: Implied Antonio/Bassanio, even more implied Portia/Nerissa
Length: 720 words
Author on LJ: honorbound
Author Website: Unknown
Why this must be read: There are lots of fanfics floating around the internet that come with mentions of the author having been assigned to write them in school. It's a more believable excuse for fic in some fandoms than in others, and in the case of Shakespeare fics, it's very plausible. Today is a story written to fulfill a teacher's prompt, which Honorbound includes at the beginning of the story. The assignment was to consider how the various marriages made in The Merchant of Venice under more or less deceptive circumstances might play out over the next five to ten years. In response, Honorbound gives us a series of vignettes exploring the futures of Jessica, Nerissa, Portia, and Bassanio. Some of these characters have happy futures, and some do not. Some of them have the futures one might expect for them, and some do not. But whether happy or sad, expected or unexpected, each vignette is thoughtfully and sparingly written, showing the compromises the characters have had to make with their "happy ending" over the course of the years.

( He had been there, and he had plied her with sweet words and promises of devotion. )


Today

Fandom: TORCHWOOD
Pairing: Jack/John
Length: 8,610 words
Author on LJ: paperclipbitch
Author Website: Her LJ
Why this must be read:

I think a number of fics from paperclipbitch have already been recced on crack_van but I was amazed to see that this one hadn't been. It's my favourite of hers, it's a vicious, beautifully lyrical piece, but I love it for its twist, and for its poetry. It's not a comfortable read, but oh boy, what a ride. This is what might have happened between Jack and John inside the timeloop. (Warning for dub con)

( Read more... )

I Nothing But To Please His Fantasy

Fandom: THE SENTINEL
Pairing: Jim/Blair (preslash)
Length: 24K
Author on LJ: janedavitt
Author Website:    http://www.janedavitt.com/
Warning: Contains spanking as punishment. If you are totally squicked by this, run away now!

Why this must be read:  Although I can easily see Jim and Blair enthusiastically using spanking as foreplay, I’ve never been convinced by stories that have them in a domestic discipline type relationship. Neither’s canon character fits the “top” or “brat” archetype of the genre, unless you tweak them a *lot*. But Jane is quite clever so I tried “Coals” and found, because of where it takes place in the show’s timeline, that her scenario is believable.

An epilogue for “Cypher” (halfway through the first season), Jim is angry and frustrated that Blair blithely ignored his superior knowledge of police operations.  He’s also emotionally distraught at how close Blair came to dying at the hands of serial killer David Lash.  Up until he tangled with Lash, we see Blair as cocky – he has good ideas for the senses and is excited to be included in Jim’s work.  But the case has shaken his confidence badly.  He knows he messed up when he tipped off the killer at the church, and probably should have done things differently at other times during the case.  Moreover, he’s still at the “hero worship” stage, which allows him to be swayed by Jim’s opinions. And he’s between a rock and a hard place when Jim delivers an ultimatum that would clearly derail their partnership, and might destroy their growing friendship as well.

I found this “perfect storm” of events and their conclusions reasonable. Intrigued? Curious? Give it a shot. Then shoot Jane some feedback!

Coals of Fire

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Length: 16,611 words
Author on LJ: pir8fancier
Author Website: Romance with dicks
Why this must be read:
I actually bookmarked three of pir8fancier's fics for this month, yet this was the one I chose. (But, you know, read the others! They're equally awesome.)

It has always frustrated me how many stories are predicated on the fact that person A likes person B and the attraction is mutual but a failure to have one simple conversation prevents them from realizing it for thousands upon thousands of pointless, boring words. That... doesn't happen here. They still don't talk, but the author provides a reason why they don't talk. It makes sense.

Also, this is some of the best RayK voice that I've ever read. He's tough to get right!

It was stakeout nine thousand and fifty-six, and Ray just knew that, yeah, if something didn't happen soon, if someone didn't show their sorry ass, he was going to lose it and combust, leaving real small bits of himself all over the Goat and, man, his dad would kill him and the smell would probably be really gross because he'd had nachos that night for dinner and the bean factor alone...