Fandom: INCEPTION
Pairing: Arthur/Eames, very brief Eames/other (non-explicit), Yusuf/OFC (non-explicit)
Length: ~ 14,900 words
Author on LJ: guns_and_butter
Author Website: Master Fic List; Fic on AO3
Why this must be read: The Love Potion trope - is there anything better? And in Inception fandom, it's remarkably easy to believe that chemists would be working away at trying to create and refine compounds to affect the dream-state. In this story, Yusuf is at work on trying to lower inhibitions in the dream in order to make the projections more docile and the mark more willing to talk. Arthur is the testing guinea pig, but the formula has an unexpected effect on him that carries over into reality: Arthur seems smitten with Eames, and it's clear to Eames that Arthur's been dosed with some sort of love potion. After all, Arthur couldn't possibly feel something for Eames, could he?

Eames tries his best to be sympathetic and understanding (not always easy) and works hard at not exploiting Arthur's new uncharacteristic openness. But when the job is over, Eames has fallen a little bit (or a lot) for Arthur, and is trying to convince himself there's no hope for them ... after all, Arthur's feelings are because of a love potion that's since worn off and it's not fair to expect anything of him.

Except as everyone knows there are no such things as love potions ...

( 'Did something happen?' Yusuf asks, sounding concerned. 'You think something’s gone wrong with the sedative?' )

On LJ: and the doors are open

On AO3: and the doors are open

It doesn't matter how old or new or (how popular) a story is, authors love feedback!

Fandom: THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Pairing: Mark/Eduardo
Length: 15,000 words
Author Website: At AO3
Why this must be read:

A lovely AU. Both at Harvard, but Mark is working Tech support with Chris and Dustin. His customer service skills are... not the best.

But then Eduardo needs tech support, (and funnily enough he keeps needing tech support. Odd.) and suddenly the job is not so boring...

Eventually, Eduardo gets comfortable enough to go along with Dustin’s long-running and not at all amusing joke that he’s Mark’s work mistress (to Dustin’s work wife, naturally).

Mark still doesn’t know what to take from that, but Eduardo now greets him with a, how was your day, honey?, so it’s only fair that Mark regales him with tales of incompetence and general disdain over the decline of today’s college students, in return...

After about a week of calls like this, Mark even remembers to return the courtesy by asking Eduardo about his own day as well."

Fandom: INCEPTION
Pairing: Arthur/Eames, Eames/everyone (non-explicit)
Length: ~ 4172 words
Author on LJ: andrealyn
Author Website: andrealyn's archive; Fic on AO3
Why this must be read: Both the original story and its sequel are entertaining takes on Yusuf's chemistry gone wrong. In the first story, something renders Eames absolutely irresistible to everyone around him. Yusuf, Ariadne, Saito and even Cobb are determined to have him, and even strangers on the street are becoming a problem. Arthur seems to be the only one immune to the "Eames effect;" well, along with Eames' mother and sister, but of course, Arthur's also found Eames irresistible for far longer than the effects of Yusuf's formula.

Just when the repercussions from the first experiment are resolved, the sequel picks up with Eames being de-aged to a 4-year-old. He's charming, adorable, and like a duckling seems to have imprinted on Arthur ... which isn't doing anything for Arthur's suddenly problematic (and desperately repressed) desire to get Eames into bed. Young Eames is priceless, as is Arthur's frustration, especially as Eames starts to grow up and develop a libido of his own--aimed squarely at Arthur. The story has that great, palpable tension as Arthur puts Eames' best interests over his own needs, even when he and Eames want the same thing.

( When Ariadne joins them for their next research session, Arthur watches her almost obsessively as if waiting for signs that her brain is about to hemorrhage in Eames’ presence. )

On LJ: Love You Much Better, and its sequel, The Proper Care & Feeding of Young Mr. Eames

On AO3: Love You Much Better, and its sequel, The Proper Care & Feeding of Young Mr. Eames

It doesn't matter how old or new or (how popular) a story is, authors love feedback!

Fandom: INCEPTION
Pairing: Arthur/Eames (very explicit), Mal/Dom (background)
Length: ~ 21,000 words
Author on LJ: unknown ; mirabella on Dreamwidth
Author Website: mirabellafic
Why this must be read: I love Mirabella's writing. She's written some remarkable stories in the Inception fandom, and this is one of my favorites even though it's still relatively new. It's less serious than others of hers, but it's hot and hilarious. I was only partway through reading the first section when I was emailing friends to say, "You HAVE to read this!!"

The story's not quite crack!fic, but it's close. Poor Arthur has a young face, and poor Eames is trying to be a good guy. Eames honestly believes Arthur's underage, and therefore, refuses to get involved with him. Arthur, meanwhile, thinks Eames must be either playing a joke or interested in an underage role-play, but Eames is dreadfully serious.

Add to the brilliant sexual tension, a Somnacin formula that lowers inhibitions, and you've got one of the hottest things around. (Oh, and Eames has a piercing; even if that's not your thing, Mirabella knows how to write sex scenes.)

You'll cheer for Arthur's persistence, Eames' attempt at integrity, and Cobb and Mal's helpful interference. What's especially refreshing is that once Eames realizes he's wrong about Arthur, he's on board 100% with hitting the sheets. These are grown men who know what they want and what they like. We tend to view unresolved sexual tension as a delicious tease, but sometimes it's really nice to get the actual pay-off when all that build-up is resolved.

( 'I have honest to god never seen two people less subtle about wanting to rip each other's clothes off.' )

On Dreamwidth: Wunderkind

It doesn't matter how old or new or (how popular) a story is, authors love feedback!

Fandom: BIG TIME RUSH
Pairing: Kendall/James
Length: ~4,000
Author on LJ: jblostfan16
Why this must be read: The more of the show you watch, the more clear it becomes that the boys will do anything for one another, and that's probably been going on for a long time. One of the fun things to play with in fic is where the "anything" line falls. And the thing is, for all Kendall is the group's leader and a fairly confident guy, he's also got lots of barely subtextual issues floating around, mostly with loyalty and his family and what all that means to him. This fic plays with that line and with Kendall's issues, while giving an interesting take on the characters -- not to mention it's super hot, too.

( excerpt )

Love You Best