#Helenish

[dewitty1]

A Soft Spot for Lost Causes

Helenish

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling Rating: Explicit Warnings: Rape/Non-Con Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Ron Weasley

Summary:

"Remember at school? Weasel? You’re so poor and dirty?" Ron said encouragingly "You hated me."

"I did," Draco said.

Excerpt:

"Ron," Draco said, close behind him. When he turned, Draco kissed him, one hand braced on the counter next to his hip. Ron opened his mouth and pulled Draco up against him, his hands tangled in Draco’s robes. Draco’s mouth was hungry under his, a little too much tongue and tooth, and Ron let himself get lost for a moment, until Draco gentled, pressed one last soft kiss against the corner of his mouth. He smiled, a little ruefully, but didn’t step away, and Ron touched the hollow of his cheek, ran his thumb over the nearly-invisible golden stubble on Draco’s jaw.

"This can’t end well," he said. "You have to see that."

"Because of me," Draco said.

Ron nodded. "I think maybe I’m not who you think I am."

"I know who you are," Draco snapped, eyes narrow.

"Draco—"

"I really like working with Hermione," Draco said. "I go in every day and we talk about arithmancy and maybe I have lunch with Pansy, or I—see you. And then I come home, and you make me dinner, and we fuck, and it’s all right."

"Yeah," Ron said. Draco was close enough to touch, and it was an effort not to take his hand.

(●♡∀♡)

[sixohsixoheightfourtwo]

FILED UNDER: I guess I THOUGHT this was going to be about Stiles WINKING at Derek and getting him all confused but really ended up being about how Derek doesn't think he should be doing stuff with Stiles without Scott's permission and Stiles refuses to do anything about it because THAT'S RIDICULOUS and Derek feels super guilty because he feels like he's SNEAKING AROUND with Stiles I give up and am going to bed WINKING!!!! (via @helenish)

[fluxweeed]

same dronarry anon here but that toomuchplor fic is actually what sent me down the dron rabbit hole after i first read it! it is toooo good anyways hope you have a good day :)

aha is it!! in that case if u have any other dron recs pls do send them over if you're so inclined! 👀❤️

[lupines-slash-recs]

Rec: Pre-Existing Condition by Helenish

Title: Pre-Existing Condition Author: Helenish Canon: Live Free or Die Hard Pairing: John McClane/Matt Farrell Rating: Not Rated Word Count: 13,139 Summary: “Anyway, he’s staying with me for a while,” John says. “My place got firebombed,” Matt says, reflexively.

Continue reading...

[scoringeffects]

.

[squidsquadlove]

I saw your WIP title game, and I am very interested in Tagging you in or It takes two (Baby), or really just anything McDraichle

I KNEW IT! Look @helenish there are MORE than just us who like McDraichel!!

Tagging You In: Alpha Connor goes into rut every time the Oilers play the Sabres and both Connor and Jack are on the ice together. Omega Leon is CRANKY and POSSESSIVE even though that's not how omegas are SUPPOSED to behave. But when Jack shows up to Leon's hotel room at the All-Star Game looking winded and desperate and says, yo, I am tagging you in, I cannot handle Davo's rut all by myself, Leon discovers he doesn't have to be jealous when there's enough of Connor to go around.

It Takes Two (Baby): The inverse of the above! Connor is an omega and he's spent heat with Jack and with Leon (separately) and he does just fine, most of the time, but... really he needs both of them. (This is mostly an excuse for double penetration (double knotting?!?!?!) porn with precious little plot and a very happy ending. This is the sort of thing you would think I could whip out in like an hour and a half with a coffee and a laptop but my brain keeps wanting to know WHY Connor needs two alphas and HOW they figure out that it's really both of them.)

[gridgegate]

so despicably tantrumed up at the dearth of matthewbarky fic. whining wailing starving. to death

[linskywords]

2024 HRPF recs

As has become my wont, I spent the last few weeks trying to catch up on some of the new fics in the hockey RPF tag that I missed over the course of the year. I definitely didn't get to everything, or even all of the most popular ones; there may also be a bias towards shorter fics here, as I was trying to get through a lot. 😅 But I hope you enjoy, and possibly find a gem or two that you missed!

First, some general favorites:

Scoring Effects by @helenish (McDrai, 30K): Ah, Helenish. A goddess among us. I love a good mistaken identity story, and this is a GREAT mistaken identity story.

barons by dilangley (MattDrai, 43K): Future fic in which Houston gets its own expansion team, Matthew coaches it, and Leon and Trevor Zegras play on it. Gorgeously done. The Trevor POV section broke me a bit, but it was worth it.

Living Things by @makeit-takeit (TK/Patty, 115K so far): I am so deeply invested in this series. It's very real and vivid-feeling future fic that does an amazingly thoughtful job exploring the NHL wife-and-kids pipeline and what happens when that doesn't fit you as well as you thought it would. The stories that are written so far feel nicely complete, but if you'd rather hold out for the full HEA, you can check out her Wild Ice for a different highlight from the past year.

put the stars in our eyes by @notthequiettype (McDrai, 17K): the McWedding story that I wish I had written. I thought it was going to destroy me, and instead it left me all warm and fuzzy.

Lost and Found by angry_geno_is_score (MattDrai, 2K): angry_geno_is_score had so much to choose from this year, as always, and I loved this as a microcosm of the hurt/comfort they do so well. If you like it, you know where to find more from them!

Next, we move to the irresistible new Sharks babies. I'm not sure I can oversell how hot these three stories managed to be:

come on (leave me breathless) by countthestars @moondoggiestyle (Will/Mack, 10K): I've already talked about how much I loved this one. There can never be too many stories of one player catching the other getting off in the shower, especially if they're as hot as this.

revising the shoreline by ohyellowbird @teex (Will/Mack, 6K): another super well done exploring-their-sexuality-while-not-talking-about-it story, aka my kryptonite.

teamwork makes the dreamwork by canary @bigdogenergy (Will/Mack and Will/Mack/Ryan Leonard, 19K): I'm sure a lot of you have already read this in the last week or so, but I couldn't not recommend it. Mack goes into heat and Will needs an alpha to help him out. Who to call but the ex?

And then we enter the realm of vaguely devastating but gorgeously written JDTZ trade fics:

home by now by donderwolk @donderwolkenblog (Jamie/Trevor, 6K): The moment they found out about the trade, and a little bit after. Brilliant, impeccable, ruinous.

heat check by jolach @hyggles (Jamie/Trevor and also Carts/Richie, 4K): Outsider perspective on Jamie and especially Trevor as they deal with the aftermath of the trade, through the eyes of Mike Richards, who may have some experience in the area. I don't know how anyone writes this well, honestly.

Finally, one of my favorite things about reading through the past year's fics is finding a prolific new author I love who I had totally missed in my year of mostly reading people I'm already subscribed to. This year it was unsay (@tungpin). They seem to have started writing HRPF this year, and they tend toward the kind of complicated sometimes-ambiguous stories that I never manage to write but love to read. Here are a few of my favorites of theirs from this year:

malt (MattDrai, 4K): Leon meets Sasha Barkov and has feelings about how he wants to be more serious than Matthew does (OR DOES HE).

accessory to the rockstar (McDrai, 5K): once again we have Leon having thoughts about how he feels more than the person he's into, this time about Connor. Bittersweet and lovely.

the care and keeping (Jamie/Trevor, 12K): in which Trevor's friends get on Jamie's case about neglecting him post-trade, and Jamie does something about it.

That's it from me, at least for now! I know there were many excellent stories this year I didn't get to, especially the long ones that I just didn't commit to while reading for this list. Perhaps this is the year I do what I've been telling myself to do for the past two years and keep track of what I read and love throughout the year. We can only dream. 😅

Happy reading!!

[sitp-recs]

Hello! I just wanted to say that I love your blog and the recs, especially the insights and recaps you tend to give.

I was wondering if you had any recommendations for my favorite sort of rare pair Draco/Ron? Possibly a hurt/comfort or something?

Ahh thank you, friend! That’s so nice to hear. Lists are easy to put together but I’ve been trying to ease back into the individual recs which are a bit more challenging (but my favorites!). I’m hoping to have more time to read & rec in December. I adore Dron and I think h/c is a really great fit for them because it keeps it fresh and distinct from Drarry, I’d love to see more. A few favorites, and you can also check my main Dron list here :)

Flare Up by Lokifan (E, 2k)

Draco is still afraid of fire sometimes. Ron helps.

Resting With The Enemy by Lokifan (M, 10k)

(Pre-)eighth-year hurt/comfort. Ron’s used to obsessive people, but this is something else.

A Soft Spot for Lost Causes by Helenish (E, 13k)

"Remember at school? Weasel? You’re so poor and dirty?" Ron said encouragingly "You hated me." "I did," Draco said.

revelations soft and bright by luminae (E, 23k)

The war turned everything on its head, assigned new roles and made adults out of the impetuous youth. There is no right way to deal with that. Draco, though, Draco is doing it wrong. That's okay—Ron is going to help him. They have all suffered enough.

Dreaming Skies by @sweet-s0rr0w, @tackytigerfic (E, 20k)

Draco's life is going nowhere, so when Charlie Weasley offers him a job out on his reserve, Draco doesn't think twice before booking a Portkey. After all, it's not as if he has many other options. But when he arrives in Romania, he realises that nothing is quite what he expected...

In My Room by @wolfpants (E, 21k)

Draco fell in love with Ron when he was eighteen. It was never supposed to happen, but it did.

Is this It series by MildredMost (E, 52k)

Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy get trapped in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement during an attack drill. HOWEVER WILL THEY PASS THE TIME?

Bonus: Dronarry

Not very gallant by @tenthousandyearsx (E, 3k)

“He likes it when I hurt him,” Harry tells Ron with a smirk. “And then you come in and soothe him.”

The Sun, Shining Above You by @oknowkiss (E, 14k)

Since joining up with the dragontamers, Draco counts his days in nights. Nights spent drinking in the commune mess, making poor choices he doesn't regret, for once. Nights he doesn't remember, and nights he wishes he could stop remembering.

[sequencefairy]

Would you mind sharing the link for the inception fic you mentioned because I'm like 👀👀👀 lol. I forget about inception a lot of the time but when I remember I'm OBSESSED with Eames/ Arthur lmao

Oh man! I read so much inception fic actually, but here's what I currently have in my ao3 bookmarks:

the dry sand of daylight - spqr | 15k, E, complete [or: Arthur is married to Eames for the better part of a decade. Then he wakes up.]

All the world is bullet shaped - pushdragon | 76k, E, complete If Arthur thinks that, just by waving enough money around, he can get Eames to risk his life and reputation to rescue him from a death sentence, he's got another thing coming. So Eames sets a malicious, undignified price on his services, one he can be certain that a man like Arthur would never condescend to pay. It turns out to be the first of many mistakes.

The Only Living Boy in New York - witling | 47k, E, complete Arthur and Eames, in limbo. For 47,000 words.

Presque Vu - rageprufrock | 69k, E, complete Or, "on the tip of the tongue." Arthur meets Mal first. He inherits Dom, after. Everything else is on him.

Patience, a Steady Hand - Helenish | 43k, E, complete 821 A.D. Arthur is in the nightmare business. Eames is a thief, a liar, and versatile with a pen.

^ these are all arthur/eames, just re-read the dry sand of daylight tonight again because I like to hurt myself before bed.

play the goddamn part - hardscrabble | 101k, T, complete One simple idea that changes everything: Ariadne, as Cobb sees her - the red-wearing maze designer and Cobb-unraveler - is almost too good to be true. That's because she isn't. True, that is; she's definitely, DEFINITELY good. When her thesis adviser Dr. Stephen Miles puts her in the way of a VERY interesting opportunity (for the low, low price of just one fake ID), Ari decides to go for it and winds up neck-deep in stuff she never knew existed.

When this is finished, she’s going to learn to wear a suit like Arthur, tell a lie like Eames, network like Yusuf, and pull perhaps two per cent of Saito’s annual income over her first five years post-doctorate. She's hung the rest of her life on this job, so she may as well get some off-resume skills out of it.

^ this is like, platonic throuple sort of? it's really lovely, however.

I promise to do a better job of bookmarking shit in the future but one of my sources for good fic, fandom irrelevant, are spqr's bookmarks and there are a BUNCH of good Inception fics in there too!

[cecilyv]

Comfort Fanfic Reccs

@liminalmemories21 tagged me in this and I just KNOW she knew I was going to (A) fall down like, a zillion rabbit holes, (B) sit there for a while trying to think of a story/author that was one the tip of my tongue but failing, and (C) then get upset again because, y'all, the internet is NOT FOREVER. Of course there are things this makes me happy about, but in this instance.

Okay, this is no way all of them. I am re-reader. I reread. I have been in fandom for over 30 years. I retain the right to post again later with more of these because I want my friends to get the pleasure of reading these for the first time or the thousandth time -- it's all the same.

Also some of these are sad. Some are happy. I've found that I go to all them for comfort, depending on the day.

freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose by synecdochic (SGA, Rodney/John).

"There is a gravestone in Arlington National Cemetery. It sits watch over an empty grave, and there is a vine with small blue flowers, one the gardeners can't identify from any book, twining up its side." I know I've mentioned it before, but this fic lives rent free in my brain and it's sad, and lovely, and sad, and thought provoking and lovely and just read it.

This is how it works by Lim

A connected rec: Lim, not my lim but another fandom Lim, made this video for/about freedom's just another word. I'm so glad it exists on the internet still. Scroll down in the link and you might have to hit play a few times to get it to load, but it's worth it. This is the vid that made me realize the power of vids AND introduced me to Regina Spektor, so, thank you lim.

Telegraph Avenue by hackthis (the O.C. -- Seth/OMC, Seth/Ryan)

I am, in fact, sending you to the wilds of livejournal because hackthis left fandom (mumbles under her breadth) years ago and none of her stuff exists on ao3 (if it does, please let me know because that would be amazing). Honestly, I rec all her stuff -- the generation kill, the inception, freaking neville longbottom/theodore nott -- read it all, even if it's on livejournal.

Pre-Existing Condition by Helenish (Die Hard, Matt Farrell/John McClane)

Okay, okay, bear with me. I had an incredibly difficult time figuring out which of Helenish's stories to link, but I went with this one because it's a showcase of -- I will follow this author anywhere and love it. I have read this story so many times. In Helenish, I trust and that's going to be a running theme here. Come for this one, stay for the Inception, SGA, Teen Wolf, and hockey rpf, if that's your bag. Apparently, helenish was my very first bookmark on ao3 which totally tracks.

Don't You Shake Alone by Dira Sudis (Generation Kill, Brad/Nate)

Nate looked exactly like Brad always pictured him: exhausted in the full life-in-a-combat-zone sense of the word. Nate has a baby and Brad shows up. I have read this oh, like, at least a dozen times. It hits every single one of my buttons.

Steinway!verse by toomuchplor (Inception, Arthur/Eames)

Being a freshman piano performance major at a prestigious New England conservatory is difficult enough without landing the school's star baritone as your singer, and inevitably, your hopeless crush.

Written by the Victors by Cesperanza (SGA)

Caroll, Franklin R. Atlantis Revisited. New York and London, Routledge, 2011. Chapman, Denise. Several Kinds of Genius: The Life of Rodney McKay. NY: Harper Perennial, 2015. Croft, Rosalind. City of Spires: A Memoir. Toronto: The Mercury Press, 2009. Dugan, Paul. A Political History of Atlantis. Oxford: OUP, 2012. This changed fandom and me, and go read it, if you haven't. Also, Lim recced With six you get eggroll which was, uh, maybe why I finally watched Due South.

Behind closed doors: collected oral histories of queer community in New York, 1930-1945. doi 10.1999/journal.amhistqstud.32557038 by wobblyheadeddollcaper (Captain America, Bucky/Steve)

Steve Rogers, supersoldier and inept historian, confronts the absence of evidence. Those who know me, know why.

Drastically Redefining Protocol by rageprufrock (Merlin, Arthur/Merlin)

Honestly, another author I follow to the ends of the earth. I know Lim recced it to, so hopefully you go read it.

Noblesse Oblige by Alethia (Generation Kill, Brad/Nate)

This was not a normal day. This day existed to prove that hell was real and it came with musical accompaniment by will.i.am. On this day, Steve figured out how to get him out of the office and torment him at the same time by sending him to the godforsaken DNC where it was all 'we shall overcome,' oh-happy-day bullshit. Which merely justified Brad's hatred of the world and everyone in it. With a side of Worthy of Trust and Confidence because her Brad voice is just THAT GOOD.

I don't see how there won't be a second set of these at some point.

[cheddaryouthanme]

My MattDrai Fic Recs, in honor of the upcoming MattDrai SCF

One-Shots:

what does daylight look like 

By notthequiettype

" "Matthew," Draisaitl says, and shifts on to his elbow so he can look up at Matthew. "Don't-- please don't say this was nothing to you."

There's an expression on Draisaitl's face that Matthew's never seen before, a carved wrinkle between his brows, the corners of his mouth turned down. He looks sad, worried, and Matthew's struck by how much he doesn't look like a stranger, a guy across the ice, a target for Matthew's agitation. Matthew feels an almost tilting sense of vertigo for a second. "It wasn't nothing." "

As close to fluff as I can stomach, but that extra bit of sweetness makes this one so enjoyable to read and re-read. This is a "people in the NHL are gay and the world is fine with it" fic where the biggest obstacle to their relationship is playing for divisional rivals in the same Province. However, this suspension of disbelief is rarely taken too far, or done at the expense of having Matthew and Leon feel like real, layered people. Because of this, the story's earnestness feels earned, rather than saccharine.

(come on, come on, come on) get through it

By anonymous

"Matthew really doesn’t know where Leon’s head is at, on the rare occasion that he pulls stuff like that. He wants Matthew to himself; he doesn’t care if Matthew fucks other people. He wants Matthew to fuck other people so he can want Matthew to himself."

This story does not get the love it deserves. Who are you, anonymous, so I can give you the flowers that you so deeply deserve? This fic only receiving 208 kudos on AO3 is one of the greatest injustices of our time. If I had to guess, I'd say it has something to do with the angsty nature and (spoiler!) ambiguous-but-seemingly-not-optimistic ending. But the angst is worth it, friends! It's so incredibly well-written that by the end, you're left with so many lingering emotions that you just have to re-read it to process it further. The prose - particularly in the sex scenes, which carry hefty emotional weight because of the fuck-buddies-with-baggage nature of Matthew and Leon's relationship - is phenomenal, and would put most published hockey Booktok writers to shame. More people need to read this fic.

Edmonton 10

By Helenish

" “Well?” Leon said coolly. Leon wasn’t just an Edmonton 10, Matthew reminded himself, which was really a 6 but it was dark and you were horny, but an actual anywhere in the world smokeshow. All he had to do was shut up and play along.

“Okay,” he said. Leon’s smile turned smug. Great dick, Matthew chanted to himself in his head, world-class dick, really, big and uncut, a little curved to the left, from a guy who was freshly showered and smelled like pine trees, who’d like it too much and get up in his head about it after—

“Thought so,” Leon said, sounding almost bored. Matthew dutifully pictured his entire body filling up with cool, purple liquid, because the shrink had said they could pick any color they wanted, but it didn’t stop him from leaning forward and looping one hand around the back of Leon’s neck to draw him closer. Leon let him, his smile starting to falter, and Matthew slipped his hand up to cradle the back of Leon’s head and kissed him, an easy, tender brush of his lips. He pulled back enough to look into Leon’s eyes, holding his gaze. Leon blinked. Matthew smiled."

If I had to recommend one MattDrai fic to a new reader, it would be this one. It's just perfect. It's funny, it's sexy, it's grounded, it's surprisingly emotional, but above all else it's so, so, so well-written. All of the things that, in my mind, exemplify what makes MattDrai fanfiction so great.

(mild spoiler!) Without giving too much away, the 💔 part at the end made me gasp the first time I read it because of how well it hit the bulls-eye for me as a character beat and emotional climax. Impeccable storytelling.

Multi-Chapter:

let me look at you by isozyme

"Leon feels awkward and unsettled until they get home and he has Matthew naked in his bed, where he’s able to put his hand around Matthew’s ankle and let out the air that’s been stuck in the bottom of his lungs. Matthew looks awful — pale, battered, and end-of-season skinny. He’s scruffy and still has acne in his beard at almost thirty years old and Leon has no idea why he wants to fuck this guy so bad. And worse — wants to kiss him and protect him from the shitty parts of his family and show off to Connor how hot it is when they're in bed together."

This one is McMattDrai (Tkachuk/Draisaitl/McDavid) in case that's a dealbreaker for anyone. It shouldn't be, though! Because this story is incredible, and I waited eagerly for each new chapter to be published when it was put on AO3 last summer. Funny, blunt, unexpected, raunchy, tender at times, and a bit kinky. This story never failed to surprise me by going exactly where I hoped it would go one moment then veering hard right in another direction the next. You're not going to find a lot of 10 chapter fics this rich, descriptive, committed, and unique throughout.

head above water by yourblues

"He gives Matthew a cocky little smirk about it, like it’s supposed to be impressive that he didn’t need instructions to find them. Awful, Matthew thinks. He’s awful, and yet all Matthew wants is to get his hands or his mouth or literally anything on him. There’s been something hooked behind his breastbone all week, pulling him toward this with a single-mindedness that Matthew usually only feels with hockey. He doesn’t think he’ll be able to think straight until they’re done here."

This whole work is great, but for me the story reaches untouchable heights in the 5th chapter that very few other fics have ever been able to reach for me. I find myself re-reading it as soon as I'm done every time. Take my word for it, even if you only read the 5th chapter (read the whole thing though, because the build-up is worth the payoff, trust me).

[runawaymarbles]

SGA Fic rec

I've never seen SGA but that's not going to stop me from making a rec list for it. Is the characterization accurate? who the hell knows. Not me. I'm just here for a good time.

These are not in any order whatsoever.

A Slightly Different Quality of Light by rageprufrock | M | 5k | John/Rodney

Rodney has to go through John's memories when he accidentally uploads them all to Atlantis servers.

Navigation by rageprufrock | M | 26k | John/Rodney

Trauma and therapy. Mind the warnings.

Whither by Daephraelle | 15k | T | John/Rodney

John learns Rodney has feelings for him and handles it completely responsibly and reasonably and ha ha ha ha jk

Oolon Colluphid Was Right by melannen | G | 1k | John/Rodney

Communication in pop culture references. Ask me about my translation.

Proof by Contradiction by astolat | E | 10k | John/Rodney

Sex pollen aftermath.

Friendly by Speranza | E | 6k | John/Rodney

Secret gay stargate network that John is left out of.

Sheppard's Law by Speranza | E | 40k | John/Rodney

Rodney time travels through John's life.

Kid A by Speranza | E | 8k | John/Rodney

John and Rodney are hooking up except John is definitely not gay about it no sir.

Just So Long and Long Enough by busaikko | T | 8k | John/Rodney

Dave Sheppard tries to send John care packages.

Weddings, Plural, and a Yak by Speranza | E | 18k | John/Rodney

John and Rodney keep getting married for convoluted reasons and it's funny until it isn't. Also Rodney adopts a chaos child. John is normal about it.

War Bride by Speranza | E | 9k | John/Rodney

John and Rodney have a weird dinner with Dave and his wife, then go to space and almost get ritualistically murdered. It's genuinely very sweet.

Ordinary Life by astolat, Speranza | E | 20k | John/Rodney

They get shore leave, go to Florida for one of Rodney's contracts, and things go about how you'd expect (people try to kill them.)

paper cranes (upstairs, downstairs) by verity | M | 18k | John/Rodney

Rodney stays at John's childhood home and is bad about opsec.

Decision Point by esteefee | M | 23k | John/Rodney

Rodney tries very hard to retire to Nevada and John tries very hard to go back to space.

Your Inevitable Unhappy Ending by Helenish | E | 15k | John/Rodney

Rodney tries to attract women by carrying around a baby, and there are some delightfully awkward conversations. And a sex temple.

My Home And Native Land by copperbadge | 17k | T | very very background Rodney/John

Ronan becomes friends with Chuck, and decides to become Canadian.

[callmearcturus]

a bunch of Mission Impossible fic recs

hi, i'm sorry for conning so many people into this fandom. here's some reading material.

Easy Open, by helenish

“So you and Hunt are a package deal these days,” Bryson says. “Uh,” Benji says, jerking his head up from his computer, ballpoint in his mouth.

Ethan/Benji. Definitely the first thing you should read after watching the movies. This is my favorite kind of one-shot, the kind that manages to convey the weight of history like a 60k fic in such a compressed space. When I talk about using sex scenes to convey something about the characters, perfect example is the set dressing around the one here where the title drop happens. Way to say so fucking much about the characters through sheer implication.

in the details, by helenish

Ethan: We have an even bigger problem. Ilsa. Benji: Ilsa. Our Ilsa? —Mission: Impossible — Fallout (Paramount Pictures, 2018)

Ethan/Benji/Ilsa. This one is so fucking dense and amazing. I love the way Ethan is just so fucking in love with both of these people and keeps imagining them fucking and feels terrible about it, you just want Benji and Ilsa to put Ethan out of his misery, but ALSO this is hardcore physicality porn. The scene with Ilsa on Benji's shoulders is better than any sex scene I've read this year.

I'm With You, by fictionallemons

Luther's getting married again at a private resort on a tropical island. Only there's a mixup with the rooms and Benji and Ethan have to share. No big deal, right? One bed. Two friends. No problem. Ha.

Ethan/Benji. I keep rereading this one because it just has such intense longing and familiarity in it. The way it portrays Ethan and Benji as a unit, a foregone conclusion even they themselves haven't quite figured that out, is perfect. Also I love the way Ethan handles the bed situation, the low grade annoyance he has at the repeated question. Benji, get a clue, my man.

Someone New, by fictionallemons

After Fallout, Benji thinks Ethan and Ilsa are together and he only wants to be happy for them, even it kills him to see Ethan with someone else. He's got to try to get over Ethan. But some things are just impossible. Mutual jealousy, mutual pining, cute texting, and a happy ending, of course.

Ethan/Benji. LOOK, THE WAY TO MY HEART IS ETHAN BEING JEALOUS AND NOT HANDLING IT WELL. Also the fact this fic acknowledges Ethan's emotional growth from Fallout, chef's kiss. But really the moment when Ilsa's like "Seems we missed the show" and Ethan says "I wish we had" ETHAN OH MY GOD. Also the subtle way Benji is needling Ethan a little, subconsciously at least-- it's good!

it takes a lot (to know a man), by thistableforone

"So I just… want to remind myself that we're alright." He says it like that, with a general we that sounds more like a specific you. And because Ethan does know what it feels like, he doesn't question him any further. If Benji needs to spend time with him to feel better, he won't deny him. Takes place after Fallout. Ethan is recovering and Benji goes to live with him to help

Ethan/Benji. A longer one, hell yeah. This one truly wallows in the aftermath of Fallout, which is where my brain lives 90% of the time, so I appreciate it. Also Ilsa pointing out why the fuck did Luther give her that speech but not Benji-- finally someone said it. But really this fic is about Benji and it breaks my heart.

magnetic field being a little too strong, by oopshidaisy

“This is strictly recon,” Ethan says. It’s maybe the seventeenth time he’s said words to this effect since they arrived at the party. “We can’t do anything that’ll raise suspicion. Understand?” Post-Rogue Nation. Benji and Ethan go undercover and find themselves in one of those spy jams that only surprise kissing can solve.

Ethan/Benji. This is the one with the INCREDIBLE passage about Benji realizing why Ethan's never been slapped for pulling the fake kissing thing on missions. Also I love how... this feels like a date. To Ethan, this is a fun mission with his Benji, and it feels like it. Benji's voice here is pitch perfect, feels like its right out of Rogue Nation.

The Missionary Position, by matchsticks

Ethan and Benji have to pretend to be a married couple for a mission. Well, Ethan and Benji are already a married couple, but now they have to pretend to be pretending to be a married couple for a mission, and the rest of the team has to help them keep their secret. It'll definitely all work out fine. Probably. Hopefully.

Ethan/Benji. Listen. This one is hilarious.

THERE, there's some stuff to get you started, folks! and you can always hit up mine. I have periphery (in which everyone Benji works with is a little in love with him and Ethan just doesn't deal well), all i need is a certain trigger (in which Ilsa and Benji are in the Syndicate and Ethan trips into romancing them both), and the big AU you'll need a new name to survive this (in which Benji is Ethan's physical therapist and a lot of things start to change)

Looking over all this, it seems my favorite thing is when Ethan is just unhinged and Benji is unfortunately into that.

[ladaveen]

ArthurxEames fic recs

These are my favorites and not in particular order I just love every single one of them, also some are probably smuts so beware hehe

Presque Vu by rageprufrock : this is probably THE arthureames fic, I was floored by literally everything in the story

M | 69k words

Or, "on the tip of the tongue." Arthur meets Mal first. He inherits Dom, after. Everything else is on him.

Early Returns by rageprufrock

M | 15.5k words

Thinking that a reporter genuinely likes you is pretty much on par with feeling like you really are special to that stripper.

Trouble With Dreams by sparkledark

E | 39.7k words

College AU in which Arthur is a cranky senior and Eames is a professor of Dream Psychology.

These fragments I have shored against my ruins by aprettyaway

M | 10.2k words

This is what his life has become: hotels and coffee and reveling in those few hours he has to himself. The French news lulls him to sleep, and Arthur thinks if he can just get through this job, then it will be over. If only.

Late Night Phone Call by sparkledark

E | 14.6k words

Arthur usually finds blatant fishing for compliments extremely irritating, but in Eames’ case he is reluctantly charmed. In fact, he writes the phrase “reluctantly charmed” into the Eames notebook the moment the words occur to him because they so perfectly encapsulate his entire situation.

Pants on Fire by Helenish

E | 15.1k words

"Ah," Yusuf says, lifting a reproving hand, "are we calling less than 24 hours of memory loss amnesia now?"

we were once cinema gods in the night by gyzym

M | 21.3k words

That's the thing about Hollywood--everyone has a Hollywood story.

All's Fair (In Love & Werewolves) by Whisky (whiskyrunner)

E | 29.6k words

Arthur is lucky to have Eames. Somebody just as different, someone who understands when he wakes up in the middle of the night feeling like he's all alone in the universe. Eames makes that feeling go away. Eames, however, is not alone.

Incipit by thehoyden

E | 8.5k words

Arthur has been his editor from the beginning. Eames says he won't work with anyone else, and what Arthur will never tell him is that he would cut anyone who tried.

between my reflex & my resolve by gyzym

T | 4.7k words

People you kiss in an airport baggage claim and then don't talk to for thirteen months shouldn't be able to exist, let alone make your chest do the things Arthur's chest is doing. There are rules.

Catalyst by five_ht

E | 3.3k words

Arthur is a freshman omega in college who hasn't yet had his first heat. Eames is a friendly alpha who is willing to lend a hand.

Hello, I Love You, Won't You Tell Me Your Name by eleveninches

E | 3.6k words

Many people, Eames would find out later, assumed Eames had wanted Arthur from the moment they'd met. It was true Arthur was devestatingly attractive, but in all honesty, the first thing Eames had thought when he'd met Arthur was, Why did Cobb bring his son? (Or: It's all about trust.)

Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer by eleveninches

E | 19.7k words

Arthur joins the mile high club, Cobb joins the broken hearts club, Eames joins the smug extractors' club, and Yusuf just wants to club everyone. Or, Eames steals Cobb's point man.

In Our Line of Work by enjambament

T | 15.7k words

Arthur wakes up and realizes the last ten years of his life have been a dream. He is nineteen, and he can barely remember where he is. What he can remember is the ghost of Eames’ hands pressed down on his chest trying frantically to stop the blood flooding up around his fingers as Arthur died (as he woke up).

[squidsquadlove]

What is this collaring Leon fic? 👀👀👀

- zepuckinghockey on my main

It's BAD for the LEAGUE if you have too many uncollared subs on a team, or dominants who don't have a sub! It can lead to STRESS and INFIGHTING. When Connor comes into the league they ask him if there's anyone around training camp that he's been thinking of collaring. A lot of the subs are taken -- Hallsy and Ebs must have long-distance dommes or something, they both have collars but their dommes aren't around, how confusing! -- but when Ebs goes down with an injury and the team struggles a bit out of the gate, and they ask Connor whether anyone perhaps in Bakersfield was a good match, he says, well, Draisaitl and I were good on the power play together??

They call Leon up and Connor and Leon realize that Leon got called up to be Connor's sub, and, uh, whoops. Awkward!!! Not that Leon isn't hot or anything. Leon is hot. Leon is SO hot. Connor has never been with a sub that hot, subs as hot as Leon are just totally out of his league Connor could not even imagine taking a shot with a sub as hot as Leon and now Leon's WEARING his (fake) COLLAR and um. Gulp. They should probably sell the league on how real it is, though, right? So Leon should kneel in front of Connor's stall at intermissions and Connor should pet his hair and they probably don't have to kiss and make out and stuff but TEAM COHESION. VERY IMPORTANT. And if Connor has big stupid feelings for Leon that's only natural and it doesn't mean he has to TELL Leon, Leon just took his collar so he wouldn't get sent down to the AHL!!!! Obviously Leon doesn't have any other reason to be taking care of Connor through his collarbone injury and nuzzling his cheek and the side of his neck when they're out with the guys and lowering his eyes so his eyelashes are soft and dark on his cheeks and TOUCHING Connor's (fake) COLLAR all the time and SMILING at Connor and oh no, Connor is so screwed.