Pairings: Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester
Fandom: Supernatural open_in_new

Summary:

In 1988, three witches in Montana are growing a monster in their garden, and Sam is holiday snack. When Dean and John show up to get him, one witch is killed, and Dean gets a love curse that he keeps secret. As teenagers, Sam and Dean are living in a dying industrial town in Pennsylvania, where they come across a crooked old creature that takes an unusual interest in Dean. As adults, Sam and Dean return to Montana for a hunt and run into the two surviving witches who have been unsuccessfully trying to grow their monster. Dean, still carrying the love spell from the dead witch, is looking like perfect plant feed.

Bookmarker's Notes:

This author sold their soul to the devil for pretty prose. I have no explanation for the genuis and artistry present in every turn of phrase. The witches fit so seamlessly into this world, to the point that I was actually more invested in them than I was in Sam and Dean (sorry, boys). So creative and inspired, fitting almost entirely outside of the binary boundaries of trope categories. I feel so lucky to have read this.

Words: 30,348   Bookmarked Date: 12 Jul 2024

Pairings: Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester
Fandom: Supernatural open_in_new

Summary:

Everything Dean is, even all these years later, is still for Sam, only ever Sam, it beats through his blood more real to him than his own heartbeat, Sam, Sam, Sam. The common fucking denominator of Dean's entire life.

or

Four years later, Dean has Sam back. Some things have changed. The main thing hasn't.

Bookmarker's Notes:

Sequel to the next fic down. This was an arrow to the heart, so intense and smothering that it made me nauseous at times.

Words: 35,769   Bookmarked Date: 10 Jul 2024

Pairings: Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester
Fandom: Supernatural open_in_new

Summary:

dean makes sloppy joes for dinner the night before sam leaves for stanford.

Bookmarker's Notes:

Bare prose rife with pain. Feels like a bruise you can't stop poking at.

Words: 1,067   Bookmarked Date: 07 Jul 2024

Pairings: Peter Parker/Wade Wilson
Fandom: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) open_in_new, Deadpool (2016) open_in_new, Marvel Cinematic Universe open_in_new

Summary:

“What did I fucking say?!” Deadpool yells from across the room. “‘Don’t go into the drug lord’s sex den without me.’ I was very specific!”

Bookmarker's Notes:

This one left me haunted and horny. The oppressive atmosphere tastes like old detective shows. This is exactly how I want them. Pure lyricism in prose form.

Words: 9,394   Bookmarked Date: 30 Jun 2024

Pairings: Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester
Fandom: Supernatural open_in_new

Summary:

Sam watched Dean hack up firewood with his hatchet. The magically-induced heat wave had his shirt soaked with sweat.

“Did you ever have a, uh… experimental phase?” Sam smacked his lips, trying to think of a diplomatic way to phrase it. “That kid–by which I mean you–has been staring. At me. Kind of a lot.”

(Sam and Dean get sent back to 1996 and go on a hunt with their teenaged selves. The kids don't know who they are.)

Bookmarker's Notes:

As much as I love the "It's the natural next step" Wincest, there will always be a special fondness in me for disgusting-messy Wincest and the unfiltered horror of familial codependency. This fic is that to a T. They're ugly and horrible and a fucking trainwreck and this fic really, really sells all of that. Something about the brutal inevitability of it all is just staggering – every stray scrap of symbolism contributes to this suffocating, inescapable atmosphere. The fever pitch is in the separation of seasons and thirteen years. The paranoid anxiety of it all is practically psychedelic.

This was such a unique premise and a faithful presentation of these characters in all the ways that are good, bad, and ugly.

Words: 105,324   Bookmarked Date: 28 Jun 2024

Pairings: Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester
Fandom: Supernatural open_in_new

Summary:

"The werewolf." Sam says, quick. Hushed. Scared. "I don't know how. I was…"He was standing above you and then he wasn't. And I think I did that."

Dean keeps whispering stuff to Sam, banal reassurances that Sam soaks up like a sponge, but he feels sick. Sammy did something impossible. Sammy's been doing impossible things.

For years.

Or: Pre-Canon/Teen!chesters AU in which Sam develops powers at age eleven, Dean will do anything to protect him, and they have to live with the consequences

Bookmarker's Notes:

This is one of the most beautiful fics I've ever read. Atmospheric and lovely, aching with possession and codependency, simple and gripping. They're only each other's . . .

Words: 55,501   Bookmarked Date: 6/18/24

Pairings: Luo Binghe/Shen Yuan | Shen Qingqiu
Fandom: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System open_in_new

Summary:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a stallion protagonist must be in want of a horse girl.

Bookmarker's Notes:

I'm so glad that I read this one. I ended up devouring it and losing all track of time. This is the most important fic of all time and I will not be taking questions. THis was a hilarious, scathingly witty, fantastically written love letter to canon. I adored the side characters' perspectives, and Binghe's vulnerability and astuteness. I loved Shen Yuan's sense of humor, and I loved Shang Qinghua's characterization on the whole. Prepare to laugh out loud.

Words: 37,908   Bookmarked Date: 5/20/24

Pairings: Luo Binghe/Shen Yuan | Shen Qingqiu
Fandom: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System open_in_new

Summary:

Shen Qingqiu falls with Luo Binghe into the Abyss in hopes that with this action, perhaps he can repay his betrayal to the blackened protagonist. Things don't get better.

Bookmarker's Notes:

This is one of those fics best left to stew in your brain for a few weeks. It absolutely gutted me to see tenderness in such a brutal environment. This fic was extremely, frighteningly in character, and a somber portrayal of the cycles of mistrust, abuse, and codependency at the crossroads of dissolution of self and surrendering to someone else's complete control. The love that tied it all together was the best and worst part. Deeply and delightfully nauseating read.

Words: 47,414   Bookmarked Date: 4/20/24

Pairings: Original Luo Binghe/Shen Yuan | Shen Qingqiu
Fandom: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System open_in_new

Summary:

Luo Binghe's destabilized more mid-level demonic regimes than he can count on one hand; setting up one untenured scum teacher for scandal and disrepute will be like snapping his fingers.

Luo Binghe mistakes Shen Yuan for his shitty brother and gets his ass domesticated. This will prove to be a mixed blessing.

Bookmarker's Notes:

Unforgettable. I loved the relationship progression in this one, and the relationship between the Shen brothers. Very fleshed-out, right down to the most microscopic worldbuilding details that make this universe feel lush and well thought-out. The beautiful art is a fantastic bonus.

Words: 108,096   Bookmarked Date: 4/14/24

Pairings: Asagiri Minori & Mogami Keiji
Fandom: Mob Psycho 100 open_in_new

Summary:

Mogami's palm lands solid against the door beside her head, and she barely stifles a whimper as he leans over her. "I expect you know all about that, Asagiri Minori. Tell me–have you always known that's why you choose to torment others? Or was it just for fun?"

"Please," she stammers.

"Please," he echoes. "You haven't even asked me for anything."

Bookmarker's Notes:

This fic – specifically the final scene – made me cry. Visceral, cathartic fic.

Minori has always been one of my favorite MP100 characters, though the horror of her story remains largely unexplored in canon, which works amazingly in a canon focused on Mob, but I still love her and appreciate getting more pieces of the puzzle that is Asagiri Minori. This fic did her justice in a way I can't fully articulate. Most of the fandom seems to fall into the trap of wanting to choose between letting her be a bully and a sad, manipulated girl, but this fic balanced those parts of her brilliantly and with a great deal of respect. Minori wasn't entirely helpless in this fic, but she's also not in control, and she doesn't know how to come to terms with it. A flawless read that will have a place in my heart forever.

Words: 10,961   Bookmarked Date: 4/8/24

Pairings: Luo Binghe/Shen Yuan | Shen Qingqiu
Fandom: The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System open_in_new

Summary:

At a crucial moment in Proud Immortal Demon Way, Luo Binghe loses faith in his shizun. Shen Yuan, a brand-new reader of a novel still in the backstory chapters, feels so bad for him that it rips a hole in space-time. Now he's tasked with fixing the baby protagonist's broken heart, so Luo Binghe is ready to become the stallion he's destined to be!

Your classic reverse transmigration premise, but Binghe is fifteen.

Bookmarker's Notes:

I read this in one sitting and it changed my life forever. Reverse transmigration is one of my most beloved tropes for these two. Is this the perfect fic? Very likely.

Words: 54,248   Bookmarked Date: 4/7/24

Pairings: Lan Zhan | Lan Wangji/Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian, Nie Huaisang & Wei Ying | Wei Wuxian
Fandom: The Untamed open_in_new

Summary:

Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang keep up a lively correspondence after their time at Cloud Recesses. It gets even livelier when, due to Nie Huaisang's limited allowance, they have to start writing their own porn to discuss. It's really not Nie Huaisang's fault that his brother thought the letters marked "Lan Wangji" were FOR Lan Wangji!

Bookmarker's Notes:

I think about this fic constantly. Came for the WangXian, stayed for the Wei Ying & Nie Huaisang friendship. Absolutely delightful fic.

Words: 30,989   Bookmarked Date: 4/3/24

Pairings: Song Lan | Song Zichen/Xiao Xingchen/Xue Yang | Xue Chengmei, Xiao Xingchen/Xue Yang | Xue Chengmei, Song Lan | Song Zichen/Xiao Xingchen, Song Lan | Song Zichen/Xue Yang | Xue Chengmei
Fandom: Modao Zushi | Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation open_in_new, The Untamed open_in_new

Summary:

"If you touch him," Song Lan says, voice cold enough to hurt, "I will ruin every part of you."

Xue Yang says, "Don't make promises you can't keep, Zichen."

Bookmarker's Notes:

The blade's edge of violence and eroticism here is phenomenol. Expect nasty Xue Yang who refuses to be tempered by affection, horny violence, and violent horniness. A bonus is that this is the most well-oiled threesome I've ever read. Don't miss this fic.

Words: 10,701   Bookmarked Date: 3/6/24

Pairings: Kageyama "Mob" Shigeo/Reigen Arataka
Fandom: Mob Psycho 100 open_in_new

Summary:

Mob's fists clench. He nods, his lips pressed tightly together. He still wants it more than anything. Reigen knows this, he can see it, he understands perfectly. He still wants it, too, like all hell even though Mob is too young and too dangerous for him and the back of his throat still tastes like rust.

Bookmarker's Notes:

My beloved friend (now partner) recommended me this one and it destroyed me. It's a beautiful exploration of character that takes Mob's canon power trajectory into account. I love the grit in this one, and how dangerous Mob is. I'll be thinking about the descriptions in this fic for years to come.

Words: 8,941   Bookmarked Date: 11 Dec 2023

Pairings: Gamzee Makara/Terezi Pyrope, Gamzee Makara/Karkat Vantas, Gamzee Makara & Tavros Nitram, Terezi Pyrope & Vriska Serket, Tavros Nitram/Vriska Serket, Terezi Pyrope/Karkat Vantas
Fandom: Homestuck open_in_new

Summary:

"And then I saw a new Alternia, for the old Alternia had passed away." -- St. Troll John Cusack

How the Empire knelt to a clown, a mutant and a lawyer.

Bookmarker's Notes:

One of the best of the best. Cream of the crop. Absolutely fucking insane take on the premise that law and religion are equally important in the Alternain justice system. I love Gamzee and Terezi, this is such a good breakdown of their characters and Alternia in general.

Words: 130,209   Bookmarked Date: 09 Dec 2023

Pairings: Kageyama "Mob" Shigeo/Reigen Arataka
Fandom: Mob Psycho 100 open_in_new

Summary:

The end of the world, Mob thinks. An apocalypse. Barren wastelands. Vacant streets. Neon signs flickering, half-burnt out. A cataclysm. He could survive it. Reigen probably could too. They could live off canned vegetables and pre-packaged ramen.

And Mob thinks about Reigen's hair, golden under yellow light. The shadow of his eyelashes across his cheekbones. The softness of his lips. The taste of salt and smoke on his fingertips. Skin; sin. They could fuck whenever they want.

Bookmarker's Notes:

Some of the most haunting prose I've ever read. The imagery of decay is fantastic, extremely vivid.

Words: 2,265   Bookmarked Date: 08 Dec 2023

Pairings: L/Near | Nate River
Fandom: Death Note open_in_new

Summary:

[Abandoned fic] Years after L's death, Near looks back at his relationship with a clearer vision as he accepts that he was groomed by somebody he admired and loved.

Bookmarker's Notes:

This is a beautiful and heartbreaking piece that left a bit of itself in my heart. It's all grief and love and mourning recollection. The last chapter was particularly hard for me, and the ending, though open, was very satisfying. Would recommend if you want something emotional and meaty.

Words: 25,794   Bookmarked Date: 11 Oct 2023

Pairings: Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester
Fandom: Supernatural open_in_new

Summary:

How do you escape the person who's supposed to be keeping you safe?

 

You wear anxiety like an old hat. But this is a home, not a graveyard. This is a friend. (This is a friend.)

Bookmarker's Notes:

The Munchausen's Syndrome by Proxy of my dreams. I treasure my beloved whump fix. I've reread this fic dozens of times, it's so cozy and horrible and wonderful. It's insanely well written and it helps that it triggers my specific synapses. A must-read, give this fic some love.

Words: 4,058   Bookmarked Date: 05 Oct 2023

Pairings: Manjoume Jun | Chazz Princeton/Yuuki Juudai | Jaden Yuki
Fandom: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX open_in_new

Summary:

The next time Manjoume saw him, Judai had a head full of spirits and a desperation that almost showed through.

Bookmarker's Notes:

If every fic in the world spontaneously disappeared, this would be the one I would mourn the most. The banter is top tier and the story is grounded enough to get away with feeling like a series of dreams. This person's prose is excellent, I want to build a house out of their words and live in it.

Straying is a love letter to GX first and a realistic slow burn second. I love hearing about the author's thought process behind every single major match. There isn't anything I would change about this fic. I have to physically restrain myself from rereading all two-hundred thousand words of it every time it so much as crosses my mind.

Words: 219,653   Bookmarked Date: 02 Oct 2023

Pairings: None
Fandom: Homestuck open_in_new

Summary:

"And then there's a customized copy of PONY PALS, a gift to you on your 14th birthday from the slippery Mr. Strider. Each page contains lovingly hand-written commentary on the deeds of this intrepid young horse. Later, about halfway through the book, rather than see the gag through to the bitter end, Strider began pasting over entire pages of original text with his own completely rewritten version of the story, while keeping all the chapter titles. His revision is a tough, emotionally draining read. But it's cathartic, in all the worst ways possible.
He tends to get carried away with his projects."

Note: this work is an altered book, and it plays on the physical relationship between the original pages and the edited text. As such, it's presented as a series of images. Reading the images is the only way to get the full experience, but I'm aware that some people can't/don't want to read it that way. So if that's the case, you can skip to chapter 13, which is a text-only version of the story, including rough descriptions of the most important illustrations.
Originally posted on detective-pony.tumblr.com

Bookmarker's Notes:

This is an actual literary masterpiece that captured Dirk's voice perfectly; truly goes to show that some things are classics for a reason. I read this straight through in September 2023 and then spent most of July 2024 listening to this marvelous Detective Pony audiobook to fall asleep. Highly recommend. Your dreams will be insane.

Words: 40,809   Bookmarked Date: 28 Sep 2023

Pairings: Roy Kent/Jamie Tartt
Fandom: Ted Lasso open_in_new

Summary:

The first time they hook up, Roy pauses mid-thrust to say, “This is a one-time thing, got it? I’m still messed up over Keeley.”

Bookmarker's Notes:

My fucking SOCCER BOYS. This was so beautifully Freudian. The sentence structure has me by the throat. The characterization was perfect and I am sincerely in awe of this author's command over the English language.

Words: 8,648   Bookmarked Date: 30 Aug 2023

Pairings: Deidara/Sasori, Nara Shikamaru/Temari, Gaara/Rock Lee, Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy, Hidan/Kakuzu, Hoshigaki Kisame/Uchiha Itachi, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, Past Third Kazekage/Sasori, Past Kakuzu/Sasori
Fandom: Naruto open_in_new

Summary:

On a night submersed in rain, Sasori picks up young “trimmigant” Deidara half a mile from the Garberville bus station out of sporadic pity. An isolationist and a scorpion amongst frogs that prefers to keep to the woods, Sasori is thrust into taking on this new apprentice in tandem with “The Suna Three”, his niece and nephews hiding out from their relatives for the season. Within the forests of the Emerald Triangle in Northern California, we explore a tale of mental illness, family, and the cutthroat world of marijuana’s black market.

Bookmarker's Notes:

I've been with The Moss since 2021, and it's become such a comforting constant in my life with its richy furnished world and beautiful art. I have written multiple manifestos on it. I finally caught up to it (for the first time) in August 2023, and my life is better for the time I put into this fic.

I'd qualify this as (recent) historical fiction with a focus on a very, very broken family and all the ways intergenerational trauma manifests. There's also weed.

The Moss is an incredibly unique fic that is near and dear to my heart. I'd definitely recommend seeing if it's for you!

Words: 452,466   Bookmarked Date: 27 Aug 2023

Pairings: Hyuuga Hinata/Hyuuga Neji, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Fandom: Naruto open_in_new

Summary:

Hyuga is a house with many rooms. A Neji & Hinata-centric work of fanfiction. Expect madness, love, sex, and murder. This is the story of two lives, thus pairings will vary, including Naruto/Hinata, Neji/Hinata. Complete

Bookmarker's Notes:

Painful, beautiful, and gothic. I'm amazed that this managed to end happily. This fic will haunt me.

Words: 38,576   Bookmarked Date: 04 Jul 2023

Pairings: Eridan Ampora & Kanaya Maryam
Fandom: Homestuck open_in_new

Summary:

You reckon you'd love a war, on account of Cronus might die from it.

 

 

(not a kink fic, please tread carefully)

Bookmarker's Notes:

This is absolutely incredible and it's a damn shame that it'll never be finished. Rich, seamless worldbuilding, gorgeous language, novel-quality prose, AND it's all steeped in troll culture for good measure. This is what every other fic aspires to.

Words: 21,539   Bookmarked Date: 26 Jun 2023

Pairings: Senju Hashirama/Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama/Senju Tobirama, Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Madara, Senju Hashirama/Uchiha Madara
Fandom: Naruto open_in_new

Summary:

Hashirama is the best of brothers and the best of friends, and he's going to show Tobirama and Madara just how much they mean to him.

By force, if necessary.

(no one is ever leaving him again)

Bookmarker's Notes:

Horrifying in a comforting way. I love the codependency and the way that Hashirama has been grooming Tobirama since FOREVER. The gold standard for HashiTobi and a favorite of our (remarkably small) fandom. My favorite part is chapter 9. Madara is in the rest of it but I won't hold that against him.

Words: 42,269   Bookmarked Date: 17 Jun 2023