Static Shock: Hurricanes and Sisters by fire_tears

Hurricanes and Sisters (Sharon, Virgil/Richie | PG13 | 3,691 words): Sharon sees something she's not supposed to and misunderstands. On, I love Sharon in this and her sisterly protection of Virgil.

Excerpt:
"Virgil, I can't believe you'd possibly expect me not to know. Best friends, in my experience, do not give each other the kind of stares you see in chick flicks. And they don't hold hands while watching The Ring when they think no one's watching."

"We do not stare at each other like couples in chick flicks!" Virgil protests hotly, folding his arms across his chest. Sharon resists the urge to sigh. She's so much better at getting strangers to open up. Now Virgil is on the defensive, his body language indicating that he's closing himself off from her.

"Virgil, I was only kidding." That gentle, soothing voice again. Virgil eyes her suspiciously, but he unfolds his arms. Good; open body language means more openness to critical suggestions and facts.

"Okay, Sharon, what's the deal? You haven't been this nice since I broke my arm in grade eight, and you were comforting Richie because he thought it was his fault."

"Like I said, Virgil, this is about Richie. I know you're not going to want to hear this, but--"

Star Trek DS9: The 92nd Rule by DangerMouse

The 92nd Rule (Nog-Quark | PG | 2,238 words): Quark and Rom help Nog move in to Starfleet Academy. It's a great look at what it means to be a Ferengi and family. Plus, I always liked Nog, and how often do you see stuff about him?

Excerpt:
"Why are you giving this to me?" Nog asked with a trace of suspicion. At his uncle's sharp glance, he quickly corrected himself. "Loaning this to me, I mean."

"Because I don't like any of this," Quark said, waving his finger at Nog. "You're a Ferengi, Nog, and I don't want you to forget that. They're going to fill your head with a lot of nonsense while you're here and I want to make sure you remember who and what you are."

Nog tried not to roll his eyes at his uncle's tone. Of course. This was just another way he was trying to knock him down, keep him from the opportunities Starfleet afforded him. How typical.

Saiyuki: Years After by Louise Lux

Years After (Sanzo/Goku | PG | 1,543 words): Sanzo and Goku, together, as the years go by and they grow older. It's great writing, and this could be the two of them down the road.

Excerpt:
Konzen had been so beautiful. Goku remembered warm arms and the scent of rose water, gentler and colder than cigarette smoke and the stinging tip of a paper fan, although he hadn't felt the latter in years. Konzen was as different to Sanzo as a dried fig was to a ripe plum. He leant his head back against the rough bark and his mouth watered at the thought; Sanzo burned up the air around him. He soaked up earthly cares until he rang with them, feeling everything too strongly, even if he pretended not to.

Saiyuki: Distant Relations by Sylvia

Distant Relations (Gojyo/Hakkai | PG | 1,251 words): Gojyo meets a kappa. It's an interesting look at youkai relations, which is a subject with a lot of room to play. Plus, there's a wonderfully possessive Hakkai.

Excerpt:
"You're a bit young to be looking for your own stream, aren't you?" drawled the nameless kappa, chewing idly on what looked like a strand of kelp. Hah – kelp, in a river? As if. Damned show-off.

Gojyo took a deep drag on his cigarette and blew the smoke across the water, straight into the eery, off-colored reflection of his own face. It worked better than expected – either that or the kappa was a drama queen, because he started coughing and hacking and waving his hands frantically like a virgin giving head for the first time.

Static Shock: Tech Support by Mouse

Tech Support (Richie-Maggie Foley | PG | 4,380 words): The Watchtower needs Gear's help, but he's grounded. It's a lovely, wonderful, real characterization of both Richie and his mom.

Excerpt:
"You took shop?" his mother asked. She frowned, then looked suddenly regretful. "I didn't know that."

Guilt coursed through Richie and he sighed softly. "No, not really," he said after a moment, staring down at his soda can. "Just, you know, sometimes things needed fixing around the community center before Mr. Hawkins got that funding from Alva Industries, so he taught me a few things."

Another lie. Always lies. Richie didn't like lying to his mother, but lately, that felt like all he ever did. His mother bought that one, though.

"Oh," she said, sounding sad, looking down at the table. "That was nice of Virgil's father to do that for you."

"Yeah."

The silence that filled the room screamed awkwardness. Richie sipped his soda, wondering how his mother would take it if he excused himself back to his room. That was where he was supposed to be anyway, contemplating respecting one's elders and not hanging out with 'hood' friends and listening to bad music.

"I'm glad you're here," his mother said suddenly and Richie looked up at her in surprise. "Not glad you're grounded, of course, but I'm glad you're home. You're not home often enough. I've missed you."

Static Shock: Sunset by Mouse

Sunset (Virgil/Richie | R | 6,967 words): Richie and the difficulties of being a super genius. It's a nice look at Richie, what it means to be him, and who Virgil is for him. And, hee, I adore Virgil here.

Excerpt:
"Where you gonna go, huh?" Virgil asked, also grinning. He took a quick step to the side as Richie tried to fake him out, failing horribly at it. "I know your game, man. Nothing you can do."

"You never know," Richie said, bouncing the ball in an easy game of keep-away. "I might surprise you yet. I've got some moves you don't know."

"You think so?" Virgil was as close as he could be without fouling. Richie could feel his breath on his face. "That's cool, bro, 'cuz I like surprises. And I like any move you make."

The phrasing struck Richie as odd. He couldn't put his finger on what Virgil was alluding to, but he suspected it had nothing to do with basketball. His brain had an idea about it, but he quickly rejected it, dismissing it as too improbable. Deciding that Virgil was probably just trying to psyche him out, Richie grinned and jumped backwards.

There was a clear shot to the hoop, but it was a good ways off. In the few seconds it took Richie to jump into the air once more, he calculated several parabolic equations, taking into account the weight of the basketball, the angle of the shot, and how much force he'd need to put behind it. What came as instinct to professional players was simply science to him and, with a smug look on his face, he released the ball at the height of his jump, knowing without a doubt it would go right where he wanted it. Sure enough, it whooshed right in, not even touching the rim.

"Nothing but net!" Omar crowed and Richie heard vague applause from the sidelines.

Virgil was shaking his head, but smiling. "That is so cheating."