Fanfic Recs by coprime

On her shoulders (Karen-Foggy-Matt | PG13 | 21,578 words): An AU where Karen has Matt and Foggy as the literal demon and angel on her shoulders. This is a cute AU with lovely friendship between the trio and a fun plot for Karen to investigate.

Excerpt:
"So, you've got any plans for the weekend?" Foggy asked and landed back on her right shoulder. His weight light and easy, but it was a comforting presence.

"Not for today", Karen shook her head. "But tomorrow I'll visit Amy." Amy was one of her friends from college.

"Okay, so what if…"

"Foggy", Matt warned as he landed on her left.

"What?"

"Don't give Karen suggestions on what to do if she haven't asked for it."

"I was just going to remind her that—"

"If it isn't urgent, it can wait until she asks you for it. Karen doesn't need to stress about unnecessary things."

"Fine. It's not urgent."

She went to the kitchen to make dinner for herself. Matt informed her that her milk would soon become bad and Foggy suggested she could make pancakes to use it up, to not let it go to waste. So, pancakes it was.

Broken Treasures (Alec/Magnus | PG13 | 22,620 words): As a young child, Alec found a safe haven in a pile of discarded magical items that had belonged to warlocks, and this leads to events going slightly differently once the events of Season 1 start. This is a really fun re-imagining of the first season. Magnus and Alec's relationship is also wonderfully angsty at the start, and I had fun reading everything working against Alec until things finally go right in the sweetest way.

Excerpt:
Magnus' laugh is loud and unrestrained, prompting Alec to laugh softly along, while being mesmerized by the man. But it's in that moment that his Magic leaves the tentative probing it had been doing and just rushes towards Alec, completely enveloping him. But before Alec can realize what's happening, and push his own angelic energy into this connection, Magnus's panicked feelings stop him.

Because Alec somehow feels it, feels what Magnus is feeling, and what the Warlock is seeing as his Magic's betrayal. So Alec does everything he can to keep his feelings out of this connection, using all his years of trained stoicism, pretending he feels nothing out of the ordinary. Because if this is something that Magnus doesn't want, he's going to give him as much space and distance as he needs, even when all he wants is the exact opposite.

It feels like such a monumental and long time, but in reality it seems to not even be a second before Magnus forcefully cuts off their connection. Alec doesn't know if Magnus realizes he's aware of just what happened, but what's clear is that Magnus's eyes are no longer cautiously curious. Now they don't hold even a hint of warmth, but are instead closed off, cold and distrustful, which confuses the rest of the Shadowhunters, who are actually completely unaware of what just happened.

"Well, it seems that maybe I should re-evaluate my preconceptions and caution regarding the Deputy Head of the NYI", says Magnus, tone clearly indicating to Alec that the Warlocks opinion of him has dropped, "but going back to our original issue, this "mystery" seems pretty easy to solve. Jocelyn didn't have much contact with Downworlders and none with Shadowhunters while she was hiding, so that leaves only a few options. And since it wasn't me, and Dot never had the power for something like this, I'm very certain I know who it was".

What would an angel say (the devil wants to know) (Foggy/Matt | R | 20,140 words | coda is The consequence at hand): After the end of season 3, Foggy and Matt have a series of conversations as they work at fixing their relationship. This is so lovely. The dialogue between Matt and Foggy ranges from silly to serious to curious to uplifting to teasing, and it's a beautiful portrayal of them coming together with their friendship as the core.

Excerpt:
"It was just—a bad night last night."

Foggy's heart speeds up.

"Are you injured?"

"No," Matt shakes his head. "There was an attempted kidnapping. One of the guys got away in the chaos and I lost track of him afterwards. I tried, but...I couldn't pick up the trail afterwards."

Foggy's silent for a moment.

"Kid's okay though, right?"

"Yeah—yeah. I got her to her parents and waited until the police arrived to make sure everything went okay."

"And you didn't let the guy go on purpose, did you?"

"What?" Matt says, surprised that Foggy would think him capable of that. "Of course not! I managed to knock one of them out but the others ran. Why would you think—"

"I didn't think you did," Foggy says, calming Matt down before he gives himself heart attack.

"He shouldn't have gotten away." Matt says. He should have been paying better attention, he should have noticed when he ran for it—

"It's possible to commit no mistakes and still lose," Foggy says. "That's not a weakness, that's life."

Matt recognizes Foggy's quoting voice, but it takes him a second to place the actual quote. Matt barks out a short laugh. "Did you—did you just quote Star Trek at me?" He asks, incredulously.

Something Dumb to Do (Foggy/Matt | NC17 | 33,292 words): Matt and Foggy get married so Foggy can't be forced to testify against Daredevil. Ahh, this is all delicious. Delicious living together, delicious pining, delicious care and warmth and friendship between these two. And it's all very sweet but also oh Matt, who very much loves and wants Foggy in his life but who is also very bad at recognizing and being the recipient of Foggy's love.

Excerpt:
Matt cringed as the door to the freezer squeaked. It was an old fridge unit, given to groaning; he could hear its little protests better than most, but if Foggy was still awake...

Sure enough, Foggy came padding out of the bedroom as Matt was pressing the bag of peas to his eye. He'd moved in four days ago and he was still waiting up for Matt every night. "Well, at least it's not four a.m. this - wait, are you hurt?"

Matt winced at the way Foggy's heartbeat picked up in alarm. "I'm fine."

"So you just felt the need to stick your face in a bag of peas for, what, some Vitamin A?"

Matt sighed. "It's just a black eye, Foggy. Or it will be. It probably won't even be that bad, I'm getting the ice on it so fast."

"And where else are you hurt?" Foggy asked.

Matt shrugged. "Just a few bruises, maybe. Nothing broken, including skin."

"Let me see."

"I'm fine - "

"Matthew."

Oh. Foggy was really upset, then. Matt put the peas down on the counter, tugged off his gloves, and pulled off the top of his costume. It barely hurt to raise his arms, which meant that he was basically totally healthy, but somehow he felt that saying that wouldn't go over well with Foggy.

An Ever-Fixed Mark (Bertie/Jeeves | NC17 | 21,086 words): When Jeeves returns home in order to visit his mother on her deathbed, it prompts him to reexamine his relationship with Bertie. I love this. It's so sweet, with such a wonderful Jeeves. We get to see the journey he took to entering Bertie's service, and we get to see Bertie through his eyes.

Excerpt:
"I'm not doing that to you. You can't possibly think I'd be that much of a bastard, Reggie, to keep you here for some dashed fancy dress party with this going on."

I pulled him to me, shaking my head. "No, sir," I whispered, still struggling futilely for control of myself and my emotions. "No, I've never thought you were at all like that. I just assumed that my duty to you took precedence, and--"

He kissed me then, carefully and with deliberation. "Even if we didn't have this... this whatsit we have between us, I would never have kept you here for that. It just wouldn't be right." He rose, extricating himself from my embrace, and offered me a hand to assist me to my feet. "Dash it," he said, "you don't look like you're in any shape to deal with this at all. I'll drive. I wouldn't want you to be hurt trying to get out there. Wherever 'there' is, I mean."

I stared at him for a moment, stunned by his offer. "Sir, that would be entirely improper. You're my employer and if you were to arrive with me--"

He glared at me. "I don't care. They don't even have to know I'm there. I can biff off to some inn down the road or something and leave you to be with your family. It's all right, Reggie." Did he really care for me that much? It didn't seem possible. Certainly no one else ever had. But Mr. Wooster was exceptionally kind-hearted and I was sure this was just an act of friendship on his part. It must have been, for it could not be anything deeper. The alternative was quite unthinkable; he was a gentleman and I was a valet and, despite the fact that we occasionally shared a bed, there had been -- there could be -- no deeper emotion involved.

Catching Winter (Justice League ensemble, Guardians ensemble | G | 20,623 words): An amnesiac Jack is found by the Justice League. This is an incredibly fun adventure, with both the Guardians and the Justice league reacting to each other. There are some SPaG issues that I found distracting in the beginning of the fic, but soon I was enjoying the fast-paced action enough that I was completely caught up in what was going on.

Excerpt:
The Guardians froze as they felt the belief magic kick in and were now perfectly visible to the Justice League.

Sandy gulp and gave shaky wave as Aster glared at North. "What was that about them not seein' us?!"

North paled. "Whoops."

Batman stepped forward glaring at the intruders, "Who are you? How did you get in here? What do you want?"

Aster raised his paws,fervently praying they'd be able to get out of this without a fight, "Easy there fella..."

North took a step forward, cutting Aster off, "We are here for Jack."

Sandy stood back as North tried to speak with Justice League his eyes fixed on Jack who stood at the back of the large room staring at all of them in confusion. Then he spotted movement in the shadows behind Jack. Narrowing his eyes Sandy peered closer until he saw a shape within the shadows. A small nightmare, its glowing eyes focused on Jack. His sand whips formed before he had time to think.

"You're not taking Jack anywhere!" Shayera yelled suddenly. She charged straight forward.

The Only on the Holidays Affair (Napoleon/Illya | NC17 | 30,144 words): Napoleon and Illya, over three Christmases. It's a surprisingly gentle exploration of Napoleon and Illya's relationship and what they mean to each other without forgetting some of the harsher realities of the lives they lead.

Excerpt:
"I won't pretend that I don't know what you're talking about," Napoleon said after a moment's consideration. His comment snapped the averted gaze up to his face. Illya was listening to him again. "You, ah...have a very formidable reserve. I think that your...dignity and... formality make it hard for people to feel close to you..." He stumbled, not quite knowing where this was leading.

"So my first two partners complained. Walking computer was, I believe, their kindest description," Illya startled him by admitting. "Is this your way of saying that you'd like a new pairing? I realize that this past year hasn't been easy on you."

Shocked by how thoroughly he'd been misunderstood, Napoleon shook his head. "No, I don't want a new partner. And this past year has been fine. You haven't heard me complain, have you?"

"No..." Illya hesitantly answered.

"And you won't. You're the finest partner I've ever had, Illya. This past year has shown me that no matter what goes down, you'll be there to back me up. In my own clumsy way, that's what I'm attempting to do for you right now." Napoleon flashed a nervous smile.

Fortunate Voyager (Scott Summers, Logan, Kitty Pryde, Bobby Drake, Enterprise ensemble | PG13 | 21,692 words): Scott, Logan, Kitty, and Bobby somehow get transported to Captain Archer's Enterprise. The best part of crossovers is, I think, getting to see a whole slew of interactions between characters who'd never meet in canon. And this is full of chances to see how different characters connect and how they react to totally new situations. Plus, it's got action and adventure.

Excerpt:
Scott was frustrated he couldn't do anything to help repair the ship, but one look at the innards of a bulkhead and he knew he was out of his league. He gravitated to sickbay, where he found, to his pleasure, that he could understand some of what went on there.

"Medical technology has evolved," Phlox said as he showed Scott how to use a dermal regenerator, "but the basic principles remain the same. You'll do fine."

Logan was off guarding the prisoners and trading war stories, and Hoshi had taken the kids off to wind down. But Scott couldn't quite relax, so he scanned and set bones and cleaned wounds. Finally, the last patient was healed and either sent to their quarters or bedded down in sickbay. Phlox cleaned his hands, looking pleased, and Scott leaned against a wall, yawning.

"My fiancée was a doctor," he said, staring at the opposite wall with its hypnotic display of twisting and twining DNA strands.

"Oh?"

"She was brilliant, she was learning all about mutations, but she was always ready to stop and put a bandage on one of the kids." His face felt like it was on fire and when he looked over, Phlox was waiting. "Jean would have loved to talk to you about medicine, see your equipment."

Phlox smiled.

Why did he feel the need to talk about her now? Since her death, he'd barely said her name, but there was something freeing about this place where only his three teammates knew her, and the locals didn't feel any guilt over her death.

"I miss Jean so much," he said quietly.

Phlox nodded. "If one of my wives died, I would be saddened. As it is, being without them is the hardest thing about being on the Enterprise."

The Wisdom to Know the Difference (Peter Parker, Hank McCoy, Matt Murdock, Scott Summers | PG13 | 30,308 words | sequel to Office Hours): Hank goes through some changes, and Peter's determined to do something to help him. Seeing these chracters hang out and talk is wonderful, partly because it's not the type of thing that makes for a good movie and therefore isn't shown. But it makes sense for these guys to be friends with each other, and it's enjoyable to read. There were a couple bits that had me cringing in embarrassment for Peter, but those were short and ended while I was anticipating my embarrassment squick getting hit rather than it actually getting hit. And there were so many more times where I found myself laughing out loud.

Excerpt:
Peter gave him a head start before following, but even with a throbbing ribcage and aching shoulder slowing him down, he still beat Daredevil to the rooftop. There were some wooden crates and a couple of plastic, five-gallon buckets strewn around, and after making sure there was nothing too gross in it, Peter toed one of the buckets upside down and lowered himself onto it. Daredevil stood, arms folded.

For a moment, Peter just sat there and looked at his lap, listening to the sounds of the city. People shouting, cars driving by, an ambulance, somebody's stereo playing hip-hop at top volume... He looked up when Daredevil snorted softly.

"So. The Daily Bugle's headline tomorrow: Spider-Man Goes Apeshit!" Daredevil gave him a crooked smile. "What do you think?"

Peter snickered. "More like, 'As J. Jonah Jameson Predicted, Masked Menace Spider-Man Goes Apeshit, Makes Mayhem With Buddy Daredevil. Those Bastards.'"

"Hey, I object to that."

"What, about the bastard part? Or being called 'buddy'?" Peter asked. "Jameson thinks we're all in cahoots. I mean, I guess he does," Peter amended hastily, giving himself a mental kick. He was never that careless about his real identity.

Daredevil shrugged and sank down to crouch in front of Peter. "Just the bastards. The other's a little presumptuous, but I don't mind. Much."

More like a lot presumptuous, Peter thought, seeing as they'd only met a month or so ago and had spoken, like, twice. Still, he felt an undeniable sense of kinship with the guy, kind of like he did with Hank. It was pretty cool, knowing he wasn't the only costumed freak in town.

Juppon Buki (Tenten | PG | 22,014 words): Ten stories about Tenten and her life, all connected through her weapons. This is a fantastic look at Tenten, a character who's got as much characterization as a cardboard box in canon. But this fleshes her out into a whole person, one with enough sense and compassion and fight to handle her teammates as well as being a ninja. The secondary characters in this -- Lee, Neji, and Gai especially -- all shine as well. The end result is a beautiful story about achieving what life has to offer.

Excerpt:
Apparently, our antics had so highly impressed the family members that they were all calling our contactor to tell him that. Needless to say, we had a nice tip waiting for us when we got home and a free dinner on Gai-sensei.

But the best surprise was having Neji come out with us.

The hospital had just cleared him and now he was trying to make a show of being okay. We didn't ask him how he was, because Neji would have hated that, so instead we related our misadventures as couriers over the course of our meal. Gai-sensei laughed openly and was quite impressed when he saw the nunchakus hanging at Lee's side. Neji was quiet for the most part, but that was normal for him and to expected after his long period of recovery.

Until Lee began demonstrating with the nunchaku and hit himself on the head again.

Neji smirked. Lee got mad. Then promptly challenged him to a duel. Gai-sensei laughed, I worried a bit about Neji's injuries, but didn't say anything out loud, settling for complaining that it would ruin dinner instead. Neji, of course, accepted and we had to move things outside.

As we made ready to leave the restaurant, Lee tapped my shoulder and winked. "I think I see what you mean about him," he said, before skipping outside to prepare for the fight.

I had to smile at that. Lee had picked up on the fact that Neji was still not over his near-death experience, and that he needed things to be back to normal.

So what better way for Lee to help than to challenge him to a fight like he always did?