(Not-So-)Happy Fandoms: Rec List of 50 Fics for 25 HC Bingo Prompts

[meatball42]

Making this list has made me truly appreciative of the breadth and coverage of my fandoms. While many of these are Torchwood- and I was extremely surprised to find how many Torchwood fics I knew of that could fill in this list- I rediscovered fics in multiple fandoms that I'd totally forgotten. In addition, I have remembered how blessed I am in fandom, because I still have dozens more fics that could have fit some o these categories, and far more that wouldn't. *hugs internet massively*

I’m aware that I’m interpreting some of these prompts loosely, and also the way I read the prompt in the fic might not be apparent to another reader, so if there are any questions, please please ask, I’d be so happy to babble on about how I’ve read these stories.

Lastly, LJ seems to enjoy deleting my links, of which there are over 75. (*swears and breaks things*) If this happens again, please inform me and I'll *deep breath* redo them all. Again.

Link to my card on hc_bingo.


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1. Insomnia
There's More Than One Kind of Insomnia, by Meatball42. Torchwood. Don't know if I'm allowed to self-pimp, but I really do adore this fic and probs would have recced it even if it weren't mine. It's a bit ooc, but in my defense, I was younger then, and it has adorable!Ianto and a nice, somewhat-normal version of Jack I don't get to write very often. I also love it for the sequel I haven't yet completed. If you like this fic, please nudge me about that?
Insomnia, by TheSingingGirl. Sherlock. A nice analysis of something that was legit bothering me on the show, and sweet besides.

2. Abandonment issues
The Importance of Being Human in Cardiff series, by sahiya. Torchwood/Doctor Who. Starting when the Doctor half of the DoctorDonna is dropped off in Cardiff, this fic is as much about the potential for and fear of being alone, as exhibited by several characters. For people (like me) who love both questionably!requited!love angst and angsty sacrifice/communication issues in their established threesomes, this whole series is perfect.
Atrrition, by lazuli_kat. Torchwood. I have another rec by this author below under Loss of identity, where I go on for quite a while about how amazing s/he is, but I like this one even more. One of my favorite stories ever. Wicked long, and perfect for every second. I read this before finals, even though I got zero sleep as a result.

3. Surprise sexswap
Different Strokes, b xtricks and 51stcenturyfox. Torchwood. Very, very sexy f/f Janto fic. Like damn. I mean, it's also well written. But smut.
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder, by McParrot. Torchwood. Incomplete, but rockin’. A more relaxed sort of Ianto, very light-hearted piece despite some angst, and quite hilarious. Lots of swearing :) This fic is also on 's lj, but I find the ff.net version easier to read, although you miss out on the picture of Ianto's dress at the end.

4. Phobias
The Education of Ianto Jones, by verasteine. Torchwood. Not phobia in the sense of a person being afraid of something, though I suppose that could be applied to Ianto, but in the broader, social sense. Read the warnings, but if you’re cool with it, this fic is one of those that makes you stop and think afterwards.
Paraskavedekatriaphobia, by g0shawk. Psych. I’ve been known to forget about this fic for a few months, then find it again and shout “Paraskavedekatriaphobia!” in glee. Shassie, silly and sweet with a surprise jolt of angst like something hitting you in the chest out of nowhere. Friday the thirteen on Valentine’s day, like sheyeah.

5. Electrocution
This Might Break Me Back Into Shape, by nothing-rhymes-with-ianto. Torchwood. Dark!fic, Jack’s flashbacks and his questionably psychologically sound way of dealing. Scary.
On the Use of Negative Reinforcement in the Training of Canines, by phaetonschariot. Torchwood. Jack tries to puppy-train Ianto, with questionable success. Funny, in-character and hot; basically fluff kink.

6. Restrained
The Secretary, by Hope. Torchwood. Ianto takes advantage of Jack’s fetish for office supplies to supply us with a very sexy secretary fic.
A Day in the Life, Behind Blue Eyes nd Halfway Out of the Dark, by kausingkayn. Torchwood. Ianto as a fucking scary OCD serial killer, who’s very much in love with Jack. Chills you to the bone, not kidding at all.

7. Sacrifice
The Deal Series, by yamx. Doctor Who. Fantastic Jack/Nine series based on the premise that the Doctor's Time Lordiness makes him really really need fidelity from his mate. The series goes from fluffy to sexy to angsty and makes you want to shout at the characters at some points, it's very fantastic.
Jeeves and the Scandal, by triedunture. Jeeves and Wooster. I want to hug this fic to death and scream ‘They love each other!!!’ to the world dramatically. Instead, I shall rec it as a very fine piece of writing that manages to be both restrained and desperate, loving and vicious.

8. Lost childhood
Never This, by ClaudiaRain. Leverage. Parker. Isn’t that enough? Slash I don’t know if this falls under Lost childhood or sucky life, but both apply, so.
Sixty Minutes An Hour, by .soera Torchwood. Adorable fic that I love very much from a fantastic writer whose fics I read like Torchwood gospel.

9. Septicemia/Infected wounds
Tangled, by Wyndhamfan. CSI: New York. Danny!whump in season 1, hell yeah :)
Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?, by rabidchild67. White Collar. Required pimp for one of my favorite WC authors. This fic is more about Mozzie than the guy who’s sick, but it’s an unusual angle on a usual take of his character, if that makes any sense.

10. Theft
Ecstasy, by loveslashangst. Torchwood. This fic, and its (whydon’tyoujustkillmenow) unfinished sequel comprise one of my favorite series ever. These are not exactly the characters you know from the show, because they’ve had certain characteristics emphasized and others downplayed, but they are by no means perfect. I fall in love with each one several times over for their loving, screwed-up interactions. Not to mention it’s like my fav ship ever :D
One Weird, One Warped, by tajjas. Leverage. Kid!Hardison, Young!Eliot. Adorbs yet also bad-ass awesome.

11. Parting Ways
Dance Me To the End of Love, by Otrame. Torchwood. I rarely read this fic because I know that I will cry no matter how I try to avoid it, but it's completely beautiful. I love it as much as I hate it.
Alone On the Water, by MadLori. Sherlock. This fic is far, far too realistic. It’s exactly as it would happen, if it were to happen, and thank God this wouldn’t get the BBC any money so it won’t. Tissue warning.

12. Nightmares
Dream spaces and nightmare times, by mama rocks. Torchwood. A bit out of character, but at the same time extremely in character. Like, story truth versus true truth, for anyone who's read Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. If you haven't, I'll try to avoid sounding like a book nerd by saying that thing fic manages to touch the deepest parts of the characters and be sod sad, while at the same time being hopeful and fluffy. I don't even know how.
Black Knight Castled King, by Sunbird Riding Shotgun. Leverage. This whole series is deeply fantastic, but the fic-chapter arc at which the link begins is based off my fic, Nightmares (which is also sweet, but I figured one self-pimp in a fic rec is enough) and is a dark-past!Eliot story with group support. Awww.

13. WILD CARD- Job-related trauma
To the Sticking Place, by Zephyras. Torchwood. Extremely fantastic, dark, emotional, tense, not-magic!fic-but-it-worked-magic-on-me AU with a Ianto who’s very different from canon, yet just as able to make me adore him. Interesting POV on the team, and a very unusual perspective on Torchwood canon.
Belonging, by never_more_fics. Torchwood/Doctor Who. Just after Journey's End, the Tenth Doctor has burnt out, and he arrives to Cardiff for some much-needed R&R. A fic about healing and support and love and trust, and not as emo as I'm making it sound. Written in diary form by Jack and Ianto.

14. Sex pollen
Golden, by Hope. Merlin. While desperately searching for Gwaine/Gwen fics (somebody please, I'm desperate) I found this and damn. It made me want this ship even more. (please please please write me some)
Jack and Ianto Go Green, by frakkin_addict. Torchwood. There’s no sex pollen, literally, but there is sex, and there’s pollen, and there's a sex bunny, so I think it counts. :D

15. Panic attacks
Not by Half, by cat_77. Merlin. This fic has actual psychology behind it, and that makes it damn good. Even more than that, it’s extremely (almost too) convincing and in-character.
It's a Dangerous Business, Going Out Your Door, by SlantedKnitting. Merlin. A tiny bit ooc, but I do love Arthur!whump and I could feel my own chest getting tight as I read this.

16. Lacerations/Knife Wounds
Hot Flames and Sharp Object, by kahtyasofia. Torchwood. I didn’t think I liked my kink this kinky, before I read this. Make sure you check the warnings, but this fic shows such lovely relationship dynamics and is totally hot on top of it, no pun intended.
The DL, by Faye Dartmouth. Royal Pains. To explain why this fic rocks, I shall quote it: ‘Safe sex lecture: much later. The risks of underage drinking: as soon as he could fit it in. Look at the bleeding hemophiliac: now.’ Hank has to take care of Tucker and Libby, and it's even better than tit is on he show.

17. Group Support
Life As We Knew It, by kendermouse. Torchwood. How the Torchwood team becomes more like a family. I want to hug this story so tight for its warmth, its kind treatment of all my characters, for the ways it handles angst- by applying fluff- and because it manages to give all the ships happy and fluffy yet also convincing resolutions. Read when you want just an accentuation of bitter mixed in with a hella lotta sweet :)
A Last Family Christmas, by Emerald1. NCIS. McGee!angst and then the most heartwarmingest ficness ever. You’re welcome.

18. Sensory Deprivation
Listen, Learn, by anonymous on Kink Me Merlin Anonymous. Merlin. Uni AU in which Merlin is blind and Arthur is a sweetheart.
Mercy, by ncc1701a. Doctor Who. Psychological and complex and I swear my heart is aching right now just from remembering.

19. Imprisonment
Never Did Run Smooth series, by frakkin_addict. Torchwood. Dark and angst and shippy and lovely and such a difficult mix, so very well done. I’m not summing this up nearly well enough, but if you love bittersweet, wobbling on the precipice of trust, this is the fic for you.
Unconditional Positive Regard, by epithetta. Torchwood. Read it and love me forever.

20. Unwanted Transformation
Pride, by BatNeko. Psych. Something is extremely wrong with Lassiter. Surprisingly in-character and very entertaining.
But the Kisses have Changed, by blackhemlock. Torchwood. You read the first part and think it's going to be just another nice Janto relationship moan fic, but then the second part happens and it sucks you in and you can feel your own stomach twisting and then it ends with a burn. And then you go back and read the first part again and it's even worse. *tugs at hair* (I just went back and reread this, can you tell?)

21. Loss of identity
The Easiest Thing, by latenightchai. Merlin. OMG this fic. Angsty, heartbreaking, gorgeous. Epic Merlin!whump. Tears at your heart so bad.
Hourglass, by lazuli_kat. Torchwood. OMFG. Don’t read this unless you have a few free days and an entire grocery store’s worth of tissues at your disposal. This is one of the most heartbreaking fics you will ever read. I don’t like to use generalities like that too much, but if I’m proven wrong on this it won’t matter, because after reading a story sadder than this I’ll be dead anyway. Every one of this author’s very few stories are the most beautifully crafted fanfics I’ve ever read, and this is how she does angst. It’s like a truckfull of C4 set off in your heart. You’ve been warned/recced.

22. Difficult pregnancy
Expectations, by Keara. Torchwood. Unfinished just yet, but still updating. This fic’s got it all: whump, fluff, ship, family, medical stuff, evil Torchwood, kidnapping, porn. It’s really fantastic :)
World Enough and Time, by edibleflowers. Doctor Who/Torchwood. Janto in Pete’s world, with a different but still lovely Ianto.

23. Magic trouble
Mageverse, by gracie_musica. Torchwood/Doctor Who. The first fic in the series is one of the most emotionally fulfilling fics I know of, and I haven't read the sequel in a while, but from what I remember, it's much the same. This verse has a playful yet serious plot, a gorgeous backstory and universe, makes use of all my most beloved characters in wonderful ways, and manages to treat two conflicting ships with dignity. Not to mention the magic. That rocks too.
Remarkable, by snowwhiteliar. Torchwood. Wonderful fairy tale AU with loveable characters and loveable plot and loveable shippy and just wonderfullness. You’ll love it.

24. Cuddling for Warmth
Practical Solutions, by themillersson. Glee. I WISH THIS WERE CANON. That is all.
Freezing Hot, by Blackbird Song. White Collar. I can almost believe this is canon and just missing, the author got the voices down so well. Not to menion Diana would totally kick in her sleep.

25. Depression
An Empty Surprise series, bybutterflycell . Torchwood. This three-shot begins with the end of Jack and Ianto's relationship, and is one of the more beautiful break-up fics I've read. The emptiness and confusion on Ianto's side and the desperation and stifled anger on Jack's, are both distant and vivid, giving the whole fic a strange gossamer sadness. Very lovely, although the font color is a bit annoying and I'd recommend reading it in your own journal's style.
The Disintigration Universe, by wendymr. Doctor Who. A very angsty yet intriguing AU about Rose and how she could have reacted after The Age of Steel.