Top Ten 'Five Things' Fics
“Five Things” fic is one of my favourite formats for several reasons. One, because it’s versatile; two, because it produces some amazing, really focused fic; three, because I love it when you get to the ‘and one time the opposite’ part at the end, where the build-up of the previous parts pays off.
It’s been used in loads of fandoms for different challenges, and has become a fandom staple. So here are my top ten ‘five things’ fics.
1. Star Trek XI, Het and Slash, Kirk/Spock Kirk/OFC, Kirk/McCoy, Kirk/Gaila, Kirk/Ridiculousness, Spock/Frustration. Five Times James T. Kirk Didn't Get Married (And One Time He Did) by raphaela667. Summary: Alternately titled: five times James T Kirk tried to solve a problem by having sex with it, and the horrible aftermath of the one time it worked.
This fic is just so Jim - it really captures the way his messed-up sense of right and wrong, and of relationships, would work in this new universe. As well, it gives us completely believable scenarios for why a commitmentphobe like James T. Kirk would try to get married. Well written and moving.
2. Superman Returns, Gen 5 People Who Touched Jimmy's Camera by Bluebells. Extract: The camera had cost him almost eight months worth of his salary and he'd buy the entire bull pen lunch before admitting he nearly took the damn thing to bed in his joy.
I always enjoy fics from an unusual POV, and this gives a little insight into how Jimmy Olsen fits into the Superman universe.
3. Supernatural, Het, Dean/OFC Five Women Who Chose Sam over Dean by Meyerlemon. Summary: Sam meets the girl of his dreams in an aquarium-supply shop in Oakland, California.
This made my heart ache, but in a good way - thinking about everything Dean’s lost over the years, to see him rejected again in favour of Sam just highlights how much he’s given up for his family in the first place.
4. Star Trek XI, Gen, Kirk/McCoy background Five times Pike treated Kirk like a son, and one time Kirk treated Pike like a father, for st_xi_kink. Extract: Pike just thinks that all he wants is the best for Jim.
I’m a real sucker for stories about family ties, and this fic made me love Captain Pike even more than I had watching the movie. This is now my own personal canon.
5. Die Hard 4.0, Slash, John/Matt And then along came John (or, Five Times McClane Saved Daisy Duke) by megyal. Extract: "Oh, hi there," was the very first thing Matt said when John dragged him out, coughing and sputtering, out of the ruins of the fourth floor of the J. Edgar Hoover building.
Not only does this fic not make Matt look like an incompetent weakling, but it makes him awesome and McClane even more kick-ass. There’s a real progression between sections.
6. Merlin, Slash and Het, Merlin/Arthur, Arthur/OMC, Arthur/OFC Four Times Merlin Cock-Blocked Arthur, and One Time He Didn't, by oxoniensis. Extract: He doesn't mean to the first time. Truly. It was an honest mistake.
Merlin’s confusion and incomprehension throughout this story are perfectly pitched to carry his canon incompetence as a manservant through into a more sexual manner. Plus Arthur’s horrified reactions are just hilarious.
7. Leverage, Slash, Eliot/Hardison The Way to a Man's Heart (or: Five times Eliot Spencer cooked for Alec Hardison) by merle_p. Summary: Eliot cooks. Alec likes it.
I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy reading Leverage fic; then I read this. Merle really gets the boys right here, something that can be difficult to do, and the seduction scene is just sexy as all hell. Well worth a read.
8. Bones, Het, Booth/Brennan Four Things She Can't Remember (And One She Can) by nudaydreamer. Extract: She knows this is supposed to be a Big Deal.
Bones is one of those fandoms where I adore the sexual tension between the lead characters but wasn’t sure I’d actually enjoy reading something where they got together, because I suspected it would be difficult to write believably. I’m very happy to admit it when I’m wrong.
9. Supernatural, Gen Five Powers Dean Doesn't Have by clex_monkie89. Extract: This though, this was a new kind of weird.
An odd little fic that took me a couple of minutes to get into, but by the end I was really enjoying getting into each new Dean mindset as the situation changed.
10. NCIS, Slash, DiNozzo/McGee Four Ways They’re Found Out (and one they aren’t) by Shetiger. Extract: Tim is wearing his shirt today.
I came to DiNozzo/McGee shipping fairly late on in my NCIS-bingeing, but rapidly realised how much I love it. And this is a great example of the pairing - really capturing the sort of fun dynamic between the two characters in the show and then translating that into a relationship.
I hope you enjoy these fics as much as I have. There are more 'five things' fics linked on my delicious, as well as a whole bunch of other recs. Do you have any favourite 'five things' fics to rec me?
It’s been used in loads of fandoms for different challenges, and has become a fandom staple. So here are my top ten ‘five things’ fics.
1. Star Trek XI, Het and Slash, Kirk/Spock Kirk/OFC, Kirk/McCoy, Kirk/Gaila, Kirk/Ridiculousness, Spock/Frustration. Five Times James T. Kirk Didn't Get Married (And One Time He Did) by raphaela667. Summary: Alternately titled: five times James T Kirk tried to solve a problem by having sex with it, and the horrible aftermath of the one time it worked.
This fic is just so Jim - it really captures the way his messed-up sense of right and wrong, and of relationships, would work in this new universe. As well, it gives us completely believable scenarios for why a commitmentphobe like James T. Kirk would try to get married. Well written and moving.
2. Superman Returns, Gen 5 People Who Touched Jimmy's Camera by Bluebells. Extract: The camera had cost him almost eight months worth of his salary and he'd buy the entire bull pen lunch before admitting he nearly took the damn thing to bed in his joy.
I always enjoy fics from an unusual POV, and this gives a little insight into how Jimmy Olsen fits into the Superman universe.
3. Supernatural, Het, Dean/OFC Five Women Who Chose Sam over Dean by Meyerlemon. Summary: Sam meets the girl of his dreams in an aquarium-supply shop in Oakland, California.
This made my heart ache, but in a good way - thinking about everything Dean’s lost over the years, to see him rejected again in favour of Sam just highlights how much he’s given up for his family in the first place.
4. Star Trek XI, Gen, Kirk/McCoy background Five times Pike treated Kirk like a son, and one time Kirk treated Pike like a father, for st_xi_kink. Extract: Pike just thinks that all he wants is the best for Jim.
I’m a real sucker for stories about family ties, and this fic made me love Captain Pike even more than I had watching the movie. This is now my own personal canon.
5. Die Hard 4.0, Slash, John/Matt And then along came John (or, Five Times McClane Saved Daisy Duke) by megyal. Extract: "Oh, hi there," was the very first thing Matt said when John dragged him out, coughing and sputtering, out of the ruins of the fourth floor of the J. Edgar Hoover building.
Not only does this fic not make Matt look like an incompetent weakling, but it makes him awesome and McClane even more kick-ass. There’s a real progression between sections.
6. Merlin, Slash and Het, Merlin/Arthur, Arthur/OMC, Arthur/OFC Four Times Merlin Cock-Blocked Arthur, and One Time He Didn't, by oxoniensis. Extract: He doesn't mean to the first time. Truly. It was an honest mistake.
Merlin’s confusion and incomprehension throughout this story are perfectly pitched to carry his canon incompetence as a manservant through into a more sexual manner. Plus Arthur’s horrified reactions are just hilarious.
7. Leverage, Slash, Eliot/Hardison The Way to a Man's Heart (or: Five times Eliot Spencer cooked for Alec Hardison) by merle_p. Summary: Eliot cooks. Alec likes it.
I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy reading Leverage fic; then I read this. Merle really gets the boys right here, something that can be difficult to do, and the seduction scene is just sexy as all hell. Well worth a read.
8. Bones, Het, Booth/Brennan Four Things She Can't Remember (And One She Can) by nudaydreamer. Extract: She knows this is supposed to be a Big Deal.
Bones is one of those fandoms where I adore the sexual tension between the lead characters but wasn’t sure I’d actually enjoy reading something where they got together, because I suspected it would be difficult to write believably. I’m very happy to admit it when I’m wrong.
9. Supernatural, Gen Five Powers Dean Doesn't Have by clex_monkie89. Extract: This though, this was a new kind of weird.
An odd little fic that took me a couple of minutes to get into, but by the end I was really enjoying getting into each new Dean mindset as the situation changed.
10. NCIS, Slash, DiNozzo/McGee Four Ways They’re Found Out (and one they aren’t) by Shetiger. Extract: Tim is wearing his shirt today.
I came to DiNozzo/McGee shipping fairly late on in my NCIS-bingeing, but rapidly realised how much I love it. And this is a great example of the pairing - really capturing the sort of fun dynamic between the two characters in the show and then translating that into a relationship.
I hope you enjoy these fics as much as I have. There are more 'five things' fics linked on my delicious, as well as a whole bunch of other recs. Do you have any favourite 'five things' fics to rec me?