Charles/Erik recs
This is the kind of Big Bang edition of my recs as, while it does mostly contain Big Bang fics, a few others sneaked in there.
Anyway, in summary, READ THEM :).
. How to Be Co-Ruler of Your Own Country Without Really Trying series by luchia: while the first story does contain my serious BAMF!Charles, it's the sequel that really invested me in this series. So technically I came for the original and stayed for the sequel, I guess you could say. Basically, in the sequel, there is a ton of BAMF!mutant!husbands! with fantastic use of supporting characters. As you can probably tell by my recs now, I love stories involving Genosha and this one takes an interesting twist on how Charles and Erik become co-rulers.
. Surrender doesn't have to mean defeat by deacertes: good authors can make me believe in Dom!Charles/Sub!Erik or Sub!Charles/Dom!Erik. It's all in the content of the story. This story has the former premise and I must say I enjoyed this dominant Charles with the way he doesn't try to push Erik given his past with Shaw (Shaw was Erik's first dominant). That said, one of my favourite scenes is where Erik pushes Charles too far and he's like "fuck you - fine, have the punishment you want!" Also, there is some great use of Ancient Egyptian architecture - how often do you get to see that in XMFC fic? ;) Even though it's almost 30K, I wish there was more - which is always a sign of a good story. Oh, and the art is absolutely gorgeous.
. The Attempt by Yahtzee: this is fascinating story that involves Charles as a straight man initiating a romantic relationship with Erik because he finds himself falling in love, not lust. I love the descriptions of Erik's feelings for Charles. There is also another dimension added in that Erik doesn't completely allow Charles inside his mind - which is unusual for a Charles/Erik story. The ending is a little bittersweet, but it's certainly worth a read.
. The ice is getting thin by kontrapunkto: this is an mpreg!Erik story where he finds himself pregnant post-Beach and needs the medical assistance at the mansion. I particularly loved the division between 'Erik' and 'Magneto' - the scenes where Erik finally appears and comforts Charles were very lovely. I don't want to reveal too much, but I think it was brave for the author to end the story the way she did. It did make me uncomfortable with Erik's character and his human prejudice, while at the same time acknowledging that Charles is the king of forgiveness.
. The Prodigal Son by Madd4the24: this is another mpreg!Erik which, after I'd read it, had managed to rip my heart out and jump up and down on it. I love that this story explores the inherent medical risks of a male being pregnant. Pregnancy doesn't automatically fix the problems between Charles and Erik - and I just feel it's so tragic for them in the end, despite the fact they come to some medium where they divide their lives into two separate categories - 'the war' and 'family'.
. The Tower and the Hurricane by dreamlittleyo: this is a really fabulous what-if story where Charles' worst nightmare happens: the war between humans and mutants. I loved how Charles was so lost when he realised everything he'd been teaching the students about peace and cooperation was useless in this new world. The imagery in this story, particularly that of the city, is wonderful and I got lost several times in the narrative. I love this story so much that I wish I could just delete it from my mind and read it afresh. The art is amazing ( check it out) - it's difficult to pick favourites when they are all so good.
. These Bridges We've Built by alishatorn: this story honestly contains some of the best action sequences I've read in this fandom. It keeps a fantastic pace. The concept is wonderful, too, involving a little Nightcrawler being given into Charles' care. The use of supporting characters and their abilities is masterful. And it has a happy ending!
Anyway, in summary, READ THEM :).
. How to Be Co-Ruler of Your Own Country Without Really Trying series by luchia: while the first story does contain my serious BAMF!Charles, it's the sequel that really invested me in this series. So technically I came for the original and stayed for the sequel, I guess you could say. Basically, in the sequel, there is a ton of BAMF!mutant!husbands! with fantastic use of supporting characters. As you can probably tell by my recs now, I love stories involving Genosha and this one takes an interesting twist on how Charles and Erik become co-rulers.
. Surrender doesn't have to mean defeat by deacertes: good authors can make me believe in Dom!Charles/Sub!Erik or Sub!Charles/Dom!Erik. It's all in the content of the story. This story has the former premise and I must say I enjoyed this dominant Charles with the way he doesn't try to push Erik given his past with Shaw (Shaw was Erik's first dominant). That said, one of my favourite scenes is where Erik pushes Charles too far and he's like "fuck you - fine, have the punishment you want!" Also, there is some great use of Ancient Egyptian architecture - how often do you get to see that in XMFC fic? ;) Even though it's almost 30K, I wish there was more - which is always a sign of a good story. Oh, and the art is absolutely gorgeous.
. The Attempt by Yahtzee: this is fascinating story that involves Charles as a straight man initiating a romantic relationship with Erik because he finds himself falling in love, not lust. I love the descriptions of Erik's feelings for Charles. There is also another dimension added in that Erik doesn't completely allow Charles inside his mind - which is unusual for a Charles/Erik story. The ending is a little bittersweet, but it's certainly worth a read.
. The ice is getting thin by kontrapunkto: this is an mpreg!Erik story where he finds himself pregnant post-Beach and needs the medical assistance at the mansion. I particularly loved the division between 'Erik' and 'Magneto' - the scenes where Erik finally appears and comforts Charles were very lovely. I don't want to reveal too much, but I think it was brave for the author to end the story the way she did. It did make me uncomfortable with Erik's character and his human prejudice, while at the same time acknowledging that Charles is the king of forgiveness.
. The Prodigal Son by Madd4the24: this is another mpreg!Erik which, after I'd read it, had managed to rip my heart out and jump up and down on it. I love that this story explores the inherent medical risks of a male being pregnant. Pregnancy doesn't automatically fix the problems between Charles and Erik - and I just feel it's so tragic for them in the end, despite the fact they come to some medium where they divide their lives into two separate categories - 'the war' and 'family'.
. The Tower and the Hurricane by dreamlittleyo: this is a really fabulous what-if story where Charles' worst nightmare happens: the war between humans and mutants. I loved how Charles was so lost when he realised everything he'd been teaching the students about peace and cooperation was useless in this new world. The imagery in this story, particularly that of the city, is wonderful and I got lost several times in the narrative. I love this story so much that I wish I could just delete it from my mind and read it afresh. The art is amazing ( check it out) - it's difficult to pick favourites when they are all so good.
. These Bridges We've Built by alishatorn: this story honestly contains some of the best action sequences I've read in this fandom. It keeps a fantastic pace. The concept is wonderful, too, involving a little Nightcrawler being given into Charles' care. The use of supporting characters and their abilities is masterful. And it has a happy ending!