Queer as Folk Fanfiction Recommendation List
This is my big permanent rec list I've been working on for a while. These are all old favorites of mine. Some are good, some are bad, some are OHGODSTOPTHEHURTING!terrible, and I would recommend you read all of them.
Most of these are at least a year old, not because there isn't any good fic being written now (hello, xie_xie_xie!) but because I thought it'd be more useful to people. I'll add to the list as I dig up more favorites.
N.B. Ratings are generally mine, and approximate.
ETA: Updated July 2008 with 6 more recs.
Part I: Good Fic (16)
Part II: Bad Fic (10)
Part III: That Delicious Grey Area (11)
PART I: GOOD FIC
sweetestdrainYour Kingbird // April 2004 // 10 Chapters // NC-17 alt link
This is a great AU where Justin had his one night stand with Brian, but didn't keep stalking him. After being kicked out by his parents, Justin becomes a hustler and meets back up with Brian mid-season 3, rather the worse for wear. It's one of my all-time faves, and the only good hustler!Justin fic I know of.
Boys of Melody // November 2004 // 5000 Words // R alt link
MAJOR ANGST WARNING. Justin dies. Seriously, don't say I didn't warn you. DO read this fic, but only when you're in the mood to cry like a baby. It's sweet and lovely, and one of the only death fics I like.
Inside Spaces // November 2004 // 2900 Words // NC-17 alt link
Remember that scene in ep. 314, where Brian tells Justin "Some asshole told me if you believe in something strongly enough, you have to be willing to sacrifice everything"? Well this is the hot, incredibly tender sex scene which follows. I love this fic because it makes you feel Brian's absolute terror (both about being suddenly poor and about being in love) while at the same time showing the sweetness of that moment.
VerilyCamp // July 2005 // 10 Chapters // R
This is the most under-rated fic in the fandom. Justin is a 15-year-old virginal summer camp kid. Brian is an oversexed 19-year-old counselor. There is plot, there is love, there is sex in the woods.
ValerieBrian Kinney Saves the Universe // June 2005 // 4600 Words // R alt link
This freakishly hilarious AU has mid-season-5-ish Brian deciding to save the universe . . . by running for US Senator. Justin, baffled but along for the ride, tries to figure out why Brian does what he does. A truly hopeless proposition.
Blissed // November 2003 // 4000 Words // R alt link
Again, Valerie proves that she is the funniest fanfic author in the land. In this post-season 3 adventure, Brian accidentally takes a drug that makes him tell the absolute truth to everyone. He finally tells Justin he loves him, among other things . . .
JuladLove of His Life // May 2004 // 12,600 Words // R
All of Julad's fics are excellent, but this is my favorite. It's also proof that a good author can make any premise work. In this post-314 fic, Brian gets amnesia! Adorableness, hilarity, and eventual triumph ensue.
Busy Week on the Fridge // November 2003 // 1 Page // R
A unique take on "The Grocery Store Challenge." Most of the fics were just stories where Brian and Justin went to the store together. The ridiculously talented Julad took a different approach.
WrenletReaper Boy // November 2003 // 50,000 Words // R
A Dead Like Me crossover NaNoWriMo fic. Angst warning! Justin dies at the Prom and spends his afterlife as a Reaper (it's a Dead Like Me thing). I hate most death fics, but even I love this story. Great Justin characterization, lots of tortured Brian, fascinating original characters, and very well-written. You'll love it, even when it makes you cry. And it will make you cry. :'(
Rei Kinneas All in the Timing // August 2003 // 3800 Words // R alt link
One of the "five things that never happened" fics, this is a great series of tiny AU's. The one in which Justin died at the prom is one of my all-time favorite scenes from any fic, though it makes me cry like a tiny, tiny baby.
Erin Where There's Heat // 14 Chapters // NC-17
I adore this AU. If you happen to like Brian and Justin working together in your fics, this is a good one. Justin, having just graduated college, moves to New York and gets a job at one of the hottest advertising agencies in town. The job interview with CEO Brian Kinney is the best part. It makes me jealous--I've never had an orgasm in a job interview. Also, be sure to catch the epilogue.
Starla A Tragedy in Three Parts // December 2004 // 2600 Words // R
It's a Ted/Justin fic--sort of. We all knew Starla was the best, but who knew that she could make Ted falling in love with Justin both entertaining and poignant?
Subject to Change // December 2004 // 13,600 Words // R
If I could pick one fic to be marooned on a desert island with, this would probably be it. In this AU, Brian did move to New York in Season 1. Justin stayed behind and mourned, until he moved to New York after college to be an artist. When they meet by chance, Justin shocks Brian by telling him he doesn't want to sleep with him. Instead, they become friends. Well written, satisfying, probable, and chock full of delicious sexual tension, this fic has everything you could want. Or at least, that I could want.
Like Incest // April 2005 // 2200 Words // R
One of the few non-B/J fics Starla's written, this is certainly the only one on my rec list! Though, technically Brian and Justin are together in this fic, Brian hardly comes into it at all. The premise is, while Brian is away on an extended business trip, Justin starts to develop a sexual fascination with Michael. Wait . . . wait! Don't run away screaming. The characterization in this fic is amazing, and it's one of the best-written and most convincing stories in the fandom.
Mintwitch Medly // September 2003 // 1300 Words // R
This is the best fic you have to read, like, five times to understand. It's a 308-fic about Justin deciding to get Brian back. Well-written, fluid, and confusing, it's worth it.
Mesa Eleventh Hour // 2900 Words // NC-17
This fic may well belong in the "grey area" section, but I love it too much to put it there. Remember that scene in 309 where Justin leaves when Brian's eleven o'clock shows up? This is a brilliant take on that scene. Justin has a plan.
PART II: BAD FIC
CrazyFairySubdued Sunshine, Glimmering Sunshine, Hazy Sunshine, Raging Sunshine // July 2003-May 2005 // 245,162 Words [INCOMPLETE] // NC-17
The Sunshine Series is one of the most ambitious works in the fandom. The goal: A four-part series, each part with 20 chapters, each chapter approximately 3000 words, updated weekly. Although this fic is rather absurd (the basic premise is that 17-year-old Justin fell into the hands of a sadistic doctor who imprisoned him as a sex slave, and now he has to escape, with Brian's help, and start to re-build his life) the true tragedy is that it wasn't finished. She came so close to her goal! But, only 4 chapters from the end, Crazy Fairy stopped updating two years ago. Woe. But still, this crazy fic will keep you up nights consuming its endless, ridiculous, completely engrossing story.
Save the Last Dance // July 2003 // 18,000 Words // NC-17
What if, instead of putting him in a coma, Hobbs had only succeeded in breaking Justin's arm with that bat? In CF's world, the answer is: Brian and Justin would hole up in Brian's loft for a week and discuss their relationship at length. This fic is improbable and strangely awesome.
ThymeClose to Home // May 2004 // 35,000 Words // NC-17 alt link
One of the classic badfics of all time. Brian is wheelchair-bound after an accident, and Justin moves in to the apartment beneath him. While these new neighbors are falling for each other, they're also . . . wait for it . . . unknowingly internet buddies! Pure gold, people, I'm telling you. There's also a sequel, but it can't quite recapture the magic of the original.
ScoobysnacksSecret Lives // November 2005 // 24 Chapters // NC-17
Justin is a hustler, Brian is a married business man who picks him up one night to ask directions. While overcoming such obstacles as Lindsay (Brian's wife) being a psycho, Justin picking up dangerous tricks, and Emmett (Justin's friend and fellow hustler) having a drug problem, they proceed to fall in sweet, sweet love.
daisyIrishHunk Has Logged On // April 2006 // 31 Chapters // NC-17
Brian is a slobish geek working for Ryder Advertising who is constantly picked on and whose boss steals all his best ideas. Justin is a bright newcomer to the company who helps bring him out of his shell. They are also . . . wait for it . . . unknowingly internet sex buddies! Booyah!
Gina and TeaganDevil's Playground // September 2004 // 19 Chapters // NC-17 alt link
Justin is Amish! This fic contains the most infamous butter churn in the fandom. Justin is a young Amish boy who gets a funny feeling scoping out the farmhands. When he's sent out into the regular world, he has to learn to cope with evil technology, baffling fashion, being gay, and of course, Brian, who is determined to corrupt him in the best way. Why do we all love Amish Justin? No one can say, it's just one of those inexplicable facts of the universe fandom. Bonus: Justin quilts!
MimiSlay the Dragon // 5600 Words // R
The fun begins in this season 2 fic when Justin gets a call in the middle of the night and ends up having to go bail Joan out of jail for drunk driving. Joan takes a shine to Justin and decides he needs to be saved from Brian's wicked ways. Sound good (and trashy)? It only gets better when Jennifer runs into Joan at the loft--smackdown time! Just guess which one is the "dragon."
DannyThe Art of Shopping // October 2003 // 12,000 Words // NC-17 alt link
This is, perhaps, the only fic on this list which I cannot defend liking. Brian takes Justin along to help him pick out furniture to refurbish the loft post-314-"I've lost everything." They spend the trip making innuendo about having sex on every piece of furniture, then fuck in the store's bathroom.
Cabbers's-exclusive bonus! At the bottom of Danny's fic are links to the furniture pieces from the fic. Sadly, these are broken! :(( But, weep no more! Here are the Wayback Machine links (*yay*, but not all have pictures left *boo*):
sofa
chiase
side table
dining table
coffee table
KristenThe Abernathy Trilogy // 64 Chapters // NC-17
Some people might actually argue this one. But take my word for it, this is badfic. Only, it's so boldly bad, so deliciously bad, so intriguingly bad, that it really does almost circle around to good again! The year is 1770. Brian is a landowner-gentry type person who rescues (and purchases) poor abused slaveboy!Justin. Will Justin overcome his shadowy past? Will Brian be hanged for sodomy? Can two 18th-century gay boys ever find a way to make a life together? Adventures, angst, and boddice-ripper-worthy dialog make this story just plain delightful.
DeAnna ZankichDirty Dance // 2700 Words // NC-17
This is one of my favorite season 1 PWP's (Porn Without Plot). Justin gives Brian a lapdance at Babylon in front of Emmett, Michael, and Ted. It's cheesy, absurd, and strangely hot.
PART III: THAT DELICIOUS GREY AREA
VamphileVisible // June 2006 // 18 Chapters // NC-17
Vamphile's style is constantly evolving, but my favorite fics of hers are her slightly crazy, cheesy ones. In Visible, Brian is a former porn star (who de-virginized Justin on-camera in the prequel Superstar) and is now trying to break into mainstream acting. Justin is a set-designer working in L.A. For the first time, they're living together when Brian, in a brilliant meta-premise, is cast in the lead role of Vanished. Though it goes off the rails a bit at the end, this fic has some great moments.
RhiannonHeroForever Changes Everything // September 2004 // 36,000 Words // NC-17
Most of Rhiannon's fic resides in the comfy is-it-good-fic-is-it-badfic? zone. This is a Post-S4 fic that I enjoy a lot. Years after separating in the wake of Season 4, Brian and Justin meet up again in New York and decide to give it another try. They discover it's not so easy to go back to the way they were. One caveat: JUSTIN GETS FAT. Okay, not fat, exactly, but she keeps harping on the fact that he's "not as slender" as he used to be. >:|
Omelet // June 2004 // 30,000 Words // NC-17
A post-314 HIV-scare fic that has some really good moments. Ethan returns to tell Justin he's HIV positive. Justin and Brian spend a few hellish days together thinking that Justin is infected, forcing them to deal with their multifarious relationship issues. Bonus: really good Daphne in this fic.
MorpheusDark Roots // February 2005 // 15 Chapters // NC-17 alt link
Not quite straight-up badfic, Morpheus's stuff is definitely a little disjointed, crazy, and improbable. In this addictive fic, Brian finds out that Jack wasn't his real father. Justin, channeling Sherlock Holmes--or maybe Veronica Mars--decides to investigate and find Brian's biological dad. Morpheus makes it work. (At least for the first 8 or 9 chapters!)
galedreamerBreaking Away // August 2004 // 13 Episodes // R
An entertaining "alternate Season 5." Justin's in California, Brian's at home in Pittsburgh, trying to deal with Lesbian drama and sundry other problems. What makes this grey-area fic particularly worth reading? Three words: messy custody battle! (Also catch the lovely hurt/comfort sequel Not Now, Not Ever and its okay sequel 1-2-3 Magic.)
Lemon BarA Thousand Beautiful Things // April 2006 // 16 Chapters // R alt link
AU Brian is sent to a mental hospital for anger management as part of a court settlement. Justin, a mysterious young patient who never speaks to anyone, is assigned as his roommate. It's sad and touching and will draw you in. This fic is inexplicably awesome. What can I say? The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. (The substantially less enchanting sequel is here.)
Keira The Twelve Years of Christmas // December 2004 // 13 Chapters // NC-17
Keira's 12-part post season 4 fic detailing Brian and Justin's next twelve Christmases. Adventures, angst, joy, family drama, and featuring appearances by Drew/Emmett, teenage Molly, and doctor!Daphne, M.D.
LJ GreyClean // October 2003 // 6500 Words // NC-17
A sweet little season 2 fic that gives Brian's perspective on Justin's short-lived career as a go-go dancer.
QuinnCorrespondence, Memos, Adventures, Scrapbook, Interlude, Changes, Scrapbook 2, Summer, Fall [WIP] // July 2004-Present // 877 Parts [CURRENTLY ONGOING] // R
The goddess of epistolary fiction, Quinn, kept us all sane during the S4-S5 hiatus by starting this series of letters--in image form--sent between Brian and Justin while Justin was in California. The series kind of spiraled out of control from there. Devistatingly original, quirky, fun, and engaging, this would be in my good-fic area except for one thing . . . it's 877 parts long, and still going! Jeebus! After a while, even the best idea gets tired. Still an excellent read, however. (Current updates of Fall at her journal: quinn222.)
JaneDing Dong the Witch is Dead // 7 Parts // NC-17
Jane is one of those hard-to-categorize authors. She hates MPREG and outragously bad fic. In fact, she has written several hilarious parodies on the subject. However, her own copious body of work is not always exactly . . . good. Philosophical problems of categorization aside, however, most of her stuff is definitely worth reading. This fic, in which Brian is forced to deal with his mother's death, only to be drawn futher into his family's secrets, is my favorite. Aside from a few annoying-new-character moments--Brian's red-headed cousin is grating and pointless--this fic is a great mixture of family angst, tortured Brian, and B/J sweetness. Bonus: Justin is psychic!
Ethan Needing You // January 2002 // 4800 Words // NC-17
Ethan is one of the most prolific writers in the fandom, and in his own bailiwick, one of the best. He holds the distinction of being the author that first made me think stream-of-consciousness porn was worth reading! Needing You is an adorable (and hot) season one fic in which Brian realizes maybe he does need Justin for some things.
Most of these are at least a year old, not because there isn't any good fic being written now (hello, xie_xie_xie!) but because I thought it'd be more useful to people. I'll add to the list as I dig up more favorites.
N.B. Ratings are generally mine, and approximate.
ETA: Updated July 2008 with 6 more recs.
Part I: Good Fic (16)
Part II: Bad Fic (10)
Part III: That Delicious Grey Area (11)
PART I: GOOD FIC
sweetestdrainYour Kingbird // April 2004 // 10 Chapters // NC-17 alt link
This is a great AU where Justin had his one night stand with Brian, but didn't keep stalking him. After being kicked out by his parents, Justin becomes a hustler and meets back up with Brian mid-season 3, rather the worse for wear. It's one of my all-time faves, and the only good hustler!Justin fic I know of.
Boys of Melody // November 2004 // 5000 Words // R alt link
MAJOR ANGST WARNING. Justin dies. Seriously, don't say I didn't warn you. DO read this fic, but only when you're in the mood to cry like a baby. It's sweet and lovely, and one of the only death fics I like.
Inside Spaces // November 2004 // 2900 Words // NC-17 alt link
Remember that scene in ep. 314, where Brian tells Justin "Some asshole told me if you believe in something strongly enough, you have to be willing to sacrifice everything"? Well this is the hot, incredibly tender sex scene which follows. I love this fic because it makes you feel Brian's absolute terror (both about being suddenly poor and about being in love) while at the same time showing the sweetness of that moment.
VerilyCamp // July 2005 // 10 Chapters // R
This is the most under-rated fic in the fandom. Justin is a 15-year-old virginal summer camp kid. Brian is an oversexed 19-year-old counselor. There is plot, there is love, there is sex in the woods.
ValerieBrian Kinney Saves the Universe // June 2005 // 4600 Words // R alt link
This freakishly hilarious AU has mid-season-5-ish Brian deciding to save the universe . . . by running for US Senator. Justin, baffled but along for the ride, tries to figure out why Brian does what he does. A truly hopeless proposition.
Blissed // November 2003 // 4000 Words // R alt link
Again, Valerie proves that she is the funniest fanfic author in the land. In this post-season 3 adventure, Brian accidentally takes a drug that makes him tell the absolute truth to everyone. He finally tells Justin he loves him, among other things . . .
JuladLove of His Life // May 2004 // 12,600 Words // R
All of Julad's fics are excellent, but this is my favorite. It's also proof that a good author can make any premise work. In this post-314 fic, Brian gets amnesia! Adorableness, hilarity, and eventual triumph ensue.
Busy Week on the Fridge // November 2003 // 1 Page // R
A unique take on "The Grocery Store Challenge." Most of the fics were just stories where Brian and Justin went to the store together. The ridiculously talented Julad took a different approach.
WrenletReaper Boy // November 2003 // 50,000 Words // R
A Dead Like Me crossover NaNoWriMo fic. Angst warning! Justin dies at the Prom and spends his afterlife as a Reaper (it's a Dead Like Me thing). I hate most death fics, but even I love this story. Great Justin characterization, lots of tortured Brian, fascinating original characters, and very well-written. You'll love it, even when it makes you cry. And it will make you cry. :'(
Rei Kinneas All in the Timing // August 2003 // 3800 Words // R alt link
One of the "five things that never happened" fics, this is a great series of tiny AU's. The one in which Justin died at the prom is one of my all-time favorite scenes from any fic, though it makes me cry like a tiny, tiny baby.
Erin Where There's Heat // 14 Chapters // NC-17
I adore this AU. If you happen to like Brian and Justin working together in your fics, this is a good one. Justin, having just graduated college, moves to New York and gets a job at one of the hottest advertising agencies in town. The job interview with CEO Brian Kinney is the best part. It makes me jealous--I've never had an orgasm in a job interview. Also, be sure to catch the epilogue.
Starla A Tragedy in Three Parts // December 2004 // 2600 Words // R
It's a Ted/Justin fic--sort of. We all knew Starla was the best, but who knew that she could make Ted falling in love with Justin both entertaining and poignant?
Subject to Change // December 2004 // 13,600 Words // R
If I could pick one fic to be marooned on a desert island with, this would probably be it. In this AU, Brian did move to New York in Season 1. Justin stayed behind and mourned, until he moved to New York after college to be an artist. When they meet by chance, Justin shocks Brian by telling him he doesn't want to sleep with him. Instead, they become friends. Well written, satisfying, probable, and chock full of delicious sexual tension, this fic has everything you could want. Or at least, that I could want.
Like Incest // April 2005 // 2200 Words // R
One of the few non-B/J fics Starla's written, this is certainly the only one on my rec list! Though, technically Brian and Justin are together in this fic, Brian hardly comes into it at all. The premise is, while Brian is away on an extended business trip, Justin starts to develop a sexual fascination with Michael. Wait . . . wait! Don't run away screaming. The characterization in this fic is amazing, and it's one of the best-written and most convincing stories in the fandom.
Mintwitch Medly // September 2003 // 1300 Words // R
This is the best fic you have to read, like, five times to understand. It's a 308-fic about Justin deciding to get Brian back. Well-written, fluid, and confusing, it's worth it.
Mesa Eleventh Hour // 2900 Words // NC-17
This fic may well belong in the "grey area" section, but I love it too much to put it there. Remember that scene in 309 where Justin leaves when Brian's eleven o'clock shows up? This is a brilliant take on that scene. Justin has a plan.
PART II: BAD FIC
CrazyFairySubdued Sunshine, Glimmering Sunshine, Hazy Sunshine, Raging Sunshine // July 2003-May 2005 // 245,162 Words [INCOMPLETE] // NC-17
The Sunshine Series is one of the most ambitious works in the fandom. The goal: A four-part series, each part with 20 chapters, each chapter approximately 3000 words, updated weekly. Although this fic is rather absurd (the basic premise is that 17-year-old Justin fell into the hands of a sadistic doctor who imprisoned him as a sex slave, and now he has to escape, with Brian's help, and start to re-build his life) the true tragedy is that it wasn't finished. She came so close to her goal! But, only 4 chapters from the end, Crazy Fairy stopped updating two years ago. Woe. But still, this crazy fic will keep you up nights consuming its endless, ridiculous, completely engrossing story.
Save the Last Dance // July 2003 // 18,000 Words // NC-17
What if, instead of putting him in a coma, Hobbs had only succeeded in breaking Justin's arm with that bat? In CF's world, the answer is: Brian and Justin would hole up in Brian's loft for a week and discuss their relationship at length. This fic is improbable and strangely awesome.
ThymeClose to Home // May 2004 // 35,000 Words // NC-17 alt link
One of the classic badfics of all time. Brian is wheelchair-bound after an accident, and Justin moves in to the apartment beneath him. While these new neighbors are falling for each other, they're also . . . wait for it . . . unknowingly internet buddies! Pure gold, people, I'm telling you. There's also a sequel, but it can't quite recapture the magic of the original.
ScoobysnacksSecret Lives // November 2005 // 24 Chapters // NC-17
Justin is a hustler, Brian is a married business man who picks him up one night to ask directions. While overcoming such obstacles as Lindsay (Brian's wife) being a psycho, Justin picking up dangerous tricks, and Emmett (Justin's friend and fellow hustler) having a drug problem, they proceed to fall in sweet, sweet love.
daisyIrishHunk Has Logged On // April 2006 // 31 Chapters // NC-17
Brian is a slobish geek working for Ryder Advertising who is constantly picked on and whose boss steals all his best ideas. Justin is a bright newcomer to the company who helps bring him out of his shell. They are also . . . wait for it . . . unknowingly internet sex buddies! Booyah!
Gina and TeaganDevil's Playground // September 2004 // 19 Chapters // NC-17 alt link
Justin is Amish! This fic contains the most infamous butter churn in the fandom. Justin is a young Amish boy who gets a funny feeling scoping out the farmhands. When he's sent out into the regular world, he has to learn to cope with evil technology, baffling fashion, being gay, and of course, Brian, who is determined to corrupt him in the best way. Why do we all love Amish Justin? No one can say, it's just one of those inexplicable facts of the universe fandom. Bonus: Justin quilts!
MimiSlay the Dragon // 5600 Words // R
The fun begins in this season 2 fic when Justin gets a call in the middle of the night and ends up having to go bail Joan out of jail for drunk driving. Joan takes a shine to Justin and decides he needs to be saved from Brian's wicked ways. Sound good (and trashy)? It only gets better when Jennifer runs into Joan at the loft--smackdown time! Just guess which one is the "dragon."
DannyThe Art of Shopping // October 2003 // 12,000 Words // NC-17 alt link
This is, perhaps, the only fic on this list which I cannot defend liking. Brian takes Justin along to help him pick out furniture to refurbish the loft post-314-"I've lost everything." They spend the trip making innuendo about having sex on every piece of furniture, then fuck in the store's bathroom.
Cabbers's-exclusive bonus! At the bottom of Danny's fic are links to the furniture pieces from the fic. Sadly, these are broken! :(( But, weep no more! Here are the Wayback Machine links (*yay*, but not all have pictures left *boo*):
sofa
chiase
side table
dining table
coffee table
KristenThe Abernathy Trilogy // 64 Chapters // NC-17
Some people might actually argue this one. But take my word for it, this is badfic. Only, it's so boldly bad, so deliciously bad, so intriguingly bad, that it really does almost circle around to good again! The year is 1770. Brian is a landowner-gentry type person who rescues (and purchases) poor abused slaveboy!Justin. Will Justin overcome his shadowy past? Will Brian be hanged for sodomy? Can two 18th-century gay boys ever find a way to make a life together? Adventures, angst, and boddice-ripper-worthy dialog make this story just plain delightful.
DeAnna ZankichDirty Dance // 2700 Words // NC-17
This is one of my favorite season 1 PWP's (Porn Without Plot). Justin gives Brian a lapdance at Babylon in front of Emmett, Michael, and Ted. It's cheesy, absurd, and strangely hot.
PART III: THAT DELICIOUS GREY AREA
VamphileVisible // June 2006 // 18 Chapters // NC-17
Vamphile's style is constantly evolving, but my favorite fics of hers are her slightly crazy, cheesy ones. In Visible, Brian is a former porn star (who de-virginized Justin on-camera in the prequel Superstar) and is now trying to break into mainstream acting. Justin is a set-designer working in L.A. For the first time, they're living together when Brian, in a brilliant meta-premise, is cast in the lead role of Vanished. Though it goes off the rails a bit at the end, this fic has some great moments.
RhiannonHeroForever Changes Everything // September 2004 // 36,000 Words // NC-17
Most of Rhiannon's fic resides in the comfy is-it-good-fic-is-it-badfic? zone. This is a Post-S4 fic that I enjoy a lot. Years after separating in the wake of Season 4, Brian and Justin meet up again in New York and decide to give it another try. They discover it's not so easy to go back to the way they were. One caveat: JUSTIN GETS FAT. Okay, not fat, exactly, but she keeps harping on the fact that he's "not as slender" as he used to be. >:|
Omelet // June 2004 // 30,000 Words // NC-17
A post-314 HIV-scare fic that has some really good moments. Ethan returns to tell Justin he's HIV positive. Justin and Brian spend a few hellish days together thinking that Justin is infected, forcing them to deal with their multifarious relationship issues. Bonus: really good Daphne in this fic.
MorpheusDark Roots // February 2005 // 15 Chapters // NC-17 alt link
Not quite straight-up badfic, Morpheus's stuff is definitely a little disjointed, crazy, and improbable. In this addictive fic, Brian finds out that Jack wasn't his real father. Justin, channeling Sherlock Holmes--or maybe Veronica Mars--decides to investigate and find Brian's biological dad. Morpheus makes it work. (At least for the first 8 or 9 chapters!)
galedreamerBreaking Away // August 2004 // 13 Episodes // R
An entertaining "alternate Season 5." Justin's in California, Brian's at home in Pittsburgh, trying to deal with Lesbian drama and sundry other problems. What makes this grey-area fic particularly worth reading? Three words: messy custody battle! (Also catch the lovely hurt/comfort sequel Not Now, Not Ever and its okay sequel 1-2-3 Magic.)
Lemon BarA Thousand Beautiful Things // April 2006 // 16 Chapters // R alt link
AU Brian is sent to a mental hospital for anger management as part of a court settlement. Justin, a mysterious young patient who never speaks to anyone, is assigned as his roommate. It's sad and touching and will draw you in. This fic is inexplicably awesome. What can I say? The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. (The substantially less enchanting sequel is here.)
Keira The Twelve Years of Christmas // December 2004 // 13 Chapters // NC-17
Keira's 12-part post season 4 fic detailing Brian and Justin's next twelve Christmases. Adventures, angst, joy, family drama, and featuring appearances by Drew/Emmett, teenage Molly, and doctor!Daphne, M.D.
LJ GreyClean // October 2003 // 6500 Words // NC-17
A sweet little season 2 fic that gives Brian's perspective on Justin's short-lived career as a go-go dancer.
QuinnCorrespondence, Memos, Adventures, Scrapbook, Interlude, Changes, Scrapbook 2, Summer, Fall [WIP] // July 2004-Present // 877 Parts [CURRENTLY ONGOING] // R
The goddess of epistolary fiction, Quinn, kept us all sane during the S4-S5 hiatus by starting this series of letters--in image form--sent between Brian and Justin while Justin was in California. The series kind of spiraled out of control from there. Devistatingly original, quirky, fun, and engaging, this would be in my good-fic area except for one thing . . . it's 877 parts long, and still going! Jeebus! After a while, even the best idea gets tired. Still an excellent read, however. (Current updates of Fall at her journal: quinn222.)
JaneDing Dong the Witch is Dead // 7 Parts // NC-17
Jane is one of those hard-to-categorize authors. She hates MPREG and outragously bad fic. In fact, she has written several hilarious parodies on the subject. However, her own copious body of work is not always exactly . . . good. Philosophical problems of categorization aside, however, most of her stuff is definitely worth reading. This fic, in which Brian is forced to deal with his mother's death, only to be drawn futher into his family's secrets, is my favorite. Aside from a few annoying-new-character moments--Brian's red-headed cousin is grating and pointless--this fic is a great mixture of family angst, tortured Brian, and B/J sweetness. Bonus: Justin is psychic!
Ethan Needing You // January 2002 // 4800 Words // NC-17
Ethan is one of the most prolific writers in the fandom, and in his own bailiwick, one of the best. He holds the distinction of being the author that first made me think stream-of-consciousness porn was worth reading! Needing You is an adorable (and hot) season one fic in which Brian realizes maybe he does need Justin for some things.