What a surprise! Its j2 fic recs.
Ooops. It seems like my Adam Lambert obsession made me forget I had a list of Jared/Jensen fics to rec, so once again this has gotten a little longer than intended.You've all probably read these by now, but I'm reccing them anyway because the authors are fabulous :D
GETTING TOGETHER
A Jared's Rules For Dating His Jensen by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
breea1
Written for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
rpf_big_bang
Rating: NC17
Authors summary: Jared Padalecki loves Jensen Ackles. No, really, he does. He also has very high standards on his best friend's behalf. Standards that Jensen, aside from being unaware of, apparently doesn't apply as highly as he should to the people he dates. That's okay though because he has Jared to watch out for him. And Jared is very serious about standards being met.
Comment: A really fun and feel-good fic. Jared is adorable in his attempts to protect Jensen from himself and the evil suitors, Jensen is oblivious and all their friends round out the story-universe by being Jared’s unfortunate accomplices; except for Chad who turns out to be Jared’s awesome accomplice.
And This Morning We Had Pancakes bywanttobeatree
Written forj2_remix
Rating: PG
Word count: 2250
Comment: Warm, intimate and quietly funny, this story takes domestic bliss to its logical conclusion.
Backwards From Go byatimi
Written forj2_remix
Rating: PG13
Word count: 6100
Authors summary: Jared was pretty sure true love wasn't meant to be this awkward. Sure, he knew his childhood ideals were never going to come true, given that Jensen wasn't a princess in jeopardy and Jared was no longer afraid of sprinklers, but he never expected love to require so much effort.
Comment: You know that any story featuring Jared deep-throating a banana, taking yoga lessons from Misha and talking about manly gay unicorn love is going to be winner! Jared realises he’s in love with Jensen the day after they move in together, so of course he has to involve all his friends in various crazy schemes designed to woo his intended. Reading this makes you joyful.
If She Seems As Lonely As Me, Let Her Sink (The First Love Remix) bybalefully
Written forj2_remix
Rating: NC17
Word count: 4800
Authors summary: Jared figures out he's gay and decides he'll just put his romantic life on hold until he makes it big. But then he meets Jensen, and a wrench gets thrown in the works.
Comment: This manages to perfectly balance being incredibly sweet and loving with filthy-hot porn. “The jolt of overwhelming attraction and a quick, friendly chat. It's probably stupid and melodramatic, but Jensen is it for him. He just is. Jared knows that as surely as he knows the sun's gonna come up tomorrow and that Emmitt Smith's gonna make the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. It doesn't matter that he and Jensen only just met, that they've barely exchanged two-dozen words. That there isn't really such thing as love at first sight. Jared feels like he's going to throw up all of his vital organs, and that's more than enough.”
Listen Through Silence bylazy_daze
Rating: PG13
Word count: 9500
Authors summary: Essentially: In which Jensen is shy and Jared is smart.
Comment: I am so impressed by this. It’s unique and interesting and cerebral whilst still being tender. It feels like the best kind of character study disguised as a tender romance.
Spooning Is a Gateway Drug bybeckaandzac
Rating: NC17
Authors summary: Post season 4, Jared is wiped. Jensen decides he needs cuddling. Then there is 4000 words of cuddling. And some sexytimes.
Comment: Wanting and cuddling and awkwardness combine with flaily boys to make this a super-cute story with a great build-up.
Waiting to Finally Be Caught (the Between the Bars remix) by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-syndicated.gif)
arlad
Written forj2_remix
Rating: PG13
Word count: 2380
Authors summary: It’s a thing of Jensen’s, you see, to realize something when he’s too close to three sheets to the wind and Jared’s worse off next to him.
Comment: Lovely and satisfying. “If he were to chart it, to count it, to make sense of it, somehow, Jensen thinks he could measure the growth of whatever he and Jared are by the number of beers they’ve shared, by the number of times they’ve gone to bars and steakhouses, to dives and awful network parties. It sounds undeniably alcoholic, but it’s a thing of Jensen’s, you see, to realize something when he’s too close to three sheets to the wind and Jared’s worse off next to him.”
ENGAGEMENT & MARRIAGE
Text Dirty To Me bycrackedbuthappy
Rating: NC17
Word Count: 5200
Authors summary: Jared can't even be a nice boy on his wedding day. Jensen's inbox (and wrinkled tux) prove that.
Comment: Dirty talking toppy Jared is always awesome and it’s never not funny when his sexytimes-texts are read by Jensen’s family. If schmoop isn’t your bag, then this is definitely the wedding fic for you. It’s so enjoyable.
To Be Only Yours byshinywhimsy
Word count: 2165
Authors summary: They've never been much for big gestures anyway so what would be more fitting than this? It just feels... right.
Comment: Sweet and romantic, this also feels natural, comfortable and languid. Plus it has great dorky-boys banter. “Jared breathes out, closing his eyes at the feel of Jensen's fingers in his hair, feeling his racing heart slow as he listens to Jensen's doing the same. He loves this part. Not the cuddling precisely, despite what Jensen says, but just... the stillness, the way their bodies slowly mold and settle into each other.”
ILLNESS & INJURY
Appendicitis (The Apprehension Remix) by![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lazy_daze
Written forj2_remix
Rating: PG13
Word count: 3500
Comment: A panicking Jared ranting about gay-epiphanies to an unconscious Jensen is too enjoyable to miss.
POST SPN
coming up easy bylight_up
Rating: PG
Word count: 9300
Comment: The story, of Jared patiently waiting for an oblivious Jensen, has an easy rhythm and flow that feels natural as it gradually unfolds itself. It becomes all the more resonant because of that.
PORN
Sticky Fingers bytru_faith_lost
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 3400
Authors summary: Jensen's very dirty. Jared has to clean him up. Food porn. Nothing more.
Comment: Sticky boys getting down and dirty. This is food porn goodness.
AU
as this sunset turns to morning bymournthewicked
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 86,000
Authors summary: Jensen spends his life hiding who he is from the family that would never accept him if they knew. When he’s uprooted in the middle of his senior year and suddenly becomes the new kid, his carefully placed mask begins to slip. Especially when he meets Jared – a loud, outspoken spectacle of a boy that fights for everything Jensen was taught to stand against. Jared has no problem going after what he wants, and now it’s just a matter of Jensen letting himself do the same.
Comment: Against a backdrop of a humdrum high school, a real love story is captured through simple and straightforward storytelling. Although there’s angst and upset, it’s not operatic but honest and placed in relatable real-world situations. The characters are lovable and vibrant and you’ve got to have extra-special affection for Mama Padalecki. All round, this is touching and well written.
Boats and Hoes bydugindeep
Rating: NC17
Word count: 5000
Comment: Insane in the best way possible. This is one of the most entertaining crack!fics I’ve ever read. If you’ve ever wondered what a psuedo-hip hop Jared would be like, look no further. “It takes another year or two for anyone to put any money into this, but J-Boozie and Chazz argue that they have a built-in audience of tweens and teens who loved them from the TV show and would eat their shit up in a second. And surprisingly, they do. And somehow or another, all the college co-eds buy into their new hard edge, street career and they audition other rappers for their crew. It comes down to a skuzzy, scruffy-faced, possibly-unshowered dude named Misha Mic and a ridiculously pretty, but strangely quiet Tom-Tom.”
but will you still love me tomorrow byjeyhawk
Written forj2_remix
Rating: R
Word count: 4000
Authors summary: Jensen's really good at unrequited love affairs, but karaoke, Cuervo, and making a fool out of himself in front of everyone he knows changes all that.
Comment: This is an adorable bookstore AU. A shy and slightly grouchy Jensen pines over co-worker Jared during his thirtieth birthday celebration and then decides to do something about it. His attempt at wooing is a delight to behold.
Everything Feels Like the End of the World bychash
Rating: NC17
Word count: 15,500
Authors summary: Jared Padalecki is ridiculously and pathetically in love with this hot senior who's really into acting. So, clearly, the only solution is to get into acting and go from there.
Comment: A real feel-good fic where you follow the boys through two stages in their lives, that cover flirting, missed opportunities and second chances.
In My Dreams You're Blowing Me...Some Kisses byqueenklu
Written forj2_remix
Rating: NC17
Word count: 29, 605
Authors summary: Half an hour from Las Vegas--because when you drive 30 minutes for a fuck you're going to be on your best behavior--is a little bordello called Enthrall 'Em Steer 'n' Bunny Ranch. Fucking is not Jared's problem; keeping his job (and his head above water) just might be.
Comment: Jensen is a ‘bunny’ and Jared the new brothel bar-staff, in this pleasurable tale. It’s funny where it needs to be, hot where it needs to be and angsty where it needs to be, without any of them jarring but instead working together to make a real romp of a read. “Collapsing at the bar sounds a lot better in his head than in reality—he has to ease up on one hip and slide over on the stool, eyes closed in an anticipatory wince. Katie's first time pegging, emboldened by the free hour and Jensen's skillful pleading, and she'd been far more enthusiastic than naturally gifted. Or gentle. Not that Jensen doesn't know how to handle an over-eager client, but her appointment had been tucked in right after a two hour orgy with a group of businessmen from the Netherlands (who'd honestly been too enamored of themselves to pay much mind to Jensen's enjoyment) so she'd be able to make her engagement party at eight.”
Judging Time by the Streetlights bytoxica939
Rating: R
Word count: 4500
Authors summary: High school AU. The one where Jensen isn't a miserable, tortured artist type but Jared is an Adonis.
Comment: Endearing and quirky, I liked the feeling of the small island setting in this one. Also, it turns out, even just reading about people watching zombie movies makes me get excited like a proper film nerd.
Leave My Heart Out of This by elless18
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 35,000
Authors summary: AU. Jensen needs to get married in order to get his grandfather’s inheritance and open his own law firm. Jared would do anything to help his best friend. The plan is simple- pretend to date, get married, get the inheritance, get divorced. But things grow complicated when one of them starts falling for his fake boyfriend. Can they find their happily-ever-after from all the lies they’ve built around them?
Comment: Maximum fun, minimum angst and kittens! The pacing is fast, the characterizations are sweet and, all in all, it’s delightful place to get lost in for a while.
Looking For Men With Kids bychash
Word count: 5000
Authors summary: AU. In which Jensen is Jared's kid's kindergarten teacher.
Comment: Pretty much guaranteed to put you in a good mood. “Which is frustrating only because Jensen Ackles? Is the hottest guy Jared's ever seen in his life. Nate adores him and thinks he's awesome, and every day it's "Mr. Ackles this" and "Mr. Ackles that," so it's not like Jared can forget about him or anything. And he can't tell Nate to scope his teacher out for signs of bi and/or homosexuality or anything, because Nate is five and thinks romance is gross.”
Love Beyond the Color Spectrum bycoyotesuspect
Rating: NC17
Word count: 5500
Authors summary: Jared's fabulous, oblivious, and straight. Jensen's just gay. Also- they're totally not dating. J2 AU.
Comment: An awesome Danneel keeps meddling in Jared’s love life and refuses to believe him when he says his straight, thanks to his sparkly shoes and collection of pink shirts. This really is an appealing fic that has you rooting for Jared to wise up and give everyone a happy ending.
Life in a Cubicle: A Guide to Dating a Co-Worker byvillageidiot
Written forspn_j2_bigbang
Rating: PG13
Word count: 37,700
Authors summary: There are ten rules about interoffice dating and Jared Padalecki pretty much fails at all of them. It happens like this: Jared works in a cubicle. Jensen is the oblivious engineer. Jared meets Jensen. Jared falls in love with Jensen. Jensen… needs a little coaxing. Also starring Chad the Maintenance Guy, Danneel in Payroll, Tom as the mildly disgruntled Mail Room Guy and Mike in HR. And Misha the Receptionist? Still ruining lives. Mostly Tom’s. And Jared’s. But mostly Tom’s (who deals with it like any rational person would: mail bombs and spiked coffee).
Comment: This just really works. Mostly light-hearted, lovable and filled with sparkly-witty banter, it also has that slight edge of angst that makes the whole thing just that much deeper. You really get the feeling of the inanities and quirks of office life from this, which is helped by the fully-drawn secondary characters that you become just as intrigued and invested in. “He had an actual degree from a respectable college and a half-assed ten year plan that he composed during his freshman year with his academic advisor but three months out of school, he just took the first job that offered him things like healthcare benefits and 401K matching. He figured he could take it as a temporary gig while he looked for something better but then he just kind of, you know. Stopped looking.”
Mildred: A College AU bycauseways and walkawayslowly
Written forspn_j2_bigbang
Rating: NC17
Word count: 62,131
Authors summary: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Jared in possession of his heterosexuality will immediately switch teams upon enrollment in college and first contact with Jensen Ackles.
Comment: At heart, this is a story about Jared. His settling in to college life, making new friends and growing into himself. Jensen is just one [enjoyable] part of it. It gives the story a really leisurely feel, making it one that you can take your time in it and explore.
My Social Skills Would Fit Good In Prison bychash
Written forj2_remix
Rating: R
Word count: 8300
Authors summary: From what Jared understands, his college rooming situation is kind of like The Odd Couple, except for the way Jensen is a homophobic douchebag.
Comment: Jared and Jensen are adorable dumbasses in this happy-inducing fic.
Next Man Up byrhythmsextion
Written forspn_j2_bigbang
Rating: NC17
Word count: 97,500
Authors summary: Armed with strength, size and instinctive talent, Jared Padalecki is the first round draft pick for the faltering Dallas Cowboys. Quickly granted a multi-million dollar contract and heralded as the hopeful future franchise quarterback, Jared is thrilled to be a part of the team he grew up idolizing and is all too eager to take the next step in what should be a long and promising career. However, Jared soon realizes he has a much tougher road ahead than anticipated when he meets the prickly Jensen Ackles, the team's veteran QB and Jared's number one competitor for the starting roster spot. In a league ruled by money, celebrity and ego, where the roster changes week to week and injuries aren't so much a risk as a fact of life, Jared must prove himself capable of leading one of the NFL's most glamorous and controversial teams back to glory. And in the process, must deal with his teammates' potentially career-ending secrets and his own burgeoning, confusing relationship with Ackles.
Comment: Even though I know nothing about American football, I still found myself fully engrossed in this. It’s complex and harsh and even uncomfortable in places, but that just gives the story its depth and power. And it continues that way right through to the end.
No Strings Could Secure You bydugindeep
Rating: R
Word count: 38,000
Authors summary: The Media Freeze took away all music, movies, and gaming systems to sterilize citizens of any excessive emotions and let them live their own lives. Media Agent Jared Padalecki upholds the Freeze, destroying media and arresting those who possess it. But his world viewpoint is skewed when he watches a TV show and experiences what all the offenders have – raw emotion. His life is further upended when he builds a friendship with actor Jensen Ackles, who turns him onto more entertainment and opens his eyes to the beauty of this creative world.
Comment: This is really gripping and exciting. It reads like the best kind of thriller, where you can’t wait to see what happens next, but with added emotional impact. “At seven years old, Jared doesn’t know how or when the Media Freeze started, but it’s the only life he knows and lives. No television, no movie theaters, no book stores. No one has access to any product even associated with those places. And if you’re found with it … well, Jared isn’t entirely sure what happens, but it’s enough to strike fear in his mother’s eyes if he ever mentions it. He used to spend nearly every clear day with Stephanie Robinson from next door, riding bikes up and down the pavement, running through neighboring yards, and all around being playful children. But one day, her house was empty, the lawn had distinctive burn marks in its center, and his mom couldn’t – or just wouldn’t – explain where they’d gone or why. It was like the Robinsons had never existed.”
One for the Good Guys bycdeacon
Written forspn_j2_bigbang
Rating: NC17
Word count: 23,300
Authors summary: Jared is an up-and-coming pitcher with a checkered past. If he wants to play in the big leagues again, he'll have to figure out how to work with Jensen, a has-been catcher with a serious attitude problem. (Loosely based on The Taming of the Shrew, with some Bull Durham thrown in.)
Comment: I love the characterisations in this, especially the cranky, sarcastic but subtly vulnerable Jensen, with Jared working as a great foil. The humour, the relaxed pacing and the slow build of the relationship all make for a very satisfying experience
professional zombie boyfriend by_mournthewicked
Rating: R
Word count: 8500
Summary: Jensen hates surprises. Jared's job is surprising people. It shouldn't work, but it does.
Comment: Total fluffy goodness. Jensen meets Jared at a fair-style haunted house, true love happens and Misha is awesome.
Spoils of War byleonidaslion
Written forspnkink_meme
Rating: NC17
Word count: 7887
Authors summary: As the Captain of the king's Guard, Jared gets first choice of war spoils. This time, his choice may be more trouble than he's worth ...
Comment: A real guilty-pleasure kind of fic, that reminds me of bodice-rippers and torrid barbarian tales. I found this both hilarious and hot. I will warn that there’s non-con though.
Starstruck bypandarus
Rating: NC17
Word count: 42,000
Authors summary: A J2 movie AU based on 'Notting Hill', featuring misunderstandings, secrets, lies, twists, turns, comic books, Japanese-Ethiopian fusion cuisine, a lesbian wedding, several fabulous movies that really should exist, heartache, tequila, some exceptionally awful blind dates, hot boy-on-boy sex, and true love.
Comment: This is awesome. It, honest to god, made me laugh out loud at several points but also had me all emotional at several others. So pretty much the perfect romantic comedy that’s a billion times better than the film. “Jensen makes eye-contact, cool as you like, and nods politely, then goes back to looking at the comics. He's in the Marvel section, and Jared has a little flutter of disappointment, because he's still kind of a DC man at heart, (well, mostly Vertigo, but the classics are still the classics), and then he realises that he's being completely insane, because JENSEN ACKLES is in his shop, looking at comics, which is so hot that it hasn't even crossed his mind to fantasise about it, and he's feeling disappointed that the guy isn't a DC man. And it's not like Jensen Ackles hasn't featured kind of prominently in his fantasies lately, what with all the posters with his eyes greener than green and his mouth looking like something designed by the god of blowjobs...but it had never crossed his mind to imagine the guy actually showing up at his workplace.”
This Course We Plotted bymickeym
Written forspn_j2_bigbang
Rating: NC17
Word count: 38,000
Authors summary: Jared Padalecki has a life he loves: friends, family, a good job and plans to make it as a writer someday. All that is shaken up when he meets Detective Jensen Ackles one night, while working an overtime shift. Jensen is smart, interesting, fun to hang out with, and Jared's drawn in like a moth to a flame. They go from friends to lovers, to something even Jared didn't know he was looking for: partners. But Jensen's never done relationships, and he's not sure he can now. Will he realize his job is just a job, but Jared is his everything?
Comment: This story has a fantastic slow-build that allows you to really watch this Jared and Jensen get to know each other, which in turn makes the whole story feel real and allows the happy ending be that much more rewarding. Prepare to be fully engrossed in seeing them discover each other, and also themselves, in the process. Wonderful.
This Is The Ultimate byneros_violin
Written forrpf_big_bang
Rating: NC17
Word count: 17,600
Authors summary: Jensen is the UFC's Welterweight Champion, and the company's biggest star. He's also its most private. Jared is the writer assigned to help the public get to know him better. Jared is begrudgingly invited into Jensen's training camp, where Jensen is preparing for the biggest fight of his career, to get a better glimpse of his professional life. But Jared soon realizes he has a personal interest in Jensen. He's surprised when Jensen returns his feelings, and a real relationship begins to develop between them. It's torn apart when a devastating news story is leaked to the press, and Jensen shuts Jared out of his life. Jared watches from the sidelines as Jensen's career disintegrates in the passage of four five-minute rounds, and refuses to stay away. What they have, and the man Jensen doesn't realize he can be, are worth fighting for.
Comment: I really enjoyed the way this fic is so brutal in its descriptions of the technical aspects of Jensen’s sport, the violence of the fights, the discipline of the training, and yet so soft and sweet in the slow reveal of the relationship.
This is you, according to me bymediaville
Written forj2_remix
Rating: NC17
Word Count: 4600
Authors summary: In which Jared comes to learn that Jensen really has no clue.
Comment: You can see how much Jared and Jensen care for each other in this, no matter how (purposely) clueless or hesitant they are. It’s sweet. But also hot.
This Lane Closed (Or Why Sometimes You Really Should Listen To Your Horoscope) byaisalynn
Rating: PG13
Word count: 10,488
Authors summary: Jensen hates his job at the LoBill's grocery store. The only highlight is that every Wednesday the same guy comes in to buy candy and laugh with Jensen at the tabloids. Now if only Jensen could get up the courage to ask the guy his name...and possibly his number.
Comment: The boys are so cute, tentatively flirting with each other in this adorable fic.
Too Far to Care byfahrbot and karabou
Written forspn_meanttobe
Rating: NC17
Word count: 37,000
Authors summary: Jensen was eighteen years old when his family home burned to the ground, taking all but his baby sister with it. Now grown, with a man's responsibilities and a chip on his shoulder a mile wide, he's faced with the last thing he ever expected - a growing attraction to the son of the man responsible for it all.
Comment: This is a story that works even outside of its harlequin parameters. It’s pretty compelling - sweet and romantic with a perfect dollop of angst and inner-turmoil. The Australian setting adds a really unique touch.
Untitled bychash
Word count: 3000
Authors summary: Based on the terrible movie I saw on Lifetime today, See Jane Date.
Comment: If only Lifetime movies were this good! Jensen needs a date for a wedding but keeps meeting losers, his mum’s trying to set him up but at least the guy who works at the wedding store seems pretty cute…
you move me byyourperiphery
Written forj2_remix
Rating: PG13
Word count: 10,000
Authors summary: in which jensen is a mover, jared is a tenth-grade english teacher, and chad is not a fish.
Comment: This fic gives good Chad! It’s amusing and heart-warming and really lets you see the relationship between the Jared and Jensen bloom.
I'll add them into the main lists over the weekend.
GETTING TOGETHER
A Jared's Rules For Dating His Jensen by
breea1 Written for
rpf_big_bang Rating: NC17
Authors summary: Jared Padalecki loves Jensen Ackles. No, really, he does. He also has very high standards on his best friend's behalf. Standards that Jensen, aside from being unaware of, apparently doesn't apply as highly as he should to the people he dates. That's okay though because he has Jared to watch out for him. And Jared is very serious about standards being met.
Comment: A really fun and feel-good fic. Jared is adorable in his attempts to protect Jensen from himself and the evil suitors, Jensen is oblivious and all their friends round out the story-universe by being Jared’s unfortunate accomplices; except for Chad who turns out to be Jared’s awesome accomplice.
And This Morning We Had Pancakes by
wanttobeatree Written for
j2_remix Rating: PG
Word count: 2250
Comment: Warm, intimate and quietly funny, this story takes domestic bliss to its logical conclusion.
Backwards From Go by
atimi Written for
j2_remix Rating: PG13
Word count: 6100
Authors summary: Jared was pretty sure true love wasn't meant to be this awkward. Sure, he knew his childhood ideals were never going to come true, given that Jensen wasn't a princess in jeopardy and Jared was no longer afraid of sprinklers, but he never expected love to require so much effort.
Comment: You know that any story featuring Jared deep-throating a banana, taking yoga lessons from Misha and talking about manly gay unicorn love is going to be winner! Jared realises he’s in love with Jensen the day after they move in together, so of course he has to involve all his friends in various crazy schemes designed to woo his intended. Reading this makes you joyful.
If She Seems As Lonely As Me, Let Her Sink (The First Love Remix) by
balefully Written for
j2_remix Rating: NC17
Word count: 4800
Authors summary: Jared figures out he's gay and decides he'll just put his romantic life on hold until he makes it big. But then he meets Jensen, and a wrench gets thrown in the works.
Comment: This manages to perfectly balance being incredibly sweet and loving with filthy-hot porn. “The jolt of overwhelming attraction and a quick, friendly chat. It's probably stupid and melodramatic, but Jensen is it for him. He just is. Jared knows that as surely as he knows the sun's gonna come up tomorrow and that Emmitt Smith's gonna make the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. It doesn't matter that he and Jensen only just met, that they've barely exchanged two-dozen words. That there isn't really such thing as love at first sight. Jared feels like he's going to throw up all of his vital organs, and that's more than enough.”
Listen Through Silence by
lazy_dazeRating: PG13
Word count: 9500
Authors summary: Essentially: In which Jensen is shy and Jared is smart.
Comment: I am so impressed by this. It’s unique and interesting and cerebral whilst still being tender. It feels like the best kind of character study disguised as a tender romance.
Spooning Is a Gateway Drug by
beckaandzac Rating: NC17
Authors summary: Post season 4, Jared is wiped. Jensen decides he needs cuddling. Then there is 4000 words of cuddling. And some sexytimes.
Comment: Wanting and cuddling and awkwardness combine with flaily boys to make this a super-cute story with a great build-up.
Waiting to Finally Be Caught (the Between the Bars remix) by
arlad Written for
j2_remix Rating: PG13
Word count: 2380
Authors summary: It’s a thing of Jensen’s, you see, to realize something when he’s too close to three sheets to the wind and Jared’s worse off next to him.
Comment: Lovely and satisfying. “If he were to chart it, to count it, to make sense of it, somehow, Jensen thinks he could measure the growth of whatever he and Jared are by the number of beers they’ve shared, by the number of times they’ve gone to bars and steakhouses, to dives and awful network parties. It sounds undeniably alcoholic, but it’s a thing of Jensen’s, you see, to realize something when he’s too close to three sheets to the wind and Jared’s worse off next to him.”
ENGAGEMENT & MARRIAGE
Text Dirty To Me by
crackedbuthappy Rating: NC17
Word Count: 5200
Authors summary: Jared can't even be a nice boy on his wedding day. Jensen's inbox (and wrinkled tux) prove that.
Comment: Dirty talking toppy Jared is always awesome and it’s never not funny when his sexytimes-texts are read by Jensen’s family. If schmoop isn’t your bag, then this is definitely the wedding fic for you. It’s so enjoyable.
To Be Only Yours by
shinywhimsy Word count: 2165
Authors summary: They've never been much for big gestures anyway so what would be more fitting than this? It just feels... right.
Comment: Sweet and romantic, this also feels natural, comfortable and languid. Plus it has great dorky-boys banter. “Jared breathes out, closing his eyes at the feel of Jensen's fingers in his hair, feeling his racing heart slow as he listens to Jensen's doing the same. He loves this part. Not the cuddling precisely, despite what Jensen says, but just... the stillness, the way their bodies slowly mold and settle into each other.”
ILLNESS & INJURY
Appendicitis (The Apprehension Remix) by
lazy_daze Written for
j2_remix Rating: PG13
Word count: 3500
Comment: A panicking Jared ranting about gay-epiphanies to an unconscious Jensen is too enjoyable to miss.
POST SPN
coming up easy by
light_up Rating: PG
Word count: 9300
Comment: The story, of Jared patiently waiting for an oblivious Jensen, has an easy rhythm and flow that feels natural as it gradually unfolds itself. It becomes all the more resonant because of that.
PORN
Sticky Fingers by
tru_faith_lost Rating: NC-17
Word count: 3400
Authors summary: Jensen's very dirty. Jared has to clean him up. Food porn. Nothing more.
Comment: Sticky boys getting down and dirty. This is food porn goodness.
AU
as this sunset turns to morning by
mournthewicked Rating: NC-17
Word count: 86,000
Authors summary: Jensen spends his life hiding who he is from the family that would never accept him if they knew. When he’s uprooted in the middle of his senior year and suddenly becomes the new kid, his carefully placed mask begins to slip. Especially when he meets Jared – a loud, outspoken spectacle of a boy that fights for everything Jensen was taught to stand against. Jared has no problem going after what he wants, and now it’s just a matter of Jensen letting himself do the same.
Comment: Against a backdrop of a humdrum high school, a real love story is captured through simple and straightforward storytelling. Although there’s angst and upset, it’s not operatic but honest and placed in relatable real-world situations. The characters are lovable and vibrant and you’ve got to have extra-special affection for Mama Padalecki. All round, this is touching and well written.
Boats and Hoes by
dugindeep Rating: NC17
Word count: 5000
Comment: Insane in the best way possible. This is one of the most entertaining crack!fics I’ve ever read. If you’ve ever wondered what a psuedo-hip hop Jared would be like, look no further. “It takes another year or two for anyone to put any money into this, but J-Boozie and Chazz argue that they have a built-in audience of tweens and teens who loved them from the TV show and would eat their shit up in a second. And surprisingly, they do. And somehow or another, all the college co-eds buy into their new hard edge, street career and they audition other rappers for their crew. It comes down to a skuzzy, scruffy-faced, possibly-unshowered dude named Misha Mic and a ridiculously pretty, but strangely quiet Tom-Tom.”
but will you still love me tomorrow by
jeyhawk Written for
j2_remix Rating: R
Word count: 4000
Authors summary: Jensen's really good at unrequited love affairs, but karaoke, Cuervo, and making a fool out of himself in front of everyone he knows changes all that.
Comment: This is an adorable bookstore AU. A shy and slightly grouchy Jensen pines over co-worker Jared during his thirtieth birthday celebration and then decides to do something about it. His attempt at wooing is a delight to behold.
Everything Feels Like the End of the World by
chash Rating: NC17
Word count: 15,500
Authors summary: Jared Padalecki is ridiculously and pathetically in love with this hot senior who's really into acting. So, clearly, the only solution is to get into acting and go from there.
Comment: A real feel-good fic where you follow the boys through two stages in their lives, that cover flirting, missed opportunities and second chances.
In My Dreams You're Blowing Me...Some Kisses by
queenklu Written for
j2_remix Rating: NC17
Word count: 29, 605
Authors summary: Half an hour from Las Vegas--because when you drive 30 minutes for a fuck you're going to be on your best behavior--is a little bordello called Enthrall 'Em Steer 'n' Bunny Ranch. Fucking is not Jared's problem; keeping his job (and his head above water) just might be.
Comment: Jensen is a ‘bunny’ and Jared the new brothel bar-staff, in this pleasurable tale. It’s funny where it needs to be, hot where it needs to be and angsty where it needs to be, without any of them jarring but instead working together to make a real romp of a read. “Collapsing at the bar sounds a lot better in his head than in reality—he has to ease up on one hip and slide over on the stool, eyes closed in an anticipatory wince. Katie's first time pegging, emboldened by the free hour and Jensen's skillful pleading, and she'd been far more enthusiastic than naturally gifted. Or gentle. Not that Jensen doesn't know how to handle an over-eager client, but her appointment had been tucked in right after a two hour orgy with a group of businessmen from the Netherlands (who'd honestly been too enamored of themselves to pay much mind to Jensen's enjoyment) so she'd be able to make her engagement party at eight.”
Judging Time by the Streetlights by
toxica939 Rating: R
Word count: 4500
Authors summary: High school AU. The one where Jensen isn't a miserable, tortured artist type but Jared is an Adonis.
Comment: Endearing and quirky, I liked the feeling of the small island setting in this one. Also, it turns out, even just reading about people watching zombie movies makes me get excited like a proper film nerd.
Leave My Heart Out of This by elless18
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 35,000
Authors summary: AU. Jensen needs to get married in order to get his grandfather’s inheritance and open his own law firm. Jared would do anything to help his best friend. The plan is simple- pretend to date, get married, get the inheritance, get divorced. But things grow complicated when one of them starts falling for his fake boyfriend. Can they find their happily-ever-after from all the lies they’ve built around them?
Comment: Maximum fun, minimum angst and kittens! The pacing is fast, the characterizations are sweet and, all in all, it’s delightful place to get lost in for a while.
Looking For Men With Kids by
chash Word count: 5000
Authors summary: AU. In which Jensen is Jared's kid's kindergarten teacher.
Comment: Pretty much guaranteed to put you in a good mood. “Which is frustrating only because Jensen Ackles? Is the hottest guy Jared's ever seen in his life. Nate adores him and thinks he's awesome, and every day it's "Mr. Ackles this" and "Mr. Ackles that," so it's not like Jared can forget about him or anything. And he can't tell Nate to scope his teacher out for signs of bi and/or homosexuality or anything, because Nate is five and thinks romance is gross.”
Love Beyond the Color Spectrum by
coyotesuspect Rating: NC17
Word count: 5500
Authors summary: Jared's fabulous, oblivious, and straight. Jensen's just gay. Also- they're totally not dating. J2 AU.
Comment: An awesome Danneel keeps meddling in Jared’s love life and refuses to believe him when he says his straight, thanks to his sparkly shoes and collection of pink shirts. This really is an appealing fic that has you rooting for Jared to wise up and give everyone a happy ending.
Life in a Cubicle: A Guide to Dating a Co-Worker by
villageidiot Written for
spn_j2_bigbang Rating: PG13
Word count: 37,700
Authors summary: There are ten rules about interoffice dating and Jared Padalecki pretty much fails at all of them. It happens like this: Jared works in a cubicle. Jensen is the oblivious engineer. Jared meets Jensen. Jared falls in love with Jensen. Jensen… needs a little coaxing. Also starring Chad the Maintenance Guy, Danneel in Payroll, Tom as the mildly disgruntled Mail Room Guy and Mike in HR. And Misha the Receptionist? Still ruining lives. Mostly Tom’s. And Jared’s. But mostly Tom’s (who deals with it like any rational person would: mail bombs and spiked coffee).
Comment: This just really works. Mostly light-hearted, lovable and filled with sparkly-witty banter, it also has that slight edge of angst that makes the whole thing just that much deeper. You really get the feeling of the inanities and quirks of office life from this, which is helped by the fully-drawn secondary characters that you become just as intrigued and invested in. “He had an actual degree from a respectable college and a half-assed ten year plan that he composed during his freshman year with his academic advisor but three months out of school, he just took the first job that offered him things like healthcare benefits and 401K matching. He figured he could take it as a temporary gig while he looked for something better but then he just kind of, you know. Stopped looking.”
Mildred: A College AU by
causeways and walkawayslowly Written for
spn_j2_bigbang Rating: NC17
Word count: 62,131
Authors summary: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a Jared in possession of his heterosexuality will immediately switch teams upon enrollment in college and first contact with Jensen Ackles.
Comment: At heart, this is a story about Jared. His settling in to college life, making new friends and growing into himself. Jensen is just one [enjoyable] part of it. It gives the story a really leisurely feel, making it one that you can take your time in it and explore.
My Social Skills Would Fit Good In Prison by
chash Written for
j2_remix Rating: R
Word count: 8300
Authors summary: From what Jared understands, his college rooming situation is kind of like The Odd Couple, except for the way Jensen is a homophobic douchebag.
Comment: Jared and Jensen are adorable dumbasses in this happy-inducing fic.
Next Man Up by
rhythmsextion Written for
spn_j2_bigbang Rating: NC17
Word count: 97,500
Authors summary: Armed with strength, size and instinctive talent, Jared Padalecki is the first round draft pick for the faltering Dallas Cowboys. Quickly granted a multi-million dollar contract and heralded as the hopeful future franchise quarterback, Jared is thrilled to be a part of the team he grew up idolizing and is all too eager to take the next step in what should be a long and promising career. However, Jared soon realizes he has a much tougher road ahead than anticipated when he meets the prickly Jensen Ackles, the team's veteran QB and Jared's number one competitor for the starting roster spot. In a league ruled by money, celebrity and ego, where the roster changes week to week and injuries aren't so much a risk as a fact of life, Jared must prove himself capable of leading one of the NFL's most glamorous and controversial teams back to glory. And in the process, must deal with his teammates' potentially career-ending secrets and his own burgeoning, confusing relationship with Ackles.
Comment: Even though I know nothing about American football, I still found myself fully engrossed in this. It’s complex and harsh and even uncomfortable in places, but that just gives the story its depth and power. And it continues that way right through to the end.
No Strings Could Secure You by
dugindeep Rating: R
Word count: 38,000
Authors summary: The Media Freeze took away all music, movies, and gaming systems to sterilize citizens of any excessive emotions and let them live their own lives. Media Agent Jared Padalecki upholds the Freeze, destroying media and arresting those who possess it. But his world viewpoint is skewed when he watches a TV show and experiences what all the offenders have – raw emotion. His life is further upended when he builds a friendship with actor Jensen Ackles, who turns him onto more entertainment and opens his eyes to the beauty of this creative world.
Comment: This is really gripping and exciting. It reads like the best kind of thriller, where you can’t wait to see what happens next, but with added emotional impact. “At seven years old, Jared doesn’t know how or when the Media Freeze started, but it’s the only life he knows and lives. No television, no movie theaters, no book stores. No one has access to any product even associated with those places. And if you’re found with it … well, Jared isn’t entirely sure what happens, but it’s enough to strike fear in his mother’s eyes if he ever mentions it. He used to spend nearly every clear day with Stephanie Robinson from next door, riding bikes up and down the pavement, running through neighboring yards, and all around being playful children. But one day, her house was empty, the lawn had distinctive burn marks in its center, and his mom couldn’t – or just wouldn’t – explain where they’d gone or why. It was like the Robinsons had never existed.”
One for the Good Guys by
cdeacon Written for
spn_j2_bigbang Rating: NC17
Word count: 23,300
Authors summary: Jared is an up-and-coming pitcher with a checkered past. If he wants to play in the big leagues again, he'll have to figure out how to work with Jensen, a has-been catcher with a serious attitude problem. (Loosely based on The Taming of the Shrew, with some Bull Durham thrown in.)
Comment: I love the characterisations in this, especially the cranky, sarcastic but subtly vulnerable Jensen, with Jared working as a great foil. The humour, the relaxed pacing and the slow build of the relationship all make for a very satisfying experience
professional zombie boyfriend by
_mournthewicked Rating: R
Word count: 8500
Summary: Jensen hates surprises. Jared's job is surprising people. It shouldn't work, but it does.
Comment: Total fluffy goodness. Jensen meets Jared at a fair-style haunted house, true love happens and Misha is awesome.
Spoils of War by
leonidaslion Written for
spnkink_meme Rating: NC17
Word count: 7887
Authors summary: As the Captain of the king's Guard, Jared gets first choice of war spoils. This time, his choice may be more trouble than he's worth ...
Comment: A real guilty-pleasure kind of fic, that reminds me of bodice-rippers and torrid barbarian tales. I found this both hilarious and hot. I will warn that there’s non-con though.
Starstruck by
pandarus Rating: NC17
Word count: 42,000
Authors summary: A J2 movie AU based on 'Notting Hill', featuring misunderstandings, secrets, lies, twists, turns, comic books, Japanese-Ethiopian fusion cuisine, a lesbian wedding, several fabulous movies that really should exist, heartache, tequila, some exceptionally awful blind dates, hot boy-on-boy sex, and true love.
Comment: This is awesome. It, honest to god, made me laugh out loud at several points but also had me all emotional at several others. So pretty much the perfect romantic comedy that’s a billion times better than the film. “Jensen makes eye-contact, cool as you like, and nods politely, then goes back to looking at the comics. He's in the Marvel section, and Jared has a little flutter of disappointment, because he's still kind of a DC man at heart, (well, mostly Vertigo, but the classics are still the classics), and then he realises that he's being completely insane, because JENSEN ACKLES is in his shop, looking at comics, which is so hot that it hasn't even crossed his mind to fantasise about it, and he's feeling disappointed that the guy isn't a DC man. And it's not like Jensen Ackles hasn't featured kind of prominently in his fantasies lately, what with all the posters with his eyes greener than green and his mouth looking like something designed by the god of blowjobs...but it had never crossed his mind to imagine the guy actually showing up at his workplace.”
This Course We Plotted by
mickeym Written for
spn_j2_bigbang Rating: NC17
Word count: 38,000
Authors summary: Jared Padalecki has a life he loves: friends, family, a good job and plans to make it as a writer someday. All that is shaken up when he meets Detective Jensen Ackles one night, while working an overtime shift. Jensen is smart, interesting, fun to hang out with, and Jared's drawn in like a moth to a flame. They go from friends to lovers, to something even Jared didn't know he was looking for: partners. But Jensen's never done relationships, and he's not sure he can now. Will he realize his job is just a job, but Jared is his everything?
Comment: This story has a fantastic slow-build that allows you to really watch this Jared and Jensen get to know each other, which in turn makes the whole story feel real and allows the happy ending be that much more rewarding. Prepare to be fully engrossed in seeing them discover each other, and also themselves, in the process. Wonderful.
This Is The Ultimate by
neros_violin Written for
rpf_big_bang Rating: NC17
Word count: 17,600
Authors summary: Jensen is the UFC's Welterweight Champion, and the company's biggest star. He's also its most private. Jared is the writer assigned to help the public get to know him better. Jared is begrudgingly invited into Jensen's training camp, where Jensen is preparing for the biggest fight of his career, to get a better glimpse of his professional life. But Jared soon realizes he has a personal interest in Jensen. He's surprised when Jensen returns his feelings, and a real relationship begins to develop between them. It's torn apart when a devastating news story is leaked to the press, and Jensen shuts Jared out of his life. Jared watches from the sidelines as Jensen's career disintegrates in the passage of four five-minute rounds, and refuses to stay away. What they have, and the man Jensen doesn't realize he can be, are worth fighting for.
Comment: I really enjoyed the way this fic is so brutal in its descriptions of the technical aspects of Jensen’s sport, the violence of the fights, the discipline of the training, and yet so soft and sweet in the slow reveal of the relationship.
This is you, according to me by
mediaville Written for
j2_remix Rating: NC17
Word Count: 4600
Authors summary: In which Jared comes to learn that Jensen really has no clue.
Comment: You can see how much Jared and Jensen care for each other in this, no matter how (purposely) clueless or hesitant they are. It’s sweet. But also hot.
This Lane Closed (Or Why Sometimes You Really Should Listen To Your Horoscope) by
aisalynn Rating: PG13
Word count: 10,488
Authors summary: Jensen hates his job at the LoBill's grocery store. The only highlight is that every Wednesday the same guy comes in to buy candy and laugh with Jensen at the tabloids. Now if only Jensen could get up the courage to ask the guy his name...and possibly his number.
Comment: The boys are so cute, tentatively flirting with each other in this adorable fic.
Too Far to Care by
fahrbot and karabou Written for
spn_meanttobe Rating: NC17
Word count: 37,000
Authors summary: Jensen was eighteen years old when his family home burned to the ground, taking all but his baby sister with it. Now grown, with a man's responsibilities and a chip on his shoulder a mile wide, he's faced with the last thing he ever expected - a growing attraction to the son of the man responsible for it all.
Comment: This is a story that works even outside of its harlequin parameters. It’s pretty compelling - sweet and romantic with a perfect dollop of angst and inner-turmoil. The Australian setting adds a really unique touch.
Untitled by
chash Word count: 3000
Authors summary: Based on the terrible movie I saw on Lifetime today, See Jane Date.
Comment: If only Lifetime movies were this good! Jensen needs a date for a wedding but keeps meeting losers, his mum’s trying to set him up but at least the guy who works at the wedding store seems pretty cute…
you move me by
yourperiphery Written for
j2_remix Rating: PG13
Word count: 10,000
Authors summary: in which jensen is a mover, jared is a tenth-grade english teacher, and chad is not a fish.
Comment: This fic gives good Chad! It’s amusing and heart-warming and really lets you see the relationship between the Jared and Jensen bloom.
I'll add them into the main lists over the weekend.