unfit for society recs

Supernatural

And Won the Soul's Rest by concernedlily
Really interesting AU set in the middle ages, where Sam is a monk and Dean is a mercenary, and the YED is still after Sam. The dialogue straddles the line between too modern and just different enough to be believably archaic, and the artwork is lovely.

Animals in Cellophane by smilla02
Sometimes Dean wishes he could close his eyes and see nothing ever again, but he's glad that whatever it is, it doesn't work when he looks himself in the mirror. Dark, hard and heartbreaking. Dean's back, but he's not the same.

backseat drivers by wanttobeatree
Girls, John decides, would definitely have less toilet humour. The Winchesters are stuck in a traffic jam and Sam and Dean won't stop talking and it's driving John a little nuts. Utterly adorable.

Debts and Promises by annkiri
I really enjoyed this story, the way the past informs the present and the slow way the story unfolds. I wish the bit about Jess being a replacement for Dean wasn't there, but otherwise, I really liked this, esp. Dean's journal entries. (wincest)

Duty and Mirages by leonidasden
Heartbreaking and suspenseful story about a hunt that finds the Winchesters, rather than the other way around. Dean is, of course, heartbreaking and awesome all at once.

Fire or Fire by lemmealone
Sam's gotten Dean back from hell, and slowly he puts him back together. I love Sam's strength here, how he cares for Dean, and how Dean is slowly coming back to himself. The casefile is cool, too. And Bobby and Ellen are wonderful.

In the Land of Milk and Honey, You Must Put Them On the Table by newredshoes
Short, sharp look at what happens immediately post-No Rest for the Wicked. Sam has to deal. He's not alone.

In the Unlikeliest Places by K Hanna Korossy
Adorable outside POV of the Winchesters - a nosy neighbor ends up helping Dean out when Sam gets kidnapped. Ignore the fact that the author apparently (wrongly) thinks Dean's hair is blond.

In Totus Tamen Nomen by teand
Bobby and Sam in the aftermath of No Rest for the Wicked. "I have no intention of dying for Dean. I'm planning on making him live for me." // "Send the sentiment to Hallmark, son."

Over Yonder in a Minor Key by annalazarus
While Dean and Sam are lying low, Sam hooks up with a girl, and then with Dean. I really like how natural the progression felt - it was awkward but believable for them, and also how real Tess is. (Wincest)

Pray Your Gods by apreludetoanend
he'd suddenly thought of Layla, wished he'd asked her how. How to have faith, how to believe, when the miracles don't happen at all. Heartbreakingly beautiful. Layla dies on a Wednesday, and Dean grieves.

Product Misplacement by caffienekitty
"Demonic mac and cheese, Sam? Seriously?" // "It fell out of the sky, Dean. It smells like sulfur. This is atypical macaroni behavior." *dies laughing*

A Thin Chain of Next Moments by batyatoon dotfic
AU in which Dean makes the deal for John in Crossroad Blues, and has ten years to live. Beautifully done and heartbreaking.

Thirty Days by kellifer_fic
Dean gives Sam a month to work on breaking the deal. Heartbreaking and believable. Oh, Dean...

Three Gifts by destina
Three Gifts Sam Gave Dean (whether he wanted them, or not) A little bit adorable, a lot heartbreaking. *sniffle* Oh, boys...

Treat Her Like a Lady by causeways
Dean is cursed into wining and dining, well, Sam. Hilarious. (Wincest)

A Week in Stanford by K Hanna Korossy
Slowly unfolding look at the week after Jess died, from Sam's grief-stricken POV. Lovely and sad.

~*~

Iron Man

Being of Sound Mind and No Body by hackthis
"Don't even think about," Tony says, [...] "I've seen Terminator eighteen times, and I know where your kill switch is." Tony helps Jarvis learn things. Hilarious.

Employer/Employee Relations by hackthis
"I didn't peg you for the sadistic type when I hired you." //"It's something I've cultivated under your tutelage." // "That's kinky, Potts. Really. Are you trying to get me excited?" awesome Tony/Pepper UST. Pepper's voice is spot-on.

Follow Your Shame by atrata
She hates herself for this, a little -- not for wanting to get laid, but for thinking Tony would be different with her -- but it doesn't seem to matter. Fantastic, fucked up Tony/Pepper, sort of. Feels true to their fucked up co-dependency. Hot and wistful.

Four Times Pepper Potts Saved the World (and One Time She Didn't) by th_esaurus
Funny, smart, sweet and heartbreaking in turn. Tony is charming and exasperating, and Pepper deals as best she can.

Grease-stained by nekare
Wonderfully bittersweet and in-character Tony/Pepper. [...] Jarvis has since developed a personality of its own, and is only a few steps away from becoming sentient, sometimes, Tony wonders if he's really not just talking to himself all the time.

he was always better at sleight of hand by elsi_dissapear
Delicate, bittersweet, evocative Tony/Pepper full of UST and pining.

off the record (off the map) by riko
Tony can be perplexing and changeable like seasons and traffic lights. He has a thousand variations, specific personas for specific people and situations, and Pepper can picture him switching between these different Tonys as circumstances warrant. Lovely.

One Night Stand by svilleficrecs
The thing that he doesn't remember is that when he was 26 and she was 19, he picked her up and they did the sorts of things that one does when one is a beautiful, tipsy young woman brought home by playboy wunderkind Tony Stark. I totally believe this back story for Tony and Pepper.

People Who Know My Sins by atrata
She's used to being the eye of the storm that is Tony Stark's life, and in moments like this, when the storm has passed and all she can see is the unending, grueling aftermath, she doesn't like it. It feels like her skin is on backwards. Achy.

Real Friends Help You Get Naked by hackthis
Various times Tony gets stuck in the suit and needs help getting out. Absurdly hilarious, with spot-on voices.

A Small and 100% Innocent Token of Gratitude by svilleficrecs
"I mean that I might be in love with you. Rhodey thinks I am. For Christ's sake, *Jarvis* even thinks I am." / "Jarvis has an opinion on this?" / "Please. Jarvis has an opinion on everything." The one with the footrubs. You know what I mean.

Successful Secrets of the Sexual Kind by atrata
Five times Tony and Pepper don't have sex, but think about it anyway. Exceptionally hot, and bittersweet, and the ending is heartbreaking, because you know it's better if they don't get together, but it'd be really hot if they did.

There is No 'Me' Without We by hackthis
Every boy's first love should be his mom. Lovely, achy look at Tony and why he is the way he is.

Three Men and a Lady (and Her Boss) by hackthis
Tony is brilliant and selfish and loyal, but he's also an awesome punch line. Pepper and the men in her life, and how all roads lead back to Tony. Smart and funny and just a tiny bit wistful.

The Trouble With Jarvis by dotfic
Jarvis develops a glitch. Pepper commiserates. Poor Jarvis. I do love him and Pepper bonding over Tony's obliviousness.

Turning Your Orbit Around by atrata
Five terribly inappropriate gifts Tony Stark has given. It starts off hilarious and just keeps getting funnier.

untitled Iron Man ficlet by riko
Tony and Pepper in a bookstore. Banter ensues. Adorable. Tony spends at least half this time reading out the dust-jacket blurbs on the books in stupid voices, and he gathers a pretty large following of children thanks to this performance.

Well Heeled by amonitrate
Pepper's exasperated with Tony, and Tony's not sure why, or how to fix it. Lovely, and feels really true to the voices and relationship.

~*~

Crossovers

Battlestar Galactica/The Sarah Connor Chronicles

To Hell and Back (For This) by kalesbohan
Really interesting, mindbending story of the Galactica coming to earth to find Skynet in charge, and Kara joining John Connor's rebellion, and hooking up with Derek Reese.

*

Harry Potter/Narnia

A Year in Their Courts by animus_wyrmis
Hermione stumbles through an old wardrobe at Hogwarts and ends up in Narnia, where she falls in love with Peter. Beautifully done, wistful and sweet.

*

Iron Man/Spider-Man

Paparazzo by basingstoke
"You pulled that straight from your crotch and used it on my face." // Yes. "No!" Awesomely hilarious Tony Stark/Peter Parker. Their flirty banter is all about SCIENCE.

*

Supernatural/Good Omens

A Backdoor to Hell by oxoniensis
Adorable GO/SPN crossover in which Sam Winchester goes to Aziraphale and Crowley for help getting Dean out of hell.

*

Supernatural/Iron Man

Ghost in the Machine and In the Wires by dotfic
Ficlet and sequel in which Tony's suit is haunted. Who's he gonna call? Hee! Dean + haunted suit + Jarvis = hilarity.

~*~

Bones

(You and) Things Like You by Punk and Sab
Fantastic Booth/Brennan that gets the voices and the humor just right, and the banter in the car at the end is hilarious. *hearts*

~*~

Friday Night Lights

There Was This One Time by turnonmyheels
Lovely, sweetly funny story about how Jean (the cute geek with the crush on Landry in season 2) tutors Tim, and gets a whole lot more in the bargain.

~*~

The Office

this crazy feeling deep inside by irishmizzy
The perfect follow-up to "Goodbye Toby" - reads just like an episode and gets all the voices right.

~*~

Battlestar Galactica

Daybreak by palmetto
Post-Revelations story showing how the human-Cylon alliance is working out. Really nice Kara/Sam interaction.

~*~

Dark Angel

Surrender by alethialia
Wonderful, hot Max/Alec dealing with the aftermath of Max's heat. "Dollars to donuts it was the best sex you've ever had. You're afraid of how strongly you felt? You didn't expect it to be like that, and now you don't know how to act. Because you want more."

~*~

Indiana Jones

Passing Through History by Laura Smith
Mutt doesn't really believe his mom's stories about this guy named Indiana Jones. *hearts*

~*~

Supernatural

And That's Just Facts by dreamlittleyo
Really well done coda to Bedtime Stories. Sam's willing to cross whatever lines he has to to save Dean. Possibly Dean is not happy about this. (wincest)

Dolls of War by kellifer_fic
More scenes from that time Dean was a doll. *hearts*

Family Business by eloise_bright
Eighteen years on, the Winchesters are still hunting things, saving people. The fireman who saves Dean looks a little familiar. While I'm not particularly fond of this theory, in this story it really works. And I love that Sam and Dean are still on the road, doing the job.

Goblin Market by esohpe
Based on the Rossetti poem. Sam has to save Dean. Lovely and atmospheric. The author lists it as gen but I think it skirts close to the wincest line, so people made uncomfortable by that should probably avoid.

It's the Nature of My Game by dotfic
"You have skilled hands." "So I've been told." Bela and Dean, playing games. Hot and in character.

The Skin Horse by kellifer_fic
Dean has always relied on his hands. Lovely.

Tricks Are for Kids by vee_fic
"You do what you have to to get you through the night." Sam and Dean, playing car games to pass the time, and talk about things without actually talking about them. Absolutely perfect. Oh, boys...

Walk Like A Man by hkath
Dean gets hit with an age-regressing curse and things just snowball from there. *dies laughing*

***

Battlestar Galactica

Amateur by mercurial_wit
He keeps finding these lines, with Kara, drawn in the strangest of places and crossing the strangest of dimensions. One day he thinks he will turn around and find himself trapped inside them all. Really nice look at Anders, and Kara (and Lee) (AU)

fractures by cupidsbow
The best a pilot can hope for is to have good training, good instincts and the good luck to live long enough to avoid making the same mistake twice. Lyrical and heartbreaking Kara fic.

a girl to follow around by stars_like_dust
Helo POV on Kara/Anders in the time between her rescue from the Farm and the time they left Caprica. Really captures their friendship. Lovely.

never fight about money (never marry a youngest child) by minervacat
four men Kara Thrace frakked, once upon a time. Beautiful look at Kara and her various relationships.

Parasite by 3jane
She dreams about things growing inside her. Sharp, sad, believable look at Kara, the people she's frakked, and the damage she's carrying after "The Farm."

Standby by wisteria_
Kara attempts to re-acclimate to Galactica after the Cylon occupation of New Caprica. Sharp and sad.

That Star Fall Down by leda13
Beautifully constructed, lyrical and sad background for Kara, including her relationships with Zak and Lee.

Winter Prayer by carrielh
Long since jossed, but a wistful, lovely look at Kara adjusting to life on Earth.

***

Firefly

Chien by zooey_glass04
post-movie, Zoe reevaluates her family. *sniffle* Beautifully done.

We Walk A Thousand Stairs by ana_grrl
She's tired of watching decent men break. Lovely, sharp look at Zoe, during and after the war.

***

The Office

Crossing the Line by annakovsky
Adorable and sexy Jim/Pam where they play truth or dare over email, and things get a little out of hand.

Five Games of Truth or Dare Jim and Pam Never Played by annakovsky and kyrafic
And that's how Dwight ends up challenging Jim to a duel in the Dunder Mifflin parking lot. Weapon: bo staffs. Sweet and funny and wistful.

Ten Thousand to One by juteux
"I think we're both insane, Beesly." Adorable Jim/Pam fluff with a bouncy castle.

Which Is the Way With Hours by pemulis_i_am
Lovely look at the whole ensemble after "Branch Wars." A few minor typos a good beta would catch, but nothing that made me stop reading.

***

Friday Night Lights

The Pursuit of Happiness by brandil
The Tim/Jason/Lyla scene we all wanted but didn't get in "Let's Get It On". Lovely and sort of wistful.

***

Northern Exposure

Things That Happen In Cicely by leda_writes
I often have trouble with 50 sentence stories, but this one knocks it out of the park (even if I am not sold on Joel/Ed). Lyrical, whimsical and just a touch wistful, this captures the tone of Northern Exposure, and the denizens of Cicely, perfectly.

***

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Disneyland by Christina Kamnikar
Immediately post-Chosen, manipulative as all hell, but it works. Have tissues handy. Each member of the scoobies contemplates the future now that the hellmouth is closed. *sniffle*

***

Burn Notice

untitled Michael/Fiona ficlet by romanticalgirl
Adorably cute Michael/Fiona that captures their relationship well. "I shot you." "You shot me?" "Sorry?"

***

Crossovers

Angel/Bones
An Equal Temper by carlyinrome
AU where Cordelia survives post-NFA, and ends up in Virginia, with Seeley Booth. Sharp and sad and hopeful.

*

Chuck/Veronica Mars
An Interesting Assignment by storydivagirl
Chuck Bartowski has a new handler. Veronica Mars, FBI. Hee! Adorable.

***

Crossovers

Supernatural/The Simpsons

Bones of Shelbyville by innie_darling
Awesome and hilarious SPN/Simpsons crossover. John finds a job in Shelbyville, and Dean gets a job as a chauffeur.

*

Supernatural
Continue As You Were by katjad
Sam takes drastic measures to get Dean out of the deal, and isn't quite prepared to deal with the consequences. Long, engrossing genderswap that really worked for me, and I generally don't dig on girl!Dean. (Wincest)

Deceiver (not the silence for you, my boy) by ultraviolet9a
Bobby saves Dean from the crossroads demon. Because Bobby is AWESOME.

Dwellers in Silence by dwarfankylosaur
"I made a choice. And I chose you, okay? I chose you over ‘*everything.’* I'm not leaving. I can't leave. I just -- I want it to be worth it. I want you to be happy."

Sam saves Dean. This is what happens afterwards. Nicely atmospheric, and the ending is a real gut punch.

Fine Wonderful Things by balefully
Sharp, vivid, melancholy first time story, set about a month after AHBL2, with a smart casefile and a really good Sam POV. (Wincest)

Joshua Tree by cofax7
Sam and Dean investigate a mysterious death in Joshua Tree National Park. Things are more complicated than they seem. Enjoyable, long, engrossing read.

Laws of Motion by eloise_bright
fantastic look at all three Winchesters as they prepare for a hunt (and Sam prepares for a physics quiz). Full of love and heartbreak.

my mother was a tailor by traveller
Sad and shivery story of a girl who works in a gambling house down in New Orleans, and how Dean tries to help her. Worth reading even with the annoying lack of quotation marks on the dialogue.

No Fortress Is So Strong by kimonkey7
Long, engrossing casefile featuring a side of Dean/OFC that really worked for me. Dean gets what he didn't even know he wanted, and of course, he can't keep it. The ghost story is well done and resonant, and Dean's narrative voice is wonderful.

Open Mind for a Different View by insomnia_geek
letting Dean loose in a bookstore unattended, while enlightening, is hazardous to Sam’s mental health. Smart!Dean FTW! Sam contemplating how smart Dean is = AWESOME.

The Shuffling Madness by salinasfic
Exceptionally hot girl!Sam/Dean porn. The shifting POV is problematic, but I enjoyed the story anyway. I like this incarnation of girl!Sam a lot. (Wincest)

stirring of birds between my arms by oxoniensis
Quiet, lyrical, beautiful story of Sam and Dean, and how they fit together. (wincest)

The Story Remains the Same by topaz119
Dean and Sam are on vacation in the Keys when a baby goes missing, and they have to figure out how to get him back. Awesome retelling of Rumplestiltskin.

Straight on 'til morning by lyra_wing
Lovely post ep for "The Kids Are Alright." Sam and Dean have a conversation.

Strangers in Gilead by corvus_imbrifer
Long, fantastic story of the Winchesters in the Old West, told from an excellent outsider POV. The sex is a tad flowery (but in character for the narrator), and the story is in PDF format, but those are the only two drawbacks. Highly enjoyable.

These Are the Pale Deaths by purpleposi
Five things of John's that Dean keeps after his death. heartbreaking.

Things Past by dotfic
Sam and Dean explore the storage locker. Sam's hope of finding something he can use to help Dean is palpable, and the things he finds, evocative. Beautifully done.

Three Easy Pieces by innie_darling
Utterly adorable story of Pastor Jim babysitting wee Dean and Sam.

Wake With a Song, Wake With the Sun by stillane
It's modified voodoo under bad fluorescent lights, and he'll let Sam poke and stitch him back into any shape he likes. He may be patchwork, but tonight he's whole. Beautiful, quiet look at Sam and Dean just post-AHBL2.

When All Is Most Right with the World by apreludetoanend
Lovely, bittersweet story where Sam and Dean share Chinese food, an argument, and a kiss. (Wincest)

When it's Twelve O'clock, We Climb the Stair by cormallen
Eleven days after Dean goes to hell, Sam brings him back. Problem is, Dean's not quite right. Bitter, creepy, heartbreaking, and haunting. (Wincest)

While the Night Is Still Ahead by vinylroad
when he slides his tongue up her throat as he’s fucking her hard and frantic on her small futon, he swears she tastes just like soy sauce; salty and heady, and it makes his head spin. hot, gorgeous, achy Dean/OFC.

~*~

Friday Night Lights
Don't Call What You're Wearing An Outfit by minervacat
They're not friends and they'll never be friends, but Tyra loves Tim the best she knows and Tim Riggins loves Jason Street better than just about anything except breathing and drinking and football, so she'll make an effort. Hot, bittersweet Tyra/Tim/Jason.

Game Face On by dotfic
Football isn't the only thing that causes pre-game jitters. Tyra, Lyla, Tami, and Julie manage in their own way. Sharp look at all four characters. The last one is my favorite.

A model of mercy and might by zarahemla
Lovely look at Billy Riggins.

*

Pushing Daisies
a perfect pie by oxoniensis
Chuck bakes a pie, and learns something. Sweet without being cloying, like the show, and gets the narrative voice exactly right.

The Secret Lives of Detectives by velocityofsound
"It's One Thousand and One Nights!" Chuck proclaimed excitedly. "It's a Moroccan sex den," Ned replied, horrified. Emerson is missing and Chuck and Ned investigate and learn some things about Emerson they wish they hadn't. Adorably hilarious.

*

Harry Potter
Five Women Who Hate Fleur Delacour by snegurochka_lee
Fantastic look not just at Fleur, of whom we get a fairly clear picture via other characters (and her own sparkling interaction with Luna), but of the women who hate her. Full of bitter truth about how women see other women.

Up, Up, and Away by elsane
"I would certainly classify choosing the front banister for our launching pad as showing off." "That's not showing off. That's style." Adorable story of MWPP + homemade aeroplane.

*

Battlestar Galactica
Kara Studies by dionusia
Short, powerful, heartbreaking look at Kara, through her painting. Jagged and full of unexpected gracenotes, like Kara herself. Lovely.

*

Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel
Five Places Buffy Summers Never Met Nina Ash by carlyinrome
Exactly what the title says. Sharp look at Buffy, wistful and funny at the same time.

*

Narnia
Susan's Charge by carlanime_bligh
Growing up is a duty and a blessing, not a fault. Yes. This. Wonderful reframing of Susan's survival as a mission, not a punishment.

*

The Devil Wears Prada

When in Doubt, Wear Red by thelastgoodname
Long, engrossing story of how Andy and Miranda get together. Really good at evoking Andy's confusion and desire as she and Miranda begin an affair.

***

Pirates of the Caribbean

Itinerary by penknife
Will is still learning how to be captain of the Dutchman. Lovely, lyrical, meditative.

***

The Shawshank Redemption

The Ocean of Forgetting by kajikia
Beautiful, lyrical story of Red and Andy, on their beach in Mexico.

***

Homicide: Life on the Street

Make the Man by inlovewithnight
Pembleton, on fashion.

"Pride in your appearance, in yourself, in your job. Your calling. We're not street sweepers, we're detectives. Look like that means something to you, is my point. You come in here looking like you lost a bet, how is anybody supposed to take you seriously? How are you going to take yourself seriously? Look like you come in here for a reason."

***

The West Wing

For Purely Selfish Reasons by smittywing
CJ/Charlie [I know! Just go with it!] that is adorable and hilarious and gets the voices just right.

"I'm like a dirty old man. Except I'm a woman. Is there a name for women who are dirty old men?"

"Yes. We call 'em cougars."

***

Firefly

Pro Bono by puritybrown
Post-movie, Zoe visits Inara. Gorgeously sensual and heartbreaking. Zoe wants to move, but she's frozen -- and that's why she came here: to thaw the ice out before it breaks, and breaks her with it.

***

Friday Night Lights

The Technology of Silence by jengrrrl
Sweet, hot, achy Tyra/Lyla.

***

Gilmore Girls

Five Times Lorelai Married Luke by fairy_tale_echo
Now that the show is over, I can read and enjoy fic that fixes the mess of the last two seasons. Exactly what it says in the title - five ways Luke and Lorelai could finally have gotten married. Lovely.

the sonny & cher comedy hour ended in 1974 by falseeeyelashes
The end of the world, Gilmore style. Excellent Rory voice. Funny and sad, wry and knowing.

***

Angel

Beginning, Somewhere in the Middle by marenfic
Lovely, hot Gunn/Gwen fic.

*

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Lilac City by nwhepcat
Long, engrossing, heartbreaking novel about Xander, five years post-Chosen, trying to find his way back to some kind of life.

***

Supernatural

( 24 recs under the cut, featuring het, gen and wincest )

***

Crossovers

House/Firefly

A Gentleman (And A Thief) by leiascully
Awesomely in character and adorable story in which Mal shows up at the Princeton-Plainsboro free clinic, and Cuddy takes care of him.

*

Supernatural/Harry Potter

Old Country by astolat
A really fun crossover in which Dean inherits a wizarding estate and wacky hijinx ensue. The story contains Wincest, but the sex has a coercive element I found exceptionally squicky; since it's also completely unimportant to the plot, you can easily skip it, and the rest of the story is worth doing that. Dean + Hufflepuffs + Goblins = awesome.

*

Supernatural/Friday Night Lights

When All You Have Left Is by Molly
Lovely and heartbreaking. It's the end of the world, but Tyra has Sam and Dean Winchester looking out for her. (Tyra/Sam, Tyra/Dean)

*

Supernatural/Sandman

Harvester of Eyes by gwendolyngrace
Fantastic. John is hunting the Corinthian and Sam and Dean slip through a Soft Place into the Dreaming. Excellent use of the Sandman story and characters, and a tight, suspenseful, moving story.

***

Harry Potter

I Know Where The Summer Goes by such_heights
Gorgeous, quiet, heartbreaking story of the summer Sirius decides to leave home. I especially love the relationship between him and Regulus here - it's clear they still love each other, even with the differences between them already pushing them apart.

natural disaster, on the evening news by falseeeyelashes
Pansy Parkinson, after the war. Interesting use of second person that suits the story and the character. Sharp and sad.

A New Alliance by jncar
Lovely missing scene from DH.

"It stands for Dumbledore's Army."

"It seems you've come to the right place. My name just happens to be Dumbledore."

Touch the Face of the Stars by lyras
Lily during the war. Sad and yet full of hope and love. Bring tissues, especially for the ending.

vae victis by virginia_bell
Lovely, sad, hopeful story of Narcissa asking Andromeda to look after Draco after she and Lucius are sent to Azkaban. The letters between the sisters, who haven't spoken in 30 years, ring with hard, poignant truth.

***