The Hunger Games - Katniss/Gale

[jtrevizo-1013.livejournal.com]

Fandom Category: The Hunger Games
Pairing: Katniss Everdeen/Gale Hawthorne
Fic Title: Knightingale
Author: DBlaZe
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7966677/1/Knightingale
Rating/Warning(s): M; Some sex and violence (equal to an R rated film)
Genre: Adventure/Romance
WIP?: YES (author has posted 20 chapters of an estimated 40...)

Why This Must Be Read: I am just now starting to read fic in some alternative fandoms of mine and found this just in the last 3 days. It is a well written and well plotted AU version of "Catching Fire" (with some parts of the original book kept in place) wherein President Snow has announced a significant rule change for the Quarter Quell; rather than the previous winners going in, a 'regular' reaping will occur with the exception that each reaped person will need to chose a partner to join them in the games. And along with that a not so veiled threat to Katniss results in Prim being reaped a second time... and Gale volunteering to be her partner, causing two of the people Katniss cares for the most to be sent to near certain death. In the midst of this Katniss and Gale start to move closer... I don't want to add anything more here but this is very definitely worth the read (there are 379 reviews for 20 chapters and he earns every single one) and hopefully more reviews will speed him to finish that much sooner!

Our Heroine and Our Hero Ignore the Silent Siren Call of Cupid, by chaletian (PG-13)

[angelqueen04.livejournal.com]

Fandom Category: Star Trek (2009)
Pairing: Janice Rand/James T. Kirk
Fic Title: Our Heroine and Our Hero Ignore the Silent Siren Call of Cupid
Author: chaletian
Link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/451173
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13
Genre: Humor, post-canon, UST
WIP?: No

Why This Must Be Read: Complete and utter cuteness. I giggled through most of this over the characters many and varied reasons of why they're not in love with each other. At all. An adorable story.

Challenge 93: Skipping - Thor/Avengers - a Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers Rec

[moonymuch.livejournal.com]

Fandom Category: Captain America, Thor, The Avengers
Pairing: Darcy Lewis/Steve Rogers
Fic Title: Skipping
Author: missmissa85
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/7244706/1/Skipping
Rating/Warning(s): T
Genre: Friendship, Romance, Team Fic
WIP?: Yes (33 chapters and counting)

Why This Must Be Read: Where do I begin with this story? It starts off as another Darcy-tutors-Steve-on-the-modern-world fic, but missmissa85 does it so beautifully. The progression is achingly, deliciously slow but completely organic and true to the characters. Darcy and Steve start out as friends and slowly become something more. Trust me, the scene where the feelings come out is completely worth the wait. And all the while, the Avengers are slowly assembling and make up such a wonderful ensemble cast. Everyone's voice is absolutely spot-on. This is certainly an ambitious piece, incorporating Bucky, the Skrull, and even Spider-Man (who is adorable, by the way), which probably explains why it's a WIP. The author updates fairly frequently, though they have dropped off a little bit. I, for one, will cheerfully wait until hell freezes over for more chapters!

'T'is the Season, by Henabrey (Cold Case, Lilly/Scotty, T)

[lone-pyramid.livejournal.com]

Fandom Category: Cold Case
Pairing: Lilly Rush/Scotty Valens
Fic Title: 'T'is the Season
Author: Henabrey
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3753985/1/Tis_The_Season
Rating/Warning(s): T (language, particularly chapter 9)
Genre: case fic, UST/romance
WIP?: No

Why This Must Be Read: My favourite fics are long, plotty case!fics (or A/A, depending on the fandom) with a side order of UST leading to romance. And this fic? Delivers in spades. Lilly and Scotty are drawn into a two-year-old murder of a homeless man known only as Nicholas/Santa Claus, who, despite having been known by those around him for only three weeks, had the ability to change lives for the better. The case is detailed and well planned out, the UST is delicious, and the original characters are so wonderfully written you can picture each and every one of them. Seriously, one of my favourite lines comes from a nameless OC who's only present for a handful of paragraphs. Oh, and there's mistletoe. Lots 'n' lots of mistletoe, enough to push Lilly over the edge. *g* (That being said, it's not really a Christmas fic, given the case and the fact that each chapter is the title of a Christmas carol.) Just over 70K words.