Iron Man recs post.

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And here's my top ten.

Er, so I've read a lot of Tony/Pepper fic. A lot. The below list is a general top 10 of my favorite. Trust me when I say that ALL of my favorites aren't on this list - I'd need a post of about 25 for that - but these are super-great.

1. Fandom Category: Iron Man
Pairing: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts
Fic Title: Real Proof
Author: Starry-Oblivion
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4282799/1/Real_Proof
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13; comics/movie fusion.
Genre: Friendship, introspection, slight romance.
WIP?: Complete.

Why This Must Be Read: This is probably my favorite movie-spawned story. It's not sexy-sexy time, and it's very much a blending of current comics canon and movie canon. The reason this is my favorite is the character choices. Tony is Tony several years down the road, and Pepper is Pepper. And they're still dancing around something that could happen, but the care and the love and the friendship is all there. Honestly, this story is damn near perfect.

2. Fandom Category: Iron Man, X-Men, Spiderman, and Avengers
Pairing: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Marie "Rogue" D'Ancanto/Logan, Peter "Spiderman" Parker/Mary Jane Watson
Fic Title: A New Ballgame
Author: Alydia Rackham
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4259175/1/A_New_Ballgame
Rating/Warning(s): R; Marvel multiverse.
Genre: Action/Adventure, romance, friendship, mystery.
WIP?: Complete.

Why This Must Be Read: Basically, this is my favorite action-adventure story on this list. It takes all the extant Marvel movieverses and weaves them into a possible future one (the Avengers movie.) The characters are well realized and bounce off each other in fun and different ways. It even made me like Logan/Rogue, which is pretty rare. Seriously, this is a rip-roaring good time of a story, and I highly recommend it.

3. Fandom Category: Iron Man, Doctor Who
Pairing: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Rose/The Doctor
Fic Title: we lost our navigator overboard
Author: elsi dissappear
Link: http://elsi-dissapear.livejournal.com/13491.html#cutid1
Rating/Warning(s): PG; crossover.
Genre: Crossover, friendship, AU, romance, humor.
WIP?: Complete.

Why This Must Be Read: Hee, this is just lovely! This is 100% sheer silly delight of silly and Tony and The Doctor jealous faces. The dialog is spot-on for both series, and totally worth it for the last few paragraphs. SO much fun.

4. Fandom Category: Iron Man
Pairing: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts
Fic Title: Proof
Author: gabby_silang
Link: http://gabby-silang.livejournal.com/210221.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG.
Genre: Romance, humor, friendship.
WIP?: Complete.

Why This Must Be Read: This is one of the earliest stories generated by the release of the movie, and damn, it's still one of the best. This also wins the award of first Tony/Pepper story I ever read, and it got me completely hooked. That being said, the reason that you guys should read this is that it's just so very sweet. It also has frustrated!Pepper, and there's very little that's more amusing than frustrated!Pepper.

5. Fandom Category: Iron Man
Pairing: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts
Fic Title: Mnemosyne's Lock
Author: VR Trakowski
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4501746/1/Mnemosynes_Lock
Rating/Warning(s): PG.
Genre: Friendship, Angst, Romance.
WIP?: Complete.

Why This Must Be Read: I like this story because it really took me out of my comfort zone. I very much tend towards fluff and romance-y schmoop and pretty prose. This has elements of those, but at its core, it's about grief and loss. This is Pepper and Tony a little big down the road, being reminded how fleeting everything is, and how it can be taken away very, very easily. That being said, the voices are achingly perfect and you walk away more than well satisfied.

6. Fandom Category: Iron Man
Pairing: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts
Fic Title: The Day Pepper Potts Got Fired
Author: lovethesnark
Link: http://lovethesnark.livejournal.com/6272.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG.
Genre: Romance.
WIP?: Complete.

Why This Must Be Read: Basically, if you've ever wanted a story where Tony - somewhat ineptly, although sweetly - tries to woo Pepper, this is the story for you. This story has such a deft touch, but is incredibly romantic and sweet.

7. Fandom Category: Iron Man
Pairing: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts
Fic Title: Paternity
Author: jennyjujubug
Link: http://community.livejournal.com/tonypepper/14799.html
Rating/Warning(s): R; locked to the tonypepper comm.
Genre: AU, angst, baby/kid fic, romance, friendship.
WIP?: Complete.

Why This Must Be Read: This is absolutely the story I desperately wanted written in this fandom. It's a 'Pepper gets pregnant' story that doesn't whitewash or over-romanticize the situation. It's also the closest thing to the Tony-characterization that I walked out of the movie with. The story is incredibly compelling, and while it doesn't end happily, exactly, it does end well.

8. Fandom Category: Iron Man
Pairing: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts
Fic Title: Till Death Do Us Part
Author: hitlikehammers
Link: http://hitlikehammers.livejournal.com/3823.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13.
Genre: Introspection, friendship, angst, romance.
WIP?: Complete.

Why This Must Be Read: First and foremost, this needs to be read because it's a gorgeously lyrical Pepper backstory. This is Pepper coming into her life and Tony's world, and ultimately growing up. Hitlikehammers is probably my favorite prose-writer in the IM fandom, if just because they create such a careful, understated mood with all of his/her fic. It's just so lovely to read.

9. Fandom Category: Iron Man
Pairing: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts
Fic Title: A Small and 100% Innocent Token of Gratitude
Author: svilleficrecs/Kate Andrews
Link: http://svilleficrecs.livejournal.com/741708.html
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17; sexy time!
Genre: Friendship, romance, AU, light angst.
WIP?: Complete.

Why This Must Be Read: Well, I don't think I've ever run across a bad story by Kate. This? Is 180 degrees in the opposite direction of 'bad'. I think the thing that I like most about this story is the confusion on both Tony and Pepper's part. They kind of know what they want but have absolutely no idea how to go about getting it, or if they really want it in the first place. Also, there's really, really hot sexy time.

10. Fandom Category: Iron Man
Pairing: Tony Stark/Pepper Potts
Fic Title: Internal Combustion
Author: 4persephone/BJ
Link: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4245299/1/Internal_Combustion
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17; mentions of possible sexual assault.
Genre: Action/Adventure, mystery, romance, sexy time.
WIP?: Work in progress.

Why This Must Be Read: I adore BJ. It's terribly hard for me to choose which story of hers I liked the most for inclusion on this list. This was her first, and it's the one that I keep going back to again and again. BJ has a real gift for telling long, complex stories, and this is a prime example. A definite do-not-miss.