After nearly a decade and thousands of wonderful recs, manifestos, discussions, and more, het-reccers is now officially and permanently closed, as is our Tumblr mirror. This archive will remain, and readers can also check out its Dreamwidth counterpart and AO3 collection. Though these are managed separately, both are open for contributions and have more great het recs. The mods would like to thank you, the community, for everything you have helped create. From the biggest fandoms to the crackiest rarepairs, you've brought us all great joy and even greater feels. We're grateful to everyone who's recced, read, and written so many wonderful fics. Fandom is at its heart about the communities that form around the stories we love, and het-reccers has always been a prime example of fandom at its best. Happy trails to all!
I just want to preface this list by saying that I will go down with this ship like none other, and what you see here is a very narrowed-down list of the truly absurd number of Winter Widow fics I'd rec if I had the time.
Fandom: Marvel
Pairing: Natasha Romanoff/Bucky Barnes
Title: It’s complicated
Author: medeafive
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6501484
Rating/Warning(s): Mature
Word Count/WIP?: 1,546 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: Restrained, a little heartbreaking, and a little promising, this fic manages to contend with Natasha’s reproductive issues, Bucky’s return to the world, and their undefined but important relationship to each other.
***
Fandom: Marvel
Pairing: Natasha Romanoff/Bucky Barnes
Title: Turning up the Heat
Author: kiss_me_cassie
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10180022
Rating/Warning(s): Explicit (mentions of M/M and M/M/F)
Word Count/WIP?: 1,850 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: Honestly, I just find this fic really, really hot. It’s a bunch of stuff I don’t usually go for, but the author manages to turn it all into something unique and very enjoyable.
***
Fandom: Marvel
Pairing: Natasha Romanoff/Bucky Barnes
Title: How We Get There
Author: gr8escap
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10434087
Rating/Warning(s): Teen (includes discussion of past child abuse and a past suicide attempt)
Word Count/WIP?: 43,645 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: Earnest and enjoyable, this AU follows the pair on a road trip along the famous U.S. Route 66, with all the fun, tropey, and unexpectedly meaningful moments that that sets up. The author does a beautiful job of worldbuilding—the trip itself feels like its own character—while never forgetting the events and experiences that made these two who they are.
***
Fandom: Marvel
Pairing: Natasha Romanoff/Bucky Barnes
Title: remember me to steshka
Author: andibeth82
Link:
Rating/Warning(s): G
Word Count/WIP?:13,175 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: If you read a lot of this pairing—or MCU fic more broadly—you probably know this author, and with good reason. They have a way of digging into the characters and finding incredible nuance, insight, and heart. This fic is no exception, following the pair on a quest to contend with Natasha’s past (and a bit of Bucky’s, too).
Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1149156.html
It's the Little Things (M) (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Rebecca Bunch/Greg Serrano) by sporklift
Fandom: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Pairing: Rebecca Bunch/Greg Serrano
Title: It's the Little Things
Author: sporklift
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9140110
Rating/Warning(s): teen
Word Count/WIP?: 24366 /No
Recced on LiveJournal By: tinnny
Why This Must Be Read: I've always wanted a fix-it for Rebecca and Greg, giving them their deserved happy ending. This story does so in great Greg voice and with a wonderful slow burn. Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1148630.html
Fandom: Doctor Who
Pairing: Martha Jones/Mickey Smith
Title: Irregulars
Author: lizbee
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/114412
Rating/Warning(s): Teen
Word Count/WIP?: 1,746 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: Martha/Mickey gets a bad rap as a "pair your spares" trope, but, honestly, I kind of love them together anyway. This delightful, fast-paced fic gets at why: they're clever and competent and out to save the universe, whether or not the Doctor ever notices. And it's always better with two. Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1148171.html
Fandom: Firefly
Pairing: Zoe Washburne/Hoban Washburne
Title: Indistinguishable From Magic
Author: kieyra
Link: https://kieyra.livejournal.com/186086.html
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Word Count/WIP?: 3,046 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: A fix-it that’s slow and satisfying as it reveals its secrets.
***
Fandom: Firefly, the Bible
Pairing: Kaylee Frye/Simon Tam, Ruth/Malcolm Reynolds
Title: Ruth on a Firefly
Author: in_the_beginning
Link: https://in-the-beginning.dreamwidth.org/8528.html
Rating/Warning(s): G
Word Count/WIP?: 3,801 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: Strange but strangely compelling, this seemingly incongruous combination of stories comes together in one lovely, understated consideration of the Book of Ruth’s famous line, “where you go, I will go.”
Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1148136.html
"if the heavens ever did speak" by Polexia_Aphrodite (M)
Fandom: Captain America
Pairing: Peggy Carter/Steve Rogers
Title: if the heavens ever did speak
Author: Polexia_Aphrodite
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3865819
Rating/Warning(s): Mature
Word Count/WIP?: 1,649 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: What a perfect little missing scene! Mid-CA:TFA, our heroes have an intimate little interlude, and everyone returns to battle with a smile.
Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1147803.html
Fandom: 10 Things I Hate About You
Pairing: Kat Stafford/Patrick Verona
Title: 10 Things I Hate About Reunions
Author: ByroseA
Link: AO3
Rating/Warning(s): Teen. None.
Word Count/WIP?: About 8,500 words. Complete.
Recced on LiveJournal By: profshallowness
Why This Must Be Read: Bianca’s hilarious input is the icing on a delicious cake of a more mature, but not really tamed, Kat reconnecting with Patrick.
Fandom: Inception
Pairing: Ariadne/Arthur
Title: So Much To Say
Author: sour_idealist
Link: LJ
Rating/Warning(s): PG. None.
Word Count/WIP?: 900 words. Complete.
Recced on LiveJournal By: profshallowness
Why This Must Be Read: Ariadne’s in a very sympathetic place here. I really like how the relationship develops.
Fandom: The Lake House
Pairing: Kate Forster/Alex Wyler
Title: New Old Love
Author: fabrisse
Link: AO3
Rating/Warning(s): General Audiences. None.
Word Count/WIP?: 2,827 words.
Recced on LiveJournal By: profshallowness
Why This Must Be Read: It’s a really lovely expansion of the film, doing a good job on Kate and Alex's voices.
Fandom: New Year’s Eve
Pairing: Ingrid/Paul
Title: Happy Holidays
Author: kalisgirl
Link: AO3
Rating/Warning(s): General Audiences, none.
Word Count/WIP?: 2,532 words. Complete.
Recced on LiveJournal By: profshallowness
Why This Must Be Read: Delightful story, where Paul takes the idea of celebrating holidays being their thing and runs with it, which becomes the frame for watching their relationship grow.
Why This Must Be Read: I really appreciated how this story developed, with unexpected twists as Beca and Jesse grow up alone and together. I haven't seen a fic that delves into how Beca's lack of stability growing up had affected her so much. But at the same time, there are knowing, Hollywood moments to enjoy.
Fandom: Push
Pairing: Cassie Holmes/Nick Gant
Title: roll the dice
Author: vinylroad
Link: AO3
Rating/Warning(s): Teen. Canon-typical violence.
Word Count/WIP?: 2,194 words.
Recced on LiveJournal By: profshallowness
Why This Must Be Read: This story does a great job on Cassie and her developing partnership with Nick over the years and through three separations.
Fandom: Snow White and the Huntsman
Pairing: Snow White/The Huntsman
Title: Snow White and the Captain
Author: fiftyzillion
Link: AO3
Rating/Warning(s): Teen. None.
Word Count/WIP?: 8,182. No, but there is a shorter second part.
Recced on LiveJournal By: profshallowness
Why This Must Be Read: To enjoy watching Snow both settle and grow into her role and the slow-burn development of the love story.
Fandom: Snow White and the Huntsman/The Huntsman: Winter’s War
Pairing: Snow White/The Huntsman
Title: From Darkness Into Light
Author: Jedi Buttercup
Link: AO3
Rating/Warning(s): Teen. None.
Word Count/WIP?: 4,200 words. Complete.
Recced on LiveJournal By: profshallowness
Why This Must Be Read: If, like me, you came out of Snow White and the Huntsman shipping Snow/Eric (and, let’s be honest, going to see Winter’s War thinking it was a prequel), this is the fix-it fic you crave. I love the treatment of Eric and Snow's feelings and the development of the magic here.
Fandom: True Grit (2010)
Pairing: Mattie Ross/LaBoeuf
Title: The Good Old Way
Author: ishie
Link: AO3
Rating/Warning(s): The writer doesn’t give one, so say teen. No warnings.
Word Count/WIP?: 4,040. Complete
Recced on LiveJournal By: profshallowness
Why This Must Be Read: Mattie may have misinformed us about one thing in her account of the hunt for Tom Chaney...
It’s so great to spend more time with Mattie of the distinctive voice, and the writer has fun with how the plain-speaker is a transparently unreliable narrator.
Fandom: While You Were Sleeping
Pairing: Lucy Moderatz/Jack Callaghan
Title: Bonne Nouvelle
Author: in48frames
Link: AO3
Rating/Warning(s): General Audience. None.
Word Count/WIP?: 1,076 words. Complete.
Recced on LiveJournal By: profshallowness
Why This Must Be Read: It’s a charming, grounded story about Lucy and Jack in Paris.
Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1147614.html
Fandom: What’s Your Number?
Pairing: Ally Darling/Colin Shea
Title: Disgusting Donald and the Lady Raptors
Author: lanyon
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8916067
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13
Word Count/WIP?: 1,269 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: An unmitigated delight, this fic follows up the movie with some sweet shippy goodness, hanging out with Daisy’s awesome kid, and a deep self-awareness for, uh, how famous everyone Ally dated has become since the movie came out in 2011.
***
Fandom: Selfie
Pairing: Eliza Dooley/Henry Higgs
Title: Without a Hitch
Author: cloudedcreation
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9026458
Rating/Warning(s): Teen
Word Count/WIP?: 1,365 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: Do you miss this show? I miss this show. This fic makes me miss this show less, but now I miss Charmonique more.
***
Fandom: New Girl
Pairing: Jess Day/Nick Miller
Title: Five times Jess tries to seduce Nick
Author: wagamiller
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/843921
Rating/Warning(s): Teen
Word Count/WIP?: 5,474 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: I just reread this fic to be doubly sure, but it looks like it is in fact fic and not a series of deleted scenes. Pity, ‘cause it’s just what it says on the tin and the very definition of the “haha, aww, you guys” vibe that this show excels at.
Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1147232.html
Fandom: Spiderman: Homecoming
Pairing: Michelle Jones/Peter Parker
Title: Outtakes
Author: YankingAwry
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13139571
Rating/Warning(s): Mature
Word Count/WIP?: 3,078 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars-inthe-sky
Why This Must Be Read: Besides the fact that "a cursed Tony Stark Funko Pop" is listed as a character? This is a sweet and grounded and genuinely funny story about two people who really like each other trying to figure out sex, in spite of a lot of hijinks and the occasional superpowered interlude...and the aforementioned Funko. (It's part of a longer series that's also terrific, but this installment is just in a league of its own.)
Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1146928.html
Three British TV show recs (The Hour, Humans, The Office)
Fandom: The Hour
Pairing: Lix Storm/Randall Brown
Title: raise a tent of shelter now
Author: voodoochild
Link: AO3
Rating/Warning(s): General Audiences, none.
Word Count/WIP?: 599 words. Complete.
Recced on LiveJournal By: profshallowness
Why This Must Be Read: Brilliant writing. I loved the reaction to all that had happened (this is set after the second series), namely choosing to grab hold of the good things, which is perfect for the new year's eve setting.
Fandom: Humans
Pairing: Mattie Hawkins/Leo Elster
Title: Away
Author: ottermo
Link: AO3
Rating/Warning(s): Teen, none.
Word Count/WIP?: 3,231 words. Complete.
Recced on LiveJournal By: profshallowness
Why This Must Be Read: A satisfying, plausible fic set a few years after the events of the first season (it was written before s2) with brilliant characterisation. This is the best Humans fic I’ve ever read.
Fandom: The Office (UK)
Pairing: Tim Canterbury/Dawn Tinley
Title: Never Stop
Author: thinkatory
Link: AO3
Rating/Warning(s): General audience, none.
Word Count/WIP?: 1,000 words. Complete.
Recced on LiveJournal By: profshallowness
Why This Must Be Read: Before Sherlock, before Jim and Pam, before quite a lot of things, actually, there were Tim and Dawn. This is a lovely fic about a well-drawn Tim and Dawn's happy ending.
Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1146747.html
Fandom: Daredevil
Pairing: Elektra Natchios/Matt Murdock
Title: Freedom
Author: LJC
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13039188
Rating/Warning(s): Mature
Word Count/WIP?: 6,623 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: Elektra is a difficult character to inhabit, but the author takes on the challenge with grace and not a little darkness in this exploration of Elektra's past, future, and the choices she makes—especially those related to a certain lawyer she's not quite going to quit.
Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1146445.html
Fandom: iZombie
Pairing: Liv Moore/Major Lilywhite
Title: Whatever You Throw at Me
Author: Mosca
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5440823
Rating/Warning(s): Teen
Word Count/WIP?: 2,568 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: In the earlier seasons, the show briefly touched on how weird (but also how unexpectedly fun) it might be to date someone whose personality and interests change in such drastic but quasi-predictable ways as Liv's do. This sweet series of missing moments covers a few less murder-tastic brains she might've sampled over the years, as well as how the people in her life (and a human Major in particular) help her steer around the curves.
***
Fandom: iZombie
Pairing: Liv Moore/Major Lilywhite
Title: Mind Over Matters
Author: tvconnoisseur
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8884951
Rating/Warning(s): G
Word Count/WIP?: 1,670 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: The longer the show's gone on, the harder it is to see the "real" Liv through the many, many characters she takes on—and this fic (though it tends toward gen, it's definitely got its shippy moments) takes a careful, balanced approach to what that means and does to a person, as well as to those around them. Well worth exploring, it turns out.
Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1146149.html
Fandom: Pride and Prejudice
Pairing: Elizabeth Bennet/Fitzwilliam Darcy
Title: The Heart Asks Pleasure First
Author: tree
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4271
Rating/Warning(s): G
Word Count/WIP?: 402 words, complete
Recced on LiveJournal By: blithers
Why This Must Be Read: This is a small, intimate moment, captured gorgeously, that really highlights how a restrained society means even the most innocent of touches gain overwhelming impact.
Fandom: Northanger Abbey
Pairing: Catherine Morland/Henry Tilney
Title: This hole in my heart is in the shape of you
Author: scintilla10
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3215252
Rating/Warning(s): G
Word Count/WIP?: 269 words, complete
Recced on LiveJournal By: blithers
Why This Must Be Read: Because of course Catherine and Henry are soulmates, and it's both adorable and romantic - I like to imagine how the rest of the novel would have played out in this AU world.
Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1146094.html
2 recs, Thrilling Adventure Hour, various pairings
Fandom: Thrilling Adventure Hour (Beyond Belief)
Pairing: Sadie Doyle/Frank Doyle
Title: Tick of Time
Author: fangirl_squee
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2716592
Rating/Warning(s): PG
Word Count/WIP?: 3,156 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: I love these characters, together and apart, but I especially love how much they love each other, and this fic does a great, lighthearted job of highlighting just how important that can be.
***
Fandom: Thrilling Adventure Hour (Sparks Nevada: Marshal on Mars)
Pairing: Ginny West/Sparks Nevada
Title: retired is being twice tired
Author: possibilityleft
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3565682
Rating/Warning(s): G
Word Count/WIP?: 1,826 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: The author makes incredible sense of a seemingly random narrative direction, and the results are surprisingly grounded and meaningful—not just for Sparks and Ginny but for the whole crew to boot.
Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1145734.html
Fandom: The Martian
Pairing: Beth Johansson/Chris Beck
Title: BREAKING NEWS
Author: sevenfoxes
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13054146
Rating/Warning(s): Mature
Word Count/WIP?: 11,874 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: Post-canon, Johansson has a lot of personal stuff to work through—and it's not immediately clear how her space squeeze fits into things. I love how the author explores her genuine uncertainly, grounding it in character history and personality traits beyond what we get in the movie, and lays it over a background of weirdly public personae and the strangeness of coming back to Earth, literally and otherwise.
Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1145384.html
Fandom: Star Wars
Pairing: Jyn Erso/Cassian Andor
Title: We've Been Here Before
Author: angel_deux
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9338369
Rating/Warning(s): Teen
Word Count/WIP?: 5,636 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: The "Edge of Tomorrow" AU that both buoys anyone who watched "Rogue One" and had feels and that reminds you of the price of fixing things. Read, read, read.
***
Fandom: Star Wars
Pairing: Leia Organa/Han Solo
Title: Any Scar You Give Me (I Will Endure It)
Author: igrockspock
Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10801305
Rating/Warning(s): Teen
Word Count/WIP?: 15,036 (complete)
Recced on LiveJournal By: stars_inthe_sky
Why This Must Be Read: Written by one of those authors where everything they do is aces, this story follows our space princess from not long after RotJ through not long after TFA. It's wrenching in places, yes, but it's also a clear-eyed exploration of everything her little family experiences in the intervening years, for better or worse, with sharp characterizations that you won't soon forget.
Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1145184.html
Two Disney recs (Enchanted, Nancy/Edward; POTC: OST, Syrena/Philip_
Fandom: Enchanted
Pairing: Nancy Tremaine/Edward
Title: Five Reasons to By Happy in Andalasia (and One Thing to Miss from Reality)
Author: Dira Sudis
Link: AO3
Rating/Warning(s): Teen. None.
Word Count/WIP?: 1,251. N.
Recced on LiveJournal By: profshallowness
Why This Must Be Read: It’s clever and charming about how a modern New Yorker becomes an Andalasian queen.
Fandom: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides
Pairing: Syrena/Philip
Title: there is gold across the river
Author: evewithanapple
Link: AO3
Rating/Warning(s): Teen. None.
Word Count/WIP?: 1,348 words. N.
Recced on LiveJournal By: profshallowness
Why This Must Be Read: Tells their story in the film and what happened next, from the mermaid POV, bringing in a more fairy-tale-ish feel, mixing grief and hope.
Originally Posted At: https://het-reccers.livejournal.com/1144868.html
