do you have a pynch rec list???????!!!! Especially angst 🫢
why yes, I have endless pynch recs! but I'll stick to 20 for now :)
starting off with angst since that's what you really want:
Bicoastal Angst by flightspath @flightspathfic (E | 7,701)
this one hurts so good!
cruising altitude by toyourdetriment @yiiiiiiiikes25 (E | 62,545)
uhhhhh don't even know what to say about this other than if you haven't read it yet, drop whatever else you're reading and pick this up asap. the centerpiece of this series, 19A, features some of the most elite pynch angst you will ever encounter. truly masterful stuff. every single character in this is amazing, and the writing is gorgeous, precise, heartbreaking, life-affirming, and funny.
pro bono by sonofadream @sonofa-dream (E | 74,755 so far | WIP)
all-time great pynch fic already and it's not even finished yet. and ok fine maybe it isn't actually all that angsty but it has its moments and they are juicyyyy! just brimming with gorgeous prose throughout too. DO NOT SKIP THIS.
come to me feathered and frayed by deathscapes (M | 3,965)
I have a particular weakness for St. Agnes sleepover fics, and this recent one, full of angst and melancholy, is my very favorite. I really hope this author writes more for trc!
screamland by thesehands @thesehandsfic (E | 148,944)
in this series Adam and Ronan crash into each other's lives and eventually realize they have to deal with their shit if they want to be together. super hot at times (def one for the D/s pynch enjoyers), super heavy at times, and super hopeful in the end
(The Time It Takes) To Believe in Fate by LydiaStJames (M | 100,057)
this one is a beloved fandom classic for a reason. when run-of-the-mill pynch pining and angst just won't cut it, add time travel to the mix for an extra dose of heartbreak!
To Feel Your Heartlines by renlybaratheon (E | 119,188)
my favorite au based on other media. this is inspired by Four Weddings and a Funeral but you don't actually need to know the film to enjoy the story. more pining than angst here, but there's a lot of it and it's sooo good. also... Ronan is Irish in this! (like, he lives in Ireland)
ok the rest of these recs are not angsty, sorry, but they are excellent, I promise!
Price of Admission by clotpolesonly @clotpolesonly (G | 9,632)
absolutely lovely pre-canon au in which little kid Adam goes to the carnival alone and meets Niall and the Lynch brothers. beautiful prose, incredible characterization all around, full of aching and sweet moments.
it's time you found another reason to stay by cloverspies (T | 6,651)
the gangsey, a cabin, spring break. this is such a sweet pynch fic, and it features my all-time favorite alternate first kiss. read it!
The Ties that Free Me by hokay (E | 3,184)
another fave St. Agnes sleepover one-shot featuring pre-relationship pynch, hot and bothered, literally and figuratively
burning all the bridges by orphan account (T | 6,329)
hot & sweet lil one-shot featuring pynch smoking up together and surrendering to the mutual attraction they're both aware has been building for a while
"How about I drive for once?" by rosych33ks (E | 5,903)
my all-time fave one-shot of the first time pynch escalate things beyond kissing. basically Ronan is in a car with a beautiful boy and he simply cannot hold it together. this feels so in character for them, like it could be plucked right out of the books if only they weren't YA.
that night (something sweet in the air) by earthquaker (E | 1,788)
another very hot & very sweet pynch first
fwb by flightspath @flightspathfic (E | 19,243)
forever obsessed with the way flightspath writes pynch getting together, always sort of dazed by their own inevitable collision course. this one in particular always puts a huge grin on my face. #1 comfort fic for real!
The Backup by cheeryos @cheeeryos (T | 36,266)
fake dating + holidays + rom com vibes with a delicious slow burn. this one is very sweet and very fun!
(don't shut your eyes) Until we fade to black by earthquaker (E | 20,392)
love this fake dating-ish getting together au in which pynch are both actors cast in a film together
if you say the word by sleeptodream (E | 28,887)
aged-up pynch trying and failing at a casual fwb arrangement
soul misses the body by cathedrallight @cathedralight (E | 9,493)
a fantastic dreamer trilogy missing scene fic, this follows pynch in the immediate aftermath of their reunion at the end of Greywaren
pretty dreamer/beautiful non-believer by underthedancingwillow @river-moons (E | 4,277)
my favorite contribution to the trc kinktober '25 collection. smoking hot and deeply heartwarming aged-up domestic (freaky as ever) pynch. the sweetest blasphemy kink you'll ever read!
Concorde by Anonymous (M | 176,286)
this fic is the most beautiful love letter to canon I've ever read. in this au, 10-year-old Adam meets Niall Lynch and gets tangled up in his web. the story follows two different timelines and features so many dazzling nods to and twists on beloved canon elements. stunning character work, intricate plotting, emotional arcs, and just so much wonderful stuff for pynch lovers.
and a bonus rec...
just stopping by by lizpaige @lizpaige (E | 1,439)
maybe this is cheating since it's really more decladam than pynch (Declan walks in on pynch and a hot decladam moment follows), but it's fresh in my mind since I just ran into it again... and pynch is there and central to the action so I'm throwing it in the mix!
