Puzzle Bean's Fic Recs

Multifandom fic recs by @puzzlebean. I read things for a lot of ships and fandoms but I'm currently really into Formula 1 RPF, Spirk, Star Trek, Bishlova, Stucky, Marvel, Ted Lasso, Stranger Things, Nancy Drew, Milex and anything Femslash. You can expect a lot of those things to pop up, though other things will as well. I will post themed rec lists and reading lists. If you want to share a fic you've read and love, feel free to share it so I can check it out. I love discovering new stories and sharing my love for stories.

[celientjeee]

Shut Up and Drive

(Charles/Max, 45k, complete)

Max pointed at Charles’ bags. ‘Is this all you're bringing or will there be more?’

Oh so he was making fun of him now, well Charles could do the same. ‘You mean more than the four white t-shirts you brought?’

Max blinked at him for a couple of seconds before his entire face lit up and he giggled. He giggled.

‘Good one, and I actually brought five t-shirts,’ Max replied, still smiling.

Was he serious? Charles hoped not.

OR: Charles and Max are 'forced' to go on a road trip together, whatever could go wrong?

--

READ HERE!

This is written for @lestappenweek day one prompt 'first kiss' and will be a multi chaptered fic :)

[skylarkblue]

Title: A Kitten Catastrophe Author: skylarkblue Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe Pairing: Yelena Belova/Kate Bishop Rating: T Word Count: 3,625 Warnings: None

Summary: 

On their way home from yet another disastrous Avengers mission, Kate and Yelena find a stray kitten stuck up a tree.

Read on AO3 here!

[themaxieltop333]

#1: Can we talk in the morning?

By: 33max

“You can not just be here,” Max said, his face schooled into an unusually neutral expression. Daniel still hears the with me that goes unsaid. You can not just be here with me. Or, Daniel runs away to LA and Max chases after him

[1-5k words, Teen and Up, Angst with a Happy Ending, Getting Together, Friends with Benefits, Internalized Homophobia]

This fic is archive locked and can only be read by AO3 users.

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[puzzlebean]

so I am doing another fic recs thing over on @themaxieltop333, first recs will hopefully be up in the next few days!

[powerful-owl]

Hey, Remember That Time (max/daniel, 29k, explicit)

my love letter to @officialmood & @onadarklingplain on their shared birthday month

Daniel’s breaths are stuttery, staccato. His cheeks are flushed. He says, “Sorry. Fuck. I feel like I need to tell you something? Like. If I’ll be sleeping here.”

There’s a snowstorm outside and a snowstorm in Max’s head. “Yes, okay. What.”

“I think I’m gay? Pretty sure. Or like. Hella bi. Cause I think I’d still – if you were a – sorry. My body likes you, Max.”

(Max owns an inn and Daniel has amnesia.)

♡ thank you anna, @bighoneyenergy & @rollingest-hills for making this so much better

♫ playlist

[champselysees]

maybe we got lost (in translation)

Esteban Ocon/Lance Stroll | one shot | 6k+ | complete

“Yes.” Oui, Esteban quickly responds in properly sounding French, rapidly nodding his head. He wants to, needs to, make sure that Lance understands that he speaks French, that he wants to talk to him in French. He lets the slightest grin slip through, hopefully in the good area of looking friendly without being overly friendly to the point of scaring someone off.

OR: On understanding each other.

Read on AO3

[hollie47]

Title: A Moment Alone Author: Hollie47 Rating: G Word Count: 400 Fandom: Formula 1 Pairing: Charles Leclerc/Max Verstappen Summary: Charles and Max get a couple of minutes in the cooldown room, alone.

Read Here on AO3!

[aimmyarrowshigh]

Chapter Ten posted!

It felt pointless to try to chatter niceties to a man who probably didn’t know English from a Hobbit-hole in the wall. Still, Steve was instructed to just keep talking until the Asset replied, so he did. He walked through the repertoire of his entire record collection, explaining his choices and the best songs on each album that he owned. He explained what he knew of the history of the symphony on the radio and tried asking, to a series of blinks in response, whether the Asset had been present for the atrocities of the Russian front. He demonstrated his tin ear by singing a bit of the “Chattanooga Choo-Choo,” until Natasha came over the speakers into the pod and begged him to please for the love of god and country, stop singing, Steve. Steve tapped his thumb against the side of his leg as he wracked his brain for anything more to say. “Wish I knew a little about you, pal,” he finally settled on. “So that our conversations could be a bit less one-sided. You don’t have to tell me your name, but at least tell me something about yourself. What you like on the radio or who your favorite star is at the pictures. Or what you like to eat. You know, it is safe to eat the food that we send in here for you, it’s not poisoned. We’re not gonna torture you, other than with my singing, and I already told Natasha I’d stop. It’s not right to waste food. Don’t you know we’re rationing?”

[glorious-blackout]

Milex/TLSP/AM Fic Recs 💖

I was inspired by @puzzlebeanficrecs' recent posts to share some of my all-time favourite fics in this wonderful fandom. This is by no means an exhaustive list as the sheer number of amazing works I've read by incredible writers over the past couple of years is too many to count, but here are some fics that I keep going back to time and time again 🥰

1) Somewhere Darker by @elorianna

Alex hasn't slept properly for weeks. His days are plagued with writer's block, and his nights are haunted by strange and frightening dreams. Progress on the second Puppets album has all but ground to a halt.

Miles is haunted too, by the nights that he and Alex have shared, and the boundaries that they've crossed. Now, he's caught in a game of pretence which neither one of them seems destined to win.

But all is not as it appears, and when a working break away from LA turns into a strange misadventure, Alex and Miles must each decide where their real priorities lie, and how much they're willing to risk in order to attain their hearts' desires.

Will they find a way to repair their fragmented relationship? Or will they remain trapped in a nightmare from which neither one of them can ever wake up...?

One of my favourite fics ever and I cannot recommend the sequel 'Baby, He Can Find You' highly enough if you haven't read it yet!

2) All's Well That Ends Well (To End Up With You) by @yellowloid

Asking Miles to marry him is something Alex has been wanting to do for far too long now. After months of meticulous planning, the day has finally come ‒ and yes, maybe he's a bit nervous, but he's firm in his decision, and he can't wait to just get down on one knee and pop the question. Nothing ‒ nothing ‒ is going to get in his way.

The universe begs to differ.

This entire series is so beautifully written, but this particular fic owns my heart. Such a perfect balance between angst and warm fluff.

3) under these lights you look beautiful by @alexturne

Miles got completely lost in his voice. There was a faraway quality to it, like he belonged somewhere else entirely, but somehow had decided to grace them with his presence and Miles felt blessed to be near him if even for a short while. The subtle elegance hidden in his slender figure, the mannerisms of his fingers wrapped around the corners of his notebook. His words were spoken softly, quietly, but without any hesitation or faltering.

Alex is an elusive poet, who has a way with words and Miles is a bartender, who is completely mesmerized.

The queen of beautiful, heartfelt AUs! Every story of hers is like an escape into a warm hug, but this may be her magnum opus.

4) you cannot turn away (but nice try) by @kisameanslight

Alex Turner thought he got over the love of his life, but then they run into each other again a decade later. Whether they’ll be able to let the past go or not, only time will tell.

I have such fond memories of following this story as it came out and being kept on the edge of my seat with each new update. Her Vampire AU 'c'est horrifique!' is equally incredible 💖

5) The 'Amerlie' Series by @lanatural-books

Welcome to the universe of Amerlie.

All parts intertwine and should take you on an interesting adventure.

I can't begin to pick a favourite entry in this series so I'll simply recommend the whole thing. Such an exquisitely written, cosy love story between our favourite two idiots.

6) Joie de Vivre by @gasdancer

"Two young men decamp to rural France to make an album together. It ~is like love."

Possibly the best Baby Puppets fic/series ever written (and there's a lot of competition for that title). I have such a weakness for stories set in France during the recording of TAOTU so of course this series owns my heart.

7) Last night, what we talked about... by @rock-n-roll-fantasy

... it made so much sense... This little story came into being because of three obvious prerequisites: 1. Baby Monkeys were the cutest band in the world 2. Especially Baby Alex 3. Indie bands get drunk from time to time -> Conclusion: At least once, Baby Alex must have got too tipsy to walk back to the tourbus, so his equally tipsy friends had to take care of him. Further conclusion: It must have been very adorable :)

Not Milex, but just pure Baby Monkeys sweetness distilled into one adorably written fic. I'm in love 🥰

There are so many more fics that I love and wish I could mention but I'd probably be here all day. Feel free to add your own fic recs and share your favourite works in the fandom - I'd love to hear about them 💖

[puzzlebeanficrecs]

Thank you for this rec list! I can't wait to check out these fics 💖

[puzzlebeanficrecs]

It took me a long time to go down the Milex rabbit hole, but once I did, I went down hard. There are so many incredible stories for these wonderful men, I love it! Here are some of my favourites:

The 36 Questions That Lead to Love by fiireside [General, 7,921 words]

To fall in love with anyone, answer these questions.

Shy of a Spark by Elorianna [Mature, 39,986 words]

The Arctic Monkeys are about to play Glastonbury, their biggest gig yet, and Alex is struggling with stage fright. Fortunately for him, he has Miles to help him feel braver, and with his best friend by his side, surely nothing can go wrong.

Except that now it's the day of the show, Miles is acting strange, and the gig is no longer the only thing giving Alex stage fright. With the hours racing past, will he get his head in the game in time for their headline performance? And will he find a way to be brave, in more ways than one?

Illusions In The Dark by CosmicZombie [Explicit, 7,996 words]

Miles was no stranger to wanting, or even wanting Alex – but he’d never wanted anyone the way he wanted Alex in this moment, a glimmer of the impossible made possible under cover of Parisian midnight.

The Briefest Kiss by WeirdChick333 [Mature, 97,251 words]

This story begins as the EYCTE tour comes to an end. Miles and Alex are closer than ever. But what happens when they get too close? Can they contain their deepest desires? Do they even want to?

the italian job by stereobone [Explicit, 7,453 words, Archive Locked]

Miles buys a house in Italy. Alex accidentally moves in.

Some Velvet Morning by musette22 [Explicit, 14,534 words]

It happens at the OIympia in Paris, just after the show. Their hundredth show. A memorable one for more than just that reason, as it turns out.

(Or, the fic in which Alex's body starts talking before his mind does, forcing him to finally realise a thing or two about his relationship with his best friend Miles).

One Of Those Nights by Sunche [Teen and Up, 4,732 words]

Those nights, they're nights for talking, for listening to every single record there is, for drinking all the weird feelings away even though drinking makes the weird feelings increase, for watching and for long looks–– longing looks none of them would want to call out. Longing looks from one pair of doe eyes to another.

Those nights rarely ever happen in public. They start in public, just like this one, and that's before they realise that tonight will end up as one of Those nights.

going back to 505 by alexturne [Teen and Up, 2,087 words]

"Wanna bring out a very good friend of ours. Put your hands together please, for Miles Kane!"

Miles joins them for 505 for the first time in 5 years.

In the Woods Somewhere by yellowloid [Explicit, 17,070 words]

"The kiss that will set them free is the kiss you most desire."

A hike in the woods takes an unexpected turn when Alex, Miles, Taylor and Matt accidentally enter the Faerie territory.

[puzzlebeanficrecs]

It took me a long time to go down the Milex rabbit hole, but once I did, I went down hard. There are so many incredible stories for these wonderful men, I love it! Here are some of my favourites:

The 36 Questions That Lead to Love by fiireside [General, 7,921 words]

To fall in love with anyone, answer these questions.

Shy of a Spark by Elorianna [Mature, 39,986 words]

The Arctic Monkeys are about to play Glastonbury, their biggest gig yet, and Alex is struggling with stage fright. Fortunately for him, he has Miles to help him feel braver, and with his best friend by his side, surely nothing can go wrong.

Except that now it's the day of the show, Miles is acting strange, and the gig is no longer the only thing giving Alex stage fright. With the hours racing past, will he get his head in the game in time for their headline performance? And will he find a way to be brave, in more ways than one?

Illusions In The Dark by CosmicZombie [Explicit, 7,996 words]

Miles was no stranger to wanting, or even wanting Alex – but he’d never wanted anyone the way he wanted Alex in this moment, a glimmer of the impossible made possible under cover of Parisian midnight.

The Briefest Kiss by WeirdChick333 [Mature, 97,251 words]

This story begins as the EYCTE tour comes to an end. Miles and Alex are closer than ever. But what happens when they get too close? Can they contain their deepest desires? Do they even want to?

the italian job by stereobone [Explicit, 7,453 words, Archive Locked]

Miles buys a house in Italy. Alex accidentally moves in.

Some Velvet Morning by musette22 [Explicit, 14,534 words]

It happens at the OIympia in Paris, just after the show. Their hundredth show. A memorable one for more than just that reason, as it turns out.

(Or, the fic in which Alex's body starts talking before his mind does, forcing him to finally realise a thing or two about his relationship with his best friend Miles).

One Of Those Nights by Sunche [Teen and Up, 4,732 words]

Those nights, they're nights for talking, for listening to every single record there is, for drinking all the weird feelings away even though drinking makes the weird feelings increase, for watching and for long looks–– longing looks none of them would want to call out. Longing looks from one pair of doe eyes to another.

Those nights rarely ever happen in public. They start in public, just like this one, and that's before they realise that tonight will end up as one of Those nights.

going back to 505 by alexturne [Teen and Up, 2,087 words]

"Wanna bring out a very good friend of ours. Put your hands together please, for Miles Kane!"

Miles joins them for 505 for the first time in 5 years.

In the Woods Somewhere by yellowloid [Explicit, 17,070 words]

"The kiss that will set them free is the kiss you most desire."

A hike in the woods takes an unexpected turn when Alex, Miles, Taylor and Matt accidentally enter the Faerie territory.

[skylarkblue]

Title: Jason and Stephanie's Adventures in Reading Author: skylarkblue Fandom: Batman Pairing: Stephanie Brown/Jason Todd Rating: G Word Count: 2,757 Warnings: None

Summary: Jason and Stephanie have their own little book club. This month, they're reading their childhood favourites.

Written for JaySteph Weekend Day 1 prompt "Book Club" hosted by the lovely @jaystephevents

Read on AO3 here!

[skylarkblue]

Title: Jason and Stephanie's Adventures in Reading Author: skylarkblue Fandom: Batman Pairing: Stephanie Brown/Jason Todd Rating: G Word Count: 2,757 Warnings: None

Summary: Jason and Stephanie have their own little book club. This month, they're reading their childhood favourites.

Written for JaySteph Weekend Day 1 prompt "Book Club" hosted by the lovely @jaystephevents

Read on AO3 here!

[hollie47]

Title: The Fernery Author: Hollie47 Rating: E Word Count: 3,028 Fandom: Batman Pairing: Stephanie Brown/Jason Todd Summary: Jason and Stephanie slip out of the gala and make their way into the fernery for some much needed alone time.

Read Here On AO3

This was written for JaySteph Week 2023 hosted by @jaystephevents. Day 2: Wearing Each Other's Colours.

[mystidpurple]

Title: Healing Words Author: MystidPurple Fandom: Star Wars Pairing: Obi-Wan & Anakin Word Count: 2745 Summary: Anakin is afraid the first time they visit the healers. Obi-Wan is there.

Read Here on AO3

[puzzlebeanficrecs]

Drabbles are a form of fic I really adore. It takes a lot of effort to tell a satisfying story in just 100 words and yet these authors all manage to do just that.

Star Wars

003. Let Me Show You by @aimmyarrowshigh [Teen and Up, Poe Dameron/Rey]

Let me show you. Rey is at a loss in the Dameron kitchen: she’d never even been in a kitchen before. On base, the kitchen had been staffed by droids, and before that—before that was Niima.

Call/Response by Draco_sollicitus [General, Poe Dameron/Rey]

Rey's used to being on her own. It's what she's good at.

Setting It Up by Merfilly [General, Poe Dameron/Finn/Rey, Archive Locked]

Finn figures it's okay if he just is clear about what he is thinking.

Tomorrow's A New Day by @hollie47 [General, Poe Dameron/Finn]

Finn comforts Poe.

You Made a Rebel of a Careless Man's Careful Daughter by aimmyarrowshigh [Teen and Up, Poe Dameron/Rey]

You are the best thing that's ever been mine. Rey might be the last Jedi, but she's still a Scavenger deep down in her soul. What belongs to her is precious.

Determined by NotebookishType [Mature, Leia Organa/Han Solo]

Han figures he should learn to braid Leia's since he's usually the one to muss it up.

Marvel

Powers by @skylarkblue [General, America Chavez/Cassie Lang]

Cassie's a little curious as to how America's whole deal works.

074. Board Games by aimmyarrowshigh [Teen and Up, Kate/Yelena]

Board games. “I am just saying, Kate Bishop, this game makes no sense!”

“It’s not supposed to make sense! It’s supposed to be fun!”

Early Mornings by Hollie47 [General, Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov]

Natasha likes studying Steve's face as he sleeps.

Star Trek

Sandcastle by sweet_georgia_peach_drawl [General, Leonard McCoy & Joanna McCoy, Archive Locked]

Leonard watches his daughter building a sandcastle.

Shots by skylarkblue [General, Seven of Nine/B'Elanna Torres]

Seven is at the bar drowning her sorrows when B'Elanna takes the seat beside her.

Vulcan Kisses by LiraelClayr007 [General, Jim Kirk/Spock]

Jim and Spock don't show affection in front of the crew.

Except when they do.

Turbolift by Hollie47 [Explicit, Jim Kirk/Spock]

Spock indulges one of Jim's fantasies.

DC

Even Brighter by Ptelea [Teen and Up, Bernard Dowd/Tim Drake]

Just a little moment for Tim and Bernard not too long after episodes 40/41, Better and Brighter.

Once More by Hollie47 [General, Stephanie Brown/Jason Todd]

Jason knows what to do when Steph has had enough training for the day.

Pirouette by skylarkblue [General, Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain]

Steph loves to watch Cass dance.

Scooby Doo

030. Dares by aimmyarrowshigh [Teen and Up, Velma Dinkley/Sally McKnight | Thorn/Kimberly "Kim" Moss | Luna/Muffy St. James | Dusk]

Dares. The Hex Girls take Velma to Crystal Cove Mall.

Wednesday/The Addams Family

Enid in Black by WotanAnubis [General, Enid Sinclair/Wednesday Addams]

In which Wednesday must come to terms with an unexpected and incomprehensible sight.

Pushed by Hollie47 [General, Enid Sinclair/Wednesday Addams]

Wednesday doesn't appreciate being pushed.

[skylarkblue]

Title: no body, no crime Author: skylarkblue Fandom: Batman Pairing: Stephanie Brown/Jason Todd Rating: T Word Count: 15,000 Warnings: None

Summary: After killing the Joker, Jason vanished. Steph finds him on a Gotham street with a broken nose and no memory of his life before.

They try to remember, together.

Written for JaySteph Weekend Day 3 prompt “PTSD,” hosted by the lovely @jaystephevents

Read on AO3 here!