Hey! Hi! Just a friendly weekend rec post! I occasionally see people discussing reading WIPs. I went through a period myself of not wanting to get into any more WIPs, then I realized the importance of supporting those writers. I understand! It can be so hard if you don't get regular updates. But if we don't read and comment on writers' work, they get discouraged and don't want to continue writing. It's a cycle. We definitely all have favorite WIPs that haven't been updated in a long while and may never be completed. I won't call out or tag any of those because while supporting writers, I also don't want to pressure them.
I was chatting with some friends this week about fics, (Nosho @creepkinginc and I can't shut up 😂💖💚) and here's a couple of observations. One of the great things about WIPs is the not-knowing what's coming next. There's no reading ahead, no reading the last chapter, because as @ian-galagher said to me, "The last chapter hasn't even been written yet." 😂😂😂 My response is that I want to live in the anticipation!! So many other readers making predictions and observations, that's the fun of a WIP. If none of it ever comes to fruition, you've at least had that joy (or cathartic angst) in the moment and sometimes the camaraderie of ranting (or commiserating) with your friends! It's a blast!
So here have some of my absolute favorites WIPs, not in any specific order. I'm only going to write one sentence to describe each. Ha! Like I've ever been able to stop at one sentence!
I have faith that most of them will one hundred percent be completed. But even if they aren't, I will love and enjoy them for what they've already given me and hope they're inspired to finish them at some point. Love my writers!!!
Africa by IanGalagher @ian-galagher An AU in which Ian goes to Africa to intern with Mickey, a world renowned wildlife photographer. Basically, love, angst, tension, mystery, sex and lots of banter ensue. Ack, can't get enough!!!
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Out of Nowhere by Suzy_Queue @suzy-queued Ian (my long-haired, bearded badass beloved) is sent by Frank and the family to an abandoned farm to protect gold that Frank has hidden. Escaped convict Mickey, (he's a stranger in this fic, but the most canon Mickey I think Deena has ever written!) shows up to find it. Mmmph, so good!!
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Sweetpea by WhatTheBodyGraspsNot @whatthebodygraspsnot A shapeshifter fic with lots of sweetness, sexiness and surprises! WTBGN has a style that is unmatched in this fandom and I would recognize their writing anywhere! Love this so so much!!!
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Going Off-Script by MZS @mzshko Hollywood Au in which Ian is Mickey's production assistant on a reality show with lots of tension, angst, love and chemistry. On the edge of my seat!!
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growing pains, balancing on the ledge and the silence is all we have by mmmichyyy . The latter is angsty as hell, but I love it so much. (Sorry, this is absolutely not pressure Michelle, I had to do it. I just love it! 😜😍) @mmmichyyy is a beast with multiple WIPs and is updating more than one regularly!! All of them so beautiful!
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Intro to Quantum Dating by spoonfulstar @spoonfulstar You've got to be reading ITQD! It's an ongoing college AU with so much heart I can't stand it!!!
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Come-Ups and Coincidences by scurvaliciousbay @scurvgirl Very new, but I love love love the premise of this single dad AU. The meet up is so so good!
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Last one, in keeping with my love for Soulmate fics! 😍
One Tomorrow Away by auds_and_evens @auds-and-evens Soulmates my beloveds!!! Also very new, this is a time loop fic and so so creative! My mind was awhirl!!!
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I never rec this many fics in a post, but my WIP list is long. 😂The point is, this fandom is still alive and thriving! To keep it that way, we have to read, kudos, comment, reblog, like and just support those writers and creators bringing us joy. You will find lots to love in the above fics! Show them some love back!!
See you soon with some lovely Witchy Magical Gallavich up next and Part Two Soulmates and maybe some more Prison Boyfriends too. In the meantime, keep reading!
Today's rec is from a legendary writer in the fandom! @palepinkgoat. I thought it was appropriate in preparation for her upcoming visit to @mayo-in-the-morning and I fukn love her work!!! I've recced her works before in my second "classics" post. Restoration with art by Steorie. And her most recent story Paragraphs. All freakin spectacular stories!! Today's recommendation is a lovely, moving, unique story from 2015. With this post I want to recognize the longevity of this fandom and how incredibly beautiful and impactful the writing and art can be! @palepinkgoat and @steorie both have stories and art spanning a decade! Now for today's fic.
I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm not going to say too much about the actual story. Suffice it to say there are some canon elements, but essentially Ian and Mickey meet in a very unusual setting and hurt, comfort, and healing ensues. 😭This fic is tagged as very dark, and it is, but it's really so so healing and lovely as well. I cried so much on the reread, even though I've read it multiple times. When I read fics written in this era, they often have a very different tone than more current stories. This is one of those fics. It has early gallavich emotional vibes and I love it so much!!! Just all the superlatives, beautiful, amazing, incredible, spectacular!!! 😭😭😭
Life, or Something by pink_ink
This is it folks! The end of Celebration Week 🎉💖It's been a blast! I truly hope you've found some fics you haven't read, or at the very least something you want to reread. I really really hope you've enjoyed my analysis of each one! Thank you all for the support this weeks. The likes, the reblogs, the tags have made me so happy! I love this fandom!!! My next post will be coming in a bit. I need time to recover. 😂See you on the other side! 💖💖💖
Artwork by @doodlevich. See the entire comic here. I love this so much and it fits the vibe of today's rec! So so sweet and poignant! Galladads!
Today’s rec is an origin story of Galladads by @smokey-mickey . Ian and Mickey as parents is a very popular topic in the fandom. I think we all would love to know what came next for them as parents. This lovely fic is a continuation of canon and what could have happened after the crib discussion. It includes Mandy and briefly other Gallaghers! It's just what I would like to see happen for the boys. Maybe my favorite Galladads origin story! It's two chapters and a wonderful read! Everyone is in character and the resolution is beautiful and realistic. Lots of emotions!!! Just super moving and well, just joyful. There's some mild angst along the way, but a very satisfying journey and ending. Go read it now! I cried joyful tears at the end even on a reread! So so beautiful!! 😭😍💖
Hold Me Now by southsideforever
Let me know what you think! Nearing the end of my celebration week. This one is on the happier end of the spectrum. Do yourself a favor and read it tonight. It will boost your mood!!!! 💖
More Galladads by @doodlevich because I couldn’t choose! ✨ See the entire comic here. 💖
Currently obsessed with sports romance novels. There are many Gallavich sport AUs I love. I didn't even know it was a thing until I read an amazing Gallavich hockey AU. I'm not a crazy sports fan, but I was a cheerleader once upon a time and I've definitely watched my fair share with my husband. So here, have some Gallavich as hockey, baseball, and tennis players. So so fun!!!
(Not my art. IStock Image)
First up, the hockey AU I didn’t know I needed. Where I'm from, hockey was just never a sport I watched. But after this fic, I quickly went down a rabbit hole of hockey romance novels. It's a professional hockey AU, where Ian and Mickey are on opposing teams, but of course their rivalry and incredible chemistry leads to amazing tension and mhm hmm, yeah, lots of angst and emotional revelations and communication issues. I mean it's Ian and Mickey, but hockey. 😂 They have the southside connection (something I totally adore in AUs) and the Gallaghers and Milkoviches make appearances. In the ways you'd expect. Mandy's part is fantastic. The flirting is absolutely phenomenal!!! My favorite type of Ian, cocky, flirty, dominant but vulnerable, petty and dramatic and my favorite Mickey, rough exterior, soft interior, fucking gone for Ian but afraid of it. The angst, the banter, the sexiness, the dialogue ... UNGHHH!!! To die for!!! Go give it a read. The best type of emotional angst, typical of Mickey, but a lovely HEA. If you've never tried a hockey romance, be prepared. It will ruin you. In the best way!! . 😂💖🏒
Rookie Mistakes by delgay
@delgay
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Next up is a college hockey AU, in which Mickey is a star hockey player and Ian is his tutor. Ian also works at the local coffee shop in which they have the cutest meet-ugly! Love all of these tropes! The banter in this is just the BEST! I was smiling and laughing so much! It also has some of the best OCs I've ever read. A little jealousy and angst, some homophobic pricks who get theirs in the end and an implied HEA. It's actually not complete, but the end of the penultimate chapter is very satisfying. I cannot recommend this enough! 💖✨🏒
since we're alone by buffymilkovich, lethargicmick
@lethargicmick @buffymilkovich
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This next fic is about Ian and Mickey as baseball players, which I love because it’s a wink to canon. I've seen this on so many fan favorite lists. It's definitely beloved by many. Ian and Mickey are teammates on a minor league team, trying for the majors. They fall in love and want to be together while trying to keep everything secret. (Sound familiar?) There's so much angst in trying to stay together, but keep playing baseball. It's not technically complete, but there's only one chapter left and the final moments of the penultimate chapter are sooo worth it! I got chills and tears rereading it. An extraordinary ending!!💖🥰⚾️
Love is a Ballfield by and_i_take_it
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Finally, a sweet sweet Tennis AU by my beloved Evie @energievie written for Gallavich Week 2022 (organized by @gallavichthings). It's a short sweet read of five chapters. A little tennis, a little jealousy and a lot of flirting and snarky banter. And oh my god, I LOVE Iggy and Mandy in this one!! Iggy my sweetheart, my beloved!! Also, I'm rarely rarely surprised, but there's an amazing one in this story. The end is also incredible. I love everything about it!! 🎾💖🥰
Break Point by energie_vie
@energievie
I love every one of these recs. They're all so so good. Give them a whirl and let me know what you think! More recs incoming! 💖💖💖
I’ve been wanting to make this rec list for awhile. It’s definitely going to be a Bee Stan page @gallawitchxx! She’s our resident expert. But I’ll include some others too. This is technically a Part One, because I couldn't include all of my favorites, so expect more at some point. Obviously the definition of magical/mystical may be open to your interpretation. So please accept my offerings as intended and excuse any terminology errors. I love Ian and Mickey with powers that are witchy or supernatural in nature. (Not Supes. That was a separate post you can find here.) These are fics with witches, ghosts, curses, tarot cards and oops, one a/b/o. 😬 Give them all a chance and I expect you’ll be enchanted! ✨✨✨🔮👻💖
Artwork by my beloved @suzy-queued
I’ll start with our witchy expert Bee @gallawitchxx because she has THREE on the list! Not to mention her current Crystal Ball Weed Bong Mickey Galladrabble series (run to read it now!). Bee is all things magic! 🔮👻✨
This first ghostly, magical Bee fic is actually a soulmates fic (my favorite trope remember) and a post season six fix-it (?) as well. 😂 So it's a three for one. Bee just out here giving the people what they want! A year after the infamous "Svetlana paid me" scene, 😭Mickey dies in prison becoming a ghost. A mysterious Mandy comes to him offering him a chance at life, if he can get his soulmate to see him. Guess who that is! He's got two weeks to do it and live again. Omg people! The emotions!! It's just incredibly moving and beautiful. In my opinion, WIEAYB is the blueprint for any mystical fic. It has it all: ghosts, soulmates, mysterious being, urgency, love and healing. Nicknames, puns, canon references, THE tattoo! I'm going to cry just thinking about it. Definitely an HEA! It's everything a magical fic should be. Favorite line: "He'd belonged to somebody, and somebody had belonged to him." 😭😭😭Seriously, go read it. If you've read it, do yourself a favor and go reread it. It's breathtaking every time!! 💖👻✨😭
where i end & you begin by gallawitch
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Next up in the Bee love fest, a sweet meet cute with a Witchy Mickey reading Ian's tarot cards. He reads cards "by appointment only". He thought his life was one way, then Ian walks in for a reading and Mickey's life is turned upside down. Omg! There are dates and Mandy and one particular magic oc that I would die for! I knew nothing about tarot cards and readings, and I still don't know much now. But I spent some time googling various meanings while reading this one and it was beautiful and fascinating! The meanings of the readings is just so touching and incredible and you'll just have to read it to understand! 😂This is a sweet, easy read with some spice and very little angst. Just sweet sweet Mickey and Ian and a lovely, magical, tarot reading ride. Read it ASAP! You will love it! 🔮✨💖
an exception to the rule by gallawitch
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Okay. Remember when I said I would only ever recommend one or two more a/b/o fics? Well, this is one of them. This was a fandom sensation during Gallavich Week 2022 hosted by the always amazing @gallavichthings. I think we collectively went crazy last summer over this one! If you don't think you like a/b/o, I encourage you to give this one a chance. Wow! Incredibly original!! Ian and Mickey meet through an online dating app for the unmated. Bee sets just the right tone of realistic in a magical world. You have to be open and let the story take you. It's everything we love about Gallavich in a modern a/b/o. Just really angsty, feral, sweet and lovely too. So so clever! Give it a whirl, you won't be disappointed! ✨🔥💖
M8TE by gallawitch
@gallawitchxx
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This next fic was the first Gallavich supernatural fic I ever read! I was so surprised! I didn't think I was a huge fan of the supernatural, but this ghost story quickly drew me in. Ian is a ghost, that's not a spoiler obvs, Mickey moves into his apartment. This is not a dark ghost story. It's light and lovely and beautiful! Ian grows tomatoes, Mickey plays the piano, and the music is incorporated so wonderfully! I love this soft ghost fic so much! The writing is spectacular and nuanced, proving that fanfic is REAL writing and legit literature. There's a lot of mystery involved, a little angst, but there is an HEA! Never fear! Give it a try, you'll laugh and cry. Probably at the same time. Go read it!!! 👻💖✨
Ian the Friendly Ghost by Ravenheart
@purplemagpie
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Now, a one-shot! There's magic afoot! There is a cursed house on Trumbull Ave. and the Gallaghers are having some supernatural problems. Ian feels drawn to the house. It's told in dual povs and it's wonderful! The Milkoviches have left town and Mickey is practically forgotten. But there's a giant mystery there and Ian's going to solve it! A little bit of Gallaghers, a little Mandy and a beautiful story of "ghost" Mickey and Ian united. HEA of course!! I know you'll love it!
Hysterical Light by quietcoast
@sentimentalspiders
There's an incredibly detailed review and better analysis than I could ever give here, by the incredible @gallavictorious.
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Thanks for all the continuing support for the blog! I love you all so much. I've actually been organizing some themes into drafts with links already, so my next recs should come more regularly now that summer is winding down. Shout out to my fic bestie Nosho @creepkinginc for picking "magical" as this week's rec theme! Thanks for everything babe!! Next up is a surprise, because I'm not even sure yet! 😂But I have ... wait for it ... twelve! posts with varying themes in my drafts! So a lot of recs coming your way! As usual, let me know if you're loving something I recced. See you on the other side! 💖💖💖
Art work by @vintagelacerosette inspired by "draw this in your style" by @deathclassic I love this one so much!
My little Gallavich fic rec blog has reached over one hundred followers!!! I can't believe it! I remember telling @suzy-queued I was thinking about starting a fic rec blog and how nervous I was. I didn't think anyone would care about what I had to say. She convinced me to give it a try. The support has been amazing, so thank you all so so much!!! I appreciate likes and reblogs and any positive commentary!!! Ironically, I reached one hundred posts on main about the same day!! So to celebrate I'm going to post a rec daily this week! Instead of themes, I'll just focus on one (or two) 😁 fics each day. Again, thank you if you're following or just liking or reblogging. Go check out the fics recced on this blog and please comment and/or leave kudos. I know it means so much to the writers! This has been so fun! I love this fandom and this place!! ✨💖✨
Hey everybody! It's been awhile I know! I'm sorry! Time got away from me! I have a lot of recs going on right now, with lists and lists I'm trying to organize. I'll have a bunch of new recs coming your way soon! I'm working on a rec post for Magical/Mystical fics next. So look for that incoming. Also upcoming Soulmates Part Two, Prison Boyfriends Part Two and College AUs. Until then, try this ABSOLUTE CLASSIC!!! I've not included it on any lists before, but it deserves it's own post anyway. I was reminded of this fic when I saw @squidyyy23 posting recently. She is the author of some amazing fics ranging from fluffy domestic sexy husbands to hot and spicy AUs like my personal favorites serenity and for his honey. Her recent WIP second chapters is also amazing! Bring all the spice Squid! Gallavich A.U.Gust 2023 hosted by @gallavichthings is also in progress, so I thought it appropriate to recommend this incredible multi-chapter AU that every Gallavich fan must read!
Dancing After Death by Squiddy
This is an amazingly intimate and beautiful AU of Gallavich set in the Sons of Anarchy universe. Otherwise known as DAD. You do not have to have watched SoA to understand what's happening. Mickey's a member of a prominent local biker gang, while Ian has come to town to try to jump start his life, after his bipolar diagnosis and a stint in prison. We see EMT Ian as well, which is always a bonus. There is a little bit of Mandy and an oc, Lip and Tami and a Gallagher Family Christmas (Franny!) too. Look for at least one "stud", one "baby" and an incredibly sweet Christmas gift exchange. 😭They are all involved in the story in just the right way! It's just a really fantastic way to showcase Ian and Mickey and their journey to HEA. It's an amazing retelling of Mickey's growth in particular, in my opinion. A perfect setting to explore their relationship. If you're looking for a multi chapter AU, complete and incredibly well-written, this is it! Love it! Definitely a Fandom Classic!!
I know you'll love this fic! Thank you so much to everyone still reblogging my posts as you find them or come back to me for recs. I really appreciate all the support! See you very soon with my next big rec post! 💖💖💖
Why are we obsessed with prison boyfriends?!!! For one, this is the first time they're together-together for an extended length of time on the show. Yet we saw very little of what actually happened while they were incarcerated. So there is so much opportunity there for fic writers to explore. Secondly, the boys looked, (insert groan here), freakin amazing while living it. Shout out to the prison barber here!!!! Arms, hair, swagger, attitude ... oh uh sorry, I digress. Fic recs. Right. Here we go!
If you've read a lot or a little of Gallavich fics, you'll realize there's a wide variety of the prison boyfriend genre. This was my hardest post to choose my favorites! For newbies, just know that in some fics both of them are in prison, some involve Ian getting out and how they handle it, and some are AU. I ended up choosing fics that immediately came to mind when I started compiling this post. But when I went back into my bookmarks, there are so so many great ones!
In one of my choices they actually meet through letters. Just give them all a chance!! I want to go on record here by saying that I DESPISE any fics that blame Ian for everything and Mickey is overly mad at him. That's not to say that Ian doesn't ever blame himself or that Mickey isn't angry. Those are normal feelings. But they always resolve them. (I think I'll address this in a meta sometime over on @gallavichmeta.) Anywhoooo. Here are some of my favorite PRISON BOYFRIENDS!
This first one is pretty much canon compliant, except they actually meet in prison, which means they don't have all the tragic history. I think it's nearly perfection in that it mirrors their earlier relationship in canon, but it plays out over their time in prison. It contains so many of my favorite elements! Wary, rough Mickey and sweet, patient Ian. EMT Ian! Many canonical scenes are incorporated beautifully. Just a little bit of Gallaghers at the end. A perfect story arc in my opinion. It's just really, really well done!
Wipe You Clean With Dirty Hands by ProstheticLoVe (2021)
@livinginsunnyhell and art by @marzgaperez
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If you can remember the title long after you read it, it usually means something to you. This is the story of their time in prison, but picks up after they've been in together for awhile. There's not a lot of dark angst or reunion discussions. It about how they are moving forward. Of course, always positive, pushy optimistic Ian is dreaming of a shitty apartment for when they get out and he's pulling Mickey along with him. Some light angst which is to be expected, but this story gives us what we probably would have liked it to be, with an ending of your dreams! (Pun intended) Also some fantastic gay jesus jokes, which I mean seriously. Mickey would have had a field day with those! 😂
Dreaming of a Shitty Apartment by Crimson_Bebop (2018)
@crimson-bebop
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Another one where they don't know each other until prison. Ian has actually been released already and ends up being Mickey's penpal. Just read it!!!!! I promise it's awesome. It's a 31,000 word one-shot, but definitely covers all the bases. I think their voices are captured beautifully and the letter portion is both touching and hilarious at times. The tags are perfect: "Mickey can be an asshole" and "Ian pushes as usual". You get the idea. Loved this!!!!
Love after lock up--South Side edition by KeepGoing (2021)
@23milestogo and art by @clovesfanfic
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Lastly, a fic that gets us into Ian's mind and gives what I think is an amazing insight into what Ian was thinking and his reasoning for his actions in seasons six through nine. (Chapter three is EVERYTHING!) So of course, that leads it to be a little more angsty than the others. They do have some deep talks and some hot sex along the way, with a very happy ending. I've read it more than once. It's typical angsty Ian and a very solid, loving Mickey!
Black And Yellow by stars_fall_on (2019)
@stars-fall-on
Please remember tags for some canon like language and behaviors. I don't condone it, it's just part of their lives. There's actually been a lot of talk about prison boyfriends this week with some others offering recommendations. I found it interesting to see that they were all different than mine. Go check them out Here. It will probably be a couple of weeks until my next post. Up next Superhero AUs!!!
