it’s the end of the year, i read a lot of hellcheer fic, let’s talk favorites
or: a hellcheer fic rec list to close out 2025
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to get my soul known again (E, 189k) by @staceymcgillicuddy: trucker!eddie AU, and my favorite fic of the year (!). Eddie runs into a distraught Chrissy (on the run from her husband) in the middle of nowhere. Her request— take me with you. Cross-country big rig adventures. Beautifully real. Sex that heals the soul.
all the ashes in my wake (M, 15k) by cunninghams: A the last of us AU, starting with Eddie and Wayne when the outbreak happens, and eventually Chrissy, too. Feels like soulmates finding each other. Told through multiple snapshots over the years of their life together. Beautiful in many ways.
dirtbag (E, 60k) by @bettsfic : their summary does it best- “For 14 miserable years, Eddie has been the other man. But by 1998, he can no longer pretend it’s a sex thing.” Filed under: fics that messed me up baaaad. The yearning between them is unreal. Masterful exploration of a power dynamic between C&E and how it develops over the years.
old haunts (M, 69k) by @a-strange-inkling: a universe of stories about an older Eddie and Chrissy raising their two young daughters. Special shoutout to parts 3 and 6. Lots of snippets of married life.
eddie my love (T, 1.2k) by @ghostlynimbus : A domestic moment in the trailer after C&E spend the night together. Chrissy is humming a song Eddie doesn’t know, but Wayne knows by heart. Inspired my love of the actual song by The Chordettes.
shout to the sky (T, 12k) by enoughtotemptme: Eddie brings home a pregnant Chrissy (with a baby that isn’t his), and Wayne watches them grow closer, fall in love, start a life together. I’m still searching for Wayne!POV like this.
make some room (E, 15k) by @toburnup : steve/eddie/chrissy, but there’s delicious Eddie and Chrissy relationship-building. Married Steve and Chrissy, their friend Eddie bunks on their couch for a few weeks, and the rest is a really fun romp.
old man, take a look at my life (E, 7.3k) by @truefaithmp3: “In the aftermath of Wayne’s passing, Eddie reflects on what it means to be a father.” Non-linear narrative featuring Wayne’s funeral, E&C finding out she’s pregnant, Eddie telling Wayne he got married, and a stunningly beautiful sex scene. Really gorgeous writing!
your extra time and your kiss (E, 40k) by uwusillygirl: a Pretty Woman AU, sexworker!Eddie. Just two broken people trying to make it through. I really loved the dialogue in this one. Steve (Eddie’s roommate of the same profession) is so well-written.
