there it is, finally! the list of my favourite hl fics of All Time.
disclaimer: some of these i have read only once and forever ago, but i’ve got them saved in a folder, and i vaguely remember them Meaning something to me when i read them, but basically -- if you read something from this list and end up not enjoying it, sorry not sorry! i operate on nostalgia sometimes, it’s possible i wouldn’t be that into some of them now, too, but whatevs!
i made myself stick to one work per author, otherwise this would be endless, but if an author’s nickname is bolded, it means i’ve had the time to read all of their works, and recommend them all.
i’m fairly certain i’m forgetting stuff (especially those stories that i’ve never saved/bookmarked), so i’ll try to keep this updated fairly regularly -- whenever i remember an old fave, or fall in love with something new. i’ll make sure to reblog this post then.
the order is completely random. this is a list where every work carries equal significance, even if not always for the same reasons. it was supposed to be alphabetical, but turns out i’m far too lazy for that. (shocker.) i took the liberty of shortening some of the original summaries, because this post is going to be Too Long anyway. rip.
blackjacks running down my back | sequel by dangerbears (+ lj) (~10,000)
AU. university stuff. best friend stuff. music stuff. sappy stuff.
try to not remember (rather than forget) by hereforlou (59,602)
He hadn’t left, but that’s what it had felt like most of the time. Just as if one day Harry had up and left him.
(Or, the one where Harry wakes up.)
Like Real People Do by moodlighting (58,469)
Harry is Louis' soulmate but Louis isn't Harry's - it takes Harry a while to figure it all out.
a prayer for which no words exist by Eliane (34,313)
Louis is a few seconds away from blowing up a rather important section of the New York subway when he sees Harry for the first time.
Who Painted the Moon Black by throughthedark (requires an ao3 account) (95,697)
“People died,” Harry whispers so quietly Louis strains to hear. “People died, and I killed some of them. How does life just go on after something like that?”
Louis shakes his head. “I don't know. It just does.”
hold on to your stars before they fade by adelagia (31,740)
The first time they meet, it is sunrise, and Harry is naked.
(Or, the one where Harry is a lost fairy, and Louis takes him in.)
Lambing Season by HelloAmHere (24,544)
“Shut up,” Louis says, an involuntary grin tugging at his mouth. It’s not every boy who will stand in the middle of a cold barn in a suit and play musician trivia. “I’m Louis.”
//lambing season brings sleep deprivation, noisy alarms, cold barns, demanding animals, and warm strangers.
Wild And Unruly by 100percentsassy, gloria_andrews (123,655)
Harry is a cowboy sitting on the biggest oil reservoir in Wyoming, and Louis is the paralegal assigned to pressure him into selling his land.
Walk That Mile by purpledaisy (149,570)
A Route 66 AU where falling in love was never part of the plan.
the dead things we carry by MediaWhore (25,316)
“Oh,” Mrs. Padley says, clearly taken aback. “You two know each other?”
There are some things people never fully come home from. Until, one day, if they’re lucky, home comes to them.
i believe him when he tells of loving me by bitterlee (28,894)
louis doesn't remember harry. harry takes him home.
Come Along With Me by darkofthenights (28,032) (requires an ao3 account)
An AU where Harry is a magician and Louis doesn't believe in such a thing.
Dust Off My Wings by eravain (19,882) (+ download)
AU where the boys are cottage neighbours, Louis develops an obsession with the mysterious boy next door, and the end of summer is really just the start of everything else.
Boys of Summer by sharktoothedfawnskinned (49,545)
What he wants is for this to be a forever thing, not someplace Harry spent the summer once. What he wants is for this to be more than a memory.
(New Jersey beach town AU.)
ever ever after by hattalove (22,645)
“Happily ever after, huh?” he can’t help asking, in a voice that’s softer than he’d like.
Harry seems to sense the fragility of the moment. He settles down, containing the excited flailing of his hands, and mirrors Louis’s position. “Of course,” he says. “Don’t you have those here?”
Louis bites his lip. “M’ afraid not. It doesn’t really work out that way for most people.”
or, an enchanted AU. sort of.
heroes of the orange skies by queenmcgonagall (30,656)
Louis likes bathroom walls and Sharpies, Harry likes metal, Zayn likes Liam and Liam likes Zayn, Niall is wise, and they all go to the zoo.
Empty Skies by green_feelings (134,048)
For three years, Harry has been running from his past. Now, he is moving to London and pledges to fulfil his only dream -- making it big in the music industry. Not everyone has a place, though, and the competition is tough. As is his past catching up on him.
Louis is part of the biggest boy band of the world, and getting there had meant a lot of hard work, as well as sacrificing parts of his heart and soul. He's still happy. Maybe not as happy as he could be, but who is he to complain?
nocturne in silver and blue by tinyweirdloves (97,594)
louis is a fallen star and harry brings him home. told over the course of fourteen years.
life does not go backward, nor does it tarry in yesterday by bottomlinsons (4568)
Louis and Harry are Knights of the Round Table and Camelot has a dragon problem. (Arthurian AU)
In This Light by exhilarated (99,234)
Harry is a wardrobe stylist who likes to live in the moment, and Louis is a popstar who looks dreamy in double breasted jackets. Harry never stood a chance.
our little corner of the world by brownheadedstranger (29,913)
AU. Louis is stuck in his mom's diner for the summer. Harry is the line cook with a pickup truck.
Every Arrow That I Aim Is True by estrella30 (24,890)
Louis doesn’t say anything again so Harry whispers, “Just stay here with me for a while, yeah? I’ll take care of you.”
Louis is quiet. He never picks his head up, but Harry can see the pillow move from where he’s nodding and his fingers tighten around Harry’s. “Yeah,” Louis says. “Yeah, all right.”
i'm not calling you a liar (just don't lie to me) by hazmesentir (33625) (requires an ao3 account)
Louis can't stop lying. Harry runs a farm. Somehow, he squeezes the truth out of him.
An Eternal Enigma by goldenquill (67,478) (+ download)
Louis is a reluctant king with a head full of fairy tales, and Harry is an emotionally challenged musical prodigy. Zayn is a hopelessly romantic painter, Liam is the castle’s resident ghost with sporadic amnesia, and Niall is the accidental head of the kingdom’s most prevalent spy ring. Very loosely based on the lives of Ludwig II of Bavaria and Richard Wagner.
all my love was down in a frozen ground by navigator (16,033)
AU very loosely inspired by the creation of Bon Iver's first record.
walk my days on a wire by sunshiner (38,586)
“We’re here because we have inventive managers,” Louis says, giving Harry’s leg a little nudge with his knee, but all that’s going around in his head is, I think I'd be in the same spot in every possible universe.
or, when actor Louis Tomlinson used to daydream about dating Harry Styles, this is not what he had in mind.
take my hand (and my heart and soul) by bananasandboots (45,623)
"I – yeah. Hi," Louis finally answers, slowly, awkwardly. "I um. Sorry. I heard about your accident. You're alright?"
Or, the one where Harry hasn't spoken to his best friend in sixteen months and can't remember why.
These Inconvenient Fireworks by wontsitstill (190,000) (+ download)
Future AU in which nobody tries out for X Factor but the boys end up finding one another eventually anyway. Louis is a jaded bastard who owns a cat named Duchess and teaches drama to teenagers, Harry is an idealistic aspiring photographer/part-time footy coach, Zayn teaches English lit and wears leather jackets, Liam saves people from burning buildings, and Niall is Niall.
things have gotten closer to the sun by starseas (49,276)
when a solar flare is announced to end the world in twelve days, harry reunites with the people that he used to know better than the back of his own hand.
Harry Styles Cooks... by sunsetmog (ongoing)
In which Louis Tomlinson can’t cook, there’s a very special shower curtain, and Harry Styles used to be a baker.
Or: Louis owns all of Harry Styles’ cookbooks, and he never intends to cook a single thing out of any of them.
101 Uses For Dragon Eggs by colazitron (42,249)
Louis just got back from a three week assignment yesterday and today was only supposed to be paperwork he needs to do to finish that up, before he was going to leave early and enjoy the weekend. And then Zayn, the traitor, emailed him about a bloke who was rumoured to have found a dragon egg and apparently live tweeting the whole thing.
Don't Want Shelter by FullOnLarrie (ongoing)
Louis and Harry have known each other all their lives. Friends as children, they danced around each other as teenagers, and have spent the last twenty-five years either screaming at each other or not speaking at all. Except for that one time ten years ago…
When Hurricane Nicole threatens the coast, they end up stuck together in their families' old vacation home that they begrudgingly co-own.
Escapade by dolce_piccante (requires an ao3 account) (146,241) (+ download)
In the grand scheme of things, finding a date for a wedding should be no problem for Louis Tomlinson. He's rich. He's handsome. He's reasonably well behaved. But when the wedding is for his lifelong best friend (and former boyfriend), and is happening in under a month, finding a date for the ceremony and accompanying festivities becomes more of an adventure than he ever could have planned for.
Whether Clouds or Clear Skies by onewasturning (25,861)
“Harry,” Louis says, “last night I had an experience bordering on profound.”
“You’re making it sound like you did something sexual with my muffin,” Harry says.
Or, Louis gets into the habit of stealing baked goods while Harry’s busy keeping tabs on the weather.
the dead of july by whimsicule (117,446)
Being an Avenger means continuing to be Captain America and smiling and being honorable for the public and Harry does his best. But it doesn’t give him time to figure out who he is supposed to be once he takes off his uniform and puts the shield to the side. Just being Harry had always involved Louis, and Harry fears he doesn’t know how to exist without him.
or: Harry is Captain America, and Louis’ been dead for 70 years.
In the Clear by aclosetlarryshipper (80,751)
After Princess Gemma and her fiance Niall are captured by the witch from across the land, Harry and Louis are forced on a journey together to save them.
Featuring Lumberjack Liam, Magical Zayn, unsolicited tattoos, and untangling the past.
Also known as The Larrietale.
a house built out of stone by robpatFF (22,486)
Louis has a used bookshop and Harry has a habit of claiming things that don't belong to him.
out of the blue corner by fallingaway (85,422)
Louis is a boxer banned because of doping. Harry is a journalist following the story.
with your love we could breathe underwater by luminescents (28,542)
Harry’s brow furrows, a look of confusion spreading over his face. “But I am real. I exist, see,” he says, raising a hand out of the water and wiggling his fingers at Louis.
AU where Harry is a mermaid, Louis is a human, and they both discover a lot more than they anticipated.
dancing in the dark by clairdeloune (74,709)
Harry comes out and it brings more than he's expected.
Untangle Me by suicxne (103,000) (requires an ao3 account)
Or the one where Harry and Louis finally get it right.
California Sold by isthatyoularry (123,536)
Notoriously closeted boyband member Harry Styles is famous on a global scale, meanwhile Louis, as his best friend, is back home in Manchester, living the typical life of a 24 year old. When Harry needs Louis with him in LA, a publicity stunt gone wrong changes their friendship forever.
A fake-relationship AU between two lifelong best friends.
you came into my life by disgruntledkittenface (57,180)
When the Queer Eye cast and crew sweep into Louis’ small town and fire station to make over his best friend and coworker Liam, Louis’ carefully constructed walls start to fall down and he has to face his fears – and the only guy he’s ever been able to see a future with.
like cabbages and kings by you_explode (60,875)
When Louis was a kid, he had a series of very vivid dreams about a place called Wonderland.
Loyal Knight and True by rainbowninja167 (51,569)
Oh, Harry thinks, mouth open on a silent gasp. This is how it happens.
In contemporary Oxford, Harry Styles and Niall Horan run a magical bookshop, unbowed by an entire academic establishment that insists magic doesn't even exist.
for now (and forever) by orphan_account (sadly can’t remember the actual author) (83,283)
"Listen to yourself," Harry laughs, shaking Louis' shoulders. "Don't you think it's a bit weird to con the country you're supposed to be serving?"
Louis is going into the Army, Harry is going nowhere, and there's nothing like a little identity fraud between friends.
Say You'll Remember by whisperdlullaby (93,521)
au. louis and harry are best mates that are only half aware that they're also soulmates. alternatively, louis goes to university and harry travels the world, and they always manage to find their way back to each other.
takes place over nine years, in which they love and hurt, make mistakes and learn, and above all, grow.
Faking It by TheCellarDoor (46,173)
A uni AU in which Louis has been Harry’s best friend since he offered him cubed fruit on the playground, and they spend more time cuddling in their dorm beds than they do apart, but it’s not like that. Or is it?
Battle Cry by Velvetoscar (21,377)
Harry's got a heart, a soul, and a band. And with that, obviously, comes a future paved in great success, right? So all he has to do is win the Battle of the Bands, right? Simple.
What's not so simple is the fact that Louis Tomlinson is his biggest competition. And also happens to be made of everything that Harry's ever wanted.
Take Me Where I Cannot Stand by LoadedGunn (13,988)
Harry can agree that being husbands in space presents some challenges. Sometimes they have to escape mindless cannibals, sometimes they're being held hostage, sometimes Louis doesn't want Harry to get pregnant, and sometimes someone slips on a banana peel. But that's all part of the fun, isn't it? They could have been juggling geese.
(Firefly AU where Harry and Louis are co-pilots in life.)
Just Me, You, And This Box of Matches by tomlinsunshine (87,020) (requires an ao3 account)
Louis is fairly sure that his new neighbour is going to destroy him. And also their apartment building, and the dumpsters outside, and all the forests within a thirty mile radius. But. Mostly him.
you're an egg if im an egg by giraffesaretall (1252)
au where one direction are eggs.
