One Direction Fic Recs

nobody knows like me by enbyharry / @non-binharry (GA, 4K) This fic is honest to god gorgeous. It painted such a clear portrait and moved me to tears––there were so many touching moments. Please read it, it’s really something special. Set in 1974.

Ever Since I Tried Your Way by flowercrownfemme (E, 26K) I loved everything about this fic, from the setting to the characterizations to the slow way Harry discovers himself and how Louis supports everything about him. It’s just beautifully written and wonderfully moving. Set in the 1950s.

The Way You Smile Golden by PearlyDewdrops (M, 6K) Beautifully written slice of life where I just felt everything this author described––from the stuffy bar to the freezing beach to the confusing emotions both characters had. It’s just lovely. Set in 1987.

An Invincible Summer by Brooklyn_Babylon / @twopoppies (E, 45K) This one is mine, but here’s the summary:

Never content to stay in one place for long, a few months down south researching for his novel seemed like an idyllic, slow-paced summer to Louis. He wasn’t ready for the blistering heat, the backbreaking work of watermelon picking, or how stifling the attitudes in rural Georgia would feel. And he definitely hadn’t anticipated falling in love with the farmer’s son.

The summer of 1946 would turn out to be everything worth writing about.

Victorian Boy by audreyheart (E, 101K) For anyone that hasn’t read this yet, it’s delightfully unique and layered with a little of everything – hate to love, romance, intrigue, action, betrayal, sex, and more. It’s well written, sexy – in a wonderfully Victorian way, and keeps you guessing.

And down the long and silent street by whimsicule (M, 86K) Similar time period to Victorian Boy, although this one focuses much more on the class structure of Victorian England. The romance here is not only between two men, but between men of very different classes – which only adds to the tension of the already intense subplot. This author always writes with great depth and the detail of the setting feels spot on. 

Howls Like a Beast (You Flower You Feast) by @indiaalphawhiskey (E, 17K) The setting is 18th century Versailles and this author sets the scene beautifully for heartache and passion and an unexpected twist. I adore this author’s writing in general and here they manage to be poetic without too flowery, while somehow writing characters who speak and behave in a way that feels appropriate for the period, yet not so stilted that a modern reader can’t enjoy. Oh, and as often happens, I cried. A lot.

Constant Debauchery by Blake (E, 19K) Yes, yes, I know. I’ve probably recommended this 10 times. But have you read it yet? Anyway…Edwardian setting, uni ABO (Alpha/Alpha) fic. Gorgeous mood setting, I’ve said before that it reads like an Merchant Ivory film looks…just gorgeous. There’s a similar sense of repression and uncertainty about flouting societal expectations, and a character who appears one way on the surface, but underneath is quite different. I love this one, I’ve read it a number of times.

Here in The Afterglow by fondleeds (NR, 87K) This author just blows me away each time they share something. There’s such an incredible sense of being immersed in the worlds they create. This one is so moving and painful and, ultimately, joyous (be sure to read the tags).

To Honor by Awriterwrites / @a-writerwrites (E, 15K) there’s so much about this fic I love. The battle scenes are full of tension, the smut scenes are super charged and sexy, the story line is unique, the boys are in kilts… the list goes on. Seriously though, this author took this fic to a different level — the writing fits the time period (13th century Scotland), but still feels fresh and alive. Give this one a try — I hope you like it as much as I do.

The Case Of The (Definitely Not Haunted) Styles Mansion by BriaMaria / @briannamarguerite (E, 40K) A Nancy Drew mystery, set in the 1950s, AND it’s Marcel. I mean…COME ON! I’ve read this one a couple of times and I love it. 

the sound of my heart needs the sound of another heart by momentofclarity / @gaycousinlarry (GA, 3K) Set in the 1980s, it’s beautiful and delicate and feels like such a slice of high school and tentative summer love.

Sodalite & Adventurine by @forreveries​ (E, 81K) The time period isn’t specified, but it’s a gay pirate adventure that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat until the end. Amazing chemistry, great world building, super sexy smut, and beautiful writing. Do yourself a favor and read it!

I’ll be Your Love Tonight by @dinosaursmate​ (E, 20K) 90s AU. There’s something about this fic that just feels slow and dreamy. I’ve read t a few times and I just love how they fall into each other and keep extending the night because they don’t want to part ways. 

everything suspended by louisandthealien (M, 9K) Set in the late 1990s/early 2000s, this fic is SO so good. And it’s so angsty and so incredibly well written. I felt every bit of tension and emotion and was so wrung out by the end. But it’s also such a gorgeously crafted fic. I just love it. 

We’re What’s Right In This World by BriaMaria / @briannamarguerite (E, 49K) This is one of my favorite authors – they do such a good job with pacing a story and writing compelling characters. This time they give us soldier Harry and blind Louis during WWII and everything that comes along with that time period and their circumstances. It’s heartbreaking, redemptive, beautifully written, and made me cry. A lot. 

Through Eerie Chaos by mediawhore / @mediawhorefics​ (GA, 102K) This one is set both in present day and the 1920s and I absolutely adore this fic. This is such a unique and compelling story, the writing is beautiful, the characters are wonderfully realized, and I ugly cried for realz. Such a good fic. There are also some really gorgeous time stamps for this fic – make sure you read them, too!

Atlas At Last by louisandthealien (M, 83K) I swear I would read this author’s grocery list. I just love everything they write. This one is a 1970s coming of age road trip fic. I really enjoyed the OT5 friendships, excellent dialogue, and Harry and Louis discovering themselves and each other. 

Landslide by aimmyarrowshigh, spibsy (lucy_and_ramona) (E, 143K) Set in the 1970s. Read the tags because this fic is a lot. There are pairings you may not enjoy, there’s a lot of period typical unpleasantness, cult psychology, violence, etc. etc. HOWEVER, it’s very well written and the exploration of Harry’s internalized homophobia is done very well, IMO.  

won’t you wear my watermark by @bottomlinsons (E, 90K) I’ve somehow managed to not yet read this one, which is surprising since I really like this author’s writing and recommend them often. Here’s the summary:

The new Earl of Harrisson is a young man, an impulsive romantic, forced to shoulder too much responsibility far too soon. He is also Louis’ soulmate, but there’s nothing to be done about that. At least, as far as Louis is concerned.

The Earl, it seems, will take some convincing.

I’ll Light the Fire by pinkvinyl | 7.5k

“Alright, baby, we can do that next time, okay?” Harry says, trying to hide the smile in his voice and moving between Louis’ spread thighs. Harry wishes he had his camera handy so he could snap a photo of the vision in front of him; the way Louis’ caramel skin is contrasting with the white sheets, his eyelashes fanning over his cheeks, and the sun rays bouncing off his back. Fucking gorgeous. Harry runs his hands up the length of Louis’ legs, digging his thumbs into the soft skin on the innermost part of his thighs. He makes a mental note to move his polaroid within arms reach of their bed.

Hi! Thank you for asking me this! I never done it and I thought about it for a while before responding. I won’t insert the summaries of the fics so i can list more. Also I add that this is my opinion and maybe I’m going to forget to rec some fics but I’ll try to include everything that I think is a classic in the fandom.

Okay here you go: 

Young & Beautiful by Velvetoscar (227k) 

Fading by tothemoonmydear (202k) TW

Escapade by dolce_piccante (146k)

Relief Next To Me by dolce_piccante (333k) aka RNTM

Soft Hands, Fast Feet, Can’t Lose by dolce_piccante (112k)

And Then a Bit by infinitelymint (158k)

Unbelievers by isthatyoularry (136k)

Wild And Unruly by 100percentsassy, gloria_andrews (123k)

we’ll play hide and seek to turn this around (give me love like never before) by Wankerville (19k) aka the strawberry milk fic 

As You Are by zarah5 (139k) anything by zarah5 is a classic tbh

Love Is A Rebellious Bird by 100percentsassy, gloria_andrews (134k)

Swim In The Smoke by whoknows (101k)

Red Brick Heart by hazmesentir (98k)

Empty Skies by green_feelings (134k)

For As Long As I Can Remember (It’s Been December) by green_feelings (128k) 

Just Me, You, And This Box of Matches by tomlinsunshine (87k) 

Tired Tired Sea by MediaWhore (113k) 

Gods & Monsters by Velvetoscar (201k)

To the Ends of the Earth by stylinsoncity (68k) aka the Idaho fic 

Want You More Than A by TheCellarDoor (77k) 

California Sold by isthatyoularry (123k) 

feel the chemicals burn in my bloodstream by togetherwecouldbealright (123k) 

The Dead of July by whimsicule (117k) 

Fall Into Your Gravity by zarah5 (74k) 

Some Things Take Root by navigator, quitter (50k) 

This Wicked Game by cherrystreet (70k) 

Louis Lucas by theteapirate (67k) 

got the sunshine on my shoulders by hattalove (124k) 

You Are The Blood by sarcasticfluentry (174k)

Into The Blue by zarah5 (117k) 

Three French Hems by 100percentsassy, gloria_andrews (20k) 

Emperor’s New Clothes by sunsetmog (97k) 

pray for some sweet simplicity by delsicle (237k)

Don’t Want Shelter by FullOnLarrie (76k)

Strawberries & Cigarettes by dimpled_halo (76k)

AND SO MUCH MORE !!!!

Alright this is a list. This isn’t THE list of classics in the fandom because there’s so much more! Every year new fics are published and became new classics.  

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･:*:･ Please if you give a read to these fics, leave a nice comment and/or a kudo, I’m sure it’ll be appreciated! Thank you! ･:*:･

The Florentine Letters (COMPLETE)

Oxford University, June, 1935.

        The edge of summer has just begun to dawn over the university campus, exams are almost over and the dust is just beginning to settle over the desks.         Harry Styles, in the last years of his PHD study of The Renaissance, has managed to maintain a safe existence within the walls of his books and classes and late night romances. He’s made a place that’s safe from the expectations of high brow society and the cold stare of his father.         That is, until an all too sharp, all too witty, and all too handsome man walks into his life.         Louis, the cocky man with the smile, brings with him a strange object - declaring that it’s a puzzle piece from the one and only Leonardo Da Vinci. He speaks of age old mysteries, and puzzles that cannot be solved without Harry’s help. Immediately, Harry is quite literally swept off his feet, and together they take their chances on the find of a life time - Da Vinci’s lost works.         But what Louis doesn’t mention is the high stakes game of cat and mouse that comes with chasing things that do not belong to you. A game where nothing, and no one, is as they seem.

AKA: Harry is a PHD History student and Louis is the treasure hunter that sweeps him into an easy romance, set against the French/Italian summer. Hijinks and action ensue. 

Would recommend to fans of Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, The Mummy, The Da Vinci Code, all that good shit.

It takes a few moments for his words to register in Harry’s mind.

“What, why?” He asks, immediately pausing the game. He turns so that he’s facing Louis on the couch, giving him his full attention. Louis just broke up with his girlfriend. He must be in crisis.

hl | “Louis wonders if this moment could go on forever, on loop, the sun a constant, stationed warmth. It feels that way, like if they just keep running they’ll never stop. Maybe they never will.”

Play Pretend, Find a Friend? by angelichl (40k)

They had to pull back for air. Louis surveyed the guy’s face, in awe of his blown pupils and sharp jawline, the way their shared spit glistened on his lips.

“Hi,” he breathed. He blinked, and came back to himself a little bit, blushing at his own boldness. “Sorry, is this okay?”

The stranger removed his right hand from the curve of Louis’ waist in order to cup his jaw, tilting it up to the angle he desired. He pressed their lips together, murmuring, “Definitely.” And then he kissed harder.

When Louis sees his ex-boyfriend kissing a random girl at a party, he acts out of blind jealousy. He kisses the first guy he can find. It turns into a thing.

Bitter Tangerine by purpledaisy 

(Harry/Louis, 120k)

Maybe it’s Niall, he reasons to calm his storming heart. Maybe he’s not actually gone for the holidays yet, maybe Harry got the dates confused. Slowly, he holds his breath and pushes the kitchen door open. The first thing he sees make him jump, a wooden spoon held out like a sword. Once his brain processes the sight in front of him, it’s less the sword that gets him than who is attached to the wooden spoon.

“Harry,” the swordsmen speaks before Harry can, his voice low and steady though confusion laces each word.

Harry’s breath catches. Every string around his heart, all the protection he spent nine months building, rips out and tears open all at once as he says, “Hi Louis.”

-

Tired Tired Sea

 by MediaWhore

FAIR ISLE, SCOTLAND. 

“Did you not research the place before you picked us for your…” Louis hesitates, words like holiday on the tip of his tongue. It’s what Harry used earlier, but it didn’t seem quite right. “Your… retreat?” he finally settles for. The way Harry’s body stiffens slightly confirms it.

He shrugs, looking down.“Not really,” he admits. “Just googled ‘most remote place in the UK’ to be honest. And this was the result.”

Louis smiles, a little sadly, at the sight of this tall man and the shadow clearly hanging over his head. “Yeah,” he agrees, voice more raspy than usual. He clears his throat. “That’s us.”

Harry smiles, polite as he fiddles with his room key.

“You really wanted to be far away, uh,” Louis comments gently.

Harry stops moving, stops playing with the keys, and he looks back up, straight into Louis’ eyes. “Is that what you wanted?” he asks and on someone else’s lips, it would sound accusatory. Louis has many distant relatives who have thought similarly and have told him off for it, so he’s intimately familiar with the way his self-imposed exile can be perceived. “Is that why you left England and moved here? Because you wanted to be far away?”

It almost sounds like he’s asking permission to feel this way, like he needs someone to understand and relate, like he’s the loneliest person in the world who came to the loneliest place in the world to fix it. It’s almost enough to make Louis lie, to make him agree with Harry just to make him feel better.

“No,” he says softly. “I wasn’t running away from home. I was running towards it.”

Harry’s eyelids flutter as he looks back down for a second. “I understand.” He turns slightly to face his bedroom door, pushing the key into the lock and turning it. Once the door is open, he reaches down to grab his bag, putting one strap over his shoulder and giving Louis a side glance. “I didn’t want to be really far away,” he admits softly, “I needed it.”

Then, he vanishes into his room.                          

As a B&B owner on the most remote of all the British Isles, Louis Tomlinson is used to spending the coldest half of the year in complete isolation, with his dog and the sea as sole companions. Until, one day, a mysterious stranger on a quest to rebuild himself rents a room for the winter.