Angst Fic Rec
This is a rec list of my favorite H/L angst fics in order of wordcount as requested by this anon. You can find my other recs here, and as always, please let the writer know if you liked their fic by leaving kudos and comments! Deleted fics are below the cut.
💔 And Then a Bit by @infinitelymint
(E, 158k, canon) Harry and Louis fake a relationship for publicity. Eventually it becomes a lot less fake and a lot more real.
💔 Take My Breath Away by @realitybetterthanfiction
(E, 153k, Top Gun au) Lt. Harry Styles, call sign Sparrow, is a prodigy when it comes to flying. With his trusty RIO, Lt. Niall Horan, Harry has made an unprecedented ascension in the ranks of the Naval aerial combat elite, and has been recruited to the esteemed Premier Delta flight school, carrying on his family’s legacy.
💔 Own the Scars by @crinkle-eyed-boo
(E, 144k, addiction) Louis has never felt like he was good enough: for his stepdad, for his life-long best friend, for the life he's supposed to want. After an accident that nearly costs him his life, Louis' parents send him to rehab where he’s forced to face his demons.
💔 There’s Such a Lot of World to See by @crinkle-eyed-boo
(E, 125k, Dr Who au) Louis has seen a great many things throughout his travels in time and space, but only one he can’t explain: He keeps meeting the same boy, who says the same thing to him each time. The boy should be impossible. Maybe he is. A love story that defies the boundaries of space and time.
💔 Saving Symphony Hall by @helloamhere
(M, 124k, omegaverse) “That’s the attitude,” said Louis, “I’ll tell you tomorrow. Tonight, I need to do some research. Zayn, give me your number. I’m gonna save our symphony.”
💔 I’ll Fly Away by @juliusschmidt
(E, 122k, small town) Harry and Louis grew up together in Lake County. But after high school, Louis stuck around and Harry did not. Six years later, Harry ends up back in Edwardsville for the summer and he and Louis fall into old patterns and discover new ones.
💔 Emperor’s New Clothes by @magicalrocketships
(E, 92k, exes) Harry’s a pop star and Louis isn’t, and there’s a non-disclosure agreement where there used to be a relationship.
💔 won’t you wear my watermark by barchive
(E, 90k, Regency au) 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.
💔 And down the long and silent street by whimsicule / @baroness-elsa
(M, 86k, Victorian au) Wherein Louis and Harry are on the opposite ends of the social ladder, but their paths still cross on the filthy streets Louis calls his home. The odds are staked against them from the beginning, and even more when Louis' past finally catches up with him.
💔 Feels Like Coming Home by @phdmama
(E, 60k, exes) After a spectacularly ugly break-up three years prior, Harry hasn't heard one word from Louis, and he's moved on. But having Louis back in his life, not to mention working at the restaurant where he's a chef, isn't easy, and the feelings that Harry thought he'd left turn out to be not so easily forgotten.
💔 Far Away. by dimpled_halo / @comebackassholes
(E, 57k, exes) Harry returns to London after five years. Stuck in the past with "what ifs" and "what might have beens", he sees that his friends and ex (and possible love of his life) Louis have all moved on with their lives while he finds himself questioning his own life choices, past and present.
💔 The Second Hand Unwinds by @kingsofeverything
(E, 51k, time travel) Louis Tomlinson is one of the first members of NASA's top secret Chrono Exploration Program. When things go wrong and he's sent further back in time than planned, he has no other option than to show up on his ex-boyfriend's doorstep.
💔 The End Should Be A Good One by bananasandboots / @anylessreal
(M, 43k, exes) the one where Harry loses the love of his life on New Years Eve and finds him again, six months later, ready to open some poorly-stitched wounds.
💔 My Sweetest Downfall, @icanhazzalou
(E, 42k, guardian angel) Louis is a retired guardian angel. After the death of his last charge, he became jaded. He's more than happy to forget about humanity altogether until one day, when Louis is pulled from his desk job for a new assignment: protect One Direction's Harry Styles.
💔 fondre ton absence by @scrunchyharry
(T, 41k, amnesia) Louis went missing at the Somme and was declared dead. While everyone buried and mourned him, Harry never moved on. If Louis were dead, he was sure that he would know it.
💔 Take It To The Limit by @taggiecb
(E, 37k, fisherman Louis) Harry Styles is a traveler. He lands in the tiny town to try to find himself. What he finds instead is a beautiful blue eyed man who seems to have everything figured out.
💔 And Touch Me Like You Never by runaway_train / @runaway-train-works
(E, 36k, fwb) The one where Harry and Louis agree to be each other's New Year's kiss and it ends up being a lot more than they bargained for.
💔 Love Me Please by @angelichl
(E, 23k, soulmates) Louis hates Harry, which is fine because he would really rather prefer to avoid him at all costs.The only problem?They're soulmates.
💔 We’ll Never Fall Apart by orphan_account
(M, 20k, exes) the one where Louis and Harry's relationship falls apart after 7 years, but the rescue dog they raised together doesn’t understand the joint-custody agreement they’ve hashed out.
💔 deleted your number (so i can’t call you) by tofiveohfive
(NR, 9k, exes) the ten hours before Harry comes home to Louis, and the five hours after he does.
💔 One Mississippi by AlwaysAqua / @always-aqua
(M, 7k, exes) Louis and Harry broke up two years ago and now Louis has nowhere else to go and Harry reluctantly lets him back in.
