T-Rex Recs

omg... thank you to the mysterious anon who asked me this. I do wonder who you are...

okay so I'll start with the best hockey rpf author to ever do it... makeit_takeit the beloved. everything they write is boomshakalaka slam dunk gold. everything! but these are my favourites.

in from the cold | makeit_takeit — this is my favourite fic of all time in any fandom ever of all time ever. in any lifetime I would find it. it's a masterpiece. show stopping. revolutionary. life changing. brilliant. spectacular. this is from makeit_takeit's journeymen series, the premise being that Nolan is in the league still (in various cities across North America) but Travis is decidedly not a hockey player. in this case he's an oil rig worker up in Edmonton and Nolan is on the Oilers. they meet on grindr and thus we enter a whirlwind of passion. omfggggg see now I'm making myself want to reread it right now, heh. I took this fic to my penthouse and I freaked it.

never been dipped | makeit_takeit — more journeymen, yay. here, our beloved Travis is a kind of cowboy gay-lothario line dancing Canadian redneck and he seduces a deeply guarded Dallas Star Nolan in a cowboy gay bar in Texas. yeehaw!

last ones standing | makeit_takeit — as a trash reality TV lover this thrills me. we follow Travis and Nolan meeting for the first time at the altar on Married at First Sight: Winnipeg! and it's everything I could ever want. this fic is so funny and charming, and has a facet to it that is one of my favourite aspects of any fic I've ever read. I won't mention it further because it kind of spoils the ending. but it's just so well done and is exemplary of the kind of incredibly creative and professional writing in this story and all the ones I've mentioned above.

happy endings | makeit_takeit — an exercise in seeing a little bit of humanity in someone with a dark, hateful, and unhappy soul... aka Nolan Patrick, LOL. this fic follows a deeply closeted and self-hating Nolan in this new characterisation of the post-burner era. he's unemployed and gross and mean, and encounters Travis in a happy endings massage parlour spa type of place. it's so good. I've converted people to be (mild in some cases and full fledged in others) tknp enthusiasts with this fic. my bestie Autumn read this in her car at work when the second chapter dropped. it's just that good!

living things [ONGOING WIP] | makeit_takeit — get ready to have your life and mind changed. when you start to read this series, makeit_takeit (the great one. Gretzky who?) will open up your unsuspecting mind and pour abundant light within. everything will alter around you and things like sunlight through trees or a bird’s footprints in snow will suddenly seem so much more beautiful than they ever did before. every song and poem and painting will hold a more divine meaning in your eyes because this story just changes you, down to the soul. and I've never met a hyperbole I didn't love but I'm so serious about this one. imagine being alive when Tolstoy was first publishing Anna Karenina serially, imagine eagerly waiting for the next excerpt of something that would go on to be considered by many to be one of our greatest artistic contributions. I don't mean to sound like a pyramid schemer when I say that you (person reading this. yes! you!) have the chance, with this fic, to be in on the ground floor of something great. we have, as of writing this, three parts of a seven part saga published so far. but don't wait... just start reading! the writing here is so absurdly good it makes me want to walk into the ocean. this story is the magnum opus of somebody that has about 15 fics on their page that would easily be considered once in a lifetime, striking gold masterpieces from anybody else.

okay, my makeit_takeit worship session is over now. although it may not seem like it, I do actually read things other than their stories so I'll stop yapping and lavishing praise at their feet now and will move on to talking about other things!

ratter | toxotes — this isn't even fiction to me. this is, like, fan fact or something because I really do believe events such as these are happening in Nolan Patrick's life. up and until the blossoming romantic relationship with TK, of course. this fic is hilarious and dark and captivating in every good way. when I first read it I was completely enthralled, and stayed up way too late reading it TWICE. and I then read a passage aloud to my family in a restaurant where we were getting breakfast the next morning, because I was deliriously tired and still deep in the honeymoon stage of obsessive love with this fic. I may still be in this stage!

port stanley is for lovers | manybumblebees — I love this fic so much yay. it's so sweet and funny. I once read it aloud to someone on a long car journey (this person does not gaf about hockey and had never heard of any of these people) and they were laughing a lot and genuinely enjoyed it. huge W for tknp nation! the fic's premise is Nolan visiting TK in Port Stanley over the summer and realising that everyone there thinks they are a couple. maybe they should be! maybe they will be! omg read and find out.

dusk breaks light | loveleah — this is really unique, and a very tender and sweet story. this is a favourite of mine for reasons I can't quite put my finger on, but Travis and Nolan are mining for gold in a group of guys in the 1960s, and it's just very sweet. this is Brokeback Mountain for girls who know who Biz Nasty is.

red wine supernova | donderwolk — as a ceramicist myself, I had to include this one! Nolan is out of the league and is dragged by his sister to an amateur pottery class held by one very charming and artistic Travis Konecny. I love how this fic covers Nolan's relationship with his parents, it's really well done. this is an all-timer! it's so sweet. and it's definitely one of my favourite Nolan characterisations.

save your first and last dance for me | manybumblebees — this is, like, so cheesy and so good. I think this is one of the first tknp fics I read, and I loved it so much. I didn't even realise until making this list that it's written by the same person as my beloved Port Stanley fic... wow. small world! anyway, this is just a really good time. Travis and Nolan going to various weddings together and falling in love along the way... what's more fun than that?

it's only gay if you blow him back | isozyme — I just read this recently on the recommendation of my friend Autumn (hey girl👋) and I really liked it. Travis and Nolan go fishing and get into it over the scary concept of being gay and what it would mean if one of them were to stray from the path of heterosexuality. it's more of a character study than it is about any, like, romance between them, but I think it's great.

the flush of the known universe | springsteen — I started to read this in the car on my way to the ice rink about a year ago, and then was so captivated by it that I just sat on my ass in the Papa John's seating area next to the ice and read the rest of it, instead of doing any of the skating I had paid to do. I loved this! Travis works on the training staff for the Flyers and goes for a getaway in nature after quitting his job. Nolan is a guide in a national park and they meet on the trail. it's a real slow burn story that doesn't feel dragged out, just natural!

hagfish, or primitive jawless marine vertebrates | polyabathtub — please don't run scared from the bestiality tag on this LOL, it's really not like that. I mean, it kind of is. but not really. the animal is TK, who turns into an eel-like fish in a werewolf type scenario. all he wants in his fishy form is Nolan, and Nolan obliges. it's really funny, while still being sweet. this is another one I read recently, and I found it really charming and funny. I don't know how anyone would ever think of this idea but I am glad that this author did because it brought me such joy to read!

I'm probably forgetting some big-hitters but I can't think of anything else. I'll put some non-tknp recs below the cut, because I am also an avid reader of other pairings!!! I'll read anything that's put in front of me.

Mysterious as a Cat by @castillon02 | G | 1k | Fish likes him, but Chips, Q's other cat, ignores him resolutely. Bond can't figure out why.

Just a Little Crush by @seekstrivefind | T | 3k | James is well aware of Q's little crush. He’s sure he’ll get bored of it, sooner or later, but he never does.

Digging Out the Bullet by orphan_account | NR | 10.7k | Bond and Q are on a mission, and sleep together. Well... when Bond says sleeping together, it's not exactly what he usually means.

Seas Between Us Braid Hae Roar'd by beaubete | M | 17k | Month by month, Q tears down something that was and replaces it with what will be.

the places you leave in the dust by @thestalwartheart | M | 17k | For nearly two years, James Bond and Q share a camaraderie that skirts the boundary between friends, colleagues and something more ephemeral. At the end of it all, Bond drives away in the world’s most beautiful car with a lovely woman.

Curtains by winterhill | T | 20k | Indulgent domesticity. Bond and Q moving in together as friends after Q is targeted and his place burnt down, and slowly progressing to being a couple.

How to be a Superhero by turningterrific | M | 53.7k | James Bond is forced to take a few days off, runs into Q at a kebab shop, starts playing World of Warcraft, and takes a trip to Witney to meet Q's family (for reasons of national security, of course).

Hello by @boffin1710 and @dassandre-00qpidsarrow | M | 111k | Fifteen years after he walks away from everything with Madeleine Swann, an older and wiser James Bond returns to London. A series of deeply traumatic events has left Q a shadow of his former self from which he may never recover unless drastic action is taken.

dust bowl || ilya/shane, 28.6k, E

"You should grow this longer," Rozanov once said, running his fingers through Shane's practical cut, the same one he had since he was fifteen. Rozanov's blond curls had fallen in his eyes. Behind them, his blue eyes glittered like he was looking at the sun. "You would be so lovely." It felt like being lit on fire.

Or; Shane is Rozanov's girl.

Backhoe - Stucky Romance on AO3 -

Steve Rogers is a seasoned activist and not at all afraid to get arrested while protesting the building of a pipeline. HOWEVER he is TERRIFIED when he realizes he’ll be chained to the same backhoe as Bucky “very handsome southern boy who also plays guitar and struts like a panther in his very tight, worn thin blue jeans” Barnes.

Our brave, tiny Steve will find out once and for all: Can you catch on fire from blushing over your crush?

May Contain: Extended descriptions of how to get arrested while chained to a backhoe, copious amounts of sisters, Appalachian accents, cheerful silliness interspersed with tragic background realness. Pining with a happy ending.

Tragic background realness mainly consists of parents passing away, because who doesn’t love adult orphans. There is no violence, but there are a few moments where you might think there might be violence.

Primary citations that I did not cite at the time are The Ruckus Society, and in particular their older but still excellent work, Creative Direct Action visuals. You know. In case you want to learn about creating visuals for protest in a more direct way, without the romance part.

I am a HUGE fan of magical realism.  (Thank you, Señora, for introducing me to GGM in high school.)  I’ve found loads of magical realism fics in the BBC Sherlock fandom, but not as many in the Inception fandom.  Maybe that’s because the dreaming already allows for such a flexible “reality”–or maybe it’s because I haven’t found them yet.  

Because my list was relatively short, I’ve combined more porny fics (like tentacle fic) in with some magical realism that’s really more about world building.   (Yes, I know they’re very very different–but they seemed related enough for my purposes.)

I always welcome additional recommendations!  And if I get enough, I’ll happily divide them into separate posts. 

Sustenance, the_ragnarok.  World building and some body horror and wow.  “Nobody in their business comes by their skills for free. There is always someone to train you, to remake you in the image of your chosen profession. Their world is a place of ownerships. The best you could hope for was a long, comfortable leash.” 

Together we map the world, newtsgeiszler.  “When a person turns eighteen, the words that their soul mate will first say to them appear on their skin, the handwriting of the latter in permanent ink. Arthur doesn’t exactly ignore the sentence etched on him once he reaches the age, going through life with a slight wonder if it’ll happen to him appearing every now and then as time passes. Then he and Dom fall into extraction, a plan they never meant to be involved in, and meet those around the world who would change the course of everyone’s life. Including someone Arthur never thought he’d want to do anything with.”  WIP.

And some of the more porny fics

Can Lay My Body Down, Can’t Find My Sweet Release, Nellie. “Arthur is a spermpire and must suck cock to survive. Eames pines. Angst ensues.  I promise this is less cracky than it sounds.” 

Satiation, the-ragnarok.  “Authorized sequel/commentfic to Nellie’s spermpire fic.”

Stranger Things Than Known By Man, Nellie.  Tentacle fic. “If Eames had never told, Arthur never would have guessed. But now he knows what’s really under Eames’s skin, he can’t stop thinking about it.” 

Better view, the_ragnarok.  Tentacle fic “In which Eames frets and Arthur bites off more than he can chew. Authorized sequel to Nellie’s Stranger Things Than Known By Man.” 

Just Breathe, Nellie. Tentacle fic.  “Discovering new things in the bedroom is one of the main side effects of finding out your boyfriend is actually an alien with tentacles.” 

Some of Whisky’s many marvelous fics have made it over to a03, but many more of them have not.  The master list of the non-ao3 fics is here, but I’ve also listed particular fics below:

Perfection, whiskyrunner.  (NC-17)  Written for this prompt: Arthur is a virgin (it’s a cliche and I don’t care) and that’s why he always shoots Eames down. He’s afraid he’ll be terrible in bed and ruin his chance for true love. Eames finds out and decides to prove Arthur is perfect anyway.

The Properties of Ginger, whiskyrunner.  (NC-17)  "Arthur is the meanest boyfriend ever.“  BDSM.  Figging.  Like whoa.

Wingman verse.  Written for this prompt: ”Arthur has a morning jog every day and recently something has appeared to ruin his routine which would be Eames and his dog who seems to like Arthur as much as Eames does. Cue Eames trying to get Arthur to see him outside of his ‘daily routine’ and getting treated like a weirdo. Would love to see a make out scene in the mud (yup…mud, sorry…) and you’d make my day if they went back and actually had sex at home (on the living room floor, in the shower whatever you like!)“  There are four stories in this verse (start with The Wingman).  So charming.

Requiescat, written in 8 parts.  (NC-17)  Extremely dark, extremely compelling.  A cross-over with Mysterious Skin, though you need to know almost nothing to read this.  I just had what I could glean from wikipedia, and that was fine.  "The death of Neil McCormick was gradual, not sudden, and not permanent by any means. In the end, Arthur goes much more quickly.”  With a follow-up.   And another.  

Shooting the Moon.  ®  Based on this prompt: Arthur’s asexual; but he finds himself romantically attracted to Eames. Problem is he sees Eames as a highly sexual person and he doesn’t think Eames would be even slightly interested in a relationship with a nonsexual partner. So Arthur tries, very awkwardly, to initiate sex.

The Sharpest Lives.  (PG-13).  Based, ehhh, quite loosely on this prompt: A 19year-old Eames loves Arthur, a man he meets frequently at a supermarket. (Neither of them work there). Arthur finds Eames charming, but after they’re first few meetings he starts to notice bruises on Eames body. Turns out Eames has an extremely abusive boyfriend, who beats Eames when he comes home because he thinks Eames is cheating on him. But Eames continues to see Arthur, cause those are some of his happiest moments.  Now with a sequel: France in the Summertime.  

The Running Play. (R - NC-17)  Eames is a football player; Arthur is … well…you’ll see.  Great fic, but there’s a lot of noncon here (though not between Arthur / Eames) and lots of fallout from that noncom, so enter with caution if that’s a trigger for you.  Here’s a coda.  

Run to Daylight (NC-17).  The sequel to The Running Play.  Also, Cover Me.  

Leverage.  (NC-17)  Arthur is a personal escort hired to take Eames’ virginity and make a proper man out of him. He has no idea, when he falls for Eames, that Eames is the son of the man who owns him.
WARNINGS: Dubcon, prostitution, abuse, drug use, references to noncon and underage.  Seriously.  Beware the TWs.  With a coda.  And a sequel to the coda.  

One for the Money. (8900 words) (NC-17)  The Porn Industry AU.  Is it weird that this may be the fluffiest of all Whiskyrunner’s fics?  Anyway, it is.  And it’s one of my absolute favorites.  

A&E are Bower Birds.  (G)  One of the crackiest AUs I’ve read.  And quite sweet.

Tremeraire AU.  If you aren’t familiar with Temeraire, it’s pretty much the Napoleonic wars except with dragons.  And more.

Inception may be a smallish fandom, but happily it’s still an active one.  New fics post to a03 nearly every day.  Hurrah!  But still, if you’re devouring fics and worried about running out, dip into the many gems on LJ and FF that haven’t made it over to a03.  

(Note: I’ve not had a chance to read many of these yet; when I do, I’ll try to include a link to a fuller description.)

The fics of Whiskyrunner.  I’ll start here because some of Whisky’s many marvelous fics have made it over to a03, but many more of them have not.  The master list is here, but I’ve also listed particular fics in a whole separate post here.

Other, no doubt wonderful, fics I have yet to read

En haut et en bas.

When Two Suns Are Shining (The Battle Becomes Blinding).   

Come in Please.  

Calculators and crayons.  

The Inescapable charm of the countdown.

This is a love song (in my own way).  

And I feel fine,

Never wanted the nice boys anyway,

Untitled Inception porn (by rageprufrock).  I’m pretty sure this one isn’t on a03 but I could be wrong.

tornadobelt–a whole list of tics on LJ 

two fills for a mute!Eames fic. 

Bless you autocorrect, 

The Greedyhearts, anon.  Eames is a high-end thief. Arthur is a private investigator hired to catch him. Ridiculous events ensue; something like love happens somewhere along the way.

En Route to Transylvania, weather front.  

Rapid Eye Movement, 

Hush, 

Our last night on earth, 

The Music Makers,

The Inescapable Charm of the Countdown, amazingly-me.  (A lawyer AU)

I’m not really a vidder and would definitely benefit from people’s recommendations in this post, but here are some places to start.

Vid introductions

All the Canon in 124 seconds.  Okay, actually just all the Arthur / Eames canon in just over two minutes.  But honestly–I think this is nearly all their scenes.  We don’t have the scene where Arthur instantly knows that Eames is in Mombasa, and we don’t have the shootout where Arthur’s checking in on Eames (see clip here, around 2:50)–but it’s nearly everything else. 

Inception in Real Time.   Dreamsharing nests dreams within dreams and you experience time differently in each of them.  This video tries to line them all up for us.  Pretty cool to see in split screen.

Everything Wrong With Inception in Four Minutes or Less.  Okay, so this one’s a bit snarky, but kind of fun too.  

Arthur / Eames shipping vids

Falling Slowly, peachylimedaiquiri

Surrender, REMKAZ2Y5

Darling, LightNeverFades

Do It Again, LightNeverFades

Under The Sheets, gaby0189x

He’s Moving Up Slowly, LightNeverFades

My Freeze Ray, peachylimedaiquiri.  The crack-tastic goodness of the video is just…  I can’t even.   Just go watch it.

Summaries and analyses

Summary Plot of Inception.  A funny, not–very-accurate summary with cartoons.  

Inception Analysis Part I,

Inception and Philosophy, Kyle Johnson

Because we have so little Arthur / Eames canon, there are loads and loads of AUs.  It’s a goldmine.  Really.  Go check it out.

But not all of the gems are AUs.  Here’s a list of fics that are (to my mind at least) canon compliant.  

For those of you looking for the new additions to the list (though they’re not necessarily new fics), I’ve put a  *** next to them.  

Also, now that the list is getting longer, I’ve tried breaking it into some rough categories.  They’re not perfect and there could be some overlap, but it’s at least an attempt at putting them into some kind of order that will help me find a particular fic when I want it.  (Because I’m really happy to share these lists, but in many ways they’re just a handy way for me to find so many fav fics again when I want them. :-) )

Keep the Car Running, earlgreytea68.  GAH!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this fic.  It’s also a crossover (InceptionLock) and you should read it immediately.  Seriously.  Go. 

Lines that we’ll draw, VIII_XIII. “There are two boxes full of letters in Eames’s desk drawer. The ones he receives from Arthur, and the ones he wishes he could send in reply.” Oh my god, I loooooove epistolary fics.  And this one is so well done.   

Je ne veux pas travailler, syllic.  "Eames had not bargained on the wanton sprawl of Arthur’s limbs, or on the pleasantly unpredictable rhythm with which Arthur drove himself into Eames’ body….There was no doubt that they were both playing an unexpected, but not in any way unpleasant, game of chicken: …Arthur shagged like he didn’t look, which was to say adventurously and unrestrainedly.” 

No Map of the Road to You, vaincs.   “Eames realizes that he’s in love. During sex.”

To the fullest, annejumps.  Threesome.  GAH.  So hot.  Arguably it’s PWP (which is A-Ok in my book), but I also love the character development we see through the eyes of the OC.

Seven Come Eleven, annejumps    “I bet,” Eames continued speculatively, “you wouldn’t be able to keep quiet while I fucked you. In fact, I’m certain you wouldn’t be able to shut up.”  Arthur narrowed his eyes, looking mutinous. “I’ll take that bet.”  This one is surprisingly sweet.  

Like a Hook Into an Eye, toomuchplor. 

And So We Burn and Perish, scribblescrabbl.  Five times UST crackled around Arthur and Eames, and one time they caught fire. 

You’ll Be So Pristine, cobweb_diamond.  “Arthur gets a tattoo on the inside of his wrist, then does his best to keep it a secret." 

You should’ve Made Some Plans with Me (You knew that I was free), cobweb_diamond.   Breaking Eames out of jail.  Could be AU / could be canon compliant.  

Life in Virtual Reality, cobweb_diamond.   Eames finds himself haunted by projections of Arthur.   

Time May Change Me, But I Can’t Change Time, whizzingfizzbee.   “In the near future people can get a digital clock installed on their wrists that tells them when exactly they will meet their soul mate. The catch is they only start counting down after both people have had them installed, and if you’ve already met your soul mate by that time, your TiMER goes straight to zero.” Crossover with TIMER / Magical realism.

Going to Get My Feet Wet (Until I Drown), sweetbutterbliss.   Pretend boyfriends.  I love that trope.

Origin Stories, laceymcbain.  “The story of how Eames and Arthur meet is one of the great legends of the dream-sharing profession.  In it, there’s a dark alley, a foreign country, a bar, a punch in the face, a loaded die, a poker chip, a three-piece suit, and a kiss. Not necessarily in that order. And not necessarily all the time.”  (Many thanks to januarymarlinquin for the rec!)

All Our Wires Got Crossed, five_ht.  “"So you decided the best solution to incompetent coworkers was to break into my room and molest me,” Eames says, only slightly mocking, because it’s not as if this is a new development, and it’s not as if he’d be stupid enough to say no.”  Mild D/S.        

***No Good in this World, lezzerlee.  “Arthur is in love with Eames but Eames refuses to acknowledge it. One night, Eames gets fantastically drunk and Arthur takes care of him. Drunk!Eames admits he knows Arthur’s feelings for him and insists he should find someone else because he’s not good enough for Arthur. When he wakes up, Arthur confronts him.”  

***Messages in a Bottle (or by other means), immoral_crow.  “In the wake of a job gone wrong, Arthur leaves a series of messages on Eames’s answerphone – then vanishes.  “Faced with criminals, forgers, art thieves, and family members, can Eames track him down before it’s too late?”

A fine distraction, Dualwielder & VIII_XIII.  “Eames might be an asshole, but the fact that they can’t get out of Canada is all Arthur’s fault.”           

Last candle, the_ragnorak.  “A tale of of romance, data storage devices and the True Meaning of Hanukkah (that is, guerrilla warfare and setting things on fire).”      

Underneath your clothes, the_ragnarok.  “Eames knows that Arthur worked as a stripper before. But knowing and seeing are two different things.”  Could be one of ragnarok’s other verses, but I think it could be cc as well.        

***I Turn My Camera On, lezzerlee.  “In Arthur’s spare time he shaves himself smooth and dresses up in panties, garters and stockings and does live cam shows. One evening, Eames stumbles on one of his shows and realizes who he’s jerking off to…”  

Hello, I Love You, Won’t You Tell Me Your Name, eleveninches.  “Many people, Eames would find out later, assumed Eames had wanted Arthur from the moment they’d met. It was true Arthur was devestatingly attractive, but in all honesty, the first thing Eames had thought when he’d met Arthur was, Why did Cobb bring his son? (Or: It’s all about trust.)”  

All’s Fair, eleveninches.  “Arthur can always find Eames, and Eames needs to know if Arthur wants him just as badly.” 

The Third Time, witling. “"We need to get back to the city, we need a cab. And a cab won’t take you if you’re covered in blood.“” 

Our man in Africa, witling. “The nice thing about being a shady ex-pat is that you have connections.”  

If only in my dreams, osaki_nana_007.  Christmas fic.    

Spitfire (Yours to Shake), riverlight. ““All right, that’s it,” Eames says, slapping the file shut and shoving back his chair. “I’ve had enough. Fucking or fighting, Arthur, your choice.””

***Wake the Rocks, Aja.   “Arthur wants inception, and Arthur may want Eames, but Arthur does not have enough alcohol to deal with having the two of them at the same time. (NOT ENOUGH ALCHOL IN THE WORLD.)”      

***And the Dust Will Still, Nellie. “Eames dies, but sticks around as a zombie rather than have himself decapitated. This takes some getting used to.”         

***Perfection in Your Flaws, Nellie. “It’s such an obvious secret, and Eames is surprised it took him so long to figure it out.” 

Watch these silly boys pine for ages

Presque Vu, rageprufrock. Arthur meets Mal first, gets into dreamsharing by accident, meets Eames.  It’s epic and heartbreaking and wow.  

In this part of the story, gunsandbutter.   Seven chapters, seven cities.  Chapter 6 (LA) has one of the best Arthur confronts Eames scenes.  Ever.

***Metaphors as Mixed as You Can Make Them, halflinen. “Eames tries to incept Arthur. A story of forgiveness, family, fancy suits, and ~feelings.” Ugh, this *fic.* Just go read it. (Thanks to EGT for the rec)

***Breaking and Entering, resonant. “Eames is very good at pretending.” This was the first canon fic I ever read, so I have a soft spot for it. I especially love how intertwined Eames and Arthur are and Eames has *zero idea* because he’s just, like, *not grasping it.* (Thanks to EGT for the rec)

***High Hopes, ester_inc. “Arthur at seventeen is not the same as Arthur at twenty-nine; Eames is one of the few people to have met Arthur at both ages. Some days, Arthur thinks that if he could go back in time and smack some sense into his teenage self, he would.  A story about lust, love, and the years between.”  

***Living Proof, ester_inc.  “Making friends, making enemies, making compromises; taking jobs, taking lovers, taking care of those you love; losing sleep, losing people, losing sight of what is real; reconciling the past with the present; accepting who and what you’ve become.  This is Arthur. This is ten years of his life.”   

Lost memories a/or time

Dreams they break in the morning light, scribblscrabbl.  “Arthur forgets and Eames tries to make him remember, finding that two years is at once infinite and nothing at all.” This amnesia fic is breaks my heart.

In our line of work, enjambament.  “Arthur wakes up and realizes the last ten years of his life have been a dream. He is nineteen, and he can barely remember where he is. What he can remember is the ghost of Eames’ hands pressed down on his chest trying frantically to stop the blood flooding up around his fingers as Arthur died (as he woke up).”  This one just gutted me.  So beautifully written and incredibly moving and such a smart way to play with the possible implications of the passage of time in dreamsharing.

Funny and/or cracky

Mr Eames &, wldnst. “Eames obsessively tracks a young adult series that may or may not be based on his life.”

One part ambition, two parts cocaine, pushdragon.   “There is a reclusive tech genius and the liberty of the free world is at stake, but the important bit is that Arthur goes undercover as a supermodel.” Almost feels like it should be in the AU post, but nope, he’s just undercover.  

A Methodological Dispute, ineptshieldmaid, trojie.  Delightful, cracky, let’s-have-sex-for-science banter.  

Flannel: A Love Story, jibrailis.   Not quite my usual head canon Arthur but it’s fluffy and funny I really enjoyed it.  “Arthur has a secret love of flannel. Eames has a not-so-secret love of Arthur. They end up in Canada. ” 

Mutual Hardships, Aja.  Short and sweet and hot and hilarious.  And Arthur’s description of Eames’ condition made me laugh and laugh.  Read it and you’ll see. 

All the boys with their toys, jibrailis.  Canon compliant, I guess, and TOTALLY CRACKTASTIC.  Arthur likes to invent things.  Eames likes Arthur.  Even with his mustache.  

And the doors are open, gunsandbutter.    “Yusuf,” she says, dangerously, “did you give my point man a love potion?”

Not Necessarily the Best Policy, five_ht.  “Arthur has a lot of feelings, mostly about Eames’ penis. Yusuf’s accidental truth drug helpfully illuminates them.” 

Wunderkind, mirabellafic.  "Eames has a hard and fast rule against fucking anyone underage. Arthur would have the utmost respect for this rule, if he hadn’t just gotten cockblocked by it at the age of twenty-three.“  AHAHAHAHA.  This fic is hilarious and amazingly well written and the smut at the end is SMOKING HOT.  Seriously.  Check it out. 

Grief, illness, and hurt/comfort

Far Out to Sea and Alone, traincar.  “Arthur doesn’t know what they have, but it tastes like grief. Eames finds out why.”  Oh, I love this vulnerable Arthur.  

Enchantillon, mellonbutterfly.  Arthur and Eames share a dream under a new drug; hurt/comfort.

Toxic, witling. “Eames tackles him from behind, brings him down onto his belly on the carpet, and plants a knee in his back. “What,” he pants, “the hell.”   Arthur gets into trouble, and can’t remember how he got there. Eames lends a hand.”  

A contraption, armed to the teeth,  gunsandbutter.   “Just once,” Eames says, “I wish you’d let me come round when I’m not in mortal peril.”  (There’s lots of gunsandbutter on this list.  Go read the fics and you’ll see why.)

Focused on sexual identification(s) a/o kinks

Allowed, the_ragnarok.  It’s like there’s an Eames-shaped hole in Arthur’s defenses.  (Asexual!Eames)  

This just might hurt a little, gunsandbutter.  "Arthur is a sub. He’s in a shitty relationship or arrangement, scratching the itch without really getting what he needs/wants. Arthur is unhappy with the situation, but he’s resigned to it. Eames figures out what’s going on. He knows he can do better, and he sets out to prove that he can give Arthur what he needs–and more”

With a domestic streak

Wherever you will be (that’s where I’ll call home), gyzym.  Also known as the DomesticVerse.  Eight marvelous stories.

Lucky, earlgreytea68.  Arthur finds a baby.  

Renovations!verse, joosetta.  “In which Eames builds a nest and (accidentally) lures Arthur into it.”

***The Material Life of the California Suburb, eleveninches.  “Arthur seduces Eames into good.”    

***Lives I’ve Pursued, indysaur.  The one where Arthur has an unexpected housemate, takes a gig with Saito, and exchanges letters with Eames.  

***Plate Techtonics, indysaur.  “Arthur is forced to move in with Eames. The world moves.”  Well, I don’t know if I’d really call this one domestic–but it seemed like as a good a category as any for filing.  :-)

Not my usual head canons, but I Iove them 

All the world is bullet shaped, pushdragon. Wow. This is a totally different Eames—with an extended (criminal) family and a much cooler (as in distant) disposition.  And the sexual dynamics are complicated and very hot.  It’s long but the character development is pretty darn amazing.  “If Arthur thinks that, just by waving enough money around, he can get Eames to risk his life and reputation to rescue him from a death sentence, he’s got another thing coming. So Eames sets a malicious, undignified price on his services, one he can be certain that a man like Arthur would never condescend to pay. It turns out to be the first of many mistakes.”

Do you run (when it’s just getting good), VIII_XIII.  I really like the way this fic uses Eames’s pov to unpack the ways he and Arthur both surprise one another.  And me.  Neither this Arthur nor this Eames fit my usual head canons—but they absolutely work for me here and I found myself a bit desperate for them to get together and stay together.  Finally, I don’t think this is spoilers, but stop reading here if you want to be sure, the bit about what one of these characters applied for gave me all the feels.  

Delayed reaction, witling.  Eames unintentionally observes Arthur getting dumped; a job (and some smut) ensues.  

So here’s the thing about works in progress (WIPs).  Some people love them: the thrill of seeing an update notice in your inbox, the delight of reading the latest installment, the delicious agony of having to wait for the next update.  Some people, well, some people don’t love WIPs: one reader’s delayed gratification is another reader’s torture. 

If you like WIPs, here’s a very short list of the Arthur/Eames WIPs I’m aware of that seem to be updating.  Some update like clockwork, others on a less predictable schedule. 

(Just a gentle reminder: let’s show these writers lots of appreciation and avoid at all costs giving them any bad vibes about their posting schedules.  It’s all fine because they do it for free and deserve nothing but love. ::hugs and thanks all the authors::)

I updated this post on 2/23/15 and put a ***by the new additions.

***Next Big Thing, earlgreytea68.  Sequel to Fixer-Upper.  Updating frequently.  Amazingly frequently.  #arthur4everything  #allthecookies4egt

***Breaking News, involuntaryorange.   Arthur is a damn good news anchor. The weatherman, Eames, is the thorn in his side.

Keep the Car Running, earlgreytea68.  InceptionLock. “If Mycroft Holmes lived in a world where people could steal information from the subconsciouses of others, tell me he wouldn’t be all over that when he had Moriarty in custody.”   This one updates every Wednesday.  It’s completely done—with a sequel in progress—but because it’s quite long it will take a few months to get entirely posted.  It’s a delight though—and if you’re someone who likes WIPs but not the uncertainty of whether you’ll get attached to a fic that might be abandoned, dive right in!  

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Ylith.  “Arthur is a down on his luck teacher working as a stripper to pay the bills. Eames was just released from prison on a last chance warning, and trying to live on the straight and narrow for the first time ever.”  The author’s posted 19 chapters between May and October, so it seems to be humming along.  I haven’t noticed a regular posting schedule, but maybe I haven’t been following it long enough to recognize the pattern.  The author’s done such a fine job of building the tension in the story that I’ve actually stopped a bit before Chapter 19 because I know myself well enough (as a reader of WIPs) to know that I should wait for a few more chapters to post so I can tear through the rising tension; I mean that as 100% compliment to the author.  

The File Manager, rasyya.  “Eames is a file manager. Not a secretary, fuck you kindly, a file manager.  Arthur is his boss.”  Holy cats.  This is amazing.   I just started reading it in October 2014, and it looks like there’ve been a few somewhat longer gaps in posting, but the author is really talented and it updated in mid October 2014, so consider checking out this gem.  

Together we map the world, newtsgeiszler.  “When a person turns eighteen, the words that their soul mate will first say to them appear on their skin, the handwriting of the latter in permanent ink. Arthur doesn’t exactly ignore the sentence etched on him once he reaches the age, going through life with a slight wonder if it’ll happen to him appearing every now and then as time passes. Then he and Dom fall into extraction, a plan they never meant to be involved in, and meet those around the world who would change the course of everyone’s life. Including someone Arthur never thought he’d want to do anything with.” This author has posted five chapters since late September 2014, so it seems to be humming along.  I love magical realism, so I’m always thrilled to see this one appear in my inbox.  

***Pandora, asuralucier.   “Eames is a prostitute with a knack for forging what other people like. He just wants to be normal. Normalcy is…kind of not an option when Arthur is involved.” 

***Black Mamba, dendroapis polyepis, grizzly_bear_bane.  “Eames is a solitary former detective and the FBI’s most successful unit chief on serial killers and assassins. … It’s up to Eames to take a leap of faith in order to solve a case even more sinister than he could have ever imagined. But can he trust the unhinged, hunter of men sitting across from him in the interrogation room or has Eames bitten off more than he can chew with this one?” 

***Mismatched, RainingInExile. “Eames is a famous movie star who has absolutely no sense of fashion. Arthur is a part time librarian trying to pay off student loans who happens to be amazing at picking out clothes.”  

Is it wrong that I love to see my OTPs pining?  Is it really so wrong?  Especially if they have a happy ending?  Come on, you know you love it too.

Here’s a list of fics that push my pining!Arthur / pining!Eames buttons.  I thought about categorizing them by who’s pining, but decided not to because sometimes the author does something clever with the pov to do a slow reveal of the pining and I didn’t want to spoil it.

Fics added on 5/8/15 are marked with a ***  (Just in case you’ve seen this list before and are skimming for the new stuff.)

Simple Math, foxxcub.  The Fake Boyfriend High School AU.

Keep the Car Running, earlgreytea68.  GAH!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this fic.  It’s also a crossover (InceptionLock) and you should read it immediately.  Seriously.  Go.

***High Hopes, ester_inc. “Arthur at seventeen is not the same as Arthur at twenty-nine; Eames is one of the few people to have met Arthur at both ages. Some days, Arthur thinks that if he could go back in time and smack some sense into his teenage self, he would.  A story about lust, love, and the years between.”  

In this part of the story, gunsandbutter.   Seven chapters, seven cities.  Chapter 6 (LA) has one of the best Arthur confronts Eames scenes.  Ever. 

Do you run (when it’s just getting good), VIII_XIII.  I really like the way this fic uses Eames’s pov to unpack the ways he and Arthur both surprise one another.  And me.  Neither this Arthur nor this Eames fit my usual head canons—but they absolutely work for me here and I found myself a bit desperate for them to get together and stay together.  Finally, I don’t think this is spoilers, but stop reading here if you want to be sure, the bit about what one of these characters applied for gave me all the feels.  

Lines That We’ll Draw, VIII_XIII.  "There are two boxes full of letters in Eames’s desk drawer. The ones he receives from Arthur, and the ones he wishes he could send in reply.“  It’s epistolary and beautiful and GAH GO READ IT RIGHT NOW.

***Keep the Car Running, earlgreytea68.  It’s a crossover with BBC Sherlock.  And the delicious pining is delicious.  

***Lucky, earlgreytea68.  Arthur finds a baby.  

***Fixer-Upper, earlgreytea68.  “Have you ever seen "Love It or List It”? In which Arthur is the real estate agent and Eames is the designer.”  

Life in Virtual Reality, cobweb_diamond.   Eames finds himself haunted by projections of Arthur. 

Underneath the Sheets (Killing Me), lolahardy.     When Arthur and Eames where young, they were best friends. Arthur made the mistake of falling for him but never said anything. By the time they reached high school, they were no longer friends. 

This is Why We Don’t Like Black Widow, shellhead.  Comic books, love triangles, and lots of pining.  I really loved this one.  

Trouble with Dreams, sparkledark.  “College AU in which Arthur is a cranky senior and Eames is a professor of Dream Psychology.”

In our line of work, enjambament.  “Arthur wakes up and realizes the last ten years of his life have been a dream. He is nineteen, and he can barely remember where he is. What he can remember is the ghost of Eames’ hands pressed down on his chest trying frantically to stop the blood flooding up around his fingers as Arthur died (as he woke up).”  This one just gutted me.  So beautifully written and incredibly moving and such a smart way to play with the possible implications of the passage of time in dreamsharing.

Pet, LadyVader.  Arthur’s a high school student: a runner and clever and a bit too independent for his own good.  Eames is the new English / drama teacher.  As the Police say, sometimes it’s not so easy to be the teacher’s pet.

You’re Impossible, averysubtleart.   “Or, the one where it’s a high school to college/university phase and falling in love happens with coffee.”

I am your prisoner (but don’t set me free), KayCeeCruz.   “He couldn’t take the chance. Especially not with someone like Eames. Someone that Arthur was pretty fucking sure was created to torture him because he was every single damn fucking thing Arthur had ever wanted.  But Arthur had learned that love – for him—never worked out.”  Canon compliant.  

Of all the lies I’ve ever told, duckgirlie.  M-preg.  “there are worse places to be, his mother tells him, then in love with the father of your unborn child. even if you haven’t told him yet. even if you’re not going to tell him, because he already didn’t love you back, and now he’ll hate you” 

I’ve Got Nothing To Do Today But Smile (The Only Living Boy in New York), gyzym.  It’s THE coffee-shop AU.  It’s got the highest kudo count in the Inception fandom on ao3.  And quite right too, in my opinion. Arthur’s a miserable lawyer, Eames is the barista across the street.  The first five paragraphs are a tour de force.  And the rest of the fic is delightful. 

One for the Money, whiskeyrunner.  Porn Industry oneshot. Is it wrong that I find this porn industry fic so sweet?

You Set the Scene, cherryvanilla.  Another porn industry AU.  (WHY ARE ALL THE PORN AUS SO SWEET?!  IS THAT A THING IN THIS FANDOM?! WHATEVER THE REASON, I LOVE IT.)

Rule Ten, skellerbvvt.  dom!Arthur / sub!Eames.  Also, underage!Eames (though the fic gets around that somewhat.)  Okay, so here’s the thing: this fic is written on LJ in the comments.  It’s about 193 comments long.  Plus there are over 4000 additional comments of people squeezing and writing fics on the fics (in alternate povs, looking toward the future, creating backstory, etc.), sometimes three or four tics deep in a single comment.  It’s crazy and wonderful and a pretty unique reading experience.  (Be warned: if you find it hard to ignore typos, this may not be the fic for you. But seriously consider giving it a go.  This is the fic that prompted EGT’s Lucky.)

Going to Get My Feet Wet (Until I Drown), sweetbutterbliss.   “He doesn’t see Arthur until he’s right in front of him, beaming. He’s dressed in jeans and a worn t-shirt, his curls tumbling into his face, and has a streak of dirt smeared across his forehead. Eames resists the urge to reach for his totem as Arthur pulls off a pair of red gardening gloves and shoves them into his back pocket, where they hang precariously. He grasps Eames’ shoulder with long fingers and kisses him. It’s not chaste or even filthy, more like something bred of familiarity. A bit of tongue, but mostly closed mouth. Eames’ hands are full and he’s too shocked not to participate.”

***Of all the lies I’ve ever told, duckgirlie.  “there are worse places to be, his mother tells him, then in love with the father of your unborn child. even if you haven’t told him yet. even if you’re not going to tell him, because he already didn’t love you back, and now he’ll hate you    

***Can Lay My Body Down, Can’t Find My Sweet Release, Nellie. “Arthur is a spermpire and must suck cock to survive. Eames pines. Angst ensues.  I promise this is less cracky than it sounds.”      

***The short fuse and the long con, jibrailis.  “This was written for this prompt on the kink meme which asked for slut!Arthur and jealous!Eames. I started out trying to make the fic all sexy and outrageous, but then it turned into an extended meditation on unrequited love. Yeah, I don’t know either.”        

***How Do You Talk to a Point Man, eleveninches.  “After all this time, Arthur has too much pride to simply ask Eames to have sex with him. A story in which the job isn’t always glamourous, Cobb thinks Arthur makes poor life decisions, and Eames steals everything (including, maybe, Arthur’s heart).”  Oh GOD, I love this one.  So, sooooo hot.      

***Pity!verse, trojie. “It isn’t exactly a bolt from the blue, when Arthur realises he’s in love with Eames. // If Arthur thinks he’s in love with Eames, that’s not Eames’s problem. Arthur’s a big enough boy to take care of himself.”  Oh, the pining in this verse is deliciously painful. Or painfully delicious.  Or…oh, just go read it!       

***Side-wise, headlong, ineptshieldmaid. “In which Eames is a sex fiend, and Arthur has more walls than a prefab house factory.”       

***White-collar crime, paxlux.  I don’t know if it’s strictly pining, but I see pining everywhere.  Because I love it.  “How to steal a  heart. Sartorial advice for thieves.”       

***Release Mechanism, wilting. It’s hard to summarize without giving too much away, but Eames is determined.

***The Love I Sell You in the Evening, By the Morning Won’t Exist, sweetbutterbliss.  “They have an arrangement, they fuck occasionally and have each others’ back always. Arthur tries to convince himself that it’s good enough, that he’ll take what he can get and usually that works for him. Arthur is very good at denial. He finds it harder to pretend when Eames shows up for a job with someone else’s mark on him and jokingly tells Arthur “Not this time, love. Trying to make an honest man of myself.‘”    

***Light up, osaki_nana_oo7.  “Arthur has cancer. Eames is heartsick but doesn’t realize it. Both of them deal with it together. There’s also love.”      

***Onward to the Fault, Aoidos.  “Arthur is an Omega getting on in years, and he thinks he wants children, but Eames is literally the worst Alpha in the universe to choose as a mate.”       

***You were a kindness when I was a stranger, magnetism_bind.  “Eames would never believe it, but Arthur has felt indebted to him from the first moment they met. It’s a ridiculous thing, the sort that Eames would dismiss in a heartbeat if Arthur had ever said anything. It’s not ridiculous to Arthur. It’s a matter of honor…. There are moments though when Arthur wants to scream it at him. 'Don’t you know why? Don’t you know? Don’t you?’ How can Eames not know?  It’s a simple fact of their relationship in Arthur’s opinion. Eames saved his life.”       

**Imagine me and you, I do, magnetism_bind.  “After the job’s over Eames shows up at Arthur’s hotel door. It’s been years since they were last together. Arthur doesn’t want to let him in this time.”        

***Daydreaming, annejumps. “Some people might not believe it, but Arthur daydreams.”          

***Let Not My Love Be Called Idolotry, toomuchplor.  “Arthur breaks all the rules of American high school films, as though he’s never even heard of John Hughes, and Eames can’t decide if, given the choice, he wouldn’t rather just become Arthur instead of having the chance to be with him.  A high school AU wherein Eames is a shy sweet nervous drama geek and Arthur is the confident popular gorgeous student council president; and lo, there is much pining and awkwardness and, eventually, kissing.”     

***Life Begins at 35, Aja.   “Eames is a thief, and Arthur’s all out of hearts.”

Is Omegaverse  your cup of tea?  Love a good mpreg?  This isn’t a complete list, but it does include some of the great stuff I’ve stumbled upon, whether it’s explicitly Omega verse / mpreg or just has some knotting or feral mating.  

Fics recently added are make with ***

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, the_ragnarok.  “Arthur is the son of the ruler, and an Omega male. Eames is leading the revolution. Which kidnaps Arthur. This is only the start of their problems.”  

The Love I Sell You in the Evening, By the Morning Won’t Exist, sweetbutterbliss.  “They have an arrangement, they fuck occasionally and have each others’ back always. Arthur tries to convince himself that it’s good enough, that he’ll take what he can get and usually that works for him. Arthur is very good at denial.‘” 

Calor, annejumps. “At least whoever it was, he’d probably not have to see him orher again. This was, after all, a clinic for omegas having their first heats. After they’d… done whatever it was they did, there’d be no need for him to come back again, would there? Thank God. He could make a spectacle of himself in front of at least one trained professional and never have to see anyone involved again.”

Of all the lies I’ve ever told, duckgirlie.  “there are worse places to be, his mother tells him, then in love with the father of your unborn child. even if you haven’t told him yet. even if you’re not going to tell him, because he already didn’t love you back, and now he’ll hate you"

Catalyst, five_ht. “Arthur is a freshman omega in college who hasn’t yet had his first heat. Eames is a friendly alpha who is willing to lend a hand.”

Chaleur, Aoidos. “Yusuf owns an underground sex den where Eames works and Arthur is a client.”  

Onward to the Fault, Aoidos.  “Arthur is an Omega getting on in years, and he thinks he wants children, but Eames is literally the worst Alpha in the universe to choose as a mate.”  

You can drown in a dream, pushdragon. “Waking up from an extraction on an erotica writer, something serious is wrong with Arthur. He can’t focus, he can’t sleep … and when did Eames start to smell so good? Even as he writes his report describing the writer’s fictitious alpha/omega dynamics, it doesn’t occur to him that the description kind of applies to him. (Or: the one where Arthur incepts himself into believing he’s an omega.)”  

Divide by two, Cthonical (Nellie).  “They’re on the run, snowed in, and Arthur’s in heat. Nothing ever did go easy for them, but they’ll make it work. They always do.”  

For the Sake of a Few Good Felines, Nellie.  “Eames is a space fighter pilot in a war against an encroaching vampire force. He accidentally discovers the secret facility where the vampires breed their feline super soldiers. Catboy!Arthur. Space vampires.”

Take Two, night_reveals.  Grimm crossover.  “Arthur shouldn’t be surprised that Eames is a Blutbad: Eames always did have good instincts. [Hunter!Arthur / Werewolf!Eames]… Decided to take every knotting cliche I could think of and pack them into one story.”

Pavlov’s Bell, whiskyrunner.  The werekittens AU.

***A Taste in the Air, Aoidos.    “Arthur and Eames have always been best friends. But when Arthur gets his first heat at 18 things change, and he’s not happy with the way Eames seems to transition from ‘Best Friend’ to ‘Alpha’.”

***The Lessons, Aoidos. “Arthur’s parents sell him to the wealthy Saito family on his twelfth birthday.”    

***Hair of the Dog, Nellie.  “Eames tells Arthur to describe his most profane and fucked-up fantasy so they can go under with the PASIV and do it. Arthur is reluctant to admit it because he thinks it’s too awful, but Eames insists.  Arthur’s fantasy is getting fucked by Eames as a big dog. Surprisingly, Eames is still more than happy to oblige.”    Not quite AO; more like bestiality in a dream—but I didn’t know where to put it.     

***No Soul to Sell, toomuchplor.   ““Flattering though your opinion of me might be,” Eames said, at the time, “I don’t actually fancy twelve year old boys.” “He’s seventeen,” Mal corrected him. “Oh,” Eames said, and cut another look across the workshop. “Seventeen? Really?” “Promise me,” Cobb repeated, more urgently. “Yeah, of course,” Eames answered, still frowning over at Arthur, all elbows and floppy hair and — yes, there it was — interestingly mobile hips. “No, I won’t lay a hand on his virgin —“”

***White Picket Fences, Aodios- Ten years after Inception, Cobb brings trouble to Arthur’s door, not realizing that he married Eames, and has a family.

***Scorch, eternalsojourn- Arthur goes into heat on a job, and Eames helps him through it. (No mpreg)

***Lascaux, Aodios.  Caveman AU.  

So the truth of the matter is, I’m especially obsessed with all the AUs in this fandom.  Because there’s so little canon, the AUs are an endless delight and revelation.

This list is by no means complete.  I’ll keep adding to it–adding fics, adding categories, incorporating more descriptions and quotes–as time goes on.  Your suggestions, as always, are much appreciated.   Truly. :-)

Fics added on 5/8/15 are marked with a ***  (Just in case you’ve seen this list before and are skimming for the new stuff.)

Breath Into It, rageprufrock.  The Yoga AU.  "Eames is fit and he fucking knows it, but apparently his long years of running the stress out of his body and pick-up games of football have done nothing for his flexibility. When Arthur says — voice light — in the front of the room, that everyone should just fold themselves over in uttanasana, the shock of pain and his back’s total boycott of participation is remarkable. "Translation, Mr. Eames: touch your toes,“ Arthur murmurs, a smile in his voice. "Yes, I’m doing that,” Eames snipes in reply, and doesn’t dare turn his head, because staring directly at the ground and making his fingertips brush the sticky-rubber mat Alicia had lent him is extremely taxing, and he doesn’t think he can manage doing both that and staring at Arthur’s knees.“

Fixer-Upper, earlgreytea68.  “Have you ever seen "Love It or List It”? In which Arthur is the real estate agent and Eames is the designer.”  

Next Big Thing, earlgreytea68.  The sequel to Fixer-Upper. 

Rough Trade, whisky runner.  Arthur is an investment banker with a lot of internalized homophobia; Eames is a one-night stand that turns into more.

Wingman Verse, whiskyrunner.  (P13 - NC17)  A series of four fics (start with Wingman) inspired by this prompt: “Arthur has a morning jog every day and recently something has appeared to ruin his routine which would be Eames and his dog who seems to like Arthur as much as Eames does. Cue Eames trying to get Arthur to see him outside of his ‘daily routine’ and getting treated like a weirdo. Would love to see a make out scene in the mud (yup…mud, sorry…) and you’d make my day if they went back and actually had sex at home (on the living room floor, in the shower whatever you like!)”

Mr. Eames and Mr. Eames, jibrailis.  The Mail Order Bride AU.

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, pyrimidine.  The No Sad, Big Smile Happy Break-Up Service AU.  

(Non) Compos Mentis Hora Smoni, aimlesstravels.  Psych Ward AU.

Still Life and Street, trojie.  “Arthur is a hacker. One night he finds a stranger in his bathroom who says he has a proposition for him.”       

Your song.  “Arthur is a shameless whore and Eames is fresh meat.”       

***Spin!, weatherfront. “Political crisis managers AU. Arthur and Eames are operatives for rival presidential campaigns in a heated Democratic primary. Can they find love and happiness in spite of all the pies, Republicans, and publicity disasters in their way? Even in the face of the dreaded ELECTORAL COLLEGE SYSTEM? I DON’T KNOW! LET’S FIND OUT!”  

Art-Artist-Actor-Musician-Writer AUs

Steinway!verse.  toomuchplor.  "The alternate universe where Arthur’s a pianist and Eames is a lyric baritone and their love is so lieder, omg.“  This verse has absolutely burrowed into my brain.  It started out so light and fluffy and the OH MY GOD I GOT SO INVESTED: long-distance relationships and an eventual happy ending.  Also, I’m completely charmed by this Mal.

Provenance, rageprufrock.  Art world AU.  

***The Greedyhearts, weatherfront.  “Eames is a high-end thief. Arthur is a private investigator hired to catch him.”  

***Grew up fast, grew up mean, cesearbeau.  “Arthur glances over his shoulder, and the light reflects off the sharp line of his nose, the curve of his cheek. He looks like one of the boys Eames used to see on street corners, curled up in old men’s laps in clubs; the kind of boy his ma always told him to stay away from.”  

Amuse-Bouche, bauble.  Rock star Eames AU.  Thanks to EGT for this rec.

Sign Here, annejumps.  Art dealer!Arthur / delivery-man!Eames

Long Shot, laceymcbain.  Actor!Eames, assassin!Arthur

Lead and Follow, annejumps.  dance-instructor!Arthur

Incipit, thehoyden.  Author!Eames / editor!Arthur.  A not-too-spoiler-y line from one of my favorite parts: “"Arthur,” Eames says sharply, and then more gently, “You’re the best editor anyone could ask for, but not even your eye catches everything.”“

Early Returns, rageprufrock.  The newspaper AU.  Arthur is a copyeditor; Eames is a photojournalist.  Election returns make for a late night.  ”Stabbing at his keyboard, Arthur wishes desperately someone would file some God damn copy, so at least he could have an excuse to sit here and ignore Eames, who in probably ten, nine, eight, seven…is going to point out that the edit queue is empty as Arthur’s savings account and ask him if he wants to go for coffee and frottage in the break room.”

***Breaking News, involuntaryorange.  “ Arthur is a damn good news anchor. The weatherman, Eames, is the thorn in his side. ”

We Were Once Cinema Gods, gyzym.  The Hollywood AU.  Producer!Arthur and Actor!Eames.  God, the backstory on these two.  Oh my heart.

Late Night Phone Call, sparkledark.  The Sleep Line AU (where Arthur is a writer).  Oh my god! One of my absolute favorites.  I adore the ending.  

Back in Black, laiqualaurelote.  “Three years after rock legend The Kick broke up, frontman Dom Cobb wants to get the band back together. New manager Saito has found replacement drummer Yusuf and fresh new lyricist Ariadne, but there’s still a lot that guitarist Arthur and bassist Eames need to - and won’t - talk about. Still, it’s a long way to the top (if you want to rock n’ roll).”  Contains a pretty epic scene with Arthur as Rock God.

I’ve Got a Rock N Roll Life, osaki_nana_007. “AU. Arthur is a concert violinist at a prestigious arts college. His best (and only) friend Ariadne convinces him to come with her to a rock concert, aka his worst nightmare. He does seem to be quite taken with the charismatic lead guitarist though… or rather, the guitarist seems to be quite taken by him.”

***I’m Going to Pull Time Apart For You, sweetbutterbliss.   “At first it had been kind of novel, Eames had been pleased when people approached to ask for Arthur’s attention. That was his boyfriend and people wanted him, but only Eames had him. He’d stand off to the side grinning and admiring how Arthur handled people. He said yes to all of their pictures and autographs, saying no, no. thank you. He’d hug them extra hard when they said his music saved their life and Eames was so proud he could burst. But it got old very very fast.” Professor Eames / Rockstar Arthur 

Skin Deep, starlingthefool.  Tattoo shop AU.

My True Love’s Hair, sweetbutterbliss.  Arthur needs a haircut.  Eames works in a salon.

Patron of the Arts, sweetbutterbliss.  Artist!Eames.

You Better Werk, sweetbutterbliss.   model!Arthur / designer!Eames

I Bet Nureyev Never Had to Deal with this Shit, cobweb_diamond.  Modern-day AU. Arthur is a ballet dancer recovering from a serious injury, and is lucky enough to land the role of Oberon in Dom Cobb’s reimagining of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

The Rebel French, primavera.  Ex-cop!Arthur.  Arthur, a cop, is shot during an art heist.  He moves to Paris to work for Saito, determined to catch the thieves who shot him.  He meets Eames.  It’s sexy and angsty and WOW.  

Cooking-Baking-Foodie AUs

I’ve Got Nothing To Do Today But Smile (The Only Living Boy in New York), gyzym.  It’s THE coffee-shop AU.  It’s got the highest kudo count in the Inception fandom on ao3.  And quite right too, in my opinion. Arthur’s a miserable lawyer, Eames is the barista across the street.  The first five paragraphs are a tour de force.  And the rest of the fic is delightful. 

Waiting On, the hoyden.  The Diner AU.  Eames owns a diner, Arthur’s a regular.  

You’re the Sugar to My High, scribblescrabbl.  Bakery AU. I grinned and grinned and grinned my way through this fic.  

Sweeter Than Honey, annejumps.  The Honey AU.  

Tell Me You Didn’t Put The Veal Down Your Pants, temperance-k.  "Eames is a wonderful cook, yes, but he is horrible at spelling things correctly on his menus, let alone describing them. (His latest culinary masterpiece is called “taste’s realy goood.”) So he hires a proofreader, who turns out to be the infamously-uptight and critical Arthur.“

A Piece of the Plate (Got Stuck in My Heart), jibailis.  Iron Chef AU.  Cracktastic elements. 

Peanut Butter & Fixed Term Five Year Plans, andrealyn.  Accountant!Arthur / baker!Eames.   

Eames on food, duckgirlie “Arthur is a massive food network fan, and Eames is their newest superstar.” 

Sexworker / Porn Industry / Escort / Massage AUs

The Escort, white_aster.  Arthur’s a high-class escort.  Eames likes that.  

Paper Things, snookiescookies.  The Pretty Woman AU.  (Take note: it’s a WIP.)

Happy Endings, the_ragnarok.  Full-service massuse!Arthur / customer Eames.  

***Rubbed the Right Way, Lenore.  “Arthur is a massage therapist. Eames is his number one client—okay, stalker.”  

One for the Money, whiskeyrunner.  Porn Industry oneshot.  I CAN’T BELIEVE I DIDN’T HAVE THIS ON THIS LIST BEFORE BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF MY ABSOLUTE FAVS.  Is it wrong that I find this porn industry fic so sweet?

You Set the Scene, cherryvanilla.  Another porn industry AU.  (WHY ARE ALL THE PORN AUS SO SWEET?!  IS THAT A THING IN THIS FANDOM?! WHATEVER THE REASON, I LOVE IT.)

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Ylith.  “Arthur is a down on his luck teacher working as a stripper to pay the bills. Eames was just released from prison on a last chance warning, and trying to live on the straight and narrow for the first time ever.”  The author’s posted 19 chapters between May and October, so it seems to be humming along.  I haven’t noticed a regular posting schedule, but maybe I haven’t been following it long enough to recognize the pattern.  The author’s done such a fine job of building the tension in the story that I’ve actually stopped a bit before Chapter 19 because I know myself well enough (as a reader of WIPs) to know that I should wait for a few more chapters to post so I can tear through the rising tension; I mean that as 100% compliment to the author.  

Cracktastic AUs

Pavlov’s Bell, whiskyrunner.  The werekittens AU.

Killing Kittens for the Greater Good, saintdogstreet.  The Sperm Bank AU.

Believe Me If You Can, gyzym.  Winnie the Pooh AU. 

***For the sake of a few good felines, Nellie.  “Eames is a space fighter pilot in a war against an encroaching vampire force. He accidentally discovers the secret facility where the vampires breed their feline super soldiers.”  

Inspired by a Movie AUs

And so the feeling grows, duckiegirlie.  Four Weddings AU.  

Left and Leaving, pyrimidine.  Time Traveler’s Wife AU.

I Seem To Be A Verb, Aja.  Notting Hill AU.  Now complete.  And AMAZING.  READ THIS RIGHT AWAY.  DO NOT PASS GO.  DO NOT COLLECT $200.  DO READ THIS AND FEEL RAPTURES OF JOY AND FEELS AND OH MY GOD I LOVE THIS FIC.

A Kissing Book (That Doesn’t Sound Too Bad), VIII_XIII.  “The thing that a great many people don’t understand about true love is that it doesn’t announce itself with fanfare, and it doesn’t happen all at once. True love takes root in the crevices in a person’s being, a creeping thing that breaks two people apart and knits those pieces together again to make something stronger than the sum of its parts. Adventure, intrigue, pirates, mercenaries, attempted murder, unspeakable grief, happy endings. A Princess Bride AU.”  I have no words for how much I loved this fic.  

College AUs

The Running Play, whiskyrunner.  The football AU.  Whiskyrunner  has moved a quite a few of their tics to a03, but for whatever reason, this one’s not there yet.  It’s a long series, and Arthur suffers some pretty horrible abuse at the start and carries a lot of damange throughout the series—but it all ends happily (there are multiple fics in this verse beyond The Running Play).

Trouble with Dreams, sparkledark.  Psych Prof!Eames / student!Arthur.  

La Vie de Famille, lenore.  Babysitter!Arthur, single-dad!Eames.

Hope I’m In Your Thoughts Next Time You Log In, fadedhues.  College radio show AU. 

Imprints Itself, rasyya.  College professor Arthur / student Eames (but not currently his student). 

Just a Boy, renne.  College professor Eames / smitten student Arthur.  

The University AU, halfhardtorock.  The college roommate crush AU.  

You Belong on the West Coast, Donatello.  Music school AU.  

Trivium, fourfreedoms.   TA!Arthur / student!Eames

Action Painting, tessykins.    Arthur’s friends are convinced he doesn’t have enough fun and talk him into attending the DayGlow party at a local club. While trying to blend in at the bar, Arthur sees the hot TA–Eames–that he had a crush on the previous semester walking toward him, his bare torso already smeared with body paint. 

You’re Waiting for a Stranger, mixtapestar.    In which they meet on Omegle. 

This is Why We Don’t Like Black Widow, shellhead.  Comic books, love triangles, and lots of pining.  I really loved this one.  

Hazy Days, onewhositswithturtles.   “Arthur and Eames are paired up in a hazing experience neither of them wanted, and things go unexpected awry.”

Tap Out or Pass Out, vaincs.    Self-defense instructor!Arthur / student!Eames

***The University AU, halfhardtorock.  “He looks over his shoulder at Eames, who is rolled over onto his side, broad back to Arthur. Even with just the hall light coming in under the door, Arthur can see the dark shadow of tattoos on Eames’s shoulder.”  

High School - College AUs

You’re Impossible, averysubtleart.   “Or, the one where it’s a high school to college/university phase and falling in love happens with coffee.”

Underneath the Sheets (Killing ME), lolahardy.      When Arthur and Eames were young, they were best friends. Arthur made the mistake of falling for him but never said anything. By the time they reached high school, they were no longer friends.  

High School AUs

Pet, LadyVader.  Arthur’s a high school student: a runner and clever and a bit too independent for his own good.  Eames is the new English / drama teacher.  As the Police say, sometimes it’s not so easy to be the teacher’s pet.

Rule Ten, skellerbvvt.  dom!Arthur / sub!Eames.  Also, underage!Eames (though the fic gets around that somewhat.)  Okay, so here’s the thing: this fic is written on LJ in the comments.  It’s about 193 comments long.  Plus there are over 4000 additional comments of people squeezing and writing fics on the fics (in alternate povs, looking toward the future, creating backstory, etc.), sometimes three or four tics deep in a single comment.  It’s crazy and wonderful and a pretty unique reading experience.  (Be warned: if you find it hard to ignore typos, this may not be the fic for you.)

All Shook Up, annejumps.  Greaser AU

Simple Math, foxxcub.  The Fake Boyfriend High School AU.

This Fumble Has Become Biblical, imogenedisease.  Arthur is in high school.  Eames is, umm, not.  AKA, the Jail Bait AU.  (There are a series of fics here, and I didn’t expect where it was  headed.) 

Full Nelson, pyrimidine.  Wrestler!Eames/Journalist!Arthur high school AU  

Where Are You Going with My Heart, kyrene.  The high school stepbrother AU.  

Baby’s On Fire, five_ht.   “Arthur is a 16-year-old with a fake ID. Eames is much older, and of questionable morals.”  Underage, pwp-ish. 

A Spoopy Schmoop, sweetbutterbliss.   A high school Halloween story. 

HS Roll the Dice, the_ragnarok.  In which Eames is their best player, Arthur is dense, Ariadne has a funny hat, Dom always runs the game and Mal wants to play free-form. (Or, the one where they’re all in a roleplaying group together in highschool.) 

***Let Not My Love Be Called Idolotry, toomuchplor.  “Arthur breaks all the rules of American high school films, as though he’s never even heard of John Hughes, and Eames can’t decide if, given the choice, he wouldn’t rather just become Arthur instead of having the chance to be with him.  A high school AU wherein Eames is a shy sweet nervous drama geek and Arthur is the confident popular gorgeous student council president; and lo, there is much pining and awkwardness and, eventually, kissing.”

Historical AUs

His Lordship Makes a Match, jibrailis.  “Regency AU! Eames is an Earl and Arthur is his long-suffering valet.” 

Lay Your Siege, gyzym.  The Trojan War AU.  

Confinement, lolahardy.  “Arthur is a solitary rancher in the middle of nowhere Kansas.  One day, a stranger wanders onto his land and he’s suddenly not so alone.” 

A Shot Across the Bows, five_ht.  Pirate AU.  “Pirate AU wherein Eames is the first mate, and Arthur is the disgruntled captive cabin boy turned highly competent ship’s medic (still disgruntled).”

Patience, and a Steady Hand, helenish.  The Viking Slave AU.  "821 A.D. Arthur is in the nightmare business. Eames is a thief, a liar, and versatile with a pen.”

A fool from any direction, syllic.  “Written for this prompt: “Eames is a knight, and Arthur is a stable boy. Eames brings him little tokens from his quests and Arthur reverently removes his armor and lets Eames press him down sweetly into the hay"”  

***Pistols at Penrose Hall, immoral_crow, johanirae.  “Regency AU, in which My Lord Eames yearns for something to counter the ennui of his life. When he is held up by a masked highwayman, he finds himself embroiled in intrigue, espionage, and murder, where an evil mastermind will stop at nothing to achieve his plans. Can Eames untangle the truth, right wrongs, and find love on the way?  Featuring duels, masked balls, cross dressing, and sex in surprising locations.” 

Cop-Firefighter-Military Service AUs

I can’t extinguish this fire, though I’ve tried, a pretty away.  firefighter!Eames.  

A+E, annejumps, paramedic!Arthur

A number of firsts, melonbutterfly.  DADT repeal AU   “Arthur wins the raffle for the traditional "first kiss”; the first sailor off the ship who gets to kiss his significant other. Of course all of Eames’ colleagues decide they need to be there as well; it’s possible (not really) they’re more excited about it than Eames. All Eames cares about is finally getting his boyfriend back.”

The Rebel French, primavera.  Ex-cop!Arthur.  Arthur, a cop, is shot during an art heist.  He moves to Paris to work for Saito, determined to catch the thieves who shot him.  He meets Eames.  It’s sexy and angsty and WOW.  

Kid Fic AUs

La Vie de Famille, lenore.  Babysitter!Arthur, single-dad!Eames.

Pavlov’s Bell, whiskyrunner.  The werekittens AU.

Nearly Home, toomuchplor / xenakis.   Arthur and Eames are on the verge of giving up mind crime when Cobb convinces Arthur to be his point man on one last job — which rather inevitably goes wrong. Eames is pulled into the mess as Cobb’s simple heist spirals into an attempt on inception. It’s time to stop trespassing on the dreams of others; building a home takes two sets of hands.

Et les mots croises, toomuchplor.  Eamespreg / kidfic.  

Lawyer AUs

The Inescapable Charm of the Countdown, amazingly-me.  

I’ve Got Nothing To Do Today But Smile (The Only Living Boy in New York), gyzym.  Arthur’s a miserable lawyer, Eames is the barista across the street.  (Mostly this is known as the coffee shop AU, but it’s a lawyer AU as well.)  The first five paragraphs are a tour de force.  And the rest of the fic is delightful. 

A Crystal-Clear Canvas, involuntaryorange.   “Arthur is a lawyer. Eames washes his windows. That isn’t a euphemism.”

Sports AUs

The Running Play, whiskyrunner.  The football AU.  Whiskyrunner  has moved a quite a few of their tics to a03, but for whatever reason, this one’s not there yet.  It’s a long series, and Arthur suffers some pretty horrible abuse at the start and carries a lot of damange throughout the series—but it all ends happily (there are multiple fics in this verse beyond The Running Play).

Friends, allow me to present my 2025 @stetersecretsanta fic for @nerdherderette. Thank you for the wonderful prompts! I selected two to play with: Peter being Stiles' gay awakening, but because he is friends with Derek Peter is off limits, and Neckz N Throats verse. I've never written anything for Neckz N Throats, so it was fun to figure out how to put my own spin on it.

Huge thanks to @punchedbymarkesmith @lucky-bishop @midmorning-bomb @vmures for the cheerleading and encouragement.

Title: You Were All I Ever Longed For Paring: Peter Hale/Stiles Stilinski, mentions of both with others Rating: E Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire (Teen Wolf), Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Pining, Neckz 'n Throats Magazine (Teen Wolf), Masturbation, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Knotting Summary:

There wasn’t anything overtly sexual about the picture, not like the Playboy that Scott once stole from his dad. That Playboy had been exciting because they both knew they shouldn’t have been looking at it. The picture of Peter feels exciting in a wholly different way because it makes something stir inside of Stiles. And maybe this attraction doesn’t feel all that new, maybe it’s a thought that’s been lurking somewhere inside of him: this thing that has been slowly coalescing inside of him might be starting to solidify and form. And that form now has the shape of Peter Hale.

OR the one where Derek's Uncle Peter is a Neck N Throats model, and seeing his cover shot awakens a years long obsession in Stiles.

sorry it's december for Harratus | @stetersecretsanta2025

Stiles’ eyes flick over his lap, “What’s got you excited?” He drops his phone and tap-taps fingers up Peter’s thigh. “You could kill me, if the urge was right.” Taps turn into a drag of nails down the seam of his jeans. “As if I’d ever let you leave me.”

(Winners, Linda will be contacting you regarding your prizes. Please look out for her email/message/carrier pigeon!)

Philon Awards 2025 Winners

(officially announced on 2 Nov 2025, at KiScon) 🏆 Gold: ...in relief by a_most_beloved_fool 🏆 Silver: Dig it in There, Captain Kirk by mazarinememories

Short Fic (word count 1K–5K): 🏆 Gold: HOWL by indeedcaptain 🏆 Silver: summer comes, winter fades by InkDropMemories Medium-Length Fic (word count 5K–10K): 🏆 Gold: Lessons in Seduction, Presented by S'chn T'gai Spock by Phoenix_Rose 🏆 Silver: A Little Human Emotionality by Moreta1848

Long Fic (word count 10K–20K): 🏆 Gold: thrum: a sonata in three movements by selfmadepurgatories 🏆 Silver: on a crooked little trajectory by tothewillofthepeople

Novella (word count 20K–50K): 🏆 Gold: long you live and high you fly by pinkgrapefloyd 🏆 Silver: Too Lonely a Place by Illegalpaladin (kellysaur)

Novel (word count over 50K): 🏆 Gold: No Dawn, No Day by xiaq 🏆 Silver: Silent Star by Moreta1848

Podfic: 🏆 Gold: The Exiles (written by Moreta1848) by cookiemom6067 🏆 Silver: Time After Time (written by spaceisgay (ChancellorGriffin)) by cookiemom6067

Poetry: 🏆 Gold: HR Violations on the USS Enterprise by indeedcaptain 🏆 Silver: Opportunity Knocks by gunstreet

Traditional Art: 🏆 Gold: “Because the word love isn’t written in your book” by strawberry-sweets (Bluesky post) 🏆 Silver: Love in Bloom by PageofWands

Digital Art: 🏆 Gold: HURT (comic) by beloved-icarus 🏆 Silver: Irrational Numbers (comic) by sidetrek (link to full download)