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Today I came across a discussion where people were mentioning different authors and the impact they've had on the fandom, and it gave me the idea for this post.

When I first joined the X-Men fandom on AO3, one of the first things I noticed was how blessed it is with incredibly talented writers and truly wonderful stories. So I started thinking about which authors have shaped the way I write and given me some of the most meaningful and joyful reading experiences — and I decided I wanted to pay tribute to them.

So here's this post.

I'd love for everyone in the comments to name the author who makes your whole world stop when they post a new story. The one whose name in your inbox can make you drop everything you're doing — whether that's a car trip or even giving birth to your first child — because you just can't wait a second longer to read it.

Of course, it doesn't have to be the only author you love (I have quite a few on my own favorites list), but the one who, when you read them, makes you feel like a kid on Christmas morning.

✦ ✦ ✦

📋 Rules: ✅ 1. Comments must include the name of the author who fits the description above. 🎉 2. This is a celebration, not a competition. Any discussion that judges another user's taste will be removed. 🚫 3. For the same reason, any discussion that judges an author mentioned in the comments will be removed. 💬 4. Each comment must contain only one name, but there is no limit to how many comments you can leave.

✦ ✦ ✦

I simply want the people who have given so much to this fandom to receive the recognition they deserve — and to take a long, shared dive into memory and nostalgia, hoping that the golden days of this fandom might one day return.

P.S. I know the colors in the image are all over the place and won't match, and the background is probably awful — but please cut me some slack. I'm severely colorblind, and this is truly the best I can do. 💙

This is my personal cherik fanfiction recommendation list! I may have included one at the end as a warning so you guys know what you're getting into. Some of these have my personal opinion, some don't. I tried to include all of the information I usually want when I am deciding to read something or not. Hopefully you find something good to read!

The stars incline us, they do not bind us

Ikeracity, Pangea

X-Men FanFiction

Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier

Word Count: 162,781

Explicit - Space Opera - Slow burn - Captivity - PTSD - Forbidden Love - Angst - Protective character - Mutual pining - Enemies to lovers

Snippet Summary: Charles is escorting 2,000 prisoners, when the prisoners, including Erik, riot and take over the ship.

Personal Opinion: a classic cherik fic. Wonderfully slow burn, high tension, sweet ending. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/2635184

Nine Eleven Ten

Subtilior

X-Men FanFiction

Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier

Word Count: 625,982 (unfinished since 2015 but worth the read)

Explicit - Dystopian - Kidnapped - War - Violence - Trauma - Torture - Child abuse - Angst - Hurt/Comfort - Tension - SLOW burn (bruh) - GOD-Tier writing

Snippet Summary: Charles is kidnapped to be used in a war, Erik is the war machine locked away in the mansion, Emma Frost is the leader. 

Personal Opinion: CHERIK CLASSIC! Where do I even start? This has ruined me. It is so good. The writing is seriously some of the best ever, like ever. The tension, the character development, the slow burn (please), the side characters, the political plot, everything. is. amazing. This has been unfinished since 2015 but it is worth the read. It ends right as the climax begins but it is WORTH THE READ! You will struggle to find anything as engaging, gripping, high tension, and interesting as this. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/252402

Sink or Swim 

endingthemes 

X-Men FanFiction

Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier

Word Count: 57,589

Explicit - Modern - ABO - Dad Erik - Amnesia - Fake relationship - Slow burn - Angst - Fluff - Hurt/Comfort - Eventual happy ending

Summary Snippet: Erik is a single dad when his enemies omega, Charles, wakes up with amnesia and mistakes Erik as being his alpha. 

Personal Opinion: I liked this one, it was very complicated and had dubious ethics. I enjoyed the character development A LOT and thought it was well done. The ending is very very nice.

 https://archiveofourown.org/works/4648683

Enchanted 

Mrs_Understood

X-Men FanFiction

Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier

Word Count: 133,664

Teen - Modern - College - Enemies to lovers - Slow burn - Chess rivalry 

Snippet Summary: Charles and Erik are chess rivals and have sworn to hate each other, until Raven invites Erik to be roommates with her and Charles without Charles knowing. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/66588580

All the soarings of your mind

Ikeracity

X-Men FanFiction

Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier

Word Count: 10,542

Teen - Modern - Therapist - Psychic Bond - Patient and Therapist to lovers 

Snippet Summary: Charles is Erik's therapist, until a psychic bond starts appearing. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57850609

Rumor Mill

Ikeracity

X-men Fanfiction

Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier

Word Count: 7,861 

General - Modern - Fluff 

Snippet Summary: What do you mean Erik, the office menace, is married to someone as amazing as Charles? - Eriks employees

Personal Opinion: This one is so cute. This is a good fluff fic for when you need some wholesome fluff. 

https://archiveofourown.org/works/519459

Tuesday Plays the Piper

Sperare

X-Men FanFiction

Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier

Explicit - Dystopian - Mpreg (similar to ABO but not quite)- Forced Marriage - War - Emotional abuse - Slow burn (?) - Politics

Snippet Summary: Charles accidentally starts a bond with Erik, Erik is determined to follow it through regardless of Charles opinions. 

Personal Opinion: I am only including this in my rec list to warn everyone. If you want a happy ending or even a logical ending, do not read this. Erik is annoying and does not develop or change at all, in the worst way. The ending is very disappointing. This had so much going for it, the writing is good, the politics and world building is good, but the romance is just… not good and very disappointing and sad.

How so many people keep bashing Charles Xavier because they think he's just some rich white guy with a fancy invisible mutation who knows nothing about pain or hardship — so he must be a naive idealist who doesn’t understand how the real world works.

Like... do you realize this man was handed over to Mister Sinister for experiments by his own father? That he grew up with domestic violence since he was ten, with an alcoholic mother, who HE had to protect from his abusive stepfather — feeling her pain every single time, knowing exactly what she felt, but being powerless to stop it?

He had to flee his home country at fifteen because of his half-brother’s cruelty. His telepathy became fully active during the Korean War, when he felt every single death around him — something that scarred him for life. He was paralyzed in his twenties, beliveing that his life was now over and had a long, hard, time accapting himself again.

And the whole thing with Amelia Voght...

And after all that, for a long time, he never really learned how to connect with or to love others, because no one in his life ever loved him fully, unconditionally, for who he was.

But don't you think there might be some causation there? Sure he'd be a sweet guy either way, but maybe the reason he can't bear to hurt people, is because he can feel their pain.

It's so easy to see someone badly when you don't know why they're lashing out. Charles knows what you're going through, so can't consider you a bad person.

People see him as naive for seeing the good in everyone, but the reality is, the only reason YOU can't see the good in them, is because you can't see in their heads.