Fandom: Skip Beat!
Pairings/Characters: Kyoko/Ren
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 5,218
Author: pomme_de_miel
Website: Golden meliades on Ff.net
Summary: Why does Kyoko have to do her first-ever photo shoot in a bikini, of all things? And why won't Ren quit teasing her? It's an embarrassing day for Kyoko.
Why: I have to admit, I get a lot of amusement out of how oblivious Kyoko is to how Ren actually feels about her, and one of the great things about this fic is that it plays right into that amusement. The author also does a really great job of capturing Kyoko, by turns silly and serious, and always more powerful and special than she thinks she is, and her relationship with Ren.

The Wink by Golden meliades

Fandom: Harry Potter
Pairings/Characters: Pansy/Percy
Rating: NC-17
Wordcount: ~11,000
Author: Florahart on IJ
Website: Florahart on LJ
Summary: In which Percy is not gay, Pansy has a problem with a compulsion, and they work things out together.
Why: If you've ever read anything by Florahart before, you probably know exactly what to expect, even without actually reading the story. However, in the unlikely eventuality that Florahart is new to you, let me tell you what you'll find here. Even though the pairing may seem implausible, this story is well-written and clever, with a believable relationship that develops between the two characters. And speaking of the characters, they are nicely characterized, and the dialogue between them is snappy and sparkling. Even if you don't particularly care for one of the characters (as I don't particularly care for Pansy), I'd suggest giving this a try because I bet that you'll be drawn in and end up enjoying yourself. After all, that's just the kind of author Florahart is. :)

To Follow Your Heart by Florahart

Fandom: Gokusen
Pairings/Characters: Shin/Yankumi
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: 861
Author: anenko
Website: i wrote that!
Summary: He had been smarter before, hadn't he?
Why: This fic cracks me up. It's exactly the kind of comedy of errors that you might expect from Yankumi and Shin, and it is absolutely hilarious. And there's really nothing else I can say except for "Go read it now!!"

Love Bites by Northlight

Fandom: Yugioh
Pairings/Characters: Joey/Yugi
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: ~350
Author: Cody Nelson
Website: Rat and Fox
Summary: Joey loves Yugi. But not that way.
Why: I like this for its simplicity and because for some reason, I enjoy reading about characters who are in denial far more than I really should. Not to mention that Joey/Yugi is rare, and so I have to treasure it when I find it. ;)

Joey Loves Yugi by Cody Nelson

Fandom: Hikaru no Go
Pairings/Characters: Hikaru, his father
Rating: G
Wordcount: 1,922
Author: betulaleafminer
Website: none
Summary: Hikaru's father, on the subject of his son.
Why: I'm kind of a sucker for stories that look at the characters I love from an outside perspective, so it's probably no surprise that I was interested in a story from the point of view of Hikaru's father, a man who I have absolutely no memory of in the actual series. And such it's such a good story, it should also be no surprise that I'm reccing it now. Betula does a great job of showing the way that we're sometimes blind to the things that are closest to us. I loved the realization of Hikaru's father of just how much he doesn't know about his son. Even more than that, I love the reaction that he has to this revelation. I only wish we could have seen something like this in the actual series.

My Stranger, My Son by Betula

Fandom: Yamada Tarou Monogatari
Pairings/Characters: Mimura Takuya/Yamada Tarou, Ikegami Takako, Yamadas 2-7
Rating: G
Wordcount: 1,000
Author: capncosmo
Website: The Paradigm of Misspelling
Summary: Trying to get to bottom of how all this started is a little more difficult than you might imagine.
Why: I like the format of this story, and the way that it takes an attention-catching first moment and then traces things back to the beginning through an amusing stream of events. It's kind of like a snapshot of the relationship between Takuya and Tarou over time.

The Start by capncosmo

Fandom: Yamada Tarou Monogatari
Pairings/Characters: Takuya/Tarou, Takuya's grandfather
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 1,180
Author: capncosmo
Website: The Paradigm of Misspelling
Summary: Takuya is lost when it comes to his two most important people.
Why: I love the way that the author tells a story through Takuya's flower arrangements because even though it's a pretty big part of Takuya, this is the first time I've really seen it used in a fic. Also, even though I usually like longer and more connected formats, somehow the bite-sized format that the author uses here works perfectly for this story. My only possible complaint about this story is that I really wish I could find some more like it!

Five Arrangements: A Love Story by capncosmo

Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Pairings/Characters: pre-Angel/Xander-ish
Rating: PG-13
Wordcount: ~146,000
Author: lit-gal
Website: Litgal's fanfic
Summary: When Xander has a little heart to heart with Angel, he inadvertantly changes the world by sharing a few truths. The most significant changeis a slowly building relationship between Angel and the boy who taught him a few unpleasant truths about destiny and morality.
Why: First, pairing clarification. This story is, strictly speaking, gen. It features a relationship between Angel and Xander that generally fits into the mentor category, and not the love interest category. However, there are definitely moments where, if you're not comfortable with the idea of an Angel/Xander pairing, you're going to be pretty uncomfortable. This story reads like it's leading to Angel/Xander, even if it never actually happens. So if that's not your pairing of choice, be forewarned. (And likewise, if it is your pairing of choice, please note that you're probably going to be screaming in agony when it ends without getting them together.)

That said, this story kind of ate my brain for a couple of days. It takes on the idea that Angel was so busy idealizing Buffy in the beginning that he never actually realized who and what she was: a teenage girl. This story starts with Xander pointing out that little fact, and then looks at the relationship that develops between Angel and Xander from there. I really love the way that Litgal used this one event to start so many ripples going. It was really fascinating for me to see where things changed and where they stayed the same. I got a huge kick out of the relationship between Angel and Xander. Even though it felt awkwardly in-between in some respects, it worked perfectly for the story that Litgal was telling. I also really liked the moral issues that got brought up throughout the story, as Litgal had some points to make that had never occurred to me before. And none of the characters were villainized in making those points, which I definitely appreciated. Litgal did a spectacular job of creating an alternate path for things to have taken. Really, the only complaint I could possibly have about this story is that there isn't a sequel!

Kin of the Heart by Litgal

Fandom: House
Pairings/Characters: Foreman, a patient (the diving girl from episode 119)
Rating: G
Wordcount: 817
Spoilers for: episode 119
Author: eudaimon
Website: none
Summary: Underwater, she still dreams of him. When you almost touch the bottom it's like dying, a little. It's like leaving the world.
Why: Yeah, remember the diver girl from episode 119? (Don't worry, neither did I. Here's a refresher if you're at a loss.) Well, this is a story that visits with her again, in the future, a concept that I'd never seen done before. And not only is it done, it's done well. The language the author uses is beautiful and the view of House and his fellows from the outside is compelling. This is short, but I think it'll be sticking with me for a while.

as heroes are by eudaimon

Fandom: House
Pairings/Characters: House, Chase (maybe hints of House/Chase, but not too much)
Rating: G-PG
Wordcount: 1,091
Author: supacat
Website: !supacat online
Summary: House likes solving mysteries.
Why: Chase is my favorite character on House, so I've really missed him in his current 'there but not really' role. That's definitely a huge part of why I enjoyed this as much as I did. The other part is just that it's so perfectly in character for Chase and the way that House sees him. The author's style of writing is also great, short and to the point with no unnecessary words.

Six Ways of Looking at Chase by supacat