Two AU fic recs, because I do love a good self-contained AU.
Firstly, a Man from UNCLE fusion with Mr & Mrs Smith. Mr & Mrs Smith is such a fun action movie and such a great premise, but it doesn't always work convincingly as a fic AU / fusion idea. Here, it works brilliantly. Not only do you believe Illya and Napoleon could genuinely live like this, but you can also see why their initial marriage isn't working (too much hiding who they really are, too much keeping one another at a distance). Plus, Gaby is lovely in this -- capable, cheeky and fun!
The Trojan Affair (43021 words) by
manic_intentChapters: 13/13
Fandom:
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (2015)Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Illya Kuryakin/Napoleon Solo
Characters: Illya Kuryakin, Napoleon Solo, Oleg, Sanders, Gaby Teller
Additional Tags: That Mr & Mrs Smith AU where Napoleon and Illya are unknowingly using each other as a cover, but nothing stays secret forever, and Illya isn't very good at domesticity, Alternate Universe - Mr. & Mrs. Smith Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe, Secret Identity
Summary:
Ten minutes to go to ground zero and Artyom was still desperately trying to escape. “I have never attended little girl’s birthday party,” he pointed out repeatedly, and actually pouted, big blue eyes wide and pleading.
“Always a first time,” Napoleon said mercilessly, pulling on a charcoal Tom Ford blazer over his loose gray knit. “Mrs Siegfried invited us weeks ago, Artyom, don’t be a baby. You’ve had quite a while to gird your loins. We’re going to a party, not some sort of trench warfare. Smile.”
Artyom scowled, which was admittedly normally an adorable look even for a tall, blonde Russian giant of a man. “I do not like Mrs Siegfried,” Artyom declared, clearly intent on being as recalcitrant as possible.
***
Secondly, a Good Omens human-AU. I love Good Omens and I love Crowley/Aziraphale but sometimes it's hard to capture that sense of history in a human-AU. This story is a wonderful exception. Not only do we get that sense of important history between them, it also does a wonderful job of capturing both Aziraphale and Crowley. I love this description of Aziraphale so much:
He certainly wasn’t sleek. In fact if there was an opposite of sleek, there would probably be a footnote under it’s dictionary entry to reference Aziraphale for further clarification. If Crowley himself were a Bugatti, Aziraphale was a 1988 Volvo four-door. And he wasn’t sharp, at least not in any aesthetic sense. He was rounded edges, not hard ones, smoothed and simple and utterly unassuming.
But there was something sharp about him underneath all of that, something quick and bright and edged. Maybe it was just his intelligence. Crowley was already suspecting he was the cleverest person he’d ever meet underneath the gentle voice and humble mannerisms. There was certainly something about that. Something about someone so clever, who couldn’t care less if anyone thought him so.But another thing that's wonderful about this story is seeing the difference between how Crowley presents himself to the world / sees himself, and who his actions show him to be. He is cool and stylish, but he's far from unaffected or emotionally cold -- if anything, he cares deeply about others, even if it is just a stranger's cat.
Plus, I like reading about characters working out the difference between who they thought they were and what truly makes them happy, and accepting themselves. It's always amazing to realise that you're not quite who you thought you were, and there's something so odd about finding that the life that makes you happy isn't what you planned on paper, but it's somehow far more wonderful for being unexpected.
(This is a fantastic story but there are a couple of typos in it. Usually, I can't stand that but this story is so good, guys. It's really, really good.)Anthophilia (49446 words) by
FortinbrasFTWChapters: 10/10
Fandom:
Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry PratchettRating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley, Crowley/Original Male Character(s)
Characters: Aziraphale, Crowley (Good Omens), Anathema Device
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, shops across the street, Romantic Comedy, Developing Relationship, past relationship, one night stand appearing again
Summary:
Anthony J. Crowley's life seems like it's finally falling into place: his floral shop has begun to gain an undercurrent of appreciation in the design elite of London, and he might have even finally found a boyfriend who looks just right lounging on his Tenreiro sofa. Things seem almost perfect, until one day the empty shop across the street is leased to frumpy fellow Oxford alumni, who doesn't seem to remember Crowley nearly as well as he remembers him, which really shouldn't bother him as much as it does - it was ten years ago after all, and it wasn't even that good of a kiss.
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