***
***

Create: The final installment of Carpe Diem, little moments on the road with Craig and Bruno :) It's been really nice writing these two again!
***
Squee: Kat Recs All Fics... but (and this is the Plot Twist!) they are all f/m!
Vast majority of what I read (and write) is m/m. However, I do dapple in other combinations! So in honour of the 'unexpected' I present to thee Ten Het Fic Recs! All in different fandoms, because that's how this Fandom Slut rolls (extremely sluttily!)
Pi'maat Series by sixbeforelunch (OFC/OMC, Star Trek 'verse, DS9 timeline) - This is hands down one of the best things I've read in ages. The series (currently, very much hoping there will be more) is 9 works and 163k. It focuses on the relationship of a Vulcan OFC (T'Lin) and OMC (Veral) who (in traditional Vulcan fashion) have an arranged marriage though the arrangement ends up being not quite traditional or ideal (*cough Ponn Far cough*), their respective, now joint families and the various relationships therein as well. This is an absolute tour de force of world building/expanding/deepening. It is clear that the author has done their research into 'canon' Vulcan culture but for a casual Trek fan like myself or indeed anyone who doesn't know much about Trek at all, this is just an intriguing exploration of alien cultures (no monoculture here! IDIC also on Vulcan!), customs and ways of life. All the characters are well rounded, the relationship development is realistic, and the plot explores the effect of the bigger events (Dominion War, interplanetary organised crime etc) on domestic and personal lives of individuals. I would honestly read more novels of pretty much any of the characters created here, or like Veral's Vulcan Country Doctor Chronicles. Highly recced comfort read that nonetheless provides great insight into... well, I want to say 'the human condition' despite humans only getting an odd mention.
Forward Momentum by sixbeforelunch (Kathryn Janeway/Tuvok, Star Trek: Voyager) - Same author as above, same high quality. Janeway's pov is excellent and the progression of the relationship is mature and logical but not without passion. I would absolutely read more about their future adventures and new professional positions too.
primped and polished till you glow with pride by VagabondDawn (Fa Mulan/Li Shang, Mulan) - One of my favourite Disney movies! This fic is a canon divergence AU where Mulan's father gets a tactical adviser position in the Imperial City and Mulan and Li Shang end up meeting up through a professional matchmaker. I really liked the different povs and how Mulan's unconventional virtues still end up being exactly the ones that Li Shang is looking for in a wife. Beautiful detail to cultural traditions, warm and hopeful.
Command Space by mariadperiad20 (Amy Santiago/Jake Peralta, Brooklyn Nine-Nine) - WIP warning! However, this is already 83k of delicious, delicious bdsm!AU where Jake is a sub with past trauma he's definitely not dealt with and Amy is his inconveniently amazing domme partner who chugs 'respect subs' juice at every meal. Listen, it's femdom, it's slow burn, it's from friends to lovers (at 83k we are still at the 'why would she want a sub like me' stage and I LOVE IT), it's BDSM!AU which you know I fucking love. There is angst and graphic references to past abuse, including sexual abuse, so mind the warnings, but the world building is great, as is Jake's pov. Absolutely delightful.
A Mountain I'm Willing to Die On by Vera (Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde, Zootopia) - Okay, yes, it's literally furry fic but this is one of my favourite animated movies and they definitely knew what they were doing with this adorable bunny/fox pairing, I have no regrets. There is an unsurprising amount of fic for this fandom/pairing, but as I like things slow burn, this is the one I've liked best. There's a plot of getting interspecies pairings accepted, associated hate crimes, becoming housemates, cultural (species!) differences and falling in love. Charming, interesting, not so subtle social commentary, much enjoyed. Also, it's rated M instead E in case that matters to you given the characters... :D
Heart Like a Socket by Kyra (Jessica Day/Nick Miller, The New Girl) - A marriage of convenience! What if, in season 1, Nick's cancer scare had turned out less well and he was suddenly in need of some way to cover a lot of medical bills. Enter Jess and her excellent insurance cover... for spouses. This has everthing you'd want from the premise: angst, slow-burn, hijinks, meddling friends, happy ending. The voices are spot on for everyone so if you enjoyed the show, you'll enjoy this as well.
spring/summer collection by etben (Stevie Budd/David Rose, Schitt's Creek) - This is pre-Patrick (and my poly heart wants it to be post-Patrick too) and it is smoking hot. David wants to see Stevie in his clothes. Because of her terrible fashion sense, you understand. And no other reason, obviously. This is funny and filthy and the character voices are spot on, the (reluctant) care and fun as explicit as the sex here.
Make me lie (when I don't want to) by Dishonestdreams (Evelyn "Evie" Carnahan/Jonathan Carnahan, The Mummy) - As always, DD's writing makes me read things I didn't even consider before. Not that I have any kind of high ground or issues with sibling incest in fic, mind, just that this particular pairing didn't occur to me. This is a masterpiece in... it's not even dialogue so much as verbal warfare/diplomacy/game. The tension of 'shouldn't, can't, won't ever again' is delicious.
A Question of Trust by kereia (Sun Bak/Detective Mun, Sense8) - The degree of respect and adoration Mun has for Sun was one of the best things about these two in the series and it shines through beautifully here. A+ characterisation, action, feelings and hot sex, all in just 8k.
Traveling Far by astolat (Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth, Game of Thrones) - Look, I don't even go here. As in, I have neither read the books nor watched the series, I had to create a tag just for this post. But, it's astolat who is one of those writers I take a lot of risks for and, as usual, this one turned out to be well worth the trust. Anyway, needless to say I don't have the foggiest of what's going on but there's a delightful d/s vibe because Jaime is a captive who is starting to have some very inappropriate and explicit thoughts about his captor and the many ways she could just, you know, take him. Then there's a lot of politics and family drama and yet, in the end, he chooses an unconventional found-family-happy-ever-after with her and they end up giving a big Fuck You We Won to rest of the world. Without knowing much of the back story this was an extremely satisfying read, so my guess is that if you actually know what's happening, you'll enjoy it twice as much.
***