NSYNC Fic Recs

[horizon_greene]

*updated 1/1/14

I mentioned a few weeks ago in this space that there is amazing fic in NSYNC fandom—surprisingly amazing, actually. Now that I've poked around quite a bit more, I can't fight the urge to make a recs list.

Because the fandom itself may be old and mostly-dead, but the stories have held up remarkably well...


"Whitewater" by topaz | JC/Justin
You really can't go wrong with anything topaz has written, but there are a handful of stories that I've reread an embarrassing amount of times. This is one of them. Whitewater rafting AU. Endlessly fascinating dynamic between JC and Justin in this universe.

"Unchained" by topaz | JC/Justin
I think the AO3 tags say it best: PWP, Power Play, Established Relationship. If this were a newsletter, I would subscribe to it.

"Chris & J's Excellent Adventure" by topaz | Chris/Justin, JC/Lance
Funny and sweet and hot, and a whirling kaleidoscope of settings—all beautifully described. Part 3 gets me in the heart every time.

"Faithful" by jericho | JC/Justin
The very first story I ever bookmarked on AO3. Infidelity, prostitutes, lots of sex. Lots of tears, too, but surprisingly honest. There's a fearless, completely unselfconscious quality to the writing that I love, too.

"(I'm Not) Home For Christmas" by randomling | JC/Justin
Dance teacher/accountant stranded at a bus stop AU, and it's about 500 times better than that description makes it sound. Characterization for days. Also, it's so...well. Happy. You need happy fic every now and then.

"Desert" by waxjism | JC/Justin, Chris/Joey, Justin/Lance, Joey/Christina
Thank goodness we have happy fic, because you need it to balance out the exquisite desolation you feel after reading something like this, which is an apocalypse AU featuring a legitimately insane Justin. The writing is utterly, unspeakably beautiful—such a contrast to the horrible bleakness of their circumstances. TW: mental illness.

"Acquiesce" by addictedkitten | JC/Justin
Charts the evolution of their relationship from the MMC onward—a premise that I'm surprised there isn't more of in the fandom. I suspect that Justin's age has something to do with that. TW: underage.

"Back of a Car" by Jae | Chris/Justin
I think the author sums it up best: "A little banter, and a little sex in the back of a car." Also contains this exchange, which makes me laugh one second and stops my heart the next:

"If we were in high school," Chris said lightly, "I wouldn't be -"

"If you were in high school, I'd be in, like, second grade."

"If we were in high school, you wouldn't even look at me," Chris said, surprising himself. His voice sounded bitter and angry and ugly to his ears.

I'm not a fan of self-loathing!Chris, but in this case I'm willing to go along with it.

"Easy Come, Easy Go" by Helen | Chris/Justin, JC/Joey, JC/Lance
Gangster AU. Justin is a hooker. Smart, nuanced prose. Prepare to have your heart broken.

"What Not to Expect" by beth666ann | JC/Justin, Justin/Britney, JC/Bobbie Thomas, Wade Robson/Britney
There's a lot of POV shifting in this one, but it works because each character is so wonderfully, expansively crafted. The writing is so intelligent (the word choices—I'm forever amazed) and even though it's not a humor fic, there are so many pointed little bits of witticism. Super entertaining for that reason alone—but it's also a magnificent story.

"goldengolden" by tsamm | JC/Justin, Britney/Bobbie Thomas
To quote the fic: a fucking gay adulterous orgy. I love the tension and the manipulation and the tangled, twisted motivations. I'm also a sucker for confused-and-uncomfortable-yet-horny Justin. It goes without saying that when everything comes to a head, it's extremely hot.

"Happy Now" by kaelie | JC/Justin
I discovered kaelie's fic way late in the game, but better late than never. She's another author where you really can't go wrong with anything she's written, but there are a couple of favorites. "Happy Now" is one—JC wants Justin, is frightened by how much he wants him, tries to push him away even though he can't live without him, etc. And it's awesome.

"The Way You Know Him" by kaelie and Bethann | JC/Justin
A long AU—191,000+ words, took me several days to get through, but it was worth the effort. A one-night stand and lingering attraction cause problems when JC and Justin find themselves working at the same press—JC as the director and Justin as an acquiring editor. And things are complicatedly hot and hotly complicated, in turns.

"Descent" by kaelie and Bethann | JC/Justin
Vampire AU. I generally don't have a lot of patience with this particular trope, and I was initially befuddled by this one as well, but eventually I got sucked in and ended up being very engrossed by and emotionally invested in the story. Dark and hot and dangerous, and exquisitely agonizing in the later chapters.

As an aside, it bears mentioning that if the story didn't involve Justin getting fucked by JC at least once, I likely didn't read it—or file it away in my memory for the purpose of this recs list (apart from a couple of outliers). There are clearly all sorts of other wonderful fics that I have no idea even exist, so please feel free to leave them in the comments, if you'd like.