Top 5 Unconventional Slash 'Ship fics of 2005

[lirm35m.livejournal.com]

I swear, after reading each of these fics, I was drooling for more, but these are some of the rarest/oddest pairings within the m/m slash genre, so there wasn't much more to be found.

1. Pairing: Angel/Gunn
   The Culprit: This is Our Grace by danawoods (rated: NC-17)
   When I first saw this fic, I pretty much read it as a dare to the author. I was thinking, 'never in a million years are you going to make this pairing plausible'. Boy did she prove me wrong. I never would have thought it, but THIS scenario actually works to make me believe that Gunn and Angel could actually get/be together...who would've thunk it?


2. Pairing: Xander/Riley
   The Culprit: Songs of Iowa by entrenous88 (rated: NC-17)
   This fic is addictive in a way that I never would have guessed. I never would have thought that I'd be reading Riley/Xander, but apparently, Entrenous88 is an ev0l genius with quite different ideas! Believe me, you'll understand why so much of her f-list -including me- stalked her shamelessly for the final chapter (which she just posted recently).


3. Pairing: Lindsey/Xander
   The Culprit: The one who sees (sequel to Walking With Heroes) by othercat (rated: NC-17) - WIP
   This series explores Lindsey in such a thorough and interesting way that I literally wait with bated breath for each new installment. And the lindsey/Xander relationship is so well, carefully, and naturally developed that you can't help but wonder why it isn't a much more common pairing.


4. Pairing: Wesley/Xander
   The Culprit: Opacity by kyrieane (rated: Adult)
   A hot bit of smut that lies just on 'this' side of being a true PWP. I couldn't get it out of my head for days on end.


5. Pairing: Oz/Xander
   The Culprit: Dandelion Wine by kyrieane (rated: Adult) - WIP
   This pairing is a bit more common than the others, but it's primarily written by a handful of authors and this story is so far removed from the others in its enigmatic temperment, loping pacing and unique creepy tone, that it just floored me.