Fitz’s Fanfiction Favorites

Fitz’s Fanfiction Favorites
Starter Pack

There is an incredible amount of Larry fanfiction out there. Nearly 40,000 works exist on the non-profit reading site, “Archive of Our Own”, alone. This is in addition to the thousands on Wattpad and other various reading sites. It’s quite the intimidating bulk.

My first dive into the world of fanfiction was daunting for me as I had little guidance and only a few recommendations from community members. Since then, I have read tons of fanfiction across almost every genre and have dedicated a lot of my time on Twitter to talking about the stories, sharing my thoughts and engaging in conversations with others about our favorites.

The following are some of the most well-known and most frequently-discussed pieces of Larry Fanfiction today. This is not a definitive list, but it is a good place to start, and most people have read a fair number of them.

Before we get started, please be aware that some of these works require an Archive of Our Own account to access, and you do need to sit on a waitlist – typically for a week or two – in order to gain access. I recommend hopping on that list as soon as possible and diving into the open fics now!

1. Young & Beautiful by Velvetoscar

Summary: Louis, to his horror, attends an elitist university in which the name Zayn Malik means something, Niall Horan doesn’t stop talking, there are pianos everywhere, and Harry Styles, only son of a drug-addled, clinically insane ex-rocker, has a perfect smile and empty eyes.

Y&B is angsty, funny, a little over the top, and features some beautiful writing. It’s an enemies to lovers, extremely slow burn with some dark twists. This is arguably the biggest Larry fanfic, and while it’s not everyone’s favorite, it’s a must-read.

TW: Drug and alcohol use and abuse, drug overdose, domestic neglect, vomit, mention of domestic abuse, mention of past minor character death, minor non-con touching (under drug influence)

2. Tired Tired Sea by MediaWhore

Summary: As a B&B owner on the most remote of all the British Isles, Louis Tomlinson is used to spending the coldest half of the year in complete isolation, with his dog and the sea as sole companions. Until, one day, a mysterious stranger on a quest to rebuild himself rents a room for the winter.

Tired Tired Sea is a beautiful, slow, haunting tale of falling in love and ships passing in the night. It’s lovely and gentle, a true comfort read for many but emotional as well. It’s a more recent fanfic and many speculate it inspired the marketing and music video for Adore You.

TW: Recovering from alcoholism, peer pressure

3. Unbelievers by isthatyoularry

Summary: It’s Louis’ senior year, and he’s dead set on doing it right. However, along with his pair of cleats, a healthy dose of sarcasm and his ridiculous best friend, he’s also got a complicated family, a terrifyingly uncertain future, and a mortal enemy making his life just that much worse. Mortal enemies “with benefits” was not exactly the plan.
Or: The one where Louis and Harry definitely aren’t friends, and football is everything.
Unbelievers is a smutty coming-of-age enemies with benefits to lovers’ stories. It’s angsty, as any teenage fic should be, and deals with a lot of tricky parts of growing up and learning about yourself. Surprisingly deep, but please, don’t start this one with anyone over your shoulder.

TW: Arguably some internalized homophobia

4. Escapade by dolce_piccante

Summary: In the grand scheme of things, finding a date for a wedding should be no problem for Louis Tomlinson. He’s rich. He’s handsome. He’s reasonably well behaved. But when the wedding is for his lifelong best friend (and former boyfriend), and is happening in under a month, finding a date for the ceremony and accompanying festivities becomes more of an adventure than he ever could have planned for.

Smutty, funny, and fluffy! Escapade is a fantastic comfort fic. Louis hires Harry to be his date to a destination wedding, but the sun and surf has a funny effect on people. Such a fun, engaging read. Ziallympics!!

TW: Recreational drug use, loss of past minor characters, sex work

5. Relief Next To Me by dolce_piccante

Summary: What happens when a baker and a graphic designer meet via a very specific Craigslist post? Fate, friendship, food, and maybe more.

Probably the healthiest fic relationship there is! RNTM is the purest comfort fic. What starts out as a heavy dose of smut slowly transforms into something deep, romantic, and unbreakable. Grab a mug and a blanket and settle in to fall in love.

TW: Past heavy drug/alcohol use

6. Walk That Mile by purple_daisy

Summary: A Route 66 AU where falling in love was never part of the plan.

Walk That Mile is a forced proximity road trip where we see Harry and Louis morph from strangers to enemies to friends to lovers over 18 days and a ton of unique experiences along Route 66. Keep an eye peeled for Fine Line album references – this fic was released first!

TW: Recreational alcohol use, bee stings (I hate bees so I’m counting it!)

7. For As Long As I Can Remember (It’s Been December) by green_feelings

Summary: After recovering from a severe accident that causes Harry to lose his memory of three years, he moves to London to start his life over as a star chef. Little does he know that when he falls in love with Louis at first sight, it’s not the first time they meet.

Prepare the tissues. Exes to lovers with a painful twist as Harry lost three years of his memories, including his entire relationship with Louis. It’s heart wrenching and frustrating, but can you ever really forget the love of your life?

TW: Car accident, memory loss, injury

8. Collision by itjustkindahappened

Summary: Mythology/Fairytale!AU in which Louis is a dainty fairy with a temper who wants to be intimidating and Harry hurts people. Naturally, they hate each other. (Featuring Liam, the big and not-so-bad wolf who’s got a thing for humans, Zayn, a human with supernaturally good looks, and Niall, the cupid who just wants his job to be easier.)

Get ready to switch things up! Here’s the thing: Collision has a lot of internal lore, so it can take some time to get into. Pinky promise that if you’re apprehensive, you’ll hang on until Niall joins the crew. Trust me, this fic will make you laugh, cry, sweat, and will break your heart.

TW: One scene with descriptive violence, PTSD, parental neglect and abuse

9. got the sunshine on my shoulders by hattalove

Summary: five years ago, harry styles left his tiny home town to make it big as a recording artist. he didn’t have much regard for what he left behind – a life, a family, and a husband, who woke up one morning to find him gone.
now, harry has everything he could possibly want: he’s rich, famous, and adored by everyone he meets, including his boyfriend. but when said boyfriend proposes to him, he’s forced to face the uncomfortable facts of his past – and louis, who’s spent the last five years returning every set of divorce papers harry sent him.
(or, an au based on the movie sweet home alabama.)
This one is going to make you want to tear your hair out. But hey… at least it’s a Harry POV! Exes to lovers like you haven’t seen it before, packed to the brim with drama and frustration.

TW: Cheating (not between H/L, debatably!), abandonment

10. Love is a Rebellious Bird by 100percentsassy and gloria_andrews

Summary: AU in which the boys still make music. Louis is the concertmaster of the London Symphony Orchestra, Harry is the New! and Exciting! interim conductor/ex-cello prodigy who “has made Mozart cool again” according to Esquire Magazine (Louis hates him immediately, which is definitely why he internet stalked him in his dark bedroom late at night that one time), and Niall is the best. Zayn and Liam are around too.
Don’t hum Bolero.
One of my favorite author duos. This fic wasn’t particularly tragic, but for some reason it hit me harder than some of the angstiest reads. It felt relatable and sorrowful, and yet as you learn more about the characters, you start to understand and relate to them. Beautiful and a favorite of mine.

TW: Bullying, anxiety

Remember, this list is just a compilation of a few of the major fics, but there are a ton more out there and more being posted daily. This is a great place to start.

If you have questions or are seeking additional recommendations, you can find me on Twitter at @FitzandLarry – shoot me a DM and I’ll be happy to chat!

Happy reading!