Merlin: Fanfic Rec: The Shoemaker

Title: The Shoemaker
Author: Anonymous (to be revealed...)
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Gwen/Freya, Merlin/Arthur
Summary: Historical magical AU. In turn-of-the-century Glastonbury, Freya Lake heads up an orphanage for magical children. And despite all of the seers’ dire warnings, Freya is happy; her infatuation with the shoemaker’s apprentice—who may or may not be a girl underneath his shirt and trousers—is slowly coming to a head. But then a woman claiming to be Morgana le Fay shows up on the orphanage steps, demanding to see Emrys, and Freya is forced to rearrange her priorities.

Thoughts: I still need to leave a review, but AO3 literally JUST went down for maintenance, so I thought I'd make a rec here in the meantime. OH MY GOODNESS, I loved it :3 Really, really adored every sentence. The OCs were particularly awesome, and the setting/magic sort of reminded me a bit of Terry Pratchett XD Idk, there was just something about it. The idea was awesome, and Gwen as a shoemaker/in guy's clothing was *flaps* really quite hot. Freya was lovely too...it must have been fun to write her, because I guess you can really make her your own. I think she was sort of quietly BAMF in this, heheh. 

Another thing that was lovely about it, was the reincarnation aspect...humm, I don't want to give away the plot, but some of my favourite moments involved characters being reunited. 

Merlin in this was endearingly eccentric, and the ending made me melt. Completely. I am currently a puddle, left only with fingers to type with. 

Merlin: Fanfic Rec: Watch It All Melt Away

Title: Watch It All Melt Away
Author: Anonymous (to be revealed...)
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Merlin/Arthur
Summary: Sometimes he still forgets that he is allowed to kiss Arthur, to hug him, to snuggle close to him at night. It’s not awkward, not really, or maybe a little, they just seem to...forget somehow, stuck in old habits and locked desires.

Thoughts: Okay, I read this just now without even realising it was for merlin_holidays, because one of my friends was texting me about it XD I think after I've recced this, I'm just gonna go through and read a whole tonne of them from the comm and make a big reclist instead *nods*. But this fic definitely deserves it's own post because, not even exaggerating in the slighted, I have tears in my eyes. It is beautiful. Really, really gorgeous, and achy. My heart aches, and I had to keep reminding myself that the story was actually a happy one. It is a story of absolute love, and there is a thread of desperation that runs beneath it, but that just helps to make it so damn good.

Also, I kept being reminded of my girlfriend by so much of it that even now I'm a bit just dead. GOD. Maybe I should give fic reading a rest until tomorrow because I'm getting all these fluttery OTP feelings in my chest, that just can't be healthy XD Seriously though, I'm a reccing this super high. Mount Everest high. It's great and wintry too, to get you in the Christmas mood, y'know?