So, it has come to this. (I can no longer hear that phrase without
.) When I first learned about omega-verse fic, there were just too many problematic aspects for me to understand the appeal. And then people kept on reccing things to me and now I do occasionally find the odd a/b/o story that's too good not to enjoy. There's a great primer
if you're interested. Keep in mind that any omega-verse fics are going to have inherent issues with dubious consent and power imbalance. Please, please, please mind the warnings on individual fics as some contain potentially triggering or otherwise upsetting elements. Here are some gateway fics in a few fandoms for your reading pleasure.
"I don't think you're weak," Patrick says.
Jonathan grimaces. "I don't think omegas are weak," he replies.
"I don't--" Patrick says.
Jonathan sighs. "we're taught to shut up," he says. "And to accept what we get given."
"Well, you're shit at all that," Patrick says on reflex, and the scent in the room lightens somehow.
Jonathan snorts. "Yeah," he says. "Always was. But, hey, you'd hate it if I stopped yelling at you."
"I really would," Patrick says, honest and sure, and Jonathan smiles for pretty much the first time all day.
Bring a Towel by
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verity. Stargate: Atlantis, Explicit, 4,000+ words, Rodney/John, Ronon/Teyla/Kanaan. An interesting spin on the a/b/o dynamic within a military-industrial complex structure (with 'betas all the way up the chain of command') and across multiple cultures and galaxies. As with all great R/J fics, there's a lot of pining. Like, years of it.
"It's my childbearing hips," Ronon said, leaning forward against the railing.
"Ha," Rodney said. "Really?"
"No."
"I'm never having children," Rodney shuddered.
Ronon's voice did something Rodney had never heard before: it dipped low and got soft and kind of shy. "Teyla and I are going to have lots of kids," he said. "After we defeat the Wraith. Kanaan's building us a house on New Athos."
"Wow," Rodney managed. "That's, uh--that's great."
"Yeah," Ronon agreed, grinning. "I'm going to kill all those motherfuckers, and then we're gonna have ten kids."
"Well, it's great to have goals," Rodney said, trying to smile back and failing miserably.
Declared by
eight_demands. BBC Sherlock, Teen and Up, 18,000+ words, Sherlock & John, Sherlock/John, Mycroft/John, Mycroft/Lestrade. This is actually the first of a WIP series, though Declared is the true must-read. The world-building here is phenomenal, and the examination of the uneven power balance in an a/b/o society is thoughtful and more than a bit heart-breaking.
Sherlock snorted. "God, no. Our family takes great pride in its alpha image. I don't know what happens if a Holmes is born a beta. Probably driven from the house and excised from the family tree the first day the beta nature asserts itself."
"Lovely."
Sherlock looked at him crossly. "Despite whatever lines they're feeding you during these interviews, you should know that that is how all of the prominent families feel about anyone who isn't an alpha. They would never say so out loud--such a thing would be declasse in the extreme--but there it."
"It's surprising you would tolerate omegas in your ranks, then," John muttered, not trying to disguise his sarcasm.
Sherlock ignored it. "How else would we keep the family line going?"
have a mind to just let my whole body go by
verity. Teen Wolf, Explicit, 14,000+ words, past Jennifer/Derek, Derek/Stiles, Erica/Boyd. There are so many awesome aspects to this fic I don't really know where to begin. There's never enough Boyd & Erica in fics, so that was lovely. The midwifery angle was fantastic, especially incorporating the various magical creatures inherent to this 'werewolves are known' universe. Plus hothot omega/omega sex, which I haven't seen elsewhere.
"I'm sending a dude to you," Erica says when Stiles picks up the phone.
Normally, Erica texts stuff like, you serious about wanting pineapple on your half because that's ducking disgusting stilinski and fuck you autocorrect. In the entire time Stiles has known her, she has never once actually dialed his number. Eria is a child of the nineties; she does not use her phone for a phone.
"My body is ready?" Stiles says tentatively. He's in line at Starbucks, inching toward the cash register; it's the first day of pumpkin spice this fall, so the place is mobbed and out of pumpkin cream cheese muffins already.
Erica sighs. Professionally, asshole. I'm referring someone to you. His sister dragged him in today and he's really uncomfortable with chicks. Also, werewolf."
"Ah," Stiles says.
Hello, Heartbreaker by
ofalexandra. Teen Wolf, Explicit, 18,000+ words, Derek/Stiles. Incredibly angsty 'werewolves are known'/'holy shit everyone's a werewolf'/'uh-oh someone's got amnesia' AU. Seriously mind the warnings on this one. Derek and Stiles are fuckbuddies and both of them pine like champs.
Stiles hate this. He hates that he's been reduced to this brokenhearted mess of a cliche. It's a popular joke among Alphas: fuck an Omega, get heartbreak on your hands. Omegas are fragile little emotional things, needy and whiny. Stiles refuses to believe that, or to believe that he's anything like that.
Miss Morell doesn't say anything, letting the silence fill up the comfortable space between them, letting her warm, sympathetic hand cover his.
"I think," Stiles chokes out, fighting back the hot burn of not tears, not tears behind his eyelids, "I think I love him."
It's a bright, sunny day outside Miss Morell's office, brilliant and welcoming and shining
It's hateful.
Kick and
We Circle Yet We Meet by
Unloyal_Olio. Teen Wolf, Teen and Up and Explicit, 16,000+ words, Derek/Stiles. Kick is super-fluffy growing-up-in-love fic, We Circle Yet We Meet is more focused on everyone's place within society. Stiles and Lydia are omega rights activists who want to fight against the injustices of 'the man.' It's just hard for Stiles when that man is Derek and he's basically perfect.
"We haven't talked about it."
"I was trying to just now. You're moving away--possibly taking your life in the total opposite direction of mine--and it's freaking scary. It terrifies me." Stiles is talking to his knees.
Derek picks up his hand, "It shouldn't."
And Stiles's mouth tightens. "Right. Because once we have kids, I'll just stay at home anyway?"
"No, because you come first. I wouldn't be happy without you."
Stiles shoulders slump. "You always say exactly the right thing."
Derek doesn't know why Stiles sounds so sad about it.
Mix and Match by
jerakeen. Teen Wolf, Explicit, 6,000+ words, brief Stiles/OMC, Stiles/Derek. Stiles goes to the mixer looking to hook up. The freaky soulbonding is totally not on his to-do list.
Derek isn't smiling back, but Stiles doesn't take it personally. They say the bonding instinct is stronger with werewolves. Stiles can't even imagine what that would be like and how an alpha would resist that. Right now, he doesn't know if he can let go of Derek's hand and keep breathing. Tat one point of contact is what's keeping him sane.
It's hormones. Stiles knows this. He's studied the bonding process backwards and forwards. He knows that his brain is swimming in a soup of mating hormones right now. He knows why this makes sense from an evolutionary standpoint. He knows that the bonding and mating of alphas and omegas led to to the intermingling and interbreeding of humans and werewolves, which saved both races from extinction. If nothing else, Stiles respects biology too much to dismiss the idea of bonding altogether. He just doesn't approve of what society has turned it into, and it's not like the world needs more babies.
Phoenix by
Unloyal_Olio. Teen Wolf, Explicit, 9,000+ words, Stiles/Derek, mentions of Stiles/various OCs. This is a sort of royalty/historical AU as well as an omega-verse AU. There's war, identity-porn, Lydia being awesome, Stiles being the worst/best prince ever, the Argents being dicks, and tons of other things that make me happy in TW fic. Also, omegas are the ones who have control over knotting, if that's a thing you're into. Ahem.
She whispered wetly in his ear, "It was him, wasn't it?"
When Stiles didn't answer, Lydia didn't press his silence, and the next day they left behind the intimacy of the heat and were naught but friends.
Because they never learned his true name.
"Call me Ash," the man said to the bare well, "for ashes are all I have left."
It shouldn't matter anyway. It happened almost five years ago. Other omegas are widowed and they barely have to wait a year before they're receiving again. Stiles doesn't know why he...
Besides, Stiles wasn't even in heat when they had done it, when Ash had withdrawn with a gasp and a pained "no."
