Muchy’s Top Best Overwatch fics
I said I’d do it, so I’m doing it: Recs for the best Overwatch fics I’ve ever read, in no particular order of importance.
[[In the Bones of Our Beast]]
Salazar101
Summary:
Junkrat slips into the Omnium and finds treasure, he doesn't know what it is but other people seem to know, and they want it. Bad. Bad enough to hire famed enforcer Roadhog to drag him in, kicking and screaming.
Relationship/s: Junkrat/Roadhog
What I enjoyed about the fic:
Amazingly written outback adventures with good relationship development with trash mouse and street pig, with an actual treasure that makes sense, as opposed to the mysterious but undefined treasure in canon and other fics.
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[[Koraha]]
debascas
Summary:
The feeling started when they reached the edge of civilization.
Junkrat wasn't familiar with the twisting sensation in his stomach, the constriction of his chest, and the tingling of his fingers when he held onto the belt of the man driving the motor bike. He knew it wasn't fear, or anxiety, as he often did experience. It wasn't the thrill and delight he feels when he blows something or someone up.
This kind of feeling was... Nice. Warm. Nauseating. All at the same time. It grew more sure as the bike accelerated and he held on tighter, the barren landscape blurring passed them, the dust and wind blowing through his singed hair, the roar of the engine ringing in his ears. He tried to brush it off. He tried to forget about it.
Business, it's only business, he reminded himself. Nothing more. Never will be.
Oh, how he tried.
Relationship/s: Junkrat/Roadhog
What I enjoyed about the fic:
Another well-written Outback adventure story, just fantastically written, engaging, with good character development between our favorite trash folk.
[STILL INCOMPLETE]
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[[Bad Sun]]
albion
Summary:
When Blackwatch agent Jesse McCree is sent to kill a mysterious assassin known only as DRAGONSTRIKE, there are a few things he expects to occur.
Falling in love isn't one of them.
Relationships: Mccree and Reyes, Jesse Mccree/Hanzo Shimada
What I enjoyed about the fic:
The comparison of Reyes to the chessboard black Queen, as opposed to King, with Jack as King and Mccree as Knight. The exciting encounters between Hanzo and Mccree are also appealing, but the chess scene stands out, as well as the relationship between Reyes and Mccree in Blackwatch days.
[STILL INCOMPLETE]
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[[Watching You Run Into the High Noon Sun]]
AsheRhyder
Summary:
Gabriel Reyes taught McCree everything he knows - not to shoot and kill, but how to survive by more than luck and aim.
McCree learns something else as Overwatch falls, fades, and then rises again: in this life, everyone leaves him behind.
He won't watch it happen again.
Relationships: Mccree and Reyes, Jesse Mccree/Hanzo Shimada
What I enjoyed about the fic:
You will see a ton of AsheRhyder fic in here, just a heads up. They’re my favorite Overwatch fic writer of all time, and I will trust literally anything they come out with. And it began with this fic.
What I loved most about it was ridiculously, canonically competent Mccree. So many fics fail to think past the Cowboy and fail to maximize the potential of what it meant to be a Blackwatch, former gang member prime Black Ops agent, but this fic hit the mark with a Mccree that isn’t defined by his cowboy hat and boots, but not removed from the persona either.
Also the relationship between Hanzo and Jesse here is very subdued compared to other fics, but beautifully done. For Mccree lovers who enjoy character studies, and anybody who loves good fic, this is the fic for you. Definitely in my top 5 best.
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[[Blue Roses and Salted Caramel]]
AsheRhyder
Summary:
Hanzo hated Valentine's Day and everything that went with it. This got exceptionally awkward for a man whose courier service saw business triple in the lead up to February 14th.
A series of 'special deliveries' between Mr. Jack Morrison and Mr. Gabriel Reyes drew his attention. Initially, it was because he wasn’t sure if it was the world's most polite form of hate mail or the world's most awkward flirting...
But then there was something about Mr. Reyes' son, Jesse, that kept him coming back...
Relationship/s: Jack Morrison/Gabriel Reyes, Jesse Mccree/Hanzo Shimada
What I enjoyed about the fic:
Look, it’s Asherhyder again, haha. Though I should note that while I’d decided Asherhyder was my favorite writer in OW, I had no idea this was written by them until after I finished it (because I do not pay attention and didn’t notice the author name lmao)
I just could NOT STOP SMILING AND GIGGLING throughout this entire fic. It’s so fluff it’ll rot your teeth off, it made my pores clear, my crops flourish, I cried tears of healing as I read this fic.
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[[Cast a Long, Dark Shadow]]
AsheRhyder
Summary:
Jack will never forgive himself for not noticing it the first time a prisoner dies while in the new Overwatch's custody. He knows the signs better than anyone alive: Gabriel taught him how to see the invisible fingerprints Blackwatch left behind.
But someone is cutting off his access to the old Blackwatch records, and to manage that, there needs to be an active commander in the field...
Relationship/s: Jack Morrison/Gabriel Reyes
What I enjoyed about the fic:
Asherhyder again? Listen... you gotta read everything this person has written. Do it. Right now.
This one may actually be my favorite of the lot, at least firmly in the Top 3. Short, but fantastic and poignant in less than 3000 words. Another amazing character study. Read it right now immediately, it won’t take you long.
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[[His Master]]
Balenae
Summary:
Master Genji teaches his student Zenyatta at Shambali Temple in Nepal.
And yet…
And yet.
Relationship/s: Genji Shimada/Tekhartha Zenyatta
What I enjoyed about the fic:
Just LOOK AT THAT SUMMARY AND TELL ME YOU’RE NOT INTRIGUED. A role reversal fic--or is it? One of the more heartrending fics on this list, and absolutely beautiful. In that space between sad and happy-poignant. You won’t regret reading it.
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Update: additional fic as of 5/1/2017
[[The Desert Glacier]]
Seedcity
Summary:
Hanzo Shimada is a one-year veteran of Overwatch. Having been assigned to lead and defend the reinstitution of an abandoned Watchpoint: Grand Mesa, he leads his team against Talon, deals with the pressure of leadership, and longs for the company of his precious cowboy.
Also: ghosts.
Relationship/s: Hanzo Shimada/Jesse Mccree
What I enjoyed about the fic:
Don’t be fooled by the “Also: ghosts” like it’s a side note, this is one of the best supernatural mystery works I’ve read, and it’s a fanfiction. The supernatural element may not be front and center, but it’s one of the most engaging parts of an engaging and well-written storyline, and the fic reads just like those published mystery novels you love with a twist uniquely Overwatch.
[Still incomplete, but near completion]
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Update: additional fic as of 5/18/2017
long is the road that leads me home
gnarled
Summary:
You can meet the strangest people on the road. Sometimes, the best.
Relationship/s: Hanzo Shimada/Jesse Mccree
What I enjoyed about the fic:
I can’t believe I forgot about his one when it was one of the ones I promised myself would be on a best fic list before I ever even made one. So here it is!
I love fics that are written with the descriptiveness of published novels, and this one does imagery right. It’s not too long -- 17,000+ words, it’s all around fantastically and professionally written, with the fun and intrigue and delicious romance you’d expect from a fanfiction.
It gives you the juicy bits slowly but in a way that keeps you satisfied. You get a taste of Mccree and Reyes’ backstory (with our favorite Papa Reyes back at it again), of Hanzo’s as well.
It’s just fantastically well-written. I can’t describe it more than that, you have to read it to get the full experience.
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Update: additional fics as of 6/17/2017
[[Temper]]
Bullfinch
Summary:
Jack joins the SEP and finds trouble almost immediately. At least his commanding officer is on his side—supposedly.
Relationship/s: Jack Morrison/Gabriel Reyes
What I enjoyed about the fic:
The fic is about transman Jack Morrison, and what I loved about it is how it tackled the aspects of the Soldier Enhancement program that a lot of writers gloss over, like how it would physically and chemically affect various soldiers, etc. It also posed and answered the question of how fictional supersoldier modification could affect real life (or at least futuristic real life) FTM transition. everything’s well thought out, the characters are interesting and fun, especially Jack’s friends and roommates, and the tension--sexual or otherwise--between Jack and Gabe is intense, gets you more excited to see the conclusion overall.
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[[When We Were Young]]
JudgeCoffee
Summary:
When Jack Morrison was 18, he joined the military. Fifteen weeks later, he joined the Soldier Enhancement Program, and that was when he met Gabriel Reyes. That was when everything changed.
Relationship/s: Jack Morrison/Gabriel Reyes
What I enjoyed about the fic:
So it’s rare for a fic’s OCs to really set it apart, but that’s what happened here. The story was well done, with some amazing side characters and “co-stars” in the program with Jack and Gabe that really gave this fic heart. It also shows Gabe to be a cold, terrifying black-ops style killer, which I love for the sake of canon--a guy who’s a hero, but also the kind of man who you wouldn’t be surprised headed Blackwatch.
Also it opens on a BDSM scene. So that’s fun.
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Update: additional fic as of 8/12/2017
[[Life is Strange]]
firesonic152
Summary:
Time travel. It was the most harebrained idea Winston had ever come up with, but even he had to admit it was probably their only option.
This is a terrible plan, he mused.
An ill-fated trip to the past leaves Gabriel pining for a man that no longer exists.
Relationship/s: Jack Morrison/Gabriel Reyes
What I enjoyed about the fic:
The feels, man. The feels. This one kind of plowed me with the deep emotion and desperation on top of time travel shenanigans between Soldier and Reaper. It gets sad but hopeful at the same time, it casts Soldier’s regret so heartrendingly. It’s not one of the most well-written fics on the list, but it’s certainly one of the most moving. I love the whole aspect of love reaching through time and space without it getting too cheesy. Definitely worth the read and subsequent feels bomb.
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Update: additional fic as of 1/27/2018
[[Afterdrop]]
ClaroQueQuiza
Summary:
Overwatch can be forgiven for keeping Hanzo at arm's length despite the endorsement of his intended murder victim. Six months of provisional membership, spent in the field, is a reasonable compromise.
But not everyone is on board with giving Hanzo a chance.
McCree, least of all.
Relationship/s: Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada
What I enjoyed about the fic:
I’ve been seeing this fic’s name tossed around a lot, but I only just now got to read it. It’s got published-quality writing and is mostly devoid of the usual tropes we see in Overwatch fanfics, and the detail in this fic is so rich that you can clearly imagine the world it lays out before you, in ways that I’ve never seen in any other fanfic I’ve read. It’s interesting, it’s funny, and it’s a WIP, so you get to slow burn your way through 195,556 words and still be impatient for the next update. It’s a worldbuilding, Hanzo-centric masterpiece, where Hanzo is both a compelling and tragic character while also being a useless gay thirsting over every hot dude in his vicinity (except McCree, ironically :)))
WORTH. READING. EVERY. WORD.
[STILL INCOMPLETE]
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Update: additional fic as of 2/28/2018
[[Food For Thought]]
chibimono
Summary:
After months and months of work fighting Talon and juggling UN bureaucracy, Jack just wants to have a nice, normal dinner with Gabriel. And maybe, just maybe, he'll be able to do something about these feelings he's got for his best friend while he's at it.
Relationship/s: Jack Morrison/Gabriel Reyes
What I enjoyed about the fic:
Definitely in my top 5, this fic has a very simple premise, but is carried on the wings of its insanely thoughtful detail and fantastic writing. Chibimono might be one of the best writers in the Overwatch fandom, which is unsurprising considering they’re friends with the other best writer, Ashe Rhyder.
A lot of what might be passed over as unimportant to other authors is written with some knowledge by the writer here. A lot of detail is put into the writing without it being over-saturated or redundant. It’s kind of my reference fic for when the pre-fall of Overwatch timeline doesn’t tie together in my head, because they have perfect characterization for Jack and Gabe, as well as for the workings of Overwatch as a whole, in the shortest amount of time.
I read this before, but it hurt me so much I forgot to put it into my list, waiting for the update that would soothe my aching heart.
It’s part of a series, which is just as worth checking out!
[[FIC COMPLETE, SERIES INCOMPLETE]]
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Update: additional fic as of 11/8/2018
[[Nacreous Nectarine]]
Swagreus (shiplizard)
Summary:
The questionable mission practices and questionable hiring practices of Overwatch, as seen by one unfortunate bystander who got in the middle of a mission.
Featuring the undercover talents of one Cmdr. Gabriel Reyes, former theater nerd, current terrifying one-man assault team.
[Based on the art of Kelly Turnbull/Coelasquid]
Relationship/s: General Fic, OCs
What I enjoyed about the fic:
It’s just.... really good. I don’t like Reader fics and I don’t often read OC fics when the OC is the main character, BUT the writing is top-notch, the buildup excellent, and it’s a joy to read with an utterly lovable Muslim protagonist OC who is just Very Tired while Gabe, McCree, Mercy and Jack do their Overwatch thing in his vicinity.
A must-read! I wish this had a series.
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[[Raging Stallion]]
Phylix
It started with Drunk Hanzo pressing the nuclear option and getting his brother involved in his love life. All Hanzo wanted was a man that fulfilled his every need, instead what he got was a brother who tried way too hard and a neighbor that may just fulfill every last dirty fantasy Hanzo ever dreamed of.
It shouldn't matter that Genji's the one with the blossoming career in the adult entertainment industry. It shouldn't matter that Jaxson McCoy, the world's greatest porn star's real name is Jesse McCree and he is living right next door and he is even better looking in real life than on film. And it especially shouldn't matter then that a simple case of mistaken identity could lead him to a man even more interesting and more sensual than anything he had ever seen on screen.
How could any of this be Hanzo's fault?
Relationship/s: Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada, Jesse McCree/Gabriel Reyes (past, minor mention)
What I enjoyed about the fic:
This fic had me dead. Seriously. It’s hilarious, well-written, full of the kind of shenaniganary you’d expect from a porn AU. It’s remarkably well-done, frustrating in the best way possible, and blows any romantic sex comedy Hollywood has ever done right out of the water. It’s smart, witty, and delightful, and for anyone over 18+, quite possibly the best explicit fic with plot you’ll have read in a while.
Some “the one that got away” mixed with “dumbasses being dumbasses”, “mistaken identity” and other such fun tropes.
[STILL INCOMPLETE]
Side note: in case y’all think their name sounds familiar, yes, that is the same Asherhyder who created the Roommates webcomic on deviantart. A quality writer/artist who does quality work all around. Blessed is the Overwatch fandom for having them.
Side note 2: there’s a fic series I forgot the name of, but I’m gonna add it to the list later. I’ll also be adding fics that I find striking as I go along. I tend to favor McHanzo, Reaper76, Genyatta and Roadrat, so if you think there’s a fic that should be on this list that isn’t, this is basically just a reflection of my fic reading preferences.
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