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negotiumcrucis · 26 days

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awwwwwww, thanks so much for reccing the stiff heart! 🥰 so glad you liked it! 🥺🥺🥺

Big Giant Rec List for @raedear

Oh boy, so here's a MASSIVE list of Old Guard fics I love. I actively feel bad about what I didn't include but lol there needs to be a limit and mine was like 85 fics. Mostly Joe/Nicky, some Booker/Nile, a little Andy/Quynh, some gen. I haven't marked background relationships. Fics marked with a 💜 are god-tier faves.

I divided them into general categories. Some could fit into multiple categories so I just stuck them where I thought made most sense. The categories are: pre-canon/historical fics, canon or post-canon fics, total universe AUs, modern/no powers AUs, future fics, and Kenzarelli cinematic universe fics. All categories inclusive of canon-divergence AUs.

So, without further ado, an absolute fuckton of Old Guard fic recs:

Pre-Canon/Historical Fics:

The Plate of the Eclipses by Tam Cranver

Joe/Nicky, 90k rated E

It's 1120, and Yusuf and Nicolò are living in Bukhara, having gone into business together copying books. Everything would be perfect, if only Nicolò could get himself to stop pining over Yusuf. But then Nathaniel ibn Isaac, a Jewish physician from Córdoba, comes to them seeking someone to help him complete a manual for an astrolabe plate he's invented. Nicolò enjoys the job, until someone starts making attempts on Nathaniel's life. Now his life, Yusuf and Nicolò's secret, and their corner of the scholarly community in Bukhara are at risk until they can find the would-be killer

The Perpetual Motion Machine by GrinAndBearIt and paperstorm 💜

Joe/Nicky, 53k, rated E In 1099, Yusuf and Nicolò meet during the siege of Jerusalem, as they drive their swords through each other and awaken when they shouldn't. In 2020, Joe and Nicky snuggle happily on a beach in Genoa, ignored by the strangers surrounding them and the sun setting across the water. In between, they see the passing of eleven centuries. They live through wars, earthquakes, pandemics, art movements, the age of explorers, devastating loss, political revolution, new family members, and gay nightclubs. With them all along is a love that transcends time and space; that settles heavily into their souls and exists regardless of when or where they are. Years pass, one era fades into another, and no matter what happens they always, always choose each other. Perpetually.

The Serpent's Tail by stele3 💜

Joe/Nicky, 108k, rated M Version 3382 of how they met.

Holiest Among the Living by angrymermaids 💜

Joe/Nicky, 86k, rated E It is the Year of Our Lord 1096. Nicolò di Genova, a pious cleric seeking forgiveness for his sins, takes up the Cross on an armed pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

Travellers from an Antique Land by kaydeefalls

Joe/Nicky, Andy/Quynh, 46k, rated M "Wait, hold up a sec. So if you were around before them -- how old are you?" The men all go quiet, and Nile wonders if she's just committed some kind of immortal faux pas. "It is irrelevant," Quỳnh finally says. "Old enough to know there is no point looking backwards." "You're the oldest," Nile murmurs in awe. Older than the Crusades. How much older? A few hundred years more? A thousand? "No," Nicky says quietly. "Not the oldest." Canon-divergent AU. Five hundred years ago, they lost Andromache to the sea. Now Quỳnh leads the team, a new immortal just woke up, and some pharmaceutical company is getting a little too interested in their business.

O Jerusalem by Pargoletta

Joe/Nicky, 37k, rated T Once again, Yusuf wakes from death outside the walls of Jerusalem. The battle is over, and the Christians have won. Yusuf is left with nothing save his dreams of two strange Ladies and a host of questions. There is only one person who can answer his questions, and Yusuf goes in search of the Christian knight who also cannot die. However, finding him only brings more complications. Now, Yusuf has an unexpected companion at his side in the struggle to escape Jerusalem and find a new place where they can breathe, take stock of their losses, and begin to build a future from the ruins of their past.

nothing but love on my mind by liadan14 💜

Joe/Nicky, 13k, rated E

“Do you prefer the company of men or women?” Nicoló asks. Yusuf continues coughing. “Sexually,” Nicoló clarifies. “I can’t say I have ever been asked so directly,” Yusuf huffs. Unrepentantly, Nicoló shrugs. “Men,” Yusuf mutters. Or: 4 times Nicky came on to Joe very badly and Joe still hit that, and one time it was the other way around.

(don't) blame it on the moonlight by liadan14 💜

Joe/Nicky, 14k, rated E “And it didn’t bother you that the guard thought you were -- that we were -- ?” Nicolò asks, for what is definitely the fourth time, as they bed down, hopefully hidden from view by the reeds and trees of the Nile delta. Yusuf sighs, rolling onto his back. “Do I mind that he thought I would be foolish enough to abandon all reason and take up with one of the men who helped sack Al-Quds? Yes, a little. Not enough to stop from using it as a perfectly serviceable escape route.” “No,” Nicolò says, “I mean, that you would prefer the company of other men at all.” Yusuf blinks, bemused. He hadn’t even thought of that. “As a rule, I try not to be insulted by accusations that are true,” he says drily. OR: Five times they were faking it and two times it was real.

Centuries and Centuries by marbletopempire Joe/Nicky, 102k, rated E All of this scared me. Yusuf scared me. He scared me with his easy repudiation of my beliefs, his laughter, the way he looked at me, the things he made me think. My belief in God scared me too, standing as it did on shaking legs. I had suffered for Him and suffering should have proven my love, but it never made anything better. But who was I, if I was not a God-fearing man? What would I become? If you will not die, why continue to suffer? I stopped walking and sat in the grass, looking out at the mountains as the moon and clouds cast dark shadows upon them. Beautiful and unknowable, like… “Like God,“ I muttered to myself. But of course I really meant, like Yusuf.

the stiff heart by dana norram

Joe/Nicky, 24k, rated E Yusuf feels he has been running his whole life. He ran from his duties as the family’s heir when he refused to marry the woman chosen by his parents. Yusuf eventually made a new home in Jerusalem, and he thought he was done running. Then the Franks laid their siege and Yusuf was killed and brought back to life too many times. Before he realised, he was on the run again. Only this time, he is not alone. Or; a road trip around the Mediterranean in which Yusuf struggles with his new life, searches for the women in his dreams and learns how to open his heart. Also, there is only one bed.

so i'll try to talk refined by paigian

Joe/Nicky, 5k, rated M

"I have a question for you,” Nicolo starts. Yusuf, who was busy trying to get some sleep before Nicolo broke the silence, holds in a sigh. Rolling onto his side, cheek resting upon his palm, Yusuf meets his eyes, ocean licked by fire. The flame of their camp flickers in the breeze, making them a firestorm of rolling waves. “If you are going to ask me about Muhammad's cow again, please save it for when I am awake enough to stab you for it,” he says lightly, only half-joking. In which Joe and Nicky talk about poetry instead of their feelings.

Ars Poetica by superblackmarket

Joe/Nicky, 4k, rated E “Excuse me if this is condescending,” Yusuf said, “but it is fascinating to me that you can’t take a compliment.” Nicolò’s extraordinary eyes—likened to the ravishing waters of the Mediterranean—were wide and guileless. “Forgive me,” he said, in his formal, halting Arabic. “Give it to me again and I shall accept it this time.”

The Creature by freakierthantough

Joe/Nicky, 7k, rated M Yusuf has survived, against all odds, and seems destined to live an eternal life, alone. But the Franks have a secret weapon, a monster that cannot die, and that lives only to kill. Yusuf may be the only one who can stop it... or save it.

The Other Matter by Survivah 💜

Joe/Nicky, 15k, rated M He wants Yusuf to hold his hand again. Grab his ankle. Flick his ear. Thrust his sword into his chest and breath into his mouth. Yet, they have the long ocean of eternity ahead of them. These whims are nothing but a swell under their ship: gone as soon as they come. Nicolo knows better than to jump overboard and drown alone trying to chase them. Alternate title: "You'd Feel Pretty Weird If You Developed a Crush on the Only Other Immortal You Know, Right?"

If You Abide With Me by Zaira A with art by Alby Mangroves

Joe/Nicky, 34k, rated E Nicolò’s path has always been clear. As the third son he would become a monk and dedicate his life to the service of God. Nicolò has come to accept that, but when a mysterious stranger is washed up on shore and placed into his care, Nicolò has to fight with the temptation of everything he never knew he could want: companionship, friendship and maybe even more.

lessons exquisitely crafted by kaydeefalls

Joe/Nicky, 43k, rated M "Do you think we'll dream of each other, now?" Nicolò asks unexpectedly. "Like we do those two women?" It startles a real laugh out of Yusuf. "Who knows? Sometimes, Nicolò, I think I must have dreamed you entirely." After escaping the fall of Jerusalem together, Yusuf walks away from Nicolò in order to return home and move on with his life. It works for a while. Fifteen years later, Nicolò shows up in his dreams of the two immortal women. (In which Yusuf needs time to come to terms with destiny, and Nicolò to make peace with himself, before they can meet on equal ground.)

life is a gradual series of revelations series by emjee 💜

Joe/Nicky, 7k, rated E In which Yusuf and Nicolò explore the classic excuse of "just once, to get it out of our systems."

Next Year in Jerusalem by flawlessassholes

Joe/Nicky, 8k, rated T Yusuf prays to Allah. Nicolò prays to Adonai. It changes everything. It changes nothing. (an AU where Nicky's Jewish)

Surrender by in agony and ecstasy

Joe/Nicky, 7k, rated M Rather than dying in Jerusalem, fighting in the first Crusade, Joe dies in his homeland as a merchant. For thirty years he learns about the other immortals through his dreams. He is tortured by dreams of the man slaying his people, until he witnesses the man change. By the time they meet, his feelings for the man are complicated.

Heavy with the Weight of Who We Are by PilotRebelle

Joe/Nicky, 38k, rated M So they can’t manage to successfully kill each other. Yusuf is grumpy about that and a great many other things - not least of which is that he seems to have acquired a very quiet, ostensibly useless, immortal shadow.

All This Time, I've Been Hiding by nataliaa

Joe/Nicky, 18k, rated M Yusuf sighs. “Allah forgive me, but I do not want to kill you again,” he says to the Frank. “Please, no more death. It’s enough.” He slowly spreads his arms, palms up, hoping that his meaning will be clear. The Frank just gazes at him for a moment, his unsettling blue eyes sharp but the rest of his face lined with fatigue. At last he nods, says something in his own language and, carefully telegraphing his movements, lifts his sword from his lap and sets it down in the sand beside him. He holds out his palms, mirroring Yusuf. Thus begins their tentative truce. Or: another enemies-to-lovers backstory of dubious historical accuracy.

Language Barrier by twoseas

Joe/Nicky, 3k, rated M Yusuf expresses certain thoughts to Nicolo in Arabic. Sometimes he just needs to say them out loud and Nicolo can’t understand him anyway so where’s the harm? Centuries later, Joe is still dealing with it.

almost a thing that my heart could endure by ongreenergrasses

Joe/Nicky, 27k, rated T "God gave us these stories so that we may know the meaning of love, Nicolò. Love should bring you nothing but joy." Or, the agonizing story of Nicolò learning to love himself and then realizing what it means to love a man such as Yusuf al-Kaysani.

A Rose By Any Other Name...Would Still Be A Rose, It Would Just Have A Different Name by Ignisentis 💜

Joe/Nicky, 2k, rated T "This beautiful man," Nicolò thought to himself eleven months, one week, and two days since the last time they’d killed each other, "was born with poetry in his heart." The problem, however, was that it wasn’t particularly *good* poetry.

Death is Just a Beginning by Tarlan

Joe/Nicky, 27k, rated E Nicolò and Yusuf were taught to hate each other's people but destiny had something else in store for them when they met on the battlefield. All things have a beginning, and this is the beginning of a love story that would eventually span a thousand years.

Mutual Mistakes series by Hazel Athena

Joe/Nicky, 14k, rated T

To put it mildly, theirs is not a case of love at first sight.

As a boy, Nicolo’s mother once told him he had no knack for expressing himself through words.

i'd have walked across the floor of any sea by yusufsmoon

Joe/Nicky, 6.5k, rated E “I never asked for your protection.” Yusuf has said this many times before. “I love you.” Nicolò has said this many times before. “I live my life in service of that love. Of you.” “I do not lo—” “Yes.” Nicolò glances at Yusuf’s mouth briefly before he looks away. “I know. That changes nothing. Now come,” he gestures with his bloody sword, “I think I saw the loot in that back room.”

compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience series by Jack R

Joe/Nicky, 12k, rated M

‘You are a shame to your countrymen and the lowest of the low,’ Yusuf said, ‘and your mother copulated with a dog.’

Niccolò was, Yusuf liked to think, a sort of an acquired taste.

Canon and Post-Canon Fics Including Canon-Divergence AUs

i love you as certain dark things are to be loved (in secret) by yusufsmoon 💜

Joe/Nicky, 9k, rated E They collapse on the bed after, panting and facing each other, legs tangling. Nicky reaches up to gently push a sweaty curl off Joe’s forehead, thumb sliding down to sweep across his cheekbone. The tenderness of it brings a lump to Joe’s throat. He knows he shouldn’t push this but he can’t help it: he slides an arm around Nicky’s waist and pulls him a little closer to kiss him, much softer but somehow more desperate than the ones they’ve just shared. Nicky pulls back first, but doesn’t go far, resting their foreheads together. They share breath, and Joe thinks about saying it then, just to alleviate some of the ache in his chest. ‘I love you’ he wants to say. Or even just, ‘Stay for a little longer this time.’ Or: The friends with benefits AU but they're immortal idiots so it's lasted centuries.

This ain't no never neverland by energie vie and nevermindirah

Booker/Nile, 5k, rated E Some time before Nile joins them, Booker poses nude for a raunchy magazine on a dare from Joe, but makes sure to keep his face hidden. In another part of the world, Nile stumbles upon the magazine and is totally captivated by the gorgeous body on display. What happens when, years later, she runs into Booker coming out of the shower and puts two and two together? What the hell is Nile supposed to do with the information that her best friend is the guy with the abs, Mister May?

Saltwater Sonata by pinstripedJackelope

Joe/Nicky, 68k, rated M Five hundred years ago, Joe lost his love to the sea. This is the story of how he gets him back. Aka a bit of a storyswap where Nicky winds up in the iron maiden instead of Quynh.

What God Gave You, He Gave to Me by Little Red Cosette

Joe/Nicky, Andy/Quynh, 99k, rated M “Nicolo would never risk the fates of children over his own.” “And look where that got him!” Andy roars, her throat burning with a desperate rage that has nothing to do with the pills, and right there, in that precise moment, she watches, devastated, as the words carve ruin into Joe’s grief-stricken face. She hears the tiny intake of Booker’s breath, sees the even tinier lift of his shoulders towards his ears. An Old Guard, incomplete, and how they find each other again.

with every inch of my heart by smilebackwards 💜

Joe/Nicky, 8k, rated M The apology in Nile’s eyes tells Nicky he’s let his expression slip in a way he hasn’t in centuries, his whole broken heart on display. Or: the one where Nicky has a Michelangelo painting and also 500 years of angst over a misunderstanding with Joe

Shorelines by Prevalent Masters

Andy/Quynh, 20k, rated T

She will find them. She is pitiful right now, and weak. She has never before been weak, not in her entire life, and she’d rather be dead than pitiful. Actually, at this point, she’d rather be dead than a lot of things, but she isn’t. She’s here. She's alive, and she's been alive for thousands of years, and she will not let that iron coffin and the abandonment of her family overpower her. She is out of the water now. She refuses to drown. Quỳnh comes up for air, comes back to life, and comes home. It just takes her a little while to get there.

but if you think I’m misery, then baby you’re the company that never leaves me alone by CourtneyCourtney 💜

Joe/Nicky, 26k, rated E One of these days, Yusuf supposes one of them will end the other for good. That is not, unfortunately, a deal breaker for them. If anything, it becomes a game. It gets the blood thrumming in Yusuf’s veins, the frantic wondering of Is he going to kill me this time? Am I going to kill him this time? Depends on which one of us gets off first. It is an incredibly stupid gamble, Yusuf knows. Nicolò can and will permanently kill him one of these times. It’s a stupid risk to be taking for a thing as basic as an orgasm. … The sex is fantastic, though. (Written for a prompt on the kink meme: Nicky and Joe have a very weird relationship: they can work together, they still kill each other but they also fuck. Then Merrick's lab happens - how does it change things?)

Shattered Pieces by AraSigyrn

Joe/Nicky, 9k, rated M "I loved my wife," Sebastien starts and Joe snorts. "You loved your wife for twenty four years," he says. "You spent nearly ten years of that in the army or prison. Nicky was my life for more than nine hundred." AU from the escape from the lab.

If Never Again, If Every Day by gallifreyburning and takiki16 💜

(this is the fic that tipped me headfirst into the fandom)

Joe/Nicky, 179k, rated E Current-day Nicky wakes up one morning to find himself re-living the first day he met Yusuf in 1099, and Nicolò from 1099 finds himself with a stranger named Joe in 2021. Time-crossed and facing old and new challenges, the two lovers have to find their way back to each other.

The Sense of an Italian Love Song by MechBull

Joe/Nicky, 15k, rated E It took Joe a second to recognize her, and then his stomach dropped. “You are the new one,” he said. “I need your help...They’ve been taken. Andy, Booker – ” “Nicolo?” “All of them,” she confirmed.

Nine Hundred Years of Poetry by flawedamythyst 💜

Joe/Nicky, 6k, rated G “They’re not together. Not like that.” There was a quiet pause, then Nile snorted. “Bullshit,” she said. “Come on, you’re having me on, right?” “I’m afraid not,” said Booker, stopping in front of the wine racks and turning to look at her. “They are just very close friends.” Nicky and Joe never actually managed to get together and so have spent 900 years pining over each other and coming up with angsty poetry. Booker is 100% done.

campus cryptid vs future valedictorian by glassrose

gen, 4k, rated G Mara Glass did not care about "weird hot guy," the supposed "campus cryptid." She had heard of him her first couple years and had him pointed out to her by a classmate once, but what was there to notice? Okay, he was probably thirty, a nontraditional student, so what? There were a number of those around. Apparently he was hot--well congrats to people who were into people, they could keep him. And if you asked Mara, from her extremely objective perspective, those Disney-green eyes were doing a lot of heavy lifting. There was nothing particularly noteworthy about a thirty-something guy who didn't talk about himself to twenty-year-old classmates. He probably had, like, a real life. There were rumors he was married, although Brittany noted that the only reason people thought that was because one time someone heard him finish a phone call with, "You light the candles, I'll bring dinner. I love you." None of that was remotely interesting to Mara. He sounded like a normal person, and she wished people would shut up about him. Then in third year, she had a history class with weird hot guy.

l'albatros by TheGoodDoctor

gen, 20k, rated T How Booker, having crossed a line, is driven by stormy exile to his home country in France; and how from thence he made his course to some kind of equilibrium; and of the things that befell him; and in what manner Sebastien le Livre came back to his own country. Booker shoots the albatross, fails to die, and makes his peace.

The #ImmortalHusbands Conspiracy by Amiril and phoenixacid

Joe/Nicky, 3k, rated T @kathryyn2ys Okay you know how most of the statues on buildings in New York are all the same lady?? Well. I have found her Renaissance counterpart. Behold: whoever this guy was. He c l e a r l y got around @amberjunnie bro one of those is by Michelangelo and the other is by Caravaggio, if it's the same dude then he didn't age at ALL in like 30-40 years. @sewingoatmeal Reblog to support an immortal model, his muslim boyfriend, his asian girlfriend and her girlfriend. (A Social Media Project)

there's no life that couldn't be immortal by GayLittleEarring

gen, 12.5k, rated T Nile Freeman died. Then, in an unprecedented turn of events, she woke up again. Back home in Chicago, Nile starts to dream of four immortals. Four immortals stuck in a laboratory.

Unearthed by merle p

Joe/Nicky, 4.5k, rated T “He has a crush on him,” Joe says around a mouthful of carrots and points his fork at him for emphasis. To someone who once has had Joe’s scimitar rammed through his chest, it’s not exactly a terrifying gesture, but it still feels a tad more aggressive than Nicky thinks the situation warrants. (In which archaeologists make a discovery, Joe is upset, and Nicky trolls historians.)

No one does anything alone by sindirimba

Booker/Nile, 82k, rated E Nile and Booker find out immortality still keeps its own secrets, go on a trip to try to find out more, and grow closer in the process.

The Everthere by Cenotaphs

Joe/Nicky, 50k, rated E Joe vanishes and is eventually found. It is as simple and as terrible as that.

Missed You By a Few Minutes, a Few Centuries by just another tinker

Joe/Nicky, 116k, rated M Nicolò di Genova was killed on one of the endless mornings of The Crusades, struck down by a scimitar. He woke again later that evening. Yusuf al-Kaysani bled out hours later from wounds left by a sword. He woke again that next morning. A person often meets his destiny on the road he chose to avoid it. Alternatively, Nicky and Joe's second meeting was over 900 years too late. And neither one knows the other is immortal, or that they've already met.

Lingua Franca by Anosrepasi

Joe/Nicky, 31.5k, not rated Nile dreams of a man drowning, over and over and over. And—between every other curveball thrown her way in the last 72 hours—Nile realizes she has to draw the line somewhere between passively accepting it and doing something about it. (aka The Nicky is the one in the iron maiden au that won't stop haunting me - now complete!)

À la revoyure by Amaranth

Booker/Nile, 6k, rated T Nile was two months old when her soulmate died. Her parents woke up to her screams and found their baby—their poor sweet baby—covered in purple marks. Hours later, once everyone had calmed down and they had time to breathe, her father would identify them as gunshots. It was not a good day for the Freeman family. Nile was two months, two weeks, and two days old when her soulmate broke their arm. That came as a surprise to everyone. To Nile, who was not sure where to pain came from and tried to make sure everyone knew she was in significant amounts of it. To her mother, who was still depressed about her baby not having a soulmate anymore. And to the poor cashier, who had not signed up for the drama.

Announcing Your Place in the World of Things by Marivan 💜

Booker/Nile, 17k, rated M On a spring day in 1994, Nile Freeman is born to a loving family and a Canada goose honking at the hospital window. On the same day, Sebastien Le Livre wakes to find a sandy-white egg lying on the pillow next to him. Or, a soulmate goose AU

Your Heart is Unbreakable by mongoose bite

Booker/Nile, 19k, rated E “How old are you?” she asked. “And if you’re going to lie, I prefer you inflate the figure.” While she was active duty Nile had given plenty of thought to the kind of good time she wanted to have when she got home. She’d certainly earned a strings-free liaison with an older man who wasn’t going to look after her, baby her, assume he knew what she wanted better than she did, or bring any baggage to the arrangement. Someone without a heart to break would suit her fine. Maybe she should have gone to therapy. Instead she hired a French escort with crow’s feet at the corners of his pretty eyes.

Sleeping Somewhere Cold by Kaerith

Joe/Nicky, 9k, rated M Nicolò didn't dream much anymore. He remembered them: the exotic black-haired, almond-eyed woman, the other woman with the magnificent axe. The bearded man who haunted him the most because, once upon a time, Nicolò was certain that he had killed that man with his own sword. But the ghosts rarely haunted him anymore. He rarely dreamed. He killed the bearded man, died soon after, then woke up again on the battlefield some time later. The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John had found him and Nicolo's life had never been his own since.

Total Universe AUs:

The Blood and Sand Beneath Our Feet by ToBabbanburg 💜

Joe/Nicky, crossover with STARZ Spartacus, knowledge of Spartacus not necessary, 14k, rated E Yusuf and Nicolò are rival gladiators, brought together into the same ludus. Living under the shadow of Rome they fight, and love, and dream of breaking free.

though my soul may set in darkness (we will rise in perfect light) by knoepfchen

Joe/Nicky, 45k, rated E In a world in which supernatural creatures exist, immortal beings rely on a potion to preserve their sanity: If taken every couple of decades, Praeservitum erases just enough memories from an immortal lifespan to make sense of them all and live an unburdened life. Joe is a vampire who's never had trouble with Praeservitum. If his life sometimes feels a bit lonely, he doesn’t want to blame a memory potion for it. Nicky is a werewolf who has grown sceptical of the potion, as he feels increasingly like there is something missing from his life that used to be there, if only he could remember. A chance encounter sees Nicky rescue Joe from a sticky situation. Although apprehensive of each other at first – they are a vampire and werewolf, after all – Nicky offers to help Joe when his friend goes missing. As they embark on a journey through the night, their lives unravel before them: where are all these memories coming from? And is this really the first time they’ve met?

not the girl they think i am (no girl at all, no girl at all) by knoepfchen

Joe/Nicky, Andy/Quynh, 20k, rated M Shipwrecked after being ambushed by pirates, merchant Yusuf al-Kaysani must conceal his identity to find refuge at the court of Lady Andromache, who is known for only being attended by women after the sudden disappearance of her wife. As a tallish woman named Ophelia, Yusuf wins her graces. Once Andromache learns of "Ophelia's" sliver tongue, she entreats Yusuf to a special kind of task - to fend off her apathetic suitor, Lord Nicolò, who seems to be set on the idea that they should marry. Or at least, his parents do. Nicolò, for his part, seems oddly taken with "Ophelia" - and Yusuf is torn between protecting his identity, and acting on his growing feelings. Oh yeah, it's a Twelfth Night retelling, basically.

Frost and Fjords by Arkada

Joe/Nicky, 52k, rated E The Norse countries are lands of mountains and rivers, riches and danger, home to battle-hardened Vikings, intimidating volvas, stone-fisted jarls, and many more. The Norse lands also draw Yusuf, a merchant from Tunis seeking to trade for their wealth. He travels north every year, with the goal of bringing home the greatest profit he can find. Then his life is saved by a handsome stranger named Nicolò, who soon proves himself a kind and good friend. And Yusuf has another goal each time he travels to the Norse lands: not falling in love with him.

Modern/No Power AUs

Variations on a Theme (Classical Music AU) series by mehm 💜

Joe/Nicky, 139k over 2 stories, rated E

In which Nicky is a classical pianist who has grown up in conservatories and concert halls, and Joe is a violin prodigy who’s still wondering how the hell he ended up there. Surprisingly, they make an amazing duo. Only problem? They detest each other.

must be imaginary love (to start with) by kaydeefalls

Joe/Nicky, 26.5k, rated T In which Nicky joins a queer football club, makes some new friends, and offers to help Joe piss off his ex by pretending to be his new boyfriend. This is a very reasonable scheme that will definitely not lead to any feelings whatsoever.

The Pride Pact by kaydeefalls 💜

Joe/Nicky, 21k, rated M "So this is what my boss meant when she said we must have so much in common," Joe says. "Yeah, probably," Nicky sighs. "It's...I just remember back when I was in school and there was only one other boy in my year who'd come out—" "—and everyone assumed that of course you must be into each other," Joe agrees ruefully. "Because you were the two gay kids." The one where Nicky and Joe make a pact not to sleep together and fuck up the friendship. So, you know, that works out well.

nowhere I wish to stay crooked by Prevalent Masters

Joe/Nicky, 78k, rated E Nico has a job, and that job is Joe. He just can't for the life of him figure out why anyone would want an unassuming museum curator and art restorer dead.

breathless (we could be reckless) by liadan14 💜

Joe/Nicky, 13.5k, rated E A dam bursts inside Nicky, and he is so swept away in the tide of his relief he admits everything. “I meant it,” he says. “Of course I meant it, I’ve fallen in love with you. Let me keep you. Let me stay with you. Marry me, Joe.” “I thought I would spend my nights in darkness,” Joe tells him, and Nicky knows this about him, too, that he will not give a straight answer when a poem would do. “I thought I’d live on a pale shadow of what you’ve made me feel. But you – your smile could light up the darkest night, Nicolò. Your heart is so sweet, my love, you’ve captured mine so easily. I’ll stay with you for as long as you’ll have me.” Nicky would blame the wine, he would blame the summer breeze, the beautiful view, temporary insanity, anything, but it would be a lie and he’s an honest man. If he’s drunk on anything, it’s Joe. If anything makes him shiver, it’s Joe. If there is any beautiful view, it’s Joe’s eyes, bright with tears and smiling at him. If he’s insane, it’s only love. OR: The one where Joe and Nicky get married after knowing each other for two weeks.

found you instead by yusufsmoon

Joe/Nicky, 1k, rated M He has another message waiting for him when he checks his phone: ‘i’m here. wearing a toga.’ Joe looks around and spots him, standing near where Andy and Quynh were before they disappeared with Nile. He’s wearing a laurel wreath in his hair and a toga and— fuck. The guy’s shoulders did not look that broad in his picture. When he turns and makes eye contact, Joe is a little taken aback by how classically handsome the man is. Why not share a picture of his face on the app when he looks like that? Joe walks over to the guy, leaning on the bar and putting on his most charming smile. “Hi. I’m Joe.” The guy angles his body towards him, eyes heavy as he looks Joe up and down. He meets Joe’s gaze, and Joe feels stunned at how bright his eyes are. “Hi, Joe.”

sina qua non by mellyflori 💜

Joe/Nicky, 24k, rated E “Are we friends now?” Joe asks. Nicky reaches up to pat Joe on the back, shifting his weight through his hips so he’s got enough power to push Joe into the water. When Joe comes up, spluttering, hair hanging lank across his face, he stares at Nicky, who looks back at him with a lopsided smile. “Now we’re friends.” Ten years, two best friends, one couch that seems to have its own agenda. Friends-to-lovers with all the trimmings.

The Blue Front Door by PilotRebelle

Joe/Nicky, 28k, rated E Nicky has not been particularly successful in life: unlucky in love, a struggling small business owner, something of a doormat. But perhaps that luck will change after internationally-renowned movie star, Yusuf al-Kaysani, walks into his used bookshop. A Notting Hill AU

All I Know is I Don't Know a Thing by emjee

Joe/Nicky, 11k, rated M In which Nicky's at seminary because he likes to argue, not because he's becoming a priest, and Joe has missed this essential fact and can't figure out why this future-priest-slash-bartender is flirting with him.

Making History Together by flawedamythyst

Joe/Nicky, 13k, rated G Whatever happened with Joe’s career, however it ended, he was always going to be linked with Di Genova. His place in the history books would be as part of a pair, the great rivals who pushed each other to soaring heights and left every other tennis player of their time in their dust. What happens when Joe finds out that the reason he's hated Nicolo di Genova since they were kids is based on a misunderstanding, and starts becoming friends with him instead? And will it affect which of them lifts the trophy at Wimbledon this year?

Right Here Waiting by Hazel Athena

Joe/Nicky, 21k, rated M Nicolo dies for the first time outside the gates of Jerusalem. Notes: Because I wondered what would happen if Joe and Nicky somehow failed to stick together after their first death, and then decided I wanted to write about it.

life is not the things that we do (it's who we're doing them with) by knoepfchen

Joe/Nicky, 46k, rated E They sit in the quiet half-dark, too lazy to turn on the light. A lone sunbeam illuminates Nicky's eye, his nose. 'I don't know about changing the world,' Joe says finally. 'That sounds like I want to do it all by myself. I just want to do my bit. So we can all be a bit happier tomorrow than we are today.' 'You and me, too?' For a moment, Joe thinks this might turn into the talk he had been giving Nicky, about the importance of taking breaks. But Nicky is quiet after that, squinting into the sun, and suddenly, Joe isn't quite so sure what to reply. 'I hope so,' he says finally. 'I hope so.' When the world grinds to a halt around them, Joe and Nicky are forced to navigate who they are (and who they are to each other) from the confines of a flat in Northern Italy. A little love story about the things that are important in life.

Contractually Speaking by Isandahalf

Joe/Nicky, 10k, rated M New homeowner Joe has hired contractor Nicky for his planned renovations. He very quickly begins to regret that decision - not because of Nicky’s quality of work, but… just how is Joe supposed to react when the most gorgeous man he has ever seen is giving him pointers on how hard to squeeze his caulk?

Maltese Moon by flawedamythst

Joe/Nicky, 15.5k, rated G Nicky has just left the seminary and given up his dream of becoming a priest when he hears The Old Guard's latest single 'Maltese Moon' and discovers that his first love, who he never should have said goodbye to, has become the bass player for Europe's biggest rock band. And all his songs are about Nicky.

Future Fics

Envision a Future series by astraea15

Joe/Nicky + gen, 4 stories adding up to 20k, rated T

Thousands of years have passed. On a mission, separated from the others, Joe and Nicky confront the inevitable at the worst possible time.

Nicky and Joe have been mortal and retired for a few years now, and they're ready to start a family. But is the staff at the reproduction center ready for them? 💜

News of the future brings up Booker's feelings about his past.

They were immortal warriors for thousands of years. Now, having lost their immortality together, Nicky and Joe embark on their next great adventure.

to call myself beloved by mehm

Joe/Nicky, 5k, rated T There are three things everybody knows about their favourite history teacher: One – get him on the right tangent and he’ll forget about assigning homework; Two – nobody’s correctly guessed what his sordid past was yet; and Three – he is recently widowed.

Any Port in Storm by CypressSun

Booker/Nile, 18k, rated M “Unless you thought you were going to last on this mountain without an ounce of survivalism.” Nile shrugs. “Surviving is just kind of our baseline.” Booker looks at her with utter disbelief. “Mon dieu, you were going to starve without me.”

for i have sinned by apocryphal

Joe/Nicky + gen, 9k, rated M In the sniper's nest, Nicky is both the priest and the executioner. Even immortals need a confessional. (Or, how Andy dies.)

Counting Up, Counting Down by whisper that dares with art by Alby Mangroves 💜

Booker/Nile, 55k, rated M Decades after meeting him for the first time, Nile’s still unsure about how she feels about Booker. It’s not like she hasn't noticed the way he looks at her, but … there’s just so many buts. Then, in one awful moment, they’re torn apart. And Nile swears that she’ll do whatever it takes to get him back, even if it takes her years and years — even if it means having to cross the vast gulf between the stars — one day at a time.

The Last Man on Earth by Survivah

Booker/Nile, 26k, rated M It’s not lost on her that technically, her dating pool is now exactly one person, if she wants to be with somebody who won’t die on her. Still, “you’re my only option” is miles away from being a good enough reason to give it a shot. 5 Times Nile & Booker Ended Up in a Romance Novel Scenario + 1 Time They Didn’t

Mirrorball by flawlessassholes

Booker/Nile, 7k, rated E He can smell her from here, and she smells awful, the perfume of pot, liquor, sweat and sex that he always associates with Amsterdam at night. Her camisole is slipping off her shoulders and it’s clear she isn’t wearing a bra. Booker feels like a dirty old man. “I’m going through my— wha— Nicky called it—" “The terrible twos,” they say in unison. Nile blinks and then smiles. “So you’re familiar.”

everywhere on earth you go (you're gonna have me) by nondz

Booker/Nile, 22k, rated E “We’ll just commit to the buddy system,” Nile says. “Buddy system?” Booker asks, eyebrows raised. OR: Nile goes clubbing, gets lost in Ireland, learns to swing dance, dies in Portugal, and falls in love. Mostly in that order.

Part of the Union by GlassRose with art by Alby Mangroves

Booker/Nile, 46k, rated E Everyone else is very old and paired off, so Nile decides her cohort needs to unionize. Any good union comes with benefits, even it takes you both ten years to be ready for all of them.

world enough and time by raedear (couldn't resist reccing you to yourself)

Joe/Nicky + gen, 9.5k, rated G In which Andy terrifies a dentist, Nicky hopes for the best, Joe feels his feelings, and Nile reckons with her new reality.

Our Toil Shall Strive to Mend by Marivan

gen, 9k, rated T Squeezing the phone between his ear and one shoulder, he lifted the fussy baby from her bassinet up against his other. She let loose another little whine, this one certainly audible on the other end of the line. “Booker,” said Nile slowly, “is that a cat in the background?” He froze. “A cat? Yes, of course. This little lady was hanging out by the trash bins for my flat, squawking up a storm and hungry as hell. No mama to be seen, so I’ve taken her in for a couple of days.” There. It wasn’t a total lie. Or, Booker, exiled, drunk and alone, takes in an abandoned baby. He doesn’t tell anybody. He definitely doesn’t fall a little bit in love.

Kenzarelli cinematic universe fics

L'ultimo Lupo series by malmo 💜

Majid/Roberta, rated M, 17k

Majid is a lonely Dutch boxer who's recently moved to Rome. He meets Roberta in a club. There are sparks and shawarma.

Majid and Roberta’s romance is tested by old flames and family, but don't worry, not even the stress of holiday travel can tear these two apart.

baby be prepared to be surprised by mieraspeller 💜

Majid/Roberta, 26k, rated E Majid was leaning against the small kitchen counter, expression annoyingly difficult to read. She watched as he looked her over openly, slowly, from head to toe, until his gaze returned to her face and lingered there. Cold and damp, with her hair straggling around her still sore face, Roberta did not feel up to scrutiny or anything other than getting paid and going back home to her warm bed. “Well?” she asked, leaning against the doorframe but ready to run back in, snatch her things and make a break for the door if necessary. God, what had happened to her bravery? Had some know-nothing asshole with a grudge taken it from her? No. She straightened her shoulders and walked toward Majid. Roberta and Majid happen across one another in Rome.

I'll Chase Them Anywhere by mekana47

Joe/Nicky, 5k, rated T Without breaking his stride, Nicky drops a kiss to Joe's shoulder where the singlet doesn’t cover the skin, brushes a palm over his hip, and says, “Your brother’s in the bedroom.” The wooden spoon bangs against the pan. -or- Joe's twin Jafar has an irritating habit of showing up unannounced to try to abduct and woo Nicky. This time, he forgot to account for the team.

Aaand three fics that are best read together but span time and categories:

Dust to Dust by manic intent

Joe'Nicky, 10k, rated E “Yusuf ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn al-Kaysani, called al-Tayyib,” Yusuf said, pointing at himself. He had to repeat himself several times before the man frowned and glanced up at his face. “Yusuf,” the man said, pointing at him. He had to try a few times to get the intonation right, after which he carefully attempted the rest of Yusuf’s name, if with less success. It surprised Yusuf that he bothered, given what they’d been doing to each other. The man pointed back at his pale, gaunt face. “Nicolò di Genova.”

à la mémoire des pères (et frères) by flamingbluepanda

gen, 2k, rated T “That little boy is my last living direct descendant.” Booker stared. Direct descendant meant blood link, which meant- “You,” Booker’s throat flexed convulsively, “you had kids?”

On Sparrow Wings by watchabirdie

gen, 2k, rated G There was a man in the park watching her. She had seen him before, exactly a year before. His clothing was different, and he wore a hat this time. But the dark brown of his curls was the same. The bittersweet smile framed with a well kept beard was the same. And his eyes held the same fondness in their dark depths. Najid was not scared of the man who watched her. For she knew it was not her those sad eyes lingered on. It was her son.

#joe x nicky #immortal husbands #the old guard #tog: fic #fic rec #fic: the stiff heart #tog: my writing

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