Favorites: ♡

GEN

• Everyone but Zhang Yixing has got that Power by xiutty

Summary: Power au. Yixing essentially gets kidnapped by a space crew full of disorganized and immature men and is appointed a space agent overnight.

Comment: Super long but cohesive, a fun journey from the characters to the unfurling mysteries, and entertaining from start to finish. I love when stories aren't afraid to go all out to really explore every aspect of the world the author has built up.

BAEKYEOL

• Switched ♡ by xiutty

Summary: High school body switch au. When Baekhyun can't stand Chanyeol's habit of scoring higher marks than him on all of his exams, he decides to take drastic measures to stop him and accidentally puts both of them in charge of each other's lives.

Comment: Dove only has two works but she's one of my favorite authors! This story is well-paced and pulls off fun schemes in a way that long stories rarely do. At the time I seldom read chaptered fics but this one was just so enjoyable, there was a great momentum going on, and Chanyeol and Baekhyun were both very refreshing teen characters. If I could nominate a fanfic to become a tv show, it would be this one.

• Close Your Eyes One Last Time ♡ by itachibana13

Summary: Comedy au. Chanyeol keeps trying to assassinate Baekhyun but he's either too dumb or too endeared.

Comment: I read this whenever I'm sad and they're the best meds I've ever taken. Charming, silly fun.

• Wish Upon a Balloon ♡ by numbuh_009

Summary: Hospital au. Life is like a balloon, and Chanyeol can't stay away.

Comment: I am Not Gonna Lie, I have wasted too much time crying over this fic. There's this innocent charm to the characterization. This is the kind of fanfic that only could've been written for a rookie group, and only in the early 2010s.

• Glissandi ♡ by lababoreine

Summary: Dystopian au. In the point of contact between the two worlds, Baekhyun and Chanyeol find each other by mistake, right side up and up side down.

Comment: I wish nothing more than for this story to be more fleshed out. There is so much interesting potential, and the entire ride was packed with suspense. This is the type of fanfic that other people write fanfics about. The premise is so intriguing that I wanted to know more about all the other characters and understand what their lives were like, too, and I have a feeling Chanyeol and Baekhyun's story is only a sliver of the bigger picture.

• Eden's Morning ♡ by 19_blue_roses

Summary: Internet history au. Based off of Haru Haru by Bigbang.

Comment: Look, if you know what Haru Haru is, you already know. This fic is the reason I'm depressed. I also love fanfics that play around with formatting.

• Guns, Kisses, You by mercedesbyuns

Summary: Rivalry au. Laser tag, and what is disguised as a wager yet might be much more.

Comment: The dialogue. An example of how good modern Exo fanfics can be.

• PurgaTorio for Two by lababoreine

Summary: Fantasy au. Baekhyun goes looking for something he lost but starts to lose even himself in that process. He gets lost in a world where everything fades.

Comment: I probably put off reading this for what, two years? But it blew me away regardless. It has Studio Ghibli vibes and I don't even LIKE Studio Ghibli but I was mesmerized by it regardless.

• The Love We Left Unwritten by oraceon

Summary: Dystopian au. Chanyeol and Baekhyun, two exes who are forced to join forces when the fate of the human race is at stake. Includes Kaisoo.

Comment: My summary doesn't do the book justice. Even if you don't like sci-fi just give it a chance. The author of this fic just writes so beautifully, I found myself feeling sentimental often. Unfortunately it does feel rushed but what is there is still great.

• On the Booze With Brahms by NovemberMagpie

Summary: Chanyeol and Baekhyun fall in love through chance encounters and a mutual passion for music. Includes Xiuhun.

Comment: The summary may seem simple, but the fic is still great! The charm is in it's characters and interactions. The book doesn't try to impress you with a complicated plot but excels with the straightforward story that it has.

• Separation Anxiety by aestaeticism

Summary: Slice of life au. Chanyeol finally returns back to Baekhyun and the confusing mess that is their relationship. Everyone is getting a headache over trying to figure it out.

Comment: Really nicely written. I loved the progression of the story and the main couple has a wonderful dynamic. Every scene feels so surreal.

• Wood of Princes by koizoras (parkchanyeol)

Summary: Futuristic sci-fi au. Baekhyun is alone in a meaningless world until he meets Chanyeol and everything starts to fall into pieces. Together, they discover the truth about their world.

Comment: I actually can't talk about this fic too much without giving spoilers. Every single plot twist, every single revelation never failed to catch me off guard. The plot is so solid and interesting to read about, and damn, that ending.

• Snowflake by blehmeh

Summary: Fantasy au. Baekhyun sells his soul to the devil in exchange for a week to save Chanyeol's life.

Comment: The plot was well told. I found myself getting tense and more invested every time Baekhyun did something wrong. The ending!

• Poppies by chennychenchinchen

Summary: Soulmate au. Baekhyun meets Chanyeol, a man who claims that he remembers his past lives and as a result his soulmate. He also claims that Baekhyun is his soulmate.

Comment: Good!

• Lunar Cycles by chennychenchinchen

Summary: The sequel to Poppies.

Comment: It's a good conclusion.

• Byun & Park, 2018 by lightsketch

Summary: College/University au. When Chanyeol finds himself failing his classes and his chance of graduating is at stake, he seeks out help from Baekhyun. Problem is, Baekhyun doesn't exactly like him.

Comment: I found their dynamic to be really cute and although I wish it was even more fleshed out I liked it a lot.

• You and I, Learning to Speak by knotweed

Summary: Established relationship au. Baekhyun and Chanyeol take a break from each other to find themselves.

Comment: This is so nostalgic for some reason. Short and simple.

• The Brief History of Us by WatchingMeWatchYou

Summary: End of the world (?) au. Baekhyun tells Chanyeol the world is gonna end.

Comment: I think this is slightly sci-fi but anyways it's not a very typical Baekyeol story which is pretty refreshing.

• The Winner Takes It All by paradisist

Summary: High school au. Baekhyun has a deep one-sided rivalry with Chanyeol, and is so blinded by it that he doesn't see anything else.

Comment: I just love rivalries sooo much.

• Real(er) Than Dim Sims by blehmeh

Summary: It's a secret <3

Comment: I was pleasantly surprised.

• Sky Blue by highqualityidiot

Summary: Dystopian au. While longing for something he lost, Baekhyun encounters Chanyeol.

Comment: VERY immaculate vibes. Also good tone.

• Children of the Storm by Ink-and-stars

Summary: Mermaid au. Chanyeol takes captive of a mermaid who may prove to be a useful cashcow for him. Said mermaid, however, has his own ambitious agenda.

Comment: I don't like kidnapping stories, but this one has really interesting lore and worldbuilding that made the setting so immersive. I was surprised by the direction the plot took in the second half but it's a fun adventure.

KAISOO

• Turns on a Dime ♡♡ by gulpsofoxygen

Summary: Timeline divergence au. After dealing with the troublesome aftermath of an unfortunate car crash, Kai finds himself living two lives at once and must soon make a choice to dictate the rest of his life.

Comment: This was the original fanfic that convinced me how good fics could be, and I can't put into words how it affected me back in the day. It is for this reason that canttakeabreath (the author's main handle) has remained so special to me all these years. So heartwarming and heartbreaking with a bittersweet message about the roles we play in each others lives.

• The Implications of Telepathy ♡ by hotarumyst

Summary: Telepathy au. D.O suddenly develops telepathic powers, leaving both him and his members to deal with the fallout.

Comment: Brilliant, that's all. A quick, impactful read. For a while I thought about this all the time, and there's a good reason for that. The author had a clear idea and they executed it with a bang.

• Gicleur by exollent

Summary: Slice of life au (?). D.O latches onto Kai and his schemes in an effort to escape his own mundane routine.

Comment: Idk why Kaisoo fanfics are always so painful??

• 12.12.12 by kei17

Summary: High school (?) au. D.O is crazy and thinks the world is going to end, and Kai gets strung along in his ventures.

Comment: Scratches a particular itch for the whimsy and ephemerality of early 2010s one shots.

• So we meet again (and other cliched phrases) by hotarumyst

Summary: Kai enlists the help of someone from long ago to spin a tale about his own life and make it feel real.

Comment: The type of fanfic that would make a cute, 2010s rom-com. Also the type of fanfic that makes me feel like falling in love.

XIUHAN

• Try To Remember (And If You Remember Then Follow) ♡ by sparklepox (travelingpyscho)

Summary: Past lives au. Xiumin and Luhan are soulmates, and although they are always fated to encounter one another, it doesn't always end well.

Comment: It's the definition of a slow burn but it all feels worth it in the end. Adapts the 25 lives comic in such a beautiful and all-encompassing way. Has stayed with me for years. Iconic.

• Of Suns and Stars by jumpthisship

Summary: College au. Luhan trips and falls, in love.

Comment: Very very cute.

BAEKCHEN

• (ex)boyfriend tag by daelighted

Summary: Tumblr au. Chen and Baekhyun broke up and now there's a hater in Chen's askbox.

Comment: Fresh and creative.

• fried eggs & vertigo by cryptidmoon

Summary: Groundhog Day au. Baekhyun can't figure out why he keeps reliving the same day.

Comment: Short, dramatic, and clean.