Die Hard recs

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Okay, here are the promised Die Hard recs. If you've never seen any of the DH movies, not to fret: all you need to know is that John McClane is basically an urban Rambo. When he says "yippee ki yay, motherfucker" he does it without irony. He's bitter, divorced and estranged from his kids, a New York detective who can kill a helicopter with a car. Matt is a geeky twenty-something hacker. John spends the whole movie saving Matt's life, while Matt snarks about his taste in music. If that's not a recipe for (hot monkey) love, I don't know what is.

Spoilers for the entire movie and set-up for fic: The disgruntled former government employee Thomas Gabriel sets out to bring the country to ruin with a "fire sale" -- a multi-pronged attack on the infrastructure, including transportation and power -- everything must go. John is brought in to deliver Matt, a known hacker, in. A lot of people are trying to kill Matt. A lot of stuff gets blowed up. Then the terrorists get tricksy and kidnap Lucy, John's twentysomething daughter. She's feisty. They also capture Matt, shooting him in the knee when he refuses to cooperate. Needless to say, in the end the terrorists don't win.

For another summary and some picspammage courtesy of lamardeuse go here and enjoy the epicness of their love.

This are all John/Matt, natch.

Orbits, Drift by Annie D
17,500 words, R
This is a long post-movie fic from Matt's perspective. I love the slow build of their relationship starting with their recovery in the hospital. It's got smut, fluff and action. The writing is great, voices perfect.

Absolute Horizon by Annie D
23,000 words, NC-17
A follow up to Orbits, Drift. With a road-trip! And Thanksgiving! And sex!

Kink for Great Justice by Annie D
3,000 words, NC-17
Whew. Okay. So this fic manages to be unbelievably adorable, hysterically funny and scorchingly hot all at the same time.

National Pastime by dsudis
13,288 words, NC-17
I sure do love first times. This fic handles the fallout from Matt's injury really well.

Situation Normal by petwritings
16,000 words, NC-17
John comes to Matt's rescue when someone starts stalking him. I got a weakness for protective!John. Luckily so does most of the fandom, it seems. This fic hits that kink but good.

A Year in the Life by miss_pryss
4,000 words, NC-17
Jesus Christ. This was HOT. That's all I've got to say.

Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before by hackthis
2,000ish words, R
This one's cute and funny. I love the whimsical style. There's also unintentional drug use, which is? Always funny.

Smokin' Cigarettes and Watchin' Captain Kangaroo byhope
8,000 words, R
This one is told from the perspective of Jack, John's son. It's a lot of fun to see the relationship from a distance.

Save As by poisontaster
23,733 words, Rish?
The boys work on their relationship, going out of their way never to actually call it a relationship. Then there's a bank robbery, natch.

healingmirth has a brilliant series of shorter fics It Ain't Me, John McClane Can Slam a Revolving Door, and Shifting out of Neutral. I love her take on the boys' dynamic.

Life, Mid-Crisis by larmardeuse
5,000 words, NC-17
Larmardeuse's writing is quick, clean and well-paced and her characterizations are dead on. You know how you read a story that's so good and so true it becomes your personal canon? This is one of those stories. The two sequels, From a Rut to a Groove and Interlude No. 1, or In-Laws in D Flat Major, are equally brilliant. 


This list is in no way, shape or form comprehensive, but I finally got to the point where my eyes were starting to cross. I have so much more respect for reccers and archivists. Not that I didn't have respect before, but I'd just never really thought about how much effort it is to keep track of things. I never bookmark things so kept hunting for fics I remembered -- you know, the one where the boys do that thing, by that author-person? Yeah.