I've read a fair few fics over the years, and I prefer AU fics over anything else. For me to enjoy canon-based ones, I have to feel as if the characters I'm reading about are completely in character, and that's kind of rare to find most of the time. In general, I also prefer longer stories over one shots.

I'm still working on compiling this list, mind, so it's not complete just yet!

Tempest by Mslead-Kytrin ~ Complete
I really enjoyed the worldbuilding of this fic. I found the characters to be fairly ooc (and the pirate talk became a little much), but I could look past that as I really enjoyed the lore and history they baked into this story.

Flame's Desire by Rougescribe ~ Ongoing
Again, this one has great worldbuilding and Roguescribe has very talented way with words that suck you into it. It follows a sun and moon mythos with an intriguing plot. There's a lot of mystery behind it all, and it's based around a story Lucy has been told by her tribe before they were wiped out. It's not updated often, but I always anticipate an eventual update!

Capturing her Damaged Heart by Mushi9 ~ Ongoing
I never thought I'd pick up a zombie apocalypse story, but I did back in 2020 and my god, was it worth it. It is a romance story at its core, but Mushi eerily brings you into it from the very beginning, told from Natsu's POV, as you see the aftermath of a zombie virus outbreak, and you learn a lot about the world as it is now, how they're adapting, with several mysteries along the way. The slow building romance feels earned, and you get to read several different viewpoints to understand the world, the threats, the character relationships with each other. There are many layers woven into this plot and every chapter adds a little something more to this potentially doomed world.

Midnight by MarshmellowApples ~ Ongoing
This story is quite new with only a handful of chapters (as of 7th July 2026), but I really love the setup, the subtle take on the princess and dragon theme in a reversed Cinderella modern setting. Honestly, I love stories that lean into Natsu's draconic nature and Lucy's rich upbringing. MarshmellowApples is very good at setting a scene and highlighting the class differences between the two main characters, and you can tell they are experienced in writing friendship dynamics between characters as it all flows so easily, and you're left wishing there was more of the chapter to read. I'm really looking forward to new chapters!

The Matching Scale by Rougescribe
If there was a one shot I wish I could aspire to write similarly to, it would be this one. In less than 5k worods, you get some worldbuilding, a short and believeable story where Natsu is not interested in finding a partner and Lucy, intially shy, shows her sassy side before it culimnates in a fated romance. Alas, I always ending up writing long stories instead.