The Epic A/B/O List

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It comes as no surprise to folks on my flist that I am absolutely fascinated by the alpha/beta/omega trope as it’s developed in fandom in the last year and a half or so. For one thing, I like seeing authors explore the specifics of how the founding principles of a/b/o sex and gender work out in practice, and how those differences comment on our own society’s very complicated feelings about gender and sex. For another, I like the frisson of unease that comes of combining the familiar – workplace politics, romance, the college or high school AU – with the alienness of a society running on different reproductive principles and sexual politics than ours. Finally, I’m intrigued by what fandom’s collective fascination with the trope says about fandom as a whole, although I don’t feel qualified to say anything useful about that aspect.

Of course, some folks are just in the trope for the porn, and there’s plenty of it. You’ve got your knotting, you’ve got your mpreg, and you’ve got your explicit and less-explicit D/s overtones. A trifecta of kink! Personally, I’m not nearly so interested in the porn as I am in the worldbuilding, but there's plenty of each to go around.

Here, then, is a collection of a whole bunch of Fics of Interest™ that I’ve collected over the past year or so. They’re collected vaguely by theme. This is by no means exhaustive (lolno), nor is it precisely a recs list. However, I do find all these fics interesting for one reason or another because of how they develop the tropes.

A few notes:

• The hotbeds of a/b/o and knotting activity seem to be SPN, SPN RPF, Teen Wolf, Sherlock, and Avengers. There also was a fair bit of activity in Inception and XMFC fandoms, although that seems to be declining somewhat as those fandoms become less active. Out of all those, I read widely in SPN and SPN RPF and only occasionally in the others, so this list will definitely be skewed towards the fandoms I know. I'd be very interested to see similar posts from people better versed in the other fandoms!
  
  
• As a personal bias, I am generally least excited about worlds built on gender essentialism and D/s social hierarchies and most excited about fics set in societies that at least aim for equality. Basically, I don’t seek out fic about the possessive dominant alpha and the meek submissive beta, and it's underrepresented here.
  
  
• As another personal bias, I don't get much excited about werewolf AUs, especially if the a/b/o aspects function mainly as a structure on which to hang pack politics. Also, while there's tons of fic – werewolf and not – involving knotting in general, this list is for fics that deal with a/b/o specifically.
  
  
• The a/b/o trope is chock full of consent issues, lack of agency of all kinds, gender essentialism, knotting, and mpreg. Some fics embraces all those elements, while some ignore some elements while subverting others. You should assume all fics listed below have all those elements unless otherwise noted. Heed the warnings of any fic you click on!
  
  
• In case you're unsure where to start, I've marked some personal favorites with asterisks: **. This isn't to say they're the best or explore the issues in the most interesting way or have the hottest porn (really not), but that they make me happy.
  
  
• Where it seemed appropriate, I've included my own stuff. See the disclaimer about how this is less a recs list than it is a list of things that exist. :)
  
  
• I've not yet decided whether or not I'm going to update this list as a I find new things. If I do, I'll put a "updated on" note at the top.

Context
Slick, by tryfanstone - SPN RPF, Jared/Jensen
A/b/o and knotting as horror. Despite being quite recent, this fic nicely illustrates the darker/kinkier elements of the trope as it first developed (although without the happy ending many of the early fics arrived at). Heavy emphasis on the dub-con, D/s, and knotting elements of the trope. DARK.

Sure to Lure Someone Bad, by obstinatrix - SPN RPF, Jared/Jensen
My archetypal a/b/o porn fic. Jensen's in heat and on his way home to take care of that; a stranger on the train offers to help. Also mentions the idea of heat suppressants, which get a lot of play in several fandoms – usually when they fail or run out.

**A Cracked Engine Block (series), by longsufferingly - SPN RPF, Jared/Jensen
Longsufferingly's a/b/o fics are big on subversion, while also being delightful fluffy rom-commy things. As a/b/o fics go, they're pretty far to the inoffensive end of the "potentially squicky" spectrum, and from them you can get a pretty good sense of the popular a/b/o tropes being subverted without ever reading the unsubverted versions. This particular series neatly turns on their heads the an omega needs an alpha and omegas belong to their alphas tropes. (Note: longsufferingly also appears in this post as Chash.)

The Alexandrian Solution, by bexless - Teen Wolf, Stiles/Derek
Not technically a/b/o, but a great play-by-play of the whole knotting trope. Derek pops a knot for the first time, Stiles is supportive, and there's much exploration of anatomy, with humor.

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General Worldbuilding Development
**Wait For It, by concernedlily - SPN RPF, Jared/Jensen
One of the early fics, I find this (and its sequel, Good Things Come) fascinating because in it, Jensen and Jared are still actors on SPN. Thus not only do the fics explore their relationship as alpha and beta (what most authors now call an omega; this was before the now-common a/b/o three-sex designation was really common), but what it means for both of them to be playing against type as beta!Dean and alpha!Sam, which makes for a fair bit of metafictional exploration. Embraces the gender essentialist aspects of the trope pretty whole-heartedly.

**Not, by tryfanstone - SPN RPF, Jared/Jensen
An early knotting fic, in which guys with knots are discriminated against by society at large. Doesn't engage with a/b/o tropes otherwise,, but interesting for historical context.

the Tramp!verse, tehdirtiestsock - SPN RPF, Jared/Jensen
And the third pretty early a/b/o fic in SPN RPF, another one very concerned with social justice issues related to the alpha/omega hierarchy. A possibly-abandoned WIP, but again, interesting for historical context (and also, let's be honest, for activist!Jared with earrings and a motorcycle).

Enlightenment, by janice_lester - SPN RPF, Jared/Misha
Jared's always known he was an alpha, but he never really knew what that meant; now that he's in college with a crush on his omega professor, he's going to have to figure it out. This results in an entire fic of Jared exploring his alpha heritage. This is an ensemble fic, so we meet a decent number of alphas and omegas (which in this fic together make up a very small percent of the overall population, which is mostly betas). This author also uses the idea of alphas getting "alpha stripes" on their faces when upset, which I've seen only very rarely.

Sparks are Whirling Faster, by cherie_morte - SPN RPF, Jared/Jensen
Jared sneaks into a college party and spontaneously goes into heat; Jensen rescues him from other, less well-meaning alphas, but the experience is traumatic for them both. This is another fic that looks at the way society deals with the basic premise of some of its members going through periods of sexual insatiability.

Scratch That Itch, by tebtosca - SPN RPF, Jared/Jensen
An example of the high school a/b/o AU, of which there are a fair number of SPN RPF fics. In particular, discusses the social changes as adolescents "peak" and achieve their sexual maturity as alphas or omegas.

Thermodynamics and the Modern Male, by snickfic – SPN RPF, Jared-centric, Jared/Matt Cohen
Another HS AU, also dealing with various kinds of change during puberty, particularly changes in and complication of sexual orientation.

**the Spice 'verse, by ghostfic - SPN RPF, Gen/Misha
And another HS AU, this time in a universe that has only alphas and omegas. Omega!Misha, then, is basically treated as just a flat-chested girl. The fic comes with bonus omega/omega attraction.

As Long As You Are Mine, by challengeaccepted - Sherlock, Jim/Sebastian
Thorough working-out of the trope of omegas having a biological imperative for childbearing and how that might affect social maneuvering and personal decision-making.

Entangled, by antennapedia - BtVS, Buffy/Giles
A fic that spends quite a bit of time exploring specific social institutions and expectations for each of the sexes. In particular, betas in this universe are sterile, but hold most key leaderships positions.

Bring a Towel, by verity - SGA, John/Rodney
Another one that does some interesting things with how its society structures itself around the three sexes. Here, betas are favored in the military, and alpha!John is a soldier on sufferance – conveniently, since the SGA-specific ATA gene doesn't express in betas. In addition to the worldbuilding, omega!Rodney tops in this fic.

The Revolution Will Not Be Civilized, by the_ragnarok - Inception, Arthur/Eames
A fic that looks a fair bit at the socially expected roles of omegas vs. other sexes, but is also interesting as an example of the heat bonding trope, in which a pair bonds physically for the duration of the omega's heat and can't get far from each other without pain. As far as I know, this trope has only ever appeared in Inception fandom.

Mr. Right, by Not_You - Avengers, Darcy/Coulson
Has some interesting stuff about alpha instincts vs. omega instincts, and also suggests some things about how rape is treated in this particular universe.

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Sexuality/Gender Subversion
Mostly presented without discussion. Notice that whereas fics in the previous category dealt largely with the a/b/o trope on a societal scale (albeit via the perspectives of individuals), this category is much more of individuals who don't quite meet those broader social expectations, for whatever reason.

**Friends Helping Friends, by scaramouche - SPN, Dean/Cas
Dean/Cas, Cas is an omega who may be on the asexual spectrum when he's not in heat.

Ineffective Synonyms, by amorremanet - SPN RPF, Misha/Vicki, Misha/various
Omega!Misha is asexual. The series chronicles his initial realization of this in high school (with the help of his then-girlfriend, alpha!Vicki) and looks a little bit at how this affects him later in life.

I Thought You'd Be Taller 'verse, by snickfic – CWRPF, Gen+Danneel
Omega!Danneel is off alphas due to prior trauma, but still manages to make friends with alpha!Gen.

untitled, by longsufferingly - SPN RPF, omega!Gen/omega!Danneel

The True Inverts, by lexicale - SPN RPF, omega!Jared/omega!Jensen

**Gordian, by fresne - Sherlock, John/Sherlock
John/Sherlock, Sherlock's an adult who's never gotten his second sex (a, b, or o), and so can pass for whichever. Really interesting look at social tensions in this one, and also at the anomalous individual who doesn't sexually mature until later in life.

Late Bloomer, by bewaretheides15 - SPN RPF, Jared/Jensen
As the title suggests, another fic about an individual who's late maturing. Also, in this universe alphas have knots, betas carry children, and omegas (very rare) are both.

Angry Inches, by dangerbean – SPN, Dean+Cas
Cas is a trans-alpha.

** saying it out loud is hard (and words are futile devices), by ladyofthelog - Sherlock, Sherlock-centric gen
Sherlock is trans-omega

The BAMF Omega, by putigress2012 - Sherlock, John/Sherlock
John's a very take-charge omega in bed. Pokes at the submissive!omega idea.

This Unacceptable Heat, by lifelesslyndsey - SPN, Sam/Castiel
Another one about a large-and-in-charge omega in heat – Sam, this time.

Jensen and the Terrible, Horrible Ex, by etoile_etiolee - SPN RPF, Jensen/Jared
In which omega!Jensen clocks his ex and then gets to top.

Willing, by anon – SPN RPF, alpha!Jared/alpha!Jensen (have to join blindfold_spn to view.)

Arthur/Eames, alpha/alpha pairing
narrative of soul against soul, by glycin - Inception, alpha!Arthur/alpha!Eames

Not Me, by cheebles - SPN RPF, Jared/Jensen
Jared's an omega who doesn't want kids.

And You I Crave, by softandwoolen - Sherlock, John/Sherlock
One of the earliest a/b/o fics in Sherlock fandom, and also introduces a trope that seems to be fairly popular in that fandom, that of omegas passing as either alphas or betas. I've mostly seen this presented as being done to avoid social discrimination rather than because of personally identifying as the assumed gender.

The Aristocrat in the Parlour, by berlynnsherlock - Sherlock, John/Sherlock
Another "Omega!Sherlock passes as alpha" fic.

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A/B/O Plus - fics that expands the a/b/o idea beyond the usual or combines it with other fic tropes
**Show Me How You Do That Trick, by deirdre_c - SPN RPF, Jared/Jensen
The a/b/o high school spies AU.

Homo Homini Lupus Est, by neotoma - SPN, Kali/Gabriel, Sam/Gabriel, Jo/Gabriel
Interesting for its expansion of the basic alpha, beta, and omega sexes; this fic has deltas and gammas as well.

Lost in Translation, by verity - SGA, John/Rodney
Pegasus folks have a/b/o, the Milky Way folks do not.

Rattling Your Locks, by cherie_morte - SPN RPF, Jared/Jensen
A fic that combines a/b/o with the slavefic trope. Which is to say, lots of consent issues floating around this one, and the author takes great care with them.

These Spooky Old Woods, by snickfic – SPN, Jo/Sam
A universe composed mostly of betas, where alphas and omegas live in secret and are also the only people with an ability for magic.

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Women in A/B/O
I'm particularly fascinated by the role of women in a/b/o 'verses, since omega males usually serve all the same reproductive functions as women. Many 'verses simply don't mention women at all, others seem to assume that men come all three sexes – alpha, beta, and omega – while woman come in only one, and still others fully integrate women into the three-sex scheme. In some universes, alpha women only smell like alphas, without any of the usual alpha reproductive capabilities; in others, they also have a knotted penis or some other kind of penetrative organ.

I've collected here a whole bunch of fics I've found featuring a/b/o women. A few are repeats from lists above, but I wanted them all in one place. I'm particularly interested in adding to this category; if you know of other fics that would be fit, I'd love to hear about them!

**A Fine Job of Bending All the Rules (series), by longsufferingly - SPN RPF, Gen/Adrianne
There are surprisingly few femslash a/b/o fics; this is one. Also features some interesting worldbuilding.

Two for One, by nakatas - SPN RPF, omega!Jared/alpha!Jensen/alpha!Danneel

So Happy Together, by anon – Sherlock, girl!omega!John/alpha!Sherlock
There are extremely few fics pairing female omegas with male alphas. Here's one, though it's brief.

Heat, by anon – Avengers, features omega!Natasha and alpha!Pepper, lots of pairings
There was a bit of a frenzy of these "all the Avengers go into heat at once" PWP fics; there are two more below.

Protocol 27-B, by a_q - Avengers, alpha!Natasha/everyone

All For One and One For All, by Jaune_Chat - Avengers, alpha!Natasha/everyone

All Ways, by netweight - SPN RPF, alpha!Danneel/omega!Jensen
"Danneel is the alpha in her relationship with Jensen, but she still likes it when he fucks her." Some interesting genderbending there until we're almost back around to where we started, pre-a/b/o.

Just Keep Breathing With Me, by tebtosca - SPN RPF, alpha!Danneel/omega!Jensen
A pegging PWP – one of those fics where female alphas don't have knots.

**Match Made, by Chash - SPN RPF, alpha!Danneel/omega!Jensen
Omega!Jensen's forgotten his heat suppressants, and alpha!Danneel comes to his rescue.

The Night of the High Rollers, by a_q - XMFC, alpha!Moira/omega!Erik

Cocktail Party, by Not_You - XMFC, alpha!Emma/omega!Charles

House Party, by Not_You - XMFC, alpha!Raven/omega!Hank

**untitled, by longsufferingly - SPN RPF, alpha!Jared/omega!Gen

What Should Really, Really Never Be, by snickfic – SPN/SPN RPF, alpha!Gen/omega!Jared
In which our canonical Sam and Dean visit the SPN set and discover everyone on that side of the camera is an alpha, beta, or omega. Technically an ensemble fic, but alpha!Gen gets a fair bit of screentime.


Mentioned elsewhere in this post, listed again here for completeness
I Thought You'd Be Taller 'verse, by snickfic – SPN RPF, alpha!Gen+omega!Danneel

The Heat or the Pressure, by amorremanet - SPN RPF, alpha!Vicki/omega!Misha

Entangled, by antennapedia - BtVS, Buffy/Giles

the Spice 'verse, by ghostfic - SPN RPF, omega!Gen/omega!Misha

untitled, by longsufferingly - SPN RPF, omega!Gen/omega!Danneel

Homo Homini Lupus Est, by neotoma - SPN, alpha!Kali/omega!Gabriel, alpha!Jo/omega!Gabriel

These Spooky Old Woods, by snickfic – SPN, omega!Jo/alpha!Sam

Mr. Right, by Not_You - Avengers, omega!Darcy/alpha!Coulson

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