Fancake

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, Elizabeth Weir, Aiden Ford, Bates, Patrick Sheppard
Rating: Explicit
Length: 11,848
Content Notes: Author chose not to warn - my take would be that no AO3 warnings apply, although there's dubious consent at times, when John's being harassed as a sub.
Creator Links: Helenish on AO3, Ann ciudad on Audiofic Archive
Themes: Crack treated seriously, BDSM, Complete AU: BDSM, Friends to lovers, Worldbuilding, Trope inversion/subversion,

Summary: John entered the Air Force Academy in 1987; it was only the third year subs were accepted into the flight program. John wasn't the only one in his class, but he was the only one who looked like he did, and it didn't make him any friends.

Reccer's Notes: This story is well known in SGA fandom, and it's also crack treated seriously. The cracky premise is that it's set in a BDSM universe - almost everyone is bi and BDSM relationships are the norm, so there's no homophobia or DADT - but in this AU there is discrimination against subs. Unlike several other BDSM universe fics which are very much idfics revelling in the crack of John/Rodney being Dom/sub and the hotness and romance of their dynamic, Helenish turns the concept around, making John the attractive sub, and making the discrimination and "sexual" harassment he faces lifelong, especially as a sub in the military (and how that affects his character), the core of the story. It becomes an analogy for sexism and gender roles, and his expectations about being badly treated by doms come close to ruining his developing relationship with Rodney, an atypical dom who isn't "sexist", which disconcerts John. The story's complex and brilliantly written, and one I'll always return to. Very much recommended.

Fanwork Links: Take Clothes Off As Directed on AO3
The podfic read by Ann ciudad is also excellent.

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Todd/Teyla Emmagan
Rating: E
Length: 8023
Content Notes: inter-species sex, Dom/sub, exhibitionism, sub!John
Creator Links: spike21 on AO3, sarahT on AO3
Theme: Undercover, Polyamory, BDSM

Summary: An Athosian, a Lt. Colonel and a Wraith walk into a sex club...

Reccer's Notes:
This won't be for everyone, but it's extremely hot kink if you like John finding out he's a sub having been oblivious before, and like him matched with Todd and Teyla. Teyla is of course the Dom, wielding Wraith queen vibes, and they're all undercover at an Earth-based BDSM club chasing a rogue Wraith loose on the town. As they're new to the club the owner makes them put on a show, and John goes along so as not to break their cover... or maybe that's just what he needs to tell himself. Smoking hot, and beautifully written.

Fanwork Links: From the entrance to the exit, it's farther than it looks

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis/Captain America
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Sam Wilson
Rating: Explicit
Length: 99,970
Content Notes: Explicit BDSM relationship, grief, major character death (major to John, anyway), John is briefly para-suicidal at one point

SPOILER about the MCD

Rodney dies in the accident on Atlantis that causes John's injuries. But it's only apparent MCD which is resolved at the end. Rodney also 'haunts' John and snarks at him through much of the fic.

Creator Links: lunarriviera on AO3
Theme: novel-length, BDSM, first time, character development, character of color, crossover, crossover pairing, disability, hurt/comfort, post-canon, amnesty

Summary:
John Sheppard is on convalescent leave—or at least that’s what he keeps telling himself, though it looks a lot more like hiding in a crappy apartment in Houston, never leaving except for physical therapy and more alcohol. So he’s not sure why he turns up at a kink club, much less why he starts hanging out with Sam Wilson, probably the only other guy on the planet with a tighter security clearance than his—not that either of them much wants to talk about work.
Two airmen, both with troubled pasts, find solace in each other one humid Gulf Coast summer. And the strength of the pull John feels toward Sam surprises him more than the odds of their meeting at all.

Reccer's Notes: This is one of the best depictions of a truly safe, sane and consensual BDSM relationship I've read (no thanks to John!), and it makes this crossover pairing utterly believable because Sam's such an excellent and caring Dom. John's not at all together or functional at the start, but he slowly gets there. The story's largely from John's POV, and it's about him gradually grieving and healing after an accident on Atlantis kills Rodney and badly injures John (click on the spoiler above if you need to know more about this). There's emotional healing through John's new and deliciously kinky relationship with Sam, and the relationship is REALLY well written. One great aspect is that Sam's a counselor which gives him insight, but he encourages John to get his own therapy and never blurs the boundaries - a wonderful story if you like competence. The fic's also full of often hilarious military flyboy slang and there's a glossary in the series that explains this - I kept it open in another tab. It's an excellent read, gripping, well-paced and very hot, with an eventual happy ending. 

Fanwork Links: Flyboys - Note that you need to be logged in to AO3 to read it.

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters/Pairings: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Rating: E
Length: 590
Creator Links: on the AO3 thingswithwings 
Themes: domestic, BDSM, established relationship

Summary:  1st line: John and Rodney were shopping for curtains.

Reccer's Notes: I think no matter the rating, curtainfic's domestic by definition. This is short, hot, and funny.

Fanwork Links: John and Rodney do Curtanfic