Best Short Angst with a Happy Ending Fanfics
Angst with a Happy Ending novellas — 10k to 50k words, polished and contained. Curated from AO3, ranked by kudos.
Top 20 Short Angst with a Happy Ending Fanfics
Ranked by AO3 kudos. Each fic is tagged with angst with a happy ending and falls in the 10,000–50,000 words range.
you've got the antidote for me
by Kandakicksass
When Harry Potter unintentionally severs their soulbond before it can fully form, Draco Malfoy resigns himself to a slow death and decides not to burden Harry with a soulmate he's made it very clear he doesn't want.He's never been selfless before, but for Harry, he can try.
that’s the art of getting by
by sarewolf
“What do you want me to do?” Remus says, tiredly. All he wants is to curl up on his bed. Smoke a pack of cigarettes. Get drunk. He can’t stop looking at Harry. “Remus...” Dumbledore is gentle. Remus hates when he has that tone. Hates that he knows it will hurt. “There is no one else left.” A bitter
something you can fix
by some1_around
Maybe if the video ended there, Shane thought, it would be okay. Okayish. Still incriminating. Still a fucking disaster. Still embarrassing, to have his breakup with this beautiful actress filmed and disseminated on Reddit of all fucking places, but not a nail in his coffin, burying him alive. But t
a sound is still a sound around no one
by dykeries
Shane lifts one eyelid again to look at Rozanov. His eyes are red-rimmed. Like he’s been crying. “Why…why aren’t you in Boston?” Rozanov’s brow furrows. “Why would I be in Boston?” “You, you’re captain. Raiders. Boston.” The room is silent except for the beeping of monitors.In 2023, Shane takes a ba
home economics
by Anonymous
The Swiss National League doesn’t care about the legendary Hollander-Rozanov rivalry. When the MLH can’t negotiate with the Hockey Players’ Union in time to prevent a hockey lockout at the start of the 2015 season, the Zürich Lions jump at the chance to sign both Shane and Ilya to short-term contrac
a leaf falls on loneliness
by iimpossible_things
Buck doesn’t think that if he were to say, “I’m in a bad place”, that anyone would turn him away. Really, he doesn’t. The 118 has too many good, kind people for that. But every time he wants to open his mouth, to say something, to reach out to Eddie or Bobby or Hen or Chim, he hears Eddie yelling, “
there's no pretending
by moonsock
The term, he’s told, is temporary retrograde amnesia. Ilya doesn’t need the direct translation to understand: he forgot things. Ten years of things.
Tunes Without Words
by foxy_mulder
The plan is this: He will note all the things that annoy Geralt, and he will stop doing them, and then Geralt will want him around. It will work. It has to work, because Jaskier cannot be left behind.
Empathy
by Blind_Author
John is an empath. Which isn't nearly as much fun as it sounds. Most of the time, it’s not even useful.
slow it down (go easy on me)
by newamsterdam
It’s at that moment that Bakugou realizes something is very, very wrong. He glances down at himself and sees scars he’s never had before along his arms, little nicks and scratches he’d never have been oblivious to. When he reaches up, his limbs feel longer, and as he staggers to his feet he stands s
Dear Dream,
by Qekyo
Day 3: Flowers“I promise you. I promise I’ll come back.” He promises, George thinks wistfully. He promises such a thing- to offer George with his word on something, to uphold it. It’s as if he’s saying that he’ll give the world to him, just for him. But somewhere is the lingering thought in George's
Take Into the Air (My Quiet Breath)
by GuardianMira
Draco is dying of Hanahaki Disease. Serves him right, Harry thinks.
i'm tearing you asunder
by smoosnoom (moonsooms)
“Did I do something wrong?” Mike questions, mouth twisted in a frown, eyes less wide than they were a few moments ago, sleepiness gone. His arms stay at his sides, although his fingers fiddle with his sleeves. “What did I do wrong?”Will frowns back. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”Mike doesn’t look l
i want your heaven and your oceans too
by mothpoem
“Not—not that you’d be my rebound! I mean, you’d be helping me take my mind off of this guy, but to be a rebound, I’d have to have dated him first, I think, and he doesn’t even know I like him, so. You wouldn’t be a rebound. At worst, we become badass partners-in-crime with a grudging respect for ea
you took my heart (i was sleeping..well not really)
by monachopsis_22
It’s winter in Hawkins, and Mike and Will aren’t speaking anymore, despite living under the same roof. Will is avoidant and spends most days in the basement, and Mike has never felt so alone. Then the power goes out, and Mike desperately wants to understand what went wrong, and to know what that dam
This Lantern Shines For You
by apollonie
“Young Master Wèi,” the healer tells him, “I’m afraid to say that you’ve been cursed.” He laughs, it’s not exactly the first time that has happened, “Is that it? What kind of curse is it?”“It’s a lover’s curse.”“A lover’s curse? That’s ridiculous! It’s not like I’ve ever...” He falters a bit, “I mea
How to Fly with Clipped Wings
by lockergirl
“The reason I want you is simple,” Dream said, “You're going to kill the Blood God for me.”Philza looked up at the king in complete disbelief. “Are you kidding me?”“You’re a demigod,” Dream responded, “I’ve seen you take down fifty trained soldiers in a row before breaking a sweat.”“Yeah, human sold
hit me baby one more time
by theappleppielifestyle
Richie reaches up a shaking hand and puts it on Eddie’s stomach.“Uhhh,” Eddie says. “Is this a bit? Is this a really inopportune bit? ‘Cause I don’t know if you’ve noticed, Richie, but this is kind of an important moment-”“What the fuck,” Richie says, not for the first or last time, and lurches forw
we were warnings
by mia_ugly
Stede comes back.Ed does too. It just takes a little longer.
master of puppets, i'm pulling your strings
by orphan_account
And to make matter’s worst, which is just her luck, really, no surprises there, a car turns the corner, engine roaring, and slows down as it nears the school. Not any car either, no. Billy Hargrove’s blue Camaro is a one of a kind car here in Hawkins, and right now, it’s screeching to a halt. Great.
More Short Angst with a Happy Ending Fics on AO3
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About Angst with a Happy Ending
One of AO3's most trusted tags: the story will hurt — sometimes brutally — but it promises in advance that the characters come out the other side. The contract lets writers go dark and readers follow without bracing for devastation.
It is the emotional rollercoaster with a guaranteed safe landing; readers can surrender completely to the pain because the tag has already promised the dawn.
Common scenarios: A breakup, a war, and a five-years-later reunion in the last chapter, or a presumed-dead character walking through the door on the final page.
About This List
This list of 20short Angst with a Happy Ending fanfics spans 481,018 total words. Kudos range from 10,420 on the newest entries to 71,261 on the most established. Nearly all (90%) are complete, so you can start any of them without WIP anxiety. The most common rating is Teen And Up Audiences (10 of 20 fics).
Recurring tags across this list: Angst with a Happy Ending · Hurt/Comfort · Angst · Fix-It · Pining.
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