Top 20 Short Modern AU Fanfics
Ranked by AO3 kudos. Each fic is tagged with modern au and falls in the 10,000–50,000 words range.
Paper Monsters
by Clocks
Fill for this prompt: Charles meets Erik Lehnsherr, his favorite novelist of all time at a coffee shop, but doesn't know it's him, and Erik just criticizes his own writing in front of his biggest fan.
Impossible Things
by accioromulus
Sirius’s thoughts are a slow-moving, impending disaster. How he wants to pin Remus up against the cupboards, to crowd him into a corner; how he wants to intertwine their fingers, to brush his lips against Remus’s forehead, his jaw. Instead, he settles for ducking his head and sliding a finger throug
His Royal Highness
by Wixiany
After several attempts at Prince Giyuu's life are made, something needs to change. And what else would ensure the prince's safety quite like a new identity, new town and a personal body guard posing as his husband?
Oh God...She's Hot
by Mikotyzini
Having moved away from Vale years ago, Weiss isn't thrilled when a job relocation sends her back to the city of her youth. While searching for an apartment, however, she reconnects with a childhood friend who...aged extremely well - so well that Vale's weather isn't the only thing hotter than Weiss
a call to motion
by groundedsaucer (coasterchild)
Harrow and Gideon watch a porno.
Garreg Mach Gay Girls Discord
by Varewulf
Just a silly idea I came up with.Modern AU chat room shenanigans.I have no idea if I'll actually add any more chapters to this, I'm just leaving the option open.Some spoilers.Edit update: I got the colours working! Muahahahaha!
Swelter Weather
by avisioninorange
Colin Bridgerton is weary from travel and decides to spend the summer at the Aubrey Hall. While his initial plans were to avoid his perfect family, he ends up sharing the house with Eloise and Penelope. This is a Modern AU!
Captured
by Rohad
Gideon's had it bad for Harrow for a long time. There's just never been a good time and she's starting to think there never will be.Then she receives some unintentional help from an unlikely and unwilling source.
Online heart
by Dancer612
Caleb can’t sleep. Not with the scars. Not with the itch. Not with the memories. Not with Trent Ikithon still living somewhere in his head. One night, he finds a Twitch stream. The man behind the screen name ‘LogicalGhost’ is calm, brilliant, and impossible to look away from—playing horror games lik
emo boy (chiscara) : rewritten
by chiscaraist
childe is a popular jock who has unforgettable feelings for an emo loser, scaramouche. rewriting this fic after a year of finishing it <3 ib; _sonagee on twt
Hawkins Mystery Incorporated
by aperson220
The plan was supposed to be simple, Run a detective agency, Solve a few cases. Make some money. Graduate. But Instead, it turns into this: A cheating scandal.A blackmail account.A school full of secrets that refuse to stay buried. As anonymous posts start exposing everyone—from hookups to hidden liv
Dogs on Main Street
by gathersnomoths
Inside Matthews & Sons, Charles had to take a moment to orient himself. To the right, shelves of tools and the curled forms of tractor and lawnmower belts. To the left, household cleaning supplies and small necessities like pencils, thumbtacks, and cup hooks. Just next to the store’s center aisle wa
The Distance Between Stars
by SERENMA
I don't particularly plan to make big stories. They will be medium or small independent stories of interest to one or more characters. I am proud to contribute to society with this creation without artificial intelligence (the characters are not of my invention, but I am the creator of this story, a
The Devil's Queen
by Dweller_From_Hell
New York belongs to Ben Solo. (He's older) Every street, every deal, every whispered threat traces back to the man everyone fears. Cold. Calculating. Untouchable. Then he meets his waitress. Rey is broke, overworked, and one missed paycheck away from disaster. She should probably be alarmed when New
Double Blind
by Survivor418
"In my room, you don't need to make any decisions, Potter. The only thing you have to do is drop that pathetic pride of yours, and submit." At thirty-six, despicable office politics destroyed everything Severina had. To pay off exorbitant medical bills, she chose to become a cold, ruthless Domme on
The enemy of my enemy is my new friend!
by ScrambledSun
Sourdrop tries to Flirt with a hot Echidna at the festival after pissing off her mom. it seems she's ended up pissing off someone much more shall we say, regrettable. While Amy makes a new friend/ally
Uccimidi, Amica
by Solgaletta
If there is one thing a person living in Coppirami Novu must know, it's that you must never get caught up in gangs or the mafia. And typically, that's an easy thing to do, even though their influence spreads thick and wide amongst the country. This other side of the coin, the country' very underbell
These Are Their Stories
by Lynyangell
In the criminal justice system, sexually based offenses are considered especially heinous. In Central City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Taskforce. These are their stories...
Summer Does Not Abdicate
by Euryalus
Set in a modern, militarizing New Orleans, the story follows students, artists, service workers, and strays as they orbit one another—through organizing meetings and art collectives, addiction and recovery, protest and police lines. Some of them believe in the law. Some believe in nothing at all. Al
Society, Scandal & Sunday Lunch
by PenelopeR
In modern London, the Bridgertons are famous, beloved, chaotic, and watched by everyone from Queen Charlotte to the gossip columns. With Edmund Bridgerton very much alive and Violet determined to keep her family close, Sunday lunch at Bridgerton House becomes the usual mix of noise, love, teasing, s
More Short Modern AU Fics on AO3
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About Modern AU
Characters from historical or fantasy settings are placed in contemporary times with modern technology, jobs, and social situations. Classic dynamics in fresh contexts.
Seeing beloved characters navigate familiar modern situations while retaining their core personalities and relationships.
Common scenarios: Medieval characters with smartphones, fantasy creatures in modern jobs, historical figures in contemporary settings.
About This List
This list of 20short Modern AU fanfics spans 517,078 total words. Kudos range from 28 on the newest entries to 17,183 on the most established. 40% are marked complete — check the status flag before committing to a longfic. The most common rating is Explicit (7 of 20 fics).
Recurring tags across this list: Modern AU · Alternate Universe - Modern Setting · Mutual Pining.
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