5 Off-Campus Fanfics I Can't stop reading
- evemrileyauthor
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Noticing an Off-Campus-shaped hole in your life? Feeling a little bereft? Well, before there was BookTok to fill the post-binge void, there was Wattpad and AO3 and sleep-deprived teens typing long into the night. As an indie author who lived through the rise of internet fanfic, I’m all for the fic-writer-goes-pro pipeline. Think E.L. James: 50 Shades is literally Twilight fanfic! Or Cassandra Clare's previous life as writer of mostly original Harry Potter fics, and creator of the bookfluencer blueprint. And of course Ali Hazelwood, whose bestseller The Love Hypothesis began life as Reylo fanfic and is now on the cusp of having its own movie... I could go on.
I'm not sure that the success of former fic writers is entirely coincidental: fanfic is like a bootcamp for budding authors As well as opportunities for instant feedback and building community around shared interests, there’s something super creative about immersing yourself in another writer’s fictional world and extrapolating existing themes or relationships (sometimes ad absurdum, but hey, that's part of the fun!). Perhaps the next bestselling author is behind some of these pieces? I digress. Buckle up, fangirls, because these Off Campus fanfics are only getting better!
When the playbook backfires
One thing we love about Dean is that underneath the playboy is a sweet guy capable of some award-winning tenderness and yearning – a tension brilliantly explored in the adaptation of The Deal, and which this fanfic takes a step further. The focus is on Jade, Dean’s younger sister. She’s an aspiring Greek Life president with a lot going for her, and Dean doesn’t want ANYONE to mess that up... Enter Beau Maxwell, Dean’s mini-me, who is dead set on dating Jade...
"I'm serious, Maxwell," Dean muttered, his voice dropping an octave as he kept his hand clamped firmly on Beau's shoulder. His knuckles were slightly white, a physical manifestation of the overprotective older brother radar that had been screaming in his ear since Beau had slid that iced coffee across the counter. "My sister has a lot on her plate. She doesn't need any distractions.
Especially not the kind that involves your textbook player routine. I know your playbook, man. I help you write it."
When the chemistry is off-the-charts
Feeling like that photo booth scene could have gone somewhere else? This fic-in-progress ups the spice and dials back the self-control...
'The curtain snapped shut behind them. The booth was barely big enough for one person, let alone two, and Allie was already shaking her head.
"This is insane—"
Dean's mouth was on hers before she could finish. Hard, hungry, his hand sliding up to cup the back of her neck.'
When the Highly-Strung Golden Boy Falls First
'Two Players, No Rules' by TheLilTargaryen on Wattpad
I love an opposites-attract storyline as much as the next girl... but what if Garrett fell for someone just as driven and untouchable as he is? Ella Monsen is captain of Briar University’s volleyball team. She doesn’t do dating, and she only plays to win. When she and Garrett meet at a bar, sparks fly, and suddenly neither of them is in control anymore...
'"She's not the kind of girl you break or fix or keep [...] She’s the kind you don’t see coming.”'
When Fake Dating Goes Wrong (Right?)
Is there something Taylor-coded about Hannah and Garrett? This fanfic explores just that!
Hannah Wells needs to let off some steam and leave her cheating ex behind. What she does NOT need is a Vegas wedding to NHL hockey star Garret Graham. And becoming HAB-to-the-stars was not on Garrett’s to-do list. Oops! However, Garrett needs the cash, and Hannah needs good press if she’s to perform at the Super Bowl. Maybe this insane situation could be the temporary fix they both need to get through the season? But Garrett is stupid hot, and Hannah hates to let a good thing go...
'I bent to grab my dress from the floor, already planning my escape, my apology to
womankind, and possibly my move to a remote island without Wi-Fi.
Then I saw my hand.
My left hand.
A diamond ring glittered on my finger.
Not a subtle diamond.
Not a tasteful, small, drunk-girl Vegas mistake.
A big, stupid, sparkling diamond that looked like it had been chosen by two people with no budget, no judgement, and a blood alcohol content high enough to legally qualify as soup.'
When yearning Takes centre stage
'Allie Has a Good Day Every Day but Dean Only Has a Good Day When Allie Looks at Him' by Anonymous on AO3
When you're popular and charming and brilliant athlete and everyone loves you... but none of that matters unless your person is there to witness you. Call me a sap, but I love this side of Dean.
'And there it is. That tiny change in her expression. Small enough nobody else would notice. Her mouth softens at the corners, it’s not a full smile. But it’s something and it’s just for him.'
When the banter is *chef's kiss*
Missing the flirty banter that ensues when a playboy meets his match? Look no further than The Refusal, where Janus Phillips (Tech CEO and womaniser) meets Jo Williams, a tech security expert who doesn’t suffer fools gladly. The two meet in the elevator on the way to a meeting to discuss a serious data breach at Janus’s company...
'“Easy now.” The slightly condescending tilt to his tone lights a fire in me. He’s patronizing me? He’s right on my heels as I move inside and press the button for my floor. “I’m sorry, but I’m not sure I’ve seen you around before—do you work in marketing?” he says.
[...]
“Oh no.” I purse my lips. “I’m here for a meeting.” He nods at me in that way people do when they’re waiting for you to say more. I’ll bet he expects me to know who he is. I’ll bet women normally fawn all over him. Smiling, I turn away, desperately hoping the floor will come before I’m obliged to tell him anything else. A ticking silence sits over us, and he clears his throat.
“What company are you from?” Bingo. Curiosity killed the cat, Mr. Phillips. Turning right around to grin at him, I have to stop myself from doing a little victory dance at the somewhat bemused expression on his face.
“Oh, I’m a freelance contractor.” I’m not directly lying here, right? “What are you here for?” My smile is like saccharin.
Janus’s eyes widen slightly, and he runs a distracted hand through his unruly brown mop, making it stick up at crazy angles. I stare at it in fascination. Is there gel in it? His hand drifts down his chest in the ensuing silence, and I track his long slim fingers, the square-trimmed nails.
“Oh, yeah, um, I work here?” Oh, very interesting. Not the response I’d expect from someone whose ego has to be as big as a planet. I thought he’d say he was Janus Phillips and give me a knowing smirk. Where’s all the arrogance?
“Oh, nice.” I bob my head like a nodding dog. “It must be terrific to have a job here.” I lean forward and lower my voice. “I’ve heard that Janus Phillips is so cool to work for. A friend of mine knows him and told me he was a peach.” I tilt my head, trying not to laugh. What is coming out of my mouth? Janus’s jaw drops and redness starts at the bottom of his neck; it makes me want to turn the screw a little more. “Have you met him?” I breathe.
He examines the floor for a while, and when his gaze comes back to mine, I’m taken aback by the crinkles around the corners of his eyes, the conspiratorial gleam.
“I’ve had a few meetings with him,” he murmurs, and his eyes sweep over my hair and cheeks, coming to rest on my lips.'
Drop your favorite Off Campus fanfics in the comments, or better yet, write your own!
Love, Eve x
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