The recs list for this one will be pretty easy because, despite the fact that this has become a perennial yuletide nom, there is only one fanfic over 1000 words (And half of what's left is deliberate badfic). Luckily the one we have is a very good one!

Cope and Marsh were two 19th Century American naturalists who mostly studied fossils (Marsh especially; Cope did a lot more other stuff too.) They are the RL best-friends-to-nemeses. They started out working together with fulsome compliments and ended up, like, dynamiting each others' camps, and they both died mad about it.

There is 0 evidence there was any romance but it's the internet! And even without the internet their relationship over the years is fascinating and reads like an adventure novel. (I would say I am amazed that Mary Anning got a queer historical before they did, but then again, if Hollywood has taught me anything it's that the only queer people around before Oscar Wilde invented gayness were pretty white lesbians with class issues.)

Anyway! Here is the fic! There should be more.

• Monsters Cuvier Did Not Dream Of (4781 words) by CenozoicSynapsid
  Fandom: 19th Century Paleontology RPF, 19th Century CE RPF
  Rating: General Audiences
  Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
  Relationships: Edward Drinker Cope/Othniel Charles MarshAdditional Tags: Paleontology, The Bone Wars, Love/Hate, stagecoach robbery, Human Trash Fires
  Othniel Marsh regrets.