ah, time, the one thing there absolutely isn't enough of when it comes to reading fanfiction. at least in my experience.
there's a reason i'm willing to put in the work with this reposting business (which i just got finished doing)! growing pains are a "fun" thing, but they're nothing compared to all the good experiences i've had so far with the fediverse.
edit, attempt 2 after kbin did a thing: might as well share some recommendations now! one for each fandom:
kirby: Of Starry Eyes and Geminis (complete, 10 chapters, 76 002 words) takes a deeper look at two chimchilas and how they cope with stuff in the aftermath of kirby and the forgotten land. the only (k or t)-rated fic on ao3 that has kirby/eflilin as a ship -- it actually works quite well! has some very interesting character development.
pmd: Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Reflecting Balance (serebii, ff.net, ao3 -- thanks, tvtropes page!) is a lighthearted adventure featuring a rather colourful cast of characters and a rather unique twist that i won't be spoiling here. doesn't seem to update very quickly (i've only seen one update ever since i found the fic a few months ago), but i'm certainly excited to see more! 63 chapters (though i've only read the first 60, waiting for more updates before i start reading the rest) and 301 470 words so far, along with some bonus content.