August recs, part three
And here's the final one. As I said yesterday, LOTS of featured recs to be had, and most of the latter half of the bunch are longfic.
No One Here But Me by
nerdwegian
The first letter is short and to the point.
You'll Love Me At Once by
nerdwegian
"Man, you know how to sleep," the man says, directly from Steve's right.
Living It Up by
nerdwegian
Next to him, Clint starts whistling Love In An Elevator.
Sugar by
nerdwegian
"Hi," says the guy standing there, giving Sam a sheepish grin.
Sam blinks. The guy's tiny. Pasty white and twinky as fuck, and pretty much exactly his type, before--well, before.
The Saga of Bucky's Duck by
dsudis
"It's a rubber duck," Steve says. "To keep you company when you're taking a bath."
Operation: Anticupid by
Kryptaria
Just because Clint carries a bow doesn't make him Cupid. But sometimes, even an assassin gets sick of watching the lovesick pining. At that point, it's time to take matters into his own hands. And how could Tony resist helping? He's a helpful sort of guy, after all.
it's a love story (baby just say yes) by
biggrstaffbunch
Steve's not jealous precisely.
[post-Winter Soldier shmoop, where Bucky goes on a date and Steve goes on a mission.]
Assembly Instructions for the Rest of Your Life by
thingswithwings
Curtain fic for rocket scientists. Or, Tony and Rhodey build the Quinjet.
A particle, a wave by
kvikindi
"My father helped defeat the Nazis. He worked on the Manhattan Project."
Rec Of The Week - the blood of the covenant by
Quietbang
Steve has a "thing" for hot water.
Or, Sam Wilson adopts Steve Rogers.
From the summary of this fic, I expected a light-hearted, jokey living-together comedy. What I got was a hauntingly beautiful character study of Steve Rogers - young man, old man, Catholic, unionist, veteran, killer, soldier, and man out of time - through the eyes of his new friend, Sam Wilson. It's a gentle fic in many ways - for all that it's profoundly sad at times, it's told through quiet moments and observations, not though heavy angst or graphic violence. Every time I think I've read every shade a treatment of Steve's character can paint, I find something wonderful and unexpected like this that really satisfies me, and that's what makes reading in this fandom such a joy.
your bones are mine to save (my bones are yours to break) by
biggrstaffbunch
"Come get me if you're gonna fight, Stevie," he says. You try to remember.
stick together and see it through by
torakowalski
There are many places that Phil would rather be than stuck in a HYDRA base with Tony Stark.
Come On Closer by
melonbutterfly
Two weeks ago there had been a break in at the Smithonian. Nothing had been taken except a notebook full of sketches and notes from Steve, and his dogtags.
Steve has just found the dogtags. In a manner of speaking.
On Bucky.
like a still life (captured you) by
biggrstaffbunch
Steve draws, but Bucky doesn't get it. Until he does.
Parallel by
NezumiPi
Set in between The Girl in the Flower Dress and FZZT. Skye tries to explain to Ward why she contacted Miles. The story sounds a little familiar to Ward.
Rec Of The Week - A Date on the Moon by
what_alchemy
Just because someone's name is on your hand doesn't mean it's easy.
Even if soulmate fic is not your thing, I think you should take a chance on this gorgeous, painful Tony/Rhodey story. Soulmate fic is so often about finding that perfect, idealised version of love Disney promises us - something that doesn't exist in the real world. This story is not like that. It's about finding the person you love, that you're meant to be with, according to the name on your hand, but then finding out as life goes on just how hard it can be to live with that person, to stay with them, when they're not just hurting themselves, but they're dragging you down, too. It's about making assertive choices, about doing what needs to be done even when it hurts, and above all, it's about loving someone deeply and devotedly and still choosing a different path. That doesn't mean there isn't room for second (or third, or fourth) chances, it just means that when things go sideways, there's something left to hold on to. So, come for the unique handling of the trope, stay for the bittersweet beauty of the story and the spot-on characterisation and voices so perfect you'll be hearing Cheadle and RDJ the whole time you're reading it.
Rec Of The Week - Speak So We Can Hear Your Heart Beat by
Jaune_Chat
The Avengers are rendered mute by Amora the Enchantress. As a search for a cure grows more and more dim every day, the Avengers have to deal with the reality of learning to communicate with each other in a whole different way. Uncertain if they'll be able to fight again, they enlist the help of their friends, and learn some surprising things about each other as they struggle to hold onto their identities as the World's Greatest Heroes.
Caveat - ASL is a language all its own with a large vocabulary and its own unique syntax and grammar. It takes a lot of time and dedication to become fluent in it, particularly if you're hearing or coming to it late in life and are used to communicating in English and/or verbally/aurally. That said, I love the idea of the Avengers as a whole communicating in sign SO MUCH that I have to rec this anyway, desite the implausibility of them being able to communicate complex thoughts, feelings and actions in sign in an incredibly short space of time. Some of the non-sign strategies and communication methods they devise are pretty fucking awesome, too, as are their efforts to learn how to work as a team without verbal communication to help. Jaune_Chat says in the comments that they have worked with Deaf clients but also worked with people who have English as a second language so they've used a lot of alternate communication in the past, and it shows in those moments, when the characters are thinking outside the box and finding a way that works, however unconventional. Also, I love Pepper, Rhodey and Sam being the B-Team Avengers and want more fic of them kicking arse, yesterday.
His Unspeakable Mercies by
sadrobots
Natasha gestures to his shoulder. “The scars. The stump. Put some art on it.”
“Oh, sure. Great idea. Point me to the magic markers and we’ll make a day of it.”
“Cap the sass, Barnes. I mean like a tattoo.”
Natasha convinces Bucky to cover up his scars with a tattoo, and she has an obnoxiously, offensively perfect artist in mind for the job.
Unquiet by
dsudis
A few hours before dawn Steve woke up already in the process of running to Bucky's room, shield in hand. He hesitated at the closed door, and only then registered that the sound that woke him had been a strangely prolonged shattering of glass.
Open Up the Door That's Shut (We Make Our Own Luck) by
cylobaby27
After coming back from the war, Steve and Bucky open a diner together in Brooklyn. They're scraping by just trying to keep the business and each other together when Tony Stark stumbles through their front door.
Between the Lines by
tawg
Steve Rogers is an up-and-coming comic book artist. Phil Coulson is a comic book writer with one last story to tell. This is a story about fanboys, aborted one night stands, and heroes.
As We Rage, Quietly by
amireal
There are three types of SHIELD Agents. The kind who have a long and respected career but something prompts them to retire before they can no longer function in the real world. The kind who dies in the line of duty, protecting and defending something important. And the kind who simply drift away, slowly swallowed by the machine of SHIELD, eventually becoming nothing more than a ghost, a rumor of an agent that never left, never died, but was just subsumed by work.
Phil Coulson, in his tiredest thoughts, figured he'd be probably be a ghost, just not this way.
Rec Of The Week - The New Friends of James Barnes, Actual Human Being (Plus One Old One) by
supergreak
In which the Winter Soldier makes some new friends, demolishes a lot of Hydra bases, discovers food courts, and finds his way home.
For those who need a bit of mildly cheerful, humourous fic in their life, this story's probably one you want to check out. If you've read a million tagic post-WS fics and just want one that's funny and sassy (like Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail by owlet) then this fic is what you're looking for. Rather than living like a bum for the first few days post-Hydra, this Bucky Barnes gets shit done. He makes friends, kicks arse, discovers food, fashion and the importance of preferred pronouns. Generally, this story is a bit of a fun romp that certainly doesn't take itself seriously and doesn't require you to have your thinking cap on to read and enjoy it.
The Right Partner by
owlmoose
Steve Rogers went down with the Valkyrie and was lost forever-- until Howard Stark found him and brought him home. The year is 1948, and Steve is back, awake in a New York only a little different than the one he remembers: the war is over, the world is recovering, and the SSR is in the process of becoming SHIELD, with Peggy Carter at the helm. Together again, Steve and Peggy rekindle their romance, but there's also a complication: Angie Martinelli, Peggy's roommate, lover, and dearest friend.
On The Cusp by
thebrotherswinchester
Bucky is a rich kid. Steve is his butler. It doesn't stop them from being best friends.
Rec Of The Week - Backcountry Soundtrack by
harcourt
In which Deadpool kidnaps Clint off a battlefield and takes him on a roadtrip. A shooting roadtrip. OK, fine. A shooting people roadtrip. Don't be so cranky about it.
For those who like the chaos of Wade and the failboat that is Clint, this story is for you. harcourt's an excellent writer, and they've hit the high notes with characterisation, dialogue and the dizzy, disorienting whirl of the roadtrip itself. Don't be scared of the cover-all-bases tagging - this is, at heart, a funny, ridiculous and surreal fic, not a miserable torture-fest. It's silly and it's cracky and it'll make you smile. Read if you like owlet's Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail or neveralarch's Life of Crime.
Rec Of The Week - My Best Girl by
bob-genghis-khan
'Tell you what,' Bucky said, his arm coming out to push Steve gently further into the sidewalk as a car trundled past, spraying some of the icy slush up into the air. 'We'll head in again next week, alright? And you'll dance if I have to dance with you myself.'
Steve laughed at that, a short huff of humor followed by a couple of light coughs. He swiped at his forehead, flattening his part. 'That'll be a sight,' he said, but honestly thought that if there were anyone he'd like to dance with, it'd be Bucky.
Steve and Bucky, rooftops and dancing, crossdressing and porn, and little else.
And then, sometimes, you want to read adorable fic about crossdressing and genderfuckery. Sweet, gorgeous pre-war and wartime era fic with a Bucky who likes to dabble in genderfuckery and a Steve who quite likes the result. A good pre-WS counterpart to dsudis's post-WS era There's My Territory.
With Friends Like These by
prettybirdy979
Wherein Steve hires mild mannered Matt Murdock (and the rest of Nelson and Murdock) to represent Bucky; learns all the good pizza places in Hell's Kitchen; watches Bucky fight about cooking; makes new friends; gets handcuffed by Hydra and meets the Devil in the Murdock boys.
More or less in that order.
My Boyfriend's A Superhero And All I Got Was This Lousy ER Trip by
paperclipbitch
“I walked into a file cabinet,” Murdock says loudly, when Claire reaches for his face, tilts it toward the light so she can check that nasty-looking cut on his cheekbone a little better.
“Oh my God,” Karen murmurs; in her peripheral vision, Claire sees her press her face into her hands.
“I thought we were going to come up with a better-” Nelson begins, visibly stops himself, and continues: “-explanation of that thing that definitely happened.”
It's Four-Leaf Clover Time by
hetrez
The Winter Soldier tries to incept himself into being Bucky Barnes. As a general plan, it goes very badly. As a way to reunite him with Steve Rogers and work out some of their interpersonal conflict, it goes pretty okay.
Living History: a Ten-Part Talk with Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes by
radialarch
Historians.
Rec Of The Week - The Wonder Years of the Greatest Generation by
QuickYoke
Angie manages to cross the pond to England during the last years of the War. But she soon finds that helping with the war effort isn't all that cracked up to be.
My feelings about this series are complicated, but since it finished today, I feel I should talk about it. The first story is wonderful, I fucking love it like pie, and it's one of my favourite Peggy/Angie fics I've read. Top ten, easily. If you like sunshine and adorableness and mechanic Angie and badass Peggy meeting and falling in love in wartime Britain, then read the first fic, absolutely. But after that, the series takes a turn for the seriously dark and weird. The second story I actually actively dislike, I think in the most part because it shocked me after the first fic, and because it opens immediately on some serious hardcore violence and the story doesn't get any easier from there. It has content and plot developments that I maybe would have liked a warning for? I respect the right of an author not to warn, but I nearly stopped reading. Knowing ahead of time that you're venturing into dark places, you might be okay, but I was pretty vulnerable at the time and, IDEK, my head was in a bad place and sudden!darkfic just compounded it. The third fic features a rather awesome encounter with young Natasha against the backdrop of the Cuban missile crisis, but it's also got a dynamic between Dottie and Angie that makes me super uncomfortable because there's a strong overtone of revictimisation re:events of story two, and Dottie kind of revelling in that. The fourth fic, which winds up the series, is rather epically dark. Think Groundhog Day fused with Norse/Asgardian storylines, and you've got an idea where it's at. I mean, darkfic done well is great. This fourth story reminds me a lot of tekye's The Undone Universe, and well, that's pretty damned high praise. tekye's a master of spinning a dark tale in this fandom. But make sure if you're going to read the whole thing, you're ready for darkfic. Otherwise, just read The Scheme of Things and step back. Also, check out this adorable fanart of grumpy officer Peggy and overexcitable engineer Angie by
romans-art, which is comletely SFW and trauma-free.
Sorry for the Repetition by
harcourt
When Tony fails to save Clint from a mission gone bad, there's only one thing to do. Reset the clock and try again.
So he builds a machine that allows him to go back in time in an attempt to change fate...but he fails again and again and suddenly he's not confident anymore. He's terrified that he'll never be able to save his lover.
Rec Of The Week - Prince of the Apple Towns by
kvikindi
Howard Stark: his history told.
I love kvikindi's writing, but even so, I thought 'really? can they make me engaged enough to read 70K about Howard Stark?' an the answer to that is yes, absolutely, yes. Because it's not just about an incredibly young, genius Howard with his mayfly attention span, it's about Peggy and Erskine and everything else. It's a wonderful story that creates such a sense of the emotional climate of war and how it changed those involved in it in a quiet but rofound way, the longer they fought it. But Steve and Peggy and Erskine are just the start - the tale spools out past the Valkyrie and into the New Mexico desert where the scientists resonsible for developing the bomb are based. kvikindi does well at illustrating the scientific remove, the understanding of what they were doing devoid of the emotional impact of what it meant, the realisation of which was something that scientists like Einstein and Oppenheimer talked about afterwards. This section in particular was chilling when balanced against things like John Hersey's Hiroshima (which I reread only recently on the anniversary of the bomb). The post-War times are not compliant with the Agent Carter series canon (being written before it aired, and therefore, created before the humanising canon of the show, which makes it more amazing) but really, that doesn't matter. This is just a spectacular alternate canon, and a damn good tale featuring a character I generally find tedious at best and annoying at worst in fic. kvikindi made Howard someone I empathised with without agreeing with his choices, someone who I cared about, and that takes skill and talent to achieve. So, even if you're not interested in Howard usually, try this story. It's worth it.
Rec Of The Week - to memory now I can't recall by
Etharei
While on a mission storming a HYDRA facility, James Buchanan Barnes touches one of the many strange alien devices collected by the Red Skull. He does this, in fact, twice- in the past, and in the future.
Next thing he knows, Bucky Barnes is opening his eyes in the 21st century, which is full of great gadgets and coffee, and at least includes his old pal Steve. (And, inexplicably, a different Stark.) Meanwhile, the Winter Soldier finds himself in the middle of World War Two, helping Captain America hunt down HYDRA (which is at least familiar), pretending to be Bucky Barnes (which is not), and figuring out the very noisy group of soldiers who call themselves the Howling Commandos.
I've read a few fics where the Winter Soldier and Bucky Barnes pre-Fall get swapped, and this is a particularly good example of that concept, with the added bonus that it's long (102K), well-written and, well, it's Etharei, so it's guaranteed to be well worth the time you spend on it.
Changes (B Side) by
Eligh
Two hundred years ago, a young wizard made a choice that tore his lover from his arms and then started a war with the Red Court vampires. But come hell or high water, Clint's going to fix it--fix Phil--and fuck anyone who gets in his way, including himself. He'll sell his soul for a chance to make it right.
Or: Magic, and a story that happens concurrently with Jim Butcher's Changes.
I found this story accessible as a supernatural AU without having read the fusion canon, so you don't need to know the books but there are extensive spoilers for them.
This entry was originally posted at http://iamshadow.dreamwidth.org/424834.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
No One Here But Me by
nerdwegian
The first letter is short and to the point.
You'll Love Me At Once by
nerdwegian
"Man, you know how to sleep," the man says, directly from Steve's right.
Living It Up by
nerdwegian
Next to him, Clint starts whistling Love In An Elevator.
Sugar by
nerdwegian
"Hi," says the guy standing there, giving Sam a sheepish grin.
Sam blinks. The guy's tiny. Pasty white and twinky as fuck, and pretty much exactly his type, before--well, before.
The Saga of Bucky's Duck by
dsudis
"It's a rubber duck," Steve says. "To keep you company when you're taking a bath."
Operation: Anticupid by
Kryptaria
Just because Clint carries a bow doesn't make him Cupid. But sometimes, even an assassin gets sick of watching the lovesick pining. At that point, it's time to take matters into his own hands. And how could Tony resist helping? He's a helpful sort of guy, after all.
it's a love story (baby just say yes) by
biggrstaffbunch
Steve's not jealous precisely.
[post-Winter Soldier shmoop, where Bucky goes on a date and Steve goes on a mission.]
Assembly Instructions for the Rest of Your Life by
thingswithwings
Curtain fic for rocket scientists. Or, Tony and Rhodey build the Quinjet.
A particle, a wave by
kvikindi
"My father helped defeat the Nazis. He worked on the Manhattan Project."
Rec Of The Week - the blood of the covenant by
Quietbang
Steve has a "thing" for hot water.
Or, Sam Wilson adopts Steve Rogers.
From the summary of this fic, I expected a light-hearted, jokey living-together comedy. What I got was a hauntingly beautiful character study of Steve Rogers - young man, old man, Catholic, unionist, veteran, killer, soldier, and man out of time - through the eyes of his new friend, Sam Wilson. It's a gentle fic in many ways - for all that it's profoundly sad at times, it's told through quiet moments and observations, not though heavy angst or graphic violence. Every time I think I've read every shade a treatment of Steve's character can paint, I find something wonderful and unexpected like this that really satisfies me, and that's what makes reading in this fandom such a joy.
your bones are mine to save (my bones are yours to break) by
biggrstaffbunch
"Come get me if you're gonna fight, Stevie," he says. You try to remember.
stick together and see it through by
torakowalski
There are many places that Phil would rather be than stuck in a HYDRA base with Tony Stark.
Come On Closer by
melonbutterfly
Two weeks ago there had been a break in at the Smithonian. Nothing had been taken except a notebook full of sketches and notes from Steve, and his dogtags.
Steve has just found the dogtags. In a manner of speaking.
On Bucky.
like a still life (captured you) by
biggrstaffbunch
Steve draws, but Bucky doesn't get it. Until he does.
Parallel by
NezumiPi
Set in between The Girl in the Flower Dress and FZZT. Skye tries to explain to Ward why she contacted Miles. The story sounds a little familiar to Ward.
Rec Of The Week - A Date on the Moon by
what_alchemy
Just because someone's name is on your hand doesn't mean it's easy.
Even if soulmate fic is not your thing, I think you should take a chance on this gorgeous, painful Tony/Rhodey story. Soulmate fic is so often about finding that perfect, idealised version of love Disney promises us - something that doesn't exist in the real world. This story is not like that. It's about finding the person you love, that you're meant to be with, according to the name on your hand, but then finding out as life goes on just how hard it can be to live with that person, to stay with them, when they're not just hurting themselves, but they're dragging you down, too. It's about making assertive choices, about doing what needs to be done even when it hurts, and above all, it's about loving someone deeply and devotedly and still choosing a different path. That doesn't mean there isn't room for second (or third, or fourth) chances, it just means that when things go sideways, there's something left to hold on to. So, come for the unique handling of the trope, stay for the bittersweet beauty of the story and the spot-on characterisation and voices so perfect you'll be hearing Cheadle and RDJ the whole time you're reading it.
Rec Of The Week - Speak So We Can Hear Your Heart Beat by
Jaune_Chat
The Avengers are rendered mute by Amora the Enchantress. As a search for a cure grows more and more dim every day, the Avengers have to deal with the reality of learning to communicate with each other in a whole different way. Uncertain if they'll be able to fight again, they enlist the help of their friends, and learn some surprising things about each other as they struggle to hold onto their identities as the World's Greatest Heroes.
Caveat - ASL is a language all its own with a large vocabulary and its own unique syntax and grammar. It takes a lot of time and dedication to become fluent in it, particularly if you're hearing or coming to it late in life and are used to communicating in English and/or verbally/aurally. That said, I love the idea of the Avengers as a whole communicating in sign SO MUCH that I have to rec this anyway, desite the implausibility of them being able to communicate complex thoughts, feelings and actions in sign in an incredibly short space of time. Some of the non-sign strategies and communication methods they devise are pretty fucking awesome, too, as are their efforts to learn how to work as a team without verbal communication to help. Jaune_Chat says in the comments that they have worked with Deaf clients but also worked with people who have English as a second language so they've used a lot of alternate communication in the past, and it shows in those moments, when the characters are thinking outside the box and finding a way that works, however unconventional. Also, I love Pepper, Rhodey and Sam being the B-Team Avengers and want more fic of them kicking arse, yesterday.
His Unspeakable Mercies by
sadrobots
Natasha gestures to his shoulder. “The scars. The stump. Put some art on it.”
“Oh, sure. Great idea. Point me to the magic markers and we’ll make a day of it.”
“Cap the sass, Barnes. I mean like a tattoo.”
Natasha convinces Bucky to cover up his scars with a tattoo, and she has an obnoxiously, offensively perfect artist in mind for the job.
Unquiet by
dsudis
A few hours before dawn Steve woke up already in the process of running to Bucky's room, shield in hand. He hesitated at the closed door, and only then registered that the sound that woke him had been a strangely prolonged shattering of glass.
Open Up the Door That's Shut (We Make Our Own Luck) by
cylobaby27
After coming back from the war, Steve and Bucky open a diner together in Brooklyn. They're scraping by just trying to keep the business and each other together when Tony Stark stumbles through their front door.
Between the Lines by
tawg
Steve Rogers is an up-and-coming comic book artist. Phil Coulson is a comic book writer with one last story to tell. This is a story about fanboys, aborted one night stands, and heroes.
As We Rage, Quietly by
amireal
There are three types of SHIELD Agents. The kind who have a long and respected career but something prompts them to retire before they can no longer function in the real world. The kind who dies in the line of duty, protecting and defending something important. And the kind who simply drift away, slowly swallowed by the machine of SHIELD, eventually becoming nothing more than a ghost, a rumor of an agent that never left, never died, but was just subsumed by work.
Phil Coulson, in his tiredest thoughts, figured he'd be probably be a ghost, just not this way.
Rec Of The Week - The New Friends of James Barnes, Actual Human Being (Plus One Old One) by
supergreak
In which the Winter Soldier makes some new friends, demolishes a lot of Hydra bases, discovers food courts, and finds his way home.
For those who need a bit of mildly cheerful, humourous fic in their life, this story's probably one you want to check out. If you've read a million tagic post-WS fics and just want one that's funny and sassy (like Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail by owlet) then this fic is what you're looking for. Rather than living like a bum for the first few days post-Hydra, this Bucky Barnes gets shit done. He makes friends, kicks arse, discovers food, fashion and the importance of preferred pronouns. Generally, this story is a bit of a fun romp that certainly doesn't take itself seriously and doesn't require you to have your thinking cap on to read and enjoy it.
The Right Partner by
owlmoose
Steve Rogers went down with the Valkyrie and was lost forever-- until Howard Stark found him and brought him home. The year is 1948, and Steve is back, awake in a New York only a little different than the one he remembers: the war is over, the world is recovering, and the SSR is in the process of becoming SHIELD, with Peggy Carter at the helm. Together again, Steve and Peggy rekindle their romance, but there's also a complication: Angie Martinelli, Peggy's roommate, lover, and dearest friend.
On The Cusp by
thebrotherswinchester
Bucky is a rich kid. Steve is his butler. It doesn't stop them from being best friends.
Rec Of The Week - Backcountry Soundtrack by
harcourt
In which Deadpool kidnaps Clint off a battlefield and takes him on a roadtrip. A shooting roadtrip. OK, fine. A shooting people roadtrip. Don't be so cranky about it.
For those who like the chaos of Wade and the failboat that is Clint, this story is for you. harcourt's an excellent writer, and they've hit the high notes with characterisation, dialogue and the dizzy, disorienting whirl of the roadtrip itself. Don't be scared of the cover-all-bases tagging - this is, at heart, a funny, ridiculous and surreal fic, not a miserable torture-fest. It's silly and it's cracky and it'll make you smile. Read if you like owlet's Infinite Coffee and Protection Detail or neveralarch's Life of Crime.
Rec Of The Week - My Best Girl by
bob-genghis-khan
'Tell you what,' Bucky said, his arm coming out to push Steve gently further into the sidewalk as a car trundled past, spraying some of the icy slush up into the air. 'We'll head in again next week, alright? And you'll dance if I have to dance with you myself.'
Steve laughed at that, a short huff of humor followed by a couple of light coughs. He swiped at his forehead, flattening his part. 'That'll be a sight,' he said, but honestly thought that if there were anyone he'd like to dance with, it'd be Bucky.
Steve and Bucky, rooftops and dancing, crossdressing and porn, and little else.
And then, sometimes, you want to read adorable fic about crossdressing and genderfuckery. Sweet, gorgeous pre-war and wartime era fic with a Bucky who likes to dabble in genderfuckery and a Steve who quite likes the result. A good pre-WS counterpart to dsudis's post-WS era There's My Territory.
With Friends Like These by
prettybirdy979
Wherein Steve hires mild mannered Matt Murdock (and the rest of Nelson and Murdock) to represent Bucky; learns all the good pizza places in Hell's Kitchen; watches Bucky fight about cooking; makes new friends; gets handcuffed by Hydra and meets the Devil in the Murdock boys.
More or less in that order.
My Boyfriend's A Superhero And All I Got Was This Lousy ER Trip by
paperclipbitch
“I walked into a file cabinet,” Murdock says loudly, when Claire reaches for his face, tilts it toward the light so she can check that nasty-looking cut on his cheekbone a little better.
“Oh my God,” Karen murmurs; in her peripheral vision, Claire sees her press her face into her hands.
“I thought we were going to come up with a better-” Nelson begins, visibly stops himself, and continues: “-explanation of that thing that definitely happened.”
It's Four-Leaf Clover Time by
hetrez
The Winter Soldier tries to incept himself into being Bucky Barnes. As a general plan, it goes very badly. As a way to reunite him with Steve Rogers and work out some of their interpersonal conflict, it goes pretty okay.
Living History: a Ten-Part Talk with Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes by
radialarch
Historians.
Rec Of The Week - The Wonder Years of the Greatest Generation by
QuickYoke
Angie manages to cross the pond to England during the last years of the War. But she soon finds that helping with the war effort isn't all that cracked up to be.
My feelings about this series are complicated, but since it finished today, I feel I should talk about it. The first story is wonderful, I fucking love it like pie, and it's one of my favourite Peggy/Angie fics I've read. Top ten, easily. If you like sunshine and adorableness and mechanic Angie and badass Peggy meeting and falling in love in wartime Britain, then read the first fic, absolutely. But after that, the series takes a turn for the seriously dark and weird. The second story I actually actively dislike, I think in the most part because it shocked me after the first fic, and because it opens immediately on some serious hardcore violence and the story doesn't get any easier from there. It has content and plot developments that I maybe would have liked a warning for? I respect the right of an author not to warn, but I nearly stopped reading. Knowing ahead of time that you're venturing into dark places, you might be okay, but I was pretty vulnerable at the time and, IDEK, my head was in a bad place and sudden!darkfic just compounded it. The third fic features a rather awesome encounter with young Natasha against the backdrop of the Cuban missile crisis, but it's also got a dynamic between Dottie and Angie that makes me super uncomfortable because there's a strong overtone of revictimisation re:events of story two, and Dottie kind of revelling in that. The fourth fic, which winds up the series, is rather epically dark. Think Groundhog Day fused with Norse/Asgardian storylines, and you've got an idea where it's at. I mean, darkfic done well is great. This fourth story reminds me a lot of tekye's The Undone Universe, and well, that's pretty damned high praise. tekye's a master of spinning a dark tale in this fandom. But make sure if you're going to read the whole thing, you're ready for darkfic. Otherwise, just read The Scheme of Things and step back. Also, check out this adorable fanart of grumpy officer Peggy and overexcitable engineer Angie by
romans-art, which is comletely SFW and trauma-free.
Sorry for the Repetition by
harcourt
When Tony fails to save Clint from a mission gone bad, there's only one thing to do. Reset the clock and try again.
So he builds a machine that allows him to go back in time in an attempt to change fate...but he fails again and again and suddenly he's not confident anymore. He's terrified that he'll never be able to save his lover.
Rec Of The Week - Prince of the Apple Towns by
kvikindi
Howard Stark: his history told.
I love kvikindi's writing, but even so, I thought 'really? can they make me engaged enough to read 70K about Howard Stark?' an the answer to that is yes, absolutely, yes. Because it's not just about an incredibly young, genius Howard with his mayfly attention span, it's about Peggy and Erskine and everything else. It's a wonderful story that creates such a sense of the emotional climate of war and how it changed those involved in it in a quiet but rofound way, the longer they fought it. But Steve and Peggy and Erskine are just the start - the tale spools out past the Valkyrie and into the New Mexico desert where the scientists resonsible for developing the bomb are based. kvikindi does well at illustrating the scientific remove, the understanding of what they were doing devoid of the emotional impact of what it meant, the realisation of which was something that scientists like Einstein and Oppenheimer talked about afterwards. This section in particular was chilling when balanced against things like John Hersey's Hiroshima (which I reread only recently on the anniversary of the bomb). The post-War times are not compliant with the Agent Carter series canon (being written before it aired, and therefore, created before the humanising canon of the show, which makes it more amazing) but really, that doesn't matter. This is just a spectacular alternate canon, and a damn good tale featuring a character I generally find tedious at best and annoying at worst in fic. kvikindi made Howard someone I empathised with without agreeing with his choices, someone who I cared about, and that takes skill and talent to achieve. So, even if you're not interested in Howard usually, try this story. It's worth it.
Rec Of The Week - to memory now I can't recall by
Etharei
While on a mission storming a HYDRA facility, James Buchanan Barnes touches one of the many strange alien devices collected by the Red Skull. He does this, in fact, twice- in the past, and in the future.
Next thing he knows, Bucky Barnes is opening his eyes in the 21st century, which is full of great gadgets and coffee, and at least includes his old pal Steve. (And, inexplicably, a different Stark.) Meanwhile, the Winter Soldier finds himself in the middle of World War Two, helping Captain America hunt down HYDRA (which is at least familiar), pretending to be Bucky Barnes (which is not), and figuring out the very noisy group of soldiers who call themselves the Howling Commandos.
I've read a few fics where the Winter Soldier and Bucky Barnes pre-Fall get swapped, and this is a particularly good example of that concept, with the added bonus that it's long (102K), well-written and, well, it's Etharei, so it's guaranteed to be well worth the time you spend on it.
Changes (B Side) by
Eligh
Two hundred years ago, a young wizard made a choice that tore his lover from his arms and then started a war with the Red Court vampires. But come hell or high water, Clint's going to fix it--fix Phil--and fuck anyone who gets in his way, including himself. He'll sell his soul for a chance to make it right.
Or: Magic, and a story that happens concurrently with Jim Butcher's Changes.
I found this story accessible as a supernatural AU without having read the fusion canon, so you don't need to know the books but there are extensive spoilers for them.
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