October recs
the end of all things (an the start of some) by 
dirtybinary
Bucky saves Steve from drowning in the Potomac. Steve relives the rescue over and over again, in dreams and flashbacks and fantasy.
Rec Of The Week - Bucky Barnes and the Case of "Everyone I Know is Way Cooler than I am" by
RedBlazer
Polite, doesn’t know how to use a computer, tucks his shirt into his pants, and has exquisite hygiene. Bucky doesn’t know where this guy came from, but it sure as hell wasn’t Brooklyn.
I am a librarian at heart, and this AU where Bucky is a 21st century guy working as a librarian and Steve is still the 1940s man out of time trying to catch up with the last seventy years is everything I could have wished for. It's the best kind of blend of meet-cute, AU and comedy. The first story is is long, lovely and complete and the title is a canon Steve line but also a library pun (oh my heart!) and the sequel is starting to be posted. Come for the delightful geekiness, stay for the warm fuzzies this verse will give you. Read if you like canon divergent AUs, different first meeting AUs and unashamed nerdery.
Leave Me On The Mountain by
perfect_plan
Bucky is certain that he's about to die, cold and lost in this mountain forest. But just as he thinks that the wolves have him, someone finds him and takes him in.
Rec Of The Week - Forest Fire by
KayleeFrye
Like impressionistic paintings, he says helpfully, offers the metaphor like a prayer, something familiar they might grab hold of.
So you can see, they say, and Matt sighs.
And people say autistics take things too literally.
I'm a massive fan of autistic head canons, and this fic combines that beautifully with Matt Murdock as we see him in the canon. Matt's sensory issues and volatile temper in particular are shown from an autistic viewpoint, and it all just works so well. The intersection between Matt's blindness and his autism is believable and insightful into Matt's reality and viewpoint on the world and the people around him. And don't think that this is a niche fic with interest value only for people who want to read about autism - it's well written and engaging and a gift to the fandom, whether you seek out autistic characters and plots or whether this is your first time reading one. Read if you like character studies, neurodiversity done right and intersectionality of disabilities.
Rec Of The Week - He hit the heights at breakneck speed by
pentapus and
pollyrepeat
In which Natasha gives the thumbs-up to Tony Stark and the Iron Man suit, the Avengers Initiative starts a little differently, and Tony finds himself spending a lot of time with assassins and/or spies.
I adore canon divergent AUs, and this fic takes a great, simple premise - Natasha saying 'yes' rather than 'not recommended' to Tony's presence on the Avengers - and spins a fun alternate universe where Tony's on board from that moment, doing missions with SHIELD and bonding with Natasha, Clint and Coulson. It's delightful and different and has some adorable art to boot. Check it out if you love funny alternate origins of how the team became a team.
i'm a man with a mission in two or three editions by
paperclipbitch
It’s always fun to watch Natasha putting new people through the shredder.
[Clint shuffles his various families around after Age of Ultron.]
help me how by
neverdanced
Opening the door, Bucky pulls the little robot forward. It’s kind of cute, he’s gotta admit. Not to mention, pretty damn awesome. No matter what he’d said, robots are incredibly cool. Especially the ones Stark’s got.
Or: Tony gives Bucky a robot (and it isn't a babysitter, no matter what Bucky thinks)
Speyeria Cybele by
prettybirdy979
Matthew's not the first Murdock to tell Father Lantom he had the Devil in him. Only Jack's Devil was nothing like the one Matthew sees in himself.
Jack's Devil was magic. Literally.
(Or a history of Father Lantom's relationship with magic, the Devil and the Murdock boys)
Rec Of The Week - Reciprocity by
osprey_archer
Bucky's years as the Winter Soldier have stunted his empathy so badly that Steve's not sure Bucky is capable of emotional connection anymore. But Steve keeps trying anyway, and Bucky is happy to take advantage of that.
I'm pretty certain I've recced this before, but the main series was declared complete today, so if you've been holding off, you should dive in now! Read if you like stories with Bucky struggling to relearn how to be a person, and ones where New SHIELD is... not so different from old SHIELD, like Sing Me The Alphabet. Also, check out connected content at Reciprocity Extras.
Rec Of The Week - Rabbit Punch by
Sholio
In which Jack Thompson learns a very valuable lesson: don't mess with Sousa
One of the things I like best about Sousa is that he's a disabled character who has learnt to fight with his disability. He's fast and he's competant, and he uses his crutch as a weapon as much as his body. Sholio's written a fic that showcases this, and highlights just how Sousa makes his body work for him. It's powerful and clever and incredibly satisfying. Be aware that this fic contains ableist language and attitudes that are not included in the content tags.
Something Dumb to Do by
poisonivory
If Matt and Foggy get married, Foggy will never be forced to testify against Daredevil. It doesn't mean anything has to change, right?
Time and Tide by
togina
Sarah Rogers smiled, and ran her thin fingers through Bucky’s perfect hair. Bucky stilled, and Steve had the feeling that no one tended to touch the Barnes children besides each other. “The sea is never fair, lad,” she said, sad but certain, and Bucky swallowed hard and looked away. “But she takes what’s hers, in the end.”
Rec Of The Week - Take Me To Church by
neversaydie
Steve Rogers is a struggling artist. It's not as romantic as it sounds.
What Steve really wants is a job as a session musician. He can play enough instruments that he could make a decent amount of money doing it, but in New York there are just too many talented musicians and not enough jobs to go around. So he takes jobs in hipster bars, hotel lobbies, at weddings and bar mitzvahs and office parties.
If he gets one more request for Let it Go, he swears he'll find it within himself to punch a child.
He lives in a tiny, shitty apartment with Sam, who was his sort-of-boyfriend for a few weeks until he decided Steve's very domestic relationship goals weren't for him. They're still pretty much best friends, luckily for Steve, because when the regular pianist at Sam's dance company runs away to Canada he's recommended his roommate and got him the job before Steve even knows about it.
Dancers. Steve's going to have to spend his days with dancers. Great.
Whump and angst done right is a wonderful thing, and this complete AU is long, heartbreaking and captivating. Despite the teaser focussing on Steve, this story is primarily a fic focussed on Bucky - Bucky the prinicpal dancer, Bucky the bulemic, Bucky the survivor of deliberate and sadistic parental abuse that has made him the person, and the dancer, that he is. He's a mess of issues, talent and self-sacrificing drive, a runaway train setting up to crash, again and again and again. And yet this doesn't feel like a story that glories in the pain, rather, it's like one that the author set out to write to document just how diabolical the cycles of self-harm and self-esteem can be when your worst enemy is your own brain. Hardcore warnings for eating disorders, unhealthy coping methods, and all the headspace issues that come with serious family abuse - but it's worth it.
Workplace Hazards by
AggressiveWhenStartled
Today, Peter was honest-to-god going to see Captain America himself up close, in person, and not from a rooftop or tiny crevice like a creepy stalker fanboy.
Even better, he was going to watch Steve Rogers make history by soldiering his beleaguered way through the most intensely awkward and honestly ridiculous press conference in the history of ever-- jaw thrust out and spine ramrod straight. Trying hard to be polite and respectful in the face of adversity.
While a bunch of assholes with cameras and microphones shouted at him about Iron Man’s adolescent dick.
A Piece of Silly Affectation by
Reccea
Steve looked good, He looked hale and hearty and uninjured in his leather jacket, too-tight shirt, and jeans. He got off the motorcycle and his movements were graceful and fluid - no obvious signs of injury. He took off his helmet and --
Oh.
Steve had a beard.
Bucky’s mechanical hand spasmed oddly.
Rec Of The Week - Coulson Lives, but the Avengers might be the death of him by
NiennaNir
There's angst, and the humor's bad, sometimes it's the good kind of bad. There's also science.
Most of the science is bad. Worse than the humor.
None of this is actually real, except for the parts that are.
Like the kaiju, the kaiju is totally real.
These are related stories in which Coulson is a BAMF, Natasha has a twisted sense of humor, Steve struggles to grasp the 21st century and Tony buys things.
While the whole series is pretty good, my particular favourite is The Turing Test, but if you read it alone, you'll miss context as it intersects with most stories in the series, particularly the longer ones. So, read your way through the lot and enjoy the wonderful that is The Turing Test very last. Read if you like teamfic where they live together, ladies kicking arse, lovely nuanced JARVIS characterisation, AI-human relationships, and great female OCs of colour like Lucy Piero in scifigrl47's Far Better Things Ahead and Tales of the Bots.
Nice Guys Finish Last (unless you're Steve Rogers) by
roe87
Bucky said, “I think he’s too nice for me.”
“Barnes,” Natasha sighed, “are you really trying to talk yourself out of dating Steve?”
“Well, I… don’t think we’d be compatible.”
“How do you know that?”
“Cause he’s all… he… y’know…”
He’s too good for me.
Or:
Bucky Barnes finally realises that bad boys are no good, so he ditches them and dates the nice guy instead.
Apes Debemus Imitari (We Should Imitate The Bees) by
buckysbees
Steve operates a fruit & veg stand at a farmer's market. Bucky keeps bees and has started up a honey shop just opposite. They're failing to get along. Steve gets along a lot better with the anonymous friend he's been writing letters to. In fact, he's rapidly falling for him.
Off The Record by
Brenda
"This is a serious coup, James. Steve Rogers has never sat down with a member of the press and given an interview. Ever. Do you know how rare that is for the fourth-string star on a cable reality show, much less the biggest movie star in the world?"
Celebrity/Journalist AU
Take It From Me by
castiowl
After a disastrous break up with Brock, Steve is looking to drown his feelings at a bar. Instead, he finds a rakish stranger and decides to take him home. It’s a no-strings-attached, one-night stand, a way to forget all the shitty things Brock made him feel. The stranger is leaving the country, anyway, so Steve may as well take advantage of the opportunity for anonymous rebound sex. Steve’ll never see him again, right?
A lot can change in three years.
Cough Syrup by
castiowl
Two weeks into his first semester of college, Steve gets sick. Which is fine, really, except he can't buy himself Nyquil because he's not 18 yet. So he enlists the help of a handsome RA.
Laughs in Flowers by
castiowl
It’s gotta be some kind of cosmic joke that the guy most likely to be allergic to air gets stuck over a damn flower shop.
(From the AU prompt: I rented the apartment above your flower shop and in the last two months you’ve gotten a new flower I’m allergic to, so I keep buying bouquets until I can figure out which kind it is.)
Possibly, Maybe by
castiowl
Bucky is apartment-sitting for Natasha when he meets Steve. They spend the next four weeks embarrassing themselves.
just say you do by
biblionerd07
Steve just wanted a job. He wasn't expecting a marriage proposal. And he certainly wasn't expecting to accept.
Upload Your Video by
Poe
It's Youtube Match Making Month and big name Youtubers have been matched based on location and interests, and assigned the task of making videos for one another. At least two videos a week, for a month, for a complete stranger. No other communication is allowed. When Steve and Bucky are matched, will it be a disaster waiting to happen?
Friday I'm in Love by
sadrobots
barefootbucky: heyyy! sorry it took me so long to reply. hope you got the last few postcards i sent. ok so i’m in istanbul now and there’s a dirt cheap direct flight to dc. thinkin about stopping by for a bit. mind if i crash with you? the road is great and all but i think i need some time to recoup.
Bucky finally comes home.
you can write it on your arm by
luninosity
In a bookstore in D.C., Steve Rogers is signing copies for fans. Bucky Barnes comes to find him.
earn your keep by
sevenfoxes
Not many dames who’d find tagging along with two lawless men a fruitful venture. But then again, Peggy’s not most dames. And they’re not most lawless men.
This entry was originally posted at http://iamshadow.dreamwidth.org/425841.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
dirtybinary
Bucky saves Steve from drowning in the Potomac. Steve relives the rescue over and over again, in dreams and flashbacks and fantasy.
Rec Of The Week - Bucky Barnes and the Case of "Everyone I Know is Way Cooler than I am" by
RedBlazer
Polite, doesn’t know how to use a computer, tucks his shirt into his pants, and has exquisite hygiene. Bucky doesn’t know where this guy came from, but it sure as hell wasn’t Brooklyn.
I am a librarian at heart, and this AU where Bucky is a 21st century guy working as a librarian and Steve is still the 1940s man out of time trying to catch up with the last seventy years is everything I could have wished for. It's the best kind of blend of meet-cute, AU and comedy. The first story is is long, lovely and complete and the title is a canon Steve line but also a library pun (oh my heart!) and the sequel is starting to be posted. Come for the delightful geekiness, stay for the warm fuzzies this verse will give you. Read if you like canon divergent AUs, different first meeting AUs and unashamed nerdery.
Leave Me On The Mountain by
perfect_plan
Bucky is certain that he's about to die, cold and lost in this mountain forest. But just as he thinks that the wolves have him, someone finds him and takes him in.
Rec Of The Week - Forest Fire by
KayleeFrye
Like impressionistic paintings, he says helpfully, offers the metaphor like a prayer, something familiar they might grab hold of.
So you can see, they say, and Matt sighs.
And people say autistics take things too literally.
I'm a massive fan of autistic head canons, and this fic combines that beautifully with Matt Murdock as we see him in the canon. Matt's sensory issues and volatile temper in particular are shown from an autistic viewpoint, and it all just works so well. The intersection between Matt's blindness and his autism is believable and insightful into Matt's reality and viewpoint on the world and the people around him. And don't think that this is a niche fic with interest value only for people who want to read about autism - it's well written and engaging and a gift to the fandom, whether you seek out autistic characters and plots or whether this is your first time reading one. Read if you like character studies, neurodiversity done right and intersectionality of disabilities.
Rec Of The Week - He hit the heights at breakneck speed by
pentapus and
pollyrepeat
In which Natasha gives the thumbs-up to Tony Stark and the Iron Man suit, the Avengers Initiative starts a little differently, and Tony finds himself spending a lot of time with assassins and/or spies.
I adore canon divergent AUs, and this fic takes a great, simple premise - Natasha saying 'yes' rather than 'not recommended' to Tony's presence on the Avengers - and spins a fun alternate universe where Tony's on board from that moment, doing missions with SHIELD and bonding with Natasha, Clint and Coulson. It's delightful and different and has some adorable art to boot. Check it out if you love funny alternate origins of how the team became a team.
i'm a man with a mission in two or three editions by
paperclipbitch
It’s always fun to watch Natasha putting new people through the shredder.
[Clint shuffles his various families around after Age of Ultron.]
help me how by
neverdanced
Opening the door, Bucky pulls the little robot forward. It’s kind of cute, he’s gotta admit. Not to mention, pretty damn awesome. No matter what he’d said, robots are incredibly cool. Especially the ones Stark’s got.
Or: Tony gives Bucky a robot (and it isn't a babysitter, no matter what Bucky thinks)
Speyeria Cybele by
prettybirdy979
Matthew's not the first Murdock to tell Father Lantom he had the Devil in him. Only Jack's Devil was nothing like the one Matthew sees in himself.
Jack's Devil was magic. Literally.
(Or a history of Father Lantom's relationship with magic, the Devil and the Murdock boys)
Rec Of The Week - Reciprocity by
osprey_archer
Bucky's years as the Winter Soldier have stunted his empathy so badly that Steve's not sure Bucky is capable of emotional connection anymore. But Steve keeps trying anyway, and Bucky is happy to take advantage of that.
I'm pretty certain I've recced this before, but the main series was declared complete today, so if you've been holding off, you should dive in now! Read if you like stories with Bucky struggling to relearn how to be a person, and ones where New SHIELD is... not so different from old SHIELD, like Sing Me The Alphabet. Also, check out connected content at Reciprocity Extras.
Rec Of The Week - Rabbit Punch by
Sholio
In which Jack Thompson learns a very valuable lesson: don't mess with Sousa
One of the things I like best about Sousa is that he's a disabled character who has learnt to fight with his disability. He's fast and he's competant, and he uses his crutch as a weapon as much as his body. Sholio's written a fic that showcases this, and highlights just how Sousa makes his body work for him. It's powerful and clever and incredibly satisfying. Be aware that this fic contains ableist language and attitudes that are not included in the content tags.
Something Dumb to Do by
poisonivory
If Matt and Foggy get married, Foggy will never be forced to testify against Daredevil. It doesn't mean anything has to change, right?
Time and Tide by
togina
Sarah Rogers smiled, and ran her thin fingers through Bucky’s perfect hair. Bucky stilled, and Steve had the feeling that no one tended to touch the Barnes children besides each other. “The sea is never fair, lad,” she said, sad but certain, and Bucky swallowed hard and looked away. “But she takes what’s hers, in the end.”
Rec Of The Week - Take Me To Church by
neversaydie
Steve Rogers is a struggling artist. It's not as romantic as it sounds.
What Steve really wants is a job as a session musician. He can play enough instruments that he could make a decent amount of money doing it, but in New York there are just too many talented musicians and not enough jobs to go around. So he takes jobs in hipster bars, hotel lobbies, at weddings and bar mitzvahs and office parties.
If he gets one more request for Let it Go, he swears he'll find it within himself to punch a child.
He lives in a tiny, shitty apartment with Sam, who was his sort-of-boyfriend for a few weeks until he decided Steve's very domestic relationship goals weren't for him. They're still pretty much best friends, luckily for Steve, because when the regular pianist at Sam's dance company runs away to Canada he's recommended his roommate and got him the job before Steve even knows about it.
Dancers. Steve's going to have to spend his days with dancers. Great.
Whump and angst done right is a wonderful thing, and this complete AU is long, heartbreaking and captivating. Despite the teaser focussing on Steve, this story is primarily a fic focussed on Bucky - Bucky the prinicpal dancer, Bucky the bulemic, Bucky the survivor of deliberate and sadistic parental abuse that has made him the person, and the dancer, that he is. He's a mess of issues, talent and self-sacrificing drive, a runaway train setting up to crash, again and again and again. And yet this doesn't feel like a story that glories in the pain, rather, it's like one that the author set out to write to document just how diabolical the cycles of self-harm and self-esteem can be when your worst enemy is your own brain. Hardcore warnings for eating disorders, unhealthy coping methods, and all the headspace issues that come with serious family abuse - but it's worth it.
Workplace Hazards by
AggressiveWhenStartled
Today, Peter was honest-to-god going to see Captain America himself up close, in person, and not from a rooftop or tiny crevice like a creepy stalker fanboy.
Even better, he was going to watch Steve Rogers make history by soldiering his beleaguered way through the most intensely awkward and honestly ridiculous press conference in the history of ever-- jaw thrust out and spine ramrod straight. Trying hard to be polite and respectful in the face of adversity.
While a bunch of assholes with cameras and microphones shouted at him about Iron Man’s adolescent dick.
A Piece of Silly Affectation by
Reccea
Steve looked good, He looked hale and hearty and uninjured in his leather jacket, too-tight shirt, and jeans. He got off the motorcycle and his movements were graceful and fluid - no obvious signs of injury. He took off his helmet and --
Oh.
Steve had a beard.
Bucky’s mechanical hand spasmed oddly.
Rec Of The Week - Coulson Lives, but the Avengers might be the death of him by
NiennaNir
There's angst, and the humor's bad, sometimes it's the good kind of bad. There's also science.
Most of the science is bad. Worse than the humor.
None of this is actually real, except for the parts that are.
Like the kaiju, the kaiju is totally real.
These are related stories in which Coulson is a BAMF, Natasha has a twisted sense of humor, Steve struggles to grasp the 21st century and Tony buys things.
While the whole series is pretty good, my particular favourite is The Turing Test, but if you read it alone, you'll miss context as it intersects with most stories in the series, particularly the longer ones. So, read your way through the lot and enjoy the wonderful that is The Turing Test very last. Read if you like teamfic where they live together, ladies kicking arse, lovely nuanced JARVIS characterisation, AI-human relationships, and great female OCs of colour like Lucy Piero in scifigrl47's Far Better Things Ahead and Tales of the Bots.
Nice Guys Finish Last (unless you're Steve Rogers) by
roe87
Bucky said, “I think he’s too nice for me.”
“Barnes,” Natasha sighed, “are you really trying to talk yourself out of dating Steve?”
“Well, I… don’t think we’d be compatible.”
“How do you know that?”
“Cause he’s all… he… y’know…”
He’s too good for me.
Or:
Bucky Barnes finally realises that bad boys are no good, so he ditches them and dates the nice guy instead.
Apes Debemus Imitari (We Should Imitate The Bees) by
buckysbees
Steve operates a fruit & veg stand at a farmer's market. Bucky keeps bees and has started up a honey shop just opposite. They're failing to get along. Steve gets along a lot better with the anonymous friend he's been writing letters to. In fact, he's rapidly falling for him.
Off The Record by
Brenda
"This is a serious coup, James. Steve Rogers has never sat down with a member of the press and given an interview. Ever. Do you know how rare that is for the fourth-string star on a cable reality show, much less the biggest movie star in the world?"
Celebrity/Journalist AU
Take It From Me by
castiowl
After a disastrous break up with Brock, Steve is looking to drown his feelings at a bar. Instead, he finds a rakish stranger and decides to take him home. It’s a no-strings-attached, one-night stand, a way to forget all the shitty things Brock made him feel. The stranger is leaving the country, anyway, so Steve may as well take advantage of the opportunity for anonymous rebound sex. Steve’ll never see him again, right?
A lot can change in three years.
Cough Syrup by
castiowl
Two weeks into his first semester of college, Steve gets sick. Which is fine, really, except he can't buy himself Nyquil because he's not 18 yet. So he enlists the help of a handsome RA.
Laughs in Flowers by
castiowl
It’s gotta be some kind of cosmic joke that the guy most likely to be allergic to air gets stuck over a damn flower shop.
(From the AU prompt: I rented the apartment above your flower shop and in the last two months you’ve gotten a new flower I’m allergic to, so I keep buying bouquets until I can figure out which kind it is.)
Possibly, Maybe by
castiowl
Bucky is apartment-sitting for Natasha when he meets Steve. They spend the next four weeks embarrassing themselves.
just say you do by
biblionerd07
Steve just wanted a job. He wasn't expecting a marriage proposal. And he certainly wasn't expecting to accept.
Upload Your Video by
Poe
It's Youtube Match Making Month and big name Youtubers have been matched based on location and interests, and assigned the task of making videos for one another. At least two videos a week, for a month, for a complete stranger. No other communication is allowed. When Steve and Bucky are matched, will it be a disaster waiting to happen?
Friday I'm in Love by
sadrobots
barefootbucky: heyyy! sorry it took me so long to reply. hope you got the last few postcards i sent. ok so i’m in istanbul now and there’s a dirt cheap direct flight to dc. thinkin about stopping by for a bit. mind if i crash with you? the road is great and all but i think i need some time to recoup.
Bucky finally comes home.
you can write it on your arm by
luninosity
In a bookstore in D.C., Steve Rogers is signing copies for fans. Bucky Barnes comes to find him.
earn your keep by
sevenfoxes
Not many dames who’d find tagging along with two lawless men a fruitful venture. But then again, Peggy’s not most dames. And they’re not most lawless men.
This entry was originally posted at http://iamshadow.dreamwidth.org/425841.html. Please comment there using OpenID.