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voylitscope · 8 months

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Stucky Recs: Back To School

It's September, and that felt like the very most appropriate time for a back-to-school-themed rec post.

So: A rec post of 11, very seasonally appropriate, high school/college Stucky AUs.

Note: As part of my personal campaign to combat the persistent idea that every great fic in this fandom was written in 2015, I'm now marking recs of fics written post-2016 and recs of fics written post-Endgame.

🎓 The Daily Rogers | Nonymos | Explicit | 32,154 words | College

We have a (surprisingly?) large number of fics in this fandom that use tumblr as a decently central plot point. Of all of them, I feel like this one is probably the most well-known. (Unless it's this one?) This fic, featuring a defenses-way-up skinny Steve and a very sweet, but also very assertive, Bucky, is super memorable, and so incredibly well done. It's somewhat of a meet-ugly, or, honestly, a first-several-encounters-ugly, and I love the way their relationship develops from there over the course of the story. I also love what that relationship turns into once they're together. Plus, the place this story gets them— both as individuals and in their relationship — before it ends is a satisfying and beautifully done one.

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“She’s not my girlfriend,” Steve mumbled, handing him the phone back. “She, uh, she’s the one who drove me to the hospital when Rumlow broke my arm that first time. She’s a bit protective now.” Bucky stared at him. Steve—and when had Bucky started to think of him as Steve?—looked fucking adorable in Bucky’s hoodie, with his stupid glasses and his pink lips. He’d also left Bucky’s bed completely covered in blood and dirt after attempting to fight a guy twice his size. Who’d broken his arm before and threatened to do it again. “I think I understand a bit better why they made a whole Tumblr about you,” Bucky said. Steve bristled all over again. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Bucky looked heavenwards. “Somethin’ nice, Rogers.” Steve looked—well, he looked puzzled. Like he didn’t know what to do with that.

Look, sometimes, you want to read angst. Intense emotions. Canon. Canon divergence. Sometimes, you want to cry about these boys. But then there are times that your heart needs to read about them just being all happy and painfully cute about each other — just being wide-eyed teenagers with wide-eyed feelings about each other. My heart does, anyway. This fic is perfect for that. So sweet, so lovely. A fic that left me smiling and thinking about the two of them on a blanket under the stars.

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Steve thinks he’s going to die. He wants nothing more than to say yes. To the holding down, that is. But he cannot find his voice at all. He looks up into Bucky’s eyes. It’s dark, but the moon and the stars in the sky already provide enough light to see those eyes sparkle. They’re so close now, almost breathing the same air. Forget stars, forget meteor showers. Steve wants to drown in those grey blue eyes, and he’s barely holding his head above water as it is, judging from how hard it feels to breathe.

All of the rom-com AUs forever for these two, please. This is such an engrossing and immersive fic. That's something I really enjoy about college AUs, and that works so well in this particular fic —the way that, because actual college campuses are often their own little world, the world's of college AUs can be these really tight little realities with their own specific sort of pacing and consequences. I love that, and I love it in this fic — it's so beautifully done, and it's such a great read, too, I think, because the original rom-com is both high school set and limited to being movie length/tied to Hollywood standards. There is so much more depth and additional story here, while still having that really fun element of being an AU loosely based on a film. So enjoyable, and such a satisfying read.

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“You do this often?” he asks, keeping his voice quiet to preserve the stillness around them. “Lay on the ground and play dead?” “Yeah,” Steve quirks a smile. “It was the second trick I learned after fetch.” Despite himself, that makes Bucky grin. “You always have an answer for everything huh?” he says. That makes Steve sigh a little, his shoulders droop enough that it’s only then that they both notice they had been hunched close to his ears. “Yeah,” he says. “Character flaw.” “One man’s character flaw is another man’s personality trait,” Bucky says. He stretches his legs out in front of him, props himself up on his palms behind him. “Pretty sure a personality trait can also be a character flaw, but I appreciate the sentiment,” Steve says with a half-smile.

I sometimes debate whether I should go with including fics on these rec posts that fall heavy on the porn side of a porn-to-plot ratio, solely because, at a certain point, smut-heavy fics feel like their own thing that should go in their own post. But! That said, this fic, although it does fall pretty heavy on the porn side of the porn-to-plot-ratio is very, very solidly a college fic. It also does have a really fun plot, and I really, so much, enjoy that it features a Steve POV that is an absolute, just total and complete disaster about Bucky. Also! This fic has vibes and aesthetics that I quite appreciate.

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Steve grins like an absolute buffoon when he sees him, frozen in place like he's rooted there. Bucky glances around, gaze settling on Steve. The expression that spreads across his face in response to the realization that Steve is in fact there waiting for him is incandescent; Bucky actually brightens like maybe he wasn't expecting Steve to show. He draws his shoulders up and walks to Steve. When he reaches him, Bucky reaches out and grabs him by the front of his hoodie, pulling him into a kiss. Steve goes with a muffled squeak, ducking down to meet the firm press of lips. For a second, Steve doesn't know what to do with his hands, hovering just above Bucky's hips as he grasps tightly at Steve's shirt. Just as Steve's knees go weak and fireworks start to go off behind his eyes, Bucky pulls away, blinking at him with big, sultry eyes. "Hey, pal. You're very punctual. You ready?"

So, here's a thing about me: I really like it when fics emphasize that Steve and Bucky are meant for each other. That's it always them, In all universes. It's a thing I'm big into for these two. And this is why I enjoy so much when a fic pulls off the thing where there is some sort of doubled get-together or double feelings build. Like, ID porn fics can do this sometimes — falling for each other two different ways at once — as can fics like this one — a fic about Steve and Bucky both ignoring Nat's insistence that she knows the perfect guy for them and instead going out to a bar and meeting a total stranger. A total stranger they fall for basically on sight. A total stranger who, as it turns out, is that exact guy Nat meant the whole time. — Yeah. That's a premise I really enjoy. This is a fic I really, really enjoy. A total delight.

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“Now I’ve got some ridiculously low resting heart rate,” Steve said, tipping his head sideways towards his wrist. Taking the hint, Bucky pressed his fingers to the pulse point below the base of Steve’s thumb. Maybe he did have a low resting heart rate, but if he did, Steve was not currently at rest. It made Bucky feel a little better, knowing that for some reason – Bucky? – Steve’s heart was racing. “Do you want to, um,” Steve started. When he paused, unsure, he touched his tongue to his bottom lip before chewing on it and something in Bucky’s body short-circuited. He just hoped it wasn’t the actual mechanical hardware attached to his left side, because that would be ill-timed. “Go home with you?” he suggested quietly. “Yeah,” Steve said. “That.”

🎓What a Wonderful World This Would Be | Mambo | Teen | 28,723 words | College

You know how sometimes you read a fic and you find yourself literally making embarrassing sorts of noises out loud about it? And also feel yourself making ridiculous faces at your screen in response to it? Right, that was me reading this fic. Featuring an art major Steve who is completely convinced Fraternity Bucky is going to be some total jerk of a guy when they're paired as project partners — until they have all of one conversation and Bucky is ... you know, sweet, friendly, smart, charming, and generally Bucky-like. So then Steve spends thousands and thousands of words falling hard for Bucky while also being super confused by why Bucky wants to keep spending time with him — and incredibly doubtful that Bucky actually does want to be spending time with him. Even though Bucky spends thousands and thousands of words being the Very Most Obvious that he's super into Steve. It's so ridiculously and delightfully cute. I love it a lot. Also! This fic is actually the start of an entire college AU 'verse. I've only read this first fic, but the rest of the 'verse is on my TBR and is likely equally delightful.

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Steve’s brow furrows. “How do you know I do?” Bucky moves his laptop off his lap, sets it on the floor. He stretches his arms up over his head, exposing the stretch of tan skin where his shirt rides up over his jeans. And Steve is definitely not looking for purely artistic and aesthetic reasons, but manages to drag his eyes away before Bucky notices. “You always annotate your books. I can see all those post-its from where I sit, even. You don’t talk much but you’re always leafing through your book because you know which exact quote will prove somebody wrong. Don’t try to argue; I totally notice.” That’s not untrue. “No fair,” Steve says. “You sit behind me. I can’t stare at you creepily at all.” “Not starin’, just appreciatin’ the view.” Steve must look confused because Bucky laughs again. “You’re kinda cute,” he says. “‘Specially when you blush.”

The author tagged this "enemies to friends to lovers" and "the softest of enemy-ships though," which, honestly, is absolutely perfect tagging for this incredibly sweet fic. It is soft. Everything that happens in this fic is very, very soft. Steve and Bucky are assigned to be lab partners! They spend all semester in this terribly and wonderfully cute slow burn! There's tutoring! There are coffee dates shop hangouts! There is cake! There is a Very Meaningful hug! It's all very, very charming and super adorable. Plus, this is a fic that works with one of my personal favorite tropes: someone slowly realizing that they were wrong about another person and falling for that person — hard — as they do. I'm always weak for that, and I love this fic's delightful — and, yes, very soft — take on it.

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His notebook was full of eraser marks, his lines uneven and confusing, running into each other when he made his structures too small for the amount of bonds between molecules. He could always see them in his mind, but drawing them out was hell for him, his hands just a little shaky. Steve didn’t seem to have that problem because Steve’s notebook…that shit was just about the prettiest art Bucky had ever seen. He couldn’t help himself from reaching out his fingers and running over the neat, perfect hexagons with their lines and perfect little letters for the attached elements. They looked straight out of a printed textbook. Steve didn’t move, the solid mass of him almost against Bucky’s side. “How long do these take you?” he asked. “Oh, I’m quick,” Steve supplied cheerfully. To prove his point, he drew a quick acetyl salicylic acid, copying its structure from the sloppy one on the board, where the lab’s flowchart was. Bucky was mesmerized, his form perfect and confident and tiny, so at odds with how huge Steve’s hands were. “See?” “Okay, well,” Bucky let out a laugh, “You can definitely write the lab report.”

A fic I spent a weekend totally engrossed and lost in on first read and that, ever since, has always been sitting somewhere in my brain. I think something that really, really appeals to me about sports AUs is when they're used as a lens to translate some things Steve genuinely struggles with in canon — the ways he handles guilt, the ways he feels responsible for things and people, his loneliness, etc — into these incredibly real-feeling modern, actual world, contexts. This fic does that so unbelievably well. Steve isn't truly okay, at all, during most of this fic, and affects everything. I love that so much. I also love this fic's worldbuilding, with a childhood Steve and Bucky backstory, a college swim team friend group, the pressures of professional athlete life, Olympic sponsorships, world records, and in-verse media like fake tweets and news articles. (This fic is the first fic in an in-progress 'verse, all of which I would also recommend.)

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“I didn’t want to come,” Steve says, trying to be honest, “but I’m glad I did. It feels nice to clear the air. I think it’s the most fun I’ve had in a while actually.” Steve thinks maybe this has been the happiest he’s been in a long time. He doesn’t want to tell Bucky that or speak it out loud, but the knowledge that this is happiness, and that he truly feels lightness in his bones, thrills him and he wants to keep that feeling close to him as long as he can. “I’m glad you’re here now. Just you.” Bucky says. Steve doesn’t know how to respond to that so he takes another swig of the champagne. There’s bubbles in his stomach but he’s not sure if it’s from the champagne or Bucky’s words. “We’re really going to do this, aren’t we?” Bucky says. It takes Steve a second to understand what he’s referring to.

🎓Targeting | queenmab_scherzo | Explicit | 149,148 words | High school & College

I do not know if I will ever be over the way this fic manages to mirror canon so closely while being about high school and then college football. I feel as if that shouldn't work. And yet it does, and I love it. I also love the way, because this fic so closely mirrors canon, we get a lot of Steve refusing, just absolutely refusing to give up on Bucky. Or doubt Bucky. Or listen to anyone's objections or concerns about Bucky. There is a lot of Steve being determined to get real answers to things, and Steve being determined to make things right, and Steve being determined to not let Bucky take the blame/punishment for things, and Steve being determined to not let Bucky go. So you know, very much like canon. Except it's about football? It's so, so good.

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Bucky doesn't attack. He backs away instead, an immediate, heartbreaking reflex, crystallizing proof that Steve isn't dealing with a predator. It's inhuman, the raw metal of his eyes and his expression, his hollow features, the way he blinks slowly and deliberately. He just won a football game, for crying out loud, not just any football game, the Game of the Century, he beat the number two team in the country and he can't even crack a smile. There is James Barnes, but where is Bucky. Bucky used to smile through broken bones and blood in his teeth, where is that Bucky. Come back, what happened, come back to me. Heart thudding, Steve surges forward, thinking about 49-yard field goals. "At least take my phone number." For a long time, he doesn't think Bucky will respond, and when he does, it's on an exhale, an inaudible brushstroke on dry canvas: "Fine." "You—do you want to write it down or something?" "I'll remember." The noise of the crowd rises and falls.

I realized when I was pulling this list together that I actually probably should have included this fic back in June as part of my Pride recs post I didn't, obviously, and I'm a little annoyed at myself about it. But, that allows me to rec it now, and this is absolutely a college fic. So I guess that works out. Anyway, like I said when I talked about Lane Lines, I love when a sports AU also works as a lens to look at some of Steve's less-than-healthy ways of dealing with things. This fic, which is about college hockey, is another great example of that. There are a lot of things in this fic — many of them, but not all of them, related to Bucky — that Steve has told himself he Absolutely Cannot Do, and his journey of letting go of some of that over the course of this story is one I enjoyed so, so much. Like I said, I could've rec'd this one in June, so there's a lot centered on sexuality happening here. There are a lot of feelings and a lot of romance. Also, one of my spreadsheet notes in the tropes column for this one says, "GRAND GESTURES." So.

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Bucky doesn’t know what to do with those smiles. He doesn’t know where to keep them (because he so desperately wants to keep them) that they won't cloud him. That they won’t press into his stupid crush and spill it over into something more dangerous. The team dynamic is flowing, winding, warming into something so comfortable, it bleeds into their game, and it’s like they can’t lose. They win their next two home games, Bucky chasing down Steve’s scoring record and loving every second of it. The way Steve isn’t even mad about it. The way Steve nods at him in the locker room at the end of the games. Claps him on the shoulder now with the rest of the team… All of it leaves Bucky so wholly unprepared.

🎓Persued by a bear | Zenaidamacrouras1 @zenaidamacrouras1 | Explicit | 19,200 words | **Post-Endgame Rec**

So, they're slightly older in this fic than any other fic on this list. (Well, actually, maybe not? They're a bit older in Natasha Romonaoff's Dating Service, too.) Steve is a professor and Bucky is a PhD candidate. This is also the very most academic of all fics on this list, and it's a complete and total delight from start to finish. It's a Shakespeare conference! There are tweed jackets, and suspenders, and pickup lines using Shakespeare, and the cutest Steve POV voice. I'm always, always a huge fan of a fic that features what could have been, should have been, a one-night stand, but that turns into so much more — with some hiccups, but also a lot of shameless flirtation, along the way. This fic delivers that so incredibly well and is just such a fun read.

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“You’re good at what you do, too, James,” Steve says softly, looking up at Bucky through his lashes, and shit, he didn’t mean for this to get all sexy all of a sudden. Bucky’s just. Really sexy. “You should call me Bucky. If you want," Bucky says softly. "I think I do, Bucky," Steve says because. He does. And Bucky's at a completely different university, and he's obviously a full-on, real-deal grown-up. Maybe this is okay. "Watching you work and listening to you think after following your scholarly writing for so long was incredibly hot,” Bucky says in a rush. “I’m sure you get that all the time. God, now I sound like a groupie.” Steve suppresses a smile. “Believe it or not, I don’t really have groupies."

There are a few additional fics that could be classed college/university fics and that absolutely are on my rec spreadsheet/in my bookmarks, but that I didn't include here. These are almost all fics with a plot about driving home (from campus) for the holidays/car sharing/motel room sharing/etc. that I feel like are holiday fics more than college fics, and holiday fics will almost definitely be their own post. (I didn't realize I had more than one fic like that bookmarked. But apparently, I do.)

I do have an apocalypse/dystopias/etc rec post sitting in my drafts I'm stressing myself out about it. Probably unnecessarily. I swear it's coming soon. Maybe I'll also do something seasonal in October? I haven't thought about that yet, but it's completely possible.

Fic Rec Series

#SteveBucky #Stucky fic #Stucky Fic Recs #fic recs #fic rec series #Me rambling about other people's writing

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hawberries · 2 years

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Ghosts of Boyfriends Past by Crinklefries

please enjoy this sneak peek of some of the art upcoming in the sakuatsu big bang fic I illustrated :3

#haikyuu!!#kuroo is the ghost…#miya atsumu #sakusa kiyoomi #sakuatsu #fanart #people!

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xoxobuckybarnes · 1 year

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March 2023 Stucky Fics

Completed

Till It Bleeds Daylight (Rated: E, Words: 44K) by cable-knit-sweater / @cable-knit-sweater

Summary: Steve has been undercover with Hydra for a couple of months, slowly getting deeper into the organization . As he tries to figure out what they’re plotting and tries to take them down, he struggles with his past, loneliness, and keeping his cover. When he finds out about a mysterious contractor, the Winter Soldier, Steve figures he or she is the key to Hydra’s plans, but getting more information is not without risk. But well, Steve is anything but risk averse - just ask his secretive one-night-stand turned regular hookup turned …something, James “Bucky” Barnes. Or, going undercover with the criminal organization that haunted your neighborhood growing up, a Steve Rogers guide: Step 1 - Don’t make it personal; Step 2 - Don’t take unnecessary risks; Step 3 - Don’t lose your cool; Step 4 - Don’t fall in love with a hitman; Step 5 - Ignore rules 1 to 4, especially 4. Title from the song "Lovers In A Dangerous Time"

From Ice and Ashes (Rated: M, Words: 64K) by phansomedevil / @phansomedevil

Summary: Steve asks: “How do you move on?” Sam’s eyebrows shoot skyward. He whistles air out from pursed lips. “Do you want the therapist answer or the real one?” “Surprise me.” “The truth is – you don’t get over it,” Sam says, his voice low. “Not when it’s that close to your soul. Not when he’s someone you built yourself up around. Maybe you fall in love again, maybe you don’t. It won’t feel the same. He’ll always be coming up in your peripheral.” As the bus pulls to a stop in front of them, Sam grips his shoulder. “But you still gotta keep living your life. For his memory, yeah. But mostly for yourself.” *** Steve Rogers learns what it means to be a queer hero in a complicated modern age. He tries to move on from the pull of the past, and his lost loves, but fate rarely lets him catch a break.

The Size of Perfection (Rated: E, Words: 31K) by Phoenike

Summary: The serum enhances Steve’s physical attributes to peak condition. All of them. Unfortunately, ‘enhanced’ doesn’t necessarily mean ‘optimal’ or ‘something that a fella wishes to show the girl of his dreams on their wedding night.’

Introduction to Fake Dating Your Best Friend 101 (Rated: T, Words: 24K) by crinklefries / @spacerenegades

Summary: Bucky stares at his best friend as though he’s absolutely lost what’s left of his dumbass mind. “Excuse me?” he asks dumbly. Steve sighs and sags back onto the couch, covering his face dramatically with one large, well-manicured hand. “Dean Coulson thinks we’re dating. And gay. But like, for each other. And now I need you to fake date me so I can convince the Chancellor to fund my research.” or; Steve and Bucky are a pair of professors who have to fake date for academic purposes and are real dumb along the way. It's not so much a forest of pine as a whole landscape of it. It turns out fine, probably.

The Best Way to Wake (Rated: E, Words: 42K) by LeeHan / @leehanji

Summary: James Buchanan Barnes lay in a glass pod in the middle of the table, frozen since he fell. Steve’s hands were on the glass before he realized he’d moved. “Wait, Captain!” “Get him out,” Steve whispered, his hands searching for a clasp, a keypad, something. “Captain, we need to keep him in stasis—“ “I said get him out!”In which Bucky Barnes lay frozen in the Alps for seventy years only to be woken up a year after Steve Rogers was uncovered from the Arctic.

Casual Encounters (Rated: E, Words: 66K) by MoreThanSlightly / @morethanslightly

Summary: “You have never once been careful in your entire life.” Bucky huffs out a laugh. He looks away. “Maybe I’m offended you didn’t think to ask me.” He says it like a joke, but he can’t bring himself to laugh again. “Bucky,” Steve says, scandalized. “You’re my friend. I’m not gonna use you to experiment sexually.”

Pisces Season (Rated: T, Words: 6K) by dreamsinthewitchouse / @dreamsinthewitchouse

Summary: Steve can’t get drunk because of what the serum did to his metabolism, but he still likes beer, and Bucky knows it’s because he likes the simplicity of it; likes remembering how drinking it used to feel, before the war. He watches Steve lift a bottle to his mouth and take a swig, teeth flashing. Steve has let his hair grow out a bit, which is a pretty great look on him, but the truth is that every single version of him, ever, has made something at the bottom of Bucky’s stomach twist into an unsolvable knot. Bucky knows he’s probably got what Natasha calls his smitten kitten look plastered all over his face, but just then he’s way past caring because it's Steve, now looking back at Bucky across the room, his mouth curled in a smile. Or: the one in which Bucky and Steve live happily with their Avengers family and nothing hurts (and Bucky snacks and naps a lot). Also, it’s Bucky’s 101st birthday.

A Certain Slant of Light (Rated: E, Words, 32K) by agetwellcard

Summary: Steve first meets Bucky on a Sunday morning. He's instantly intrigued by the new pastor's son with pale blue eyes and a nervous smile.

a song on a policeman’s radio (series) by rohkeutta / @rohkeutta

How we rolled up the carpet so we could dance (Rated: E, Words: 7K) art by SulaSafeRoom / @sulasaferoom

Summary: Steve’s already showered and changed into sweats and a tank top, his hair still sticking up in cowlicks. When Bucky drags himself to the couch, still in his uniform with soot on his face, Steve takes one look at him in the soft glow of the living room lamp and opens his arms. Bucky drops the shield on the floor and crawls over Steve’s legs to collapse on top of him, tucks his face under Steve’s chin and exhales. “Jesus fucking Christ.”

our chosen homes (Rated: G, Words: 756)

Summary: “It’s been freezing,” Steve repeats as he drops the wood in front of the fireplace, throws two logs in to make sure that the fire isn’t going out. “Huh,” Bucky murmurs absently from the folds of his blanket, and Steve has to squeeze him a little as he passes, rub his cold nose against the vulnerable patch of skin behind Bucky’s ear. Bucky yelps, a high-pitched sound muffled by the duvet he’s wrapped in, and Steve laughs, kisses his ear on the way to get more water from the well.

The Same River, Twice (The Man Is Still Left with His Hands) (Rated: G, Words: 4K) by dorian_burberrycanary / @burberrycanary & art by amoneth / @amoneth-art

Summary: Steve had meant to stay forever and didn’t last a year. He meant to return right back to when he left, but that doesn’t work out the way he planned either. Turns out a lot can happen in nine months.—Steve didn’t need his first month back to make him aware of just how many degrees forgiveness comes in, but some lessons feel new each time. Getting a text from Sam asking him to Delacroix for the weekend feels like one tick closer and Steve’ll take it. He’s texting back when Sam adds, Bucky will be there. And Steve? Steve’ll take that, too. A post-The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Stucky Endgame fix-it where a lot needs fixing.

***This fic is complete, but the series (A Man Takes His Sadness Down to the River (The Consolation of Philosophy)) is not.***

Still Left with the River (The Paradox of Motion) (Rated: M, Words: 14K) by dorian_burberrycanary / @burberrycanary

Summary: Coming back from as good as dead to a changed world is easier the second time around. But then Steve supposes that, like with most things, you get better with practice. A post-The Falcon and The Winter Soldier Stucky Endgame fix-it where even if you can’t go home again, you’ve got to go somewhere.

***This fic is complete, but the series (A Man Takes His Sadness Down to the River (The Consolation of Philosophy)) is not.***

North Fork (Rated: E, Words: 62K) by BeaArthurPendragon / @beaarthurpendragon & art by Stucky1980 / @lisamott9

Summary: Sworn to silence by the Air Force after a friendly fire accident in Afghanistan, former aid workers James and Sam have come home to take over Sam’s family’s vacation rental business to escape the bad memories. Losing an arm and working maintenance wasn’t how James pictured his life turning out, but his life is good: He likes fixing things, he gets to work for his best friend, and he loves surfing every morning. Fresh out of the ice, all Steve wants is for SHIELD to announce his return and let him get back to work so he won't have time to think about all he's lost. But when his psychiatrist refuses to clear him for duty until he's dealt with his trauma, he reluctantly accepts Tony's offer of a beach house for the summer to settle his mind. Armed with a false identity and a stack of sketchbooks, his only goal is to get back into the field. He's got no intention of letting his heart defrost along with the rest of his body. That is, until a handsome maintenance man with a secret of his own shows up with a gallon of ice cream and a smile that could light up half of New York.(Written for the 2021 Shrunkyclunks Big Bang)

with all my skin and bone (Rated: T, Words: 54K) by unicornpoe

Summary: Agents Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes don't get along. With Steve's reckless attitude and Bucky's cautious, no-nonsense way of doing things, they clash from the beginning, and make enemies of each other before they can even think of being friends. But when both men are assigned to a job that will take them to the suburbs in investigation of CEO Alexander Pierce—where they're supposed to live together, to be married to each other, to be in love with each other—old feelings rise up, and new ones emerge. What happens when the person you hate most in the world has to be the person you love? What happens when the line between lies and truth gets blurred? Pining, that's what. And some kissing, too.***Steve and Bucky fall together, and fall in love.

Push It Real Good (Rated: M, Words: 35K) by spoffyumi / @spoffyumi

Summary: The way Steve had to steel himself to ask the question made Bucky a little wary. "Will you be my partner for a Lamaze class?" For a few long moments, Bucky just blinked at him, not knowing which question to ask first. Finally he went with the biggest question on his mind. "What?"

WIP

Treading Water (Rated: M, Current Words: 96K) by sparkagrace / @sparkagrace & art by Dyslexic_Fetus / @reagy-jay

Summary: Olympic swimmer Bucky Barnes always believed that when the time came to retire, he would walk away with his medals and world records firmly in the history books and never look back. He never thought the water would leave him first.

***Be sure to check out the rest of this amazing series: Lane Lines: Lane Lines (Rated: M, Words: 132K), Lumière (Rated: M, Words: 5K), & New Traditions (Rated: M, Words: 6K)***

a league of their own (Rated: E, Current Words: 8K) by burning_brighter / @burning-brighter

Summary: Steve's sixteen-year-old son's one and only dream is to play in the Major League. He thinks he has a shot when the team get a new coach, retired MLB legend and Steve's high school crush, Bucky Barnes. Steve hasn't thought of the man in many years, but seeing him brings back many memories that push Steve to reach out to an old friend and maybe make new ones on the way. What happens when Steve gets to know Bucky properly? What happens when they open up about their darkest secrets and deepest fears? There's really only one thing that can happen.

An Appropriate Omega (Rated: M, Current Words: 205K) by BeauRadley

Summary: Steven Rogers, the Duke of Brooklyn, is in a bind. The provisions of his father’s will mean he must marry before his thirty-fifth birthday or lose his mother’s inheritance. The catch? He has to marry a suitable omega. James Barnes is the third child of the impoverished Barnes family. If he or his sister don’t marry before the season is out, their family will fall further into poverty. If he doesn’t find someone else soon, he’ll be forced to marry the sinister Lord Pierce. The two men realize they can solve each other’s problems, but will their marriage of convenience turn into something more?

#Stucky #Steve and Bucky #Steve Rogers #Bucky Barnes #fanfic #XOXOBUCKYBARNES' Stucky Fic Reading List #march reading list #i was very sick at the beginning of the month so i ended up reading a lot

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shrimpscream · 2 months

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The many different ways I’ve seen people spell Benedict Cumberbatch:

Bernendict Cumbingbatch

Benadryl cumquat

Beautiful Carbonara

Benefit Cosmetics

Bnehdgehfge cuffbfemgm

Bibledude Comingback

Bubblenut cutiepie

Bannanadick cucumberbitch

Bariumoxyd Calciumsulfat

Batrachotomus kupferzellensis

Benedict Cookiebatch

Babadook Canterbury

Bendysnips Cabbagepatch

Bend-and-snap Cucumbatch

Badgersticks Carriagematch

Bonedump Crucklepack

Benedong Cucumber

Brendict Cromplepork

Blasted Cummerbund

Benedict Townsend

Benefits coordination

Bernadyl cabbagepatch

Barnabus Wizardcock

Smibblesworth Clambercock

Benefactor Cobblestone

Peppermint Cummysnatch

Hubert Cumberdale

Benadryl Cumbersome

Cumbentbert Snapersnatch

Bend-a-dick Cum-a-ban

Blended cucumber

Bandersnatch Koolaidpack

Brandybuck Crackerjack

Fragglerock Crackerdong

Buckingham Bumpersplat

Benjamin Crimpysnitch

Burlington Cockletit

Billiardball Candlestick

Butterfree Crumplesnap

Blasphemy Charizard

Broccoli Coddleswort

Whippersnatch Chickenstrips

Honkeytonk Creamsicle

Rinkydink Carrotstick

Bonaparte Curdlesnoot

Bendybobert Cackleboob

Bendyboot Coffeecup

Snickerdoodle Coodlepoot

Boilerdang Crimpysnitch

Bendynoodle Crumperbunts

Bondoodle cucumbersnatch

Buttercup Cabbagepatch

Benefit cummerbund

Benghazi Crummystick

Boondoggle Crackersmack

Brandyleg Crumpetpants

Benedict Cabbagepatch

Bjornguyson Cryspysack

Bourgeoisie Crimplecrack

Popecomb penguinbatshh

Wimbledon Tennismatch

Benedict Thundercrunch

Bendypole Cabbagepatch

Beekeeper candystore

Bendystraw cucumber

Butterscotch cornstarch

Beanpole cabbagehats

Windowsill tennisrack

Bebeheiwh cueiejdnd

Laryngitis Cucumbersmack

Bennable Cabbagepatch

Benesicy ximnernayxj

Bed addict lumber crash

Beekeeping cucumberman

Benedict cumbersomelastname

Benadryl Cabbagepatch

Benedict sour patch

Blueberry cucumberbutt

Beneficiary cucumbersnatch

Boredom closeted

Benadryl cucumber

Bendydick crumblebitch

Bandersnatch cummerbund

Beanbag cukapoo

Banana cümslut

Bennedict Cabbagepatch

Bevermind chumppies

Bendyball cummingback

Snickerdoodle Chittybangbang

Snophoppple Chumpser

Bandaid crumblynut

SuperMango CrumblyButt

Bendydick Cumberpatch

Bangny crumblesnoot

Bumblebee Croissant

Banana Coconut

Bartholomew Candycrush

Blenderbob wafflenose

Benedict Cumberbitch

Spongebob Squarepants

Buford Crankgameplays

Belly Cringle

Bonkyhort Cutiebrunch

Brocklehurst Cummulonimbus

Babbledon brickbunch

Bumblebee cinnamonbun

Broccoli cucumber

Butternut Crinklefries

Butterscotch Candycorn

Blueberry pumpkinpatch

Bramblestick Snickerssnatch

Bundleup Catchyourdeath

Blacktieand Cumberbund

Benedict Cucumberbatch

Mr Cabbagewank

Bodysnatch Cummerbund

Buffalo Custardbath

Benedrill Cucumberpatchsnatch

Buttermilk cabbagepatch

Benedict Cumberpatch

Bendystraw Cadillac

Birdfeeder CocaCola

Benedictine cumbersome

Bendydick cumtoofast

Bouncycat Cucumberpencil

Beverage Cuticle

Beneficial Cabinetry

Berniesandert cherryripe

Borinsob carrotstick

Banister cumblebench

Multigrain Batch Loaf

Benedettini Cabinetry

Congleton Sandbach

Breezewood Cumberland

Crabmeat Benedict

Bumblebee conservation trust

Blueberry pumpkin patch

Bendybutt Cannotkrump

Burntisland Cowdenbeath

Benefits of Cucumber

Baked Camembert

Jubberwacky Bandersnatch

Bidet Cankersore

Cadbury Pringle Batch

Pickling cucumber

Bendick‘s Mint Collection

Buttercup Cumbersnatch

Benadryl computerglitch

Brendadirk Cramplescrunch

Butternut Cramplebamp

Beetledwip cumbersnitch

Buffalo Custardbatch

Bandicoot Crumblecake

Baseballhat cozycouch

Benkeyhue Cucumberman

Bumblebee cockpitscatch

Bumblodore cucumberbitch

Brenadool Curtleton

Branmuffin cucumbercrutch

Benadryl cumberbunch

Britishguy Sillyname

Beaniebag Cabbagepatch

Boilerdang crimpysnitch

Whenpicnic remembersnacks

Brandy yummysnack

Further additions are welcome

#benedict cumberbatch #shrimp on a typewriter

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akaashism · 1 year

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Favorite Kagehina fics?

It would take me all day to answer this if I decided to comb through my 400+ kagehina bookmarks on ao3 😭 BUT I will list down my favourite fics that I've read recently!!

1. Pinion by @karmahope : This is the most recent fic I've read and I kinda screamed with joy when I saw that this fic was completed, because now I could finally read it! I already had high expectations from the story but it truly surpassed even those!! Just everything I could want in a fic, I love it soooo much 😭❤️

2. That's What I Want by @littlegnoblin : This one is still in progress but it's my dream fic, and it's been a big favourite before Sarah even started writing it down 🫶🏼 and she's doing the idea so much justice, I adore everything about it muahhhhh 💞 I can't wait for the rest of the chapters!

3. At the End of the Sun by @pearlsephoni : Another work in progress, but Pearl is doing such a great job of it so far!! I'm generally not inclined to read AUs but I was quickly sucked into this one, and now I'm hooked <3 I can't wait to see how the plot will unravel, I know it's going to be amazing!

4. Remember the Monarchs by crinklefries: This was written for the Kagehina Exchange 2022 and is probably my favourite fic from it. It deals with the very niche topic of canon kagehina approaching retirement, and everything is BEAUTIFULLY done. This fic left me breathless and it will always stay with me 😭❤️

5. tipsy live by kero (tofuflower): Another fave from the Kagehina Exchange!! The characterization is soooooo good in this, and I was hanging on to every word. Super interesting, had a hint of mystery and of course, kagehina being sickeningly cute and making me scream into my pillow.

Thank you so much for the ask!!

#kagehina #kagehina fic recs #ask response #haikyuu!!#kageyama tobio #hinata shouyou

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epicstuckyficrecs · 2 years

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Could you recommend anything where Steve & Bucky are both pining for each other but are both oblivious as they both think either can do better ?

Can't guarantee the "they both think either can do better" part, but here's some good fics from the Mutual Pining tag:

Buck Me by OhCaptainMyCaptain

The Best Way to Wake by LeeHan

Grab Your Things (I've Come to Take You Home) by belovedmuerto

Feast On This by GoldBlooded

Paper Tree by Ellessey

Supersoldiers Are Idiots And I Hate Them - a book by Sam Wilson by this_wayward_life

Express Yourself by Kalee60

Is It Pretending If I Already Want You? by OhCaptainMyCaptain

Casual Encounters by MoreThanSlightly (cadignan)

Scents and Sensibility: The Working Assassin's Guide to Supersoldier Seduction by galwednesday, silentwalrus, skellerbvvt

Put It on Repeat, It Stays the Same by giselleslash

we are the things that we do for fun by Nonymos

What Would You Do by Brokenpitchpipe

Introduction to Fake Dating Your Best Friend 101 by crinklefries

#asks #found

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shgark · 7 days

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You Belong With Me by crinklefries on AO3 is one of the best fics i’ve read lately

it’s pretty hefty at 56k words, but i swear it was so freaking worth it. There were moments where i was full on bawling my eyes out and i loved it so much

It’s got mutual pining. It’s got childhood friends to lovers. It’s got fake dating. It’s got angst. THEY WERE FREAKING ROOMMATES—

anyways, i really recommend it if you’re looking for a good matchablossom fic :))

#sk8 the infinity #fic rec #matchablossom #kojiro nanjo #kaoru sakurayashiki

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hazel-wand · 2 years

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I love Jane Austen. I love stories based on Jane Austen books as long as they are done well (side note: I just listened to Mrs Wickham included in my Audible subscription and really enjoyed it). Anyway, this is a Stucky version of Emma set in New York. It's so fun in a heartbreaking, 'Steve why are you so stupid?!' kind of way. Oh and there is lovely artwork too.

#stucky #bucky barnes #steve rogers #stucky fic #fic recs #hazel’s favourite fics #stucky fic rec #stevebucky #crinklefries #nalonzoo

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bulkyphrase · 6 months

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Halloween Fic Recs 2023 Week 3: Stucky + SamSteveBucky

Spooky story month continues with fics featuring Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers (and a couple with Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson as a bonus!)

Red Thread by Vulcanodon (@rue-the-aardvark) (Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Explicit, 29,154 words)

Summary: "Under three feet of solid ice and nestled tightly in dark roots, it was impossible to tell whether Steve was dead or sleeping. The ice could have been glass it was so transparent, and Bucky could see faint traces of pink on Steve’s nose and cheeks. His eyes were shut, and he was completely and utterly still. There was no possible way that a human could still be alive. But Steve was more than human. And besides, he had survived it before." Steve Rogers is missing, his last known location a seemingly abandoned little town known as White Oaks. When all attempts to find him fail, Natasha Romanov calls in the services of the Winter Soldier. Until now Bucky Barnes has been lying low in New York and trying slowly to piece together the shattered fragments of his identity. But in order to bring Steve back, Bucky will have to face not only the darkness that lies beneath the placid surface of White Oaks but stay one step ahead of his own demons...

Haunted by ElisabethMonroe (@abarbaricyalp) (SamSteveBucky, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Mature, 12,412 words)

Summary: Seeking refuge in a storm after a fight, Sam, Steve, and Bucky get more than they bargained for from a haunted house

The rest below the cut!

Steve Rogers Ruins Christmas: a Thanksgiving Miracle by AggressiveWhenStartled (@aggressivewhenstartled) (SamSteveBucky, Teen And Up Audiences, 11,520 words)

Note: I know this is a Christmas/Thanksgiving story but again, ghosts = spooky = halloween

Summary: “I know I spent a while frozen in the arctic,” Steve said as he slowly reshut the driver’s side door and stepped back to take in the view. “So I guess I haven’t had a chance to see everything here in the future. But I was not expecting a Bavarian-themed Taco Bell with the KFC guy standing out front wearing lederhosen.” Also available as a podfic read by quietnight (@quietnighty)

dance with a ghost by crinklefries (@spacerenegades) (Teen And Up Audiences, 11,634 words)

Summary: “Captain America is haunting me,” Bucky says over a bowl of ramen. His pronouncement is met with a round of silence. “Captain America,” Natasha says. “As in--” “The first Avenger,” Bucky confirms. “Supersoldier and hero of World War II. The fabric of the American conscience.” “But he’s--dead,” Sam says. His look of perplexed concern, ever perplexed and ever concerned, only increases. “You’re aware of that, right?” “I know,” Bucky says. “That’s why I said he’s haunting me.” Also available as a podfic read by lightupstars

Ophelia Rising by velvetjinx (@velvetjinx) (Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Explicit, 5,002 words)

Summary: When Steve and Bucky move in together in a small town in upstate New York, they both feel like their lives couldn't get any better. But there's just something about Bucky's grandmother's doll that makes Steve uneasy.

Mandatory Disclosure Not Required by leveragehunters (Monkeygreen) (@leveragehunters) (Teen And Up Audiences, 6,991 words)

Summary: Stigmatised property is property which may be shunned for reasons other than its physical condition. Reasons like a murder or a belief that it's haunted. Most jurisdictions require mandatory disclosure to a buyer where the property's stigmatised nature could affect its value. There's no such requirement to inform renters. Steve should have asked more questions, but a two bedroom apartment with good light in that part of the city? At that price? He couldn't say no. He needed a place to live at a price he could afford and, well, gift horses and mouths, he wasn't going to look too closely. There was a reason the apartment was so cheap. There was a reason tenants didn't last. There was always a reason for everything. Steve should have remembered that. He was about to be reminded, because his name might be on the lease, but it wasn't his apartment. Something already lived there.

It's a Ghost Story (baby just say yes) by moontyrant (Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, General Audiences, 11,262 words)

Summary: There are an infinity of universes in potentia. In one, Bucky Barnes was born in the early twentieth century, followed Steve Rogers into a crusade against Hydra, was captured and became the Winter Soldier. In another universe, Bucky Barnes was born in the 1980s and grew up to spend his weekends busting ghosts. “And this guy is legit?” Clint asked for the third time, eyebrows making a break for his hairline.Tony threw his hands in the air. “How should I know! He has some reviews online but it’s not like he has a website or anything.”

The Soul That You Used by WillowPerpetua (Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Explicit, 21,412 words)

Summary: Bucky Barnes wandered the earth as a ghost for seventy years. He found solace in the medium, Natasha, who gave him shelter, company, and one day, signed him up for an online dating service in the hope that he might find somebody else to talk to.Steve was the man he found. "Bucky did not know Steve, no, but he knew Steve’s type. He met many men in hostels and train stations, and while he had never before found the courage to touch them—even through somebody else’s hands—he had discovered the uniquely visceral brand of danger that they all craved in common."

The Afterlife of The Party by neversaydie (Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Mature, 8,433 words)

Summary: "Oh no. Hell no." Bucky freezes with his hand halfway to the giant ornamental vase the new family have just unpacked. Smashing it would be the perfect way to announce himself on moving day: a big, stylish gesture that's ambiguous enough to leave them feeling only slightly unnerved until he decides things need to escalate. That is, it would be the perfect way to announce himself if a skinny blond kid hadn't just walked through the living room wall. "This house is taken, pal. What the fuck?" "Uh, this is my family." The kid is standing there awkwardly, like they're still corporeal and he might have to duck or deliver a punch in the near future. "This is my house." He narrows his eyes and slowly gets to his feet. The guy's eyes keep flicking to his missing arm and Bucky is starting to see red. "And I don't appreciate other people living in it." [in which Dead Dorks in Love, awkward ghost sex, and a whole lot of accidental feelings happen]

#marvel fic rec #stucky

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cinnamoncascadian · 5 months

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With permission I hereby present a small excerpt of the amazing art by @nalonzooo for @crinklefries’ wonderful multiverse romp “Space Oddity”, a parallel stucky and thorki romance in 6 multiverse oddities. It’s one of my all time favorite “what if?” fics, and the art is just gravy on top of this heartening soul meal from @crinklefries 😍🤩😍🤩😍

#kissing queue #stucky fanart #stucky kisses #art for fanfiction #stucky fanfiction #spoilers #stucky fic rec #medical au #and more #grumpy nurse steve is the best

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musette22 · 1 year

Note

hi, do you have any winter / christmas stevebucky fics recommendations?

As a matter of fact, I do! I have a whole bunch of them. Hope you like these, nonnie! And thanks for asking, because I'll definitely be rereading some of these over the next few weeks too 🥰🎄

I got that good thing for you by canistakahari (5.8k)

don't threaten me with a good time by canistakahari (10k)

Paper Tree by Ellessey (21k)

Put It on Repeat, It Stays the Same by giselleslash (20k)

Not the Same River at my Fingertips by giselleslash (11k)

Waking Up Slow by odetteandodile (44k)

If Only In My Dreams by odetteandodile (28k)

Coffee, Trapper Hats and Chocolate Wasabi Fudge Cake by perfect_plan (15k)

12 Days of Stucky Christmas by @paper-storm (series, 17k total)

Anywhere the Wind Blows by @paper-storm (8.8k)

A Political Holiday by crinklefries, Deisderium (58k, make sure you read Political Animals first though!)

Bucky Barnes Has His Shit Together (and Other Lies He Tells Himself) by betts (14k)

Get Jingle With It by mambo (40k)

The Right Time by wearing_tearing (16k)

Let your heart be light by relenafanel (21k)

Coming Home For Christmas by Chiyume (118k)

(if only in my dreams) by jehans (45k)

Make My Wish Come True (all i want for christmas is you) by chicklette (27k)

It's the Best Time of the Year by chicklette (40k)

two strangers in the bright lights by Claudia_flies (7.3k)

Like Real People Do by 2bestfriends (67k)

I Held You in Gloved Hands (And I’m Not Letting Go) by @voylitscope (WIP)

I'm SURE I'm forgetting some excellent ones, so if anyone has any other recs they'd like to add, please let me know or comment or something like that! ❤️

#most of these are specifically christmas themed I think #but some of them are more winter themed #they're all amazing though #stucky #christmas fic recs #fic recs #minnie answers

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voylitscope · 1 year

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Eight Stucky Fic Quotes/Lines/Moments That I Cannot Stop Thinking About

A somewhat non-standard rec list.

I've read a lot of brilliant and beautiful fic in this fandom, and a lot of those stories stayed with me long after I read them. There are also some very specific little moments/lines/paragraphs in a handful of fics that are burned into my brain. These are moments that have lived in my head rent-free since I first read them.

Those moments/lines come from the eight fics on this list. These eight fics are also among my very favorite fics. (I can't actually rank my favorites. I have a lot more than eight, and I love them all.) So, I thought this post would be a fun and hopefully interesting way to highlight/celebrate some of the amazing writing in this fandom and to talk about a few fics I love.

All fics on this list are fics I first read at least three months ago, so all these moments are ones I've been thinking about (a lot) for a while.

(Moments are context/spoiler-free for anything that's not already in tags/summaries.)

offer me that deathless death by canistakahari

(Explicit | 10,565 words)

(Fun fact: This is also the first fic about these two that ever made me cry! It still upsets me when I reread it. In the best possible way.)

The moment:

“Nothing. Nothing’s gotten into me,” Bucky says quickly. “Just wanted…” He makes an empty gesture between them. “I just wanted something good.”

Steve’s irritation passes like a cloud over the sun. “Will you tell me what’s wrong?”

“Everything,” says Bucky. “All of it. Not you, though.” He tangles their fingers together. He will remember this, on every single morning that sees fit to reset the universe. He won’t lose the best thing he’s got.

Steve squeezes his hand and sets his jaw. He’s unhappy, still, but he doesn’t give voice to that lingering urge to fuss.

“You’re the only thing that’s right,” says Bucky. “Okay? You are, Steve.”

Lane Lines by Sparkagrace @sparkagrace

(Mature | 132,519 words)

(This fic is a journey and every emotional moment — including the one below — is hard-earned. It's stunningly done and so, so satisfying.)

The moment:

“I’m scared of what’s out there too. I’ll hold your hand, Buck.” He says. “Coney Island, remember?”

Bucky huffs and shakes his head, wiping at his eyes. “Steve, that’s kids stuff. We were drinking.”

Steve holds out his hand in front of them to prove him wrong: palm up and open. Bucky studies his hand, trying to gauge how serious Steve is, before tentatively placing his own in Steve’s. Bucky’s fingers are cold so Steve curls his fingers around the hand, securing them in place.

Steve doesn’t say anything else and the two of them sit in silence for a few minutes, hands clutched. Steve feels the warmth returning to Bucky’s fingers, and his breathing begins to steady and even out. He wonders why they didn’t do this before because even he begins to feel a blanket settling over his own nerves, grounding himself.

Strangers in the Street by Crinklefries

(Teen | 15,304 words)

(How do the rules of time travel/alternate timelines work in the MCU? Does the MCU even know? Does it matter? Not really. What matters is that this fic involves timeline travel, and it's gorgeous. That's all you need to know.)

The moment:

Steve looks sad at that, just hopelessly, interminably sad.

“You know me,” Bucky says, searching Steve’s eyes. He can’t see a lie there; maybe Steve isn’t capable of it, maybe he doesn’t know how to, not to Bucky. Steve nods. “I know you too. How do I know you?”

“I’m Steve and you’re Bucky,” Steve says. “I would know any iteration of you, in any timeline, in any universe.”

Bucky can’t lie either. He doesn’t know why this is true, but he knows that it is.

He twines their fingers together, watches Steve watch him as he brings their hands to his mouth and kisses them.

Calico Skies by musette22 @musette22

(Explicit | 52,618 words)

(This fic just has so much warmth to it. It's comforting and incredibly romantic and I love it so very much. Even thinking about this fic makes me smile.)

The moment:

Their eyes meet, and for a moment, time seems to be suspended. Bucky can see the moment it clicks: Steve’s face goes from blank to shocked in the span of a few seconds, and then his expression crumbles. Bucky’s heart contracts painfully at seeing Steve looking so young, so utterly vulnerable. Before he knows what’s happening, Steve has dropped his bag and is all but running over to him, crossing the landing deck in a few long strides. Bucky feels himself break out into a watery smile. He opens his arms, just in time for Steve to throw his entire 6’4” super body into them.

Bucky lets out an oooff and stumbles backwards, arms wrapping around Steve to hold onto him as tightly as possible. Putting his strength to good use, Steve manages to keep them both from tumbling to the floor, burying his face in the crook of Bucky’s neck as he repeats his name over and over.

“You’re alright,” Bucky tells him, lifting a hand to cup the back of Steve’s head. “You’re okay, Steve.”

Take Your Time Coming Home by odetteandodile

(Explicit | 13,047 words)

(A fic that manages to be both a prewar fic and an AU. There's letter writing! They were roommates! I'm so desperately fond of this one.)

The moment:

He rises that first evening only to shower and eat and read the brief, precious note waiting for him on the kitchen counter. It reads, simply:

Steve, with all my heart I’m glad it was you.—Bucky

Lonesome no more by dharmasharks @dharmasharks

(Explicit | 7,539 words)

(The achingly tender, soft, and beautifully written Wakanda fic we all need in our lives.)

The moment:

“Can we try to do this? Just this?”

A breath passes between them. Bucky lifts his hand to Steve’s neck. Then he leans in.

Steve doesn’t really have the most favorable associations with this sort of thing. He remembers being sort of terrified. Or intimidated. Or obligated.

But kissing Bucky is nothing like that. It’s only soft and warm. And safe.

He’s still living inside it for a second, after Bucky pulls back. It occurs to him how small a space that was to cross, those few inches between their faces. Why did he convince himself back then, for all those years, that it was an impossible, unreachable distance?

Targeting by queenmab_scherzo

(Explicit | 149,148 words)

(I'm obsessed with the way this fic manages to so closely parallel canon — while making it about football. Obsessed.)

The moment:

In the ensuing silence, Steve clears his throat and squares his shoulders, bracing himself for the next part.

"Can … Can I still call you Bucky?"

He turns to fully face Steve. There is a small crease between his eyes, the only marker that betrays any emotion in his otherwise neutral mask.

"Yeah," he says. His lips barely move. "What else would you call me."

Steve feels as if an ocean wave has just crashed into his lungs. The bluntness of the statement—what could otherwise come across as curt and standoffish—is actually what makes Steve so happy.

What else would you call me.

Steve shakes his head, opens his mouth, closes it, and opens it again, floundering. "I don't know," he admits. He feels like an idiot, but he can't stop grinning. "Yeah. I don't know."

Not Easily Conquered by dropdeaddream, WhatAreFears

(Mature | 117,692 words)

(NEC feels like s very obvious choice for a list like this, and for good reason. I'm ending on a classic. It's often the letters themselves that are quoted/mentioned — also for good reason! And, believe me, those swim in my brain too, they do. But, for me, the thing I'll never stop thinking about? The moment in this fic that moved into my brain? It's this one here.)

The moment:

“How you been?” says a voice, a voice like Brooklyn at sunset; like the curl of cigarette smoke above base camp in France.

“Buck.”

“Don’t hit the light.”

Steve doesn’t, standing with his fist knuckling white around the kitchen countertop. The dark figure stands from the chair Cagney sat in and Bucky walks to him. His face comes into the light from the hallway. He wears a ball cap and a tattered blue surplus coat and his hair hangs lank down to his shoulders. There’s more beard on his face than during the winter of 1944. Steve feels a rushing in his head, and a strange displacement in time. This is because it simply ceases to exist. It’s 1938, or 1941, or 2009; he doesn’t know, it doesn’t matter. There is a dimple in Bucky’s chin. Steve feels a snap inside himself. Bucky is before him. He grabs at Steve’s neck as if to hold him up, as though one of them might fall, and he cups at it roughly, his own mouth twisting.

“Hey, you,” Bucky says, rough.

“God,” Steve gasps, and his knees almost buckle. Bucky’s right hand is big and calloused and familiar, his thick square fingers hot on Steve’s skin. Steve grasps his arm. “Hey. Hey, Buck.”

“That’s me,” Bucky says, and Steve lets out a hysterical, gasping laugh. “Really me. Or mostly me.”

Fic Rec Series

#Stucky fic #stucky fic rec #SteveBucky #this is not in any way a 2022 wrap-up rec list #But this still feels like the right time of year to make and post a rec list #There are so many talented people in this fandom #and I am forever amazed by it #Fic Recs #Fic Rec Series

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