recs and links

“Oh, Captain America,” Bucky calls, voice a dangerous sing-song. The edge of a blue shoulder and elbow he can see don’t move an inch. Stopping completely about four feet away from the tree, Bucky crosses his arms over his chest, feeling utterly unimpressed. “I can see you,” he calls, to a response of nothing. “Steve. You're behind a tree that isn't as wide as your shoulders. I can literally see you.” Finally, Steve moves. He appears from behind the tree, thumb tucked in his belt and expression carefully nonchalant, smiling at Bucky like he wasn’t an idiot who had just got himself shot. “Oh hey, Buck.” "Don’t you," Bucky begins, voice threatening as he scans Steve and spots a new tear in his uniform, across the side of his calf. "Don't you ‘hey Buck’ me," he tries, but Steve is still looking at him with a stupid winning smile fixed firmly in place, and it’s no good, Bucky is starting to laugh. "Stop grinning at me, punk, I'm mad at you," he insists. "Oh my god, you were hiding behind a tree, how have you survived this long-" "Dumb luck," Steve says. This is adorable.

Steve is getting really tired of the Avengers cockblocking him and Bucky. Hee! This is adorable.

The Winter Soldier rescues a little girl having an asthma attack, and suddenly everything in his life changes. Oh Bucky.

Five times Steve tries to find Bucky a family (pre-CATWS). Oh heart.

When the Avengers all get de-aged, Bucky has to step out of the shadows to help. Oh, Bucky. *heart*

In which Oliver once worked with the Winter Soldier and now he's trying to save him.

Eliot teaches little girls how to fight. Darling!

Tony gets Bucky a therapy llama. Hijinks, as they say, ensue. Hilarious.

Steve discovers some letters Bucky wrote him during the war. Lovely.

Clint doesn't really understand why the Winter Soldier starts hanging around his apartment building, but he rolls with it, and everything else that comes along. I liked the first half at the apartment more than the second half fighting AIM/HYDRA etc. but the whole thing is fun.

Really lovely story of Gamora and the others building a home.

Absolutely darling story chock full of Thor being the most delightful Avenger ever.

Really lovely post-Winter Soldier Bucky/Natasha.

Clint and Natasha take Bucky in while he heals. A little rough technically (punctuating dialogue) but heartfelt and wistful with a nice Clint voice.

Bucky brings Steve a mission he can't handle himself. Natasha comes along for the ride. Wonderful.

Really lovely story about Bucky's recovery and how people (other than Steve) try to help him.

Very hot Steve/Bucky/Peggy.

"The mission resets abruptly, from objective: kill to objective: protect." 50,000 words of Bucky transforming himself back into a person, with some help from Natasha, Jarvis, and the old people brigade. Oh my heart. This is SO GOOD. Highly recommended.

An Asgardian animal that makes people cuddly gets loose in the tower. The Avengers try to recapture it without things getting too weird. This is adorable!

Natasha - who she's been and who she is now, and what it means for her relationships with Steve and Bucky. Nice melding of comics and movie canon for her backstory.

Aw, I never get tired of Bucky + dogs in stories.

Sweet hot Natasha/Sam.

Bucky keeps climbing through Steve's window. This is lovely.

Steve develops temporary psychic abilities and accidentally wanders his way into Bucky's dreams. All he wants is to convince Bucky to come home. Oh heart.

Bucky asks Steve to give him time. Steve, Sam and Nat go on a road trip. Clint takes down Hydra cells. Everybody talks about their feelings. So wonderful. Oh my heart. (It's Steve/Natasha, though I totally read it as Steve/Natasha/Bucky. *cough*)

Really lovely story where magic gives Sam wings.

“What’s the scandal?” Steve asks, reaching for the muffin Bucky’s holding. “Gimme some of your muffin.” “Only a little.” Bucky orders even as he breaks it clean in half. “I know how guys like you operate. I give you an inch, you’ll take a mile.” “Dear Lord, do you two try to lace everything you say with innuendo or is it really that accidental?” Tony asks. Bucky catches Steve’s eye before making his face go completely innocent. “Sorry, Stark.” He says sweetly. “Must be our boner.” Tony chokes. Steve and Bucky both keep their eyes wide and innocent. “Are you okay?” Steve asks earnestly. Tony’s muttering curse words and Bucky has to stuff another bite of muffin in his mouth to hide a laugh. Moments like these make Steve’s stomach hurt with how nice it is to have Bucky back with him. Adorable Steve/Bucky story in which Steve comes out at a press conference.

Sweet first kiss for Steve and Bucky at a fireworks show.

"I heard there was some guy that liked crawling around the air ducts, scaring the crap out of new people. The first day I was here, I tied a bit of ribbon to all the vents. About twenty minutes ago, all the ribbons were doing the cha-cha except for that one," Darcy says, pointing up to the vent above them. "I don't like... geez, who told you that?" Barton demands, looking offended. "I didn't say it was you. I assumed you have some other completely unrelated reason for being in the air duct above my head, looking down my top." Barton's face turns an instant, dull red from ear to ear and temple to chin. "I wasn't-!" he starts to splutter. "I'm sure," Darcy purrs, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, I couldn't not, because, but it wasn't what I was..." Barton seems to realize he's digging himself deeper because he deflates and offers a helpless gesture with his hands. "There's orders involved, I swear." Adorable Clint/Darcy.