recs and links

But it is such a lovely lie that she thinks she should be able to spend ten minutes with it, since she has no classes and only stewed beef grey as old snow to look forward to at dinner. And then there is the matter of his smile, and how he looks not ten years older than her, and how brave he must be, and how trusted if he is let wander into the decadent West to hunt down enemies of the State. It might take longer than ten minutes before she can begin to behave as though it is of no importance. Sharp look at Natasha in the first flush of love for the Winter Soldier. Oh honey.

In an age of costumed heroes and alien invasions, Ben Parker is the President America needs - a reassuring presence in the White House, and a hero to the West Wing staff. His nephew Peter, however... With Ben Parker in the White House, it's all CJ can do to keep his nephew Peter out of the papers. It's the West Wing/Spider-man crossover you never knew you wanted but which you totally do, because Ben Parker=Martin Sheen=Jed Bartlet and everything just falls into place once you realize that.

Wendy plots to bring the Middleman and Lacey together. This is adorable

“And after all, Watson,” Sherlock said, clapping his flour-dusty hands, “on a most basic level, cooking is just chemistry.” this is adorable.

Bucky discovers Steve's been going out to gay bars, and slowly realizes he doesn't want Steve to be with anyone but him. (set pre-war)

Bucky helps Steve recover after his return from Dimension Z with some schmoopy domesticity. *sigh* (comicsverse)

More than one friendship was derailed by the Narada’s arrival. Spock!Prime and reboot!McCoy have a chat.

Steve and Natasha fall in love while on the hunt for the Winter Soldier. SO MANY BUCKY FEELS. (Could use another beta pass)

"I was thinking we could take a vacation." Pepper pauses. "A real one." Tony blinks. "Is that code for something? Are we being surveilled?" Pepper takes a deep breath and deliberately catches his eye, watching his expression settle into sincerity. "We haven't had time to breathe since everything happened. And that's not a good thing. I feel - I'm not sure how I feel, but everything's different and I just - " she takes another deep breath. "You're what I'm sure of. I'm sure of us. Everything else - who knows." Really wonderful Tony/Pepper set after IM3.

The James Beard Foundation site

“I have managed to ascertain Clyde’s location,” Sherlock said, and beamed at her. Joan peered at him. “You know, you phrasing it like that makes it sound like you lost him.” “It wasn’t so much that I lost him as that he chose to absent himself—” “How do you lose a tortoise, Sherlock? He can only travel at—” “—Striking out on his own, as it were. Hence the theme song.” Joan flopped back against her pillows. “You lost Clyde.” hee! Adorable Sherlock/Joan conversation that could have come right out of an episode.

When he's twenty-six Steve Rogers gets a doctorate in Art History and becomes a professional art conservator, and Bucky kidnaps him for a life of crime. AU where Bucky is an international art thief who seduces Steve into being his forger. ADORABLE.

Steve likes it when Bucky wears the Captain America uniform. Mmmm, me too, Steve.

Face to face or back to back, behind enemy lines or behind the privacy of closed doors, armed to the teeth or stripped bare. It doesn't goddamn matter. Steve and Bucky are like brothers. Except for the part where they have ridiculously hot sex. And in conclusion, brothers. (comicsverse)

While undercover married for a mission, Steve and Bucky add fake pretend (i.e., real) sex to the relationship for verisimilitude. Not because they have feelings for each other or anything. Oh, no, never that. 34k words of gloriously oblivious mutual pining and hot sex. *happy sigh* (could use an American-pick, but don't let that distract you.)

spartacus episodes

Bucky insists on giving Steve his birthday sex regardless of where they are. Sweet and hot. Steve should have ALL the sex with Bucky on his birthday.

Five books you can find in Maria Hill’s apartment. Cue Maria Hill being awesome.

When Steve was a slip of a thing, too much bravery crammed into that slight body, too much stubborn determination—the most infuriating human Bucky had ever met, and also the best—Bucky would have done anything to protect him. The body changed, but everything else stayed the same. Bucky thinks, long, hard, and often, about all the years that he wasn't there to protect Steve. Steve has a secret he'd rather not share, but Bucky eventually convinces him to talk. Angsty and hot with just the right amount of emo porn to go with the regular porn.

Steve and Natasha negotiate Bucky's return and the addition of him to their relationship. Sweet and melancholy and hot. (I've already recced the first story in the series, consider this a rec for the whole thing.)

Steve/Bucky AU where Steve becomes the Winter Soldier, and Bucky wakes up and becomes an Avenger, but with a happy ending, which is unusual in these sorts of AUs. Nicely done. I especially like that the Winter Soldier's relationship with the Black Widow isn't excised in the role reversal.

I think I've recced the other stories in this series (if not, uh, consider them recced), but this is the one where Steve and Bucky and Natasha decide to become Steve/Bucky/Natasha and it is ridiculously hot.

The chorus girls take Steve out for a ride. Hot and sweet. Oh, Steve.

In which Pepper and Steve share a dance. This is very sweet.

"This is a bad idea," she says, pulling back. Mostly because one of them has to. Clint tilts his head in agreement. "Not the worst one I've had today." Okay, so that much is true, at least. "Come on, Katie," he says. "Make bad decisions with me." Well. They're a team, right? So she kisses him. Adorable Clint/Kate, with pitch-perfect Hawkeye banter.

Fun crossover where Felicity Smoak and Natasha Romanoff are trapped together on a plane that looks like it's going to crash.

Five Times that Steve and Bucky had a bath together set in movieverse. Exactly what it says on the tin. Sweet and funny and occasionally hot.

Tim Drake's seen a lot of bizarre things in the course of his admittedly unusual adolescence, but finding Damian Wayne trying and failing to skateboard in the BatBunker might just be a new low. Aw, Batfamily feels.

various maps of Gotham

Lovely slice of life look at Joan and Sherlock's life together.