(these are in no particular order, and feature a range of topics, ratings, lengths, and possible warnings. as with any rec, please be sure to also double check for any triggers yourself before reading. however, I will not rec MCD and very rarely unhappy endings.

if you read one and enjoy it, please be sure to leave a comment or support! if you don't, just move on. be kind!)

☆ I NEED HIM LIKE WATER ☆ by CapNCrunchFeelings | T+ | 9k

Steve Rogers has always tried to be good, but he cannot outrun the sins he believes are written into his soul. Bucky is gone, Peggy is lost, and Tony Stark is dangerously alive in ways Steve can’t contain. In a world that has left him behind, he must confront what he’s been running from all his life: desire, guilt, and the people he loves most. [Steve Rogers struggles with his sexuality and religious guilt in a world that feels so foreign yet just as restrictive.]

notes/warnings: check tags before reading -- themes of guilt/shame, some angst and (past/internalized) homophobia. there's also a bit of stony! great exploration and introspection around religious guilt and a refreshing take on it imo!

☆ STILL-LIVING ROOTS CONSUMED BY THE FLAME ☆ by axxyl | NR | 8k

Yelena hadn’t recognized him. She hadn’t comprehended the possibility that this mangled body before her, full of fear and youth, could be the tired man walking up behind her now. It was hard to imagine Barnes ever being so naive and young, so inexperienced and scared, but here he was. No imagination necessary. When the Thunderbolts punch through Bob’s shame rooms in an attempt to escape the Void, some of Bucky’s memories make it through. [A take on Bucky’s shame rooms, through Yelena’s eyes.]

notes/warnings: this one is mostly bucky-centric instead of stucky, but it's so so so lovely!!!

☆ DEMOBILIZATION ☆ by 743ish | E | 41k

When the Statue of Liberty slides into view, the whole ship roars. It’s deafening. Bucky throws his fist in the air and yells along with everyone else. His heart is in his throat. The Statue of goddamn Liberty. Bucky wants to climb up her robe and kiss her sour green face. [In 1945, Bucky comes home from the war.]

notes/warnings: i think my frail emotional state bit off more than it could chew with the angst in this one, but the writing is raw, heart wrenching, and phenomenal. be sure to check the tags for all historically appropriate homophobia, angst, and disability related warnings!

☆ SCANDAL ☆ by biblionerd07 | G | 3k

Two boys are caught "getting fresh" in the Captain America exhibit, and Steve has to make a statement to the press. He doesn't quite stick to Pepper's script.

notes/warnings: ok I lied, this one is new and is not one of the 'classics' (yet) but it absolutely should be. please heed the tags and warnings re knife play and past non-con etc., but holy shit. the writing is stunning and I can't get enough of it.

☆ SHOW ME HOW YOU GIVE ☆ by applepieces | E | 26k

There must be something wrong with him, because who the fuck goes for faceless BDSM-esque hookups on Grindr unless they’re looking to get murdered? And yet Bucky can’t help but click through to the rest of the profile. The description is barren and blunt. There are three words, and only one of them is what Bucky cares about. Steve, 28, recently online and forty fucking feet away, is apparently a 5’4” strict top.

[or: Bucky wins the war against the New York City Grindr scene]

notes/warnings: this author just knocks it out of the park fr I loveeeeee their stucky (and would read shrinkyclinks with skinny dom steve x100000)

☆ TALK TO ME, YOUR BEAUTIFUL DREAM ☆ by applepieces | E | 26k

Bucky stomps his way to a stop in front of Steve. Steve looks up at him and smiles. His flat glare is all Winter Soldier, chilling to the bone, but the restless clench of his fists is Bucky. So is the stubborn set to his jaw when he demands, “Let me scent you.” Without waiting for an answer, he begins to strip off his gear and set it in orderly rows on the coffee table. Derringer, holster, SIG, holster, mag-pouch, IFAK, Skorpion, belt, vest — Steve’s eyebrows steadily rise. Surely, he thinks, Bucky hadn’t brought all those grenades for him. Bucky’s glare turns murderous when he notes Steve’s bland amusement, but by the time he’s done, dressed down to a t-shirt and cargos, he still hasn’t moved from his expectant spot in front of him, so Steve gathers up his wits and says, “Uh, sure, Buck. If you want.” And then, without any pomp or ceremony, he’s got a lap full of serum-enhanced super-soldier.

[or: Bucky’s memory leads him astray sometimes, but it works out just fine in the end.]

notes/warnings: I LOVE IT WHEN MY FAVE AUTHORS DECIDE TO DABBLE IN A/B/O IT MAKES ME SO HAPPY !!!! (and non-trad dynamics??? oh this was written specifically for me)

☆ AFTER YOU'VE GONE ☆ by SD_Ryan | 2 works + podfic(s) | 14k

“Time changes things,” Barnes rasps. Fucking understatement of the century. “I don’t like what it’s done to your eyes.” Steve presses his thumb to the bridge of his nose, smoothing over the scowl permanently etched there. “You’re so sad, Buck.” [Barnes is willing to live with the Avengers in Stark's tower. He's willing to take responsibility for what he's done and work on getting better. But he'll be damned if he lets Rogers smother him under a blanket of concern and heartbreak. It takes a visit from an old pal to remind him of all he's got in the here and now.]

notes/warnings: the summary is attached to the first work in the series, but both of them are incredible. I'm such a sucker for past and current stucky getting swapped and interacting with their former selves, and this one absolutely DELIVERED.

☆ WHAT LIES UNDERNEATH ☆ by SD_Ryan | E | 5k

Bucky looked at himself in the mirror as he got ready, freshly showered and buzzing with excitement. He felt the slide of sheer fabric, admired the way it sat against his hips and cradled his cock. With long, lean limbs and coarse trails of hair, everything about him was masculine, everything except that unexpected burst of red. He looked good, he thought with a blush. He hoped Steve would think so, too. He ran his hands over the material, shivering in anticipation, then quickly stepped back into his jeans before he was tempted to take things further.  Bucky stumbles onto the perfect Christmas present for Steve.

notes/warnings: PANTIES! :D

☆ WHAT THE WATER GAVE ME ☆ by hobbitdragon | E | 25k

One moment Steve stood listening to Fury talk some nonsense to deceive the bugs apparently everywhere in Steve’s apartment, and the next moment a door opened where there hadn’t been a door before. In the doorway stood a figure, outlined in the fluorescent light pouring out from behind it. Steve made out arms, legs, a head, but around those were....other limbs, squirming and curling. His head ached when he tried to count them, perhaps three, perhaps twenty. His eyes shied away from understanding the sight of them, at once glowing with an oil-slick rainbow of colors while also being the same empty blackness of endless space.  The figure looked hard at Steve, meeting his eyes over a face-mask. The eyes were the same as those awful limbs, simultaneously a bright, mesmerizing gold and also holes into a place with no light at all.

notes/warnings: this one has an art contribution from SD_Ryan and is written by hobbitdragon, and is absolutely phenomenal. if you're a fan of lovecraftian/eldritch horror mixed up with all the best stucky aspects, this one was fantastic!!!

☆ MAYBE TOMORROW (I'LL FIND MY WAY HOME) ☆ by obsessivereader, SD_Ryan | E | 26k

A man exits the building. Approximately 5’6”, thin, tired-looking. A suitable target. He needs someone he can overpower quickly and quietly. He’s injured from the fight on the helicarriers, and weak from hunger, and blood-loss.  A streetlight illuminates the target’s face as he passes under it. That one brief glimpse of a narrow face and glowing blond hair sets his heart rate climbing. Something presses at the edges of his mind, like the wingbeats of night moths against a pane of glass. He ignores it, like he ignores the phantom voice that comes when he’s too long out of cryo. He walks towards the target, knife in hand. [What if… What if Captain America died on the Valkyrie. What if he was reborn. What if the Winter Soldier met him after the fall of the helicarriers.]

notes/warnings: this is another one that's part of a larger event, so I can't tell which is the author and which is the artist, but obsessivereader and SD_Ryan both do a wonderful job with this one!! loved loved loved this verse, and the art is so great!!!

☆ THEN THE LETTING GO ☆ by dsudis | E | 3k

"I don't want this to hurt. But you're staying where I put you."

notes/warnings: gentle dom steve + omorashi .... yeah. yeah <3 (check tags re kink!)

☆ SOMETHING PURE CAN LAST ☆ by dsudis | E | 6k

He was big and Bucky was small now, in this one way; maybe Bucky wouldn't mind too much if Steve wanted to take good care of him. Bucky had always taken such good care of Steve before. It was only fair to take turns.

notes/warnings: I'm such a sucker for stucky fics centered around figuring out the mechanics of getting bucky's life back, and this completely fulfills that. be sure to check tags re bucky's past and hydra, but all current day with steve is beautifully done hurt/comfort and radical acceptance. lovely!!

☆ CARE AND MAINTENANCE ☆ by dsudis | E | 10k

"Before a mission and before I went into the ice, somebody would have to clean me. Mostly it was a chore they got stuck with. Sometimes--some handlers insisted on doing it themselves."

notes/warnings: another taking care of bucky post-hydra piece, with even more of the tenderness and lovely writing and wonderful characterization!!!

☆ THE HAPPINESS OF PERVERTS ☆ by dsudis | E | 16k

This was the Bucky no one saw but Steve. Bucky wasn't just mischievous or occasionally reckless. Bucky could be cruel when he was alone with Steve; he could glory in it. This Bucky was only Steve's, and Steve all by himself loved this secret, wicked Bucky more than any thousand people could ever love That Nice Bucky Barnes.

notes/warnings: so I love all types of kink and expressions/descriptions of it on page, but sometimes you just crave a really classic dom/sub dynamic and this one just...... it just hits SO well. incredible tension, characterization, set up and conclusion. 10/10 all the way around.

*THIS ONE IS BUCKY/STEVE/SAM, BUT THE FIC IS MOSTLY BUCKY CENTRIC!*

☆ COULD NEVER PREPARE YOU ☆ by dsudis | M | 14k

Bucky never expected to have to explain his own rapes to Teddy before he had a chance to tell him anything about normal sex, but here they are.

notes/warnings: we'll end on a bit of angstier one (but still unbearably sweet). I'm not sure I've read many fics where bucky speaks with his child about his past, and this one is probably the most convincing gateway I could have stumbled across. it's written with honesty and care and compassion for the characters, and I adore it from start to finish (and I love teddy!!)

.

.

.

There's really only one rule here: All fics are set before, during, or after the events of CA:TWS and/or reimagine its plot in interesting ways. Naturally, many of the fics on this list are post-TWS canon divergent, but I tried to go for a nice variety of length, genre, and popularity to keep it interesting. Speaking of popularity, this is very much not intended as a round-up of ‘most popular fics of each year’ because—and I say this with all the love and respect in my heart for those stories and their authors—nobody needs a rec list for that, and I believe in spreading the love. Here we go:

Poltergeists by enemyofrome | 17K, T

Author's summary: When the helicarriers blow up and the Winter Soldier goes on the run, he takes Steve with him. He's got a name written in Morse code on the inside of his arm, a ton of questions he doesn't know how to ask, and now, a new handler with absolutely zero sense of self-preservation to contend with. Life is hard. In which Bucky tries to figure out whether he's a human being, Steve does everything he can to keep from losing him again, and there are lots of explosions.

Starting off with one of the best versions of the 'Bucky didn't leave Steve, he took him with him after the Potomac' fics that were (and still are!) so popular post-TWS. This one stands out because of its fantastic beginning, its interesting take on how Bucky was broken and remade into the Winter Soldier, and because it allows both characters to be messy. It's a popular fanon trope that it's Steve who brings out a ruthless, almost vicious streak in Bucky, but here it's emphasized that this is very much a mutual thing. Just like Bucky, who's often afforded the "excuse" of still figuring out how to be a person again, Steve gets to be difficult here—without ever turning him into a stubborn asshole. They're both traumatized, and they're both allowed to show it and to lash out, including at each other. Also, this fic will give you capital-F Feelings about morse codes and apples. Believe me.

sleepwalk back to the battle site by ftmsteverogers | 22K, T

Author's summary: “I’m going to track down every HYDRA agent that’s left,” Bucky says, buckling his gun deftly to his belt. “And then I’m going to kill them.” “Oh,” Steve says. “Come with me?” Bucky asks, dangerous hands tucked into his pockets.

A classic post-TWS fic that picks up right after the movie ends. Equal parts Revenge Roadtrip, Bucky Barnes recovering, and Steve Rogers being in urgent need of a good hug. This starts out intensely melancholic—Steve's despair and helplessness are palpable and there's a scene involving a drinking glass that still brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Halfway through, the story changes pace and becomes much more action-heavy, but it still manages to allow space for the quiet, intimate moments between Steve and Bucky. They have both become sharp and deadly men, but they're also allowed to be soft with each other. Their coming together feels sweet and inevitable. I also really enjoyed the Steve characterization here. His absolute conviction that Bucky is still Bucky at his very core and always will be, but also his emotional and intellectual flexibility to adapt to this still-new-to-him, changed version of Bucky rang very true to me.   

Surveillance by Sproings, 7K in 2 parts, G

Author's summary: If there are ears everywhere, that means it's somebody's job to listen. I hate my job.

Do you ever think about how SHIELD bugged Steves DC apartment and how horrible that was, but also...you're kind of curious what they might have overheard? Do you ever wonder about the people who listened in on his sad, lonely life? Well, here you go. An outsider POV fic told "through the ears" of an unnamed SHIELD agent assigned to spy on the private life of a man who doesn't really have much of one. The story begins just before IM3 and takes us all the way through the events of CA:TWS and beyond. It's clever, original and told with great empathy for both the subject under surveillance and the person carrying out that surveillance—who increasingly questions its purpose. Here's a small snippet to give you an idea of the fic's style:

He got a phone call, once. He put it on speaker, too, which was very exciting for me at the time. It was from an archivist at the Smithsonian. They seemed really surprised that he answered his own phone calls. The two of them talked for a long time about an exhibit the museum was planning. A very long time. As if one of them was starstruck, and the other was desperate for any kind of human interaction.

What Gets You Through by velleities | 12K, M

Author's summary: For Steve, getting through each day is a process – one he’s currently failing at spectacularly. Feeling out of place in this brave new world, he hopes to find a home in Bucky, and looks for him with everything he’s got. But Bucky doesn’t want to be found, and when he does touch base with Steve, he never sticks around for long. Bucky has embraced the modern age, leaving Steve lagging behind – or so Steve believes, until Bucky shows him otherwise.

This post-TWS fic revolves around five encounters in liminal spaces, and each time Bucky has pieced himself back together again just a little more. Despite their increasingly longer and more honest conversations, and Bucky's incremental progress, he always disappears again, leaving Steve to grapple with his heartbreak. There are quietly gorgeous moments in this fic (the bus and the church in particular were my personal favorites) as well as wonderfully crafted characterizations. Bucky is initially portrayed as somewhat feral in some ways yet surprisingly well-adjusted in others, and I love that Steve can't help but be a little annoyed at that. However, it quickly becomes clear that, in good old Bucky Barnes fashion, much of it is really just a front put up for Steve's benefit...

A Real Boy by itsnotbleak | 5K, T

Author's summary: It took the Winter Soldier three weeks to remember that human beings needed to sleep and eat. It took Steve far too long to realise the Winter Soldier was sleeping in his bed.

A wonderful, short-but-doesn't-feel-like-it fic (in the very best way) set immediately after CA:TWS, in which Bucky secretly and then soon not so secretly visits Steve in his apartment. Follow along as Bucky Barnes argues with his brain about sandwich toppings, the importance of a good night's sleep, and the necessity of personal hygiene. Also: how to best go about becoming a real boy (again). And who the hell is that Bucky guy anway? This is as soft and sweet a Bucky recovery fic as you're ever going to find. It's funny but not silly; sad in a way that all of these stories inherently are—because, well, these are some tragic boys—but not super angsty or depressing. A beautiful story with a lovely, hopeful ending.

Savage God by PottersPink | 36K, M

Author's summary (abbr.): Past, present, future, Steve knows Bucky Barnes. It’s why he recognized him when he found him in that alley in April of 1942, even though Bucky was older, stronger, wearier; he called himself The Asset, and had a metal fucking arm. He flinched when Steve tried to touch him, and when Steve told him he loved him, his first response was to ask why. Seventy years later, Steve wakes up in the twenty-first century, and he doesn’t know whether to be heartbroken or hopeful when some of the things Bucky revealed to him in 1942 start falling into place.

An absolutely riveting AU that will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time. I'm itching to talk about it more but I cannot since it would mean spoiling the hell out of it. What I can say is that it's a very intriguing and clever exploration of what would happen if Steve knew about the future but without really knowing any of the details. How would it change the events of CA:TFA and CA:TWS, and how would it change Steve himself? I so very much appreciate this characterization of Steve as smart, competent, and unwavering with a hefty dose of no fucks left to give. This fic features some really nifty time travel and plotting, great action sequences and a very satisfying ending where certain people get their much-deserved comeuppance. Plus: Bonus Shrinkyclinks (kind of)!

Charlie Lock by seapigeon | 105K, M (hard M)

Author's summary (abbr.): The Winter Soldier knows that sometimes, in order to make the kill, you must destroy what the Target lives for. Steve Rogers knows that he can't fight his captors. If he fights, they'll kill Bucky. But the price of his life is steep. Tony Stark has nothing left to live for, but he's needed. So all these miserable motherfuckers better stay alive, too. Clint Barton never expected to be a leader. But a leader he is, and no one else is going to die on his watch. --- A story in which the first wave of Project Insight succeeds, and the Avengers must pick up the pieces and find a way to stop Hydra from completing its work with Zola's algorithm.

This is not only the longest fic on this list, but also the angstiest one—by a mile, so please heed the tags. It's dark, disturbing, and brutal. However, it is neither relentless misery porn nor is it shocking for shock's sake, where everything is magically forgotten and/or healed the moment Steve and Bucky start kissing. Instead, the author puts these characters into an absolutely horrifying situation and then slowly, gently guides them out of it and into the light.

It's a Stucky fic but it's also a multi-POV ensemble piece featuring all the Avengers and other familiar faces. If you are someone who'll always be a little bitter about the unfulfilled promise of an Avengers found family, then this is for you. In this AU, they do not only fight together, but grow together in every way. They truly become a team, not just co-workers barely tolerating each other. The story takes its time exploring the characters and the group dynamics. Steve and Bucky are definitely at the center of the narrative but there is space here for every member of the team to grieve and adjust to the new reality and to find at least some measure of healing. It's a story about the meaning and the consequences of revenge, about hope and resilience, and about love in all its many forms. It also has one of the most satisfying title drops that will have you pump your fist in triumph when it happens. It's a tough read, but ultimately a very rewarding one.

SPELEVINK by Ginny_Potter | 10K, G

Author's summary: Bucky’s back. He’s leaving me messages through IKEA plushies, Steve texts Sam. jesus christ, rogers, Sam texts back. Or, Bucky lives in an IKEA Tiny Apartment, Steve is a dancing monkey once again, and somehow they find their way back to each other.

This is an absolute DELIGHT of a fic that will have you alternately laughing out loud and crying quietly into your SVARTFIBBLA blanket (super-soft, recycled polyester, 47x63"). It's ‘crack treated seriously’ at its very best and a clear homage to the fandom classic Infinite Coffee… (that’s not a dig or a spoiler, the author says so in the author’s note).

Now if you know me, you’ll know that angst o’clock is my happy hour and I’m usually not very into these heavy-on the-humor quasi-absurdist fics (because I’m super special and not like all the other girls, obviously). But. I LOVED this story so, so much. It’s such a fun read—even when it makes you cry—and it really became one of those ‘huh, I guess I’m into this after all’ moments of joyful (self)discovery via fanfic for me. I never thought a pair of oven mitts could move me like that, and I'll never be able to walk into an IKEA again without muttering "F******!" under my breath (iykyk). Absolutely fantastic.

a handful of dust by RecoveringTheSatellites | 20K, M

Author's summary: Steve looks for Bucky for a long time. But the thing is that Bucky doesn't get found, Bucky finds. Bucky always finds Steve. This takes a hard left after the Potomac and stumbles through the dark a lot after. Take a bit of running, the occasional synaptic misfire, the resurfacing of old memories, a dash or two of PTSD, and (eventually) a nice dose of action, stir, and serve over some unresolved issues.

Honestly, the second paragraph up there perfectly sums up the story. It's a good ol' fashioned Bucky recovery fic with some angst, some action, and a whole lot of healing and devotion. Steve and Bucky get to be very sappy about each other, but also extremely Badass Battle Boyfriends™ when somebody threatens their hard-won happiness. Both are allowed to be messy, unstable, and very co-dependent.

This was the first time this author played in the Stucky sandbox and I mean it 100% as a compliment when I say that you can tell. This is someone with "fresh legs" diving headfirst and very deep into the Stucky trope pool and they're doing it with great relish and enthusiam. The result is a story that rejects some of the tried and true conventions of the post-TWS fanfic canon and lovingly embraces others, but that is definitely aware of and in dialogue with the body of work that came before it. Also, it's just a really fun read that gives these two the very soft ending they deserve.

Everybody is Supposed to be Dead by pollutedstar | 22K, M

Author's summary: In 1944, Bucky Barnes falls off a train into the Alps, missing and presumed dead. Months later, Steve Rogers nosedives a plane into the arctic. In 2010, the Winter Soldier project is uncovered by S.H.I.E.L.D., and Bucky Barnes is found alive. Three years later, Steve Rogers’ frozen body is found in the ocean.

A really interesting AU and a fascinating exploration of what could’ve been; the impact it would’ve had on the events and characters if Bucky had been the one to be “found” first. How would it affect Steve to come back into a world where he isn’t quite so lonely and adrift, and where he does have the relief and reassurance of having Bucky by his side and at his back? How would that have changed the way he acted and reacted to this strange new world and the people and organizations trying to recruit him to their cause even though the ice hasn't even completely melted off his body yet?

There are a lot of astute and precise observations about characters like Tony, Natasha, and Clint in this story, and on top of that, it offers up some very compelling insights into Steve's conflicted and difficult relationship with his role as Captain America.

it's never over (hey orpheus) by romcommie | 12K WIP, 2/?, M

Author's summary: He remembers a song first and then everything else follows, burying him below. Or, Bucky Barnes pieces a life back together with a few choice verses, some duct tape and seventy years worth of spite. Steve Rogers tries very hard to relearn there's a life to be lived in the first place.

Ok, listen up, people! This is a WIP and there are only 2 chapters posted so far, but I haven't felt this absolutely bonkers excited about a post-CA:TWS fic in a long while. We're talking frothing at the mouth here. I have such a massive crush on this fic, it's a bit embarrassing, really. It's one of those fics where you know after just a few paragraphs that you're in very good, very competent hands. The wealth of historical and cultural detail; the way the story shifts/flips/flickers back and forth between time, perspective and narrative levels; the Bucky voice—it's all so well done! I'm so insanely excited to see where the author takes this!