#52k

Harry Styles swore he'd never do tour photography again - that is, until he did.

When Colonel Caldwell takes command and orders lethal force to be used against the mutated John Sheppard, simultaneously preventing Ronon and Teyla from joining the search, Rodney McKay realizes he is the only one able to prevent a tragedy. But events quickly spiral out of his control with permanent consequences.

While on an off-world mission, John is punished by the conservative race of the Nimaani for his 'unnatural desires'. But it isn't until the team return to Atlantis that John and Rodney discover that the punishment has only just begun...

“This isn’t the kind of story I usually read.” Bucky Barnes, beta, is a high-strung workaholic in the publishing industry. When he’s suddenly forced out onto vacation by his boss, much to his chagrin, he gets in the car and heads north out of Brooklyn for a month-long stay at a vacation rental on Maine’s mid-coast. His host—a mysterious omega named Steve Rogers—is an idle and lonely romance author with a shelf full of unsubmitted manuscripts and a pocket full of secrets he’s finally ready to share. “I know,” Steve calls back. All around them, the salty sea air rushes off the ocean, tangling itself with gold and crimson leaves in the surrounding tree line. “That’s why I wrote it.”

Steve and Bucky escape Romania only for German Special Forces to catch up with them in neighboring Serbia. They manage to make another frantic escape, but this time, Bucky is shot in the back. He’s left injured and in constant pain, forcing Steve to bring him to a safehouse in the States, in the hopes that Doctor Cho will be able to help Bucky. But of course, not long after their arrival, they are discovered and Bucky is arrested for the crimes he was forced to commit while under HYDRA’s control. Even with the serum and aid from Doctor Cho, Bucky does not heal fully and is left with limited mobility and in chronic pain. Steve trades his freedom and formally resigns as Captain America to be allowed into Bucky’s prison cell to care for him while Bucky is on trial for murder and treason. He assures Bucky that there is no possible way the jury could find Bucky guilty. Bucky was a prisoner of war and the jury will understand that. At least, that’s what Steve tells himself.

Steve jumps out of the Valkyrie, they win the war, and when he comes back home he tries to live his life as well as he can despite the gaping hole the loss of Bucky carved inside his chest. Sixty years later his life looks to span out much longer than he ever could have expected, and he's still feeling utterly lost all too often. In 2005 he's asked to help with thwarting the Red Room agents coming for the recently defected Natasha, and his life is completely overturned when he locks eyes with the Winter Soldier and realizes the biggest tragedy of his life had turned out different from what he'd thought.