#amtsoyf

and @drgrlfriend requested some background on A Muscle The Size Of Your Fist! I am very very happy to oblige, I could talk about that fic for days. 

the songs I had on repeat while writing this (but didn’t include in the in-story playlists because they were anachronistic) were “Your Heart Is A Muscle The Size Of Your Fist” aka the title track, by Ramshackle Glory; “I Was A Teenage Anarchist” by Against Me!; and “Normal” by the Homeless Gospel Choir. 

Bucky eventually gets a biomech-style partial sleeve tattoo of the Winter Soldier arm, which Steve designs to incorporate his scars. (for anybody who hasn’t read the fic: in it, Captain America & the Winter Soldier is a comic book that Steve and Bucky have been writing/drawing together since they were kids. Cap’s story is an allegory for Steve’s coming out as transgender, and the fall/brainwashing/metal arm is Bucky’s way of writing about his depression/suicide attempt.) 

Frank’s story is that he was the original singer of a legendary punk band - think Henry Rollins/Black Flag - until Russo screwed him over and kicked him out. he is in fact dating both Matt and Karen. 

the first time I talked about this fic “out loud” was with @noxnthea in November 2021, a full year before I posted it, but before that, I was fiddling with the basic idea of “new kid in town processes anger issues through punk” as a Sam Winchester gen ficlet; it didn’t really work in that form, so I shelved it. then I went through like three different overall setups, starting with everybody being in high school, before it took its final shape.

the relationship between Clint and Steve was by far the hardest part of the fic for me to write. 

there is the start of a deleted scene somewhere in which Steve makes Clint his very own battle vest as a belated birthday present. it’s purple. I should go find that scene and finish it. 

thanks for playing along!