#liionne

“The Silver Answer” (T, 22k) by dirtybinary

On May 7, 2013, the sixty-eighth anniversary of Steve Rogers’s death, the war record of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops was declassified. Overnight, their work in World War II became public knowledge: a “Ghost Army” that deceived and terrorised Axis forces with phantom troops, decoy inflatables, spoofed radio signals, professionally recorded sound effects—and the myth of Captain America himself.

Steve Rogers never got the serum. He doesn't have superhuman abilities. What he has is a paintbrush, some stage props, a stomach full of spite, and a Bucky Barnes.

It's enough.

+ WW2 to modern. Mixed media: interviews, letters, and photos. Steve doesn’t have the serum but punches the Red Skull anyway. Steve and Bucky get to grow old together

-☆-

“Like the Tide” (E, 53k) by Deisderium

There's no SSR anymore. It's SHIELD, now. The worst part is, it's named after him in some way, Peggy's idea of a memorial to honor his sacrifice. He hates the thought of it, because it makes him feel like a hypocrite. His shield was only ever a prop, not something to base an agency around.

But he's been mythologized differently. They give him files to read on this thing that Peggy and Howard built, and his story is a part of it—or anyway, the story that Peggy and Howard chose to tell about him.

It shouldn't matter; they thought he was dead. They never thought he would see what they turned him into.

*

In which Steve and Bucky never met, and Steve was always a USO performer instead of an actual supersoldier. The serum keeps Steve alive in the ice, but he wakes up the size he used to be in the 1930s, albeit healthier. Hydra sends the Soldier to kill Captain America, but somehow the Soldier can't make himself do it.

Suddenly Steve is stuck with an assassin who can't quite kill him but refuses to leave him alone and the knowledge that Hydra is still out there somewhere.

If you can't beat them, subvert them.

+ WW2 to Modern. Instead of murdering smol Steve, the Asset moves in and adopts two kids with him

-☆-

“The Role We Are Cast In” (T, 6k) by 74days

Bucky Barnes loves his daughter just as much as any man ever did. He expected to be the most important man in her life for a lot longer than 5 years old, when she comes home to tell him that her teacher is Captain America, shrunk down in a Nazi plot.

But the war is over, and Bucky's got a bum arm and a job working in the office of the docks he worked as a lad, and he really doesn't give it too much thought.

+ Post WW2. Steve is the voice actor for the Captain America radio show

-☆-

“A Contest of Stories” (NR, 70k) by alby_mangroves, hansbekhard, and Scappodaqui

All actions in war take place in an atmosphere of uncertainty, or the "fog of war." Uncertainty pervades battle in the form of unknowns about the enemy, about the environment, and even about the friendly situation. While we try to reduce these unknowns by gathering information, we must realize that we cannot eliminate them—or even come close. The very nature of war makes certainty impossible; all actions in war will be based on incomplete, inaccurate, or even contradictory information. Having said this, we realize that it is precisely those actions that seem improbable that often have the greatest impact on the outcome of war.

(Warfighting, Marine Corps Doctrinal Publication 1)

+ Azzano and WW2. Steve joins the Ghost Army, foils Hydra, and disappears with Bucky

-☆-

"Of ghosts and inflatable tanks” (T, 4k) by liionne

They were part of the 603rd Camouflage Engineers and The Signal Company Special respectively, divisions of the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops.

They were the Ghost Army.

+ WW2. They’re scared and scared for each other, but they’re doing their best together

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“Like Some Tender God” (T, 5k) by jinlinli

A loud crack rings through the air, and for an instant, Bucky thinks it’s the earth rumbling underneath him in response to his roiling emotions. Then something coils around his wrist and his torso, ensnaring, entangling. It pulls him back, and his legs are sinking into the trunk of the pomegranate tree, the branches twining around his arms. He wrenches forward, but this is Steve’s domain, and Bucky’s all but cut off from the sources of his own power. The tree shudders as it settles back into the ground.

Steve leans closer to inspect his handiwork, trailing a finger up the bark curving around Bucky’s chest. The garland is still draped over his shoulders, and Steve plucks the pomegranate blossom from the end, tucks it into Bucky’s hair. "Sir Hades, why don’t you stay a while," he whispers and presses another light kiss against the corner of Bucky’s mouth.

+ Origin. Steve knows what he wants, and what he wants is Bucky. 

-☆-

“Down, Down, to the Underground” (E, 10k) by sarahyellow

In Greek legend, there is the tale of the goddess Persephone. Kidnapped by Hades, returned to save the Earth from her mother's crippling grief, and forced to go back every year. One month in the underworld for each seed of the pomegranate that she ate.

The time for Steve's third year in hell has come around.

+ Ancient. Enemy dubcon to lovers. Bucky begins to romance Steve, and Steve starts wanting to stay

-☆-

“listen to your heart (but don’t say goodbye to me)” (E, 9k) by CinnamonCake

There is a Hades, and there is a Persephone.

They’re just not the ones you’d expect.

+ Origin. Bucky stole Steve’s heart long before he stole Steve. 

-☆-

“I have walked through the valley” (T, 8k) by liionne

"Listen, I'm on a very tight schedule here, I don't have time to talk to idiots--"

"Okay, fine, then I'll just hang onto your weird three headed dog thingy then, shall I?" Steve snaps.

"Cerberus?"

"That's what the tag says." Steve mutters.

"Who even is this?" Steve asks, feeling exhausted from the entire conversation.

"James Buchanan Barnes." The voice - James - answers. "Lord of the Underworld. Owner of Cerberus. I'll see you in three days, Steve."

Steve finds a puppy on a post-graduation road trip. It spirals from there.

+ Modern AU. Steve returns a dog, gains a live-in boyfriend. 

-☆-

“Love for a Season” (T, 5k) by aislingdoheanta and Justgot1

Steve accidentally wanders into the Underworld and decides he's staying, much to the chagrin of the resident god of the Underworld.

+ Modern AU. Things the underworld has: a cute dog, a comfortable bed, and a handsome guy. Steve is going to stick around for science. 

-☆-

“Ring the Bell Backward” (T, 13k) by Dira Sudis

"I know how it is," Wanda said. "Being half of something. I would go anywhere if I knew he was there waiting for me."

+ Post CW. Wanda’s magic removes trauma by taking years away. Bucky’s going to get a fresh start at living (not without you)

-☆-

“young hearts to yourselves be true” (G, 8k) by ninemoons42

Steve and Bucky are hit with an alien weapon and they're not singed, they're not hurt, they just get turned into their six-year-old selves (with some modifications).

The Avengers cart them back home to the Tower, and it turns out JARVIS doesn't mind being a babysitter.

+ Post WS. Both de-aged, babysat by all the Avengers

-☆-

“Clint Barton And The Adventures In Terror Twin Rearing” (G, 3k) by attackofthezee (noxlunate)

“Maybe it’s aliens.” Steve hisses at Barnes.

“Aliens don’t look like people Steve.” Barnes says with all the surety of an eleven year old. And ho boy, does Clint kind of want to introduce this version of these two to Thor.

In which Steve and Bucky are somehow turned into their ten and eleven year old selves and Clint Barton is somehow nominated to take care of them. It goes about as well as can be expected.

+ Post WS. Both are de-aged, babysat by Clint

-☆-

“yes you can hold my hand if you want to (’cause i want to hold yours too)” (G, 3k) by liionne

So Sam has no idea what they’re going to be like when they’ve been shrunk down to pint size, but really, he should expect them to be just as weird.

+ Post WS. Both are de-aged, babysat by Sam

-☆-

“Mission Parameters” (T, 12k) by what_alchemy

The soldier does not find the Mission. The soldier finds a tow-headed white child, aged approximately five years, unconscious and naked amid the empty Captain America uniform lying charred and bloody in the middle of what used to be a battleground. The soldier finds an expanse of bruised flesh and stubborn cowlicks that shine through the fog in his head.

The soldier lifts the child up and slings it under one arm before running.

+ Post WS. Bucky keeps Steve safe, starts to remember, and learns how to laugh and smile again. Incomplete series since 2014

-☆-

“Put On a Funny Face” (T, 2k) by Alexicon

Bucky's never been on camera before. Luckily he meets Steve, who also has never been on camera before. Thank God the mikes aren't recording them.

+ Modern AU. Extras on set aren’t meant to be distracting, but they can’t hide their instant chemistry

-☆-

“Starbucks Is Canon” (T, 8k) by 74days

Bucky's been trying to book Captain America actor Steve Rogers on his show for longer than he can remember. But when the actor does agree, he's not expecting their first meeting to be quite so... well documented... by social media.

+ Modern AU. Talk show host Bucky meets Actor Steve and forms an instant connection in front of a live studio audience

-☆-

“THE Steve Rogers PROBLEM” (M, 85k) by relenafanel

Meet SSA Bucky Barnes: Hostage Rescue Team member extraordinaire. He loves his job, his body, and hooking up. He hates civilians and local enforcement officers trying to do his job and fucking everything to shit.

Meet Bucky Barnes: fan of the television show The Howling Commandos extraordinaire. He loves writing fanfic, creating fanart, and staring at Steve Rogers' ass. He hates the long journey of doing the necessary physical therapy on his arm (and also that no one told him he knows Steve Rogers).

+ Modern AU. Series of stand-alone stories. In every iteration, Steve has long admired Bucky since childhood, regardless of how badly Bucky behaves. Parts 1-3: Actor Steve, fanfic writer Bucky. Part 4: Actor Steve, FBI fuckboi Bucky. Part 5: Actor Steve, FBI fuckboi Bucky but with a Christmas meet cute. 

-☆-

“America’s (Daytime) Sweethearts” (T, 4k) by samanthahirr and AlnaTheRhyperographer

After years of romance arcs with women, soap opera actor Steve finally lands his first gay-romance storyline, starring opposite daytime heartthrob Bucky Barnes. Their return-from-the-dead/amnesia/fireman/vigilante plot looks like a guaranteed ratings success; all Steve has to do is control his crush and keep things professional with Bucky.

Bucky’s casual flirting makes things harder…in all the right ways.

+ Modern AU. All the cheesy soap opera tropes and behind the scenes flirting you can ask for

-☆-

“my baby just cares for me” (T, 13k) by liionne

“I didn’t know.” Steve interrupts, because he doesn’t want Bucky freaking out too. One at a time. “I didn’t know that you’re… famous.”

“Do you go outside?” Bucky asks, and there’s an edge to his voice that’s teasing. He isn’t freaking out anymore, even though he’s trying to look serious. “Ever seen a billboard?”

“I should’ve known you’d have an ego the size of Manhattan.”

James Buchanan Barnes is an international, oscar-nominated movie star. Steve Rogers, his boyfriend of six months, is only now finding that out.

+ Modern AU. A cute series where Steve meets and dates Bucky, all without knowing Bucky’s a famous actor -☆-