#tinzelda

Don’t change a hair for me, not if you care for me. Stay, little valentine, stay! Below are my Top 5 Favorite stories:

C: What member do you identify with most? 

(…I assume this means character….) Probably Steve, but pre-serum/pre-war Steve. I am torn between wanting a fairly quiet, creative career and reading lots of fantasy novels (it’s comics canon–Steve read classic adventure fantasy growing up!) and feeling obligated to do something/punch someone about injustice and general suckiness in the world. 

K: What’s the angstiest idea you’ve ever come up with?

Actually unrequited pining. 

Specifically, a pre-WWII story about Steve finding out Bucky’s in love with him and being baffled and flattered but … he just doesn’t feel the same way about him. (And feels kind of guilty about that, too, because he’s Steve–and pissed, because the one time somebody actually wants him, he doesn’t feel the same and that’s just not fair.) The story would be about both of them figuring out how to still be friends without accidentally hurting or using each other.

I may actually write this story, but I will have to give it an implausible “Duh, I’m an idiot, I do like you that way!!” twist at the end because I like happy endings too much. 

U: Share three of your favorite fic writers and why you like them so much.

THIS IS HARD. I really need to make a fic rec list (or several) at some point, since a lot of my favorite fics are just one thing by that author. These are all people who have several works and I’ve read and liked the majority of them. 

1. Feather. A deeply-thought-out, wide-ranging universe that fleshes out the characters beyond what we see in canon. Hard to read the first time through, because people are accurately psychologically messed up, but so good and endlessly re-readable. You’ll notice threads running through stories, themes and minor observations that are beautifully internally consistent. I love the way she writes Clint; her OCs; the way Sam thinks about everyone’s trauma; and the beautiful fractured internal monologues that come from Bucky. Also probably the most pitch-perfect Tony Stark I’ve ever read–the bits inside his head are great. And there’s a short story from JARVIS’s POV….

And she fleshes out and explains things that aren’t explained in canon. Why weren’t Tony and Rhodey involved in shooting down the Insight helicarriers? Hydra had a plant try to take down Stark Tower from the inside, Tony had malaria to the point he was hallucinating (while still getting the Tower back up and running), and Rhodey was busy getting his suit operational after Hydra sabotaged it and then saving the president from an assassination attempt. There are multiple stories about what went down at Stark Tower that day and how Pepper hired Maria Hill in response and–it’s just amazing. The whole interconnected ‘verse is amazing. 

She’s also, under a different pseud, written some His Dark Materials fic that I found delightful.

2. MemoryDragon. Really good character insight, especially into Steve and Tony. Lots of charming Tony, Steve, and Steve/Tony stories, sometimes angsty, sometimes fluffy. I adore the one where Steve is turned into a cat–it’s funny and heartwarming, the characterization is good, and it’s an all-around comfort read. “History and Science Fiction” is also fun for slow-burn friendship-then-romance plus lots of geeky references.

3. TinZelda and Scappodaqui, mainly for their joint  Scraps series, although their solo stories are also great. I like epistolary fics, I like this take on Bucky (a slightly dreamy, introspective guy, the author/poet to Steve’s artist), and I like all the characters’ voices.

@girlbookwrm‘s Hundred-Year-Playlist is also rapidly approaching the list, but I’m slow reading through that so I won’t put it officially! 

Seahorses by Tinzelda (AO3) and Poppyfields13fic (AO3)

Rating: E

Archive Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Words: 31k

Relationships: Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes

Tags: Post-Captain America Civil War - Freeform, BuckyCap - Freeform, Kidfic, Dad Steve, Fluff, Domestic

Summary: Now that Bucky’s taken over the role of Captain America, Steve feels like it’s finally the time to start a family. Bucky doesn’t know what to feel when Steve breaks the news he’s going to adopt a baby. He wants Steve to be happy, but he’s worried it will affect their friendship. Once Steve becomes a dad though, Bucky can’t help falling in love with the baby. And maybe Steve will finally see Bucky in a different light.

Art by CapCarterandSarge (AO3)

Steve looks for Bucky after the events in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

I really feel that this fic needs more appreciation. Totally underrated, where are the hundreds of kudos this one deserves?

In most fics, Bucky either only lets himself be found or comes to Steve after a merry chase, or he comes to Steve to stay. This fic found a great balance and really made me feel the confusion, the hurt, the angst Bucky would be going through after TWS.