Winterhawk Samplers

What's this? We love winterhawk, and we love rereading the same two sniper bros falling in love the same way over and over again -- and we know we're not alone in that. Therefore, we're embarking on a themed adventure to break down what we love about different tropes in winterhawk, and to provide you with a "sampler" of different themes. Think of these lists like an appetizer platter at your local [insert generic chain restaurant here]: each list will have a mix of short and long fics, different ratings, and different methods of addressing the particular theme. The lists are not all-inclusive, but a selection to show some of what winterhawk has to offer.

How does this work? Lists include complete works only, and winterhawk exclusive relationships (except for the OTP+ list). To prevent the posts from being crazy long, included are full mini reviews for 5-6 fics which contain an explanation of how the fic addresses the selected theme. There are also shorter link+rating+length+tags for several more. Full review or not is no indication of the quality of the fics! They're all great; we're just trying to showcase diversity within the theme. Additionally, though the themes appear in lots of winterhawk fics, the fics included in these lists feature the chosen themes in a significant or innovative way.

Individual posts are linked below as they're posted; feel free to dm with fics you think should be included on themes that aren't posted yet or angles to be considered, or reblog or comment on specific samplers with your own additions! You can now submit fics on this anonymous google form!

A note -- we're trying to include fics on only one list, so if you notice a certain fic isn't on one list, that may be because it's on another!

Posted:

Time Travel and Multiple Dimensions

AUs: Fusion fics

Canon Divergence (one canon backstory, one not)

Kidfic (+ de-aging)

Werewolves and Vampires

Mutual Recovery

Pet Fic (alpine, lucky, and animal-related occupations)

Military

Planned (may change, not in posting order):

Mission Fics

Memory Loss

Farm Fics

Deafness and Disability

Soulmates

OTP+ (polyamory)

Circus!Clint (either current or past)

AU or canon: to Rip Your Heart Out (angst)

AU or canon: to Make You Laugh (humor/crack)

AU or canon: the Good Feels (fluff and other heartwarming feels)

AUs: the Classics (so good they'll convert a canon-only reader)

Morally-Grey Clint

Trans/Nonbinary

Aromantic/Asexual

Holidays

Magical Mishaps (clint don't touch that -- )

With the complex relationship the Avengers have with the US Military, Bucky’s canon backstory, and Clint’s perfect accuracy, it only makes sense that winterhawk is filled with military AUs and canon divergent fics! In addition, the WH classic tropes of trauma recovery and figuring out the answer to the question of “Am I more than just a weapon?” align perfectly for a conflicted, nightmare-riddled veteran. Even in stories that don’t focus on the military, no powers AUs frequently feature army service as the reasoning behind the loss of Bucky’s arm or Clint’s hearing.  The following list is mostly AUs, with a few canon adjacent fics sprinkled throughout. 

Bated Breath by: @lizabethl and @hawkguyandthewinterdude length: 21k | rating: T | tags: circus!Clint, epistolary (letters), pining, soldier Bucky, hurt/comfort, digital art, canon injuries Summary excerpt: "Mr. Clint Barton - I promised you I'd write, so here I am, a man of my word. Though to be frank, I'm not quite sure what to say, mostly because I'm not sure what you expect of me." Following a chance encounter at the circus prior to Bucky leaving for war, Clint and Bucky begin exchanging letters.  why this one? Talk about unique! This beautiful fic is comprised of handwritten letters between Clint and Bucky as they struggle with being separated by World War II. The letters written by each of the authors feel like windows into Clint and Bucky’s souls, for all the rich honesty and depth of emotion they convey as the two cope with the trials they face at home and on the battlefront. bonus: art by @umikochannart on the final chapter!

Ain’t That a Kick in the Head by: Finely_Honed length: 114k | rating: E | tags: veteran Clint, veteran Bucky, PTSD, permanent injuries, established relationship, tattoos, found family, mutual recovery summary excerpt:  “That guy out there? Lovin’ him is the best part of being alive, Steve [...] I wanted Clint so bad, for so long, but I was all turned around, and lying to myself, makin’ excuses as to how it was some crazy side effect of spending so much time together. But the truth was? I was scared. It was too big, so I tried like hell to hide from the truth, right up until I went and got blown up. Then it was total fuckin’ clarity time.” why this one? This is an essential veteran story, featuring an established relationship between army vets Clint and Bucky as they try to figure out how to be a civilian alongside their remaining special forces unit. Though technically this is the third in a series, it's a prequel and can be read standalone.

soft & delicate desires by: @mightymightygnomepriest length: 3.6k | rating: M | tags: sex worker Clint, WWII, soldier Bucky, porn with feelings summary excerpt: "Are you sure about that?" Clint asks aloud, hooking his thumbs through his belt loops and pulling them back slightly, subtly stretching the fabric of his trousers taut across the flat planes of his stomach. "I can be very accommodating, you know. I would hate for one of our guests to leave here... unsatisfied." why this one? Bucky never fell from the train in this mid wartime fic. A little bit of sad and a whole lot of sweet, this lovely oneshot grants two soft boys what they deserve: someone to treat them right and give them hope for the future.

The Maybe to Your Story by: @kangofu-cb length: 5.1k | rating: E | tags: marine Bucky, navy Clint, established relationship, deployment talk, hopeful ending summary excerpt: “Oh, you’re still here?” [Bucky] asked blithely, toweling at his hair. “Might want to shake a leg before you get an eyeful of something you want to see even less than my dick.” “I’m going, I’m going,” Steve grumbled. “Fuck. Can’t believe I’m getting sexiled for the third time this week. For Barton.” why this one? This military au features current service members Clint and Bucky who struggle – but eventually manage – to talk about their hopes for the future of their relationship. It's hot, hilarious, and emotional all at once.

Be All You Can Be by: @flawedamythyst length: 45k | rating: T | tags: undercover military, basic training, enemies to lovers, soulmates, bigotry and slurs summary excerpt: Clint was aware that he'd been acting like a dick since Barnes joined the Avengers, but it felt like the asshole had taken over everything that Clint contributed towards the team and left him feeling useless. [...] So of course SHIELD decided to partner them together for a long-term undercover mission in the US Army. This was going to be hell. why this one? Love canon fics, but looking for a military twist? Why not add a soulmates spin and enemies-to-lovers flair while you're at it? Clint and Bucky have to work hard in this mission fic -- to get over their own misconceptions of each other, cope with prejudiced assholes, and become the best (but not too perfect) fake recruits the Army has ever had. The next five fantastic fics are in ascending order by length!

Safe Return by: GingerEnvy  length: 1.5k | rating: NR | tags: homecoming (like those cute family reunion videos), soldier Bucky 

Standby by: @mollynoble length: 2.2k | rating: T | tags: veteran Bucky, veteran Clint, the VA, meet-ugly

Pizza with Lucky by: SimplyUnknown length: 4.1k | rating: T | tags: veteran Clint, veteran Bucky, meet-cute, canon disabilities, lucky the best dog ever

All in the Timing by: myowneviltwin length: 12k | rating: E | tags: canon adjacent, Clint has a military kink, humor, meddling stony

In Service by: @dapperanachronism length: 13k | rating: T | tags: veteran Bucky, therapy dogs, animal trainer Clint, PTSD

For other veteran fics (plus therapy animals!), be sure to check out the pet fic list. 

For other WWII era military fics, check out the time travel fic list.

and all other lists are here on our masterpost!

It's dogs. And cats. And the occasional ferret. Come on, of course we love them! This sampler offers a variety of animal-centric fics: in some, pets and animals are what bring Clint and Bucky together; in others, they serve as key components to helping Clint and Bucky figure things out; in one, we get some of Lucky's actual POV. Animals act as therapists, as cockblocks, as the absolute best pillows. This is a (literal) fluff, humor, and pizza dog filled theme, but don't be too surprised when some of these furry facades are actually vehicles for processing complex winterhawk themes like trauma, PTSD, and figuring out how to be human.

Space to Run, Space to Hide by: @ialwayscomewhenyoucall length: 1.1k | rating: T | tags: free verse poetry, barton farm, fluff, avoidance, podfic available, shifting POVs summary excerpt: Clint is spending some time at his farm. Not because he's running away. Nope. Not at all. He just missed the farm. Why this one? In this incredibly beautiful, sweet, and lyrical fic, the author utilizes Lucky's POV to help capture a classic example of Clint's emotional avoidance. bonus: podfic by @flowerparrish

Rescue Me by: NotEvenCloseToStraight length: 25k | rating: M | tags: PTSD, depression, service animals, misunderstandings, amputee!Bucky, Deaf!Clint, h/c, no powers au summary excerpt: Still struggling with PTSD and nightmares a year after leaving the Army, Bucky goes to a shelter to find a therapy dog. He finds companionship in Beef the Pitbull, a purpose in volunteering on weekends, and when the dog trainer starts smiling his way, Bucky finds something else that feels a little like love. Why this one? This heart-wrenching fic situates a post-military service Bucky struggling to find a new normal alongside a disaster human/pet-trainer Clint. C&B's journey to recovery in this fic is realistic, rife with struggles and mistakes, and filled with enough feels to make you want to rush to hug the nearest animal you can find.

Through the Streets of Long Gone Dreams by: Rivulet027 length: 11k | rating: T | tags: canon-adjacent, Bucky Barnes recovering, mutual pining, bed sharing, Lucky as the best bed buddy summary: Bucky’s having trouble sleeping until Lucky decides to adopt him. Now Bucky isn’t sure if he’s sleeping better because of a dog or the archer that comes with the dog. Why this one? This one feels like a more classic Bucky recovery story, in that the setting is the tower, and there are PTSD and nightmare themes throughout. Lucky here helps push Clint and Bucky together and helps Bucky ground and find himself. bonus: art by prompt_fills

A Christmas Miracle: Getting Lucky by: Lissadiane length: 11k | rating: T | tags: veterinarian!Bucky, performer!Clint, temporary animal injury, fluff, holidays, no powers au summary excerpt: Clint Barton’s absolute worst nightmare comes true on a snowy highway in the middle of Colorado on a cross country drive — he hits a dog. It’s just his luck that the only vet he can find hates people — especially those who hurt dogs — and happens to look amazing in a pair of kitten scrubs. Why this one? A sheepishly adorable Clint, an adorably grouchy Bucky, and the cutest Lucky in a pair of reindeer antlers to ever attend a holiday festival make for the most fluff-and-feels-filled fic, possibly ever. A dash of misunderstanding, a sprinkle of enemies-to-lovers, and you're in for a fic streaming from the hallmark channel straight to your ao3 account.

Lucky in Love by: @drgrlfriend length: 59k | rating: E | tags: no powers au, mutual recovery, PTSD, depression, veteran!Bucky, h/c, roommates, pining, touch-starved, canon disabilities summary excerpt: Clint is only a couple of sips into his cardboard cup of coffee, his brain barely out of neutral, which is probably why it takes him so long to realize that some damn psycho is trying to kidnap his dog. Why this one? This classic au blends a variety of canon and fandom favorite tropes in a beautiful story of mutual recovery. Lucky brings Clint and Bucky together in a disaster of a meet-cute, and is there to support them through every nightmare, every flashback, and every shaky and sweet step towards trust and healing. bonus: art by @drizzledrawings

The next nine fluff-filled fics are sorted in descending order by length.

What do you get when you stick two formerly brainwashed assassins in a tower together? How do you move on from trauma when you're still fighting? What happens when you find someone who understands what it's like to have red in your ledger? Coping with the abandonment of best friends, brainwashing, or being seen as a weapon: Welcome to Winterhawk's bread and butter (and probably one of the ways you've tried to convince someone it's a viable ship). This is mutual recovery -- of self, of confidence, of soul. This is recovery via therapy, social media, flight, target practice, or inappropriate humor. This is Clint and Bucky finding common ground, finding themselves, and finding who they want to be. This theme naturally (and deservedly) trends heavy, but the following list shows that it doesn't always have to. For the sake of cohesion and similarity, all of the fics on this list are set in canonverse. Other posted and planned lists do, and will feature AUs.

Clint Barton's Super Secret Sniper Club by: @captn-sara-holmes length: 67k | rating: T | tags: towerfic, PTSD, therapy, implied alcohol abuse, sniper bros, Bucky Barnes recovering, references to brainwashing summary excerpt: When Steve brings Bucky back to the tower for the first time, Clint’s first thought is that Tony Stark’s pride and joy is quickly becoming a less of a very tall and expensive ‘fuck you’ in the faces of investors who don’t believe in self-sustaining energy, and more of a superhero rehabilitation center. Why this one? Witty banter, finding solace and solidarity on the shooting range, Clint's avoidance of therapists, nightmares, interfering best friends, and learning to trust oneself again; this fic helped set the standard for how Clint and Bucky are able to support each other in the journey of accepting themselves.

You rearrange me till I'm sane by: @redsector-a length: 56k | rating: E | tags: suicidal thoughts, road trip, PTSD, mutually protective sniper bros, Bucky Barnes recovering, Bucky remembering summary excerpt: Clint finds himself spiraling into a deep depression after the Battle of New York...until the Winter Soldier ends up saving him and inadvertently giving him a new purpose – to save the man that the Soldier had once been – Bucky Barnes. Not one to be outdone, the Soldier decides that his new mission is to ensure that Clint remains alive himself. Why this one? As Clint and Bucky cross the country on a road trip together, they blur the lines between giving each other space to grow and define who they want to be, and protecting each other from everything -- including themselves. bonus: art by @albymangroves and art by mekare

Sweet Home Was Home by: @there-must-be-a-lock length: 109k | rating: E | tags: post endgame, Hawkeye + Falcon and the Winter Soldier elements, communication, humor, the power of choice, farm fic, ensemble cast summary: Clint and Bucky try to let go of the past and start thinking about the future. They also celebrate the holidays, juggle knives, assemble furniture, see a musical, adopt a few strays, and rescue each other repeatedly. Why this one? This fic reflects changes in the winterhawk dynamic by incorporating recent traumas from the post-endgame era while doing an amazing job of highlighting how two tenets of winterhawk recovery (communication and the freedom to choose your own future) are just as important as they ever were. Plus, it does this all with a beautiful blend of humor, raw emotion, and soft, soft boys getting -- and creating for themselves -- the life they deserve.

Coffee Spoons by: @cakeisnotpie length: 5.6k | rating: T | tags: memory loss, coping with inappropriate humor, sexting, some violence summary: Bucky Barnes might not remember who he is, but he knows what he likes. Or Clint Barton is a pretty good therapist among other things. Or Steve and Tony are clueless. Why this one? Combining classic team feels with quick banter, this fic blends heavier themes like memory loss and brainwashing with humor and levity as Clint and Bucky make the best (and worst jokes) out of the hands they've been dealt.

Laconic Lassitude by: Cristinuke length: 20k | rating: M | tags: panic attacks, PTSD, post CATWS, being misunderstood, towerfic, allowing space and silence to process summary: Clint Barton and Bucky Barnes just wanted everyone to leave them alone. Why this one? An early winterhawk fic, this showcases how Clint and Bucky understand what the other needs when no-one else does, no matter how well-intentioned the rest of the team can be.

The next eight amazing, amazing fics are sorted in descending order by length.

Hey friends! We plan on posting our "Mutual Recovery" list later this week, but wanted to do an all-call request for suggestions before publishing. This is such a critical element of Winterhawk. Think trauma! Brainwashing! Red in the ledger! Therapy! Accepting oneself! Discovering the ability to make choices! Discovering that they're more than just a weapon! Coffee as a coping mechanism! It's all so good.