RECS: January 13, 2013
Jan. 13th, 2013 08:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bethbethbeth posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
beth_h Nineteen recs this time and (almost) all Clint/Coulson! The next set of recs - coming up in a day or two - will be just about every pairing except Clint/Coulson. *g*
AVENGERS
AnonEMouse: "The Heart in the Machine" (Avengers. Tony, Pepper, Phil/Clint. "Clint's code is faulty and Tony is determined to fix it, or, how Tony Stark became a matchmaker." A really fascinating style, all from Tony's pov. His internal running monologue is excellent.)
casspeach: "Losing Sight of the Shore" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "Coulson gets hit by a beam. Clint steps up to help him out. He's the obvious choice, because, well, none of the others are right for the job. You want reasons? He's got reasons - detailed inarguable ones. None of them having to do with the pathetic torch he's been carrying for his handler forever." Clint's a little insecure, Phil's a little vulnerable, and...'aliens made them do it.")
ellievolia: "Started up the clocks" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "Sometimes relationships have to grow through friendship, pushing and pulling, pain, denial and regrets." Phil once had a wife. A very insightful story about loss and recovery, written before the movie.)
Frea_O: "The Woman in the Crosshairs " (Avengers. Clint/Natasha. "In which Clint has a new hobby and Natasha isn't curious, until she is. Black Widow and Hawkeye, their partnership—and what it means—throughout the years." Do I really believe that Clint could be a secret best-selling author? Oh hell no, and yet, I absolutely buy it here...and love it.)
House_of_Ares: "A Christmas Story" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "Phil is Jewish." So...I don't celebrate Christmas, but I still love Christmas fic, except every now and again I yearn for a story that doesn't default to Christmas - and this one is both smart and utterly believable.)
james: "Tumble Down." (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "Phil Coulson has been Hawkeye's handler for awhile. They still surprise each other. " So nice to see a Phil who isn't perfect at everything...and a Clint whose skill set extends far beyond his marksmanship.)
lavvyan: "Catch Your voice" (Avengers. Phil/Clint, Natasha. "Clint keeps telling himself he's not obsessed with Coulson. From the way Natasha keeps laughing at him, she's not buying it either. But it's only a crush if you know what the other guy actually looks like, right?" One of the best of the "Clint hears Phil's voice long before they meet face to face" stories, even though it's incredibly heart-wrenching in places.)
micketysplit: "(three words) and goodnight, indeed " (Avengers. Phil/Clint "Phil is in recovery from Loki's attack and is on the REALLY good drugs." So, yes, Phil's a bit...forthcoming when he's too drugged up to realize Clint's really in the room with him. Also...he's pretty sweet.)
micketysplit: "Alula [Vertical and Forward Force] " (Avengers. Phil/Clint "Because Loki is a contrary asshole, he gifts Clint Barton with wings, of all things, during battle. The wings in and of themselves are one thing, but the way they react to Phil is another." I'm not usually a wingfic fan, but in this case, I absolutely am. I love when stories that should, by all rights, be crackfic end up being anything but.)
msraven: "Junction" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "A year and a half after the Chitauri attack, Phil returns to his hometown, only to find Clint already there." A canonical story that feels like the best kind of AU, with a great sense of place.)
onthewaters: "Slow and Soft" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "When Coulson adds Barton to his team, he expects smartassery. Except there isn't any..." Plotty, smart, and perfectly paced. pre-Avengers.)
raiining "All Fall Down" (Avengers. Phil/Clint, Natasha. " Clint has a history of making poor decisions. He thought he'd gotten better at that. It turns out, not so much. / Or: the one where Phil is supposed to seduce a target and Clint accidentally gets there first." Good voices and a believably possessive Phil. Dub Con, but not between Phil and Clint.)
saone: "Blut Plate Special" (Avengers. Phil/Clint, Bucky/Natasha, Steve/Tony. "Take one ex-circus performer, one homicide detective, a dash of meddling cohorts, a heavy helping of pie recipes, mix well, and bake until somebody gets a date." Diner AU, and very nicely done!)
Selenay: "Vampires In Manhattan " (Avengers. Phil/Clint. " Transported to another dimension, Clint and Phil find themselves quarantined in the middle of a vampire plague. Meeting their duplicates and seeing how everything went wrong could be the push they need to confront their own feelings. / But with time running out, they need to find a way home and, if they're lucky, a way to fix the other world as well." Dystopian, scary, but not entirely without hope - and very smart. Note: now with a companion story serving as a sequel.)
shadowen: "Chrysopoeia" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "Everything comes with a price." Heart-wrenching and honest and ultimately hopeful. Warning: references to and descriptions of a suicide attempt.)
Sinope: "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "It all starts with a baby in a baby carriage. / Phil and Clint go about everything backwards, but at least they end up in the right place." Charming and...realistic, for certain fanfic-specific values of "realistic" *g*)
TamrynEradani: "Watch and Learn" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "When Clint is a boy he learns to keep out of sight, how to read situations, and how to put others before himself. When Clint is a young man, he gets shot by Agent Phil Coulson, and he learns to put those skills to use. / Clint's formative years, his work with Trickshot, and his long history with SHIELD. The Avengers will be a thing, but their coming together diverges from the movie canon." A really great look at Clint's journey - and not just as it relates to Phil, although god, the longing there is sometimes so painful - and some excellent team interactions. Smart and long)
theladyingrey42: "The Whole World Is Moving (And I'm Standing Still) " (Avengers. Phil/Clint, team. " Phil Coulson dreams of kissing Clint, and Phil Clarkson dreams he is Phil Coulson, and every time the dream recedes, he feels a little more ragged, a little more torn around the edges. / Phil Coulson's life is perfect and full and meaningful. Phil Coulson's life makes sense. / But the sun rises. The sun always rises, and Phil Coulson fades away beneath the light. Dissipates 'til he is smoke and ash on Phil Clarkson's tongue. / Phil Clarkson starts another day, and it is shivering with electric blue, and none of it makes sense. / And Clint Barton…Clint Barton just wants the man he loves back." An incredibly original take on the amnesia trope. Really excellent.)
torakowalski: "Learn How To Tell You Goodbye " (Avengers. Phil/Clint, Bucky/Steve, Tony/Pepper, brief Clint/Steve. "When Phil Coulson's life model decoy is attacked on the Helicarrier, the World Security Council seizes the opportunity to send him deep undercover in Russia. / Meanwhile, back in New York, Clint Barton struggles to come to terms with the loss of his handler and unexpectedly finding himself part of the Avengers, a group of people who can't quite call themselves a team. Yet." Incredibly well done - smart and insightful. )
As I've noted before, I will clearly never catch up with old stories. If you have a favorite story (your own or somebody else's) that you think I might have missed and it's in a fandom that I've recced before (see my main recs page, which includes links to all the individual major fandoms and a miscellaneous fandoms page). Most loved at the moment are stories from one of the following fandoms: Avengers, Discworld, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Lewis, Sherlock Holmes in all varieties, or White Collar (feel free to leave a link below), but everything is welcome.
AVENGERS
AnonEMouse: "The Heart in the Machine" (Avengers. Tony, Pepper, Phil/Clint. "Clint's code is faulty and Tony is determined to fix it, or, how Tony Stark became a matchmaker." A really fascinating style, all from Tony's pov. His internal running monologue is excellent.)
casspeach: "Losing Sight of the Shore" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "Coulson gets hit by a beam. Clint steps up to help him out. He's the obvious choice, because, well, none of the others are right for the job. You want reasons? He's got reasons - detailed inarguable ones. None of them having to do with the pathetic torch he's been carrying for his handler forever." Clint's a little insecure, Phil's a little vulnerable, and...'aliens made them do it.")
ellievolia: "Started up the clocks" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "Sometimes relationships have to grow through friendship, pushing and pulling, pain, denial and regrets." Phil once had a wife. A very insightful story about loss and recovery, written before the movie.)
Frea_O: "The Woman in the Crosshairs " (Avengers. Clint/Natasha. "In which Clint has a new hobby and Natasha isn't curious, until she is. Black Widow and Hawkeye, their partnership—and what it means—throughout the years." Do I really believe that Clint could be a secret best-selling author? Oh hell no, and yet, I absolutely buy it here...and love it.)
House_of_Ares: "A Christmas Story" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "Phil is Jewish." So...I don't celebrate Christmas, but I still love Christmas fic, except every now and again I yearn for a story that doesn't default to Christmas - and this one is both smart and utterly believable.)
james: "Tumble Down." (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "Phil Coulson has been Hawkeye's handler for awhile. They still surprise each other. " So nice to see a Phil who isn't perfect at everything...and a Clint whose skill set extends far beyond his marksmanship.)
lavvyan: "Catch Your voice" (Avengers. Phil/Clint, Natasha. "Clint keeps telling himself he's not obsessed with Coulson. From the way Natasha keeps laughing at him, she's not buying it either. But it's only a crush if you know what the other guy actually looks like, right?" One of the best of the "Clint hears Phil's voice long before they meet face to face" stories, even though it's incredibly heart-wrenching in places.)
micketysplit: "(three words) and goodnight, indeed " (Avengers. Phil/Clint "Phil is in recovery from Loki's attack and is on the REALLY good drugs." So, yes, Phil's a bit...forthcoming when he's too drugged up to realize Clint's really in the room with him. Also...he's pretty sweet.)
micketysplit: "Alula [Vertical and Forward Force] " (Avengers. Phil/Clint "Because Loki is a contrary asshole, he gifts Clint Barton with wings, of all things, during battle. The wings in and of themselves are one thing, but the way they react to Phil is another." I'm not usually a wingfic fan, but in this case, I absolutely am. I love when stories that should, by all rights, be crackfic end up being anything but.)
msraven: "Junction" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "A year and a half after the Chitauri attack, Phil returns to his hometown, only to find Clint already there." A canonical story that feels like the best kind of AU, with a great sense of place.)
onthewaters: "Slow and Soft" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "When Coulson adds Barton to his team, he expects smartassery. Except there isn't any..." Plotty, smart, and perfectly paced. pre-Avengers.)
raiining "All Fall Down" (Avengers. Phil/Clint, Natasha. " Clint has a history of making poor decisions. He thought he'd gotten better at that. It turns out, not so much. / Or: the one where Phil is supposed to seduce a target and Clint accidentally gets there first." Good voices and a believably possessive Phil. Dub Con, but not between Phil and Clint.)
saone: "Blut Plate Special" (Avengers. Phil/Clint, Bucky/Natasha, Steve/Tony. "Take one ex-circus performer, one homicide detective, a dash of meddling cohorts, a heavy helping of pie recipes, mix well, and bake until somebody gets a date." Diner AU, and very nicely done!)
Selenay: "Vampires In Manhattan " (Avengers. Phil/Clint. " Transported to another dimension, Clint and Phil find themselves quarantined in the middle of a vampire plague. Meeting their duplicates and seeing how everything went wrong could be the push they need to confront their own feelings. / But with time running out, they need to find a way home and, if they're lucky, a way to fix the other world as well." Dystopian, scary, but not entirely without hope - and very smart. Note: now with a companion story serving as a sequel.)
shadowen: "Chrysopoeia" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "Everything comes with a price." Heart-wrenching and honest and ultimately hopeful. Warning: references to and descriptions of a suicide attempt.)
Sinope: "K-I-S-S-I-N-G" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "It all starts with a baby in a baby carriage. / Phil and Clint go about everything backwards, but at least they end up in the right place." Charming and...realistic, for certain fanfic-specific values of "realistic" *g*)
TamrynEradani: "Watch and Learn" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "When Clint is a boy he learns to keep out of sight, how to read situations, and how to put others before himself. When Clint is a young man, he gets shot by Agent Phil Coulson, and he learns to put those skills to use. / Clint's formative years, his work with Trickshot, and his long history with SHIELD. The Avengers will be a thing, but their coming together diverges from the movie canon." A really great look at Clint's journey - and not just as it relates to Phil, although god, the longing there is sometimes so painful - and some excellent team interactions. Smart and long)
theladyingrey42: "The Whole World Is Moving (And I'm Standing Still) " (Avengers. Phil/Clint, team. " Phil Coulson dreams of kissing Clint, and Phil Clarkson dreams he is Phil Coulson, and every time the dream recedes, he feels a little more ragged, a little more torn around the edges. / Phil Coulson's life is perfect and full and meaningful. Phil Coulson's life makes sense. / But the sun rises. The sun always rises, and Phil Coulson fades away beneath the light. Dissipates 'til he is smoke and ash on Phil Clarkson's tongue. / Phil Clarkson starts another day, and it is shivering with electric blue, and none of it makes sense. / And Clint Barton…Clint Barton just wants the man he loves back." An incredibly original take on the amnesia trope. Really excellent.)
torakowalski: "Learn How To Tell You Goodbye " (Avengers. Phil/Clint, Bucky/Steve, Tony/Pepper, brief Clint/Steve. "When Phil Coulson's life model decoy is attacked on the Helicarrier, the World Security Council seizes the opportunity to send him deep undercover in Russia. / Meanwhile, back in New York, Clint Barton struggles to come to terms with the loss of his handler and unexpectedly finding himself part of the Avengers, a group of people who can't quite call themselves a team. Yet." Incredibly well done - smart and insightful. )
As I've noted before, I will clearly never catch up with old stories. If you have a favorite story (your own or somebody else's) that you think I might have missed and it's in a fandom that I've recced before (see my main recs page, which includes links to all the individual major fandoms and a miscellaneous fandoms page). Most loved at the moment are stories from one of the following fandoms: Avengers, Discworld, Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Lewis, Sherlock Holmes in all varieties, or White Collar (feel free to leave a link below), but everything is welcome.