RECS:; February 13, 2013
Feb. 13th, 2013 10:03 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_hStill on a multi-fandom kick...but I'm really waiting for the perfect 500K Clint/Coulson story to be posted. *g*
AVENGERS
annagarny: "Double-shot Mocha with Hazelnut Syrup" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "They met, not through SHIELD like everyone seemed to think, but in a coffee shop on Sixth (Clint refused to call it Avenue of The Americas and Phil quietly agreed with him) and had a brief but intense staring contest when the barista called out the extra large double-shot mocha with hazelnut syrup." This is possibly my favorite part of the New York State of Mind series - this being the backstory of how Phil and Clint met - but the whole series is worth reading.)
boombangbing: "Star Spangled" (Avengers. Steve-centric. "Steve spends a year on tour with a couple of dozen showgirls, and learns a thing or two." Part of the Direction series, but a prequel of sorts, set during Steve's time with the USO and one which stands alone just fine. Very nicely done!)
cat-77: "Breathe Again" (Avengers. Clint & Natasha. "Five months to find her, and a lifetime changed." A great - and believable - friendship between Clint and Natasha, with a perfect balance between tension and love.)
celeste9: "What I Mean To Say Is" (Avengers. Phil & Natasha. "Natasha and Phil go grocery shopping." A perfect little back-from-the-dead domestic tale. Nice, gentle, yet not at all saccharine.)
Lacinia: "Con Limon Y Sal" (Avengers.. Natasha/Bruce. "It starts like this—" Plotted before the movie was released apparently - and so containing some incosistencies with canon, most notably the very start of their relationship - this is a well written, smart and often original look at how Natasha and Bruce become part of the team...and part of each other. The background relationships are interesting too, with a particularly good take on Natasha and Clint's backstory.)
lanyon: "Once you've fallen from classical virtue" (Avengers, Steve/Bucky, Team, Fury, Dr Strange. " And, yes, there, leaning against the kitchen table, cradling a mug of coffee between two massive hands, is his blonde mystery man. / “I know this is going to sound strange,” he says, immediately. “But I don’t suppose you know who I am?” / The blonde man blinks and the corners of his mouth turn down. “Damn. I was hoping you could tell me who I am.”" Amnesia trope for the win, baby. Sexy and charming.)
mapleandmahogany: "Purple" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "You know how these things start, where Phil and Clint have been working together and flirting for ages but haven't done anything about it until..." A 'first time' story wrapped up in a mild kink bow (Clint in panties, if you must know), and...I'm so not a guys-in-panties kink fancier, but it feels real here and believable in a totally sexy, but not a "big, angsty deal" way. Clint's pretty perceptive about himself and about Phil, Phil's mostly cool on the surface and not so much beneath, and despite a few typos as of this rec, it's just a really nice story.)
Perpetual Motion (perpetfic): "These are Our Friends and These are Our Foes (You’re the One I Love Most) " (Avengers. Phil/Clint, Jasper/Maria, Nick, Team, Anderson Cooper. "A day in the life of Phil and Clint, with a mission gone wrong and work still to do as it unfolds." Smart, well thought out mission fic with great insights about the shifting lines between the professional and the personal when established relationships come into play. Funny moments too, even amidst the general plot tensions. )
shell: "Sum Total" (Avengers. Phil/Clint, Team, Fury, Irdunn. ""I've heard tell of an old, nearly forgotten spell that was used on a fallen shield brother," Thor said slowly. "My cousin Idunn is gifted in healing, and I believe she mentioned it once. If the spell exists, it would require great skill, perhaps greater than Idunn could wield, and I am unsure if it would work on the people of Midgard."" Post movie, and yes...Phil is dead, but perhaps it doesn't have to be a permanent condition if there's a strong enough connection between him and Clint. A lovely story.)
sirona: "And I'll cross oceans like never before" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. " 'Oh, hell no,' he thinks, looking down at his hands only to be met with furry paws instead of the fingers he expects. / --Or the one where Loki turns Clint into a puppy, and his new condition allows him to gain some startling insights into their resident babysitter agent." An early example of the Clint's-transformed-into-a-corgi story - and how much do I love that this is a whole category unto itself? - and a really excellent (and long) one. Not even Phil Coulson is proof against corgi!Clint's puppy eyes, or rather, the sweetness of Clint in puppy form allows Phil to reveal his own affections.
tawg: "The Sorcerers’ Honourable Incantation and Enchantment Logistics Division " (Avengers. Pairings listed on the story, but I'd suggest you read this as Gen. "Witches, wizards, warlocks, and sorcerers. The magical community of the Americas can't be trusted to organise themselves responsibly, so thank Merlin they have people who are willing to look out for them." A really excellent fusion of the worlds of The Avengers and of Harry Potter. The characters and their personalities are basically the Avengers ones and the setting is New York, but the sensibility is absolutely that of the magical world. Very creative and very well done.)
Tora: "I'll Be There For You (When the Rain Starts to Pour) " (Avengers/Hawkeye (comics). Clint & Kate, Clint/Phil. " Kate's having a shitty night and Clint's a cool mentor who doesn't bitch about being woken up at 3 a.m. by a disgruntled teenager. / Chapter two: the morning after Kate's shitty night, and Phil appears." Perfectly canonical and loving relationship between Clint and Kate...and Kate's first understanding of where Clint's romantic feelings have been engaged.)
torakowalski: "All I've Got Left To Believe In " (Avengers/Amazing Spider-Man. High School AU. Phil/Clint, Peter Parker, Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Bucky, Kate, Pepper, others. "Clint Barton is not Peter Parker's big brother" A lovely high school AU, in which Clint is being fostered by a 13 year old Peter Parker's aunt and uncle.)
untangible_girl: "The Suit" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "Phil is The Suit, and that's fine. But sexy field agents don't end up with The Suit, and that's... less fine. But it's the way things are. He's accepted this. / Clint may be a sexy field agent, but he knows what he wants, and what he wants is Phil. And Phil better get used to it." Clint's pov and...okay, maybe slightly OTT, but it's an incredibly nice change to read a story that has Phil as the far less secure one when it comes to getting into a relationship.)
HARRY POTTER
librasmile: "Accounts Past Due" (Snape-centric, Various characters. "Taking the Dark Mark is not the only youthful indiscretion that comes back to haunt Severus. When an old debt comes due, Severus is forced to choose between his own peace of mind and giving someone else a second chance at life." A great perspective on Snape's private life, set during book canon. A few stray typos at the time I wrote this rec, but generally well written and engaging.)
delphipsmith: Anon: "Wormwood and Gall" (Snape-centric, Dumbledore, Lucius. "When Severus is offered the job of Potions Master at Hogwarts, he thinks that perhaps life might not be as desolate as it looked. Whether or not this is correct remains to be seen." An insightful look at Snape's first term as the Hogwarts potions master in the wake of his near-imprisonment in Azkaban. Very perceptive. )
dickgloucester: "All Sorted" (Lucius, Snape, Various OCs. "What is it about Severus that induces Lucius Malfoy to take him under his wing?" Smart slice of canon life, with an interesting pov for Snape's sorting.)
HAWKEYE
yugimutos (weatheredlaw):"turn up the world's worst makeout song" (Clint/Kate. "Prince vs. Bonnie Tyler! Tonight at Seven! Only on VH1! (followed by makeout sessions at eight)" Rec stolen from copperbadge, and honestly, I usually only want to see Clint and Kate as "bros," but this is so sweet, I'm making an exception.)
JAMES BOND
luchia: "Love and Other Hazardous Materials" (Skyfall. Bond/Q. ""This is just getting ridiculous," M says when he finds Q trying to put motorized circular saw blades into a briefcase. / (Or, Q and James Bond love their jobs so very, very much.)" Clearly, everybody even loosely connected to the Bond universe has already read this, but for the sake of those who come after...this is just a really enjoyable examination of two men in love with their jobs and quite possibly with each other, as well. Good sexual tension - unresolved and otherwise - plus both Bond and Q get to be real people here.)
NARNIA CHRONICLES
genarti: "Between" (Susan-centric. "One would have thought that the first days back would be the hardest. But as it turned out, that wasn't true at all." One of the things that draws the strongest complaints from fans of the Narnia books is the way Susan seems to have changed in an altogether inexplicable manner by the end of the series. Here, we're given some explanations. Insightful and...bittersweet. )
SHERLOCK HOLMES
KazVL: "The Dating Game" (Sherlock (BBC). Mycroft/Lestrade. "An out-of-practice forty two year old man starts to date the most difficult man in London. Naturally, it goes splendidly." Set just before canon, this 'getting together' story - previously recced as a wip - is now complete and fits seamlessly into 'canon that will be.' Mycroft in what-one-might-call-love is particularly excellent.)
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, Doctor Who, Due South, Harry Potter, Hawkeye, James Bond, Lewis, Sherlock Holmes in all varieties, or White Collar (feel free to leave a link below), but everything is welcome.
Special Note to Authors: If you're writing in a fandom set in contemporary NYC (Avengers, White Collar, etc), and you're looking for a beta for city-related issues, feel free to email me at the gmail address on the profile page.
AVENGERS
annagarny: "Double-shot Mocha with Hazelnut Syrup" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "They met, not through SHIELD like everyone seemed to think, but in a coffee shop on Sixth (Clint refused to call it Avenue of The Americas and Phil quietly agreed with him) and had a brief but intense staring contest when the barista called out the extra large double-shot mocha with hazelnut syrup." This is possibly my favorite part of the New York State of Mind series - this being the backstory of how Phil and Clint met - but the whole series is worth reading.)
boombangbing: "Star Spangled" (Avengers. Steve-centric. "Steve spends a year on tour with a couple of dozen showgirls, and learns a thing or two." Part of the Direction series, but a prequel of sorts, set during Steve's time with the USO and one which stands alone just fine. Very nicely done!)
cat-77: "Breathe Again" (Avengers. Clint & Natasha. "Five months to find her, and a lifetime changed." A great - and believable - friendship between Clint and Natasha, with a perfect balance between tension and love.)
celeste9: "What I Mean To Say Is" (Avengers. Phil & Natasha. "Natasha and Phil go grocery shopping." A perfect little back-from-the-dead domestic tale. Nice, gentle, yet not at all saccharine.)
Lacinia: "Con Limon Y Sal" (Avengers.. Natasha/Bruce. "It starts like this—" Plotted before the movie was released apparently - and so containing some incosistencies with canon, most notably the very start of their relationship - this is a well written, smart and often original look at how Natasha and Bruce become part of the team...and part of each other. The background relationships are interesting too, with a particularly good take on Natasha and Clint's backstory.)
lanyon: "Once you've fallen from classical virtue" (Avengers, Steve/Bucky, Team, Fury, Dr Strange. " And, yes, there, leaning against the kitchen table, cradling a mug of coffee between two massive hands, is his blonde mystery man. / “I know this is going to sound strange,” he says, immediately. “But I don’t suppose you know who I am?” / The blonde man blinks and the corners of his mouth turn down. “Damn. I was hoping you could tell me who I am.”" Amnesia trope for the win, baby. Sexy and charming.)
mapleandmahogany: "Purple" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "You know how these things start, where Phil and Clint have been working together and flirting for ages but haven't done anything about it until..." A 'first time' story wrapped up in a mild kink bow (Clint in panties, if you must know), and...I'm so not a guys-in-panties kink fancier, but it feels real here and believable in a totally sexy, but not a "big, angsty deal" way. Clint's pretty perceptive about himself and about Phil, Phil's mostly cool on the surface and not so much beneath, and despite a few typos as of this rec, it's just a really nice story.)
Perpetual Motion (perpetfic): "These are Our Friends and These are Our Foes (You’re the One I Love Most) " (Avengers. Phil/Clint, Jasper/Maria, Nick, Team, Anderson Cooper. "A day in the life of Phil and Clint, with a mission gone wrong and work still to do as it unfolds." Smart, well thought out mission fic with great insights about the shifting lines between the professional and the personal when established relationships come into play. Funny moments too, even amidst the general plot tensions. )
shell: "Sum Total" (Avengers. Phil/Clint, Team, Fury, Irdunn. ""I've heard tell of an old, nearly forgotten spell that was used on a fallen shield brother," Thor said slowly. "My cousin Idunn is gifted in healing, and I believe she mentioned it once. If the spell exists, it would require great skill, perhaps greater than Idunn could wield, and I am unsure if it would work on the people of Midgard."" Post movie, and yes...Phil is dead, but perhaps it doesn't have to be a permanent condition if there's a strong enough connection between him and Clint. A lovely story.)
sirona: "And I'll cross oceans like never before" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. " 'Oh, hell no,' he thinks, looking down at his hands only to be met with furry paws instead of the fingers he expects. / --Or the one where Loki turns Clint into a puppy, and his new condition allows him to gain some startling insights into their resident babysitter agent." An early example of the Clint's-transformed-into-a-corgi story - and how much do I love that this is a whole category unto itself? - and a really excellent (and long) one. Not even Phil Coulson is proof against corgi!Clint's puppy eyes, or rather, the sweetness of Clint in puppy form allows Phil to reveal his own affections.
tawg: "The Sorcerers’ Honourable Incantation and Enchantment Logistics Division " (Avengers. Pairings listed on the story, but I'd suggest you read this as Gen. "Witches, wizards, warlocks, and sorcerers. The magical community of the Americas can't be trusted to organise themselves responsibly, so thank Merlin they have people who are willing to look out for them." A really excellent fusion of the worlds of The Avengers and of Harry Potter. The characters and their personalities are basically the Avengers ones and the setting is New York, but the sensibility is absolutely that of the magical world. Very creative and very well done.)
Tora: "I'll Be There For You (When the Rain Starts to Pour) " (Avengers/Hawkeye (comics). Clint & Kate, Clint/Phil. " Kate's having a shitty night and Clint's a cool mentor who doesn't bitch about being woken up at 3 a.m. by a disgruntled teenager. / Chapter two: the morning after Kate's shitty night, and Phil appears." Perfectly canonical and loving relationship between Clint and Kate...and Kate's first understanding of where Clint's romantic feelings have been engaged.)
torakowalski: "All I've Got Left To Believe In " (Avengers/Amazing Spider-Man. High School AU. Phil/Clint, Peter Parker, Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Bucky, Kate, Pepper, others. "Clint Barton is not Peter Parker's big brother" A lovely high school AU, in which Clint is being fostered by a 13 year old Peter Parker's aunt and uncle.)
untangible_girl: "The Suit" (Avengers. Phil/Clint. "Phil is The Suit, and that's fine. But sexy field agents don't end up with The Suit, and that's... less fine. But it's the way things are. He's accepted this. / Clint may be a sexy field agent, but he knows what he wants, and what he wants is Phil. And Phil better get used to it." Clint's pov and...okay, maybe slightly OTT, but it's an incredibly nice change to read a story that has Phil as the far less secure one when it comes to getting into a relationship.)
HARRY POTTER
librasmile: "Accounts Past Due" (Snape-centric, Various characters. "Taking the Dark Mark is not the only youthful indiscretion that comes back to haunt Severus. When an old debt comes due, Severus is forced to choose between his own peace of mind and giving someone else a second chance at life." A great perspective on Snape's private life, set during book canon. A few stray typos at the time I wrote this rec, but generally well written and engaging.)
delphipsmith: Anon: "Wormwood and Gall" (Snape-centric, Dumbledore, Lucius. "When Severus is offered the job of Potions Master at Hogwarts, he thinks that perhaps life might not be as desolate as it looked. Whether or not this is correct remains to be seen." An insightful look at Snape's first term as the Hogwarts potions master in the wake of his near-imprisonment in Azkaban. Very perceptive. )
dickgloucester: "All Sorted" (Lucius, Snape, Various OCs. "What is it about Severus that induces Lucius Malfoy to take him under his wing?" Smart slice of canon life, with an interesting pov for Snape's sorting.)
HAWKEYE
yugimutos (weatheredlaw):"turn up the world's worst makeout song" (Clint/Kate. "Prince vs. Bonnie Tyler! Tonight at Seven! Only on VH1! (followed by makeout sessions at eight)" Rec stolen from copperbadge, and honestly, I usually only want to see Clint and Kate as "bros," but this is so sweet, I'm making an exception.)
JAMES BOND
luchia: "Love and Other Hazardous Materials" (Skyfall. Bond/Q. ""This is just getting ridiculous," M says when he finds Q trying to put motorized circular saw blades into a briefcase. / (Or, Q and James Bond love their jobs so very, very much.)" Clearly, everybody even loosely connected to the Bond universe has already read this, but for the sake of those who come after...this is just a really enjoyable examination of two men in love with their jobs and quite possibly with each other, as well. Good sexual tension - unresolved and otherwise - plus both Bond and Q get to be real people here.)
NARNIA CHRONICLES
genarti: "Between" (Susan-centric. "One would have thought that the first days back would be the hardest. But as it turned out, that wasn't true at all." One of the things that draws the strongest complaints from fans of the Narnia books is the way Susan seems to have changed in an altogether inexplicable manner by the end of the series. Here, we're given some explanations. Insightful and...bittersweet. )
SHERLOCK HOLMES
KazVL: "The Dating Game" (Sherlock (BBC). Mycroft/Lestrade. "An out-of-practice forty two year old man starts to date the most difficult man in London. Naturally, it goes splendidly." Set just before canon, this 'getting together' story - previously recced as a wip - is now complete and fits seamlessly into 'canon that will be.' Mycroft in what-one-might-call-love is particularly excellent.)
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, Doctor Who, Due South, Harry Potter, Hawkeye, James Bond, Lewis, Sherlock Holmes in all varieties, or White Collar (feel free to leave a link below), but everything is welcome.
Special Note to Authors: If you're writing in a fandom set in contemporary NYC (Avengers, White Collar, etc), and you're looking for a beta for city-related issues, feel free to email me at the gmail address on the profile page.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-13 05:11 pm (UTC)Apparently not me... *is oblivious* *heads over to read at once*
(Your recs are SO useful, btw.)
(no subject)
Date: 2013-02-13 06:36 pm (UTC)(hope you like the story too *g*)