Unfit for Society Recs

Avengers

reasons why you don't want to talk (about reasons why you don't want to talk) by napricot
Bucky is doing fine after the Blip. He has his amends, he has his exit strategies, he goes to therapy. Steve's gone, but that's fine, Bucky can deal with that, even if he can't deal with feeling like a ghost in the apartment that Steve left behind. But when Steve returns, they'll both have to deal with how to rebuild a friendship and a home that are haunted by the ghosts of who they used to be. Their methods of doing so are perhaps less than ideal, what with how they involve more sex and stealthy surprise interior decoration than any actual communication. Maybe that's all they need to make a new home together. Highly enjoyable! <333

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Avengers

Two Colors, White and Gold by Carelica
Compelling AU where Bucky comes to in a bunker in Siberia after the end of the world (or so he thinks), and survives in the aftermath.

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Crossovers

Captain America/Brooklyn Nine Nine

Welcome to the Party, Pal by gwyneth
Steve Rogers goes into a bar and meets...Norm Scully! This is incredibly fun. I made the :D:D:D face the whole time I was reading it.

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Avengers

a balanced, careful weave by napricot
There are few rituals among the girls of the Red Room, and fewer still that retain some innocence, but this is one of them. The Widows play with each others' hair, combing and curling and brushing and braiding. It's a practical enough pastime that the handlers have never cracked down on it, though they have looked askance whenever the Widows get too creative with their makeshift hairdressing.

Five times someone braids Yelena's hair, and one time she braids someone else's. I'm not crying, you're crying.

wake up, your life's a wreck by biblionerd07
He knows he's Bucky Barnes. He knows he's dangerous. The rest of it's going to take some time to figure out. Aw, heart.

*

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Salvage by MuffinLance
Long, fun AU where Zuko ends up with the Southern Water Tribe fleet mid-season 1 and ends up being adopted by Hakoda. No, really.

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Effects of Obliteration by geneticallydead
Before the fall of the Soviet Union, the Winter Soldier was sent to the American arm of Hydra - only there was a malfunction in the cryo-unit that meant it couldn't be opened, and it was left, powered but abandoned, in an underground base.

25 years later, the Avengers find it. I enjoyed this AU of how Steve gets Bucky back.

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Spider-Man

throw our hands overboard by sandyk
MJ just wants her coworkers off her back and to avoid any set ups so she says she has a boyfriend. Then the stakes get a little higher so she really needs that fake boyfriend, and there's no one! Then MJ runs into her high school ex-boyfriend Peter right outside the restaurant. This is a fun future fake-dating fic.

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Young Avengers

Young Hollywood by Ardatli
Long, enjoyable Billy/Teddy Hollywood AU with fake dating. I stayed up way too late reading this. I also enjoyed all the little shout-outs to the comics. <3

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Captain America

Untitled Goat Game by Hark_bananas & whatthefoucault
This a very sweet, low-key story about Bucky's recovery.

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Crossovers

Leverage/Captain America

The Second Labor Job by justanotherStonyfan
Bucky goes to Leverage Inc. for help. Oh heart.

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Avengers

Been locked and you're the key by caughtinanocean
Bucky twists in his arms and looks up. He's beautiful, illuminated only by the streetlights coming through the window. "You...really don't give a fuck,” Bucky says, his voice all wonder.

"Who doesn't have a past?” Steve tells him.

Steve will remember this, too: the moment when the light finds Bucky's eyes.

This time, Steve kisses Bucky goodnight before they go to sleep — just a small kiss, sweet and tender, passing like a prelude, like a promise. This is a really beautifully written (comics) AU, and also NAMOR is GREAT. #imperius rex

Steady as the Lake, Ever-Changing as the River by frozensea
Sweet story of Nakia and T'Challa's wedding day. This is just darling.

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Spider-Man

the open road and other anesthetics by tactfulgnostalgic
Miles goes on a road trip with the various Spider-people. This is fun and sweet.

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Avengers

Cat Nap by galwednesday
Objectively, losing the Bucharest safehouse and its contents was the least of Bucky's problems. The balding agent he'd seen directing the raid was apparently affiliated with SHIELD, which was a shadowy government agency that made representatives from other shadowy government agencies suddenly remember urgent appointments when Bucky tried to bribe, threaten, and otherwise shake them down for information on what the hell SHIELD might want with a former brainwashed assassin. Dodging SHIELD should be his number one priority.

Subjectively, he wanted his fucking cat back. AU where Steve and Bucky don't have any history but they meet when Steve accidentally kidnaps Bucky's cat. This is adorable.

Where The Moon Is A Pie by Vaysh
Bucky gets zapped to an alternate dimension where there never was a Captain America. He does find a Steve, though, who helps get him back home.

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Avengers

Birbs by daroos
So funny story; the goddamned Winter Soldier was in his auntie's shed. Funny story; Steve's best buddy in the whole entire world - the one he hared off to the most dangerous corners of the earth to find, was in his goddamned Auntie's shed.
"Why are you in my Auntie's shed?" Sam hissed. Hilarious!

Queens Blvd Local by domarzione
Tony takes two trips to Queens. Oh heart.

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Avengers

I'd rewrite the book of love, and make it funny by gwyneth
Steve gets turned into a frog. Bucky has to deal. This is ADORABLE.

Karen Rescues an Alien by muskoxen
In which Karen Page rescues baby Groot. This is adorable.

Steadfast by Destina
Three snapshots from Bucky Barnes' life. Lovely.

Things Floating Like the First Hundred Flakes of Snow by BeaArthurPendragon & krycekasks
Long, lovely AU where Bucky frees himself from HYDRA in 1968 and goes to Peggy for help.

when i die i'll sacrifice (more than enough for the afterlife) by notcaycepollard
This is a really beautifully done post-Endgame fix-it for Natasha.

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Avengers

I Don't Like Your Fashion Business, Mister by gwyneth
After the Battle of New York, Natasha takes Steve shopping. <3

The Sick Rose by stripyjamjar
This is a really lovely, melancholy post-Winter Soldier AU from Peggy's POV, so it's hard to read sometimes (especially if you know someone with Alzheimer's or dementia) but definitely worth it.

The Silver Answer by dirtybinary
"The look on his face when you started wheezing," says Bucky reverently. "I'm gonna remember that all my life."

"Wait, what?" says Howard, glancing back from the tiller. "You had an asthma attack in front of the Red Skull?"

"I did not," says Steve with dignity. "I just got excited, is all."

"You're always excited when it comes to punching people," says Bucky. "It's part of your charm." AU where the serum is a bust but Steve works with the Ghost Army to make the Nazis believe Captain America is real. A great read.

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Crossovers

Avengers/Batfamily

Hissing Fauna by BearHatter
This is a fun Batfamily/Avengers crossover. (I have a hard time believing the Avengers don't know who the Justice League are, though.)

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Avengers

open up the ages by blackkat
After almost a year out of the ice, the Asset is more Bucky Barnes than Winter Soldier. It's HYDRA's mistake that they stuck him in a cell between Wanda and Pietro. Bucky's got a soft spot for kids in trouble. Oh heart.

ready to make it by defcontwo
This is a really great look at Sam after he returns from being snapped.


Vids

Higher (The Score) by Elvenarcher3
Excellent Carol vid.

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Avengers
Most of these stories include Endgame spoilers! Also note that one (1) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse series is included in this list.

6th and Williams by quigonejinn
Really lovely missing scene for Endgame. Spoilers obv.

born in fire (again and again) by defcontwo
What happens to Natasha after the movie ends. And Steve's POV: sky comes falling down.

The Discreet Charms of the Cyborgeoisie by havisham
Three cyborgs walk into a bar... or Bucky, Rhodey and Nebula have a drink after the funeral.

the family brooklyn by tactfulGnostalgic
New York is notoriously protective of its superheroes. Brooklyn takes care of its native son. *sobs* This is so great! I just sobbed my face off. This the train and the cranes but all for Miles. <333

The sequels are great too! The first one is about Miles's dad figuring out he's Spider-Man and the second is Gwen and Peter B. making some peace with each other and the versions they lost.

a fraction of a smile (a fragment of his mind) by neonhummingbird
"I needed an Avenger who's both good with children and can be trusted with them. Which is not a combination I'm finding in most of them, honestly." Peter doesn't expect being an emergency babysitter to lead to bonding with Morgan and talking to Pepper about stuff he thought he'd really rather not talk about. *sobs*

the good fight by Destina
A late night conversation between Steve and Bucky. Oh my heart. (Endgame spoilers)

hey mr. stark by harryandthestars
Peter keeps a video diary. *sob*

how much was mine to keep by kaydeefalls
Peggy's face in the compass, always pointing the way to true north, and Steve has long since lost any other sense of direction. Bucky knows what he's gonna do with the time machine even before Steve.

The post-Endgame fix-it in which Bucky gets a time machine of his own, Steve gets a chance to process his trauma, and Peggy gets a say in the matter, too. Exactly what it says on the tin. Oh Bucky. Oh Steve.

I Saw You Yesterday by stereobone
Bruce counts down from five, but Steve never reappears on the platform.

And all of a sudden Bucky starts seeing him everywhere. Wonderfully melancholy AU from the end of Endgame.

In My End Is Your Beginning by Destina
In which the kids are all right. Oh heart.

Just This Once (The Everybody Lives Remix) by dsudis
An alternate ending to Endgame.

Kiss Me Once Again by ShowMeAHero
Steve gets his second chance with Peggy, and then he gets a second chance with Bucky. Brilliant! <333

like heaven stood up in you by napricot
Steve takes a few side trips, ties up a few loose ends, on his final trip through time. <333

the long way down by actonbell
"Nat. If you were in heaven, or having some kind of after-life experience, would we both be dripping wet and would I still be a giant pain in your ass?" This should have been the post-credits scene for Endgame. <333

One Last Time by Rachel500
Steve's journey at the end. Nicely done. Endgame spoilers.

One More, For Love by Shadaras
Beautiful missing Tony/Pepper scene from Endgame.

the other end of a telescope by sagemb
Really lovely post-CACW Steve/Bucky.

a stitch away from making it by QueenWithABeeThrone
this takes place in an AU where Steve gets dusted while Bucky doesn't, which means Bucky's the one who goes time-heistin'. this happened. Oh heart.

A Very Specific Skill Set by Siria
As always, Natasha saves herself. <333

Weekend at the Lake House by lizznotliz
Peter visits Morgan at the lake house once a month. #I'm not crying it's just raining on my face

when we came home by augustbird
AU for the end of Endgame. Steve comes back and Bucky learns to live with him again. <333

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Crossovers

Lord of the Rings/Captain America

In the Shadow of Armistice by superheroresin
MCU/LOTR fusion set after the war of the ring. it shouldn't work, but it does, with a nice Steve/Bucky relationship and some fun stuff for the others. (no Thor or Hulk, though)

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Avengers

Challenge Accepted by Sholio
Misty and Colleen, using arm wrestling to flirt. Excellent.

Make It Till You Fake It by AggressiveWhenStartled
Steve and Bucky are (fake) fake dating. This is killing their teammates. Hilarious.

No Kind of Life by Speranza
"Bucky," Steve said, still helplessly smiling, "I mean, we've met, right? You know I have to do everything the hard way. It's the fundamental fact of my nature."

Bucky sighed. "Well, obviously," he said, and sounded just a little bit exasperated, but one corner of his mouth was tilting up. Oh Steve. Oh Bucky. This is lovely.

Three Times Lucky by Sholio
If there were magic lucky talking fish in the world, she thought as she climbed the stairs, then ... well, first of all, the world didn't work how she used to think it did --

(The world contains aliens and bulletproof guys and assholes who can control minds; what do you THINK the world is, Jones?)

-- and second, they didn't dispense fishy wisdom peppered with fish jokes; they just didn't. This is adorable teamfic.

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DCU

girls like girls (nothing new) by isawet
Ostensibly this is about Bruce realizing that Cass and Steph are into each other and helping Cass out (he has many concerns about Gotham public school sex education) but mostly it's about Bruce trying to be a good batdad to his batkids and sometimes getting it awkwardly, hilariously right. <3

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Crossovers

MCU/DCU

Move Slow, Forge Ahead by thepartyresponsible
"What about you, Steve?" Dick asks, tipping his head back, eyeing him thoughtfully. "You're military, right? You have trouble walking away from fights too?"

Steve shifts in his seat and wonders what gave him away. He wonders how much Dick sees, how much intelligence and awareness he hides with pretty blue eyes and affable smiles and all those friendly, effortlessly charming mannerisms.

"Just waiting for the next one," he says. It's maybe too honest for strangers, but all Steve has these days are strangers.

Dick's silent for a second and then he breathes out, takes a long drink of his beer. "I know a guy like that. Can't say I've ever seen him happy."

Steve's struck, for a second, by how alien that thought is to him. "Not sure being happy has much to do with it." Oh Steve. This is really lovely - Steve's a mess, just out of the ice, and Dick is, as always, the best person the universe. <333

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Avengers

From Hydra with Love by insomnia1999
This is a fun James Bond/Avengers mashup with some really really terrible puns in it.

it's good to be young but let's not kid ourselves by suzukiblu
"Er," Falsworth says.

"Jesus fucking fuck," Dugan says, better encapsulating the group's reaction at large.

"This is the best mission we've ever had," Bucky says, as the one and only outlier. He has never sounded so delighted to be surrounded.

"I really don't . . . think . . . um," Steve trails off uselessly, just staring at him. And the . . . and the children. The very small and annoyed-looking children who are clustered up like ducklings around Bucky's everywhere, more or less. The Howling Commandos rescue some tiny Steve clones from Hydra. Bucky is thrilled, even if no one else is. Hilarious and sweet.

Nobody's Idea of a Vacation by scioscribe
Fun little adventure with Shuri, Nakia and Ross.

Slip and Slide by Omnicat
T'Challa tries ice skating. He's not good at it. Shuri heckles. This is adorable. #siblings!

Steve Rogers Is (Not) A Good Influence by noxlunate
"Steve Rogers has never been a good influence on anyone. Ever." Bucky tells Peter with the utmost seriousness and Peter is darting a look at the door like maybe he can survive jumping out of the car going 70 on the 101. Steve feels for Peter, he does.

"He uh, he tells me to eat vegetables?" Peter tries and Steve flashes him a smile at the defense of Steve's influencing abilities.

"Jesus christ." Bucky says again, emphatically.

Steve stares at him a little like he hung the moon. This is hilarious and adorable.

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