Starry, starry night, paint your palette blue and grey. Artist Steve is canon, so this category is more focused on actual painting. Below are my Top 5 Favorite stories:
“The Restoration Artist” (E, 109k) by superheroresin
As a conservator of rare oil paintings for The Met, Steve Rogers thinks of himself part scientist, part archaeologist, but hardly an artist in his own right. Only when he’s faced with the daunting task of restoring a frozen painting from a recently unearthed Nazi art hoard does he start to feel his passion for the craft return. Before he has a chance to understand what that means, Steve is transported to the 1940’s, where he meets both The Winter Soldier himself, and his own destiny.
+ WW2 Bucky and modern Steve. Time travel, mystery, romance, and happy endings
-☆-
“The Conservation of a 17th Century Painting” (E, 12k) by birdjay
Well. He does live alone, and it’s not like anyone would find out. He could safely stick his hand down his pants right now and not have to worry about it. He’s jerked off loads of times in his own apartment. It’s...healthy to let stress out this way...right? And the fact that it’s to a doctor of art history isn’t weird. Or at least, not super weird. People have masturbated to weirder things. Steve knows that for sure. And it’s not like Dr. Barnes is rough on the eyes or anything, either. He’s quite possibly the most handsome man Steve’s looked at in months. And, well, there’s the whole art side to things, as well.
Steve can’t even remember the last time he’s spoken to someone actually interested in art, who coincidentally is also someone he’d like to bang. Actually, no. He’s never had that happen. Most men he’s dated have absolutely zero interest in listening to him rant on about color theory and the details of Leonardo’s triangular composition style. And the women, well, they either were already married, a lesbian, or he wasn’t interested. So, no. This isn’t that weird.
+ Modern AU. Bucky is Steve’s holy grail of a man: competent, attractive, and likes art.
-☆-
“Courting 101 by Bucky Barnes” (T, 9k) by charlesdk
It takes a whole minute before Steve turns to him and, when he does, he plucks the paintbrush out of his mouth and smiles at him, like everything is completely fine and normal and not at all a disaster.
“Hey, Buck,” Steve greets him, happy as ever. “How was your day?”
“Did a fucking bomb explode in here?” Bucky asks, the words stumbling out of his mouth before he even realizes it.
OR; Bucky likes Steve. He likes Steve a lot. But Steve is a fucking disaster and an asshole and Bucky has had enough of it. In hindsight, getting revenge probably isn't the best way to get Steve to like him back.
+ Modern AU. Living with an artist can get a little messy. Crushes to enemies to lovers (And they were roommates!)
-☆-
“Uncertainty of the Law” (M, 26k) by mambo
Steve didn't expect to fall in love with the lawyer looking at his painting.
But he did.
+ Modern AU. Artist Steve and Lawyer Bucky try to fit their lives together. Domesticity and reevaluating career paths.
-☆-
“The one where Steve and Bucky reconnect” (M, 2k) by chicklette
Steve and Bucky date while Steve is smol, then they break up, and then reconnect when Steve is big, but Bucky doesn't know he's big, and Steve loves that because he's 100% over people liking him for his new looks.
+ Modern AU. Old habits die hard; Bucky still looks for Steve’s perfect shade of blue paint
-☆-
*More Art fics in the Winter Soldier Trial list
