Info: Nero is mindlessly focused in on Spock - on *hurting* Spock, even more so than just killing him. And he recognized Kirk "from earth's history". So he MUST know alllll about Spock & Kirk being the ultimate dream team, BFF's, fucking like bunnies, what have you. And now he's got Spock's captain here, beneath his hands. What better way to get revenge?
But of course, he'd want Spock to SEE. I'm sure Nero would feel the need to explain, in explicit detail, exactly why it's Spock's fault that he's chosen to (whatever you pick, pervy, violent, etc.) poor Kirk. I think it'd be interesting to have BOTH Spock's reactions. Not to mention Kirk's. I can see Kirk maybe being all indignant - WTF, you're torturing me to hurt Spock? But he doesn't even like me! Or perhaps he'd get a funny look on his face as he realized just what those feeling/memories he'd received from Spock Prime's meld were.
And then! Rescue! And awkward aftermath. Anybody? Pretty please?
Just say yes, just say there’s nothing holding you back. It’s not a test, nor a trick of the mind, only love. Bucky and Steve want to officially spend the rest of their lives together. Below are my Top 5 Favorite stories:
“Proposal Pending” (G, 1k) by so_shhy
He doesn't want to make a huge production of it. He just wants to make it special. Something worthy of Steve, that shows Bucky knows exactly the proposal he would like best. It's gotta be romantic as all hell.
And Bucky's got nothing.
+ Post WS. Bucky tries to think of the perfect way to propose; Steve doesn’t need it to be fancy.
-☆-
“your day number one in the rest of forever” (T, 4k) by hitlikehammers
“Double digits,” Steve says idly, his smile so present in the words as he pulls back, but only just enough to run the tip of his nose along Bucky’s cheek. “We got excited enough to get into ‘em.”
“Might as well celebrate the last of ‘em with,” and Bucky’s grin is sly as he nips at the hinge of Steve’s jaw: “equal enthusiasm.”
+ Post WS. Happy 99th Birthday, Bucky! Established relationship, recovered jewelry, and heartfelt proposals
-☆-
“Everything (that I couldn't have)”(T, 7k) by obsessivereader
“You don’t have to do this, Steve.” Bucky pushes away the letter from the Russian government demanding that one Dmitri Batischev, alias the Winter Soldier, be surrendered to them to stand trial for his crimes.
Steve hesitates in the doorway. Bucky must’ve heard the tail end of his conversation with Pepper. Now he looks tired, and resigned, and so done and Steve fucking hates that Bucky keeps getting dealt shit hand after shit hand. “I want to.” He hopes Bucky can hear the conviction in his voice. “I’m not losing you again.”
“But getting married? You think that’s gonna work?”
+ Post WS. Marriage of convenience/Fake Married, but neither of them are faking feelings. Mutual pining, domestic life, and all the affection.
-☆-
“The Happily-Ever-After Business” (T, 23k) by mambo
After planning perfect weddings for New York's elite, wedding planner Steve Rogers is ready to find love for himself.
But he didn't anticipate falling in love with the tattoo artist who works down the street.
+ Modern AU. Wedding planner Steve and Tattooist Bucky, meet, fall in love, and discuss their ideal wedding
-☆-
“we're looking for the sun” (G, 1k) by msbluesunflower
After SCOTUS marriage equality ruling, Steve was asked to make a speech.
He does a little bit more than that.
+ Post WS. Steve comes out on TV and asks Bucky an important question.
-☆-
-☆- And a short freebie! -☆-
“A Certain Romance” (M, 490 words) by neversaydie
"Did you just eat that cupcake?"
"Yeah."
"Did you not notice the big fuckin' ring on the top of it?"
"Uh… no."
"For fuck's sake Steve."
+ Post WS. Idiots in love. “you swallowed it so we're engaged. No takebacks."
-☆-
+ More Proposal stories here (updated!) and in the Wedding list
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
“Why would you take it out?” Steve whispers, and it’s so soaked in hurt that Tony’s whole frame seizes, a little, with the idea that this man, this monolith can be this too: can ache and crack and crumble at the fault lines like anyone else.
Maybe more than anyone else.
“Could you put it back, d’ya think?” Bucky asks, something like hope starting to shine in those eyes, and if that’s not a reason to have left the reactor in, Tony doesn’t know what is, because it cuts him, they both cut him—hard—and he wonders if they’re paying enough attention to feel it underneath their hands, the way his heart stumbles for it, forget the rhythm its supposed to dance to and moves instead to crash.
~
“Love you.”
It's not the first time Bucky’s said it, of course, but it feels different. It's automatic, unweighted and straight from somewhere deep without wavering, and after; in the midst of this, it means something new and the heat in Tony's chest for it, the sweet twist and the burn: it could light cities, or rival stars.
“I,” Bucky swallows hard, and Tony can't fucking breathe—like a harlequin romance, goddamn, but he can't breathe before Bucky says it, hand still fitted over Tony’s heart:
After months keeping this under wraps I can finally share “Catharsis” by Jessie Lucid, one of the drawings I made for the new book ‘Not Without You-A Stucky Anthology’. Due to a huge demand you can buy a digital copy through THURSDAY 4/27. After that limited physical copies will be available from participating artists. Find the link to order @notwithoutyoufanbook . This illustration was created for the @hitlikehammers fic 'Night Shade’. Look close and you will get a hint about the plot!
Okay! Fic up now - and, look, I wrote post-Civil War Stucky! A birthday-present for @hitlikehammers, as per request. <333 Contains fake character death, nightmares, comfort, love, reaffirmation.
Read at AO3 here! Preview below.
##
“Stevie,” Bucky says, as Steve’s gaze swings to him, as that sheer horror swings to him, “I’m sorry. God, I’m—but you gotta live, all right? If this is me then maybe I’ll have paid for some of what I’ve—and if not at least I’m gonna save your dumb ass, okay? Live. For me.”
Steve’s screaming, Steve’s falling to his knees, Steve’s yanked up and out by Sam and Sam’s wings, straining to hold both of them—
Steve fights and claws at air and begs and tries to dive through empty space—
The submarine groans, a broken animal, and folds itself in two and implodes under pressure. Collapsing beneath swift heavy leaden seas.
Salt burns Steve’s face. Seaspray, tears. Numbness. No. No.
Bucky—
Bucky had been sleeping, Bucky’d been peacefully awaiting rescue and recovery, the enchanted answer to the fairytale curse—Bucky shouldn’t’ve been here, couldn’t’ve been. On Steve’s mission. On Steve’s easy mission.
His brain can’t wrap itself around that fact: Bucky won’t be waiting for him back home in Wakanda. Bucky’d shown up like a miracle and saved him one last time and Steve hadn’t even said half of what he should’ve said, hadn’t said an I love you, hadn’t had that time—
His lungs cave in. His heart. He knows that feeling. He’s known it all his life: his body crumpling under what he’s asked of it.
His body doesn’t know how to lose Bucky Barnes. Has never known. Never gotten used to that idea.
He chokes on air, on nothing, on the nothing that’s left—
He wakes at the touch of a hand. At the touch of that hand: the only one that gets past cynical supersoldier reflexes. Always has.