Most of us probably have That Story or Stories that define fandom for them. For me, these special stories come in three parts:

That first fic you read where you went: "This. This is what I needed after finishing the film/book/...! This was missing, this is why I went looking for fic in the first place."

The second one transfers the source material to a new setting, giving it depth and backstory, expanding on the characters' possibilities and giving them more substance.

Finally the third gives you what you didn't know you needed. In my case giving a character, that I was sure I knew by heart by then, the solid roots of a unique and well-woven backstory.

Because I am bad with remembering fic names and it had been years of reading in between finding these, I was in for the most bizarre of moments last night when I realized that two of these three stories had been written by the same author.

Followed by the fact that it's the very person I've already spent quite a lot of time talking to in the past few weeks, seeing as I'd fallen in love with her writing enough (five years later, mind, without making the connection) to write about 10 pages of analysis on another story of hers.


Sparing you the subsequent squee-flailing that followed, here's

(tl, dr;) Three Fics That Made Fandom For me:

Going to Ground by alphaflyer - This was what I needed after the end of The Avengers. Clint and Natasha putting themselves back together after the battle of New York.

Highway of Diamonds by alphaflyer
This is where I fell all over myself last night when I made the connection. Because I'd read the title, but I never connected it to That Story I'd read 5 years ago(!), which stuck with me and still comes back to mind every now and then. It's not necessarily a fic that falls in the "happiness" category, but man, is it a good one. Maybe I'll do 10 pages on that one, some day. ;-P

Still Officially Lost by pollyrepeat
This is the one I didn't know I needed. Written on this prompt, according to the author:
"[...]The reason Coulson is so calm and even tempered today is because he went through every sort of emotional nightmare turning Clint into a decent adult ten years ago."
I only found this one earlier this year, but it was written the year The Avengers came out which is insane, considering how young this fandom was back then. I thought I knew all about Clint Barton I needed to know. Now I know better. Headcanon fully accepted and I never want to be taught better. :D