28 July 2012 @ 08:22 pm
Your Favorite Stories  
And yes, it really is that hard to narrow it down. (Of course!) That being said, what are your favorite stories in this fandom? I limited mine to six, because otherwise it would become a VERY long list, but there is no punishment for posting more. :-) Your choices could be there for personal reasons, excellent writing, you like the theme, whatever. You don't have to think that anyone else will appreciate it as much as you do. Maybe it includes stories you think fandom has overlooked. Doesn't matter. This is your opinion and whatever you say goes!

Offer any appropriate warnings. Include links so that everyone else in the bar can enjoy your choices!

This is sort of my version of the all-inclusive, open invitation, day-late Friday Fic Recs. :D Mods, please let me know if this needs to be altered in any way!



My Favorites: using categories made it easier for me to narrow it down. You can choose however you want. :-)

Finally Get Together: Rest for the Weary At FF.net by [livejournal.com profile] workerbee73
I eat up this theme like cupcakes at a Weight Watchers convention, but this is my favorite. It's in character, believable and ultimately satisfies my need for genuine-without-being-sappy fluff. :-)

Hurt/Comfort: Partners At FF.net by Dr. Nat
Clint endures torture b/c he won't give up Natasha. She goes to save him. Yes, it is that awesome.

Crossover: Brown & Gold At AO3 by [livejournal.com profile] cybermathwitch
Crossover with the Dragonriders of Pern. Darn near perfect cross between the two.

AU: Naked Pantomime in the Dark At AO3 by samalander
High school AU set in a high school Drama department. Yes, I'm a high school Drama teacher. Yes, I'm biased. Yes, it's still a really, really well-written AU. :D

Crack: Cupid At FF.net by AlphaKantSpell
Clint is a Cupid (complete with tiny wings). The premise is freakishly brilliant and well-written – it's almost scary good. Occasionally a little OOC, but I just don't care.

Secret Relationship: Hallelujah At FF.net by starstrucklilly
They're not trying to hide their relationship; the others just don't see it. The way they're found out is one of the VERY BEST ways EVER. (Sequel to Between, which is also very good, but which you don't have to read to appreciate Hallelujah.)

There are obviously many others that I love, but I'm hoping keeping it to a manageable number will enable everyone to respond and share the love. I hope you do!
 
 
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ext_2027[identity profile] astridv.livejournal.com on July 30th, 2012 09:08 am (UTC)
What a fantastic idea. Took ridiculously long to narrow it down but here's my list.

Mr. & Mrs. Barton (Or, Why Natasha Sends Jennifer Aniston an Annual Apologetic Fruit Basket) (http://be-compromised.livejournal.com/73127.html) by kuhori_rei (Blackhawk; NC-17; 13763 words)
Five years before they meet as Hawkeye and the Black Widow, they meet as Clint and Natasha. There is a romance, a marriage, and then, predictably, everything goes absolutely to hell, and Clint still thinks they should be getting royalty money from the DVD sales of Mr. & Mrs. Smith. (Or: boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Boy and girl get married. Boy and girl neglect to do background checks.)

The Kids Weren’t Alright (http://archiveofourown.org/works/458162) by lettered (Gen; PG-13; 56199 words)
Characters: Bruce, Tony, Pepper, Steve, Natasha, Clint, Jane
Tony accidentally turns himself into a twelve-year-old using alien tech. Steve is stuck as bodyguard, Bruce is stuck trying to fix him, and Pepper is stuck trying to ward off a twelve-year old’s attempts at flirtation. And then things go from bad to worse. -- This story takes a cracky fun trope and gives it depth, uses it to for the kind of character exploration that hits you right in the heart, without being maudlin or sappy. It gives the characters new dimensions while staying in character. On top of being fun and cracky.

Five Dates Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff Absolutely Positively Did Not Go On (and One They Did) (http://workerbee73.livejournal.com/139874.html) by workerbee73
The banter-laden, UST-filled adventures of two assassins in love. And denial. -- This put me in a happy mood. :) I love the UST and the banter, the spy mission backdrops, and the slow build-up of their epic friendship/bromance/relationship. The pacing is just right. Perfect.

Indebted (http://archiveofourown.org/works/440522) by sablier_bloque
Clint/Natasha; NC-17; origin/action/friendship/romance; 14312 words
Author's warnings: mentions of underage rape, and there is a scene where an underaged Natasha uses a sexual act for an ulterior motive, but there is no underage sex between Clint and Natasha.
Clint Barton is sent to kill a young girl named Natalia Romanova. He makes a different call. -- This story is amazing. Slightly different take from what I've read before, in that Natasha is 14 when Clint is sent to kill her. The way the story deals with Natasha's young age (and the age difference between her and Clint) always feels credible and realistic and I love her growth as a person and the progression of her relationship with Clint, the growth of trust and loyalty between them.

Any Way I Do (http://archiveofourown.org/works/400771) by MissJeeves
Team with Natasha/Clint; PG-13; humor; 4394 words
Summary: Tony discovers Clint and Natasha got married, reacts typically. -- Hilarious, cute & teamy. I'm normally not into marriage tropes of any kind but this fic is all kinds of fun.

This one is still WIP (39577 words) and the dialog punctuation needs fixing, but who cares when it has one of the most gripping plots I've read in this fandom, with great descriptions of the action.
Origin of the Debt (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8117611/1/Origin_of_the_Debt) by Sinkme
My take on how Clint got Natasha to come to SHIELD. Focuses on developing the backstory of their relationship and why Black Widow feels like she owes Hawkeye so much.

(I'm squeezing in one more, because technically it's not an official rec; it's a possibly abandonded WIP, hovering at 9,732 words).
In a Winter Month (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8202644/1/In_a_Winter_Month) by justreading4fun... which has Natasha and Clint hiding out in a safe house in wintery Lithuania after Clint got shot: enter the Avengers (well, Tony, so far). Really fantastic Natasha and Tony POVs, among other things.)
[identity profile] kuhori-rei.livejournal.com on July 30th, 2012 02:39 pm (UTC)
EEEEEE YOU RECC'D ME! :D

Thank you so much!
ext_2027[identity profile] astridv.livejournal.com on July 30th, 2012 04:08 pm (UTC)
Thank you for writing that fic in the first place. :)