Rec: Gee, I Wish I Was Back in the Army, the Army Was the Place to Find Romance!
When I told deviouskirin that her Christmas present would be in the form of a recs list (because I am fiscally poor but fictionally rich hahah), I really didn't expect what form, exactly, that recs list would take. I really should have, given how we met, but I did not. So, here you have it, my first military-themed recs list. Boy, howdy, was that a rich vein to mine. deviouskirin is not alone in this; fandom loves its boys in...well, whatever color you're thinking of, we've probably got.
Note: this is not a comprehensive military-fic rec. That would be nothing short of insane, requiring years of my life and a tagging system that goes beyond my comprehension. No, this is purely military-related (some only military-adjacent, or requiring a slight stretch of the imagination to the past or future of the characters) fic and vids that I have enjoyed, and now have the driving desire to make others read.
To begin:
Duende by
astolat
Fandom: Master & Commander
Pairing: Jack/Stephen
WARNING: Bondfic, so it could be construed as dubcon. Also: bondfic. And some of the most oblique references to sexual acts you'll find in fic, ever. Some pretty explicit ones, too.
"Why would you acquiesce to this?" Maturin said, as though Jack's breaking the silence had loosened his tongue. "You are young to be bonded in any case; you ought to be matched with someone five years your junior, not senior, and you cannot think me a prime candidate."
Jack blushed; it was hard to know how to answer this without being rude. Yet Maturin was being very frank, and he felt it freed him a little from ordinary bounds. "I will be honest, sir: I am none too eager to be bonded just yet. It is early in my career, and I have made no name for myself with which to merit a-a choice of partner, but you must see, the offer cannot be refused," he concluded, a little desperately.
"Ah. I see." Maturin dropped his head and turned away, leaning upon the railing. "Did you reject him, or fail to reject his wife?"
The world-building
astolat does with this fic is remarkable, up to, and including the smallest details. I want to know so much more. How did this system get started? What other powers do people have? How do they get them? And last, but certainly not least: can I have some?
Get Some by hackthis
Fandom: Generation Kill
Pairing: Brad/Nate
WARNING: The High School AU of your dreams.
A tiny, balled-up wad of paper sails right over Nate's shoulder, bounces off the middle ring of his three-ring binder and rolls to a stop just shy of falling onto the floor.
Nate flicks it away with his thumb and index finger.
Brad definitely wants attention.
Seconds later another wad of paper lands on Nate's desk. And then another. And another.
It's attack by spit balls, minus the spit. They agreed not to do the spit thing anymore after that unfortunate incident where one spit ball went wide and ended up across the aisle and attached to Maureen Trotsky's glasses. She didn't appreciate that much.
Godfather appreciated them being late for practice because they had detention even less.
And yet, something that feels suspiciously like a spit ball lands on Nate's exposed neck, right above the collar of his shirt.
Nate's been slimed.
This fic was my introduction to GK and the reason I got into GK fandom at all. Nate, Brad, Poke, Ray, Walt, and every other character you could name from GK is not only recognizable here, but believable. hackthis translates them into an earlier age bracket but makes you believe that this is exactly how they'd be as high-schoolers, as people just growing into themselves.
Every Marine a Wolfbrother Series by
dira
Fandom: Generation Kill
Pairing: Too many to mention
WARNING: Definite non-con/dubcon in the second in the series. References to it elsewhere.
Bo was the tallest wolf in the platoon--her shoulder came up almost to the bottom of Evan's flak vest--but not the biggest. She was lightly built, with narrow shoulders and long legs. She had short, sleek fur that was brindled in pale and darker tan. She was desert camouflaged all by herself. Fick had told him that her known ancestry in Saudi Arabia went back to the sixteenth century; Bo's mother had been brought to the US after the Gulf War, when everyone realized that desert wars might just be a big thing in the next few decades. It made the woodlands camo on her MOPP suit even more ironic than everyone else's. Without the MOPP suit, Bo herself would be able to just disappear into the sand out here.
Of course, not being able to see Bo was sort of an unnerving thought. Evan realized that a half second before he felt Bo's muzzle jab into his thigh from behind. He took a staggering step forward, and then kept going, letting Bo move him across the impromptu encampment. Their goal turned out to be the little bit of shade available next to the command vehicle. Even looked down at her when they got there, and Bo gave him another shove on the hip, backing him up against one of the wheels. When there was no further Evan could back away from her, she snapped her teeth a couple of times.
Evan stood very still.
Fifteen feet away, Fick turned his head and called out, "She wants you to sit down and stay where she can keep an eye on you."
This series is an excellent fusion of worlds, and for those unfamiliar with the fuse-ed world, brings to mind Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small series in combination with...well, something where people and wolves share minds. It is telepathy on a certain level, but without the sinister implications that telepathy among humans has; the difference comes from the wolves. They do what they think is right, and serve as a massive ego check on their humans at times. Trombley might be a different story, but, well. It's Trombley.
Kings of the Air by
FabulaRasa
Fandom: Top Gun (1986)
Pairing: Iceman/Maverick
WARNING: Deals with DADT, internalized homophobia and sex that starts with punching. That last part's actually pretty awesome, in context.
Ice took another drag of the cigar and scooted aside as Maverick made his way past him, and the slap on the back became a smaller, and much less noticeable, squeeze of his arm, because Ice knew, of course Ice knew. Those fucking eyes like chips of glaciers, there was nothing they missed. Maverick let himself squeeze back, just a little-more of a brush, just to say yeah, I know you know and I'm okay with you knowing, because fuck but it felt good not to be alone with the thing in his chest.
Oh, this story. This story. You know that story you've read in that tiny, tiny fandom that spoiled you for all and any other stories in that fandom? That there's no other story you need after that? This is that story.
Like all love stories actually are, it's lovely, long and complicated. I could read it a dozen times and I'm sure I'd still miss dozens of subtleties from the world we live in that have slipped inside. This story picks up where Top Gun left off and, even if you've never seen Top Gun (I sure haven't) it makes complete sense. I feel like I've seen Top Gun, I've read this story so many times.
O Captain, My Captain by novembersmith
Fandom: Temeraire books
Pairing: I kind of feel like I shouldn't spoil that for you, even though if you've read the Temeraire books this is based on, you'll know immediately.
WARNING: Talking dragons. Magic. Things like that.
"I beg your pardon," Laurence said finally, raising his voice over the mountain wind. The young man whirled around and stared at him. He had rather extraordinary eyes, Laurence noticed. The color was oddly arresting: a deep, drowning blue. The older gentleman and the young lady only smiled at Laurence, and the gentleman doffed his hat.
In this version of our world, there is a branch of the military that flies dragons. That's pretty much all you need to know to get the story, though I will heartily recommend the books.* This story captures what makes that world so intriguing while novembersmith puts hir own spin on things.
National Pastime by
dira / dsudis
Fandom: Live Free Or Die Hard (2007)
Pairing: John McClane / Matt Farrell
WARNING: What seems like PTSD to me. Also, the harrowing thought of falling down the nosebleed stairs at a baseball game.
Matt made it about two crutches-swinging strides from McClane's car before he actually looked up at their destination. "Oh, man, I really don't think this is a good idea."
"Shut up, it's a great idea," McClane said easily, matching his stride to Matt's slow, painful pace--swing crutches, hop, breathe, swing crutches, hop, breathe...
Matt looked up at the stadium as they got closer, his eyes tracing the slanting concrete. There were people walking behind the grating. "Wait--those are ramps. Did you say those tickets were upper deck?"
"Nothing like the upper deck at Shea in July," McClane said, in a hearty, two-working-legs, not-even-wearing-a-sling-anymore kind of voice that made Matt want to punch him a little bit.
K, I know you said you love you some Die Hard. Well, there's a ton of good Die Hard fics out there (and by "ton" I really mean not many fics at all, but I've yet to stumble across a truly bad one, thank god for good writers) but this is far and away my favorite. Which is why I'm justifying putting two works by the same author into the post. Please don't hunt me down and beat me with a computer cord; I understand I've broken a reccing law, but I did it for a good reason! The spreading of joy and fanfic throughout the land! 'Tis a noble cause, one I shall pursue until my dying day. Or until the Internet breaks. Whichever comes first.
The Lovely Couple by
celli
Fandom: Marvel, Avengers
Pairing: Clint/Coulson
WARNING: One of my favorite tropes: undercover married!
"Sir," Coulson said, "these covers are--"
"Real people," Fury said. He was smirking, the asshole. "Conveniently out of town for the next few weeks. It's always easier to get real people in the door."
Clint met Coulson's eyes over a picture of two men who bore the faintest resemblance to them, locked in a passionate kiss in front of a courthouse. Coulson's face was neutral as always, and damn it, if he wasn't going to react neither was Clint.
"I'm sure we'll make a lovely couple," Clint said, and forced a smile. "Honey."
Oh, they do. They do. :-D
Average Avengers Local Chapter 7 of New York City by
hetrez
Fandom: Marvel, Avengers
Pairing: Steve/Tony
WARNING: After this fic you will want to go volunteer in your local senior center. Don't fight it.
The reporters start out easy. Maybe they're hoping to lull the team into a false sense that they're not the devil. Or maybe Fury put the fear of himself into them. Either way, it's hilarious.
"Ms Romanov, how does it feel to be named one of People's 50 Most Beautiful People?"
"Mr Odinson, how are you liking Earth so far?"
"Mr Stark, what's it like to be part of a team instead of flying solo?"
"What's your favorite thing to do in your free time?"
To which the answers are,
Thor: "Visit my wonderful Jane."
Hawkeye: "Go see a Mets game."
Steve: "I support my local union."
Tony coughs until his eyes water.
And I'll just leave you with the official summary: "Steve and Tony accidentally start a national do-gooders association and fall in love." Who can resist that?
Vids
To Touch The Face of God by
destina
Fandom: NASA
WARNING: WOW.
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
I can't quite explain why every time I watch this I cry, but I do. There's something about people willing to put their lives on the line for the good of mankind, or scientific exploration, or just a thirst to learn that is heartbreakingly wonderful.
Sorrow by
greensilver
Fandom: Avengers, Marvel, Captain America
WARNING: Uh, spoilers for Captain America, I would guess. Also, in case you didn't know, heis in the armyat some point. (I have not seen the movie or read the comic books, and yet, I feel pretty unspoiled by this vid.)
This encapsulates what it means to be Captain America. And, in true Marvel Comics fashion, it seems to mean to be sad, alone, and to be trying your hardest to do the right thing. And it makes me want to give you a hug and some Oreos.
*I think, at this point, pretty much everyone knows who wrote them, and I will admit I feel kind of awkward about the overlap in this post, but since
naominovik is so gracious about fanworks, I didn't think it would be in terribly bad taste.
This entry was originally posted at http://foursweatervests.dreamwidth.org/71586.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
Note: this is not a comprehensive military-fic rec. That would be nothing short of insane, requiring years of my life and a tagging system that goes beyond my comprehension. No, this is purely military-related (some only military-adjacent, or requiring a slight stretch of the imagination to the past or future of the characters) fic and vids that I have enjoyed, and now have the driving desire to make others read.
To begin:
Duende by
astolat
Fandom: Master & Commander
Pairing: Jack/Stephen
WARNING: Bondfic, so it could be construed as dubcon. Also: bondfic. And some of the most oblique references to sexual acts you'll find in fic, ever. Some pretty explicit ones, too.
"Why would you acquiesce to this?" Maturin said, as though Jack's breaking the silence had loosened his tongue. "You are young to be bonded in any case; you ought to be matched with someone five years your junior, not senior, and you cannot think me a prime candidate."
Jack blushed; it was hard to know how to answer this without being rude. Yet Maturin was being very frank, and he felt it freed him a little from ordinary bounds. "I will be honest, sir: I am none too eager to be bonded just yet. It is early in my career, and I have made no name for myself with which to merit a-a choice of partner, but you must see, the offer cannot be refused," he concluded, a little desperately.
"Ah. I see." Maturin dropped his head and turned away, leaning upon the railing. "Did you reject him, or fail to reject his wife?"
The world-building
astolat does with this fic is remarkable, up to, and including the smallest details. I want to know so much more. How did this system get started? What other powers do people have? How do they get them? And last, but certainly not least: can I have some?
Get Some by hackthis
Fandom: Generation Kill
Pairing: Brad/Nate
WARNING: The High School AU of your dreams.
A tiny, balled-up wad of paper sails right over Nate's shoulder, bounces off the middle ring of his three-ring binder and rolls to a stop just shy of falling onto the floor.
Nate flicks it away with his thumb and index finger.
Brad definitely wants attention.
Seconds later another wad of paper lands on Nate's desk. And then another. And another.
It's attack by spit balls, minus the spit. They agreed not to do the spit thing anymore after that unfortunate incident where one spit ball went wide and ended up across the aisle and attached to Maureen Trotsky's glasses. She didn't appreciate that much.
Godfather appreciated them being late for practice because they had detention even less.
And yet, something that feels suspiciously like a spit ball lands on Nate's exposed neck, right above the collar of his shirt.
Nate's been slimed.
This fic was my introduction to GK and the reason I got into GK fandom at all. Nate, Brad, Poke, Ray, Walt, and every other character you could name from GK is not only recognizable here, but believable. hackthis translates them into an earlier age bracket but makes you believe that this is exactly how they'd be as high-schoolers, as people just growing into themselves.
Every Marine a Wolfbrother Series by
dira
Fandom: Generation Kill
Pairing: Too many to mention
WARNING: Definite non-con/dubcon in the second in the series. References to it elsewhere.
Bo was the tallest wolf in the platoon--her shoulder came up almost to the bottom of Evan's flak vest--but not the biggest. She was lightly built, with narrow shoulders and long legs. She had short, sleek fur that was brindled in pale and darker tan. She was desert camouflaged all by herself. Fick had told him that her known ancestry in Saudi Arabia went back to the sixteenth century; Bo's mother had been brought to the US after the Gulf War, when everyone realized that desert wars might just be a big thing in the next few decades. It made the woodlands camo on her MOPP suit even more ironic than everyone else's. Without the MOPP suit, Bo herself would be able to just disappear into the sand out here.
Of course, not being able to see Bo was sort of an unnerving thought. Evan realized that a half second before he felt Bo's muzzle jab into his thigh from behind. He took a staggering step forward, and then kept going, letting Bo move him across the impromptu encampment. Their goal turned out to be the little bit of shade available next to the command vehicle. Even looked down at her when they got there, and Bo gave him another shove on the hip, backing him up against one of the wheels. When there was no further Evan could back away from her, she snapped her teeth a couple of times.
Evan stood very still.
Fifteen feet away, Fick turned his head and called out, "She wants you to sit down and stay where she can keep an eye on you."
This series is an excellent fusion of worlds, and for those unfamiliar with the fuse-ed world, brings to mind Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small series in combination with...well, something where people and wolves share minds. It is telepathy on a certain level, but without the sinister implications that telepathy among humans has; the difference comes from the wolves. They do what they think is right, and serve as a massive ego check on their humans at times. Trombley might be a different story, but, well. It's Trombley.
Kings of the Air by
FabulaRasa
Fandom: Top Gun (1986)
Pairing: Iceman/Maverick
WARNING: Deals with DADT, internalized homophobia and sex that starts with punching. That last part's actually pretty awesome, in context.
Ice took another drag of the cigar and scooted aside as Maverick made his way past him, and the slap on the back became a smaller, and much less noticeable, squeeze of his arm, because Ice knew, of course Ice knew. Those fucking eyes like chips of glaciers, there was nothing they missed. Maverick let himself squeeze back, just a little-more of a brush, just to say yeah, I know you know and I'm okay with you knowing, because fuck but it felt good not to be alone with the thing in his chest.
Oh, this story. This story. You know that story you've read in that tiny, tiny fandom that spoiled you for all and any other stories in that fandom? That there's no other story you need after that? This is that story.
Like all love stories actually are, it's lovely, long and complicated. I could read it a dozen times and I'm sure I'd still miss dozens of subtleties from the world we live in that have slipped inside. This story picks up where Top Gun left off and, even if you've never seen Top Gun (I sure haven't) it makes complete sense. I feel like I've seen Top Gun, I've read this story so many times.
O Captain, My Captain by novembersmith
Fandom: Temeraire books
Pairing: I kind of feel like I shouldn't spoil that for you, even though if you've read the Temeraire books this is based on, you'll know immediately.
WARNING: Talking dragons. Magic. Things like that.
"I beg your pardon," Laurence said finally, raising his voice over the mountain wind. The young man whirled around and stared at him. He had rather extraordinary eyes, Laurence noticed. The color was oddly arresting: a deep, drowning blue. The older gentleman and the young lady only smiled at Laurence, and the gentleman doffed his hat.
In this version of our world, there is a branch of the military that flies dragons. That's pretty much all you need to know to get the story, though I will heartily recommend the books.* This story captures what makes that world so intriguing while novembersmith puts hir own spin on things.
National Pastime by
dira / dsudis
Fandom: Live Free Or Die Hard (2007)
Pairing: John McClane / Matt Farrell
WARNING: What seems like PTSD to me. Also, the harrowing thought of falling down the nosebleed stairs at a baseball game.
Matt made it about two crutches-swinging strides from McClane's car before he actually looked up at their destination. "Oh, man, I really don't think this is a good idea."
"Shut up, it's a great idea," McClane said easily, matching his stride to Matt's slow, painful pace--swing crutches, hop, breathe, swing crutches, hop, breathe...
Matt looked up at the stadium as they got closer, his eyes tracing the slanting concrete. There were people walking behind the grating. "Wait--those are ramps. Did you say those tickets were upper deck?"
"Nothing like the upper deck at Shea in July," McClane said, in a hearty, two-working-legs, not-even-wearing-a-sling-anymore kind of voice that made Matt want to punch him a little bit.
K, I know you said you love you some Die Hard. Well, there's a ton of good Die Hard fics out there (and by "ton" I really mean not many fics at all, but I've yet to stumble across a truly bad one, thank god for good writers) but this is far and away my favorite. Which is why I'm justifying putting two works by the same author into the post. Please don't hunt me down and beat me with a computer cord; I understand I've broken a reccing law, but I did it for a good reason! The spreading of joy and fanfic throughout the land! 'Tis a noble cause, one I shall pursue until my dying day. Or until the Internet breaks. Whichever comes first.
The Lovely Couple by
celli
Fandom: Marvel, Avengers
Pairing: Clint/Coulson
WARNING: One of my favorite tropes: undercover married!
"Sir," Coulson said, "these covers are--"
"Real people," Fury said. He was smirking, the asshole. "Conveniently out of town for the next few weeks. It's always easier to get real people in the door."
Clint met Coulson's eyes over a picture of two men who bore the faintest resemblance to them, locked in a passionate kiss in front of a courthouse. Coulson's face was neutral as always, and damn it, if he wasn't going to react neither was Clint.
"I'm sure we'll make a lovely couple," Clint said, and forced a smile. "Honey."
Oh, they do. They do. :-D
Average Avengers Local Chapter 7 of New York City by
hetrez
Fandom: Marvel, Avengers
Pairing: Steve/Tony
WARNING: After this fic you will want to go volunteer in your local senior center. Don't fight it.
The reporters start out easy. Maybe they're hoping to lull the team into a false sense that they're not the devil. Or maybe Fury put the fear of himself into them. Either way, it's hilarious.
"Ms Romanov, how does it feel to be named one of People's 50 Most Beautiful People?"
"Mr Odinson, how are you liking Earth so far?"
"Mr Stark, what's it like to be part of a team instead of flying solo?"
"What's your favorite thing to do in your free time?"
To which the answers are,
Thor: "Visit my wonderful Jane."
Hawkeye: "Go see a Mets game."
Steve: "I support my local union."
Tony coughs until his eyes water.
And I'll just leave you with the official summary: "Steve and Tony accidentally start a national do-gooders association and fall in love." Who can resist that?
Vids
To Touch The Face of God by
destina
Fandom: NASA
WARNING: WOW.
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew.
And, while silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.
I can't quite explain why every time I watch this I cry, but I do. There's something about people willing to put their lives on the line for the good of mankind, or scientific exploration, or just a thirst to learn that is heartbreakingly wonderful.
Sorrow by
greensilver
Fandom: Avengers, Marvel, Captain America
WARNING: Uh, spoilers for Captain America, I would guess. Also, in case you didn't know, heis in the armyat some point. (I have not seen the movie or read the comic books, and yet, I feel pretty unspoiled by this vid.)
This encapsulates what it means to be Captain America. And, in true Marvel Comics fashion, it seems to mean to be sad, alone, and to be trying your hardest to do the right thing. And it makes me want to give you a hug and some Oreos.
*I think, at this point, pretty much everyone knows who wrote them, and I will admit I feel kind of awkward about the overlap in this post, but since
naominovik is so gracious about fanworks, I didn't think it would be in terribly bad taste.
This entry was originally posted at http://foursweatervests.dreamwidth.org/71586.html. Please comment there using OpenID.