fic recs: Avengers
Originally this started as a quick list for a friend, but I kept thinking of more stuff to add and figured I might as well toss it up here for anyone else that might also be interested. Fics are organized alphabetically by author and are primarily Steve/Tony or Natasha/Pepper. Will be updated periodically with new stuff.
New additions are marked with a * until the next update.
Last updated: 4.28.14
51stCenturyFox, Jukebox Heroes (series)
Steve/Tony, ensemble
mature, no warnings, 13k total
-Sexy and playful with lots of music references. This is the kind of porn I enjoy the most, lighthearted and fun.
ashinan, Metal Heart
Steve/Tony
teen, PTSD, 2.4k
No one has ever asked Tony Stark if he was fine.
-I just...aaah. ♥ There's something about this that keeps me coming back to read it over and over again, like all of ashinan's fics. This one is my absolute favorite of her's, though.
aslipperysloth, How Tony Stark Ruins Everything
Steve/Tony, ensemble
NC17, no warnings, 13k
The story of how Tony Stark manages to ruin sex, dating, and friendship - in that order.
- Tony goes about things rather backward and somehow it works out anyway. What I love about this fic is that it takes a lot of fumbling around, conflict, and missing the point for them to figure out how they fit together.
cherryice, Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal
Steve/Tony, Emma Frost, ensemble
not rated, references to PTSD and suicide, 11k
In which Steve is kind of a fossil but his squishy parts and feelings are still intact, Bruce hates blueberries, there's a mysterious banging coming from Tony's lab in the basement, and Emma Frost is not actually a stripper.
- Steve trying to figure out his feelings for Tony and jumping to the worst conclusions. Emma is not a nice person, but she tries to be a good friend. A solid fic with great character interactions.
daylightfire, In the Company of Friends
Tony, ensemble
PG, no warnings, 7k
Tony wakes up feeling like crap and finds himself longing for the times he lived alone and it was a lot easier to get a simple cup of coffee.
-Fluffy team fic wherein the Avengers deal with the day-to-day realities of Tony's arc reactor so he doesn't have to.
donutsandcoffee, I wonder how the world sees us
Clint/Tony, past Tony/Pepper, ensemble
teen, no warnings, 2.8k
This is how everyone else will see it: Clint and Tony don’t so much happen as other people don’t happen. (Or, Clint and Tony, as friends, as best friends, as warriors, as lovers-- and, most importantly, as themselves, even in the eyes of others.)
-There is really not enough of this pairing in the world and this fic is a prime example of how wonderful it can be.
earlofcardigans, weave in and settle
Natasha/Pepper
general, no warnings, 835
“You didn’t rinse out any of the mugs this morning. I don’t like drinking tea from a tumbler.” “I was saving the world.” Pepper ducks her head, tries to catch Natasha’s eyes. She smiles at Natasha, real and just a bit tired.
-My two favorite ladies being domestic together. Adorable.
*everythingispoetry, Days like this
Tony, Natasha, Fury, Jarvis
general, no warnings, 2.7k
On days like this Natasha wishes she could do something but she cannot, so she observes Tony closely and helps him as much a possible. Today there is someone else to help, too.
-I adore the idea of Tony and Natasha becoming friends. Nick Fury is a surprising but entirely welcome addition to this ensemble. Includes recipes!
gdgdbaby, The Helicarrier
Steve/Tony, Clint/Natasha, ensemble
PG13, no warnings, 3.2k
Avengers mockumentary fic. Set half a year or so after the events of the movie.
- This is one of the funniest fics I've ever read. It's so perfectly executed that it's very easy to imagine this movie in your head.
gyzym, Ready, Fire, Aim
Steve/Tony, Natahsa/Pepper, past Tony/Pepper, ensemble
NC17, no warnings, 21k
There's no "I" in "Avenger."
- What can I say? This has both Steve/Tony and Natasha/Pepper. This is a great one about the Avengers figuring each other out, a dash of very well done h/c, friendly superhero rivalry, a truly ridiculous battle, and Thor being Thor.
gyzym, Situation Normal: All Fucked Up
Steve/Tony, Natasha/Pepper, Rhodey/Bucky, past Tony/Pepper, ensemble
NC17, no warnings, 27k
As it turns out, fighting crime is the easy part.
- This is a direct sequel to "Ready, Fire, Aim." In the same vein as the first part, with an even more ridiculous battle, if that is even possible. The interactions between Tony and Rhodey are utterly perfect.
gyzym, Momentum
Steve/Tony, ensemble
R, no warnings, 15k
It doesn't matter who you are; eventually, everyone's past catches up to them.
- Retake of "Ready, Fire, Aim" from Steve's perspective. Bonus Christmas fluff!
jlh, The Shoes Make the Woman
Natasha/Pepper
PG13, no warnings, 1.6k
Experience has taught Natasha that bonding over shoes is a sure way to win over women when you're undercover. She didn't realize that for Pepper, shoes were a little more important than that.
- Pepper and Natasha romantically bonding over shoes and a day at the spa. This is a subtle and lovely take on shoe fetish.
*Mizzy, Even the Light is an Illusion
Steve/Tony, ensemble
teen, minor character death, fake character death, mass public death, 102k
Death threats are an unfortunate side-effect of being Tony Stark, so he's learned to ignore them. The problem is, when someone really wants you dead, hiding your head in the sand just kinda exposes your ass.
But it's not just Tony's behind on the line. Whoever wants him dead wants him to suffer first, and they're willing to do anything to make that happen. Tony knows there's only one way out. To save Steve, the Avengers, and the general public, Tony has to die. Of course, death isn't always the end, and Tony does what any other self-disrespecting scientist would do: he finds a way to fake his death and avenge his own murder.
The trouble is, terrible decisions usually have a terrible price, and this one is no different. Tony has a chance to save the day, but the cost may be more than Tony was ever expecting to pay…
-If you need a story to immerse yourself in on a rainy day, this is it. Hard to put down! I will add that there are some ambiguously unsettling themes in this, if you happen to be bothered by that sort of thing.
*Mizzy, Unveil My Unsightly Heart
Steve/Tony, assorted others
mature, minor character death (see link for full list of warnings), 43k
Looking over an old prototype helicarrier for its future viability as a base for the Avengers should have just been a routine day full of bickering and non-adventure for Steve Rogers and Tony Stark.
But when they're catapulted into an alternate universe - where their alternate selves are married and battling with a mysterious threat - the two are forced to get over their differences in order to figure out what's going on, before it's too late.
Because there's more going on than meets the eye, and Steve and Tony falling in love might just be the most dangerous thing that can happen. Not just for one universe, but for all of them…
-Super creepy plot, but so, so good.
*Muccamuk, New Leaves in Autumn
Natasha/Pepper, Pepper/Tony
explicit, light bondage, 8.1k
It's the fall of 1868, and Pepper Stark just wants a break between crises. However, with a ball to organise, Tony away, and one Mr. Nathaniel Rushman left to look after Stark Industrial Enterprises, rest turns out to be the last thing on her mind, and more than one scandal is brewing.
-This fic has basically everything I enjoy - cross-dressing, Victorians, and a bit of bondage. Lovely!
_samalander, (sleep wake hope and then)
Steve, ensemble
PG, no warnings, 8.1k
Steve Rogers wants to go back to art school. But more than that, he wants to figure out what his legacy is, and what he's doing here.
- This is a poignant and well-researched character study. The problems that Steve encounters are entertaining and a little bit sad and very realistic.
scifigrl47, Some Things Shouldn't Be a Chore
Steve/Tony, Clint/Phil, ensemble
teen, no warnings, 22k
Steve takes things like personal responsibility and respect seriously. Tony's got people he pays to take care of that kind of thing, and anyway, he's pretty sure that he's going to die of some exotic disease in his workshop, because Dummy's still a little spotty about what is 'clean' enough to put on an open wound. The rest of the Avengers are in this for personal gain, except for Clint, he just enjoys being a dick. And some things shouldn't be a chore.
- Between the sentient toaster and the Roomba herd and the chore chart this is one of my favorite domestic fics about Avengers learning to live together.
scifigrl47, Phil Coulson's Case Files of the Toasterverse (series)
Steve/Tony, Clint/Phil, ensemble, OCs
general - mature, no warnings, 43k total
Short stories from the Toasterverse, because the author gets panicky writing long form stories built around plot and has to finish something in order to function. Phil has problems with these people. So does the Author.
-Very funny companion pieces that deal with more ordinary occurrences in the lives of the Avengers and SHIELD agents. Mostly lighthearted and all very enjoyable to read.
seriousfic, From Russia With Love (and a Catsuit)
Natasha/Pepper, Tony
PG13, no warnings, 3k
What Pepper's diary will look like tomorrow: "Dear diary, today I lost my job, was kidnapped by Blackwater, and kissed a girl. I liked it."
- Takes place after Iron Man 2. An incredibly witty take on Pepper finally quitting and getting caught up in Natasha's mystique.
*Sholio, The Care and Feeding of Traumatized Ex-Assassins
Steve, Bucky, Natasha, Sam
teen, no warnings, 6.6k
Steve starts to notice someone's been in his apartment while he's not there.
-Set after Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Sweet story about Steve and Bucky starting to learn to be around each other again.
sidneysussex, This is the half-light; see me as I am
Steve/Tony
PG13, no warnings, 4.1k
Tony poses for Steve's sketching. It turns out there's more than one way of being naked.
- The premise of this fic is just really, really romantic. :)
tsukinofaerii, Something Different
Natasha/Pepper, Tony/Pepper, Steve, assorted others
explicit, no warnings, 25k
Roughly a year after the events at the Stark Expo, Pepper's "stable-ish" relationship with Tony has deteriorated into more -ish than stable. Tony has been keeping secrets, and he's brought home a mystery blond who occupies all his time-including the time he should have been using for work. While holding things together, Pepper finds herself getting much, much closer to Natalie. But Natalie may be hiding a few secrets of her own.
- Pepper is awesome in this. My favorite scenes are the ones of her learning how to fight from Natasha...while trying very hard not to ogle her instructor. The author also does a good job of presenting the complexity in Pepper and Tony's relationship.
New additions are marked with a * until the next update.
Last updated: 4.28.14
51stCenturyFox, Jukebox Heroes (series)
Steve/Tony, ensemble
mature, no warnings, 13k total
-Sexy and playful with lots of music references. This is the kind of porn I enjoy the most, lighthearted and fun.
ashinan, Metal Heart
Steve/Tony
teen, PTSD, 2.4k
No one has ever asked Tony Stark if he was fine.
-I just...aaah. ♥ There's something about this that keeps me coming back to read it over and over again, like all of ashinan's fics. This one is my absolute favorite of her's, though.
aslipperysloth, How Tony Stark Ruins Everything
Steve/Tony, ensemble
NC17, no warnings, 13k
The story of how Tony Stark manages to ruin sex, dating, and friendship - in that order.
- Tony goes about things rather backward and somehow it works out anyway. What I love about this fic is that it takes a lot of fumbling around, conflict, and missing the point for them to figure out how they fit together.
cherryice, Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal
Steve/Tony, Emma Frost, ensemble
not rated, references to PTSD and suicide, 11k
In which Steve is kind of a fossil but his squishy parts and feelings are still intact, Bruce hates blueberries, there's a mysterious banging coming from Tony's lab in the basement, and Emma Frost is not actually a stripper.
- Steve trying to figure out his feelings for Tony and jumping to the worst conclusions. Emma is not a nice person, but she tries to be a good friend. A solid fic with great character interactions.
daylightfire, In the Company of Friends
Tony, ensemble
PG, no warnings, 7k
Tony wakes up feeling like crap and finds himself longing for the times he lived alone and it was a lot easier to get a simple cup of coffee.
-Fluffy team fic wherein the Avengers deal with the day-to-day realities of Tony's arc reactor so he doesn't have to.
donutsandcoffee, I wonder how the world sees us
Clint/Tony, past Tony/Pepper, ensemble
teen, no warnings, 2.8k
This is how everyone else will see it: Clint and Tony don’t so much happen as other people don’t happen. (Or, Clint and Tony, as friends, as best friends, as warriors, as lovers-- and, most importantly, as themselves, even in the eyes of others.)
-There is really not enough of this pairing in the world and this fic is a prime example of how wonderful it can be.
earlofcardigans, weave in and settle
Natasha/Pepper
general, no warnings, 835
“You didn’t rinse out any of the mugs this morning. I don’t like drinking tea from a tumbler.” “I was saving the world.” Pepper ducks her head, tries to catch Natasha’s eyes. She smiles at Natasha, real and just a bit tired.
-My two favorite ladies being domestic together. Adorable.
*everythingispoetry, Days like this
Tony, Natasha, Fury, Jarvis
general, no warnings, 2.7k
On days like this Natasha wishes she could do something but she cannot, so she observes Tony closely and helps him as much a possible. Today there is someone else to help, too.
-I adore the idea of Tony and Natasha becoming friends. Nick Fury is a surprising but entirely welcome addition to this ensemble. Includes recipes!
gdgdbaby, The Helicarrier
Steve/Tony, Clint/Natasha, ensemble
PG13, no warnings, 3.2k
Avengers mockumentary fic. Set half a year or so after the events of the movie.
- This is one of the funniest fics I've ever read. It's so perfectly executed that it's very easy to imagine this movie in your head.
gyzym, Ready, Fire, Aim
Steve/Tony, Natahsa/Pepper, past Tony/Pepper, ensemble
NC17, no warnings, 21k
There's no "I" in "Avenger."
- What can I say? This has both Steve/Tony and Natasha/Pepper. This is a great one about the Avengers figuring each other out, a dash of very well done h/c, friendly superhero rivalry, a truly ridiculous battle, and Thor being Thor.
gyzym, Situation Normal: All Fucked Up
Steve/Tony, Natasha/Pepper, Rhodey/Bucky, past Tony/Pepper, ensemble
NC17, no warnings, 27k
As it turns out, fighting crime is the easy part.
- This is a direct sequel to "Ready, Fire, Aim." In the same vein as the first part, with an even more ridiculous battle, if that is even possible. The interactions between Tony and Rhodey are utterly perfect.
gyzym, Momentum
Steve/Tony, ensemble
R, no warnings, 15k
It doesn't matter who you are; eventually, everyone's past catches up to them.
- Retake of "Ready, Fire, Aim" from Steve's perspective. Bonus Christmas fluff!
jlh, The Shoes Make the Woman
Natasha/Pepper
PG13, no warnings, 1.6k
Experience has taught Natasha that bonding over shoes is a sure way to win over women when you're undercover. She didn't realize that for Pepper, shoes were a little more important than that.
- Pepper and Natasha romantically bonding over shoes and a day at the spa. This is a subtle and lovely take on shoe fetish.
*Mizzy, Even the Light is an Illusion
Steve/Tony, ensemble
teen, minor character death, fake character death, mass public death, 102k
Death threats are an unfortunate side-effect of being Tony Stark, so he's learned to ignore them. The problem is, when someone really wants you dead, hiding your head in the sand just kinda exposes your ass.
But it's not just Tony's behind on the line. Whoever wants him dead wants him to suffer first, and they're willing to do anything to make that happen. Tony knows there's only one way out. To save Steve, the Avengers, and the general public, Tony has to die. Of course, death isn't always the end, and Tony does what any other self-disrespecting scientist would do: he finds a way to fake his death and avenge his own murder.
The trouble is, terrible decisions usually have a terrible price, and this one is no different. Tony has a chance to save the day, but the cost may be more than Tony was ever expecting to pay…
-If you need a story to immerse yourself in on a rainy day, this is it. Hard to put down! I will add that there are some ambiguously unsettling themes in this, if you happen to be bothered by that sort of thing.
*Mizzy, Unveil My Unsightly Heart
Steve/Tony, assorted others
mature, minor character death (see link for full list of warnings), 43k
Looking over an old prototype helicarrier for its future viability as a base for the Avengers should have just been a routine day full of bickering and non-adventure for Steve Rogers and Tony Stark.
But when they're catapulted into an alternate universe - where their alternate selves are married and battling with a mysterious threat - the two are forced to get over their differences in order to figure out what's going on, before it's too late.
Because there's more going on than meets the eye, and Steve and Tony falling in love might just be the most dangerous thing that can happen. Not just for one universe, but for all of them…
-Super creepy plot, but so, so good.
*Muccamuk, New Leaves in Autumn
Natasha/Pepper, Pepper/Tony
explicit, light bondage, 8.1k
It's the fall of 1868, and Pepper Stark just wants a break between crises. However, with a ball to organise, Tony away, and one Mr. Nathaniel Rushman left to look after Stark Industrial Enterprises, rest turns out to be the last thing on her mind, and more than one scandal is brewing.
-This fic has basically everything I enjoy - cross-dressing, Victorians, and a bit of bondage. Lovely!
_samalander, (sleep wake hope and then)
Steve, ensemble
PG, no warnings, 8.1k
Steve Rogers wants to go back to art school. But more than that, he wants to figure out what his legacy is, and what he's doing here.
- This is a poignant and well-researched character study. The problems that Steve encounters are entertaining and a little bit sad and very realistic.
scifigrl47, Some Things Shouldn't Be a Chore
Steve/Tony, Clint/Phil, ensemble
teen, no warnings, 22k
Steve takes things like personal responsibility and respect seriously. Tony's got people he pays to take care of that kind of thing, and anyway, he's pretty sure that he's going to die of some exotic disease in his workshop, because Dummy's still a little spotty about what is 'clean' enough to put on an open wound. The rest of the Avengers are in this for personal gain, except for Clint, he just enjoys being a dick. And some things shouldn't be a chore.
- Between the sentient toaster and the Roomba herd and the chore chart this is one of my favorite domestic fics about Avengers learning to live together.
scifigrl47, Phil Coulson's Case Files of the Toasterverse (series)
Steve/Tony, Clint/Phil, ensemble, OCs
general - mature, no warnings, 43k total
Short stories from the Toasterverse, because the author gets panicky writing long form stories built around plot and has to finish something in order to function. Phil has problems with these people. So does the Author.
-Very funny companion pieces that deal with more ordinary occurrences in the lives of the Avengers and SHIELD agents. Mostly lighthearted and all very enjoyable to read.
seriousfic, From Russia With Love (and a Catsuit)
Natasha/Pepper, Tony
PG13, no warnings, 3k
What Pepper's diary will look like tomorrow: "Dear diary, today I lost my job, was kidnapped by Blackwater, and kissed a girl. I liked it."
- Takes place after Iron Man 2. An incredibly witty take on Pepper finally quitting and getting caught up in Natasha's mystique.
*Sholio, The Care and Feeding of Traumatized Ex-Assassins
Steve, Bucky, Natasha, Sam
teen, no warnings, 6.6k
Steve starts to notice someone's been in his apartment while he's not there.
-Set after Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Sweet story about Steve and Bucky starting to learn to be around each other again.
sidneysussex, This is the half-light; see me as I am
Steve/Tony
PG13, no warnings, 4.1k
Tony poses for Steve's sketching. It turns out there's more than one way of being naked.
- The premise of this fic is just really, really romantic. :)
tsukinofaerii, Something Different
Natasha/Pepper, Tony/Pepper, Steve, assorted others
explicit, no warnings, 25k
Roughly a year after the events at the Stark Expo, Pepper's "stable-ish" relationship with Tony has deteriorated into more -ish than stable. Tony has been keeping secrets, and he's brought home a mystery blond who occupies all his time-including the time he should have been using for work. While holding things together, Pepper finds herself getting much, much closer to Natalie. But Natalie may be hiding a few secrets of her own.
- Pepper is awesome in this. My favorite scenes are the ones of her learning how to fight from Natasha...while trying very hard not to ogle her instructor. The author also does a good job of presenting the complexity in Pepper and Tony's relationship.