This Girl's Very Big Rec List of Avengers Gen Fic
I come bearing recs! See below the cut for 28 Avengers Gen fics that I have really enjoyed. There's a range of POV characters, and plots, basically all sorts of goodies.
• and if there's life we'll see it by irnan
Summary: Steve is instantly taken with this idea of having the picture of the person calling you flash on your screen when they ring your cell.
The stories of how Steve gets the pictures of the contacts in his phone. The structure is great, and there’s an awful lot packed into each little story.
• And You Wonder Why We Ain't Got Nothing to Say by jukeboxhound
Summary: "You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?"
"Did you just put Star Wars and Democritus in the same sentence? Hand me the bong, I'm not nearly high enough for that." What more can I say?
• Another Bizarre and Thankless Situation by vain_glorious
Summary: "Hostages 101: If you kill them first, no one is going to do what you say."
Loki kidnaps Tony and then Natasha. Schroedinger’s brain-death, magic, and trust issues ensue.
• A Week in the Life of Highly Respected SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson by boombangbing
Summary: Phil would just like to state for the record that this was all Tony Stark's fault. (Seven increasingly chaotic days in the life of Phil Coulson.)
Coulson’s no good, very bad week. Steve is fresh out of the ice and a bit lost, Tony causes trouble, Natasha is brilliant.
• Every Friday After the War by ignipes
Summary: Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, and a lot of memories in the aftermath. Post-movie.
This is a lovely, quiet, going-to-be-friends fic. Short and sweet, but packs a punch.
• fellowshipby irnan
Summary: Five short conversations Natasha Romanov has had about her teammates.
This has a really lovely Natasha voice, and is beautifully insightful.
• Fifteen Short Stories About Teamwork by BlackEyedGirl
Summary: They’ve made a start. There’s still a lot to learn about each other.
A series of short scenes, where the Avengers slowly work out how to be a team. I love the characterisations in this, especially Thor, who is a difficult character to get right.
• Freezer Burn by Domenika Marzione (domarzione)
Summary: The adventures of Steve Rogers, defrosted soldier, who is missing time but not really all that lost. He's got a surprisingly broad knowledge of lettuces, a working grasp of modern technology, and may or may not be using both to mess with his teammates and save the world.
OK, warning, this is enormous. It tops out at nearly 200k. It is TOTALLY WORTH IT. The author’s done a fantastic job with all the characters, especially Steve, who is the POV character for it. The plot is compelling, the whole thing’s just wonderful, and everyone should go read it.
• i felt he found my letters (and read each one out loud) by halfmoonsevenstars
Summary: Incident Report:
12 March 1973 re: Codename: Winter Soldier
I regret to report that after more than fifteen years of selective use around the world, all to great success, last month’s Winter Soldier mission did not go as planned. The target, Senator Harry Baxtor, was eliminated, and the death was made to appear accidental. But after that, something went wrong.
The summary is a quote from one for the comics - one of those throw-away lines that fire the imagination. This is the story of what happened to the Winter Soldier in 1973.
• I'm a Hustler, Baby by vidocqsociety
Summary: Steve Rogers has a talent for pool--and for making others believe he's terrible at it.
I just love it when Steve quietly subverts people’s expectations, and laughs at them while he does it.
• Imprintby hetrez
Summary: "The next day, Steve and the other Avengers are just settling into a meeting on the flight deck when there's a muffled yell, and Alvarez falls out of the ceiling."
--
Or, Steve builds a training program, a team, and new life for himself.
Steve really just needed something to do. This is what happens when they give it to him. Basically a funny and rather touching story about Steve making a place for himself.
• In Great Transition by vain_glorious
Summary: One by one, the Avengers move into Stark Tower.
This is another ‘Team moving into the Tower’ story. I like those, when they’re done well - taking into account the personalities and issues of each of the characters, and reasons they might or might not want to cohabit with the others.
• may the fourth by irnan
Summary: So there's this project Tony has been working on since he was ten years old which is only marginally less awesome than the specs for the TARDIS he totally could have built if Fury would've just let him had the Tesseract for a couple hours longer.
Go on, guess. :oD So much fun!
• no hay banda by hypotheticalfanfic
Summary: In which it doesn't happen, because it doesn't happen.
Winter Soldier fic. This is third person POV, and handled really well. I love the prose, and rather heartbreaking image of Bucky fighting the Winter Soldier for his mind, over and over, and losing every time.
“Kolja falls asleep.
Someone who is not Kolja wakes up screaming. This happens sometimes. Regrettable, but there's no way around it.”
• One Single Yesterday by samalander
Summary: SHIELD tasks Darcy Lewis with educating Steve Rogers about the pop culture of the last three decades. Probably this was a bad idea.
I’m going to let the tags speak for this one: Crack 1990s 1980s Furby Nerf Babysitter's Club - Freeform Nostalgia carmen sandiego - Freeform Epistolary Why do you people let me do this? Friendship
• Practical Mathematics by Grey_Bard
Summary: After a hard shift saving the world, Stark - in his infinite wisdom - has decided to bond with Steve by talking about his favorite subject. Well, third favorite, after building things and smart-mouthing people.
Steve is pretty sure none of his experiences really count. Tony is starting to wonder what Steve's definition of "[experience]" is.
This is… debatably gen, as it talks about Steve’s previous sexual experience, but since no one’s actively involved in the course of the fic, I’m letting it stand, because I need to rec this fic to you.
• Protocol 1985 by hollimichele
Summary: “Holy crow, it worked,” someone says.
Accidental time travel FTW. Clint and Natasha get dumped in 1946, much to their horror. Back to the Future jokes ensue.
• Quartered Safe Out Here by Hakaisha
Summary: “Ye of little faith.” Steve was feeling...not quite defensive, but a little unappreciated, even though the exaggerated ribbing was, in the end, true. “I got you guys out. By myself, with what Phillips referred to as a garbage-can lid. I can learn on the job.”
Some things have to be taught.
Steve has some advantages, but zero actual training. The Howling Commandos teach him how to be a soldier.
• Six Times The Avengers Stopped An Alien Invasion by Closer
Summary: Sure, the Avengers are strong, but they're also not stupid. When aliens invade, they usually have a plan.
Short stories about each of the Avengers averting an alien invasion, using their heads. Features the ‘Get the Fuck Along song’. I keep wanting to put snippets in, but it would end up being half the fic, because it’s all priceless.
• The Scientific Method by vidocqsociety
Summary: Bruce and Tony have had better ideas... but they've had worse ones, too.
Bruce and Tony work hard to get around the whole ‘Captain America can’t get drunk’ thing, and it all ends in prank calls. Hilarious.
• The Scoop by hollimichele
Summary: The week after I moved to New York City, aliens invaded. Which is pretty much typical.
First person (no, trust me on this) outsider POV of an intern working at The Bugle after the Avengers hit the stage (and the Chitauri). This is such a great story, the OC POV character is very believable, and the outsider POV works really well.
• The Sky and Everything Beneath It by jibrailis
Summary: Steve goes on a road trip to clear his head, but the other Avengers won't leave him alone.
Post-film fic from Steve’s POV, as he starts to process… basically everything. Touching, and funny and lovely.
• Беда́ не прихо́дит одна́ (trouble never comes alone) by postcardmystery
Summary: There’s a tracking device beneath his skin, wrapped around his carotid artery, and if he pulls it out, he’ll die in seconds. They’ve got a wolf on a leash and he’s never heard them so pleased with themselves, so sure that this is the only weapon they’re ever going to need. They did not win the first war in Chechnya, but a second time and the story is rewritten. (He knows that this is a thing they truly believe. He’s lived more history than they have. He knows better.) He rides on tanks, jumps from helicopters onto ground solid with snow. He stands, ringed by ruins, in a capital that burns. He lost his last war in Grozny. This time, he slings his rifle on his back, breathes smoke, knows what it is to watch history being made.
This one comes with MAJOR WARNINGS all over it. It is horrific and brutal, but also brilliant. It is the story of the Winter Soldier through the course of almost every major Russian-involved conflict post-1944, and it pulls no punches. Gut-wrenching in all the best ways.
• well, let the drum beat drop by jonesandashes,pollyrepeat
Summary: Pepper leaves, and there’s no more pizza, and Thor’s already talked about Jane, and Tony suspects all of them realize, abruptly and simultaneously, that they actually have no idea what to do now. He is, in fact, pretty certain that they’re just a few minutes away from someone deciding to say something about the weather. It’s probably going to be him.
A series of awkward team dinners on the way to everyone moving into Stark Tower.
• Without the Usual Cost of Labor by vain_glorious
Summary: "Someone just reported to SHIELD that whatever was stolen produced “viable offspring,” and we’re hoping that doesn’t mean what we think it does,” Bruce says, evidently deciding to take over for Tony after only one masturbation joke.
Someone tries to make superbabies. It goes badly for them when the Avengers find out.
• while there is a soul in prison, I am not free by tigriswolf
Summary: Natasha remembers being seven and meeting a man that everyone simply called Winter. Looking at him, she never wondered why.
Short and lovely, Natasha puts two and two together.
• You’ll Find the Bright Places by BlackEyedGirl
Summary: Fury temples his fingers together. “Tell me how this started?” Phil tries to give a reasonable report of today's incident. As he spent most of his day trying to keep grade-school aged versions of his team away from a team of gunmen, he has only limited success.
The Avengers get de-aged. Phil has to try and explain this shit.
• You're Letting In the War by Todesengel
Summary: Bucky's not used to being the smaller man.
Bucky and Steve and the war. Quietly hurty and lovely.
• and if there's life we'll see it by irnan
Summary: Steve is instantly taken with this idea of having the picture of the person calling you flash on your screen when they ring your cell.
The stories of how Steve gets the pictures of the contacts in his phone. The structure is great, and there’s an awful lot packed into each little story.
• And You Wonder Why We Ain't Got Nothing to Say by jukeboxhound
Summary: "You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz? Bongo drums? Huge bag of weed?"
"Did you just put Star Wars and Democritus in the same sentence? Hand me the bong, I'm not nearly high enough for that." What more can I say?
• Another Bizarre and Thankless Situation by vain_glorious
Summary: "Hostages 101: If you kill them first, no one is going to do what you say."
Loki kidnaps Tony and then Natasha. Schroedinger’s brain-death, magic, and trust issues ensue.
• A Week in the Life of Highly Respected SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson by boombangbing
Summary: Phil would just like to state for the record that this was all Tony Stark's fault. (Seven increasingly chaotic days in the life of Phil Coulson.)
Coulson’s no good, very bad week. Steve is fresh out of the ice and a bit lost, Tony causes trouble, Natasha is brilliant.
• Every Friday After the War by ignipes
Summary: Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, and a lot of memories in the aftermath. Post-movie.
This is a lovely, quiet, going-to-be-friends fic. Short and sweet, but packs a punch.
• fellowshipby irnan
Summary: Five short conversations Natasha Romanov has had about her teammates.
This has a really lovely Natasha voice, and is beautifully insightful.
• Fifteen Short Stories About Teamwork by BlackEyedGirl
Summary: They’ve made a start. There’s still a lot to learn about each other.
A series of short scenes, where the Avengers slowly work out how to be a team. I love the characterisations in this, especially Thor, who is a difficult character to get right.
• Freezer Burn by Domenika Marzione (domarzione)
Summary: The adventures of Steve Rogers, defrosted soldier, who is missing time but not really all that lost. He's got a surprisingly broad knowledge of lettuces, a working grasp of modern technology, and may or may not be using both to mess with his teammates and save the world.
OK, warning, this is enormous. It tops out at nearly 200k. It is TOTALLY WORTH IT. The author’s done a fantastic job with all the characters, especially Steve, who is the POV character for it. The plot is compelling, the whole thing’s just wonderful, and everyone should go read it.
• i felt he found my letters (and read each one out loud) by halfmoonsevenstars
Summary: Incident Report:
12 March 1973 re: Codename: Winter Soldier
I regret to report that after more than fifteen years of selective use around the world, all to great success, last month’s Winter Soldier mission did not go as planned. The target, Senator Harry Baxtor, was eliminated, and the death was made to appear accidental. But after that, something went wrong.
The summary is a quote from one for the comics - one of those throw-away lines that fire the imagination. This is the story of what happened to the Winter Soldier in 1973.
• I'm a Hustler, Baby by vidocqsociety
Summary: Steve Rogers has a talent for pool--and for making others believe he's terrible at it.
I just love it when Steve quietly subverts people’s expectations, and laughs at them while he does it.
• Imprintby hetrez
Summary: "The next day, Steve and the other Avengers are just settling into a meeting on the flight deck when there's a muffled yell, and Alvarez falls out of the ceiling."
--
Or, Steve builds a training program, a team, and new life for himself.
Steve really just needed something to do. This is what happens when they give it to him. Basically a funny and rather touching story about Steve making a place for himself.
• In Great Transition by vain_glorious
Summary: One by one, the Avengers move into Stark Tower.
This is another ‘Team moving into the Tower’ story. I like those, when they’re done well - taking into account the personalities and issues of each of the characters, and reasons they might or might not want to cohabit with the others.
• may the fourth by irnan
Summary: So there's this project Tony has been working on since he was ten years old which is only marginally less awesome than the specs for the TARDIS he totally could have built if Fury would've just let him had the Tesseract for a couple hours longer.
Go on, guess. :oD So much fun!
• no hay banda by hypotheticalfanfic
Summary: In which it doesn't happen, because it doesn't happen.
Winter Soldier fic. This is third person POV, and handled really well. I love the prose, and rather heartbreaking image of Bucky fighting the Winter Soldier for his mind, over and over, and losing every time.
“Kolja falls asleep.
Someone who is not Kolja wakes up screaming. This happens sometimes. Regrettable, but there's no way around it.”
• One Single Yesterday by samalander
Summary: SHIELD tasks Darcy Lewis with educating Steve Rogers about the pop culture of the last three decades. Probably this was a bad idea.
I’m going to let the tags speak for this one: Crack 1990s 1980s Furby Nerf Babysitter's Club - Freeform Nostalgia carmen sandiego - Freeform Epistolary Why do you people let me do this? Friendship
• Practical Mathematics by Grey_Bard
Summary: After a hard shift saving the world, Stark - in his infinite wisdom - has decided to bond with Steve by talking about his favorite subject. Well, third favorite, after building things and smart-mouthing people.
Steve is pretty sure none of his experiences really count. Tony is starting to wonder what Steve's definition of "[experience]" is.
This is… debatably gen, as it talks about Steve’s previous sexual experience, but since no one’s actively involved in the course of the fic, I’m letting it stand, because I need to rec this fic to you.
• Protocol 1985 by hollimichele
Summary: “Holy crow, it worked,” someone says.
Accidental time travel FTW. Clint and Natasha get dumped in 1946, much to their horror. Back to the Future jokes ensue.
• Quartered Safe Out Here by Hakaisha
Summary: “Ye of little faith.” Steve was feeling...not quite defensive, but a little unappreciated, even though the exaggerated ribbing was, in the end, true. “I got you guys out. By myself, with what Phillips referred to as a garbage-can lid. I can learn on the job.”
Some things have to be taught.
Steve has some advantages, but zero actual training. The Howling Commandos teach him how to be a soldier.
• Six Times The Avengers Stopped An Alien Invasion by Closer
Summary: Sure, the Avengers are strong, but they're also not stupid. When aliens invade, they usually have a plan.
Short stories about each of the Avengers averting an alien invasion, using their heads. Features the ‘Get the Fuck Along song’. I keep wanting to put snippets in, but it would end up being half the fic, because it’s all priceless.
• The Scientific Method by vidocqsociety
Summary: Bruce and Tony have had better ideas... but they've had worse ones, too.
Bruce and Tony work hard to get around the whole ‘Captain America can’t get drunk’ thing, and it all ends in prank calls. Hilarious.
• The Scoop by hollimichele
Summary: The week after I moved to New York City, aliens invaded. Which is pretty much typical.
First person (no, trust me on this) outsider POV of an intern working at The Bugle after the Avengers hit the stage (and the Chitauri). This is such a great story, the OC POV character is very believable, and the outsider POV works really well.
• The Sky and Everything Beneath It by jibrailis
Summary: Steve goes on a road trip to clear his head, but the other Avengers won't leave him alone.
Post-film fic from Steve’s POV, as he starts to process… basically everything. Touching, and funny and lovely.
• Беда́ не прихо́дит одна́ (trouble never comes alone) by postcardmystery
Summary: There’s a tracking device beneath his skin, wrapped around his carotid artery, and if he pulls it out, he’ll die in seconds. They’ve got a wolf on a leash and he’s never heard them so pleased with themselves, so sure that this is the only weapon they’re ever going to need. They did not win the first war in Chechnya, but a second time and the story is rewritten. (He knows that this is a thing they truly believe. He’s lived more history than they have. He knows better.) He rides on tanks, jumps from helicopters onto ground solid with snow. He stands, ringed by ruins, in a capital that burns. He lost his last war in Grozny. This time, he slings his rifle on his back, breathes smoke, knows what it is to watch history being made.
This one comes with MAJOR WARNINGS all over it. It is horrific and brutal, but also brilliant. It is the story of the Winter Soldier through the course of almost every major Russian-involved conflict post-1944, and it pulls no punches. Gut-wrenching in all the best ways.
• well, let the drum beat drop by jonesandashes,pollyrepeat
Summary: Pepper leaves, and there’s no more pizza, and Thor’s already talked about Jane, and Tony suspects all of them realize, abruptly and simultaneously, that they actually have no idea what to do now. He is, in fact, pretty certain that they’re just a few minutes away from someone deciding to say something about the weather. It’s probably going to be him.
A series of awkward team dinners on the way to everyone moving into Stark Tower.
• Without the Usual Cost of Labor by vain_glorious
Summary: "Someone just reported to SHIELD that whatever was stolen produced “viable offspring,” and we’re hoping that doesn’t mean what we think it does,” Bruce says, evidently deciding to take over for Tony after only one masturbation joke.
Someone tries to make superbabies. It goes badly for them when the Avengers find out.
• while there is a soul in prison, I am not free by tigriswolf
Summary: Natasha remembers being seven and meeting a man that everyone simply called Winter. Looking at him, she never wondered why.
Short and lovely, Natasha puts two and two together.
• You’ll Find the Bright Places by BlackEyedGirl
Summary: Fury temples his fingers together. “Tell me how this started?” Phil tries to give a reasonable report of today's incident. As he spent most of his day trying to keep grade-school aged versions of his team away from a team of gunmen, he has only limited success.
The Avengers get de-aged. Phil has to try and explain this shit.
• You're Letting In the War by Todesengel
Summary: Bucky's not used to being the smaller man.
Bucky and Steve and the war. Quietly hurty and lovely.