#rec: Tuesday

[anna-scribbles]

Despite what Ladybug had promised, when the light of their detransformations faded, Adrien pried his swollen eyes open and he could see.

And, like a vision straight from his darkest nightmares, the bloody, terrified face staring back at him was Marinette’s.

- one of my favorite scenes from chapter 4 of call it even :))

[thelikesofus]

Buddie Fic Recs

AKA Talented Mutuals Tuesday

Except I spent so long making this list that the timezones changed over BUT I wanted to show my mutuals some love and now that we are going into the hiatus I thought you might all like a list of quality fics to keep you occupied while there is no new Weewoo show. 

I don't know if anyone will actually want to join in on this but if you do the rules are simple:

SHOW YOUR MUTUALS SOME LOVE! Share your favourite fics, (or gifs, edits, literally anything that your very talented mutuals have made), as many or as few as you like but let's share the love around <3

Apologises in advance for the long post btw

@speaknowdiaz I would literally read anything that April writes and would probably sell a limb for the incredible WIPs I know she's still cooking up but here are a couple of my faves:

pining and anticipation (I don't want you like a best friend)

Buck challenges Eddie to try to hit on him after teasing Eddie for not having any ‘game’. This fic is very funny and very soft.

believe in one thing (i won't go away)

This fic hit me straight in the feels. Buck and Eddie go to couples therapy even though they aren't a couple and they work through some stuff.

◊

@thosetwofirefighters Incredible amazing Nat ily xx

Say It All Out Loud

Eddie comes out to Aunt Pepa after his ‘date’ with Vanessa. I am a little bit biased towards this one because she did write it for me but it's honestly just so good!

How to Cure Boredom: Buckley Edition

The 118 are stuck at the firehouse during a slow shift and Buck entertains them all by mattress-surfing the loft stairs. It’s soft and silly and in the same universe as her other fic Safe in His Arms.

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@loveyourownsmiilee The wonderful amazing Juju not only writes incredible meta and keeps us all fed with Oliver content but Juju also writes wonderful buddie fic. 

When Were You Under Me?

Who doesn’t love a Friends AU. This is Buck and Eddie as Ross and Rachel and it is hilarious and so sweet. 

You should also check out her Buddie Language Meta if you have not read it before <3

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@elvensorceress Jenwyn’s work always astounds me so be sure to check these out:

Color Him Father, Color Him Love

I will scream from the rafters how much I adore this fic and yes it did make me cry (happy tears). It’s a look into Buck’s head after his sperm donor kid is born and he realizes what Christopher (and Eddie) truly mean to him. I know I have recced this before but it deserves all the love. 

Unless You Ask Me To

Eddie dates a man for the first time, and Buck is completely 'Fine'. This is a preemptive rec because it is one chapter away from completion and I have been saving it to binge in one sitting but knowing Jenwyn and her incredible talent I guarantee this will be worth the read. 

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@spotsandsocks If anyone’s work is guaranteed to make me sob like a baby (happy, sad, or tears of laughter) it’s Spotty. 

Everything But (temptation)

This is Spotty’s newest fic and it's just brilliant. Buck is practicing extreme self-control whilst Eddie is being an irresistible menace. 

Could Have, Should Have, Would Have

Buck finally tells Eddie he loves him right before Eddie’s new boyfriend is supposed to meet Christopher. Honestly, all I can say about this fic is that it’s a masterpiece and I screamed many times while reading it. 

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@shortsighted-owl Wonderful amazing Owly (Abbi). I appreciate you so and you make my dash so happy xx

Of foam-moustached kisses, and button combinations

For all your sweet domestic buddie needs this is the fic. Eddie is practicing a video game to get better than Chris and Buck makes fun of his ex-technophobe boyfriend. 

Also THIS EDIT SET to the lyrics of You’re All That I Have by Snow Patrol make me assdffgghjjklkll

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@lilbuddie Okay, this one is just a brag because Minja doesn’t actually have any fics published yet (side eye) but I wanna make sure she is on everyone’s radar for when she does because yall are not ready for the incredible amazing talent that is this girl’s writing!! So go check out the snippets on her Tumblr and badger her until she finishes something plssssss

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@wheelsupin-five Hi! <3

Almost Almost Almost

This adorable of Buck who is always cold and Eddie warms him up I– asfffghhjkklllll

Under Kitchen Light

SO SOFT! Buck wakes up and Eddie isn't there, Buck finds him in the kitchen. 

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@rogerzsteven Simi owns my heart and by that I mean my heart is locked in a cage in Simi’s basement where it is occasionally beaten to a pulp by the most incredibly angsty fics you've ever read.

Cleanse

Buck is extremely nauseous and Eddie takes care of him while I sob over them in a corner.

build me a home underground (free from light and sound)

This fic is so brutal in all the best ways, my heart was in my throat the entire read! Buck gets trapped in a sensory deprivation room while the 118 and Athena race to find him. 

◊

@ashavahishta another incredibly talented mutual of mine

out of ashes

Is it really a Meegs rec list if I don’t rec this fic honestly it's engraved on my soul. This is a criminal minds/greys inspired fic where Buck is kidnapped and tortured until the 118 can find him. This fic is so so well written and means a million things to me I could never explain but pleaseeeee read it!! 

◊

@jobairdxx hello lovely xx

Oh, We Pray to Make it Through the Night

Highly recommend this fic, I do love a near-death experience fic! Buck gets injured on a call and Eddie falls asleep holding vigil at his bedside. 

Jules also writes beautiful poetry on Tumblr so go read some of that too <3

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@monsterrae1 MISS RAE! YOU INCREDIBLE THING! <3

love is on its way

I know we’re all a little bit in mourning over the couch theory but it lives on in our hearts and in this fic which has six moments between Buck and Eddie on the Diaz couch (and she’s a wee bit spicy too).

Buck's café (take my heart, just not my order)

Coffee Shop AU. Buck runs the shop where the 118 order all their drinks on shift. I absolutely adore this fic! 

◊

@alyxmastershipper RYAN!! INCREDIBLY TALENTED MUTUAL THAT YOU ARE!! 

there's always been a rainbow hangin' over your head

If “aasdsdfghhjkl” was a person it was me reading this fic. Eddie comes out to Buck, receives a quirky mug, and gets together with the love of his life. In that order.

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@bekkachaos Wonderful, amazing Bekka xxx

lose yourself in the feeling

I am a sucker for ‘accidental kisses’ and this was just wonderful. Buck is so excited about Maddie and Chim getting engaged that he kisses Eddie when he tells him. 

start me up, open my eyes

Okay, the mild sexual content tag is a lie, nothing has ever been closer to smut without actually being smut than this fic, I have never been so wound up reading a fic. Bekka builds the tension so so well. 

◊

@sibylsleaves honestly I'm still a little in shock that we're mutuals now so please excuse me while I fangirl over your incredible writing!

with a bird at your door

Eddie starts spending all his time with Buck. Which would be fine if it weren't for the fact that Buck is in love with him. This fic is the perfect mixture of pining, angst, and a happy ending. And yes I think about this fic frequently I love it okay. 

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@mysteriouslyyounggalaxy last but certainly not least (for now). hello lovely xx

(tell the gravedigger) better dig two

Missing scenes from while eddie is trapped in the well followed by the most perfect extended reunion scene. We all know I am a sucker for fics based on the well incident, it’s literally how i started writing for buddie but omg this fic!!!! 

◊

Remember to share the love around and happy hiatus to you all.

Love, Meegs xxxx

[lenreli]

Tom Sturridge in an interview for Miu Miu Women's Tales

[moonlightdistractions]

a fake/pretend Sam/Dean relationship fic rec list for @augustonly - went through my bookmarks and chose 5 + a bonus, enjoy!

ordeals verse by autoschediastic & ponderosa121 - 4 parts - ranges from hilarious to serious, with a pining!Sam. author's tags include mpreg, curses

insomnia by @laughablelament "Five times when there was only one bed, and once when there wasn’t."

the secrets you keep by @amypond45 "Sam and Dean pose as a married couple to investigate the deaths of three couples who all went to the same marriage counselor. Business as usual, nothing to see here, all the lies and denial and Dean being kind of an ass sometimes. Nothing out of the ordinary."

salt water cure by smalltroven "Set after episode 10.5 “Fan Fiction”- Sam and Dean have to be pretend boyfriends for a case which leads to many changes neither of them ever expected"

windfall for the non-believer by glovered "After Sam's first Hell flashback, he and Dean work a job that means posing as a couple in a planned community."

bonus: intertextuality by doctor_idiot - I bookmarked this with my rereads+ basically stated 'this is hot', 'still hot', 'still fucking hot'

[drarry-reccage]

True Love Gave To Me by epitomereally (24k, E)

Tags: Christmas, Time Loop, Kidfic, Grief/Mourning, Pining, Getting Together

“You did it!” Potter shouts. “How did you—” His grin stretches across his whole face; Draco has never seen Potter smile so large. Tears are starting to run down his face, amplifying his green eyes, snot bubbling out of one nostril. It should be horrifying, but it is the most gorgeous Draco has ever seen Potter. “You actually fucking did it. I can’t believe—you absolute genius—fuck!” And then Potter is sobbing, and the magic is roaring all around them, pressure building on their shoulders, distorting and compressing their faces, and Potter is reaching out, grabbing Draco around the shoulder. Potter pulls him in. Draco stumbles into his arms. And then. And then Potter’s kissing him; his lips are soft and chapped and his breath tastes like the massive amount of peppermint they had to ingest to ward off the Krampus. His stubble is scratchy against Draco’s chin, and Draco can feel the warm damp of Potter’s tears against his cheek—and Draco doesn’t know why, but maybe he’s crying a little bit too. And, incomprehensibly, Draco is kissing Potter back, filled with the golden glow of the day, in the intoxicating rush of Potter’s confidence in him, in the absolute majesty of the moment. The pressure mounts—Draco’s skull feels like it might crack. The roaring, babbling rush of magic about them is loud enough to burst Draco’s ear drums. The light is now blindingly bright behind Draco’s closed lids. And still, gloriously, he’s kissing Potter. And then everything goes to black, and Draco startles awake in his bed.

the holidays are kind of a complicated time for me in recent years, so i absolutely loved having a christmas story that made me want to laugh as much as it made me want to cry. the bulk of this fic rests on a very fun question in regards to a time loop story––what comes after a time loop stops? and more specifically, what comes after someone else's time loop stops?

epitomereally crafted this story with excellently balanced servings of hilarious and heartbreaking, a dash of casefic, and a pleasant little sprinkling of magical theory. i love everyone's characterizations so much (especially sweet little scorpius 💜)

(rec by @pocket-lin)

[killermaxaroo8675309]

I think Zeb might have a sweet tooth…

Go check it out on TikTok!

[lauronk]

random recs on a friday

i don't think i'll ever run out of fics to recommend because my backlog is just that long and the talent pool is just that big for the last of us, we are the most blessed fandom ever y'all

these are all hefty multi-chaps for long reads, so buckle up (💙 - complete; 🤍 - in progress)

💙 lay bare the bones of the earth by @march-flowerr - i know i don't need to tell y'all to read a marchatha m. flower fic out here in 2024, you should already know (sorry for using your gov't name tho)

💙 butterfly kisses by @captainredspade - the marvelousness of this fic and the way the last chapter just had tears streaming down my face UGH

🤍 lost in the woods by @cardigains - PI AU my beloved, i could never sing your praises enough

🤍 dinosaur by @femmefacetious - ugh shitty camping trip time my one true love

🤍 a soul for sale or rent by @bumblepony - ghost ellieeee i love her so much and the amount of research and magic bumble has put into this is incredible!

💙 recoil, rebound, reforged by @mote-of-star-dust - this one hurtsssss so much but it also has so many wonderful soft moments and i just 😭

[twokudostuesday]

Welcome to TKT!

Hello fellow readers, writers and fanfic enjoyers!

This blog originally started with us, @mundrakan and @meloms-ao3, simply recommending fics on our respectives pages, but now we can finally introduce the official Two Kudos Tuesday Blog! 🎉

Two Kudos Tuesday, or short TKT, is an initiative that aims to bring attention to the amazing fanfics that got lost in the deep waters of the Ao3 ocean.

We find, comment and kudos fanfics with 2 kudos or less and then recommend them here!

But this is obviously not just for the two of us!

We welcome you to join in and become part of this project!

How does it work?

It's simple!

You find a fanfic with 2 kudos or less (fandom or pairing doesn't matter), post about it on tumblr with a little bit of information that could get others interested into reading it + tagging.

(If you are unsure you can look up previous posts of @mundrakan and/or @jan0sh-ao3 and get inspired by how we did it)

‼️Important

When posting don't forget to ping @twokudostuesday so we can see and reblog your post!

(You don't have to use the Two Kudos Tuesday title, or any at all, just please ping us so we can reblog and spread the word.)

We are going for a great range of exposure for the recommended fanfics and the authors that wrote them. Because sadly not all gems on Ao3 are noticed, though they deserve to be seen/read.

Thank you for reading; hopefully, we will see you again here! 💖

[Special thanks to @izzyneedssleep for helping us create this blog!]

[kissmypoets-hp]

📚 Fanfic Classics: A Series

Gender-bending, kind of? It's still the Drarry dynamic we all know and love... with some gender fuckery. To quote the author lazywonderland's words, it's pseudo het (still ends up very slash, if you're particular about that!). Mind the tags/warnings, but I will say that both authors handle the subject matter deftly. What else is fanfiction for if not exploring possibilities, y'know? I enjoyed myself and maybe you will, too!

🪞 Glamour by SilentAuror_HPWorks [Rated E, 23.2k words]

Post-war: Harry is given an assignment: to assist Draco Malfoy as he carries out a month-long disguise that turns out to reveal more than it hides in the end. Warnings: EWE, gender-bending.

🧪 Aletheia by lazywonderland [Rated E, 8.3k words]

Draco finds out Daphne's been shagging Potter and it turns out it's really not that difficult to get a piece of her hair.

art credits + commentary under the cut :)

Images used (in order):

"Lili Elbe" by Gerda Wegener (1928). Used under educational fair use (source). Look at how glamorous the subject is from the details alone! I chose this work because hello, blonde hair + all the (Slytherin) green. She's giving very classy, very mindful, very demure. Draco isn't really mindful or demure in this fic (even when disguised as a girl) but! We love him anyway. I stand by the belief that if Draco were a girl he would be able to live up to his full potential as the ice queen diva he is.

"The Birth of Venus" by Odilon Redon (1912) Because Polyjuice Potion, lol. The artwork title is rather apt considering the premise... also I will never listen to The Sound by The 1975 the same way ever again /pos.

this series was inspired by zeziliazink and bubu0h’s fic covers since i want to make my kindle library look cute too :)

[greenmegsnoham]

Fic Rec: Dead End

By @morganmuffle

Relationship: Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy

Rating: Teen and Up

Tags: Angst

Wordcount: 2,674

Summary: What do you do when you realise every choice you have ever made has brought you to a dead end? Draco remembers his relationship with Harry as the Final Battle rages around him.

-

Why I rec: This one-shot is a deep dive into the thoughts and feelings of a canon-divergent double-agent Draco from sixth year thru the Battle at Hogwarts, and the complex emotions involved when it comes to choosing sides, right and wrong, truth and lies, alliance and betrayal. The angst tag rings true. 🥲

Draco will always be one of my favorite characters, and any opportunity to investigate the complexities of his experience and feelings is an absolute joy, and this fic did not disappoint.

How I found it: So THIS hidden gem I came across thanks to @twokudostuesday! How this work has only 2 kudos and 200+ hits is the world's biggest travesty. 😭 It is technically not tagged as Harry/Draco, only lists the characters names in addition to M/M category tag, but a drarry nonetheless and deserving of so much love. 😭 (@drarryspecificrecs let's change that, shall we? 🥲)

Read, Kudos, and Comment on AO3

[raycatzdraws]

I'm gonna put this here and then probably make it private but I want to say

There's discussion happening in the LU fandom so if you don't care for that scroll on:

But, I love creating with the LU fandom. I don't create in a void. My work is a conversation. I hope that it inspires you to create, to think, to chat with friends! Thank you to everyone who's shared their art and let me be a part of it, and to everyone who's played a part in mine!

to copy paste something I've said on my main:

isn’t it interesting that there’s Jojo’s LinkedUniverse and then also the LinkedUniverse fandom’s LinkedUniverse? That LU became a conduit through which to examine and compare and contrast Zelda games with this cast of characters as a base? That was their original intention and the fans went “heck yeah!” and ran with it? The LinkedUniverse fandom’s LinkedUniverse is a monster of the week story where everyone contributes, it has hundreds of authors and storytellers all working together and trading tales. It’s a scenario in which Jojo’s LinkedUniverse is both the source material and also just one instance in the larger weave. And the LinkedUniverse fandom’s LinkedUniverse lore deviates from (and is much deeper than imo) that of the original comic mainly because of that 1 person building a thing vs hundreds of people building a thing. And isn’t that so cool? But then also with the decline of the fandom I dunno I feel like the LinkedUniverse fandom’s LinkedUniverse has been dying. Updates would spawn a burst of creativity and multitudes of branching ideas and what-if scenarios explored through art and fic and discussion, building on it, adding it in to pre-existing stories. I feel that activity around updates has been ticking more towards exploring the comic within the context of the comic itself (or just reposting clips), and less within the fandom’s takes on it (not taking that step forward of “yes, and,” and “yes-anding” fanworks as well.) Or not updates in particular, but the state of the fandom is deviating from taking this base and running and sharing to something more controlled and wary? Isolated? The LinkedUniverse fandom is a phenomenon to me. And it’s not something I think should be replicated in regards to other LinkVerse comics but it’s also something beautiful and creative? Like, Jojo to a certain extent has or had lost control of the fandom’s versions of these characters. She made them and we respect her wishes for them but they no longer belong to her? The LU fandom’s LU is a collectively written LinkVerse and exploration of the loz games, using these characters and relationships as a base (which is why I think people mistag by accident so much.) Sure, you could use the characters directly from the games or make your own LinkVerse to explore the relationships between the loz games. However, within the context of the LU fandom, you get the advantage of the template already being there for the character’s personalities, meeting, secrets, and an open ended goal, and these things are understood by a large number of invested people, leading to this huge collaborative project. This is what’s so special about the LinkedUniverse fandom to me. Watching this thing be built and getting to be a contributing piece of it. Maybe it shouldn’t have happened. Like, if something like that were to happen to anything I’ve made I think that’d be really scary. But it’s also something incredible? It’s why I have a hard time accepting it when people say they hate the LU fandom. How could you hate the creativity? The shared stories? What’s been made? Isn’t it incredible? It’s another LinkVerse, in a way, one that belongs to many. I'm frustrated by the instances where people have tried to police the way the characters are written, both within the fandom and towards Jojo’s comic, and the issues in communication, and callout posts asjhfksdf Problems in reconciling the LU fandom’s LU, Jojo’s LU, other LinkVerses, and gen loz. But the phenomenon of the fandom itself, the shared collaborative LU fandom’s LinkedUniverse? I think it’s such a cool thing. I think it’s such a cool way to explore and examine the loz games and craft stories with so many other people. I really enjoy all the LinkVerses that are around now. I don’t think the fandom for LU is something that can be replicated. (or should?) (it’s both something odd and a loss of control for Jojo but also a conduit for an incredible amount of creativity and community.) It’s really interesting to me. It’s really interesting to witness. Or to have witnessed?

and now tired rambling, but,, aaa

What I love about the fandom is seeing ideas and headcanons and art and fic be shared and then built upon. The community projects! The LU Zine. The valentine's day cards! The artist and writer appreciation projects! The weekly polls and prompts from the main LU server! The master door post! Long haired Sky! Tick-tac-toe on Legend's forehead! Crop top Roolie! Cheer up buttercup! Seeing small headcanons being adopted into fanon lore and being able to watch that progression. Seeing these tropes develop and being a contributing part of it! It's something we're building together and watching that happen in real time is so special! Again, it's that 1 person building a thing vs hundreds of people building a thing that is so alluring to me.

The creators, and analysis folks, and people who leave comments and nice tags: I see you as my peers! I want to create with you! I'd love to participate in collabs and trades! I haven't been able to be involved as much as I want because of a lack of spoons. But, I admire so many of the people here. Thank you all so much for sharing what you've made! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it! Thank you for supporting me and my silly ideas for these characters! My art is a conversation and I approach what the LU fandom's made in the same way. It's not content to be consumed. It's an open hand. I'm so grateful to those who have taken it. You've inspired me to create. It's the greatest honor if I'm able to do the same for you. I want to keep making things with you guys.

(To anyone who's made fanart for fic and vice-versa, to anyone's who's seen a headcanon and let the poster know that it's changed how you view the characters, to anyone who's contributed game information to analysis, to those answering asks and doing requests? ya'll are the best keep it up!)

[nerdylizj]

Hi Elizabeth! (I'm the same anon who called you Elizabeth before lol) When will you post the next chapter? The last one was incredible 💟 Can't wait for more 💟

not the full name again!! i'm honestly not sure. this is the most editing i've done for a chapter yet (basically re-writing half of it) so i don't have a time frame as of now. i'm hopeful it'll be up this weekend but don't hold me to it <3

while u wait, here are 3 fics i've been enjoying & recommend:

nessun dorma by @sproutingliliums. THEEE silly and goofy idiots in love & enemies to friends to lovers WIP. bonus points bc it's set in ba sing se and includes the Blue Spirit. basically all of the things i love

ceux qui restent (French)/those who remain (English) by @arctik-fox. i love the angst and the premise of this WIP. currently wailing over it bc the writing is so evocative. it truly pulls you in

for the spirits by @demaparbat-hp. i really really appreciate where dema is taking this story (also a WIP) and how she is telling it through multiple POVs. very well done!

lmk what you think if you give them a read!

[kandisheek]

Cap-Ironman Rec Week 2024

Time Travel Tuesday: July 23rd

Prompt: Rec all those great fanworks where Tony or Steve (or Tony and Steve) travel to the past or the future or to an alternate past or future and discover unexpected realities and new truths!

I absolutely love this trope! And we are truly blessed in this fandom to have so many fantastic authors tackling it. Here is a very small selection of my favorite time-travel / timey-wimey-shenanigan fics:

-- And Has Time Enough by wanttobeatree

Tony asks if they have met. It's a matter of perspective. (A Time Traveller's Wife AU.)

-- Double Time by Sineala

Cassino, Italy, December 1943. Special Agent Tony Stark, former Marvels adventurer, is sent to investigate a Cosmic Cube found by the Invaders -- and it's the perfect opportunity for him to rekindle his secret romance with Steve Rogers. But when Hydra attempts to steal the Cube, an inadvertent wish for help leads to the appearance of a Tony from the future of another world: Director Stark of SHIELD. This Tony is a man with a lot on his mind. He refuses to tell them anything about the future, but he seems to know much more than he should about Captain America. And something's happened that's clearly killing him inside, but he's not talking. When Director Stark's failed attempt to return home leads to the unexpected appearance of another visitor from his universe, all the lies come undone. Now there are two wars to fight, and the second one could ruin all of them.

-- A Shadow Hanging Over Our Fate by CaptainDean13

The Avengers get sent back in time to WWII where they run into the Howling Commandos... complete with Bucky and Steve. Little hard to explain that away, especially when you are trying to keep some major secrets. Secrets like how you ended up in the future and why the hell Bucky is now a scary (reformed) assassin with a metal arm, not to mention that you married your friend's son.

MORE RECS BELOW THE CUT:

-- The Good or Bad Thing by petreparkour

“It’s the metal suit,” Thor informed Steve, his normally-booming voice tinny over the SHIELD comms. “What did Stark call it—Iron Man?” “But he’s down here,” Steve protested as the Hulk roared in Stark’s face, startling him into waking with a shout. “How could—” “It’s damaged,” Thor reported. “But it looks different. More advanced. And he—ah. He’s carrying you, Captain.” “Please tell me nobody kissed me,” Stark breathed out, and then Stark’s voice suddenly came over the comms, but the man lying next to him hadn’t moved.  “Guys, come on, you’re killing me here. What is it, 2012? God, I hate time travel. First, I'm fighting Thanos. Now, I have to deal with my past self and Thor's bad haircut? Oh my God, Cap, yes I hacked their comms, they’re my comms.” Steve nearly opened his mouth to protest that he hadn’t said anything when he realized that this replica of Tony Stark wasn’t speaking to him.

-- Calls Me Home by steve-capsicle-rogers (adorable_lab_rat)

Tony can't help but notice the far away look on Steve's face. The visible pain and loss. It wasn't right and giving Steve back everything he'd lost was the right choice. The right thing. And honestly Tony didn't do the right thing near enough.

-- A Hundred Times, Once by FestiveFerret, SirSapling

The shrill tone of his SHIELD beeper pulls Steve out of sleep and into battle. He fights robots, he fights Tony's shameless advances, he fights the exhaustion that threatens to take over him, drown him. And then the next morning, he wakes and does it again. Exactly the same. And again. And again. And again.

-- hunters seeking solid ground by laramara

In the wake of the battle with Thanos, Steve feels unmoored in a way he hasn’t since before he ate shawarma with a group of virtual strangers and thought maybe, maybe he could one day find a place here. Steve returns the stones, and has a few unexpected interactions and makes some decisions along the way.

-- The Butterfly Effect by itsallAvengers

While fighting with Loki, Steve Rogers from 2012 hears the two simple words: "Bucky's alive." And the whole universe ripples with the aftershocks.

[annabtg]

@twokudostuesday

Two Kudos Tuesday, or short TKT, is an initiative that aims to bring attention to the amazing fanfics that got lost in the deep waters of the Ao3 ocean. We find, comment and kudos fanfics with 2 kudos or less and then recommend them here!

I found an excellent microfic from a few years ago with no kudos at all! (Now it has one!) The night that James and Lily died, from James' POV. The colourful smoke gives meaning to James's last moments 💔

652 words, rated T.

[thekristen999]

To Read Tuesday

In an effort to keep up with my To Read tabs, here is some of the fic I enjoyed in the last week

crazy for feeling so blue by @woodchoc-magnum (Buck/Eddie)

Kim falls in love with Eddie, and she'll have him all to herself, one way or another.

**Suspenseful stalker fic with great progression. Heed all the tags and warnings.

You Ran Outside and Caught the Moon by yoddream (Buck/Eddie ) Ravi & Eddie friendship

“Your safety is my priority right now. How long have you been thinking about this?” he repeats.

Eddie wants to tell him that it only happened yesterday, but then he thinks about quarantine, and when Shannon died, and when she left for LA after he was discharged, and when he found out Chris was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, and when Shannon told him she was pregnant, and when he was ten and his dad yelled at him for crashing his new truck because his mom was in labor and nobody was around to take her to the hospital. He thinks about how he wanted to disappear every time, wished for something to kill him so that he didn’t have to face his fears, deal with reality. It hits him like his dad’s truck hit the tree.

“Since I was in elementary school,” he admits breathlessly.

Also known as, the eddieravi bestie fic that quickly turned into a character study

**I started this on a whim, and it was one of the best stories I've read in a long while. Great Eddie character study and exploration of depression that doesn't feel forced. Added bonus of a wonderful Ravi & Eddie friendship that put a smile on my face.

[thisbuildinghasfeelings]

Missing Moments I Want to Know About in 1x09/1x10

The show leaves us to fill in a lot of blanks for TK and Carlos during season 1. I always want to know more, but I think the blanks I want filled in most are the ones that occur in 1x09 and 1x10. Here are the ones I think about the most:

1.How does Carlos find out that TK is awake?

Does he find out through the first responder grapevine that the firefighter who was shot is going to be ok? Does someone from the 126 (Paul maybe?) call him? Does TK call or text him himself?

If I had to guess, I'd go with Paul letting Carlos know. Maybe before Carlos leaves the hospital he gives Paul his number and asks him to update him if anything happens.

2. What is TK told about Carlos after he wakes up and how does he feel about it?

We see TK's reaction to Owen asking about how long he's "been seeing the cop," but we don't see any further than that. I think TK can assume from Owen's comment that Carlos was at the hospital...otherwise how would Owen know about them? But does anyone say anything more to TK? Does Owen/Paul/Marjan/Mateo/Judd mention how upset and worried Carlos was or ask TK if he wants them to call Carlos to let him know he's ok? How does TK feel once it sinks in that Carlos, his "boyfriend who he doesn't even really know is his boyfriend boyfriend" was sitting by his hospital bed?

I see TK in this post-coma moment as being very much in crisis, and not just about the question of his relationship with Carlos. TK feels lost and confused about where his place is and what he wants to do with his life. I like to believe (though we don't actually have much evidence of this since there's no Tarlos interaction between 1x05 and 1x10) that TK was starting to come around and let his walls down a bit more in the time leading up to him getting shot, but then, post-coma, his crisis makes him take a step back from all that until he figures out where he's supposed to be. I think TK probably felt things when he found out that Carlos sat by his hospital bed, but I think he shoved those feelings down while he dealt with the crisis at hand.

3. What led them to the juice bar in 1x10 and how did they both see the situation at the time?

Whose idea was it to go there? Did TK call or text Carlos or was it the other way around? Had they been texting or talking back and forth at all since TK woke up or was this their first contact? What was said in the conversation that led them there? What were their expectations?

TK seems to be the one most passionate about boba so that makes me think he chose where to go. Or maybe it was a place they were planning on going together before he got shot, like TK had mentioned it in passing weeks ago and Carlos remembered and suggested that as the place they could go.

I wonder if TK thought from the beginning that he'd be essentially breaking things off with Carlos. Perhaps that perceived inevitability was why he filibustered a solid 6 minutes on boba? I get the impression that they both knew there would be a conversation about their relationship because when Carlos brought up the "elephant in the juice bar," TK immediately knew what he meant. Also, in hindsight, it is HILARIOUS that Carlos calls TK out here for avoiding talking about something. Oh, Carlos.

Side note: I wonder what Carlos' reaction would have been if TK had said that he liked Carlos and wanted to continue hooking up but still didn't want anything more. Would Carlos have said that wouldn't work for him? Because I really think at that point it wouldn't have. After the strong feelings he felt while sitting beside TK's hospital bed, could Carlos have continued being casual? Or would he have agreed to it just to keep TK (HIS SOULMATE) in his life even if it would have caused him pain?

4. What happened between the juice bar and the firehouse hug?

I feel like it's obvious that we're missing a pretty big conversation in there. The best evidence for this is the way Carlos goes face first into TK's neck when he shows up at the firehouse. That is not a man who isn't sure if they're even a "we" or who is solemnly accepting that they might not be meant to be. So what happened?? There's some great fic exploring this moment (SEE BELOW), which is where a majority of my headcanons on it come from.

I think it's clear that TK had to reach out first here. Both from Carlos' attitude at the end of the juice bar scene and from what we know about Carlos in general, there's no way Carlos was going to push any further without TK making it clear that's what he wanted. HOWEVER I could possibly see Carlos going to the hospital to check up on TK as he got his stitches fixed. I don't think he would go with any motive of getting TK to agree to a relationship with him. It would solely be about making sure that TK was alright. Even then, I'm not sure if he would do it. He certainly would have wanted to, but he might have held back based on TK's attitude at the juice bar. Carlos likely would have felt that TK might not want him there. I've definitely enjoyed fic that has him doing this, though.

Probably the most likely possibility is that Carlos simply went home after the juice bar/solar storm incident. His heart was surely shattered after being essentially rejected by his soulmate after putting his feelings out there in the most direct way he'd done so far. We know so much more about Carlos now and it just makes it even more apparent how much it took for him to sit there in front of TK and tell him how he was feeling like that when he thought it might not be reciprocated! And then, when it wasn't (at least from Carlos' perspective in that moment)...HEARTBREAKING.

Ultimately, I believe that TK had his epiphany and reached out to Carlos wherever he was (either at the hospital with him or Carlos' house or somewhere else). The conversation they had is something that I would like to see more than perhaps any missing moment in the entire series. Imagine the look on Carlos' face when he realizes what TK is telling him! As his previously-shattered heart is mended in an instant 😭 I want to see it so bad! Thankfully I have fic to fill the void. Speaking of, here are just a few excellent examples of fic that fills in this and some of the other moments I've discussed here:

silver in the night by @reyesstrand

the elephant in the juice bar by @taralaurel

Simple and Plain and Not Much to Ask from Somebody by @howtosingit

Steady up ahead by @paperstorm

Still Waters Run Deep by @welcometololaland

Just Let Me Hold You by tkstrands (is this writer on tumblr?? If so let me know and I'll @ them!!)