#wintershock edit

[norrlands-nonsense]

Darcy and Bucky ❤

[ksngdom]

make me yours (ch. 1)

summary. life on the run is never easy, but it's even harder when you've got an assassin stalking you, a government agency on your tail and a billionaire turning up on your doorstep every few years -- like a vagabond cat she'd fed one too many times.

god, darcy lewis hates her life (she really doesn't).

authors note. a bdsm au with a fuck ton of plot. i know what i'm about, son.

word count. 2.5k

read this on ao3!

In the early winter months of 1965, bitter air and tendrils of ice gracing the point of every shard of grass in the expansive field, seven-year-old Darlene Lewis often spent her days chasing Elsie, her German Shepherd, around the grounds of Lewis Farm. The ranges of land and wood reached far and wide. Never did a day pass without the young girl spending hours exploring nature and losing herself in the depth of the land. It was okay, though; whenever Darlene got lost, Elsie always knew the best way to get them back home. 

Born in August 1958, Darlene’s parents had been informed of her classification when she was three days old. 

It was unheard of for a neutral to marry any classification other than their own, so when Janice, a neutral, announced her engagement to Ken, a dom, the news spread fast and wide. Nobody could quite believe that any self-respecting dom would ever agree to settle down with a non-sub, since it was often told that doms were hardwired to necessitate a sub in their lives. Some conspired about the true nature of their relationship and whether it was a cover for something much more complicated, but it became quickly clear that Ken and Janice were simply in love despite all of the odds stacked against them. 

The Lewis family had been defying norms since the very beginning. 

When their daughter was born, the couple swore to never force their girl to be anything she didn’t want to be. They’d experienced enough oppression during their life together to know certainly that they’d never wish it upon their daughter. 

On paper, Darlene Lewis was a sub, but in actuality, she was so much more than her classification. 

The little girl was a free spirit. She preferred trousers to skirts (much to her mother’s perpetual suffering) and took after her papa when it came to getting her hands dirty. Her mornings were spent feeding the livestock and riding on the back of the tractor before her mama would give her a shower and get her dressed for a day of homeschool and exploring. 

The decision to privately educate their girl hadn’t been one that the Lewis’ had made easily, but once they’d weighed up the pros and cons and taken a cold hard look at the local school’s policies when it came to educating subs, keeping her home swiftly became an easy decision. 

They ensured that she never lacked social contact and offered her a more enriched education than any of the public institutions ever would. Each subject was approached with sensitivity, especially the ones that delved into the history of subs and the harm they often faced in society, but each lesson had a purpose. By the time Darlene was five, she could say ‘no’ to her father without hesitation and held a stronger head on her shoulders than the vast majority of subs triple her age. 

Though the farm was well-removed from the nearest town, hidden away beyond miles and miles of winding roads and cobbled paths, the Lewis family were cherished by the local community. Their vegetables were the brightest to grace the shelves of the local grocers during the spring and summer months and their cuts of meat were highly sought after throughout the entirety of the year. 

Much to her parents’ unhinged delight, Darlene thrived at the farm. Her skin was tan and constellations of freckles adorned her cheeks. Her mother styled her hair every morning but by late afternoon it’d be hanging over her shoulder in its natural curls. Her skirts were only worn on special occasions, though she constantly complained until her mama gave in or her papa snuck her away to get her changed. Her dungarees were worn until they were hanging on by thin threads and she had more pairs of patterned wellington boots than she could possibly count.

The winter was always that little bit tougher at the farm. It took more effort to harvest the fields and the livestock needed to be kept well cared for even on the coldest of days. Preparation for the spring season started in November. Ken Lewis spent his days working hard, often with his little helper (Darlene) by his side, whilst Janice Lewis took care of the house and ensured that her family didn’t spend too long working without reprise. 

It was during the second week of November when the initial symptom of things to come arose. Like she often managed to do, Darlene finished her studies early and begged her mama to let her go and explore the fields with Elsie. By the time she was wrapped up warm, a scarf around her neck, gloves on and a heavy thermal coat wrapped around her body, the fields were screaming her name. 

Two hours of playing chase with a German Shepherd was bound to leave anyone exhausted, but Darlene had always had seemingly endless bounds of energy. Days working hard as a farmhands assistant and sprinting for hours on end meant that she had the stamina of a professional sportsman, easily. 

That was why it was such a concern when after only ten minutes of chasing Elsie through the meadow, Darlene’s vision whited out and she collapsed into a heap on the frostbitten grass.  

Her parents were quick to rush to her aid once they’d been alerted that something was wrong by Elsie’s remarkably powerful barks and howls. Janice had sobbed in terror, holding the limp girl in her arms as Ken did his best to remain calm and composed as he did his best to analyse the severity of the situation. To their aching relief, Darlene stirred after only five minutes, bleary-eyed and complaining of a headache so painful that it was making her eyes throb. 

It took five months of exams and inquests before Darlene was officially diagnosed with acute childhood Leukemia. 

In 1965, though the field of medical research was thriving, Leukemia survival rates in children remained abysmal. Ken and Janice were told that their daughter, once so full of energy and now bedbound with fatigue and sickness, wouldn’t live to see her eighth birthday. 

It felt like all hope was lost.

Lewis farm closed down that summer season for the first time in three decades. 

***

It was the summer of 1976. The Outer Space Treaty had been signed and the twenty-fifth amendment had been added to the Constitution. In Somerville, Massachusetts, the sun was setting and the coral hues of the scene were encompassing a wide range of land. A family of three stand together, lost for words as they take shallow breaths of warm air. The whistling summertime breeze sweeping through the shrubs and trees reverberates gently throughout the sparse meadow, enclosing the farm in a blanket of false pretences.

Darlene Lewis, twenty-one years old, swallows roughly. 

There's so much that needs to be said but not nearly enough time. 

At eighteen, the progression of age developing her physical appearance had halted without warning. In what her mama termed disbelief and her papa declared to be chosen-ignorance, it took two years for her to discern the undeniable fact that her body was stuck in time. At twenty she looked as young as she had two years ago and there was little expectation for that to change anytime soon. 

Denial was sour. 

Darlene Lewis stares down at the tombstone and swallows roughly.

A terrible boating accident -- that was the narrative her parents had fed to the town and the state, respectively. Darlene had been sailing with her father, dipping her feet into the ocean when a harsh current had swept her into the unforgiving depths of the rough waters. Her body would be impossible to find; the sea offered no second chances. It was a devastating, perfect cover story. 

Nobody could question the empty wicker casket, nor could they wonder why they couldn’t bid a final farewell to the girl who’d become a special part of the local community over the years. It was a seamless cover-story that was undoubtedly plausible. After all, the percentage of boating accidents that ended in tragedy was considerable. 

The grey-toned stone stands upon a freshly filled burial ground, cursive writing adorning the face of the plaque drilled onto the face. 

Darlene May Lewis. Beloved daughter and friend. Gone but never forgotten. 

A shiver of guilt climbs up Darlene’s spine as her hazel eyes trace the lettering.

The Lewis family had requested privacy during their period of mourning; far from unusual in such an unexpected circumstance. Their farm was blanketed in a wave of grief, though for a far different reason than everyone believed. 

Darlene Lewis wasn’t dead but was having to say goodbye to her parents anyway. 

On her left, long hair tied into a loose plait, her mother stands with red-tinged eyes. On her right, her father stands tall but keeps a grounding hand on Darlene’s shoulder steadily. 

They stand in taciturnity as a wave of impassioned tautness encompasses them. 

When her father draws in a sharp breath, Darlene knows what he's thinking and that nothing she says will halt his self-deprecating train of thought. Remaining quiet, she pushes her lips together and purposefully re-directs her gaze away from the gravestone. 

Attending her own mock funeral was going to give her a complex, no doubt about it. 

"I love you, Darlene." Janice Lewis says. The silence that envelops the trio is heavy. She's speaking to the headstone, as though her daughter isn't stood by her side. Darlene’ss heart twinges. "And I will love you for the rest of eternity."

The woman takes a deep breath when her mother begins to cry soundlessly.

"If I had done things differently--" 

"Don’t do this to yourself." Darlene interrupts, voice unsteady as she spares a glance up at her father. "If you'd done things differently, I wouldn't be stood here today."

Ken Lewis grunts, sweeping away a stray tear with the back of his hand. "You can't know that for sure, Darcy-girl." He speaks. "I should've found another way. I could’ve found another way. But you were so small and so sick. They told me you were dying and I swear my heart truly broke into millions of pieces.” 

Janice Lewis weeps into her hand at the memory. 

"And then you saved me." Darlene reminds him, tenderly. She reaches out blindly to take her mother’s hand, desperate to give the woman as much comfort as she could. Her chest burns. "You gave me the chance to live a normal life, papa."

Because no matter what anyone in the past of future had to say about it, Darlene Lewis had defied all odds and lived a normal childhood. She’d eventually entered the public school system and made friends and memories that she’d remember for the rest of her life. She’d babysat for people in their town and saved up her allowance for two years in order to buy the perfect prom dress. She’d lost her virginity to a neutral (all of the teenaged doms in town had given her the heebie-jeebies). She’d graduated with a 3.5 GPA and decided to forgo college, which is where the majority of her friends had flocked to following the completion of high-school.

For argument’s sake, there were certain aspects to her life that were more unusual than others. Her heightened senses and agility were the most prominent as she was growing up, but the no-ageing thing had hit hard at eighteen and taken the mantle as the most apparent anomaly that separated her from the general population.   

"There is nothing normal about you, Darlene." Her father says, shaking his head. The woman almost cracks a small smile, desperate for a sense of normalcy, but his defeated tone is deplorable. "I will never forgive myself for what I did to you. I was reckless and desperate but I should’ve known better."

Momentarily, Darlene lets her gaze flicker to the horizon. She briefly wonders whether a comparable metaphor can be drawn from the sun setting below the horizon and marking the end of a day, a week, an era. 

Leaving everything behind wouldn’t be easy, she’d always known that, but they’d be safe. That was what she had to keep reminding herself, again and again. Loneliness was a small price to pay in order to keep the two people she loved most in the world safe.

"You saved me," Darlene repeats, meeting her father’s eyes. "You loved me too much to let me die. You loved me so much that you spent a fortnight in a lab finding a way to save my life and you actually did. You loved me so much that you recreated the serum that made Captain America and used it to cure my cancer, papa. You did that for me and I won't ever be able to thank you enough for it."

A lull falls over the meadow. In the far distance, a flock of birds begin to chirp and a deer sniffs at the trunk of a tree. Darlene gets lost in the depth of her senses until her mother sets a gentle hand on her arm and squeezes. 

"Where will you go?" She asks. Her voice is raw with emotion as, for the first time in what feels like centuries, she fixes her eyes on her daughter. 

Darlene breathes softly. "I'll go anywhere. Everywhere."

The possibilities were endless and though she painted a smile on her face to appease her worrisome parents, her stomach twisted uneasily at the concept. 

She'd always wanted to travel the globe but never imagined having to do it alone.

Her mom’s hand falls from her arm to grasp her hand and Darlene forces herself to breathe evenly.

They'll be safe when she's gone. They'll be safe when she's gone. 

She repeats the phrase like a mantra in her head. Again and again, until her temples begin to throb. It hurts but she doesn't stop, she can’t stop, because if she doesn't keep reminding herself why she's doing this, walking away will be impossible. 

They'll be safe when she's gone. 

"Will we ever see you again?" Her father asks, solemn. It's selfish to ask, he knows it, but the strained words fall from his mouth before he can filter them.

"I love you both," Darlene says. Her parents wince at the obvious deflection. It hurts her and it hurts them just as much. "I always will."

"Be safe, my girl." Her father places a kiss on her forehead, an act of familial dominance that makes her heart warm. Being a sub in a society governed by the two other secondary-genders had always been tough, but her papa had never let anyone treat her like anything less than the smart, beautiful woman she was. "If you ever need anything, we'll be here."

Her throat tightens when her mother leans in and kisses her cheek but doesn't manage a word between her silent sobs.

On June 18th, 1976, Darlene Lewis was officially registered dead with the state.

On June 23rd, 1976, Darcy Mae was born.

[treaddelicately]

Misguided Ghosts, a Wintershock fic

rating: mature

length: 2,315 words (chapter one of ?)

tags: canon divergence, canon-typical violence, SHIELD agent Darcy Lewis, post-traumatic stress disorder, angst and hurt/comfort, pre-relationship

In 1945, Steve Rogers falls from a train car and Bucky Barnes nosedives a plane into the ocean.

In 2012, Bucky is pulled from the ice to a brave new world he doesn't understand.

And things only get more complicated.

[read chapter one on AO3]

[superspookyjanelle]

Ocs Core Family; The Barnes-Lewis [ 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐋 ━━ 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 ]

The Barnes-Lewis family is made up of two mothers, Darcy Lewis and Freya Laufeydottir, as well as having one father, James “Bucky” Barnes. They have two children, their eldest daughter begging Adore Barnes-Lewis, and their youngest begging Kara Barnes-Lewis!

❝ Freya Laufeydottir, for as long as she can remember, had never planned to fall in love or have kids. Which, now that she actually thinks about it, is ironic coming from the literal Norse goddess of such various things like; sex, fertility, and love. But, the goddess did. Freya had ended up falling deeply in love with a formerly brainwashed super solider that was out of his time and a brilliant young girl that had sarcasm that could match her own twin’s. The trio were certainly an odd pair, but, in a way, that’s why they made sense to be together. They we’re also excellent parents. With pasts like Freya and Bucky’s, it made them definitely know what they didn’t want they’re daughters going through and some perspective on what to do better. Now when it comes to Darcy parenting, well, simply put, she the one that probably spoils them the most... ❞

TAGGING; @witchofinterest @sweetenemyfire @fiercefray @eddysocs ( please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from my tag list )

[cchellacat]

@spacemansam 😍😍😍😍💋💋💋😍💋😍💋😍😍😍💋😍💋😍💋😍💋💋💋💋💋💋💓💓💓💓😍💋😍💋😍💋😍💋😍💋💋💗💗💗💗💗💗💗💋😍💋😍💋😍💋😍💋😍😍😍😍💋😍💋😍💋😍💋💋. I can’t believe what I’m seeing! Oh god they are amazing! I can’t contain my excitement!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am super excited and over the damn moon!   Look what @spacemansam  made for me??   I am so happy!  It’s beautiful!   I love it so much!

Thank you my darling! If you ever need anything, tell me, it’s yours!

[ours-is-feral-love]

Part Five now on AO3  (Final Part)

Sneak preview below. (look @romanoffsbite - i finally did it)

One Year Later:

Thirty-two shades of lipstick—exactly thirty-two; she had counted them one-by-one as she waited somewhat patiently—with their caps off stared at Darcy. Divided into groups, there were circles of nudes, berries, pinks, and reds. Some even sparkled, as if they had taken a trip back to the 90s when glittery lips was all the rage. That was the 90s, though, wasn't it. Always making an unwanted comeback. Heaven forbid she walk outside with frosted shadow and bright pink blush. MJ wouldn't do that to her. Hopefully. Everything else on the vanity looked modern enough.

She chanced a look in the mirror. From where she sat about a foot away from the set-up in her director-style chair, she picked apart the flaws marring her face that would soon be hidden by a pound or two of makeup. Deep purple bruises lined her under-eyes. There was one angry, red spot that would not disappear no matter how hard she tried riding high on her left cheekbone. Her skin held an almost permanent sallowness. Sleep deprivation did not look good on her. Nor did copious amounts of stress.

This was her new normal. At least, that was what everyone kept telling her.

Say goodbye to sleep. Say goodbye to free time. Say goodbye to your social life.

Not that she had much of a social life outside of Loki and Jane and MJ. And MJ's boyfriend, Peter. And Peter's best friend, Ned. Occasionally Maria would join in on the fun, but nowadays it was rare their schedules lined up. Darcy was just so busy all of the time. The only reason she even saw Loki in the first place was because they lived together still. And the only reason she saw Jane was because her fiancé was Loki's brother. And because the wedding was fast approaching, and Darcy was doing everything in her power to ensure Jane would not search elsewhere for a maid of honour. The lead up to the wedding was not going to turn into a Bridesmaids situation on her watch.

To her surprise, everyone on her team, and everyone involved behind the scenes, was amenable enough to her polite demands for time off. The show hadn't even premiered yet and she was already getting what she wanted. MJ, the cosmetology student who started working at Warner Bros. Latte when Darcy needed to cut back her hours for filming, was chosen as her makeup artist above a slew of applicants because Darcy had asked nicely. After a couple of weeks of begging, Darcy managed to snag Loki a guest appearance on the series. He had three lines and was nameless, but Loki was still thanking Darcy every time they saw each other. Which was practically every morning in the apartment.

Phil kept telling her the reason people were giving into her requests was because of how wonderful she was. How this was really and truly the big break she had been looking for since moving from San Fransisco. Everyone in Hollywood had heard through the proverbial Californian grape vine that her performance as Patricia in The Earth Is My Grave was revolutionary, so watch out, because here comes Darcy Lewis to take over the world.

But she wasn't convinced. It was all too much too quickly. She had auditions left, right, and centre. Even following the leak—the fucking leak that kept her up at night months and months later—Phil sent her scripts every other day. Then he sent her on auditions. Then on callbacks. Then he sent her directly to whichever lot she needed to be on for filming. All before the miniseries that started it all aired. It was as if all the big name directors in Hollywood had her name whispered in their ears as they slept one night. Everyone woke up the next day with her on their mind.

And God, how stupid was it of her to feel any sort of resentment for this catapult into fame. After all, it was what she had been dreaming about endlessly since she was a child. It was what she had worked so hard for. But it really did feel like someone had strapped her inside a human-sized catapult and sent her flying into the air without a parachute.

It felt like soon enough she was going to crash land.

Pressing her hands against her cheeks, Darcy pulled back, forcing herself to smile. It was amazing to her how much of her spare time lately had been taken up by Red-Carpet-Smile practice. Prettiness at all times, no matter what, was part of the job description. She had settled on a pouty smile and a barely-there, lazy smile as her staples. Loki had applauded when she showed them to him, so she hoped they were good enough for the rest of the world. She would find out tomorrow once all the celebrity reporters had an opportunity to compile their pointless, shallow articles about what everyone looked like, facial expressions included, at the premiere that was taking place in less than two hours.

Less than two hours.

Darcy dropped her head. She stared at her crossed legs. God, she had been waiting for almost a year for this night, but as the seconds ticked forward, all she wanted was to be home with her father in San Fransisco watching Singin' in the Rain.

She wasn't ready. For any of what was to come. Not the cameras, the reporters, the screaming fans. Not him.

She wasn't ready to see him.

[flashingcursor]

Some Updates

Hi again. I’m sure a lot of you thought I was never coming back. I’ve only been entirely silent on the posting front since May. This was me partially needing a break and general lack of enthusiasm for my projects, and a lot the realization that my fic Dum-e No, Dum-e Yes really wasn’t working. 

First, though I’d like to thank everyone that continues to follow this blog even though I’m sporadic at best with my writing and posting. Your continued following means a lot to me and while I’m a few days late for thankful and grateful messages I want you to know that I wouldn’t still be writing and posting without you. I’d probably just leave it all on my hard drive to rot and pull it out occasionally for nostalgia. Thank you for reading and liking my works and if you leave comments on them on AO3 that means the world to me too. Thank you so much all of you.

Secondly, I’ve since deleted the posts for Dum-e No, Dum-e Yes here on Tumblr and pulled it down from AO3 until such a time I can figure out how to make it better and more consistent and Darcy less of a selfish brat as many readers pointed out that’s exactly how she was behaving. Sorry if you’ve been trying to get back to that fic and got errors.

Some good news I have been writing. In 2018 I started a fic called Three-Legged Race and haven’t updated it since January 2019. I’m hoping once 2020 starts that will change as I’ve put some serious time in on it this November as part of NaNoWriMo. It’s about 1/3 done and I’m hoping to at least hit 1/2 before NaNo closes. I’m not holding my breath though given midnight is fourteen hours away and I can’t devote all of them to writing. Either way, there is progress being made on the fic and I’m hoping that I’ll continue writing through December. 

And Christmas is coming and winter while not my favorite season is one I consider particularly magical (it’s the snow and my families love for fires in the fireplace and drinking hot chocolate). So while I might not finish Three-Legged Race today I might eke out some time for winter one-shots. Now I just need the first snowfall to really complete the sense of magic and wonder.

Thank you for sticking it out with me and being supportive,

Kit

[dresupi]

Fruitcake and Bananas update coming on Monday!

Lots of Bowie and Darcy and Bucky being amazing!

[darcy-lewis-blogs]

It is a little known fact that when One Hundred Year Old Romanian American’s are grumpy, their beard grows twice as fast.  Their Salt fuels it.  #TheGrumpySoldier. 

[frankxkaren-blog]

Grade A, American Beef 

Darcy makes Steve blush and Bucky laugh and decides to call it a night.

Read this amazing fic by @holdmecloseandfast 

[carynsilver]

Favorite Fics: Malex Edition

It’s a new year (quite definitively at this point), and a new set of fic recs. Just my small way of saying thank you to the writers who have made the past year, with all its challenges, a little better for me personally. Without the escape of reading, I don’t think I would’ve gotten through the past eleven months, so thank all of y’all for creating (now and in the past) and for sharing your work. You do it for free, and it’s amazing stuff.

If you’re interested, I previously shared my top 10 Stucky, Drarry, Stony, and Darcy Lewis (Wintershock, Shieldshock, and Tasertricks, mostly) fic lists. Today, I’ve finally decided on my top 10 Maxlex fics. So, in no particular order...

my love is a life taker by @jocarthage

If I were making a top 10 fics of all time list, this story would be on it. The breadth and scope of it is truly amazing, as is the writing. There’s world-fixing time travel and an interesting take on our favorite aliens and what could’ve been. Alex as a time agent is both so tragic and also so strong as he begins his journey of self discovery. He’s such an unreliable narrator, and yet also can clearly see so many things. Watching Michael’s growth through the years is just as fascinating as watching Alex travel through time. And it’s juxtaposed with the present so well. This Alex and Michael learn to communicate as they learn about themselves. And the story also taught me a ton about the Middle East and various historical events. I really love this story, and you should definitely read it right now if you haven’t yet.

To Trust Love by @laughsalot3412

This fic is amazing. It takes hurt/comfort to the nth degree. Michael, Isobel, and Max are the only remaining prisoners/subjects in Project Shepherd, and Alex (with the help of Liz, Kyle, and Maria) goes under cover as a guard to get them out. But to do so, first he has to gain their trust--an almost impossible test. The tweaks to the alien abilities and the handprint are interesting. Jesse Manes, as always, is absolutely horrible. But good wins in the end, and the boys are able to figure things out despite the mistakes they make along the way. I mean, trigger warnings for so much in a prison fic with Jesse Manes in it, but it is an awesome story. This author only wrote one RNM fic, but it’s a great one.

From Iraq, with Love by @adiwriting

Alex leaves for basic no way to contact Michael, so he reaches out to him via a YouTube channel. Alex writes years and years’ worth of love songs, hoping maybe Michael will see them and get in touch. The scene when Michael finally sees them is a gut punch in the best way, and the end is so satisfying. A truly excellent story, and I love how music from the heart eases their way into real communication--because, man, that is what these poor boys need.

unexpected tidings by @bestillmyslashyheart

The Vegas fic! Actually, that is not what this fic is about. There is only one scene set in Vegas, and yet that was the one I remembered when I was trying to find the fic again, lol. In this AU, Michael was never reunited with his siblings in Roswell, but he and Alex meet after Alex enlists. They meet three different times in three different states, and eventually fall in love. Then Alex has to come home to Roswell and take care of this little alien problem so his boyfriend can be safe from the horror that is Jesse Manes. One of the best things about this story is the past/present narrative structure. Only a really good writer can tell a successful story out of chronological order, and @bestillmyslashyheart really succeeds. Check out her other work, as well, such as A Simple Life (but with aliens).

Shadow Work by @myrmidryad

This fic has stellar world building. Alex and Michael are shades--people who work banishing hauntings, curses, etc. The scientific way the supernatural elements are approached is so interesting, as well as the different ways humans and aliens perceive them. Alex is a total unreliable narrator just because of how the haunt is affecting him, but he still gets the job done. This is a world you can just sink into. Totally immersive, and yet it works so well with the alien mythology we already have. And the conclusion to the haunt mystery is so satisfying. Such a great story!

Lovin’ you is a gift tonight (Lovin’ you for all of my life) by @bellakitse

Michael turned his cheek when Alex tried to kiss him, and then Alex and Rosa ran off to NYC before anything else could happen. Michael thinks of Alex as the one who got away, and then he runs into him when he’s stuck at the airport in Denver, trying to get home to Roswell for Christmas. Their reunion in the airport is fluffy and amazing, just a pleasure to read. And then they end up back in Roswell and all the other stuff comes into play in a really satisfying, let’s-deal-with-it-as-adults-instead-of-children kind of way. Ah, so good!

scream in there by thepredatorywasp

I’ll be honest, this one starts a little rough emotionally, but man, Alex and Michael really earn their happily ever after here. It is worth it. And then we get River! I enjoy a good kid!fic, and River the little alien found in a pod who gloms onto Alex and never lets go is amazing! River is my favorite kiddo that I’ve ever read in a Malex story.

truth (to the people we love) by @lambourngb

This is probably the shortest fic on my rec list. I am biased toward the long ones, I know. But man this one packs a punch. Alex recorded a goodbye message when he was overseas, and he has to tell it not to auto send every week. Then he is kidnapped for ten days... I don’t want to spoil too much, but just read it. It also plays with the narrative structure. And if you like this one, definitely check out @lambourngb‘s other stories. collect the bad habits and Vows are also great reads!

I Know Nothing Stays the Same by @aewriting

This is one of those stories that sticks in your head. It is awful (emotion-wise, not writing-wise) and wonderful all wrapped up together in the best way. Alex and Michael run away after the shed incident and go into hiding for five years. This is the past storyline. There’s also a present and a future. The ending of this story was so gorgeous, I don’t want to spoil it, but I remember it all the time when I think of Malex. Lovely and poignant. This is another version of this couple that <i>earn</i> their happiness together. And if you want even more in this ‘verse, the very talented @andrea-lyn (who also has a ton of great Malex stories) wrote a coda called There’s More Room in a Broken Heart.

Send Me Home by @litwitlady

I waffled back and forth about which story would fill the final slot. It’s always so hard to choose when there are so many excellent ones out there, but I had to have one of @litwitlady‘s stories on the list. She has quite a few excellent ones, but Send Me Home is my favorite. Michael the baseball player is both compelling and also heartwarming in his softer life. This is another fic where Alex is a musician, this one an actual country music star. So, it’s a sports fic and a celebrity romance, in addition to being a Malex RNM story. it is a WiP, which I sometimes hesitate to rec, but there’s only one more chapter to go, so I feel pretty safe about it. And she has lots of other stories you should check out. I’m fond of the Reunion series, as well.

So, that’s it for this post. Thanks again to all the amazing fanfic authors and their awesome work. I’ve read so many great Malex fics lately. On this list or not, I appreciate you guys!

[norrlands-nonsense]

Frank Grillo and his Wicked-Unholy-Bad-Baaad-Sinfully-Bad-Hotness has been haunting me lately (again) and I found this old Taserbones cutie as I went through some of my ancient manip folders.

[ao3feed-wintershock]

Don’t Mind If I Do

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3i0pjkM

by WheresMyWingZ

Tony kinda freaks about a little Instagram post. It’s not like it has anything to do with him so why would he care?

Words: 296, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 30 of Wintershock: AUs, One Shots and Fluff, oh my!

Fandoms: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Darcy Lewis, James "Bucky" Barnes

Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis

Additional Tags: Tony’s in here but I’m not tagging him because he has like 3 lines, This has been living in my mind since she posted those pics, im glad she’s happy, but Wintershock will forever have my heart and once I learn photo editing it’s over for you hoes

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3i0pjkM

[treaddelicately]

Misguided Ghosts, a Wintershock fic

rating: mature

length: 5,923 words (chapter 2/?)

tags: canon divergence, canon-typical violence, SHIELD agent Darcy Lewis, post-traumatic stress disorder, angst and hurt/comfort, pre-relationship

“I don’t want it. I’m not Steve.”

“No one said you were,” Peggy said. “And you don’t have to be. Don’t you see what you’ve been given?”

Bucky frowned at her.

“A chance to start over.” Her shaky lips shaped the words slowly, one at a time, as though he were too dense to understand if she spoke any faster. “None of us can change what’s happened in the past. All you can do is move forward.”

“I don’t know how to do that.”

“Well, that’s just it. You get to decide where you go from here.”

“I don’t even know where here is.”

“You will,” Peggy said. “Once you give it a solid effort.”

[chapter two: as it was on AO3]

[gangstasgirl]

I never thought... She would get down with somebody I know, I guess that's just how it goes when you break up in a small town... I should've known all along, You gotta move or move on, When you break up in a small town... -Sam Hunt, Break Up In a Small Town I had this idea when I heard this song and I just..... I might turn this into a one shot. Idk. Maybe.

[dresupi]

Fruitcake and Bananas

Playlist: 

Swept Away - Avett Brothers // Dreamer - The Head and the Heart // Dear Wormword - The Oh Hellos // Mausoleum - Seryn // Here Comes the Sun - Imaginary Future // Winter Song - Sara Bareilles; Ingrid Michaelson // Can’t Help Falling in Love - Ingrid Michaelson // Bent - Matchbox Twenty // The Minnow & The Trout - A Fine Frenzy // Across the Universe - Fiona Apple // Samson - Regina Spektor // Time After Time - Eva Cassidy // Something Just Like This - The Chainsmokers, Coldplay // Sound of Silence - Kina Grannis // Unwell - Matchbox Twenty // Build Me Up From Bones - Sarah Jarosz // Hello My Old Heart - The Oh Hellos // Stay (With Alessa Clare) - Zedd // First Day of My Life - Elizabeth Davis // Sunnyside - Leftover Cuties //  

Bucky Barnes/Darcy Lewis

Rated E

[Listen to it on Spotify]

[Read the fic on Ao3]