Fandom: THE AVENGERS (movieverse)
Pairing: Clint Barton/Phil Coulson
Length: ~ 20,145 words
Author on LJ:
umboAuthor Website: shell's stories on AO3Why this must be read: Another interesting story about going to the land of the dead to save a loved one, with the added bonus of a life-bond. Here, Clint travels to Valhalla with the aid of Thor's cousin, Idunn, to retrieve Coulson's soul. But the journey leaves both men weakened to the point that they can't be apart without risking Coulson's recovery, which does nothing to help Clint's position with an already-suspicious SHIELD.
What I like about this story is the easy relationship between Clint and Phil, even when they're under constant scrutiny. Plus, the longer they're forced to stay close to one another, the more the tension between them builds as Clint tries to puzzle out whether what Phil seems to be feeling is real or merely a side-effect of the soul-bond. It's also kind of sweet the way the team rallies around them protectively, and how willingly they accept Clint and Phil's closeness. Yay team!
( 'Uh, no offense, Katniss, but you look even worse than Agent Corpse over there,' Stark said. 'There's no fucking way we're risking you on this.' )On AO3:
Sum TotalIf you enjoy the story, remember to feedback the author!