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crack_van2013-04-03 10:01 am
laceymcbain.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2013-04-03 10:01 am
Entry tags:
Some People Just Collect Stamps by Closer (PG, Teen and up)
I've got the helicarrier for crack_van this month, and I'm delighted to have a chance to rec The Avengers (movieverse). Usually I'm the girl who ships the main OTP, which in this fandom seems to be Steve Rogers/Tony Stark. But I fell ridiculously hard for the Pairing That Shouldn't Be. (You thought Inception's Arthur/Eames was crazy with their 5 minutes of shared screen time? Ha! TONS to work with!)
Given that Clint Barton (Hawkeye) and Agent Phil Coulson only share about 30 seconds of screen time over a radio comm in Thor, they're a pretty unlikely pairing. But the way they banter/tease in that one scene, plus the way Phil speaks to Natasha about Barton, suggests the possibility of a history. I think it's precisely because we're given less backstory about these characters that fandom has been able to take them and create. Never let canon stand in the way of telling stories. If you can't figure out why Clint/Phil even exists, let alone works, I invite you to give the stories I'll be rec'cing this month a try.
Since the movie's been out almost a year, we'll assume everyone knows the key points/spoilers for the film, shall we? If not, this is not the place for you.
Fandom: THE AVENGERS (movieverse)
Pairing: Clint Barton/Phil Coulson
Length: ~ 9446 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Closer's stories on AO3
Why this must be read: This is one of the first fics I read with Clint and Coulson, and it's one of my favourites. The first two chapters share the story of Clint (and the team) discovering Phil is still alive from the POV of first Phil, then Clint. The last two chapters delve into Phil's return and recovery. What I like about the alternating points of view initially is that it allows us a glimpse into the mind of each character when they're fairly unguarded. Plus the two scenes aren't entirely the same, and although serious, are delightfully leavened with humour. In fact, the snippets we see of the rest of the team and their interactions are absolutely wonderful. (Steve has been checking things out on the google dot com.)
What speaks to me most in this story is the palpable sense of relief. It's not a sexy story, it's not an overtly romantic one, but each of these men has had someone returned to him that he didn't expect to see ever again. There's a strong feeling of appreciation and outright thankfulness. It's not an easy road they're on--it never will be--but at the end of the day, it's worth it. It's the kind of story that makes you look around and be grateful for everything you have.
He can hear Clint say something -- Nick Fury's a fucking dead man -- and a reply, it sounds like Stark. Not yet. We need him.
The lights flick on, and he can see Clint's face, and yes, there's Stark behind him, and Steve Rogers behind them both. It's officially becoming a very weird drug trip, when suddenly Steve says, "His eyes are open."
And then Clint walks into the room and bends down so their faces are level, tilting his head sideways.
"Clint," Phil murmurs.
"Hey, sir," Clint says. This close, Phil can feel his body heat, smell sweat and blood on him. He curls his right hand into his palm and the sharp sting of fingernails against flesh convinces him this might, actually, be real.
"You were compromised," he tries.
"Didn't take," Clint says.
Phil can hear his heart monitor jump, can actually hear an alarm go off as he tries to sit up, but Clint puts a hand on his shoulder to hold him down, a real solid hand, and Phil leans into it, though it makes his chest hurt. Stark does something to the machines and they stop making noise.
"You're okay?" Phil asks, and hates how plaintive he sounds.
"He's fine," Steve says.
"Loki -- "
"Don't worry about it," Clint replies, and then starts to laugh. What's funny? "Hey, look, I brought Captain America to say hi."
"Apparently I'm only good for hacking the nineteen layers of security this room has in order to actually get to you," Stark says. "We would have brought flowers but it was hard to carry them while we were breaking in through a maintenance tunnel."
"He hummed the Mission Impossible theme the whole time," Clint whispers.
On AO3: Some People Just Collect Stamps
If you enjoy the story, remember to feedback the author!
Given that Clint Barton (Hawkeye) and Agent Phil Coulson only share about 30 seconds of screen time over a radio comm in Thor, they're a pretty unlikely pairing. But the way they banter/tease in that one scene, plus the way Phil speaks to Natasha about Barton, suggests the possibility of a history. I think it's precisely because we're given less backstory about these characters that fandom has been able to take them and create. Never let canon stand in the way of telling stories. If you can't figure out why Clint/Phil even exists, let alone works, I invite you to give the stories I'll be rec'cing this month a try.
Since the movie's been out almost a year, we'll assume everyone knows the key points/spoilers for the film, shall we? If not, this is not the place for you.
Fandom: THE AVENGERS (movieverse)
Pairing: Clint Barton/Phil Coulson
Length: ~ 9446 words
Author on LJ: unknown
Author Website: Closer's stories on AO3
Why this must be read: This is one of the first fics I read with Clint and Coulson, and it's one of my favourites. The first two chapters share the story of Clint (and the team) discovering Phil is still alive from the POV of first Phil, then Clint. The last two chapters delve into Phil's return and recovery. What I like about the alternating points of view initially is that it allows us a glimpse into the mind of each character when they're fairly unguarded. Plus the two scenes aren't entirely the same, and although serious, are delightfully leavened with humour. In fact, the snippets we see of the rest of the team and their interactions are absolutely wonderful. (Steve has been checking things out on the google dot com.)
What speaks to me most in this story is the palpable sense of relief. It's not a sexy story, it's not an overtly romantic one, but each of these men has had someone returned to him that he didn't expect to see ever again. There's a strong feeling of appreciation and outright thankfulness. It's not an easy road they're on--it never will be--but at the end of the day, it's worth it. It's the kind of story that makes you look around and be grateful for everything you have.
He can hear Clint say something -- Nick Fury's a fucking dead man -- and a reply, it sounds like Stark. Not yet. We need him.
The lights flick on, and he can see Clint's face, and yes, there's Stark behind him, and Steve Rogers behind them both. It's officially becoming a very weird drug trip, when suddenly Steve says, "His eyes are open."
And then Clint walks into the room and bends down so their faces are level, tilting his head sideways.
"Clint," Phil murmurs.
"Hey, sir," Clint says. This close, Phil can feel his body heat, smell sweat and blood on him. He curls his right hand into his palm and the sharp sting of fingernails against flesh convinces him this might, actually, be real.
"You were compromised," he tries.
"Didn't take," Clint says.
Phil can hear his heart monitor jump, can actually hear an alarm go off as he tries to sit up, but Clint puts a hand on his shoulder to hold him down, a real solid hand, and Phil leans into it, though it makes his chest hurt. Stark does something to the machines and they stop making noise.
"You're okay?" Phil asks, and hates how plaintive he sounds.
"He's fine," Steve says.
"Loki -- "
"Don't worry about it," Clint replies, and then starts to laugh. What's funny? "Hey, look, I brought Captain America to say hi."
"Apparently I'm only good for hacking the nineteen layers of security this room has in order to actually get to you," Stark says. "We would have brought flowers but it was hard to carry them while we were breaking in through a maintenance tunnel."
"He hummed the Mission Impossible theme the whole time," Clint whispers.
On AO3: Some People Just Collect Stamps
If you enjoy the story, remember to feedback the author!
no subject
And EXCELLENT first choice!
c/c