Steve Bucky Exchange 2017
Sep. 3rd, 2017 01:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aurilly I tend to request rarer ships for exchanges, but Steve/Bucky is one of the ultimate OTPs of my heart! I edit this post to add/delete prompts every so often, so rest assured that I still want everything here! Take a look at any of my more recent exchange letters for general likes and DNWs, since I've only put Steve/Bucky-specific info here.
General Notes
This Ship!:
I love what a well-oiled team they make and how they manage to fall back into sync, even though they’ve both changed. I love how fiercely protective and respectful of one another they are, but can also tease or get fondly annoyed. I love when they’re a little cranky (but still get along), and in possession of a sense of humour. I love when the story lets them use their abilities (superheroes are hot!). They both have lots of baggage, but I'm most interested in seeing them move forward with their lives and inch towards a healthier place, not just as a couple, but individually (please don't let Bucky be brainwashed or pathetic for the majority of the story).
The idea of anyone having been secretly, miserably, painfully pining over only one person for their whole life is too claustrophobic for me. I actually prefer it when at least one of them only develops feelings upon reuniting after a separation—this ship has a bunch of separations, so pick your faves, from post-Azzano, to post-TWS, to post-Endgame, to a canon divergent one you make up. What makes feelings morph into more, or makes them realize he wants more? Are they on the same page immediately, or does one have to work to get the other there?
Random Peeves:
I have a pet peeve about Bucky and Steve saying "ain't" and sounding like a 1930s gangster movie. I especially have a hard time reading phonetically spelled dialogue. Can they please speak as properly as they do in the films? Cursing is fine, though. I also dislike "Stevie" and other non-canonical nicknames.
Canon Divergences:
My only must-have elements are that they remain 1) both born in ~1917 Brooklyn 2) became friends as children (even if the fic separates them early on) 3) Steve starts out sickly and scrawny but gets transformed into big and super-powered (whether by canon serum or something else). Other than that, go wild! I'm super flexible about Bucky canon; as long as he was born in his canon situation, he can fall, not fall, get powers, not get powers, get different powers, be a selkie, move to Asgard, IDK. I'm more than happy to start years after the point of divergence; no need to explain the changes.
Other Romances:
As long as no one is bashed, you can acknowledge Steve/Peggy’s WWII feelings, or pretend they were only just friends, or never met at all (but please make it clear that Steve gets over it!); same goes for any other canon couple. I multi-ship Bucky like crazy, and, as long as it ends amicably enough and no one is bashed, I'm totally fine with him having flings or relationships with other people before the Bucky/Steve endgame. Options are: Thor, Howard, Jane, Pepper, M'Baku, aged-up Shuri, Valkyrie, Heimdall, Aunt May, Nebula, Gamora, random OMC WWII soldiers. (I didn't include Loki in the list because I can't bear Bucky/Loki to break up, not even for Steve).
Background Characters & Friendships:
I like their relationship as a positive element, but not the ONLY positive element in their lives. If it fits your idea (no big deal if it doesn't), I’d love to see Bucky, especially, make new friends of his own—not through Steve! I know it's canon and all, but I'm kind of burned out on fics that lean on Natasha and Sam in the main friend/therapist roles. Instead of them, can you explore what friendships would look like between Steve and/or Bucky with Jane, Pepper, Peter Parker, Aunt May, Heimdall, Thor, Valkyrie, Sif, Frigga, M'Baku, Okoye, Shuri, Howard, the Howlies, Scott, Hope, the Ancient One, Rocket, Nebula, Gamora, Mantis, Drax, or Talos? You can show the friendship developing in the background of the ship, or assume they've already grown close.
Prompts
Asgardian Backstory:
Assume that Steve and/or Bucky befriended Thor and/or Loki (my other two faves) before the story starts. I don’t care how. I’m all for starting the story in the present day and expositing or handwaving the backstory in passing. Maybe one or two of the four fell into a time/space wormhole as a child and was taken in by another one's family (could be mere days or a whole adolescence into adulthood). Or Thor or Loki’s banishment happened in 1930s Brooklyn. Or teenage Bucky somehow ended up in Asgard and adopted by Frigga. Or maybe one of them got whisked away by Heimdall during the fall from the train/plane crash in WWII and has been in Asgard ever since. Whatever!
What I actually care about are the ramifications later on when they reunite. What does a Steve/Bucky getting together story look like in this divergence? Did they (‘they’ could mean any subgroup of the four) stay in touch, or has it been so long that they don't even recognize each other at first? Getting back in touch to ask for help? Have they changed but still get along? Does some duo/trio quest to save their friend(s) from canon-ish events, and the adventure leads to feelings revealed? Lifespan incompatibilities upset me, so if you could pretend the serum makes you immortal, or Asgardians made their friend(s) immortal, or something, I would appreciate it!
The Dark World
What if Bucky or Steve had been the one to stumble upon the Aether instead of (or with) Jane? What if he had been able to harness it and use it, instead of being damseled? Or, unrelated, maybe Steve and Bucky get caught in the Convergence and go on a realm-hopping adventure together? How does any/all of this lead to them getting together? Feel free to make up magic rules and a brand new plot (ex. jettison everything Malekith, etc).
IN SPACE!
I desperately want space adventures for them. What if they had accidentally touched the Tesseract during WWII and it whisked them elsewhere, so that subsequent canon stuff doesn't happen to them? Where does it send them, what do they do, and how do they get together? I love all the places and worldbuilding we've seen in the Thor and Guardians movies, so feel free to use any of the settings. As an extra optional option, does it zap Bucky, leaving him like Captain Marvel? Do they release poor Cosmo the dog from the Collection? Do they get stranded on Sakaar? I would be down for fucked up, extreme dubcon of the sort that people write about Grandmaster/Loki, but equally down for something 'nicer', where, like, maybe they rescue Korg & Co long before Ragnarok, or convince Valkyrie to come back to the side of active good, etc. Or do they rescue some of the children from Ego? Do missions for Nova Corps? Anything!
Steve/Bucky in Asgard
I don't care how/why/when they're there. Handwave away, start in media res, whatever! What I'm interested in are their impressions of the place and people, and how being in this new setting forces them to work through some issues and get together. This might make extra sense in the new 2012 universe, or in the now Thanos-free 2014 universe. I’ll take anything, but here are some prompts if you’re stuck:
— Does Heimdall beam Bucky and/or Steve up to Asgard? Possibly while they are crashing or falling, thus saving them? Or at some later point? For what reason? What happens next?
— Steve asks Thor if they can lie low in Asgard since Bucky’s wanted on Earth
— Thor invites Steve and/or Bucky to Asgard for a vacation... that maybe goes awry?
— Case-fic where Thor or Loki invite Steve and Bucky to Asgard to help with a problem or do spy work
Espionage or Mission Fic
I’d love something that showcases their teamwork while getting them together. I adore jet-setting, double agents, disguises, snarky banter over the comms, desperate fight scenes, improvising when things go awry, undercover as a couple, undercover as antagonists, etc. I love Indiana Jones-type objectives as well as more political ones. (Yes, Alias was my first fandom; how did you guess?) It could be a mission they've undertaken and planned themselves, not affiliated with SHIELD or the Avengers at all. Or maybe it's identity porn where Fury hires a masked Russian merc to work with Steve, who turns out to be Bucky. Or maybe the Winter Soldier is Steve's frequent antagonist from a rival organization. Or maybe he's a mysterious vigilante who keeps helping Steve. Or something else!
Time Loops/Groundhog Day
I love self-help adventures in which people overcome some baggage, figure out priorities, etc. If the logistics interest you, then yay! But I'm also totally cool with handwaving how/why it starts or stops, starting in media res, whatever. I’m equally happy to see either of them in the loop. Or maybe they’re in the loop together, which perhaps they don’t initially realize? Or one is in the loop with Loki, but it still results in Steve/Bucky? Is it during some canon event (you could use the loop as a fix-it opportunity or as explanation for how canon played out as it did instead of worse)? Or is it more of a quotidian time and the focus is on quiet individual self-discovery?
My only caveat is that I get a little creeped out if the loop person spends the entire time focused on making someone fall in love with them, or where character B is treated simply as the loop character’s oblivious reward. As long as the loop person has other goals/projects, too, I'll be ecstatic. Or maybe find a way for the non-loop person to have agency and play an active role?
2012!verse
I'd love to see what Steve does, now that he's armed with knowledge from future!Steve that Bucky is alive. How does he find him sooner? Feel free to go nuts with this. Did future!Steve leave him with Pym particles so that Bucky never kills Howard? Do they run away to Wakanda together earlier than in canon? Does Steve get Bucky pardoned? Hydra also thinks he knows all about them, thanks to future!Steve. How does that play out? Are they all confused but trying to play each other? Does Loki somehow get involved? What's the big reunion like? Hopefully the mind stone can easily cure Bucky, without there having to be a whole recovery angst. What do Bucky and Steve do next?
Stranded Together
In space? At sea? In Westeros? Wherever! I don't really care about how they got into this mess; I'm totally happy starting with, "Crap. Well, what do we do now?" I'm here for how the situation challenges them, explores nuances in their dynamic, breaks down barriers, reveals new applications for their skillsets, and, ultimately, helps them get together.
Identity Porn
I love both "Lois & Clark"-style secret identity stuff as well as mistaken/unknown identity stuff. Masks, amnesia, magic, which one is real vs a role, which version of yourself you’d prefer someone fall for, people coming up with logical but erroneous theories before discovering the truth, the reveal... Yum. I’m bad at prompting scenarios for this, but I adore it. Please note that I do NOT want depressing “Identity Problems”, where Bucky’s trauma has left him with multiple personalities or something.
Other Tropes
Marriage of Convenience; Arranged Marriage; Sex Pollen where unaffected A doesn't immediately realize B has been sex pollened; Ritual Sex; Ritual Public Sex (the more awkward, and where they're still pining or haven't developed feelings yet, the better)... No need to worry yourself about why it's happening. I don't care!
Random Space Children
I love fics about Bucky accidentally acquiring random children who end up taking as much care of him as he does of them. Say the Winter Soldier ended up in space (how/why, who cares?) and somehow met baby Gamora or Nebula and rescued her from Thanos. Now he's got this cute little green and/or blue girl who loves him. How does Steve react when they reunite? Or maybe Bucky ends up living with the Skrull colony and is beloved by all the kids there? Is Steve with him on this adventure, or do they reunite later?
Steve Never Joined SHIELD and/or Bucky Was Rescued/Escaped Differently
What if Steve had successfully escaped from Times Square, without SHIELD tracking him? Or maybe he was defrosted in some totally other, non-SHIELD way, and/or at another time. AND/OR! Same deal for Bucky, exploring what might have happened had he escaped or been rescued earlier and in some totally other way. I don't particularly care how he/they got out or recovered or whatever. Well, if that really intrigues you, you can definitely include it, but you can also feel free skip all that and start later when they’re settled somewhere and feeling okay-ish.
What kind of life have he/they built, and where? Have he/they ended up befriending characters they haven't met in canon? Most importantly, how do they find one another again and get together? Does the first one to get out rescue the other (from Hydra, from the ice, from new threats that you make up)? Or are they both already out and meet in a quotidian way? Does one (or both?) end up falling into a hero lifestyle again? Or not? Are the lives they've built up and/or want different? How do they compromise or resolve that tension to move forward together?
General Notes
This Ship!:
I love what a well-oiled team they make and how they manage to fall back into sync, even though they’ve both changed. I love how fiercely protective and respectful of one another they are, but can also tease or get fondly annoyed. I love when they’re a little cranky (but still get along), and in possession of a sense of humour. I love when the story lets them use their abilities (superheroes are hot!). They both have lots of baggage, but I'm most interested in seeing them move forward with their lives and inch towards a healthier place, not just as a couple, but individually (please don't let Bucky be brainwashed or pathetic for the majority of the story).
The idea of anyone having been secretly, miserably, painfully pining over only one person for their whole life is too claustrophobic for me. I actually prefer it when at least one of them only develops feelings upon reuniting after a separation—this ship has a bunch of separations, so pick your faves, from post-Azzano, to post-TWS, to post-Endgame, to a canon divergent one you make up. What makes feelings morph into more, or makes them realize he wants more? Are they on the same page immediately, or does one have to work to get the other there?
Random Peeves:
I have a pet peeve about Bucky and Steve saying "ain't" and sounding like a 1930s gangster movie. I especially have a hard time reading phonetically spelled dialogue. Can they please speak as properly as they do in the films? Cursing is fine, though. I also dislike "Stevie" and other non-canonical nicknames.
Canon Divergences:
My only must-have elements are that they remain 1) both born in ~1917 Brooklyn 2) became friends as children (even if the fic separates them early on) 3) Steve starts out sickly and scrawny but gets transformed into big and super-powered (whether by canon serum or something else). Other than that, go wild! I'm super flexible about Bucky canon; as long as he was born in his canon situation, he can fall, not fall, get powers, not get powers, get different powers, be a selkie, move to Asgard, IDK. I'm more than happy to start years after the point of divergence; no need to explain the changes.
Other Romances:
As long as no one is bashed, you can acknowledge Steve/Peggy’s WWII feelings, or pretend they were only just friends, or never met at all (but please make it clear that Steve gets over it!); same goes for any other canon couple. I multi-ship Bucky like crazy, and, as long as it ends amicably enough and no one is bashed, I'm totally fine with him having flings or relationships with other people before the Bucky/Steve endgame. Options are: Thor, Howard, Jane, Pepper, M'Baku, aged-up Shuri, Valkyrie, Heimdall, Aunt May, Nebula, Gamora, random OMC WWII soldiers. (I didn't include Loki in the list because I can't bear Bucky/Loki to break up, not even for Steve).
Background Characters & Friendships:
I like their relationship as a positive element, but not the ONLY positive element in their lives. If it fits your idea (no big deal if it doesn't), I’d love to see Bucky, especially, make new friends of his own—not through Steve! I know it's canon and all, but I'm kind of burned out on fics that lean on Natasha and Sam in the main friend/therapist roles. Instead of them, can you explore what friendships would look like between Steve and/or Bucky with Jane, Pepper, Peter Parker, Aunt May, Heimdall, Thor, Valkyrie, Sif, Frigga, M'Baku, Okoye, Shuri, Howard, the Howlies, Scott, Hope, the Ancient One, Rocket, Nebula, Gamora, Mantis, Drax, or Talos? You can show the friendship developing in the background of the ship, or assume they've already grown close.
Prompts
Asgardian Backstory:
Assume that Steve and/or Bucky befriended Thor and/or Loki (my other two faves) before the story starts. I don’t care how. I’m all for starting the story in the present day and expositing or handwaving the backstory in passing. Maybe one or two of the four fell into a time/space wormhole as a child and was taken in by another one's family (could be mere days or a whole adolescence into adulthood). Or Thor or Loki’s banishment happened in 1930s Brooklyn. Or teenage Bucky somehow ended up in Asgard and adopted by Frigga. Or maybe one of them got whisked away by Heimdall during the fall from the train/plane crash in WWII and has been in Asgard ever since. Whatever!
What I actually care about are the ramifications later on when they reunite. What does a Steve/Bucky getting together story look like in this divergence? Did they (‘they’ could mean any subgroup of the four) stay in touch, or has it been so long that they don't even recognize each other at first? Getting back in touch to ask for help? Have they changed but still get along? Does some duo/trio quest to save their friend(s) from canon-ish events, and the adventure leads to feelings revealed? Lifespan incompatibilities upset me, so if you could pretend the serum makes you immortal, or Asgardians made their friend(s) immortal, or something, I would appreciate it!
The Dark World
What if Bucky or Steve had been the one to stumble upon the Aether instead of (or with) Jane? What if he had been able to harness it and use it, instead of being damseled? Or, unrelated, maybe Steve and Bucky get caught in the Convergence and go on a realm-hopping adventure together? How does any/all of this lead to them getting together? Feel free to make up magic rules and a brand new plot (ex. jettison everything Malekith, etc).
IN SPACE!
I desperately want space adventures for them. What if they had accidentally touched the Tesseract during WWII and it whisked them elsewhere, so that subsequent canon stuff doesn't happen to them? Where does it send them, what do they do, and how do they get together? I love all the places and worldbuilding we've seen in the Thor and Guardians movies, so feel free to use any of the settings. As an extra optional option, does it zap Bucky, leaving him like Captain Marvel? Do they release poor Cosmo the dog from the Collection? Do they get stranded on Sakaar? I would be down for fucked up, extreme dubcon of the sort that people write about Grandmaster/Loki, but equally down for something 'nicer', where, like, maybe they rescue Korg & Co long before Ragnarok, or convince Valkyrie to come back to the side of active good, etc. Or do they rescue some of the children from Ego? Do missions for Nova Corps? Anything!
Steve/Bucky in Asgard
I don't care how/why/when they're there. Handwave away, start in media res, whatever! What I'm interested in are their impressions of the place and people, and how being in this new setting forces them to work through some issues and get together. This might make extra sense in the new 2012 universe, or in the now Thanos-free 2014 universe. I’ll take anything, but here are some prompts if you’re stuck:
— Does Heimdall beam Bucky and/or Steve up to Asgard? Possibly while they are crashing or falling, thus saving them? Or at some later point? For what reason? What happens next?
— Steve asks Thor if they can lie low in Asgard since Bucky’s wanted on Earth
— Thor invites Steve and/or Bucky to Asgard for a vacation... that maybe goes awry?
— Case-fic where Thor or Loki invite Steve and Bucky to Asgard to help with a problem or do spy work
Espionage or Mission Fic
I’d love something that showcases their teamwork while getting them together. I adore jet-setting, double agents, disguises, snarky banter over the comms, desperate fight scenes, improvising when things go awry, undercover as a couple, undercover as antagonists, etc. I love Indiana Jones-type objectives as well as more political ones. (Yes, Alias was my first fandom; how did you guess?) It could be a mission they've undertaken and planned themselves, not affiliated with SHIELD or the Avengers at all. Or maybe it's identity porn where Fury hires a masked Russian merc to work with Steve, who turns out to be Bucky. Or maybe the Winter Soldier is Steve's frequent antagonist from a rival organization. Or maybe he's a mysterious vigilante who keeps helping Steve. Or something else!
Time Loops/Groundhog Day
I love self-help adventures in which people overcome some baggage, figure out priorities, etc. If the logistics interest you, then yay! But I'm also totally cool with handwaving how/why it starts or stops, starting in media res, whatever. I’m equally happy to see either of them in the loop. Or maybe they’re in the loop together, which perhaps they don’t initially realize? Or one is in the loop with Loki, but it still results in Steve/Bucky? Is it during some canon event (you could use the loop as a fix-it opportunity or as explanation for how canon played out as it did instead of worse)? Or is it more of a quotidian time and the focus is on quiet individual self-discovery?
My only caveat is that I get a little creeped out if the loop person spends the entire time focused on making someone fall in love with them, or where character B is treated simply as the loop character’s oblivious reward. As long as the loop person has other goals/projects, too, I'll be ecstatic. Or maybe find a way for the non-loop person to have agency and play an active role?
2012!verse
I'd love to see what Steve does, now that he's armed with knowledge from future!Steve that Bucky is alive. How does he find him sooner? Feel free to go nuts with this. Did future!Steve leave him with Pym particles so that Bucky never kills Howard? Do they run away to Wakanda together earlier than in canon? Does Steve get Bucky pardoned? Hydra also thinks he knows all about them, thanks to future!Steve. How does that play out? Are they all confused but trying to play each other? Does Loki somehow get involved? What's the big reunion like? Hopefully the mind stone can easily cure Bucky, without there having to be a whole recovery angst. What do Bucky and Steve do next?
Stranded Together
In space? At sea? In Westeros? Wherever! I don't really care about how they got into this mess; I'm totally happy starting with, "Crap. Well, what do we do now?" I'm here for how the situation challenges them, explores nuances in their dynamic, breaks down barriers, reveals new applications for their skillsets, and, ultimately, helps them get together.
Identity Porn
I love both "Lois & Clark"-style secret identity stuff as well as mistaken/unknown identity stuff. Masks, amnesia, magic, which one is real vs a role, which version of yourself you’d prefer someone fall for, people coming up with logical but erroneous theories before discovering the truth, the reveal... Yum. I’m bad at prompting scenarios for this, but I adore it. Please note that I do NOT want depressing “Identity Problems”, where Bucky’s trauma has left him with multiple personalities or something.
Other Tropes
Marriage of Convenience; Arranged Marriage; Sex Pollen where unaffected A doesn't immediately realize B has been sex pollened; Ritual Sex; Ritual Public Sex (the more awkward, and where they're still pining or haven't developed feelings yet, the better)... No need to worry yourself about why it's happening. I don't care!
Random Space Children
I love fics about Bucky accidentally acquiring random children who end up taking as much care of him as he does of them. Say the Winter Soldier ended up in space (how/why, who cares?) and somehow met baby Gamora or Nebula and rescued her from Thanos. Now he's got this cute little green and/or blue girl who loves him. How does Steve react when they reunite? Or maybe Bucky ends up living with the Skrull colony and is beloved by all the kids there? Is Steve with him on this adventure, or do they reunite later?
Steve Never Joined SHIELD and/or Bucky Was Rescued/Escaped Differently
What if Steve had successfully escaped from Times Square, without SHIELD tracking him? Or maybe he was defrosted in some totally other, non-SHIELD way, and/or at another time. AND/OR! Same deal for Bucky, exploring what might have happened had he escaped or been rescued earlier and in some totally other way. I don't particularly care how he/they got out or recovered or whatever. Well, if that really intrigues you, you can definitely include it, but you can also feel free skip all that and start later when they’re settled somewhere and feeling okay-ish.
What kind of life have he/they built, and where? Have he/they ended up befriending characters they haven't met in canon? Most importantly, how do they find one another again and get together? Does the first one to get out rescue the other (from Hydra, from the ice, from new threats that you make up)? Or are they both already out and meet in a quotidian way? Does one (or both?) end up falling into a hero lifestyle again? Or not? Are the lives they've built up and/or want different? How do they compromise or resolve that tension to move forward together?