sherryillk (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sherryillk) wrote2013-07-23 07:54 pm
sherryillk) wrote2013-07-23 07:54 pm
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So a while back I got into 00Q stories and although I was doing my systematic devouring of fanfics as I'm often found doing when I get into a new fandom, I found myself reading a Tony Stark/Bruce Banner story. I won't bore you with the details of how that happened since I hadn't even considered their relationship on any level, not even subconscious, but suffice to say, I had been craving very specific stories and one of theirs happened to be one of them. And that's when my eyes were opened to the awesomeness of that pairing.
I had always though that THE Iron Man/Avengers pairing would have to be Tony/Steve and while I've been seeing them around lately, it's never appealed to me. Mostly because I find Captain America to be quite boring. And old since the reboot hasn't really happened yet. Anyway, I never saw the allure of Tony/Steve even though I could see why some people would be into it. But Tony and Bruce? It hits all of my science kinks. And they had some amazing interaction in The Avengers, so that's even better. So now I've been in a week long Tony/Bruce hole even though I had been in the middle of 00Q (I really must get back to that eventually).
There's just so much angst on both sides of this pairing and you know how I love sob stories. And they're both such damaged, lonely, depressing men that the thought of them finding happiness together makes me kinda giddy.
Also? They're both surprisingly mature. I say this because Tony Stark is not generally someone people would call mature in any shape or form but when it comes to life and living, he's an adult who is really perceptive. And Bruce is too. It's so refreshing, especially in really well-written stories because I've been reading stories with rather youngish (under 30) characters for so long, it sometimes feel like I'm reading stories about people who haven't properly lived or matured. It's something I miss from the first couple of pairings I was into -- Jack and Daniel, Methos and Duncan, people who have lived and lost, have had and maintain mature relationships with people. Their perspective of the world is different from younger characters -- hell, it's different from my perspective as a fellow under 30. And sometimes it's nice reading about people like that.
And then this leads to fact that I should probably read proper novels again... And I feel bad that fanfic is basically my only source of reading these days... But who has time to read all the fanfics that they want AND all the published books that interest them too? I'm having hard enough time juggling two fandoms because I'm basically forsaking one for the other right now... And this is also with me getting less sleep because I can't stop reading Tony/Bruce fics. Damn, they're such a good pairing...
I had always though that THE Iron Man/Avengers pairing would have to be Tony/Steve and while I've been seeing them around lately, it's never appealed to me. Mostly because I find Captain America to be quite boring. And old since the reboot hasn't really happened yet. Anyway, I never saw the allure of Tony/Steve even though I could see why some people would be into it. But Tony and Bruce? It hits all of my science kinks. And they had some amazing interaction in The Avengers, so that's even better. So now I've been in a week long Tony/Bruce hole even though I had been in the middle of 00Q (I really must get back to that eventually).
There's just so much angst on both sides of this pairing and you know how I love sob stories. And they're both such damaged, lonely, depressing men that the thought of them finding happiness together makes me kinda giddy.
Also? They're both surprisingly mature. I say this because Tony Stark is not generally someone people would call mature in any shape or form but when it comes to life and living, he's an adult who is really perceptive. And Bruce is too. It's so refreshing, especially in really well-written stories because I've been reading stories with rather youngish (under 30) characters for so long, it sometimes feel like I'm reading stories about people who haven't properly lived or matured. It's something I miss from the first couple of pairings I was into -- Jack and Daniel, Methos and Duncan, people who have lived and lost, have had and maintain mature relationships with people. Their perspective of the world is different from younger characters -- hell, it's different from my perspective as a fellow under 30. And sometimes it's nice reading about people like that.
And then this leads to fact that I should probably read proper novels again... And I feel bad that fanfic is basically my only source of reading these days... But who has time to read all the fanfics that they want AND all the published books that interest them too? I'm having hard enough time juggling two fandoms because I'm basically forsaking one for the other right now... And this is also with me getting less sleep because I can't stop reading Tony/Bruce fics. Damn, they're such a good pairing...
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And yes, definitely! I'm at work now so I can't at the moment but I'll get you a list tonight. ^^ Right now I'm obsessed with this one WiP that's so satisfying...aside from the fact that it hasn't been updated in four months. T_T But I'm still going to recommend it because what's there is amazingly good.
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Part I:
The aforementioned WiP, Myogenic Contractions of the Cardiac Cycle: http://archiveofourown.org/works/645079/chapters/1171630
Basically, it's a play on Cinderella and it starts off with Bruce meeting Tony at a science conference in Switzerland before Tony becomes Iron Man but after Bruce has his accident and is on the run from the US government.
Bittersweet: http://archiveofourown.org/works/883597
A soul mate story with Bruce and Tony as an established couple when Tony "connects" with his soul mate, Steve Rogers.
What We Pretend to Be: http://archiveofourown.org/works/714383/chapters/1321979
The Avengers team gets dosed with the Super Soldier serum (that both Steve and Bruce took) and how they deal with the effects. Although, it's pretty gen for most of the story and the relationship between Bruce and Tony start very slow and isn't the focus, it's a pretty good read.
Pygmalion Avenged: http://archiveofourown.org/works/755613
This is the story that got me hooked on Tony/Bruce. It's also a WiP (thankfully, this one was updated this month so I have much better hopes that it's still on-going), and explores the idea of Tony and Bruce in a BDSM relationship. I don't know if you go for that but it's pretty tame (so far) with Tony taking control of Bruce while in sexual situations so he doesn't Hulk out.
Quantum Computation and the Physics of Entanglement: http://archiveofourown.org/works/867729
A short oneshot that has Tony and Rhodey publishing a science paper that Bruce blind critiques. Of course, when it gets back to Tony, he decides he has to find out who is critiquing him.
Of Trebuchets and Broken Families: http://archiveofourown.org/works/854347
Another short, but cute oneshot that has Tony and Bruce meeting as children and then realizing it when they were adults.
Towards A New Anthropology (or, The Care and Feeding of Particle Physicists): http://archiveofourown.org/works/779227
I'm not sure if this is supposed to be Gen or if Tony is just moving really slowly but it should have one more chapter left to be posted so maybe they actually make a move in that last chapter. But this is about Tony and Bruce after the Battle of New York.
Alternative Therapy with Dr. Bruce Banner: http://archiveofourown.org/works/805738
Yet another oneshot that's mostly Gen taking place after Iron Man 3 with Tony still suffering from PTSD. But it has trolling physics conferences and late night chocolate synthesis so it's really quite good.
Surviving the Dark: http://archiveofourown.org/series/44412
This is a series of three stories with Bruce as someone suffering from depression. And there's a bit of self-harm in it.
shake it out: http://archiveofourown.org/series/44337
A series that starts off with Bruce coming to live with Tony after the Battle of New York, meeting Spider Man (reboot version), and then through Iron Man 3. The last story is about Peter Parker and Wade Wilson and since I never saw the rebooted Spider Man, I skipped it.
Heartbeat: http://archiveofourown.org/works/781121
A lovely, very mature story about having grown-up relationships and maintaining them. Pepper breaks up with Tony, Tony has an unseen thing with Steve, and then Tony makes a life with Bruce, despite many misunderstands and twists and turns of their relationship. But they figure it out despite all that.
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Gaaah so yes, thank you for the recs!!! i just started Bittersweet. *going in order*
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Silence isn't Golden, It's Green: http://archiveofourown.org/works/744541
Hilarious oneshot on how Tony gets Bruce to live with him in Stark Tower. It's pre-slash, so really tame.
Seriously, ANYTHING from enigmaticblue: http://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue/works?fandom_id=414093
But I particularly like A Marriage of Convenience: http://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue/works?fandom_id=414093
and the Restraint 'verse: http://archiveofourown.org/series/32688
Divvy Up: http://archiveofourown.org/works/713875
Tony and Bruce accidentally develop a telepathic connection where they can channel each other's personalities and emotions.
Irreconcilable Differences: http://archiveofourown.org/works/592408
The one story that I've read that really fleshes out the Hulk as a character. It's heartbreaking and long, but it's BRILLIANT.
Fruit as Metaphors: http://archiveofourown.org/series/37347
A twoshot series that has Bruce giving into his wanderlust urges, even after getting with Tony. And the first story is basically the breakup between Pepper and Tony.
Invisible Gorilla Testing: http://archiveofourown.org/series/36466
Probably my favorite series so far. It's a high school AU with Tony and Bruce as best friends, Bruce in a relationship with Betty, and with Tony absolutely and totally in love with his best friend. But Bruce is completely oblivious, even if Betty isn't.
Shield Brothers: http://archiveofourown.org/series/35964
Series that starts off right after The Avengers that has Tony and Bruce in a casual relationship and moving into more.
The Consultants: http://archiveofourown.org/works/652279
I don't know if you watch White Collar, but this is a crossover between it and Marvel. And luckily for me, it's not one where Neal and Peter are in a relationship (since I really do like Peter's wife, it never appealed to me). It's in the POV of Neal so even though Bruce and Tony are in an establish relationship, it's really seeing it from an outside, outside POV so it's a bit subtle. But it's really well-written and is a wonderful blend of both universes.
A Spork in the Road: http://archiveofourown.org/series/34564
A look at what if Bruce never became the Hulk but still ends up being the guy SHIELD asks to find the Tesseract.
No Force in the Universe Can Stop Me: http://archiveofourown.org/works/534253
An AU that has Obadiah Stane kidnapping Tony at the end of the first Iron Man and imprisoning Tony to force him to continue making weapons for Stark Industries. Bruce, while on the lam, hacks into Stark Industries looking for info on the Hulkbusters and finds the hidden code Tony placed in the programming asking for help. It's pretty gen and they don't seem to ever go anywhere with their relationship but it's left open at the end so maybe there's hope for a sequel eventually...
Hmm..hopefully I didn't go too overboard... >
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