#i keep thinking i should lower the stakes but idk where else the story would go

[griffworks]

Tho king on Reapfreak since I can't drawwww <\3

[alipiee]

Ali, I am looking for new fanfictions, can you suggest some of your favourites? Victuuri And Otayuri I love them both! Thank you! ❤️

Oh gosh strap in, I have read far too many so this list might end up being kinda long! I don’t read Otayuri but I have a lot of Victuuri to throw your way buddy

(Under the cut)

Kintsugi by @witchsbane 114k (wip)

Yuuri Katsuki is a hitman burdened with a debt he can never repay. His target: Viktor Nikiforov, next Pakhan to one of the most dangerous families in the Russian mafia.

When the two are drawn into a treacherous alliance after a mission gone wrong, the bonds of love and loyalty to family and duty begin to unravel—even as they get more tangled up in each other.

ok but this is honestly my favourite yoi fic of all time!! The writing is so amazing and you get immersed straight away bc its so vivid and descriptive!! The plot is i n c r e d i b l e, I always seem to come back and reread it because its just as amazing the second (and third) time around. I literally can’t recommend it enough!!

empty spaces between stars by @victuuriplease 124k (wip)

Victor gets just as drunk as Yuuri at the Sochi Banquet, and they disappear together after the dance-offs. They wake up the morning after with rings on their fingers, and pictures of them kissing after getting married the night before are all over the tabloids… but neither of them remembers a thing. They decide to stay married for a while for the sake of Victor’s sponsorships, and in exchange, Victor coaches Yuuri through nationals…

!!!!! This is fantastic !!!! I’m such a sucker for fake dating marriage fics, and this might be the best one I’ve ever read! The fluff is wonderful and balances out the angst and pining and just!! I love it a lot!! 

The Boyfriend Experience by @victorsporosya 240k (wip)

Katsuki Yuuri is an accomplished escort at 23, operating under the pseudonym Eros, in Detroit. When one of his favourite clients sets him up with none other than world-renowned figure skater Victor Nikiforov, the delicate balance between Yuuri’s personal and professional life teeters ever closer towards ruin.

Ok but this fic also owns my life, Adele’s writing is so beautiful and even when you’re crying from the angst, you still feel blessed to be reading it! You can tell how much thought has been put into every sentence and it deserves all of the love and appreciation

Kings in Couture by @forovnix 15k (wip)

a devil wears prada au in which victor is the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine, yuuri’s his new secretary, and instead of talking about his feelings, victor just sends him on a bunch of errands—“Okay, okay. Ready.” Yuuri starts scribbling as the voice on the other end, someone from the Style and Trends department, relays instructions. “Sorry, can you please spell ‘Gabbana’?”

The person on the line promptly hangs up on him.

Awkwardly, he sets the phone back on the receiver. “Guess not.”

This fic is a blessing tbh, it’s so witty and fun to read and two chapters of pure gold

hey stranger (don’t i look familiar to you) by @forovnix 4k 

It’s not that Yuuri is a nosy person. To be fair, he thinks anyone would wonder about the person they’ve been sharing a space with for the better part of a year.

Or, Yuuri is a part-time professor who shares an office with someone who writes themselves too many post-it notes. There are a lot of facts to process, and Yuuri’s got a lot of assumptions.

This is so heckin cute!! Had me smiling all the way through!! Once again Justine has blessed us with her lovely writing

not gold like in your dreams by @ebenroot 87k (complete)

“Victor, you could have let some psychopath into your apartment.”

“Oh come on, he’s not a psychopath,” Victor chides. Christophe makes a gesture with his hand that says ‘are you seriously this naïve or are you drunk at work again?’.

“Victor, you don’t know that. You don’t know anything about him. Whose name am I going to give to the police or face I’m going to describe to the sketch artist when they find your body chopped up like Hannibal Lecter’s side dish?”

–

in which Victor and Yuuri are roommates and Yuuri has a secret

A penelope au was definitely needed and this was amazing! Honestly I prefer this fic to the film its just so soft and cute!! I’m weak for it and the last chapter made me cry so much idk how many times I’ve reread it at this point but I kinda wanna read it again now 

never tasted rubies by @ebenroot 16k

Phichit puts up a poll on the radio website. It reads ‘What Do U Think About Yuuri K. from Hasetsu Nights and the Mysterious Caller Victor?’

Seventy-five percent of listeners said ‘lol they should just f*ck already tbh’.

–

in which Yuuri is an unwilling radio host and Victor won’t stop calling in to chat with him

My heart was so full while reading this, it was so funny and cute and perfect!

seek those who fan your flames by @ebenroot 48k (wip)

Yuuri gets hand-delivered a black-print T-shirt by one of his bodyguards on Friday. There’s a small sticky note attached to the collar in Victor’s handwriting that reads: ‘Our new band shirt! Logo is still a work in progress. Name too. But it’s a start! Let me know what you think after school. - Victor’

There’s a heart next to his name that is hastily scribbled out. Then another heart next to that one, like Victor decided to put it in anyways.

Yuuri thinks he’s in love.

–

in which Yuuri is a teenager that’s actually a prince, and Victor is a teenager with a band that just wants to listen to rock music with him

I had a mighty need for a princess diaries au and this is wonderful!! Victor is such a sweetheart in this and its all just so wonderful and warm! 

turn it, leave it, stop, format it by @ebenroot 19k

“If you want, I can recommend you some security programs that you can download for free and protect your computer. That way, you won’t be at risk of losing these cute photos of your dog even when you browse websites like ‘Luscious Lonely Wives’.”

Victor gives one long ‘haa’. “I don’t browse those websites,” he says through his straining smile.

–

the ‘i will break any and all electronic devices that get into my hands if it means I get to talk to the cute tech support guy’ fic

This fic had me l i v i n g, it was so funny and cute and fluffy!!

The Rules For Lovers by @adreamingsongbird​ 323k (complete)

Prince Yuuri Katsuki has a duty to his country, above all else (his desires, his dreams, and his happiness included), and he knows this alliance will help to ensure the safety of his people. That’s the only reason he accepts Prince Nikiforov’s hand in marriage. The pleasant surprise, of course, is the part where they fall in love along the way. The unpleasant one, well…

That’s a long story.

This is so i n t e n s e! The fluff and humour is so perfect and Yuuri and Victor’s relationship is so perfect (and although the angst is painful as heck), its perfect! The plot is amazinggg and every update had me shook! It belongs in a bookstore to be honest, its so so so incredible!

to sweep me off my feet by @adreamingsongbird​ 33k

Yuuri went to school in America to get a good, stable job—no, really, Mom, he meant to, he swears! And journalism was promising! It was really good! Until supervillains started appearing and then a (rather attractive) superhero showed up too, and, well…

This is his life, these are his choices, and it’s absolutely unfair that he has to have the office across from someone as hot as Viktor Nikiforov.

The cutest superhero au, with the cutest art, and cutest plot!!

But Monsters Are Always Hungry, Darling by @orchids-and-fictional-cities​ and art by @iruutciv​ 61k (wip)

Archive Warnings: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Rape/Non-con 

“You do this, you do. You take the things you love and tear them apart or you pin them down with your body and pretend they’re yours. So, you kiss him, and he doesn’t move, he doesn’t pull away, and you keep on kissing him. And he hasn’t moved, he’s frozen, and you’ve kissed him, and he’ll never forgive you, and maybe now he’ll leave you alone.”

A brutal murder on Christmas Eve abruptly pulls one Detective Nikiforov out of a holiday he was just starting to tolerate, and forces him to come to terms with demons he’s been pretending not to see. On that same night, a man walks into a bar and waltzes into his life, lighting a spark that grows into a monster of its own.

Wow. This fic is so incredibly well-written and the plot thickens with each chapter, I’m so excited every time it updates honestly!! As if the writing wasn’t descriptive enough, there’s also equally beautiful art for every chapter and together its just amazing!

Confidential Information by @iwritebetterthanispeak​ 77k (wip)

Yuuri never imagined that being able to figure skate would be useful for his job at Interpol. He was very, very wrong.

Viktor Nikiforov, as a famous athlete popular in the public eye, has received threats before. There are very few he takes seriously. However, as more secrets are uncovered and nothing is as it appears, the stakes rise until it becomes clear that there may not be a way to save him this time.

I’m finally getting around to reading this and!! Addy is back with her amazing writing and I can’t wait to catch up!

If Perfect’s What You’re Searching For, Then Just Stay the Same by @iwritebetterthanispeak​ 6k

Yuuri took a deep breath, and faced the starstruck barista. “I am sorry, my Russian is very bad,” he said tentatively, shoulders hunching slightly. “Do you want me to repeat?”

“N-no, sorry, sir,” the barista said. She blushed and brushed her hair behind one ear. “I’ll get that for you right away!” She stepped away from the counter and called in fast-paced Russian, “Dmitri, come here! The most beautiful man in the world is back!”

Viktor’s smile grew. The employees of the coffee shop weren’t being cruel or making fun of Yuuri’s accent, they were enchanted with him. Viktor could sympathize, his fiancé was very enchanting.

And then he noticed that Yuuri was curled in on himself, eyes lowered and arms wrapped around his chest.

[In which Viktor realizes that Yuuri is a somewhat unreliable narrator]

Well this was just so cute, thank u addy for blessing my life once again

Love Letters by @shslshortie   44k (wip)

Ever since he was young, Yuuri Katsuki had always admired Victor Nikiforov. He was the one who had inspired him to start skating. He had pictures and posters of him all over his room — and Victor was his idol.

Like any fan of an idol, Yuuri loved to send Victor fanmail. Of course, he could never bring himself to sign it as anything other than “Your Secret Fan”, but it still made his heart come alive to write about his love for the silver-haired skater

This is one of those fics that you just can’t put down, I was reading it during all my free periods at college and its the cutest! Also all of the letters are drawn and in the body of text, so it adds so much more to it, its so wonderful!

starstruck by @haikuyus​ 167k (complete)

“Hold my son for a moment,” says the Viktor Nikiforov, live in the flesh, sweaty and panting.

“Wha—” Yuuri can’t even begin to comprehend what’s going on before Viktor is gone, and there’s a child in his arms.

(in which yuuri is a barista-turned-babysitter, viktor is a famous movie star, and yuri is an 8 year old kid stuck in the middle of it.)

so i developed a love for kid fics, and this was the first one I read, its sooooo good! Yuri is so precious and Yuuri is so precious and Viktor is so precious and just,,, theyre all so precious!

Lessons in Love by @fangirlandiknowit101​ 113k (wip)

All Viktor wants is for his son to be happy - and if that means spending countless hours at the ice rink, a million more in the ballet studio, and devotedly cheering for Katsuki Yuuri at every competition he enters, then that is precisely what he’ll do.

He just didn’t expect to become a fan, too.

(He didn’t expect to fall in love.)

This fic has me so weak, its the softest thing ever! Yuri is the cutest, and Viktor is the best dad and Yuuri is just the best tbh, I have a lot of love for this!!

on growing; by @crossroadswrite​ 125k (wip)

Yuri Plisetsky glares at him with all the righteousness five year olds possess, and says in heavily accented and clumsy English. “Be more gooder, stupid!”

And then he storms out in a sweep of blond hair and blue and red lights from his Sketchers.

(Or: in which everything is the same but Yuri Plisetsky is Victor’s bratty five-year-old child.)

This fic cleared my skin and watered my crops, its so fluffy and each chapter is a blessing

sweet like love (soft like pain) by @postingpebbles​ 10k (wip)

Loving Yuuri was a choice that Viktor never regretted making. His smile, his laughter, the way his lips felt against his own—nothing could make him happier than having Yuuri in his arms.

But when the entire world has no idea that rivals Yuuri Katsuki and Viktor Nikiforov are in a relationship, Viktor can’t do anything at all when Yuuri gets in an accident and is rushed to the hospital the day after he proposes in a hotel room in Nagano.

I love ollie and she loves hurting my heart apparently, this is such a wonderful fic and I can’t wait for her to bless us even more with her writing

The Selection by @gallopingmonroe-blog​ 262k (wip)

Returning home on the tail end of an injury that ends his dancing career, Yuri Katsuki is trying to find his future again. As a Five, he knows his options are limited, but when he finds an invitation to Crown Prince Victor Nikiforov’s Selection, he is convinced by a friend to apply.

He never thought he’d be Selected.

When he is, he finds that his world is changed forever, and that the Crown Prince is not exactly what he’d expected.

!!! This fic is so beautiful !!! Yuuri and Viktor’s relationship is so cute, and Yuuri’s friendship with Yuri and Phichit and all of the others is so cute, and the entirety of the fic is so cute!!

a black heart of gold by @katzuyas​ and beautiful art by @lamenart​ and @iruutciv​ 67k (complete)

Victor Nikiforov, aka Grand Prix, knows that he’s Yakov’s most skilled hitman. That’s just a fact and he isn’t in the habit of arguing with facts.He also knows that he’s the only one Yakov trusts, period. In this case though, he’s the only one Yakov can rely on to take care of the elusive sniper Eros, who kills Yakov’s henchmen left and right.What Victor doesn’t know, however, is that Eros’ little vendetta is not a matter of coincidence, but pure premeditation, and thus… he falls into a trap that a rookie like Little Fairy could see from a mile away.He falls in lust.And then in love.The fool.

This fic is so intense and so descriptive and playful and just! Amazing honestly!!

November’s Secret by @lanaberryrawr​ 233k (complete)

Overwhelmed with anxiety and his fear of failing, Yuuri faces the issue of if he should continue skating. His best friend, Yuko, proposes a solution - if no one knows it’s you, then it’s less embarrassing, right? Yuuri begins to create a completely new disguise and persona.

But it works a little too well.

Before he knows it, Yuuri has become the biggest mystery of the skating world and everyone wants to know who he is. Especially Viktor Nikiforov, the idol he’s been loosely basing his new persona on for years.

This was such a cool and original concept for a fic and oh my godddd it was incredible!! Definitely one of the best I’ve read!! 

Gunned Down Butterflies by @lanaberryrawr​ 207k (wip)

Everyone’s lives revolve around two names - the name of an enemy, and the name of a soulmate, both tattooed on their wrists.

But for Yuuri, his fated soulmate and enemy are the same person. One name tattoed on his skin.

After years of believing it meant only unhappiness and pain, he begins to bandage them up and hide them from the world. He even begins to forget about them - until he meets a new client in need of a guard against the Russian mafia.

Nothing can hide him from fate - not bandaging the names, not forgetting about them, not even moving on without them. The owner of the name on his skin will find him eventually.

Okay but the amount of cliffhangers in this fic is amazing, it’s so good and I love it!! It’s such a cool take on a soulmate au!! I can’t wait for the next few chapters :D

Behind these Locked Doors by @axlaida​ 79k (wip)

“I will find a way out of here,” Yuuri stated firmly and Victor’s expression never faltered. His face was stone cold – frozen like ice. “I know it may take a while… but I have to try.”Victor let out a breath, shaking his head as he smiled. “I said the exact same thing when I arrived.”

They were trapped with no way out. And all that stood between them and their escape was a door - locked and impossible to escape from. But Yuuri had hope. He would escape this, whether the man wanted them to or not.

This is such an amazing mystery fic! I literally sit and think about it someimes at night, trying to work it all out lol, its so good!!

learn to love the skies I’m under by @linneakou 37k

The day after the Sochi GPF banquet, Katsuki Yuuri disappears without a trace.

The day after the Sochi GPF banquet, Viktor Nikiforov finds a stray poodle and takes it home with him.

These two events are, oddly enough, connected.

I never knew I needed a fic where Yuuri turned into a dog and lived with Viktor a while, but this fic changed my life tbh, its so good!

Call you by name by @linneakou 13k

Drunk, depressed, and lonely, Viktor Nikiforov makes a wish that has unforeseen consequences for himself and many people around him.

(an alternate take on the premise of learn to love the skies I’m under)

This version is also incredible!! I love them both a lot!!

Puppy Love by @phyona​ 10k

When Yuuri gets turned into a dog, the last place he expects to end up is Victor Nikiforov’s apartment. He learns quickly that the only thing worse than being his idol’s pet, is watching him pine for someone else.

Oh man,,,,this fic you guys, I love it so much! The angst oh my gosh, its such an amazing story! 

Green Light by @gia-comeatme​ 21k (complete)

Chris knows what Viktor looks like when he has a crush, and he is 100% sure that Viktor Nikiforov has a crush on his pole dancing classmate, Yuuri Katsuki.

What he doesn’t know is why Viktor hasn’t gotten off his ass and gone for him already.

As a good friend, Chris is obligated to help Viktor out a little bit.

(And that’s where everything goes to shit.)

Red Light by @gia-comeatme​ 30k (wip)

Chris has had many lovers in the years that Viktor has known him. However, none of them can even compare to Chris’ newest boyfriend.

Viktor knows it’s wrong, but he falls in love with Yuuri Katsuki anyway.

Both of these fics were sooo good oh my god! I have a weakness for misunderstandings and angst with a happy ending, so like these were right up my street and they were amazingggg

Dr. Shiny and the Case of the Beautiful Man by @etherealalchemist​ 6k

There are about five things that Victor, in this very moment, is absolutely sure of.

1. The spawns of satan are here2. they are not accompanied by their angel of a mother3. they are with the most beautiful man he’s ever seen4. his scrubs are wet from where he’d dropped water on himself5. and Victor is very, very gay.

Emphasis on point five, with a side of cupid’s arrow and “ba-dum ba-dum” on a plate.

Because he is Very Gay, and not only is he Very Gay but he is also Hopelessly Attracted to a man who is undoubtedly Very Straight and very Unavailable and is perhaps the Most Beautiful Man Victor has ever seen.

—

in which Victor is a doctor, Yuuri is a godfather, and Yuri just wants some peace and quiet and a larger stash of lollipops.

This was so sweet and funny! I had to take a second while I was reading it from laughing so much honestly!

We Two Boys 11k (wip)

Yuuri talks about his crush on Victor Nikiforov while recording an episode of his and Phichit’s podcast We Two Boys. It’s not a big deal until it Becomes A Big Deal.

An ocean away, Victor falls in luv.

this is so funny omg, I love Phichit and Yuuri’s friendship so much

turntables by @vitavitali​ 4k

It happens approximately one week after Yuuri’s disastrous performance in Sochi.

Viktor Nikiforov @v-nikiforovI wish I could date pretty black haired boys who dance well.

“Ooh, the candidates are already flooding in!” Phichit says with an amused grin.

“Candidates?” Yuuri asks and Phichit helps Yuuri scroll down to read the replies. Most of them are variants of “date me!” with pictures attached. It’s all very interesting.

“You should send one too!” Phichit says and Yuuri doesn’t even bother answering him. “Look, I’ll send one if you send one. It’ll be fun!”

Oh my gosh I remember reading this so long ago, and I found it again a few days ago and I still love it so much

posterboy by @vitavitali​ 1.5k

“I’m going to kill whoever who did this,” Yuuri assured the poster. “I’m going to kill them for you. Don’t worry, baby, I’m going to murder anyone who thought it was a good idea to harm you. They’ll die screaming.”

“What?” came the poster’s startled reply.

“What?” Yuuri parroted back, because posters weren’t supposed to talk, especially not in Viktor Nikiforov’s melodious Russian accented voice.

This is iconique honestly, theyre both so cute!

Rainy Days by  @vitavitali​ 5k

Director’s List Viktor Nikiforov falls in love with bad boy transfer student Katsuki Yuuri. What happens next will warm your heart.

So I kind of binged this authors fics and this one is also amazing!!

There’s still so many fics I want to recommend but I’ve spent like 2 hours on this list and I don’t want it to get too long, so these are the ones that sprang to mind,  happy reading!

[dontcallmecarrie]

IDK if you've talked about this before or if somebody has asked about it but how do you view the relationship between Fury and Tony? Like, I was rereading TWIFFON and the chapter where Fury gets a clue about /how/ badly the Avengers mucked up I get a vague feeling of a distant relative crashing the reunion, realizing the reason they've been distant is because the fam is shit and only came back for the fav nephew. Or am I reading too far into it? XD

I’m pretty sure it’s come up before, but it’s been a while and it was mostly in the comments so if any of this sounds familiar, that’s why. [Also, you’re not wrong as to who’s his favorite.] 

Also, don’t be surprised if a chapter with these themes shows up later on in FtOS, because turns out Fury feels are a thing and he’s one of my favorite characters in the MCU as of now.

Finally: under the cut, because this became impromptu meta and RIP mobile users otherwise.

Here’s my take on things regarding Nicholas J. Fury:

Not sure how it was in the comics, but from what I’ve seen in the MCU, Nick Fury and Howard Stark were pretty close. Maybe they weren’t the best of friends, but since Howard helped found SHIELD and Fury’s Fury [aka badass and pretty high up the chain even before shit hit the fan], they worked together a lot. 

Howard was clearly shit at this ‘keeping a work-life balance’ thing [I mean, the man founded a company and a Vague Yet Menacing Government Agency, ditto as to his nonexistent relationship with his son and what happened later on], but his position also means his family’s in the spotlight for more reasons than one. 

I mean, even if Tony hadn’t been the sole heir to a corporation, he was also potential leverage because of Howard’s position in SHIELD: thus, Fury’s keeping an eye on the kid if only for safety’s sake. He’s not a godfather, per se, but…in some ways, there’s no denying he’s pretty close. [That Awkward Moment when the then-Deputy Director of SHIELD saw Tony Stark grow up more than his own father did.]

And since in my AUs, at least, Howard’s more a neglectful parent because he is shit at emotions than anything else [long story], he’s also quietly proud of his son, so Fury’s also hearing Howard talking about how great Tony is [even if Howard never said that to the one who needed it the most, because he is The Worst at communicating things, where’d you guys think Tony got it from?].

So, Fury’s seeing Tony grow up from an early age, check.

And since the Stark family’s been in the spotlight since day one, it’s pretty easy to keep tabs from there, even after Howard died. 

Fury’s pretty busy, of course, running SHIELD and just generally being his badass self, but he’s also keeping a low-key eye on Tony, all the while. Nothing big, because he likes to keep his cards close to his chest, but Phil Coulson’s well aware that he has a soft spot for Tony and Maria Hill had a good idea too. 

Because he knew Howard, and the sentimental part he routinely denies he even has quietly wonders what his old friend would’ve thought of the man his son’s shaping up to be. It’s very easy to recognize the flashy mask for what it is, when he’s seen who it was based off of, and he’d known Maria Stark well enough to see her influence too, in the Merchant of Death, and it’s probably not something he should feel proud of but he is. [Especially after Afghanistan, and seeing Tony at his best and at his worst.]

And sure, Fury was one of the strongest proponents of the Avengers initiative, but…well. 

Anyone asks, it’s just a pet project, nothing special. Fury’s secrets have secrets, and he may like people but he doesn’t trust them, after all.

Unofficially, though? Fury’s one good eye was as quietly proud of Clint and Natasha as he himself was of Tony, and the man’s card collection was one of the worst-kept secrets in SHIELD. Dr. Banner seems like an okay guy, and struck him as a far better idea than the idiot who thought Blonsky was a candidate for his place. Thor was unexpected, but he wasn’t complaining; friendly aliens were a far better sight than the alternative, after all. 

But out of the entire roster, when the chips are down, Fury knows who his favorite is.

 Because sure, Fury’d set out to recruit good people, the ones he’d be willing to trust with the fate of the world; but out of them, there’s only two people who he’s got a comfortable read on. [Dr. Banner and Barton had different priorities, Thor wouldn’t have the same stake in things a human might, and Romanov reminded him too much of himself for him to ever lower his guard.]

Steve Rogers was a legend, after all: Fury’d known Howard, and Peggy, and heard their stories. He could easily and confidently say that he must’ve been a good man, for Howard to tear himself up like that looking for him. Suffice it is to say, meeting Steve was not a disappointment, to say the least.

But it’s Tony Stark who he’d rather have on speed-dial, if push ever came to shove [like it did in The Avengers with the warhead]. Because Fury saw him grow up, was there for it even. 

Seeing Tony reach his full potential and burn so, very brightly while trying to make the world a better place is just…it strikes a chord he would never admit to, is the point. [After all, Fury became the Director of SHIELD for the exact same reason.]

Actually, in many ways, Fury and Tony are similar. 

Leaders of their own organizations? Check. Have to make hard choices and deal with lesser evils because the alternative’s worse? Check. Don’t trust people but wish they could? Need I go on?

Just…so many feels for the Fury-Tony relationship, because Howard may have been the Absentee Father of the Year but I did not get that same vibe from Fury. 

Magnificent bastard? Yes. Chessmaster? Hard to lead an intelligence agency otherwise. But it is also very plain to see he cares about Tony, and you can pry the ‘they’re quasi-family’ headcanon from my cold, dead fingers. 

He’s the uncle who drops by every so often, is what I’m saying. Mostly seeing things from afar, but he cares all the same. 

In TWiFFON, he’s officially dead and just doing his own thing; he’s not a part of SHIELD, anymore, just watching things from a distance. 

Fun fact: in an early draft of the fic, he was slated to be a janitor on the R&D floor after DC, snarking in the memos about Decker’s melodrama [and ignoring the irony of it all], and when Tony found out he would’ve headdesked and gone “wtf how is this my life?!” while Fury’s laughing at him even as he’s patting him on the back and going “wow I forgot how much I didn’t miss this bullshit”. [You can tell I like the Almighty Janitor trope, can’t you]

Clearly, I didn’t go that route. 

However, you guys are more than welcome to picture him now sitting in front of a laptop at a Starbucks or something, reading the headlines and laughing at Tony the entire time because he doesn’t have any paperwork to deal with anymore, this is officially not his problem and turns out Tony’s life makes for free entertainment at its finest. 

[bahkeks]

tagged by @craniuum​, thank you love! this made me want to pick up another book, I haven’t really had the chance since new years :’>

tagging @clueingforlooks​, @cupcakesandtv​, and @johnandsherlock​, but feel free to ignore this of course. (It’s insanely long, I wouldn’t blame you)

1. Do you remember how you developed a love for reading?

I started listening to a read-along tape with the book Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter when I was four and I listened to it so often I eventually memorized the whole book and tricked my family that I could read that’s how I found out reading was my gateway into being a sneaky little binch

but really it was them roald dahl books man matilda was my heart

2. Where do you usually read?

I like reading in cafes, it makes me feel quaint. sometimes in bed but I tend to get distracted

3. Do you prefer to read one book at a time or several at once? 

i have the shortest attention span so i’m always in the middle of eight different books

4. What is/are your favourite book(s)?

A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood. 

// I can go on and on about this book I love it so fucking much. The movie alone was so beautiful, but once I read the book I hated the film. Because they reversed the story and made it about a depressed man who improved, rather than a man who should have been depressed (because his live-in boyfriend died, he’s alienated by his neighbours/boyfriend’s family, and his one friend is a burden he doesn’t often have the strength to support) but instead he was always so determinedly alive and eager to experience life in its most genuine form. 

5. Do you have a least favourite book?

I really did not enjoy the great gatsby. That might have something to do with the fact that I hated being forced to read books in high school, so I immediately resented every book assigned, but I also felt so frustrated that everyone went on about how they loved it and it was incredible and I just couldn’t find it in me to agree, I thought it was boring and there was nothing about the characters I related to or sympathized with, so much so that I don’t even want to try again to see if my perspective changed

6. What is your favourite genre?

it really depends. I thought it was classic fiction, and I didn’t think I could ever touch nonfiction, but then I sprinted through a handful of memoirs by amazing, inspiring ladies. and now I think my only stipulation is books with gay characters or at least gay coding. is that a genre? let’s make it one.

7. Is there a genre you won’t read?

i’m pretty sure i’m just done with YA. hunger games turned me off, and I think i’m just over adolescent emotions that never mature. 

8. What is the longest book you ever read?

fanfiction tbh?? Order of phoenix would be my guess, or maybe the complete sherlock books if you count it as one? I don’t really read long books, I get distracted too easily. I’m still in the middle of The Count of Monte Cristo (unabridged is over 1000 pages), and I started that at the beginning of 2016 hoping I could finish it by the end. I'm only a third of the way through.

9. What book are you currently reading?

Nothing at the moment. I mean I do have a handful of books half finished, but I’m not actively reading them. A bit too busy lately, we’ll see in a few months.

10. What was the last book you finished?

Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood. It was scary how familiar it all sounded, particularly how people reacted to Hitler’s rise to power.

11. What was the last book you bought?

Fleurs du Mal by Charles Baudelaire, because it’s my favourite book of poems and I found it a fancy leather-bound version; Christopher and His Kind and Down There on a Visit by Christopher Isherwood

12. Do you have a favourite book quote? 

"I see now the virtue in madness, for this country knows no law nor any boundary. I pity the poor shades confined to the Euclidean prison that is sanity. All things are possible here and I am what madness has made me. Whole. And complete. And free at last."

that was from a batman graphic novel bite me it was so well written

13. Do you prefer library books or buying books?

buying, definitely. I like staking ownership, and I have a habit of writing in the margins to add my own voice and thoughts

14. Where do you buy your books?

The Strand is my favourite place in the world. it’s basically my sunflower mural in pawnee city hall. but there are also a few cool smaller bookstores in the west village and lower east side. Bluestockings is a volunteer-run intersectional feminist bookstore that’s almost intimidating to walk in but it’s such an amazing resource.

15. How many books do you buy a month? 

it’s too irregular to gauge. When I do go into a bookstore, I am very likely not coming out with less than three books, but I’ve been keeping myself from going into bookstores in the first place for a few months.

16. How many books do you own? 

I’ve got about 125? in my room right now, but a lot of them are unread and at least one shelf is a collection from childhood that I don’t really intend on keeping. 

17. How do you feel about second hand books?

i get them if i’m broke as hell and still feel like treating myself to a dollar one on the racks at The Strand, but i prefer not to. I prefer fresh books, I can’t help but feel icky not knowing where the books have been before

18. Do you prefer E-books or physical books?

physical books mostly, but if it’s bulky i’d rather read it on my phone if i’m on the go

19. Do you prefer paperback or hardback?

if given the choice, hardback, because they last longer and i’m an aesthetic ho

20. Do you prefer to read trilogies/series or standalones? 

standalones. reading series feels like reading really long books, and as i’ve said, i’ve got the attention span of a teaspoon.

21. What is the weirdest thing you’ve used as a bookmark?

probably like my toe while i was multitasking

22. What is more important to you: characters or plot?

characters, definitely. i really love connecting with a character because then it feels like i’m just reading about myself or what i could be and i’m a narcissistic pos so who could ask for more

23. Do you ever judge a book by its cover?

oh all the time. especially when a book isn’t popular and doesn’t have an adequate synopsis on the jacket, how else are you supposed to judge it?

24. What’s the most beautiful book you own?

I would say my gilted leather bound copy of Fleurs du Mal, it’s gorgeous and I love looking at it. But if we’re talking cover art... ahh it’s hard to say. I quite like the fsg covers of Christopher Isherwood books

25. What is your favorite book to movie/tv adaptation?

The granada sherlock series is a brilliant adaptation it looks exactly how I’d have imagined when reading the ACD canon.

26. What is the best beverage to drink while reading a book?

tea 90% of the time, but i also love macchiatos if i’m feeling indulgent. when reading. they’re so small, but sipping at them between readings feels like a lil reward for finishing a page.

27. Are you looking forward to any book release? If so, which one?

i don’t really read new books. i think part of my enjoyment is reading books like viewing art in galleries; knowing the story behind them, understanding the context within culture/history. 

28. Recommend me a book :3

The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer. I think the message -- to ask more of the people in your life, to trust that people will respond and trust yourself to let them help -- is universal and can really change your life if you let it. Also, Amanda Palmer is a fucking badass and inspiration.