argentum_ls | Sunshine Challenge Day 4 (Reply)

A little out-of-order here:

sunshine_challenge day 4 was to list fanwork recommendations.

To my own surprise, I typically don't read that much fanfic, which makes rec compilations difficult. The number of "Marked for Later" stories is intense. The number that's been sitting there for years is just scary. (I'm also a very slow reader, so what might take someone else an hour to get through takes me days ... or longer.)

That said, my primary fandom of the summer appears to have been watching the box office returns on Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home. I've also spent the last month buried in Spider-Man fic. And that means I do have some recs!

1. spilt truth and smudged lies (at last until the inkwell runs dry) by SmilinStar - 86,919 words.

“I have no idea,” he says, before lowering his voice because he’s still not convinced she’s not listening in on their conversations. The fear is well founded, alright? He swears she looks at him sometimes – with that quirked eyebrow, and penetrating gaze – as if she knows his every secret. And he has secrets. One big, red and blue, spandex covered, web-slinging, secret that no one can find out about. “Who knows anything about Jones?”

And it’s a legitimate question.

He knows next to nothing about their colleague.

Apart from the fact she’s damn good at her job, is incapable of uttering a sentence that isn’t dripping in sarcasm, is a little (a whole lot) intimidating, he knows nothing about Michelle Jones.

Not for lack of trying though.

AKA: the Spideychelle Journalist AU I couldn't stop myself from writing . . .

I'm not an AU person. If I'm going to read fanfic, I want to read about the characters I know, so this was a risk. It was totally worth it. While it is an AU, it's more like the Homecoming characters are aged-up. There are some necessary differences in how characters know each other and what their relationships are to one another, but that's mostly window-dressing. Overall, the characterization is excellent and the plot is everything I love in Spider-Man.

2. Affinity War - by ForASecondThereWedWon - 102,067 words.

Defeating Thanos was the biggest challenge of Peter's life.

...Until he realized he wanted to date MJ.

To no one's surprise, there's a subset of Spider-Man fanfic set post-Infinity War in which everyone lives. This is very much a Peter Parker/Michelle Jones story with a considerable amount of porn (that's easy enough to skip, if you're so inclined). There's also a lot of humor and, of course, a much happier take on IW and its after effects. Also, whump. So much whump.

3. these secrets will keep (here in the dark) by SmilinStar - 22,709 words.

MJ’s lips twitch and thank god, he can’t see her right now.

Because this is not supposed to be funny. This is supposed to be terrifying.

After all, it’s not every day you get kidnapped to lure out a superhero.

A superhero who happens to be your best friend, your inconvenient crush, one hundred percent pure, oblivious, dumb boy, and also happens to be kidnapped along with you too.

Yep.

Best get settled in – it’s gonna be a long night

Or: Kidnapped and tied together, Peter and MJ play a little game of ‘Truth and Truth.’

A trope I didn't realize I was as into as I am: the civilian identity gets kidnapped in order to draw the superhero out to save his "friend." It also requires the trapped characters to actually talk and confess all their pent up thoughts. And whump. But, I'm always here for the whump.

4. turn back the clock (and I'll try again in the morning) by madasthesea - 35,026 words.

Peter gets stuck in a time loop. In it, he lives through some of his worst nightmares, only to wake up that morning and have no one remember. He needs Tony to help him get through.

And if that isn't bad enough, his identity is revealed over and over, every day.

Time loops and identity reveals? What's not to love?

If you have any other Spidey recs, let me hear them!