Title: Ask Galatea
Fandom: Marvel
Pairing: Phil Coulson/Steve Rogers
Categories/Genres: Very mild D/s themes, Service, Idolization, Romance
Length: Medium (7251 words)
Warnings: N/A

Author on DW: thingswithwings
Author Website: thingswithwings

Summary:

The trading cards and the costume redesign are Steve's first clues, but he doesn't recognize them at the time; he's too new to the world, too angry at it, too busy fighting a war.

Review:

If I were to use any one word to describe the themes in Ask Galatea, it would be the word 'service'. thingswithwings explores what it means to serve through the eyes of not just Steve Rogers in his duty as the iconic Captain America, but also how he has served his fellow teammates by being that icon.

thingswithwings' narrative style is a series of poignant moments, little snapshots and subtly significant events of Steve's discovery of what he means and has meant to those around him. They are rich with meaning and layered imagery, and interspersed with just enough humor to keep the fic from feeling too heavy. The romantic aspect unfolds slowly and almost passionlessly; the relationship that grows between Steve and Phil is not rooted in lust or infatuation, but in admiration, respect, and the mutual desire to be of service to the other, to give of themselves to the other. There is no flash-fire burn of emotion, but the slow, steady warmth like a bed of hot coals, so characteristic of this pairing, more than makes up the difference.

Ask Galatea