let's talk about bob/brian for a second

[harborshore]

See, here's the thing. You lot know I will read and write pretty much any pairing, up to and including Lyn-Z/Mac from Veronica Mars and Bob/Batman, right? But I have an OTP, I've come to realize that. An OTP that I can deviate from, sort of, if the story or the idea is compelling enough--emotions and relationships depend on the underlying characterization, after all, and I certainly don't loathe alternative pairings at all (Bob/Batman, for example). But ultimately, I find them so interesting together that I default to writing them when I can, and I love reading them, love it so much.



I've talked about the fact that I fell into bandom because of Lyn-Z, right? And the idea for a longer revolutionary AU that I couldn't ignore. But I don't think I've talked about how I first wrote fic too much. Wait For The Morning happened because I made an innocent remark in torakowalski's journal, the first time I talked to her, actually, about how Bob should kidnap Brian and take him on a roadtrip. She told me that was an excellent idea, and because she's been able to make me tell stories even before we knew each other, that was it.

50 comments or so later, we had to take it to email, because I realized I had an actual fic. Writing is never as easy as when I'm writing about the two of them, oh man. And what's in the story, the way Bob cares about Brian and Brian slowly realizes that he loves Bob, that's why I love writing them. Because they know each other so well, they can pull each other out of the worst of hells by yelling or not saying anything or by holding on. Because the tiniest comments ("Stop being such a goddamn idiot," or "Fuck you, asshole, you said you wouldn't do that any more," or "Shut up, Schechter," or even "I like you too") and the tiniest touches, they mean a hell of a whole lot more because they normally wouldn't say anything.

So that's a godsend for a writer, right? There is meaning in everything. Like this moment from my big bang:

Then Brian walks in, and the quiet is instantaneous, like someone flipped a switch. He looks even more frazzled than usual, ripping out his ear piece and saying “Mikey said--Mikey said to come back, because--” and then he sees Bob. For one second, Brian's face is completely, frighteningly open. “You fucking idiot,” he says, voice breaking. Lindsey wants to look away, but she can't; she gets it now, gets why he's been wound so tight she sometimes thought anything at all could make him snap.
.

And I wish I could take credit for that, but really, it's that dynamic, it's easy, so easy. And goddamn gorgeous, too. ♥

It works when they're girls, too: One More Time With Feeling was the easiest of all the ficlets I've written, and I want to turn it into a story--a canon-based girl!Bob/girl!Brian would work, right? Tora says it would and I tend to agree.

The canon is one of my favorite things about them (and I don't mean I think they're actually dating, obviously)--they've canonically known each other for a long time, having met way before MCR; Brian shaves Bob in LOTMS before the GoY video, which, JFC, that was ridiculously hot; every time Bob talks about Brian it's with this half-disgruntled, half-fond tone in his voice, and I love it lots. Also, individually, they tend to put themselves in danger, work way too fucking hard, be ridiculously competent, make a lot of snarky jokes and then manage this earnestness that is just too adorable for words.

So they're my favorites, most of all when you put them together. *beams*

And now for what I meant to do when I started writing this: torakowalski wrote me a telepathic Brian ficlet, and it is so exactly what I love that I don't even know what to say. Like this:

Eventually, Bob decides on what he wants to say. Brian keeps picking at his jeans and pretends to be surprised when Bob touches his elbow. “You want me to keep it a secret?” Bob asks. He doesn’t approve, but he’s willing to do it for Brian. Brian fights down a smile.

“Yeah,” Brian tells him. “I don’t like lying to the guys but I can’t do my job if everyone’s weird around me.”

“I’m not being weird around you,” Bob says.

Brian laughs. “You are totally being weird around me,” he says, letting himself relax just enough to nudge Bob’s shoe with the side of his boot.

Fuck off, Bob thinks loud and clear and obviously deliberate.

“You fuck off,” Brian says, nudging him again.

“That’s really weird,” Bob says and thinks in tandem (Brian suspects most people would be surprised at how rarely anyone thinks exactly the same words that come out of their mouths. Bob’s more honest than most at that though; it’s refreshing).

HEARTS IN MY EYES, YOU GUYS. I want her to write me Bob/Brian forever and ever. And ever. If you haven't read her big bang from last year, you should get on that--it's alwaysagirl where it means something, where Bry grows up in the scene and figures her shit out and falls in love, and it is perfect.

In other recs, also read graceoftheworld, who gets them so right. And secrethappiness. And anything else under my bob/brian tag. And then tell Mango to get on her space!au, because space mechanic Bob is one of my favoritest things.

But before you read them, you could tell me why you like Bob/Brian, or ask me questions about them--the girls or the revolutionaries or the canon!verse boys, or whatever. Or tell me about an AU that should exist. Come talk to me about them, basically. ♥

Comments

[earlofcardigans.livejournal.com]

This is so funny. I was going to talk about them today. I have fic sitting open in the tabs right now that says 'bob/brian' (it's the big bang that I'm hoping to write) and I just wanted to ramble about the them in my head.

[harborshore.livejournal.com]

Wohoo big bang! They're in mine too, obviously. You could ramble about the them in your head here? :D?

[earlofcardigans.livejournal.com]

Bob's always that guy, you know. He's just a dude. Sometimes he doesn't say anything, sometimes he makes you laugh and sometimes you don't remember he's there. And that's fine with him. He likes it that way.

I haven't shaken him up very much so far. Brian got into his wreck and got into a fight because he's clearly insane and then he came to apologize and Bob sort of forgot about him, but not because Brian was forgetable, but because Bob wasn't rearranging his life to do so despite what Frank thinks he needs.

And the kitchen fire debacle of '08 notwithstanding, Bob is perfectly fine of taking care of himself and making his own decisions.

[harborshore.livejournal.com]

OH. *makes hearteyes at you* And Bob is clearly (NOT) capable of taking care of himself and staying unnoticed and unremarkable.

[earlofcardigans.livejournal.com]

His friends meddle in his life and rearrange things so Brian shows up. And Brian is just there. He has an easy, sarcastic smile and doesn't make fun of Bob's ugly green plaid couch and Bob doesn't make fun of Brian's football habit.

He thinks maybe Brian would like to go to an estate sale with him, they'd probably be okay on a road trip, but he feels like Brian can't drive, not with his road rage. And Brian thinks Bob isn't allowed to work the ipod with his epically awful taste in road tunes.

[harborshore.livejournal.com]

But they make fun of each other about other things, right? Things that matter less? :D

So the obvious solution is that Bob drives. *nods* And Brian picks the music.

[earlofcardigans.livejournal.com]

They tease each other about everything. Brian is constantly going around complaining about how Bob can't call that his favorite movie if he falls asleep during it every single time. And Bob is always pointing out the places that take the coupons for Brian's nancy boy hair gel.

It's all so easy and fun and pretty much not how Bob expected his life to be disrupted that he isn't even really aware that they've been dating practically since the first time Brian showed up at his house. Brian likes to bring that up a lot. Snap fingers in face, make sure Bob's still on the same page, still with me here, Bryar, not lagging behind again, are you. And Bob usually tells him to fuck off, at least he didn't crash into a station wagon to get Brian's attention.

[harborshore.livejournal.com]

<33333333333333333333333333 YES THIS. *beams at you*

[earlofcardigans.livejournal.com]

They haven't made it that far obviously. They will get there. Right now, Bob's just trying to decide the best way to live through his days when they all look the same.