Bats_and_Balls challenge fic - "The Dearly Departed"

[2theletter]

Title: The Dearly Departed
Author: 2theletter
Rating: R
Pairing: Josh Hamilton/Ian Kinsler
Synopsis: When a sudden tragedy sends Josh's world off-kilter, he needs someone to help him stay grounded. Cue a level-headed man named Kinsler.
Disclaimer: This story has been notarized as completely false. No intent to harm or defame those mentioned herein.

Comments

[actualite]

Finally got a chance to sit down and read this, and of course it's great!! Thank you so much. I really like how evocative your writing is -- you do such a great job setting a scene and bringing out those details that make the scenes come to life. I especially liked the descriptions of the heat and Josh sweating and his "infernal tie" (for some reason I really liked that line, maybe because he's such a big dude that no matter how well his suit fits he always looks too large for it to fit right) and the feeling of waking up already sticky. And then the description of the funeral and the wake, the ~southern traditions~ in play, that was really perfect. And the rookie card! I know exactly which Josh that is lol, and it always kind of weirds me out to see him looking so young. I can see why it would be such a catalyst for bringing out his emotions, because the death of close family members always brings about closely interwoven feelings about nostalgia and youth and the passage (& ravages) of time, and what they've done not only to the person who passed but to us.

I also like that Kinsler was so steady and solid for Josh, that he wasn't sappy or anything but supportive and generous. And I lol'd when he was like "Guess I'm making you feel better, though." Dry!Kins is one of my favorites haha. And I like that Josh was remembering that Ian was always there for him through many years of ups and downs. Glad they could sustain that even after Josh retired.

Thanks for writing this! I really enjoyed it :)

[2theletter]

Oh, boy. I'm so glad you like it. I'm such a fan of your work, and I hoped I wouldn't let you down.

I trend toward easy, comfortable relationships in my stories, and I think you picked right up on that element. Here are two men who've known each other for years, and they skip what could have been a weird situation with little more than a shrug. Because hey, you're Ian and I'm Josh and this shouldn't be weird. In other words, they're adults. We should all be so fortunate to have that person in our lives.