Oh Two Hundred Hours - Toye/Babe - Oneshot

[skylilies]

Title: Oh Two Hundred Hours
Author: skylilies
Pairing: Toye/Babe
Fandom: Band of Brothers
Word Count: 3600+
Genre: romance; post-war fic
Rating: pg-13 (perhaps a light R)
Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, just my interpretations of them. Based on fictionalized representations, no disrespect is intended.

Teaser: Joe had said that he’d only be staying

Comments

[profcricket]

This? Is GORGEOUS. I know that everyone ships Babe with Roe (gosh, wonder WHY?), but I've always loved this pairing.

I adore everything about this - Bill's reluctant acceptance, Bill and Babe's discussion by the church, Philly boys needing to stick together... and then HOLY HELL I laughed my ass off at Bill showing up at 3 in the morning, threatening Toye with "a chat in fist city" if he break's Babe's heart (and Babe's indignation!).

I think I first fell in love with this fic, though, when Joe was drinking instant coffee - Babe can't stand the taste anymore, after the war (and Bastogne), but Joe's become so damn used to it. That was an incredible touch.

I think one of the things I love the most is the simple acceptance of the fact that Bill and Joe are both on crutches, both missing a leg - there's pity/sympathy from outsiders like the store owner (and holy SHIT, 50 hours a week? That's more than 8 hours a damn day! That store owner is going to be in trouble with the unions, and quite possibly with me, if he weren't fictional) and Babe's mother - but with Bill, Babe, and Toye, two of the guys missing a leg or part of a leg isn't a big deal. It's nothing. War wounds, scars... they're accepted, normal, men aren't made to feel like outcasts, at least among their own set. And that is really gorgeous, because it highlights the camaraderie that existed *after* the war, too - a man may have have lost a body part, or half his face, or be paralyzed, or something - but he's still the guy you trained with, fought with, served with. HE is no different, whatever the damage wrought to his body. And that's a beautiful, beautiful message.

And I adore Babe's Ma. She's there for a paragraph, and she's so fully developed. It's freaking amazing. :)

OK, I love every damn WORD of this, no lie, and if I try to come up with more favorite moments or quotes I'll just end up C&Ping the whole fic back at you.

*LOVES ON YOU*

*Gives you three-day supply of k-rations, Charms candy, Hershey bars, two cartons of cigarettes... but keeps the brass knuckles, I could use some brass knuckles.*