Hero Worship, by Nym (NC-17)

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

Fandom: HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS
Pairing: Hercules/Iolaus
Author Website: Amplexus
Why this must be read:

The heart of this story is that Hercules and Iolaus are trying to rebuild their relationship in the face of mortality.

Nym writes tough, emotionally challenging, uncompromising stories, and her Hercules and Iolaus are more grim than we've usually seen them on the show, but she makes it work. She sets up tensions and undercurrents in their relationship that feel believable and real, not something the author tacked on to create Teh Angst.

There's something Iolaus says, near the end, that has moved me to tears several times. But it's not the line, not really - it's the way the whole story builds toward it. And no, I'm not quoting it here, but I think you'll know it when you see it.


Iolaus picks himself up, slowly, and I watch him dress out of the corner of my eye. His movements are quiet, calm and controlled. His breathing the same. If I dared to look at him, I know what I'd see; eyes like stone, and lips pressed tight. If he speaks, his voice will be low and quiet and agonisingly clear.

"I can't do this," Iolaus says, once he has his boots on. He rises as he says it, and I realise that he's holding his belt and sack, too. That he's leaving. I look up at him, stricken with silence as though the gods had ripped the tongue out of my head and stuffed me with straw. "I can't be a... a burden to you. I can't be your problem." His headshake is a warning, frustration and anger and denial, and his eyes don't quite meet with mine. "I'll see you in Corinth."

"Iolaus." I finally manage his name, as he's walking away from me.

"Corinth," he calls back, and quickens his steps. The night swallows him, like my worst nightmare.


Hero Worship
(The author doesn't want her stories hotlinked, so I'm linking to the main page. Please click on 'Fanfic' and scroll down a bit.)

Comments

[cherith.livejournal.com]

Oh, good GOOD story.

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

:beams:

Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it.

[amorettea.livejournal.com]

Nym's stuff is wonderful. I see her web site seems to have reappeared. Always nice to see. Yeah, only Nym can write impotence and make it hot and touching and sad and joyous, all at once.

Amorette

[dchan07.livejournal.com]

Very very good story ! Mary, thanks for letting us know, I really enjoyed it, especially the way Nym has written it ! And yes, the line that you refered to moved me too ! Great story ! So, as I was on her site I read others stories of hers and really loved them !

BTW, Amorette, I read a lot of your stories, and I wanted to let you now that I love your style very much :-)

D-Chan

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the comments, both of you! D-chan, it's lovely to hear that you're enjoying the new stories. That was my hope when starting these recs, to point more people toward the good stuff and spread the joy. ;-)

[nightwalker.livejournal.com]

Excellent story - and a writer I've never found before. Extra bonus! Thanks for the rec.

"I've never loved you for your strength."

I don't know if that's the line that gets you, but I read it like a punch to the stomach.

[dchan07.livejournal.com]

I don't know if this is the line Mary told us about, but this is the one I refered to !

D-Chan

[marycrawford.livejournal.com]

Told you you'd know it when you saw it, didn't I. *g*

Yes, that was the line, and nightwalker, that's a great description of the effect it had on you. It definitely had the same effect on me. Nym's a very powerful writer, and I envy her ability to gut-punch the reader like that.