crack_van | Beneath the Weight of the Sun by Nullsechs (R)

Hello all, I'll be your rec chauffeur for Band of Brothers this month.

BoB is a cozy little fandom that has luckily been blessed with a higher-than-average percentage of quality fic and I can only hope to shine the spotlight on some of pieces that have struck a particular chord with me. There won't be any specific pairing or character we'll focus on, just good writing. Most of the recs will be slash-oriented, but I'm sure we'll find something for everyone.

Fandom: BAND OF BROTHERS
Pairing: Johnny Martin/Bull Randleman
Author on LJ:

nullsechs
Author Website: Nullsechs' Website
Why this must be read:

This is one of those rare fics that quite literally changed the way I felt about a character. Before it I was at best indifferent to Johnny, to be a bit more honest I rather disliked him. But the next time I re-watched the series, I found myself thinking of Nullsechs' take on him and it was as though I were meeting him for the first time.

Set during Replacements, it's a beautifully crafted look at Johnny and the men during the doomed Operation Market-Garden in Holland. The dialogue in particular is achingly pitch-perfect, and with so many accents and personalities that's saying quite a bit.

“Here he is, the man himself! You put up a good fight ‘gainst the ladies there, Bull?”

Bull bowed his head shyly when Johnny sat up. He scrubbed at his face with the back of his hand until nothing was left but a faint pink smudge on his chin. “They took a shinin’ t’me,” he eventually said, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“You’d think they’d never seen a hick before,” Johnny announced. A few of the others snickered in agreement. “Least not one his size.”

Beneath the Weight of the Sun