Fire on the Left by AmericanLeaguer (NC-17)

[unlovablehands.livejournal.com]

Fandom: MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL RPF
Pairing: Justin Verlander/Joel Zumaya
Length: 11,500 words
Author on LJ: americanleaguer
Author Website: None
Why this must be read:

Oh, gosh, americanleaguer. She'll write for just about any team, but the Tigers are her boys. American Leaguer writes good slash, of course, but the thing I love about her stories are that she also writes stupid dudes bantering like stupid dudes, and her characters always have friends that they also hang out with, like, outside of the relationships. Everything always feels like I'm right there, in some restaurant or the park or an apartment with a bunch of really aggressively loud dudes.

This story says so much about the culture of baseball, in all it's crudeness, and yes, heartbreak, but not even just that. It's in the mix-match of people on teams, all bristling up against each other and forming the oddest friendships.

This story is full of baseball dudes acting like baseball dudes from the little things to the big things. From the harsh things to the sort of sentimental things. It's a little bittersweet like I think many baseball stories are (it's a very sad fandom), but it's a good bittersweet.

Fire on the Left