Sounds like a great fest, and I agree, not all men are incapable of saying they love someone. Take Starsky and Hutch for example. They tell each other all the time. Sam and Gene on the other hand. They just won't be able to.

In LoM, I'm pretty sure Chris would be most readily able to say those three little words, if I'm honest.

Chris would use it all the time with his girlfriend (though not Ray, unless he was positive no-one else was around, because Ray would be all 'NOT HERE, DIV!')

...but secretly, Ray would be all atwitter on the inside each time Chris said it. And if he ever did catch Chris saying it to his girlfriend, he would secretly be hurt, although he might not be ready or willing to admit why. Instead, he'd be inexplicably moody and passive-aggressive for the next little while.

Meanwhile, Chris would be adorably confused. Sam would ask what Ray's problem was, and Chris would say, "No idea, boss. Must be that bird from last night," or something similar. Then later, when Chris and Ray are alone together, Ray would be all pouty and Chris would be "oh yeah, you know you want this."

I think it can be done. Gene's not afraid to say he loves his city and Sam's not afraid to say he loves Maya --- so, it would take a deft touch, but yeah, I can see it.

I can imagine some rare situations in which Gene would say it to Sam, or Sam to Gene. But I have immense difficulty coming up with a scenario in which they would both say it to each other (more or less simultaneously).

Edited at 2010-07-30 07:55 am (UTC)

Yeah. I am thinking it would be really very hard to get them to an "I love you", "I love you too!" stage.

This is interesting, and points one of the weird problems I see sometimes in slashfic communities. Okay, so there's Weepy Uke Syndrome, and the whole thing where a lot of badfic writers assume that because two guys are in a same-sex relationship, one or both of them must reek of stereotypical femininity. But some of the people who are against that sort of thing sometimes go to the other extreme to a weird and unsettling extent. Like they get so caught up in the "They're men dammit! They should act like men!" backlash, they end up stereotyping men in weird ways (and also equating "Unrealistic and over-the-top Weepy Uke stereotype" and "woman" in some of the "They turned the character into a woman!" rants). Lots of men can declare their feelings, lots of men like to cuddle, most men will cry in at least some situation, and nearly every man has some interest or habit that doesn't fit stereotypical ideas of masculinity. The only options aren't "Weepy Uke" and "Never does anything that could be seen as unmasculine".

On a personal level, though, upfront and straightforward declarations of feeling are like an anti-kink for me (not a squick, but just unappealing to read about). So I support it in principle and want nothing to do with it?

Yes to all of this.

It needs to be set up convincingly for me to like straightforward declarations. And I definitely seem to go for characters for whom it would take some effort to admit deep feelings.

I did one story where it ended with an "I love you" (well, strictly speaking "I love you, too"), but it doesn't fit my tastes at all. I don't have much of a romantic streak, for one thing, and I'm fascinated by people who have trouble talking about their feelings, and what can happen when they don't get the words out.

...and that is me, in one. :D Loz, you already know how I feel about hearts and flowers...;)