Let me go meta on characters drooling over muscles in slash fanfic stories…
It bugs me when a writer has the one character ooh and aah over the other guy’s body in really specific detail, calling out specifically defined musculature. In 911, in particular, it throws me right out of the story because Buck doesn’t have a single body shape, does he? Do any of them?
Actors will look noticeably different all the damned time often for no particular plot-driven or character-driven reason, but just because they have bodily autonomy and are human. Sometimes, the actor is prepping for another role. Sometimes, they’ve been warned they’ve got a seminude scene coming. Sometimes, the actors are competing with each other or whatnot (see Stargate SG1). Sometimes, they’re depressed or ill or injured. Oh, and people age, too. (See Hawaii Five O.)
I get that it’s fantasy and erotica and writers often write just to their own personal kinks. I do get that.
But I also tend to wonder if the WRITER thinks Character A is attracted to Character B, period, all the time, or only when they look a certain way. And I often think it’s something younger fans don’t even notice they’re doing.
And now I bring you some varying Oliver Stark as Buck visuals for, um, purely illustrative purposes.