So that's me - peachy with a side of keen
My favourite fics are first time. I can get behind some established relationship? Or even gen? But dude - I'm in it for the hows/why/wherefores of how these two people sort their shit out and finally get there. Some dealing with their own homophobia is also interesting to me. How do two people deal with that if they're publicly seen as straight? Or haven't dealt with their own feelings before?
And if there's a lot of UST on the way there? Bonus. Extra-special, final round, lottery-winning bonus.
One thing I have noticed though, is that this love of first time also translates into another type of story. That being one where the two are maybe sleeping together from near the beginning, but take a while to actually "get together", if you know what I mean. Like one of them thinks that the other only wants sex or some such. (disarm_d does it really well, that I can think of off the top of my head.) And the arc instead is that realisation that yes, omg, they love me too. Also A+ in my field. It's still waiting for that emotional fulfillment of then sorting their shit out. And how they get there.
So - if you were following - things that usually make up my favourite stories are:
* UST
* First time
* Delayed realisation of how one/they both feel
* Dealing With Their Shit (including their own homophobia)
* Delayed emotional fulfillment
And so some of you might be realising where I'm sort of going with this. Yep - I'm describing the John Paul and Craig story arc. So why in god's name was I so shocked that it sucked me in and made me WAYYYY too emotionally involved? It literally is a canon, media-format of my favourite fics.
UST? Check. Two lads who are best friends and one is gay? Looks exchanged and tension drawn out until you're literally WILLING them to HURRY UP OMG? UST to DIE for.
First time? Check. Mmmmm...first time. :P
Delayed realisation of feelings? Yep. Because CRAIG, HONEY, the way you're feeling? Is okay. But you being all boy about it and not knowing what to do and clutching at John Paul like you're drowning? Also very okay.
Dealing with their shit. And again, although the first time sex is reasonably early on (about a third of the way through? Maybe?) The story is about dealing with all the shit that comes with that. It's about CRAIG dealing with his shit. And GOD to I love him.
Dealing with own homophobia? Check! First when John Paul comes out and the shit he gets. And Craig's reactions to John Paul. And then Craig entire psyche dealing with his own and others' perceved homophobia...
Delayed emotional fulfillment? Check. The amount of times I clutched at my chest and WILLED it to all turn out right. It makes EVERY moment that they touch or look at each other. Or kiss or TALK into just the most AMAZING thing.
All in all? It's like they went and made my favourite fic-types into a list and then made a story for me. And I can't get over how AMAZING a story it is. If you had told me that a soap (Which I HATEHATEHATE because there is no arc. Not really. They spend time setting up something only to fuck it up for conflict later. There has to be DRAMA and to have DRAMA you need to fuck with shit. And I hate that there's no END to the fucking with shit) included this story, I would have laughed.
But it's not even just bad-good. It's ACTUALLY good! (Mainly because you don't have to watch any of the other soap-story crap :P) And also includes another of my favourite things: complex characters. John Paul is a lot more straightforward (not entirely, but more so than Craig), but Craig is a DREAM for me. Me who loves almost nothing in the world more than psychobabbling about complex, fictional characters.
So anyway - that's me right now. I'm still reading in Bandom, but not over-fannish about it like I was. I'm still loving Merlin a STUPID amount, reading fic and a tonne of meta. And I'm completely in love with the made-for-me story of two boys who make me happy (in my pants).
(Also loving Cat who makes drunk posts with .gifs of boy-love in)
ETA: Also see the comments for Cat providing even MORE gifs. <3<3
And if there's a lot of UST on the way there? Bonus. Extra-special, final round, lottery-winning bonus.
One thing I have noticed though, is that this love of first time also translates into another type of story. That being one where the two are maybe sleeping together from near the beginning, but take a while to actually "get together", if you know what I mean. Like one of them thinks that the other only wants sex or some such. (disarm_d does it really well, that I can think of off the top of my head.) And the arc instead is that realisation that yes, omg, they love me too. Also A+ in my field. It's still waiting for that emotional fulfillment of then sorting their shit out. And how they get there.
So - if you were following - things that usually make up my favourite stories are:
* UST
* First time
* Delayed realisation of how one/they both feel
* Dealing With Their Shit (including their own homophobia)
* Delayed emotional fulfillment
And so some of you might be realising where I'm sort of going with this. Yep - I'm describing the John Paul and Craig story arc. So why in god's name was I so shocked that it sucked me in and made me WAYYYY too emotionally involved? It literally is a canon, media-format of my favourite fics.
UST? Check. Two lads who are best friends and one is gay? Looks exchanged and tension drawn out until you're literally WILLING them to HURRY UP OMG? UST to DIE for.
First time? Check. Mmmmm...first time. :P
Delayed realisation of feelings? Yep. Because CRAIG, HONEY, the way you're feeling? Is okay. But you being all boy about it and not knowing what to do and clutching at John Paul like you're drowning? Also very okay.
Dealing with their shit. And again, although the first time sex is reasonably early on (about a third of the way through? Maybe?) The story is about dealing with all the shit that comes with that. It's about CRAIG dealing with his shit. And GOD to I love him.
Dealing with own homophobia? Check! First when John Paul comes out and the shit he gets. And Craig's reactions to John Paul. And then Craig entire psyche dealing with his own and others' perceved homophobia...
Delayed emotional fulfillment? Check. The amount of times I clutched at my chest and WILLED it to all turn out right. It makes EVERY moment that they touch or look at each other. Or kiss or TALK into just the most AMAZING thing.
All in all? It's like they went and made my favourite fic-types into a list and then made a story for me. And I can't get over how AMAZING a story it is. If you had told me that a soap (Which I HATEHATEHATE because there is no arc. Not really. They spend time setting up something only to fuck it up for conflict later. There has to be DRAMA and to have DRAMA you need to fuck with shit. And I hate that there's no END to the fucking with shit) included this story, I would have laughed.
But it's not even just bad-good. It's ACTUALLY good! (Mainly because you don't have to watch any of the other soap-story crap :P) And also includes another of my favourite things: complex characters. John Paul is a lot more straightforward (not entirely, but more so than Craig), but Craig is a DREAM for me. Me who loves almost nothing in the world more than psychobabbling about complex, fictional characters.
So anyway - that's me right now. I'm still reading in Bandom, but not over-fannish about it like I was. I'm still loving Merlin a STUPID amount, reading fic and a tonne of meta. And I'm completely in love with the made-for-me story of two boys who make me happy (in my pants).
(Also loving Cat who makes drunk posts with .gifs of boy-love in)
ETA: Also see the comments for Cat providing even MORE gifs. <3<3