grow up and out of it

[lozenger8]

Title: grow up and out of it
Fandom: Life on Mars
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 5120 words.
Notes: Sam/Gene, set 1988/1989. Title from ‘Changes’ by David Bowie. Part nine in the Changes Series (link takes you to the previous parts.)
Warning: Prior character death. There are issues of race in this story.
Summary: As with everything in their

Comments

[petronelle]

It is a joy to find a story where Gene is precisely as horrible-and-yet-not as he should be, with Ray on bass to remind us how much worse he could be. I do love it when you tangle with the mess of "What *do* you see in him, Sam?" Even when we all know what the answer *feels* like, it's hard to put into words.

[lozenger8]

I like to think it's a two-way thing of, 'what does Gene see in Sam?' as well. They are both so flawed. But in complementary ways.

Thank you :D. I spent a long time umming and erring over this, wondering if it was worth the risk. I hope it was, ultimately.

[woothiswildcat]

I'm crying right now, I'm not even sure why. I think it's relief that they are finally connecting and that Gene is finally giving in to what he needs. They (in your series) are so much better when they are together. I love the characterizations, so imperfect, but so connected, so trying to be better in spite of themselves. I love how hotheaded Sam is and how weary, but hopeful Gene is. This series is a joy to read.

Thanks!

[lozenger8]

Oh, don't cry! I'm sorry.

Thanks so much for the lovely comment. :)

[scarybunny616]

OH YES \o/ another chapter!
I was so afraid you would just vanish in your christmas holidays without updating, meet someone wonderful, smart and gorgeous on New Years Eve, fall in love like hoof, lose interest in this story 'cause in your head it's all written anyway and so you'll end up NEVER updating it and I'll never know how it ends.

Hmpf,sorry. WIPs unnerve me slightly. I stopped reading them (funnily because of the one you've never finished, "Try a little tenderness"). But with this... anyway thanks a lot. Sorry for this nervous-breakdown-like-comment.

[lozenger8]

I'm going to not flake on this story. I am still intending on going back to Try a Little Tenderness at some point, and I can't apologise enough for my failure there.

Thank you :)

[talkingtothesky]

I've lost all my words so I'm just going to reply with a ridiculously long list of quotes from this that make my day so much, okay? They all make me want to capslock and draw fluffy pink hearts.

“You’re a smurf.”

His next words are muffled because Gene wraps him up in a hug he doesn’t care about anyone seeing.

It’s like he grows twenty years older with a click of his fingers. Compared to the other Bobby, who spends his entire time twitching nervously, Sam’s a master. It’s hard to think that he has his own problems and flaws when he’s explaining to Trisha in modulated tones what’s going on with Jackson and giving advice to Tyrone on how best to soothe Trisha further.

There’s nothing Gene hates more than feeling like he’s disappointed or failed Sam just by the simple act of being himself.

“I take offence. I am not a teddy bear,”

“That’s dangerous, that is. You should never want to be with a man simply for the potential in changing him.”

It dawns on Gene who Sam’s talking about as soon as he gets to ‘hugging’. It dawns on Gene and

[lozenger8]

I almost can't believe that this is the chapter that earns fluffy hearts. I do like the fluffy hearts, though.

♥ Thank you!

[awabubbles]

My mornings are always made when this updates and I feel sorry for the people watching me on the train as I read this on my phone, grinning and squeeing without abandon.

This really is just such a wonderful example (although I'm sure it's been noted for the upteenth time) of a character study simply because of the discoveries they keep making of each other, and it's mostly these discoveries that push this plot forward. Just really wonderful and I have to throw my two cents in about how much I LOVE Sam's jealousy over old!Ray. I know Gene was trying hard not to laugh but I sure cracked up. And DEAR LORD that ending <3 Lets just say I'm very excited for the next chapter.

[lozenger8]

Thank you so much :D ♥

Ray is always a fall-guy in my fiction. I treat the poor man abominably.