Last Port Of Call by Icarus (Virgin Challenge)

[icarusancalion]

Title: Last Port Of Call (8,000 words)
Author: Icarus
Website: Icarus Slash Fiction
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: John/Rodney
Challenge: Virgin Challenge
Summary: If John was going down with the ship, he did not intend to spend his final two weeks living like a monk.
Notes: springwoof, fairestcat, libitina beta'd but this story is not their fault and they are not liable for damages

Comments

[zee]

*hisses* Oooo, bastard. As much as I like John, I can completely see this happening.

[icarusancalion]

This is not John's shining moment.

I get very different responses from men and women about this story. Guys like it, can relate, but women universally don't like John in this.

Icarus *ducks the tomatos and rotten eggs*

[zee]

See. Now. The fact that guys like it and relate to it makes me kinda want to give up on the lot of them. It's not like Rodney's some stranger he picked up in a bar. It's Rodney, damnit. Inexperienced Rodney having a little identity crisis, but trusting John, kissing John and, just. Auuugh.

The more I think about it, the angrier it makes me, which is a testament to the quality of your writing. Or possibly an indication of therapy needed, but let's go with the former, yeah? ;)

[icarusancalion]

There's a lot going on. John's not just casually picking someone up in a bar with his whole life ahead of him -- he's facing death-by-Wraith. So there's a lot of fear and anger and desperation boiling under the surface

[lishel_fracrium]

oh as much as I love the care free and in love McShep...this seems so much more plausible. I love it! please write more..what happens next? *puts in memories* thank you.

[icarusancalion]

There is quite a bit more to this. I have to admit I was surprised at how vehemently some of my first readers disliked John here. Though the guys liked the story.

It's fairly common to read stories of profound stress bringing out the best in a relationship, but I've noticed that more often it brings out people's worst.

I think what's going to interesting is Rodney's response to this. He's not slinking away to lick his wounds. He had convinced himself that he was just going to talk to John, smooth away any possible "tensions" in their relationship. What he actually did has come as a bit of a surprise to him.

Icarus

[lishel_fracrium]

as I said I really love this story. and you know some times we love to hate the characters. John isn't perfect he is human but hopefullt he can fix his mistake. thank you so much for continuing this. I can't wait.

[icarusancalion]

John isn't perfect he is human but hopefullt he can fix his mistake.

He's gonna have to. Rodney is worth too much to him as a friend.

Icarus

[adafrog]

I see how most women would hate John. But was there a little bit of him realizing the quick fuck wasn't happening there?

Oh, one thing, it's Houston, not Huston.

[icarusancalion]

Ooops. Thank you. Typo.

But was there a little bit of him realizing the quick fuck wasn't happening there?

John wants to stick with his original game plan -- get laid first, take the edge off, then persue more difficult options. He has a mental list of women in his head that he thinks are good possibilities. He has that idea stuck in his head and he wants to follow through.

But two things are in the way: one, he knows damned well that this thing with Rodney wasn't simple at all. Strangely enough he doesn't regret that. Two, there's no way he's going to have time to persue all those women, not with the Wraith on the way.

Icarus

Female, here, and...

[justalurkr]

I wouldn't say I don't like John in this...sure, he's lining up moves, etc., but Rodney had several chances to back out if this hadn't been what he wanted.

Plus, there are enough breadcrumbs to mark the "John's a Romantic" trail that the miniscule speck of estrogen in my make up is appeased. ;)

Re: Female, here, and...

[icarusancalion]

but Rodney had several chances to back out if this hadn't been what he wanted.

I have a feeling that John was horny enough that if Rodney had shown some real signs of backing out, he would have pulled out all the stops to keep that from happening. He had a lot riding on successfully having sex after the embarrassment with Weir.

Plus, there are enough breadcrumbs to mark the "John's a Romantic" trail

And Rodney picked up on that before John did. His favorite part was the kissing? There're some soft feelings hiding in that.

Icarus

Re: Female, here, and...

[justalurkr]

I have a feeling that John was horny enough that if Rodney had shown some real signs of backing out, he would have pulled out all the stops to keep that from happening.

If, if, if. Depending on what sort of stops John had pulled out in that eventuality, my opinion of him might not have been so laissez-faire. I'm a stickler for consent, me, and I think this John would ultimately have stopped short of plainly un-consenting nookie. He just didn't come across that dark.

On the topic of un-plainly un-consenting nookie, which may be what has other female knickers in twists...I guess I'm lacking in compassion for that level of self-delusion. It's always OK to put a stop to sex if you don't want to be doing it. Not graceful or gracious or cool, necessarily, but neither is sex you don't want. To my mind, the more roadblocks a sexual partner puts up to backing out, the faster one needs to dig those heels in. This Rodney may have been confused or deluded about what was going on, but he didn't come across as someone who'd go along due to any

[icarusancalion]

John is very much a guy here, strategizing how he can get laid.

I don't think he bargained for Rodney tho and it threw off his whole game plan.

Exactly. It was supposed to be easy, just some sex to get the ball rolling. John's just stubborn enough to try to stick with his "it's just sex" concept even when he knows it was way more complicated than that.

Icarus