Intersections, SGA slash (John/Rodney) by Kaneko

I'd gone ahead and written up a review of this fic for another comm before I realized they did things a little differently. I'd also promised a while back to rec/review some fic for this comm. I know someone already did some John/Rodney stuff and I will do some other pairings, but since I had this already written out, I thought I might as well post it here.




It would be easy enough to say that this is backstory for both John and Rodney that leads up to how they met in Antartica and became lovers even before John sat down in the chair. It would also be doing the story a disservice.

More than once, the story tells us how little they have in common--Rodney even makes that observation to John at one point--while showing us how many way in which their pasts are similar or, more importantly in the story of two people, complimentary. While she could have done this, and done it well, using a more traditional chronological structure, Kaneko chose to use vignettes about certain incidents in their pasts out of order, placing them around the central story of Rodney and John's relationship as it develops in Antarctica.

The great thing about this fic is that, in spite of the less traditional narrative structure and the use in a few places of mathematical formulas--don't let that keep you from reading; I don't understand them at all and I still love this story--she never loses sight of the story itself, so what could have been an exercise in style over substance isn't.

And of course, this is me, and so I have to say that yes, the sex is hot. Like really, ice-meltingly hot. It's also pretty realistic aside from a certain degree of porno-like refraction time. And yes, the dialog is good and sounds right for the guys and finally, it's hilarious in places.

This is one of those fics that you can read before you know a lot of canon and then go back to later and find yourself nodding and thinking about how well the characterizations hold up. It's also a very good fic to use to pimp SGA fic, seeing as you really only need to have seen Rising for it to make sense.

An excerpt:

This is how they meet:

"Major John Sheppard. I'm your pilot," John shouts over the squalling wind. He holds out his hand automatically to shake, but the other guy doesn't reciprocate. After a moment of blinking, John realises it's because both the guy's hands are occupied - a giant chocolate bar in one, an apple in the other.

"Rodney McKay," the guy calls back. He doesn't even look up at John - too busy chipmunking food into his mouth.

Anyone who volunteers to live in Antarctica is a bit strange almost by definition, but spend too long in the place, and you start getting even stranger. Maybe you start talking to yourself. Maybe you stop talking. Maybe you stop bathing. Long-timers call it the Weirds. This guy has it bad, John thinks. He watches, half awed, half concerned by the speed with which the food is disappearing. It's like watching a normal person eat in fast forward. "I'm pretty sure there'll be toast or something at the next place," he says. "Eggs. Maybe cornflakes."

"This isn't my breakfast, Major," Rodney says through the chocolate. He looks up finally. "This is in case we crash - a last meal if you will."

"Well, I'm flattered," John says. He bites his lip. He wants to laugh, but he suspects that he's the straight man in this conversation. "I'll do my best to keep us in the air."

"Oh, don't take it personally." Rodney waves the apple core dismissively.

"No, hey. Completely impersonal. I mean me- Well, say the engines cut out, we're spiralling down-" John makes his hand do a little nose-dive, "maybe we're tilting, whole chopper rattling like it's gonna break apart. I'd rather have an empty stomach. But-" John drops his hand "-that's just me. You enjoy that last apple."

Rodney glares at him but it's an absent-looking glare. "I will," he says. "I did." He peers into the open helicopter door. "You got any other food in there?"

"I'll see what I can do," John says with the straightest face he can manage.

Seriously, check this one out; you won't regret it.