One of the things that gets me most about this fic is the melancholy feel of it. All of it up until the very last section is just so sad, but it is done in sort of a subtle way, so you don't really realize it is happening at first. Kills me every time, but I think I usually end up thinking it is from the cancer arc of the story when in reality it is from the very beginning. And for me it isn't just that they are apart, because I think the story always gives the feeling of them coming back together, but just how unhappy they are. Justin especially doesn't seem to be doing what will make him happy but instead fighting against it.
I love stories where the inevitability of Brian and Justin comes through. It almost feels like this story takes it a step further. When Brian gets sick there is no question of how it will be handled, even with the fact that they aren't together and they are hardly speaking.
Perhaps I just read this story the way I wanted it to be but I always thought Brian was OK at the end of the story until I read what other people thoughts on it awhile back. So yeah, I kind of hate whoever it was that did that to me ;) But reading it again today I stand by my feeling that all is good at the end.
Restraint
This fic is just so much fun and believe me I needed that after the pain of Divergence. What I love most about this story is that while it should just be porny fun it really ends up being all about Brian and Justin needing each other:
Brian can’t remember breathing Justin in so deeply before. He doesn’t think he usually makes a habit of taking in his scent when Justin kisses him, but he finds himself doing it now. He catches the light smell of aftershave and shampoo and makes a mental note to ask Justin what new cologne he’s using when this stupid fucking bet is over. Which will probably be tomorrow – if not sooner – because there’s no doubt that Justin will cave.
AND
“And I went on for like five minutes. It felt great. I had to stop myself,” he says, his voice low. “I almost couldn’t. I was half-asleep and pretending it was you. Like I did when I was in California, most mornings.”
AND
And when Brian’s own cock hits the crease of Justin’s jeans, he takes half a second to thrust against Justin’s lean, lithe body, just half of one sweet second to try to relieve a little of the fucking pressure and it’s so good, Brian can’t remember when just grinding against something else has felt like this.
AND
And God bless him, Brian seems to fall for it, wrapping one arm securely around Justin’s waist and rocking against him. Justin can’t help groaning, it’s never this good on his own or even with the talented mouths and dicks he finds in the back room, it’s only this good with Brian.
Do you think such a division adds (or takes away) from a fic?
I think in the case of both of these stories the division works really well.
What things do you think contribute to the tension in Divergence?
In the beginning there is the tension of how unhappy both Brian and Justin are. In a weird way that particular tension sort of just dies after Brian tells Justin he has cancer. Because as a couple they seem happy again. Then of course we have the tension of wondering if Brian makes it through the cancer(which he does!). Even when we have the idea that Brian is going to go back to Pittsburgh after his treatment it no longer feels like their relationship is in question.
Who did you think would win in the beginning? Were you surprised in the end?
I wish I had a better answer for questions like this but honestly it has been so long since the first time I read this that I have no idea what my expectations were at the time.