Random question

[bluflamingo]

Is it just me, or do John/Rodney fics tend to default to either (a) John's been repressing/ignoring the part of him that likes men and not had sex with one since he joined the air force or (b) John's been completely straight until now; while John/Cam fics tend to default to John's been having sex with men (as well as or instead of women; and who may or may not include Cam) but keeping it secret since he joined the air force?

Maybe it is just me, but I'm scanning the John/Cam fic I've got tagged, and I can't find any where either (a) or (b) are true for John (Cam's a little more complicated, sometimes) but can think of plenty of John/Rodney where (a) or (b) is off the top of my head.

And I guess my real question is less 'is this true?' and more 'why is this?' Because John's got to have a thing for scientists? Because Rodney's just that awesome that John would change the habits of a life-time for him? Because John/Cam people have an air force pilots kink (I vote that one, personally)? Because it's a lot easier to hook John and Cam up if they've been involved with other pilots (or indeed each other) before (though if it is that one, surely it's easier to hook John and Rodney up if they've been involved with other men before?) Also, now my own habits are showing, because of course everyone doesn't write John having only been involved with other military guys before, unlike me.

No, I don't know why I'm suddenly contemplating this question-too much time trapped in my parents' house? Family induced insanity? Who knows.

Comments

[scrollgirl]

Heh. Whereas I purposely avoid even the slightest hint of McShep in my SGA fics. In my various universes, even if I don't come right out and say it in the text, John has never looked twice at Rodney and Rodney is very, very straight and would never look once at John. Which isn't to say they wouldn't die for each other, as teammates, but there's no sexual or romantic subtext.

I'm just stubborn that way ;)

[bluflamingo]

John has never looked twice at Rodney

I can see John having a thing for him in season 5 - to me, it's pretty easy to argue - but I think I'm generally disinclined to make it reciprocal (I think the furthest I ever got was in my big bang fic, or Rodney hooking up with John as a casual thing till he found someone else).

I like that you write them as friends only - variety is a good thing (as is stubborness, sometimes)

[scrollgirl]

I read John in S5 more as someone who is worn down and lonely. His vague, never-consummated thing with Teyla has been laid to rest--she has a son and a partner, and John's not getting in the middle of that. Early in S5, he lost Elizabeth for good. Rodney and Ronon are busy making eyes at the same girl, and he's trying to stay out of it, but I can see John being wary of the entire situation--it's going to mess up the team dynamic, no matter who "wins". I think he's feeling a bit off-balance, though he might not even be consciously aware of it, afraid that his team is changing too much and pulling away from that core friendship as family and romance take priority. For me, this explains his (adorably pathetic) attempts at flirting in "Remnants" and "The Lost Tribe". It's why he checks up on Rodney in "Tracker" and why he takes Ronon surfing during "Brain Storm".

Which isn't to say you can't make an argument for John having a thing for Rodney--though I do appreciate that you don't make it reciprocal! *g*

EatG was interesting in that it highlighted how far John's come since Antarctica--friends, family, a city to protect--while the balcony scene frames how alone he is, in that friends pairing up inevitably leave single people in the cold.

For me, writing John and Rodney as just friends is more a protest against fandom OTPness; it's just a happy by-product that I'm also arguing that John can risk his life for Rodney without it being about sex/romance.

If I ever get around to finishing my cm_tropefic, there's a lot about overturning the belief that the romantic relationship takes priority over all else.