fic: Alpha Centauri 7.5 -- Mutual Thing

[hth]

Mutual Thing
by Hth
part of the Alpha Centauri series

NOTES AND WHATNOT: I can't finish the freaking series until the new season starts, not so much because I'm afraid canon will screw me up (it always does, so why sweat it?), but because there's stuff coming up that fits so well into what I planned to do with 8 that it would be a crime not to use it. Meanwhile, it occurred to me that at the end of 7, I said some things were going to happen that, on further reflection, y'all might like to actually see happen, rather than just take my word for it. Thus, this bright and uplifting little breakup story, which takes place shortly before "Michael" and contains very minor spoilers for that episode and for "The Tower," as well as a whole mess of references to everything previous to this in the Alpha Centauri universe. Seriously, don't even think about starting with this one.

Comments

[justabi.livejournal.com]

“You asked him to fuck you.”

Rodney frowned and looked like he was rewinding through his own ramble. “Yes, I...well, I – don’t think I asked outright, but I remember saying I wanted– “

“That was the one thing, Rodney.” Breathe, John thought. Chill. Yelling didn’t – some ugly scene couldn’t change anything, except to make it harder for them to work together from now on. He should just...say it and then move on. “That was the one and only thing I ever asked from you. Remember?”

“I...of course I do,” Rodney said faintly, exactly like he hadn’t remembered at all until just now. “I do, but....”

“But what?” John demanded when the sentence broke off in the middle and didn’t start up again. “You thought I was kidding, you didn’t give a damn, I wasn’t supposed to find out? Oh, no, wait, you were just so goddamn worried about me that it slipped your mind. I asked you for one thing, Rodney– “

This part right here killed me, because just like Rodney, I totally forgot that. I forgot how fatalistic Rodney was at the beginning and that he didn't want to get used to it and have John leave him and I guess he never did get over that, did he? I mean, he's the one breaking up with John and John so totally has a point about Rodney and fidelity and the thing is that I think it's not that Rodney has a problem with fidelity, but that he is just MASSIVELY socialy retarded and shoots himself in the foot over and over again and John has waaaaaaaaaay too many issues to deal with that effectively.

But I totally feel bad for John here, just breaks my heart that he's been thinking about that and letting it bother him and not ever, ever saying anything about it besides that one comment to Ronon about making time with his boyfriend when he found them making out in the hall. Stuffing never works! It's seductive, just not talking about stuff and not fighting about it, but it just doesn't end well. He so clearly doesn't remember telling Ronon to take care of Rodney the way he did in the hospital and I feel bad for him thinking that Rodney loved him so little that the first second he couldn't take care of him, Rodney betrayed him, even if that is a totally valid interpretation.

Also, Rodney is a jerk, but that's why we love him, right? *sigh*