McShep Snippet

[stillane]

I should be doing actual work. Am I? Yeah, riiight. Instead, I'm failing to fic. I've got a plot that wants to be, but I want to cover the background first. So, in the meantime, I've got an entirely unrelated McShep bit that won't go away. It's just slightly bigger than a double drabble, nothing grand or profound. I'm just trying to overcome my shy-writer syndrome. Also, I have no beta. As always, all feedback is welcome.

Title: Small Things

Fandom: SGA

Pairing: Sheppard/Mckay

Rating: PG-13? Very mild

 

The way he put underlings in their place. John always knew they loved him, because people that smart didn’t take that kind of abuse from just anyone. It didn’t mean either side had to be all warm and fuzzy about it. He was a bastard, and a tyrant, but he was their bastard. Funny how most relationships involving him were like that.
 
The way he was anything but suave. The man drooled, for God’s sake. He couldn’t flirt worth a damn, had to be told when it was necessary at all. Political correctness somehow eluded him in any given situation. Most things deriving from the same root as “polite” did.
 
The way most mules would have felt outclassed by his brand of stubborn. No one was safe from it, either. Friend, foe, and authority figure alike were all subject to that unique style of grit. Quiet determination it wasn’t. Hell, quiet he wasn't. John sometimes thought he used his staff as training for the verbal barrage he’d launch at inconvenient obstacles. He wondered if they knew they were cannon fodder, and thought they probably did.
 
The way he gasped John’s name, every time. The way his eyes went grey in moonlight. The way his smile got more crooked when he was tired. The way his bravest moments were always the silent ones. The way his hair had exactly one style. The way his hands had many.
 
They say you miss the small things. John knows they’re wrong. He misses everything.

Comments

[itsthewa.livejournal.com]

Jeez, that was lovely. Eloquent and so sad.

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Whee! Someone actually read it, and - bonus! - enjoyed. Thank you. And I love your icon.

[terrio]

Ack, WHERE'S RODNEY???

meeep

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Ah, that is the question. If I can ever get the fic bunny that won't die out of my head, I may get to revist this one. I know where he is, and Sheppard knows, but the two don't necessarily agree. I think that's most likely because I believe in happy endings far more than Sheppard does. I really thought this would be a one off, but I wouldn't be averse to it growing a plot on me. Eventually.

[stellahobbit.livejournal.com]

See, this is what happens when people go trolling through your memories so they can read all your stuff. They read this -

I really thought this would be a one off, but I wouldn't be averse to it growing a plot on me.

and get excited ;-)

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Hee. Your timing is impeccable. I just figured out the story behind this one. I don't know if this will actually be part of it, but it will definitely be a related outtake. Not sure when the whole shebang will be finished, but it finally at least has a direction. Hint: Crazy. Only not.

[stellahobbit.livejournal.com]

Great news! Even an outtake in this universe would be fantastic :-)

[tingler.livejournal.com]

Mmm, nice!

Especially liked those last few lines. Wasn't expecting that twist at the end either.

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm a sucker for the sucker punch, myself, but they're so hard to write. Honestly, I wasn't planning this to be sneaky. It surprised me, too.

[bluebrocade.livejournal.com]

That was sad and sweet. But now I want to know what happened. Did Rodney die? Did they break up? ::sniff::

[stillane.livejournal.com]

*points to comment above* Well, it wasn't a break-up, that much I can tell you. As to whether this will ever sprout legs and a tale, *shrugs* Maybe?

[lydiabell.livejournal.com]

Oh, poor John. I like how his love for Rodney comes through in an understated way. He's not so open, so that seems right for him.

[stillane.livejournal.com]

I feel terribly remiss in not responding to your comment for so long. It got lost somewhere in the nowhere that is my brain. Thanks so much for reading. I find it very hard to write John from an outsider's perspective, just because so little gets through, and what does is often meant to mislead. I took the easy way out and went inside his head :> Thanks again for stopping by.

[silens-unus.livejournal.com]

Right, so I'm demanding you write a follow-up piece to this. You can't just leave me hanging. You can't leave John hanging. You just, you can't. I love you and your writing so much. Please continue this.

[stillane.livejournal.com]

*whistles innocently and twiddles thumbs* I'm honestly not sure if this one will go anywhere or not. I've got a few other projects in the works (and RL is looking to kick me rear for the next few weeks), but I keep coming back to this and thinking, "Huh. So what did happen there?" I might yet pick it up again.

Thanks so much for reading! I'm very happy you liked it, even if it is a little frustrating :>

And, also: still with the icon love. Hee. Penguins.

[the-moonmoth.livejournal.com]

Oh, ouch, that didn't go where I thought it was going, but that just makes the final impact all the better.

The way his smile got more crooked when he was tired. The way his bravest moments were always the silent ones. The way his hair had exactly one style. The way his hands had many.

And that's just gorgeous.

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Oddly enough, I think I just figured out which of the fics that have yet to be written this goes with. It's not that this is part of that one, just maybe a spinoff thereof? Not sure how it fits, but it's definitely related. Huh. Ambushed by my brain again.

[the-moonmoth.livejournal.com]

Hmmm *curiosity piqued* *passes over the brain food*

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Hee. I will say only: lobotomy!Rodney. Except not.

[ajali.livejournal.com]

That was really nice - the style started off simply but the end hinted at so many more things! I have no idea what fandom it is, so i wouldn't be an appropriate beta, but i would love to beta one's you've written in fandom i AM familier with - i found you and added you to my flist solely on account of your Supernatural fic 'Somatic'. That's easily one of the most moving Supernatual fics i have read, and i love how you left questions still unanswered at the end - not enough to say there is more to come, but enough to say 'I, the author, consider my audience to be intelligent, so therefore I don't need to spell things out for them and can leave some details vague just to stretch their minds.'
I'm currently penning my first EVER fanfic although i have written 200 pages of an original story, so if you are willing maybe you could possibly beta mine if i ever get it close to posting quality?

Ayubowan!

Ajali.

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Hiya.

This little one is for Stargate: Atlantis, which tends to share my brain with Supernatural these days :> I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed Somatic so much. On the subject of betaing: life is going to be a little bit insane hearabouts for the next month or so, and you are probably better off having someone else be your primary reader during that time frame, but I would be glad to take a look at your fic when it coallesces. I'm guessing it's in Supernatural? My email is in my info, when you get to the shipping stage. *g*

Best of luck with the writing!

[ajali.livejournal.com]

Thankyou, lol!
I know exactly what it's like for your brain to play host to various fandoms - even some non-story related things - twice now i;ve had an obsession about mushrooms which pretty much lasts all Autumn - hunting season!I know a *lot* about them now.
But yes - it certainly is a Supernatural fanfic. I'll let you know when i post it! Just curious - i spent a good few days trying to re-find your Somatic fic on ff.net...until Beluga pointed me in the direction of the lj community!Just outa curiosity how come you haven't posted it on ff.net?
No worries about beta-ing - i'm sur ei'll survive, lol, but comments are always welcome- especially from fellow writers who know (or can convince me they know ;) ) what they're doing!

Nice to say hi, lol!

Cya!

Ajali

[titc.livejournal.com]

Ow! *sniffles*
I really liked this!

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[eaivalefay.livejournal.com]

I (finally!) read this, in preparation to read The Ratio of Burning. (*grin* I am so awfully behind on things. I have all your fics bookmarked though!) And I am glad I did. You have such a beautiful way with words. And...where's Rodney? *cries* I am nervous about reading Ratio now.

[stillane.livejournal.com]

I am nervous about reading Ratio now.

*evil laugh* You should be.

No, seriously, just... hang in there. If it's any consolation, it beat the daylights out of me as a writer. You shan't suffer alone. *g*

[eaivalefay.livejournal.com]

Evil laughs make me nervous... Except when I am the one doing the evil laughing, of course. ;)

*hangs* I am sure you will be getting a very emotionally-wrung out review from me in a couple days. I am not nervous now. I'm scared. *g*

[sandrainthesun.livejournal.com]

They say you miss the small things. John knows they’re wrong. He misses everything.

That just broke me. It's wonderful. Thank you.

I've read through some of your other stuff and I adored it, esp. the episode tags.

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Wow. Thank you. Glad to hear you've been enjoying kicking around the place, and that you liked this one. :>

[zoerayne]

I have no idea how I missed this originally, but wow. And ouch.

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Thank you. And chances are you missed this one because it was the very first time John and Rodney ever put in an appearance in my writing brain. I don't even remember whether I was adventurous enough to post it to a comm. I was very, very shy, and prone to meeping quietly. Kind of hard to believe that wasn't so long ago. I feel like I've aged decades in net years. :>

[zoerayne]

Well I'm glad you're less shy now; I eagerly await your next story.

[poisonshock.livejournal.com]

beautiful and so sad!!!

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Ack! How the heck did I lose this comment? My apologies!

Thanks so much for reading the story! I'm so glad to hear that you liked it, even if I am quite slow in saying so. *g*

[archerlass.livejournal.com]

I love John's view of Rodney. And those last several lines really hurt. Nicely done!

[stillane.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Glad to hear you liked it!

[terrible-tues.livejournal.com]

I'm astonished at how effectively you turned this into a sad fic with just the last line. Very powerful little story, and I can imagine that it would fit right into the middle of The Ratio of Burning.

[sparrowhawk17.livejournal.com]

Beautiful, and so very John. I loved it.