A Farm in Iowa by Cate (R)

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Alternate Universe
Pairing: John/Rodney
Category: Slash
Warning: Language
Author on LJ: sheafrothedon
Author's Website: On Skyehawke: http://archive.skyehawke.com/authors.php?no=783
Link: http://sheafrotherdon.livejournal.com/80587.html

Why This Must Be Read: My next set of Alternate Universe recs are all John/Rodney romantic comedies, because this fandom is so damn good at it.

Just imagine Rodney, his rental car broken down in the middle-of-nowhere Iowa. Where the realities of rural life mean that his very importantness can't be catered to. Quelle horreur! Imagine John as the unfortunate farmer whose property Rodney's car has broken down in front of. Will John's well-concealed amusement at Rodney's antics keep him from wanting to murder him? Will Rodney's intelligence let him catch on to the fact that there's more to John than simple-minded farmer? Okay, maybe you know the answers to those questions, but the wonderful characterizations, descriptions and real heart in this story are a treat. Plus there's tacky postcards, a particular love of mine.

Reading this story is like eating chocolate bon bons. Indulge in the yum! And when you want more, there's soundtracks, a ficlet, and continuing adventures tagged here.

Excerpt:
"What do you mean there's no signal?" McKay splutters at his phone, as if it might have an answer for him. "Where in hell am I?"

"Cedar County," John says blandly. This is ridiculous, but also pretty fun. "Maybe my land line'd help?"

"Land line." McKay says the words as if they're roughly the equivalent of smallpox. "Sure."

He follows John back along the road and down the lane, obviously completely out of his element, twitching when something inquisitive buzzes too close. "You have mechanics out here, I assume?" he asks.

"Oh yeah," John nods blithely. "Course it's after hours now, and no one's open Sundays but . . . "

"This is the twenty-first century," McKay hisses.

"Yep." John's sorely tempted to pull a long stalk of grass from the edge of the pasture and start chewing on it, just for effect. "But Bob and Jim are your regular God-fearing sort of folk. They'll help you out Monday."

McKay says something – probably unpleasant – beneath his breath. "It's a rental car," he observes tightly. "I have twenty-four hour roadside assistance for which I paid a premium, and someone will no doubt be here within the hour."

John makes a small, skeptical noise.

"What?" McKay snaps.

"Nothing – phone's right in here." John opens the kitchen door, ushers McKay inside, points to the phone and gets himself a beer. He steps back outside to give the man a little privacy to experience his searing disappointment in the value of add-on services, and sits on the porch steps, savoring the breeze. When McKay starts yelling, he swears it makes the beer taste better.

Comments

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

excellent recs! these are all great fics.

[green-grrl.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'm like a kid in a candy store with Atlantis fic. :-)

[springwoof.livejournal.com]

::grins::

and who wouldn't be? this is such an awesome fandom...