icarus | SGA FIC: Out Of Bounds, oh my god, she actually updated. John/Rodney, NC-17

Current Mood: cheerful
Current Music: Blink 182 - Punk Covers- Phantom of the Opera

Entry tags:

out of bounds,
sga

SGA FIC: Out Of Bounds, oh my god, she actually updated. John/Rodney, NC-17

You can get caught up here: Out Of Bounds.

Title: Out Of Bounds
Author: Icarus
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: John/Rodney
Summary: "He looks well fed. Coat's shiny. I'm pretty sure he has a home."
A/N: Thank you to

perfica for playing OOB beta badminton with me. I know. This piece is too short and only serves to whet the appetite. I promise more after the Regionals.

Previously in Out Of Bounds: Known more for his jumps than his artistry, figure skater John Sheppard hired ex-skating champion and 'artiste' Rodney McKay to be his coach. After John's injures himself at the America Cup (and after), Rodney decides he'd better keep a closer eye on him.

[Previous][Next]

Out Of Bounds
by Icarus

"Go long!"

John reached back and slung the Nerf ball into a perfect spiral, his elbow narrowly missing the plastic arm of the chair. A stocky kid dove across Rodney's lawn, caught it and rolled into the damp grass and un-raked leaves, giggling. John stood up, balanced lightly on his cast and gestured to his chest.

"I can't chase it, so bring it home, right here." He thumped his chest and held out his arms, ready.

The kid, who looked about ten years old, flung it end over end. It bounced off the corner of Rodney's house and into the rose bushes. John laughed and shook his head.

"You're gonna have to go get it now," he said, stumbling to peer over the porch railing.

The kid made a weird groaning sound like a small animal and then ran across sunset-streaked lawn. He rooted around for it and the ball flipped up into John's hands as if of its own accord while a taxi pulled into the drive.

Rodney stepped out and shaded his eyes.

The ball made a straight short line to the kid, who'd scampered out of the brush. He caught it with a huff, and raised his arms in victory. Rodney paid the cab driver, grabbed his gym bag out of the back and wandered up the sidewalk to John. The ball narrowly missed him as it returned.

"Where did you find the urchin?"

John pursed his lips in amusement. "He was just wandering by." He shrugged and pointed with his chin. "I saw the football and bet him he couldn't reach the porch. He missed, so we went for two out of three... five out of seven...." John tipped his head and grinned, tossing the Nerf ball from hand to hand. "I think he needs the practice."

"I trust we don't have to feed him."

"He looks well fed. Coat's shiny. I'm pretty sure he has a home." John slung the football to the kid and called, "Looks like it's dinner time for me!"

The kid made a disappointed noise, popped the football in the air and waved goodbye.

"You're the Pied Piper of the neighborhood," Rodney said, making it sound like a complaint. Then he brightened. "You said you made dinner?"

"Just a hint to the urchin, Rodney," John said, collecting his crutches.

"Fine. I'll order Chinese." Rodney held the door for him. "No doubt you've made startling progress on choosing your program music. Short program? Long program? Ring a bell?"

John winced. "Mostly I've just been sleeping."

Rodney frowned as the door shut behind them. A rumpled blanket hung half off the couch, one of the bedroom pillows stuffed at the end and still dented. John had a cleared a space on the coffee table for the remote, his meds, and a half-full glass of water. John swung by the table, plucking up the open bottle of meds. Rodney shot him a puzzled look.

"I'm supposed to take them with meals," John explained, slipping the bottle into a pocket. "Plus the cold... it bugs the knee." He shrugged.

"Ah."

Rodney noted that the fine layer of dust on his collection of CDs lay almost completely undisturbed.

Later, picking at his Chinese food with his chopsticks, John admitted, staring into the depths of the box, "It's just kind of overwhelming." The chopsticks scraped. "I'd have an easier time in a record store. At least there it's organized."

"What? I have a highly sophisticated system of classification! The classical is organized by year and by opus," Rodney informed him.

"Yeah, see, that's not really all that helpful." John's eyes seemed more green than hazel today as they flicked up over the box. "Given the only 'opus' I know is a cartoon character."

"The opus is the order in which the composer wrote each piece," Rodney explained.

"I know that – okay, I didn't know that. But it doesn't matter because it's just a number," John said. "The names aren't even all that descriptive. Beethoven's Symphony Number 6. Might as well be Chanel Number 5."

Rodney swallowed his bite, thinking. "No. I think the Pastoral Symphony is far too..." He wiggled his fingers as he scrunched his face and looked for the word, "... something... for you...."

"Fruity?" John supplied, eyebrows raised.

"Balletic."

"Princess-y."

"It could only be performed in tights and those have been outlawed thanks to Brian Boitano," Rodney continued.

"God." John's laugh was breathy. "All you could watch was his nuts skating by."

"The cameras kept shifting to wide angle shots to keep it PG for the folks at home." Rodney snickered, his shoulders shaking.

"I know," John confessed with a devilish grin, tongue-in-cheek. "I've got the tape."

"Oh, everyone does."

John tapped his fingers. Licked his lips. "So. Anything I should consider for the top ten...?"

Rodney had already reached the bottom of his carton but he studiously avoided John's eyes. Every single one of his students was wracking their brains for music right now, humming snatches for their friends, "You remember the one that goes... hmmm, mmm, hmmm-aaah?" He'd spent the entire day fielding complaints. He'd discovered Mrs. Weir had picked out the music for her daughter – a definite no-no, it always showed – which put Melanie back to square one. Then he'd had to all but drag Melanie through the rest of the lesson by her hair. John might be older than Rodney's "girls," but he didn't get to be the exception.

It was a kind of torture he enjoyed, making them work for their programs. And, yes, even learn a little bit about classical music in the process. Rodney waited for it.

John continued, "I mean, I know a lot of music, it's just that it—"

Rodney lip synched the rest with John, rolling his eyes.

"—all has words."

Rodney pushed away from the table and gave him a sharp smile. "Let me know what you decide."

[Previous][Next]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Poor John, having to listen to music with no words in it. The torture!

Btw, did you come up with something at the end of the naming session?

I ran out of time. And then, as it worked out, we never got to the writing samples. *eyeroll* But I did go with Jeremy, and yeah, I wound up with two J-names so... it never was resolved. I'll have to revisit it in the future.

John's still struggling with that music... decisions, decisions. I haven't done these announcements in a while, but, the next part is up (http://icarusancalion.livejournal.com/692419.html).

Yay! Update!

And the Brian Boitano reference makes me want to watch the South Park movie. Hee!!

Boitano does another "man in tights" performance, too. I'm trying to remember the music. Fountain... water... something like that. He performed it on natural ice in Alaska somewhere.

It was gorgeous, but he wore white tights, which... *winces* ... you could see everything.

Icarus

There wouldn't be a YouTube link for that one, no? *tries to look innocent and merely interested in ice skating*

And I like this snippet. It's so... I don't know, comfortable.

You know, I'm not sure. Let me hunt around for it. I saw on a VCR tape I rented a year or so ago.

Icarus

Oh my God! I remember that so clearly. If I dig around enough I KNOW I've got it on tape somewhere. I remember a special on the "making of" that program and them talking about how he had to stop skating every few minutes so they could put fish oil in his eyes so his eyes wouldn't freeze.
The show was called "Canvas of Ice".
Man, I'm going to have to go look up tights pictures of BB now...

I think the music was called "Water Fountain." Fish oil? Really? Oh my god, that's cold.

I saw a transcript of a convention Q&A where Joe Flanigan talked about climbing Mt. Rainier. He said he froze his cornea and was blind in one eye, while his wife was home with their first child. He decided it was irresponsible to take those kinds of risks.

Icarus

Honestly, working at an eye doctor I can tell you that people can be so freaking stupid when it comes to their eyes.
So stupid.

The Flan would have been fine on his climb if he took a few precautions. Thank God he didn't cause any permanent damage.

(They're such pretty eyes.) If I were his wife, after I make sure he was ok, I probably would have beat the poop out of him for that.

It would be tragic to lose those gorgeous eyes. Even one of them. I read in someone's journal after a con that they're far prettier in person.

Though if I met him, I compliment him on his... hands... or something. Because people with gorgeous eyes always here the same thing.

Now, just to prove that I'm hard at work: the next part is up (http://icarusancalion.livejournal.com/692419.html).

I have got to see the South Park movie. I've only read the lyrics online.

I haven't done these announcements in a while, but, the next part is up (http://icarusancalion.livejournal.com/692419.html).

Yea Out of Bounds update!

The bit about the football-playing kid was cute, but I particularly liked seeing Rodney try to push John out of his comfort zone. It will be interesting to see how the whole music-selection part turns out.

Rodney's determined to make all his students into artists. Some of them get into it. Actually, most of them do. But not at this point, when they're trying to pick music on a deadline and they have no idea what to choose.

Icarus

I may have finally found John's music.

I haven't done these announcements in a while, but, the next part is up (http://icarusancalion.livejournal.com/692419.html).

Wooo! New bit!

don't really have a useful comment here, except that I can empathise with John - I like classical music but am hopeless at telling most of it apart (The Ride of the Valkyries kind of stuff I know purely because it's got so much oomph)

I like the way the other characters come up, nice continuity.

I can empathise with John - I like classical music but am hopeless at telling most of it apart

John's heard a lot of classicial music over the years, but he has no idea what this or that piece is called.

The Ride of the Valkyries kind of stuff I know purely because it's got so much oomph

John can recognize Star Wars....

I promised there would be more, quickly, n'est pas? Well, here it is: the next part is up (http://icarusancalion.livejournal.com/692419.html).

Yea, more!

I can sympathize with the music problem, tho it may seem odd to you...when I was in training to be a caterer (that's what I do...feed people and make wedding cake) my teacher made me come up with whole menus for forty people from day one. It was overwhelming. So John trying to get Rodney to do the work for him, or at least start him off, has a very familiar ring for me!

"His coat is shiny, he looks well fed...I'm pretty sure he has a home." ::LoveLoveLove::

...my teacher made me come up with whole menus for forty people from day one. It was overwhelming. So John trying to get Rodney to do the work for him, or at least start him off, has a very familiar ring for me!

It's on a deadline, too. It's March. It might seem like he has until September to pick the music, but he has to have both his new programs nailed by July.

He's supposed to be working on new moves right now and putting together his "fun" show program. The choreographer has to have his programs designed within the next month or so. Then she'll need to work with John and futz with his programs from April through June. John needs to have both programs nailed by July. The choreographer can't even start till John picks the music.

Rodney insisting that his kids pick their music drives the choreographers nuts. Though for the lower level competitions, Rodney does the choreography and most of his more experienced students know to at least look for music all year.

Icarus

You know, one of the reasons I love you is that John and Rodney are living, breathing people...one a skater with self-issues, and one a coach falling in love. They are as real to you as you make them to me when you write about them. I love that.

Thank you. More human-ness, coming up.

I look forward to the choreographer trying to get John to express himself! You will, of course, write all about it! Won't you?? (Notice my large, puppy-like blue eyes...they usually work for me.)

Yes. The large, puppy-like blue eyes work very well. I promise, you will hear all about the struggle to drag John's creativity, kicking into the light.

I haven't done these announcements in a while, but, the next part is up (http://icarusancalion.livejournal.com/692419.html).

Yay! I can't read this until later, but just wanted to say congratulations for getting through another chunk!

And I'm back and reading and laughing. Poor John. And poor Rodney - he'd be so happy if somebody just *fed* him. Oh, Rodney. And Brian Boitano's nuts. And foundlings :)

*grins* This is a pretty small scene but I have a half dozen scenes complete that need transitional scenes throughout.

For you guys Out Of Bounds is this trickle with sudden spurts. I forget sometimes what it's like to be waiting for a WIP. I work on Out Of Bounds almost every day. If I'm not writing, I'm hunting for music (John's final long program is driving me up the wall, I don't have the music yet), or else I'm watching skating programs in YouTube to design John's programs and pick up ideas for practices, or I'm listening to the soundtrack all the way through or I'm re-reading Out Of Bounds to keep the whole thing in mind....

Well, it's not like I'm laying in wait... although, when they were coming regularly my expectations definitely ramped up!

I just wanted to, you know, *appreciate* another visit from the oob fairy ; I stopped watching skating a long time ago (the lack of tv contributed), and it's fun to think and hear about and remember skating stuff. I might have to start watching again! (Actually, you know, I started watching *Nascar* because of an SGA fic. Maybe McShep is leading me back to tv sports?)

Oh, I remember the Nascar story. It's somehow fitting to have John as a race car driver.

I haven't done these announcements in a while, but, here's the next part (http://icarusancalion.livejournal.com/692419.html).

Hey, yay for the update.
This http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkp9OXAVD88&eurl=http://lj-toys.com/?journalid=790840&moduleid=3&auth_token=sessionless:1192676400:embedcontent:790840%263iurl=http://img.youtube.com/vi/nkp9OXAVD88/default.jpg
made me think of you today too. (I found it somewhere on my f-list, so you might know it, but I just found it funny.)

Poor John, though I'd be pretty intimdated at the prospect of having to go through (even a part) of Rodney's MASSIVE collection too and I even own some music without words.
I loved how Rodney had obviously heard that complaint MANY times though.

The Man-in-Tights thing made me laugh, even if I have no clue what incident you are referring too, but it is pretty selfexplanatory.

Not only have I seen it, I have it burned to my hard drive. What's hilarious is that they did this a year or two before Brokeback Mountain came out. :D

Poor John, though I'd be pretty intimdated at the prospect of having to go through (even a part) of Rodney's MASSIVE collection too and I even own some music without words.

I loved how Rodney had obviously heard that complaint MANY times though.

Not only many times, but many times that day. I haven't done these announcements in a while, but here's the next part (http://icarusancalion.livejournal.com/692419.html).

Icarus

:) The only reason I know of Brian Boitano is because of the South Park Movie. But yay for OOB update!

The injunction against tights for men is actually called the "Brian Boitano rule," because he demonstrated so well why tights weren't a good idea. The other rule for women is the "Katerina Witt" rule, requiring that women's skating outfits be sturdy enough up top to avoid a wardrobe malfunction. :D

These things need to be available on you tube. *pout*

Woo hoo!, a new bit and its a lovely bit, here's hoping for more bits! :-). I'm really enjoying this story. Thanks.

Oh, yes, more is coming. I'm at the Regional figure skating championships, scribbling away.

Icarus

I got a lot out of watching the Regionals. Here's a little more: another little section is up (http://icarusancalion.livejournal.com/692419.html).

A small update is better than none. I can't wait to read the rest and glad to have more to read. A good addition, keep up the great work.

My hope is to give you guys a week or two of nearly constant updates. That's the plan, anyway.

Icarus

Okay, here's a little more: http://icarusancalion.livejournal.com/692419.html

I finally broke down and read this whole thing (because I know nothing about figure skating, and the more far-flung AU's always make me wonder why it's even fanfic), and it's just wonderful!!! I totally love it, and now I'm going to be desperate for you to keep adding chapters LOL! Thank you for writing it and putting it up!

Thank you. *g*

and the more far-flung AU's always make me wonder why it's even fanfic

You're not the first person to wonder that. In fact, I've shook my head over how far off the map this AU is. The rest of the time I marvel over how long it is.

I'm putting up another little bit tomorrow.

Icarus

Okaaaaay, maybe promising more tomorrow was exaggerating a little bit. But how about today? (http://icarusancalion.livejournal.com/692419.html)

Icarus

Yay! Wonderful!

*scurries off to read*

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

SGA FIC: Out Of Bounds, oh my god, she actually updated. John/Rodney, NC-17

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Yeah, there be more!

Re: Yeah, there be more!

Re: Yeah, there be more!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject