I come back! Bearing fic, no less!

[ginzai]

Short fic. Ficlet fic. Prompt response to comment_fic fic, but fic none the less!

Title: (Because I'm Such A) Selfish Man
Author: ginzai
Genre: Gen, John POV, hurt!Dean, protective!Sam
Timeline: S1, about a month after Faith. Just pretend they went north, okay?
Rating: PG
Warnings: Bit of salty language. These are the Winchesters, after all.
Word Count:

Comments

[labseraph]

He asked a lot of his boys. He knew it. A father was meant to protect and each broken bone or bloodied lip, each half held gasp of pain or stoic flinch, each and every damned one reminded him of how hard he'd failed.

Oh, John ... *pats him*

Love the way you illustrated him here with your words; using Sam's POV and his own perspective is truly inspired to show to us the gallant, flawed man that we know and love.

:D

[ginzai]

Aw, thanks for your kind comment! John's got some massive issues, but I think he honestly meant well.

[may7fic]

I thought you did a really super job with this, capturing John's actions (or perceived inaction) as seen by Sam but giving us John's totally warped yet deeply caring POV. You also touched on one of my favorite theories, that John was more present during Faith than the boys thought. I even touched on that in one of my own oneshots - here - if you felt like checking it out.

I've really been craving John-fic lately so thank-you for sharing this excellent fic :)

[ginzai]

Thanks for commenting and thank you for the compliment! I have read that fic of yours (and I think I've even discussed it with you in the past *g*).

In my personal canon, John didn't send the boys the faith healer but he did very avidly follow their progress until Dean was healed (and knowing John, until the case with the reaper was closed afterward, just for good measure). He's made a lot of mistakes and, like Missouri, I could just slap him for what he put his boys through, but I've never doubted that he loves his sons. He might not always do right by them, but he always tries his hardest and gives his all.

[may7fic]

So sorry I didn't recognize your screen name. I'm actually really good with RL names but have a memory like a sieve for screen names, I'm afraid.

In my personal canon, John didn't send the boys the faith healer but he did very avidly follow their progress until Dean was healed

That's where I stand too but don't at all mind a well-written fic that gives credit to John for having Joshua point the boys to Le Grange ;).

[maychorian]

Oh, dude, that aches, with all of John's guilt and failure and the choices he makes himself make. Gah. Poor all of them.

Very well-written, thank you.

[ginzai]

"Poor all of them" is probably the best way to sum this up, unfortunately... Thanks for the comment!

[chloe_amethyst]

This really pulled me in and showed me John in a different light but totally within the realm of canon. John's being only human, his sense of failure as a father becuase of his boys' many hurts, and the admission that he's just not able to even think of looking Sam in the eyes right then makes me understand and forgive an awful lot.

[ginzai]

I like John quite a bit, but not because he's a great father or even just a great man. He's wonderfully dynamic and complex - he does terrible things, even to his own kids, and then acts in such an incredibly noble way that it'll leave your head spinning. He's (im)perfectly human and I like to play around with his relationship with his boys.

If my story got you to look at him in a new light, then you've paid me the highest compliment a writer can receive and I thank you for it. :)

[ginzai]

Also - your icon! *dies*

[smut_slut]

I really enjoyed this! I'm not really a big fan of John, mostly 'cause the way he treated Dean, but I thought you got him completely in character and the fic is awesome!!!

[ginzai]

I'm glad that you liked it! I have issues with John's parenting, particularly in regards to Dean, I won't deny it. I do think that he loved his sons, even if he didn't always know how to deal with them (or couldn't rise to the occasion). Thanks for commenting!