fic: Gut Remodel (The Office US)

[obsession_inc]

Title: Gut Remodel
Author: obsession_inc
Pairing: Jim, Roy
Rating: PG-13
Words: 2,000-ish.
Summary: It stands to reason that two men in love with the same woman would have more in common.

Written for office_romances; set in August, months before the Booze Cruise

Comments

[kyrafic]

Ohmigod. This is UNSPEAKABLY excellent. I don't even know where to start. This is pure, perfect Jim, and it's interesting and real and I didn't want it to end. Things I love:

The details of the heat and everyone in the office; PAM with her hair up and his reaction to it; the parking lot and the atmosphere, the little tangible details; his awkwardness around Roy and Roy's obliviousness; the way Roy loves Scranton!!! -- because of course some people do and I love Jim seeing that; them having boy small talk; "Bring beer.".

He's always been very clear in his own head that if a girl was engaged or married, she was off-limits, and that any guy who crossed that line was a fucking scumbag: ergo, it's very difficult to figure out any way to proceed that won't make him a fucking scumbag.

This may be the best one-sentence characterization of Jim I've ever come across.

Either Roy trusts Pam, and doesn't think Jim is a threat, or he doesn't trust Pam, and still doesn't think Jim is a threat, or-- and this may be the worst option-- he

[obsession_inc]

Hee, thanks! I've been obsessively checking for feedback because, damn, it has been a long time since I've done this, and I wasn't sure if I still knew how. Thank you SO MUCH.

I'm pondering more Jim/Roy interactions, because I'm strangely convinced that if Pam wasn't involved they'd actually get along just fine, because Jim has the magical ability to get along with anybody and Roy is a genuinely good guy. And really, they ought to get along just fine even with Pam involved. Also, it ups the angst factor if Jim is betraying someone he likes by going after Pam.

Also, I suspect that Jim would be incapable of giving up a chance to be in the same place with Pam on a Saturday night, no matter how flimsy the excuse.

I love Roy. He's such a happy lug, with simple needs and pretty much zero ability to prevaricate. What he is, he is, and he seems completely at ease with that. I kind of envy it myself.

[kyrafic]

Trust me, you definitely still know how!

Roy IS a genuinely good guy -- I'm becoming more and more of a Roy apologist because fandom has a tendency to make him into this awful monster, and he's not. He's just a guy -- just not the *right* guy.

Also, it ups the angst factor if Jim is betraying someone he likes by going after Pam.

YESSS. (Oh, man, the finale: "Hey, Halpert, keep an eye on her, okay?" "Will do." JIM, you naughty boy.) And I think Jim needs to see the other side of things, just like here you have him questioning his own standards for happiness.

Also, I suspect that Jim would be incapable of giving up a chance to be in the same place with Pam on a Saturday night, no matter how flimsy the excuse.

Ohmigod, DEFINITELY. This is seriously my new favorite daydream.

[obsession_inc]

"Hey, Halpert, keep an eye on her, okay?" "Will do."

I was so totally thinking of that moment when I wrote this. That, and the bit in the warehouse when Roy reassures Jim that his "former" crush on Pam is cool with him because he knows he's a good guy and all. Roy just kills me.

[sophia_helix]

This is really, really, really good. Some of the best Office fic I've read yet.

[obsession_inc]

Thanks! (And also thank you for being the first non-kyrafic feedback. I was starting to think that perhaps I'd posted in her journal by mistake. :g:)

[sophia_helix]

You're welcome! And I was all confused -- I saw there were multiple comments on the entry, but they all turned out to be that blabbermouth Kyra and you. ;)

[kyrafic]

Haha, whatever, I'm just ENTHUSIASTIC.

I would definitely recommend posting these at office_fanworks and maybe theoffice_us, so people can see how awesome they are!

[annakovsky]

Oh my GOD, this is so good. So well-written, with the description of the heat, and Jim and ROY, and Roy being so kind of awesome and just a guy -- and loving Scranton! I really love that characterization - I totally buy that Roy thinks Scranton's great, and that maybe part of the reason he wasn't very positive towards Pam doing the graphic design thing is that he really doesn't want to move, and that he's happy with the way things are.

Wondering if Roy has low standards for happiness or if his own are too high.

SO GOOD.

[obsession_inc]

Yay! YAY! Thank you!

Of course he loves Scranton! Somebody has to...

[zarahemla]

Very nice coinage of the word "fuckitude." What a great interaction between the two! Especially talking about Pride, the ultimate in manly currency. And Roy presenting that bland, inoffensive exterior, making Jim wonder just when the other shoe will drop. Great read!

[obsession_inc]

Hooray, someone else knows about Pride! [/MMA geek] Er, by which I mean, thanks.

And! Hey! You're that one, the one with the series of stories about Dwight and... A Series of Unfortunate Come-Ons, is that right? Because that was flamingly awesome and made me laugh so hard I thought I was going to die. I love Dwight.

[zarahemla]

Aha, yes, my husband and his brothers are very fond of watching sweaty men punch each other in the face and writhe around on the mat. :D

Yep, that was me. I'm very glad you liked it! What a nice compliment to be told I almost made you die. Heh.

[obsession_inc]

My husband is pretty fond of it, too, and I have no complaints with watching sweaty men writhe, so... the shameful part is just that I didn't have to check with him at all about any of the details in that exchange I wrote. D'oh.

[elucidate_this]

This is wholly fabulous.

[obsession_inc]

Thanks!