The comments on this have been amazing, really insightful and compelling.

I don't think canon John is a particularly nice guy.

I think I'm with you on that, and I like John. But I wouldn't characterize him as a nice guy. Zelenka's a nice guy.

I'm not used to reading about the sort of manipulative, "off-track" sex that often takes place in real life. (By off-track I mean sex between two people with different motives, desires--just in a different head space and looking at the situation from completely different places.)

That's a perfect description. They're in two completely different places.

Rodney was approaching the encounter with their friendship in the forefront of his mind, while John had excised all thought of friendship from his mind and was basically treating Rodney like a whore.

John was in buddy-fuck mode. He really thought this was something Rodney should want, that Rodney needed it as much as he did.

I confess, I really enjoyed the process of seducing Rodney.

Icarus