lunabee34

I have a question.

A few days ago, I read the delightfully funny The Awful Truth by

blade_girl. The rec in which I found the story states: I rec this one with a caveat to slash fans - as a fan of both slash and gen, I must tell you this story contains apparently slashy elements, but is ultimately gen (regardless of the author's notes); and may prove unsatisfying to a slasher. That being said, I find it a plausible, positive, and touching take on the characters and their friendship.) I found this description intriguing and it was pretty much the impetus for me reading the story. The notes for the story itself state: A slash story AND a gen story at the same time. I can’t explain that without giving away the ending, so I ask you to read regardless of your preference. Both the writer of this story and at least one reader of the story (and I assume probably more) seem to think that labeling this fic as slash is problematic.

So my question is the following: what makes a slash fic?

In "The Awful Truth," John and Rodney attempt to have sex. Poorly. By the story's end, they have not had sex but they have kissed several times and rubbed each other's torsos awkwardly. Each reveals that although he had lately been wondering whether the deep and abiding McShep friendship was concealing sexual/romantic attraction, ultimately only friendship exists between them. This story is hilarious but also contains sharp character insights and very astute observations of the McShep friendship dynamic.

In my estimation, this story falls squarely in the slash camp. Even though John and Rodney don't have sex and even though they decide that they don't even WANT to have sex with each other, the fic is about them exploring the possibilities of a romantic relationship with each other. John and Rodney both legitimately believe at the fic's beginning that they might have romantic feelings for each other, feelings that they should act on. Just because when the fic closes, the two remain friends instead of lovers I can't handwave away that the majority of the fic is about them coming to terms with their feelings for each other and how they will proceed based on those feelings.

We all seem to agree that when a fic contains same sex sex, we've got slash. Elizabeth and Teyla necking in the Gate Room? Check. Slash. Sam blowing Dean in the backseat of the Impala? Check. Slash. Even when the characters having sex with each other don't like each other at all (Spike and Xander hate sex in the Basement of Doom? Check. Slash.), we still consider the story slash. When same sex characters are having sex in a story, we don't consider character emotions or motivations at all in labelling the fic. Two or more dudes doing it (for various definitions of doing it) or two or more chicks doing it (for various definitions of doing it) is slash.

When a story lacks sex, though, we run into differences of opinion. I think most of us don't believe that a story has to contain sex in order to be slash (but I might be wrong). I don't believe that. We don't think stories have to contain sex in order to be labeled het. Many excellent het love stories never expose more skin than a flash of delicately bared ankle. I think that when a story deals with at least one character's romantic and/or sexual feelings for another character of the same sex, we've got a slash story. These feelings may be unrequited or never admitted to the object of interest. They may be rebuffed. And like in "The Awful Truth," the characters may decide that they were mistaking deep friendship for something more.

So, what do you guys think? Am I way off base here?