A Thousand Suns (2/4)
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Title: A Thousand Suns (2/4)
Author: _arby_
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: R
Spoilers: through "Trinity"
Warnings: language
Length: 1398 words
Disclaimer: Still don't own 'em.
Summary: In which Rodney acts out.
Note: Part 1 is here.
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Sheppard watched Rodney and Zelenka, deep in conversation. He tried not to be jealous and failed. If Rodney wants Radek, there’s not much you can do about it now, his brain helpfully advised him. Zelenka’s had a crush on him for ages anyway - it’s not like that harebrained scheme with Parrish. Or John’s own cock-driven reaction to Ronon, for that matter. For the umpteenth time since he turned Rodney away from his door (a repentant, eager-to-please Rodney!, his dick reminded him, also not helping) he wondered if he was doing the right thing. Maybe it really didn’t matter so much whether Rodney grew up and learned to be considerate of anyone, let alone the person he was sleeping with. He was reminded again that he desperately, truly, madly, deeply wanted to fuck Ronon, and that he’d hoped to be able to finagle Rodney into a three-way at some point. He tried, unsuccessfully, not to get hard at the thought. No chance of that now, unless by some miracle Zelenka was giving Rodney some pointers on how not to be a total asshole. I’m just saying, sleeping with Ronon would be a very, VERY bad idea, his brain reiterated. But hot as hell, his cock chimed in again. Rodney would never forgive you. Anyway it was well known by the entire base that Dex was Caldwell’s sex-slave now. John shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to disguise the massive boner he was now sporting. Jesus, you’re pathetic, his brain declared in a smug tone. Shut up - you sound like Rodney! his cock retaliated. He wondered if he could possibly “borrow” Ronon from Caldwell for a night - surely the Colonel had the tiniest bit of gratitude to Sheppard for hooking them up. Then he wondered how the hell he could keep it from getting back to Rodney. They were kind of on a break, though, weren’t they? So maybe it was sort of, somehow excusable. He was reminded of Ross from Friends (“WE WERE ON A BREAK!!!”) .
“Sheppard.”
He looked up to meet Dex’s golden, unblinking gaze. John raised an eyebrow, trying to bely the twitch in his pants at the sight of him.
“What’s up, Ronon?”
Ronon sat down without ceremony or even asking permission. John noticed that Zelenka had left the cafeteria, and Rodney sat alone, staring into space. He felt guilty at the sight, and looked away.
“I have been ordered to ask you something.”
Whoa. Also, hot. He had no doubt who the commanding officer was. “Ooookay. What might that be?”
“Would you come to Colonel Caldwell’s quarters this Friday at 8 pm?” Dex kept his expression impassive. Sheppard bit back the urge to laugh out loud.
“He’s not going to insult me, is he? ‘Cause I hate it when he does that.”
“I’m not allowed to say.”
Ha! John was intrigued - not to mention horny as a bitch in heat. Whatever was going on, it sounded sexy. It didn’t take him long to make up his mind. “Oh, all right.”
“Good. I’ll tell him you’ll be there.” He gave Sheppard a look that made his loins melt, then got up and strode away.
* * * * *
7 am, Lab. Rodney was undercaffeinated and cranky, and appeared not to have slept very well.
“Goddamn it, I told you for the hundredth time that what you’re trying do is not going to work! The angle is all wrong, this x should be a y, and furthermore you’re reversing the wrong polarity! I mean, honestly. I don’t expect you people to be up to my level, but can we PLEASE try to get out of the Stone Age here!”
The offending lab techs scurried out of the way as Rodney came down on them like an irritable Canadian whirlwind. Zelenka gave him a look.
“Don’t look at me that way, Radek - they deserve it. These calculations are so wrong it’s as if they were using abacuses or something - it’s inexcusable!”
Rodney knew he was behaving worse than ever, but the more he tried to think of how the others might feel, the guiltier he felt, which made him act out defensively. It seemed Zelenka’s pep talk had inadvertantly had the opposite effect as he intended. And having bared his soul and confessed all his insecurities to his friend, he now felt foolish and resentful instead of humbled or considerate.
Zelenka watched him with some apprehension, as if he didn’t think things were going very well at all.
* * * * *
8 am, briefing room. Sheppard sat in the coveted cool spot, preempting Rodney. He hoped to at least get a scowl out of it, but… nothing.
Weir came in and sat in her usual spot. This would have been unremarkable except for the fact that Rodney had just been about to steal it. Foiled, he shot an evil glare around the room at no one in particular, and was forced to settle for the least desirable chair in front of the door.
“So, what do we got?” Sheppard feigned impatience.
“P-8964302.”
“Isn’t that the world we rejected a while back due to the, oh, I don’t know, enormous WILD ANIMALS that were running loose everywhere?” Rodney said, his tone dripping sarcasm. Sheppard stared at him, trying to get McKay to even glance in his direction. Rodney managed to look everywhere but at where he sat.
“It was,” Weir said patiently, “but things have changed since then. We have reason to believe that P-8964302 has not one but two ZPMs hidden on the planet’s surface.”
“Well, how nice for them. Do any people live there, or have they all been EATEN by the aforementioned WILD ANIMALS?”
Sheppard drawled lazily, “Oh, don’t be such a baby, McKay. I’m sure Ronon and Teyla can handle them.”
Rodney rolled his eyes so dramatically that John thought they might fall out of his head. “Easy for you to say, Scrawny - I’m sure you’d be too bony for their tastes. I, on the other hand, am probably quite delicious.” John snorted at this but said nothing.
Teyla and Elizabeth exchanged a glance that spoke volumes. (Ronon wasn’t at this meeting, having been deemed too new to the team to be part of the mission planning just yet.)
“The people of P-8964302 have been gone for over a hundred years, although ruins and other traces of their civilization remain. However the scrolls that hint of the existence of their ZPMs indicate that they are buried deep in the jungle.” Teyla’s tone was neutral as always.
“Oh, this just gets better and better,” Rodney bitched. “Why do you need me on this mission again? Can’t you just have Major McAncientGene and his merry band of supersoldiers hack through the impenetrable jungle - which is probably filled with spiders and other poisonous creatures, I might add - find the ZPMs and bring them back here where I can test them and assess their power levels in the safety and comfort of my air-conditioned lab?”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes at that. Sheppard almost snickered out loud at the sight.
“Calm down, Dr. McKay,” she said in an unusually exasperated tone. “There may be some kind of traps or safeguards on them that require your brainpower to decipher.” To her credit, she managed to say ‘brainpower’ without a hint of sarcasm.
“Not feeling any better about this at all!” Rodney practically yelled. Sheppard gave him an industrial-strength smirk just for good measure. McKay still hadn’t looked at him once during the entire briefing.
“Enough, Rodney. Your objections have been noted, and you’re still going.”
“So when they find my remains next year in the jungle, you’ll have it on record that I said this was a very, VERY bad idea. Okay then, problem solved.” He heaved a theatrical sigh and marched out of the room.
“We’re meeting at the gate in one hour!” John yelled after his retreating back. Rodney waved a hand angrily in response.
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Forthwith, Chapter 3.
Title: A Thousand Suns (2/4)
Author: _arby_
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: R
Spoilers: through "Trinity"
Warnings: language
Length: 1398 words
Disclaimer: Still don't own 'em.
Summary: In which Rodney acts out.
Note: Part 1 is here.
----------------------------------------------------------
Sheppard watched Rodney and Zelenka, deep in conversation. He tried not to be jealous and failed. If Rodney wants Radek, there’s not much you can do about it now, his brain helpfully advised him. Zelenka’s had a crush on him for ages anyway - it’s not like that harebrained scheme with Parrish. Or John’s own cock-driven reaction to Ronon, for that matter. For the umpteenth time since he turned Rodney away from his door (a repentant, eager-to-please Rodney!, his dick reminded him, also not helping) he wondered if he was doing the right thing. Maybe it really didn’t matter so much whether Rodney grew up and learned to be considerate of anyone, let alone the person he was sleeping with. He was reminded again that he desperately, truly, madly, deeply wanted to fuck Ronon, and that he’d hoped to be able to finagle Rodney into a three-way at some point. He tried, unsuccessfully, not to get hard at the thought. No chance of that now, unless by some miracle Zelenka was giving Rodney some pointers on how not to be a total asshole. I’m just saying, sleeping with Ronon would be a very, VERY bad idea, his brain reiterated. But hot as hell, his cock chimed in again. Rodney would never forgive you. Anyway it was well known by the entire base that Dex was Caldwell’s sex-slave now. John shifted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to disguise the massive boner he was now sporting. Jesus, you’re pathetic, his brain declared in a smug tone. Shut up - you sound like Rodney! his cock retaliated. He wondered if he could possibly “borrow” Ronon from Caldwell for a night - surely the Colonel had the tiniest bit of gratitude to Sheppard for hooking them up. Then he wondered how the hell he could keep it from getting back to Rodney. They were kind of on a break, though, weren’t they? So maybe it was sort of, somehow excusable. He was reminded of Ross from Friends (“WE WERE ON A BREAK!!!”) .
“Sheppard.”
He looked up to meet Dex’s golden, unblinking gaze. John raised an eyebrow, trying to bely the twitch in his pants at the sight of him.
“What’s up, Ronon?”
Ronon sat down without ceremony or even asking permission. John noticed that Zelenka had left the cafeteria, and Rodney sat alone, staring into space. He felt guilty at the sight, and looked away.
“I have been ordered to ask you something.”
Whoa. Also, hot. He had no doubt who the commanding officer was. “Ooookay. What might that be?”
“Would you come to Colonel Caldwell’s quarters this Friday at 8 pm?” Dex kept his expression impassive. Sheppard bit back the urge to laugh out loud.
“He’s not going to insult me, is he? ‘Cause I hate it when he does that.”
“I’m not allowed to say.”
Ha! John was intrigued - not to mention horny as a bitch in heat. Whatever was going on, it sounded sexy. It didn’t take him long to make up his mind. “Oh, all right.”
“Good. I’ll tell him you’ll be there.” He gave Sheppard a look that made his loins melt, then got up and strode away.
* * * * *
7 am, Lab. Rodney was undercaffeinated and cranky, and appeared not to have slept very well.
“Goddamn it, I told you for the hundredth time that what you’re trying do is not going to work! The angle is all wrong, this x should be a y, and furthermore you’re reversing the wrong polarity! I mean, honestly. I don’t expect you people to be up to my level, but can we PLEASE try to get out of the Stone Age here!”
The offending lab techs scurried out of the way as Rodney came down on them like an irritable Canadian whirlwind. Zelenka gave him a look.
“Don’t look at me that way, Radek - they deserve it. These calculations are so wrong it’s as if they were using abacuses or something - it’s inexcusable!”
Rodney knew he was behaving worse than ever, but the more he tried to think of how the others might feel, the guiltier he felt, which made him act out defensively. It seemed Zelenka’s pep talk had inadvertantly had the opposite effect as he intended. And having bared his soul and confessed all his insecurities to his friend, he now felt foolish and resentful instead of humbled or considerate.
Zelenka watched him with some apprehension, as if he didn’t think things were going very well at all.
* * * * *
8 am, briefing room. Sheppard sat in the coveted cool spot, preempting Rodney. He hoped to at least get a scowl out of it, but… nothing.
Weir came in and sat in her usual spot. This would have been unremarkable except for the fact that Rodney had just been about to steal it. Foiled, he shot an evil glare around the room at no one in particular, and was forced to settle for the least desirable chair in front of the door.
“So, what do we got?” Sheppard feigned impatience.
“P-8964302.”
“Isn’t that the world we rejected a while back due to the, oh, I don’t know, enormous WILD ANIMALS that were running loose everywhere?” Rodney said, his tone dripping sarcasm. Sheppard stared at him, trying to get McKay to even glance in his direction. Rodney managed to look everywhere but at where he sat.
“It was,” Weir said patiently, “but things have changed since then. We have reason to believe that P-8964302 has not one but two ZPMs hidden on the planet’s surface.”
“Well, how nice for them. Do any people live there, or have they all been EATEN by the aforementioned WILD ANIMALS?”
Sheppard drawled lazily, “Oh, don’t be such a baby, McKay. I’m sure Ronon and Teyla can handle them.”
Rodney rolled his eyes so dramatically that John thought they might fall out of his head. “Easy for you to say, Scrawny - I’m sure you’d be too bony for their tastes. I, on the other hand, am probably quite delicious.” John snorted at this but said nothing.
Teyla and Elizabeth exchanged a glance that spoke volumes. (Ronon wasn’t at this meeting, having been deemed too new to the team to be part of the mission planning just yet.)
“The people of P-8964302 have been gone for over a hundred years, although ruins and other traces of their civilization remain. However the scrolls that hint of the existence of their ZPMs indicate that they are buried deep in the jungle.” Teyla’s tone was neutral as always.
“Oh, this just gets better and better,” Rodney bitched. “Why do you need me on this mission again? Can’t you just have Major McAncientGene and his merry band of supersoldiers hack through the impenetrable jungle - which is probably filled with spiders and other poisonous creatures, I might add - find the ZPMs and bring them back here where I can test them and assess their power levels in the safety and comfort of my air-conditioned lab?”
Elizabeth rolled her eyes at that. Sheppard almost snickered out loud at the sight.
“Calm down, Dr. McKay,” she said in an unusually exasperated tone. “There may be some kind of traps or safeguards on them that require your brainpower to decipher.” To her credit, she managed to say ‘brainpower’ without a hint of sarcasm.
“Not feeling any better about this at all!” Rodney practically yelled. Sheppard gave him an industrial-strength smirk just for good measure. McKay still hadn’t looked at him once during the entire briefing.
“Enough, Rodney. Your objections have been noted, and you’re still going.”
“So when they find my remains next year in the jungle, you’ll have it on record that I said this was a very, VERY bad idea. Okay then, problem solved.” He heaved a theatrical sigh and marched out of the room.
“We’re meeting at the gate in one hour!” John yelled after his retreating back. Rodney waved a hand angrily in response.
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Forthwith, Chapter 3.