Challenge #7 Fic: Not quite ready. PG.
John/Rodney. PG. Established Relationship. Spoilers for Miller's Crossing. 904 words.
Summary: "Are you sure Katie won't take you back?" John shifted uncomfortably next to him and Rodney considered stabbing himself to death with a fork.
Not quite ready
Rodney just needed to look at John to know exactly what he was thinking.
"It's not really smaller than your bed on Atlantis," he said, trying to smile.
John gave him a look. "Yeah, but there's a perfectly fine bed over there."
"You think Jeannie won't notice if there's only the bed slept in?"
"So she'll notice," John simply said.
Rodney looked away. They'd sort of been over this before. "John, please. You know how she's been. She's still trying to get me back with Katie. And when I tell her about us, she'll just be like that with you. And I don't want that."
John frowned. "You don't want her to know in case we break up?"
"I.... That's not what I said." He looked away. He hated himself for it, but part of him did think exactly that. But he couldn't let John think that he thought that. He turned back to him. "It's just that this is so new. We're still finding our way here and I really like where we're going." He smiled at John. "So I don't want Jeannie to... complicate things."
John looked at him and then nodded. He didn't look happy.
"John," Rodney said, stepping towards him and putting his hands around his waist. "I'm sorry. I just don't know how she'll react and I don't know if I'm prepared for that. I mean I can hardly understand it myself." And that was the whole truth really.
John's mouth quirked and he put his arms around Rodney. "You couldn't resist my manly charms."
Rodney snorted. "Yes, that must be it."
"And I could put them to much better use if we shared a bed."
Rodney took in a deep breath. "This does sound very tempting, except that even if she did know, I'd never have sex in the house of my sister."
"Not even a little?" John asked, waggling his eyebrows.
"I don't even want to know what you mean by that. And no. No sex."
"What about fooling around a bit?" John leaned in closer and breathed into his ear.
A shiver ran down Rodney's spine. John was really fighting dirty, but Rodney thought of his sister knowing what he'd been doing and remained firm. "No."
John pulled his face back far enough that Rodney could see the pout.
"Oh, for God's sake." He pulled John into a kiss that quickly deepened until John's hand slid up Rodney's shirt. Rodney hit it playfully. "Uh-uh. You'll get your presents when we return."
John sighed. "I guess I'll prepare the couch then."
~~
"Are you sure Katie won't take you back?"
John shifted uncomfortably next to him and Rodney considered stabbing himself to death with a fork.
"Who's Katie?" Maddy asked.
Rodney covered his eyes as Jeannie started. "She was your Uncle Mer's girlfriend. And I think he should really consider trying to resolve things with her," she continued, turning to him. "She really liked you. And you wouldn't have to spend Christmas with us and a friend, no offense, John, if you'd just try to talk with her."
John squirmed and Rodney could see that he was forcing a smile to his face.
"But John is Uncle Mer's boyfriend," Maddy said.
John's face fell, Kaleb's eyes widened and Jeannie turned to her daughter with a smile.
"No, sweety. John is here because he's a good friend of Uncle Meredith." She turned to John as she added, "And he's always welcome here." This time the smile that John returned was genuine.
Jeannie returned to her food and Rodney tried to relax again, when Maddy asked, "Then why did Uncle Mer kiss him?"
They all stared at her. Then the stares turned to focus on him. Jeannie's mouth was half-open and he could practically feel her preparing a cross examination. Kaleb looked curious.
John gave him a pointed look, then frowned and said, "She's right. Why do you kiss me when I'm not your boyfriend?"
Rodney glared at him. He wasn't sure if John was trying to be funny or to torment him. Of course it could be both.
Before Jeannie could demand an answer, Rodney lifted his hands in defeat. "Okay, fine. I'm with John. Are you happy now?" He said the last to both Jeannie and John.
He could see John smiling widely out of the corner of his eye, but he was watching Jeannie for her reaction.
When she suddenly got up, Rodney had a moment of panic, but then she smiled and looked almost tearful as she leaned down and hugged him. "Yes. You wouldn't believe how happy I am. I had always hoped you'd find someone, but after Katie.... This is so much better."
She turned to John and hugged him, too. "Thank you for putting up with my brother."
"Hey!" Rodney protested, watching John hug her back.
"It's my pleasure," John said with a smile and Rodney was only glad that there wasn't any innuendo in it.
Jeannie sat back down at her place.
Kaleb smiled at them.
"I was right," Maddy pointed out.
"Yes, it seems you were," Jeannie said, beaming at Rodney again.
They started eating again and Rodney just watched around the table where everyone continued perfectly normally. That had gone a lot better than he'd thought. He relaxed and dug into his potato when Jeannie gestured with her fork.
"So, when exactly did you stop being straight?"
Summary: "Are you sure Katie won't take you back?" John shifted uncomfortably next to him and Rodney considered stabbing himself to death with a fork.
Not quite ready
Rodney just needed to look at John to know exactly what he was thinking.
"It's not really smaller than your bed on Atlantis," he said, trying to smile.
John gave him a look. "Yeah, but there's a perfectly fine bed over there."
"You think Jeannie won't notice if there's only the bed slept in?"
"So she'll notice," John simply said.
Rodney looked away. They'd sort of been over this before. "John, please. You know how she's been. She's still trying to get me back with Katie. And when I tell her about us, she'll just be like that with you. And I don't want that."
John frowned. "You don't want her to know in case we break up?"
"I.... That's not what I said." He looked away. He hated himself for it, but part of him did think exactly that. But he couldn't let John think that he thought that. He turned back to him. "It's just that this is so new. We're still finding our way here and I really like where we're going." He smiled at John. "So I don't want Jeannie to... complicate things."
John looked at him and then nodded. He didn't look happy.
"John," Rodney said, stepping towards him and putting his hands around his waist. "I'm sorry. I just don't know how she'll react and I don't know if I'm prepared for that. I mean I can hardly understand it myself." And that was the whole truth really.
John's mouth quirked and he put his arms around Rodney. "You couldn't resist my manly charms."
Rodney snorted. "Yes, that must be it."
"And I could put them to much better use if we shared a bed."
Rodney took in a deep breath. "This does sound very tempting, except that even if she did know, I'd never have sex in the house of my sister."
"Not even a little?" John asked, waggling his eyebrows.
"I don't even want to know what you mean by that. And no. No sex."
"What about fooling around a bit?" John leaned in closer and breathed into his ear.
A shiver ran down Rodney's spine. John was really fighting dirty, but Rodney thought of his sister knowing what he'd been doing and remained firm. "No."
John pulled his face back far enough that Rodney could see the pout.
"Oh, for God's sake." He pulled John into a kiss that quickly deepened until John's hand slid up Rodney's shirt. Rodney hit it playfully. "Uh-uh. You'll get your presents when we return."
John sighed. "I guess I'll prepare the couch then."
~~
"Are you sure Katie won't take you back?"
John shifted uncomfortably next to him and Rodney considered stabbing himself to death with a fork.
"Who's Katie?" Maddy asked.
Rodney covered his eyes as Jeannie started. "She was your Uncle Mer's girlfriend. And I think he should really consider trying to resolve things with her," she continued, turning to him. "She really liked you. And you wouldn't have to spend Christmas with us and a friend, no offense, John, if you'd just try to talk with her."
John squirmed and Rodney could see that he was forcing a smile to his face.
"But John is Uncle Mer's boyfriend," Maddy said.
John's face fell, Kaleb's eyes widened and Jeannie turned to her daughter with a smile.
"No, sweety. John is here because he's a good friend of Uncle Meredith." She turned to John as she added, "And he's always welcome here." This time the smile that John returned was genuine.
Jeannie returned to her food and Rodney tried to relax again, when Maddy asked, "Then why did Uncle Mer kiss him?"
They all stared at her. Then the stares turned to focus on him. Jeannie's mouth was half-open and he could practically feel her preparing a cross examination. Kaleb looked curious.
John gave him a pointed look, then frowned and said, "She's right. Why do you kiss me when I'm not your boyfriend?"
Rodney glared at him. He wasn't sure if John was trying to be funny or to torment him. Of course it could be both.
Before Jeannie could demand an answer, Rodney lifted his hands in defeat. "Okay, fine. I'm with John. Are you happy now?" He said the last to both Jeannie and John.
He could see John smiling widely out of the corner of his eye, but he was watching Jeannie for her reaction.
When she suddenly got up, Rodney had a moment of panic, but then she smiled and looked almost tearful as she leaned down and hugged him. "Yes. You wouldn't believe how happy I am. I had always hoped you'd find someone, but after Katie.... This is so much better."
She turned to John and hugged him, too. "Thank you for putting up with my brother."
"Hey!" Rodney protested, watching John hug her back.
"It's my pleasure," John said with a smile and Rodney was only glad that there wasn't any innuendo in it.
Jeannie sat back down at her place.
Kaleb smiled at them.
"I was right," Maddy pointed out.
"Yes, it seems you were," Jeannie said, beaming at Rodney again.
They started eating again and Rodney just watched around the table where everyone continued perfectly normally. That had gone a lot better than he'd thought. He relaxed and dug into his potato when Jeannie gestured with her fork.
"So, when exactly did you stop being straight?"