Challenge Fic: Envy Squared (NC-17ish)
Written for the #25 Challenge - Envy
Title: Envy Squared
Author: neevebrody
Word Count: ~2,100
Pairing: John/Rodney
Rating: NC-17 to be safe, but nothing explicit
Warnings/Spoilers: S4 to Reunion, spoilers for Reunion
Legal: So not mine.
Notes: Kudos to
keefaq for the speedy last minute beta and suggestions! (I picked after, so any mistakes are mine)
Summary: The man liked flying, shooting and women with long dark hair and dark eyes, and pretty much in that order… Rodney was sure of that.
I used Webster's definition of envy here. Hopefully the title will make sense - I didn't have a clue for this one.
Envy Squared
"Son of a bitch!" Rodney blew through the doors of the lab.
Zelenka looked up from his computer. "Rodney?"
"That backstabbing son of a bitch!" Rodney exclaimed.
Radek pushed his glasses up and squinted at the man pacing back and forth in front of his desk. "What is it? What's wrong, Rodney?"
"Sheppard! That brown-nosing, backstabbing-"
"Rodney, calm down. Why are you angry with Colonel Sheppard?"
"The fruit bowl, you know the one I was going to give to Sam-as a welcome present?"
Radek nodded.
"Sheppard said it was a lame gift, made me give her flowers, instead," Rodney said, still pacing.
"Made you?" Zelenka asked.
Rodney blinked. "You know what I mean," he said, waving his hand in a gesture of dismissal. "He suggested flowers as a better gift, then he goes and gives the fruit to Sam as his gift."
"And?"
"And-she says it's a wonderful gift and so thoughtful of Colonel Sheppard-"
"Excuse me, Rodney, but if it was your intention to give it to Colonel Carter first, weren't you trying to, um, brown-nose, too?"
Rodney gave him a look like he'd just discovered Radek was hoarding coffee and chocolate. "Of course not. Sam and I-we, we have a history. I was just trying to welcome her and let her know there were no hard feelings between us-seeing how the IOA saw fit to put her in charge instead of me." Rodney's chin lifted slightly as he finished.
Radek gave Rodney a tight smile and turned his attention back to his computer, but added, "Well, I don't think Colonel Sheppard did this for the reasons you think."
"What?" Rodney grumbled. "What would you know about Sheppard's intentions? Oh, one space walk together and you're like best pals or something?"
Radek looked up. "More than you, apparently."
Rodney waved him off and sat down at his own desk. But Radek's words kept drifting into the foreground of Rodney's thoughts no matter how hard he tried to keep them back. After several minutes, he found himself back at Zelenka's table trying to think of a good reason for being there. Radek looked up.
"You wanted something, Rodney?"
"What the hell did you mean by that-more than me, apparently?" he blurted out.
Zelenka blinked at him before answering. "Just that I'm sure Sheppard didn't, uh, how do you say-double-cross you in order to gain favor with Colonel Carter."
Rodney treated Radek to one of his best what-kind-of-idiot-do-you-take-me-for looks, complete with eye roll and that zig-zagged smirk. "And just how do you know that?" he asked, crossing his arms in front of him.
Radek shrugged. "I don't. I just think the Colonel has his eye on someone else."
Rodney looked stricken, but recovered nicely. "Oh, and what makes you think that?"
~~~~
Rodney wouldn't call Radek's information exactly helpful. It was supposition, pure and simple… based on Zelenka's own unusual thought processes and God only knew how the man had arrived at his conclusion. It was… well it was crazy. There was no way Sheppard… but what if Zelenka was right, it happened on occasion… but where his insight into Sheppard's proclivities had come from, Rodney just couldn't figure. The man liked flying, shooting and women with long dark hair and dark eyes, and pretty much in that order… Rodney was sure of that.
He was so engrossed in trying to make rational sense of what Radek had told him, he swiped his hand over the chimes at John's door instead of barging in as usual. That did not, however, stop him from barreling past John into the room as soon as he opened the door.
"Hi, Rodney. Something on your mind?"
Rodney turned to stare at him. It just couldn't be.
"Something you wanna say? I'm kind of busy."
Rodney looked around blankly and noted the stack of comics on the rumpled bed. "Uhm, there was. I mean, I was angry with you about-you gave the fruit bowl, my fruit bowl, to Sam. Why did you do that?"
"So, you've seen Colonel Carter?"
"Yes, and she thinks the gift is wonderful, by the way, and such a thoughtful gesture. But I'm sure she told you that."
John closed the door and walked past Rodney to sit on the edge of his bed. "You got something to say, McKay, out with it."
"I just never figured you for the type to try and score a few points with the brass at the expense of your friends," Rodney said, his voice an eerie mix of calm and… calm.
John was silent and ducked his head.
"And especially with a woman… I mean you just turn on that Sheppard, golly gee, shucks ma'am, charm and you're in, right?"
John didn't move.
"It's not like-I finally realize Sam doesn't see me in a romantic way." He waved his hand. "Okay, so she never did, but I went to see her to tell her there were no hard feelings, and-"
"That's not why I did it," John said, still looking at the floor. "You didn't have to give up the gift, you know. Nobody twisted your arm."
"No. You're right. I took the advice of a friend who I thought was more in tune with what women like than I am."
"I was just having a little fun with you, Rodney."
Rodney began to fidget and clasped his hands together. Flailing them around just didn't have the same impact unless there was ranting or explaining going on. The uncertain tone of the conversation seemed to warrant clasped hands. "Oh. That's not what Zelenka says."
John looked up then to face Rodney. "What's Zelenka got to do with this?"
John's eyes were penetrating and suddenly Rodney felt a stab of panic. He began to pace the area in front of the bed, heart thundering against the wall of his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. "I, uhm, may have been voicing my opinion to Zelenka about your backstabbing-"
"Hey, just a-"
"-and trying to make time with Carter because you knew about this thing between… anyway, Zelenka pointed out that he didn't think you were-that you didn't give Sam the gift for the reason I thought."
John straightened up and Rodney thought he detected the beginnings of a grin. "See, that should-"
Rodney stopped pacing in front of John and looked down at him. "Radek said he didn't think you were interested in Sam, or in currying favor with her. He said he thought you were interested in someone else."
John's mouth gaped for a moment before he ducked his head again. "Oh yeah? I don't suppose he happened to mention anyone in particular." Rodney watched John's hand, rubbing back and forth over his thigh. Sheppard always got twitchy when he was uncomfortable. That's when he'd start polishing his golf clubs for no reason whatsoever. Now, he reached for the closest thing at hand, one of his comics, first fingering the page edges, then rolling it into a cylinder with both hands, tighter and tighter.
"Yes," Rodney answered. "As a matter of fact he did."
It took a moment, but John finally raised his eyes to meet Rodney's.
"I just wanted to hear it from you," Rodney said quietly.
John tried to shrug the whole thing off by saying he didn't know what Zelenka was talking about, but Rodney wasn't having any of it. He was determined. In the time it had taken him to walk from the lab to Sheppard's quarters, he'd tried to make himself receptive to Radek's theory and seeing John this nervous, he was convinced.
"Is it true?" Rodney persisted.
The comic would never be the same; it had been irreparably twisted into a spiral by those strong hands and he knew the one thing John wanted to do right then was to move, to get up, pace or leave the room, so he stepped closer to make sure that wasn't an option. It wasn't that he liked putting John in this position, squirming, unsure, imperfect for once… but, yeah, maybe he did.
"Is what true?" John asked, before lowering his eyes.
Rodney sighed, reached out and tipped John's chin up. "Are you interested in me?"
Predictably, John turned wide-eyed and even with Rodney standing right there, he jumped up but Rodney caught his arm, dragged him back down and sat down beside him. "Are you trying to avoid my question, Colonel? Never figured you for the backing down type either."
"Rodney, it's-"
Sweat prickled the back of his neck as Rodney slowly became aware of the throbbing pulse in his ears. Looking down, he saw he still had a hand on John's arm and that John hadn't pulled away told Rodney a lot. "It's what?" he asked.
John took a deep breath and stared into Rodney's eyes. "It's complicated. I don't know how to answer that question."
"It's simple, are you interested in me… in a not-just-how-a-friend-feels-about-another-friend kind of way?"
"There's nothing simple about you, Rodney." Something in the tone of John's voice hung heavy in the air.
"Well, I'm flattered by that remark-I think."
John scrubbed his hand over the back of his neck - the supreme Sheppard buying time response.
Rodney grinned and decided to help him along. He tugged gently on John's arm and leaned in to brush his lips over John's, very lightly, pulling back just so their mouths were almost touching, their hot breath mingling in the gap, and Rodney noticed John's breathing got faster just before he whispered, "Yes."
Rodney tugged him closer. "Yes, what?"
Instead of an answer, John leaned forward and claimed Rodney's mouth and Rodney shivered at the warm brush of John's hand along the side of his face. The kiss was unhurried and meandered into a hot, deliberate intensity as lips and tongues found ways to fit together in a slow-building exploration that had them both finally breaking for air.
"Damn, Rodney." John's forehead was warm. His words were as breathless as Rodney's response.
"I'll take that as a yes, you're interested in me in a not-just-friends way." He drew back until he could see John's face.
John shrugged.
"And you never said anything? Jesus, John, why?"
Their hands carried on the exploring their mouths had started. "Like I said, it's complicated. There was always the thing with Carter and then Katie Brown, and… you're-you're not gonna freak out on me, are you?"
Rodney felt a pang of reality cut into the moment. Katie. Katie was a wonderful woman. Nice, kind and much too good for him, he suspected. Any man would be lucky to win her affections. But he and Katie had kissed, fondled each other, and it was nothing like kissing John, nothing like the heat spreading across the small of his back from John's touch.
In fact, there hadn't been many kisses in his life like this one. Maybe the first kiss from Shelly Gustafson and possibly Teresa Geldar… but those were first kisses - they were always special. Something told him that kissing John would never get stale, that it would only get better and better, and to prove it, he pulled John closer and went back for more, opening up for him in another heated dance that hardened his cock as John drew the tip of his tongue across the roof of Rodney's mouth.
He pushed John's hand lower and whispered against his lips. "Yeah, see how freaked out I am?"
John groaned. "We'll have to be careful," he said, breaking away.
The stubble covering John's jaw pricked Rodney's lips as he kissed his way to John's ear. "Hello, not a moron here. I'm well aware-"
John pushed him back. "Rodney, I'm serious. If we do this, no one can know, no one can even suspect. Apparently, Zelenka's already-"
"I'll take care of Radek," Rodney said, running his fingers along the strong jaw line. "No one will know. What are you worried about? I'm Mister Discreet."
John grinned. "That's what I'm worried about. Rodney, it could mean my-"
He pressed his fingers to John's lips and went back to nuzzle behind his ear. "Not going to happen, okay? You think I'd risk losing this? I mean I just got it, well, I haven't actually gotten it yet, but give me another ten minutes and-"
John turned into him and kissed him again, pulling a soft moan from Rodney as he let John ease him back onto the bed and slide a knee between his legs.
Atlantis was a demanding mistress. She waited for no one, nor did she usually care about the needs of her inhabitants when she required attention. Both their earpieces sprang to life at the same time.
"Finish this later?" John asked after he'd reported. Rodney nodded, pulling him down for one last kiss before they answered the call of their city.
Title: Envy Squared
Author: neevebrody
Word Count: ~2,100
Pairing: John/Rodney
Rating: NC-17 to be safe, but nothing explicit
Warnings/Spoilers: S4 to Reunion, spoilers for Reunion
Legal: So not mine.
Notes: Kudos to
keefaq for the speedy last minute beta and suggestions! (I picked after, so any mistakes are mine)
Summary: The man liked flying, shooting and women with long dark hair and dark eyes, and pretty much in that order… Rodney was sure of that.
I used Webster's definition of envy here. Hopefully the title will make sense - I didn't have a clue for this one.
Envy Squared
"Son of a bitch!" Rodney blew through the doors of the lab.
Zelenka looked up from his computer. "Rodney?"
"That backstabbing son of a bitch!" Rodney exclaimed.
Radek pushed his glasses up and squinted at the man pacing back and forth in front of his desk. "What is it? What's wrong, Rodney?"
"Sheppard! That brown-nosing, backstabbing-"
"Rodney, calm down. Why are you angry with Colonel Sheppard?"
"The fruit bowl, you know the one I was going to give to Sam-as a welcome present?"
Radek nodded.
"Sheppard said it was a lame gift, made me give her flowers, instead," Rodney said, still pacing.
"Made you?" Zelenka asked.
Rodney blinked. "You know what I mean," he said, waving his hand in a gesture of dismissal. "He suggested flowers as a better gift, then he goes and gives the fruit to Sam as his gift."
"And?"
"And-she says it's a wonderful gift and so thoughtful of Colonel Sheppard-"
"Excuse me, Rodney, but if it was your intention to give it to Colonel Carter first, weren't you trying to, um, brown-nose, too?"
Rodney gave him a look like he'd just discovered Radek was hoarding coffee and chocolate. "Of course not. Sam and I-we, we have a history. I was just trying to welcome her and let her know there were no hard feelings between us-seeing how the IOA saw fit to put her in charge instead of me." Rodney's chin lifted slightly as he finished.
Radek gave Rodney a tight smile and turned his attention back to his computer, but added, "Well, I don't think Colonel Sheppard did this for the reasons you think."
"What?" Rodney grumbled. "What would you know about Sheppard's intentions? Oh, one space walk together and you're like best pals or something?"
Radek looked up. "More than you, apparently."
Rodney waved him off and sat down at his own desk. But Radek's words kept drifting into the foreground of Rodney's thoughts no matter how hard he tried to keep them back. After several minutes, he found himself back at Zelenka's table trying to think of a good reason for being there. Radek looked up.
"You wanted something, Rodney?"
"What the hell did you mean by that-more than me, apparently?" he blurted out.
Zelenka blinked at him before answering. "Just that I'm sure Sheppard didn't, uh, how do you say-double-cross you in order to gain favor with Colonel Carter."
Rodney treated Radek to one of his best what-kind-of-idiot-do-you-take-me-for looks, complete with eye roll and that zig-zagged smirk. "And just how do you know that?" he asked, crossing his arms in front of him.
Radek shrugged. "I don't. I just think the Colonel has his eye on someone else."
Rodney looked stricken, but recovered nicely. "Oh, and what makes you think that?"
~~~~
Rodney wouldn't call Radek's information exactly helpful. It was supposition, pure and simple… based on Zelenka's own unusual thought processes and God only knew how the man had arrived at his conclusion. It was… well it was crazy. There was no way Sheppard… but what if Zelenka was right, it happened on occasion… but where his insight into Sheppard's proclivities had come from, Rodney just couldn't figure. The man liked flying, shooting and women with long dark hair and dark eyes, and pretty much in that order… Rodney was sure of that.
He was so engrossed in trying to make rational sense of what Radek had told him, he swiped his hand over the chimes at John's door instead of barging in as usual. That did not, however, stop him from barreling past John into the room as soon as he opened the door.
"Hi, Rodney. Something on your mind?"
Rodney turned to stare at him. It just couldn't be.
"Something you wanna say? I'm kind of busy."
Rodney looked around blankly and noted the stack of comics on the rumpled bed. "Uhm, there was. I mean, I was angry with you about-you gave the fruit bowl, my fruit bowl, to Sam. Why did you do that?"
"So, you've seen Colonel Carter?"
"Yes, and she thinks the gift is wonderful, by the way, and such a thoughtful gesture. But I'm sure she told you that."
John closed the door and walked past Rodney to sit on the edge of his bed. "You got something to say, McKay, out with it."
"I just never figured you for the type to try and score a few points with the brass at the expense of your friends," Rodney said, his voice an eerie mix of calm and… calm.
John was silent and ducked his head.
"And especially with a woman… I mean you just turn on that Sheppard, golly gee, shucks ma'am, charm and you're in, right?"
John didn't move.
"It's not like-I finally realize Sam doesn't see me in a romantic way." He waved his hand. "Okay, so she never did, but I went to see her to tell her there were no hard feelings, and-"
"That's not why I did it," John said, still looking at the floor. "You didn't have to give up the gift, you know. Nobody twisted your arm."
"No. You're right. I took the advice of a friend who I thought was more in tune with what women like than I am."
"I was just having a little fun with you, Rodney."
Rodney began to fidget and clasped his hands together. Flailing them around just didn't have the same impact unless there was ranting or explaining going on. The uncertain tone of the conversation seemed to warrant clasped hands. "Oh. That's not what Zelenka says."
John looked up then to face Rodney. "What's Zelenka got to do with this?"
John's eyes were penetrating and suddenly Rodney felt a stab of panic. He began to pace the area in front of the bed, heart thundering against the wall of his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. "I, uhm, may have been voicing my opinion to Zelenka about your backstabbing-"
"Hey, just a-"
"-and trying to make time with Carter because you knew about this thing between… anyway, Zelenka pointed out that he didn't think you were-that you didn't give Sam the gift for the reason I thought."
John straightened up and Rodney thought he detected the beginnings of a grin. "See, that should-"
Rodney stopped pacing in front of John and looked down at him. "Radek said he didn't think you were interested in Sam, or in currying favor with her. He said he thought you were interested in someone else."
John's mouth gaped for a moment before he ducked his head again. "Oh yeah? I don't suppose he happened to mention anyone in particular." Rodney watched John's hand, rubbing back and forth over his thigh. Sheppard always got twitchy when he was uncomfortable. That's when he'd start polishing his golf clubs for no reason whatsoever. Now, he reached for the closest thing at hand, one of his comics, first fingering the page edges, then rolling it into a cylinder with both hands, tighter and tighter.
"Yes," Rodney answered. "As a matter of fact he did."
It took a moment, but John finally raised his eyes to meet Rodney's.
"I just wanted to hear it from you," Rodney said quietly.
John tried to shrug the whole thing off by saying he didn't know what Zelenka was talking about, but Rodney wasn't having any of it. He was determined. In the time it had taken him to walk from the lab to Sheppard's quarters, he'd tried to make himself receptive to Radek's theory and seeing John this nervous, he was convinced.
"Is it true?" Rodney persisted.
The comic would never be the same; it had been irreparably twisted into a spiral by those strong hands and he knew the one thing John wanted to do right then was to move, to get up, pace or leave the room, so he stepped closer to make sure that wasn't an option. It wasn't that he liked putting John in this position, squirming, unsure, imperfect for once… but, yeah, maybe he did.
"Is what true?" John asked, before lowering his eyes.
Rodney sighed, reached out and tipped John's chin up. "Are you interested in me?"
Predictably, John turned wide-eyed and even with Rodney standing right there, he jumped up but Rodney caught his arm, dragged him back down and sat down beside him. "Are you trying to avoid my question, Colonel? Never figured you for the backing down type either."
"Rodney, it's-"
Sweat prickled the back of his neck as Rodney slowly became aware of the throbbing pulse in his ears. Looking down, he saw he still had a hand on John's arm and that John hadn't pulled away told Rodney a lot. "It's what?" he asked.
John took a deep breath and stared into Rodney's eyes. "It's complicated. I don't know how to answer that question."
"It's simple, are you interested in me… in a not-just-how-a-friend-feels-about-another-friend kind of way?"
"There's nothing simple about you, Rodney." Something in the tone of John's voice hung heavy in the air.
"Well, I'm flattered by that remark-I think."
John scrubbed his hand over the back of his neck - the supreme Sheppard buying time response.
Rodney grinned and decided to help him along. He tugged gently on John's arm and leaned in to brush his lips over John's, very lightly, pulling back just so their mouths were almost touching, their hot breath mingling in the gap, and Rodney noticed John's breathing got faster just before he whispered, "Yes."
Rodney tugged him closer. "Yes, what?"
Instead of an answer, John leaned forward and claimed Rodney's mouth and Rodney shivered at the warm brush of John's hand along the side of his face. The kiss was unhurried and meandered into a hot, deliberate intensity as lips and tongues found ways to fit together in a slow-building exploration that had them both finally breaking for air.
"Damn, Rodney." John's forehead was warm. His words were as breathless as Rodney's response.
"I'll take that as a yes, you're interested in me in a not-just-friends way." He drew back until he could see John's face.
John shrugged.
"And you never said anything? Jesus, John, why?"
Their hands carried on the exploring their mouths had started. "Like I said, it's complicated. There was always the thing with Carter and then Katie Brown, and… you're-you're not gonna freak out on me, are you?"
Rodney felt a pang of reality cut into the moment. Katie. Katie was a wonderful woman. Nice, kind and much too good for him, he suspected. Any man would be lucky to win her affections. But he and Katie had kissed, fondled each other, and it was nothing like kissing John, nothing like the heat spreading across the small of his back from John's touch.
In fact, there hadn't been many kisses in his life like this one. Maybe the first kiss from Shelly Gustafson and possibly Teresa Geldar… but those were first kisses - they were always special. Something told him that kissing John would never get stale, that it would only get better and better, and to prove it, he pulled John closer and went back for more, opening up for him in another heated dance that hardened his cock as John drew the tip of his tongue across the roof of Rodney's mouth.
He pushed John's hand lower and whispered against his lips. "Yeah, see how freaked out I am?"
John groaned. "We'll have to be careful," he said, breaking away.
The stubble covering John's jaw pricked Rodney's lips as he kissed his way to John's ear. "Hello, not a moron here. I'm well aware-"
John pushed him back. "Rodney, I'm serious. If we do this, no one can know, no one can even suspect. Apparently, Zelenka's already-"
"I'll take care of Radek," Rodney said, running his fingers along the strong jaw line. "No one will know. What are you worried about? I'm Mister Discreet."
John grinned. "That's what I'm worried about. Rodney, it could mean my-"
He pressed his fingers to John's lips and went back to nuzzle behind his ear. "Not going to happen, okay? You think I'd risk losing this? I mean I just got it, well, I haven't actually gotten it yet, but give me another ten minutes and-"
John turned into him and kissed him again, pulling a soft moan from Rodney as he let John ease him back onto the bed and slide a knee between his legs.
Atlantis was a demanding mistress. She waited for no one, nor did she usually care about the needs of her inhabitants when she required attention. Both their earpieces sprang to life at the same time.
"Finish this later?" John asked after he'd reported. Rodney nodded, pulling him down for one last kiss before they answered the call of their city.