Keeping watch (over you)
546 words, G (first time posting here)
The trees around him are quiet, barely a soft rustling of leaves and it easens his stance some. Here, in this quiet he'll easily hear if anyone tries to sneak up on them. Rodney never likes having watch. For once it's not rooted into his distaste of nature and being uncomfortable. It's not because of the bugs that always come out at night no matter which planet they're on. Nor the chill, or the damp mist rolling in that'll keep him miserable until he's rolled tight into his sleeping bag trying to build up some warmth again.
No, it's the scary responsibility of being the one to keep the others safe. He's been on an awayteam for how long now? Yet, it's always been something he fears to fail in more than anything. His team on the other hand seem to have complete trust in him and that makes parts of him knot tight and hot, like a fist underneath his breastbone.
He sighs, moves a bit to keep from stiffening up completely, and that's when he hears it. The snap of a twig, leaves making that soft noise when someone steps on them - Ronon has if nothing else been very thorough in teaching him every sound, to the point he can recognise each and every one of them. To know where the danger's coming from, and turn his body like so to not make sounds of shifting cloth and ready his weapon.
"It's just me. Don't shoot."
Rodney's tense enough to almost pull the trigger when he hears Sheppard's voice. He straightens with a snap and forgets everything about being quiet. "What are you, nuts or something? You do not sneak up on the guy holding the gun. I could've shot you!"
"Shh, Rodney. You don't wanna wake up everyone." Sheppard looks sleepyeyed and cold, blanket hanging over his shoulders as he clears the trees and joins Rodney.
"Yeah, don't be too sure about that. Maybe I want them to hear about you being stupid." But his voice is already quieter. "You okay?" Rodney nudges Sheppard as he leans back against the wide treetrunk again, his P-90 hanging from his vest again rather than clutched tight in his hands.
"Mmm. Woke up and couldn't sleep." Sheppard curls up into his blanket as he sits down on the ground, at least the tree has left enough of pine needles in a soft mat that's still dry.
"You barely even look awake, sure you're okay?" Rodney looks down at the ruffled hair and let's his hand follow the shape of John's head as he gently scritches his fingers through the soft birdsnest John calls hair.
"Mrmphh ... fine." Rodney doesn't believe a word of the muffled sounds out the nest of blanket and Sheppard, but it doesn't matter. Sheppard's a warm prescence against his thigh, soft hair sliding through Rodney's fingers and soon the soft snuffles of John falling asleep again. Rodney bends slowly so not to wake John up and plants a soft kiss on his nape, before he wraps the blanket around John tighter to keep the mist from creeping inside. He leaves his hand in John's hair while listening in on the surroundings again, this time much more relaxed but no less attentive.
(PS: written at work so I hope I didn't leave any misspellings or jumbled tenses)
The trees around him are quiet, barely a soft rustling of leaves and it easens his stance some. Here, in this quiet he'll easily hear if anyone tries to sneak up on them. Rodney never likes having watch. For once it's not rooted into his distaste of nature and being uncomfortable. It's not because of the bugs that always come out at night no matter which planet they're on. Nor the chill, or the damp mist rolling in that'll keep him miserable until he's rolled tight into his sleeping bag trying to build up some warmth again.
No, it's the scary responsibility of being the one to keep the others safe. He's been on an awayteam for how long now? Yet, it's always been something he fears to fail in more than anything. His team on the other hand seem to have complete trust in him and that makes parts of him knot tight and hot, like a fist underneath his breastbone.
He sighs, moves a bit to keep from stiffening up completely, and that's when he hears it. The snap of a twig, leaves making that soft noise when someone steps on them - Ronon has if nothing else been very thorough in teaching him every sound, to the point he can recognise each and every one of them. To know where the danger's coming from, and turn his body like so to not make sounds of shifting cloth and ready his weapon.
"It's just me. Don't shoot."
Rodney's tense enough to almost pull the trigger when he hears Sheppard's voice. He straightens with a snap and forgets everything about being quiet. "What are you, nuts or something? You do not sneak up on the guy holding the gun. I could've shot you!"
"Shh, Rodney. You don't wanna wake up everyone." Sheppard looks sleepyeyed and cold, blanket hanging over his shoulders as he clears the trees and joins Rodney.
"Yeah, don't be too sure about that. Maybe I want them to hear about you being stupid." But his voice is already quieter. "You okay?" Rodney nudges Sheppard as he leans back against the wide treetrunk again, his P-90 hanging from his vest again rather than clutched tight in his hands.
"Mmm. Woke up and couldn't sleep." Sheppard curls up into his blanket as he sits down on the ground, at least the tree has left enough of pine needles in a soft mat that's still dry.
"You barely even look awake, sure you're okay?" Rodney looks down at the ruffled hair and let's his hand follow the shape of John's head as he gently scritches his fingers through the soft birdsnest John calls hair.
"Mrmphh ... fine." Rodney doesn't believe a word of the muffled sounds out the nest of blanket and Sheppard, but it doesn't matter. Sheppard's a warm prescence against his thigh, soft hair sliding through Rodney's fingers and soon the soft snuffles of John falling asleep again. Rodney bends slowly so not to wake John up and plants a soft kiss on his nape, before he wraps the blanket around John tighter to keep the mist from creeping inside. He leaves his hand in John's hair while listening in on the surroundings again, this time much more relaxed but no less attentive.
(PS: written at work so I hope I didn't leave any misspellings or jumbled tenses)