Denial and Discovery
Denial and Discovery
By SecondSilk
John/Rodney PG
~900 words
Owned by others.
A ritual interrogation on a friendly planet.
This idea has been driving batty for months. Glad to finally have it out.
The Mytharts of M57-7XB liked to know exactly who they were trading with-liked to know that a trading party was representative of all the characteristics the Mytharts possessed themselves. If none of them could step forward to claim an identity, they would have to return in a month with a different delegation.
They did fine through family relationships and childhood experiences. John really had a good feeling about the whole thing and the apparent diversity of his team until one of the four interrogators asked,
“And which of you seeks the company of the same sex.”
John managed not to flinch by dint of years of practice. A glance at Teyla confirmed that this was still a parenthood and marriage question, and a glance at Ronon that he wasn’t going to step forward. John had just convinced himself to lie on his mission report and say that he had been lying when Rodney took a step forward and said, “I do.”
The next interrogator opened his mouth to ask a question, but John’s self control failed him. He hadn’t practiced this.
“No, you don’t,” he said.
The look he got in return was a purely Rodney mix of resignation and anger, like John was disappointingly but unsurprisingly stupid. John realised that he had expected indignation and bluster from Rodney at having his bluff called.
Instead Rodney’s voice was level and his gaze intense when he said, “Yes, I do,” daring John to be, what? homophobic?
The Mythart interrogations were unhappy with the interruption. With half an ear John heard Teyla begin an explanation of the taboos of John’s culture and understood from the Mytharts that the problems was much less John’s-apparent!-intolerance than the fact that Rodney might be lying. John wondered whether a declaration from him would smooth things over, but he couldn’t look away from Rodney to ask.
“What about Carter? and Katie? and Keller?” They’d only been broken up a couple of months.
“Oh, right, so no one’s even been bisexual before.” And there was Rodney’s indignation.
“Come on, McKay! You haven’t looked twice at any guy since you stepped through the gate from Earth.”
“And you’d have noticed?” Rodney said, as scornful and incredulous as he ever was in his doubt of others.
“Of course I would have,” John said.
Rodney’s face changed immediately, the way it did when he discovered the variable for a new equation, or caught an interesting energy signature, or realised exactly how he was going to put John in checkmate. It made John’s heart beat strangely. John wondered what he had given away.
He was by the way Rodney moved into his pace: unsure but unhesitant.
“John,” Rodney said. He reached for John’s shoulder and John moved into it, helpless against the bright focus of Rodney’s gaze. “John, I haven’t looked twice at another man since you sat down in that chair and thought about where we were in the universe.”
Oh, John thought. And, when he couldn’t find any words to say, said that. “Oh.”
Rodney smiled at him, a soft brilliant smile. John couldn’t not return it.
Rodney glanced at their interrogators, who were explaining exactly what Rodney would have to do to prove the truth of his statement and make amends if he couldn’t.
“We’ve got to sort out this mess,” Rodney said, his voice only tinged with accusation. “And do the trade thing. Then, once we get back to Atlantis-after the medical check and the debriefing and maybe dinner, depending on whether we eat here and what time it is and what the mess has made-I’m going to follow you actually into your quarters and I’m going to kiss you. I’ve waited a long time thinking I’d never get to and I’m annoyed at having to wait any longer now I know I can.”
“That’s a great plan and all, McKay,” John drawled.
For a moment he had thought that it would be funny, but the way Rodney’s face fell, the way he tried to hide it, made John’s heart beat strangely in the way that wasn’t pleasant. He didn’t wait a beat to cup Rodney’s jaw and press his lips to Rodney’s. Rodney responded meekly, went along with it. John growled and pulled Rodney harder against him, til their teeth were pressed against the insides of their lips. He pulled off breathlessly.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I just-I wanted-”
He hoped that he could just kiss Rodney instead of explaining that that was what he wanted. Rodney seemed to get it this time, because he kissed back, his tongue hot and strong against John’s lips and then in his mouth.
John hoped he managed to school his expression into something resembling diplomatic interest when he finally let Rodney go and turned back to the Mythart interrogators. Rodney was staring at the ground grinning. Their interrogators looked mostly amused and tolerant, although Jennat, who had asked the question in the first place looked smug. Teyla, John thought, looked entirely too indulgent.
“That matter is settled then,” Banek said. “Which of you has conceived a child?”
Teyla stepped forward for that. John maintained his expression of polite interest and engagement, despite the strange beating of his heart and the fact that Rodney was standing right next to him, sneaking glances at him and smiling, but barely. He hoped that he would need to practice.
~*~
By SecondSilk
John/Rodney PG
~900 words
Owned by others.
A ritual interrogation on a friendly planet.
This idea has been driving batty for months. Glad to finally have it out.
The Mytharts of M57-7XB liked to know exactly who they were trading with-liked to know that a trading party was representative of all the characteristics the Mytharts possessed themselves. If none of them could step forward to claim an identity, they would have to return in a month with a different delegation.
They did fine through family relationships and childhood experiences. John really had a good feeling about the whole thing and the apparent diversity of his team until one of the four interrogators asked,
“And which of you seeks the company of the same sex.”
John managed not to flinch by dint of years of practice. A glance at Teyla confirmed that this was still a parenthood and marriage question, and a glance at Ronon that he wasn’t going to step forward. John had just convinced himself to lie on his mission report and say that he had been lying when Rodney took a step forward and said, “I do.”
The next interrogator opened his mouth to ask a question, but John’s self control failed him. He hadn’t practiced this.
“No, you don’t,” he said.
The look he got in return was a purely Rodney mix of resignation and anger, like John was disappointingly but unsurprisingly stupid. John realised that he had expected indignation and bluster from Rodney at having his bluff called.
Instead Rodney’s voice was level and his gaze intense when he said, “Yes, I do,” daring John to be, what? homophobic?
The Mythart interrogations were unhappy with the interruption. With half an ear John heard Teyla begin an explanation of the taboos of John’s culture and understood from the Mytharts that the problems was much less John’s-apparent!-intolerance than the fact that Rodney might be lying. John wondered whether a declaration from him would smooth things over, but he couldn’t look away from Rodney to ask.
“What about Carter? and Katie? and Keller?” They’d only been broken up a couple of months.
“Oh, right, so no one’s even been bisexual before.” And there was Rodney’s indignation.
“Come on, McKay! You haven’t looked twice at any guy since you stepped through the gate from Earth.”
“And you’d have noticed?” Rodney said, as scornful and incredulous as he ever was in his doubt of others.
“Of course I would have,” John said.
Rodney’s face changed immediately, the way it did when he discovered the variable for a new equation, or caught an interesting energy signature, or realised exactly how he was going to put John in checkmate. It made John’s heart beat strangely. John wondered what he had given away.
He was by the way Rodney moved into his pace: unsure but unhesitant.
“John,” Rodney said. He reached for John’s shoulder and John moved into it, helpless against the bright focus of Rodney’s gaze. “John, I haven’t looked twice at another man since you sat down in that chair and thought about where we were in the universe.”
Oh, John thought. And, when he couldn’t find any words to say, said that. “Oh.”
Rodney smiled at him, a soft brilliant smile. John couldn’t not return it.
Rodney glanced at their interrogators, who were explaining exactly what Rodney would have to do to prove the truth of his statement and make amends if he couldn’t.
“We’ve got to sort out this mess,” Rodney said, his voice only tinged with accusation. “And do the trade thing. Then, once we get back to Atlantis-after the medical check and the debriefing and maybe dinner, depending on whether we eat here and what time it is and what the mess has made-I’m going to follow you actually into your quarters and I’m going to kiss you. I’ve waited a long time thinking I’d never get to and I’m annoyed at having to wait any longer now I know I can.”
“That’s a great plan and all, McKay,” John drawled.
For a moment he had thought that it would be funny, but the way Rodney’s face fell, the way he tried to hide it, made John’s heart beat strangely in the way that wasn’t pleasant. He didn’t wait a beat to cup Rodney’s jaw and press his lips to Rodney’s. Rodney responded meekly, went along with it. John growled and pulled Rodney harder against him, til their teeth were pressed against the insides of their lips. He pulled off breathlessly.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I just-I wanted-”
He hoped that he could just kiss Rodney instead of explaining that that was what he wanted. Rodney seemed to get it this time, because he kissed back, his tongue hot and strong against John’s lips and then in his mouth.
John hoped he managed to school his expression into something resembling diplomatic interest when he finally let Rodney go and turned back to the Mythart interrogators. Rodney was staring at the ground grinning. Their interrogators looked mostly amused and tolerant, although Jennat, who had asked the question in the first place looked smug. Teyla, John thought, looked entirely too indulgent.
“That matter is settled then,” Banek said. “Which of you has conceived a child?”
Teyla stepped forward for that. John maintained his expression of polite interest and engagement, despite the strange beating of his heart and the fact that Rodney was standing right next to him, sneaking glances at him and smiling, but barely. He hoped that he would need to practice.
~*~