Fic: The Purple Testament (SGA, McKay/Sheppard) PG13 by Hyperfocused
Title: The Purple Testament
Author: Hyperfocused
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Challenge: Written for both Picfor1000. and enter_Tzone.
Prompt: pic was assigned to zippitgood
Word Count: 1000
Spoilers: Finale, and after
Rating: PG13
Summary: Sometimes home is a little too welcoming.
A/N: Expanded from a couple of prior snippets..
"I'm home," Jennifer says, looking out at the Golden Gate Bridge, and that's when it hits Rodney, irrevocably and finally. They can never be what the other needs. Not when he sees John leaning over to Teyla, saying 'We'll get back home."
Keller doesn't even say "We're home", which wouldn't be accurate, either, not for any of the original expedition, Rodney's pretty sure, though perhaps it's different when you know you can go back again. Earth certainly isn't home for Ronon or Teyla. They may have learned about its cultures, and neither would seem out of place in San Francisco, or even better, Santa Cruz, but Rodney knows home is the Pegasus Galaxy. He knows this, because it's home for him, too.
The Wraith threat on Earth is gone, at least for now. Rodney has no illusions it won't be back again, somehow, or that Atlantis can stay hidden for long, cloak or no cloak. It's a heady feeling, knowing that for ill or good, Earth will know it's not alone in the universe. He can't help but be excited by that.
"Yes, you are," he tells her. "It's good to see you so happy." She doesn't notice his missing enthusiasm, just beams up at him, hand on his arm like she's glad their scary adventure is over, and can they go get ice-cream now? It reminds him of the way Jeannie used to look at him, when she was young enough for hero worship, rather than annoyance, or worse, betrayal. Jennifer is young, and beautiful, and so un-lived comparatively it's a wonder he could ever have felt romantically about her.
Still, it's a relief to see her safe, and in her element. It's all he ever wanted for her, really. She's smart enough to know it's 'goodbye' when he kisses her. "I want you to be happy, too, Rodney. Whatever it takes. Even if it isn't with me." She's proven herself the better person, because he can't quite feel guilty for what he does next, saying "fuck it" inside his head, and turning to kiss John, instead. They've saved the world. They're due a little happiness. When John sighs, and kisses him back, chapped lips, stubble and all, it finally feels like a welcome home.
Despite the excitement and chaos that had come from letting the world in on the basics of the Stargate program, John and Rodney tried for a semblance of normalcy wherever they could. Or at least what passed as normal. They'll be gating back to the Pegasus Galaxy soon, albeit with a new cast of observers and crew, and since they can, they want to bring more creature comforts with them. Rodney doesn't know it yet, but if John can work it out, creatures will be one of those comforts. He doesn't get why spayed and neutered pets shouldn't be allowed, at least after a quarantine.
They were in Home Depot, buying supplies to help fix up their living quarters -- their quarters, John loves the sound of that, and knows Rodney's going to love the big, and yes it will have a mattress fit for Rodney's back issues -- when he hears Rodney exclaim "You've got to be fucking kidding me." from across the store.
He hurries over from the grills to see what's got him so riled up.
What's wrong?"
"You know I used to say 'I wish the Stargate program was declassified' -- at least partially, because there are some things nobody else needs to know --, so I could finally get that Nobel or three, and people could find out what kind of universe we really live in?"
'John murmurs an agreeement and waits for the rest of Rodney's tirade. He knows it's coming. Rodney has that look, the one that means. "I'm going to tell you in gr eat detail what's wrong with the world. Possibly with pie charts." Despite his math thing,John likes pie more than charts, so it's best to distract Rodney before he goest all out. He does this by kissing him, which is a win-win all around, if John does say so himself. Sadly, it doesn't stop Rodney for long.
"Okay, yes. So everything -- pretty much-- is out in the open, which isn't as satisfying as I'd hoped."
"No, but the Nobel was pretty terrific, right?"
"Well yeah, but what about the movies? Vincent Ventresca plays you, and I just get that guy from Max Headroom."
"That was just Sci Fi. They're still casting the big screen. And don't forget the CBS one with George Eads and Veronica Mars' father. Besides, what do you have against Matt Frewer?" John always kind of liked him. Maybe his thing for fast talking, smart Canadians didn't start with Rodney.
"At least George Eads is hot, for a formulaic Vegas crime lab show himbo, And Vincent Ventresca was the Invisible Man." Rodney interrupts one complaint to grouse about something else. John is weirdly charmed. "I get played by bald, old, decidedly unattractive actors. But that''s not the point."
"What's the latest travesty?"
"This." The Space Glaze Collection. Exclusively at Home Depot. Very clever, SGC. Atlantis Blue. Pretty, but it doesn't come close to matching the blue-green that signals home to John. Athosian Tea Brown. Nice, and it did remind him of mornings with Teyla, at least a bit. Runner, more of a race car red, held no hint of Ronon at all, Stargate Silver. Yeah, it was all a little weird. "That's kind of unnerving," John said.
"You haven't seen the worst of it." Rodney hands him one last small, square card, a sickly whitish-green. Wraith."What moron would paint his room Wraith?"
"Someone who really doesn't get it. Thinks it's just a story." John suspects many people feel that way. It's just so far removed from their own experiences that it might as well be fiction.
"Pretty creepy."
"Yeah, buddy." John steers him away from the offending hues, and towards the exit. "Let's see what they've got at Lowe's."
Author: Hyperfocused
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Challenge: Written for both Picfor1000. and enter_Tzone.
Prompt: pic was assigned to zippitgood
Word Count: 1000
Spoilers: Finale, and after
Rating: PG13
Summary: Sometimes home is a little too welcoming.
A/N: Expanded from a couple of prior snippets..
"I'm home," Jennifer says, looking out at the Golden Gate Bridge, and that's when it hits Rodney, irrevocably and finally. They can never be what the other needs. Not when he sees John leaning over to Teyla, saying 'We'll get back home."
Keller doesn't even say "We're home", which wouldn't be accurate, either, not for any of the original expedition, Rodney's pretty sure, though perhaps it's different when you know you can go back again. Earth certainly isn't home for Ronon or Teyla. They may have learned about its cultures, and neither would seem out of place in San Francisco, or even better, Santa Cruz, but Rodney knows home is the Pegasus Galaxy. He knows this, because it's home for him, too.
The Wraith threat on Earth is gone, at least for now. Rodney has no illusions it won't be back again, somehow, or that Atlantis can stay hidden for long, cloak or no cloak. It's a heady feeling, knowing that for ill or good, Earth will know it's not alone in the universe. He can't help but be excited by that.
"Yes, you are," he tells her. "It's good to see you so happy." She doesn't notice his missing enthusiasm, just beams up at him, hand on his arm like she's glad their scary adventure is over, and can they go get ice-cream now? It reminds him of the way Jeannie used to look at him, when she was young enough for hero worship, rather than annoyance, or worse, betrayal. Jennifer is young, and beautiful, and so un-lived comparatively it's a wonder he could ever have felt romantically about her.
Still, it's a relief to see her safe, and in her element. It's all he ever wanted for her, really. She's smart enough to know it's 'goodbye' when he kisses her. "I want you to be happy, too, Rodney. Whatever it takes. Even if it isn't with me." She's proven herself the better person, because he can't quite feel guilty for what he does next, saying "fuck it" inside his head, and turning to kiss John, instead. They've saved the world. They're due a little happiness. When John sighs, and kisses him back, chapped lips, stubble and all, it finally feels like a welcome home.
Despite the excitement and chaos that had come from letting the world in on the basics of the Stargate program, John and Rodney tried for a semblance of normalcy wherever they could. Or at least what passed as normal. They'll be gating back to the Pegasus Galaxy soon, albeit with a new cast of observers and crew, and since they can, they want to bring more creature comforts with them. Rodney doesn't know it yet, but if John can work it out, creatures will be one of those comforts. He doesn't get why spayed and neutered pets shouldn't be allowed, at least after a quarantine.
They were in Home Depot, buying supplies to help fix up their living quarters -- their quarters, John loves the sound of that, and knows Rodney's going to love the big, and yes it will have a mattress fit for Rodney's back issues -- when he hears Rodney exclaim "You've got to be fucking kidding me." from across the store.
He hurries over from the grills to see what's got him so riled up.
What's wrong?"
"You know I used to say 'I wish the Stargate program was declassified' -- at least partially, because there are some things nobody else needs to know --, so I could finally get that Nobel or three, and people could find out what kind of universe we really live in?"
'John murmurs an agreeement and waits for the rest of Rodney's tirade. He knows it's coming. Rodney has that look, the one that means. "I'm going to tell you in gr eat detail what's wrong with the world. Possibly with pie charts." Despite his math thing,John likes pie more than charts, so it's best to distract Rodney before he goest all out. He does this by kissing him, which is a win-win all around, if John does say so himself. Sadly, it doesn't stop Rodney for long.
"Okay, yes. So everything -- pretty much-- is out in the open, which isn't as satisfying as I'd hoped."
"No, but the Nobel was pretty terrific, right?"
"Well yeah, but what about the movies? Vincent Ventresca plays you, and I just get that guy from Max Headroom."
"That was just Sci Fi. They're still casting the big screen. And don't forget the CBS one with George Eads and Veronica Mars' father. Besides, what do you have against Matt Frewer?" John always kind of liked him. Maybe his thing for fast talking, smart Canadians didn't start with Rodney.
"At least George Eads is hot, for a formulaic Vegas crime lab show himbo, And Vincent Ventresca was the Invisible Man." Rodney interrupts one complaint to grouse about something else. John is weirdly charmed. "I get played by bald, old, decidedly unattractive actors. But that''s not the point."
"What's the latest travesty?"
"This." The Space Glaze Collection. Exclusively at Home Depot. Very clever, SGC. Atlantis Blue. Pretty, but it doesn't come close to matching the blue-green that signals home to John. Athosian Tea Brown. Nice, and it did remind him of mornings with Teyla, at least a bit. Runner, more of a race car red, held no hint of Ronon at all, Stargate Silver. Yeah, it was all a little weird. "That's kind of unnerving," John said.
"You haven't seen the worst of it." Rodney hands him one last small, square card, a sickly whitish-green. Wraith."What moron would paint his room Wraith?"
"Someone who really doesn't get it. Thinks it's just a story." John suspects many people feel that way. It's just so far removed from their own experiences that it might as well be fiction.
"Pretty creepy."
"Yeah, buddy." John steers him away from the offending hues, and towards the exit. "Let's see what they've got at Lowe's."