Hotel California (NC-17)
Hotel California: An Earthside AU wherein John is a college student on his way to Spring Break and Rodney is a hotel receptionist. Yeah, I don't know either. ~1900 words.
Author's Note: So on our long, long drive to Florida, in the middle of the night, the radio station played Hotel California and this fic idea came to me. It's been floating around in my brain since then. Written while on midnight shift so forgive any errors.
---
The midnight sky is gray and muggy, thick with heat and humidity. The air conditioner stopped working over a hundred miles ago and even the air flowing through the open windows isn't enough to cool the sweat beading on John's forehead.
In the passenger seat, Teyla's stretched out, humming along quietly with the static on the radio as Ronon sleeps on in the backseat, oblivious to each passing mile.
John reaches out and changes the station.
"I was listening to that," Teyla says dryly as the low twang of a country guitar fills the car. John gives her a sleepy smile in return and thumps his fingers against the steering wheel, drumming along with the beat in a last ditch effort to keep himself awake. "Perhaps it would be wise if I took over for awhile?"
"I'm good," John says dismissively. He trusts Teyla's driving almost as much as he trusts her cooking, which is to say not at all.
"I have been practicing."
"Not nearly enough for my liking," John says, grinning to take the sting out of the words. Teyla just rolls her eyes and goes back to staring out at the endless stretch of empty highway in front of them.
Driving out to California in Ronon's grandfather's beat up old station wagon hadn't been John's best idea. He's cutting two full days off their spring break with the drive there and back, but since Teyla had apparently grown up under a rock and had never taken a road trip, John and Ronon decided that their yearly trip to Long Beach was the perfect remedy.
"If you will not let me drive, maybe you would at least consider stopping for the night? We still have another five hours ahead of us and I would like to make it alive."
"Your faith in me is astounding."
"Much like your faith in me," she smirks. "Now please, find the nearest motel and pull over. I'm sick of looking at the inside of this car."
John can't argue with that.
---
It's another twenty miles and another state line until he finds a motel and by the time he climbs out of the car, he has to admit that stopping was definitely the right call; there's no way he would have made it another four hours and forty minutes.
Ronon grunts and snorts as Teyla smacks him awake. He's annoyed that they've stopped and he wants to take over driving so they can keep going, but John trusts his driving less than he trusts Teyla's. He's seen what Ronon has done to the trash cans outside of their apartment just trying to back out of the parking space.
"It's stupid to stop," Ronon grumbles as they trudge into the lobby of the seemingly deserted motel.
"I would rather get a few hours of solid sleep and then hit the road. If we continue to drive, we will be no good for anything tomorrow," Teyla says solemnly.
"Don't need sleep to surf."
"This is true, but I need sleep to finish the drive, so I say we're staying and sleeping," John says. Ronon stands just a little straighter and blinks lazily at John in what's most likely an attempt to intimidate him. It would work under other circumstances maybe, but John's just too tired to care so he waves Ronon off and slouches against the front desk, slapping his hand down on the bell.
It reverberates, echoing throughout the empty lobby.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hold your horses, I'm coming." The voice comes out of nowhere and whoever it belongs to sounds annoyed at the interruption. Seconds later, a skinny kid stomps out from behind a curtain, looking harassed and harried. He's wearing a pair of dark slacks that are at least a size too big and a white uniform shirt that's partially untucked and stained. His name tag reads 'Rodney'. "What do you want?"
"You get many people in here lookin' for something other than a room?" John drawls lazily.
Rodney snorts. "You'd be surprised. Double beds or...?"
John grins. "Double."
John watches as his fingers fly over the keyboard seemingly of their own accord. "Unfortunately, the only available room I have is a king with a pull out couch. Sorry." He doesn't sound very sorry about that.
It's not ideal, but John's exhausted and he'll be damned if he's getting back in that car. At least not until he's had a good five hours of sleep.
"John," Teyla says.
"We'll take it."
"Suit yourself. That'll be thirty five for the night."
John makes quick work of paying Rodney but he has to force himself to ignore the slight tingle when the tips of their fingers brush together. It has nothing to do, he tells himself, with the kissably crooked mouth or the hair that's curled almost delicately just above the nape of Rodney's pale neck.
Rodney stares at John for just a moment too long and John knows that he felt it too, but he pushes the thought out of his mind. "Right," Rodney says, clearing his throat. "If you'll just... follow me, I'll take you to your room."
It isn't easy, John thinks, to not stare at the barely-there outline of Rodney's ass. The baggy pants do a good job at concealing what's really underneath, but John sees enough to know what he wouldn't mind sliding into it.
He's halfway hard when Rodney slips the key card into the lock and pushes the door open. The hotel room is as nondescript and boring as every other hotel he's ever stayed in and after a quick once over, John's eyes return to Rodney just in time to catch Rodney staring. Again.
John can't help but smirk just a little.
Rodney flushes beautifully; he turns pink from the tips of his ears all the way down to his neck as he averts his eyes. "I um... I'll leave you to it, but if you need anything..."
"I know where to find you," John says.
Rodney nods, turns away and practically sprints down the hall.
---
The couch is worse than the one in their apartment, John decides as he tosses and turns, trying to find a comfortable position. Teyla and Ronon are already fast asleep, sprawled out comfortably on the large bed. John hates them just a little; he would have been more comfortable sleeping in the car.
He gives it another ten minutes and when he's no closer to sleep, he climbs off the couch and stalks out of the room, cursing Ronon and his ability to sleep anywhere and Teyla for being... well, for being Teyla.
He doesn't know where he's going and he's not sure what he's doing until he steps into the lobby.
Rodney's sitting at the front desk, hunched over something and John's cock twitches to life almost immediately.
"Hey," he calls before he can stop himself.
Rodney startles and looks up, blue eyes wide in surprise. "Uh... what... did you need something?"
He does, but John really doesn't know if it's something Rodney's willing to give but it doesn't stop him from slinking over to the desk. "What are you working on?" He asks conversationally. Mentally, he's kicking his own lame ass.
"Nothing that can't wait until later," Rodney says and then he flushes again and John can read the worry on his face; he's wondering if he's misjudged the situation.
"Cool," John says lazily. "You know, the couches in these rooms really suck."
"Yeah," Rodney agrees, clearing his throat just a little. He looks nervous and excited so John relaxes just a little bit.
"Don't happen to know a place that's a little more comfortable, do you?"
"As a matter of fact..." Rodney says.
---
Kissing Rodney is exactly like John thought it would be; his lips are incredibly kissable, but he's clumsy and awkward. It should turn John off, but it strangely enough, it doesn't. It just leaves him wanting more.
When they break apart, Rodney's breathing heavily, shoulders and chest heaving as he tries to catch his breath. His mousy brown hair is soaked to his forehead because even though it's a million and five degrees outside, apparently hotels don't believe in air conditioning their employee break room.
"It's hot as fuck," Rodney complains.
"Gonna get hotter," John says and leans forward, capturing Rodney's lips again.
---
The next time they break apart, Rodney's naked and writhing beneath John. He's about two thrusts away from shamelessly humping John's leg as John takes his time undressing himself.
"Torture," Rodney wheezes.
John responds by leaning over and swallowing Rodney's cock.
It's effective in shutting him up.
At least for a minute.
--
John has had a series of one night stands before. Plenty of college guys--and girls because he's not picky--but none have been as vocal about being fucked as Rodney.
When John finally slides in between those round ass cheeks, Rodney moans and whines and pleads and begs. He arches against John, crying out for more, more, more and John doesn't hold back. He thrusts against Rodney over and over, burying himself deeper and deeper each time.
"Fuck, Rodney," John gasps and he can already feel the orgasm building low in his belly. It hasn't been this quick since the first time Kenny Lewis blew him in the passenger seat of his uncle's van, but it doesn't matter because he can feel Rodney already trembling beneath him, his cock red and weeping between them.
He's close, but Rodney's closer.
Rodney's whimpering now and clinging to John harder with every thrust. He'll have marks and bruises for days, he thinks, but it's worth it when Rodney cries out and John feels the warm spray of come on his chest.
He leans down and buries his face against Rodney's neck as he rocks his hips desperately, torn between needing to come and wanting to prolong it.
He tries to hold out, but suddenly he's coming hard enough that his vision goes hazy and when he's finally spent, he collapses on top of Rodney, breathing heavily.
John rolls off of Rodney after a minute and reaches for his discarded boxers to clean himself up. It feels wrong to just dress and go, so instead, he slumps back against the couch beside Rodney, their shoulders brushing occasionally. John thinks he should say something, but he isn't sure what.
It's Rodney who breaks the ice.
"That was..."
"Yeah," John agrees. "I should..."
"Yeah."
John doesn't move.
---
When John jogs into the lobby late the next morning to check out, he's surprised to find Rodney still hunched behind the counter, staring at a text book. He doesn't seem to hear John approach, so John clears his throat, grinning when Rodney jumps at the sound.
"What?"
John drops the key card onto the counter and slides it towards him. "Just thought I'd come say goodbye. We're heading out."
"Where to?"
"Long Beach... four days of nothing but surf and sand."
"Thrilling," Rodney says dryly. He takes the key card and clicks the computer keys. "You um... come this way often?"
"Just once a year," John says and he thinks he imagines Rodney's face falling just a little.
"Well then..." Rodney says.
"Yeah," John agrees. "I uh... my friends are waiting for me at the car, but I just..."
"You should go."
"Yeah. I..." John sighs and turns. He takes a step toward the doorway and then stops. "Hey Rodney?"
"Yeah?"
"Maybe... maybe on our way back through..." He trails off.
Rodney looks hopeful. "If you need anything..."
"I know where to find you," John grins before he turns and walks out of the lobby.
Author's Note: So on our long, long drive to Florida, in the middle of the night, the radio station played Hotel California and this fic idea came to me. It's been floating around in my brain since then. Written while on midnight shift so forgive any errors.
---
The midnight sky is gray and muggy, thick with heat and humidity. The air conditioner stopped working over a hundred miles ago and even the air flowing through the open windows isn't enough to cool the sweat beading on John's forehead.
In the passenger seat, Teyla's stretched out, humming along quietly with the static on the radio as Ronon sleeps on in the backseat, oblivious to each passing mile.
John reaches out and changes the station.
"I was listening to that," Teyla says dryly as the low twang of a country guitar fills the car. John gives her a sleepy smile in return and thumps his fingers against the steering wheel, drumming along with the beat in a last ditch effort to keep himself awake. "Perhaps it would be wise if I took over for awhile?"
"I'm good," John says dismissively. He trusts Teyla's driving almost as much as he trusts her cooking, which is to say not at all.
"I have been practicing."
"Not nearly enough for my liking," John says, grinning to take the sting out of the words. Teyla just rolls her eyes and goes back to staring out at the endless stretch of empty highway in front of them.
Driving out to California in Ronon's grandfather's beat up old station wagon hadn't been John's best idea. He's cutting two full days off their spring break with the drive there and back, but since Teyla had apparently grown up under a rock and had never taken a road trip, John and Ronon decided that their yearly trip to Long Beach was the perfect remedy.
"If you will not let me drive, maybe you would at least consider stopping for the night? We still have another five hours ahead of us and I would like to make it alive."
"Your faith in me is astounding."
"Much like your faith in me," she smirks. "Now please, find the nearest motel and pull over. I'm sick of looking at the inside of this car."
John can't argue with that.
---
It's another twenty miles and another state line until he finds a motel and by the time he climbs out of the car, he has to admit that stopping was definitely the right call; there's no way he would have made it another four hours and forty minutes.
Ronon grunts and snorts as Teyla smacks him awake. He's annoyed that they've stopped and he wants to take over driving so they can keep going, but John trusts his driving less than he trusts Teyla's. He's seen what Ronon has done to the trash cans outside of their apartment just trying to back out of the parking space.
"It's stupid to stop," Ronon grumbles as they trudge into the lobby of the seemingly deserted motel.
"I would rather get a few hours of solid sleep and then hit the road. If we continue to drive, we will be no good for anything tomorrow," Teyla says solemnly.
"Don't need sleep to surf."
"This is true, but I need sleep to finish the drive, so I say we're staying and sleeping," John says. Ronon stands just a little straighter and blinks lazily at John in what's most likely an attempt to intimidate him. It would work under other circumstances maybe, but John's just too tired to care so he waves Ronon off and slouches against the front desk, slapping his hand down on the bell.
It reverberates, echoing throughout the empty lobby.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hold your horses, I'm coming." The voice comes out of nowhere and whoever it belongs to sounds annoyed at the interruption. Seconds later, a skinny kid stomps out from behind a curtain, looking harassed and harried. He's wearing a pair of dark slacks that are at least a size too big and a white uniform shirt that's partially untucked and stained. His name tag reads 'Rodney'. "What do you want?"
"You get many people in here lookin' for something other than a room?" John drawls lazily.
Rodney snorts. "You'd be surprised. Double beds or...?"
John grins. "Double."
John watches as his fingers fly over the keyboard seemingly of their own accord. "Unfortunately, the only available room I have is a king with a pull out couch. Sorry." He doesn't sound very sorry about that.
It's not ideal, but John's exhausted and he'll be damned if he's getting back in that car. At least not until he's had a good five hours of sleep.
"John," Teyla says.
"We'll take it."
"Suit yourself. That'll be thirty five for the night."
John makes quick work of paying Rodney but he has to force himself to ignore the slight tingle when the tips of their fingers brush together. It has nothing to do, he tells himself, with the kissably crooked mouth or the hair that's curled almost delicately just above the nape of Rodney's pale neck.
Rodney stares at John for just a moment too long and John knows that he felt it too, but he pushes the thought out of his mind. "Right," Rodney says, clearing his throat. "If you'll just... follow me, I'll take you to your room."
It isn't easy, John thinks, to not stare at the barely-there outline of Rodney's ass. The baggy pants do a good job at concealing what's really underneath, but John sees enough to know what he wouldn't mind sliding into it.
He's halfway hard when Rodney slips the key card into the lock and pushes the door open. The hotel room is as nondescript and boring as every other hotel he's ever stayed in and after a quick once over, John's eyes return to Rodney just in time to catch Rodney staring. Again.
John can't help but smirk just a little.
Rodney flushes beautifully; he turns pink from the tips of his ears all the way down to his neck as he averts his eyes. "I um... I'll leave you to it, but if you need anything..."
"I know where to find you," John says.
Rodney nods, turns away and practically sprints down the hall.
---
The couch is worse than the one in their apartment, John decides as he tosses and turns, trying to find a comfortable position. Teyla and Ronon are already fast asleep, sprawled out comfortably on the large bed. John hates them just a little; he would have been more comfortable sleeping in the car.
He gives it another ten minutes and when he's no closer to sleep, he climbs off the couch and stalks out of the room, cursing Ronon and his ability to sleep anywhere and Teyla for being... well, for being Teyla.
He doesn't know where he's going and he's not sure what he's doing until he steps into the lobby.
Rodney's sitting at the front desk, hunched over something and John's cock twitches to life almost immediately.
"Hey," he calls before he can stop himself.
Rodney startles and looks up, blue eyes wide in surprise. "Uh... what... did you need something?"
He does, but John really doesn't know if it's something Rodney's willing to give but it doesn't stop him from slinking over to the desk. "What are you working on?" He asks conversationally. Mentally, he's kicking his own lame ass.
"Nothing that can't wait until later," Rodney says and then he flushes again and John can read the worry on his face; he's wondering if he's misjudged the situation.
"Cool," John says lazily. "You know, the couches in these rooms really suck."
"Yeah," Rodney agrees, clearing his throat just a little. He looks nervous and excited so John relaxes just a little bit.
"Don't happen to know a place that's a little more comfortable, do you?"
"As a matter of fact..." Rodney says.
---
Kissing Rodney is exactly like John thought it would be; his lips are incredibly kissable, but he's clumsy and awkward. It should turn John off, but it strangely enough, it doesn't. It just leaves him wanting more.
When they break apart, Rodney's breathing heavily, shoulders and chest heaving as he tries to catch his breath. His mousy brown hair is soaked to his forehead because even though it's a million and five degrees outside, apparently hotels don't believe in air conditioning their employee break room.
"It's hot as fuck," Rodney complains.
"Gonna get hotter," John says and leans forward, capturing Rodney's lips again.
---
The next time they break apart, Rodney's naked and writhing beneath John. He's about two thrusts away from shamelessly humping John's leg as John takes his time undressing himself.
"Torture," Rodney wheezes.
John responds by leaning over and swallowing Rodney's cock.
It's effective in shutting him up.
At least for a minute.
--
John has had a series of one night stands before. Plenty of college guys--and girls because he's not picky--but none have been as vocal about being fucked as Rodney.
When John finally slides in between those round ass cheeks, Rodney moans and whines and pleads and begs. He arches against John, crying out for more, more, more and John doesn't hold back. He thrusts against Rodney over and over, burying himself deeper and deeper each time.
"Fuck, Rodney," John gasps and he can already feel the orgasm building low in his belly. It hasn't been this quick since the first time Kenny Lewis blew him in the passenger seat of his uncle's van, but it doesn't matter because he can feel Rodney already trembling beneath him, his cock red and weeping between them.
He's close, but Rodney's closer.
Rodney's whimpering now and clinging to John harder with every thrust. He'll have marks and bruises for days, he thinks, but it's worth it when Rodney cries out and John feels the warm spray of come on his chest.
He leans down and buries his face against Rodney's neck as he rocks his hips desperately, torn between needing to come and wanting to prolong it.
He tries to hold out, but suddenly he's coming hard enough that his vision goes hazy and when he's finally spent, he collapses on top of Rodney, breathing heavily.
John rolls off of Rodney after a minute and reaches for his discarded boxers to clean himself up. It feels wrong to just dress and go, so instead, he slumps back against the couch beside Rodney, their shoulders brushing occasionally. John thinks he should say something, but he isn't sure what.
It's Rodney who breaks the ice.
"That was..."
"Yeah," John agrees. "I should..."
"Yeah."
John doesn't move.
---
When John jogs into the lobby late the next morning to check out, he's surprised to find Rodney still hunched behind the counter, staring at a text book. He doesn't seem to hear John approach, so John clears his throat, grinning when Rodney jumps at the sound.
"What?"
John drops the key card onto the counter and slides it towards him. "Just thought I'd come say goodbye. We're heading out."
"Where to?"
"Long Beach... four days of nothing but surf and sand."
"Thrilling," Rodney says dryly. He takes the key card and clicks the computer keys. "You um... come this way often?"
"Just once a year," John says and he thinks he imagines Rodney's face falling just a little.
"Well then..." Rodney says.
"Yeah," John agrees. "I uh... my friends are waiting for me at the car, but I just..."
"You should go."
"Yeah. I..." John sighs and turns. He takes a step toward the doorway and then stops. "Hey Rodney?"
"Yeah?"
"Maybe... maybe on our way back through..." He trails off.
Rodney looks hopeful. "If you need anything..."
"I know where to find you," John grins before he turns and walks out of the lobby.