Questions of Time by Beanie Sheppard (Documentation - just!)
Title: Questions of Time
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rated: T
Category: Tag - 'Epiphany'
Warnings: Spoilers - S2 eps 'Epiphany' and 'Trinity' / Slash / Swearing
Pairing: McShep
Beta: vonknibble
Parts: One-Shot
First Published: 01-24-2005
“I was concerned about you,” Rodney stated, matter-of-factly. “I thought, you know, after being away from us for all those months that you’d want to be around your friends, your lover. I mean, of course I realised that you’d want a hot shower, shave the beard off, sort your stuff out. But I expected you to be out and about, settling back into the rout…do you need some help?”
John set the crate he had lifted out of the storage racks down on the bed, flicking the catches open and throwing the lid back. Rodney peered in, noting that the contents were almost as disorganised as the man’s quarters. “No, it’s cool,” he replied succinctly, beginning to pick up and discard the contents as he searched for that one elusive item.
“If this is a bad time…”
“No, it’s cool.”
“Can I have another response please?” Rodney asked, staring. John seemed almost possessed as he rooted through the personal paperwork, photographs and letters inside this particular crate.
“Huh?”
“Forget it. Look, you’re obviously busy…”
“Rodney, I can multitask you know,” shot John, glaring. “Just cos I’m looking for something, doesn’t mean I can’t chat to you as well. I mean, just because I’m not sat giving you my full undivided attention, doesn’t mean I’m not listening!”
Rodney’s face dropped instantly, the hurt written all over it. “Actually, I came to see if you wanted to talk, to listen. You know, I’m sorry that I fucked up and didn’t see all the signs that were there, I really am. I should have realised…”
John dropped the pile of papers and photographs he was holding back into the crate and lowered himself onto the floor in front of Rodney, taking the scientist’s hands in his own. “It wasn’t your fault, it just happened. I don’t blame you or anyone else.”
“Please, you were so angry back in the Cloister. And I can see the anger in your eyes now. I’ve made so many mistakes recently,” be sighed, nervously playing with a loose thread on his sleeve. “I’m supposed to be so intelligent, yet I miss so many things.”
“Yeah. There were the social skills classes at school, table manners 101. Should I continue?” John deadpanned, before cracking a huge grin.
“Not. Funny.”
“Seriously Rodney, you’re only human. We’re all entitled to make mistakes. It’s just that you seem to live by the ethos that is you’re going to make one, it better be a good one. I mean, destroying a solar system - that’s some mistake…”
“Destroying the solar system wasn’t the biggest mistake that week,” Rodney trailed off, sniffing back a small sob. “That would have been damaging your faith in me. And I managed that again. You must have thought I wasn’t coming for you. It was the worst thing. I kept seeing you, alone, scared that we would just leave you on your own. When we first realised what happened, and I decided to send what little food and water we had on us through, for a moment there was part of me that feared that you were dead already, that we’d work hard to get to you, only to find a corpse.”
“Rodney…”
“Ronon wanted to step through, and I had to practically order him not to. Truth is, I was tempted to, just so you wouldn’t be alone.”
John sat pensively, considering the best course of action to take next. Did he tell Rodney he’d slept with Teer, despite the fact that they’d been seeing each other for almost a year? Did he admit that he’d spent the first few days talking into his radio like Tom Hanks had talked to that volleyball in that desert island film? Did he say that he’d spent the first month and a half locked in his wooden hut, deeply depressed at the whole situation? Would it even help Rodney to know? Since he’d been back, not one person had said, ‘Hey Colonel, nice to have you home!’ Truth be told, he was feeling a little unloved and underappreciated, but then he realised, he might have experienced six months of life but his friends and colleagues has experienced mere hours. He’d not been gone long enough in their eyes for him to be missed.
“I know you slept with her. You don’t have to worry about it. I understand,” whispered Rodney, his hand falling on John’s shoulder in reassurance.
“Do you? To you, only hours passed. You didn’t have time to miss me. I had so much time to dwell on the fact that I thought I’d been abandoned. Now all I can think is how you think I’m some kind of slut who can’t keep it in my pants for more than a few hours.”
“I know you can’t, I don’t need to think anything,” Rodney smirked, “Besides, that’s one of your more endearing qualities in my…um…humble opinion.”
John rolled his eyes. “Mind always in the gutter, McKay. Look, I’m pissed at a lot of things. I’m pissed that people don’t see things how I do at the moment. I’m pissed that people are acting like hours have gone by since I left, yet to me half a year has gone by. One thing I’m not pissed at is you. Or anyone else for that matter, except maybe myself for letting this get to me so much. And for being so weak and giving in.”
“Hey, I wouldn’t expect any man to go without for that long - even mine. Though it had to be a woman didn’t it? Were they too enlightened for homosexuality or something?”
“You know I have a weakness for pretty women…you should be able to deal by now,” John grinned.
“Yeah…pretty, ascended women. Have to admit, she was pretty hot - if you like that kind of thing.”
“You know, it’s birthday in all of ten minutes, I feel that some welcome home, early celebratory sex is in order, since I’ve been so deprived,” John rasped, rising onto his knees and locking lips with his lover and kissing him passionately.
Rodney allowed him to continue for some time before a thought popped into his head that just wouldn’t be ignored. He pushed John gently away, holding him at arms length. “Birthday? It’s not your birthday for another six…”
“Fuck!” John cut in, jumping to his feet and recommencing his ransacking of the crate.
“What?” questioned Rodney, grabbing his wrists and easing the fist full of letters from his hands. “What are you looking for anyways? Whatever it is, you seem pretty upset about it.”
“Not telling you. You’ll laugh,” John flushed, obviously embarrassed.
“I promise not to. You’re too troubled by whatever it is for me to even consider it.”
John stood silently for a moment, considering his options. “Okay then, seeing as you promise,” he mumbled, looking abashed. “The instruction book to reset the date on my watch…”
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rated: T
Category: Tag - 'Epiphany'
Warnings: Spoilers - S2 eps 'Epiphany' and 'Trinity' / Slash / Swearing
Pairing: McShep
Beta: vonknibble
Parts: One-Shot
First Published: 01-24-2005
“I was concerned about you,” Rodney stated, matter-of-factly. “I thought, you know, after being away from us for all those months that you’d want to be around your friends, your lover. I mean, of course I realised that you’d want a hot shower, shave the beard off, sort your stuff out. But I expected you to be out and about, settling back into the rout…do you need some help?”
John set the crate he had lifted out of the storage racks down on the bed, flicking the catches open and throwing the lid back. Rodney peered in, noting that the contents were almost as disorganised as the man’s quarters. “No, it’s cool,” he replied succinctly, beginning to pick up and discard the contents as he searched for that one elusive item.
“If this is a bad time…”
“No, it’s cool.”
“Can I have another response please?” Rodney asked, staring. John seemed almost possessed as he rooted through the personal paperwork, photographs and letters inside this particular crate.
“Huh?”
“Forget it. Look, you’re obviously busy…”
“Rodney, I can multitask you know,” shot John, glaring. “Just cos I’m looking for something, doesn’t mean I can’t chat to you as well. I mean, just because I’m not sat giving you my full undivided attention, doesn’t mean I’m not listening!”
Rodney’s face dropped instantly, the hurt written all over it. “Actually, I came to see if you wanted to talk, to listen. You know, I’m sorry that I fucked up and didn’t see all the signs that were there, I really am. I should have realised…”
John dropped the pile of papers and photographs he was holding back into the crate and lowered himself onto the floor in front of Rodney, taking the scientist’s hands in his own. “It wasn’t your fault, it just happened. I don’t blame you or anyone else.”
“Please, you were so angry back in the Cloister. And I can see the anger in your eyes now. I’ve made so many mistakes recently,” be sighed, nervously playing with a loose thread on his sleeve. “I’m supposed to be so intelligent, yet I miss so many things.”
“Yeah. There were the social skills classes at school, table manners 101. Should I continue?” John deadpanned, before cracking a huge grin.
“Not. Funny.”
“Seriously Rodney, you’re only human. We’re all entitled to make mistakes. It’s just that you seem to live by the ethos that is you’re going to make one, it better be a good one. I mean, destroying a solar system - that’s some mistake…”
“Destroying the solar system wasn’t the biggest mistake that week,” Rodney trailed off, sniffing back a small sob. “That would have been damaging your faith in me. And I managed that again. You must have thought I wasn’t coming for you. It was the worst thing. I kept seeing you, alone, scared that we would just leave you on your own. When we first realised what happened, and I decided to send what little food and water we had on us through, for a moment there was part of me that feared that you were dead already, that we’d work hard to get to you, only to find a corpse.”
“Rodney…”
“Ronon wanted to step through, and I had to practically order him not to. Truth is, I was tempted to, just so you wouldn’t be alone.”
John sat pensively, considering the best course of action to take next. Did he tell Rodney he’d slept with Teer, despite the fact that they’d been seeing each other for almost a year? Did he admit that he’d spent the first few days talking into his radio like Tom Hanks had talked to that volleyball in that desert island film? Did he say that he’d spent the first month and a half locked in his wooden hut, deeply depressed at the whole situation? Would it even help Rodney to know? Since he’d been back, not one person had said, ‘Hey Colonel, nice to have you home!’ Truth be told, he was feeling a little unloved and underappreciated, but then he realised, he might have experienced six months of life but his friends and colleagues has experienced mere hours. He’d not been gone long enough in their eyes for him to be missed.
“I know you slept with her. You don’t have to worry about it. I understand,” whispered Rodney, his hand falling on John’s shoulder in reassurance.
“Do you? To you, only hours passed. You didn’t have time to miss me. I had so much time to dwell on the fact that I thought I’d been abandoned. Now all I can think is how you think I’m some kind of slut who can’t keep it in my pants for more than a few hours.”
“I know you can’t, I don’t need to think anything,” Rodney smirked, “Besides, that’s one of your more endearing qualities in my…um…humble opinion.”
John rolled his eyes. “Mind always in the gutter, McKay. Look, I’m pissed at a lot of things. I’m pissed that people don’t see things how I do at the moment. I’m pissed that people are acting like hours have gone by since I left, yet to me half a year has gone by. One thing I’m not pissed at is you. Or anyone else for that matter, except maybe myself for letting this get to me so much. And for being so weak and giving in.”
“Hey, I wouldn’t expect any man to go without for that long - even mine. Though it had to be a woman didn’t it? Were they too enlightened for homosexuality or something?”
“You know I have a weakness for pretty women…you should be able to deal by now,” John grinned.
“Yeah…pretty, ascended women. Have to admit, she was pretty hot - if you like that kind of thing.”
“You know, it’s birthday in all of ten minutes, I feel that some welcome home, early celebratory sex is in order, since I’ve been so deprived,” John rasped, rising onto his knees and locking lips with his lover and kissing him passionately.
Rodney allowed him to continue for some time before a thought popped into his head that just wouldn’t be ignored. He pushed John gently away, holding him at arms length. “Birthday? It’s not your birthday for another six…”
“Fuck!” John cut in, jumping to his feet and recommencing his ransacking of the crate.
“What?” questioned Rodney, grabbing his wrists and easing the fist full of letters from his hands. “What are you looking for anyways? Whatever it is, you seem pretty upset about it.”
“Not telling you. You’ll laugh,” John flushed, obviously embarrassed.
“I promise not to. You’re too troubled by whatever it is for me to even consider it.”
John stood silently for a moment, considering his options. “Okay then, seeing as you promise,” he mumbled, looking abashed. “The instruction book to reset the date on my watch…”