Drink and the Devil by Sihaya Black (Amnesty 2007, Stuck on You Challenge)
Title: Drink and the Devil
Author: Sihaya Black
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Rating: PG
Words: approx. 600
Spoilers: through season 4
Notes: Many thanks to kassrachel for taking a look and checking it twice. The story's much better because of her keen eye and excellent suggestions. Gracias, chica!
Drink and the Devil
by Sihaya Black
“Pink elephants,” said Rodney. And giggled.
The elevator doors closed behind them with a ding. John sighed, wrapped his arm a little tighter around Rodney’s ribs, and staggered down the bland corridor toward Rodney’s room. Unlike Rodney, he wasn’t plastered. Just off balance because of the new species of limpet -- Rodneius McKayii -- attached to his side.
Rodney flapped his hand toward the left wall. “Shoo!”
“What’s the matter, McKay?”
Rodney stopped and turned, stepping hard on John’s foot. “The elephants want to dance.”
John stifled a grunt. “Dance?” Yeah, he was off balance. That pretty much described this past month. Like flying combat. Never knowing which way is up, or where you’d get hit next. Fighting nausea and blackouts, but still having to get the job done. “Thought you’d had enough dancing tonight.”
Leaning forward, Rodney whispered, “Tell that to them.”
His warm breath brushed John’s cheek and tickled his neck. Damn it. John hunched his shoulder and suppressed a shiver. How much farther? He checked the room number on the closest door. 406. Right. Just down the hall.
“Great party.” Rodney slumped against John, his head resting on John’s shoulder. “Thanks.”
That stung. He’d worked hard to do exactly what Rodney had asked. Still, he’d hoped -- deep, deep inside -- that Rodney would hate it. “You’re welcome.”
Radek had been there, and Ronon. Teyla. Kaleb. Him. They’d laughed over their meal, embarrassing Rodney with memories.
“Whoops.” Rodney swayed, fumbled his arm around John’s waist. “I think I’d better lie down.”
“Yeah. C’mon.” Slinging his arm over Rodney’s shoulders, John turned his head, his lips brushing over Rodney’s fluffy crest of hair. He jerked away, facing the hall again. “Your room’s this way.”
Rodney sighed and rubbed his head against John’s shoulder. “I wish Carson was here.”
“Me, too.” If Carson were alive, John wouldn’t have to do this. He swallowed hard and scanned the doors. 414.
“I miss him.” A little voice, so unlike Rodney’s usual irritable snap.
God. Maudlin Rodney. On top of everything else. Ignoring Rodney’s sniffle, John plowed ahead, pulling Rodney’s keycard out of his pocket. “We all miss him.”
Rodney sniffled again.
Shoving his panic aside -- what if Rodney cried? -- John spotted room 418. Salvation. Well, breathing room, if nothing else. He maneuvered Rodney to the door, opened it, and flipped on the light.
Didn’t take long to slip Rodney’s shoes off and get him under the covers. John set a glass of water on Rodney’s bedside table, and, after a glance at Rodney’s pale face, placed the trash can and a towel next to the bed.
“G’night.” John opened the door, turned off the light.
“Sheppard?”
He paused, but didn’t turn back to the room. “Yeah?”
“I. . . I think you’re my best friend, now that Carson’s dead.”
“Guess so.” The words caught in his throat, painful as ground glass.
“Sheppard?”
What deity had he pissed off to make him go through this? “Yeah?”
“It’s after midnight, right? It’s already tomorrow?”
John didn’t have to check his watch to know exactly what day it was. “Go to sleep.”
“Sheppard?”
John closed his eyes and let his head hang forward. “Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
He was glad no one could see his face. “Sure.”
John closed the door behind him, let his shoulders slump.
Already tomorrow. Which meant that later today, Rodney would marry Katie Brown, and John would be his best man.
So this was what hell felt like.
Guess he’d better get used to it. The pain wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.
Author: Sihaya Black
Pairing: Sheppard/McKay
Rating: PG
Words: approx. 600
Spoilers: through season 4
Notes: Many thanks to kassrachel for taking a look and checking it twice. The story's much better because of her keen eye and excellent suggestions. Gracias, chica!
Drink and the Devil
by Sihaya Black
“Pink elephants,” said Rodney. And giggled.
The elevator doors closed behind them with a ding. John sighed, wrapped his arm a little tighter around Rodney’s ribs, and staggered down the bland corridor toward Rodney’s room. Unlike Rodney, he wasn’t plastered. Just off balance because of the new species of limpet -- Rodneius McKayii -- attached to his side.
Rodney flapped his hand toward the left wall. “Shoo!”
“What’s the matter, McKay?”
Rodney stopped and turned, stepping hard on John’s foot. “The elephants want to dance.”
John stifled a grunt. “Dance?” Yeah, he was off balance. That pretty much described this past month. Like flying combat. Never knowing which way is up, or where you’d get hit next. Fighting nausea and blackouts, but still having to get the job done. “Thought you’d had enough dancing tonight.”
Leaning forward, Rodney whispered, “Tell that to them.”
His warm breath brushed John’s cheek and tickled his neck. Damn it. John hunched his shoulder and suppressed a shiver. How much farther? He checked the room number on the closest door. 406. Right. Just down the hall.
“Great party.” Rodney slumped against John, his head resting on John’s shoulder. “Thanks.”
That stung. He’d worked hard to do exactly what Rodney had asked. Still, he’d hoped -- deep, deep inside -- that Rodney would hate it. “You’re welcome.”
Radek had been there, and Ronon. Teyla. Kaleb. Him. They’d laughed over their meal, embarrassing Rodney with memories.
“Whoops.” Rodney swayed, fumbled his arm around John’s waist. “I think I’d better lie down.”
“Yeah. C’mon.” Slinging his arm over Rodney’s shoulders, John turned his head, his lips brushing over Rodney’s fluffy crest of hair. He jerked away, facing the hall again. “Your room’s this way.”
Rodney sighed and rubbed his head against John’s shoulder. “I wish Carson was here.”
“Me, too.” If Carson were alive, John wouldn’t have to do this. He swallowed hard and scanned the doors. 414.
“I miss him.” A little voice, so unlike Rodney’s usual irritable snap.
God. Maudlin Rodney. On top of everything else. Ignoring Rodney’s sniffle, John plowed ahead, pulling Rodney’s keycard out of his pocket. “We all miss him.”
Rodney sniffled again.
Shoving his panic aside -- what if Rodney cried? -- John spotted room 418. Salvation. Well, breathing room, if nothing else. He maneuvered Rodney to the door, opened it, and flipped on the light.
Didn’t take long to slip Rodney’s shoes off and get him under the covers. John set a glass of water on Rodney’s bedside table, and, after a glance at Rodney’s pale face, placed the trash can and a towel next to the bed.
“G’night.” John opened the door, turned off the light.
“Sheppard?”
He paused, but didn’t turn back to the room. “Yeah?”
“I. . . I think you’re my best friend, now that Carson’s dead.”
“Guess so.” The words caught in his throat, painful as ground glass.
“Sheppard?”
What deity had he pissed off to make him go through this? “Yeah?”
“It’s after midnight, right? It’s already tomorrow?”
John didn’t have to check his watch to know exactly what day it was. “Go to sleep.”
“Sheppard?”
John closed his eyes and let his head hang forward. “Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
He was glad no one could see his face. “Sure.”
John closed the door behind him, let his shoulders slump.
Already tomorrow. Which meant that later today, Rodney would marry Katie Brown, and John would be his best man.
So this was what hell felt like.
Guess he’d better get used to it. The pain wasn’t going to stop anytime soon.