Fic: Caput (McKay/Sheppard, PG)
Title: Caput
Author: temaris
Recipient: Kisahawklin
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard, but almost entirely Cadman and Ford.
Rating: PG
Summary: Set in a universe where everyone is born into one of the Houses of Atlantis, and apprentices in or apprentices out to another House as their aptitude suggests. House of War officer Laura Cadman married into the House of Healing fairly recently, and while she doesn't regret it for a moment, she possibly needs more things to do with her spare time.
-o-
"He killed a man, you know." Lady Beckett smirked as McKay startled and hastily slapped his tablet face down onto the desk. It didn't matter, she'd already seen him staring wistfully at a picture of John Sheppard, the new Head of the House of War. She swung her long skirts out of the way and perched on the edge of McKay's desk. "Sent you a signed picture, huh?"
"What? He --who?"
Laura side eyed him. "Really? You're going with that."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I heard it was over a beautiful woman." She slid a look at him.
Rodney rolled his eyes, "One, she was a gold digging leech, and two, he was his commanding officer."
"I see we're not pretending to not know I'm talking about, any more," she said. She frowned. "Also, how do you know that?"
Rodney carried on, "Oh, and how could I forget, points three through five: he killed him over a woman. As in: female. As in, not male. That's not exactly an inducement for me to hope that any interest he may have indicated in me is anything except some sort of juvenile rebellion."
Laura scratched her head and shrugged, "Maybe she put him off girls for life? I mean, in those circumstances even you might look pretty." Rodney looked at her and she grinned, "Or not. Oh, come on, you've been staring at him every time the House of War trots him out. And now he's Head. No one can forbid him from doing something any more. It's not like you've ever had a problem speaking for yourself on any other occasion. What've you got to lose?"
"At the hands of the House of War? Oh, let me think, well, nothing, apart from my life when they found out a scientist made a pass at their precious ranking military officer!"
"Aw, c'm on, they're not that bad. I'm from War remember."
Rodney eyed her. "Only by birth. And you showed rare good sense in marrying Carson. No." He shook his head, and for once looked almost tired and a little sad. "Of all the boys in the world to fall for, Sheppard is the last."
Laura eyed him thoughtfully, and cautiously patted his shoulder, but said nothing more.
-----------------
"But, he's not even good looking!" Ford said helplessly, and Sheppard flicked a brief glance at him. "He's obnoxious and rude, and, and rude, and--"
"And he watches me the whole damn time."
"That's just creepy geek stuff, sir," Ford said with a frown. "It doesn't mean anything."
John just smiled, and Ford sighed. There was no doing anything with Sheppard when he'd made up his mind. Mostly, that was great, it was a fantastic quality for the Head of the House of War. But when it meant he had the hots for Rodney McKay...
"No. With respect, sir, this is such a bad idea, sir."
"You bugging out on me, Lieutenant?"
"No, sir!"
"Then shut up, and get with the program."
Ford nodded helplessly, and followed Sheppard into the Winter Ball of the House of Science. It was his first year as ADC to Sheppard, and he stared unabashedly around -- there was no reason for someone like him to ever enter the building, and he was fascinated to discover how like home it seemed. The party was already in full flood, and he trailed in Sheppard's wake as he worked the room, smiling, exchanging polite conversation with the great and good of the Confederation of Pegasus over the muted sound of the small orchestra.
"Lady Weir, you look beautiful tonight." Sheppard bowed over her hand punctiliously.
Elizabeth smiled back, friendly, a little skeptical, and bright with intelligence. Beside her Master Zelenka, her consort, took his cue from his wife and smiled a little too widely. He was a small dandelion haired man with bright, sharp eyes, not nearly as intimidating as rumour had him, and Ford found himself wondering whether the stories that this was a love match were true, that it was not merely a strategic connection between the Words and the Wise.
"Thank you, my lord. I admit, I'm a little surprised - I thought we would not see you here. You are not known for your interest in dancing."
Sheppard's smile looked a tad strained, "And miss a glimpse of your lovely face, my lady?"
"You might have had that glimpse in any of a dozen meetings this week," she said mildly, "And yet we saw you not. I doubt it was so slight a thing that drew you here." Ford winced.
Sheppard's bland smile faltered for a moment, "That, and an invitation. There was an invitation, lieutenant, I hope?" It wasn't really a question and Ford glanced quickly between the two of them, trying to work out what the right answer might be.
"Sir, yes, sir!" Ford said crisply, hoping military regulation might cover for diplomatic savoir faire. The twitch in Sheppard's mouth and the blink from Weir suggested that as a technique it might need work.
The orchestra lilted into a faster tune, and Sheppard tilted his head to listen for a moment, then offered his arm to Lady Weir, "If I might be so bold, may I beg this dance?"
"A pleasure, John," she smiled warmly. "My dear, will you manage to keep out of trouble?"
Zelenka smiled and stepped back, "I will try but I can see McKay terrorising the canapes, so some trouble may be unavoidable," he said, and patted his wife's hand, "Save one for me, my darling."
Weir smiled warmly at him and turned her hand under his to squeeze it for a moment. "You never have to ask, Radek. Now, go, and try not to upset the Wise."
Zelenka grinned and suddenly Ford could see something of what must have called to the Head of the House of Words so, as it lit his face into mischievous humour. "They will have missed our arguments. I will make sure McKay does not grow too complacent."
"A Herculean task, surely," Sheppard smiled, and lifted his arm a little. "My lady?" She placed her hand on his arm, and smiled at Zelenka.
"A bientot!" They whirled out into the dance, leaving Ford behind.
His duty complete for the moment, he headed straight for the buffet table, growing under the weight of an incredible cold repast. He took a glass of champagne, and sipped slowly, wondering how they kept it so very cold in the heat of summer.
"Lieutenant Ford, you're looking very smart." Ford turned and smiled politely at Cadman. Or more correctly, the Lady Beckett.
"Thank you, ma'am," he said with a precisely calibrated bow of his head. She scowled at him.
"Oh, c'mon, Aidan, don't be like that."
"Like what?"
"All stuffy and stupid. Don't forget, I've seen your face when you shoved your legs through a short sheeted bed." She nudged at his shoulder with an inviting grin.
"You made your choice, ma'am," he said neutrally, then spoiled it all by adding impulsively, "You could have been a captain by now! Sheppard thought the world of you. Why'd you--"
"I made my choice." She turned his words back on him and smiled sweetly. Her reddish blonde hair was swept up into a braided crown woven with flowers - such a frivolity as the good soldier he had known would never have indulged, and her dress was all blues and greens shot in and out of each other until the eye could barely look away. "And besides, there are secrets to be guarded in the House of Healing too. A little military forethought will save us no end of trouble down the line."
"You didn't have to marry into it though--"
"Aidan." He ducked his head and she laughed softly, "Don't be like that, little brother. Be happy for me."
"You shouldn't have done it," he insisted stubbornly. If she hadn't managed to marry her Beckett, Sheppard might not have had his crazy idea to pursue a scientist. The doctors were neutral, much needed by all of the Houses and respected accordingly. A marriage into the House of Healing was an honour, but Beckett was hand in glove with McKay, and the House of Science had a long history of antipathy to the House of War.
"Aidan, I made a choice. Now get your head out of your ass, and start using it for thinking instead of looking constipated."
Aidan's jaw dropped, and then he snorted; Laura giggled and they were both laughing.
"Better," she smiled, "much better."
"Things aren't the same without you, you know," he said, his smile fading.
"Don't talk crazy, Ford," she said briskly, "there's always people coming up the ranks. You should be looking for a consort too, you know."
Ford winced, and she pounced instantly. "Who is she?!"
"No -- you, I, Laura, not me."
She frowned and then her eyes widened. "Shep's courting? Finally!"
"I didn't say anything!" He backed away swiftly, and she smiled sweetly.
"That's okay, Lieutenant. I understand about House secrets." And actually, that cut worse than the fear of her getting it out of him. She turned, scanning the hall until her gaze found Sheppard, on his second dance, this one with someone from off world and she frowned at him thoughtfully. Aidan closed his eyes. Crap. Just - crap.
She patted Aidan's upper arm kindly and smiled at him, eyes full of laughter. "I haven't taken a turn on the dance floor in this age, dear Aidan."
The Code of the House was very specific on such occasions.
"Then it would be a pleasure, ma'am, if you would do me the honour," he gritted out, and he offered his arm and led her out on the dance floor with barely a whimper, and not much more than a fleeting look of desperation at his commanding officer.
Laura quickly disabused him of any notions about who as doing the leading and who was following, and steered him deftly into the centre of the floor. Sheppard was smiling at the petite auburn haired woman in his arms, and Laura tilted her head consideringly.
"Not her," she said definitely.
"It might be!"
"It's not. Now, who is he..." She scanned the room, eyes narrowed, not a beat missed as she whirled him about, perhaps a little vigorously than traditional, in order to survey the whole room. "Aha!"
"Not aha," he hissed, running his eyes along her sight line. "No, definitely not aha at all."
"Interesting choice."
"No choices, Sheppard is not choosing, and even if he was which he isn't, it wouldn't be--"
"McKay! Well, well, well. Weird, but I can see it. They'd kind of obvious now I'm looking."
Ford groaned. If his hands hadn't been required to stay decorously at his partner's hip and shoulder he would have dropped his face into his palms in despair. Was there no one who saw this for the terrible idea that it was?
He groaned and she paused for a moment. "Are you quite well, Lieutenant?" she enquired, solicitously. He could see the mischief in her eyes and began a hasty denial of any need to pause, stop rest or indeed, go and sit somewhere quiet like the alcove to the side of the hall with McKay in it, holding forth on something or other.
It did him absolutely no good. Somehow he was seated with Laura on his left, McKay to his right, and a vile tasting concoction that Cadman insisted her husband prescribed for all manner of ailments in his glass.
McKay glanced down at him, "Under the weather already, eh? Surprised, a military man like you, not able to hold your drink."
"No, sir, I just--"
"It works, of course, that's the irritating thing, but I'm pretty sure that the active ingredient does not need to be put in something that tastes like sewer water."
Ford took another cautious sip and choked.
"It'll do you a world of good, Lieutenant," Laura said, her smile sunny and pure evil. "Tell me, dear Rodney, have you thought of marriage?"
McKay blinked at her. "Of course. What person in my position would not consider the importance of ensuring the transmission of their genetic material? Of course, my sister has started on that good work, but it's not the same, and given she's diluting them with that languages professor, we must prepare for the worst."
Laura glared at him, "Caleb is a fine man. And Madison's adorable."
"So far," McKay said forebodingly.
"Wasn't that why they eloped and didn't communicate with the House of Science for six years?" Ford said cheerfully. "I was really pleased to hear you had invited them home."
McKay flushed a dull red and got to his feet. "I don't need to stay here and--"
"So, Sheppard?" Laura said brightly. "Single, good looking, very smart. Definitely interested. How about it?"
McKay stopped dead half out of the alcove, and slowly turned, his mouth open. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I knew you'd been looking!" Laura squeaked. Ford and McKay both stared at her, "I was pretty sure you'd been looking. Okay, fine, I was fishing, but look! Hook, line and sinker!"
Ford sighed. McKay looked like he was about to blow up. "Stop winding him up, Laura," he said with a sharp jab of his elbow to her ribs, entirely forgetful of her status. "Doc, Sheppard is interested. He's just--" he sighed, and closed his eyes, "Look, I can't believe I'm saying this, but he's shy. Okay?"
"Shy?" McKay said incredulously, but his face was speculative. "Shy?"
"Shy," Ford nodded. He jabbed Laura in the ribs.
"Oh, aye, shy," she said flatly. "A delicate little flower who never asks for anything for himself and always assumes others are planning the worst, oh." She slowed down as she spoke, and ended thoughtfully. "Dammit, Aidan, you're right. I hate that."
"I'm going to hold you to that."
Don't let it go to you head," she said, jabbing her elbow into his ribs. Her elbow had apparently been sharpened especially for the occasion. She sniffed and lifted her chin, "You're still wrong about everything else." But there was a broad grin on her face, wholly unsuited to the polite atmosphere of the Diplomats' Ball.
McKay wasn't there to see it. He was stomping gracelessly across the dance floor, cutting in with the Athosian Head of State with some far too terse to be polite. Mercifully Teyla of Athos was as kind as she was quick, and smiled, handing a bewildered Sheppard off into McKay's determined grasp.
The two men seemed to have some sort of battle over who was to lead, and Laura snorted when the compromise reached seemed to be Sheppard to lead, with McKay criticising his every move.
"This might not end well," Ford said dubiously. Laura bit her lip.
"You're right." She took a deep breath, leaned forward and, cupping her hands to her mouth, yelled, "Kiss him!"
The whole place seemed to freeze, for just a split second, then carried on as though no such solecism had occurred. No one would ever be gauche enough to bellow so vulgarly across the dance floor, ergo, it was merely an auditory hallucination, and should be ignored.
This only worked for a few seconds. McKay stood stock still, his head reared up, electrified. He seemed to say something, and Ford could see the tips of Sheppard's ears going redder and redder, even from a distance.
And then McKay kissed Sheppard, and the dance floor erupted in noise, a cacophony of cheers and cat calling and laughter.
"Lady Beckett, allow me to be the first to congratulate you," Zelenka said some minutes later, a sly smile on his face as he leaned into Ford and Laura's alcove. "I was expecting this to take months."
"From revelation to first kiss in a matter of five minutes," she said cheerfully. "I can't abide shilly-shallying about."
"I can see that," he said with sincere admiration. "I will be fascinated to see what you choose to turn your hand to next."
Laura grinned.
"Oh," she said cheerfully, "I have some ideas." She turned her eyes on Ford.
Aidan gulped.
Author: temaris
Recipient: Kisahawklin
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard, but almost entirely Cadman and Ford.
Rating: PG
Summary: Set in a universe where everyone is born into one of the Houses of Atlantis, and apprentices in or apprentices out to another House as their aptitude suggests. House of War officer Laura Cadman married into the House of Healing fairly recently, and while she doesn't regret it for a moment, she possibly needs more things to do with her spare time.
-o-
"He killed a man, you know." Lady Beckett smirked as McKay startled and hastily slapped his tablet face down onto the desk. It didn't matter, she'd already seen him staring wistfully at a picture of John Sheppard, the new Head of the House of War. She swung her long skirts out of the way and perched on the edge of McKay's desk. "Sent you a signed picture, huh?"
"What? He --who?"
Laura side eyed him. "Really? You're going with that."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"I heard it was over a beautiful woman." She slid a look at him.
Rodney rolled his eyes, "One, she was a gold digging leech, and two, he was his commanding officer."
"I see we're not pretending to not know I'm talking about, any more," she said. She frowned. "Also, how do you know that?"
Rodney carried on, "Oh, and how could I forget, points three through five: he killed him over a woman. As in: female. As in, not male. That's not exactly an inducement for me to hope that any interest he may have indicated in me is anything except some sort of juvenile rebellion."
Laura scratched her head and shrugged, "Maybe she put him off girls for life? I mean, in those circumstances even you might look pretty." Rodney looked at her and she grinned, "Or not. Oh, come on, you've been staring at him every time the House of War trots him out. And now he's Head. No one can forbid him from doing something any more. It's not like you've ever had a problem speaking for yourself on any other occasion. What've you got to lose?"
"At the hands of the House of War? Oh, let me think, well, nothing, apart from my life when they found out a scientist made a pass at their precious ranking military officer!"
"Aw, c'm on, they're not that bad. I'm from War remember."
Rodney eyed her. "Only by birth. And you showed rare good sense in marrying Carson. No." He shook his head, and for once looked almost tired and a little sad. "Of all the boys in the world to fall for, Sheppard is the last."
Laura eyed him thoughtfully, and cautiously patted his shoulder, but said nothing more.
-----------------
"But, he's not even good looking!" Ford said helplessly, and Sheppard flicked a brief glance at him. "He's obnoxious and rude, and, and rude, and--"
"And he watches me the whole damn time."
"That's just creepy geek stuff, sir," Ford said with a frown. "It doesn't mean anything."
John just smiled, and Ford sighed. There was no doing anything with Sheppard when he'd made up his mind. Mostly, that was great, it was a fantastic quality for the Head of the House of War. But when it meant he had the hots for Rodney McKay...
"No. With respect, sir, this is such a bad idea, sir."
"You bugging out on me, Lieutenant?"
"No, sir!"
"Then shut up, and get with the program."
Ford nodded helplessly, and followed Sheppard into the Winter Ball of the House of Science. It was his first year as ADC to Sheppard, and he stared unabashedly around -- there was no reason for someone like him to ever enter the building, and he was fascinated to discover how like home it seemed. The party was already in full flood, and he trailed in Sheppard's wake as he worked the room, smiling, exchanging polite conversation with the great and good of the Confederation of Pegasus over the muted sound of the small orchestra.
"Lady Weir, you look beautiful tonight." Sheppard bowed over her hand punctiliously.
Elizabeth smiled back, friendly, a little skeptical, and bright with intelligence. Beside her Master Zelenka, her consort, took his cue from his wife and smiled a little too widely. He was a small dandelion haired man with bright, sharp eyes, not nearly as intimidating as rumour had him, and Ford found himself wondering whether the stories that this was a love match were true, that it was not merely a strategic connection between the Words and the Wise.
"Thank you, my lord. I admit, I'm a little surprised - I thought we would not see you here. You are not known for your interest in dancing."
Sheppard's smile looked a tad strained, "And miss a glimpse of your lovely face, my lady?"
"You might have had that glimpse in any of a dozen meetings this week," she said mildly, "And yet we saw you not. I doubt it was so slight a thing that drew you here." Ford winced.
Sheppard's bland smile faltered for a moment, "That, and an invitation. There was an invitation, lieutenant, I hope?" It wasn't really a question and Ford glanced quickly between the two of them, trying to work out what the right answer might be.
"Sir, yes, sir!" Ford said crisply, hoping military regulation might cover for diplomatic savoir faire. The twitch in Sheppard's mouth and the blink from Weir suggested that as a technique it might need work.
The orchestra lilted into a faster tune, and Sheppard tilted his head to listen for a moment, then offered his arm to Lady Weir, "If I might be so bold, may I beg this dance?"
"A pleasure, John," she smiled warmly. "My dear, will you manage to keep out of trouble?"
Zelenka smiled and stepped back, "I will try but I can see McKay terrorising the canapes, so some trouble may be unavoidable," he said, and patted his wife's hand, "Save one for me, my darling."
Weir smiled warmly at him and turned her hand under his to squeeze it for a moment. "You never have to ask, Radek. Now, go, and try not to upset the Wise."
Zelenka grinned and suddenly Ford could see something of what must have called to the Head of the House of Words so, as it lit his face into mischievous humour. "They will have missed our arguments. I will make sure McKay does not grow too complacent."
"A Herculean task, surely," Sheppard smiled, and lifted his arm a little. "My lady?" She placed her hand on his arm, and smiled at Zelenka.
"A bientot!" They whirled out into the dance, leaving Ford behind.
His duty complete for the moment, he headed straight for the buffet table, growing under the weight of an incredible cold repast. He took a glass of champagne, and sipped slowly, wondering how they kept it so very cold in the heat of summer.
"Lieutenant Ford, you're looking very smart." Ford turned and smiled politely at Cadman. Or more correctly, the Lady Beckett.
"Thank you, ma'am," he said with a precisely calibrated bow of his head. She scowled at him.
"Oh, c'mon, Aidan, don't be like that."
"Like what?"
"All stuffy and stupid. Don't forget, I've seen your face when you shoved your legs through a short sheeted bed." She nudged at his shoulder with an inviting grin.
"You made your choice, ma'am," he said neutrally, then spoiled it all by adding impulsively, "You could have been a captain by now! Sheppard thought the world of you. Why'd you--"
"I made my choice." She turned his words back on him and smiled sweetly. Her reddish blonde hair was swept up into a braided crown woven with flowers - such a frivolity as the good soldier he had known would never have indulged, and her dress was all blues and greens shot in and out of each other until the eye could barely look away. "And besides, there are secrets to be guarded in the House of Healing too. A little military forethought will save us no end of trouble down the line."
"You didn't have to marry into it though--"
"Aidan." He ducked his head and she laughed softly, "Don't be like that, little brother. Be happy for me."
"You shouldn't have done it," he insisted stubbornly. If she hadn't managed to marry her Beckett, Sheppard might not have had his crazy idea to pursue a scientist. The doctors were neutral, much needed by all of the Houses and respected accordingly. A marriage into the House of Healing was an honour, but Beckett was hand in glove with McKay, and the House of Science had a long history of antipathy to the House of War.
"Aidan, I made a choice. Now get your head out of your ass, and start using it for thinking instead of looking constipated."
Aidan's jaw dropped, and then he snorted; Laura giggled and they were both laughing.
"Better," she smiled, "much better."
"Things aren't the same without you, you know," he said, his smile fading.
"Don't talk crazy, Ford," she said briskly, "there's always people coming up the ranks. You should be looking for a consort too, you know."
Ford winced, and she pounced instantly. "Who is she?!"
"No -- you, I, Laura, not me."
She frowned and then her eyes widened. "Shep's courting? Finally!"
"I didn't say anything!" He backed away swiftly, and she smiled sweetly.
"That's okay, Lieutenant. I understand about House secrets." And actually, that cut worse than the fear of her getting it out of him. She turned, scanning the hall until her gaze found Sheppard, on his second dance, this one with someone from off world and she frowned at him thoughtfully. Aidan closed his eyes. Crap. Just - crap.
She patted Aidan's upper arm kindly and smiled at him, eyes full of laughter. "I haven't taken a turn on the dance floor in this age, dear Aidan."
The Code of the House was very specific on such occasions.
"Then it would be a pleasure, ma'am, if you would do me the honour," he gritted out, and he offered his arm and led her out on the dance floor with barely a whimper, and not much more than a fleeting look of desperation at his commanding officer.
Laura quickly disabused him of any notions about who as doing the leading and who was following, and steered him deftly into the centre of the floor. Sheppard was smiling at the petite auburn haired woman in his arms, and Laura tilted her head consideringly.
"Not her," she said definitely.
"It might be!"
"It's not. Now, who is he..." She scanned the room, eyes narrowed, not a beat missed as she whirled him about, perhaps a little vigorously than traditional, in order to survey the whole room. "Aha!"
"Not aha," he hissed, running his eyes along her sight line. "No, definitely not aha at all."
"Interesting choice."
"No choices, Sheppard is not choosing, and even if he was which he isn't, it wouldn't be--"
"McKay! Well, well, well. Weird, but I can see it. They'd kind of obvious now I'm looking."
Ford groaned. If his hands hadn't been required to stay decorously at his partner's hip and shoulder he would have dropped his face into his palms in despair. Was there no one who saw this for the terrible idea that it was?
He groaned and she paused for a moment. "Are you quite well, Lieutenant?" she enquired, solicitously. He could see the mischief in her eyes and began a hasty denial of any need to pause, stop rest or indeed, go and sit somewhere quiet like the alcove to the side of the hall with McKay in it, holding forth on something or other.
It did him absolutely no good. Somehow he was seated with Laura on his left, McKay to his right, and a vile tasting concoction that Cadman insisted her husband prescribed for all manner of ailments in his glass.
McKay glanced down at him, "Under the weather already, eh? Surprised, a military man like you, not able to hold your drink."
"No, sir, I just--"
"It works, of course, that's the irritating thing, but I'm pretty sure that the active ingredient does not need to be put in something that tastes like sewer water."
Ford took another cautious sip and choked.
"It'll do you a world of good, Lieutenant," Laura said, her smile sunny and pure evil. "Tell me, dear Rodney, have you thought of marriage?"
McKay blinked at her. "Of course. What person in my position would not consider the importance of ensuring the transmission of their genetic material? Of course, my sister has started on that good work, but it's not the same, and given she's diluting them with that languages professor, we must prepare for the worst."
Laura glared at him, "Caleb is a fine man. And Madison's adorable."
"So far," McKay said forebodingly.
"Wasn't that why they eloped and didn't communicate with the House of Science for six years?" Ford said cheerfully. "I was really pleased to hear you had invited them home."
McKay flushed a dull red and got to his feet. "I don't need to stay here and--"
"So, Sheppard?" Laura said brightly. "Single, good looking, very smart. Definitely interested. How about it?"
McKay stopped dead half out of the alcove, and slowly turned, his mouth open. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I knew you'd been looking!" Laura squeaked. Ford and McKay both stared at her, "I was pretty sure you'd been looking. Okay, fine, I was fishing, but look! Hook, line and sinker!"
Ford sighed. McKay looked like he was about to blow up. "Stop winding him up, Laura," he said with a sharp jab of his elbow to her ribs, entirely forgetful of her status. "Doc, Sheppard is interested. He's just--" he sighed, and closed his eyes, "Look, I can't believe I'm saying this, but he's shy. Okay?"
"Shy?" McKay said incredulously, but his face was speculative. "Shy?"
"Shy," Ford nodded. He jabbed Laura in the ribs.
"Oh, aye, shy," she said flatly. "A delicate little flower who never asks for anything for himself and always assumes others are planning the worst, oh." She slowed down as she spoke, and ended thoughtfully. "Dammit, Aidan, you're right. I hate that."
"I'm going to hold you to that."
Don't let it go to you head," she said, jabbing her elbow into his ribs. Her elbow had apparently been sharpened especially for the occasion. She sniffed and lifted her chin, "You're still wrong about everything else." But there was a broad grin on her face, wholly unsuited to the polite atmosphere of the Diplomats' Ball.
McKay wasn't there to see it. He was stomping gracelessly across the dance floor, cutting in with the Athosian Head of State with some far too terse to be polite. Mercifully Teyla of Athos was as kind as she was quick, and smiled, handing a bewildered Sheppard off into McKay's determined grasp.
The two men seemed to have some sort of battle over who was to lead, and Laura snorted when the compromise reached seemed to be Sheppard to lead, with McKay criticising his every move.
"This might not end well," Ford said dubiously. Laura bit her lip.
"You're right." She took a deep breath, leaned forward and, cupping her hands to her mouth, yelled, "Kiss him!"
The whole place seemed to freeze, for just a split second, then carried on as though no such solecism had occurred. No one would ever be gauche enough to bellow so vulgarly across the dance floor, ergo, it was merely an auditory hallucination, and should be ignored.
This only worked for a few seconds. McKay stood stock still, his head reared up, electrified. He seemed to say something, and Ford could see the tips of Sheppard's ears going redder and redder, even from a distance.
And then McKay kissed Sheppard, and the dance floor erupted in noise, a cacophony of cheers and cat calling and laughter.
"Lady Beckett, allow me to be the first to congratulate you," Zelenka said some minutes later, a sly smile on his face as he leaned into Ford and Laura's alcove. "I was expecting this to take months."
"From revelation to first kiss in a matter of five minutes," she said cheerfully. "I can't abide shilly-shallying about."
"I can see that," he said with sincere admiration. "I will be fascinated to see what you choose to turn your hand to next."
Laura grinned.
"Oh," she said cheerfully, "I have some ideas." She turned her eyes on Ford.
Aidan gulped.