SGA, "Life at the North Pole" (PG)
iamsab gave me a song/title this evening and told me to write 500 words by midnight, and I did. Who knew that would work?
Life at the North Pole
SGA. PG. John/Rodney.
"This," Rodney said with a finger-pokey gesture and a sneer mostly hidden in the depths of his parka, "is all your fault."
Life at the North Pole
"This," Rodney said with a finger-pokey gesture and a sneer mostly hidden in the depths of his parka, "is all your fault."
"Really," John said evenly. He squinted at the white-out obscuring everything but the five feet in front of them and wondered how far away he could get before he froze. "Because I'm not seeing that."
"I didn't suggest we visit the ice planet!" Rodney snapped, huddling closer to John. His nylon shell made swishy, zippy noises as he moved.
John grudgingly wrapped his arm around Rodney. His nose hairs had crinkled the moment he stepped out of the gate, and it had just gotten colder since then. He didn't like his chances. "Neither did I!"
"Well, somebody did!"
"Yeah," John said. "Somebody not me!"
John didn't exactly remember how his team landed this assignment, but he suspected somebody was mad at him. That was usually how it happened, in his experience. He had to hand it to whoever found a place more remote than McMurdo, though. That took dedication.
He probably should apologize to Elizabeth for something.
"My bones are freezing," Rodney moaned. "I don't want to die on Hoth!"
"We're not going to die," John told him, although now he hoped their cave wasn't a place any ice creatures called home sweet home. "Ronon and Teyla were only a half-mile away from the gate. They'll get somebody from Atlantis to pilot the jumper back to our location, and we'll be out of here in no time."
He believed it, too. Mostly. You couldn't account for everything. Murphy's Law. Wacky natives with guns. Sudden blizzards in subzero temperatures when he and Rodney were reluctantly checking out anomalous energy readings.
"I'm expecting Rudolph to swing by any moment," Rodney said. "I could use a lump of coal right about now."
"You're not getting coal," John said, patting what was probably Rodney's shoulder underneath all the layers.
Rodney shifted and pushed his face nearer to John's, the fur of their hoods blocking most of the wind. "Are you saying I'm nice?"
"No," John said slowly. "I'm saying I'll steal your coal."
Rodney bristled. "Over my dead body!"
"Okay," John agreed.
Rodney's jaw dropped. Up close, his nose was red and his skin was dry, eyes slowly leaking tears. He looked absolutely miserable, so John laughed and kissed him. A quick kiss, close-mouthed, even though there was nobody to see. Finding places where nobody could see wasn't easy when you were two of three people needed in just about any kind of crisis.
Rodney blinked rapidly, his mouth finally settling into a familiar line like a picture off center. "Are you enjoying yourself, Colonel?"
John nodded. "Fun as a barrel of monkeys out here."
"Do they have typewriters?"
"Graphing calculators," John said.
"Oh, I was a TA for that class," Rodney said.
John smiled. "I slept with my TA for that class."
"Is this the part where I insult your mother?" Rodney asked. "I was never very clear on that."
Life at the North Pole
SGA. PG. John/Rodney.
"This," Rodney said with a finger-pokey gesture and a sneer mostly hidden in the depths of his parka, "is all your fault."
Life at the North Pole
"This," Rodney said with a finger-pokey gesture and a sneer mostly hidden in the depths of his parka, "is all your fault."
"Really," John said evenly. He squinted at the white-out obscuring everything but the five feet in front of them and wondered how far away he could get before he froze. "Because I'm not seeing that."
"I didn't suggest we visit the ice planet!" Rodney snapped, huddling closer to John. His nylon shell made swishy, zippy noises as he moved.
John grudgingly wrapped his arm around Rodney. His nose hairs had crinkled the moment he stepped out of the gate, and it had just gotten colder since then. He didn't like his chances. "Neither did I!"
"Well, somebody did!"
"Yeah," John said. "Somebody not me!"
John didn't exactly remember how his team landed this assignment, but he suspected somebody was mad at him. That was usually how it happened, in his experience. He had to hand it to whoever found a place more remote than McMurdo, though. That took dedication.
He probably should apologize to Elizabeth for something.
"My bones are freezing," Rodney moaned. "I don't want to die on Hoth!"
"We're not going to die," John told him, although now he hoped their cave wasn't a place any ice creatures called home sweet home. "Ronon and Teyla were only a half-mile away from the gate. They'll get somebody from Atlantis to pilot the jumper back to our location, and we'll be out of here in no time."
He believed it, too. Mostly. You couldn't account for everything. Murphy's Law. Wacky natives with guns. Sudden blizzards in subzero temperatures when he and Rodney were reluctantly checking out anomalous energy readings.
"I'm expecting Rudolph to swing by any moment," Rodney said. "I could use a lump of coal right about now."
"You're not getting coal," John said, patting what was probably Rodney's shoulder underneath all the layers.
Rodney shifted and pushed his face nearer to John's, the fur of their hoods blocking most of the wind. "Are you saying I'm nice?"
"No," John said slowly. "I'm saying I'll steal your coal."
Rodney bristled. "Over my dead body!"
"Okay," John agreed.
Rodney's jaw dropped. Up close, his nose was red and his skin was dry, eyes slowly leaking tears. He looked absolutely miserable, so John laughed and kissed him. A quick kiss, close-mouthed, even though there was nobody to see. Finding places where nobody could see wasn't easy when you were two of three people needed in just about any kind of crisis.
Rodney blinked rapidly, his mouth finally settling into a familiar line like a picture off center. "Are you enjoying yourself, Colonel?"
John nodded. "Fun as a barrel of monkeys out here."
"Do they have typewriters?"
"Graphing calculators," John said.
"Oh, I was a TA for that class," Rodney said.
John smiled. "I slept with my TA for that class."
"Is this the part where I insult your mother?" Rodney asked. "I was never very clear on that."