Blaise in Space! fanfic100 prompt 60 (Drink)
Okay. This was literally scrawled yesterday morning while flying from Great Falls, Montana, to Denver, Colorado, on a plane that was entirely too small (and I was in "economy plus"!). Typed up last night. My usual helper, karitawyr was too busy at work to get it a comb through. So here it is, as is. any suggestions will be cheerfully accepted. I think it's definitely missing *something*. But since this project is really a work-in-progress, I see no harm in posting something that's only been spellchecked. At least, I hope there's no harm...
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Blaise Zabini is no Radar O'Reilly, but there are some in Atlantis who refer to him that way (though never to his face. Not anymore). He doesn't finish anyone's sentences, but he responds so quickly that he must have known the question ahead of time. There are no choppers, of course, but he never seems startled by unscheduled gate activation. He just knows things.
So when Blaise shows up in the lab and hands Rodney a cup of coffee after Doranda debacle, Rodney has to ask, "What's this?" He doesn't reach for the drink.
"It's coffee," Blaise responds plainly, setting the offered cup on the counter. He curls his hands around his own cup.
"The best in the city, yes. But why?" Rodney asks as he finally picks up his cup and takes a quick swallow. "Don't tell me you haven't heard about what happened."
"Of course I heard. Anyone in the vicinity of the gateroom heard." Blaise blinks and takes a sip.
So much for Radar. Rodney stares at Blaise's cup. Every time he sees it, he marvels a bit. A delicate china teacup should not have lasted so long in a place like Atlantis. He looks up and meets Blaise's eyes. "And yet you bring me the nectar of the gods?"
Blaise shrugs. "Why wouldn't I?"
"Oh, I don't know... because I blew up three fourths of a solar system?"
"I thought it was five sixths."
Rodney waves his hand. "Whatever. I blew up the planet and a large chunk of its solar system."
Another shrug. "Not intentionally. Correct?"
"Of course not."
"You never doubted you could make the weapon work?"
Rodney hesitates, looks down at his hands. He looks back up. "No."
"So you made a mistake." Blaise holds up a hand, forestalling the response he knows is coming. "Yes, a big one. You're not planning on doing it again, are you?"
"No, but..."
"Your ego and arrogance have saved us too many times to tell you to put them on the shelf. So. Get on with it. And don't worry about the Colonel. He'll come around."
"How did..."
"Meanwhile, Dr Zelenka is waiting for me in the jumper bay. We've got a bit of work to do." Blaise nods and walks to the door. Rodney turns back to his laptop. In the middle of the open doorway, Blaise stops turns around.
"For what it's worth, I still trust you, Dr McKay."
Rodney doesn't look up when he replies. "Rodney."
"Pardon?"
He does look up then. "When you're not working, you can call me Rodney."
Blaise almost smiles. "I don't know if I can, but thank you." He nods again and leaves.
Rodney turns back around and stares at his coffee.