Title: Three O’clock
Author: Ami Ven
Rating: G
Word Count: 400
Prompt:
mcsheplets challenge #241 ‘routine’
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Summary: Three o’clock is snack time.
Three O'clock
Rodney looked up, but there was no one in his lab doorway. He frowned for a moment, wondering why he would have thought there was, then glanced at his computer. The numbers in the corner told him it was three o’clock - the same time, every day for the past few months, that John would come to interrupt him with a snack and/or a fresh cup of coffee.
But John wasn’t there.
Not that he should be. Just because he and John had been in an actual relationship for the last several months, didn’t mean he had the right to expect John to show up every day or bring him food. But that also didn’t mean he wasn’t worried. If John hadn’t come to the lab today, maybe he need an interruption and a snack.
The city sensors told Rodney that John was in his office, so he detoured to the mess for a small pot of coffee and a plate of fresh-baked cookies. He even stopped to knock on the door and waited for John’s “Come in!” before he entered.
“Rodney?” John asked frowning. He and Lorne both sat at his desk, dozens of papers and charts and half-scribbled on pages spread out around them. “Are you okay?”
“What? Of course I’m okay, Sheppard. It’s just… I… It’s three o’clock.”
“What?” repeated John, looking around for a clock. “It can’t be, we’re not finished with the - I’m sorry, Rodney.”
The scientist quickly set down the tray on the nearest stable-looking stack of papers. “No, it’s fine. You’re really busy, you didn’t need to come see me.”
“Yeah, but I wanted to,” John said, then glanced sideways at Lorne.
His second-in-command smiled knowingly. “I think the doc’s got the right idea, sir, time for a break. I’m going to go stretch my legs and be back in… twenty minutes?”
“Thanks,” said John, and Lorne snagged a cookie on his way out.
Rodney fiddled with the edge of the tray. “I didn’t notice that you’d been coming to see me every day,” he admitted, “until you didn’t. I guess that makes me a bad boyfriend, huh?”
John snorted a laugh. “You brought me coffee and cookies, McKay.” When the other man didn’t move, he reached out to catch his hand, and added, “Hey. You came looking for me. Sounds pretty good to me.”
“Yeah?” Rodney asked.
“Yeah,” agreed John, and kissed him.
THE END
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