TEAM ROMANCE: Correspondence, "Reading Between The Lines"
Title: Reading Between The Lines
Author: yavannauk ( interview)
Team: Romance
Prompt: Correspondence
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: None
Summary: Letters, both Ancient and modern.
Once you've read the story, please take a moment to vote in the poll below. Ratings go from 1 (low) to 9 (high), so all you need to do is enter a single number in that range into each text entry box. You'll be able to see the Prompt and Team (Genre) information in the header above.
More details about the voting procedure can be found here.
**
Reading Between The Lines
It was Radek who first found the encrypted files. They were buried deeply in a section of the database used by the Ancient mathematicians and had remained undetected during their initial studies of the city. Once he heard about them, it was Rodney who hypothesized that one of those mathematicians had been working on something that he hadn't wanted his colleagues to find out about. Naturally, that piqued Rodney's curiosity enough to make discovering what was in the files his top priority.
"It could be something significant," he said as he set about trying to crack the encryption. "Whoever was working on it probably didn't want anyone else stealing his ideas and taking credit for them."
"Projecting much, McKay?" Sheppard said.
He'd come down to the labs in person to find out what had Rodney so engrossed that he'd insisted on postponing their latest mission. At the comment Rodney looked up from his work and glared at him, while Sheppard's lips quirked in amusement.
"I'm sure it was a valid concern for the Ancients too," Rodney snapped. "And don't you have anything better to do than hang around here and bother me?"
"Right now? No, because someone wanted to cancel today's trip off world," Sheppard said easily. He moved so that he could peer over Rodney's shoulder at the computer screen with its rows of enigmatic characters. "Besides, those files could be as important as you seem to think they are. Maybe they'll tell us something new about the jumpers or the city's weapons systems."
Rodney lifted his hands from the keyboard and glared harder at Sheppard. "While I am unquestionably a genius, this encryption is going to take time to crack, even for me."
Smiling, Sheppard said, "That's okay. I can wait."
In fact, it took Rodney almost two days to unlock the secret of the files, much to his annoyance. When he brought his findings to Elizabeth's daily staff meeting it was clear that he wasn't impressed with the results of his efforts.
"So much for improvements to our weapons or shield capabilities," he said, sounding disgusted. "It turns out they were Ancient love letters, if you can believe it. What a complete and utter waste of my time!"
There was silence for a moment as everyone digested what Rodney had said.
"Well," Elizabeth said finally. "Maybe it wasn't what you were hoping for, Rodney, but anything that gives us more of an insight into the lives of the Ancients who lived here is worth studying. Are copies of the translated files available? I for one would be interested in seeing them."
With a pained expression, Rodney tapped a few keys on his laptop to send them. "For all the good they'll do you."
Elizabeth smiled as the copy of the files appeared in her inbox.
"Thank you, Rodney," she said as she began to quickly scan the contents.
Across the table, Teyla had been watching their exchange with a frown on her face. "Why are you so dismissive of these letters, Rodney? If the Ancient who wrote them was sufficiently moved to preserve his expressions of love for future generations to find, should they not be read with more respect?"
"Quite right, Teyla," Carson put in. "Don't you have a single romantic bone in your body, Rodney?"
"Tell me, what's romantic about writing pages of drivel and then encrypting them and burying them in the database?" Rodney scoffed. "Clearly, this guy was suitably ashamed of himself. So he made sure no one would ever have to read any of it."
"Actually, it would appear that our mystery mathematician was nursing an unrequited love for one of his colleagues," Elizabeth said, looking up from her laptop. "That was why he encrypted and hid the files."
"Yes, well, I'm sure these letters will be quite the hit among the idiots who enjoy bad romance novels, but now I need to try and catch up on some useful work," Rodney complained. He glanced across at Sheppard, who had remained quiet throughout the discussion. "I'm sorry there were no shiny new weapons for you to play with, Colonel."
Sheppard gave an easy shrug. "Maybe next time, Rodney."
A few days later, Rodney was sharing a late supper in the mess with Sheppard after a minor emergency with one of the backup power systems. Most people had headed straight to bed, but Rodney had complained of incipient hypoglycemia and Sheppard tagged along with him. Only one or two of the other tables were occupied as they picked at their food and let themselves unwind from the day's problems.
It was Sheppard who broke the silence that had settled over them. "So, Rodney, did you read all of those Ancient letters once you'd translated them?"
Rodney looked up from his plate. "Regrettably, yes. I kept hoping I'd find something useful in among all the purple prose. Why do you ask?"
"Didn't you think it was kind of sad that the person they were meant for never got the chance to see them?" Sheppard said thoughtfully, pushing the last of his meal around the plate with his fork.
"You read them?" Rodney asked, eyebrows rising in surprise. "What, were you ahead of schedule with War and Peace?"
Sheppard looked vaguely embarrassed. "I guess I was curious and I was thinking about what Teyla and Elizabeth said too. I mean, we really don't know too much about the Ancients as people, even now."
"I never took you for a closet romantic, Colonel," Rodney said. He leaned back in his chair and his eyes followed Sheppard's fingers as they idly twirled the fork for a moment. "But, seriously, if the person who wrote the letters really wanted whoever it was they were meant for, why not just come right out and say it?"
"Oh, I don't know, Rodney, maybe they weren't very good at expressing their feelings - face to face, anyway," Sheppard said, his lips twisting into a wry smile. "Perhaps there were other reasons, customs we haven't learned about that meant they couldn't be together."
"Yes, yes, and maybe they were both already married," Rodney suggested.
Sheppard snorted in reluctant amusement. "Trust you to come up with the worst case scenario."
"Just being realistic," Rodney insisted. "Either way, it still comes down to the fact that those letters were never sent, so writing them was a complete waste of time."
Rodney jabbed a finger at Sheppard to emphasize his point. Sheppard sighed and let the subject drop.
Several weeks went by and Rodney forgot all about the Ancient love letters, caught up in new projects that were proving far more fruitful. Consequently, he wasn't expecting to return to his quarters and find a small, sealed envelope propped up on his desk. His name was neatly written on the front and, although they used computers for most things, Rodney was quite familiar with the handwriting. He picked the envelope up and turned it over carefully, treating it as warily as he would some unknown artifact. Frankly, Rodney wasn't certain which would be more likely to blow up in his face.
Finally, Rodney's curiosity won out. He had no idea what Sheppard had to say to him that needed to be committed to paper, rather than being said face to face or sent by email. Sitting down at his desk, Rodney slid a fingernail under the flap and carefully peeled the envelope open. There was a single sheet of paper inside which he pulled out and unfolded. It was - a letter. Not long, but also written by hand and, after a brief hesitation, Rodney began to read it.
Rodney,
Yes, this is a letter. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm really bad at talking about my feelings. Added to that, don't even get me started on the subject of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. But you know what, Rodney? I like you. I like you as more than a friend and I'm kind of tired of waiting and hoping that you'll notice. I tried subtle, but that didn't work. So, this is me telling you. Okay? I'm writing this because I want you to read it.
John
Rodney reread the words several times over, just to make sure that he hadn't misread them. No, they didn't change, however many times he read them. After sitting with the paper clutched in his hand for a while longer, Rodney jumped to his feet and stormed out of the room. Sheppard's quarters were only just down the hallway and it took Rodney moments to reach them and start pounding on the door.
"Sheppard! Sheppard, let me in," he demanded.
The door slid open and Rodney didn't wait to be invited before stepping inside. He brandished the letter in Sheppard's face as the door closed behind him.
"Do come in," Sheppard said with more than a touch of irony.
"What's this?" Rodney asked, shoving the by now rather crumpled sheet of paper at Sheppard.
Sheppard took it from him, carefully smoothing out the creases. "It's a letter, Rodney. See, it says so right here."
Snatching it away from him again, Rodney favored Sheppard with his 'don't be a moron' glare. "Of course it's a letter! That's not what I meant."
"It's what you asked," Sheppard pointed out reasonably.
Rodney turned up the wattage on his glare a little more. "You know perfectly well what I was asking, Colonel. Don't insult me by playing stupid."
"Did you actually read it?" Sheppard asked.
"Of course I did. Why else do you think I'm here?" Rodney said, waving the letter in the air once more. "I just... Why?"
Sheppard stared at him, clearly wary. "I thought it was pretty self-explanatory."
"Well, yes, it is, but..." Rodney looked at the words on the paper he held, radiating frustration. "Do you mean it?"
Sheppard laughed softly. "Yes, Rodney, I mean it."
"Huh." Rodney's gaze flicked from the letter, to Sheppard, then back to the letter again. "This is about those damned Ancient files, isn't it? Oh my god, that conversation we had... You were talking about yourself."
"And finally he gets it," Sheppard said with a wry smile.
"You call this romantic?" Rodney grumbled. "And what do you mean you were tired of waiting for me to notice? No, tell me you haven't been ineptly trying to flirt with me all this time."
Sheppard shrugged his shoulders and ducked his head, apparently finding his shoes utterly fascinating all of a sudden.
Shaking his head, Rodney muttered, "I really hope you're better with actions than you are with words, Colonel."
"Hey!" Sheppard said, looking up to meet Rodney's gaze. "They were very heartfelt words."
"Yes, I'm sure," Rodney said and stepped forward, setting his hands on Sheppard's shoulders. The letter fluttered from his fingers unnoticed. "And this is about to be very heartfelt kissing, hopefully followed by equally heartfelt and mutually satisfying sex. Much better."
Tilting his head, Rodney leaned in and pressed his mouth to Sheppard's. It was as brash and demanding as the rest of Rodney, teasing Sheppard's lips apart so that Rodney's tongue could push between them and make itself at home. Not that Sheppard seemed to mind, kissing back enthusiastically, nipping at Rodney's tongue and sliding his own against it. It was wet and messy and very, very heartfelt.
When they finally pulled apart, Sheppard rested his forehead against Rodney's and smiled. "Yeah, you're right, much better. You really are a genius, Rodney."
"I knew you'd get the message eventually," Rodney said dryly. "Now, can we go to bed and get to the good part before you have a change of heart?"
Sheppard's hand slid to the back of Rodney's neck, tugging at his hair until Rodney tipped his head up and they were eye to eye.
"Not going to happen," he said firmly.
"Does this mean I should expect more love letters?" Rodney asked, his lips curving into a lopsided smile.
"Figured I'd let my actions speak for me from now on," Sheppard said.
His fingers twisted further into Rodney's hair, holding him in place for another deep kiss that left them both breathless by the time it was over. Rodney recovered first, hands scrabbling at the hem of Sheppard's T-shirt, pushing fabric up and baring skin.
"Off, now!" he said against Sheppard's lips, his breath hot on kiss-bruised flesh.
Sheppard quickly complied, pulling back so that he could tug his shirt up and over his head. He dropped it on the floor, looking over at Rodney as he did so. After a moment's hesitation, Rodney stripped out of his own T-shirt, letting it fall to join Sheppard's. It took less thought for Rodney to kick off his shoes and socks so that they wouldn't get in the way of removing his pants. Writing the letter and leaving it for him to find had been a calculated risk on Sheppard's part, but he looked pleased with the result, more than pleased if his grin was anything to go by.
Rodney paused, hands at his waistband, eyeing Sheppard cautiously. "You're grinning like the cat that got the canary, Colonel. Should I be worried?"
"Just enjoying the view, Rodney," Sheppard replied, smile widening. "And unless you have some kinks I should know about you really don't need to call me by my rank in bed."
Rodney folded his arms across his chest, which only accentuated the curve of his biceps and the breadth of his shoulders. "If you think you're going to order me around in bed you really don't know me very well... John."
Giving a nod of approval, Sheppard returned his attention to undressing. "Nah, you'll do what I ask because you want it, not because I give you orders."
After watching Sheppard for a minute more, Rodney shucked the rest of his clothes. Barefoot, he stepped closer to where Sheppard had bent to remove his pants and boxers. The move gave Sheppard a perfect view of strong thighs and a thick, hard cock as he straightened up. Rodney's eyebrows shot up when Sheppard licked his lips suggestively.
"If I asked you to go lie down on the bed so that I could suck you..." Sheppard began.
"I'd say, why don't you just get down on your knees and do it right here," Rodney countered, a challenge gleaming in his eyes.
"If we were on the bed you could suck me too," Sheppard said, running a hand down his chest and detouring to pinch a nipple as he did so. Rodney's gaze followed the movement of his hand with interest.
"I suppose I could be persuaded." Rodney unfolded his arms and his fingers twitched as he dropped his hands to either side.
With a smile, Sheppard stepped over his discarded clothes and moved to the bed. He made a point of brushing his arm against Rodney's as he passed him and there was a shiver of response. By the time Sheppard was stretched out on his side, Rodney was pushing at him and making room for himself. Rodney kicked at the pillow until he was comfortable before reaching for Sheppard's cock.
"This is not setting any kind of precedent," Rodney said, waving an admonishing finger. Then, without any preamble, he went down on Sheppard.
As his cock was abruptly engulfed in wet heat and perfect suction, Sheppard groaned and clutched at Rodney's hip. He closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the sensations for a long moment, until Rodney pulled off just as suddenly and used his flailing finger to jab Sheppard in the stomach.
"Hey!" Rodney complained. "Me too."
"Sorry," Sheppard said, forcing his eyes back open.
His fingers curved around Rodney's ass in tacit apology, pulling him into just the right position. When Rodney's mouth slid over the head of his cock again, Sheppard swallowed Rodney down. There was a muffled sound that vibrated around his cock and Sheppard sucked harder on Rodney in response. He tasted of sweat and pre-come and Sheppard used his tongue as he slid his mouth up and down on Rodney's shaft.
Rodney was getting creative, with just a hint of teeth as he pulled all the way off and then licked the head of Sheppard's cock. When he took Sheppard in again, Rodney sucked on two of his own fingers at the same time, before pulling them out with an obscene pop. The wet digits trailed over Sheppard's hip and between his cheeks. They pressed against his hole and Sheppard moaned around his mouthful of cock. His hips jerked, pushing him deeper into Rodney's throat and Rodney retaliated by pressing the tip of his finger past the resistance of Sheppard's muscles and into his body.
With a muffled keening sound, Sheppard tensed, hands digging into Rodney's flesh. When Rodney just pushed his finger in a little further, Sheppard gave up the fight and came. He pulled off of Rodney, panting hard as he shuddered, his climax rolling over him in waves. Rodney kept on sucking him until he was just too sensitive and had to tug at Rodney's hair until he released him.
As they shifted on the bed, Rodney's swollen cock nudged Sheppard's cheek, painting a stripe of wetness on his skin. Carefully, Sheppard took him in again, finding a rhythm that Rodney's finger matched, still moving in his ass. He wasn't getting hard again any time soon, but Sheppard pushed into the burn and stretch of Rodney finger fucking him. Caught up in the thrust of Rodney's cock in his mouth and the feel of the finger in his ass, Rodney's climax took Sheppard by surprise. He didn't swallow fast enough and some of Rodney's come spilled down his chin, leaving a sticky trail.
Sheppard let Rodney go before he could complain and swiped a hand across his mouth. He hissed out a breath when Rodney finally pulled his finger free and then collapsed onto his back. At his side, Rodney wiped his hand clean on the sheet before twisting around until he was lying the same way as Sheppard on the cramped bed. They were both in need of a shower and there wasn't really room for the two of them, but neither suggested that Rodney should get up and leave. It might even have been called cuddling, though not by either of them.
Predictably, it was Rodney who finally broke the post-coital silence.
"Just for the record, and not that I don't appreciate the letter," he said. "But next time you feel like making a romantic gesture, John, go with chocolate."
Sheppard's answering smile was hidden in the stubbled curve of Rodney's jaw.
**
THIS POLL IS NOW CLOSED. ANY FURTHER VOTES WILL NOT BE COUNTED.
Poll Vote for this story
Author: yavannauk ( interview)
Team: Romance
Prompt: Correspondence
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: None
Summary: Letters, both Ancient and modern.
Once you've read the story, please take a moment to vote in the poll below. Ratings go from 1 (low) to 9 (high), so all you need to do is enter a single number in that range into each text entry box. You'll be able to see the Prompt and Team (Genre) information in the header above.
More details about the voting procedure can be found here.
**
Reading Between The Lines
It was Radek who first found the encrypted files. They were buried deeply in a section of the database used by the Ancient mathematicians and had remained undetected during their initial studies of the city. Once he heard about them, it was Rodney who hypothesized that one of those mathematicians had been working on something that he hadn't wanted his colleagues to find out about. Naturally, that piqued Rodney's curiosity enough to make discovering what was in the files his top priority.
"It could be something significant," he said as he set about trying to crack the encryption. "Whoever was working on it probably didn't want anyone else stealing his ideas and taking credit for them."
"Projecting much, McKay?" Sheppard said.
He'd come down to the labs in person to find out what had Rodney so engrossed that he'd insisted on postponing their latest mission. At the comment Rodney looked up from his work and glared at him, while Sheppard's lips quirked in amusement.
"I'm sure it was a valid concern for the Ancients too," Rodney snapped. "And don't you have anything better to do than hang around here and bother me?"
"Right now? No, because someone wanted to cancel today's trip off world," Sheppard said easily. He moved so that he could peer over Rodney's shoulder at the computer screen with its rows of enigmatic characters. "Besides, those files could be as important as you seem to think they are. Maybe they'll tell us something new about the jumpers or the city's weapons systems."
Rodney lifted his hands from the keyboard and glared harder at Sheppard. "While I am unquestionably a genius, this encryption is going to take time to crack, even for me."
Smiling, Sheppard said, "That's okay. I can wait."
In fact, it took Rodney almost two days to unlock the secret of the files, much to his annoyance. When he brought his findings to Elizabeth's daily staff meeting it was clear that he wasn't impressed with the results of his efforts.
"So much for improvements to our weapons or shield capabilities," he said, sounding disgusted. "It turns out they were Ancient love letters, if you can believe it. What a complete and utter waste of my time!"
There was silence for a moment as everyone digested what Rodney had said.
"Well," Elizabeth said finally. "Maybe it wasn't what you were hoping for, Rodney, but anything that gives us more of an insight into the lives of the Ancients who lived here is worth studying. Are copies of the translated files available? I for one would be interested in seeing them."
With a pained expression, Rodney tapped a few keys on his laptop to send them. "For all the good they'll do you."
Elizabeth smiled as the copy of the files appeared in her inbox.
"Thank you, Rodney," she said as she began to quickly scan the contents.
Across the table, Teyla had been watching their exchange with a frown on her face. "Why are you so dismissive of these letters, Rodney? If the Ancient who wrote them was sufficiently moved to preserve his expressions of love for future generations to find, should they not be read with more respect?"
"Quite right, Teyla," Carson put in. "Don't you have a single romantic bone in your body, Rodney?"
"Tell me, what's romantic about writing pages of drivel and then encrypting them and burying them in the database?" Rodney scoffed. "Clearly, this guy was suitably ashamed of himself. So he made sure no one would ever have to read any of it."
"Actually, it would appear that our mystery mathematician was nursing an unrequited love for one of his colleagues," Elizabeth said, looking up from her laptop. "That was why he encrypted and hid the files."
"Yes, well, I'm sure these letters will be quite the hit among the idiots who enjoy bad romance novels, but now I need to try and catch up on some useful work," Rodney complained. He glanced across at Sheppard, who had remained quiet throughout the discussion. "I'm sorry there were no shiny new weapons for you to play with, Colonel."
Sheppard gave an easy shrug. "Maybe next time, Rodney."
A few days later, Rodney was sharing a late supper in the mess with Sheppard after a minor emergency with one of the backup power systems. Most people had headed straight to bed, but Rodney had complained of incipient hypoglycemia and Sheppard tagged along with him. Only one or two of the other tables were occupied as they picked at their food and let themselves unwind from the day's problems.
It was Sheppard who broke the silence that had settled over them. "So, Rodney, did you read all of those Ancient letters once you'd translated them?"
Rodney looked up from his plate. "Regrettably, yes. I kept hoping I'd find something useful in among all the purple prose. Why do you ask?"
"Didn't you think it was kind of sad that the person they were meant for never got the chance to see them?" Sheppard said thoughtfully, pushing the last of his meal around the plate with his fork.
"You read them?" Rodney asked, eyebrows rising in surprise. "What, were you ahead of schedule with War and Peace?"
Sheppard looked vaguely embarrassed. "I guess I was curious and I was thinking about what Teyla and Elizabeth said too. I mean, we really don't know too much about the Ancients as people, even now."
"I never took you for a closet romantic, Colonel," Rodney said. He leaned back in his chair and his eyes followed Sheppard's fingers as they idly twirled the fork for a moment. "But, seriously, if the person who wrote the letters really wanted whoever it was they were meant for, why not just come right out and say it?"
"Oh, I don't know, Rodney, maybe they weren't very good at expressing their feelings - face to face, anyway," Sheppard said, his lips twisting into a wry smile. "Perhaps there were other reasons, customs we haven't learned about that meant they couldn't be together."
"Yes, yes, and maybe they were both already married," Rodney suggested.
Sheppard snorted in reluctant amusement. "Trust you to come up with the worst case scenario."
"Just being realistic," Rodney insisted. "Either way, it still comes down to the fact that those letters were never sent, so writing them was a complete waste of time."
Rodney jabbed a finger at Sheppard to emphasize his point. Sheppard sighed and let the subject drop.
Several weeks went by and Rodney forgot all about the Ancient love letters, caught up in new projects that were proving far more fruitful. Consequently, he wasn't expecting to return to his quarters and find a small, sealed envelope propped up on his desk. His name was neatly written on the front and, although they used computers for most things, Rodney was quite familiar with the handwriting. He picked the envelope up and turned it over carefully, treating it as warily as he would some unknown artifact. Frankly, Rodney wasn't certain which would be more likely to blow up in his face.
Finally, Rodney's curiosity won out. He had no idea what Sheppard had to say to him that needed to be committed to paper, rather than being said face to face or sent by email. Sitting down at his desk, Rodney slid a fingernail under the flap and carefully peeled the envelope open. There was a single sheet of paper inside which he pulled out and unfolded. It was - a letter. Not long, but also written by hand and, after a brief hesitation, Rodney began to read it.
Rodney,
Yes, this is a letter. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm really bad at talking about my feelings. Added to that, don't even get me started on the subject of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”. But you know what, Rodney? I like you. I like you as more than a friend and I'm kind of tired of waiting and hoping that you'll notice. I tried subtle, but that didn't work. So, this is me telling you. Okay? I'm writing this because I want you to read it.
John
Rodney reread the words several times over, just to make sure that he hadn't misread them. No, they didn't change, however many times he read them. After sitting with the paper clutched in his hand for a while longer, Rodney jumped to his feet and stormed out of the room. Sheppard's quarters were only just down the hallway and it took Rodney moments to reach them and start pounding on the door.
"Sheppard! Sheppard, let me in," he demanded.
The door slid open and Rodney didn't wait to be invited before stepping inside. He brandished the letter in Sheppard's face as the door closed behind him.
"Do come in," Sheppard said with more than a touch of irony.
"What's this?" Rodney asked, shoving the by now rather crumpled sheet of paper at Sheppard.
Sheppard took it from him, carefully smoothing out the creases. "It's a letter, Rodney. See, it says so right here."
Snatching it away from him again, Rodney favored Sheppard with his 'don't be a moron' glare. "Of course it's a letter! That's not what I meant."
"It's what you asked," Sheppard pointed out reasonably.
Rodney turned up the wattage on his glare a little more. "You know perfectly well what I was asking, Colonel. Don't insult me by playing stupid."
"Did you actually read it?" Sheppard asked.
"Of course I did. Why else do you think I'm here?" Rodney said, waving the letter in the air once more. "I just... Why?"
Sheppard stared at him, clearly wary. "I thought it was pretty self-explanatory."
"Well, yes, it is, but..." Rodney looked at the words on the paper he held, radiating frustration. "Do you mean it?"
Sheppard laughed softly. "Yes, Rodney, I mean it."
"Huh." Rodney's gaze flicked from the letter, to Sheppard, then back to the letter again. "This is about those damned Ancient files, isn't it? Oh my god, that conversation we had... You were talking about yourself."
"And finally he gets it," Sheppard said with a wry smile.
"You call this romantic?" Rodney grumbled. "And what do you mean you were tired of waiting for me to notice? No, tell me you haven't been ineptly trying to flirt with me all this time."
Sheppard shrugged his shoulders and ducked his head, apparently finding his shoes utterly fascinating all of a sudden.
Shaking his head, Rodney muttered, "I really hope you're better with actions than you are with words, Colonel."
"Hey!" Sheppard said, looking up to meet Rodney's gaze. "They were very heartfelt words."
"Yes, I'm sure," Rodney said and stepped forward, setting his hands on Sheppard's shoulders. The letter fluttered from his fingers unnoticed. "And this is about to be very heartfelt kissing, hopefully followed by equally heartfelt and mutually satisfying sex. Much better."
Tilting his head, Rodney leaned in and pressed his mouth to Sheppard's. It was as brash and demanding as the rest of Rodney, teasing Sheppard's lips apart so that Rodney's tongue could push between them and make itself at home. Not that Sheppard seemed to mind, kissing back enthusiastically, nipping at Rodney's tongue and sliding his own against it. It was wet and messy and very, very heartfelt.
When they finally pulled apart, Sheppard rested his forehead against Rodney's and smiled. "Yeah, you're right, much better. You really are a genius, Rodney."
"I knew you'd get the message eventually," Rodney said dryly. "Now, can we go to bed and get to the good part before you have a change of heart?"
Sheppard's hand slid to the back of Rodney's neck, tugging at his hair until Rodney tipped his head up and they were eye to eye.
"Not going to happen," he said firmly.
"Does this mean I should expect more love letters?" Rodney asked, his lips curving into a lopsided smile.
"Figured I'd let my actions speak for me from now on," Sheppard said.
His fingers twisted further into Rodney's hair, holding him in place for another deep kiss that left them both breathless by the time it was over. Rodney recovered first, hands scrabbling at the hem of Sheppard's T-shirt, pushing fabric up and baring skin.
"Off, now!" he said against Sheppard's lips, his breath hot on kiss-bruised flesh.
Sheppard quickly complied, pulling back so that he could tug his shirt up and over his head. He dropped it on the floor, looking over at Rodney as he did so. After a moment's hesitation, Rodney stripped out of his own T-shirt, letting it fall to join Sheppard's. It took less thought for Rodney to kick off his shoes and socks so that they wouldn't get in the way of removing his pants. Writing the letter and leaving it for him to find had been a calculated risk on Sheppard's part, but he looked pleased with the result, more than pleased if his grin was anything to go by.
Rodney paused, hands at his waistband, eyeing Sheppard cautiously. "You're grinning like the cat that got the canary, Colonel. Should I be worried?"
"Just enjoying the view, Rodney," Sheppard replied, smile widening. "And unless you have some kinks I should know about you really don't need to call me by my rank in bed."
Rodney folded his arms across his chest, which only accentuated the curve of his biceps and the breadth of his shoulders. "If you think you're going to order me around in bed you really don't know me very well... John."
Giving a nod of approval, Sheppard returned his attention to undressing. "Nah, you'll do what I ask because you want it, not because I give you orders."
After watching Sheppard for a minute more, Rodney shucked the rest of his clothes. Barefoot, he stepped closer to where Sheppard had bent to remove his pants and boxers. The move gave Sheppard a perfect view of strong thighs and a thick, hard cock as he straightened up. Rodney's eyebrows shot up when Sheppard licked his lips suggestively.
"If I asked you to go lie down on the bed so that I could suck you..." Sheppard began.
"I'd say, why don't you just get down on your knees and do it right here," Rodney countered, a challenge gleaming in his eyes.
"If we were on the bed you could suck me too," Sheppard said, running a hand down his chest and detouring to pinch a nipple as he did so. Rodney's gaze followed the movement of his hand with interest.
"I suppose I could be persuaded." Rodney unfolded his arms and his fingers twitched as he dropped his hands to either side.
With a smile, Sheppard stepped over his discarded clothes and moved to the bed. He made a point of brushing his arm against Rodney's as he passed him and there was a shiver of response. By the time Sheppard was stretched out on his side, Rodney was pushing at him and making room for himself. Rodney kicked at the pillow until he was comfortable before reaching for Sheppard's cock.
"This is not setting any kind of precedent," Rodney said, waving an admonishing finger. Then, without any preamble, he went down on Sheppard.
As his cock was abruptly engulfed in wet heat and perfect suction, Sheppard groaned and clutched at Rodney's hip. He closed his eyes and simply enjoyed the sensations for a long moment, until Rodney pulled off just as suddenly and used his flailing finger to jab Sheppard in the stomach.
"Hey!" Rodney complained. "Me too."
"Sorry," Sheppard said, forcing his eyes back open.
His fingers curved around Rodney's ass in tacit apology, pulling him into just the right position. When Rodney's mouth slid over the head of his cock again, Sheppard swallowed Rodney down. There was a muffled sound that vibrated around his cock and Sheppard sucked harder on Rodney in response. He tasted of sweat and pre-come and Sheppard used his tongue as he slid his mouth up and down on Rodney's shaft.
Rodney was getting creative, with just a hint of teeth as he pulled all the way off and then licked the head of Sheppard's cock. When he took Sheppard in again, Rodney sucked on two of his own fingers at the same time, before pulling them out with an obscene pop. The wet digits trailed over Sheppard's hip and between his cheeks. They pressed against his hole and Sheppard moaned around his mouthful of cock. His hips jerked, pushing him deeper into Rodney's throat and Rodney retaliated by pressing the tip of his finger past the resistance of Sheppard's muscles and into his body.
With a muffled keening sound, Sheppard tensed, hands digging into Rodney's flesh. When Rodney just pushed his finger in a little further, Sheppard gave up the fight and came. He pulled off of Rodney, panting hard as he shuddered, his climax rolling over him in waves. Rodney kept on sucking him until he was just too sensitive and had to tug at Rodney's hair until he released him.
As they shifted on the bed, Rodney's swollen cock nudged Sheppard's cheek, painting a stripe of wetness on his skin. Carefully, Sheppard took him in again, finding a rhythm that Rodney's finger matched, still moving in his ass. He wasn't getting hard again any time soon, but Sheppard pushed into the burn and stretch of Rodney finger fucking him. Caught up in the thrust of Rodney's cock in his mouth and the feel of the finger in his ass, Rodney's climax took Sheppard by surprise. He didn't swallow fast enough and some of Rodney's come spilled down his chin, leaving a sticky trail.
Sheppard let Rodney go before he could complain and swiped a hand across his mouth. He hissed out a breath when Rodney finally pulled his finger free and then collapsed onto his back. At his side, Rodney wiped his hand clean on the sheet before twisting around until he was lying the same way as Sheppard on the cramped bed. They were both in need of a shower and there wasn't really room for the two of them, but neither suggested that Rodney should get up and leave. It might even have been called cuddling, though not by either of them.
Predictably, it was Rodney who finally broke the post-coital silence.
"Just for the record, and not that I don't appreciate the letter," he said. "But next time you feel like making a romantic gesture, John, go with chocolate."
Sheppard's answering smile was hidden in the stubbled curve of Rodney's jaw.
**
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