Under the Sea
PG, about 1,000 words, encouraged by villainny and beta-read by thisissirius. An ever-so-slightly insane AU I'm eventually going to write. Um. Imagined kissing? *clears throat*
~~~
Yawning widely, Rodney drifted more than swam through the doorway, too tired to properly flip his fin. By and large, living in Atlantis was a joy, but every now and then - no matter how careful the generations of Merfolk even before Rodney had been to adapt the Ancient technology to run underwater - something would break. And naturally, whenever that happened, everyone would turn to the First Scholar to fix it. Rightfully so, but sometimes Rodney wished he weren't quite the genius he was, if only to get some sleep.
Today it had been the shield. Some random, long-disabled connection had sprung back to life - algae growing between the conductors, and how Rodney hated it when that happened - and the Ancient energy field had engulfed the city like a bubble of air, locking out not only fish and fresh water but also several hunting parties who had been out using the gatedivers to cover a greater distance. Rodney had been forced to work through several tides, first to find the conductors and then to remove the algae without electrocuting half the city. He was tired and cranky and still too wired for sleep, so he'd told Elizabeth that he'd personally harpoon anyone who dared disturb him during the next four tides and then swam off to try and relax before he really did snap and lash out at someone.
The pods lit up as he entered the room, but he barely glanced at them. Flipping his fin only twice, he let himself drift toward the fourth row from the door, aiming for the third pod from the left. It lit up as well, interior lights brightening as he placed his hand on the transparent lid. Rodney sighed, feeling his heartbeat finally slow down as he stared at the sleeping Ancient.
The man was about Rodney's age. Had been about Rodney's age for thousands of years and would remain that way for thousands more to come if Rodney could figure out how to hook the stasis pods to the aquadriah generators. And he would; he had to, because their Potentia was running dangerously low. Rodney would rather swallow a sea urchin raw than let this man die.
He didn't even know why. Spreading his fingers on the lid, interior lights turning the webbing between his fingers a pale red, he looked at the Ancient. The man was kind of handsome, he supposed, with reasonably attractive features and dark hair that looked like it was floating in a gentle current even though the inside of the pod was dry. Rodney would have liked to run his hands along the lines of the Ancient's hips, his slim shoulders, his pointed ears. Would have liked to find out what lay under the dark cloth that covered almost his entire body. But instead of Rodney's own elegant blue tail, the man inside the pod had two legs, stumpy appendages that didn't fit the leanness of his torso and frankly, that should have been a turn-off.
But Rodney wanted to touch those as well. Wanted to find out what was hidden behind the artificial-looking shells - most likely some kind of clothing as well - that covered the ends of those puzzling limbs. If he took the shells off, would he find fins? Hard chitin, like the legs of a crab? Something different?
So despite the leg issue, Rodney was embarrassed to admit - to himself, and only to himself - that he had somehow developed a crush on an unconscious member of another species. Which, yeah. He didn't even know the man's name, never mind that he'd searched the database for entire tides. There was no record at all, of any of the sleepers, and for all Rodney knew they might be convicted felons. For all Rodney knew, his crush had killed an entire swarm of people and laughed his judges in the face.
And still…
Rodney ran his hand over the pod for one last time, fingers lingering above the Ancient's mouth. He'd been following the curve of those lips with his eyes so often that he sometimes forgot that he hadn't actually touched them. That he had no idea if they really were as soft as they looked like. As he imagined them to be.
What he wouldn't give to kiss that mouth, just once. Just to satisfy his curiosity and oh, who was he kidding? He'd never be able to kiss the man just once, not if he was allowed to have more. He'd nip his way along the lower lip and lick at the corners. He'd take his time to learn the exact shape of the upper lip until he could put it into equations that described its curves as well as the little dip between them. He'd memorise the texture and feeling, revel in the softness he was so certain he would find, and then he'd lick and nibble some more until those lips parted beneath his own and he was allowed inside. And then, then-
Except that wasn't very likely, now, was it? And still…
Looking left and right and feeling like an idiot, Rodney leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to the pod, cheeks burning as he pulled back. If Elizabeth knew how pathetic he was, she'd make Radek First Scholar and send Rodney to have his head examined. Yawning suddenly, he shook his head at himself and turned around, leaving the room with a few quick strokes. Behind him, the pods turned dark again; not that he was looking back.
It was high time he went to sleep. And perhaps he'd dream about a merman with soft lips and dark hair, but if he did, that was no one's business but his own.
~~~
Yawning widely, Rodney drifted more than swam through the doorway, too tired to properly flip his fin. By and large, living in Atlantis was a joy, but every now and then - no matter how careful the generations of Merfolk even before Rodney had been to adapt the Ancient technology to run underwater - something would break. And naturally, whenever that happened, everyone would turn to the First Scholar to fix it. Rightfully so, but sometimes Rodney wished he weren't quite the genius he was, if only to get some sleep.
Today it had been the shield. Some random, long-disabled connection had sprung back to life - algae growing between the conductors, and how Rodney hated it when that happened - and the Ancient energy field had engulfed the city like a bubble of air, locking out not only fish and fresh water but also several hunting parties who had been out using the gatedivers to cover a greater distance. Rodney had been forced to work through several tides, first to find the conductors and then to remove the algae without electrocuting half the city. He was tired and cranky and still too wired for sleep, so he'd told Elizabeth that he'd personally harpoon anyone who dared disturb him during the next four tides and then swam off to try and relax before he really did snap and lash out at someone.
The pods lit up as he entered the room, but he barely glanced at them. Flipping his fin only twice, he let himself drift toward the fourth row from the door, aiming for the third pod from the left. It lit up as well, interior lights brightening as he placed his hand on the transparent lid. Rodney sighed, feeling his heartbeat finally slow down as he stared at the sleeping Ancient.
The man was about Rodney's age. Had been about Rodney's age for thousands of years and would remain that way for thousands more to come if Rodney could figure out how to hook the stasis pods to the aquadriah generators. And he would; he had to, because their Potentia was running dangerously low. Rodney would rather swallow a sea urchin raw than let this man die.
He didn't even know why. Spreading his fingers on the lid, interior lights turning the webbing between his fingers a pale red, he looked at the Ancient. The man was kind of handsome, he supposed, with reasonably attractive features and dark hair that looked like it was floating in a gentle current even though the inside of the pod was dry. Rodney would have liked to run his hands along the lines of the Ancient's hips, his slim shoulders, his pointed ears. Would have liked to find out what lay under the dark cloth that covered almost his entire body. But instead of Rodney's own elegant blue tail, the man inside the pod had two legs, stumpy appendages that didn't fit the leanness of his torso and frankly, that should have been a turn-off.
But Rodney wanted to touch those as well. Wanted to find out what was hidden behind the artificial-looking shells - most likely some kind of clothing as well - that covered the ends of those puzzling limbs. If he took the shells off, would he find fins? Hard chitin, like the legs of a crab? Something different?
So despite the leg issue, Rodney was embarrassed to admit - to himself, and only to himself - that he had somehow developed a crush on an unconscious member of another species. Which, yeah. He didn't even know the man's name, never mind that he'd searched the database for entire tides. There was no record at all, of any of the sleepers, and for all Rodney knew they might be convicted felons. For all Rodney knew, his crush had killed an entire swarm of people and laughed his judges in the face.
And still…
Rodney ran his hand over the pod for one last time, fingers lingering above the Ancient's mouth. He'd been following the curve of those lips with his eyes so often that he sometimes forgot that he hadn't actually touched them. That he had no idea if they really were as soft as they looked like. As he imagined them to be.
What he wouldn't give to kiss that mouth, just once. Just to satisfy his curiosity and oh, who was he kidding? He'd never be able to kiss the man just once, not if he was allowed to have more. He'd nip his way along the lower lip and lick at the corners. He'd take his time to learn the exact shape of the upper lip until he could put it into equations that described its curves as well as the little dip between them. He'd memorise the texture and feeling, revel in the softness he was so certain he would find, and then he'd lick and nibble some more until those lips parted beneath his own and he was allowed inside. And then, then-
Except that wasn't very likely, now, was it? And still…
Looking left and right and feeling like an idiot, Rodney leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to the pod, cheeks burning as he pulled back. If Elizabeth knew how pathetic he was, she'd make Radek First Scholar and send Rodney to have his head examined. Yawning suddenly, he shook his head at himself and turned around, leaving the room with a few quick strokes. Behind him, the pods turned dark again; not that he was looking back.
It was high time he went to sleep. And perhaps he'd dream about a merman with soft lips and dark hair, but if he did, that was no one's business but his own.