Brothers in Arms...or Boredom, by Audrey Lynne - for Kaziwren
Sorry this is late, but the muse was being fussy...hopefully it'll still be enjoyed!
Title: Brothers in Arms...or Boredom
Author: Audrey Lynne - audreysmagic
Written for - kaziwren
Prompts -
1. Ronon/Carson or Ronon/John pre-slash or first time; BEFORE "Sunday" please.
2. Ronon whumping! (Is that even possible!?)
3. Ronon experiments with his "softer side."
Characters/Pairing: Ronon/John friendship/preslash
Rating: PG-13 for safety's sake, but I think it's really more PG.
Summary: What's a warrior to do when he can't fight to defend his family and new home?
Oh, to give an author multiple prompts. Or, rather, to give an author like me multiple prompts. I started trying to do a Ronon/John pre-slash, but then the softer side of Ronon idea popped up, and this ended up being an odd amalgam of the two. This is definitely not my usual subject matter--while I love Ronon, I don't usually focus whole fics on him and I've never slashed him or John, so it was fun to explore!
If there was one thing Ronon Dex hated more than the Wraith, it was inaction. He was a warrior by nature, even before circumstances had forced him to spend seven years on the run, fighting for his very survival. After Sateda's destruction at the hands of the Wraith, Ronon had thought he would never know a true home again, but he was wrong. Atlantis became his new home, as it had for Teyla Emmagan and all of their friends from Earth. The Earthers were a strange lot, but he liked a number of them and the rest he could ignore. He would never understand them, though--they couldn't even decide on a name for themselves. Some called themselves Earthlings, some preferred the term Tauri, others liked "people of Earth." And that didn't even count the ones who instead chose to identify themselves using the particular region on Earth they hailed from. But despite their quirks, they were reliable allies, some were good friends, and a select few, Ronon considered family. He would do anything to protect his family, anything within his power at all.
Which was why he hated when the crisis of the week on Atlantis was one he couldn't solve by brute force. He was good at killing Wraith--excellent, in fact. He could beat up people. He could intimidate. However, this time, the threat facing Atlantis was coming from the cosmos and Ronon was a big enough man to admit he had no clue what to do about that. He wasn't even one hundred percent sure what the problem was. All he knew was a star in their system was "going nova," and Atlantis was far enough away to be clear of the resulting explosion--or was it implosion? Ronon could never remember. In any case, the problem was not that Atlantis was about to get blown up, but rather that it was about to be bathed in exotic radiation caused by something-or-other that the blast wave would pass through, creating some reaction with something and that was bad. This was not the first natural threat Atlantis had faced and Ronon privately wondered why a race as intelligent as the Ancients would have picked such a trouble spot for their outpost, but he supposed they hadn't looked ten thousand years ahead, either.
Regardless of the scientific reasons, the fact was that Atlantis was going to be hit with this radiation and while the city itself could survive, the people wouldn't. "Instantly lethal," Rodney McKay had said, and while Ronon hadn't been able to follow half the physicist's explanation, that part he understood. His first thought was that they ought to raise the city's shield and ride it out, but as Rodney pointed out before anyone could even bring that up, the shield wasn't enough. It would block some of the radiation, but not all, and what got through was going to be too much. Which was bad. And it also meant that while the lives of everyone on Atlantis were in danger, there was absolutely nothing Ronon could do but sit in the lab and listen to Rodney and Zelenka either tossing about ideas or yelling at each other. And there was only so much of that Ronon could take before his head began to hurt.
The Athosians on the mainland had been evacuated to Atlantis and Teyla was busy helping them settle in, even though the situation was only going to be temporary. They hoped. The radiation would pass after several hours, Rodney had said, but if he and his science team didn't find some way of enhancing the city's shield, no one on the planet was going to particularly care, because they'd be dead. Ronon wandered down to the guest quarters to see if he could help, but Teyla assured him the job was mostly done. Which still left Ronon with nothing to do.
Ronon tapped his radio. "Sheppard?"
John Sheppard responded almost immediately. "Yeah, Ronon, go ahead."
"You busy?" Ronon asked.
"No, not really," John said, in a tone Ronon recognized easily. He was frustrated, too. Perhaps they could commiserate. "I assume you're not either?"
"Got that right." Ronon started heading for the gym. "You up for a sparring session?" If he couldn't solve the problem by physical means, at least he could use that avenue to release some tension.
"What, so you can wipe the floor with me?" John chuckled, not waiting for an answer before he continued with, "Sure, sounds great. I'll meet you in the gym."
"See you there," Ronon replied. He shut down the radio link and continued on his way. He'd go easy on John this time--Ronon had something he wanted to ask John about anyway.
---------------
It was nice being with someone who understood. Ronon knew John was smarter than he let people believe--"sly like a fox," as the Earth saying went. Ronon wouldn't have known a fox if he saw one, but he had been told it was an Earth animal with a reputation in folklore for being quick, and cunning. It seemed to be a complimentary comparison, so Ronon didn't worry about it...and the concept fit John well enough.
No matter what Earth animal he was most like, John understood Ronon's longing to get in the thick of the action and do something. He shared it. Of all the Earthers he'd met, Ronon thought John was the one he understood best. They both had a warrior spirit and both of them would stop at nothing if it meant saving those they had sworn themselves to protect. But now the saving part was up to the scholars, Rodney and his odd team of scientists, and the warriors had to sit this battle out. Which generally resulted in them battling each other--though fortunately in a constructive manner. The sparring sessions kept both of them in top condition, as well as providing an outlet for their pent-up energy in situations where they could do nothing but wait for someone else to save the day.
John's form had been steadily improving since they had started sparring together; his movements were a combination of Ronon's fighting techniques, Teyla's stickwork, and a bit of John's own hand-to-hand training. They merged to create a style all John's own, an almost fluid one that belied its deadliness when its true potential was unleashed.
Ronon nodded in satisfaction as John blocked one of his moves, but then dropped down low, knocking John's ankles out from under him with a sweeping kick. Ronon sprang to his feet easily as John landed on his ass.
John rolled over and pulled himself up into a sitting position. "Damn, you're good."
Ronon snorted in amusement and reached down to help John up. "Of course I am. You had enough?"
John trotted over to the bench where he'd left his bag to retrieve a towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "For now, yeah." He grabbed his water bottle and took a long swig, then scooped up his radio and put it back on. "Somehow, I doubt they've got any more answers than they did the last time we checked, but I might as well. All Rodney can do is yell at me, and even if he does, it doesn't matter, because we'll all be dead in two days anyway, if they don't figure something out." He tapped his radio. "Rodney? How's it going?" John's amused expression seemed to indicate Rodney had responded with his typical sarcasm. "Yeah, I'm aware of that. How close are you to making sure we don't die horribly? ... Good, good. ... Well, then you do that." With a chuckle, he tapped his radio again, then grinned at Ronon. "I think he's getting closer."
"Good." There wasn't much else for Ronon to say. After a moment, he asked, "You think he call pull this off?" Not that he doubted the answer, but at least it was something for them to talk about.
John nodded. "Yeah, he's got a habit of doing that. I think the threat of death hanging overhead helps--his ass on the line too and all that." He looked thoughtful. "You know what the only bad part about this is, though, right?"
"What's that?" Ronon asked.
"He's going to be insufferable about it for at least a week."
Since when was that anything new? Ronon shrugged. "I can live with that."
John's grin widened. "Yeah, par for the course around here, huh?" He patted Ronon's back. "Come on, buddy, let's go get something to eat. We might as well enjoy being alive while we still can--at least until Rodney figures out how to save our asses."
It might not have been helpful in the sense that they weren't really doing anything but staying out of the scientists' way and letting them work, but nevertheless, it was one of the best ideas Ronon had heard all day.
---------------
There was a certain calmness that often fell over Atlantis right after they had weathered another crisis and, while "calm" generally wasn't in Ronon's nature, he had come to enjoy it. The scientists had come through, as mostly everyone had been sure they would--there just wasn't any other choice. Daring last-minute rescues were "par for the course," as John liked to put it, around Atlantis. This particular rescue hadn't been daring so much as complicated and Ronon still wasn't sure what they had done to the city shield, what they had tweaked and added and done whatever to, but it had worked and that was really all Ronon cared about.
Ronon was heading back to his quarters after dinner when he ran into John in the hallway. "Hey."
"Hey." John waved. "I was just heading down to the lab--gotta make sure the brain trust actually gets some sleep now that things have settled down around here. They're bad about that, you know."
Some things were more universal than others, Ronon had learned--the academics back on Sateda had a reputation for doing the same, running themselves into the ground like Rodney and Zelenka and a number of their people had been known to do. "Yeah."
"You want to come with me?" John offered.
"Sure," Ronon agreed. He didn't have anything else to do, and he always enjoyed the opportunity to hang out with John. "You want me to 'convince' them to give it a rest for awhile?"
John laughed. "The care and keeping of scientists--through sheer intimidation. I like that." He thought for a moment. "As tempting as it is, no. Better save that for when we need it. You could try getting in touch with your softer side, though...sweet-talk 'em into it."
Ronon gave him a skeptical look. "Me? Sweet-talk them?"
"Not only no, but hell, no. Got it." John flashed that little-boy grin of his and stepped into the transporter at the end of the hall. Ronon joined him and seconds later, they were walking into the hallway that housed most of Atlantis' science division. John headed straight for the main lab, but stopped in the doorway. "Well--guess we don't have to worry about that."
` Ronon closed the gap between them in two steps and peeked over John's shoulder. The scene before him was almost sweet. Rodney was sprawled across the couch-bed that had been put into the lab some time ago, most definitely asleep. Hadn't even waited to get back to his quarters, but then, he had been awake for the better part of three days. Ronon didn't blame him. After a second, though, it occurred to him there was one socked foot too many in that tangle of limbs. A closer look revealed Rodney wasn't alone--Zelenka was dozing contentedly beside him, though he was buried mostly under the blanket. An unexpected find, to be sure, but it brought a small smile to Ronon's lips. He glanced at John. "Are they...you know, together?" Didn't bother him any--that sort of thing was fairly well accepted on Sateda. People were people and you loved who you loved. The Earthers didn't always see things that way, however, at least not according to some of the conversations on the matter Ronon had overheard.
John frowned, obviously giving the question some thought. "I...you know, I don't know. I don't think so--always kind of figured they'd kill each other inside a week if they were. They kind of sleep where they fall after things like this--figured that out after the Wraith siege. That's why I had the Daedalus bring that couch in. Figured it would be more comfortable than some Ancient console."
"So...they're not." Ronon didn't care; he just wanted to know.
"I don't know. Stranger things have happened." John didn't appear to be bothered by the concept either, and Ronon found that very interesting. He would have to investigate the matter further sometime.
Ronon watched the sleeping scientists for a second more. "You got a camera?" he asked John. If those two weren't together, it would make great blackmail material. But, then, if they were, it was probably a private moment and, besides, even if they weren't, saving the city and everyone in it had earned them a bit of rest. After a second, he shook his head. "Never mind."
John's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Softie," he accused playfully.
"Whatever." Ronon turned and started off down the hall, toward the transporter. "I'm going back to my room."
John caught up with him easily. "I'll walk with you--it's on the way to mine, anyway."
"Cool." Ronon wasn't going to complain. It would give them a chance to talk, even if the walk wasn't a long one. They had training sessions with the Marines tomorrow, and the day after that, another team mission. Life was returning to normal and Ronon was glad for it. "So what did you want to run your guys through tomorrow?"
"Oh, the usual. Advanced hand-to-hand, Wraith killing techniques...." John gestured in the air with one hand briefly. "Basic survival in Pegasus."
Ronon put a hand on John's back as they stepped into the transporter. "There's nothing basic about that."
The End
Title: Brothers in Arms...or Boredom
Author: Audrey Lynne - audreysmagic
Written for - kaziwren
Prompts -
1. Ronon/Carson or Ronon/John pre-slash or first time; BEFORE "Sunday" please.
2. Ronon whumping! (Is that even possible!?)
3. Ronon experiments with his "softer side."
Characters/Pairing: Ronon/John friendship/preslash
Rating: PG-13 for safety's sake, but I think it's really more PG.
Summary: What's a warrior to do when he can't fight to defend his family and new home?
Oh, to give an author multiple prompts. Or, rather, to give an author like me multiple prompts. I started trying to do a Ronon/John pre-slash, but then the softer side of Ronon idea popped up, and this ended up being an odd amalgam of the two. This is definitely not my usual subject matter--while I love Ronon, I don't usually focus whole fics on him and I've never slashed him or John, so it was fun to explore!
If there was one thing Ronon Dex hated more than the Wraith, it was inaction. He was a warrior by nature, even before circumstances had forced him to spend seven years on the run, fighting for his very survival. After Sateda's destruction at the hands of the Wraith, Ronon had thought he would never know a true home again, but he was wrong. Atlantis became his new home, as it had for Teyla Emmagan and all of their friends from Earth. The Earthers were a strange lot, but he liked a number of them and the rest he could ignore. He would never understand them, though--they couldn't even decide on a name for themselves. Some called themselves Earthlings, some preferred the term Tauri, others liked "people of Earth." And that didn't even count the ones who instead chose to identify themselves using the particular region on Earth they hailed from. But despite their quirks, they were reliable allies, some were good friends, and a select few, Ronon considered family. He would do anything to protect his family, anything within his power at all.
Which was why he hated when the crisis of the week on Atlantis was one he couldn't solve by brute force. He was good at killing Wraith--excellent, in fact. He could beat up people. He could intimidate. However, this time, the threat facing Atlantis was coming from the cosmos and Ronon was a big enough man to admit he had no clue what to do about that. He wasn't even one hundred percent sure what the problem was. All he knew was a star in their system was "going nova," and Atlantis was far enough away to be clear of the resulting explosion--or was it implosion? Ronon could never remember. In any case, the problem was not that Atlantis was about to get blown up, but rather that it was about to be bathed in exotic radiation caused by something-or-other that the blast wave would pass through, creating some reaction with something and that was bad. This was not the first natural threat Atlantis had faced and Ronon privately wondered why a race as intelligent as the Ancients would have picked such a trouble spot for their outpost, but he supposed they hadn't looked ten thousand years ahead, either.
Regardless of the scientific reasons, the fact was that Atlantis was going to be hit with this radiation and while the city itself could survive, the people wouldn't. "Instantly lethal," Rodney McKay had said, and while Ronon hadn't been able to follow half the physicist's explanation, that part he understood. His first thought was that they ought to raise the city's shield and ride it out, but as Rodney pointed out before anyone could even bring that up, the shield wasn't enough. It would block some of the radiation, but not all, and what got through was going to be too much. Which was bad. And it also meant that while the lives of everyone on Atlantis were in danger, there was absolutely nothing Ronon could do but sit in the lab and listen to Rodney and Zelenka either tossing about ideas or yelling at each other. And there was only so much of that Ronon could take before his head began to hurt.
The Athosians on the mainland had been evacuated to Atlantis and Teyla was busy helping them settle in, even though the situation was only going to be temporary. They hoped. The radiation would pass after several hours, Rodney had said, but if he and his science team didn't find some way of enhancing the city's shield, no one on the planet was going to particularly care, because they'd be dead. Ronon wandered down to the guest quarters to see if he could help, but Teyla assured him the job was mostly done. Which still left Ronon with nothing to do.
Ronon tapped his radio. "Sheppard?"
John Sheppard responded almost immediately. "Yeah, Ronon, go ahead."
"You busy?" Ronon asked.
"No, not really," John said, in a tone Ronon recognized easily. He was frustrated, too. Perhaps they could commiserate. "I assume you're not either?"
"Got that right." Ronon started heading for the gym. "You up for a sparring session?" If he couldn't solve the problem by physical means, at least he could use that avenue to release some tension.
"What, so you can wipe the floor with me?" John chuckled, not waiting for an answer before he continued with, "Sure, sounds great. I'll meet you in the gym."
"See you there," Ronon replied. He shut down the radio link and continued on his way. He'd go easy on John this time--Ronon had something he wanted to ask John about anyway.
---------------
It was nice being with someone who understood. Ronon knew John was smarter than he let people believe--"sly like a fox," as the Earth saying went. Ronon wouldn't have known a fox if he saw one, but he had been told it was an Earth animal with a reputation in folklore for being quick, and cunning. It seemed to be a complimentary comparison, so Ronon didn't worry about it...and the concept fit John well enough.
No matter what Earth animal he was most like, John understood Ronon's longing to get in the thick of the action and do something. He shared it. Of all the Earthers he'd met, Ronon thought John was the one he understood best. They both had a warrior spirit and both of them would stop at nothing if it meant saving those they had sworn themselves to protect. But now the saving part was up to the scholars, Rodney and his odd team of scientists, and the warriors had to sit this battle out. Which generally resulted in them battling each other--though fortunately in a constructive manner. The sparring sessions kept both of them in top condition, as well as providing an outlet for their pent-up energy in situations where they could do nothing but wait for someone else to save the day.
John's form had been steadily improving since they had started sparring together; his movements were a combination of Ronon's fighting techniques, Teyla's stickwork, and a bit of John's own hand-to-hand training. They merged to create a style all John's own, an almost fluid one that belied its deadliness when its true potential was unleashed.
Ronon nodded in satisfaction as John blocked one of his moves, but then dropped down low, knocking John's ankles out from under him with a sweeping kick. Ronon sprang to his feet easily as John landed on his ass.
John rolled over and pulled himself up into a sitting position. "Damn, you're good."
Ronon snorted in amusement and reached down to help John up. "Of course I am. You had enough?"
John trotted over to the bench where he'd left his bag to retrieve a towel and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "For now, yeah." He grabbed his water bottle and took a long swig, then scooped up his radio and put it back on. "Somehow, I doubt they've got any more answers than they did the last time we checked, but I might as well. All Rodney can do is yell at me, and even if he does, it doesn't matter, because we'll all be dead in two days anyway, if they don't figure something out." He tapped his radio. "Rodney? How's it going?" John's amused expression seemed to indicate Rodney had responded with his typical sarcasm. "Yeah, I'm aware of that. How close are you to making sure we don't die horribly? ... Good, good. ... Well, then you do that." With a chuckle, he tapped his radio again, then grinned at Ronon. "I think he's getting closer."
"Good." There wasn't much else for Ronon to say. After a moment, he asked, "You think he call pull this off?" Not that he doubted the answer, but at least it was something for them to talk about.
John nodded. "Yeah, he's got a habit of doing that. I think the threat of death hanging overhead helps--his ass on the line too and all that." He looked thoughtful. "You know what the only bad part about this is, though, right?"
"What's that?" Ronon asked.
"He's going to be insufferable about it for at least a week."
Since when was that anything new? Ronon shrugged. "I can live with that."
John's grin widened. "Yeah, par for the course around here, huh?" He patted Ronon's back. "Come on, buddy, let's go get something to eat. We might as well enjoy being alive while we still can--at least until Rodney figures out how to save our asses."
It might not have been helpful in the sense that they weren't really doing anything but staying out of the scientists' way and letting them work, but nevertheless, it was one of the best ideas Ronon had heard all day.
---------------
There was a certain calmness that often fell over Atlantis right after they had weathered another crisis and, while "calm" generally wasn't in Ronon's nature, he had come to enjoy it. The scientists had come through, as mostly everyone had been sure they would--there just wasn't any other choice. Daring last-minute rescues were "par for the course," as John liked to put it, around Atlantis. This particular rescue hadn't been daring so much as complicated and Ronon still wasn't sure what they had done to the city shield, what they had tweaked and added and done whatever to, but it had worked and that was really all Ronon cared about.
Ronon was heading back to his quarters after dinner when he ran into John in the hallway. "Hey."
"Hey." John waved. "I was just heading down to the lab--gotta make sure the brain trust actually gets some sleep now that things have settled down around here. They're bad about that, you know."
Some things were more universal than others, Ronon had learned--the academics back on Sateda had a reputation for doing the same, running themselves into the ground like Rodney and Zelenka and a number of their people had been known to do. "Yeah."
"You want to come with me?" John offered.
"Sure," Ronon agreed. He didn't have anything else to do, and he always enjoyed the opportunity to hang out with John. "You want me to 'convince' them to give it a rest for awhile?"
John laughed. "The care and keeping of scientists--through sheer intimidation. I like that." He thought for a moment. "As tempting as it is, no. Better save that for when we need it. You could try getting in touch with your softer side, though...sweet-talk 'em into it."
Ronon gave him a skeptical look. "Me? Sweet-talk them?"
"Not only no, but hell, no. Got it." John flashed that little-boy grin of his and stepped into the transporter at the end of the hall. Ronon joined him and seconds later, they were walking into the hallway that housed most of Atlantis' science division. John headed straight for the main lab, but stopped in the doorway. "Well--guess we don't have to worry about that."
` Ronon closed the gap between them in two steps and peeked over John's shoulder. The scene before him was almost sweet. Rodney was sprawled across the couch-bed that had been put into the lab some time ago, most definitely asleep. Hadn't even waited to get back to his quarters, but then, he had been awake for the better part of three days. Ronon didn't blame him. After a second, though, it occurred to him there was one socked foot too many in that tangle of limbs. A closer look revealed Rodney wasn't alone--Zelenka was dozing contentedly beside him, though he was buried mostly under the blanket. An unexpected find, to be sure, but it brought a small smile to Ronon's lips. He glanced at John. "Are they...you know, together?" Didn't bother him any--that sort of thing was fairly well accepted on Sateda. People were people and you loved who you loved. The Earthers didn't always see things that way, however, at least not according to some of the conversations on the matter Ronon had overheard.
John frowned, obviously giving the question some thought. "I...you know, I don't know. I don't think so--always kind of figured they'd kill each other inside a week if they were. They kind of sleep where they fall after things like this--figured that out after the Wraith siege. That's why I had the Daedalus bring that couch in. Figured it would be more comfortable than some Ancient console."
"So...they're not." Ronon didn't care; he just wanted to know.
"I don't know. Stranger things have happened." John didn't appear to be bothered by the concept either, and Ronon found that very interesting. He would have to investigate the matter further sometime.
Ronon watched the sleeping scientists for a second more. "You got a camera?" he asked John. If those two weren't together, it would make great blackmail material. But, then, if they were, it was probably a private moment and, besides, even if they weren't, saving the city and everyone in it had earned them a bit of rest. After a second, he shook his head. "Never mind."
John's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Softie," he accused playfully.
"Whatever." Ronon turned and started off down the hall, toward the transporter. "I'm going back to my room."
John caught up with him easily. "I'll walk with you--it's on the way to mine, anyway."
"Cool." Ronon wasn't going to complain. It would give them a chance to talk, even if the walk wasn't a long one. They had training sessions with the Marines tomorrow, and the day after that, another team mission. Life was returning to normal and Ronon was glad for it. "So what did you want to run your guys through tomorrow?"
"Oh, the usual. Advanced hand-to-hand, Wraith killing techniques...." John gestured in the air with one hand briefly. "Basic survival in Pegasus."
Ronon put a hand on John's back as they stepped into the transporter. "There's nothing basic about that."
The End