John came to an abrupt halt as the unexpected words floated round the corner ahead of him. He frowned, the tone of disbelief in the woman's vaguely familiar voice annoyed him.
“I said I want to fuck him, there's a difference,” said a second female voice. “His brain is kinda hot I admit but with his looks and attitude, I suspect he's pathetically grateful in bed and I have a thing about being appreciated.”
A loud, rude snort from the first woman stopped John before he could storm round the corner and berate whoever this, this bitch was for her attitude.
“Man, you're new.”
“Well duh, just off the Daedalus and all, what's your point?”
“Steer clear of McKay hon, he's very, very attached and believe me, you do not want his other half pissed at you.”
John blinked, his mouth dropping open in shock as his heart sank and his stomach did a weird flip that made him want to heave. Rodney? Rodney was attached, had a girlfriend? And he hadn't told him? John almost did heave, stumbling sideways to lean against the wall.
Taking in a breath, he continued to listen and berated himself for being so stupid. So Rodney had a girlfriend, it wasn't like he hadn't expected it. He'd known it was bound to happen eventually, that someone was bound to see Rodney for what he really was under the bluster and arrogance. He'd just always kinda hoped that McKay would notice that he'd seen under the bluster and arrogance.
“McKay? No way, who's he with?”
John found himself leaning closer, wanting to hear for himself so he could... well, what could he actually do?
There was a long pause then the first woman sighed. “Okay, I'll tell you but you have to promise...”
“Of course, I promise not to say anything, God!”
“I'm serious. With this whole DADT nonsense, we have to be so careful.”
Rodney had a... Rodney had a boyfriend? John's stomach clenched painfully and his heart just seemed to get heavier. He'd lost out to one of his own men? But Rodney hated grunts, or at least that's what he'd always said. Maybe it was a cover story.
The first woman continued. “Everyone who was here the first year will do anything, and I mean anything to protect them so if you ever say anything, I'll know it was you... and so will Teyla and Ronon.”
“Whoa,” the second woman gasped at the not-so-subtle threat. “Okay, I swear on the lives of all I hold dear, Jesus, just tell me already, you're killing me.”
John had to nod his agreement, he could almost see the woman bouncing on the spot in her eagerness to find out.
“Colonel Sheppard.”
John stopped breathing.
“No fucking way.”
“Yes way,” the first woman said with a snort.
“B-but Sheppard's so... and McKay, he's...”
“They fit,” the first woman said softly. “They're like, I don't know, kinda perfect together. Just watch them together sometime, you'll understand.”
“Oo-kay.” The second woman sounded doubtful. “So, no one minds, seriously?”
“Seriously. After what those two have done for us, what they've been through, even Kavanagh would deny any misconduct between them.”
“Wow. Ooh hey, I bet Kavanagh's single.”
John's choke was covered by the first woman's gasp of complete horror.
“Karen you are a sick, sick woman, you know that?”
“Yeah, I know,” Karen said, sounding ridiculously smug. “So, are we going to eat, or what?”
Their footsteps were heading towards him and John hurriedly backed up, trying to look like he was only just walking that way. He nodded at the two women, finally realising who the first one was: Dr. Carol Hanson was a scientist fiercely loyal to Rodney and one of the few happy to shout right back at McKay when he was on one of his rants. Rodney thought she was quite good... high praise from the resident genius.
Carol nodded and smiled. Karen however, gawped and John fought a blush, hurrying past her to get round the corner before he broke into a run, not stopping till he reached his quarters. The doors opened for him and he sank back against them as they immediately shut behind him and locked.
Rodney and him. Him and Rodney. The whole base thought they were together. The whole base. And willing to lie for them.
Wow.
What the hell did he do with that kind of information? Just because the whole base apparently agreed with him, that they should be together, Rodney might not. Rodney, so far as he knew, wasn't even interested in guys.
So what did he do? Carry on as normal and hope that one day, Rodney might notice him, might notice that they were, actually, kinda dating now that he thought about it? Everyone else had but everyone else was not Rodney and his friend wasn't exactly a master of human relations, subtle wasn't going to work. And it wasn't like he could just ask, or tell, no irony intended, he just wasn't good at talking about those things.
Maybe if he stepped up the dating he could, well, maybe he could make Rodney notice.
“Damn it!” he snapped. What if Rodney noticed and he ended up losing him, even as a friend. Why did this have to be so complicated? He'd never had this problem before, this stupid, paralysing fear, this indecision. He'd never been in love before either. Why'd he go and have to fall for the one person he couldn't just charm anyway? God, he was such an idiot.
@>*~
The loud banging on his door woke John and he tumbled out of bed, wondering what catastrophe could possibly have found its way to them this time. He opened the door and blinked in confusion as Rodney fisted his t-shirt and shoved him back into the room, the door closing again behind them.
“What the...”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Rodney yelled.
“McKay, would ya let go?” John mumbled, still trying to get his brain functional after the abrupt wake up. “What do you mean, what's wrong with me?”
“Why are you here?”
John squinted at Rodney in pure confusion and looked round. “Um, these are my quarters McKay.”
“Of course these are your quarters, it doesn't take a genius to figure that out,” Rodney said with a rude snort. “Why aren't you in mine?”
“Okay, what do you mean?”
“What do you mean, what do I mean? Isn't it obvious?” Rodney snapped.
John frowned, maybe he was in love with the guy but there were limits. “Uh no!”
Rodney suddenly deflated, looking a little lost and John reached out to him, touching his arm. Rodney flinched away and shook his head.
“You were supposed to. When I found out all I wanted to do was... but then it occurred to me that maybe you didn't know so I asked Carol to... I thought, I thought if you knew you'd.” Rodney stopped abruptly and walked back to the door, leaving John floundering, trying to make sense of the ramble. He'd asked Carol to what?
As the door slid open, everything suddenly snapped into focus and John thought the door shut again before his friend could leave. Rodney knew the base thought they were a couple, he knew no one would ever give them away. He'd been waiting for him to make the first move.
“Open the door,” Rodney whispered.
“No.”
“Colonel.”
John moved back to the bed and sat down, calmly removing his socks and then his t-shirt as Rodney watched, eyes growing wide and round with shock.
“You know I think I could be insulted that you still call me Colonel or Sheppard, considering how long we've been dating.” He smiled at the noise Rodney made and leaned back, both hands on the mattress behind him to push out his chest, just a little. Trying a little charm couldn't hurt.
“Dating?” Rodney squeaked.
“Yes Rodney, dating. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out, the whole base knows after all.”
Rodney glared at him. “Um, excuse me, it did take a genius to figure it out; me! You still didn't get it after I shoved it in your face.”
“Well ya know, you could have just told me,” John snapped, sitting up again.
“Yeah, and risked losing my best friend,” Rodney said with a snort.
John raised an eyebrow. “Yeah,” he said slowly, drawing the word out in a 'no duh' tone.
“Oh.” Rodney stared at him, then both of his eyebrows rose in surprise. “Oh! Seriously? You didn't realise how I feel... I m-mean, you didn't know that I...”
“That you love me?” John said with a small smile.
“Yes, I mean no!” Rodney looked panicked. “I mean...”
“No I didn't know, Rodney,” John said quietly, holding out his hand again. Rodney took it and let himself be dragged to the bed and down next to him. “If I had, I'd have been at your door straight away.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“Because you.” Rodney didn't finish the sentence, trailing off with a strange look of fearful hope.
“Because we've been dating an awful long time and someone hasn't put out yet,” John said, suppressing a grin as the scientist spluttered at him. Then Rodney pulled away to head for the door and John frowned again.
“Yes, very funny Sheppard, when you've quite finished being a prick, perhaps you could open the door and let me out.”
“That wasn't quite the comeback I was expecting,” John said quietly, grimacing at his friend apologetically.
“I'm so sorry I'm not quite up to my usual standards Colonel, I guess I should be used to this by now, I don't know why I thought the fact that you were actually my friend would make a difference,” Rodney snapped. “Now open the fucking door.”
“No.” John sighed and stood up. “Rodney I'm, I'm sorry okay, I didn't mean it all to come out like that, you know I'm not good with the whole talking.” He gestured helplessly with one hand. “Thing,” he finished lamely.
Rodney turned slowly and stared at him in disbelief. “Talking thing? Talking thing? Seriously Sheppard, you need help. We talk about everything, you're my best friend, you know? And you can't even tell me that you might.” Rodney stopped again and swallowed hard. “Well, that you might have feelings for me,” he whispered.
John took a deep breath. Time to simplify things because really, this should have been easy. Rodney was right, he was his best friend, and the only person he trusted with his heart.
“Not might,” he whispered. “Do.”
“What?” Rodney asked with a slightly confused frown.
“I do have, you know, feelings.” John grimaced at himself. Spectacularly well done, not.
Rodney started to smirk and he wasn't sure that it was a good sign. “You have feelings huh? Well that's a start I guess. Does the Tin Man have a heart too?”
Twisting his lips in slight annoyance, John stalked closer to his friend. “Yes and it's starting to seriously doubt the wisdom of loving you.”
Rodney's face lit up, his smile one that John wasn't sure he'd ever seen before. “There now, was that so hard?” Rodney whispered.
“What?” John asked. Rodney's smile turned into a smirk.
“Think about it. John.”
“You called me John,” John whispered. Funny how Rodney using his first name made him tingle all the way down to his toes.
“Yes, I called you John,” Rodney said with a small chuckle.
“Does that mean we're still dating?”
“Yes John, we're still dating.” Rodney smiled and John couldn't help smiling back. He took Rodney's hand and led him back to the bed to sit down again.
“That's good.” He turned slightly so he could look at his friend. “So um, hey,” he started.
Rodney's eyes narrowed a little warily. “Hey what?”
“Does that mean you're gonna put out or what?” John smirked as Rodney spluttered again but this time, his friend simply shoved him back onto the bed and leaned over him.
“No John, it means you're going to put out.”
end.