[Stargate: Drabble] "Playing Spoons" [John/Rodney, G]
Title: Playing Spoons
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: writerverse phase 23, challenge 30, prompt 01 reciprocity
Word Count: 556
Rating: G
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Summary: Big spoons and little spoons.
Playing Spoons
Sometimes, John preferred to be the big spoon.
He spent most of his waking hours protecting Rodney during the day and it was hard to give up the need to continue when they went to bed. John liked being able to keep Rodney safe. When he pressed himself against Rodney’s back, he could feel him breathing, slow and steady, rumbling slightly as he snored. He knew Rodney’s broad shoulders could easily take his weight, so he never worried about pulling Rodney closer, tangling them up until there was no space between them.
Rodney hardly mentioned it - when he did, it was to pull John’s arm around his waist and claim that it was his due, as the smartest man in two galaxies, to have a trained airman to protect him through the night. John would huff a laugh into Rodney’s hair, but him closer anyway.
But sometimes, John needed to be the little spoon.
When he had lost people under his command or come just a little too close to death himself, when he had been unable to save someone or required to kill, when he couldn’t be strong for another instant and just needed to be held.
Rodney never mentioned that, either. He let John wrap them up together, maintaining a steady stream of comforting complaints until he was snoring steadily in John’s ear. And when John’s nightmares came - he had fewer of them in general since he’d started sharing Rodney’s bed, but he’d never be completely rid of them - John would wake, heart pounding, to Rodney’s reassuring weight against his back. He’d read, somewhere, about how there were weighted blankets for people with anxiety and stuff, but he preferred Rodney, warm and breathing and mumbling equations into John’s hair.
*
Rodney preferred to be the little spoon.
Partly, it was for practical reasons, because John insisted on waking up at ungodly hours to running, and if he was on the outside, Rodney wasn’t as disturbed when he got out of bed. But it was also for ridiculous soft-science reasons, because he liked that John chose to stay, because he fell a little bit more in love with him, every time John came to find him, in his lab or in their bed.
He suspected that it was part of John’s protective personality, unable to give up his duty even when he was asleep. Rodney knew they could never talk about it, of course, so he just grumbled about being the one keeping them all alive and absolutely deserving to have the military commander guard him.
But some nights, Rodney needed to do the protecting.
When he almost hadn’t been able to save John in time or worse, when someone else had to do the saving. When there had been too much death and danger and all Rodney wanted to do was bundle John up in their bed and not let anything near him.
They couldn’t talk about that, either, so Rodney kept up a running commentary of the things he could complain about, until one or both of them fell asleep.
And when the nightmares came - Rodney had surprisingly fewer of them since coming to the Pegasus Galaxy, since learning he wasn’t alone and discovering his own strength - Rodney would wake to find John already in his arms, warm and breathing and alive.
THE END
Current Mood:
need coffee
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: writerverse phase 23, challenge 30, prompt 01 reciprocity
Word Count: 556
Rating: G
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Summary: Big spoons and little spoons.
Playing Spoons
Sometimes, John preferred to be the big spoon.
He spent most of his waking hours protecting Rodney during the day and it was hard to give up the need to continue when they went to bed. John liked being able to keep Rodney safe. When he pressed himself against Rodney’s back, he could feel him breathing, slow and steady, rumbling slightly as he snored. He knew Rodney’s broad shoulders could easily take his weight, so he never worried about pulling Rodney closer, tangling them up until there was no space between them.
Rodney hardly mentioned it - when he did, it was to pull John’s arm around his waist and claim that it was his due, as the smartest man in two galaxies, to have a trained airman to protect him through the night. John would huff a laugh into Rodney’s hair, but him closer anyway.
But sometimes, John needed to be the little spoon.
When he had lost people under his command or come just a little too close to death himself, when he had been unable to save someone or required to kill, when he couldn’t be strong for another instant and just needed to be held.
Rodney never mentioned that, either. He let John wrap them up together, maintaining a steady stream of comforting complaints until he was snoring steadily in John’s ear. And when John’s nightmares came - he had fewer of them in general since he’d started sharing Rodney’s bed, but he’d never be completely rid of them - John would wake, heart pounding, to Rodney’s reassuring weight against his back. He’d read, somewhere, about how there were weighted blankets for people with anxiety and stuff, but he preferred Rodney, warm and breathing and mumbling equations into John’s hair.
*
Rodney preferred to be the little spoon.
Partly, it was for practical reasons, because John insisted on waking up at ungodly hours to running, and if he was on the outside, Rodney wasn’t as disturbed when he got out of bed. But it was also for ridiculous soft-science reasons, because he liked that John chose to stay, because he fell a little bit more in love with him, every time John came to find him, in his lab or in their bed.
He suspected that it was part of John’s protective personality, unable to give up his duty even when he was asleep. Rodney knew they could never talk about it, of course, so he just grumbled about being the one keeping them all alive and absolutely deserving to have the military commander guard him.
But some nights, Rodney needed to do the protecting.
When he almost hadn’t been able to save John in time or worse, when someone else had to do the saving. When there had been too much death and danger and all Rodney wanted to do was bundle John up in their bed and not let anything near him.
They couldn’t talk about that, either, so Rodney kept up a running commentary of the things he could complain about, until one or both of them fell asleep.
And when the nightmares came - Rodney had surprisingly fewer of them since coming to the Pegasus Galaxy, since learning he wasn’t alone and discovering his own strength - Rodney would wake to find John already in his arms, warm and breathing and alive.
THE END
Current Mood:
need coffee