[Stargate: Drabble] "Our Valley" [John/Rodney, G]
Title: Our Valley
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: writerverse phase 23, challenge 13 on the range (western genre)
Word Count: 350
Rating: G
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Setting: part of my Home on the Range ‘verse
Summary: “Pretty sure a saloon and a bank don’t constitute an entire town, buddy.”
Our Valley
“Sheppard!” yelled Rodney, stomping back into the cabin and dropping his bag of geological samples by the door. “Sheppard!”
“What?” John answered, from the open doorway - from the wood shavings in his hair and his current shirtless state, he’d been chopping wood at the side of the cabin.
“There is a town over the next hill!”
John snorted. “Pretty sure a saloon and a bank don’t constitute an entire town, buddy.”
“You knew about this?” Rodney demanded.
“The railroad already goes through,” said John, moving past him to start a pot of coffee brewing. “People are trying to get ahead.”
“In our valley?”
John turned, smiling. “Manifest destiny, McKay. We can’t live in the middle of nowhere forever.”
“We had planned on it, before…” said Rodney.
It had become a habit to worry about John, technically a deserter from the Union Army despite the end of the war, charged with the murder of his superior officer - an act then-Major Sheppard had committed on the mortally-wounded Colonel Sumner’s orders - and it was surprisingly hard to give it up, even if the change had been Rodney’s own doing.
John’s honorable discharge papers hung beside the hearth of their cabin, next to Rodney’s academic degrees. The charges against him had been dismissed, his record completely cleared. Now, John could chat with the engineers and stokers when they met the supply train at the depot, instead of hiding in the shadows. When the new town was built, he could talk to anyone he liked.
Now, John stood in the middle of their cabin, free to travel anywhere in the United States or its territories, but still here. He grinned, moving into Rodney’s personal space, smelling of wood chips and coffee.
“This is home, Rodney,” said John, softly, and curled his hands under Rodney’s crossed arms. “Just because there are going to be other people around doesn’t mean I won’t still want to spend all my time with you.”
“I know that,” Rodney said. “I do. Just… keep reminding me?”
John grinned and kissed him. “Every day for the rest of our lives,” he promised.
THE END
Current Mood:
mellow
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: writerverse phase 23, challenge 13 on the range (western genre)
Word Count: 350
Rating: G
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Setting: part of my Home on the Range ‘verse
Summary: “Pretty sure a saloon and a bank don’t constitute an entire town, buddy.”
Our Valley
“Sheppard!” yelled Rodney, stomping back into the cabin and dropping his bag of geological samples by the door. “Sheppard!”
“What?” John answered, from the open doorway - from the wood shavings in his hair and his current shirtless state, he’d been chopping wood at the side of the cabin.
“There is a town over the next hill!”
John snorted. “Pretty sure a saloon and a bank don’t constitute an entire town, buddy.”
“You knew about this?” Rodney demanded.
“The railroad already goes through,” said John, moving past him to start a pot of coffee brewing. “People are trying to get ahead.”
“In our valley?”
John turned, smiling. “Manifest destiny, McKay. We can’t live in the middle of nowhere forever.”
“We had planned on it, before…” said Rodney.
It had become a habit to worry about John, technically a deserter from the Union Army despite the end of the war, charged with the murder of his superior officer - an act then-Major Sheppard had committed on the mortally-wounded Colonel Sumner’s orders - and it was surprisingly hard to give it up, even if the change had been Rodney’s own doing.
John’s honorable discharge papers hung beside the hearth of their cabin, next to Rodney’s academic degrees. The charges against him had been dismissed, his record completely cleared. Now, John could chat with the engineers and stokers when they met the supply train at the depot, instead of hiding in the shadows. When the new town was built, he could talk to anyone he liked.
Now, John stood in the middle of their cabin, free to travel anywhere in the United States or its territories, but still here. He grinned, moving into Rodney’s personal space, smelling of wood chips and coffee.
“This is home, Rodney,” said John, softly, and curled his hands under Rodney’s crossed arms. “Just because there are going to be other people around doesn’t mean I won’t still want to spend all my time with you.”
“I know that,” Rodney said. “I do. Just… keep reminding me?”
John grinned and kissed him. “Every day for the rest of our lives,” he promised.
THE END
Current Mood:
mellow