Not the Greatest Loss, John-Teyla, 'Aurora'
Title: Not the Greatest Loss
Summary: It didn’t matter whether he told her or not; Teyla always knew the truth. ‘Aurora’ tag.
Characters: Sheppard, Teyla, team
Pairing: Sheppard-Teyla
Rating: K
Word Count: 583
“So,” John said as he fell into step beside Teyla. “Not the greater loss, huh?”
Teyla turned to him with a quick smirk, her eyes dancing with laughter as she followed behind and eager Rodney and Ronon. Her eyes flickered across John’s features and he tried to control the grin that threatened his lips.
“I believe you each to be a great loss,” she replied diplomatically, her tone amused and John felt an eyebrow inch up his forehead at the teasing glint in her eye.
“Oh, really?” He couldn’t contain his grin, or the light chuckle that left his throat and both he and Teyla walked on a few steps in silence, grinning at the floor. “Personal, or professional?”
He caught the eye roll she had obviously attempted to conceal before she turned her schooled features towards him. John bit the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning like an idiot at the mock glare she sent his way. Her eyes assessed him, dipping to take in his black tee shirt covered shoulders and chest and back up to his eyes, then she turned and did the same to Rodney - only with Rodney, her gaze dipped lower and the corner of her eyes crinkled with restrained laughter and John huffed, still biting his cheek.
“One more than the other,” she replied as she turned to him, her eyebrow quirking up on her forehead, daring him to question which one he was. From the happy, almost flirty grin on her features, he was sure he could hazard a guess. They continued on in silence again, the atmosphere light. She didn’t say anything until they were outside of the mess hall, where she came up short and turned her body to his slightly, looking up to him through her lashes. “I am curious, though,” she said and John felt his brows pull together in confusion.
“Oh?” He asked as he took a step back to allow a group of doctors between them, following their movements for a moment before turning back to Teyla once they had cleared ear shot. “About what?”
She turned away from him slightly as though to walk through the door before she paused, her mouth opening without sound. John quirked his eyebrow again and fought the smile but he knew that if she looked at him, she’d see the amusement dancing in his eyes. He couldn’t help it; she brought out the inner high school kid in him, always had ever since he’d introduced himself to her in that tent on Athos over a year ago now.
“What was your ‘no place like home’ thought?”
Oh.
John felt his lips form the shape as the breath rushed out of him at once and he was pretty sure his cheeks tingled as well as heat flooded through them. He quirked a half grin at her as he lifted his hand to the back of his neck and rubbed, narrowing his eyes in thought.
Would it be inappropriate to tell her the truth? Probably.
Instead, he just grinned down at her and ushered her into the mess hall. She turned back to him and grinned over her shoulder but John kept his hands on her lower back, gently pushing her towards the food, laughing lightly into the space between them.
“That is what I thought,” she said lightly and John met her eyes for a moment, smirking.
It didn’t matter whether he told her or not. Teyla always knew the truth, anyway.