Ficlet: Company You Keep (SGA/Criminal Minds) (Ronon/Hotch) PG 13
Off-screen SGA character death.
Spoiler for CM character departure.
*
While it had come out before he left that Jason sometimes worked with the CIA to evaluate certain of its operatives, it had not come out that Jason also worked with an agency called the SGC in the same manner, or that their operatives were sometimes aliens.
It had taken Aaron two weeks to believe what he was told and shown, and even then he'd tried not to be wrangled into being their pet profiler.
In the end, it was video footage of one Ronon Dex that changed Aaron's mind. He'd seen, even in the grainy feed, the stark desolation on the man's face, the complete emptiness that was slowly overtaking his eyes.
At the time Aaron knew he was making the decision from a personal place rather than from a professional one, just like he knew that the last place he should ever be was in a room with Ronon Dex.
Their sessions were never easy on either of them.
Aaron asked the hard questions: What do you miss about Colonel Sheppard? and Were you in love with Teyla Emmagan? and Why did you consider Dr. McKay your friend?
Ronon curled his lips and pointed out everything Aaron was trying to avoid: You have a pale circle on your ring finger. and You smell of a child, but only sometimes. and You're buttoned up so tightly, like you don't trust your body.
Progress was made, slow and halting, and after six months and several breakdowns and -throughs, Aaron called an end to their sessions and told Ronon: You're ready..
Two weeks later, Ronon is waiting in front of Aaron's apartment door when he gets home from work one night.
Ronon looks up from where he's sitting on the floor, his back to the wall. "I never wanted to imagine this place without them."
Aaron slides down the wall opposite him and thinks of Haley and Jack, who aren't dead like the people Ronon's thinking of, but who are still no longer with him, no longer a part of him. "I know."
"I can't do this. You said I could, but you were wrong."
Aaron feels his lips curl at the corners. "You don't want to do it, but you can."
Ronon stares at him, his face curiously vulnerable and uncertain for a man from another galaxy who has fought tooth and nail every day of his life and who probably knows several hundred ways to kill a man with his bare hands. But there is more to Ronon than just that brawn, those killer skills, and Aaron saw it in the way Ronon heard what Aaron never pointedly said, and in the way Ronon picked up on clues that even Aaron's trained colleagues missed.
"Not without you," Ronon says. It's a statement, simple and clear, with a hint of surprise to it, like Ronon didn't know what he was going to say until he said it. He blinks, smiles at Aaron, and says it again. "Not without you."
Aaron shakes his head, though he is tempted, so very tempted. He's walked through the corridors of Ronon's mind, has seen what he's made of, what he carries with him and holds true to, and Aaron wants it, has wanted it since their second session, when Ronon said: I loved them more than I hated everything else.
"You don't even know me, Ronon."
Ronon tilts his head. "No, not the way I should. Not as well as you think you know me."
Aaron arches a brow. "Think?"
Ronon exhales a laugh at him. "I would surprise you."
There aren't many people who could say that to Aaron and not be lying even inadvertently. Given Aaron's line of work, even fewer of them would be referring to a good surprise.
"Ronon--"
"You're ready."
Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. Aaron thinks it's about time he at least found out, was at least as brave as Ronon is without even realizing it.
Aaron says, "Well, I guess we'll see about that" and gets to his feet, unlocks his door, and brings Ronon inside.
.End
Spoiler for CM character departure.
*
While it had come out before he left that Jason sometimes worked with the CIA to evaluate certain of its operatives, it had not come out that Jason also worked with an agency called the SGC in the same manner, or that their operatives were sometimes aliens.
It had taken Aaron two weeks to believe what he was told and shown, and even then he'd tried not to be wrangled into being their pet profiler.
In the end, it was video footage of one Ronon Dex that changed Aaron's mind. He'd seen, even in the grainy feed, the stark desolation on the man's face, the complete emptiness that was slowly overtaking his eyes.
At the time Aaron knew he was making the decision from a personal place rather than from a professional one, just like he knew that the last place he should ever be was in a room with Ronon Dex.
Their sessions were never easy on either of them.
Aaron asked the hard questions: What do you miss about Colonel Sheppard? and Were you in love with Teyla Emmagan? and Why did you consider Dr. McKay your friend?
Ronon curled his lips and pointed out everything Aaron was trying to avoid: You have a pale circle on your ring finger. and You smell of a child, but only sometimes. and You're buttoned up so tightly, like you don't trust your body.
Progress was made, slow and halting, and after six months and several breakdowns and -throughs, Aaron called an end to their sessions and told Ronon: You're ready..
Two weeks later, Ronon is waiting in front of Aaron's apartment door when he gets home from work one night.
Ronon looks up from where he's sitting on the floor, his back to the wall. "I never wanted to imagine this place without them."
Aaron slides down the wall opposite him and thinks of Haley and Jack, who aren't dead like the people Ronon's thinking of, but who are still no longer with him, no longer a part of him. "I know."
"I can't do this. You said I could, but you were wrong."
Aaron feels his lips curl at the corners. "You don't want to do it, but you can."
Ronon stares at him, his face curiously vulnerable and uncertain for a man from another galaxy who has fought tooth and nail every day of his life and who probably knows several hundred ways to kill a man with his bare hands. But there is more to Ronon than just that brawn, those killer skills, and Aaron saw it in the way Ronon heard what Aaron never pointedly said, and in the way Ronon picked up on clues that even Aaron's trained colleagues missed.
"Not without you," Ronon says. It's a statement, simple and clear, with a hint of surprise to it, like Ronon didn't know what he was going to say until he said it. He blinks, smiles at Aaron, and says it again. "Not without you."
Aaron shakes his head, though he is tempted, so very tempted. He's walked through the corridors of Ronon's mind, has seen what he's made of, what he carries with him and holds true to, and Aaron wants it, has wanted it since their second session, when Ronon said: I loved them more than I hated everything else.
"You don't even know me, Ronon."
Ronon tilts his head. "No, not the way I should. Not as well as you think you know me."
Aaron arches a brow. "Think?"
Ronon exhales a laugh at him. "I would surprise you."
There aren't many people who could say that to Aaron and not be lying even inadvertently. Given Aaron's line of work, even fewer of them would be referring to a good surprise.
"Ronon--"
"You're ready."
Maybe he is, maybe he isn't. Aaron thinks it's about time he at least found out, was at least as brave as Ronon is without even realizing it.
Aaron says, "Well, I guess we'll see about that" and gets to his feet, unlocks his door, and brings Ronon inside.
.End