tielan
in
jack_built
fic: "Beating Around The Bush" by Tielan, PG-13
TITLE: Beating Around The Bush
SUMMARY: "We are friends. That is all. We have common interests and are fond of the same things, but I do not feel romantically about him, and I do not believe he feels romantically about me."
NOTES: Another chapter in the series - this one should go between ' Cultural Conflicts and Advice vs. Strategy''. Liz finally decided to break free from the limbo of characters-I-presently-can't-write. Next one will be Sam/Jack...kinda-ish. :)
Beating Around The Bush
"So what's happening between you and Ronon?"
Teyla did not look up at Liz's carefully innocuous question; she did not stiffen, she did not snap, she did not huff. For the sake of friendship, she kept her temper.
"Nothing," she said.
Privately, she was tired of the interest that the others in the building were taking in her friendship with Ronon. They jogged together in the mornings, and took the same capoeira classes down at the local gym, had a remarkably common background - and that was all.
She wished the others would realise that time spent with a person did not necessarily mean that the relationship was sexual or romantic.
Janet, at least, had noticed her weariness of the question and was no longer needling her about it, and John had never spoken of it at all, but the others in the building were slower - or just too stubborn to release their preconceived ideas. Some of them - such as Vala - were gleeful and eager for gossip. Others - such as Daniel - were just curious.
"So...you're not dating?"
Teyla put down her pen and folded her hands on the table, looking over at the other young woman with an aggravated calm she didn't bother to hide. She wouldn't lose her temper, but she wouldn't hide her annoyance at the question either. "Is there a reason for this inquisition?"
"I just..." Liz was going pink. She self-consciously brushed back a wisp of brown hair. "I'm just wondering."
"You may stop wondering," Teyla said, crisply. "We are friends. That is all. We have common interests and are fond of the same things, but I do not feel romantically about him, and I do not believe he feels romantically about me. He has certainly given no indication." She lifted an eyebrow. "Is that a satisfactory answer?"
"Teyla, I'm sorry. I just..." The book in front of Liz developed an intense fascination before she looked up, briefly, then down again. "I've got a couple of free tickets to go skating down at the ice rink next weekend, and I thought..." She was red to the tips of her ears now. "I thought that maybe Ronon might like to come with."
Light dawned, understanding washing over her like sunlight in the pre-dawn chill. Ohhhh.
"But you didn't wish to invite him if there was more between myself and Ronon."
"You hang around each other all the time."
Teyla eyed Liz. "Rodney and Daniel are always in here."
"Only because Rodney has a crush on Sam. Do you mind?"
"Rodney's crush in Sam? Not at all." When Liz glared at her, Teyla smirked. "If I am not dating Ronon, then surely it is not my business to mind."
"Some girls would."
Teyla gave Liz a look. "Do I seem like 'some girls'?"
"Okay, well, you know him pretty well. Do you think he'd say yes?"
Teyla reflected that she would not have picked the chattily social Liz to be interested in Ronon's reserved quiet.
Privately, she thought that the request would probably knock Ronon over the head. He was generally oblivious to the interested looks of women and in no way encouraged them - unlike other men of her acquaintance.
However, it was clear that Liz was considering this quite seriously. Since her friend did little without a great deal of consideration, Teyla supposed that she should at least give the other woman due warning. "The only way you will know is to ask," she said. "But I will say this. He ended a long-term relationship only a few months ago and may not be ready to develop a new one."
Liz deflated, her cheeks still rosily pink - this time with mortification. "Oh."
"That does not mean you should not ask," Teyla said gently. "A friend is always welcome."
--
She nearly bumped into Carson on Sunday evening while taking out the garbage.
"Steady there, love," he said, rearing back as she swung around the corner and nearly took him out.
"Oh! I am sorry, Carson. I was not watching where I was going."
"Yes, I can see that well enough." He grinned at her as she lifted a trash can lid and dumped the bag of garbage. "Had a good weekend?"
"Well enough." Teyla gave a slight grimace. "I seem to have spent much of it giving advice."
"Ah, yes. Janet says you've become the local love doctor." Clearly, the prospect amused Carson. Teyla wished she could be so entertained by the ever-growing stream of people who seemed to consider her a suitable candidate to confess their romantic feelings and concerns.
"I do not understand it. Kate is the one studying psychology. I can only listen."
"Listening's more than most do, Teyla," he said, so sagely that she could not help a smile.
"Such as now?"
"Such as now. Although," he added as he held open the door for Teyla to enter, "I'm curious as to what advice you gave Ronon about his date last night. He seemed rather nervous about it until after he saw you."
Teyla's laugh echoed through the central atrium of the apartment block.
Her exasperated response to Ronon's concerns about seeing Liz had been no less than, If all else fails, I do not think she will mind if you throw her over your shoulder and carry her off to your cave.
--
SUMMARY: "We are friends. That is all. We have common interests and are fond of the same things, but I do not feel romantically about him, and I do not believe he feels romantically about me."
NOTES: Another chapter in the series - this one should go between ' Cultural Conflicts and Advice vs. Strategy''. Liz finally decided to break free from the limbo of characters-I-presently-can't-write. Next one will be Sam/Jack...kinda-ish. :)
Beating Around The Bush
"So what's happening between you and Ronon?"
Teyla did not look up at Liz's carefully innocuous question; she did not stiffen, she did not snap, she did not huff. For the sake of friendship, she kept her temper.
"Nothing," she said.
Privately, she was tired of the interest that the others in the building were taking in her friendship with Ronon. They jogged together in the mornings, and took the same capoeira classes down at the local gym, had a remarkably common background - and that was all.
She wished the others would realise that time spent with a person did not necessarily mean that the relationship was sexual or romantic.
Janet, at least, had noticed her weariness of the question and was no longer needling her about it, and John had never spoken of it at all, but the others in the building were slower - or just too stubborn to release their preconceived ideas. Some of them - such as Vala - were gleeful and eager for gossip. Others - such as Daniel - were just curious.
"So...you're not dating?"
Teyla put down her pen and folded her hands on the table, looking over at the other young woman with an aggravated calm she didn't bother to hide. She wouldn't lose her temper, but she wouldn't hide her annoyance at the question either. "Is there a reason for this inquisition?"
"I just..." Liz was going pink. She self-consciously brushed back a wisp of brown hair. "I'm just wondering."
"You may stop wondering," Teyla said, crisply. "We are friends. That is all. We have common interests and are fond of the same things, but I do not feel romantically about him, and I do not believe he feels romantically about me. He has certainly given no indication." She lifted an eyebrow. "Is that a satisfactory answer?"
"Teyla, I'm sorry. I just..." The book in front of Liz developed an intense fascination before she looked up, briefly, then down again. "I've got a couple of free tickets to go skating down at the ice rink next weekend, and I thought..." She was red to the tips of her ears now. "I thought that maybe Ronon might like to come with."
Light dawned, understanding washing over her like sunlight in the pre-dawn chill. Ohhhh.
"But you didn't wish to invite him if there was more between myself and Ronon."
"You hang around each other all the time."
Teyla eyed Liz. "Rodney and Daniel are always in here."
"Only because Rodney has a crush on Sam. Do you mind?"
"Rodney's crush in Sam? Not at all." When Liz glared at her, Teyla smirked. "If I am not dating Ronon, then surely it is not my business to mind."
"Some girls would."
Teyla gave Liz a look. "Do I seem like 'some girls'?"
"Okay, well, you know him pretty well. Do you think he'd say yes?"
Teyla reflected that she would not have picked the chattily social Liz to be interested in Ronon's reserved quiet.
Privately, she thought that the request would probably knock Ronon over the head. He was generally oblivious to the interested looks of women and in no way encouraged them - unlike other men of her acquaintance.
However, it was clear that Liz was considering this quite seriously. Since her friend did little without a great deal of consideration, Teyla supposed that she should at least give the other woman due warning. "The only way you will know is to ask," she said. "But I will say this. He ended a long-term relationship only a few months ago and may not be ready to develop a new one."
Liz deflated, her cheeks still rosily pink - this time with mortification. "Oh."
"That does not mean you should not ask," Teyla said gently. "A friend is always welcome."
--
She nearly bumped into Carson on Sunday evening while taking out the garbage.
"Steady there, love," he said, rearing back as she swung around the corner and nearly took him out.
"Oh! I am sorry, Carson. I was not watching where I was going."
"Yes, I can see that well enough." He grinned at her as she lifted a trash can lid and dumped the bag of garbage. "Had a good weekend?"
"Well enough." Teyla gave a slight grimace. "I seem to have spent much of it giving advice."
"Ah, yes. Janet says you've become the local love doctor." Clearly, the prospect amused Carson. Teyla wished she could be so entertained by the ever-growing stream of people who seemed to consider her a suitable candidate to confess their romantic feelings and concerns.
"I do not understand it. Kate is the one studying psychology. I can only listen."
"Listening's more than most do, Teyla," he said, so sagely that she could not help a smile.
"Such as now?"
"Such as now. Although," he added as he held open the door for Teyla to enter, "I'm curious as to what advice you gave Ronon about his date last night. He seemed rather nervous about it until after he saw you."
Teyla's laugh echoed through the central atrium of the apartment block.
Her exasperated response to Ronon's concerns about seeing Liz had been no less than, If all else fails, I do not think she will mind if you throw her over your shoulder and carry her off to your cave.
--