Fic: "Nesting Urges" by kyrdwyn [PG, Sheppard/Beckett, McKay/Zelenka]
Title: Nesting Urges
Author: kyrdwyn
Rating: PG
Pairings: Sheppard/Beckett, McKay/Zelenka
Spoilers: None
Sequel to: Substitute Nest
Author's Notes: For the "Fun with Small Children" Challenge at beckettsheppard.
"Hrm."
John stopped the movie yet again and stared at Rodney. "Yes, McKay?"
"Just thinking, and I mean granted, short of some weird and wacky Ancient device interfering with human biology, if you and Carson were to procreate, your kids would be strong in the Force, the Force being the ATA gene."
"You going to rewire Atlantis so this hypothetical kid doesn't randomly activate something while toddling around the city?" John asked.
Rodney shifted on couch, moving Brendan from one shoulder to the other. The infant didn't wake up, just snuffled into his father's neck. "Well, hypothetically, we could have to."
John shook his head. "This is what you think about while watching Star Wars?"
Rodney looked down, his cheeks flushing. "Actually, I was thinking how happy Carson looked when he was holding Brendan earlier."
"Oh." John didn't know what to say to that. Carson had looked content when he'd been holding Brendan. They'd talked about children, but only in the abstract. Once they'd made their commitment to each other, they knew biological children were off the table.
Looking down at the head in his lap, John lightly stroked Carson's hair. It had been a long shift in the infirmary, so John hadn't been surprised when Carson had fallen asleep less than halfway through the movie. He'd just shifted so Carson's head could rest in his lap.
"Sorry," Rodney said into the silence that had fallen. "Didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject."
John looked over and raised an eyebrow. "You're apologizing for that now?"
Rodney shrugged, then shushed Brendan as the baby protested the movement. "Well, I know it's kind of a sore spot between Radek and I, and we weren't even together before Brendan arrived on Atlantis. You and Carson have been together longer, so I'm sure it's come up, unless I'm totally off base, and knowing me and my --"
"Yeah, it's come up," John interrupted. "And yeah, I'd love to have a kid with Carson, but as you've said, that won't happen. So we'll just have to steal Brendan when we feel like getting the nesting urge out of our systems. Then when he's totally spoiled, we can give him back to you and Radek to deal with."
Rodney glared. "See if I ever ask you to baby sit again."
John grinned. "You don't ask. You beg."
"I don't -- okay, yes, I have begged," Rodney admitted.
The door to Rodney's quarters opened and Radek came in. "I am late, yes, but there were problems."
"And you didn't call me?" Rodney asked, irritated.
Radek dropped onto the couch next to Rodney. "Was nothing I couldn't handle. Your son needed you more."
"Our son," Rodney said with an emphasis that made John think this was an old argument. "I could have gotten John and Carson to watch him!"
Radek paused in stroking a hand down Brendan's back to look over at where John was sitting on the couch, Carson's head in his lap. "I do not think Carson would have been much use as a baby sitter tonight."
"Probably not," John replied, shaking Carson's shoulder gently. "And on that note, I think it's time we left you three alone." Carson raised his head, blinking and John resisted the urge to kiss him. Carson always looked adorable when he woke up. "Bedtime, Carson," John said instead.
"Oh? Good," Carson said, the rest of his voice trailing off into a yawn.
John got to his feet and helped Carson up. Rodney was quietly bickering with Radek over what constituted an emergency that needed Rodney's personal attention. John didn't want to be caught in the middle of that argument. Rodney and Radek waved at them in farewell, not even stopping their discussion.
John supported his tired lover back to their quarters. He got Carson settled on the bed and undid Carson's boots before covering him with a blanket. Unable to resist this time, he leaned down to kiss Carson's forehead. Carson smiled. "Was goin' t'tell you something earlier," Carson murmured, exhaustion causing him to slur his words.
"Hmm?" John asked, stroking Carson's hair back.
"Lorne's team found a device. Database said it was to let same-sex couples have children."
John paused and looked down at Carson, blinking. "Really?" he asked with a poise he didn't feel.
Carson nodded and turned onto his side. "We'll have to . . ." his words trailed off as he fell asleep. John straightened slowly, swallowing as the implications of what Carson had said ran through his mind.
A child. Their child, his and Carson's.
John shook his head. He couldn't afford to let himself hope. It could be nothing more than an Ancient artificial insemination device.
John took off his boots and curled up in bed behind Carson. He couldn't afford this kind of hope, he told himself sternly. He had Carson, and that was more than he'd ever expected to have in a lifetime.
Still, as he fell asleep, he couldn't help imagining an infant with Carson's blue eyes and his own unruly hair, cradled in Carson's arms.
Author: kyrdwyn
Rating: PG
Pairings: Sheppard/Beckett, McKay/Zelenka
Spoilers: None
Sequel to: Substitute Nest
Author's Notes: For the "Fun with Small Children" Challenge at beckettsheppard.
"Hrm."
John stopped the movie yet again and stared at Rodney. "Yes, McKay?"
"Just thinking, and I mean granted, short of some weird and wacky Ancient device interfering with human biology, if you and Carson were to procreate, your kids would be strong in the Force, the Force being the ATA gene."
"You going to rewire Atlantis so this hypothetical kid doesn't randomly activate something while toddling around the city?" John asked.
Rodney shifted on couch, moving Brendan from one shoulder to the other. The infant didn't wake up, just snuffled into his father's neck. "Well, hypothetically, we could have to."
John shook his head. "This is what you think about while watching Star Wars?"
Rodney looked down, his cheeks flushing. "Actually, I was thinking how happy Carson looked when he was holding Brendan earlier."
"Oh." John didn't know what to say to that. Carson had looked content when he'd been holding Brendan. They'd talked about children, but only in the abstract. Once they'd made their commitment to each other, they knew biological children were off the table.
Looking down at the head in his lap, John lightly stroked Carson's hair. It had been a long shift in the infirmary, so John hadn't been surprised when Carson had fallen asleep less than halfway through the movie. He'd just shifted so Carson's head could rest in his lap.
"Sorry," Rodney said into the silence that had fallen. "Didn't mean to bring up a touchy subject."
John looked over and raised an eyebrow. "You're apologizing for that now?"
Rodney shrugged, then shushed Brendan as the baby protested the movement. "Well, I know it's kind of a sore spot between Radek and I, and we weren't even together before Brendan arrived on Atlantis. You and Carson have been together longer, so I'm sure it's come up, unless I'm totally off base, and knowing me and my --"
"Yeah, it's come up," John interrupted. "And yeah, I'd love to have a kid with Carson, but as you've said, that won't happen. So we'll just have to steal Brendan when we feel like getting the nesting urge out of our systems. Then when he's totally spoiled, we can give him back to you and Radek to deal with."
Rodney glared. "See if I ever ask you to baby sit again."
John grinned. "You don't ask. You beg."
"I don't -- okay, yes, I have begged," Rodney admitted.
The door to Rodney's quarters opened and Radek came in. "I am late, yes, but there were problems."
"And you didn't call me?" Rodney asked, irritated.
Radek dropped onto the couch next to Rodney. "Was nothing I couldn't handle. Your son needed you more."
"Our son," Rodney said with an emphasis that made John think this was an old argument. "I could have gotten John and Carson to watch him!"
Radek paused in stroking a hand down Brendan's back to look over at where John was sitting on the couch, Carson's head in his lap. "I do not think Carson would have been much use as a baby sitter tonight."
"Probably not," John replied, shaking Carson's shoulder gently. "And on that note, I think it's time we left you three alone." Carson raised his head, blinking and John resisted the urge to kiss him. Carson always looked adorable when he woke up. "Bedtime, Carson," John said instead.
"Oh? Good," Carson said, the rest of his voice trailing off into a yawn.
John got to his feet and helped Carson up. Rodney was quietly bickering with Radek over what constituted an emergency that needed Rodney's personal attention. John didn't want to be caught in the middle of that argument. Rodney and Radek waved at them in farewell, not even stopping their discussion.
John supported his tired lover back to their quarters. He got Carson settled on the bed and undid Carson's boots before covering him with a blanket. Unable to resist this time, he leaned down to kiss Carson's forehead. Carson smiled. "Was goin' t'tell you something earlier," Carson murmured, exhaustion causing him to slur his words.
"Hmm?" John asked, stroking Carson's hair back.
"Lorne's team found a device. Database said it was to let same-sex couples have children."
John paused and looked down at Carson, blinking. "Really?" he asked with a poise he didn't feel.
Carson nodded and turned onto his side. "We'll have to . . ." his words trailed off as he fell asleep. John straightened slowly, swallowing as the implications of what Carson had said ran through his mind.
A child. Their child, his and Carson's.
John shook his head. He couldn't afford to let himself hope. It could be nothing more than an Ancient artificial insemination device.
John took off his boots and curled up in bed behind Carson. He couldn't afford this kind of hope, he told himself sternly. He had Carson, and that was more than he'd ever expected to have in a lifetime.
Still, as he fell asleep, he couldn't help imagining an infant with Carson's blue eyes and his own unruly hair, cradled in Carson's arms.