TEAM PLAY: trick or treat, "Sweet"
Title: Sweet
Author: shakespherical
Team: Play
Prompt: trick or treat
Pairing(s): McKay/Sheppard
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: None
Summary: John and Rodney baby-sit Madison.
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**
"And do you, G.I. Joe, take this man to be your artfully wedded husband, to have and to hole, 'til deaf do you park? ...I do! You may then kiss yourselves. Mmm mmwah! I love you so much Ken! I love you too, Joe!"
John looked up over the top of the Vancouver Sun, “Whatcha doing Madison?” he asked in amusement.
He lowered himself to sit cross-legged on the floor beside Madison just as Joe and Ken began slow dancing to an off-key humming of the theme from Jeopardy.
“Joe and Ken got married, Uncle John. Ken’s been really lonely since Barbie married Princess Leia.”
“Oh. That’s so sad. Did Ken want to marry Barbie?” John asked, in a serious tone.
“That’s so silly, Uncle John: Barbie is Ken’s sister! He just misses her because she’s in the Millennium Falcon ALL the time now, flying around, and he was so sad until you gave me Joe the pilot and they fell in love and now Ken can ride in the helicopter with him and they can go surfing and stuff cuz Ken has a wet suit and a surfboard that he never uses anyway…”
John could no longer contain himself and disintegrated into a fit of the giggles. Madison at first confused, eventually joined in merrily. But the silliness evaporated for John suddenly as he thought of how much he’d enjoyed being with Rodney at the beach the day before, how much he’d wanted to…”
Madison crawled onto John’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, “When are you and Uncle Mer getting married? Mommy said, I wasn’t ‘spose to ask you but I really wanna know cuz you’re so sad and that would make you happy.”
John sighed deeply. ‘Yep, she’s definitely swimming in the deep end of McKay’s gene pool,’ he thought. Observant and nosy.
“Your Uncle Mer wants to marry someone more like…” he struggled for how to put it, “more like…well, more like Barbie over there.”
“But he broke up with Dr. Barbie!”
“Yeah, I know but…hey, wait a minute…did you call Jennifer…”
Madison giggled conspiratorially, “Dr. Barbie? That’s what Mommy calls her when she thinks I’m not listening and she says,” she paused and mimicked, “my brother deserves someone who loves him, not someone who’s trying to change him…”
“Okay, okay!” John interrupted good-naturedly, “I get the picture.” He picked up GI Joe’s helicopter and held out his hand for Ken. “Is there room for two in this thing?”
“Not gonna use that one…Joe prefers to use Huey!” She bounced over to the toy chest, and then presented the shiny red scale model of a UH-1/T700 to John. “Uncle Mer made this for me.”
“Oh he did, did he?” John stammered, his eyes widening as he noted each detail. There was even a tiny GPS on the console. God, he remembered telling Rodney about using one in Antarctica when visibility was such an issue. But that had been ages ago. His mind drifted back to their first meeting and he smiled wistfully.
“Uncle John?”
He coughed the rising emotion out of his chest and smiled at her through brimming eyes, “Yeah, this’ll fit ‘em both.”
“Don’t be sad Uncle John okay? Let’s get a snack before Uncle Mer comes home and eats all the gingerbread cookies!”
John carefully set the model on the coffee table, “Sounds like a plan. Your Mom always makes my favourites!”
*****
Rodney came around the corner and crashed into the same woman for the third time. “Look, I don’t mean to be rude but you are going the wrong direction! There’s a clear pattern to the store. You start at fruits and vegetables and end at dairy, which makes sense if you’re buying ice cream or anything else frozen for that matter! You madam, and your lovely gaggle of soggy children, are going backwards.” Rodney crossed his arms over his chest and glared.
Smiling, the woman backed up and deliberately smashed into Rodney’s cart again. “Oh, I’m so sorry sir, I’m in a hurry to get my ice cream home before it melts!” she chirped through clenched teeth, before manoeuvring around him.
Rodney stomped away in disgust, towards the Fudgsicles. He hated grocery shopping almost as much as the Wraith. (Aww Raawdnee, I don’t know the neighbourhood; I might get lost or worse, buy some weird Canadian product with lemons in it. Oh and can you pick me up a surfing magazine? Don’t expect you people have a national surfing magazine d’ya? I wanna learn more about this Cold Water Classic thing we went to see yesterday. If we’re still on Earth next year, I might even enter.) ‘Fucking pretty boy pouts and I’m like…aw shucks John, I’ll be glad to do the shopping,’ Rodney berated himself. “Got me wrapped around his finger,” Rodney grumbled under his breath. He stopped to grab a giant box of chocolate bars. He’d be damned if he’d give out vegan gingerbread men on Hallowe’en. “John?” Rodney bellowed from the doorway, “A little help please? Or do you expect me to sherpa the damn groceries in from the car as well?”
“Rodney, Rodney I’m right here! What’s wrong?”
“I hate grocery shopping, that’s what!” Rodney whined.
“I’m sorry buddy, how can I help?”
Rodney flushed: a little ashamed of his outburst, a little more embarrassed by how desperate he felt. “I’ll just take these to the kitchen and get Madison to help me unload, if you can get the rest?”
John gazed affectionately at Rodney’s retreating back, “Sure thing babe,” he called after him. Rodney’s eyebrows made a beeline for his receding hairline and stayed there until John returned carrying the remaining 4 bags. “Rodney? You look like a possum caught in the porch light, what’s up?”
“Nothing, never mind,” Rodney mumbled and returned to unpacking. He tossed a SBC Surf magazine on the kitchen table. “We do TOO have a surfing magazine in Canada so there!”
“Cool.”
“Uncle Mer got chocolate bars!” Madison crowed, “Mommy’s gonna be so mad!”
“She won’t even know unless little Miss Talkstoomuch tells her,” Rodney teased and cast her a look of fond irritation.
“And, we’ll eat ALL the gingerbread men before she gets back.” John bit the head off of a purloined cookie. “Ya tried dees Wodney? Der weally guhd.”
“Normally Mensa doesn’t accept those with mental ages as low as yours.”
“Thas why I nefer bawdered.”
Rodney smiled indulgently and turned to Madison, “So what did you do while I was out?”
“Played dolls with Uncle John.”
“Oh really? And is Uncle John good at playing with Barbie?”
“He likes Ken more. Can I go watch DinoSapien now?” She didn’t wait for an answer.
Rodney reached up to put the coffee beans away and winced. He grabbed the counter to steady himself, shoulders slumping. “You look tired Rodney. Sit down and let me get you some coffee to go with the cookies.”
Rodney sighed, “It’s just my back. I had to stand in line forever. I hate grocery shopping. Did I mention that?”
“You might have, once or twice,” John chuckled.
“With eerie precision, I can choose the wrong line every time. And I am not kidding John so stop smirking at me! I should be forced to wear a sign on my back that says, ‘Don't choose this line!’ Either the person in front of me is purchasing 50 jars of baby food or 50 single serving yoghurts or they picked something without a price. I swear John, I should just get my own megaphone and say "Price check on cash 5" as soon as I join any line.”
Rodney took a deep breath and continued, “Today I was stuck behind this woman whose kid kept staring at me. Am I supposed to smile at it or something? The mom, whose fashion sense ran to Birkenstocks and ponchos, had this load of fresh veggies, tofu and wood chips, and she stood there looking down her John Lennon glasses at my cart with a look of shock and awe. Why is everyone in this town against Froot Loops? They’ve got fibre!”
John rose without a word and moved behind Rodney. He slowly began to massage Rodney’s neck and shoulders. “John, why are you doing that? Not that I want you to stop, oh yeah, right there…mmmmm…”
“You’re tense.”
“Yeah, I guess so. You realize that tomorrow is Hallowe’en? Remind me again why we’re doing this? I hate Hallowe’en.”
John leaned forward and spoke softly into Rodney’ ear, “Because Jeannie and Kaleb are trying to make a baby and you sent them on a cruise so they could relax. And you offered to look after Madison because you are a really good man who loves his sister.”
“Yes, yes. I know that. I just…why did you agree to come?” John had agreed immediately before he’d even dangled the carrot of the Tofino surfing thing.
“I wanted to. You’re my best friend and I know you get nervous with kids and I…”
Madison hollered from the family room, “Uncle Mer, Eno’s dying because he doesn’t have human antibodies, can you come here?”
“Okay, I’m coming honey.”
John sighed deeply as Rodney rose and quickly headed to the family room. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or annoyed by the loss.
Rodney sat down on the couch beside her and pulled her onto his lap. “Don’t worry Maddie, Eno can’t die because the show is about him and they aren’t going to kill off the star now are they? It’s called Dinosapien, and he’s the dinosapien right? Not that a dinosapien is even theoretically possible, but well, you get my point?”
“Okay,” Madison sniffed and burrowed further into Rodney’s arms. “After supper, can you play with me? We haven’t finished building the Ferris Wheel.”
“Which is precisely why I brought a suitcase full of Erector sets with me! We are sure to finish it this visit, I promise.”
“GI Joe likes Ferris Wheels, will he fit in?” Madison looked up at him with her mother’s smile.
“Wouldn’t be much of a Ferris Wheel if he couldn’t now would it?” Rodney kissed the top of her head.
John watched the scene in silence, and with a touch of melancholy, wondering exactly how it would feel to be loved by one Meredith Rodney McKay. Something he ached for but would never have.
It was after 9:00 before John and Rodney got a moment to themselves. Rodney collapsed onto the couch and whined, “Need beer…too tired…John?”
John entered the room and handed a bottle of Molson Ex to him, “Did you call me?” he smirked.
“Yeah, but you’re clearly ahead of me. God this tastes good! I still have to finish her costume you know. The wings got a little wonky when you two 8-year-olds were playing dress up the other day, and I need to glue on the bag of ‘gemstones’ I bought today.”
“How was I supposed to know I shouldn’t actually catch her with the butterfly net?” John laughed. “Anyway, we’ll do it together.”
As they worked, wings and materials scattered on the floor, Rodney nonchalantly said, “You called me babe earlier…”
John froze, glue gun in midair, “Oh, did I? Must have been your wifely bossiness?” He hoped he had succeeded in sounding nonchalant, casual even.
“I’m NOT bossy! Hey, watch where you’re dripping that glue…try not to ruin these a SECOND time!”
John laughed, “Not bossy, you’re right. My mistake.”
They carried on in companionable silence until the wings were suitably covered and bent into the shape of butterfly wings again. “There now, what do you think Colonel?”
“Well, Dr. McKay, I’d say they’re be-dazzling!” He put his hand on Rodney’s back, “You’re really good with her,” he said softly.
Rodney leaned back ever so slightly and resisted the urge to snuggle into John. “With who?” he asked absently.
“With Madison. You’re great with her.” He stood and offered Rodney a hand up.
“I am?”
“You’ll be a great dad someday.”
“Huh. Well, I’ll tell you one thing, I am not giving out the damn Hallowe’en candy now or in the future.”
“Why not? I just assumed I would do the trick or treating part and you would do the door!” John’s bottom lip quivered slightly as he pouted.
Unfazed this time, although he had to avert his eyes, Rodney matched John pout for pout. “Figures you’d want the fun part! But I can’t handle the door thing, really I can’t. I’m not comfortable with kids John! I hate trying to make conversation and commenting on their costumes and….and…being NICE. I hate it. I hate Hallowe’en. It’s…hard for me.”
John crossed his arms over his chest and studied the other man carefully: Rodney was all big eyes and jittery hands. And it was all suddenly clear. “You’re shy.”
“I’m not shy! I just hate people,” Rodney protested. “And stop smiling! It’s creepy.” He stomped into the kitchen, for no apparent reason, and opened the fridge, only to stare sightlessly at the contents.
John followed and Rodney felt the warmth of him against his back and shivered ever so slightly. “Shy. Painfully. Shy,” John whispered gently, pressing his hand against Rodney’s back and stroking his thumb back and forth.
Rodney recoiled as if scalded and wheeled around to face him, “I’m just not good with people! And when did you become Colonel Touchyfeely anyway?” He took a gasp of air and slumped into a kitchen chair.
“You’re shy. Just admit it Dr. Denial!”
“Okay, okay! So I’m shy! So what? Who cares? Let’s move along.” He stopped flailing his hands about and stared at the floor. “So, will you do the door thing?”
John grabbed a gingerbread man and began to head back to the family room, “Yeah sure Rodney, no big deal. And, just so you know? I think shy is nice. Adorable even.”
Rodney gasped. Something in his stomach flipped and then dropped like a stone. Befuddled, it took Rodney a few seconds to gather his wits, and then he got it. He strode angrily after John. “Sheppard, you’re flirting with me! What the fuck? Is this some kind of joke? Oh wait,” Rodney snapped his fingers impatiently, “I get it now. You, you and that--that Neanderthal! Ronon dared you. You’ll both have such a great time laughing behind my back. Nice. Really nice.” He crossed his arms in defiance and glared furiously at John.
Even the socially ham-fisted Rodney McKay could see the devastation his words had caused. John looked desolate. “You think that little of me? I would never do that to you, to ANYone, especially to someone I--” His voice splintered, as he ground out the word, “love.”
The word floated across the heavy air: Rodney stared at the floor, closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. “No.”
He felt the touch of John’s hand on his face. He raised his head and opened his eyes.
“I love you Rodney,” John whispered.
“Like a friend loves another friend, right?” Rodney said slowly, mesmerized by John’s eyes.
“No,” John said shakily. “More than that.”
Rodney’s hands began to tremble, and he clenched his fists to regain the veneer of control. “Okay, that’s…uh…just…wow…how long?”
“Long time…maybe since the crystalline entity made me think you were dead…maybe before?”
“Three years? Oh my god!” Rodney turned away and John could tell by the clenched fists and shaking back, that he had messed things up. Without a further word, John grabbed his jacket and left the house.
******
When John returned hours later, Rodney was asleep on the couch, or maybe he’d passed out John decided, since there were six empties on the floor and one beer bottle still clutched against Rodney’s chest. “I’m so sorry buddy,” John murmured, as he pried the bottle from Rodney’s hand and pulled the discarded afghan back over him. “God Rodney, I’m so sorry.”
“S’okay John. Wawf you too.” Rodney sighed contentedly and snuggled down under the blanket. John stared in amazement, and unsure of what to do, he bent down and softly kissed Rodney’s forehead.
“G’night Rodney.”
******
Madison woke at the crack of dawn and had settled in to watch Hallowe’en cartoons on television. When John heard the noise, he fairly sprinted down the stairs, eager to keep her from waking her uncle. It was too late; Rodney was no longer on the couch. John was glad he’d thought to clear up the empties the night before. Some things were better not repeated to Jeannie.
“Uncle John, Uncle John…it’s Hallowe’en!” she chirped as she bounded across the room and into his arms. “And Uncle Mer put all these jewels on my wings! He told me you helped him, did you? Cuz I love them so much and he said you fixed the bent parts and that you were going to take me out trick or treating tonight!”
“Well I’m actually kind of more of an ‘answering the door’ kind of guy, so Uncle Mer is doing the trick or treating part.” John piggybacked her into the kitchen where he found a surprisingly chipper Rodney. “Isn’t that right Uncle Mer, you’re doing the door to door stuff with Madison?”
Rodney smiled broadly and John’s stomach lurched nervously, “You look um… good. Did you um, sleep well?” John gently deposited Madison on a chair and busied himself pouring her some cereal.
“I did. After I was tucked in.” He handed John a steaming cup of coffee and gazed shyly into John’s hazel eyes. “I had a really rather unexpected dream.”
Madison piped in excitedly, “Mommy says our brain is just taking out the garbage so we have room for a new bunch of stuff, or something like that. Was it a bad dream Uncle Mer? Did it scare you?”
“Well Madison, at first it kind of surprised me and then it really really scared me but then I figured it out, and it made sense. So it wasn’t a bad dream after all. It turned into one of the best dreams I’ve ever had.” He stared steadily into John’s eyes.
“I had a dream like that once where there was a unicorn and….”
Neither John nor Rodney heard a word of Madison’s story. Both men were too busy staring at the other, tentatively at first but slowly becoming more confident as they recognized something that had been there all along.
Rodney reached out and gently clasped John’s hand, stroking the sensitive skin at the wrist with his thumb. “I think I’m gonna go get dressed,” he said thickly.
John smiled, “Yeah. Me too.”
“It’s Saturday, silly!” Madison giggled. “We can stay in our jammies until lunch time!” She looked at the men quizzically, “And Uncle Mer is already dressed.”
Neither heard her. “You watch cartoons honey. Uncle John and I are going to…ah, change and then after lunch, we’ll go to the beach. It’s a beautiful day. We’ll make a kite or something…” Rodney continued to hold John’s hand slightly tugging him towards the stairs.
When they reached their shared bedroom, Rodney backed John up against the door as soon as it was closed. “Three years? You waited three years?” He punctuated each word with a poke to John’s chest. “God, you’re pretty stupid for a supposed math genius, you know?”
John grinned back sheepishly and shrugged, “Yep.”
Rodney became still, and quietly leaned in, capturing John’s lips uncertainly.
John moaned and intensified the pressure slowly as they dissolved into each other. The ache he had been feeling for most of his life, evaporated in the heat of the passion he hadn’t thought he deserved.
Rodney’s fingers were tangled in John’s hair and he was rapidly losing sense of time and space when John rather forcefully ended the kiss. “We can’t,” John panted. “Not now. Madison…”
“Yesyesyes,” Rodney babbled. “Madison. Hallowe’en. Beach.” He leaned in and drew John into another sloppy kiss, “Want you.”
“Later,” John panted and pulled away again. This time he stepped away from Rodney and held out a hand to halt the fresh attack he saw looming in Rodney’s lust-filled eyes. “You’ll have to wait. Get yourself under control McKay!” he teased. “I need a cold shower now, and then we’re making a kite.”
Rodney’s expression was both annoyed and carnal, “Better lock the bathroom door.”
******
It was, of course, mostly deserted at the beach: another couple strolled along the sand, hand in hand, but otherwise it was just the three of them. Rodney and John held hands as they walked behind the scampering Madison. The kite soared high above and she giggled as it dipped and swerved.
“You built a balsa wood ‘jumper,” John laughed. “Not afraid of breaching security somehow?”
“If the good people of San Francisco haven’t noticed us flying around in them, I doubt seriously anyone HERE is going to look at a kite! Especially since you covered it with rainbows.”
“Hey! Madison likes rainbows. And…so do I.”
“Come out of the closet much?” Rodney laughed.
John snickered and whispered something so filthy in Rodney’s ear that it ignited a coughing fit that very nearly sent them both to the ground. When Rodney had sufficiently recovered, he gasped, “Promise?”
*****
Rodney was reaching the desperate stage. He paced almost the entire time that Madison and John “separated” her candy and barely touched his pile of mini Coffee Crisp.
John had his own pile of Aero and Caramilk bars.
“You guys have the best chocolate!” he enthused as he popped another square into his mouth. The moaning he made did nothing to dampen Rodney’s need.
“I assure you Colonel, all of our Canadian treats are delicious,” he snapped.
John was suddenly in a much bigger hurry to shepherd Madison to bed. “Let’s make sure we give those teeth of yours extra special care tonight!” He scooped her up and shooed her upstairs amid her protests. “It’s already way past your bedtime, so get a move on!”
Rodney turned off the lights, locked up and took the stairs two at a time.
When John entered the guest room, Rodney already lay on the bed, naked and erect. He stroked himself lazily, “Know any tricks Colonel Shepherd?”
“You don’t waste any time do you McKay?” His eyes mapped Rodney’s body unhurriedly. “We’ve got all night; what’s the rush?”
Rodney’s huffed, “You’re kidding me right? What’s the rush? I’ve got you in my bed for another week and then we’ll have to sneak around, that’s what! Now take off those clothes and get over here!”
John pulled off his sweater and tossed it across the room, trying for seductive and succeeding only in toppling a lamp. Rodney laughed, “C’mere. And don’t quit your day job, Chippendales won’t be calling.”
John sauntered over to the bed. “Show me your tricks and I’ll give you a treat, flyboy.”
John would have laughed but Rodney’s unbuckling of his belt distracted him. “Not shy in the bedroom are you McKay?” He grabbed Rodney’s hand and pressed it against his erection.
Rodney rubbed it, feeling its heat through John’s jeans. “Want you,” he moaned. “So much.”
John groaned and stepped back, making quick work of the rest of his clothing while Rodney watched. “Is it customary to compliment one’s lover on the perfection of his body?” Rodney asked.
“Not necessary, but yours is pretty damn perfect Rodney.”
“You’re crazy.”
“About you,” John growled, and tackled him. They looked into each other’s eyes, silently communicating the significance of the moment. John softly pressed his lips to Rodney’s.
Rodney could taste the lingering sweetness of chocolate as he slid his tongue across John’s lips. He moaned and encircled the other man with his powerful arms and legs. The heat generated by their colliding cocks shorted out his higher reasoning and he surrendered both body and soul to the man beneath him. He captured John’s bottom lip and bit it before sucking it into his mouth. John whimpered.
John rocked against him, deciding as Rodney looted his mouth, that kissing was yet another thing that Rodney did exceedingly well. He allowed himself to be rolled onto his back, gasping as the move brought their erections against each other. “Fuck…” he breathed against Rodney’s shoulder. He was silenced by another searing kiss, which very nearly undid him. He grabbed Rodney’s ass and ground up into him, “Love your ass.” He dug his fingers into Rodney’s flesh and they began to thrust together, cocks sliding in their pooled sweat.
Their movements were both languid and aggressive, a fusion of opposites. And as John’s orgasm began to build, he became aware that Rodney was spasming and shuddering in his arms.
Time stopped as they curled into each other, breathing as one.
And as Rodney’s hot come spilled across him, John arched and writhed and rode the wave of pleasure, crashing against the wet heat and sobbing out his own release.
Rodney surfaced first, gently rolling off of John and pulling him into his arms
“I had no idea,” Rodney’s voice brought John back to full consciousness.
“Mmmph?” John was tracing patterns on Rodney’s chest.
“I had no idea it would be like this.”
John smiled and idly stroked Rodney’s right nipple with his thumb. “Fantastic? Mind-blowing?”
Rodney’s began to play with John’s hair, eliciting something close to a purr.
“No, I knew it would be amazing.”
“So?”
“Well it was…” he struggled to find the word, “non-corporeal?”
John smiled against Rodney’s chest, “Spiritual.”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Yep. True love.”
Rodney slapped John on the behind, “No more mushy stuff. Chocolate. And then round two. Separately or at the same time. Your call.”
******
Madison jumped on the bed to wake John up. He opened one eye and smiled drowsily. “You’re jumping on the bed.”
“Brilliant observation Colonel Obvious,” Rodney called from the bathroom. He strolled into the room and swept Madison up into his arms twirling her around before depositing her on the ground. He leaned down and kissed John on the mouth quickly, “Breakfast is ready, sleepyhead.”
John flashed him a full smile, “I’ll be right down.”
“Come on Madison,” Rodney said cheerfully, “there’s a plate of bacon with my name on it!”
She looked up at him sweetly, “Uncle John’s happy now. That’s good isn’t it?”
Rodney felt a surge of affection and he gazed down at her through misty eyes, “Yes he is, honey; we both are.”
**
Poll
Author: shakespherical
Team: Play
Prompt: trick or treat
Pairing(s): McKay/Sheppard
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: None
Summary: John and Rodney baby-sit Madison.
Once you've read the story, please take a moment to vote in the poll below. Ratings go from 1 (low) to 9 (high), so all you need to do is enter a single number in that range into each text entry box. You'll be able to see the Prompt and Team (Genre) information in the header above.
More details about the voting procedure can be found here.
**
"And do you, G.I. Joe, take this man to be your artfully wedded husband, to have and to hole, 'til deaf do you park? ...I do! You may then kiss yourselves. Mmm mmwah! I love you so much Ken! I love you too, Joe!"
John looked up over the top of the Vancouver Sun, “Whatcha doing Madison?” he asked in amusement.
He lowered himself to sit cross-legged on the floor beside Madison just as Joe and Ken began slow dancing to an off-key humming of the theme from Jeopardy.
“Joe and Ken got married, Uncle John. Ken’s been really lonely since Barbie married Princess Leia.”
“Oh. That’s so sad. Did Ken want to marry Barbie?” John asked, in a serious tone.
“That’s so silly, Uncle John: Barbie is Ken’s sister! He just misses her because she’s in the Millennium Falcon ALL the time now, flying around, and he was so sad until you gave me Joe the pilot and they fell in love and now Ken can ride in the helicopter with him and they can go surfing and stuff cuz Ken has a wet suit and a surfboard that he never uses anyway…”
John could no longer contain himself and disintegrated into a fit of the giggles. Madison at first confused, eventually joined in merrily. But the silliness evaporated for John suddenly as he thought of how much he’d enjoyed being with Rodney at the beach the day before, how much he’d wanted to…”
Madison crawled onto John’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, “When are you and Uncle Mer getting married? Mommy said, I wasn’t ‘spose to ask you but I really wanna know cuz you’re so sad and that would make you happy.”
John sighed deeply. ‘Yep, she’s definitely swimming in the deep end of McKay’s gene pool,’ he thought. Observant and nosy.
“Your Uncle Mer wants to marry someone more like…” he struggled for how to put it, “more like…well, more like Barbie over there.”
“But he broke up with Dr. Barbie!”
“Yeah, I know but…hey, wait a minute…did you call Jennifer…”
Madison giggled conspiratorially, “Dr. Barbie? That’s what Mommy calls her when she thinks I’m not listening and she says,” she paused and mimicked, “my brother deserves someone who loves him, not someone who’s trying to change him…”
“Okay, okay!” John interrupted good-naturedly, “I get the picture.” He picked up GI Joe’s helicopter and held out his hand for Ken. “Is there room for two in this thing?”
“Not gonna use that one…Joe prefers to use Huey!” She bounced over to the toy chest, and then presented the shiny red scale model of a UH-1/T700 to John. “Uncle Mer made this for me.”
“Oh he did, did he?” John stammered, his eyes widening as he noted each detail. There was even a tiny GPS on the console. God, he remembered telling Rodney about using one in Antarctica when visibility was such an issue. But that had been ages ago. His mind drifted back to their first meeting and he smiled wistfully.
“Uncle John?”
He coughed the rising emotion out of his chest and smiled at her through brimming eyes, “Yeah, this’ll fit ‘em both.”
“Don’t be sad Uncle John okay? Let’s get a snack before Uncle Mer comes home and eats all the gingerbread cookies!”
John carefully set the model on the coffee table, “Sounds like a plan. Your Mom always makes my favourites!”
*****
Rodney came around the corner and crashed into the same woman for the third time. “Look, I don’t mean to be rude but you are going the wrong direction! There’s a clear pattern to the store. You start at fruits and vegetables and end at dairy, which makes sense if you’re buying ice cream or anything else frozen for that matter! You madam, and your lovely gaggle of soggy children, are going backwards.” Rodney crossed his arms over his chest and glared.
Smiling, the woman backed up and deliberately smashed into Rodney’s cart again. “Oh, I’m so sorry sir, I’m in a hurry to get my ice cream home before it melts!” she chirped through clenched teeth, before manoeuvring around him.
Rodney stomped away in disgust, towards the Fudgsicles. He hated grocery shopping almost as much as the Wraith. (Aww Raawdnee, I don’t know the neighbourhood; I might get lost or worse, buy some weird Canadian product with lemons in it. Oh and can you pick me up a surfing magazine? Don’t expect you people have a national surfing magazine d’ya? I wanna learn more about this Cold Water Classic thing we went to see yesterday. If we’re still on Earth next year, I might even enter.) ‘Fucking pretty boy pouts and I’m like…aw shucks John, I’ll be glad to do the shopping,’ Rodney berated himself. “Got me wrapped around his finger,” Rodney grumbled under his breath. He stopped to grab a giant box of chocolate bars. He’d be damned if he’d give out vegan gingerbread men on Hallowe’en. “John?” Rodney bellowed from the doorway, “A little help please? Or do you expect me to sherpa the damn groceries in from the car as well?”
“Rodney, Rodney I’m right here! What’s wrong?”
“I hate grocery shopping, that’s what!” Rodney whined.
“I’m sorry buddy, how can I help?”
Rodney flushed: a little ashamed of his outburst, a little more embarrassed by how desperate he felt. “I’ll just take these to the kitchen and get Madison to help me unload, if you can get the rest?”
John gazed affectionately at Rodney’s retreating back, “Sure thing babe,” he called after him. Rodney’s eyebrows made a beeline for his receding hairline and stayed there until John returned carrying the remaining 4 bags. “Rodney? You look like a possum caught in the porch light, what’s up?”
“Nothing, never mind,” Rodney mumbled and returned to unpacking. He tossed a SBC Surf magazine on the kitchen table. “We do TOO have a surfing magazine in Canada so there!”
“Cool.”
“Uncle Mer got chocolate bars!” Madison crowed, “Mommy’s gonna be so mad!”
“She won’t even know unless little Miss Talkstoomuch tells her,” Rodney teased and cast her a look of fond irritation.
“And, we’ll eat ALL the gingerbread men before she gets back.” John bit the head off of a purloined cookie. “Ya tried dees Wodney? Der weally guhd.”
“Normally Mensa doesn’t accept those with mental ages as low as yours.”
“Thas why I nefer bawdered.”
Rodney smiled indulgently and turned to Madison, “So what did you do while I was out?”
“Played dolls with Uncle John.”
“Oh really? And is Uncle John good at playing with Barbie?”
“He likes Ken more. Can I go watch DinoSapien now?” She didn’t wait for an answer.
Rodney reached up to put the coffee beans away and winced. He grabbed the counter to steady himself, shoulders slumping. “You look tired Rodney. Sit down and let me get you some coffee to go with the cookies.”
Rodney sighed, “It’s just my back. I had to stand in line forever. I hate grocery shopping. Did I mention that?”
“You might have, once or twice,” John chuckled.
“With eerie precision, I can choose the wrong line every time. And I am not kidding John so stop smirking at me! I should be forced to wear a sign on my back that says, ‘Don't choose this line!’ Either the person in front of me is purchasing 50 jars of baby food or 50 single serving yoghurts or they picked something without a price. I swear John, I should just get my own megaphone and say "Price check on cash 5" as soon as I join any line.”
Rodney took a deep breath and continued, “Today I was stuck behind this woman whose kid kept staring at me. Am I supposed to smile at it or something? The mom, whose fashion sense ran to Birkenstocks and ponchos, had this load of fresh veggies, tofu and wood chips, and she stood there looking down her John Lennon glasses at my cart with a look of shock and awe. Why is everyone in this town against Froot Loops? They’ve got fibre!”
John rose without a word and moved behind Rodney. He slowly began to massage Rodney’s neck and shoulders. “John, why are you doing that? Not that I want you to stop, oh yeah, right there…mmmmm…”
“You’re tense.”
“Yeah, I guess so. You realize that tomorrow is Hallowe’en? Remind me again why we’re doing this? I hate Hallowe’en.”
John leaned forward and spoke softly into Rodney’ ear, “Because Jeannie and Kaleb are trying to make a baby and you sent them on a cruise so they could relax. And you offered to look after Madison because you are a really good man who loves his sister.”
“Yes, yes. I know that. I just…why did you agree to come?” John had agreed immediately before he’d even dangled the carrot of the Tofino surfing thing.
“I wanted to. You’re my best friend and I know you get nervous with kids and I…”
Madison hollered from the family room, “Uncle Mer, Eno’s dying because he doesn’t have human antibodies, can you come here?”
“Okay, I’m coming honey.”
John sighed deeply as Rodney rose and quickly headed to the family room. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or annoyed by the loss.
Rodney sat down on the couch beside her and pulled her onto his lap. “Don’t worry Maddie, Eno can’t die because the show is about him and they aren’t going to kill off the star now are they? It’s called Dinosapien, and he’s the dinosapien right? Not that a dinosapien is even theoretically possible, but well, you get my point?”
“Okay,” Madison sniffed and burrowed further into Rodney’s arms. “After supper, can you play with me? We haven’t finished building the Ferris Wheel.”
“Which is precisely why I brought a suitcase full of Erector sets with me! We are sure to finish it this visit, I promise.”
“GI Joe likes Ferris Wheels, will he fit in?” Madison looked up at him with her mother’s smile.
“Wouldn’t be much of a Ferris Wheel if he couldn’t now would it?” Rodney kissed the top of her head.
John watched the scene in silence, and with a touch of melancholy, wondering exactly how it would feel to be loved by one Meredith Rodney McKay. Something he ached for but would never have.
It was after 9:00 before John and Rodney got a moment to themselves. Rodney collapsed onto the couch and whined, “Need beer…too tired…John?”
John entered the room and handed a bottle of Molson Ex to him, “Did you call me?” he smirked.
“Yeah, but you’re clearly ahead of me. God this tastes good! I still have to finish her costume you know. The wings got a little wonky when you two 8-year-olds were playing dress up the other day, and I need to glue on the bag of ‘gemstones’ I bought today.”
“How was I supposed to know I shouldn’t actually catch her with the butterfly net?” John laughed. “Anyway, we’ll do it together.”
As they worked, wings and materials scattered on the floor, Rodney nonchalantly said, “You called me babe earlier…”
John froze, glue gun in midair, “Oh, did I? Must have been your wifely bossiness?” He hoped he had succeeded in sounding nonchalant, casual even.
“I’m NOT bossy! Hey, watch where you’re dripping that glue…try not to ruin these a SECOND time!”
John laughed, “Not bossy, you’re right. My mistake.”
They carried on in companionable silence until the wings were suitably covered and bent into the shape of butterfly wings again. “There now, what do you think Colonel?”
“Well, Dr. McKay, I’d say they’re be-dazzling!” He put his hand on Rodney’s back, “You’re really good with her,” he said softly.
Rodney leaned back ever so slightly and resisted the urge to snuggle into John. “With who?” he asked absently.
“With Madison. You’re great with her.” He stood and offered Rodney a hand up.
“I am?”
“You’ll be a great dad someday.”
“Huh. Well, I’ll tell you one thing, I am not giving out the damn Hallowe’en candy now or in the future.”
“Why not? I just assumed I would do the trick or treating part and you would do the door!” John’s bottom lip quivered slightly as he pouted.
Unfazed this time, although he had to avert his eyes, Rodney matched John pout for pout. “Figures you’d want the fun part! But I can’t handle the door thing, really I can’t. I’m not comfortable with kids John! I hate trying to make conversation and commenting on their costumes and….and…being NICE. I hate it. I hate Hallowe’en. It’s…hard for me.”
John crossed his arms over his chest and studied the other man carefully: Rodney was all big eyes and jittery hands. And it was all suddenly clear. “You’re shy.”
“I’m not shy! I just hate people,” Rodney protested. “And stop smiling! It’s creepy.” He stomped into the kitchen, for no apparent reason, and opened the fridge, only to stare sightlessly at the contents.
John followed and Rodney felt the warmth of him against his back and shivered ever so slightly. “Shy. Painfully. Shy,” John whispered gently, pressing his hand against Rodney’s back and stroking his thumb back and forth.
Rodney recoiled as if scalded and wheeled around to face him, “I’m just not good with people! And when did you become Colonel Touchyfeely anyway?” He took a gasp of air and slumped into a kitchen chair.
“You’re shy. Just admit it Dr. Denial!”
“Okay, okay! So I’m shy! So what? Who cares? Let’s move along.” He stopped flailing his hands about and stared at the floor. “So, will you do the door thing?”
John grabbed a gingerbread man and began to head back to the family room, “Yeah sure Rodney, no big deal. And, just so you know? I think shy is nice. Adorable even.”
Rodney gasped. Something in his stomach flipped and then dropped like a stone. Befuddled, it took Rodney a few seconds to gather his wits, and then he got it. He strode angrily after John. “Sheppard, you’re flirting with me! What the fuck? Is this some kind of joke? Oh wait,” Rodney snapped his fingers impatiently, “I get it now. You, you and that--that Neanderthal! Ronon dared you. You’ll both have such a great time laughing behind my back. Nice. Really nice.” He crossed his arms in defiance and glared furiously at John.
Even the socially ham-fisted Rodney McKay could see the devastation his words had caused. John looked desolate. “You think that little of me? I would never do that to you, to ANYone, especially to someone I--” His voice splintered, as he ground out the word, “love.”
The word floated across the heavy air: Rodney stared at the floor, closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. “No.”
He felt the touch of John’s hand on his face. He raised his head and opened his eyes.
“I love you Rodney,” John whispered.
“Like a friend loves another friend, right?” Rodney said slowly, mesmerized by John’s eyes.
“No,” John said shakily. “More than that.”
Rodney’s hands began to tremble, and he clenched his fists to regain the veneer of control. “Okay, that’s…uh…just…wow…how long?”
“Long time…maybe since the crystalline entity made me think you were dead…maybe before?”
“Three years? Oh my god!” Rodney turned away and John could tell by the clenched fists and shaking back, that he had messed things up. Without a further word, John grabbed his jacket and left the house.
******
When John returned hours later, Rodney was asleep on the couch, or maybe he’d passed out John decided, since there were six empties on the floor and one beer bottle still clutched against Rodney’s chest. “I’m so sorry buddy,” John murmured, as he pried the bottle from Rodney’s hand and pulled the discarded afghan back over him. “God Rodney, I’m so sorry.”
“S’okay John. Wawf you too.” Rodney sighed contentedly and snuggled down under the blanket. John stared in amazement, and unsure of what to do, he bent down and softly kissed Rodney’s forehead.
“G’night Rodney.”
******
Madison woke at the crack of dawn and had settled in to watch Hallowe’en cartoons on television. When John heard the noise, he fairly sprinted down the stairs, eager to keep her from waking her uncle. It was too late; Rodney was no longer on the couch. John was glad he’d thought to clear up the empties the night before. Some things were better not repeated to Jeannie.
“Uncle John, Uncle John…it’s Hallowe’en!” she chirped as she bounded across the room and into his arms. “And Uncle Mer put all these jewels on my wings! He told me you helped him, did you? Cuz I love them so much and he said you fixed the bent parts and that you were going to take me out trick or treating tonight!”
“Well I’m actually kind of more of an ‘answering the door’ kind of guy, so Uncle Mer is doing the trick or treating part.” John piggybacked her into the kitchen where he found a surprisingly chipper Rodney. “Isn’t that right Uncle Mer, you’re doing the door to door stuff with Madison?”
Rodney smiled broadly and John’s stomach lurched nervously, “You look um… good. Did you um, sleep well?” John gently deposited Madison on a chair and busied himself pouring her some cereal.
“I did. After I was tucked in.” He handed John a steaming cup of coffee and gazed shyly into John’s hazel eyes. “I had a really rather unexpected dream.”
Madison piped in excitedly, “Mommy says our brain is just taking out the garbage so we have room for a new bunch of stuff, or something like that. Was it a bad dream Uncle Mer? Did it scare you?”
“Well Madison, at first it kind of surprised me and then it really really scared me but then I figured it out, and it made sense. So it wasn’t a bad dream after all. It turned into one of the best dreams I’ve ever had.” He stared steadily into John’s eyes.
“I had a dream like that once where there was a unicorn and….”
Neither John nor Rodney heard a word of Madison’s story. Both men were too busy staring at the other, tentatively at first but slowly becoming more confident as they recognized something that had been there all along.
Rodney reached out and gently clasped John’s hand, stroking the sensitive skin at the wrist with his thumb. “I think I’m gonna go get dressed,” he said thickly.
John smiled, “Yeah. Me too.”
“It’s Saturday, silly!” Madison giggled. “We can stay in our jammies until lunch time!” She looked at the men quizzically, “And Uncle Mer is already dressed.”
Neither heard her. “You watch cartoons honey. Uncle John and I are going to…ah, change and then after lunch, we’ll go to the beach. It’s a beautiful day. We’ll make a kite or something…” Rodney continued to hold John’s hand slightly tugging him towards the stairs.
When they reached their shared bedroom, Rodney backed John up against the door as soon as it was closed. “Three years? You waited three years?” He punctuated each word with a poke to John’s chest. “God, you’re pretty stupid for a supposed math genius, you know?”
John grinned back sheepishly and shrugged, “Yep.”
Rodney became still, and quietly leaned in, capturing John’s lips uncertainly.
John moaned and intensified the pressure slowly as they dissolved into each other. The ache he had been feeling for most of his life, evaporated in the heat of the passion he hadn’t thought he deserved.
Rodney’s fingers were tangled in John’s hair and he was rapidly losing sense of time and space when John rather forcefully ended the kiss. “We can’t,” John panted. “Not now. Madison…”
“Yesyesyes,” Rodney babbled. “Madison. Hallowe’en. Beach.” He leaned in and drew John into another sloppy kiss, “Want you.”
“Later,” John panted and pulled away again. This time he stepped away from Rodney and held out a hand to halt the fresh attack he saw looming in Rodney’s lust-filled eyes. “You’ll have to wait. Get yourself under control McKay!” he teased. “I need a cold shower now, and then we’re making a kite.”
Rodney’s expression was both annoyed and carnal, “Better lock the bathroom door.”
******
It was, of course, mostly deserted at the beach: another couple strolled along the sand, hand in hand, but otherwise it was just the three of them. Rodney and John held hands as they walked behind the scampering Madison. The kite soared high above and she giggled as it dipped and swerved.
“You built a balsa wood ‘jumper,” John laughed. “Not afraid of breaching security somehow?”
“If the good people of San Francisco haven’t noticed us flying around in them, I doubt seriously anyone HERE is going to look at a kite! Especially since you covered it with rainbows.”
“Hey! Madison likes rainbows. And…so do I.”
“Come out of the closet much?” Rodney laughed.
John snickered and whispered something so filthy in Rodney’s ear that it ignited a coughing fit that very nearly sent them both to the ground. When Rodney had sufficiently recovered, he gasped, “Promise?”
*****
Rodney was reaching the desperate stage. He paced almost the entire time that Madison and John “separated” her candy and barely touched his pile of mini Coffee Crisp.
John had his own pile of Aero and Caramilk bars.
“You guys have the best chocolate!” he enthused as he popped another square into his mouth. The moaning he made did nothing to dampen Rodney’s need.
“I assure you Colonel, all of our Canadian treats are delicious,” he snapped.
John was suddenly in a much bigger hurry to shepherd Madison to bed. “Let’s make sure we give those teeth of yours extra special care tonight!” He scooped her up and shooed her upstairs amid her protests. “It’s already way past your bedtime, so get a move on!”
Rodney turned off the lights, locked up and took the stairs two at a time.
When John entered the guest room, Rodney already lay on the bed, naked and erect. He stroked himself lazily, “Know any tricks Colonel Shepherd?”
“You don’t waste any time do you McKay?” His eyes mapped Rodney’s body unhurriedly. “We’ve got all night; what’s the rush?”
Rodney’s huffed, “You’re kidding me right? What’s the rush? I’ve got you in my bed for another week and then we’ll have to sneak around, that’s what! Now take off those clothes and get over here!”
John pulled off his sweater and tossed it across the room, trying for seductive and succeeding only in toppling a lamp. Rodney laughed, “C’mere. And don’t quit your day job, Chippendales won’t be calling.”
John sauntered over to the bed. “Show me your tricks and I’ll give you a treat, flyboy.”
John would have laughed but Rodney’s unbuckling of his belt distracted him. “Not shy in the bedroom are you McKay?” He grabbed Rodney’s hand and pressed it against his erection.
Rodney rubbed it, feeling its heat through John’s jeans. “Want you,” he moaned. “So much.”
John groaned and stepped back, making quick work of the rest of his clothing while Rodney watched. “Is it customary to compliment one’s lover on the perfection of his body?” Rodney asked.
“Not necessary, but yours is pretty damn perfect Rodney.”
“You’re crazy.”
“About you,” John growled, and tackled him. They looked into each other’s eyes, silently communicating the significance of the moment. John softly pressed his lips to Rodney’s.
Rodney could taste the lingering sweetness of chocolate as he slid his tongue across John’s lips. He moaned and encircled the other man with his powerful arms and legs. The heat generated by their colliding cocks shorted out his higher reasoning and he surrendered both body and soul to the man beneath him. He captured John’s bottom lip and bit it before sucking it into his mouth. John whimpered.
John rocked against him, deciding as Rodney looted his mouth, that kissing was yet another thing that Rodney did exceedingly well. He allowed himself to be rolled onto his back, gasping as the move brought their erections against each other. “Fuck…” he breathed against Rodney’s shoulder. He was silenced by another searing kiss, which very nearly undid him. He grabbed Rodney’s ass and ground up into him, “Love your ass.” He dug his fingers into Rodney’s flesh and they began to thrust together, cocks sliding in their pooled sweat.
Their movements were both languid and aggressive, a fusion of opposites. And as John’s orgasm began to build, he became aware that Rodney was spasming and shuddering in his arms.
Time stopped as they curled into each other, breathing as one.
And as Rodney’s hot come spilled across him, John arched and writhed and rode the wave of pleasure, crashing against the wet heat and sobbing out his own release.
Rodney surfaced first, gently rolling off of John and pulling him into his arms
“I had no idea,” Rodney’s voice brought John back to full consciousness.
“Mmmph?” John was tracing patterns on Rodney’s chest.
“I had no idea it would be like this.”
John smiled and idly stroked Rodney’s right nipple with his thumb. “Fantastic? Mind-blowing?”
Rodney’s began to play with John’s hair, eliciting something close to a purr.
“No, I knew it would be amazing.”
“So?”
“Well it was…” he struggled to find the word, “non-corporeal?”
John smiled against Rodney’s chest, “Spiritual.”
“Yeah, that’s it.”
“Yep. True love.”
Rodney slapped John on the behind, “No more mushy stuff. Chocolate. And then round two. Separately or at the same time. Your call.”
******
Madison jumped on the bed to wake John up. He opened one eye and smiled drowsily. “You’re jumping on the bed.”
“Brilliant observation Colonel Obvious,” Rodney called from the bathroom. He strolled into the room and swept Madison up into his arms twirling her around before depositing her on the ground. He leaned down and kissed John on the mouth quickly, “Breakfast is ready, sleepyhead.”
John flashed him a full smile, “I’ll be right down.”
“Come on Madison,” Rodney said cheerfully, “there’s a plate of bacon with my name on it!”
She looked up at him sweetly, “Uncle John’s happy now. That’s good isn’t it?”
Rodney felt a surge of affection and he gazed down at her through misty eyes, “Yes he is, honey; we both are.”
**
Poll