Title: First Aid
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Rodney delivers some tender loving care to minor injuries. John's very appreciative
Word Count: 940
Sitting behind the Colonel, Rodney couldn’t help but stare at the red, irritated stripe on the back of his neck. They’d been taken hostage so many times before, tied up and help captive to the whims of some zealot or backwards thinking society leader, bent on harnessing the Colonel’s ancient gene. But never had they been strapped to poles by a necklace of stiff leather in some pseudo sadomasochistic kidnapping attempt.
John and Ronon both had fought the collaring, even after being tied to the posts, and both bore the injuries of their struggles. Rodney’s neck was relatively unscathed, as was Teyla’s - for different reasons, of course, but he results were the same - but both Ronon and Sheppard had thick swatches of pink inflamed skin all around their necks. Rodney knew it had to sting. On the flight to the ‘gate, he’d seen John run his fingers over the irritated skin and hiss, whether in pain or disgust Rodney wasn’t sure, but he’d put his money on pain.
There was a small spot, right below John’s ear that had continued to ooze blood from the cut the leather had given him when the psychopath who called himself a leader had punched John and forced his head around abruptly. The leather had bit, unremittingly into John’s skin, and left a scratch. Now, John held his head stiffly, cutting his eyes to the HUD instead of moving with languid ease as he usually did.
“Hm,” Rodney said, and swiveled in his chair to retrieve the first aid kit that hung behind his chair. He pulled out a packet of ointment and some gauze pads, as well as a gentle disinfectant. “Sheppard?” He asked, holding up the items.
John cut a glance his way and, noting the first aid gear, gave a single negative shake of his head. “Later,” he said, keeping an eye on the inbound Wraith cruiser while trying to navigate a path to the gate.
Rodney nodded, returned to his seat and set the stuff down on the console beside him.
John had Teyla dial the gate and in an instant they were through it and back on Atlantis, and John opened the rear hatch to let everyone out. John began his post flight checklist, and Rodney waited as Ronon and Teyla exited the jumper with their Olesian company. Once the jumper was empty but for himself and John, he closed the hatch again.
John glanced up at him. “Rodney?”
“I figure you’re just going to go to your quarters and skip the whole infirmary visit, despite the gaping wound you’ve got leaking blood all over your collar,” Rodney said, “Who knows what kind of bacteria and fauna was crawling all over that leather. For all we know, those same collars had been used on some domesticated animals. You could have contracted some fungus or worm or god knows what. So you’ll forgive me if I think it better to treat it now. And I also figure you’d like some privacy? You know, so you don’t lose that whole Colonel Stoic mystique you’ve got going on.”
John smiled. “Okay, Rodney,” he said, turning back to his checklist. “But just so you know, I was going to go to the infirmary.”
Rodney lifted an eyebrow. “Really.”
“Yeah. It’s a requirement after all off-world missions.”
“Yes, yes. The required perfunctory post mission check up. I know you, Colonel. You’d have just ignored this injury,” Rodney groused as he opened the gauze and normal saline and drenched one of the pads. “However, I am not. Now, this might sting a little,” he said, not giving John time to retreat, and laid the pad gently over the darkest patch of reddened skin.
John hissed, and tilted his head. “Shit, McKay! That stings.”
“I said it would,” Rodney huffed. But he leaned in closer and blew gently on John’s skin, unthinking. “There,” he said, pulling back, “that better?”
John gave a quick nod, which Rodney took for a yes and applied another saline soaked pad to John’s damaged flesh. Again, John hissed, and Rodney leaned forward and blew on the damp patch of skin.
John tilted his head a little more, and Rodney thought he heard a slight whimper. “Sheppard?”
John said nothing, but Rodney saw him take a deep breath and saw the way John’s eyes were closed tightly, tension at their corners, and his black lashes fluttering against his cheeks. Rodney blew on the damp skin again, and caught the shiver that rolled through John’s neck and shoulder.
With a quick movement he engaged the cloak on the ‘jumper, then leaned forward again and pressed a gentle kiss to the worst of John’s abused skin.
“Jesus, Rodney,” John moaned, and he turned his head and caught Rodney’s lips with his own. One hand flew up to Rodney’s neck to hold him in place, and when Rodney opened for him, John plundered the recesses of Rodney’s mouth with his tongue, pushing into the kiss, making it carnal and rough and perfect.
After a while, when they both had to come up for air, John rested his forehead against Rodney’s and sucked in several deep breaths. Rodney pressed in and delivered a light kiss to John’s closed mouth. “So what now?”
John’s fingers slid slowly from around Rodney’s neck as he pulled away. He disengaged the cloak, and took another deep breath. “Not exactly sure,” he said.
“Well. I’m willing to see where this goes.” Rodney watched John mull it over, saw the far away look in his eyes slowly fade to one of satisfaction and curiosity.
Then John surprised him. “Yeah. Me too.”