Beer Me
John finds Rodney in the mess, head down on the tabletop, making a low, pathetic noise that sounds like "Maaaaaaaaah." He slides into his spot carefully, trying not to scrape his chair or jostle the table or set down his tray too hard, and Rodney doesn't give him the stink-eye, so he figures he must've been successful.
"You know what Ronon said to me, the beer-pushing bastard? 'Told you, McKay.' Oh, yes, if by 'told me' he means he handed me another pint when I emptied the first one! Damn you, delicious beers of P35-488," Rodney says, all without lifting his head from the table.
John tsks sympathetically and slides one of the plates over to Rodney's side.
"Hangover special," he sing-songs as Rodney looks up and reaches for it, inspecting it before taking an enormous bite: tomatoes and bacon and eggs and cheese sandwiched between two buttery slices of toast.
"I wasn't sure I'd ever be hungry again, but yum," he says around his mouthful.
"Coffee?" John slides that over, too, and it only takes the one cup for Rodney's gaze to sharpen, his expression shifting from bleary to keen.
"How come you don't have a hangover?"
John slouches in his chair and hooks an arm around the back. "Someone had to look out for you, buddy."
"Not very well," Rodney grumbles, "except. Oh." He goes a little pink, and John wonders if he's remembering John's arm tight around his shoulders, holding him steady while Rodney hummed happily; John teasing him about walking in a straight line, keeping their feet from tangling and helping Rodney back to the 'jumper. If he's remembering John settling him into the co-pilot's chair, and the way he leaned in and leaned more, all the way into John's space, and closed his eyes and aimed a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss that landed on John's cheek. If he's remembering the two of them laughing, and John's palms warm against his neck before John kissed him, aim true in spite of what Rodney likes to say about his navigation skills, kissed him fond and scared and hopeful, so hopeful, and rounded up the rest of the team and got them home safe so that he and Rodney could have this morning-so that they can have this, and whatever comes next.