Fic: Feels Like the First Time
John and Rodney on yet another planet. *g* Established-relationship kisses, no spoilers, no porn. 800 words. (Oh, wait. Oblique spoilers for um, No Man's Land? Beginning of Season 3.)
"And Weston said that they're sure the site to the east is the largest yet." Rodney was practically bouncing on his toes as he meandered along the path back to the gate. He started to float out into range of one of the overhanging branches, but before John had to save him from an eye-gouging he wandered back into the clear zone. "Big enough to hold, oh, I don't know, an Aurora-class ship?"
"Assuming it's not in a million pieces under all that dirt."
Rodney waved him off. "Please. Considering everything we've seen of Ancient construction so far, it's probably safe and snug in its very own bunker. Like the Orion was."
Rodney's regretful sigh matched John's. They shared a silent moment, remembering a good ship gone too soon.
But only a moment. A grin flashed across Rodney's face half a second before he launched back into his giddy recap. "And the main site was a manufacturing plant of some type. Can you believe it? Maybe it's where they made ZPMs."
"Weston was only speculating, McKay," John said, but he wasn't really trying to derail Rodney's excitement. It was good to see him like this, hands wild and eyes bright, not a cynical thought in his head. He almost looked like a different person, face stretched wide by his constant grin. Kinda like he did back when they'd played around with the personal shield.
Back when John had first fallen in love with him.
John dipped his head, overwhelmed by some giddiness of his own. This thing between them was so new, he still hadn't gotten used to the way the realness of it would sneak up and announce itself to the bigger part of his brain every now and then. The way he'd be doing something stupid like scraping up the last of his mashed potatoes off his plate or flossing his teeth at night, and he'd just suddenly remember. Remember Rodney's hands on his chest, remember Rodney's breath hot against his neck, remember the salt-hot taste of Rodney in the back of his throat.
"Have you heard a word I said?"
"Um." John stopped, trying to find some witty defense that would have Rodney rolling his eyes and tossing something brilliant back at him. But Rodney wasn't glaring at him. He was still smiling, one eyebrow raised slightly, waiting for John to share in his amusement. "Uh, what was that last thing?"
Rodney snorted. "I said, who would have thought archeology could be fun? What is with you, anyway?"
"Nothing," John said, still too distracted by Rodney himself to pay much attention to their conversation. Rodney was standing off to one side of the trail, perfectly framed by one of the long-unharvested fruit trees, and it suddenly occurred to John that they had this entire planet to themselves. Well, there was Weston's team, but they were two klicks back and too absorbed by the dirt to even give them a thought.
John reached out, snagged the front of Rodney's vest, and reeled him in. Rodney met him easily, lips parting to cradle his own. John tried to keep it soft and easy, drawing back before he could get lost in want.
"What was that for?" Rodney asked. He was still right there, body inches away from John's, and John realized he still had his fingers curled into the V of Rodney's vest. He let go, but left his hand there as he searched for the right words.
"Because I wanted to," he said, shrugging away everything else.
"Oh. Good." And then Rodney wrapped his hand around the back of John's neck, pulling him in for another kiss. Open-mouthed this time, tongue stroking against his in a way that made John curl his fingers again so he could pull Rodney in close. Rodney was the one who finally broke their kiss, drawing John's lower lip between his before he finally let go and backed away. He licked his lips, then pressed his thumb to the corner of John's mouth. "You're really hot when you're happy, you know that?"
John swallowed the lump in his throat. "So are you," he said, and then he made himself step back, because they did have to get back to Atlantis sometime today. Preferably without beard burn, hickeys, or grass stains.
Rodney grinned, back to that same brilliant joy that had sucked John in seconds ago. "So, have you thought about the fact that there's probably a huge cache of drones down there, too?"
John grinned, too. "That'd be sweet."
Then he put his hand on Rodney's lower back and turned them both towards home.
"And Weston said that they're sure the site to the east is the largest yet." Rodney was practically bouncing on his toes as he meandered along the path back to the gate. He started to float out into range of one of the overhanging branches, but before John had to save him from an eye-gouging he wandered back into the clear zone. "Big enough to hold, oh, I don't know, an Aurora-class ship?"
"Assuming it's not in a million pieces under all that dirt."
Rodney waved him off. "Please. Considering everything we've seen of Ancient construction so far, it's probably safe and snug in its very own bunker. Like the Orion was."
Rodney's regretful sigh matched John's. They shared a silent moment, remembering a good ship gone too soon.
But only a moment. A grin flashed across Rodney's face half a second before he launched back into his giddy recap. "And the main site was a manufacturing plant of some type. Can you believe it? Maybe it's where they made ZPMs."
"Weston was only speculating, McKay," John said, but he wasn't really trying to derail Rodney's excitement. It was good to see him like this, hands wild and eyes bright, not a cynical thought in his head. He almost looked like a different person, face stretched wide by his constant grin. Kinda like he did back when they'd played around with the personal shield.
Back when John had first fallen in love with him.
John dipped his head, overwhelmed by some giddiness of his own. This thing between them was so new, he still hadn't gotten used to the way the realness of it would sneak up and announce itself to the bigger part of his brain every now and then. The way he'd be doing something stupid like scraping up the last of his mashed potatoes off his plate or flossing his teeth at night, and he'd just suddenly remember. Remember Rodney's hands on his chest, remember Rodney's breath hot against his neck, remember the salt-hot taste of Rodney in the back of his throat.
"Have you heard a word I said?"
"Um." John stopped, trying to find some witty defense that would have Rodney rolling his eyes and tossing something brilliant back at him. But Rodney wasn't glaring at him. He was still smiling, one eyebrow raised slightly, waiting for John to share in his amusement. "Uh, what was that last thing?"
Rodney snorted. "I said, who would have thought archeology could be fun? What is with you, anyway?"
"Nothing," John said, still too distracted by Rodney himself to pay much attention to their conversation. Rodney was standing off to one side of the trail, perfectly framed by one of the long-unharvested fruit trees, and it suddenly occurred to John that they had this entire planet to themselves. Well, there was Weston's team, but they were two klicks back and too absorbed by the dirt to even give them a thought.
John reached out, snagged the front of Rodney's vest, and reeled him in. Rodney met him easily, lips parting to cradle his own. John tried to keep it soft and easy, drawing back before he could get lost in want.
"What was that for?" Rodney asked. He was still right there, body inches away from John's, and John realized he still had his fingers curled into the V of Rodney's vest. He let go, but left his hand there as he searched for the right words.
"Because I wanted to," he said, shrugging away everything else.
"Oh. Good." And then Rodney wrapped his hand around the back of John's neck, pulling him in for another kiss. Open-mouthed this time, tongue stroking against his in a way that made John curl his fingers again so he could pull Rodney in close. Rodney was the one who finally broke their kiss, drawing John's lower lip between his before he finally let go and backed away. He licked his lips, then pressed his thumb to the corner of John's mouth. "You're really hot when you're happy, you know that?"
John swallowed the lump in his throat. "So are you," he said, and then he made himself step back, because they did have to get back to Atlantis sometime today. Preferably without beard burn, hickeys, or grass stains.
Rodney grinned, back to that same brilliant joy that had sucked John in seconds ago. "So, have you thought about the fact that there's probably a huge cache of drones down there, too?"
John grinned, too. "That'd be sweet."
Then he put his hand on Rodney's lower back and turned them both towards home.