Fic: One Chance (John/Rodney, PG)
Title: One Chance
Author: Sandy
Fandom(s): Stargate Atlantis
Genre M/M Slash
Pairing/Characters: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: FRT (PG)
Word Count: ~870
Summary: You only get one chance for a first kiss
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: As much as I'd love to own Rodney McKay and John Sheppard as well as the rest of the Atlantis team, someone far richer that I owns them. I just like playing with them.
Notes: This is a challenge response for "You only get one chance for a first kiss" posted in the Stargate Atlantis Slash Yahoo group.
~~~
Rodney stared down at the still form of Lt. Colonel John Sheppard and swallowed down the fear that kept trying to force itself out of his throat in a whimper or a scream. He couldn't give in to the worry and grief, it wouldn't be appropriate. Besides, Sheppard would be okay. Beckett would fix it and then everything would be back to normal. Sheppard wouldn't like it if he found out that Rodney had wept over him like a widow howling out her grief over the coffin of her husband.
Rodney absolutely refused to believe that their one chance was gone. That they'd allowed it to slip by, had by mutual consent pulled back. Whatever they felt about each other, they hadn't been ready to acknowledge it, and so, with Sheppard's lips hovering only millimeters from his, Rodney had shoved him away, had watched as Sheppard realized how close they'd come to stepping over a line he wasn't ready to cross. Rodney had felt relief and sorrow, but it wasn't time yet.
Rodney looked up at the monitors that assured him that Sheppard was still alive, that no matter how gravely he was wounded, his heart still beat and his lungs still breathed and as long as the monitors beeped Rodney could still believe that they hadn't lost their one chance.
"Rodney," a quiet voice said from behind him, and Rodney felt a comforting hand squeeze his shoulder. "Go to bed, Rodney. He'll do for tonight."
Rodney glanced over into the kind blue eyes of the Chief Medical Officer. "It's my fault, you know," Rodney said after he'd swallowed down the lump that threatened to block his airflow. "We were arguing. His attention was fixed on me, not the surrounding area. He'd have seen those men hidden..."
"Rodney," Beckett said a little more forcefully. "Ronon didn't even see them. Do you really think that Colonel Sheppard would have?"
Rodney just turned his head back and looked once more at the pale, still figure of his friend, of his... What? Not lover because they hadn't ever touched each other that way. But Rodney did love him. He acknowledged that fact now. He acknowledged that fact now that it may be too late.
"Rodney," Carson said again. "Go to bed. I promise if anything happens, I'll call you."
Rodney's head whipped around. "You think-"
"No," Carson hurriedly assured him. "I don't think anything of the kind. He's out of danger now, Rodney. I promise you. I've sent the others off, and now it's time for you to go to bed and get your own rest."
Rodney cast one more glance at Sheppard and then nodded and turned away. He made his way wearily to his quarters barely able to put one foot in front of the other. Finally reaching his room, he entered and collapsed facedown onto the firm mattress.
He awoke suddenly, instantly alert, his heart pounding as he recalled what had happened the day before. Glancing at his watch, he saw that he'd been asleep for a little over four hours. Leaping out of bed, he had to stop and lean onto his bedside table as a wave of dizziness rushed over him. When he had recovered, he headed for the door of his room only to stop when he felt the harsh stiffness of his trousers. Glancing down, he saw the heavy brown stains of John's blood that coated both legs of his pants. He shuddered and swallowed down the bile that rose as he remembered fighting to stem the flow of blood from John's wound.
Hating to waste the time it would take to clean up but knowing that he couldn't return to the infirmary in the bloodstained clothing, he detoured into the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, he was on his way again munching on a PowerBar as he hurried to the transporter.
When he entered the infirmary, it was quiet, still in nighttime mode. A single nurse sat at a table writing in a chart. She glanced up at him as he entered, but then returned to her work ignoring him. He made his way over to where Sheppard lay and stood by the bed looking down on him again. He felt relief wash over him when he noticed that John's coloring was much better than it had been when Carson had thrown him out earlier, and he seemed to be breathing easier. Without even thinking about it, he slid his hand over John's, feeling the warmth of the other man's flesh.
He was surprised when the hand he was touching responded, fingers spreading and interlacing with his own. He stared wide-eyed as John's eyelids fluttered open and he held his breath as John's eyes focused. His heart pounded when a small smile curved John's lips and his hand squeezed Rodney's.
"Hey," John said weakly, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Hey," Rodney answered his own voice soft and choked with emotion. Rodney's breath caught in his throat when he saw a warmth fill John's eyes as they stared at each other.
You only get one chance to share a first kiss, and in the dim nighttime glow of the infirmary lights, Rodney leaned over and took that chance.
The End
Author: Sandy
Fandom(s): Stargate Atlantis
Genre M/M Slash
Pairing/Characters: McKay/Sheppard
Rating: FRT (PG)
Word Count: ~870
Summary: You only get one chance for a first kiss
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: As much as I'd love to own Rodney McKay and John Sheppard as well as the rest of the Atlantis team, someone far richer that I owns them. I just like playing with them.
Notes: This is a challenge response for "You only get one chance for a first kiss" posted in the Stargate Atlantis Slash Yahoo group.
~~~
Rodney stared down at the still form of Lt. Colonel John Sheppard and swallowed down the fear that kept trying to force itself out of his throat in a whimper or a scream. He couldn't give in to the worry and grief, it wouldn't be appropriate. Besides, Sheppard would be okay. Beckett would fix it and then everything would be back to normal. Sheppard wouldn't like it if he found out that Rodney had wept over him like a widow howling out her grief over the coffin of her husband.
Rodney absolutely refused to believe that their one chance was gone. That they'd allowed it to slip by, had by mutual consent pulled back. Whatever they felt about each other, they hadn't been ready to acknowledge it, and so, with Sheppard's lips hovering only millimeters from his, Rodney had shoved him away, had watched as Sheppard realized how close they'd come to stepping over a line he wasn't ready to cross. Rodney had felt relief and sorrow, but it wasn't time yet.
Rodney looked up at the monitors that assured him that Sheppard was still alive, that no matter how gravely he was wounded, his heart still beat and his lungs still breathed and as long as the monitors beeped Rodney could still believe that they hadn't lost their one chance.
"Rodney," a quiet voice said from behind him, and Rodney felt a comforting hand squeeze his shoulder. "Go to bed, Rodney. He'll do for tonight."
Rodney glanced over into the kind blue eyes of the Chief Medical Officer. "It's my fault, you know," Rodney said after he'd swallowed down the lump that threatened to block his airflow. "We were arguing. His attention was fixed on me, not the surrounding area. He'd have seen those men hidden..."
"Rodney," Beckett said a little more forcefully. "Ronon didn't even see them. Do you really think that Colonel Sheppard would have?"
Rodney just turned his head back and looked once more at the pale, still figure of his friend, of his... What? Not lover because they hadn't ever touched each other that way. But Rodney did love him. He acknowledged that fact now. He acknowledged that fact now that it may be too late.
"Rodney," Carson said again. "Go to bed. I promise if anything happens, I'll call you."
Rodney's head whipped around. "You think-"
"No," Carson hurriedly assured him. "I don't think anything of the kind. He's out of danger now, Rodney. I promise you. I've sent the others off, and now it's time for you to go to bed and get your own rest."
Rodney cast one more glance at Sheppard and then nodded and turned away. He made his way wearily to his quarters barely able to put one foot in front of the other. Finally reaching his room, he entered and collapsed facedown onto the firm mattress.
He awoke suddenly, instantly alert, his heart pounding as he recalled what had happened the day before. Glancing at his watch, he saw that he'd been asleep for a little over four hours. Leaping out of bed, he had to stop and lean onto his bedside table as a wave of dizziness rushed over him. When he had recovered, he headed for the door of his room only to stop when he felt the harsh stiffness of his trousers. Glancing down, he saw the heavy brown stains of John's blood that coated both legs of his pants. He shuddered and swallowed down the bile that rose as he remembered fighting to stem the flow of blood from John's wound.
Hating to waste the time it would take to clean up but knowing that he couldn't return to the infirmary in the bloodstained clothing, he detoured into the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, he was on his way again munching on a PowerBar as he hurried to the transporter.
When he entered the infirmary, it was quiet, still in nighttime mode. A single nurse sat at a table writing in a chart. She glanced up at him as he entered, but then returned to her work ignoring him. He made his way over to where Sheppard lay and stood by the bed looking down on him again. He felt relief wash over him when he noticed that John's coloring was much better than it had been when Carson had thrown him out earlier, and he seemed to be breathing easier. Without even thinking about it, he slid his hand over John's, feeling the warmth of the other man's flesh.
He was surprised when the hand he was touching responded, fingers spreading and interlacing with his own. He stared wide-eyed as John's eyelids fluttered open and he held his breath as John's eyes focused. His heart pounded when a small smile curved John's lips and his hand squeezed Rodney's.
"Hey," John said weakly, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Hey," Rodney answered his own voice soft and choked with emotion. Rodney's breath caught in his throat when he saw a warmth fill John's eyes as they stared at each other.
You only get one chance to share a first kiss, and in the dim nighttime glow of the infirmary lights, Rodney leaned over and took that chance.
The End