Sunday Will Never Be the Same 1/1, NC-17
Sunday Will Never Be the Same
by Audrey Lynne
Lazy Sunday afternoons were the best kind, as far as Rodney McKay was concerned. He didn't have to work that night, though, admittedly, he had one hell of a cushy job. The life of a working musician might not have been glamorous, but he got paid for doing something he loved, he worked with his friends, and the tips provided enough to keep him living comfortably, if not in extravagance. Sure, Rodney knew he had the talent to play Carnegie Hall if he wanted to, but that kind of drive, to achieve total clinical perfection, had driven him away from his music once; he wasn't going to let it happen again. Atlantis may not have been the place to be if he was looking to get "discovered," but Rodney had made an important discovery of his own there--a seriously hot Czech professor, who was liberally draped across his couch at that very moment. "Have you been talking about me?"
Radek Zelenka looked away from whatever anime DVD he had been watching, frowning curiously. "What kind of question is that?"
"A provocative one," Rodney replied with mock seriousness, not even caring if he was technically right. That was a matter for his brother-in-law. Language was not one of the realms covered Rodney's particular brand of geekiness. Music, yes. Theoretical physics, sure. Diagramming sentences? Not so much.
Radek, as usual, played right along. "It would be more provocative if you were naked."
"Bohemian freak," Rodney shot back; it had become almost a pet name of sorts. He grinned, watching Radek's eyes sparkle as he made a show of tugging at the waistband of his jeans. "That can be arranged, you know."
Radek sat up, displacing Rodney's cat from where he had been snoozing on Radek's chest. Alfred made a curious sort of chirping noise, as if asking why he had suddenly ended up on the floor, but then climbed into the space on the couch that Radek had freed up, resuming his nap. "Hmm, tempting." He stood, abandoning End of Evangelion or whatever the DVD box said, in favor of sidling over to Rodney. "But your question intrigues me. We have been dating for some time; we have sex; we technically maintain separate residences, but it's barely more than a pretense at this point. Why would I not talk about you?"
God, he was sexy when he got like this. Rodney swallowed hard, wondering how Radek managed to make the simplest things sound irresistibly hot. It had to be the accent. "Dammit, you are so not allowed to distract me."
"Don't you ever talk about me?" Radek asked, giving Rodney his best bedroom eyes.
"Bastard," Rodney accused, stepping forward and stealing a kiss. "Of course I talk about you," he said after they broke apart, a bit breathless. "It's who."
"Who?" Radek echoed, cocking his head to the side slightly. "Is there someone I'm not allowed to talk to?"
Radek's tone was far more teasing than accusing, and if they continued to cat-and-mouse their way through these questions, they really were going to end up naked before Rodney had any answers. That wasn't a bad thing, but Rodney really did want to understand the bizarre encounter he'd had the night before. Then they could jump each other and make like bunnies. "No, not not-allowed, just...." He couldn't figure out how to explain it, so he settled for, "Your ex is weird."
Radek blinked, obviously surprised by that, then shrugged. "He's not weird, he's...just...special." Rodney could have sworn that was an affectionate grin tugging at Radek's lips, but as long as it wasn't outright leering, Rodney could live with that. He still had his insecurities, but Radek's loyalty fortunately wasn't one of them. "I accepted a long time ago that this is his world; we just live in it."
"Special," Rodney echoed, both fascinated and skeptical at the same time. "And why were you talking to your ex? More to the point, why were you talking about me?" Even if he had been on speaking terms with anyone he'd dated in the past, he certainly wouldn't have been telling them about the man he was seeing now.
"We parted as friends," Radek explained. "He works at the university. We have lunch a couple times a week. He guessed that I've been seeing someone; I'm not going to lie."
While a part of Rodney wasn't surprised--Radek was the kind of guy who actually was nice enough to want to be on good terms with his exes--a part of him wondered what that had to be like. "Awkward much?"
"Not really." Radek shrugged. "We had a very open relationship when we were together. Miles doesn't hang up on that sort of thing. It's like any two other friends having lunch."
"That's just weird." Fortunately, Rodney and Radek had been dating long enough that Rodney no longer bothered to censor his initial reactions to much of anything. "And so's he. I don't care what you want to call him. He's strange."
"The same could be said of either of us," Radek pointed out.
He had a point. "There's geek and then there's freaking bizarre. I met him last night."
Radek nodded. "I assumed so, or you wouldn't have brought it up."
"And this doesn't strike you as odd?"
"He told me he was thinking of dropping by Atlantis to meet you." Radek shrugged again. "I figured it would be good for you two to meet eventually."
"Oh, you figured." This entire conversation had taken on a surreal quality. "Well, he did. He found me, and before I even know who the hell this guy is, he's asking me--and I quote, 'What are your intentions toward Zelenka?' What is this, Victorian England? And how long did you date this guy? He calls you by your last name?"
"A little over a year," Radek answered, "and, yes, he does. So did Mulder and Scully."
Whatever snarky remark had been jumping from Rodney's brain to his tongue completely missed its mark when he heard that. "Mulder and...oh, God, this is why I love you." He'd dated non-geeks before, and after a time, he had seriously begun to miss the references that simply worked their way into conversation. "Okay, so...yeah." He really hadn't been bothered by the exchange, and it was kind of nice--in an odd way--that Radek's ex cared. But, still, the whole thing had been strange and as much as Rodney trusted Radek, he couldn't help a flicker of jealousy. Thus, the most logical thing to do was to reaffirm that Radek was truly his. He knew it in his heart, but his head--oh, who was he trying to kid? Radek was hot, he was there, he was Rodney's, and that was more than enough reason to haul him off to the bedroom. "He's still weird."
"And you're still...you." Radek grinned. "I can assure you he probably finds you a bit strange as well."
"Well, that's his problem, then." Looking at Radek, standing there in front of him, looking amused and smug and undeniably hot, Rodney found he no longer cared. He stepped forward, trying to be romantic and grab Radek by his shirt and kiss him.
Unfortunately, Alfred--who was not the world's brightest creature--had taken advantage of the humans' distraction to wind his way between them, liberally coating their ankles in fur. No sooner had Rodney gotten two handfuls of the paisley fabric than his foot came down on Alfred's tail. Alfred shrieked and headed for the hills, causing Rodney to backpedal and yank Radek forward just enough to throw him off-balance before he remembered to let go.
Radek toppled forward, but was quick enough to grab the bottom of Rodney's "The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth" t-shirt, which Rodney was, of course, wearing. He went down, too, pulling back just in time to avoid landing directly on top of Radek. It was ridiculously undignified, though this wasn't the first time in their relationship they'd managed to do something completely klutzy, nor was Rodney naïve enough to believe it would be the last.
Instead of getting up right away, as most people would have done, Radek grinned and rolled over almost languidly so that he was on his side. "Aha," he all but purred, reaching out an arm to discourage Rodney from getting up, "now I have you exactly where I want you?"
"What," Rodney joked, "on the World's Ugliest Carpet?" The carpet in his living room was both shag and an odd shade of olive green, and while Rodney had gotten used to it over the years, that didn't make it any less hideous. It must have been a relic from the seventies, but in a rent-controlled Manhattan apartment, as long as there weren't any bald spots, Rodney wasn't going to complain. Much.
"No, on your back." Radek crawled over, moving to straddle Rodney's hips. Bracing his hands on Rodney's shoulders, he looked down at his lover, his hair falling forward to frame his glasses. The ceiling light was directly overhead, providing a halo effect against Radek's light brown hair, and if this was what all angels looked like, Rodney would have considered recanting his atheist stance. "Perfect," he declared, leaning forward to kiss Rodney.
Rodney didn't even have time to put together a proper quip about how of course he was perfect before Radek's lips were on his, hungry and determined and then Rodney couldn't think anymore. Of course, he didn't want to think at that moment, either, because the sensations that were washing over his body were so much better than thinking. Rodney might have walked away from the scientific community, but that never took away from the thrill he got upon reading an article about some new advance in the world of theoretical physics. He liked science fine; it was other scientists that had finally pissed him off. At that moment, however, if the heavens had opened and an immaculate chorus had announced that Hawking's theory about what happened to matter in black holes was right, Rodney couldn't have cared less. He would have been elated later, of course, but nothing was worth missing this moment. Unless, of course, they were to interrupt it to move to the bedroom. Which they did, moments later.
The trip took longer than strictly necessary, interrupted by kisses and nibbles and discarded pieces of clothing. By the time they finally did reach the bedroom, all they had left were their boxers--and Radek's glasses, which Rodney practically flung onto the nightstand as they collapsed onto the bed. It was a fantastic tangle of arms and legs, and it wasn't long before the boxers were tossed aside as well.
Radek took advantage of a momentary break in the action to scoot a few inches down on the bed, rolling onto his stomach. He reached down, taking Rodney's cock firmly into his hand. Rodney shuddered at both the touch, anticipation heightening his pleasure. He was already hard, but Radek's ministrations certainly didn't hurt. Rodney dug his fingers into Radek's shoulders as Radek started stroking him, a slow but firm rhythm. He groaned Radek's name, half a curse and half a plea for more.
Steadily, Radek picked up speed, quickly bringing Rodney to orgasm, not that it was going to take much at that point. Their relationship wasn't so new that they would get hard just looking at each other and imagining the possibilities, but at the same time, it was young enough that they were far from bored. Once the blissful haze faded enough for Rodney to think coherently again, he rolled over, pressing Radek back against the mattress. Rodney bent his head down, slowly and sensuously nibbling at Radek's earlobe as he reached for Radek's groin so that he could return the favor.
Rodney always loved listening to Radek--with that accent, he could listen to the man read the Manhattan phone book twice over--but it was even more fun during sex. The level of Radek's arousal could easily be determined by how thick his accent had become and how much sense he was making in English. By the time he was on the verge of orgasm, he abandoned English entirely and Rodney was willing to bet he wasn't making a lot of sense in Czech, either. The less control he appeared to have over even his native tongue, the closer he was to coming, and Rodney smiled to himself as he began to hear the little gasps of half-formed words that mean Radek was there.
Sex was a messy business, Rodney thought idly as Radek came all over his hand, but neither of them much minded because, well, showering together to clean up was a lot of fun too. They had stopped using condoms a few weeks ago, as they were both clean and exclusive. It was a big trust step, but they had both been comfortable with the decision--and trust was what it really came down to. Trust, they had, at least in one another. How much Rodney trusted himself not to screw this up somehow? That would remain to be seen, but, damn, he was going to try.
For the first time in his life, Rodney was in a truly stable, healthy relationship that was going well. It was rather scary when he thought about it. Which was why instead of doing that, he slipped off to the bathroom to turn on the shower so that it would be hot by the time Radek recovered enough to get up and join him.
There was a slight draft in the shower as Radek pushed aside the curtain to slip inside, but Radek's presence more than made up for any chill Rodney might have felt. He pulled Radek close, kissing him soundly as the water rained down over both of them. God, Rodney wanted this forever, not just the days Radek didn't have anything to take care of at home, not just the times they could spend the night together--which, admittedly, was often, but not as often as they would have liked. Rodney liked the idea of them taking the next step and moving in together, though he never knew quite how to bring the matter up. He didn't want this to become another relationship he had ruined by jumping the gun and trying to move things too quickly.
"What are you smiling at?" Radek asked, taking his time as he began to soap up Rodney's chest.
Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Rodney took a deep breath. His instincts were nudging him to do this. In the past, he had generally ignored his instincts, figuring he couldn't have been right about something as unscientific as a relationship. This time, he was going to go for it. "Did you know you're dating one of New York's most eligible bachelors?" When Radek merely smiled and arched his eyebrows questioningly, as Rodney had known he would, Rodney explained. "Well, if you define 'New York' as 'this apartment I live in, which is definitely in New York.'"
"Oh?" Radek's hands continued their work, running over Rodney's chest as Radek grinned up at his lover. "And who would the other be, your cat?"
"You, actually." Rodney smiled, but then the inevitable panic set in as he realized how presumptuous that sounded. "I mean, not that you have to move in here, or...I could move into your place, or we could find another one, or--shit! I don't mean you have to, not if you're ready. 'Cause if you're ready, I am, but if you're not, that's cool, I don't want to push--"
"Rodney." Radek smiled, lifting a finger to Rodney's mouth as he interrupted. "As endearing as your babbling can be, milacku, there is no need." He stepped back, letting the water rinse away the soap from Rodney's chest, then moved closer again, wrapping his arms behind Rodney's back. "If you are suggesting we should move in together, I have been thinking the same thing myself. I was simply unsure if you were ready."
"Oh, I...you are?" Rodney was still a bit shocked that the whole thing had gone so smoothly after it had been seconds away from a fiery crash and burn. As Radek nodded, Rodney couldn't help the grin that threatened to split his face. "'Cause I am, too."
"Then we'll have to make the arrangements." Radek reached behind him, turning the hot water up a notch. The intensity of the spray lessened, but the heat increased, and it provided exactly the right atmosphere for them to share another kiss. And another. Then one more, for good measure.
Rodney was glad water was included in the price of his rent, because he and Radek didn't get out of the shower until the water turned cold enough that it threatened to kill the mood.
----------
There was definitely something to be said for lazy Sunday afternoons. Rodney didn't care what the weather was like outside; he hadn't even looked. All he knew was that he was lying in his bed, half-dressed, a purring cat on his feet and his lover draped across him and dozing on his chest. If this wasn't a little bit of paradise on Earth, Rodney didn't know what was. The only reason he was awake himself was the fact that the phone was ringing. Rodney reached out to the nightstand to pick up the cordless, trying not to shift his body and risk waking Radek. He squinted at the caller ID in the dim light and thought he made out "Jean," so he hit the talk button. If Jeannie was calling from Toronto, he at least could talk to her for a few minutes before drifting off again. "Yeah, what do you want?" It was his typical greeting--she was his little sister, after all.
"Rodney!" The voice on the other end of the line was way too mischievous and definitely not female. "What's up?"
"No, seriously, what do you want?" Rodney pulled the phone away from his ear and glared mistrustfully at the display. Sure enough, "John Sheppard" was clearly displayed above the phone number. He'd have to be sure to read the whole name next time. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to John, it was more that...he had better things he could have been doing and John wasn't calling internationally. "As in, give me one good reason I should spend my time and energy talking to you now instead of tomorrow night at work."
John, as usual, responded in kind. "Give me one good reason you shouldn't."
"What are you, twelve?" Rodney asked. "I have a very good reason and he's asleep on my chest, so good night." He would have hung up then, except he knew John would just call him back with a rebuttal. He might as well throw the man a bone, give him something to think about. "We're also moving in together, so, no, before you say anything, I'm not talking about my cat."
John promptly made an undignified-sounding noise of excitement. "Seriously? That's awesome. Cash is good."
"Cash?"
"I bet you twenty bucks you'd move in together before the end of the year. It's November."
Rodney didn't remember actually agreeing to take the bet offhand, but there were a lot of higher-level brain functions he didn't have access to at the moment. "Tomorrow. Work. Bye, now." Rodney hit the "end" button, then switched the ringer off and tossed the handset aside. Tomorrow, he and Radek could work on the details, tomorrow he could share those details with his friends and give Jeannie the news. For the moment, he was content to stroke Radek's hair, listening to the sleepy Czech murmurings fade as Radek settled back to sleep. He knew it wouldn't be long before he followed suit, and tomorrow they could deal with whatever life decided to throw at them. Tonight, they had each other. As ridiculously cliché as it sounded, even in his own head, tonight, that was all Rodney really wanted.
The End.
by Audrey Lynne
Lazy Sunday afternoons were the best kind, as far as Rodney McKay was concerned. He didn't have to work that night, though, admittedly, he had one hell of a cushy job. The life of a working musician might not have been glamorous, but he got paid for doing something he loved, he worked with his friends, and the tips provided enough to keep him living comfortably, if not in extravagance. Sure, Rodney knew he had the talent to play Carnegie Hall if he wanted to, but that kind of drive, to achieve total clinical perfection, had driven him away from his music once; he wasn't going to let it happen again. Atlantis may not have been the place to be if he was looking to get "discovered," but Rodney had made an important discovery of his own there--a seriously hot Czech professor, who was liberally draped across his couch at that very moment. "Have you been talking about me?"
Radek Zelenka looked away from whatever anime DVD he had been watching, frowning curiously. "What kind of question is that?"
"A provocative one," Rodney replied with mock seriousness, not even caring if he was technically right. That was a matter for his brother-in-law. Language was not one of the realms covered Rodney's particular brand of geekiness. Music, yes. Theoretical physics, sure. Diagramming sentences? Not so much.
Radek, as usual, played right along. "It would be more provocative if you were naked."
"Bohemian freak," Rodney shot back; it had become almost a pet name of sorts. He grinned, watching Radek's eyes sparkle as he made a show of tugging at the waistband of his jeans. "That can be arranged, you know."
Radek sat up, displacing Rodney's cat from where he had been snoozing on Radek's chest. Alfred made a curious sort of chirping noise, as if asking why he had suddenly ended up on the floor, but then climbed into the space on the couch that Radek had freed up, resuming his nap. "Hmm, tempting." He stood, abandoning End of Evangelion or whatever the DVD box said, in favor of sidling over to Rodney. "But your question intrigues me. We have been dating for some time; we have sex; we technically maintain separate residences, but it's barely more than a pretense at this point. Why would I not talk about you?"
God, he was sexy when he got like this. Rodney swallowed hard, wondering how Radek managed to make the simplest things sound irresistibly hot. It had to be the accent. "Dammit, you are so not allowed to distract me."
"Don't you ever talk about me?" Radek asked, giving Rodney his best bedroom eyes.
"Bastard," Rodney accused, stepping forward and stealing a kiss. "Of course I talk about you," he said after they broke apart, a bit breathless. "It's who."
"Who?" Radek echoed, cocking his head to the side slightly. "Is there someone I'm not allowed to talk to?"
Radek's tone was far more teasing than accusing, and if they continued to cat-and-mouse their way through these questions, they really were going to end up naked before Rodney had any answers. That wasn't a bad thing, but Rodney really did want to understand the bizarre encounter he'd had the night before. Then they could jump each other and make like bunnies. "No, not not-allowed, just...." He couldn't figure out how to explain it, so he settled for, "Your ex is weird."
Radek blinked, obviously surprised by that, then shrugged. "He's not weird, he's...just...special." Rodney could have sworn that was an affectionate grin tugging at Radek's lips, but as long as it wasn't outright leering, Rodney could live with that. He still had his insecurities, but Radek's loyalty fortunately wasn't one of them. "I accepted a long time ago that this is his world; we just live in it."
"Special," Rodney echoed, both fascinated and skeptical at the same time. "And why were you talking to your ex? More to the point, why were you talking about me?" Even if he had been on speaking terms with anyone he'd dated in the past, he certainly wouldn't have been telling them about the man he was seeing now.
"We parted as friends," Radek explained. "He works at the university. We have lunch a couple times a week. He guessed that I've been seeing someone; I'm not going to lie."
While a part of Rodney wasn't surprised--Radek was the kind of guy who actually was nice enough to want to be on good terms with his exes--a part of him wondered what that had to be like. "Awkward much?"
"Not really." Radek shrugged. "We had a very open relationship when we were together. Miles doesn't hang up on that sort of thing. It's like any two other friends having lunch."
"That's just weird." Fortunately, Rodney and Radek had been dating long enough that Rodney no longer bothered to censor his initial reactions to much of anything. "And so's he. I don't care what you want to call him. He's strange."
"The same could be said of either of us," Radek pointed out.
He had a point. "There's geek and then there's freaking bizarre. I met him last night."
Radek nodded. "I assumed so, or you wouldn't have brought it up."
"And this doesn't strike you as odd?"
"He told me he was thinking of dropping by Atlantis to meet you." Radek shrugged again. "I figured it would be good for you two to meet eventually."
"Oh, you figured." This entire conversation had taken on a surreal quality. "Well, he did. He found me, and before I even know who the hell this guy is, he's asking me--and I quote, 'What are your intentions toward Zelenka?' What is this, Victorian England? And how long did you date this guy? He calls you by your last name?"
"A little over a year," Radek answered, "and, yes, he does. So did Mulder and Scully."
Whatever snarky remark had been jumping from Rodney's brain to his tongue completely missed its mark when he heard that. "Mulder and...oh, God, this is why I love you." He'd dated non-geeks before, and after a time, he had seriously begun to miss the references that simply worked their way into conversation. "Okay, so...yeah." He really hadn't been bothered by the exchange, and it was kind of nice--in an odd way--that Radek's ex cared. But, still, the whole thing had been strange and as much as Rodney trusted Radek, he couldn't help a flicker of jealousy. Thus, the most logical thing to do was to reaffirm that Radek was truly his. He knew it in his heart, but his head--oh, who was he trying to kid? Radek was hot, he was there, he was Rodney's, and that was more than enough reason to haul him off to the bedroom. "He's still weird."
"And you're still...you." Radek grinned. "I can assure you he probably finds you a bit strange as well."
"Well, that's his problem, then." Looking at Radek, standing there in front of him, looking amused and smug and undeniably hot, Rodney found he no longer cared. He stepped forward, trying to be romantic and grab Radek by his shirt and kiss him.
Unfortunately, Alfred--who was not the world's brightest creature--had taken advantage of the humans' distraction to wind his way between them, liberally coating their ankles in fur. No sooner had Rodney gotten two handfuls of the paisley fabric than his foot came down on Alfred's tail. Alfred shrieked and headed for the hills, causing Rodney to backpedal and yank Radek forward just enough to throw him off-balance before he remembered to let go.
Radek toppled forward, but was quick enough to grab the bottom of Rodney's "The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth" t-shirt, which Rodney was, of course, wearing. He went down, too, pulling back just in time to avoid landing directly on top of Radek. It was ridiculously undignified, though this wasn't the first time in their relationship they'd managed to do something completely klutzy, nor was Rodney naïve enough to believe it would be the last.
Instead of getting up right away, as most people would have done, Radek grinned and rolled over almost languidly so that he was on his side. "Aha," he all but purred, reaching out an arm to discourage Rodney from getting up, "now I have you exactly where I want you?"
"What," Rodney joked, "on the World's Ugliest Carpet?" The carpet in his living room was both shag and an odd shade of olive green, and while Rodney had gotten used to it over the years, that didn't make it any less hideous. It must have been a relic from the seventies, but in a rent-controlled Manhattan apartment, as long as there weren't any bald spots, Rodney wasn't going to complain. Much.
"No, on your back." Radek crawled over, moving to straddle Rodney's hips. Bracing his hands on Rodney's shoulders, he looked down at his lover, his hair falling forward to frame his glasses. The ceiling light was directly overhead, providing a halo effect against Radek's light brown hair, and if this was what all angels looked like, Rodney would have considered recanting his atheist stance. "Perfect," he declared, leaning forward to kiss Rodney.
Rodney didn't even have time to put together a proper quip about how of course he was perfect before Radek's lips were on his, hungry and determined and then Rodney couldn't think anymore. Of course, he didn't want to think at that moment, either, because the sensations that were washing over his body were so much better than thinking. Rodney might have walked away from the scientific community, but that never took away from the thrill he got upon reading an article about some new advance in the world of theoretical physics. He liked science fine; it was other scientists that had finally pissed him off. At that moment, however, if the heavens had opened and an immaculate chorus had announced that Hawking's theory about what happened to matter in black holes was right, Rodney couldn't have cared less. He would have been elated later, of course, but nothing was worth missing this moment. Unless, of course, they were to interrupt it to move to the bedroom. Which they did, moments later.
The trip took longer than strictly necessary, interrupted by kisses and nibbles and discarded pieces of clothing. By the time they finally did reach the bedroom, all they had left were their boxers--and Radek's glasses, which Rodney practically flung onto the nightstand as they collapsed onto the bed. It was a fantastic tangle of arms and legs, and it wasn't long before the boxers were tossed aside as well.
Radek took advantage of a momentary break in the action to scoot a few inches down on the bed, rolling onto his stomach. He reached down, taking Rodney's cock firmly into his hand. Rodney shuddered at both the touch, anticipation heightening his pleasure. He was already hard, but Radek's ministrations certainly didn't hurt. Rodney dug his fingers into Radek's shoulders as Radek started stroking him, a slow but firm rhythm. He groaned Radek's name, half a curse and half a plea for more.
Steadily, Radek picked up speed, quickly bringing Rodney to orgasm, not that it was going to take much at that point. Their relationship wasn't so new that they would get hard just looking at each other and imagining the possibilities, but at the same time, it was young enough that they were far from bored. Once the blissful haze faded enough for Rodney to think coherently again, he rolled over, pressing Radek back against the mattress. Rodney bent his head down, slowly and sensuously nibbling at Radek's earlobe as he reached for Radek's groin so that he could return the favor.
Rodney always loved listening to Radek--with that accent, he could listen to the man read the Manhattan phone book twice over--but it was even more fun during sex. The level of Radek's arousal could easily be determined by how thick his accent had become and how much sense he was making in English. By the time he was on the verge of orgasm, he abandoned English entirely and Rodney was willing to bet he wasn't making a lot of sense in Czech, either. The less control he appeared to have over even his native tongue, the closer he was to coming, and Rodney smiled to himself as he began to hear the little gasps of half-formed words that mean Radek was there.
Sex was a messy business, Rodney thought idly as Radek came all over his hand, but neither of them much minded because, well, showering together to clean up was a lot of fun too. They had stopped using condoms a few weeks ago, as they were both clean and exclusive. It was a big trust step, but they had both been comfortable with the decision--and trust was what it really came down to. Trust, they had, at least in one another. How much Rodney trusted himself not to screw this up somehow? That would remain to be seen, but, damn, he was going to try.
For the first time in his life, Rodney was in a truly stable, healthy relationship that was going well. It was rather scary when he thought about it. Which was why instead of doing that, he slipped off to the bathroom to turn on the shower so that it would be hot by the time Radek recovered enough to get up and join him.
There was a slight draft in the shower as Radek pushed aside the curtain to slip inside, but Radek's presence more than made up for any chill Rodney might have felt. He pulled Radek close, kissing him soundly as the water rained down over both of them. God, Rodney wanted this forever, not just the days Radek didn't have anything to take care of at home, not just the times they could spend the night together--which, admittedly, was often, but not as often as they would have liked. Rodney liked the idea of them taking the next step and moving in together, though he never knew quite how to bring the matter up. He didn't want this to become another relationship he had ruined by jumping the gun and trying to move things too quickly.
"What are you smiling at?" Radek asked, taking his time as he began to soap up Rodney's chest.
Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Rodney took a deep breath. His instincts were nudging him to do this. In the past, he had generally ignored his instincts, figuring he couldn't have been right about something as unscientific as a relationship. This time, he was going to go for it. "Did you know you're dating one of New York's most eligible bachelors?" When Radek merely smiled and arched his eyebrows questioningly, as Rodney had known he would, Rodney explained. "Well, if you define 'New York' as 'this apartment I live in, which is definitely in New York.'"
"Oh?" Radek's hands continued their work, running over Rodney's chest as Radek grinned up at his lover. "And who would the other be, your cat?"
"You, actually." Rodney smiled, but then the inevitable panic set in as he realized how presumptuous that sounded. "I mean, not that you have to move in here, or...I could move into your place, or we could find another one, or--shit! I don't mean you have to, not if you're ready. 'Cause if you're ready, I am, but if you're not, that's cool, I don't want to push--"
"Rodney." Radek smiled, lifting a finger to Rodney's mouth as he interrupted. "As endearing as your babbling can be, milacku, there is no need." He stepped back, letting the water rinse away the soap from Rodney's chest, then moved closer again, wrapping his arms behind Rodney's back. "If you are suggesting we should move in together, I have been thinking the same thing myself. I was simply unsure if you were ready."
"Oh, I...you are?" Rodney was still a bit shocked that the whole thing had gone so smoothly after it had been seconds away from a fiery crash and burn. As Radek nodded, Rodney couldn't help the grin that threatened to split his face. "'Cause I am, too."
"Then we'll have to make the arrangements." Radek reached behind him, turning the hot water up a notch. The intensity of the spray lessened, but the heat increased, and it provided exactly the right atmosphere for them to share another kiss. And another. Then one more, for good measure.
Rodney was glad water was included in the price of his rent, because he and Radek didn't get out of the shower until the water turned cold enough that it threatened to kill the mood.
----------
There was definitely something to be said for lazy Sunday afternoons. Rodney didn't care what the weather was like outside; he hadn't even looked. All he knew was that he was lying in his bed, half-dressed, a purring cat on his feet and his lover draped across him and dozing on his chest. If this wasn't a little bit of paradise on Earth, Rodney didn't know what was. The only reason he was awake himself was the fact that the phone was ringing. Rodney reached out to the nightstand to pick up the cordless, trying not to shift his body and risk waking Radek. He squinted at the caller ID in the dim light and thought he made out "Jean," so he hit the talk button. If Jeannie was calling from Toronto, he at least could talk to her for a few minutes before drifting off again. "Yeah, what do you want?" It was his typical greeting--she was his little sister, after all.
"Rodney!" The voice on the other end of the line was way too mischievous and definitely not female. "What's up?"
"No, seriously, what do you want?" Rodney pulled the phone away from his ear and glared mistrustfully at the display. Sure enough, "John Sheppard" was clearly displayed above the phone number. He'd have to be sure to read the whole name next time. It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to John, it was more that...he had better things he could have been doing and John wasn't calling internationally. "As in, give me one good reason I should spend my time and energy talking to you now instead of tomorrow night at work."
John, as usual, responded in kind. "Give me one good reason you shouldn't."
"What are you, twelve?" Rodney asked. "I have a very good reason and he's asleep on my chest, so good night." He would have hung up then, except he knew John would just call him back with a rebuttal. He might as well throw the man a bone, give him something to think about. "We're also moving in together, so, no, before you say anything, I'm not talking about my cat."
John promptly made an undignified-sounding noise of excitement. "Seriously? That's awesome. Cash is good."
"Cash?"
"I bet you twenty bucks you'd move in together before the end of the year. It's November."
Rodney didn't remember actually agreeing to take the bet offhand, but there were a lot of higher-level brain functions he didn't have access to at the moment. "Tomorrow. Work. Bye, now." Rodney hit the "end" button, then switched the ringer off and tossed the handset aside. Tomorrow, he and Radek could work on the details, tomorrow he could share those details with his friends and give Jeannie the news. For the moment, he was content to stroke Radek's hair, listening to the sleepy Czech murmurings fade as Radek settled back to sleep. He knew it wouldn't be long before he followed suit, and tomorrow they could deal with whatever life decided to throw at them. Tonight, they had each other. As ridiculously cliché as it sounded, even in his own head, tonight, that was all Rodney really wanted.
The End.