Title: Held
Rating: R (no smut, but there is nakedness)
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard with Ronon (just cause I could)
Summary: Recovering was always better when there was someone to hold him.
Notes: It was written in about a hour, don't stress about errors because it isn't beta'd. It is just something for
mckays_girl because surgery sucks no matter why it is being done.
Rodney watched Ronon carefully lower John onto the bed. Stupid man had tried to just get up like normal. Shifting around Ronon, Rodney pushed John over to the side to get a look at the healing cuts on John's ribs. "You knew better."
John leaned into Ronon's stomach and sighed as Ronon's hand slid into his damp hair. "Wanted a shower."
"Stubborn asshole. You could have just asked for help." Satisfied that nothing had torn open, Rodney deftly maneuvered John's arm down into a less unnatural position. "Soldier pride aside it wouldn't have killed you to just ask before I left you alone to get food. If Ronon hadn't come to visit you'd be going right back to the infirmary with hypothermia right now."
John nuzzled Ronon's shirt. "Didn't hurt. Water was warm, nice."
Rolling his eyes, Rodney moved and let Ronon settle John on the bed while he checked the amount of pills that had been carefully doled out for John. Coming up with the right number made Rodney blink. For John to actually take them like he was supposed to instead of hoarding...well, it didn't bode well.
Without turning, Rodney could tell Ronon was looming. And shouldn't that just bother the shit out of him? "What?"
"He looks cold."
Rodney sat down the pills and looked at John, sure enough he was shivering even with the covers tugged up to his chin. Dropping his voice, Rodney glanced up at Ronon. "Shit. I still need food."
Cocking his head, Ronon looked from him down to John. "Get your food, I'll share heat with him."
Considering the relative body sizes and how little heat he'd actually put out once he was under the covers with a cold-feeling John...Rodney nodded. "I won't take long."
****
Ronon watched him start to leave. "Okay." Once the scientist was gone, Ronon turned back to the shivering lump under the covers of the bed. Considering the amount of yelling what he wanted to do would gain him, Ronon decided that it'd be worth the trouble to come. Quickly stripping, Ronon shed his weapons as well, carefully setting several onto the little table without moving the tiny bottle with the pain pills.
Slipping into the bed, Ronon carefully wrapped himself around Sheppard, who groaned and rolled more towards him.
"Rodney." The voice was little more than a sigh and Sheppard didn't open his eyes.
"He will be back soon, Shep."
Eyes fluttering, Sheppard wiggled slightly. "Ronon?"
"Yes. You're cold. I'm keeping you warm for McKay."
Blinking, Sheppard got his eyes open enough to look at him. "Hmm. You feel funny."
Gentle tugging got Sheppard to lay his head down on Ronon's outstretched arm. "I'm sharing heat with you." The little choking noise Sheppard made worried Ronon for a moment until Sheppard started talking.
"You're naked then? To share...body heat?"
"It works better naked." He could feel Sheppard smile against his shoulder.
"Sometimes. You, uh, know that McKay..."
Ronon carded his fingers into Sheppard's soft hair. "Yes."
"Umm. Okay, that's good then."
As Sheppard's skin started to warm up, Ronon watched the door waiting for McKay to come and yell. The light from the windows dimming as the evening slid into night.
****
McKay tripped on something beside the bed and yelped.
"Boots. Sorry."
Wishing he'd upped the damn lights, but still not wanting to because of John, McKay felt blindly for the bedside table and nearly lost his finger as he blundered into a knife. Straightening, Rodney took a sharp breath and nudged the boots with his foot. Something rustled, and boots didn't rustle. "Why are your clothes not on you?"
"Works better naked."
Rodney stood blinking for several long moments before his brain rebooted and reminded him Ronon meant sharing body heat, or at least that had better be what he meant. "He any warmer now?"
"Yes. Sleeping, was snoring, but I got that to stop."
The lights came up very slowly until Rodney could make out Ronon cradling John against his side. "Really? I can never get him to stop. It's freaky because he never snores during a crisis or off-world, but when we're mostly safe..."
"McKay."
Rodney blinked. "Right, sorry. I'll, ah, just go into the bathroom while you dress." Before Rodney could move Ronon shook his head.
"Can't move. He'll wake up."
Lips flattening as they were pressed together, Rodney considered the situation. "Okay, but don't expect me to climb into bed with you two."
****
Ronon nearly rolled his eyes. "Why not?"
He watched McKay flap his hands as he tried to put his reasoning into words. He didn't listen because there was no point. McKay would eventually give up and get into bed because the man wanted to sleep and wanted to be sure Sheppard was okay.
Then McKay was glaring at him and Ronon wondered what exactly he'd ignored. "Lay down. He'll be upset if it is just me in the morning."
Sighing, McKay let the lights drop again. Ronon listened as the man moved around for several minutes before the bed shifted on the other side of Sheppard. "This is a bad idea."
"Shut up, McKay."
****
John hummed as he felt heat on either side of him. It was nice to be warm enough for once. Snapping his eyes open, John didn't move his head as he looked. He could feel the stupid healing cuts along his ribs as a dull throbbing so he knew he wasn't having a hallucination. Since that's what it had to be, really. Ronon wouldn't be plastered to his side. John shifted very slightly. Wow, naked and Rodney wasn't. Huh. He almost wished he'd been awake to hear that conversation. Smiling, John drifted as much as the pain allowed. It was nice to be held.
****
Rodney lay still wondering if the other two were awake and they probably were. Sneaking a peek out from under his lashes, Rodney could see John's dopey smile and it made him grin. Ronon's dreads were covering most of John's chest and, wow, that shouldn't cause him to...Rodney shot upright.
Ronon was up and reaching for a weapon before Rodney got past the head-rush sudden movement caused.
"Rodney?"
"Sorry, sorry. Just freaking out." Rodney waved a hand and closed his eyes. He listened to Ronon set down the weapon with a thunk and the rustle of the covers.
"I'll go."
There was a hiss from John and Rodney snapped his eyes open. John was trying to sit up and had a hand on Ronon's scarred back.
"Stay." Had that come out of his mouth? He made a face at John as the quick glance was thrown his way. "Stay with...us."
Ronon shivered. John looked at Rodney as he spoke. "Whatever you want, Ronon."
****
He hadn't meant this. He had thought about it, sometimes. How he'd like to live in their space, share their silences. He'd found that pairs were the normal mating dance for their culture and he'd pushed the thoughts away. He'd been sharing his heat because Sheppard shouldn't be cold and McKay had to eat. He turned his head to see them.
Sheppard was wearing his wanting face. That hint of fear under it bothered Ronon. He hadn't wanted to make Sheppard scared. McKay's face was mobile as the expressions chased themselves so quickly from scared to wanting to things Ronon wasn't sure he could name. He could feel Sheppard's hand on his back, hot against the scarred skin that never was the proper temperature, but since he couldn't really feel it most of the time he usually didn't care.
Silently, he slid back into the bed beside Sheppard and listened to McKay work through his panic in hurried words and gestures.
****
Sitting up, with his laptop spread across his lap, Rodney watched them sleep. It'd be a while before John was ready for anything...fun. Which was probably good because he still wasn't sure about this. Except, he'd seen the look Ronon hadn't known he was showing. John had seen it too.
He let his eyes roam over Ronon's body spread out across the sheets, all the covers bunched around John's thighs. Even if it meant he had to share John, he thought he could get used to this.
****