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prompt # 19 rules
Title: The rules of Thermodynamics the Pegasus remix.
Author![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
scarlettandblue
Prompt # 19 Rules
Pairing: John and Rodney no actual slash.
Rating: bit of swearing and stuff
Summary:Everyone feels their age sometimes
Disclaimer:: I don’t own them, I only wish I did. I’m doing this for fun not profit so please don’t sue me.
Disclaimer #2: The Bitch Please look was so beautifully coined by yin_again in the fabulous story "Good to Want", I tried to come up with another way to describe this look, but failed miserably. I Hope the use of this same phrase will be taken as it was meant, as a compliment to a writer who managed to capture both a look and the sentiment behind it in just three little words.
Zeroth.
“Look it just doesn’t work that way, McKay!”
John growled. He said it in the tone of voice that suggested if he didn’t shut his trap right now John would find the nearest handy object, like say his fist, and use it to shut him THE HELL UP! John hoped it would be enough to keep McKay quiet, at least until they were back on Atlantis and he could ask the City to put some kind of sound dampening field around McKay, so you could see his mouth moving but no sound would come out.
John had spent a lot to time over the years, trying to convince the City a Sound Deadening Field was a necessity right up there with The Iris, and The Cloak. So far he hadn’t been successful but John figured it was only a matter of time before even Atlantis would have heard enough of McKay’s yap.
“No that is exactly how it works, Sheppard.”
John strode ahead, McKay slightly behind him with Teyla and Ronon bringing up the rear. They were making their way back to the gate after yet another crappy mission. John for one couldn’t wait to get back so he could get a shower. The smell was really beginning to get to him.
“We just never had an objective way to measure it before.” Rodney continued totally oblivious to how close John was to turning round and shoving him against the nearest hard surface and giving him….. John shut that line of thought down because that way lay madness, plus he was really really trying this month not to have any reason whatsoever to have to write himself up for conduct unbecoming.
“Can it McKay.”
Maybe his harsh tone was a little uncalled for, because in his peripheral vision John could see Teyla had stiffened her posture and he heard the soft hiss of her breath through what he was going to bet were pursed lips. It didn’t bode well for his next Bantos session.
“I’m just saying, Sheppard. That Priestess or Hostess or whatever she was.”
“She was Zeroth, The Esteemed Librarian of the Travelling Courts of Mystical Empowerment, Dr McKay.” Teyla supplied helpfully.
“Yes the Librarian was very interested in Ronon. Very interested.”
John could actually hear the smirk spread across Ronon’s face as he confirmed, “She was Sheppard, she was very interested. And I think she might have cried when I had to explain to her that I was already taken.”
“And once she found out that Ronon was taken she became very interested in Teyla.” McKay was smirking too now.
John wondered how many reports he would have to write himself up on if he smacked McKay right in the kisser. Because wouldn’t it be justifiable? To get rid of the smug look?
“She did tell me that my levels of Mystic Empowerment were off her charts, John.” Teyla smiled her serene, mystically empowered smile.
John didn’t have to wonder how many reports he’d have to write himself up on if he attempted to wipe the smug look off her face, because this was Teyla, and seriously? He didn’t stand a chance.
“I still don’t see what this has to do with you, or me, McKay.” And John could have bitten his own tongue off for falling into that one. He was supposed to be shutting McKay up, not encouraging him.
“So glad you asked.” Rodney beamed at John like he was the pet monkey who’d learned to dance. “It’s simple really. Ronon and I are equally attractive.”
John snorted because that didn’t even qualify for an actual verbal response.
McKay glared at him and continued, “Jennifer proved that, she flirted with Ronon, and she flirted with me, and then she picked me. I suppose you could even argue that makes me more attractive than the behemoth.”
“McKay.“ Ronon grumbled
“But I am happy to argue for equality. Jennifer found us equally attractive.”
“And now Jennifer’s married to the Chief of Surgery at John’s Hopkins. Should we ask Zenith to rate him for attractiveness?”
“Zeroth.” Teyla corrected.
“So not the point I’m making here, Sheppard.”
John accidentally let one of the shrubs he was pushing through spring back narrowly missing McKay’s head.
“Hey! Careful. As I was saying the point is Ronon and I are equally attractive according to reliable measurements. And now we have evidence that Ronon and Teyla are also equally attractive, which means that Ronon and Teyla and I are all equally hot.”
“It does seem to be a theory with some merit, John.” Teyla would be smiling, John knew it. She occasionally teased him like this and he always took it as a compliment, that Teyla felt secure enough in their friendship to be a little less serious.
But John had taken a few knocks lately. No one big thing, but a slow drip of little things that suddenly seemed to add up to something huge and depressing, it had left him feeling surprisingly vulnerable and useless. Unable to brush off the sting of McKay’s words.
And it was weird, because McKay should be the one who was floundering.
Jennifer had accepted his engagement ring. There had been wedding plans. John had been approached to be Best Man. And then suddenly it was all off.
Back when the decision was made that Atlantis would return to Pegasus Jennifer had been on a whirlwind tour of the best medical facilities in the world. She was researching where to begin integration of Ancient medical discoveries and techniques into Earth medicine. Dr Jack McNeil was the chief of Surgery at John’s Hopkins and he had been a mentor earlier in Jennifer’s career when she had been a Student Doctor.
But when McNeil saw Jennifer again, saw an engagement ring, but no wedding ring on her finger he’d taken a chance. Had admitted that he had been in love with her, all those years ago. He hadn’t said anything at the time because of the age difference, and because he’d been certain Jennifer didn’t feel anything for him beyond gratitude for his help. And he hadn’t wanted to give anyone the excuse of thinking she had got where she was by sleeping with her boss.
But the kicker was Jennifer had been in love with the guy too.
She came back to Atlantis without McKay’s ring on her finger. Atlantis was a hot bed of gossip at the best of times, and no one could beat out the Marines when it came to knowing the who, what, when, where and how of any break-up. So John had heard the scuttlebutt long before Rodney knocked on his door asking if he had a beer or six to spare
But it was strange the way breaking up with Jennifer seemed to lift a weight off Rodney. He confessed to John that he had settled for Jennifer, like she was a consolation prize. And he had been living with a low level buzz of constant anxiety that she was going to find out. That he was going to let it slip. That she was going to be terribly hurt. When she had confessed the same to him, he had laughed, they had both ended up laughing until they were both crying a little, still hanging on to each other. Until McKay was hugging her and asking her if she was going to be happy. It sounded like the single weirdest break up of all time to John.
But it seemed like it worked.
Rodney suddenly came out from a cloud no one had even realised he was under. He finally seemed to relax. And it showed.
And even though John was never going to admit it out loud, McKay was right, John’s team consisted of three incredibly attractive individuals. Now that he finally seemed like he believed he had a future that was more than just survival Ronon smiled more and it was a good look on him. And Teyla had always been the most beautiful person John had ever met. And McKay fit right in with them.
So John hadn’t been surprised when they gated into the middle of what appeared to be some kind of church service. But was actually a travelling library session, complete with sexy librarian, and the first person she had looked at was McKay.
John had seen photos of McKay when he was young, and he was pretty. He was a wet dream if John was honest with himself. Big blue eyes that shone with intelligence and a kind of hunger, and a mouth that was begging for something. And John had seen a picture from his early thirties and McKay was good looking still, but his lips had thinned, and his eyes glittered with a sort of arrogant malice. He still looked good, but you could see that life had knocked something out of him.
McKay had gone through a rough patch when he joined the SGC according to Lorne, and by the time John met him he wielded arrogance and bitterness and ego like a blunt instrument. And their early years in Pegasus didn’t seem to improve him. He was uncomfortable with everything and everyone, and he was especially uncomfortable with his own body.
McKay was defensive about his hair, and about his looks, and about being a soft scientist and not a soldier. He was by turns petty and enraged and cowardly and self-serving and impossibly brave and John had never met anyone like him.
John had been a man who had gone through his life sliding by, avoiding connections for the most part, and getting by on the shallow, attractive façade he presented to the world. McKay clubbed the walls down around Sheppard, grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him out and forced him to take notice of him. McKay just cut through all John’s stuff and connected with him.
But for all that, in those early years John would not have described McKay as attractive.
And then suddenly he was. Like in his forties suddenly his body suited him again, with broad shoulders and strong arms, a narrow waist if his hair was darker and a little thinner it didn’t seem to matter because it suited him.
So the sexy Librarian had actually looked at McKay first of all, But McKay had been rather appalled by the state of some of the books, and by the state of undress of the Esteemed Librarian and he had given her his Bitch, Please! look and she had immediately turned her attentions to Ronon and then Teyla.
John had found himself last on the list, and when she had finally looked at him, the smirk he usually managed, died on his lips, and he stumbled slightly clumsily and ended up knocking over a couple of cages that he hadn’t even noticed until that moment. And that’s how come McKay ended up reorganising the sexy librarian’s reference section, and Ronon ended up creating a sub-section on Satedan poetry and Teyla ended up leading an impromptu session of mystic empowerment on some hastily thrown rugs.
While John had been given the chance to clean up the mess he’d somehow managed to make. Knocking over the cages and then stumbling around in the ensuing aftermath was a lot to clean up as it turned out. Two cages containing neurotic, yowling pet bandicoots with incredibly nervous stomachs was the kind of mess John honestly never wanted to even think about again, never mind clean up.
And maybe it was time for him to admit that Rodney was right.
John was used to being pretty damn hot. But that had been in his twenties and thirties. Now he was in his forties and he would just have to face it. He’d peeked early and it was downhill from here.
He knees were going. One shoulder was fucked. His jaw wasn’t as firm as it had been and he was going a little soft around the middle, and he no longer let his beard come through because there was so much grey. And there was no way he’d admit it out loud, but he needed a little help in the hair department now to keep the grey at bay.
So maybe the rules had changed here in the Pegasus galaxy.
Ronon=Teyla=Rodney=Hot
John=Not.
The next part can be found here: link to The Rules of Thermodynamics, The Pegasus Remix Part 2 Work
Author
scarlettandbluePrompt # 19 Rules
Pairing: John and Rodney no actual slash.
Rating: bit of swearing and stuff
Summary:Everyone feels their age sometimes
Disclaimer:: I don’t own them, I only wish I did. I’m doing this for fun not profit so please don’t sue me.
Disclaimer #2: The Bitch Please look was so beautifully coined by yin_again in the fabulous story "Good to Want", I tried to come up with another way to describe this look, but failed miserably. I Hope the use of this same phrase will be taken as it was meant, as a compliment to a writer who managed to capture both a look and the sentiment behind it in just three little words.
Zeroth.
“Look it just doesn’t work that way, McKay!”
John growled. He said it in the tone of voice that suggested if he didn’t shut his trap right now John would find the nearest handy object, like say his fist, and use it to shut him THE HELL UP! John hoped it would be enough to keep McKay quiet, at least until they were back on Atlantis and he could ask the City to put some kind of sound dampening field around McKay, so you could see his mouth moving but no sound would come out.
John had spent a lot to time over the years, trying to convince the City a Sound Deadening Field was a necessity right up there with The Iris, and The Cloak. So far he hadn’t been successful but John figured it was only a matter of time before even Atlantis would have heard enough of McKay’s yap.
“No that is exactly how it works, Sheppard.”
John strode ahead, McKay slightly behind him with Teyla and Ronon bringing up the rear. They were making their way back to the gate after yet another crappy mission. John for one couldn’t wait to get back so he could get a shower. The smell was really beginning to get to him.
“We just never had an objective way to measure it before.” Rodney continued totally oblivious to how close John was to turning round and shoving him against the nearest hard surface and giving him….. John shut that line of thought down because that way lay madness, plus he was really really trying this month not to have any reason whatsoever to have to write himself up for conduct unbecoming.
“Can it McKay.”
Maybe his harsh tone was a little uncalled for, because in his peripheral vision John could see Teyla had stiffened her posture and he heard the soft hiss of her breath through what he was going to bet were pursed lips. It didn’t bode well for his next Bantos session.
“I’m just saying, Sheppard. That Priestess or Hostess or whatever she was.”
“She was Zeroth, The Esteemed Librarian of the Travelling Courts of Mystical Empowerment, Dr McKay.” Teyla supplied helpfully.
“Yes the Librarian was very interested in Ronon. Very interested.”
John could actually hear the smirk spread across Ronon’s face as he confirmed, “She was Sheppard, she was very interested. And I think she might have cried when I had to explain to her that I was already taken.”
“And once she found out that Ronon was taken she became very interested in Teyla.” McKay was smirking too now.
John wondered how many reports he would have to write himself up on if he smacked McKay right in the kisser. Because wouldn’t it be justifiable? To get rid of the smug look?
“She did tell me that my levels of Mystic Empowerment were off her charts, John.” Teyla smiled her serene, mystically empowered smile.
John didn’t have to wonder how many reports he’d have to write himself up on if he attempted to wipe the smug look off her face, because this was Teyla, and seriously? He didn’t stand a chance.
“I still don’t see what this has to do with you, or me, McKay.” And John could have bitten his own tongue off for falling into that one. He was supposed to be shutting McKay up, not encouraging him.
“So glad you asked.” Rodney beamed at John like he was the pet monkey who’d learned to dance. “It’s simple really. Ronon and I are equally attractive.”
John snorted because that didn’t even qualify for an actual verbal response.
McKay glared at him and continued, “Jennifer proved that, she flirted with Ronon, and she flirted with me, and then she picked me. I suppose you could even argue that makes me more attractive than the behemoth.”
“McKay.“ Ronon grumbled
“But I am happy to argue for equality. Jennifer found us equally attractive.”
“And now Jennifer’s married to the Chief of Surgery at John’s Hopkins. Should we ask Zenith to rate him for attractiveness?”
“Zeroth.” Teyla corrected.
“So not the point I’m making here, Sheppard.”
John accidentally let one of the shrubs he was pushing through spring back narrowly missing McKay’s head.
“Hey! Careful. As I was saying the point is Ronon and I are equally attractive according to reliable measurements. And now we have evidence that Ronon and Teyla are also equally attractive, which means that Ronon and Teyla and I are all equally hot.”
“It does seem to be a theory with some merit, John.” Teyla would be smiling, John knew it. She occasionally teased him like this and he always took it as a compliment, that Teyla felt secure enough in their friendship to be a little less serious.
But John had taken a few knocks lately. No one big thing, but a slow drip of little things that suddenly seemed to add up to something huge and depressing, it had left him feeling surprisingly vulnerable and useless. Unable to brush off the sting of McKay’s words.
And it was weird, because McKay should be the one who was floundering.
Jennifer had accepted his engagement ring. There had been wedding plans. John had been approached to be Best Man. And then suddenly it was all off.
Back when the decision was made that Atlantis would return to Pegasus Jennifer had been on a whirlwind tour of the best medical facilities in the world. She was researching where to begin integration of Ancient medical discoveries and techniques into Earth medicine. Dr Jack McNeil was the chief of Surgery at John’s Hopkins and he had been a mentor earlier in Jennifer’s career when she had been a Student Doctor.
But when McNeil saw Jennifer again, saw an engagement ring, but no wedding ring on her finger he’d taken a chance. Had admitted that he had been in love with her, all those years ago. He hadn’t said anything at the time because of the age difference, and because he’d been certain Jennifer didn’t feel anything for him beyond gratitude for his help. And he hadn’t wanted to give anyone the excuse of thinking she had got where she was by sleeping with her boss.
But the kicker was Jennifer had been in love with the guy too.
She came back to Atlantis without McKay’s ring on her finger. Atlantis was a hot bed of gossip at the best of times, and no one could beat out the Marines when it came to knowing the who, what, when, where and how of any break-up. So John had heard the scuttlebutt long before Rodney knocked on his door asking if he had a beer or six to spare
But it was strange the way breaking up with Jennifer seemed to lift a weight off Rodney. He confessed to John that he had settled for Jennifer, like she was a consolation prize. And he had been living with a low level buzz of constant anxiety that she was going to find out. That he was going to let it slip. That she was going to be terribly hurt. When she had confessed the same to him, he had laughed, they had both ended up laughing until they were both crying a little, still hanging on to each other. Until McKay was hugging her and asking her if she was going to be happy. It sounded like the single weirdest break up of all time to John.
But it seemed like it worked.
Rodney suddenly came out from a cloud no one had even realised he was under. He finally seemed to relax. And it showed.
And even though John was never going to admit it out loud, McKay was right, John’s team consisted of three incredibly attractive individuals. Now that he finally seemed like he believed he had a future that was more than just survival Ronon smiled more and it was a good look on him. And Teyla had always been the most beautiful person John had ever met. And McKay fit right in with them.
So John hadn’t been surprised when they gated into the middle of what appeared to be some kind of church service. But was actually a travelling library session, complete with sexy librarian, and the first person she had looked at was McKay.
John had seen photos of McKay when he was young, and he was pretty. He was a wet dream if John was honest with himself. Big blue eyes that shone with intelligence and a kind of hunger, and a mouth that was begging for something. And John had seen a picture from his early thirties and McKay was good looking still, but his lips had thinned, and his eyes glittered with a sort of arrogant malice. He still looked good, but you could see that life had knocked something out of him.
McKay had gone through a rough patch when he joined the SGC according to Lorne, and by the time John met him he wielded arrogance and bitterness and ego like a blunt instrument. And their early years in Pegasus didn’t seem to improve him. He was uncomfortable with everything and everyone, and he was especially uncomfortable with his own body.
McKay was defensive about his hair, and about his looks, and about being a soft scientist and not a soldier. He was by turns petty and enraged and cowardly and self-serving and impossibly brave and John had never met anyone like him.
John had been a man who had gone through his life sliding by, avoiding connections for the most part, and getting by on the shallow, attractive façade he presented to the world. McKay clubbed the walls down around Sheppard, grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him out and forced him to take notice of him. McKay just cut through all John’s stuff and connected with him.
But for all that, in those early years John would not have described McKay as attractive.
And then suddenly he was. Like in his forties suddenly his body suited him again, with broad shoulders and strong arms, a narrow waist if his hair was darker and a little thinner it didn’t seem to matter because it suited him.
So the sexy Librarian had actually looked at McKay first of all, But McKay had been rather appalled by the state of some of the books, and by the state of undress of the Esteemed Librarian and he had given her his Bitch, Please! look and she had immediately turned her attentions to Ronon and then Teyla.
John had found himself last on the list, and when she had finally looked at him, the smirk he usually managed, died on his lips, and he stumbled slightly clumsily and ended up knocking over a couple of cages that he hadn’t even noticed until that moment. And that’s how come McKay ended up reorganising the sexy librarian’s reference section, and Ronon ended up creating a sub-section on Satedan poetry and Teyla ended up leading an impromptu session of mystic empowerment on some hastily thrown rugs.
While John had been given the chance to clean up the mess he’d somehow managed to make. Knocking over the cages and then stumbling around in the ensuing aftermath was a lot to clean up as it turned out. Two cages containing neurotic, yowling pet bandicoots with incredibly nervous stomachs was the kind of mess John honestly never wanted to even think about again, never mind clean up.
And maybe it was time for him to admit that Rodney was right.
John was used to being pretty damn hot. But that had been in his twenties and thirties. Now he was in his forties and he would just have to face it. He’d peeked early and it was downhill from here.
He knees were going. One shoulder was fucked. His jaw wasn’t as firm as it had been and he was going a little soft around the middle, and he no longer let his beard come through because there was so much grey. And there was no way he’d admit it out loud, but he needed a little help in the hair department now to keep the grey at bay.
So maybe the rules had changed here in the Pegasus galaxy.
Ronon=Teyla=Rodney=Hot
John=Not.
The next part can be found here: link to The Rules of Thermodynamics, The Pegasus Remix Part 2 Work
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