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sga_santaTitle: The Seduction of Dr. Rodney McKay
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
goddess47
Recipient:skinscript
Rating: NC-17
Warnings/Spoilers: Dark!John, total AU
Pairing: Sheppard/OMC, McKay/Sheppard
Length: 3300 words
Summary: Faced with prison or a one-way trip to Atlantis, disgraced Captain John Sheppard choses Atlantis and, in the process, finds the perfect target for his idea of fun, Dr. Rodney McKay.
For the![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
sga_santa Santa Madness.... Pinch Hitter #2 wanted "If I were to get a story, I would love it to be a Dark!John or Dark!Lorne where they're not the nice guy they usually seem to be. Bonus points if it isn't through possession or crazy Ancient tech" -- I got the Dark!John part, hope this fits....
If I had more time, I can see where this fic would eat what's left of my brains....
"Atlantis or a small dark room in Area 51. Those are your choices."
The flat voice of General Jack O'Neill reiterated John's choices.
"What? I don't have a shot at Leavenworth?" John asked airily. "Always wanted to go to Kansas."
John was actually disappointed when O'Neill didn't glare at him for being flip. It was something of a game to see what it took to get a superior office to glare at him, most were too easy but O'Neill was making this fun.
"Sheppard," O'Neill replied calmly. "The Air Force doesn't give a rat's ass about what you want. They are going to bury you deep and your daddy's money isn't going to buy you out of this one." He leaned back in the chair, "And if I had my way you wouldn't have a shot at Atlantis, you'd already be in that room in Area 51."
John considered this new information. O'Neill had only been the messenger up until that last statement -- although it was interesting that they sent a General this time instead of a JAG officer. John slouched a bit more in his chair, thinking it through.
It's true that the Air Force was well and truly pissed at him. His latest.. ummm... misunderstanding with that First Looey had the other man yelling rape after John had gotten a.... well... bit carried away when they had sex. John always made sure the other man... well, sometimes a woman but men were better... made the first overt move before he moved in. This was the first one in a long time that wasn't too embarrassed by the situation he had gotten himself into to charge John with rape and assault.
"Well, now, Jack," John drawled. "I can call you Jack, can't I, seeing it's just us here?"
O'Neill's eyes narrowed but he didn't stop John.
John sat up in his chair and leaned on the table, "I don't know what kind of evidence you think you have against me, Jack, but that boy agreed to have sex with me." With Don't Ask-Don't Tell no longer in effect, the military was finally overtly recruiting gays to sign up. John had thought that the fact that enlistments were currently down had a lot to do with the change of heart.
O'Neill got a glint in his eye, "And your stupid move was not to check that that boy is the son of Admiral Steven Bending, who's an aide to the Joint Chiefs."
Fuck, John said to himself. "Can't help it if the Admiral's kid likes to take it up the ass," John shrugged. "He was a good ride."
"If you hadn't chucked him naked out of your room after beating him up pretty badly," O'Neill reminded him, "no one would probably care."
"Oh, that," John answered blandly.
"Yeah, that," O'Neill shot back. "You need to disappear and you're going to volunteer for one mission or the other. Pick."
Sitting back again, John realized O'Neill was the first person in a long time who honestly didn't care about him. Most of his superior officers sooner or later came to hate John in spite of his superior flying skills. A series of reassignments had landed him in Antarctica where he had the misfortune to run into both Lieutenant Bending and General O'Neill. Although, looking at O'Neill he almost wished he had met up with the General first...... In flying O'Neill to some not-as-secure-as-they-thought base, they had learned he had some funky genetic thing like the General that made some really cool technology answer to him.
The room in Area 51 promised to be safe, but a cell as much as a room... and extremely boring, although John suspected he'd be something of a lab rat with his genetic-whatsis. O'Neill had been honest enough to say that the mission to Atlantis was probably one-way but at least he wouldn't be locked up.
"I'll take that Atlantis mission," John announced. Traveling to other planets had been sci-fi a week ago and now it turned out that there was a branch of the military that went 'out there' regularly. Atlantis was just a bit further than they usually went.
"Good enough," O'Neill grunted. He reached into his briefcase, "Here's the information you need, Captain Sheppard." He handed John a standard mission briefing packet. "You'll be under guard until you leave but you can request anything through standard protocols. Your basic kit will be organized for you and you have the same small personal allotment the rest of the expedition members have."
"When do we leave?" John asked.
"Three to five weeks in my understanding but don't be surprised if it's two months," O'Neill answered. "You'll be transferred to Colorado and remain on the base."
John shrugged. Being restricted to base wasn't the worst thing in the world. "What will you tell daddy?"
"You're on a top-secret mission and will get back to him when you can," O'Neill said. "After six months you'll be MIA and he'll get the standard 'sorry for your loss, we hold out every hope' letter."
"You setting me up to be killed?" John asked, curious.
O'Neill took a shade too long to answer. "What part of one-way didn't you get, Sheppard? We're not sending you on a vacation and if, that's a huge if, you or anyone else survives and can contact us, then we'll deal with you."
"Okay, then," John answered. "You want a last letter home or anything?"
"You'll get to do that as part of standard mission briefing," O'Neill waved it away. "Get out of here."
John stood, "So long, Jack. Be seeing you."
John silently laughed as O'Neill finally glared at him.
John was escorted to his quarters where he gathered up the few things he wanted. He packed his bags and waited in his room for two days for the next transport back to civilization. It took three days of travel to get him to Colorado, much of which he spent sleeping. He was a bad passenger and had learned a long time ago to sleep as much as possible when not behind the controls of the aircraft to save the wear and tear on his nerves.
After some sleep in a not-moving bed, a hot shower and a hot meal, John was taken to Colonel Marshall Sumner, the military leader of the expedition.
"Sheppard, I don't want you here," Sumner told him grimly, standing inches away from John, "I don't need you, I don't trust you and you're going to fuck up my chain of command."
"Feeling's mutual," John drawled then added lazily, "sir." No sense in making his life worse on the first day, he'd wait a week or so and see what he could find out.
Ha! First meeting! John thought as Sumner glared at him.
A brisk knock on the door and a petite brunette woman stuck her head in the door. Seeing John standing in the office she offered, "Sorry... I can come back."
Sumner sighed and rubbed his temple. "Dr. Weir, this is your gene-carrier, Captain Sheppard."
"Excellent!" she exclaimed. "I know Rodney is looking to meet him." She reached out a hand and he shook with her. "Glad to meet you."
"Dr. Weir, is it?" John smiled at her. He wondered where she fit into all of this. "Glad to meet you. Do let me know what I can do for you."
"Elizabeth," she said firmly. "And Dr. Rodney McKay, our Chief Science Officer has a number of things he needs turned on and has been waiting for you." She looked to Sumner. "Send him down to the labs when you're done here."
John noted this wasn't as much of a request as a command. Interesting. He watch Sumner turn red and obviously bite back what he really wanted to say. "Yes, ma'am." He looked at her. "We have a meeting right after dinner, do you need anything before that?"
"No, no," she decided. "It can wait, just thought I'd see if you were available now." She nodded at John and then Sumner, "Captain. Colonel." She shut the door behind her.
John looked at Sumner expectantly. "You will respect Dr. Weir and keep your hands off of her. The President in his wisdom has decided this is a fucking civilian expedition and she's in charge," Sumner bit out. "O'Neill shared your packet with me so you stay away from her. She knows you have that damned gene and you're in trouble with the military but that you volunteered to join this mission to avoid prosecution. You fuck this up and I'll shoot you myself."
John's respect for Sumner rose half a notch. No one had overtly threatened him in a long time and if Sumner had to work with civilians, and it looked like he reported to a civilian, Sumner was in a no-win situation. He wondered briefly was Sumner's story was and how an obviously by-the-book Marine had ended up here.
"Understood," John answered.
"Get out of here and find those damned scientists," Sumner ordered. Evidently the scientists didn't get the same warnings John had gotten for Elizabeth. Interesting.
John's 'escort' helped him find the lab Dr. McKay was working in. By the time they navigated two elevators and multiple hallways, John was glad for the guide, even if the man was one of Sumner's Marines and didn't talk unless otherwise necessary.
"I'll wait," the Marine said as he opened a door to a lab.
"I can find my own way back," John replied, only half-truthfully.
The man held up a key-card. "You can't go anywhere without authorization," he replied steadily.
"Okay," John gave in. He walked into chaos.
Standing just inside the door of a large lab space, John listened to several people shouting at each other, gesturing wildly and waving markers at a white board. Listening carefully, he decided that the man in the middle of the entire group had to be McKay. He simultaneously insulted several of the others while writing on three white boards. Best entertainment John had in quite a while as he studied the white boards.
The man must have caught sight of John since he whirled and pointed a marker at him. "You! What do you want? Do you have clearance to be here?"
"You misplaced a decimal," John offered mildly.
The sudden silence was deafening.
"WHAT?!?" He whirled and looked at the boards. "Where?" He snapped the fingers of his free hand. "Well, get down here and show me."
John took his time walking across the lab, keenly aware of everyone staring at him. Plucking the marker from the irate man's hand, he drew a line through the incorrect numbers and wrote the proper answer on the board and added a couple more lines to what seemed to be a proof of some sort.
The man looked carefully at the work and turned back to the rest of the group. "Right, if this moron flyboy can do this math then why the fuck are the rest of you here?" he demanded loudly. "Go." They stared at him. "What are you waiting for?" he screeched. They scattered.
The man turned back to John and demanded, "Who are you and what are you doing in a military uniform? You should be working for me."
John shrugged and looked the man up and down. A little stockier than he usually liked but the broad shoulders had promise and the sky blue eyes were perfect. "Guess I'm your light switch. Told to come down here to turn things on for you," John explained guilelessly.
"Dr. Rodney McKay," the man held out a hand to John.
"John Sheppard," John shook the hand, holding on to it for just a second too long to be proper. He enjoyed how McKay's eyes opened just a bit wider.
"I.... You can...." he stuttered.
Oh, yeah, John thought. This will be fun.
He watched McKay take a deep breath. "How'd you do that?" he nodded at the white board.
John shuffled his feet. "Always been good with numbers," he offered. Something he rarely admitted to but this wasn't the time to hide his ability if he could use it to his advantage.
"Come with me," McKay commanded.
John followed and watched McKay walk in front of him. Sweet ass, John thought, having to will down his own reaction.
McKay handed John a device and commanded, "Turn it on."
John took the device and it buzzed at him in the freaky way the stuff they handed to him often did. "Ummm.... I don't think so," John muttered.
"What!" McKay squawked.
"Be glad it's broken," John gingerly put it down. "It's a bomb."
McKay's eyes got big and took a step back. "Really," he asked, leaning in slightly but taking care not to touch.
"I don't joke about things that could kill me," John said coldly.
McKay called the armory to have the device taken out and dismantled in a safer location. John explained patiently to the armory supervisor what he thought it might be and how best to take it apart. McKay jumped in with the word "naquadah" that he had never heard before and the armory detail gave the small device a bit more respectful handling.
"Oookay, then," Rodney said slowly after the detail had left. He peered into the box and gently pulled out another device. "Here," he handed the piece to John.
Not getting immediate feedback from it, John cautiously thought on at the device. "It's part of a scanning machine," John decided. "It's not complete as is and needs to be placed in a larger machine. Not sure what that would be."
Rodney had grabbed a laptop and made notes on it as John was talking. When he was done, he reached into the box again, "This?"
As John took the small, round object, a small abstract figure appeared just above it. "Kid's toy," John reported immediately.
John watched McKay multi-task as scientists came in and out asking questions all afternoon. He'd berate most of them for asking stupid questions, then answer the question while entering information John had given him on the laptop.
When they were alone for a few minutes, John held a small ring in his hand and said casually, "Cock ring."
McKay looked startled and blushed. He peered at the ring in John's hand curiously and asked in a strangled voice, "Re-really?"
"Nah," John threw the ring into the box they had of broken parts, "just wanted to see if you were paying attention."
The blush got redder and McKay was suddenly busy with his laptop.
Oh, yeah, John thought. And I bet all that fair skin bruises up nicely.
They worked steadily for another couple of hours but John eventually called a halt. "That's enough for now," he stated. "I need some dinner." He looked at McKay, "Join me?"
"I..." McKay started.
"Come on," John wheedled. "You need a break."
"I should eat," McKay allowed. "I have hypoglycemia and need to eat regularly." John was startled himself at how rote that sounded, like no one ever believed it.
"And coffee isn't food," John said seriously. "Pack it up, come with me."
McKay hesitated and John just waited him out. None of the other scientists had been by for the last hour and they were the only ones in the lab, which told John that no one would probably be checking on them too closely. He put a hand on McKay's arm, "McKay..... Rodney," John said softly. "Come to dinner with me."
McKay leaned just slightly into the touch and John knew he had won. "Okay, okay," McKay grumped. "I do need to eat. But if there's lemon chicken again...."
John half tuned out the food rant as they walked to the mess. John's guard followed them discretely enough that McKay never asked any questions. It was late for dinner but there was enough traffic in the halls that one more person didn't make any difference. The guard followed them through the line and got his own dinner, settling at a nearby table.
Watching McKay talk without needing much in the way of response, John realized that this would be perfect. As McKay's lover, he'd have access to the internal workings of the Atlantis mission. In their brief meeting earlier, he got the impression that Weir was too self assured for the type of play he liked. No, McKay was his best bet.
Realizing McKay had pretty much wound down his rant, John noticed the scientist eying his chocolate cake. He pushed it over, "Did you want this?"
"I.. no. I can get..." McKay stuttered.
"Nah, no problem," John eased the plate on the other man's tray. "I've got enough here without it. Enjoy." He took another forkful of the meatloaf and asked, "Batman or Superman?"
John's memory for pop culture was a god-send in seducing Rodney McKay. He could talk about comic books, movies, science fiction with the scientist for hours. Over the next weeks, John flirted with Rodney subtly using occasional sexual innuendos, lingering touches and flashes of his mathematical skills.
After a few days Sumner had the escort pulled, getting John issued a very limited security pass. It allowed John to move around on the lower levels of Cheyenne Mountain but wouldn't get him up the elevator to the outside. Since McKay never left the mountain, claiming too much work and too little time, he'd rest later, thank you, John didn't have a chance to use him to escape or even get a private message out of the mountain.
In a rare moment of introspection, John was amazed that no one else showed a personal interest in McKay. The other scientists, even Weir, only wanted answers or information from the scientist. Sumner had no use for any of the scientists and as a result the rest of the military contingent ignored him. No one else seemed to see the lonely man behind the snarky façade.
For John, it was perfect. Rodney was pathetically grateful for the personal interest John showed in him and if wasn't gay, he would be gay for John by the time John was ready to move in. This also meant that Rodney would be less likely to complain to anyone if he didn't like to .... play the way John did.
The night before they were -- finally -- scheduled to leave for Atlantis, John put a hand on Rodney's arm and said seriously, "You know I... like you. I need you to know that before... before whatever happens tomorrow."
John saw the startled, happy look in Rodney's eyes. "John! I... I like you, too," Rodney answered softly. "I've never had a friend like you before."
"I'd like to think of us as more than friends," John whispered against Rodney's lips. A soft, chaste kiss and John pulled back.
"I.... You..." Rodney stammered, placing the tips of his fingers on his lips. "You kissed me!"
John smiled, "I'd like to do more than that. When we get to Atlantis, that is." He stepped back to give Rodney more space. "I know you're busy but.... I had to do this tonight."
"Yes!" Rodney nodded vigorously. "I mean to when we get there...."
"It's a date," John grinned. "Go. Do what you need to. I'll wait."
Rodney leaned in for a quick kiss and almost ran off to finish his work before the dial-out.
Watching Rodney amid the chaos that was the dial-out, John speculated on what might be on the other side, on Atlantis. No matter what happened, he knew he would have fun.
Author:
goddess47Recipient:
skinscriptRating: NC-17
Warnings/Spoilers: Dark!John, total AU
Pairing: Sheppard/OMC, McKay/Sheppard
Length: 3300 words
Summary: Faced with prison or a one-way trip to Atlantis, disgraced Captain John Sheppard choses Atlantis and, in the process, finds the perfect target for his idea of fun, Dr. Rodney McKay.
For the
sga_santa Santa Madness.... Pinch Hitter #2 wanted "If I were to get a story, I would love it to be a Dark!John or Dark!Lorne where they're not the nice guy they usually seem to be. Bonus points if it isn't through possession or crazy Ancient tech" -- I got the Dark!John part, hope this fits....If I had more time, I can see where this fic would eat what's left of my brains....
"Atlantis or a small dark room in Area 51. Those are your choices."
The flat voice of General Jack O'Neill reiterated John's choices.
"What? I don't have a shot at Leavenworth?" John asked airily. "Always wanted to go to Kansas."
John was actually disappointed when O'Neill didn't glare at him for being flip. It was something of a game to see what it took to get a superior office to glare at him, most were too easy but O'Neill was making this fun.
"Sheppard," O'Neill replied calmly. "The Air Force doesn't give a rat's ass about what you want. They are going to bury you deep and your daddy's money isn't going to buy you out of this one." He leaned back in the chair, "And if I had my way you wouldn't have a shot at Atlantis, you'd already be in that room in Area 51."
John considered this new information. O'Neill had only been the messenger up until that last statement -- although it was interesting that they sent a General this time instead of a JAG officer. John slouched a bit more in his chair, thinking it through.
It's true that the Air Force was well and truly pissed at him. His latest.. ummm... misunderstanding with that First Looey had the other man yelling rape after John had gotten a.... well... bit carried away when they had sex. John always made sure the other man... well, sometimes a woman but men were better... made the first overt move before he moved in. This was the first one in a long time that wasn't too embarrassed by the situation he had gotten himself into to charge John with rape and assault.
"Well, now, Jack," John drawled. "I can call you Jack, can't I, seeing it's just us here?"
O'Neill's eyes narrowed but he didn't stop John.
John sat up in his chair and leaned on the table, "I don't know what kind of evidence you think you have against me, Jack, but that boy agreed to have sex with me." With Don't Ask-Don't Tell no longer in effect, the military was finally overtly recruiting gays to sign up. John had thought that the fact that enlistments were currently down had a lot to do with the change of heart.
O'Neill got a glint in his eye, "And your stupid move was not to check that that boy is the son of Admiral Steven Bending, who's an aide to the Joint Chiefs."
Fuck, John said to himself. "Can't help it if the Admiral's kid likes to take it up the ass," John shrugged. "He was a good ride."
"If you hadn't chucked him naked out of your room after beating him up pretty badly," O'Neill reminded him, "no one would probably care."
"Oh, that," John answered blandly.
"Yeah, that," O'Neill shot back. "You need to disappear and you're going to volunteer for one mission or the other. Pick."
Sitting back again, John realized O'Neill was the first person in a long time who honestly didn't care about him. Most of his superior officers sooner or later came to hate John in spite of his superior flying skills. A series of reassignments had landed him in Antarctica where he had the misfortune to run into both Lieutenant Bending and General O'Neill. Although, looking at O'Neill he almost wished he had met up with the General first...... In flying O'Neill to some not-as-secure-as-they-thought base, they had learned he had some funky genetic thing like the General that made some really cool technology answer to him.
The room in Area 51 promised to be safe, but a cell as much as a room... and extremely boring, although John suspected he'd be something of a lab rat with his genetic-whatsis. O'Neill had been honest enough to say that the mission to Atlantis was probably one-way but at least he wouldn't be locked up.
"I'll take that Atlantis mission," John announced. Traveling to other planets had been sci-fi a week ago and now it turned out that there was a branch of the military that went 'out there' regularly. Atlantis was just a bit further than they usually went.
"Good enough," O'Neill grunted. He reached into his briefcase, "Here's the information you need, Captain Sheppard." He handed John a standard mission briefing packet. "You'll be under guard until you leave but you can request anything through standard protocols. Your basic kit will be organized for you and you have the same small personal allotment the rest of the expedition members have."
"When do we leave?" John asked.
"Three to five weeks in my understanding but don't be surprised if it's two months," O'Neill answered. "You'll be transferred to Colorado and remain on the base."
John shrugged. Being restricted to base wasn't the worst thing in the world. "What will you tell daddy?"
"You're on a top-secret mission and will get back to him when you can," O'Neill said. "After six months you'll be MIA and he'll get the standard 'sorry for your loss, we hold out every hope' letter."
"You setting me up to be killed?" John asked, curious.
O'Neill took a shade too long to answer. "What part of one-way didn't you get, Sheppard? We're not sending you on a vacation and if, that's a huge if, you or anyone else survives and can contact us, then we'll deal with you."
"Okay, then," John answered. "You want a last letter home or anything?"
"You'll get to do that as part of standard mission briefing," O'Neill waved it away. "Get out of here."
John stood, "So long, Jack. Be seeing you."
John silently laughed as O'Neill finally glared at him.
John was escorted to his quarters where he gathered up the few things he wanted. He packed his bags and waited in his room for two days for the next transport back to civilization. It took three days of travel to get him to Colorado, much of which he spent sleeping. He was a bad passenger and had learned a long time ago to sleep as much as possible when not behind the controls of the aircraft to save the wear and tear on his nerves.
After some sleep in a not-moving bed, a hot shower and a hot meal, John was taken to Colonel Marshall Sumner, the military leader of the expedition.
"Sheppard, I don't want you here," Sumner told him grimly, standing inches away from John, "I don't need you, I don't trust you and you're going to fuck up my chain of command."
"Feeling's mutual," John drawled then added lazily, "sir." No sense in making his life worse on the first day, he'd wait a week or so and see what he could find out.
Ha! First meeting! John thought as Sumner glared at him.
A brisk knock on the door and a petite brunette woman stuck her head in the door. Seeing John standing in the office she offered, "Sorry... I can come back."
Sumner sighed and rubbed his temple. "Dr. Weir, this is your gene-carrier, Captain Sheppard."
"Excellent!" she exclaimed. "I know Rodney is looking to meet him." She reached out a hand and he shook with her. "Glad to meet you."
"Dr. Weir, is it?" John smiled at her. He wondered where she fit into all of this. "Glad to meet you. Do let me know what I can do for you."
"Elizabeth," she said firmly. "And Dr. Rodney McKay, our Chief Science Officer has a number of things he needs turned on and has been waiting for you." She looked to Sumner. "Send him down to the labs when you're done here."
John noted this wasn't as much of a request as a command. Interesting. He watch Sumner turn red and obviously bite back what he really wanted to say. "Yes, ma'am." He looked at her. "We have a meeting right after dinner, do you need anything before that?"
"No, no," she decided. "It can wait, just thought I'd see if you were available now." She nodded at John and then Sumner, "Captain. Colonel." She shut the door behind her.
John looked at Sumner expectantly. "You will respect Dr. Weir and keep your hands off of her. The President in his wisdom has decided this is a fucking civilian expedition and she's in charge," Sumner bit out. "O'Neill shared your packet with me so you stay away from her. She knows you have that damned gene and you're in trouble with the military but that you volunteered to join this mission to avoid prosecution. You fuck this up and I'll shoot you myself."
John's respect for Sumner rose half a notch. No one had overtly threatened him in a long time and if Sumner had to work with civilians, and it looked like he reported to a civilian, Sumner was in a no-win situation. He wondered briefly was Sumner's story was and how an obviously by-the-book Marine had ended up here.
"Understood," John answered.
"Get out of here and find those damned scientists," Sumner ordered. Evidently the scientists didn't get the same warnings John had gotten for Elizabeth. Interesting.
John's 'escort' helped him find the lab Dr. McKay was working in. By the time they navigated two elevators and multiple hallways, John was glad for the guide, even if the man was one of Sumner's Marines and didn't talk unless otherwise necessary.
"I'll wait," the Marine said as he opened a door to a lab.
"I can find my own way back," John replied, only half-truthfully.
The man held up a key-card. "You can't go anywhere without authorization," he replied steadily.
"Okay," John gave in. He walked into chaos.
Standing just inside the door of a large lab space, John listened to several people shouting at each other, gesturing wildly and waving markers at a white board. Listening carefully, he decided that the man in the middle of the entire group had to be McKay. He simultaneously insulted several of the others while writing on three white boards. Best entertainment John had in quite a while as he studied the white boards.
The man must have caught sight of John since he whirled and pointed a marker at him. "You! What do you want? Do you have clearance to be here?"
"You misplaced a decimal," John offered mildly.
The sudden silence was deafening.
"WHAT?!?" He whirled and looked at the boards. "Where?" He snapped the fingers of his free hand. "Well, get down here and show me."
John took his time walking across the lab, keenly aware of everyone staring at him. Plucking the marker from the irate man's hand, he drew a line through the incorrect numbers and wrote the proper answer on the board and added a couple more lines to what seemed to be a proof of some sort.
The man looked carefully at the work and turned back to the rest of the group. "Right, if this moron flyboy can do this math then why the fuck are the rest of you here?" he demanded loudly. "Go." They stared at him. "What are you waiting for?" he screeched. They scattered.
The man turned back to John and demanded, "Who are you and what are you doing in a military uniform? You should be working for me."
John shrugged and looked the man up and down. A little stockier than he usually liked but the broad shoulders had promise and the sky blue eyes were perfect. "Guess I'm your light switch. Told to come down here to turn things on for you," John explained guilelessly.
"Dr. Rodney McKay," the man held out a hand to John.
"John Sheppard," John shook the hand, holding on to it for just a second too long to be proper. He enjoyed how McKay's eyes opened just a bit wider.
"I.... You can...." he stuttered.
Oh, yeah, John thought. This will be fun.
He watched McKay take a deep breath. "How'd you do that?" he nodded at the white board.
John shuffled his feet. "Always been good with numbers," he offered. Something he rarely admitted to but this wasn't the time to hide his ability if he could use it to his advantage.
"Come with me," McKay commanded.
John followed and watched McKay walk in front of him. Sweet ass, John thought, having to will down his own reaction.
McKay handed John a device and commanded, "Turn it on."
John took the device and it buzzed at him in the freaky way the stuff they handed to him often did. "Ummm.... I don't think so," John muttered.
"What!" McKay squawked.
"Be glad it's broken," John gingerly put it down. "It's a bomb."
McKay's eyes got big and took a step back. "Really," he asked, leaning in slightly but taking care not to touch.
"I don't joke about things that could kill me," John said coldly.
McKay called the armory to have the device taken out and dismantled in a safer location. John explained patiently to the armory supervisor what he thought it might be and how best to take it apart. McKay jumped in with the word "naquadah" that he had never heard before and the armory detail gave the small device a bit more respectful handling.
"Oookay, then," Rodney said slowly after the detail had left. He peered into the box and gently pulled out another device. "Here," he handed the piece to John.
Not getting immediate feedback from it, John cautiously thought on at the device. "It's part of a scanning machine," John decided. "It's not complete as is and needs to be placed in a larger machine. Not sure what that would be."
Rodney had grabbed a laptop and made notes on it as John was talking. When he was done, he reached into the box again, "This?"
As John took the small, round object, a small abstract figure appeared just above it. "Kid's toy," John reported immediately.
John watched McKay multi-task as scientists came in and out asking questions all afternoon. He'd berate most of them for asking stupid questions, then answer the question while entering information John had given him on the laptop.
When they were alone for a few minutes, John held a small ring in his hand and said casually, "Cock ring."
McKay looked startled and blushed. He peered at the ring in John's hand curiously and asked in a strangled voice, "Re-really?"
"Nah," John threw the ring into the box they had of broken parts, "just wanted to see if you were paying attention."
The blush got redder and McKay was suddenly busy with his laptop.
Oh, yeah, John thought. And I bet all that fair skin bruises up nicely.
They worked steadily for another couple of hours but John eventually called a halt. "That's enough for now," he stated. "I need some dinner." He looked at McKay, "Join me?"
"I..." McKay started.
"Come on," John wheedled. "You need a break."
"I should eat," McKay allowed. "I have hypoglycemia and need to eat regularly." John was startled himself at how rote that sounded, like no one ever believed it.
"And coffee isn't food," John said seriously. "Pack it up, come with me."
McKay hesitated and John just waited him out. None of the other scientists had been by for the last hour and they were the only ones in the lab, which told John that no one would probably be checking on them too closely. He put a hand on McKay's arm, "McKay..... Rodney," John said softly. "Come to dinner with me."
McKay leaned just slightly into the touch and John knew he had won. "Okay, okay," McKay grumped. "I do need to eat. But if there's lemon chicken again...."
John half tuned out the food rant as they walked to the mess. John's guard followed them discretely enough that McKay never asked any questions. It was late for dinner but there was enough traffic in the halls that one more person didn't make any difference. The guard followed them through the line and got his own dinner, settling at a nearby table.
Watching McKay talk without needing much in the way of response, John realized that this would be perfect. As McKay's lover, he'd have access to the internal workings of the Atlantis mission. In their brief meeting earlier, he got the impression that Weir was too self assured for the type of play he liked. No, McKay was his best bet.
Realizing McKay had pretty much wound down his rant, John noticed the scientist eying his chocolate cake. He pushed it over, "Did you want this?"
"I.. no. I can get..." McKay stuttered.
"Nah, no problem," John eased the plate on the other man's tray. "I've got enough here without it. Enjoy." He took another forkful of the meatloaf and asked, "Batman or Superman?"
John's memory for pop culture was a god-send in seducing Rodney McKay. He could talk about comic books, movies, science fiction with the scientist for hours. Over the next weeks, John flirted with Rodney subtly using occasional sexual innuendos, lingering touches and flashes of his mathematical skills.
After a few days Sumner had the escort pulled, getting John issued a very limited security pass. It allowed John to move around on the lower levels of Cheyenne Mountain but wouldn't get him up the elevator to the outside. Since McKay never left the mountain, claiming too much work and too little time, he'd rest later, thank you, John didn't have a chance to use him to escape or even get a private message out of the mountain.
In a rare moment of introspection, John was amazed that no one else showed a personal interest in McKay. The other scientists, even Weir, only wanted answers or information from the scientist. Sumner had no use for any of the scientists and as a result the rest of the military contingent ignored him. No one else seemed to see the lonely man behind the snarky façade.
For John, it was perfect. Rodney was pathetically grateful for the personal interest John showed in him and if wasn't gay, he would be gay for John by the time John was ready to move in. This also meant that Rodney would be less likely to complain to anyone if he didn't like to .... play the way John did.
The night before they were -- finally -- scheduled to leave for Atlantis, John put a hand on Rodney's arm and said seriously, "You know I... like you. I need you to know that before... before whatever happens tomorrow."
John saw the startled, happy look in Rodney's eyes. "John! I... I like you, too," Rodney answered softly. "I've never had a friend like you before."
"I'd like to think of us as more than friends," John whispered against Rodney's lips. A soft, chaste kiss and John pulled back.
"I.... You..." Rodney stammered, placing the tips of his fingers on his lips. "You kissed me!"
John smiled, "I'd like to do more than that. When we get to Atlantis, that is." He stepped back to give Rodney more space. "I know you're busy but.... I had to do this tonight."
"Yes!" Rodney nodded vigorously. "I mean to when we get there...."
"It's a date," John grinned. "Go. Do what you need to. I'll wait."
Rodney leaned in for a quick kiss and almost ran off to finish his work before the dial-out.
Watching Rodney amid the chaos that was the dial-out, John speculated on what might be on the other side, on Atlantis. No matter what happened, he knew he would have fun.
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