Chapter Text
Teyla had just sat down to enjoy a rare evening alone when it happened. Torren was on the main land camping with Kaanan and her fingertips were just closing around a book when she heard it.
“For crying out loud, Rodney!” John’s voice echoed around her room.
“What do you want Sheppard some of us are trying to have a relaxing evening-” Rodney’s superior voice responded. Teyla stood up, and rushed to her door, something strange was happening. But before she could step outside into the corridor, which was also echoing with Rodney’s annoyed tones, she was pushed back in by Ronon.
“This is going to be great.” He said grinning. He started to raid a cupboard in her kitchen area.
"Are you looking for something Ronon?" Teyla said raising her voice over Rodney’s monologue of frustration.
"Popcorn. This may last a long time. They have no idea they are on the public channel, everyone can hear them, they are being broadcast all over Atlantis.”
"Isn't someone going to stop them?" Teyla grimaced as Rodney insults John's coffee making skills.
"Do you want to go and stop them?" He asked, grabbing a bowl to put the popcorn in.
She thought about it for a moment, did she want to go and shout at two grown men who apparently were very intelligent, and who should have realised that the city wide comm was on and the whole expedition could hear them?
“No…”
"And you are the bravest of us all..."He said smirking as there was a break in the insulting commentary from Rodney. Ronon took a large handful of popcorn and waited for them to speak again. It didn’t take long.
“YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO GO INTO MY ROOM!” John shouted.
“I HAVE EVERY RIGHT, YOU WERE HOARDING COFFEE. AND WHAT EXACTLY WERE YOU WORRIED I WOULD SEE? ALL THREE OF YOUR POSSESSIONS?” Rodney shouted back.
“DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU I WAS SAVING THE COFFEE TO GIVE TO YOU?!” Sheppard sounded furious. Teyla took another handful of popcorn.
“NO! AND YOU INVADE MY PRIVACY ALL THE TIME. YOU ARE FOREVER SNOOPING AROUND AND THAT TIME I WAS WITH JENNIF-” Ronon and Teyla winced, they remembered that moment, Jennifer Keller had been giving him social classes. John had found out and almost had lost it.
“DO NOT BRING THAT UP RODNEY! THAT WAS DIFFERENT! I WAS HELPING YOU!”
“THE RELATIONSHIP ENDED AFTER THAT ENCOUNTER!” Rodney screamed back, they were in full swing now and clearly still unaware that this conversation was not in complete privacy.
“SHE WAS CHANGING YOU!” John sounded upset and angry now, Teyla winced again, knowing if they kept this up, they would start to say things they would regret. Maybe she should stop them? Before it got out of hand. She made to move but Ronon placed his hand on shoulder and shook his head. She settled back into the sofa, and listened.
“MAYBE SHE WOULD HAVE CHANGED ME FOR THE BETTER?”
“YOU ARE FINE AS YOU ARE!” John shouted.
“WE WILL NEVER KNOW NOW, WILL WE? SHE LEFT!” Rodney shouted indignantly.
“CRY ME A FUCKING RIVER RODNEY. YOU ARE BETTER OFF OUT OF IT.”
“OH, AND CAPTAIN KIRK HAS THE AUTHORITY ON RELATIONSHIPS DOES HE?”
“THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEAN, AND STOP CALLING ME KIRK!”
“WHY? I AM ONLY CALLING OUT WHAT IS THE TRUTH! KIRK KIRK KIRK KIRK KIRK!”
“RODNEY SHUT UP YOU ARSEHOLE!”
“SCREW YOU SHEPPARD!” Rodney roared.
“GO FUCK YOURSELF MCKAY!”
Silence filled Teyla’s room. Was it over? She looked over at Ronon who looked more disturbed than amused this time. It had been painful to hear them argue like that. She felt unnerved, John never lost his temper like that. Ever.
“That was unpleasant.” Teyla said quietly.
“Yeah.” Ronon replied. He stood up to leave. When there was a crackle over the comm again.
“YOU KNOW WHAT SHEPPARD. NO, YOU DON’T GET THE LAST WORD ON THIS ONE. FUCK YOU. YOU RUINED MY RELATIONSHIP-”
“NO I AM NOT HAVING THIS! YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY I DIDN’T WANT HER CHANGING YOU? I LOVE YOU, ALRIGHT? I JUST LOVE YOUR STUPID LOUD MOUTHED, FLAILING HANDS, MORONIC ARSEHOLE WAYS. I AM DONE WATCHING YOU DATE PEOPLE WHO TRY AND CHANGE YOU FOR THE BETTER AND I'M DONE LISTENING TO YOU MOAN ABOUT WHY IT ISN'T WORKING. IT ISN'T WORKING RODNEY BECAUSE YOU DON'T NEED TO CHANGE FOR PEOPLE. YOU ARE FINE AS YOU ARE. AND I LOVE YOU. AND I AM SO DAMN MAD ABOUT IT BECAUSE WHY THE HELL SHOULD I? AND BECAUSE YOU WENT INTO MY ROOM! YOU ARE AN ARSEHOLE. BUT I FUCKING LOVE YOU.”
Ronon sat back down with a thud next to her grinning like mad.
“He said it, he actually said it. I never thought he would. He actually told him.” Ronon whispered in wonder.
Teyla could not believe it, they all knew. Everyone knew that they were meant to be together. There was even a betting pool set up by Zelenka. The highest odds were on after mission euphoria confession, with a second highest on aliens mistaking them for a married couple and forcing them to share a hut. But this, this no one had expected.
The silence was deafening. Rodney hadn’t said anything back… was John waiting for a response? Was he alright? He had just confessed his love and there was silence. A slight crackle was heard again as Rodney went into a rant in reply.
“WELL, I LOVE YOU TOO. AND DON'T YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT MY FLAILING HANDS. YOU LOUNGE EVERYWHERE. EVERYWHERE! HAVE YOU EVER SAT IN A SEAT CORRECTLY IN YOUR LIFE? IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO GO THROUGH A DOOR WITHOUT YOU LEANING ON IT LIKE A TEEN HEART THROB? I AM HIGHLY FRUSTRATED THAT THE MAN I LOVE HAS MORE IN COMMON WITH JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE THAN WITH ANYONE WORTH RESPECTING IN SCIENCE. AND YES, I KNOW YOU HAVE A BRAIN. I KNOW YOU ARE NOT A TEEN HEART THROB, BUT WHY MUST YOU ACT LIKE IT? YOUR BRAIN IS INCREDIBLY ATTRACTIVE AND IT ANNOYS ME NO ENDS WHEN YOU CONCEAL IT! YOU LOVE ME. YOU ACTUALLY LOVE ME? WELL, ISN'T THAT JUST DANDY? WE ARE IN LOVE. HOW AMAZING. I AM IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE WHO WOULD RATHER BE HIT WITH STICKS THAN DO ANYTHING PRODUCTIVE.”
Teyla and Ronon looked at each other, the huge smile on his face was mirrored by her. This was so exciting. Finally! She briefly wondered if this would count as something in the betting pool. Before another crackle was heard.
“I am still angry with you for violating my space.” John mumbled.
“And I am still angry you called my hands ‘flailing’.” Rodney mumbled back.
“They do flail.”
“They do not.”
A tense silence filled Teyla’s room as her and Ronon and she assumed the rest of Atlantis waited with bated breath.
“Rodney, where are you?” John asked cautiously.
“In my quarters.”
“I’m coming round-”
Ronon looked to her and grinned. “Now I think it is a good time to tell them there are on city wide.”
Teyla jumped to her feet, ran out the door through a gossiping corridor, to Rodney’s quarters.
The arrived quickly enough to see John arriving and about to knock on the door.
“Stop!” Teyla shouted as she skidded to a halt. “Give me your comm.” She yanked it out of John’s ear, and then She then banged on Rodney’s door.
It whooshed open immediately who looked thrilled and shy to see John and confused at seeing them.
Ronon pulled McKay’s comm from his ear but said nothing.
“Enjoy your evening both.” Teyla said smiling kindly.
“Yes… enjoy…” Ronon said with a smirk.
The only blinked in response as Teyla and Ronon walked away towards the crowd outside Zelenka’s quarters.
Chapter 2: So we are in a relationship, now what?
Notes:
I just couldn't leave it alone.
Not beta'd so all mistakes are my own.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Teyla dropped into her seat and relaxed. It had been a hell of a week, three off world mission, two temper tantrums from Torren, three meetings with Mr Wolsey, only one evening alone with Kanaan and a sparring session with Ronon that had hurt more than it used to.
She lay her hand on her book, she was enjoying it, a random pick from the Atlantis lending library it involved a heroine of good character who wasn’t afraid of a good argument with a prejudiced grumpy man. There was some dancing and some rules she needed to ask Keller about, but so far it had been a fascinating insight into Earth’s literature and history. She picked up the book about to read about Mr Collin’s thoughts on the Bennet’s potatoes when she heard a crackle over the speaker.
“Sheppard?” Rodney’s voice filled her room.
“Not again.” Teyla muttered. This had happened a year and a half ago, John and Rodney had somehow gotten to the citywide channel, had an argument and declared their undying love for each other.
Dr Zelenka had made money that day with his betting pool, people collecting on bets of how long it would take for them to finally share their feelings. It had been rather beautiful in Teyla’s opinion. And they had been a happy if not private couple since.
“Yes, Rodney?” Sheppard replied sounding tired.
“You know how I like how you stopping over in my quarters?” Rodney said lightly.
Teyla’s eyebrows rose, and she didn’t fight the smile coming to her lips. Her door whooshed open and in bound Ronon with a bag of popcorn and a half-drunk bottle of beer.
“Don’t even think about stopping them Tey, this is going to be good.” He said gruffly dropping down onto her sofa, opening the bag of popcorn and offering her one.
“I wouldn’t dream of it. They should have learnt from the first time.” Teyla replied calmly taking a handful of popcorn.
They had both been mortally embarrassed by the first time it had happened. Genuinely horrified that others had heard what they had felt was a private moment. However, they had also blamed Ronon and Teyla for not coming to tell them.
Teyla’s only response was that they came and stopped them before things had gotten… more… intimate. Both men had flushed at her words and coughed and looked away smiles tugging at their lips. However, Teyla and Ronon had remembered their initial response, and therefore were going to do nothing to stop this.
“I was aware you liked me stopping over in your quarters yes. Why do you ask?” John replied calmly. But Teyla could hear the smile in his voice.
“Well, I was just wondering, if it wasn’t too much trouble, for you to… NOT TOUCH MY STUFF! SERIOUSLY SHEPPARD! THESE ARE HIGH QUALITY, IMPORTANT, EXPERIMENTS GOING ON!”
“Rodneeeeeey!” John whined in response. “I didn’t touch your stuff, I promise.”
“Yes, you did. You think I don’t know when the needle has been moved? I lay a hair over it, John, I am fully-”
“You lay a hair over it? Are you insane? Do you think you are some black ops spy of something?” John replied incredulous.
“I lay a hair over it, because I knew you were moving it!” Rodney exclaimed.
“I was not moving it! It moved when I was near it! I saw it move, it is why I left a note saying, it had moved!” John cried wearily.
“It wouldn’t have moved by itself! And there is no note.”
“Well, it did and there is.”
There was a pause and Teyla and Ronon looked at each other, suppressing giggles.
“You shouldn’t move my stuff.” Rodney said petulantly.
“Argh! I don’t move your stuff! And if we are talking about moving stuff. You move my stuff all the time!”
“Oh, this is almost better than last time.” Ronon smirked eating more popcorn.
Teyla smiled, but she did feel… a slight… unease at not stopping her friends from airing this argument. What if they broke up? What if they said things their regretted? What if-
“Stop worrying, I have a good feeling about this, it will end well I think.” Ronon growled next to her.
There was a spluttering as Rodney tuned back in.
“YOU HAVE NO STUFF TO MOVE, HOW CAN I MOVE YOUR STUFF? Did your Johnny Cash poster move an inch to the left, or War and Peace move from its dusty perch next to your bed? What about your singular hair product?”
“You moved my shoes, my shirt, my jacket, my towel and my body wash.” John replied superiorly.
There was another silent pause and Teyla held her breath.
“YOU MEAN I TIDIED UP. I PUT YOUR STUFF AWAY. IT WAS EVERYWHERE JOHN! HOW CAN YOU BE MESSY WHEN YOU HAVE LITERALLY BEEN TRAINED TO BE TIDY, I DO NOT KNOW, BUT I COULDN’T THINK IN THAT MESS OF A ROOM!”
“I am not messy, I am organised in my own way.” John sniffed.
“Keep telling yourself that…” Muttered Rodney in response.
John didn’t respond and there was silence on the channel once more.
Ronon looked at her an eyebrow raised as she wondered if there would be anymore… maybe they had run out of steam. Maybe they realised they were on the public channel. Maybe they didn’t have anything more to say.
“I think that is it for tonight,” Ronon said.
“I agree.” Teyla replied. “They said nothing incriminating or too personal this time, I think people will not make a big deal out of it.”
Ronon nodded, grabbing his empty beer bottle and the empty popcorn bowl.
“See you tomorrow?”
“Absolutely. Meet at ten?” She had another painful sparring session with him.
“See you then.”
Ronon left and she picked up her book again to find out exactly how Mr Collins felt about those potatoes.
XXX
It was half ten and her and Ronon were deep in the middle of a session, she could feel the sweat dripping down her back as she focused in on the bigger man. Teyla made a lunge which was dodged easily by Ronon. He stepped forward, she stepped back, she stepped forward, he stepped back. It was a good session, she was getting real exercise and it didn’t hurt as much this time and she was totally focused until… the familiar crackle sounded again.
“RODNEY!” John roared through the city-wide speaker.
“Yes, dear?” Rodney replied far too calmly.
“I TOLD YOU TO STOP MOVING MY STUFF!”
“I didn’t move your stuff. I moved my stuff.”
“INTO MY ROOM! ONE OF YOUR STUPID EXPERIMENT IS ON MY BED, ANOTHER IN MY BATHROOM? WHY ARE FIVE OF YOUR SHOES ARE ON MY FLOOR? YOUR RUCKSACK IS HANGING OVER MY POSTER, YOUR CLOTHES ARE IN MY CLOSET AND THERE ARE AT LEAST FIFTY PRINT OUT COPIES OF YOUR FACE PLASTERED OVER MY WALL!”
“Really? Well, as you don’t use the closet, I thought someone should. Also, I thought you would like to see your boyfriends face.”
“I better not see it any time soon.” John growled.
Ronon and Teyla were both bent over laughing. It was so unlike Rodney to play a practical joke. John had clearly been a good, or bad depending on how you viewed it, influence on him.
“Oh, come on! As if you didn’t find it funny!” Rodney crowed.
“No, Rodney, I didn’t!” John ground out, through what sounded like gritted teeth.
“Liar. Admit it, you are begrudgingly proud of me.”
“I will admit no such thing.”
“I bet you are, and you are so proud you will help me move all my stuff back. Because you love me, and you like that I did this.” Teyla could tell that Rodney was grinning, she could picture him, leaning back in his lab, hands folded on his chest as he spoke, a smug smile on his face.
But there was a pause.
“Maybe, I don’t move it back.” John replied carefully.
“…Excuse me?” Rodney’s breath hitched.
“Maybe, I leave it where it is. Maybe we should leave it where it is… I think it… yeah, I think it’s logical.”
“You are asking me to move in with you, because you think it would be logical.” Rodney spoke in a deadpan tone.
“Well, it is not like spend nights apart anyway…” John said, his voice trailing off. “And it would be logical…”
Teyla held her breath, there was John putting himself out there again, for the whole of Atlantis to hear, not that he knew it. She rung her hands.
“Should we go and find them?” Ronon asked quietly.
“Yes.”
They ran, and kept an ear open for Rodney to reply, they was a painful silence over the city. Everyone they passed was waiting with baited breath for Rodney to reply, Teyla passed them in a blur.
When she heard the familiar crackle again, they were about two minutes from the labs!
It was John again.
“If you don’t think it is a good idea…”
“No, it is not that…”
“Then what?”
“Are you really sure?” Rodney sounded small and vulnerable.
“Of course, I am sure Rodney.” John said softly.
“But-”
“No buts. I am sure.”
Another pause, a minute from Rodney’s lab.
“… ok… then yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes, I will live with you.”
Teyla smiled and Ronon laughed next to her. She looked around her and personnel all were grinning as she ran passed them.
They skidded to a stop outside the clear lab door and Ronon stormed in ahead of her.
She stood next to him and took in Rodney’s joyous face; he was grinning from ear to ear and his eyes were glistening ever so slightly. This was a big moment for him, and she was thrilled for her friend.
“Teyla, Ronon, you look… is everything alright?” Rodney asked, taking in their heavy breathing and sweaty skin.
“Happy you are moving in together Rodney, but this was on citywide again, last night’s tiff too.”
The colour drained from Rodney’s face and his smile fell from his lips.
“Oh shit.”
He tapped his earpiece double checking it was a private channel before speaking.
“John, yeah… it happened again. No, I didn’t do it on purpose. Yes! I am a genius! No! Oh sweet mother of God, shut up will you, I swear if this is what it is going to be like living with you- yes I think we should get a bigger place. Teyla and Ronon just told me. Apparently, it was last night’s argument too. Yes! I am sure this one is private. Ughhhh it isn’t my fault. I think we should put an encryption code in to prevent this from happening. Well, we have the highest security clearance, that’s why it just opens for us. I swear to God Sheppard, I am in the lab, yes come by if you want to shout at me in person.” Rodney turned slightly red and swallowed audibly, biting his lip. “Yes, that too.”
Teyla left dragging Ronon with her, she smiled as she saw John walking quickly towards the lab, a smirk firmly on his lips as people patted him on the back on his way past.
Notes:
Thanks for reading!