#logicgunn

[logicgunn]

not a rental

“How soon is too soon to ask you to move in?”

Rodney rolls onto his back and contemplates John's breathless request.

“I could pack a bag now?” he says, because Wow, that was something else.

So good, in fact, that he's neither thinking straight nor immediately panicking, since it's 0300 and a good first time isn't a logical basis for a long term relationship.

“Or maybe we should wait till after breakfast,” he adds quickly.

John's laugh is both elated and exhausted, and he turns his head to peer out from under the arm over his face.

“Breakfast costs extra.”

[logicgunn]

an unexpected proposal (neither of them saw this coming)

On AO3

“John? What's this?” 

“It’s a DD93.” 

“Which is?” 

“A form. For emergencies. I was going to add you. If that’s okay.” 

“If something happens to you, I’ll most likely be with you...” 

“Right, but in case you’re not...Elizabeth would tell you, but if I was reassigned to Earth or out of the SGC...they might not...I mean, maybe it should be official. On paper.” 

“Official. On paper. Are you asking me to marry you?” 

“No.” 

“But you’re teasing the waters.” 

“No. Maybe. I don’t know. But if I was...?” 

“You’re already my emergency contact, John. So yes, obviously.” 

[logicgunn]

machine shop heart throb

On AO3

John's elbow deep in one of the worst tangles of archaic copper wiring Rodney's ever seen. There’s grease on his brow and soot in his hair and his mouth is singing a clumsy mimicry of the indecipherable song on the Pegasian radio. 

When John looks up from the alien flying machine that had him lighting up like a kid at Christmas, his smile softens into something fond, his eyes crinkling at the corners. Rodney’s struck speechless with the realisation that he means more to John than all the airplanes in all the galaxies. 

He clears his throat. “Need a hand?” 

[logicgunn]

you, me, and the rest of the city

On AO3

“Doctor McKay, please report to the science lab.”  

Rodney’s fork is halfway to his mouth when Chuck's voice sounds over the PA system. He looks at John, who shrugs and says;  

“I’ll still be here when you get back.”  

It's not until Rodney's approaching the transporter that John’s words sink in. As far as declarations of affection go, it’s modest. But from the notoriously reticent John Sheppard?  

When he rushes back in the door, John’s clearing up. Rodney takes advantage of his full hands and kisses him squarely on the mouth before sprinting off, leaving John grinning like a kid. 

[logicgunn]

teaching (a scientist how to process unfamiliar data)

On AO3

"I’m not a poet.”  

“What are you afraid of?”  

“Nothing.”  

“It doesn’t have to be good, McKay. It doesn’t even have to rhyme.”  

“I never got the hang of creative writing.”  

“So don’t be creative. Be literal. Write something about the science.”  

“Ronon—”  

“If you don’t get the nightmares out, they’ll start to rot your brain from the inside.”  

“I’m over it. I’m fine.”  

“You’re still not sleeping.”  

“That’s private medical information!”  

“I’m not going to grade you. I won’t even read it if you don’t want me to.”  

"Why?”  

“You’re team.”  

“Team.”  

“I can teach you. Let me help.”  

[logicgunn]

rodney's no good very bad day

On AO3

“At ease, Captain. So...I heard Rodney fired you today.” 

“Uh, yessir. Sorry, Colonel.” 

“What happened?” 

“I, uh, touched something, sir.” 

“Something you shouldn’t have?” 

“Yessir.” 

“And McKay...” 

“He said ‘you’re fired, get out of my lab’, sir.” 

“In those words?” 

“There were a few more words in there, sir.” 

“I see.” 

“I’m on my way to pack, sir.” 

“Don’t worry about it, Captain. Getting fired by Rodney in your first rotation is a rite of passage around here. I’ll have a word with him.” 

“Can Doctor McKay actually do that, sir?” 

“Technically? Yes. So maybe pay attention next time.” 

[logicgunn]

what goes around comes back around

On AO3

“Directly translated, it says ‘these remain as they were’,” says Elizabeth, looking at the screen.  

John watches Rodney’s cheeks turn from a confused flush to a flabbergasted puce.  

“It is what it is?” he hisses, grabbing the tablet from Elizabeth’s hand with force just short of a snatch. He scrolls down, eyes oscillating rapidly as he reads.  

“Consider possibilities that run contrary to accepted norms? What is thrown will rebound and return?”  

“Translation isn’t an exact science, Rodney,” says Elizabeth.  

“I can’t believe the Lanteans are the origin of the cliché.”  

“Well, looks like they were only human,” grins John.  

[logicgunn]

please hang up and try again

On AO3

Ops falls silent when the stargate fails to connect to New Athos. Everyone freezes like a VHS tape on pause, their collective gaze fixed on the air where the event horizon should be. 

Rodney’s halfway up the stairs before John and Elizabeth start throwing orders around. The tech is new—civilian, not military—her eyes wide and wet as Kavanagh hisses a snide comment, but Rodney’s already spotted the error on her notepad.   

An upside down symbol, written not by her hand, but his. Rodney taps the tech’s shoulder and spins a finger at the offending symbol. She smiles back. 

[logicgunn]

finders keepers

On AO3

“You can’t keep her.”  

“I can’t send her back! Who knows what’ll happen to her? Predation, cannibalism—”  

“Wild animals can’t be cannibalistic, Rodney.”  

“She's a runt, Elizabeth! None of her pack were taking care of her.”  

“Sometimes nature is—”  

“Cruel, yes, but that doesn't mean we have to be.”  

“She’s a wild animal from another galaxy. There’s no way to know what she needs, how big she will grow, how dangerous she is.”  

“Look at her little face—”  

“Rodney...”  

“—her little paws, how can you—”  

“Fine. But she needs to be spayed and—”  

“You hear that kitty? You can stay!”  

[logicgunn]

frozen in grace

On AO3

Rodney sits back and wipes his brow. Between the overwhelming heat and the repairs that just won’t stick, it feels like the city itself is suffering heatstroke.  

He’s just about ready to volunteer for another sabbatical in Siberia when a familiar hand enters his field of vision, bringing with it an offering worthy of all the deities in two galaxies. 

“You are my hero,” Rodney says around the frozen popsicle. “Where’d you get this?” 

“I have my sources,” replies Elizabeth, unwrapping her own popsicle with less haste and more grace than him.  

Rodney grins. “A goddess amongst us mere mortals.” 

[logicgunn]

nothing a few licks of paint can't hide

On AO3

Rodney stands at the rail of the balcony that hangs over Atlantis’ east pier. Already there are engineers scuttling over what’s left of the park below; now a ruin tumbling into the sea. 

“Fixable,” Elizabeth had called the structural damage. “Recoverable,” Parrish had said of the plant life. “Unavoidable,” Radek had written in his report. 

None of these things bring comfort, not when Rodney’s the one who failed to restore the shield before the Wraith arrived. 

When John steps out onto the balcony and slides an arm around him, Rodney lets him take some of the weight off his shoulders. 

[logicgunn]

what the doctor didn't order (but would have prescribed if he could)

On AO3

“But Carson..."

“Absolutely not, Rodney, I'm a doctor, not a relationship counsellor.”

“Right, but—”

“If you're asking me as a  friend, then yes, I do think you should say something.”

“What should I say?”

“What did you say to Katie?”

“Me and Katie didn't exactly work out."

“Okay, but one of you must have made the first move?”

“That was mostly Cadman, so—”

“Aye, well the less said about that the better then.”

“What if he's not interested.”

“Anyone with eyes can see he's interested.”

“Right, but what if—”

“Rodney? Get out of my office. And go get your guy.”

[logicgunn]

like wildfire

On AO3

It starts with a murmur at the edge of Rodney’s hearing; Radek’s talking to himself again, eyes fixed on his screen, words indecipherable and oddly rhythmic.  

Kavanaugh walks into the lab and passes Radek’s workstation, and the words somehow jump from Radek’s mouth to Kavanaugh’s, and wait, that’s not Czech?  

As Kavanaugh crosses the room, the words spread to new mouths: Simpson, Miko, Ambrose, gaining a tune by the time it hits the new hire who has barely said a word since she arrived on Atlantis.

Rodney can’t stop himself joining in.  

Mai hi

Mai hu  

Mai ho  

Mai ha-ha  

[logicgunn]

come hell or high water

On AO3

Rodney sprints down the hall, panic spurring him past a jogging Lorne. The words “flood” and “valve” propel him as he grabs a hold of the doorframe and swings himself into Teyla’s quarters—only to slip on the wet floor and land on his ass like an upside-down turtle. 

Teyla’s the first to reach him, one hand clutching the towel wrapped around her, the other offering to help him up. Her smile is understanding, even as a confused engineer looks over from the burst pipe. 

"You’re ok?” he asks. 

Teyla squeezes his hand as she assures him “I am well.” 

[logicgunn]

(un)civil servants

On AO3

“Swindler! Scoundrel! Dirty rotten thief!” 

“Excuse me?!” 

“That's my fertile floodplain you’re harvesting.” 

“I don’t see your name on it, McKay.” 

“I’ve been digging irrigation for days!” 

“Instructing your followers to dig ditches isn’t what I'd call hands-on leadership.” 

“I am an elected official! It’s my job to direct.” 

“You are a tin-pot dictator, and I’ve made an honest career ousting people like you!” 

“Honest? I’m not the one distracting his so-called ally with his masculine wiles.” 

“With what?” 

“Uh, nothing! You, uh, you can keep the wheat.” 

“Thanks.” 

“Call it a parting gift from an ex-ally.” 

“Oh, it’s war!” 

[logicgunn]

to poll or not to poll

On AO3

Dr.MRM: It’s inappropriate!  

Flyboy: It’s entertainment, Rodney  

Teyla: It is fun

OneGunDex: You’re just annoyed you didn’t win, McKay  

Dr.MRM: Yes, I am! Have you seen my rear? It’s perfectly plump!  

OneGunDex: Yup!  

Teyla: A worthy entrant  

Flyboy: Woah, hang on guys...  

Dr.MRM: Not so harmless now, huh?  

Flyboy: Nah, it’s all good. Your rump knows which bed it belongs in ;)  

OurFearlessLeader: This is a public chat 

OurFearlessLeader: Wait, who changed my name?!  

Dr.MRM: Um...

OurFearlessLeader: Well, now I know who to vote for. 

Flyboy: :O 

Teyla: :O 

OneGunDex: :O 

Dr.MRM: XD  

Dr.MRM: SCORE!