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dizzyGetting Nowhere Fast
John/Rodney
Rated PG
"We're not supposed to talk about this." John sounds shocked, wounded, betrayed. All things that he is very good at conveying with an absolute minimum of inflection or facial movement.
It pisses Rodney off. "Why?"
"Because." John chokes on the words. Rodney usually finds it endearing, annoying if he's in a hurry, but one of those John things that just sort of comes with the territory. Right now, it's infuriating.
"You can't even say it." Rodney accuses him.
John snaps his mouth shut. His lips are an angry tight line. He looks like he wants to bolt, but Rodney is standing between him and the door.
"Rodney. This is just how it is. You and me. We have these - there are-"
"Feelings. Rodney helpfully provides. The word makes John wince.
"Feelings. That we don't act on. And we definitely do not ever talk about."
"What if I wanna talk? Hey, you know me, if there's one thing I can do, it's talk. Talk all day long, talk until the cows come home, not that cows will ever be coming here, and this is home now, right-"
"Rodney!" John shouts. "Shut up! Just! Shut up!"
"No!" Rodney shouts back. "The only time you're willing to talk to me about feelings is when you think I'm too dumb to realize what you're saying? What kind of idiocy is that? I mean, I have a lot of experience with idiots but for all of your laziness and undeveloped potential I never actually counted you among the lower ranks. Clearly, I was mistaken."
"Clearly." John agrees, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now can I go?"
Abruptly, the wind is taken out of Rodney's sails.
This isn't really something he can argue himself out of - or into, as the case would have it. He crosses the room and drops onto the couch with his head in his hands. He wants a big meal, a big drink, and a big sulk. He's just made a total idiot out of himself? Why not have one night of sulking before he goes back to blaming John for all the problems in his miserable pathetic excuse for a personal life. John and his stupid pout when he caught Rodney out on a date. John and his big sad eyes staring at Rodney across the briefing table. John and his absolute refusal to acknowledge that it might not be entirely normal to be this passive-aggressive when a friend considers allowing someone else into his life in a somewhat less than platonic role "Yeah. You can go."
This, of all things, makes John hesitate.
Rodney still expects him to go, but instead John sits beside him on the couch. Close enough to reach out and touch, but not close enough to just be touching.
"Listen." John says in a voice so low that it's almost hard to hear. "Listen. You gotta just give me some time with this."
Rodney doesn't reply. There's not much else he can say.
"Rodney." John's hand comes to rest on Rodney's knee. It makes Rodney tense, because he honestly had not expected that. "I'm serious here. Give me some time. I'll let you know when."
"And, what, in the mean time, be celibate?"
John's eyes meet his. He shrugs and gets up. "Do what you gotta do."
John leaves Rodney sitting there. "Do what you gotta do." He repeats, mumbling, snorting after the last word. "Yeah, right."
He won't try for a second date. John got his point across, marked his territory, made it certain that Rodney will not stray again. Not until his next little rebellion.
John/Rodney
Rated PG
"We're not supposed to talk about this." John sounds shocked, wounded, betrayed. All things that he is very good at conveying with an absolute minimum of inflection or facial movement.
It pisses Rodney off. "Why?"
"Because." John chokes on the words. Rodney usually finds it endearing, annoying if he's in a hurry, but one of those John things that just sort of comes with the territory. Right now, it's infuriating.
"You can't even say it." Rodney accuses him.
John snaps his mouth shut. His lips are an angry tight line. He looks like he wants to bolt, but Rodney is standing between him and the door.
"Rodney. This is just how it is. You and me. We have these - there are-"
"Feelings. Rodney helpfully provides. The word makes John wince.
"Feelings. That we don't act on. And we definitely do not ever talk about."
"What if I wanna talk? Hey, you know me, if there's one thing I can do, it's talk. Talk all day long, talk until the cows come home, not that cows will ever be coming here, and this is home now, right-"
"Rodney!" John shouts. "Shut up! Just! Shut up!"
"No!" Rodney shouts back. "The only time you're willing to talk to me about feelings is when you think I'm too dumb to realize what you're saying? What kind of idiocy is that? I mean, I have a lot of experience with idiots but for all of your laziness and undeveloped potential I never actually counted you among the lower ranks. Clearly, I was mistaken."
"Clearly." John agrees, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Now can I go?"
Abruptly, the wind is taken out of Rodney's sails.
This isn't really something he can argue himself out of - or into, as the case would have it. He crosses the room and drops onto the couch with his head in his hands. He wants a big meal, a big drink, and a big sulk. He's just made a total idiot out of himself? Why not have one night of sulking before he goes back to blaming John for all the problems in his miserable pathetic excuse for a personal life. John and his stupid pout when he caught Rodney out on a date. John and his big sad eyes staring at Rodney across the briefing table. John and his absolute refusal to acknowledge that it might not be entirely normal to be this passive-aggressive when a friend considers allowing someone else into his life in a somewhat less than platonic role "Yeah. You can go."
This, of all things, makes John hesitate.
Rodney still expects him to go, but instead John sits beside him on the couch. Close enough to reach out and touch, but not close enough to just be touching.
"Listen." John says in a voice so low that it's almost hard to hear. "Listen. You gotta just give me some time with this."
Rodney doesn't reply. There's not much else he can say.
"Rodney." John's hand comes to rest on Rodney's knee. It makes Rodney tense, because he honestly had not expected that. "I'm serious here. Give me some time. I'll let you know when."
"And, what, in the mean time, be celibate?"
John's eyes meet his. He shrugs and gets up. "Do what you gotta do."
John leaves Rodney sitting there. "Do what you gotta do." He repeats, mumbling, snorting after the last word. "Yeah, right."
He won't try for a second date. John got his point across, marked his territory, made it certain that Rodney will not stray again. Not until his next little rebellion.