SGA fic: Gaijin part 26/40
Dec. 20th, 2008 10:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sam_gamgeeGaijin, Part 26/40
The complete header can be found in part 1.
Previous parts can be found here.
After that night, things quieted back down.
Elizabeth told him she would take some time to consider his *lengthy* proposal and would get back to him. Rodney knew he had put more than enough into the proposal, but he knew that he only had one shot at it, so he had wanted to make sure that Elizabeth would see the opportunities he saw.
He continued working on his projects, slowly making progress and wishing he was able to publish his findings because the things he was discovering were so amazing that they shouldn’t be kept hidden – which they most likely would be in one the SGC’s vaults or at Area 51, if they even got back to the Milky Way galaxy.
And Chuck and Evan backed off. A little. Kind of. Not really. They were just more covert. Rodney should’ve known he shouldn’t trust someone with Special Ops training after he’d seen what John could do. And Chuck was just plain sneaky – but he probably should’ve figured that, considering how much time Chuck spent in the Control Room. He *knew* things.
Which was why he was getting fresh fruit first thing off the next Daedalus run. And why his Lapran clothing practically shone when Chuck brought it back from the laundry for him. He even found a small plant carefully packed into a paper cup on his workstation after one of Evan’s off-world missions.
That gave him an idea and he rushed off with it to the botany department to get a proper pot for it. While he was there, he asked Katie Brown, “This might be a long shot, but has the part of the Ancient database that deals with plant life been put onto our main server?”
“Yeah, it was done a while ago,” she replied, her brow furrowing as she tamped down the dirt around the plant. “I’ll admit, Rodney, you never struck me as the plant type.”
“Well, it’s a new thing,” he replied with a smile as he picked up the plant. “Thank you.”
He took the plant back with him to the lab and, smiling at it, set it on the edge of his workstation. He easily found the database and spent every available moment of the next few days combing through it. It was slow going due to the fact that it was still primarily in Ancient, with only parts of it translated into English and he only knew the Lapran names. But he eventually found all of the Lapran medicinal plants and made notes of their Ancient and English names. He also talked more with Katie to see which ones they had in the greenhouses and was happy to find that they had nearly all of them and the ones they didn’t were fairly rare anyway.
“I hope you found what you were looking for, Rodney,” Katie commented as Rodney took some toliara leaves to replace the ones that had become too dry.
“I think I did, thank you,” he replied distractedly as he checked the rest of his pouch to see if he needed to replace anything else, but it all checked out.
“I hope we’ll be seeing more of you down here now,” she told him with a shy smile.
Rodney had never understood the crush she seemed to be nursing for him – their one date had been a total disaster and that alone should have been enough to put her off – but it was almost cute compared to Sheppard’s. “We’ll see,” he replied with a smile as he hopped off the counter. “Have a good day, Katie,” he told her with a slight bow before heading out.
As he left the botany labs, Rodney mentally kicked himself for the fiftieth time for not doing this sooner. He knew that Atlantis had Carson and his competent staff, but Rodney still felt better knowing that his own bases were covered.
After detouring to the mess hall for a quick lunch, Rodney headed back to his quarters to leave his pouch and to change to go down to his lab. Chuck and Evan were waiting inside for him, and, before Rodney was able to process that and ask what the hell they were doing in his quarters, they were herding him out of the room and down to the Jumper Bay.
Halfway there, Rodney got his bearings again and asked them, “Okay, what the hell is going on? And why do you both have packs? Oh my God, you’re kidnapping me, aren’t you? I knew this relationship was too good to be true! Let me go!”
“We’re not kidnapping you, McKay,” Evan told him dryly. “Dr. Weir and Dr. Zelenka know what we’re doing and where we’re going.”
“Where exactly are we going?” Rodney asked them, looking between them.
“The mainland,” Chuck replied. “We’re going to be staying with the Athosians for a few days.”
“Ummm… why?” Rodney asked in his best ‘you all are insane’ voice.
“We figured that you needed to get away for a while,” Evan responded. “I think your return to Atlantis was more of a shock than you expected and that’s why you don’t feel like you fit in any more. I think once you’ve had some time to decompress in a neutral place with people you trust, you’ll feel a lot better.”
“Or I just don’t,” Rodney replied sharply. “And is that your expert opinion?”
“It is,” Evan replied as he entered one of the Jumpers and stowed his pack. Chuck followed suit and Rodney dumbly wandered into the Jumper after them.
“I hope one of you bothered to pack clothes for me,” Rodney told them as they started the preflight check. “Because I’m not wearing these clothes for however long we’re there, and I’m not going naked.”
“Don’t worry, we’ve got your clothes and stuff split between our packs,” Chuck told him off-handedly. “We wanted to be able to leave as soon as you got back to your quarters.”
“And what if I didn’t come back when I did? And how did you two get in, anyway?”
“We would have waited – or called you on your comm,” Chuck replied, still nonchalant, as Evan radioed the Control Room. “And we got in because you keyed us both in three weeks ago – remember? Something about trusting us and feeling weird that you were the only one who could get in there after there not being any locks in Lapras?”
“Oh, right,” Rodney huffed as he sat down behind Evan as Evan got the confirmation to go.
The ride to the mainland was fairly quiet. Evan worked with Chuck on his flying skills and Rodney sulked for part of the trip, feeling that he had been left out of an important decision regarding his own welfare. But he involuntarily sucked in a breath when they got their first glimpse of the mainland. He had forgotten how beautiful it was, and he avidly watched it draw closer for the rest of the ride. Evan landed them gently along the tree line along the head of the beach and not far from a solitary hut.
Once Chuck and Evan had disembarked, Rodney said, “I thought we were staying with the Athosians.”
“We are – sort of,” Evan replied. “Their settlement is about 45 minutes inland. Once we get settled, we should let them know we’re here.” He and Chuck turned and headed across the sand.
Rodney crossed his arms and stood at the top of the ramp. “I don’t know if I want to do this,” he told them.
“Why not?” Evan asked as they turned back to him.
“Because the two of you decided what was best for me without consulting me. What if I wanted to do it differently? Or not at all? And if I need mental help so much, I had a perfectly lovely relationship with Heightmeyer before all of this began and I would much rather go back to her than some *hack*.” He glared at Evan.
“You’re right,” Chuck told him. “What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. Let me think about it.”
He heard Evan sigh and the two men talk quietly as he headed off to walk along the water’s edge. As he reached it and turned to walk along it, Rodney couldn’t help but notice the symbolism of the sand and the water. Lapras and Atlantis. Below his feet they merged effortlessly and he wished he could say the same for the conflicting parts inside of himself. Could it really be that easy?
Could he really be both Lapran and Lantean without having to make concessions for either part of himself? He had never truly cared what other people thought of him before his time on Lapras. Did he now? Or was he simply trying to at least partially conform to the way people remembered him to make his transition back to Atlantis easier on everyone?
His concessions for Elizabeth were one thing. They allowed him the freedom he had in the labs that he desperately needed. But if he was truthful with himself, he knew he didn’t need to do or be anything for anyone else. Just as before, he honestly didn’t care if they took him or left him.
Going over the two months he had been back in Atlantis, Rodney realized that his best memories stemmed from the times when he wasn’t trying to be either one or the other. And he realized that he really was over-thinking things.
If it didn’t matter what people thought, then why did he care when they gave him weird looks for not talking very much, or for the whole day – which had happened once or twice? Or that he wasn’t yelling at people for taking the last bit of coffee and not starting a new pot. Or for not drinking coffee at all for that matter. They could think what they wanted and, as long as it didn’t interfere with his life or the lives of anyone else, he wasn’t going to worry about it.
Chuck and Evan on the other hand – Rodney sighed and looked back towards the Jumper and saw the men sitting in the sand in front of it. He did still enjoy their company and continued to look forward to the next time he’d see either one or both of them. And he did still have feelings for them that he wanted to explore. They just weren’t making it easy for him. He just didn’t like how they had a tendency to make decisions for him. Or not let him make his own decisions period. He knew he had to stand up to them – and the sooner the better.
Maybe this trip would be good for something. It could give them a chance to clear the air between the three of them. And it would be a good way for them to get to know each other much better and focus on their relationship to see if this was something that they really wanted to pursue. Also, he hoped that being away from their normal surroundings would let Evan relax. This way he could be himself and not have to worry about the stupid “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy his military had going.
Determined, Rodney headed back to the Jumper. “Okay,” he told them when he returned. “I’m willing to stay for the duration. *But*. I have certain conditions that need to be met; if not, I will either make you take me back to Atlantis, or I will swim back.”
“All right,” Evan replied, looking somewhat contrite for having masterminded the trip. “What are your conditions?”
“That this trip isn’t about me specifically. I realize what I was doing wrong, and I doubt it will be a problem in the future. This trip is about us as a relationship, group, trio, triad, whatever. We’ve been going about this whole thing in a really shoddy way, and I don’t want it to be over before it even truly begins.”
Both men nodded in agreement as Rodney turned on Chuck with a glare. “And you. Stop letting yourself get cowed into things in this relationship. I know you have opinions and a backbone – I’ve heard you arguing for Canadian hockey with those football-saturated flyboys and winning. If you can’t handle standing up to us –”
“Then I shouldn’t be here,” Chuck finished. “Got it. So, if we’re staying, I vote for going in and putting our things away.” He stood and Evan followed. They both snagged their packs as they passed.
The three men went inside and found the hut was not only clean and in good repair, but it was nicely furnished. One large bed was against the far wall opposite the door with clean sheets and blankets on it with a lush, but slightly worn, carpet underneath it. Closer to the door was a sturdy wood table with worn chairs placed around it. On top of the table was a basket of fresh fruit and vegetables, along with a few loaves of bread and a wheel of cheese. There was also a counter on one wall, along with a stone fireplace in the wall that was set up so a pot could be hung over the fire. There were also cabinets, a couple of chests, and a chest of drawers spread along the walls that no doubt provided storage space. Strategically placed windows let light into the room.
Chuck and Evan made a beeline for the bed and placed their packs down on it. They began unpacking them and putting things away in the drawers and on top of the dresser. Rodney looked around the large room, amazed at the workmanship.
“I see you found everything all right,” Halling said as he came through the door, Jinto following behind. “We bought some meat and cider. Firewood is stacked outside of the hut and it gets cool in the evenings. There are also some towels in one of the chests, should you decide to go into the ocean.” They began unloading their bags onto the table.
“This is amazing,” Rodney said, still looking around the room. Seeing Halling, he said, “Hello, Halling. Thank you for doing this for us.”
“You’re quite welcome, Rodney,” Halling replied warmly. “I’m glad to see you home safe.”
“Thank you,” Rodney replied with a slight nod, and Evan and Chuck joined them.
“How are your studies coming, Jinto?” Evan asked, wanting to include the young man in the conversation.
Jinto shrugged. “They’re coming, but they’re tedious.”
Halling laughed. “Anything that’s not playing ball is tedious.” To Rodney, he said, “Jinto is studying the ways of our people to be our next leader.”
“Good for you, Jinto,” Rodney replied, surprised at how much the young man had grown in the last four cycles. He was now almost as tall as his father – and he had a teenager’s ungainly grace.
Jinto flushed as Halling said, “We’ll leave now to let you three finish settling in. And feel free to come into the settlement whenever you like.” After giving the three men the traditional Athosian forehead touch, Halling and Jinto left.
“Okay, what can I do?” Rodney asked them.
“How about getting some water?” Chuck asked. “I saw two buckets outside.”
“I can do that,” Rodney replied with a nod and headed out, glad to be of some use.
He found the buckets and headed off along the trail, easily finding the well. The physical work felt good and Rodney found that he missed the chores he had been responsible for on Lapras. Soon enough, he was carrying two full buckets back to the hut and placing them inside on the hearth to keep the water cool. He also brought in some firewood and laid out the first fire in the hearth, laying the rest in the bin.
After that, he puttered around in the kitchen area to see what they had in the way of utensils and found a number of familiar items. Smiling to himself, he looked through the available food items and remembered a few recipes that he would be able to easily tweak for their current foodstuffs.
“What are you doing, Rodney?” Chuck asked affectionately as Rodney pulled out the large pot and set it on the table.
Rodney looked up to see Chuck lounging on the bed, an amused look on his face, and Evan pulling a drawing pad and a pencil case out of his pack. “I was going to start dinner,” he replied matter-of-factly. “I know it’s still a few hours away, but this needs some time to cook properly. Feel like helping me out?”
Chuck shrugged and went over to the table, where Rodney was setting everything out. “What do you want me to do?”
“You can start by cutting these up finely,” Rodney told him, handing him a crude knife and a few tubers that looked like potatoes.
“Are you sure this knife is safe?” Chuck asked skeptically, turning it over in his hands.
“Don’t worry – it’s at least as clean as your hands. The Athosians can’t afford food poisoning. Besides, you’ve eaten the Athosians’ food before.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t actually see them prepare it.”
“Rodney’s right,” Evan replied as he sat down at the other end of the table with a drawing tablet and some pencils. “It may not seem like it, but most of the more rustic cultures have a very good sense of cleanliness – they have to.”
With a doubtful shrug, Chuck began cutting up the tubers while Rodney cut off a small piece of the smoked meat. Rodney smelled the piece before gingerly tasting it. With an approving nod, he cut off a generous hunk of the meat and then cut that up into smaller pieces. He began throwing the meat into the pot, along with various other vegetables as he cut them up, and then finally the tubers.
“How about getting the fire started?” Rodney asked Chuck.
Chuck nodded as he went to get the matches from his pack, seemingly grateful for not having to deal directly with the food. Rodney finished up putting the stew together as Chuck, after moving the water buckets aside, checked the chimney and lit the fire. Rodney took the pot over and added a bit of water before mixing everything together, hanging it on the hook, and swinging the pot to hang over the fire.
“You know, I don’t think this hut’s completely Athosian in design,” Rodney commented as he straightened up.
“It’s not,” Evan replied, looking up from his drawing. “The hut was actually one of the anthropologists’ ideas not long after you left. They wanted it to be a mix of our two cultures.”
“What are you drawing?” Chuck asked as he broke out of his reverie from watching the fire.
Evan blushed slightly as Chuck approached him, and Rodney went to start cleaning up but was definitely still listening. “Oh, it’s nothing,” he replied, trying to brush it off and hide the picture. “It’s just some doodling.”
Chuck took the picture. “If that’s doodling, I’d like to see you actually try.” He took the picture over to show Rodney. It was a sketch of Chuck and Rodney working on the stew. Chuck was concentrating on cutting up the tubers and Rodney was throwing some vegetables into the pot with one hand, the other one loosely holding the knife.
“That’s really good,” Rodney told him as Chuck handed the tablet back to Evan. “You know, I don’t think I’ve seen any of your work and I know you’ve been doing it pretty consistently since I’ve been back.”
Evan shrugged and blushed a little bit more. “I’ve gotten so used to not talking about it or showing it around that it’s become second nature for me.”
“I think one of our rules should be that you have to show us what you’re working on,” Chuck told him.
“And I’ll second that,” Rodney added. He put the knives away and threw the tiny bit of refuse into the pail.
“So, how exactly did you become a master chef?” Chuck asked him as he sat down on Evan’s right. “You’ve told us a fair amount about Lapras, but I don’t remember that being one of your stories.”
Rodney shrugged as he sat down across from Chuck. “There’s not much to tell in that regard. Everyone there is taught how to cook. It’s one of their basic survival skills. I doubt I’ll win any contests, but I can respectably feed the three of us.”
Evan sighed as he closed his sketchbook and sat back in his chair. “I think we need to talk about us. I think we got off on the wrong foot and now it feels like we’re starting to veer wildly off-course.”
“I agree,” Rodney replied with a nod. “I know I’m not very good at this whole relationship ‘thing’, and I know that with my track record, I’ve been hesitant to jump into this relationship – as attracted as I am to the two of you, and as intrigued as I am with how it would work with three people. Hell, you both know that I’m not usually good at social interactions in general, though I will admit that I’ve gotten better since my time on Lapras – where I was forced to deal with a number of things and, in general, they didn’t really let me be alone.”
“You’re not the only one who’s scared about this relationship,” Chuck told him as he fiddled with his hands. “I’ve had my fair share of bad relationships and worse break-ups. But I want this to work. I see the two of you and my stomach feels a little weird and I can’t help but think that this is it – that this is right.”
“Six words,” Evan said, “‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue’. I think we’ll be okay on the first two parts of that, considering how most people won’t care. But I’m going to completely disregard the third part, considering how much I want to pursue this, and I know that’ll get me into a lot of trouble if the wrong people find out at the wrong time. But I want this to work too – whatever *we* have to do to make it work.”
“I’m not going to lie,” Rodney told them. “I know that it’s going to be tough for me – just all of this in general. I’m still working through the fact that I’m both a Lapran and an Atlantean, and I should probably start seeing Heightmeyer about it when we get back. But if I can’t make it work on Atlantis, I might ask to be transferred back to Earth, since I doubt Elizabeth will let me go back to Lapras. Maybe I’ll even ask for some time off to go back to Earth for some leave or something and see if that helps me out at all. But if I do go back, I’m not going to ask the two of you to give up your positions in Atlantis. You both deserve your posts there.” He paused and his eyes widened. “Oh, my god. What about Jeannie?” He looked between the two of them. “She probably thinks I’m dead, doesn’t she? I’ve been so wrapped up in myself since I got back that I didn’t even think –”
“We told her that you went missing in action,” Evan told him, covering one of his hands with his own. “Sheppard wouldn’t let you be officially declared KIA. We hadn’t actually considered what would happen if we did find you, so I don’t know if she’s been told yet.”
“Oh, believe me, we would’ve heard if she’d been told,” Rodney told him. “I’ll need to email her or write her or something when we get back. And then she’ll probably kill me herself – or make me owe her for the rest of my life for putting her through that.”
“Let’s take things one day at a time,” Evan told him, gently squeezing Rodney’s hand. “And if the time comes, Chuck and I will make our own decisions about where we want to be.”
Chuck nodded and took Rodney’s other hand in his before taking Evan’s free hand in his. “I think we should just enjoy our time here and see what happens between the three of us. We already know each other pretty damn well with all the time we’ve spent together, so we should be past the awkward stage.” Looking over his shoulder at the pot on the fire, he said, “So, how long does that have to cook?”
“A few hours,” Rodney replied. He extracted his hands from theirs and went over to check on the stew, slowly stirring it before tasting it. “But it’s pretty self-sufficient; so as long as we don’t go too far, we shouldn’t have to stand over it.”
Chuck grinned as he stood. “Good, because we’re on vacation and I want to enjoy it.”
“How long exactly do we have here?” Rodney asked as he pushed the pot back over the fire.
“Four days,” Evan told him as he also stood. “So, what are we going to do first?”
“I think we should go swimming,” Chuck replied with an impish grin, and Evan smiled as well.
“We don’t have bathing suits, do we?” Rodney asked them, confused.
“Nope,” Chuck replied, his grin turning downright wicked as he quickly kissed Rodney on the lips before heading over to the bed, pulling his shirt over his head along the way. “Something tells me you’ve never skinny-dipped before, Rodney.”
“That’s an understatement of the century,” Rodney replied indignantly. “Do you know how fair my skin is? I’ll burn to a crisp!”
Pulling a tube of sunscreen out of his pack, Evan replied, “Then we better make sure we get *everything* – *thoroughly*.”
“You are both evil!” Rodney practically yelped as they advanced on him.
“But you still love us,” Chuck replied as he nuzzled Rodney’s neck.
Rodney let out a small moan before stepping back and taking a deep breath. “No. You two go. I’ll watch from the beach – where I won’t turn into a lobster.”
“Your loss,” Evan told him with a shrug. “But we will get you in the water before the end of the trip.”
The two men were out of the rest of their clothes and out of the hut so quickly, it made Rodney’s head spin. He grabbed some towels out of the chest and the sunscreen before heading out after them. They were already frolicking in the water when he reached the edge of the water, but still inside the safety zone where he wouldn’t get drenched. Rodney spread out a towel to sit on before slathering himself with sunscreen and sitting down to watch them.
Rodney couldn’t help but smile as he watched them. They were acting like little kids and considering the pressures they usually felt on Atlantis, he knew how good it felt to be relieved of them for a few days – even if they were only a quick radio call away.
As he watched, he also realized how much he was enjoying the view. They were both gorgeous – and that included the parts of them that he hadn’t seen when they had staged their little ‘intervention’. As he felt the lust settle in, he was glad he was still clothed and sitting on the beach.
And it made him wonder what they saw in him. He wasn’t good-looking by anyone’s standards. He may have lost weight and gained some muscle while he was on Lapras, but he knew his body was nothing amazing to look at and he didn’t have movie star looks and his mouth had the weird down-turn on one side. And he was still Rodney, regardless of the strides he had made.
Chuck and Evan came out of the water, both huffing slightly and grinning like fools. “You should come in, the water’s great,” Chuck said as he leaned down to grab a towel, excess water dripping onto Rodney.
“No, I’m good,” Rodney practically squeaked.
“Your loss – it’s amazing,” Evan told him as he threw down his towel. “Race you,” he said to Chuck.
They took off across the sand, running about 30 feet before the race devolved into the two of them pushing each other until they both fell into the water with a splash. Rodney shook his head as he watched the two of them, wondering what he was missing.
When Evan and Chuck finally wore themselves out, they happily sprawled out on towels on either side of Rodney to dry off in the waning sunlight. He hoped his shock at how unaware they seemed to be with their nakedness didn’t show. And he hoped he wasn’t staring – much.
“You have no idea what you missed,” Chuck told Rodney happily, affectionately patting Rodney’s hip.
“He’ll come around,” Evan replied from where he had an arm lazily draped over his eyes.
Rodney was more concerned with how he was going to get back into the hut without them noticing that he was half hard.
When the time came, it was actually easy enough – Chuck and Evan wrapped their towels around their waists and Rodney carried his in front of him. As they walked back across the beach to the hut, Rodney thought of everything he found to be unappealing and definitely not sexy and was able to get himself under control before they got inside.
While they were gone the stew had filled the hut with an appetizing smell, and both Chuck and Evan’s stomachs growled as soon as they got inside. And Rodney had to admit that he did feel a little off as it registered how hungry he had gotten. As he checked the stew – which was finished – Evan lit a few of the lanterns placed around the room and then joined Chuck in getting dressed. With much effort, Rodney gave his full attention to slicing some bread and cheese, finding bowls, cups, and utensils, and setting the table.
Evan stole a piece of cheese off the plate Rodney was setting on the table and, when Rodney glared at him, gave him a mischievous grin before a peck on the cheek. “It smells great, Rodney,” he said as he sat down and popped the cheese into his mouth, and Chuck joined them at the table.
Rodney blushed a little but didn’t say anything as he dished out the stew. The three men ate quietly and while Rodney was happy with how the stew had turned out, he hoped that Chuck and Evan enjoyed it.
“Is there any more?” Chuck finally asked.
“I think when we get back we need to overthrow the cooking staff and have Rodney cook for us,” Evan replied with a grin as he sat back.
Rodney blushed as he stood and got them both seconds, but inside he was pleased that it had gone over so well. Chuck and Evan helped him clean up when they finished eating. Afterwards, the three men played cards well into the evening before falling into bed wearing only their underwear.
Even though Chuck and Evan dropped off quickly, it took Rodney a little while to fall asleep. It finally hit him that they were really doing this and that he wanted it – badly. Tentatively, he burrowed his face into Chuck’s shoulder – who sighed and shifted slightly before falling back into a deep sleep, one hand over Rodney’s. Comfortable, Rodney fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, however, proved a new challenge for him. Rodney woke up with a raging hard on. That wasn’t anything new. The bad part, however, was that he was pressed tightly against Chuck’s back, their legs tangled together. His arm was reaching across Chuck and holding on to Evan’s upper arm, and he could feel Evan had a good grip on his elbow.
Rodney slowly and carefully started to extricate himself from them, hoping he wouldn’t wake either of them, and that he could go take of himself without either of them being the wiser. But as he was just about done, both Chuck and Evan stretched and slowly opened their eyes.
“Good morning,” Evan said softly, smiling at both of them. And from the look in his eyes, Rodney knew right then that they were in the same situation he was in. This was just great.
“So,” Chuck replied nonchalantly as he turned onto his back. “Since all three of us are together…” he trailed off.
“I’m definitely game,” Evan replied.
Before Rodney was able to process what was going on, Evan had slid down the bed, pulled down Chuck’s underwear and taken Chuck’s erection into his mouth. Rodney watched in fascination as Evan swallowed Chuck’s cock. He watched as Chuck’s breathing became faster and harder as Evan’s mouth moved up and down on Chuck’s cock and, every so often would pause so he could swirl his tongue around the tip. The whole time, Chuck gently met Evan’s mouth with careful thrusts of his hips. Chuck froze and gasped and Rodney watched as Evan happily drank Chuck’s semen. When they had finished, Evan crawled back up the bed and kissed Chuck deeply. In the meantime, Rodney’s brain had caught up just enough to crash again at the sight of Evan’s mouth around Chuck’s cock and he felt a spark of desire flare and settle in his stomach, causing him to harden even more.
The next thing he knew, Chuck had pushed Evan’s underwear out of the way and had his hand wrapped around Evan’s cock and was confidently stroking it, his grip tighter on the upstroke and his thumb rubbing over the head on every pass. Evan’s eyes were closed and he was breathing through his mouth as he rocked into Chuck’s hand. He didn’t last long either and he buried his face in Chuck’s shoulder as he came into Chuck’s waiting hand, his whole body shaking. Chuck licked Evan’s semen off of his hand as Evan recovered, the whole time watching Rodney, who was staring at the two of them, mouth agape. Watching the two of them together was the hottest thing he had ever seen and he couldn’t believe this was happening to him.
“So, what’ll it be, Rodney?” Evan finally asked. “Care to join us?”
Chuck playfully walked two fingers down Rodney’s chest to his waistband and then withdrew his hand as Rodney’s hips automatically thrust forward a bit, his straining erection wanting release as soon as possible. Both Chuck and Evan laughed softly and Evan raised an eyebrow. When Rodney tried to respond, no words came out, so he nodded silently. Before he knew what was happening, Chuck was behind him and he and Evan had Rodney’s underwear down and they both had a hand on his straining erection, and they were slowly and surely caressing his cock. Rodney slowly closed his eyes and let himself get caught up in the sensation. He was sure their hands on his cock would overload him, but they knew exactly what to do to take him to the edge and hold him there. He had never felt so wonderful in his life and knew that no matter what apprehensions he may have had about this, about them, he was where he was supposed to be. Far too quickly he felt himself fall over the edge and ejaculated.
He took a moment to collect himself once he had finished before slowly opening his eyes to see Evan grinning at him and then lean into kiss him. When Evan pulled away, Chuck shifted behind him, and leaned over to awkwardly kiss Rodney as well. Rodney tasted semen on both of them and instead of grossing him out, it stroked the embers of desire inside of him. As they got up to start the day, Rodney felt that they just might make it and that maybe having sex wouldn’t be the end of the world – though time would tell on that one.
The rest of their vacation was a happy blur of swimming, playing on the beach, visiting with the Athosians, and enjoying every moment with Chuck and Evan. Rodney had never felt so relaxed and at peace in his life. They even managed to get him skinny-dipping the last day they were there and Rodney had to admit that it was one of the best experiences of his life – if only for the fact that when he finally dropped the towel that he’d had a death grip on since the hut, Chuck and Evan’s gazes were both openly appreciative and desirous.
That night, when they went to bed, they made love again. Chuck had actually initiated it by kissing both of them passionately before turning onto his stomach and telling them both in no uncertain terms that he wanted both of them to fuck him. Evan produced a tube of lube that he had hidden under one of the pillows earlier that day and looked at Rodney questioningly. Rodney swallowed dryly and nodded, wanting whatever was going to happen more than anything. Before they fell asleep, completely sated and happy, not only had they both made love to Chuck, but there had been a few blow jobs and hand jobs and who-knows-what-else.
They took their time the next morning to clean up the hut, stopping frequently to steal kisses or touches. Some of the Athosian women stopped by on their way to the ocean to get the dirty linens just as they finished.
Rodney sighed as they settle into the Puddle Jumper for the ride home. “I wish we had longer.”
“It’s not like we won’t be able to go back,” Chuck told him.
“I know, but…” Rodney trailed off and looked out the windshield. The rest of the trip was quiet – each man lost in their own thoughts.
When they got back to Atlantis, Rodney was feeling a little shaky and he fiddled with the strap of his medicinal pouch as he said, “Look, I know we said we’d unpack and then get lunch together, but I need to go get something to eat. I’ll catch you two later?”
Both Chuck and Evan nodded and waved him off, and Rodney hurried off to the mess hall. When he arrived it was packed with the lunch rush, and it took him a while to get through the food line and even longer to find a seat. He finally found an open seat by one of the windows. The other person occupying the small table was a heavily pregnant scientist – who Rodney was pretty sure was an archeologist, or possibly a meteorologist – he wasn’t quite sure.
“May I sit?” he asked.
“Please,” she replied with a smile. “Normally I don’t come now, but the baby wanted its lunch.” She placed a hand on her stomach.
“How far along are you?” he asked as he sat down.
“I’m due any day now and I can’t wait.”
“Congratulations,” Rodney told her.
They had a companionable meal and chit-chatted as they ate. She finished first and stood. “Have a good rest of your day, Rodney,” she said happily.
“You too, Mary,” he replied.
She took two steps and doubled over and Rodney was by her side instantly.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I’ve been having false contractions,” she told him, wide-eyed. “Carson said everything was fine, though, and that I should go about my day and told me what to look for with real ones. But I think my water just broke.”
Rodney tapped his earpiece. “Carson, we’ve got a woman going into labor down here in the mess hall.”
“Unless her life is in danger, I’m a little busy, Rodney,” Carson’s voice came over the radio. “We had two teams come in hot and they’re all banged up pretty bad.”
“Okay,” Rodney muttered to himself as he helped Mary back to her chair. Kneeling in front of her and taking her hands in his, he said, “Keep breathing steadily, Mary, okay?” She nodded. “You and your baby will be just fine.”
“Have you ever delivered a baby before, Rodney?”
“Yes – and both mother and baby were just fine. How are you feeling?”
“I’m doing okay – all things considered. But the contractions are coming frequently now.”
“Good.” He gave her a reassuring smile as he opened up his pouch. “Damn,” he muttered to himself. “I’m going to need more toliara leaves.” He looked up and saw an inquisitive crowd was starting to grow around them. “You,” he pointed at one of the Marines. “I need blankets and pillows now. And you,” he pointed at Katie Brown, “I need more of these.” He pushed the toliara leaves into her hands. Both of them blinked at him. “*Go!*” he bellowed and they jumped and did as he asked. “And as for the rest of you – go away! There’s nothing to see here! If you want to know how a baby’s born – go watch the Discovery Channel or ask Carson.” Some people sheepishly left, but many stayed.
Rodney gently massaged Mary’s knees as he watched her pants get wetter. “Okay, Mary,” he told her, “as soon as they get back, we’re going to get you comfortable and deliver that baby, okay?” She nodded mutely. “Have you picked out a name?”
“Scott if it’s a boy and Jill if it’s a girl,” she replied quietly.
“And the baby’s father?” he asked.
“He’s still back on Earth. I accidentally got pregnant just before I came, and I didn’t know. Once I did, I couldn’t –.” She looked away and blinked a few times.
“You’re going to be a great mother,” he told her reassuringly.
The Marine and Katie both showed up at the same time. Rodney helped them set up the blankets, then helped Mary lay down, facing the window to give her a little privacy. He helped her ease out of her pants and underwear and gave her a few of the leaves to chew on.
“They’re called toliara leaves on Lapras,” he told her. “They’ll help your muscles relax to ease the birth and they’ll also help ease the pain. They’re completely natural and non-addictive and will be out of your system in a few hours. If you need more, just let me know.”
She nodded again and Rodney began checking her out. He was thankful that she had wide hips – it would make the birth easier for both her and the baby. As he examined her vagina, he saw the baby was properly lined up and already starting to crown.
The birth felt almost anti-climatic to Rodney. The baby – a girl – came out easily and quickly with minimal work on Mary’s part and started breathing and crying almost immediately. Rodney cleaned up the baby as best he could with one of the extra blankets before wrapping her up in a clean one. He took the clean knife that someone offered him and cut the umbilical cord and tied it off with a piece of string from his pouch. Mary smiled as she took the baby from Rodney and he began cleaning her up.
“Would you all please move?” a voice asked loudly as Rodney finished. “I’m sure whatever you’re staring at isn’t as interesting as you think it is.” As the crowd began to break up, Carson broke through with a gurney. “I see you’ve got everything under control, Rodney,” he commented dryly.
“Yeah, that was something I kind of forgot to tell you,” Rodney replied, looking sheepish. “I got medical training while I was on Lapras. It’s nowhere near your level of expertise, but…”
“Well, let’s get Dr. Smith and her wee one back to the infirmary so we can check them out more fully.”
Rodney helped Mary stand and then he and Carson helped her onto the gurney. After draping a blanket over her lower half, he gathered up the rest of the blankets and her clothes before following them to the infirmary, where he dropped the items in the wash basket as soon as he arrived.
“Thank you, Rodney,” Mary said to him after she and the baby had been transferred to a bed and as Carson began checking her and the baby.
“You’re quite welcome, Mary,” he replied. “I gave her some toliara leaves, Carson.”
“Some what?” Carson asked, looking at Rodney confused.
“Some toliara leaves,” he repeated and handed them over. “They help relax the vaginal muscles and reduce the pain of childbirth,” Rodney added. “They’ll be out of her system in a few hours.”
“I’ve seen some references to these,” Carson commented before pushing Rodney to the side so he could finish checking out his patients and cleaning up the baby. When he was finished, he said, “Everything appears to be fine, but we’re going to keep you overnight, Mary, just in case.”
She nodded sleepily. “Thanks again, Rodney.”
“You’re welcome,” he told her. “I’ll be back in the morning to check on you and Jill.”
He left the infirmary and headed back to his quarters to clean up. On the way his stomach growled and he realized that in the process of helping Mary, he hadn’t finished his lunch and that it was now a few hours later – and dinner time.
“What happened to you?” Chuck asked when Rodney entered his quarters. Both he and Evan looked surprised and concerned.
“It’s not mine,” Rodney said as he stripped off his shirt. “Dr. Smith went into labor in the mess hall during lunch. And you two have to stop hanging out in my quarters. I know things are more relaxed now, but it’s not all that covert. Let me get cleaned up and we can go get dinner, if you two want,” he told them as he headed into the bathroom.
Rodney felt himself relax as they ate dinner. He was with his lovers and everything was okay for the time being. A few people also stopped by their table to congratulate him on the baby’s delivery.
“I have a feeling my email is going to be swamped for the next few days,” Rodney told them, putting his head in his hands.
“Well, I know a good way to take your mind off of it,” Evan told him and grinned as they stood to leave.
“So – movie in my place?” Chuck asked and they nodded.
Continue to Part 27
The complete header can be found in part 1.
Previous parts can be found here.
After that night, things quieted back down.
Elizabeth told him she would take some time to consider his *lengthy* proposal and would get back to him. Rodney knew he had put more than enough into the proposal, but he knew that he only had one shot at it, so he had wanted to make sure that Elizabeth would see the opportunities he saw.
He continued working on his projects, slowly making progress and wishing he was able to publish his findings because the things he was discovering were so amazing that they shouldn’t be kept hidden – which they most likely would be in one the SGC’s vaults or at Area 51, if they even got back to the Milky Way galaxy.
And Chuck and Evan backed off. A little. Kind of. Not really. They were just more covert. Rodney should’ve known he shouldn’t trust someone with Special Ops training after he’d seen what John could do. And Chuck was just plain sneaky – but he probably should’ve figured that, considering how much time Chuck spent in the Control Room. He *knew* things.
Which was why he was getting fresh fruit first thing off the next Daedalus run. And why his Lapran clothing practically shone when Chuck brought it back from the laundry for him. He even found a small plant carefully packed into a paper cup on his workstation after one of Evan’s off-world missions.
That gave him an idea and he rushed off with it to the botany department to get a proper pot for it. While he was there, he asked Katie Brown, “This might be a long shot, but has the part of the Ancient database that deals with plant life been put onto our main server?”
“Yeah, it was done a while ago,” she replied, her brow furrowing as she tamped down the dirt around the plant. “I’ll admit, Rodney, you never struck me as the plant type.”
“Well, it’s a new thing,” he replied with a smile as he picked up the plant. “Thank you.”
He took the plant back with him to the lab and, smiling at it, set it on the edge of his workstation. He easily found the database and spent every available moment of the next few days combing through it. It was slow going due to the fact that it was still primarily in Ancient, with only parts of it translated into English and he only knew the Lapran names. But he eventually found all of the Lapran medicinal plants and made notes of their Ancient and English names. He also talked more with Katie to see which ones they had in the greenhouses and was happy to find that they had nearly all of them and the ones they didn’t were fairly rare anyway.
“I hope you found what you were looking for, Rodney,” Katie commented as Rodney took some toliara leaves to replace the ones that had become too dry.
“I think I did, thank you,” he replied distractedly as he checked the rest of his pouch to see if he needed to replace anything else, but it all checked out.
“I hope we’ll be seeing more of you down here now,” she told him with a shy smile.
Rodney had never understood the crush she seemed to be nursing for him – their one date had been a total disaster and that alone should have been enough to put her off – but it was almost cute compared to Sheppard’s. “We’ll see,” he replied with a smile as he hopped off the counter. “Have a good day, Katie,” he told her with a slight bow before heading out.
As he left the botany labs, Rodney mentally kicked himself for the fiftieth time for not doing this sooner. He knew that Atlantis had Carson and his competent staff, but Rodney still felt better knowing that his own bases were covered.
After detouring to the mess hall for a quick lunch, Rodney headed back to his quarters to leave his pouch and to change to go down to his lab. Chuck and Evan were waiting inside for him, and, before Rodney was able to process that and ask what the hell they were doing in his quarters, they were herding him out of the room and down to the Jumper Bay.
Halfway there, Rodney got his bearings again and asked them, “Okay, what the hell is going on? And why do you both have packs? Oh my God, you’re kidnapping me, aren’t you? I knew this relationship was too good to be true! Let me go!”
“We’re not kidnapping you, McKay,” Evan told him dryly. “Dr. Weir and Dr. Zelenka know what we’re doing and where we’re going.”
“Where exactly are we going?” Rodney asked them, looking between them.
“The mainland,” Chuck replied. “We’re going to be staying with the Athosians for a few days.”
“Ummm… why?” Rodney asked in his best ‘you all are insane’ voice.
“We figured that you needed to get away for a while,” Evan responded. “I think your return to Atlantis was more of a shock than you expected and that’s why you don’t feel like you fit in any more. I think once you’ve had some time to decompress in a neutral place with people you trust, you’ll feel a lot better.”
“Or I just don’t,” Rodney replied sharply. “And is that your expert opinion?”
“It is,” Evan replied as he entered one of the Jumpers and stowed his pack. Chuck followed suit and Rodney dumbly wandered into the Jumper after them.
“I hope one of you bothered to pack clothes for me,” Rodney told them as they started the preflight check. “Because I’m not wearing these clothes for however long we’re there, and I’m not going naked.”
“Don’t worry, we’ve got your clothes and stuff split between our packs,” Chuck told him off-handedly. “We wanted to be able to leave as soon as you got back to your quarters.”
“And what if I didn’t come back when I did? And how did you two get in, anyway?”
“We would have waited – or called you on your comm,” Chuck replied, still nonchalant, as Evan radioed the Control Room. “And we got in because you keyed us both in three weeks ago – remember? Something about trusting us and feeling weird that you were the only one who could get in there after there not being any locks in Lapras?”
“Oh, right,” Rodney huffed as he sat down behind Evan as Evan got the confirmation to go.
The ride to the mainland was fairly quiet. Evan worked with Chuck on his flying skills and Rodney sulked for part of the trip, feeling that he had been left out of an important decision regarding his own welfare. But he involuntarily sucked in a breath when they got their first glimpse of the mainland. He had forgotten how beautiful it was, and he avidly watched it draw closer for the rest of the ride. Evan landed them gently along the tree line along the head of the beach and not far from a solitary hut.
Once Chuck and Evan had disembarked, Rodney said, “I thought we were staying with the Athosians.”
“We are – sort of,” Evan replied. “Their settlement is about 45 minutes inland. Once we get settled, we should let them know we’re here.” He and Chuck turned and headed across the sand.
Rodney crossed his arms and stood at the top of the ramp. “I don’t know if I want to do this,” he told them.
“Why not?” Evan asked as they turned back to him.
“Because the two of you decided what was best for me without consulting me. What if I wanted to do it differently? Or not at all? And if I need mental help so much, I had a perfectly lovely relationship with Heightmeyer before all of this began and I would much rather go back to her than some *hack*.” He glared at Evan.
“You’re right,” Chuck told him. “What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. Let me think about it.”
He heard Evan sigh and the two men talk quietly as he headed off to walk along the water’s edge. As he reached it and turned to walk along it, Rodney couldn’t help but notice the symbolism of the sand and the water. Lapras and Atlantis. Below his feet they merged effortlessly and he wished he could say the same for the conflicting parts inside of himself. Could it really be that easy?
Could he really be both Lapran and Lantean without having to make concessions for either part of himself? He had never truly cared what other people thought of him before his time on Lapras. Did he now? Or was he simply trying to at least partially conform to the way people remembered him to make his transition back to Atlantis easier on everyone?
His concessions for Elizabeth were one thing. They allowed him the freedom he had in the labs that he desperately needed. But if he was truthful with himself, he knew he didn’t need to do or be anything for anyone else. Just as before, he honestly didn’t care if they took him or left him.
Going over the two months he had been back in Atlantis, Rodney realized that his best memories stemmed from the times when he wasn’t trying to be either one or the other. And he realized that he really was over-thinking things.
If it didn’t matter what people thought, then why did he care when they gave him weird looks for not talking very much, or for the whole day – which had happened once or twice? Or that he wasn’t yelling at people for taking the last bit of coffee and not starting a new pot. Or for not drinking coffee at all for that matter. They could think what they wanted and, as long as it didn’t interfere with his life or the lives of anyone else, he wasn’t going to worry about it.
Chuck and Evan on the other hand – Rodney sighed and looked back towards the Jumper and saw the men sitting in the sand in front of it. He did still enjoy their company and continued to look forward to the next time he’d see either one or both of them. And he did still have feelings for them that he wanted to explore. They just weren’t making it easy for him. He just didn’t like how they had a tendency to make decisions for him. Or not let him make his own decisions period. He knew he had to stand up to them – and the sooner the better.
Maybe this trip would be good for something. It could give them a chance to clear the air between the three of them. And it would be a good way for them to get to know each other much better and focus on their relationship to see if this was something that they really wanted to pursue. Also, he hoped that being away from their normal surroundings would let Evan relax. This way he could be himself and not have to worry about the stupid “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy his military had going.
Determined, Rodney headed back to the Jumper. “Okay,” he told them when he returned. “I’m willing to stay for the duration. *But*. I have certain conditions that need to be met; if not, I will either make you take me back to Atlantis, or I will swim back.”
“All right,” Evan replied, looking somewhat contrite for having masterminded the trip. “What are your conditions?”
“That this trip isn’t about me specifically. I realize what I was doing wrong, and I doubt it will be a problem in the future. This trip is about us as a relationship, group, trio, triad, whatever. We’ve been going about this whole thing in a really shoddy way, and I don’t want it to be over before it even truly begins.”
Both men nodded in agreement as Rodney turned on Chuck with a glare. “And you. Stop letting yourself get cowed into things in this relationship. I know you have opinions and a backbone – I’ve heard you arguing for Canadian hockey with those football-saturated flyboys and winning. If you can’t handle standing up to us –”
“Then I shouldn’t be here,” Chuck finished. “Got it. So, if we’re staying, I vote for going in and putting our things away.” He stood and Evan followed. They both snagged their packs as they passed.
The three men went inside and found the hut was not only clean and in good repair, but it was nicely furnished. One large bed was against the far wall opposite the door with clean sheets and blankets on it with a lush, but slightly worn, carpet underneath it. Closer to the door was a sturdy wood table with worn chairs placed around it. On top of the table was a basket of fresh fruit and vegetables, along with a few loaves of bread and a wheel of cheese. There was also a counter on one wall, along with a stone fireplace in the wall that was set up so a pot could be hung over the fire. There were also cabinets, a couple of chests, and a chest of drawers spread along the walls that no doubt provided storage space. Strategically placed windows let light into the room.
Chuck and Evan made a beeline for the bed and placed their packs down on it. They began unpacking them and putting things away in the drawers and on top of the dresser. Rodney looked around the large room, amazed at the workmanship.
“I see you found everything all right,” Halling said as he came through the door, Jinto following behind. “We bought some meat and cider. Firewood is stacked outside of the hut and it gets cool in the evenings. There are also some towels in one of the chests, should you decide to go into the ocean.” They began unloading their bags onto the table.
“This is amazing,” Rodney said, still looking around the room. Seeing Halling, he said, “Hello, Halling. Thank you for doing this for us.”
“You’re quite welcome, Rodney,” Halling replied warmly. “I’m glad to see you home safe.”
“Thank you,” Rodney replied with a slight nod, and Evan and Chuck joined them.
“How are your studies coming, Jinto?” Evan asked, wanting to include the young man in the conversation.
Jinto shrugged. “They’re coming, but they’re tedious.”
Halling laughed. “Anything that’s not playing ball is tedious.” To Rodney, he said, “Jinto is studying the ways of our people to be our next leader.”
“Good for you, Jinto,” Rodney replied, surprised at how much the young man had grown in the last four cycles. He was now almost as tall as his father – and he had a teenager’s ungainly grace.
Jinto flushed as Halling said, “We’ll leave now to let you three finish settling in. And feel free to come into the settlement whenever you like.” After giving the three men the traditional Athosian forehead touch, Halling and Jinto left.
“Okay, what can I do?” Rodney asked them.
“How about getting some water?” Chuck asked. “I saw two buckets outside.”
“I can do that,” Rodney replied with a nod and headed out, glad to be of some use.
He found the buckets and headed off along the trail, easily finding the well. The physical work felt good and Rodney found that he missed the chores he had been responsible for on Lapras. Soon enough, he was carrying two full buckets back to the hut and placing them inside on the hearth to keep the water cool. He also brought in some firewood and laid out the first fire in the hearth, laying the rest in the bin.
After that, he puttered around in the kitchen area to see what they had in the way of utensils and found a number of familiar items. Smiling to himself, he looked through the available food items and remembered a few recipes that he would be able to easily tweak for their current foodstuffs.
“What are you doing, Rodney?” Chuck asked affectionately as Rodney pulled out the large pot and set it on the table.
Rodney looked up to see Chuck lounging on the bed, an amused look on his face, and Evan pulling a drawing pad and a pencil case out of his pack. “I was going to start dinner,” he replied matter-of-factly. “I know it’s still a few hours away, but this needs some time to cook properly. Feel like helping me out?”
Chuck shrugged and went over to the table, where Rodney was setting everything out. “What do you want me to do?”
“You can start by cutting these up finely,” Rodney told him, handing him a crude knife and a few tubers that looked like potatoes.
“Are you sure this knife is safe?” Chuck asked skeptically, turning it over in his hands.
“Don’t worry – it’s at least as clean as your hands. The Athosians can’t afford food poisoning. Besides, you’ve eaten the Athosians’ food before.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t actually see them prepare it.”
“Rodney’s right,” Evan replied as he sat down at the other end of the table with a drawing tablet and some pencils. “It may not seem like it, but most of the more rustic cultures have a very good sense of cleanliness – they have to.”
With a doubtful shrug, Chuck began cutting up the tubers while Rodney cut off a small piece of the smoked meat. Rodney smelled the piece before gingerly tasting it. With an approving nod, he cut off a generous hunk of the meat and then cut that up into smaller pieces. He began throwing the meat into the pot, along with various other vegetables as he cut them up, and then finally the tubers.
“How about getting the fire started?” Rodney asked Chuck.
Chuck nodded as he went to get the matches from his pack, seemingly grateful for not having to deal directly with the food. Rodney finished up putting the stew together as Chuck, after moving the water buckets aside, checked the chimney and lit the fire. Rodney took the pot over and added a bit of water before mixing everything together, hanging it on the hook, and swinging the pot to hang over the fire.
“You know, I don’t think this hut’s completely Athosian in design,” Rodney commented as he straightened up.
“It’s not,” Evan replied, looking up from his drawing. “The hut was actually one of the anthropologists’ ideas not long after you left. They wanted it to be a mix of our two cultures.”
“What are you drawing?” Chuck asked as he broke out of his reverie from watching the fire.
Evan blushed slightly as Chuck approached him, and Rodney went to start cleaning up but was definitely still listening. “Oh, it’s nothing,” he replied, trying to brush it off and hide the picture. “It’s just some doodling.”
Chuck took the picture. “If that’s doodling, I’d like to see you actually try.” He took the picture over to show Rodney. It was a sketch of Chuck and Rodney working on the stew. Chuck was concentrating on cutting up the tubers and Rodney was throwing some vegetables into the pot with one hand, the other one loosely holding the knife.
“That’s really good,” Rodney told him as Chuck handed the tablet back to Evan. “You know, I don’t think I’ve seen any of your work and I know you’ve been doing it pretty consistently since I’ve been back.”
Evan shrugged and blushed a little bit more. “I’ve gotten so used to not talking about it or showing it around that it’s become second nature for me.”
“I think one of our rules should be that you have to show us what you’re working on,” Chuck told him.
“And I’ll second that,” Rodney added. He put the knives away and threw the tiny bit of refuse into the pail.
“So, how exactly did you become a master chef?” Chuck asked him as he sat down on Evan’s right. “You’ve told us a fair amount about Lapras, but I don’t remember that being one of your stories.”
Rodney shrugged as he sat down across from Chuck. “There’s not much to tell in that regard. Everyone there is taught how to cook. It’s one of their basic survival skills. I doubt I’ll win any contests, but I can respectably feed the three of us.”
Evan sighed as he closed his sketchbook and sat back in his chair. “I think we need to talk about us. I think we got off on the wrong foot and now it feels like we’re starting to veer wildly off-course.”
“I agree,” Rodney replied with a nod. “I know I’m not very good at this whole relationship ‘thing’, and I know that with my track record, I’ve been hesitant to jump into this relationship – as attracted as I am to the two of you, and as intrigued as I am with how it would work with three people. Hell, you both know that I’m not usually good at social interactions in general, though I will admit that I’ve gotten better since my time on Lapras – where I was forced to deal with a number of things and, in general, they didn’t really let me be alone.”
“You’re not the only one who’s scared about this relationship,” Chuck told him as he fiddled with his hands. “I’ve had my fair share of bad relationships and worse break-ups. But I want this to work. I see the two of you and my stomach feels a little weird and I can’t help but think that this is it – that this is right.”
“Six words,” Evan said, “‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, Don’t Pursue’. I think we’ll be okay on the first two parts of that, considering how most people won’t care. But I’m going to completely disregard the third part, considering how much I want to pursue this, and I know that’ll get me into a lot of trouble if the wrong people find out at the wrong time. But I want this to work too – whatever *we* have to do to make it work.”
“I’m not going to lie,” Rodney told them. “I know that it’s going to be tough for me – just all of this in general. I’m still working through the fact that I’m both a Lapran and an Atlantean, and I should probably start seeing Heightmeyer about it when we get back. But if I can’t make it work on Atlantis, I might ask to be transferred back to Earth, since I doubt Elizabeth will let me go back to Lapras. Maybe I’ll even ask for some time off to go back to Earth for some leave or something and see if that helps me out at all. But if I do go back, I’m not going to ask the two of you to give up your positions in Atlantis. You both deserve your posts there.” He paused and his eyes widened. “Oh, my god. What about Jeannie?” He looked between the two of them. “She probably thinks I’m dead, doesn’t she? I’ve been so wrapped up in myself since I got back that I didn’t even think –”
“We told her that you went missing in action,” Evan told him, covering one of his hands with his own. “Sheppard wouldn’t let you be officially declared KIA. We hadn’t actually considered what would happen if we did find you, so I don’t know if she’s been told yet.”
“Oh, believe me, we would’ve heard if she’d been told,” Rodney told him. “I’ll need to email her or write her or something when we get back. And then she’ll probably kill me herself – or make me owe her for the rest of my life for putting her through that.”
“Let’s take things one day at a time,” Evan told him, gently squeezing Rodney’s hand. “And if the time comes, Chuck and I will make our own decisions about where we want to be.”
Chuck nodded and took Rodney’s other hand in his before taking Evan’s free hand in his. “I think we should just enjoy our time here and see what happens between the three of us. We already know each other pretty damn well with all the time we’ve spent together, so we should be past the awkward stage.” Looking over his shoulder at the pot on the fire, he said, “So, how long does that have to cook?”
“A few hours,” Rodney replied. He extracted his hands from theirs and went over to check on the stew, slowly stirring it before tasting it. “But it’s pretty self-sufficient; so as long as we don’t go too far, we shouldn’t have to stand over it.”
Chuck grinned as he stood. “Good, because we’re on vacation and I want to enjoy it.”
“How long exactly do we have here?” Rodney asked as he pushed the pot back over the fire.
“Four days,” Evan told him as he also stood. “So, what are we going to do first?”
“I think we should go swimming,” Chuck replied with an impish grin, and Evan smiled as well.
“We don’t have bathing suits, do we?” Rodney asked them, confused.
“Nope,” Chuck replied, his grin turning downright wicked as he quickly kissed Rodney on the lips before heading over to the bed, pulling his shirt over his head along the way. “Something tells me you’ve never skinny-dipped before, Rodney.”
“That’s an understatement of the century,” Rodney replied indignantly. “Do you know how fair my skin is? I’ll burn to a crisp!”
Pulling a tube of sunscreen out of his pack, Evan replied, “Then we better make sure we get *everything* – *thoroughly*.”
“You are both evil!” Rodney practically yelped as they advanced on him.
“But you still love us,” Chuck replied as he nuzzled Rodney’s neck.
Rodney let out a small moan before stepping back and taking a deep breath. “No. You two go. I’ll watch from the beach – where I won’t turn into a lobster.”
“Your loss,” Evan told him with a shrug. “But we will get you in the water before the end of the trip.”
The two men were out of the rest of their clothes and out of the hut so quickly, it made Rodney’s head spin. He grabbed some towels out of the chest and the sunscreen before heading out after them. They were already frolicking in the water when he reached the edge of the water, but still inside the safety zone where he wouldn’t get drenched. Rodney spread out a towel to sit on before slathering himself with sunscreen and sitting down to watch them.
Rodney couldn’t help but smile as he watched them. They were acting like little kids and considering the pressures they usually felt on Atlantis, he knew how good it felt to be relieved of them for a few days – even if they were only a quick radio call away.
As he watched, he also realized how much he was enjoying the view. They were both gorgeous – and that included the parts of them that he hadn’t seen when they had staged their little ‘intervention’. As he felt the lust settle in, he was glad he was still clothed and sitting on the beach.
And it made him wonder what they saw in him. He wasn’t good-looking by anyone’s standards. He may have lost weight and gained some muscle while he was on Lapras, but he knew his body was nothing amazing to look at and he didn’t have movie star looks and his mouth had the weird down-turn on one side. And he was still Rodney, regardless of the strides he had made.
Chuck and Evan came out of the water, both huffing slightly and grinning like fools. “You should come in, the water’s great,” Chuck said as he leaned down to grab a towel, excess water dripping onto Rodney.
“No, I’m good,” Rodney practically squeaked.
“Your loss – it’s amazing,” Evan told him as he threw down his towel. “Race you,” he said to Chuck.
They took off across the sand, running about 30 feet before the race devolved into the two of them pushing each other until they both fell into the water with a splash. Rodney shook his head as he watched the two of them, wondering what he was missing.
When Evan and Chuck finally wore themselves out, they happily sprawled out on towels on either side of Rodney to dry off in the waning sunlight. He hoped his shock at how unaware they seemed to be with their nakedness didn’t show. And he hoped he wasn’t staring – much.
“You have no idea what you missed,” Chuck told Rodney happily, affectionately patting Rodney’s hip.
“He’ll come around,” Evan replied from where he had an arm lazily draped over his eyes.
Rodney was more concerned with how he was going to get back into the hut without them noticing that he was half hard.
When the time came, it was actually easy enough – Chuck and Evan wrapped their towels around their waists and Rodney carried his in front of him. As they walked back across the beach to the hut, Rodney thought of everything he found to be unappealing and definitely not sexy and was able to get himself under control before they got inside.
While they were gone the stew had filled the hut with an appetizing smell, and both Chuck and Evan’s stomachs growled as soon as they got inside. And Rodney had to admit that he did feel a little off as it registered how hungry he had gotten. As he checked the stew – which was finished – Evan lit a few of the lanterns placed around the room and then joined Chuck in getting dressed. With much effort, Rodney gave his full attention to slicing some bread and cheese, finding bowls, cups, and utensils, and setting the table.
Evan stole a piece of cheese off the plate Rodney was setting on the table and, when Rodney glared at him, gave him a mischievous grin before a peck on the cheek. “It smells great, Rodney,” he said as he sat down and popped the cheese into his mouth, and Chuck joined them at the table.
Rodney blushed a little but didn’t say anything as he dished out the stew. The three men ate quietly and while Rodney was happy with how the stew had turned out, he hoped that Chuck and Evan enjoyed it.
“Is there any more?” Chuck finally asked.
“I think when we get back we need to overthrow the cooking staff and have Rodney cook for us,” Evan replied with a grin as he sat back.
Rodney blushed as he stood and got them both seconds, but inside he was pleased that it had gone over so well. Chuck and Evan helped him clean up when they finished eating. Afterwards, the three men played cards well into the evening before falling into bed wearing only their underwear.
Even though Chuck and Evan dropped off quickly, it took Rodney a little while to fall asleep. It finally hit him that they were really doing this and that he wanted it – badly. Tentatively, he burrowed his face into Chuck’s shoulder – who sighed and shifted slightly before falling back into a deep sleep, one hand over Rodney’s. Comfortable, Rodney fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, however, proved a new challenge for him. Rodney woke up with a raging hard on. That wasn’t anything new. The bad part, however, was that he was pressed tightly against Chuck’s back, their legs tangled together. His arm was reaching across Chuck and holding on to Evan’s upper arm, and he could feel Evan had a good grip on his elbow.
Rodney slowly and carefully started to extricate himself from them, hoping he wouldn’t wake either of them, and that he could go take of himself without either of them being the wiser. But as he was just about done, both Chuck and Evan stretched and slowly opened their eyes.
“Good morning,” Evan said softly, smiling at both of them. And from the look in his eyes, Rodney knew right then that they were in the same situation he was in. This was just great.
“So,” Chuck replied nonchalantly as he turned onto his back. “Since all three of us are together…” he trailed off.
“I’m definitely game,” Evan replied.
Before Rodney was able to process what was going on, Evan had slid down the bed, pulled down Chuck’s underwear and taken Chuck’s erection into his mouth. Rodney watched in fascination as Evan swallowed Chuck’s cock. He watched as Chuck’s breathing became faster and harder as Evan’s mouth moved up and down on Chuck’s cock and, every so often would pause so he could swirl his tongue around the tip. The whole time, Chuck gently met Evan’s mouth with careful thrusts of his hips. Chuck froze and gasped and Rodney watched as Evan happily drank Chuck’s semen. When they had finished, Evan crawled back up the bed and kissed Chuck deeply. In the meantime, Rodney’s brain had caught up just enough to crash again at the sight of Evan’s mouth around Chuck’s cock and he felt a spark of desire flare and settle in his stomach, causing him to harden even more.
The next thing he knew, Chuck had pushed Evan’s underwear out of the way and had his hand wrapped around Evan’s cock and was confidently stroking it, his grip tighter on the upstroke and his thumb rubbing over the head on every pass. Evan’s eyes were closed and he was breathing through his mouth as he rocked into Chuck’s hand. He didn’t last long either and he buried his face in Chuck’s shoulder as he came into Chuck’s waiting hand, his whole body shaking. Chuck licked Evan’s semen off of his hand as Evan recovered, the whole time watching Rodney, who was staring at the two of them, mouth agape. Watching the two of them together was the hottest thing he had ever seen and he couldn’t believe this was happening to him.
“So, what’ll it be, Rodney?” Evan finally asked. “Care to join us?”
Chuck playfully walked two fingers down Rodney’s chest to his waistband and then withdrew his hand as Rodney’s hips automatically thrust forward a bit, his straining erection wanting release as soon as possible. Both Chuck and Evan laughed softly and Evan raised an eyebrow. When Rodney tried to respond, no words came out, so he nodded silently. Before he knew what was happening, Chuck was behind him and he and Evan had Rodney’s underwear down and they both had a hand on his straining erection, and they were slowly and surely caressing his cock. Rodney slowly closed his eyes and let himself get caught up in the sensation. He was sure their hands on his cock would overload him, but they knew exactly what to do to take him to the edge and hold him there. He had never felt so wonderful in his life and knew that no matter what apprehensions he may have had about this, about them, he was where he was supposed to be. Far too quickly he felt himself fall over the edge and ejaculated.
He took a moment to collect himself once he had finished before slowly opening his eyes to see Evan grinning at him and then lean into kiss him. When Evan pulled away, Chuck shifted behind him, and leaned over to awkwardly kiss Rodney as well. Rodney tasted semen on both of them and instead of grossing him out, it stroked the embers of desire inside of him. As they got up to start the day, Rodney felt that they just might make it and that maybe having sex wouldn’t be the end of the world – though time would tell on that one.
The rest of their vacation was a happy blur of swimming, playing on the beach, visiting with the Athosians, and enjoying every moment with Chuck and Evan. Rodney had never felt so relaxed and at peace in his life. They even managed to get him skinny-dipping the last day they were there and Rodney had to admit that it was one of the best experiences of his life – if only for the fact that when he finally dropped the towel that he’d had a death grip on since the hut, Chuck and Evan’s gazes were both openly appreciative and desirous.
That night, when they went to bed, they made love again. Chuck had actually initiated it by kissing both of them passionately before turning onto his stomach and telling them both in no uncertain terms that he wanted both of them to fuck him. Evan produced a tube of lube that he had hidden under one of the pillows earlier that day and looked at Rodney questioningly. Rodney swallowed dryly and nodded, wanting whatever was going to happen more than anything. Before they fell asleep, completely sated and happy, not only had they both made love to Chuck, but there had been a few blow jobs and hand jobs and who-knows-what-else.
They took their time the next morning to clean up the hut, stopping frequently to steal kisses or touches. Some of the Athosian women stopped by on their way to the ocean to get the dirty linens just as they finished.
Rodney sighed as they settle into the Puddle Jumper for the ride home. “I wish we had longer.”
“It’s not like we won’t be able to go back,” Chuck told him.
“I know, but…” Rodney trailed off and looked out the windshield. The rest of the trip was quiet – each man lost in their own thoughts.
When they got back to Atlantis, Rodney was feeling a little shaky and he fiddled with the strap of his medicinal pouch as he said, “Look, I know we said we’d unpack and then get lunch together, but I need to go get something to eat. I’ll catch you two later?”
Both Chuck and Evan nodded and waved him off, and Rodney hurried off to the mess hall. When he arrived it was packed with the lunch rush, and it took him a while to get through the food line and even longer to find a seat. He finally found an open seat by one of the windows. The other person occupying the small table was a heavily pregnant scientist – who Rodney was pretty sure was an archeologist, or possibly a meteorologist – he wasn’t quite sure.
“May I sit?” he asked.
“Please,” she replied with a smile. “Normally I don’t come now, but the baby wanted its lunch.” She placed a hand on her stomach.
“How far along are you?” he asked as he sat down.
“I’m due any day now and I can’t wait.”
“Congratulations,” Rodney told her.
They had a companionable meal and chit-chatted as they ate. She finished first and stood. “Have a good rest of your day, Rodney,” she said happily.
“You too, Mary,” he replied.
She took two steps and doubled over and Rodney was by her side instantly.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I’ve been having false contractions,” she told him, wide-eyed. “Carson said everything was fine, though, and that I should go about my day and told me what to look for with real ones. But I think my water just broke.”
Rodney tapped his earpiece. “Carson, we’ve got a woman going into labor down here in the mess hall.”
“Unless her life is in danger, I’m a little busy, Rodney,” Carson’s voice came over the radio. “We had two teams come in hot and they’re all banged up pretty bad.”
“Okay,” Rodney muttered to himself as he helped Mary back to her chair. Kneeling in front of her and taking her hands in his, he said, “Keep breathing steadily, Mary, okay?” She nodded. “You and your baby will be just fine.”
“Have you ever delivered a baby before, Rodney?”
“Yes – and both mother and baby were just fine. How are you feeling?”
“I’m doing okay – all things considered. But the contractions are coming frequently now.”
“Good.” He gave her a reassuring smile as he opened up his pouch. “Damn,” he muttered to himself. “I’m going to need more toliara leaves.” He looked up and saw an inquisitive crowd was starting to grow around them. “You,” he pointed at one of the Marines. “I need blankets and pillows now. And you,” he pointed at Katie Brown, “I need more of these.” He pushed the toliara leaves into her hands. Both of them blinked at him. “*Go!*” he bellowed and they jumped and did as he asked. “And as for the rest of you – go away! There’s nothing to see here! If you want to know how a baby’s born – go watch the Discovery Channel or ask Carson.” Some people sheepishly left, but many stayed.
Rodney gently massaged Mary’s knees as he watched her pants get wetter. “Okay, Mary,” he told her, “as soon as they get back, we’re going to get you comfortable and deliver that baby, okay?” She nodded mutely. “Have you picked out a name?”
“Scott if it’s a boy and Jill if it’s a girl,” she replied quietly.
“And the baby’s father?” he asked.
“He’s still back on Earth. I accidentally got pregnant just before I came, and I didn’t know. Once I did, I couldn’t –.” She looked away and blinked a few times.
“You’re going to be a great mother,” he told her reassuringly.
The Marine and Katie both showed up at the same time. Rodney helped them set up the blankets, then helped Mary lay down, facing the window to give her a little privacy. He helped her ease out of her pants and underwear and gave her a few of the leaves to chew on.
“They’re called toliara leaves on Lapras,” he told her. “They’ll help your muscles relax to ease the birth and they’ll also help ease the pain. They’re completely natural and non-addictive and will be out of your system in a few hours. If you need more, just let me know.”
She nodded again and Rodney began checking her out. He was thankful that she had wide hips – it would make the birth easier for both her and the baby. As he examined her vagina, he saw the baby was properly lined up and already starting to crown.
The birth felt almost anti-climatic to Rodney. The baby – a girl – came out easily and quickly with minimal work on Mary’s part and started breathing and crying almost immediately. Rodney cleaned up the baby as best he could with one of the extra blankets before wrapping her up in a clean one. He took the clean knife that someone offered him and cut the umbilical cord and tied it off with a piece of string from his pouch. Mary smiled as she took the baby from Rodney and he began cleaning her up.
“Would you all please move?” a voice asked loudly as Rodney finished. “I’m sure whatever you’re staring at isn’t as interesting as you think it is.” As the crowd began to break up, Carson broke through with a gurney. “I see you’ve got everything under control, Rodney,” he commented dryly.
“Yeah, that was something I kind of forgot to tell you,” Rodney replied, looking sheepish. “I got medical training while I was on Lapras. It’s nowhere near your level of expertise, but…”
“Well, let’s get Dr. Smith and her wee one back to the infirmary so we can check them out more fully.”
Rodney helped Mary stand and then he and Carson helped her onto the gurney. After draping a blanket over her lower half, he gathered up the rest of the blankets and her clothes before following them to the infirmary, where he dropped the items in the wash basket as soon as he arrived.
“Thank you, Rodney,” Mary said to him after she and the baby had been transferred to a bed and as Carson began checking her and the baby.
“You’re quite welcome, Mary,” he replied. “I gave her some toliara leaves, Carson.”
“Some what?” Carson asked, looking at Rodney confused.
“Some toliara leaves,” he repeated and handed them over. “They help relax the vaginal muscles and reduce the pain of childbirth,” Rodney added. “They’ll be out of her system in a few hours.”
“I’ve seen some references to these,” Carson commented before pushing Rodney to the side so he could finish checking out his patients and cleaning up the baby. When he was finished, he said, “Everything appears to be fine, but we’re going to keep you overnight, Mary, just in case.”
She nodded sleepily. “Thanks again, Rodney.”
“You’re welcome,” he told her. “I’ll be back in the morning to check on you and Jill.”
He left the infirmary and headed back to his quarters to clean up. On the way his stomach growled and he realized that in the process of helping Mary, he hadn’t finished his lunch and that it was now a few hours later – and dinner time.
“What happened to you?” Chuck asked when Rodney entered his quarters. Both he and Evan looked surprised and concerned.
“It’s not mine,” Rodney said as he stripped off his shirt. “Dr. Smith went into labor in the mess hall during lunch. And you two have to stop hanging out in my quarters. I know things are more relaxed now, but it’s not all that covert. Let me get cleaned up and we can go get dinner, if you two want,” he told them as he headed into the bathroom.
Rodney felt himself relax as they ate dinner. He was with his lovers and everything was okay for the time being. A few people also stopped by their table to congratulate him on the baby’s delivery.
“I have a feeling my email is going to be swamped for the next few days,” Rodney told them, putting his head in his hands.
“Well, I know a good way to take your mind off of it,” Evan told him and grinned as they stood to leave.
“So – movie in my place?” Chuck asked and they nodded.
Continue to Part 27
