John/Rodney Earth AU, pt 3
Sep. 14th, 2006 11:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wesleysgirlPart 1
Part 2
On the way out of the cafeteria, Kayla looks at Rodney -- John can't think of him as McKay anymore, not after laughing like that. "So will you?"
"Will I what?" Rodney asks.
"Come to my birthday party? Because you should. Daddy likes you." Kayla grins.
"That might be stretching it," John tells her.
"You do," Kayla says with confidence. "I can tell."
"I think you're both crazy," Rodney says, as the same kid that had been in line before darts past, almost tripping him. "Just like everyone else around here!" he shouts.
Kayla is grinning when John looks at her; she actually likes Rodney, which is pretty surprising considering she's not usually a big fan of people who are loud and obnoxious.
"Do you have a card?" Rodney's asking.
"Huh?"
"A card. A business card? You aren't brain damaged, are you?" Rodney looks at him strangely.
"No. I'm... I haven't been working." John doesn't want to go into it right then.
So of course Rodney asks, "Why not?"
"He takes care of me," Kayla says. "Until school starts."
"Oh. Right." Rodney is looking at him, watching him, and it makes John want to squirm. He doesn't, just on principle. "But you do have a phone?"
"Yes," John says, drawling a little bit. "Yes, we have a phone."
Rodney sighs, short and impatient. "And you're going to give me your number?" he says, eyebrows lifted.
Oh, so that's what the card thing was all about. "Sure," John says. They're right near the gift shop, and Kayla's tugging him in that direction. "I don't have a pen. Come in with us and I'll borrow one, okay?" He tilts his head toward the shop, and Rodney nods and follows them. He waits until Kayla is kneeling next to a display of stuffed animals before he steps back a little and says to Rodney, in a low voice, "Look, don't act like you're going to come to her party if you won't, okay? She's kind of sensitive about stuff like that."
Rodney's shoulders go tense. "What makes you think I won't come?"
"I don't know. It's just... it doesn't seem like you like kids that much." Kayla's brown hair is shiny as she examines a bright blue animal -- not many come in those colors in nature. "She's kind of been through a lot, what with her mom and everything." It's easier to talk about Elizabeth this way -- to think about her as Kayla's mother and not as John's wife.
"What happened?" Rodney asks quietly.
"Cancer." That's enough; John can't do more. Kayla gets up and moves on; they shadow her, hanging back far enough that they can talk. She seems completely unaware of them in a way that makes John's throat tight, because it means that even despite what happened only a couple of hours ago she feels secure, trusts him to be there.
"We don't have to talk about it," Rodney says.
"Thanks." It always happens like this. One minute John is fine, totally normal, and then something reminds him and he's teetering right back on the edge again.
"Daddy? Can I get something?" Kayla asks hopefully, providing a welcome distraction.
"Not today," John says. Part of him wants to say yes, but he's been trying to ignore their financial situation for too long. "Maybe next time, okay?"
"Pleeeease?" Kayla says.
Before John can answer, Rodney offers, "I'll buy you something. But it has to be educational."
"Yay!" Kayla claps her hands together and spins back around to start examining the shelves again.
"Consider it an early birthday present," Rodney says, when John gives him a look.
"You don't have to," John says, even though now he kind of does, since he's offered and Kayla's excited about it.
"No, no, I don't mind." Rodney shifts his weight, looking uncomfortable. "Spending money on people is one of the few ways I seem to be able to interact with them successfully."
John isn't sure where he's going with that. "Yeah? Who else do you spend money on?"
"Oh, you know. Family, mostly," Rodney says. He's embarrassed, John thinks. "My sister and her kids. My mother."
"What about this?" Kayla asks, holding up a kid-sized microscope kit complete with prepared slides.
"Only if you promise not to look at anything stupid," Rodney tells her. "No magnifying dumb, girly stuff like... glitter and rhinestones and feathers."
Kayla looks confused. "Feathers are birdy, not girly," she says. "Anyway, I like dinosaurs. And white blood cells. They're cool."
"Oh." Rodney blinks. "Well. Good. Come on, bring it over to the cash register and I'll pay for it."
While the cashier runs Rodney's credit card, John borrows a pen from the counter and scribbles their number down on the back of a flyer. "Here."
"Thanks." Rodney pockets the paper and takes the pen from John's fingers to sign the credit card slip. The warmth of his skin lingers on John's as they leave the gift shop.
Standing outside in the hallway, Kayla clutching the box to her chest -- she'd refused both a bag and John's offer of carrying the microscope -- John isn't sure what to say. He's not much of a talker, really, never has been, but Rodney seems to have more than enough words for both of them.
"So I'll call you," he's saying. "Unless you'd rather call me? Because I could give you my number. If you want it. I mean, not that you wouldn't want it, because you strike me as the kind of person who probably collects friends like most people collect, I don't know, whatever it is that people with an IQ below 130 collect. I wouldn't know." Rodney smirks, so pleased with himself that it makes John grin.
"Yeah, me neither," he says, and while Rodney's still standing there in stunned silence, he nudges Kayla. "Say thank you for the microscope."
"Thank you," Kayla says obediently.
"See ya," John says, and waves before leading Kayla back toward the entrance.
TBC
Part 2
On the way out of the cafeteria, Kayla looks at Rodney -- John can't think of him as McKay anymore, not after laughing like that. "So will you?"
"Will I what?" Rodney asks.
"Come to my birthday party? Because you should. Daddy likes you." Kayla grins.
"That might be stretching it," John tells her.
"You do," Kayla says with confidence. "I can tell."
"I think you're both crazy," Rodney says, as the same kid that had been in line before darts past, almost tripping him. "Just like everyone else around here!" he shouts.
Kayla is grinning when John looks at her; she actually likes Rodney, which is pretty surprising considering she's not usually a big fan of people who are loud and obnoxious.
"Do you have a card?" Rodney's asking.
"Huh?"
"A card. A business card? You aren't brain damaged, are you?" Rodney looks at him strangely.
"No. I'm... I haven't been working." John doesn't want to go into it right then.
So of course Rodney asks, "Why not?"
"He takes care of me," Kayla says. "Until school starts."
"Oh. Right." Rodney is looking at him, watching him, and it makes John want to squirm. He doesn't, just on principle. "But you do have a phone?"
"Yes," John says, drawling a little bit. "Yes, we have a phone."
Rodney sighs, short and impatient. "And you're going to give me your number?" he says, eyebrows lifted.
Oh, so that's what the card thing was all about. "Sure," John says. They're right near the gift shop, and Kayla's tugging him in that direction. "I don't have a pen. Come in with us and I'll borrow one, okay?" He tilts his head toward the shop, and Rodney nods and follows them. He waits until Kayla is kneeling next to a display of stuffed animals before he steps back a little and says to Rodney, in a low voice, "Look, don't act like you're going to come to her party if you won't, okay? She's kind of sensitive about stuff like that."
Rodney's shoulders go tense. "What makes you think I won't come?"
"I don't know. It's just... it doesn't seem like you like kids that much." Kayla's brown hair is shiny as she examines a bright blue animal -- not many come in those colors in nature. "She's kind of been through a lot, what with her mom and everything." It's easier to talk about Elizabeth this way -- to think about her as Kayla's mother and not as John's wife.
"What happened?" Rodney asks quietly.
"Cancer." That's enough; John can't do more. Kayla gets up and moves on; they shadow her, hanging back far enough that they can talk. She seems completely unaware of them in a way that makes John's throat tight, because it means that even despite what happened only a couple of hours ago she feels secure, trusts him to be there.
"We don't have to talk about it," Rodney says.
"Thanks." It always happens like this. One minute John is fine, totally normal, and then something reminds him and he's teetering right back on the edge again.
"Daddy? Can I get something?" Kayla asks hopefully, providing a welcome distraction.
"Not today," John says. Part of him wants to say yes, but he's been trying to ignore their financial situation for too long. "Maybe next time, okay?"
"Pleeeease?" Kayla says.
Before John can answer, Rodney offers, "I'll buy you something. But it has to be educational."
"Yay!" Kayla claps her hands together and spins back around to start examining the shelves again.
"Consider it an early birthday present," Rodney says, when John gives him a look.
"You don't have to," John says, even though now he kind of does, since he's offered and Kayla's excited about it.
"No, no, I don't mind." Rodney shifts his weight, looking uncomfortable. "Spending money on people is one of the few ways I seem to be able to interact with them successfully."
John isn't sure where he's going with that. "Yeah? Who else do you spend money on?"
"Oh, you know. Family, mostly," Rodney says. He's embarrassed, John thinks. "My sister and her kids. My mother."
"What about this?" Kayla asks, holding up a kid-sized microscope kit complete with prepared slides.
"Only if you promise not to look at anything stupid," Rodney tells her. "No magnifying dumb, girly stuff like... glitter and rhinestones and feathers."
Kayla looks confused. "Feathers are birdy, not girly," she says. "Anyway, I like dinosaurs. And white blood cells. They're cool."
"Oh." Rodney blinks. "Well. Good. Come on, bring it over to the cash register and I'll pay for it."
While the cashier runs Rodney's credit card, John borrows a pen from the counter and scribbles their number down on the back of a flyer. "Here."
"Thanks." Rodney pockets the paper and takes the pen from John's fingers to sign the credit card slip. The warmth of his skin lingers on John's as they leave the gift shop.
Standing outside in the hallway, Kayla clutching the box to her chest -- she'd refused both a bag and John's offer of carrying the microscope -- John isn't sure what to say. He's not much of a talker, really, never has been, but Rodney seems to have more than enough words for both of them.
"So I'll call you," he's saying. "Unless you'd rather call me? Because I could give you my number. If you want it. I mean, not that you wouldn't want it, because you strike me as the kind of person who probably collects friends like most people collect, I don't know, whatever it is that people with an IQ below 130 collect. I wouldn't know." Rodney smirks, so pleased with himself that it makes John grin.
"Yeah, me neither," he says, and while Rodney's still standing there in stunned silence, he nudges Kayla. "Say thank you for the microscope."
"Thank you," Kayla says obediently.
"See ya," John says, and waves before leading Kayla back toward the entrance.
TBC
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 03:48 pm (UTC)I like this and look forward to more :D
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Date: 2006-09-15 12:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 03:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 12:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 03:53 pm (UTC)I love it so far. And poor John. Love how he's dealing (or not) with the grief and everything.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 12:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 03:59 pm (UTC)I'll watch for more of this one. :)
no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 12:07 am (UTC)*pats tummy* Mmmmm. That was tasty...
Date: 2006-09-14 04:07 pm (UTC)More, pwease? You're my most favorite writer, ever. (Did it work? Are you inspired? Do you write more? Huh? Huh?)
*smiles sheepishly* sometimes it's hard work getting what you want. ;)
Re: *pats tummy* Mmmmm. That was tasty...
Date: 2006-09-15 12:08 am (UTC)Don't worry, there'll be more. Probably not tonight, but I know what happens next, and that always helps. :-)
no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 04:14 pm (UTC)And aw, poor wounded lost John who so needs to be comforted by one brash Dr. McKay....
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Date: 2006-09-15 12:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 04:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 12:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 04:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 12:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 04:47 pm (UTC):D
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Date: 2006-09-15 12:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 05:39 pm (UTC)That's kind of exactly how I feel about this fic. I can't wait for more :D
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Date: 2006-09-15 12:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-14 05:44 pm (UTC)Anyways, very sweet. I like a lot. :)
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Date: 2006-09-15 12:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 07:32 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-15 09:25 pm (UTC)