Procrastination by Liondragon [this is not happening]

[shusu.livejournal.com]

Title: Procrastination
Author: Liondragon
Challenge: This is Not Happening
Word Count: 420
Summary: Sometimes Rodney thinks he should hate that Sheppard knows exactly how he works.
Warnings: G is for Gen.  Un-beta'd because am procrastinating.
Note: You can post two of these, right?
Not my character, universe does not belong to me.

Unauthorized duplication and distribution prohibited.

Procrastination
by Liondragon

        Sometimes Rodney thinks he should hate that Sheppard knows exactly how he works.  It's that much worse because Rodney never used to work that way before.  When he was in high school, college, in PhD programs and scientific conferences and secret government labs, he was the first one finished.  He didn't remember deadlines, because by the time they rolled around, he had polished them off and had moved on to the next dozen projects.

        It isn't the near-death thing, because that sucks in ways Rodney tries and fails to adequately articulate.  It's the moment right afterward: the bounce in his step, the stretched grin on his face, the triumphant thud in his chest that reminds him that he does have a circulatory system.  Pulled it off again.  Made it happen at the very last second.

        Except for all the times when he didn't.  The horrible part is that saving them all is the only thing that lets him put those misses out of his head.

        And Sheppard, like a good team leader, knows exactly how to extract that last shred of productivity out of him.  He'll drive Rodney to the edge of panic and back again.  He'll scream at him as though he thinks Rodney can't do it, when Rodney knows damn well that Sheppard sets his internal compass on the fact that Rodney will pull through.  Rodney will be trying to work and Sheppard will glare at him, smack him, threaten him, wave his gun and rattle off exactly how much time they have left before everybody dies.  It's even more infuriating because Sheppard's calculations are always right.

        Rodney is starting to doubt that he will ever work that efficiently without a deadline.  Emphasis on dead.  And Sheppard knows it.

        By all rights Rodney should hate him from the top of his stupid spiky hair to the bottom of his kicking, bullying boots.

        Except when it all locks together, when they have air, food, safety, when everyone forgets to look at him with anything less than unguarded awe, Rodney feels the buzz of accomplishment that has to be two steps from winning the Nobel or at least a really lucrative grant.  He'll look at Sheppard and match his grin, thinking, I proved you wrong, I made it not-happen, I brilliantly saved you again, and it'll be better than ecstasy, better than awe, better than the next five minutes of ulcerating panic when Rodney realizes what would have happened if Sheppard hadn't believed in him again.

Comments

[pentapus.livejournal.com]

Oh my god, Touma, I love you! Ryo! Er. *cough* So, aside from you icon reminding me of my (not so) secret one true love(s)--

better than the next five minutes of ulcerating panic when Rodney realizes what would have happened if Sheppard hadn't believed in him again.

Ha ha! I can definitely see Rodney getting carried away by Sheppard's relief--and then remembering to panic aggain right after. :)

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

ITA, great line.
Lovely drabble.

[shusu.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :)

my boys!!

[shusu.livejournal.com]

YST FOREVER!

*cough* You minkland, right? Because. Well, Minkland. (Also, yeah, that's the only fandom I've consistently written for, six years and counting.)

and then remembering to panic again right after. :)

Totally Inferno!

Re: my boys!!

[pentapus.livejournal.com]

No, I didn't know there was a livejournal community. Though I have been to the fanfiction archive--oh that archive of fic good for mentally scaring poor 15 yr olds who don't really know what porn is. *sigh* Oh nostalgia.

Re: my boys!!

[shusu.livejournal.com]

Yep, Minkland popped many a fandom cherry. Mine included. The comm is not terribly active, but it's a fantastic flist of Mink folk. It may not look like much by fandom standards, but still tight-knit.

[in-wintertime.livejournal.com]

Lovely - - cute, crisp, and so very Rodney. I love the little frisson of excitement he gets from bringing them all home safely again and I love even more that he realizes Sheppard's manipulating him and it works anyway.

[shusu.livejournal.com]

An impossible task that his ego will force him to overcome, yep yep. *g* That continues to amuse me.

Thanks for your feedback!

[threnodyjones.livejournal.com]

Very nicely written and articulated!

[shusu.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bettina_/]

This is great! :-)

[shusu.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[lrodell.livejournal.com]

w00t^^

[shusu.livejournal.com]

hee ^^

[clairshadows.livejournal.com]

'when everyone forgets to look at him with anything less than unguarded awe'

I love how eagerly everyone has written Rodney's arrogance and this line especially because he 'should' be arrogant.

'It isn't the near-death thing, because that sucks in ways Rodney tries and fails to adequately articulate'

This I hear note perfect in Rodney's voice :)

'It's even more infuriating because Sheppard's calculations are always right'

And this line I just like.
Thankyou for you wonderful story Clair

[shusu.livejournal.com]

I love how eagerly everyone has written Rodney's arrogance and this line especially because he 'should' be arrogant.

Yeah, on some level he got a taste of it once and expects it every time.

Thank you for the feedback! It's fun to play with McKay's voice, Hewlett's delivery is so distinctive.

[fairestcat]

Very nice. You have a great grasp of Rodney's voice.

[shusu.livejournal.com]

Thank you! Good to know I'm hitting the right notes. I'm just getting started with feeling out cadence and rhythm for all the characters.

[sweet-1.livejournal.com]

Rodney will be trying to work and Sheppard will glare at him, smack him, threaten him, wave his gun and rattle off exactly how much time they have left before everybody dies. It's even more infuriating because Sheppard's calculations are always right.
sooo how they operate.
awesome look into Rodney.

[shusu.livejournal.com]

There's an awful lot of physical abuse bodily contact involved. *g*

[tarlanx]

Love this little insight into McKay :-)

[shusu.livejournal.com]

He's fun to see into ;) Thanks for the feedback!