Hang Ups by hg (phonecalls challenge)
Oct. 12th, 2006 09:07 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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sga_flashficWell, it seems I have a bit of my writing mojo back. I'm going to put all of this behind a cut, as it is all fairly spoilery for The Return, pt 1.
Title: Hang Ups
Author: hg
Rating: Gen (and I'd likely be more upset/confused about that if I wasn't so excited just to be writing)
Spoilers: For The Return, pt 1
Summary: John and Rodney talk, but not about feelings.
Author's Notes: When I watched The Return, I wondered why John hung up on Rodney. And I wondered why Rodney seemed so unsurprised. This is my answer to my wondering. Also, thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
blade_girl for the quick beta. And for catching the glaring error. I blame the cold meds.
Hang Ups
John watched the last dart thunk into the board and moved toward the phone.
"McKay," he drawled with a small smirk.
"You don't even wait for the caller ID, do you?"
"Same time. Everyday." John pulled the darts from the board and settled behind the line he'd made on the floor with duct tape he'd stolen from Siler.
The sound of shuffling paper carried down the phone line from Nevada. "I would think that you would appreciate punctuality, Colonel."
"And I would," John agreed, watching his dart hit the double twenty, "if you had ever been, you know, punctual before."
"Oh, because Atlantis inspired punctuality." The scorn in Rodney's voice was clear from the first word. John smiled because the rest was just gravy. "It's difficult to focus on punctuality when you're herding a department of brain damaged minions toward competency. Not to mention saving the city on a regular basis. And, of course, being part of a team that insisted on dragging me into perilous situations fraught with danger."
John hoped the sound of the dart ricocheting off the metal pipe covered his laugh. "Fraught with danger? Have you been reading those cheap spy novels again?"
A large thump echoed from the phone. "Ha ha, Colonel. No, I've been reading the published work of the morons they've saddled me with here. Believe me when I tell you that these articles are fraught with danger, in their own special way. If these are the things that got them hired, the American government needs to contract a good head-hunting firm to handle its future personnel needs."
"Yeah, well maybe they could put a few of them in the recruiting offices too." John grimaced as he thought of his team. "But, really, fraught with danger? It's physics, McKay."
"And when you finish your advanced degrees you'll let me know, hmm? Until then, trust me when I tell you that their theories are dangerous to the world as a whole, and to my continued ability to think in particular. And don't even get me started on their tendency to mangle the English language."
John's laugh escaped without cover this time. Leaving the darts, he moved over to his desk. "Because you've never mangled the language, Rodney."
"Yes, but at least I had the excuse of imminent doom."
"Yeah, you did."
The silence stretched, easing toward the line that marked the territory of uncomfortable.
"So, uh – "
"No." John tilted his head back against the top of his chair, closing his eyes, waiting.
"You didn't even hear the question!" And John wondered if he was imagining the break in Rodney's voice.
"Same questions. Everytime." John sighed. "No, I haven't talked to Elizabeth. No, I haven't seen Carson today." John paused. "No, I don’t want to talk about Atlantis, my abandonment issues and not leaving people behind."
This silence didn't ease into uncomfortable, it bounded. Then Rodney broke it. "Hey, that last one wasn't mine."
"Yeah, sorry, base shrink."
"So, you won't – "
"Nope."
"Not just today?"
"Nope."
"Not ever?"
"Nope."
"You know that's not healthy, right?"
"You know that's ironic, right?"
"Yes, well, I have hidden depths."
John laughed. "Let it go, McKay."
"Okay." Rodney's tone belied his agreement. "Talk to you tomorrow?"
"Yeah." John leaned forward. "But if you try to get mushy with me, I will hang up on you."
"Hah! You so wouldn't!"
"Try me." John knew the eyebrow lift couldn't be seen, but he was sure Rodney heard it.
"Fine. Goodnight, Colonel."
"Night, Rodney." John smiled and hung up the phone.
Title: Hang Ups
Author: hg
Rating: Gen (and I'd likely be more upset/confused about that if I wasn't so excited just to be writing)
Spoilers: For The Return, pt 1
Summary: John and Rodney talk, but not about feelings.
Author's Notes: When I watched The Return, I wondered why John hung up on Rodney. And I wondered why Rodney seemed so unsurprised. This is my answer to my wondering. Also, thanks to
blade_girl for the quick beta. And for catching the glaring error. I blame the cold meds.Hang Ups
John watched the last dart thunk into the board and moved toward the phone.
"McKay," he drawled with a small smirk.
"You don't even wait for the caller ID, do you?"
"Same time. Everyday." John pulled the darts from the board and settled behind the line he'd made on the floor with duct tape he'd stolen from Siler.
The sound of shuffling paper carried down the phone line from Nevada. "I would think that you would appreciate punctuality, Colonel."
"And I would," John agreed, watching his dart hit the double twenty, "if you had ever been, you know, punctual before."
"Oh, because Atlantis inspired punctuality." The scorn in Rodney's voice was clear from the first word. John smiled because the rest was just gravy. "It's difficult to focus on punctuality when you're herding a department of brain damaged minions toward competency. Not to mention saving the city on a regular basis. And, of course, being part of a team that insisted on dragging me into perilous situations fraught with danger."
John hoped the sound of the dart ricocheting off the metal pipe covered his laugh. "Fraught with danger? Have you been reading those cheap spy novels again?"
A large thump echoed from the phone. "Ha ha, Colonel. No, I've been reading the published work of the morons they've saddled me with here. Believe me when I tell you that these articles are fraught with danger, in their own special way. If these are the things that got them hired, the American government needs to contract a good head-hunting firm to handle its future personnel needs."
"Yeah, well maybe they could put a few of them in the recruiting offices too." John grimaced as he thought of his team. "But, really, fraught with danger? It's physics, McKay."
"And when you finish your advanced degrees you'll let me know, hmm? Until then, trust me when I tell you that their theories are dangerous to the world as a whole, and to my continued ability to think in particular. And don't even get me started on their tendency to mangle the English language."
John's laugh escaped without cover this time. Leaving the darts, he moved over to his desk. "Because you've never mangled the language, Rodney."
"Yes, but at least I had the excuse of imminent doom."
"Yeah, you did."
The silence stretched, easing toward the line that marked the territory of uncomfortable.
"So, uh – "
"No." John tilted his head back against the top of his chair, closing his eyes, waiting.
"You didn't even hear the question!" And John wondered if he was imagining the break in Rodney's voice.
"Same questions. Everytime." John sighed. "No, I haven't talked to Elizabeth. No, I haven't seen Carson today." John paused. "No, I don’t want to talk about Atlantis, my abandonment issues and not leaving people behind."
This silence didn't ease into uncomfortable, it bounded. Then Rodney broke it. "Hey, that last one wasn't mine."
"Yeah, sorry, base shrink."
"So, you won't – "
"Nope."
"Not just today?"
"Nope."
"Not ever?"
"Nope."
"You know that's not healthy, right?"
"You know that's ironic, right?"
"Yes, well, I have hidden depths."
John laughed. "Let it go, McKay."
"Okay." Rodney's tone belied his agreement. "Talk to you tomorrow?"
"Yeah." John leaned forward. "But if you try to get mushy with me, I will hang up on you."
"Hah! You so wouldn't!"
"Try me." John knew the eyebrow lift couldn't be seen, but he was sure Rodney heard it.
"Fine. Goodnight, Colonel."
"Night, Rodney." John smiled and hung up the phone.
