(no subject)
Mar. 9th, 2007 09:33 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
11nine73.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
sga_flashficTitle: Problem Solving
Pairing: McKay/Cadman
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1005
Notes: This is basically the first half of a longer (and smuttier) piece. I can't do short fiction. Not where McKay is concerned.
The screen of the laptop stayed stubbornly blank no matter which buttons Laura pressed. She sat back in her chair and stared mournfully at it, knowing there was only one person on Atlantis with the ability to fix the wretched machine and that was Rodney McKay. She didn't really relish taking it to him and asking for his assistance. Never mind the fact he'd berate her (because it would be her fault as far as he was concerned) but it also meant she'd owe him something.
She held out until late evening, when it became apparent that no amount of threatening or pleading would make the laptop miraculously work again. Raiding her personal hoard of chocolate to use as a bribe, she lugged it reluctantly to Rodney's lab.
The familiar sound of Rodney ridiculing a junior scientist made Laura stop just outside the lab. She listened to him dress down the poor man, calling into question his education, intelligence and sensibility, before sending him out with the threat of having to defrag every computer on Atlantis if he ever did anything so stupid again.
So it was with some trepidation that Laura edged into the room.
Rodney didn't notice her at first, since he went back to whatever it was he'd been working on before the scientist had visited. He was muttering darkly under his breath and she hovered by the door. If she hadn't needed the laptop to finish her work, she would have fled, but Lorne was waiting on her report and so...
“Um, Rodney?” she ventured in a small voice.
He looked up, the expression of exasperation at yet another interruption quickly morphing to one of sour irritation as his eyes settled on the laptop tucked under her arm.
“What did you do?” he demanded, confirming her theory he'd blame her.
“Nothing,” she said shortly. “It just sort of... died on me.”
Rodney rolled his eyes. “Did you check the battery?”
“I'm not stupid Rodney. I checked everything several times. Mainly because I wanted to avoid having to come to you.” She could help the snide remark, though she felt a flicker of guilt at the faint hurt that came over his face before he hardened his expression.
“Well that's lovely. Firstly I have to deal with the dumbest scientist ever and now I have to play IT tech. Wasn't there someone with less to do that you could have bugged instead?”
“Only if I wanted a patch job,” Laura replied, plonking the laptop in front of him and offering him a winning smile. “That's what you get for being the best man for the job, McKay. Besides, I brought payment.” She waved the chocolate in front of his face.
“Fine,” he huffed grudgingly, though he did take the offering.
Laura sat down on the chair next to him and watched him as he began to disassemble the laptop. His movements were deft and precise, and he certainly knew what he was doing. She lifted her gaze from the sure fingers to his face. The sour expression had vanished and he looked thoughtful as he concentrated on what he was doing.
She realised then that the sarcasm and the derogative remarks formed a mask he wore. She had had the briefest of glimpses behind it when she'd been trapped inside his head, she knew the insecurities that the bluster hid, had felt the loneliness that ran through him.
Tilting her head, Laura took the chance to observe how he looked with the mask off. Definitely younger for starters, she thought. And more... attractive; the lines softened in the lack of the usual brittleness. Yes, she much preferred him like this.
Rodney obviously became aware of her scrutiny because he looked up at her quizzically. There was the slightest delay in his replacing the mask, the smallest moment where the half smile was genuine and touched his eyes, before he disappeared behind the front of cynicism.
“What?” he snapped.
“Nothing,” Laura sighed and looked away. She tried to ignore the pang she felt as he drew his shield back around himself. She wondered if he'd ever trusted anyone enough to let them in. Her eyes went back to him and she found he was still looking at her. “What?”
“Nothing,” he said, a faint smile curving his lips as he purposely echoed her.
She shook her head with a smile of her own. “You're impossible,” she told him.
“So's this,” he returned, indicating the laptop. “I'd love to know what you did to it, cos I sure as hell can't find the problem with it.”
“What? Whatever happened to you being able to fix anything?”
“I can't fix the problem if I can't find it, Laura,” he explained patiently.
Laura was startled at his use of her name, something that had only ever happened once before to her recollection. His tone, whilst exasperated, was gentler than he tended to use to as well.
“So is there a problem or not?” she asked.
Rodney looked at her directly, a strange look in his eyes. “I dunno. What do you think?”
It was then Laura realised they weren't talking about the laptop any more. However, she wasn't entirely sure what they were talking about.
“Maybe it fixed itself?” she tried.
“Few things do.”
“Then...” She paused, trying to read his expression and failing utterly. Whatever was going on in his head was hidden firmly behind a mask of indifference. Only his eyes gave her any hope. “Then maybe you should just... try turning it on?”
He held her gaze as she blushed slightly at the subtext of her words. There was a hint of amusement on his face but something else as well. It took Laura a moment to realise it was wariness. The look in his eyes was longing mixed with fear. He was treading round her, as he always did. That was something they were both guilty of.
This little epiphany made Laura wonder what mask she wore, especially where Rodney was concerned.
Pairing: McKay/Cadman
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1005
Notes: This is basically the first half of a longer (and smuttier) piece. I can't do short fiction. Not where McKay is concerned.
The screen of the laptop stayed stubbornly blank no matter which buttons Laura pressed. She sat back in her chair and stared mournfully at it, knowing there was only one person on Atlantis with the ability to fix the wretched machine and that was Rodney McKay. She didn't really relish taking it to him and asking for his assistance. Never mind the fact he'd berate her (because it would be her fault as far as he was concerned) but it also meant she'd owe him something.
She held out until late evening, when it became apparent that no amount of threatening or pleading would make the laptop miraculously work again. Raiding her personal hoard of chocolate to use as a bribe, she lugged it reluctantly to Rodney's lab.
The familiar sound of Rodney ridiculing a junior scientist made Laura stop just outside the lab. She listened to him dress down the poor man, calling into question his education, intelligence and sensibility, before sending him out with the threat of having to defrag every computer on Atlantis if he ever did anything so stupid again.
So it was with some trepidation that Laura edged into the room.
Rodney didn't notice her at first, since he went back to whatever it was he'd been working on before the scientist had visited. He was muttering darkly under his breath and she hovered by the door. If she hadn't needed the laptop to finish her work, she would have fled, but Lorne was waiting on her report and so...
“Um, Rodney?” she ventured in a small voice.
He looked up, the expression of exasperation at yet another interruption quickly morphing to one of sour irritation as his eyes settled on the laptop tucked under her arm.
“What did you do?” he demanded, confirming her theory he'd blame her.
“Nothing,” she said shortly. “It just sort of... died on me.”
Rodney rolled his eyes. “Did you check the battery?”
“I'm not stupid Rodney. I checked everything several times. Mainly because I wanted to avoid having to come to you.” She could help the snide remark, though she felt a flicker of guilt at the faint hurt that came over his face before he hardened his expression.
“Well that's lovely. Firstly I have to deal with the dumbest scientist ever and now I have to play IT tech. Wasn't there someone with less to do that you could have bugged instead?”
“Only if I wanted a patch job,” Laura replied, plonking the laptop in front of him and offering him a winning smile. “That's what you get for being the best man for the job, McKay. Besides, I brought payment.” She waved the chocolate in front of his face.
“Fine,” he huffed grudgingly, though he did take the offering.
Laura sat down on the chair next to him and watched him as he began to disassemble the laptop. His movements were deft and precise, and he certainly knew what he was doing. She lifted her gaze from the sure fingers to his face. The sour expression had vanished and he looked thoughtful as he concentrated on what he was doing.
She realised then that the sarcasm and the derogative remarks formed a mask he wore. She had had the briefest of glimpses behind it when she'd been trapped inside his head, she knew the insecurities that the bluster hid, had felt the loneliness that ran through him.
Tilting her head, Laura took the chance to observe how he looked with the mask off. Definitely younger for starters, she thought. And more... attractive; the lines softened in the lack of the usual brittleness. Yes, she much preferred him like this.
Rodney obviously became aware of her scrutiny because he looked up at her quizzically. There was the slightest delay in his replacing the mask, the smallest moment where the half smile was genuine and touched his eyes, before he disappeared behind the front of cynicism.
“What?” he snapped.
“Nothing,” Laura sighed and looked away. She tried to ignore the pang she felt as he drew his shield back around himself. She wondered if he'd ever trusted anyone enough to let them in. Her eyes went back to him and she found he was still looking at her. “What?”
“Nothing,” he said, a faint smile curving his lips as he purposely echoed her.
She shook her head with a smile of her own. “You're impossible,” she told him.
“So's this,” he returned, indicating the laptop. “I'd love to know what you did to it, cos I sure as hell can't find the problem with it.”
“What? Whatever happened to you being able to fix anything?”
“I can't fix the problem if I can't find it, Laura,” he explained patiently.
Laura was startled at his use of her name, something that had only ever happened once before to her recollection. His tone, whilst exasperated, was gentler than he tended to use to as well.
“So is there a problem or not?” she asked.
Rodney looked at her directly, a strange look in his eyes. “I dunno. What do you think?”
It was then Laura realised they weren't talking about the laptop any more. However, she wasn't entirely sure what they were talking about.
“Maybe it fixed itself?” she tried.
“Few things do.”
“Then...” She paused, trying to read his expression and failing utterly. Whatever was going on in his head was hidden firmly behind a mask of indifference. Only his eyes gave her any hope. “Then maybe you should just... try turning it on?”
He held her gaze as she blushed slightly at the subtext of her words. There was a hint of amusement on his face but something else as well. It took Laura a moment to realise it was wariness. The look in his eyes was longing mixed with fear. He was treading round her, as he always did. That was something they were both guilty of.
This little epiphany made Laura wonder what mask she wore, especially where Rodney was concerned.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-10 04:11 pm (UTC)I like the way you write Rodney, and you give a Cadman whose head I can put myself into.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-03-11 10:02 pm (UTC)And thank you :)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-07-10 03:26 am (UTC)