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“Evan, you are the most annoying man I have ever known.”
“Except for your boyfriend.” Lorne smirks teasingly, waiting for a response. One doesn’t come though, Zelenka just glares. No giving in, no snappy comeback, just genuine anger. He leans toward him in disbelief. Throwing his arm back he says, “Oh, come on! You can’t just insult a man like that. I’ve met McKay; no way I’m more annoying than he is.”
“He does not tease me about my sex life.” Radek crosses his arms.
“He is your sex life,” Evan waves his hand. “Why would he?”
“Yes, he is.” He throws down his napkin. “This only serves to make it more surprising that between the two of you, you Evan are the one who cannot keep your mouth shut about it in public places.” He raises an arm, motioning to the Mess hall around them.
“Like that’s even true.” Lorne says, slumping back as if the remark is able to physically push him back against his seat.
“There is a very big difference between his lack of subtlety when dragging me off to his quarters and you interrupting lunch to yet again say, ‘but how though?’” He says firmly, his accent almost thickening when he quotes Lorne.
“I just don’t see it, ok doc?” He says, attempting to return to his meal.
“You have seen it. At this point he acts as if you are not even there.” Lorne can’t really deny this. What he can do though, is find it more unsettling than anything. Dr. ‘May have to forgo reproducing’ cuddling and responding to pet names freaks Evan out as much as the Wraith sometimes. “Just last week you had to leave because I couldn’t get him to stop trying to take my shirt off.”
“Don’t remind me.” He says, pinching the bridge of his nose, as if that can banish the memory. “I just don’t get how you could like him.”
Zelenka huffs, then he looks at Lorne, growing calmly serious. “Well, strangely enough, I don’t really care about the how. I just do. I like him a lot actually.” He leans his elbows against the table wistfully.
Behind Zelenka’s head Lorne sees someone sneaking toward them. It’s McKay, the man himself, doing everything wrong when it comes to stealth. Still, Radek doesn’t seem to notice. Lorne knows they’re scientists, so it’s not like they’ve had the training he has, but he can’t help wondering how a person gets that oblivious. He decides not to let on, and refocuses on what Zelenka is saying to him.
“It’s something I need my best friend to understand, or at the very least tolerate.” His expression is earnest.
Lorne can’t help noticing McKay struggling to hide a smile. Then he shoots Lorne a look that’s almost proud.
Seeing that, Lorne thinks back and realizes how much more bearable McKay is now that he’s with Radek. It’s not even that he complains that much less, or doesn’t call people idiots or is in any way less annoyingly him.
But he makes Radek happy. Happy enough to see McKay doing all those annoying things, and smile. Happy enough to go around cleaning up McKay’s messes without a second thought. Happy enough to come out of his shell, go off world because it might be fun.
And it doesn’t hurt that McKay will totally shut up if Radek kisses him. Sure, McKay’s still annoying as hell, but the other stuff shines through when he’s around Radek. He doesn’t put all that effort into hiding how heroic he can be when he needs to. He uses his sense of humor for something other than berating people. Even Lorne can’t help but think it’s cool when the two of them get really into some science thing he doesn’t understand. They just get passionate about it, no superiority, and no ‘let me simplify this for your tiny primate brain.’ Just them enjoying themselves doing something they clearly love.
Until they got together Lorne thought either of them could’ve passed for the most unhappy person on Atlantis, easy. He’s been the awkward witness to enough tender moments to tell that is now far from true.
Lorne sighs, coming out of his thoughts.
“Fine, doc.” He says, still focused on McKay. “You’re good for each other, anyway.” He smiles at Zelenka, widely and honestly.
“Thank you.” He says, sipping his coffee.
“Gotta admit he’s a pain in the ass sometimes, though.” He leans forward to rest his hand on his chin, smirking.
“Sometimes.” Radek rolls his eyes, smiling.
“Not like he can’t be both.” He shrugs, trying to look nonchalant. “Great and all… but still a pain in the ass, sometimes.” He says, mockingly.
“Fine, often.” He lets out a chuckle.
McKay wraps his arms around Radek from behind, finally making his presence known. “Am I being one now?” He says quietly, leaning his head on Radek’s shoulder.
This makes him jump and swear in Czech. He looks at Rodney, catching his breath. Then he turns to Lorne, and says, “He was here the whole time, wasn’t he?”
“Just for the mushy stuff, Doc.” He grins, leaning back and taking a sip of his coffee.