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"I don't think this is such a good idea," Rodney muttered, ducking his eyes towards the door. "Maybe I should just go."
John put the bowl of potato salad back on the counter and gently grasped Rodney's shoulders. "You're going to have to see them sometime, buddy," he said, touching a hand to Rodney's cheek, making their eyes meet. "It's gonna be okay."
Rodney sighed heavily. "Ronon probably wants to kill me."
"He doesn't want to kill you," John laughed.
"I bet he does. I bet he hates me," Rodney argued. "I'm not surprised," he carried on, his voice growing fainter. "I hate me, as well."
Rodney found himself pulled to John's chest, strong arms wrapped around him. "I don't hate you," John whispered, his breath warm against Rodney's ear.
He pressed his suddenly too-hot face into John's neck and nodded, bringing his arms up in a tight, grateful hug. "Yeah, I know - though you've got good reason."
John held him firmly, and Rodney breathed in the fresh tang of wonderfully familiar warm skin. "You're here now - that's all that matters to me."
"Me too," Rodney murmured, willing himself to believe it. They’d talked it through - well, they’d tried, they were both guys, after all - and John had said that he understood Rodney's reasons for leaving and his confusion over his feelings, that the important thing was that he'd come back - that he'd come home. Rodney was still trying to process exactly what that meant and how much John cared for him. What kind of man waited a year, still loving someone who'd pretty much just walked out on them with virtually no word? Someone like John, it seemed, and Rodney might be bad at understanding emotions but he was genius enough to recognise the gift that John had given him. He was going to do everything in his power to make sure that he was worthy of John's love… and if that included spending an evening with John's friends, then so be it.
"You think too much," John drawled, a contented smile tugging at his lips.
"No one can think too much," Rodney snorted but he smiled in return and tilted his face up for a long, lazy kiss. "So, you'll protect me if Ronon does decide to kill me?" he asked a little breathlessly, when the kiss ended, still pressed securely against John's chest.
"Of course I will," John nodded solemnly, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "But if Teyla decides to kick your ass? Then all bets are off, buddy!"
~
John was out back tending to the grill when Rodney heard the distinctive growling rattle of Ronon's jeep as it pulled into the driveway.
"John! They're here!" He squared his shoulders. This was the first time that he was seeing John's friends since he'd got back from Antarctica - since he’d left John - and he wasn't looking forward to it. Ronon was John's oldest friend; they'd served in the Air Force together and had a long history. He didn't know all the details - John could be pretty tight-lipped when he wanted to be - but there was something about how John had flown behind enemy lines when Ronon's helicopter had gone down in Afghanistan. Ronon was fiercely protective of John and he could just imagine the reception he was going to get after hurting John the way he had. Then there was Teyla, Ronon's girlfriend; she was some kind of spiritual counsellor or voodoo hippy chanter or whatever, she did something with candles and incense and - god forbid - yoga, but Rodney knew that she also taught tae kwon do and was equally as protective of John. All in all it wasn't shaping up to be the most fun at a barbeque that Rodney could imagine.
A comforting hand squeezed his shoulder and John was there, pressing a quick kiss to his temple. "Don't worry, buddy - they’re good people. Everything's gonna be cool."
~
Rodney grabbed a couple of beers and turned to head back out to the yard. “Teyla! Oh, um, sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.” He smiled hesitantly as Teyla placed a stack of dirty dishes on the counter.
John had been right and all in all things hadn’t been going too badly so far. Ronon and Teyla had been polite, though a little subdued with him, and the evening wasn’t too painful. The steaks had been excellent and John had lightened the atmosphere telling some outrageous story about Ronon and a pushy new recruit he’d been terrorising in his sky diving class. Plus Ronon hadn’t even tried to kill Rodney once, which was a big positive, though now he was alone in the kitchen with Teyla and he was starting to worry.
“Can I get you anything?” he asked, nodding towards the fridge. “Another drink? Some more pie? Anything at all?”
“I’m fine, thank you, Rodney,” Teyla said quietly and all of a sudden Rodney couldn’t stand it, he needed to say something.
“I am sorry, you know,” he blurted, words falling haphazardly. “I really didn’t mean to just leave like that… to hurt John. Things… work - the project - it all just happened and I….” He ground to a halt, running out of steam as abruptly as he’d begun, and then looked up in surprise as he felt a light touch to his shoulder.
“Rodney,” Teyla said quietly. “It wasn’t just about John, you know.”
“Um, what?”
“Your leaving like that - Ronon and I missed you too.”
“But, I thought,” Rodney muttered, perplexed. “I thought you were mad at me because of what I did to John.”
“Oh, we weren’t happy about that,” Teyla nodded, her face serious, “but we missed you too.”
“You did?” Rodney had never contemplated the idea. He’d assumed that Ronon and Teyla tolerated him for John’s sake.
Teyla shook her head and smiled, she looked almost indulgent. “You’re our friend too, Rodney.”
“I am?” Rodney had never had all that many friends, mainly just work colleagues, and so it was pretty much unknown territory for him. But it was becoming clear that maybe John wasn’t the only one that he’d hurt. Before he’d left for Antarctica, he and John had spent quite a lot of time with Ronon and Teyla - weekends at the beach, dinner, ‘couples’ kind of things - and they’d made him more than welcome. Rodney belatedly realised that they’d offered him their friendship in his own right, not just as John’s boyfriend.
Teyla’s smile grew wider. “Yes, you are - and we’re very glad to have you back.” She hugged him lightly before shaking an elegant finger at him. “But do not do anything like that again” she added with a stern look. “Understand?”
“Yes, yes, definitely,” Rodney nodded and then smiled shyly as Teyla kissed his cheek.
“Now, let’s get back and see what trouble those two are no doubt causing outside,” Teyla laughed and linked her arm through Rodney’s, leading him towards the door.
~
Rodney smiled as John slipped back into bed and fitted his body against him, the scent of sex and satiation hanging headily in the air. He sighed contentedly as an arm slid around his waist, drawing him more snugly against a warm, furred chest.
“Told you everything would be okay,” John whispered, nuzzling a lazy kiss to Rodney’s ear.
“You did,” Rodney murmured, pulling John’s hand up to rest over his heart. “Know-it-all.”
John snorted a drowsy laugh and pressed closer, mumbling, “They’re our friends, Rodney, of course I knew.”
Rodney nodded as he felt John’s body go lax with sleep. “Yeah, our friends,” he yawned happily.
The end