Chapter Text
Teyla had just sat down to enjoy a rare evening alone when it happened. Torren was on the main land camping with Kaanan and her fingertips were just closing around a book when she heard it.
“For crying out loud, Rodney!” John’s voice echoed around her room.
“What do you want Sheppard some of us are trying to have a relaxing evening-” Rodney’s superior voice responded. Teyla stood up, and rushed to her door, something strange was happening. But before she could step outside into the corridor, which was also echoing with Rodney’s annoyed tones, she was pushed back in by Ronon.
“This is going to be great.” He said grinning. He started to raid a cupboard in her kitchen area.
"Are you looking for something Ronon?" Teyla said raising her voice over Rodney’s monologue of frustration.
"Popcorn. This may last a long time. They have no idea they are on the public channel, everyone can hear them, they are being broadcast all over Atlantis.”
"Isn't someone going to stop them?" Teyla grimaced as Rodney insults John's coffee making skills.
"Do you want to go and stop them?" He asked, grabbing a bowl to put the popcorn in.
She thought about it for a moment, did she want to go and shout at two grown men who apparently were very intelligent, and who should have realised that the city wide comm was on and the whole expedition could hear them?
“No…”
"And you are the bravest of us all..."He said smirking as there was a break in the insulting commentary from Rodney. Ronon took a large handful of popcorn and waited for them to speak again. It didn’t take long.
“YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO GO INTO MY ROOM!” John shouted.
“I HAVE EVERY RIGHT, YOU WERE HOARDING COFFEE. AND WHAT EXACTLY WERE YOU WORRIED I WOULD SEE? ALL THREE OF YOUR POSSESSIONS?” Rodney shouted back.
“DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU I WAS SAVING THE COFFEE TO GIVE TO YOU?!” Sheppard sounded furious. Teyla took another handful of popcorn.
“NO! AND YOU INVADE MY PRIVACY ALL THE TIME. YOU ARE FOREVER SNOOPING AROUND AND THAT TIME I WAS WITH JENNIF-” Ronon and Teyla winced, they remembered that moment, Jennifer Keller had been giving him social classes. John had found out and almost had lost it.
“DO NOT BRING THAT UP RODNEY! THAT WAS DIFFERENT! I WAS HELPING YOU!”
“THE RELATIONSHIP ENDED AFTER THAT ENCOUNTER!” Rodney screamed back, they were in full swing now and clearly still unaware that this conversation was not in complete privacy.
“SHE WAS CHANGING YOU!” John sounded upset and angry now, Teyla winced again, knowing if they kept this up, they would start to say things they would regret. Maybe she should stop them? Before it got out of hand. She made to move but Ronon placed his hand on shoulder and shook his head. She settled back into the sofa, and listened.
“MAYBE SHE WOULD HAVE CHANGED ME FOR THE BETTER?”
“YOU ARE FINE AS YOU ARE!” John shouted.
“WE WILL NEVER KNOW NOW, WILL WE? SHE LEFT!” Rodney shouted indignantly.
“CRY ME A FUCKING RIVER RODNEY. YOU ARE BETTER OFF OUT OF IT.”
“OH, AND CAPTAIN KIRK HAS THE AUTHORITY ON RELATIONSHIPS DOES HE?”
“THAT IS NOT WHAT I MEAN, AND STOP CALLING ME KIRK!”
“WHY? I AM ONLY CALLING OUT WHAT IS THE TRUTH! KIRK KIRK KIRK KIRK KIRK!”
“RODNEY SHUT UP YOU ARSEHOLE!”
“SCREW YOU SHEPPARD!” Rodney roared.
“GO FUCK YOURSELF MCKAY!”
Silence filled Teyla’s room. Was it over? She looked over at Ronon who looked more disturbed than amused this time. It had been painful to hear them argue like that. She felt unnerved, John never lost his temper like that. Ever.
“That was unpleasant.” Teyla said quietly.
“Yeah.” Ronon replied. He stood up to leave. When there was a crackle over the comm again.
“YOU KNOW WHAT SHEPPARD. NO, YOU DON’T GET THE LAST WORD ON THIS ONE. FUCK YOU. YOU RUINED MY RELATIONSHIP-”
“NO I AM NOT HAVING THIS! YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY I DIDN’T WANT HER CHANGING YOU? I LOVE YOU, ALRIGHT? I JUST LOVE YOUR STUPID LOUD MOUTHED, FLAILING HANDS, MORONIC ARSEHOLE WAYS. I AM DONE WATCHING YOU DATE PEOPLE WHO TRY AND CHANGE YOU FOR THE BETTER AND I'M DONE LISTENING TO YOU MOAN ABOUT WHY IT ISN'T WORKING. IT ISN'T WORKING RODNEY BECAUSE YOU DON'T NEED TO CHANGE FOR PEOPLE. YOU ARE FINE AS YOU ARE. AND I LOVE YOU. AND I AM SO DAMN MAD ABOUT IT BECAUSE WHY THE HELL SHOULD I? AND BECAUSE YOU WENT INTO MY ROOM! YOU ARE AN ARSEHOLE. BUT I FUCKING LOVE YOU.”
Ronon sat back down with a thud next to her grinning like mad.
“He said it, he actually said it. I never thought he would. He actually told him.” Ronon whispered in wonder.
Teyla could not believe it, they all knew. Everyone knew that they were meant to be together. There was even a betting pool set up by Zelenka. The highest odds were on after mission euphoria confession, with a second highest on aliens mistaking them for a married couple and forcing them to share a hut. But this, this no one had expected.
The silence was deafening. Rodney hadn’t said anything back… was John waiting for a response? Was he alright? He had just confessed his love and there was silence. A slight crackle was heard again as Rodney went into a rant in reply.
“WELL, I LOVE YOU TOO. AND DON'T YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT MY FLAILING HANDS. YOU LOUNGE EVERYWHERE. EVERYWHERE! HAVE YOU EVER SAT IN A SEAT CORRECTLY IN YOUR LIFE? IS IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO GO THROUGH A DOOR WITHOUT YOU LEANING ON IT LIKE A TEEN HEART THROB? I AM HIGHLY FRUSTRATED THAT THE MAN I LOVE HAS MORE IN COMMON WITH JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE THAN WITH ANYONE WORTH RESPECTING IN SCIENCE. AND YES, I KNOW YOU HAVE A BRAIN. I KNOW YOU ARE NOT A TEEN HEART THROB, BUT WHY MUST YOU ACT LIKE IT? YOUR BRAIN IS INCREDIBLY ATTRACTIVE AND IT ANNOYS ME NO ENDS WHEN YOU CONCEAL IT! YOU LOVE ME. YOU ACTUALLY LOVE ME? WELL, ISN'T THAT JUST DANDY? WE ARE IN LOVE. HOW AMAZING. I AM IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE WHO WOULD RATHER BE HIT WITH STICKS THAN DO ANYTHING PRODUCTIVE.”
Teyla and Ronon looked at each other, the huge smile on his face was mirrored by her. This was so exciting. Finally! She briefly wondered if this would count as something in the betting pool. Before another crackle was heard.
“I am still angry with you for violating my space.” John mumbled.
“And I am still angry you called my hands ‘flailing’.” Rodney mumbled back.
“They do flail.”
“They do not.”
A tense silence filled Teyla’s room as her and Ronon and she assumed the rest of Atlantis waited with bated breath.
“Rodney, where are you?” John asked cautiously.
“In my quarters.”
“I’m coming round-”
Ronon looked to her and grinned. “Now I think it is a good time to tell them there are on city wide.”
Teyla jumped to her feet, ran out the door through a gossiping corridor, to Rodney’s quarters.
The arrived quickly enough to see John arriving and about to knock on the door.
“Stop!” Teyla shouted as she skidded to a halt. “Give me your comm.” She yanked it out of John’s ear, and then She then banged on Rodney’s door.
It whooshed open immediately who looked thrilled and shy to see John and confused at seeing them.
Ronon pulled McKay’s comm from his ear but said nothing.
“Enjoy your evening both.” Teyla said smiling kindly.
“Yes… enjoy…” Ronon said with a smirk.
The only blinked in response as Teyla and Ronon walked away towards the crowd outside Zelenka’s quarters.