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John stumbles across Rodney by accident, while running along one of the more deserted corridors. Rodney's staring at a seemingly empty section of a wall, his datapad held losely at his side and he's blinking slowly. It would be funny to watch because Rodney's usually constantly in motion, bright and mesmerizing, but John knows how hard Rodney's been pushing himself since the damn storm and Kolya, fixing eerything that's broken. And both Elizabetha and Teyla have been telling him Rodney was overdoing it, but John didn't think it was so bad he's sleeping standing up.
John's eyes inevitably go to the wound on Rodney's right arm and his own hands clench in impotent rage, because he wasn't there to stop it, because Rodney was never meant to suffer through it and he wishes he could have an hour with Kolya and a knife.
Rodney slowly turns away from him and John can see the exhaustion in every line of his body as he makes a step forward and John is moving before he even thinks about it, making more noise than necessary so that he doesn't scare Rodney, but there's no need.
When John reaches him, reaches for his left elbow because he doesn't want to hurt him if he stumbles, Rodney just turns his head and gives him a smile so bright it hurts to watch and makes it hard to breathe it's so beautiful.
“John!”
“Hey Rodney.” John keep his voice low and starts moving Rodney in the direction of the closest transporter.
“Come on, let's get you to bed.”
“Oh, bed, “ Rodney say blissfully and John swallows hard because he sounds like sex, like he's like to do more than sleep in that bed.
“Yeah, bed, buddy.”
They walk then steps before Rodney jerks violently and tries to turn around and go back. “Oh, but I can't! Not yet. I need to... I need too...” And he looks so disgruntled, like a grumpy cat that John can't help huffing out a laugh.
“It can't be that important if you can't remember what it is. Come on. Bed.”
Rodney is quiet and pliant as John steers them to his room. They get some amused looks from both the marines and scientists, but no one tries to talk to stop or talk to them. Atlantis lets them in with barely a thought and John turns the lights on just enough to let them see without tripping and breaking something.
Rodney just stands at the foot of the bed, looking lost and sleepy and John can't help thinking he's adorable like that. He steps closer, takes the datapad out of his hand and puts it on the closest flat surface. Rodney's staring at him, eyes searching his face and some of the sleepiness is gone. John looks back, heart hammering as he lifts his arms and starts working on Rodney's clothes.
Rodney keeps looking at him, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. John is helpless to do anything else but smile back. He unbuttons Rodney's pants, kneels down to get his shoes and pants off, then nudges Rodney to get in bed. Rodney sighs deeply as his head hits the pillow, melts into his mattress when John tugs a blanket over him. He panics, though, when Josh whispers “Good night Rodney,” gets tangled in the blanket trying to turn around and reach him.
“Rodney. Rodney, it's okay. Calm down.” He does, but grabs John's waist in a strong grip and refuses to let go when John tries to tug free.
“Stay. So I know it's real. John. Please.” And John doesn't even think about refusing, doesn't think about the repercussions of it all, just toes off his shoes and presses himself against Rodney's bed on the too narrow bed, breathing in the smell of sweat and coffee and Rodney, listens to his breathing even out into sleep. He asks Atlantis to turn off the lights and falls asleep thinking about kissing Rodney good morning.