The Mirror Of Emotions 1

Knock Down, Drag Out

by Cynical_Coat

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asc/ccoat/mirror01.php
Summary: A disagreement escalates and Rodney is shocked to discover that he's more than a match for John when it comes to hand to... hand...

It had been a bad day.

Hell, it had been a bad week.

Ever since the rain started. And more importantly, the lightning.

The damn lightning...

"Tell me again why we're sitting here instead of running around some sunny alien planet, McKay?" Sheppard asked, flicking the little paper wedge that served them for a football at Ford.

"Because of the electrical interference from the storm. We don't have enough power to fully activate the shields and the sporadic power surges could cause a catastrophic Gate malfunction." Rodney said listlessly.

"Right..." John said, as though the risk of being defragmented by an unstable wormhole wasn't reason enough to keep them locked up in Atlantis. "And remind me why we're sitting here?"

Rodney sighed, wishing that he'd just kept walking this morning, wishing he'd ignored Sheppard altogether.

"Because the balconies were deemed unsafe when they started to flood into the corridors..."

The football whizzed past Aidan's ear and slid down the deserted hall. Ford watched it fly with near painful longing and Sheppard gestured for him to go.

"Fine, Ford. You're dismissed..."

Aidan flashed him a grin.

"Thank you, sir." He managed before he darted off down the corridor in the opposite direction of the football.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" Sheppard called after him and then slumped against the wall, watching Rodney out of the corner of his eye. He was fidgeting, looking around as though searching for a reason to leave on the walls or in the air itself. Absurdly, John didn't want the normally annoying (if not down-right infuriating) man to leave.

Maybe he just didn't want to be alone.

Being bored was one thing, being bored and lonely quite another. That was part of the reason that he had snared Aidan this morning, and then (once their improvised football game became tiresome) he had flagged down McKay as he hurried down the hall, lost in thought.

Rodney cleared his throat suddenly, standing and swinging his arms.

"Well... I actually have a lot of important work to do, Major... As I'm sure you do."

John tilted his eyes up so that he could still see Rodney's face and shook his head.

"Nope... unlike some people, I keep up on my paperwork." He managed a smile, hoping for a snappy retort. As usual, Rodney was up to the challenge.

"Yes, well... unlike some people, my 'paperwork' requires actually work. You know, research, the ability to write and sit still for long periods of time... that kind of thing." Rodney said, shrugging. "I really should get going..." He took a few steps and then glanced over his shoulder, only seeming vaguely surprised to find John right behind him. "Major?"

John grinned.

"Yes?"

"Don't you have anything better to do?" There was a touch of hopeless despair in his tone.

John didn't even hesitate.

"Nope."

Rodney sighed, and started down the hall again, Sheppard trailing behind.

Wraith baiting might be fun, but it had nothing on the joys of the fine art of scientist baiting. Or, more specifically, McKay baiting.

***

Rodney tried to ignore Sheppard as he switched on his computer, but the way he drifted around the lab unconsciously activating long dormant devices was awfully distracting. Rodney closed his eyes and tried to focus.

"What's this?" Sheppard's voice in his ear made him jump, and when he turned his head, the man was grinning again, holding Rodney's latest conquest in his hands.

"I don't know. That's why I'm studying it." He snapped, and if he didn't know better, he'd have said that grin widened a fraction. "Will you please put that down before you---" Rodney began, reaching for the artifact. Sheppard flipped the clear glassy plate over in his hands and it turned from the tranquil blue that Rodney had spent the better part of a day perfecting to a discordant glaring orange as soon as Rodney's fingers brushed it. It clicked several times and then the light faded from it completely. "--- break it." Rodney finished, his eyes locked on the now useless hunk of psuedo-glass. Sheppard's grin never wavered as he set it down next to the lap-top and moved on to his next target.

"Hey, what's this do?" He asked, reaching for a fragile looking device that Rodney had decided was for entertainment purposes. He hadn't messed with it too much because the light it emitted reminded him of a mission report he had read back at the SGC. Still, having an idea of what it was didn't mean he wanted it destroyed. He was on his feet and moving to intercept Sheppard before he even knew what he was doing.

"Major, I wasn't kidding. I have a lot of important work to do. Unlike you, my job requires more than a lucky gene and a pin with wings."

He hadn't meant for that to come out as sharply as it did, and he knew he'd hit a nerve. Something had changed in Sheppard's eyes and in the way he'd crossed his arms.

"Don't forget, Doctor..." Sheppard said, pausing dramatically. "I have a gun, too." That was almost a threat, and the thinly covered steel in his voice removed what little remorse Rodney had felt at making the initial comment.

"Well, isn't that nice..." He said snidely. "See if you can make it out of my lab without shooting anything with it." He pointed to the door. "The exit's that way... I'm sure you remember how it works?"

Sheppard narrowed his eyes and took a step closer, dropping his hands to his sides.

"And if I don't?" The steel was bare now, sword drawn and at the ready. The entire mood of the room had shifted from vaguely annoyed to volatilly dangerous in a matter of seconds, and if Rodney had been thinking coherently he would have backed down, would have smoothed what ruffled feathers there were between them and gone back to work. But he wasn't really feeling like backing down just then. No, not really feeling like that at all.

"Then the gene will take care of it for you, just go!"

He found himself matching Sheppard's step and raising his hands in loose fists.

Sheppard looked at his fists, smirking and arching an eyebrow.

"Or what?"

"Last chance, John. Leave now or I'll make you leave." He barely recognized his own voice. It matched Sheppard's for steel and anger, though he couldn't isolate why, exactly. He didn't even notice that he'd used the Major's first name.

Sheppard laughed, a mirthless mocking sound that made Rodney's blood boil.

"That'll be the day, Rodney..." He brought up his own hands, looking dangerously at ease. They stared at each other for a moment and Rodney half expected to other man to laugh-- really laugh-- and drop his hands again. No such luck.

In the end, it was Sheppard's insolent, arrogant, oh-so-confident grin that decided him. Careful not to betray his intent, Rodney threw the first punch. Surprised as he was, Sheppard managed to block the brunt of the blow, deflecting it so that Rodney's fist just barely grazed him. Even as he dodged the quick return jab, Rodney marveled that he wasn't laid out on the lab floor yet. He contented himself with blocking and dodging for a moment, sizing up his strengths and weaknesses in a way that was almost military.

He had to find a way to slow him down...

Sheppard's speed was his main advantage. If Rodney could neutralize that--

The proverbial light bulb went on in his head and he lunged forward, knocking John to the ground, careful to keep his legs pinned as he kneeled over him. They struggled for a moment until Rodney grabbed Sheppard's wrists, holding them down as well. They panted, their breath the only sound but for the rush of Rodney's pulse in his ears. One of Sheppard's blows must had landed, because he could taste blood on his lips. He opened his mouth to say something, maybe even to gloat, but he never got the chance. John suddenly tensed beneath him and then they were rolling across the floor of the lab, heedless of chairs and tables and walls. Everytime they met an obstacle they couldn't move they simply changed direction. Finally they fetched up against a wall hard enough to stun Sheppard, who hit it first, and Rodney instinctively grounded them with his knee, pinning John between the wall and his body. John recovered a bit and tried to slide away, managing to move them a little way from the wall, but Rodney dropped his other knee, straddling John's hips and pinning him again. He was grasping Sheppard's collar so tightly that his fingers hurt, and the other man had him by the shoulders hard enough to bruise, but that and all the other pains of their scuffle were secondary. Only one thing occupied Rodney's mind: Sheppard was hard.

Sheppard was hard, and it was because of him.

Without thinking, Rodney shifted, straightening his legs and laying full length on top of Sheppard, pushing his own erection against the other man's groin.

And again, the mood of the room shifted. They were both still angry as hell, but there was more to it now. If they had been in a position to look, they would have seen that the glass plate was glowing again, this time a deep, pulsing red.

John suddenly jack-knived under him, thrusting his hips forcefully into Rodney's and flipping them again so that he was on top. Rodney moaned despite himself and, not to be outdone, kept them rolling until they'd come full circle. Pinned yet again, Sheppard brought his knee up between Rodney's legs... but not hard enough to do any real damage. Rodney let his eye's slip closed and began to grind himself aganist John, tilting his head forward and moaning into John's mouth as he pressed his lip's urgently to the other man's...

Neither of them heard the door slide open, and it was only dumb luck that they were mostly under a table.

"Dr. McKay?" Teyla called, and Rodney jerked away from Shepprd as though he'd been burned. They both staggered to their feet, bruised and disoriented.

"What is it, Teyla?" Rodney asked, just as though he didn't have a black eye and a hard-on. Her eyes widened as she looked at them both, blood streaked and wild as they were, and then hit the intercom.

"Dr. Beckett! Medical emergency in Dr. McKay's lab!"

Rodney glanced at John. Judging from his appearance, he could only imagine how he must look.

-like hell I'm sure...-

"It's not so much a medical emergency--"

"As a, ah... a mishap." Sheppard finished for him and they grinned uneasily at each other.

None of them saw the Ancient artifact pale to a half sickly, half cheerful yellow.

Teyla cocked her head, not convinced, but not panicked either.

"A mishap?"

Rodney nodded a bit too vigorously, making himself slightly nauseous.

"We had a bit of a disagreement."

"And you know how people get when they're stuck inside for a long time." John interjected. Rodney nodded again and continued.

"Well, one thing lead to another, and the disagreement became a, well, a..."

"A scuffle." John supplied, and Rodney shot him another grin.

"Exactly. You know, I can't even remember why I was angry now..."

John, however, had no such selective amnesia.

"Really? I broke your... thingy, remember?" He turned and scooped up the glass plate, frowning. "That's weird, it looks like it's working again."

Even as he said that, it turned a strangely confused looking shade of purple. Rodney took it from him, and it stayed the same swirling fuscia.

"I thought it might be a concentration aid... remember the blue color it was? It took me hours of clearing my mind and just focusing to get it to stay that color."

"Maybe it just changes color every once in awhile." John said with a shrug.

"I don't think so."

Dr. Beckett and two other doctors suddenly burst into the room, panting from their run. Rodney looked at them distractedly.

"Carson, come take a look at this..."

Beckett's eyes were wide, but he didn't even spare a glance for the artifact.

"What happened to the two of you?"

John smiled, a ghastly sight given the blood on his teeth.

"We got into a scuffle." He seemed almost proud of it now.

"With what army?" Carson breathed. That brought Rodney back to the situation at hand.

"With each other, actually..." He glanced over his shoulder. "It's really kind of a funny story."

-if you leave off the part at the end right before Teyla came in...-

His smile faltered and the plate switched to a bright, twisting green. He frowned at it and it reverted to purple.

"I wonder..." He murmered, and thought about how angry he had been with John. It changed to a weak orange. He thought about his own reaction to John's arousal, and it changed again to a washed out red. Then back to embarassment and that livid green.

"What are you doing, McKay?" John asked, and the plate turned a deep blue at Rodney's sadness at being simply 'McKay' again.

"It responds to our emotions. That's what changes the color."

John wasn't looking at the plate anymore and Rodney tried without success to ignore the scrutiny. The plate faded into a pale rose hue.

"Any chance that thing can influence the way we act, too?" John asked. He was obviously thinking about the end of their 'scuffle' as well. The rose shade intensified and Rodney felt his heart rate rise, along with certain other parts of his anatomy.

"I'd say that's a pretty fair guess."

Carson cleared his throat and they both half turned.

"I'm sure it's all terribly intriguing... But we should really get both of you down to the infirmary."

Sheppard grinned again, even though it must have hurt, the way his lip was swelling.

"Yeah, you'd better patch up McKay... What'll the ladies do to me if they find out I spoiled his boyish good looks?"

Carson didn't think much of his humor.

"I'm actually more worried about you, Major. It looks like Rodney gave a little better than he got."

-and still not as good as he wanted to give...- McKay thought forlornly. He shrugged it off and gave his best triumphant grin. It was more than worth this whole escapade to see the look on Sheppard's face. His good humored smile changed to a scowl that was frightening on his bloody features. Rodney grabbed his shoulder and considered saying something placating before settling for,

"Maybe I'll give you a private lesson sometime, Major."

Sheppard's eyes blazed as he stared into Rodney's, but it didn't seem like anger anymore.

"I'd like that, McKay..." He glanced at the others and then at the plate. His eyes returned to Rodney's. "We aren't finished with this..."

-not by a long shot...-

Rodney smiled and let himself be lead to the infirmary.

"Whatever you say, Major..."

~fin~

Next: This Angry Nothing