Rockin' Rodney

by Kez

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/ask/kez/rrodney.php
Summary: Ford lets Sheppard hear a song and Sheppard just can't resist the urge to tease a certain scientist

"Major..." Ford called in as much of a hushed voice as was possible, motioning his superior towards him.

"What?" Sheppard quizzed as Ford pushed him into his room.

"I was going through some old files on my laptop... I know I know, I'm not supposed to keep personal files bla bla, but we were going to another galaxy I didn't figure anyone would mind me saving a few songs to my HD, and I found the coolest thing." Ford babbled on excitably.

"Ford... get to it, what's the big deal?" Sheppard asked.

"Okay, Okay, listen to this." Ford said hitting play on his computer.

A heavy drum beat started to pipe out, joined in with guitar, keyboard, and what sounded to Sheppard like... a saxophone?

The introduction played through and Sheppard was about to get bored when a voice started to sing.

"No way." Was Sheppard's first response, but when Ford nodded his head in a confirmation that he wasn't imagining it...

"That's not possible." Sheppard said shocked.

"Well I checked with Markson, don't know how, don't really want to but he has what seems like every website in creation on his server... apparently, it is everyone, or well everyone that was around when he downloaded it, and. . that's not the point really is it." Ford shook his head and tried to get back to the point.

"The band is called Diffraction. Physics term, go figure on that one right? Drummer: Amy Fredricks, Guitar: James Kelly, Sax: Mason Doyle, Keyboard: Erin Doyle, Guitar AND Lead Vocals: Rodney McKay. I don't even remember downloading the song, but I downloaded all sorts of everything, so guess I must have. Seems they were pretty big in Canada."

"This just isn't... McKay?!?" Sheppard couldn't believe it, no way, McKay was a geek, of course, he called his band Diffraction, of course he was a geek.

Ford nodded.

"This... play it again." Sheppard told him.

They listened to it several times over, Sheppard picked up the beat pretty quickly, and before the song was finished it's forth play he knew all the words.

"This is definite blackmail material you know." Ford commented.

"Could be." Sheppard agreed with a wicked glint in his eye.

"Sir?" Ford asked.

"Never you mind Lt, do me a favour though, copy that song for me, and don't tell McKay we found it... I think we could have some fun with this." Sheppard said.

~~~

Sheppard did just that, for the next week, every time McKay was around he started singing little bits and pieces of the song.

The first time McKay had picked up on it, he'd gone a nice shade of red and asked, trying to act like he didn't know, what Sheppard was singing.

He'd claimed it was just an old Christmas song stuck in his head, 'you know since it's getting to be about that time back home.'

McKay had seemed to let it lie, but he still got antsy every time he heard Sheppard start singing it.

After the third day, Sheppard had taken to asking people from Earth if they recognised the song, innocently proclaiming that his inability to recall all the lyrics, or who sang it, was driving him crazy.

By day nine, McKay looked like he was ready to hit Sheppard if he sung one more single word of the song, so Sheppard, being a smart man, let it lie for a few days.

Weir had put a halt to off-world missions, even though they were in another galaxy she reasoned that they should still keep at least some of their traditions, and Christmas would be one of them, Christmas complete with Secret Santa' gift giving.

Sheppard had pulled Beckett's name out of the hat, and had with a little conniving, managed to get the Anthosians to brew up a bottle of 'moonshine' that he hoped closely resembled Scotch. He owed Halling big time, but the big man liked him, so it was all good.

"Hey Elizabeth, when are we making with the gift giving?" Sheppard asked the project head a few days before Christmas.

"Christmas Eve, or what passes for that date here in Atlantis, why?" she asked wondering immediately what the Major was up too.

"Okay well I found something, and... well come with me." Sheppard told her.

Weir was as shocked, if not more shocked, than he had been.

"So, what do you think? Can we play it over the comm?" Sheppard asked pleadingly.

"Rodney will kill us both." Weir told him.

"I'll take full responsibility, come on we can't let this chance pass us by, it's another whole year till Christmas." Sheppard whined, giving his best trust me I'm a Major' look.

"I didn't say you couldn't do it, just that he'll kill us, I'm not going to pass this chance up anymore than you would John, it would be good for moral. Weir said with a grin, and a glint in her eye.

Sometimes Sheppard decided, Weir could really surprise him.

~~~

Christmas eve eventually arrived, and all the 'Secret Santa' gifts had to be left, and labelled in what had been dubbed the 'mess hall' before dinner.

Two tables were completely weighed down, even people who's religion and personal beliefs normally withheld them from Christmas festivities had gotten involved, and Sheppard was ready with his music.

He'd instructed the people in the control room exactly when to play it, and charmed his way into calling out the names for the various gift-ees, now if only he could keep a straight face once the song started playing he'd be fine.

Dinner passed nicely, and he started calling out names, he left the 'senior staff' till last, calling out everyone except for himself and McKay, when he finally got around to the last few, and so to McKay he glanced at his watch, and when the moment was right, announced McKay's name.

They guys in the control room were right on target with timing, and the song started to play just as McKay got up from his seat.

Sheppard stood perfectly innocently, fighting himself internally not to laugh.

It took a minute or two, but as the lyrics of the song came on, people started recognising the voice attached to them, and hushed and not so hushed murmurs went through the crowd.

"You KNEW!" McKay accused, obviously not fooled by Sheppard's innocent look.

~~~

For three solid days afterwards everywhere McKay went people were humming or singing the song, by day four he'd taken to calling anyone who even hummed one bar a 'fucking bastard' and by day five, Weir had to ask people to stop it because McKay was baying for blood, unfortunately, Sheppard was having too much fun winding McKay up to give up so easily, and programmed his door to play the tune every time he entered the room.

What would have been new years eve back home, had McKay ready to kill Sheppard, barely restraining himself and then only because Weir has asked nicely, but the finally straw came when one of the Anthosians who was visiting the city started humming the tune, not realising it's nature, only having heard it second hand from SGA personnel.

Sheppard obviously wasn't expecting McKay when he barged into his quarters full steam ready to kill the man, but McKay obviously was forgetting that Sheppard was, if nothing else a trained air force officer, and it was he who found himself pinned down.

"Now Rodney trying to kill me isn't very nice." Sheppard smirked down at him

"I'm not going to kill you I'm going to torture you, THEN kill you!" McKay snarled.

"Now, now, play nice." Sheppard said still grinning as McKay fought to get out from under him.

"Bastard, you spend weeks humiliating me and sit there grinning like a fucking cat that got the cream."

"I did not... it was just a bit of fun, okay maybe I went a little to far, but Rodney, how can you say you were humiliated, people LIKE you now, some even think your pretty 'cool'." Sheppard commented, still straddling McKay, unwilling to let up till he was sure McKay wasn't going to kill him, and trying to ignore the insistent erection threatening to break through his pants.

"I'm not cool, I never was, and if I wanted to be liked I'd try being nice to people occasionally." McKay snapped.

"Not buying it McKay." Sheppard said.

"Then buy this, get the fuck of me!" McKay said.

"No... I know you're an ass McKay, but even your not that big an ass that you'd let a little joke get to you like this." Sheppard was determined to get an answer from the scientist.

"Fuck you! You don't know me." McKay told him, eyes cold and steely.

"Maybe I know you better than you like to be known." Sheppard replied easily sliding back just a little to confirm what he suspected, McKay was just as hard as he was.

"Get Off!"

"No."

"I said... Get Off." McKay struggled some more, but Sheppard's new position only caused further friction.

"You really wanna keep that up McKay? Coming in your pants is just so teenage..." Sheppard snarked with a sarcastic grin on his face.

"Bastard." McKay said again.

"Sticks and Stones." Sheppard retorted.

McKay swallowed, the lump in his throat and pressure of Sheppard still sitting on him making it hard to talk anymore.

"So tell me Rodney... what's the real story?" Sheppard asked.

"Let me up." McKay asked, quietly this time, the fight gone out of him.

"Tell me Rodney." Sheppard said, his fingers moving to gently trace the side of McKay's face.

"I... please." McKay pleaded.

Sheppard shook his head, and leaned closer to the scientist, letting his lips travel along McKay's jaw, biting a little.

McKay whimpered, and Sheppard smiled.

He'd never have taken McKay for the whimpering kind... not in bed at least.

"Tell me Rodney... tell me if you want this." Sheppard murmured against McKay's ear.

He'd been expecting a no, maybe even another fuck off, but McKay just whimpered again and pushed himself up against Sheppard.

Sheppard had to admit, he'd never seriously considered McKay as a bed partner, after all the man could be seriously infuriating, but right then his dick was telling him it didn't care if McKay was infuriating, it wanted that ass, and it wanted it now.

Forgetting all about the song, or the fact McKay had wanted to kill him not so many minutes before, Sheppard kissed him.

Hard and demanding, forceful to the point that neither of them could breath and were forced apart for air.

Sheppard was nothing if not fast on his feet, and before he had anytime to think any more he had McKay and himself both stripped down and on the bed, twin hardness's pressed in tight quarters, McKay begging to get off.

Sheppard's hands travelled to McKay's ass, one finger teasing the crack.

"Can I?" he asked, his voice rough with need.

"Yes." McKay grunted.

Grunted... another noise he wouldn't have expected from the arrogant scientist seems McKay had a whole catalogue of interesting sex noises.

Sheppard wasted no time, using the ever handy sunscreen, because well it was handy, and it wasn't like he'd thought to bring astroglide with him to the corner of ass-end and no-where.

He didn't even bother to ask McKay if he was ready, because, well quite frankly, McKay was making it more than clear he was wriggling and begging for more. If Sheppard was the sort of man that liked to use dirty talk in bed he'd probably be calling McKay for all the little sluts under the sun right then.

It was only after, when Sheppard dimly wondered about soundproofing in these quarters, but by then he was stated and sleepy, and he didn't really have it in him to care as he fell asleep listening to McKay snore softly beside him.

~~~

McKay avoided Sheppard like the plague for the next few weeks, when they weren't on missions he hide out in his lab or his quarters, or occasionally with Beckett in the infirmary, generally where ever Sheppard wasn't you'd find McKay.

Sheppard was beginning to get just a little annoyed with it, okay he hadn't been expecting moonlight confessions of hopeless devotion, but damn it if nothing else McKay was damn good in bed, and Sheppard wouldn't have minded a few nights buried in his ass.

They were coming into what on Earth would have been February when McKay stopped avoiding him at every turn, even being... *nice* to him... it was un-nerving.

He was almost done waiting for the other shoe to drop and just hit McKay when the shoe finally did drop.

He'd arrived back from another mission, covered in mud head to toe and sporting several bumps, bruises and cuts, to find a package on his bed.

Curious as to what it was, but also tired and dirty he ignored it in favour of a shower, but thought part of him begged to wait till morning and sleep, his curiosity got the better of him, and he opened it.

A computer disc were the only contents.

Even more curious Sheppard fired up his laptop, and stuck it in waiting to see what happened.

Music.

A guitar, or something sounding very much like one started playing.

And there were lyrics, lyrics in a voice he recognised.

The lyrics played on and Sheppard really started to get it.

Get why McKay hadn't wanted anyone to know he'd been in a band, get why he had been so angry... damn.

"Get it now do we Major?" McKay's voice startled him.

"Yeah... I'm sorry... but you know, people here, it's different Rodney, they like you, well most of them, and they respect you." Sheppard said.

"Maybe, but if that's true or not, I want it to be for who I am, not what I tried to be one time when I was too young and too stupid to know better, and too... too in love to notice it was a lie." McKay said.

"I'm not lying Rodney... I'm not declaring my undying love, but I'm not lying." Sheppard told him, inviting him to sit on the bed with him.

"I'm not cool, I'm not good looking, I'm not..."

"Stop telling me what you're not Rodney, I know already, your pissy, arrogant, temperamental, moody, and you are, on more than the odd occasion, the most annoying man I know, but you know, I think, as much as that's you, it's also part of your disguise.... either way, I don't mind... I think I may have a thing for guys with snark... or maybe just one guy with snark... I'm not going to promise forever, or say that I love you, or any of that crap, I'm not a hearts and flowers kinda guy, and I will more often than not fuck you and then go to sleep straight afterwards... but I think we understand each other... probably better than anyone else here understands us anyway, so I'm going to lie down right now and go to sleep, and I'd really like it if you stayed, but if not, that's okay too... no one will hear a word of this from me, it's all up to you now." Sheppard said, butting into the middle of Rodney's sentence, with his own little speech.

Sheppard didn't wait for a reaction, just lying down, turning to face the other wall, and closing his eyes.

There was silence and stillness for a few minutes before he heard the rustle of clothes, and the light went out, and then McKay's warn body was pressed against his back.

"Night Rodney." Sheppard said into the dark, not expecting and not getting any reply, but that was fine, right now sleep was all he had the energy for anyway, but someday Sheppard was determined to get the full story about Diffraction' out of his scientist, but that day could wait for a while, as he drifted off to sleep.

~~~

*About 10 months later - (give or take a few days)*

The Atlantis team was once again in the mess hall, the 'secret santa' having been called out my Sheppard, Weir reasoning it was 'tradition' after all he d done it last year.

This year there was no musical interruptions though, but after the gift giving was done everyone settled down and faced the 'stage' that composed of a six foot wide space at the front between two chairs.

With the aid of the Anthosians, several of the Atlantis team members had fashioned various instruments, including one Sheppard recognised well... a guitar' in the loosest sense, that McKay had fashioned at the very start of the year.

It had taken some time and some persuasion, but eventually Sheppard had gotten the whole tale about 'Diffraction' from McKay, and even more time and persuasion to get him to agree to play publicly, but not Atlantis had it's own little music group, not named by Ford, because Sheppard had practically gagged him when he started suggesting names, but by Sheppard himself who'd dubbed them 'hydroflow'... a name McKay swore was almost as bad as the ones Ford had suggested, but Sheppard just shrugged and pointed out they lived surrounded by water for miles around, and 'besides McKay you're a physicist, you should appreciate it.'

Claps and wolf whistles went around the room as the make-shift band took their places, and Sheppard sat right up front listening as they took a moment to get the right rhythm with each other and began to play, singing along into himself as Rodney started to sing the song that had started everything between then, joining in with the rapturous applause at the end of the song.

The band played several songs, before McKay finally said something.

"This next song is one I wrote myself... It's not really a Christmas song as such, but well I'm the guy standing here making an ass of myself so I can sing what I like." He said.

Sheppard grinned. McKay had changed somewhat over the course of the last year, but he could still be a snarky bastard when it suited him... and it suited him often.

Sheppard listened with a silly grin on his face, and a funny feeling in his heart he'd never have expected a year ago.

He was very defiantly in love...

The band struck up another tune and Sheppard laughed with everyone else, as they screwed around with the lyrics of what in Sheppard's opinion was a perfectly good song to begin with.