Flirting With Death

by Kyn_Moonlight

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/ask/kmoonlight/flirting.php
Summary: Ford has a problem with Sheppard's behavior toward the Wraith

It was quiet as they walked through the corridors, their footsteps echoing softly, but he could practically feel the sidelong glances being cast his way by the man pacing beside him. He risked a few glances to gauge his companion's mood, picking up quick glimpses of a bewildering jumble of emotions.

Outraged, puzzled, step, step, step. Amused, disgusted, step, step, step. Horrified, curious, step, step, right turn, step. Confused, disappointed, step, step.

Something obviously had his second-in-command disconcerted. The something he could pretty much pin down as himself. The why was another matter entirely.

"What?" Major Sheppard finally asked in exasperation, meeting one of the glances head-on.

"You were... You were *flirting* with him!"

"With who?"

"With WHO? That," he made a frustrated little noise, "That Wraith!"

"What? Steve?"

"Steve!" Lieutenant Ford was practically shouting now, in agitation. "You named it Steve."

"C'mon, it's better than 'I am your death.'" He hissed the last low in his throat, imitating their Wraith prisoner. "What would I call him for short, 'Death'?"

"It's a killer. Our enemy. It skeeves me out to even be in the same city as that thing."

"We need information if we're going to survive. And protect our people."

"OK, granted, but you're not treating it like an enemy prisoner; objective, in command, military. You're being all pouty and smug and coy at him!"

"Yeah, well, it's kinda hard to be objective and military when that thing scares the hell out of me!"

Ford sighed, looking at him with a softer expression in his eyes. "You too?"

John just bowed his head and nodded.

They strolled along in silence for a little while.

"Well," Aiden said with a small quirk of a smile. "I guess that proves one of the things people are always saying about you."

Sheppard let his glance ask the question for him.

"That you're flirting with 'Death'." Ford finally gave him the big best-friend smile.

John smiled in return. Then gave him pouty and coy. "Jealous?" he asked, chuckling to himself in the certainty that would shut up his confused young friend.

Step, step, step.

"Yes," Ford whispered softly.

Step...