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katespillingvelvet is such a dear that when I said I was too tired to write the treat I had planned for tonight, she said she'd write me a wee drabble and it'd be a guest treat. Which is brilliant! So I then went to bluflamingo and asked her to write spillingvelvet a treat.And I also asked several other sweethearts on my flist/circle to write, and they came through with flying colors. This one's a treat for me as well as for everyone else.
Come on in and play with us! You can leave a ficlet comment with OpenID or anonymously if you don't have a Dreamwidth account (though if you want one, just ask! I will get you an invite - and if you're too shy to ask, try
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dw_codesharing).Happy holidays, everyone. This makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. *snuggles flist/circle*
For easy organization later:
McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/8/09 09:42 pm (UTC)~~~
So there's this guy, and he's been standing in front of the shop window for the better part of half an hour, all but pressing his nose to the glass. And, all right, Rodney's creations - he steadfastly refuses to call them 'toys', no matter how hard Jeannie rolls her eyes and tells him to get a life already, "Or a girlfriend, Mer. A girlfriend would be very nice. You know. Normal." Rodney's work is to toys as the Flying City of Atlantis is to a paper plane. Rodney builds devices that make the guys on thinkgeek cry.
Anyway. The guy keeps standing there, staring, and if there wasn't a sheet of glass between him and the merchandise, Rodney would have to check for drool stains. Rodney knows he's good, amazing even, but this is becoming a little disturbing. Granted, the guy is somewhat attractive, with pale eyes and the unkempt-hair-chin-bristle combination Rodney has always associated with the term 'rakish'. But he's keeping away paying customers with his, his lounging about like a thief to be or maybe a Jehova's witness, and clearly this cannot be borne.
Rodney straightens his shoulders, pulls in a breath, and lifts his chin.
Then he remembers that he's not that young anymore and probably can't lift his leg high enough to kick the guy in the gut – he can't throw punches, he might hurt his hands; god, he used to be so bendy - so it would probably be advisable to have back-up standing by. So he gives the guy a withering glare that passes by as unnoticed as all the others so far, stalks over to the phone, and hits the three on speed-dial.
He lets the phone ring once and hangs up. He redials and lets the phone ring twice before he presses the button to disconnect. He rings again, once. Through the window, over the guy's shoulder, he can see the small pasta place across the street. A large brown hand appears in the tiny space that isn't plastered with multi-coloured letters and gives him the finger. Emphatically.
Rodney nods, satisfied. Ronon's got his back.
He straightens again, sniffs once and nods to himself. Then he strides over to the door and yanks it open, Jeannie's silly bells cheering madly. Ah, the sweet sound of impending victory.
He steps onto the sidewalk and opens his mouth to tell the guy exactly what he thinks of loiterers who… loiter… in front of respectable businesses, but the guy actually beats him to the punch.
"Hey," he drawls, and for no reason at all the hairs on Rodney's arms stand up and take notice.
He shivers.
"You work here?" the guy asks, oblivious to Rodney's rebellious follicles or status as the owner of the grandest shop in town, thank you very much. "This stuff looks pretty cool."
The words are dripping from his lips like syrup, thick and slow, and Rodney scowls even as he takes a moment to memorise the curve and dip of aforementioned lips.
"That's because it is, as you so aptly put it, 'cool.'" He snaps his fingers and is rewarded with a raised eyebrow. "McKay's Mechanical Marvels are the most revolutionary developments in their respective fields. They're so far ahead of the," he snorts and forms the appropriate air quotes, "'competition' that they are, in fact, a field of their very own. Hours of research, construction and delicate assembly make each of these little babies as supreme as they are unique and require a steady hand to put together. Not that I would expect any philistine to grasp that."
The guy has raised both eyebrows by now, and is slowly looking Rodney up and down. Rodney thinks this might be the moment to wave Ronon over and have him beat this guy up.
"So," the guy drawls, again, has no one taught him to speak at a pace that is faster than your average caterpillar? "You're good with your hands, huh?"
Rodney blinks at him, more thoroughly derailed than that time with Sam Carter and the orange-flavoured condom and the box of epi-pens.
"You, uh." A thought occurs to him, a wondrous thought, a terrifying thought, "You were looking at the merchandise, right?" The last word comes out in an embarrassingly small voice.
"Maybe." The guy smirks, full lips stretching at the corners, and oh, this is not good for Rodney's blood pressure, not good at all. "Or maybe I was checking out the merchant."
"Really," Rodney says faintly, and this time there is absolutely no mistaking the intent in the guy's grin.
"You look a little pale," the guy says with obviously false concern, "maybe you should lie down."
And oh, okay, all right, that does it. Rodney might not have had any kind of sexual encounter in an embarrassingly long time – since that time with Sam Carter and the orange-flavoured condom and the box of epi-pens, in fact – but will not be cast in the role of fainting virgin. He straightens his back, squares his shoulders and lifts his chin.
"Well, yes, thank you," he all but snaps, satisfied to see the guy do a double-take, "and why don't you come inside so I can show you the Mechanical Marvels I keep in the back room, hmm?"
He turns with a flourish and strides back into his shop, not checking to see if the guy follows him or not. He is Rodney McKay. He is a catch. If the guy is too stupid to see that, he doesn't deserve the mind-blowing sex anyway.
Jeannie's bells ring again.
~~~
Over the next few hours, Rodney learns the following: The guy's name is John and he is alarmingly enraptured with the back room Marvels and also nearly as bendy as Rodney used to be, Ronon will not, in fact, deliver citrus-free lasagne for two across the street, and the Pegasus Power Plug might regrettably need some minor downsizing. He also learns that John isn't all that into one-night stands, but that's all right. Rodney knows he's good, amazing even, and what are a few drool stains on the pillowcase against getting to keep the rakish guy?
Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/9/09 05:07 am (UTC)<33333333333333333333333333333333333333
I love this SO much, and I cannot tell you how much this makes my holidays.
Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/9/09 10:19 am (UTC)Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/9/09 05:16 am (UTC)That had me giggling SO HARD.
Love this!!
Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/9/09 10:20 am (UTC)Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/9/09 06:02 am (UTC)Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/9/09 10:20 am (UTC)Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/9/09 07:43 am (UTC)Ahahahahahaha! Priorities, Rodney has them.
Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/9/09 10:21 am (UTC)Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/9/09 12:07 pm (UTC)Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/9/09 12:54 pm (UTC)I would squee, but I'm afraid of breaking the glass in the window right next to me. It is very cold outside. That window is essential for keeping the cold out.
That said, HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! *flails madly like a mad thing*
Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/9/09 03:24 pm (UTC)Bendy John!! \o/
Mezzo (because I don't have a dreamwidth account)
no subject
on 12/9/09 03:48 pm (UTC)Delightful!
Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/9/09 05:34 pm (UTC)Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/9/09 07:23 pm (UTC)Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/10/09 03:20 am (UTC)Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/10/09 02:40 pm (UTC)I can show you the Mechanical Marvels I keep in the back room, hmm?" This is the equivalent to the overused stamp-collection, isn't it? *lol*
Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 12/11/09 06:00 am (UTC)Re: McKay's Mechanical Marvels (SGA, John/Rodney, PG-13)
on 1/12/10 12:53 am (UTC)-Brasslizard