kat_lair | SGA Fanfic: Atlantis Santa

Oh for fuck's sake LJ; stop screwing me over! And laptop; stop crashing! I've been trying to post this for hours now. *tears own hair*

Title: Atlantis Santa - Part 2/2
Author: Mistress Kat / kat_lair
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Rating: PG
Word count: ~7750
Disclaimer: Not mine, only playing.
Pairing/Category: McKay/Zelenka, Holiday fluff (Unapologetic fluff. Really, it’s the fic equivalent of candy floss: lots of sugar, very little substance)
Summary: The Secret Santa gift exchange at Atlantis causes Rodney and Radek some headache. Not to mention that weird fluttery feeling somewhere low in the abdominal region.

Author notes: Written for cinaed on the sga_santa fic exchange. Reposted on my LJ, because I'm anal and like to have all my fics in one place. Posted in two parts because LJ, my laptop, and (consequently) me, are all throwing tantrums. Beta by trinity1986 and dark_cygnet - many thanks for your help and dedication ladies, you are both simply amazing.

Read Part 1/2 First

Atlantis Santa - Part 2/2

The temperature had plummeted over the last couple of weeks and Radek could see his breath form little white clouds the moment he walked out of the puddlejumper. Lieutenant Mansell shouted at him to radio in if he needed picking up then gave a quick wave from the cockpit before closing the hatch and heading back to the city. She had been happy to ferry him to the mainland on a few hours notice and something in her smile told Radek that she knew more than she let on.

Well, here he was, as instructed. He looked at the note again, but it was as short as yesterday, giving only a date, time and a set of coordinates. The place was right; Lieutenant Mansell had found the landing site with suspicious ease. And, Radek consulted his watch, the time should also be correct.

“Excuse me, Dr. Zelenka?” A melodic and distinctively female voice called behind him. Radek bit back a sigh of disappointment. He’d been so sure… He’d spent an hour by the lab whiteboard last night, squinting at the equations, trying to see if the number three on the board matched the one on the paper. Wishful thinking obviously.

“Yes, hello.” He turned around and came to face to face with…

A complete stranger. Well, perhaps not complete; he vaguely remembered seeing her around before.

“My name is Leenas. I am here to guide you to your…” She hesitated with the foreign term. “…Christmas present.”

Ah, that explained it. Or not.

Without another word Leenas turned around and beckoned him to follow.

Despite it being only late afternoon the light was receding fast and he was grateful for the row of torches illuminating the path. It was actually very pretty, if cold. Radek pulled the jacket tighter around him.

They walked for a long time, the snow crunching under their feet.

He started feeling hopeful again. Last night, at the party, he was pretty sure there had been a—a moment. He cringed inwardly at the word, but it was the best way of describing it.

Rodney had been his usual rumpled fidgety self as he walked into the room, heading straight to the buffet. Radek had watched him hoard a plateful of food, speak with people and absentmindedly ogle the women on the dance floor, all the while looking like he was made to suffer through a root canal instead of small-talk and amateur entertainment.

Radek hadn’t planned on talking to him; too risky, too difficult to keep from saying anything, just too everything.

Yet, somehow, he’d found himself standing next to Rodney; right next to him with a hand on his broad shoulders. And then Rodney had turned and Radek hadn’t taken his hand away and there had been a moment.

The look on Rodney’s face when he was reunited with his cat had been everything and more than he had hoped for. It was an expression of pure unadulterated joy, close but better than the one he got when making previously dead machinery work again. This time there had been nothing to fix afterwards, no lives to save, no other responsibilities to deal with.

Radek had watched him fuss and coo over the dazed feline and although it had been funny and even sort of touching, it had also been a relief beyond words. After Arcturus he hadn’t been sure Rodney would ever be able to be happy like that again.

And he was the reason for it. Well Albert directly, but him too. Standing there in the middle of a rowdy party, hiding his emotions behind a glass of wine, Radek had discovered that he would very much like to be able to put that happy, carefree expression on Rodney’s face again. As often as possible.

“Ooomph!” Radek had been too caught up in his thoughts to notice Leenas coming to a sudden stop and walked straight into her. “God, I’m so sorry! Are you alright?” He flushed with embarrassment.

“I am fine,” Leenas said with that serene smile all Athosian women were apparently born wearing; the one that said ‘I am fully aware that you are a middle-aged man acting like a love-fool teenager who almost ploughed me into a snowdrift but I am going to be gracious about the whole escapade and change the subject now.’ “We are here,” Leenas extended her fur-clad arm and pointed behind him.

Radek turned to look and saw nothing but a snow-covered hillside, the path winding its way up until disappearing out of sight.

“You can find the rest of the way yourself, just follow the trail.” She grabbed his hands in both of hers, briefly touching their foreheads together.

“I wish you joy and peace, Dr. Zelenka. May you find warmth amidst the cold, light amidst the darkness, and friends to share in both,” Leenas nodded toward the hill, beyond which Radek could indeed see a glow of light much brighter than the flickering torches.

He mumbled something much less elegant in return, too distracted and nervous to mind his manners. Had she been alive to see it, Babička would have clipped his ears but good for being this rude, and Radek was willing to bet that she was sorely tempted even beyond the grave. Unfortunately he was completely incapable of doing anything about it.

Luckily, Leenas didn’t seem to mind. If anything, her smile got only wider. “Go on. I believe you have been patient enough already.”

With a hasty wave of thanks to his guide Radek followed the meandering path upwards.

As hills went, it was a fairly modest one and before long Radek was on the top, then over it and then--

“Můj ty bože!”

Then he was grinning from ear to ear, unable to hold back a whoop of laughter, half-running, half-skidding downhill.

Because at the bottom, in the low valley surrounded by scraggly evergreens and wooden railing stood a perfectly proportioned ice rink. And in the middle of that a lone figure was skating in a sloppy figure eight formation, lazily passing a puck back and forth in front of him.

Hearing his wordless shout, Rodney waved his stick in a clumsy greeting and waited for Radek to get down.

Radek came to a halt at the edge of the ice, sliding a little on the slippery surface. He spread his hands and spun around, taking a panoramic view of his present.

Rodney glided slowly closer, his movements surprisingly graceful if a bit nervous. It had obviously been some time since he’d last tried balancing on anything thinner than size 45 army boots.

“So, er, Merry Christmas.” Rodney’s eyes flitted briefly up to Radek’s face before they clearly found something more interesting to look at in the dark forest over his shoulder.

“This is— I— How did you—” The longer it took Radek to form a coherent sentence, the more uncomfortable Rodney appeared, skates making little scraping noises as he somehow managed to fidget on them.

Enough was enough. Radek took a deep breath and shook Rodney by the shoulders, effectively bringing the other man’s attention back to him.

There really was only one way to even the score here. Whether it would actually end the awkwardness or increase it exponentially, he wasn’t sure yet. Radek forced the question out nevertheless. “Did you like your present?”

“You…?” Rodney blinked.

A short nod of confirmation from him; Rodney’s expression melted into a mixture of relief, joy and smugness very similar to the one he got after orchestrating a last minute save from certain doom with some preposterous but undoubtedly brilliant idea.

And exactly like those times, the smugness very quickly became dominant. “Ha! I knew it! It was the handwriting. Or, to be precise, the lack of it. Plus the sheer ingenuity and pigheadedness it would have taken to organise it. When I…”

Rodney didn’t hand out compliments often and when he did they were inevitably vague and potentially insulting. That had never stopped the warm feeling spreading throughout Radek’s body and filling his chest with pride and happiness and nameless hope.

He interrupted Rodney’s monologue about the intergalactic live-cargo regulations, of which he, somewhat surprisingly, appeared to know a great deal. “How is Albert?”

Rodney’s face softened at the name. “He’s perfect. He’s… he’s home, Radek. Thank you.”

Radek smiled, making a sweeping gesture with his arm. “And this. This is like coming home.”

And it was. The smell of ice and timber took him back to long afternoons of his childhood, and he could almost hear the familiar thunk of a hockey puck hitting the sides and the excited cadence of his father’s voice, congratulating him on a goal well-made.

“Well, it…” Rodney made a dismissing wave with his hands before straightening up. “Now, we can either stand here admiring my flawless design and Athosian craftmanship some more or…”

“Or what?”

“Or we can play some hockey.”

Radek grinned. It wasn’t a difficult choice. “You have skates?”

“Well, I have a spare pair of these.” Rodney said, pointing to his feet. “They’re more like attachable blades with three-sixty bindings and fully retractable…”

***

After two twenty-minute periods they were taking the second break of the game. Rodney had set up his alarm to mark the time and Radek had originally regarded such adherence to the rules only appropriate. Now though…

The score had settled on a highly irritating 1-1 after the first fifteen minutes and stayed there ever since. Rodney and Radek were slumped over the railing, exhausted and out of breath.

“As much as it pains me to suggest this, I think we’re going to have to call it a draw.” Rodney was balancing on one foot, leaning half against the wooden rink side, half against Radek, attempting to remove his not-quite skates. “And perhaps just forget about the final period for now?”

Radek bent over and poked at the release mechanism. “I am inclined to agree.”

Once they were both steady on their feet again, Rodney dug a thermos out of his bag. Steam curled up from the ruby-coloured liquid, drawing the two men closer under the cloud of fragrant heat.

“Teyla had some spices she thought would work, and, well...” Rodney passed him a cup. “It’s not quite Svařák…” Radek raised his eyebrows, surprised Rodney even knew the word. “…Nor exactly like Glogg. Pretty good though.”

It was. Strong too. Radek could feel the warmth pool in his belly and spread out in waves, finally blooming across his cheeks. Rodney didn’t seem to be faring any better.

God, they’d become such cheap drunks. Two years in Atlantis, where alcohol was always difficult to come by and freedom to enjoy it even more so, had somehow completely undone all natural born resistance.

Radek grinned suddenly. The wine was providing an excuse for the idea that the flush on Rodney’s cheeks and the sight of him chasing a stray droplet with his tongue had already put in his mind.

“It is a shame.” Putting the mug down, Radek took a casual step backwards.

“What is?”

“Cutting the game short. After all, national pride is at stake.” He drifted nearer to the end of the bench, the pristine white ground irresistibly tempting, and crouched a bit under the pretence of wiping snow off his trousers. “Of course, hockey, while a great and noble sport, is not a sufficient battle ground for men of our standing.”

Rodney set his drink aside, eyes narrowing in suspicion. He crossed his arms in a defensive move that was both obvious and entirely unconscious. “Oh? And may I ask what the great Dr. Zelenka deems worth— Ooomph!”

Whatever Rodney was about to say next was forgotten in favour of colourful cursing when a hastily formed snowball hit him squarely in the face.

“Zelenka! You wily, backstabbing, son of a—”

“Yes, yes, I am evil incarnate. But that does not change the fact that the score is now 1-0. To me.”

Rodney closed his mouth with an almost audible snap, scooped down to get some snow and started advancing slowly. Radek swallowed, suddenly nervous. Out of the two of them Rodney had considerably more field experience and all that time spent dodging arrows, rocks and stun gun beams gave him an unfair advantage.

Radek turned on his heels and ran, but not before gathering more snow with both hands. He was going down fighting.

Keeping score soon became impossible. Radek stifled a slightly hysterical giggle as he crept around the tree, spying Rodney some ten metres away, his back presenting an ideal target.

Snowballs in both fists, Radek charged.

Distracted by the prospect of imminent victory, he miscalculated both his velocity and the lack of surface friction. So when Rodney turned around at the last second, his face slack with surprise, Radek could do nothing but squeak in a highly undignified manner.

They went down in a flurry of flailing arms, Rodney’s fall softened by the deep snow while Radek’s own landing was somewhat better cushioned by Rodney’s broad chest.

The silence stretched for several moments.

Cautiously Radek lifted his head. Rodney was making odd hiccupping sounds and for a split second Radek feared he’d injured himself.

But no, it was simply laughter; joyful and carefree and impossible to resist. So he didn’t. They were both wet and cold and laughing like crazy in a snowdrift on an alien world in a galaxy far, far away, and he couldn’t remember being happier. It felt like coming home.

Radek though about little orange cats and sliding across smooth ice on not-quite skates, about days and nights spent side-by-side, arguing and working and creating miracles, and when he couldn’t think past the sweet up-curl of Rodney’s lips anymore, he kissed him.

It should have been awkward, considering the kind of men they were, but instead it was like puzzle pieces slotting into place.

Underneath him Rodney moaned, pulling him closer, lips parting hungrily. He tasted like winter, fresh snow and honey-laced wine; and underneath that, something earthy, like a hint of spring just around the corner, like Rodney himself.

Radek wanted to burrow in, to wrap himself in all that warmth and never leave, his fingers making tiny clutching motions at Rodney’s jacket, desperate for more contact.

They kissed for a long time, lips swollen and tongues twining together like a promise, before finally slowing down. Despite the heat building up between them, the chill of the evening was starting to penetrate. Radek climbed to his feet, extending a hand down to Rodney and heaving him up too.

Sporting identical smiles, shy but heartfelt, they ambled back toward the pile of gear Rodney had left by the rink.

After everything was packed Radek cleared his throat. “Rodney, I have two questions.”

The other man shifted, but not away. “Shoot.”

“How are we supposed to get back to Atlantis? The Athosian settlement is some distance from here and while I enjoy a brisk walk as well as the next man…” He glanced at Rodney, who was standing beside him, stomping his feet to keep warm, “…which is to say, not a lot, I am sad to report that I cannot really feel my toes anymore.” He tried wiggling them experimentally and only got a faint tingling sensation for his trouble.

“The only thing wrong with hockey is that it’s played on ice.” Rodney tugged off one of his gloves with his teeth and slipped a hand inside his parka. “Not to worry. As usual, I have a plan for every contingency.”

He rummaged around his jacket before pulling out a radio and clicking it on. “Mansell, do you receive? This is McKay. We’re ready to go.” After a few seconds of intense listening Rodney nodded in satisfaction. “McKay out.”

Radek shook his head in rueful amusement. He should’ve guessed she was involved somehow; as a rule pretty young women didn’t wink at Radek without a good reason.

“Mansell was spending her evening with the Athosians, one of whom she is, and I quote: ‘damned fond of so stop being an ass and shut up’”. Rodney offered by way of explanation. “She’ll be here in ten minutes.”

Raked chuckled, tipping his head back. Above him the sky was alight with millions of stars, and between them, unseen, planets full of life.

“What’s the other one?” Rodney was nudging his shoulder.

“Huh?”

“The other question. You said you had two.”

“Yes. So I did.”

Even now it was a risk and Radek had never been very good with those. Sure, the kisses had been… Well. He didn’t think there was a word in English or Czech to describe how exactly they had made him feel, but be that as it may, they didn’t necessarily mean anything. Although, when you added them to the fact that Rodney had built him an ice hockey rink for Christmas, and, well, the whole thing with Albert, which had sort of surprised even him, they—

“Uh. Hello?” Rodney was waving a hand in front of his face, fingertips turning pale blue in the wind.

Radek made up his mind and grabbed hold of it on the third passing. “I wanted to ask…”

“Yes?” Rodney’s eyes were a bit wide, their colour indistinguishable in the dusk. He made no effort to remove his hand.

Radek drew courage from the way his own was slowly growing as numb as his toes from the force of Rodney’s grip. “Do you have any more of the Athosian mulled wine?”

Rodney opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. “I… Yeah, sure, yes.” He took a step back quickly, posture visibly tensing, and dropped Radek’s hand. “That’s what you wanted to ask me? If I had more wine?”

“No! Yes!” Rodney was withdrawing with alarming speed. Physically he was not much further away than a second ago but in every way that mattered he was no longer really there, body closing off as fast as it had opened for Radek earlier in the snowdrift.

“Wait!” Radek reached out, voice high with panic, fingers grasping at Rodney’s jacket. “What I meant was that I should like to share some more of it. With you. To, uh, ward off cold. Because I get cold a lot, Rodney, out here, and it is worse when you’re alone, and I thought maybe—”

The rest of the sentence was swallowed by Rodney’s mouth, hot and determined and chasing away insecurities. “I think” kiss “that’s an excellent” kiss “idea, although…”

“What?” Rodney’s grin took his breath away. It would’ve been embarrassing, except he was too exhilarated to care. Not to mention more than a little turned on.

“Well, two geniuses like us can surely come up with plenty of other ways of keeping warm. That is, if you’re interested?”

Radek made sure his answering kiss left Rodney in no doubt about that.

Fin.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Posted by

trialia

Hee. I still love this story. And you're welcome!

Posted by

SGA Fanfic: Atlantis Santa - Part 2/2

Page Summary

Active Entries

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags