beachlass | Woolsey/Sheppard story

SGA story
Woolsey/Sheppard *glances warily around*
Not mine, or that subtext would be text

Episode Tag: Ghost in the Machine, lots of spoilers therein

A day where being attacked by a flying monkey was the high point... That was a bad day. Even for Pegasus.

John let himself into Richard's quarters: dimmed lighting and mournful piano music. Richard was lying on the couch, still in his uniform pants and shirt, jacket thrown over the low table. John hesitated at the door for a moment, hands on his hips. Thought at Atlantis to quiet the music a little, and toed off his boots before softly walking over.

John sat on the table and rubbed at Richard's shoulder, warm and strong under the grey cotton shirt. "Hey" John said softly.

Richard shifted, one hand coming up to cover John's, his eyes opening, the furrow on his forehead deepening. John leant over and brushed his mouth against Richard's forehead, against lines worn by second guessing between no good choices.

"Hey" John said again, his voice raspy "You did good today."

Richard's only answer was a choked sound in his throat, somehow bitterly amused and despairing. "Hey, no" John protested and slid to his knees on the floor beside the sofa."You did." John's hands had moved, one to cup Richard's sharp jaw, sweep his thumb against the slight rasp of stubble, the other rubbing against Richard's shirt. "Jesus, you bluffed out Elizabeth, the city was going down, you were so strong."

And then John had to kiss him, this man holding the weight of the city's command, thin lips against his own, kiss the self-recrimination from Richard's mouth. Richard was the one good with words, but John pressed reassurance into Richard's mouth with each kiss. Kissed grace and forgiveness for the hard decisions. When they broke apart, Richard's slim fingers were tangled in John's hair, John's hand up Richard's shirt, and John let his eyes stay closed for a moment, anchored by touch and strength and warmth.