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TITLE: Different Dances
PROMPT: from![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
gaffsie - "John and Teyla, teaching John a traditional Satedan dance."
NOTES: I bashed my head against a half-dozen different 'John teaches Teyla to surf' scenarios, and didn't get anywhere with any of 'em. This was much easier, by comparison. I just had to find a scrap of time to put it all together.
Different Dances
Teyla waits until the week before the event to explain to John what is expected of him. There is a method to her reticence. If she brings too many things to him at once he will forget more of it; hence, it is easier to remind him of his duties only a little while before they must be executed.
"I don't dance," is John's first response as they get into the transporter after dinner.
Teyla arches one eyebrow up at him as he turns from selecting their destination. "So that time on Athos with the ruus--"
"I don't dance sober," he qualifies, hastily. "I'm sure Ronon doesn't want me drunk at his ceremony."
Given the Satedan fondness for drink and partying, Teyla is not so sure. However, she forbears from pointing out it is not Ronon's ceremony, although she understands what John means. "It is a formal dance of Sateda," she tells him as they step out of the transporter and move through the corridors towards the residential quarter. "You can learn the moves."
"And I will learn the moves?"
She gives him the minatory look he clearly expects. "Yes."
"I was afraid you were going to say that." But his smile belies his words.
As dances go, it is not so complex a series of movements. Three directions of movement - left and right behind the shorter partner, and straight behind for the taller; three 'arcs of indication' where one moves ones arms and legs - before, above, and to the left.
"Why always the left?" John asks as she shows him the movements in the privacy and space of his room - the rug moved out of the way to leave the floor bare, his dirty clothing piled haphazardly on the overflowing hamper.
"Because it is the heart-side. And so you do not foul your partners movements."
His actions are half-hearted, but Teyla doesn't not chide him for his inattention. For Ronon's sake, he will know the dance movements when he needs to; until then, he is content to be casual about it and she will not make it an issue.
John does not seem to be disliking the learning overly much, although Teyla wonders if that is less about the dance itself, and more about the heat of their bodies barely separated as his hand presses on her hip and moves her backwards and left, backwards and right. He isn't quite smiling down at her, but there's a softness in his expression that speaks of more tenderness than he betrays when they are in the company of others.
And when Teyla falters in her instruction, distracted by the way they move, they keep moving as perfectly as though an unseen puppeteer takes them through the motions, every move perfect.
When the back of her legs bump the edge of the bed and they stop, Teyla's lips twitch beneath the descending arc of his mouth to hers. "Ronon taught you?"
"Yep."
"You lied to me."
"I never said I didn't know the dance." John murmurs and the glint of desire in his eyes is also humour as mouths meld in the start of a different kind of dance.
- fin -
PROMPT: from
gaffsie - "John and Teyla, teaching John a traditional Satedan dance."NOTES: I bashed my head against a half-dozen different 'John teaches Teyla to surf' scenarios, and didn't get anywhere with any of 'em. This was much easier, by comparison. I just had to find a scrap of time to put it all together.
Different Dances
Teyla waits until the week before the event to explain to John what is expected of him. There is a method to her reticence. If she brings too many things to him at once he will forget more of it; hence, it is easier to remind him of his duties only a little while before they must be executed.
"I don't dance," is John's first response as they get into the transporter after dinner.
Teyla arches one eyebrow up at him as he turns from selecting their destination. "So that time on Athos with the ruus--"
"I don't dance sober," he qualifies, hastily. "I'm sure Ronon doesn't want me drunk at his ceremony."
Given the Satedan fondness for drink and partying, Teyla is not so sure. However, she forbears from pointing out it is not Ronon's ceremony, although she understands what John means. "It is a formal dance of Sateda," she tells him as they step out of the transporter and move through the corridors towards the residential quarter. "You can learn the moves."
"And I will learn the moves?"
She gives him the minatory look he clearly expects. "Yes."
"I was afraid you were going to say that." But his smile belies his words.
As dances go, it is not so complex a series of movements. Three directions of movement - left and right behind the shorter partner, and straight behind for the taller; three 'arcs of indication' where one moves ones arms and legs - before, above, and to the left.
"Why always the left?" John asks as she shows him the movements in the privacy and space of his room - the rug moved out of the way to leave the floor bare, his dirty clothing piled haphazardly on the overflowing hamper.
"Because it is the heart-side. And so you do not foul your partners movements."
His actions are half-hearted, but Teyla doesn't not chide him for his inattention. For Ronon's sake, he will know the dance movements when he needs to; until then, he is content to be casual about it and she will not make it an issue.
John does not seem to be disliking the learning overly much, although Teyla wonders if that is less about the dance itself, and more about the heat of their bodies barely separated as his hand presses on her hip and moves her backwards and left, backwards and right. He isn't quite smiling down at her, but there's a softness in his expression that speaks of more tenderness than he betrays when they are in the company of others.
And when Teyla falters in her instruction, distracted by the way they move, they keep moving as perfectly as though an unseen puppeteer takes them through the motions, every move perfect.
When the back of her legs bump the edge of the bed and they stop, Teyla's lips twitch beneath the descending arc of his mouth to hers. "Ronon taught you?"
"Yep."
"You lied to me."
"I never said I didn't know the dance." John murmurs and the glint of desire in his eyes is also humour as mouths meld in the start of a different kind of dance.
- fin -
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