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Please note the time of posting and observe the suitability of the fic's title!
TITLE: Wee Small Hours
SUMMARY: In the hours after Atlantis' saving and Charin's death, John goes looking for a friend he had to leave alone at a difficult time. He did what was right; that doesn't mean he doesn't regret not being there for her.
CATEGORY: Episode Epilogue, John and Teyla friendship
RATING: G
SPOILERS: 2.12 - Critical Mass
FANFIC100: #074 - Dark
NOTES: I wrote this fic for someone on my f-list who wanted a hug, but I'm not sure she actually likes John and Teyla. I'd dedicate this to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
svmadelyn, whose birthday it is (at least according to my calendar), but I don't think she likes John and Teyla, either! (Happy Birthday, if you're reading this!) I figure someone out there on my f-list should enjoy it. It'll probably go into the John/Teyla ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
fanfic100 table somewhere. I just don't have the wakies to work out where at this exact moment.
Wee Small Hours
He finds her in the gym in the early morning hours, sitting by the window with her hand on the sill. The waters west of the city are unseen but not unheard, their steady lapping of the docks below a constant sound in the city.
"I heard about Charin."
She doesn't look away from the window. "It is no secret."
John hesitates. Something in him whispers that the words are useless, meaningless after what's happened in her life today. While they were saving Atlantis from the Goa'uld, Teyla was fighting a more personal battle.
"I'm sorry we couldn't help her."
Now she turns, and the starlight picks out the curve of her face, the line of her nose, limning her in alien light that makes her seem even more otherworldly than she usually seems. "Even the Ancestors could not stop death."
He crosses the room, sitting down opposite her on the ledge. It's a familiar intimacy, this tableau between them, he's sat here with her many times before. Just not recently. "I wish we could have been there for you."
Teyla shrugs. The movement is brief and dispirited, lacking her usual grace. "Carson was present. You had other concerns."
"Yeah." It makes sense rationally. Emotionally, John feels like he let a friend down - and he did. However necessary it might have been. "Are you okay?"
"As you see."
Except that John can't see, at least, not clearly in the darkness.
He could walk away. Most of the guys he knows would. But John's not most guys, and he's already left her to deal with her personal troubles once today. Twice would be crass, even for him.
"Teyla--"
"She was revered in the ring of the Ancestors," she says, interrupting him. "Her life was lived to it's fullest."
"You'll miss her."
"I loved her." Teyla breathes out, a long, slow sigh of a breath. "And she loved me - unconditionally, as you say."
"So...you'll miss her?"
She's not in a mood for the wryness. It passes without comment or thought.
John slides over to her, not quite sure what he can do without being pushed away or making a fool of himself, but considering it worth the attempt. He slips his hand over hers, hesitantly. "It's always darkest before dawn, Teyla."
Somehow, the sheer cliche of the words is easier to pronounce in the dark. He's not as self-conscious about it.
At least, not until something bubbles out from Teyla - a cross between a laugh and a sob. "And everything will work out in the end?"
It's John's turn to heave a sigh. Looks like someone else's already taught her that platitude. "Okay, so it's still horribly cliché here in Pegasus, but--"
"The sentiment is true," Teyla finishes for him. "Thank you."
Her fingers squeeze his, and she turns her face towards him. John's heart briefly scampers beyond it's usual jaunty step, but he realises what she intends when her hand pushes his shoulder into position - and it's not a kiss.
Forehead touches forehead, a physical symbol of the meeting of minds, if not of hearts and bodies. Maybe that'll come later. Maybe not. John's okay either way.
"Get some sleep," he advises when a suitable silence has passed. "I'll walk you to your room."
And as they amble back to the living quarters in comfortable quiet, John reflects that this is the closest thing to a hug that Teyla's willing to accept from him.
It'll do.
- fin -
Feedback: I'd really love it. 1:30am is not my ideal time.
TITLE: Wee Small Hours
SUMMARY: In the hours after Atlantis' saving and Charin's death, John goes looking for a friend he had to leave alone at a difficult time. He did what was right; that doesn't mean he doesn't regret not being there for her.
CATEGORY: Episode Epilogue, John and Teyla friendship
RATING: G
SPOILERS: 2.12 - Critical Mass
FANFIC100: #074 - Dark
NOTES: I wrote this fic for someone on my f-list who wanted a hug, but I'm not sure she actually likes John and Teyla. I'd dedicate this to
svmadelyn, whose birthday it is (at least according to my calendar), but I don't think she likes John and Teyla, either! (Happy Birthday, if you're reading this!) I figure someone out there on my f-list should enjoy it. It'll probably go into the John/Teyla fanfic100 table somewhere. I just don't have the wakies to work out where at this exact moment.Wee Small Hours
He finds her in the gym in the early morning hours, sitting by the window with her hand on the sill. The waters west of the city are unseen but not unheard, their steady lapping of the docks below a constant sound in the city.
"I heard about Charin."
She doesn't look away from the window. "It is no secret."
John hesitates. Something in him whispers that the words are useless, meaningless after what's happened in her life today. While they were saving Atlantis from the Goa'uld, Teyla was fighting a more personal battle.
"I'm sorry we couldn't help her."
Now she turns, and the starlight picks out the curve of her face, the line of her nose, limning her in alien light that makes her seem even more otherworldly than she usually seems. "Even the Ancestors could not stop death."
He crosses the room, sitting down opposite her on the ledge. It's a familiar intimacy, this tableau between them, he's sat here with her many times before. Just not recently. "I wish we could have been there for you."
Teyla shrugs. The movement is brief and dispirited, lacking her usual grace. "Carson was present. You had other concerns."
"Yeah." It makes sense rationally. Emotionally, John feels like he let a friend down - and he did. However necessary it might have been. "Are you okay?"
"As you see."
Except that John can't see, at least, not clearly in the darkness.
He could walk away. Most of the guys he knows would. But John's not most guys, and he's already left her to deal with her personal troubles once today. Twice would be crass, even for him.
"Teyla--"
"She was revered in the ring of the Ancestors," she says, interrupting him. "Her life was lived to it's fullest."
"You'll miss her."
"I loved her." Teyla breathes out, a long, slow sigh of a breath. "And she loved me - unconditionally, as you say."
"So...you'll miss her?"
She's not in a mood for the wryness. It passes without comment or thought.
John slides over to her, not quite sure what he can do without being pushed away or making a fool of himself, but considering it worth the attempt. He slips his hand over hers, hesitantly. "It's always darkest before dawn, Teyla."
Somehow, the sheer cliche of the words is easier to pronounce in the dark. He's not as self-conscious about it.
At least, not until something bubbles out from Teyla - a cross between a laugh and a sob. "And everything will work out in the end?"
It's John's turn to heave a sigh. Looks like someone else's already taught her that platitude. "Okay, so it's still horribly cliché here in Pegasus, but--"
"The sentiment is true," Teyla finishes for him. "Thank you."
Her fingers squeeze his, and she turns her face towards him. John's heart briefly scampers beyond it's usual jaunty step, but he realises what she intends when her hand pushes his shoulder into position - and it's not a kiss.
Forehead touches forehead, a physical symbol of the meeting of minds, if not of hearts and bodies. Maybe that'll come later. Maybe not. John's okay either way.
"Get some sleep," he advises when a suitable silence has passed. "I'll walk you to your room."
And as they amble back to the living quarters in comfortable quiet, John reflects that this is the closest thing to a hug that Teyla's willing to accept from him.
It'll do.
- fin -
Feedback: I'd really love it. 1:30am is not my ideal time.
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