[LC] Outside by the 'Gate (for sevenvirtues)

[shepcrew]

After leaving the gorup and grabbing his share of the gear, John's by the DHD sorting through the packs and making sure he's got everything. He's distracted by random thoughts and trying to not think about things by going through the packs yet again.

Ronon's already come and gone, presumably headed back into the cafe to help out McKay.

He's here for someone to find him, if they so chose...

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[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

And we wouldn't be surprised if those words are the same ones bouncing around his head, either. The ones that he's scared to say, because it's too soon. It has to be too soon.

So, he responds to her moan by truly deepening the kiss, easing the desperate need to say things he's not ready to say by letting them out in the same way they've done most of their communicating thus far...

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

By this time when they finally work their way around to saying it, there won't be any of that new discovery to it but rather a quiet and joyful affirmation of something they've really been saying to each other all along. Because it's all there, in the way she kisses him back, the way her mouth opens for him to deepen their kiss.

The way she fits herself into his arms and holds him tightly back, the way she reaches up and strokes her fingers through his mussy hair, soothing just enough of the heat back so they don't burn up with the passion of it.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

And her response to it eases even more of the pressure, takes away most of the margin of doubt. The rest won't be gone unless and until they find a way to see each other more often than whenever the multi-verse feels like.

He has to smile into the kiss a little when she runs her fingers through his hair. So far, she the only one who's been particularly fond of doing it, and it amuses him.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

There's something about his scruffiness that makes her want to make at least a token effort at smoothing it, which of course will never work. One more little gesture of affection. Cute, although she'd try not to admit to herself to being cute, at least at first.

She smiles softly back as she kisses him, delighted, relieved. Happy just to be here with him, and it still (and probably will for a while) surprises her how much he makes her feel warm and safe and loved. And, no. NO whispering it now. Just kissing.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

Kissing is good. Breathing is, too. So he breaks the kiss gently, resting his lips on hers, trying to catch his breath. And while this would be an opportune moment to say what he's just basically said, he lets it pass. Because he has faith that there will be other such moments.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

It's a new sensation, just needing to catch her breath from a kiss for reasons more than just physical. Her chest feels tight, her face feels flushed and yet her skin feels cool and. Wow.

No, no words. This is better without words for now, and the perhaps overload of emotion they would bring, that might be too much. This, right here, is good.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He wants to say something like I thought I lost you, but he doesn't. Instead, he conveys a very similar meaning by holding her tighter, touching his forehead to hers the way he's wont to do. (We suspect Teyla's influence in that regard.) Then he's pressing a chaste kiss to her lips.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Her fingers curl around the back of his neck, stroking briefly for a moment before her hand moves to cup his cheek as she returns the kiss, equally chaste. Not lost. The message here is, I've made my choice, and even knowing that she had a choice to make doesn't change that. She wants to be here, with John. She tells him so, with little touches and gestures and sighs as she snuggles into him.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He accommodates the snuggling, sighing softly. Then he just holds her, trying not to think of when he's going to have to let go. Of all the times for his team to be late, he hopes this is one of them.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She doesn't want him to go either, and the though slides through that he's going to probably have to soon, right after the thought that this was more comfortable when they had a bed. And after that... there was simply no way of knowing when they'd see each other again. And then she clings a little tighter, thinking of that. Not a happy thought, there.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He can't believe he's going to do this. He knows he was just speculating earlier, and the fact that they might not get a chance to see each other for a while means that any 'Gate discovery of hers will be utterly useless until she sees him again and he can tell her how the damned thing works.

"Listen, I know this is probably premature, but it'll save time in the long run," he says, still hugging her close. One hand slides into his pocket to retrieve the GDO and he slips it into her hand. "Take this. That way you can visit right away if you find a 'Gate."

He pulls away from her and leads her to the DHD.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

Her eyes widen a little, but her fingers curl tight around the GDO and she follows him readily enough. If she found a Gate. That was a pretty big if, but then again...

If she found a Gate, she could see him whenever she wanted. That thought alone is enough to put a spring in her step as she follows.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

"This," he says, gesturing to the device, "is what we call a Dial Home Device. DHD for short. All you have to do is press the symbols in the right order and then press this middle thing." He points to each piece as he explains.

"Now, you need make sure you look around the area where you find the 'Gate to see if there's a picture or drawing that match symbols on the DHD. That should be the address for your 'Gate. I'm not sure. I'll ask McKay later. Anyway, the order in the picture is the order in which you push the symbols."

He's about to leave it at that, when, "Oh! Almost forgot. Seven symbols make up a complete address. I can only give you six, because number seven is the place of origin symbol. It's usually the only symbol that's different on each gate in the network." He pats himself down look for a pen and paper and he scribbles down the six symbols for Atlantis. "The seventh symbol should be on the same picture around the gate, and it represents whatever planet you're on. So you push in these six first, then that other seventh and then the middle."

Yes, he's rambling. He'll remember to tell her not to stand too close when she does it to avoid the blow-back in a moment.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

"That sounds... not too complicated," she says, smiling. Not bouncing, not yet. She won't bounce until she has a stargate back home. "So, six symbols for Atlantis, seventh should be somewhere around the gate, dial it up and this..." Holding up the GDO. "Will flag me as a friendly when I come through."

The rambling is cute, but it's the prospect of being able to just push a few buttons and step through a big circle thing and be able to see him whenever she wants, not whenever the nexus wants, that has her all aglow.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

"Precisely. And, well, it'll flag you as me until I get it changed. But that's okay! I'll get it changed as soon as I can. Oh, and don't stand too close to the 'Gate once you hit the middle button. The blow-back is...well, it's neat to look at, but deadly. Literally."

He points to the GDO. "All you gotta do for that is hit this sequence," he says, showing her. "Then give it a count of ten, and step through."

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She nods; it's easy for her to commit the sequence to memory. One of the little tricks of being a Companion, since you never know how many names or social positions or other little things you might have to remember.

"And then," she says, bravely pretending it's not as hard as it sounds. "And now, all I have to do is find myself a gate."

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," he says, and it's a little wistful sounding. "A-and if you don't, that's okay. I mean, we have here," though he sounds as if here won't ever be enough for his liking, but he'll take it, "and you can always give my GDO back to me."

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She leans up and kisses his cheek. "We do have here, at least until I find that gate. And I haven't even started looking yet, so let's not give up before we've even tried."

And damned if she'll give up looking for a good long time. Even if she does give the GDO back she'll keep looking, and then tell him about it the next time she sees him in the nexus.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

"Right," he says, beaming as she kisses his cheek. "I don't think I would ever give up."

He leans down to return the cheek-kiss.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

She smiles, eyes closing on a soft sigh, and for a moment she thinks about turning her head to capture his lips on hers. But doesn't.

"Then I won't, either."

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He lets his lips linger on her cheek as he murmurs the word "Good." A hand comes up to brush over her shoulder, pausing just above her elbow. "I wish I could take you with me..."

But that option fled with the thing inside.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

"I wish I could come with you..." It's barely a hot breath over his cheek, melting into him as she does. Brushing a kiss over the curve of his jaw.

She's completely forgotten that they're right outside the cafe, in a public place.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

He's forgotten, too. He's almost forgotten about his team, too. But hell. They can wait.

Again, those words press against his lips and he conveys them with another lingering kiss to her cheek, this one delicate and fragile.

[sevenvirtues.livejournal.com]

And again, it sends a shiver down her spine when he says it without saying it, one of those little tiny gestures. Her fingertips glide up along his chest, trace over his collarbone. Her hand curves along his shoulder and she wants to whisper it so badly and doesn't dare, yet.

[shepcrew.livejournal.com]

The tiny sigh he emits says I'm going to miss you, and his hand finally wraps gently around her arm, his thumb absently caressing her skin.