Sheppard seemed to be spending an awful lot of time exercising, for one thing. He'd apparently worked out some kind of path throughout the Daedalus, a path that took him past the common room where Rodney liked to work -- it was close to his quarters, and no one else used it, which was good, because if there was one thing Rodney was bad at, it was sharing.

It wasn't until Sheppard had run past the common area for the fourth time in a row (with approximately thirteen and a half minutes in between passes, which Rodney assumed meant that the mapped path was a bit more than three kilometers, unless he was seriously misjudging the speed at which the Major ran) that he stopped, jogging in place, in the doorway. "Rodney," Sheppard said, only slightly out of breath. "Come do some laps with me."

"You have to be kidding," Rodney said, but then realized almost immediately that Sheppard was completely serious. The look on his face -- honest, a little eager -- gave him away. "You aren't kidding. Do I look like someone who runs around spaceships for fun?"

Maybe the Major was implying he needed to lose a little weight. Rodney tried to keep himself from frowning but probably didn't succeed.

"It's not for fun, it's for..." Sheppard looked thoughtful, still jogging in place, then grinned. The change in expression made his eyes light up. "Yeah, okay, it's for fun. Come on! It'd be good for you. Clear up the ol' cobwebs."

The expression on the Major's face was enough to make Rodney grin with him -- almost. Given the topic of conversation, it was slightly difficult to become too enthused.

But Rodney found himself liking the look on Sheppard's face. He didn't want to do anything to make that go away. At least, not today.

He shook his head, making certain Sheppard saw his obvious reluctance as he got up and moved to join him. "Fine. But if I fall down after half a kilometer from overexertion or injure myself in any way, you will have to live with it for the rest of your life."

"I've seen you run," Sheppard pointed out. It was disgusting that he was able to exercise for three quarters of an hour and still carry on a conversation without panting.

"Yes, Major, you've seen me run -- for my life! It's not something I normally do for recreation," Rodney said, but then they were running together, in a sort of rhythm, and it wasn't that bad at all.

"You need to find something that'll cut the stress," Sheppard said, gesturing to the right when the corridor split in two different directions. It occurred to Rodney that he was going to see parts of the ship he'd only seen in schematics so far, but also that by the time they reached them he was unlikely to care, if the way his heart was thumping was any indication.

A racing heart was the accompaniment to danger. Adrenaline was, for the most part, bad.

"What stress?" Rodney asked, trying for wry, but his voice came out in a gasp as his body struggled to keep up with his action.

Sheppard glanced at him, and Rodney was pleased to note that the other man was perspiring. "Oh, you know. The kind that keeps people up at night."

They were entering the part of the Daedalus where the kitchens and infirmary were; there were fewer people here to give them funny looks -- or to give Rodney funny looks, at least.

Sheppard stopped for a moment, obviously noticing that Rodney needed to catch his breath. Rodney leaned over and put his hands on his knees, laughing. And coughing, but just a little.

"Oh, that stress?" he said between pants. "The kind where I ... can't sleep because I keep seeing ... a certain jumper with a nuclear bomb loaded in the back?" He said it without thinking, and blamed the lack of oxygen. He took a few more great, gasping gulps of air before taking off again, leaving the Major behind.

There was a long moment during which Rodney couldn't hear anything but his own footsteps -- and breathing -- and then Sheppard started to run again. He caught up with Rodney, running next to him without saying anything.

And things were okay again, at least Rodney thought they were, and that was good. Because running next to Sheppard was good. More than good. It was this in-step, focused, rhythmic pounding kind of thing that seemed almost graceful in its simplicity. Rodney's legs stopped hurting somewhere around what would be the beginning of their second lap, and his breathing became a natural thing again, only harder and faster. Oxygen. Blood. Sweat. Pound, pound, pound of their feet and hearts.

It was great.

Another thing that made it great was the way Sheppard kept looking at him with a mixture of what Rodney was pretty sure was mild surprise and pleasure.

"You okay?" Sheppard asked finally, as they started the third lap.

Rodney, by this time, wasn't able to speak, but he did manage a quick nod and a grin.

"Good," Sheppard said, eyes flashing, then lengthened his stride. It was a few seconds before Rodney understood that this had turned into a race.

The Major's shirt was soaked with sweat, a line of it down his back making the fabric cling to his skin, and Rodney had to blink and drag his eyes away before he could increase his own speed and try to catch up.

He could tell that Sheppard was teasing him, slowing just enough for Rodney to think he had a chance, then speeding up just a bit more. Just enough for Rodney to get an excellent view of the Major's back -- muscles straining under the sweat-soaked shirt, arms and legs moving in perfect tandem until Rodney was so distracted he didn't know how he kept moving.

Still, as they neared their starting place, Rodney managed to put on a burst of speed and catch up, and as if they'd talked about it in advance the two of them careened through the doorway into the common room with Sheppard only a pace or two in front.

Their psychic connection apparently hadn't extended to the realization that running into a room at top speed was a recipe for disaster, because neither of them was able to stop. Sheppard turned slightly and crashed shoulder-first into the wall, giving a gasp that was half laughter just before Rodney ran into him.

It would have been best, probably, if Rodney pushed away as soon as possible, but the problem was that it just wasn't possible. Not with his lungs feeling like they were going to explode, and his body completely ready to just fall in on itself. Luckily, as soon as his body thought about it, Sheppard caught him and kept him from falling flat onto the floor.

The thing about that was that it put the both of them very, very close to each other, and Rodney didn't know about Sheppard, but he could definitely feel the heat coming off the Major's skin, and there was a definite slip-slide of skin against salty skin where their arms came into contact. Rodney's head even fell forward a little, and his forehead slid down Sheppard's neck until it rested right there on a solid shoulder.

There wasn't any sound except for their breath and Rodney's heart pounding in his head.

One of Sheppard's arms was around Rodney, his hand resting at Rodney's waist. Rodney could smell the Major's sweat, sharp and arousing, and he had to swallow in between gasped breaths and close his eyes, trying to get control of himself.

Which would have been easier if Sheppard hadn't chosen that moment to slide his other hand up to the back of Rodney's neck, thumb rubbing across damp skin in a caress that couldn't have been anything but deliberate.

Rodney swallowed, hard, and chose that moment to look up. "Major?" he said, asked, still too breathless to say more.

"Rodney?" Sheppard said it in the same tone of voice Rodney had used, like an echo. The Major was looking at him, face flushed and lips wet as if he'd just licked them, and after a few seconds Sheppard slid his hand forward so that he was cradling Rodney's jaw.

Having been told several times that he over-thought even the most basic of ideas and actions, Rodney let himself do something he very, very rarely did. He muttered, "To hell with it," under his still-heavy breath and let the adrenaline and lust just take over his body entirely.

He kissed Sheppard like it was his first, last, and only chance -- which he vaguely registered as probably the absolute truth -- full on, no holds barred. He didn't even give the Major a choice in the matter, just took over completely, feeling Sheppard go absolutely still against him. It didn't matter. Mouth to mouth, tongue against tongue and teeth until Sheppard moaned and Rodney just swallowed it up and kept going.

Sheppard's hand was back on Rodney's neck, tangled in his hair, but gently, as if Sheppard was as aware as Rodney was of the precariousness of their situation and he didn't want to risk throwing it off-balance. His lips parted willingly, soft against Rodney's. He seemed content to let Rodney control the kiss, content to follow Rodney's lead, and something about that made Rodney feel more than a little bit light-headed.

Rodney finally got it into his head that Sheppard wasn't going to resist, and he backed off just a little, slowing down, letting himself savor every bit of Sheppard's mouth. His hands, which had at some point clenched themselves in the damp fabric of the Major's clothes, relaxed and moved over and back to hold Sheppard closer, only this time a little less desperately.

Not that Rodney was feeling any less desperate. But now it was less emotional and more physical, and as he pressed himself more fully against Sheppard, he discovered he wasn't the only one in the equation with a real, pulse-pounding need.

But still, he moved his head back a little, wanting to see what he was feeling in the Major's eyes. Hoping the need pulsing in his own veins would be mirrored there in Sheppard's face.

Sheppard was still flushed, and his lips were still wet, but now Rodney knew what those lips tasted like and that made it harder not to lean in and taste them again. There was another one of those gentle caresses at the back of Rodney's neck. "We shouldn't be doing this here," Sheppard murmured. He kissed Rodney once more in direct opposition to his words.

"What galaxy are we in again?" Rodney asked, licking the curve of Sheppard's bottom lip and then nipping it lightly. "Or do you mean, like, this room?"

He had to admit, his brain wasn't functioning at its highest level, but even that statement was what he'd consider dimwitted.

"I meant the room." Sheppard tightened his hand in Rodney's hair, holding him in place, and kissed him again, deeply and with enough passion that Rodney couldn't help but make a little sound of approval into the kiss. "We should stop."

"Yes," Rodney said, but couldn't seem to move right away. "Stopping now." He meant it, too, and even took a step back. He nearly groaned at the not-touching that was going on.

He finally let his arms drop, biting his lip as he did to get that last taste of Sheppard, holding it there before launching into speech.

"If that was just an incredible adrenaline rush, I apologize, but I really, really don't think it was. And if you're offended in any way, well, you're just going to have to be offended because I'm not apologizing for my actions because that's something I've been wanting to do for, well, several months, and if your reaction is any indication I'm sure it's -- well, I think you know what I'm saying. Unless your reaction was one of those strange adrenaline rush things, in which case I still won't apologize for my actions, although under the circumstances maybe it could look like I was taking advantage ..."

"You wanna grab a shower?" Sheppard asked casually, hooking one thumb into the waistband of his pants and grinning with one quarter of his mouth in a way that should have been illegal and was definitely immoral.

"I need a shower?" Rodney asked. "Or do you mean ... oh. Oh, yeah. I mean, yes. Definitely. A shower with you. I think that's an excellent idea. You're actually showing signs of genius." He grinned and grabbed Sheppard once more, giving him a hard smack on the lips. "Maybe I'm rubbing off on you."

"I do okay," Sheppard agreed genially as they started for the door. He lowered his voice when they stepped into the hallway. "Wouldn't mind doing some more rubbing, though."

Rodney paused, then gave Sheppard -- John -- a blinding smile. He knew it must be blinding, because he could feel it, inside and out. "Your place or mine?" he asked lightly, humming a little. "I think the public showers are out, don't you? Unless you go for that sort of thing." He was thankful the ship had reasonable, private quarters.

"Yours is closer," Sheppard said, still in that low voice, the rumbling one that made Rodney practically vibrate right along with it.

Rodney wondered if he could blush any more, but yes, there it was, even more heat in his face and around his collar and even up and down his spine. He cleared his throat.

"Well, what are we waiting for?"

That was when he realized that they weren't waiting -- they were already in front of the door to his quarters, and he hadn't even known he was walking. Maybe it was the unaccustomed exercise, or maybe it was the prospect of an orgasm just around the corner -- literally -- but Rodney was definitely distracted if he hadn't noticed that they were moving, although he did notice, now, when John's hand settled on the small of his back, warm and a little bit exciting and a sweaty reminder that he could really, really use a shower.

"Here we are," Sheppard said, eyes smiling as much as his mouth was.

Rodney waited just until the door closed behind them, and then proceeded to pin John against the wall and kiss him again. He knew, of course, that the shower would come first before the sex, or maybe even simultaneously, but a very small, impatient part of him didn't care, and just wanted to kiss the Major until he was panting and moaning and shaking beneath the onslaught.

He pulled back and grinned at the dazed expression on John's face. Mission accomplished. He turned around, pulled his shirt over his head, and headed for the shower. "Coming?"

He'd gone as far as the doorway to the bathroom when he discovered that John was still standing where he'd left him. Their eyes met, and John grinned sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand. His lips were swollen as a result of Rodney's kisses, and he looked so good that Rodney almost started back over to him, but something in John's eyes, something uncertain, kept him where he was.

"It's not that I don't want... this," John said. "You. It's just been... kind of a long time."

"Oh. Oh, okay, no problem." Rodney went through a mental file folder of various dating and sex knowledge he'd acquired over the years and slowly nodded. "Uh, you want me to buy you dinner first? Or we can, um, just start with something small, like ..." blowjobs "... uh, or something?" He frowned. "How long? Not that I'm judging, I'm not saying it hasn't been long for me either, and maybe I should say I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions or ... " He huffed, not wanting to actually talk John out of anything, since he very clearly stated that yes, he did want Rodney. Which gave his ego a nice little stroking. "What are you saying, exactly?"

Sheppard was blinking at him like he was still trying to catch up, even though Rodney knew that Sheppard's brain worked just fine and that the slow drawl was more affect than anything else. "I'm saying that it's been a long time," John said. He rubbed the back of his neck again, dropping his gaze down to the floor, and mumbled something that Rodney couldn't quite make out.

"What?" Rodney said.

"Three years," John said. "Give or take."

"I'm pretty sure the mechanics haven't changed," Rodney said with a smile. "And I'm perfectly willing to offer up a refresher course."

"Okay. I just thought you should know," John said. Insecure, Rodney thought, wasn't a bad look on Sheppard, especially since it made Rodney want to kiss him. Sheppard looked startled but not displeased when Rodney hooked a few fingers into the front of his slacks and started to tow him toward the bathroom.

"Now, about that shower ..." Rodney said, twisting around to turn on the controls. But then he was right back to John, kissing him again, a little slower this time. He let his hands ride up under John's tee, touching the hot skin of John's back while pulling the shirt up and off.

His own skin felt sweaty where John's hands touched it, but John's mouth was enough of a distraction that he didn't care. Sheppard certainly hadn't forgotten how to kiss, even if he was a little more tentative now that they'd agreed -- for the most part -- on what was going to happen than he had been when it had just been kissing.

"I've wanted to touch you like this for a long time," John confessed, his thumb rubbing the spot between Rodney's lumbar and thoracic vertebrae, massaging in a way that should have been soothing but instead managed to be very, very hot. "Never thought I'd get to." Sheppard's mouth, warm and wet, found the sensitive skin just under Rodney's ear and sucked at it.

John's words - not to mention his mouth - sent liquid fire through Rodney's body.

"We could just do this," Rodney said, then gasped when John nipped lightly at his neck. "This is good. This is better than anything that ... oh ..."

The 'oh' had been a direct result of John's teeth finding Rodney's ear lobe. "We could just do this," John agreed. "I like this." His hands moved down to cup Rodney's ass tentatively, and Rodney encouraged him by shoving back into the touch.

Rodney knew there was something he was forgetting, something they were supposed to be doing -- of course this was the most important thing, all touches and kissing and -- shower. Yes.

"Mmph," Rodney said. "Shower." He really didn't want this experience marred by intrusive body odors. "We can take turns, if you'd rather ..." he said hesitantly, not wanting to scare John away again. He wasn't that good at being subtle, or gently seductive, but he would definitely give it a shot if that was what John needed. He just hoped his libido would stay in check and not give way to embarrassing bluntness. From what he could tell, he had to handle this carefully.

"I'm pretty sure there's room for both of us," John said, pressing another kiss to the corner of Rodney's mouth. At least Rodney could feel the proof that John was as into this as he was against his thigh; Sheppard was hard, eager, his hands on Rodney's ass distracting Rodney from coherent thought in the best of all possible ways. But then John's hands were sliding around to Rodney's front, one giving his erection a knee-trembling squeeze before starting to undo his pants and yes, yes, that was good, that was what Rodney wanted: Sheppard's fingers wrapping around his cock and stroking, making him whimper, making his pulse pound in his ears.

Somehow, Rodney's pants and boxers were down around his ankles, and John was standing in front of him with his own torso gloriously bare. John manhandled Rodney out of the rest of his clothes and into the shower and stepped in after him, wrapping both arms around Rodney from behind and holding on. The water was steaming hot, the sound of it a soft hush in the bathroom.

Sheppard bit the back of Rodney's shoulder - not hard enough to break the skin, but hard enough that Rodney let out an involuntary little yelp of protest. His dick, obviously not getting the message that biting was Not Okay, twitched and swelled eagerly.

"Oh, that's ... that's good," Rodney said. His body automatically rocked back against Sheppard's, and the moan of agreement behind him was enough to make him want to do it again. He could feel the hard cock behind him, the hot water making it slip and slide eagerly against his skin.

"Good?" John said, with what sounded like a mixture of outrage and disbelief tinged with humor. Sheppard's hand slid down over Rodney's belly determinedly, then circled his erection with a firm grip and stroked from balls to tip and back again.

"Excellent, superior, amazing," Rodney babbled, "wonderful, perfect, outstanding, miraculous, fuck, John, do that again!"

John chuckled richly in Rodney's ear and did it again, so slowly that Rodney was writhing and wordlessly begging by the time John's hand stopped moving again. "Again?" John asked, and when Rodney gasped, "Yes!" Sheppard bit his shoulder and squeezed with his hand and Rodney groaned loud and long, shuddering in John's arms.

"John, Major, if you don't stop -- ah! -- teasing me, I'm not going to ... I mean, I'm going to ... oh, god, I'm ..."

Rodney turned and wrapped his arms around John's body, pressing against him with desperate need. He kissed him, deep and hard, and came, his cock jerking against John's.

The sound John made into Rodney's mouth was higher-pitched than the noises he usually made; it was more like pain than pleasure, trailing off into a whimper even as John's hands grabbed Rodney's ass and pulled him closer, thrusting into the space between Rodney's spasming dick and his thigh. "Jesus," John gasped, thrusting again, and he was rubbing off on Rodney, and that was so hot that just the thought of it would have made Rodney come if he wasn't already. Another thrust, a flick of John's tongue against the roof of Rodney's mouth, slick and faintly salty, then John cried out and came, too, to a soft chorus of, "Fuck, yes, Jesus, Rodney," pressed to the corner of Rodney's mouth.

Maybe, Rodney mused, Hyperspace was going to be more interesting than he'd thought.