NOTES: Fanfic100 challenge, John/Teyla, keyword #064 - 'Fall'
The Fall Of Man
Even Adam only fell once.
John's betrayed himself twice now.
Once when he kissed her after stick practise.
Once when Thalen tried to use John's heart against her.
He sits on his bed after being let out of the infirmary, watches the shadows crawl across the floor as the sun sets, and dreads that conversation.
The one he had with Elizabeth was uncomfortable enough. Their bodies kissed, they didn't, it's not something that they're going to do again, and if either of them enjoyed the kiss, they're never going to say.
It's not as though he can't deny what was said. More than just Teyla heard what he said.
Caldwell hasn't said anything, although he's already got his eye on John after Phoebus kissed Thalen.
Rodney's ascribed it to John's ego and his 'automatic assumption that every woman who comes along will fall at your feet'.
Elizabeth reminded him of the frat regs, and pointed out that if Teyla isn't a member of the military, she's still a member of John's team.
Teyla hasn't mentioned it at all.
John has options, at least. He could pretend that Thalen lied and that the words meant nothing. It's the easiest route - the convenient one. He could ignore it altogether. That's more difficult since the words and their implied meaning still lurk beneath the water like an iceberg to his Titanic.
What he can't do is what he wants to do. What he wants to do is make her face what he's done, what he's said, to make her look at him with something more than the affection she keeps for him, for Ronon, for Carson, for Rodney - for any man in Atlantis.
John Sheppard wants to mean something different to this woman who plays her emotions like she plays her cards; close to her chest and with no tells to say she holds the aces.
Of course, there are other concerns that plague him in the wake of his possession: Ronon, the state of the city, the morale of the military personnel...
The matter of Teyla can wait.
Adam only fell once from grace.
Maybe, if John ignores it, he won't have to acknowledge this stumble.
Maybe.
- fin -