Written for the LiveJournal community "letter love", 26 stories for Teyla/Rodney pairing - letter D.
Dance
"Why aren't you dancing?"
Teyla looked up from her glass, surprised by his outburst. Before she could speak, Rodney grabbed the hand that had been resting on the table and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, this is your party – well, your people's at least. You should be up there with the rest of them, and if that means that I have to be the one to get you there, then so be it."
"Rodney..."
The quiet alarm in her voice escaped his attention as he weaved his way through the crowd, Teyla struggling to keep up with him. Finally he came to halt, turned and pulled her into his arms. "So...we just sway a little and then I twirl you around? Or is there some sort of routine?"
His eyes darted around her, taking in the actions of their companions. "Okay, they all just twirled at the same time. So there is a routine? Do you know it?"
It was only then that he noticed her discomfort. "Teyla...is there something wrong?"
Touched by his concern, she decided to keep her troubles to herself and closed her eyes to the looks of surprise that they were receiving. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him closer and smiled. "No, I am fine Rodney."
She watched with amusement as his eyes darted between her and the couples passing nearby, studying their movements and recreating them in time to the sway of her body. The look of intense concentration changed to one of suspicion as his eyes locked with hers. "What? Why are looking at me like that?"
She laughed for the first time that evening. "It is a dance Rodney, not a mathematical problem."
"Yes, well, I'm considerably more talented at solving mathematical problems than I am at dancing. I just don't want to show you up, that's all."
Her hand moved from the back of his neck to cradle his cheek. "You could never do that Rodney."
His expression changed as an emotion that she had never before seen flickered across his face. She watched him breathe deeply before speaking, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "Why didn't you want to dance? I thought that maybe you just didn't want to with me, but you didn't dance with Sheppard or Ronon earlier either. You're normally the life and soul of these things."
This time he couldn't help but notice her distress, as her eyes refused to return his gaze. Sighing, she didn't attempt to hide the regret in her voice. "Rodney, this is a dance for lovers. Men ask women with whom they wish to court for the pleasure of their company. This dance is often the first stage of the courting process. In fact, the occasion of one marriage is seen as an opportunity to begin courting in the hope that more marriages will spring. It is...rare for a woman who has no admirers to dance during the celebration of a marriage."
When he failed to reply, Teyla finally looked up at him to see a small smile slowly form. Leaning closer, his lips brushed her cheek with the faintest of touches before coming to a rest by her ear. She felt a jolt of electricity travel down her spine as he whispered, "And what makes you think that you don't have an admirer?"