A/N: If I owned Stargate Atlantis, would I be writing fanfic one-shots of characters that really should get together on the show but probably won't for at least another half-season? NO. I'd be writing actual episodes that would be aired of characters that really should get together on the show but probably won't for at least another half-season.
A/N2: This is dedicated to my dear friend fyd818, the wonderful and fantabulous inspiration for my shippy 'fics, and an incredible author in her own right. She is the creator of wonderful fantasies and AUs and you should all go review her stuff and say how cool her stories are.
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"Dr. Beckett?"
The young brown-haired man in question turned from his computer and smiled at the woman who had spoken.
"Ah, Teyla lass, wha' brings ye here today? Not sick I hope," he said in his thick Scottish brogue, winking at her in a fatherly manner.
She smiled back at him, shaking her head and saying, "On the contrary, Doctor, I am quite well, thank you, but I wanted to ask you something."
"Oh?" he answered, giving her his undivided attention.
"What is Valentine's Day?" she asked, her brown eyes showing puzzlement.
Doctor Beckett stared at her for a minute, then burst into laughter. Teyla frowned slightly and asked, "Have I said something wrong?"
"No, no, lass," he chortled, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "I just keep forgettin' yeh don' know about our holidays."
She nodded in understanding. He sighed, laughed once more, then began to explain about the celebration.
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"Sheppard?" a large dread-locked man asked as he swung his Bantos rods at his opponent, a tall messy-haired man with blue eyes.
"Yeah?" the latter grunted, focused on blocking and parrying the attacks being rained down on him.
"How come the Gateroom is being covered with all those weird red paper things?" Ronon asked, skillfully knocking Sheppard's rods to the floor.
"Ya mean the hearts?" John said as he wearily bent to pick his weapons up, knowing he would most likely do so again in the next few minutes.
". . . Those don't look like hearts," Ronon said skeptically, and John shuddered, not really wanting to know how Ronon knew what human hearts looked like.
"Well, not real hearts, but that's what people call 'em," he said, getting back into his fighting stance and bracing himself for impact.
"Okay . . ." Ronon said, then attacked without warning in a flurry of clacks and swishes. They fought for a while, neither really getting the upper hand, until John broke away from the close fighting and circled on the edge of the mat before finishing his answer, "And they're there because it's Valentine's Day."
Anticipating Ronon's query, he continued, "It's a holiday on Earth, where couples celebrate love."
"Love? As in . . ." Ronon asked, a wicked grin starting to form on his lips. John's eyebrows shot through the roof.
"No!" he said, so shocked he neglected to block Ronon's swing and suddenly found himself on the floor rubbing his head.
"No," he reiterated, getting to his feet shakily and tossing his rods into his gym bag, indicating that the session was over. "Celebrating people being in love."
"Oh." Ronon nodded, following John's example and putting away his equipment. They left the training room together, Sheppard still explaining the exchanging of cards, poems, flowers, and candy, and Ronon listening intently.
When they were passing the infirmary, Ronon looked inside and saw Teyla and Dr. Beckett deep in conversation. An idea struck him, and he hurriedly took his leave of Sheppard, running off in the direction of the botanists' lab.
John smiled smugly, hands in his pockets, as he turned back to the infirmary. As he entered, Teyla was thanking the Scotsman, and she smiled at Sheppard as she left.
He waited until she turned the corner at the end of the hall, then he turned eagerly to the doctor and asked, "Well?"
Carson laughed. "I told her all abou' it, lad. She seemed very interested in the gift-giving aspect of the holiday."
John laughed with him, then clapped his friend on the shoulder and said, "Yeah, that's funny, Ronon liked that part too."
As they were pondering their two teammembers, Elizabeth walked into the room.
"Well?" she asked expectantly, smiling at the two men.
John and Carson exchanged a glance, then John said, "I don't know, an hour? Maybe two?"
Dr. Beckett considered this, then shook his head and said, "Less."
Elizabeth's smile widened. "I take it that the plan worked, then? They're going to give each other a Valentine?"
"More than that," John laughed, "If Ronon has anything to say about it."
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Teyla returned to her room flushed and excited, having just broken into Ronon's quarters to leave him a Valentine's gift. She opened her door and stepped into the room, noticing immediately the red rose on her night table.
Walking to it, she picked the flower up and smelled it, smiling at the fresh sweetness of it. As she replaced it, she saw the note it had rested on and unfolded it.
The night sky is black,
Clouds are white.
It's your face I see
When I turn out the light.
---
Violets are purple,
Grass fields are green.
You're not just a leader,
To me you're a queen.
---
Your hair is like honey,
Your eyes are deep brown.
You always will help me
When I'm feeling down
---
Roses are red
The ocean is blue
And Teyla Emmagen
I Love You.
Teyla gasped when she finished the poem, a smile slowly growing across her face as she recognized the rough, blunt handwriting. Laughing joyously, she clasped the note and the rose to her chest, closing her eyes and thanking the Ancestors for bringing her such happiness.
She looked at her watch, guessing that Ronon had had enough time to find her gift by now, then she rushed out the door, barely missing collisions with several scientists as she rushed to find him.
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Ronon sighed as he rounded the last corner on the way to his quarters after leaving Teyla the flower and the note. He had almost turned back five times on his return from her room, second-guessing himself at every step.
"This was a stupid idea," he grumbled to himself as he let himself into his room. "I can't write poetry, she probably thinks I'm a complete idiot. Hell, I think I'm a complete idiot."
Muttering in this fashion, Ronon was so wrapped up in his apprehension of Teyla recieving the note that it took him a minute to notice that there was a circle of candles lit on his night table. In the center of the circle sat a small wooden box, carved intricately with patterns of leaves and flowers.
Puzzled, Ronon walked warily towards the table, picking up the box and looking it over. His frown deepened when he noticed that the candles were the same type that Teyla used when she was meditating.
Confused more than ever, he opened the box and all was made clear.
Nestled in a lining of velvet sat a smooth green stone. Ronon picked it up, marvelling at how well it fit his palm, then noticed an engraving on one side. Tilting it so that it caught the light, he read:
Hold this when you need a reminder that I'm there.
Under this was engraved a circular symbol with a wavy line splitting it in two and a dot on each side of it. Ronon's face broke into a wide smile as he recognized the symbol for balance Sheppard called Yin-Yang.
Clasping the stone in his hand, he turned, intending to go back to Teyla's quarters and thank her for the gift, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw that apparently she had anticipated him.
"Ronon," Teyla greeted him from the doorway, where she had stood for the last few minutes unnoticed by him.
He stood silent for a moment, savoring the sight of her framed in the doorway, with her hair falling out of the loose ponytail she wore and curling in wisps around her face. He saw that she had recieved his gifts, as she still held the rose and the poem loosely in her hand. She was watching him with a look in her eyes he had never seeen before.
Coming to a decision, Ronon crossed the room swiftly, took her in his arms, and kissed her softly, praying she would not pull away.
She didn't, sliding the hand not holding her gifts onto the back of his neck, pulling him closer and deeper into the kiss. They held each other this way for what seemed an eternity, then Ronon broke away.
He caressed her face, marvelling at the fact that he could do so without fear.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered, kissing her again just as gently as before.
She smiled into the kiss. "I wish I could say the same for you," she murmured teasingly before taking his hand and leading him over to the bed, where she placed her rose and her poem on the table next to the candles.
He followed, one corner of his mouth pulling into a wry grin as he replaced the green stone in its box and blew out the candles, leaving them in darkness.
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A/N: -sighs- This is definitely my favorite 'ship. GOD I wish they'd do something like this on the show...grrrrr...
A/N2: Could you tell that I wrote this while listening to "Pain" by Three Days Grace? Quote: "Pain, without love/Pain, I can't get enough/Pain, I like it rough/'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all". Also "Scars" by Papa Roach. "I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut, my weakness is that I care too much". I'm tellin ya, it's perfect music for writing Valentine's Day shippiness.
A/N3: Enough emoness. One more 'fic to go, then you'll just have to wait until next year. Or next week. Whichever comes first.