Title: Confusing the Issue

Author: Rose Wilde-Irish

Rating: PG-13

Pairing: John/Teyla

Spoilers:Home

Summary: John loves introducing Teyla to Earth customs.

Notes: My own answer to myAnti-OTP challenge. (See http: details) Looking for beta's as I'm sure it's a bit rough.

John loved to see that expression of puzzlement and confusion ghost over Teyla's features. As the tough-as-nails leader of her people, he knew she'd faced more challenges in mere survival than he could think of overcoming on his own, and yet he could still reduce her to befuddlement.

"I...thank you, Major," she said, trying to maintain her hold on the flowers, handmade card, and basket full of goodies-all her favorites-that he'd wheedled out of the Athosians. She stepped back further into her quarters and he followed along. Setting the basket and card on a chair, she looked at the flowers a little helplessly.

"You need a vase to put them in," John supplied helpfully, then located a glass that was tall enough to double. Stepping into the small lav, he filled the glass with water. Returning into the main room, he set the glass on a dresser and tried to arrange the flowers.

Smiling with a little more assurance, Teyla stepped in and created art out of his haphazard shiftings. Finishing, she moved away and regarded him.

"Well," he stated, and leaned in just a touch. "Happy Valentine's Day."

She gave him one of those blank-stare-and-small-headtilt things she did so well. It made him smile again.

"Valentine's Day. Haven't the other women filled you in?"

"They were talking about it, yes, but I did not understand. Perhaps you could explain it to me?"

"Valentine's Day. It's an earth holiday, created by the flower and chocolate industry, I think," he said, and waited to see if she'd 'get' it.

Obviously, she didn't. Even visiting the fake-Earth didn't seem to really drive home Earth-style capitalism.

"Ah...that was a joke. It's a holiday for...lovers or romance, I guess you'd say. Gifts are exchanged, a meal is eaten together, sometimes there's dancing—"

"So that is why Nurse Phillips was so excited about tonight in the gymnasium."

John nodded. "The dance. Elizabeth felt it would be good for morale."

Teyla looked him over with speculation. "So, Major," she began, and John knew he'd drastically underestimated his opponent with her tone, "does this mean there's more in store for the evening?"

He grinned back at her. One of the thrills of finding ways to bemuse her was the fact that she picked up on things so darned quickly...he was fast running out of ways to do it. "Why, yes, I think there just might be dining and dancing...on one condition."

She smiled back at him, something vaguely personal and his in it. "And what would that be?"

"That you drop the 'Major' crap," he said. "Off-duty, remember?"

She moved into him and suddenly his arms were full of warm, flowingTeyla. Her lips were warm and inviting in a brief brush against his, and then she was leaning in, murmuring in his ear, "John." He felt an electric thrill race through him as she spoke it, and gasped as lips and tongue teased the outline of his ear.

"Or we could just skip the other activities and get right to the main event," he said, shifting them over to fall gently onto the bed. He shivered as her lips trailed down his neck and her hands slipped under his shirt.

She gave a throaty chuckle. "You did say the day was for lovers, did you not?"

"I did, indeed," he agreed, and began some exploration of his own.

fin