AN: So this was my first attempt at writing Rushbelle I hope it came out pretty well.
Disclaimer: I do not own SGU or OUAT.
"I have my own responsibilities! I can always be around to babysit you! I'm not your bloody assistant Rush!"
"Well that's obvious. An assistant would actually be helpful!"
"Go to hell Rush!"
"Shall I save you a seat Miss French?"
"It's Doctor French you arrogant prick!"
Nicholas Rush watched as Belle French stormed out of the control room the doors whooshing shut behind her. He was sure that if there was a possible way for her to slam them shut she would have. The control room was dead silent, Volker and Park were wisely keeping their mouths shut and ignoring the thick tension that still hung in the air. He wished they would say something if only to give him a reason to shout at them. Doctor-bloody-French had gotten under his skin, once again, and he hated that she was able to do it so easily.
He had first met the petite brunette beauty two years ago on Icarus Base when she had come into one of his discussion with Homeworld Command. He hadn't really paid her attention at first, he figured she was another one of Wray's people trying to get him thrown off the mission. It wouldn't have been the first time she had tried to prove him too risky and self-absorbed to work on the Stargate Project. She had simply sat at the back of the room he was using and he had almost forgotten about her completely until she had interrupted him.
He had watched in shock as she strode forward and started addressing Homeworld Command herself. Anytime he had tried to speak up she had waved him off and hushed him like he was a disobeying child. When the feed connecting them to Earth had been severed she had turned to him with a smile. "Doctor Rush, it's nice to finally meet you! I've read all your work and I have to say that your thoughts on unlocking the ninth chevron are quite unique. I'm looking forward to working with you in the future." Before he could even ask who the hell she was she had breezed out of the room and he had been left standing there in shock.
It had taken him nearly a week to find out just exactly who the mystery woman was. Apparently he hadn't been far off in his original assumption that she worked for Wray. Doctor Belle French was one of the top astrophysicists in the world and had been brought in to the project at Wray's insistence, he never did find out how they had knew each other before Icarus, as a possible replacement for him. Wray, and several other members of IOA seemed to think that he wasn't the best person for the project given his "Machiavellian attitude and misanthropic disposition" and so they had set out to find a better candidate for lead scientist.
He had made it his mission to treat her just like he treated everyone else, just because she was his equal didn't mean he actually had to treat her as such. He'd ignore her just like he ignored everyone else on this planet. That had lasted approximately 3 weeks. It was hard to ignore her when she was always right there. When he'd go to his work room she'd be there writing out her own equations in her neat handwriting. If by chance he got there before her she'd come in and start suggesting her own theories and soon he'd let her take over the writing because he found that she was able to fit much more writing on the board than he was, not because he was impressed or anything. On the rare occasions he would actually go to the mess hall she would drop whatever conversations she was having to come sit with him.
It didn't matter if he snapped or shouted at her, she'd just patiently wait for him to run out of steam before calmly continuing with whatever they had been doing. Nothing he did to try and push her away ever worked. Eventually he had given up the pretense of his distaste and actively started seeking her out, whether it was just to ask her opinion on his newest theory or simply because she was the only person on the base that he actually cared for. It took him nearly six months to realize that he was half in love with her already.
It had actually been her idea to place the Ancient equation in a videogame to search out solutions. "We've exhausted our own minds looking at this from every possible point of view, maybe with someone with no conflicting knowledge will have some success" He hadn't been sure but he had also learned that Belle was usually right about these things so he had agreed and together they had pitched the idea to Homeworld Command. When the Lucian Alliance had attacked the base and he saw this as his last chance to finally dial the ninth chevron Belle hadn't tried to stop him like everyone else, instead she had been right by his side defending his actions.
Now that they had been on Destiny for almost eight months and she had integrated herself as his right hand woman. She would pull 16-20 hour shifts right along side him, though she was usually more pleasant during them, force him to sleep and eat regularly, kept him from biting off the science team's heads when they were complete idiots which was most of the time, and when Colonel Young had saw fit to abandon him on the Gravel Pit Planet she had apparently even gone so far to confront Young in front of the entire crew. She had been the first person after Scott and Greer to greet him when he finally made it back and she had barely left his side since. She truly was the only person he fully trusted and he knew now he was in love with her.
It didn't stop him from still being a complete ass from time to time.
Today was a good example of that. He had been working on a way to try and decrease the amount of time it took for the weapon's systems to get back to 100% after an attack. He'd been at it for nearly 23 hours without a break and when Belle had come in and suggested he take a break he had snapped. He had a feeling that Eli had gone off to get her, it would have explained his sudden disappearance and her showing up when he knew she had been down in hydroponics, not that he kept track of where she was because that would be creepy no he had just overheard her telling TJ...that was all.
It was a tribute to how much of an ass he was being that she had returned his attitude with one of her own. In the two years they had worked together Rush could count on one hand how many times he'd seen her lose her temper. She had seen him lose his temper countless times and always handled him with the same poise and calm that she handled the rest of the world. He was ashamed to say that he took advantage of that at times. He knew he could rage away and she wouldn't blink an eye.
So when she had come in and told him that he should take a break he had lost it. "And leave them in charge? Or you? The ship wouldn't last ten bloody minutes! Why don't you run along and do whatever the hell it is you do or better yet actually do your job and help me!"
He hadn't expected her to snap back at him and when she had his natural reaction was to bite right back. Now with her gone and his ire cooling he realized what an ass he had been. Belle hadn't done anything to warrant his anger and he had taken it out on her anyway. Normally he wouldn't care, but this was Belle. The only person who had always been on his side no matter what. He even dreamed to think that she might care for him, never would he even think that she might love him, but at least care for him. The only person who might truly care for him and he had treated her like shit. No wonder everyone called him a fucking prick.
He lasted about twenty minutes after Belle left before he caved and stormed out after her. If he had to watch Park and Volker share side looks back and forth for another second he was going to lose his fucking mind. He had growled out something about not blowing up the ship while he was gone and followed after Belle. He had to apologize to her, or at least make him seem like a little bit less of an ass.
The problem was that he didn't know where to find her. Belle had always sought him out or he'd come across her by chance. He tried hydroponics first but Corporal Barnes said she hadn't seen Belle since she left earlier. He tried the mess next, Becker said she hadn't been in since breakfast, then he tried the medical bay because he knew that she enjoyed talking with TJ but she wasn't there either. Eventually he realized she probably was in her room and made his way there.
Usually the people aboard Destiny tended to give him a wide berth but today it seemed like everyone wanted to stop him and ask him pointless asinine questions. "How is the weapon system going?" "Why is that light flickering?" "Have you seen Young?" "Do you know what Becker has planned for dinner?" "Did you hear about TJ and Varro?" Didn't they fucking understand that he had much more important matters to attend to? He had to find Belle god damnit.
After what seemed like ages he finally heard her familiar lilting voice coming from around a corner near her room. He was happy to tell her that none of the anger that had previously filled her was leaking into her voice now, in fact she was laughing. The fact that she was laughing should have clued him in to the fact that she wasn't alone but it didn't. When he rounded the corner and found her laughing and smiling he was momentarily relieved until he noticed that someone else was there too. Sergeant Riley stood with her smiling and looking pleased and Rush realized that he must have been the one to make Belle laugh.
Jealousy, unlike he'd ever felt before, shocked through him. How could he ever think that Belle could care for him when there were people like Riley aboard the ship? He was young, kind, gentle, and smart. He was everything a girl like Belle deserved. Why would she choose him, nearly 20 years her senior, who constantly snapped at everyone including her, who had practically ignored her existence the first few months he had known her. She was a ray of fucking sunshine bringing light and happiness to everyone she encountered and he was a hail storm, hurting everything and everyone he encountered. She deserved to be with someone like Riley, someone who would make her laugh and smile, not someone who shut her down and belittled her.
Biting back his apology and desire to making things right Rush turned back around and started making his way back to the control room. He loved Belle and part of that meant wanting the best for her, even if that meant she wasn't with him.
He was so focused on leaving Belle behind, to let her be happy without him, he didn't notice her turn around and see him walk away. He never saw her smile drop, never heard her laughter stop. Never saw the hurt look in her eye as she watched the man she loved walk away from her again.
AN: Hope you enjoyed it! Don't worry I'm already writing a follow up to it :)
