John Sheppard was in love with the aquarium diver.
It had started months ago, wasting one of his few days off at the brand new aquarium that was tied with the college's marine biology program. John was a Calculus major, but supposedly this place was top of the line, with no other competitors. While rather spectacular, John hadn't been too impressed…until he came to the whale tank. Not humpback whales, of course, those were enormous. John had expected Orcas, or maybe some Beluga, but no. The aquarium had a gray whale.
The plaque explained that Spock (the whale's name) was part of an endangered species, and was part of a breeding program (a female had yet to be caught). The window was huge, and the tank…John couldn't even fathom how deep it must be, and it brought a sense of awe. There were other creatures in the tank, octopuses, fish, dolphins, eels, and of course the microscopic food that the whale needed to eat. But what had caught John's attention was the man in the diving suit.
There was no information, no sign, not even an announcement of feeding time. It was just a man in the tank. The man had some food for the creatures, played with the dolphins, and almost seemed to…commune with Spock. John had simply stood there and watched, amazed both at how a man could be so brave, and at how tiny he was compared to everyone in the tank.
Three hours had passed before the man swam so far back that he became invisible, the whale following. Spock remained by the far wall, a large gray streak in the blue waters, and after a few more minutes, John walked towards the exit in a daze. The man wasn't graceful, not when compared to the other animals, but there was a presence about him, a serenity that transcended the liquid and solid mediums.
He'd returned every week at the same time since, every time spending hours in front of the whale tank. Other than offering him a membership (which John had accepted), the staff left him alone. He'd asked a few of them about the figure in the water, but they always shrugged their shoulders. John suspected some of them knew who the man was, but were under orders not to reveal it.
Now, three months later, he was at the aquarium at night for the first time. It was members only, and while some of the tanks he passed were more alive then they'd been during all his visits, his focus was on getting to his whale tank. Unlike the other tanks, though, the lights were off, shadowing everything. Some of the dark seemed to move, but nothing discernable. Disappointed, John turned to go.
"He's not going to be in there tonight."
John turned around, surprised. He hadn't noticed anyone else at the tank--in fact, none of the other members were even nearby. He didn't recognize the man, who was maybe an inch shorter than John. He was also pudgy, but the arms spoke of muscles formed from exercise. "I'm…I'm sorry?" The man smirked, half of his mouth rising and bright blue eyes sparkling.
"The diver, that's who you're looking for." The stranger nodded towards the tank, tugging his t-shirt down before crossing his arms and leaning against the glass. "You come every week to watch him."
John felt the tips of his ears burn, shuffling his feet and putting his hands uncertainly on his hips. "So…so what if I do? And how do you know he won't be in tonight?"
"Spock and the others work the hardest in this place. We respect their right to peace at night." The stranger tilted his head towards the tank, eyes seeming to scour the darkness. "You're not even supposed to be here. In case you missed the sign."
The burn was beginning to spread to his cheeks. "That only means you're not supposed to be here, too." John gripped his waist harder. Who was this man to judge him, to tell him where he belonged?
The smirk grew, eyes refocusing on John. "I can go anywhere I want. I own the aquarium."
John swallowed. "Oh…" So, this was the McKay of McKay Aquarium. "I, um, you have a…"
"If you're going to tell me I have a lovely aquarium, don't waste your breath." He stood up, eyes pinning John in place. "You like Spock, I know. I also know you're here every week. Security keeps me appraised about suspicious characters." McKay stepped forward. "You wouldn't be the first one who tried to go swimming with the whale."
"I," John glanced around, trying to find an escape. "I don't want to go swimming with the whale. I just…I just want to meet the diver." His face was red, probably glowing, John just knew it. Hanging his head, he let his arms fall against his side. "He's so…graceful in the water, and he respects the animals, communicates with them in ways that…that…"
A frustrated sigh came from McKay. "Shut up." John did, swallowing again. "Geeze, you're not too bright for a grad student." John winced at that. "Would you look at me?" John glanced at McKay, then looked back down. "I said look. At. Me."
Slowly, John looked up, taking in the way McKay stood with his hands on his waist, legs slightly parted. There was something…familiar about the pose. It brought to mind the way the diver would look whenever he stood on the bottom of the tank, as if he were surveying his domain. McKay was frowning, looking at John as if he were an idiot. John wondered why, until the stance and McKay's words finally put the picture together. "Y…you?!"
McKay rolled his eyes. "Now he gets it. Really, really not too bright." McKay stepped forward, the smirk returning as John remained still. "I could see you every week, you know. The same figure outside the window for hours? Of course I would." Standing in front of John, he slowly looked the man up and down.
McKay's eyes reminded John of the octopus before it had decided to tangle with a dolphin (a disturbing hour that had ended with the diver injured and both creatures removed--the dolphin had returned to the tank, the octopus had not). Shivering, he didn't resist as McKay rested a hand on his waist, fingers curling around the loops of his jeans. He couldn't remember anything he wanted to say upon meeting the diver. So, voice hitching, he said, "I'm John."
The smirk turned into a smile, still predatory, but also welcoming. "Hi, John. I'm Rodney." Rodney's other hand reached up, wrapped around John's neck, and pulled him down.
The kiss was short, but powerful, his own hands reaching up to hold onto Rodney's shoulders. For a second, John thought he heard himself moan, but wrote it off as Spock. "I…never see this coming."
Resting their foreheads together, Rodney stroked his thumb against the skin just above his jeans. "Next time, stop by the office, and I'll let you play with Spock." Pulling away, Rodney held onto John for another minute, then started walking back towards the members area.
Still stunned, John turned. "You'd…you're gonna let me swim with the whale?"
Rodney continued walking, but shot back a quick leer. "Yeah, I'll let you do that too."