Title: Rodney's Favourite Thing?

Author: Merrov (AKA Gypsy Lupin-Black)

Rating: G

Disclaimer: No own (though I wish I did), no money (literally), no suing!

A/N: Quick drabble for the Penguin challenge by Robin on Atlantica.

Rodney was at lunch, which was rather shocking to Carson, seeing as only earlier that day he had done a post-mission medical exam on both his lover and Radek. The two had not been able to keep quiet about whatever wonderful new technology they had gathered from an ancient outpost Major Lorne's team had cleared for them to explore that morning. They'd come back through the gate with cases full of new 'toys,' so Carson had been certain that he wouldn't see Rodney until the man staggered back to their quarters sometime in the early hours of tomorrow.

But there he was, at their usual table, shovelling food down with one hand, typing on a laptop with the other, and yammering away with his mouth full at Radek. The later, Carson was amused to note as he chose a sandwich and tea, was just as animated as his lover, also bolting his food down in a hurry and talking over McKay.

As Carson approached them, he could hear their conversation. Not that he understood much of it, being lightning quick, muffled by food, and technical in nature. Something about power generation and… penguins?

"What on earth are you two talking about?" he asked as he sat next to Rodney. Both scientists looked up, surprised. They hadn't even noticed his approach, so involved had they been with their conversation. Rodney swallowed his current mouthful of food and grinned, angling his laptop screen so Carson could see it clearly.

"The outpost we checked out," he started, pointing at the laptop screen, "it was populated by a flock of penguins! Look, I got pictures." Rodney minimized the current page of equations and power ratio curves, and Carson was amused to note that his desktop background was a picture of Rodney, dressed in a goofy brown winter jacket, standing close to four penguins, the tallest of which came up to his ribcage. The birds looked… a little surprised, but not fearful of their human invaders. Rodney was positively beaming in the picture, his left hand up, as if he had been waving.

Radek snorted. "It is first time I've seen Rodney more interested in animals than technology. He practically begged me to take pictures."

Rodney turned and raised an eyebrow at his second. "I like penguins, ok? Get over it already," he snapped.

Carson couldn't help but giggle. "Well, there's something one wouldn't expect to ever hear from you."

Rodney grinned again, obviously too elated by the experience to feel any embarrassment. "One of the reasons I was so eager to go to Antarctica in the first place was to get a chance to maybe see them. That didn't work out, though."

Carson could see Radek raise his eyebrows in surprise. Rodney must have noticed too, because he quickly added, "The technology was obviously top priority though."

Radek nodded, a smirk growing on his lips. Carson could see at least three weeks of teasing in Rodney's future. As the two scientists got back to their original conversation about the technology they'd brought back, Carson tucked into his lunch, wondering if there was still time to contact Earth before the Daedalus left. He also wondered how many raised eyebrows a request for 20 stuffed toy penguins would cause.

-fin