Title: Invitation
Summary: He wasn't okay. But he would be.
Characters: John, Ronon, Rodney & Teyla
Pairing: John/Teyla, John/Nancy, Teyla/Kanan.
Rating: K
Spoilers: Season4
"What is that?"
John looked up from the two items on the table in front of him. He smiled at Teyla as she took a seat next to Ronon at the table. John spooned the mound of cereal into his mouth and used the end of his spoon to push the two pieces of paper towards her. She frowned at him slightly before reaching forward and lifting them to view. Her eyebrows rose to her hairline and she pursed her lips in John's direction, who simply shrugged.
"Hey," Rodney spat out past a mouthful of toast as he dropped onto the chair next to John. "What's that?" He nodded towards the items that Teyla had placed on the table.
"An invite to my ex-wife's wedding." Rodney's eyebrows rose too, his bottom lip protruding before he turned back to his food. "I know we're back to being... friends." He didn't let his mind think about the last time they'd been together back on Earth when he'd gone back to escape from Teyla. "But this is just weird."
"Who invites their ex-husband to their wedding?"
John nodded emphatically. That had been his thinking when he'd received the letter and the invite. His fingers reached out it again and he turned it towards him, tilting it so the silver writing glinted in the light. He grunted and dropped it flat again, crunching the Cheerios in his mouth.
"Maybe she wants you to show up on a white horse and whisk her away."
Both John and Ronon snorted in laughter at that but John's mind had thought of that possibility. Maybe not the whole white horse thing but he was sure that, even though they'd discussed having 'moved on', he'd thought she was hinting at something before she'd gotten into her hybrid and drove off back to Derek.
"Maybe she's pregnant."
John choked at Ronon's words and his eyes bugged out of his head as the cool milk burned holes in his lungs. He glared across the table at Ronon, drawing his eyes away from him to glance at Teyla, who too was pregnant, who had remained suspiciously silent throughout the conversation. His eyebrows twitched together in concern for her but it was eradicated when Rodney's voice interrupted his musings;
"And what has that got to do with Sheppard going to her wedding?"
John glared across the table to Ronon, daring him to even think of saying it. He saw the mischievous – though John was convinced it was malicious – glint in the Satedan's eyes, saw the tiny corners of his mouth dart up and John began shaking his head slowly, almost imperceptible.
"Because it could be Sheppard's."
John felt her eyes on his face instantly but he kept his fixed firmly on Ronon's, his jaw tense. He felt anger surge through him and he was sure that if he'd had any kind of weapon on him at that point that he may have in fact blasted Ronon into infinity with it.
"How could it possibly be Sheppar...d's-oh." John could practically hear the pieces coming together in Rodney's mind – not to mention Teyla's – and he rolled his eyes enigmatically. "Oh. Isn't she... of course she is, wedding invitation...? Sheppard, you..."
"Shut up, Rodney!" He ground out through gritted teeth, his eyes finally sliding to Teyla, who had averted her gaze to her own breakfast. "She's not pregnant. She can't... well, I mean she can but it's very difficult and I doubt... You know what, I don't have to explain myself to you. But I will tell you that she's not pregnant, and I'm not going and it's none of your god damn business!" He raised his eyebrow at Ronon who simply smirked, his eyes never leaving John's face.
Ronon had it in for him and John had no idea why. And he didn't like it.
"Excuse me."
Teyla stood up and nodded to them before leaving the mess hall. John followed her with his eyes until she disappeared through the door, guilt tugging at his heart. It was ridiculous because they weren't together – she was married for crying out loud. Still it didn't lessen the sting. It made What Had Happened between them seem less... important than it was. He sighed as the doors slid shut and glared once more at Ronon.
He only stopped glaring when Rodney's voice – and hand – interrupted his quiet musings on how to ambush Ronon.
"Do you think she's coming back?" John watched Rodney's finger point to where Teyla had been and he shook his head again. "Do you think she'll mind if I..." he gestured to her plate again and both John and Ronon rolled their eyes, shaking their heads. "Good because I am starving!"
"Here, you can have mine too."
He stood up, having suddenly lost his appetite, making sure that his booted toe came into sharp contact with Ronon's shin. Ronon simply laughed on an out breath and began eating once more.
"Hey, are you all right?"
John nodded to Rodney and walked briskly out of the mess hall, not sure where he was heading.
He would be okay.
One day.
