Fandom: SGA
Title:Do You Wanna Try Love?
Pairing/Character: John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Rating: R
Disclaimer: SGA © Brad Wright & MGM. No copyright infringement intended.
Summary: John would rather torture himself than go to prom, but he loves Rodney, and Rodney would love to go, so what's a guy to do?
Notes: Written for comment_fic on livejournal for beautybecks' prompt shy. A high school AU sequel to '9 12-15-22-5 = I Love You'.
Word Count: 855
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Nothing much has changed since John started dating Rodney. (Well, that isn't exactly true- plenty had changed, just it feels so right that John can't remember how life was before Rodney.)

They sit beside each other in the cafeteria, thigh to thigh, arm to arm, and surreptitiously keep glancing at each other. (Surreptitiously because everyone else at the table had voted that they keep their 'lovey-dovey' expressions to a minimum when in presence of everybody.)

John takes his hand away from the table, and places it lightly on top of Rodney's, enjoying the comfort and warmth the touch allows.

He has tuned out the rest of the world, quite happily focusing on Rodney when repeated mentions of his name break him out of his reverie.

"What?"

Teyla gives him one of her patient looks, "I asked if you and Rodney were going to the prom."

Prom? What is she talking about? And then it hits him, and then his stomach plummets, and he chances a glance at Rodney, who is looking at his lunch as though it's the most fascinating thing on earth.

He had it in the back of his mind that prom was approaching, but he has never thought that he was *supposed* to ask Rodney; he didn't go for that sort of thing and would rather have spent the evening on the couch making out with Rodney till his lips fell off or he hyperventilated.

"We're still thinking on it." He replies with a fake sort of calm, while his insides are churning at the thought of how to handle this situation.

Teyla nods, and turns back to Ronon.

He doesn't look at Rodney, but intertwines their hands together, squeezing tightly.

------

Rodney's fingers roam over John's back, head going back, and panting, so out of breath and so close. His hips buck upwards, grounding against John.

He groans when he comes, eyes closed and limbs going weak. A couple of thrusts later John comes too.

Rodney pulls him downwards, letting John sprawl all over him, face in neck. They catch their breath in silence, glued together and spent.

A long time passes before John turns on his side, bringing Rodney into the enclosure of his arm, and nonchalantly brings up the mention of prom. "I didn't think to ask you because well, it's not exactly something I do."

It's the closest he can come to the truth. He squeezes Rodney closer to him, hoping to convey to him through touch what he can't say out loud. Rodney nods, and smiles at him like he understands.

After a while, Rodney reluctantly moves off the bed to take a shower and go home, and John stays in bed, staring up at his bedroom ceiling and wishing he was anybody else right then (anybody else could ask their boyfriend to their freakin' prom without feeling like he was inviting the whole world to fuck with him).

------

They don't bring up prom again, and John thinks he can finally relax again when he notices Rodney has been acting kind of down lately. Whenever he asks however, Rodney tells him it's nothing and that he'll be fine.

His common sense tells him to ignore it because it's probably nothing- but the part of him that is wholly in love with Rodney, and the part that won't let him act like an ignorant ape, tells him that while Rodney had at first seemed to understand, he really was disappointed.

And while John can live with his own cowardice, he can't stand knowing that he's hurting Rodney.

So that's how, on the night of the prom, he's standing in front of Rodney's house, leaning against his Camarro, and feeling as though he can't breath.

He adjusts his suit and tie for the hundredth time, and goes up to the door. Before he can knock though, he turns away, and goes back to his car. His feet are dragging him back and forth, and he feels like he'll implode with his indecisiveness.

He ends up leaning against his car for a long time. And then he finally goes up to the door again, preparing to knock when the door suddenly opens and there's Rodney. All dressed up. And quite...attractive looking (but he had always known that).

He gives his boyfriend a confused look.

"I saw you pull up a half-hour ago, you moron." But Rodney's smiling, and there's no malice to the words, just the affection he's grown used to hearing.

John blushes, embarrassed. Clearing his throat, he extends his hand to Rodney, "Will you go to the prom with me?" It comes out a bit hesitant and shy and, for a minute, John doesn't recognize himself, but then Rodney's taking his hand, and nothing seems to matter anymore.

------

They arrive at the prom late, Teyla already dancing with Ronon- well she's dancing, he looks more like a giant statue holding her up.

He and Rodney join their friends, and John lets go of the tension he has been holding in. Rodney's with him, and it doesn't matter where they are, as long as they are together.