Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, the song, etc. etc.
No spoilers unless you count the existance of Dr. Keller's character.
Colonel John Sheppard looked up from his paperwork when he heard someone knock on his office door. Or rather, he looked up from his one-man game of tic-tac-toe when he heard the knock. Ronon Dex was standing in his doorway looking a little unsure of himself for the first time in John's memory.
"Can I ask you somethin'?" the former Runner's voice was as rough as always, but John thought he could detect a trace of reluctance in it.
"Sure buddy, come on in and pull up a chair," he gestured grandly to his miniscule office with a grin. The Satedan slumped in and dropped into the nearest chair eyeing him carefully.
"Can I ask you somethin'?"
"You already said that," now he was getting really worried about his friend.
"I mean about women."
"Ah. You know, from one straight man to another, you're a good-looking guy. I can't imagine you not knowing about women," John grinned at his companion, this was much better than paperwork.
"Earth women."
Okay, now he got it.
"Alright buddy, reap the benefits of my Earthly wisdom. What do you wanna know?"
"How do you court them?"
"Court? We haven't called it courting since, well…I'm not sure of the date, but it's been a couple centuries," he watched as Ronon shifted uncomfortably, this couldn't be easy for the proud man.
"Court is an appropriate term. It means to seek companionship with a woman that you truly respect and honor."
Okay, he hadn't been expecting that. Maybe there really was the heart of a poet underneath Ronon's caveman-like exterior.
"I get it, I really do. I like women, heck, I love women," John grinned at him again before getting down to business, "Alright, so…courting an Earth woman. Well…flowers are always a good bet, women love flowers. And dinner. Take her to dinner, or better yet, make her dinner. But in the absence of good culinary skills definitely just take her out. And normally I'd say compliment the shoes, but since on Atlantis it's all standard footwear I'd avoid it unless you want to get some weird looks. Do you wanna write this down?"
Ronon paid close attention as John continued rattling off things most Earth women liked or disliked.
The next day John wandered into a corridor on his way to lunch only to spot an interesting scene. Ronon was wordlessly handing Dr. Jennifer Keller a beautiful deep red flower. John watched in amusement as the woman tentatively took it from his hand. Without another glance, the Satedan continued on down the hall, leaving a very confused medical doctor in his wake. He watched for another moment as she softly smiled and even blushed.
"Smooth, buddy, real smooth. I think you've got a shot," John turned back the way he came, drawing some strange looks as he whistled the melody for 'Love is in the Air'.