Disclaimer: SGA is owned by MGM even though it was on my Christmas wish list. Oh well, maybe next year.
Just another small Oneshot for the holidays. Sorry it's late but I hope it'll be well worth the wait... Okay, I'll stop now.
30…29…
Here goes another year. Nothing's changed. People have died. People have come into this world - just not here, though Torren is growing by the day it seems. And through this all, men stayed just as ignorant, or at least one did.
27…26…
What's so wrong about the thought of the two of us? Surely there's something I'm not seeing. I can't exactly conclude the man is an idiot even if telling him such would make me feel better. Maybe my brown eyes. I've always cursed them. They were far too deep and colorless, like a black hole; incapable of expression. Or maybe my hands. They were always so cold even if they were soft. I wasn't perfect. Not perfect little Katie.
23…22…
But who cares? There are plenty of other men. Still, I couldn't help but think that none of them would be him. No one would even come close.
No, that's enough. I'm a successful doctor with unlimited possibilities in life. What more do I need? I nodded my head once to cement the idea and let myself know I meant business this time. No more dreaming of what I couldn't have.
20…19…
Now even if he did show up and confess feelings for me, I'd let him go. Then he could find someone else that was perfect.
18…17…16…
A feeling of contentment crossed my mind, then left. All that stayed was a distant echo in the emptiness. This is what I would choose. What I had chosen.
Walking inside, I started to hear the countdown clearly rather than the muffled voices that had travelled through the door to the chilly balcony.
14…13…
There he was, talking with his team and a few others. Most were laughing and enjoying themselves though John and Rodney seemed to be having a more serious conversation. I started walking closer against the protests from the back of my mind. That they were near the door to leave was my only semi-acceptable excuse.
When John pointed my way and morphed it into a wave when he saw me, I knew I should have stayed outside or at least listened to all the cons in the list of moving closer.
12…
Rodney's eyes caught mine and for the life of me, I couldn't break the bond with those blues. It was when he started walking my way, jogging really, that I found the strength to shift them elsewhere and contemplate leaving before anything could be said.
Sadly, my silly heart disagreed.
10…
"Jennifer," Rodney stopped before me, "I'm so glad I found, uh, that you're here."
His eyes darted between mine and his hands were wringing themselves. He looked so nervous even though I had seen him only hours before and he was as snarky as ever with the latest screw up his subordinates left for him to find. The change in his demeanor was worrying to say the least, even if I had just told myself to leave him be. "Are you okay, Rodney? You look a little flushed."
"Yeah, yeah. Fine. Look, uh, there's something I wanted to… to tell you." He paused for a moment as if listening to something.
7…6…5…
Hearing the countdown, his voice sped up. "For the past year, or rather past few years, not that it's been that many years. What I mean is-" His lips kept moving but the noise in the room started to upscale to almost a deafening decibel.
3…
I cupped my ear because I'm not sure he would hear me either. "What, Rodney?"
His face drained of color and I'm sure what I missed was something he didn't want to repeat, at least in a room full of celebrators.
2…
"I said-" his voice cut off but I knew enough to watch his lips rather than his eyes this time. What I saw melted the new walls up in my heart.
I had to hear him say it.
"What was that, Rodney?"
1…
His face boiled red this time, as if getting mad at the chanting numbers could stop them. "I SAID I LOVE YOU!"
Rather than wait to see if I had heard him this time, he pulled me in with his hands on my jawbone and cheeks and fiercely met my lips to meet the time constraint. Then they softened and I knew the year or more of waiting had been well worth it.
When we finally surfaced for air, our lips stayed only millimeters apart. I touched his again, drawing away only to feel the soft pull between our lips from the separation.
"You aren't going to wait another whole year to do that again, are you?" I couldn't help but ask.
He answered with a grin and sparkling ocean water eyes. "How about another whole second?"
Someone shouted out from the masses around us, "How about a whole other room!"
I can't help but giggle while Rodney turned to glare into the crowd toward where Sheppard should still be standing. I placed a hand on his cheek to turn his head and bring his lips back to mine regardless of the audience. This was finally our moment and I wouldn't let it wait a moment longer.