Author's Note: I had intended to write from each of the Atlantis characters separately, but this chapter sort of came out a little different. The third and final chapter should be out soon. I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas.

Cheeky.

Gestures of Love and Friendship

By cheeky-chaos

Gestures of Christmas Spirit

"What's mistletoe?" Ronon's rough voice asked from just behind John as he was walking down the corridor.

Giving up on following Rodney, who was still muttering about Jeannie and Christmas tofu, John turned to his big friend. "Didn't we discuss this last Christmas?" he asked.

"No," Ronon answered.

"Oh. Well, it's this little plant found on Earth and people hang it up in doorways around Christmas time," John explained.

"Why?"

John paused for a moment, wondering how exactly he could explain it. "There's a tradition at Christmas that you have to kiss anyone who's standing under the mistletoe with you," he said simply.

"So the Marines wanted to hang it all over the infirmary so they could kiss the nurses?" Ronon asked.

"Yeah, I'd say so."

"Huh," Ronon grunted, a considering look on his face. "Do you know where I can find some mistletoe?"

"Talk to Chuck," John suggested. "He was hanging up Christmas decorations earlier."

Shaking his head slightly as Ronon abruptly turned and left, John continued on his way towards Rodney's lab, thinking he'd probably find the scientist there. A few minutes after Ronon had left, Teyla joined him. "John," she greeted warmly, a smile on her face.

"Hey, Teyla," John replied. "How are you feeling?"

"Dr. Keller assures me that both my baby and I are in perfect health," she said.

John nodded. "That's good."

"It is," Teyla agreed. "Have you seen Ronon this morning?"

"Yeah, I just saw him," John answered. "He's heading towards the gateroom if you wanted to catch him."

"Is there anything the matter?" Teyla asked, concerned.

John grinned. "Nah," he replied. "He's just after some mistletoe."

"So he has finally decided to show his attraction for Dr. Keller," Teyla said, as perceptive as ever.

Looking a little surprise, John looked at her. "He mentioned something to you?" he asked.

"He did not need to. He visits the infirmary every time I need to have a check up and I have long since believed he acts not just out of friendship towards me."

"Are you sure about that?" John couldn't resist but tease.

Teyla slid him a sidelong glance. "It is not me he stares at."

John grinned. "Should be fun to see," he commented.

"If Ronon can find some mistletoe," Teyla replied. "Much of it is already hanging about Atlantis. In fact, I have kissed three times already this morning."

John blinked at that, surprised. "I don't have to start sending people to Wraith infested planets, do I?" he asked.

Teyla hid a smile. "No, they were all perfect gentlemen," she said. "Well, perhaps not Lt. Cadman. It may be more appropriate to say she was a gentlewoman."

"Cadman kissed you?"

"I believe it was a dare," Teyla informed him.

"Damn," John muttered under his breath.

Again, Teyla slid him an amused glance. "I should warn you, John, that I have heard a number of people express an interest at catching you underneath the mistletoe."

John grinned. "Yes, but I've perfected a mistletoe avoidance strategy," he said.

"I do not believe there was much avoidance last year," Teyla commented.

Before John could deny it, their conversation was broken by Rodney sudden appearance just outside his lab. He glared accusingly at John, wagging a finger in his direction. "You did that on purpose!" Rodney snapped.

Giving him his best innocent look, John blinked. "Did what, Rodney?"

Rodney scowled. "You made me think I only had one week left until Christmas," he said. "It's bad enough that I won't be able to go to Christmas dinner this year, but you had to go and make me think I couldn't even send presents!"

"Well, the Daedalus does leave in a couple of days," John said.

"What?" Rodney looked horrified.

Whirling, the scientist did another mad dash into his lab, leaving John chuckling to himself in the corridor. "You are tormenting him on purpose," Teyla said, sounding slightly reproachful.

John grinned, unrepentant. "It's what Christmas is all about," he said. "Annoying your family. That and eating so much you feel like you're going to explode."

Teyla shook her head. "There is still much about your culture I do not understand, John."

"What's to understand," he said. "We're really just a simple people."

"Mmm hmm," Teyla replied, sounding as if she didn't believe him in the slightest.

With yet another mischievous grin, an expression Teyla was becoming to associate with a sense of foreboding, John turned to her. "Come on," he said. "Let's go find Ronon. We're going to need help."

"Help for what?" Teyla asked.

"Handing out invitations to the Annual Atlantis Christmas Party, of course!"

# # #

When Teyla and John reached the gateroom, Ronon was nowhere to be seen, but Chuck was looking rather pale as he sat in his usual chair and he appeared to be staring blankly at the desk in front of him. "Is something the matter?" Teyla could not help was ask in concern.

Chuck blinked up at them, jumping a little in his chair as if not expecting them and then swallowing when he recognised who it was. "It's not my fault, I swear," he said in a rush.

John narrowed his eyes. "What's not your fault?" he asked, his tone deceptively mild.

"Ah..." Chuck began. "Ronon kind of demanded some mistletoe. I don't know what he wanted with it, I swear, sir."

Hiding a smile, John fixed Chuck with a reproachful look. "Did you see which way he went?" he asked.

"The infirmary, I think, sir," Chuck said a little nervously.

Turning, Teyla and John headed towards the infirmary in silence, both knowing the reason Ronon had headed that way... with mistletoe. True enough, by the time they got to the infirmary, there was a small crowd whooping and clustered around the centre of the room, where Ronon was currently kissing Dr. Jennifer Keller.

John grinned at the sight. "Lorne's going to hate this," he said.

"Why would Evan be upset at Ronon kissing Dr. Keller?" Teyla asked.

John didn't miss the fact that Teyla used Lorne's first name. "Because he owes me fifty bucks," he replied.

He saw Teyla roll her eyes out of the corner of his eye at his response and couldn't help the smile that curved his mouth. So far, Christmas was shaping up to be better than he'd thought. The Wraith were being strangely quiet, which may lead to bad things in the near future, but for now there was peace on Atlantis. His friends were around, as happy as they could be, and that's all John had wanted this Christmas.

His grin widened at Dr. Keller's startled, "Ronon!" when the big guy released her finally and he decided there was one more thing he wanted this Christmas – the inevitable mass of blackmail material he would collect at this year's Christmas party.

# # #