Author's Note: Sorry, this chapter is kinda short! Hope you like it!
You Look Good In My Shirt – Chapter Seven
John stood at the coffee cart in the conference room which was on the far side of the room away from the door. He had his back to the door, but knew when Teyla walked in because of Ronon's typical gruff greeting to her. John turned, coffee cup in his hand, and caught sight of her talking to Jennifer. He studied her for a moment and his lips twitched, threatening a smile. He quickly took a sip of coffee and turned away again before anyone could see the look of pure joy on his face. He was remembering their night – and morning – together and wondered at the bubble of elation he felt.
Ronon noticed John's quick turn away from the sight of Teyla and mistook it as a sign that his two teammates (and friends) were still at odds for whatever reason. He frowned at each of them in turn, not knowing what the problem was or how to help. Frustrated, he sat down as John made his way to the large table. Again, Ronon caught a strong whiff of the Athosian soap that Teyla typically smelled of. He was an observant man and had a very keen sense of smell. That sense of smell had warned him of danger, and often helped him to find water, food, and shelter in the many years he was a Runner from the Wraith.
Turning his head, Ronon expected to see Teyla beside or behind him, but she wasn't. In fact, Teyla was still clear across the room talking to Jennifer. But Ronon HAD brushed by Teyla a short time ago and knew that she did in fact smell of the sweet, spicy Athosian soap. It had struck him because he realized that she had not used it in some time but today it was particularly strong in the room.
Ronon glanced at John, a suspicion beginning to form. He purposely rose from the table, ignoring John's frown, and walked away from the Colonel towards Teyla. Halfway between them, Ronon stopped to sniff the air surreptitiously. The smell was faint here and so he proceeded on towards Teyla. The closer he got to where she was standing, the stronger the smell of the Athosian soap became. Finally, he was standing beside her and she glanced up at him. "Ronon? Did you need something?" He just frowned at her and grunted under his breath, then walked away leaving her staring at his back in confusion.
Purposely walking around the large table the opposite way he had come, Ronon once again stopped halfway between where Teyla stood and where John sat. He sniffed the air again, aware that John was practically glaring at him. The smell, as he had thought it would be, was fainter here. He then continued on, back to his own chair beside John. As he passed behind his friend, Ronon's nose told him that the scent of the Athosian soap was just as strong, if not stronger here than it had been near Teyla.
Ronon sat down heavily in his chair, his mind working overtime. He could think of only one reason why John and Teyla would BOTH smell so strongly of Teyla's Athosian shampoo and soap. A grin threatened to form on his lips but he sternly held it in, waiting to see if John would say anything. He knew that John had been watching him and wondering why he was walking all around the room just now. Finally, after shifting in his chair for the fifth time, John spoke up. "So uh…buddy. What was all that…what were you doing?"
Not turning to look at John, for fear that his amusement would show on his face, Ronon just muttered, "Nothing. Just checking out a hunch I had." John's eyes narrowed. "A hunch about what?" Again, Ronon just shrugged casually then lowered his voice. "A hunch I had about you being in Teyla's shower this morning." John's eyebrows shot up and his face flushed pink as he whipped his head around to face Ronon, wide-eyed. "How did you KNOW that?" Ronon grinned. "Cause you just told me." John just gaped at him as Mr. Woolsey cleared his throat to start the briefing.
TBC…
