Rodney by PaleoM
(A retelling of Roxanne)
Chapter Eleven
John and Cameron sat on the low wall outside the town hall. They were supposed to be there for a health and safety assessment of the preparations for the Oktober Fest but instead they were sitting on the low wall watching the chaos unfold. John figured they would check everything out when the Nelson Community Ladies had finished arranging it. In the meantime they were watching the proceedings, keeping an eye out for idiocy. They'd already told Earl that he had to get down and move the ladder to the desired spot, rather than stretching and hoping gravity wasn't looking.
"God, I was nervous last night. I kept thinking I was going to say something stupid and ruin the whole thing," Cameron said, before he turned to John, "I didn't say anything though, I'm not that dumb," he stressed.
"What do you mean nervous? How nervous, exactly?" John asked, nonchalantly, not daring to look Cameron in the eye.
"Just real nervous," Cameron said with a slight questioning tone to his voice.
"You mean so nervous you couldn't ...," John raised his eyebrows and waved his hand in the hopes Cameron wouldn't make him say it out loud. ...make love to Rodney in my place.
"God, come on, it's embarrassing," Cameron said, looking away down the street and didn't see John's relieved smile as he continued, "Look, I couldn't do it the third time, alright."
"Oh," John decided as he shot up to standing before he realised there was nowhere to go, but he really needed to be away from Cameron right now. He remembered something they could do that would put Mitchell on the other end of the high street at least. He looked down at Cameron still sat on the wall, "Well, we better go look at this fest, it looks like they're nearly finished. Why don't you start at that end and I'll start at this end. We'll meet in the middle," John said with a false smile.
"Okay," Cameron agreed. "Look, you won't tell anyone about the third time thing will ya?" Cameron whispered with wide appealing eyes.
"Who me?" John asked, "No, I think I can honestly say that the information is going to be scrubbed from my mind as soon as humanly possible."
Cameron gave a sigh of relief. "Good, besides I blame the insane old biddies looking for aliens. They want to check what they put in their coco round here."
John kept the surprised smile of his face and swallowed the gust of laughter that threatened to escape, bless them old ladies. "Yeah, they're completely insane, but harmless. Right see you later," John said as he ambled away. Not in any set direction, just away from Cameron and his damn stamina and perfect skin.
He finished the walk through and grudgingly met up with Cameron who suggested going for something to eat but John didn't think he would be able to eat a thing if Cameron brought up last night again. "No, I've got some work to do back at the office. You go on, I'll see you when you get back," John said with an easy smile before he sauntered back to the station.
He was sitting in his office with a cup of coffee when he swore he heard Rodney's voice down the hall way asking, "Is John in?"
He listened carefully and heard Andy directing Rodney to his office and within a minute he was bustling through the door. "Hi, I'm catching a plane in 40 minutes," he huffed out, all his actions sharp and fast.
John stood up, scenarios where he'd never see Rodney again for varying reasons flashing through his mind, "Why?"
"I got a call from the university. I was right about the comet," Rodney said with that huge smile that killed John a little every time he saw it.
John's whole body relaxed in relief, a full answering smile filling his face, "That's fantastic!"
"I wanted to tell you first," Rodney said, still beaming.
John felt warm inside. He was tempted to ask why not his new boyfriend but didn't think he'd be able to pull that off without his feelings showing all over his face so he just settled for, "Congratulations. So, you're famous now."
Rodney just grinned at him before asking, "Is Cameron around?"
John felt like he'd been hit in the gut, right, of course he wanted to see Cameron. "No, I haven't seen him. I think he's still in town."
"Could you tell him why I had to go? I'll be gone for about a week," Rodney's bluster ran out sharply as a blush took over his cheeks, "This is my address, ask him to write me?" Rodney asked, glancing at John. "Ask him to bowl me over."
"Sure, Rodney. I can do that," John said as he took the address from him, already knowing the temptation was too much and that he would be writing Rodney, telling him in ink the words stained on his heart.
xXx
Across town Cameron had just finished his bar meal and made his way to the bar. The pretty waitress ambled over, "A beer?" she asked, voice light with a lovely smile and a sparkle in her eyes. Cameron nodded with a smile.
"Draft?" she asked.
"Yeah, but I can just put on my sweater," Cameron said, widening the smile, inviting her in.
She laughed, "That is so funny. There are so many guys in here with no sense of humour."
"I think a sense of humour is important," Cameron agreed.
"I think it's really important too," she said with certain intensity in her eyes that Cameron had come to recognise from previous encounters. She reached under the counter and pulled out a pack of cards, "A hand of low-ball for your drink," she challenged, handing the pack over to him.
"What's low-ball?" Cameron asked, sliding the cards out of the pack.
"You try to get the worst hand with five cards," she said, still smiling, placing a hand on her hip which helped accentuate the small waist.
"Okay, a low-ball for a high-ball," Cameron joked.
She really laughed this time, "You're a riot." Her eyes fell to his hands as he dealt out the cards. "You could be a dealer in Vegas. I went to Tahoe with my girlfriend. We're moving there in 4 days. They like young waitresses there; you can make big money." She leant forward as she picked up her cards, "I heard one girl got a $50,000 tip from a lucky gambler."
"Fifty grand!" Cameron exclaimed as he scooped up his cards. "That would be nice," he agreed as he spread out his cards in his hand.
"When I get older I'll move to Reno; they like older cocktail waitresses there," she said in confiding tones. "So what you got?" she added, nodding to his cards.
"I have a nine, a seven, a five, a three and a deuce," he said cautiously.
"That is the worst hand I've ever seen," she howled. "You win. One high-ball coming up."
"Make it beer, draft," Cameron said with a smile. "Where you from?" he asked, unable to believe how relaxed he felt in her company.
"Albuquerque," she answered as she pulled him a pint of draft.
"A-l-b-u-q-u-e-r-q-u-e…It's an old bar bet," he admitted sheepishly. Jeez, showing off in front of her already.
"Wow, that's really neat. Do you know where I want to go? San Fransisco." She brought the beer over and leant against the bar, arms crossed in front of her leaning, on the counter top.
"I've been there. It's great. I'm really a 49ers fan, not so much the Giants. The Redwoods though, you should see them, across the bay in Sausalito. I used to like going out there and just be, you know? I'd always take a meat sandwich with me."
"It's great you've travelled. You're interesting."
"I try to be," he said with 'that' smile. "When you find somebody interesting, you become interesting to that person."
She must have seen that smile before because the next words out of her mouth were, "I thought you were seeing Rodney?"
"Kind of, but not…"
"Yeah, I should quit talking to you, he's a friend," she said, but she didn't move away and she didn't stop smiling either.
"No, we can talk. It's not a problem," he assured her.
"Next you'll tell me you've been to New York," she continued as if they'd never mentioned Rodney.
"I have been to New York," he admitted.
"Jeez, I was just kidding and you really have. Seriously, You've been to New York?"
"Seriously," Cameron admitted. He held out his hand, "My name is Cameron, Cameron Mitchell."
She smiled coyly at him, "Yeah, I know," but she took his hand anyway, "My name's Sandy."
"It's good to meet you."
xXx
Days had passed without Rodney but John was walking on air. He'd always had trouble sharing his feelings, even before the accident but he'd been writing to Rodney every day, the freedom to write his feelings down on paper had been cathartic. He walked down the street posting yet another letter on his way to the bar.
As he walked in the biddie four were just walking out, "Thank you for your help ladies," he said as he passed them, ignoring the confused glances they threw his way as he made is way over to Teyla at the bar.
"What's up?" Teyla asked, frowning at him. She could sense the change in him and it was killing her, not knowing the how or the why.
"Nothing?" he said with a cocky grin.
"Want a drink?" she asked.
"Yes, but if I ask for one more…give it to me," he said with a smile.
She chortled a laugh as she shouted down the bar, "Ronon, could you bring us a bottle of wine, please?"
"What can you sit on, sleep on and brush your teeth with?" John asked jovially, with a laughing smile.
Teyla smiled fondly at him, "I do not know,"
"A chair, a bed and a toothbrush, of course," he answered with a roll of his eyes.
"Your wine," Ronon said as he placed the bottle in front of John.
"Thank you," John answered as he poured himself a large glass and drank deeply.
Teyla looked at him, really looked at him and then said somenly, "Sometimes the answer is so obvious you do not see it, even when it stands before you in the open. The answer is simple; you should just tell him."
"Tell who what?" John said innocently, not looking Teyla in the eye.
"Tell Rodney that you love him," Teyla stressed frustratingly.
"Actually I already told him," John said smugly, starting to wonder if the wine was getting to him because he shouldn't have said that out loud really, but even while that thought was forming in his mind, another was falling from his lips, "Last week we made love."
"You did?" Teyla asked, the joy clear in her face. "That is great. I am greatly relieved, John. I did not think you would ever approach him."
"Well, it wasn't actually me, it was sort of me... I mean it was me who said all the right things, made him feel the right way...It just wasn't the actual me who did the actual... honours."
They were interrupted by Cadman as she approached the bar in her uniform, "I've never seen it so dead in here. You cook again, Teyla?" she asked with an eyebrow raised and a laugh on the edge of her lips.
John frowned at her, "Why aren't you in furs tonight?"
"Cameron asked me to stand in for him, Rodney called; he's coming back tonight and wants to meet up." Cadman looked around the bar as she spoke, scoping the people till her eyes settled on a guy further up the bar. She turned back to John and Teyla to waggle her eyebrows before heading off after the guy with a smirk.
John's eyes widened in surprise, "I have to tell him about the letters," he exclaimed as he leapt up from his seat and ran out the door.
Behind him, Teyla looked around and realised she was now all alone, Cadman having gone hunting at the other end of the bar. It was then she noticed the letter that John had discarded to the side on his entrance and forgotten on his hasty exit. She pulled it over to her and after a quick frown at the address on the front; she looked around and then gently eased out the letter from inside.
TBC...