A/N: So, thank you guys for reviewing! My love for this story is back, sorta. I will be paying more attention to it anyway and madwhiskey, thank you for the encouragement and the idea that spawned this…. Read, enjoy and review people
He was out.
Again.
Sighing he pushed the empty pot into his pocket and threaded his hands through his hair, trying to get it to look somewhat like it usually did. Satisfied, he left the safety of his room to find the Czech physicist who was happy to make him hair gel, in secret, for a small fee of some of John's real coffee. When you'd been living on military coffee for a good majority of your adult life, you got used to the stuff, or at least built up a tolerance to it.
When he got to the lab it was to find it empty, so he pried open the small man's draw, dropped the pot and left a note.
Zalenka entered his office and produced the new, fully stocked pot of gel. "Thanks Zalenka."
"Of course Colonel."
"I owe you," he said as he fingered the pot in his hands.
Radek pushed his glasses up his nose, "Yes, coffee. A weeks supply worth." John nodded, thanked the man again and waited until he had left before pulling out a mirror and propped it up against a stack of paperwork.
Rodney McKay stormed down the corridor that led to the Colonel's office. After trying to reach him a dozen times, he gave up and decided to hunt him down. Sheppard had some explaining to do about a certain practical joke involving a lemon.
Reaching the office he barged in and opened his mouth, "Colonel! I don't apprec-" he stopped and stared at the sight. John had one foot braced on the seat of his chair and was bent so that his head hit the corner of the backrest. What irked Rodney's curiosity and concern for his friend's sanity, was the fact that his hands seemed to be stuck in his hair, one of his arms wrapped awkwardly around the corner his head was hitting. "What are you doing?"
John straightened up, hands still in his hair and cleared his throat. "Wha-?" The physicist asked again, his eyes going to the Colonel's desk to see an open pot of gel and a mirror. Then it hit him and a smirk started to form. He chuckled to himself, crossed his arms and stared at the Colonel.
"Rodney," John warned, eyeing his friend up.
His friend rose a finger and as if rubbing it in his face said, "That Sheppard, is what you get when you go to Zalenka to create hair products."
One of his eyebrows rose as he stared at McKay. "You know?"
"Hmm, for quite a while actually. I never said anything because, well, I was erm, being kind I guess."
"Well be kind now and help me."
Rodney scoffed and crossed his arms again, "No."
"Rodney," John whined, bouncing on the spot a little bit. "I need my hands."
Now it was Rodney's turn to quirk an eyebrow. "It'll wear off eventually I'm sure."
"No. Rodney, I need my hands now for some business." Rodney frowned and John sighed. He hesitated before elaborating, "I need to use the bathroom."
The result was a laughing Rodney McKay, walking away and leaving the Colonel stranded in his office. "That's what you get for playing a prank on me!" he shouted, still laughing to himself.