Carwash
"Tell me again why we're here?" Elizabeth looked around in amusement, as the man beside her pulled her toward some empty seats among the lines and lines of talking people. John sighed, giving her a side-glance trademark grin as he handed her popcorn and hotdogs.
"Elizabeth," He said almost comfortingly, "How can you live in this world if you don't know the term 'Hail Mary'?" Elizabeth glared.
"I don't live in this world if I remember correctly," She whispered quietly into his ear, "If I haven't lost my mind, I would swear we both live in Atlantis."
John smiled at her smartly.
"Yeah, well, how are you going to watch football games on my TV without knowing the technical terms of football?"
Her sarcastic response was lost amongst loud cheers from the crowd around them, as the two opposing teams ran onto the field. She sat back and watched, not the football itself, but the kidnapper who sat next to her. Atlantis had made contact with Earth not a week ago, as everyone piled through to Earth, leaving a skeleton crew in Atlantis, each person wanting a break. But after the video message she had sent to Simon months ago, Elizabeth had been surprised when she went to visit him, to find he had married one of her best friends. She had felt only slightly hurt, but at the same time happy for him as she collected Sedge, planning to spend the week on Earth with him. So, while sitting in the hotel she was staying at, she had been surprised when she had answered the door one morning to find a grinning John Sheppard outside her door.
He had dragged her off without mentioning where she was being taken, only now, to find herself at a football game.
On cue, he leaned over his seat and whispered into her ear as the two teams began grappling over the pigskin.
"See now, McKinnon number eight, he feinted left and passed the ball to Hooper, number three you see? Hooper was free, and now while everyone else tries to catch him, he can kick a goal."
Elizabeth shook her head.
"I'm not blind John." He pulled back, giving her a grin.
"I know, but when it comes to the cornerstone of civilization, your deaf."
Elizabeth raised her finger.
"Don't forget I'm still your boss." She said, mock warningly. He pretended to shrink back in terror.
"Oh, what are you going to do, fire me?" Thinking he had won the argument, he gave her a gloating smile. Elizabeth hit him on the arm.
"No, but I can put you on scientist watch duty with Kavanagh." John gave her a shocked look.
"No, you wouldn't!"
Elizabeth grinned evilly, as John's eyes opened wide.
"Your evil!" He whispered, pretending to back away in fright, "Evil!"
Smiling, she took a handful of popcorn and threw it at him, as a loud cheer rang out through the crowd. Someone had obviously just scored.
Ignoring the game, John picked up his own popcorn and tipped it over her head, laughing as she swiped out with her hands. Well aware popcorn still covered her, Elizabeth smiled evilly before ripping over the small packet of mustard that came with her hotdog, aiming it at the cocky flyboy.
"You wouldn't." John said with wavering confidence, as he stared at the small missile in her hand.
"I don't know…" She said slowly, watching his reaction, "My hand sometimes gets tremors…it might accidentally fly out of my hand if one flyboy doesn't behave…"
John smiled sweetly.
"What about a truce Doctor Weir?" He held out his hand, which Elizabeth, after a little hesitation, shook. Elizabeth jumped back in fright when she realised John had taken the lid off his own sauce, and was throwing it in her direction. Now covered in tomato sauce, Elizabeth frowned, a smile breaking through her façade as she lobbed he mustard into his hair. He winced in disgust as it dripped down his cheek, but not before he had thrown more popcorn in Elizabeth's general direction. People around them, hit by flying food pieces, had begun glaring in John and Elizabeth's direction as more cheers rang out through the stadium.
Picking up her own popcorn container, she grinned before dumping the entire lot over John. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, before lobbing more popcorn, all of his own in fact, in her direction. But for a brave solider, his aim was terrible as it flew past Elizabeth's ears and hit the person on the seat beside her. She leaned back and looked at the man wiping popcorn from his leather jacket, as she stood up, glaring at John. Realizing he had not hit Elizabeth, but a biker who looked about to deck John in his seat, Sheppard's hand blindly grabbed Elizabeth's own as he pulled her from her seat and ran away from the enraged man, stopping on the opposite end of the stadium.
"That was close!" John said, grinning as he let go of Elizabeth hand. She shook her head, trying to regain her breath.
"John Sheppard!" She said mock-angry, the smile on her face giving away her true feelings, "Your irresponsible behavior could have gotten yourself beaten to a pulp!"
John looked back in the direction that had once been their seats, raising his fists and eyebrows.
"I could've taken him." He said grinning. John and Elizabeth had become closer friends since the moment where John had gone on a suicide mission to save Atlantis. She couldn't admit exactly what had changed in their relationship, but both had become bolder, spending more and more time enjoying each other's company. Although Elizabeth knew nothing could develop between them due to their positions, she was still hopeful one day things would change.
"John," She said, sides hurting from all the laughing, "He would have beaten you flat." John frowned.
"Where's your faith Elizabeth? Where's the faith?"
A loud cheer and chanting from the crowd drew both to look back to the game they had both so easily forgotten, as they watched the ball flying high into the air.
John grinned.
"It's a Hail Mary, Elizabeth!" They watched the ball fly high over crowds of players, before landing safely in the arms of number seven, far away from the rest of the teams. The crows began to chant and cheer, as Elizabeth smiled, turning back to John.
Smiling, they looked into each other's eyes, neither able to move away, as John slowly leaned in and kissed her gently, pulling away only slightly to rest his forehead on hers.
"Isn't this better then moping in your hotel room?" He asked quietly, as cheers surrounded them. The game was over. All Elizabeth could do was smile.
It was late in the evening by the time they made their way out of the stadium car park, as John drove the convertible down several long roads, both well aware they we're still covered in various foodstuffs. Elizabeth couldn't help the smile that was permanently fixed on her face all the way back only replacing itself with concern as John pulled up outside a familiar small building.
She shook her head, turning to look at the grinning flyboy.
"No John. No way."
He cocked his head to the side slightly, and grabbed her hand as he moved the car forward. Elizabeth couldn't help but scream as water and soap pelted down on them from above, the carwash whirring to life. Her fear was quickly replaced with laughter as her and John shared a suds fight, before he leaned forward and kissed her.
"I love you." He whispered so she could hear, as the soap was replaced with freezing cold water. Elizabeth laughed as John pulled her into a hug.
"I love you too, flyboy."
John look at her in mock hurt.
"Flyboy?" He asked, "Who you calling a flyboy?" With that he pressed the accelerator, as the soaking car sped from the car wash, it's two occupants laughing with glee.
Everything was going to be A-okay.
End