A/N: Not mine, as much as I wish they were... sigh

It was one of those things he never had to question. Carson would be there to fix his injuries whether they be from a mission gone wrong or from stupidity (never his) in the lab. When it was a minor injury they would have their regular banter and both walk away feeling a little better. When it was a serious, mission gone wrong injury, Carson would stay with him until he was feeling irritated that he wasn't in his lab discovering all that Atlantis had to offer.

He never realize how much he had come to depend on Carson to be there to make him better until he wasn't there to fix his injury from a semi-failed mission.

"Where's Carson"

"He's working on some research in the lab."

"Why didn't he come out? Isn't he the chief medical officer?"

"He's in the middle of something. And since he is the chief medical officer, he can delegate responsibilities. He is not the only doctor here who can fix your injuries, Dr. McKay."

"I know that. But he knows my medical history."

"We all know your medical history. Its in your file."

"Oh. Are we done yet?"

"Yes."

Rodney quickly left for the sanctuary his lab offered him. Once there he collapsed in his chair and put his head in his hands.

"What is wrong?" asked Radek.

"I think I'm screwed. I know I'm screwed."

"What did you do this time?"

Rodney lifted his head. "What makes you think I did anything?

"Why else would you be screwed?"

"Well, it's not like that."

"What is it then?"

Rodney put his head back down and mumbled something.

"What was that?" smiled Radek.

"I said that I think I've grown too fond of, of, someone!" Rodney stated as he lifted his head.

"You've grown too fond of someone. Why don't you just go ahead and admit that you love Carson and then we can both get back to work?"

"What? I love, that's, what?"

"It is only natural that you would fall in love with the man you have been seeing, no?"

"But we aren't, I mean, its not like that!"

Radek just stared at Rodney. "You two aren't seeing each other."

"No, we're just friends."

"That's impossible."

"What? Why?"

"Everyone knows that you two love each other. They only time you seem even relatively happy is when you are talking to him or just got back from seeing him. There is no way that you two are just friends."

"Well, we are! Wait, everyone. You said everyone. And love each other! Are you saying that Carson loves me?"

"And you say that you are a genius. Why do you think he hasn't called you on all the times you rush to the infirmary with a simple cut that you could fix yourself with a band-aid? Why do you think he is always the one to patch you up?"

"Well he wasn't there today!"

Radek just smirked.

"Can you believe that he was in his lab doing research? Research! When there were people that needed him!"

"Because fixing you up is the only part of his job description."

"Well, it should be!"

"Can we just skip to the part where you acknowledge you love him and get on with our day?"

"Fine. I love him. Can't live without him. If I don't see him at least once a day my heart stops beating. Good enough?"

"Yes. Now you just have to do something about it." With that Radek went back to trying to figure out the latest Ancient technology.

'Do something about it?' Was Radek daft? Carson might reject him and that would probably mean the end of their friendship. Rodney couldn't stop thinking about all the possible situations that might occur if he were to tell Carson how exactly he felt. He was thinking about it so much that he never noticed that two hours had passed until Radek waved his hand in front of his face.

"You do realize you have been sitting there for two hours?"

"What?"

"You really just need to go tell him. Then you can actually do what everyone here already thinks you two have been doing."

Rodney, with no witty response, just glared at his friend and left. He had no destination in mind so it was surprising to him when he found himself standing outside of Carson's quarters. After arguing with himself for a few moments, he looked up and down the hall and let himself inside. Once inside, he sat on the couch and waited for Carson to show up.

"How were things today?" asked Carson as he exited the lab.

"Fine, nothing major. Sheppard's team came back so of course there were the minor injuries to patch up."

"Really? How was everyone?"

"Just fine. Dr. McKay had a few minor scratches, but that was the worst of it."

"Well, that's good."

"McKay seemed a little upset when he learned that you were in your lab. Why didn't you tell him that you were going to be doing research all week before he left?"

"What?"

"McKay. He was upset that you weren't there to patch up his wounds."

"I got that part. What I didn't get was the part where I was supposed to have told him what I was doing for the week."

"Why wouldn't you tell him? I mean, you are seeing each other. I would have…."

"Seeing each other? We aren't seeing each other!"

"Oh, really? Everyone just thought…"

"Everyone!"

"Umm."

"Ah, never mind. I'll see ye tomorrow." With that a semi-confused Carson started walking back to his quarters. 'I think I'll just forget we ever had that conversation.'

Except for the fact that when he opened his door, he found Rodney staring back at him.

"Rodney? What are you doing here?"

"I just sat in my lab for two hours. Got nothing done. Its all your fault."

"How exactly is it my fault?"

"You were in your lab! You weren't there to do your job!"

"I was doing my job, Rodney."

"No, you weren't. You weren't there when I needed you to fix my wounds!"

"There are other doctors."

"But they aren't you!"

Silence. "Rodney, you know that if had asked, I would have come."

"I shouldn't need you! I shouldn't be this attached! I should be able to put a band-aid on myself! But I can't! I need to see you, I need you to remind me that everything is going to be alright," ended Rodney quietly.

"What exactly are you trying to say?" asked Carson.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I seem to have grown very fond of you."

"Fond of me."

"Yes."

More silence.

"Okay, I love you. Is that what you wanted to hear?" Rodney asked as he threw his hands in the air and turned away.

Because he had turned away, he missed the smile that crossed Carson's face and the twinkle that appeared in his eyes.

"You love me?"

"Yes. I can understand if you don't feel the same way, I can even understand if you don't want to be friends with me anymore."

"Oh, what I'm thinking of right now is something a friend would never think of."

Rodney hung his head. "I'll just be leaving then."

"Why the bloody hell would you be doing a stupid thing like that?"

"You said you didn't want to be friends…"

"I never said that. I just said what I was thinking wasn't something a friend would think. A lover probably would however."

Rodney's head whipped up to stare at the man who had captured his heart. "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

"And apparently what everyone else here has also been thinking."

"Oh god."

"So, I think we've got to make up for lost time. Since everyone else thinks we're already doing it…."

"Oh god."

"And here I was thinking you were an Atheist," Carson said softly as he approached his soon-to-be lover.

"Carson…."

"Rodney," was the reply just before their lips meet. Rodney had a fleeting thought that he had never before felt anything so heavenly before all thought left his head and headed about two feet lower and staid there for the rest of the night.