NOTES: Thank you for all the reviews! Sorry for the delay, but life and computer problems conspired against the final chapter of this sad little fic. Just a reminder, this is set before returning to Earth. I've had the first scene done for ages; it was just a matter of covering all the later points in a way that made sense. Anyway, first it was Teyla, then Carson. Now, it's Zelenka's turn. Considering the last line of part two, it might seem like I'm suggesting our favorite Czech is divine...but I'm not. McWeir fans be warned. PurpleYin, thank you for betaing this.

DISCLAIMER: Stargate: Atlantis and all things associated with it belong to other people.

SPOILERS: through The Siege, Part III

RATING: T

JUST FRIENDS

CHEMICALS

Rodney's lab was his inner sanctum, his private sanctuary, and few had the privilege to trespass there without exposing themselves to a severe McKay tongue-lashing. Dr. Radek Zelenka was one of those few. Many of their projects overlapped, and Rodney's possessive nature required Radek to occasionally work in the Canadian's lab if he wanted access to certain devices and materials. Over the course of his professional career, Radek had dealt with many men like Rodney, though none had actually merited their egos before. His experience had taught the Czech to have a tough skin. Combined with his knowledge and skill, he had become a valued colleague to his current Chief of Science. Although Radek could hardly say he knew the man's mind, he would hazard to call himself a friend, as much as such men had friends. They were on a first-name basis, and their time working together had given him enough insight into the astrophysicist's personality to know his moods, not that they were particularly difficult to read. The look on Rodney's face as he entered the lab told Radek now was not a time for idle talk, or any talk, so he merely nodded and said, "Rodney."

"Radek." Hair damp, presumably from a shower, Rodney crossed the room to his laptop, sat down on a swiveling stool, placed a bottle of water beside his computer and, with no more recognition of the other man's presence, got to work.

Since the battle with the Wraith, Radek had observed many changes in Rodney. His naturally officious demeanor had become subdued. Not only had he delegated authority to Radek, Rodney had stopped wearing his radio and visiting the labs of others to review their work in person, all in direct conflict with his controlling nature. Despite being one of the most energized and animated people Radek had ever met, Rodney had grown lethargic and laconic. Normally a robust eater, the Canadian's appetite had diminished to the point of visible weight loss. The transformation was disturbing but understandable. The man was working through withdrawal from stimulant addiction, a fate Radek had narrowly escaped himself. Worse, while visiting Miklos in the infirmary, Radek had accidentally overheard Rodney discussing chest pains with Dr. Beckett. Rodney had asked Radek about Dr. Weir's reaction to the return of Major Sheppard, and he had heard Rodney call her name while asleep at his desk. So, unlike the physician, Radek had had no doubt as to the source of his friend's affliction.

It was a bitter pill to swallow. Their success against the Wraith had been nothing short of miraculous, and in spite of a Wraith illusion causing Miklos to be caught by friendly fire, all of Radek's countrymen had survived. They now had a connection back to Earth after believing they might be stranded in Pegasus forever. It should have been a time of celebration. Yet the man responsible for their survival was suffering in silence, and there was nothing Radek or anyone could do to help. In lieu of a better course of action, Radek had accepted the responsibilities Rodney had cast aside and did what he could to protect his CoS's privacy, allowing him to work without disruptions as often as possible. He accepted Rodney's desire to throw himself into science because he, too, had once survived a broken heart by burying himself in work.

Half an hour passed in peace, with only the sound of the quiet clacking of computer keys. Then Major John Sheppard stormed into the lab without invitation.

"McKay." There was a taut quality to his voice. The tall American was so focused on Rodney that it seemed he hadn't noticed Radek was in the room.

Rodney didn't bother to turn away from his laptop. "Yes, Major?" His reply was dismissive.

"I just talked with Elizabeth."

"I'm so very happy for you."

Neither of them noticed Radek look up from his work nor the frown that crossed his brow. At lunch, he had overheard the chatter of a couple of Control staffers and suspected something unusual had happened during Rodney's time near the West Pier. But what could have provoked this confrontation?

"Look, we need to talk."

"Not now." The astrophysicist waved one hand in a shooing motion. "I'm busy."

"Doing what?" demanded the Major.

"Something very important. Something I need quiet to concentrate on."

"Last time I checked, the city wasn't about to sink."

At this, Rodney briefly looked up from his computer but didn't turn to face Major Sheppard. "The city needs to be in imminent peril for me to be doing something important? Please, Major, you'll give me a big head."

"What is wrong with you, McKay?"

Returning his focus to his laptop, he spoke with grim certainty, "...You don't want to know."

"I wouldn't be asking if I didn't want to know." There was more than exasperation in the statement.

"Of course you would, so you can console yourself with the fact you've tried." If Rodney was attempting to speak lightly, he was failing. "Now that you've tried, would you please leave?"

The Major crossed the distance between them in a heartbeat, grabbed Rodney by the shoulder to swung him around. Putting his free hand on Rodney's other shoulder, he gave the man a shake. "Tell me what the hell is going on!"

"Let me go, Major, and get out of my lab," he said quietly, coldly.

"I've already lost one member of my team." Voice strained, the Major gave him another shake. "I'm not about to lose another!"

Rodney's eyes widened briefly before returning to their icy glare, but just as he opened his mouth to respond, Radek placed an arm between them.

"Major, let go of him." He used his most mild and reasonable tone.

"I don't need your help," hissed Rodney.

The Czech glanced over his shoulder. "Yes, because you are doing so well by yourself." Returning his gaze to the Major, Radek said calmly but firmly, "This is Dr. McKay's lab, and he has asked you to leave." Placing his hands on the larger man's shoulders, Radek gave him a slight push.

The Major let go and took a step back. "We'll discuss this later."

"I'd rather we didn't." The earlier glibness had returned to Rodney's voice.

"Please, Major." Radek gestured toward the door. "Tato jeden," he muttered as the Major left.

"I didn't need your help," insisted Rodney.

Folding his arms across his chest, he turned to face his friend with a lightly mocking tone. "Which would you prefer? Should I bring the Major back so you can convince him to leave yourself or should we get back to work?"

The Canadian opened his mouth to speak but said nothing. Closing his mouth with a nod, he swiveled back to his laptop.

By the time Radek had finished analyzing the readings he'd been studying, the shadows from the lab's window had grown long, and the light was rich with sunset hues. Shutting down his computer, he crossed the room to his friend's side. "Come. Let us have dinner."

Rodney looked up from his laptop, blinking with a cross expression, like a child awakened from a sound sleep. "You're not my mother."

The scruffy scientist held up both hands in acquiescence. "I would not presume to be your keeper, but this does not mean I can not be looking out for your best interest. When did you last eat?"

There was a flash of pain in his eyes, and he looked back to his laptop. "What does it matter?"

"It matters because when you do not eat regularly, you become unpleasant, and I have to deal with the consequences. Fed Rodney is much better. So if you will not eat for your own sake, do it as a favor for me."

There was a rumble from Rodney's stomach, and he glanced at the lab window, as though it might back up his resistance. After a final look at his computer, Rodney sighed, shut down the files he'd been working on and said, "Fine."

"Podivuhodny!"

The walk from Rodney's lab to the dining hall was not particularly long; Radek was able to fill it with a one-sided ramble about the projects of his team, avoiding talk of the meetings he was leading in Rodney's stead. A few people raised eyebrows at this, now rare, public appearance of their CoS, but wisely, no one said anything to them directly. After filling their trays with food, they found an empty table in a corner. Rodney kept his back to the room, which suited Radek. That way, with a shake of his head, he could warn off anyone foolish enough to approach the CoS.

Atlantis' food selection had grown exponentially since the arrival of the Daedalus, yet Radek couldn't help but notice Rodney picked the plainest, simplest choices of the evening's options--bread, potato soup, a banana and jello. His portions were also uninspired, but at least he was eating.

While the walk there had been easy enough to fill, dinner conversation proved more difficult. There was only so much Radek could talk about without a response from Rodney. He instinctively sensed he should avoid asking for details concerning the West Pier's industrial disposal system, but searching for safe topics was like navigating a minefield--almost any subject could lead back to Dr. Weir or the Major. Morbidly, they ended up discussing the success rates of various weapons against Wraith Darts. Radek made sure they kept at it until Rodney had finished his modest meal.

As they made their way back to Rodney's lab, Radek decided it was time to do something about his CoS' mental state. Normally, this was a part of Dr. Weir's and Dr. Heightmeyer's jobs, but they were clearly no longer fit to deal with the temperamental Canadian. No one else seemed to have the ability or the will to even try, so he might as well. It was the least he could do for this man who had been to vital to the survival of the expedition and city. "There is something I have been meaning to show you."

Rodney's brow briefly furrowed in uncertainty. "I haven't read any reports-"

"Nor would you," smiled Radek with a shrug. "It is of no scientific value." He leaned closer and whispered conspiratorially, "And it is a secret."

Blinking, Rodney's expression wavered from suspicion to curiosity, settling at last on indifference. "It's not the still, is it?"

It was Radek's turn to be suspicious. "You know about the still?"

"None of your team members are chemists, so the equipment acquisition request was a bit obvious."

"Yet you did not stop us." Radek knew it was more than that. Dr. Weir had never found out, which could only mean Rodney had not run the request past her for approval.

Rodney shrugged. "I didn't see the point. You would have found a way with or without me rubber stamping the request. Besides, I figured it would be safer if you used our equipment than jury-rigging something with scraps pulled from the city. There's been no explosion or disorderly behavior as a result, so I'm not worried about it."

"You know but you have not asked for a sample."

"I have coffee." Looking away, his hand restlessly settled on the water bottle clipped to his belt. "One addiction is enough."

Uncertain how talk of the still had led his friend to darker thoughts, Radek decided to try to turn the conversation back on course. "It is not the still, but I promise that, afterward, you will feel refreshed." Rodney was still hesitant. "An hour is all I ask. What harm could come from it? You might even enjoy yourself."

With a nod, Rodney followed Radek as he made his way to a transporter.

"Where are we going?"

"Did I not say it is a secret? Will you keep it?"

"Depends on what it is."

Radek huffed. "Why can you not just say, 'Yes'?"

"Who would say 'yes' to a keeping secret they don't know yet?"

"Someone with a little faith and trust and humor, but I suppose that is asking too much." He wanted to kick himself for his outburst, no matter how mockingly he'd said it, but Rodney seemed to take it well enough.

"Fine," declared the Canadian as they stepped into the transporter. "I'll keep it a secret."

"Jasný." Radek pushed the appropriate spot on the map, and the doors opened to a distant part of the city, a residential area that hadn't been well explored because of its lack of tactical and scientific value. "This way."

"What's that for?" Ever observant, Rodney had noticed the power cable running along the ground from the transporter's external power control unit.

"It is nothing to worry about." The Czech dismissed it with a wave. "You will see."

Being an empty residential area, there was no power, but there was an abundance of windows for light. The walk was a fairly scenic one, with plenty of details to keep his friend occupied. When they were more than halfway to their destination, Radek decided it was time to "talk turkey" as Lieutenant Ford used to occasionally say. By waiting, he would have the excuse that their destination was closer than the transporter, should Rodney decide he'd rather turn back than face discussion. Perhaps, if he were oblique enough about his questions, it wouldn't come to that.

When his CoS came to the end of an observation about the area's civil engineering, Radek took the plunge. "I have been meaning to ask you something." He kept his voice light, but Rodney stiffened.

"What?"

"Do you want to stay in Atlantis?"

It was not what the Canadian had been expecting. "What kind of question is that?"

"One it seems you are not wanting to answer."

"I've nearly been killed a dozen different ways protecting this city." His friend seemed torn between indignation and disbelief. "How could you ask me something like that?"

"It is because you have nearly been killed a dozen different ways that I ask. You have done enough. There would be no shame in returning to Earth permanently." Dr. Weir and the Major would be staying, so leaving Atlantis would be the best option for escaping a broken heart. "You would not be the only one." Tough, to be fair, there were only a handful going back.

Rodney's hands flew up in the air. "Are you insane? We've spent so much time just trying to survive that we've barely scratched the surface of this city's potential. Let someone else be in charge of those discoveries? I don't think so!"

Knowing Atlantis was more important to his CoS than personal issues was a significant piece of information. "So that means you want to stay in Atlantis?" It was important to be completely clear about it.

"Yes, it means I want to stay in Atlantis." Rodney's voice changed from exasperated to suspicious. "Why? Do you have plans to become the next CoS?"

"It is the possibility of becoming CoS that worries me. I have had taste enough of your job to not be wanting it. Kavanaugh alone-"

"Don't get me started on Kavanaugh!"

Radek huffed appreciatively. "Why is it he is not one of those returning to Earth?"

"Because that might make our lives too easy and upset the balance of good fortune."

They both laughed at this. It had been the first laughter he'd heard from Rodney in weeks.

"Here we are," he announced, activating a door as they came to the end of the cable. "Welcome to our little secret." He motioned Rodney inside.

"What is this place?"

"Is it not obviously a pool?" The far wall and half of the roof were were covered in clear Ancient glass that offered a spectacular view of the city and filled the room with a dim glow as the last of the sun's rays painted the upper atmosphere purple.

"Of course it's a pool, but how did you find it and how do you keep it a secret?"

Activating the pool's systems, Radek illuminated the five by ten meter body of water, casting an ever-changing liquid pattern of light across the walls and ceiling. "It was discovered by Lida and Kamil on a survey shortly after the attack. It requires only the smallest amount of energy to maintain-"

"And the insulated wires prevent your power theft-"

"Ah-ah!" he wagged a finger at his friend, "It is not theft. The power belongs to everyone, yes? There are four of us who use it, but I would say this takes no more than three times the power of your synthesizer."

"How do you know about my synthesizer?" The question was quick and defensive.

He chuckled. It was good to have Rodney acting more like himself, if only for a little while. "I know many things. But this issue of power use, it is moot, I think. We all have our personal consumption, yes?"

"Fine. So you're not stealing. Why do you need to be so secretive about it?"

"This pool is much too small for as many people as we now have in Atlantis. Another will be found eventually. So why not keep this one for ourselves, at least as long as we can. If they knew about it, do you not think the Australians would try to take control?"

Contemplating the pool as he paced around it, Rodney held up a thoughtful finger without looking at Radek. "You have a point."

"So, want to give it a try?"

His friend's expression was priceless. The combination of hopeful and uncertain gave a glimpse of the tender child Rodney must have once been, for such a crusty exterior usually hid a vulnerable inside. Surely his reaction to the Major and Dr. Weir's relationship was evidence enough to prove it. But despite his apparent interest, Rodney demurred. "I didn't bring swim trunks."

Sitting on a bench, Radek snorted as he began pulling off his shoes. "Who did? You wear boxers. They will do." During their first days on Atlantis, public showers were all they could manage until Peter had fully reactivated the city's desalinization plant and water pump programs. Rodney hadn't been particularly shy, even when bathing with Marines, but just in case, he added, "Lida and the others had a swim this morning, so I have it all to myself this evening."

He had heard Dr. Beckett tell Rodney to exercise. Swimming was not only a good workout but soothing as well, and exercise released chemicals that stimulated the pleasure receptors of the brain. Radek could only imagine his friend was in dire need of both.

"Is the water clean?"

Radek rolled his eyes. "You do not need a chemist to maintain a little pool like this. Do you not smell the chlorine?"

"Another questionable appropriation of resources."

"Would you have us waste the energy evaporating the pool to get it back? Why not just enjoy it?" Thankfully, Rodney consented to the idea and began getting undressed. Radek merely rolled up his pant legs and sat on the edge, dangling his legs in the water.

"You're not going to swim?"

Radek grinned in embarrassment. "I do not swim so much as sink."

Surprisingly, Rodney nodded. "I remember a kid like that in summer camp. The swim instructor kept trying to get him to float, but no matter what he did, he sank. It was uncanny. He nearly drowned in trying to do as the instructor said." He seemed oblivious to the parallel between his story and current situation. Radek caught a glimpse of pure bliss as Rodney slipped into the heated water. "So if you can't swim, why do you come?"

"It's quiet, private, secret, a good place to just sit and think." He held up a hand to the glass wall. "And the view is spectacular. Coming here is like a little vacation."

Rodney began a lazy backstroke, proving himself to be as agile in the water as he was on land. "I might be getting as much as a week of it when we gate back to Earth."

Relieved to hear his friend thinking about the future, Radek pursued the topic. "When you return, who do you want to see?"

"Why? Who would you see?"

"Milácku," he replied without thought.

"Your what?"

Radek wanted to slap himself--this was no time to discuss his own love life. Fortunately, Rodney had a poor grasp of Czech, so Radek improvised. "My darling sister." Rodney had mentioned his own sister when he'd thought he would die from the nano-virus. Perhaps it could turn the conversation to potentially positive relationships and thus help counter the misery of the one currently dominating his CoS's mind.

"For her sake, I hope she has better hair than you," snorted Rodney.

He kicked a leg to splash at the man as he swam past. "I can only hope the same can be said of your sister."

"What's wrong with my hair?" In an unconscious act of vanity, the Canadian stopped swimming to run his hands through his short hair as though trying to find a flaw. There was no denying the CoS' catlike fastidiousness regarding his appearance.

It was impossible not to laugh. "Where to begin?"

Scowling, Rodney splashed at him and continued swimming. "I'll have you know Jeannie is quite attractive, or she was the last time I saw her, anyway."

"And when was that?"

"Before I started working for the Air Force, about..." he got that far-off look that indicated he was putting effort into his thought, "five years ago."

From stray comments made during their time working together, Radek was aware his friend's family life was both complicated and unhappy, but unlike his feelings for Dr. Weir, he had actually spoken of it openly. Besides, it offered more potential than merely trying to distract him with science--that could be done in the comfort of a lab. "So long?"

"I traveled a lot for work," was the defensive reply.

"You still do, Rodney. You still do."

Stopping at the far end of the pool, his friend stared silently at the city and the Daedalus moored to the distant East Pier. Then, in an abrupt but fluid movement, he submerged himself, kicked off the side and pivoted, traversing the length of the pool completely underwater. Reaching the near end, he repeated the process, then again until, at last, he came up, gasping for air. Grabbing the bottle of water next to his clothes, Rodney drained it then returned to his lazy backstroke as though he'd done nothing unusual.

"Been to the Daedalus?"

Radek was surprised at the conversational initiative. He would not tell Rodney the truth--none of the Atlantis scientists had been to the Daedalus. Regardless of Dr. Weir's opinion on the matter, the Daedalus' crew was perfectly capable of repairing their own ship; indeed, they were expressly trained to do so. The scientists of Atlantis had been working exclusively with Ancient and Earth technology for nearly a year. Not only were they completely unfamiliar with Asgard systems, those systems were a secret of the US military. Any help from the multinational expedition members would be an inconvenience and highly unappreciated. Even though Radek, himself, longed to see the Asgard propulsion systems, some part of him insisted Rodney have the privilege of being the first. There was plenty of work to do around the city, so whenever someone asked about a visit to the Daedalus, he assigned them another task to keep them busy.

"No," he said simply. Knowing the answer already, he asked, "You?"

"Not yet."

"I hear they have an Asgard."

"Hermiod."

"What?"

"That's the Asgard's name," the CoS clarified. "Having one of their own onboard was the only way the Asgard would commit to sharing some of their systems."

"Then it is fortunate for us such a deal was made." Radek nodded. "I have not even seen a Wraith. I wonder what it's like to meet a being that is not human."

Rodney paused in his swimming to give him a curious frown. "You've never seen a Wraith?"

"Only pictures."

"How is it you've never seen a Wraith?"

"Luck?" He shrugged. "I was never in a place they targeted for attack, though I do not understand why they seemed to have no interest the Jumper bay or chair room, only the generators."

The astrophysicist returned to his backstroke. "I think they didn't know about the chair room's location, and the Jumper bay is too close to the Gateroom to reach without notice."

"That makes sense." He let silence lap over them for a moment before asking, "So, are you planning on touring the Daedalus anytime soon?"

"No point. I'll have nearly three weeks to do that on the return trip from Earth."

The others would be disappointed, but they came here to explore the city, not an Earth/Asgard hybrid ship. Besides, there were still dozens of systems and programs of the Puddle Jumpers they had yet to unravel, let alone all they might find in the unexplored vastness of the city.

"Have you put any thought into who you want to bring back with you?" Any topic that reminded Rodney of his own self-worth, of his autonomous authority and responsibility, separate from Dr. Weir's, was a topic worth pursuing.

"I have a few people in mind. Why? Is there someone you'd recommend?"

"No, though I think we underestimated how many computer specialists we would be needing." Uncomfortable with bringing up a subject that might remind Rodney of the tragic loss of their friend, Peter, Radek added, "And we could definitely do with a few more botanists. We should not become dependent on the Daedalus to keep us fed."

"I'd been thinking about that, myself." There was a spark of enthusiasm in his CoS' eyes. "It makes no sense that a city this size would have no means of feeding itself. Atlantis was once in Antarctica during a period when everything was as frozen as it is now, the nearest arable land over a thousand kilometers away. So how did they feed themselves? Perhaps there's a long buried store of farm equipment on the mainland the Daedalus' scanners somehow can't detect, but with only Puddle Jumpers to transport food for a population large enough to fill a city this size, that seems unlikely, though perhaps larger transport ships were converted to fight the Wraith."

"Many Ancient recipes include fish, so there may have been aquatic farms," suggested Radek.

"We've found Ancient recipe files?"

"Just prior to the evacuation. I heard this from one of the Control room staff but had forgotten."

Rodney paused in his disbelief. "Who was researching Ancient cooking with the Wraith on the way?"

"No one," scoffed Radek. "My understanding is that the discovery was accidental."

"Oh." The Canadian resumed his backstroke.

The silence stretched long enough for Radek to wonder if Rodney had moved beyond the topic of Atlantis' food supply. With no other ideas to discuss, he said nothing, giving his friend the luxury of undisturbed quiet. At last, the big man stopped at the far end to contemplate the amazing view.

"I think there must still be vital parts of Atlantis we have yet to discover." He seemed to be speaking to the city as much as to Radek, his voice so hushed and hopeful it was barely recognizable as Rodney's. "Places where food can be raised. If we can find them, use them, Atlantis could become self sufficient. No more risking lives and exposure by having to bargain with others for basic needs. If we can find that and a means of creating drones... And there must be other Jumpers. Eight ships and one bay for a city this size seems ridiculously few. We just haven't found the rest. If we can have the time to discover what we need without being broken by the Wraith, then Atlantis can live again, and I'm going to make sure it does." It was like some sacred pledge. The conviction in his voice reassured Radek that, like the city rising from the depths, Rodney McKay would rise once more to the challenge of his work. The splendor of Atlantis was too grand to be completely overshadowed by heartache.

Besides, what better way to honor those who had died? Rodney had been changed by the unexpected deaths of Gaul and Abrams, and those had only been the first of his people to perish. Despite his completely selfish desire to live during the course of the nano-virus' lethal spread, the Canadian took each loss of life personally, as though it was his fault, something for which he had to make amends. Equally important, they were an affront to his ego--careful planning should prevent any death that didn't involve the randomness of battle, yet before the Wraith attack, more scientists had lost their lives than members of the military. It was a difficult fact to face, one they all had to struggle with.

In another nimble move, Rodney darted underwater to the near end of the pool, pulling himself out of it and to his feet in one smooth motion. Grabbing a towel from the bench, he began drying off. Radek joined him, rolling down his pants and putting his shoes back on.

Shutting off the lights and exiting the pool room in silence, they were cast into an ethereal world of shadows and starlight. It was one of the aspects of night visits to the pool Radek enjoyed. The designs here were different from the parts of the city they inhabited, and walking through the twilight halls was as close to an evening stroll though a park as he'd come in over a year. He'd never even been to the mainland. Sometimes he really missed trees.

When they reached the transporter, Radek cleared his throat. "So. I want to be sure there are always enough towels. Do you think you will make use of the pool again?"

"Yeah." Rodney nodded with a small smile and pressed a spot on the map. "I think I will."

The doors opened to the hall between the main labs and cafeteria. Too his surprise, Rodney turned with him toward the stairs that led to the living quarters.

"Calling it a day?"

"I think one major accomplishment in 24 hours is enough." Radek took this to mean he'd been successful with his scientific task near the West Pier, even if he had been unsuccessful at whatever personal event had occurred there. "If they need me, they know where to find me." Radek didn't bother telling him he'd instructed Control to contact him instead of Rodney for anything urgent.

They reached a juncture in the halls and went their separate ways. "See you tomorrow." The Canadian waved over his shoulder as he walked away.

"Good night, Rodney." He could only hope, between the visit to the pool and a reasonable meal, that might actually be the case. It was hardly a solution to heartbreak, but it was a step in the right direction. His friend had survived so much already; he would survive this, too. After all, Atlantis awaited.

FIN

I don't know Czech, so apologies if I got it wrong. This is what I was shooting for:

Tato jeden. What a mess.

Podivuhodny! Wonderful!

Jasný. Good.

Milácku. My darling. (He said, "Drz si, milácku." in Letters from Pegasus.)