500 words. Thanks to theicemenace for some thoughts and corrections.
"Do you love her?"
"What?"
"Do. You. Love. Her?"
John sighed and tried to figure out how this conversation had even started. "It's not that simple, McKay."
Rodney grunted in unashamed amusement. "What is with you?"
They were sitting on the edge of the pier, their feet dangling over the side and partaking in what had become a ritualistic consumption of canned alcoholic beverages.
"Not that I'm complaining, by the way," said Rodney as he held up his can of beer, "where do you keep getting this?"
Sheppard smiled and shrugged. "You know a few years ago you asked me what the Better Entertainment and Extras Requisition was?"
Rodney nodded. "And every time we received a shipment from Earth there'd be a crate marked B.E.E.R…" Rodney's eyes bulged open for a split second."Son of a bitch."
Sheppard chuckled and took a swig of his beer. "You're welcome," he said with a smirk.
"Hmph," grunted Rodney. "So… do you love her or not?" Sheppard opened his mouth and Rodney quickly added, "And don't give me any of those Sheppard-esque avoidance sayings you no doubt have lined up." Rodney leaned an inch closer to John and gave him a glare that sent most people scurrying in the other direction. "Yes or no?"
Sheppard took a deep breath. He was about to admit something to Rodney that he hadn't even had the nerve to admit to himself. "Yes."
"Then tell her about it."
Rodney's blunt advice had Sheppard chuckling again. "This coming from a man who couldn't tell the woman he loved that he loved her until his mind was almost gone."
"You're right, Sheppard," said Rodney with a slow nod. "I almost waited too long." He brought the can of beer up again and said before taking another gulp, "Too bad you didn't learn from my mistake."
John's smirk evaporated as Rodney scored a direct hit. "It's just," he hesitated and then finished meekly, "complicated."
"Alright," said Rodney with a sigh, "if it wasn't complicated, if there were no issues… what if it was simple." Rodney raised an eyebrow and asked, "What would you say to her?"
John thought about it for a second, though he didn't know why. Besides the fact he shouldn't have been playing long, he knew exactly what he'd say given the chance. "I love you, Mandy, more than anything." He cleared his throat and glanced at Rodney before looking at the ocean. "Happy?"
Rodney grinned from ear to ear. "You have no idea."
John looked to Rodney. "What are you…"
"John?"
John's eyes widened as he turned to look behind him. Standing five feet away from him was Amanda and Jennifer, the former with a look of shock upon her face with the latter looking nearly giddy.
John scurried up off the edge of the pier and walked slowly towards Amanda trying to figure out what to say. As it was, she took that decision away from him when he reached her by saying, "I love you, too."
A/N: "Tell Her About it" was written by Billy Joel and released on his 1983 album An Innocent Man.