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omg_wtf_yeahTitle: The Long Engagement (10/16)
Rating: NC-17
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard (McShep)
Secondary Pairings: background McKay/Keller (predating McShep), Teyla/Ronon
Words: about 51,222
Summary: McShep Steampunk!Atlantis AU. Acrobat John Sheppard of Sheppard Circus Co. unintentionally navigates his troupe into Lantean territory and runs afoul the mistrustful leader of Atlantis, Dr. Rodney McKay. While the troupe plays shows for the Lanteans, Rodney proposes that he and John's adopted sister, Jennifer, get engaged. To get his way and John's blessing, Rodney has to convince John that he's good for John's sister, but his plans go awry as the men get closer and what Rodney wants begins to change.
Notes: My SGA Big Bang entry. Thank you, my superawesome betas:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ishie and teenygozer, my friends: kay_greatness, mad_lynn, and murderdetective, and my artists: fractalreality, saldemonium, and cynicatlantis.
Art: I was fortunate to get three artists who created amazing companion art for the story. I was blown away by what they came up with, it was so perfect and amazing. I completely, totally love them. So, please, check them out!
Full Story on the SGA Big Bang server
Ten
In Atlantis, they could plant at any time and simulate any season. Spring came with a wintry mantle of snow on the ground in the plain and the crop they'd planted at the beginning of winter began to bear fruit. Leafy green foliage pierced through the dark soil in long, mathematically precise rows. Teyla and Ronon spent more time there than not, when they weren't practicing.
The winter passed without John noticing and before he knew it, it was late February. He was surprised when Jennifer pointed out to him the crushed green grass revealed by his boot prints.
It was the twenty-first of February when Teyla and Ronon knocked on his wagon door. He was inside, playing chess with Rodney at his table. The smoldering coals on the grate warmed the room without it getting too hot and the scent of coffee, McKay's preferred beverage, permeated the wagon.
John looked up at the sound of the rap, his cheek on his fist as he idly regarded the board. McKay's fingers were positioned delicately on the plumed head of a knight, the piece throwing a soft, uncertain shadow on a white square. The scientist looked up distractedly.
"Yeah?" John called.
"You say 'Come in,' you know," McKay corrected him.
John pushed his chair back and pointed at the board. "Make the move, McKay. I'm going to put you in check as soon as you quit wasting time."
"What?" Rodney scoffed. "I'm not in check!"
John raised his eyebrows at the other man and Rodney dropped his blue eyes to the board, his brows knit in concentration as he pored over the pieces again. "Come on in, I said!" John called out, leaning back from the table.
The knob scraped in its casing and clicked as it unlatched and Teyla became visible in the doorway as she opened the door. "John, are you not busy?" she asked. Her hazel eyes went to Rodney beneath raised eyebrows as she came inside.
Ronon was visible behind her, his large body framing Teyla's small, slender form. He wrapped a large hand on the frame of the door and said, "We wanted to talk to you."
John leant back in his chair, crossing his ankles on a low shelf beneath the table, and waved them in. "Yeah, sure. C'mon in," he called. Then, as McKay set his rook down, he slid his queen over and said, "Check."
Teyla and Ronon came in and the large man closed the door behind them. Then he leaned back against the back wall and Teyla stood near him, looking with interest to John and Rodney's game.
"What?" Rodney exclaimed. "Oh, that's— That has to be illegal!"
"It's not illegal, Rodney," John corrected him. "I'm just beating you."
Teyla smiled and Ronon smirked. He pressed a hand flat to the ceiling over Teyla's head and the bend of his elbow framed the smaller woman's shoulder. "So what'd you wanna tell me?" John asked, turning to look at them. He clasped his hands lazily over his hips.
Teyla opened her mouth, smiling abstractly, and finding herself at a loss for words, turning to glance at Ronon over her shoulder. Their eyes met and John waited patiently. Rodney looked up from the board, his face open with interest. Ronon shrugged a shoulder and Teyla looked back at John.
"Ronon and I have decided to be married."
Rodney's jaw dropped and John grinned widely. "What? When'd you guys decide to do that?" he asked.
Teyla's smile was demure as she cast a glance at Ronon. "You know that we spent much of the winter working on the farm together," she said.
"Yeah and you guys did a great job. I mean that," John replied. He pointed in their direction.
Teyla nodded. "Things progressed from there," she stated. "Last week, Ronon proposed to me and…," she paused and Ronon nudged her foot with his own, "I accepted."
"Well, congratulations!" John said. "This calls for a celebration."
"When are you doing it?" Rodney asked from across the table.
Teyla raised her brows. "In Athosian culture, it is customary to marry according to the seasonal calendar so…it will be this spring."
John dropped his feet to the floor and the legs of his chair clattered on the wood. "This spring?" he asked incredulously. "I don't have to tell you guys it's February already."
"It's nearly March," Rodney inserted helpfully. John nodded.
"It is a good sign to marry in the spring," Teyla said.
"Ensures fertility," Ronon put in.
John guffawed and Teyla smilingly elbowed the larger man. "But that is true," she admitted.
"So you're going to have kids?" Rodney asked searchingly. There was an insistent and hedging tone in his voice.
"We will," Teyla assented.
"Soon," Ronon finished.
"So spring, as in…?" John asked.
"I have checked with Nola and apparently, the trees bordering the plain flower in March. It is said that the blossoms are quite beautiful…."
"We wanna get married quick," Ronon said gruffly.
John grinned. "Well, yeah, guys. March is kinda quick." The larger man smirked.
"Well, congratulations," John said. He dragged his lanky frame off his chair and shook hands with the two of them. At the table, Rodney lifted his eyebrows and looked thoughtful.
Part Eleven
Rating: NC-17
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard (McShep)
Secondary Pairings: background McKay/Keller (predating McShep), Teyla/Ronon
Words: about 51,222
Summary: McShep Steampunk!Atlantis AU. Acrobat John Sheppard of Sheppard Circus Co. unintentionally navigates his troupe into Lantean territory and runs afoul the mistrustful leader of Atlantis, Dr. Rodney McKay. While the troupe plays shows for the Lanteans, Rodney proposes that he and John's adopted sister, Jennifer, get engaged. To get his way and John's blessing, Rodney has to convince John that he's good for John's sister, but his plans go awry as the men get closer and what Rodney wants begins to change.
Notes: My SGA Big Bang entry. Thank you, my superawesome betas:
ishie and teenygozer, my friends: kay_greatness, mad_lynn, and murderdetective, and my artists: fractalreality, saldemonium, and cynicatlantis. Art: I was fortunate to get three artists who created amazing companion art for the story. I was blown away by what they came up with, it was so perfect and amazing. I completely, totally love them. So, please, check them out!
In Atlantis, they could plant at any time and simulate any season. Spring came with a wintry mantle of snow on the ground in the plain and the crop they'd planted at the beginning of winter began to bear fruit. Leafy green foliage pierced through the dark soil in long, mathematically precise rows. Teyla and Ronon spent more time there than not, when they weren't practicing.
The winter passed without John noticing and before he knew it, it was late February. He was surprised when Jennifer pointed out to him the crushed green grass revealed by his boot prints.
It was the twenty-first of February when Teyla and Ronon knocked on his wagon door. He was inside, playing chess with Rodney at his table. The smoldering coals on the grate warmed the room without it getting too hot and the scent of coffee, McKay's preferred beverage, permeated the wagon.
John looked up at the sound of the rap, his cheek on his fist as he idly regarded the board. McKay's fingers were positioned delicately on the plumed head of a knight, the piece throwing a soft, uncertain shadow on a white square. The scientist looked up distractedly.
"Yeah?" John called.
"You say 'Come in,' you know," McKay corrected him.
John pushed his chair back and pointed at the board. "Make the move, McKay. I'm going to put you in check as soon as you quit wasting time."
"What?" Rodney scoffed. "I'm not in check!"
John raised his eyebrows at the other man and Rodney dropped his blue eyes to the board, his brows knit in concentration as he pored over the pieces again. "Come on in, I said!" John called out, leaning back from the table.
The knob scraped in its casing and clicked as it unlatched and Teyla became visible in the doorway as she opened the door. "John, are you not busy?" she asked. Her hazel eyes went to Rodney beneath raised eyebrows as she came inside.
Ronon was visible behind her, his large body framing Teyla's small, slender form. He wrapped a large hand on the frame of the door and said, "We wanted to talk to you."
John leant back in his chair, crossing his ankles on a low shelf beneath the table, and waved them in. "Yeah, sure. C'mon in," he called. Then, as McKay set his rook down, he slid his queen over and said, "Check."
Teyla and Ronon came in and the large man closed the door behind them. Then he leaned back against the back wall and Teyla stood near him, looking with interest to John and Rodney's game.
"What?" Rodney exclaimed. "Oh, that's— That has to be illegal!"
"It's not illegal, Rodney," John corrected him. "I'm just beating you."
Teyla smiled and Ronon smirked. He pressed a hand flat to the ceiling over Teyla's head and the bend of his elbow framed the smaller woman's shoulder. "So what'd you wanna tell me?" John asked, turning to look at them. He clasped his hands lazily over his hips.
Teyla opened her mouth, smiling abstractly, and finding herself at a loss for words, turning to glance at Ronon over her shoulder. Their eyes met and John waited patiently. Rodney looked up from the board, his face open with interest. Ronon shrugged a shoulder and Teyla looked back at John.
"Ronon and I have decided to be married."
Rodney's jaw dropped and John grinned widely. "What? When'd you guys decide to do that?" he asked.
Teyla's smile was demure as she cast a glance at Ronon. "You know that we spent much of the winter working on the farm together," she said.
"Yeah and you guys did a great job. I mean that," John replied. He pointed in their direction.
Teyla nodded. "Things progressed from there," she stated. "Last week, Ronon proposed to me and…," she paused and Ronon nudged her foot with his own, "I accepted."
"Well, congratulations!" John said. "This calls for a celebration."
"When are you doing it?" Rodney asked from across the table.
Teyla raised her brows. "In Athosian culture, it is customary to marry according to the seasonal calendar so…it will be this spring."
John dropped his feet to the floor and the legs of his chair clattered on the wood. "This spring?" he asked incredulously. "I don't have to tell you guys it's February already."
"It's nearly March," Rodney inserted helpfully. John nodded.
"It is a good sign to marry in the spring," Teyla said.
"Ensures fertility," Ronon put in.
John guffawed and Teyla smilingly elbowed the larger man. "But that is true," she admitted.
"So you're going to have kids?" Rodney asked searchingly. There was an insistent and hedging tone in his voice.
"We will," Teyla assented.
"Soon," Ronon finished.
"So spring, as in…?" John asked.
"I have checked with Nola and apparently, the trees bordering the plain flower in March. It is said that the blossoms are quite beautiful…."
"We wanna get married quick," Ronon said gruffly.
John grinned. "Well, yeah, guys. March is kinda quick." The larger man smirked.
"Well, congratulations," John said. He dragged his lanky frame off his chair and shook hands with the two of them. At the table, Rodney lifted his eyebrows and looked thoughtful.
