"McKay, down!" Sheppard yelled, but before Rodney's brain could even begin to process the command, something large and heavy barreled into his back, flattening him to the ground. A moment later, the shockwave from the explosion swept over them. For one second, Rodney's adrenaline-heightened senses swamped him with a rush of information so sharp and clear he could almost taste it -- the rough, crumbly earth underneath him and Ronon's large, warm body spread over him, pressing him into the ground; earthy smells of leather, musk and sweat teasing his nose.

"You okay, McKay?" Ronon said quietly; moist, hot breath directly into Rodney's ear, teasing across his skin in a shiver of electricity. He nodded numbly, brain spinning in circles.

And then Sheppard was yelling, the distant sound of gunfire behind them starting up again. Ronon jerked him up with effortless strength, handling his body as if he weighed nothing. From then on there was nothing but running and panic, and no time for even a single thought not related to staying alive long enough to make it safely through the gate.

It was only much later that night that he had time to breathe, to think again. But once he was finally safely ensconced in his shower, hot water pouring over his body like a tropical storm, he allowed himself to pull the memory out and revisit those few seconds of being spread underneath Ronon's powerful body, held down by the sheer weight and strength of someone who could easily break him in half if he wanted to. That should have been frightening, maybe, but the fact that Ronon had never used his strength against Rodney, only ever to stand between him and his enemies, turned it into a luscious, exotic thrill.

He let himself remember those vivid sensory impressions -- being surrounded by Ronon's scent, his soft dreadlocks trailing over Rodney's exposed nape, the light scratch of his belt buckle where Rodney's shirt had ridden up. His voice full of concern in Rodney's ear, like a bodily caress.

Rodney shivered, his cock twitching with arousal. He closed a soap-slick hand around it, gliding easily over the soft skin with light, teasing strokes, and this time he allowed himself to continue the fantasy…


***********


Sheppard's order was still echoing in his ears, and Ronon had him pressed to the ground, but this time there was no danger, no enemy, nothing to run from.

"You okay? Didn't hurt you, did I?" Ronon asked, quietly, throatily, directly into his skin. Rodney shivered and could only mutely shake his head, his cock swelling and pressing against the rough fabric of his pants.

Ronon's powerful hands were sweeping down his arms and sides as if to check for wounds -- a slow, careful, sensual movement, and Rodney couldn't help but make a sound, whimpering quietly into the earth of an alien planet.

As if drawn by the sound, Ronon's fingertips ghosted over his mouth, calluses rough against the sensitive skin. He touched Rodney's lips with the broad pad of his index finger, a soft, teasing pressure against yielding flesh. Rodney flicked his tongue against it, just the lightest of touches. Ronon cupped his face gently with his other fingers, encouraging, so he did it again, caressing the finger with his tongue and then drawing it into his mouth, sucking suggestively.

Ronon growled into his ear, and then he bit the exposed skin of Rodney's nape, just the lightest pressure of sharp teeth, warning him to stay still, holding him in place like a predator with its mate. Rodney shuddered with desire, his hips twitching once, helplessly, rubbing his cock against the ground, stilling when Ronon bit just the tiniest bit firmer in warning.

After a moment, Ronon tugged his finger free and closed one hand around Rodney's hip, the other one around his shoulder, effortlessly hauling him to hands and knees. Rodney's not inconsiderable weight was no match at all to that kind of strength. It felt amazing, the thrill of being touched, being handled like that; he knew that all it would take to make Ronon stop would be a simple "no", but he still luxuriated in the illusion of helplessness.

Ronon opened the zippers of Rodney's vest, jacket and shirt, layers of cloth parting for him with a purring sound. He spread his hands on Rodney's chest, one callused finger centered on each of his nipples with firm, perfect pressure, and Rodney gasped and threw his head back, his whole body arching into that touch.

Only now that he was looking up did he see that Sheppard was still there, still watching them. He had dropped into a crouch, body coiled like a spring, completely motionless but exuding a powerful sense of potential energy, like some large, graceful predator. He looked ready to explode into action at a moment's notice, but seemed satisfied to remain perfectly still for now, only a few meters from where Rodney was shuddering apart under Ronon's deft hands. He was watching them with dark, intent eyes, meeting Rodney's gaze unflinchingly.

For a moment, their eyes caught and locked, Rodney finding himself completely unable to look away, even while Ronon was pulling his clothes off, baring Rodney to his touch and Sheppard's gaze. Ronon was petting his side with one hand, in long, soothing strokes, gentling him like a skittish animal.

With the other hand, he was undressing. Rodney could hear clothes rustling behind him, and then suddenly Ronon's naked chest was pressing against his back, strong body enveloping his in a powerful embrace. Rodney's cock twitched against his belly with need, and he desperately wanted to reach out and touch it, but he couldn't, not without losing his balance. That was its own kind of pleasure, too, being forced to wait for it like this, his pleasure as much in Ronon's hands as his body.

Ronon jerked forward a little bit, rubbing his cock against Rodney's ass, mouthing the bumps of his spine with soft, wet lips, mustache tickling and scraping against hypersensitive skin.

"Do it," Sheppard said, very quietly. Rodney's head snapped up to look at him, meeting Sheppard's steady, compelling look with a full-body shiver that rubbed Ronon's deliciously hot skin all along his back and thighs.

"God, yes, please," he found himself agreeing, helplessly caught between the two of them; twin forces of nature, Ronon's strength and the seductive force of Sheppard's personality, and Rodney was neither willing nor able to resist.

Ronon was already obeying, slick fingers slipping easily into Rodney's ass. Ronon's hands were as deft and agile as a scientist's, in their own way -- Rodney had seen him disassembling, cleaning and rebuilding entire weapons in less time than it took Rodney to reload, not a single motion wasted or wrong. He was touching Rodney with that same skill, pressing in just the right places, twisting and stretching until Rodney was panting, almost screaming with the pleasure of it.

When he finally slid inside, Rodney was begging for it, writhing and twisting in Ronon's hold, his hips twitching desperately into the touch. Sheppard's eyes stayed on him the whole time, and seeing his own, unapologetically wanton display reflected back at him from those hot, dark eyes in Sheppard's unmoved face was an incredible thrill. He was a little bit embarrassed and a little uncomfortable, but mostly way too turned on by the intense observation to care.

Ronon was groaning, thrusting into him with smooth, powerful movements, hitting just the right spot with unerring accuracy, making Rodney's vision glaze and waver with unbearable pleasure. He was holding himself up with only one hand, the other one curled around Rodney's hip, supporting him, so close to his cock he could almost feel it, but not quite touching.

Rodney whimpered, trying to move against that hand, his cock begging for a touch, but Ronon didn't budge. So he moved back into Ronon's thrusts instead, seeking the white-hot pleasure that lanced through him every time Ronon slid inside. His arms were shaking, hardly willing to hold his body up any more. He was swaying with Ronon's movements, almost falling down, Ronon's strong, steady hand on his hip the only thing holding him up.

And then suddenly Sheppard was there, directly in front of him, pressing their shoulders and the upper parts of their chests together, propping Rodney up with his own body. He was still wearing all his clothes, and Rodney was hyperaware of the scratchy material of the tac vest against his own skin, of his naked body rubbing against Sheppard's fully clothed one. Ronon's thrusts were pushing him forward, into Sheppard, the two men trapping him between them, held immobile and sheltered by their bodies. He shuddered, burying his face against Sheppard's neck, breathing in his spicy scent.

Sheppard reached forward and placed one hand flat against Rodney's belly, gently pushing him up into Ronon's thrusts, offering him up like a sacrifice. Rodney moaned, spreading his legs further, surrendering his body as completely as he knew how. There were electric sparks of pleasure tingling up and down his spine, through his ass and cock, through his whole body, all his nerve endings humming with it.

He felt Ronon lean forward, over him, and then he heard the soft, wet sounds of kissing and Sheppard's stifled moan, the first sound he'd made the whole time. It was unbearably, indescribably hot. And then Sheppard reached underneath him, curling one hand around his cock almost casually, and Rodney was shuddering, panting and screaming and coming until the world went white around him.


**********


Rodney sighed, leaning his forehead against the tiles of the shower. The coolness felt wonderful against his overheated skin.

He knew that this was a dangerous game to play, knew how easily he could give himself away with a moment of ill-timed arousal on the next mission -- Sheppard probably wouldn't notice, not in the heat of battle, but Ronon, with his almost superhumanly sharp senses, never missed much.

Sometimes he wondered if part of him wanted to be caught, wanted to know once and for all if his feelings had any chance at all of being reciprocated. But he was at least self-aware enough to know that it wasn't Ronon who he wanted to catch him -- it was the memory of imagined heat in John's eyes that would follow him into a restless sleep tonight.

=end=