Current location:	sunroom
Current mood:	excited
Current music:	CSI
Entry tags:	fic, john, rodney, ronon, sga, teyla

The Corps deleted scene, SGA AU
Author: kisahawklin
Title: The Corps, deleted scene
Prompt: Place in the sun
Pairing(s): McKay/Sheppard, Teyla/Ronon, others implied
Rating: 17+
Summary: A little goofing around on the beach.
Author's notes: Couldn't quite fit this into the actual fic, but I liked it so much, I decided to keep it.

Rodney insists that everyone put on sunblock even though none of them would have gone without it. They wear it every day of training, they’re hardly going to skip it for a day on the beach.

Teyla and Ronon take turns lathering each other up, and John and Rodney are left doing the same, though John’s sure it looks more practical and less like porn. It should be illegal for two people that good-looking to date each other.

Teyla, Ronon, and John run for the water, diving in head first, which gets them a whistle from the lifeguard. John looks back at the beach where Rodney’s set up with a book and waves. Rodney waves back at him.

They swim for a while, and Teyla gets them invited into a volleyball game. John tries to get Rodney to play, but he complains about his fingers being too valuable to be broken by a stupid game, so John jogs back to the hastily drawn sand court without him. Every time he looks over at Rodney, though, Rodney’s watching. He wishes he knew the magic words to get Rodney to try something new.

John walks back to their setup after the game, determined to get Rodney into the water at least once.

“Come on, Rodney, don’t you want to go cool off?” He adds his most charming grin, which makes Rodney roll his eyes.

“No thanks,” Rodney answers. “I’d rather die slowly of sun exposure than suddenly by drowning.”

“The deepest part is only up to your chest,” John argues. “You don’t ever have to take your feet off the ground. Unless,” he says, leaning in to whisper, “you think we can beat Ronon and Teyla at chicken.”

Rodney looks at him intensely, like he’s trying to decode something John said.

“Chicken?” John says, his arms waving. “You know, you on my shoulders trying to knock Teyla off Ronon’s shoulders?” He scans the beach – there’s got to be someone else playing chicken. He sees a group of eight teenage girls playing and points. “There, see?” One of the girls ruthlessly yanks another girl down and John whoops. “You can do that! Teyla’s five foot nothing!”

“Yeah, but Ronon’s eight feet tall,” Rodney answers snottily, but he’s setting his book down and taking his shirt off. “I won’t even be able to reach her.”

John runs for the water, and Rodney chases him down, faster than John would have imagined. John runs in through the small breaking waves, lifting his legs to get further out before he dives so he doesn’t get yelled at by the lifeguard. Rodney stops the chase as soon as his ankles get wet, and he wades in slowly until John swims up to him and pushes him under the water. He comes up spluttering and grabs John around the neck. It takes a second for John to understand he’s trying to drag John under and not hanging on for dear life.

They fight their way over to Ronon and Teyla, and when John dunks underwater and shoves his head between Rodney’s legs and lifts, he has a moment of regret that he didn’t mentioned it to Rodney beforehand, because his pinwheeling knocks them both over, and John gets water up his nose.

They try it a second time, and when Rodney’s calves lock around his rib cage, John hopes he can breathe deep enough to not pass out. He really has to stop underestimating Rodney’s strength.

By the time they’re standing comfortably, Ronon and Teyla are waiting serenely for them, Teyla perched on Ronon like she weighs no more than a feather. John walks them over to the other pair and shoves Ronon, which doesn’t even get him to take a step back. Teyla and Rodney lock arms, and it’s clear that Teyla’s balance is better than Rodney’s as she avoids or absorbs every blow he sends her way without making Ronon move at all. John, on the other hand, is struggling between keeping his feet and keeping Rodney from falling off backward. He wraps his hands around Rodney’s calves and yells, “Hang on tighter!” Ronon takes that moment to sweep John out from under him and they tumble backwards.

Rodney grabs Teyla’s arm on the way down, so Ronon and Teyla fall on top of them, and John gets Teyla’s knee in his face. He couldn’t be happier for small favors when she misses his eye and grazes his cheekbone.

They call that match a draw and Rodney pulls him aside for a brief argument about who should be on the bottom. John insists he’s heavier, and Rodney twists his argument against him – the extra weight is what they need to be able to knock Teyla off. John finally agrees, and when Rodney takes them out to the deepest area before he crouches underwater and John climbs on, Rodney’s plan becomes clear. If they fight in deep enough water, the water takes John’s weight and stabilizes Rodney. It doesn’t make the fight much easier – Ronon’s stable enough that it’s not a huge advantage. John tries to indicate which way Rodney should move like he would with a horse, pressing his left calf tight against Rodney’s rib cage. It backfires on him as Rodney becomes perfectly still, and Ronon takes that moment to shove Rodney in the chest. Rodney stumbles and goes under, but he grabs onto John’s knees with a painful grip, gets his feet under him, and stands back up.

“Not bad, McKay,” Ronon says, and John bounces up and down in agreement.

“Let’s get ‘em!” John yells, leaning forward to yank on Teyla’s arm. She slips a little, and Ronon’s hand shoots up to support her. Rodney takes the advantage and pulls forward on Ronon’s other shoulder, making him lean dangerously forward. John tilts in and tickles Teyla behind her knee, which makes her squeal and slip down Ronon’s back enough that Rodney’s next shove tumbles them both into the water.

John raises his arms in triumph and Rodney does a brief victory lap before plunging underwater and taking John with him. John gets water up his nose again but he doesn’t care – he slings an arm around Rodney’s shoulders and sings We Are the Champions in his ear.

The Corps, part one
The Corps, part two