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Dec. 9th, 2005 11:46 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
helsinkibabyTitle: Sonata for Two
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: Rodney, Cadman
Spoilers: Duet
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,661
Summary: Rodney and Cadman share a brain, an interest, and a moment.
Notes: For![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
maggis who asked for “Rodney when he found out he was merely a 'clinical' pianist (possibly something about the parents hating each other and blaming him too).” This has… yep, almost nothing to do with that. But it’s Rodney. Who I’ve never written, God help me.
To say that Rodney didn’t want to talk was an understatement; between the dinner date from hell and Zelenka’s abortive experiment with the mice, he was starting to realise that he and Cadman could very well be stuck together permanently. Which left him with an even bigger problem in the wanting to be alone stakes – it was hard to be left alone when the person you most wanted to avoid happened to be sharing your brain.
Especially when the person concerned was as stubborn as he was.
“We slept in your quarters last night,” he pointed out, most politely in his book, though the snort of derision that came from Cadman proved that she thought otherwise. He’d have taken more offence at that were it not for the fact that he was marvelling at how easily he’d taken to using the pronoun “we”, just as he was wondering how the hell she’d managed to get him into her quarters in the first place when he was all ready to head in the opposite direction.
“But my bed is so much more comfortable…” Cadman replied, a lilt in her voice that could only be described as flirty.
That tone made it Rodney’s turn to snort. “That won’t work with me; I’m not Carson.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Her tone then was shrill enough to make him wince. “It means that I’m not blind, nor am I stupid,” he replied, choosing to ignore the mutter in his head.
“Could’ve fooled me.”
“It’s plain as day that you’re interested in Carson; I find it interesting that you’re giving me all this relationship advice, yet you don’t take your own… a case of ‘Physician, heal thyself,’ hmmm?”
He was rather happy with that, congratulated himself on scoring a point against her. When she didn’t reply, he added another couple of notches in his running tally. When the silence stretched for rather longer than he was intending though, he frowned, a suspicion of worry threatening to unfurl down low in his stomach.
“Cadman?”
No reply.
“I know you’re still there… you might as well talk to me.” Dear God, it was like living with his sister all over again. “Cadman?”
“It’s different for you.” Was that a sniff?
“What do you mean, different for me?”
“I mean Katie’s crazy about you, and you know she is…and you’re perfect for one another.” That was definitely a sniff. “Why would Dr Beckett even look at me?”
“Well… I mean…” Rodney was at a loss for words, unaccustomed as he was to complimenting anyone. “You’re very nice,” he finally settled on, receiving what could only be described as a snort of derisive laughter for his troubles.
“Nice. Thanks. That’s just what I needed to hear. He’s smart, and successful, and gorgeous and a doctor… and look at me.” Another laugh, this one sadder. “You can’t even do that anymore.”
“That’s a temporary thing,” Rodney told her, and upon hearing the lack of conviction in his voice, added, “Radek will figure it out… he’s almost as smart as I am.”
A chuckle, this time more genuine. “That’s the Rodney I know.”
“And you’re smart too… you had to be, to get through Air Force training, to get picked for Stargate Command, for Atlantis… all evidence to the contrary, they don’t just let any schmuck onto the Prometheus you know.” Silence followed, which might have been a good thing, as he was just getting into his stride. “And you’re very good at what you do… though I’m not quite sure exactly what that is… you’re very talkative… which I suppose is a positive trait, and I’m sure I’d find it more attractive if you weren’t, you know inside my head…” Searching for inspiration, he looked around him, at the various items on display in the room. “You’re very fit… I’m still aching from whatever callisthenics you put me through last night… you’re pretty… and… hey, you play the violin?”
He’d missed the case earlier on, propped up as it was at the side of a table, out of sight to the casual observer. Still, it was unmistakably a violin case, and he crossed the room, lifted the case up and opened it, all as she was hemming and hawing, the very sound of abashed embarrassment.
“A little bit… I took lessons when I was a kid, but not for years now… I just play for fun…”
Fun nothing, Rodney thought to himself, because it didn’t take a genius to see that this instrument was supremely well taken care of, had been played recently. The wood gleamed bright under the fluorescent lights of the room, practically begging him to reach out and touch it. Which he did, leading to Cadman’s gasp of “Be careful! Do you know how much I worried about taking this with me?”
“I can see why… it’s a beautiful instrument.” Pure craftsmanship, right down to the tiny brass plaque at the bottom with her initials carved. “A present?”
“From my parents… when I graduated high school.”
“You any good?”
“I haven’t played seriously in a long time,” she demurred, and he had a sudden image of what she’d look like if he could see her now, head off to the side, looking down, blush warming her cheeks. It made him smile, made him feel something deep inside as a memory stirred.
“I didn’t ask if you played seriously,” he chided. “I asked if you were good.”
A tsk, and the Cadman in his mind’s eye shrugged. “Not bad,” she said, and he didn’t realise he’d made a decision until he spoke.
“Play for me.” It was more a command than a request, he realised quickly, and he tacked on more gently, “Please?”
He could almost feel her surprise, along with a tinge of wariness. “You’ll give up your body? For that? Why?”
“I’ll make you a deal… you play for me first, then I’ll tell you why.”
There was a long pause, then she released her breath in a long hiss. “Ok… but if you make fun of me Rodney…”
“I won’t.”
She must have heard the sincerity in his voice, because she cleared her throat, attempted a joke. “You’re not afraid I’m not going to give your body back?”
“Terrified,” he told her, and it might have been the most truthful thing he’d said to her yet.
It was a strange sensation, giving over control of his body, taking a step back mentally, then seeing his own hand reaching out, taking the violin bow from the crimson lining of the case. He could see himself in the mirror across the room, holding the violin and bow as if he knew what he was doing, drawing the bow across the strings experimentally at first, and instead of the screeching cat sound he would normally produce, a scale of perfect pitch floated out, mellifluous and soothing. Another series of swipes across the strings, more random notes decorating the air, and then music began in earnest, something from Vivaldi if he wasn’t mistaken, and his hand on the bow made the strings dance, made the violin sing, and he could listen to the music wrapping itself around him forever, could completely lose himself in it.
She’d lied to him, he realised quickly.
She wasn’t not bad.
She was good. Damn good.
All too soon, the music was over, and he watched himself put the violin back down, carefully, gently, as if it was the most precious thing he owned. The bow was put neatly back in its place, the case closed and locked securely, and then Cadman spoke words he wasn’t expecting. “Thank you.”
“Thank me? I should be thanking you… that was amazing.” She made a sound that made him picture her shaking her head. “I’m serious… Cadman, that was so much better than not bad!”
“I never pictured you for a music fan,” she told him, and he sighed.
“I used to play the piano… all the time. I dreamed about being a famous concert pianist… having people listen to me, filling halls with my music…”
He trailed off, lost in thought. “And yet, here you are?” she prompted.
“I could play what you just played,” he told her quietly. “You could show me the sheet music, and I’d know the notes, and the rhythm… and I could put them both together, and play it perfectly, just from sight. And it would be perfect… but it wouldn’t be as good as you.” He could tell from her silence that she didn’t understand. “I don’t have what you have. I play from the page… you play from somewhere else… somewhere in here.” He tapped his chest, just over his heart. “And I hope that Carson gets to see that… because he wouldn’t be able to resist it.”
Another silence, followed by what was definitely a sniff, but one that spoke of smiles behind it. “Thank you Rodney.”
Rodney, now back in control of his body, and he couldn’t figure out when that happened, shuffled his feet, moved his shoulders uncomfortably. “Yes, well… if you ever tell anyone I said all that…”
“Don’t worry… no-one would believe me.”
It was true, but that didn’t make it sting any less, and it was his turn to be silent.
“Hey Rodney… want to sleep in your quarters tonight?”
He squinted suspiciously. “There’s not going to be any nocturnal roaming is there? I mean, I’m not going to wake up somewhere I shouldn’t?”
“Of course not Rodney.” She sounded innocent… too innocent. “Though that new friend of Colonel Sheppard’s is pretty good looking… Ronan, I think they called him?”
“Cadman!”
“Hey, I’m just kidding… lighten up Rodney.”
Rodney sighed as he made his way back to his quarters, Cadman still wittering on a mile a minute about how he needed to lighten up, segueing into her own particular brand of advice to the lovelorn. It was going to be a long night.
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: Rodney, Cadman
Spoilers: Duet
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,661
Summary: Rodney and Cadman share a brain, an interest, and a moment.
Notes: For
maggis who asked for “Rodney when he found out he was merely a 'clinical' pianist (possibly something about the parents hating each other and blaming him too).” This has… yep, almost nothing to do with that. But it’s Rodney. Who I’ve never written, God help me. To say that Rodney didn’t want to talk was an understatement; between the dinner date from hell and Zelenka’s abortive experiment with the mice, he was starting to realise that he and Cadman could very well be stuck together permanently. Which left him with an even bigger problem in the wanting to be alone stakes – it was hard to be left alone when the person you most wanted to avoid happened to be sharing your brain.
Especially when the person concerned was as stubborn as he was.
“We slept in your quarters last night,” he pointed out, most politely in his book, though the snort of derision that came from Cadman proved that she thought otherwise. He’d have taken more offence at that were it not for the fact that he was marvelling at how easily he’d taken to using the pronoun “we”, just as he was wondering how the hell she’d managed to get him into her quarters in the first place when he was all ready to head in the opposite direction.
“But my bed is so much more comfortable…” Cadman replied, a lilt in her voice that could only be described as flirty.
That tone made it Rodney’s turn to snort. “That won’t work with me; I’m not Carson.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Her tone then was shrill enough to make him wince. “It means that I’m not blind, nor am I stupid,” he replied, choosing to ignore the mutter in his head.
“Could’ve fooled me.”
“It’s plain as day that you’re interested in Carson; I find it interesting that you’re giving me all this relationship advice, yet you don’t take your own… a case of ‘Physician, heal thyself,’ hmmm?”
He was rather happy with that, congratulated himself on scoring a point against her. When she didn’t reply, he added another couple of notches in his running tally. When the silence stretched for rather longer than he was intending though, he frowned, a suspicion of worry threatening to unfurl down low in his stomach.
“Cadman?”
No reply.
“I know you’re still there… you might as well talk to me.” Dear God, it was like living with his sister all over again. “Cadman?”
“It’s different for you.” Was that a sniff?
“What do you mean, different for me?”
“I mean Katie’s crazy about you, and you know she is…and you’re perfect for one another.” That was definitely a sniff. “Why would Dr Beckett even look at me?”
“Well… I mean…” Rodney was at a loss for words, unaccustomed as he was to complimenting anyone. “You’re very nice,” he finally settled on, receiving what could only be described as a snort of derisive laughter for his troubles.
“Nice. Thanks. That’s just what I needed to hear. He’s smart, and successful, and gorgeous and a doctor… and look at me.” Another laugh, this one sadder. “You can’t even do that anymore.”
“That’s a temporary thing,” Rodney told her, and upon hearing the lack of conviction in his voice, added, “Radek will figure it out… he’s almost as smart as I am.”
A chuckle, this time more genuine. “That’s the Rodney I know.”
“And you’re smart too… you had to be, to get through Air Force training, to get picked for Stargate Command, for Atlantis… all evidence to the contrary, they don’t just let any schmuck onto the Prometheus you know.” Silence followed, which might have been a good thing, as he was just getting into his stride. “And you’re very good at what you do… though I’m not quite sure exactly what that is… you’re very talkative… which I suppose is a positive trait, and I’m sure I’d find it more attractive if you weren’t, you know inside my head…” Searching for inspiration, he looked around him, at the various items on display in the room. “You’re very fit… I’m still aching from whatever callisthenics you put me through last night… you’re pretty… and… hey, you play the violin?”
He’d missed the case earlier on, propped up as it was at the side of a table, out of sight to the casual observer. Still, it was unmistakably a violin case, and he crossed the room, lifted the case up and opened it, all as she was hemming and hawing, the very sound of abashed embarrassment.
“A little bit… I took lessons when I was a kid, but not for years now… I just play for fun…”
Fun nothing, Rodney thought to himself, because it didn’t take a genius to see that this instrument was supremely well taken care of, had been played recently. The wood gleamed bright under the fluorescent lights of the room, practically begging him to reach out and touch it. Which he did, leading to Cadman’s gasp of “Be careful! Do you know how much I worried about taking this with me?”
“I can see why… it’s a beautiful instrument.” Pure craftsmanship, right down to the tiny brass plaque at the bottom with her initials carved. “A present?”
“From my parents… when I graduated high school.”
“You any good?”
“I haven’t played seriously in a long time,” she demurred, and he had a sudden image of what she’d look like if he could see her now, head off to the side, looking down, blush warming her cheeks. It made him smile, made him feel something deep inside as a memory stirred.
“I didn’t ask if you played seriously,” he chided. “I asked if you were good.”
A tsk, and the Cadman in his mind’s eye shrugged. “Not bad,” she said, and he didn’t realise he’d made a decision until he spoke.
“Play for me.” It was more a command than a request, he realised quickly, and he tacked on more gently, “Please?”
He could almost feel her surprise, along with a tinge of wariness. “You’ll give up your body? For that? Why?”
“I’ll make you a deal… you play for me first, then I’ll tell you why.”
There was a long pause, then she released her breath in a long hiss. “Ok… but if you make fun of me Rodney…”
“I won’t.”
She must have heard the sincerity in his voice, because she cleared her throat, attempted a joke. “You’re not afraid I’m not going to give your body back?”
“Terrified,” he told her, and it might have been the most truthful thing he’d said to her yet.
It was a strange sensation, giving over control of his body, taking a step back mentally, then seeing his own hand reaching out, taking the violin bow from the crimson lining of the case. He could see himself in the mirror across the room, holding the violin and bow as if he knew what he was doing, drawing the bow across the strings experimentally at first, and instead of the screeching cat sound he would normally produce, a scale of perfect pitch floated out, mellifluous and soothing. Another series of swipes across the strings, more random notes decorating the air, and then music began in earnest, something from Vivaldi if he wasn’t mistaken, and his hand on the bow made the strings dance, made the violin sing, and he could listen to the music wrapping itself around him forever, could completely lose himself in it.
She’d lied to him, he realised quickly.
She wasn’t not bad.
She was good. Damn good.
All too soon, the music was over, and he watched himself put the violin back down, carefully, gently, as if it was the most precious thing he owned. The bow was put neatly back in its place, the case closed and locked securely, and then Cadman spoke words he wasn’t expecting. “Thank you.”
“Thank me? I should be thanking you… that was amazing.” She made a sound that made him picture her shaking her head. “I’m serious… Cadman, that was so much better than not bad!”
“I never pictured you for a music fan,” she told him, and he sighed.
“I used to play the piano… all the time. I dreamed about being a famous concert pianist… having people listen to me, filling halls with my music…”
He trailed off, lost in thought. “And yet, here you are?” she prompted.
“I could play what you just played,” he told her quietly. “You could show me the sheet music, and I’d know the notes, and the rhythm… and I could put them both together, and play it perfectly, just from sight. And it would be perfect… but it wouldn’t be as good as you.” He could tell from her silence that she didn’t understand. “I don’t have what you have. I play from the page… you play from somewhere else… somewhere in here.” He tapped his chest, just over his heart. “And I hope that Carson gets to see that… because he wouldn’t be able to resist it.”
Another silence, followed by what was definitely a sniff, but one that spoke of smiles behind it. “Thank you Rodney.”
Rodney, now back in control of his body, and he couldn’t figure out when that happened, shuffled his feet, moved his shoulders uncomfortably. “Yes, well… if you ever tell anyone I said all that…”
“Don’t worry… no-one would believe me.”
It was true, but that didn’t make it sting any less, and it was his turn to be silent.
“Hey Rodney… want to sleep in your quarters tonight?”
He squinted suspiciously. “There’s not going to be any nocturnal roaming is there? I mean, I’m not going to wake up somewhere I shouldn’t?”
“Of course not Rodney.” She sounded innocent… too innocent. “Though that new friend of Colonel Sheppard’s is pretty good looking… Ronan, I think they called him?”
“Cadman!”
“Hey, I’m just kidding… lighten up Rodney.”
Rodney sighed as he made his way back to his quarters, Cadman still wittering on a mile a minute about how he needed to lighten up, segueing into her own particular brand of advice to the lovelorn. It was going to be a long night.
