Title: The Brain is the Last to Know
Author: Moonloon
Rating: PG
Feedback: maryavatar@gmail.com
Website: Amused and Abused
Disclaimer: Pfft! Like anyone thinks I make money out of this?

Rodney didn't know how it happened. One minute he was giving last minute instructions on how to get the best solar flare readings, and then he was patting Sheppard's ass goodbye .

"Urk," he said, as he beat a hasty retreat out of the jumper bay, all too aware of Sheppard's wide-eyed gaze following him.

The next few days were nerve-wracking. Rodney tried to avoid Sheppard, but every time he left his lab, who would he see slouching down the corridor with a lazy grin and odd hair? And the worst part was that Sheppard wasn't saying anything about it. No jokes, no embarrassment, no 'we have to talk', just a knowing little twinkle in his eyes.

It was driving Rodney quietly insane. Well… Sheppard was quiet, Rodney was loud. And insane. Rodney wasn't used to repressing things, it didn't come naturally. And verbally abusing his staff wasn't making him feel better, so it was inevitable that he broke first.

"I don't know why I did it!" Rodney yelled.

Sheppard blinked, obviously not quite awake. "Uh, okay."

Rodney blew out a breath. "Right. Good. I just though you should know."

"At…" Sheppard checked his watch, "two am?"

"It was keeping me awake." Rodney admitted. "Also, I made two lab techs cry today, and one of them was Big Yuri."

Sheppard's eyebrows rose. "Really?"

"Particle physicists are such pussies," Rodney sighed.

Sheppard grinned. "So you don't know why you felt up my…"

" Patted! Not 'felt up'. I patted it," Rodney objected. Absent mindedly," he added for good measure. "If I was going to feel up someone on purpose, it would be someone who actually has an ass."

Sheppard grinned some more. "It might not look like much in BDUs, but I assure you, it looks great naked."

Rodney tried not to get a mental picture, but failed miserably. At which point he realised his brain had been wandering around thinking about how to decode a particularly stubborn bit of the Ancient's database, while the rest of him had apparently been falling in lust with Sheppard.

How annoying.

"You want to come in and have a drink?" Sheppard asked. "I have some of that weird purple tea Teyla drinks."

"No. Thanks, but I should really get some sleep," Rodney said, and turned to go.

"Okay, goodnight!" Sheppard said, and patted Rodney's ass goodbye.