Fic: Sweet Dreams

Title: Sweet Dreams
Rating: G or PG for mild suggestion
Spoilers: None
Notes: Just a fluffy little ficlet that came to me when I was trying to fall asleep. Thanks to spacefiend for the readthrough.


“When’s the last time you got a full night’s sleep?”

John was standing in front of her desk, giving her a look that suggested she’d better have the right answer. Elizabeth eyed him warily. “If I say last night, will you go away?”

He cocked his head, looking at her doubtfully. “Is it true?”

She sighed and leaned back in her chair. “No,” she admitted.

“That’s what I thought.” He gave her a level look. “Go to bed, Elizabeth.”

She waved a hand at the open laptop in front of her. “I have work to do.”

He leaned over the desk and flipped the laptop closed. “There.”

“John!” Her eyes flashed in annoyance. “I had things open…”

“They’ll be there in the morning,” he assured her blithely.

“They’d better be,” she grumbled, but it was mostly for show. She knew he was right – about all of it. Still, she wasn’t inclined to give him the satisfaction of seeing her submit.

“They will be.” He smiled winningly. “Now, you have no excuse. Go to bed.”

She clasped her hands on her lap and waited, her expression opaque.

When he realized she wasn’t getting up, he crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you going to go, or do I have to knock you out and carry you to your room?”

She had to laugh at the image. Raising both hands in surrender, she stood. “I’ll go. I’d hate to have to explain to Carson why I have a lump on the side of my head. Besides,” she added with a mischievous glint in her eye as she moved past him, “I think you tucking me into bed would raise some eyebrows, don’t you?”

John’s eyebrows rose at the comment. He hesitated before following her out the door. “I guess it would. And we can’t have that, can we?”

“Mm, no.”

There was a beat of silence as they walked. “There already are rumors about us, you know.”

She gave him an amused look. “There are rumors about everyone, John.”

He shrugged as they went around a group of scientists arguing in the hallway. “Yeah, but the ones about us are particularly interesting.”

“Oh?”

“Just yesterday I overheard a group of women speculating that we’ve been sleeping together since before we came to Atlantis.”

She quirked an eyebrow at him. “How do they figure that? We only met in Antarctica.”

“Well, one woman suggested that we’d really known each other longer than that, and our ‘meeting’ was just a front to keep people from guessing about our relationship.”

“Of course.” She wasn’t sure if she should be amused, annoyed, or worried about the mental health of some of her coworkers.

John went on, trying for a nonchalant tone and failing miserably. “One of the other women suggested you took one look at me and hauled me off to a storage closet to have your way with me.”

Elizabeth laughed. Not that the idea hadn’t occurred to her… Of course, she hadn’t acted on it, so she felt safe in shaking her head and saying, “Where do they get their ideas?”

John looked at her sidelong, grinning roguishly. “Well, you were rather passionate in your efforts to get me to join the expedition…”

She turned her head and stared at him. “I wanted you here for your ability with Ancient technology, not for your body!”

They were at her door now, but Elizabeth didn’t open the door yet. She turned to face John, who smirked and leaned in towards her. “So you really don’t want me to tuck you in?” His voice had gone low, and the look he gave her sent a shiver down her spine.

John Sheppard was a man who charmed as easily as breathing, but his flirtation usually stopped well short of outright suggestion. This was new, and while she was fairly certain he meant it teasingly, she also knew (on an entirely instinctual level) that if she invited him in, he would say yes.

Now there was a tempting thought.

She let her smile grow as she gave him a considering look. “I’m not sure either of us would get any sleep.”

He thought about it. “Eventually, maybe. But I guess it would defeat the purpose of sending you to bed early.” His voice took on a mock chiding tone. “We wouldn’t be having this problem if you got more sleep.”

Her gaze wandered down his form before returning to meet his. “I think I just found my motivation,” she said lightly.

He grinned and replied in kind. “Always glad to be of service.”

She chuckled. “Good night, John.” She took a step back from him and turned towards her door.

Behind her, she heard, “Good night, Elizabeth.” A moment later, his voice was in her ear, his breath on her skin. “Sweet dreams,” he murmured. Then he was gone.

She palmed the door open and stepped in, letting it slide shut behind her. For a moment, she sagged against it, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand.

Sweet dreams? Definitely.