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icarusYou can get caught up here: Out Of Bounds.
Okay, got the music link. Let me know if you have any problems.
Title: Out Of Bounds
Author: Icarus
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: John/Rodney
Summary: "It'll get brighter over time. It's spiraling its way towards us at 500 kilometers per second."
A/N: Thank you to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
perfica for playing OOB beta badminton with me all these months. Thank you to libitina and roaringmice for inside intel and spywork at Skate America. Any similarities to my dad's cabin on Lake Kashabog is completely coincidental, of course.
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Out Of Bounds
by Icarus
Shuddering under the covers, Rodney stirred. He curled towards John, burrowing into the pillows for warmth. His brow furrowed as he encountered an empty indentation, cool, the body heat dissipated, and his lips pursed in unconscious complaint. Rodney's eyelashes fluttered. He breathed in, blinking at the dark.
The glow from the wood burning stove had drifted down to trickles of orange behind the grate, most of the heat gone, while the sky outside the windows was pitch black. There was no moon.
Grumbling inwardly, Rodney pulled the comforter around himself like a child wearing a cape. He stopped to sit on the edge of the bed and pull on thick wool socks and his shoes to go look for John, rewrapping the comforter over his coat. He surfaced to full consciousness. John could not have gone far, stumping around in a cast.
The comforter scraped along the floorboards behind him, his footfalls loud on the wood floors.
On the front steps sat a dim figure cuddled in a sleeping bag, hand curled around a mug. Thirty feet away, the water spread out in front of them, dark and smooth, more a whispering, breathing sound than anything one could see, the wind quiet for a change. The landscape was edged with the vague black shadow-shapes of pine trees pointed upward. Rodney eased onto the step beside John with a little wriggle of his hips. He huffed and resettled the comforter around his shoulders.
John took a slow sip from the mug, steam curling around his face.
Rodney followed his gaze up to the sky.
Overhead a blanket of brilliant stars as big as Christmas ornaments enfolded them, seeming just out of reach, the sky dazzling and crowded, more than he'd ever seen from his telescope as a kid. The belt of Orion hovered above to his left. Rodney understood why ancient people named the constellations and relied on them, felt safe and protected in the dark, like they could touch them. He glanced over at John whose face was turned upward.
"Couldn't sleep," John said.
"Hmm," Rodney answered, nodding and not comprehending at all, too tired to bother. He motioned for John's mug. John glanced at him and then handed it over.
Rodney sipped the cocoa and paused, frowning at the mug. He licked a stinging cherry taste off his lips. "What's in this?"
"Found a stash of brandy." John chuckled as he took it back, eyes smiling in the glitter of the dim light. "My grandfather used to 'give it a little kick,'" he murmured. He sipped in silence.
Rodney took a deep breath. Sirius, the dog star, shone as large as a fist just above eye level. Rigel was an arms length away, that corner of the sky bright with light.
"It looks like Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'," Rodney breathed.
John's face turned towards him briefly. "I hadn't thought of that. Yeah."
Rodney pointed, his arm dark and outstretched. "That's Orion right there."
"Everyone knows that," John snorted.
"Ah. But did you know that there's a nebula there? Stars are being created as we speak."
"Is that why it's brighter?"
Rodney smiled. He leaned close, John's shoulder warm beside him. "You see Ursa Major, part of which is known colloquially as the Big Dipper?"
John nodded. "And over there's the Little Dipper, and the handle points to the north star." He said it without sarcasm.
"Ursa Minor. Okay. Good. Now follow the hand of the Big Dipper, like a drop of water falling off of it – well, going up at this angle." His finger pointed. "See that blurry spot?"
"The dim star?"
"That's no star. That's another galaxy," Rodney said smugly.
"Huh."
"It'll get brighter over time. It's spiraling its way towards us at 500 kilometers per second."
"Collision course?"
Rodney chuckled. "Possibly, if unlikely. But even if so, it'll take a while."
"What about that streetlight, there?"
"That?" Rodney pointed to Sirius.
John held Rodney's arm and dipped it lower on the horizon. "The big orange one."
"Oh. That's Arcturus. It's a high magnitude star, yes, but mostly what you're seeing is a lensing effect."
John's smile was amused and interested.
"You ever notice how the moon seems huge as it rises and sets and then grows smaller as it climbs? It has to do with the amount of atmosphere the light has to penetrate at that angle, which causes an optical illusion where it appears twice its normal size, like you're seeing it through coke bottle glasses." Rodney beamed. "Of course, all size and direction is relative in galactic terms. That's the only thing ye olde astrologers -- sad and inaccurate as they were -- got right."
"What's that?"
"That everything we see is relative to us as if we're the center of the universe," Rodney said. Wind bobbed a pine branch above him. "But that's not how it is."
"I dunno," John said in a gravelly voice, tipping his head to the side towards Rodney. He nudged him with his shoulder. "It seems like we're the center of the universe right now."
"Yes, but that's as much an illusion as—"
"Rodney," John cut him off.
"Oh." Rodney got it. "Right. Very romantic of you."
John snickered, his face tipped back up to the stars.
Music!
[Previous][Next]
Okay, got the music link. Let me know if you have any problems.
Title: Out Of Bounds
Author: Icarus
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: John/Rodney
Summary: "It'll get brighter over time. It's spiraling its way towards us at 500 kilometers per second."
A/N: Thank you to
perfica for playing OOB beta badminton with me all these months. Thank you to libitina and roaringmice for inside intel and spywork at Skate America. Any similarities to my dad's cabin on Lake Kashabog is completely coincidental, of course.Previously in Out Of Bounds: Known more for his jumps than his artistry, figure skater John Sheppard hires ex-skating champion and 'artiste' Rodney McKay to be his coach. As John recovers from his injury, Rodney discovers he might have a little problem. His solution? Get out of town.
[Previous][Next]
Out Of Bounds
by Icarus
Shuddering under the covers, Rodney stirred. He curled towards John, burrowing into the pillows for warmth. His brow furrowed as he encountered an empty indentation, cool, the body heat dissipated, and his lips pursed in unconscious complaint. Rodney's eyelashes fluttered. He breathed in, blinking at the dark.
The glow from the wood burning stove had drifted down to trickles of orange behind the grate, most of the heat gone, while the sky outside the windows was pitch black. There was no moon.
Grumbling inwardly, Rodney pulled the comforter around himself like a child wearing a cape. He stopped to sit on the edge of the bed and pull on thick wool socks and his shoes to go look for John, rewrapping the comforter over his coat. He surfaced to full consciousness. John could not have gone far, stumping around in a cast.
The comforter scraped along the floorboards behind him, his footfalls loud on the wood floors.
On the front steps sat a dim figure cuddled in a sleeping bag, hand curled around a mug. Thirty feet away, the water spread out in front of them, dark and smooth, more a whispering, breathing sound than anything one could see, the wind quiet for a change. The landscape was edged with the vague black shadow-shapes of pine trees pointed upward. Rodney eased onto the step beside John with a little wriggle of his hips. He huffed and resettled the comforter around his shoulders.
John took a slow sip from the mug, steam curling around his face.
Rodney followed his gaze up to the sky.
Overhead a blanket of brilliant stars as big as Christmas ornaments enfolded them, seeming just out of reach, the sky dazzling and crowded, more than he'd ever seen from his telescope as a kid. The belt of Orion hovered above to his left. Rodney understood why ancient people named the constellations and relied on them, felt safe and protected in the dark, like they could touch them. He glanced over at John whose face was turned upward.
"Couldn't sleep," John said.
"Hmm," Rodney answered, nodding and not comprehending at all, too tired to bother. He motioned for John's mug. John glanced at him and then handed it over.
Rodney sipped the cocoa and paused, frowning at the mug. He licked a stinging cherry taste off his lips. "What's in this?"
"Found a stash of brandy." John chuckled as he took it back, eyes smiling in the glitter of the dim light. "My grandfather used to 'give it a little kick,'" he murmured. He sipped in silence.
Rodney took a deep breath. Sirius, the dog star, shone as large as a fist just above eye level. Rigel was an arms length away, that corner of the sky bright with light.
"It looks like Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'," Rodney breathed.
John's face turned towards him briefly. "I hadn't thought of that. Yeah."
Rodney pointed, his arm dark and outstretched. "That's Orion right there."
"Everyone knows that," John snorted.
"Ah. But did you know that there's a nebula there? Stars are being created as we speak."
"Is that why it's brighter?"
Rodney smiled. He leaned close, John's shoulder warm beside him. "You see Ursa Major, part of which is known colloquially as the Big Dipper?"
John nodded. "And over there's the Little Dipper, and the handle points to the north star." He said it without sarcasm.
"Ursa Minor. Okay. Good. Now follow the hand of the Big Dipper, like a drop of water falling off of it – well, going up at this angle." His finger pointed. "See that blurry spot?"
"The dim star?"
"That's no star. That's another galaxy," Rodney said smugly.
"Huh."
"It'll get brighter over time. It's spiraling its way towards us at 500 kilometers per second."
"Collision course?"
Rodney chuckled. "Possibly, if unlikely. But even if so, it'll take a while."
"What about that streetlight, there?"
"That?" Rodney pointed to Sirius.
John held Rodney's arm and dipped it lower on the horizon. "The big orange one."
"Oh. That's Arcturus. It's a high magnitude star, yes, but mostly what you're seeing is a lensing effect."
John's smile was amused and interested.
"You ever notice how the moon seems huge as it rises and sets and then grows smaller as it climbs? It has to do with the amount of atmosphere the light has to penetrate at that angle, which causes an optical illusion where it appears twice its normal size, like you're seeing it through coke bottle glasses." Rodney beamed. "Of course, all size and direction is relative in galactic terms. That's the only thing ye olde astrologers -- sad and inaccurate as they were -- got right."
"What's that?"
"That everything we see is relative to us as if we're the center of the universe," Rodney said. Wind bobbed a pine branch above him. "But that's not how it is."
"I dunno," John said in a gravelly voice, tipping his head to the side towards Rodney. He nudged him with his shoulder. "It seems like we're the center of the universe right now."
"Yes, but that's as much an illusion as—"
"Rodney," John cut him off.
"Oh." Rodney got it. "Right. Very romantic of you."
John snickered, his face tipped back up to the stars.
Music!
[Previous][Next]
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2007-12-14 01:30 am (UTC)One correction: John snickered, his faced tipped back up to the stars. It should be face.
no subject
Date: 2007-12-14 01:53 am (UTC)Thanks :)
no subject
Date: 2007-12-14 02:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-14 03:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-14 03:58 am (UTC)Thank you!
no subject
Date: 2007-12-14 06:40 pm (UTC)I really loved John keeping himself busy in the previous section.
no subject
Date: 2007-12-14 06:40 pm (UTC)"Yes, but that's as much an illusion as—"
"Rodney," John cut him off.
"Oh." Rodney got it. "Right. Very romantic of you."
That could have been a conversation between my girlfriend and I. LOL.
Yay update!
no subject
Date: 2007-12-16 08:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-12-16 08:38 am (UTC)I'm working on this all the way through Christmas vacation. I'm trying to do a scene a day at least (it's not quite working out to that fast, but I'm doing my best). Another short part is coming later this evening.
Icarus