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07 November 2005 @ 09:22 pm
dulce et decorum est  
Title Dear John and Other Theses
Disclaimer: Not mine. No money made here. Move along, move along.
Fandom: SGA
Pairing: John/Rodney
Summary: That's the kind of love letters John guessed you got when you dated Rodney McKay.
Author's Notes: Blame and beta thanks go to [info]smittywing. She's working on a Can't Buy Me Love AU (that [info]z_rayne wrote a nice little out-take for) and this story is a take-off of that. Set a few years later of course, with John off doing his duty for his country and Rodney making people miserable at grad school. ;)



The letters most people send to their boyfriends away at war go something like, "You're brave, you're doing the right thing, I love you, you look hot in a uniform." John knows. He's seen those kinds of letters come for every guy he knows here.

John doesn't get letters quite like that. He once got a list of 100 reasons wars are asinine. He's gotten a thirty page paper on Vietnam and a fifteen page paper on the War of 1812-ten pages of which were dedicated to America's failed attempt to invade Canada. He got a Canadian flag. He's received more than one doctoral thesis and several books on quantum physics with one Rodney McKay either mentioned or having contributed to.

That's the kind of love letters John guessed you got when you dated Rodney McKay. Which was fine. He preferred them anyway.

The letters his friends sent back varied from guy to guy. Some of them, John knew, wrote little confessionals about what war was really like and how much they miss the taste of fresh ice cream. Some guys just wrote things they thought would make their loved ones feel better.

John wrote papers refuting all of Rodney's war claims. He made a list of 100 reasons why Rodney was wasting his life trying to become Mr. Spock. John also drew representational graphs for the theses.

He read every book and made notes along the edges of half the pages. Some were stupid comments about this doctor's poor use of grammar, some little coded notes that sounded absolutely mean but really meant 'I love you' in a language only Rodney spoke. He always underlined the parts he knew were Rodney verbatim. He bought a book there and translated all the words he knew so that Rodney would be learning along with him.

He didn't know what to do with the flag and he almost sent it back but that just seemed kind of mean. There are dozens of rules about what can and can't be done with a flag so John doesn't stick it with his underwear. He mails it to his aunt with a note to put the package in his storage facility, please.

He figures someday, when he's retired and drinking pina-coladas on some nice beach while Rodney complains about sunstroke, he'll let Rodney fly it in front of their house.
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Laura (aka Wa)[info]itsthewa on November 8th, 2005 05:57 am (UTC)
He figures someday, when he's retired and drinking pina-coladas on some nice beach while Rodney complains about sunstroke, he'll let Rodney fly it in front of their house.

::happy, happy sigh::
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 14th, 2005 08:49 am (UTC) Expand
Smitty: Beach Print[info]smittywing on November 8th, 2005 05:59 am (UTC)
*flails on you*

I love this ever so much. Every little bit of it counts and it's so utterly Rodney and their messed up, manly way of being completely and totally in love.

*hearts*
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 14th, 2005 10:18 am (UTC) Expand
Amalthia[info]amothea on November 8th, 2005 06:11 am (UTC)
This was sweet. :) thanks for sharing.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 14th, 2005 09:25 am (UTC) Expand
sinead: john and rodney[info]smallbeer on November 8th, 2005 06:42 am (UTC)
oh, this is perfect. :)
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 10:24 am (UTC) Expand
Sister Sabre of Enlightenment: sheppard[info]hederahelix on November 8th, 2005 06:46 am (UTC)
Unsurprisingly, I adore Rodney's utterly tangential way of relating strange things to one another, and you've captured that well.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 10:25 am (UTC) Expand
Ceares[info]ceares on November 8th, 2005 07:12 am (UTC)
That was just lovely, and I can't wait to read this A/U now.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 14th, 2005 09:36 am (UTC) Expand
Annie: Rodney2[info]raisintorte on November 8th, 2005 07:17 am (UTC)
This is really sweet. Your Rodney was so perfect. :-)
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 14th, 2005 09:45 am (UTC) Expand
Cesperanza: John[info]cesperanza on November 8th, 2005 07:26 am (UTC)
Really, really lovely. Toasty warm *and* smart.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 14th, 2005 10:00 am (UTC) Expand
a control freak! a skinny control freak!: night & day - hot_coffee[info]trinityofone on November 8th, 2005 09:51 am (UTC)
Now that's my kind of romance. Lovely and understated, and this line:

some little coded notes that sounded absolutely mean but really meant 'I love you' in a language only Rodney spoke

almost killed me. In a good way.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 10:28 am (UTC) Expand
buddleia: Naming of parts[info]buddleia on November 8th, 2005 10:02 am (UTC)
Oh, lovely. I really like stories which don't gloss over the whole military elephant in the room thing. Plus, really nice John voice.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 10:29 am (UTC) Expand
Wychwood: SGA - McShep retarded love[info]wychwood on November 8th, 2005 10:32 am (UTC)
Oh, oh, wow.

*stupid grin of fic happiness*

That was sooooo cute! In that kind of JohnandRodney way.

John wrote papers refuting all of Rodney's war claims. He made a list of 100 reasons why Rodney was wasting his life trying to become Mr. Spock. John also drew representational graphs for the theses.

some little coded notes that sounded absolutely mean but really meant 'I love you' in a language only Rodney spoke

Yes! This is just so right.

Love isn't about roses and chocolate. It's about gifts that make the other person happy. And these are just perfect. Awwww.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 10:38 am (UTC) Expand
lamardeuse: Sheppard[info]lamardeuse on November 8th, 2005 12:03 pm (UTC)
This is so perfectly them! Lovely.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 10:36 am (UTC) Expand
Ninja Kitty: Sheppard No Place Like Home[info]beadattitude on November 8th, 2005 12:41 pm (UTC)
Oh, this is so lovely! Makes me so happy, somehow, to picture them arguing back and forth.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 10:36 am (UTC) Expand
Barbara: SGA Snark by mmmchelle[info]lovekeller on November 8th, 2005 12:51 pm (UTC)
lovely, nice and warm, and very them
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 10:30 am (UTC) Expand
inthekeyofd: McShep-married-kitestringer[info]inthekeyofd on November 8th, 2005 01:37 pm (UTC)
Oh, I really like this. Rodney would just so send him those things, and John would smile knowing that that is how Rodney is and that is his way of saying how much he cares for him.

Excellent!
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 07:44 pm (UTC) Expand
Mais non, bitches: john's just hot clearly[info]serialkarma on November 8th, 2005 01:57 pm (UTC)
Oh, this is so sweet. I love it.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 10:30 am (UTC) Expand
Just Abi: McShep Kiss[info]justabi on November 8th, 2005 01:59 pm (UTC)
That right there is true love.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 10:34 am (UTC) Expand
just in case[info]jic on November 8th, 2005 02:28 pm (UTC)
That's so sweet! Lovely.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 10:32 am (UTC) Expand
Sheila: David-Century[info]honey_babes on November 8th, 2005 02:30 pm (UTC)
This was wonderful. And really represented both of their personalities. Great job!

:)
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 10:33 am (UTC) Expand
a.k.a. Katie: explorers[info]soupytwist on November 8th, 2005 02:40 pm (UTC)
He made representational graphs.

That is one of the cutest things I've ever heard. Awwwwww. And, seriously, so freaking Rodney and John. Awwwwww.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 07:48 pm (UTC) Expand
Isis: shep grin[info]isiscolo on November 8th, 2005 03:03 pm (UTC)
I liked this very much!
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 10:32 am (UTC) Expand
cathexys: john 2 (by liviapenn)[info]cathexys on November 8th, 2005 03:15 pm (UTC)
that was really great! loved the details and the "language that only Rodney spoke" and the dreams of their home inthe future...

thank you!
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 08:04 pm (UTC) Expand
Em[info]emrinalexander on November 8th, 2005 03:24 pm (UTC)
He once got a list of 100 reasons wars are asinine. He's gotten a thirty page paper on Vietnam and a fifteen page paper on the War of 1812-ten pages of which were dedicated to America's failed attempt to invade Canada.

This made me laugh out loud and then smile a lot - that's so exactly defines Rodney - and nothing shouts out "I love you, John," louder than these things.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 16th, 2005 06:39 am (UTC) Expand
Zoë Rayne: john & rodney bj[info]z_rayne on November 8th, 2005 04:26 pm (UTC)
Awwwww.

*hugs John and Rodney*
*hugs Reccea*
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 15th, 2005 10:33 am (UTC) Expand
BlackSquirrel: Rainbow treasure[info]blacksquirrel on November 8th, 2005 05:02 pm (UTC)
Awwww - this is so very nice. Thank you. I particularily liked the War of 1812 references.
(no subject) - [info]reccea on November 16th, 2005 06:46 am (UTC) Expand