Being There

[donutsweeper]

Title: Being There
Pairing/Warning/Rating: SGA fandom, Ronon & Sheppard friendship, spoilers for "Outcast" 4x15, rated PG
Word Count: 580
Beta: _medley_
Summary: Sheppard realizes there are some things friends don't let friends face alone.
Author's Note: Written for smithy161's prompt for my recent writing meme and my paliphrase  10 fandom challenge

There was so much to do whenever the Daedalus arrived. There was the new personnel to sort out, the supplies to unload, the status reports to go over with Colonel Caldwell, and paperwork, lots and lots of paperwork. Usually, Sheppard hated paperwork, even in its modern paperless form, and rushed through it as fast as he could, but not today.

Because of the box.

Sheppard almost never got mail from Earth. Ever. Not a postcard, an envelope, a package, nothing. Until this supply run when he was informed that the Daedalus had something for him. Lorne himself had brought it by, putting it in the corner at his request, where it stayed for the rest of the day, mocking him.

Damn box.

“You’re gonna have to open it eventually,” Ronon drawled from the doorway.

Sheppard didn’t look up from his paperwork. “You heard?”

“Everyone heard.” Ronon walked in and threw himself into a chair.

“Atlantis rumor mill strikes again, hmm?”

Ronon shrugged, but didn’t say anything.

Sheppard tapped his tablet aimlessly, opening different forms, emails, and memos, before finally raising his head and looking Ronon in the eye. “It’s stuff from my father’s estate.”

Ronon’s forehead crinkled. After a pause he asked, “Estate?”

“When someone,” Sheppard started to explain, but then waved his hand, “never mind. Dave, well, Dave sent some of my stuff that my father had.”

“Cool.”

Sheppard waited, but Ronon didn't say anything else, so, after a minute he returned to his so-called paperwork. It was hard to do paperwork with someone in the room, watching you. Even more so when said person took out their knives and started sharpening them. Slowly. Making that skritchy squeeking noise, over and over again. “Can I help you?”

Skritchy. “Nope.” Ronon didn’t even look up from his knife. Skritchy.

Sheppard went back to reading the memo from the SGC. Skritchy. They were changing the regulations regarding skritchy the methods of skritchy with something about skritchy and the skritchy... Finally Sheppard slammed the tablet on the table. “Ronon?”

“Yeah?”  Skritchy.

“Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?”

Skritchy.   “Nope.” Ronon grinned. Sheppard knew that grin.

“So... you’re just going to stay here all day.”

“Yep.” Ronon brought the word laconic to new levels sometimes.

“And sharpen your knives?”

Skritchy.  “Yep.”  Skritchy.  Skritchy.

Sheppard sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He knew what Ronon was doing- word had gotten out about the box and somehow Ronon figured out what a big deal it would be to Sheppard and, like the damn inconsiderate lug that he was, refused to let Sheppard face the contents of the box alone.

“I have no idea what’s in there.” Sheppard gestured to the box.

“I know.” Ronon put his knife away and leaned forward in his chair.

“It may be nothing.”

“I know.”

Capitulating to the inevitable, Sheppard stood up. “Want to help me find out?”

Ronon didn’t say anything, just lumbered to his feet. In one fell swoop he grabbed the box and plopped it down on the desk, and then crossed his arms, waiting.

Sheppard couldn’t help but respond with a lopsided smile. He should have known Ronon would never have let him face something like this by himself. Hell, the man had invited himself along when Sheppard went to the funeral in the first place. Ronon was there for him then, and he’d be here for Sheppard now; no matter what memories the box held, he wouldn’t let Sheppard face them alone.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_medley_/]

I adore this to tiny bits.

like the damn inconsiderate lug that he was, refused to let Sheppard face the contents of the box alone.

Darn Ronon for caring! And the last sentence just WINS. Everything.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

*g* thanks! And thanks for giving it the looksee and polish!

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Aww. I love this. That is *so* something Ronon would do, and just how he would do it. Good description of the annoying sharpening sound, too. :)

(I'm curious because my dad has about every kind of knife sharpener, was Ronon using a whetstone or a sharpening rod or something? I'd just like to picture what he keeps in his pockets. *g*)

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

I think it's a whetstone (something small he's holding in his hand and drawing the knife across), but it's barely seen in canon so I'm not sure.

Glad you like it!

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

Really loved this, very understated yet wonderful look at how Ronon supports his friend. This is lovely and sweet and I loved the skritchy noises.

Going to rec this.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Oh thank you! *vbg*

[wraithfodder.livejournal.com]

Loved it!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :)

[kristen999.livejournal.com]

no problem.
http://community.livejournal.com/stargategenrec/

[valleya.livejournal.com]

Great job! It's just so matter of fact the way Ronon is there like he knows he should be, even if he is irritating Sheppard a bit. *G* Loved it. Thanks for sharing

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked it! :)

[the-dark-side.livejournal.com]

Awwww.

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Can't go wrong having Ronon being an inconsiderate lug, right?

[leesa_perrie]

Excellent story. Ronon is just soooo very Ronon in this - John never stood a chance!! I especially love this bit:

Sheppard went back to reading the memo from the SGC. Skritchy. They were changing the regulations regarding skritchy the methods of skritchy with something about skritchy and the skritchy... Finally Sheppard slammed the tablet on the table. “Ronon?”

LOL!! Ronon really knows how to get under Sheppard's skin!

This is one of the best friendship fics between these two that I've read for a while!! Excellent!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks so much! :)

[dragon-within.livejournal.com]

Oh you've got them down perfect! Thanks for sharing!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked it! :)

[ladyoflisquill.livejournal.com]

Oh lovely. Ronan was perfect.

Now, I want to know what was in the box. Pretty please! ::bats eylids::

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Not sure if I'll ever write what was in the box, but glad you liked the story! :)

[trystings.livejournal.com]

Great tag to Outcast. I love Ronon/Sheppard friendship fics. And it never fails to get to me, when all of Atlantis is in a tizzy because Sheppard received - *gasp* - mail. :)

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

thank you!

[itsarift-thing.livejournal.com]

hmmm Ronon=great big lug version of Gibbs from a galaxy far, far away :D

Who can resist that??

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

they are both sort of big teddy bears when it comes to the people they love- grizzly and grumbly but with a fierce need to protect

Being There

[manictater.livejournal.com]

I loved Ronon's silent, and yet not so silent treatment. He was so thoughtful without being gushy.

Re: Being There

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Thank you for commenting! Glad you liked it.

Outcast Tag

[writerjc.livejournal.com]

That Ronon! He's just so Skritchy! :)

Loved this to bits. :) Thank you!

Re: Outcast Tag

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked it! Thanks for commenting! :)

[saphirablue]

Good story!

I like how Ronon is there for John and how he knows that John needs somebody to be there when he opens the box - even if John doesn't know that until he opens the box and Ronon is there...

Love the picture of a knife sharpening Ronon who annoys the hell out of John - just like a little brother... *g* :)

Thank you for this story!

[donutsweeper.livejournal.com]

:) I always thought John and Ronon had a bit of a brotherly vibe. Glad you liked it!