Fic: Expression of Irritation
16 Jan 2006 10:38 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
misaffectionSummary: Rodney McKay gets irritated. From Laura's POV.
Rating: T, warnings for language
Pairing: Rodney/Laura friendship fic.
Spoilers: None.
Author Notes: Blame this one on![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
control_freak80 for giving me the fic bunny.
"When he's stressed, he likes to insult species."
"Cuts himself shaving, he does half an hour on life-forms he's cleverer than."
Laura sat on the tree stump and watched Rodney pace up and down. Five minutes he'd been doing that and he'd still not run out out words. He was ranting about the stupidity of some people, still obviously irritated over what had happened.
It had all started half an hour ago. She'd accompanied Sheppard's team off-world, to a group of people with whom Teyla suggested they open trade negotiations with. Like many other planets they'd visited, it wasn't technologically advanced. McKay, already narked about having to walk from the Stargate to the town, had been scathing about that.
His comments had been somewhat insulting to the natives, putting the tentative negotiations in jeopardy. Sheppard had used his charm to smooth the ruffled feathers of the locals, but not even he'd had been able to ignore McKay's blistering tirade when the scientist had seen the state of the Ancient device. The natives had had no idea what the thing did, though occurring to Rodney the possibilities were endless if the thing actually worked which he doubted to the crap that covered it.
His words. Laura found herself smirking again. She shouldn't laugh, not really. After all they needed to make friends on this world, not yet more enemies. But his outrage had been so clear, so complete it was hard not to be amused. Especially as he was still ranting.
Laura watched him, still stalking up and down the field in which the Stargate stood. She wasn't sure if the constant stream was addressed to her or whether he was just talking to himself. She hoped it was the latter; she'd lost his thread a while ago, he changed subjects too quickly for her to keep up. The general gist was easy enough to follow though – the native were idiots and he was pissed off.
As with most things, Rodney didn't lose his temper by halves and it was fascinating watching him express his disgust. His hands waved around as he ranted, moving to underline his points, flicking in irritation. Laura hadn't seen him quite this furious before.
Sheppard obviously had though, as was clear when the Colonel sent him back to the 'Gate to avoid complete alienating the locals. Laura had gone with him, partly to keep an eye on him but mostly because she was bored of the careful treading around of the natives' sensitivities. McKay might be blunt, but at least he was honest.
And she didn't really blame him for being angry. She knew how much their survival, Atlantis' survival, depended on them discovering better weaponry or a better power source. The Ancient device might not be either of those, but it could be. They wouldn't know now. They'd lost the opportunity to find out because their natives' simplicity had led to it becoming defunct.
This was what infuriated McKay. She could hear him mutter about the number of planets where the idiocy of the locals had caused them problems. Of course he knew better. Rodney McKay knew everything better than everyone. Laura bit back a smile, dropping her eyes to the patch of grass at her feet. If he caught her being amused by this, it would be her at the end of his tirade.
A moment later and she realised it had gone quiet. Her head came up sharply, immediately alert for danger. However there seemed to be no sign, though that didn't explain why Rodney had stopped ranting. Her eyes settled on him, stood still now as he watched her. She met his eyes and he frowned, then he sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Finished already?" she asked before she could think better of it.
He grimaced and than laughed softly, ruefully. He walked over to the tree stump, shoving her to one side so he could sit down next to her.
"I guess I did go on a bit."
That was an understatement. "A bit?" she echoed, smirking at him.
"Okay more than a bit. I just... get irritated by stupidity."
"I got that actually," Laura said. "You have spent the last ten minutes ranting about it."
"I wasn't rant-" he started, his voice climbing slightly in indignation, then he stopped and sighed again. "Okay maybe I was. But it's an Ancient device, Cadman. The possibilities..."
"Yeah I know. We'll clean it up and you'll get it working."
Rodney snorted a laugh. "Did you see the state of it?"
"Yup, but apparently you can fix anything."
She saw him open his mouth to say something to that, then he stopped, paling slightly. He looked away.
"Yeah," he said quietly.
Laura wasn't quite sure what had caused that reaction. She frowned slightly, then brightened as she remembered something. She grabbed her backpack.
"You know, when I'm annoyed and pissed off I find that chocolate helps." She pulled out two bars.
Rodney had looked round again and he grinned at the sight. Laura handed one over.
"Angel," he declared.
"Shouldn't that be Ascended?"
"You might prefer angel, Sheppard hits on Ascended women."
Laura stared at Rodney. He looked back at her, his eyes wide and a smile playing around his lips. She closed her eyes tightly but the image was already in her head and she started giggling. That started him off and before they knew it they were sat on a tree stump in the middle of a field, their laughter drifting up to the warm summer sun.
Rating: T, warnings for language
Pairing: Rodney/Laura friendship fic.
Spoilers: None.
Author Notes: Blame this one on
control_freak80 for giving me the fic bunny."Cuts himself shaving, he does half an hour on life-forms he's cleverer than."
Rose Tyler about the Doctor; Doctor Who - The Doctor Dances (2005)
Laura sat on the tree stump and watched Rodney pace up and down. Five minutes he'd been doing that and he'd still not run out out words. He was ranting about the stupidity of some people, still obviously irritated over what had happened.
It had all started half an hour ago. She'd accompanied Sheppard's team off-world, to a group of people with whom Teyla suggested they open trade negotiations with. Like many other planets they'd visited, it wasn't technologically advanced. McKay, already narked about having to walk from the Stargate to the town, had been scathing about that.
His comments had been somewhat insulting to the natives, putting the tentative negotiations in jeopardy. Sheppard had used his charm to smooth the ruffled feathers of the locals, but not even he'd had been able to ignore McKay's blistering tirade when the scientist had seen the state of the Ancient device. The natives had had no idea what the thing did, though occurring to Rodney the possibilities were endless if the thing actually worked which he doubted to the crap that covered it.
His words. Laura found herself smirking again. She shouldn't laugh, not really. After all they needed to make friends on this world, not yet more enemies. But his outrage had been so clear, so complete it was hard not to be amused. Especially as he was still ranting.
Laura watched him, still stalking up and down the field in which the Stargate stood. She wasn't sure if the constant stream was addressed to her or whether he was just talking to himself. She hoped it was the latter; she'd lost his thread a while ago, he changed subjects too quickly for her to keep up. The general gist was easy enough to follow though – the native were idiots and he was pissed off.
As with most things, Rodney didn't lose his temper by halves and it was fascinating watching him express his disgust. His hands waved around as he ranted, moving to underline his points, flicking in irritation. Laura hadn't seen him quite this furious before.
Sheppard obviously had though, as was clear when the Colonel sent him back to the 'Gate to avoid complete alienating the locals. Laura had gone with him, partly to keep an eye on him but mostly because she was bored of the careful treading around of the natives' sensitivities. McKay might be blunt, but at least he was honest.
And she didn't really blame him for being angry. She knew how much their survival, Atlantis' survival, depended on them discovering better weaponry or a better power source. The Ancient device might not be either of those, but it could be. They wouldn't know now. They'd lost the opportunity to find out because their natives' simplicity had led to it becoming defunct.
This was what infuriated McKay. She could hear him mutter about the number of planets where the idiocy of the locals had caused them problems. Of course he knew better. Rodney McKay knew everything better than everyone. Laura bit back a smile, dropping her eyes to the patch of grass at her feet. If he caught her being amused by this, it would be her at the end of his tirade.
A moment later and she realised it had gone quiet. Her head came up sharply, immediately alert for danger. However there seemed to be no sign, though that didn't explain why Rodney had stopped ranting. Her eyes settled on him, stood still now as he watched her. She met his eyes and he frowned, then he sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Finished already?" she asked before she could think better of it.
He grimaced and than laughed softly, ruefully. He walked over to the tree stump, shoving her to one side so he could sit down next to her.
"I guess I did go on a bit."
That was an understatement. "A bit?" she echoed, smirking at him.
"Okay more than a bit. I just... get irritated by stupidity."
"I got that actually," Laura said. "You have spent the last ten minutes ranting about it."
"I wasn't rant-" he started, his voice climbing slightly in indignation, then he stopped and sighed again. "Okay maybe I was. But it's an Ancient device, Cadman. The possibilities..."
"Yeah I know. We'll clean it up and you'll get it working."
Rodney snorted a laugh. "Did you see the state of it?"
"Yup, but apparently you can fix anything."
She saw him open his mouth to say something to that, then he stopped, paling slightly. He looked away.
"Yeah," he said quietly.
Laura wasn't quite sure what had caused that reaction. She frowned slightly, then brightened as she remembered something. She grabbed her backpack.
"You know, when I'm annoyed and pissed off I find that chocolate helps." She pulled out two bars.
Rodney had looked round again and he grinned at the sight. Laura handed one over.
"Angel," he declared.
"Shouldn't that be Ascended?"
"You might prefer angel, Sheppard hits on Ascended women."
Laura stared at Rodney. He looked back at her, his eyes wide and a smile playing around his lips. She closed her eyes tightly but the image was already in her head and she started giggling. That started him off and before they knew it they were sat on a tree stump in the middle of a field, their laughter drifting up to the warm summer sun.
