by Lady J
John scanned the mess hall until he spotted Lorne sitting at a window-side table with two of Atlantis' Marines. Squaring his shoulders he walked over to the table and nodded at the three men before fixing his prey with a look.
"Lorne, got a minute?"
Lorne took one last bite of food then pushed his plate aside. "Sure." He nodded at his friends who had gotten up to leave. "Later guys." Once they were gone, he turned his attention back to John. "What can I do for you, Colonel?" he asked.
"You can tell me just what it is you're doing with a member of my team." The words tumbled out of John's mouth in a hot rush before he could stop them.
Lorne looked at John speculatively. "Sir," he said, "I think we ought to talk about this outside."
John nodded. "I think that would be a very good idea. Major."
The two men walked out to the far end of the balcony just outside of the mess, which guaranteed them a little privacy. Lorne leaned back against the railing and folded his arms over his chest and regarded John. The previous reminder of his rank was not lost on him. "What is it you want to ask me, sir?"
John shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. "Well," he began tentively, "I saw you and Teyla walking together recently."
"Really."
Lorne's deadpan delivery was a perfect match to the eyebrow that had crooked in an eerily familiar (at least it looked that way to John) fashion. He regrouped and tried to elaborate. "Yes. The day she came back from Belka, in fact."
"Mmm hmm."
"Well?"
"Well what?"
"Is there anything you'd like to tell me?"
Lorne paused as if to think about it for a moment. "Not particularly, sir."
It suddenly occured to John that when he was doing all the talking. Lorne was being Lorne: polite to a fault, patient and, at that moment, utterly infuriating. Finally, he just decided to take the direct route. "Major, are you dating Teyla?"
Lorne's eyes flicked over his shoulder before resting back on John's face. "You might just want to ask her that yourself, sir," he replied casually.
John's blood froze as he realized what Lorne was telling him. "She's standing behind me, isn't she?" he muttered.
"Yes, Colonel."
I am so fucked, John thought. He hadn't even heard her come up behind him.
"Colonel Sheppard." Her tone was deceptively mild but he could hear the slight disapproval in her tone.
I am really, really fucked. John turned around and bravely faced his teammate with a smile. "Teyla, hey! How was the mainland?"
Teyla wasn't fooled by his false heartiness for a minute. "My people are fine as are the new crops," she replied. "I believe you asked Marcus a question."
That got his attention. John looked from Teyla to Lorne and back. "Marcus? You call him Marcus?"
"That is his name." Pause. "You wished to know if we were in a relationship, did you not?"
Feeling like the kid who'd been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, John drew himself up and said, "Yes. I wanted to know if you two were involved." He heard an amused snort behind him and pressed on. "But it's just because I care, Teyla."
"I see." Teyla looked as though she were about to laugh but she quickly tamped it down in favor of her patented "I am a leader, do not mess with me" look. "Rest assured, Colonel, things are well under control."
She held out her hand and Lorne stepped around John to take it. He raised it briefly to his lips and brushed a kiss across her knuckles before taking a step behind her to stand at her shoulder. If John could have harnessed the heat that seemed to flow between them, he'd be able to beat the Wraith with one hand behind his back.
"Marcus and I are...negotiating our terms," Teyla continued, her voice practically a purr. "In fact, we were going to continue doing that this afternoon."
"Oh." John nodded quickly as he quickly shunted away any thoughts of what those "negotiations" might entail. "I guess, um, you should get back to it then."
"Yes we should, especially since Marcus is on duty later this evening." Teyla reached up and back so that she could run her fingers down Lorne's jaw. "It would not do for him to be late."
John had never seen this side of Teyla before: very much in control and deliberately sexy. A lethal combination that Lorne seemed only too willing explore if the satisfied grin he shot at John was any indication.
Something about that grin made John want to grind his teeth but he suppressed the impulse. "Lorne?"
"Sir?"
"You know what'll happen if I hear about anything that makes her unhappy?"
Lorne nodded. "Death, dismemberment, hanging me off a balcony by my fingertips? Yes, Colonel, I understand."
"Good. See that you do."
"I doubt there would be much left of him if he did not please me, Colonel." Teyla threw in as she leaned against the Marine. "You would have to wait your turn."
John didn't miss her warning: she was big girl, she was working her mojo and he needed to back off. But Teyla was also a good friend and friends didn't let other friends skip merrily off with a man who was both attractive and deadly. There were rules.
"Understood. I'll see you two later."
As the couple turned and walked away, John realized something. Teyla was wearing a dress. A simple linen sheath that dropped to her calves topped by a leather belt slung about her hips. It covered more skin than what she wore for sparring but he'd never see her wear one before now. Apparently, Lorne was special enough for Teyla to put one on.