Rodney has three power bars, two berettas, and a rapidly rising sense of panic.
“Can you feel him?” he asks Nioke, who is nudging the sudden wall between them with her nose. If a snake could be tense, she would be.
“I think,” she says, and Rodney shifts, feeling the frantic sense of loss a little more.
“You think? Because –“
“Rodney,” Nioke hisses, pointedly, and Rodney has the distinct suspicion that he’s going to be bitten if he doesn’t calm down.
-
“Well,” John says.
“Well,” Tyk says.
“We could take a nap,” he offers, crumbling a peanut butter cracker to share. He’s not concerned about rationing things; Ancient architecture is not known for its staying power. It’s more than likely the room they’ve suddenly gotten trapped in will be gone in an hour or two, and he can feel Nioke through the wall, knows she’s safe with Rodney.
“You’re too bony to sleep on,” Tykallita informs him, but she curls up against the curve where neck meets shoulder, a hollow just the right size for a mouse.
-
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Rodney says, the third time in five minutes, and Nioke sighs, a soft hiss.
“She likes him,” she offers, finally. “John wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”
“Maybe they just ought to go to prom together,” Rodney snaps, and Nioke looks irritated.
“He’d rather take you,” she points out, and Rodney goes quiet, almost ashamed.
-
“Animal, vegetable, or mineral?” John asks.
“Mineral,” Tyk says, decisively.
“Crystalline structure?” he asks.
“No,” Tyk replies, and John gives her another piece of his candy bar.
-
“Are you really jealous?” she says, a few minutes later, and it startles Rodney to realize that it’s one of the few conversations she’s initiated.
“Well,” he says, a little startled.
“It seems – easy,” she says, a little haltingly. “For them.”
“Yeah,” Rodney agrees, softly.
“Maybe,” Nioke says, and suddenly she’s looped around his neck, astonishingly warm for a snake, “it could be.”
“Easy?” Rodney says, sliding a tentative finger up to stroke just behind her head, feeling delicate, twisting vertebrae.
“Possibly,” Nioke says, and maybe, Rodney thinks, maybe this relationship could work out, after all.
-
“That was boring,” John says, when they emerge, having just moved on to prime-or-not-prime.
“A little,” Tyk says, looking around the corner, and Rodney comes back, carefully, like he’s not sure how to move.
“Where’s Nioke?” John says, feeling the faintest stirring of real concern, even though he can feel her, close, all right.
“Sleeping,” Rodney says, looking startled, embarrassed and more than a little pleased. He pulls back the catch of a pocket in his vest to show John where she’s hiding, right against his ribs, and John laughs, softly.
“Useful in crisis situations, Nioke,” he murmurs, and Rodney slides off his vest, more delicate than John has ever seen him, so John can pull it on, all without waking her.
“Food, I think,” Tyk announces, moving to Rodney’s palm again, and John laughs at that too.
“You’ve only had three crackers,” he tells her, and Tyk makes a small noise of derision and a comment about John’s mother, and Rodney doesn’t mind so much, this time, shoulder against John’s as they walk down the hall, close enough to be holding hands, or possibly hearts.
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trinityofone
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-16 12:43 am (UTC)Rodney has three power bars, two berettas, and a rapidly rising sense of panic.
“Can you feel him?” he asks Nioke, who is nudging the sudden wall between them with her nose. If a snake could be tense, she would be.
“I think,” she says, and Rodney shifts, feeling the frantic sense of loss a little more.
“You think? Because –“
“Rodney,” Nioke hisses, pointedly, and Rodney has the distinct suspicion that he’s going to be bitten if he doesn’t calm down.
-
“Well,” John says.
“Well,” Tyk says.
“We could take a nap,” he offers, crumbling a peanut butter cracker to share. He’s not concerned about rationing things; Ancient architecture is not known for its staying power. It’s more than likely the room they’ve suddenly gotten trapped in will be gone in an hour or two, and he can feel Nioke through the wall, knows she’s safe with Rodney.
“You’re too bony to sleep on,” Tykallita informs him, but she curls up against the curve where neck meets shoulder, a hollow just the right size for a mouse.
-
“I’m sure they’re fine,” Rodney says, the third time in five minutes, and Nioke sighs, a soft hiss.
“She likes him,” she offers, finally. “John wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”
“Maybe they just ought to go to prom together,” Rodney snaps, and Nioke looks irritated.
“He’d rather take you,” she points out, and Rodney goes quiet, almost ashamed.
-
“Animal, vegetable, or mineral?” John asks.
“Mineral,” Tyk says, decisively.
“Crystalline structure?” he asks.
“No,” Tyk replies, and John gives her another piece of his candy bar.
-
“Are you really jealous?” she says, a few minutes later, and it startles Rodney to realize that it’s one of the few conversations she’s initiated.
“Well,” he says, a little startled.
“It seems – easy,” she says, a little haltingly. “For them.”
“Yeah,” Rodney agrees, softly.
“Maybe,” Nioke says, and suddenly she’s looped around his neck, astonishingly warm for a snake, “it could be.”
“Easy?” Rodney says, sliding a tentative finger up to stroke just behind her head, feeling delicate, twisting vertebrae.
“Possibly,” Nioke says, and maybe, Rodney thinks, maybe this relationship could work out, after all.
-
“That was boring,” John says, when they emerge, having just moved on to prime-or-not-prime.
“A little,” Tyk says, looking around the corner, and Rodney comes back, carefully, like he’s not sure how to move.
“Where’s Nioke?” John says, feeling the faintest stirring of real concern, even though he can feel her, close, all right.
“Sleeping,” Rodney says, looking startled, embarrassed and more than a little pleased. He pulls back the catch of a pocket in his vest to show John where she’s hiding, right against his ribs, and John laughs, softly.
“Useful in crisis situations, Nioke,” he murmurs, and Rodney slides off his vest, more delicate than John has ever seen him, so John can pull it on, all without waking her.
“Food, I think,” Tyk announces, moving to Rodney’s palm again, and John laughs at that too.
“You’ve only had three crackers,” he tells her, and Tyk makes a small noise of derision and a comment about John’s mother, and Rodney doesn’t mind so much, this time, shoulder against John’s as they walk down the hall, close enough to be holding hands, or possibly hearts.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-16 10:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-16 05:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-16 05:22 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-16 05:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-16 07:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-16 07:29 pm (UTC)*heart*