Here at last is the culmination of Destiny's humble efforts. What do you think?

Disclaimer

MGM owns Stargate: Atlantis.

Little ol' Des owns little to nothin'.

Tag to

DaniWilder's

"Rodney McKay Runs the Help Desk"

by

Destiny Brighthope

Part 5: Making Love

Beads of sweat pooled at Jennifer's brow. Rodney, as if hypnotized, reached to wipe them away before they could overflow and sting her eyes. Reconsidering, he kissed them away. The droplets dissolved, spreading their salty flavor across his tongue.

Jennifer shuddered in his grasp. Her fingertips—and only the tips—pressed into his back. No long nails for practical, perfect Jennifer Keller, just the short-clipped nails of a woman entirely without vanity. Hers were surgeon's hands, precise and earnest in their movements, and they made the engineer in him proud.

Throwing back her head, Jennifer moaned. Rodney drew her close, crushing her nipples against his chest and nibbling at the delicate skin of her throat. Bad idea. Her pelvic muscles contracted, and Rodney nearly lost it.

"Should have used a condom," he muttered.

Jennifer pulled back to meet his gaze. The trust shining in her big brown eyes made his heart ache. "It's okay, Rodney. I'm on birth control, remember?"

He clenched his teeth. "That's not the reason."

It had been a struggle not to explode the moment her warmth engulfed him. Waiting motionless while she worked her hips back and forth adjusting to his size was sheer torture. They hadn't discussed sexual histories, but to be this tight, Jennifer must be even less experienced than she let on.

A condom would have dulled the sensations, but the leftovers in his medicine cabinet had expired long ago, and his only reason to stock up seemed unattainable a mere hour before. He half expected Jennifer to have raided the infirmary stores and supplied her own. She'd planned the rest of the evening in such detail, even stashing an overnight bag beneath his bed "just in case."

But no condoms.

Rodney was debating which staffer to roust from bed and send on a mission most discreet when Jennifer placed a hand over his heart. "I trust you," she said simply. And that was that. A promise that neither had been intimate with anyone in nearly a year (longer in her case, she admitted sheepishly), and for the first time in his life, Rodney embraced a lover with no latex barrier separating them.

Digging her fingers into his shoulders, Jennifer began to bounce gently on his manhood. Shyness colored her cheeks as she searched out his eyes. Is this okay? she seemed to ask. Am I acting slutty?

Rodney answered by grasping her waist and aiding her movement. Breaking into a grin, Jennifer redoubled her efforts and was soon riding him with an enthusiasm that left him breathless.

"Oh, God," she moaned. "Rodney, God."

"Jen," he hissed. "Jennifer, I..." There it was again, that foolish drive to speak his feelings. The words begged, demanded to be spoken. As ferociously as he needed to come, he needed to tell her.

No, damn you! Shut up.

He craned his neck for a kiss. Jennifer obliged, but her frenzied motions tore her lips away too soon, and the words he hoped to moan into her mouth spilled into the open. "God, Jen, I love you."

Admitting his love released the floodgates, and his seed erupted to bathe her insides. Her inner walls convulsed wildly, drawing in more and more of his essence. She shrieked her pleasure, then collapsed against him, breath coming in shaky gasps, heart beating rapidly, and utterly, maddeningly silent.

Rodney's hand twitched. He knew he should comfort her, stroke her back, maybe run his fingers through her hair. Jennifer had to be assured that, though the physical act was winding down, the intimacy would continue. Yet his arms remained slack upon her waist.

Her silence stabbed at him, and Rodney felt sick. He'd ruined it. The hottest sex of his life—made hotter by the passion he felt for his partner—and he'd ruined it. He wouldn't trade this night for anything unless he could take back those stupid words.

A sob escaped her throat, and Jennifer seized him in a sudden, fierce hug. Pushing aside his own concerns, Rodney eased Jennifer's head off his shoulder until he could see her face. Her expression befuddled him. She was weeping, and yet her smile threatened to tear her face apart.

"Jennifer?" Should he say it? Might as well go for broke. "Baby, I'm sorry. I know you said I had your heart, but that's a far cry from—"

"I love you," Jennifer said.

"Yeah, that. I know it's too soon, and I won't say it again if you don't want, but it's true and—"

"Rodney, I love you."

"Oh." A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Oh, Jennifer."

Pressing forward, she devoured his lips in a kiss that ended far too quickly, thanks to the massive grin warping his mouth.

"Stop that," she whined. "I can't kiss you if you're smiling."

"How can I stop?" Rodney laughed. "Jennifer Keller loves me." If they were standing he'd lift her up and spin her around the room. As it was, he settled for squeezing her tight and offering that comfort he'd been unable to earlier.

"Damn right she does. And she wants to celebrate with a kiss."

He tried, but every attempt to stop grinning like an idiot was met with failure until Jennifer shimmied her hips provocatively. They were still joined, and her gyrations stirred his softening member. Lust clouded his eyes and the smile faded.

"You stallion," Jennifer teased before claiming her kiss. "Ready for round two already?"

Rodney raised a brow. "Are you?"

She nipped at his chin. "One way to find out. Help me up."

Her knees protested with loud pops as they maneuvered her from his lap onto her back. She scooted into the center of the mattress and stretched, catlike, letting out a contented sigh. "This time," she purred, "don't hold back."

"What do you mean?" Rodney asked, taking a moment to admire her petite form before moving alongside her.

"I may not be the most experienced girl on base, but I can tell when a guy is holding back." She parted her thighs as he loomed over her. "It was very sweet of you, but I can take it."

Rodney smirked. "I seem to recall someone asking me to 'be gentle'."

Jennifer frowned. "You're right, I did. Okay, this time..." She paused while he positioned himself over her, shivering as his manhood teased her opening. "This time, forget gentle."

The next morning as Jennifer toweled off her damp hair, Rodney retrieved her overnight bag from beneath the bed.

"What are you doing?" she cried.

"Taking your laptop to the help desk," Rodney said. "You forgot your computer bag."

Jennifer knelt beside him, causing the terrycloth robe she'd borrowed to ride up her legs and expose enough creamy flesh to set Rodney's pulse racing. Despite having made love three times in the past twelve hours (twice last night and once this morning), his hunger for Jennifer had not diminished.

"You're going to be late for your shift," she said. "I'll take it."

"Nonsense." He lifted her hand to his lips. "Rodney McKay takes care of his girlfriend."

Jennifer giggled. "I could get used to that, but—hey, wait!"

Assuming the issue to be resolved, Rodney unzipped the bag and began unpacking the contents: a fresh uniform, clean undergarments, and... "Uh, Jennifer, is there something you want to tell me?"

She snatched away the final item, a box of condoms, unopened and shrink-wrapped.

Rodney frowned. "I thought you said you didn't have any."

"Well, you kinda...surpassed my expectations."

"Surpassed?" He shook his head. "What do you mean?"

Jennifer chewed her lip. "I wasn't certain what you wanted from our evening together. These were in case you wanted a one-night stand."

"You would have gone through with that?"

"I'm in love with you," she said as if that explained everything. "And once I knew you loved me too, I didn't need them."

"Hold on. Jennifer, we were already making love when I told you."

She snorted. "Please." Modulating her voice to a lower pitch, she mimicked, "'I lo—feels wonderful.' 'I lo—can't stop kissing you'."

Rodney grimaced. "You heard that, huh?"

"Yep."

"So, while I agonized the entire evening, you already knew how I felt?"

Jennifer nodded. "Are you mad?"

"Nah, but I reserve the right to get you back."

"Fine, but do it after your shift." She pulled him to his feet and marched him to the door.

He eyed the condoms. "I think those are the wrong size."

She blushed. "What can I say? You surpassed a lot of expectations."

[the end]

Thank you, dear readers, for all the support. This story took much, much longer than I planned to complete. But finished it is. So, what do you say? Should Des pen another story or disappear into internet obscurity? My fate is in your hands.

(Not really. I'm already working on my first original fanfiction and another tag, not to mention a sequel to my downtime story set in this universe.)

Thanks once more to DaniWilder, a dear lady who allowed me to tag her story then waited patiently (most of the time) while I dragged it out. She once joked that I probably wouldn't finish until her birthday. She was wrong. I missed her birthday by about three weeks. Sorry.

And thanks to RoryFaller, patient, intrepid beta, who listened to all my bee-ing and moaning, and put up with my insecurities. Couldn't have done it without you, Rory.

That's it for now, darlings. But stay tuned. Destiny's still got a lot to say. Here's hoping you'll listen.