Work Text:
Another Missed Appointment
by ltcoljsheppard
Ronon Dex leaned against the frame of the doorway leading into the small room designated for sparring of all kinds - Physical hands-on combat or stick work with Teyla or hand-to-hand for the Marines with Ronon himself. He watched Teyla working tirelessly with one of her students, an Athosian girl who showed great promise in the art of Grappling. As the two women finished their match, Ronon grinned and slowly clapped his hands in encouragement. The young girl smiled sheepishly and Teyla grinned at her large friend.
Teyla and her student squared off face to face; teacher placing her hands gently on the student's shoulders and the two inclined their heads until their foreheads touched lightly. Raising her head again, Teyla Emmagen addressed her student with soft sincerity, "You are doing very well. Tomorrow then."
The young girl nodded with a smile and left the room, slipping past the massive Satedan who stepped inside now that he wouldn't be in the way of anything. "I thought Sheppard was supposed to be here," he mentioned with an amused expression and Teyla threw him an almost disgusted look.
"He was. He did not show... again."
"He's a busy man," Ronon offered lightly, knowing she wouldn't buy it especially since no alerts had come out but he was obligated to try to defend his friend's absent-mindedness.
"Don't," Teyla suggested as she put away her equipment and toweled the sweat from her face.
"Don't what?" Dex asked with a grin as he tossed the mats down on the floor to prepare for HTH combat training with a group of new Marines.
"You know what. Do not make excuses for him," she advised the man who stood nearly a foot and a half taller than her.
"I'm not," he shrugged as he tossed another, then slid it into place beside the last.
"He does not practice enough."
"He doesn't like to practice. He likes to do. He's a doer," Ronon informed her in a casual manner.
"Well," Teyla replied with a snarky air, "he will never be able to "do" as he wishes if he does not concentrate... and practice."
Ronon straightened and looked at her with an amused expression. "True," he admitted. How could he argue with that. As he pulled another mat from the stack near the wall Ronon smiled outright. He had to admit that he, as well as Sheppard, had found a formidable challenge in the Athosian's leader - she was tough and pulled no punches, and accepted few excuses.
"What?" Teyla asked with a suspicious look as she came over to assist him in placing the mats for his session. She saw the amusement on his face and, as if she had to ask... but she had.
"Nothing," he rumbled.
"Do not give me that," she admonished. "What!"
"Nothing-!" Ronon said, taking a step back as if anticipating an attack. "I was just thinking again --"
"Do not say it -!" she warned him, pointing a finger in the air toward him, but not at him.
Ronon chuckled briefly, feeling suddenly totally uncomfortable being alone in the room with the aggravated Athosian warrior. "Why don't you just tell him?" he asked.
"I have told him - many times - that I do not appreciate his tardiness."
"That's not what I'm talking about," Ronon smiled and cocked one furry eyebrow at her.
"I do not know what you are talking about then," she told him. Her tone was final and dismissive as she threw another mat at his feet. Ronon grinned but jumped back slightly to avoid the heavy rubber square of safety material. "I am warning you ----"
"Okay!" he insisted good-humoredly, then threw a glance to the door to see if Sheppard would have thenerve to show up once again late. Maybe the colonel liked sparring with her when she was aggravated, even though he always got his butt kicked by her. He gave a facial shrug and realized perhaps he liked getting his butt kicked by her. Ronon smiled with the thought - and was caught by Teyla again - he quickly wiped the smile from his face and did his best to finish his task without getting his own butt kicked.
End