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The Universe hated him, Evan was sure of it. And since they were safely back in Pegasus, now that the SGA has regained control of the city from the crew that came back on the Ancient ship Tria, that would make two Universes, both Milky Way and Pegasus, that hated Lorne.
"Major," David Parrish calls from the nearby bench as he fumbles with his thigh holster, the rest of Lorne's team already heading to the Gateroom. "I know I'm a little rusty since this is my first away mission since getting back, but I'm still not used to these things. Can you help?"
Major Evan Lorne sighs, though he doesn't let his frustration show through. Not that he was technically frustrated with Doctor David Parrish; rather, he was frustrated because of the man. Evan had been quite smitten by Parrish soon after their joint encounter with the dead wraith - infatuated even. But after retaking Atlantis, it was like fate was dangling Parrish before him like a delectable treat, but just out of reach.
"Major?" David asks again, motioning to his thigh holster.
"Yeah, Doc," Evan says. He takes a deep breath, then closes his locker and walks to the scientist. Kneeling down (not at all like what he'd really like to be kneeling in front of Parrish for), he gestures for the scientist to stand, then assesses the situation. "Okay, so a couple of things," Evan says, not daring to look up into Parrish's eyes, and hoping the blush that is creeping across his cheeks isn't too noticeable as he cups the man's thigh. "First of all, you've got it too far up. And second," he says, undoing the strap, "it's upside down." He loosens the band and removes the strap, instantly missing the heat coming off of Parrish's muscular leg.
"Again?" Parrish asks, a jovial hint to his tone. "You'd think that one of these days it would finally click and I'd do it right." As Evan reattaches the thigh holster, securing it in place with the palm of his right hand as his left works the buckle, he notices the muscle flexing underneath his palm, and Parrish dipping ever so slightly, though enough to where the crotch of his BDUs grazes Evan's thumb.
It's almost enough to make Evan come in his BDUs. As is, he's so hard that he hopes he doesn't have to stand up any time soon, or the scientist will definitely notice the tent in his pants.
As Evan's mind wanders, he tightens the strap a little too much, eliciting a gentle hiss from Parrish. "I think that's a little too tight, Major," David quietly says. "It feels like it's cutting off my circulation; didn't you used to say you should barely be able to get a single finger underneath it, snugly?"
"Yes," Evan manages, his voice cracking like a thirteen-year-old boy in the throws of puberty.
After the slightest of pauses, Parrish asks, "Well can you? Or am I just forgetting how tight it used to be?"
And now Evan knows that indeed, both Universes hate him.
He hopes that David can't see his hands shaking as he raises them, grasping the inside of Parrish's thigh. He wiggles his finger just under the band just as Parrish busts out a laugh, moving his thigh even more into Evan's hold, the heft of Parrish's cloth covered balls caressing the top of Evan's hand in a quick move. "Sorry, sorry," the scientist blurts out. "Ticklish."
"Yeah, I think you're good," Evan says, quickly dropping his hands back to his lap, then hiking a thumb over his shoulder. "You should, uhh," he stutters, "umm, join the others."
Grabbing his pack, Parrish asks, "You sure you don't want me to wait for you?"
"No," Evan says, voice hitting three different octaves. He coughs, clears his throat, and then forces himself to say, "No, no," as he hikes his thumb over his shoulder again. "You go on ahead," he says, then suddenly fiddles with his TAC vest. "I'll be there in a sec."
Nodding, David heads out of the locker room, leaving Evan alone, Evan not even hearing the sound of retreating footsteps over the rapid heartbeat in his ears. He glances back towards the private bathing area, desperately wanting a long, cold shower to get his body back under control.
~*~*~
After regaining his faculties, Evan strides out to the Gateroom, making a show of checking his TAC vest, and doesn't let on that he'd just spent six minutes trying to name every single Heisman Trophy winner all the way back to the 1930s to get himself under control. "Ready?" he asks the two teams he's leading.
"Ready, Sir," Cadman offers.
Evan nods to Cadman, who keys her radio. "Dial the gate, Chuck," she says, the Gate coming to life a few seconds later.
When the sequence is complete, and the light of the active wormhole is shimmering like the surface of a lake, the first team walks through, with Lieutenants Kennedy and Martinez heading up the group, followed by a small group of botanists and biologists. Evan and Cadman, who are bringing up the rear, stop suddenly when David comes to a halt in front of them. "What's wrong, Davey?" Cadman asks.
"Just getting used to walking with this thing," he says as he runs his fingers over the thigh holster. Evan's eyes almost bug out of his head when David puts his thumb against the inseam of his pants and pushes, obviously relieving some of the stress based on the little sigh that leaves his mouth. "Okay, better," he says, gently adjusting himself through the fabric.
"Oh, jeez!" Cadman says, throwing up her hand to cover up the sight in protest. "Seriously?"
David just smiles, then walks through the event horizon. Evan follows closely behind him, taking the memory of the way David's ass filled out his BDUs through the wormhole with him.
~*~*~
The very first thing everyone notices upon arriving on BDX-28U is that it's hot. Oppressively hot. Evan had led a platoon through training outside of Area 51 in anticipation of re-taking Atlantis, so he's quite used to the heat and being uncomfortable in full Military uniform. He mostly takes it in stride, while the rest of the team quickly strips out of any excess clothing that they can after camping gear is neatly stacked nearby.
"Okay, Martinez and I are with biologists, while Cadman and Kennedy are with the botanists. Radio check in every hour. We rendezvous at 22:00 Atlantis time back here at the gate to set up for our overnight. That clear?"
He gets a few muttered, "Yeah," and "Yes, sir," responses, then salutes Cadman and Kennedy before they lead the Botanical team to their search area 6 clicks to the South.
The day goes without a hitch, the biologists finding different animal life that might be worth harvesting, since BDX-28U is void of any humans, and some of the animals seem to be overpopulating their environment. It's fifteen minutes before 22:00 when Lorne decides to call it a day. He rounds up the scientists and heads back to the gate area to set up for the night, though on a planet with two suns in nearly opposite orbits, there would be a pretty short period of darkness, with little respite from the heat.
Despite being late in the day, the temperatures were still hovering in the mid 100s, and Lorne was drenched in sweat, his uniform soaked through as he walks back into camp. He sees Cadman and Kennedy, but only about a third of the botanists. "Report, Lieutenant?" he asks as his eyes dart around the area.
"Got back about 10 minutes ago, Sir," she says, then hikes a thumb over her shoulder. "Kiang, Parrish, and Mercer found a pond about 400 yards back," she says, indicating the area, "and decided to beat the heat while the rest of us returned to set up camp."
"A lake?" Lorne asks. "Are they sure-"
"We did some preliminary tests, yes sir, and the lake seems fine. No unknown biologicals, botanicals, or even any creepy-crawlies." Smiling at Lorne, she adds, "Sir."
"I could do with a bit of a dip," one of the scientists, O'Hara, says from behind Lorne in a thick Irish accent, another scientist offering, "Me, too," a beat later.
"Want me to keep an eye on them?" Kennedy asks, Evan quickly shaking his head.
"Naah," he replies. "You and the rest of the team set up camp. I'll keep an eye on the troops."
As he takes his first step towards the lake, he hears Cadman say, "Mmmhmmm," and gives him a smile when he turns around to lock his gaze with hers.
Lorne would roll his eyes, but it's simply too hot to care. Even too hot to care that, at least around Parrish, Evan has been a bit too transparent; at least that's what he figures Cadman's smirk indicates. She sends him off with a wink.
It only takes a few minutes to reach nearby lake, though Lorne could do it by sound alone if it the hoots and hollers were any indication as to the fun the scientists were having. Striding up, he says, "Well sounds like you folks seem to be having-"
Lorne is suddenly struck by the sight of Parrish, stripped bare, standing as if he were worshipping the sun with the water just at his hips, giving the illusion that the man was naked. "fun..." Evan finishes. But all his attention, besides being on Parrish, is focused on the distant detail of a tattoo that stretches across the man's left shoulder and down his chest, twirling around a nipple.
"Major!" David calls out. "Come on in!" David calls as the two scientists that accompanied Lorne make quick work of getting out of their clothes and into the water.
"Yeah, I'd uh," Lorne says, then pauses and nods, gathering his thoughts. "I'll just stand watch."
"It really is comfy," David says, strong legs trudging out of the water. He turns back to wave to O'Hara as she joins the other scientists in the refreshing lake, and then walks towards Evan, who can't take his eyes off of the beads of water that catch the light, causing reflections to dance across the scientist's skin.
Now Evan grew up in San Francisco, and was just about the most tolerant, comfortable, understanding person on Atlantis. But the sight of a nearly naked David Parrish, covered only in clingy, wet cotton boxers is enough to make Evan's breath hitch. "You really should enjoy a dip, Major Lorne," he says, tossing a look over his shoulder at the glimmering water. "You must be absolutely baking in all that equipment."
Evan nods yes, but says, "No, no, can't," but is unable to keep his eyes off of the tattoo design now clearly visible on David's skin. "That," he starts to say, pointing.
"Oh yeah," David says, then turns around to show the rest, asking, "You like?" After a full circle where Evan finally makes out a dragon, hovering over a bamboo forest (with the tail coming over and encircling David's left nipple), David says, "Deb's brother's a tattoo artist. I'd always wanted a dragon, and somehow he talked me into this."
"It's amazing," Evan manages, almost mesmerized.
"I'm just glad that he finished it before we came back. I mean, can you imagine this only halfway done, and me, coming back to Pegasus?"
Evan allows himself to daydream for another short beat, then comes back to reality. "That's some impressive work," he manages, finally looking Parrish in the eyes.
Nodding back to the water, Parrish says, "Well why don't you get outta those things and join us?" When Evan doesn't move, David adds, "I bet you've probably got a tattoo - and I'm betting it's something like Air Force wings, right about here." David gently palms Evan's chest, right above his heart. "Am I right?"
"One of these days, maybe," Evan says, but stops his mind from wandering. "Hey, um... I'm gonna go get you guys some towels and a couple of bottles of water. You need anything else?"
David gives Evan a disappointed look. "Naah," he says, then takes a step back towards the pond. "See you in a bit," he says, then gives Evan a wink before jogging into the water until he's knee deep, then disappearing under in a quick dive to get to where everyone else is congregated.
~*~*~
The scientists are rounded up for a quick dinner about an hour later. Some return to work, while others stay around the fire making small talk. And soon, one by one, people start making their way to bed. Cadman is watch until 4am, so Evan has the tent to himself. The second sun is finally starting to set, and though it's a bit darker, sleep isn't coming to Evan so easily. He tosses and turns, decides to read for a little while, and then closes his eyes, and wills himself to sleep.
It must have worked, because some unknown time later, he hears quieted voices outside, and sees that the light is just past dusk. He hears one person's footsteps as they pass his tent, then continue on into the distance. Intrigued, he gets into his BDUs but skips his shirt, and steps out of his tent, Laura smiling at him as she catches his eye. "Evenin', Laura," he says, quietly, coming up to Cadman and the campfire.
"Evening, Sir," she says, and Lorne waves away the formality, so she finishes, "Lorne."
Looking past his tent, Evan says, "What was that all about?"
Nodding towards the distant figure that Evan can just barely make out against the dark background, Laura says, "That? Just Davey," she says, giving Evan a wink. "He said it was too hot to sleep, so he was gonna to take a dip in that lake again." Turning back to the fire, Cadman pokes at the flames with a stick and says, "You should go after him, sir."
Evan considers it a moment, then nods. "Yeah, he probably shouldn't be wandering out there alone-" he says, stopping when Laura reaches out and touches his arm.
Giving Lorne an intense look, Cadman repeats, "Evan, you should go after him..."
It's then that the full weight of the Lieutenant's words stills him, and Evan's whole world stops for just a brief second.
"Evan," Laura says, voice quiet. "You know I've got your six, right?" She looks around at the different tents where the other Airmen and Marines are slumbering. "We all do."
Blowing out a sigh, Evan says, "Thanks, Laura," then pats her hand. He leans out and gives her a peck on the cheek and starts to turn when she clears her throat, holding out a flashlight. With another grin, he says, "Thanks," and then heads away from the camp, and out towards Parrish.
~*~*~
The walk to the pond seems like it takes forever, with Evan's heart racing in his chest. He finally makes it, the dim sliver of a faraway moon playing on the surface of the water, with the shadow of David Parrish laying on his back, partway in the water, and partway out. "Hey," Evan calls as he approaches, as to not startle the man. Evan's flashlight briefly lands on a pile of clothes nearby, and so he cuts the light, to give the obviously naked man some privacy. "Mind if I join you?"
David gives Evan the broadest smile, white teeth shining from the subtle light of the moon, and pats the section of beach next to him. "You're a little over-dressed for skinny-dipping," David says. "Though shirtless is a start."
Looking around, Evan decides that they're alone enough, and tosses the flashlight on top of the mess of Parrish's clothes. Unbuttoning his BDUs, Evan lets them puddle at his feet, then steps out of them and his boxers, and finally his boots. He pads along the muddy sand to Parrish's side, settling in next to him.
"And aren't you a little dry for skinny-dipping?" Evan asks, nodding towards the water.
David's fingers creep ever so closer to Evan's, each man inching toward the other as the moment stretches into eons. As David's fingers finally find Evan's, the scientist squeezes Evan's hand and says, "We'll get there... Eventually."