Title: The Way it Works
Author: wickedwords
Pairing: Lorne/Zelenka
Rating: Adult
Recipient: gblvr
Summary: The silence felt strained, and all Evan could think about was the way his hands itched to go over there and feel Radek's body pressed against his, the way it had been in their cell.




Evan stepped carefully through the gate, his right arm clamped around Radek's waist, Radek's left arm clumsily slung across Evan's back. Radek was shuddering, but Evan had to ignore it; his job right now was to follow Radek’s plan and make sure they both were safe.
At the sight of the marines surrounding them, guns leveled, Evan stilled, and Radek pulled in tight to Evan's side. Radek's glasses had been taken early on in their captivity, and Evan had gotten used to being his eyes. Evan took a moment to let his sight adjust as the gate cut out behind them; after all they’d gone through, if they died by stumbling down some unseen steps.... There was no way he was going to risk it. The Alpha Site looked uncanny, the light too bright and too yellow after their month in a Taskelian prison camp. Blinking rapidly, Evan was able to see the dry red earth and prefab military housing just beyond the ring of Marines.

A tall, bald-headed man in fatigues stepped forward and saluted. "Welcome back, Major," Captain Ouattara said, and signaled his men to stand down. "We will need you to answer a few questions before we contact Colonel Carter."

"It's good to see you, too," Evan said, wavering on the dais. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off, he wasn't sure his legs were going to hold him up for much longer. "Could you bring a bench over? We'd like to sit down, and we kinda have to do it together." He squeezed Radek's side gently, getting his attention. "You ready?" he asked, and Radek nodded, his eyes focused on Evan rather than the Marines at the end of the ramp.
"Yes," he croaked. "Ready."
His voice sounded horribly raw; Evan winced to hear it, knowing the pain it caused. Evan could feel the sweat and heat prickling Radek's skin as he gathered strength for the trip down to the landing, felt the dusting of hair at the base of Radek's spine. With a deep breath, Evan pulled himself up straight. "Go."

Then they were moving, their steps perfectly synchronized as they strolled down the gangway, their bodies mirrored reflections, strides an exact match. Evan could feel his legs trembling from their run to the gate, and wondered how Radek was doing. Neither of them could afford a fall.

"Here, Major." Dr. Singh said, gesturing to her medical team to bring forward a pair of gurneys. "The two of you look ready to collapse."
Radek flinched, and Evan found himself flinching as well. "That...wouldn't be good," he muttered. "For anyone."

"No," Radek agreed. Evan glanced over, and Radek gave him a tight smile. "Hurts to talk." At least Radek didn't look quite as pale as he had when they’d stepped through the gate, and his breathing was better. Thank god Radek was tougher than a cheap steak, or they’d never have survived that last run for the gate. That stumble alone could have killed them.
"Okay, yeah. I'll explain." Evan looked at Dr. Singh. "Listen, we can't take you up on that offer quite yet. We need someone to get McKay here first."

"Major," Doctor Singh said, determination written in every line of her body, "I don't need a medical scanner to see you need to get to an infirmary."

Evan had to give her that; he knew Radek's bruises and scrapes looked bad, and his own felt like hell, but they couldn't afford to separate; Radek didn't know how far their safety zone extended.. "Not yet. We need to get these off." He gestured at the collar he wore, identical to Radek's. "These were set to explode if either of us got too far from the prison camp, but Radek found a way around it. It was all his plan."

"As long as we stay together." Radek's voice was quiet and shaky, but it carried across the field. "The transmitter in camp--" Radek breathed deeply to keep from coughing, and Evan stroked the bare skin at Radek's waist, breathing deeply with him as well. "I was able to mimic the signal as long as we stay in close contact."
"How dangerous is it?" Singh asked, stepping back.

"Localized," Radek said, at the same time that Evan said, "As long as we were near the camp, it would have killed us. Not sure what it'll do now -- to us, or to you."

"What do you mean?"

"You ever see anyone hit by lightning?"

"Once. When I was a resident. A jogger was struck, and I was working in the ER."

"That's pretty much what this is like. Our own personal lightning strike, if it still works. Not a big deal for you, as long as you're far enough away, but kinda permanent for us. Not really eager to risk it."

"I see." Doctor Singh nodded as Ouattara's men set a bench down on the ground to the side of the gate, out of the way of a forming wormhole. Evan and Radek stumbled over to it and sank down on it together. Evan didn't even have to think where Radek was going to be; at this point, it was instinctual to exactly match Radek's movements, even the little hesitation he had as he tested his weakened leg's ability to take his full weight. Their trip to the gate hadn't been a short one.

Ouattara and Singh stared at the two of them, as they carefully shifted into more comfortable positions. Ouattara shook his head. "That is really weird," he said at last.

"It's Pegasus, Captain." Evan said, leaning into Radek's shoulder and feeling the fine tremors there. "It brings a whole new definition to the term 'weird'."

<<<>>>

"And...done." The collar dropped off into Evan's lap as McKay stepped back from the bench. God, it felt great to finally get that off. Evan gently rubbed at his bare neck, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Radek doing the same. As McKay scooped the collar up and turned it over, Evan and Radek eased away from each other on the bench, giving each other room to stretch.
"Interesting," Rodney said, examining the back of the piece. "Looks like it was adapted from Genii technology."

"They were scavengers," Radek said, putting on the glasses Dr. McKay had brought him. "They used anything they could find."

"Which is why they needed scientists, and how we got captured in the first place." Evan was too tired to sound as angry as he felt. "They were looking for us."

"Really? Huh. You'll have to brief Carter on that when you get back." Rodney scooped the second collar out of Radek's lap and gestured at Dr. Singh. "You can do your voodoo on them now, then send ‘em back through the gate."

While they were talking, Evan leaned over and squeezed Radek's thigh to get his attention, only to squash a mental "shit" as Radek pointedly glanced over at the others. Yeah, right. He couldn't do that anymore; that wasn't a part of the plan. Folding his hands on his lap, he said, "It'll be great to get home."

"Yes," Radek agreed, sliding further away. "Home."

<<<>>>

Evan spent a couple days in the Atlantis infirmary, undergoing treatment for dehydration and some of the more interesting parasites he'd picked up in the prison camp. Radek was lucky and got out early, once his throat improved and Keller verified a fortunate lack of parasites.
"I will drop in," Radek said, his voice scratchy but near-normal. "Make sure you have everything you need."

Evan gestured at the laptop and pile of DVDs he'd been given, along with a number of books. "I'm good," he said, his heart hammering, but playing it cool. He was lucky he wasn't on the heart monitor anymore. "I'm still pretty tired, so I'll probably sleep a lot."

"Yes, well..." Radek's voice drifted off as he looked at Evan, his brow furrowing. "It is hard to believe this is real."

"It's real, doc," Evan said past the lump in his throat. "It's Atlantis. We're safe."

"For some value of safe, yes." Radek glanced quickly around the infirmary, then laid his hand on Evan's arm, brushing his thumb against the hair. "I... When." He swallowed, a look of confusion crossing his face. "I do not know what to say. I would have died without you."

"It's okay. I save your life, you save mine. That's the way it works here, right?" Evan twisted his arm around, snagging Radek's hand with his own, and giving it a small squeeze, unable to resist. "I thought everyone knew that."

Radek's face lit up momentarily, his care-worn features brightening as their hands linked. "Yes. I--" He started as the nurse came in, and pulled his hand away.

Evan immediately missed the warmth and weight of it. He couldn't help but watch as Radek scurried out of the door in his scrubs, his head down as he headed back to his room. Evan thought it was a bad idea for him to be on his own right now, but there really wasn't anything he could do about it. No one had replaced Heightmeyer yet, so they had to manage without a shrink on staff, and he couldn’t imagine asking McKay to keep an eye on him. Radek had to get on with his life, and Evan had to get on with his own.

<<<>>>

After so much time spent with Radek, it felt odd, even uncomfortable, to spend time alone. Lying in bed gave him too much time to think, to remember what had happened in captivity. Radek and he had been friends before, but they hadn't hung out together all that often, other than the insanity of playing the Ancient's game. But now Evan felt like a part of him was missing, that it was somehow wrong for them not to be plastered up against each other. Not to have someone lying next to him in the middle of the night.

He couldn't wait to get out of the infirmary.

And on the second day, when he got to have visitors, it didn’t help. Radek was so good at picking up the thread of his thoughts and running with them that Evan wasn't used to having to say everything aloud anymore, at having to explain all of the details. Colonel Sheppard stopped in to tell him to take his time getting better, and that he'd saved up plenty of paperwork for Lorne to work on once he was feeling better. Evan heard underneath the joke that Sheppard had been looking for him and would have kept looking until they were found.

There was a steady stream after that, each one more exhausting than the next. Colonel Carter stopped by to see how he was doing, as did Drs. McKay and Brown. McKay mentioned something about being glad Radek was back, which Evan took as a thank you, considering who he was talking to, while Katie gifted him with a small potted plant. Teyla brought him grapes and a special digestive tea, while Ronon, of all people, gave him all of the city gossip. A lot of it centered around people Lorne had barely met.

Radek didn't drop by.

Evan finally crashed right after dinner; even Keller's news that he could get out of the infirmary the next day couldn't keep him awake. Unfortunately, the prison routines had messed with his sleeping habits. He woke up sometime after the moons had set, disoriented and still . The infirmary was too quiet, even with all of the machines beeping and pinging around him, and the medical staff moving through the area to check on him during their rounds. The prison camp had always been noisy, people talking or snoring or fucking within feet of each other. Evan especially missed the sound of Radek's breathing, and the way he'd curled against Evan's chest during the coolest part of the night.
He ached all over, and he felt utterly alone. Without Radek there, nothing felt right.

<<<>>>

His room looked pretty much the same as it had when he left, other than the boxes of partially packed stuff lying around. Despite Sheppard's assurances, someone must have thought he wasn't coming back. Feeling like someone had kicked him in the gut, Evan opened a couple of boxes and dumped them onto the floor, but suddenly, the thought of arranging books and pictures, of putting casual clothes away in drawers, felt absurd. He tossed a box lid into a corner, and shoved the rest of his stuff to the side; he'd take care of it later.

The door pinged, and Evan wandered over to let his next visitor in, actually glad of the distraction. Radek stood in the doorway, looking clean and warm for the first time since that whole miserable mission went wrong, and just the sight of him made Evan's heart beat a little faster.

"Come on in," he said, stepping aside and letting Radek into the room. "I thought you'd be down in the labs or something."
Toeing his shoes off by the door, Radek shook his head. "I am on leave," he said as he slowly made his way over to the couch, sliding down onto the corner cushion. Evan took in the neat plaid shirt and jeans he wore, rather than the science uniform. "Doctor Keller feels that I need more time to recover."

Padding across the room, Evan searched for slippers to put on his bare feet, but no luck. "Yeah, me too. Keller said that I could have light duty next week, if everything looks good." She'd tried to talk to him about what had happened, but Evan brushed her off. She was no Kate Heightmeyer, and he wasn't fucked up about being held prisoner; he'd survived worse.

Still, Evan couldn't stop himself from looking at Radek, letting his gaze caress skin he could no longer touch. Radek was cleanshaven for once, and his hair lay in damp curls, like he'd just gotten out of the shower. His shirt made his eyes look a brighter blue than Evan could remember, neatly framed by new glasses. He looked incredible, and Evan wanted to grab a hold of him; wanted to return to when he had the right to touch him freely.

But even then, he'd never done more, though, no matter how much he'd wanted it. They'd been prisoners, not lovers, and he'd been careful to keep it professional, within the necessary limits. Seeing Radek here, in Atlantis, made him wish he'd tried something when he had the chance.

The silence felt strained, and all Evan could think about was the way his hands itched to go over there and feel Radek's body pressed against his, the way it had been in their cell. His last couple of nights had been hell, with him too tired and sore to do more than note that Radek should be there, unable to sleep well because he wasn't.

Okay, so maybe he was a little fucked up.

"So." Radek pushed his glasses up, looking carefully at Evan. "Perhaps you could sit down? It is disconcerting to try and talk with you looming over there."

"I am not looming."

"You would loom less if you sat down."

"Fine. I'll sit."

Evan sat at the other end of the couch, as far from Radek as possible, which wasn't far on the small couch. He leaned against the armrest and slung his other arm along the back of the couch, attempting to look relaxed. Radek gave him a long look, and murmured something in Czech; it wasn't one of the phrases that Radek had taught him in camp.

"No fair using words I don't know," Evan said.

"I was commenting on how you looked, is all."

"And how do I look?"

"Better," Radek allowed. "You look much better than you did back on the planet." He leaned forward and brushed his hand over Evan's, glancing up at him. "I wish to renegotiate our deal." Radek took a deep breath, and slid over next to Evan on the couch.

"What?" His hand still tingled from where Radek had touched it.

"Our deal." Radek moved his hand onto Evan's knee. "The arrangement we had back on Taskel. I wish to renegotiate that arrangement."

His touch seemed to burn right through Evan's pants, but he tried to stay casual. "The one where we escaped? Look around, buddy. We're back on Atlantis. There's no way we can change that one."

"No, I am talking about our other arrangement. The one where you pretended to be my protector." Radek reached down and pulled Evan's bare feet onto his lap.
Oh, God, Evan thought. Radek started kneading the arch of Evan's foot, and there was no way he had any resistance to that. Still, he shook himself and tried to sit upright. Radek just pressed harder against the sole of his foot, and with a whimper, Evan sank back against the edge of the couch. "Look, it was… It's just. It was all I could think of to keep that mob away from you."

"It worked, and I am not complaining." Radek made a fairly vicious stab at a knot in Evan's foot. "No, I wish to establish the same relationship here."
He switched to the other foot, and Evan gave a small groan of appreciation, even as he stared at Radek disbelievingly. "Are you saying you need someone to keep McKay away from your ass?"

Radek snorted, and said something else, but Evan wasn't really paying attention. His entire body was melting, from the toes up, and now his calves were getting some of the action. Evan could see Radek speaking as his hands swept over Evan's ankles and calves--the words were soft and low, but they made no sense. His whole body tingled, and it had other uses for both blood and oxygen than giving it to Evan's brain. The longer Radek rubbed at his feet, the less Evan was interested in talking, and the more wired he felt. As his cock hardened, his mind became muddy and confused, until all he wanted was to stretch out and pull off his clothes, and let Radek do that rubbing thing to the rest of him.
Radek's hands stilled, and Radek was looking at him expectantly; Evan figured he was waiting for a response, but damned if he knew what it was. Feeling boneless and relaxed for the first time since he'd gotten back to Atlantis, he poked Radek with the toe of his foot. "Uh, sorry. I can't really follow what you're saying when you're doing that."

Shoving Evan's feet off of his lap, Radek swung his leg over Evan's lap and straddled him, pressing their groins together; Evan could feel that Radek was just as hard as he was.
"Radek?" he said carefully, his heart pounding, unable to believe his luck. He couldn't help it, he had to rub his hand across that tantalizing curve of skin. "Something I should know?"

"You are an insufferable, clueless young man."
"Hey, I'm only a couple of years younger than you." Radek's words broke something loose inside him, and suddenly everything seemed funny.

In answer, Radek leaned down, gripping Evan's wrists with his hands, and gave him a demanding kiss, warm lips pressing firmly against Evan's own.
Evan moaned and bucked up, rubbing his body against Radek's, enjoying the strength and pressure of Radek pressing down against him. Radek as aggressor was so different from what had happened between them in the camp, it reassured him, and it also made him feel wanton, greedy. Opening his mouth, he invited Radek in, kissing and licking at his lips aggressively, demanding more.
"Maybe you are merely stupid, then." Radek set his glasses down on the closest pile of books and stretched out against Evan, sliding his hands down Evan's arms, shoving his shirt up. He nipped Evan's neck, right where it met his collarbone, while rubbing his hand over Evan's stomach.
"I may not be the brightest guy when compared with your scientists, but I'm not a dim bulb, either." He levered himself up enough that Radek could strip off his shirt, getting a little thrill out of the proprietary way he did it, like he owned Evan and had a right to do it.

Okay, maybe that was more than a little thrill. Maybe that whole prisoner thing had really fucked with his head.

"I see. So, then, you knew that when I said that I did not want to simulate sex anymore in front of the other prisoners--"

"Yeah, I'm sorry. That was my fault. I went too far, I shouldn't have--"

Radek pressed his hand over Evan's mouth. "I meant that I wanted to fuck, for real. Understand? No more simulations."

Oh. Oh. Here he'd thought... Nodding, Evan wrapped his arms around Radek's lower back, squeezing him down against Evan's cock, grinding it against Radek's own. "Got it. Guess I was kinda stupid."

"Yes," Radek agreed as Evan helped him pull off his shirt, revealing a hairy chest and tantalizing skin. "I was not interested in providing their entertainment, but the sex, yes, that I wanted. Want." He let Evan run his hands down his chest and over his thighs, before standing abruptly and unbuttoning his pants, shoving them down and off. "Now take off your pants. I have spent too long thinking about your cock rather than sucking it."

"That's a great plan," Evan said breathlessly, unbuttoning his pants and sliding his boxers off with them, then tossing the whole ball of cloth over the back of the couch. He wanted this so much, had been wanting it for so long. "I like the way you think."

"Then I will think for both of us." The next kiss was full of heat and hunger, and Evan sprawled back, letting Radek do whatever he wanted. Radek's hands were in his hair, stroking the back of his neck, adjusting everything to be just so. He went along with it, enjoying the attention and the demands, not caring what they did now, as long as he was free to touch Radek again.
Skimming his hands along Radek's sides, Evan reveled in the luxury of both being able to take his time, and enjoying the privacy they had. He ran his hands down Radek's arms, and gripped Radek's shoulders, pressing them down together. He kissed, licked and sucked everywhere he could reach, going for quantity over quality. As far as he was concerned, there was no 'less is more' thing when it came to Radek. More of Radek was simply...more.

Radek knelt between Evan's legs, staring at his cock; he made a small needy noise that drove Evan crazy. He wanted Radek, wanted to have his dick in his mouth, wanted to taste him. And he wasn't going to last long, this first time.

"69?" he asked hopefully as he glimpsed Radek's cock between his thighs, at how long and red it was, at how the tip glistened.

"Yes, good suggestion; maybe we’ll let you do some thinking, too." Radek's eyes glinted mischievously.
Evan pulled Radek up and around, stroking and settling the two of them together, squirming until the tip of Radek's cock was right at the edge of his lips; Radek slid his mouth along Evan's cock, and brushed the tip with his tongue. Evan sucked on the tip of Radek's cock and wrapped both hands around it, working them in time with his mouth sliding up and down the shaft.

It felt good, the slick wet slide of a cock in his mouth, something he'd missed. Radek did something with his tongue and wrist that made Evan groan, only a hint of the sound escaping. His nipples tightened, as did his ass and the muscles in his back; it was like he was soaring. Heat and wet, warm skin, soft mouth, wet tongue. Hands wrapped around each other as they greedily, eagerly took what they wanted. Evan couldn't stop himself from pressing closer, his hips jerking in time with the rhythm that Radek had set. He was close, so close, he just needed a little-- Radek pressed his fingers against Evan's ass, and that was it, that was all she wrote. Radek's cock slipped from his mouth as he pulled back and froze, his body locking up as he came for what felt like forever.
When he could move, he fumbled around until he found Radek's cock again, soft and wet from his own release. "That good, huh?" he said, and he couldn't keep the smug satisfaction out of his voice.

"We try again later, for comparison." Radek patted his hand, and Evan laced their fingers together. It looked like he was going to get to enjoy this for awhile.
One thing still bugged him though. "So...why didn't you come see me in the infirmary?"

"I could not trust myself." Radek shrugged, and the naked shrugging felt great. Evan leaned over and snagged Radek's glasses off the pile of books, but Radek shook his head. "Later, maybe. Maybe a small rest first."

Evan tugged Radek up next to him, getting them situated together on the narrow couch. Radek was a sight. His lips were swollen, his hair was matted with sweat, there was come on his stomach, and enough red patches on his chest from the scratch of Evan's beard to make a constellation. Radek's eyes were half-closed, and honestly, he looked completely fucked out. Pulling Radek’s head onto his chest, Evan felt more relaxed and at peace than he had since they'd been captured. He kissed Radek lightly on the cheek, and pulled a blanket off the floor and over the two of them. "You always make the best plans."

The End