xfirefly9x

Title: Crazy Stuff
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Characters: John/Elizabeth
Prompt: #002 Balcony
Word Count: 565
Rating: PG
Summary: Elizabeth thinks over a life-changing decision John has asked of her.
Notes: Written for

sg_15_fics and the Sparky Army: Year of Sparky on ff.net. Slightly OOC.

So many moments spent on this balcony had brought Elizabeth the calm she needed to go on. It was like a weight was lifted from her each time she made a visit, leaving her mind clear to make the correct decision…or if not the correct decision, the right one.

Today was no different, yet the issue she had come to think over had never troubled her before.

John Sheppard had asked her to marry him.

What on earth had possessed him to do such a thing, she did not know, but after an examination from Carson and a thorough questioning, he had convinced her that he was serious. He wanted to marry her. Her.

She could still barely believe it and she couldn’t explain the increased heartbeat in her chest, pumping, pumping, pumping for him.

It made no sense.

They’d never dated before. They’d never had a relationship outside of work and that relationship was no different to the one she had with her other colleagues on Atlantis: friends and nothing more.

They’d never been in any romantic situations together at all – at least not where it was just the two of them involved. There was always someone else.

There was, if she was evaluating their relationship correctly, nothing deeper than friendship between them.

Why was John suggesting otherwise?

Closing her eyes and letting the breeze flow over her skin, Elizabeth forced all thoughts from her mind.

Cool air.

Water, lapping at the city’s edges below.

Simplicity.

That’s what she needed.

She slowed her breathing and focused on relaxing.

What did she want?

She pictured John in her mind: his messy dark hair, piercing eyes and crooked smile. He was cute, she wouldn’t deny that, and he was loyal and eager to please her, but…was there anything to having a relationship with him, really? As far as she knew he hadn’t had a serious commitment before.

She sighed.

This was too hard.

“Elizabeth?”

Apparently, her time had run out, also.

Opening her eyes, she turned to face John. “Yes?” she asked quietly.

“Have you…have you had enough time to think about what I said earlier?”

Letting out a small laugh, she shrugged. “I don’t think I’ll have ever had enough time,” she told him honestly. “I just…this,” she waved between herself and him, ”was more than a little bit unexpected.”

John smiled the crooked smile she had just been imagining and her insides turned to mush without warning. “Yeah, I know. And I’ll completely understand if you say ‘no’…”

“I…” She stared at him hopelessly.

“Hey, it’s okay. If you don’t want to, that’s fine,” John nodded at her. “Really.”

She shrugged and then shook her head, unsure of what to say. “John. As crazy as this all is, I’m thinking, I might just say ‘yes’.”

She watched the grin spread over her 2IC’s face and knew she had said the right thing.

“Really?” John asked for confirmation.

Taking a deep breath and letting it go, she reached out and threaded their fingers together. “Yes, John. Really. But…”

His face fell. “There had to be a ‘but’, didn’t there?” he half-joked.

“But,” she went on, smiling. “Don’t you think you should ask me out on a date, first?”

John’s smile returned and he nodded slowly. “Sure,” he agreed. “Would you like to go out with me sometime?”

Grinning, Elizabeth squeezed his hand. “I’d love to.”