Elizabeth Weir frowned as she watched John Sheppard wander out onto the balcony, away from the party.
Another year had gone by in their city, and they were marking time with what vaguely corresponded to New Year's Eve on Earth.
The city was running on a skeleton crew, while the majority of staff partied. Within reason. The last thing Elizabeth needed was a drunken population playing around in the city of the Ancients.
She liked to think she was allowing them to have fun. Responsible fun, but fun nonetheless.
John, however, had seemed rather subdued the entire night. She'd catch his eye, only to have him look away. His whole response left her confused.
Elizabeth smiled at Radek and Carson, whispering a soft explanation as she excused herself from their conversation.
She hesitated for a moment, turning as though to approach Ronon and Teyla before telling herself to grow a backbone and go and talk to him. Something was very obviously bothering John, and she'd be a pretty bad friend not to try to help him.
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John didn't even move when she walked onto the balcony.
"Leaving the party already?" he asked, back to her. "It's not even midnight."
She glanced at her watch, seeing it was only a couple of minutes before the beginning of the near Earth year. Going by Colorado time, anyway. "Near enough," she insisted, coming to stand beside him.
"Everyone seems to be having a good time," John murmured softly.
"Everyone except you," Elizabeth countered, nudging his arm.
John turned to her, shrugging. "I'm just not much of a party guy."
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, causing him to let out a soft laugh.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm just ... kind of solitary," he explained. "I'd rather sit at home with a beer and a football game than stand in a room full of people."
Elizabeth laughed softly.
"What?"
She considered him for a moment. "I never saw you that way. I always imagined you being the ladies man who made a big night of New Year's Eve."
John shook his head firmly. "Definitely not," he insisted. "after my marriage went to hell, I worked every year."
Elizabeth nodded. She's known of his marriage, read about it in his file, but he'd never spoken of it. She wanted to know everything. What the mysterious Mrs Sheppard had been like, how they'd met, why they'd split.
Instead, she settled for linking an arm through his. "Well," she turned to face him "you have a whole city that sees you as family now. A whole population that you've helped to keep alive. I think you have something to celebrate this year."
John allowed himself a smile. "You're probably right."
"Oh, I'm definitely right," Elizabeth told him with a smirk.
They settled into a silence. A silence Elizabeth felt was much more comfortable than the one she'd walked into just minutes before.
Shouting from the room behind them made both turn suddenly, slightly startled.
"Ah, I think we would be getting to the counting down time of the evening," Elizabeth surmised, letting out a laugh as she heard Rodney start up the tradition.
John nodded, studying her expression.
When the shouts of Happy New Year rang out loudly around them, John offered Elizabeth a smile, tugging her arm to bring her closer.
He grinned when she gave him a quizzical look. "Can't break with tradition," he insisted.
Elizabeth could feel the blush, creeping up her cheeks as she tried to look anywhere but at him.
When she finally lifted her face, and locked her eyes with him, John was giving her the sincerest smile she'd ever seen from him.
He leaned forward, brushing a kiss to her cheek.
"Thank you," he whispered, "for everything."
Elizabeth linked her arm back through his, turning them to lean once again on the balcony and look into the darkness of the night.
Another year had gone by in their city, and they were marking time with what vaguely corresponded to New Year's Eve on Earth.
The city was running on a skeleton crew, while the majority of staff partied. Within reason. The last thing Elizabeth needed was a drunken population playing around in the city of the Ancients.
She liked to think she was allowing them to have fun. Responsible fun, but fun nonetheless.
John, however, had seemed rather subdued the entire night. She'd catch his eye, only to have him look away. His whole response left her confused.
Elizabeth smiled at Radek and Carson, whispering a soft explanation as she excused herself from their conversation.
She hesitated for a moment, turning as though to approach Ronon and Teyla before telling herself to grow a backbone and go and talk to him. Something was very obviously bothering John, and she'd be a pretty bad friend not to try to help him.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
John didn't even move when she walked onto the balcony.
"Leaving the party already?" he asked, back to her. "It's not even midnight."
She glanced at her watch, seeing it was only a couple of minutes before the beginning of the near Earth year. Going by Colorado time, anyway. "Near enough," she insisted, coming to stand beside him.
"Everyone seems to be having a good time," John murmured softly.
"Everyone except you," Elizabeth countered, nudging his arm.
John turned to her, shrugging. "I'm just not much of a party guy."
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, causing him to let out a soft laugh.
"Don't look at me like that. I'm just ... kind of solitary," he explained. "I'd rather sit at home with a beer and a football game than stand in a room full of people."
Elizabeth laughed softly.
"What?"
She considered him for a moment. "I never saw you that way. I always imagined you being the ladies man who made a big night of New Year's Eve."
John shook his head firmly. "Definitely not," he insisted. "after my marriage went to hell, I worked every year."
Elizabeth nodded. She's known of his marriage, read about it in his file, but he'd never spoken of it. She wanted to know everything. What the mysterious Mrs Sheppard had been like, how they'd met, why they'd split.
Instead, she settled for linking an arm through his. "Well," she turned to face him "you have a whole city that sees you as family now. A whole population that you've helped to keep alive. I think you have something to celebrate this year."
John allowed himself a smile. "You're probably right."
"Oh, I'm definitely right," Elizabeth told him with a smirk.
They settled into a silence. A silence Elizabeth felt was much more comfortable than the one she'd walked into just minutes before.
Shouting from the room behind them made both turn suddenly, slightly startled.
"Ah, I think we would be getting to the counting down time of the evening," Elizabeth surmised, letting out a laugh as she heard Rodney start up the tradition.
John nodded, studying her expression.
When the shouts of Happy New Year rang out loudly around them, John offered Elizabeth a smile, tugging her arm to bring her closer.
He grinned when she gave him a quizzical look. "Can't break with tradition," he insisted.
Elizabeth could feel the blush, creeping up her cheeks as she tried to look anywhere but at him.
When she finally lifted her face, and locked her eyes with him, John was giving her the sincerest smile she'd ever seen from him.
He leaned forward, brushing a kiss to her cheek.
"Thank you," he whispered, "for everything."
Elizabeth linked her arm back through his, turning them to lean once again on the balcony and look into the darkness of the night.