#despite the sadness

[twotales]

Pigeons

Fandom: Stargate Atlantis

Characters: Rodney McKay, Radek Zelenka

Pairing: Rodney McKay/Radek Zelenka

Rating: G

Word Count: 848

Tags: Old Age, Established Relationship, Fluff, Bickering, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Post-Canon, Pigeons

Summary: Just taking the daily walk to the park.

Notes: This fic is inspired by this tumblr post. More notes and translations at the end.

Read On AO3

Rodney pulled on his boots and tied them snugly, his back and knees creaking as he stood. He put his coat on, his arthritic fingers fumbling with the buttons.

"You never bought me a single coat without buttons. I swear you've been trying to kill me since we met."

"You are delusional. I have done nothing but support your arrogant ass for fifty years."

A lopsided smile grew across Rodney's face as he pulled a toque over his white hair.

"Forty-seven. And if by “support” you mean “follow me around like a lost duckling.” Then yes, you did." He lifted his chin. "Let’s be honest here, you imprinted on me and I just couldn't shake you off."

He could see the man looking at him from over the top of his glasses. “If I didn't love you," he said. “Už bych tě vyhodil z okna.” His eyes gleamed. “I když myslím, že ještě není pozdě.”

Rodney's smile broadened as he picked up his satchel, checking to make sure he had everything. "You know I can understand all that now, and I am one hundred percent sure your mother wouldn't be too happy to hear you threaten me with defenestration."

"Mm, yes, I am regretting past decisions." He pushed his glasses up his nose. "The first of which is introducing you to my mother."

Rodney swung the bag over his shoulder and opened the door. He grimaced as the harsh wind hit his face. "Jesus, you just had to love somewhere cold, huh?"

"No one said you must live here Rodney."

Rodney locked the door and rubbed his arms before starting the daily walk. "Are you kidding? If I’d left you to your own devices you would have blown up half of Europe."

"I am not the one who goes around destroying things." His lips tilted up, "I do seem to recall someone blowing up 5/6th of a solar system though." He held his palm out. "Is it possible that you know of this person?"

"Oh c'mon, that was forever ago." Rodney threw his hands up, "Could we all just move on already?"

"Maybe one could move on if one was not being constantly told he would destroy one's homeland if left to his own devices."

"Fine," Rodney turned into the park and rolled his eyes. "I'll stop telling you that."

His brows lifted, "And you promise this?"

Rodney was all teeth. "Never."

"Well, then I will never move on."

Rodney's lips trembled. "I wish that were true."

He sat on their usual bench and put the satchel next to him. He pulled out his lunchbox and a sack. He opened the lid and took out his sandwich. He snorted as the inevitable birds came off their perches to be closer to the food.

"How could you love these things?"

"Do not even start. They are beautiful creatures."

"More like rats with wings." Rodney said while chewing.

“Oh, “rat’s with wings,” he says." He throws a hand up. "Bah! They are nothing like some rat." He pointed into his palm." They are docile and affectionate creatures who have contributed more to civilization than any other species of bird." He held said finger up, "They can be trained to tell the difference between Bach and Stravinsky you know.” He gesticulated wildly, “But of course, people complain about them, call them rats. We are the ones that brought them here! And yet we forget and treat them like nothing. But they remember even if we don’t. They are intelligent animals who do not fear us because we domesticated them.”

Rodney opened the sack and sifted his hand through the small seeds."I love it when you get wound up."

He knew that man would pull back, eyes lighting up, a dimple-popping smile spreading over his face because Rodney didn’t say such things often and the thing was he loved it when Rodney got wound up too. It was just how they were, how they would always be. Rodney threw a handful of birdseed and watched the birds peck and coo.

He could see the man on the bench smiling down at them, holding his hand out to pet one, the backs of his fingers rubbing gently up its neck. "Jsi můj oblíbenec."

"That is disgusting," Rodney said fondly.

He scowled. "Rodney, they are less disgusting than humans."

"Yeah, well, I don't like those either."

Rodney smiled as he said it. He could see the man chuckling at him, eyes crinkling on the sides as they closed lightly.

Rodney finished his sandwich and sighed, wiping the crumbs off toward the group of happy birds. His throat tightened as he zeroed in on one with a bar wing pattern. Two perfectly symmetrical solid black stripes across each one. He spread a pile of seeds next to it. His hand moved slowly, making sure the bird was aware of his intent. He gently ran the back of his fingers up its iridescent green and purple neck. The pigeon cooed happily as tears welled up in his eyes.

"You would have been Radek's favorite."

As always, I would like to thank @all-mighty-yaoiyuri ​ The Czech who checks my Czech. (ᕗ-^▿^)ᕗ ❤

More Notes:

Not going to lie, I cried several times while writing this, like, I am talking bawling my eyes out crying. And just so everyone knows, Radek died of old age, he did not suffer in any way and got to spend the rest of his life contributing to science and bickering with the man he loved the most.

Translations:

Už bych tě vyhodil z okna: I'd throw you out the window.

I když myslím, že ještě není pozdě: Although, I don't think it's too late.

Jsi můj oblíbenec: You're my favorite.

[candlebel]

I can't cry... I want to cry... I feel so much sorrow...

[mmmairon]

I fear my hands may always be stained red

[subzeroparade]

make your lullabies and take care of the rest

[endless-nightshift]

There's something so sad to me about the fact Lan Xichen goes from happily encouraging Lan Wangji to befriend Wei Wuxian to Considering Wei Wuxian to be Lan Wangjis 'only mistake'

Like... Imaging getting a miracle second chance not only at life but to have be loved by the man you've always admired only to find out that his family detests you because during the worst time in your life, physically and mentally you didn't take into account the idea that a man who'd always treated with cool acquaintance at best, active distaste at worst actually cared about you and that his constant reproach and effort get you do give up the one method you have to protect yourself while everyone was literally actually out for your head was honestly because he was badly wording his concern and not because he hated you and the methods you used to survive.

[jazforthesoul]

every time someone reduces CAPTAIN !!! elizabeth "lizzie" lafayette down to "a sad lesbian" a fairy dies bc i shoot it with my gun. like you're telling me you were spoon-fed a character that has one of the most realistic and RAW representations of grief and perseverance in the series and all you got from that was "she's sad" ????

is she a constantly happy character? Fuck no! that's acknowledged!! but to take EVERYTHING that she is, which has positive and negative aspects THAT ARE BOTH SHOWN, to take the fact that she is THE DRIVING FORCE OF THE MAIN BACKGROUND PLOT, and reduce her down to NOTHING but her relationships?? ?what the hell!!!

[kimwexlersponytail]

No. No. Just tell me what I need to do to change, okay? Just tell me what it is and i'll do it. Jimmy. No, Kim. You make me happy. We make each other happy. How can that be bad? Hey... I love you. I love you, too. But so what?

McWexler in Every Season

SEASON SIX

[i-kanava-i]

"How interesting."

[userarmand]

You promise me that you're gonna try with this Harry boy. I'd have liked him. I know it. He might need a bit of taking care of, mind you. He's got such a sad face [...] I hope you make each other a bit happier.

[adustoflove]

Having bpd to me is like I'm the loneliest person on the planet, no matter how many people I talk to, no matter how many connections I make or have, I'm a lonely void who will die alone. I have to be talking to someone or with someone every second of every minute of every day. I love people so much, I need people. There's so many people out there with different things to teach you. And then, if I have to talk to one person for more than 6 seconds today, I'll kill them. I'll kill myself. I need to be left alone for the rest of the day, I need no one but myself to be happy. I don't want to partake in anything with anyone because it's all draining and taking out of my alone time. Everyone is the same, they're all boring and self-absorbed. Every conversation feels like I'm forcing myself to be actively present. I just want to be alone in my room with nothing or no one. I don't see a future where I'm happy with anyone other than being by myself.

[ruporas]

wolfwood redraws (ID in alt text)

[opens-up-4-nobody]

🖤

[ghostflowerhotpotch]

I am the only one who still thinks how when Miles went away on the train this was Gwen's face?

Despite everything that happened there, she is looking at him flying away as if she has lost her breath.

I utterly adore how down bad she is.

[funsize-cenobites]

[godbirdart]

「 WANDERING FOX: 2020 SERIES 」

[kunikidas-lost-glasses]

Okay but Gojo raised two children at 17/18 alone with like zero experience on how to be a good parent while he was training to become the strongest and shortly after loosing his best friend who had also been the one he had been in love with in one of the most horrendous and cruel ways possible all while keeping up an incredibly cheerful and carefree personality.

You can't tell me that this man wasn't emotionally, mentally and probably also physically exhausted during that time.