#worried teyla

[realmonsterbones]

Stargate Anniversary Fest! My 20 Favorite Episodes of SGA: The Gift (1x18)

[sga-mcshep-4ever]

"Well done, Rodney." "We'll see." "We've got a pulse." "Getting stronger." "He's going to be okay."

[spockvarietyhour]

Angel S04E01 "Deep Down" (2002) & Stargate Atlantis S05E01 "Search and Rescue" (2008)

[lightthewaybackhome]

Stargate-Atlantis S5: E8 The Queen

Yes, I skipped Whispers (E7). I watched it the first time through and promised never to watch it again. Absolutely stupid episode. Pretending it doesn't exist.

I would like to start by saying I haven't had a chance to watch any SGA since Monday morning, and it's Wednesday evening. I'm so happy. Also, Todd is so ridiculous, and I love him.

Sheppard's explination to Todd on why Todd should alter his DNA: I could stop waiting for a chance to kill you, in theory.

Sheppard isn't on board as soon as Teyla's life is at risk, and I love that. I love Sheppard, Ronon, and Rodney hanging around for Teyla's surgery, pacing the floor, telling each other to relax, all three of them so worried.

Teyla calls then Darts and not a single Wraith bats an eye. 🤣

I love when Teyla kinda goes full Queen on Todd, and the last shot is him looking...disturbed. I think he thought she would be weak and controllable. Surprise! She's not.

Again, Todd always has a plan within a plan within a plan, and it's great.

[stargatelov3r]

i'm SO mad we didn't get a "good bye" scene for Teylabeth in adrift/lifeline. SO FUCKING MAD

i mean sure i would have preferred if there hadn't been any *need* for that buT STILL

WHERE IS MY HUG

WHERE MY FOREHEAD TOUCH

MY KISS

WHERE

[dr-futbol-blog]

The Defiant One, Pt. 1

I've thought about where I would have placed 38 Minutes (S01E04) that seemed to fit ill so early in the season, and I think it would have made the most sense between the mid-season two-parter and The Defiant One (S01E12), discussed here.

The Genii siege visibly changes something between Sheppard and McKay, and we get to resolve that a little too fast in this episode that follows directly after. 38 Minutes has that strange almost-confession to Weir,* which would have made more sense here as Weir and Sheppard seem to grow closer at the end of The Eye (S01E11) although, I argue, it is precisely because Sheppard needed to create distance between himself and McKay that they did. He was using Weir to create distance, in effect hiding behind her, because Kolya figured out after like a minute of talking to Sheppard that McKay was the best way of getting to him. Sheppard was reminded of the fact that being important to him put McKay in mortal danger.

In 38 Minutes, we also have Sheppard's own near death experience and everyone working so very hard to save him, McKay worrying so much about him, the way that they look at each other, that something unspoken lingering between them, McKay's agitation over what ever Sheppard wanted to tell Weir; all of that would have made sense between these two episodes. The Iratus bug could have symbolized Sheppard's internal anguish: the way he's in agony at first and then the pain gets so bad that he gets numb and loses all feeling. It all would have made so much sense.

But regardless, we start the episode with a driving flying lesson (which, incidentally, also would have made the most sense following the events where both Sheppard and the other designated pilot were incapacitated at the same time). McKay received the ATA gene therapy and Sheppard is teaching him how to fly the puddle jumper. Where the previous episode ended with Sheppard very clearly wanting to create distance between them, here they are all cozy with each other again. Or s it seems.

Clearly, this is important. As mentioned previously, they need more pilots since there are few people with the ATA gene (two that we know have the real gene, a few others through gene therapy), and only a fraction of them know how to fly. It's important not only for the mission and taking the pressure off the commander having to do transport flights, it's also important for the team to have another person capable of doing it. And apparently neither Teyla nor Ford are able to do it (toward the end of the episode, they have a random soldier having to fly them over) which makes McKay not only the best choice but also the only one.

So whether he wanted to or not, what ever he was feeling inside, teaching Rodney how to fly the jumper was something that needed to be done. And here we are.

What Sheppard says is very interesting.

Granted, we don't know anything about his background at this point, often the way people talk to others reveals a lot about how they've been talked to in the past. It indicates that when ever he did something wrong as a child, he was corrected by snapping at him. My guy, you're in space. What could possibly happen if he lets go of the controls? You're going to veer off and crash into some more space?

It's also notable that he uses 'parents' instead of 'dad' or 'father' (both being that he is a guy and as dads are much more likely to be the one teaching kids how to drive; also, he himself was clearly taught by a driving instructor but teaching your kids how to drive is actually pretty common, it's a loving thing to do, and parents are supposed to be teaching their kids even in the case that they have an instructor, as kids learn by watching their parents whether they want it or not). So, you know. He has a mysterious past and a sad childhood, looks like.

Granted, McKay also seems to have had a pretty crappy childhood and, what's worse, seems to think it was all completely normal. We hear him reveal all manner of child abuse casually, here and there. It seems that they both were lonely and sad but for different reasons. McKay's immediate gut response "Snapping doesn't help!" is likewise telling, indicates that there was a lot of pressure put on him from a very young age.

Sheppard's use of the word 'parent' also creates distance between him and one or both of his parents. This man has been court-martialed, he has clearly been traumatized by something. He does not think he has anyone waiting for him back on earth. We know at this point that several people he served with have died, and that he blames himself for every one of these deaths. And he's not good at dealing with emotions, especially difficult ones. He says as much in Sateda (S03E04):

Sheppard: Look, Teyla. I'm not really good at, uh... Actually, I'm... I'm terrible at expressing... I don't know what you'd call it, uh... Teyla: Feelings? Sheppard: Yeah, sure,

He is terrible at expressing feelings. He especially has trouble verbalizing them.

When he is feeling difficult emotions, he uses self-soothing techniques (see the lip thing). One of these self-soothing techniques is creating distance between himself and the object of his emotion. So, instead of father he says parent (mom+dad) because he essentially uses the less significant, less painful thing (mom) to conceal the more significant, more painful thing (dad). Using the less significant object to create distance to the more difficult object forms like a barrier between him and an emotion he does not want to or can't face or deal with just then. Just like, in the previous episode, he used "Weir and McKay" instead of McKay. He was using the less significant, less important thing to mask the more significant, more important thing. It lessens the impact of the emotion attached to it. We see him do this a lot especially in connection to Rodney ("Even Rodney"). Again and again and again.

You can see him do the self-soothing lip thing before engaging McKay (like he's not sure he should say anything, like he wants to not have to say anything; he just can't help himself when it comes to this man):

Here, he is creating distance between himself and one or even both of his parents (and let's face it, it's probably the dad) but he's also, at the same time, creating distance between himself and McKay both by using the passive voice and lumping McKay into the category of kids. See previous episode as to why he desperately needs this distance between them.

But what he is actually saying here is that he is emotionally too close to McKay to be able to be an effective instructor to him. That's what he is saying. He's emotionally compromised. Now, whether you think his feelings are fatherly (he does not look at McKay the way a father looks at a son), friendly (he does not look at McKay the way a friend looks at a friend), collegial (he does not look at McKay the way he looks at Ford and Teyla), or whether you believe he thinks of himself as McKay's second uncle third removed, this is what he's saying in the scene. That he's too close to McKay to be able to teach him. He feels that he is too close to McKay.

It's possible that the whole reason as to why he's teaching McKay how to navigate the jumper is that it would allow him not to have to accompany him on these kinds of missions, harmless and scientific. If McKay knows how to fly a jumper, they would be able to spend less time together. Spending less time together would mean less emotion, would mean less pain, less of a chance for him to get McKay hurt or killed. This is foolish to think, of course, since absence has a tendency of making the heart grow fonder, as the saying goes. But we saw him start creating this distance between them at the end of The Eye (S1E10) and this is on par, is a logical continuation of that.

Humour, as it turns out, is another way of creating distance and coping with difficult emotions.

We are again reminded of the fact that McKay does not know not to keep it straight. Sheppard can do it in the air but not on land.

So, the thing is. As much as Sheppard wants to create distance between them, Mckay wants the opposite. He wants to connect with the Major. He's not making it easy for Sheppard. In this, he is defying him.

McKay tells Sheppard that he's touched by his sentiment. Keeps glancing at him. He refers to the puddle jumper, for all intents and purposes Sheppard's puddle jumper, as baby. He wants to see what this baby can do. Baby is a term of affection used most often by men to indicate that they see something or someone as soft and beautiful and needing to be taken care of in a gentle way. There is definitely something flirty in McKay using this term for Sheppard's puddle jumper.

But then Sheppard picks this up from McKay and also calls the jumper baby (yes, he's amused by the way McKay said it and ribbing on him, but picking up vocabulary from the object of your affection is yet another classic sign of attraction). They are taking care of the baby together. Parents, kids, babies. Freud probably would have a lot to say about the things they say and their subconscious desires.

Freud might also have something to say about Sheppard's fear that McKay is going to "snap the damn things off" if he doesn't ease up his grip on the control stick. But he doesn't want McKay to take his hands off them, either. He's instructing McKay on exactly how it likes to be held.

(We are also reminded of subconscious desires by the control display popping up, seeing how the puddle jumpers respond to Sheppard's mind; his desires.)

They are accompanied on the mission by two red shirts, random scientists we have never seen before but who we are to believe have worked with McKay previously and know him pretty well.

So, maybe it's because of the intense, borderline erotic look of concentration on McKay's face or his tone of voice, or what ever, Sheppard seems to start gravitating toward McKay. Even in front of two people he barely knows that work for the other man. Here, he turns back to look at Dr. Gaul, clearly amused by how different this scientist is from his scientist, but what he's doing at the same time is lean closer to Rodney:

He looks... turned on, frankly. And he sure as hell is not turned on by Dr. Gaul, sweating though he may be. The reason that he turned back to look at the nauseous scientist behind him might actually have been just to look away from the sex faces McKay is making while he's concentrating real hard.

Then he leans in even closer, to whisper conspiratorially to McKay. And McKay, well. He leans in, as well.

Sheppard: Why'd you choose this guy for the mission? McKay: Brendan's the one who discovered the Lagrange Point satellite was out here. Elizabeth felt he should see it for himself. Sheppard: Don't let go of the controls!

Sheppard snaps in a sudden jolt of panic. And it may not be McKay letting go of the controls that made him do it. It's that he mentioned Elizabeth, reminding him of why he needed to not be that close to Rodney. Just like McKay used Elizabeth's name (yelping "Elizabeth!" in near panic) when Sheppard was getting too close to him in his lab in The Storm (S01E09). They both seem to be using Weir as a... weir between them.

And again, as he will many, many times in the future, Sheppard needs to be touching something, needs to have his hands pressed against something, when he's near McKay:

Then they arrive at their destination and switch seats. They move seamlessly together, Sheppard needs only to mention his name and McKay does exactly what he wants, and is only too happy to oblige. We've seen this happen in movies between a man and a woman. It has never not been erotic (underlined by McKay's line "This thing is enormous!"):

Here, it's McKay that keeps glancing back and back at Sheppard as they're approaching the humongous ancient weapons platform. A weapons platform that should be a pretty interesting thing to look at, all things considered. But his eyes keep on being drawn back to Sheppard who, it should be noted, is wearing only a t-shirt.

Sheppard is trying not to look at McKay, catches himself several times before he does. He's not allowing himself to do it. That's until they come upon the wraith distress call from the planet below.

They look at each other. They communicate in words but they also communicate with their eyes. Suddenly, they are one mind again.

Continued in Pt. 2 (NB this episode focuses entirely on Sheppard and McKay so this is in 10 parts)

.* Actually Weir's whole "I didn't think so!" schtick would have made sense if it was about her knowing that Sheppard had been using her to create distance between himself and Rodney. Like she was telling him that she knows the half-hearted flirty smiles at the end of The Eye weren't really about her (same with the nurse right then) but were an attempt to build a defensive barrier between himself and the thought of losing someone important to him again. Because she knows.

Also, we would just have had a similar confession from Rodney where he was trying real hard to tell something to Weir and she wouldn't let him finish. Those almost confessions would mirror each other.

McKay: If this doesn't work... Weir: It will. McKay: I'm just saying, if it doesn't work... Weir: It will. McKay: I'm sure it will, but in the unlikely event that it doesn't, I... Weir: Rodney! Please.

---

Sheppard: Listen, uh, I'd like to say something while I still can. Weir: Don't! You're gonna get through this. Sheppard: If I was ... he wouldn't have let me go. Weir: Who wouldn't have let you go? Sheppard: The Wraith.

Sheppard: What I wanted to say was ... Weir: Save your strength, John, and tell me in person. Sheppard: This is important. Weir: I'm listening.

[sga-owns-my-soul]

Hello my lovely! 😊 I've popped back in with another ask of my random atlantis thoughts as I'm going through my rewatch

Idk if it's ever said outright, but I'm pretty sure Teyla is the first friend John's ever had who's been pregnant. Like, he DOES NOT know what to do with her and he's overly protective (which is very sweet but clearly irritating for Teyla)

Bro is TERRIFIED because she's his family! And her baby is his family!! Especially considering the guilt he feels about losing Elizabeth and Carson, of course he's going to be fiercely protective of her!!😭

Sidenote: Ronon found her exercising and she was worried that she wouldn't be able to "keep up" with the rest of the team once the baby was born if she didn't and his response was literally "Who says you have to keep up?" that just 🥺 Literally saying they're going to take care of her no matter what. They're so family I can't 😭😭

john sheppard is afraid of clowns, iratus bugs, and pregnant women and that is fucking canon to me. that man would rather SCALE THE FUCKING TOWER than be around a pregnant woman and i for one think that's fucking hilarious

ALSO i know it was like. Huge Asshole Energy when john grounded teyla from missions but like. all i can think about is how john places the responsibility to keep his team safe 100% on his own shoulders, and i FULLY believe that his team (which is strongest for AR-1 but obviously extends to the whole city) includes the athosians, and by this point they've gone missing, and i really do think john believes he's to blame for it. i think johns harsh reaction was purely fear based- teyla's baby, who very well could end up being the Last Athosian, is at risk because they got shot by stunners. not only is john feeling the guilt from teyla getting stunned, but he now thinks he's putting her baby at risk. of course he freaks out!!!!!! he JUST found out about torren and in the same breath finds out he might've led teyla into a situation where she could lose her baby???????? anyways this was a lot to say yes john 100% sees teyla and torren as family and is SO overprotective of both of them.

also i'm literally never over teyla and ronon's friendship, i LOVE how ronon pivots between beating the shit out of teyla because he knows she'll give it as good as she gets and being the softest most tender soul with her. like the scene where they find out and he holds her hand and congratulates her and asks about kanan 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺 IM GONNA SOB AT WORK THEYRE SO god i fucking love teyla and ronon's friendship it's SO fucking good

also you didn't mention this but i'm incapable of talking about teyla's pregnancy without commenting on how obsessed i am with the fact that rodney is the one who delivered her baby. like. i just. it's everything to me i genuinely think it's my favourite thing to happen in the entire show it was the BEST possible decision for the writers to make and i love it it's my favourite thing and i like to think rodney has a special bond with torren bc of it

thank you for the team feels they're Everything

[mollymorgansshovel]

POV  you’re a massage therapist on Atlantis and these are your annoying clients

Sheppard: Self-destructive runner type. Gets massaged to get hurt. Like, wants bruising pressure on his tight calves and hamstrings. Doesn’t give direct answers to questions about how the pressure is. Says weird indirect things like, “that’s a real zinger” instead of helpfully asking for less pressure or more time on any particular area. Works very hard and awkwardly to make it clear he’s non-threatening, using the phrase “in your professional opinion” several times.

McKay: Spends ten minutes on intake explaining his medical history, very little of which is relevant. Triple-checks that there are no citrus oils in your massage lotion. Is an absolute baby on the table, wincing and tensing at the slightest bit of pressure, but complaining when you use light pressure that you’re not going to get the knots out of his neck. Asks, “Is that muscle tight?” about every muscle, and when you say yes, he explains the reason why (complaining about his over-athletic friends making him do things.) You try to take the 10-minute intake out of his hands-on massage time so that your appointment doesn’t run late, but he notices the time and asks why you’re finishing early.

Teyla: Very pleasant client, when she’s able to commit to relaxing. Sometimes she is not able to commit to relaxing, and she seems to take it out on you, suggesting you are not doing enough to reduce her shoulder strain. She likes a lot of pressure and does not even mind things like bones being bruised, which is only hard because you do not want to hurt her because she is so nice.

Ronon: Gives you ZERO information to work with. Just answers “sure” to everything. You try to give a very medium-pressure, medium-everything massage, and get pretty much no feedback from it. His muscles soften a little, but it is a lot of muscle mass to manipulate, so it’s physically demanding work and you’re not even sure he’s happy with the results. You ask him to turn over onto his back and he does it in .5 seconds flat as if he was lying there fully alert waiting for something to do. He smiles really nice at you when he leaves though.

Ford: Giggles the whole time. When you find a sore spot. When you find a ticklish spot. When you prod a muscle he didn’t realize he had. When you put an elbow in his glutes. Don’t even get me started on his feet. He apologizes for the giggling, but doesn’t stop.

Elizabeth: Tells you she wants to relax, asks for lavender aromatherapy and everything, but asks you not to get oil in her hair because she just washed it!! How are you supposed to focus on relieving neck tension when you’re supposed to be focusing on absolutely not touching her hair?? And you can tell SHE is lying there being hyper-aware of the proximity of your oily fingers to her hair, which is not conducive to relaxation. Usually scalp massage is a surefire way to calm someone down, but you’re not allowed to touch her head. She also twitches when you use firm pressure on her shoulders, but you’re not sure if it’s in pain or if she’s worried you’re going to accidentally touch her hair. She tells you the pressure is fine. You don’t know what to believe. The relaxing lavender aromatherapy doesn’t seem to work very well.

Woolsey: The only time he talks during the session is to tell you anecdotes about the best spa experiences of his life. Describes the massage he got on a cruise to the Bahamas. Asks if you do this one hot-towel technique he once received at a spa in Sweden. You can tell he is comparing you to these other five-star experiences, and that you are not coming out a winner. You ask if he’d like water after the massage and he says yes, but when you bring him water, he touches it and says, “Oh, it’s cold water. I assumed it would be warm. Cold water after a massage...doesn’t agree with me” and hands it back to you. He leaves you a $50 tip, but it feels like a passive-aggressive pity fee.

Caldwell: Gets 90-minute deep tissue on his back. He needs it. Look how he sits. You tell him that working on his glutes and hamstrings would help with the low-back pain, but he insists it’s just his back that bothers him so you can only work on that. Misuses the word “sciatica.”

Becket: Very vocal client, grunts a lot. Tells you what a good job you’re doing, using very descriptive medical terms. “Is that the sternal head or the clavicular head of the SCM? It’s very tight whatever it is. Clearly I’m not doing a good enough job stretching. Thank you for the reminder.”

Zelenka: Best massage client. Knows how to use the spa to get away from work. Fully relaxes and doesn’t complain about a damn thing. 

[goodwhump-temp]

John Sheppard Whump - SG: Atlantis

1x01 Rising - Almost shot out of the sky, angry, scared/confused 1x02 Hide and Seek - Tazed, choked 1x04 38 Minutes - (Wraith bug attached to him) knocked unconscious/jolted, intense pain from multiple attempts to remove it, heart stops 1x08 Underground - Kidnapped by Chief O'brien (🤓) 1x10 The Storm - Alone, worries for friends 1x12 Defiant One - Stuck with McKay + nerd, shot, runs into forcefield (knocked down forcefully) 1x13 Hot Zone - Sacrifices self, caught in explosion 1x14 Sanctuary - Held psychologically captive, angry 1x19 The Siege pt. 2 - Shocked unconscious, almost killed by wraith, passes out, sacrificing himself ---------------------------------------------

2x01 The Siege - Fails to save a friend, guilted 2x02 the intruder - Piloting ship taken over by wraith virus, guilt/depressed about Ford 2x03 Runner - Shot/captured by Ronon, shot in the hand, increased guilt about Ford 2x05 Condemned - Jumper shot down, captured, hurts his knee (by being dumb) 2x08 Conversion - Infected with wraith retro-virus, slowly turns into a bug, shot by Ronon 2x09 Aurora - "Captured," shocked by force field multiple times 2x10 The Lost Boys - Kidnapped/stunned unconscious, threatened by the Lost Boys, poisoned, knocked down by an aggressive-drugged Ronon, guilted, Kidnapped/stunned unconscious AGAIN, weak/sore, taken by the Wraith and painfully 'willed'/torture 2x11 The Hive - Stunned unconscious, painfully willed by the queen, guilted 2x12 Epiphany - Stuck in a place where time moves faster/ages quicker/alone (6 months), evolves into bearded John, seriously injured by monster (unconscious + seriously bleeding) multiple times 2x16 Long Goodbye - Possessed by a bitter old man, shot in the shoulder, shocked unconscious and captured, painful convulsions, weak 2x17 Coup D'etat - Genii trap, collapses, captured/tied up ---------------------------------------------

3x01 No Mans Land - Captured, tired 3x03 Irresistible - The only one who isn't in love with Lucius, shot unconscious (sleeping so peacefully wtf), imprisoned 3x04 Sateda - Tranquillized unconscious, captured (+ nice talk with Tayla :)) 3x05 Progeny - Fingers in the brain torture 3x06 Real World - Angst for Weir 3x07 Common Ground - Captured by Kolya, life sucked out of him, exhausted 3x09 Phantoms - Trapped on a planet, Afghanistan PTSD, guilt about the death of another friend, apologizes a million times for literally shooting everybody 3x12 Echoes - Ears bleeding, tortured/hospitalized with equally deaf McKay 3x13 Irresponsible - Western duel against Kolya (gigachad) 3x16 Ark - Almost sucked out into space, collapses from lack O2, sacrifices himself, crashes the ship, exhausted 3x17 Sunday - Beat up by Ronon during training 3x18 Submersion - Freaked out, painfully controlled/willed by wraith lady, exhausted/sore 3x19 Vengeance - Gets in a banter fight with Michael face to face, gets smacked around by a huge bug ---------------------------------------------

4x01 Adrift pt.2 - Emotional about Weir 4x04 Doppleganger - Infected and knocked down by crystal, exhausted, in everybody's nightmares (effects relationships), really beaten up/thrown by himself, dangerously high heart rate 4x05 Travelers - Captured, beaten, threatened, shocked unconscious 4x06 Tabula Rasa - Infected, loss of memory/clueless, shocked unconscious & tied up, exhausted 4x10 This Mortal Coil - Bleeding, Ronon caused injury, captured, acts dead 4x11 Be All My Sins Remember'd - Shocked unconscious, captured 4x12 Spoils of War - Shocked unconscious, painfully willed by Wraith queen (another nice talk with Teyla) 4x15 Outcast - Dad died, emotional, choked unconscious, weak 4x20 The Last Man - Trapped in the future, walking through a rough sandstorm, collapse, weak, trapped in a building collapse ---------------------------------------------

5x01 Search and Rescue - Trapped under rubble, chunk of concrete stabbed in the abdomen, denies surgery, in pain the whole episode 5x02 Seed - Injected with experimental drug with high risk, convulsing, in serious pain, flatlines, crashes into the city, stabbed in the stomach by tentacles 5x03 Broken Ties - Punched unconscious by Ronon, captured, 5x05 Ghost in the Machine - Thrown across the room and wall, weak 5x06 The Shrine - Emotional about McKay 5x08 The Queen - Captured 5x10 First Contact - Stargate explosion 5x11 The Lost Tribe - Caught in Stargate explosion, weak, glass shards in the back 5x13 Inquisition - Knocked out 5x14 The Prodigal - Hanging off a building, badly beaten up by Michael 5x15 Remnants - Abducted, knocked unconscious, beaten, arm chopped off 5x19 Vegas - Dies (Alternate reality)

[allstarnotrek]

Ronon: Don't worry, I have a few knives up my sleeve.

Teyla: I think you mean cards.

John: no he doesn't.

Ronon, pulling knives out of his sleeve: no I don't.

[spurious]

8 for the kissing meme

Kissing prompt ask meme: send a number~

8: "in secrecy" oooooooh this was FUN

There are days that Rodney doesn’t mind having to keep things between them a secret. He’s, despite evidence to the contrary, actually somewhat of a private person, and he doesn’t feel like everyone in the city needs to know he and Sheppard are together. He knows it would fuel gossip among the personnel, knows his scientists would never let it go, and, well, Ronon and Teyla know, and usually that’s enough.

Today is not one of those days, though. Today is a day that Rodney wants to tear down the American military establishment, wants to scream the truth in everyone’s smug fucking faces, to tongue-kiss John in the goddamn gate room. It’s petty, sure, but Rodney’s never claimed not to be a petty person. Watching John get dragged off by the latest beautiful alien princess, seeing the congratulating and back-slapping among the Marines when he’d come back looking rumpled—and Rodney trusts John with his life, of fucking course he trusts him not to cheat, so it’s not that he’s worried, or jealous, he just…wants, to be able to be more than something shared in the quiet dark, to have the same respect for his relationship that anyone else would be afforded.

He could get angry at John about it, has gotten angry at John about in the past, has refused to speak to him for days until they both broke, making eye contact across the mess and just laughing, stupid and light with it, edges softened. If he wanted to rant about for a while, John would listen to that, too, would let Rodney pace and shout and wave his hands until he got tired.

Right now, though, all he wants is to be alone with John, to feel him under his hands, to confirm, confirm, confirm. He presses John back against the door, tilts his head up and noses across the line of John’s jaw.

“She didn’t touch you?” Rodney asks, because he needs to know whether he has to put John in the shower before they get any further with this.

“No,” John says, shakes his head. He lifts his hands and clutches at Rodney’s shoulders, tight and desperate like he needs this too. “Only you.”

“That’s right,” Rodney murmurs, kissing John’s chin, his cheekbones, before landing on his mouth. John opens for him with a quiet little sound, muffled against Rodney’s lips, and, well—John like this, soft and beautiful and giving himself up so perfectly, so easily: that’s something Rodney’s glad to keep to himself.

[sga-mcshep-4ever]

"So are we, uh, ready?" "What's there to be ready for?" "Well, this is sort of a big moment, and I thought we haven't been in contact for some time. I just figured we—" "We're ready." "Go ahead." "Please work." "Stargate Command, this is Dr. Elizabeth Weir of the Atlantis expedition. Do you read? I repeat, this is Dr. Weir. Come in, please." "This is Sergeant Harriman of Stargate Command. Whoever you are, this better not be a joke."

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

I'm watching The Two Towers while I scroll, and all the romantic & angsty Arwen scenes (especially the ones that seem as dreams) have me in a soft, longing, romantic mood. So, here's some romantic Stephen Strange from an old WIP. Mayhap someone out in tumblrland might find it pleasing. From chapter fifteen of...

Of Magic, Miracles, and Moonlight...

...wherein Stephen goes to sleep longing for his woman, detained for now far across the galaxy ~ and her own longing for him is enough for them to meet somewhere in a dream...

(contains some mature content, although not explicit)

Finally, Stephen slept; he’d gone nearly seventy-two hours without a wink of sleep, so that his head had barely touched the pillow, and he was out like a light, falling swiftly and deeply, exactly as the needs of his body dictated.  Likely he dreamed throughout those many hours--as the dusk outside the New York Sanctum changed first to the deep dark of the night, and then to rosy dawn, and finally to mid-day--but he did not remember them upon waking.  Only one stayed with him, and he wasn’t even certain it was a true dream--for when he awoke from it, it had seemed so vital, so true to life (and to his heart’s desires) that he wished it was reality.

In this dream—or vision…or perhaps it was a sending from the mind and heart of his woman, who remained upon her impossibly distant world—he stood in the midst of the grove of keyanna trees which she had shown him before he took his leave of her.  Their fragrance was as lovely as he had remembered, surrounding him as the gentlest of breezes whispered against his upturned face and through the errant locks of hair that hung perpetually upon his brow.  He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, filling his lungs with the trees perfume, and feeling the warmth of an alien sun kiss his face.  It was good, so very good; a pause from his responsibilities and cares, a welcome respite from the burdens that he bore—not that he ever complained aloud, but some days…well, some days he wished for just a few hours without the worry that came along with being a Sanctum Master, and the constant knowing of the countless threats that existed to humanity, in all its blissful ignorance.

How relaxed he felt, how at peace, thinking this was as close to a vacation that he’d likely get in a very, very long time.  He wasn’t even wearing his usual tunic and breeches; just the same sort of casual attire he adopted on the nights when he and Teyla stole what time they could with one another, away from the confines of compound and sanctum.  It occurred to him that the moment lacked only one thing—the most important thing—the one thing that was the most crucial of all to his happiness.

As if summoned by that thought alone, Teyla called out his name; Stephen smiled, hearing her as much in his mind and heart as with his ears--as he so often did these days.  He opened his eyes to look for her, and saw her approaching from a distance, with a dreamlike grace that made his knees weak.  The bright sunlight streamed through the flower-laden branches, painting her skin with a soft, healthy glow; the wind stirred the trees gently, wafting the pale lavender petals around her, leaving some to be caught in her unbound hair.  Stephen covered his heart with his right hand; it felt so full of love and joy at the vision of his sweet woman that it seemed like it might burst, if he allowed it to.

Clad in a pale blue shift that was gathered beneath her breasts and fell in soft ripples mid-calf, Teyla walked barefoot through the drifts of fallen keyanna blossoms.  Her eyes were set upon him, and she was smiling a beckoning smile, pure with her love for him, as she held out her arms to motion him closer.   “Stephen… Beloved,” she called to him, like a perfect piece of music meant for his ears alone, and as an irresistible whisper in his mind.  “This is the place, my Beloved; the place where I would lay with thee, beneath the bright sun, beneath the sister-moons and diamond-stars.”  Stephen swallowed hard, awe-struck, love-struck, feeling her quiet beauty in his blood, recognizing his weakness for her, and happy that of all the souls in the cosmos, she was the one that had claimed his heart.  “This, Stephen; this is the place where I would gladly give myself to thee.” 

His dream-self recognized with a soft pang of regret that she had meant it to be the place, and thus was surely no small part of the reason that Teyla had brought him to the grove, so vividly awash in Nonya’s beneficent light.  Once there, she had revealed that she’d dreamed of them together in this place; dreams in which they lay together skin-on-skin.  And swept up in that longing, she had then shown him her desire.

As he pondered the meaning of his vision—astounded at how real it felt--Teyla closed the distance between them easily, and stood before him, soft and sweet and oh so willing.  Why, Stephen could taste her willingness on the very breeze that caressed his skin, feel it in the way the sunlight danced through the keyanna leaves, hear it in the rapid beating of his heart.  She smiled serenely, and with perfect understanding of everything he was feeling—including his suspicion that something, or someone, might prevent her from returning to Earth—she whispered his name as she draped her arms around his neck.  “Dismiss that fear, Beloved, for I will return to thee—no force in the universe can keep me from your side for long.”  Teyla rose up on her toes—as she so often needed to do when she faced him in the flesh--to reach his lips and kiss him tenderly.

“Of course; how could I think otherwise?” he answered, relief flooding his veins--finding her dream-form substantial enough to embrace; not the mist of some sweet reverie, but the real woman whom he ached for with every breath he drew.  “Am I dreaming this, or are we somehow here together?”

“We are together, my love, in a realm somewhere between dreams and waking.”  How wise she was, how patient and loving; his Teyla, his beloved one, and in that moment he knew he’d be willing to sell his soul to have her be his forever.  “Oh, my love, my Stephen—know you not that I already am?”  Her smile dazzled him, as he accepted the knowledge from her mind to his, that come what may, her heart had chosen him, had committed to him eternally as was the ancient way of her people; only later, as he considered his dream-vision upon waking, did he realize that Teyla’s mother had bonded in the same way with Walter Charles--which had to account for much of the beauty in his creations featuring her.

“Yes.  My sweet Teyla,” he smiled, drawing her against him, patient enough for the future that awaited them together.  He let his face hover over hers, drinking in the purity of the love and trust reflected in her eyes, and letting it fill him to the brim, refreshing him as no twelve-hour sleep ever could.  He took her offered lips with his, slowly and softly to begin with, tasting all that she promised, her devotion, her desire.  Tasting all that she offered him; a lifetime spent at his side as lover and helpmate; as his ‘better half’ in the parlance of Earth.  Stephen had never desired such a profound connection to another soul in his old life—but now, it seemed essential not only to his existence, but to the accomplishment of his mystical purpose.

When he broke from their kiss, Teyla sighed against his lips, then buried her face against his neck, breathing him in, humming contentedly.  “What comes next, honey?”  Stephen stroked her hair, soothing himself as much as he did her, “How long do you think it will take until can rejoin me on Earth?”

She sighed hard this time, delivering regretful news, “I cannot say with certainty, Beloved.  To fulfill my obligation, and for the sake of my people, it may be several days.”  Teyla hesitated briefly, before quietly admitting that Moraine might present a further obstacle to her departure from Hadeeth.  “She will use every entreaty at her disposal to keep me close—but I will show her, Stephen—I will show her that I know my own mind and heart, and that I will not be dissuaded from the course I have chosen.”  She spoke gently, but with full conviction against his ear, “The course that you and I have chosen together.”

Despite her avowal, Stephen wanted to hold onto her tighter than ever—but strangely, he began to feel their embrace weakening.  Teyla answered before he could ask.  “I will be called to Council chambers shortly.  I regret I must turn my focus from thee now.”  She backed out of his arms just enough to face him squarely, “And you, my love, must rest yourself, return to your world, and focus on the duties that await you.”  She kissed him once more, and faced him with a knowing smile, before brushing her fingertips from the edge of his hairline to between his eyebrows, tracing a wee circle there.  His sight began to dim, as true sleep overtook him, and as he exhaled his exhaustion, he fell away from her arms.

Upon awakening—and after mulling over his dream-vision, wishing with heartfelt immediacy to find his way back to the keyanna grove--Stephen’s first impulse was to check the Sanctum library for any texts that might explain his extraordinary experience.  It had been far too real to be the mere fantasy of a man missing his lover, every sensory detail vivid enough that it seemed he could still taste Teyla’s kisses on his tongue and feel her tender caress against his cheek, while he swore that his room retained traces of scent from the keyanna trees.  But as ever, his needs and wants were secondary to his duties, forcing him to set that quest aside until far later in the day.

Instead, he made his first order of business sending messages along to Wong and Master Salma, explaining Teyla’s absence from Kamar-Taj, and that he could not give them a timeframe for how long she might be detained upon Hadeeth.  Though she had assured him in his dream that she would return, Stephen was left to wait—just as they were--with no clear idea of when to expect her.

His daily duties kept Stephen busy for a good part of the afternoon and early evening, so that he didn’t see himself clear to visit the library until after wolfing down a late supper.  Fortunately, his gift of eidetic memory was crucial to his research, and in less than a couple of hours, he thought he had answers enough to understand what he’d experienced.

Lucid dreaming.  That seemed to be the closest explanation for what had happened.  Certainly Teyla had initiated it, across the immeasurable distances between them, enabled by her empathic gifts to reach out to him in spirit as he never could have imagined possible.  In his studies since his first day at Kamar-Taj, and through a multitude of experiences since becoming a Master, Stephen had learned how powerful pure thought could be, capable of bridging time and vast distances beyond even the speed of light.  But he had never imagined it affecting him so personally, so intimately.  And now that he knew it was possible, he hoped he might reach out to Teyla in return.

Each night that followed, he settled into bed, relaxed enough from meditation to practice the techniques he had studied, his mind and heart focused on reaching her, spirit to spirit.  But each night, to his disappointment, sleep took him before he even came close to succeeding.

By the fourth morning, Stephen’s exasperation with such failures—coupled with frustration that their separation seemed to be stretching on indefinitely—left him irritable, to carry out his responsibilities perfunctorily, while being uncharacteristically curt with those around him.  Watching over the multiverse from his privileged vantage point of the Window of the World, he was tempted for the first time to use that auspicious tool for his own benefit, to hone in on Hadeeth and discover how Teyla was faring, and if indeed there was any hope she’d be free to return to Earth soon.  Wisely, Stephen denied himself that urge, knowing that the use of magic for such a selfish purpose would ultimately rebound bitterly upon the user, and sometimes even exact unanticipated collateral damage.

On day five, his concern for her welfare far surpassed his need to have her at his side, as he imagined Moraine holding her daughter hostage of sorts, believing she was doing a mother’s service to a misguided child’s heart.    Intellectually he knew it couldn’t be so, but the tender heart Teyla had awakened within him worried all the same.  Even knowing that he might cause damage to Earth’s alliance with Hadeeth by acting rashly, Stephen had to tap into a lifetime habit of discipline—the selfsame that had forged his brilliant path to medical supremacy--to resist conjuring a portal directly to the People’s Citadel, or to the homey little cottage which Teyla called home.  This fifth day, as he went about a Master’s tasks and continued his perpetual watch for threats against humanity--all while waiting for the night to come again--felt like the longest in his memory.

Exhausted in spirit and low on optimism Stephen took to his bed, thoughts of Teyla fixed in his mind’s eye, sending everything he felt for her out into the universe.  Not trying to force his way to achieve his aim, and expecting nothing from the universe in return.  And perhaps that was the simple, missing element needed to span the realities that lay between them.

His dream-self opened his eyes, and she was finally there before him, making his doubts and concerns evaporate like thin wisps of mist by day’s new light. They stood in a moonlit meadow, surrounded by Teyla’s talat akeylum, countless fragrant blossoms fully opened and nodding almost imperceptibly in the light breeze.  The night was deep around them, filled with the lulling nighttime sounds of whatever small Hadeethan creatures and insects called the meadow home.  The three moons rode high and brightly in the sky, one full, one half, and one a silvery crescent, their combined light painting the scene with lovely clarity—though that loveliness paled for him, as his eyes drank in the bewitching sight of his woman, the most exquisite blossom of them all.  His Teyla.  

For a moment, Stephen forgot how to breathe, overcome with awe, his heart beating like a trip-hammer in his chest.  Even clad in the simple homespun robe she had worn at their first meeting, her hair piled up in a loose bun once again, Teyla stole his ability to reason.  “Oh god,” he whispered, memorizing the details of her face as though he’d hadn’t already committed them to memory dozens of time; he breathed hard to keep his voice from breaking with emotion, “I miss you so much, honey…it feels like years since I’ve touched you…held you.  Why haven’t you returned to me?”

She smiled and gave a little sigh before she answered.  “My love--though I tarry here, all my soul is bent upon returning to your side.  To your arms.”  She stepped into him, and though Stephen knew they met in a realm of dreams, of spirit, the sweet, familiar scent of her hair and skin filled each breath he drew, putting to shame the fragrance of the moon blossoms around them.  He wanted to taste her scent on his tongue, wear it on his skin, embed it in his very cells.  “Stephen…Beloved…our time draws near, and I swear that your patience with me will find true fruition.”  She lowered her lashes as she moved in to brush her lips on his, laying both hands against his chest.

How blessedly real it felt—and how he ached for more!  He took her face in his hands, kissing her soundly, sinking into the dream as deeply as he could.  The silk of her tongue against his, the little sounds she made in reply to his bold advances, the press of her body against him blessedly, sinfully real. 

Soon enough, he had loosed the knot on the neck of her robe and tucked his fingers beneath the material to slide it from her shoulders.  Teyla lowered her arms and shimmied the cloth away, leaving her robe to hang loose around her waist, laying her torso bare to him.  Stephen nearly growled, grown desperate with hunger, grown rougher than he meant to be, raining fierce kisses on her dainty neck and slim shoulders, relishing her surprised gasps and how readily she yielded herself to his raw need.

He planted one hand against the small of her back, trapping Teyla against him, while she wove her fingers in his hair, purring deep in her throat when he cupped her breast in his free hand.  He was certain the fury of his kisses had to be bruising her tender flesh, but she offered no complaint; she began to kiss his neck instead, her lips ever soft but insistent.  She drifted one hand down to slide beneath the sleeve of his tee shirt, massaging his flesh firmly and surprising him when she murmured against his hair, “Please, Stephen…let me feel your skin against mine…I need to feel you…I need… you…”

He released her for only as long as it took to pull his shirt over his head, greedy to have her softness against him at last, no longer questioning how she could feel so real in his arms, nor how this dream, not-a-dream, surpassed any erotic dream he had ever had.   

He pulled her to him, losing himself in the heated press of her naked flesh against his, in the divine sensation of her flawless little breasts rubbing against his chest, her tightened nipples evidencing her desire for him.  Teyla moaned and let her head fall back as Stephen laid open mouthed kisses upon her throat, tasting the salt of her skin upon his tongue.  She shuddered his name, sliding her arms beneath his to grip his shoulders, becoming her softest self, softly pliant as he lowered her onto a bed of moon blossoms.

He paused, hovering over her, mesmerized by her half-lidded eyes, her sweet parted lips, the quickened pant of her breath, nearly convinced that he had somehow transported bodily to her, and that Teyla lay beneath him at last, and for real.  “I would I were, Beloved,” she told him, her smile bittersweet and piercing his heart, “I would couple with thee now, have you sate yourself inside of me…”  Stephen took her welcoming mouth with his, a frisson of lust hastening through his blood when she slowly traced her tongue along the inner edge of his lips.  The small part of his brain that remained rational, that knew this encounter was closer to dream than truth, was clouded by his desperate desire to know Teyla in every possible way.

“So beautiful, so perfect,” he panted as he kissed a path down her neck to her sternum, while she arched into his hands, whimpering softly at the greedy insistence of his grasp, and crying out when he circled her areola with the tip of his tongue, then tickled the stiff bud of her nipple before drawing it into his mouth.  Teyla laid one palm on his cheek, and anchored her other hand in his hair, encouraging his play to continue.

He felt her beneath him as fully substantial; she moved against him as he touched her, arched into his caresses as lovers do, and he wondered how far they might actually go in this dream-like state—and if it was fair to Teyla to do so.  She was touching him now as she never had before, sweeping her hands across his bare skin, sparking every nerve of his body with the ache to sink himself inside her.  Stephen groaned hard, impatiently grinding his hips into hers, the thin material of his pajama bottoms unable to conceal his lust.  Frustrated as much by the layers of cloth between them as by the knowledge of the actual physical distance separating them, he exclaimed shamelessly, “I want you…all of you…so badly, baby,” then licked his lips, craving her every flavor.

“I know, my love,” she assured him, “Even in my sleep, I have felt you wanting me, as far away as you are—and as I have longed for thee as well.”

Wanting her to comprehend the depth of his hunger, of his keen thirst for her, he raised his head enough to look into her eyes.  “Teyla, my darling…my dear one...this is so much more than physical.”  He read eager, equal desire in her soft, dark eyes.  “I need you, honey.  I need your presence.  Need you at my side, filling my days with your patience and kindness…filling my heart with…with the wonder of your love.”

She nodded in quiet understanding, drawing his face close, and kissing him tenderly, “Even so, Stephen; you have become the cool shadow wherein I find my soul’s ease.”  She murmured against his lips, “I shall have no peace of mind, no rest until I am with thee again.”   

She drew his tongue into her mouth, giving such patient, gentle suction that the sensation surged through his solar plexus, his loins, his throbbing erection.  Stephen grunted into her mouth, concentrating on stilling himself, fighting the urge to come—knowing that Teyla, in her innocence, was likely unaware of the power she held over him.

He rolled to her side, pulling her along with him, allowing some small space between them as they lay face to face, space enough for him to catch his breath and to restore his reason.  Teyla blinked open her eyes, the trust there unwavering, silently signaling she would follow his lead wherever he wished.  Stephen kissed her brow, as she snuggled against him, the raging of his blood receding a bit as he traced small, soothing circles along her cheek and the side of her neck.  When he had calmed a bit more, he trusted himself to speak.  “When, honey?”  He sounded exhausted to his own ears, worn and ready for the oblivion of sleep.  “When will you return to me, Teyla?  Give me some hope I can hold you…and love you…for real, sometime soon.”

She was silent a moment, considering the most honest way to answer him.  “No more than two days, Beloved.  I have submitted to the repeated questioning of the Council, and they have gleaned all they can from my vision.”  She did not mention that Moraine had applied what pressure she could to keep her on Hadeeth, but Stephen felt the truth from her nevertheless.  “I am certain there is no more that I can do to provide for the safety of my people.”  She moved in to kiss his jaw, unable to resist that smallest affection, while pressing one warm, soft hand against his chest.  “I shall leave it to their wisdom, and follow my heart back to its home.”  Her voice quavered, and Stephen knew that she was staving off tears for his sake.  Teyla slid her hand to rest over his heart, adding softly, “Here, my love, is my heart’s true home.  I will not be fully myself until you hold me in your strong, loving arms.”

He threaded his fingers in her hair, kissing her brow, feeling himself start to fade from her side, “I don’t want to leave you yet,” he whispered, “I’d just be happy to sleep here with you in my arms.”

“I know,” she sniffled, moving her hand into his hair as well, preparing to kiss him farewell, “But you are weary, Stephen, and cannot hold this form much longer.  I have not the strength to hold you here myself, though I would if I could—believe me, love, I would!”  Her kiss was pure and powerful, and sent visions into his mind of all the sweetness that they would share once she returned to Earth.

A few stolen minutes more was all they had, and Stephen—his blood fully cooled--held her chastely, exchanging quiet kisses and reassurances of what the near future held for them.  Though he could feel himself withdrawing slowly from their shared dream as a sort of numbness overtook him, Stephen was surprised that Teyla faded away completely before he did—perhaps because the brunt of sustaining their connection had fallen upon her, and drained her more vitally.  But she managed in those final moments, to charge him with preparing a special place for them, a bower that might suit a hungry suitor and his willing, waiting lover.  Still caught halfway between the dream-world, and his own reality, Stephen rolled onto his back, watching wisps of clouds pass across the full moon, breathing deep the sweetness of the talat akeylum—and as sleep finally stole him completely back to his body on Earth, he began to imagine what sort of place might be worthy of the sweet gift that was Teyla’s promise to him.

Feedback/Reblogs are incredibly meaningful. Please support content creators by doing us the honor. Thank you!

@mousedetective

Not tagging anyone else today - simply offering this to anyone longing for taste of Romance.

buy me a coffee?☕

[lightthewaybackhome]

What's not to love about this episode?

This is one of those episodes I like to watch privately because it always makes me cry. (Not a public crier, which is funny because I cry very easily, at everything. If I'm happy, I cry. If I'm sad, I cry. If I'm angry, I cry.)

I love Rodney's story arc. He goes from doing lots of big things for the world, for the SGA, for Atlantis, all while trying to ascend. But, it's not until he starts doing things for HIS people specifically that he starts finding peace. He has to show love, not to the world, not even to Atlantis, but to Teyla, Ronon, Elizabeth, Radak, and in a way, Sheppard and Carson before he can ascend or save himself.

I love Elizabeth telling Sheppard he has to help Rodney and that Rodney has to let him because she knows Sheppard is who Rodney listens to, but they're both not good with emotional stuff, so she orders them.

But, what I love best about this episode is that what really fixes Rodney, gives him the space he needs to figure the problem out, and allows him to "release his burdens" is knowing that his people love him. I think he must carry some deep-seated fears that he's unlovable. I think Sheppard fears he's going to hurt his people or be unable to rescue them or not be there when they need him. Rodney fears that no one loves him. That's why he's kinda mean. If he keeps everyone at arm's length, he doesn't have to worry about whether they love him or not. He won't get hurt if he just assumes no one likes him. Then he gets to Atlantis, and he's needed, and he's saving people, and now it actually matters, and they actually matter. Rodney desperately wants to be loved even if he's unlovable. So, when Elizabeth says that they all love him, and they affirm that to him, he can 'ascend.'

And this is why Ronon's hug at the end is so important. They weren't just saying this because Rodney was dying, and they didn't just love him for what he could do for them. They love him. Rodney McKay. Ronon, the big lug, just gave him the most genuine hug. We've seen Ronon hug Sheppard, or toss him around, in the Return. We've seen him be gentle with Teyla, but this is the episode where we see his love for Rodney.

I do love this episode. Even if I have to wait for days to find a good time to watch it.

@sheppardsmckay this one is about your favorite. 🖤

[stargatelov3r]

Ronon: Don’t worry, I’ve got a few knives up my sleeve.

Rodney: I think you mean cards.

Teyla: He did not.

Ronon, pulling out knives: I did not.

[trainofcommand]

Stargate Kink Meme Themed Post: John Sheppard

Looking for some Sheppard-centric kink meme prompts? Well don't worry, I've carefully combed through the prompt post and picked out a handful that are just begging for some fills! (with handy direct links to the prompts)

John Sheppard/any character, manipulation, mindgames, dub con: John knows how people see him, as easy going and casual. He works hard to put on a good act, so people do what he wants (any guy character, character not realizing they're being manipulated, dark John Sheppard, bonus points for begging and messiness).

Carter/Sheppard, femme domme, combat boots/leather: Sheppard can't help but notice, Carter is hot when she's in charge.

Weir/Ronon + Sheppard, voyeurism: It technically doesn't break any rules if Sheppard doesn't actually touch her.

John/poly, ace!John, polyamory: John's ACE and is in a relationship, or getting into one, with others. Prefer the others to be Rodney/Jennifer, or Rodney/Teyla/Ronon, or Rodney/Ronon. John's the only ACE one. Domesticity and comfort preferred, rather than heavy angst.

John/Any, gags, (semi) public sex: Something something someone putting their hand over John's mouth and his oral fixation kicking in.

Sheppard/Woolsey, casual fun hookup: Just two colleagues having a cigar together, having a drink together, …getting off together (any way you want, mutual masturbation, blowjob(s), frotting, fucking, whatever)