Rising Above

"It's about time. I almost went looking for you."



"What are you doing here?" His conversation with Carter and all the times Sheppard had looked at him were running through his head. He was nervous, but he was a guy. He could handle himself.



"I wanted to help you celebrate your new job."



"Listen," Rodney took both champagne glasses out of the other man's hands and put them on the dresser. "I know what you are doing, and I am not interested. I am a very happily married man with two kids."



"Two-hundred and eighty-seven people applied for this job. Fourteen were more qualified than you."



"Thanks for the job, but I am not returning the favor with sex. I'm not that kind of person."



Sheppard picked up his glass and sipped. "I'll give you tonight and tomorrow to think about your kids, your citizenship, your marriage, and your career." He toasted the second glass in Rodney's hand. "Don't worry. I'm always gentle with first-timers." He quickly kissed Rodney on the cheek before leaving the room.



Just as Carter had said, he had to choose to either sleep with the Colonel or become a beggar in ice-capped Canada.



He lay awake in his bug-free bed for hours, weighing the pros and cons of giving the colonel what he wanted. He thought of Casta and Cleya getting vitamin shots for the rest of their lives at the disease control clinic because he couldn't make enough money to feed them.



How could Katie handle living alone with two tiny, starved children?



It was only his body, right? The colonel could never take more than that from him. Would he tell Katie? What would she think when she found out? No, he wouldn't tell her.

---

He spent the entire next day in the archive library reviewing the mission reports and re-learning astro-physical laws and principles.



Would he be expected to touch Sheppard?



Yes, of course he would. He had never touched another man's penis before, except during his son's diaper changing.



Would he have to take him in his mouth? Even Katie wouldn't do that. God, he hoped he wouldn't fuck him.



Of course he would want to fuck him. That had to be what Sheppard was referring to when he said that he would be gentle.



Would he be cheating on Katie? No, it wasn't cheating if he was being forced.



What did the colonel see in him anyway? Even Katie thought he was annoying. He was certainly no fine physical specimen. His head stood on his thin body like a lolly-pop, his hair was thinning, and he constantly bit at his fingernails.



The lights went out.



"Hey!" They came back on.



"Sorry. Didn't think anyone was still here." It was one of the cleaning crew.



"What time is it?"



"Quarter to ten. Listen, I have to lock this place up, so if you don't mind."



Jesus, he hadn't eaten anything all day! He'd spent the entire day in the library.



As he left the library, he realized that his access card restricted him to the research level and the living quarters level. His room was just down the hall from the elevator, and he could not avoid the airman standing guard in front of his door. The airman approached him.



Great, I'm going to have a guard keeping me inside my room as the colonel has his way with me.



"Sir, Colonel Sheppard would like me to inform you of the change in the status of your living quarters. You and the colonel will now be sharing the same room."



His heart sank. As long as he was working here, he would have to share himself with the colonel, would have to share the same bed.



"Where, um, I don't know where his room is." His voice was shaking.



The airman escorted him down the corridor. He knocked on the door with the colonel's name engraved on it.



The colonel opened the door. "Thanks, Henderson. You are free to go." The airman saluted and left. "Come on in. I wasn't expecting you for a few more hours. Figured you'd hold up in a dark corner until I'd have to go looking for you."



"Maintenance threw me out." Rodney hated how his voice sounded so meek and helpless.