And as per Rodney’s warning, the weapon did give a small jolt if the user managed to work a finger inside. John hoped Rodney was able to extend the capacity of the weapons, and envisioned a series of ST-types, hoping they could get upwards of 200 without the thing becoming unwieldy. The small size of the ST was a major advantage, along with its Wraith-focused discharge.

John took a chance on where his lovers had gone after work and went to Rodney’s room, since he’d drifted off to sleep practically on his feet that morning. Sure enough, when John arrived, Rodney was just waking up, shuffling naked through the small apartment, obviously scrounging for food.

“You’re out of power bars?” John asked as Rodney slammed open and closed various drawers and hiding places.

Rodney grumbled incoherently and kept searching. “Hungry,” John managed to make out and he took pity on Rodney, fishing a power bar out of his vest. He was wearing an actual vest today, over a shirt he’d formed himself, since testing out the weapon seemed to require an awful lot of extraneous equipment.

When Rodney saw the power bar, he pounced, ripping off the wrapper and downing the thing without swallowing. John grimaced at the maneuver, even knowing that it hadn’t hurt Rodney any. Then again, power bars didn’t taste all that good and it really wasn’t all that different from consuming food in one of their primary forms, where they sort of... engulfed it.

Once the power bar was gone, Rodney went in search of water—which was significantly easier to find. Only after he felt sufficiently rehydrated did Rodney return to complete consciousness, whereupon he joined John on the apartment’s famously uncomfortable couch.

“Did you enjoy playtime today?” Rodney asked, leaning against John’s side. He was still naked, which was a bit distracting for John, given that Rodney felt sleep-warm and rested and very real pressed up against him.

“Yeah,” John murmured, easing forward a little. He pulled off his vest and dropped it to the floor, twisting on the couch to lean against one arm. Rodney immediately moved into John’s arms, using the man as a body pillow. “They’re kinda fun.”

“They’re very fun,” Rodney agreed, “You should’ve seen Zelenka. He almost took Kavanagh’s head off.”

John frowned. “You let them fire those things?” He said incredulously. “When?”

“Late last night,” Rodney replied calmly. “Just a few shots, to make sure the modifications we made to the trigger weren’t going to cause problems.”

John pouted briefly. He’d wanted to be the first to officially test the ST-70, but Rodney had let Zelenka do it? “Tell me Kavanagh didn’t get to fire one.”

“Ok, I won’t,” Rodney said complacently. “We’ve got all sorts of things we want to do to the STs, by the way.”

“Really?” John asked, still miffed that Kavanagh Kavanagh! had gotten to fire the weapon.

Rodney nodded, rubbing his cheek along John’s t-shirt, enjoying both the smooth texture and the way he could tell John was annoyed but still curious. “Mm hmm. Gonna try to make’em last longer. Maybe build bigger ones, set up an automatic detection system. Something portable, that you could put up around a village or a small city.”

“Always thinking big, aren’t you?” John murmured, scratching Rodney’s scalp. “It’s not enough to just, say, make the damned things faster, is it?”

“What’s the fun in that?” Rodney asked honestly. “We could increase the firing rate, but it’d drop them to about 50-shot capacity. We’re also trying to design a hybrid power system, something with cartridges so you can recharge on the go instead of having to bring them back to a base unit for power.”

“Now that’s a good idea,” John agreed. “When is Carson finished today?”

Rodney shrugged and let his eyes slide closed. “Dunno. Wake me up when he gets here.”

When Carson walked in an hour later he found Rodney and John situated somewhat awkwardly on Rodney’s couch, both men fast asleep. He sighed and set aside the computer he’d brought with him, having assumed he’d end up on his own for the night. Carson briefly considered retreating to his own room, just so he wouldn’t bother the sleeping men, but he knew how it would be perceived by the others. They now spent all their nights together, except for those times when work demanded their presence elsewhere. John and Rodney would probably misunderstand his absence for sulkiness or anger, which wasn’t the case.

Well, for the most part. Carson admitted to himself that he was just the tiniest bit sulky about being left out of the recent excitement and also being deprived of quality time with even one of his lovers. The only times he’d seen them of late was to pour them into bed without even the pretense of real conversation.

He quietly took a seat at Rodney’s small table and booted up his computer, deciding he should spend a few hours finishing up the analyses he’d been doing on sekoy’e genetic material. It was easy enough if he didn’t look over and study how erotic it was for a very naked Rodney to be curled up around a completely clothed John.

John woke up slowly, not quite startled by the sound of a keyboard being tapped upon. He glanced around, easily finding Carson bent over Rodney’s table. John felt a little guilty; for the last week or so Carson either hadn’t seen either of them at all, or had merely watched one of them crawl into bed and pass out.

“Taking after Rodney?” John asked, catching Carson’s attention.

“Hmm?” Carson hummed, surprised by John’s voice. “You were saying?”

“Bringing work home with you is more Rodney’s thing than yours,” John pointed out. Meanwhile, Rodney was in the process of waking up.

“You were supposed to wake me up when he got here,” Rodney grumbled.

“I just woke up,” John said defensively. “And he’s working.”

Rodney’s face screwed up into a disgusted frown. “Why?”

Carson’s face clearly showed that he wasn’t really comprehending his barely-awake lovers. “It needs to be done?”

“There are other things that need to be done around here,” Rodney replied firmly.

“I don’t think that counts,” Carson remarked dryly, shutting down his computer. No matter what he might say, there was no way John and Rodney were going to let him get any work done now that they were awake.

“Tired?” John inquired politely as he and Rodney rose up off the couch. “Long day at work?”

“No more so than usual,” Carson replied, eyeing the two men warily. Both looked well-rested, energized and really quite naughty—not that he was seriously worried about such things. It did occur to Carson, however, that he had been planning to go into work early the next day.

Or maybe not.

“Have you had supper?” Rodney asked as he circled Carson. He’d not really spent time with the doctor since before the last mission and he missed Carson’s presence.

“Late lunch,” Carson said, “And a snack later on.”

By this point, John had sidled up to Carson and was nudging him closer to the center of the room. Carson could feel John’s arousal, slipping along the expanse of themselves that was touching. Rodney was just beyond reach, still naked and how could the man just stand there, naked as the day he was born?

“It’s hard, you know,” Rodney murmured as he came up to Carson’s other side. “Leaving you behind.”

Carson shrugged and tried to focus. “It’s not important,” He said, shaking his head when Rodney tried to protest. “Rodney, unless you two managed some truly stunning feats, none of us has gotten laid in more than a week.”

John’s laughter was light and rolled along Carson’s ears like water. Then happily familiar hands were on him and Carson didn’t have to focus or think or do much of anything but let Rodney push him back on the bed. He landed on his back and was immediately covered by John, who slid his hands underneath Carson’s shirt. Carson rid himself of the clothing in short order, then looked appraisingly at John.

“He thinks you’re overdressed,” Rodney said as he leaned in to claim Carson’s mouth. John just watched Rodney and Carson kiss, caught up in the eroticism of the act. He’d never imagined either Rodney or Carson as being so possessive, but they were. Every slide of lips and tongues was a blatant claim and John wanted in, wanted to struggle against that pressure and demanding touch the way he always did.

While John was staring, two sets of eyes fell on him as their kiss ended. “Although I suppose leavin’em works. Kinky, though,” Carson said laughingly, his voice raw. John’s eyes widened as Rodney and Carson turned on him, grabbing for his arms and legs. Blunt fingers and strong hands found their way up his sleeves and into his trousers, seeking out the strange, simultaneous contact of clothing-and-skin that came with the act. John’s clothes faded back into his body as he freed his arms and reached for Carson, slamming their mouths together as his fingers dug into the man’s arms. Carson groaned into his mouth, their tongues sliding wetly together, while Rodney rose up behind Carson and did something to the man that elicited a desperate whimper.

John saw Rodney’s arm move out of the corner of his eye and knew Carson was being slowly, thoroughly fucked. He spread his legs farther apart, pulling Carson between them and bending his knees in an obvious invitation. It took Carson a moment to find himself, and a bit longer to orient enough to hike John’s legs up to where he wanted them. Then it was John who was making noise as Carson pushed into him, thick and hot and just like last time. John let his entire body feel it, not limiting the sensation to places he was used to feeling pleasure. Every thrust pushed mind-numbing sensation all the way through him and all John could do was bring Carson back down for another kiss and hope the others had figured this thing out on their own. He’d tell them about it but John didn’t think he could speak, not when Carson’s cock was stroking into him like it was.

Carson knew John was gone off the deep end when he looked into the man’s eyes and saw nothing but desperation. It must’ve been much the same thing in his own eyes as a week’s worth of wanting built up and pushed him on, urging him to take John even as Rodney took him. It hadn’t been all that difficult to try out what Carson had suspected John already knew, that what they were feeling wasn’t limited the way it used to be. He hadn’t expected it to be this intense, though and Carson didn’t think he could hold on much longer, not with the dual onslaughts of John and Rodney battering at his fragile control.

When Carson thrust into John and froze, Rodney knew he wasn’t going to last, so he braced himself on the headboard and let pleasure wash over and through him, rocking back and forth over his nerves. All along the skin of his stomach and thighs, Carson’s pleasure roiled and within it, John’s as well. Rodney dimly wondered if they should be worried about how intense sex was getting, but the thought was absurd enough for him to immediately dismiss it. Nothing that made him feel this good was worth worrying about unless someone was trying to take it away from him.

Rodney fell to one side and pulled Carson with him, taking their combined weight off John before the man was forced to shift in order to escape it. They lay side by side on the bed, dazed and sated and not sure they had the energy left to get rid of the sweat clinging to their skin.

“So,” Carson began, fumbling around until he found the blanket folded at the foot of the bed, “When’s the next mission?”

“Not for another five days,” John replied, locating a pile of pillows next to the nightstand.

“Five long, lovely days,” Rodney echoed, letting John push a pillow under his head. “Why?”

“Just planning,” Carson mumbled as he drew the blanket over them, took a pillow for himself, and told the lights to go away, letting the warmth of John and Rodney all around lull him to sleep.

•••

“Ready?” Lieutenant Ford asked as Rodney and Teyla walked into the ‘gate room. Each of them had been issued an ST-70 in addition to their usual gear. Rodney was almost ready to declare the upgrade—an ST-260—ready for use, but he wanted to run a few more tests on the recharging cartridges first.

“Of course,” Rodney replied snarkily, only slightly irritated by Ford’s pep. Once John finished discussing something or another with Dr. Weir, the ‘gate was dialed and the team went through, destined for the Fallathi homeworld.

The planet Falla was, in Rodney’s opinion, singularly ugly. Everything in sight was a uniform, dun yellow-brown and the air smelled of sulfur. Of course, sulfur was a very useful element, so he tried not to judge. “I guess that’s the welcoming committee,” John murmured as a group of people rushed towards the gate. Teyla stepped forward and began introducing everyone and it became clear that the Fallathi were excited to meet new trading partners.

Rodney’s initial scans of the area showed no Ancient sites other than the stargate, so he focused instead on investigating any interesting technology. Ford was distracted by a number of young women who were following him around, while John and Teyla performed their duties as diplomats and leaders. Rodney saw a few signs that the Fallathi would be a decent source for raw materials, particularly the raw ingredients from which he could make more C-4 and gel matrix, but other than that the place was no more technologically advanced than the Genii.

When Rodney found John and Teyla again, it was as they concluded a meeting with the local person-with-power, somebody who called himself the Great Elder. Rodney managed to suppress the urge to roll his eyes at the pomposity and instead turned to John.

“Well?” Rodney inquired impatiently. “They’ve got several items on our grocery list and in large enough quantities that they can’t possibly be asking much.”

“They aren’t,” John concurred. “Actually, I think they might want to trade with some of that wheat seed the Athosians just harvested.”

Teyla nodded in agreement. “The variety they are growing here is not nutritionally sound, and so far they have had little luck finding another type that can handle the harsh climates. Our wheat came from a place more desolate than this one.”

“That must’ve been some place,” Rodney muttered under his breath. Already, his uniform was coated with nasty yellow dust, and none of the others were in any better shape. “So what’s next?”

John shrugged. “Find Ford and see what kind of rooms they set up for us. They don’t want to negotiate on empty stomachs.”

Ford was only a radio call away, but when John got in touch with him, the young man sounded tense. “I’ll meet you back at the ‘gate, sir,” Ford said in clipped tones, before shutting down the connection.

“Ford didn’t sound too happy,” John said as he directed Teyla and Rodney to the ‘gate. “Something’s up.”

“Maybe he got turned down,” Rodney offered. “It had to happen some time.”

By the time the group reached the ‘gate area, their progress had attracted the attention of the Great Elder. “I was under the impression you were going to enter into trade negotiations with us,” The imperious little man said, frowning severely at John.

“We’re meeting up with our other teammate,” John explained, nodding towards a quickly-approaching Lieutenant Ford. “He was on a tour of your city.”

“Oh, yes!” The man said, smiling brightly. “He is an energetic young man.”

Rodney snorted at the comment. Energetic was one word for it; hyperactive was another.

When Ford arrived, he stepped close to Major Sheppard. “Can we talk? Without the...uh...big kahuna?” Ford whispered. “There’s something you should know.”

John silently indicated to Teyla that she needed to distract the Great Elder, which she did by standing very close and in a position that made her Amazonian physique extremely obvious. She began discussing crop rotation and Wraith cullings, which thoroughly distracted the leader. Rodney was impressed by the quick display, but was distracted by the way John reacted to Ford’s news.

“On second thought,” John said, his voice carrying over nearby conversations, “We’re going to be leaving now.”

Rodney blinked. They were? He turned to John, prepared to demand an explanation, when John provided one to everyone watching.

“We can’t trade with you,” John said, gesturing for Teyla to return to the group.

“Why not?” The Great Elder asked, bewildered.

John’s smile wasn’t particularly pleasant. “If I’m not mistaken, one of your closest allies happen to be the Genii.”

Rodney’s eyes widened, even as the Great Elder nodded enthusiastically.

“Of course!” He exclaimed. “They are our primary trading partner, as well as our close friends.”

“Well,” John continued, “The Genii have a nasty habit of trying to invade our city, of kidnapping and torturing my men, and generally being very poor citizens of the galaxy. We can’t in good conscience trade with someone who supports their behavior.”

The Great Leader was, for a very brief moment, speechless. “You’re accusing the Genii of hostilities against you?” He asked, having found his voice.

Teyla spoke up. “I have been witness to their treachery,” She declared. “Once, they used my people’s generosity and trusting nature to attempt to take control of a city to which they had no claim. The Genii do not care for the welfare of others and do not hesitate to use duplicity and violence to benefit themselves—and only themselves.”

John dialed the ‘gate, figuring this conversation wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. “If you do happen to change your mind about who’s the better trading partner, you know where to find us,” He said to the Great Elder. “Not that I’m holding my breath. Feel free to ask the Genii all about it, though they’re not going to tell you the truth. It’s not in their best interest.”

With that, the team walked back through the ‘gate, leaving behind a good resource for chemicals that had very unfortunate tastes in friends.

“That was really depressing,” Ford announced when the ‘gate shut down behind them. “And they were pretty nice people, too.”

“What happened?” Dr. Weir asked worriedly. “You said they looked like promising trade partners.”

“That was before Ford’s revelation that they’re buddy-buddy with the Genii,” John muttered. “And we didn’t even get to shoot the new toys.”

Dr. Weir looked a bit concerned at that particular comment, but then sighed. “You’re right, though. We can’t trade with the Genii’s allies. It’s too dangerous.” She turned to walk to her office and it was quite obvious the team was going to do their debriefing immediately—dust and all.

Rodney sighed and followed her up the stairs.

•••

The upside to missions getting cut short was that Rodney got to work in his lab and go home at night to Carson and John, whom he could actually touch in the privacy of their quarters. On missions, Carson was far away and John might as well have been, with Ford and Teyla always around.

The major drawback was that he was stuck in his lab knowing that somewhere out there was the information he needed, but he didn’t have it and there was the slightest chance it was on some world they’d been chased off of, or left in a self-righteous huff.

Rodney suspected he was upset, though, because he’d asked for a progress report on the reliability tests for the cartridges he’d designed for the ST-weapons, only to find out that the tests hadn’t been run. Kavanagh was desperate for a dressing-down. That had to be it.

So instead of presenting John with a functional prototype of the improved weapon, Rodney was sitting at his desk and wondering what it would be like to have sex in their other form. It struck him as odd that they'd never tried--they'd always stayed in their first, human, form for sex, even if they'd gotten somewhat accustomed to switching into the admittedly useful and comfortable liquid and dust forms in order to dispense with day to day pleasantries like defecation. He himself preferred to shift forms than to waste time showering in the mornings--not that he didn't like bathing, but now he reserved the pleasure for moments when John and/or Carson were around.

Still, he wondered. What did liquid sex feel like, or dust-sex? It wasn't the same as wondering if sex would feel the same if he changed the way his body looked, since it would still be human. Also, he couldn't reasonably expect to wonder what sex would be like if he turned himself into a chair, since chairs weren't sexual beings. Hell, they weren't beings at all; they were chairs. None of them, as far as he knew, were advanced enough to have the type of understanding of other species' physiologies to be able to test out whether sex was the same, but it probably felt similar. After all, their minds would stay the same, and the general principle of insert-thrust-fun was still there.

He couldn't say that about liquid sex, though. Would it be a more intense version of what it felt like to make contact with John and Carson when they were all in their other forms? He already knew how that felt, and he liked it enough to indulge regularly. Somehow they hadn't translated that enjoyment into sex. Maybe it was because there wasn't a translation and they just didn't get to have sex in any form other than their first form or a sexual being they made themselves into. Or maybe they didn't know enough yet to figure it out.

It could also be that the idea of liquid sex was weird or frightening enough that one or more of them--maybe all of them--unconsciously scuttled the idea before it got anywhere. After all, they were still getting used to the idea of not being exactly all male anymore. John particularly had suffered a lot in finding out that they only had the one gender now, and that yeah he looked like a guy and felt like a guy, but that didn't mean anything now because they were it; there wasn't a 'female' to complement them. They could reproduce just fine as they were, although Carson was still theorizing about the particulars. They knew they could, though--that information had been provided them at the beginning. No use in reincarnating your species just so it can die out again. Liquid sex, though, would necessarily require they admit they weren't what they used to be. Rodney was pretty happy with what he was and still the thought of it made him pause. Perhaps that was it, then. But it might be awesomely good sex. Mindblowingly excellent sex. Earthshakingly wonderful sex.

Rodney couldn't help but be curious, especially if that curiosity could lead to something that felt really, really great. His reverie was interrupted by Dr. Zelenka, who brandished the report Rodney had been waiting for.

“The tests showed nothing outside stated parameters,” Zelenka said, much to Rodney’s relief. “You may go play with your ST-260 now.”

Rodney ignored the comment in favor of retrieving several of the upgraded weapons while calling John on his radio. The team did need target practice, after all.

As Rodney walked to the pier designated for training, a Wraith dart began its usual strafing run overhead. He didn’t even blink at the sound of Wraith weaponry striking the shield, however. He simply nodded at Ford, Teyla and John as they joined him along the way.