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Even though he was the best man and was paired with the maid-of-honor, John had brought a date. The maid-of-honor call me Suzi! was one of Keller's sisters -- a kindergarten teacher -- and he wasn't going to spend all day hanging around her. She was too cheerful and too controlling. Dealing with six-year-olds would do that, he supposed.
John quietly found a date in the Linguistics Department. Dating another soldier would feel skeevy, he knew, and most of Rodney's hard-science folk had already paired off.
"What's Bending doing here?" he overheard Keller ask Suzi.
"He's my date," John offered easily.
"What?" Keller all-but-screeched. "He's..."
John held up a hand. "He. Is. My. Date. And if you say another word, you will be sorry."
Keller kept quiet but shot John a glare.
Stephen Bending had arrived in Atlantis two months ago. He was already fluent in both Ancient and Wraith, extremely handsome, and... openly gay. From day one he had butted heads with Keller and publicly demanded another doctor for his primary care.
"You aren't gay!" Keller hissed.
John shrugged. "More bi, actually. Until the government finally got rid of DADT, it wasn't an option. Now it is."
The two women turned away and stalked to the other end of the reception space.
John went back to Steve.
"Keller being her usual charming self?" Steve asked.
"Yeah," John sighed. He rubbed his forehead.
Steve put his arms around John. "Headache? Want me to kiss it and make it better?"
John relaxed and let Steve place a small kiss at his temple. It felt nice.
John watched as Keller ranted at Rodney who held up his hands to try to placate her. She must have finally gotten to the part about John's date as Rodney's head snapped in their direction.
John's heart clenched at the devastation in Rodney's eyes.