'The Secret Life of Scientists' by Julad (adult)

[rosewildeirish.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: Zelenka
Pairing: McKay/various, eventually McKay/Zelenka
Category: Hard to classify - multiples apply.
Warning: Het, Slash, Character Death (OC)
Author on LJ: julad
Author's Website: ambivalent pleasures
Link: The Secret Life of Scientists

Why This Must Be Read: This is the story that everyone was going nuts for when it was new. It's a constantly recycled rec, but it's worth mentioning because the story, Rodney-centric, is fantastic. It takes a while to get to the Zelenka of the story, but oh, the characterization.

For example, I love his introduction:
Somebody tapped on his shoulder. Little guy, fuzzy hair, glasses. Rodney put the milk behind his back. "P. Kavanagh, I presume?" he said brightly.

"Ah, no," the guy said softly, in a thick accent. "I am not P. Kavanagh. I am person guilty of spitting into milk of P. Kavanagh. It was wrong of me. I feel terrible. I see you take milk out, and I think, I must urgently confess to my superior, before I am reported."

Rodney looked at the guy, and then at the milk, and then put the milk back in the fridge and closed the door. "Well, no harm done, this time. In future, just think before you go spitting in perfectly good milk, understand?"

The guy nodded earnestly. "Yes, I now see the error of my ways."