Shed Your Skin by Seperis (R)

[forcryinoutloud.livejournal.com]

Rec Category: MacKay/Sheppard
Pairing: McKay/Sheppard
Category: Hurt/Comfort, Angst, First Time
Warning: Slash
Author on LJ: seperis
Author's Website: Indulgence
Link: Shed Your Skin

Why This Must Be Read:
I'm always blown away by seperis's fics. This fic gave me chills! Her writing style seems to flow so effortlessly, leaving you laughing one minute and swallowing past a lump in your throat the next. This is a tag to the episode 'Conversion' and the way she conveys John's emotions and turmoil over the events in the episode literally take my breath away.

I've lost count of how many times I've read this wonderful, wonderful fic!

Excerpt:
He should stop this. Call a nurse--even if McKay carries through on his threat, this is a bad idea--but God, his *hands*, big and rough and achingly gentle, and John's not sure he can stand that. Another strip of skin pulls painlessly away, and John tries not to react, tries not to enjoy it, tries not to lean into the careful touch. "Rodney, you have to stop--"

"I'm not afraid of you." McKay's voice is so low that John can barely hear him. "You don't scare me. Nothing about you scares me."

It should, though. "You--" God, another strip, somehow, when he wasn't paying attention, McKay got to his shoulder, pulling the scrub top over just enough. God. Yes. "You don't have anything to prove."

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have been locked out of this room for two days." McKay dips in again, the slick fingers running over the new skin growth, rubbing the line between alien and human. Like he's making a point, maybe, and John hurts a little for that. He didn't want to do this to McKay.

He has to try. "Rodney, if it gets in you--"

"I'll be careful." McKay pulls back, dropping another strip into the basket, then reaches down, lifting the scrub top, rolling it slowly upward. John closes his eyes, not wanting to se McKay's face when he looks. The worst parts are hidden by his clothes. "Besides, these are dead cells. I could probably eat this and be fine--and okay, never will I ever even *think* that again." John shivers as two of McKay's fingers draw a slow line down the center of his chest.