Teyla
I was most pleased to see Rodney follow after John that evening. I had long observed their relations with great interest; coupling between two persons of the same gender, while widely accepted among the worlds my people traded with, remained uncommon. I was intrigued, to say the least. Still, there was little doubt in my mind that I had never met two souls more suited for union than those of my friends and teammates.
When we first joined forces with the people of Earth, I had considered the possibility of pursuing a romantic relationship with John, but I grew to value his friendship greatly, and to respect the way he so clearly felt for Rodney, even if he himself chose not to. I would not wish to commit to one who was in love with another, no matter how strong our friendship; it would be unfair to us all.
I was touched to receive communication from Jeannie Miller; during her brief time in Atlantis, Rodney's sister had allowed us all a rare glimpse into the man we call friend and the events which shaped him. Her request of me was simple; she asked my assistance in staging a situation in which Rodney would be forced to confront his feelings for John. I promised to do whatever was within my power, explaining that over the last few years I had grown to love her brother as my own, which pleased her greatly. She told me that as a child, she always wished to have a sister. Had I had Rodney for an older brother, I think that might have been my dearest wish as well.
It was a matter of the utmost simplicity once I enlisted the assistance of Elizabeth, Dr. Zelenka, and of course, Ronon.
Elizabeth
Obviously I'd noticed certain... anomalies in the relationship between John and Rodney, things that set them apart from my other team leaders and scientists. In the interest of respecting their private, personal lives, I never asked. Even as my head of science repeatedly threw himself between my ranking military officer and the nearest threat (and vice versa, of course) I refused to put John in a position that might threaten his command. Atlantis needed him, and Atlantis needed Rodney. And they, undeniably, needed one another.
When Teyla asked me for my help in implementing Jeannie's plan, it was the first indication I'd had that they didn't know what was going on between them. It was inconceivable to me! They were constantly touching, going between metaphorically patting each other on the back and fighting like a long-married couple, and risking lives -- not only their own, I might add -- to save one another. How could they possibly be missing what was so clear to the rest of us?
Of course, then I realized this was John and Rodney we were talking about. Brilliant men, arguably geniuses both, but with very little in the way of what you might call people skills. John was more than capable of motivating his men, but getting him to have a less-than-trivial conversation could be like pulling teeth. And Rodney was possibly the most oblivious man I'd ever met.
I didn't think it was going to be as easy as Teyla had made it sound.
Radek
Rodney is a difficult person to get along with. This is no secret; he advertises very loudly his dislike for his coworkers, though anyone who spends time getting to know him could tell you that very much of it is bluster. Very occasionally, I catch a glimpse of what I suspect is the Rodney whom Col. Sheppard knows. It is not difficult to see why he cares for him so greatly. He is vulnerable and brave and even capable of giving compliments, however backhanded and hurtful they might sound at first.
He is also devoted to Col. Sheppard, whether he chooses to recognize this or not. Luckily for him, Col. Sheppard returns this devotion. There are few who know that while Rodney was sharing his body with Lt. Cadman, Col. Sheppard was unable to sleep. Just so, any other time Rodney has been in danger. There are few who do not know Rodney loses sleep when the tables are turned. He advertises this very loudly as well; I do not think he realizes that this is actually endearing. It is good for the people in our department to see that he is, in fact, capable of worrying after the welfare of someone who is not himself. It is easier to deal with his daily abuse when you have seen Rodney's human side.
My role in the plan Teyla laid out for me, devised by Rodney's own sister, was that of instigator. I was to act as a sort of catalyst. I eagerly agreed; I would have been insane not to jump at the opportunity to drive Rodney half as batty as he drives me. My hair has not always been this thin on the top!
Ronon
I thought it was lame. What the hell is wrong with them, that they weren't sleeping together yet? There weren't many gay people on Sateda, and we didn't call it that or anything, but I knew a couple guys. They were good, stand-up guys. Handy in a fight, like Sheppard. And, okay, McKay too sometimes. It was stupid that they needed us to hold their hands and walk them through something they should have figured out a long time ago. Terrans are too used to their cushy, no-pressure, Wraithless lives where they have a lifetime to find the person they want to be with, I guess. Lame.
But they were friends. The only family I have. Plus, Teyla made these eyes at me and it's not like I could have said no if I wanted to.