silence is not the way Chilled sleet falls, unforgiving, down onto their shoulders, until all that's left are four shivering figures huddled beneath the thick branches of the surrounding trees, blindly seeking shelter. John raises his head, squinting into the darkness. He can just barely see the outline of the jumper above them, resting precariously upside down on one of the seemingly stronger branches. As steady arpeggios of water and ice drip relentlessly onto his face, John starts to wonder how long Elizabeth will wait to send another team; a rescue team. John shakes the thought away, a grimace on his face, and turns back to the team. His head pounds as he stares into the area around them, as ghastly shadows dance across the horizon with each flash of lightning against the black sky, not one star in sight. He feels Ronon shift, his right shoulder pressed against John’s left, and Teyla, wrapped in a blanket from the jumper and sleeping lightly, curls further into Ronon's other side as a deep roll of thunder shakes the ground beneath them. Rodney startles at the threatening sound, and so John tugs him closer, attempting to share the last of his warmth. Rodney moves closer willingly, trembling all over, movements uncoordinated as he struggles to pull his drenched jacket tighter around his shoulders, wet fingers slipping over the fabric. Blinking against the burn in his eyes, John grips Rodney’s forearm as firmly as possible with his numb fingers. John doggedly unfolds his legs before pulling Rodney against him, and he feels sudden relief when Rodney leans into the embrace. Wrapping both his arms around Rodney’s chest, he smiles (though not nearly as despondently as he had when this whole mess began) against the back of Rodney’s neck as too-cold fingers tangle together with his. John lifts his head, wiping away the water on Rodney's face, skin startlingly freezing to the touch. John frowns, moving to press his face to Rodney's cheek. Warm air rushes out of his mouth as he breathes out slowly, carefully, deliberately, onto the hypothermic skin. And he smiles, affectionately, as Rodney turns his face into John's, eyes drifting shut. He feels Rodney jerk against him a moment later, and hewatches, curious, as Rodney’s eyes shift to watch Ronon, anxious and weary. And then John understands. John automatically turns his head towards Ronon as well, but before he can tell if Ronon is even awake, Rodney reaches out a trembling hand to grip the collar of John’s jacket, pulling him back into their now-shared body heat. “I’ll take second watch,” Ronon says a minute later, voice low, tired, and John just nods. As his exhausted eyes slip shut, John feels uneasy sleep overtake him. Soon enough, morning arrives, and as John stares at the sky, motionless arms still wrapped firmly around Rodney, he smiles as a bleak sun rises, ever so slowly, over the planet’s western horizon. feedback