"Is that an order?" Ronon asked, still struggling in his bonds.

"Only if you need it to be." The response from Sheppard had been mildly sarcastic. What he hadn't expected was for Ronon to give a small nod and completely stop his movements. Now that they were safe, back on Atlantis and out of harms way he had the time to analyze exactly what had happened. John was man enough to admit that Ronon was an attractive man and he had looked good with the leather around his throat. John wanted to know what the Satedan would look like on his knees, he wanted to know how he would taste, what he sounded like as he begged for release. He just didn't want to get killed while doing that.

For the first couple of nights after they got back, John was paying extra close attention to Ronon. He had changed his running schedule to early morning and only one circuit around the city instead of multiples. There seemed to be less complaining from the marines that he'd spared with. For the most part he seemed settled; almost at peace with something that had otherwise been bothering him.

But just as John had figured soon the calmness began to slip. The running was still in the early morning but it had started earlier and had gone back to being multiples. He became more tense during sparing sessions. He was volunteering for the more dangerous missions, he didn't seem to care whether or not he got hurt. It wasn't that he was careless (John would watch him to make sure), he just seemed to be more violent with whoever they were fighting. He seemed to draw back into himself, closing himself off even more and talking less; and John hadn't thought that was possible.

Finally even Elizabeth had seen it. She had been determined to get to the bottom of his behaviour, so she had called him into her office. She had an inkling as to what was going on but before she made any recommendations she wanted to be sure. It's not even as though she expected him to come into her office with his head down, looking defeated but she hadn't expected the way that he did look.

He leaned against her door. His eyes a bit too wide and he had dark circles. He had his arms folded across his chest but even she could see that he was fighting the urge to move. He was quietly scanning the room, almost as if he expected there to be a trap of some sort waiting for him. She kicked herself for not noticing how bad off he was sooner.

"You wanted to see me?" His voice sounded tired.

"Ronon, I'm concerned about you." She crossed from behind her desk to in front of it.

He glared at her. "I'm fine."

Elizabeth wasn't falling for it. "No, you're not. I'm not the only one who's worried about you." She matched the heat of his glare with one of her own. "We have people you can talk to if you're having personal issues. You need to get your head back in the game. I don't want you getting hurt or killed."

Ronon clenched his teeth. "I won't."

Elizabeth sighed. "Get some sleep. I'm pulling your status. No more missions for you, until I see that you have slept."

Ronon growled low in his throat but nodded. He left before she could dismiss him. He knew that he should go to his room but he went to the training room instead. He planned to train until his muscles ached and his mind was clear. But as soon as he arrived, he immediately knew that he wasn't alone. The doors locked, instantly on high alert, he unholstered his gun.

"You can relax. It's just me." John came out of the corner of the room.

Ronon realized he must have really been off his game to have someone sneak up on him, in an enclosed space. "Why lock me in?"

"I just wanted to talk to you." John put a bit more authority into his voice. "Put the gun away, Ronon." He slightly nodded when the gun was re-holstered. John picked a chair to sit in, as he sat he took a good look at the ex-Runner. Elizabeth had mentioned that she was worried and now that he could look at him more closely he realized that she had a right to be. Ronon looked just as exhausted and haunted as the first time John had met him. He was still standing in front of John, looking unsure and trying to cover it up by looking mildly pissed off. John decided that enough was enough.

John spread his legs, carefully watching Ronon's expression. He knew that they were at a very delicate juncture. If he didn't do his right the first time, he knew he wouldn't get another chance. "Kneel." As he spoke he pointed to the ground between his legs.

Ronon cocked an eyebrow and John thought that maybe both he and Elizabeth were wrong. So he decided to try it again. He put more of a warning tone to his command. "Ronon. Get on your knees." Ronon walked so that he was right in front of John and sank gracefully to his knees, making it look as if it was something that he did everyday. John stared in awe, when Ronon clasped his hands behind his back, with his head slightly bowed, it was as if all of the tension started to leave his body.

John licked his lips. He placed his hand on the back of Ronon's neck, a warm and heavy weight. He waited until Ronon took a deep, calming breath then he pulled Ronon's head forward to lean against his thigh. They stayed like that until Ronon closed his eyes.

John pushed his fingers through Ronon's dreads, scratching at his scalp until the other man shuddered and seemed to relax even further. Ronon leaned his head against John's thigh, not moving. John could see the way that he was rigidly holding himself, his muscles all but shaking with the rigid control not to completely relax or push up into the hand on his head. John sighed, this was going to be more work than he had anticipated. The hand that was not buried in Ronon's dreads cupped the other man's jaw, tilting his head so that he was forced to look up. "Ronon, let go. That's an order." John put steel in his voice, knowing that would be the only way to get the Satedan to completely relax.

It took a sharp tug on a few of the dreads that John had under his fingers before he felt Ronon go almost boneless against his thigh. John didn't say anything just continued to scrape his nails across the kneeling mans scalp. As he watched Ronon relax into his touch, he thought it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Someone had gone through a lot to properly train him, the wraith had tried to run it out of him, and all they had done was force him to bury his submissive side. Ronon looked as peaceful as John had ever seen him.

John had no idea how long they stayed there, but eventually Ronon started to get restless and back into his own mind that he looked slightly embarrassed. There was a slight colouring to his cheeks and he tried to stand up. Sheppard made a small disapproving noise in the back of his throat and Ronon resettled, laying his head back on John's thigh. Interesting was the only though going through John's head.

"Are you feeling better?" A small nod from the kneeling man. "I need a verbal response Ronon."

"I'm fine." Came the barely audible response.

"We need to have a conversation. We can either do that here or in the privacy of my room. Your choice." He continued to scratch lightly at Ronon's scalp.

Ronon still had his head down so John couldn't see his eyes. "I don't think..."

Ronon was cut off when John tucked a hand under the taller man's chin and forced his head up. He locked eyes with Ronon, putting all the command in his voice that he could. "That wasn't a question. I said that we need to have a conversation, we can either do that here or in my room. Choose." John watched Ronon's adam's apple bob up and down as he swallowed, he wanted to kiss it but hopefully that would come later.

"Your room."

"Good boy." John let go of Ronon's jaw. He didn't miss the slight blush that Ronon got at being praised and he filed that away for later. He allowed Ronon to stand up as he stretched and walked out of the training room. He knew that Ronon would follow.