Well, there have been weirder rituals, so sacred sauna isn't so bad. In fact, the scenery isn't bad at all - this planet seems to breed attractiveness and also seems to have never developed a nudity taboo.

And the dope is great.

It's like lazing around the quad in the late spring, stoned to the gills and sweating as the sun bakes your bones and every cloud looks like a windmill or a Ferris wheel or a jet. Except a lot more naked.

The natives are naked. Teyla and Ronon and Rodney are naked. And John's naked. Everyone is awesome. The whole naked thing had been a bit disconcerting and embarrassing at first, then the slim guy had gotten up and tossed a bundle of dried grass onto the hot stones. He'd followed it up with a ladleful of water, and sweet smoke had started drifting into the small, hot room.

Rodney was naked. John could easily let his eyes slide away from the locals, even from Ronon and Teyla - both so bronzed and beautiful, Teyla's full belly sheened with sweat underneath her protective hand. But Rodney - all pale skin with a bright flush of pink - leans back against the bench, relaxed and quiet for once. John closes his eyes.

The touch wakes him. A hand on his thigh, sliding on the sweat there, slicking its way higher. John opens his eyes and sees that it's Rodney, sees that the room has become some sort of Free Grope Zone. The slim guy who got them all stoned is getting a rubdown from a much bigger guy; a couple kisses languorously in the corner; Ronon is rubbing Teyla's feet, which - judging from her expression - might actually be better than sex.

So, John puts his hand on Rodney's and draws it up, wrapping Rodney's fingers around his cock, skin and sweat and slide. "Uh," he says, trying and failing to get his own hand onto Rodney, but Rodney just smiles.

"'S okay," he says, twining his fingers into John's and holding him still while touching his cock with long, slow, sweat-slicked strokes. "You can reciprocate later. On Atlantis. In my room. Tonight."

So John tips his head toward the ceiling and closes his eyes and looks for windmills in the clouds.