Accidentally mating for life - this prompt is killing me!

[respoftw]

I need to fill the above prompt for my hc Bingo Card and I am completely blocked on how to fill it.

Any scenarios I come up with involve either ABO (which I kind of hate and don’t want to write) or are pure fantasy AUs (werewolves, magic, etc..) that would involve way too much worldbuilding for me to knock out a less than 4K fill (all I have time for).

I also have the problem that the characters in SGA are older and pretty damn smart. I can’t see them ‘accidentally’ forgetting the rules of their universe and mating for life when they don’t want to.

I’m really struggling for this one. Anyone got any ideas?

Edit: I love melagan! Idea fermenting....

Comments

[nagi_schwarz]

SGA. Hm. Maybe some kind of Ancient gizmo mates them for life? So they're already in love or something, but the gizmo puts a mated-for-life bond on them, so if one dies the other dies, and there lies the peril/hurt?

Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

Check your fandom for stories involving Ancient technology. There are some gorgeous ones.

[em_kellesvig]

When in doubt, in-universe crack always works. Say someone says, "You touched the holy blahblah!!! You're mated for life!!!" And your characters reply, "Huh?" but play along because reasons. But then the power of suggestion takes hold and they both get a little squirrely about it. Add teammates being all solemn while explaining it but laughing like loons when caught. "No, really, you touched the holy blahblah; you're doomed to all eternity together whether you like it or not." (snicker)

Harmless local lore that turns into, well, accidentally mating for life. Which just goes to prove the old coot right but they'll never tell. :D

[amycooper]

Yeah, this is hard to fill right after the soul-bonding thing.

Hm...what if the team is off world and they end up getting married by the locals for some odd reason. At first they don't think much of it, it's not exactly the first time they had to endure some sort of zany Pegasus marriage ritual. But when they get back, they find that they can't be x feet apart from each other without getting terribly ill. Or maybe they have to have physical contact with each other every so many hours or get ill. Turns out something in the wedding ritual did it and it's permanent.

[melagan]

Ah, good ol' accidentally mate for life.

The first thing that comes to mind is an accident in an Ancient lab where one of our boys is injured and the other has to staunch the bleeding, and because it's an Ancient lab, it's enough for their DNA to mix and start a bond.

Since I favor the idea that it's John's gene that Carson uses for the gene therapy that trigger already exists.

I will continue to ponder this question.

[melagan]

Rodney's DNA has been altered by his accident with the ascension machine and by taking too much of the Wraith enzyme. John's DNA has been altered by the Iratus bug bite.

Sounds like an accidential bonding just waiting to happen.