But there's no special, unique, only-the-two-of-them connection either (which it'd have to be for Trobadora's reading who unlike you or me could *not* go to see Zelenka/McKay or Ronon/John in the same situation!)

Actually, no, I don't have any such reading of the story. I clearly said that within the framework of the story, those pairings would be perfectly plausible - I'd just have zero interest in them! I don't know where you think we disagree. Did you think I was referring to something exclusively McShep when I talked about platonic love?