All Jacked Up
By: Pip
CATEGORY: Drama
WARNINGS: Minor for alcohol consumption
AUTHOR’S NOTES: Written for mission_insane, table 06, prompt 03: All Jacked Up.
AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:
http://brabbit-hole.livejournal.com/
The cab of the truck was heavy with a silent tension. It had been hanging over them since they’d stepped through the gate back to the Earth just a few short hours before.
Looking over at Vala in the passenger seat, her grey eyes staring sightlessly out the window, Daniel furrowed his brow. He didn’t know what was up between them – it wasn’t like they had argued off world, or even recently. Actually, he was kind of wishing they had argued. Then he’d have a something metaphorically solid to wrap his confused thoughts around.
And it also meant there would be amazing make up sex to follow – not that he was a man who fought his girlfriend just to have sex. No, no, he definitely didn’t do that.
Eyes back on the road, Daniel shifted against the worn leather seat. The creaking noise of the material moving and stretching broke through the painfully silent space. He had to bite down a wince. Vala flicked her eyes to him for a moment before returning her blank gaze on the passing trees.
Daniel flexed his hand on the steering wheel, trying to shake the feeling of tension permeating his skin. God, what was wrong with them? They’d been through so many things together, and had always been able to keep at least some conversation between them.
This – this was just dead nothing. He hated it.
Tapping the brakes as he came to the red light that marked the end of the mountain road, Daniel flopped back against the seat and sighed. Vala shifted a little, tossing her hair over her shoulder with the hand not holding up her head on the side of the door. Shaking his head for the simple fact that he just didn’t know what to do, he brought his gaze back out the front windshield.
Blue eyes blinked at the fading sign just past the intersection. The warped wooden planks that made up the ancient thing were beginning to fall off, but the weathered name of the old bar was still legible amongst the grainy wood. Daniel remembered going to the little run-down joint with Jack a few times. Right on the outskirts of town, it was a good place to relax and unwind from their everyday insanity.
“Daniel?” Vala’s tired voice shook him from the memories of cheap beer and occasional shots. He looked at her, and she pointed out the car.
“Light’s green, darling.”
Daniel whipped his head forward again, glancing at the light, and then the sign. A smile broke across his lips and he placed his foot on the gas, turning down the side road instead of going straight.
Vala reacted expectantly. “Where are we going?” She asked, sitting up straighter.
He cast her a quick glance. “I think we need a little change in pace…”
* * * *
The clock in the truck dashboard read
Vala’s eyes widened as she took in the establishment. “This is a bar, Daniel.”
He grinned. “Yes, it is.”
“You’re actually bringing me to a bar?” She asked back in almost delightful surprise. “You?”
Daniel killed the ignition and pulled the keys out. “Hey, don’t sound so surprised…” He stated with indignation, opening his door. Vala did the same with hers. Daniel looked at her before climbing out. “I go to bars.”
She nodded as she climbed out, her door slamming shut just after Daniel’s. “Yes, but that usually takes coercion, Daniel.” Vala met him at the front of the vehicle. Her gaze was still surprised and excited. “But you bringing me here of your own accord…”
Her hand came up to caress his cheek. “That spells promise.”
“Yes well…” Daniel pulled her hand down and wrapped her arm around his. “Don’t get too excited – we’re only staying for a few beers, listen to a little juke box music – just enough so we can relax from our mundane…” He emphasized the word with a roll of his eyes. “Lives.”
Vala didn’t take the sarcastic bait. “Still, I think I’m finally beginning to rub off on you.” She preened, snuggling her cheek into his shoulder as they started for the entrance.
He let out a genuine laugh. “Yeah…right.”
“Fine, deny it now…” Vala sighed, releasing her hold on Daniel as he started up the rickety porch steps that led up to the bar. She fixed him with a devious smile. “But when I’ve got you in a tattoo parlor, getting my name tattooed across your…” She stepped up to him and laid her hand on his ass. “Deliciously firm backside…”
Vala leaned up on her toes and winked at his bemused look. “You’ll be saying differently.”
Letting her lay a kiss on his lips, Daniel nodded sarcastically. “You just keep thinking that.” He stepped the short distance away from her, pulling the door open. A bell jingled on the inside as he did.
Tossing her hair, Vala pulled herself up to her full height and strutted into the bar. “Oh, I will.” She offered as she passed him.
Daniel grinned and shook his head, following her inside.
* * * *
“A tattoo on my ass?” Daniel asked incredulously as he lowered his beer bottle back to the bar. He swung his head to the right, amused by the fact that the world around Vala wavered slightly with the action. He definitely had a pleasing buzz, if the line of beer bottles growing before him was anything to go by.
Vala brought her own bottle down from her lips, nodding enthusiastically. “Oh yeah…” She leaned closer, hand on his knee. He looked down at it, then back up at her as she finished her statement. “Enough time, and I’ll get you to do…” Her lips came close to his. “Anything.”
Smiling, Daniel nodded distractedly. “Anything, you say…” He mumbled just before Vala pressed her lips to his in a beer-soaked kiss. She nodded as she kissed him, and he leaned towards her. It was a wonder, with all their moving, that they managed to stay upright on their stools.
The sound of a bottle touching the bar top caused them to break away from each other and look up.
“Well, ain’t ya a pair…” The bartender asked with a grin. Her wrinkled hands, topped off with long fingernails painted a bright red, snatched up bottles from both Daniel’s and Vala’s rows, and tossed them in the trash can below the bar. Then the same hands came up with two shot glasses.
“I take it ya two know how to have a good time…” She smiled as she picked up the bottle and filled one of the glasses.
Vala rested her elbows on the bar and stood up with her feet on the railing of her stool. “Oh, yes ma’am…” She cast a glance at Daniel, who was sipping from his beer again and frowning at the shots the older woman was pouring. “Good times all around with us.”
The older woman nodded knowingly. “Suspected as much…” She lowered the second glass to the bar, and then proceeded to push one in front of both Daniel and Vala. “So I figured y’all wouldn’t mind a couple shots…”
“Yes!” Vala grinned happily, even as Daniel shook his head and lowered the now empty bottle to the bar. He stood up, one hand on the bar top while the other fished in the back pocket of his jeans.
“Actually…” He drawled out slowly. “We really should be going…”
Now Vala was shaking her head, stepping down off her stool to stand close to him. “But Daniel!” She whined.
He shook his head again. “Need to go…” His fingers slowly fumbled over the bills he’d pulled out of his pocket.
The bartender leaned against the bar and eyed the handsome young man. “Come on, hunny – The night is dead, and I need you two fresh breaths of air to get this place kickin’” She smiled as Daniel looked up at her. “You two start doin’ shots, and I guarantee others will.”
“As much as I’d love to boost business for the night…” Daniel almost snickered at how much he sounded like Jack with the statement. “We really need-“
Vala’s hand closing over his had him looking down into her pleading grey eyes. “Darling, please…” She begged, putting on her best pouty face. “Don’t you want to soak up this moment?”
He did laugh a little at this. “I think I’ve soaked up enough alread-” Daniel was cut off mid-word by Vala’s lips pressing hard against his own. He stumbled sideways into the bar in surprise, ‘oomph’ing into her mouth as her hand came around to squeeze his ass.
She pulled away abruptly, leaving him standing with his mouth hanging open slightly. Licking his lips as he closed his mouth, Daniel felt the heat of Vala’s cheek close to his as she leaned up to whisper in his ear.
“Please, Daniel…” Her voice was husky and alluring. Daniel breathed in deeply at its irresistible appeal. “Let’s stay a little while longer…”
Vala pulled away, her hand still playing in the hair at the back of his neck. White hot fire of enticement shot through Daniel like lightning, and he nodded dumbly.
“Okay…” He breathed, for fear that his voice would fail him if he spoke any higher.
She beamed in victory, dropping her hand and bouncing in place. Vala then clapped her hands together, turned towards the bar, winked at the bartender – who was smirking -picked up both shot glasses, and turned back to Daniel. She handed him his glass.
“Bottoms up…” Vala grinned, tossing back the shot quickly.
Knowing he’d been suckered, but honestly too buzzed to care, Daniel pocketed the money with a sigh. He eyed the shot glass in his hand, filled to the brim with an unmistakable amber liquid. The sound of Vala clearing her throat was what finally made him bring it to his lips.
And in as swift a motion as she had, Daniel tossed the liquor back.
* * * *
Several beers and a couple more shots later, Daniel found himself out on the dance floor with Vala plastered up against him. One hand wrapped around her waist, holding her close to him, Daniel stared down at her as she stared up at him.
She was sex embodied, glistening with sweat from dancing and eyes clouded with lust and alcohol. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, and every so often he felt the cool brush of her beer bottle against his damp neck. His own bottle was clutched in his free hand, and he took a drink from it as they continued to grind to the music.
As the song tapered off into another, Vala leaned up and shouted over the new song.
“I’m ready for another shot.”
Daniel pulled back and grinned at her. “After you then.” He motioned back towards the bar with his beer bottle. Clutching her hand, he allowed her to drag him back through the crowd.
Flopping down in his stool, Daniel smiled lazily as Vala leaned up on the bar and shouted for the bartender to head their direction. He took in her slender form, now more visible since she’d taken off her jacket. Her black tank top was a shade darker with sweat, her arms glistening enticingly. Damp hair pulled up haphazardly into a messy ponytail, Vala screamed sex.
It caused Daniel to let out a smug laugh simply because he knew she was all his.
“What was that for?” Vala asked with a playful grin as she stepped down from the bar. Daniel placed his beer down and motioned with a finger for her to come towards him. As she got close enough, he placed his hand on her hips and drew her in between his legs. She squeaked a little with the movement.
Sitting up as best he could, Daniel leaned in close to her. “You’re fuckin’ sexy…” He grinned before placing his lips greedily to her moist neck. Vala giggled in her usual way, stepping closer to Daniel as her pulled her in.
“Still the life of this party…” The same voice had them separating yet again, both turning hazy gazes on the older woman, who was waiting with the same bottle and glasses.
“Like I said…” Vala stepped out of Daniel’s grasp, causing him to pout and step off his stool. As she pressed against the bar, he pressed in behind her. Vala smiled indulgently. The more Daniel drank, the needier he got. Not that she was complaining or anything.
“Good times all around…” She finished around laughter as Daniel brought his lips to her neck once more.
The bartender nodded, grinning. “I had a feeling you two were the fun type.”
“Speaking of fun.” Vala leaned in as best she could with Daniel practically attached to her, and tapped the bottle with her finger. “How about another?”
In a sudden urge to act slightly responsible, Daniel pulled his lips away from Vala and looked at the bartender. “Actually, do you happen to know what time it is?”
“It’s almost
He shook his head and smiled. “Yeah, it’s just…wow, time is just flying by tonight.”
“Another shot, then?” The bartender asked, placing the glasses down on the bar and filling them up.
Daniel cast a look at Vala, who was grinning innocently. Shrugging, Daniel looked up at the older woman and grinned.
“Oh, what the hell-” He said loudly as the music got louder again, reaching out for one glass as Vala reached out for the other.
* * * *
The couple stumbled down the porch steps out of the bar, lips locked in a drunken kiss of passion. They continued to trip and swagger in the general direction of the truck, still connected at the mouth. It wasn’t until Vala’s boot connected with an errant pebble that sent her sprawling to the ground in a fit of giggles that the kissing stopped.
Daniel laughed outright, moving to help her. He only managed to end up falling to the ground next to her, a combination of laughing and too much alcohol.
“I cannot believe she kicked us out!” Vala gasped, struggling to sit up on her side to stare at Daniel, whose laughing was tapering off. “I mean, we were here all night!”
He awkwardly pushed himself up, grinning. “I think that might’ve been the problem…” Daniel leaned forward, capturing her lips in a sloppy kiss. “We’re just too much fun for this lot.”
Vala grinned and pulled him against her. “Too much fun…” She repeated against his lips, cupping his face as she kissed him fully. He moaned into her mouth, attempting to push himself up at the same time. Vala did her best to move with him, and after much giggling and stumbling, they got upwards.
“I’m too drunk to drive home…” Daniel admitted breathlessly, smiling and swaying in place.
She nodded in agreement. “I think I am too…”
Daniel swaggered over to the truck, bracing himself against the hood as he looked up and down the street that ran through the town. The glowing silhouette of a hotel sign in the early morning fog caught his eye. He pointed a finger, turning back to Vala as he flopped back against the hood.
“I think I can make it that far…we can book a room, have amazing alcohol-induced sex, and drive home in the morning…” He grinned, feeling proud of such an excellent plan. His grin grew at Vala’s nod of agreement. She placed her hands on his chest and leaned up to kiss him.
Daniel happily kissed her back, then pushed her off him. He slowly, with one hand held out to the truck, stumbled his way over to the driver’s side. Vala made her way to the passenger door, leaning her forehead against the cool window as she waited for Daniel to unlock the vehicle.
Swaying in front of the door, Daniel searched his pockets up and down for his keys. He frowned in drunken confusion, wondering why he couldn’t find them.
“What’s the hold up?” Vala hollered at him from the other side, her face pressed against the window.
He mimicked her position, shrugging and shouting back. “I can’t find my keys.”
Vala stepped back from the window, bracing herself with a hand on the side view mirror. She furrowed her brow in thought, and then looked at the wavering image of Daniel through the cab of the truck.
“Break the window?” She suggested loudly, shrugging like he had.
Snapping his fingers, Daniel moved to the truck bed. Leaning heavily against the side, he reached in and fumbled for the tire tool his knew was back there. When his partially numbed fingers found it, he lifted it out with a triumphant smile. Vala beamed at him from the other side.
Daniel stepped back over to the window. Without giving a second thought to what he was doing, he gripped the tire tool in both hands and gave a swing at the glass. The tool, plus his elbow, connected, and the thin sheet shattered. His cursed loudly as a large piece of glass cut into his elbow.
“You alright?” Vala questioned, still on the other side.
Arm in the door, Daniel nodded. “Cut my elbow…” He finally found the lock and hit the button to unlock both his and Vala’s doors. Dumping the tool on the seat, he clumsily climbed in. Vala did the same on the other side.
She leaned in to examine his elbow as he leaned over to check the floor for his keys. “It’s bleeding…” Her finger poked at it just as Daniel shouted an ‘ah ha.’ He moved to come up, but was too far under the dash board and ended up whacking his head with a loud thump.
Vala flopped back in the seat, laughing as he adjusted his position and came up, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. The keys dangled from the other.
“Not funny…” He mumbled, and Vala covered her mouth and nodded.
“Yes it is…” She said through her hand, still laughing.
Daniel pouted and slammed his door shut. Leaning on the steering wheel, he moved to insert the key. After several failed attempts, he leaned over to see what he was doing wrong. It took him three more times until he got the key to go in – Vala still laughing all the while.
Turning the ignition on, Daniel got the truck into reverse after only two attempts. Turning to look out the back window, arm resting on the length of the seat, he laid his foot down on the gas.
And completely erased the remaining two feet that were between his truck and the light pole.
* * * *
The shrill call of his cell phone broke through Jack’s peaceful sleep, and had him cursing all inventors of the telephone even before he could start fumbling for the chirping device. Sitting up in Daniel’s guest bed, met with middle of the night darkness, Jack grabbed at the phone like it was a larval Goa’uld.
Bleary-eyed, he scowled at the number. When it finally registered who was actually calling, he flipped the phone open in agitation and brought it to his ear. “Better be a damn good reason you’re not here, and an even better one for why you’re calling me at two in the damn morning…”
“Well hello to you too, Jack!”
Jack’s eyes closed slowly, and he pulled in a deep breath and the voice on the other end. Daniel was hammered – and from the giggling he heard in the background, Vala didn’t sound far better off.
“Where are you guys?” He finally sighed, tossing back the comforter and flicking on the bedside lamp. His brown eyes widened as Daniel snickered out their location, his words muffled and halting – it was obvious him and Vala were a little preoccupied.
Shooting up off the bed, Jack scowled to the empty room. “You two are so dead!”
* * * *
Jack was beginning to realize his every attempt at reprimanding Daniel for his short-minded actions that evening was pointless. Especially when he considered the man he was attempting to reprimand was sprawled across the backseat of his truck, practically attached at the mouth to his trouble magnet girlfriend.
Not that Jack didn’t like Vala – she was a woman that knew how to push Daniel’s buttons in all the right ways. The General would always believe she was good for his younger friend.
But she had a way of getting the archaeologist into more trouble than was normally possible. Ways that usually involved getting Jack’s own buttons pushed. He didn’t like that much.
“Are you even listening to me?” He grumbled, glancing in the rearview mirror at the pair currently making out on the backseat.
There was a drunken giggle, followed by a muffled “no…” since Daniel didn’t bother removing his mouth from Vala’s neck.
Jack sighed loudly, shaking his head at the same time. “I swear to god…”
“Oh Jack, do lighten up…” Vala sighed, half distracted by the things Daniel was doing with his mouth.
The General gave a short, sarcastic laugh. “Lighten up? You two practically drive out to the boonies without so much as a phone call, get all jacked up…” He had to pause as this seemed very funny to Daniel, who fell into yet another fit of giggles. “And then attempt to drive home!”
This finally got Daniel’s attention. He awkwardly pushed himself up and attempted to pout at Jack. It was marred by the fact that he couldn’t get the goofy smirk off his face. “I wasn’t gonna drive home Jack…just to the hotel down the street.”
“But you couldn’t even do that, Daniel.” Jack kept his voice neutral and calm. He’d had his fair share of arguments with a drunken archaeologist over the years, and he wasn’t in any frame of mind to get into another one.
Brown eyes quickly glanced back at unfocused blue. The grin he received, added on top of the fact that Daniel was swaying unceremoniously in place, had his final attempt at outright anger fizzling out to mere annoyance. “Lay down before you pass out.”
Daniel nodded, grin still in place, and gave a sloppy salute. “Yes sir!” He flopped down onto the seat just as Vala slid herself into a sitting position. Daniel let out a deep breath against the leather, his eyes falling closed before he could stop them.
As he finally succumbed to the alcohol, Vala clambered her way into the front passenger seat. She was met with a stern glare as her grey eyes found Jack.
“What?” She asked on an amused little laugh.
“You just had to take him bar hopping, huh?” Jack again tried to find an outlet for his anger, but Vala was completely unfazed by it.
She merely shook her head, and held her finger out as she spoke. “Actually, it wasn’t my idea to go out…” At Jack’s unbelieving look, Vala shrugged as she shook her head again. “No, really…”
Grey eyes cast a loving glance back at the man passed out on the back seat. “It was all Daniel’s idea.”
Vala continued, not noticing the look Jack had given her at the softness in her voice. “I don’t know how he knew I needed something like this, but I really did.”
Her eyes found Jack’s once more. “Don’t get me wrong – I love what we do. I love having more constants in my life than I’ve ever had before, Daniel being one of the most constant. But after so long, I can’t help but need a little fun.”
Looking down at her hands, Vala felt tears of guilt come to the surface. “Too long doing the same old things, and I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to stay…I hate having to say it, but it’s true.”
Jack again met her gaze as she looked up.
“Just one of those things about myself that I can’t change.”
Reaching out a hand, Jack took one of hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about that anymore, Vala...” At her slightly confused frown, he jerked his head towards the backseat. “Don’t know if you’ve figured this out yet, but Daniel’s got a way of knowin’ you better than he does himself. He’s gonna take care of you – I can promise you that.”
“And I can promise you I’ll take care of him, for as long as I can.” Vala said softly, reaching back to straighten Daniel’s hair. He murmured soft, unintelligible words at her touch.
Jack nodded, finally turning off the street that Daniel and Vala had turned down many hours before. “Alright then…” After the truck was clear of the turn, he gave her a mock stern glance. “Just…make sure it involves less booze next time, okay?”
Vala just gave him an innocent smile, eyes burning with a wickedness that the General had yet to see anywhere else. Jack rolled his eyes and sighed. He had a feeling he was gonna be bald long before either of his two trouble makers parted ways.
** The End **
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