A Quick Fix
By: BkWurm1
CATEGORY: Angst
SEASON/SPOILERS: Season 10 “Unending”
WARNINGS: None
“Knock, knock.”
Daniel looked past the Asgard writing hovering in the air. Vala hesitated on the threshold of the interactive data retrieval room, her arms behind her back.
“Hey.” He punched a few of the panels in front of him and the secrets of a lost race vanished for the moment. “I’m not late for dinner, am I?” He glanced at the dial of his watch. It read mid-afternoon, but if the timepiece were to fail, he’d have no way of distinguishing the time in the perpetual night that cloaked the Odyssey.
“No, I just thought you might be ready for fresh coffee.” She revealed a black thermos from behind her back. Daniel removed his glasses, wiped his eyes, and resettled his spectacles in place.
“I’ll never say no to fresh coffee, but why the change of heart?”
“What do you mean?” She rotated the top of the carafe until it was open and handed it to Daniel.
“Thank you.” He took a sip. “I’m referring to your longstanding prohibition against anyone bringing me coffee. Something about how I’d never leave if I wasn’t forced.” He took another sip and privately acknowledged if he didn’t have to fetch his own coffee (Mitchell wouldn’t even go against Vala’s edict) he probably wouldn’t leave the data room during the day, but he was careful not to stay past what constituted a normal workday too often.
He tried not to let work control his every waking minute and found he didn’t even want to let it have such power over him most of the time. His relationship with Vala meant more to him that he could ever have imagined.
Since the day his blinders finally came off, they’d grown increasingly close. After that first night, less than a month went by before Vala moved permanently into his quarters. The past three years had gone by surprisingly swiftly and he could no longer imagine a life without Vala waking up by his side each morning.
“Well, today I’m making an exception.” She smiled, but it failed to reach her eyes and lacked her normal vibrancy. He reached out and took her hand.
“Hey,” he said softly, “what’s wrong?”
She bit her lower lip, but shook her head. “Nothing,” she said unconvincingly and faltered further as Daniel set down his precious mug and took her other hand as well.
‘It’s not nothing.” He contradicted. When she would have looked away, he gently cupped her chin and held her still. He caressed her jaw line with his thumb. “Talk to me.”
“It really is nothing. Nothing has happened since this morning. I, I’m just missing you I guess, feeling a bit lonely. Sam’s…” she broke off as Daniel pulled her tightly into his embrace, his arms enfolding her securely. Closing her eyes, she sank into him, sighing raggedly and hugging him back fiercely.
They stood for a minute not speaking, just wrapped around one another, seeking strength and comfort and finding that and more.
After a while, Vala released a shaky laugh into his shoulder. “I must have needed that. I think I spent too much time this afternoon starring out at nothing and contemplating the infinite universe. Humans make up practically nothing when compared to the vastness of space and six people living a lifetime in seconds might as well not even exist.” She snorted inelegantly, “They surely shouldn’t be worrying over if they matter while they practically don’t exist in the first place.”
Daniel rubbed her back and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Ok, no more studies in existentialism for you.” He rocked her for a moment longer before pulling back and looking her in the eyes. They were dry, but haunted. “We matter and you matter. You matter to me more than you could know.” Her grey eyes did not stay dry.
She blinked back a few tears and then grinned and rolled her eyes. “Sure, right, but you could survive just fine on you own as long as you had unlimited access to the Asgard database and free flowing java.”
She gestured behind them, “Set up a little bed in the corner and you’d never have to leave, well, except for bathing. Though, if you stayed holed up in here, you couldn’t offend Sam or General Landry too much.”
Daniel tilted his head and cocked an eyebrow, clearly conveying his question to Vala. She lifted an eyebrow in turn and replied, “You know Teal’c would never mention it and you shouldn’t be concerned about offending Cameron, the nonstop jogger’s nose. He’s hardly in a position to talk.”
Daniel smiled, more at the return of her good humor than at the content of her comment. Still, something of what she said nagged at him. His smile slipped away and he turned serious.
“It’s not true you know.”
“Well, alright, Teal’c might say something if you went unbathed for too long and…” Daniel cut her off by stealing a quick kiss.
“No, no. I mean you are wrong about what I need to survive.”
Light as a butterfly, she touched the side of his face. “It’s alright Daniel,” she said softly. “It doesn’t bother me. As long as I have my fair share of you, I’m ok with sharing.” He grabbed her hand and placed a kiss in her palm.
“Hush. I’m not trying to placate you. Yes, it’s true that I find the Asgard database fascinating and could conceivably make it my life’s work, but still, in the end it’s just that, work.”
Vala frowned up at him, trying to understand what he was saying.
“The Asgard database might keep me busy and yes, even intrigued, but you,” he ran his fingers through the hair along side her face. Strands of the thick, glossy stuff curled and clung to his fingers like a caress. “But you, you keep me living. Without you…” he closed his eyes and clenched his jaw against the sudden pain that thought delivered.
Not be around her warmth and humor? Miss out on her passion, her playfulness, her affection? Give up her trust and understanding?
Never.
If need be, he’d gladly trade the Asgard’s legacy for her continued presence by his side. Both were fascinating, intriguing and wondrous, but only one was life itself.
He tipped his forehead until it rested on hers and grasped her shoulders. “I can’t do without you Vala.” He felt a splash of warmth on his shirtfront, followed shortly by another. “Don’t cry. Please, don’t cry,” he begged and tucked her head against his chin. “I’m doing a lousy job cheering you up.”
Vala sniffed and laughed, “Darling, these would be happy tears.” She reached up and wound her arms around his neck, pulling him close. He sunk his fingers into her hair while he got lost in their kiss, marveling once again how each time they touched, he seemed to crave her more. Breathlessly, they pulled apart, and once again rested their foreheads together.
Daniel tugged on strand of her hair. “Come, on, let’s get out of here.” Vala rose up on her tiptoes and planted a quick hard kiss on his lips.
“No, you’ve still got a couple hours of work left. I can wait.” She stole another kiss from him while he was in shock. “This will keep me for now.” One more nibble to his lips and she turned resolutely to leave. Before she was out of reach, Daniel grabbed her hand and reeled her back into his arms.
“You’re not going anywhere.” He lowered his mouth to hungrily take hers.
“Oh?” she said when he moved on to nuzzle her neck. “And why’s that?” She coyly asked while her wildly beating heart belied her calm.
His voice sounded strained around the edge “Because suddenly the history of the Asgard doesn’t seem all that interesting.”
“I can see how that might be a problem.” She rubbed the nape of his neck. “Good thing I brought you fresh coffee. A quick fix of caffeine should do the trick, right?” She teased.
“Vala, I need something, that’s true, but it has nothing to do with coffee and a quick fix is not going to cut it. Believe me,” he whispered against her parted lips, “this is a life long addiction.”
** The End **
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