First
By: Pip
CATEGORY: Romance
WARNINGS: None
AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:
http://brabbit-hole.livejournal.com/
Dance
The afternoon was quiet - thunderstorms threatening upon the horizon the only disturbance.
'A lazy day,' Daniel had called it. She was watching a movie while he worked. The room went silent as a loud boom was heard, a bright flash lighting up the room momentarily before it was bathed in darkness.
Vala rose from the couch and carefully began to make her way out the room. She stopped in the entryway when she found what she had intended to look for. He was standing with the front door open, comfortably leaning in the doorway. She walked up to Daniel, watching him curiously.
"Transformer blew." He said quietly, his eyes watching the storm. There was a pleasure there she had never seen before. Vala placed her hand on his arm. Daniel closed his eyes and breathed in deeply.
"I love the rain." He murmured as he exhaled. "My mom loved it, too. She taught me how to listen to it..." Daniel opened his eyes and turned them on her. "Have you ever just listened to the rain?"
Vala smiled with amusement. "It's just water, darling."
Daniel nodded, a knowing smile going to his lips - lips she had only recently gotten to truly know. "When you grow up in the desert, you learn early how precious water really is." He reached out and took her hand, slowly pulling her out onto the porch.
"Daniel?" Vala questioned, uncertain of his intentions.
Daniel brought her to a stop against his chest. They were just barely undercover. Vala felt a few drops hit her face.
"Close your eyes." Daniel leaned in and whispered in her ears. Vala looked up at him a moment. He brushed her bangs back from her face. She sighed at the smile he was giving her, and closed her eyes slowly.
"Now, just listen." He said softly. "Listen to the music of the rain."
Vala pulled back as he began to pull her out into the storm. Her eyes flew open and she glared at him.
Daniel just laughed. "Close your eyes, listen, and trust me, okay?" Slowly, Vala nodded and closed her eyes again. She listened to the steady rhythm of the rain as Daniel pulled her out into its downpour. She inhaled as the cold water impacted against her.
Daniel smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, closing his eyes as well. Vala rested her head on his chest. He started to hum softly to whatever he was hearing, and soon Vala realized, as she began to hear the same song, that they were dancing slowly.
Smiling, she opened her eyes and pulled her head away from his chest. She looked up at Daniel, who was giving her an affectionate smile as he continued to hum. He leaned in and placed his lips to hers softly.
The first time Vala danced with Daniel, he taught her to listen. And she would always remember the taste of his kiss through the rain.
Kiss
Road trips were usually boring. Vala had learned that not too long after coming to Earth. The only thing that would ever happen would be her and Daniel bickering nonstop - which usually put them both in bad moods by the time they reached wherever they were going.
Things were different now, though.
His looks of annoyance had turned to looks of affection. She didn't get upset anymore when he would cut off whatever she was saying - it was usually because he was finishing her sentence anyway. He quit rolling his eyes when she winked at him, and smiled back instead. And she found her heart skipped a beat every time he would.
Bickering had turned into flirting.
Vala scooted closer to Daniel on the seat they shared. Jack
was in front of Daniel in the driver's seat, Sam on the passenger side, and
Daniel unclipped his seatbelt and twisted so his back was against his door. He bent his right knee, leaning his leg against the back of the seat, and left his other foot planted to the floor. Never looking up from his book, he not-too-subtly cleared his throat.
Vala smiled and moved into the space he'd created for her. He brushed her hair to the side as she came to rest against his chest. His hand came around to take hers, holding it gently against her stomach.
Soon Daniel put his book down, and came to rest his lips in Vala's hair. She smiled and brushed her thumb softly over his hand. His other hand gently pulled one of the earphones from her ear and he placed it in his own. Then that hand came down to cover hers on her ipod.
They listened to a handful of songs together - Vala noticed how Daniel picked all the romantic songs from her vast selection of music. It was in the middle of 'How Did I Fall In Love With You' when Daniel brought his hand up and turned her face to his. His deep blue eyes looked into her slate-like ones for a moment, then slowly his mouth pushed against hers.
Vala allowed his tongue access to her mouth, then breathed in deeply through her nose as Daniel deepened the kiss passionately. His hand moved from the back of her neck up into her hair, and she placed her hand gently against his cheek. Slowly, Daniel extracted his tongue, then placed another soft kiss against her lips. He left his lips resting against hers.
"So I take it you two are officially an item?" Jack asked casually, glancing at them in the review mirror. He looked at Sam momentarily, who was trying to suppress her giggles.
Daniel smiled against Vala's lips. "Nope."
"Not a chance whatsoever." Vala smiled back before giving Daniel a small kiss of her own.
"Great..." Jack sighed, rolling his eyes. "Now it'll be double the snippiness."
Vala turned back around to rest against Daniel once more. "Is that really a word?"
This got an exasperated sigh from Jack, and more giggling from Sam. Looking up at Teal'c, Vala saw his smile of amusement. Daniel buried his face against her neck, trying to mask his laughter. She shrugged, unsure of what was going on.
"What?" She asked curiously, which had them all laughing some more. Daniel kissed her neck gently, then moved his mouth to whisper in her ear.
"Channeling me on the first kiss."
Vala wanted to protest - that hadn't been their first kiss. They had done that onboard Prometheus when she had...Her train of thought came to an end. She had kissed him, and he had been resistant. She knew little about him, and he knew even less of her.
This one was different. He had kissed her, even when he knew more about her than any other person in the universe - the things he knew she'd done in her past would send most men running for safer ground. Yet, he had still fallen for her, had still kiss her.
Vala ran the thought through her head again. HE kissed HER.
He was right. This was the first kiss because Daniel had kissed Vala for the first time.
Bedside
They told her it was part of loving him. That she had to be willing to spend hours, days, weeks, sometimes months and even years waiting by his side when he'd gotten himself in trouble. And she was.
But the knowledge that it would happen and the willingness to do it didn't make the moment when she had to any easier when it came.
Why did he have to be so courageous and...romantic?
Vala let out a small laugh through her tears as she sat beside Daniel's bed in the infirmary. Her thumb gently stroked across the back of his lax hand. "How can you manage to push me back from a rock slide, but slip down it yourself?" She sat forward, brushing her free hand through his hair, careful to avoid the oxygen mask covering his mouth and nose. The stubble that had begun to grow along his jawline was a stark contrast against his pale skin.
"If nothing else, the serious amount of romance points you've earnedd with this one are helping me not be upset with you."
"He's good at that." Vala jumped at the new voice, turning to see Jack standing in the doorway. He came into the room, and dragged a chair over next to hers. "Earning points to make up for whatever stupid heroic act he's done." He sat down in the chair. "Of course, in my case, it was friendship points...Guess I wasn't enough of his type for the romance thing."
Vala laughed quietly at Jack's bad humor. She knew it was his way of lightening any situation. Of course he was the one who had passed the trait onto Daniel.
"So..." Jack stretched. "I hear this is your first real big 'sit at the bedside of a wayward archaeologist' vigil."
"Yep." Vala nodded. "I've done it before when he's had a sprained ankle, or concussion, or split lip and some other wound requiring stitches. But this one..." She turned to look at Daniel. "This one is big."
Jack leaned forward in his chair. "Ah..." He placed his hand on Daniel's blanket-covered ankle. "A collapsed lung, three broken ribs, concussion, blown out knee, and broken ankle is nothing for Danny-boy here."
"You make it sound so easy to deal with." Vala sighed, looking at Jack with a small smile.
"Do I?" Jack laughed, then shook his head. "Trust me, it's not. Even after all these years, it hasn't gotten any easier. Not a smidge."
Vala tilted her head curiously. "Then how do you manage to stay so..."
"Upbeat?" Jack asked.
"Yeah." Vala nodded with a smile.
"Sometimes..." Jack sighed. "A lot of the time...you wonder..." He tilted his head like she had, a knowing smile coming to his lips. "You will wonder why your so willing to sit beside someone when you're not even sure if they'll wake up in a few minutes, a few hours, a few days...or worse - ever." Jack's brown eyes looked up, and his smile widened. "Then something will happen that makes all the waiting, the sore back, the overwhelming boredom all worth it."
"What's that?" Vala questioned. Jack just simply shrugged, and that's when she felt pressure against her hand. Looking at it, she found Daniel's hand was gripping hers gently. Her grey eyes traveled upward and were met with glazed blue ones staring back.
"Daniel." She whispered as she grinned. "You're awake."
Daniel slowly pulled the mask down with his free hand and smiled lazily at her. "Barely." His gaze drifted slowly to Jack. "Hey Jack."
"Dammit Daniel..." Jack grumbled good-naturedly. "You couldn't stay unconscious for another thirty minutes?!"
Daniel grinned. "Who beat you?"
"Mitchell!" Jack growled. "He said you wouldn't keep the pretty lady waiting less than six hours."
Daniel squeezed Vala's hand. "Couldn't make her first vigil too bad, ya know?"
Vala looked back and forth between them, a look of bewilderment on her face. "You guys BET on Daniel!? Why didn't I know about this?!" She glared at Daniel. "And what do you mean 'too bad'?! Five hours IS horrible!"
Daniel just blinked innocently. Jack laughed and leaned in.
"Actually it was five hours, thirty two minutes, and eighteen seconds." At Vala's wide-eyed glance, he sobered. "Wait until you've had to sit there for a week and a half - then you'll start to appreciate the value of a second." He gave a pointed look to Daniel, then another one to Vala. "Now stop whining and give your hero a kiss..."
Vala swallowed then turned back to Daniel, who smiled dopily at her. As she leaned in to place a gentle kiss on his lips, Jack's voice reached her again.
"And be happy your first time wasn't that bad."
Fight
Vala tightened her arms around herself as a chill wind blew against her exposed skin. It did nothing to cool her heated temper as she continued to stalk down the street. If nothing else, the loud click of her boots on the sidewalk was a sure sign she was a woman not to be messed with at the moment. She was fuming...
He had no right to demand those things of her. Promises and assurances when she wasn't too sure of their relationship herself. She couldn't promise him she wouldn't get up and leave out of nowhere. She couldn't assure him that she would never flirt with another guy, look at another guy...kiss another guy. It had been engraved in her since she was young.
And Daniel had no right to try and change her. It was too early for them as a couple for her to even think about permanence. And that made Daniel mad...which in turn made her mad. Mad at him for proving to her that she wasn't as strong as he was - she didn't have the will, possibly the want, for anything long term like he had.
So to prove her point that she could never promise to stay where he wanted her to, Vala had walked out. She'd made sure to give the door a good slam as she did, almost certain she'd heard something crash to the floor inside. It had been satisfying at the time.
But as she continued to walk, and as the cold started to quickly seep into every part of her body, Vala started to doubt her actions. Why was she so afraid of commitment? What did she have to worry about? She knew Daniel wanted to be with her, and she was almost...no, definitely certain she didn't want to go back to jumping from one scum to another. She wanted one man, and she wanted that one man to be Daniel.
But him asking so much of her so soon had overwhelmed her, and she'd panicked. And now she was terrified she'd done something so irreversible that Daniel wouldn't want her back. Their first fight might just be their last.
Especially since Daniel hadn't even attempted to hunt her down. Looking up, Vala's heart leapt into her throat. She'd just walked, letting her feet take her wherever they wanted to go. Wherever the anger led. Now she was lost, with no knowledge of how to get back to the familiarity of Daniel's street, Daniel's house, Daniel's arms.
She had lived on base the whole time before she'd started going home with Daniel. She knew how to get to the basic places - the base, Sam's house, and Cameron's apartment, O'Malley's, the mall - but she'd never been taken on a thorough trek of the city. She'd never been to this part of town.
And if that wasn't frightening enough, Vala got the distinct feeling this wasn't the safest place to be. She tightened her arms once more, looking around helplessly - the same feeling of insecurity she'd felt after her memory was erased returning.
She was cold, upset, lonely, lost...and before she knew what exactly was going on, she was being attacked. Vala felt herself being dragged into a dark alley and pushed up against a graffiti-covered wall. A hand came to her throat and she felt a cold steel circle being pushed to her temple.
"Those are some fancy clothes ya wearin', beautiful." A deep, menacing voice sneered, and Vala resisted the urge to gag on the stench of tobacco and booze on the man's hot breath. "How's about we have some fun gettin' them off 'fore I make you hand them over."
Maybe it was the cold, or her own emotional state, but Vala found she didn't have the strength to fight back as her attacker started to undo the button on her jeans. She wanted to kick and scream. She wanted to fight. She wanted...Daniel.
Tears came to her eyes as she thought of him. He'd promised to protect her, to love and cherish her, to be only hers. And she had argued and fought about agreeing to the same thing. She realized now she didn't want to agree. She wanted those promises, and wanted to give her own. This wasn't how things were suppose to be, but were, all because she decided to fight instead of commit.
Vala flinched at the sound of a gun cocking, thinking the assailant was going to get his kicks after he killed her. Her eyes closed instinctively, then snapped open again at the sound of a familiar, very pissed off voice.
"You might wanna drop the weapon." Daniel commanded calmly, a sure sign he was not happy. "Because I'm sure you aren't anywhere near being certified to have yours, where I am one-hundred percent certified to have mine. I am also well within my rights to kill you, whether you think it or not."
"You prob'ly can't even use that thing." The man laughed, tightening his hold around Vala's neck. She gasped out to Daniel.
"The United States Air Force has numerous documents that say otherwise." Daniel stated, internally crying out for joy as Vala's assailant released his hold on her. The man looked at him uncertainly for a moment and saw the seriousness in those blue eyes, then took off at a run down the alley.
Daniel was never more grateful for the Springs being a town where when you said you were connected to the Air Force, people took it seriously. He lowered his gun and rushed to Vala's side. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. Before she could say anything, Daniel kissed her needingly.
Vala pulled away after a moment. "You're here...really here."
"Of course I am." Daniel sighed, moving to hug her close.
Vala nuzzled into his neck as he brought his head down. "All I kept thinking about was you. How much I wanted to say I'm sorry, and wanted nothing more than for you to be here and tell you how wrong I was...how I wanted to give you all the promises in the world. I just wanted you to find me like before."
Daniel pulled away and kissed her forehead. "I'll always find you, and I know...I know I shouldn't have pushed you, and you didn't mean to panic...I know." He nodded and brushed his hand against her hair. Vala nodded in return, then shivered as the heat of the moment left and the cold wind returned.
Daniel jumped into action again. "Come on, let's get you home." He took off his leather jacket and had Vala pull her arms into it. Wrapping his arm around her waist, Daniel walked Vala to his truck sitting just outside the alley way. As he opened the door for her, Vala saw a broken picture frame sitting on the passenger seat.
It was the picture Mitchell had taken of her asleep against Daniel, who had also dozed off. It was snapped long before they had both affirmed their feelings for one another, and the tender gestures of affection seen in the picture were a true testament to their future. Daniel had hung it on the wall the same day Mitchell had given him the picture. It had hung just inside the front door.
"I broke that?" Vala whispered sadly. She loved the picture, and she'd ruined it.
Daniel moved the frame to the dashboard, and helped Vala into the vehicle. "The outside may be a little cracked..." He brushed his hand along her cheek. "But all that matters is what's inside is still intact."
Both knew this first fight wouldn't be their last, but those words he'd said to her would always bring them back together every time.
Drunk
Vala knew they were being stared at. The restaurant wasn't that big, and with all the laughter and playful banter being thrown across the table, it was almost impossible for anyone not to stare. Most of the people probably found them disruptive. She really didn't care.
Because when the rare change came when SG-1 wasn't needed to stop some world-ending crisis, they happily took advantage of it. This time they found themselves sitting smooshed in a booth in the back of a tiny Mexican restaurant, sipping margaritas like they were going out of style and just having a good time.
And sandwiched between Cameron and Daniel, Vala couldn't find any solid reason to complain. Especially when, as time wore on, Daniel kept pulling her tighter against him. By the time they had finished their food, and paid the bill, she was practically sitting in his lap.
Vala slid out of the booth, Daniel following right behind her. The others were already ahead, and she moved to join them quickly. She stopped when she heard a snort of amusement come from behind, followed by an 'oomph' and the sound of glasses clinking. Turning, she found Daniel leaning heavily on their table, blinking slowly.
"You okay, darling?" Vala asked as she moved back to him.
Daniel gave a minute nod, then let out a small giggle. "Yep..." He took one hand off the table, and Vala steadied him with a hand to his arm as he tilted his hand back and forth. "The floor is just trying to throw me off it."
Vala smiled at how some of his words mashed together. Daniel leaned in, and she placed a hand on his chest.
"I think I'm drunk." He whispered loudly, his lips hovering just inches above hers.
Vala nodded and laughed. "I think so too." Daniel moved to kiss her lips, but ended up falling against her neck as Vala turned at the sound of Cam's voice. He laughed into her warm flesh.
"What's the hold up?"
Vala bit back a surprised gasp as Daniel's teeth scraped her skin. "Daniel's...ummmm..."
Daniel lifted up his head, bringing his lips to rest in Vala's hair. "The floor won't stay still." As if to emphasize the point, he stumbled a little against Vala. He smiled and closed his eyes at his slurred words.
The others exchanged knowing smirks. Teal'c stepped forward after a moment, coming to stand beside Daniel.
"I will assist you, Daniel Jackson." He said around a small smile.
Daniel laughed as he leaned heavily into Teal'c. "Okie dokie."
Vala smiled as she watched Teal'c weave Daniel through the maze of tables. She fell in step with Sam as they moved to leave. "I've never seen Daniel like this before."
"Really?" Sam asked curiously.
Vala nodded as they stepped outside. She laughed as Teal'c released Daniel, who proceeded to swagger a new path to the car. "I've seen him relax after a drink or two," She paused a moment as Daniel decided to burst out in his own rendition of the Indiana Jones theme. She giggled. "But never this-"
"Wasted." Sam laughed and Vala nodded with a
smile. The blonde gave her friend a smile of mischief as they reached the
vehicle. Teal'c had already maneuvered Daniel into the second seat of the SUV,
and was moving to get into the driver's seat.
"What?" Vala questioned Sam's look as she climbed in beside Daniel. He immediately noticed her presence, and shifted over so that his head rested on her shoulder.
"You feel good." Daniel giggled, and
* * * *
She ran her fingers through Daniel's hair as he lay draped across her body. His head was nuzzled into her neck and half his body was resting on hers. Smiling, Vala now understood the meaning of the look Sam was giving her earlier.
Drunk Daniel was a very cuddly Daniel.
"This is different." Daniel mumbled happily against her. He placed a soft kiss to her neck.
"What is, darling?" Vala asked curiously.
Daniel sat up a little, brushing his hand through her hair. His blue eyes were clouded and half-lidded, but she could see the love in his gaze. "Been a long time since I laid in bed with a beautiful woman when I was this..." He smiled lazily and leaned in to place a sloppy kiss to her lips. "Toasted." Daniel laughed against her mouth, then pulled up again.
Vala twisted her fingers in his hair just above his forehead. "Not since your wife?" She asked curiously, knowing Daniel wouldn't mind such a personal question. Another thing she was beginning to learn - Daniel talked a lot after having a few too many.
Daniel snorted softly at her comment, shaking his head. "Nah...Sha're hated when I got drunk. Said I was too..." He paused to think of the word, and Vala giggled at the look on his face. "Well, to be totally honest, she called me the Abydonian equivalent of an 'asshole' every time I would partake in the festivities." Daniel laughed and settled back down against Vala. "She wouldn't let me near her...which didn't make for good snuggling time."
Vala grinned at his choice of words. "I'm not complaining." She kissed his hair. "My Daniel is an adorable drunk."
Daniel giggled. "You are definitely NOT Sha're."
Vala sobered a moment at the statement. It impacted her in a way she didn't expect possible. Was she supposed to feel complimented or was it another subtle, subconscious reminder from Daniel that, no matter what she did, she would never be like his former wife. Daniel seemed to sense her discomfort and lifted his head up again.
"Shit, that was wrong to say, wasn't it?" He face had grown serious and confused. "It wasn't intended to be hurtful...did it come out like I heard it, or am I really that trashed?"
Vala smiled suddenly at the worried look in his eyes. It meant his words were a praise, not a putdown. She pulled his head down and kissed his lips gently. "It came out perfectly." She reassured him. Daniel smiled dopily and settled against her once more.
"Good." He sighed. "Lying in bed with gorgeous, one of a kind Vala, who chose such a..." He hiccupped and snorted out a laugh. "Dopey drunk. This is VERY good."
Vala laughed gently. She had learned a lot from her first experience with a drunk Daniel - the most important thing being the fact that he wasn't expecting her to be anyone but herself. She ran her fingers through his hair again.
"You talk too much." She laughed, and Daniel joined her.
"I've drank too much." He mumbled as he kissed the exposed part of her stomach.
"Still not complaining about that." Vala sighed as he continued to place warm kisses against her skin.
Comfort
Vala could feel Daniel's gaze upon her as they sat stopped at a red light. She turned from looking out the window to meet his blue-eyed stare.
"What?" She asked, a little more of a snap to her voice then she intended.
Daniel turned his eyes back to the road quickly, making Vala feel a little guilty.
"I'm just really glad you're okay." He answered quietly, tapping the gas as the light changed. Vala smiled softly at his words.
"It's just a broken ankle, darling." She said. She shifted in her seat a moment, trying to find a more comfortable position. "Nothing to fret over."
"It is when you break the ankle running from very unfriendly natives." Daniel gave her a quick glance. "I saw you go down, and I thought the worst. I was really scared."
Vala wished she could lean over and give him a kiss, but her bound foot made the task seem impossible. She tried the next best thing she could think of.
"I'm hungry." Nothing like giving Daniel a task to distract him. Like clockwork, he jumped to her aid - something she realized he was doing a lot over the past few days.
"What do you want?" He asked.
"I don't really care..." Vala looked out the window. She knew what she wanted, but now understanding how much Daniel really had been doing for her...
Daniel immediately caught the lie, but decided to play along. "Well, we could get some Chinese...or stop at the little Italian place not far from the house." When he got no response from Vala, he tried a few more suggestions. "Steaks from O'Malley's? Burgers from McDonalds? Come on Vala, give me something to work with."
"Pancakes." Vala stated quietly, giving him a sheepish look. "I want some of your pancakes..." At the look Daniel gave her in return, she rushed on. "But I'm sure you're tired of waiting on me...Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have said anything..."
Daniel stopped at another red light, and reached one hand over to squeeze her thigh. "If pancakes are what you want, then that's what I'll make you."
Vala looked at him, and smiled at the affection in his eyes.
* * * *
Daniel walked into the bedroom, a tray laden with pancakes, syrup, butter and a glass of milk between his hands. As he had expected her to be, Vala was asleep where he'd left her on the bed. The only change was she had turned onto her side and was now hugging his pillow to her chest.
He smiled at how adorable she looked. He moved to place the tray on the nightstand and gently sat down on the edge of the bed. He brushed the hair back from her face.
"Vala..." Daniel called quietly. She stirred, and he smiled again. "You wanna eat?"
Vala lifted her head off the pillow. She opened her eyes slowly, looked at Daniel, then at the tray of food. She swallowed sickly at the sight and smell of it. "Why did you make that?"
Daniel's smile fell away to a confused frown. "I thought you wanted pancakes."
"I did." Vala mumbled, closing her eyes as she laid her head back down. "But now I don't...I'm not hungry anymore."
"Oh..." Daniel nodded, his voice a mix of disappointment and understanding. "Okay...I'll just go...put this stuff in the kitchen...clean up and stuff. You just get some rest"
Vala lifted her head up as Daniel got up from the bed and carried the tray back out. She realized as he left the room how what she had just said must have sounded. She dropped her head back down with a sigh as guilt once more took its hold.
The next time she lifted it up, Vala realized she'd lost a good forty-five minutes to sleep. Daniel was going about the room, quietly picking up. She watched him a moment. He looked exhausted and upset.
"I'm sorry I didn't want the pancakes." She blurted quietly, and Daniel spun around to look at her. "I did before, but..." Vala looked down at the floor. "I got nauseous out of nowhere..." She looked up at Daniel again. "I'm sorry."
Daniel's face softened to a sweet smile and he came over to her. "It's okay...I know that." He sat down on the edge of the bed like he had before. "I'm not angry."
"You look upset." Vala said, reaching a hand out to place along the side of his neck.
"Just a little frustrated." At Vala's confused look, Daniel sighed. "Carolyn called while you were asleep...she specifically ordered me away from the bed tonight so you could heal properly. I kind of lost my temper a bit, and she threatened to send Mitchell over here to pick you up and take you back to the base."
"Is she going to?" Vala asked worriedly. She didn't want to be away from Daniel.
"No. I reluctantly agreed to sleep on the couch." Daniel took her hand from his neck, bringing it down to rest in his lap. "She doesn't understand...I just miss laying with you."
"I'm sorry." Vala sighed, looking at her hand in his.
"Don't be..." Daniel smiled. "I'm just being selfish. You need your rest. And the most important thing..." He leaned down and placed a soft kiss in her hair. "Is you're okay, baby."
Vala swallowed at the pet name. "That's the second time you've called me that."
Daniel pulled back and looked into her steel eyes. "You don't want me to do that?"
Vala remembered back on the planet, when she'd been in pain and under the threat of being shot. Daniel had been at her side immediately. Endangering himself, he had lifted her up and started carrying her back to the gate. The pain in her ankle had been so excruciating, and the edges of her vision had started to go black. Confused and disoriented, she had whispered his name worriedly.
Daniel had whispered right back.
'I'm here, baby. I'm
right here.'
The warm feeling that had spread through her body then was the same one that she was feeling right now. It made all doubts fade away...one word that solidified that she was his. There was a comfort in it, one she had never felt before. Vala knew she would never forget the first time he'd called her his baby, or any other time afterwards.
She looked up into his concerned blue gaze, and smiled.
"I don't want you to stop doing that."
Makeout
She'd known when she'd gotten involved with Daniel that there were a lot of things she'd yet to learn about him. He was one large book with all the chapters and pages all out of whack, upside down, in the wrong order, and then to top it off no two parts were ever written in the same language.
One chapter she finally deciphered not long into the relationship was Daniel and kissing. She found it impossible to forget the first night she'd stumbled upon Daniel's...expertise...in the language of the lips...
Vala leaned with her elbows on Sam's workbench, shoulder
touching the blonde beauty. They knew they should be doing something
productive, but with the latest
"Oh, that's nice..." Sam pointed at a frilly little piece of nothing, her blue eyes taking on a dreamy quality.
"That's all you ever do!" Vala pouted. "Point at the picture, say it's nice, and then never order anything."
Sam gave Vala an envious look. "Yes, well unlike you, the possibility of me pulling any of this off is-"
"Just as possible as me." Vala interrupted, poking Sam's arm playfully. "You're just as smokin' hot."
Sam smiled a thank you to Vala, but still shook her head afterwards. "Some people might get upset if I spent money on this stuff."
Vala grinned, knowing exactly who she meant. They never discussed the Colonel's current relationship, but Vala wasn't dumb. She moved to the opposite side of the work bench, and gave Sam an innocent smile.
"Oh yes, well..." She placed one hand on the flat surface, and leaned back a little. "'Some people' I know always gets upset when he sees where half of my money is going-" Vala pointed at the lacy item on the opposite page Sam was admiring. "Until he takes a look at his 'some people' in something like THAT."
"Very subtle play on words." Sam gave Vala a mock glare.
Vala just shrugged and flipped the page. This time her eyes lit up at the item before her. "Now Daniel would really like that."
Sam opened her mouth to say something when Vala's 'some
people' walked through the doorway, followed by Mitchell. Both were drenched in
sweat and holding cans in their hands.
"You can get in trouble for that." She looked at
Daniel shrugged. "I'm off-duty...nothing wrong with enjoying a victory beer."
"Or three."
"Or three." Daniel repeated with a smile. He then turned to Vala, a much more suggestive smile playing on his lips. "Now what would I REALLY like?" He moved to stand closer to her.
Vala's heart rate increased at the heat pouring from his glistening body, the fiery look of adrenaline and something she'd yet to see before in his eyes. She swallowed and pointed at the lingerie in the catalogue. Daniel eyed it a moment, then looked her up and down.
"Yeah..." He pulled the magazine closer. "I believe that would look rather spectacular..."
"Don't distract her with big words like you did
me."
Daniel sent him a mock glare of pity. "It's not my fault you can't concentrate on my 'big words' and winning the game at the same time."
"You're lucky you're General O'Neill's favorite, ya
know that?"
"Yadda." Daniel shrugged, giving a wink to Sam. She smiled.
"So I'm guessing you won."
"He cheated."
"I kicked your ass fair and square." Daniel's voice rose playfully. "You're just a sore loser!"
Vala and Sam exchanged a glance at the playful tiff between the friends. Vala smiled as Sam rolled her eyes, and then placed her hand along Daniel's heated arm.
"Is beer..." She fingered the edge of his shirt at
his shoulder. Daniel turned away from
As they parted after a long moment, they were vaguely aware of the fact that the others had vacated the room.
"I think you should kick
Daniel flicked his tongue out at it. "I've got a better idea..." He brought his strong hands to grip her hips, and lifted her to sit on the workbench. "How about..." Daniel leaned in and kissed her chest, exposed by the v-cut she'd made in the standard tank top. "I just kiss you more often."
Vala stared into his dark blue eyes. She had never seen him look quite so wild before. It had her body heat rising.
"You are..." She paused to kiss him. "Very good..." Another kiss. "At..." Daniel leaned up and sucked hard on her mouth, to the point where Vala felt her lips might go numb. He finally tore away, both of them gasping for air. "Kissing" Vala finished breathlessly.
"Much better at it than basketball." Daniel smiled before placing a supple kiss to her neck.
"Mmmmhmmm..." Vala mumbled as she let her hands play in his damp hair...
The next day, they were once again the talk of the base. Vala had apologized to Sam for invading her lab like that. Her friend had just shrugged and smiled knowingly.
And despite the whispers and dirty looks in the hall as she passed, Vala knew it would be impossible to forget that first makeout with Daniel. Because as she sat across from him at the briefing table later that day, Daniel had looked at her and smiled gently. Lovingly.
It had been the key to all those other pieces she'd been patiently waiting to find.
Love
They laid on their stomachs on the bed, shoulders touching. Scattered around them were various forms of junk food and sweets. Some things were half-eaten, others already gone, leaving nothing but a crumbled wrapper or bag as proof of its existence, and some were still waiting to be devoured. Before them was a set of papers and Daniel's very worn journal.
He was teaching her a new language...well, trying to.
Vala reached out her hand to gently caress the pages of his journal. She pulled the lollipop out of her mouth with a slurp.
"You have such beautiful handwriting, darling."
Daniel smiled. "You're supposed to be paying attention." He wrapped his lips around the lollipop she was holding off to the side. She twirled it around in his mouth, never looking up from the journal.
"I was just giving you a compliment." Vala shrugged, pulling the candy from his mouth and putting it back in her own. She pointed at a set of symbols on the page.
Daniel bumped her shoulder with his for taking the candy away. "I was enjoying that."
Vala tapped the set of symbols again, popping the lollipop out for a moment. "Pay attention."
"Water." Daniel said, identifying the word for her. He reached over the journal to snatch a tube of Pringles. Opening it, he stuffed a chip into his mouth and moved to sit indian style. Vala just sighed, and he tilted his head. "What?" He munched on another chip.
Vala shook her head, lollipop once more coming out of her mouth. "That is so not what I thought it was..." She rolled onto her back, her head laying halfway on the opened journal. Tossing the sweet onto a pile of candy wrappers, she looked up at Daniel with disappointment. "I'm never gonna get this."
Daniel popped the chip in his hand into his mouth, then placed the container down on the bed. He leaned down slowly, swallowing his food. Placing one hand beside her head to prop himself up, he brushed a stray hair from her face.
"Yes you will." He smiled then bent down to place a tender kiss on her lips. He pulled away after a moment.
Vala brushed her finger over his lips, and he kissed it. "I'm sorry it's taking so long for me to learn this."
"I'm perfectly content with the fact that you wanna learn." Daniel scooted his body closer to hers. "It makes me very proud to see you so committed to this..." He ghosted his nose along hers, placing a teasing kiss to her lips. He brought one leg over to straddle her. "So committed to a lot of things."
Vala accepted the deep kiss he gave her, then pulled away when she realized what he had in mind.
"Are you sure?" She questioned, and he quirked an eyebrow questioningly. She swallowed. "I mean, I know I am...have been for a long time, actually." Daniel sat up, and subtly pushed against her. She inhaled sharply "But I thought we had decided to take it slow...see if this was what we truly wanted first. See if we had something without...ya know." Vala shuddered as Daniel trailed his hand from her cheek to her collarbone gently.
"You don't think there's something more here?" His voice had grown rough with uncertainty and need. Vala watched his eyes trail the path his hand made down her side.
"It's not that." She laughed and caught his hand with hers. Vala brought it to her lips and kissed it tenderly. Daniel's blue eyes watched her intently. "I'm just making sure it's not just a sugar high making you feel you need to do this."
Daniel leaned down, bringing his hand to rest along her cheek. He stroked her skin with his thumb. "The only thing I'm high off of..." He placed a small kiss to her neck, then looked at her with his lips hovering just inches from hers. "Is you, Vala Malduran."
Vala smiled and Daniel kissed her deeply once more. Her hands slowly worked their way to the button and zipper of his jeans. Daniel broke the kiss and gave her a pointed look.
"I want to give this to you - Not because of need, but because of love." His blue eyes searched hers desperately. "If you're not ready to do this for that, than maybe I was wrong. Maybe we aren't ready."
Vala pulled her hands away from his pants. "I want this for love..." She looked at him, worried she'd ruined the moment. "I really do, but..." She shook her head, letting out a nervous laugh. "It hasn't been a factor into the equations for quite a while, so I'm not sure how to do this."
Daniel nodded in understanding, and gave Vala a reassuring kiss. "I'm sorry - I didn't think about that." He smiled innocently at her. "I forgot not everybody does it for love...not everyone is as cheesy as me." Slowly his hand worked its way under her shirt.
Vala sighed as he massaged her breast gently. "Cheesy can be good." Her hand instinctively moved to his pants again.
"Slow, baby..." Daniel breathed into her ear. He kissed her cheek then her lips. "Just...slow...let me learn."
Vala nodded minutely, and willed herself to get in sync with Daniel's pace.
Later, when she found herself too delightfully exhausted to move, Daniel gently lifted her into his arms. Carefully, he pulled back the comforter and laid her down softly. Vala smiled lazily as he settled in comfortably beside her, enjoying the warmth of his flesh against her own.
"Something else I'm not used to anymore." She murmured, shifting so she rested against his naked chest. Her lips placed a sleepy kiss to his warm skin. "They never stay."
Daniel smiled, fingers running through her damp hair. "Well, I'm definitely here to stay."
Their first time together, Daniel helped Vala remember how to make it about love once more.
Past
"What are you doing?"
Vala jumped at the low voice that broke the silence in the room. She looked up at Daniel standing in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. She swallowed nervously - busted with her hand caught in the cracker box. Or was it something to do with cookies?
Daniel didn't give her time to worry about the thought. He stalked into the room, and glared down at her. "I asked 'WHAT are you DOING?'"
Vala looked at the tattered journal in her hands, the jeweled necklace hanging from her fingers, and the other old items littering the floor around her. She licked her lips cautiously. "I just thought..."
"You just thought what?" Daniel laughed humorously. "Thought you could come in here, my personal office, and go through things that aren't yours?" Vala looked up at him guiltily. "Or maybe you thought you could look at all this stuff, then put it back before I got home - I think that's more the case."
Vala shook her head. "No, Daniel." She looked down at the journal, thumb lightly caressing the worn page. "I was just curious."
"Curious?!" Daniel snapped, snatching the journal from her hands and making her flinch. "These things are private, Vala! What made you think you had the right to go through my private things? And you better give me something more substantial than curiosity because that sure as hell isn't cutting it with me!"
Vala tried to ignore the sting that came to her eyes. "I can't..." She moved to put everything back in the box she'd found it all in.
Daniel halted her hands with a strong, painful grasp to her wrists. "Don't even..."
Vala looked at him, slightly surprised by his actions. "Daniel, you're hurting me." She whispered, trying to pull out of his grip. He just squeezed harder, and she winced.
"Did you take anything?" Daniel asked coldly, giving Vala a hard look. It sent a shiver down her spine. She shook her head desperately.
"No, nothing." Vala fought hard to keep the tears back. "I promise you - please..." She closed her eyes, the tears on the verge of breaking free. "You're hurting me."
Daniel released her wrists. "Just...leave." He mumbled, taking a seat on the floor. Vala happily obliged, rising quickly. Just before she walked out, she turned back to Daniel and whispered sadly.
"I'm sorry."
* * * *
She let the tears come as she sat out on the back porch, knees pressed tight against her chest. A dull throbbing was starting to make itself aware from her wrists, and she just pressed her legs tighter at the pain.
It hurt inside and out - Vala felt anger and shock, but at the same time guilt and shame. She wanted to be mad at Daniel, but it was her own curiosity that had gotten her into the mess. Of course, if Daniel wasn't always so closed off on the topic-
No. She shouldn't be thinking that. He had every right to want to keep those things to himself. There was a hurt that ran deeper there than any pain she was feeling now. And she'd gone and opened those old wounds.
Vala wanted nothing more than to go back inside and see if Daniel was okay. But he didn't want her around. Why would he? She had caused the mess.
So wrapped up in her thoughts, Vala failed to notice Daniel softly approach from behind.
He wrapped his arms around himself in a self-hug - something he realized he hadn't done in a long time. He was feeling like a total ass, and seeing Vala sitting before him only intensified the feeling a hundred times over. Daniel wondered if he could quietly sneak back inside and just leave. She probably didn't want him there anyway. Why would she? He had caused the mess.
She sniffed and buried her head in her crossed arms, and all thoughts of leaving were momentarily thrown aside. His mouth opened before he had chance to think.
"Vala?" Daniel mumbled quietly, and Vala's head whipped around.
"Daniel!" She gasped, surprised to see him behind her. "What are you doing out here?" She found herself asking.
Daniel looked down at the planks of the porch, unable to meet her concerned gaze. He was the one who should be asking her a question. He felt so damn guilty. Tears welled in his eyes as he remembered the way he'd grabbed her - at the underlying fear in her voice as she'd asked him to let her go.
"I wanted to make sure I didn't..." He stopped and swallowed. "I had to know if I...h-hurt you."
Vala looked at her wrists, beginning to turn black and blue. Daniel caught her movement, and looked at her. When he saw the discoloration against her light skin, his stomach churned. "Oh god..." He cried, and turned to leave.
"No!" Vala shot up and moved to stand in front of him. "It's okay, Daniel."
Daniel shook his head, still refusing to look at her. "No...I don't know what to say...I hurt you...how could anyone hurt something so beautiful? What words can make up for something like that? I'm horrible...I hurt my Vala."
Vala's heart melted at his words. HIS Vala...he'd never called her that before and it meant a great deal to her. All remaining scraps of anger fell away. She reached out and placed a finger to his lips, halting the continuous flow of unimportant rambling.
"And I hurt my Daniel." She whispered. As expected, Daniel's eyes came up and locked on to hers. Moving her finger away, she leaned up and softly kissed his lips. She pulled back quickly, but kept her face close to his.
"Just because I can't see the damage doesn't mean it's not there." She felt the tears coming to the surface again. "I'm sorry I went through your parents' things."
Daniel nodded, bringing his hand to stroke her cheek. He took a deep breath to calm himself.
"I over-reacted." He admitted. "I'm just not use to having someone around to care about my past. I saw you looking at those things...at her jewelry, and I thought-"
"I know." Vala smiled understandingly.
"I'm sorry." Daniel whispered. "For not trusting you, for yelling and for hurting you." His hand moved to gently finger the bruising on her wrists. She winced impulsively and he closed his eyes. Vala placed her hand on his cheek, letting him know it was okay. He turned his head and kissed her palm.
"How can I make this better?" Daniel asked quietly, placing another tender kiss on her wrist.
Vala thought about what she could say. A few naughty things passed through her mind, but as Daniel opened his eyes to look at her, she knew what she really wanted from him.
"Tell me about your parents?" She asked, hoping it wasn't too out of line to request that from him.
Daniel stared for a moment, and Vala thought he was gonna say no. She dropped her hand. Daniel grabbed it gently.
"My mom was a free spirit, much like a beautiful woman I know." They both smiled gently, and moved to head inside. Daniel wrapped his arm around Vala's waist, pulling her close to his side. "And it was all my dad could do to keep up with her."
"Much like a handsome man I know." Vala grinned, and Daniel kissed her temple lovingly.
As he continued on, Vala realized that this was the first time Daniel had talked so candidly about his parents to anyone. And knowing she was the first person he trusted so completely with his past made her feel special in a way she had never felt before.
Admit
He was the most infuriating man she'd ever met. He expected so much of her, and still refused to concede to her knowledge and expertise. He would argue with her every chance he got, would snap at her when she didn't so something exactly the way he wanted it to be done. He was patronizing, cocky, stuck-up, self-centered...
Vala continued to spew names at Daniel from across the briefing room. A simple little tiff between them had turned into a full-blown shouting match in front of their team and the General. And it all started when she had made an innocent flirting gesture to the cute young man from SG-17.
Daniel laughed angrily as Vala yelled at him. He crossed his arms over his chest and nodded.
"Oh, okay..." He smiled hatefully. "Sure, I'm all those things...and you're a lying, stealing, conniving, unstable..." Things continued to fly from his lips. Daniel ignored the shouts from the General and his team members.
Vala didn't pay any mind to them as well. "Emotional wreck, huh? Have you LOOKED in a mirror at all in the past ten years?" She shouted, thrusting her hands out to him. "God, you are so damn hypocritical!"
"I'M hypocritical?!" Daniel laughed harshly.
"YES, YOU, MR. GREATEST THING TO WALK THIS EARTH." Vala huffed, and looked him up and down. "At least in your own mind. You are a hypocrite because you find all the flaws in ME and refuse to search for all the flaws inside yourself!"
Daniel shook his head. "I can't believe the great Vala Malduran, Queen of the conceited, just admitted to having flaws!"
"Yes, unlike you, DR. JACKSON," Vala laughed on the title. "I can admit I'm not PERFECT. And neither are you, no matter how much you think you are."
Daniel laughed again. "Okay, since you are SO self-aware, why don't you announce some of those flaws of yours?" He gave her a malicious grin.
"What?" Vala barked.
"You heard me." Daniel pointed at her. "Tell some of those imperfections within. What? Can't do it?" He brought his hand back in with a quick motion. "I'll help. You play, you tease, you use..." He counted out everything he said on his fingers. "You seduce..." He stopped, and gave her a serious look. "You flirt." His voice dropped a level, along with his hand.
If was intended to be kind, it had the total opposite reaction on Vala. Her temper spiked to an ultimate high, and this time she laughed. "That's what this is, isn't it?" She took a few steps closer to him. "You're jealous because I decided that you weren't good enough! You've always been the perfect catch, and now you aren't because I've moved on from my delusional dreams of actually having something substantial with you."
"No!" Daniel denied, turning away from her. "You're twisting my words!"
"Am I, Daniel?" Vala laughed. "You bitch and complain and argue whenever I'm around, and yet I make one innocent gesture to another guy and you lose your cool! What? Nobody has a right to have me but you, even though you so obviously don't want me?" Vala shook her head. "Oh no, I am NOT going to be your property! I did that for too long on too many different occasions!"
"I don't think that..." Daniel muttered, still facing away from Vala.
"YES YOU DO!" Vala shouted again. "You won't even turn around to look at me. It's because I'm exactly right, isn't it?" When Daniel made no attempt to deny it, Vala growled. "I'm done!" She turned to Landry. "I'm officially giving you my resignation from the SGC - I'm obviously not appreciated as a person here, so I'm gone."
"No!" Daniel shouted again, still not facing her.
"Yes, Daniel!" Vala snapped. "You can't control me. No matter how much you think you can, you can't. I don't know why I ever even considered being with you. You are just as hateful as all those villains out there in the universe...and I can't take that. I'm leaving...I'm running...I'M DONE!" Vala spun around, intending to walk out.
"You CAN'T leave!" Daniel cried out, and Vala laughed again.
"Why not?" She asked, standing at the edge of the stairwell. "You gonna lock me up in some dark, cold prison cell? Force me to stay here against my will? TELL ME WHY, DANIEL! Why can't I rid myself of all the hassle that this place - that YOU bring me? What's the grand reason you want me to stay here and take this abuse from you? I would SO love to hear-"
"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!" Daniel shouted, knocking the air from Vala's lungs. He turned to face her, and she saw the tears glistening in his blue eyes. He was flushed a deep red, and he looked around at all the surprised looking stares of his team.
"What?" Vala squeaked as her heart began beating again.
Daniel's gaze dropped to the floor, and he shoved his hands deep in his pockets. "I..I...l-love…you." He mumbled and his face began to turn almost purple as he blushed some more. "I think I've loved you since the moment you took off that helmet on the Prometheus." He whispered.
Vala blinked, still shocked by his words. She walked a little closer to him. "Why didn't you say anything?" She asked quietly. She always felt there was a connection between them, but Daniel had never let on. He never made any mention of it, until now.
"I was scared..." Daniel finally looked up at her. "Almost everyone I've loved like I love you has...died." A tear ran down his cheek. "I don't want you to die...and my love gets everyone killed, so I tried not to love you."
Vala took another step closer, and Daniel continued on.
"But I can't do it." He laughed. "You spin me in circles, you drive me crazy, you push me to the verge of insanity, then bring me crashing back down so hard..." Daniel flashed her a small smile. "And I love it. I love you, no matter how hard I try to fight it...I just...love you."
Vala laughed out a relieved sob and threw herself into Daniel's arms. She kissed him desperately, and he kissed her back in kind.
"I love you too." She mumbled against his lips.
Though the two would go on to say them many times over, the other members of SG-1 would never forget the moment Daniel had stopped Vala's heart for the first time with three simple words.
**
The End **
Feedback to: legolaschickie@hotmail.com
Stories by Rating and Category
Copyright©2004-2011
Midnightstorms.net
All Rights Reserved.