The
By: madd4the24
CATEGORY: UST
SEASON/SPOILERS: Season 10. “Momento Mori”.
WARNINGS: None
He takes her out to dinner again, almost a whole month after
the first attempt. He thinks it’s only fair as their first was rudely
interrupted, and led to a three week chase inflicting far too much harm on his
blood pressure, at least according to his personal physician. For as hard as he
knows her disappearance was on him, it is likely twice that in her case, and no
one deserves the kind of psychological torment Vala endures henceforth.
The first time he took her to a nice restaurant in
The second time around Daniel dresses down, in crisp jeans, a blue, collard
shirt, and he doesn’t gel his hair. He picks her up just after seven, and she’s
wearing a soft lavender skirt and a very flattering top, that maybe Daniel
thinks is just a little to thin. He drives them to a small town about thirty
miles from the Mountain, and they dine at a restaurant eloquently named ‘The
Midnight Escape’.
There is no Matri 'D, and no sommelier, only a young girl who seats them,
offers homemade menus and brings them water in clear plastic glasses. Vala
still has the flower in her hair, and Daniel’s pants are still too tight, even
as they manage to order without incident fifteen minutes after being seated.
“Daniel, this is quite different,” Vala points out, glancing around at the very
few other patrons. “I hope I’m not suffering a downgrade because of your
negligence, which resulted in my kidnapping, if I may remind you.”
Daniel shakes his head and takes a sip of his water. “I thought you might enjoy
the intimate setting.” He knows he’s chosen the wrong word when her face lights
up.
“I hope you’re not planning to lose me this time.”
Daniel says, “You don’t have to worry, I’m never letting you out of my sight.”
It’s only after that he realizes he’s said it only in his mind and he’s gulping
down more water to avoid the words from actually coming out of his mouth.
He watches carefully as she orders the lemon chicken, and slender fingers
operate the knife and fork expertly. It’s not quite so elegant as she gets her
first taste of the delicious food and beings shoveling it in as if someone is
poised to take it away from her, but strangely Daniel finds it endearing
anyway. A much stronger word comes to mind when she gets to the dinner portion
and begins making highly inappropriate sounds over her chocolate cake.
“Daniel!” Vala remarks, scraping the bottom of the desert plate. “How ever did
you find this place?”
Daniel leans forward over the table’s thin covering and props his chin up on
his palm. “A few years back I was passing through. I stopped for gas, got
pointed over here for a late lunch and—” He breaks off when she reaches across
to steal his half eaten pecan pie. She mumbles something that sounds like an
inquiry to the dish, but doesn’t wait for an answer before she’s consumed most
of it.
As she finishes the pie Daniel’s eyes trail from the top of her neck, down the
smooth and pale skin, and over her neckline. He doesn’t dare let his eyes
plunge any lower, and he’s already having enough trouble stopping himself form
reaching out and bringing a strap of her shirt back up to the shoulder it has
fallen off of. He wonders when he lost so much self-control.
“More?” Vala asks, and Daniel is amazed she has anywhere to put it. He shakes
his head in a sorry, takes the bill the waitress dropped off with desert, and
reaches for his wallet. He pays, because he is a gentleman and it’s his treat,
and lets her take his arm as they leave with a promise to return for dinner
again.
They travel down the raised, wooden sidewalk, leaving the car in the mini
parking lot. The moon isn’t full, but it’s close enough, and the stars are
brighter than they usually are. Daniel just wants to let dinner settle, not get
right back into a car and onto a bumpy ride, and he can help it if it means
he’ll have to spend more time with Vala on their second not-date.
It isn’t even remotely cold, though nor is it hot, so Daniel offers her his
dinner jacket, consumed with the idea of her scent rubbing off on the material.
And once the jacket is fitted snug, though far too big, around her shoulders,
he tentatively places his arm around her. He keeps the position strictly
business, just above the small of her back, but if his hand scoots down a bit
as they stroll along, she doesn’t complain.
“I like it better here,” Vala says, indicating to the poorly populated town and
relatively empty streets. “Your cities make me nervous.” She doesn’t say
anything else, and it isn’t necessary, as Daniel immediately picks up on her
changed body language. He knows she comes from a small village, and that she
has spent countless years traveling cold, lonely space. He knows he should have
realized large amounts of people would make her nervous, in just about any
situation. He makes a point to get her away from the city more often.
She grabs his butt suddenly, and raises a knowing eyebrow. More for the sake of
habit, he glares at her, and forcibly moves her hand away. It happens again, he
glares again, but doesn’t move her hand.
“Thank you,” she whispers, stopping them under a large tree, secluded from the
rest of the world. “Thank you for taking me out the first time. Thank you for
coming after me when I was kidnapped. Thank you for making me remember. Thank
you for the second date.”
He’s caught completely off guard, and only manages, “It wasn’t a date.”
She smiles contently, turns them back towards the car and he pretends not to
notice that she’s got a skip in her step. He also isn’t hearing her hum a
particularly grating Elton John song.
Daniel holds her car door open for her and takes his jacket back. When he’s
sure she’s settled he closes the door, scurries over to his side and hops in,
ready to make the drive back to real civilization.
He lets her pick the radio station again, if not just to stop the pouting, and
is pleased when soft jazz rings in his ears. He drives along the road, more
relaxed than he’s been in years, and notices, as they hit the city limits, that
she’s fallen asleep in the passenger seat.
He doesn’t take her back to the Mountain, where he knows he’ll have to wake her
up, and take her back to a cold, isolated room that she obfuscates is home.
Instead he drives to his house, and tries not to be distracted by the gentle
and alluring rise and fall of her chest. She’s like a siren, he notices numbly,
and he’s completely taken in.
She smells like, well, something he’s never smelled before, but he likes it.
It’s fresh and sweet and intoxicating. Of course he only knows what she smells
like because he has to carry her from the car, up to his house, and into his
spare bedroom. He can’t help that she has to be near him for the process. He’s
her friend, and it’s his duty to see her directly to bed.
He strips back the top sheet and blanket from the bed, sets her down and
removes her shoes. He recognizes the white sandals as identical to a pair Sam
owns. He saw them months ago during a mini-vacation he and the astrophysicist
took. It was a mere three days of solidifying their friendship at the beach,
while Teal’c was unable to join them, and he distinctly remembers the sandals,
though he isn’t sure why. He loves Sam dearly, thinks of her as his sister, but
her feet can’t hold a candle to Vala’s in the shoes.
With the blanket tucked over her slumbering form, Daniel takes a step back,
releasing air from his lungs in a dramatic fashion. He doesn’t touch her again,
or kiss her full and delectable lips, because it would be wrong of him, and
Daniel prides himself on being right. Instead he leaves as quickly as he can
manage his legs, and retires to his own bedroom.
Barely bothering with his own clothing Daniel climbs into his bed, curled up on
his customary side. He only just remembers to set his alarm clock, as there is
a briefing the following morning at 0900.
As he drifts to sleep he knows his not-date with Vala is a huge success. He’ll
take her on another one, and hopefully work up the courage to tell her she’s
won his heart. Maybe next time they can drop the not, from their not-date.
** The End **
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