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so_out_of_ideas) wrote2006-09-14 02:52 pm
so_out_of_ideas) wrote2006-09-14 02:52 pm
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Yep, it's gone AU. Kinda knew that was gonna happen, didn't we? Heh. I also managed to finish everything I'd planned in 7 chapters instead of 8. Since I did, I suppose if anyone wants, I can do a chapter 8 with the second date? Anyway, refer to my previous post for explantion(s) of the beach thing. I'm cranky and don't feel like typing it over. :p
Taking The Long Way
Parts 1-5 (Along with my rationale for the beach thing...on my LJ)
Title: The Long Way
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: "Get off of there! I'm--I'm not gonna chase you if that's what you…want…"
Rating: PG
Length: About 4700 words
Category: fluff/UST/angst/humor
Pairings:Daniel/Vala
A/N: Inspired by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
aruna7's best vid ever. Written for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
scifi_five Post Ep for 10x08 Memento Mori, therefore possible spoilers. Taking the Long Way Part 6/8 (?). Technically, these are follow-ups to my supposed one shot fics, Twist and Lick and More, but they can stand alone. Dedicated to Tammy and Caitlin for all the years of random picnics, Slurpies, and Wal-Mart insanity. (Yes, this was indeed inspired by actual events...)
The Long Way
Vala gave a snort of laughter and threw her arm around him. Daniel froze briefly, but as she pressed her face against his shoulder and dissolved into giggles, he slowly slid his own arms around her. He felt a smile tug at his lips and tried to resist, but laughter bubbled up from his chest until he found himself shaking with badly suppressed mirth. Her giggling continued, if anything growing louder at his obvious effort not to laugh along. Finally, he couldn't help but let the sound escape, and his arms tightened unconsciously as they both shook and gasped for breath.
It was several minutes before either could breathe again, let alone speak. Slowly, Vala got herself under control enough to look up at him. Daniel held her gaze, his hand moving up to rest against her cheek. His stomach tightened again, but this time the sensation was deeper, and accompanied with a pleasant tingle rather than the sickening lurch he'd felt in the car earlier.
"I'm so s-sorr…" she attempted, ducking her head as he felt her begin to quake again.
"It's okay," he promised laughingly. His arms wrapped around her again, and he buried his face in the softness of her hair, but couldn't stifle the second fit of hysterics any more than she could. It occurred to him that not very long ago, he would have found anything but humor in a situation like this, but it only made him tighten his arms further in a sudden burst of affection.
"Ow," she complained, looking up. "Ow--Daniel, darling, as much as I enjoy having your…incredibly strong…arms around me like this--you're going to crush my ribs."
"Sorry, sorry," he apologized, hurriedly breaking the embrace.
"Mmm," Vala pouted, settling her head on his shoulder. "You didn't have to let go, you know. Just loosen up a little."
He sighed quietly and slid his arms back around her. The sun had begun to set by then, becoming a bright red ball near the rippling surface of the water, and she turned to watch it. Daniel followed her gaze, his fingers stealing up to stroke the back of her hair. For a moment or two, he simply watched the sunset, conscious only of the red-gold patterns of light spilling across the ocean, Vala's breathing, the rise and fall of her chest against him. Gradually, though, he became conscious of what he was doing--who he was doing it with--and had to ask himself what exactly was going on.
He'd insisted--repeatedly--that it wasn't a date. The truth was that he'd had nothing but the strictest of platonic intentions in bringing Vala out today. She'd been through a nightmarish experience, and he'd wanted only to give her the chance to reconnect with the people who had helped her through it. Yet three times already today, he'd been tempted to kiss her--more than tempted. He would have kissed her if circumstances, or oddly enough, Vala herself, hadn't intervened.
He knew they were both lonely. Talking with her about Sha're had made him, if not more lonesome, at least more aware of those feelings than he had been in years. Vala lived in a perpetual and chronic state of isolation, though he doubted that she was able to recognize it at all. It was only natural, he supposed, that they gravitated toward one another despite the bizarre history they shared--or maybe because of it. It would've been perfectly understandable for her to want to assuage her need for comfort with sex. Yet she hadn't. There was always her teasing--that, he'd come to realize, was simply part of who she was--but it wasn't the same as it had been when she first came to Earth, or even when they'd met aboard Prometheus. She hadn't propositioned him. All she'd offered him in recent months was comfort, protection--first from Tomin and then from Adria--and honest friendship. All she'd asked for--if it could even be called asking--was a date. Granted, she knew that dates could and did sometimes end in someone's bedroom, but he didn't think she'd really expected it to, at least this time.
He'd told himself that he simply wasn't interested. Obviously, he must be--one aborted kiss might have been plausibly defined as the product of pure physical attraction. A second, he supposed could have been labeled as loneliness. A third, however, went beyond the realm of either of those explanations.
Her fingers brushed his face, drawing him out of his thoughts. "It's beautiful, Daniel, look at it," she murmured, gazing back out at the gold, pink, and purple sky, with its backlit clouds and colors that seemed to melt downward and out across the ocean in shimmering ripples.
"It is," he nodded, smiling as she settled her head back on his shoulder. They watched in silence until the sun had all but vanished. Daniel felt her shiver against him when the sea breeze picked up, and reflexively held her closer. "Cold?" he asked softly.
"I just want to stay here a bit longer," Vala murmured languidly.
"Me too," he admitted, letting his hands slide slowly over her bare arms to warm them where he felt gooseflesh starting to prickle up. "But we'll have to go soon. It's gonna get chilly."
"Okay," she agreed, letting her eyes slip closed.
Daniel watched her for a while, resisting the urge to trace the contented curve of her lips with his finger. "Vala?" he whispered, wetting his lips nervously.
"Mmm?" she asked thickly.
He gently tilted his head toward her mouth, breath coming short as he neared her lips, but forced himself to halt. "Vala, I--I think I…" he paused, frowning as he saw the smile slip from her lips. His heart thudded faster, and he wondered suddenly if he'd misread her after all. Then he heard the soft but unmistakable sound of a snore.
***
"Daniel?" she jolted awake, pulling out of his arms in confusion.
"It's okay," reassured Daniel automatically. "You fell asleep."
"I did?" she asked, looking around the dark beach bewilderedly. She yawned, scrubbing a hand over her face in an effort to wake up. "What time is it?"
He pushed himself prone and twisted his wrist to look at the glowing digital read-out on his watch. "About four," he replied. "We--we should go. The beach has been closed for hours."
Nodding, Vala got to her feet and took a moment to twist and stretch. Then she groaned, running a hand worriedly through her hair. "I'm never going to find my boots in the dark, either!" she sighed.
"Here," Daniel said, reaching to pick something up from the sand. He handed them up to her, smiling slightly. "I…went and got them before it got too dark."
"Why didn't you just wake me up!" she exclaimed, taken aback.
He shrugged, standing himself. "I dunno. I just…didn't--didn't realize you'd sleep that long, I guess," he replied, brushing the worst of the sand off.
Yawning again, she hugged herself and donned the boots as quickly as possible, complaining, "Oh, it's freezing! How can it have gotten so cold?"
"It's the ocean," Daniel replied, wrapping his arm around her as they started for the car. "The wind's always colder by the water."
"Well then," she said, ducking her head onto his chest and sliding and arm around him, "It's a good thing you're here to keep me warm."
"I guess so," Daniel shook his head in amusement, slipping his other arm around her as well.
Vala's head popped up in surprise.
"What's wrong?" he frowned down at her.
"Aren't you going to…y'know…" she asked.
"What?" he asked, feigning innocence.
"Pull away and act all huffy and difficult?" she inquired in a teasing tone.
"No," he shrugged nonchalantly.
Vala laughed quietly, returning her head to its resting spot on his chest. "Good," she nodded.
Both still half asleep, they didn't say much else until they reached the car. Once there, Daniel walked around to unlock the door for her, then held it while she slid inside. Pushing it shut, he rubbed his eyes tiredly and opened the back door, leaning inside to pull a pair of old blue flip-flop sandals off the floor.
As tired as she was, Vala's eyes still opened wider at the sight of them. "Why ever do you have those?" she asked, hiding a laugh behind her hand.
He smiled ruefully. "If there's one thing I've learned on SG-1, it's the importance of being prepared."
"I don't recall foam-soled sandals with plastic straps being included in our standard offworld gear," she smirked.
"Maybe they should be from now on," Daniel replied, swinging the door closed and making his way back around to the driver's side. He sat down on the edge of the seat to brush off his feet and slide the sandals on. Then he swung his legs in and leaned back without closing the door. Rubbing his eyes again, he sat with his hand over his face for several seconds, then finally reached back out to pull the door closed.
Vala shifted sideways to face him and pulled her knees up onto her seat. "Did you get any sleep?" she asked softly. "Are you sure you're all right to drive?"
"Couple hours," he forced his eyes open again. "I'm okay…need coffee though."
"If you're sure," she said, searching his face.
He nodded once and sat up again, picking up his eyeglass case from the dashboard. As soon as he had them on, though, he slid back against the seat and shut his eyes. "I don't know why I'm so tired…I stayed up for days when you disappeared."
"Well," Vala smiled. "Maybe that's why you're so tired."
"Maybe," he allowed, one corner of his mouth turning up.
She reached out playfully to run a finger down his cheek, but as she did, the half-smile faded. "Daniel?" she frowned.
He didn't reply, and her frown deepened as she leaned closer. His head slowly dropped forward, the glasses sliding down his nose to dangle in front of his face. Vala grinned delightedly, tilting her head to the side.
"Awww!" she exclaimed, brushing her fingers lightly through his unkempt hair.
As gently as she could, she drew his shoulders back and removed the glasses, then carefully stowed them in the dilapidated case. She laid it on the dash and sat back herself, returning her legs to the floor before she closed her eyes. She drowsed for a while, not quite sleeping, until Daniel slumped sideways. She blinked, turning sleepily to look at him, and then curved an arm around him, guiding his head onto her chest.
She told herself that it was only because she didn't want him to wake with a stiff neck. Before he was even settled, though, his arm moved unconsciously around her. Vala stiffened in surprise, but forced herself to relax, wondering why her heart was thudding so fast as he shifted and snuggled deeper against her. Finally, she dipped her head to kiss his hair and rested her cheek against it, letting her eyes close again.
***
He woke alone, his head resting awkwardly against the window, and jerked upright. Twisting his head from side to side in alarm, he called, "Vala?"
"Here," her voice came faintly from outside. He jumped as her fingers tapped the window beside him, and she ducked to peer in. He started to roll it down, but she bounded away, hurrying around to open the passenger side door.
"Thought you disappeared on me again," he confessed as she slid inside.
"Sorry, darling," she said, pulling down the sun shield to peer at herself in the mirror. "I wanted to wait until you'd woken up, but…nature calls when she will. Oh, I look awful! I don't suppose you have a brush."
"Where'd you learn that expression?" he asked, arching his back in an attempt to stretch his cramped muscles. "There's a comb in the glove compartment."
"Teal'c," she replied, shrugging. After a few minutes of rummaging through the glove box, she extracted the comb he mentioned, but by then her attention had wandered to the various other contents she'd come across.
"Do you mind?" he glared, reaching out to snap it closed again.
She pouted in response, but busied herself with rearranging her pigtails before he could complain. "You know, Daniel, I've seen some quite impressive technological innovations on this planet. Television…internet shopping…Porta-Potties are not one of them."
Daniel laughingly agreed and reached for his glasses again, then started the car. He glanced absently at the clock as he turned the key in the ignition, and his eyes bulged. "Ten o'clock!" he exclaimed, running a hand over his face.
"You just looked so cute," she winked. "I didn't want to wake you.
"I've--I've gotta call the base. Check in," he said, fumbling for his phone. "We've been gone almost twenty-four hours, and I haven't called."
"Oh," she said, her voice suddenly hollow.
She turned toward the window, and he frowned, but by then the duty officer had picked up the phone at the base. He tried to maintain a casual air while explaining that they'd fallen asleep, but he could hear the snickering voices of their teammates in the background and knew that they'd both be in for razzing later. Sighing, he hung up the phone and looked at Vala again.
"What's wrong?" he asked, letting the engine idle.
"I'd almost forgotten," she said dully. "All this checking in, asking permission to even step outside Cheynne Mountain. I'm used to coming and going as I please, Daniel."
"I know you are," he nodded, taking a long breath in consideration. Finally, he added, "Why don't we talk to Landry about it when we get back?"
"Really?" she turned to look at him in surprise.
"Well, you're a full-fledged member of the team now, remember?" he smiled, then twisted in his seat to look out the rear window.
Both their stomachs rumbled as he backed out of the parking space. Finished with the comb, Vala boosted herself off the seat to slide it into her back pocket and asked casually, "So, what's for breakfast?"
Daniel rolled his eyes, but decided not to bother protesting the theft. He bit his lip for a moment, then gave her a conspiratorial look. "You wanna go back to Sol's?"
"Like this?" she exclaimed in disbelief.
"What?" he asked, confused. "I thought you'd--you'd be thrilled!"
"We look as if we've slept on the beach!" she declared.
"Vala, we did sleep on the beach," he reminded her, laughing.
"That's entirely beside the point," she replied.
"Okay," he sighed bewilderedly.
Half an hour later, though, she turned hopeful eyes on him, and he smiled knowingly. Without having to ask, he flicked the turn signal and guided the car back off the highway. Sal greeted them with the same joviality of the previous day, though a good deal more teasing. He dubbed the entire weekend "the date that wouldn't end". Vala, of course, readily agreed, which brought a light blush to Daniel's cheeks, but remembering the direction his thoughts had begun to take while watching the sunset the night before, he wasn't sure whether or not to raise an objection.
In the end, he simply said nothing. Though he was sure she'd seen it, Vala did nothing to draw attention to the redness of his face, which confused him. He thought he'd gotten fairly good at reading her, anticipating her moods and the rather unruly way her mind worked. While he definitely couldn't describe it as "logic" of any kind, there was a certain pattern to her reactions and behavior. Yet every time he really started to think that she could no longer surprise him, he found himself utterly lost again. After all she'd said and done yesterday, having him so obviously off balance would have been the perfect opportunity to "prove" his supposed shyness over the relationship she insisted they had. Why she didn't take it was beyond him, but even if he didn't understand it, he couldn't resist the urge to slip a grateful arm around her when they'd left the place without a single reference to how adorable he looked when he blushed.
He realized a moment too late how easy it would be for her to misinterpret the gesture. Then he remembered that he wasn't entirely sure he minded anymore. He found himself blushing again and ducked his head, waiting for the inevitable teasing, but all she did was thread her arm around his back and continue toward the car in silence. He held the door for her again and felt a strange sense of loss when the contact broke. Fighting the urge to linger, he gently closed the door and shoved his hands into his pockets, trudging around to his own side.
Other than the nagging emptiness in the pit of his stomach at the realization that the trip was soon to be over, Daniel found the first part of the drive home almost as enjoyable as the weekend itself. Vala sang gustily along with the radio, and he found her knowledge of current hits in various music genres so incredible that she actually managed to induce him to sing along.
The car was getting low on gas, so he pulled into a rest area to fill up. Vala dragged him into a 7-Eleven for snacks and drinks, and he had the pleasure of introducing her to the wonders of Slurpies and the phenomenon of "brain freeze". She couldn't decide what flavor she wanted, and ended up with what, to him, looked like a repulsive mixture of every one available. She of course, declared that she adored it, which somehow made his annoyance at having to stand there for twenty minutes while she tried to choose melt away.
On the way out, she spotted a family having an impromptu picnic, and her eyes went wide with excitement. "That looks like fun!" she grinned.
Daniel tucked his chin to his chest, sighed heavily and made a show of looking at his watch. She grabbed his hand in her free one, pouting up at him. He carefully didn't react, though he felt a slight and only half acknowledged tug of relief at a reason to prolong the outing. She turned puppy eyes on him, and he shook his head.
"Don't--don't--don't start that…" he told her.
Her only response was a bright smile, and he let his head drop. "Okay," he assented. "C'mon, we--we're gonna have to go shopping, then."
"Ooh, I love shopping," she replied, pulling him toward the car.
"I know," he said worriedly.
***
"Wal-Mart?" she asked with an intrigued frown.
"You'll love it," promised Daniel, slipping his keys into his pocket and stepping out into the parking lot of the busy Supercenter. Vala skipped along beside him, pigtails bouncing, and he smiled, feeling slightly overwhelmed by her seemingly inexhaustible amount of energy, but he was undeniably enjoying it.
She bounced impatiently while he picked a cart, and he could barely keep her from running off as soon they entered the store. When she spotted the wire bin full of flip-flips and let out a squeal, he knew he was doomed. Hooking her arm through his, she dragged him over and dived in, pulling out a pair of the most gaudy pink sandals he'd ever seen, complete with sparkles on the plastic straps.
"Look!" she commanded, clapping them together with a huge grin. "They match my barrettes!"
"Okay," Daniel sighed, gesturing toward the cart, but she had already tossed them in and gone running toward a display of blouses. "Vala!" he shouted after her. "Food, Vala, remember? We're going on a picnic!"
She paid no heed and he sighed again, following her through the store. Two blouses, matching skirts and shoes, a new comforter, a Dixie Chicks CD--recommended by Mitchell--and a copy of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants later they finally made it to the grocery section.
"All right," she asked, looking at him uncertainly. "What are we getting?"
"Whatever you want," he replied. "As long as we don't have to cook it. We'll have to make sandwiches or something."
"Got it," she nodded, easily taking charge again. "Don't worry about a thing, darling. I'm an expert at creating romantic meals on short notice…"
"Why am I suddenly afraid I shouldn't have said whatever you want?" Daniel murmured.
"Very funny," Vala narrowed her eyes, then bit a fingernail thoughtfully and began to peruse the aisles.
What they ended up with was thick French bread and cuts of Italian ham, with Provolone cheese, which she let him pick because he said he liked it, despite the woman at the deli counter's recommendation of Swiss. Then she picked a platter of cut vegetables and dip, about which he made the mistake of commenting that he thought she'd opt for something sweet. This led to a hunt for fresh strawberries and chocolate dipping sauce, then a trip to housewares for durable plastic containers for the leftovers and a decent knife to cut the bread.
There, they met a cheerful middle-aged lady who kindly informed Vala that there was a selection of picnic baskets on clearance at the other end of the store. Once she knew what those were, she decided that having their picnic out of plastic bags would never do, and having the perfect picnic basket meant that they needed special, festive paper plates and napkins rather than the ordinary ones Daniel had already tossed in the cart.
After that, they needed a cooler for leftovers at Vala's insistence, and a blanket like the one she had seen the people at the rest area using. He protested that he'd just bought her a huge comforter, and she sighed in annoyance, telling him she couldn't possibly allow that to get all full of grass stains, and if he wanted to have a picnic, he'd just have to be willing to pay to have it right. While in the process of finding a blanket that was both cheap enough to suit Daniel and adequately comfortable for Vala, she caught sight of a fluffy white teddy bear with a heart on it's belly that she simply had to have.
Daniel gave in with a relatively short protest, but exacted his revenge by dragging her back through the store without telling her why. Despite having spent well over an hour there, she was still unfamiliar enough with the general layout of the huge store to have no idea where they were going until he stopped in front of the snack aisle. Even then, she shot him a puzzled frown. He suppressed a grin, saying only:
"Stay with the cart, okay? I forgot something," before disappearing up the aisle.
The Oreos were about half way to the other end, and he stood contemplating whether to get original or Double-Stuff when a noise caught his attention from the direction in which he'd left Vala. His head jerked back that way just in time to see her go skating by attached to the back of the shopping cart.
"I should've known!" he groaned, slapping a hand over his face.
Snatching the cookies, Daniel sprinted to the end of the aisle and reached it just as she vanished around the corner "Vala!" he shouted, slapping his free arm against his side in frustration.
She didn't answer, but he could stilll hear the rattling of the cart nearby, and within a few moments, she appeared again, having circled around to head toward him from the other direction. Her right hand came off the cart in a frenzied wave, and he made a grab for her as she whizzed by.
He narrowly missed, and stumbled forward, almost landing on his face for the second time that weekend. Managing to recover, he pushed both hands through his hair and grit his teeth. Growling in annoyance, he folded his arms and waited for her to come by a second time.
"Get off of there!" he demanded when she did. "I'm--I'm not gonna chase you if that's what you…want…" he finished, but she was already gone again.
The third time she came around, she reached toward him, leaning off the cart to peck his cheek as she passed. The carriage kept going, though, and the heel of her boot skidded out from under her. Daniel dove forward, instinctively snatching her off the runaway vehicle. She grabbed for his neck, letting out a little shriek.
"It's okay, I've got you," he promised, all his anger dissipating in the sudden surge of fear and the humid warmth of her rapid, frightened breath on his face. Her chest heaved, and he could feel her ribcage expanding and contracting almost convulsively against his arms as he held her. He thought the only thing that might've been beating faster than her heart was his own, especially when her head dipped toward his lips.
He knew that he should still have been angry--furious. He wanted to be. Then their foreheads touched, and her hand slid up the back of his neck. He could almost taste her; his head swam with a riot of conflicting thought and emotion; his legs felt weak, and he prayed he wouldn't drop her…then the shopping cart crashed into a display of Fig Newtons and they both jerked back as a trio of store workers came running.
***
"Are you angry?" she asked as he dragged her back through the parking lot.
"Yes!" he barked in response.
"Ohh," she whimpered. "I thought you would be. Daniel, we've had so much fun this weekend; I don't want you to be all upset with me."
"Well--well, you should've thought of that before you went riding around the store like a kid on the back of that carriage!"
"I'm sorry," she pleaded, almost disarming him. He'd expected her to argue back, try to shift the blame onto him for having been so secretive about the Oreos. He clenched his teeth, determined to stay mad, but saw real shame on her face and finally melted.
Wal-Mart security had threatened to permanently ban them both from the store, and Vala's subsequent flirting with the security team came very close to having them banned from the entire franchise. Daniel doubted whether something like that could or would be enforced, but he certainly didn't want to find out--especially when he was the one who would have to explain it to General Landry. In the end, they'd had to pay for the damaged cart, the ruined display, and all the Fig Newtons--which, although he privately found excessive, he was willing to do if it would keep them from being more seriously censured.
After that, they'd had to spend another hour traipsing back through the store to find replacements for everything that had been ruined when the chocolate sauce exploded and the strawberries were squashed. That, of course, meant that he had to pay for everything twice, since the store wasn't willing to take back any of the damaged products. When he realized what this was going to do to his credit card bill the following month, Daniel had vowed to remain angry with her for at least the rest of the day. Seeing her not only sorry but ashamed of herself, though, was too much.
"Okay," he sighed, shaking his head as he pulled the car door open for her.
Her arms slid around his neck, and he resolutely kept himself stiff. Then he felt the softness of her cheek against his, and his stomach went all tingly again. Before he knew what he was doing, his arms had moved around her in response.
"Forgive me?" she asked.
"Yes, Vala," he raised his eyes to the sky. "I forgive you."
"And we can still have our picnic?"
"Of course," he sighed again. "I promised, didn't I?"
Title: Home
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: Daniel drew back slightly, bringing up a finger to trace her bottom lip. "I just know that I can't keep wanting to kiss you..."
Rating: PG
Length: About 1500 words
Category: fluff/ humor
Pairings:Daniel/Vala
A/N: Inspired byaruna7's best vid ever.Post Ep for 10x08 Memento Mori, therefore possible spoilers. Taking the Long Way Part 7/8 (?). Technically, these are follow-ups to my supposed one shot fics, Twist and Lick and More, but they can stand alone. This is just a tad of a songfic toward the end. Nothing godawful, since I generally hate them, but it worked. The song is Martina McBride's Born to Give My Love to You. Thanks for the idea, Aruna. Also, this would be where the series goes AU from the rest of s10. *grin*
Home
"I think I'll name him Cameron," Vala mused, dancing the teddy bear on her bent knee.
She was sitting on the blanket with one leg stretched out in front of her, pink-sandaled foot twitching in time with the music from the car stereo. Daniel, lying beside her, popped open an eye in surprise.
"Cameron?" he demanded.
"Why not?" she asked innocently.
"Well--it's…not exactly my idea of a good name for a cute, fluffy toy," he said lamely.
"Oh?" Vala asked, smirking as she set the bear on his chest.
"Mitchell's a lot of things," Daniel lifted his head slightly to look at it. "Cute isn't one of them."
"Well," Vala shifted, resting her palm on his stomach and letting her hand slowly smooth upward. "What would you suggest?"
Daniel's abdominal muscles jumped and fluttered in response, but he managed to keep the ragged edge from his breath as he replied, "Teal'c."
"Teal'c!" Vala cried, giving him a playful swat before she snatched back the toy.
"Why not?" Daniel asked.
"Teal'c is your idea of fluffy?" she asked.
"Teal'c is very fluffy," retorted Daniel, shutting both eyes again.
"Of course he is," Vala sighed, sitting up suddenly to reach for the cookies. She fingered a couple out and held one over Daniel's mouth. Still without opening his eyes, he parted his lips to receive it, and she sat back, thoughtfully twisting off the top of her own. She gave it a few tentative strokes with her tongue and remarked, "These really are better with milk."
"Yeah, they are," Daniel agreed, suddenly sitting up. "Vala, there's--"
She turned toward him at the same time, asking, "Daniel, can I ask you--"
Both paused, smiling permission for the other to continue. Then, Daniel shook his head. "You first," he offered.
"You sure?" Vala bit her lip.
"I went first last time," he nodded.
"Well, all right," she took a breath. "You know when we were in the warehouse?"
"Mmm," he frowned.
"Well, why didn't you just…zat me?" she asked, punctuating the question with a shrug.
Daniel's frown deepened. "Do I really need to answer that?" he asked.
"I'd like you to," Vala said after a moment's silence.
"It had to be your choice to stay," he said quietly. "After you had your memories back, would you have ever trusted me again?"
"I'm not sure," she admitted. "But I certainly would have understood."
"I need you to trust me, Vala," he said, looking briefly down at the blanket. Her hand lay between them and he hesitantly picked it up. Meeting her eyes again, continued softly, "There's something I started to tell you last night…before--before you fell asleep."
Now it was her turn to glance away. She quickly turned back, though, and the flush in her cheeks told him that she probably had a good idea what he was going to say. The trepidation he thought he saw in her expression confused him, and he bit his lip, but decided to press on.
"I realized last night that I think…no, I don't think, I know. I owe you an apology, Vala. There's--there's obviously more going on between us than, um…friendship. I mean, there's--there's definitely--there's always been--"
"Chemistry?" she supplied.
He nodded. "But I think you've been trying to tell me that you wanted something else--more. Haven't you?"
She moved her eyes down to their linked hands again and nodded slowly. "I think so," she admitted.
"And I haven't been listening. I'm sorry," he told her.
"Daniel, it's all right…" she trailed off without looking up.
"No, it's…it's really not," he shook his head, then frowned. "I'm…honestly not sure what I want. But I think--know--I'd like it if…if we could really have a date. Vala, please look at me."
She brought her head up slowly, forcing a smile, but he caught the hint of tears in her eyes before she forced them away. He felt himself go cold as his unexpectedly burgeoning hopes fell away.
"I should be happy you said that, shouldn't I?" she asked.
"What's wrong?" he brought his free hand to her cheek.
"Daniel, I like…what we've been doing this weekend. I like being friends with you. Of course, that's not to say I wouldn't like it better if we were more--but those things have a way of not working for me."
"We can stay friends, Vala," he promised. His arms slipped around her, and he gently pulled her back against his chest. Settling his chin on her shoulder, he smiled softly. "No matter what happens…or doesn't happen…I always want to be your friend."
"Good," she smiled, turning to look at him again.
Both laughed softly when their noses brushed, but Daniel drew back slightly, bringing up a finger to trace her bottom lip. "I just know that I can't keep wanting to kiss you as much as I do and not even ask you to go on a date with me."
"Well, darling," she said teasingly. "Hadn't you better ask?"
Daniel smiled again, letting his forehead rest against hers, and nodded. "Will you have dinner with me on Friday?"
"Mmm-hmm," she agreed. "But that is going to give you a rather long wait."
"Huh?" asked Daniel.
She turned away again, slouching against him and picked up his hand off her stomach. "You'll have to wait all week long for that kiss if we don't go out again before Friday," she said, idly playing with his fingers.
"You're gonna hold me to that?" his mouth flew open.
"Absolutely," she nodded.
He sighed and hung his head, but knew there was no point in objecting. Instead, he settled his chin on the top of her head and tightened his arms as a mandolin began to play on the radio. The song was slow and gentle, and he found himself rocking her in time as the singer began:
I don't know what brought us here
Something in the stars said you and me
I don't know where this feeling comes from
Surely it was meant to be…
"Do you know who this is?" he asked curiously.
She shook her head. "It's the country station isn't it?"
Have to ask Mitchell when we get home," nodded Daniel.
I've known you even in my dreams
My eyes are open
My heart can see…
"Y'know, I think I've loved you since Ver Ager," he confessed.
"Daniel, you've loved me since Prometheus," she laughed.
His eyes widened, but he didn't say anything for a minute, considering. Then, hesitantly, he nodded agreement. Turning his head to replace his chin with his cheek, he closed his eyes, feeling a warm mix of relief and hope spread through his body.
"Did I tell you that you were the first person I actually remembered?" she asked quietly.
"No," he replied without opening his eyes. "But I knew."
"Do you know that I love you?" she smiled.
"I do now," he promised.
As sure as stars light the midnight sky
As sure as children wonder why
As sure as newborn babies cry
I was born to give my love to you…
***
It was still dark on Monday morning by the time they finally made it back to Cheyenne Mountain. Neither were surprised to find their teammates waiting in the commissary. Arms linked around each others backs, they walked inside, ready to face the music.
"See, I knew it!" Cam exclaimed. "Didn't I say it?"
"Indeed you did, ColonelMitchell," Teal'c smirked.
"Fell asleep, huh?" snickered Sam.
"We did!" Daniel replied. "No…really."
The room exploded with the team's laughter and he sighed, staring at the ceiling. Vala judiciously decided there was no use in trying to convince them, and simply set the picnic basket on the table in front of them.
"We have leftovers," she grinned. "Anyone hungry?"
Teal'c leaned forward to open the lid and reached into the basket. A moment later, the Jaffa's eyebrow rose, and he pulled out the teddy bear, which Vala had nestled inside on the blanket. Cam covered his lips with his hand to keep from cracking up, but Sam couldn't stop herself. Vala hurriedly snatched the bear back from Teal'c before even he started laughing.
"That," she said, sliding into an empty chair, "is mine."
Vala happily began dancing the bear on the table, and Daniel grinned unconsciously as he moved to take the chair beside her. Before he could sit, though, Cam suddenly looked down at their feet, eyes widening in disbelief.
"Lose your shoes, Jackson?" he asked with a snort.
"At least I didn't lose my pants," Daniel retorted.
"All right, now that's just not funny!" Cam declared as the team dissolved in hysterics around him.
Daniel began to hope that the ribbing had, at least for the moment, been deflected, but as the laughing fit ended, Sam leaned across the table with a conspiratorial look at Vala. "So," she whispered. "What happened before you fell asleep?"
"Nothing," Vala said honestly.
"That--that means something did, right?" Cam asked. "Cause if nothing happened you'd say something did. You wouldn't wanna lose your rep."
"Mitchell, nothing happened!" she raised her hands innocently.
"C'mon, Vala. You can tell me," Sam tried again.
"I didn't even kiss him," Vala insisted. "No. Really. I didn't!"
Parts 1-5 (Along with my rationale for the beach thing...on my LJ)
Title: The Long Way
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: "Get off of there! I'm--I'm not gonna chase you if that's what you…want…"
Rating: PG
Length: About 4700 words
Category: fluff/UST/angst/humor
Pairings:Daniel/Vala
A/N: Inspired by
aruna7's best vid ever. Written for scifi_five Post Ep for 10x08 Memento Mori, therefore possible spoilers. Taking the Long Way Part 6/8 (?). Technically, these are follow-ups to my supposed one shot fics, Twist and Lick and More, but they can stand alone. Dedicated to Tammy and Caitlin for all the years of random picnics, Slurpies, and Wal-Mart insanity. (Yes, this was indeed inspired by actual events...)Vala gave a snort of laughter and threw her arm around him. Daniel froze briefly, but as she pressed her face against his shoulder and dissolved into giggles, he slowly slid his own arms around her. He felt a smile tug at his lips and tried to resist, but laughter bubbled up from his chest until he found himself shaking with badly suppressed mirth. Her giggling continued, if anything growing louder at his obvious effort not to laugh along. Finally, he couldn't help but let the sound escape, and his arms tightened unconsciously as they both shook and gasped for breath.
It was several minutes before either could breathe again, let alone speak. Slowly, Vala got herself under control enough to look up at him. Daniel held her gaze, his hand moving up to rest against her cheek. His stomach tightened again, but this time the sensation was deeper, and accompanied with a pleasant tingle rather than the sickening lurch he'd felt in the car earlier.
"I'm so s-sorr…" she attempted, ducking her head as he felt her begin to quake again.
"It's okay," he promised laughingly. His arms wrapped around her again, and he buried his face in the softness of her hair, but couldn't stifle the second fit of hysterics any more than she could. It occurred to him that not very long ago, he would have found anything but humor in a situation like this, but it only made him tighten his arms further in a sudden burst of affection.
"Ow," she complained, looking up. "Ow--Daniel, darling, as much as I enjoy having your…incredibly strong…arms around me like this--you're going to crush my ribs."
"Sorry, sorry," he apologized, hurriedly breaking the embrace.
"Mmm," Vala pouted, settling her head on his shoulder. "You didn't have to let go, you know. Just loosen up a little."
He sighed quietly and slid his arms back around her. The sun had begun to set by then, becoming a bright red ball near the rippling surface of the water, and she turned to watch it. Daniel followed her gaze, his fingers stealing up to stroke the back of her hair. For a moment or two, he simply watched the sunset, conscious only of the red-gold patterns of light spilling across the ocean, Vala's breathing, the rise and fall of her chest against him. Gradually, though, he became conscious of what he was doing--who he was doing it with--and had to ask himself what exactly was going on.
He'd insisted--repeatedly--that it wasn't a date. The truth was that he'd had nothing but the strictest of platonic intentions in bringing Vala out today. She'd been through a nightmarish experience, and he'd wanted only to give her the chance to reconnect with the people who had helped her through it. Yet three times already today, he'd been tempted to kiss her--more than tempted. He would have kissed her if circumstances, or oddly enough, Vala herself, hadn't intervened.
He knew they were both lonely. Talking with her about Sha're had made him, if not more lonesome, at least more aware of those feelings than he had been in years. Vala lived in a perpetual and chronic state of isolation, though he doubted that she was able to recognize it at all. It was only natural, he supposed, that they gravitated toward one another despite the bizarre history they shared--or maybe because of it. It would've been perfectly understandable for her to want to assuage her need for comfort with sex. Yet she hadn't. There was always her teasing--that, he'd come to realize, was simply part of who she was--but it wasn't the same as it had been when she first came to Earth, or even when they'd met aboard Prometheus. She hadn't propositioned him. All she'd offered him in recent months was comfort, protection--first from Tomin and then from Adria--and honest friendship. All she'd asked for--if it could even be called asking--was a date. Granted, she knew that dates could and did sometimes end in someone's bedroom, but he didn't think she'd really expected it to, at least this time.
He'd told himself that he simply wasn't interested. Obviously, he must be--one aborted kiss might have been plausibly defined as the product of pure physical attraction. A second, he supposed could have been labeled as loneliness. A third, however, went beyond the realm of either of those explanations.
Her fingers brushed his face, drawing him out of his thoughts. "It's beautiful, Daniel, look at it," she murmured, gazing back out at the gold, pink, and purple sky, with its backlit clouds and colors that seemed to melt downward and out across the ocean in shimmering ripples.
"It is," he nodded, smiling as she settled her head back on his shoulder. They watched in silence until the sun had all but vanished. Daniel felt her shiver against him when the sea breeze picked up, and reflexively held her closer. "Cold?" he asked softly.
"I just want to stay here a bit longer," Vala murmured languidly.
"Me too," he admitted, letting his hands slide slowly over her bare arms to warm them where he felt gooseflesh starting to prickle up. "But we'll have to go soon. It's gonna get chilly."
"Okay," she agreed, letting her eyes slip closed.
Daniel watched her for a while, resisting the urge to trace the contented curve of her lips with his finger. "Vala?" he whispered, wetting his lips nervously.
"Mmm?" she asked thickly.
He gently tilted his head toward her mouth, breath coming short as he neared her lips, but forced himself to halt. "Vala, I--I think I…" he paused, frowning as he saw the smile slip from her lips. His heart thudded faster, and he wondered suddenly if he'd misread her after all. Then he heard the soft but unmistakable sound of a snore.
***
"Daniel?" she jolted awake, pulling out of his arms in confusion.
"It's okay," reassured Daniel automatically. "You fell asleep."
"I did?" she asked, looking around the dark beach bewilderedly. She yawned, scrubbing a hand over her face in an effort to wake up. "What time is it?"
He pushed himself prone and twisted his wrist to look at the glowing digital read-out on his watch. "About four," he replied. "We--we should go. The beach has been closed for hours."
Nodding, Vala got to her feet and took a moment to twist and stretch. Then she groaned, running a hand worriedly through her hair. "I'm never going to find my boots in the dark, either!" she sighed.
"Here," Daniel said, reaching to pick something up from the sand. He handed them up to her, smiling slightly. "I…went and got them before it got too dark."
"Why didn't you just wake me up!" she exclaimed, taken aback.
He shrugged, standing himself. "I dunno. I just…didn't--didn't realize you'd sleep that long, I guess," he replied, brushing the worst of the sand off.
Yawning again, she hugged herself and donned the boots as quickly as possible, complaining, "Oh, it's freezing! How can it have gotten so cold?"
"It's the ocean," Daniel replied, wrapping his arm around her as they started for the car. "The wind's always colder by the water."
"Well then," she said, ducking her head onto his chest and sliding and arm around him, "It's a good thing you're here to keep me warm."
"I guess so," Daniel shook his head in amusement, slipping his other arm around her as well.
Vala's head popped up in surprise.
"What's wrong?" he frowned down at her.
"Aren't you going to…y'know…" she asked.
"What?" he asked, feigning innocence.
"Pull away and act all huffy and difficult?" she inquired in a teasing tone.
"No," he shrugged nonchalantly.
Vala laughed quietly, returning her head to its resting spot on his chest. "Good," she nodded.
Both still half asleep, they didn't say much else until they reached the car. Once there, Daniel walked around to unlock the door for her, then held it while she slid inside. Pushing it shut, he rubbed his eyes tiredly and opened the back door, leaning inside to pull a pair of old blue flip-flop sandals off the floor.
As tired as she was, Vala's eyes still opened wider at the sight of them. "Why ever do you have those?" she asked, hiding a laugh behind her hand.
He smiled ruefully. "If there's one thing I've learned on SG-1, it's the importance of being prepared."
"I don't recall foam-soled sandals with plastic straps being included in our standard offworld gear," she smirked.
"Maybe they should be from now on," Daniel replied, swinging the door closed and making his way back around to the driver's side. He sat down on the edge of the seat to brush off his feet and slide the sandals on. Then he swung his legs in and leaned back without closing the door. Rubbing his eyes again, he sat with his hand over his face for several seconds, then finally reached back out to pull the door closed.
Vala shifted sideways to face him and pulled her knees up onto her seat. "Did you get any sleep?" she asked softly. "Are you sure you're all right to drive?"
"Couple hours," he forced his eyes open again. "I'm okay…need coffee though."
"If you're sure," she said, searching his face.
He nodded once and sat up again, picking up his eyeglass case from the dashboard. As soon as he had them on, though, he slid back against the seat and shut his eyes. "I don't know why I'm so tired…I stayed up for days when you disappeared."
"Well," Vala smiled. "Maybe that's why you're so tired."
"Maybe," he allowed, one corner of his mouth turning up.
She reached out playfully to run a finger down his cheek, but as she did, the half-smile faded. "Daniel?" she frowned.
He didn't reply, and her frown deepened as she leaned closer. His head slowly dropped forward, the glasses sliding down his nose to dangle in front of his face. Vala grinned delightedly, tilting her head to the side.
"Awww!" she exclaimed, brushing her fingers lightly through his unkempt hair.
As gently as she could, she drew his shoulders back and removed the glasses, then carefully stowed them in the dilapidated case. She laid it on the dash and sat back herself, returning her legs to the floor before she closed her eyes. She drowsed for a while, not quite sleeping, until Daniel slumped sideways. She blinked, turning sleepily to look at him, and then curved an arm around him, guiding his head onto her chest.
She told herself that it was only because she didn't want him to wake with a stiff neck. Before he was even settled, though, his arm moved unconsciously around her. Vala stiffened in surprise, but forced herself to relax, wondering why her heart was thudding so fast as he shifted and snuggled deeper against her. Finally, she dipped her head to kiss his hair and rested her cheek against it, letting her eyes close again.
***
He woke alone, his head resting awkwardly against the window, and jerked upright. Twisting his head from side to side in alarm, he called, "Vala?"
"Here," her voice came faintly from outside. He jumped as her fingers tapped the window beside him, and she ducked to peer in. He started to roll it down, but she bounded away, hurrying around to open the passenger side door.
"Thought you disappeared on me again," he confessed as she slid inside.
"Sorry, darling," she said, pulling down the sun shield to peer at herself in the mirror. "I wanted to wait until you'd woken up, but…nature calls when she will. Oh, I look awful! I don't suppose you have a brush."
"Where'd you learn that expression?" he asked, arching his back in an attempt to stretch his cramped muscles. "There's a comb in the glove compartment."
"Teal'c," she replied, shrugging. After a few minutes of rummaging through the glove box, she extracted the comb he mentioned, but by then her attention had wandered to the various other contents she'd come across.
"Do you mind?" he glared, reaching out to snap it closed again.
She pouted in response, but busied herself with rearranging her pigtails before he could complain. "You know, Daniel, I've seen some quite impressive technological innovations on this planet. Television…internet shopping…Porta-Potties are not one of them."
Daniel laughingly agreed and reached for his glasses again, then started the car. He glanced absently at the clock as he turned the key in the ignition, and his eyes bulged. "Ten o'clock!" he exclaimed, running a hand over his face.
"You just looked so cute," she winked. "I didn't want to wake you.
"I've--I've gotta call the base. Check in," he said, fumbling for his phone. "We've been gone almost twenty-four hours, and I haven't called."
"Oh," she said, her voice suddenly hollow.
She turned toward the window, and he frowned, but by then the duty officer had picked up the phone at the base. He tried to maintain a casual air while explaining that they'd fallen asleep, but he could hear the snickering voices of their teammates in the background and knew that they'd both be in for razzing later. Sighing, he hung up the phone and looked at Vala again.
"What's wrong?" he asked, letting the engine idle.
"I'd almost forgotten," she said dully. "All this checking in, asking permission to even step outside Cheynne Mountain. I'm used to coming and going as I please, Daniel."
"I know you are," he nodded, taking a long breath in consideration. Finally, he added, "Why don't we talk to Landry about it when we get back?"
"Really?" she turned to look at him in surprise.
"Well, you're a full-fledged member of the team now, remember?" he smiled, then twisted in his seat to look out the rear window.
Both their stomachs rumbled as he backed out of the parking space. Finished with the comb, Vala boosted herself off the seat to slide it into her back pocket and asked casually, "So, what's for breakfast?"
Daniel rolled his eyes, but decided not to bother protesting the theft. He bit his lip for a moment, then gave her a conspiratorial look. "You wanna go back to Sol's?"
"Like this?" she exclaimed in disbelief.
"What?" he asked, confused. "I thought you'd--you'd be thrilled!"
"We look as if we've slept on the beach!" she declared.
"Vala, we did sleep on the beach," he reminded her, laughing.
"That's entirely beside the point," she replied.
"Okay," he sighed bewilderedly.
Half an hour later, though, she turned hopeful eyes on him, and he smiled knowingly. Without having to ask, he flicked the turn signal and guided the car back off the highway. Sal greeted them with the same joviality of the previous day, though a good deal more teasing. He dubbed the entire weekend "the date that wouldn't end". Vala, of course, readily agreed, which brought a light blush to Daniel's cheeks, but remembering the direction his thoughts had begun to take while watching the sunset the night before, he wasn't sure whether or not to raise an objection.
In the end, he simply said nothing. Though he was sure she'd seen it, Vala did nothing to draw attention to the redness of his face, which confused him. He thought he'd gotten fairly good at reading her, anticipating her moods and the rather unruly way her mind worked. While he definitely couldn't describe it as "logic" of any kind, there was a certain pattern to her reactions and behavior. Yet every time he really started to think that she could no longer surprise him, he found himself utterly lost again. After all she'd said and done yesterday, having him so obviously off balance would have been the perfect opportunity to "prove" his supposed shyness over the relationship she insisted they had. Why she didn't take it was beyond him, but even if he didn't understand it, he couldn't resist the urge to slip a grateful arm around her when they'd left the place without a single reference to how adorable he looked when he blushed.
He realized a moment too late how easy it would be for her to misinterpret the gesture. Then he remembered that he wasn't entirely sure he minded anymore. He found himself blushing again and ducked his head, waiting for the inevitable teasing, but all she did was thread her arm around his back and continue toward the car in silence. He held the door for her again and felt a strange sense of loss when the contact broke. Fighting the urge to linger, he gently closed the door and shoved his hands into his pockets, trudging around to his own side.
Other than the nagging emptiness in the pit of his stomach at the realization that the trip was soon to be over, Daniel found the first part of the drive home almost as enjoyable as the weekend itself. Vala sang gustily along with the radio, and he found her knowledge of current hits in various music genres so incredible that she actually managed to induce him to sing along.
The car was getting low on gas, so he pulled into a rest area to fill up. Vala dragged him into a 7-Eleven for snacks and drinks, and he had the pleasure of introducing her to the wonders of Slurpies and the phenomenon of "brain freeze". She couldn't decide what flavor she wanted, and ended up with what, to him, looked like a repulsive mixture of every one available. She of course, declared that she adored it, which somehow made his annoyance at having to stand there for twenty minutes while she tried to choose melt away.
On the way out, she spotted a family having an impromptu picnic, and her eyes went wide with excitement. "That looks like fun!" she grinned.
Daniel tucked his chin to his chest, sighed heavily and made a show of looking at his watch. She grabbed his hand in her free one, pouting up at him. He carefully didn't react, though he felt a slight and only half acknowledged tug of relief at a reason to prolong the outing. She turned puppy eyes on him, and he shook his head.
"Don't--don't--don't start that…" he told her.
Her only response was a bright smile, and he let his head drop. "Okay," he assented. "C'mon, we--we're gonna have to go shopping, then."
"Ooh, I love shopping," she replied, pulling him toward the car.
"I know," he said worriedly.
***
"Wal-Mart?" she asked with an intrigued frown.
"You'll love it," promised Daniel, slipping his keys into his pocket and stepping out into the parking lot of the busy Supercenter. Vala skipped along beside him, pigtails bouncing, and he smiled, feeling slightly overwhelmed by her seemingly inexhaustible amount of energy, but he was undeniably enjoying it.
She bounced impatiently while he picked a cart, and he could barely keep her from running off as soon they entered the store. When she spotted the wire bin full of flip-flips and let out a squeal, he knew he was doomed. Hooking her arm through his, she dragged him over and dived in, pulling out a pair of the most gaudy pink sandals he'd ever seen, complete with sparkles on the plastic straps.
"Look!" she commanded, clapping them together with a huge grin. "They match my barrettes!"
"Okay," Daniel sighed, gesturing toward the cart, but she had already tossed them in and gone running toward a display of blouses. "Vala!" he shouted after her. "Food, Vala, remember? We're going on a picnic!"
She paid no heed and he sighed again, following her through the store. Two blouses, matching skirts and shoes, a new comforter, a Dixie Chicks CD--recommended by Mitchell--and a copy of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants later they finally made it to the grocery section.
"All right," she asked, looking at him uncertainly. "What are we getting?"
"Whatever you want," he replied. "As long as we don't have to cook it. We'll have to make sandwiches or something."
"Got it," she nodded, easily taking charge again. "Don't worry about a thing, darling. I'm an expert at creating romantic meals on short notice…"
"Why am I suddenly afraid I shouldn't have said whatever you want?" Daniel murmured.
"Very funny," Vala narrowed her eyes, then bit a fingernail thoughtfully and began to peruse the aisles.
What they ended up with was thick French bread and cuts of Italian ham, with Provolone cheese, which she let him pick because he said he liked it, despite the woman at the deli counter's recommendation of Swiss. Then she picked a platter of cut vegetables and dip, about which he made the mistake of commenting that he thought she'd opt for something sweet. This led to a hunt for fresh strawberries and chocolate dipping sauce, then a trip to housewares for durable plastic containers for the leftovers and a decent knife to cut the bread.
There, they met a cheerful middle-aged lady who kindly informed Vala that there was a selection of picnic baskets on clearance at the other end of the store. Once she knew what those were, she decided that having their picnic out of plastic bags would never do, and having the perfect picnic basket meant that they needed special, festive paper plates and napkins rather than the ordinary ones Daniel had already tossed in the cart.
After that, they needed a cooler for leftovers at Vala's insistence, and a blanket like the one she had seen the people at the rest area using. He protested that he'd just bought her a huge comforter, and she sighed in annoyance, telling him she couldn't possibly allow that to get all full of grass stains, and if he wanted to have a picnic, he'd just have to be willing to pay to have it right. While in the process of finding a blanket that was both cheap enough to suit Daniel and adequately comfortable for Vala, she caught sight of a fluffy white teddy bear with a heart on it's belly that she simply had to have.
Daniel gave in with a relatively short protest, but exacted his revenge by dragging her back through the store without telling her why. Despite having spent well over an hour there, she was still unfamiliar enough with the general layout of the huge store to have no idea where they were going until he stopped in front of the snack aisle. Even then, she shot him a puzzled frown. He suppressed a grin, saying only:
"Stay with the cart, okay? I forgot something," before disappearing up the aisle.
The Oreos were about half way to the other end, and he stood contemplating whether to get original or Double-Stuff when a noise caught his attention from the direction in which he'd left Vala. His head jerked back that way just in time to see her go skating by attached to the back of the shopping cart.
"I should've known!" he groaned, slapping a hand over his face.
Snatching the cookies, Daniel sprinted to the end of the aisle and reached it just as she vanished around the corner "Vala!" he shouted, slapping his free arm against his side in frustration.
She didn't answer, but he could stilll hear the rattling of the cart nearby, and within a few moments, she appeared again, having circled around to head toward him from the other direction. Her right hand came off the cart in a frenzied wave, and he made a grab for her as she whizzed by.
He narrowly missed, and stumbled forward, almost landing on his face for the second time that weekend. Managing to recover, he pushed both hands through his hair and grit his teeth. Growling in annoyance, he folded his arms and waited for her to come by a second time.
"Get off of there!" he demanded when she did. "I'm--I'm not gonna chase you if that's what you…want…" he finished, but she was already gone again.
The third time she came around, she reached toward him, leaning off the cart to peck his cheek as she passed. The carriage kept going, though, and the heel of her boot skidded out from under her. Daniel dove forward, instinctively snatching her off the runaway vehicle. She grabbed for his neck, letting out a little shriek.
"It's okay, I've got you," he promised, all his anger dissipating in the sudden surge of fear and the humid warmth of her rapid, frightened breath on his face. Her chest heaved, and he could feel her ribcage expanding and contracting almost convulsively against his arms as he held her. He thought the only thing that might've been beating faster than her heart was his own, especially when her head dipped toward his lips.
He knew that he should still have been angry--furious. He wanted to be. Then their foreheads touched, and her hand slid up the back of his neck. He could almost taste her; his head swam with a riot of conflicting thought and emotion; his legs felt weak, and he prayed he wouldn't drop her…then the shopping cart crashed into a display of Fig Newtons and they both jerked back as a trio of store workers came running.
***
"Are you angry?" she asked as he dragged her back through the parking lot.
"Yes!" he barked in response.
"Ohh," she whimpered. "I thought you would be. Daniel, we've had so much fun this weekend; I don't want you to be all upset with me."
"Well--well, you should've thought of that before you went riding around the store like a kid on the back of that carriage!"
"I'm sorry," she pleaded, almost disarming him. He'd expected her to argue back, try to shift the blame onto him for having been so secretive about the Oreos. He clenched his teeth, determined to stay mad, but saw real shame on her face and finally melted.
Wal-Mart security had threatened to permanently ban them both from the store, and Vala's subsequent flirting with the security team came very close to having them banned from the entire franchise. Daniel doubted whether something like that could or would be enforced, but he certainly didn't want to find out--especially when he was the one who would have to explain it to General Landry. In the end, they'd had to pay for the damaged cart, the ruined display, and all the Fig Newtons--which, although he privately found excessive, he was willing to do if it would keep them from being more seriously censured.
After that, they'd had to spend another hour traipsing back through the store to find replacements for everything that had been ruined when the chocolate sauce exploded and the strawberries were squashed. That, of course, meant that he had to pay for everything twice, since the store wasn't willing to take back any of the damaged products. When he realized what this was going to do to his credit card bill the following month, Daniel had vowed to remain angry with her for at least the rest of the day. Seeing her not only sorry but ashamed of herself, though, was too much.
"Okay," he sighed, shaking his head as he pulled the car door open for her.
Her arms slid around his neck, and he resolutely kept himself stiff. Then he felt the softness of her cheek against his, and his stomach went all tingly again. Before he knew what he was doing, his arms had moved around her in response.
"Forgive me?" she asked.
"Yes, Vala," he raised his eyes to the sky. "I forgive you."
"And we can still have our picnic?"
"Of course," he sighed again. "I promised, didn't I?"
Title: Home
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: Daniel drew back slightly, bringing up a finger to trace her bottom lip. "I just know that I can't keep wanting to kiss you..."
Rating: PG
Length: About 1500 words
Category: fluff/ humor
Pairings:Daniel/Vala
A/N: Inspired by
aruna7's best vid ever.Post Ep for 10x08 Memento Mori, therefore possible spoilers. Taking the Long Way Part 7/8 (?). Technically, these are follow-ups to my supposed one shot fics, Twist and Lick and More, but they can stand alone. This is just a tad of a songfic toward the end. Nothing godawful, since I generally hate them, but it worked. The song is Martina McBride's Born to Give My Love to You. Thanks for the idea, Aruna. Also, this would be where the series goes AU from the rest of s10. *grin*"I think I'll name him Cameron," Vala mused, dancing the teddy bear on her bent knee.
She was sitting on the blanket with one leg stretched out in front of her, pink-sandaled foot twitching in time with the music from the car stereo. Daniel, lying beside her, popped open an eye in surprise.
"Cameron?" he demanded.
"Why not?" she asked innocently.
"Well--it's…not exactly my idea of a good name for a cute, fluffy toy," he said lamely.
"Oh?" Vala asked, smirking as she set the bear on his chest.
"Mitchell's a lot of things," Daniel lifted his head slightly to look at it. "Cute isn't one of them."
"Well," Vala shifted, resting her palm on his stomach and letting her hand slowly smooth upward. "What would you suggest?"
Daniel's abdominal muscles jumped and fluttered in response, but he managed to keep the ragged edge from his breath as he replied, "Teal'c."
"Teal'c!" Vala cried, giving him a playful swat before she snatched back the toy.
"Why not?" Daniel asked.
"Teal'c is your idea of fluffy?" she asked.
"Teal'c is very fluffy," retorted Daniel, shutting both eyes again.
"Of course he is," Vala sighed, sitting up suddenly to reach for the cookies. She fingered a couple out and held one over Daniel's mouth. Still without opening his eyes, he parted his lips to receive it, and she sat back, thoughtfully twisting off the top of her own. She gave it a few tentative strokes with her tongue and remarked, "These really are better with milk."
"Yeah, they are," Daniel agreed, suddenly sitting up. "Vala, there's--"
She turned toward him at the same time, asking, "Daniel, can I ask you--"
Both paused, smiling permission for the other to continue. Then, Daniel shook his head. "You first," he offered.
"You sure?" Vala bit her lip.
"I went first last time," he nodded.
"Well, all right," she took a breath. "You know when we were in the warehouse?"
"Mmm," he frowned.
"Well, why didn't you just…zat me?" she asked, punctuating the question with a shrug.
Daniel's frown deepened. "Do I really need to answer that?" he asked.
"I'd like you to," Vala said after a moment's silence.
"It had to be your choice to stay," he said quietly. "After you had your memories back, would you have ever trusted me again?"
"I'm not sure," she admitted. "But I certainly would have understood."
"I need you to trust me, Vala," he said, looking briefly down at the blanket. Her hand lay between them and he hesitantly picked it up. Meeting her eyes again, continued softly, "There's something I started to tell you last night…before--before you fell asleep."
Now it was her turn to glance away. She quickly turned back, though, and the flush in her cheeks told him that she probably had a good idea what he was going to say. The trepidation he thought he saw in her expression confused him, and he bit his lip, but decided to press on.
"I realized last night that I think…no, I don't think, I know. I owe you an apology, Vala. There's--there's obviously more going on between us than, um…friendship. I mean, there's--there's definitely--there's always been--"
"Chemistry?" she supplied.
He nodded. "But I think you've been trying to tell me that you wanted something else--more. Haven't you?"
She moved her eyes down to their linked hands again and nodded slowly. "I think so," she admitted.
"And I haven't been listening. I'm sorry," he told her.
"Daniel, it's all right…" she trailed off without looking up.
"No, it's…it's really not," he shook his head, then frowned. "I'm…honestly not sure what I want. But I think--know--I'd like it if…if we could really have a date. Vala, please look at me."
She brought her head up slowly, forcing a smile, but he caught the hint of tears in her eyes before she forced them away. He felt himself go cold as his unexpectedly burgeoning hopes fell away.
"I should be happy you said that, shouldn't I?" she asked.
"What's wrong?" he brought his free hand to her cheek.
"Daniel, I like…what we've been doing this weekend. I like being friends with you. Of course, that's not to say I wouldn't like it better if we were more--but those things have a way of not working for me."
"We can stay friends, Vala," he promised. His arms slipped around her, and he gently pulled her back against his chest. Settling his chin on her shoulder, he smiled softly. "No matter what happens…or doesn't happen…I always want to be your friend."
"Good," she smiled, turning to look at him again.
Both laughed softly when their noses brushed, but Daniel drew back slightly, bringing up a finger to trace her bottom lip. "I just know that I can't keep wanting to kiss you as much as I do and not even ask you to go on a date with me."
"Well, darling," she said teasingly. "Hadn't you better ask?"
Daniel smiled again, letting his forehead rest against hers, and nodded. "Will you have dinner with me on Friday?"
"Mmm-hmm," she agreed. "But that is going to give you a rather long wait."
"Huh?" asked Daniel.
She turned away again, slouching against him and picked up his hand off her stomach. "You'll have to wait all week long for that kiss if we don't go out again before Friday," she said, idly playing with his fingers.
"You're gonna hold me to that?" his mouth flew open.
"Absolutely," she nodded.
He sighed and hung his head, but knew there was no point in objecting. Instead, he settled his chin on the top of her head and tightened his arms as a mandolin began to play on the radio. The song was slow and gentle, and he found himself rocking her in time as the singer began:
Something in the stars said you and me
I don't know where this feeling comes from
Surely it was meant to be…
"Do you know who this is?" he asked curiously.
She shook her head. "It's the country station isn't it?"
Have to ask Mitchell when we get home," nodded Daniel.
My eyes are open
My heart can see…
"Y'know, I think I've loved you since Ver Ager," he confessed.
"Daniel, you've loved me since Prometheus," she laughed.
His eyes widened, but he didn't say anything for a minute, considering. Then, hesitantly, he nodded agreement. Turning his head to replace his chin with his cheek, he closed his eyes, feeling a warm mix of relief and hope spread through his body.
"Did I tell you that you were the first person I actually remembered?" she asked quietly.
"No," he replied without opening his eyes. "But I knew."
"Do you know that I love you?" she smiled.
"I do now," he promised.
As sure as children wonder why
As sure as newborn babies cry
I was born to give my love to you…
***
It was still dark on Monday morning by the time they finally made it back to Cheyenne Mountain. Neither were surprised to find their teammates waiting in the commissary. Arms linked around each others backs, they walked inside, ready to face the music.
"See, I knew it!" Cam exclaimed. "Didn't I say it?"
"Indeed you did, ColonelMitchell," Teal'c smirked.
"Fell asleep, huh?" snickered Sam.
"We did!" Daniel replied. "No…really."
The room exploded with the team's laughter and he sighed, staring at the ceiling. Vala judiciously decided there was no use in trying to convince them, and simply set the picnic basket on the table in front of them.
"We have leftovers," she grinned. "Anyone hungry?"
Teal'c leaned forward to open the lid and reached into the basket. A moment later, the Jaffa's eyebrow rose, and he pulled out the teddy bear, which Vala had nestled inside on the blanket. Cam covered his lips with his hand to keep from cracking up, but Sam couldn't stop herself. Vala hurriedly snatched the bear back from Teal'c before even he started laughing.
"That," she said, sliding into an empty chair, "is mine."
Vala happily began dancing the bear on the table, and Daniel grinned unconsciously as he moved to take the chair beside her. Before he could sit, though, Cam suddenly looked down at their feet, eyes widening in disbelief.
"Lose your shoes, Jackson?" he asked with a snort.
"At least I didn't lose my pants," Daniel retorted.
"All right, now that's just not funny!" Cam declared as the team dissolved in hysterics around him.
Daniel began to hope that the ribbing had, at least for the moment, been deflected, but as the laughing fit ended, Sam leaned across the table with a conspiratorial look at Vala. "So," she whispered. "What happened before you fell asleep?"
"Nothing," Vala said honestly.
"That--that means something did, right?" Cam asked. "Cause if nothing happened you'd say something did. You wouldn't wanna lose your rep."
"Mitchell, nothing happened!" she raised her hands innocently.
"C'mon, Vala. You can tell me," Sam tried again.
"I didn't even kiss him," Vala insisted. "No. Really. I didn't!"