Kisses, CH.16 - 20 (Touching History, Understanding, Clean, S-E-..., & The Dance)
Kisses
Chapters 16 - 20 (Touching History, Understanding, Clean, S-E-..., & The Dance)
A/N: Spoilers for Forever in a Day in the following chapters.
Touching History
He could tell she was bored. She was trying to hide it, for his sake, but he knew.
Vala was resting on her stomach on a stone slab, her feet swinging in the air as she slowly flipped another page of her fashion magazine. Her other hand was fisted against her cheek, and she was absently chewing on her bottom lip.
Daniel watched her from a few feet away, a small smile playing on his lips. Vala was trying to be good so he could enjoy just being an archaeologist again. He glanced down at his notebook in his lap, then up at the wall of inscriptions and hieroglyphs before him. It made him feel good to get back to doing the hands on part of archaeology, but Daniel couldn't shake the nagging feeling of guilt. Vala was suffering for him, even if it was only from boredom.
Daniel placed his notebook on the dusty floor beside him, and turned so his body was facing her.
"Vala." He said quietly.
"Yes, darling?" Vala questioned, never taking her eyes from the magazine.
"Come here." Daniel answered.
Vala stopped reading and looked at him. "What?"
"I said 'come here.'" Daniel reached out his hand to emphasize the words.
Vala's eyes narrowed suspiciously. The sweet smile on Daniel's face could mean a number of things. "Why?" She questioned warily.
Daniel's smile turned into a wide grin of amusement. "Just come here!" He laughed, motioning with his hand for her to come to him. Vala pursed her lips in uncertainty, but found herself getting up anyway. His smile was very hard to resist. She walked over to him and took his hand with hers, looking down into his blue eyes.
"You wanna help me?" Daniel lifted his eyebrows in a questioning manner. He indicated the wall beside them with a tilt of his head.
"Are you serious?" Vala questioned, her voice a mix between confusion and excitement. "I don't know anything about that kind of stuff - Aren't you afraid I'll...I don't know...ruin something?"
Daniel shook his head at her question. "Not if I show you what to do...That is, if you want to learn. Do you want to learn?" At Vala's enthusiastic nod, he grinned. He turned to face the wall again and pulled her to sit between his legs. He wrapped one arm around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Now what?" Vala asked excitedly. She was glad to be of use to her Daniel.
"First..." Daniel smiled at her enthusiasm. He pointed at the wall with his free hand. "We look for anything that resembles any sort of trigger that would turn something on or open something up. A jewel in the stone or raised hieroglyph. Now, I've already checked, but it never hurts to be thorough."
Vala nodded against him, and there was a moment of silence as their eyes skimmed the wall.
"See anything?" Daniel questioned as he turned his head to look at her.
"No." Vala shook her head and turned to look at him in return. "But if there was, what would we do?"
"Well...we would radio for one of the techs to come take a look." Daniel shrugged. "Booby traps are a common hazard in temples like this, and they can figure out if it's still working and possibly what it opens or does. It's better to be safe then bold."
"I understand." Vala turned her eyes back to the wall. "What's the next step?"
Daniel smiled as he brought his head to rest against hers. "Since there's no obvious signs of booby traps," He reached off to the side and pulled his tool kit so Vala could reach it. "We can start cleaning the area, and translating what it says."
Vala smiled at what he was really saying. "We - meaning I clean, you translate."
"Yes." Daniel laughed quietly. Vala reached for his tools, and he quickly stopped her hand with his. "But..." He dragged out the word slowly. "You can't just start brushing and chipping away at everything. Areas that look smooth and empty could actually have worn glyphs or fading paintings on it." He caress the back of her hand with his thumb.
"Oh." Vala said. "Then how do I know what is important and what isn't?"
"It takes a trained eye, but I'll help you." Daniel kissed her cheek. "Ready to start?"
Vala nodded slowly. She took the paint brush Daniel offered her.
"Now..." Daniel scooted both of them closer to the wall. Vala waited as he searched the area with his eyes. Finally he pointed to a spot.
"Here. Slow and gentle strokes..." He placed his hand on hers, and moved it to the spot he had pointed to. Slowly he used her hand, which was holding the brush, to brush soft strokes over what appeared to be an empty spot. Dust fell from the wall, and a painted image began to appear. "You got it?" Daniel asked quietly in her ear and Vala gave a small nod.
He kissed her cheek again, and shifted slightly so he could go back to the translation he was working on before Vala started to help. He placed his notebook on her leg, and peered over Vala's shoulder to see it. Her hair tickled his face, and he pulled back after a moment.
"Got something to put your hair back with?" Daniel asked, running his hand through the thick black locks. Vala stopped brushing and pulled a hair tie off her wrist. She handed it to Daniel, and went back to work.
Daniel smiled at her focus, and gently began to pull her hair back into a high ponytail. He wrapped the hair tie around it, and pulled it snug against her head. He leaned in and kissed at the back of her neck, nibbling the spot after a moment, then giving it a small kiss one more time.
"That's better." He sighed as he moved back to his reading position. Vala smiled at the cuteness of the whole thing - Daniel pulling her hair back for her.
They sat like that for a while, quietly working on.
"Why do you love this so much, Daniel?" Vala asked curiously after a while, brush still moving like Daniel had showed her. She stopped when Daniel took the brush from her grasp, and placed it on the floor.
"Give me your hand." He said quietly. Vala obliged and rested her hand in his. Daniel moved her fingers along the wall to the spot he was currently working on.
"Close your eyes." He whispered in her ear, and tenderly kissed her neck. Vala did so, and Daniel began to softly stroke her fingers over the hieroglyphs. "You feel that?" He kissed her neck again, and Vala nodded. "They tell a story - about how a great river once flowed here..." He moved her finger from one glyph to another. "Made the land lush and fertile. But the gods deemed the people unworthy of such magnificence, and killed the river. And the people fought back."
"Some villager found this story so important, that he went through the trouble of chiseling it out on the stone. He wanted others to know what happened here." Daniel continued to run Vala's fingers along each raised portion. "Vala..." He moved to kiss the exposed edge of her shoulder. "You're touching someone's revolution."
Daniel moved his hand from hers, and placed it along her cheek. Vala turned to look into his eyes.
"You're touching history, baby." He smiled. He looked so beautiful and so happy to be experiencing this with her. Vala let out a shuddered breath.
Daniel moved in to kiss Vala, and she allowed his passion to overtake her. His hand moved to the back of her neck, and he deepened the kiss. It was a long time before they pulled apart.
Vala let out a shaky laugh. Daniel brushed the bangs from her face, and smiled curiously
"What?" He asked.
Vala smiled as she ran a hand through his hair. "I think I could get used to touching history."
Daniel laughed in response and placed a tender kiss on her lips.
Understanding
Vala pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and gently draped it over Daniel's sleeping form. She was careful to avoid brushing the bruises running from his hip to his neck, but Daniel still moaned as the weight of the blanket covered his injuries.
"Shhh." Vala soothed into his ear, then moved to place a small kiss on his forehead. Daniel shifted his head a moment, then drifted back off to sleep.
Vala smiled and turned to find Jack leaning in the doorway to the den, watching her. There was an unreadable look on his face.
"What?" She asked curiously as she moved to sit on the loveseat.
"Oh..." Jack pushed off the wall and walked to stand in front of where she sat. He pointed to the loveseat, and Vala nodded her approval for him to sit. She pulled the pillow out of his way, hugging it to her chest. Jack plopped down with a sigh.
Vala watched him patiently. Jack glanced at her, than moved his gaze to Daniel a few feet away.
"You're great with him." He said quietly after a moment. "A lot better than I am...was."
Vala could hear the sadness in Jack's voice, and it surprised her. "What are you talking about? You're wonderful with Daniel..."
"Maybe." Jack looked at her. "But you - He listens to you."
Vala let out soft snort at the statement. "Not really."
Jack nodded seriously, diverting his gaze again "Yes he does. Daniel trusts you with everything. I've seen the way he looks at you when he needs your opinion, or how he asks you for help. He never asks me for help like that. He whole-heartedly trusts you."
Looking down, Vala played with the edges of the pillow. "It took a lot to earn that trust, believe me. With you it's different. Daniel has never doubted his trust in you."
"Ha...obviously you haven't heard of some of the darker moments in our friendship." Jack laughed humorlessly.
Vala nodded knowingly. "Yes, I have actually." She stared at Jack, not really sure where this conversation was coming from.
Jack sighed and continued to watch Daniel. "He's so happy with you. I've never seen him so content to just live and have fun before. I knew he could be...I tried to pull it out of him, but...I don't know...Never could get him to be so carefree. You did it. There's just something you give him that lets him open up..."
Vala scooted closer to Jack on the loveseat, and placed her hand on his leg. "That's called sex, darling." She smiled with relief when Jack laughed quietly at the statement. She was beginning to understand why Jack seemed so bummed.
"True." Jack finally said with a smile. "But you know what I mean. You two just have a connection...He needs you."
Vala moved again, close enough so that their legs touched. "He needs both of us."
"I'm not so sure he needs much of me anymore." Jack stated quietly.
Vala turned so she was facing Jack. She placed a hand on his cheek, and he turned his head to look at her.
"I am." She smiled. "You think there's a connection between me and Daniel? What about you two? I've seen the two of you have entire conversations without even saying a word. Never before have I seen two people say the exact same thing at the exact same time more often then you guys. The way you talk to each other is dizzying. Daniel talks about you all the time, and calls you even more. He looks up to you and respects you, and he doesn't ask for your help because he's knows he doesn't need to - you'll always be there for him." Vala wrapped her arms around his shoulders in an awkward hug. "You're his best friend, Jack. That's something I can't ever replace, nor do I want to."
Jack still had a hint of uncertainty in his brown eyes. "Daniel loves you."
Vala nodded at the statement. She rested her chin on the edge of his shoulder. "He loves you too."
They looked at each other for a moment. Movement from the couch had them breaking eye contact.
"J'ck?" Daniel mumbled quietly.
Vala turned back to Jack with a smile and kissed his cheek. "See? Always asking for you first." Sometimes Daniel just had perfect timing.
"Jack?" Daniel questioned again, slight panic in his voice.
Jack rose from his seat quickly, Vala following behind him a little more slowly.
"Yeah, I'm right here, buddy." He knelt down next to Daniel. He smiled as relief filled glazed blue eyes.
"Oh." Daniel sighed. "Thought you were gone."
"Nah.." Jack placed a gentle hand on the back of Daniel neck, careful of the bruising. He looked at Vala as she sat down on the edge of the couch. Their eyes met, and an understanding passed between them. They were in this Daniel thing together. He looked back to see if Daniel had seen, but his younger friend was obviously too looped on painkillers to notice. "Couldn't leave you unprotected with this one ready to pounce at any moment."
Daniel blew a raspberry at the statement. "Spoilsport." He muttered playfully, placing a hand on Vala's leg.
"Isn't he?" Vala huffed, crossing her arms. She winked at Jack, then looked down at Daniel.
Jack watched a look pass from blue eyes to grey. It was full of affection and love, and this time it didn't make him feel uncomfortable to see it.
"Come here..." Daniel sighed as he pulled Vala in for a supple kiss.
Jack couldn't stop the blush that came to his cheeks. He felt like he was intruding, but couldn't seem to pull away from the pair. When he was beginning to think they'd never stop kissing, Vala pulled away. Daniel groaned at the action.
"Can we have sex now?" He whined, never opening his eyes from their kiss.
"Whoa, Danny!" Jack laughed at the blatant comment.
Vala placed her finger on the end of Daniel's nose, and smiled. "Now I know you're high on those painkillers."
"You didn't answer my question." Daniel said, still not opening his eyes.
Vala looked at Jack, and they smiled. "No." They answered in unison.
"We're gonna watch a movie instead." Vala said and Jack nodded. Both rose to a standing position, Vala's hand firmly attached to Daniel's. And when they both looked at Daniel, they were met with an equal glare.
"You guys suck." He muttered.
Oh yeah. They were definitely in this together.
Clean
She had just lowered herself into a hot bath when she heard Daniel come in the house.
Vala immersed herself to her chin, and quietly listened to him move around. He was unusually silent, and Vala suspected the emergency he'd been called to at the base had left him exhausted. She had wanted to go along, but Daniel had insisted she stay home - it was just an archaeological matter that he needed to deal with.
So their quiet day alone together had turned into a quiet day with Vala alone - period.
She didn't really mind too much. It had given her a chance to pick up around the house - something Daniel never seemed to worry much about. She was also able to catch up on all the tv shows she loved and Daniel loathed. But even if the quiet time had been relaxing, Vala was ready to be with her Daniel.
"Vala, you in here?" Daniel questioned softly, opening the door a little bit. She couldn't see him due to the little wall that separated the sink area, where the entrance was, from the tub.
"Yes, darling." Vala answered, sitting up a little. Daniel's head appeared around the wall, and she smiled warmly at him. "Hey."
Daniel gave her a tired smile in return. "Hey." He replied in kind and moved to the bathtub. He placed his hands on either side of tub and leaned in to give Vala a soft kiss. She accepted it happily.
"You taste like coffee." She smiled as he sat down on the tile floor with his back leaning against the tub.
"I think it's the only thing keeping me going." Daniel sighed as he rested his head back on the cool porcelain. He pulled off his glasses and rubbed a hand over his eyes.
Vala brushed a hand through his hair. "Rough day?"
Daniel laughed at the question. "That's an understatement."
Vala shifted so she was resting on her arm on the edge of the tub beside Daniel. Her other hand continued to stroke his hair gently. "Wanna tell me about it?" She asked quietly, not really caring if he did or not.
"Well..." Daniel moved over slightly so the hand Vala was resting on could stroke his cheek. "Apparently one of the new scientists brought back an artifact from P8X-whatever, and refused to get it cleared first. Said it would ruin something or other."
"And you had to go in to...?" Vala questioned curiously.
"To settle some ruffled feathers between the scientist and a few of the marines he had pissed off, not to mention Landry." Daniel sighed. "Had to reassure him that all the tests to clear the artifact wouldn't harm it, and convince the marines he was new and didn't quite have the hang of things yet. Then Landry had me sit him down and reiterate that the quarantine protocols are in place for a very good reason. And AFTER THAT... All of them thought it was a good idea for me to stick around and help translate the stupid thing." He turned his head to glance at her. "You know, I never even changed out of my civvies. Just worked right there in jeans and a t-shirt."
Vala winced in sympathy. "I'm sorry."
Daniel looked back up at the ceiling. "Yeah, sometimes it sucks to be so useful. Very inconvenient at times. I just wanted to spend the day here with you." He laughed. "Look how that turned out."
Vala lifted herself up enough to place a sensual kiss to Daniel's lips. The fact they their mouths where facing opposite directions only made it more inviting. They separated after a moment, and Vala stared at him with suggestive grey eyes.
"Day's not over yet." She breathed, and licked at his earlobe.
Daniel twisted his body around so that he faced her. He didn't give her any time to say another word before his mouth took hers in a powerful kiss, his hands cupping the sides of her neck. Vala felt herself being pushed back where she had rested before.
The water overflowed out of the tub as Daniel lowered himself in, clothes and all. He straddled her hips, and Vala moaned into his mouth as he rubbed the wet denim against her.
Daniel pulled his tongue out of her mouth, and moved to place supple kisses on her neck. "Love you." He whispered after an especially deep kiss.
Vala replied in kind as her hands fumbled with the clasp on his belt. She grinned as she felt Daniel's hands begin to move down her body slowly.
She loved it when getting clean could feel so dirty.
S-E-...
"So where's some of the most unique places you and Vala have..." Jack sipped his beer as he glanced at Daniel. "You know..."
Daniel shook his head and shrugged, pretending to not comprehend what Jack was playing at.
"Oh, you know..." Jack sat up in his chair, and waved his hand in the air.
"Have sex!" A twin pair of female voices shouted from the kitchen.
"I was trying to be POLITE!" Jack shouted back to them, and then realized Daniel was laughing. "You bastard." He muttered, once again sipping from his bottle.
"Come on Jack!" Daniel said through his laughter. "I knew what you were talking about." He took a pull from his own beer. "I'm not naive."
Jack point at him with his bottle. "You were!"
Daniel settled back against the lawn chair, a sweet smile on his face. "Yeah, then I met you."
"And look how you turned out." Jack smiled triumphantly.
"Yeah..." Daniel drawled out, a sardonic laugh following. "I'm more fucked up then I was before."
Jack sent the younger man a squinty glare. "You're an ungrateful little shit, you know that?"
Daniel just made a few kissy sounds in response.
"So?" Jack questioned.
Daniel drained the last of the beer from his bottle, and leaned forward to toss it in the trash can. "Maybe we should wait for the girls to rejoin us..." He sat back, a knowing look on his face. "Before we start discussing our sex lives."
"Now where's the fun in that?" Jack whined.
"You should listen to the man, Jack." Sam emerged onto the porch, a cold beer in one hand for Jack, and a margarita in the other for herself. "He is very smart."
Jack made a 'pfft' sound, and followed Daniel in finishing off his beer. "Supposedly."
Daniel stuck out his tongue, then look up at Vala standing behind his chair. She leaned down to place a beer in his hand, and, before she could pull back up, Daniel wrapped his free hand around the back of her head and pulled her in for a deep, tongue-filled kiss. Vala's hair cascaded down around their faces.
He released her after a moment. "Thanks babe."
Vala flipped her hair back, and patted his shoulder. "Anytime." She smiled, and went to move around the chair to sit in his lap. She lowered herself between his legs, and pulled her knees to her chest. Sipping from her own margarita, she leaned back against Daniel's chest.
Jack sat gaping at the pair, Sam standing next to him with a goofy grin on her face.
"See?!" Sam turned to smack Jack on the shoulder playfully. "Why can't you be more like that?"
"That?!" Jack pointed at them. "You want THAT?!" At his words, Daniel brushed aside Vala's hair and began devouring her neck with his mouth. "That's...that's...that's just obscene to do in public!"
Daniel stopped and looked right at Jack with disbelief. "Public?! We're in your damn backyard!"
"That's out in the public!" Jack fired back childishly. He crossed his arms to emphasize his point.
Daniel laughed and sat back. "What are you? Six?" He finally took a sip from his beer bottle.
"Don't make me come over there!" Jack warned. Daniel mocked his every word silently. "If there weren't two beautiful women between us, I'd so kick your ass." Daniel nodded in an 'oh, I'm sure' fashion, and a comfortable silence settled between the pair.
Sam sat down on the porch in front of Jack, who began to run his fingers through her hair.
"They're like children." She said to Vala, slurping her drink.
Vala nodded in agreement. "They really are." She giggled as Daniel squeezed her closer.
"So, what were we talking about?" He questioned after he sipped from his bottle.
"Sex." Vala stated happily. "One of my favorite topics."
Daniel leaned in and whispered in her ear. "We know." He nipped at the bottom of her ear, and she gasped.
"Yes, you frisky love birds over there." Jack sat up a little straighter. "I want to know some of the more unique places you've-"
"Had sex." Sam finished for him.
"Well-" Daniel paused to let out a loud belch. It had the girls 'eww'-ing and Jack clapping. "Does my office count as weird?"
"Which office, now?" Sam asked, tipping her drink to her surrogate brother. "Because if it's your home office, then no."
"I kinda figured that." Daniel snipped playfully. "You know I'm talking about the one at the SGC."
Jack sat up straighter at the announcement. "The office with two very snooping cameras in it? You guys did it there?"
"More than once actually." Vala shrugged as she took a drink.
"But, the cameras." Jack repeated.
Daniel gave Jack a wicked grin as he sipped from his bottle. "Yeah, well, I know this beautiful blonde who can work wonders with technology."
Jack looked down at Sam, who was giggling quietly. "You knew about that one?" She nodded mutely, still trying to suppress her laughing. He smiled, took a drink, then looked back up at Daniel and Vala. "Okay, where else?"
Before Daniel could say anything, Vala blurted out. "Bathtub."
Jack shrugged. "That's nothing new."
"But..." Vala held up her finger, then ran the same hand along Daniel's jean-covered leg. "Daniel was almost completely clothed at the time. Never even got his jeans off..."
"That's because they were plastered to my legs." Daniel laughed.
Vala looked at Sam, and smiled. "I must say watching him try and get out was...enjoyable."
Sam laughed. "Oh, I'm sure. Pants undone and stuck tight against his ass."
Daniel choked on his mouthful of beer. "Sam!"
"What?!" She replied innocently. "You're hot!"
Daniel wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry, that's just disturbing coming from you."
Sam laughed again, and looked at Vala. "They just don't appreciate complements."
Vala nodded furiously. "I know...like Jack wouldn't appreciate me saying he's drop dead gorgeous in those..."
"Moving on!" Jack said quickly, pushing himself down behind Sam as if staking his claim.
"Please!" Daniel whined, tightening his hold on Vala.
"Okay..." Vala turned her head to give Daniel a reassuring kiss. "How about all those high end parties and banquets we're forced to go to sometimes?" She asked as she looked back at their friends.
"Alright, that's interesting..." Jack wrapped his arms around Sam's shoulders.
"How many?" Sam questioned.
Daniel's eyes lit up mischievously, and he looked at Vala. She was grinning like the Chesire Cat.
"Surely not ALL of them?" Sam gasped in amusement.
"At least all the ones I've been to." Vala shrugged playfully.
"That's at LEAST four a year, and you've been here how many years now?" Jack frowned at the math problem he had inadvertently started. "I don't even need to carry the four on that one. Geeze, Daniel!"
"What?!" Daniel answered in a way similar to how Sam had earlier. "Those things are so boring!"
"Yeah, that's why we do those few shots of tequila before each one." Jack agreed. "To loosen things up a bit."
"Jack, you should know how..." Vala giggled as she said her next word carefully. 'LOOSE' Daniel gets after a few shots of tequila."
Daniel blushed at her comment, and the others started to laugh.
"So now we know what happens when you guys sneak off during those things." Jack nodded, sipping his drink. "My, Daniel...she really has turned you into a rebel."
Daniel drained his bottle once again to get over his slight embarrassment, and tossed it in the trash.
"What about you guys?" He kissed Vala's shoulder, then moved to steal another passionate kiss from her lips. Vala made subtle moans and gasps into his mouth as she ran her hand through his hair. They pulled apart after a LONG moment, and Daniel rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Why are we the center of attention here?" He asked while gently massaging Vala's side with his hand.
"Please!" Jack answered. "Look at you two! You guys are hornier than a pair of Chihuahuas! Of course we're gonna focus the sex talk on you!"
"Oh give me a break!" Daniel laughed. He sipped from Vala's margarita as she offered it to him. "You two look at each other like your ready to pounce! Now I wanna hear about some or your wild escapades."
The Dance
They were in the den of their new house together when it happened.
Books, movies, and various other things lay scattered all over the floor. Vala was on one side of the room, putting their DVDs into a brand new home on the entertainment center. Daniel was on the other side, near the gigantic bookshelf he had just built with Jack, Cam, and Teal'c, placing his books where he wanted them.
They were happy, singing to the songs coming from the stereo, laughing and taking loving jibes at one another.
Daniel moved to the center of the room to gather up another stack of books. He froze when an unmistakable melody began to come through the speakers.
Vala recognized the song immediately, and her eyes went straight to Daniel. She slowly crossed over to him as the guitar started to play. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around his waist. His immediately came to close around her, and as the words started, they began to dance slowly.
Looking back
on the memory of
The dance we shared
'neath the stars alone
Vala felt Daniel's arms tighten around her, and she rubbed his back gently. Daniel began to sing softly as he rested his head on hers.
For a moment
all the world was right
How could I have known
that you'd ever say goodbye
And now
I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end
the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance
Daniel moved his head to her shoulder. Vala could feel him trembling in her arms.
Holding You
I Held Everything
He kissed her shoulder.
For a Moment
wasn't I a king
But if I'd only known
how the king would fall
Vala felt his breath catch inside his chest, and she knew he wasn't gonna be able to hold out much longer.
Hey, who's to say
you know I might have chanced it all
Daniel whispered the words in her ear. He seemed so terrified to say them to her, and Vala understood.
And now
I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end
the way it all would go
Vala felt the tears on her neck as Daniel buried his head against her.
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
but I'd of had to miss the dance
The tears came faster and he began to cry around the words.
Yes my life
is better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
but I'd of had to miss
The Dance
Vala held on to Daniel tightly as he let out a quiet sob. The haunting melody played again, and Daniel pulled up from Vala's shoulder. He looked at Vala with tears welling in his eyes, and she leaned up to kiss him softly on the lips. He brought his hand to her face as she did.
They pulled apart, and Daniel rested his forehead against hers. He stared into Vala's eyes.
"I love you." He said on shaky whisper.
Vala nodded against him. "I love you too."
And she accepted the trembling kiss Daniel placed on her lips before he broke down against her.
Reviews and comments are LVOE!
Chapters 16 - 20 (Touching History, Understanding, Clean, S-E-..., & The Dance)
A/N: Spoilers for Forever in a Day in the following chapters.
Touching History
He could tell she was bored. She was trying to hide it, for his sake, but he knew.
Vala was resting on her stomach on a stone slab, her feet swinging in the air as she slowly flipped another page of her fashion magazine. Her other hand was fisted against her cheek, and she was absently chewing on her bottom lip.
Daniel watched her from a few feet away, a small smile playing on his lips. Vala was trying to be good so he could enjoy just being an archaeologist again. He glanced down at his notebook in his lap, then up at the wall of inscriptions and hieroglyphs before him. It made him feel good to get back to doing the hands on part of archaeology, but Daniel couldn't shake the nagging feeling of guilt. Vala was suffering for him, even if it was only from boredom.
Daniel placed his notebook on the dusty floor beside him, and turned so his body was facing her.
"Vala." He said quietly.
"Yes, darling?" Vala questioned, never taking her eyes from the magazine.
"Come here." Daniel answered.
Vala stopped reading and looked at him. "What?"
"I said 'come here.'" Daniel reached out his hand to emphasize the words.
Vala's eyes narrowed suspiciously. The sweet smile on Daniel's face could mean a number of things. "Why?" She questioned warily.
Daniel's smile turned into a wide grin of amusement. "Just come here!" He laughed, motioning with his hand for her to come to him. Vala pursed her lips in uncertainty, but found herself getting up anyway. His smile was very hard to resist. She walked over to him and took his hand with hers, looking down into his blue eyes.
"You wanna help me?" Daniel lifted his eyebrows in a questioning manner. He indicated the wall beside them with a tilt of his head.
"Are you serious?" Vala questioned, her voice a mix between confusion and excitement. "I don't know anything about that kind of stuff - Aren't you afraid I'll...I don't know...ruin something?"
Daniel shook his head at her question. "Not if I show you what to do...That is, if you want to learn. Do you want to learn?" At Vala's enthusiastic nod, he grinned. He turned to face the wall again and pulled her to sit between his legs. He wrapped one arm around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Now what?" Vala asked excitedly. She was glad to be of use to her Daniel.
"First..." Daniel smiled at her enthusiasm. He pointed at the wall with his free hand. "We look for anything that resembles any sort of trigger that would turn something on or open something up. A jewel in the stone or raised hieroglyph. Now, I've already checked, but it never hurts to be thorough."
Vala nodded against him, and there was a moment of silence as their eyes skimmed the wall.
"See anything?" Daniel questioned as he turned his head to look at her.
"No." Vala shook her head and turned to look at him in return. "But if there was, what would we do?"
"Well...we would radio for one of the techs to come take a look." Daniel shrugged. "Booby traps are a common hazard in temples like this, and they can figure out if it's still working and possibly what it opens or does. It's better to be safe then bold."
"I understand." Vala turned her eyes back to the wall. "What's the next step?"
Daniel smiled as he brought his head to rest against hers. "Since there's no obvious signs of booby traps," He reached off to the side and pulled his tool kit so Vala could reach it. "We can start cleaning the area, and translating what it says."
Vala smiled at what he was really saying. "We - meaning I clean, you translate."
"Yes." Daniel laughed quietly. Vala reached for his tools, and he quickly stopped her hand with his. "But..." He dragged out the word slowly. "You can't just start brushing and chipping away at everything. Areas that look smooth and empty could actually have worn glyphs or fading paintings on it." He caress the back of her hand with his thumb.
"Oh." Vala said. "Then how do I know what is important and what isn't?"
"It takes a trained eye, but I'll help you." Daniel kissed her cheek. "Ready to start?"
Vala nodded slowly. She took the paint brush Daniel offered her.
"Now..." Daniel scooted both of them closer to the wall. Vala waited as he searched the area with his eyes. Finally he pointed to a spot.
"Here. Slow and gentle strokes..." He placed his hand on hers, and moved it to the spot he had pointed to. Slowly he used her hand, which was holding the brush, to brush soft strokes over what appeared to be an empty spot. Dust fell from the wall, and a painted image began to appear. "You got it?" Daniel asked quietly in her ear and Vala gave a small nod.
He kissed her cheek again, and shifted slightly so he could go back to the translation he was working on before Vala started to help. He placed his notebook on her leg, and peered over Vala's shoulder to see it. Her hair tickled his face, and he pulled back after a moment.
"Got something to put your hair back with?" Daniel asked, running his hand through the thick black locks. Vala stopped brushing and pulled a hair tie off her wrist. She handed it to Daniel, and went back to work.
Daniel smiled at her focus, and gently began to pull her hair back into a high ponytail. He wrapped the hair tie around it, and pulled it snug against her head. He leaned in and kissed at the back of her neck, nibbling the spot after a moment, then giving it a small kiss one more time.
"That's better." He sighed as he moved back to his reading position. Vala smiled at the cuteness of the whole thing - Daniel pulling her hair back for her.
They sat like that for a while, quietly working on.
"Why do you love this so much, Daniel?" Vala asked curiously after a while, brush still moving like Daniel had showed her. She stopped when Daniel took the brush from her grasp, and placed it on the floor.
"Give me your hand." He said quietly. Vala obliged and rested her hand in his. Daniel moved her fingers along the wall to the spot he was currently working on.
"Close your eyes." He whispered in her ear, and tenderly kissed her neck. Vala did so, and Daniel began to softly stroke her fingers over the hieroglyphs. "You feel that?" He kissed her neck again, and Vala nodded. "They tell a story - about how a great river once flowed here..." He moved her finger from one glyph to another. "Made the land lush and fertile. But the gods deemed the people unworthy of such magnificence, and killed the river. And the people fought back."
"Some villager found this story so important, that he went through the trouble of chiseling it out on the stone. He wanted others to know what happened here." Daniel continued to run Vala's fingers along each raised portion. "Vala..." He moved to kiss the exposed edge of her shoulder. "You're touching someone's revolution."
Daniel moved his hand from hers, and placed it along her cheek. Vala turned to look into his eyes.
"You're touching history, baby." He smiled. He looked so beautiful and so happy to be experiencing this with her. Vala let out a shuddered breath.
Daniel moved in to kiss Vala, and she allowed his passion to overtake her. His hand moved to the back of her neck, and he deepened the kiss. It was a long time before they pulled apart.
Vala let out a shaky laugh. Daniel brushed the bangs from her face, and smiled curiously
"What?" He asked.
Vala smiled as she ran a hand through his hair. "I think I could get used to touching history."
Daniel laughed in response and placed a tender kiss on her lips.
Understanding
Vala pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and gently draped it over Daniel's sleeping form. She was careful to avoid brushing the bruises running from his hip to his neck, but Daniel still moaned as the weight of the blanket covered his injuries.
"Shhh." Vala soothed into his ear, then moved to place a small kiss on his forehead. Daniel shifted his head a moment, then drifted back off to sleep.
Vala smiled and turned to find Jack leaning in the doorway to the den, watching her. There was an unreadable look on his face.
"What?" She asked curiously as she moved to sit on the loveseat.
"Oh..." Jack pushed off the wall and walked to stand in front of where she sat. He pointed to the loveseat, and Vala nodded her approval for him to sit. She pulled the pillow out of his way, hugging it to her chest. Jack plopped down with a sigh.
Vala watched him patiently. Jack glanced at her, than moved his gaze to Daniel a few feet away.
"You're great with him." He said quietly after a moment. "A lot better than I am...was."
Vala could hear the sadness in Jack's voice, and it surprised her. "What are you talking about? You're wonderful with Daniel..."
"Maybe." Jack looked at her. "But you - He listens to you."
Vala let out soft snort at the statement. "Not really."
Jack nodded seriously, diverting his gaze again "Yes he does. Daniel trusts you with everything. I've seen the way he looks at you when he needs your opinion, or how he asks you for help. He never asks me for help like that. He whole-heartedly trusts you."
Looking down, Vala played with the edges of the pillow. "It took a lot to earn that trust, believe me. With you it's different. Daniel has never doubted his trust in you."
"Ha...obviously you haven't heard of some of the darker moments in our friendship." Jack laughed humorlessly.
Vala nodded knowingly. "Yes, I have actually." She stared at Jack, not really sure where this conversation was coming from.
Jack sighed and continued to watch Daniel. "He's so happy with you. I've never seen him so content to just live and have fun before. I knew he could be...I tried to pull it out of him, but...I don't know...Never could get him to be so carefree. You did it. There's just something you give him that lets him open up..."
Vala scooted closer to Jack on the loveseat, and placed her hand on his leg. "That's called sex, darling." She smiled with relief when Jack laughed quietly at the statement. She was beginning to understand why Jack seemed so bummed.
"True." Jack finally said with a smile. "But you know what I mean. You two just have a connection...He needs you."
Vala moved again, close enough so that their legs touched. "He needs both of us."
"I'm not so sure he needs much of me anymore." Jack stated quietly.
Vala turned so she was facing Jack. She placed a hand on his cheek, and he turned his head to look at her.
"I am." She smiled. "You think there's a connection between me and Daniel? What about you two? I've seen the two of you have entire conversations without even saying a word. Never before have I seen two people say the exact same thing at the exact same time more often then you guys. The way you talk to each other is dizzying. Daniel talks about you all the time, and calls you even more. He looks up to you and respects you, and he doesn't ask for your help because he's knows he doesn't need to - you'll always be there for him." Vala wrapped her arms around his shoulders in an awkward hug. "You're his best friend, Jack. That's something I can't ever replace, nor do I want to."
Jack still had a hint of uncertainty in his brown eyes. "Daniel loves you."
Vala nodded at the statement. She rested her chin on the edge of his shoulder. "He loves you too."
They looked at each other for a moment. Movement from the couch had them breaking eye contact.
"J'ck?" Daniel mumbled quietly.
Vala turned back to Jack with a smile and kissed his cheek. "See? Always asking for you first." Sometimes Daniel just had perfect timing.
"Jack?" Daniel questioned again, slight panic in his voice.
Jack rose from his seat quickly, Vala following behind him a little more slowly.
"Yeah, I'm right here, buddy." He knelt down next to Daniel. He smiled as relief filled glazed blue eyes.
"Oh." Daniel sighed. "Thought you were gone."
"Nah.." Jack placed a gentle hand on the back of Daniel neck, careful of the bruising. He looked at Vala as she sat down on the edge of the couch. Their eyes met, and an understanding passed between them. They were in this Daniel thing together. He looked back to see if Daniel had seen, but his younger friend was obviously too looped on painkillers to notice. "Couldn't leave you unprotected with this one ready to pounce at any moment."
Daniel blew a raspberry at the statement. "Spoilsport." He muttered playfully, placing a hand on Vala's leg.
"Isn't he?" Vala huffed, crossing her arms. She winked at Jack, then looked down at Daniel.
Jack watched a look pass from blue eyes to grey. It was full of affection and love, and this time it didn't make him feel uncomfortable to see it.
"Come here..." Daniel sighed as he pulled Vala in for a supple kiss.
Jack couldn't stop the blush that came to his cheeks. He felt like he was intruding, but couldn't seem to pull away from the pair. When he was beginning to think they'd never stop kissing, Vala pulled away. Daniel groaned at the action.
"Can we have sex now?" He whined, never opening his eyes from their kiss.
"Whoa, Danny!" Jack laughed at the blatant comment.
Vala placed her finger on the end of Daniel's nose, and smiled. "Now I know you're high on those painkillers."
"You didn't answer my question." Daniel said, still not opening his eyes.
Vala looked at Jack, and they smiled. "No." They answered in unison.
"We're gonna watch a movie instead." Vala said and Jack nodded. Both rose to a standing position, Vala's hand firmly attached to Daniel's. And when they both looked at Daniel, they were met with an equal glare.
"You guys suck." He muttered.
Oh yeah. They were definitely in this together.
Clean
She had just lowered herself into a hot bath when she heard Daniel come in the house.
Vala immersed herself to her chin, and quietly listened to him move around. He was unusually silent, and Vala suspected the emergency he'd been called to at the base had left him exhausted. She had wanted to go along, but Daniel had insisted she stay home - it was just an archaeological matter that he needed to deal with.
So their quiet day alone together had turned into a quiet day with Vala alone - period.
She didn't really mind too much. It had given her a chance to pick up around the house - something Daniel never seemed to worry much about. She was also able to catch up on all the tv shows she loved and Daniel loathed. But even if the quiet time had been relaxing, Vala was ready to be with her Daniel.
"Vala, you in here?" Daniel questioned softly, opening the door a little bit. She couldn't see him due to the little wall that separated the sink area, where the entrance was, from the tub.
"Yes, darling." Vala answered, sitting up a little. Daniel's head appeared around the wall, and she smiled warmly at him. "Hey."
Daniel gave her a tired smile in return. "Hey." He replied in kind and moved to the bathtub. He placed his hands on either side of tub and leaned in to give Vala a soft kiss. She accepted it happily.
"You taste like coffee." She smiled as he sat down on the tile floor with his back leaning against the tub.
"I think it's the only thing keeping me going." Daniel sighed as he rested his head back on the cool porcelain. He pulled off his glasses and rubbed a hand over his eyes.
Vala brushed a hand through his hair. "Rough day?"
Daniel laughed at the question. "That's an understatement."
Vala shifted so she was resting on her arm on the edge of the tub beside Daniel. Her other hand continued to stroke his hair gently. "Wanna tell me about it?" She asked quietly, not really caring if he did or not.
"Well..." Daniel moved over slightly so the hand Vala was resting on could stroke his cheek. "Apparently one of the new scientists brought back an artifact from P8X-whatever, and refused to get it cleared first. Said it would ruin something or other."
"And you had to go in to...?" Vala questioned curiously.
"To settle some ruffled feathers between the scientist and a few of the marines he had pissed off, not to mention Landry." Daniel sighed. "Had to reassure him that all the tests to clear the artifact wouldn't harm it, and convince the marines he was new and didn't quite have the hang of things yet. Then Landry had me sit him down and reiterate that the quarantine protocols are in place for a very good reason. And AFTER THAT... All of them thought it was a good idea for me to stick around and help translate the stupid thing." He turned his head to glance at her. "You know, I never even changed out of my civvies. Just worked right there in jeans and a t-shirt."
Vala winced in sympathy. "I'm sorry."
Daniel looked back up at the ceiling. "Yeah, sometimes it sucks to be so useful. Very inconvenient at times. I just wanted to spend the day here with you." He laughed. "Look how that turned out."
Vala lifted herself up enough to place a sensual kiss to Daniel's lips. The fact they their mouths where facing opposite directions only made it more inviting. They separated after a moment, and Vala stared at him with suggestive grey eyes.
"Day's not over yet." She breathed, and licked at his earlobe.
Daniel twisted his body around so that he faced her. He didn't give her any time to say another word before his mouth took hers in a powerful kiss, his hands cupping the sides of her neck. Vala felt herself being pushed back where she had rested before.
The water overflowed out of the tub as Daniel lowered himself in, clothes and all. He straddled her hips, and Vala moaned into his mouth as he rubbed the wet denim against her.
Daniel pulled his tongue out of her mouth, and moved to place supple kisses on her neck. "Love you." He whispered after an especially deep kiss.
Vala replied in kind as her hands fumbled with the clasp on his belt. She grinned as she felt Daniel's hands begin to move down her body slowly.
She loved it when getting clean could feel so dirty.
S-E-...
"So where's some of the most unique places you and Vala have..." Jack sipped his beer as he glanced at Daniel. "You know..."
Daniel shook his head and shrugged, pretending to not comprehend what Jack was playing at.
"Oh, you know..." Jack sat up in his chair, and waved his hand in the air.
"Have sex!" A twin pair of female voices shouted from the kitchen.
"I was trying to be POLITE!" Jack shouted back to them, and then realized Daniel was laughing. "You bastard." He muttered, once again sipping from his bottle.
"Come on Jack!" Daniel said through his laughter. "I knew what you were talking about." He took a pull from his own beer. "I'm not naive."
Jack point at him with his bottle. "You were!"
Daniel settled back against the lawn chair, a sweet smile on his face. "Yeah, then I met you."
"And look how you turned out." Jack smiled triumphantly.
"Yeah..." Daniel drawled out, a sardonic laugh following. "I'm more fucked up then I was before."
Jack sent the younger man a squinty glare. "You're an ungrateful little shit, you know that?"
Daniel just made a few kissy sounds in response.
"So?" Jack questioned.
Daniel drained the last of the beer from his bottle, and leaned forward to toss it in the trash can. "Maybe we should wait for the girls to rejoin us..." He sat back, a knowing look on his face. "Before we start discussing our sex lives."
"Now where's the fun in that?" Jack whined.
"You should listen to the man, Jack." Sam emerged onto the porch, a cold beer in one hand for Jack, and a margarita in the other for herself. "He is very smart."
Jack made a 'pfft' sound, and followed Daniel in finishing off his beer. "Supposedly."
Daniel stuck out his tongue, then look up at Vala standing behind his chair. She leaned down to place a beer in his hand, and, before she could pull back up, Daniel wrapped his free hand around the back of her head and pulled her in for a deep, tongue-filled kiss. Vala's hair cascaded down around their faces.
He released her after a moment. "Thanks babe."
Vala flipped her hair back, and patted his shoulder. "Anytime." She smiled, and went to move around the chair to sit in his lap. She lowered herself between his legs, and pulled her knees to her chest. Sipping from her own margarita, she leaned back against Daniel's chest.
Jack sat gaping at the pair, Sam standing next to him with a goofy grin on her face.
"See?!" Sam turned to smack Jack on the shoulder playfully. "Why can't you be more like that?"
"That?!" Jack pointed at them. "You want THAT?!" At his words, Daniel brushed aside Vala's hair and began devouring her neck with his mouth. "That's...that's...that's just obscene to do in public!"
Daniel stopped and looked right at Jack with disbelief. "Public?! We're in your damn backyard!"
"That's out in the public!" Jack fired back childishly. He crossed his arms to emphasize his point.
Daniel laughed and sat back. "What are you? Six?" He finally took a sip from his beer bottle.
"Don't make me come over there!" Jack warned. Daniel mocked his every word silently. "If there weren't two beautiful women between us, I'd so kick your ass." Daniel nodded in an 'oh, I'm sure' fashion, and a comfortable silence settled between the pair.
Sam sat down on the porch in front of Jack, who began to run his fingers through her hair.
"They're like children." She said to Vala, slurping her drink.
Vala nodded in agreement. "They really are." She giggled as Daniel squeezed her closer.
"So, what were we talking about?" He questioned after he sipped from his bottle.
"Sex." Vala stated happily. "One of my favorite topics."
Daniel leaned in and whispered in her ear. "We know." He nipped at the bottom of her ear, and she gasped.
"Yes, you frisky love birds over there." Jack sat up a little straighter. "I want to know some of the more unique places you've-"
"Had sex." Sam finished for him.
"Well-" Daniel paused to let out a loud belch. It had the girls 'eww'-ing and Jack clapping. "Does my office count as weird?"
"Which office, now?" Sam asked, tipping her drink to her surrogate brother. "Because if it's your home office, then no."
"I kinda figured that." Daniel snipped playfully. "You know I'm talking about the one at the SGC."
Jack sat up straighter at the announcement. "The office with two very snooping cameras in it? You guys did it there?"
"More than once actually." Vala shrugged as she took a drink.
"But, the cameras." Jack repeated.
Daniel gave Jack a wicked grin as he sipped from his bottle. "Yeah, well, I know this beautiful blonde who can work wonders with technology."
Jack looked down at Sam, who was giggling quietly. "You knew about that one?" She nodded mutely, still trying to suppress her laughing. He smiled, took a drink, then looked back up at Daniel and Vala. "Okay, where else?"
Before Daniel could say anything, Vala blurted out. "Bathtub."
Jack shrugged. "That's nothing new."
"But..." Vala held up her finger, then ran the same hand along Daniel's jean-covered leg. "Daniel was almost completely clothed at the time. Never even got his jeans off..."
"That's because they were plastered to my legs." Daniel laughed.
Vala looked at Sam, and smiled. "I must say watching him try and get out was...enjoyable."
Sam laughed. "Oh, I'm sure. Pants undone and stuck tight against his ass."
Daniel choked on his mouthful of beer. "Sam!"
"What?!" She replied innocently. "You're hot!"
Daniel wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "I'm sorry, that's just disturbing coming from you."
Sam laughed again, and looked at Vala. "They just don't appreciate complements."
Vala nodded furiously. "I know...like Jack wouldn't appreciate me saying he's drop dead gorgeous in those..."
"Moving on!" Jack said quickly, pushing himself down behind Sam as if staking his claim.
"Please!" Daniel whined, tightening his hold on Vala.
"Okay..." Vala turned her head to give Daniel a reassuring kiss. "How about all those high end parties and banquets we're forced to go to sometimes?" She asked as she looked back at their friends.
"Alright, that's interesting..." Jack wrapped his arms around Sam's shoulders.
"How many?" Sam questioned.
Daniel's eyes lit up mischievously, and he looked at Vala. She was grinning like the Chesire Cat.
"Surely not ALL of them?" Sam gasped in amusement.
"At least all the ones I've been to." Vala shrugged playfully.
"That's at LEAST four a year, and you've been here how many years now?" Jack frowned at the math problem he had inadvertently started. "I don't even need to carry the four on that one. Geeze, Daniel!"
"What?!" Daniel answered in a way similar to how Sam had earlier. "Those things are so boring!"
"Yeah, that's why we do those few shots of tequila before each one." Jack agreed. "To loosen things up a bit."
"Jack, you should know how..." Vala giggled as she said her next word carefully. 'LOOSE' Daniel gets after a few shots of tequila."
Daniel blushed at her comment, and the others started to laugh.
"So now we know what happens when you guys sneak off during those things." Jack nodded, sipping his drink. "My, Daniel...she really has turned you into a rebel."
Daniel drained his bottle once again to get over his slight embarrassment, and tossed it in the trash.
"What about you guys?" He kissed Vala's shoulder, then moved to steal another passionate kiss from her lips. Vala made subtle moans and gasps into his mouth as she ran her hand through his hair. They pulled apart after a LONG moment, and Daniel rested his chin on her shoulder.
"Why are we the center of attention here?" He asked while gently massaging Vala's side with his hand.
"Please!" Jack answered. "Look at you two! You guys are hornier than a pair of Chihuahuas! Of course we're gonna focus the sex talk on you!"
"Oh give me a break!" Daniel laughed. He sipped from Vala's margarita as she offered it to him. "You two look at each other like your ready to pounce! Now I wanna hear about some or your wild escapades."
The Dance
They were in the den of their new house together when it happened.
Books, movies, and various other things lay scattered all over the floor. Vala was on one side of the room, putting their DVDs into a brand new home on the entertainment center. Daniel was on the other side, near the gigantic bookshelf he had just built with Jack, Cam, and Teal'c, placing his books where he wanted them.
They were happy, singing to the songs coming from the stereo, laughing and taking loving jibes at one another.
Daniel moved to the center of the room to gather up another stack of books. He froze when an unmistakable melody began to come through the speakers.
Vala recognized the song immediately, and her eyes went straight to Daniel. She slowly crossed over to him as the guitar started to play. Without a word, she wrapped her arms around his waist. His immediately came to close around her, and as the words started, they began to dance slowly.
Looking back
on the memory of
The dance we shared
'neath the stars alone
Vala felt Daniel's arms tighten around her, and she rubbed his back gently. Daniel began to sing softly as he rested his head on hers.
For a moment
all the world was right
How could I have known
that you'd ever say goodbye
And now
I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end
the way it all would go
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance
Daniel moved his head to her shoulder. Vala could feel him trembling in her arms.
Holding You
I Held Everything
He kissed her shoulder.
For a Moment
wasn't I a king
But if I'd only known
how the king would fall
Vala felt his breath catch inside his chest, and she knew he wasn't gonna be able to hold out much longer.
Hey, who's to say
you know I might have chanced it all
Daniel whispered the words in her ear. He seemed so terrified to say them to her, and Vala understood.
And now
I'm glad I didn't know
The way it all would end
the way it all would go
Vala felt the tears on her neck as Daniel buried his head against her.
Our lives are better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
but I'd of had to miss the dance
The tears came faster and he began to cry around the words.
Yes my life
is better left to chance
I could have missed the pain
but I'd of had to miss
The Dance
Vala held on to Daniel tightly as he let out a quiet sob. The haunting melody played again, and Daniel pulled up from Vala's shoulder. He looked at Vala with tears welling in his eyes, and she leaned up to kiss him softly on the lips. He brought his hand to her face as she did.
They pulled apart, and Daniel rested his forehead against hers. He stared into Vala's eyes.
"I love you." He said on shaky whisper.
Vala nodded against him. "I love you too."
And she accepted the trembling kiss Daniel placed on her lips before he broke down against her.
Reviews and comments are LVOE!