2012 Month of Love, Day 11 - One More is Never Enough (Fic)
Title: One More is Never Enough
Summary: It's always your favorite sins that do you in.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers/Warnings: Alcohol.
A/N: Happened to be flipping through the channels the other night and came upon some videos playing. One of the songs inspired this fic pretty much immediately. So...here it is!
Vala was in the middle of trying not to cry some more, and failing miserably, when the phone rang. She rushed over to it, but found she couldn’t pick up the receiver. Every part of her, even the small part that was still raging, wanted it to be him. Her hand hovered there, trembling slightly. Was she prepared for this if it was him? Was she prepared if it wasn’t?
Just as the last ring was about to end, she found the strength to pick it up. She wasn’t one to succumb to weakness - not even he could turn her into a coward.
“Hello?” She said with a pitiful attempt at cheeriness.
“Vala.”
The voice was unmistakably female. She let out a breath, unsure if it was from relief or distress. Not him. But why wasn’t it him?
“Carolyn,” Vala slathered on an extra layer of fake cheer, hating how bad it tasted. “How is it going this evening?”
There was a long pause on the other end. Then Carolyn sighed - one of those all-knowing sighs. “Daniel’s here.”
Vala could feel her fake cheer deflating out of her as fast as she collapsed down onto the couch. “Oh.” Was all she could muster, the tears threatening to return.
“Yeah.” Carolyn responded sympathetically, and any remaining thoughts that Vala had of being able to play off being okay fled. Her friend knew they had had it out. No use pretending now. The tears spilled over.
Before Vala could think of something to say, Carolyn continued.
“Look, I don’t think he wanted me to call you-” Vala couldn’t help but let out a humorless sort of laugh, more of a huff of air than anything. “But he’s…uh…Look, why don’t you just come over, okay?”
“Carolyn, I don’t think-”
“Just come, please.” Carolyn interrupted her attempts at excuses. “He needs you.” She added softly.
Vala closed her eyes, taking a moment to act like she was going to think on it. But really she didn’t need any time to think.
“Okay.” She whispered into the phone.
-----
When the front door swungs open, neither woman was surprised by the other’s appearance. Carolyn looking sympathetic and caring, Vala looking disheveled and wary.
Vala held up an arm in an unsure gesture. “I’m here.”
Smiling encouragingly, Carolyn stepped aside so her friend could enter. “He’s out on the porch.” She gestured through the kitchen as she closed the door.
“Right.” Vala stood her ground, taking a moment to compose herself as best as she could. Whether she was ready or not, round two was upon her. And from the look Carolyn was giving her, there was no telling which way it would go.
As she pulled in a deep breath, Carolyn placed a hand on her arm. “Come on.”
Vala followed her friend into the kitchen, and then paused. She frowned at Cameron, snoring up a storm at the kitchen table with his face buried in his crossed arms. How she’d missed such noise when she’d come in she didn’t know.
“Ignore him.” Carolyn’s slightly amused voice drew her attention back to her friend. There was a look of exasperated affection in those brown eyes that made Vala’s heart ache. “Now, come on.”
Leaving the comatose Colonel to his snoring, Vala trailed after Carolyn through the open door leading onto the porch. She once again stopped, this time just outside the doorway.
Just the sight of him, sitting on a stool at the porch railing with his back to the house, made the tears return. Vala barely noticed Carolyn place a comforting hand on her arm one last time before heading back inside. It only registered that it was just her and him when the door behind her clicked shut.
Vala closed her eyes and took yet another moment to compose herself. She could handle this - whatever this was going to be. Resolve building, she slowly closed the space between them. She wasn’t even sure if he was aware of her presence, the way he was leaning on his arms against the railing. If she didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought he was simply watching the sunset gracing the horizon.
It wasn’t until she was standing next to him that the illusion was shattered by the half-empty bottle, dangling loosely from the hand hanging off the railing.
“She shouldn’t have called you.” Daniel mumbled, only shifting enough to take a sip from the bottle.
Vala watched him make a face as he swallowed the liquid.
“And you shouldn’t drink that.”
He snorted, this time sitting up and turning on his seat until his back rested against the railing. His blue eyes flicked to her for a moment before he closed them and brought the bottle to his lips for a long chug.
She shook her head and crossed her arms at the blatant gesture, almost relishing in the grimace he made as he swallowed. “That stuff makes you crazy.”
Daniel gasped disgustingly as he brought the bottle back down. He sniffed. “So do you.” The grimace had yet to leave his face.
He glanced at the bottle, then whipped his head to the side to look right at her over the top of his glasses.
“Like poison.” The preciseness of the words stung Vala deeply, and she broke the stare. Her eyes filled with tears as they took in the last few rays of the sun. She heard Daniel let out a shuddering breath, as if saying the words had hurt him just as much.
-----
“You’re right…”
Vala leaned in the doorway, watching him sitting and swaying at the edge of their bed. The fight had gone out of both of them following his ‘poison’ remark. He had been pliant, albeit drunkenly so, afterwards. Though he had yet to relinquish his bottle.
She gave him an expectant look as he glanced up at her. Daniel gestured with the hand holding the bottle, emphasizing it.
“I shouldn’t drink this.” He frowned, sniffed, and brought it to his lips.
Sighing, Vala pushed off the doorframe and made her way to him. “Then why are you?”
Daniel shrugged, his face screwed up in disgust. “I don’t know…” He said with light-hearted drunkenness. His bleary blue eyes found hers as she crouched down in front of him. “Guess to see what other fucked up things I can say tonight?”
“We both said some…” Vala let out a breath. “Things.”
She shifted as Daniel ungracefully slid down the edge of the bed to the floor in front of her. Finally placing the bottle aside, he clumsily took her face in his hands.
Eyes at half-mast and full of tears, he whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
Before she could say anything, he leaned in and kissed her. It was sloppy and tasted of nothing but alcohol, but Vala couldn’t pull away. Because despite the hurt and anger he had caused her that night, she was crazy for him.
She kissed him even as he began to list sideways. She kissed him until he was laying completely on the floor.
As Vala pulled away from the kiss, sure she was getting drunk from his lips alone, he stared up at her apologetically.
“You’re not poison.” He whispered.
She shook her head, placing her hand over his mouth to try and quiet his attempts at repentance. He clumsily pushed her hand away, shaking his head right back at her.
“You’re not poison, and even if you are,” He closed his eyes and nodded. “Even if you are, you’re the way I wanna go out. And…and…”
Vala watched him struggling with his words, waiting for him to try and find what he wanted, needed, to say.
“And I’m gonna be sick.”
She flopped back onto her ass, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh as Daniel ungracefully got to his feet and stumbled his way to the bathroom. Eyes still closed, she reached out and snagged the bottle still sitting on the floor.
Vala opened her eyes to glare at the thing like it had been the cause of all their problems that night.
“You and him…” She muttered to the tequila against the backdrop of retching and pitiful moans.
She shook her head, draining the final swig from the bottle before chucking it aside and making her way to the bathroom.
You and Tequila [Kenny Chesney ft. Grace Potter]
You and tequila make me crazy
Run like poison in my blood
One more night could kill me, baby.
One is one too many.
One more is never enough.
[Link]
Comments and feedback are definitely appreciated!
~Pip
Summary: It's always your favorite sins that do you in.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers/Warnings: Alcohol.
A/N: Happened to be flipping through the channels the other night and came upon some videos playing. One of the songs inspired this fic pretty much immediately. So...here it is!
Vala was in the middle of trying not to cry some more, and failing miserably, when the phone rang. She rushed over to it, but found she couldn’t pick up the receiver. Every part of her, even the small part that was still raging, wanted it to be him. Her hand hovered there, trembling slightly. Was she prepared for this if it was him? Was she prepared if it wasn’t?
Just as the last ring was about to end, she found the strength to pick it up. She wasn’t one to succumb to weakness - not even he could turn her into a coward.
“Hello?” She said with a pitiful attempt at cheeriness.
“Vala.”
The voice was unmistakably female. She let out a breath, unsure if it was from relief or distress. Not him. But why wasn’t it him?
“Carolyn,” Vala slathered on an extra layer of fake cheer, hating how bad it tasted. “How is it going this evening?”
There was a long pause on the other end. Then Carolyn sighed - one of those all-knowing sighs. “Daniel’s here.”
Vala could feel her fake cheer deflating out of her as fast as she collapsed down onto the couch. “Oh.” Was all she could muster, the tears threatening to return.
“Yeah.” Carolyn responded sympathetically, and any remaining thoughts that Vala had of being able to play off being okay fled. Her friend knew they had had it out. No use pretending now. The tears spilled over.
Before Vala could think of something to say, Carolyn continued.
“Look, I don’t think he wanted me to call you-” Vala couldn’t help but let out a humorless sort of laugh, more of a huff of air than anything. “But he’s…uh…Look, why don’t you just come over, okay?”
“Carolyn, I don’t think-”
“Just come, please.” Carolyn interrupted her attempts at excuses. “He needs you.” She added softly.
Vala closed her eyes, taking a moment to act like she was going to think on it. But really she didn’t need any time to think.
“Okay.” She whispered into the phone.
-----
When the front door swungs open, neither woman was surprised by the other’s appearance. Carolyn looking sympathetic and caring, Vala looking disheveled and wary.
Vala held up an arm in an unsure gesture. “I’m here.”
Smiling encouragingly, Carolyn stepped aside so her friend could enter. “He’s out on the porch.” She gestured through the kitchen as she closed the door.
“Right.” Vala stood her ground, taking a moment to compose herself as best as she could. Whether she was ready or not, round two was upon her. And from the look Carolyn was giving her, there was no telling which way it would go.
As she pulled in a deep breath, Carolyn placed a hand on her arm. “Come on.”
Vala followed her friend into the kitchen, and then paused. She frowned at Cameron, snoring up a storm at the kitchen table with his face buried in his crossed arms. How she’d missed such noise when she’d come in she didn’t know.
“Ignore him.” Carolyn’s slightly amused voice drew her attention back to her friend. There was a look of exasperated affection in those brown eyes that made Vala’s heart ache. “Now, come on.”
Leaving the comatose Colonel to his snoring, Vala trailed after Carolyn through the open door leading onto the porch. She once again stopped, this time just outside the doorway.
Just the sight of him, sitting on a stool at the porch railing with his back to the house, made the tears return. Vala barely noticed Carolyn place a comforting hand on her arm one last time before heading back inside. It only registered that it was just her and him when the door behind her clicked shut.
Vala closed her eyes and took yet another moment to compose herself. She could handle this - whatever this was going to be. Resolve building, she slowly closed the space between them. She wasn’t even sure if he was aware of her presence, the way he was leaning on his arms against the railing. If she didn’t know any better, she would’ve thought he was simply watching the sunset gracing the horizon.
It wasn’t until she was standing next to him that the illusion was shattered by the half-empty bottle, dangling loosely from the hand hanging off the railing.
“She shouldn’t have called you.” Daniel mumbled, only shifting enough to take a sip from the bottle.
Vala watched him make a face as he swallowed the liquid.
“And you shouldn’t drink that.”
He snorted, this time sitting up and turning on his seat until his back rested against the railing. His blue eyes flicked to her for a moment before he closed them and brought the bottle to his lips for a long chug.
She shook her head and crossed her arms at the blatant gesture, almost relishing in the grimace he made as he swallowed. “That stuff makes you crazy.”
Daniel gasped disgustingly as he brought the bottle back down. He sniffed. “So do you.” The grimace had yet to leave his face.
He glanced at the bottle, then whipped his head to the side to look right at her over the top of his glasses.
“Like poison.” The preciseness of the words stung Vala deeply, and she broke the stare. Her eyes filled with tears as they took in the last few rays of the sun. She heard Daniel let out a shuddering breath, as if saying the words had hurt him just as much.
-----
“You’re right…”
Vala leaned in the doorway, watching him sitting and swaying at the edge of their bed. The fight had gone out of both of them following his ‘poison’ remark. He had been pliant, albeit drunkenly so, afterwards. Though he had yet to relinquish his bottle.
She gave him an expectant look as he glanced up at her. Daniel gestured with the hand holding the bottle, emphasizing it.
“I shouldn’t drink this.” He frowned, sniffed, and brought it to his lips.
Sighing, Vala pushed off the doorframe and made her way to him. “Then why are you?”
Daniel shrugged, his face screwed up in disgust. “I don’t know…” He said with light-hearted drunkenness. His bleary blue eyes found hers as she crouched down in front of him. “Guess to see what other fucked up things I can say tonight?”
“We both said some…” Vala let out a breath. “Things.”
She shifted as Daniel ungracefully slid down the edge of the bed to the floor in front of her. Finally placing the bottle aside, he clumsily took her face in his hands.
Eyes at half-mast and full of tears, he whispered. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
Before she could say anything, he leaned in and kissed her. It was sloppy and tasted of nothing but alcohol, but Vala couldn’t pull away. Because despite the hurt and anger he had caused her that night, she was crazy for him.
She kissed him even as he began to list sideways. She kissed him until he was laying completely on the floor.
As Vala pulled away from the kiss, sure she was getting drunk from his lips alone, he stared up at her apologetically.
“You’re not poison.” He whispered.
She shook her head, placing her hand over his mouth to try and quiet his attempts at repentance. He clumsily pushed her hand away, shaking his head right back at her.
“You’re not poison, and even if you are,” He closed his eyes and nodded. “Even if you are, you’re the way I wanna go out. And…and…”
Vala watched him struggling with his words, waiting for him to try and find what he wanted, needed, to say.
“And I’m gonna be sick.”
She flopped back onto her ass, closing her eyes and letting out a sigh as Daniel ungracefully got to his feet and stumbled his way to the bathroom. Eyes still closed, she reached out and snagged the bottle still sitting on the floor.
Vala opened her eyes to glare at the thing like it had been the cause of all their problems that night.
“You and him…” She muttered to the tequila against the backdrop of retching and pitiful moans.
She shook her head, draining the final swig from the bottle before chucking it aside and making her way to the bathroom.
You and Tequila [Kenny Chesney ft. Grace Potter]
You and tequila make me crazy
Run like poison in my blood
One more night could kill me, baby.
One is one too many.
One more is never enough.
[Link]
Comments and feedback are definitely appreciated!
~Pip