Fic - Not Just a Play Thing
They’re lying in bed together, clinging to each other like they had been doing for two weeks, when the phone rings. He doesn’t want to break the protective cocoon they’ve wrapped themselves in and he’s reluctant to answer, but does anyway on her gentle coaxing. Their friends have been trying to give them the necessary amount of space, but now they need him.
“Are you sure about this?” Daniel asks her, taking up a space beside her on the bed after he’s gotten semi-presentable. His hand brushes over her unkempt hair. “I can call them back and just…”
Vala looks at him expectantly as he trails off. “And just what? Say no?” When he nods minutely, she shakes her head. “You can’t do that.” Her fingers massage his knee through his jeans. “Besides, you need to get out. I know you don’t want to be in this wallowing pit anymore.”
Taking her hand, he kisses her fingers. “What I want…” He gives them a gentle squeeze and closes his eyes as tears fight to break free. Again his words slip away. He just can’t bring himself to say what he really wants.
With his eyes still closed, Daniel can feel her shifting around. When he opens them, she’s sitting up with her face near his. She presses a kiss against his cheek.
“Go.” She pulls her hand free and rubs the back of it over where she’s just kissed. “Really. I’ll be okay here on my own.” She takes a deep breath. “To be quite honest, I’m sick of you.”
Daniel smiles a little at her weak joke, leaning in to take her lips for a kiss.
“Okay…” He whispers hesitantly, staring into her sad grey eyes “I’ll go.”
“Good.” She whispers back.
He kisses her again and then stands. He makes it to the doorway before looking back. She’s still sitting up, watching him. Her smile is unsure.
“You’ll really be okay?”
Nodding a bit too quickly, her smile falters but doesn’t fall away completely. “I need some ‘me’ time, darling.”
He knows she’s lying but doesn’t have the strength to argue with her. He offers a final nod and turns, making his way out of their room and down the hall. He stops at a closed doorway not far in his trek. Before he can stop himself, he’s pushing open the door and stepping inside.
The ache in his chest grows as he moves to the middle of the room. Stepping in circles, Daniel takes it all in. It’s been two weeks since he’s been in here. Nothing had changed within the small room’s four walls. Funny, he thought. When it all fell apart outside.
The tears start to build up and Daniel finds he has to leave before what little self control he’s worked up falls by the wayside. He pulls the door closed in his rush to leave, not bothering to look back to see if it’s latched behind him.
----
Vala stays in bed for a short while after she hears Daniel’s jeep pull out of the driveway. It’s all she can do not to pick up the phone and call him, begging him to come back. She knows he needs to escape their sad little home, even if she can’t bring herself to do it yet.
Finally, she gathers enough courage to get out of bed and make some tea. In the past couple weeks, Daniel had been the one doing all the making and fetching. A combination of physical pain and overwhelming sadness had made her not want to move more than was necessary. Now she knows if she wants something, she’s got to do it herself. Part of the reason she was so adamant Daniel leave was to see if she could do it - be normal - again.
She makes it into the hallway, but no farther. A light reflecting off the wall causes her to stop short. It’s coming from a room, the little room neither of them had been in for weeks. Vala feels her heart starting to pound in her chest when she finally finds the strength to move towards the door.
It’s ajar only the slightest bit, mid-afternoon sun streaming brightly from the little hole between the door and the jam. She stands staring for what seems like an eternity, her hand hovering over the doorknob.
She’s not sure what comes over her when she throws open the door and steps inside.
----
The daylight was starting to fade when Daniel finally pulls back into his driveway. He’s exhausted, head aching from working with ignorant people and heart aching to be near the woman he loves again. He can’t get out of the jeep and up to the house fast enough, it seems.
He feels a sudden wave of confusion as he makes it inside and sees the trash cans usually reserved for outside garbage sitting in the entryway, both overflowing with items. He takes a cursory glance of their contents and the confusion blossoms into full-on concern.
In an instant, he’s rushing towards the hall. Daniel stops outside the room whose door is now swung wide open. The remaining bit of light that he left outside is streaming in, brighter than normal, through the bare windows.
Once he’s in the room, he stares about in horror. The contents of the room, which he left pristine and untouched just a few hours before, are strewn angrily around. There are many things missing and he figures all of those items are shoved in the trashcans. The walls, a once dueling décor of cowboy and space ranger, are marred by thick white paint splashed carelessly across their surfaces. He spies the discarded cans lying over wooden remains.
Fear seizes him suddenly and Daniel quickly leaves the room and heads for their own. He can hear the shower running and…
Stepping over discarded clothing drenched in white, Daniel bursts into the bathroom at the sound of her uncontrolled sobbing.
He finds her curled up in the tub, water raining down over her naked body, with the lone survivor of her rampage clutched to her chest - one of those little green aliens in a bright blue space suit.
Clothes and all, Daniel climbs in and pulls Vala tightly to his chest. The scalding water drenches him in seconds, but he doesn’t care. All he cares about is the once vibrant woman now clinging to him, crying and broken.
She buries her face against his neck, now unable to stop the onslaught of her despair.
“I want him back, Daniel.” Vala whimpers to him, fingers digging deep into the sodden stuffed alien. “I want our little boy back.”
Daniel doesn’t try to fight the tears this time. He presses his face into Vala’s wet hair and lays a kiss her. “Me too, sweetie.” Turning so his cheek is resting against her head, he brings one hand to wrap around hers clinging to the precious toy. “Me too.”
Comments and feedback are definitely appreciated!
~Pip
“Are you sure about this?” Daniel asks her, taking up a space beside her on the bed after he’s gotten semi-presentable. His hand brushes over her unkempt hair. “I can call them back and just…”
Vala looks at him expectantly as he trails off. “And just what? Say no?” When he nods minutely, she shakes her head. “You can’t do that.” Her fingers massage his knee through his jeans. “Besides, you need to get out. I know you don’t want to be in this wallowing pit anymore.”
Taking her hand, he kisses her fingers. “What I want…” He gives them a gentle squeeze and closes his eyes as tears fight to break free. Again his words slip away. He just can’t bring himself to say what he really wants.
With his eyes still closed, Daniel can feel her shifting around. When he opens them, she’s sitting up with her face near his. She presses a kiss against his cheek.
“Go.” She pulls her hand free and rubs the back of it over where she’s just kissed. “Really. I’ll be okay here on my own.” She takes a deep breath. “To be quite honest, I’m sick of you.”
Daniel smiles a little at her weak joke, leaning in to take her lips for a kiss.
“Okay…” He whispers hesitantly, staring into her sad grey eyes “I’ll go.”
“Good.” She whispers back.
He kisses her again and then stands. He makes it to the doorway before looking back. She’s still sitting up, watching him. Her smile is unsure.
“You’ll really be okay?”
Nodding a bit too quickly, her smile falters but doesn’t fall away completely. “I need some ‘me’ time, darling.”
He knows she’s lying but doesn’t have the strength to argue with her. He offers a final nod and turns, making his way out of their room and down the hall. He stops at a closed doorway not far in his trek. Before he can stop himself, he’s pushing open the door and stepping inside.
The ache in his chest grows as he moves to the middle of the room. Stepping in circles, Daniel takes it all in. It’s been two weeks since he’s been in here. Nothing had changed within the small room’s four walls. Funny, he thought. When it all fell apart outside.
The tears start to build up and Daniel finds he has to leave before what little self control he’s worked up falls by the wayside. He pulls the door closed in his rush to leave, not bothering to look back to see if it’s latched behind him.
----
Vala stays in bed for a short while after she hears Daniel’s jeep pull out of the driveway. It’s all she can do not to pick up the phone and call him, begging him to come back. She knows he needs to escape their sad little home, even if she can’t bring herself to do it yet.
Finally, she gathers enough courage to get out of bed and make some tea. In the past couple weeks, Daniel had been the one doing all the making and fetching. A combination of physical pain and overwhelming sadness had made her not want to move more than was necessary. Now she knows if she wants something, she’s got to do it herself. Part of the reason she was so adamant Daniel leave was to see if she could do it - be normal - again.
She makes it into the hallway, but no farther. A light reflecting off the wall causes her to stop short. It’s coming from a room, the little room neither of them had been in for weeks. Vala feels her heart starting to pound in her chest when she finally finds the strength to move towards the door.
It’s ajar only the slightest bit, mid-afternoon sun streaming brightly from the little hole between the door and the jam. She stands staring for what seems like an eternity, her hand hovering over the doorknob.
She’s not sure what comes over her when she throws open the door and steps inside.
----
The daylight was starting to fade when Daniel finally pulls back into his driveway. He’s exhausted, head aching from working with ignorant people and heart aching to be near the woman he loves again. He can’t get out of the jeep and up to the house fast enough, it seems.
He feels a sudden wave of confusion as he makes it inside and sees the trash cans usually reserved for outside garbage sitting in the entryway, both overflowing with items. He takes a cursory glance of their contents and the confusion blossoms into full-on concern.
In an instant, he’s rushing towards the hall. Daniel stops outside the room whose door is now swung wide open. The remaining bit of light that he left outside is streaming in, brighter than normal, through the bare windows.
Once he’s in the room, he stares about in horror. The contents of the room, which he left pristine and untouched just a few hours before, are strewn angrily around. There are many things missing and he figures all of those items are shoved in the trashcans. The walls, a once dueling décor of cowboy and space ranger, are marred by thick white paint splashed carelessly across their surfaces. He spies the discarded cans lying over wooden remains.
Fear seizes him suddenly and Daniel quickly leaves the room and heads for their own. He can hear the shower running and…
Stepping over discarded clothing drenched in white, Daniel bursts into the bathroom at the sound of her uncontrolled sobbing.
He finds her curled up in the tub, water raining down over her naked body, with the lone survivor of her rampage clutched to her chest - one of those little green aliens in a bright blue space suit.
Clothes and all, Daniel climbs in and pulls Vala tightly to his chest. The scalding water drenches him in seconds, but he doesn’t care. All he cares about is the once vibrant woman now clinging to him, crying and broken.
She buries her face against his neck, now unable to stop the onslaught of her despair.
“I want him back, Daniel.” Vala whimpers to him, fingers digging deep into the sodden stuffed alien. “I want our little boy back.”
Daniel doesn’t try to fight the tears this time. He presses his face into Vala’s wet hair and lays a kiss her. “Me too, sweetie.” Turning so his cheek is resting against her head, he brings one hand to wrap around hers clinging to the precious toy. “Me too.”
Comments and feedback are definitely appreciated!
~Pip