Fanfic50: Drabbles (1/?)
001. Rain
"Oh man, I knew I should've brought extra socks." Sloshing through the thick jungle environment, holding the hood of his raincoat against the wind, John was miserable. The water had soaked all the way down to his boxers and socks, which was quite a feat. "Makes me wish I were back in Afghanistan."
"Sand gets into worse places than water," Sam said, chuckling. She was on his six, keeping a lookout on their rear. "I don't miss it."
"Yeah, well, you got a point," John grumbled. He pushed a large leaf out of the way, only to have it bounce back and drop a large splash of water dropped into his face, making him sputter. "But at least the sand wasn't ricocheting off everything."
Sam chuckled again. John couldn't help wonder how impervious she seemed to be to this lousy weather, then wondered if maybe she'd grown accustomed to it during her years at the SGC...or maybe she was just happy to finally be able to get off the Hammond for a few days. If he could choose how to spend his furlough, however, he wouldn't be doing it here.
"So why'd you come to Pegasus anyway?" John asked, glancing back at her. She looked as soaked as he did, but the difference was that she wore a smile. "I'm pretty sure we've got enough scientists running around creating havoc."
Now, her smile turned slightly embarrassed. "I had some unfinished business to take care of, so I asked nicely to join the General while he visited Atlantis for Woolsey's review."
"Unfinished business, huh?" John's neck tensed slightly. He kept moving, if only to refuse his thoughts to take him for a spin. "Had an epiphany or something?"
Sam's voice softened. "You could say that. I turned 40 last week." She paused, becoming more hesitant. "And I heard someone's up for promotion."
John stopped. He forgot to hold his hood up. Rain pelted against his face, but that seemed somehow less important right now. Instead, his thoughts sprung free and he turned to face Sam.
Sam smirked. "So, you seeing anyone these days?"
***
002. Mirror
It has been years since she last stood in front of a real mirror. The kind that exposed everything: wrinkles, pores, freckles, sadness and truth. She's not sure she likes what she sees. She's not sure she remembers how she used to look. But now...
"I look old."
Her words are a half-whisper, as if saying it aloud will make it come true. She studies her skin, with wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. She studies her hair, with grayish strands intermingling with blonde. She studies her slightly hunched back. She studies her sagging breasts and rounded curves.
"Not old. Just older. Wiser. More beautiful."
Even though his words can easily be dismissed as platitudes, they still bring a smile to her lips. She stares into the mirror as John steps up behind her and reaches around to hold her close. His head rests upon her shoulders as he too stares into the mirror.
Like her, he has changed, but to her the change has been so gradual and natural that she hardly remembers what he used to look like. His hair and beard sports more grey than black. It's thinned a little on the top too, which she knows he's sensitive about. His face is angled and wizened, each wrinkle and scar just adding to his maturity.
He smirks suddenly.
"I've made you laugh," he says, touching the wrinkles around her eyes. "As you've made me laugh."
"You've carried heavy weights," he says, running his chin from one shoulder to the next across her slightly hunched back. "As I've carried mine."
"You've given me two awesome kids," he says, grinning as he runs his hands teasingly across her breasts and curves, only to land on her belly. She grins too, swatting at his hands playfully, feeling her worries gradually coming to ease.
"Most of all, you've given me your life, and I've given you mine." John reaches down to take her hand and Sam complies, shifting her grip so that both rings show in the mirror. Her eyes are beginning to shine with unshed tears. "And we've faced every shitty little thing life's thrown at us and come out of it at the other end both stronger and wiser."
He smirkes again and tightens his hug. "And just for the record... You're still as sexy as the day I met you."
Sam chuckles in embarrassement and turns in his hug, snaking her arms around his neck. "Thank you. I love you."
"Love you too, hon," John says, smiling. "Always. No one's getting between us, not even a stupid mirror."
***
014. Sunrise
Wisps of white streaked across the wide rosy sky, like the feather-light stroke of a brush. Here and there, it curled and criss-crossed like some sort of ancient dance she couldn’t name, but knew intimately nevertheless.
Sam had seen that kind of sky before, streaked with warm colours that overlapped and blended together, while flying back to base after a mission; while out on a jog in the early hours of the morning; while waking up to the sound of Daniel and O’Neill bantering.
Funny how she’d never taken the time to acknowledge the beauty of it.
“We need to cloud-gaze more.” Half-whispered, the words passed her numb lips.
Following her gaze, John’s lips drew into a thin line and he gave her an indiscernible look. “Okay.”
“It’s so beautiful.” Coughing slightly, Sam winced and squeezed her eyes shut, but only for a moment. Following the tendrils of white across pink and yellow, she smiled. “Bet it’d look better from the Jumper.”
“We’ll take her for a spin once we get back.” John’s voice was gentle, a contrast to the hard pressure he was putting on her thigh.
Maybe the fact that she could feel that was proof that this wasn’t the end. She still had time.
Thank God.
Sam’s smile widened, her voice hoarse. “Bet you say that to all the girls.”
“Only the special ones,” John said.
***
"Oh man, I knew I should've brought extra socks." Sloshing through the thick jungle environment, holding the hood of his raincoat against the wind, John was miserable. The water had soaked all the way down to his boxers and socks, which was quite a feat. "Makes me wish I were back in Afghanistan."
"Sand gets into worse places than water," Sam said, chuckling. She was on his six, keeping a lookout on their rear. "I don't miss it."
"Yeah, well, you got a point," John grumbled. He pushed a large leaf out of the way, only to have it bounce back and drop a large splash of water dropped into his face, making him sputter. "But at least the sand wasn't ricocheting off everything."
Sam chuckled again. John couldn't help wonder how impervious she seemed to be to this lousy weather, then wondered if maybe she'd grown accustomed to it during her years at the SGC...or maybe she was just happy to finally be able to get off the Hammond for a few days. If he could choose how to spend his furlough, however, he wouldn't be doing it here.
"So why'd you come to Pegasus anyway?" John asked, glancing back at her. She looked as soaked as he did, but the difference was that she wore a smile. "I'm pretty sure we've got enough scientists running around creating havoc."
Now, her smile turned slightly embarrassed. "I had some unfinished business to take care of, so I asked nicely to join the General while he visited Atlantis for Woolsey's review."
"Unfinished business, huh?" John's neck tensed slightly. He kept moving, if only to refuse his thoughts to take him for a spin. "Had an epiphany or something?"
Sam's voice softened. "You could say that. I turned 40 last week." She paused, becoming more hesitant. "And I heard someone's up for promotion."
John stopped. He forgot to hold his hood up. Rain pelted against his face, but that seemed somehow less important right now. Instead, his thoughts sprung free and he turned to face Sam.
Sam smirked. "So, you seeing anyone these days?"
***
002. Mirror
It has been years since she last stood in front of a real mirror. The kind that exposed everything: wrinkles, pores, freckles, sadness and truth. She's not sure she likes what she sees. She's not sure she remembers how she used to look. But now...
"I look old."
Her words are a half-whisper, as if saying it aloud will make it come true. She studies her skin, with wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. She studies her hair, with grayish strands intermingling with blonde. She studies her slightly hunched back. She studies her sagging breasts and rounded curves.
"Not old. Just older. Wiser. More beautiful."
Even though his words can easily be dismissed as platitudes, they still bring a smile to her lips. She stares into the mirror as John steps up behind her and reaches around to hold her close. His head rests upon her shoulders as he too stares into the mirror.
Like her, he has changed, but to her the change has been so gradual and natural that she hardly remembers what he used to look like. His hair and beard sports more grey than black. It's thinned a little on the top too, which she knows he's sensitive about. His face is angled and wizened, each wrinkle and scar just adding to his maturity.
He smirks suddenly.
"I've made you laugh," he says, touching the wrinkles around her eyes. "As you've made me laugh."
"You've carried heavy weights," he says, running his chin from one shoulder to the next across her slightly hunched back. "As I've carried mine."
"You've given me two awesome kids," he says, grinning as he runs his hands teasingly across her breasts and curves, only to land on her belly. She grins too, swatting at his hands playfully, feeling her worries gradually coming to ease.
"Most of all, you've given me your life, and I've given you mine." John reaches down to take her hand and Sam complies, shifting her grip so that both rings show in the mirror. Her eyes are beginning to shine with unshed tears. "And we've faced every shitty little thing life's thrown at us and come out of it at the other end both stronger and wiser."
He smirkes again and tightens his hug. "And just for the record... You're still as sexy as the day I met you."
Sam chuckles in embarrassement and turns in his hug, snaking her arms around his neck. "Thank you. I love you."
"Love you too, hon," John says, smiling. "Always. No one's getting between us, not even a stupid mirror."
***
014. Sunrise
Wisps of white streaked across the wide rosy sky, like the feather-light stroke of a brush. Here and there, it curled and criss-crossed like some sort of ancient dance she couldn’t name, but knew intimately nevertheless.
Sam had seen that kind of sky before, streaked with warm colours that overlapped and blended together, while flying back to base after a mission; while out on a jog in the early hours of the morning; while waking up to the sound of Daniel and O’Neill bantering.
Funny how she’d never taken the time to acknowledge the beauty of it.
“We need to cloud-gaze more.” Half-whispered, the words passed her numb lips.
Following her gaze, John’s lips drew into a thin line and he gave her an indiscernible look. “Okay.”
“It’s so beautiful.” Coughing slightly, Sam winced and squeezed her eyes shut, but only for a moment. Following the tendrils of white across pink and yellow, she smiled. “Bet it’d look better from the Jumper.”
“We’ll take her for a spin once we get back.” John’s voice was gentle, a contrast to the hard pressure he was putting on her thigh.
Maybe the fact that she could feel that was proof that this wasn’t the end. She still had time.
Thank God.
Sam’s smile widened, her voice hoarse. “Bet you say that to all the girls.”
“Only the special ones,” John said.
***