Fic: Love Is...
Title: Love Is...
Genre: Team, Humour
Rating: T
Spoilers: Birthright, Chimera, Death Knell
Disclaimer: Mine? No? Damn.
Sam probes her breakfast with a lot more force than it probably deserves. Her rough treatment of her breakfast combined with the slump of her shoulders and the hand propping up her head warn that all is not well in Sam Carter’s little corner of the galaxy.
It’s Monday morning. The start of a new week packed full of interplanetary exploration. She’s normally bright eyed and bushy tailed and bouncing with excitement. The fact that she’s not has her three teammates trading wary looks and engaging in a silent game of it’s-your-turn, no-it’s-your-turn.
When Jack gets fed up and kicks Daniel under the table, the archaeologist bites the bullet. They’ve done this often enough for Daniel to know that if he doesn’t speak up, Jack’s kick will be the first of many.
“How was your weekend, Sam?” he asks nonchalantly.
Jack and Teal’c adopt mildly interested expressions and regard her with a feigned lack of concern.
“Okay,” she says. Then she sighs and stabs her yogurt again.
So. Not okay then.
“Did Pete come down from Denver?” he probes.
Another sigh. “Yeah.”
Daniel winces, not really wanting to push any more. They’re all adults, but as a rule, he tries not to think about the fact that Sam, as an adult in a long-term, serious relationship, has sex. Ever.
It’s funny as hell when he remembers Jack sleeping with Kynthia and contracting the mother of all STDs. It’s even funnier to consider what Teal’c’s physical relationship must be like with a petite Jaffa who can, during sparring sessions, hand his ass to him without breaking a sweat.
But Sam? Daniel tries very, very hard not to think about her having sex. With anyone. Ever.
Jack’s boot meets Daniel’s shin again. Daniel winces and asks, “Did he stay all weekend?
“Yeah.” Stab. “He left this morning.” Stabstabstab.
Daniel dips his head, screws up his courage and makes what Cassandra once referred to as his “yucky” face. “What did you guys do?”
He knows she’s never going to make reference to sex, but Daniel’s been friends with Jack O’Neill too long not to anticipate the worst when asking these types of questions. Because if, in a similar situation, he ever asked, Jack would smirk, reply ‘Eech other,’ and then proceed to smugly swagger around the base for the rest of the day.
Instead of creeping him - or, more accurately, him, Jack and Teal’c - out completely, Sam sighs again and says, “Went out for dinner and a movie on Saturday.” Stabstabstab. “He cooked last night.” Stab.
Daniel glares at Jack and Teal’c inviting either of them to step in and help out.
They don’t.
Daniel rolls his eyes and presses bravely on. “What did you see?”
Stabstabstabstabstab. “Singin’ in the Rain.” Stabstabstabstabstab.
Around the table, three eyebrows go up. For someone who usually spends days after each viewing humming the soundtrack under her breath when she thinks no one can hear her, Sam doesn’t seem very happy about the movie choice.
That’s when Jack finally decides to contribute something more than bruises to the conversation. Daniel’s just not sure the contribution is actually helpful.
“So what’s the problem? You love that movie.”
Stabstabstabstabstab. “He hates it.”
Sam straightens up and looks at them properly for the first time all day. She tosses her spoon back into her yogurt, oblivious to the messy splat it makes on impact. “What kind of person hates Singin’ in the Rain?”
Her three teammates exchange awkward glances. Since she’s actually looking at them now, Sam notices this time.
Her eyes narrow until she’s glaring through thin slits. “We watch it at least once a year,” she says, as if daring them to contradict her.
Daniel feels another kick, but unless he became double jointed overnight - which, given their jobs, isn’t entirely outside the realm of possibility - this one doesn’t come from Jack. Daniel glares at Teal’c but speaks up anyway. The Jaffa kicks too hard to be ignored.
“You have a birthday once a year,” he says neutrally.
Sam glares even harder, which Daniel hadn’t considered humanly possible until it was actually happening. To him. He should have stayed in bed; it’s going to be one of those days.
“My birthday is in December.”
“Yes.”
“We watched it two months ago. That was September.”
Teal’c’s expression remains neutral. “Yes.”
“You were in pretty rough shape at the time,” Jack adds helpfully, or so he probably believes.
To her credit, Sam doesn’t flinch at the reference to the marathon game of hide and seek she’d been forced to play with one of Anubis’ super soldiers. “So?”
“We have observed that after watching this particular movie, you are usually in high spirits for several days,” Teal’c explains.
Sam blinks at him, speechless for a few seconds. “So we only watch Singin’ in the Rain when you think I need cheering up?”
“And for your birthday,” Daniel adds helpfully.
“But not on your birthday,” Jack clarifies. “It’s too close to Christmas and quite frankly, if I had to watch It’s a Wonderful Life and Singin’ in the Rain in the same month, I’d probably smother you with a pillow while T and Daniel were distracted by all the dancing.”
Sam turns her blank blink on Jack, still stunned by the morning’s revelation. It takes a full thirty seconds before she can muster an indignant, “How can you not like Singin’ in the Rain?”
Daniel’s busy formulating a tactful answer, but, unconcerned with such a trivial thing, Jack beats him to a reply.
“It’s a girl movie, Carter.”
“It’s not - ”
“ - There’s singing and dancing!”
She fixes them all with an exasperated look. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”
Teal’c answers for the three of them. “It makes you happy, Major Carter. Annually viewing the film is a small price to pay for your happiness.”
Sam’s expression softens to the point where Daniel genuinely expects to hear an "Awwwwww" come out of her mouth. But they’re on base and even though she loves girl movies, Sam still likes to pretend she’s a big bad Air Force major, one of the guys, so she doesn’t make a sound.
Jack glances at his watch then, grateful for the distraction. Being told how very sweet they can collectively be would seriously hurt the men’s reputations among the other SG teams.
“We’ve got to go, kids,” he announces. “Our briefing’s in ten and you know how Hammond gets when we’re late.”
Daniel and Teal’c quickly gather up their things and stand, but Sam sits frozen, deep in thought but watching them carefully nonetheless.
Jack slowly gathers up the remnants of his breakfast and watches the others exit the commissary. When they’re gone, Sam snaps out of it and looks him squarely in the eye.
“Do you really hate Singin’ in the Rain?”
“Very much,” Jack replies as he gets to his feet.
“Then why…”
“Love is watching movies you hate because they make someone else happy,” he explains flippantly. Then he turns on his heel and makes for the nearest garbage can, banana peel in hand.
When he’s halfway across the room, he glances over his shoulder, just in time to see her smile.
Genre: Team, Humour
Rating: T
Spoilers: Birthright, Chimera, Death Knell
Disclaimer: Mine? No? Damn.
Sam probes her breakfast with a lot more force than it probably deserves. Her rough treatment of her breakfast combined with the slump of her shoulders and the hand propping up her head warn that all is not well in Sam Carter’s little corner of the galaxy.
It’s Monday morning. The start of a new week packed full of interplanetary exploration. She’s normally bright eyed and bushy tailed and bouncing with excitement. The fact that she’s not has her three teammates trading wary looks and engaging in a silent game of it’s-your-turn, no-it’s-your-turn.
When Jack gets fed up and kicks Daniel under the table, the archaeologist bites the bullet. They’ve done this often enough for Daniel to know that if he doesn’t speak up, Jack’s kick will be the first of many.
“How was your weekend, Sam?” he asks nonchalantly.
Jack and Teal’c adopt mildly interested expressions and regard her with a feigned lack of concern.
“Okay,” she says. Then she sighs and stabs her yogurt again.
So. Not okay then.
“Did Pete come down from Denver?” he probes.
Another sigh. “Yeah.”
Daniel winces, not really wanting to push any more. They’re all adults, but as a rule, he tries not to think about the fact that Sam, as an adult in a long-term, serious relationship, has sex. Ever.
It’s funny as hell when he remembers Jack sleeping with Kynthia and contracting the mother of all STDs. It’s even funnier to consider what Teal’c’s physical relationship must be like with a petite Jaffa who can, during sparring sessions, hand his ass to him without breaking a sweat.
But Sam? Daniel tries very, very hard not to think about her having sex. With anyone. Ever.
Jack’s boot meets Daniel’s shin again. Daniel winces and asks, “Did he stay all weekend?
“Yeah.” Stab. “He left this morning.” Stabstabstab.
Daniel dips his head, screws up his courage and makes what Cassandra once referred to as his “yucky” face. “What did you guys do?”
He knows she’s never going to make reference to sex, but Daniel’s been friends with Jack O’Neill too long not to anticipate the worst when asking these types of questions. Because if, in a similar situation, he ever asked, Jack would smirk, reply ‘Eech other,’ and then proceed to smugly swagger around the base for the rest of the day.
Instead of creeping him - or, more accurately, him, Jack and Teal’c - out completely, Sam sighs again and says, “Went out for dinner and a movie on Saturday.” Stabstabstab. “He cooked last night.” Stab.
Daniel glares at Jack and Teal’c inviting either of them to step in and help out.
They don’t.
Daniel rolls his eyes and presses bravely on. “What did you see?”
Stabstabstabstabstab. “Singin’ in the Rain.” Stabstabstabstabstab.
Around the table, three eyebrows go up. For someone who usually spends days after each viewing humming the soundtrack under her breath when she thinks no one can hear her, Sam doesn’t seem very happy about the movie choice.
That’s when Jack finally decides to contribute something more than bruises to the conversation. Daniel’s just not sure the contribution is actually helpful.
“So what’s the problem? You love that movie.”
Stabstabstabstabstab. “He hates it.”
Sam straightens up and looks at them properly for the first time all day. She tosses her spoon back into her yogurt, oblivious to the messy splat it makes on impact. “What kind of person hates Singin’ in the Rain?”
Her three teammates exchange awkward glances. Since she’s actually looking at them now, Sam notices this time.
Her eyes narrow until she’s glaring through thin slits. “We watch it at least once a year,” she says, as if daring them to contradict her.
Daniel feels another kick, but unless he became double jointed overnight - which, given their jobs, isn’t entirely outside the realm of possibility - this one doesn’t come from Jack. Daniel glares at Teal’c but speaks up anyway. The Jaffa kicks too hard to be ignored.
“You have a birthday once a year,” he says neutrally.
Sam glares even harder, which Daniel hadn’t considered humanly possible until it was actually happening. To him. He should have stayed in bed; it’s going to be one of those days.
“My birthday is in December.”
“Yes.”
“We watched it two months ago. That was September.”
Teal’c’s expression remains neutral. “Yes.”
“You were in pretty rough shape at the time,” Jack adds helpfully, or so he probably believes.
To her credit, Sam doesn’t flinch at the reference to the marathon game of hide and seek she’d been forced to play with one of Anubis’ super soldiers. “So?”
“We have observed that after watching this particular movie, you are usually in high spirits for several days,” Teal’c explains.
Sam blinks at him, speechless for a few seconds. “So we only watch Singin’ in the Rain when you think I need cheering up?”
“And for your birthday,” Daniel adds helpfully.
“But not on your birthday,” Jack clarifies. “It’s too close to Christmas and quite frankly, if I had to watch It’s a Wonderful Life and Singin’ in the Rain in the same month, I’d probably smother you with a pillow while T and Daniel were distracted by all the dancing.”
Sam turns her blank blink on Jack, still stunned by the morning’s revelation. It takes a full thirty seconds before she can muster an indignant, “How can you not like Singin’ in the Rain?”
Daniel’s busy formulating a tactful answer, but, unconcerned with such a trivial thing, Jack beats him to a reply.
“It’s a girl movie, Carter.”
“It’s not - ”
“ - There’s singing and dancing!”
She fixes them all with an exasperated look. “Why didn’t you say anything before?”
Teal’c answers for the three of them. “It makes you happy, Major Carter. Annually viewing the film is a small price to pay for your happiness.”
Sam’s expression softens to the point where Daniel genuinely expects to hear an "Awwwwww" come out of her mouth. But they’re on base and even though she loves girl movies, Sam still likes to pretend she’s a big bad Air Force major, one of the guys, so she doesn’t make a sound.
Jack glances at his watch then, grateful for the distraction. Being told how very sweet they can collectively be would seriously hurt the men’s reputations among the other SG teams.
“We’ve got to go, kids,” he announces. “Our briefing’s in ten and you know how Hammond gets when we’re late.”
Daniel and Teal’c quickly gather up their things and stand, but Sam sits frozen, deep in thought but watching them carefully nonetheless.
Jack slowly gathers up the remnants of his breakfast and watches the others exit the commissary. When they’re gone, Sam snaps out of it and looks him squarely in the eye.
“Do you really hate Singin’ in the Rain?”
“Very much,” Jack replies as he gets to his feet.
“Then why…”
“Love is watching movies you hate because they make someone else happy,” he explains flippantly. Then he turns on his heel and makes for the nearest garbage can, banana peel in hand.
When he’s halfway across the room, he glances over his shoulder, just in time to see her smile.