[REPOST] Stargate SG-1 fic: All It Took Was a Sunrise
Daniel, Vala and the sunrise-just a little bit of talking. And a lot more action.
(This story was originally written in 2012 and has been updated for composition and clarity in 2020.)
1,632 words | [PG-13]
It’s still dark when Daniel’s watch goes off. He gropes for the small button that stifles the noise, groaning into his jacket balled under his head. With a yawn and great effort, he hauls himself up and slides his feet into his boots.
The air is crisp, smelling of pine and fresh rain. Daniel shivers and pulls his jacket closed, tucking his hands under his arms. He expects to see the fire going, maybe some coffee already brewing, but the clearing outside his tent is eerily empty-the fire long burned out.
“Crap,” he mumbles as he rubs the tired from his eyes. Where the hell is Vala? Mitchell is going to kill her.
He spends several minutes wandering around the woods before he finds her. She’s sitting on an outcrop of rocks, the valley far below. The view is amazing as the sun begins to peek over the horizon-the sky turning a pale shade of pink. Vala’s got her legs tucked up, chin resting on her knees, arms tight around her. Daniel can’t see her face, but he notices how her shoulders relax when a salty breeze blows in from the sea beyond the distant hills.
Her hair flutters around her, and a hand comes up to push it from her face. It glistens in the dawn light like the moon shimmering on a placid lake. Daniel’s struck by how beautiful she looks-hair coming loose, clothes coated in a layer of dust, the first rays of the morning sun casting a glow around her. His pulse quickens, unwanted thoughts rushing through his mind.
He can’t deny there’s always been some kind of attraction-even as they duked it out on the Prometheus all those years ago-but this feels different. His stomach flips, curls in on itself until his insides feel like a tightly wound ball of rubber bands. Just waiting to snap.
[read more]Another gust of wind steals his breath. Or maybe that was the thought of joining Vala, wrapping her in his arms and just holding her as they watched the sun rise together.
Daniel takes a slow, deep breath, trying to center himself. He doesn’t want this-relationships with co-workers never fair well. Just ask Jack and Sam. Not to mention woman he finds interest in have a tendency to wind up... hurt.
He frowns at Vala’s back, eyebrows squishing painfully together. No, he doesn’t want this. He doesn’t need this. His life is finally starting to resemble something akin to normal-at least as normal as anything can get around the SGC. He doesn’t need the complication of Vala Mal Doran.
Or does he?
Vala sighs, the sound carrying on a soft breeze along with the scent of her perfume. He’s moving without realizing it-legs acting on thoughts he’s trying to ignore.
“Daniel,” Vala says softly without looking up. She doesn’t sound the least bit surprised.
“How-” he starts to ask but maybe he really doesn’t need an explanation. After all, he found her easy enough-like being tugged along by some invisible force that seems hell-bent on keeping them together.
She finally turns her face up to him. Her eyes sparkle with unshed tears, and Daniel is once again caught off guard by the sudden flutter of his heart, the twisting of his stomach, the fierce overprotective feeling that spurs him into movement again.
He slides onto the rock next to her. The sky is brighter now-blues and violets adding to the earlier pink-and a soft mist obscures the valley floor, only the tops of trees poking through.
“You okay?” His voice is a lot rougher than he’d like.
Vala nods, never taking her eyes off him. It’s slightly unnerving, and he can’t help but wonder if Vala can secretly see right through him, right to his core where the butterflies have taken up residence. Where his thoughts keep drifting to things inappropriate.
“You’ve been crying.” It isn’t a question.
Vala sighs, turning back to the view. “I grew up on a planet a lot like this one.” Her voice is soft, contemplative. “It wasn’t a bad childhood.”
Daniel’s not sure what she wants him to say. “I try to forget my childhood. There wasn’t much worth remembering anyway.”
A silence fills the space between them. It’s not as awkward as he would have thought. The wind ruffles her hair again, the stray strands catching on her face. Daniel’s hands betray him-he’s pulling the locks free before he can stop himself. An electric current races through him, lighting his nerves. He doesn’t want this, he thinks, but then again...
He catches Vala’s gaze as he leans in a little closer. Her tears are gone, but she’s biting her lip now. Daniel’s never seen her looking so vulnerable, so unsure. He’s used to strong, confident Vala, ready to take on the galaxy. This is new, and it tugs at his heart even more.
Daniel slides the curl behind her ear, letting his hand linger a little too long to be an accident. Vala sucks in a startled breath when his thumb begins to brush circles on her cheek. He’s entertaining serious thoughts that he has finally lost his freaking mind. He doesn’t want this. He’s sure. Vala’s eyes drift shut. Her skin is soft and cool and slightly gritty with dirt. He finds that surprisingly appealing.
He’s still trying to convince himself that he isn’t interested when he presses his lips to hers. She tastes salty and sandy with a hint of chocolate-he’d always suspected she sneaked a stash along on missions.
The kiss starts out soft, sweet, tentative. Vala relaxes against him, her hand coming up to cup his cheek. The touch sends a shockwave of desire through his body, every inch humming with anticipation. His heart beats so hard against his chest, he’s sure Vala must be able to hear it.
Daniel isn’t sure which one of them made the next move. He just remembers Vala’s tongue in his mouth and his hands pulling her into his lap. The kiss deepens until it’s not apparent to his brain where he ends and Vala begins. Passion takes hold-years of suppression and denial crumbling under the weight of their longing.
Vala pulls his shirt free from his waistband, cold air hitting his back and sucking air from his lungs. He recovers quickly, his own hands finding their way to Vala’s waist. He grips her tightly, fingers digging in. She answers with a moan into his lips. She suddenly swings her leg around to straddle his lap, her hands now exploring every inch of his flesh she can find. Daniel can’t remember the last time he felt this alive, this free, this... whole.
He musters all his strength and pulls himself away from Vala. She looks up at him with a mix of confusion and apprehension. Not for the first time, he wonders what she’s thinking. He’s rarely seen her with her defenses down-the real Vala. The one that’s not always playing an angle.
“Vala, I-” he tries to say, but his voice catches in his throat. He wets his lips and makes another attempt. “I, uh, I want you-”
“I’m going to stop you right there,” she says, her eyes lighting with a fire he’s only ever seen directed at treasure before. She wraps her arms around his neck, using her weight as leverage to pull him into another kiss. The intensity catches Daniel completely by surprise. He’s not sure how long it lasts-time seems to not function correctly on this planet. It’s several moments before he tries to break away again. He grips her shoulders tightly, pushing back firmly but gently.
“Daniel.” Her voice is full of exasperation and more desperation than Daniel cares to dwell on. She rolls her eyes and tries to distract him with soft little kisses to his neck. It almost works-Daniel’s brain trying to switch gears on him, trying to forget the importance of the words he’s trying to say. He’s more insistent the next time.
“Vala, I-”
She stills, lips still touching the tender spot along his collarbone, and sighs.
He needs to get this out. He’s not sure why, but he thinks it’s important. “I need to tell-”
“Don’t ruin this, Daniel,” she whispers into another kiss, this time under his right earlobe. He’s not entirely sure what she means, but he’s quickly losing all rational thought as Vala’s hands begin to loosen his belt.
He delves deep into his well of control, finally disentangling himself. The confused, annoyed look is back on her face along with a slight pout. The way the sun glints in her eyes and the wind sends her hair flying nearly undoes his resolve, but he takes a deep breath and presses on.
“This isn’t right.”
“You’re wrong.” She’s kissing his throat again despite his best efforts to keep her away, the rational side of his brain shutting down again.
“Right, this is wrong.”
“That’s not what I said.” She tugs his lower lip into her mouth, a wave of desire overpowering his internal warning system. The blood is pounding so loudly in his head he can’t think straight.
“You said, ‘wrong.’” He’s pretty sure that’s what he tells her but higher functions are going the same way as rational thoughts.
He feels her smile into the crook of his neck. “You’re thinking too much.”
He wonders briefly if she’s right, but then her hands are at his belt again, deftly undoing it. Daniel’s breath catches in his throat and every other thought flies out the window. All that’s left is Vala, his increasing need to touch bare skin, and the rising sun.
And he’s sure this is exactly what he wants.