Shared Comfort, Stargate SG-1 Gen
Title: Shared Comfort
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Characters: Daniel,Vala
Prompt: table 2, # 010 Cry
Word Count: 710
Rating: PG
Summary: Daniel and Vala share a moment of comfort.
Warnings: Spoilers for "Forever in a Day".
My twenty-fifth ficlet for my 100_situations Table
Daniel threw down his pencil in frustration. His coffee cup was empty, he couldn’t concentrate and a glance at the clock told him it was well past the time he should have been on his way home.
It was just that…home was the last place he wanted to be tonight of all nights.
Home would mean time to think, pictures to remind him…a night full of dreams that always ended the same way. It had been seven years…seven long years, but on days like this…Sighing deeply and attempting to put away the old familiar pain, Daniel grabbed his coffee cup and headed for the mess hall to fill it.
The place was empty, which suited him fine. He sank to a seat in the corner and cradled his hot cup while he considered the ache within. Most days he was fine. Most days it didn’t even cross his mind.
In some ways, that made days like today even harder. Guilt ate at him once he did think about it,…about her. He sank lower in his seat and let her image fill his mind. How long had it been since he’d seen her in his dreams? How long had he let thoughts of her be buried under the stress and needs of his day to day existence?
He wondered if it might have been easier if he had a grave to visit on days like today…a shrine of memory, a place to store his love for her so that he didn’t feel like he was betraying her. If he let it out it was still powerful, still overwhelming, still so painful it took his breath away.
“Daniel?” The voice was soft, gentle and for a moment he could almost believe…almost…but a glance up destroyed the illusion and he wiped the tears away slowly, not meeting her eyes.
“Yeah?” His voice shook and he kicked himself for it.
She slipped into the chair beside him, her hand on his back, her face concerned. “You okay?”
He closed his eyes and shook his head. Wanting to be okay. Wanting to stop hurting…wanting to hold her in his arms one more time. “Sam told me…said I should leave you alone.”
Daniel buried his face in his hands, tried to stop the tears. “I just wanted you to know…well…if you need me…if you need anything…” Her voice trailed off and her hand left his back. “Well…” She stood up and Daniel reached for her.
“Don’t…” He shook his head and she sat once more. “Just…stay…”
“Okay.” Her arm slipped around him, her chair scooting closer. “I’ll stay.”
“I…she…” He took a deep breath and tried to smile. “Sha’re. She was my wife. Today was the day she died…seven years ago today.”
“I’m very sorry, Daniel.” Vala said, her face filled with genuine sorrow. “It must be very hard.”
He nodded, holding her face in his mind. “Sometimes, I can’t believe…its been so long…you know?” He sipped at his coffee and looked away. “I miss her.”
Her hand rubbed circles on his back, comforting, warm. It wore away the walls Daniel hid behind most of the time, and he could see it in his mind, feel the terror as Ammonet held out her hand to kill him, see Sha’re’s eyes light up with the sign of the Goa’uld within…the pain as that light died and Sha’re spoke his name. The tears slid unchecked from his eyes as his head bowed.
“Come here.” Vala said, her hands gentle as they guided Daniel to lean against her, his head on her shoulder. Her fingers wiped away tears, stroking his face. “I lost someone once.” She closed her eyes. “He was…my world.”
For a long moment they sat together silently, her nimble fingers caressing his face. It was settling, peaceful. Daniel shifted and caught her hand. “Who was he?”
She lifted her chin a little, the sadness on her face something new and different to Daniel. “My father. He…Qetesh…” She looked away, and Daniel nodded.
“She killed him.”
Vala nodded, her turn now to let tears slip past defenses usually much stronger. Daniel pulled her to him, arms closing around her in shared comfort and for a time they simply forgot the pressures and wars and the desperate need.
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Characters: Daniel,Vala
Prompt: table 2, # 010 Cry
Word Count: 710
Rating: PG
Summary: Daniel and Vala share a moment of comfort.
Warnings: Spoilers for "Forever in a Day".
My twenty-fifth ficlet for my 100_situations Table
Daniel threw down his pencil in frustration. His coffee cup was empty, he couldn’t concentrate and a glance at the clock told him it was well past the time he should have been on his way home.
It was just that…home was the last place he wanted to be tonight of all nights.
Home would mean time to think, pictures to remind him…a night full of dreams that always ended the same way. It had been seven years…seven long years, but on days like this…Sighing deeply and attempting to put away the old familiar pain, Daniel grabbed his coffee cup and headed for the mess hall to fill it.
The place was empty, which suited him fine. He sank to a seat in the corner and cradled his hot cup while he considered the ache within. Most days he was fine. Most days it didn’t even cross his mind.
In some ways, that made days like today even harder. Guilt ate at him once he did think about it,…about her. He sank lower in his seat and let her image fill his mind. How long had it been since he’d seen her in his dreams? How long had he let thoughts of her be buried under the stress and needs of his day to day existence?
He wondered if it might have been easier if he had a grave to visit on days like today…a shrine of memory, a place to store his love for her so that he didn’t feel like he was betraying her. If he let it out it was still powerful, still overwhelming, still so painful it took his breath away.
“Daniel?” The voice was soft, gentle and for a moment he could almost believe…almost…but a glance up destroyed the illusion and he wiped the tears away slowly, not meeting her eyes.
“Yeah?” His voice shook and he kicked himself for it.
She slipped into the chair beside him, her hand on his back, her face concerned. “You okay?”
He closed his eyes and shook his head. Wanting to be okay. Wanting to stop hurting…wanting to hold her in his arms one more time. “Sam told me…said I should leave you alone.”
Daniel buried his face in his hands, tried to stop the tears. “I just wanted you to know…well…if you need me…if you need anything…” Her voice trailed off and her hand left his back. “Well…” She stood up and Daniel reached for her.
“Don’t…” He shook his head and she sat once more. “Just…stay…”
“Okay.” Her arm slipped around him, her chair scooting closer. “I’ll stay.”
“I…she…” He took a deep breath and tried to smile. “Sha’re. She was my wife. Today was the day she died…seven years ago today.”
“I’m very sorry, Daniel.” Vala said, her face filled with genuine sorrow. “It must be very hard.”
He nodded, holding her face in his mind. “Sometimes, I can’t believe…its been so long…you know?” He sipped at his coffee and looked away. “I miss her.”
Her hand rubbed circles on his back, comforting, warm. It wore away the walls Daniel hid behind most of the time, and he could see it in his mind, feel the terror as Ammonet held out her hand to kill him, see Sha’re’s eyes light up with the sign of the Goa’uld within…the pain as that light died and Sha’re spoke his name. The tears slid unchecked from his eyes as his head bowed.
“Come here.” Vala said, her hands gentle as they guided Daniel to lean against her, his head on her shoulder. Her fingers wiped away tears, stroking his face. “I lost someone once.” She closed her eyes. “He was…my world.”
For a long moment they sat together silently, her nimble fingers caressing his face. It was settling, peaceful. Daniel shifted and caught her hand. “Who was he?”
She lifted her chin a little, the sadness on her face something new and different to Daniel. “My father. He…Qetesh…” She looked away, and Daniel nodded.
“She killed him.”
Vala nodded, her turn now to let tears slip past defenses usually much stronger. Daniel pulled her to him, arms closing around her in shared comfort and for a time they simply forgot the pressures and wars and the desperate need.