Interludes

spacegypsy1

Daniel and Vala. Interludes.

-o0o-

1. At first a kiss – okay, technically it's the second kiss – but oh what a kiss this one was!

-o0o-

As far as I know, insanity does not run in my family. Well, I guess there was Nick, my grandfather, but that's all I know about. But really, this is insane. I mean it's not that I don't harbor some feelings for her. It seemed to have happened all of a sudden, and I'm not prepared. Not that I could ever be.

I can't explain how it happened. We'd been talking about old times. The Prometheus. Bracelets. Stones. Missions gone awry. We were laughing. She hugged me good night. And then suddenly I did it. I kissed her. I had to.

I feel drugged. Heavily. More of a pleasant sensation, though, I have to say. Although, it could be so pleasant that one might … might call it painful.

My eyelids seemed to take about twenty minutes to close, things were moving very slowly – in a good way. I can't stop this. Not that I want to. But I couldn't if I wanted to...stop this.

Like a powerful magnetized drug I'm drawn and find I have self propelled myself up against her. Pushing her, albeit gently but firmly, against the wall in her quarters. I have absolutely no control over my mouth, tongue, teeth, hands, legs...and other parts. And wondrously, I'm in more control than she is...though, as I said I have no control. It's a paradox.

I know these are my hands. Cupping her sides, running up and down, then sneaking a swipe on the curve of each breast. I like that. The way she arches, moans, moves her hips against mine. And the possessive way she locks her arms over my shoulders, around my neck. Her elbows close, her hands nearly coming back around over the opposite side. Gahhhhddd, I'm dying here. Breathe. I need to breathe. "I need to breathe. Stop. Stop. I..."

"Daniel." She was breathless. "You can't say stop and then slide your hand under my tank top."

When she finished talking, her mouth slid right back over mine. Or. Maybe. Mine slid right back over hers. Whatever, it's hard as hell to talk.

"Oh, I can't?" Someone said sounding exactly like me. But me sorta hoarse and out of character, like I was trying to be cocky. I think you could say I sounded like me and I was impersonating Mitchell.

Her "No" came out totally uncommitted.

"Can I do this?" I ran both hands further up under the back of her shirt.

Her "Absolutely not!" was followed by a small gasp, and then she moaned and melted into me.

"You're sure?" Since I wasn't sure I needed to ask.

"Positive." She insisted, weakly. Then as my hands traversed around and up her incredibly smooth and taut stomach, she cooed..."oooo, ah... alright, never...mind. I like the way you stop."

I don't know how I found the strength, but I set her back a bit. Just enough to feel like I was still on the Earth... "Ahm, er... we can finish this later. We need to, you know, stop this." My hands were resting on her hips now, I think they may have been welded there, somehow. Not really sure.

"When and where?"

Vala's dark brows rose as she questioned me. That always turns me on. But because I was having trouble making my mind stay on topic I had to ask, "What?"

"Finish, darling? Where will we finish?"

My brain was in overdrive trying to catch up. "Not here."

She was either standing way too close or somehow, somewhere I'd lost my glasses, because as she answered, "Where?" voice low and sultry, she kinda went fuzzy in my vision.

I couldn't help it. I had to kiss her. My blurry eyes closed and my mouth latched onto hers. My God! The woman can kiss! "Later." I finally answered after another bout of seemingly endless and mind altering kissing.

"Not when. Where, Daniel?"

"Later." I know. I was beginning to sound like a broken record. But I didn't have any other words left in my large and multi-language repertoire. I think she sucked them all out.

Her breath hitched. "Alright."

"Later. I'll send you an email." Without the ability to take a breath, I took another step back, my hands slowly leaving her body. "I have to go now."

After I closed the door behind me, I found my glasses. On top of my head! That's something I never do. Never, ever. And an Email! Did I tell her I'd...okay, I'm going to take a cold shower. Then I'm going to figure out some things. Like maybe I should ask her out on a date. Kinda start over. Take it slow. Talk about it. Yeah. That's it, talk about it!

~o0o~

2. Talk. We need to talk.

~o0o~

"Okay, I think we need to talk about this. About us. Maybe take it slow. Date. Get to know each other." Like a broken record I kept blathering the same damned thing over and over in the car before we got here. She just smiled and nodded.

"You don't know me? Really, Daniel? After all this time? I've been here over three years now!"

"Yeah, of course, I mean know each other on … er... I mean."

"You mean you're still scared of me?"

"Yeah, basically. Well, not scared like I think you'll cut my heart out. Kinda more like scared I'll cut it out myself and hand it over. Not that you wouldn't..."

"But... you're attracted to me? In a relationship way, I mean?"

"Yeah." I had this feeling in the pit of my stomach like I wasn't ever going to get out of this. Ever. I know I'm really crazy about her. But I know things can be difficult for us if we...get hooked up as she puts it. Also, I'm sure she isn't going to pretend to care for me and then run off. At least not any longer. That was at least a year ago...the last time I had that thought as I had stared at her wanting to..."

She moved closer. Her gaze intense. You know. Like an Eagle circling its prey. "And, you think you're falling in love with me? In a good way? And you need to go slow?"

"Ah, there's a bad way? But, yeah, slow's good."

"Then why did you bring me here?" She gave me that fake look of shock she does so well, then glanced around my apartment.

I tried very hard to look innocent. "Er...I thought we should talk about this. About where it's going. You know, before our...er...date. Get our story straight in case they ask. And then we can go. To dinner. And meet up with the guys at O'Malley's later." Although it was true, I knew she didn't take me seriously about my need to talk being my reason for bringing her here. Especially when she threw her head back and laughed out loud.

"Oh, Daniel, I think I'm going to love this dating thing!" Then she did the unexpected. She hopped over the back of my couch, sat and patted the seat beside her. "Darling, come sit. Let's talk."

And so I sat. A sigh escaped her and I turned feeling my happy smile spreading, and I feared it was the epitome of goofy. That's how I felt. Goofy. Her eyes were soft, soft gray and I totally forgot what I wanted to talk about. I kissed those misty eyes of hers. First one and then the other. "Vala." I said, and that was it. That's all I could come up with, so I brushed her lips with a finger. Then replaced the finger with my mouth.

Though talking is my specialty, I'm completely word poor right now. I have a degree in words but not a one of which I can think of at the moment. Therefore, I continued my unplanned marauding of her lovely willing mouth.

"Daniel." She moans out like a specter seemingly far away.

All I can do is wonder what on Earth (not to mention other planets) was I thinking when I spurned her advances all those years ago?

I think she called my name again. It's like a zat blast, the way she says it. My hands have the propensity to attempt to map her body whenever I get this close to her. Which, if I could coagulate a complete thought, I just might realize could be the Naquadah that fuels her zat name calling.

Have you ever attempted to pull your sweater off of a piece of Velcro? That's what seems to be going on with my mouth. Vala is pushing with both hands at my chest, babbling some protest about "not fair" and "I thought you said talk". And my mouth keeps itself attached to hers as my torso starts moving backwards.

She's right. But who ever said life is fair? She finally succeeds in her effort to push me away from her. I feel that much spoke of and oft written about deprivation of her body warmth. I swear, the woman can make a grown man cry the way she feels when she'd tucked up into you and then she robs you of that – I wonder if she does it on purpose?

Breathless, Vala points emphatically across the couch. Sign language I know. She is insisting I back up further. Out of reach. "'Kay," I grin and inch back. That finger is at arm's length now and those eyes of hers are narrow slits, so further back I scoot.

"If we take it slow it will last longer in years, or so I have garnered from your repeated declarations because...because...you need to go slow because you're still not sure...are you?"

Have I mentioned her pout? Because my body is reacting and I think things are about to get out of hand here. "Yes I am." I insist. Or at least I attempted to sound completely sure which I am, but my voice is doing the adolescent thing due to some rearrangement in my nether regions... oh my god, this is impossible! "Vala." I plead.

"I'm not convinced." More pouting, fluffing of hair, batting of eyes, straightening of tight skirt, accompanies her testimony.

"I am. Really. I want forever."

"I'm hungry." One of her dark brows rose as she casually mentions this and gives me the look - 'Obey me or die'

"Excuse me!" That deflated all parts previously mentioned.

"Hungry. Slow is good I suppose. Now can we go have dinner? Then to O'Malley's and on to the next day which is one day closer to being with you in a...ahm...an intimate way. And forever is perfect but really Daniel, the slow part's hard. So. Let's go because that will slow things down while speeding the conclusion up."

"Right." She makes perfect sense to me and that's why I know it's love. Most people just don't get her logic.

~o0o~

3. Date. Take it Slow.

~o0o~

"Hey, Guys. You're early."

Sam, always the best at pointing out the obvious! I drew a disgruntled breath in preparation for a snappy response but Vala intervened as only she can.

"Yes," she stated, sitting. "well...I thought, really, why bother going to dinner and then coming here to be all teamy when we can do dinner and be teamy here at O'Malley's. Oh," She didn't take the hint of a breath as she turned from Sam to the waitress, "I think I'll have that juicy ribeye like I had last time," and back her head went to Sam. "And so, here we are."

When she took a quick break I sat, exchanged greetings and a knowing look with Teal'c and Mitchell. Before I could shrug and try to explain I hear that thick somewhat British/Aussie sounding, but totally alien accent. "Daniel and I are FINALLY officially dating!"

All heads cranked around towards me. "Yep." I confirmed without so much as a hint of reluctance, screwing my mouth up to stop that goofy grin from overtaking what should be a serious and responsible face.

"This is our first date." My lovely Vala blurted out as she reached across the table and procured a few of Mitchell's French fries. "We're taking it slow, or he's taking it slow, I'm just waiting." Things went quiet and I thought for sure I was going to be able to clean up this mess with some sensible explanations.

Apparently not. She continued. "The slow part is so we can talk about it. Like how much difficulty there could be at work. And how it would affect the team." A deep sigh followed as if she was totally bored. "I don't get it. There isn't another planet in the galaxy that has as many rules and silly ideas as this one!" She stuffed a few more French fries into that mouth I crave.

Sam's big blue eyes locked onto me like a missile. I could feel Teal'c's and Mitchell's gaze on me, so I took my own gaze across the room and stared straight ahead trying to ignore the fiasco that was rushing at me like water out of a busted dam.

"I think." Vala began yet again, "that dating officially makes Daniel my boyfriend. Isn't that right, Muscles?"

En masse we all shifted our gaze to Teal'c as one of those famous Jaffa brows slowly began its ascent and Teal'c perfected the ultimate and infinitesimal nod.

From the General all the way down to the lowest Airman - as well as a few visiting alien dignitaries - have repeatedly asked me why Vala always asks Teal'c (another alien) for clarification of Earth word usage. I have told them, also repeatedly, that I have no thought, concept or vaguest notion as to her logic but then again who does?

"Jackson," Mitchell had to clear his throat as if it had been clogged with Vala debris, "you think this is a good idea?"

"I have no choice. I'm nuts about her, have been."

"Right. Stupid question. God knows she's a prize. Smart, clever and witty. Just watch out, 'cause we all know she can..."

"Cameron." My prize said with enough undertone to stop the Colonel mid sentence.

Mitchell swallowed so loud I think the people at the next table heard him. "Huh?"

"Play nice. And does anyone here know how slow is slow and what are the statistics on having sex on the first date?"

Mouth agape, I stared at her. Vala. My girlfriend who was grinning that big toothy grin and had it aimed at Mitchell. But we all know it was a challenge directed at me as if shot from a cannon to land right between my eyes. I closed my mouth and then opened it to say something... anything, but the waitress beat me to it.

"Hun." The woman placed Vala's sizzling plated steak on the table, "it's pretty much a sure bet now a days." Vala rubbed her hands in glee. I'm not sure if it was the steak or the waitress's comment, but Vala was obviously pleased.

I knew I needed to take charge, face Vala, and stop this nonsense. She was practically demanding I intervene and step up to the plate so to speak.

Squeezing my eyes shut for just a few seconds I took a breath, turned her way and opened them prepared to take charge. Ha!

Her gray eyes, sooty lashed, fluttering over those misty windows to her soul, cut right through me. I'm toast.

The whole 'take it slow' idea was a waste of time. I really don't know why I even said it. I mean, it's not like I really want to. It's not like I'm not in love with Vala, or that I think she's untrustworthy as far as my heart is concerned...there may be a few residual worries in other areas, like treasures and things of that nature. However, I know we're destined to be together. To anyone, that is anyone but me, she might appear smug, but that wasn't the case. I know that look. I'd been seeing it for a lot of years. And tonight I was taking her up on her offer. The one she held in the depth of her lovely eyes.

"Man," Mitchell's cocky drawl took my attention from my musings and I reluctantly pulled my sight from Vala and steered it over to my CO who leaned back in his chair, arms folded tight across his chest as he finished his sentence. "You sure have landed yourself in one hell of a mess."

I stood, shocking everyone because I'm sure I didn't look too happy in their eyes. But I was. I just need to get out of there. I didn't say a word, just looked at Vala and cocked my head towards the door.

Slowly she rose, the smile spreading on her face.

I took her hand, leaned close and kissed her neck before looking her in the eyes. "Not very." I said and her brows dove in confusion.

"What?" Vala took a quick look at Teal'c who shrugged.

"You asked how slow is slow. Not very." I told her, my hand riding low on her back as I guided her towards the door.

~END