Kiss Me

Sam checked the time once again. 23.56.

She sighed and tapped her fingers against the steering wheel. As she glanced across the street, she could see the light in the General's front room was still on – as it had been for the last 26 minutes. Not that she had been counting or anything.

Not for the first time, she wondered if this was going to be one of, if not the, worst idea she'd ever come up with. She ignored the voice of reason that answered, 'probably', and instead decided that it didn't matter. After eight years of waiting, she needed to know once and for all.

23.57.

Sam pulled the keys from the ignition and got out of the car. As she made her way towards the house, her nerves increased with each step. She had so many questions for him; so many answers she wanted, but as she knocked on the door and it opened to reveal him standing there, all her thoughts disappeared.

Instead, she allowed herself to look at him. At how his salt-and-peppered colored hair was in its normal ruffled state; the way his bicep flexed as he reached up to lean against the door frame; the way his other hand slipped into the back pocket of his pants as he tried to hide his lack of surprise at his former Second-in-Command showing up at his house at midnight.

"Carter?"

"We need to talk."

This time, his surprise did show but without another word, he straightened and stepped aside to let Sam by. The General closed the door and waited. All that could be heard was the sound of their breathing.

"Whatcha want to talk about?"

"Us," she replied.

"Carter," he sighed. "Sam… I don't think this is a good time."

She snorted in response. "It's never a good time."

"That's not what I meant. It's not a good time for you. You've just lost your dad, and –"

"And I've told you before, that I'm fine."

The General studied her closely. After what seemed like an eternity, he appeared satisfied that she was telling the truth. He ran a hand over his face and sighed.

"You really want to do this, now?"

"Yes, Si… Jack. I do."

He nodded. "I'm not much of a talker, Sam."

She smiled. "I know, but then neither am I."

Her admission caused him to chuckle lightly. When he met her eyes again, Sam froze. The guarded look in his gaze had gone and had been replaced with a lightness she hadn't witnessed in a long time. She watched as a whirlwind of emotions flickered in his eyes, and suddenly she knew. He knew it too.

The man standing before her had managed to tell her everything she needed to know without uttering a word; and for now, that was more than enough. She couldn't help but smile at the discovery, nor help the shaky breath that escaped.

"So… what do you want to do, Carter?"

She held his gaze and stepped closer. Her heart hammered against her chest, and she was convinced that he would be able to hear it, but she pushed the thought to one side as she whispered the words she had wanted to tell him for years.

"We can talk later. For now, just push me up against the wall, and kiss the hell out of me."

A/N: This is just a one-shot, but if you're looking a song to go alongside this piece, listen to Olly Murs' 'Kiss Me'.