It's Complicated
spacegypsy1
A romp with Daniel and Vala as they spar in their renowned mating dance when Daniel accompanies Vala on her mini-vacation.
AN: I have friends who own a house on a private island where seven other families own houses... that's the situation here when 'private island' is mentioned. I don't know anyone who actually owns an island all by themselves...that would be way, way out of my realm! lol. Enjoy!
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'Jaw dropping' couldn't quite describe Daniel's expression. Mouth agape, his gaze unrelentingly affixed to her scantily clad figure, he watched her move...more like strut...across his line of sight. It took a few seconds for him to realize that she'd stopped just to the left, and his eyes cut hard to see her. He stared, stuck by her flawless skin, the shine of her dark hair, curves that made him ache and a bikini that left little to the imagination...or more correctly reminded him of things seen and best left suppressed.
"Daniel? Are you listening?"
"Wha...?" He lifted the flap on his Boonie hat to see her better. Mistake!
"Are you coming...swimming?"
"No." He shifted his gaze away from her and watched the surf.
"Then why'd you tag along if you didn't want to swim?"
Daniel shrugged still watching the waves.
Vala rolled her eyes and sighed loudly. "You can be such a stick in the sand, Daniel. Didn't you even bring swim wear?"
"No and obviously neither did you." His blue eyes rose slowly stopping at her adorable belly button.
"Hmph! Then what am I wearing?"
Once again he forced his eyes to the water. "Not much."
"It's a bathing suit!"
"That's no suit!" His head turned in her direction for mere seconds before turning away towards the ocean's horizon...something that didn't make his body, mind and spirit nuts! "That's...that's two handkerchiefs...or maybe three."
"Don't be silly, Daniel. It's a bikini and no less immodest than any other two piece."
"I beg to differ!"
"Beg all you want to! I'm going for a swim!"
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Forcing himself to read the same paragraph, yet again, Daniel tried to ignore the sound of her laughter. Unable to resist, he looked up just as she rose from the waves like a sea siren. Temptation, spiced with the memory of that unforgettable scene in the Prometheus' brig, warred with common sense and at this point temptation appeared to be winning. He knew that no matter how hard he tried to resist, it was evident. He was crazy about her and things were about to get complicated.
Slinging the water from her hair, Vala circled his chair. "Why did you come along?"
Daniel shook his head to clear the fog. "Someone has to keep an eye on you." Voice teasing, he smiled as she disappeared around behind him.
"No. Darling. They don't. I've had clearance to be out on my own for nearly a year. It's not like someone's going to come along and snatch me."
"It's been known to happen." He continued to stare straight ahead.
"Hmph!" She dropped her very wet bikini top over his shoulder and onto his lap.
"Son of a bitch! Vala!" Mind whirling with all kinds of thoughts, Daniel puzzled over the soggy bathing suit top lying on his lap. "You...you should put it back on."
"Why? You've seen me naked." She leaned over, breathing in his ear. "Have you forgotten?"
Are you kidding me? He thought. That was something he was never, ever going to eradicate from his mind.
Wrapping her arms around his neck Vala pressed against his back, hearing his sharp intake of breath, "I think since you failed to bring something to swim in that we should skinny dip."
"This...this is a public beach. You can get arrested for being topless." His hands grasped her wrists but he seemed to forget what he wanted to do. Remove her arms, or pull her closer. He wasn't sure.
"No it's not. It's Jack's ex's brother's house on the beach on this private island and so, darling, therefore, not public."
"It's Jack's brother-in-law."
"Really? I could have sworn Sam told me it was Sarah's brother's house who is friends with Jack."
"It is."
"Well, make up your mind!" Vala snatched her top from his lap and stood up.
Staring at the large wet stain on his pants, Daniel could only shake his head. "Sarah's brother is Jack's brother-in-law."
"Can't be. Mark's his brother-in-law." She appeared beside him, sat on the edge of his chair, back to him. "Tie me up."
"Oh my God." Daniel moaned.
"Oh! Wait!" Vala turned around quickly, top still unsecured. "You mean Jack's outlaw brother? As in no longer in law as in Sarah's brother who is divorced from Jack. Well...Sarah's divorced not the brother, though, I suppose..."
When she whirled around his eyes had dropped to her breasts like the fated Zeppelin. Crash and burn! "Yes!" Grabbing the strings to her bikini top, Daniel pulled them tight and tied them securely.
"Ow! That's too tight. And now you're all grouchy. I never can understand your sudden mood changes!" Folding her arms behind her back Vala adjusted the strings.
The ease with which she could reach and manipulate the bikini strings behind her back was not lost on Daniel. Removing his prescription sunglasses he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. First he should apologize for being such a grouch. He had planned on or hoped that this weekend he could, well...er...sorta, maybe start a kind of relationship between them, if she agreed. It was time to talk to her. He couldn't stand much more of this crazy non-relationship, relationship they had.
When he regained a smidgen of his senses he opened his eyes to find Vala wrapping some filmy wisp of material around her hips, then she donned a large floppy hat and huge white sunglasses.
"Where are you going?" It came out with more of a bark then he intended.
She slipped on a pair of high heeled thong sandals. "Who knows? Someplace with nice people. The souvenir shop across the street and the little boutique near it..."
"Dressed like that!"
"...and then back to the bar here for margaritas and shots of Patron because it will take a lot of that to get a buzz. Hopefully I'll be gone for hours so you can work...on my mini vacation you insisted on joining! Maybe later there exists the tiniest possibility, you might, just might be more pleasant when I return!" She stormed off calling over her shoulder, "I'm not going to let you spoil my vacation!"
He stared unseeing at the ancient writings he'd brought along for entertainment. What was he thinking? Here he was ready, willing and able to discuss wanting at the very least a beginning of a monogamous relationship with Vala and all he'd accomplished was hurting her feelings. He knew the signs. Shopping. Snapping out every word. Dressing provocatively. Shopping. With a disgruntled sigh Daniel made his way back to the beach house.
Still disheartened, he sat on the edge of his bed pondering ways to get back on track with Vala and the reason he'd decided to tag along. It's so damned complicated! Maybe dinner at a fancy restaurant? Or a romantic dinner served on the deck. Yeah, that'd do it. I can accomplish that. I can be romantic.
After a short trip to the store for candles, wine, food and flowers he tidied up the beach house and soon he had the table set and ready, wine chilling and food warming. He took a shower and dressed. He waited. And waiting. And waited. Now he was worried – so he called her...several times and finally got a curt text. 'stop calling I'm on my way.'
Daniel donned a light summer jacket over his white T-shirt and lit the candles. And waited for twenty minutes more. He poured himself a glass of wine and stuck the bottle back in the half melted ice. Another ten minutes passed before he turned at the sound of the door opening.
She bounce into the room, tossed her hat aside and then stopped in her tracks at the sight of him in thigh hugging jeans, white T-shirt, sandals and jacket. "Oh. My. Don't you look yummy." Vala winked at him as she licked her lips.
Obviously she'd had enough to drink to get a small buzz – which was almost an impossible task.
"Where have you been?" He blurted out letting his worry override his previous intention for a quiet romantic evening.
Kicking off her shoes Vala dumped her packages in a chair. "Out. Shopping. Drinking. Wondering why you're impossible to love."
"Whaa...?"
"You heard..." Her anger dissipated the instant she noticed the candles flickering outside. Slowly Vala made her way out to the deck.
Daniel followed close on her heels while "impossible to love" rattled around in his head. He took a deep breath attempting control but lost it the minute he spoke. "How many margaritas did you have?"
She spun around. "None!"
"Er..." He blinked in confusion.
"I skipped them and went right to the Patron." Hands on her hips, Vala glared. "Two hundred and ten dollars and thirty eight cents worth! I think I bought a few rounds."
"Whose card?"
"What?"
"Credit card. Which one did you use?"
"Oh, for crying outside Daniel, what difference does it make?"
"It's out loud and it makes two hundred and ten dollars and thirty eight cents worth of difference."
Vala pulled the clip from her hair, twirled it up again and clipped it as she spoke. "I am speaking out loud and I split it with you. Sixty percent on your card and forty on mine." She shifted her gaze to the table inspecting the two place settings, candles and flowers.
"Vala, I gave you that card to use in case of an emergency!" Daniel realized he was yelling, and could have kicked himself. He didn't care if she spent all his money. He just wished he could manage to have a conversation without yelling.
"It was an emergency!" She turned back to him and found herself nearly nose to nose. "And stop yelling, people will stare."
He did quiet down. "What people? There are no other people." He managed a grin.
Vala leaned out to his right and pointed. "Those people."
Following her finger he spotted a small crowd in the sand below the deck. Eyebrows lifted and he leaned over the railing. "Show's over folks, move along."
The finger she'd been pointing with came to caress his face. "I think it's 'move along, these are not the droids you are looking for'."
"Oookaay." He didn't have a clue as to what she meant but he was done with arguing. He pulled out a chair and asked, "Dinner?"
She sat down, picked up the vase and smelled the flowers. "I'm sorry I used your credit card."
He poured the wine. "I gave it to you knowing full well you'd use it for something this weekend."
Twirling her glass she watched the candle light reflecting through the liquid. "I promise I'll pay you back your forty percent." She managed a smile as she sipped her wine, her eyes lifted to his and dancing with humor.
"No need. I gave you that card for a reason. And I'm sure there will be lots more times you'll use it and I'll pay it. At least...I mean...I think..."
She held the wine glass away from her lips and studied him. "What are you saying?"
"I should get dinner."
"No. What do you mean?"
"I think we...I wish you'd...I wonder if we could be, like, like a couple. Date. Sleep together. Plan for a future." He couldn't believe he said it and he looked away suddenly not sure he wanted to see her rejection.
A gargled, strangled sound had him turning back. "Vala!"
While choking on the gulp of wine she'd taken, she managed to knock over the bottle and spill it. She couldn't think! She dropped her glass and grabbed for the bottle all the while fighting for breath.
"Are you alright?"
"No, absolutely not!" She slammed the empty wine bottle on the table. "How can you just spring that on me! I thought you hated me...well...not hate, but you know, barely tolerate. Or like, maybe I'm your teammate friend you go on mini vacations with so you won't feel guilty if I get kidnapped or something like that. Or maybe you still feel sorry for me because of the whole Goa'uld thingie."
"I don't know what I feel!" Daniel threw his hands up in frustration and sat down, looking up at her completely stupefied.
Sighing dejectedly she opted to stare at her bare toes.
"What?" He asked.
"Why do we keep doing this?" Her gaze lifted and locked with his.
"Doing what?" A slight defensive tone seeped out.
Her look clearly stated 'really, you're going to go there?'.
Looking away from her intense glare seemed his only option. He puffed up his cheeks and blew the air out without a sound. "You mean I back off when you come forward?"
"And I back off when you come forward." She laid the wine bottle on its side and twirled it around and around on the table.
Placing his hand on top of hers he stopped the spin. "And if we are ever going to...you know..."
"What?"
Again their gazes met.
"You know."
"What?"
"It's gonna get complicated."
Vala picked up his half full glass of wine and gulped most of it down. "What! Say it!"
"US!" he snatched the wine glass from her hand and finished it off.
"There isn't any us, Daniel."
His eyes softened and he whispered as if afraid to speak any louder. "Because I'm impossible to love?"
"Only because you make it so damned hard. Or I make you hard...I mean make it hard...oh never mind!" She plopped down in the chair. "I'm starving. What's for dinner?"
Standing he headed inside to get dinner but stopped just inside the open doorway and turned. "Could you love me if I didn't make it so difficult?" Approaching her slowly, he waited.
She looked out at the moon/s reflection on the water. "I can love you if you make it difficult. I can love you if it's complicated." Vala looked at him then, her smile wide and happy. "I'm just waiting on you..."
He pulled her up into his arms. "It's gonna get complicated" he whispered, his mouth hovering over hers.
"It's already complicated, darling." Vala closed the gap, too excited to wait any longer for his kiss.
~END~