A/N: This is short, but sweet! Krys, I guess he does whatever he does when he's off world on a mission with other people around - use your imagination! (Dangerous suggestion.)

Week 10

They'd distanced themselves from each other. Barely spoke, unless it was necessary. Each sure the other wanted it that way. Both thinking it was for the best. If Jack had been there, he would have slapped Daniel upside the head and told him to make a move, but Jack wasn't there and Daniel felt alone.

Finally, late one afternoon, AJ had had enough. "DJ, I can't live like this any longer. I feel like there's a wall between us and neither one of us has been willing to knock it down. If you're not interested in a romantic relationship with me, fine, but please, please, we need to be friends while we're here. I miss playing games with you and teasing you and sparring with you. God, Daniel, I miss you, and you're right here!" AJ's voice broke as she fought to hold back tears of frustration and loss.

Daniel sat on his sleeping bag across from AJ, stunned. He blinked several times at her and then pushed his scraggly hair out of his eyes as he processed what she had said.

"AJ…romantic…um…I thought…I thought maybe you had someone back home and that's why you were so distant. I mean, after all, in the situation we're in, it's hard enough to be loyal to someone you might never see again. I just didn't want to push."

"I thought maybe you had a girlfriend back home. It seemed that just as we were getting comfortable with each other, you suddenly pulled back. I just figured that since you're such a great guy, someone would have snatched you up by now."

"Who? I can't really have a relationship with someone outside the SGC. How the hell would I explain why I'm gone all the time or hurt so often when I'm a translator? Who in their right mind would put up with that crap?" Daniel still hadn't moved from his side of the hut. He sat rocking himself slightly, unaware of the self-comforting movements.

"OK. I'm just going to ask straight out." AJ moved over to sit directly in front of Daniel, her knees just touching his. "Are you at all attracted to me? Is there a possibility that we could have a relationship beyond friendship? I'll tell you, you're driving me nuts! I'm so turned on all the time I can't think straight. That's never, never happened to me before."

Daniel laughed, "Join the club!" He took off his glasses and looked her directly in her eyes. "I've missed your candor and ability to make me laugh, even when I want to cry."

Daniel leaned forward and cradled her face in his hands, brushing her cheeks tenderly with his thumbs. She sucked in her breath, holding it. His eyes drifted down to her lips and watched as the tip of her tongue unconsciously slid along the upper lip, moistening it.

He looked back into her eyes. "You know there's no turning back? Once I kiss you, I won't stop. So if this isn't what you want, say so now."

She dropped her eyes to his neck and saw that his pulse was jumping. She reached up with her fingertip and touched the spot on his neck that throbbed with his life's blood. She sucked her lower lip in and scraped it with her teeth.

She peered back up into his eyes and felt alive for the first time in months. Her fingertip rose from his neck to his lips and she outlined them with her trembling finger.

He closed his eyes, fighting for control. "AJ, it's been a very long time since I've... If you don't stop, I'm going to lose it right now. As it is, this won't take long, sorry."

Nodding, she backed away from him and began pulling his shirt up. At the first touch of her hand on his body, Daniel reached for her and began stripping her clothing off as fast as he could. Clothes flew around the hut until there were no more left to remove.

He laid her back onto his sleeping bag and sat back on his heels, looking at this incredible woman who was offering herself to him, freely. "AJ, this will be fast, but give me a few minutes and then we'll do it right."

Her answer was to pull him down covering her and wrap her legs around his waist. With a moan, he vowed his love with his body.