Title: A Matter of Trust
Author: Moonshayde
Season: Ten (early)
Category: Vignette,
UST
Spoilers: None
Pairing/Character: Daniel/Vala
Summary: Vala learns trust isn't easily acquired.
Warnings: None
Rating: PG
Disclaimer:
Stargate, Stargate SG-1 and all of its characters, titles, names, and
back-story are the property of MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, Gekko
Productions, SciFi Channel, and Showtime/Viacom. All other characters, the
story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author. This story
cannot be printed anywhere without the sole permission of the author. Realize this is for entertainment purposes
only; no financial gain or profit has been gained from this fiction. This story
is not meant to be an infringement on the rights of the above-mentioned
establishments
She slid her hands down the
length of his chest, smiling as her touch elicited a soft moan from his lips.
Feeling encouraged, she slipped her hand down lower, toying with his belt
before shifting to blow gently at his ear.
"Was it as good for you
as it was for me?"
Daniel's eyes snapped open.
Before Vala could react, he pushed her away, scrambling to untangle himself
from both her and his sleeping bag.
"We each have our own
for a reason," he mumbled.
"But it's so impractical.
Think about it," she said, grabbing a handful of material and consequently
drawing Daniel closer. "If we shared one, we wouldn't need to lug all of
these supplies.
"Or you wouldn't have
to lug your supplies."
She shrugged. "Either
way works for me."
"Not me." He
pointed to her sack. "Yours."
Vala sighed and flopped onto
her back, staring at the interior of the tent. "Honestly, Daniel. You have
no sense of humor."
With an aggravated sigh, he
shook his head and started to tug at the sleeping bag, only to stop and frown.
"What's that around your neck?"
She glanced down at her neck
and fingered the delicate chain and clasp that held a small crystal. "This
old thing? Been in the family for years."
"Vala..."
"What?" When his
scowl refused to disappear, she sighed. "I borrowed it."
"You mean you stole
it."
"Borrow. Steal."
She turned on her side. "Is there a difference?"
"You stole it. From
me."
Vala couldn't help but
smile. Whenever Daniel was angry, his face never failed to pucker into a mess
of fine lines and deep fissures, which only brought more attention to his
mouth. He never realized how his lips puffed out when he was upset.
Her smile widened. "And
just what are you doing buying jewelry?"
Daniel's cheeks puffed with
indignation. "None of your business."
"Well, I should
certainly think it is my business," she said. "I never knew you that
you had a jewelry fetish. Do the others know?"
Silence.
"What do you think they
will say when I show them?"
Daniel lunged at her. In
such a confined space, neither one of them had much room to move or defend
against attack. Therefore, beating him into submission wasn't an option, and
she could do so without the rest of his gang coming in for the rescue. And yet,
she's grown rather fond of this game, unable to let go just yet.
Vala unclasped the necklace
and let it drop between her breasts.
Daniel gaped at her.
"You're free to come
and take it," she said with a smile.
To Vala's surprise, Daniel
didn't reply at all. The anger vanished from his face, replaced by sorrow –
even disappointment – encapsulated in his deep frown. Then, he turned away from
her completely, sliding back into his sleeping bag.
"Well, you're no
fun."
"Keep it," came
his muffled voice.
"Excuse me?"
"Keep it. Just take
it."
Now, Vala frowned, feeling a
growing unease with his sudden change in mood. The two of them had been playing
this game for months now. Surely, he knew she didn't mean anything by it. She
knew that he didn't. It was all just part of the fun.
"I can't just take it
if you're going to give it to me," she said. Vala bit her lip, shoving her
hand down her shirt as she fumbled for the necklace. She grinned as she
retrieved it. "Here," she said, thrusting it towards Daniel.
"Good as new."
Daniel remained motionless
within the confines of the bag.
Vala rolled her eyes.
"And people call me childish." She slipped in beside Daniel, reaching
over to dangle the necklace in front of him. "You can at least tell me who
was the lucky lady."
Daniel turned and finally
faced her. "She was you."
"Me?" Vala frowned
again and lowered her arms. "Was?"
He nodded.
"Oh."
He offered her a sad,
regrettable smile. "I know you've been struggling to fit in and put aside
your old ways. I just thought..." He glanced at the necklace in her hand.
"It's not important. Never mind."
Vala found herself
speechless as she watched Daniel turn away from her again. There was an
uncomfortable burning sensation spreading through her cheeks.
She did not like to feel
uncomfortable.
After taking another longing
look at the necklace, Vala reached over Daniel's shoulder and dropped the chain
into his open palm. "Here. Give it to someone more worthy."
With that, she flopped onto
her back, finding herself staring at the interior of the tent yet again. For
the longest time, she remained motionless, only listening to her own breathing
and heartbeat as they punctured the silence. She tried not to dwell on her
anger – anger aimed at herself – or to acknowledge the disappointment she'd
read in Daniel's eyes.
Tomin had made her soft.
Earth had made her soft.
Daniel had made her soft.
The time ticked on. Slow,
fast – she didn't know. What she did know is that the silence was killing her,
the heavy weight of expectations and desires confining her in this makeshift
prison. If she didn't leave, she would go mad.
But before she could free
herself from her own pressures, she heard Daniel shift beside her, his body
heat washing over her skin as he moved into her personal space. Vala gazed past
him, pretending not to watch as he brushed back her hair and slipped the chain
around her neck, clasping it with a quick pinch of his fingers. He held the
crystal suspended over her neck, long enough for Vala to catch the affection in
his eyes, but brief enough for her to wonder if she'd imagined it. Then, he let
the crystal fall through his fingers before he brought his hands to his side.
Vala reached down and traced
her fingers over the chain. "Why?" she asked with a frown.
"It's okay," he
said softly. "I know you're trying."
"Just not hard
enough," she said, knowing the answer.
Daniel didn't reply. He
pulled away from her and turned onto his back, his gaze fixed somewhere above
him. Vala settled in beside him and rested her head on his shoulder.
The two didn't say anything
for the rest of the night. Vala kept quiet as she thoughtfully stroked the
crystal. She wondered just when she had changed. She wondered if it had been
instantaneous or if it had been gradual. She wondered if this is what she'd
been searching for all along.
And she wondered when
gaining someone's trust and affection had become her strongest desire,
outweighing any treasure she'd ever coveted.
THE END
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