The Games People Play Chapter 4--Expectations
Title: Expectations
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU "Are you sure it wasn't just a convenient excuse for people to cuddle by a fire?" Vala smiled, tilting her head in invitation.
Rating: PG
Length: Around 1100 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala
A/N: The Games People Play Part 4. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101. Literary works mentioned are: The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot; A Man's Requirements and Bianca Among the Nightingales by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Expectations
Daniel paused in the doorway, his eyes widening with surprise. He rested the side of his head on the doorframe, wet hair still dripping from the shower. A smile twitched over his lips, and he hoped that she wouldn't see him. Vala sat cross-legged on his living room floor, one hand raised to absently pat her hair down with a towel, but the motion was entirely automatic. Her attention was riveted on the beat-up paperback in her other hand, but he couldn't make out the title in the firelight. She bit her lip in thought as she turned the page, and the towel finally slid out of her grasp. She still didn't notice, and Daniel couldn't quite stifle a laugh.
She jumped, then let out a breath at the sight of him. Glancing back at the book, she dog-eared her page, then closed it and held out a hand. "Darling, come get warm. You'll end up with one of those cold things that Mitchell had last week."
"You don't get a cold by being cold," he said fondly, but he pushed himself away from the door and walked inside, taking the hand she offered.
"You don't?" she frowned.
"It's a virus," he explained as he sank down across from her, brushing a finger lightly against her cheek.
"Oh. Well, why is it called a cold, then?" she wanted to know.
"Well, because that's what people used to think. No one really knew about things like germs that caused disease," he explained.
"Are you sure it wasn't just a convenient excuse for people to cuddle by a fire?" Vala smiled, tilting her head in invitation.
"I doubt it," Daniel laughed, leaning forward to brush her cheek with his lips. Her hand slid up against the back of his head, and he closed his eyes. He traced his mouth over the contour of her cheek and down her jaw, then left a trail of long, languorous kisses along her neck, paused, and finally drew back.
"What's wrong?" Vala whispered.
Daniel smiled and shook his head, reaching for her hands. Her brow creased in confusion, but she allowed him to take them, and he gently pulled her into his lap. She went without resistance, snuggling deep into his arms. Her cheek settled firmly against his heart, and he gave a contented sigh, resting his lips in her hair. Neither spoke for a while, simply enjoying the closeness of one another's bodies and the warmth of the fire.
"What were you reading?" he asked after a few minutes.
"Hmm?" Vala tilted her head back to give him a surprised look.
"When I came in," he said. "What book is that?"
"Oh. Sam loaned it to me. It's called The Mill on the Floss," she replied.
Daniel's eyes widened. "Eliot?" he asked.
"Mmm," Vala nodded enthusiastically. "It's about a girl named Maggie Tulliver. Have you read it?"
"Uh…yeah…" Daniel said slowly.
"You don't like it," her face fell.
"No, I do. It--it's just, I--" he broke off, clearing his throat.
"What?" she raised an eyebrow.
"It's just…not exactly the kind of book I'd expect you to like," he said.
"Why not?" Vala frowned.
"Well," Daniel shrugged. "The--the classics are pretty heavy reading…"
"Oh. Too smart for me, is that it?" she demanded.
"No!" he shook his head.
"Really? Then what would you expect me to be reading?"
Daniel opened his mouth to reply and then bit his lip, quickly deciding that it would be a very bad idea to point out that last week Vala had been reading a trashy romance that someone had left in the commissary. His gaze flicked nervously off toward one of the nearby shelves, though he had no real hope of finding an answer there.
"Here!" he exclaimed, suddenly seizing on an idea. He gently shifted her off his lap and scrambled up, hurrying to grab an old leatherbound volume. The shelves were tightly packed, and a few others spilled out as well. He quickly stuffed them back in and turned to face Vala, who was watching with her arms folded across her chest.
He smiled a little nervously and stepped back toward her, opening the book and flipping pages as he went. "Elizabeth Barrett Browning," he said by way of introduction.
"Love me Sweet, with all thou art,
Feeling, thinking, seeing;
Love me in the lightest part,
Love me in full being.
Love me with thine open youth
In its frank surrender;
With the vowing of thy mouth,
With its silence tender…"
Slowly, Vala let her arms fall, and he smiled again. Kneeling on the floor in front of her, he handed her the book and cupped her face in his hands.
"Love me with thine azure eyes,
Made for earnest grantings;
Taking colour from the skies,
Can Heaven's truth be wanting?
"You're trying to ply me with poetry and make me forget that I'm annoyed with you," she smiled, bringing a finger to his lips.
"Is it working?" Daniel asked.
Vala laughed softly and let her finger slide away. She held his gaze for a long moment and then nodded, replacing the finger with her lips. Without breaking the kiss, Daniel gently guided her down until they were both stretched out on their sides.
"Tell me the rest of it," she murmured, finally sliding her mouth away.
"Hmm?" he asked bemusedly.
"The poem, Daniel," she chuckled, resting a hand on his cheek.
"Oh! Oh, right," he nodded. "Um…"
"You don't remember anymore, do you?" she laughed.
"Sure I do," he nodded. "Uh--gimme a second."
After a few false starts, he did manage to remember and recite the rest of A Man's Requirements. Vala rewarded him with another kiss, and then shifted and stretched her arm to pull the book over from where she'd laid it. She handed it to him with a winning grin, but he shook his head.
"You read me one now," he said.
"But I don't know them," she objected.
"It's okay, just…read through the beginnings. Find one you like and read it to me," he replied.
"All right," Vala bit her lip nervously. She sat up to give herself more of the firelight to see by and began scanning the pages. Daniel pushed himself up as well and repositioned himself behind her. He wound his arms around her, pulling her snugly against his chest, and settled his chin on her shoulder. She turned her head to look at him, leaving a light kiss on his lips before returning her attention to the book and beginning,
"The cypress stood up like a church
That night we felt our love would hold…
Author: Lionchilde
Summary: AU "Are you sure it wasn't just a convenient excuse for people to cuddle by a fire?" Vala smiled, tilting her head in invitation.
Rating: PG
Length: Around 1100 words
Category: Fluff
Pairings/Charaters: Daniel/Vala
A/N: The Games People Play Part 4. The series follows current cannon to the end of 10x09, Company of Thieves. Written for fic101. Literary works mentioned are: The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot; A Man's Requirements and Bianca Among the Nightingales by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
Expectations
Daniel paused in the doorway, his eyes widening with surprise. He rested the side of his head on the doorframe, wet hair still dripping from the shower. A smile twitched over his lips, and he hoped that she wouldn't see him. Vala sat cross-legged on his living room floor, one hand raised to absently pat her hair down with a towel, but the motion was entirely automatic. Her attention was riveted on the beat-up paperback in her other hand, but he couldn't make out the title in the firelight. She bit her lip in thought as she turned the page, and the towel finally slid out of her grasp. She still didn't notice, and Daniel couldn't quite stifle a laugh.
She jumped, then let out a breath at the sight of him. Glancing back at the book, she dog-eared her page, then closed it and held out a hand. "Darling, come get warm. You'll end up with one of those cold things that Mitchell had last week."
"You don't get a cold by being cold," he said fondly, but he pushed himself away from the door and walked inside, taking the hand she offered.
"You don't?" she frowned.
"It's a virus," he explained as he sank down across from her, brushing a finger lightly against her cheek.
"Oh. Well, why is it called a cold, then?" she wanted to know.
"Well, because that's what people used to think. No one really knew about things like germs that caused disease," he explained.
"Are you sure it wasn't just a convenient excuse for people to cuddle by a fire?" Vala smiled, tilting her head in invitation.
"I doubt it," Daniel laughed, leaning forward to brush her cheek with his lips. Her hand slid up against the back of his head, and he closed his eyes. He traced his mouth over the contour of her cheek and down her jaw, then left a trail of long, languorous kisses along her neck, paused, and finally drew back.
"What's wrong?" Vala whispered.
Daniel smiled and shook his head, reaching for her hands. Her brow creased in confusion, but she allowed him to take them, and he gently pulled her into his lap. She went without resistance, snuggling deep into his arms. Her cheek settled firmly against his heart, and he gave a contented sigh, resting his lips in her hair. Neither spoke for a while, simply enjoying the closeness of one another's bodies and the warmth of the fire.
"What were you reading?" he asked after a few minutes.
"Hmm?" Vala tilted her head back to give him a surprised look.
"When I came in," he said. "What book is that?"
"Oh. Sam loaned it to me. It's called The Mill on the Floss," she replied.
Daniel's eyes widened. "Eliot?" he asked.
"Mmm," Vala nodded enthusiastically. "It's about a girl named Maggie Tulliver. Have you read it?"
"Uh…yeah…" Daniel said slowly.
"You don't like it," her face fell.
"No, I do. It--it's just, I--" he broke off, clearing his throat.
"What?" she raised an eyebrow.
"It's just…not exactly the kind of book I'd expect you to like," he said.
"Why not?" Vala frowned.
"Well," Daniel shrugged. "The--the classics are pretty heavy reading…"
"Oh. Too smart for me, is that it?" she demanded.
"No!" he shook his head.
"Really? Then what would you expect me to be reading?"
Daniel opened his mouth to reply and then bit his lip, quickly deciding that it would be a very bad idea to point out that last week Vala had been reading a trashy romance that someone had left in the commissary. His gaze flicked nervously off toward one of the nearby shelves, though he had no real hope of finding an answer there.
"Here!" he exclaimed, suddenly seizing on an idea. He gently shifted her off his lap and scrambled up, hurrying to grab an old leatherbound volume. The shelves were tightly packed, and a few others spilled out as well. He quickly stuffed them back in and turned to face Vala, who was watching with her arms folded across her chest.
He smiled a little nervously and stepped back toward her, opening the book and flipping pages as he went. "Elizabeth Barrett Browning," he said by way of introduction.
"Love me Sweet, with all thou art,
Feeling, thinking, seeing;
Love me in the lightest part,
Love me in full being.
Love me with thine open youth
In its frank surrender;
With the vowing of thy mouth,
With its silence tender…"
Slowly, Vala let her arms fall, and he smiled again. Kneeling on the floor in front of her, he handed her the book and cupped her face in his hands.
"Love me with thine azure eyes,
Made for earnest grantings;
Taking colour from the skies,
Can Heaven's truth be wanting?
"You're trying to ply me with poetry and make me forget that I'm annoyed with you," she smiled, bringing a finger to his lips.
"Is it working?" Daniel asked.
Vala laughed softly and let her finger slide away. She held his gaze for a long moment and then nodded, replacing the finger with her lips. Without breaking the kiss, Daniel gently guided her down until they were both stretched out on their sides.
"Tell me the rest of it," she murmured, finally sliding her mouth away.
"Hmm?" he asked bemusedly.
"The poem, Daniel," she chuckled, resting a hand on his cheek.
"Oh! Oh, right," he nodded. "Um…"
"You don't remember anymore, do you?" she laughed.
"Sure I do," he nodded. "Uh--gimme a second."
After a few false starts, he did manage to remember and recite the rest of A Man's Requirements. Vala rewarded him with another kiss, and then shifted and stretched her arm to pull the book over from where she'd laid it. She handed it to him with a winning grin, but he shook his head.
"You read me one now," he said.
"But I don't know them," she objected.
"It's okay, just…read through the beginnings. Find one you like and read it to me," he replied.
"All right," Vala bit her lip nervously. She sat up to give herself more of the firelight to see by and began scanning the pages. Daniel pushed himself up as well and repositioned himself behind her. He wound his arms around her, pulling her snugly against his chest, and settled his chin on her shoulder. She turned her head to look at him, leaving a light kiss on his lips before returning her attention to the book and beginning,
"The cypress stood up like a church
That night we felt our love would hold…