(no subject)

[diehard_daniel]

Daniel's in his bedroom, not-sleeping. Buffy's in the guest room, the one that's usually occupied by Jack or Sam after nights of too much to drink when they'd come too close to not coming back alive. She hasn't met his friends yet, which Daniel thinks is probably for the best, all things considered. She and Jack might get along - and if they didn't, it might do Jack some good to get his butt kicked by a girl barely over five feet - but Daniel wants his guest to be comfortable, so he hasn't mentioned to his friends that she's there yet. He's shown her Colorado Springs, introduced her to his fish, and cooked meals for her, but they haven't talked much, really. The connection he feels to her is a little strange, but he thinks maybe it's a holdover from when he was Ascended and she was in Heaven, because nothing else could explain it. Shared experiences, shared pain, it helps them both, and if Daniel had ever had a child he thinks that might be something like what he feels for Buffy, though he doubts any father ever really understood his daughter as well as he understands his friend.

He's lying awake in bed, thinking about these things, and thinking about Eris. Wondering if she wonders where he is, wondering if she cares. Wondering if she's all right. If she knows Buffy's there and is upset over it. Hoping she knows it's not like that, hoping she knows that Buffy's 15 years or so younger than him and he hasn't been interested in 23-year-olds since he was one. Hoping he'll see her soon.

Comments

[to-the-fairest1.livejournal.com]

There may or may not be a draft in Daniel's bedroom, but either way a slightly warm breeze makes its way through the room.

Apples, and cinnamon, and warm.

[diehard_daniel]

Daniel knows that scent. Rather intimately, in fact. He smiles when he smells it, and rolls over onto his back, addressing the empty air. "Do you make a habit of visiting men in their bedrooms?"

[to-the-fairest1.livejournal.com]

A quiet voice.

"Actually, the last man I visited didn't have a bedroom at the time."

Amused laughter echoes in her voice.

[diehard_daniel]

Daniel's eyebrows go up, and the smile widens into a grin. "That's...very adventurous of you. Hello, Eris. I was just thinking about you."

[to-the-fairest1.livejournal.com]

A smile, and something more of a presence in the room.

"I know."

[diehard_daniel]

"Of course you do." Daniel chuckles softly, then sobers just a little. "Are you...feeling any better?"

[to-the-fairest1.livejournal.com]

She's almost there; in the dark, he can see a vague form, nodding.

"I am. And I'm sorry that I worried you, Daniel."

[diehard_daniel]

"That's good. That you're better, I mean, not...you don't have to be sorry. You don't have anything to be sorry for."

Aw. Earnest!Daniel. There should be an icon for that. Oh look, there is!

[to-the-fairest1.livejournal.com]

And she's there, and walks across the room to sit on the edge of his bed, watching him.

"You worried anyway. And I'm not used to people worrying over me, I'll admit, but I'm fairly sure that that's the correct reaction. An apology for causing worry."

[diehard_daniel]

Daniel shrugs slightly. "I worry about people I care for. It's a quirk I have."
He pulls himself into a sitting position and takes her hand in his, squeezing her fingers gently. "I really am glad you're OK."

[to-the-fairest1.livejournal.com]

A slight smile, and she squeezes back.

Thank you.

"I think I've managed to figure out most of what was causing problems, anyway, and they've been fixed... so I should be good. Back to confusing people."

[diehard_daniel]

Daniel smirks, slightly. "What a relief." He leans over and kisses her cheek. "You never stopped confusing me, if it's any consolation."

[to-the-fairest1.livejournal.com]

She grins, turning to face him, cross-legged.

"What a relief to hear, that."

[diehard_daniel]

That grin makes him want to kiss her again, so he does. On the mouth this time. The kissing is nice. We likesss it, preciousss.

[to-the-fairest1.livejournal.com]

There is a moment of quiet, perhaps of hesitation; and then she kisses him back softly. A moment later, she pulls back with another smile, one hand coming up to cradle the side of his face.

"You know... you're cute when you're sleepy."

[diehard_daniel]

Daniel raises his eyebrows at her and only blushes a little. "You mean I'm not cute the rest of the time?"

[to-the-fairest1.livejournal.com]

She chuckles softly.

"Not always. Sometimes you're all brave and bold and handsome, and stuff."

Goddess she may be, but that doesn't mean she's always bothered to be expressive.

[diehard_daniel]

OK, now he's blushing for real. "Not that brave." But he's smiling, just a little bit. "But thank you."

[to-the-fairest1.livejournal.com]

She leans in, slowly, and kisses him again lightly, for just a moment, before pulling back with a smile.

"I need to go, Daniel. But I wanted to come see you."

[diehard_daniel]

It's on the tip of his tongue to ask her to stay. Instead, he touches her cheek, returning her smile. "I'm glad you did."

[to-the-fairest1.livejournal.com]

She reaches up, resting her hand over his, and perhaps for the briefest of moments her thumb rubs over the nearly invisible bracelet he still wears. And she smiles, and leans forward and kisses him once more, although this time it is on his forehead.

"Then I am glad as well. Goodnight, my Daniel."

And with another breeze, this one perhaps more like cider than simply cinnamon, she is gone again.

[diehard_daniel]

'My Daniel'. He blinks at the space she was just occupying, taken aback. 'My Daniel'. Sha're used to call him that, once, though her accent always made it come out 'Dan-yell'. He's not sure qhat to make of the fact that Eris just called him that as well. He only knows he's not displeased.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_jack_oneill/]

[ooc: Jack's been accepted! I didn't get your last e-mail about plotting because I can't access my school account from home. I should be able to, but the computer is playing silly buggers. Will you be around tonight?]