Glancing around the crowded room he saw no sign of Sam, though somehow he knew exactly where she'd be. Telling himself that he only needed a breath of air, Jack ducked outside unnoticed and made his way up to the roof.
Wrapped snugly in the blanket he left up there for the cold winter nights, she was leaning back against the waist-high wall and staring up at the stars. On this clear night, the moon not yet risen, there must have been thousands of the bright points of light visible against the velvet
blackness.
"Hey," he called softly and, startled, she glanced over at him.
"I didn't hear you," she greeted him, sending him a smile before returning her attention to the night sky. He watched her for a moment longer before moving to her side, also staring up at the familiar constellations.
"So, whatcha doin' up here all by yourself?" he asked finally, breaking their companionable silence.
She shrugged, her head still tilted up towards the sky. "I just needed a few minutes to myself. Hope you don't mind me coming up here."
"Of course not." Below them, dozens of voices began to chant, counting down the seconds until the new year began. "It's been a hell of a year, hasn't it, Carter?"
She grinned at him then, bringing her full attention to the man by her side. "It's been a hell of a few years, Colonel."
He smiled back, listening to the sounds of celebration coming from inside the house. He'd missed the main event at his own party, but somehow there was nowhere else he'd rather be. "Well here's to a better one." Moving to stand in front of her, his hands came to rest lightly on her hips as he leaned in slowly, pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek. He pulled back only slightly, lingering close enough that he could feel the fine hairs of her skin brushing his own as her hands came up to cup his elbows. "Happy New Year, Sam," he breathed, feeling her shudder as his breath caressed her ear, and he knew right then beyond a shadow of a doubt that if he were to kiss her right now, she wouldn't stop him.
He pulled away.
His hands clenched on her hips as he tried to steady his breathing, and he wasn't sure if she was trembling or if his hands were shaking. Maybe it was both.
When he finally opened his eyes his breath caught all over again as he took in the sight before him. Her eyes were still closed, a soft smile touching the corners of her mouth, her face tilted up towards his. When her eyes slid open, they mirrored the same longing he felt sure was reflected in his own. "Happy New Year," she whispered back eventually, her voice husky, and his hands again tightened convulsively. He didn't think he'd ever forget the sound of barely masked desire in her voice.
By mutual consent they both pulled back, and without another word rejoined the party below.
--end--
Story Notes: AUTHOR'S NOTES: I opted to do a New Year's Eve fic instead of answering the Christmas challenge. Well, to be honest, I wrote this in July and I've been dying to post it for months. Thanks to Sue for betaing *waves*
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]