Author: Geonn

Email: neil_j_miser@yahoo.com

Pairing: Sam/Janet

Category: Romance

Rating: R

Series: The Midnight Series

Disclaimer: Stargate and characters are the property of MGM, Gekko, etc. Mainly you need to know no one with the name of Geonn owns the deed to these ladies.

Archive: Yes, just let me know where it's gonna be.

Notes: shadowsrealm, there will be a banner for this... but not tonight and maybe not tomorrow. Just letting you know ;-D

Summary: Their first official date.

Janet reached up, flattened her palms against the cool blue tile. Bending her elbows, she dropped her head and let the cool spray of the shower wash over her hair, caressing her head like a many-fingered masseuse. The cold waterfalls rounded her cheeks, bypassing her hanging hair, and flooded over her nose and mouth, over her closed eyes, pouring endlessly into the drain below her. She moved her body back and forth slowly, letting the water alternate between the top of her head (where it flattened her hair to her skull) and the back of her neck (letting it smooth down the tired muscles of her back, over the curves of her ass and between the cheeks to flow down her legs).

She lifted one foot from the accumulating water in the tub, the water dripping from her toes inaudible in the downpour of the rest of the shower. She lifted her head and allowed the spray to hit her directly in the face. Her make-up was cleared, her face unadorned and now pelted by the cleansing spray. She opened her mouth, then spit the water to the tub. She shook her head, wet strands sticking to various points on her lips and cheeks. She straightened, giving her body one final pass with the washcloth, and turned off the faucets.

Her toes and fingers were wrinkled and pale, her skin rising in a multitude of goosebumps as she exited the shower and stood for a moment on the larger towel. She could see her reflection in the mirror over the sink and, for a moment, thought of turning away. At the last moment, however, she walked forward and stared at herself as she thought a lover might.

Sam was so beautiful... what could she possibly see in *this*?

She was 38, going on 39. Which was one away from 40. She leaned forward, pointing out to herself the lines that she usually let make-up cover. They curved around the corners of her lips and pointed to her eyes in an unflattering manner. She squinted, tilting her head and bringing her hands up to her breasts. Had they sagged like that last year? Last week, even? She stepped back, using her fingers to try to push in her stomach. It wasn't as bad as it could've been, but then she'd been denying herself pudding and ice cream for longer than she cared to think about. She ran her fingers through her hair. Brown. Dull. She considered turning to inspect her ass, but thought better of it. The ass is no woman's friend, regardless of age. She sighed, wrapping a towel around her torso to hide her nudity and began the process of beautifying herself.

---

Ten fingers wrapped around the thin stem of a single calla lilly, which stretched towards the ceiling before drooping near the top. Sam had picked it because it was the tallest calla lilly in the shop and she had spent fifteen minutes making sure it *was* the tallest. Five of the fingers were Sam's; the other five belonged to Janet. Janet tightened her hands around Sam's fingers, squeezing her and the flower, rising on her toes to meet Sam's lips. Her other hand was similarly entwined in Sam's short blonde hair, holding the taller woman's head in place as they brushed mouths.

When they finally broke the kiss, Janet flattened her feet to the hardwood floor of Sam's entry hall, turning her eyes from Sam's face to the flower. "It's beautiful," she said, tenderly accepting the flower from her new lover. She sniffed the wide bulb. Sam had gone all-out decorating the house for a nice, quiet evening with her best friend. The lights in the kitchen, den and back hallway were all out, casting dark shadows all over. A single lamp glowed in the dining room, illuminating a candlelit kitchen table with the rest of the dozen flowers.

The living room had two small table lamps lit, giving them a bit of backlighting. Janet ignored the house and turned her attention to Sam. She was wearing a wide-necked blouse with an open collar, showing off her elegant shoulders and collarbones. The shirt was transparent enough to make out the silhouette of Sam's bra beneath but opaque enough to hide the design of it. She also wore black slacks that hugged her hips but plumed out around her legs. Her feet were bare. She wiggled her toes and shrugged. "No use squeezing them into tight uncomfortable heels if we're staying in, right?" she asked, now worried Janet would be offended by the lack of footwear. The last thing she wanted was for Janet to think she wasn't taking this date seriously.

"I don't mind," Janet assured her. "As long as I can take off my heels, too."

"Be my guest," Sam said.

Janet took a seat in her chair at the table, immediately pulling off her heels and rubbing her arches. Sam took the opportunity to look over Janet's attire for their first official date. The brunette wore a crimson-colored blouse that was open at the throat, elegant against the tan of her flesh. Her brown hair, highlighted with subtle streaks of blonde, hung loose around her face. As Sam took her own seat, she finally stole a glance at Janet's legs. She was wearing a black skirt slit up both thighs, and dangerous nylon stockings. As Janet ended her foot massage and lowered her leg, the dress flashed a bit and Sam saw a bit of the lace top of the stocking.

She cleared her throat. "Did you bring the movies?"

"I did," Janet said, eyeing the layout hungrily. "We'll decide what to watch after we eat, mm?"

"Yeah," Sam smiled. She had ordered Chinese, painstakingly transferring the Dinner-For-Two from the carryout cartons into serving bowls. It looked homemade, but she knew Janet wasn't fooled. Who would have been? Picking up one dish, she said, "It's chicken with cashew nuts." Janet nodded and Sam dished some onto both plates. She used tongs to distribute the eggrolls and carefully poured two bowls of egg drop soup. "There are crackers in that bag," she said, pointing. "And salt... oh, salt."

She stood, hurrying into the kitchen and finding the salt. A quick shake of the little dispenser and she cursed quietly, moving to the pantry and digging until she found a blue-and-white bag. Janet stifled a chuckle as Sam gracelessly refilled the salt shaker and carried it back to the table. "I knew it," Sam said, "I knew I'd forget something." She sighed and handed Janet the salt.

"Actually," Janet said, "it's a good thing." Sam arched an eyebrow. "Something was bound to go against the plan. This way, it's the salt. Everything else will go swimmingly."

Sam knocked on the edge of the wooden table.

---

Candlelight played on both women's features as they parried the conversation back and forth like professional tennis players. Janet sipped her wine while Sam told an anecdote, Janet delivered the replies as if they had been scripted. The egg drop soup was too hot and Sam blew on Janet's serving for her. Janet blushed. They held hands as they ate, sharing the fried rice, Janet splitting the last serving of chicken with Sam. Sam ate Janet's egg roll and Janet ate Sam's. They giggled at their silliness and finally declared the dinner portion of the evening to be over.

Janet picked up her fortune cookie first, cracking it open. Sam reached across the table and covered Janet's hands with her own. "Wait," Sam said, closing her eyes. She moved her lips, then opened her eyes and said, "Okay."

Grinning, Janet separated the halves of the cookie and withdrew the small fortune paper. "38, 4, 11, 10, 35, 26."

"Ha, ha," Sam said. "The fortune side."

Janet turned the paper over, her smile fading as she read the tiny red type. She looked at Sam and said, "What did you do?"

"I made a wish. What does it say?"

Janet cleared her throat, a line appearing between her eyebrows. "It... ah, it says... It says she loves you."

Sam looked at her plate, pressing her lips together in a smile. "I planted it," she admitted. "Custom-made cookies. I bought 'em at the mall."

"How'd you know which one I would get?"

"They both had the same fortune." She finally found Janet's eyes. "Is... will mine be... accurate?"

Janet found Sam's hands in the middle of the table, holding them tight and not saying anything. Finally, she whispered, "Open your cookie." Sam did as instructed and, as she read the type to herself, Janet said out loud, "She loves you back."

They smiled.

---

Candles extinguished, all but one lamp out, the room was bathed in the glow of the television. The movie Sam had picked from Janet's selections was playing, but neither was paying attention to it. The blonde was seated at the edge of the couch, Janet curled against her side and resting her head on Sam's lap. Her legs were tucked underneath her, her hands resting lightly and innocently on Sam's thighs. The movie played on as Sam whispered conversation to Janet. Janet whispered replies that became fewer and farther between as the movie progressed.

When the credits began to roll, Sam lightly brushed Janet's cheek and looked down, seeing the brunette had fallen asleep. She bit her lip and eased herself off the couch, transferring Janet's head to a cushion. She kissed Janet's temple and moved out of the living room, quietly going about cleaning the detritus of dinner. She turned off the TV, turning on a lamp to guide her movements as she rearranged furniture back to their original placements, finally kneeling in front of the couch. She brushed Janet's hair and kissed her lover softly until her eyes fluttered open weakly.

"Hey. You fell asleep."

"I did?" Janet said sleepily.

Sam said, "You might have had too much wine at dinner. Do you want to stay here?"

"I drank too much at dinner. Can I stay here?"

Sam grinned and kissed Janet. She stood, then eased her arms under Janet's knees. She pulled the petite woman forward and moved her other arm under Janet's side. She lifted her lover easily, cradling her, and carried her through the house to the bedroom. Janet dozed against Sam's shoulder, fingers playing with the closest button they could find on Sam's blouse. Sam gently stretched Janet out on the bed, clicking on the bedside lamp.

Janet was already mostly asleep. Sam looked over her options and, though they had promised this night wouldn't lead to sex, knew there was only one thing to do. She removed Janet's watch and rings, laying them on the night stand, and then began to unbutton her blouse. She deftly worked all the buttons, then looked at Janet's black lace bra. She exhaled. "This is in your best interest, mind you," she informed the slumbering woman.

The bra vanished and Sam retreated, finding a suitable pajama shirt in her closet. She draped the brunette in the plaid and went to work on the skirt. She separated Janet from her skirt, underwear and stockings with a clinical detachment she was surprised to see she possessed. She didn't even sneak many peeks... She buttoned the pajama top and pulled the quilt up over Janet's body, tucking it around her shoulders and kissing the shell of the brunette's ear.

She left her friend, her lover, asleep in her bed and left the room, closing her house against the night. She locked doors, turned off the remaining light and checked the street for any signs of... actually, she wasn't sure *what* she checked the streets for. Old habits died hard, and her father had always done it. That done, she returned to her bedroom, picking up Janet's heels and carrying them with her.

Closed in the bedroom, the rest of the house night-silent, Sam sat in her armchair and loosened her own clothes. In her underwear, she looked at Janet and saw the wet reflections that gave the brunette away. Sam stood, dropping her panties to the floor and kicking them towards the hamper as she walked to the closet to retrieve her own pajamas. She felt Janet's eyes on her the entire way. She doffed the bra and turned, giving Janet a good view of her breasts before slipping into the oversized t-shirt.

She started to the bed, then decided she wasn't tired at all and returned to the chair. As she sat, Janet gave herself away. "Sam?" she asked.

"Mm?"

"Nothing."

"Okay."

Silence.

"Are you coming to bed?"

"Yeah."

"Now?"

"No."

Janet nodded in the darkness. "Why not?"

"I..."

"I won't laugh."

Sam bit her lip. "Can I just watch you?"

"I'm just going to sleep."

"I know."

"Okay."

A few minutes later, the blankets stopped shifting and Janet's eyes were closed. Sam got out of her chair and walked over to the bed, kneeling beside it and looking at Janet up-close in the darkness. She was wearing too much make-up. She was blocking everything that made Sam love looking at her. The laugh lines that framed her lips, showing how much she had loved living. The tiny little crow's-feet that pointed towards her most entrancing feature: her eyes. She had years to go before the lines were visible from a distance of three feet, but Sam could hardly wait. She wanted to see Janet grow older. She wanted to be the one by Janet's side as they got old, as they face their golden years.

Together.

Janet was so beautiful... sometimes Sam wondered why the brunette would bother with someone like her. She reached out, touching Janet's face and watching her eyes flutter and dart beneath her thin eyelids. She kissed Janet's knuckles and rested against the mattress, staring at Janet's face until her eyes couldn't stand being open any longer. She fell asleep with her face pressed against Janet's hands, the brunette's fingers curved as if cupping her lover's face as they slumbered.