After work, Jack found himself in the electronics store, walking down the aisle that displayed all the new video recorders. He wasn't really looking with interest at the moment. He was lost in thought, his nerves strung high. All he could think of was that earlier that day, Daniel had turned his world, their world, their friendship, upside-down. All because of a semi-innocent remark...
That morning...
Jack pulled up in front of Daniel's apartment building and made his way up. He knocked, waited, then knocked again with impatience. Daniel opened the door and walked away, looking as if he were in a hurry.
"Aren't you ready yet?" Jack asked as he walked in and shut the door.
"I thought to bring some of my books to reference but I can't find this one I'll need," Daniel said absently as he looked through his four bookcases. "Damn thing's around here somewhere."
"Can't you just..." and Jack waved at the bookbag that Daniel had already stuffed, "use these?" He peered inside. "Jesus, Daniel. It's only a two-day mission visit with SG-5. Can't these do you?"
Daniel arched a brow. "Um...no." He went back to searching so Jack went into the kitchen to grab himself a cup of coffee. When Daniel got like this, there was no sense in arguing. Just let him search, find, retrieve, then they'd go.
Of course...after Daniel got dressed.
Jack watched him as he stood the dining room sipping on the coffee, an amused smile curving his lips upward. Daniel was still in t-shirt and boxers. His hair looked slightly damp though, so at least the shower had been taken care of. For a brief moment, Jack allowed himself an indulgence. Daniel-watching. Or rather, watching Daniel's body. The man was definitely getting a healthier set of biceps, triceps, and the top of his shoulders were building up nicely. After seven years, it was about time. Daniel's waist and hips were still slender, however, but those thighs seemed a bit more muscular, too. And his...ass. Same firm, round...
Jack cleared his throat quietly and took a sip from the hot brew.
"Ah ha!" Daniel said suddenly. "Found it!" He stuffed the errant book into his bag with the others and finally gave Jack a long look of hello. "Ready."
Jack grinned sarcastically and motioned at him with the coffee cup. "Don't you think you'd better get dressed first?"
Daniel rolled his eyes. "I was getting to that."
Jack followed him into the bedroom, watching that ass he'd been thinking about. He didn't dare do this at work. No, he didn't dare. And normally, he wouldn't be doing it here, either.
"You know, I wish you could come with me," Daniel said as he pulled on his trousers. "I don't think you're looking forward to a few nights in D.C."
"That's a bit of an understatement, Daniel," Jack agreed. "But, it's a tough call. Either watch you and the SG-5 geeks sifting through rocks and dirt, or sit in a stuffy room in D.C., listening to a bunch of Pentagon pencil-pushers."
Daniel cast him a side-ways look before pulling on one of his shirts. "Well, yeah, I can see how that'd be a hard choice," he said, grinning as he buttoned up, "but hey, none of those pencil-pushers is worth being around. At least the SG-5 are worth hanging around, and one's at least worth looking at."
Jack coughed, watching Daniel carefully as the enormity of the casual statement grew in his mind. From all outward appearances, Daniel was preoccupied in getting dressed. It didn't appear that he was paying much attention to what he said.
"Looking at?" Jack queried.
"Yeah, you know. Looking at, watching, and I can guarantee that at least one member of SG-5 is worth that, just like SG-1."
Jack's mouth dropped open as Daniel moved to the other side of the bed and sat down to pull on his shoes. Okay...all of SG-5 was male, if Jack remembered correctly. Was Daniel talking about one of the 'male' members of SG-5 being worth looking at? As in 'guy-watching'?
Jack's jaw dropped even wider. So...Daniel was saying he was gay? Or bisexual? Not many guys were bisexual and the chances of himself and Daniel...
But then, they bucked a lot of chances all the time, didn't they? So...Daniel was...
Holy Shit.
Wait...Daniel also said someone on...SG-1? Who...exactly?
"Um, Daniel, are you paying attention to what you're saying?"
"Yeah, why?" Daniel asked absently as he tied his sneakers.
Jack knew by Daniel's actions that he had no idea what he'd just said. "Okay, I didn't know you liked guys but hey," he drawled, "So...who are you talking about...on SG-1 specifically?"
Daniel froze in his actions. His eyes wide, he looked up at Jack over the rim of his glasses. Oh crap. He'd actually said that, hadn't he?
"Um..." Cat's out of the bag now, Daniel told himself. "Fuck," he cursed under his breath. Okay, so maybe he'd planned on telling Jack about himself. After everything they'd been through, wasn't it about time? Well, maybe now wasn't a good time for that. Daniel winced. May as well get some of it out in the open now.
"Um, I've always been interested in guys, Jack. Girls too, just not as much. As for who I was talking about, well, in SG-5 it's Tom...er, Sergeant Thomas Walker. And SG-1, um...it's you. But don't worry, I'm not about to come onto you. I'm just acknowledging how good-looking you are, is all." He paused and took a longer look at Jack. His best friend didn't seem to be afraid or ticked off, but he did seem to be gearing up for a good mad. "Okay, I can see you're starting to get mad for me not telling you, and I can understand that, but given where we work and all that, I didn't want you worrying about all that stuff, I mean, it's not as if you don't have enough, you know, and maybe you could just chalk all this crap up to me having too much coffee already...or something." He took a deep breath. "Or...you could just pretend you didn't hear any of that."
Daniel took another deep breath and started to move past him, but Jack set the coffee cup down on the dresser and gently took his arm. "This is a big thing, Daniel. I can't pretend anything anymore."
Daniel stared back at him, his eyes bright and nervous. "It's not a big thing if you don't want it to be."
Jack took a deep breath. "That's not what I meant. What if I want it to be?"
Daniel's jaw worked silently as he took in what Jack was saying. All he could feel right then was the feel of his clothes against his skin and the blood pumping in his chest. Jack felt the same?
The two men regarded each other. A huge change had just occurred - and without either of them having put any serious thought to it. It had just...come out. And so had they.
To each other.
For each other.
What if Jack was experimenting? Taking a hell of a chance, Daniel leaned forward and brushed his lips firmly over Jack's in a dry, but soft kiss. He then walked out of the bedroom.
Jack stood there, stunned. Leaving the coffee mug, he quickly went after Daniel and took his arm again, pulling Daniel back towards him, forcing him to turn around.
"You can't just do that and walk away, Daniel."
Jack found the wild look of panic in his friend's eyes.
"Hey, what's wrong? It's okay."
Daniel stared back, reading Jack's expression that things were indeed fine. More than fine, judging from the loving, and very surprised but accepting, look in Jack's eyes. Daniel found his panic abating and his lust rising. He wound an arm around Jack's neck and one around his waist, pulling him firmly against him as he brought their lips together once more. Daniel opened his mouth and sought out Jack's tongue, moaning softly yet hungrily when Jack's met his. Their tongues twined and tasted, exploring and quickly arousing. Daniel was now very much aware of Jack's body and Jack's growing erection against his own.
Jack suddenly broke them apart and pulled away. Daniel let out a slow breath as Jack took in a deep one. "Damn."
"Yeah."
"We'll...um...we'll talk about this when we both get home. Deal?"
Daniel swallowed. "Deal. Dinner? Three days from now, mission permitting?"
Jack nodded. "It's a..."
"Date?"
Jack swallowed. "Date."
Jack set up the camera on the armchair that faced his sofa and looked through the preview window. Perfect. Jack drew the shades and turned down the lamp to its medium setting, then checked the preview window of the camera again. Good. The lighting was sufficient. More than sufficient.
Jack didn't know if this was a good idea or not, nor why he was even considering it. However, considering that their worlds were now turned topsy-turvy, he may as well turn them further on their ear.
Jack sat down and hit the remote, turning on the camera. He took a sip from his beer bottle, swallowed, then cleared his throat.
"Hey, Daniel. I have about ten hours before I'm supposed to leave for the airport, so I'm going to record this...not so little message for you and leave on your kitchen table. You'll probably get home before I do. Okay...the point. Um, after you see this, and you haven't freaked, than call me...or I'll call you...or whatever. Anyway, I'll come over and we'll have our da...um, dinner...date." Jack cleared his throat once more. "Okay, so...first things first. Get yourself something to drink, or eat, and um, you have to sit down. This will take a while." Jack paused a moment, then waved at the camera as if it were Daniel. "Daniel...sit. You're going to need it. And get comfortable. Very comfortable." Jack cleared his throat a third time and began.
Daniel was tired when he got home, but he was also happily satisfied with what he'd accomplished offworld with SG-5. Aside from that, he found himself apprehensive and antsy. When he hadn't been focusing on the artifacts, all he'd been able to think about was Jack, and how their relationship had changed. He hoped it was for the better.
Daniel hung up his jacket and went into the bedroom to change. He thought about Jack and his feelings and hoped that they hadn't changed...or rather, that they were more than their brief kisses had told him. Slipping on his jeans and a scruffy white t-shirt, Daniel padded back out to the living room. He paused by the bureau, and the telephone recorder. There was one message, recorded four hours earlier. He pressed the button and held his breath.
"Hey, Daniel. I'm just about to catch my flight out. Nothing's changed."
Daniel let out his breath.
"I also left you something. It's next to your computer. Hope your time with SG-5 was good. I'll see you when I get home. Bye."
Daniel felt his heart pounding. Jack had left him something? Okay, they had keys to each other's homes in case of emergency. Jack had apparently felt it important enough to enter his apartment and leave. His curiosity growing, Daniel looked across the room at his computer desk. Next to the keyboard was a video camera. Daniel's mouth dropped open. At first he thought Jack had video-taped a farewell message, but Jack had just said on the recorder that he'd see him when he got home. Jack also never left messages just to say 'fuck you and goodbye'. Jack preferred to do that in person, anyway. So this was different.
He turned on his computer, then found the peripheral for viewing camera recordings. Picking up the camera, he removed the small disc and slid it into the compartment. The software started, made its computing noises, then loaded the 'film'. The 800 x 600 picture window opened up on his large monitor.
Daniel blinked. Jack was sitting on his couch at home. And he was dressed in his t-shirt and shorts. Daniel's favorite t-shirt and shorts. Both were snug and accentuated all of Jack's muscles...and very well.
"Hey, Daniel."
"Hey, Jack."
"I have about ten hours before I'm supposed to leave for the airport, so I'm going to record this...not so little message for you and leave on your kitchen table. You'll probably get home before I do."
"Yeah, yeah, get to the point, Jack."
"Okay...the point. Um, after you see this, and you haven't freaked, than call me...or I'll call you...or whatever. Anyway, I'll come over and we'll have our da...um, dinner...date."
"Freaked?" Daniel asked, his eyes growing wide.
On the tape, Jack cleared his throat once more. "Okay, so...first things first. Get yourself something to drink, or eat, and um, you have to sit down. This will take a while." Daniel was still processing 'freaked', wondering what Jack was going to say to make him freak, when he saw Jack waving at the camera. "Daniel...sit. You're going to need it. And get comfortable. Very comfortable."
Daniel reached over and hit Ctrl+P to pause the recording.
"Holy shit." He immediately went to the cupboard and pulled out a glass and the JackDaniel's whiskey he had. Grabbing several cubes of ice and dropping them in his glass, he filled the glass, then brought it and the liquor bottle back over to the computer. He set the bottle down and sipped at the liquor as he sat down in his computer chair. It wasn't as comfortable as the couch, but it would have to do. His stomach growled at him, but Daniel was no longer as hungry as he had been.
He took another sip from the liquor, grimacing slightly as the sharp heat ran through his chest. He reached out and pressed Ctrl+P again and the video playback resumed.
"Okay, Daniel...first of all...I don't think I'm gonna get much sleep. And if I'm a bear when I get home, then I apologize. I also think that aside from...what I have planned here," and Daniel watched as Jack swallowed with nervousness, "this is the most you'll ever hear me talk at one time...and about this...stuff, so...make the most of it."
Daniel smiled, nodding at Jack's video image.
"First, I've no idea how long you've had feelings, or maybe they're just desires, I don't know..."
Daniel shook his head. "Not just desires, Jack."
"...but for my part, I started to feel real things for you after that whacky download thing." Jack hadn't been looking at the camera, but he now was. "I had always thought of you as a good-looking man, Daniel. Very. But you had Shau're, even if she was...you know."
Jack took a sip from his beer and Daniel took a sip from his liquor.
"So, I didn't allow myself to indulge...you know. Not even fantasies. I just looked...elsewhere.
Jack shrugged onscreen and Daniel wondered what Jack meant by that. He reminded himself to ask later.
"But when I had that stuff in my head and I couldn't speak, and was slowly starting to not understand English, what I could see and understand was how much you cared. A lot, Daniel. Maybe it started after I thought you'd died on Klor'el's ship, but I think it really started there." Jack took another sip from his beer. "But anyway...Listen, when Shau're passed away, I wanted to come to you, to show you, um, to let you know I was there, but...I got scared so I backed off. I didn't really trust myself, Daniel. I wanted to comfort..." Jack cleared his throat and shook his head. "Point is, you'd effectively been on the rebound. So...I stupidly backed off way more than I should have."
Daniel shook his head, feeling his eyes heat with emotion. "You damn bastard, I'm the one who backed off. I could have come to you. It was my choice to reach out and I didn't."
"So, anyway, I decided that I'd just be your friend. Then...things got complicated for a while."
"Yeah, no shit, Jack."
On the video, Jack paused, finished his beer and got up from the couch. Daniel turned up the volume on his speakers and he could hear Jack getting another beer from the kitchen. When he returned and sat down, he looked squarely into the camera. The intensity of his gaze sent a chill down Daniel's spine. But a good kind of chill.
"I didn't mean to bring that up and I suppose we can talk about that again some other time. The point is..." and Jack swallowed, showing his nervousness again. "The point is..." Again Jack paused. He suddenly got up and reached for the camera to shut it off, but he froze. He turned around and Daniel was now looking at an close-up shot of Jack's ass. Granted, it was covered, but that cotton material hugged his ass so well that...
Daniel took a deep, shaky breath.
"The point is Daniel, I wanted to show you what you'd be getting into with me." Jack's ass was still in front of the camera and though Daniel heard Jack well enough, he wondered what Jack was doing. Jack's ass moved then, slightly, and Daniel could just make out the man's shirt...which was now coming off.
Daniel blinked, wondering what Jack was doing, but he suddenly got the point of everything as his mouth dropped to the floor...along with Jack's shorts.
On the video, Jack's naked body, ass still at the camera, stood before him. Daniel immediately knocked back the rest of his drink and poured more liquor into it. "Fuckin' A, Jack."
Jack walked away from the camera and slowly turned around. He wasn't even hard. His expression looked mischievous, however. "I bet your wondering...if I'm doing this much, shouldn't I be excited...or something?"
"Yeah," Daniel croaked, "You could say that."
"Well, truth is, I had to think up some nasty images in order to keep myself from getting aroused."
"Why?" Daniel drawled.
"Because I have plans."
"And you're going to quit screwing around and show them to me or...?" Jack smiled wickedly onscreen and Daniel groaned. That was Jack's sexiest fucking smile. "Jack, don't do that."
Jack sat down on the couch, then spread his knees...wide, exposing all he had to Daniel. He never took his eyes from the camera, from Daniel, as he slowly raised his beer bottle to his lips and took a slow drink, licking the rim of the bottle when he was done. A drop of condensation ran over Jack's thumb and he deliberately looked at the camera as he licked it off.
Daniel's mouth dropped open again. "Oh, you're not going to...oh...my...god..."
Jack's right hand moved over his inner thigh and travelled over his balls, caressing them lightly. "Watch me, Daniel," Jack whispered.
"What do you think I'm do...ing," Daniel said, his voice hitching as his attention flickered to Jack's cock. Jack's stiffening cock. "Jesus," Daniel whispered.
Jack moved his hand up to wrap his fingers around the base of his cock. "I'd like to do this in person, Daniel." Jack began to move his hand slowly up and down the lengthening shaft and Daniel found himself mesmerized. On one upstroke, Jack's thumb rubbed over the glans, smearing the pre-come that began to pool.
Daniel licked his lips.
Jack suddenly leaned to his left and set the beer bottle on the end table. With his left hand, he caressed his chest, tweaking his nipples erect. Daniel bit his lip, his reaction in wanting to bite and suck heating up inside him.
"Know what I want you to do while I do this?" Jack suddenly asked.
"What?"
"Jerk off, Daniel. Watch me and jerk off. I'll assume you're very hard by know."
"Good assumption," Daniel said as he stood up and shoved his jeans down his hips. Spreading his knees, he took hold of his hard cock in one hand and massaged his balls in the other.
Onscreen, Jack continued the slow stroking of his cock, but his hips began to move slightly. Daniel also noticed a small amount of sheen appearing on Jack's upper lip as well as between his pectorals. "I want you to suck me, Daniel," Jack suddenly said, his voice deep and sultry.
Daniel swallowed. "Yes."
"But don't let me come."
"No."
"Bring me to the edge, then fuck me."
A harsh gasp escaped Daniel's throat. "God, yes!"
Jack moved his hips in a circular motion as his hand sped up. He closed his eyes and dropped his head over the top of the couch. "Daniel," he whispered.
"Jack," Daniel frowned as his fist sped up the strokes on his cock. Jack's breathing became labored then as his rhythmic thrusts through his fist quickened. His left hand moved down to his ass and Jack also moved his body down so his ass was over the edge of the couch.
"Fuck me, Daniel," Jack ordered and followed his words with erotic gyrations of his hips. Jack's hand sped up even more and his mouth fell slack from his harsh panting. It was obvious that he was now lost in the act of jerking off in front of Daniel.
"Jesus." Daniel tried to mirror Jack's actions but he couldn't, not in the chair. He suddenly stood up, knocking the chair back, as his hand pumped quickly, tightening its grip as he watched Jack slide two fingers inside his ass. "Oh God." The head of Jack's cock was purple now and his fist moved in the same rhythm as the fingers now fucking his ass. Daniel reached behind him and thrust two dry fingers into himself. He rocked his body back and forth, watching Jack's writhing body onscreen.
"Daniel, God!" Jack cried out and he was coming. The moment Daniel saw the white fluid spurt onto Jack's chest, he choked out a cry and came, his own semen hitting the carpet in front of his desk. He dropped to his knees, continuing to pump and fuck himself, while onscreen, Jack's hand slowed down as his body went through its aftershocks.
Daniel closed his eyes and stilled his hands, waiting through his own tremors. When at last his body calmed, he was reminded of the video when Jack said,
"I think this is enough foreplay, Daniel. What do you think?"
Daniel hit the stop key. "I think that when I see you, you sonofabitch, dinner will wait."
Ninety minutes later...
As he cooked dinner, Daniel kept grinning every time he thought about what he'd done - what Jack had done. And what the both of them would do once Jack--
There was a knock at the door.
Daniel froze, gripping the salad tines so hard they almost broke in two. He looked at the stove clock, 8:32 p.m., and quickly counted the number of flight hours and Jack's message time.
There was another knock at the door.
"Shit," Daniel chided himself and went for the door. He opened it and found Jack standing there, fist raised and ready to knock again. He was wearing his brown leather jacket, that dark green shirt he had, and...those black jeans he'd bought a few weeks before. The ones that, for once, hugged his ass.
"Hey," Daniel greeted, trying to order his heart to calm down...and to tell the blush that was suddenly, mysteriously, coloring his cheeks to go the fuck away.
Jack cleared his throat. "Hey," he said back. He took in the jeans, absently. What caught his attention was the thin, white muscle shirt Daniel wore, and the way his pecs were enhanced...beautifully...by it. He had to restrain himself from grabbing Daniel right then as well as the flush he felt suffusing his face. The two of them stood there, gawking at each other, for a minute. Jack cleared his throat again. "Gonna invite me in or...?"
"Shit, sorry," Daniel replied and stepped back. As soon as Jack walked in and Daniel shut the door, he couldn't wait any more. "You are one hell of a tease, Jack O'Neill," he said gruffly and pulled Jack in for a searing kiss. Jack's coat was pushed off his shoulders and fell to the floor. Daniel continued to kiss him as his fingers went for the buttons on his shirt.
Jack did not have a problem with this. In fact, he was hurrying the process along by pulling Daniel's shirt loose from his jeans. Somewhere along the line, through the continuous kiss and the fumbling to remove clothes, Jack found himself being pushed onto Daniel's bed. Daniel finally broke the kiss and looked down at him.
"Now...we get the real thing," Daniel told him.
Oh, yeah.