"Daniel, just give me 15 minutes and I'll be ready," Sam said as she joined the rest of SG-1 in the locker room.
"Ready?" Daniel questioned with a hesitant smile, looking up from his seat on the bench.
"For your birthday celebration dinner," Teal'c reminded him.
"Oh. You haven't forgotten that." Sam shook her head in exasperation, yet displaying a tolerance she rarely showed to other people. She adored Daniel like a brother. Which meant that he annoyed the hell out of her almost as often as he enchanted her.
"No, we haven't," she said firmly. "We just have to swing by the infirmary when we're ready and pick up Janet."
"This really isn't necessary," Daniel said hopefully.
"Geez, Daniel. Trying to get you to let us do something nice for you is like pulling teeth sometimes," Sam complained good-naturedly.
"Sorry," Daniel sighed as he finished tying his shoes. The truth was he'd rather have teeth pulled than be the 'guest of honor' for the evening. He enjoyed socializing with his friends; he just didn't like being the center of attention. He would have used any excuse to wiggle his way out of the evening's plans if it hadn't been for Teal'c. The guy got so few opportunities to get out of the mountain and just relax that Daniel would have felt guilty at putting a damper on the fun. Hell, he'd agreed to Jell-O wrestling before and that wasn't something he'd do for just anyone.
"Well, you kids have fun," Jack said as he pulled on his jacket.
"What? You're not going?" Daniel blurted out in surprise. He'd assumed that Jack would be joining them.
"Nope," Jack said succinctly.
"You sure, sir? You don't know what you'll be missing," Sam teased lightly.
"Oh, yeah," Jack said sarcastically. "You're a bunch of hell raisers all right. I'll be sitting by the phone, waiting for the police to call so I can come bail your butts out of jail."
"You never know," Daniel said dryly. "I hear there's an interactive demonstration of fluid dynamics at the 'Pit'." Daniel smiled at Jack's genuinely befuddled expression.
"Jell-O wrestling," Teal'c explained with a smug smile. Sam snorted in amusement and shot Daniel a look of approval.
"D'oh," Jack muttered. "Just don't be doing Jell-O shots. Teal'c, keep an eye on Daniel. You know what a cheap date he is." Daniel scowled at Jack. Being a 'cheap date' had played a role in initiating his more intimate relationship with Jack, and Daniel had no complaints about that. He was, however, just a little sensitive about his continued inability to build up a tolerance to alcohol.
"You don't trust me?" Daniel challenged, knowing that Sam and Teal'c would read his comment as a reference to the generally held view that Daniel shouldn't be let out on his own.
"I don't trust Carter and Fraiser," Jack said flatly. "They're liable to liquor you up and do god knows what with your limp body." Daniel mouthed 'limp?' at him.
"Sir!" Sam protested with a laugh.
"Bet Carter has a camera in her purse right now," Jack said slyly. Sam's immediate blush confirmed his accusation. "Have fun," he called as he walked out the door.
----
"Daniel?" Sam asked.
"No, thanks," Daniel said firmly waving off the dessert menu. Sam simply shrugged and added her order to Teal'c's.
"I don't know how you do that," Janet observed ruefully. Having watched Sam pack away a hearty meal, with dessert, on many occasions Janet couldn't find any explanation for the way Sam stayed so slim except that the woman was blessed with damn good genes. "You should weigh 300 pounds."
"Major Carter eats like the warrior she is," Teal'c said.
"Are you guys saying I'm a pig?" Sam said indignantly.
"Ignore them," Daniel said. "Janet's just jealous." Fraiser gave Daniel's shoulder a light punch.
"You're another one," Janet complained. "It should be a crime to be so damn good looking without having to work at it." Sam and Janet both grinned at Daniel's discomfited expression.
"Anyway, someone's got to eat cake tonight," Sam said pointedly glaring at Daniel.
"I'm just not much of a birthday party guy," Daniel admitted.
"You and Colonel O'Neill," Sam said dryly.
"Ah, yes, but for different reasons. Jack doesn't like them because he's getting old." Daniel grinned. "Siler said we'd have to get a permit from the fire department before we'd be allowed to actually light all the candles on his cake next time."
"Don't let the colonel hear you say that," said Janet, hooting in amusement.
"This is wonderful," Sam moaned as she dug into her dessert. "I've been dying for a piece of O'Malley's triple chocolate cake for ages."
"Is this the first time you've been back?" Janet asked.
"Returning to the scene of the crime," Daniel responded, sharing a conspiratorial grin with Sam.
"Despite the fact that I disapproved of the entire situation I still wish I'd been here," Janet admitted. "I still can't believe you took out that entire pack of goons."
"Your behavior was most immature," Teal'c said disapprovingly.
"The aliens made me do it," Daniel said innocently.
---
Daniel slid his key into his door. He hadn't talked to Jack about where to spend the night because he'd assumed that Jack would be with them at the restaurant. Daniel had finally decided to go to his own apartment. If he didn't find Jack there then he'd call Jack's house. The minute Daniel walked into his apartment, though, he knew he wouldn't need to call. Although there were no obvious signs, he sensed Jack's presence. Daniel dumped his keys and jacket on the kitchen table and headed for the bedroom.
Jack had dozed off lying back against the pillows he had propped up against the headboard. The newspaper was sprawled across his legs, having slid free of his slack hands and his reading glasses were resting on the end of his nose. Daniel quickly undressed in the light from Jack's bedside table lamp and slipped into bed. He leaned over and dropped a light kiss on Jack's forehead.
"What the hell?" Jack grumbled as he opened his eyes. His expression brightened as he saw what, or rather who, had awoken him. "Hey."
"Hey, party boy," Daniel teased.
"Ah!" Jack scowled. "Hey, I waited up for you." They both looked at the clock which clearly said 9:25 pm.
"Hope you didn't over exert yourself," Daniel said dryly. "The knee?" he questioned, guessing at the reason behind Jack backing out on dinner.
"Is fine," Jack answered vehemently. "It just needed a little rest. And ice," he admitted. "So.goodies?"
"A sweater from Sam and Janet. And Cassie," Daniel reported, snuggling up to Jack's side. "And a book from Teal'c."
"Book? Well, that's original."
"It is," Daniel said. "One of a kind in fact. It's a book of poetry Teal'c translated for me."
"Jaffa poetry?" Jack asked incredulously.
"Love poems," Daniel elaborated.
"Jaffa love poems? This I got to hear."
"You should have come with us," Daniel said.
"I was giving you a night out with kids your own age." Daniel scowled at him. "Okay, I was giving you a night out with folks who could share Colonel O'Neill horror stories." Daniel quickly turned his face away to hide the sudden blush. Jack just chuckled. "So, how was the Jell-O wrestling?"
"Sam won the women's division," Daniel reported with enthusiastic if false sincerity. "And Teal'c won the men's. I came in last but for some reason people kept wanting to wrestle with me anyway," Daniel added with apparent innocence. Jack growled, flung back the sheet, and headed straight for Daniel's groin. "Jack?" Daniel yelped as Jack's tongue dove between his balls.
"Ha!" Jack finally said, flopping back over to his previous position and recovering his newspaper.
"What the hell was that?" Daniel asked indignantly, distracted by the acute ache of awakening in his cock. Jack generally wasn't so abrupt in starting something. And he certainly wasn't one to leave unfinished business.
"Just checking," Jack said blandly.
"Checking what?"
"If you'd really gone Jell-O wrestling. Trust me; Jell-O has a way of getting into places that are damn hard to clean out again."
"Asshole," Daniel rebuked mildly. He leaned back against the headboard and looked down. Jack kept sneaking sidelong glances at Daniel, but Daniel neither moved nor spoke. With a sigh, Jack tossed his newspaper to the floor and set his reading glasses on the bedside table. He turned onto his side and propped his head on one hand.
"Daniel?"
"Are you going to finish this?" Daniel asked, gesturing at his semi-erect cock.
"Do I have to do everything for you?" Jack mock whined.
"It is my birthday," Daniel pointed out.
"I already gave you a present."
"I want more. Indulge me," Daniel commanded.
"Here I thought you wanted something unusual," Jack said with a chuckle. But he slid over and claimed Daniel's mouth with a slow, deep kiss as his hand wrapped around Daniel's cock. Daniel moaned appreciatively as Jack stroked him firmly. Jack smiled as Daniel responded to his touch. "Happy birthday?" he questioned softly as moved to nip at Daniel's neck.
"Mmmm happy, yes," Daniel murmured. He gasped slightly as Jack rubbed his thumb over the head of Daniel's cock. "Keep doing that and it'll be downright delirious," Daniel groaned as he pulled Jack in for another kiss. After a moment Jack pulled back.
"Love ya, you know," Jack said gruffly. Daniel's answering smile erased Jack's embarrassment.
"I know. And that's the best gift of all."
The End