...the torture of days...
...."He's fine. He just didn't think he'd be coming home."
Just after lunch, Daniel and Sam sat on opposite gurneys in the infirmary, waiting for Janet. Dark circles smudged the skin under their eyes, and their corneas were an exhausted deep red. They each fidgeted nervously, and though their earlier demeanor had been giddy with intense relief at having established contact with Edora, and Jack, that relief was now mostly gone.
Swinging her legs absently, Sam kept exchanging glances with Daniel as he sat there, twirling a pencil in his fingers over and over. He suddenly got up and began to pace, his impatience increasing with having to sit and wait. Sam watched him with growing surprise and worry.
"Daniel?" she queried.
"Why do you think Jack went back to the planet?" he asked, hoping she might know.
"I don't know, Daniel."
"It looked as if there was something between him and...Laira."
"Well, it is possible, Daniel. He would have formed a bond with Laira and the others during the three months he was trapped there; cut off from home and trying to make life more bearable." She thought she sounded as if she were testing the theory herself then noticed the short grimace he made at her repeat of Laira's name. Was it out of disgust? She wasn't sure. "What?" she asked.
"Nothing."
"Daniel."
He stopped pacing and cast a look at her but wouldn't meet her eyes. "Sam."
Knowing his nerves were as frayed as hers, she still asked, "That bothers you?"
"What?" he asked diffidently, not wanting to answer her question. He knew he was bone tired and that the insomnia he'd been wrestling with for the last two months was causing him to be more than just a bit rude.
"Daniel?" she prompted.
"Sam?" he asked in a tired tone.
She blew a puff of air through her nose. "Does it bother you that they might have formed a bond?"
"I don't know. Maybe. I guess. Why?" Good. Use the innocent routine. It still worked with everyone. Mostly.
"I just noticed that it seems to. If you want to talk, I'm here to listen."
"What's there to talk about?" he asked almost dismissively. He wanted to tell her why it upset him, except he couldn't. However, maybe he could mention the other thing that was bothering him even more. "Have you noticed how he's avoided us since we brought the Edorans home?"
She watched him carefully, then shifted uncomfortably on the bed. She had noticed, but thought it was her own exhaustion that was making more of it than there was. She was both relieved that it wasn't just her imagination and irritated that Jack's avoidances were real.
"I thought that was my imagination."
Daniel shook his head as he folded his arms across his chest and resumed pacing, though a little more slowly. "Well, that's what's bothering me."
"Daniel, it's okay to be bothered that he's formed a friendship with her. I mean, we're a team and we've been apart for a little over three months. We're bound to feel a little...I don't know...protective...where he's concerned."
Daniel snorted. "I guess."
"There could also be any number of reasons why he's not talking," she said quietly, then added, "although he's never been that big on talk."
"Except it's more than that," he said in that quiet, contemplative tone he adopted when he was deep in thought.
"Yeah, but it really shouldn't bother us. We should give him time. And you and I need to get some real sleep."
Daniel nodded, forcing himself to look at her. As she stared back, Sam noted the tiredness in his eyes that was reflected in her own but noted also that his expression held something more and she couldn't figure out what that was. Then it occurred to her that maybe, as Jack's best friend, Daniel felt further abandoned than he had while Jack was MIA. They had talked about it periodically while they'd rushed to make the particle beam...weapon.
"I know it shouldn't bother me, but it does."
"Daniel...I'm sure it's nothing. He's probably just as stressed out as we are and we don't know all that he's had to go through. Since he got back, he's gone through the usual medical checks, had a briefing with General Hammond, then he went back to the planet."
"Yeah, but by himself. He didn't want us along."
"He's probably just settling things. You know - for a treaty."
"No, it's more than that."
"Daniel, everything could be explained away as duty and responsibility. Perfectly reasonable. Perfectly logical. I don't think he's ignoring us on purpose. I wouldn't worry. He'll be back home and then we can all go back to normal."
"Jack isn't just duty and responsibility, Sam. He stops and talks to people, makes sarcastic jokes, especially when he's stressed out or tired. During these so-called logical and coincidental avoidances, he hasn't stopped and talked to any of us. The only person he seemed to be chatty with was Teal'c, then General Hammond, and of course..."
"Laira."
"Right. But to everyone else, nada, zip, zilch. Hell, even Siler didn't rate a smart-assed remark."
"Okay...so...what's your point?"
Daniel took a deep breath. "I...guess I don't have one. I'm just bothered by it, that's all."
"And that brings me back to my earlier question. Does it bother you that he seems to have formed a bond with Laira?"
"I don't know," he lied, staring at her, resenting the rules and regulations of her profession that prevented him from talking to her more openly. As his friend, she wanted to talk because he was upset and she was worried about him. He understood that, but just how much could he say to her anyway? Her ability to listen went only so far because of her job because what he had to say...well, it went far beyond the boundaries of 'normal' relationship talk. Even though she was his friend, what he wanted to tell her, what he wanted to shout - to vent - to scream was,
"Yes, it bothers me, Sam, because he's my lover! He's been missing-in-action for THREE goddamn months, holed up with that woman he was flirting with for a week before the meteors struck! And now it looks as though they've had an affair and I'm jealous and hurt and pissed off because I think I've lost him to her!"
But he couldn't say any of that to her. Making a noise of frustration and disgust for not being able to trust her completely, he folded his arms about him and started to pace faster. Sam began to get more worried at Daniel's reactions. She hopped off the bed and gently grabbed his arm to make him stop pacing and look at her.
"Daniel, what's got you so worried?" she whispered, giving him her overly concerned sister look.
He stared into her eyes, seeing the same tiredness, the same worry...but not the same hurt. "Sam...I think I'm just overreacting. You know, the stress and all that. Don't pay any attention, okay?"
"Daniel, it's more than that," and she put her arm around his waist and gave him that sad puppy dog look that worked on him practically every time...like it was starting to now. He dropped his forehead to hers.
"I can't tell you, Sam. You wouldn't understand." He pulled her arm from around his waist and started to step away but she placed her hand back on his arm.
"Try me."
He took a deep breath and gave her a long look. "Don't ask...don't tell."
Sam's mouth dropped open, unsure she'd heard him right. "What's that mean?"
He levelled a guarded look at her, then said with slight sarcasm, "What do you think it means?"
"I don't know. That could mean anything, Daniel," she said, lowering her voice. "It could mean...you...him...or someone else. It's a bit vague."
"Isn't that the point?"
"Daniel."
"Me, Sam. It's me."
She blinked several times, then smacked him on the arm and whispered harshly, "Why the hell didn't you tell me?"
"You know why, Sam. Look around and tell me where we are."
She pressed her lips closed. "Okay, I see your point. So...you tell me that because...you're taking his avoidances personally...?" and as she thought about it further, the reason he'd told her became a little clearer and her jaw dropped open a second time. She whispered it so low she practically mimed the words, "You mean you're...you love him?"
He put a finger to his lips and gave her a sad smile, neither confirming nor denying, but it wasn't necessary. Now came the inevitable question as she frowned in confusion and he held up a finger to keep her from asking. His expression softened as he looked slightly down at her as they stood face to face. "For all intents and purposes, I'm bi."
"That explains Shau're," she said softly.
"I did love her, Sam."
"I know that, Daniel. That's why this is a shock."
"Are you mad?"
"No, why would I be mad? You just stomped all over my heart, and now I'm all hurt and confused and I wanna rip your heart out..."
He stared at her, his eyes widening until he saw the teasing smile forming on her lips. He shoved her arm. "Very funny."
"Sorry, Daniel. I couldn't resist. You asked a stupid question."
"Well, how about we table this discussion until after we've had a good night's sleep, okay? I'm starting to feel a little punchy. It's bad enough I'm having to fight from snapping at you and I don't want to do that."
"I know, me too." But she did have one more question. "So...what you said...that's why you're so upset?"
He sighed, a bit of that edginess in his mood coming out. "It's not that simple, Sam. He's also my best friend and he's not said two words to me since he's got back. And now...I feel like I've lost him all over again."
She slapped his arm again. "You haven't, Daniel. He's still your best friend."
"Well, he hasn't taken the time to talk to me, even for five minutes. No matter what else has happened on all our other missions, he's always talked to me...even when we argued about something. Now...this...whatever it is...he hasn't talked to you either, has he?"
"No, he hasn't, but that doesn't mean much," she said slowly. She suddenly rubbed his arm comfortingly, trying to shake off her own unease. "Don't worry. It'll be okay, Daniel."
"You sound so sure."
She shrugged, giving him her best sympathy look, then, "Does he know?"
"Know what?"
"That you're bi?"
"Um...that'd probably be a no." There was no way he would say anything about Jack. Jack's secret was his own to tell.
She snorted. "Thought so. Sorry."
"Don't worry about it." Daniel then gave her a curious stare, suddenly remembering the look on her face when Jack had turned from her on the planet, leaving her in mid-sentence. "Sam...how do you feel about him?"
She blinked...rapidly. "Well...um..."
"Can't expect me to open up and then clam up yourself."
She took a deep breath. "I had a slight case of hero worship for a while, but I got over it."
He knew she was hedging. "Uh huh. And now?"
"He's my C.O., Daniel. Even if I felt something, nothing could come of it."
"Do you feel something?"
She started to fidget in place, shuffling her feet. "I...might," and she winced, not wanting to say anything but felt it only fair to say something. "But Daniel, it still couldn't go anywhere."
"You sure about that?" he asked carefully, suddenly feeling that maybe Jack wasn't the only one he should be worrying about.
"Yeah..." she shrugged. "Pretty sure. As sure as I can be."
Daniel closed his eyes, then opened them again, giving her a careful look. "We haven't really figured out anything but our own feelings, have we?"
"No, I guess not."
"Do you think that maybe...he really is attracted to her?"
"From what we saw, it's obvious he's formed an attachment, but I don't think he's fallen in love with her." The more she thought about it, the more it bothered her...just as it bothered Daniel.
Daniel shook his head. "I don't think so either, but..." Exasperated that their conversation wouldn't answer his worries, and that it only served to make him feel further depressed, he went back over to the bed and sat down just as Janet came in to see them.
"Well, your labs show you're both okay so I think it'll be safe for you to take these for two weeks," and she handed them several foil packets each.
"What are these?" Sam asked.
"Sleeping tablets."
They both shook their heads and started to give them back but she put her hand up to stall them. "No. Those are the orders of your Chief Medical Officer, which means me. The two of you are also now on medical leave, by order of both myself and General Hammond."
"What? Why?" they both asked, upset at being away from their jobs for two weeks.
Janet held up her hand again. "Because your sleep patterns are out of whack. I know you'll go stir crazy so you can take work home with you, but...your online link to the base computers will be shut off from 6 pm to 9 am. You won't be able to work all night. Remember, you'll be on medical leave, which I know means nothing to you but you've got to trust me."
As they stared in shock at Janet, their brains were already active, trying to figure out what they could take home with them to keep themselves busy for two weeks. Janet knew there was nothing she could do, and knew them well enough to know that they would go as stir crazy as tigers in a cage.
"I'm sorry, guys, but that's the way it's gotta be. As of right now, you're both on leave so...go. I've given you 14 tablets of a new sleep medication. I'll be calling you every other day to see how the pills are working."
They only grumbled, nodded, said 'yes, Janet', and left the infirmary.
"Medical leave," Sam mumbled as they got into the elevator. "I hate that. It's not regular leave. You can't go anywhere."
"I know," Daniel agreed, suddenly wishing he could leave...or better yet, go on a dig somewhere for a year. The elevator stopped at level 19. "I guess I'll see you in the locker room...but if I don't, if you want to call me tomorrow...?"
She smiled gently at him as she stepped over the threshold. "Since I've got some packing to do, it'll probably be tomorrow."
"Yeah, I've gotta do that too," he said as the doors closed between them.
In his office, Daniel stuffed a satchel with as many discs and files as he could get away with taking home, then went to the locker room to change. The prospect of being cooped up at home for two weeks left him feeling even more cut off from Jack and he proceeded home with a feeling of grief in the pit of his stomach.
Standing in front of his coffee maker, Daniel found himself staring unfocused for who knows how long. He had tried to keep his mind off Jack, but he couldn't. What was worse, Sam's words kept coming back into his head. "It's obvious he's formed an attachment with her..."
Suddenly realizing that drinking coffee wouldn't sit well with that pill he was supposed to take, he put the coffee away, grabbed a single-serving bottle of Gatorade instead, shut the lights off and went to his bedroom. It was barely 2 p.m., but he was definitely ready for sleep. Now if he could only stay asleep. He took one of the pills with a mouthful of juice, then headed for the bathroom to take a shower. Sternly forcing his mind away from Jack, he visualized a picture of the alien language he was currently working on, trying to decipher its text as he washed.
When he stepped out of the shower, he stumbled, and at first, he wondered what the hell was wrong with him, then realized that the fog entering his brain was the effect of the pill. He scolded himself for not asking Janet how fast the damn things worked. The few he'd taken in the past had taken an hour, at least. Apparently, not this 'new' pill. He dried himself sleepily then slowly made his way back to the bedroom. Not bothering with clothes, he got into bed and turned off the light.
He expected to fall asleep right away, but it took a bit longer for his over-tired body to calm down. Unfortunately, that allowed him to think of Jack and his relationship with him...one that he was sure was over, especially given the look on Jack's face when he'd turned away from his team to talk with Laira. The dull aches of anger and heavy sorrow pulled him down, and combined with his exhaustion and the pill, he lost himself in sleep.
Jack looked bone tired, Hammond thought, as he watched from the bottom of the ramp. Almost as bad as Major Carter and Doctor Jackson.
"Welcome home, Colonel."
"Thank you, General."
"Come to my office when you're through with Doctor Fraiser."
"Yes, sir."
Jack had his scans and bloodwork taken care of, though by a nurse and a corpsman, not Janet; she'd already gone home for the day. He didn't permit himself to feel or think of anything as he made his way to Hammond's office. Whenever a thought entered his head, and any associated feeling, he shoved it away. He wouldn't allow anything - any one - to invade his mind until he got himself off the base. He had some explaining to do and trying to think out his thoughts here would not be a good idea.
Knocking on Hammond's door, the General waved him in and asked him to sit down after closing the door.
"I'll assume you've finalized the things you needed to take care of on Edora?"
"Yes, sir."
"And the woman, Laira?"
"Except for diplomatic ties with the SGC, I've nothing to go back there for."
"I'm glad to hear that, Colonel," and he said, and then hesitated. "Are you?"
Jack looked at him with an increasing weariness. "Yes, sir."
"Are you sure, Colonel?"
"As I can be, sir."
"And that means?" Hammond asked, extremely worried about his 2IC. He wanted more from Jack; he needed assurances.
"That means, sir, that I've no ties, with her - or with anyone else - on Edora. My business is done there."
Hammond nodded. "I'm sorry, Jack."
"You misunderstand my...emotion, sir. I only wanted to remain on Edora to see if she was...and she's not. I'm very..."
Hammond saw the look and recognized it. "I understand, Jack. And I can freely say that I'm glad. You're much needed here and we all missed you while you were trapped off-world. Hell, I missed you, Jack."
"Thank you, sir," he replied, wishing he could show more gratitude but he was just too emotionally drained.
Hammond hoped that Jack would say more, would come bouncing back to normal - if anything about the Colonel could be considered normal. He'd thought that Jack had looked tired and weary before, but looking at him now, he realized that Jack looked almost defeated. No, that wasn't right. He looked...heartsick?
"Is that all, sir? I'd like to go home and get some shut eye."
"Take all the time you need, Jack. Your team is not on the roster for the next few weeks so you may as well take that leave I know you have coming."
Jack sat up alertly...but in surprised alarm, not elation. "Why's my team on stand down, sir?"
"Well, Teal'c is here, but I've given him leave to visit Ry'ac if he so wishes, or to oversee some training regimens of the newest recruits." He paused, hoping to get a smile from Jack, but received no reaction at all. Sighing, he went on. "Major Carter and Doctor Jackson however, are on medical leave."
Jack stared, his mouth dropping open. "Why? I didn't see anything wrong with them the last time I saw them, sir."
Hammond now knew that Jack needed the leave more than he thought. For him not to notice his teammates' condition...
"When was the last time you took a good look at your teammates, Jack?"
Jack looked back at him a little guiltily but his growing concern quickly overrode it. "What's wrong with them, sir?"
"They're suffering from exhaustion and fits of insomnia. Doctor Fraiser has recommended that they take two weeks off, under periodic medical treatment, until their health is restored, and I agreed."
Jack began to get irrationally angry at his two teammates. "What the hell were they thinking?" he asked, trying not to snap.
"Jack...they were here, at the mountain, working day after day, trying to build a machine that would get you home."
Jack blinked. He didn't understand how Hammond or Fraiser could have allowed their health to deteriorate. "Why weren't they just sent home?"
"Because we needed them, and frankly, it wouldn't have done any good. We were all on edge, worried about you and the remaining Edorans. Hell, we had no idea if you were alive or dead. But we all went under the assumption that you were alive, so Major Carter came up with one of her brilliant ideas. Unfortunately, she and Doctor Jackson overworked themselves. I'm sorry to say that even I didn't see what was happening. I just took it as a sign that they were as tired as the rest of us. I didn't know how severe their condition was until Doctor Fraiser advised me of it a little while ago."
Jack closed his eyes, easily picturing that scene with Janet. The genius twins working overtime was a scary thought. He knew from personal experience that their minds never stopped working, never stopped to relax...until forced to by outside influence, usually from himself. Jack didn't know what Sam did to unwind - unless she worked on that motorcycle restoration project she'd started when the world was flat. He did, however, know what Daniel did to relax, aside from reading, meditating, and watching TV. Unfortunately, Jack wasn't around for the specific type of relaxation he was thinking about.
Jack remembered trying to have a night alone with him during the two months prior to the mission to Edora, but he hadn't been able to. Their missions had been one after the other and when they weren't off-world, Daniel was stuck doing translation work. Jack's last intimate moment with Daniel had been after...Ke'ra. He almost groaned aloud at the strange similarity between that mission and this latest one.
"So...they're going to be fine then?" Jack asked as the enormity of Daniel and Sam's actions finally sank in.
"According to Doctor Fraiser, they'll be fine as soon as their sleep patterns have returned to normal."
"Good," Jack nodded absently. "Well, if there's nothing else, sir..."
"No, Colonel, but I suggest that you take some leave, too. Reacclimate yourself to being home."
Jack started to argue but the look on Hammond's face warned him off that. "I'll...go fishing; see if maybe I can drag Daniel to my cabin for two weeks."
"You can't take Doctor Jackson with you," Hammond said, realizing again that Jack was more tired than he had thought. He got up and went out into his secretary's cubicle and to the forms cabinet, pulled out a leave form, then returned to his office and set it in front of Jack. "Sign the form, Jack."
Jack frowned as he stared at the form, wondering at Hammond's order. "Why can't I take Daniel fish--"
"He's on medical leave, Jack. He can't go anywhere. Doctor Fraiser is going to be monitoring him and Major Carter every other day to make sure that the medicine she gave them is working properly."
Jack's frown deepened. "What kind of medicine?"
"A new form of sleep medication."
Jack groaned. "Daniel hates pills."
Hammond smirked.
"Well...except for his allergy meds...but actually, he hates having to take those, too."
"I know he does, Jack."
"So...he's stuck at home for two weeks...and so is Carter." He shook his head. "They'll both go insane, sir."
"Partially, Colonel. They have access to the base computers, but only for a limited time per day. Any 'work' they want to get done has to be during normal business hours."
Jack jogged his brows. "Well, that's something, anyway."
"Time for you to get some rest, too. Now sign the form and get out of my hair."
"Yes, sir." Jack stood up, signed the form, then moved to exit Hammond's office.
"Jack?"
"Sir?"
"It's good to have you home."
"It's good to be home, sir."
Once again, Jack found himself sitting in his truck and staring up at Daniel's unlit apartment. It was into evening now and Jack had been sitting there for over an hour, trying to figure out all that he had to say to his best friend and lover. He'd waged fictitious arguments in his head, trying to think of every possible question and accusation that Daniel would hurl at him. Unfortunately, the only thing that he'd been able to come up with for an answer to each of them was, "I'm sorry." He actually hadn't planned on thinking anything through. The problem was, Daniel wasn't answering his door and though he had a spare key, Jack didn't think he should go in uninvited. Worried, Jack had called Janet.
"Doc, he's not answering his door but his Jeep is in his parking space so he's got to be home."
"Well, sir, he's probably gone and done what I told him to do...for once," she'd told him, referring to the pill she'd prescribed. She had then informed Jack that it would likely put Daniel out for about 8 hours or so, but one never knew with Daniel's high metabolism and active brain.
Jack opened the bottle of coke he had bought along with the Chinese food, now lukewarm, as he continued to think, waiting for Daniel to turn on the lights in his apartment; to wake up. He could have gone home, but the evening wasn't cold and he'd only end up back at Daniel's anyway. Listening to some of his more mellow classical music, and some that Daniel actually liked, Jack took a long sip on the soda. He was hungry and wanted to dig into some of the chow mein, but all he had with him was chop sticks and he hated using them. He suddenly made a snort of amusement as he remembered the first time he'd seen Daniel use chop sticks.
'Like a duck to water' was the phrase that came to him. He didn't know why Daniel took so easily to cultures outside of his own, but he did and seemed to thrive in them. That fact had scared the crap out of Jack on many missions but at least that ability he had had ended up saving his own life and the lives of his teammates.
Jack sighed, living through memories, waiting for the next one to be made. He fervently hoped it wouldn't be the last one he would make...privately...with Daniel.
Rolling over in bed, Daniel groaned as he awoke. He was still very tired, and felt it deep into his bones, but he was also hungry and had to piss. The one draw back to Gatorade, he thought.
Getting up, he sleepily rubbed his eyes as he relieved himself, then threw on a pair of boxers and made his way to the kitchen. As he looked inside his fridge, he groaned. The only thing worthy in there was the Gatorade...and of course, his coffee. There was ice cream in the freezer but nothing else that didn't have months of freezer burn. He hadn't been to the store in weeks, surviving on take-out and drive-thru. Daniel was - for once - glad of his high metabolism or he'd probably have gained ten pounds in the last three...months. He groaned again, having managed to forget about Jack for a whole ten minutes until just then. He automatically grabbed the coffee and made up a small pot as he tried to think of something to call for delivery.
Seeing a light go on, Jack grabbed his coke and the food and headed up. Mixed feelings engulfed him, but come hell or high water, he had to talk to Daniel and no more delays would be tolerated.
When the loud knock came, Daniel practically jumped out of his skin as he reached for the phone to call up the nearest teriyaki delivery service. He turned and glanced at the clock, and for a split second, wondered who could be paying him a visit. A brief hope surged as he thought it might be Jack, but as his hand reached for the door knob, he slowed, realizing that it was more likely Janet or Sam. Without a thought as to his lack of clothing, he turned the knob.
When he opened the door and found Jack standing there, relief, anger, love and...hunger (of the normal kind)...assailed him. Without saying hello, he nodded, then grabbed Jack by the front of his jacket, pulled him inside, took the sack from him, and looked within.
"Daniel, you're answering the door in your underwear." Not that Jack minded but for heaven's sake...
Growling as his only response, Daniel carefully dumped the contents onto the kitchen table, grabbed a set of his own chopsticks, some silverware for Jack, and a bottle of soy sauce, then pulled out plates and bowls from the cupboard, put on the kettle for tea, and filled a few glasses with iced water. He loaded his plate and dug in without bothering to sit down, making agreeable noises as he ate; lukewarm food or not, he loved it.
Jack hung up his coat as he watched Daniel's actions with fascination, then went to stand in the entrance to the dining room, unable to keep from showing his amusement. Daniel stared back at him as he took another mouthful of food, then hooked a chair with his foot and pulled it out, silently indicating for Jack to sit down and eat. Whatever Jack had to say would wait until he'd had something to eat. In Daniel's too-often found experience, anger and guilt on an empty stomach yielded nothing good.
Jack didn't need any nudging and he quickly served himself, relieved that Daniel didn't want to talk just yet, and even more greatly relieved that Daniel had led him inside at all...though he suspected that the food he'd brought probably had a lot to do with it.
The water was finally boiling, so Daniel set his food down, poured the water into another kettle, this one specifically designed for tea, then grabbed a couple of his own Chinese tea cups. After dropping the tea bags into the kettle, he set it onto a wrought iron warmer on the table, then set the cups next to it and finally took a seat at the end of the table, creating a bit of distance by putting two chairs between himself and Jack.
"Have some tea if you want," he said as he poured himself a cup, then went back to eating. Jack did, and the two sat in tension-filled silence, finishing what they had on their plates.
Instead of refilling his plate as he wanted to do, Daniel sat back, propping a foot against the edge of the table and tilted his chair back slightly as he sipped on his tea. Jack stared him, then looked at the remainder of his food before he set his fork down, waiting for Daniel to start.
"Well, Jack, you look like you have something to say, so let's hear it."
Jack mildly choked on his tea, not expecting that Daniel's voice would sound so...flat. Or more accurately, resigned. He knew Daniel would probably withdraw from him after he'd ignored him well past the point of easy explanation, but he didn't expect him to withdraw emotionally. Then Jack remembered...how Daniel had done something like this before. Daniel didn't want to deal with his anger just yet so he was attempting to ignore it...just as Jack had ignored him.
"It won't work."
"What's that?"
"Hiding from your anger. Be mad, Daniel. I treated you like shit when you rescued me, and I'm sorry, but I didn't do it on purpose." He waited for the result and got more than he bargained for.
Daniel stared at him in puzzlement. Hide from his anger? He thought about it and quickly realized Jack was right. That, in turn, pissed him off because the only one who was allowed to be right, at this moment, was himself. Jack was in the wrong...Jack was an asshole...Jack was a sonofabitch...Jack was...was...also insufferably good at reading him. There were times that Daniel really hated that.
"Not on purpose?"
"Well...okay, on purpose but I had a reason that had nothing to do with you and me."
"But it affected you and me, didn't it?"
"Yes."
"So what the hell was it with you and that Laira?"
Jack sighed wearily. This was going to be harder than he thought. "Daniel, don't be spiteful."
"Don't tell me how to be, Jack."
Jack took in another deep breath. All his planning and evaluating didn't mean shit now. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" Daniel laughed derisively. "For moving on? Don't be. Apparently I was just a convenient buddy fuck. Don't mind me, I'll just be over here with all the other boy toys."
"Stop it," Jack spat back, getting pissed at Daniel for his lack of faith in him...despite the circumstances. "I didn't move on and you're not a buddy fuck and never have been."
"Yeah, well, that's how I feel."
"Daniel..."
"You told me, 'Be mad, Daniel', so here I am. Highly pissed off, in fact. I can understand the flirting and shit beforehand...like getting your own back, as it were."
"I wasn't getting my own back. She flirted, I flirted back. She was a nice woman and I liked her...at first."
"But you don't now."
"No."
"Why?"
"I'll explain that in a second. But first, I need to tell you that as far as I'm concerned, we're not over with, never have been, and...I...love you."
Daniel brought his chair upright and scowled. "Oh, that's rich. Is that supposed to make me feel better? I'm supposed to be dosed with Jack's love and all's right with my world? Apparently a meteor fell on your head, Jack."
"Don't get nasty. I don't say it that much as it is and now when I do, I'm waylaid for it."
"This is the first time I've ever sniped at you for it and you know damn well why. You said it now to soften whatever blow you're going to land on my head so cut to the fucking chase, would you please?"
Jack was going to blast out several vindictive and hurtful things, but his years of experience warned him - almost like a klaxon - that if he did that, he'd never have Daniel in his life, or in his bed, again. He stared at Daniel and forced himself to calm down. The effect made Daniel cool off a little as well.
"Daniel...it took me two months to realize that I probably wasn't going home. For two weeks I tried to find where the stargate was buried, but I couldn't. I dug and dug. Laira kept at me, with that irritating pragmatism she has, telling me that my energy was better served on helping her people rebuild and prepare for a short harvest to see them through the coming winter. So...that's what I forced myself to do."
Daniel had a feeling that it would have been like that. Though he hated that woman instantly for trying to pull the hope Jack held for rescue, he also knew she was right. "Go on."
"After two months, she started to come onto me...and I let her."
Daniel ground his jaw again. "I figured."
"Nothing more than a few kisses happened between us...mostly because I was missing you too goddamn much to feel any reaction 'down there' for her."
Daniel smoothly resisted smiling in reaction to that but Jack saw it in his eyes anyway. Smartly, he moved on without comment.
"Anyway...as I said, nothing else happened. For about a month more, anyway. She kept letting me know that she was interested and I finally bit the bullet and told her about us."
Daniel froze, the tea cup poised against his lips where he'd been nursing it. "You told her," he repeated.
Jack leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. "I told her."
"And how'd she take that?"
Jack shrugged. "She didn't seem to care. She went on as if you didn't exist for me anymore."
"How pragmatic of her."
"Daniel..."
"Jack...just get on with it."
Jack sighed. "Her attitude toward my feelings for you...and my life back here...started to bug me. At first, I dismissed it, mostly to just get along, telling myself that we all have differences, yadda yadda. Anyway, she started to interrupt me, cutting off my conversations whenever I'd say something like, 'Daniel would like this because' or 'Daniel would like that because'. I was always talking about you...and Carter and Teal'c, too, but mostly you. She didn't like it. When she started interrupting me..." and Jack shook his head. "It put me off her."
"What would she say?"
"It's not important."
"It is if it bothered you."
"Well," and he paused. "I'd mention you and she'd say some non-sequitur like, 'Garan has a new discovery in the caves he wants to show you'. Things like that. Trying to dissuade me from talking about you, or the rest of you guys, for that matter."
Daniel's jaw started to work again and he had to restrain himself from making a derogatory comment.
"After I'd been there three months, about a week before you guys made contact and sent Teal'c through, I was invited to this celebration they have, which was basically a choosing ceremony with a lot of rot-gut liquor."
Daniel's brow went up. "A 'Choosing' ceremony...as in, the old betrothal ceremonies?"
Jack nodded. "Garan and his girlfriend, Naytha, went through this ritual that was sort of like 'pin the tail on the donkey' only no pin, no donkey, but a blindfold and lots of turning around." Daniel seemed a little interested - and he wasn't frowning - so Jack went on. "Anyhow, the people at the celebration put this blindfold on him and spun him around, then directed him at Naytha. It's a sort of formal blessing, I guess. Then they pulled me into the crowd, did the same thing and shoved me at Laira. Needless to say, I was flattered but I didn't know how to break it to any of them that I was already taken."
"Not any more you weren't."
"Daniel, for all intents and purposes, my heart was back here."
Surprised, Daniel didn't know what to say to that.
"The party was the usual party in all other respects..."
Daniel grudgingly allowed a grin. "So you got drunk."
"Shit-faced."
Daniel snorted and shook his head.
"But this liquor that Paynan made, called Tolka, has one hell of a fuckin' kick. Amazingly, I was still able to walk without swaying drunkenly all the way back to the place I'd been staying at - Laira's home. Garan and Naytha were suspiciously absent, so it was obviously a set up. It was then that Laira told me what she wanted from me."
"Which was?" Daniel asked, fairly certain he knew what it was.
Jack cleared his throat and just said it. "A child."
The thud of Daniel's chair when it came to rest on all four legs was loud. "A child?" he shouted with astonishment.
Jack nodded. "She'd already told me a month earlier that she wanted me to do something for her, but I didn't know what she meant...exactly. I thought she was just talking about sex. Anyway, there I was, drunk but not staggering, feeling pretty damn good for the first time in a long time and there she was, practically throwing herself on her back, and the next thing I know...well, you know."
Daniel's jaw began working again as he began to get angry. Very angry. Not at Jack, but for what Laira wanted and how she'd gone about it. Jack had said that she knew his heart was elsewhere...so...until Jack gave up on him, she'd get what else she wanted and didn't seem to give a shit how that was accomplished. She damn well knew Jack would likely have said 'no' to sex so she ambushed him with the fucking hooch.
"So basically, she got you drunk, seduced you, had sex with you, all so she could have a kid. How positively Machiavellian and self-involved and...and..."
Jack noted the clenching of Daniel's jaw and the fire in his eyes. Daniel had worked it out just as he knew he would...except for the ending. "She's not pregnant, Daniel."
"What?" Daniel's relief was palpable.
"I was waiting for test results. That's why I distanced myself from you."
"Ignored me, you mean."
"Fine, whatever, but I did it to protect both of us."
"Jack--"
"I couldn't handle the emotions, Daniel! It was too damn much. First there was her and all that had happened, then there was the pregnancy possibility, then there you guys were - and I had to hold back this huge need to run up and grab you. It was all just too damn much! What the hell could I possibly say? So, I backed off until I had things squared."
Daniel studied the look in Jack's eyes and tried to understand what he'd gone through. In fact, he could see that what Jack had done had been out of self-preservation and to save his own sanity. "I understand, Jack," he said finally.
Jack stared at him, his eyes filled with gratitude. "You want me to go on?"
Daniel stared back, then nodded. "Anything you wanna say, Jack. I'll try to refrain from my catty comments."
Jack almost smiled, then frowned as the next words formed. "Well...about what happened...drunk off my ass and lonely as hell, I'd let her...you know," he said, snorting with derision. "Had one hell of a hangover the next day, that's for sure. Didn't remember half of what happened until I'd gotten rid of the headache."
"Do you remember?" Daniel suddenly asked.
Jack gave him the briefest of nods. "Anyway, a week later, she was getting rid of my stuff, trying to disconnect me from my old life. She was so certain she was pregnant - apparently the Edoran women have that cycle thing down pat - and she wanted my attention on her and the kid, not on you and not on hoping for a rescue. Anyway, she heard Carter's voice through the radio just before she tossed the stuff."
Daniel sat forward slightly, his anger at this woman intensifying. "She heard Sam's transmissions when Teal'c went through?"
Jack nodded. "Apparently. She also took four hours to tell me." Daniel blinked at him and Jack nodded. "Four hours, Daniel," he paused.
Daniel saw Jack's jaw working then and realized that this was the main reason beyond anything else that Jack was actually angry with her. "Teal'c had only four hours of air to work with," he said softly, unable to fathom why she wouldn't have told Jack anything. Didn't she realize that her people were on Earth dying to come home?
"Teal'c almost ran out of air," Jack went on. "If she'd waited any longer, he might not have made it." He shook his head. "Because of that, Daniel, I knew I'd never, ever be able to trust her. Any possibility...and I mean any possibility of her actually having a kid with me went down the fucking toilet right then and there. I knew it when I was digging like a madman to get to Teal'c. She stood there watching me and Garan dig out a hole for Teal'c to breathe, and I believe she finally knew it, too."
Daniel nodded, trying to not wish a house to fall on her. "How was it that she was able to find out so fast?"
"That she wasn't pregnant?"
Daniel nodded.
"It doesn't take that long anymore. I remember when Sara had to wait two months to find out. The pregnancy tests were easy enough, but back then, a woman had to be pregnant for seven weeks. Now...I think it only takes several days from conception, and only a minute to do the test. We had three weeks leeway for the test to be conclusive so--"
"Three weeks?" Daniel asked, blinking, thinking that it hadn't actually been...well, no, it would've been two weeks for him.
"Teal'c came through the gate a week after the party, so that's seven. It took the Edorans, Teal'c, and myself three days more to dig the gate out and get it vertical, so that's ten days. Then we had to move the gate before the Edorans on Earth could come through so that took another week, so that was seventeen days. When things finally settled, it had been three more days, so it was almost three weeks later. When I came home, I talked to Fraiser and she confirmed that all I needed was a test kit. Took me a few hours to convince Laira to take it."
"She was that sure?"
"Apparently."
"But she ended up not getting pregnant. Do you know why?"
"I don't really care why, Daniel."
At his tone, Daniel looked away. "No, course not. Sorry."
"No, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snipe. I'm just relieved. I didn't want another child, Daniel. You know why."
Daniel looked back and nodded. "Charlie."
"Yes. Plus, if I ever wanted another kid, I'd have to be in a long-committed relationship. She and I weren't in one. You and I...are."
Daniel gave him a crooked grin. "Sorry, I'm not pregnant either."
Jack threw a napkin at him. "Very funny. Anyway, I had another chat with Fraiser, asking her if there might be something wrong with...you know..."
"Your li'l guys?"
Jack gave him the crooked grin back. "Yeah. Fraiser guessed it was the liquor. Probably killed off the swimmers."
Daniel gave a soft snort...then looked sheepishly apologetic for doing it. He was glad that Jack hadn't become a father. Very glad. For himself, sure, but mostly for Jack. He didn't need that - especially after the manner in which he'd been seduced. Daniel kept having to refrain from wincing. The actual thought of Jack being unwillingly seduced sounded surreal.
Jack's next words startled him out of his thoughts. "Frankly, Daniel, I'm surprised I could get it up at all. I wasn't just three sheets to the wind. I was five."
Daniel afforded him a bigger grin, but it was still tinged with a tired sadness. After a long silent moment between them, he asked, "So, you were waiting to see if she was pregnant and that's why you were ignoring everyone?"
"Basically, but I wasn't ignoring you on purpose, Daniel. I was distracted and pre-occupied. For obvious reasons."
Daniel felt his jealous anger at Jack slowly draining away. None of them had wished the situation on themselves and what had happened afterward wasn't anything bad. Jack's explanation made sense now.
"Are you still mad?" Jack asked.
"No," he replied softly, shaking his head.
"Good," Jack replied in an equally soft voice.
"But I have a question."
"What's that?"
"What would you have done if she had been pregnant?"
"I don't know, Daniel. I didn't think that far. I only know that I probably wouldn't have stayed with her and she'd already made it plain that she wouldn't come live on Earth."
Daniel sighed. "That sucks."
"Yeah, I guess. The truth is Daniel, I don't want to think about that 'what if' so can we not go there, please?"
Daniel understood immediately. It had been the same with him, wondering about the 'what ifs' if Shau're had ever gotten pregnant before Apophis came and took her away from him. "Okay, sorry. I understand, Jack. Believe me."
Jack's ability to read him manifested itself and his eyes went wide. "Shau're wasn't--"
"No, no, I just went through this period of time where I'd wondered what I would have done if she'd had a baby while we were together. Whether or not I'd be a member of SG-1..."
"You'd probably have been--" Jack started but it was Daniel's turn to cut that short as well.
"Don't. It wasn't healthy for me to speculate, so don't you go there, either."
Jack pressed his lips together. "You're right. Neither of us can afford to go through 'what ifs' that will never happen."
"Right."
They were silent for a few moments as Jack looked long into Daniel's tired face. "So..."
"So..."
"Did you miss me?"
Daniel choked on the tea he was swallowing. "Excuse me?" he asked hoarsely.
"Did you--"
Daniel held up his hand again. "I heard you but I can't believe you asked that question."
"Why not?"
"Did I miss you?"
"Yes, did you miss me?"
"Jack!" Daniel practically shouted. "I'm stuck at home for two fucking weeks because I missed you so goddamn much. Sam, too."
Jack had the grace to look sheepish. "I had to ask. My failing ego, you know."
"There's nothing wrong with your ego, Jack. Nothing whatsodamnever."
Jack cleared his throat, a tiny smile forming. "Well...Thanks," and he looked down at his hands, "for you and Carter working so hard to come get me."
"You're welcome, Jack, but it's not like we had a choice."
Jack's smile widened, then disappeared as he tried for a sterner look. "Just promise me that if another situation like that comes up, you won't screw up your health."
"I can't promise that, Jack."
"No, but I had to say that anyway."
Daniel grinned. "I know." He refilled his tea cup, drank some, then looked at the food. "I'm hungry."
"It hasn't even been an hour," Jack teased.
"No, but I was still hungry after I finished my plate."
"Oh. Well, I'm still a bit full so help yourself."
"Jack?"
"What?"
"I really missed you," Daniel whispered.
"I really missed you, too."
"If you ever do this to me again though, I'm going to find you, then kill you."
"I promise to try and avoid it," Jack answered cheekily as he reached over and picked up a fortune cookie. He kept staring at Daniel as he opened it, then slid his eyes away as he read the slip of paper. At first he didn't really read what it said as he felt a flush move over his skin, the anticipation of touching Daniel becoming paramount.
"What's it say?" Daniel asked, not caring in the slightest as he felt the warmth in his groin spreading rapidly over his body.
"Make up sex is the best aphrodisiac."
"It does not..." Daniel replied as he got up and grabbed the paper from Jack's fingers. The slight touch sent a frisson of energy through him. The paper read: You have just met your match
"I like your answer bet--" he started to reply but Jack stood and swiftly enveloped him in his arms as his tongue sought out his own, kissing him long and hard. Daniel leaned into his embrace and moaned as he gave as good as he got, winding his fingers through Jack's hair.
Jack broke the kiss, taking a soft gasping breath. "God, I missed your taste."
The sound of the words were enough and Daniel untucked Jack's shirt from his jeans. "I missed your touch, your smell, the feel of you inside me."
Jack growled and kissed him again, harder, as Daniel's hands quickly divested him of his shirt and made for his jeans. Daniel walked backward as they continued to kiss, stumbling slightly as he led Jack down the hall. The sound of a zipper opening quickened their pace and as they entered the bedroom, Jack's jeans and boxers came off with the briefest of attention.
As Daniel backed up, his own boxers quickly removed, Jack bore down on him as he backed into the edge of the bed. Daniel ran his long fingers over Jack's chest, coiling the chain of his dog tags around them.
"Time to make up for..."
"Lost time," Jack finished, pushing Daniel onto the bed, surrounding him with arms and legs and hungry kisses. Daniel suddenly felt overwhelmed by the long missed sensations as he frantically tried to return Jack's caresses, needing to touch.
"Lube's in the shower," he panted as Jack's mouth seemed to devour his throat.
"No need," Jack panted in return as his teeth nipped over a collarbone. Daniel didn't bother asking what he meant...and soon had his answer anyway as Jack's tongue slid down his abdomen and over the head of his cock. Jack made a hungry sound as his mouth surrounded his glans while hands cupped firmly onto his buttocks. "I missed your taste," he whispered again, then began to stroke his shaft while he bent lower to take his testes into his mouth.
Daniel gasped, "I need to taste you..." and Jack eagerly turned around, giving Daniel access to him, loving the touch of those hands as they caressed his cock, his ass, his sphincter. Moaning with intense desire, Daniel took Jack's length into his mouth, moving him in and out as Jack did the same.
Further moans, cries, and gasps emitted from their throats as they brought each other the pleasure they'd missed. When Daniel took him down his throat and sent a finger deep inside, Jack couldn't hold back and he pulled his mouth off of him, clenching his teeth as his orgasm rocketed through his body. Daniel sucked hard and swallowed fast, enthusiastically 'loving' the semen from his lover. He'd been dreaming of this for three months and he wasn't about to let anything spill out of him. Jack's body began to jerk with sensitivity from the immediate afterglow, so he backed off slowly, removing his lover's softening cock from his mouth.
Forgetting for the moment that Jack had suspended his attentions, he was quickly reminded. Daniel let out a surprised cry of pleasure as his cock was hungrily engulfed and a finger pushed inside him, immediately finding that hard little button and pressing it. He tightened his hands around Jack's thighs and held on almost too tightly as his shaft was rapidly stroked and his glans sucked and licked by Jack's quick, agile mouth. When two saliva-moistened fingers thrust inside and began to fuck him in earnest, Daniel almost launched off the bed as he came hard.
Jack moaned smugly as he milked him well, taking Daniel into oblivion as the shudders wracked his body. When he finally removed his fingers, and let go of his softened cock, Daniel felt as if he were one large, boneless mass.
"Jeezus," he gasped.
Jack turned around and quickly moved his way up to Daniel's mouth, losing himself in a round of slow and deep kisses. "I love you," he whispered as he finally broke away to gaze down into those unfocused blue eyes.
"Mmmmmm, juss sec," Daniel whispered, waiting for his mouth to want to start talking. All he wanted to do then was sleep...with Jack's arms around him.
Jack smiled down at him, kissed him softly, and said, "Go ahead and sleep, Daniel."
"Love you, too," Daniel suddenly whispered groggily, then muttered, "Best sleeping pill," just before dozing off.
Jack pulled the blankets over them, spooning against Daniel for a short nap. He was still hungry, but this time, it was for the rest of his dinner.
Daniel finished up the breakfast dishes as Jack read the newspaper, sipping at his morning coffee. Daniel kept eyeing him periodically, seeing if maybe Jack would be interested in a little late morning...activity. He'd been giving subtle signs of his interest to Jack, but so far, Jack had been playing coy. He smiled to himself, thinking that maybe Jack was telling him it was time for a little fun and games.
"What'cha smiling about?" Jack asked, startling him out of a rather vivid image.
Daniel glanced over at him and gave him back his own coy smile. "Nuthin'."
"Uh huh," Jack replied with a smirk as he folded the paper to read the next page.
Wiping his hands dry, Daniel walked past him, then turned round and bent over Jack's shoulder. "Don't believe me?" he asked, kissing and nuzzling his cheek.
How's that for not so subtle?
"Not for a second," Jack replied and when he turned his face to kiss his lips, Daniel moved away and headed for the living room.
Jack bit the inside of his cheek as he smirked again. 'Ah huh. He does want to play. Thought so.' He set the paper down and went over to the sink to wash the residual ink from his hands, playing it nonchalant as he walked to the edge of the kitchen while he dried his hands with the hand towel. He watched Daniel tidy up in the living room - which didn't need all that much cleaning in his estimation - then focused on Daniel's movements. Wearing frumpy, battered sweats and nothing else, Daniel was sending him signals he couldn't possibly miss in a million years. The way he moved, too, was astounding; graceful was the only word Jack could think of, and was just as astounded that that action could arouse him.
Jack walked to the living room, slowly but effortlessly stalking after Daniel as he went about the room. Daniel kept sending him glances, some of curiosity, some of annoyance. Neither of which, Jack knew, were what he was really feeling as the slight tenting in his pants indicated. Jack closed in, Daniel retreated. Jack closed in again, and again, Daniel retreated.
Standing at the side of the sofa now, Jack put his hands on his hips as Daniel stopped by the bureau behind the sofa.
"Would you stop doing that?" Jack growled at him.
"What?"
"Moving away."
"I'm straightening up."
"Why? There's no need."
"Just in case Janet comes by."
"She's not coming by, not until tomorrow."
Daniel smiled. "Oh, so you've been updated on that, too?"
Jack nodded as he went toward him, narrowing his eyes as Daniel walked a little further away. "Stop moving away, Daniel."
Daniel stopped and stared at him, then walked toward Jack with an absolutely wicked grin on his lips. Jack faltered a bit, wondering at the look.
"What's that mean?"
"Should I be stalking you instead?"
Jack grinned and took a few steps back. This could be...fun. Daniel advanced, Jack retreated. No more pretense at straightening up, Daniel kept moving.
"Stop running away from me," Daniel warned.
Jack kept backing around the living room, approaching the side of the sofa he'd been at before. "Who said I'm running? I'm walking."
Daniel smiled evilly. "Okay. Stop walking away."
"Or?" Jack asked as Daniel halted by the bureau, back to where he'd been before their game had switched.
The phone rang just then, startling them. Daniel reached over and picked up the portable, not taking his eyes from Jack.
"Hello."
"Hey Daniel, it's me."
"Hey Sam," he replied, taking a few steps toward Jack.
Upon hearing her name, Jack paused in his 'performance' of the game...unaware the Daniel had no such intentions.
"How ya doin'?"
"Fine, you?"
"Oh...bored. Gonna try and get some work done but most of my work is hands on, you know?"
Daniel snorted at the unintentional double meaning. "I can relate." Jack tried to move past him but Daniel cut him off, letting him know that even though he was on the phone, their little game was still in progress. Jack gave him a curious look and backed up, heading for the coffee table. Daniel, in turn, moved back to the bureau, waiting.
"So, did you take one of those pills?"
"Yeah, I did. Soon as I got home. Wrong time to be taking them, but I needed the sleep."
"Me too. So what are 'you' doing right now?"
"Nothin' much. Just straightening up after breakfast. By the way," he said as he moved to the other side of the bureau when Jack moved to try the other escape route. "Jack came over last night and we had a long chat."
Jack's eyes went wide with surprise.
"Really," she said enthusiastically. "How'd it go?"
Daniel stopped moving and eyed Jack carefully as he ran a hand down the front of his own groin, cupping his growing erection. "I think everything's just fine between us now."
Jack's brow went up further in surprise...and arousal.
"Really? That's great. Did you find out if anything was wrong?"
Daniel bit his lip and began to push down his pants. Jack groaned in warning. "No, not yet."
"Daniel, what're you doing?"
"Why?"
"You sound distracted."
"Well, Jack came over for breakfast and right now, he's got something of mine and he's playing a bit of keep away."
Jack's look of surprise increased as his mouth dropped open.
"Colonel O'Neill?"
Daniel pushed his sweats down slowly. "Yeah." He chuckled at Jack's expression as his pubic hairs and tip of his cock were revealed.
She snorted on the other end. "Keep away?"
"Yeah, he's playing with me, trying to wind me up. You know how he gets," he said as he pushed his sweats down over his hips and reached behind a sofa cushion for the hidden tube.
"Oh," Sam replied with a chuckle. "Why do you let him do that?"
"Honestly?" he said, kicking his sweats off as he watched Jack smile slowly and begin to unbutton his own jeans. "I don't mind. He just ends up gettin' it back."
Sam chuckled again. "You're bad, Daniel.
"I know..." he replied, further distracted as he watched Jack.
"Well, you sound like you're chasing him."
"Actually, I have him trapped. He's in front of the couch. I'm behind it and the bureau."
Sam snorted again just as Jack's zipper came down, baring his own hair. Jack was also giving him the evil eye to get the hell off the damn phone.
"Well, I'll let you go. Tell him I said 'hello'."
Daniel grinned. "I can do better than that. You wanna talk to him?"
Jack shook his head as Sam said, "Sure."
"Hold on, I'll see if he'll pick up. We're still playing keep away. And tell him to give me back what's mine." He tossed the portable on the couch. Jack glared at him and picked up.
"Hello, Carter," he said with irritation.
Sam smiled. "Hello, sir. Are you winding him up again?"
"In a matter of speaking," Jack replied as he attempted, with difficulty, to push his jeans down.
"So, are you doing okay?" she asked.
"I'm fine, now that I'm home. Hey...thanks for coming to get me, and Carter," and he finally got one side of his jeans down and was working on the other, "don't put your health at risk again. Understood?"
"Understood, sir..."
Daniel smirked, then gave Jack a lewd smile as his hand slid up and down the shaft of his cock. Jack coughed.
"...and you're welcome."
Jack wriggled his jeans off his hips as his eyes stared at Daniel's tactile movements. "What are you up to today?" he asked, not caring.
"Nothing but boredom. You?" she said, beginning to sound distracted herself.
"Well, I didn't get a chance to tell Daniel this, or you, for that matter. Isn't the fact that I'm here, at breakfast, letting either of you know that something was...up?"
Daniel halted his movements, a puzzled frown appearing.
Sam hesitated. "Come to think of it, sir, you should be at the mountain. What's up?"
"Oh, I'm on regular leave until the two of you get back to work."
"Really? Well, that's great. You goin' fishing, I assume?"
"I'm definitely goin' fishing," he replied as Daniel's mouth hung open. "Look for some wide-mouth bass or something."
Sam laughed a bit. "Well, I'll let you go then. Have a good time, sir."
"Thanks, Carter. You, too. You wanna talk to Daniel again?"
"No, sir. Just tell him I'll give him a call later tomorrow."
"Will do."
"And sir?"
"Carter?"
"Give Daniel back what's his."
"I will, Carter. I will."
"'Bye, sir."
"Bye bye, Carter."
Jack hung up and grinned conspiratorially at his partner. Daniel growled and practically sprinted around the couch. As Jack's jeans were mid-way down his thighs, he couldn't run - though he tried. He tripped on his jeans and fell forward over the arm of the sofa.
"When were you going to tell me?" Daniel accused as he laid himself over Jack, attempting to pin him.
"I was going to but it slipped my mind," Jack replied, as he tried to get up. Suddenly he stopped as he felt Daniel's lubed cock slide between his buttocks. "Daniel?"
"Looks like I've got my property back. You know, what you've been playing keep away with."
"Daniel...I'm not--"
"What...prepared?"
"Yeah, that and I'm not undressed."
"Who says you need to be undressed, and as for prepared..."
Jack heard the sound of the lube cap popping open, then cool lube placed against his asshole. He had absolutely no intentions of moving as Daniel slid a finger inside, making him groan. Almost all conversation was halted as another finger pressed inside.
"I missed this," Daniel whispered against his back while his fingers lovingly probed and loosened his lover's flesh.
"Me too," Jack whispered, trying to push his jeans off. Daniel smiled and slowly withdrew his fingers to pull Jack's pants down, letting him kick them off the rest of the way. His hands now free, he slid them up his back in a firm caress as he laid over him again, bending his head down to nip against a shoulder blade.
Jack suddenly pushed up and looked behind him, holding Daniel's weight as he did so. "And since when am I property?"
Daniel continued to smile as he pushed the head of his dick inside Jack's tight opening. "Since...right...now."
They both made small halting groans as Daniel slowly sheathed himself completely. Daniel moved his hands underneath to rub and tweak at Jack's nipples, bringing a soft moan from his lover's throat. When he started to rock his hips, Jack's fingers dug into the soft cushion of the couch and concentrated on opening himself up to his ardent lover.
Sweat began to form as their movements became synchronized, purposeful. All outside noise dimmed as their lust took over, the need becoming paramount, all-consuming. Jack raised his ass to give Daniel a better angle and Daniel had no problem reading what he wanted. The overwhelming shudders that passed through Jack made him bite at the sofa cushion as Daniel thoroughly massaged his small hard gland. After a few more moments, Daniel suddenly moved back, grabbing his hips firmly as he sped up, pushing deeper.
Jack's panting increased and he felt his release approaching. He pushed up on one hand while the other reached for his cock. Movements were synchronized once more and Daniel thrust harder, his breathing labored and heavy, his voice whispering, "Yes," repeatedly.
Jack suddenly stilled his body, his leg muscles taut with tension as his hand rapidly pumped. Daniel thrust with equal intensity, his own body signalling the exquisite release, and without warning, Jack went first, crying out in harsh gasps as his semen spurted over his fingers and onto the couch.
The tight spasms of Jack's muscles did it and Daniel came hard, his body jerking through the succession of tremors. When their aftershocks subsided, Daniel pulled out and braced himself over Jack's back, kissing and licking the salty skin that met his lips.
Jack turned and Daniel backed off, pulling him upright off the couch.
"Time for another shower," he said quietly. Jack snorted softly and headed for the bathroom while Daniel cleaned up.
A while later, as Daniel ran a load of wash, Jack walked up behind him, surrounded him with his arms, and kissed the side of his neck, making him smile at the slight tickling sensation. Jack needed to shave.
"I think we need to have a little talk about possessions," Jack murmured.
Daniel turned his head toward him, giving him a sarcastic grin. "What's yours is mine and what's mine is yours. What's to talk about?"
Jack grinned back, then turned Daniel swiftly in his arms. "In that case," and he kissed Daniel in a strongly possessive manner while his hands and body rubbed against him suggestively.
Daniel smiled against his mouth, loving the attention, and managed to push away slightly. "My, my. You're in a mood."
"It's all your fault."
"It is?"
"It is."
"Oh...should I apologize?"
"Not yet."
"Not yet?"
"Not until after I've had this ass of yours."
"You've already had this ass of mine."
"Not today I haven't."
"Oh...right. Well...there's a problem."
"That being?"
"Neither one of us is up for it yet."
"Well, let's start now. Our dicks will get with the program."
Jack kissed him more fervently that time and Daniel had no trouble getting in the mood as he kissed him back. Their attentions on each other repeated throughout the day, and over the next two weeks, they took advantage of their time together.