Jason winced as he moved the rolling cart away from his bed and slowly swung his legs over the side. He didn't need to worry about what he wore, since Daniel had brought him some oversized boxers and tee shirts. They made changing his bandages and cleaning his surgical wound easier. The damn thing was starting to itch, and even if that was supposedly a good thing, it was driving Jason nuts. What was driving him more nuts was Daniel's constant mothering. He loved the man dearly, but Daniel needed to take a break and go home.
After his 3-day stint in the Isolation room, Jason had been moved into in his regular infirmary room and had been there for a week now. Daniel had been there almost every single night except during a 2-day mission that SG-1 had gone out on, and Jack would pop by almost every day. Hammond couldn't keep them from missions but had down-graded SG-1 for the time being, mostly because of his affection for his favorite 'son' and archaeologist.
Jason appreciated Daniel's attentions, but enough was enough. Daniel needed time to himself, and to be alone with Jack, and Jason was bound and determined to make him take it, even if he had to pick a fight. He winced again, but not in pain. Picking a fight with Daniel wouldn't be that hard. Daniel had been very touchy in the last few days. Jason didn't know why for sure, but he suspected it was because of his decision to leave him and Jack out of catching that bastard Major Rogers planting a bomb. He knew Daniel was mad at him and had been waiting for Daniel to vent, but the hospital was the wrong setting. If he didn't vent somehow, somewhere, soon, he'd do it during a briefing, at the hospital, or God forbid, during a mission. None of those were very likely, the more Jason thought about it. Daniel would probably internalize it all and make himself sick.
And so, back to the task of picking a fight and making Daniel vent at him or go elsewhere and vent. It would be hard to do, but Jason would have to push him. He could also get Jack to listen to Daniel simply by pushing a few of Jack's buttons. That stubborn man had been holding more inside and blaming himself for things that were out of his control. He couldn't be everywhere and he shouldn't kill himself with guilt because he thought he should be.
Jason sighed heavily. It'd have to be that night. Daniel would likely be over and though Jason didn't want to do it, he'd have to kick him out. Piss him off even more.
It just wasn't fair, in Jason's eyes. Daniel was spending his time in the hospital room and he shouldn't be. He did have a life, for cryin' out loud. Daniel wasn't a nuisance, nor a bother, and Jason did appreciate his help, but he also wanted to do things for himself. He also knew the nursing staff needed to do their job without Daniel's quiet interference. Daniel didn't normally behave like this and he needed a gentle reminder that he had a life outside of Jason's hospital room.
The more Jason thought about his decision, the more he knew he'd be pushing Daniel emotionally away. He wasn't in a position to do anything about it, though, was he? He couldn't have an argument about it here and nothing could get solved. Too many people would hear. And he couldn't leave his room and go elsewhere to have it out with Daniel. Janet would have a cow.
Jason shook his head and reached for his IV bag. He paused, reading the label absently. He hoped to God this plan of his didn't create a rift between himself and Daniel, and himself and Jack. He realized now that he'd fucked up by not telling them. That it wasn't his responsibility to make their decisions. That the decision he'd made had been personal, not professional, and he should have told Jack at the very least. He'd made an error in professional judgment because of his relationship with the two men and that was bad. Very bad. He wished Janet would let him go home to rest and recuperate. Then he could leave and not risk fucking up again.
Just as he was holding his IV bag in one hand and looking around for the crutch he had, Janet walked in. She stopped just as the door closed behind her and glared at her most difficult, yet most charming, patient. She sighed.
"What am I going to do with you?" she asked moving to help him stand, taking his IV bag.
"Janet, I need to brush my teeth and shave. They're disgusting. It's bad enough that I can't take a shower."
"You get baths when you want them," she replied with a sarcastic grin, which he grimaced at, "and you brush twice, sometimes three times a day, Jason. Your teeth aren't disgusting."
"It's not my teeth so much as it's my mouth. It tastes like the inside of my combat boot."
She smirked. "Well, since it's usually 'morning mouth' at 6:23 am and it's past your usual wake-up time, that's probably it. Besides, I've never heard Daniel complain...or Jack for that matter." Jason glared at her as she guided him to the bathroom and hung up his IV. "Here you go. Don't fall in."
"Ha, ha, very funny. You know, if you'd just give me a cane, I wouldn't need help," he said closing the door.
She growled at him through the door, then returned to his bed and started straightening up, pulling the sheets off as she pressed the call button. A nurse came in and Janet handed her the laundry bundle, then went to the small dresser by the bed, opened it up and pulled out new linen for Jason's bed. The nurse set her bundle down, embarrassed that the base's CMO would be making the bed, and assisted Janet in remaking the bed. Janet smiled inwardly as they worked, amused at how almost every nurse on the floor seemed to vie to work Jason's end of the ward. They didn't care if the rumours said he was gay. All they wanted was the chance to be able to take his vitals, to chat with him, to hear about any mission details he chose to share with them, or to...gasp!...help him...bathe, being able to touch his beautifully tanned skin and hard muscles.
Janet mused over the fact that, even ten days after his surgery, Jason hadn't lost any tone in his muscles, except maybe in his lower back, but that was to be expected. Jason suddenly opened the bathroom door, interrupting her thoughts and making the nurse's eyes fall out of her head. He stood there, shirtless with shaving cream on his face.
"Janet, I need a new razor," then he spied the nurse across the room. "Morning, Maryanne," he said, grinning and giving her a wink.
At least Nurse Maryanne had the wit to compose herself enough to put her eyes back in her head and say good morning. Janet shook her head. She handed Maryanne the laundry and shoved her out the door. She turned around and fetched a razor from the dresser and handed it to him.
"You are such a flirtatious brat."
Jason assumed a look of innocence. "What? What did I do?" as he took the razor from her.
She growled at him again and he gave her a flirtatious wink, then handed her a hand towel. "I need a new one, please." Janet gave him one, smacking him on the ass and making him jump.
"Behave."
"Don't I always?" as he started to draw the blade up his right cheek.
"No!" she replied, not bothering to hide her exasperation. "You know what kind of an effect you flyboys have on my nurses. And you especially should refrain from teasing when you know nothing will ever come of it. You get their hopes up and all for naught."
Jason gave her a sheepish look. "Not my fault, but I'll try to 'behave' better."
Janet snorted. "Sure you will." She adjusted the IV stand by his bed, replacing the bags. "One to ten?" she asked, not clarifying because she'd repeated the question so often.
Jason paused, thinking. "Four, maybe five. Itches like a bitch though. Can't I have some hydrocortisone cream or something?"
"No. I'll apply more antibiotic cream."
Jason sighed. "Thanks." She left the room for a moment and Jason knew she'd be back. They'd developed a morning routine, or ritual, and Jason was grateful to her for taking the time for him. He was rinsing and wiping his face when she returned with the tray of bandages and additional item. He pulled on his tee shirt when Nurse Maryanne came in with another tray. He winced. He hated bandage changing time because it made him feel weak. He always twitched, even though Janet's touch was very gentle. What bothered him was the tenderness around the sutures. They sort of hurt-itched and it was what made his muscles twitch. Janet teased him the previous morning, telling him that his twitching only made his muscles 'ripple,' giving the nurse who attended a thrill. He'd rolled his eyes at her, not wanting to believe that he had that kind of effect on women.
He started to move by himself but Janet moved over and put his arm over her petite shoulder, while Maryanne held up his IV. He appreciated the help, but right now, he didn't want to have anyone in the room but Janet. She took the IV from Maryanne and hung it up as he moved to bend over the bed, leaning on his forearms. He sighed.
"Well, let's get this over with."
Janet snorted. "Just be grateful it's not exam time." Jason turned to give her a scathing glance and saw the saucer-sized eyes of Maryanne.
"Watch it, Jan. You're embarrassing your nurse."
Janet smirked and bent to her task, removing the old bandage, putting it into the smaller tray that Maryanne now held for her. Janet went about cleaning his skin and irrigating the sutures, making sure they were clean underneath. When done, she applied a liberal amount of antibiotic ointment. Jason sighed as the itching stopped. Janet grinned knowingly, then replaced the bandages with new ones.
"It'll still itch a little bit because it's healing. There's only a little bit of pinking around the opening and the sutures are holding well. Your tests are okay so far, so the kidney isn't rejecting the sutures. I'd say by the end of this week, you'll be able to go home until you're completely healed."
"Friday?" he asked, turning. "Jan, it's Wednesday. Can't you just send me home today....please?"
She pushed him back onto his stomach. "Jason. You have to have the IV for two more days, just to be on the safe side." She finished the bandaging and patted him on his ribs. "Up."
"The least you could do is let me eat," he stated as he gingerly turned around and sat down.
"The kidney is a filter and if you eat harsh or spicy things...."
"Oh God," he complained and fell back onto the pillows. "Jaaaan," he whined almost petulantly.
She dismissed the nurse with the dirty tray, who was ogling Jason's body, and shocked at his calling the CMO 'Jan'. When the nurse left the room, Janet eyed him distrustfully. "Jason, you won't behave yourself if you're at home."
"Oh, come on, Janet," he whispered. "I'll be fine. Better than living at Daniel's."
"I thought you would have preferred staying with Daniel?" she asked as she raised the back of the bed to a sitting position.
Jason adjusted himself as the bed raised, saying, "Normally, but he's mad at me."
"I haven't noticed anything but his usual worry about you. He's been here everyday, staying very late, according to the nurses and corpsmen."
Jason sat up carefully, looking at her as she leaned her forearms on his bed tray.
"He needs to be somewhere else. We have....issues. He's mad but won't argue it out and we can hardly do that here, can we?"
She shook her head. "Not a good idea, no."
"So...." he said dejectedly, "I'm going to send him home when he shows up. I'm afraid that he'll get so mad that he'll stay away, which is, actually what I want......what I mean is, I'm afraid that he'll break up with me....that is, if people do that nowadays."
Janet gave him a comforting caress on the arm. "They still break up, Jason. I don't think Daniel will do that. But if he's as mad as you say, he might be that way for a while. He doesn't give up."
Jason nodded. "I know. He's mad because I fucked up, Jan," he stated quietly as he sat forward, on the edge of the bed so he could talk in a more quiet voice. He gave her a very serious look. "I should have told him. Or at least Jack, but I didn't. I made a serious error in professional judgment that got three people killed and two, including myself, seriously wounded. In the field, that's cause for discharge or court martial."
Janet stared at him in disbelief. "Okay, I'll give you that you should have told the Colonel or Daniel, but you did nothing else wrong, Jason. Nothing."
"You know the regs as well as I. If this were any other base, Janet, Bradley wouldn't be the only one in jail."
Janet knew he was right and didn't know what else to say except, "Do you think you belong in jail, Major?"
Jason thought about it. "Maybe," then shook his head. "No."
"Well then..."
He sighed deeply. "But I feel like I am. I'm trapped here. I really need to be out of here and back home. I promise I'll behave myself, Janet. I promise. I'll be alone, but I can always find someone to drop by everyday to help change and clean the dressing."
"You actually think the Colonel or Daniel would stay away? They love you, Jason," she said, lowering her voice.
Jason nodded. "Yes, they do, but right now, I wouldn't blame them for staying away, and after tonight, Daniel will have added incentive. I wouldn't blame Jack if he never wanted too see me again."
"Why? You saved his life."
He sighed again. "You know how he is about professionalism and the job. I didn't just make a professional error in judgment, I also made a personal one. He's not likely to forgive that for a long time." She started to interrupt but he held her off. "On a personal and professional level, it's all a matter of trust. I showed disrespect by taking their right to decide away from them. To decide whether or not to go with me and risk injury or harm. Daniel will see it as disrespecting his right to choose. I'm not sure if Jack sees it that way exactly, but I know he'll be very disappointed in me for dropping my professionalism and thinking of them as my boyfriends, not my co-workers. That's what I mean by personal error in judgment. He's also dealing with his own guilt issues about Rogers." Janet gave him a puzzled look. "He's the base 2IC, in charge of screening the new people. Even though he didn't get a chance, he thinks he should have pulled the guy out."
"Why?"
"He knew him a while back is all I can say and the guy was bad news then. Jack didn't remember at first and it took him a few hours before he did. When he did, he still waited, thinking to give the guy a chance, to see if his attitude had changed. Because he waited, he'll likely think it's his fault. Even so, he still thinks I fucked up and he's right, I did."
"Peas in a pod," Janet said sympathetically, shaking her head. "The three of you must have majored in martyrdom or something." Jason didn't comment. Finally, she laid a hand on his arm. "I'll take your request to General Hammond, and he'll defer the decision back to me. If you're test results this afternoon are okay, I'll give orders for your release either tonight or in the morning, depending on how backed up the lab is. You'll have to go by the strict rules I set down."
"Thanks." He then looked at the door to see if anyone was about. "Could I ask you a, um, sex-related medical question?"
She went over and pushed the door until it was just ajar. "Jason, after what we just talked about?" She pulled his arm over the table to draw enough blood to fill four tubes. "Ask away."
"If, by some miracle, things get worked out between us, what kind of movement can be tolerated with the muscles back here?" and he touched his back. She smirked at him. "Jaaaan, I'm not..." and he lowered his voice to a whisper, "...planning on having a fuck fest..." and she snorted a laugh, "but there are..." and he cleared his throat. "...other things one can do..."
She stared back at him as the third tube filled. She loved making him blush and he was doing it now when she didn't answer him right away. She finally spoke in a bare whisper, mostly mouthing the words. "No...penetration. No...weight-bearing. Everything else..." and she nodded an okay. Her voice raised to a 'normal' whisper then. "Just be careful. No...harsh...movements. Slow...gentle." Her eyes widened a little as she looked down, concentrating on the filling tube as she felt the heat rising in her own cheeks. She cleared her throat a few times. "That clear enough for you?" she asked finally.
When he was done having his version of a blushing heat wave, the four tubes were filled. He expertly changed the subject. "You sure you have enough blood? I know about that vampire in your basement, you know."
She gave him a sarcastic, crooked smile. "Watch it now. He doesn't need needles to draw blood."
Jason grinned but didn't reply. He then switched back to the previous subject for a second. "Thanks. It, um, gives me a little hope, if things should mend between us."
"You're welcome," she said quietly. "Just remember that you could pull internal sutures and you definitely won't like that. You could bleed to death." He stared wide-eyed at her as she pulled the rubber tourniquet off his arm and pressed down the cotton ball.
"You're not just scaring me, are you?" he said as he took in her serious expression.
She shook her head, then changed the subject herself. "Breakfast will be here pretty soon," making Jason grimace at her. "You have to eat, Jason. Drink all the juice so you rebuild the blood I just took. I'm going to run off now and get my rounds done. I'll see you either this evening before I go home or tomorrow morning after I get in, depending on these results and my time in the infirmary."
"Thanks, Jan. For everything."
"You're welcome," she mouthed, teasing him, then gave him a wink and left his room.
~
Daniel had shown up at 4:30 pm and had done practically everything for Jason. He was sitting in the chair, reading one of his archaeological magazines, mumbling and shaking his head at the information. It was only 5:30 pm but Jason felt like it was later than that. He didn't want Daniel playing nurse-maid and felt guilty enough about his attentions. Daniel still wouldn't talk to him about his growing anger and disappointment, though Jason had prodded. He sighed heavily, knowing it was time to push.
"Daniel, I want you to go home."
Startled, Daniel looked up sharply from his magazine. "Why?"
"Because you don't need to be here."
"But I want to be here, Jason."
Jason sighed again. Okay, this'll be hard. "Daniel, you've been working all day and you don't need to be here fussing over me. You need time for yourself and this isn't it. I want you to go home."
Daniel stared at him for a while. He knew Jason was serious and though he could agree with him, the request hurt him. He felt rejected. Daniel silently shut his book and grabbed his knapsack. "I'll see you tomorrow then." He wasn't looking at Jason when he said it.
Jason felt his gut clench. "I wish you'd talk to me, but you won't. All I can say is I'm sorry....about all of it," and then lowered his voice to a whisper. "I love you, you know."
Daniel's eyes were bright with emotion, but he didn't look at Jason as he went for the door. "I love you back." He then walked through the door and disappeared. Jason felt like he'd just committed suicide without a weapon.
"Shit." Now for part two of his plan. He picked up his cell phone from the table and dialed Jack's number.
"O'Neill."
"Hey."
"Jason, what's up?" Jack asked tersely. So, Jason thought, You're pissed off at me, too. Well, this should be a breeze then. But it wasn't.
"Were you planning on dropping by this evening?"
Jack didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "Daniel being a nuisance?"
"No...um, he's not here."
"Where's he gone?"
Jason winced. "I sent him home."
"Ouch. He's probably mad."
"Would you please go cheer him up. He's feeling rejected. I know he's still mad at me from before."
"I know he is," Jack replied, letting Jason know Daniel wasn't the only one who was mad at him. "Okay, I'll see what I can do. You okay?"
"I'm fine, thanks for asking." So formal. Why did it feel like he was breaking up with them? Quit stalling and do it, dammit! "You okay? How're you handling all this?"
"Me? I'm fine."
"Yeah, okay, Jack," Jason said, wincing at the tone he'd purposely used.
"What's that mean?"
"You want me to say over the phone?"
"I'm not sure...on second thought, no. Look, I'll talk when I'm sure I won't go off."
Jason sighed. Yes, Jack was definitely mad at him. "It's hard to talk to you when I'm stuck in the fuckin' hospital."
"Well, you know I don't do the talking thing that well, anyway."
"You're full of shit and you know it. You just don't like explaining yourself to anyone, that's all. But I'm not just anyone."
"Don't do that, Jason." He let Jason know in no uncertain terms that now was not the time for psychoanalysis.
Jason sighed again. "I guess I'm making both of you mad. Well, screw it. Go see Danny. 'Bye, Jack."
Jason hung up on him and stared at the phone. "There...done. I think I've killed it for me, but maybe it'll help them."
Corpsman Rhodes popped his head in. He had on civilian clothes, carrying a small bag and was holding something behind his back. "Major? You okay?
"Hi, Kyle. I'm fine. Just talking to myself and wishing I could get out of here."
"I can help with that," he offered, and brought out his other hand, waving papers. Jason smiled hugely, watching the large corpsman as he walked inside and sat down in the chair.
"Those for me?"
"Yep, your blood tests came back negative, sir, which means you're okay. I also have here a written order for me to go by your apartment every day to clean and rebandage."
Jason groaned, then forced himself to brighten up. "Well, at least it's not one of those nurses, not that they're bad or anything, but it's just..."
"Yeah, I know," Kyle said with a huge grin. "You should have seen them, vying to get to be the one to stop by."
Jason closed his eyes and winced. "God."
"So, let's get you unhooked from all this crap," he said getting up and moving to do just that. "Then if you want, sir, I can help you get dressed, and then I'll roll you on down to admin so you can sign on the dotted lines, then we have to go over to the pharmacy and get your prescriptions filled....THEN, sir, you can get outta here." He finished pulling out the IV and set it aside, giving Jason another cotton ball for his arm.
"I thought those were the papers?"
"You know the military, sir. Paperwork on top of paperwork."
Jason groaned again. "Is there a duty sergeant on call or something? I'll need a ride home and I don't have cash on me for a taxi."
Kyle grinned as he opened the locker in the corner of the room and removed Jason's clothes. He walked back over to him and laid them on the bed. "Yours truly also gets that honor."
"Well, then, thank you." He got up and moved over to the bathroom. With Kyle's minimal assistance, he was soon dressed and all of his belongings gathered up and packed. Kyle went out to the hall and grabbed a wheelchair that had been set there. Jason grinned knowingly at him and sat down. "Okay, James, lead on."
Before getting to admin, Jason had Kyle stop off at Sgt. Carmichael's room. She had Amanda, her friend from the Research division, there, playing cards on her bed. When Carmichael saw him, she gave him a huge smile.
"Major!"
"Sergeant, how're you doin'?"
"Fine, sir," and she indicated her girlfriend. "Sir, this is Amanda, she's the owner of the camcorder we stole."
Jason reached out and shook the civilian scientists' hand. "Jason," he said with his most charming smile. "Thank you very much for not filing charges on me."
Amanda bit her lips together, then said, "If I had, Cari would have had my guts for garters. You're welcome to use it anytime. Glad it was of some help to you." Carmichael laughed as Amanda seemed to just stare back at Jason.
Jason smiled. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," and noting her Welsh accent, he asked, "Bit of a long way from home, aren't you?" then winked at her.
Amanda winked back. "Yes, sir." She cast a curious smile back at Carmichael and Jason sensed something was up.
"Carmichael, you been telling tales about me again?"
Carmichael held up her hands. "No sir, not me."
Jason made a doubting noise in his throat. "Well, make sure you get them right."
Carmichael was somewhat subdued and she pointed around the room. It was decorated in several spots with glass vases filled with orange roses. "Thank you, sir. They're beautiful. You didn't have to do that."
He reached out and grabbed her hand. "Yes....I did. Your professionalism saved my ass. If you hadn't yelled that warning for me to get down, or immediately fired on that bastard, that knife would have severed my spinal cord. I owe you."
She became a little misty eyed, then sniffed hugely. "No...you don't."
The two realized they'd argue about it so Jason finally offered, "Okay, well how about I buy you a big dinner or something like that?"
She shook her head. "No thank you, sir. Just promise to do what you always do, and look out for my people, like Lt. Pederson, whilst I'm away. I'm not going back for a while."
He could see that it bothered her and he understood. He wanted to do something for her, and sooner or later, he would. He squeezed her hand. "I'm glad you're okay, Carmichael. Get well soon, you hear?"
"Yes sir, but only if you do."
Jason waived that off. "Piece of cake." She smiled.
"Well, I'm outta here."
"You are so lucky, sir."
"Tell me about it. I'll talk to you soon, I hope," he said, shaking her hand, then Amanda's. With that, he was off with Kyle and without too much fuss, he was soon home, complete with medicines, a cane from orthopedics, and his suddenly very empty apartment.
. .
Daniel plopped down on his bed in an irritated mood that was growing into a good and mad one. Jason had sent him home. Okay, so maybe he didn't need to be so...smothering....but shit!
Daniel didn't mean to be that way. He just didn't want to go home. If he was home, he'd dwell on what happened...and get mad....okay, madder. So, here he was...all alone in his house...having to put up with fish fights and...and...and...an empty bed. And getting madder and madder at Jason for...being a hero, for getting himself badly hurt, for not trusting Daniel's right to defend himself and therefore, not telling him shit. Daniel wanted to hit something and hit it hard.
Feeling extremely pissy, he took off his clothes and got into the shower, hoping that the hot water would help. He also needed something to eat but he wasn't hungry. Crap. Here comes that headache again. Dammit.
. .
Daniel, freshly washed and damp, stood in the kitchen, staring into the fridge. He moved to the cupboards, not knowing what the hell to fix for dinner. He had a lot of things, but he still wasn't all that hungry. He walked back to the bedroom and plopped his damp self back on the bed.
All the earlier anger came flooding back, though he tried to suppress it. He didn't want to be mad at Jason, but he was. He was! He tried to will it away and think of letters, alphabets, the latest translation, when he heard the front door unlock. For a fraction of a second, he became alarmed, until he heard the familiar jingle of keys. Jack. Jack was here.
Daniel's round of guilt joined his angry emotions. He hadn't felt like being with Jack in almost ten days; and mostly it was because he'd been spending all of his free time with Jason. What the hell was the matter with him? He wanted Jack, he craved him, but he'd told his libido to cool off while Jason was injured. If Jason couldn't get any, maybe he shouldn't either, and by association, Jack wouldn't get any, either. None of it was fair to any of them, and that thought brought Daniel back around to his reasons for being mad in the first place. He draped his arm over his eyes, letting out a slow breath. Take it easy, take it easy.
Footsteps, along with the jostle of what sounded like a paper sack, walked through the foyer and into the kitchen. He heard sharp noises, and it didn't sound like Jack was in too good a mood, either, because he usually wasn't so loud. Now, Jack's footsteps down the hall and into the bedroom. Daniel didn't raise his arm to look.
"Hey," Jack said from the side of the bed.
"Hey. From the sound of it, you're in a pissy mood, too. Don't tell me Jason tossed you out."
"No, I didn't see him. I spoke with him on the phone. You really did need a break, Danny."
Daniel flopped his arm down on the bed. "Goddamn it, Jack! Not you, too!"
Jack took his coat off and draped it over the chair, then his shoes and socks. He sat down next to a half-naked Daniel, dressed only in sweatpants, and pushed at him.
"You pickin' a fight? I'm up for it."
Daniel turned his head to him. "You wanna fight? Why?"
"I'm mad."
"Okay, you're mad."
"So're you."
"Yeah? So what?" and he put his arm over his eyes again.
"Let's deal with it, Danny. You haven't hardly touched me in ten days. That's gotta be bugging you 'cause it's sure as hell buggin' the crap out of me. Then there's the little issue of Jason not trusting either of us with his life, or our own lives - to be more specific - and then there's the older issue of us being afraid of losing the other. How'm I doing?"
"Got it all in one, O'Neill. Any other enlightening topics of discussion?"
"Damn, you are spoiling for a fight, aren't you?" Jack said as he got up off the bed. He pulled Daniel up and drug him out to the kitchen.
"Why am I out here?"
"Because the bedroom is no place to fight."
Daniel could see the logic in that and nodded. "Okay, but I don't want to fight."
"Maybe not, but you need to get all that anger out. I figured out what Jason was doing as I drove over here."
"What's that?" Daniel asked, leaning against the back wall and folding his arms. His sweats were riding low on his hips and if they rode any lower, Jack wouldn't be held responsible for his actions.
Jack cleared his throat, taking his mind off Daniel's lower abdomen. "He threw you out of his room to get you out, and to get you mad. He also called me, told me to come see you, then baited me about what happened and hung up on me."
Daniel closed his eyes and shook his head. "He's doing the psych 101 thing again, isn't he?"
"And we're too angry at him to see it." Jack pushed on Daniel's shoulder. "So...come on. He pushed my buttons, too, but they didn't need that much pushing. Why are you avoiding me?"
Daniel shrugged. "I didn't want to have fun while Jason was lying in pain."
"Good answer. I agree with it, but you could have at least given me a hug and a kiss, Danny." He didn't feel comfortable saying that, but hell, he'd done a lot of things he was uncomfortable about. This was a least a better version of 'uncomfortable'.
Daniel shrugged again, only this time it was with a bit of guilt. "I know. I'm sorry. I was...well...mad. I tried to hold it all in. You know those snippy things I said when we were at work?" Jack nodded. "Well, I didn't feel like kissing you while I was angry and I could never seem to get rid of the anger. I'm sorry, Jack. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you."
"Well, now's the time. Yell, scream, hit me, something."
Daniel looked at him incredulously. "I'm not mad at you, Jack."
"Use me. I plan on using you." Jack said it flatly, unemotionally, and Daniel knew he did it on purpose. He also knew it would spark Daniel's old resentment of Jack's alienation of him.
Daniel yelled. "How the hell am I supposed to get over this when the major player isn't fucking here!"
"Jason," Jack said simply, his voice not rising. He knew this would get Daniel, too.
"Of course I meant Jason! Who the hell did you think I meant?!"
"Jason."
"Stop being so fucking calm! Yell back!"
Jack raised his voice only a little. "I will, but you get to go first."
"Why?!!"
"Because you're already yelling," Jack said with a grin.
Daniel wanted to yell louder, but instead, he started to laugh nervously and it mixed with his anger until the laughter was gone and the angry words finally started to leave him.
"Fine, I'm mad as hell at him! He should have told us! He even said he was sorry, and I knew he meant it, but dammit, I'm still mad!"
"I think it's because it's a betrayal. Of trust" Jack replied, raising his voice only slightly so Daniel would pay attention.
Daniel nodded slowly. "That was something I used to get on you about."
Jack grinned wryly. "I know. It seems it's Jason's turn now."
In a more plaintive voice, Daniel said, "But he's hurt, Jack. How can I yell at him?"
"You can. He'll be home soon enough."
Daniel's mood suddenly changed and he became quiet for a bit, taking on a somber state. He gave Jack a pleading look. "What if I can't trust him like that again?" he asked, tears welling up. "I love him so much, but this..."
"I know," and Jack pulled him into his arms, feeling Daniel's body heat and becoming lost in it. "It'll be fine, Danny. Trust me."
Daniel pushed away a little bit. "But...aren't you mad at him?"
Jack had tried to push the emotions away, but avoiding them was too hard, especially right now. "I'm angry with him, yes. But not for the same reasons and no where near as much as I'm angry at myself."
Daniel pulled away more, his face a mask of shocked confusion, but Jack pulled him back into a hug. "Why at yourself?"
"I knew that bastard, Rogers, Daniel. I let it go, even after I'd remembered who he was. I thought to wait until the next morning and look what that decision cost us. Three dead on the deck, two seriously wounded, and one man in prison for the rest of his life."
"Jack..." Daniel started to say as he pulled away again, looking into Jack's face.
"Daniel, let me finish. I'm not so much angry with Jason for what he did than how he did it. He acted on personal reasons, not professional ones. What happened was very serious and because he didn't follow command procedure, and if this were any other base, he'd be in the stockade as soon as he were released from the hospital."
"They'd lock him up for saving your life in the wrong way? How fucked up is that!" Daniel yelled indignantly.
"I know, Daniel," he said with tired patience.
Daniel stewed about it for a little bit, then asked, "So...you're not mad at him because of not trusting you?"
"No."
"Care to explain that better?" and Daniel backed up and folded his arms, even as Jack held him.
Jack sighed. "Because I identify with what he did. You just mentioned that you used to get on me about making your decisions for you. It's why I identify with what he did. I was wrong, and so was he, but I understand why he did it." Daniel looked as if he were about to argue but Jack placed a finger on his lips. He couldn't believe he was going to say this but he knew it would convince Daniel more than anything else would. "Daniel....what was in his heart when he did what he did?"
Daniel frowned, not sure if he heard that right. He thought about it for a moment. Then he knew. Love. Jason did it because of his love for Jack. Suddenly most of the anger fled away from him.
How the hell did Jack always manage to do that?
Unfortunately, Daniel's anger wasn't all the way out. One other 'issue' cropped up. "So then why did he throw me out?" he asked, still obviously angry and hurt about that.
"Put yourself in his shoes and get back to me."
"Jaaaack."
"Daniel, what would you have done if he was doing what you did? Remember how you were lamed up in the infirmary, and then home?"
Daniel thought about it...and grimaced. Jason didn't do what Daniel was doing. "But I didn't come close to dying, Jack?"
Jack's jaw dropped. "Daniel! You were hanging upside down in a crevice! You barely escaped with your life, despite the injury to your stubborn head and ankle!"
Daniel reluctantly agreed with that, then noticed the slight frown still remaining on Jack's face. "What else?"
"Why were you ignoring me during the past ten days?"
"I already told you. It didn't feel right that we should feel good while Jason was practically on his death bed."
"Daniel, you know damn well that we needed comforting, like what happened in your quarters. You then went about playing his caregiver, and you almost raised some nasty suspicions because of it, but I quickly diverted those. Then when we came back from our mission, you went back to playing caregiver but Jason was getting better and was clearly being looked after. I'll say this once so listen up. I was very hurt by you ignoring me."
Daniel blinked hard, several times. He hugged Jack hard then. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you. I overreacted."
"Yes, but for the right reason. We almost lost him, Daniel," Jack said, his voice suddenly dropping to a whisper, indicating his emotional state. He buried his face in Daniel's hair. "We almost....lost him," he repeated. They held onto each other, neither of them crying but both fearing that they would. Jack finally spoke again, but still in a rough, emotional whisper. "I am constantly surprised by how much I care about him...love him. It's not easy for me, as you know."
Daniel partially laughed, then sniffed as he felt his nose clogging up. "How do you do that?"
"Do what?"
"Take away my anger at someone else yet make it so easy for me to get pissed off at you?"
Jack smiled as he pushed back from him, brushing back the hair he'd mussed. He sniffed through a small laugh. "Are you mad at me?" he asked, his hands caressing Daniel's hair, moving to his neck.
"No," Daniel replied softly, staring at Jack's lips now while his hands roamed down Jack's back.
"Good. Do you mind if I change the subject for a minute?" Jack asked as he stared into those blue eyes.
"No." Daniel felt one of Jack's hands slide down to cup his ass and he began to get hard as he pulled Jack harder against him.
"Good. I brought home some big cobb salads. Are you hungry?" Jack asked, feeling Daniel's hands sliding down to clamp over his ass.
"Blue cheese dressing?" Daniel's eyes roamed between Jack's eyes and his lips, staring hungrily.
"Yes. Are you hungry?" Jack asked again as his breath quickened. He brushed his lips against Daniel's, teasing them both.
"Not for that." Daniel returned the whisper caress.
"Want to make love?" Jack asked as he kissed lightly, feeling the heat between them building up. He missed this. He missed this a lot.
"Yes," Daniel replied, his own breathing becoming shorter, harsher. Their cocks were rock hard now and they each needed to feel the other's skin. As Jack held onto him, Daniel pushed his own sweats down over his hips and let them drop to the floor. He kicked them out of the way. He now stood fully nude before Jack and Jack's breath quickened as he looked at his beautiful lover.
"Do you want to go to the bedroom?" Jack asked as his lips moved over Daniel's chin. Daniel's fingers began to remove Jack's shirt.
"No." The shirt fell down Jack's arms and dropped to the floor.
"Do you want to move to the living room?" he asked Daniel as his hands moved to open his own jeans even as his mouth whisper-kissed across Daniel's face.
"No," Daniel whispered harshly, almost panting, and when Jack was fully nude, and their groins touched, Jack moaned. He pulled Daniel into a tight hug then backed him up against the fridge. He kissed him deeply, his tongue diving inside to meld itself with Daniel's. Their hips ground into each other, clashing, finding the perfect angle to rub, to grind, to thrust.
"Do you want to stay here?" he whispered as he pulled his mouth away for a moment and his breath hitched as their groins found a delicious rubbing position.
"Yes," Daniel whispered back and gave back the deep kiss, adding hunger and need to it. He raised a leg to wrap high around Jack's waist just as Jack's hand reached over to grab the small bottle of vegetable oil off the counter. He slid them both away from the fridge to the more stable wall adjoining.
Jack broke from the deep kiss but his mouth never left Daniel's. "Do you want me inside you?"
"Yes," Daniel panted with need, his whisper a higher pitch. Jack's oiled cock now pressed at his available opening and pushed inside, finding Daniel amazingly tight; incredibly hot and moist.
"God."
"Yes."
"More?"
"Now."
They began to rock together slowly as Daniel clamped a hand around his own thigh to hold himself more open. His other hand gripped himself firmly, stroking and rubbing the leaking fluid onto the skin.
"More?" Jack asked, twining his fingers hard through Daniel's hair.
"Yes."
Jack sped up his thrusts but their position wasn't letting him thrust deep and Daniel needed him deep. He needed to feel that sharp, hard lust that came when Jack massaged his gland. He suddenly pushed Jack's hips away, pulling his cock out of him. Jack started to object but Daniel put a finger to his lips.
"Deep."
Jack knew what he meant and found their limited conversation very erotic as it added to their intense need for each other. Daniel grabbed several large hand towels from the drawer and threw them over the butcher block. He grabbed the edges then spread his legs and bent over the small table. Jack groaned with lust as he held the sight of Daniel's gorgeous ass. He oiled up again and grabbed Daniel's hips, almost roughly.
"Ready?"
"Yes!" Daniel demanded.
Jack slid himself inside, inch by inch, taking it slow, driving them both mad. When he was all the way in, and without a word of warning, he pulled out quick and then thrust in deep.
"Yes!" Daniel cried out.
"Again?" Jack teased as he moved in and out in shallow strokes.
"Yes!"
He plunged hard, making them both gasp with need and lust. He couldn't stop now. He felt it. He needed it. Needed Daniel. Jack reached over and held onto Daniel's arms tightly as he thrust with wild abandon, grunting, panting, crying out single words of pleasure.
"Good?" Jack gasped.
"God yes!" Daniel cried out.
"Harder?"
"JACK!"
Jack grabbed his hips then and thrust deep and hard, his fingers almost bruising the skin. Daniel cried out over and over as Jack rammed into him, losing himself in the feel of Jack's strength. His balls and dick swung freely, jostling with each impact against his ass and suddenly the force of it caused him to come hard, screaming Jack's name. Jack came with him, loudly crying his name, then lay over him, wrapping his arms tightly about Daniel as they waited out the shudders that enveloped them.
When the shudders and small tremors abated, Jack carefully pulled out and pulled Daniel into a lazy, loving kiss. They picked up their clothes and moved to the bathroom shower, stepping inside together. Daniel lazily soaped Jack's chest, staring at the skin, the hairs, the erect nipples. Jack watched his face and combed his fingers through Daniel's wet hair.
"I love you, Jack," Daniel said softly and looked up into his dark eyes.
"I know, Danny. I love you back," Jack said in an even softer tone and kissed him slowly as Daniel's interest unbelievably rose again.
"How the hell do you do that?" Jack whispered.
"Motivation, Jack. Pure, unadulterated motivation."
"And you want?" Jack asked, raising a brow, even as his own dick raised in interest.
"God yes," and Daniel's hands caressed, sliding around Jack's body, covering him and himself with thick, soapy suds. He kissed him again, deep, bringing Jack's interest equal to his own. He wasn't in any hurry this time as his cock slid home between Jack's cheeks.
~
Jason's eyes flew open, startled, and he grimaced as the sore muscles on his left side complained at the sudden movement. His breathing was fast, harsh. He lay on his right side, and forced himself to relax and sink back down into the bed. His eyes found his bedside clock. Midnight. This was the second time he'd woken up. The nightmares hadn't gone away as he'd thought. In fact, they'd only gotten worse. He thought of Daniel and Jack, and at how mad they must be with him. His ears listened to the quiet of his apartment, save for the ticking of the clock, and he suddenly felt that peculiar melancholy once again. He thought, "I've lost them for good now, haven't I? Could they ever trust me again?"
Absurdly, the nightmare images comforted him because he knew they were false. Jack and Daniel were alive. They hadn't been killed in a truck explosion. A single tear escaped his eye as he pulled the comforter up over him. He could live with the guilt, the remorse for losing them. At least they were alive. And those damn nightmares would never come true. He felt the pain from his surgery, and knew he'd never have a restful night if he didn't take one of the pain pills Janet had prescribed. He stared at the clock, watching the minutes tick by. However much the nightmares disturbed him, and however much the pain in his back, he knew, eventually, both would subside. He sighed and forced himself to get up and take a pill. When he returned to his bed, he sighed deeply. It was going to be a long night.
~
Jack and Daniel arrived at work, both of them feeling much better now that the strain between them was gone. Of course, having sex in the kitchen and shower helped quite a bit. As the day wore on, and the information of a new mission was handed out, they'd both decided to ask Janet if Jason could come stay over at Daniel's, just as he'd done before. Only this time, it would be for Jason's sake, not for his lover's.
At around 4 pm, their duties had finally lightened up. Daniel appeared in Jack's office.
"Hey."
Jack looked up and smiled upon hearing Daniel's voice. "Hey."
"Wanna come with me to see Janet?"
Jack looked at his watch. "Damn, where does the time go?"
Daniel smirked. "Where it always goes. Into the past."
Jack winced. "Daniel."
Daniel tried not to laugh. "Sorry."
Jack stretched, then gave a brief yawn. He stood up, dropped his pen, then turned off his computer. "Whaddya say we call it a day and go visit Jason together after we see Napoleon."
"Jaaack," Daniel admonished at the use of Jack's nickname for Janet.
Jack only sniggered, then put on his fatigue jacket and locked up his office. "Let's go."
. .
Janet was putting on her medical coat and getting ready to leave her office when Jack and Daniel met up with her.
"Hey, Doc," Jack said amiably. She gave him a cool look and Jack stepped back as if slapped. He internally shrugged it off, thinking maybe she'd had a bad day. "You have a minute?"
"Actually, I'm on my way to do my final rounds," she said coldly, walking away as she adjusted the collar of her coat and placed her stethoscope around her neck. Jack and Daniel followed behind her, perplexed by her demeanor.
"Well, that's good 'cause we were going to see Jason anyway," Daniel said quietly, noticing that Janet wasn't in a bad mood. She was just mad at them for some reason.
She didn't answer and kept walking so Daniel reached out and grabbed her arm. "Jan, what's wrong? Have we done something?"
She stopped and turned around. "If you're looking for Major Coburn, he's no longer here."
Jack and Daniel blanched.
"No, not that. He persisted in being sent home, so when his labs came back clean yesterday afternoon, I discharged him last night. If you'd bother to check in with him instead of being mad at him, you'd know that." With that, she turned around and left them standing there with their jaws agape.
. .
The knock on his door startled him and when Jason opened it, he found Corpsman Kyle Rhodes standing there, med kit in hand, still dressed in his whites.
"Hello, sir. Dr. Fraiser suggested I make my visits official," and he pointed to his clinical uniform. Jason smiled a little then stepped back, cane in hand to support him.
"Come on in. We can do this at the breakfast bar, can't we?"
"Sure thing, sir. Everything I have is sterile."
Jason couldn't help but snort as Kyle followed him over to the kitchen.
"Dr. Frasier said she'd be here in about half an hour, sir, barring an emergency. She wants to double check your condition."
Jason shook his head. "She's such a worrier. Not that I don't appreciate it. I'll be right back. I'm going to go change for this and her exam."
When Jason came back out, he was shirtless, and his grey sweats' waistband had been rolled down a couple of times. "This should be fine, shouldn't it?" he asked. Kyle nodded and indicated for Jason to sit on the bar stool. He put on his gloves then bent to his task, removing the old bandage. Kyle's hands were gentle, efficient, but it seemed as if he was taking longer than he did last night.
"Sir, may I ask a personal question?"
Jason sighed. "If it has anything to do with those damn rumours, please don't ask. I'm not going to answer."
"Well, sir, it does and it does not. I just wanted to know what your personal viewpoint was."
"On what, Kyle?"
"On gays."
Jason sighed again. "Gays have as much right to be who they are as anyone else. Answer your question?"
"Yes, sir. I believe that as well. So, if I may ask, what's your view on the fraternization regs?"
Jason suddenly realized what was going on. "You mean, the ones we're supposed to follow most of the time?" Jason turned around to regard Kyle, having a good idea what this questioning was about. Kyle was a rather nice looking guy, but Jason just wasn't interested.
"One, I try to follow the regs, even if they are stupid. Two, if you're getting to what I think you're getting to, then I think you should know that I'm not interested. You're a nice looking guy and all, but sorry." That was about as good as he could put it without saying he was in love with someone else, or if that someone else was a man. It didn't matter. He loved Daniel, and Jack. Always would.
Kyle blushed a bit. "I'm sorry, sir. Did I offend you?" he asked as he finished the new bandaging and folded up his kit.
Jason smiled at him, then shook his head. "No, Kyle, you didn't. I'm flattered, actually. But as I said, I'm not interested. It isn't anything personal. I'm just not up for that right now. If I ever am, I'll let you know. Fair enough?" A piece of tape came loose so Kyle tore a few more strips to secure the bandage better.
"Fair enough. Thanks." Kyle felt a little better, the panic fading.
There was a knock at the door then. "Come on in, Janet," Jason called out.
The door opened and Janet came in. "Hey," she said, smiling sweetly. "How's my favorite patient? Kyle, you behaving yourself?"
He smiled. "Yes, ma'am."
"I'll take over from here. Thank you, Kyle."
"You're welcome, ma'am. Major, I'll see you tomorrow?" he asked tentatively.
Jason smiled gently at him, then nodded. "Tomorrow." Janet watched the two, then saw Kyle to the door.
"Okay, Jason, vitals time." He held out his arm as she pulled out the BP cuff and placed her stethoscope in her ears. "Jason?" she asked as she wrapped the BP cup around his arm.
"Hmmmm?"
"You might wanna roll the waist band up a notch. I can see hair."
"What?!" and he looked down quickly. He then looked back up at her and glared.
"Ha. Made ya look!" she teased, making him relax better.
"Devious woman. No wonder your nickname is--"
"Ahht!! No repeating the N word."
Jason sniggered then remained quiet while she finished taking his BP. She frowned, then took his pulse. She snapped on some gloves, making him look startled.
"Don't worry, hon. No lube job today."
"Don't scare me like that."
She smirked, then felt around, and then through the bandage, and pressed. He jumped. She gave him a reproachful glare.
"I thought so. You're pulse is elevated, along with your blood pressure. Why haven't you taken any pain medication?"
"Because I'm afraid of getting dependent on them, Janet. I took one last night."
She sighed impatiently. "You won't get addicted. Not with me around. Take them as prescribed. I'll lower the dosage, if necessary, but you should take them. If your muscles don't relax, they won't heal."
Jason winced. "I forgot about that."
"Any other problems?" she asked as she removed a corner of the bandage and took a look, then resecured it. She stared into his face for a long minute. "You're not sleeping. Why?"
"How can you tell if I'm not sleeping?"
"You're slightly dark here," and she pointed to the inside bridge of his nose, next to his eyes. The skin was just a hint darker, but his eyes did look tired.
He sighed. "Nightmares."
"Did you have those in your infirmary room?"
"A couple of times but they were only bad dreams. They went away after a few days. I never woke up from them, though. Last night, I woke up five times."
"What are they about? Will you tell me?"
Just before he could answer, another knock came to the door. "Open!" Jason called out, just as Janet decided to smooth out the tape strips of the bandage. Jack and Daniel came walking through the door.
Janet noticed how Jason tensed up immediately and how his eyes clouded. "Hello, boys. Nice of you to grace Jason with your presence," she said with a bit of ire. Jason looked down at her and shook his head.
"Don't. They won't be staying long anyway. I'd appreciate it if you would stay, though." He lowered his voice. "In answer to your question, my nightmares were about the two of them exploding in Jack's truck," and he motioned his head at Jack and Daniel without looking at them. "I can never get there in time, either. The scenes changed a little in each one, but the end result was always the same."
Daniel and Jack stood there, listening, taking in the alarming news about nightmares. They both noticed how tired Jason looked, and he looked like he needed...well, them. They took off their jackets and hung them up, then walked hesitantly over to him and Janet.
"Why didn't you call us?" Daniel asked him softly.
"I think you know why," Jason replied tersely, trying to mask how glad he was to see them. His heart ached for them but he wouldn't meet their eyes. He looked away and stared at the breakfast counter. "So why are you here?"
"I think you know why," Jack answered, a bit puzzled and more than a little irritated with Jason's behavior.
"Where's your medicine?" Janet said, getting up.
"Medicine cabinet," Jason said softly.
Daniel and Jack hesitated for a minute and in that time, Jason wouldn't look at them. Daniel was about to go over and hug him when Janet returned, stepping between them. She held up the glass of water and the pill. He took it and swallowed, chasing it with water.
"Here," she ordered gently, then searched her kit. "If they continue, take one at night, to help you sleep," and she pressed a sample packet of four into his hand. Jason sighed, then got up and followed her to the door.
"Thanks a lot, Janet. Tell Cassie I said 'hello'."
"I will," she said quietly.
"Yeah, me, too," Daniel added.
"Me three," Jack echoed.
Janet glared them both for a minute, then her eyes softened, realizing that they both wore anxious, worried looks on their faces, with no trace of anger. "Don't upset him," she warned softly, then turned back to Jason. "I'll see you in a couple of days," she said, and with that, she was gone.
Jason carefully closed the door, then walked back over to the bar stool. He was much too close to them and he needed to create some distance, so he didn't sit down. Instead, he put the stool between them, creating a kind of buffer. For all his education and training, he wasn't allowing himself to see that they weren't angry or defensive.
"Say what you have to say, then go, please."
"Jason, we're not mad at you," Daniel said as he closed the distance between them.
Jason rolled his eyes. "Daniel, don't..." lie. He couldn't bring himself to say such a thing, so he left it alone.
"What was that that Janet gave you before, from your medicine cabinet?" Jack asked, though he had a good idea.
"Well, if you must know, they're pain pills. Not that you need to know that anymore."
Daniel shot Jack a look of alarm and Jack only returned it with a look of tolerance. He knew what Jason was thinking. Jason was the one becoming defensive now. He wouldn't meet Jack's gaze so Jack closed the distance, moving the stool out of the way. He surprised Jason and Daniel by pulling Jason into a close, yet careful hug. Jason didn't know what to do with himself, except put his arms up around Jack's shoulders.
"Stop protecting us," Jack said quietly. "We aren't mad at you. Irritated, maybe. But not mad. We worked out our anger last night, just as you thought we would. But...that's no excuse for shutting us out, too. Why didn't you tell us about the nightmares?"
His face was buried in Jason's soft black hair so his voice was muffled. And deeply sexy. Jason closed his eyes.
Oh God, why does he do this to me?
Jason couldn't believe that they weren't mad at him and he gently tried to push Jack away, refusing to give in. Daniel brought his hand to Jason's chin, caressing it with his thumb. He turned his face toward him as Jack pulled away but did not let go.
"Didn't I tell you a few weeks ago that you're mine? I love you, Jason. I'm not going anywhere."
Jason's mouth hung open and he looked at Jack, whose eyes were darkest amber, intense with emotion. "Mine," Jack whispered. Jason's breath hitched as Jack leaned in and kissed him softly, gently, urging his mouth open, tasting his tongue only a little bit, teasing. Jason pushed his tongue to Jack's and as they finally met, he thought he'd melt. His heartache became worse and his yearning for Jack, for Daniel, increased a thousand times. He moaned softly, no longer pushing Jack away.
Jack broke away slowly, brushing his lips over Jason's. He stepped away and let Daniel take Jason into a strong, yet gentle embrace. Daniel whispered, "I missed you," then leaned in, bringing a hand to the side of Jason's face. He pulled Jason in for a tongue-twining, deep, sensual kiss, and Jason gave in, sighing deeply through his nose as Daniel consumed him.
Normally, Daniel's kiss would have made him weak-kneed to say the least. Combined with the fast-acting pill and the lack of food in his system, Jason lost the strength in his legs and his balance left him. Daniel quickly caught him, holding him up.
"Jesus, Daniel. I know your kisses make the earth move, but really..." Jason whispered.
"Time for bed, Jason," Daniel replied.
Jason smiled sadly, with longing. "I wish."
"Jason, when did you eat last?" Jack asked as he tightened his hold.
"Um, I'll get back to you on that one," Jason replied as they escorted him to his bed. Jason eased onto his right side, feeling a little bit better, no longer dizzy. He looked from Daniel to Jack and back again.
Daniel sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed the back of his fingers against Jason's cheek, then ran his fingers through his thick hair, his favorite thing to do. "I know you're sick of my mothering, Jace, and I know I went overboard at the hospital, but will you let me get you a bowl of soup or something? You need to build up your system so you can heal....and I'm only repeating what I heard Janet say a few days ago."
Jason gave him a crooked grin. Daniel got all of that out in a rush. It was so like him when he was nervous. "French Onion's in the fridge, but that's old so throw it out. Actually, everything that used to resemble food in the fridge is probably history. I haven't been able to pick up anything. I can drive and such, and go to the market. I just have to take my time so I put it off. I was going to order delivery, but...I forgot. I have juice, Gatorade, so that's something."
Daniel and Jack exchanged glances. "Looks like we're going to the store, Jack," Daniel said, getting up. "I'm going to get the little clipboard to make up a list. I'll be back." He patted Jason on the hip and left the room. Jack sat down in his place, his hand reaching around to caress Jason's back. They looked at each other silently for the longest time, as if seeing something there they hadn't before.
"I'm sorry I stayed away, and I'm sorry I got mad. I understand what you did, Jason. If it weren't for you in the first damn place, I might be dead." He paused and stroked his cheek like Daniel had done. "You took a huge risk. Please, don't do that again without coming to me."
"Or me," Daniel said from the door, writing down on the clipboard pad.
Jason squeezed Jack's hand. "Okay." He then saw how much was on the shopping list and shook his head.
"Daniel, just run down to the deli. Do the shopping tomorrow."
Daniel eyed him. "Why?"
Jason didn't want them to leave him. He had this urge to make them stay with him. He knew it was irrational and silly and berated himself for it. "Um, nevermind, Daniel. You guys go on now. I'll be fine." His hand pushed at Jack to get off the bed and Jack grabbed it.
"What's this about?" Jack asked, sensing his change in mood. "We were getting along fine and now you're withdrawing again. What's goin' on?"
Jason swallowed convulsively. "A little PTSD, I think. I didn't want you leaving me."
"But...Jason," Daniel said bending over and fingering his hair again. "Jack can stay here with you while I go. I'll do the shopping tomorrow after work, and for right now, I'll just grab some soup and sandwiches."
Jason shook his head. "I can only have fish for meat, right now. Soup by itself would be fine."
"Okay, any preference?"
"Um, no, but you know what I like and what would be good, so..."
Daniel kissed them both on the forehead and left, leaving the clipboard on the dresser. After he'd gone, Jack looked back at him and grinned. "So....can I see your scar?" He made Jason laugh.
"Jaaack."
"You sound like Daniel." Jack got up and undressed while Jason watched. Leaving his boxers on, he pulled down the covers, carefully rolling Jason back and forth until he had them freed underneath him. He crawled in behind Jason, spooning him, holding him.
"Can I tell you a secret?" Jack asked, trading soft kisses as Jason rolled back, leaning his weight against him. Jason looked at him in surprise.
"Yes, if you want," he replied softly.
Jack nuzzled his cheek. "When I saw Daniel in the infirmary after his surgery from his ruptured appendix," and at the mention of that Jason groaned. Jack paused in his train of thought. "We were both in love with him then, weren't we?"
"I'd only know him a few months, but yeah, I was well on my way to falling in love with him."
Jack made a soft grunt. "Well, anyway, I never told Daniel this but....when I knew that he was fine, I was going through a war within. I'd already decided that I couldn't handle him dying on me again and that the best thing for me to do was to back off."
"You fucked up."
"Big time. But the point is, I was standing there, asking him 'Can I see your scar' and I made him blush. He bit his lip and blushed. What I was really thinking though, when I said 'Can I see your scar' was 'Can I kiss you.'"
"'Can I kiss you' translated out as 'Can I see your scar?'"
Jack nodded. "I think that's why he blushed. He knew what I meant."
Jason stared at him. "If he'd been feeling just a little bit better, he'd probably have let you see more than his scar, Jack."
Jack shook his head, then shrugged. "It was still too close a time to other stuff and he was too mad at me."
"Jesus Jack, did you always have your head up your ass?" Jason asked with a smirk.
Jack laughed and pinched him on his ass.
"Ow!" Jason complained, grabbing Jack's offending hand. "Listen you, move. I'm putting you in front of me where I can keep an eye on you." Jack laughed as he crawled over him and settled on his back, then turned onto his left side. He propped his head in his hand, watching Jason. His free hand came up and started tracing lines along Jason's chest. The result was all-over goosebumps...and a raging hard-on. Jack couldn't help but notice. Just when he was going to ask about that, Daniel came home.
He got undressed down to his boxers along with Jack and then set up the bed trays with chicken soup for Jason and roast beef au jus for himself and Jack. Halfway through their meal, Jack, prodded by Jason's elbow, told Daniel the truth about 'Can I see your scar.' Daniel actually re-blushed about that memory. Jason and Jack held surprised looks of amusement and Daniel tried to explain it away.
"It's a very intimate spot, Jack."
"You let Janet touch you there."
Daniel backhanded him gently in the shoulder. "Because she's my doctor. You really wanted to kiss me instead of seeing my scar?"
"Well, yes, but I also wanted to see your scar," Jack said with a lusty tone.
Daniel stared back at him as he finished his sandwich. Jack started to get a little nervous under the scrutiny and Jason started to laugh softly at them. When they were finally finished, and the trays put away, Daniel snuggled down on Jason's left side, Jack, still on his right.
Daniel drew his hand down Jason's chest, just as Jack had done earlier. "Can I see your scar?" Daniel asked, then leaned over him and kissed him, softly at first, but it grew with passionate longing. Jason pulled away, caressing Daniel's face. Neither Daniel or Jack touched Jason much, fearing they'd hurt him, and they steered clear of his groin. Their desire for him, however, prompted Jack to ask what he was going to ask earlier.
"Jason, what about sex? Did you find out how long it would be before..." Daniel looked at him with the same question in his eyes and Jason closed his and groaned. Without opening his eyes, he related what Janet had said...word for word.
"At least you guys have been getting some," he said quietly. At the rolling eyes of his partners, he frowned. "What? You weren't?"
Daniel winced and shook his head. "Not that Jack didn't want to, and not that I didn't want to either, it's just that I kind of went overboard on worrying about you and...."
Jason's frown creased deeper. "You didn't....did you?" he asked. Daniel winced again. "You ignored each other?" and he cast an accusing look at Jack, too. Daniel took Jason's hand to make him look away from Jack.
"No, Jack didn't. It was me. Only."
"We're fine, now, Jason," Jack assured. "It was one of the things we had it out about last night."
"So, you haven't..."
"Last night," Daniel cleared up for him. "Like Jack said, we're fine now."
Jason looked from one to the other and realized they were fine. Now. He took a deep sigh. Then he felt Daniel's hand moving down his chest, to his abdomen.
"You, on the other hand, are not."
"Daniel, I can't," Jason lamented.
"Have anal sex, no. And no rubbing. But there's more to sex than those two."
Jack grinned as Daniel gave him a very meaningful, filthy smile.
"So, eleven days since you've been able to..." Daniel started and his hand slid down over Jason's hip, and Jack's joined his on the other side. They pushed his sweat pants down over his hips, revealing Jason's very healthy erection. "We need to take care of that right now."
Jack nuzzled his neck. "Remember when we were at the cabin?"
"How could I forget?"
Jack smiled at the compliment and nipped along his neck. "What we did to you while you lay there in bed?"
Jason flushed with excitement and softly gasped, "Yes," then his breath hitched as Daniel found a nipple with his tongue. Jack's hand reached down and gently surrounded Jason's dick with his fingers.
Jason groaned, loudly. "I can't thrust much, not like I did then."
"That's okay, Jace," Daniel said as his mouth worked down Jason's belly. "You're not going to."
Jason gasped then as Daniel quickly tasted him, taking the head of his dick in his mouth, tonguing the fluid leaking from the slit. Jason's legs spread a little bit as Daniel settled between them. Jack's hand moved below to cup and caress his balls while his mouth found Jason's. His tongue dove inside, curving around Jason's, then he sucked his tongue into his mouth and bit down gently. Jason moaned louder, his left hand combing through Daniel's hair while his right clasped onto Jack's arm.
Jason broke the kiss, gasping for air. His body was on fire now. Daniel's tongue and mouth worked him and he felt his orgasm coming near. Jack knew, seeing it in Jason's eyes. Jason needed only that little push to make him come hard.
He pressed his lips to Jason's ear and began to talk dirty to him, knowing how much it turned Jason on to hear his voice in his ear.
"When you're better, Jason, I'm going to throw you over that breakfast bar of yours, thrust my cock inside you and ram you, over and over, making you scream the walls down as you come....come now, baby, come for me..."
Jason's eyes closed as his body tensed, tightening his grip on Jack's arm as his head dropped back, his neck arching. Jack and Daniel clamped down on him, keeping him from moving or stressing a muscle. It only increased his pleasure. He cried out wordlessly as he came long and hard, his lovers holding on to him as the shudders and tremors worked through his body. Daniel kept his mouth on him until he was soft again, and for several long minutes, Jason's body rode that orgasmic high. Finally, he came down, surrounded by the blissful feeling that always came over him. Daniel pulled his mouth off of him finally and moved carefully up his body, kissing him softly, gently. Jason pulled Daniel up into a long kiss, thanking him for giving him such pleasure, then gave Jack his thanks as well.
He wanted more, but the languor that took over his body, along with that damned pain pill, drew him down into sleep. That night, he had no more nightmares.
. .
The following morning, just before their next mission, Jack and Daniel wanted to get Janet's permission for Jason to move back into Daniel's, but Jason put a stop to it, saying it wasn't necessary. When his lovers started to object, they found out just how stubborn Jason was. Jason finally put a piece of professional reasoning to his coercion. If he stayed with Daniel, the rumours would get going again, and when his team visited, they might just get the wrong idea if they dropped by at an inconvenient time. It would be much easier for Jason to stay in his own apartment, and no amount of arguing would change his mind. Since Daniel and Jack only lived 8 minutes away, they could easily go to visit him. Reluctantly, they agreed with him.
While SG-1 was off-world, Jason drove up to the mountain and asked General Hammond to assign a new leader to SG-2. Hammond had refused, as did his team. They were put on temporary assignment instead, to work with other teams until Jason returned to work. Jason felt a little bit of pride for that, thinking that maybe things were indeed straightened out with his own team.
~
At present, the time was almost quiet over at Jason's. It was a Saturday afternoon, and Jason was lying on the sofa, his feet in Daniel's lap, his head in Jack's lap (and a very tempting target that was turning out to be), and all three were watching Lord of the Rings for the fourth time. They kept finding new things in the special effects and background everytime they watched it. Jack, not normally into sci-fi or fantasy, liked this movie immensely, just as he'd liked The Matrix. Discussing both movies' finer aspects, Jack commented that he didn't really understand why he liked them, he just did. After some thought, Daniel finally said,
"Jack, the way I see it, you like both films because they have a lot of killing in them and you need that to feed your alpha male hunter instinct." He got a pillow in the head for that. Jason had sniggered and got a pillow, too.
"Hey, invalid here!"
"There's nothing wrong with your head, Coburn."
Jason took Jack's hand and brought it to his crotch, then peered up at him. "Nothing wrong with this one, either."
Jack pulled his hand away, shaking his head at him. "Jason...."
Jason groaned. "If you guys would just stop teasing me. It's so not fair," he complained in a soft tone. Jack raised an amused brow, and ran a hand idly through Jason's hair. Chills went through Jason's body, raising goosebumps all over his scalp. Jack's touch did that a lot, especially since he'd only just started doing that particular caress. Before, the only time that Jack would comb his fingers through his hair would be during sex, and then he'd pull tightly, something that always spurred Jason on, creating that delicious hard edge to their lovemaking. That image came to Jason's mind as Jack touched him, and combined with Daniel's teasing touch, he was hard in less than a minute.
"Come on, guys," he said, reaching up to still Jack's hand. "Denial is killing me. Daniel, please....stop doing that to my feet. I have a permanent hard-on here." Jason looked up at Jack again, pressing the back of his head into Jack. Jack groaned, cleared his throat, then glared at Jason, who got a smug smile on his face.
"Jason....stop that."
"If you guys don't quit teasing me.....besides, you make such a tempting target."
Daniel sniggered. Jack gave him a look and Daniel started to move his hands again, massaging Jason's feet, but his fingers moved more slowly, provocatively, sensuously. Jason's eyes widened and he started to pull his feet out of Daniel's grasp but Daniel held him firmly.
"Oh, no you don't. You tease, you get teased back. Only fair, Jace."
Jack grinned down at him when Jason looked up to see his expression. He sighed dramatically. "Daniel, you started it. And besides, you guys can have sex. I can't."
"We haven't since Wednesday night," Jack reminded him.
Jason looked up at him in shock, then glanced down at Daniel, who was still massaging his feet. Daniel shook his head.
"We haven't. Nothing. It isn't that we don't want to, either," and he felt a flush creep up on him as he remembered watching Jack in the base shower. He growled. "I wanted to sooooo bad last night, too, after we got back home. Whoa boy." He let out a long breath, making Jack grin wickedly.
"You're not the only one." Jack's grin spread into a bigger smile.
"Well, the two of you should...." and Jason almost...almost...blushed in embarrassment. Telling his lovers to have sex sounded so....arousing to him. He tried to put the image of them fucking in front of him out of his mind but he couldn't seem to. Damn those hands of Daniel's, too.
Jason cleared his throat loudly, pushed himself up and pulled his feet from Daniel's maddening touch, and sat up. "I need some air...or something." He grabbed his cane that lay on top of the coffee table, though he was better able to walk around now without it. The pain in his back wasn't bad anymore. Jack reached out and grabbed the waistband of his jeans, turning him around to face him and Daniel.
"Jason?" he asked quietly, his hand not letting Jason go. Daniel reached over and shut off the tape with the remote.
"What's up?" he asked as he laid a hand on the back of Jason's thigh.
"I...am..." Jason replied, clearing his throat again. Jack and Daniel exchanged a long look, then looked back up at Jason's flushed cheeks. He looked back and forth at them, swallowing convulsively. "On second thought, I don't need air. I need a cold shower." He started to move but his lovers wouldn't let him.
"Jason?" Daniel asked as he scooted over, wrapping an arm around Jason's leg. "Are you expecting anyone by today?"
Jack grinned a bit, but his eyes raked over Daniel now as his own dick swelled rapidly. "Like maybe your team mates or Janet or that corpsman who comes by to change your bandages?" Jack's hand moved down as he said it, making Jason inhale softly.
"Nnnooo, no one. And Kyle's not c-coming by anymore. Janet said it wasn't necessary anymore after yesterday...not with the two of you around."
Daniel's hand glided up his inner thigh now. "That's good, Jason, because we knew...."
Jason's browline went up. "Knew what exactly?" he asked, his breathing increasing as their soft, erotic touches continued.
Jack's hands moved to open Jason's jeans, slowly unzipping them. Jason let out a soft gasp at the nearness of Jack's mouth to him. Jack's fingers now slipped inside his waistband and Daniel's hands joined his as they slid Jason's jeans over his hips. His erection pushed at his boxers and Jack moved his mouth teasingly closer. Jason could actually feel his warm breath from a few inches away. Jack looked up at him as he moved closer, his mouth enticingly open, ready to strike.
"We could tell he wanted you....wanted to do this..." Jack said quietly, his voice deep and husky. He slowly snaked his tongue out, brushing the tip over the cotton material covering Jason's throbbing dick, making Jason gasp. Daniel moved his hands underneath Jason's tee shirt, and then stood up as he pushed it up, over his chest. He took the cane from Jason and laid it back on the coffee table, then stood behind him and pulled off his tee.
"Jeezus! You two are going to kill me...." Jason breathed, letting them do whatever they wanted. Daniel unzipped himself, pushing his jeans and boxers down over his buttocks, and pressed his own erection into Jason's cleft, riding up and down, making Jason gasp with longing. One of Jason's hands left Jack to grab Daniel's hip to still his movements. "Oh fuck, Daniel, goddamn it...."
Jack's tongue raked over his length, making Jason groan with desperate need. "We knew he wanted to fuck you, Jason, almost as badly as we both want to," and on those words, Daniel thrust gently against him, his dick just touching the area around his anus.
"DamnyouDanieldamnyou," Jason moaned, closing his eyes as they drove him mad with their teasing touches.
As Jason's fingers carded through Jack's hair, Jack opened his own jeans and pulled out his cock, stroking it immediately as he watched Daniel's hands push Jason's boxers over his hips. Jason's cock sprang forward, touching Jack's chin, the pre-come smudging onto his skin. Jack inhaled, smelling Jason's aroused scent, and brought his lips to the base just below the cleft of the head. His tongue slid upward, feeling the hot skin shudder at his touch. Daniel slid his dick between Jason's cheeks, rocking his hips, pretending to fuck him.
"GoddamnyouJack," Jason moaned again. "I want both of you inside me so badly."
They wanted Jason just as badly. Daniel had actually asked Janet just when Jason could be more active, and he'd received an amused 'give it a week longer' in reply. He pulled away, not trusting himself to go gently, to not push. His body shuddered as he brought his lips to the back of Jason's neck.
"I want you, too, Jace, but we have to wait just a little while longer."
Jason was lost in the touch of Jack's tongue; the touch of Daniel's hands, his mouth. "Damn it, if you keep that up I'm not going to care if I get hurt," then he sighed heavily. "Why do you guys have to tease me like this?"
Daniel paused his touches for a moment, asking, "What would you suggest we do for you?" Daniel asked, then resumed kissing Jason's neck. He had to turn his body slightly to keep his dick away from Jason's backside. It was much too tempting.
The images Jason had earlier moved through his mind again. He gave in to them. He pulled away from Jack's mouth and slowly stepped out of his jeans and boxers. They watched him, curious, while their hands sought out the other, caressing idly, needing to touch. Jason reclined on the sofa, his head where Daniel had been previously been sitting.
"Go get the lube, Daniel," Jason ordered. Daniel smiled and left. Jason looked at Jack, who returned his lustful stare. "Jack, how are your knees?"
"Never mind my knees, Jace," Jack replied, removing his clothes and dropping them on the table. When Daniel returned, he was already nude. Jack and Jason watched him walk over to them, admiring his beautiful form. Daniel looked down at Jason expectantly.
"Kiss," he ordered bringing his hand to his cock to pump slowly.
Jack and Daniel smiled. "Gladly," Daniel said and pulled Jack into one of his special kisses, wrapping his calf around one of Jack's. Jack's hands roamed firmly, needing to crawl inside Daniel, to wear him. Watching them, Jason was aroused beyond belief. They looked so beautiful.
Not realizing he actually spoke aloud, Jason whispered, "Suck."
Daniel pulled away from the kiss and before Jack could move, he dropped to his knees, sliding his tongue down as he went. His mouth immediately engulfed Jack's cock, making him gasp in shocked pleasure, clutching Daniel's shoulders for support.
"Oh God," he breathed, his hands moving to cup Daniel's head as Daniel eagerly sucked him, squeezing his buttocks, motioning Jack to rock, to thrust into his mouth. Jack felt the heat rising quickly and because he'd not been with Daniel for two and a half days, he knew he'd come quickly if he didn't pull away. Daniel's mouth was just too damn good at making him come. He moved his dick away from Daniel then, pulling Daniel to his feet. "You'll make me come too soon, Daniel. You do it every time." Daniel grinned at him and brought Jack into a deep kiss. When their kiss slowed and they broke away to look at Jason, they found their gazes locked onto his busy hand.
"Both of you straddle my legs," Jason told them as he stroked himself firmly. "I want to watch you fuck."
His lovers grinned in surprise. "Which one of us is bottom, Jason?" Daniel asked as he slid his hand down and stroked Jack's cock slowly, sensuously. Jack growled, grabbing Daniel's ass, and leaning down to graze his teeth over Daniel's throat.
Jason inhaled with lust as he watched them and shook his head. "I don't care. I just need to watch you. Now, kneel over my legs."
Overwhelmed by Jack's soft bites and kisses, Daniel moved first, kneeling over Jason's thighs and Jack moved in behind him, taking the lube from the table. He lubed his cock, then coated his fingers. He didn't waste any time as he caressed Daniel with one hand while his other pushed two fingers inside him, rubbing, stretching. Daniel reacted in lust as Jack's rough fingers pleasured him, rocking his hips in time to Jack's touch. Jason loved watching them as he stroked himself slowly, savoring the exquisite shudders that washed over him as he watched Jack readying to enter Daniel's body.
Daniel gasped loudly as Jack pushed inside, spreading his knees as wide as he could within the width of the sofa. Jack moaned with him as his cock sheathed itself completely, then he began to rock slowly, loving the feel of being inside Daniel. Their bodies were joined, moving in tandem in an undulating motion, and as their breathing increased, so did Jack's thrusts. Jack kissed his neck, then behind his ear as he brought a hand up to comb through Daniel's hair, tightening his fingers to hold him there. They both looked down at Jason then, their breathing turning to panting, sweat rapidly forming.
"Deeper, harder, baby?" Jack asked Daniel as his eyes stared into Jason's.
"God yes," Daniel gasped his reply. Jason gasped softly, a small sound of lust escaping his throat as he lay there, mesmerized by the sight of his lovers.
Jack pushed Daniel forward and Daniel dropped to his forearms, resting outside of Jason's arms. He leaned down and kissed Jason roughly just as Jack thrust hard, making Daniel cry out through the kiss. Jason's tongue thrust inside his mouth, unconsciously mimicking Jack's, and Daniel was lost in all the sensations until he needed to breath. He broke away panting, gasping.
"More?" Jack asked as he pulled out slowly.
"Yes," Daniel demanded, and when Jack thrust hard, he cried out, "Yes, Jack," as he stared into Jason's eyes.
"I am so going to fuck you through the floor when it's time," Daniel growled at Jason as Jason pumped his cock faster, getting off so completely as he watched Daniel's eyes become almost black.
"Fuck him harder, Jack," Jason whispered and watched Daniel's eyes widen and his mouth open to pant as Jack did just that. Jason's hand caressed his face while he stroked his dick, loving the quickening motions as Jack's thrusts increased in speed, angling and finding the right spot.
Daniel's eyes opened wider in surprise. "Oh God, Jack, yes!"
Jason couldn't keep his orgasm at bay any longer and Daniel's pleasure did it for him. "Oh God!" he whispered hoarsely and Daniel kissed him hard as he came over his hand. Jason moaned again and again through Daniel's mouth as the semen pulsed out of him. His hand suddenly left his organ and instead took Daniel's dick in his semen-sticky palm. He stroked hard and fast, matching Jack's thrusts quickly. Daniel moaned and broke the kiss, his eyes closed, his face full of concentrated lust. He bit his lip then, loving the feel of Jack pumping so hard and fast inside him.
"Oh God, that's it, Jack. Fuck me!"
Jason tightened his palm and fingers over the head of Daniel's dick and squeezed in pulses, pulling, and Daniel's eyes flew open at the shocking pleasure.
"God, that's it, yes, yes, fuck me, fuck me!" he gasped out then suddenly screamed, coming hard over Jason's hand. Jack's loud panting gave him away, telling them he was just as close as he pulled at Daniel's hips, pounding hard three more times.
"Fuck yes!" he yelled and came hard, continuing to thrust, pulling his pleasure out and pumping it into Daniel. Jason watched in fascination as they rode out their shudders, their hips rocking together.
Jason raised his knees slowly, pushing up on Jack's ass, causing them both to fall forward, down upon him. Jack tried to push off, just as Daniel did, but Jason grabbed at their hands, holding them.
"No, stay. I'm fine. I need this, just for a minute."
Jason loved the feel of their weight, heavy as it was. He needed it only for a minute, knowing that he couldn't take their weight for very long, not even if he were completely healthy.
After moving off of him, they pulled Jason to his feet. "How're you doin'?" Jack asked as he led the three of them to the bathroom.
"Much better. That was something. Thanks, guys," Jason replied, leaning over to nuzzle Daniel, then Jack.
"You're welcome, Jace," Daniel answered, returned the caress.
"Where'd you get that idea?" Jack quietly asked as they cleaned up.
"From the two of you," Jason replied as he tweaked them both on the ass.
. .
After redressing, they returned to the sofa, only this time, Jason reclined and pointed at the end of the couch, making Jack and Daniel sit together.
"You two are NOT going to tease me like that again, because the next time it happens and you wind me up like that, I'm getting fucked or I'm fucking, there will be no inbetween or shades of grey to get confused with."
Jack and Daniel had both sniggered, then promised to behave. Jason snorted, not believing them, which was why they were at one end of the couch. Daniel popped a fresh batch of popcorn and sniggered as he put in a DVD instead of restarting the film tape. What played was "Young Frankenstein."
By the end of the movie, Jack was laughing himself hoarse as Daniel and Jason crooned in overdramatic opera voices, drawing out the words:
"Sweet mystery of life, at last I've found you...." cackling their heads off as they finished.
Finally, all three had calmed down, coughing from laughing too hard. The DVD had stopped and the regular TV channel had come on. Absently, Jason started checking through the cable program guide, looking to see what was on.
Jack and Daniel were going over the pizza specialty menu they'd picked up on Thursday from the take-out shop a few miles away. Jason could only eat plain pizza for now so they'd get him a big salad instead, plus some side orders of mozzarella bread and sauce as well as mushroom appetizers. The restaurant also offered alcohol so the special dark brew they liked was ordered with it.....along with some Coke, once Jason reminded them that alcohol was off-limits while he was taking antibiotics and pain medication, even if the pain meds were infrequent.
Jason found something and turned over. "Hey, I think I found....oh, crap nevermind," but he left the channel where it was.
"What?" Jack asked, looking up from the menu as Daniel ordered over the phone. Jason got up from the couch and walked over to them. He waved idly at the TV.
"I'm leavin' it here for a few moments so I can hear the theme song, then I'll change it to something else. Maybe something's on, somewhere but I doubt it. I'll have a look in a minute."
Jack looked at the TV, trying to place the opening scenes of the film. "What's...oh, wait a minute, that's a James Bond film, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Jason nodded, "only with the wrong James Bond," and groaned together. "Roger."
Daniel hung up the phone. "Hey, I like Roger."
"Daniel," Jason complained. "Sean."
Daniel growled deep in his throat. "My kind of alpha male." He shook himself from that thought, then said, "Dinner'll be ready to pick up in about half-an-hour, then we eat."
Jack put his arms around his waist, snuggling up behind him to nibble on his neck. "Can I eat you instead? I love it when you growl like that," then growled himself into his neck, making Daniel giggle because it tickled.
"Jaaaack," he complained, though not very hard. Daniel wrapped his arms over Jacks, loving the feel of his arms around him. Always had. Always would. Even if he wasn't in the mood to make love, Daniel loved to have them around him. He tightened his hold and leaned into the man, looking back over his shoulder. "Later, okay?" he asked. Jack growled against his neck, then let him go.
"Ohh-kay."
Jason stood by watching them, grinning like an idiot. Jack looked over at him.
"What are you grinning at?" and he pulled him into a bear hug from behind, growling and biting into his neck, making Jason laugh. Daniel was going to walk away but Jason grabbed him.
"You get over here," and he pulled a snickering Daniel into his own hug. Jack reached forward and hugged both of them as he leaned over to growl and bite into Jason's neck. The feeling tickled so much that Jason actually started to giggle and as a result, he tried to break away. His feet tangled with Jack's, then Daniel's as he tried to right himself, but all three fell to the carpet in a tangle of limbs. Jason felt nary a twinge but Jack and Daniel were immediately worried.
Still laughing, Jason pushed at them. "Stop it, I'm fine."
"Well, in that case," Daniel said, who was now behind Jason as they reclined on the floor, still entangled. He pulled Jason against him and began to do the same thing that Jack had done, knowing it was indeed one of Jason's few ticklish spots, especially down by his collarbone. Jason started laughing loudly, trying to get away but Jack joined in, corralling him from the other side. Jason's howls soon had Daniel and Jack laughing with him, and just when Jason was about to beg them to stop, all three of them disappeared in a large flash of white light.
~
They reappeared on the floor of a very large, shiny floor, appearing to be dark violet but it was hard to tell with the subdued lighting. Daniel and Jack immediately sprung to their feet, but Jason had to take his time. Jack gave him an arm and pulled him to his feet. Jack looked around, then rolled his eyes.
"Yep, guess where we are, folks."
Daniel looked around hesitantly. "I'm guessing....an Asgard ship?"
Jack nodded. "Got it in one, Danny boy."
Daniel's turn to roll his eyes. "Jaaack, what did I tell you about calling me that?"
Jack glanced sideways at him. "Sorry."
Daniel rolled his eyes again. "Not."
Jack looked at Jason who had been doing the tennis-match thing....looking back and forth between them, wondering who was winning. Jack shrugged at him. "He's right about that."
Daniel shook his head and looked about the room, finding a curious chair, then another curiously shaped pedestal inlaid with Runic lettering and an interesting schematic. An Asgard control center? He'd read about them but never got to see one except for that small one of Heimdall's. He began to read the lettering, getting lost in their unique shapes...
Meanwhile, Jack did what he always did. He went to the nearest window and looked...dooowwwwwn. The view from up here always fascinated him. The Earth always looked so damn beautiful from up here...
Jason, unlike the other two, was in absolute awe of the ship itself. He'd never seen any of the Asgard things until they'd been taken to the SGC or Area 51. This place was unreal. He didn't bother with the usual questions because he didn't want to appear stupid in front of his lovers, friends, and for right now, his fellow team mates. Jason's mind went into recon mode, assessing dangers, what to do in protecting himself and the others, even if he wasn't in the greatest shape right now. He scanned around the room, trying to find an exit. He looked through a semi-translucent door, seeing a somewhat long corridor behind it. At least it seemed to be a long corridor. He couldn't tell. He felt a tiny whisper of a power whine, coming from somewhere. To run a ship of this size must take an enormous amount of energy...
A flash of light appeared over the chair Daniel had looked at briefly and suddenly, there was an Asgard sitting there. Jack turned away from his gaze out of the window. His face lightened up a little.
"Thor! Buddy! What's up?"
Thor sat in his chair, looking at Jack. "O'Neill," then to the center of the room where the pedestal dais was - and Daniel, "Dr. Jackson," and then his gaze shifted left, to Jason. Jason froze, mesmerized by those huge, blinking eyes. "I do not know your name."
Jason cleared his throat, walking toward Daniel as Jack walked toward him from his side of the room. They gathered next to him, then Jason cleared his throat again and looked over at Jack.
"Jason, this is Thor. Thor, this is Major Jason Coburn, leader of SG-2 and a very close friend of mine."
Thor blinked. "Yes," he seemed to draw out. "I am aware."
Jack's eyes raised, then he swallowed, hard. "Really? You been keepin' tabs on me?"
"You are our liaison. We take interest in your welfare."
All three men cleared their throats. "Oh boy," Daniel said, trying NOT to grin. Jason started to look amused. No wonder Jack liked this guy, he thought.
"So, Thor, what can we do for you?"
"I am in need of your assistance. Since I have come to Earth outside your working hours, I thought to find you from your private home. I apologize and I hope that I have not inconvenienced you, but it is a matter of great importance."
"That's okay, Thor. I can brief the General later. What's so important?"
Thor suddenly transported them all to another large room with a long panoramic wall. On the wall appeared a digital grid, and on the grid appeared a planet. Around the planet, a Goa'uld ship.
"This is Cheron, one of our smaller protected planets. It is no longer home to humans as they have died out a long time ago but the planet does have resources we use. Gondul, one of our additional scientists, had taken a science station vessel to the surface. However, it is currently under blockade from the Goa'uld ship. I need you to go down to the planet and rescue Gondul and his research."
"I thought Heimdall had all of your research?" Daniel asked, confused.
"Yes, that was true, but Gondul had discovered another of our ancestor's ships here containing another progenitor of our race. He was in the process of moving the contents when it was attacked. We need the research and the progenitor's DNA."
"Um, excuse me, but maybe you might want to go get Teal'c..." Jason said, interrupting. Thor blinked at him.
"I cannot. The Goa'uld ship in orbit has new technology. It cannot scan the ship but it can read through any naquada-enhanced energy. Teal'c is a Jaffa and carries a Goa'uld symbiote. Major Carter has naquada in her bloodstream. You three, however, do not have naquada in yours. You will not be detected."
"Okay, say we go down there and find Gon... "
"Gondul."
"Yeah, him. Then how do we get back up? Does he have one of those transport devices like Heimdall had?"
"Yes."
"Oh. Well, um," and Jack looked from Daniel to Jason. Jason shook his head.
"I can't go. It's why I suggested Teal'c." Jason caught Thor blinking at him. "I'm sorry, Thor but--"
"You are injured," Thor stated flatly.
"Um, yeah."
"One moment..." and he disappeared. When he reappeared he had two other Asgard with him. They moved around Jason, taking him by the wrists. Jason looked at them nervously, casting wary glances back at Thor, then alarmed ones back to Jack and Daniel.
"Daniel..." Jason called out. Daniel looked over at Thor.
"He is in no danger. He will be healed."
Jack's browline shot up his skull. "Really? You know, I got this trick knee thing..." and Daniel back-handed him in the arm. "Well, it couldn't hurt to ask."
"Jack, don't take advantage. Be grateful they're willing to help Jason."
"Oh, right," and Jack frowned and looked at Thor. "But if you really wanted to help a guy out..." and Daniel back-handed him again. Jack grabbed his arm. "Will ya knock it off?"
"Then stop bein' an ass."
The two Asgard walked Jason backwards until he stood in the center of a circle that seemed drawn into the floor. Daniel followed, staying out of the way, but being near enough to be a comfort to Jason. Jack followed, looking back to Thor occasionally.
"They're going to help you heal, Jason."
"Really? Then why do I feel like I'm about to become the victim of one of those Alien videos?"
Daniel snorted and gave Jason a disapproving glare. "Stop that."
"You've been around these lil' guys. I haven't."
A low, golden light came from the tall ceiling and enveloped him and Jason started to back away. The two Asgard held up their palms. A blue beam issued forth from one of them and held Jason in place.
"Oh crap. Um, haven't I seen you guys on the cover of a tabloid somewhere?"
Daniel put a hand to his mouth and tried not to laugh, and Jack cleared his throat several times and turned away, pretending to cough.
Jason felt a heat suffusing through his body, becoming very intense in his lower, left side, where his damaged kidney was. The heat became almost intolerable and Jason grimaced, closing his eyes. He realized he couldn't hold his breath as his auto-reflexes were wont to do. The heat travelled becoming intense again...from somewhere behind his bladder.
"Oh fuck! Guys, leave my equipment alone. Shit Jack, how clichéd is this, for chrissakes?"
Jack turned to Thor in alarm.
"He is only being healed in areas where there is a problem. Nothing more."
Jason's mouth dropped open in panic, just as Daniel turned to Thor in the same state. "He has a problem in his sexual organs?"
"Not any more." The light turned off slowly and the blue beam on him was withdrawn back into the Asgard's palm. Jack was then reminded of how they extracted the Ancient's knowledge. One of the few things he remembered.
Jason stood there, then felt around to his back. He didn't feel discomfort and removed the bandages. There was no longer a scar. He stared at the two Asgard. "Thank you very much. You didn't have to do that."
"You are welcome," one of them said.
"What else did you heal? I felt two strong heat pulses."
"One of your kidneys was damaged. That is now repaired. One of your glands was malfunctioning from the placement of a microscopic tumor. It is now functioning properly again."
Jason blanched. "A tumor?"
"Yes. In the gland you call the prostate."
Jason went white then and turned to Jack. "Holy shit. I would have had prostate cancer. My dad died of that." He turned around and without warning got on his knees and did to them what Sam did to Thor once. He hugged the crap out of them. They seemed to stiffen in his arms and he let them go, awkwardly. "It's our way to show gratitude, guys. I'm sorry."
They blinked, rapidly. "We understand." With that, they flashed elsewhere. Daniel rushed up to Jason and hugged him, still unable to process that Jason could have had prostate cancer sometime in the future.
Jack felt out of sorts, absurdly enough. He wanted his knees fixed.
"O'Neill?" Thor called as he got up from his seat. Jack turned to him. "Stand in the circle."
A slow smile spread across Jack's face. Daniel could see he was fixin' to ask for things.
"Jack, don't push your luck."
"Oh, yeah, right," Jack said, reminding himself where he was. He wasn't dealing with the Tollan, or the Tok'ra. He was with the Asgard, and though the High Council was rude and pissy, Thor wasn't. Better not look a gift-horse in the mouth.
A golden light enveloped him and he waited. Thor held up his hand and a blue light held Jack in place.
"I wasn't going to run, Thor."
"No, but your instinct would have been to retract from the heat."
"Heat?" and Jack looked at Jason, who nodded.
"It'll feel good on those gimpy knees of yours," he said, grinning crookedly.
"Hey, you are so going to get it later. I'll show you gimpy."
Jason gave him a wicked look. "I'll look forward to it, O'Neill," reminding Jack that he was no longer injured. Jack gave him a very filthy smile.
Daniel bit his lips together and looked at the floor, trying not to smile at their inappropriate sexual play. Suddenly the light source ended and Jack opened his eyes. That heat had felt pretty good, but it did get too intense for a second. He realized that the light did not last as long as on Jason.
"I'm older. How come that light didn't take longer?"
Thor let Jack go, retracting the beam. "You are in excellent health, O'Neill." He turned around and walked back to his chair and sat down.
Jack mumbled, "Oh, yeah, I knew that." Jason and Daniel smiled at him....then Daniel leaned forward and whispered in his ear.
"You are so going to get a work out when we get home."
Jack grinned broadly, his eyes smiling. "I can't wait." He turned around to Thor again. "So, Thor, how come you don't rescue this scientist yourselves?"
"All of our available ships contain a naquada alloy in their ships' hull. With their new sensors, and they spot one of our ships, they will believe they are in danger, and will therefore fire on the science vessel on the planet. We cannot afford to let that happen."
"Okay, so how do you expect us to get there?"
"We have a small transport vessel for you to use."
Jack became even more confused, as did Jason and Daniel. "And again, why don't you use that yourselves?"
Thor went quiet for a few minutes, then, "One moment, O'Neill." Thor disappeared.
Jack shook his head and looked at Daniel. "Why am I suddenly reminded of the Tollan?"
"Because you're not getting a straight answer?" Daniel offered.
Jack nodded grimly. "That'd be it."
Thor reappeared. "It is a medical explanation, O'Neill. I am given to understand that you prefer to get the simplest answers, even if you do understand the more complex ones."
Daniel bit his lips again, and Jason whispered, "Busted."
Jack glared at them. "So, your simple answer is...what?"
"We can spare the ship, but not the personnel."
Daniel's mind, working as it always did, remembered what Sam had explained to them when she learned about the cloning of the Asgard. "So, you cannot risk destruction of bodies that are still...what...cohesively stable?"
Thor blinked, as if surprised. "Yes."
Daniel nodded, then winced at Jack's stare. "It's the cloning thing. They wanna protect them. It's a good enough reason."
Jack shrugged, then nodded and turned back to Thor. "If Daniel says it's kosher, who'm I to argue?"
Daniel rolled his eyes. Jack would get it in the neck later on for that.
"Then we should see you to your ship."
Jack grinned, then paused. "Um, Thor, we uh, need our gear."
Another blink. "One moment," and he disappeared again. He reappeared. "I will transport you down to get your appropriate gear but you must no go anywhere else. Time is of the essence here. I will make the requisite apologies to your General when we return."
"Um, Thor," Jack said, before they were transported. "Pardon me for stating the obvious here, but if this mission is to remain covert, we won't have our usual weapons. Our own private weapons are at home and we'll need them."
If Thor could have sighed with impatience, he would have.
. .
What with a few more transports, Jack, Jason, and Daniel reappeared on the bridge, wearing their black uniforms and their personal pistols, except for Daniel, who didn't own a gun (much to his lovers' chagrin). Jack and Jason felt naked without their P-90's, though both of them had plenty of ammunition clips for their personal handguns. Thor compensated Daniel by giving him some of their 'gadgets', including the oval communicators, and that made Jack absurdly jealous.
Thor transported them to what he called the Flight Bay and they were escorted to a vehicle half the size of a Goa'uld Teltak, or cargo ship. Since Daniel could read the Asgard language, he was elected pilot, and another silent bout of jealousy ensued. Another Asgard showed up and explained the basic operating controls to Daniel. This was one of the few times that Daniel realized he had a very distinct advantage over Jack and Jason in the field. He could read the language and he could commit information to memory very fast. He was feeling rather put off at the moment, however, because here were two grown men, very intelligent, with heavy pilot experience, and they were developing a case of pilot envy because the 'geek' was getting the controls to a technologically advanced ship.
Daniel sighed inwardly. He thought Jason would be above such jealous nonsense, but apparently he and Jack were more alike in that area. Well, in more than that area, but nevermind. He felt an equalizing surge of 'getting ones own back' as the two 'real pilots' tried to catch what the Asgard was telling him but the little grey guy was speaking too fast and Daniel was annoying his lovers by being able to understand and keep up.
Before long, the tutorial was over and they were sitting in three parallel chairs and the hatch to the small ship was closing. Daniel called up a holodisplay, pressed a few buttons, moved a few small oval runes, and the ship lifted off the floor of the bay, turned and left the larger Asgard mothership. He moved a few more ovals, and the ship entered hyperspace. Jack had already been given the other specs, such as it only taking them three hours to get to the planet and what they may or may not expect when getting there. They had only to sneak the small ship down to the surface and wait. The science vessel would detect them and Gondul and his research would be transported aboard. They could then take off again and head back to Thor's ship.
Daniel sighed as he sat there, not having heard word one from his lovers since the end of the tutorial. He hoped they weren't still fuming about his becoming the pilot for this mission. Daniel, as always, deferred to Jack when it came to mission decisions, but this was one time Jack had nothing to do but think.
And for Jack, that was the 'current' problem. The three hours there and back were what was going to drive him nuts because he didn't like travel time. It gave him too much time to pick the mission apart. Instead, he decided that maybe he'd spend the time baiting Daniel instead. He secretly loved to piss him off, not just getting him a little pissy or irritated. He loved Daniel in an extremely ticked off mood. Ever since they'd become lovers, he hadn't had the chance to push him. Mostly because he was afraid of losing Daniel, but now that they were secure, he had time to mess with Daniel's head.
"So, Danny, the reason we're on this mission, and the Asgard aren't, is....what?"
Daniel sighed. "In simplest terms, without going into all that scientific crap you hate....we're expendable."
Jack stared at him. He thought that but never thought he'd hear Daniel say it. "Excuse me?"
"We're not dying as a species, Jack. The Asgard are. They need their strongest clones elsewhere, and right now, they don't have anyone to spare to go on a mission such as this. They're still fighting the replicators, you know."
Jack paused, thinking. "Yeah, I know. I almost forgot because they always look so....strong, I guess."
"I know, Jack."
Jason spoke up then, getting his own question out; one that had been nagging him. "So, Daniel, why am I here? It seems to me that you could have handled this mission yourself."
"Um, I don't think so, Jason, but it's nice of you to say that." Daniel knew what he meant, though, and the compliment was kind of backhanded. In his sarcastic tone, he said, "You really want me to tell you?"
In his own sarcastic tone, Jason said, "Enlighten us."
Daniel looked at them, then purposely said, "They seem to have a societal structure based on--"
"Daniel, save the history lesson for later. Just say it," Jack snapped.
Daniel smiled to himself, expecting that. He tried to think of the word that would be most acceptable to them other than bodyguards. "You're the pilot's....'protectors'."
"Like an escort?" Jack asked, still perturbed that he wasn't the pilot.
"More than that."
"A babysitter?"
"More than that."
"A bodyguard?
"Jack....a pro-tec-tor."
Jack exaggerated a deep sigh. "I was just askin'," he replied, feeling that this was going to be the start of a nice game of Daniel-baiting.
. .
Jason didn't bother to reply to Daniel's explanation for his purpose there. He simply wanted to know. If anything, he felt satisfied that he was getting a chance to be on this kind of ship. SG-2 didn't get the same kind of missions as SG-1, though they'd been aboard Ha'tak vessels before. After that long two-week layabout, it was understandable that he'd feel it necessary to be needed, even if he was only a 'protector', keeping Daniel company. Although, truthfully, he wouldn't have missed this for the world.
He wasn't completely with Jack about needing to be in 'charge' of the vessel simply because he was a pilot. If there was going to be any 'action' however, then he'd move into his typical role of warrior, protector, alpha male. It was going to be interesting, he thought idly, to see how their three different versions of an alpha male got along on this excursion.
He sat in his seat, silent for the most part, over the next two and three-quarter hours, watching with growing irritation as Jack had fallen back on his old 'teasing Daniel during a mission' mode. He was winding Daniel up and Jason didn't understand how Daniel put up with it. Jack could be condescending on a good day, but this behavior of his would have earned him a very cold bed if he'd pulled it on Jason. Then Jason blinked with a dawning realization as he watched the two exchanging verbal blows. He watched Daniel's body language carefully and suddenly knew that Daniel had been expecting this. He grinned to himself. Daniel must have some payback already forming in that amazing mind of his. Why else would he put up with this insufferable shit from Jack? Or from himself, for that matter? An evil little thought occurred to him and a tiny voice inside said, 'watch out, now' but he stepped on it.
. .
The ship came out of hyperspace at the precise coordinates and all three were on alert as they moved around the modified Ha'tak vessel. It was a little different in design, and a lot bigger than others they'd seen. Daniel directed the controls with a few changes in the position of the Rune ovals on the console.
"How do you know what it says, Daniel?" Jack asked for the umpteenth time. "Even if it's pre-programmed from what they told you?"
Daniel sighed. He was mad. Jack's round of baiting had succeeded, as he knew it would. There would have been only two choices for him while they were in hyperspace, tell Jack to shut up and listen to him sulk for three hours, or let Jack have his fun, even if it got himself pissed off. And he really was pissed off.
Daniel looked over at Jason, then at Jack, then said in a snarky tone, "Well, I really don't know shit, Jack. We could actually crash into the planet, and I'm very sure that if we lived through it, you'd be gloating until the sun exploded."
Jason snorted and Jack glared at him.
Daniel went on as the ship came through the clouds and angled toward a silver glint on the ground. "I'm flying this thing according to the instructions they gave me and am letting what they programmed into the ships' computer do the rest." How's that grab your ass? he thought, but didn't bother saying.
Before Jack could think up a properly sarcastic reply, the ship came to a soft landing next to the much larger science vessel....which annoyingly looked like a smaller version of the Asgard 'hammer' vessels. Jack wondered why their little cargo ship was shaped like the oval things on the computer console. He must have mumbled it outloud because Daniel answered him.
"Because those 'hammer' vessels have naquada alloys in the hull. This ship doesn't. That's why it's of a different design." He shook his head then, as if Jack should have gotten it, then realized Jack was getting to him more than he thought. Of course Jack knows this. He's making me explain things outloud, confirming what he already knows and trying to piss me off because of it. He sighed again. Would Jack ever stop doing that? he wondered. Probably not. Daniel found that if Jack ever stopped doing it, he'd miss it. That in and of itself was cause for contemplation. But not right now.
Jack and Jason got up and went to the back of the ship (which was really only thirty feet away behind a separating wall) to gather their field vests, just in case. Daniel remained sitting in the center chair, looking at the console and bringing up a scan of the science vessel. He saw the blue dot that represented the Asgard, then three red dots around him. Uh oh.
Suddenly a flash signalled the transport system activated and four beings appeared in the middle space of the room, before the separating wall to the rear of the ship. Daniel rose from his chair to face the arrivals. Crap. Two Jaffa, a Goa'uld, and Gondul, looking a little worse for wear if Daniel read Asgard appearance correctly. Daniel wasn't afraid, even though the Jaffa carried their usual staff weapons and the Goa'uld had a ribbon device aimed at the Asgard's head. One reason was because of the look of shock on all three human-looking faces. They apparently expected another Asgard. The snake had to say it though, and that got Daniel going.
"You are not Asgard," he stated in that typical deep resonating voice.
"Wow, that's amazing," Daniel said, coming to face them and folding his arms over his chest.
. .
Jack and Jason were just hooking up their vests when they heard the transport beam. When Jack heard Daniel's reply he rolled his eyes at Jason, his expression clearly stating, "oh, here we go." Jason left his weapon in the holster at his leg, but flicked the safety switch off. Instead, he pulled out the nasty field knife they all carried, only his was a little modified. Jack nodded, agreeing with Jason's tactical decision and both of them adjusted their knives so that the blade pointed up the arm, sharp edge outward.
. .
"Where are the Asgard?" the Goa'uld asked.
Daniel knew that with that ribbon device pointed at Gondul's head, the snake wouldn't hesitate to use it. He needed to answer, but what would he say? He needed to keep them off-balance enough to distract them and keep their attention diverted on him. His unconsciously belligerent stance somewhat guided where he had to go.
"I, um, killed them. I'm here for the little grey guy and his research. Give him up to me and you won't be harmed."
The Goa'uld and his Jaffa actually laughed, derisively of course. "You must be joking. Who are you and where are the others?"
"The others are dead," Daniel said in an equally derisive tone. "Didn't I just say that? As for me, I'm Doctor Daniel Jackson of the Tau'ri. And you are?"
The Goa'uld actually blinked in surprise, along with the Asgard, Gondul. "You are a member of SG-1. I have been looking forward to your capture. However, from what I understand, you are the one who does not kill, so you are lying."
Daniel shrugged, though inwardly surprised he had a 'rep' already. Well, at least they didn't know him on sight. "I'm no longer with SG-1. I've gone my own way, hence my appearance on this ship," and he indicated their surrounding with his hand. "And I'm far more dangerous than you were led to believe."
The Jaffa narrowed their eyes, trying to find a weapon, and the Goa'uld sneered. "You have no weapons and are therefore not dangerous."
Daniel eyed the snake calmly, but inside he was seething. "I didn't get your name."
The Goa'uld's right-hand Jaffa barked, "He is Grusolawaygn! Bow to your lord!" and he aimed his staff weapon. Daniel ignored him. He was trying to remember the name.
"I'm sorry, what? I've never heard that name. Would you repeat it?"
"Grusolawaygn, you insolent slave!"
Taking a page from Jack's notebook, he asked, "Greasy Wagon? Is that what you said?" He had to fight down a tremendous urge not to laugh.
The snake wasn't playing. "I am your god, kneel before me."
"Uh, no, you're a snake. Please place your head here," and Daniel lifted the toe of his boot.
. .
Jack and Jason were trying not to snigger and they also knew it was time to stop Daniel from having his fun. They came out of hiding.
. .
"He is Grusolawaygn, your god! Kneel!" said the First Prime.
"Yeah, whatever. Snake..." and he gestured behind the Goa'uld, "meet Mongoose."
Jason brought the knife to the back of the Goa'uld's neck just as Jack walked up behind the Jaffa on the left of the Goa'uld and shot him through the head. Jason's knife pushed and very quickly, the spinal cord at it's neck was severed, killing both host and symbiote. Daniel blinked sharply at the very quick and efficient killing by his friends, always amazed how they were able to do that and remain who they were. As the Goa'uld slumped to the floor, he lunged forward and grabbed Gondul, covering him with his body as they went to the floor. The remaining Jaffa's weapon had already aimed and Jack turned quickly and shot. The blast from the staff weapon veered and hit the wall, instead of Daniel's back. It took a few seconds, but Daniel realized he wasn't shot, and got awkwardly off of the Asgard, helping him to his feet.
Jack and Jason made sure the three bodies were indeed dead, including checking on the status of the symbiotes inside the Jaffa. The Asgard, in the meantime, got to his feet slowly, blinking at the three humans. Jack put away his weapon, then brushed his hands off and did what he usually did in meeting new Asgard. He put out his hand.
"Gondul, I believe?" he said, annoying the crap out of Daniel for knowing all along what the Asgard's name was. Gondul put out his small hand tentatively.
"Yes," he said in a small, nasal voice. "I am Gondul. You were sent by Thor?"
Jack needed a more formal introduction. "Yes. I'm Colonel O'Neill, that's Doctor Jackson and Major Coburn. Now, where's your stuff and let's get the hell out of here, whaddya say?"
"I thought you had a Jaffa and a Major Carter on your team?" Gondul asked moving to the console.
Jack followed him. "Yes, well, they were busy and Thor kind of got us at the last minute."
Gondul blinked hugely, then tilted his head. "I see." Jack absurdly wondered if all Asgard did that or if Gondul had been taking lessons from Thor. Gondul moved an oval disc on the console and the Goa'uld and the Jaffa disappeared. In their place was soon transported the research equipment. Daniel gave up control of the ship to Gondul for the ride home and they left the ground and went into hyperspace without delay. The Goa'uld ship in orbit never took notice.
~
On their way home, conversation was minimal. Gondul preferred to check on his equipment and sit in front of the console, reading the information he was calling up. Jack and Jason went to the back of the ship to use their field kits to remove the blood stains from their uniforms. Daniel was relatively clean so he leaned back against a nearby wall and slid down the wall to sit and watch them.
Jack looked over and saw him watching and gave him a double take. "What's goin' on, Danny?"
"Nothin'. Just...watchin' you two."
"Watching us...what? Clean?"
He nodded. "Yeah," then added off-hand, "seems like blood gets everywhere, doesn't it?"
Jack gave him a serious look. "Yes it does. At least you weren't in that snake's sights for once. Jason and I would have had a hell of time."
Jason looked at Jack and frowned. Uh oh. He glanced at Daniel. Yep. He didn't like the sound of that, either.
"What does that mean, Jack?" Daniel asked.
Jack was concentrating more on cleaning off the blood then on what he was saying. "Well, it's just that we were there to protect you and there you were putting your neck on the line again. How are we supposed to do our job when you do that?"
Daniel's mouth dropped open. "So, you literally think you're supposed to protect me? That I can't protect myself or fight?"
"Well, sure you can, Danny, when you have to, but it's not really in you to do that, you know?"
Daniel did know, but the way Jack said it got his back up. "So, you're saying that you can be alpha male with no problem, but can't see it coming from me?"
Finally getting the blood off the intricate lacing of the vest, Jack looked up. "Yeah, that about sums it up." He bent down to remove his boots next as he set the vest aside to dry. It would need major laundering or replacement.
Daniel gave Jack a very long look and Jason watched him give that long look. He bit his lips and felt that Jack hadn't been paying attention to what he was saying and if he didn't mend fences quickly, things could get ugly. He sat down next to him, stopping the cleaning of his own boots for the time being.
"Daniel, you know that he didn't mean how that sounded."
Daniel drew up his knees and rested his arms over them as he sat silent, thinking. He didn't look at Jason and just stared off at a spot across the shorter room. As he slowly twirled a pen through his fingers, and though his face gave away nothing, his mind was whirling with emotion. About five minutes after Jason spoke, he finally answered him.
"You think the same thing, though, don't you, Jace?"
"That you can't be an alpha male when you wanna be? No, Daniel. I don't think that."
"No, that I'm not one, period, just because I'm the one who is non-violent most of the time."
Jack heard that, interpreted it correctly and groaned at himself. He took a deep breath, then sat down on Daniel's other side.
"Daniel, I never said--"
"It's alright, Jack. Don't worry about it."
"Are you sure?" he asked, worried.
Daniel gave him a convincing look. "Yeah, I'm fine with it. Don't worry about it," then changed the subject abruptly. "I can't wait to get home." He looked away and stared off at some spot across the room again.
Jason watched him and was a little worried. "Daniel..."
Without looking at him, Daniel added, "It's fine, Jace. I know where I stand. I may not like it, but at least you guys were honest with me," and he got up and walked a few feet away, the action itself letting them both know that things were NOT fine.
"Well, then be honest with us, Daniel," Jack replied, "'cause it's obvious to us that you are not fine."
Daniel slowly turned and looked at them. "I said I was fine. I also said I didn't like what you said, but that at least you were honest with me. That's honest, isn't it? I can be fine and upset about what you said at the same time."
"Daniel....I meant fine with us," and he gestured at Jason and himself.
Daniel gave them a curious smile. "Oh, I am fine, Jack. It's just that I now feel it's necessary to prove that I'm just as capable of being an alpha male as you. Just because my style of it is different, doesn't mean it's less effective. Mine is more...subtle...not 'bull in a china shop' like yours is. I plan to prove it to you both, one way or the other."
He walked away then, tall, confident, and sexy as hell. He sat down at the front of the ship and started to talk to Gondul in his soft, inquisitive voice.
Jason looked over at Jack. "Why am I seeing that Bug Bunny cartoon? The one with the bull, who smacks Bugs in the ass and sends him flying, thinking that Bugs is such a pushover?"
Jack smiles. "Because it's the one where Bugs says, "You realize, of course, this means war."
Jason grinned back, his eyes filled with worry. "We are so dead you know."
"Oh I don't know about that, Jace. I think we can stand up to anything he wants to dish out."
"Jack, since we're using the cartoon as a metaphor, I'm going to remind you of the ending...." he prodded, and Jack didn't remember at first. "Where the bull comes running into the ring and slides and tumbles and explodes across this elaborate trap that Bugs has set and gets himself buried in the wall at the end of it." Jason waited for Jack to remember and gave him another worried look.
Jack groaned. "Shit. You're right, Jace. We are so dead."
"I think we should just surrender now," Jason said, starting to laugh. "God knows what the hell he has cooking in that brain of his."
"Yeah, but I also know that whatever it is, I can't wait to find out."
"Jack..."
"Jaaace. Tell me you don't like him like this and I'll shoot you."
Jason didn't. But...he asked, "Do you?"
"Like a moth to flame."
~
They came home very early Sunday morning and spent part of the day writing up reports at their respective homes. Daniel told them that he needed some space so he could report about all that he'd learned. Jason and Jack didn't trust that, but took him at his word, anyway.
On Monday morning, Hammond was a bit upset with them, but after they'd explained everything and handed in fully detailed reports, he was satisfied. Jason had to endure seven rounds of tests from Janet, and after she was satisfied that he was healthy, she started on Jack, then ended with Daniel.
As Daniel waited on the gurney bed for the last batch of blood to be drawn, she noticed his subdued, quiet mood and asked him if everything was okay. He spotted Jack and Jason outside in the hall, talking to others, including Sam and Teal'c and Jason's team mates. He gave Janet a short smile.
"I'm torn between getting very angry and getting very depressed. I found out something I'm not happy with and I'm only just coming to terms with it, though it's only been 24 hours."
"What?"
He told her and she frowned. "Don't they realize that you are the boss of their relationship?"
He shook his head, then shrugged. "Maybe, but on a conscious level they won't admit it and it's making me very angry and depressed at the same time. Part of me wants to rip them limb from limb and another part of me wants to walk away."
Janet's eyes bulged. "You're not going to do, either, are you?"
"No, Janet. Those are my emotional, extremist sides. I'm not doing either of those."
She let out a sigh of relief. "So, what are you going to do?"
He sighed, thinking, still watching them through the door. "Well, after the barbecue next Sunday, I was thinking of making Jason fulfill his promise of building a fence around my backyard."
Janet grinned. "And of course, the Colonel would have to help."
Daniel grinned back. "Of course."
"And what will you be doing?"
"I haven't thought of that yet, but I will."
"I'm sure you will," she said, giving him a wicked chuckle. "But I can think of a few things right off the bat."
He saw the wicked gleam in her eyes. "Janet, I'm not playing head games. I don't approve of them."
"It's not a head game...exactly. It's just a kind of...reminder, of who you are, and what you are to them."
"Jaaaan."
"Just a little teasing is all I'm suggesting. Next Sunday. A lot of...finger-licking food....if you get my drift."
They both started to chuckle and then Janet assumed a calmer twinkle in her eye.
"Other than what you just told me, how're things?" and she meant with Jack and Jason.
"They were fine. Right now, they're...uneasy. They're walking on eggshells, waiting for me to blow. But I'm not going to...well, not the way they think, anyway."
She patted his leg. "Good for you."
Sam and Teal'c came through the door and walked over to him. She had a grin on her face. So did Teal'c.
"What?" he asked.
"Daniel...meet Mongoose?" and he bit his lip trying not to laugh even though she was. "That was priceless, Daniel."
"Indeed," Teal'c added approvingly.
"So you guys read the report already?"
They both nodded, then Sam added, "Though the Colonel is bragging about it to anyone who asks and Jason is making his team jealous with the description of the Asgard ship."
Daniel snorted. "He was in awe of it. It was even funnier what he said to the Asgard who were giving him the once over."
Sam, Janet, and Teal'c looked at him blankly. Daniel realized that Jason edited that from his report, trying to be discreet, but Daniel didn't think it was necessary. Gotta love the man for his attention to duty, though. He smiled, then said, "He was really nervous and he looked down at the two Asgard and said 'Haven't I seen you guys on a tabloid somewhere?'" and Daniel sniggered as the others started laughing. Teal'c had actually seen those tabloid newpapers and had thought them hilarious. He laughed with them, though his version of it was a wide grin.
At that moment, Jack and Jason joined them and Jack asked what was so funny.
"Oh..." and Daniel eyed Jason carefully, not giving away anything except his 'business' persona. "I just told them something you left out of your report in your effort to be more diplomatic to the Asgard. Honestly, Major. It wasn't necessary."
Jason winced, but not at the information leakage. Then he sighed. "I'm gonna have to amend my report now."
Jack's eyes got wider. "You didn't say you said something else, did you?"
"No, no. I just left out my comment, that's all."
Daniel swallowed, feeling a small lump in his throat. He needed to be away from them for a while, until he could sort out his feelings about what they thought of him. He knew they didn't mean anything derogatory or malicious by it, and he knew they respected him, but he felt as if that respect went only so far. It was time to do some thinking about his relationship with them. Not that he'd break it off. He loved them too much. No, he just had to put it all in perspective is all, and he couldn't do that until he calmed down.
"Am I done?" he asked Janet.
"Yep. It's just routine. I don't expect you to have brought anything back, but you never know."
Daniel grabbed his fatigue jacket and hopped off the bed. "Well, then, if anyone needs me, I'll be in my office," and he walked off with everyone staring after him.
Jack frowned, then turned and looked at Janet. "What's going on?"
She gave him an evil expression. "You know what's going on," then looked at Jason. "As do you." She turned to look at Sam and Teal'c. "If they won't tell you what they did, I'll be glad to tell you at lunch."
Sam and Teal'c had sensed something was up, and it had just now been confirmed. If thing's had been fine, Jack and Jason would have been inside the ward with Daniel, not outside.
"I've got some work in the lab so I'll definitely catch up to you at lunch, okay Janet?"
"Okay, see you then."
Sam gave Teal'c a pat on the arm, then glared at Jack and Jason and walked out. They turned to Janet.
"She doesn't even know. How can she be mad?"
"Because you upset Daniel."
"But what if he'd upset me instead?"
"Then you'd be on the sympathy end instead of him, but more often than not, it's you who's the bad guy."
Jack's mouth dropped open. "Hey, wait a minute, what about all those times he's pissed me off in the field?"
"Colonel, don't even go there," and she walked off to the medical lab.
Jack turned to Teal'c, who inclined his head to him. "Are you going to desert me too?"
Teal'c turned to Jason, the back to Jack. "I would like to hear your version of events, then I will hear Dr. Frasier's at lunch."
Jack and Jason rolled their eyes. "Teal'c, there isn't a version of events. There's just what happened."
"I am listening, O'Neill."
Jack groaned as the three of them left the infirmary.
~
The Annual Barbecue at Hammond's started at 1 pm. By 2, almost all of the 'invited' guests were there. Jack and Jason had been there early, having volunteered themselves for grilling duty, and Daniel had arrived with Janet, Sam, and Teal'c. It was currently 2:30.
Daniel excused himself and went inside to use the bathroom. When he returned, he stopped near the large window of the living room and stared out at the throng of people. He stood there, musing, watching the others outside, especially Jack and Jason while they stood at the grill, wearing large white aprons, doing their duty as cooks. They made fun of the Jaffa and Goa'uld snake they'd dispatched, hamming it up and the other teams were laughing riotously. He heard Jack make some comment about 'protecting Daniel' and he suddenly felt as if he were being treated like some Crown Jewel, some priceless diamond. Some goddamn priceless diamond. Protected by his 'owners'. Locked up and kept. Had they forgotten just who it was who had the audacity to grab that snake from the incubator a few weeks ago and just who it was that baited the snake on the ship and allowed them to do their thing?
Well, diamonds may need protection but they were also hard as hell and tough to break. Jack and Jason's alpha-male act was about to come sliding down. He'd been thinking of it all week. His plans would start today and end on next weekend. He looked so forward to next weekend.
He knew that Jack and Jason hadn't meant any harm, but what they needed was...re-education. Just what it meant to be strong; and that blowing the shit out of things or killing someone didn't constitute the sole meaning of strong. What was also strong was the ability to affect the people around you, to control yourself when all you wanted to do was beat the crap out of something. Daniel had already been giving them that lesson and he very much doubted they'd paid any attention. Now he was going to give them a lesson in subtle strength, and next weekend, not so subtle.
Hmph! Yep. Time to show them just who was strong, who was virile enough to drop them in their tracks and make them beg for mercy. Yep. The fish pond he had in mind would be a start. While they worked on the fence, he'd dig out the area for the pond, though they didn't know about this yet. It would be only the appetizer. The sun would be shining too, according to the idiot forecaster. He'd need suntan oil. It would be perfect. Absolutely perfect. The two of them had been held at bay all week, and if he could control his own desires, they'd be held at bay all next week, too. But next weekend, he'd make them melt into a puddle of seething hormones.
That was plan B. Now for plan A....
Taking a deep breath, he decided plan A would need a little help so he enlisted Janet. It was time to display a little innocent finger sucking. Not too much now. Don't want to give Hammond any unnecessary gossip grist, or his granddaughters too naughty a show. Just something innocent. Something fun. Something they'd have to watch. Game time.
Janet was right. This was going to be fun.
He walked outside and moved over to her, finding her sitting at one of the picnic tables. In front of her was her own plate, loaded down with a selection of fruit with a bowl of whipped cream cheese in the middle. He sat down across from her and in his direct line of sight were the two grills with chef Jack and chef Jason.
"I have a little plan here. You wanna help me eat this?" she asked, holding up a strawberry.
"Sure thing," he said smiling at her. He made sure he didn't stare directly at Jack and Jason, but just casually looked by them as he looked at other people. He took the strawberry and bit into it, making her grin.
"You wore the perfect thing, you know. That off-white desert linen looks gorgeous on you."
He raised a brow. "That's funny," he chuckled. "That's exactly what Jason said. Jack just growled at me." That made Janet laugh.
"I can understand why. Those trousers set off your ass quite nicely."
"Janet!" he whispered in shock.
"Daniel, don't tell me you have no idea."
His eyes twinkled at her, then he started to laugh. "Okay, I admit it. I wore it on purpose."
"They also make your legs look incredibly loooooong."
He snorted as he ate the rest of the strawberry and sucked the bit of juice off his thumb and forefinger.
"You know," he said with a wink, "if I eat from your fingers, it might just squash some of the old rumours floating around about me and Jack."
She snorted. "Yeah, and start new ones? No thanks, Daniel," and she handed him a wedge of peach, which he dipped in the sweetened cream cheese. "Besides, you'll just get me all hot and bothered and I'll have to go hose myself down."
Daniel guffawed then, dribbling cream cheese down his chin. Her eyes went wide as he slowly wiped the white stuff off his chin and licked it off his finger, sucking innocently.
"Do you have any idea what that looks like?" she asked in a tiny whisper.
"As a matter of fact..." and let her dab at his chin with her napkin. "I do."
. .
Jason saw it first and started to cough. He had to turn away from the grill for etiquette reasons. He grabbed his glass of beer behind him and drank it down. Jack didn't need an explanation. Upon the first cough, he knew and looked over, finding Daniel sucking on his finger while Janet cleaned cream cheese off his chin.
"Fucking Christ," and he cleared his throat, joining Jason in downing his beer. Jason turned around and looked at him.
"He has got to know what he's doing."
Jack stared back at him, watching Daniel smile at Janet, making these shy looks and looking as innocent as a lamb. He glared, then turned to Jason.
"He knows exactly what he's doing. He's not a fool, Jason, and neither are we. Let's maintain a little dignity."
"He's not doing it on purpose, is he?"
"Maybe. I haven't been able to keep an eye on him. But he wore that outfit on purpose, the little minx."
"Oooh, don't let him hear you say that. It's big minx, if you don't mind."
Jack snorted, and then they were suddenly busy again, turning burgers, chicken, steaks, and hot dogs.
. .
Daniel made quite an innocent little show for the next fifteen minutes, being joined by Teal'c and Sam just to cover his antics. They copied him when he took a slice of peach and loaded it with cream cheese, then stuffed the whole thing in his mouth, getting a little 'white stuff' at the corners of his mouth. Jack was watching at the time and it was his turn to cough. If it wasn't innocent, he told Jason, then Carter and Teal'c were in on it. It didn't matter, anyway. Daniel knew what kind of a power he held over his lovers, especially after this last week's worth of denial. Working until late, not coming home, staying at the mountain, avoiding Jack and Jason's attempt at private moments by getting on the phone with Sam or Janet.
Mid-week, he'd halted his avoidance of them by joining them in the gym. He had then given them a show of rippling muscle and sweat that they'd never forget. They'd found themselves entranced by his grunts, pants, and short gasps. Both of them had taken long cold showers right afterward. They wouldn't....wouldn't....go to each other because it didn't seem fair. If Daniel was mad, they had to fix it and continuing on as if nothing happened wasn't right. But it was becoming a serious distraction and Daniel was putting them through hell. If he didn't calm down soon, they'd have no choice.
. .
Finally deciding to go over to them, Daniel got up slowly from the table. "Well, here goes," he said to them, and walked toward the grills. Daniel had been there for almost two hours and hadn't spoken to either of them the whole time, except to say 'hello, how are you.' Now, he had a plan in his head, and it was time to begin to put things right. AND if Jack and Jason were good boys, he grace them with a fuck when he got them home. If they were bad, then all of them would have to wait. Daniel fervently wished they'd be good. He picked up a plate from the table near the grills and walked up to them. Jason looked at him, trying to hide the desire in his eyes from anyone else who'd be looking but Daniel saw the look and recognized it easily. He smiled.
"What's good?" Daniel asked.
"Everything," Jason replied softly, staring, then looked down at the food in case he was caught staring at Daniel too long. No one was near enough to hear so he took the chance, not caring what Jack thought. "I miss you," he whispered. He looked back up at Daniel and received a loving look in return, as well as one of Daniel's shy, charming smiles. Daniel looked over at Jack who was trying not to care, shoving the bravado up front. When Daniel looked down at the grill then surreptitiously up from under his lashes, that did it.
"Danny, for chrissake, I miss you, too, and I'm sorry. Now take something, eat, and let's go home. Okay?"
Jack was sorry! He really was. Daniel wanted to kiss him right then and there in front of everyone. He let down his wall just a little, but he still had a few lessons to teach them.
"Okay."
They both looked at him in surprise. Daniel nodded.
"If you guys want to come over, how about 7 o'clock tonight?"
They were silent for a few seconds and for those seconds, Daniel thought he'd made a mistake. But they nodded back.
"Sounds great," Jack said.
Followed by Jason, who said, "I'd like that a lot, Daniel."
Daniel winked at them and went back to his table. Janet and Sam looked over their shoulders at the grilling duo, then back at Daniel who had a somewhat more relaxed look on his face.
"Well," asked Janet anxiously.
"I'll find out just how sorry they are....tonight."
. .
At about 7 pm, Daniel waited in his car down the block. He knew they'd be waiting for him inside his house. He would wait ten more minutes, just to let them stew, then he'd go in. He wanted to make them wait until next weekend but he wasn't a saint. This enforced chastity of his, plus the teasing, was driving himself nuts also. The night after he'd teased them in the gym, he'd found that it had backfired on him. He'd jerked off three times in one night because he couldn't get his mind off of them, and all he had fantasied over and over and over again was fucking them, and being fucked by them, on that goddamn bench press. That thing would never look the same to him again.
. .
Jack and Jason were sitting on Daniel's sofa. It was 7:15 pm. "We should wait until 9 pm, Jason," Jack told him.
"And if he doesn't come home?" Jason asked heatedly. "I can't take this anymore. I want Daniel. I want you. I haven't had sex with either of you in a long fucking time, Jack. I miss you...and I miss him."
"I know, Jace," Jack stated simply, the fire in his eyes apparent. And if he doesn't come home, then I'm fucking you through this sofa.
. .
Just before Daniel drove up his driveway, he purposely thought about what had made him mad in the first place. He wanted the edge. He needed it. Combined with the images in his head about the gym fantasy, he felt ready to fuck them both through the walls of the house. One thing made him pause as he shut off his car and slowly got out. They could just as well be ready to attack him as he was to attack them. Then he shrugged and slammed the car door shut.
By the time Daniel inserted the key in the lock, he was rock hard and his heart was beating rapidly.
Daniel walked in and did not look around. He closed the door, locked it, then hung up his coat...next to Jack's and Jason's. His hands trembled slightly in anticipation. Finally, he turned around. Jack and Jason had stood up from the couch and they looked drop-dead gorgeous to him.
He started to unbutton his shirt, then stopped and said, "Clothes, off." He unbuckled the strap to his watch and set it on the bureau, watching them as they stripped. His fingers unbuttoned while his eyes never left his lovers. His expression was serious, almost deadly. If Daniel had looked in a mirror now, he would have seen the man from his dream; the one that Shifu had bizarrely gifted him with. Oddly enough, that version of himself had aroused him, though it had sometimes scared him. Right now, he was going to show his lovers that part of himself, that part that was deadly but no where near scary. This part of himself he liked, and did not show often enough.
He removed his shirt slowly, then carelessly dropped it on the bureau. "Bedroom, now." With that, he turned and walked down the hall, unbuckling his trousers.
Jack and Jason didn't ask him why. They only did as they were told. As they removed their clothes, they looked at each other.
Jason had a begging question in his eyes. "Did you notice that look--"
"I noticed, Jason," and he paused as he took off his boxers. He looked at Jason, who stood there nude, and hard. "Let's go."
. .
Daniel was nude by the time he'd reached the bed. He tossed the covers down to the end of the bed and turned the light on low. He grabbed the lube from the drawer and placed it between the pillows. He stood, purposely, with his back to the door, his legs spread slightly. He heard them coming down the hall, and the only noise, other than their footsteps, was the tinkling of their dog tags. His dick throbbed maddeningly at the sound. He ran his hands over his body, caressing himself, feeling his skin tingle. Sweat had already begun to build up.
When he heard them stop in the doorway, he ran his hands over his thighs, then over his ass, massaging his buttocks invitingly. He smiled to himself as he heard them inhale.
Jack's mouth didn't go dry. His mouth began to water, as if looking upon something he'd wanted to eat for ten years and had been denied.
Daniel turned slowly, and the look he gave them made them gasp. "Get on the bed and lie down."
They didn't ask. Didn't want to. They just...accepted.
Daniel stayed put at the side of the bed and continued to caress himself. When Jack and Jason got on the bed, their heads at the top, Daniel moved to the foot of the bed, then began the show.
"Watch me," he said, and they did. He spread his legs a little wider, then closed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair. He tilted his head back, sticking a few fingers in his mouth to wet them, suckle them, then ran them over his chin and down his throat. His fingers followed the curves of collarbone, down the arousing line of his pectoral muscles, rubbing his nipples. He rewet his fingers, then brought them back to his nipples, rubbing and pinching, making them hard and rosy red.
"Danny," Jack whispered, and started to get up, but Daniel stopped him with only one word.
"Stay." Daniel kept his eyes closed, caressing himself before them, moving his hands downward, over his belly, down to his thighs, then his inner thighs. He purposely left his groin alone. He knew if he touched himself, he wouldn't last long for what he had planned.
Jack lay back down. His hands sought out his own body, copying Daniel's movements. Jason did the same, but one of his hands roamed further and sought out Jack, touching the top of his hip, caressing his skin with his fingertips.
Daniel raised his head just then and opened his eyes. His lovers looked magnificent, lying there, open, waiting for him. Jason's hand was touching Jack and Daniel let them see just the hint of a smile.
"Kiss."
Jason was suddenly reminded of what Daniel and Jack had done for him. Now he recognized part of that look Daniel had. The Alpha look. It excited him more than he thought it would, thinking that only Daniel's angry side did that. But this was different. This was...what? Masterful? No, not exactly. Not dominating, either. Power. That was it. Powerful.
Jack also recognized it. And because of it, he wanted Daniel more than ever now. He turned to Jason and wrapped his fingers around his dog tags and pulled Jason into a torrid kiss, sucking his tongue into his mouth.
Jason moaned softly, returning the heated kiss, thrusting back into Jack's mouth. He gasped through his nose and slid his hands around Jack's back and pulled him down on top of him.
Daniel smiled softly, knowing what Jason wanted and had to delay it for a little while. "Stop."
They broke apart and looked up at him. Daniel narrowed his eyes, making himself look just a little more dangerous. "Jack, come here, on your hands and knees. Face me."
Warily, though extremely aroused, Jack got onto his hands and knees and crawled to him.
"Taste me. With your mouth, nothing else."
With the slightest hint of a smile, Jack did so. He licked at the head of Daniel's throbbing dick and Daniel controlled himself fiercely, willing himself not to move. If his dick reacted, fine. But nothing else on him would move and he would not make a sound.
Jack took the head of his dick into his mouth and sucked, moving back and forth. Daniel did not encourage him or move his hips. He didn't say a word. Jack found it as a challenge. He sucked with earnest, but his angle would not accommodate him to swallow Daniel whole so he did what he could.
Daniel closed his eyes and let himself feel Jack's mouth servicing him. The thought was highly erotic and the moment Daniel felt himself about to moan and pant, he stepped back, pulling his dick from Jack's mouth. Jack's lips were red and slightly swollen. He wanted so much to kiss them, but he stayed where he was and whispered with a devilish smile,
"Thank you, Jack. Lie back down."
Jack gave Daniel a smirk of a smile and Daniel knew it would take a while to break him. So be it. He had the perfect plan for him anyway. He looked at Jason, staring, letting his eyes rake over him slowly, letting Jason become aroused by his focused gaze.
Finally, Daniel said, "Jason, suck him, and use only your mouth. Do not touch anywhere else. Jack, you will not touch him no matter what."
Daniel resumed his own caresses, staying away from his dick. He watched in heated fascination as Jason moved over Jack and began to suck him slowly, then his movements began to speed up, sucking hungrily. Jack began to pant and Daniel let Jason continue until he heard the change in Jack's breathing that signalled Jack's high arousal. He would come if Daniel let Jason continue. Daniel couldn't allow that.
"Jason, stop. Lay back on the bed. Jack, your turn."
Jason lay back and gasped as Jack took him in his mouth. When Jason's breathing changed, Daniel knew it was time for the next part.
"Stop." He waited for Jack to lay back on the bed then knelt at the foot of the bed, still caressing himself in a luxurious manner, enjoying their eyes on him. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes as he fondled his nipples, his belly, his abdomen, allowing himself to pant softly. He knew this would arouse them even more. When he heard Jack groan, he opened his eyes, then raised his head slowly to look at them.
"Hand me the lube from between the pillows, Jason." Jason did so, and the slight touch from Daniel's fingers as they made contact was electrical.
Jason didn't resist the pull and he grabbed Daniel's hand. "Daniel, please..." Daniel took his hand and brushed his lips against the palm...then ran the tip of his tongue over it. His eyes never left Jason's and he watched with satisfaction as Jason gasped with sexual hunger.
Finally, Daniel whispered, "Not yet, Jason," then he released him and looked at Jack, whose gaze was smouldering. Daniel gave him a crooked grin.
"Jack, give me your fingers."
Jack held out the fingers of his right hand and Daniel poured lube over them. "Prepare Jason, Jack, and finger fuck him."
Jason moaned that Daniel wouldn't be touching him, but as his eyes looked into the heated gaze from Jack, he forgot all about it. He started to turn over, but Daniel interrupted. "Stay on your back, Jason. I want to watch your beautiful face."
Jason flushed then, feeling a warmth spreading through him at the sound of Daniel's husky voice. He opened his legs wide, inviting Jack to touch him. Jack crawled over him, moving to Jason's right. He lay down and slowly, carefully, teased Jason's opening, drawing a gasp from him, then Jack inserted two fingers into him. Jason opened his legs more and arched back, raising his ass, gasping.
"Oh God, Jack. Yes," and he closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of Jack's fingers inside him again. He began to rock in time with Jack's thrusting hand, giving him small moans of lustful encouragement.
"Stop," Daniel suddenly ordered. The sight of them was so arousing that Daniel felt he could come right then. He had to slow it down, so he moved over to the side of the bed again and leaned forward. He touched Jack for the first time, on the inside of his knee, making Jack shiver. Daniel opened the tube of lube and poured lube onto Jack's dick. "Stroke, coat yourself." Jack did so, his eyes roaming over Daniel's face, his body, then looking over to Jason, taking in Jason's gaze on his dick. Daniel's voice almost startled him. He spoke in a very low, seductive tone. "Now, fuck him, Jack. On his back. Slowly. You have brand new knees. Let's see you give them a workout."
Jack gave Daniel a filthy look, then hoisted Jason's legs over his thighs, positioned his dick, then pushed in, sheathing himself inside, slowly. So achingly slowly.
It had been almost three weeks for Jason, and the heat from Jack's cock made him shudder with ecstasy. He groaned and closed his eyes, arching his back while he grabbed at Jack's arms.
"Oh God, Jack, you feel good."
Jack didn't reply. He closed his eyes briefly, then looked back into Jason's flushed face, staring at his rosy, pouty lips, and into his dark, penetrating eyes. He started to move, thrusting evenly.
"No," Daniel said, intervening. "Slow. Not hard. Not fast. Slow."
"Daniel," Jason gasped out a complaint. Daniel smiled as Jason reached out for him. Daniel let him touch him, but not his dick. He brought Jason's hand to his chest as he remained kneeling next to them, loving the touch of his fingers.
Jack reached down to stroke Jason's chest as he moved his dick slowly in and out of Jason's body. The feeling was so intense it nearly overwhelmed him. Daniel watched him and knew it, too.
"Now, push his legs up and go deep," he said softly, bringing a hand to Jack's waist. He moved behind him then, and controlled Jack's movements. He pushed his knees wider and placed his hands on Jack's hips, keeping his thrusts slow, preventing him from speeding up. Jason started to jerk himself off, but Daniel reached around and gently pushed his hand away. Jason moaned, grabbing Daniel's fingers and placing them on his dick.
"Daniel, please..." but Daniel only smiled and placed Jason's hand on the bed, encouraging him to grab the sheet instead.
Jack was on fire, and the sweat was glistening from him, making him shine. Daniel loved the sight of him, the smell of him. He leaned over and licked up the center of Jack's back, making Jack's muscles ripple and twitch.
"Daniel..." Jack whispered, feeling an intense tingling crawling up his inner thighs. He needed to thrust harder, faster. He wanted to come so badly.
"Grind into him, Jack. Find his sweet spot and rub." Jack slowly pushed Jason's legs higher, then ground his groin against Jason's ass.
Jason loved it and needed more. He cried out, "Fuckme!!! Please," and he repeated himself again and again, begging to come off. Daniel laid down next to him then and reached between them, finding Jason's dick and began to stroke and squeeze. Hard. Jason closed his eyes tightly, panting hard. Daniel leaned forward and kissed him then, surprising him with his contact. His tongue slowly moved into his mouth, allowing Jason to taste him. Jason's tongue reached for him, begging to taste, to be consumed.
Daniel pulled away a little bit, letting his mouth whisper over Jason's lips. "Now, Jack," he said in that same husky voice, though he was panting himself now. He could feel the sweat dripping down his back, watched it dripping down Jason's neck. He leaned down and licked the skin in front of Jason's ear. "Fuck him slow, Jack, but don't let him come," and he squeezed the base of Jason's cock.
"Please, Daniel, please," Jason cried, and Jack raised his hips up slowly and slammed down, once, then did it again, and again, and again. Jason screamed for it. "Goddamn it, Daniel! Jack, please, fuck me!"
Daniel smiled. He released his hold on Jason's shaft. "Now, Jack, make him come," he said in a soft voice, and pulled away, making Jason's eyes widen. He wanted Daniel's contact along with Jack's and he wanted it bad.
Jack leaned down instead, sensing it, and kissed Jason hard as his hips sped up. Jason moaned through his mouth as he fucked him hard and fast. 30 seconds later, Jack pulled away.
"Come for me, baby," he growled as he pounded into him. Jason's body arched convulsively and he screamed as he came hard, clawing at the sheets as his semen spurted over his stomach. Jack groaned at the sight and Daniel suddenly spooned up behind him, pulling Jack to a kneeling position while placing his hand in the right place, keeping him from coming.
"Daniel!" he complained loudly.
"You want me inside you?" Daniel asked seductively, rubbing his cock against Jack's ass while his mouth nibbled at his ear.
"Yes Danny, God," and Jack leaned against him as Jason lay there gasping, groaning, his body shuddering through the remainder of his long orgasm. Jason looked up at his lovers, the brief spasms continuing to move through him. Daniel pulled Jack back against him, pulling his dick out of Jason's body, making Jason moan.
"Daniel, dammit--" Jack exclaimed, surprised.
"Sssshhhh," and Daniel placed his finger to Jack's mouth, then pulled Jack's ass and thighs backward so they settled over his own thighs; in effect, making Jack sit on his lap. Jason's legs dropped from Jack and he moved, rolling to the side to watch them as he came down from his orgasmic high.
Daniel covered his fingers with lube then reached underneath to tease Jack's anus with them. Jack was filled with want, with need, with fire. He wanted Daniel. And he was going to get him, but not the way he thought. Daniel pushed his fingers in slowly and teased Jack with their movements. He kept Jack from touching himself too, as his fingers worked themselves deeper, periodically rubbing his gland.
"Danny, oh God!" and Jack arched back against him, loving the feel of his fingers.
"Feel good, babe?" Daniel asked.
"You know it does. I want to feel myself inside you, Danny."
Daniel only grinned. "Not this time, Jack," and Jack wondered just when Daniel had lubed his own cock because he gasped as he felt Daniel pushing slowly inside.
Jack groaned loudly as he closed his eyes, Daniel's hands caressing his chest. "Yes, Danny, God, yes." He let himself feel the immense heat from Daniel as he filled him and he moaned with want.
Daniel loved the silky heat of Jack and had to control himself with great effort to stay in command of them. He stilled when he felt himself fully buried, letting Jack adjust to him. There really was no need because Jack wanted him, wanted him now, but Daniel would make him wait, make him beg for it.
"Daniel..." Jack urged as Daniel barely moved, rocking his body just a tiny bit. "Daniel...."
Daniel bit along his neck as he pulled out slowly and stopped, making Jack gasp. He felt the heat of Jack more intensely now and almost lost himself as he pushed back inside. Sheathing completely, he stopped again, making Jack groan with impatience, grabbing at his hips and trying to thrust.
Daniel smiled with pleasure and satisfaction. He started to move achingly slow, his thrusts deliberately maddening. Jack was gasping, panting, tossing his head back onto his shoulder.
"Daniel, dammit! Faster, please."
Daniel smiled still, pulling on Jack's ear with his teeth, then whispered huskily, "Beg me, Jack."
Jack gasped incredulously, but did what he was told. "Fuck me, Daniel!"
"Beg me," Daniel whispered again. His hips began to gyrate slowly as he wrapped his arms tightly around him and pushed in deep and ground into him, finding his sweet spot.
Jack groaned with lust. "God, Daniel."
"Beg me, Jack," Daniel said, pulling harder on his ear, making his voice sound somehow deeper.
"Fuck me, Danny, please!"
"Again."
"Please, Danny. Please, fuck me!"
"That's my babe," Daniel whispered, then bit against his neck as his hips began to piston.
Jack gasped with tremendous want. "Yes, Danny! That's it! God, fuck me, please!" and he dropped his head back even more as he spread his legs wide for his lover. Daniel pistoned harder. "Yes, Danny, yes!"
Daniel moved his hands across Jack's chest, across his hips. He tasted his sweat, smelled his scent off his skin. He was lost in Jack, aroused by the power he had over him. Daniel needed it, needed all of him and he forced Jack's legs wider.
"Here it comes, babe," and he thrust his hips faster, sending shudders through both of them.
"More Danny, please," Jack cried out and Daniel shoved him down onto his stomach, falling on him and burying himself deep inside, making them both cry out.
"Fuck me!" Jack cried as Daniel slowed his thrusts, circling his hips.
"Yes, beg me!" Daniel cried out, now thrusting in long, hard strokes.
"Fuck me, PLEASE!" Jack panted, spreading his legs even more as he raised his ass.
Daniel heard what he wanted and let go, clasping his arms tighter around Jack, slamming into him with all of his weight, angling and hitting his gland ruthlessly. His pants changed to gasps, feeling his orgasm approaching fast.
"Danny, that's it! Fuck me, oh goddamn, make me come!" and he gripped the sheets so hard he almost tore them as they pulled free from the mattress. "Oh God, Danny!"
"Right through the fucking mattress, Jack!" and Daniel did just that, humping him hard and fast, out of his mind, out of control, and he finally came, hard, while Jack exploded, screaming the walls down.
. .
Covered in drying sweat and semen, the three of them lay there, boneless, in a sprawled mass of limbs. Slow kisses were being exchanged.
Jason reached out and caressed Daniel's chest as he lay between himself and Jack. "You were beautiful, Daniel," he murmured. Jack murmured agreement from somewhere under Daniel's arm. Daniel moaned back in appreciation, looking at Jason through half-lidded eyes. His irises were still dark with lust. "I still want you to fuck me," Jason added, his fingers tracing the line of Daniel's collarbone. Jack grumbled, as if in warning, as he reached down sleepily to pull the covers up over their tangled legs.
Daniel smiled, pulling Jack against his back, then leaned over and kissed Jason softly before dropping his head back down on the pillow. "Give me a few hours, cupcake, and I'll give you the fuck you're begging for."
Jason raised his head a little and frowned at a very dangerous looking Daniel, who had closed his eyes for a nap.
"Cupcake?"
~