Part 3

"Any luck?" Sam asked as Jack and Daniel returned for lunch.

All four team members settled down on the steps outside one of the city's central buildings.

"Maybe," Daniel said. "Well, no, not really. You?"

"Not sure," Sam said.

"Not sure?" Jack asked, accepting an M.R.E. from Teal'c.

"I've dissected a few other devices...and I still can't tell where they get their power," Sam admitted. "I'm starting to think there may be some sort of central power source."

"You mean like a power plant? Some kind of generator?" Daniel asked, puzzled.

"Not exactly. It would have to be something that didn't require wiring or any other kind of solid physical conduit."

"Like satellite TV," Jack suggested.

"Yes, sir," Sam said with a smile. "That's actually a reasonable analogy."

Jack smiled smugly at the rest of his team and dug into his lunch happily.

"Major Carter and I believe it would be wise to search more of the city, looking for the power source," Teal'c said.

"You done here?" Jack asked Sam, gesturing at the building behind them.

"Well...."

"Carter, you stay here, keep dissecting the hardware. Daniel, promise me you'll behave."

"Excuse me?" Daniel said, looking up from his lunch.

"Promise me you'll behave so I can help Teal'c search for the satellite dish thing."

"It's not actually a satellite, sir," Sam hurried to correct Jack.

"I know that. I was making an analogy," Jack said sarcastically.

"Yes, sir," Sam said, fighting back a grin.

"Any idea of what whatever it is looks like?" Jack asked with no real expectation that Carter would know. Or, at least not in any way she could describe to Jack.

"Afraid not. Hopefully you'll know it when you see it."

"Daniel, be sure to keep your radio on," Jack said.

Daniel sometimes had the habit of shutting off his radio. Usually after numerous calls from Jack. Granted, he only did it on uninhabited planets, like this one, but it was still a bad practice.

"I'll 'behave'," Daniel said indignantly.

"I meant you should keep it on so that Teal'c and I can get hold of you if we need something translated," Jack explained.

"Oh," Daniel said, looking disappointed that he wasn't going to be able to sink his teeth into a good argument with Jack.

"Well, as far as that goes, I might as well join you and Teal'c. I'm not really doing anything particularly productive."

Jack watched Daniel looking for signs of...he wasn't sure what. Jack just knew that his concern about Daniel's general unhappiness had not been helped by Daniel's path explorations.

"Daniel, are you okay?" Sam asked cautiously, apparently concerned about Daniel's state of mind, too.

"Sure. Why do you ask?"

"You just seem a little...." Sam struggled to find an appropriate and inoffensive description.

"Daniel Jackson still seeks his path," Teal'c said.

"That's true," Daniel said slowly, eyeing Teal'c.

"Is that why you've been going on so many missions with other teams?" Sam asked.

"Part of it," Daniel admitted.

"Why? What I mean is—how is that helping?"

"I don't know. I don't even know that it is," Daniel said with a shrug. "I'm just trying out some other options. I'm trying to understand what I should be doing. Trying to figure out who I am."

"Don't take this wrong, Daniel, but does it really have to be so...overwhelming?" Sam said. "I understand that you want to reevaluate your goals. But you are who you are—that won't change."

"I'm gay," Daniel blurted out.

Jack didn't know if Daniel had intended to let Carter and Teal'c in on his secret, or if he was just reacting to Carter's comfortable notion of who Daniel was. Either way, Jack couldn't suppress a reflexive wince. Daniel was a civilian. He was free to tell anyone he wanted about his sexual orientation. But for Jack, the need for secrecy was so deeply ingrained that he couldn't help reacting.

"That is not the word I would have used to describe your mood of late," Teal'c said.

"No, Teal'c, it doesn't mean...well, actually it does mean that. But it also means...."

"That you prefer male sexual partners."

"Uh...yeah."

Teal'c nodded and turned his attention to his meal, apparently feeling the topic had been sufficiently dealt with. Daniel turned a somewhat flustered look on Jack, but Jack could only shrug in return. Who ever knew how the Jaffa would react? To anything.

"Daniel, is this something...?" Sam began hesitantly.

She glanced at Jack. He wasn't sure what she was looking for but he kept his face carefully bland. Whatever she, or Teal'c, learned about Daniel would come directly from Daniel, not from Jack.

"New?" Daniel asked. "No, but it's something I've never fully accepted before."

"Oh."

"Don't worry," Daniel said quickly. "It doesn't affect any of this. Not work. And it doesn't affect us."

"Gonna make our double dates a bit awkward," Jack pointed out.

Sam threw him a scandalized look. Daniel just chuckled.

"Not necessarily," Daniel said. "I'll promise not to hit on your date, if you promise not to hit on mine."

"Daniel!" Sam said with a snigger. Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow.

"It's a deal," Jack said, tipping his canteen at Daniel.

"I have never seen anyone shut Carter up so efficiently," Jack said, joining Daniel in the locker room.

He knew it wasn't the failure to find anything else significant on M2Q. Carter never let a little thing like that slow her down. Daniel, though, had thrown her off her stride.

"What?" Daniel said.

He finished buttoning his shirt and leaned down to get his shoes from the bottom of the locker.

"Don't give me 'what'," Jack growled. The growl had more to do with his reaction to Daniel's ass than any genuine irritation.

"Do you think she's okay with it?" Daniel asked with concern.

"She loves you, Daniel. If she's not okay with it now, she will be. And Teal'c could not have been less fazed." Jack settled himself in his trousers and zipped up. "Then again, how would we know if he was?"

"You think I was stupid to tell them," Daniel said, his expression wary.

Jack sat down on the bench and reached for his own shoes.

"No," Jack finally said. "I don't think it was stupid."

"Careless?"

"Nope."

"Jack, I saw your expression when I told them," Daniel said. "You weren't a happy camper."

"That's me, Daniel," Jack said, bending over to tie his shoelaces. "I have to keep it a secret. My career, my family—everything that has ever meant anything to me was dependant on my keeping quiet. It's second nature now."

"Don't you ever resent that?" Daniel asked.

Jack glanced up, then sat up surprised by the pained empathy in Daniel's eyes.

"Sure," Jack admitted. "But that's just the way it is."

Daniel nodded reluctantly. Jack reached over and gave Daniel's shoulder a light squeeze.

"It's different for you," Jack said. "You can be...what you are. You can find someone and be with them. You can be happy."

"Yeah, right," Daniel sighed.

Before Jack could pursue the matter any further the phone rang.

"What the hell?" Jack complained. Daniel stared at the phone, too, with a bemused expression. "I didn't think that one actually worked."

"Apparently it does."

Jack strode over to answer the phone, and immediately wished he hadn't. He watched Daniel's amusement grow as he overheard Jack's end of the conversation with Hammond.

"Damn it," Jack muttered as he replaced the receiver and stomped back to his locker.

Daniel watched, puzzled, as Jack starting taking off his clothes and pulling out a set of fatigues.

"Uh...Jack? We're off duty now. We've got three days of leave," Daniel pointed out.

"You do," Jack grumbled.

"Jack?"

"Go on before Hammond catches your ass, too," Jack ordered.

Jack knew damn well Hammond wouldn't be coming after Daniel, but Jack didn't want Daniel hanging around making sympathetic noises. Or gloating at Jack's self induced misfortune.

"But...."

"Out. Scoot. Amscray," Jack said, grabbing Daniel by the shoulders and pushing him toward the exit. "Don't let the door hit you in the ass."

"Yeah, okay—I get the message," Daniel said, grinning. He paused in the open door. "Hey you're not stuck here all three days, are you?"

"No," Jack said.

"Give me a call then. We'll do...something."

"Hit the road," Jack said, nodding as he waved Daniel out

Jack parked the truck and turned off the ignition, but he remained inside the cab, staring out the windshield. It was late, but that was his own fault. He'd been letting his paperwork slide...again. Hammond's directive had been clear: stay late and put a dent in the backlog, or give up the first day of a three day leave to do it.

It was just as well. Unhappily engaged in mindless paper shuffling, he'd had time to think about Daniel's revelation to the rest of the team. And about something he himself had said. Daniel was free to live openly. Jack...wasn't. Jack dropped his head and banged it lightly against the steering wheel.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Jack muttered.

He was an idiot. Not that this was any kind of news flash, but sometimes he even surprised himself. Jack had been waiting, giving Daniel time to figure out what he wanted. Giving Daniel time to, hopefully, reach a point where he'd be receptive to Jack's interest. But how the hell could Jack ask Daniel to bury that part of himself again just to be with Jack? Answer—he couldn't. So here he was, just half a block from one of his favorite Denver spots, looking to find some kind of physical diversion. Something to help him start forgetting about what might have been.

As a result of his prolonged stay at the base it was nearly midnight. Jack shrugged mentally. It might not matter. Some nights you got lucky in the first five minutes. Other nights you got squat. Jack was hoping for a five minute night, but if not, well, he still had three days of leave. Three days minus doing 'something' with Daniel anyway.

Jack left the truck behind and strode steadily toward the bar. He pushed through the front door, pausing a moment when the heat and noise rushed over him. He scanned the crowd, looking to see if he recognized anyone, and to see just what kind of crowd it was tonight.

Jack was just shrugging off his coat when a burst of laughter drew his attention to a small group coming in from the game room. He recognized the man in front. Matt. Another out-of-towner like Jack. Matt hit Denver once a month without fail, and on the occasions when their visits overlapped, Jack always enjoyed catching up.

Sex...they'd done that, too. It was no more than scratching an itch for either of them and they didn't do it often. But what the hell, Jack thought. If no other prospects materialized and Matt was willing....

A second later Jack's jaw dropped when he saw the man immediately behind Matt. The bright eyed, heat flushed, hard bodied man....

Daniel.

Jack was ready to turn and head right back out the door when Matt saw him.

"Hey, Jack!"

Jack groaned but forced himself to smile and walk over to greet Matt. He watched as a look of amusement lit Daniel's eyes.

"Hey, Jack. Long time. How are you?" Matt asked, reaching to shake Jack's hand.

"Good, I'm good. How're you?"

"Bored out of my skull half the time...so nothing new. Oh, Jack, this is Daniel."

"Yeah," Jack drawled. "We've met."

"Really?" Matt said.

"Really," Daniel confirmed.

"Well, join us then, Jack," Matt urged as he edged his way toward the bar. "We're just going to grab another round and then head back to the game room."

"I thought you had detention tonight," Daniel said in a low voice as Matt gave their order to the bartender.

"I was working," Jack insisted. "Speaking of which—Hammond's sending your little Tobin toy up to...Nevada."

"What? Why?"

"We've already spent several weeks and made two trips to...that place and we haven't gotten anywhere."

"Well, I know but...." Daniel protested.

"We're a field unit, Daniel. Bottom line, neither you nor Carter has the time to spend dinking around with that thing. And that's what those guys are there for anyway."

"I'm willing to bet none of them can speak Phoenician."

"No, but they all speak Geek. They'll figure it out."

Daniel shot Jack a dirty look as Matt rejoined them with a tray full of glasses and a couple of pitchers of beer.

"So, Jack—what do you say?" Matt said. "Up for some pool?"

"Pool?" Jack asked Daniel in a low voice as Matt led the way back to the game room.

"I've been taking lessons from Sam," Daniel whispered back with a mischievous grin.

Now that Jack had to see.

Daniel leaned over the pool table in a manner that could only be described as provocative. He displayed his long legs and rounded little rump to perfection. Then he peeked up uncertainly through his lashes.

"Christ," Matt moaned to Jack. "Do you think he even realizes what he's doing?"

"Not entirely," Jack said, bemused by Daniel's behavior. He'd never seen Daniel in actual flirting mode. "He's going for seductive but he's not sure he's made it."

"Oh, he's made it all right," Matt said. "And if he keeps it up he's about to get made by half the guys in here."

"You're up," Daniel said, walking up to Matt.

"Oh, boy, am I," Matt said before grabbing his cue and leaving a puzzled Daniel behind.

"Daniel."

"What?" Daniel asked, still watching Matt in a distracted manner.

"What are you doing?"

"At this specific moment?" Daniel asked, turning his attention to Jack.

"Why are you in Denver?" Jack asked, figuring he might as well start at the beginning.

"I wanted to try someplace different. Meet some new people."

"Kevin?"

"What about him?"

"You guys already broke up?" Jack asked.

"We weren't exactly going steady," Daniel said.

"So...someone else?" Jack said, keeping his tone light. Just because he understood that he couldn't be with Daniel didn't mean it was going to be easy.

"Why do you want to know?" Daniel asked, fixing an interrogative stare on Jack.

"Living vicariously," Jack said, realizing it was something close to the truth.

Christ. Jack needed to get out. He'd come to Denver to get some ass because he couldn't have the ass he wanted. Now that the ass he wanted had shown up Jack couldn't bring himself to find a different one.

Jack rubbed his forehead in an attempt to ease his frustration. He slumped lower in the booth, only vaguely aware of the group of men still playing pool nearby. The only solution was to hit another—Daniel-less—bar and find a willing partner. Either that or resign himself to jerking off alone in his hotel room. The inner bitch picked that moment to point out that he could've done that at home and saved himself the time and expense of a trip to Denver.

Jack was jolted from his inner turmoil when the pile of coats on the seat next to him shifted. He looked up to see Daniel pulling his jacket from the pile.

"Daniel?"

"I, uh...I'm crimping your style," Daniel said with an apologetic smile.

"I don't have a style. And what the hell are you talking about?"

"You know," Daniel said, gesturing vaguely around the room. "I'm sorry, Jack. I just wanted to try something...someplace different. You recommended this place, and I didn't think you'd be here tonight. I didn't mean to encroach on your territory."

"Wait just a cotton pickin' minute. This isn't my 'territory.' You're not interfering with anything." Well, he was...but not the way Daniel thought he was. "Besides, if you leave Matt is going to be very disappointed."

"I thought maybe the two of you...?"

"Been there, done him," Jack said.

Daniel flushed slightly, but Jack was surprised to see what looked like arousal in Daniel's eyes. What? He liked the idea of having someone Jack had had? A little weird to Jack's way of thinking, but then again...he was a little intrigued by the idea himself. Sort of a...proxy fuck.

"Besides," Jack added, "Matt's been ogling you tonight."

"Um...no. Not really interested."

So...no weird kink? Jack shook his head. He'd never understood the way Daniel's mind worked before. Why think he would start now?

"Well," Jack said, looking around the room for another prospect.

His gut reaction was to put a boot in the ass of anyone who dared...who was allowed to touch Daniel, but Jack had made a promise to himself. He wanted Daniel to find someone. Maybe even someone who would love Daniel as much as Jack did.

"I'm going," Daniel said abruptly.

"Where?" Jack asked.

"Home."

"Oh, no. No way," Jack said in his most authoritative tone. "It's late. You've been drinking. You are not driving back to the Springs."

"I'm a big boy, Jack," Daniel said, shifting quickly into pissy bitch mode. "If I want to go home, I'll go home."

"That's the dumbest thing you've ever said," Jack said, watching anger flare in Daniel's eyes. "You're not going to try to tell me that you drove all the way here just to suck down a few beers and go home."

"No," Daniel admitted in a tight voice.

"So grab a victim and go fuck your brains out," Jack said, hurting himself with the deliberate crudity as much as Daniel. "Christ, Daniel, you could have your pick of half the guys in the bar."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Before Jack could react, Daniel's hands were twisted into the front of his shirt and Jack had been shoved against the back of the booth. Stunned, he didn't have time to argue or question before Daniel's mouth covered his own. Daniel's mouth was demanding against his, biting and sucking and forcing his tongue between Jack's shock-slackened lips.

Jack opened to Daniel, allowing him invade Jack's mouth. His hands slowly wrapped around Daniel's forearms, accepting, even encouraging the forceful grip. Suddenly Daniel pulled back, leaving Jack with a sore jaw and his tongue damn near falling out of his mouth.

"What?" Jack said stupidly.

"You said I should just grab my victim of choice," Daniel said defiantly.

"Yeah, but...me?"

"Yes, you." Daniel looked a little wild, a little aroused, and more than a little frightened.

"I want you," Daniel continued in a low, urgent tone. "I want to strip you naked and gorge myself on the taste of your body. I want to hold you and touch you until you're so hard you'll cry if I won't let you come. I want to fuck you until you do cry. Then I want you to throw me down and own me until I'm willing to sell my soul if you'll just promise to fuck me the same way every day for the rest of my life."

"Daniel?" Jack whispered.

He would be more than happy, ecstatic even, to comply with Daniel's wishes but he was a little confused by the troubled look in Daniel's eyes.

"Please, Jack. I want you. You're the only one who can make me want that, make me feel like that because you're the only one I want."

Daniel searched Jack's face anxiously. Dumbfounded, Jack couldn't muster up a ready and rational response.

"Please," Daniel repeated, his voice almost inaudible.

Jack suddenly realized that Daniel thought Jack was rejecting him. Daniel didn't know that Jack was about to cream his pants at the mere thought of being thoroughly done by Daniel. Daniel was taking Jack's stunned silence as refusal. Jack couldn't form a coherent sentence to save his life, but when Daniel's hands released their grip on his shirt, Jack let his actions speak for him.

Jack wrapped his own hands into Daniel's shirt and yanked him down into his lap. Surprised, Daniel followed Jack's urgent tugs and straddled him. This time Jack claimed Daniel's mouth; Jack's tongue invaded and controlled the kiss. Daniel made a startled noise deep in his throat, but he wasn't anywhere close to trying to fight Jack off.

"D-does that mean yes?" Daniel asked when Jack relinquished control of his tongue.

"That means let's not waste any more fucking time." Jack slid his hands down around Daniel's ass and groaned. "God, I've wanted your ass for so long."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why?" Jack repeated incredulously. "Why not?"

"Why not? What kind of answer is that?" Daniel asked.

"Why are you arguing with me about this?"

"I'm not arguing."

"Are," Jack insisted. He gripped Daniel's ass with both hands and squeezed. "I want this ass."

"You sure?" Daniel asked.

Jack tightened his grip even further and pushed their groins together.

"Yeah, okay, you're sure," Daniel said breathlessly, pushing back against Jack's strong hands, increasing the pressure between their bodies.

"I should've figured."

Daniel and Jack both jumped at the sound of Matt's voice. Daniel looked a little embarrassed at having been caught in such a blatant PDA, but at the same time defiant. Daniel sure as hell wasn't releasing his grip on Jack. Jack smiled. He had absolutely no objection to being the object of Daniel's lust.

"Just get a room, would ya?" Matt continued, sounding disgruntled. "Don't make the rest of us suffer."

"Oh, sorry," Daniel said, blushing. "This is probably very...um...."

"He really doesn't realize it, does he?" Matt asked Jack.

"I don't think so."

"Realize what?" Daniel asked, baffled.

"We're not suffering because we're grossed out by some public groping," Matt explained patiently. "We're suffering because a good third of us got an instant hard on watching you give Jack a lap dance...and we're jealous as hell of Jack."

"Oh."

Daniel couldn't quite find anything appropriate to say to that. Especially given that he was now certain Matt was a little nuts. Daniel glanced at Jack to share his amusement at Matt's gross error...and was astounded to see the look of supreme smugness on Jack's face.

"Mine," Jack reminded Daniel, squeezing one ass cheek.

Daniel smiled brilliantly.

"Just as soon as we're out of here," Daniel promised.

"Check," Jack called.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't know you were gay." Jack sighed.

They hadn't even gotten as far as his truck and Daniel was arguing, er, discussing. Jack had managed to convince Daniel to just leave his car and ride with Jack to the motel, but that was all he'd managed.

"After you knew."

"Yeah, that would've worked. You're putting your whole life under the microscope, doing some heavy duty soul searching. And in the meantime—Hey, Daniel—great news about you being gay. Glad to hear it 'cause I've wanted to fuck you stupid for months."

"You could've phrased it a little more tactfully."

"Besides, why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't know you were bi." Daniel held up his hand to forestall Jack's next argument. "And after I did, you didn't act interested. In fact, you acted completely disinterested. You were taking me out, giving me tips, helping me get back in the dating game. How was I supposed to know?"

"I was afraid to say anything," Jack told him. "I was afraid that you might agree because you were confused and because we have history."

"And I didn't want to put you in an uncomfortable situation. I was afraid that if I told you I was interested that you might go along, to some extent, just to help me."

"So, basically, being caring and supportive of each other got us exactly squat?"

"Crude...but accurate," Daniel agreed.

"So what will being selfish and crass get me?" Jack asked. Hey, couldn't hurt to ask.

"What do you want?"

"In the short term—sex."

"And in the long term?"

"More sex," Jack admitted. "All of it with you."

Jack hit the lock release button on his key chain and climbed into the driver's seat. He watched as Daniel slowed as he walked around to the passenger side door. When he slid into the truck, Jack looked carefully at his expression. Daniel's defiance had faded.

"Daniel?"

"What if this is a mistake?"

"I thought you wanted this?"

"I sat in your lap and begged you to have sex with me. It should be obvious I want it."

"You knew what you wanted and you went for it. Nothing wrong with that," Jack said firmly. "I'm just a little surprised that what you wanted was me."

"You can't," Daniel said quietly.

"I will," Jack assured him. Screw the Air Force. Well, maybe not, not unless he really had to—but this time he was willing to take the chance. "This time I will."

"I don't want to fuck this up." Daniel turned his head, looking at Jack in the dim glow from the dashboard. Daniel had never looked more defenseless, more uncertain. "I'm still kind of lost right now. I don't know where I'm going or how I'm going to get there. This might be a bad time to start something."

"Daniel, I've never known where you're going or how you'll get there. But I'm not afraid to go with you," Jack said.

Jack had never been more certain of that.

"And you call me reckless," Daniel said, voice tinged with irony.

"Do you trust me?" Jack asked.

Daniel gave a hesitant nod.

"Daniel?"

"Yes, I trust you."

"Then go with it," Jack urged.

Daniel leaned over, finding Jack's mouth and kissing him slowly, surely. He pulled back slightly and smiled.

"Are you ready for this?" Daniel asked.

"Probably not," Jack admitted. "But that's never stopped me before."

Jack reclined on the motel bed and wondered if this was a really bad idea. Sex with Daniel was, on the face of it, a good idea. Spectacularly good. And they'd established that the mature, supportive approach was just keeping them apart. But...what if they should be apart? What if having what they both wanted was somehow...not right?

"Hush," Daniel said, emerging from the bathroom.

He was completely naked, and erect, and Jack's mature, rational side caved without so much as a whimper.

"What?"

"You're thinking too much."

"There's a first time for everything," Jack said flippantly.

Daniel gave Jack a reproachful glare as he knelt on the bed next to Jack.

"Hush," Daniel repeated, pressing his hand lightly against Jack's chest when he tried to sit up. "Just...hush."

Daniel shifted over, straddling Jack. Still wary, Jack lay back down and waited to see what Daniel would do. Daniel slowly unbuttoned Jack's shirt, brushing it aside and leaning down to kiss Jack.

"Planning to make me cry?" Jack asked, wagging his eyebrows. "Because I really don't have a problem with that, you know?"

"I didn't think anything made tough old colonels cry."

Daniel ran his hands lightly up Jack's chest, his attention absolutely focused on the feel of skin and hair and muscle. Jack actually got a little head rush; Daniel's intense fixation on his body like a drug.

"I might surprise you," Jack whispered, almost afraid to break Daniel's concentration.

Daniel laid his naked body along Jack's still mostly clothed one and began kissing and nipping his way around Jack's exposed skin. Daniel's arms stretched along either side of Jack, cradling him.

"Daniel," Jack said.

When Daniel raised his head to look at Jack, Jack grasped him and drew him up for a kiss. Daniel's tongue probed him slowly and sensually, as intensely as he'd studied Jack's body.

"Jesus, Daniel," Jack gasped when Daniel withdrew. "You're damn scary sometimes."

"You don't like?" Daniel asked, a small frown shadowing his eyes.

"Love it. It's just...intimidating," Jack said. He had to dial down the intensity just a notch or they'd both be crying. "You have to loosen up a little."

"I am loose," Daniel said.

Jack raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"I know, I'm kind of surprised myself but this feels so good. So good," Daniel murmured, spreading his fingers and gliding his hands along Jack's torso.

"Knock yourself out," Jack said, feeling a little light headed again. "Just...let me have my chance, too. I want to...touch you."

"Really?"

"Jesus, yes, Daniel."

Jack ran one hand down Daniel's side, brushed across his ass and onto the powerfully muscled thigh.

"Yes, I want to touch all of you. Every fucking inch."

Jack brought his hand back up to grasp Daniel's cock. Daniel threw his head back and rocked easily into Jack's hand. Jack looked up at Daniel, still on all fours above him, and thought it was just about the sexiest sight he'd ever seen.

"Mmmm Jack," Daniel protested, still rocking into Jack's hand. "Have to stop."

"Why?" Jack asked. He was totally getting off on seeing Daniel this way.

"I want to fuck you."

"What's stopping you?" Jack said, reluctantly releasing his prize.

"My supplies are in my car," Daniel pointed out.

"My bag," Jack said, jerking his thumb at the small gym bag he'd tossed on a chair.

Daniel slowly rose from the bed, his cock bobbing as he walked to the chair.

"We don't need these," Daniel said, dropping the condoms on the bedside table. He caught Jack's expression from the corner of his eye and hesitated. "Or...would you feel more comfortable if we did?"

"It's not.... I know Fraiser checks us for everything under the sun, but.... You've been...active recently," Jack explained.

"And I used protection," Daniel said.

"You did?"

Jack had worried about that, but there was no way even he could find a way to lecture his 35 year old best friend on safe sex. Not without the best friend tearing him a new one.

"I'm not stupid or suicidal," Daniel informed Jack, his voice edged with irritation. "And I sure as hell wasn't that desperate. But if you want...."

"No. If you've been careful with...them, then we don't need rubbers. I just...." Jack shrugged. "You can't be too careful, you know?"

"It's okay. You're absolutely right to be cautious. And I mean it—we'll use them if you want to."

"No. No, I just want to feel you."

"Naked," Daniel said.

"Yes, you are," Jack agreed. Magnificently so.

"And you're not."

"So do something about it," Jack challenged.

A full ten minutes later Jack decided he'd better be very careful about the challenges he issued Daniel. Daniel had stripped him slowly and with a caress for every inch as it was uncovered, some touches sharp, some soft.

"Remember what I said a minute ago? About lightening up?"

Jack was panting like he'd run a marathon and Daniel hadn't gotten anywhere close to touching him where it counted.

"Yes?"

"Forget I ever said anything. I'm an idiot." Jack gasped as Daniel nuzzled into his groin and bit his inner thigh.

Jack spread his legs wider and thrust up. Daniel bit again, more lightly, at the crease between thigh and balls.

"Fuck, Daniel," Jack groaned.

"Not...quite...yet," Daniel said just before drawing Jack into his mouth.

Jack's hands itched to grab Daniel by the ears and just go for it. He drove his fingers into the sheet beneath him instead, trusting that Daniel would give him more pleasure if left to his own devices.

Jack felt the storm gather between his legs. Daniel must have sensed it, too. Just as Jack thought he was going to blow sky high, Daniel let Jack's cock slip from his mouth. He shifted forward and pushed into Jack, at the same time leaning down to suck, hard, at Jack's nipple.

Jack choked out a cry that could've been Daniel's name. Could've been his own. Hell, it could've been Thor's for all he cared. Jack simply couldn't understand why no one had ever thought to suck his nipple just as he came. It felt good. Incredible. Stupendous...the strong stimulation seemed to shoot directly to his cock, pleasure pulsing through it harder and longer than he thought he was even capable of anymore.

When Jack had caught his breath, he looked up at Daniel. Daniel's eyes were closed, his face tight with need as he rocked methodically into Jack's body. Jack reached around and grasped Daniel's ass, pulling him in closer. Daniel groaned, barely opening his eyes enough to look at Jack lying content beneath him. Jack smiled and used his ass muscles to grip Daniel even tighter.

Daniel's eyes snapped shut again. His breath hissed through clenched teeth as he began to piston into Jack with a sharper, swifter snap of his hips. Jack encouraged the quickening tempo, a muted pleasure echoing in his own body. Daniel's back arched; his movements stuttered into stillness as he poured himself into Jack.

"Hey," Jack whispered as Daniel slumped.

He rested on his forearms holding himself just slightly above Jack.

"Just...sec," Daniel said breathlessly.

He started to pull away and Jack quickly slid his arms around Daniel, keeping him close.

"No need to hurry off," Jack said.

"Um...kind of sticky, sweaty," Daniel mumbled, but he allowed himself to relax onto Jack.

"S'okay. Kind of like sticky, sweaty," Jack said, running his hands slickly up and down Daniel's back.

"Was talking about you," Daniel said, looking up at Jack, the affection in his eyes stronger than the tease in his voice.

Jack just pulled Daniel up and drove into his mouth, opening wide and devouring him. Jack wouldn't have thought it possible, after what they'd just shared, but he needed Daniel even more. Needed to touch him. Needed to feel him and claim him and possess him and god help anyone who got in Jack's way.

Jack finally forced himself to relinquish that sexy mouth back to its owner. Daniel smiled, dropped a drowsy kiss on the end of Jack's nose, and settled down on his chest. Jack's left arm went around Daniel's shoulders, his right brushed idly through Daniel's hair. Nope, Jack wasn't about to let Daniel go. And he was hoping like hell Daniel wouldn't wake up in the morning and decide to continue on his path alone.

Jack woke slowly. He couldn't tell if the dim light through the curtains was just the outside security lights, or the first glow of dawn. Either way, he knew it was still early. Jack sighed. Well, he'd gone and done it. He'd done exactly what he'd been telling himself he wouldn't do. Couldn't do. Shouldn't do. And he couldn't honestly say he regretted it. He was absolutely convinced that getting fucked by Daniel Jackson was the best idea he'd had in a very long time.

He turned his head to the side and found Daniel looking at him, watching him intently.

"Been awake long?" Jack asked, feeling a little unnerved by Daniel's scrutiny.

"A while," Daniel said noncommittally.

Jack rolled to his side so that he could do some looking of his own.

"Are we okay?" Jack asked, leaning in to kiss Daniel.

Daniel sighed and matched his lips to Jack's in a lazy, contented kiss.

"Yeah," Daniel said, flushing slightly. "We're, uh, we're fine with.... It's just us."

"But are you okay with us?" Jack asked, searching Daniel's face.

"Well.... I still don't know where I'm going or how I'll get there," Daniel said with a smile. "But at least I won't be alone on the journey."

The End

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