DIVERSION - PART TWO BY BIBLIO

The Banqueting Chamber was infinitely worse than Daniel had been prepared for.  The light was dazzling, reflected back by a vast expanse of multi-coloured marble.  The glare was cutting at his eyes.  There were numerous low slung tables recessed into wells in the floor, every table draped with heavily scented flowers.

Lots of intimate alcoves and recesses were set into the ‘O’ shaped perimeter wall, with columns strategically placed to ensure a modicum of privacy.  Daniel’s heart sank.  He hadn’t wanted to believe it but the evidence was mounting up.  The 'O' layout was a classic constituent of Mycenean architecture.  Here, it was a mockery, like everything else Daniel had seen in the palace.  A bastardisation that replaced purity of form and simplicity of design with garish excess and a cacophony of clashing colours.  It offended him to see a beautiful and elegant culture exploited this way, by a Goa'uld with neither taste nor feeling for the past.  Wherever he looked, Daniel could see how far this caricature fell short of the reality.

The Tok'ra hadn't been able to provide them with much information about the Goa'uld who ruled this tiny world of Eleusis.  Demeter belonged to the Greek pantheon as the goddess of agriculture, health, birth and marriage.  She was a minor goddess in the Earth pantheon, as well as amongst the System Lords.  Demeter was the daughter of Cronus.  In mythology, the enmity between Cronus and his offspring was legendary.  He had killed them to preserve his own power.  There were echoes in reality too.  From what Selmak had told him, Daniel was absolutely confident the only Goa'uld they wouldn't run into on Eleusis was Cronus himself.  Demeter secured her precarious position in Goa’uld society by hosting these feasts in her exalted father's honour, and tithing him all the profits from the trading.  Cronus had absolutely no other interest in, or use for, her continued existence.

Demeter was in fact a useful choice for this humble role, as there were numerous feasts and festivals associated with her.  The Haloa, the Chloia, Prerosia, Thalysia, the Thesmophoria and the Skirophoria were the major ones.  Each recessed table was decorated with a sheaf of corn, confirming this festival was indeed based on the Chloia, the spring festival of sprouting corn.  Daniel looked around the room contemptuously.  Very LOOSELY based.  He was totally unimpressed with Demeter's style, or more accurately, her lack thereof.

Daniel noticed there was a pattern to the table wells.  The raised walkways between them radiated out from a kind of raised dais in the very centre of the room.  The dais was surrounded by a throng of guests.  He couldn’t see clearly who or what was there, but he deduced this was where Demeter must be holding court.  Now he’d seen the palace, Daniel wanted to avoid Demeter if he could.   He might not be able to contain himself.  Giving Demeter his considered opinion on her crass and tawdry imitation of an admirable culture she didn't have the wit or grace to appreciate would be very satisfying, but wouldn't exactly contribute to the success of their mission.

Daniel's lip curled.  The tables groaned with food.  It was a little shocking to see such excess.  Yet another contradiction.  Gluttony was frowned upon in Mycenean society; hosts weren’t expected to provide more than they could comfortably spare, and guests who asked for what wasn’t offered risked it being construed as a deliberate insult.  It was a difficult balancing act.  This excess looked like a deliberate statement to Daniel.  He took another look at the decadent display and averted his eyes, shuddering.  It was appalling.  More like 'Lifestyles of the obscenely exploitative and genocidal' than classical Greek culture; a dubious display of wealth and extravagance to convince the rest of the Goa'uld and the other guests that Demeter was still a force to be reckoned with.  Daniel looked and saw a pathetic caricature of power and dominance.

He decided now was as good a time as any to start civilising Jack and compile an unofficial ethnographic ‘snapshot’ of Goa’uld social structure at the same time.  Given that Daniel’s entire research staff for this mission was Jack, perhaps his best option to steer his unwitting colonel into his new role was just to head into the throng surrounding the dais and start circulating.  He slipped out from under Jack’s arm and barely remembered in time to sashay as Sam had taught him.

He found almost instantaneously that you couldn’t achieve much in the way of forward momentum when you had to sashay.  Bits of him were moving more emphatically than he was used to.  He didn’t like it, but a few heads had turned his way, so he supposed he had to resign himself to it.

“Such beautiful eyes.”

Daniel did a double take, not sure he’d heard that correctly.  A humanoid who seemed to be as broad as he was tall was staring intently in his direction.  Stone faced.  Rather like a mobile mountain.  Daniel checked cautiously over his shoulder.   There was nobody behind him but Jack.   ME?  He then made a terrible mistake.  He made eye contact.  Apparently that was more than enough encouragement, because the Alp was headed right for him. Rapidly.  Daniel braced himself and stood his ground.

The Alp came right up to Daniel and grasped his shoulders firmly.  Daniel met the Alp’s gaze and realised he’d been in danger of jumping to conclusions.  The Alp wasn’t actively hostile, quite the opposite.  His stone face was deceptive.  Daniel was fascinated by his eyes; the pupils seemed huge in comparison to the leonine golden iris.  His vision must be far superior to any human.  Daniel went with the expression in the Alp's eyes and didn't make a fuss about the hands on his shoulders.

“I am Brin,” The Alp said gently.

"Carlin," Daniel bowed slightly.

“You have such beautiful eyes," Brin admired sincerely.  His gaze shifted past Daniel.  "Your friend?" he asked.  "Have I your permission to solicit his company?”

Daniel was astounded.  All that fretting about HIS safety and ability to deal with the casual pick-up?  He knew for a fact Jack had never covered this scenario in the mission prep.  Daniel had to sternly repress a desire to just leave Jack to it and see how he fared with an ardent male admirer.

Brin suddenly released his grip and took a couple of steps away from Daniel.

Daniel was attempting to formulate an adequate response when a warm, familiar hand reached around him from behind and cupped his jaw, turning him into an embrace.  He found himself looking into Jack’s warm brown eyes for a second before his own closed.  Maybe Jack was thinking their act was already looking shaky because a moment after his lips met Jack’s, Jack’s tongue met his.   Curled sweetly around, gently stroking.  Didn’t rush.  Encouraged Daniel’s tongue to do a little stroking of its own.  Melted Daniel’s bones.  Daniel managed to force his eyes open for a second.  Jack was melting Brin’s bones, too, from the looks of it.

All too soon, Jack had to force himself to ease back from the kiss and let Daniel go.  He felt slightly guilty.  So much for him not doing the passing.  That noble resolution lasted all of… what?  Ten minutes?  Jack assured himself some of it was Daniel’s fault.  It would be much easier - well, one iota easier, anyway - to stop kissing Daniel, if Daniel would just behave himself, stop being so damned kissable and stop kissing back.  As it stood, Daniel was doomed.

Run, Daniel, run!

Jack turned and made eye contact with the Neanderthal who’d DARED to lay hands on HIS archaeologist.  Jack had done just enough to be sure he’d established his territorial rights over Daniel.  Staked his claim.  Now, he let his body language deliver the rest of the message: if you touch him again, I’ll kill you.

Daniel wasn’t surprised when Brin backed off.  Not with Jack standing there exuding sheer, deadly menace.  Daniel was still blissed-out from Jack’s kiss, could still taste Jack’s lips on his.  He was deeply shaken by the depths of his attraction, had barely begun to come to terms with it when Jack just had to go and ruin the moment for him, dragging him abruptly out of his reverie.

“He belongs to ME.”  Jack’s voice was as possessive as the hand that curled around Daniel’s neck.

He BELONGED to Jack?  So, he was just supposed to meekly hand over his pink slip and let Jack do the driving for the next three days?  No way!  He wasn’t about to tolerate Jack’s attempts to be masterful for a second.  Jack had broken their agreement on acceptable behaviour two minutes after they’d walked in the room.  Time to bring 'Alpha Jack' to heel.  Daniel deliberated as Brin kept shooting Jack increasingly admiring glances, obviously enjoying the full-on Alpha Male display.  Daniel realised that Jack just wasn’t seeing the sexual connotations of his behaviour patterns at all.  This could prove to be a very effective way of making Jack realise he NEEDED Daniel.  It also promised to be very entertaining.

Daniel shook off Jack's hand and stepped up to their new friend, who seemed delighted by his proximity. “Brin, you have my permission,” he said graciously, smiling sweetly at Jack.  ”I’ll just leave you two alone, shall I?” he whispered huskily.

Then Daniel swiftly withdrew to a discreet, safe distance, leaving Jack to deal with his ardent admirer.  The ensuing entertainment was all he could wish for.  When Jack tried to follow him, Brin reached out and took his arm.  Jack turned on Brin, and then Brin obviously solicited the dubious pleasure of Jack’s company.  Jack’s jaw dropped.  Then he went red.  A lot of words were exchanged.  Very rapid, heated words.  Jack forcibly removed and held Brin’s hand away from his arm, then realised abruptly that left the two of them HOLDING hands.  He threw down Brin’s hand like it was a cobra.  He stepped back.  Brin stepped forward, still speaking earnestly.

Daniel realised he was too far out of earshot to pick up on the good stuff so he sneaked closer and continued to watch the unfolding drama with conspicuous, regrettably complacent interest.  He was thoroughly enjoying himself.

“I KNOW you want me.”  Brin’s voice was flirtatious.

“I want you alright," Jack snarled.  "I want you to leave me alone!”

Brin was confused. “But your friend gave permission for us to mate.  And your own behaviour…”

“I don’t mate outside my species!” Jack interrupted forcefully.

Daniel waited patiently for what he knew would come.

After a brief, but visible struggle with himself, Jack, being Jack, demanded, “What about my behaviour?”

“Your display of sexual mastery over this beautiful boy was provocative, calculated to arouse and attract another dominant male.”

The 'beautiful boy' stiffened, glaring indignantly at both interested parties.

Brin looked thoughtfully from Jack to Daniel and back again.  “I see that I have fallen into error," he apologised regretfully.  "I did not mean to offend.  It is not my place to judge your ways.  We can include the boy in the mating, if that is what you desire.”  He bowed his head respectfully towards Daniel.  “It would also be MY desire.  He is exquisite.  Those eyes!  The skin!  Flawless.  As to the lips?" Brin kissed his fingers in extravagant tribute.

Daniel blushed furiously.
"As it does not offend your laws, I will be happy to mate with you both," Brin offered happily, beaming at them both.

Daniel heroically stifled the hysterical laughter bubbling in the back of his throat.   He’d have sold his soul for a video camera.  The expression on Jack’s face was priceless.  He looked like he'd been stuffed.

Jack was struck dumb for a moment by the image of a single gender, inter-species threesome, but then he rallied slightly from his stupefaction. “I’m one of those bad things that happen to good people," he drawled ominously.  "I’m sure you’re good people.  You should go.  Now.  Before I happen to YOU.”

“As you wish." Brin's reluctance rang in every syllable.  "And only for now.”  Brin gave Jack a final, hot, stripping look.  “If you decide to accept my proposition, be assured I stand ready to accommodate you both.”  Then he bowed and swaggered back into the crowd.

The effect on Jack could only be described as incendiary.  It was causing Daniel actual physical pain to outwardly suppress his amusement.  He’d never seen Jack so at a loss.

Jack gave Brin the evil eye until he was out of sight, then turned his smouldering gaze on a worthier target.  Daniel.  His own personal cross to bear.  “Why me?” he asked of the universe at large.

“I guess he likes a guy with spirit," Daniel said innocently.

That was too damn much!  Jack was fuming.  The little S.O.B. had done that to him on purpose.   Jack closed in on Daniel vengefully. “I'll SHOW you spirit!"

Jack grabbed Daniel's ass, got a good grip, and before Daniel could so much as whimper, used it to yank Daniel close enough for a deep, frenzied kiss that made their teeth clash as Jack tried to achieve a tonsillectomy using only his tongue.

Jack worked hard to stay mad, but the glorious curves of Daniel's ass and Daniel’s astonished little moans of pleasure disarmed him completely.  Jack worked even harder to ignore the insidious little voice inside that told him he was a bastard for taking advantage when he’d promised himself he wouldn’t.  He fought it, but the voice got louder and more insistent, and in the end he caved and tried to pull away.

Fortunately, Daniel wasn't having that for a second.  His hands shot out and grabbed Jack behind the ears, dragging him right back to where he'd started.  Jack's knees were going from oxygen deprivation as Daniel's tongue enthusiastically plunged towards HIS tonsils.

Jack had just enough presence of mind to steer them erratically towards the nearest marble pillar for support, turning them at the last minute so he could keep his hands on Daniel's ass.  He was reeling, primarily because most of his corpuscles were plummeting down to give their all to an organ that needed them far more than his brain did right now.

He could only hang in there and rely on Daniel to keep then upright.  As Daniel clung ever closer to him, keeping them locked in a searing, ecstatic kiss, Jack could tell Daniel's corpuscles were also giving their all from the heat and hardness enticingly writhing against him.

Daniel didn’t ease off on the kissing until Jack was aroused beyond the capacity for rational thought, and wheezing so painfully from lack of oxygen he HAD to pull away.  It was that or CPR.  Daniel gave a tiny growl of displeasure and reluctantly tore himself away.  The heat they’d been generating, Jack was amazed the marble hadn’t melted around them.

Jack stayed put against the pillar as he tried desperately to catch his breath and see past the spots in front of his eyes to take in Daniel's reaction.  The look on Daniel's face sobered him.  Hell.  Not good.  Crappy, in fact.  Daniel’s eyes widened, then narrowed, then widened again as a tidal wave of red washed over his cheeks.  And then his face shuttered and he backed away.  Aw, crap.  Pack your bags, Jack, Daniel’s goin’ on a guilt trip.

Daniel’s heart was beating so hard it felt like it was in the back of his throat, and not just from the aftershocks of that AMAZING kiss.  He could not believe he’d just done that.  With Jack.  TO Jack.  Right in front of everybody!  What the hell was wrong with him?  He was miserably conscious the cat was well and truly out THAT bag.  If Jack had any doubts about whether or not Daniel was enjoying being kissed, his shameless display had just buried them six feet under.  He couldn’t bring himself to meet Jack’s eyes.  He’d never felt so humiliated in all his life.  And the worst thing was, it was self-inflicted.  He would have cheerfully welcomed death at this point, just to get him out of the explanation Jack would no doubt demand from him the instant they were alone.

Oh God!  He couldn’t…he could NOT spend the night with Jack.  He wouldn’t be answerable for the consequences.  Maybe he could bunk up with Teal’c instead?  Or sleep on the floor?  Anywhere.  Anywhere but with Jack.  His face burned as he thought about Jack helping him take off his pants in the aftermath of that kiss.  Oh God. Oh GOD!  Was it possible to actually die of embarrassment?  He wasn’t sure, but his body was giving it a damn good try.

Daniel turned blindly and headed off into the crowd.  He didn’t get two feet before he remembered the walk.  Perfect.  Just perfect.  Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to slow down.  Trying to manage a sexy sashay at a dead run was a little beyond his capabilities at the moment, but if he had to learn how to do it sprinting full out he'd give it his best shot.

Jack was all too aware of his god-given talent for Fucking Things Up.  So he kept his yap shut and allowed Daniel to blaze a trail toward the mass of snakes in the centre of the room.  Jack sniggered.  Maybe smoulder a trail was more accurate.  It wasn't hard to catch up to Daniel because he wasn't making a lot of headway, on account of The Walk.  Daniel was avoiding his eyes.  And conversation.  Jack didn’t mind at all.  His libido was doing a smug little happy dance.  Daniel had clung to him and kissed him back.  Actively participated; growled in disappointment when Jack had been faced with the choice of passing out or pulling away.  Daniel now couldn’t think of a single thing to say that would explain away his reaction other than he’d been having a damn good time, and had wanted to have it for longer.  Just like Jack.  Neither of them could get away with the ‘tactics’ excuse.  Lips and tongues hadn’t been the only body parts having a good time.  Jack was better off in that respect.  He had this wonderful tunic.  Daniel was drawing even more admiring glances than he had before.

Jack knew it was dangerous to make assumptions.  Daniel enjoying kissing him was a long way from Daniel wanting to have sex with him.  You could chalk the kissing up to the fact that Daniel was only human, and since sex hadn’t played a large part in his life over the past few years, other than under duress, his resistance was probably quite low.  Jack's conscience smote him.  Alright, already!  So you could chalk his taking advantage of that up to the fact he was a bastard, and he didn’t have any resistance at all where Daniel was concerned.

Daniel wasn’t the recreational sex type.  Not like he'd been keeping tabs on Daniel's sex life or…okay, okay, he HAD been keeping tabs on Daniel's sex life.  No.  That wasn't balls-on accurate either. He'd figured the guy hadn't needed any more complications in his life.  Especially after the way a one-night stand with the Destroyer of Worlds had him stepping up to the plate to slug it out with Ja…with the SGC, over her future. The Destroyer of Worlds, for Chrissake!   Daniel was way too susceptible, he felt things too deeply.  It was up to Ja…to his friends to look out for him. So he'd neatly filled up all of Daniel's down time, and not left him enough spare time to have a sex life.   And, okay, maybe it WAS a little selfish of him, because it was easier on his nerves when he had Daniel where he could keep an eye on him.  Mostly, he'd only been trying to look out for his friend.  Mostly.

So, Jack had been a good friend to Daniel, that went without saying, and now he was determined to be more.  Much, much more.  He knew the sex would only come if Daniel admitted to himself that he was attracted to Jack, and only if he could be convinced their friendship wouldn’t suffer.  Jack freely admitted that his version of convincing was strictly X-rated.  That would have to wait until they were alone.  For now, he’d settle for not giving Daniel time to think or panic any more than he already had.  Time to make a start.  He fed Daniel a line.  “I told you I wasn’t gonna stick my tongue down your throat in front of a room full of Goa’uld.  I lied.”

Jack got his reward as Daniel automatically snapped out a comeback.

“And won’t I make you pay for it later, Jona.”

“Promises, promises.”  Jack watched smugly as his lecherous drawl made Daniel shiver.

Jack figured his overwhelming contempt and loathing for the Goa’uld - especially Goa’uld only out to have their equivalent of a good time - was rounding out his My Lord Jona act nicely.  He let just a little of it show in his body language, in tightened lips and crossed arms.  He was quite content to follow Daniel through the crowds, cranking up the hostility every time Daniel’s attempts to engage the guests in ethno-whatsit conversation were met with what he deemed to be inappropriate enthusiasm.  Jack looming up behind Daniel like an avenging angel and adding a little comment or two tended to cut the conversation stone dead.  It was quite gratifying.

Jack was dragged out of his self-satisfied contemplation by Daniel planting himself in the way.

“Jona!”  Daniel was aggravated.

“What?”  Jack knew what. He tried to look wounded at the edge in Daniel’s voice.

“Jona, how are we supposed to gather enough information for the…trading…to go successfully, if you keep going for, oh, not so much the mot juste as the mot juggernaut?”

“What?”  Jack was tempted to tell Daniel not to be such a killjoy.  He always took things so seriously.  Why was he fretting about snake social structure when he could be doing something much more enjoyable?   Like…kissing his close and wanting to be closer friend Jack, for example.

“Conversation crunchers,"  Daniel said crisply.  "You’ve managed to bring every attempt to find out more about Goa’uld ethnographic social structure absolutely gasping to its knees within seconds.  Back off.  Give me room to work.”

Jack was entranced by the fine sparkle of temper in Daniel’s beguiling blue eyes.  He decided he REALLY had it bad, and that discretion was by far the better part of valour.  Daniel could stay in a snit for days and he was quite capable of making Jack sleep on the floor.  Jack wasn’t planning on SLEEPING anywhere.  “Okay,”  he agreed grudgingly.  Which translated as ‘No, Daniel, N-O’.

Daniel kept a wary eye on the activity in the room.  The lighting had been lowered and more and more couples were entwined in the table wells and alcoves.  They didn’t have too long before it became obvious he and Jack weren’t participating.  The crowd on the dais had thinned noticeably, and some couples were even starting to head out the door.  A few people were leaving with different partners than the ones they’d started with.  This whole festival was a weird meshing of Saturnalia and Bacchanalia.  It was disturbing.   The Chloia was supposed to be a simple festival in honour of the growing vegetation, propitiating the Goddess to ensure the success of the crops.

Daniel wandered over to the nearest pillar and leaned against it.  When they’d been briefed on this mission, he’d been interested to see Demeter, and what she would make of the Chloia.  To his jaundiced and frankly disappointed eye, it seemed all she’d made of it was a high class orgy.  Along with a fortune for Cronus from the Gifting Ceremony that concluded the festival, of course.  A tithe from all the trading.   The whole thing was a mockery.  Dross, like everything the Goa’uld touched.  Daniel sighed and let his mind drift off.  Despite his dread of the inevitable scene with Jack, he just wanted to get out of here.  He hoped Jack would let them quit soon.

A sudden gap in the crowd left Daniel with his first clear view of the Queen of Kitsch herself.  Demeter in the flesh was nothing like the mild matron portrayed in the Earth pantheon.  She stood coolly in front of a statue of Cronus.  It was the only statue Daniel had seen so far, and that alone told him exactly where the true balance of power lay.  The statue was a cruel and constant reminder to Demeter that she ruled here by sufferance.  It was also subtle.  The Goa'uld maintained their power by the fear they inspired and the worship they demanded as Gods.  How could this Goddess inspire that fear when the only god her people were allowed to see was Cronus?  It was difficult to rule from a position of weakness.   Daniel would bet any amount that Demeter’s temple was the only place on Eleusis where you could find images and statuary dedicated to her.  Demeter decorated her palace this way deliberately.  The vulgar excess and garish display were a feint to draw the eye, to overwhelm the unwary and minimise the impact of this solitary statue and all it stood for. Even her protected status was the gift of Cronus.

He saw Demeter's decision to stand as an overt act of defiance.  She dwarfed her exalted god and father by a head.  She had to be taller even than Jack. She stood proud, and her face was as cold as a winter sea, all planes and angles, with dark auburn hair and glacial brown eyes.  Daniel stared, and couldn't help but recall some of the darker epithets applied to her.  Erinys, the Avenger.  Melaina, the Black One.  He realised suddenly that Demeter was staring back at him, matching him look for assessing look.

Daniel thought about the way she had pillaged and parodied the past in this palace, to suit her own petty needs, and his own eyes hardened.  He held her gaze for a moment and then deliberately turned away, allowing a little of the scorn he felt for her show.  Demeter stiffened and he glimpsed the fury that blazed in the suddenly glowing eyes before she turned her back on him, impatiently summoning the hapless Factor to her side.  Daniel could tell she was grilling the Factor about the 'upstart' Rigans from his fearful, obvious glances.  Demeter gave Daniel a last icily appraising look and then withdrew to her own luxurious bower.   Maybe it would have been better if he'd just smiled at her through gritted teeth, rather than trying to avenge his lacerated sensibilities.  He hadn't made a friend there.

Jack could see the sudden tension in Daniel’s shoulders.  He was thoroughly enjoying the view from back here, but he closed the gap and pulled his resistant archaeologist into another enjoyably intimate embrace.  Jack wasn’t the only one doing a bit of snuggling.  They’d been amongst the last to get to the Feast because they hadn’t dared to arrive on world before the official amnesty started.  The atmosphere around here was getting WAY too relaxed.  He had a feeling the scales were tipping towards the ‘make your own entertainment’ portion of the evening.

It wouldn’t be difficult to simulate uncontrollable passion, he was pretty much in that neck of the woods already, so he’d be taking Daniel to bed very shortly.  They’d needed to be seen to establish their cover and they’d done that.  The real test was tomorrow, when they had to start trading.  The Tok'ra didn’t seem worried about what would happen to the Rigans when all these deals fell through, so he wouldn’t worry either.  Daniel probably would.  Speaking of Daniel…He let his lips and teeth roam all over Daniel’s neck and murmured in the general vicinity of his ear, “Miss me?”

“How can I miss you when you won’t go away?”  Daniel said sourly.

“Be nice, baby,” Jack whispered.

“BABY?" Daniel snarled, outraged.  "What am I, two years old?”

It was almost impossible to achieve a scathing whisper, but then he’d always said Daniel was very articulate.  He had a lot of other endearments to try out, just for the entertainment value.  Daniel would hate them ALL.  Jack owed him something for The Walk, which Daniel definitely seemed to crank up a few notches every time he got in front of Jack.  He nibbled a bit more.  Yep.  Shoulder tension easing nicely.  An entirely different kind of tension building up.  Jack was getting a real kick out of the undeniable effect he was having on Daniel.  The Daniel he'd pulled into his arms was irritated and confused, but after a minute or two of concentrated 'comfort' hugging, he turned all pliant and yielding.

“Ass.”  Daniel palliated that by clinging slightly closer.

“Be nice, Carlin.  What’s frosting your cookies?”  Jack obligingly tightened his grip.  If Daniel needed Jack to make him feel better about wanting Jack, well then, Jack was here for him.

Daniel gazed into Jack’s eyes and reached up to take Jack’s earlobe between his teeth.  Then he bit it.  Once he was sure he had Jack’s full attention he whispered, guiltily, “I think I've upset our hostess.  I didn't mean to, but, honestly, this place is GRATING on me. ”   Not wise.  Not wise at all.  He bit his lip, and then confessed,  "I…I gave her ATTITUDE."

Jack wanted to bite those luscious lips too.  He managed to look disappointed, and of course that made Daniel feel even guiltier.  And of course that made Daniel cling even closer, to show Jack he was sorry and he would be good from now on.  Jack allowed himself to be persuaded, but gave Daniel a stern lecture.  “Just keep a lid on the righteous archaeological attitude, Daniel.  We've got a lot of ground to cover here.  We don't have time for these little sideshows.  Just stick with the programme and forget about the architecture.”

Daniel bit his lip again and Jack decided instantly he'd been overly harsh, and clearly needed to give Daniel some reassurance he'd been forgiven.  Immediately.  Allow ME, Dr Jackson!  He leaned forward and sucked Daniel's lower lip into his mouth, nipped at it delicately until Daniel rewarded him with a tiny, needy moan.

Jack was transfixed by the soulful blue eyes raised to his, or he'd have been a bit more wary.  As it was, he assured Daniel there was no harm done, just be more careful.  Daniel brightened up a little, and swiped his tongue across a rather damp lower lip.   A double whammy, what with the eyes and all.  He dimly heard Daniel's offer to restrict his activities to his survey, and maybe, um, maybe Jack could help with that?

Jack realised he was beyond help almost instantaneously, because his mouth kicked in a beat ahead of his survival instinct, and he clearly heard his own voice tell Daniel he'd be happy to help if it kept Daniel out of trouble for two minutes.  In point of fact, he’d gladly take root canal surgery over this god-awful ethno-whatsit survey Daniel had his heart set on, but it was too late now.

Jack wondered if Daniel had done the biting and the licking on purpose, just to get him going?  He hoped not.  Daniel gave him a hard enough time in the field as it was.  If Daniel worked out he could lead Jack around by his dick, he would be IMPOSSIBLE.

Jack flashed Daniel his best shit-eating grin. “I think our work here is done, big guy.  Time for me to take you to bed.”

Daniel was annoyed with himself when he blushed.  He hadn’t had a moment to think about that kiss or just what he could say to Jack to rationalise his reaction to it.  Jack had noticed he was aroused.  In these pants, half the ROOM had noticed he was aroused. It was just the friction, Jack.  Maybe I need to get out more, Jack, whaddaya think?   His enjoyment of Jack's…feasting…on his lips probably hadn't gone unnoticed either.  Or the way he was wrapping himself around Jack like a second skin, every single chance he got.

Jack glanced at Daniel’s flushed face and couldn’t resist taking him out at the knees. “Or we could just do the show right here.”

Daniel allowed Jack to tow him towards the doors without a whisper of protest.  His face was red hot, and he thought, a trifle petulantly, that all these irresistible double entendres Jack kept coming out with were just making it that much harder on him.

Jack did his best to balance libidinous speed with majestic Rigan dignity, but dignity was losing.  Badly.  His objective was to get Daniel out of his clothes and into his bed ASAP.  Daniel was worrying that kissing Jack was a Bad Thing.  Jack needed to convince him that ENJOYING kissing Jack was a Damn Good Thing.  The Best Thing in fact.  They needed to run the gauntlet of Carter and Teal’c, but then he could start convincing Daniel.  Getting him out of those pants would be a good icebreaker.

Sam and Teal’c were sure their quarters weren’t bugged.  They’d painstakingly swept every part of the suite with the Tok'ra device Jacob had given Sam and had found nothing.

“It makes sense," Sam said thoughtfully.  "Not bugging the rooms.  This is one of very few low risk trading venues.  A lot of money and goods will change hands tomorrow…”

“…This morning.”  Jack’s voice was as grumpy as he felt.  Daniel hadn’t so much run the gauntlet as curled up on the cushions next to it and engaged it in conversation.  Classic avoidance.  I don’t think so, Dannyboy.

“Whatever.”  Daniel shrugged off Jack’s interruption.  “The Goa’uld and the non-aligned humanoids wouldn’t risk it if every word they said could be used against them later.  And Demeter wouldn't risk doing anything to stop the flow of trade.  That would affect the tithe she sent to Cronus.”

Jack wasn’t enthused about anyone on his team at the moment.  Carter and Teal’c had lured Daniel down onto the cushions between them, leaving Jack odd-man out on the other side of the seating area.  Carter and Teal’c had then gently questioned Daniel about the evening’s events, every question a variation on the same tired theme.  Basically, had Jack behaved himself like a gentleman?  As the answer to that was a resounding no, Daniel had just blushed and hung his head.  Then Jack got to be the one who’d actually run the gauntlet.   His 2IC and his comrade-in-arms and alleged 'brother' had pulled a version of a pissed-off parental double act that had been used on him throughout his teenage dating years.  Didn’t work any better now than it did then.

He was sure Teal’c’s presence on the cushions RIGHT next to Daniel was purely tactical.  Trying to psych Jack out for being a Bad Boy.  It was NOT working.

“Are you sure that Cronus will NOT be present at this festival, DanielJackson?”  Teal'c’s voice was baleful.

Daniel was quite aware Teal'c wanted nothing more than a chance to avenge the death of his father and he could only be glad the answer to that was affirmative.  They had enough on their plate as it was.  "I'm sorry, Teal'c," he said, as sympathetically as he could.  "Cronus won't be attending.  Demeter is just a cash cow.  He has no interest in her otherwise."

"I must agree with your assessment, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c sounded regretful as he reluctantly concurred.  "Demeter has never taken a place among the System Lords.  She is insignificant outside of this world."

"She's pretty insignificant here, too," Daniel sniffed.  "There isn't so much as a statue in her likeness.  She may rule, but it's on sufferance."  Daniel thought about the Myceneans, and decided it was no more than Demeter deserved for exploiting them.

Teal'c extracted himself gracefully from the cushions.

Jack couldn’t help but notice the way Teal’c rested a hand on Daniel’s shoulder for just a moment, and the way he seemed to be speaking to Daniel alone.  Teal’c’s voice was a low, almost…intimate...rumble.

"I will retire to my room now.  I have much need for Kel’No’Reem. "  He paused at the door to his room. “I will remain vigilant, and guard our quarters if necessary.”

“Thank you, Teal’c.”  Daniel smiled up at him and was pleased when Teal'c smiled back.  He settled himself more deeply in the cushions.

Jack scowled after Teal’c.  Then he brightened.  At least Teal’c would be out of the way for a while.  One down and one to go, Daniel.

Sam sighed.  It had been too much to hope that the colonel and Daniel could spot a potential suspect in a huge crowd of people.  She and Teal’c were just going to have get out into the palace and beat the bushes. They had an itinerary for the trading.  The Tok'ra couldn’t just waltz in and trade up the information, it would give the game away completely.  The traitor would have to trade something for something.  She’d talk to Daniel and Teal’c about it in the morning, try to narrow down the venues she should try.  She was too tired to think straight now.

“We got lucky with our quarters.”

Daniel's quiet voice brought Sam out of her brown-study.  “Daniel?”

“Sorry, Sam.  Just thinking out loud.  The colours are still too bright, but at least they don’t clash.”  Daniel loathed the architecture he'd seen so far.

“Purist!”  Sam teased.  “I like all these shades of blues and greens.  And the bath is SUMPTUOUS.  Like a small swimming pool.”

“I don’t think servants are supposed to use it.  It’s only for the High Born.”  Daniel said complacently.

“Snob.”  Sam had every intention of using the bath whatever Daniel said.  It looked like a once in a lifetime opportunity to wallow in unashamed luxury and decadent comfort.

Jack was going to explode if he didn't get Daniel into bed soon.  God.  Was Carter NEVER going to bed?  Daniel was getting a second wind.  He’d be here all night if Carter gave him half a chance.  He was fairly motivated to start with.  Jack wondered if a display of sheer outraged silence would force Carter to take the hint and get the hell out of there.  God help him, but Daniel was gearing up for a lecture.

“It’s not really classic Mycenean.  Designed in an ‘O’ shape, certainly, but the private rooms should be on an upper level, not surrounding the communal area.  Richer dwellings did have a terrace, it’s true, but that blue-green mural you like so much would start a feud.  The Myceneans hated inappropriate painting whether inside the dwelling or out.  In fact…”

“I’m going to bed now, Daniel," Sam said hastily.  "It’s late and I’ve got a long day tomorrow.”  She struggled out of the embrace of the sinfully comfortable cushions, tried to ignore Daniel’s reproachful eyes, nodded vaguely at the colonel and headed off.   Sam chuckled as she closed her bedroom door.  The colonel’s face had been a picture when Daniel got started on the Myceneans.  Like they didn’t have anything better to worry about?  She thought the shock alone would kill Daniel if any of them ever let him get to the end of a lecture without interrupting.  Keeping Daniel grounded without hurting his feelings was a tricky business.  She was too tired for it.  She was happy for once to leave him in the colonel’s capable hands.  No one could ground Daniel quicker.

Gloating, Jack turned to his wayward archaeologist, eyes alight.  Showtime!  “BED, Daniel.  NOW.”  Mine.  All mine.

Daniel followed Jack into the master bedroom, literally the master’s bedroom in this case, and closed the door behind them.  Sheer white drapes fluttered between the archways that led out onto the terrace.  Sam and Teal’c were on the hallway side of the ‘O’.  Turquoise shaded to deepest aquamarine on the walls.  The floors were rich marble floors, with foliage cascading everywhere and the soothing murmur of water filled the room.   The dark, oiled wood on the cabinets was chased with what looked like gold.  The bed was large, d low and ornate.  He reached out a hand and touched the figured silk that covered it.  It reminded him of cloth of gold in design.

“Let’s get you out of those pants, Daniel.”

Jack’s voice brought him back to reality.  Daniel wasn’t sure how to react to that cheerful comment.  Or the dreadful leer that went with it.  Jack’s level of subtlety was on par with the moustache twirling villains of silent movies.  Daniel was tired of wondering what Jack meant.  He always knew what Jack meant.  At least he had, until Jack had kissed him.  Two days ago he could have finished a sentence off for Jack without even thinking about it.  Could have read Jack’s mood just from looking at him.  His perceptions had slipped so badly, he was questioning everything they both said and did.  At any given time they were either too close or not close enough.  His mind was in turmoil, trying to work out which it was.

The sexual connotations were colouring Daniel’s perceptions and affecting his reactions.  He wished to God this veil had never been lifted.  His mind was commanding him to stay in control, his body wanted desperately to finish what he’d started tonight with Jack.  He wanted all the kisses and the touching to matter.  “We changed the rules,” he muttered.

“So we have to learn new ones.”  Jack was quiet and for once, quite serious.

“Jack…I’m not sure I want to,” Daniel admitted sadly.

Jack sighed.  He was in the unusual position of having Daniel not knowing what was going on in his head.  Maybe he hadn’t given that kiss in the Banqueting Chamber enough gas? What did it take?  If he’d hung on any longer he would have needed CPR.  If Daniel couldn’t work out what Jack wanted, then Jack was going to have to put his ass on the line and spell it out for him.

He wrapped his arms around Daniel and let his own weight and gravity take them down to the bed.  Daniel’s hands were resting on his shoulders, neither pushing nor holding, and his eyes were enormous.   Jack held that gaze and slowly lowered his head until he could take Daniel’s lips.  Nothing to be afraid of, Daniel.  Trust me.  Let me in.  Let me in.  He pulled back and for one of the longest moments in Jack’s life it all hung in the balance.

“Oh.”  Daniel’s voice was wooden.

“I was trying for ‘Wow!’”  Jack risked sneaking sarcasm into his tone.  See, Danny?  It’s okay.  We’re okay.  We’re still us.

Daniel suddenly smiled up at him. “I refuse to pander to your ego, Jack.  It’s already big enough for the both of us.”

Jack was still trying to come up with a snappy comeback when Daniel’s hands slipped up to hold his jaw, and Daniel was raising his head, kissing Jack, welcoming him in.

This was definitely the best yet.  Daniel’s lips were firm and they had that perfect, kissable curve to them.  They were also very warm and extremely talented.  Jack allowed his weight to sink Daniel back into the pillows and gave as good as he got.  Tongues clashed until they each stopped trying to lead the kiss and simply shared it.  Jack had butterflies in his gut, hadn’t had them since he was about fifteen.  An irritating male archaeologist-cum-linguist was giving him butterflies.  A day could be a long time in gate travel.

Daniel had an aching memory of Sha’uri, of the last time he’d felt passion this way, and then he lost himself in Jack and the here and now.  Jack’s kiss was tough and tender all at once, and Jack’s warmth was reaching him bone deep.  When he started having difficulty breathing he pulled back, as far as Jack would let him, which turned out to be not very far, and gasped out, “We kissed and the sky didn’t fall.”

Jack was breathless, too.  “I think the earth moved, though.  You’ve been holding out on me.”

“Ja-ack.”

It was more of a sigh than a complaint.   Jack was happy to take it as a compliment.  He rolled them until they lay side by side on the bed, arms settled comfortably around one another.  He stared into Daniel’s eyes, and gave him the simple truth.  “I want you, Daniel.”

Daniel’s imagination had no true frame of reference for this, no prior experience to draw on.  He didn’t have a clue what Jack would be like as a lover, didn’t have a clue what Jack would make of him as a lover.  He knew he wanted Jack, too.  He’d never wanted a man before, but now he wanted Jack.  He could hardly deny it, it had only taken Jack two days to turn all his previous convictions about his sexuality on their head.  He’d been in trouble since the first kiss in Jack’s office.

“Can I touch you, Daniel?”

“Please.”

The grave tone and the incongruous answer made Jack smile.  Daniel never avoided the hard stuff but he also never resisted pontificating about it.  That was unusually short and sweet.

“I’m sorry, Jack.  I just can’t see myself screaming ‘Take me, Jack!  Take me!’  Can you?”  Daniel screwed up his face and gave an artistic mock shudder.

Jack tried and failed to picture that, and started to laugh a little.

“How about, ‘Jack, Darling’?”

“It would make a nice change from ‘Jack, don’t be an ass’!”  Jack entered into the spirit of it.  “How about a nickname for when we’re in the throes of ‘graphic, X-Rated, steaming the windows, shaking the floor, screaming the place down’ passion?”

Daniel gave that careful thought and consideration.  His primary reference sources in this area were severely limited.  What would Jack hate?  Daniel stared up at Jack consideringly.  “Pookie.”

As Jack’s face dissolved into an ear-to-ear grin, Daniel decided to give it his best shot,  “Er…Honey Lips.  Love Bear. Snuggle Bunny.”  He faltered for a moment, and then came up triumphantly with, “Stud-muffin!”

Of all the things Jack ever expected to hear out of Dr Daniel Jackson’s mouth that had to be the very last.  Jack burst out laughing.  “Jesus, Daniel, what have you been watching?" he gasped when he caught his breath.  "I thought you and the Discovery Channel were going steady!”

“Not when I’m at YOUR place, Jack.”  Daniel looked like butter wouldn’t melt.

“MY place?” Jack’s voice failed him for a moment as he ran a guilty mind over his channels, and then rallied, “I do NOT subscribe to those porn channels!”

Daniel opened his mouth to retaliate and got as far as “VC….ah…” before Jack pounced and stuck his tongue down Daniel’s throat.  It was like WWF with tongues.  Daniel pushed Jack’s shoulder back so hard they nearly fell off the edge of the bed as he rolled on top.  Kissing became complicated as they were both still laughing while refusing to part lips.

Jack had never laughed with his tongue in anybody’s mouth.  He liked the little gusts of Daniel’s breath, warm against his palate, then the tongue still valiantly trying to extract his tonsils followed by the little gusts of breath again.  They stayed that way for a long time, laughter feeding laughter, kisses feeding kisses, Daniel’s fingers curled in his hair, his hands stroking the back of Daniel’s head and neck.  He loved the feel of Daniel’s hair under his palm, loved sifting through the silken strands, the softness slipping through his fingers, loved the way it clung to his calluses.

When Daniel finally lifted his head he conceded. “Okay, that was worth a 'wow'.”

Jack gave him an evil smile. “And that wasn’t even ‘porno tongue’, Spac…Mmmmph.”

Daniel kept his hand over Jack’s mouth, tried to ignore the fact that Jack had promptly worked his tongue free and was licking his palm hungrily.  “I swear to God, Jack, if you ever call me Space Monkey in bed you’ll sleep on the floor for a week,” he promised fiercely.

Jack’s eyes promised to be good so Daniel cautiously removed his hand.

“My place.  My bed.  My rules.  No floor.”  Jack was gloating inside.  It seemed like Daniel was going to throw himself into this whatever it was they were doing with all his usual passion.

“Why do you assume it HAS to be your place?”  Daniel sounded snippy.

“I’ve got that huge backyard…”

“So?”  Daniel was suspicious.

“So…there’s plenty of room between me and the neighbours for…”

“For?”  Daniel prompted.

“For…when we’re doing all that X-Rated screaming.”  A long, tempting pause to hook Daniel in.  “And…”

“And?”  Daniel just had to ask.

 “And…” Jack’s voice was dulcet.  “…so you can get surround sound on all those porn videos you’ve been watching.”  Jack’s laughter got away from him again as Daniel’s face lit up, acknowledging the hit.

Then Daniel was deadly serious once more.  “ I can’t share your bed, Jack,” he said sorrowfully, hanging his head.

“Wha…why the hell not?”  Jack was stunned.

Daniel oozed sincerity from every pore. “Jack…Your bed points to evil.”

“EVIL?”

“I’ve seen your bedroom.  All that negative Sha Chi energy flowing around, we’d never get it up…”

“I’ve always managed to get it up JUST fine, Daniel!  One time I even…” Jack scowled into Daniel’s affectedly innocent, wide-eyed stare.

“Even…?”

Daniel’s ‘little boy lost’ voice wasn’t about to lure Jack into finishing that thought.  No point just handing Daniel ammunition.  “Daniel, have I ever mentioned you talk too much?  Way too much.  It annoys the crap out of me.”

“I'm multi-skilled, Jack.  I can talk and annoy you all at the same time," Daniel said helpfully.

“Well shut the hell up and come HERE.” Jack sighed as his hands settled once more on Daniel's ass.  His murmured, “Thank God.”  was heartfelt.   His fingers worked into the muscles, kneading them rhythmically.  Daniel started to lick his ear, which felt good, and he was squirming a lot, which felt even better.  Jack wanted skin.  Now.

Jack promised to play nice and Daniel graciously consented to reversing their positions.  Jack went straight for the O’Neill Touching Masterclass.  Jack needed more skin to play with so he reached for the top button of Daniel’s waistcoat.  When he had it unbuttoned, he decided his sense of taste was being sadly neglected too, and pressed a kiss to the hollow of Daniel’s throat.  Then he licked it.  Daniel didn’t object so he moved on to the next button.  Kissed the skin there.  And then onto the third button.  Kissed the skin there too.  Daniel was making encouraging noises so he unbuttoned and kissed his way down Daniel’s chest and belly until he hit the bottom button.  Then he pushed the waistcoat back off Daniel’s shoulders.

Jack was drinking in the sight of all that flawless, creamy skin.   Smooth and warm and jumping a little wherever he was touching.  Muscles clearly defined beneath that delicious, silken surface .  Not the six pack stomach of a guy who worked out, just the muscles of a man whose body fit his needs perfectly.  Sufficient to the purpose.  With his fingers, he tracked the lines of those muscles backwards and forwards over Daniel’s abdomen until Daniel gasped out a shaky protest.

“Jack!”

Jack pulled back as if he’d been stung.  “Too much, Daniel?”

“Not enough.”

Jack looked down.  Well, whatever he was doing, it was working for both him and Daniel.  With two guys, there wasn’t much guesswork involved.  If you did it right, you got visible results.  He glanced down again, appreciatively.  Very visible.   “Just let me get you out of those.”  He unfastened the pants and hesitated.  It seemed voyeuristic for Daniel to be naked and for him to still be fully dressed.  “Just give me a second,” he said as he jumped up.  He wrestled off his boots and shucked his clothes without a second thought, accustomed his whole adult life to communal dressing.  He folded and piled everything ready to hand in case he needed his clothes at short notice, and only then became aware of Daniel’s fascinated eye on him.  "What?”

“Playing hard to get?”  Daniel was enthralled by the sheer utilitarian speed Jack had shown.  Subtlety wasn’t Jack’s strong suit.

“Want me to leave you in those pants?  No?  Then let’s have less of the sarcasm, Spa…” Jack caught Daniel’s glare and went on without a beat, “…Dannyboy.”

“Dannyboy really isn’t any better, Jack.  In fact, it’s an unsubtle attempt to…Mmmm…”

Jack hung in there until he was sure his breathtaking kiss had definitely taken Daniel’s breath away, and then he tackled the pants.  Not so much romantic unpeeling as a good solid yank that brought Daniel down the bed with it, and made them both laugh helplessly.

Jack realised that this was the first time he'd ever heard an honest to goodness belly laugh out of Daniel.   As he tried to help Daniel back up the bed his hands hit a sweet spot just below the ribcage that made Daniel gasp and curl up.  Ticklish.  Daniel was ticklish.

Jack grinned devilishly and started a journey of exploration.  His reflexes were much better than Daniel's and he got under Daniel's defences every time.  He found sweet spots everywhere his hands roamed, making Daniel squirm and curl up, giggling helplessly under the onslaught.  Below the ribs.  Under his arms.  The nape of his neck.  His spine.  Jack tickled until Daniel begged for mercy, barely able to gasp the words out for laughing.

They lay entwined together in a warm, tangled heap, and Jack took a good look at Daniel's face.  Joy.  He saw pure joy in the flush on Daniel's cheeks and the sparkle in those alluring blue eyes.  Jack had never seen Daniel come close to the happiness that blazed out him as he lay in Jack's arms, still trembling from the merciless tickling, grinning like an idiot.

A pang of fierce, answering joy blazed right through Jack.  Daniel had never been more open to him than at this moment, gazing up at him, sweet with trust, giving Jack that fluttering in his gut again.  Or maybe it was in his heart.  Even for an old guy, he was getting goddamn sappy.

Daniel rubbed his cheek against Jack's, and grinned.  “Do you get the feeling we’re not taking this seriously enough, Jack?”

Jack agreed.  “This is way too much fun.  We must be doing something wrong.  This is meaning of life stuff.  We should be miserable and existential.”

“Existential?”

“I know what I mean.”

“And I want to know if YOU mean the same thing I m…Mmmm.”

Definitely porno tongue this time.  Daniel had an armful of naked colonel trying to climb inside him via his tonsils while the naked colonel got a death grip on the pants, dragging them down to knee height.  At which point the naked colonel used his foot to get them the rest of the way off Daniel and onto the floor, along with most of the bedding.  Then the naked colonel had a very specific handful of the newly naked archaeologist.

Jack made a ring between thumb and forefinger and slid that ring right up the length of Daniel’s shaft and back again.  He settled the velvety heat into the palm of his hand, letting Daniel get used to being held so intimately.  He needed to get used to the feeling of holding another man this way himself.  Then his hand started moving in the old, familiar dance every boy learned to pleasure himself with, hesitantly at first, Daniel getting hotter and harder with each stroke, starting to move against Jack’s hand, sighing his pleasure.  Jack was ridiculously pleased.  It was all down to hand-eye co-ordination.  He could do this.  He could definitely do this.  Wait a minute.  Small point of order, here.  Why was he the only one doing this?

“You could return the favour, Daniel.”  Jack complained.  "Get with the program."

“I’ll hold it for you, Jack, but don’t expect me to move it around.”  Daniel’s wicked eyes belied his words, and then those elegant white fingers curled around him, forefinger carefully exploring the sensitive head, his touch getting more certain as Jack swelled against his hand, groaning at the sensations he was creating.

Jack needed more, needed to be closer.  He rolled onto his side and Daniel came eagerly to meet him. He kissed Jack, tongue swiping the roof of his mouth and running over his teeth, eating him alive.  They clung together, heated skin sliding against heated skin, muscles colliding with muscles, delicious friction building as erections brushed each other.

Daniel pulled Jack towards him, wanting more of the friction that was shooting white hot pangs of pleasure straight through the core of him, and Jack obliged, tipping him over onto his back and nudging his thighs apart.  Jack moved up his body until their erections were trapped together between them and lowered his full weight.  Daniel gasped at the sensation.  It was so intense, so unlike anything he’d ever felt before.  Jack was so hard and heavy and strong and needing.

It was awkward; they kept clashing, and nothing seemed to fit properly, but they gave it their best shot.  Their loving was punctuated by the occasional yelp and muttered apology as they strove for a rhythm that wouldn't cause actual bodily harm.  The kissing was good.  They could both do the kissing.  And they both liked the deep, slow, lasts-for-three-weeks style of kissing.

Daniel was going to die.  Pure and simple.  Jack was moving his hips powerfully against Daniel’s, but wouldn't rush.   The slow, deliberate brushing of Daniel's erection against Jack’s, and Jack’s against his, Jack's hands cupping and kneading his ass, the sheer weight and reality of him, god, it was maddening.  He wrapped his arms around Jack’s neck and lifted his head to deepen the kiss, couldn’t stop the moan that was building up in the back of his throat.  He needed to be closer, lifted his legs and wrapped them around Jack’s back, crushed Jack to him.  Realised that Jack liked that, oh, he liked that just fine.

Jack would not be hurried, and he wouldn’t let Daniel stifle that moan of pleasure unless it was in his mouth.  They were both slick with sweat and breathing hard, but Jack was intent on driving Daniel slowly out of his mind.  Jack was held spellbound by the rapture glowing on Daniel's flushed face, echoed wantonly in the moans he couldn't contain.  He loved the way Daniel's face nestled into his shoulder whenever he released Daniel's lips.  Jack wanted to give Daniel all the loving he craved, and he wouldn't rest until he'd pleasured Daniel out of his senses.

Tremors were running through Daniel every time their hips ground together, the heat in his groin spreading up through his body.  A steady pulsing pleasure echoed his heartbeat until it seemed to hit his brain, too, then he buried his face in Jack's neck and closed his eyes.  He wrapped his arms tight around Jack’s broad back, dug his fingers into the tense muscles and surrendered to the dizzying ecstasy that rippled up through him in wave after wave.  Jack brought them to the brink of orgasm, and then stopped.  And again.  Daniel was beyond reason, beyond anything but need.  He moved urgently against Jack, dragging his nails down the full length of Jack’s spine.  He felt Jack actually quiver under his fingers as his control snapped, his rhythm lost in a frenzied rush to climax as Daniel ravaged his mouth in a feverish kiss.

Jack convulsed, crying out.  "Ah, CHRIST, Daniel!"  He reached between them, closed his hand around Daniel’s throbbing shaft and jerked once, hard, bringing Daniel with him over the edge into slow, shuddering  orgasm, Daniel almost sobbing from the force of his release, the hot semen pulsing on and on between them.

Onto their sides, clinging together as erratic breathing gradually slowed and skin cooled.  Daniel’s face rested in the curve between Jack’s neck and shoulder.  Jack’s heart was pounding.  He kept his eyes closed because he still felt giddy, aftershocks still shuddering through him.  Goddamn, what a rush!

Daniel burrowed his face deeper against Jack’s warm, sweat-slickened skin, and sighed.  Dear God, he’d never felt anything like that in his life.  Two firsts.  He’d made love with a man and he’d made love with someone who had WAY more experience of sex than he did.  And, boy, did it show!  Daniel felt like all his bones had melted.  He wanted to open his eyes, say something to Jack, but his body insisted he wouldn’t make it.  Didn’t have the energy.

Daniel also wished he hadn’t been quite so uninhibited in his responses.  Abandoned.  Blatant, even.  And he couldn’t have warned Jack beforehand if his life had depended on it.  It was TOO embarrassing.  ‘By the way, Jack, the screaming is a real possibility…’ Daniel kissed Jack’s shoulder. “I should have warned you about the moaning.  I…I make a LOT of noise," he mumbled guiltily.

“Strictly motivational, Daniel.  Kinda like a horizontal Mexican wave.”

Jack felt the heat bloom against his skin. “No point hiding your face, Daniel.  I can FEEL how much you’re blushing.”  Jack hunched his shoulder gently until Daniel shifted up and laid his head on the pillow.  Daniel’s face was rosy and sated, with kiss-swollen lips, dampened tendrils of hair clinging to his brow, and a languid glow in his eyes Jack had never seen before.  He did that.  He did that to Daniel.

“I can’t TELL you how smug you look, Jack.”

Daniel looked like he wanted to make something of it, so Jack promptly pulled his head down and settled it back in the curve of his neck.  Daniel made a few token protests, but every time he started, he wound up with a mouthful of Jack’s skin and got distracted.  Jack got himself comfortable and hugged Daniel in close, allowing a gentle hand to roam up and down his back.  Knowing Daniel as he did, Jack figured Daniel needed the closeness more than he’d needed the sex.  And Daniel had needed the sex a LOT.  He had his reward when Daniel wrapped himself around him,  a leg thrown possessively over his, pulling him in tight.  That was fine by Jack.  Daniel was bonelessly content, cuddled up against him, getting sleepy.  “Good?”

Daniel sighed, and he sounded half a world away. “Oh, yes, Jack, yes.”

Daniel had given him exactly what he wanted to hear.  Jack kissed the hair caressing his chin and let him drift away.  Tried to process the wonderful thing that had just happened to him.  It had all been so easy in the end.  He and Daniel knew each other too well to be able to bullshit.  He’d just made love with his friend, had some of the most intensely pleasurable sex of his life.  He’d lost his wife, and then he’d gained the best friend he'd ever had, and now it seemed he had a lover.  HE was Daniel’s lover.  He wasn’t about to agonise over THAT.  It felt too good.  Why sweat it when he could just enjoy it?   As often as he could manage it.

Jack liked to take his time and for once his age was a help, and not a hindrance.  He had a lot more experience than Daniel.  Daniel seemed to have missed out on one of the fundamentals of college life, and had apparently wasted quite a lot of his time on getting an education.   Jack wasn’t about to call him on it.  Daniel was passionate and responsive.  And vocally appreciative.  Daniel hadn’t needed to formulate a single recognisable word for Jack to know how good he’d made him feel.  Jack felt obscurely proud, like he’d been promoted right into the realm of Things That Excited Daniel.  For Daniel, it was going to be Jack AND Linear B, every step of the way.

Jack didn’t have to fret about finding the right words for Daniel.  If he got too mushy, Daniel would nail him for it.  Just like he did when Jack got too pushy.  It was a relief because Jack wasn’t sure just what you were supposed to say to the man you were sleeping with.  He wanted to stick with the sublime and avoid the ridiculous.  He’d have to work out the etiquette along with the mechanics.  The thought of being inside Daniel, being the first, Christ, it was primal, but he wouldn’t even attempt it until he knew exactly what he was doing, and until Daniel wanted it.  Daniel wasn’t a child, so Jack figured he’d have to return the compliment.  It wasn’t fair to ask Daniel to give him that pleasure and then refuse to offer it back.

It was a steep learning curve.  Precipitous, even.  He’d have to do some serious research when they got home.  Why his bed was pointing to evil, that would be a good place to start.  He could do the touching and the kissing, no problems there.  Hand jobs?  One thing you did get good at in the military.  Skin on skin?  Kinda shaky, their first time out, but they’d got it together in the end.  He felt a little less sure of himself when it came to contemplating oral sex, but penetration was the biggy.  That had to hurt like hell until you got used to it.  Daniel was a virgin.  Whoa.  Rewind that.  HE was a virgin, too.  A forty-five year old virgin.  Christ.  He was just gonna impress all hell out of Daniel, gonna be inept coming AND going.  He needed to find out about this stuff, and fast.

A bookstore?  General Hammond would probably turn up in the line behind him.  One of those educational videos?  He had a nightmare vision of handing it over to Ferretti instead of some hockey game he’d expected.  Jack sighed.  He’d just have to get his kicks off the internet like everybody else.  Maybe Daniel could come up with one of those Boolean things that worked so well.  He ran that conversation through his mind and decided to muddle through without it.  Daniel would never let him live it down.  Speaking of whom…

Daniel was sound asleep, sprawled all over him and happy as a clam.  Jack hated to break up the party, but his bladder had nine years experience on Daniel, too.  He had to go.  He carefully disentangled himself and slid out of bed.  He had to smile, too, when Daniel’s blissful little half smile was edged out by a frown.  How had Daniel lasted this long without somebody to sleep with and cuddle up next to?  He was starved for affection.  Jack stroked the hair back from Daniel’s brow and he settled again, reassured by the touch.  A lot of the bedding had hit the floor with Daniel’s pants.  Jack extracted the last corner of the sheet from underneath Daniel’s foot and then lapped it around his waist.  He could smell Daniel on himself and the odour of drying semen was unmistakeable.  They’d check out that bath first thing in the morning.  After Thera and Tor hit the bricks.

Jack slipped out the door and headed through the communal area.  The wall sconces were guttering.  It was almost completely dark.  The silk sheet he’d wrapped around himself was dragging, so he tightened his grip and hoisted the excess up over his arm.  Then promptly jumped two feet in the air when Teal’c’s voice rang out just behind him.

“O’Neill!”

“Jee-zus!”

Jack spun around and almost lost his grip on the sheet along with the grip on his temper.  Teal’c was…sniffing.  Jack was… blushing.  This morning he’d been a hard-assed United States Air Force Colonel.  Now he was a forty-five year old virgin who blushed.  Go figure.  Hell.  Teal’c was STILL sniffing.

“I scent Daniel Jackson on your skin, Colonel O’Neill,” Teal'c said coldly, his voice as disapproving as his chilly eyes.

Jack scowled.  “Ya think?”

And he just could not believe he was having to stand here at 4am and justify his sex life to a disapproving Jaffa.  Maybe he should just yell for Carter and take all his licks in one go.  He didn’t have time for this.  He needed to take a leak, and he needed to get back to Daniel.  He shot an anxious glance at the bedroom door.  “Keep it down will ya, he’s getting some decent rest for a change, " he hissed.  "I don’t want him waking up to the Spanish Inquisition.  He was happy ‘til I got out of bed.  I’d like to keep him that way for a while longer, if you DON’T mind?”

“I do not mind.  I see your strategy clearly now.”  Teal’c’s voice was suddenly a whole lot warmer.  He gave Jack his usual subtly amused look.  A special quirk of the eyebrow and a twitch of the lip that in anyone else would have been a belly laugh.  “I have observed the antagonism between you both for some months now, O’Neill.  It began when you withheld your trust from Daniel Jackson and SG-1, and pursued the traitor Maybourne on your own.  Since then I have seen you repeatedly try to impose your will on Daniel Jackson when he has stood apart from you, observed your displays of anger when he fails to bend to your will.  I have neither helped nor hindered.  I am happy to see that my interpretation of your motivation for this pattern of behaviour is the correct one.”

Teal’c sounded smugly sure of himself.  Jack had never wanted to hit him as much as he did right now.  That was NOT a good idea when he was stark naked under a silk sheet.  Hardly optimal combat conditions. “And just what the hell is it you think you see, Teal’c?”

“I see that you have pursued DanielJackson until he caught you, O’Neill.”

Jack was a little spaced out from hot sex and lack of sleep.  It took a while for the other shoe to drop.  His jaw dropped with it.  “Whaa…?”  He tried again,  “Whaa…?”

“You initiated a mating ritual, O’Neill," Teal’c explained calmly.  "I believe the earth term for your behaviour towards DanielJackson is foreplay.”

With that, Teal’c turned on his heel and strode off to his room.  He paused at the door for a moment.  “My OWN strategy was also successful.  I had only to show you that you did not deserve DanielJackson in order to make you want him.  That is called reverse psychology.  I am pleased with the efficacy of this tactic.  I will use it again.  I have learned MUCH from viewing Jerry Springer.”

Teal’c’s face softened.  “I am glad you are no longer in denial, O’Neill,” he said kindly.

For once in his life, Jack O’Neill was speechless.

Back to Part One / On to Part Three

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