DIVERSION - PART THREE BY BIBLIO

When Jack got back into the bedroom, Daniel was under the covers.  Even his head.  Jack was disappointed.  Daniel rarely reached out to touch Jack, it was mostly the other way around, and he’d been thoroughly enjoying having Daniel sprawled wantonly all over him.  Now it looked like business as usual.  He shouldn’t push it, Daniel had been shy and self-conscious about his body for far longer than he’d been wanton with it, so…

“Shake your tail, Fly Boy, and get over here.”  Daniel’s sultry voice derailed his train of thought.

A corner of the bedding was held up invitingly.  Jack dropped his sheet where he stood, it was suddenly constricting him as his blood flow raced to follow Daniel’s direct order, and nose-dived.  Jack picked up the pace and double-timed it over to the bed.  Daniel lifted the covers up higher so Jack could dive in and then cocooned the bedding over their heads.

Daniel snuggled up in Jack’s enthusiastic embrace and dotted kisses along his jawline.  He delicately traced Jack’s lips with his tongue, taste and touch blending into one sweet sensation.  He kissed Jack and withdrew, teasing, when Jack tried to deepen it.  Kissed him again and again, tiny kisses running into one another.  Jack sighed as Daniel trailed his tongue along a cheekbone and around to Jack’s ear.  Jack moaned as Daniel bathed that ear with his tongue, and then Jack was pulling him into a searing kiss.  Jack’s arms locked around the small of Daniel’s back as he wrapped his arms around Jack’s neck and worked his fingers into the soft hair at the nape.  Daniel lost himself in the sheer pleasure of kissing.  Jack’s lips were compelling him and yielding to him at the same time, their heads constantly shifting position as each led the kiss and was in turn led.  Tongues traced teeth and swiped at sensitive palates, then settled back to a slow, gentle stroking that mesmerised Daniel.

He ran his hands down the length of Jack’s spine, and then settled them possessively on Jack’s butt.  He squeezed and Jack jumped, breaking off the kiss.

Jack grinned.  He was thoroughly enjoying the new, assertive Daniel.  Fly Boy, huh?   “Talk dirty to me, Daniel.”

Daniel gave Jack a filthy smile. “Your fuselage is long overdue for inspection,”  he murmured suggestively.

Air Force smut!  Cool.  Jack decided he was in for a rare treat.  Subject:  Dr Daniel Jackson on the aerodynamics of sex.

Daniel nudged Jack until he obediently lay flat on the bed and then straddled him.  He started by kissing the hollow of Jack’s throat and then licked his way down through the light dusting of chest hair.  He swiped his tongue over and over first one nipple, then the other, and was pleased when Jack gasped and arched involuntarily when he lifted his head.  When Jack would have spoken, Daniel placed a finger on his lips and shook his head.  Only Daniel was to speak.

“Got to pay close attention to your undercarriage.”

Daniel matched action to the lascivious words and ran his tongue down Jack’s taut belly to his navel.  He dipped his tongue into the sensitive hollow and smiled as Jack sighed.  Then he took little swirling swipes that led him across to Jack’s hip.  He traced the bone and laved the whole area, around and around while his hand stroked the contours of the other hip, Jack arching into his hand, trying to increase the pressure of skin on skin.  Daniel pressed a kiss into Jack’s hip and then kissed his way along the gentle swell of belly below the navel.  He found a spot in the centre, low down, that made Jack jump when he pressed his lips to it, so he increased the pressure, burrowing his face into that spot.  Jack groaned.  Daniel could feel the fierce heat of Jack’s arousal, and when he glanced up for another confirmation that he was doing okay, Jack’s pupils were so dilated with desire his eyes looked black.  Daniel was gratified to find that he could have such an effect on Jack.  It wasn’t all one way, then.

He took a deep breath and then took his first good look at exactly what had given him so much pleasure a few hours ago.  Oh my!   Only one analogy came to mind.   “Jack and the…”

Jack was trembling with a fifty-fifty split of molten desire warring with determination not to do anything that might spook Daniel.  Like throw him down on the bed and ravish him.  Daniel was giving this his best shot, and so far he was pretty much weapons hot all the way, but the few remaining functional synapses circling the drain in Jack’s brain hadn’t missed all the anxious little looks Daniel was casting his way.  Dr Jackson was suffering from acute performance anxiety.  He didn’t know what the hell he was doing, and even then he didn’t know if he was doing it right.  Jack was goddamned sure he was doing it exactly right, but nothing short of getting Teal’c and Carter in here with a scorecard each for technical difficulty and artistic interpretation was gonna convince him.  Jack was doing his best to boost morale, with an assortment of enthusiastic sighs, moans and groans, any one of which could have got him a solid 6 for artistic interpretation.  It seemed to be working so far, but morale boosting at the level Daniel currently needed it was very noisy.  Which explained why Jack wasn’t sure if he’d just heard that mutter correctly.  Beanstalk?  Nah.

He let it go and groaned again, and not for effect, as Daniel tentatively licked the head of his… Jack joined the dots, raised himself up on his elbows and stared down at Daniel in disbelief.  Beanstalk?  Hell.  He was never gonna get that out of his head now, not ever.  Just like he was never gonna let Daniel out of his bed.  Daniel seemed heartened by the moaning and really, it wasn’t taking any effort at all to crank up the volume as Daniel’s mouth suddenly enveloped his dick and he began to suckle.  Jack whimpered and told himself it was only part of Daniel’s positive ego reinforcement therapy.  And that it was working so well it bore repeating.  Again and again.

Daniel broke off and gave Jack a shy little look that melted his heart and his embarrassment completely.  And then a hand curled around him and started to stroke firmly.  Magic fingers rather than beans but there was definite growth and added girth to play with.  The fluttery feeling Jack had been getting in his gut every time he’d looked at Daniel tonight was edging up the Richter Scale.

“As I need to determine if your thrust capabilities…”

Jack took the hint with alacrity and made a mental note to praise Daniel for his stunning grasp on aerodynamics.  Jack rocked his hips against the hands cradling him.  Oh Christ, that felt good!  He could feel the sweat standing out on his brow, gathering in the hollow of his throat, gathering like the seismic activity in his groin.

“Are directly proportional to the increased drag factor…”

Daniel got a good grip and started to pump Jack for all he was worth, tightening his grip and sliding his hands down, as Jack thrust his hips up, a wicked little squeeze somewhere in the middle…Oh Christ!  Daniel!  Jack found himself growling incoherently and thrust even faster.

“To ensure you achieve escape velocity…”

Filthy voice and ingenious hands managing to push hard against Jack and squeeze him tight at the same time, and the force of the orgasm crashing up through Jack’s entire body lifted his hips clean off the bed and he came and came, biting down hard on his knuckles to stifle the howls that wanted out of his throat.

“And attain orbit.”

Daniel was sweet as sin, purring his satisfaction as he harvested every last drop from Jack’s wilting beanstalk.

Daniel was deeply asleep in Jack’s arms, snuggled up to him as close as he could manage without actually being inside Jack’s skin with him.  Jack touched Daniel’s upturned face with gentle, wondering fingers.  After giving Jack an orgasm blowing the top right off the Richter Scale, Daniel hadn’t wanted Jack to reciprocate.  He just wanted Jack to hold him.  Daniel was more embarrassed to want to ask Jack for simple tenderness than he would have been to ask for a blow-job.  Classic Daniel.  Out for all he could give.

Jack hadn’t made him give voice to the request, he’d simply lain down and nestled Daniel’s head against his shoulder, just where Daniel seemed to like it to be.  He hadn’t settled for just holding, he’d cosseted Daniel with touch and lips, enjoyed himself lulling Daniel off to sleep.  Jack was certain that he’d given Daniel every bit as much pleasure as he’d given him.  Jack was in a win-win situation.  He was ahead on points because he got the pleasure of a rematch, on his terms, as soon as he got the chance.  And because he’d managed to beat Daniel at the giving game.  He hadn’t just given Daniel back pleasure for pleasure.  He’d also managed to give him peace.

Daniel forced open one slitted eye, shuddered at the sight of a world so obscenely early in its day and screwed his eye tightly shut again.  He hoped Jack wouldn't take it personally.

Jack didn't.  The warm pressure on Daniel's mouth persisted, then intensified.  Daniel just wanted to sleep, but his lips had other ideas, parting invitingly of their own accord.  Jack's tongue slid sweetly in and curled around his.  Then Jack's weight settled comfortably on top of him and the dreamy kiss deepened.

Great.  Just his luck to get stuck with colonel up with the larks morning sunshine.  Daniel was right with Jack in body, there were certain insistent stirrings he was finding damned hard to ignore, but his spirit was having nothing to do with it. He was whining miserably in the privacy of his own head.

Ja-ack.  Too early.

Jack's weight shifted.  Maybe he was getting the message.

Love you, but it's too damn early for…get back to me after lunch.  When the world makes more sense.

Although Daniel's pouting, and scrunched up, resistant face were adorable, Jack had needs to be addressed.  Immediately. If coaxing didn’t work…Time to take extreme measures.

He slid rapidly down the bed and homed in on his objective.  Time to expand his repertoire and give Daniel a kickstart into his day a gallon of coffee couldn’t match.  He glanced up and grinned.  Daniel’s eyes were still resolutely closed but they’d been joined by a puzzled, slightly suspicious expression.

Let’s see if you can sleep through this!

He settled down and took Daniel’s dick firmly into his mouth.

"Jack!" Daniel yelped, reflexively curling up.

Jack smirked around his warm, intimate mouthful of archaeologist and happily tried a little gentle nibbling.  Yep.  Things were firming up nicely.  He swirled his tongue around the sensitive head.  This time the 'Jack' had a little gasp in the middle of it.  Jack decided Daniel was in need of a bath so a considerate lover should him one.  Well, he did have this perfectly good tongue already in the right neighbourhood, surely he could give it something better to do than just hang around in his mouth?  Daniel's next 'Jack' was abandoning reproachful, striking out strongly towards ecstatic.

Jack risked a glance up.  Head thrown back, neck arching off the bed, Daniel had his arm over his eyes, bottom lip firmly between his teeth, trying to suppress those little moans of pleasure Jack loved so much.  He was flushed, head and neck and shoulders moving constantly. All that delicious tension, building up nicely.

Daniel was writhing under him, pale creamy skin beginning to sheen with perspiration.  A ludicrously long, lissom leg lifted and carefully curled around his back.  He settled himself and started to suckle Daniel gently, wanting to make it last, make it special, trying to learn from Daniel what felt good for him.

"Oh God!  Jack!  OH!"

Oh yeah…Pretty much everything he did seemed to feel good for Daniel.  After years of comfortable Friday night sex with Sara plus a couple of incidents around the galaxy where he got hammered and his hormones got the better of him, he wasn't used to feeling this kind of white-hot can't get enough passion.  Like he'd been bumped right back to his twenties.  Damn, it felt GOOD to have this kind of rush, again.  Felt even better to give this kind of rush, again.

A bitter taste in his mouth, now, from Daniel’s weeping dick.  He drank in the taste and the heady musk of arousal.  Felt a fierce satisfaction.  Daniel was so responsive, so open to him, nothing held back.  He hoped to god nobody had ever made Daniel feel this way before, he wanted this, wanted Daniel.  All for himself.  Wouldn't share.

Daniel's foot was massaging his back, heel pressing into his flesh, sweeping up and down his spine.  Daniel was moaning continuously, trembling in every limb, losing self-control, trying to thrust, barely stopping himself as Jack flinched back.  Jack heard a murmured apology and reached up to pull Daniel into a wild kiss.  "Don't sweat it.  Just OJT." At Daniel's perplexed look, Jack explained patiently, "On the job training."

Daniel pulled a face at the metaphor, but when Jack resumed the OJT he curled up and buried his face in Jack's hair, wrapping his arms softly around Jack’s shoulders.  Jack was impressed.  He had every intention of thoroughly testing out Daniel's enticing suppleness in future sessions, especially when he got to expanding the training programme into the fancy stuff.

In the meantime, the agitated gasps, moans, and incoherent ‘oh Gods’ and ‘oh yes, Jacks’ told him Daniel was about to graduate summa cum laude from this particular phase of his education.  Jack clamped his hands onto Daniel's hips and held him steady as he sucked hard, over and over, until Daniel's back arched and he came.  Daniel’s hands flew to his mouth to muffle his screams while a braced and ready Jack rode the convulsive release, steadily swallowing the hot, viscous salt-tasting flood.

Shaking, Daniel collapsed back onto the bed, hands still clamped over his mouth, eyes closed.  Jack licked his lips, savouring the now learned and never to be forgotten taste of Daniel dancing on his tongue and warm in his throat.  He was smugly pleased with himself.  He did GOOD.  For a beginner.  Jack of all trades was certainly mastering this one.

He stretched out beside Daniel, propping himself up on his elbow, started to massage Daniel's abdomen, soothing away the after-orgasm tremors.  He leaned in and slid his tongue into Daniel's mouth, amused when Daniel stiffened as he realised he was tasting himself in Jack's mouth.  He guessed that had been a first for both of them.

Daniel’s eyes stayed closed as his breathing evened out, so Jack took an opportunity to do some exploring.  He mapped every delectable inch of Daniel’s body with his eyes and slow sweeps of his hands.  He was enjoying himself so much it took him a while to realise Daniel was looking mighty relaxed.  WAY too relaxed.  Jack snapped upright and scowled at his erstwhile lover in disbelief.

“Wake up, you sonovabitch!"  Jack gave Rip Van Daniel an indignant prod. As if it wasn’t bad enough his life had turned into some kinda Harlequin romance without love’s young dream there making it patently obvious it was a solo effort.

"Just resting my eyes, Jack," an innocent voice explained.

“How 'bout the snoring, Dr Jacks…?”

Jack’s second volley trailed off into silence as Daniel lifted his head just enough to allow him to direct a sweet, soulful look up at Jack from under his lashes.

"Sinuses,"  Daniel insisted defiantly.

A shy smile from a face full of mischief completed the rout of Colonel Jack O’Neill.

Jack replayed his conversation with Teal'c again and finally saw the light.  He was a bastard.  A manipulative, conniving, underhanded, lecherous bastard.  Worse than all that put together, he was a clueless bastard.  He stopped Daniel having a sex life for Daniel’s sake and his own convenience?  Jesus.  Yeah.  Right.  Got a bridge I’d like to sell ya while I’m at it.

What's more, Teal'c had connected the dots right from the 'day one' moment.  Right where it had started, ground zero in the corridor outside the gateroom.  The whole damnable drawing straws thing.  Teal’c’s pause and that knowing, amused, sideways look.  Right then.  The S.O.B knew right then.  He had seen Jack floundering in Daniel’s wake and knew exactly what it meant.

Daniel had thrown down the gauntlet and Jack had picked it up without even realising it.  He HAD chased Daniel.  Relentlessly.  Tirelessly.  Tried every friggin' tactic in his not inconsiderable playbook while Daniel had remained infuriatingly obtuse about the whole damned thing.  He hadn't even suspected it was coming until Jack had laid him flat out on the bed and made him come.

Daniel was lying here right now and still didn’t know Jack had fallen in love with him.  He was as clueless about that as Jack had been until about a minute ago.  Teal’c knew what a bastard Jack had been, knew exactly why…approved even.  Jack was with him on this one; great minds were definitely thinking alike.  Jack might be a bastard, but he was the perfect bastard for Daniel.

Daniel snuck some surreptitious peeks up at Jack.  He would be the first to admit he wasn't good at mornings in general, and without his glasses his observational skills weren’t up to par, but even he couldn't miss the fact that Jack looked…electrified, as if some new connection had been made, some current was shooting right through him in a powerful emendation of everything he thought, and knew, and felt, the impact so profound Daniel could see it happening.

Daniel's own expectations of waking up this morning, Après Sex, had veered wildly between finding Jack beating his head against a wall for colossal stupidity and hoping if he'd done a decent enough job, Jack might just want to make love with him again.  Or could be persuaded to…wouldn't object…wouldn't mind that his technique wasn't so…So sex wasn't his area of expertise!  Given half a chance, he knew he could get better with practice.  Jack's early morning wake up call had been evidence enough to convince even him that he'd be getting PLENTY of practice in the near future.  As much practice as he could handle.  He glanced at Jack's rapt face again.  His eye travelled down.  Maybe more than he could handle.  Daniel couldn't help but blush at Jack's very evident admiration.

Even with this heartening reassurance, he still wasn't sure why Jack was looking at him…the way he was looking at him. He couldn't quite work out where this hunger for him had come from.  He was the same damn person he had been last week, last month, last year… However, Jack hadn't been eyeing him like he should come with a side order of fries and a coke until last night.

The heat in Jack's velvety eyes was hypnotising him.  He couldn't think…couldn't…he was breathless and his heart seemed to be doing some kind of Mexican hat dance.  Higher brain functions fled altogether as Jack reached out and took his right hand, lifted it to his lips and tenderly kissed the veins showing blue through the fragile skin at his wrist.  Daniel had to swallow a sudden lump in his throat.  In his wildest dreams he could never have imagined the intensity Jack - JACK of all people - was looking at him with right now.

Jack stared at Daniel's beautiful, flushed face, at his hopeful eyes and his wanting-to-but-still-not-quite-believing-it expression. He didn't know what the hell he'd done to deserve the sweetest of all possible sweet guys in the world falling in love with him, but it seemed he'd managed it just the same.

He didn't see in himself what he could see blazing back at him in Daniel's eyes, but then that cut both ways.  Jack realised he’d been staring without saying, a little too long.  Those beautiful blue eyes were dimming now from hope to resignation. Insecurities kicking in, wait for it, wait for it, any time…Now.  Daniel eyes were wide and defenceless, looking almost desperately at him.  Pleading for a convincing grand gesture Jack had no hesitation in delivering.  "That I should love a bright, particular star," he said slowly and meaningfully, holding Daniel’s gaze with his own.

"Whaa…?"

Jack bit back an urge to laugh as Daniel strove for an adequate response, and could finally only achieve looking adorably confused.  Jack sympathised entirely.  Having to deal with a Jack O'Neill suddenly quoting Shakespeare at him without provocation must be unnerving enough for Daniel, let alone a Jack O'Neill unexpectedly making an exceptionally romantic and totally appropriate - if he said so himself - declaration of love to him.

MUCH better than an arduous 'Talk' convincing Daniel this wasn’t just about sex.  Daniel desperately needed some pointed object lessons in self-worth which Jack would be very happy to deliver.  In the meantime, he decided to keep the upper hand for a bit longer, addressing Daniel in a provocatively patient tone.  "I SAID, I love you, Daniel."

"Whaa…?  But…Why?" Daniel asked blankly.

"'Cause," Jack said cryptically, gloating inwardly.   Cool.  Romance could be tactical as well as tactile.  Jack smirked at a now hopelessly bemused, incoherent Daniel.   He had the best of both worlds here.  He got to be as romantic as he liked, with minimal embarrassment to himself and maximum confusion to Daniel.  Jack watched with considerable interest as Daniel pulled himself together and in a small, tentative voice, earnestly addressed a point on the ceiling somewhere over Jack’s right shoulder.

"Oh.  Well…I…er…I…I…" Another of those endearingly helpless hand gestures, "…y'know…" Daniel broke his fearless eye contact with the ceiling, hung his head and mumbled in the general direction of the door, "…you too. "

"I know," Jack said complacently.

Daniel stiffened.  "You KNOW?"  There was a slight edge to his voice.

Jack refused to be drawn into a fight.  "Don't be stupid, Daniel," he said equably.  "After the way you were with me last night, AND just now, of course I know you love me."

Not surprisingly, after this pointed reminder of his totally uninhibited enjoyment of Jack's blow job, Daniel was even more off-balance than before.  Consequently, Jack got to enjoy the sight of him deliciously embarrassed and blushing furiously.  Practically everywhere.  Jack closed in for the kill.  "Oh, and, Daniel?  About the love thing?" Jack murmured in honeyed, siren tones.

"What?" Daniel muttered sullenly, giving an inoffensive armoire a scorching look that should have stripped the patina.

"Just remember who said it FIRST."  Jack lay back down on the bed, arms comfortably pillowing his head, gloating.  Daniel made a growling noise that reminded him irresistibly of an infuriated puppy while storming off the bed towards the door in what was perilously close to a flounce.  He let Daniel actually turn the handle and start to pull the door open before he sang out a minor detail his bewildered beloved had overlooked.   "Naked, Daniel."

Daniel froze, shot him a hateful look, slamming the door shut again with unnecessary force.

Jack was left absolutely victorious on the field of love.  He didn’t have so much as a twinge of conscience.  Mission accomplished.  All's fair in love, yadda yadda.  Daniel knew Jack loved him.  Jack knew Daniel loved him right back.  Jack hadn't been embarrassed.  Daniel had been confused.  All in all, a very satisfactory outcome.  Jack had gotten over some very heavy emotional ground as lightly as he could, which was just plain good tactics.

Daniel leaned back against the door and deliberated.  Jack had used shock tactics on him.  Just announcing…IT…that way?  On purpose, just to cover up the fact Jack Loved Daniel.  Loved him so much, he was, allegedly, Jack's bright, particular star?  Well…okay, being fair, that was pretty damned wonderful, a wow in anybody's book.  A man would have to be made of stone not to appreciate being thought of that way, even if it was only a matter of time before Jack came to his senses and Daniel was demoted right back to just being Jack's particular cross to bear.

Jack realised, a little belatedly and somewhat regretfully, that having annoyed Daniel as much as he just had, he would not be getting any.  Not any time soon.  His archaeologist was leaning against the door looking fetchingly haughty and ruffled, a myriad thoughts and feelings chasing each other across his expressive face.  Jack waited and watched while Daniel thought it through.  As long as Daniel didn't mind thinking it through in his current state of undress, Jack had no real objections to raise.

Daniel felt strongly Shakespeare could be made to cover a multitude of sins around linguistically susceptible archaeologists.  He needed more empirical data before he could accept that Jack loved him.  This was too much of a coup de foudre for Daniel to just accept it without question.  He couldn’t understand what it was about him that suddenly got Jack so excited.  He wasn’t Helen of Troy, for heaven’s sake.  Although…that being said…it was probably less of a coup to get a thousand ships out of Menelaus than it was to inspire eight words of Shakespeare out of Colonel Jack O’Neill.

He thought there was a distinct  ‘hail the conquering hero’ edge to Jack’s body language.  A certain something suggesting he was the victor in this little fight and Daniel should just haul ass over to the bed, now, so Jack could enjoy his spoils at leisure.  In short, Jack looked insufferably pleased with himself.  Daniel viewed this latest manifestation of not so much Alpha Jack as ‘Master Of All He Surveys Jack’ with the strongest disapprobation.  He was more than ever resolved to bring Jack to heel.  Now, if he could just figure out what the hell he had he been doing to inspire the declaration in the first place…

He hadn’t been doing anything, just lying there, looking up at Jack…looking…Looking?  His eyes?  His eyes turned Jack on?  His EYES?  You’ve got to be kidding!  It couldn’t be that simple.  No way!  If it was that simple, Jack was TOAST.  Daniel decided he needed to test his theory.  What, exactly, had he been doing when Jack had…?

He dropped his head, trying to make eye contact with Jack while looking up through his lashes.  Hmm.  He'd been feeling somewhat shy at having to face Jack in the morning after The Night Before.  Daniel ruefully admitted to himself looking shy wasn't much of a dramatic stretch for him.  Ah!  Gotcha.  Jack sat up slowly.  Daniel added a tiny bit of hurt and sadness to the mix and just kept on staring.  Apparently it wasn’t coming off as a squint even though it felt like one.  Jack was riveted.

Daniel realised it was the looking up through his lashes aspect getting Jack going for the ‘shy little last puppy in the shop’ look he was being given.  It was mind-boggling.  How could a hard-assed tough guy like Jack be snared by a pair of myopic, common or garden variety, one size fits all, blue eyes?  Jack must be pure marshmallow beneath the military crust.

He wasn’t exactly sure how to turn up the heat but as Jack was definitely not critical in this respect it probably wouldn’t matter.  He did his best to smoulder in what he hoped was a ‘come hither’ fashion and awaited developments, which came sooner than he expected.  Um, Jack was definitely coming thither, crossing from bed to door with such rapidity he didn’t seem to engage any point in space between them.  The Tollans could learn a thing or two.

Two large, warm hands were pressed flat to the door on either side of his head and Jack’s eyes were liquid with desire as he leaned in close, just touching his lips to Daniel’s…

“O’NEILL.”  Teal’c’s voice boomed right outside the door, making them both jump like scalded cats. “DANIELJACKSON.  It is time to arise.  Major Carter has left our quarters to direct the kitchen staff in the preparation of the morning meal.”

“I’m going to kill Teal’c!”  Jack buried his head in the warm hollow of Daniel’s neck, snarling. Then his face softened.  “If you don’t kill me first, love.”

Daniel was so overwhelmed he let the ‘love’ pass without comment.  “You love me,” he whispered shakily.  Jack did.  He really did.

Jack’s attention was torn between Daniel and the vigorous pounding Teal’c was giving the door.  “Jesus, Teal’c!  Lower the volume, will ya?  I’m up, I’m up!”

“Not…completely.”  Daniel said thoughtfully.

Jack followed Daniel’s significant look downwards, a grin lighting his face. “You have a filthy mind, Dr Jackson.  Hold that thought, willya?  And…yes.”  Jack shrugged.  “I do.”  What the hell, he’d come this far, why not go further?  If Daniel needed to hear the words, he’d get them.  “Got my heart set on you, if you must know," Jack said cheerfully.  "You’re doomed, Daniel.  Nowhere to run.  Nowhere to hide.  The curse has come upon you.”

Daniel was all wide-eyed innocence. “A couple of times.”

Jack started to laugh. “Try to drag your mind out of the gutter, young man.  I give you fair warning.  Your ass is MINE.”

Daniel’s eyes widened. “Really?" he breathed.  "Would you?  I mean, could we?  Y'know?”  He looked down shyly. “I do want to, Jack…I wasn’t sure if…if YOU…I don’t want to dis…” Daniel bit down on his lip, and on the word.

Jack sighed and rubbed his forehead tenderly against Daniel’s, caressed their cheeks together. “Disappoint me?" he murmured gently.  "Not possible, Daniel.  Not possible.  I do want you.  But…not now, not here.”  Jack took in the clenching of Daniel’s chin and the mutinous eyes.  “And no amount of pouting…” his stern lecture faltered slightly. “Or batting of eyes is going to change my mind.”  Damn, damn and double damn.  Daniel knew EXACTLY what a dose of the eyes did to him.

Despite his best intentions that limpid sapphire gaze worked its magic and despite himself, he softened. “Jeez, you’re going to be a rare handful," Jack acknowledged wryly.  "I may be new to this stuff, but even I know I shouldn’t let you have your own way all the time just because you’re so gorgeous I could eat you with a spoon and I’m crazy about you.  It’ll be bad for both of us.”

Jack found it even harder to resist the coaxing hand Daniel was stroking up and down his chest.  He was in deep shit here.  Daniel was excruciatingly aware of his comparative inexperience, much more so than Jack had realised.  He wasn’t wholly convinced Jack found him desirable.  Something told Jack Daniel was going to keep pushing the envelope until he WAS convinced.  It was going to be difficult to steer them through this minefield.  One disastrous, rushed experience before they were both ready would impact just as heavily as a perceived rejection. Unfortunately, he wanted to make love just as much as Daniel did.

Plus Daniel definitely had no intention of playing fair.  Soft, silken strands of hair were now being nuzzled invitingly into the hollow of his shoulder Daniel was getting so fond of.  The man was shamelessly using Jack's fantasies against him.  Which meant Jack was absolved of having to feel any guilt whatsoever over acting out his 'little Dannyboy lost' fantasies whenever he felt like it.  He would also be able to use Daniel using those fantasies against him as a cover to spoil Daniel rotten whenever he could get away with it.

An archaeologist was never going to outmanoeuvre a Special Ops trained Air Force Colonel. A gentleman would tell his beloved up-front this charade was completely unnecessary.  From Daniel's point of view anyway.  From where Jack was standing it was vital.  He was getting off on it.  As General Hammond had observed, Jack was no gentlemen.   He couldn’t make a liar out of his commanding officer, now, could he?  He snuggled Daniel in enthusiastically and played a hunch. “You get my ass first.”

Daniel’s head snapped up.  Jack realised ruefully that particular scenario had never crossed Daniel’s mind and smoothly pressed home his advantage.  “Unless you don’t want this wrinkly old ass of mine? Or the creaky knees?  Or…” he said sadly.

Daniel interrupted hotly, emphatically. “You are NOT old!  I HATE it when you put yourself down like…Of COURSE I want…Prick.  You are such a prick, Jack!  You’ve got all the subtlety of a blow to the head.  You’re trying to divert me again.”

Jack grinned, but stood firm.  “I’m serious, Daniel.  We’re not rushing into that side of things, no matter how much we want to, and believe me I DO want to.  Not until we’re ready.  Not until we know what we’re doing.”

Jack correctly interpreted the gleam in Daniel’s eye, “NO asking anybody about it while we’re on this mission.   That would blow our cover sky high, so I’m making that an order.” He eyed a stubborn pout with deep foreboding.  “And, yes, Daniel, that does include asking Teal’c.  He knows way too much about my sex life as it is.”  Jack said that with real feeling.  "I'm not handing Teal'c any more ammunition than he's already got to use against me.  I don't need a Jaffa amateur psychologist lecturing me about the difficulties inherent in generationally divergent relationships."

Daniel, bless him, looked puzzled.  "Cradle snatching,"  Jack explained succinctly.  He'd caught some of that Jerry Springer show and wasn't giving Teal'c ANY opening to use it against him.  The age gap shit was cyclic. Anybody sick enough to try exploring the age gap between the teens and anything else from about twenty on up deserved jail time as well as grievous bodily harm in his humble opinion.  Moving it on up a decade, between twenties and thirties was just fine and dandy.  A whole lotta fun in fact.  Get in line.

Probing the experiential disparity between thirties and forties was…painful.  Daniel, for example, got to just be and act his age while looking heart-stoppingly beautiful and young.  Whereas Jack had hormones insisting he was in his twenties again, fighting against a body that KNEW it was in its forties and just plain wasn't up to it.  Plus knees insisting they were in their sixties more often than not. Along with his hair. If anyone should be having the heebie-jeebies over being desirable it should be him. He knew he looked…lived in…

Daniel did Jack’s dirty old man's heart proud.

"You're only as old as you feel, Jack!" he insisted indignantly, hugging Jack protectively close.

Jack's hormones told his knees to eat shit and die as he reached out, pinching Daniel's butt hard enough to make him yelp.  He gave Daniel his very best leer, smacking his lips. "Or WHO you feel, Dannyboy!"

Sam was already tired of being a servant.  She could understand the hierarchy; her whole professional life was focused on serving within a hierarchy.  She was comfortable with structure and rules.  The kicker was your PLACE in the hierarchy.   Between Sam Carter and Thera there was a world of difference.

As Major Doctor Samantha Carter, 2IC of SG-1 and Stargate physics expert she was pretty near the top of the SGC hierarchy.  Plenty of people had rank but she had PULL.  Sam hadn't even recognised the distinction until today, or known how much she had gotten to depend on it.  Not until her notion of service had been redefined by Thera.

As Thera, she was property.  As a slave, she literally lived to serve.  Sam chose to serve, Thera HAD no choice.  Almost everybody she met had rank on her and she had no pull whatsoever.  She got to consult on beverage choice and suitable condiments.  Whoo.

She was quite unconsciously expecting the deference due Sam Carter and it was ticking her off she wasn't getting it.  Sam had an audience.  When she spoke, people listened, ASKED for her to speak and valued her opinion.

Thera had her hands full trying to get the kitchen staff to let her have plain boiled water.

It wasn't even for her.  It was for the premium organic Colombian roast she'd snuck into her hand luggage to console Daniel in his hour of need.  She wanted to see the sweet surprise and gratitude on his face as much as anything.  Daniel expected little of life and asked for even less.  He LOVED presents of any kind.  It wasn't hard to give him that small happiness, and he usually made the giver feel pretty damned good too.

As bad as Thera’s lot was, Daniel’s was infinitely worse.  Sam could barely suppress a shudder when she thought of the lucky escape SHE’D had.  As a woman, she empathised with Daniel.  Three days where your sole function was to be ‘doable’, the onlookers not caring what…or even if…you think or feel.  Just so long as you are pretty and pleasing.

Been there.  Done that.  Bought the t-shirt.  Welcome to our world, Daniel.

Sam was going to compare notes with Daniel when they got home.  See how he’d enjoyed the view, being on her side of the glass ceiling for three days.  Daniel was sensitive as well as very perceptive.  He was already quite aware that his position as a civilian in a military dominated organisation was analogous to her position as a woman in a male dominated world.

It was one of the main reasons why she couldn’t imagine not being military.  She’d had trouble enough in the early days of the Stargate project. It still rankled she hadn’t been allowed to go through the gate to Abydos on the first mission. She had more than recouped the lost ground, and established her position, on the second Abydos mission but still...

Being a woman and a civilian would have made her position untenable.  She had conclusive proof from two alternate selves she would never have been on SG-1 if she hadn’t been Air Force.  Opportunities like SG-1 made submission to the command structure a more than acceptable trade-off.  Between SG-1 and a desk job there was no comparison.  She truly had the best of both worlds, all the action and research opportunities she could wish for.  The command structure protected her status, made her gender secondary to her rank, allowed her to serve to the best of her ability. She wouldn’t give that up for…for anything.

She was heartily glad she was able to take the active role in this mission, to be useful, to be DOING…

Poor Daniel.  As if having to be the colonel’s eye candy twenty-four hours a day wasn’t enough for him to contend with, he also had to endure three interminable days of the colonel himself, at very much his most resistible.  She had a sense of humour - certainly she did! - but the colonel’s sarcasm and off-colour quips often tried her patience to its limit.  She sometimes found it hard to reconcile Colonel O’Neill, the best officer with whom she’d ever had the privilege to serve, with ‘Jack’ O’Neill, de facto juvenile delinquent. It was the latter O’Neill persona who was in the driver’s seat at the moment, having a very good time giving Daniel a very hard time, she was sure of it.  Daniel hadn’t been able to stop blushing when she’d asked him about the colonel’s behaviour last night.   He was sure to be in a worse state this morning after having to rely on the colonel to undress him, let alone having to share a bed with him.

Goodness knows what the colonel’s fertile imagination had him getting up to by way of entertainment at Daniel’s expense.   Daniel was bound to be stressed out after a night of the colonel pushing every button he had.  If only Daniel could be a bit harder on the colonel.  He just asked for it sometimes, and of course the colonel was always happy to give it to him.  The colonel teased her too, whenever he could get away with it in point of fact, but Daniel was always his butt of choice.

Daniel had started the mission well, getting the colonel off-balance, giving as good as he got.  Sam was sure Daniel was holding his own against the colonel, even though he was being as outrageous as only he could be.  Daniel just needed to keep the momentum up, and not go soft on the colonel again.  She was confident Daniel could drive the colonel crazy if he was given enough encouragement and support.

She rarely got to give Daniel the big stuff, the emotional stuff, the colonel pretty much had that all sewn up, since day one, Abydos mission.  She was more the big sister, moral support and scientific cheerleading section.  Like everybody else who REALLY knew Daniel, and with Daniel knowing was synonymous with loving, Sam did for him everything he would let her do.

Coffee, she could do.  Looking out for him, she could do. Although she managed it without being a pathological mother-hen about it, unlike the colonel.  Her eyes lit up.  Pancakes with that lovely golden fruit compote stuff she would also do.  Pancakes were the perfect consolation prize for a poor abused archaeologist suffering from a surfeit of provocative colonel.

Sam sallied forth and did battle with the chef.

"'Oh yes I do,' the lady replies, 'You think that bucket you're holding has a bottom in it!'."

Sam realised from Teal’c’s stoic silence she’d just walked in on the punchline for one of the colonel’s more surreal jokes.  The colonel was in jocular mood, he’d thoroughly inspected the sybaritic sunken bath and now, apparently, they were going to be treated to a series of off-colour jokes about the joys of SG-1 skinny-dipping, on the theme of the team that played together stayed together.  Oh joy.

The only reason they were tolerating the colonel at his worst was because Daniel was laughing.  More than laughing.  Teal’c was watching Daniel with a kind of gentle wonder as the colonel kept him in a ripple of amusement.  It was so rare to see Daniel without the weight of the world on his shoulders, Sam couldn’t bring herself to spoil the mood, even when the colonel made it apparent he did indeed want them all to share the bath.  The meaning of this joke was just too obscure for her to fathom.

The colonel’s face lit up when Daniel hesitated and then shyly agreed.  Ah.  The joke was only to be at Daniel’s expense, then?  Some kind of sight gag no doubt.  Hidden camera, possibly.  Evil intent towards the commissary notice board or Daniel’s screensaver.  Sam was ready to step in when Teal’c neatly called the colonel’s bluff and agreed blandly four in the tub was indeed an excellent idea and he would join them.  The colonel’s face just…froze.  Three was DEFINITELY a crowd for whatever the colonel had in store for Daniel.  Score one, Teal’c.

Teal’c’s tone before the bathroom door slammed behind a sullen, pointedly solo colonel seemed…critical.  Sam was distracted by the arrival of their breakfast and wasn’t sure she’d heard right.  No ducks?

Sam was headed purposefully for the Hall of Agriculture while Teal’c checked out the Hall of Medicine.  They’d talked long and hard about their plan of attack during their prolonged breakfast, and in the end they’d all agreed to go with Daniel’s suggestion.

She felt a smile break out.  Daniel had been thrilled with the coffee and with the glasses the colonel had insisted on putting on him, with some crack about caffeine deprivation tremors. The pancakes went over with a bang too, well worth the effort it took to get them.  The colonel had surprised her with a warm look, and he’d been almost indulgent with Daniel.  Trying to make up for his bad behaviour, she supposed.

That had been one of the best meals they’d ever had together.  She hated being sentimental, but honestly, sometimes Daniel was just like a warm hug.  They’d all basked in that warmth, enjoying the regrettably rare sight of him happy as long as they could.

They’d brainstormed about the best way to proceed.  Daniel was convinced they needed to be in the lesser trading venues, where there was less attention focused by the powers that be, with consequently lower security.  Daniel wanted them to concentrate on trades of information, schematics, formulae.  Any kind of data transfer that could be used as a carrier for the Tok'ra database.  Data was the only commodity that would physically change hands during the festival.  It was logical and it certainly shrank that haystack they were looking in.

The database was simply too complex a file structure to be transmitted in a simple exchange of trade contracts.  After checking the Register of Interests, Sam was able to confidently rule out almost everything going on in the Hall of Weapons and the Hall of Technology.  A few potential leads there, but only the terminally stupid sold the schema for weapons when they could corner the market in selling the weapons themselves.  Plus, security was at its tightest around those venues and the High Hall, where the colonel and Daniel got to play Secret Agent Man with the other high rollers.

That left them the Hall of Medicine, the Hall of Agriculture and the Hall of Culture, which was Daniel’s favoured choice.  The colonel accused him of bias.  Daniel was rather taken with the idea of the festival and rules of amnesty being used to allow a black market trade in the written word and other cultural taboos to flourish right under haughty and impotent Goa’uld noses.  He wasn’t alone in that opinion.  Teal’c was a firm second.

Sam had a feeling Daniel would be correct about that venue being the logical place for an exchange of information, too.  It certainly had the lowest security.  The Goa’uld all looked like they’d smelled something bad whenever the Hall of Culture was mentioned.  However, the colonel was adamant they couldn’t afford any mistakes.  They only had today to single out their suspects, tomorrow to narrow the choice and the day after to put the traitor down.  Every venue had to be checked as thoroughly as it could be.

As soon as Daniel had swallowed the last mouthful of compote, the colonel had firmly escorted him back to their room to dress, explaining airily that they might be some time, those damn Pants took enough effort even without all the pancakes Daniel had just packed away.

Sam was quite taken aback by the colonel’s reaction when she’d had to disturb them a short time later.  She’d remembered that he hadn’t yet had a chance to memorise the suitable trade exchange list Teal’c had drawn up for them.  He looked flushed and impatient.  The Pants must have been fighting back.  Or, more likely, the colonel just didn’t have Janet’s touch with Daniel.  He couldn’t argue that he needed to know what jewel or metal he could trade for whatever piece of technology or weapon, but he acceded to her reminder with an ill-tempered grunt, almost slamming the door in her face.  He came out a short while later in a similar outfit to yesterday’s ensemble, but in a glorious deep wine colour this time.  He looked majestic and aggravated all at the same time.

When a fully dressed Daniel emerged quite a while later from the same room, they could all see what it was…or rather wasn’t…about this particular outfit that made The Pants of yesterday look conservative in comparison. And why Daniel hadn’t dared to wear it at the SGC.  Dove grey shot silk shimmering with silver threads every move he made.  What was more, Daniel Jackson’s navel was a sight a red-blooded American woman simply never got to admire often enough.  Not NEARLY often enough.  Along with a fair bit of abdomen on both sides.  Strangely enough, Daniel didn’t look shy.  He shot the colonel an almost challenging look while the colonel let slip the data pad from a suddenly palsied grip, then put his head in his hands, groaning piteously.

It took her some time to persuade the colonel that Zatting anybody who so much as looked at Daniel wasn’t permissible, no matter how attractive or necessary it seemed, even though she privately agreed Daniel was a living, breathing inducement to sin as he was.  The colonel couldn’t look at Daniel without shuddering, but Daniel refused to allow an amused throughout Teal’c to help him change back into The Pants.  He insisted he had his reasons and refused to change, with a stubborn set to jaw and shoulders they knew all too well.  Teal’c insisted they let him be.

A soft footfall in the hallway behind Sam triggered her radar, dragging her unpleasantly back to the present, that never quite dormant watchfulness warning her of danger.  She slowed automatically, knowing she was right to be wary when the softly padding feet behind her slowed too.  Either this was someone higher up the food chain than she with entertainment on their mind, or their enemy knew a hell of a lot more about them than anyone had been prepared for.  Either way, this needed to be handled now.  She had enough on her plate without having to look over her shoulder for three days.

Sam stepped up her pace, angling away from the Hall of Agriculture.  She needed some privacy, in a hurry, for what she had in mind.  It was taking a considerable effort not to let the tension she felt show in her posture or movements but she was rewarded when she headed off down a quiet side corridor and her admirer was suddenly right behind her, closing in rapidly.

When an arm reached around her throat she was ready, slamming her head back hard into the face behind her, hearing the satisfying crunch of a breaking nose.  Her forearm was already insinuated between her throat and her attacker’s arm, which she promptly levered away.  Pulling his arm down with her as she stepped forward, she rammed her elbow hard into the man’s solar plexus, thrusting her butt back to knock him off balance, then flipped him smoothly over her shoulder.

She stepped back smartly as he crashed to the floor in front of her.  He was winded but she took no chances, a solid kick in the ribs lifted him onto his side, another to the shoulder took him over onto his front.  She knelt down on his back, knee pressed into the fragile vertebrae at the nape of his neck.  With his wrist twisted back at an acute angle, he wasn’t going anywhere until she let him.

“Talk.  Or you lose the arm.  Why were you following me?” she snapped.

Jack’s actinic glare and ominous body language were casting a pall over the whole room.  The rest of the traders were salivating over their casket of jewels and precious metals, but Jack’s sarcasm, roiling impatience and magnificently undisguised disdain for the whole process weren’t leaving them much room for negotiation.  Jack’s approach was solidly in the ‘pay up or fuck off and die’ school of negotiation.  It was working so far.  They were making a fortune.  Jack was extorting the traders for every shekel they had AND leaving them with the impression they were lucky to be getting away with their lives.

Daniel’s own reprehensible behaviour had contributed significantly to Jack’s current state.  Jack had been consistently thwarted in his desire to spend quality time with Daniel’s inner child this morning.  He was smouldering with frustration, and Daniel, try as he might, couldn’t resist fanning the flames.  He couldn’t understand where this dangerously, irrepressibly irresponsible mood had come from, but try as he might, he couldn't help being, well, naughty.

Currently, he was nestling comfortably on his colonel’s lap like he owned it, his legs firmly enclosed by Jack’s thighs, both of Jack’s arms around him.  The strength of Jack’s grip strongly suggested escape was currently not an option.  His colonel liked him just fine right where he was, thank you very much.  So long as he didn’t try to do anything stupid, like move a quarter of an inch further away from Jack than he currently was, everything was red-rosy in the garden.

Jack was alternating between doting on him, murmuring a variety of sweet nothings and appallingly lewd suggestions into his ear, and terrorising everyone else in the room.  Daniel was having the time of his life and he suspected Jack was, too.

Daniel was getting in touch with his inner sadist.  He writhed a little against a very sensitive part of Jack’s anatomy, hearing his sharp intake of breath with profound satisfaction.  Funny how Jack’s creaky old knees didn’t seem to be bothering him at all, even though they were supporting Daniel’s not inconsiderable weight.

“Knock it off, you little shit, before I embarrass us both.”

Daring me, Jack?  Oh dear, whatever shall I do?

Daniel decided to up the ante, peeled Jack’s hand from his thigh and slid the index finger into his mouth.  He started to suckle on it gently - don’t mind me, just keeping it warm for you - …and met Jack’s outraged eyes without so much as a pang of guilt.

“I swear to God, you don’t give the torture a rest, I’m going to throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here, bodily,” Jack said conversationally.

Daniel had been practising the shy little puppy look on Jack all morning.  Now he could manage a look from under his lashes that could melt stone as well as ridiculously susceptible Air Force colonels. Jack was toast every time he did it.  He had no sympathy.  Served Jack right for being so obstinate about making love.

He allowed Jack to pull his finger free, biting the end just before letting it go.  Jack slid that finger into his own mouth, sampling Daniel’s taste on his skin with such gusto Daniel almost asked him if he wanted the House Special Jackson to go,  Jack all the while maintaining the most unconvincing leer in recorded history.

Daniel took refuge in sarcasm.  “If you’re going to insist on pulling the Dick Dastardly act, what does that make me?  Penelope Pitstop?”

“I’d go more for Muttley myself," Jack observed thoughtfully, looking Daniel over.  He then closed his eyes and settled back in the chair with an air of ineffable, not to say insufferable superiority.

Daniel's mood was in no way improved by the salacious smile that was spreading across Jack's face. He applied an elbow vigorously to Jack's ribcage.  Jack stirred but refused to open his eyes, licking his lips with relish.

"Just having an IPM, baby.”

That was obviously some Air Force jargon he’d never heard.  “What’s an IPM?” He demanded suspiciously.

“An introspective pornographic moment, baby."

Well, ask a stupid question…“Stop calling me baby.”

“Stop acting like one.”

He was ready to annihilate Jack verbally when a familiar granite countenance hove into view.  A worshipful look crackled across the room.  Daniel was sorely tempted.  Another glance at Jack's self-satisfied smirk encouraged him to virtuously decide it was ONLY polite to acknowledge their new friend.  He offered up a very welcoming smile, allied with the same look that worked so well on Jack.  Hmm…just in case he was being too subtle, perhaps a beckoning hand gesture wouldn't go amiss, either.  There.  That should fetch him.

Jack firmly suppressed Daniel's attempt to get up, lazily opening his eyes just in time to see wonder boy, all bright eyed and bushy tailed, beaming up at Mr.Couldn't-BE-More-Wrong, the mate that just won't quit.  Even with the death threats.

He fully appreciated Daniel's unscrupulous tactics…Daniel was way more fun when he was playful.  Jack gleefully realised almost instantaneously that Daniel had bitten off more than he could chew as Brin eagerly lifted the outstretched hand to his lips, kissing it lingeringly in a gracefully courtly gesture.  Daniel had rather overlooked the "exquisite" comment last night. Jack's grin turned evil as Daniel's smile congealed.

Guess you were going more for the hearty, manly handshake, huh, Danny?

"You are looking exceptionally lovely this morning, dear Master Carlin, in the midst of all these depraved and insatiable beings."

Daniel carefully avoided looking at Jack.

Jack was insulted.  Depraved?  That was kinda extreme.  Still, he was on a mission to annoy Daniel just now, compelling him to add his own two cents. "Truly a rose amongst thorns," he agreed sagely.  "Casting my pearl before the assembled swine."

Brin got the analogies if not the exact meaning.  He brightened visibly.  Jack remembered, belatedly, anything short of shooting the guy was seen as an active come on.  Shit.

Daniel tugged gently, but Brin refused to relinquish his hand, an expression of doting fondness on his face. "Dear heart," he murmured.

Daniel stiffened.  DEAR HEART?  Dear God, JACK heard that.  He could feel tremors from behind him as Jack tried to suppress his laughter.  Too much to hope that one wouldn't be deposited in the situationally apposite nickname bank to be used in evidence against him at a later date.  Damn.  He wriggled but Jack still wouldn't let him go.  He tried a sharp elbow-to-rib interface but Jack just grunted as he tightened his grip.  Damned special forces training.  Jack's pain threshold was too high.  He abandoned his colonel as a lost cause, trying another dignified tug on his hand.  Brin tightened his massive grip slightly, too.  Daniel’s hand was completely lost,  Brin’s hold on him was gentle enough, but also…persistent.  Protracted.  Prolonged.  He wriggled again.

Jack shot Brin The Look, indicating he should let go of Daniel's hand REAL soon if he didn't want figurative death to be become literal.  It was time to stamp his authority on the situation.  He maintained The Look as he went for another MINE! MINE! ALL MINE! moment, whispering lasciviously into Daniel's ear. "Mmmm...Yeah, baby.  Just there.  Just there."  Oh, that wriggling felt NICE, too nice to waste, maybe they could recess for lunch or something?  He'd earned a break from the horse trading, what with the exchange rate he was getting, and the getting better by the second wriggling told him Daniel wanted out too.  His beloved was trapped between a rock and a very hard place.

Brin could get his own archaeologist.  Wouldn’t be anything like Daniel of course, but Jack wasn't about to share.  Dammit, Brin COULDN'T take a hint, because the moment he released Daniel's precious hand after a final kiss and fondle he turned his attention to Jack.

Ah.  So.  But.

Daniel got courtly love and romantic gestures while he got the XXX-'pay per view' adults only version.  He didn't know which was better... worse.  Worse.  Whatever.  A tiny insidious part of him was...flattered was too strong a word...he didn't go in for that sort of thing, no way.  Well.  He only went in for that sort of thing with the sole, gorgeous, desirable, heavenly exception to this otherwise carved-in-stone rule currently wriggling so nicely on his lap, and then of course he went for it in the biggest way.  Jack abandoned a mental thread getting way too tangled for his peace of mind, telling himself firmly he was not lapping up the attention.  Not.  No.

"Have you perhaps rethought your position on our LIAISON, Lord Jona?"

The sheer blistering lust in the look accompanying the throaty growl of 'liaison' beggared description.  Was it getting a little hot in here or...?  Hot.  It was definitely getting hot in here.  Hotter by the minute.

Why'd he bother wearing clothes?  Brin's eyes were getting him out of them faster than he'd managed to get himself into them this morning.

He HATED to admit it, but...maybe...just maybe...Daniel wasn't the only one in over his head, here.  Brin was a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen.  Just a matter of time.  At least where Jack was concerned.

Six and a half feet of romantic mush where Daniel was concerned, thank God.  Although that put him firmly in the majority in this voting district.

"My position is...er...it's unchanged."  Even Jack knew his voice lacked the requisite conviction.  It was quite hard to string a coherent sentence in the face of everything  going in Brin's eyes and...his eye was dragged down against its will... elsewhere.  Zatting wouldn't take the edge off this guy.  WAY too much going on...down there.  A direct missile strike maybe, but Jack wouldn't bet the farm.

Brin didn't look in the least disheartened.  Jack realised he was now officially in the 'playing hard to get but hot enough to be well worth the pursuit' bracket.  He wasn't up to dealing with it.  He had his hands full with his newly-beloved Daniel as it was.

He zoned back in to the here-and-now just in time to catch the aforementioned beloved little shit holding his hand out to Brin AGAIN - which was accepted with undignified alacrity - while saying sunnily he'd meet him in the gardens later.  He wanted to hear ALL about the FASCINATING customs on Brin's homeworld.

Brin was thrilled, accepting the blatant invitation with shameless enjoyment plus promises of native delicacies guaranteed to tempt any lover's flagging appetite.

ShitdammitalltohellDanielhowcluelesscanyouGETforchrissake!

No FRIGGIN' way was Jack letting Daniel go romping solo through the verdant groves. Sometimes Daniel's hail-fellow-well-met naïveté utterly appalled him. He knew exactly what fascinating customs Daniel had in mind.  He also knew it would never cross Daniel's mind he could be in danger for a moment.  No.  Just because he was nestled on some picnic blanket in a shady nook, being fed what were no doubt aphrodisiacs and enthusiastically comparing mating rituals with a man who was taller by about eight inches and outweighed him by about a hundred pounds.  A man who had already indicated enthusiastically he thought Daniel was beautiful and wanted to have sex with him.  Who was plainly in urgent need of a galaxy strength bromide guaranteed to stop all hard-on's dead, or your virtue back.  Why, oh why, would Daniel have ANY reason whatsodamnever to believe he had cause for concern? The danger was plain enough for everyone to see EXCEPT Daniel, to whom it would never occur that Brin might be tempted to do some hands on demonstrations.

All of which kinda proved Teal'c's point: a sweetheart like Daniel REALLY needed a bastard like Jack to take care of him.  As subtly and tactfully as possible.  Fortunately for all concerned, Jack was well up to the task.  He was going to drag Daniel back to their room, turn him over his knee and spank that gorgeous ass cherry red.  Daniel wouldn't be sitting down anywhere, anytime soon, let alone snuggling up to Brin in that shady nook.  Hey.  Whatever works, O'Neill.  Remember, the objective is to keep Daniel's virgo very much intacto a while longer.

And he was joining in that picnic too; given the satisfied smirk on Brin's face, that would not be a news at eleven moment.  They were BOTH gonna be lucky if they got out of the long grass un-ravished.

As Brin swaggered away into the crowd, Jack turned incensed eyes on an angelically innocent, SO going to get it, wilfully defiant amateur xeno-sexologist.  Actions spoke louder than words.  They certainly had last night.  He pounced.

It was breathtaking, tongue-twisting, teeth clashing, taste all you want, Daniel a la mode all over again.  Heaven, forcibly extracting his tonsils by suction.  Clinging to him like crazy glue, arms in a simply could not get close enough death grip around his neck.  Daniel was sort of draped over the side of the chair, supported by Jack's right arm.  The other had lifted Daniel right across his lap and was roaming possessively up and down a long, lithe silk-clad thigh.  Not quite XXX-pay per view, but definitely adults only.

All in all, not a good time to hear the never particularly bell-like tones of his 2IC.

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