Jack
“You’re - you’re in love with him!”
I’ve never heard Carter use that tone before. Never heard her so angry.
Teal’c takes one measured step forward but I stop him.
“My mess.”
He doesn’t rush to agree, considers, then nods gravely. “I will speak
with Major Carter later. You cannot take responsibility for what others
feel, O’Neill. Only for what you feel. This is not a time for blame,
but for resolution.”
On that slightly obscure note he takes off and leaves me to it. I walk
into Daniel’s office and slowly, carefully, close the door. Both the
kids are rooted to the spot when they see me. Daniel is pale, vibrating
with anxiety and tension. Carter is flushed and mad as hell. It’s to
her I speak.
“Did I miss the good stuff?”
Daniel winces automatically at my tone and I see a good deal of
comprehension in Carter’s eyes. She knows that tone too, very well,
only now it’s directed at her and she doesn’t like it one bit.
I coolly walk to Daniel’s side of the desk, settle myself casually at
his workbench. This is not the conversation I would have chosen to have
with Carter, and I would certainly never have chosen Daniel as a
participant. There are still things he doesn’t know.
Carter is a good soldier. She doesn’t miss the significance of me
moving to Daniel’s side. That’s right. A subtle signal she’s reading
clear as day: you want him, major, you've got to get through me first.
Carter is also a damn good woman, one I care very deeply about. She’s
angry right now. It’s understandable, but those feelings should and
will be directed at me. They will be, once she has all the facts.
“It’s okay to answer the question, Daniel,” I say to him quietly.
“Yes. I’m in love with Jack.”
“Sir?”
“I feel the same.”
Her stricken face tells me she hadn’t seen that coming. Daniel takes a
hasty step forward, already reaching out, but she waves him off.
“Sorry, Sam, sorry.”
He means it too. He’d never wilfully hurt another person, let alone
someone he cares about as much as he cares about Carter.
“How - how long? Sir?”
“That’s not your concern, Carter.” I know a chill is creeping into my
tone but that is not a question I want to answer.
“I disagree, sir. The team dynamic,” she argues.
“Has been unaffected where you and Teal’c are concerned.” My voice is
glacial. We all know who’s been affected. He’s had the grace to forgive
me, but me, I’m not so hot on the forgiveness stuff. I told Daniel I've
loved him for a long time, but I do not want him to ever know how long.
Let’s just say the timing sucked.
“Jack, I agree with Sam. If we’re going to…for the sake of the
team…it’s a matter of trust.”
“Sir, whatever you say to me, it’ll go no further. You can count on me
for that. I just," she hesitates, "need to hear it.”
They’re both hurting, but they’re double teaming me, habit ingrained
from years together. They recognise it, hostility easing down a few
notches between them. I’m glad to see it.
Of course I trust Carter.
I just can’t answer the question. I’m not prepared to humiliate myself
by owning up my first clue was when Urgo rewired us. I kept fantasising
about undressing Daniel. I swear, it wasn’t about sex, just slowly
peeling away all the barriers between us. Him being physically naked
was cidental. I didn’t know what the hell to make of it all and
couldn’t get rid of the little – virus - quick enough. 'Course, then I
had to have three months all alone to reach the kind of emotional
epiphany even I couldn’t ignore.
No sooner do I get back through the gate than…There are times I have
come close to hating Daniel for not just turning and walking away when
I so obviously didn’t want him in my house. Our friendship has no
foundation, but hey, on the bright side, I am in love with you! Right.
There never was a right time after that. I buried those feelings deep
and…If Daniel levelled an accusation of acting out at me now, I
wouldn’t be able to deny it.
Daniel is already carrying enough emotional baggage, I won’t willingly
add to it. I say simply, “I’ve felt this way a while.”
I’m in a position of weakness here, so I go on the offensive.
“Carter, can you think of one single incidence where I have ever
jeopardised your life, or Teal’c’s life, in preference for Daniel’s?”
The answer being a resounding no.
Unfortunately, Carter’s horrified expression tells me she can think of
at least one occasion where I nearly offed Daniel. Not quite the
clinching argument I was hoping for, but I’ll take whatever I can get.
Daniel’s a bright guy. He sees me looking like I’m stuffed, Carter’s
wide eyes, connects the dots.
“I’ve never held you responsible for that! I made my own decisions. I
knew what I was doing, I went in with my eyes open. I accepted
responsibility for my own actions. Jesus, Jack, let it go. It worked
out just fine. For everyone.”
I shut them both down royally on that one. Now they’re both pissed at
me instead of each other. Things are starting to look…
“You’d rather die than lose me?”
Worse.
I see those quiet words of Carter’s, so obviously directed to me,
impact on Daniel. Knew this would come back and bite me on the ass one
day. Should have told him at the time. I was wrong to exclude him. My
motivations were for the best; I was trying to protect everyone on my
team. Not the first time I’ve tried that and it’s blown up in my face.
Bad example.
Carter’s been heroically dignified ‘til now, but this is too personal.
I owe her the truth on this one.
“The absolute truth," I say emphatically. "You know that. I do care
about you a lot more than I’m supposed to.” I add deliberately, don’t
want Daniel leaping to any wrong conclusions here, “I feel the same
about Teal’c. You guys are the only family I’ve got. I’d do anything to
keep you safe.”
I never said I loved her. I do, but not in the way she’s…not the way I
love Daniel.
She’s too smart for me, proves it yet again. “You volunteered to be
re-tested! You knew the risks, took them anyway…”
“I was mostly thinking of you, not me, but I…”
“Needed to control the agenda. One unanswered question leads to many
more questions, Sir?" Carter snaps, her angry eyes glittering. "You
kept Anise focused on your feelings for me so you didn’t have to answer
questions about your feelings for Daniel. Your answer was true enough
for me but it wouldn’t have been enough for Daniel, would it?”
I can only shake my head. They would have questioned everything until
they were absolutely certain we weren’t zaytark. Everything. I wasn’t
prepared to pay the price for conclusive proof. Wasn’t even prepared to
deal with the truth myself.
I’ve watched the footage of my second test on the machine. I can hardly
bear to see the misery on my face, or the reluctance in my voice as I
reveal feelings should always have stayed private. It hurt me at the
time, but it’s hurting Carter more now, to know she was the lesser of
two evils.
I didn’t do anybody justice in that sordid business. I can’t miss the
disappointment in her eyes. She’s had enough. The fight has gone out of
her as she stares and stares at me. Trying to understand how she could
have read me so wrong? Trying to figure out how Jack O’Neill could fall
in love with a man? A swift glance to Daniel is all the answer she
needs. Jack O’Neill is in love with one hell of a man and she knows it
now.
She also knows now I was shit scared all along, I felt so deeply for
him. Took all the fear and anger out on him, too. Bet she’s starting to
wonder what Daniel sees in me, though. What she saw. Look your fill,
Carter. It isn’t pretty. If Daniel wasn’t the man is he is, I'd stand
no chance with him.
She understands the consequences of me pursuing a relationship with
Daniel, understands I’ve made an informed, irrevocable decision and
will take the consequences. I’m risking my place on the team for
Daniel, but I wouldn’t do it for her.
That’s one realisation too many. She heads off toward the door without
another word, but Daniel reaches her before she can pull it open.
“Sam. Are you okay…are...are we okay?”
“We are. I’m going to need a little time.”
“Carter?”
She freezes, won’t look back at me.
“I won’t let the team down, Sir. You can count on me.”
It isn’t what I was asking but I realise it’s all the answer I’m going
to get right now. She and I are going to need a lot more work as
friends than we will as teammates.
She pauses for a beat, and then she does glance back at me, eyes very
bright. “So I guess this means you won’t be calling me Sam.”
A fleeting touch to Daniel’s outstretched hand and she’s gone. A
strong, honourable woman and a damned good friend. I’m truly sorry it
went down this way. Fear, desperation, loneliness. I took it all out on
the person I loved, and accepted unquestioning support where I should
have refused it. I've got to accept the consequences of both those
failings now.
I sneak a glance at Daniel. He’s truly sorrowful for Carter’s sake, but
when he meets my eyes, I see growing confidence, not blame. This was
affirmation he wasn’t expecting. I risk a tiny smile and feel a load
lifting when I get a hint of one back.
He closes the door again and walks straight back to me, into my waiting
arms, hugs me as hard as he can. I hug him back and once again my hands
fail to defy gravity. They reach their natural level, which is exactly
the same level as Daniel’s butt, by some bizarre coincidence.
“I hated that, Jack. I never meant to hurt Sam. Or anyone.”
“You didn’t. I did. Let it be, Daniel. Don’t fret about Carter. She
wants to stay with the team, she’s not blaming you, she’ll get over
this. Teal’c is going to have a talk with her, too.”
“What about you?”
“I’ve got a lot to make up for, but believe me, it’s nothing compared
to what I should be making up to you.”
He’s scowling at me. My hands are pointedly removed and he steps back.
“Get off the cross, Jack," he tells me sternly. "Somebody needs the
wood.”
It shocks a laugh out of me. Daniel isn’t big on self-pity but he’s not
usually so pithy.
“Let’s go home, Jack.”
“We putting this behind us then? Moving on? You want to talk some
more?” We’ve covered a lot of ground today, if he needs to talk, I
guess I’ll have to.
“No. I’ve waited quite long enough for you. I want to have sex. Lots
and lots of sex. Hot sex. If that’s okay with you?”
Daniel isn’t happy. He’s pouting and giving me
attitude as I unlock my front door.
“We don’t have to rush it, that’s all I’m saying, Daniel. There’s other
things we can do.”
“I want…”
I wave him in and he stalks past me, head held high.
“I know what you want! Jeez, you picked your time to tell me. That’s a
hairpin bend. Lucky there wasn’t any other traffic, that’s all I can
say.”
“Wuss. We’ve got three days medical leave, thanks to Janet. I want to
spend them in bed with you, with you in…”
I slam the door behind me, yank him into my arms and stick my tongue
down his very receptive throat as we stagger down the stairs and in the
general direction of the sofa. We tumble down in a tangle of arms and
legs, clashing lips and teeth.
I am so not going to win this argument. I kiss him until I’m
breathless, but he’s got astonishing lung capacity. I’m still wheezing
as he insists, “I want the whole nine yards, Jack. Nothing less will
satisfy me.”
“N-nine…”
“I’ve seen you in the showers.”
Daniel
Jack gives me far too much credit. He's made an erroneous assumption,
based on the very gratifying effect it apparently has on him, I possess
some mysterious ability to make friends and influence people with
something he calls 'the look.' To hear him tell it I have but to bat my
eyes and the sternest of hearts is putty in my hands.
While I know from recent empirical evidence this does indeed hold true
for certain Air Force colonels, certain hard-hearted Air Force
physicians are proving to be made of much sterner stuff.
Believe me, I'm giving it my all. I've done the math. One Daniel
Jackson minus one colonel stuck in the infirmary for the night adds up
to nobody getting any.
I really hate math, too.
Maybe I should try crying.
I settle for extortion. Janet knows a threat when she hears one and
decides to relent on letting Jack leave rather than risk contributing
to the future possible ill health of one of her other charges. Hey,
everyone knows I need a keeper. Let me have him, please, or I can't be
responsible for the consequences.
I know it's hitting beneath the belt, but hey, she started it.
And speaking of hitting below the belt, I…I have to leave now. Yes,
Janet, hearing you, hearing every word you're saying. I'll do it, Uh
huh. Swear to God, he couldn't be in safer hands. More eager hands.
Willing hands. Frustrated hands.
I really, really have to go now.
I mumble something about needing to get something in my office before
we leave and beetle out of there as fast as my shaking legs can carry
me. I don't need a damned thing from my office, I just needed to put
some sudden space between me and Jack. He was just looking…so…so - oh
God… and I couldn't stop thinking about him. And me. Him and me.
Together. No clothes. And…stuff. Doing…stuff. Lots and lots of…stuff…
Oh yeah. This worked. This is much better.
I hope Jack comes and gets me soon so we can get the hell out of here
because if I do much more thinking I'm definitely going to be starting
without him.
It seems there are a few other impulses I've been keeping locked down
and bolted for far too long, and now they're out too they're not
playing fair either.
I told Jack I was going to my office so that's where I'm heading. I
briefly consider the idea of taking a cold shower but hopefully don't
have the time.
I guess I'll just have to grin and bear it.
Stop it! Just…stop it!
"Daniel! I want to talk to you!"
Sam's voice stops me cold in the middle of opening my office door. If
her tone wasn't enough to elicit a fair amount of apprehension, the
sight of her barrelling down the hall toward me definitely makes my
former pressing necessity for a cold shower a thing of the past.
"Sam," I croak as I paste a weak smile on my face and try to look like
I'm glad to see her. I'm thinking this is another instance where my
supposedly 'one look conquers all' blue-eyed charm does not apply.
She strides up to me, hands on her hips, chin jutting out aggressively.
"You want to do this out here in the hall?" she challenges.
"Not especially," I sigh as I push the door open and wave her in. She
stalks in like she owns the place and turns on me before I've even got
the door completely closed.
"You want to explain to me what that was all about back there?" she
bristles. I don't look at her as I cross the room and find a chair.
Making sure the desk is between us.
"All what?" I return with a resigned sigh. It's not the most brilliant
comeback in the world, but then I'm going in not really trying because
I haven't got the heart for this discussion. I'm no psychic, but then I
don't need to be to know someone in this room is going to get hurt in
the not too distant future. I don't want to be on either end of the
occurrence.
"I don't appreciate being shoved aside," Sam snaps. "None too subtly, I
might add. I'm his friend, too, Daniel. Not to mention being his second
in command, in case you've forgotten. I had just as much right to be
there with him as you did. It was my place to be there. I was
concerned. The colonel had just been through a terrible ordeal. He
might have needed…"
"He had everything he needed," I coolly reply, and then desperately
wish I hadn't, but it's out before I realise what I've said.
Oh boy, look at her face. I thought I was in trouble before but now,
I'm really in for it.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" she asks with an edge on her voice
that could slice through the iris like a laser. Kinda goes with the
entirely pissed and spoiling for a fight sparkle in her angry eyes.
Well, she might want to scrap, but I sure don't. Unfortunately, I might
not be able to avoid it. There's nothing I can say now without telling
her what she can't know.
"Exactly what are you saying, Daniel? What's going on?" She's way
angrier, more demanding. I've never seen her this incensed. At least,
not with me.
"Nothing, Sam. Nothing's going on," I try to assure her, placate her,
hating myself for the bald-faced lie I've just uttered. While hoping to
be able to pull it off, for once in my life.
"'Oh yeah?" she counters smoothly, her face alight with smug triumph.
Shit, she's seen right through me. Knows she's got me. Oh God, please
just kill me now.
"Then why won't you look at me while you're talking to me?" she
counters as she crosses her arms and glowers at me.
Nope. I still suck at the lying thing. Nuts. Okay, new game plan. Where
do we go from here? She knows I'm hiding something, but she can't know
what. So how do I put her off the scent? Defuse her with a shameless
appeal for understanding? Try to draw on what might be the last gasps
of our friendship?
Crying?
Begging?
I finally look at her with what I hope is an entreating expression.
"Listen, Sam," I wheedle, " do we have to do this right now? We've been
pretty worried about Jack and Teal'c and we're all a little stressed. I
know I'm feeling a bit frayed, you must be too. Can't we just chalk the
whole thing up to a stress reaction and forget about it?"
Please? Cut me a break here, Sam, for God's sake. You know I'd do it
for you.
"No!" she exclaims, her eyes flashing. "I'm not going to forget about
it. I can't. I'm deeply concerned about your behaviour on the teltak,
Daniel. You were acting so strangely. Not like you at all. I need to
know why and I need to know what's going on. Mission protocol - "
I'm on my feet before I can stop myself. "This has nothing to do with
mission protocol and you know it! Besides, it's none of your business!"
Shit, did I really say that to her? At the top of my lungs? Oh yeah. I
sure did. She's staring at me, her mouth set in a tight, white line. Oh
boy, this is going to get ugly.
"That's where you're wrong," she informs me with cold calmness. "You've
been a member of SG-1 long enough I shouldn't have to tell you this,
but just in case it's slipped your mind - when the colonel is
incapacitated I'm in command. I'm the one in charge, Daniel. Everything
that happens on the mission is my business. Especially when it comes to
the colonel."
Ouch! Drawing the line, she's drawing the line, daring me to step over.
Don't. Don't go there. Don't do it, Daniel…
"You only work with him, you don't own him!" I hurl back at her.
Way to go, stupid, you went! Take a bow, moron.
"Oh, and you think you do?" she smirks, and then freezes. She staring
at me, her mind ticking over as she sees something in my face I know I
shouldn't be showing her. Her eyes dissect me, I feel flayed alive and
laid open to the bone as she does her own quick calculations, adding
one and one and getting the answer I've been trying not to give her.
Getting the last thing she was expecting, from her stunned and
disbelieving expression.
After all, she is way smarter than me when it comes to math. A fine
time for it to slip my mind.
Her eyes widen in something akin to horrified dismay. She's close to
stuttering with surprise and indignation. "You're - you're in love with
him! She finally blurts.
Oh crap. Oh God. Oh Jack, if ever I needed you, it's right now.
Talk about the nick of time. There he is, like always. Just when I need
him the most.
"Did I miss the good stuff?" Jack innocently inquires of the room as he
ambles in right on cue like he hasn't got a care in the world.
My hero.
We talk.
It's honest, it's painfully frank, and at times just downright painful
for each of us in our turn. It's also no small testament to who we are
and what we've come to mean to each other it's happening at all. There
aren't too many subordinates who could speak to their CO the way Sam is
talking to Jack - or get the respect and dignity of the uncompromising
and possibly very compromising truth he's giving her back in return.
Neither of us can deny her that. She's certainly earned the right to
know the score. She gets it. She asked for it. No holds barred. It's
not what she wanted to hear, however, and I can tell from her reactions
she wasn't in the least bit prepared for, or even expecting half of
what she's finally finding out.
But I can also see our trust hasn't been misplaced. Because as hurt as
she is by the truth, she can't help but be impressed by getting it from
both of us. Because it tells her, above all, we do trust her.
Maybe Jack can't give her what she thought she wanted, but he can give
her the next best thing. It might not be much of a consolation now, but
I'm thinking, with a little time and understanding, it will be.
By the time she leaves she's not exactly prepared to do a dance of joy
to celebrate our impending union, but she's willing to try to learn to
live with it. As well as allow if she can't have what she thought she
was eventually going to get, she can find a way to be happy for me that
I can.
Eventually.
The road to renewed understanding between her and Jack isn't going to
be quite as smooth, but that's not my concern. He's going to have to
face what he's done and deal with it on his own. He'll get it sorted
out with Sam some day, but she'll make him work damned hard for it.
It'll be good for him. Character building. I'll have a front row seat.
It'll be fun.
Speaking of which…
The feeling of a pair of large, warm, very possessive hands clutching
my ass brings me back to much more immediate - and potentially
pleasurable concerns.
Can we go home, now?
Please?
Jack's hands are clamped about the steering
wheel. He's holding onto it as if the vehicle will fall apart around us
if he relaxes his grip for just a second. His eyes are riveted to the
road. He hasn't spared me a glance or a word since we left the mountain
over ten minutes ago.
I'm feeling a little ignored, and more than slightly naughty. I don't
have a steering wheel to occupy my hands and you know what they say
about the devil making work for idle ones.
"Daniel!" Jack squeaks. "Have a heart! Driving, here!"
Well, will you look at that. One of my hands is in Jack's lap. Oh my.
However did that happen?
"You can leave it there. If you want." Jack licks his lips, darting a
swift, sidelong glance at me before wrenching his eyes back to the road
again. "Just…just don't move it around, or anything. Not while I'm
driving."
I can't believe what I'm seeing. A warm, red flush of colour is moving
up his neck and spreading across his face. Blushing! Jack O'Neill is -
blushing!
"Whatcha thinking about?" I archly inquire. I know it's awful of me,
but I have to ask.
'Ah, listen, Daniel," he starts in a very uncharacteristically
uncertain tone. "Don't get me wrong, here, what I'm saying does not in
any way mean I've changed my mind….about you…or - or us… or anything,
but I've been thinking. Maybe we should, maybe we should just sorta,
take things slow to start. Some things, anyway."
"What sort of 'things' are we talking about here, Jack?" Oh no you
don't Jack O'Neill! You promised me sex, and that's what you're giving
me. You are so going to give it to me.
"You know," he shrugs. "Things."
"No I don't know, Jack. Spell it out for me."
"Aha!" he crows and waggles a triumphant finger at me. " See! You see!
That's why!"
Oh great. My big, strong, considerate, infuriating colonel is going all
protective on me. Still thinking of me as that innocent babe in the
woods he has to look out for and save from himself.
I think it's high time I shattered some of his deeply cherished but
entirely erroneous illusions.
"Jack, for crying out loud, give me a little credit, here!" I grumble
at him. " What do you think I am, twelve?"
"God, I hope not!" he snorts and flashes me a rakish grin, melting my
heart and encouraging me to incite him all the more. "I'm not into
children."
"But you're going to be into me," I grin right back at him.
"Je-sus!" he shouts as he briefly wrestles with the wheel. "Don't do
that!" he chides me and then sets his jaw. "Not saying I don't want to,
Daniel, but do you have any idea, I mean, you haven't? Right?"
"No," I tell him truthfully. "I haven't. But I'm not exactly clueless.
I know what it's all about. I've done my homework. I've - I've read
stuff."
Well, I have.
"You have?" Jack's expression is both incredulous and amused. "Read
stuff, have you?"
"As a matter of fact, I have!" I retort indignantly. "I've been curious
about," I pause, "things lately. I make it a point to keep myself
informed. It never hurts to learn new things. Broaden one's horizons."
"Jesus, Daniel, reading about it isn't the same as doing it. Trust me
on this one!"
"Oh and suddenly you're some kind of expert about this. My, my, isn't
this an interesting piece of information!"
"It was a long time ago and that's all I'm saying about it," Jack
grumbles as he glares out the windshield. "Hey! Asshole!" he yells
suddenly at a car picking this particular moment to commit some sort of
driving infraction right in front of us. "Where did you learn to drive!
Did you see that! They're handing out licenses to any moron these days!"
"I trust you, Jack," I promise him softly. "I love you. I want you to
love me. The full meal deal. And yes, I definitely want the super size
fries with it as well."
"Aw, Daniel," Jack sighs. "I don't think, I mean, you might think you
want it, but maybe you should think again. It's not everything it's
cracked up to be. I know what I'm talking about."
"Give me a break, Jack," I snap. "I'm not stupid, and I wasn't born
yesterday."
"That's not what I meant!"
"Let me finish!" I snipe back at him. "Your opinion of me to the
contrary, I have been around the block a few times. Hell, I've been all
over the damned galaxy, need I remind you! After what I've seen and
done, I've got to tell you, I am not the least bit concerned or afraid
of the prospect of being drilled up the ass by the man I love."
"Oh, now there's a nice image!" Jack's grin has turned wolfish in spite
of himself.
"I have more."
"I'm sure."
We're here, he's mine and while we're a little
behind on the timetable for the getting naked part, at least we're
horizontal. Great place to start. The other technicalities will be
sorting themselves out in short order.
He's crushing me into the cushions, heaving hungrily into me as his
former concerned reluctance evaporates before my eager show of
confidence. I'm now fully assured I'll be getting everything that will
soon be coming inside me.
Clothes. We're still wearing clothes. This won't do at all.
I'm fumbling with his shirtfront as his mouth fumbles down my neck.
Sucking my skin, frantically licking down to the base of my throat. I
groan as a sudden shock of pleasure makes me shudder and thrust myself
up into him.
He growls and flings himself up from me, grabbing me by the shirt and
hauling me with him. His dark eyes are wild with desire, burning with
just the right hint of dangerous.
"Be careful what you wish for, 'cause you're definitely getting it," he
chuckles as he pulls me toward the bedroom.
It's about time.
Jack
“Be careful what you wish for, ‘cause you’re definitely getting it.” I
should not be laughing at Daniel, but Jeez, read about it? Whatever
next? Me, I just went ahead and did it.
I grab Daniel’s shirt and haul him off towards the bedroom, although
haul isn’t quite the right word, ‘cause by the time we get to the
stairs Daniel is in front of me.
“Eager beaver.”
Daniel is sticking his tongue out at me so of course I have to stop him
right there, a couple of steps up, and kiss him. I’m trying for a light
nip of his tongue but then he throws himself at me. Literally. I not
only catch him, I get a good grip under his butt and lift him. Daniel’s
astonished eyes stare down into mine as I laugh. Then he eagerly wraps
his legs around my waist and lets out a delighted yell.
“’Whoo hoo!’, Doctor Jackson? I’m not familiar with that language.” I
speak into his chest, which frustrates his efforts to kiss me. Next
thing I know, he gets a good grip on my ears and hauls my face up to
meet his.
“How ‘bout speaking in tongues, Jack?”
He ravages my mouth, his tongue is everywhere, manic, dipping into
every crevice in my teeth, swiping my palette, pushing down for my
tonsils. Lot of moaning going on too, not all of it from him. I like to
feel my linguist getting so much job satisfaction. Eventually he gives
up on trying to extract my tonsils and offers up a brief performance
evaluation.
“Holy shit!”
I’m still doing the wheezing thing when a look of deep cunning enters
his eyes.
“Bedrooms are, frankly, overrated, Jack.”
Right.
“You ever do it standing up?”
“Not the first time, Daniel,” I say sternly.
Coaxing fingers slip into my hair. I have to be even more stern. “No,
Daniel.” I get an Oscar winning pout, trembling lips, hurt little boy
eyes, the works. My vertebrae are fusing; I need to put him down before
we end up on my ass.
“How ‘bout on the stairs then? The bedroom is miles away.”
In exactly the position he wants. He needs to be distracted.
Fortunately, I’m up to the task.
“If you let me put you down I’ll tell you about my P3R118 dream. It’s
kind of a…wet…dream.”
He’s down before I get ‘dream’ out, hooked completely by ‘wet’, and
steamed as hell.
"I asked if you had the same dream! About the pool of shimmering water.
You said your dreams were about other things!” Daniel accuses furiously.
I take him firmly by the hand and lead him up the stairs.
“Actually, I said ‘About you?’ Subtle clue there, Daniel. Freudian
slip? Ring any bells?”
This gets us onto the landing.
“Oh! Well, what other kind of wet…ooh!”
It takes him a while, if I distract him with context, but he usually
gets there in the end.
“Which reference sources have you been dipping into, Daniel?" I enquire
brightly. "The junior encyclopaedia of sex? How ‘bout that Plato guy?
Got an FAQ section does he? Handy hints? Email the author?”
“Bastard.”
He gives me a sulky look but brightens up as he sees how close we are
to the bedroom. In fact, he picks up the pace and we end up double
timing it the rest of the way.
“I did dream about a pool of shimmering water, you and me in the pool
of shimmering water."
“And?”
“We were doing it standing up.”
“Ooh!”
If I didn’t love him already, the sneaky, lust filled look he shoots me
under his lashes would knock me clean over the edge. “Forget it,
Daniel," I say meanly. "You do not get the same effect in a bathtub.”
“Even if you -"
Jeez. No wonder I was so confused in that hellhole. The Urgo thing
threw me for a loop the first time I fell for Daniel. The whole
buoyancy thing added to a naked, needing Daniel, it's all too damn much
for me.
“No!” I roar.
I should be asking Daniel if he’s sure he wants to do this, but given
he’s almost dancing with excitement, it seems a tad redundant.
“Let me undress you, Daniel?”
He gives me a ‘will it take long?’ look and I melt him with a gentle
stroke of his cheek, “A long held, very private fantasy.”
True enough, but I’m very conscious he hasn’t had real sex for so
long…years…we need to calm things down or he’ll be coming before we get
going.
A tender little smile and he’s toast, putting himself completely into
my hands.
I slowly, reverently, unbutton his shirt, time and care taken over
every single individual button. Ease the shirt back over his shoulders
until it pools at his wrists. Then I lift each palm to my lips before I
loosen the cuff and let the shirt fall. I think he was expecting me to
be all over him, but like I said, this isn’t about sex.
Stripping away the barriers between us, worshipping every inch of his
body. I love him to distraction and I want it to show.
I work his belt buckle loose, unbutton, start to ease his zipper down.
I can’t help but notice something is missing.
Daniel is innocence personified, “I know how you hate a long
debriefing, Jack. Just trying to help you out.”
He helps out a little more as a bit of wriggling frees him of his
sneakers, which he promptly kicks across the room. With panache. I
wince and he jumps as they achieve escape velocity and impact loudly on
my closet door.
Daniel’s body language then insists effect has nothing to with cause,
not when it comes to his sneakers. No matter what the laws of physics
say. With just a hint of impudent, ‘so there’ thrown in for good
measure.
Just for that I decide to give Daniel a hands on demonstration of
effect, and see how easy it is to unzip another guy’s pants just by
slipping your finger inside, then slowly, slowly pulling it down. It
works, the zipper comes apart tooth by tooth. Admittedly, it makes the
other guy whimper uncontrollably as he feels your skin against his
heated, velvety hardness for the first time ever. Makes him lean his
head against your shoulder and bite you as the hardness swells. And
swells.
Daniel sighs when I free his very eager erection and slide my hands
under the cloth to knead his buttocks, then push the pants down, my
hands stroking down his butt in slow steady sweeps, down the backs of
his thighs, his knees, calf muscles. The pants pool on his bare feet,
which I lift and free.
My hands rest for a moment on the tops of his feet, then I stroke up
his shins, knees, the front of his thighs now. Such long, long legs.
Rest my hands over his hipbones, thumb gently massaging his tiny
appendix scar. I glide my fingers up his taut, flat abdomen, mapping
smoothly ridged muscles. Up across his chest, the palms of each hand
resting over his nipples. Then up to his shoulders. My fingers gentle
at his throat, then trailing along his jaw line.
I learn every contour of his face, astonished by the softness of his
skin. The luscious lips, kissing my fingers as I caress. I trace the
arch of each brow, feel the flutter of his eyelashes against the
lightest of touches by my fingertips. Work slow circles along his
cheekbones. Finally slide my hands into his hair. As silky as the rest
of him.
Every perfect inch of him. From head to toe, he’s flawless elegance.
Every mark of life on his body fits, feels right to me. So responsive,
so sensual, offering himself up to me as he leans into my touch.
“Beautiful.” I sigh.
Daniel shakes his head at me. “You are.” He tells me softly.
I think he’s nuts, but it’s a delusion I find I can live with. I’ve got
him naked in the sweetest way I could think of. No nerves, fear or
embarrassment. His eyes are totally dilated, he’s trembling with love
and frustrated desire. To be honest, I think he’s already had all the
foreplay he can take. He needs release.
I can see he’s wondering how the hell he’s going to last long enough to
return the compliment, undress me.
“Daniel, don’t know about you, but I’m going to explode if we don’t get
horizontal real soon. How ‘bout I just get myself out of these and you
can feel me up to your heart’s content on the bed? You mind? Not as
young as I used to be!”
“N-no!”
I blithely ignore the relief in his voice, “Scoot over to the bed then.
You can worship and adore me just as easily from over there.”
This gets me a chuckle and gives me a chuckle as he dives onto the bed.
I can’t remember how long it is since I’ve seen Daniel this happy or,
er, stimulated. Not to say awed, as I rapidly undress.
I’m forty-four, kid, nothing to write home about.
The glow in his eyes is making me giddy, I want to tell him I was
kidding about the worship thing, anything, to cover up the rush of
emotion I feel heating my cheeks as I realise Daniel Jackson thinks I’m
the most amazing, beautiful thing he’s ever seen in his life.
Oh, and, by the way, why am I still all the way over here when I should
be all the way over there with him, having sex or something?
I trot over and dive on top of him, get comfortable, which necessitates
quite a lot of wriggling and a lot of touching from Daniel, which I
find very exciting to be honest. He seems to have more pairs of hands
than me at any given time and he shows his appreciation for my humble
body so enthusiastically I just lie back and let him have it.
Eventually, I realise I’m enjoying it too much and flip him gently onto
his back. Back to the wriggling as I get comfortable again. Daniel
gasps as he feels my full weight settling on him, his hands clamp to my
butt as he starts to thrust up against me.
I don’t think he has it in him to be subtle right now. He’s squirming
beneath me, every part of him trying desperately to maintain contact
with every part of me. At all times.
I cheat outrageously and nudge his thighs apart, my erection taking a
slow, deep glide against his. I get a very deep moan and then his legs
lift and lock around the small of my back. I obligingly start to rock
my hips and he pushes back against me with frenzied eagerness. His
fingers are digging into my spine, flexing in time to my thrusts.
He reaches up and we kiss passionately, deeply, my tongue pulsing
against his, matching the rhythm of my hips. Unfortunately, the moment
I have to take a breath, Daniel blind sides me.
“In-inside. You pr-promised!”
I don’t argue. I do however, stop moving, which annoys him intensely. I
guess he wasn’t so horny he wouldn’t work out this was an ambush, pure
and simple.
“Daniel, do you feel this?” I wriggle my hips just a bit. “You work out
why I didn’t actually need any fiddling under the hood? The motor was
kinda running already. Why don’t we just take the edge off…”
“No. In case you’ve missed it, I’m throwing myself at you. So damn well
take me! Do it! Now!”
“My, I can almost hear those violins.”
Daniel’s eyes and voice plead with me, “Love me, Jack. Just…love me.”
Okey dokey. I roll away and pad over to my bureau to retrieve the
lubricant I bought. On a purely speculative basis of course. Daniel
watches me like an insanely inquisitive hawk every step of the way.
Busted.
“All right already. So I’ve been wondering about,” I trail off,
wondering how to phrase this. "Stuff."
“Liar.” Daniel looks endearingly smug as I climb back on the bed and
stretch out at his side.
“Fantasising obsessively then.” I snarl. I liberally coat my finger
with the lube and scoot down his body.
“Er…Jack? While you’re down there, just keep your mouth to yourself! I
don’t trust you an inch.”
“Well, it’s not gentlemanly to boast, but you’re about to trust me with
way more than that.”
“Jack, trust me on this, it would be a really bad idea to – touch -
anything else in the neighbourhood. Just go for it. You know? The
finger up my…Jack!”
“Knock knock! “ I chuckle malevolently. I’ve already eased the very tip
of my finger inside him, hence the shocked gasp. My free hand
immediately starts to massage his abdomen, working in deep, soothing
circles.
“Just relax, Daniel. Push down against me. I may be knocking, but
you’ve got to let me in.”
“I know," Daniel snarls. "I told you. I’ve been reading up on this. The
most sensitive erogenous zone on the body. I just have to stay relaxed
and it will be wonderful.”
I feel him relaxing against me so I push my finger all the way in. I
hear a definite gulp. He says dreamily, “Wonderful. Ful-”
As I scrape his prostate, he arches off the bed yelling my name.
“Ful-”
And again.
Silence.
“I’ll be good, Daniel. You were saying?”
“Ful-fulfilling.”
I ease out my finger, which makes him sigh bitterly, then I’m back with
two lubed fingers. Go right back to the soothing massage as I slowly
ease double the fun inside him.
“And how was your reading on the subject of pain?”
Daniel tells me with serene confidence, “There won’t be any. It’s down
to love and trust. We’ve got that.”
I guess that was what was missing for me when I tried this, then. It
hurt like hell. Strictly a one shot deal on the receiving end. I’m not
about to fill Daniel in on my occasionally, enthusiastically, misspent
youth. Or early career. I defy anybody to last two months at a
listening post in Greenland without any kind of stress relief. Daniel
just gets to enjoy the fruits of a lot of corrected mistakes from way
back when. In some ways this is a first for me too. I’ve had a lot of
easy sex but never made love to a man I’m in love with.
I’m moving my fingers easily inside him now, scraping his prostate with
every stroke. He’s terrifyingly tight, but he’s also open, willing and
wantonly rocking his hips. My massaging hand has slipped down to rub
and fondle his erection instead, which gives him something exciting to
play with at either end of his thrusts. The most delightful moans of
appreciation are echoing freely round my bedroom.
“Ready for best of three?”
“Mmm. Hmm.”
I interpret that to mean ‘yes, the sooner the damn better’, ease
carefully out of him Lube up, and slowly rock back in three fingers.
“Back to this informative reading matter. You have any preference for
position?” Some are easier than others, especially when you’re new to…
“Mmm. On my back.”
“So, let me get this straight here. First time for us, first ever time
for you. We’re forgetting about gentle and sensible, we’re striking out
confidently for maximum penetration instead? Just want to be clear. Are
you nuts?”
“Horny. Won’t be satisfied until I’ve taken every single inch.”
I have to swallow convulsively. Thanks for that image, kid. Resistance
is clearly futile. He wants what he wants and he wants it now.
He’s killing me here, moving urgently against my fingers, desperate for
more, deeper, harder. He’s as ready as he’s going to be. I’ve been more
than ready for a while. I withdraw again and reach up to grab a pillow,
kiss him hard while I’m in the general vicinity, scoot back down and
settle the pillow under his butt. I lube myself lavishly and have to
ease just that bit more into him. Then I nudge his thighs and he lifts
his legs and wraps them high around my back. He’s breathtakingly supple.
“Any final demands?”
“Make it last forever, Jack.”
No pressure or anything.
“Love and trust, huh, Daniel?”
“Absolutely.”
I guide myself to him and push in as he pushes down to meet me. Our
eyes are locked, each of us determined to share this, see exactly the
power we have over the other. Love and trust. After a moment of
absolute stillness I feel him relax around me and I can rock sweetly
in.
He groans and arches his back. “Oh, God, Jack!”
I wait until he asks me, “More.”
I push a little deeper and hold myself still as he adjusts. He’s
shuddering, astounded by the sensations arcing through his body. His
eyes are awed as he nods, and I thrust in again.
“Ja-ack!” He bites his lip and urges me on, “Deeper!”
I thrust and we wait, thrust and wait until he gets all he wanted,
every single inch of me sheathed in the hottest, tightest, silkiest
welcome I’ve ever had.
I carefully lower my full weight onto him, the shift in position making
him whimper again, then I can take the kiss he offers up to me. We lie
that way for a very long time, arms around one another, kissing deeply,
lips and tongues in constant gentle motion. First one of us leading the
kiss, then the other. Daniel is the sweetest, most tender kisser I’ve
ever imagined.
Finally, the moment I’ve been waiting for. He moves against me, wanting
and ready for more. I withdraw and thrust back into him, a long, easy
glide.
“Ja-ack, oh God, oh…love you. Love me.”
“I do love you, Daniel. I’m loving you right now.”
Another long, easy glide. And another. Another. I take my time, if
Daniel wants this to last, I will make it last as long as it takes to
give him the pleasure he craves. As I thrust into him, over and over,
he begins to move down to meet me, tentatively at first. Once he
realises this only increases the pleasure, he tries to counterpoint
every stroke.
“Easy, Daniel, easy. Slow and gentle.”
“Feels so-o good, Jack. So-o deep. Feeling it all over me now.
Everywhere. Read it but…different…feeling. God, Jack!”
I’ve altered the angle of my thrusts, the gentle massage of his
prostate becomes a scrape, shooting pleasure through him. He arches
under me, moaning helplessly, trembling in every limb.
His eyes are dazed, overwhelmed with ecstasy and pride. I’m not hiding
how much love I feel or just how much pleasure he’s giving me as I move
deep inside him. He wanted me to love him, he wanted to make love.
There’s all the difference in the world between making love and having
sex. The difference is glowing in his eyes and his brilliant smile, in
his mouth as we kiss over and over again. I make sure he sees it
plastered all over my face too.
I’m feeling a tightness now, unbearable heat, know I won’t last much
longer. A shiver runs through me and into Daniel as I begin to move
against him with desperate urgency, must feel like I’m reaching his
heart I’m so deep inside him. He’s almost thrashing on the pillow now,
totally consumed by sensation. I go to reach between us but he stops
me, “Don’t need it. Feeling too much, Jack."
He’s reaching orgasm just from the sensations I’m arousing inside him,
and Christ, aren’t I just smug enough to get off on that! Literally. He
chooses this exact moment to drag his nails the length of my spine as
he convulses beneath me, one endless, groaning “Ja-aack!” torn from him.
I find myself howling his name as the pleasure crashes through me and
takes me with it.
I’m not aware of anything for a long time except the wildly beating
heart beneath my own and hands sweeping up and down my back. I realise
he’s not going anywhere while I’m still buried to the root inside him.
“Jack!”
“Not going far, just getting us both comfortable.”
I carefully pull out of him and roll us onto our sides in a warm tangle
of limbs, Daniel wrapped in my arms. He’s glowing, sweat trickling down
his face and spiking his hair. Eyes smug, and swollen lips curved into
a satisfied smile. Utterly sated. I'm thoroughly enjoying the
possessive way he can’t bear to let me get too far away from him.
“Love you, Jack.”
“Love you too, Daniel.” Contrary to popular opinion, I am not some
hairy-assed Neanderthal who falls asleep the instant I’ve come. I like
to cuddle and talk too.
“You should get some rest, Jack.”
My instinct for danger rarely fails me. I’m snuggled up to the original
Mr Sensitive here. He wants to roll over and go to sleep? I think not.
“Why?”
“You’re going to need all your strength. Quite soon.”
“For?”
“Well, you felt so wonderful inside me, honestly, it was everything I’d
dreamed it would be.”
I’m not dumb enough to fall for soulful eyes at their widest and most
innocent, or that heartlessly dishonest little boy voice.
“So? Spit it out!”
“And you seemed to be having such a good time too…”
I think I know where this is going.
“It seems only fair,” he’s the voice of sweet, wheedling reason. “I
return the compliment!”
I’m utterly resigned to my fate at this point. Look how well I did in
the last argument. I kiss the beaming, fatuous smile clean off his
face. Jesus, I’ve created a monster. How soon is quite soon?
"Be gentle with me."
Daniel
"Innocent, Jack?" I taunt him as I push my fingers deeply inside him,
making him groan.
"Don't know my way around, Jack?" I drive my point home with another
thrust, hitting the happy button and making him howl.
"Some things you just can't learn out of a book, Jack?"
"Okay, okay, you're good, it's good, oh God, it's really, really good,"
he gasps as his body spasms again in response to my intimate
ministrations.
"So, I'm taking this to mean you're feeling better about this?"
He moans again and fights to get the words out. "I feel much better and
you'll be getting the free facial."
At this point it's difficult to say which one of us is having a better
time. I know Jack wasn't very keen on being on the receiving end. So to
speak. His past experience having more to do with his lack of
enthusiasm than he was letting on, I'm sure. I know he only agreed to
try it to please me. Love him to death for it.
That's why it's more than my pleasure to be his. He's going to be loved
within an inch of his life as I give him my all.
Literally as well as figuratively.
Convincing him to see the merits of his position has been time never
more sweetly spent. We've had our differences before, but this is one
time he doesn't seem at all sorry to be losing the argument.
I'm known for my persuasive powers and right now I'm feeling especially
eloquent. True, it's been almost exclusively non-verbal communication,
but he's getting the message. But then, I've always had a penchant for
languages, and I think it's fairly safe to assume I'm swiftly adding
another dialect to my repertoire. No problems with the vocabulary.
Sentence structure and syntax - not a stretch. I'm particularly
enjoying polishing up the phrasing. I definitely think I'm becoming
fluent enough to start refining my translation.
He's almost ready for the punctuation.
I've played more than a little on his affection for me in order to get
him to let me have my way with him, but he'll thank me for it. After
what he did for me, I want to do this for him. Want him to feel this,
to know the same world of shattering, unbelievable pleasure he opened
up to me.
He deserves to feel as good as he made me feel. And dammit, he's going
to!
I admit it, my motives haven't been entirely altruistic. I'm thoroughly
enjoying the licence my always in control of the situation colonel is
giving me to reduce him to a quivering, pleasure-sotted mass of
mindless Jell-o. I'm also humbled by the trust he's showing me by
placing himself so completely in my hands. It can't be easy for him to
allow himself to be so unprotected and vulnerable. To literally lie
back and letting someone else do the driving.
And haven't I just taken total and complete advantage of the
opportunity? Relished every exhilarating second of the utter freedom
he's given me to thoroughly explore and love every inch of him.
Shamelessly savoured every sweet, salty, luscious, lovely inch. Carpe
diem, Jack? I've more than seized the day, I've taken everything you've
given me.
Well, almost. Theoretical is about to become practical. I may not be
going where no man has gone before, but I fully intend to boldly come.
By the time we're both done there’ll be no doubt in his mind there are
some benefits to careful study and preparation.
I plan on being invited back. Frequently.
He's writhing uncontrollably, pushing desperately, frantically back
against my fingers, making incoherent noises as he gasps and bangs his
head into the pillow. I mercilessly mouth his swollen erection, the
unexpected application of such intense stimulation effectively
breaching the last bastion of his resistance.
He's incapable of speech, but by the way he splays his legs and
abruptly draws up his knees I'm having no trouble getting the go ahead
he's giving me. But just to be sure.
"Do you want it?" I murmur as I swipe my tongue across his lips. His
tightly clenched eyes fly open; they're burning with mad passion as he
seizes my head and crushes our mouths together, seemingly intent on
utterly devouring me. My own barely controlled excitement is almost
ripped from me by his crazed acquiescence.
It's definitely time. I don't go for it now, we're both going to blow.
So tight, so different, so…so good. What was I
saying about this being for Jack's benefit?
I've tried to keep things slow and gentle, but Jack's had other ideas.
Great ideas, wonderful ideas. I'm not arguing as his hands fasten on my
hips and he draws me in as he pulls himself down to meet me. I guess he
needs to maintain a little bit of control after all but really, I don't
mind a bit.
Our gasps and sobs commingle and counterpoint the furious rhythm of our
pounding bodies. I don't think we have a coherent thought between us as
I thrust into him with an intensity frightening me as much as Jack's
matching madness excites me. His hands clutch and slide on my slippery
skin. I pump harder at his grunting urging as he curses, fumbles and
fails to renew his hold on me. He's trembling too much to be able to
make his fingers work properly. He's close, so am I. He wants more. I
slip free of the last restraints of reason as I slide into the depths
of his desire.
A hand closes on my wrist, clenching about it with such vehemence it
threatens to pulverise my bones. His back arches and he comes off the
bed with a soundless, gaping scream as I seize his oozing hardness. He
explodes at my touch, a warm, pulsing fountain streaming down my
fingers as his howls of release echo in my ears.
I thrust again, and oh…oh God…the sensations…what he's doing…what it's
doing…I knew what would happen when he… but oh God… JAAAACCCCCKKKKKKK!
He's staring at me again. He thinks I can't see
him, lurking in the shadows of the doorway, peeking out from his
concealment, undressing me with his eyes. He's been doing plenty of the
other kind of disrobing during the past month we've been lovers. Same
here. Oh yeah.
Not that he's spent most of the time we've been out in the field
engaged in lusting after me. He's too good at what he does for that. He
told Sam he'll never allow what he feels for me to affect any of the
other members of SG-1. The day he can't keep that promise is the day
he'll walk away. For everyone's sake.
I'll be going with him. For his sake. And mine.
Teal'c knows how things have changed between us. I haven't seen the
slightest indication his trust in either of us has altered in any way.
All the more reason we're both determined to live up to it. You can't
buy loyalty like Teal'c's. And you're damned lucky to be given it. Not
something to be taken lightly, or for granted.
Sam's been cool and distant. Not letting much show of what's going on
inside. Jack's been working the O'Neill charm on her overtime, and I'm
sensing the beginnings of a thaw. A lot of it has to do with me and how
I've changed. Because of Jack.
At first she didn't want to know and then, I guess, she had to. Yes,
she was hurt and disappointed, but she does care. I guess, in the long
run, we've all been through too much together for even this to tear us
apart.
She came over the other night and we talked. Picked her moment. She
knew Jack was going to be tied up till late getting caught up on a
mountain of neglected paper work - entirely his fault for his 'why do
today what you can ignore tomorrow' approach to the aspects of his job
he enjoys less than others.
She showed up, we had a little dinner, we talked. The conversation went
to some pretty difficult places, but also covered a lot of ground. I
told her some things I haven't even told Jack. Not because I can't or
won't, but because she asked me. And he hasn't.
As a result of that conversation if we accomplished nothing else by
having it, she understands now just how much Jack means to me because
of how happy he's made me. Because she's also learned, for the first
time, how truly unhappy I was without him. She honestly didn't know. No
one did. I was very good at hiding it. From her. From him. From myself,
even.
Maybe learning how much more I need him than she does is making the
difference. Helping her to see things not so much as losing out, but
allowing for something greater than she aspired to. She admitted to
herself and to me she wouldn't have been prepared to forsake what she
had for what Jack might have offered her. She cared about him, but not
enough to cross the line. Realising she could walk away from the
possibility has given her a lot to think about.
She's very bright. She'll work it out. She's well on her way.
Speaking of which, it would seem I'm about to have a visitor. Jack's
wandering in my direction trying to look like he's just returned from
the campsite and hasn't been standing over there leering at me for the
past ten minutes.
What the hell, I'll play.
"You just about done here?" he says in a slightly too casual tone.
"Carter and Teal'c have almost finished packing. The meter's running."
He flashes me a wicked grin. "Knowing how difficult it is to pry you
away from this stuff," he indicates the wall of glyphs I've been
studying with a dismissive gesture as he reaches out a helping hand to
pull me to my feet, "Teal'c volunteered to lend an assist, but I told
him I could handle it."
The second his hand closes about mine I'm hauled to my feet and into
his arms. My notebook tumbles to the ground as his strong arms encircle
me, crushing me to his chest.
"Uh, I don't think this was the kind of 'handling' Teal'c had in mind,"
I gasp. I can't manage to do much else, as the firmness of his
affection is making it very difficult for me to breathe. In more ways
than one.
"Oh God, I can hardly wait to get you home," he sighs, his lips
achingly close to mine, almost touching.
"Well, you'd better!"
I kick him smartly in the shins. Howling, he releases me. "Come on,
Jack!" I scold him without pity or remorse. "You know better than that!
No nookie on the job!"
"Crap, Daniel, that hurt!" He casts a deeply affronted look at me as he
makes an extravagant show of hopping about on the unaffected appendage.
"Yeah, well be thankful I didn't deal with the problem at the source,"
I return dryly.
"You are a hard-hearted man, Daniel Jackson," Jack shakes his head
sorrowfully.
"Well, one of us has to be when you get like this." I retrieve my
notebook and pen and shove them in my pack. "Come on Jack, they're
waiting for us."
"We only hurt the ones we love?" he whines, trying to sound as pathetic
as possible as he follows me.
"Only if you leave me no choice. You've only yourself to blame. And no,
I'm not sorry, so I won't be kissing it better later."
"Wanna bet?" His tone oozes with insufferable self-assurance.
I don't dare look at him. He'll see right through me.
Yeah, gloat away, you smug bastard, you've got me there. Well and truly.
I love you too.
Jack is still limping as he emerges from the temple. Sam and Teal'c
take in my slightly rumpled appearance and Jack's altered gait and
exchange knowing looks.
"Do you require assistance, O'Neill?" Teal'c offers in his unmistakable
version of tongue-in-cheek. "You appear to have sustained an injury."
"Just a flesh wound," he grumbles as he makes his way toward us. "I
tripped over an immovable object. With a heart of stone."
Carter grins. "An unforeseen obstacle, Sir?" Her tone is light and
plainly teasing.
Jack brightens as he picks up on it.
"Yeah, you could say that," he hesitates fractionally, "Sam."
Her smile gets warmer, and Jack beams back at her.
It's going to be okay. SG-1 is definitely coming back together.
FINIS
<>
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