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sidSummary: Jack and Daniel find out that, just like the experts say, breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.
here is Part One
here is Part Two
BREAKFAST IS…
Wednesday afternoon
"Excuse me, Carter," General O’Neill interrupted. "Daniel, that’s the third time you’ve looked at your watch in the last 10 minutes. Are we boring you?"
Daniel flushed faintly. "Oh, no. Sorry, Sam. You were saying?"
"Actually, I’m finished," Sam said with a smile in Daniel’s direction.
"There will now be a pop quiz," Jack said, "so put away your books…"
Teal’c looked at him questioningly. "I am unfamiliar with this ‘pop’, O’Neill."
"Uh, it means unannounced, spur-of-the-moment," Daniel explained. "And he’s kidding."
Jack simply stared at Daniel, eyebrows arched. Daniel rolled his eyes and started gathering the papers which littered the table in front of him.
Sam said, with an evil grin, "I think maybe Daniel has a hot date to get to. I’ve never seen you in such a hurry to get out of a briefing, Daniel."
Daniel looked up at her in surprise, opened his mouth, and then closed it. His face was flushed again.
"Is this so, Danieljackson?" Teal’c wanted to know.
"Well, yes, sort of." Daniel cleared his throat nervously, and glanced towards Jack, who met his gaze expressionlessly.
"Really? I was right?" Sam asked. "Who are you dating?" She looked pleased and interested, but her mind was racing a mile a minute..
"Well, I’m just meeting someone for drinks; maybe ‘date’ is the wrong word," Daniel mumbled.
"Well, then, who are you ‘meeting’?" Sam pressed.
"Captain Collins." Daniel finished gathering his papers, and looked up to find Sam staring at him in shock. He began to open his mouth, but was interrupted by Jack’s disbelieving voice coming from the head of the table.
"You’re dating a Marine?"
Daniel stared at Jack, and once again started to speak, only to be cut short by Sam this time.
"Technically, sir, you’re not supposed to ask him that," she said, unhappiness evident in her voice and facial expression.
"Technically, Carter, Collins is the Corps’ problem. Not mine." Jack’s eyes turned briefly towards Daniel. "And Daniel is a civilian. He’s free to date anyone he wants." His face was still expressionless, but the pained expression in Jack’s eyes startled Daniel.
Daniel struggled to overcome his shock, and finally he was able to get a word in edgewise. "No, Cathy Collins. The new head nurse."
"Oh," Sam exclaimed. "Oh, I’m so sorry! That was so dumb!" She had a relieved smile on her face.
"I knew at once that an error had been made," Teal’c announced. All eyes turned towards him.
"Well, thank you, I think," Daniel said with a wry grimace.
"Indeed, it was extremely obvious to me. You would date no man other than O’Neill." Teal’c looked insufferably pleased with himself at carrying off this small joke. Sam grinned at him, and Daniel ducked his head, shaking it.
"Whatever," came Jack’s voice. "If we’re all through here, people?" Daniel looked towards him anxiously. There was no relief or humor showing on Jack’s face. "Then, dismissed." Jack rose from the table and disappeared into his adjacent office. Daniel made a face, and followed him, leaving Carter and Teal‘c staring after them..
Jack sat down behind his desk, and looked up to see Daniel standing inside his doorway. "Daniel?" he inquired with exaggerated politeness.
"Um, do we need to talk?" Daniel asked, his eyebrows sending perplexed semaphore signals.
Jack stared at him. "No, I don’t need to talk. Was there something you wanted to talk about?"
Daniel frowned. "No, I don’t think so."
"Then whatcha doin’ in my office?" Jack asked, with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
Daniel turned away as if to leave, but instead shut the door, and took a seat in front of Jack’s desk.
Jack looked at his watch. "Wasn’t there somewhere you had to be?"
"I’ve got time for this," Daniel said.
Jack spread his hands in an exaggerated show of ignorance. "And just what would ‘this’ be?" Daniel just sat and looked at him calmly. Finally, Jack said nonchalantly, "She seems like a nice young woman. And of course she already knows what you look like naked, so you’re ahead of the game there."
Daniel gazed patiently at Jack, and said, "She’s not going to see me naked. It’s just drinks."
Jack shrugged. "You never know."
"I do know," Daniel answered. "It’s just going to be drinks."
"Why?" Jack asked curiously.
"We both kind of got roped into this," Daniel explained. "I’m just doing it to be polite. I’m not really interested."
"Why?" Jack asked again.
"Why what?"
"Why aren’t you interested? She seems….nice."
"I’m sure she is," Daniel responded. "I guess she’s just not my type."
"Okay," Jack said, with a shrug. "So, have a nice time anyway, I guess."
Daniel smiled his thanks at him. "I didn’t mention it to you because it isn’t really a ‘date’," he added.
The first glint of humor that Daniel had seen appeared in Jack’s eyes. "I was kind of caught off guard," Jack complained. "I mean, I didn’t know we were ‘seeing other people‘." His fingers sketched quotation marks in the air. Daniel winced, and Jack grinned.
"I’ll find a way to make it up to you later," Daniel promised, with a quick glance at his watch. "I really do have to go now."
"Have fun, Danny." Daniel waved as he left the office, and Jack turned to his paperwork with a smile.
~~~
Wednesday night
As Daniel lay in bed that night, his mind was not on his pleasant but uneventful evening, but rather on Jack. He couldn’t quite put a name to what he had seen in his friend’s eyes earlier, but he felt that it was important to try. Pain, unhappiness. Yes to both, but that wasn’t the real answer. Disappointment? No, that wasn’t quite right either. Not anger or jealousy, not even close.
And the look hadn’t changed when it was revealed that Daniel’s date was with a woman, not a man. So not some homophobic reaction.
Disappointment was the closest he had come to the truth yet. Disappointment, causing pain and unhappiness. But what would cause the disappointment?
Daniel closed his eyes, and concentrated on remembering Jack’s eyes and words. Suddenly, another piece of the puzzle fell into place. His lips and tongue formed the word silently.
Loss.
But what did it mean? What would Jack stand to lose if Daniel started dating?
Well, potentially, Daniel might wind up in a serious relationship. Even a marriage. That was stretching things pretty far, but not outside of the realm of possibility. And Jack would lose Daniel’s companionship. Daniel would be busy elsewhere, and not as available to Jack.
And Daniel thought that he finally had it figured out. He was Jack’s best friend. The other man had never actually said so, but Daniel knew anyway. And since Jack’s promotion, his friendships with other men of his previous rank had necessarily changed. Jack was in command of those men now, and things couldn’t go on in the same casual, comradely fashion.
Jack was lonely.
And he was afraid of losing Daniel.
Puzzle solved, Daniel let his mind relax and drift toward sleep. Time enough tomorrow to figure out how he could reassure his friend that he wasn’t going anywhere.
~~~
Thursday morning
First thing the next morning at Cheyenne Mountain, Teal’c and Sam collected Daniel from his office, and dragged him off to the commissary. "I know what you want," Daniel griped as they walked down the corridor towards the elevator.
"We require details, Danieljackson," Teal’c announced with a regal stare.
"And no holding out, Daniel," Sam declared. "We want all the details."
Therefore, once they had gone through the line and chosen their breakfasts, Daniel told them everything. Not that there was all that much to tell. Three other nurses besides Cathy had shown up. Yes, Daniel was pretty sure Cathy had asked them to come. Two airmen joined them. One of the doctors brought his wife, a former SGC member. Lots of laughter and gossip. No, he didn’t drive Cathy home. No, they didn’t make another date.
Sam was frowning. "So it really wasn’t a date at all. That’s too bad. Maybe she invited all those other people because she was nervous about being alone with you."
"Or because she just wasn’t interested," Daniel pointed out.
"Well, I think you should ask her out again. She knows you a little bit better now, and wouldn’t be nervous, right? You should definitely ask her out again."
"What’s the point?" Daniel said. "I’m really not interested, and I don’t think she ever really was, either."
"Then there would be very little point," Teal’c agreed. "Unless the two of you wish to pursue a sexual relationship without this foolish ‘dating’."
Daniel stared at Teal’c, taken aback. "Uh, that would be a no. But thanks for thinking of me, big guy."
"That’s my line," Jack said, putting his tray down next to Sam and seating himself. "Good morning, campers!"
"Good morning, sir," Sam smiled.
"O’Neill."
"Hey, Jack."
Jack nudged Sam with his shoulder. "So, got all the dirt on Daniel’s big night out, yet?" he asked with a wink in Daniel’s direction.
"Well, unless he’s holding out on us, sir."
Jack looked inquiringly at Daniel. "Are you?"
"He is not," Teal’c rumbled.
"And you know this, how, exactly?" Jack asked.
"Yes, do tell," Daniel said. "Some sort of Jaffa lie detector technique? Have you been holding out on us all these years?"
Teal’c surveyed them all calmly. "He would not dare."
The other three people at the table snorted with laughter. "You got that right, T," Jack said. "He wouldn’t dare invoke the deadly wrath of Carter."
"Thank you, sir," Sam said serenely.
Daniel snorted again, and Jack looked up from his tray and grinned at him. Daniel started to grin back, but his expression changed as he watched Jack’s hands. "Um, Jack, do you know what you’re doing?"
Jack stared at him blankly. "What?"
Sam crinkled up her nose. "You just put bacon on your peanut butter toast."
"And?"
"Eww?" Daniel suggested.
"What, you’ve never heard of a peanut butter and bacon sandwich?" Jack said with disbelief.
"Has anyone?" Daniel asked, brows drawn together frowningly.
"Hey! I was raised on these!" Jack said, an offended look on his face. He took a large bite.
Teal’c watched with mild interest, but Sam and Daniel continued to make faces.
Jack finished chewing, and swallowed. "Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it."
"No, thanks," Sam said with a small shudder.
Daniel pursed his lips and stretched his hand across the table, beckoning with his fingers. Jack shook his head. "No way. Number One, this is all mine. Number Two, this is just a pale shadow of the real thing."
"The real peanut butter and bacon sandwich?" Daniel asked, wanting to make sure he was getting all the facts right.
"Right," Jack answered.
"So here you have peanut butter, bacon and bread. And the real thing is…?"
"Maybe there’s some other ingredient?" Sam suggested.
Jack shook his head, chewing. The other three occupants of the table looked at each other with open amusement. "Jaaack!" Daniel protested mildly. Jack swallowed, and looked at Daniel innocently. "If all the ingredients are the same, why does this particular sandwich fall into the ‘pale shadow’ category?"
"It’s not hot."
"Hot?" Sam asked.
Jack nodded. "The bread has to be straight out of the toaster, the bacon has to be straight off the griddle. Or it’s just not the real deal."
"So why are you bothering to eat that?" Sam asked, forehead crinkled.
"Well, it still tastes good, Carter. But there is one important element lacking." Jack looked around at the faces watching him inquiringly. He cleared his throat, and shrugged his shoulders. Faint spots of color actually appeared on his cheeks. "The peanut butter isn’t dripping."
"Oh! I get it!" Daniel said. "Hot toast, hot bacon, melty peanut butter!" He gave Jack a big smile, and the other man’s eyes twinkled across the table at him as Jack sank his teeth into his sandwich again.
"This sounds…messy," Teal’c said with some disdain.
"See, that’s the fun part, Teal’c," Daniel explained. "Jack said he grew up eating these, and, well, I don’t know about Jaffa children, but kids on Earth typically love getting messy." Jack was nodding his head in agreement.
"But O’Neill is now a grown man. Why persist in this childish behavior?"
"Oh, well," Daniel looked across at Jack, who was chewing and watching him with interest, "Jack is a tall man. That’s not really the same thing."
Sam quickly raised her napkin to cover her face, but there was no way to hide the way her shoulders shook with silent laughter.
Teal’c eyed Jack. "Indeed, it is not."
Jack wiped his mouth on his napkin, and gave Daniel a long, hard look. "I’m going to remember that little remark, come performance appraisal time, Danny Boy."
Daniel made a face of exaggerated alarm, which produced a small yelp of laughter from Sam, and a reluctant grin from Jack. Teal’c watched them all with a fond smile. He always strangely enjoyed moments such as these, when he felt like the only adult in the group. He liked to see his friends happy, and behaving like young children made them happy. He didn’t understand it, but he had come to accept it long ago.
"Tell ya what, Daniel. Saturday morning, my place, I cook. I’ll make you the real thing."
Sam sat back in her chair and looked across the table at Teal’c. He arched an eyebrow and gave a faint nod. Yes, they were indeed ‘at it again‘.
"Saturday morning," Daniel said thoughtfully.
"Yep."
"You want me to get out of bed, shower and shave, get dressed and drive all the way over to your house, just so that you can force me to eat something that I’m not even entirely sure is fit for human consumption? And you would probably expect me to show up, oh, before noon?"
"It’s called breakfast, Daniel. You’re eating it right now."
"Not by choice."
Jack looked at Daniel questioningly, and Daniel smiled at him, hoping that he was conveying the right message. As in, you’ve almost got me, but I’m going to make you work just a little bit harder for this. Jack’s eyes narrowed. Oh, yes, he had gotten the message, all right.
"Let’s make it easy on you," Jack suggested. "Come over Friday night and crash in the guest room."
"Ooh, a sleepover!" Sam squealed.
Jack slowly turned his head to gaze at her. Sam made a mock-apologetic face, which seemed to satisfy the General, for the time being. Jack turned back to Daniel, who was waiting with raised eyebrows. "All you’d have to do is get out of bed. All the showering and dressing stuff can wait until after you’ve eaten."
"Well, that sounds a little bit better," Daniel mused.
"Is there not an Earth custom known as ‘breakfast in bed’?" Teal’c asked slyly.
"Not at Jack’s house," Daniel said quickly, causing Sam to choke on her orange juice.
"On the contrary," Jack said, glaring equally at all three offenders, "I am always willing to go the extra mile, as it were, for my guests." A delighted smile was growing on Daniel’s face, which Jack took great pleasure in wiping away. "However, as I have explained, timing is an issue here. Fresh from the toaster, hot off the griddle? This means in the kitchen, not schlepped upstairs on a tray."
Daniel schooled his features to express deep disappointment. He looked at Jack with puppy-dog eyes. Jack caved. "Be that as it may, there’s no reason why you can’t have your first cup of coffee in bed."
Teal’c and Sam exchanged glances again. Yes, these two men really were completely clueless. Which was rather sweet, in a pathetic sort of way. Sam could hardly wait to talk to Teal’c alone.
"Well, in that case," Daniel said. Jack beamed across the table at him, radiating pleasure and satisfaction from every pore.
Sam couldn’t stand it another minute. "I have got to get going. Teal’c, you want to walk with me?"
"Indeed, I do, Colonelcarter," Teal’c replied. The two pushed back their chairs, and picked up their trays.
"Have a good day," Jack said, happy smile still firmly in place.
"Bye, guys," Daniel added, wearing a matching smile on his face. He couldn’t have planned this better if he had tried.
~~
Sam and Teal’c deposited their trays on the conveyor belt and exited into the corridor. "Breakfast in bed!" Sam giggled. "I thought I was going to die!"
"Can you not picture it?" Teal’c asked her, smiling.
"Oh, yeah, I definitely can. But that just proves that I am a sick, sick woman." The two of them disappeared around a bend of the corridor, Sam’s giggles lingering in the air.
~~
Friday morning
Sam was just wrapping up her weekly meeting with the General. "So, sir…" Jack heaved a sigh. He had known that this was coming. Death, taxes and Carter’s teasing. He looked at her, and thought her eyes looked relatively mischief-free, but he wasn’t going to trust that impression. ‘Relentless’ was the way he had described her to Daniel, and that was when she was being gentle.
"Carter?"
Sam smiled at him. "I just wondered what you were planning to cook for Daniel for dinner tonight?"
Jack folded his hands on his desk, and leaned forward. "It’s actually kinda scary. I offered to grill some burgers, and Daniel said - get this- Daniel said, ‘I have a recipe’. Who has a recipe for hamburgers?"
Sam shook her head in mock disbelief. "That is the most frightening thing I have heard in weeks."
Jack shrugged. "So I’m supplying the meat and the buns, and Daniel is bringing the recipe ingredients." He shuddered dramatically, making Sam bite her lip to keep from laughing. "But, on the bright side," Jack cheered up slightly, "he’s letting me supply the beer."
"Sounds like it was a tense negotiation," Sam said, straight-faced.
"You have no idea. The man drinks some seriously weird beer. It was touch-and-go there for a while."
"I’m sure it will all work out, General. Have faith in Daniel."
"I’d trust the man with my life in a heartbeat, Carter. My stomach on the other hand? Not so much."
"What can I say?" Sam smiled broadly. "Eat a big lunch."
Jack gave her a dirty look. "Dismissed, Colonel." Sam sketched a salute, and left the General’s office, grinning from ear to ear.
~~
Friday afternoon
Jack looked up when he heard a tap on his open door. "Hey, Daniel."
"Hey, Jack. I’m just on my way out of here. So, see you around seven?"
"Yeah, sounds good."
"Okay, gotta go do my grocery shopping now."
Jack smirked self-righteously. "Some of us get up early enough in the morning that we can do our grocery shopping before we come to work."
Daniel looked at him sadly. "And he says that like it’s a good thing." Jack stuck out his tongue, and Daniel departed, laughing.
~~
Friday evening
Daniel arrived at Jack’s house only a few minutes after the appointed hour. Jack let him in, taking his overnight bag from him, leaving Daniel to carry in the plastic grocery sack. Jack led the way to the kitchen, and dumped the bag inside the doorway. Daniel placed the grocery sack on the counter, and began unloading it. Jack moved up close behind him, watching warily over his shoulder.
The first item out of the sack was a pound of bacon. "Um, Daniel, I have bacon you know. For the morning?"
"I know. I just didn’t know how much you had, or how much you plan to use. This way we won’t run short."
"No, you’re right. I think two pounds of bacon oughta last us for two meals. Easy."
Daniel shot a glance over his shoulder, and resumed unloading groceries. Worcestershire sauce, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, red onion and leaf lettuce. Potato chips. Jack relaxed. The bag was empty. Daniel commented, "I’m assuming you have mayo, ketchup, mustard."
"Yep. All of the above."
"Then we’re all set," Daniel said happily.
"Are you hungry? I can go fire up the grill," Jack offered.
"Oh, actually we have to cook the bacon first."
"We do?"
"Yes, that’s the way this recipe works. For each pound of ground beef, we add ¼ cup each of Worcestershire and chopped bacon, and ½ cup of shredded cheese. It all gets mixed together before it’s grilled."
Jack considered the idea. "Could work," he said.
Daniel grinned at him. "Well, we’ll find out together."
"You mean you’ve never even tried this?" Jack asked in shock. Daniel just grinned at him. Jack sighed. "Why don’t you take your bag upstairs and get settled in? I’ll get the bacon started."
"Okay. Pour me a beer, too?" Daniel grabbed his bag and headed out of the kitchen.
"Excellent idea," Jack muttered. "First things first."
~~
The burgers were a resounding success. Daniel had sat on the deck and sipped his beer while watching Jack grill. It had been starting to get a little chilly, but the view of the sunset had made it all worthwhile. They ate in the kitchen, each wolfing down two quarter-pound burgers, washed down with a second beer. They moved into the living room after cleaning up, taking their third beers with them. Jack was a little surprised that Daniel was keeping up with him on the beer. He decided he must have made a good choice when he selected this brand.
Jack had lit a fire while Daniel picked out some classical music for the CD player. The two men mostly just sat quietly, listening to the music, watching the firelight dance. Jack felt very relaxed and content. His gaze wandered over to where Daniel was sitting on the couch, and he frowned. Daniel was picking the label off his beer bottle, brow furrowed. "Daniel?"
Daniel looked up, startled. He had been lost in his own thoughts. "I’m sorry, Jack, did you say something?"
"No, not really. You finished with that beer? Want another one?"
"Well," Daniel grinned, "it is awfully good."
Jack finished draining his own bottle, and stood up. "That was the last of that six-pack, I’m afraid, but I have another one that I think you’ll like."
"Oh, no, I don’t think I want to switch at this point."
Jack reached out for Daniel’s empty bottle, and stood indecisively for a moment. He looked at the fireplace for inspiration, and asked, "How about some cognac?"
"Cognac? Really?" Daniel looked at the fireplace, too. "It fits, doesn’t it?" He smiled up at Jack "Yes, thank you, I’d like that."
Jack took the empties to the kitchen to toss into the recycle bin, and then detoured through the dining room, where he kept his liquor cabinet. He returned to the living room with a bottle of cognac, and two snifters. Daniel shifted over on the couch when Jack approached, and so Jack sat down next to him. He poured them each a generous portion of cognac, and handed one of the glasses to Daniel. "Cheers," Jack said, touching his glass to Daniel’s.
"Cheers."
The two men sipped appreciatively. Daniel made a sound of pure pleasure. Jack glowed with the warmth of the fire, the liquor, and the company. A new CD began to play, the music slower and more quiet than the first selection. "You’re not going to fall asleep on me, Danny, are you?" he asked idly. When he received no reply he turned his head inquiringly, and met Daniel’s eyes. "Something wrong?" Jack wondered. Daniel shook his head, but Jack could sense increased tension in the room. "Talk to me," he encouraged softly.
"That’s just it, I want to talk to you, but I can’t decide how to get started," Daniel said slowly.
"Something is wrong," Jack said uneasily.
"Oh, no. Honestly, Jack." Daniel hesitated, and then said, sounding a little surprised, "Or maybe that’s not quite true." Jack twisted around on the couch so that he could face Daniel more easily. He laid a hand briefly on Daniel’s shoulder, and received a smile in return. Then Daniel turned his head so that he was staring into the fire, and asked, "Do you ever get lonely, Jack?"
To say that Jack was surprised would be an understatement. He hesitated, feeling that a simple yes or no answer would be inadequate. So he said the first thing that came to his mind. "I’ve been divorced for a long time now."
Daniel turned away from the fire and looked at his friend. "I’m not sure what that means. Does it mean that you’ve had time to get used to it, or that you’ve had time to get really lonely?"
Jack looked past Daniel, into the fire. "I liked being married. Having someone to come home to. This is my home now, but it’s just an empty house when all’s said and done." He turned his eyes back to Daniel. "Does that answer your question?"
"I think so," Daniel said. This conversation wasn’t going the way he had imagined it would. Jack’s loneliness went much deeper than Daniel had suspected. Hearing the other man talk about his empty house that way was disquieting. And while he was assuring Jack that nothing was wrong, he had suddenly realized that he had issues of his own, that had gone unconfronted for years. He had planned that this conversation would help his friend, but now he felt the need to open up about his own feelings of loneliness. Maybe sharing was the right thing to do, the best thing for them both. But he felt tongue-tied. He took another sip of his cognac.
"Why did you ask?" Jack spoke softly.
Daniel looked at Jack’s solemn face, and found the courage to begin speaking. "I guess I’ve been lonely most of my life. I just covered it up well, even from myself."
"You were very young when you lost your parents," Jack said understandingly.
Daniel nodded. "But I did get used to it. Being alone. Feeling alone. As I got older, I never thought of myself as being lonely. I always had my books and my studies to keep me busy." He sipped his drink again, and set it down, not seeing the look of compassion on Jack‘s face. "And then I met Sha’re." He turned his head to look into the fire for a few moments, smiling as he pictured how his wife had looked by firelight. He felt Jack’s hand touch his shoulder again. He turned back towards Jack, and said sorrowfully, "Sometimes I try to imagine what my life would be like today, if I were still with Sha’re, still on Abydos. And I can’t picture it. I can’t imagine it."
"It’s called ‘moving on’, Daniel. It’s a natural and healthy thing."
"I’ll always regret what happened to her. She suffered and died, and it will always hurt." Daniel paused for a minute. "But I can’t imagine my life any other way than it is now. My work, being on SG-1. I can’t imagine not knowing Sam and Teal’c." He had one more thing he wanted to say, and the effect of the cognac spreading through his bloodstream was going to make it possible. He laid the palm of his hand on Jack’s chest, and watched the reflection of the firelight flickering in the depths of Jack’s warm brown eyes. "I can’t imagine my life without you in it."
Jack’s face went blank for a moment. It was only a moment, but it seemed to stretch on and on from Daniel’s perspective. Then Jack’s eyes were filled with moisture. He smiled tightly, and growled, "C’mere." And Daniel was pulled into Jack’s embrace and held tightly. He closed his eyes in relief, and dropped his head onto Jack’s shoulder,. returning the hug thankfully. "Back atcha," Jack whispered.
Both men were silent for a minute or two. Daniel’s body was completely relaxed in Jack’s arms, and he sighed blissfully as he felt Jack’s fingers stroking through his hair. "Jack?"
"Hmm?"
"I think I’ve had a little too much to drink." Daniel could feel Jack’s shoulder quake underneath his head. "You’re laughing at me," he accused.
"Am not."
"Are too!" Daniel lifted his head with an effort, and tried to focus on Jack’s face.
"Am not!" Jack responded, but he was laughing even as he denied it.
Daniel tried his best to look upset, but he couldn’t pull it off. He started to giggle.
Jack patted his cheek. "You’re such a cute drunk."
"I am?" Daniel wanted to know.
"Oh, yeah," Jack confirmed.
"Hah! I’m apparently not the only one who’s had too much to drink!" Daniel straightened up on the couch.
That got him a big grin from Jack. "Okay, I’ll give you that one!" He got to his feet, and extended a hand to his friend. "Bedtime."
"Fire," Daniel said, not taking the helping hand.
"Right," Jack said, and proceeded to see to the fire. When he turned back to the couch, Daniel was setting down his empty cognac glass. "Danny, Danny, Danny. You may regret that in the morning."
"Aspirin," Daniel said.
"I’ll bring you some when you’re in bed," Jack promised, extending his hand towards Daniel, who took it this time, letting Jack pull him to his feet. He swayed a little bit, bumping his chest against Jack’s.
"Oops!" Daniel laughed. Jack pulled Daniel’s arm across his shoulders, and wrapped his own arm around his friend’s waist. "I can walk, Jack!" Daniel protested mildly. Jack held on to him, and headed towards the staircase. "But this is nice, too," the tipsy one admitted. Jack smiled to himself, and tried to concentrate on getting them both up the stairs in one piece.
Mission accomplished, he dropped Daniel off at the door to the guest room, instructing him to, "Use the bathroom, get undressed, and get into bed. I’ll be there with your aspirin." Daniel nodded his head, and pulled Jack into a big hug. Jack laughed out loud with surprised delight. Daniel was never the one who initiated physical contact! "Go!" he prompted when Daniel released him. Daniel disappeared into the bedroom, and Jack went down the hallway to his own room.
Jack went into his bathroom, used the facilities, washed up, and got a glass of water and two aspirin for Daniel. He put those down on the dresser, and quickly changed into his sleepwear of boxers and a T-shirt. He picked up the glass and the pills, and went back down the hallway to the guest room.
Daniel was sitting up in the bed, arranging the covers like he had just climbed in. He looked up with a smile when Jack entered the room. "Here you go," Jack said, handing the pills to Daniel, who popped them both into his mouth and reached out for the glass of water to wash them down. When he tried to hand the glass back to Jack, he was told to "Finish it. You’ll feel better in the morning."
Daniel drained the glass, and Jack took it into the guest bath to fill it up again. He put it on Daniel’s nightstand. "In case you wake up thirsty."
"I don’t plan to wake up, period," Daniel said with a laugh.
Jack smiled at him. "Okay, sleep well."
"You, too."
"Goodnight." Jack left the room, turning off the light and pulling the door mostly shut behind him. Daniel had slept in this room many times over the years. Back in the early days, he had been prone to bad dreams, and Jack had gotten in the habit of leaving both bedroom doors ajar, so that he would hear Daniel and could go to him if necessary. The nightmares might be a thing of the past, but the habit was ingrained in Jack still.
In the brief seconds before he fell into deep slumber, Daniel looked back over the evening with hazy satisfaction. He had wanted to let Jack know that he wasn’t going anywhere, and he had accomplished that goal. Not quite in the way he had planned. Even better. Daniel smiled into his pillow, sighed, and was asleep.
Jack climbed into his own bed, and flicked off the lamp on the nightstand. As he settled himself under the covers, and tugged his pillow into just the right place, his face was thoughtful. Then he turned his head towards the door, as he heard a sound drifting down the hallway. Daniel was already snoring. Jack smiled, his eyelids drooping. It had been a good night, and there were still peanut butter and bacon sandwiches to look forward to in the morning. His eyes closed, and he slept.
~~
3:30 Saturday morning
Jack suddenly woke up. He listened carefully, but didn’t hear any sounds coming from the other occupant of the house. He got out of bed and used the bathroom. He wanted a glass of water, but the glass was sitting on Daniel’s nightstand. He bent down and tilted his head, drinking from the running faucet. He straightened up, wiping his face, looking at his reflection in the mirror by the glow of the nightlight.
He left the bathroom, and padded silently down the hall to Daniel’s room. He pushed the door further open, and walked inside, over to the bed. He stood for a moment, looking down into his friend’s relaxed face. Then he pulled out the chair that stood on the other side of the nightstand, and placed it closer to the bed. And he sat and watched Daniel sleeping.
And while he watched, he thought long and hard about loneliness. And friendship. And love.
Daniel’s fingers twitched, and he sighed contentedly in his sleep. And Jack smiled. He rose, and quietly placed his chair back against the wall. He stood next to the bed for another moment, then bent and caressed Daniel’s hair with infinite tenderness, before turning away.
Jack went back down the hall to his own bed, climbed in, and was asleep within seconds.
~~
9:00 Saturday morning
Daniel’s nose twitched. His eyelids fluttered. He drifted slowly towards consciousness. "Daaaaniel!" a voice called softly. Something smelled awfully good. Daniel’s eyes half opened.
"Coffee!"
"Yes, Daniel. Coffee. In bed, as promised. Wakey wakey!" Daniel’s eyes drifted upwards until they reached Jack’s face. He looked annoyingly cheerful. Daniel moaned, and squeezed his eyes shut. Jack waved the mug of steaming coffee directly under Daniel’s nose, which twitched spasmodically.
"What time is it?" Daniel whined.
"0900 hours," Jack replied. "I let you sleep late."
Daniel made a very unattractive noise at that remark. "I beg to differ," he complained.
"C’mon, Danny. Sit up, drink your coffee. You know you want it," Jack tempted.
Daniel sighed, and sat up, shoving the pillows behind him and scooting up against the headboard. Jack stood and beamed at him, holding the mug full of caffeinated goodness. Daniel glared at him, and held out his hand. Jack carefully handed him the mug, and watched as Daniel took his first sip. Daniel’s lashes fluttered and he grunted, and drank some more. Jack mentally patted himself on the back. He had obviously gotten the coffee right. And that meant that Daniel would drag himself out of bed and into the kitchen in search of more as soon as this mug was emptied.
"Fifteen minutes, Daniel. Or I’m dumping the rest of the pot down the drain."
"You wouldn’t dare," Daniel said with narrowed eyes.
Jack tapped a finger on the bedside clock. "Fifteen minutes," he repeated firmly.
"Oh, all right," Daniel grumbled.
Jack left the room, shut the door behind him, and walked towards the staircase, whistling.
~~
Daniel sat in bed, sipping the wonderful coffee, trying to remember the dream he had just had. He and Jack had been on the couch, similar to what had actually happened last night. Very similar, but with definite differences. He remembered the feeling of holding Jack in his arms, of being held. He could remember feeling the rasp of Jack’s beard stubble against his face. He remembered that Jack had been whispering in his ear, and that he couldn’t understand what he was trying to say. Daniel had tried to pull away, so he could ask Jack to speak louder, but Jack had held him too tightly. When Daniel started to struggle, Jack released him. They had stared at each other, and he was sure that Jack was about to speak, that it was important, that he would hear it clearly this time.
And then reality had intruded. The real Jack had interrupted the dream Jack.
Yes, the coffee was wonderful, but he wished he could have heard what Jack was trying to tell him in his dream. Of course, since it was all in his own mind, it was actually something that his subconscious was trying to tell him. Putting words in Jack’s mouth, so to speak. Something that he wanted to hear from Jack?
Daniel frowned. Hadn’t he heard enough last night? Jack said that he couldn’t imagine life without him. Of course, his actual words had been ’Back atcha", but the message was the same. What more could he possibly need to….
Actually he could think of something, something that seemed like a natural corollary to what Jack had said. Three little words, as the saying went.
Maybe, just as in his dream, Jack had said those words, but too silently for Daniel to have heard him. Said them without speaking, with his eyes, and his touch. Maybe he had been saying them for years, but Daniel’s mind had been closed to him. Last night Daniel had revealed loneliness to Jack that he had kept concealed, even from himself, for decades. Daniel had opened up, consciously, and evidently subconsciously as well.
Daniel had long known that Jack cared for him as a friend, enjoyed spending time with him, considered him to be like family. He had never looked for anything more.
Last night Daniel had reached out to his friend, trying to help him. His concern for Jack had broken down barriers that he had put between himself and the rest of the world since childhood.
It wasn’t just Daniel’s mind that had been opened to Jack last night. It was his heart.
~~
9:17
Daniel walked into the kitchen, feeling very shy. Jack turned from the stove, where bacon was just starting to sizzle, and said, "Hey!" He walked over to take Daniel’s empty mug.
"Hey," Daniel responded.
Jack handed Daniel his refill. "How’s the head? Need any aspirin?"
"No, it’s fine."
"Good. Stomach fine, too?"
"Yes, at least at this point. We’ll see how I’m feeling after breakfast," Daniel said slyly.
"Sit down," Jack invited. As Daniel seated himself, Jack went to the refrigerator and took out two small bowls of fruit salad. He placed one in front of Daniel, and took the other one over next to the stove, where he could eat it while tending to the bacon.
"Shouldn’t I be doing something?" Daniel asked.
"You’ll be in charge of the toast, but I’ll tell you when to start it."
"Okay." Daniel dug into the fruit salad, watching Jack surreptitiously. Jack had obviously been up for some time. He was showered and shaved, his hair was dry and combed. He was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, with bare feet.
Daniel had taken Jack at his word, and come to breakfast in his bathrobe, and without his glasses. But he was glad he had taken the time to wash his face, comb his hair and brush his teeth. He rubbed his cheek. He wished now that he had shaved, too. But he had run out of time, sitting there in the bed, gazing blankly into space.
Daniel looked up and saw Jack looking at him. He hastily took another forkful of fruit, and told Jack sincerely, "This is very good."
Jack smiled at him. Daniel was evidently a little shy about last night. He turned back to the bacon, his smile growing as he recalled the hug Daniel had given him outside the guest room door. Three beers and a cognac had taken care of any shyness last night. Maybe fruit salad and peanut butter and bacon sandwiches would take care of this morning’s residual embarrassment. Jack started flipping the bacon. "Time to start the toast, Daniel."
Daniel got up, wiping his mouth, and walked over to the toaster. It was already loaded with four slices of bread. He pushed the lever down, and said to Jack, "Like you couldn’t have done that yourself." He went back to the table and sat down, reaching for his bowl.
Jack grinned at him, and ate some more fruit. "The tricky part comes when it pops up. Speed will be of the essence."
"So that was just a dry run? Making sure I can find my way to the toaster when the time comes?"
"You got it. In fact, you need to go back over there and be standing by."
Daniel swallowed the last of his fruit salad, and walked back over to the toaster. Jack turned down the heat under the bacon. He had paper towels spread out, waiting.
"When the toast pops up, put two slices on each plate, laid out ready for spreading the peanut butter."
"I notice there are two knives here," Daniel commented.
"Yeah, I’ll scoot on over there to help out as soon as the bacon is on the paper towels."
The toaster made a whirring noise, and Jack started transferring the hot crisp bacon onto the paper towels. "Start spreading, Danny!"
Daniel whipped two pieces of toast out, and began slathering on peanut butter, guessing that there was no such thing as ‘too much’ in this case. When he saw Jack leave the stove, he took the other two slices out of the toaster and put them on Jack’s plate, shoving the peanut butter jar over in front of it.
"Okay, go get your share of the bacon. Just pile it on there any way you want." Jack was rapidly spreading peanut butter, with the ease of long practice.
Daniel shook his head, laughing inwardly. He went to the countertop by the stove, and lifted the top paper towel. He lined his three pieces of bacon up in vertical rows. Jack was at his side. "Cover it up quick," he was instructed. Daniel placed the other slice of toast on top, while watching Jack arrange his bacon in an X across the bread, with the third piece vertical through the middle of the X. Jack dropped the top slice into place, and nudged Daniel towards the table, pushing him into the nearest chair, and sitting down next to him.
"Eat," Jack ordered, picking up his own sandwich and sinking his teeth in. Caught up in the spirit of the occasion, Daniel did the same. He chewed. It was good! He swallowed and took another bite immediately. Warm peanut butter erupted out of the sandwich, and began to drip down the side of his chin. He laughed out loud, and looked over at Jack, who was watching him with amusement.
"You like it?" Jack demanded.
Daniel nodded his head, chewing and wiping his chin off with his finger. As he licked the peanut butter off his finger, he saw Jack doing the same thing. They grinned at each other, and then Daniel’s sandwich started to drip out the side, peanut butter running down between his thumb and forefinger. Daniel hastily licked at his hand, and bit into the side of the sandwich before it could drip again. Peanut butter flowed down his chin again.
Jack’s hand shot out, and his forefinger wiped the peanut butter off Daniel’s face. Then Jack froze, staring at his motionless hand, like he wasn’t quite sure how that had happened.
And Daniel swiftly turned his head, and licked Jack’s finger clean. He could feel his face flushing. He couldn’t look at Jack. He returned to his sandwich.
Jack pulled his hand back across the table, staring down at it He slowly picked up his sandwich and bit into it. He saw Daniel peeking up at him through his eyelashes. As he chewed, he tried to process what had just happened. Peanut butter began to drip down onto his little finger, running into the crease between it and his ring finger. He transferred his sandwich into his other hand, and prepared to lick up the mess.
But Daniel’s hand grabbed him by the wrist. Jack stared at him. Daniel looked…hungry.
Daniel released his hand, and Jack moved it slowly across the corner of the table, offering it to the other man. Daniel took his wrist again, gently this time, and his warm, slightly rough tongue licked between Jack’s fingers. Jack felt a shiver run through him, straight to his groin.
Daniel finished with Jack’s hand, and returned to his sandwich, which was dripping onto the plate from the back. He turned the sandwich around, and bit in. The peanut butter ran down the side of his chin farthest from Jack. Daniel turned his head to the side, and leaned forward, offering.
And Jack leaned his entire body across the corner of the table, holding on to the other corner for support. As his tongue touched Daniel, he could hear his gasp, he could feel it on the skin of his neck. He felt the table leg digging into his thigh., Daniel’s knee against his own. He felt the edge of the table hard against his stomach. He felt the roughness of Daniel’s unshaven face as he licked along his chin. And he felt his erection pressing demandingly against his jeans.
He pulled back from Daniel, back to his own side of the table. He held his breath, waiting for Daniel to turn his head and face him. When he did, when Jack saw Daniel’s eyes, they seemed to be pleading with him. Jack stood up abruptly, pushing the small table out of the way. He pulled Daniel, who seemed to be in a state of shock, to his feet. He stood, his hand on Daniel’s arm. Waiting.
Daniel’s eyes searched Jack’s face, seeing how flushed it was, how the pupils were dilated. He could see how rapidly the other man’s chest rose and fell. He thought he saw a question in Jack’s eyes. He answered it. "Yes."
Jack’s lips parted silently. He took one step forward, and Daniel was in his arms, their lips pressed together. He felt Daniel’s hand in his hair. He touched his tongue to Daniel’s lips, and they opened to him. He slid his tongue deep inside Daniel’s mouth, tasting coffee, fruit and bacon. And blessed, blessed peanut butter. And underneath it all, the taste of Daniel, new and exciting. Arousing. Jack slid one hand further down Daniel’s back, pressing their lower bodies closer together. And he felt Daniel’s unmistakable arousal. He wasn’t entirely sure what was happening to them this morning, but at least they were on the same page.
Daniel pushed at Jack’s shoulders gently, and he stepped back immediately, his hands dropping away. Daniel was smiling at him softly. Jack returned the smile. Both men saw a question in the other’s eyes, and they answered it in unison. "Yes."
Jack put his arm around Daniel’s shoulders, and Daniel’s arm slid around his waist. They left the kitchen, and started up the stairs.
~~
When they reached Jack’s bedroom, he closed the door behind them. It was purely symbolic. They were alone in the house. But he wanted to shut out the rest of the world. The rest of the world didn’t matter. He stepped nearer to Daniel, and began to untie the belt of his robe. When the robe opened, he pushed it back off Daniel’s shoulders, and it fell to the floor. Daniel was wearing boxers and a T-shirt underneath. Jack gripped the bottom of the T-shirt and pulled it up over Daniel’s head. Daniel raised and then lowered his arms as the shirt joined the robe on the bedroom floor.
Jack’s eyes devoured the chest that he had uncovered. But he didn’t touch it, although the desire to do so was there in his eyes. Instead he touched Daniel lightly on the shoulder, and then reached for the waistband of his boxers. But Daniel, took his hands by the wrist, stopping him. "No," he said, shaking his head. And he took a step back, away from Jack.
Jack assumed that Daniel wanted to wait a while before taking off his underwear. Maybe he just wanted to wait until Jack was naked, maybe it would take longer. But he had no doubt that those boxers were going to come off, before too long. But Daniel surprised him, by pulling them down and taking them off himself. And then he climbed naked into Jack’s unmade bed, causing the other man’s mouth to go dry, and began to push the covers towards the foot. Jack just stood and watched him, until he suddenly came back to his senses and began ripping his clothes off as fast as he could. Daniel propped himself up on one elbow and watched avidly.
Jack climbed onto the bed and laid down facing Daniel. Not quite touching. He smiled at his friend, and reached out with his foot, touching Daniel. Who responded by reaching out and stroking Jack’s nipple. Jack responded by scooting a little bit closer. The tips of their erections touched in the process, causing both men to look down for a second. Daniel smiled at Jack, but the other man sensed Daniel was holding something back. "Are you scared?" he asked gently. Daniel shook his head. "Maybe a little nervous?" Daniel shook his head again. "It’s okay to be a little nervous," Jack said, stroking his hand down Daniel’s strong back with pleasure. "I’m nervous, too."
"I’m not nervous," Daniel insisted.
"Why not?" Jack asked.
"Because you’re here," Daniel answered simply.
Jack stared into his eyes for a long moment, before saying gruffly, "That deserves a kiss." He pulled Daniel in tightly, and kissed him longer and harder than he had done at any point up until now. Daniel wrapped his arm around Jack and returned the kiss with equal vigor.
As they came up for air, their arms fell away from each other, and they lay quietly for a second. Jack could feel their erections throbbing gently against one another. Daniel said softly, "This remind you of anything?"
And Jack realized that they were laying in the same positions as in that box on P3X982. "It’s not quite the same, Daniel." And he slid his arm around Daniel’s waist and rocked his hips against him.
Daniel gasped, "No, not quite the same." And he put his arm around Jack’s neck and pulled their heads close together. He rocked his hips in turn, and Jack responded with a gasp of his own. Which was exactly what Daniel had been waiting for, and he placed his mouth over Jack’s open lips, and dove in deep with his tongue.
When he had his breath back, Jack asked shakily, "You ready to do this?"
"I need to ask you something first." Daniel looked serious, and unsure of himself.
"Ask me anything," Jack offered.
"I need to know….is this more than loneliness?" Jack couldn’t see any anxiety in Daniel’s eyes, only uncertainty. Followed by a spark of humor. "And horniness?"
Jack reached for Daniel’s hand. "Listen up, Daniel, because I’m probably only going to say this once."
"I’m listening," Daniel said in a small voice.
Jack struggled for a few seconds to find the words he wanted to say, and then spoke them without hesitation or coyness. "You’re very dear to me."
A light sparked in Daniel’s eyes, and seemed to spread over his entire face. Jack watched in wonder. "That’s very sweet of you to say, Jack." His words were almost teasing, but his tone of voice was deeply sincere.
Jack cleared his throat. "Just don’t expect me to say it again," he growled.
"I only had to hear it once," Daniel assured him happily. And he slid his right leg up over the top of Jack’s hip, down over his buttocks, until his foot was comfortably hooked behind Jack’s leg. Jack found this new sensation delightful. It was as though Daniel was surrounding him, opening up to him, enfolding him. He thought it was an excellent omen of things to come. He began to rock his hips once again.
Their erections slid over each other, again and again. Daniel murmured words of pleasure and encouragement. Jack found that he could barely breathe, let alone speak. Their heads laid side by side on the pillow, they stared into each other’s eyes. It was too much for Jack, the intimacy overwhelming. He shut his eyes, and groaned, "Oh God, Daniel."
"Shhh. I know Jack, I know." Daniel’s hands touched his face, stroked him tenderly. He shuddered with delight as his passion mounted. When he heard a hitch in Daniel’s breathing he opened his eyes, and saw his friend’s head thrown back, reddened lips parted, eyelashes fluttering. Daniel clutched Jack’s shoulder hard, stared him in the eye, and climaxed with a moan, his eyes closing in ecstasy.
Jack’s erection was now sliding through Daniel’s semen, and the thought of that alone would have been enough to bring him to orgasm. Combined with the exquisite sensation, it was enough to make him come as hard as he could ever remember doing. He clung to Daniel, shaking. Heart pounding. When Daniel regained his senses, his hands began to stroke up and down Jack’s sweaty back. Jack’s death grip on Daniel loosened, and Daniel rolled over onto his back with a deep sigh.
Jack rolled onto his back and looked up at his bedroom ceiling. A smile grew on his face. He reached out sideways and felt for Daniel’s hand, clasping it in his. "Much more." Daniel smiled up at the ceiling, remembering his earlier doubts. Jack’s thumb was stroking his hand. "You know, Danny, there’s a lot more stuff for us to try. If you want to, that is."
Daniel rolled over onto his side. "I’m a scientist, Jack. You know how we love to experiment." Jack rolled over, and Daniel relished the gleam he saw in his eyes. Soon they found themselves back in each other’s arms, kissing, stroking each other. Daniel pulled away, saying, "Can’t we take a nap first?"
Jack stared at him in confusion, then laughed. "Daniel, I’m an old man. I’m not trying to start anything. I just want to kiss you some more." He cuddled closer and said in a wheedling tone, "You taste so good."
"I think that’s the peanut butter," Daniel objected.
Jack snorted, and pulled Daniel in for another kiss. But Daniel resisted. "What? Oh, tell me you’re kidding! I can’t kiss you unless we’re having sex?"
"Jack, you’re missing the point. If you keep kissing me that way, I’ll be having sex without you." Daniel stared at Jack until he saw the light bulb come on.
"Oh. No problem, Danny. I’ll catch up to you sooner or later," Jack promised.
Daniel shook his head, and with a sudden move, flipped Jack over onto his back, stretching out on top of him. Jack opened his mouth to say something about P3X982, but Daniel silenced him with a finger across his lips.
"So much more," he whispered just before he claimed his lover’s mouth in a kiss.
And Jack’s lonely heart rejoiced.
THE END
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: May. 4th, 2006 08:04 pm (UTC)And Sam and Teal'c are just too cute in this. *lol*
(no subject)
Date: May. 4th, 2006 08:13 pm (UTC)Sleep well!