Morbid Fascination

by Annie

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asa/annie/morbid.php
Summary: Daniel gets given a book for his birthday that fascinates him

Jack walked into the room to see Daniel sitting on the couch looking at a book he'd been given for his birthday and asked, "Whatcha reading?"

"Apparently a book about Egypt..."

Daniel fell silent and as Jack sat down he said, "Apparently?"

"I don't think Teal'c realised what the book was really about when it gave it to me. He said it'd been recommended to him."

"You said it's about Egypt."

"Actually that what Teal'c said, from what I already know of the story Egypt has little to do with it."

"So why did he say it was about Egypt and who exactly recommended it?"

"Probably because of the pyramids on the front and it doesn't matter who told him about it, I don't think either of them read the book let alone the blurb."

"The blurb?"

"The part where it tells the reader what the book is about. It's the technical term, Jack," Daniel answered, smiling.

"Technical term, okay. If it's not about Egypt, what is it about?"

"The friendship between two people that builds into a lifetime relationship together."

The two men were sitting in the living area of Daniel's house with the remains of the fortieth birthday party still around them. The party had gone very quiet about two hours before and had ended about an hour ago after Teal'c had persuaded a drunken Sam it was time to leave. Once they had gone Jack had set about cleaning the kitchen and Daniel had started to read the book.

"So you've been given a romance novel. The bodice ripping getting to you?"

"Bodice ripping?"

"The hero comes sweeping in to save the damsel in distress."

"You seem to know a lot about the topic, Jack."

"Sara used to like reading them and..." This time it was Jack's turn to fall silent.

"And?" Daniel prompted.

"She used to love for us to sit together on the couch after Charlie had gone to bed and for me to read them to her."

Daniel started sniggering and it soon progressed into laughter. After quietening down Daniel said, "Its hardly bodice ripping, the lead characters are men."

"Ah."

"Yes, ah."

"So what's the problem?"

"I never said there was a problem."

"After however many years it is since we met..."

"Just over ten years, Jack."

"After just over ten years, Daniel, I know you."

"Have you read any of this?"

"No, from what I can remember they're all pretty formulaic. The man meets the woman, or in this case the man, and they hate each other on sight. Slowly the events happen that lead them to change their minds and like the other person. This then leads to them realising they're soul mates and they spend the rest of their lives in blissful harmony."

"You realise that you've just described us."

"How so?"

"You hated me when you first saw me, we became friends and now we're together."

"I never hated you, I just didn't appreciate having a scientist forced on me. If I hated anyone it was myself."

Knowing why Jack had felt like that Daniel went back to what had originally annoyed him about the book.

"Well the writer of this has one of the men being the strong character and the other... What is it about some writers that make them think that if two men are in a relationship one has to be a real man and the other one is the male version of a simpering woman? I've never been in a relationship with anyone who simpers, even Stephen didn't go that low."

"It's one of them. Why are you reading it if you don't appreciate the content?"

"Morbid fascination, I want to know just how far the author will go to turn one of them into the simpering woman. Get this. The two of them get together and, because of their circumstances, they can't have a family so they get some animals that the female version of two calls 'their children'."

"Well I know that I never need to worry about us falling into that sort of behaviour, though Jonas and his fish..."

Daniel laughed, tossed the book into Jack's lap and said, "Thank you for today, I've really enjoyed it. I knew what you were getting me, after all you complained enough about the old one, but to see the size of it when it was delivered this morning was amazing. I still don't know how you got it to fit. The exhibit this afternoon was a nice surprise and the party you arranged went really well."

"I told you it's not so bad turning forty."

"I suppose."

"You suppose. Just wait till your having your fiftieth birthday party you'll have something to talk about then. How do you feel about going to bed and finishing the day the same way we started it?"

Daniel jumped up from the sofa, grabbed hold of Jack's hand and asked, "What are you still doing down there?"

After christening the new bed Jack had given Daniel for his birthday, Jack asked, "Are you going to tell me who recommended the book to Teal'c?"

Daniel looked at Jack, a glint in his eyes, and replied, "General Hammond."