The Bill Of Rights And Wrongs

by Berty

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asb/berty/billofri.php
Summary: Jack's a neat-freak, Daniel...isn't. It's not easy being a couple! For the October Fic Challenge on Pepesplace and inspired by Saladscream's pic.

Daniel stretched, a joint popping, lung busting contortion and then settled back into his warm hollow to take stock.

Ten more minutes, then he'd get up.

He loved to wake up slowly, to let his mind wander when he had the opportunity. And besides, it was quite delicious to be lying here with the warm morning sun on his naked back.

Which meant he was at Jack's.

At his place the sun didn't reach his bedroom until after lunch, which was lovely for an afternoon of slow, thorough lovemaking, but not for waking up to.

Downtime.

Somehow his body always knew when he had downtime and it would allow him these peaceful minutes between sleeping and waking; no-where to be, no one to meet, no planet to save. It was such a contrast to his working days, when he would wake up with a million things on his mind, forget to eat breakfast, go to the mountain and get his head in his work for as many hours as his 'friends' allowed.

Daniel liked to think of himself as focussed.

Jack liked to think of him as obsessed.

It had been seven months since they had finally admitted to themselves that it was love. For years they had been close friends, closer than they believed possible given their disparate personalities. But somehow their friendship just worked, even when they fought, even when the tension between them got so bad, they couldn't even speak to each other; there was never a point when either of them had walked away.

When Jack had turned up at his place one night, after just such a day, Daniel hadn't been surprised at all. That Jack had then taken him by the hand and led him to bed had been somewhat unexpected, but Daniel prided himself on being adaptable. That it had been the best sex of his life had shocked him, albeit in a good way. But when Jack told him that he loved him and that he knew Daniel loved him too, the anthropologist had been so astonished that Jack was, in fact, right, he'd remained silent for a good ten minutes. That was the longest period since he'd known him, according to Jack.

The time since this paradigm shift in his thinking had been the happiest Daniel had experienced in a long time. They were discreet; they had to be if they wanted to continue their work, but they managed to spend time together. It wasn't everything, but it was enough for now and it wouldn't always be like this.

And of course neither of them had ceased to be the stubborn, strong men they were before they got together, so their days were not all happiness and light. There were disagreements, never so bad they were insurmountable, but it did, on occasion get heated. When this happened, they usually found a compromise and used the heat for something much more entertaining.

Like last night.

Daniel looked at the clock. Ten more minutes and he'd definitely get up.

Last night, Jack had been uncharacteristically edgy for a guy who had his lover's undivided attention for 48 hours downtime. Daniel had been tired. It was a TNT factory waiting for a spark, which had come in the shape of Daniel's boots, strangely enough.

Daniel was a slob - there was no other way to look at it. Jack lived in a constant battle to make Daniel tidy up after himself, while to Daniel it was simply an unimportant detail. It was something they had "discussed" frequently. So when Jack had pointedly asked Daniel to "relocate his footwear", his actual words not being quite so polite, Daniel had told Jack to stop acting like his mother.

The evening had deteriorated from that point on.

Jack had told Daniel to stop behaving like a child, and then he would stop having to parent him.

Daniel had told Jack that he should consider the possibility that he was an "uptight prick".

Jack had invited Daniel to "Bite me" and catalogued the ways in which he had to follow Daniel around and "clear up his shit".

Daniel had suggested Jack "Get a life."

Jack had called Daniel an "undisciplined, disorganised dweeb".

Daniel had cheerfully offered a "Fuck you".

And Jack had said, "Yes, please."

That was the best part of the fights. Love each other as deeply as they did, they could still annoy the crap out of each other, but it was always in the knowledge that their relationship was stronger than the petty, day-to-day irritations.

The unique nature of their careers meant that they could never take things for granted; everything they did was an uncertainty. It was what had kept them alive more times than he could count. Questions and a good, healthy dose of wariness went hand in hand with massive leaps of faith in an uneasy partnership every time they stepped through the gate.

But not once they were home.

For the first time in his adult life, Daniel felt that the ground under his feet was solid. He felt certain of his place in Jack's life and Jack's place in his. As sickeningly perfect as it sounded, they had never had to discuss it; it was understood. From day one they had assumed this was forever and made plans accordingly.

So last night had ended, not in housework and sulky silences, but in sex; hot, sticky, sweet, post argument, feisty fucking. Daniel could still feel the subtle aches in his hips and back that told him it had been good between them, like it always was.

So Daniel had no feeling of dread when he finally noticed the piece of paper on the bed. With a wry, sleepy smile, Daniel slipped on his glasses and picked up the note.

Daniel sniggered and considered going to find his pain in the ass general, but it was SO cosy in the sunshine and Daniel had the feeling that there was breakfast in his immediate future if the delicious smells of coffee and bacon were to be believed.

If he stayed here, he might even get breakfast in bed for Jack to add to his bill.

If he stayed here, he might get the chance to start paying off some of his debt.

Well, maybe ten more minutes...

Fin