Matching Pair

by Cowardly Lion

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asc/clion/matching.php
Summary: While giving Jack and Daniel surprising news, Vala also manages to give them a clue
Info: Written for Whisper based on an IM conversation we had one night. Thanks to Mare and Whisper for the beta. J/V & D/V established, J/D first time

Daniel parked in the dense woods to the east of the little cabin as he customarily did. He had stumbled across the place shortly after joining the Stargate program during one of his energy expending drives to nowhere, sort of the automotive version of aimless pacing. While this wasn't as nice as Jack's cabin, it had the advantage of being a short drive from the SGC. Leased in cash under an assumed name, it had provided much needed respite over the years. He had spent many solitary hours here de-stressing after a strenuous mission or relaxing in quiet contemplation. Jack had even joined him on occasion back when he still lived in Colorado. Recently, it had become a haven of a different sort altogether. Now, time spent here was not only refreshing but invigorating. Something greatly anticipated.

He felt somewhat guilty for telling Jack he was too busy to meet him until later since Jack's position as a General at the Pentagon meant that he could only get to Colorado once every few weeks. His conscience had been assuaged somewhat when Jack said he was busy also. Some meeting over at the Air Force Academy. Daniel always looked forward to seeing his best friend, but a man had needs. This was only the second time he'd been here in the weeks since he had recovered from the effects of his imprisonment by Adria. He really needed some time away. Besides, it wasn't like he was sloughing off altogether, just for the afternoon. He would see Jack later tonight.

Stepping out of the car, he adjusted his sport coat then reached back in for the bottle of wine he'd purchased on the way here. A one minute walk brought him to the door. Good. The signal was set. She was already inside. The sight of the signal alone was enough to get that electric tingly feeling started and he briefly thought of Pavlov's dogs and the efficacy of operant conditioning. When Vala said 'come', well, she really meant 'cum' and damn it, he thought again, a man's got needs.

With a cursory knock, he entered the cabin. Vala stood in the middle of the tiny front room of the two room cabin, radiating sex appeal the way the sun radiates light. Brightly painted toenails peeked out of sparkly sandals. Bare legs and a mini-skirt paired with a skimpy top completed her ensemble. Spaghetti straps blended into the lush black hair that draped over the silky skin of her shoulders, making it seem as though gravity alone held the black satin camisole in place. Daniel had discovered that the only thing sexier than seeing Vala naked was seeing her look as though she might suddenly be naked. She certainly had that allure today.

As compelling as the sight was, Daniel's attention was drawn to the fact that for some inexplicable reason, he was not the only person in the room with her. He gripped the neck of the wine bottle tighter, grateful for something to do with his hands. Jack O'Neill stood between him and Vala, looking as surprised as Daniel felt. Well, as surprised as Jack ever looked. Too many years in Special Ops had given him the perfect poker face. Daniel was probably the only person close enough to him to tell the difference.

Jack had changed into jeans with a crisp dress shirt and was clutching a brown paper bag. He was freshly shaven and Daniel detected the scent of the cologne he'd given Jack for his birthday. The faint crinkling as the man fidgeted with the bag was the only sound in the room.

"I thought you had some mandatory meeting at the Academy," probed Daniel, moving forward to stand by his friend in front of Vala.

"Thought you had some urgent translation," countered Jack.

"I didn't expect to see you here."

"I didn't expect to see you here, either."

"It's my cabin," asserted Daniel. "My-my..." He glanced at Vala. Not sure how to finish the sentence, he let it peter out.

Jack's eyes flicked from Daniel to Vala to the floor. "I know."

Ignoring them both, Vala spoke. "So, I suppose you're wondering why I've asked you both here today." She stood with her hands on her hips, her head cocked at angle.

Daniel found himself staring at the hem of her skirt, speculating on the odds of her arriving here without panties again.

"Well?" Vala raised her eyebrows in inquiry when neither man replied. "Aren't you?"

"Aren't we what?" Daniel was confused. Things were not going at all the way he had expected. Worse, his dick didn't seem to understand that there'd been a change in plans. It was difficult to think when most of his blood was in his crotch.

"Wondering." She flipped her hair back with one hand, showing off one creamy white shoulder.

"Oh, I think we're wondering a whole lot of things right now," drawled Jack.

Daniel nodded, willing himself not to get hard. So far, he needed more will.

She drew in a deep breath. If she were anyone else, Daniel would think she was nervous. Raising her chin defiantly, Vala said all in one breath "Thelittlestickisblue."

"I'm sorry - what?" For a moment Daniel thought perhaps that was a euphemism for male genitalia and was rather indignant about the "little" part of the phrase.

"I thought it only fair," she said defensively, "to tell you simultaneously so that neither of you can say the other received preferential treatment"

"I don't...what..." Daniel looked at Jack expecting to see the same confusion that he felt. Instead, Jack looked as though he'd been smacked in the head with a mallet. "What?"

"Oh, crap. The stick is blue," repeated Jack in a voice devoid of expression as he stared at Vala who simply shrugged in return.

"Yeeeeah," Daniel drew out the word, "and that would mean...?"

Jack swiveled his head to stare intently at Daniel. "The stick is blue."

"Yes? And?" Frustrated, Daniel waved his hand, completely forgetting the wine bottle he was holding. He managed to pull it back about a millimeter before it would have impacted with Jack's abdomen.

"The stick," insisted Jack adamantly, "is blue!" From his intonation it was clear that this was Not A Good Thing.

"Look," Daniel huffed irritably, "If I didn't understand the reference the first time around, then finding new and exciting ways to reiterate the exact same phrase is not going to help."

Addressing Jack, Vala remarked, "He doesn't get around much, does he?" clearly referring to Daniel.

"If it's not an artifact," Jack replied wryly, "it flies under his radar."

Daniel was the recipient of identical looks of fond exasperation.

Swearing in Abydonian, he rapidly shifted from peevish to pissed. "Will one of you just spit it out?"

Nearly in unison, they chorused, "I'm pregnant." "She's pregnant."

There was a moment of stunned silence from Daniel before Vala continued.

"And you two are the father."

"Hey, I took precautions," objected Jack.

"I did, too," Daniel fired back, resentful of the implication of carelessness on his part. Despite his reputation for absentmindedness, he was a scrupulous adherent of safe sex.

"Well, somebody's condom broke, darling. And no matter which of you is the father I intend on having as much sex with the two of you as possible before this" a sweeping gesture indicated her svelte figure, "becomes as big as a house."

The men exchanged glances, then Jack cleared his throat. "Ah, not to be rude or anything, but how do we know we're the only lucky candidates?"

"Darling," Vala was clearly affronted, "I would never cheat on you."

The men traded looks again with Jack's indicating that it was Daniel's turn this time. "Um, Vala, perhaps it has escaped your notice that you've been, um, seeing both of us." Daniel thought it best to stick to neutral euphemisms.

"Yes?" Vala looked at him in blank incomprehension.

He flapped a hand between himself and Jack then swirled it toward Vala. "At the same time." His doctorate in philology aside, there were some things he was much better at doing than discussing - anything relating to sexual matters being a prime example. Funny how he could lead an incursion into Ori space with confident aplomb, yet become completely tongue tied when dealing with personal issues.

"And?" She still looked puzzled.

"Technically," pushing his glasses up his nose, he tried not to sound hurt, "you're cheating on at least one if not both of us."

"OH!" Her face brightened with understanding before she waved a hand dismissively. "Well that doesn't count."

Eyebrows raised, Jack started the sentence. "Doesn't..."

Daniel finished it. "...count?"

"No, it doesn't," she affirmed then smiled perkily. "Are those for me?"

She relieved a bewildered Daniel of his bottle of wine, whispering "oh, nice" as she perused the label. She stepped to the table nearby, divesting Jack of his shabby brown bag on the way. Putting both items on the table top, she pulled a fancy box out of the paper bag. Daniel recognized the glossy bronze and gold logo of an expensive chocolatier downtown. The box was tied up with an elegant green ribbon intertwined with fresh daisies. She held the box to her nose and inhaled.

"Let me guess– crystallized ginger hand-dipped in dark chocolate?" She gave Jack a coquettish look up from under her lashes.

Jack smiled indulgently and something in Daniel's chest tightened. It felt like...no, it couldn't be. Could it? It certainly felt like jealousy, but what was truly unsettling was that he wasn't sure which of them he was jealous over. Not wanting to examine his reaction, he went back to the subject at hand.

"What do you mean, it doesn't count?" Folding his arms, he tried to sound stern.

"My, aren't we being pedantic today?" was Vala's playful reply.

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Daniel said, "Call me names if you want, but just answer the question."

"If you didn't want me to use them, then you shouldn't have given me that Word-A-Day Calendar."

"I didn't intend for you to insult me with it."

"Really? What did you expect would happen?" she asked curiously.

Talking to Vala was just like talking to Jack. Conversations zig-zagged, leap-frogged, and hop-scotched as entire topics fled like startled creatures never to be seen again. It gave him a whole new appreciation for the phrase "like herding cats". Jack watched in fascination and Daniel hoped his friend had enough self-awareness to know that this was how he and Daniel usually appeared to outsiders.

Sighing, Daniel struggled to get a grip on his patience. "Look, can we just get to the point? What do you mean- It. Doesn't. Count?"

Shrugging, Vala put her hands on her hips. "Well, the two of you are so alike, it's as though you're two facets of the same individual. Therefore, being with both of you only counts as being with one of you. " She made her pronouncement with all the weight and solemnity of an imperial decree.

The two men eyed each other. Jack was the first to comment.

"We don't look anything alike." He examined Daniel critically for comparisons. "So, okay, we're close in height, but not the same. He's got blue eyes, I've got brown. He sunburns, I tan. He's got brown hair, I've got, um, not so brown hair."

Vala nodded in agreement. "True, when it comes to that, neither of you would be mistaken for the other, even at a distance despite having similar builds. But you are both stubborn, intelligent, passionate, very guarded in your personal lives and your man-bits are nearly identical. A matching pair should only count as one."

Taken aback, Jack blinked. "Matching pair?"

"Man bits?" repeated Daniel, his voice rising in disbelief.

"Yes," Vala said, pointing to their crotches. "Man-bits."

As Daniel's eyes followed her pointing finger he found himself staring at an area of Jack he'd never paid attention to before. Jack, it turned out, was just as hard as he was since Daniel could clearly see the bulge in Jack's pants. It was a respectable bulge, bordering on impressive. Daniel was calculating how much of that bulge was a trick caused by the fabric tenting and how much was really Jack himself when a pair of feminine hands nimbly unbuckled, unzipped and uncovered the penis in question, displaying the hard length on one delicate palm. Bordering on impressive indeed. Jack managed a startled "Hey!" before Vala wrapped her hand around his penis and leisurely pulled all the way down to the head. She slid her hand back to nestle in the salt and pepper pubic hairs clustered around the root of it and pulled again. And again. The "hey!" turned into a long exhale with a groan at the end.

Daniel could hear the coarse hairs rustling together each time Vala's hand reached the base. As he inhaled the musky scent wafting up from Jack's exposed groin, Daniel was surprised to discover that he was aroused from watching Vala pump his best friend's penis. He was so mesmerized by the sight of her slender fingers curling around Jack's dick, stroking it slowly, teasingly, that he failed to notice her other hand. The sound of a zipper dimly registered in his consciousness but it wasn't until a warm hand pulled his throbbing cock out of his best pair of boxer shorts that he realized what Vala was up to. The heady aroma of sex became more apparent in the room. He could swear he even smelled a salty tang which was hers and wondered how wet she'd be if he put his hand between her legs.

The touch of her hand on his naked cockhead almost precipitated him into orgasm. Gasping, he steadied himself with one hand on her hip, the denim of the mini skirt rough against his palm. Pleasure roiled through his willing flesh, building to a peak in his groin. He felt an exquisite pleasure / pain as his balls drew tight tight tight against the base of his cock. God he was close, so close. His trembling legs felt too weak to hold him and he feared his knees would buckle. Shoulder to shoulder, he and Jack swayed drunkenly. Hearing Jack - Jack - whimper in helpless desire pushed him over the edge. Groaning and shaking, he came in long pulsing ribbons. His senses whited out, brain and body completely consumed with the intensity of climax. He was distantly aware of grunting next to him then Jack came also, cursing and clutching at both Daniel and Vala to keep himself upright.

She gentled her grip, cradling his spent member in her hand and softly kissed his lips. Jack, still breathing heavily, received the same treatment. She grasped the men more firmly and moved back toward the bedroom. Daniel had long been aware that for him cumming was the equivalent of a lobotomy. For minutes afterwards, he'd be barely able to think beyond, "Oh. Okay." Apparently, Jack was the same. The two men shambled along in Vala's wake, as she literally led them by their dicks in post-orgasmic acquiescence.

As soon as they reached the bed, Vala shoved Jack's pants down past his hips repeating the movement on Daniel. He had enough sense to get the hint - she wanted them undressed. Oh. Okay. He quickly shucked his shirt, then crammed his pants and boxers down his legs, nearly toppling when the fabric halted in a bunch at his ankles. He picked at the laces on his shoes, hindered by fingers made clumsy more through inattention than a lack of co-ordination He couldn't keep his eyes off of Vala as she removed her clothes, stretching like a cat in the sun as each flimsy piece was peeled off and casually flung away.

As it turned out, she was wearing panties- the black lace g-string with the little red roses at the hip. He loved that pair. They looked sexy as hell on her, but were easy to sweep aside as he slid into her, the panties rubbing his cock with every stroke. She liked it when he pressed her lace-covered clit with the heel of his hand. Something about the texture, she said. She could feel the texture as she ground her clit against him, sopping wet inside, writhing and panting his name. It didn't matter whether he took her from the front or from behind. She'd cum hard every time and he would too. Oh yeah-those were great panties but he didn't mind a bit when they were tossed off as well.

Jack, damn his Special Ops, pre-planning heart, had had the foresight to wear loafers. While Daniel was wrestling with his tangled shoelaces, Jack had toed off his shoes and stepped out of his jeans all in one smooth movement. Jack's nakedness was familiar from years of communal showering at the SGC. But here in this context, this blatantly sexual setting, it was as though Daniel was seeing that rangy, lightly furred body for the first time. Sure, Jack had gained a little bit of weight now that he was flying a desk in Washington, but he still looked good. Still moved well, too, as he reached for Vala. One of Jack's hands threaded through the hair on the back of her head. The other slid down her spine to cup an ass cheek as he pulled her in for a long leisurely kiss. Daniel stared, hypnotized as soft questing kisses grew more passionate. He could clearly see their tongues sliding together as Vala arched into Jack, her breathing grower harsher. When she made that little mewling sound in the back of her throat, it was as though the spell had broken and Daniel could move again.

Frantic tugging finally released the knots. With a few judicious kicks Daniel was as naked as his companions. Stepping up behind Vala, he lightly kissed her shoulder as his hands slipped around underneath her arms to her front. He curved his palms, feeling the weight of her breasts as he rolled her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. The backs of his hands bumped against Jack's hairy chest. Jack's arm, his hand still clamped to Vala's ass, was wedged between Daniel and Vala. The contrast of her silky skin and Jack's fuzzy muscular arm, both pressing into Daniel's bare flesh was exciting, as was the proximity of Jack's hand to Daniel's crotch. Vala shivered and there was a hitch in her breath. Shifting his weight, Daniel rested one knee on the end of the bed behind him, tugging lightly as he did. Together, Jack and Daniel gently laid her out on the bed between them.

Swinging his feet up by her head, Daniel kissed his way down her body. He nuzzled at the nest of curls between her legs, inhaling her perfume. He hadn't done this while stretched out at her side before. The change in perspective threw him off a little at first, but he quickly adjusted. It was too soon achieve an erection, but his crotch tingled pleasantly in response to her scent. God, he loved the smell of her, the taste of her. As much as he loved to fuck her, he loved this even more. He nosed through the folds to her clit. A broad swipe of his tongue was followed by delicate lipping and sucking. He stroked the tips of two fingers between her lips, slicking them in her juices, gradually pushing them farther into her with each movement of his hand. She was soaking wet and hot as hell inside.

Tilting his head a bit, he looked up past her trim abdomen to see Jack suckling one of Vala's breasts and pinching the nipple of the other with his fingertips. Vala drew her knees up and spread them wide, undulating her hips and groaning. Daniel adjusted his position to accomodate her, closing his eyes when the sounds she made sent a charge of desire through him. He opened his eyes when something touched the wrist of the hand working inside her. Jack, his mouth still on her breast, had moved his hand down. Tugging on her nipple with his lips, Jack stared straight into Daniel's eyes as he slid one finger into her alongside Daniel's and Vala cried out in pleasure.

Together he and Jack set up a rhythmic stroking that soon had Vala trembling and gasping. There was something amazingly erotic about gazing into Jack's eyes as they penetrated Vala, bringing her closer to climax. He felt connected to them both on some primal level and found himself incredibly aroused despite having just come a few minutes before. Still suckling her clit, Daniel reached down to his own genitals with his free hand and squeezed. Thrashing her head on the pillow, back arched, hips pumping, Vala cried out in a language unfamiliar to him. Shaking and groaning right along with her, he felt as though he had orgasmed even though he hadn't been hard. Confused, he ran his hand over his cock, checking for semen but there was none.

Still quivering from the after effects, Daniel eased his fingers out of her as did Jack. Flipping back around, Daniel rested his head on the pillow next to Vala's. Jack did the same on the other side of her, slinging an arm across her belly. Daniel ran his hand over her skin, tenderly caressing her as he usually did after sex. This time, though, his wandering hand encountered Jack's arm. He barely hesitated before including Jack's arm in the same affectionate touching. In turn, Jack ran his hand up Daniel's arm to rub his shoulder, then moved to trace the line of Vala's jaw. Daniel caught a whiff of Vala's scent on Jack's fingers and a delicious shiver went through him.

Then he remembered that this wasn't the first time Jack had smelled like her. Remembered that unbeknownst to him, Jack and Vala had gotten together- had been getting together - often enough for Jack to know what gift to bring her. Daniel felt hurt, betrayed by both of them. He wanted to say something but couldn't put the words together. Dammit, he could put forth impromptu arguments on behalf of other people, other cultures, with style and eloquence. When it came to expressing his own feelings, he regressed to an awkward teenager at best, rendered hopelessly mute by his ineptitude.

He just wasn't very good at interpersonal stuff. Never had been. He was far more likely to ignore or avoid anything that might be painful to examine. He'd been erecting impenetrable barriers around himself since he was a child, trying to wall off the pain of living. During his sojourns at the cabin he had gradually let down his guard, incrementally revealing himself to Vala. In truth, all he had done was follow her example. She could be remarkably open with him. Their post-coital pillow talk sometimes took on the air of a confessional. No matter what secret was shared they always found absolution an arm's length away.

This time, Vala had really thrown him for a loop. He never knew what to expect from her. Just when he thought he had her figured out, she did something unexpected. Deep down, he knew it had been unrealistic to expect exclusivity from Vala, but since she had never mentioned another lover, Daniel had naively hoped he was the only one. As he worked up the courage to speak, his heart rate increased again, only this time it was nerves, not desire that provided the impetus. He waited for everyone to catch their breath then he asked seriously, "So, how did you two get together?"

He was proud of himself for asking that out loud. He recognized it as a breakthrough and congratulated himself for the milestone even as he waited in trepidation for the answer.

There was a pause as Jack and Vala looked at each other, then looked away. Neither looked at Daniel as Vala replied.

"It wasn't intentional." She brushed stray hair out of her eyes. "After you were captured by Adria, Jack came racing out to Colorado. He was supposed to stay for two days for the debriefing, but he ended up staying for two weeks. By then, it was obvious that there would be no easy fix for your situation. So, the third time the Pentagon ordered him back to D.C. he actually went. He flew back every single weekend after that, though."

"So, the minute I'm gone you jump each other?" Daniel took refuge in sniping. "Sorry. Didn't realize I'd been in the way. Maybe I should leave you two alone."

"No," Vala turned to face him, laying her palm along his cheek so that she could look him directly in the eyes. "We were so worried about you and so helpless. We really thought we'd lost you for good and there was nothing, nothing, we could do. We took solace in what comfort we could. Got to know each other. I know how much Jack means to you. Being close to him made me feel closer to you."

Raising himself up on his elbow, Jack reached across Vala to palm Daniel's shoulder. "Yeah. We connected to you through each other. Everyone at the SGC was upset and worried. Carter was beside herself and I've never seen Teal'c so grim. But somehow, with me and Vala, it was just...more intensely personal. I think the only person that knows you better than me is her. We could share things the others couldn't."

"We never gave up on you, either." With the tip of a finger Vala traced his eyebrows. The light touch was pleasant. "We had a plan. A desperate, wonko, burn all of our bridges type plan to find you. Luckily, you found us first."

"What kind of a plan?" They didn't even know where he was, hell he didn't even know where he was most of the time, plus he was on a ship that kept moving. How could they expect to find him?

"It involved the unsanctioned borrowing of supplies and an al'kesh. Jack would go A-frame and we'd take off together to look for you."

"AWOL," corrected Jack.

"You're kidding!" Dumbfounded, Daniel stared wide eyed at Jack. "You wouldn't have just gone haring off. You wouldn't have left the-the Pentagon, the-the SGC."

"Yes," Jack replied somberly, "I would have."

"But, the SGC has had other personnel go missing before, and you never gave any indication of doing anything like that." Befuddled, he tried to reconcile a Jack who would walk away from his obligations as a military officer with the dutiful man of honor he knew.

"You're not other people." Jack's reply was so low, Daniel could barely hear it. "Over the years I've watched you get kidnapped, get hurt, get tortured, get sick, go crazy. I've watched you die time and time again. I just...I just couldn't take it any more. This was the last straw. I was going to get you back or die trying."

"And you prove your devotion to our friendship by sleeping with my-my-my," Daniel stammered, not knowing how to continue. What was Vala to him? All this time, he had never examined their relationship, never questioned his motives for being with her beyond the obvious. But if sex was all they shared, if she didn't matter to him to begin with, then why did he feel so hurt by her behavior? Why did he trust her enough to open up to her? To be vulnerable to her? Uncomfortable with the direction his thoughts were taking, he changed the subject mid-sentence. "Why didn't you tell me after I escaped from Adria?"

Jack stretched out his arm to grip Daniel's shoulder. "You'd already been through so much. I didn't want to pile more crap on you. Besides," he admitted gruffly, "Vala kinda grew on me. I didn't want to hurt her either."

Jack's touch was soothing. It calmed him down, made it easier to think.

Daniel remembered what it was like to be the one left behind. Jack had been stranded on Edora for 100 days. For 100 days they didn't know if he was alive or if he'd been killed in the fire rain. Distraught and trying to hide it, Daniel and Sam had turned to each other for comfort. Reminiscing with their favorite Jack stories helped keep their absent friend close in their hearts. The two of them met more and more frequently, their get-togethers culminating in what was meant to be a night of mutual commiseration over a bottle of wine. One bottle turned into two, then turned into tequila shots. Daniel woke up on the living room floor next to Sam the next day with a fierce hangover. Both of them were missing some of their clothes. He had a vague recollection of sloppy desperate kisses but he was never sure how far things had gone. He had never gotten up the nerve to ask Sam, either, but it was a week before she could look him in the eye again without turning red.

How could he stay upset when he had done the same thing himself?

"I can understand why you did what you did," he conceded. "It did hurt, but I'll be okay. I appreciate you telling me. You two mean a lot to me and I don't want to lose either of you over this. I want us to all stay friends."

"Thank you, Daniel." Vala ran light fingers over his cheek. "If it makes you feel any better, he intended to break it off with me this weekend."

Jack's eyebrows popped up. "You knew?"

"I was thinking rather the same thing as you, I suspect. We either had to tell Daniel, or stop seeing each other. Or maybe both. Whatever we decided, Daniel's needs had to come first."

"Yeah, well, your news sorta trumped that," Jack said thoughtfully as he placed his hand on her stomach.

Vala smiled at Jack, covering his hand with her own. A jealous pang went through Daniel until Vala took his hand and put it on her stomach too. Jack interlaced his fingers with Daniel's and Vala's hand rested atop them both. Daniel felt that same interconnectedness he had felt earlier. The three of them were bound together in some indefinable way. He could forgive them anything as long as they stayed together.

"There's going to be a lot of things we need to discuss," said Jack.

"Yes, well, enough of the serious stuff." Vala spoke in a lighthearted manner for a definite change of subject. "There'll be plenty of time for that later."

Sitting up, she swung a leg over Daniel, straddling him. He automatically raised his knees to brace her. His hands went to her thighs, thumbs arcing in small circles across her skin. Putting her palms on his chest she leaned down for a languid kiss and he ground his pelvis into hers. Daniel had forgotten about their audience until he heard a sharp intake of breath from Jack. Before he had time to be embarrassed, Vala dismounted on the other side of him, shoving Daniel into the center of the bed.

Daniel lay on his back, flanked by Jack and Vala each on their side propped up on an elbow, watching him. Having them loom over him was endearing, reassuring, and unnerving all at once. It was also a bit difficult to get past the part where everyone was undressed. It didn't matter as much with Vala since he was used to that by now. However, Daniel was conscious of Jack's warm naked flesh pressing into his own. He was especially aware of Jack's heavy package, soft and kind of sticky, resting against his upper thigh.

"I thought we'd try something different," Vala announced.

"Oh, I think I'm fine with the same-old, same-old," Jack said suspiciously.

"Or perhaps," Vala suggested, "you might be more open to new experiences than you previously realized."

"Define new," Daniel demanded nervously.

She shrugged. "How about new as in, enjoying watching your friend get a fabulous hand job?"

Blushing, Daniel remembered his reaction to that experience. Perhaps it would be better if Jack fielded that question. Jack appeared to be thinking the same thing because neither man spoke.

"In light of recent events," persisted Vala, "it would be folly to deny it."

The men exchanged glances. Daniel was the first to crack.

"Watching her touch you made me hard," admitted Daniel.

"Yeah," nodded Jack, "and, well, seeing - hearing- you cum made me cum too."

Vala smiled at them. "I think you two would have a lot of fun together. And I, for one, would love to see it."

"There's one small problem with your little scenario," Jack declared. "We're not gay."

In Daniel's opinion, that statement would be more meaningful if Jack wasn't idly toying with Daniel's pubic hair. He didn't mention it, though, because then Jack might stop.

"Start with a kiss," Vala suggested. "Just to see how you like it." She paused as though waiting for a reply but none was forthcoming. "Consider it an experiment." Persuasion changed to wheedling. "Please? For me?"

The two men looked at each other questioningly. Of its own volition, Daniel's head nodded "yes" even as his mind was considering what response to give. Hesitantly, almost shyly, Jack eased forward, gently touching his lips to Daniel's. A couple of chaste close-mouthed kisses let Daniel test the unfamiliar concept of a man's mouth on his. Jack's lips were soft and warm, just like a woman's would be. That fact that this was Jack, his friend, the person he was closer to than anyone in this galaxy except Vala, gave the exercise an unexpected emotional undertone that had him wanting more. Parting his lips to deepen the kiss, Daniel closed his eyes the better to concentrate on the sensation of Jack's tongue slipping over his.

Something warm and wet enveloped his nipple. He opened one eyelid to see Vala leaning over, her lips fastened on him. She lapped at his teat, sending a delightful buzzing straight to his cock. Her fingers trailed up his inner thigh as Jack continued with the sweetly erotic kisses. A masculine hand fondled the inside of his other thigh. When calloused fingertips lightly brushed his scrotum, Daniel's eyes fluttered shut. He heard someone groaning and wished he didn't have to wait to regain his erection. When he realized that those needy moans were coming from him, he reduced his estimated refractory time by half. Shuddering involuntarily in response to their attentions, his knees flopped up and out to allow greater access.

Maybe it was because he had already cum once taking the edge off of his physical urges. Maybe it was because the brief discussion had turned his brain back on. Whatever it was, despite really really enjoying the current, ah, activities, Daniel found himself in a contemplative mood. Maybe it was just that being in a unique position to compare and contrast Vala's and Jack's techniques, he couldn't help noticing quite a few similarities. That in turn made him think of how similar they were in general.

Both feigned an outward nonchalance, shielding themselves in wisecracks and sarcasm to cover a steely core of intelligence, determination, loyalty, and a preternatural ability to focus on an objective until it was obtained. He raised his chin to give Jack more room to lick down his neck and chest to his other nipple. Speaking as their current objective, that intense focus could be a mighty fine trait. Neither respected his boundaries - they pushed them, instead. Pushed them out of shape, pushed them aside, pushed past them, then looked at him with indignant denial if he dared bring it to their attention. Both of them insisted on "looking after" him no matter how often he reiterated he was perfectly capable of taking care of himself.

It came to him suddenly, as epiphanies are wont to do, that they loved him completely. Huh. Matching pair, indeed, he thought with a smile. He felt the smile spread over his whole face and straight down into his heart as the second epiphany arrived and he suddenly understood how very much he loved them back. Then somebody sucked his balls while someone else tongued his ass and Daniel didn't think again for a long, long time.

Finis

Author's Note: I really appreciate feedback. Also, check out my J/D friendship fic under Catsmeow at The Alphagate http://www.thealphagate.com/viewuser.php?uid=381