Once Upon A Mattress
by Cowardly Lion
URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asc/clion/onceupon.php
Summary: Jack and Daniel make the transition from bed-mates to lovers.
Info: This started as two small comment fics in response to a challenge on Livejournal. Thanks to my betas Mare, Barb, and AnnO
Selection
The Telnara were a hospitable folk, wealthy in spirit but poor in worldly goods. Tonight, SG-1 was occupying two rickety beds in one cramped room of the village leader's tiny house. Jack had a feeling that this was the head man's personal bedroom, vacated in their honor. Since it was obviously the best the village had to offer, the team accepted it with profuse thanks. Tomorrow there would be a feast and talk of trade for the herbal extracts that had the botany department wetting its collective pants with glee.
Jack quietly punched his wafer-thin pillow, trying to fluff it up a bit without disturbing his bed mate. He was curled up on his side, facing Daniel who lay on his back out like a light and making that huff-wheeze noise that meant his antihistamines were wearing off. Across the room he could hear Carter snoring. It was soft and ladylike, but definitely snoring. Jack couldn't hear Teal'c, but that was to be expected since the Jaffa was outside the door on guard duty. No matter how nice these folks seemed to be, the colonel in Jack wouldn't allow him to disregard protocol. Each member of the team would take a watch tonight and right now it was Teal'c's turn. Didn't matter, though. Even if Teal'c been in the room with them, Jack still wouldn't hear him since he never made any sound.
The noise from Daniel got a little louder. Jack gently took hold of Daniel's arm that was nearest him and crossed it over Daniel's chest, pushing on the shoulder. As his arm moved, so did Daniel, rolling easily onto his side without waking and taking most of the covers with him. Some things never changed. Jack had been using that same technique on Daniel since they first started sharing a billet on missions. Guess Oma hadn't messed with that part of his friend's brain. Daniel had been sent back from ascension with his body rebuilt, his memory muzzled and his intellect intact. Things had been a bit awkward for everyone as Daniel slowly recalled his place on the team and at the SGC. The year away almost seemed like it had never happened. Almost.
Jack remembered every single minute of every single day of that lonely heart-breaking year. He'd spent it both mourning the loss of his friend, and angry at him for leaving. He knew the anger was irrational. Daniel had been rapidly dying of radiation poisoning. Even if there had been a way to stop the deterioration of his body, they wouldn't have been able to reverse the damage that had already been done. Daniel would have been trapped in a crippled body with nothing to look forward to but a short agonizing life. Never in a million years would Jack have wanted that for him. No, Daniel had been much better off in glowy land. That didn't mean that Jack hadn't missed him. A lot.
Moonlight seeping in through ill-fitting shutters gave him enough light to see Daniel's back. Stifling a sigh, Jack eased the covers out of Daniel's grip and tucked them down behind him. His ass was still hanging out in the draft, but he could live with it. If he tugged any more, Daniel might wake. By all rights, it should be thoughts of the woman across the room keeping him up at night. Carter was beautiful, smart, and he cared about her more than he should as he did the rest of his team. If anyone should be the object of his desire it should be her and for a while he had thought that it was. But the most important thing he'd learned during Daniel's absence was that it wasn't just friendship he felt for the man, but love. Real, true, wondrous, angsty, affectionate, romantic love. Love like he'd felt for only one other person in his life before. Tall, athletic, unmistakably masculine Dr. Daniel Jackson brought forth in him the same kind of emotions as his ex-wife Sara. And wasn't that a kick in the head? What would Daniel do if he discovered Jack's secret?
Daniel moved restlessly, breathing faster. Jack lightly placed a hand on the back of Daniel's neck then slowly drew it down along his spine to his shoulder blades. After a few repetitions, Daniel settled down, drifting back into heavy slumber. Jack let his hand rest on Daniel's back, needing the physical connection to chase away his own melancholy thoughts. How many people got a second chance like this? Not just Daniel, but everyone around him got a second chance when Daniel returned. What was it that Grandma O'Neill used to say about opportunity? He could just picture her, doling out advice along with cookies and milk. "It only comes around once, son," she'd proclaim, absolute sovereign of a kitchen redolent of freshly baked cookies or pie, "so best pay attention or you won't hear it knock."
Jack stroked the nape of Daniel's neck and made his choice. As soon as they got back he'd find a way to ease into a conversation with Daniel and lay bare his heart. His hand began to tremble as he realized how close he'd come to missing the knock.
Set Up
He couldn't believe he was doing this.
Jack lay on the right side of the bed watching him. Or maybe it was the left side. Were you supposed to be in the bed when you made reference to location or standing next to it as Daniel was? He hadn't shared a bed with enough people to really be sure. Well, he had shared his bed plenty of times, just not on a regular basis. Okay, he did share it on a regular basis with Jack but that was when they were on missions and space was at a premium or there was a need to combine body heat.
The last person he'd shared his bed in the context of a relationship had been his late wife Sha're, and then they didn't really have a set side of the bed to sleep on. They spent much of their time exploring each other bodies with equal parts love and enthusiasm and tended to fall asleep on whatever side they collapsed on, exhausted, sated and deliriously happy. Sha're would cuddle up against him, her head on his chest and his arms holding her snugly or he'd spoon up behind her, wrapping her in his arms, his face buried in that glorious hair, her scent filling his nose. As much as he loved her, as much as he missed her, he was finally putting his grief behind him It was time to move on. He didn't think she would mind. He didn't even think she would mind that the current object of his affections was a man - specifically his best friend, team mate, and commanding officer Colonel Jack O'Neill -
- who was still laying in the bed, watching him as he stood frozen next to it.
"Daniel?" With an inquisitive look and pat on the mattress, Jack invited Daniel to join him.
That would be okay, wouldn't it? To join him? It was something Daniel had wanted for a while now, although this was an unforeseen manifestation of that desire. When Jack looked a little puzzled and patted the mattress again, Daniel realized that he'd been babbling nervously in his head. Thank heavens it was only in his head because if had opened his mouth and nattered on like this, then Jack would know something was up, and since Daniel hadn't told him that he had feelings, romantic feelings, for Jack, then this might all come as a surprise and Jack might not want Daniel in bed with him if he knew there were feelings involved and -
With an effort, Daniel squashed the rambling line of thought, sternly got his nerves under control and settled his lean frame gingerly on the mattress next to Jack. Shifting experimentally, he tried lying on his side before mimicking Jack and lying on his back. He could feel the mattress dip between then and had to tighten his muscles against the natural inclination to roll toward the man. He wasn't sure what had made him accept Jack's invitation. While it felt normal in many respects to share a bed as they so often did on missions, there was an element of the surreal that was hard to ignore.
"Well?" Jack raised one eyebrow inquisitively, hands folded primly across his abdomen, feet crossed lazily at the ankles. Daniel was close enough to hear the nearly silent rustle of Jack's hair against the pillow as he turned to face Daniel. "What do you think?"
Daniel hesitated, "Well..."
Jack's expectant smile faded. "You're not happy with it, are you?"
Daniel kicked himself for not giving a whole hearted endorsement the moment the inevitable question came. He'd never gotten the hang of the little white lie. Too many nuances, not enough hard and fast rules for usage. Taking a deep breath, he told the truth, hoping Jack wouldn't be upset. "To be honest, it's not as hard as I'm used to."
The mouth turned down into a frown. "Are you saying it's too soft?
"No, no!" Daniel rolled onto his side, one hand reaching out to clasp Jack's forearm, the hair on Jack's arm a rough contrast to his smooth skin. "It's not too soft, I'm more accustomed to something a bit, um, firmer – that's all. It's fine. Really."
"Well, I've never had any complaints before," Jack retorted, his thin lips giving the suggestion of a pout.
"It's fine, really. Just...different that's all." Daniel rubbed Jack's forearm lightly as both apology and reassurance while wondering who else Jack had done this with before him. The sudden compulsion to track those people down and warn them away from his prospective lover was almost overwhelming.
Jack pursed his lips, focused his eyes in the distance and considered a moment. "It's probably not too late to back out."
"Don't do that!" Daniel's heartbeat sped up. He'd ruined everything. Jack had been content until an ill-timed comment from Daniel had flattened his enthusiasm. "Just ignore me. Really. It doesn't matter what I think. Your opinion is the one that counts here."
Jack shook his head decisively. His hair rustled against the pillow again, louder this time reminding Daniel of the sound of the air rushing through the feathers of birds taking flight. "Nope. If you think it should be harder, then harder it shall be." One hand lifted imperiously. "Excuse me, Miss?"
The sales woman hurried forward. "Yes, sir?"
Jack patted the mattress. "Can I order a firmer version of this same mattress?"
Clearly eager to keep the sale, she nodded several times. "Oh, no problem at all! In fact, we should be able to keep the same delivery date."
Jack rewarded her with one of those smiles that lit his face from within. "Great!" He hopped up to stand next to her. "Let me give you my credit card." He gestured toward the register at the front of the store, letting the sales woman lead the way.
Still lying on his side, Daniel idly caressed the warm spot next to him, watching wistfully as Jack strode off. While it was flattering that Jack valued his opinion, he wished there was more to this than one friend soliciting another's advice. During his Ascension he had realized why he'd been so very hurt by Jack's behavior in the months leading up to Kelowna and his death. Jack wasn't just a friend to him anymore. Somewhere along the way, Daniel had fallen in love with the man. Words that would have been hurtful from a friend had been devastating from someone he loved. Now that he was corporeal again, he should say something, do something - anything - to let Jack know how he felt. This would have been a great opportunity to ease into a conversation about it. Too bad he'd chickened out. Maybe later, when they got back to Jack's house he would try again.
Reluctantly, he rolled off of the bed and followed Jack to the front of the store, casting surreptitious glances at the man's fine ass along the way. As he waited for the purchase to be completed, he pretended the two of them were a couple who had just picked out the bed they would share. The next few minutes flew by as he indulged in erotic fantasies of just exactly how they would "christen" the bed once it was delivered.
If only it could be true.
Delivery
This was the best way to spend his Saturday morning.
Jack sat on his couch watching contentedly as Daniel, master of the esoteric, expounded excitedly on his discovery. The millennia old detritus of P45-T37 had been carefully crated up and shipped to Daniel's lab at the SGC. By sifting through the remains, blending those findings with bits of arcane lore from R02-591, and thinking way outside of the box, Daniel had pinpointed the location of what was in all probability another Library of the Ancients.
That was early this week, and Daniel still hadn't come off of his high. The couch shook under Daniel's enthusiastic gestures as he waved his arms like a symphony conductor during a boisterous movement. The mission to confirm the theory wouldn't be for another few days and as he was jostled again, Jack doubted Daniel's enthusiasm would have worn off by then.
Jack sipped his soda, admiring the rosy flush that brought out the blue in Daniel's eyes. He would have to be more direct in approaching Daniel. The same intense intellect that picked up on clues so faint that only he could see them completely missed the bus this time around. Apparently, bringing his would-be boyfriend to the furniture store to help pick out the mattress for the new bed was too subtle a hint for Triple-Doctor "I Can Kill You With My Brain" Jackson.
Daniel had accompanied Jack to the store, balking when invited to lie next to him to test-drive the mattress. Daniel had stood by the bed with that vaguely unfocused look that meant he was either thinking really hard or trying not to freak out. Either way, it couldn't have been a good sign so instead of using the purchase to segue into a discussion when they returned to his house that night as he had intended, Jack had turned on the TV and let his friend watch documentaries. This despite the fact that there had been a hockey game that they could have been watching instead. Ah, the things he did for love. Hopefully, he would have an opportunity to broach the subject of his feelings when the bed was delivered today. In the meantime, he would enjoy watching Daniel.
Jack checked his watch when the doorbell eventually rang. 11:00 a.m. Not too bad. Only about an hour past the scheduled delivery time. There was a few minutes of inspecting the new bed and mattress for defects before he signed the delivery papers. Fifteen minutes later the guys with the truck drove off with the old bedding leaving Jack and Daniel to admire the new set. Hands tucked into front pockets, Jack stood at the end of the bed, shoulder to shoulder with Daniel. Together they stared at the bare white mattress, the quilted surface making it look like a moonscape in miniature.
"So, pillow top." Daniel nodded as though he was agreeing with Jack instead of making a statement of his own.
Jack drew breath intending to divulge his feelings to his friend. Instead he found himself babbling something inane about his bed spread. "I'll probably get a new comforter. I haven't decided what color or style to get yet but I want something that matches the room."
"What's wrong with the old one?"
"Nothing," he shrugged. "I'm just tired of it. "
"What do you think would look best on the bed?"
"You."
Jack shut his mouth so fast that his teeth clacked. Not fast enough though – the damage was done. What was meant to be an internal comment had filtered through to his Outside Voice. There was a moment of silence as both men registered the remark.
There was movement in his peripheral vision as Daniel turned his head to stare at him. Mentally bracing himself, Jack faced his friend. Daniel's eyes were wide open, his eyebrows half way up his forehead. His mouth was pursed up in that perfect "O" that plumped his full lips and did wicked things to Jack's libido. His mouth opened wider as the tip of his pink tongue darted out to moisten those lush lips. The ambient temperature increased dramatically and Jack had to resist the urge to tug at his collar.
Huh. Not quite how he had intended to broach the subject but what the hell - he might as well roll with it.
"Daniel," his voice was raspy from nerves or desire or maybe both, "your friendship is important to me so I really hope that what I have to say doesn't jeopardize it. For some time now I've had feelings for you. Deep feelings of a – mmf!"
Tossing subtlety aside, Daniel had grabbed Jack's head and kissed him. Jack's shaky hands clutched at Daniel, pulling him into a full body hug. They fell onto the bed, breaking apart long enough to scramble into the center of it then dove right back into each other's arms. They didn't even time to peel out of their clothing. Never had he gotten so hard so fast. Jack brought his knee up between Daniel's legs, pressing his aching cock against one muscular thigh and felt Daniel's cock rubbing against his hip in return. He tried to roll them so that Daniel was underneath him, giving him more room to move. Instead, Daniel twisted from his grip, pulled with his legs, pushed with his shoulders and Jack found himself on his back with Daniel leaning over him. Jack broke off the kiss but before he could say Daniel's name, those soft lips recaptured his. Daniel slid his tongue against Jack's and undulated against him, fueling his mounting arousal as well as keeping him pinned to the mattress. Jack got the hint. Since Daniel seemed to have a definite idea of how this would go, Jack relaxed and let him take charge.
The kisses were warm, wet and deep. Daniel's tongue explored his mouth with feather light touches that made Jack crazy with need. Eager hands wormed their way up inside Daniel's shirt. Soft. Warm. Smooth. God, Daniel's skin felt like sun-warmed silk under his fingers and Daniel's breath stuttered as he moaned into Jack's mouth. Knowing that Daniel wanted this as much as he did sent another pulse of desire through Jack's cock. If he could just unzip his jeans, he could get a little relief. He reached down, but Daniel wrapped long fingers around his wrist, moving his hand away. Frustrated, Jack wriggled, trying to get a better position.
Then Daniel trailed a hand down his chest to his groin and cupped his package through his jeans leaving Jack breathless from the feel of strong hands touching him so intimately. Running purely on primitive level now, Jack rocked his hips up into Daniel's palm as it squeezed and released. Gasping, Jack broke off the kiss, thrusting his hips sharply into the hand that covered him. Daniel pressed harder, setting up a rhythm that quickly increased in tempo. The husky murmur of "Come for me, come for me" flowing from his lips triggered a buzz of pure pleasure in Jack's balls. That buzzing expanded into his groin, ran down his thighs and across his asshole until it hit critical mass.
Under Daniel's watchful eyes, with Daniel's hand on his erection, and at Daniel's command - Jack came. Fingers clenched in Daniel's shirt, he fell apart cradled in the safety of Daniel's arms, shuddering and incoherent from the intensity of the orgasm. Daniel's hand worked between his legs slowing the pace to prolong the orgasm, wringing every last drop of bliss from him. Gradually, the waves of pleasure diminished. Then Daniel caressed him, calloused hands gliding over his clothes to touch his back, his flank, his ass and his face as he floated back to earth. The touch was like ambrosia to a starving man and Jack savored it, arching up into it wishing he was naked. He rubbed his face against Daniel's, desperate for the feeling of Daniel's skin against his.
When he could speak again, he joked, "So, is it hard enough for you?"
Daniel's cheek dimpled up as he suppressed a smile, amusement lighting his eyes. "Definitely. And is this-" he placed Jack's hand on his on his bulging groin "-hard enough for you?"
Jack closed his hand around the cloth-covered erection, grinning when Daniel closed his eyes and groaned in response. "Oh yeah," he said as he reached for the zipper, "plenty hard enough."
Now it was his turn to play.
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
