Racing Up The Learning Curve

by Cowardly Lion

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asc/clion/racingup.php
Summary: When Cameron tries to use sex to teach Daniel a lesson, he learns something about himself instead
Info: Written for the 2008 Little Black Dress ficathon.
Request was for Dominant!Cam/Daniel, minor injury, beach, coffee, a specific quote. Restriction: "Strictly Cam/Daniel. None of that 'Daniel use to be with Jack stuff"

Cameron Mitchell pulled the decanter of coffee out of the refrigerator where he'd stashed it after breakfast that morning. Always thinking ahead, that was him. There wasn't much left, but it should be enough for one serving. While the door to the fridge was open, he also snatched up the milk and the plastic bottle of chocolate syrup and put everything on the counter with the other ingredients. He poured the coffee into the blender, added milk, sugar, ice and two big squeezes of chocolate syrup. Slapping the lid on the machine, he punched one of the buttons and the blender growled to life.

As he waited for the mixture to finish whipping, Cam stepped to one side so he could look out the window over the kitchen sink. Good. Daniel was right where Cam had left him. No surprise there. Between the bum ankle and the best-selling novel, Daniel was pretty much guaranteed not to move around much. Besides, that old wooden chaise lounge had a comfy new cushion.

After the destruction of the Prometheus and the subsequent chaos on Tegalus, the mood at the SGC had been grim. For Daniel, who knew the Tegalans personally and had had a ringside seat to the biggest ever clusterfuck of a mission gone fubar, it was even worse. But the SGC doesn't come to a screeching halt every time things go awry. Missions continue, and SG-1's next mission had started with disappearing Stargates, Cam's impersonation of a Crack Corn dealer and the whole team getting captured and roughed up. Stress levels for everyone were through the roof. SG-1 had only been on one mission since then and even that was cut short when the ruins they were investigating fell in on them. Now, Daniel was sidelined thanks to the ankle sprain he'd gotten.

Cam was man enough to admit that this sojourn was what he needed right now and he hadn't been through as much as Daniel had. He could feel the place working its magic already but Daniel was immune so far. Even after their festivities last night, Daniel was still wound up tighter than a three dollar pocket watch. Okay, they'd had to take it easy due to Daniel's sprained ankle, but that was minor compared to the problem of Daniel's big genius brain.

The chaise that Daniel was reclining in was one of two parked under a shade tree, right at the demarcation line where the yard met the tiny beach. Much of the land was covered in gnarled Scrub Pines that thrived in the poor soil which gave the beach and lake a white sandy bottom. Generations of Cam's family had owned this lake and the land surrounding it long before South Carolina was a state. The cabin, built in the 1930's, was still referred to as "the new place".

Private and secluded, it was the perfect spot to unwind and get away from the world before you went bugshit crazy. Surrounded by family photos ranging from color snapshots taken this year, leading back to black and white images from decades past, and farther back to sepia toned daguerreotypes of a century gone by, Cam was reminded of who he was and who he had joined the military to protect.

Sleeping under quilts hand stitched by a long line of Mitchell women; walking on the rag rugs hand braided by his grandma and her mama before her; eating at the table made by his couple-of-times-great grandfather; this always made Cam feel lighter, freer, after just a few hours here. It was medicine for the soul and even if it couldn't actually cure what ailed ya, this place made it recede for a time.

The sound of the blender changed from a choppy grumble to a steady whine. Shutting it off, Cam tugged the jar from the base and poured the drink into a tall glass. He found a package of colorful flexible drinking straws in a cabinet and chose a purple one for the drink. With a quick pat of his hand, he reflexively checked the pocket of his pajama pants for the things he knew full well were there. His feet nearly silent on the wooden floor, Cam headed out the back door.

As barefoot as a yard dog, he strode across the sandy soil. It was too early in the year for sand spurs, but the tough blades of runner grass were harsh against his soles, reminding him of the scoldings he used to get from his grandma for going unshod. She was convinced that going barefoot meant he'd get worms but he never did. Got plenty of burrs and splinters in his feet, though. Grandpa would get his pocketknife out and pick away at his small calloused soles, while Grandma clucked her tongue and offered cookies to ease the sting.

From his left, Cam heard the shrill cry of a hawk, counterpoint to the low buzz of insects. Like Daniel, Cameron was wearing nothing but his pajama bottoms so he easily felt the fitful breeze brushing his skin. The ground under the tree was cooler with a residual dampness from the morning dew. Judging by the cloudless blue sky, the afternoon would be a hot one, perfect for taking a dip in the lake or soaking up the sunshine on the beach. For now, he had specific plans for relaxing in the shade. Heading for the vacant chaise lounger, he sat sideways on it, facing Daniel.

"Here you go." Cam held out the glass, bendy straw toward Daniel, ready for sipping.

Daniel's hands didn't move as he frowned at the concoction. "I thought I asked for coffee." His tone was somewhere between uncertain and accusing.

"You did." Fat droplets of condensation plopped onto the pages of Daniel's open paperback when Cam waggled the glass enticingly.

"Then, why are you handing me a milkshake?" Blue eyes looked up at Cameron over the rim of his eyeglasses as Daniel snugged a bookmark in place then set the book down next to the chaise.

"It's not a milkshake. That high-falutin' coffee shop you favor has a fancy name for it, but essentially, it's a coffee slushy."

Cam had bought one, watching carefully as the barista threw it together. It only took a few tries in his kitchen back in Colorado before he had the recipe just right. Daniel reached for the glass reluctantly, seemingly more out of politeness than enthusiasm, and took a cautious sip.

"Oh, hey!" He looked pleasantly surprised. "That's pretty good. I, uh, I hope you don't mind if I forgo the straw." Plucking the straw out, Daniel slurped the excess liquid off of it, then set it next to the book. "These flexible ones always remind me of the infirmary."

They shared a wry smile. One thing they agreed on was how not fun the infirmary was. It was bad enough to get injured without having to recuperate in the semi-public confines of the SGC, subject to constant poking and prodding of medical staff with no concept of personal privacy.

"Thanks for breakfast." Daniel was almost halfway through his drink already. "It was good." He reached over to squeeze Cam's knee.

Cam shrugged. "Like biscuits and sausage gravy is so hard."

Actually, it was difficult to concentrate on cooking anytime Daniel was around, what with Daniel's habit of plastering himself against Cam's back, his hands idly caressing Cam's chest and hips. Daniel would quietly watch the proceedings over Cam's shoulders, occasionally dropping little kisses along Cam's nape. Sometimes Cam would pass a tidbit over his shoulder for Daniel to taste. He had a couple of tasty omelet recipes he'd like to whip up for Daniel this weekend, but he wasn't sure he would be able to concentrate well enough.

"And this?" Daniel took another huge swig. "This is fabulous. Thank you. It was...very thoughtful of you." Daniel's hand moved from Cam's knee to stroke his thigh.

He pretended to wave them aside, but Cam was inordinately pleased at the compliments and wished they didn't make him feel so good. Friends with benefits. Stress relief. A couple of guys with the same security clearance having fun and blowing off steam so the demands of their jobs didn't kill them before the job itself did. That was what this was supposed to be.

But, what had started as a fanboy crush on the heroes of SG-1 had become so much more with Daniel. Cam wasn't just emotionally involved, he was head over heels. He didn't dare call the guy by his first name in public for fear that he'd give himself away. His tongue lingered over the syllables and there was an extra warmth to his tone. Anyone in earshot would know that Cam was totally gone on the guy. Just another lovesick pup pining after Jackson like half the galaxy.

They hadn't traded histories, so Cameron had no idea who Daniel had been with before him or if it had ever been more than just fooling around. All Cam knew was that he wasn't Daniel's first guy. That was fine. Daniel wasn't his first, either. But the holy hell of it was that he wanted to be Daniel's last – the guy that Daniel settled down with. Stayed with. Loved.

He had Daniel's body, but what he wanted was Daniel's heart - all of it, not just a corner. He knew Daniel cared about him, because they were wired the same way. Sex and emotions went hand in hand - or cock in hand you might say. In his head he heard the gruff familiar tones of his grandfather declaring, 'Wantin' isn't gettin', boy". Cam wasn't afraid of being in love. He just didn't want to be the only one there. Pushing the thought aside, he tried to concentrate on what he had, not what he wanted.

Cam waited as Daniel tipped the last few drops of frozen coffee from the glass onto his tongue, then he stood, took the glass from Daniel's grasp and put in on the ground by the book.

"Cameron?" Daniel gave him that same wary "what the hell are you up to now?" look that Cam saw on a lot of missions.

By way of answer, Cam untied the drawstring on his pants and loosened the waistband. Weighted down by the items in his pocket, the pants fell straight to the ground and he kicked them aside as he stepped out of them. Scooting Daniel's legs over to make room, Cam sat on Daniel's chaise openly appreciating his strong chest and shoulders, the elegant hands, the sculptured cheekbones. Damn, the man was fine.

Daniel shifted under the assessing gaze. For some reason that Cam couldn't fathom, he never seemed comfortable accepting praise, even if it was only implied. Daniel tried to redirect the focus.

"I've been thinking about where we might find Merlin's weapon."

And there it was - the thing that bugged Cam. Even when he was putting the moves on Daniel, the man was still thinking. He wasn't even thinking about Cam or what they were doing together, but was thinking about work. Yeah, sure, the answer to that question would save their world and possibly the entire galaxy from the damn Ori, but still - the least the man could do was give Cam his full attention. Besides, as long as Daniel's brain was still mulling over shit like that or the correct way to pronounce some phone-thing off a long dead language, Daniel would never be able to relax. Cam decided to do do the man a favor.

"That's the problem with you smart people. Always thinking when you should be doing."

"I can multitask."

Under the teasing tone, Cam could hear a serious note. "There's a time for thinking," he said, as he put his hands on Daniel's hips. "And then there is a time for passion."

"Passion is the genesis of genius." Daniel had a comeback for everything.

Cam snorted. That sounded like a quote, though he didn't recognize it. "That is the wrong kind of passion, Jackson. I'm talking the hot sweaty mindless kind here. Emphasis on mindless."

He tugged at Daniel's waistband and the man obligingly lifted his hips so that Cam could slide the pants all the way off. Dropping them into a heap next to the chair, Cam took a moment to admire Daniel Jackson in all his glory. There was something about lounging naked as a jay bird outside in the broad daylight that made Daniel look extra naked and Cam just wanted to jump on him like a duck on a June bug.

Unfortunately Daniel was still talking. "According to Cicero, 'he only employs his passion who can make no use of his reason."

There was a challenging look in Daniel's eyes, as if he deliberately continued because he knew he was getting a rise out of Cam. Wrong kind of rise though. Cam decided to play along - fight fire with fire so to speak.

"You want to fling quotes at each other? Fine. We'll fling away." It just so happened that Cam had a favorite quote that fit the subject. "Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping, waiting, and though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir. Open its jaws, and howl." Cam trailed the tips of his fingers along Daniel's jaw line as he spoke.

Daniel cocked his head to one side. "I'm not familiar with that one. Who's the source?" He sounded intrigued.

"Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Great show. Joss Whedon is a god." Cam grinned, waiting for the response.

Eyes rolling in disdain, Daniel said, "I might have known you'd quote a television show." He smiled to take the sting out of the words. "So, you probably don't know Ben Franklin's thoughts on the subject. 'If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins.' Daniel sounded flirtatious. Apparently for him, wordplay and foreplay were synonyms.

"You only want classical citations? Okay, then how about this. 'Intellectual passion drives out sensuality.' So. There." Cam tried not to look smug as Daniel's eyebrows rose up in surprise.

"You're familiar with the works of DaVinci?"

Cameron shrugged, though a small part of him could tell that Daniel was impressed. "The man did design the world's first helicopter and he did it hundreds of years before Sikorsky no less. But," he raised an admonishing finger, "no changing the subject."

"I thought the subject was an exploration of the different aspects of passion."

"No, the subject is how you need to learn to let go. Put your intellect on hold and let your senses take over. You need to turn off that over-educated brain of yours and feel. Passion isn't just in the mind. Sometimes it's in the pads of your fingers." Putting word to deed, Cam ran his fingertips lightly down Daniel's lower abdomen, combing through the pubic hair.

"It's in the soft skin of your hip." Cam's fingers traced the crease between Daniel's hip and groin, following it down to palm the delicate inner thigh and Daniel's flaccid cock stirred and began to lengthen. Cam was way ahead of him.

Leaning forward, Cam held his face millimeters above Daniel's belly – so close he could feel not just Daniel's warmth, but the moist heat of his own breath reflecting back to him from Daniel's body. Skimming the surface with his face, Cam slowly moved up Daniel's torso until he was nosing the sparse hairs of Daniel's underarm.

"Passion is a thing of smell," Cam continued as he inhaled the scent of the man. This close, the light fragrance of Daniel's deodorant didn't quite mask the scent of clean sweat overlaid with a hint of musk. The aroma went straight to a primitive part of his brain. His desire increased and he felt his cock swell.

"Of taste" Cam dabbed with his tongue, feeling the coarseness of the hair. The brief tang of chemicals was overcome by the earthy taste of skin. Underneath him, Daniel breathed in sharply, his limbs moving restlessly. Through the touch of his lips on Daniel's skin, Cam felt Daniel's heartbeat quicken. Leaning up on one elbow, he trailed his other hand across Daniel's chest.

"I'm going to show you just what passion is." Mouth closed, he kissed Daniel's lips. "Moreover, I'm going to teach you how to give in to it."

"I don't-"

Another kiss silenced Daniel. And another, only this time Cameron slid the tip of his tongue against Daniel's lips until Daniel opened to him. For a few sweet minutes, they traded lazy kisses while the warblers fussed in the nearby trees and a great blue heron fished in the shallows of the lake. Cam leaned away, breaking off the kiss.

"I want you to stop thinking and just feel. Concentrate on the sensations your body is giving you. Don't talk about it, don't think about how it makes you think of other things, just feel.

Cam bent down to pick up Daniel's pajama pants, fumbling through them until he found the waistband. In one motion, he pulled the drawstring out. Eying the strong wooden frame of the chaise, he decided the top would be the best anchor point.

"Put your hands over your head and prepare for the best sex of your life, Daniel."

Cam reached for Daniel's wrist, but Daniel pulled it away and looked at him with doubt written in the lowered brows and the grimace pulling his mouth up on one side.

"Why?" He dragged out the word making two syllables of one.

"You don't just talk with your hands – you think with them. The whole point of this is to get you to stop thinking and let your senses take over. Ergo, no hands."

Saying nothing, Daniel put his hands in his lap, interlocking his fingers.

"For once, will you just do as I say? Consider this an experiment in alternative communication." He reached out for Daniel's wrist again. "Don't worry - you won't be completely wordless. You will get four that you can use: yes, no, more and stop. Yes means you like it, no means it doesn't do anything for you, more is pretty self explanatory, and stop means we call a halt to the whole thing."

"So...I say stop and you immediately cease and desist?"

"Absolutely. No harm, no foul. We move onto something else. Lunch. A dip in the lake. Lazing around in the sunshine. Whatever."

Daniel bit his bottom lip, a sign he was hesitant to speak. Bracing himself for Daniel's words, Cam waited for the intake of breath and lifted chin that meant some plain speaking was on the way.

"What happens if I'm tied up and you decide to run after something?"

Okay, that stung, especially since Daniel had a valid point. Daniel didn't say it, but Cam knew what the SF's had started to call him behind his back. Cambo. As in Rambo done Cam-style. He didn't remember when it had started but after his guns blazing solo run up the hill during the mission to rescue Teal'c from Ba'al, the whispers had become a lot louder.

Seems that 'impetuous' and 'team leader' didn't go well together, at least not according to the reprimand he'd gotten from General Landry. Somewhere beyond furious, O'Neill had damn near taken strips off Cam's hide and Cam had thanked God and Ma Bell that O'Neill hadn't been able to dress him down in person. Never one to pull his punches, Daniel had had a few choice words for him as well. Cam had already promised both generals he'd be more circumspect and now it seemed he had to reassure his lover once more.

"First of all, I'm not going to go haring off. Secondly, you'll be able to get untied if you really want to. Here, look." Using his teeth to help, Cam tied the drawstring around his own wrist to demonstrate the slip knot he intended to use. "See? I'll tie each of your wrists with one of these. The drawstring will be looped over the top slat of the chair which will give you plenty of slack for getting to the end of the knot with either hand if need be."

Daniel stared at him for long moments. Cam could see the gears turning as he thought everything over eight ways from Sunday. Finally, he nodded and raised his arms, resting his hands on the top of the chaise. "Yes, no, more and stop, right?"

Cam's skin flushed warmly as he realized Daniel was going to do this, was going to submit to him. He tried to still the shaking of hands as he tied Daniel's wrists in place then stood up. He ordered Daniel to put his feet on the ground, one on each side of the chair. When Cam sat back down, he straddled the chair facing Daniel, scooting forward until his knees were under Daniel's thighs. Daniel's feet dangled just above the ground and there was no way he could close his legs. He was entirely under Cam's control.

Now what was Cam going to do with him? Hmmm...

Usually, when he and Daniel got together they spent little time on foreplay. They kinda skipped the appetizers and went right for the main course. This time, Cam was going to stick with all of the secondary erogenous zones, many of which had been entirely ignored during their time together. Well, Daniel was always saying they should be peaceful explorers. Here was Cam's chance to prove he'd been listening all along.

At first, Cam used his hands, his fingertips, the backs of his nails on Daniel's body, watching carefully for his lover's response. Then he altered the sensation by using anything close at hand on Daniel's flesh - a leaf, Daniel's laminated bookmarker, a blade of grass, even the bendy straw. Anything he could easily reach without leaving the chaise was fair game.

A handful of white sand scooped up from next to the chair then drizzled over the arch of Daniel's good foot made him laugh and say "no". The same sand dripped over Daniel's inner thigh and abdomen made him hum appreciatively, but no words came out. Same for when Cam licked Daniel's nipples. It seemed to be pleasant enough because Daniel didn't say no but neither did he ask for more. Cameron filed away the information and moved along. Using a wadded up pair of pajama bottoms in concert with his breath, Cameron cleared all the sand off of Daniel and the chaise. It was kind of a win-win, because at the same time, he continued stimulating Daniel with a variety of textures.

Light touches to the tender skin on the backs of Daniel's knees, the underside of his upper arm, the crook of his elbow and on his flanks from the middle of his rib cage to just above the hipbones made Daniel shiver. Got him goose-pimply, even. But it also made his dick harder and Cam found the moans Daniel made arousing as hell. Daniel's hands, captured and held by the drawstring, clenched or flailed, or gripped the chair until knuckles turned white. Daniel pursed his lips, licked them, or held his lower lip firmly in his teeth. As he experimented, Cam discovered exactly what he needed to do to get each response from Daniel.

This was supposed to be about teaching Daniel a lesson but to his surprise, Cam discovered that he was learning, too. Learning how to focus on his partner, how to read the subtle physical responses to know what Daniel liked and what he didn't before Daniel spoke. Learning to control his own responses, not to rush in, but to hold back. He'd always been impulsive. Hot headed. Prone to act first and think later. Maybe there was something to be said for self control. Cam had never spent so much time in his head during sex before this. It was intensely erotic. To his astonishment, he was hard as hell from watching Daniel and suddenly he understood the appeal of voyeurism.

Eventually, Cameron relented in his campaign for indirect orgasm and finally focused on Daniel's primary erogenous zone. Daniel's cock was so hard that Cam could see it move slightly with every throbbing beat of Daniel's heart. At the delicate rasp of an evergreen twig skimmed over his shaft, Daniel gasped and splayed his knees out as far as he could. His pelvis curled up as he tried to rub himself against something - anything - but Cameron pulled away.

Denied the friction he needed to get off, Daniel pleaded for more until it became a ceaseless chant. Grabbing the top slat of the chaise with both hands for support, Daniel pulled his knees up to his chest and spread them out to the side. The action tilted his pelvis upward, putting him entirely on display for Cam. Daniel's intent was clear and Cameron was more than willing to oblige.

Pawing through the discarded clothes, he got the condom and lube from the pocket of his pants. Cam had the condom unrolled and on his dick in seconds flat. With a click, he flipped open the cap to the lube. When Cam slipped two lubed fingers into him, Daniel finally broke the four-word rule.

"Oh, God, yeah. Please, fuck me. Fuck me hard." His voice was hoarse with desperation.

Daniel Jackson, bound hands raised high over his head, lay open and willing before Cam, begging for his cock. It was all Cam could do not to come on the spot. Shifting forward, he pulled his fingers out and lined the tip of his cock up with Daniel's hole. With both hands on Daniel's hips, he simultaneously pulled Daniel onto his cock and thrust into him. Before he had finished sliding all the way home, Daniel was coming. Cam stayed unmoving, sheathed in pulsating warmth as Daniel came louder, harder, and longer, than Cam had ever seen him. Creamy white lines covered Daniel's abdomen as his ass contracted rapidly around Cam's cock.

Sitting mashed together as they were, Cam didn't have a lot of room to maneuver, but he was so close to the edge of orgasm that it didn't take much to send him over. Shuddering, Cam's hips jerked rapidly then he pushed as deeply as he could into Daniel and held there, his body taut and quivering, until he finished.

Slumping forward, Cam softly kissed Daniel's full soft lips, then rested his face in the curve of Daniel's neck. Daniel's shoulders moved under him and for a moment Cam thought that Daniel was trying to shrug him off. Then Daniel's arms came around him and he realized that Daniel had made use of the slipknots to release himself. Daniel's thighs closed around his hips as Daniel's hands rubbed soothing circles on his back. Covered in sweat and panting heavily, the men indulged in mutual nuzzling, clinging to each other for long minutes.

As their breathing returned to something approaching normal, Cam felt his softening dick start to slide out of Daniel's ass. He wrapped his hand around the base of the condom to keep it in place as he pulled out. It took but a moment to strip off the condom, tie it shut, then toss it to the ground. Sitting up, Cam grabbed one of pair of pants to clean them up. As he wiped, he grinned at his partner. Smiling back at him, Daniel's fingertips swept lightly over Cam's abs, his pecs, his upper arms - whatever Daniel could reach. In Daniel's eyes, Cam saw satisfaction, affection, appreciation, and amusement and he felt his heart warm.

For some reason, Cam's own comment came back to him - Daniel spoke with hands as much as he did with his mouth. Thinking back, he realized that Daniel, who routinely kept his hands to himself, constantly touched Cam when they were alone. Even in public, Daniel would stand close enough to feel body heat; close enough to brush shoulders.

Suddenly, Cam heard what Daniel's hands had been telling him for quite some time. Dropping the cloth, he framed Daniel's face in his hands, thumbs skimming the delicate arch of the cheekbones. When he kissed Daniel, he tried to put every ounce of feeling into it that he could and felt it returned in full. Ending the kiss, Cam pulled away just enough to morph to a full embrace. Daniel's strong arms wrapped around him, held him as though he'd never let go.

Oh yeah. There was love here. Maybe some day, they might actually say it out loud.

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