Undercurrent

by Cowardly Lion

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asc/clion/undercur.php
Summary: It's all about the subtext.
Info: Written for a challenge on Livejournal.

Daniel tried to focus on the glyphs in front of him, but the sound kept intruding, breaking his concentration. He'd been sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of the wall long enough for the sole of his right boot to dig into his left shin. His knees and thigh muscles ached a bit from holding the same position for such an extended length of time and the cool damp of the ground had seeped into his butt. He scratched idly at his collar bone as he perused the reference text in his lap. The sooner he finished the sooner SG-1 could go home.

Blocking out all physical discomfort, he fixed his attention on the wall. Perception narrowed to stone and line and myriad possible meanings. He jotted the probable translation in the notebook which was also in his lap.

And there it was again. That background noise, a low level whine, droning on and on and on. It was persistent, steady, and as constant as a fast flowing river, bringing to mind the phrase 'babbling brook'. Sometimes the noise varied in intensity or volume but it never stopped. Ever. It was distracting as hell. Even more distracting than what had come before it. The noise built again, gaining volume. Gaining speed. Turning petulant.

Daniel felt something inside him go 'ping!' as though some limit had been reached and a switch had flipped.

"Oh for God's sake! Here!" Daniel felt the words explode out of him. "Here's your damn yo-yo." With short sharp movements, he pulled the toy from the pocket on his tac vest and flung it, hard. There was a thump and an "oof!" as it hit Jack in the chest. "Now shut up and let me work, you big baby!"

"That's Colonel Big Baby," retorted Jack, "and that's what you get for taking my stuff."

"If you hadn't been pestering me with it, I wouldn't have taken it."

"I wasn't pestering," Jack said loftily. "I was creating a socially enriching interactive yo-yo experience. Carter and Teal'c didn't mind, did you guys?"

Sam's glare was so emphatic that Daniel could practically hear it, and Teal'c did that ultra-frowny thing with his mouth that made him look like one of muppets.

"See?" Jack willfully ignored his team mates' responses. "They didn't mind. You need to quit being so touchy."

Be careful what you wish for, Jack thought Daniel. Pretending to change his mind, he adopted a reasonable tone and said, "You know, you're right, Jack. I should stop being so touchy. In fact, consider me a no-touch zone." Narrowing his eyes to slits for emphasis, he could see the moment that Jack understood the subtext.

"Fuck," said Jack.

"Not likely," muttered Daniel.

Sam snickered as Teal'c smiled.

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