"Hey, Daniel."
"Jack."
Daniel barely looked up from his laptop as he continued to input information into what looked suspiciously like the engineering software the SGC archeologists had adapted to plot out the sites as they excavate them. His lunch tray had been pushed into the center of the table, growing cold, except for the mug of coffee set to the side, which Daniel reached for blindly with one hand while the other stayed on the keyboard. A rough three dimensional representation slowly emerged on the screen.
Jack set his tray down and scooted his chair right up against Daniel's so he could see what Daniel was working on. Daniel frowned and scooted over a good six inches without ever removing his hand from the keyboard, except to turn his laptop away so that Jack couldn't see what was on the screen.
Great. He was really getting tired of this new aloofness of Daniel's. It had started not long after Sha're's death, and had grown until Jack was feeling downright unwelcome. He resisted the urge to sniff his underarms, just to make sure he was presentable, and instead pretended to ignore Daniel's attitude. Because hey, that seemed to have worked rather well for the last month or so, right? Yeah, right.
"What 'cha working on, Daniel?"
"Nothing important, Jack."
"That's good. Because we're leaving in the morning, bright and early, and you know how you are if you haven't gotten plenty of sleep." He'd much rather drive to Minnesota with a grizzly bear than a grumpy Daniel, so Jack wanted to make sure he didn't get so caught up in whatever he was working on that he forgot to sleep. "Have you packed already?" Daniel didn't appear to be listening. "Daniel?"
"Yes, Jack?"
Jack didn't trust the innocent look on his face. "You haven't packed, yet, have you?'
"What?" Daniel's voice was distracted. Jack was beginning to get the impression he hadn't listened to a word Jack had said since he'd sat down.
Jack closed the laptop, catching Daniel's hands inside, not hard enough to do any damage, but hard enough to get Daniel's undivided attention.
"Jack. What are you doing?" He spoke in a calm, slightly preoccupied manner like he would to a five year old that didn't realize he was pestering an adult.
"Trying to talk to you, Daniel. And obviously I'm not going to get anywhere while you've got your nose buried in that computer. Now, are you going to pay attention or do I have to toss this thing into the nearest trash compactor?"
"I'm actually kind of busy, Jack. Do you think we could talk about this later?"
"Talk about what later?"
"Whatever it is you want to talk about. How should I know?"
"Did you even hear what I just asked you?"
"Ummm, something about packing?"
"That's right, Daniel. I asked if you had packed yet. For our trip. To Minnesota? The trip we leave for bright and early tomorrow morning. So. Have you?"
"About that, Jack." Jack felt a sense of dread building in his bones. He was not going to let Daniel talk his way out of this one, dammit. "I don't think I'm going to be able to go to Minnesota. Something has come up here that I need to take care of. As a matter of fact-"
"Oh, no you don't." Jack interrupted. Of their own accord, his hands pulled themselves into a defensive position in front of his chest, as if he could block Daniel's words from reaching him if he could just get his hands up fast enough. "You agreed to this when the General first gave us a week of down time. You are not going to back out now."
"If I recall correctly, Jack, you told me I was going with you. You gave me no choice in the matter. I told you then I didn't want to go, and now, I'm telling you again. There is a project here that I'd much rather work on. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to have my hands back." He looked pointedly down at the laptop lid that was currently holding his hands hostage.
"You are not going to spend your entire leave here at the Mountain."
"Who said anything about the Mountain? I'm working on a project that has absolutely nothing to do with the SGC." Jack raised one eyebrow. He'd been practicing that move watching Teal'c closely. Now there was a master of the art of eyebrow raising. Daniel frowned down at the laptop. "Well, I guess you could consider it to be, but only in the most peripheral sense."
Jack tapped the laptop with one finger. "This project? The one you're working on using the SGC's software? This project doesn't have anything to do with the SGC?" His voice was skeptical, and perhaps a bit harsh. He was sick and tired of the attitude he'd been getting from Daniel lately.
He'd been looking forward to this week. A chance to get Daniel away from the Mountain, to find out what was going on why he'd closed himself off from Jack. It wasn't just Sha're's death, there was something more to it, he could tell. He didn't like this new, cold Daniel, he wanted the old one back, and he was damned if Daniel was going to take this opportunity away from him.
"Well, I have a blueprint. I don't really need the software, I was just taking advantage of it, since it was available. I'm not really happy with the original design, so I thought I'd experiment a bit before I committed myself to anything."
Despite himself, he was drawn in, curious. Great. Daniel always could talk him round in circles. With a sense of foreboding, he took his hand off the laptop, giving Daniel the opportunity to open the lid and stare in at the design on the screen which looked surprisingly like
"A treehouse?"
Daniel looked over at him, pleased that he'd recognize it, and turned the laptop back in Jack's direction. "The red lines are the existing structure. Nothing much, just a base, or floor. The blue is what the design calls for, and the changes I've made are in green."
As much as he hated to admit it, the changes looked good. "Roomier." And even worse, Jack could feel Daniel's exuberance in the air, infecting him, as it did every single time. "Are you going to eliminate this?" Jack pointed to one corner support that seemed to be crucial to bracing the floor in that corner. "This looks like an important load bearing support. Are you sure you can do without it?"
Daniel touched a series of keys and the tree appeared around the treehouse, showing a large spreading oak tree that looked vaguely familiar. "The tree itself will provide the support we need for that corner. The plan was originally drawn up with a more vertical tree in mind perhaps a Maple. This Red Oak has a different structure, which provides much more support than the blueprint takes into account. I don't think eliminating that brace will be a problem."
Jack reached for his half-forgotten sandwich they actually made a decent grilled cheese here one of his favorite lunches. "Nice," he mumbled around his grilled cheese. He hated to admit it, but the plan looked doable. Daniel had obviously put a lot of work into it. "Wait a minute. I know this tree. This is in Frasier's back yard, isn't it? This treehouse is for Cassie?"
"Yes, it is." Daniel looked pleased once again. "I think she'll be very happy with it."
"But isn't Cassie wait, how old is she now? She's already fifteen, right? What does she need with a treehouse?"
"She's fourteen. And she does need a treehouse. This one was been sitting there unfinished for months now, so Janet is taking Cassie with her to visit Janet's sister for the week. And when she comes back, Cassie will finally have her treehouse."
"You guys have had this planned for a while, now, haven't you?"
"No, not really. Janet was complaining last week about all the lumber in her garage and I asked her about it. Remember that jerk Janet was dating for a while this spring?"
"The jackass that was two timing her with her own nurses?"
"Yeah, him. He promised Cassie a treehouse, and then Janet found out about his dalliances and booted him. Cassie was very disappointed."
"So was Janet."
"Yes, but for different reasons. Well, no. Not really, I guess. She was lied to just as much as Janet was. He let her know he'd be around. Promised her things that in the end he couldn't deliver. It just didn't seem fair, you know? So I'm finishing her treehouse."
"Yeah, I guess I see your point. She shouldn't have to suffer, just because some asshole couldn't keep his pecker in his pants."
Daniel smiled. "I knew you'd understand."
"So you are going to build a treehouse?"
"What? You think that just because I'm a scholar I don't know how to build a treehouse?"
"Yes."
"Well, you'd be wrong there, Jack. I'm an archeologist, remember? You've been to digs with me before. Who do you think builds the scaffolding we work under, or over as the case may be?"
"You have grunts do the work?" Jack grabbed his spoon and reached for his soup bowl.
"Well, if you work for the military, maybe. But unless your dig is well financed, most archeologists can't afford too many carpenters. Even locals can be expensive. Besides they have to be carefully supervised to avoid any damage to the site. Fortunately, since many digs are sponsored by museums and universities, there is a built in source of cheap labor. In the world of academic archeology, Jack, we call those grunts students."
Jack couldn't help but smile. "I see. So you've done a lot of this kind of thing, have you?"
"A fair amount, yes."
"So you're an expert on power tools?"
"Actually, I'm better with a hammer and nails, or a handsaw. Most digs don't come with power sources unless we bring them along. And even then, there are often more important uses for our limited power supplies."
"Right. That makes sense. But Daniel..."
"Yes, Jack?" Daniel was staring at the screen again, frowning intently at it, like it would build itself if Daniel just stared at it long enough.
"I think you've missed something."
"What's that?"
"In case you've forgotten, this is the real world. Not a university. Nor is it an archeological dig."
"No, I think I've pretty much got that part figured out on my own."
"So what are you going to do for labor, then?"
"Well." Daniel finally gave up on staring the screen into obedience, and turned to Jack, a slightly smug grin on his face. Jack didn't trust that grin, it looked like the I-can-talk-Jack-into-anything grin. Jack hated that one. If he was willing to admit it, and he wasn't, it was because Daniel was almost always correct. "I've discovered that in the real world, there are other sources of manpower that can be tapped."
"Oh, really?" Jack knew what was coming by now, and braced himself for the argument.
"Yes. In the real world, we call those grunts friends."
Jack sighed, dropping his spoonful of tomato soup back into his bowl. "But Daniel, Carter is off with her father for the week. And Teal'c is on Chulak."
"Yes. And Forretti is off-world with SG-7 for most of the week."
"But that only leaves..." Daniel smiled broadly at him. "Oh, for crying out loud. Daniel it's fishing season! I'm going to Minnesota. You can't do this to me!"
"I'm not going to do anything to you. I was going to ask you to help me, but if you don't want to, I'll do it on my own. Siler has volunteered to come by in the evenings to help me with any big stuff I have difficulty with, but there's a pulley system rigged already, I can get most of the lumber and tools up that way. It will take longer, since I actually am less familiar with some power tools, but Siler said he could loan me his circular and jig saws, and I have my own drill."
"Daniel, circular saws are not to be played with. You-"
"Hey, Daniel is that the treehouse?"
Jack was interrupted by a tray slapped down onto the table. Carter pulled out a chair and sat down on the other side of Daniel, pulling the laptop around so she could see the display.
"This is nice. I think she's going to love this, Daniel. I wish I could be there to help."
"Oh, don't worry about it, Sam. How often do you get a chance to see your dad? You need to take advantage when the opportunity comes along. Besides, Jack has volunteered."
"What? I did no such thing!"
"Oh, sorry, sir, I was so tied up in Cassie's new treehouse I forgot to say hello. I'm really glad you're going to be around this weekend. I just wish I could be there to see Cassie's face when she sees it for the first time. She's just going to love it."
"But I never said she's 15 years old, what does she need with a treehouse?"
"She's actually 14, sir. Do you remember her best friend Allie?"
"You remember, Jack she used to come to all the barbeques and birthday parties with Cassie? She's from Australia lived here with her aunt for a couple of years."
"Yeah, I know who you're talking about. Used to love to talk about all the 'barbies on the beach back home'." Both Daniel and Carter winced at his appalling accent, but he ignored them. He knew it was bad, but Allie and Cassie had gotten a kick out of it. "She was cute, lots of fun."
"Poor Cassie cried when she had to go back home." Carter frowned down at her sandwich, lifting the bread up carefully, as if checking it for signs of life.
"Didn't Janet take Cassie to Australia over Christmas break to visit her?"
"Yes, that's where she saw Allie's treehouse." She finally worked up her courage and took a bite.
"It seems that Allie spends a lot of time in her treehouse, Jack. She takes her laptop up, turns on her music and she and Cassie IM for hours at a time."
"IM?"
"Instant Messaging, Jack. It's like being in a chat room-"
"Chat Room?"
Daniel sighed and rolled his eyes as Carter explained. "It's all done on computers, sir. A way for them to talk back and forth, almost instantaneously - limited only by the speed they can type. Janet says it's much cheaper than the phone calls."
"I'll bet. So Cassie wants a treehouse, just because Allie has one?"
"To be honest, sir, Janet is looking forward to it as well. It'll be a place Cassie can go and have time and space to herself, and spend as much time with Allie as she can without ever leaving the back yard."
"As Virginia Woolf would say, 'A room of her own'."
Jack humphed. "She's got a room of her own, Daniel. Bed, desk, bookshelves, stuffed animals on every surface I've seen it. What does she need with another?"
"It's just not the same, sir."
"You know you guys are spoiling her rotten."
Daniel snorted. "Says the man who bought her a dog her first week here."
"Hey, every kid needs a dog."
"Admit it, Jack, you spoil her as much as the rest of us do. And anyway, she deserves it, doesn't she?"
"Okay, well maybe I spoil her a little bit, but-"
"And besides, if I have help, we can probably get this finished over the weekend, and still have time to go fishing."
"Oh, yeah? You think so?"
"It's not a difficult design, Jack. And the floor is already built. I checked it out earlier this week, and it looks pretty solid. If we spend all day Saturday and Sunday on it, I think we could probably leave for Minnesota on Monday Tuesday at the latest."
"Damn. Have I told you how much I hate it when you talk rings around me?"
He got Daniel's classic I-knew-I-could-count-on-you-Jack smile, patent pending. That smile always did him in. How could he think that he'd ever win an argument with Daniel? Daniel just had to turn his super powered mind to the subject, and Jack might as well surrender. Happened every time. Well, at least this way he'll have ample opportunity to talk to Daniel about whatever it was that had him acting so weird. Hopefully they could sort this out before they left for Minnesota.
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Jack took another swig of coffee and stared at the ground a good 15 feet below him. At the moment he was as happy as a man about to spend his entire Saturday in a tree doing manual labor could be. Daniel had gone to his favorite coffee shop and grabbed them both several cups of the good stuff. Jack refused to get hooked on the high end, free-trade, gourmet stuff Daniel seemed to thrive on, but when Daniel was buying, he didn't mind indulging.
He opened the box of donuts sitting between them, and picked out a cream-filled one with chocolate icing. He took a huge bite out of it chocolate and cream smearing across his face. He reached for a napkin, but realized he already had his coffee in that hand. He stared at his hands as he chewed, trying to decide which one he was willing to set down long enough to clean his face off. Daniel started to laugh.
"What?" He was trying for surly, but had trouble keeping the smile off his face long enough to manage it. It was good to hear Daniel laughing, he'd missed that. Daniel reached over and grabbed Jack's chin, pulling his face around, wiping the filling off, and Jack made faces at him while he did it, in the guise of helping Daniel find all the messy spots.
"You missed a spot. No, over here." He poked his tongue up against the inside of his cheek trying to guide Daniel's napkin. "Did you get the bit on the corner of my mouth? What about-"
Daniel laughed again. "That's enough, Jack. I think I got it all." He let go of Jack's chin, and Jack felt a brief sense of loss. Then Daniel smiled at him, and he grinned back, happy that for whatever reason, Daniel seemed to have forgotten to be in a bad mood around him. Maybe he'd gotten over what ever it was that was pissing him off. Jack hoped so they'd only been up here for 10 minutes or so, but he'd already sensed a change in Daniel's attitude.
He was relaxed, easy and comfortable and Jack was taking his cue from Daniel. He wasn't about to bring up Daniel's recent behavior now. If he did, it might set him off again, and that was the last thing Jack wanted to do. He swung his feet, kicking a convenient tree branch and shaking the leaves, surprising a spider, and causing it to drop down on its long thin strand, landing on the wooden seat of the rope swing they had set up for Cassie not long after she'd come to live with Janet. Cassie loved that swing.
Jack smiled at the memory. They'd been having a picnic in the back yard and Cassie had been climbing the tree. Janet had scolded her, worried she'd fall and hurt herself. Daniel had slipped away quietly, and come back half an hour later with two pieces of rope and a piece of lumber with holes already drilled in it. Teal'c had tied the knots in the rope and strung them through the plank, and Jack had climbed the tree to tie them around the branch. Carter had figured out the placement, and made sure it was the right height off the ground while Janet supervised and Cassie jumped up and down with eager anticipation. Now that was team work.
He tried to feel sorry that Teal'c and Carter weren't around. At least for the physical labor part, but couldn't really work up a true regret. He liked just hanging out with Daniel. Up until recently, Jack had never felt uncomfortable around him. They'd always been easy with each other, in conversation or silence. Daniel just felt right. He knew that made no sense, but it was what he felt, and that was what he'd been trying to get back. He still wondered what the last couple of months had actually been about, but at the moment he was reluctant to bring it up. He'd just take advantage of Daniel's good mood while he could.
Daniel glanced up at him, and he realized he'd been staring. He grabbed his coffee, tossed the last of it back and grinned. "You ready for this?"
Daniel grinned back, "As ready as I'll ever be."
Jack rubbed his hands together briskly. "Well, let's get to it, then."
Daniel pulled over the blueprint, and they began to map out their strategy.
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Jack set down the circular saw and stood there admiring his work. The planks were all cut for the house, the supports, and the rail that ran all the way around the 'porch' that edged two sides of the treehouse. He double checked his list, just in case.
"Yo, Daniel. How's it going up there? Daniel?"
Daniel poked his head over the edge. "Doing okay. How about you?"
"I'm all through for now. Wanna take a lunch break? It's almost 1300 hours."
"Jack. You're a civilian, today, remember? That's 1 pm our time." Daniel shook his head in mock irritation.
Jack manhandled the Marine motto to fit his needs: "Once a Colonel, always a Colonel. Are you at a good spot to break?"
"Yeah, I can take a break. Just gimme a few minutes to finish up what I was working on. Why don't you go inside and see what Janet left us for lunch while I take care of this?"
"All right. But if you're not down here in five minutes, I'm starting without you. Got it?"
What Jack got was a handful of old acorns aimed at his head, so he ducked, laughing, and dodged them, running low up to the house and inside to wash up. Once he felt at least semi-clean, he headed for the kitchen, passing Daniel on his way to the bathroom. When Daniel joined him, he still hadn't opened the refrigerator yet.
Daniel paused, looking at the evidence of young talent at work covering the refrigerator door. "Cassie's turning into quite an artist, isn't she?"
Jack's voice sounded a little misty. "Huh? Oh, yeah, she is. I especially like this one that's a rather accurate portrait of the team, isn't it?" They were all there: Carter on the right, her bright smile almost dazzling, Daniel next to her, his grin a little lopsided, their arms around each other's waists. Jack stood on the other side, his arm slung across Daniel's shoulders, mischief in his eyes and in his grin. Teal'c stood slightly behind - between Carter and Daniel - a strong anchoring force as usual, one hand on Jack's shoulder and one on Carter's. Even Teal'c had managed something close to a smile for the occasion. Janet's camera had captured the moment perfectly, and Cassie's drawing had brought it to life.
Daniel's voice was slightly melancholy: "I wonder if she'd draw one for me? I mean, I have the photo, Sam made copies for all of us, but there's something about this that makes it more than just a picture made with colored pencils. I think it captured the essence of who we are. It's beautiful."
Jack didn't say anything. He knew Daniel was getting one for his next birthday, but he didn't want to spoil Cassie's surprise. So he just opened the fridge door and started pulling things out, handing them to Daniel as he did. There were a variety of sandwich meats, potato salad, condiments, soda...
"Hey, Kosher Dills." He pushed the door shut with his hip as he unscrewed the lid of the pickle jar.
Daniel put the silverware on the table and turned to see Jack digging around in the pickle jar, struggling to get one out without getting his fingers over them all. He frowned at his lack of success as the slippery pickles eluded him good thing he'd just washed his hands. Daniel rolled his eyes, grabbed the jar out of Jack's hands, and using a fork, showed off his pickle stabbing skills. Then he handed the bottle back to Jack and took a bite off the end of his prize.
"Hey!"
Daniel smirked around his bite of pickle. "You thought this was for you? Who am I, your mother? Get your own pickle." He mmmm-ed appreciatively at the pickle, then licked up the side to try and catch the juice that was running down.
"No, not my mother, but at the moment I am your slave labor, so I would think you...you would at least be willing to..." Jack's words slowed down and eventually came to a stop as he totally forgot what he was saying. Instead, he watched Daniel enjoy his dill pickle. At the silence, Daniel looked up curiously as he took another swipe with his tongue. When he realized that Jack was staring and why, he turned bright red. Jack cleared his throat nosily, his face burning, and grabbed the napkins off the counter, ignoring the ones Daniel had already set out.
Daniel set his pickle down on one plate, and got one out for Jack with none of the flair with which he had retrieved his own. He set it down on the other plate, then awkwardly looked around to make sure they had everything. He grabbed the sandwich rolls off the counter, and started talking at the same time as Jack.
"Sandwich rolls can't forget the sandwich..."
"Are those homemade brownies? They..."
They stopped at the same time, looked at each other and laughed, sheepishly.
Daniel grabbed one last plate off the counter. "Deviled eggs. I love those things."
Jack grabbed one off the plate. "Me too. This is great."
"Hey, wait your turn."
"It is my turn, Daniel. It's always my turn."
"Sorry, Jack, what was I thinking? I forgot you're only eight...I should have brought you a Happy Meal."
"Oooh, Happy Meals. What's the toy this week?"
Daniel sat down laughing, "Shut up and eat your pickle."
Jack picked his up, frowning at it, examining it from all sides. "Only if you show me how you make a phallic symbol out of it."
"Jaaack!"
Daniel opened the container of potato salad. "Here, have some of this, it's homemade, too."
Jack surrendered his pickle, and grabbed the bowl from Daniel. "I love how Janet cooks. If she was a foot taller, I'd marry her."
"If she was dumb enough to marry you I'd have her head examined."
"Hey, I'll have you know I'm quite a catch."
"Just where have you been fishing lately?"
"Hey, it's not where you've been, it's all in the bait you put on the hook."
Daniel burst out laughing. "Did you hear what you just said?"
It was Jack's turn to sigh. "Shut up Daniel, and pass me the mayo."
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Jack rubbed his face against his shoulder, using his t-shirt to scratch his nose, which was itching like crazy. "Can I let go yet, Daniel?" He was straining to get his bicep in the right spot but it was hard to do at the same time as holding up the wall while Daniel nailed in braces to keep it upright until they could secure it. Daniel scooted over, kneeling pressed up against Jack's leg, his back bent as he hammered away.
When he looked down, Jack could see a drop of sweat roll down Daniel's neck and get soaked up by the collar of his shirt. Another drop started the slow glide down his neck, and suddenly Jack wanted to touch it. He imagined his finger, following the trail the bead of sweat left behind and he had to lick his lips. His mouth was suddenly dry and just what the hell was that all about, anyway? Out of nowhere, Jack's stomach growled loudly.
Daniel glanced up at Jack, whose hands were braced, one over his head, the other griping the window frame, and laughed at him. "Is that a hint, Jack?" The way Daniel's head had to tilt, to look up at Jack brought his face pretty close to a rather sensitive part of Jack's anatomy. Suddenly Daniel flushed then moved again, hammer pounding into the wood with what seemed like more force than was absolutely necessary.
Once he'd finished the last brace, he stood up, and set his hammer down. "Okay, let's test this. Let go, Jack."
Jack stepped away from the wall, and it stood firmly in place. Jack gave it a cautious shove and they both smiled when it held its own. "Alright. That looks good, Daniel. I think it's gonna hold."
Daniel's grin was irresistible. "This is going to be a great treehouse, Jack. Cassie's going to just love it."
"Of course she is. It was built with love, and that shows. It's all in the making, Daniel, and that makes all the difference in the world."
"Come on. Let's get this last wall up, and then we can call it a night."
"Hey, don't take my growling stomach as a sign, Daniel, I'm a growing boy. I'm always hungry."
"It's getting late, anyway, Jack. And I want a meal and a beer I think we've earned it."
"Let's get to it, then."
It seemed like no time before the last wall was up, the final braces installed. Jack clapped Daniel on the back, raising a sawdust cloud that made them both grin.
"How about we clean up, Jack, then hit that pub you were telling me about? The one with the huge burgers? I could use a good cheeseburger about now."
"And about a gazillion fries to go with it. The servers use cranes to bring your meal to your table. I tell you, Daniel, this place rocks."
"Sounds great. My treat, to help pay you back for all the hard work. What do you say?"
"I say first one to the house brings coffee and donuts tomorrow morning." Jack wiggled his eyebrows and jumped for the ladder. Daniel's laughter followed him down as he jumped off the ladder, dropping the last couple of feet to the ground.
"You're still a kid, Jack no wonder Cassie understands you so well, you're much closer to her age than you are to mine." He leaned over the edge to shout at Jack, who was racing to the back door, laughing the whole way. "I thought you were supposed to be the role model here!"
"Woo hoo! Coffee and donuts are on Daniel!" The screen door slammed shut as Daniel cleaned up around the base of the tree, still laughing at Jack's antics. Jack could see him from the kitchen window as he shook his head, a grin on his face. Good. This had been a pretty successful day. Daniel was acting like Daniel again, which meant he could be his normal self, and not have to worry about what Daniel was thinking.
He nodded as he headed off to the bathroom. And now the promise of the best hamburgers in the Springs, good beer and even better company. Yes, this had turned out to be a good day, after all.
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Jack sighed at the tv, switching channels in disgust at the lack of good programming at 1 am on a Saturday night. Actually, Jack corrected himself, that would be Sunday morning, wouldn't it? He looked down at Daniel's head in his lap, and wondered just how he'd managed to get to this point.
In a little over an hour his life had been turned upside down, and he'd be damned if he knew what to do with it now. Jack was sorely tempted to touch Daniel he wanted to run his fingers through his hair, trace the curve of his neck. But Daniel didn't deserve to be mauled while he slept, so he kept his itchy fingers to himself.
But then it was Daniel's decision to plop his head down in Jack's lap, wasn't it? He shouldn't be surprised if something happened while he had his head in another man's lap. It was a quandary. One he didn't really feel up to solving at the moment, so he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the couch, replaying the evening in his mind, trying to figure out how he'd come to this.
They'd downed their cheeseburgers in a companionable silence. By the time they'd slowed down and were just casually munching on their fries, they were both relaxed and acting just a little silly. They were talking about the stupidest things they'd ever done, and Jack mentioned Kynthia from Argos and her drugged wedding cake, back in their first year as teammates.
"That's nothing, Jack. At least you didn't fall for The Destroyer of Worlds."
"C'mon Daniel, you couldn't possibly have known that Linea was hiding underneath all those blonde curls. You need to be easier on yourself. You'd been through a lot, with the loss of Sha're and all..." Jack winced, thinking that he probably shouldn't have brought that up, but Daniel just nodded.
"Yeah. I know. I told Ke'ra that Linea, I mean. I'd really lost Sha're three years earlier. I was just using Ke'ra, I think. Trying to prove to myself that...well never mind. It doesn't matter."
Daniel shook his head and grabbed his beer, draining it. "Are you ready to go?"
Jack had convinced Daniel to spend the night in his spare bedroom, since he'd left his truck back at Janet's house. It made more sense than dropping Jack off and then picking him back up in the morning. Besides, he was hoping Daniel would continue to confide in him. This was the first time Daniel had talked to him about the whole "Destroyer of Worlds" debacle. He'd had a sneaking suspicion that the whole thing with Linea had something to do with the way Daniel had been treating Jack lately.
They hadn't ended up talking about Sha're or Linea after all, but that was okay, too. They'd drunk more beer and joked around, switching back and forth between whatever sports Jack could locate at that time of night, a program about Jazz on PBS, and a show on big cats in Africa on Animal Planet. They were both exhausted, slouching back on the couch, their feet up on the coffee table, but it seemed neither one of them wanted to end the day.
After a while, Jack threw some popcorn in the microwave. He came back with a bowl and another beer for each, only to discover Daniel stretched flat-out on the couch, eyes closed. "Daniel, if you're going to sleep, do it in the guest room, I'm still watching the tv."
Daniel opened one eye. "I'm not asleep, I'm just relaxing. Resting my eyes, that's all."
"Well, do it sitting up then, because your head is where my ass belongs and if you don't move in the next two seconds, I'll be sitting on your head in three..." Jack started the countdown as he turned around, slowly lowering himself toward the couch, "Two..." Daniel pulled himself up on one elbow, to give Jack enough room to plant his ass, without squishing Daniel's glasses or his nose.
"One. Damn. I was looking forward to that." Jack smirked at Daniel, who just plopped his head back down in Jack's lap.
"If you'd wanted me to kiss your ass, all you had to do was ask."
"Shuddup. Here, have some popcorn." Jack grabbed a handful and some of the kernels fell out of the bowl and landed on Daniel's forehead.
"Hey!" Daniel picked the popcorn off his face, and popped it in his mouth. "Watch it."
"Your own fault. If your head wasn't where my popcorn bowl belonged, then you wouldn't be getting the fallout. If you insist on using my lap for your pillow, you're just going to have to live with the consequences. Consider it friendly fire."
"Friendly fire my ass. Give me that." Daniel grabbed the bowl out of Jack's hands and set it down on his own stomach. "You can reach that, can't you?"
Jack grabbed a big handful. "Yeah, that works." He aimed the handful at his mouth but lost a number of kernels on the way, one of which landed in Daniel's mouth, just as Daniel opened it to speak. They both thought that was pretty funny, so once they'd stopped laughing, Jack tried it intentionally.
"Wait wait, don't close your mouth. Open wide. Ready?"
"No, what are you going to do?"
"I'll show you, come on, open up. It won't hurt, I promise."
Daniel laughed. "Why don't I believe you?" But he opened his mouth, cautiously. Jack lifted his hand, making a big show of lining up the piece of popcorn with Daniel's mouth.
"Bombs away!"
Daniel caught the popcorn kernel and chewed while Jack applauded. Thanks to the beer, they both thought that was hilarious, so Jack kept feeding him, one kernel at a time. Anytime Daniel opened his mouth, Jack dropped in another piece of popcorn.
"Another? You are a bottomless pit, Daniel. Where the hell are you putting all this?"
Daniel leaned up enough to take a swig of his beer, taking care not to knock over the popcorn bowl. "Hey, I'm a growing boy. Can I help it if I'm always hungry?"
"That's my line. You stole my line."
"You are such a baby. Whine, whine, whine. That's all I ever hear from you."
"Alright, no more popcorn for you, then."
"Oh, yeah?" Daniel grabbed for the bowl, but Jack was there first, holding his prize out of Daniel's reach. "Well, just be that way, then." Daniel turned on his side, where he could see the tv better, and ignored Jack.
"Hey, don't you want some more popcorn?"
"Not if I have to give up my comfy pillow. I know you. If I got up to grab the popcorn, you'd plant that bowl in your lap, and I'd have to find another place to rest my weary head. You're sneaky that way." He settled into his spot, scooting around to get comfortable, and Jack shrugged, and set the popcorn on the end table. It wasn't as much fun if Daniel wasn't going to play.
Besides, that last wiggle had created some mighty interesting sensations in his lap. He was afraid to move at the moment, although he wasn't sure if he was afraid that the sensations might return, or that they might not. And that, in itself, was pretty weird.
Now that he thought about it, he realized that this had been going on for a while. He'd been staring at Daniel all day. Just this afternoon, he'd been distracted by the sweat running down Daniel's neck. He couldn't take his eyes off it. And the pickle - you couldn't get much more obvious than that. It was then that he realized he'd been noticing Daniel for a long time, and hadn't even thought twice about it.
Even now, just thinking about the way the sweat had run down Daniel's neck made his stomach clench. He was stunned. He was turned on by Daniel. Holy crap! He wondered if maybe that was why Daniel had been acting so strangely around him lately.
Had Daniel noticed the way Jack was looking at him, and pulled away maybe even unconsciously? Was he the reason Daniel had been so aloof? Even though Jack didn't know he was doing it? But if that was the case, why was Daniel acting so casually around him now? If he was afraid Jack was going to jump him or make a pass, then why did he have his head planted in Jack's lap like this?
If he did know, and he was acting this way, did that mean he wanted Jack's attention? Did Jack want to act on his attraction to Daniel? Because once he stopped to look at it, he knew it was true he found Daniel *very* attractive. But he'd always thought Daniel was good looking. He'd just never thought about it in that way. That way? He might as well say it, even if only to himself. He'd never been one for avoiding the truth, even if it was something he would rather not admit.
He. Had the hots. For Daniel.
But what exactly did that mean? Did he want to kiss Daniel? He thought about that for a minute or two. He imagined his lips pressed against Daniel's, their arms wrapped around each other. His stomach did that flipping over thing it used to do when he was a teenager crushing over the latest girl. Okay. That was definitely a yes. So what about touching? He thought about this afternoon when he'd watched the sweat drip down Daniel's neck. He had definitely wanted to touch Daniel then.
He looked down at Daniel again, his eyes following the exposed curve of his neck, and Jack's fingers tingled, like they couldn't wait to touch him. He draped his arm along the back of the couch, to avoid any temptation in that direction. He closed his eyes but all he could see in his mind's eye was the way that drop had run. Now that he really thought about it, he'd much rather follow that drop with his tongue. Whoa. That did it. His cock just kicked in with a resounding yes vote, there.
This was not good. He wanted to get up and move, do something, anything but sit there, but if he moved, Daniel might notice the beginnings of a bulge in his pants, and that would be bad. Wouldn't it? He didn't want to scare Daniel off or anything. He'd rather break this to him gently that seemed more likely to get a positive result than poking his hard-on into Daniel's ear.
When had he decided he wanted to let Daniel know about this in the first place? That would have probably been when his cock told him it wanted to get in on the fun. Jeez. What the hell was he doing here? There were plenty of reasons he should just swallow this whole thing, and never say a word of this to anyone.
He had to say swallow, didn't he? The image of Daniel on his knees in front of Jack started a chain reaction that began in his gut and spread out in all directions. Heat flushed his face and sent an involuntary shudder through him. He could feel his cock thicken and this this was not good. If he wasn't careful, Daniel would find out whether he wanted him to or not. His overactive mind sent him an image of his cock nudging Daniel's ear, giving him an early wake up call, and he had to laugh. Daniel turned his head and looked up at him.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh. Uh. Nothing. Nothing at all."
He'd never had a problem with gays; he'd even covered for his bunkmate a couple of times back at the Academy, and he thought that whole 'don't ask, don't tell' thing was the biggest load of crap he'd heard in a long time. As if just knowing an airman was gay would make them less of a soldier. He'd never been interested, himself, not that he'd noticed, anyway. Could this be a mid-life crisis thing? He didn't think so.
Maybe it was just Daniel. He was pretty freakin' amazing. No matter who you were, you could find yourself attracted to him. He'd seen it happen more than once. Even the Goa'uld couldn't keep their mitts off him. Jack's reaction to Ke'ra made a lot more sense now, though. He'd been jealous of the attention Daniel had paid to Ke'ra. Now that was funny. Jack chuckled, then looked down at Daniel, but he hadn't moved. He hadn't moved in a while. Maybe he was asleep. He hated to wake him, but they should probably go to bed. In their own separate beds, that is.
Right. This was just crazy. He sighed heavily. He found himself staring at the curve of Daniel's neck again, noticing the wispy curls of hair right at the nape. Time to get a haircut? He closed his eyes as his stomach clenched again. It looked like this was more than just a physical attraction. If he felt this way just 'cause the guy needed a trim, he was in real trouble. It seemed he just might be falling in love with Daniel. Now wasn't that a kick in the balls?
"You alright, Jack?"
Jack's eyes popped open. "What? Who me?" He looked down at Daniel, his eyes wide. Hoping that Daniel wouldn't notice anything different about him. What did that mean? Like he'd grown another arm or something? As far as he was aware turning gay didn't show, well, except maybe in the groin area, and at the moment, he was too freaked out to pay any attention to anything below the waist. His own or Daniel's. Oh, great, now he was thinking about things happening below Daniel's waist. He had to stop this right now.
"You just keep sighing."
"Oh, right. That. Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired, I think. Time for bed?" God. He just had to stop thinking. Period.
Daniel sat up, stretching, and Jack blinked and turned his head away, futzing with the remote, turning off the tv. He was not looking at Daniel stretching in Jack's old ratty t-shirt. Because it might fit Jack just fine, but it was a little tight on Daniel, and you could see his muscles bunching and stretching he'd been working out, and it showed. And Jack was not looking. Not. Looking.
"Yeah, I think you're right. If we get an early start tomorrow, we can probably get this thing wrapped up by the end of the day. Once we've got the roof up and weatherproofed, and the railing built around the edge, we're through. Janet and Cassie are going to finish the inside, put the windows in, paint and furnish it good projects for them to work on together. So we can head out Monday for Minnesota."
Minnesota. Oh, man. How was he going to handle Minnesota? A whole week alone in a cabin with Daniel? This could be a disaster. Jack got up quickly, just in case Daniel could tell something just from sitting there.
"You think so? Cool. Okay, I'll close up down here, you go on up to bed." Stop it, stop it, stop it! He had to stop thinking about Daniel and bed at the same time. Jack checked the front door while Daniel dropped the popcorn bowl and beer bottles in the kitchen. He fiddled around until he heard Daniel's steps on the stairs, then turned out the lights and headed up for bed. His own bed, he reminded himself. Alone.
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Jack was up early the next morning; he'd been out in the back yard doing routine maintenance when the sun had barely cleared the horizon. There really wasn't much he needed to do, but the simplicity of physical labor helped scrub the craziness out of his head, giving him a chance to settle his thoughts down and think clearly about This Whole Daniel Thing.
This Whole Daniel Thing. Over his sleepless night it had taken form and become a monster in capital letters that threatened to overwhelm him if he didn't wrestle it down to manageable size. His thoughts had chased each other around all night. Did Daniel feel the same way? Would he be rejected if he told Daniel how he felt? Would it destroy their friendship or his team?
Did he want to risk possible censure at work? What he did in private was his business and no one else's, and he felt strongly that Daniel would agree. But did it make sense to take such a risk with so much at stake? The work he did now the Stargate and their missions through it - were the most important things he'd ever done, or probably ever would do with his life.
But if there was one lesson he'd learned, it was that happiness was fleeting. You were a fool not to grab hold and take advantage of every minute you could. Daniel had shown him that. It was the only reason he came home from that first fateful trip to Abydos. So that question was answered. Yes, it was worth the risk. It was important to take that risk. It was what they fought for every time they went through the 'gate.
Now he just needed to know if his attraction was returned. That thought made his chest ache, just thinking about it. He wanted Daniel so much it pierced him right through. And that just amazed him. He shook his head as he raked up the last of the hedge trimmings. He may have been blind to This Whole Daniel Thing, but once he opened his eyes, he realized it had been there waiting for him, probably since the very beginning.
So now, he just had to find out how Daniel felt. Maybe he returned Jack's feelings. Maybe it had never occurred to him, either. So he might have to take it slow. Give Daniel a chance to figure it out on his own, or at least a chance to get used to the idea. But whatever it took, Daniel was worth the chance.
He dragged the rake and the bag with all his clippings toward the garage, and glanced up to see Daniel staring at him from the deck, mug of coffee in one hand, a piece of toast in the other and a puzzled look on his face. Jack waved at him as he tossed the rake and bag both behind the garage. He could deal with them later. There was an early morning Daniel on his deck sleepy eyes, shirtless, low hung sweats. Jack knew his priorities, screw yard work. There was no contest.
His gut was doing that flipping over thing again and Jack realized he was sweating he couldn't tell if it was from nervousness or from the morning sun. Maybe both. He took the steps to the deck easily, bouncing on his toes once he'd landed in front of Daniel huh, seemed a half-naked Daniel could make Jack forget his arthritis much more effectively than anything Frasier could prescribe.
He was being silly, he knew, but he just couldn't help it. "Good morning, Sunshine! You're up early."
"Yeah. Well, I kept hearing some clicking sort of noise. Couldn't figure it out, so I came out to check on it and smelled the coffee. You were doing yard work?" Daniel yawned and stretched, his mouth wide, his limbs stiffened, then shook himself, nearly spilling his coffee and at the same time shoving his uneaten toast under Jack's nose.
Jack's mouth seemed to have turned into the Sahara Dessert as he watched the play of muscles over Daniel's abs. He swallowed a couple of times before he was able to speak. "Uh. Yeah. Sometimes you just need a little physical labor to clear the mind, you know?" And it seemed all he needed was for Daniel to show up bare-chested to fog his brain right back up again. Good thing he'd worked everything out already.
"Well, I guess so, but couldn't you have gotten that at Janet's today? I guess I didn't work you hard enough yesterday, if you've got this much energy left over."
Jack blinked at the thought of Daniel working him over. "Nah, I needed some time to myself cleared my mind, brought a lot of things into focus."
Daniel squinted at him; whether from the sun or suspicion of Jack's apparently bountiful cheeriness he wasn't sure. He used his toast as a pointer. "Are you going to share this with me? Or shouldn't I ask?"
"No - no, ask all you want. I just can't guarantee when I'll tell you. Sometime this week, I think. I'm just not sure exactly when yet."
"Why not?"
"The timing just needs to be right. You'll see."
"Jack."
"You can pry all you want, Daniel. You'll know when I'm good and ready to tell you, and not a moment sooner. You ready to head out? I think I need a shower, but I'll be ready to go after that." He rubbed his hands together briskly. "Mmmm...donuts. I'm looking forward to breakfast already. Be sure you get those cream filled ones with the chocolate icing. Those are my favorite."
Jack grabbed Daniel's toast, and took a huge bite out of it, then handed it back to him, rubbing Daniel's bed head as he headed in for a shower, grinning at the frown on Daniel's face. Poor Daniel, he had no idea what was about to hit him.
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"We're on the final leg now, Jack. The railing is up and all the parts of the roof are built, we just need to get it put together and weatherproofed." Daniel finished his sandwich and started on the last of his potato salad.
"Well, I have to admit, Daniel, I'm ready for it to be over. I'm really looking forward to the cabin. Just me and you, a cooler full of beer and a couple of fishing poles. The lake is quiet and peaceful early in the morning, and we can fish right up on the dock, or take the boat and row out to the deeper end. Don't worry, I know you don't really care about the fishing part. You don't even have to bring out a pole if you don't want. Just be there, that's what's important."
Jack stopped suddenly, realizing he may have said too much. He didn't want to risk giving himself away just yet. He just wanted Daniel to know he was wanted.
But Daniel was smiling. One of his rarer smiles the one that told you he was just happy to be your friend. Jack loved that smile.
"Thanks, Jack."
Jack realized with a start that he had a list of favorite Daniel smiles. How the hell had he managed to not realize what was going on right in his own mind? He shook his head, grinning back at Daniel, just happy to be his friend, too. He realized he'd be reaching maudlin any second now, so he got up and opened the freezer door, clearing his throat.
"You said Janet mentioned something about homemade ice cream?"
Daniel stood up behind him to look over his shoulder. "Oh, no. Homemade *popsicles.* They used fresh fruit juices."
Jack felt the heat of Daniel's body right though his clothes. The closeness made his back tingle everywhere Daniel's body was touching. Yep. He had it bad alright.
"Popsicles? I haven't had one of those in forever. Oh, here we go." Jack pulled them out of the freezer, looking at them carefully, trying to discern the flavor by sight. "It looks like we've got green I'd say that's probably lime, yellow lemon, orange should be obvious, red could be any thing from strawberry to raspberry or maybe even cherry, and purple must be grape. What do you think? Any preferences?"
"I'll take my chances on the red." Daniel reached over Jack's shoulder to grab the red one, but Jack beat him to it. He pulled it out and handed it to Daniel with a little flourish, reminding him suddenly of that damned pickle Daniel had gotten so friendly with yesterday.
"Thanks, Jack." Daniel was so close his breath tickled Jack's ear. A flood of heat rushed through him and his vision glazed over. Blindly he pulled one out for himself, turning his back to avoid Daniel noticing his predicament. He shoved the rest back into the freezer and was sitting down before he realized that he'd gotten himself a grape. That was okay. He liked grape. Better than lime. Hell, anything was better than lime.
He took an experimental lick. Not bad, tasted like grape juice to him. He went to town, licking all around it. He glanced up and saw Daniel concentrating on his own popsicle, the red juice staining his lips as he sucked on the tip. Jack took a sudden, deep breath. His mouthful of grape juice went down the wrong tube and he began to cough, his eyes watering.
"You alright, Jack? Can I get you something? Some water?"
"No, thanks. Really," he managed around his coughing. "I'm okay. Just just breathed in when I meant to be sucking. I mean never mind. I'm okay. Really." The flush was back, but at least this time he could blame it on the coughing fit. Jeez. At his rate, he wasn't going to survive the day.
It occurred to him that he'd never seen Daniel get this involved in his food before. He always appreciated a good meal, but the whole thing with the pickle yesterday, and this today could Daniel be flirting with him? Huh. That was a thought.
He risked another look over at Daniel, who was slurping along one outside edge of the popsicle, making appreciative noises. Jack cleared his throat and glanced at his own neglected popsicle, which had started to drip grape juice onto his fingers. He got distracted by that for a while, licking up the juice running off the popsicle. He started to pick up his napkin to wipe off his hand, and had a sudden thought. Two could play at the flirting game. If Daniel was doing this intentionally... There was one way to find out.
He switched hands then raised the sticky one to his mouth and started licking up the grape juice, one finger at a time, running his tongue along the drips, sucking his index finger into his mouth as he hummed in satisfaction at the taste. When he went back to the popsicle, he risked a quick glance up. Daniel was staring at Jack's lips, his own popsicle forgotten in his hand. Jack licked his lips and Daniel squeaked. Squeaked! Yes! He was right.
He looked into Daniel's eyes and asked suggestively. "Wanna lick?"
Daniel's chair scraped across the tile floor as he cleared his throat, "Uh, no, thanks. I think I'll just be getting back to the..." He blinked again as Jack's tongue took another long swipe up the length of his popsicle.
Daniel blushed heavily and stood, walking backwards toward the door. "The...um. The-" He motioned back at the door with his popsicle, then turned and ran smack dab into edge of the open door with a resounding thud. Before Jack had a chance to decide if Daniel would be pissed if he laughed at him, Daniel hit the floor heavily, his arms outstretched, eyes closed, glasses sliding across the floor.
"Daniel!" Jack was on his feet instantly, his laughter and his popsicle forgotten on his plate. "Are you okay?" He knelt by Daniel's side, touching his forehead where a bump was forming red, and hot to the touch.
"Ow." Daniel's eyes were still closed, but Jack breathed a sigh of relief at least he hadn't passed out. Daniel's eyes popped open as Jack touched the bump. "Ow. Hurts. Don't touch!" Jack laughed.
"Who's acting like an eight year old, now? Can you sit up? There, that's better. Let me get you some ice."
Daniel sighed heavily as Jack opened the freezer and grabbed a handful of ice cubes.
"And some paper towels." Jack looked back at him, puzzled. "My popsicle is melting all over the floor." That sounded incredibly like a pout to Jack, who rolled his eyes as he applied the dishtowel full of ice to Daniel's forehead.
"Should I get you another one?"
"No. Thanks. I'll just sit here in humiliation for a few minutes until my headache goes away."
Jack cleaned up the mess by the door, shaking his head at Daniel when he thanked him. "Looks like whatever flavor it was doesn't stain white floor tiles. They'll never know."
"It was raspberry. And it was good."
Jack fought back a grin at that little boy pout thing Daniel had going. "I think there was another. I can get it for you, if you want."
"Maybe later. I'm not in the mood, anymore."
Jack sighed. "Me either."
Jack sat back down at his side on the floor, wincing as his knees creaked at him. Daniel glanced at him sideways, around the makeshift ice bag. "What about yours? Did you finish your grape?"
"Nah, it's up on the plate, melting away." He shrugged. "Can I get you some aspirin or something? For the headache? I don't think you have a concussion, or anything, I saw your pupils contracting as I moved through the light just now."
"You're very observant."
Jack shrugged. "I can be. But sometimes I can be so oblivious. I tend to miss the best, most important things especially when they're right under my nose the whole time."
Daniel looked into his eyes, staring intently. "Yeah?"
"Oh, yeah." Jack looked down at his hands, avoiding Daniel's eyes, suddenly a little uncomfortable. He'd never been any good at discussing his feelings. "The best things are always right in front of you. You just have to recognize what they are, and be willing to take the chance to make them your own." Suddenly anxious to change the subject, he stood up and held out a hand to Daniel. "Can you get up?"
Daniel took his hand, "Yeah, I'm fine." Jack helped pull him to his feet and he was positive that Daniel held onto his hand just a second longer than he'd needed to. Jack picked up Daniel's glasses and handed them back to him.
"Thanks, Jack. Let's get this stuff put away, and then we can get back to work."
Jack grinned at him and turned back to the table. His face hurt from all the smiling he'd done in the last two days. If that wasn't a sign that what he could have with Daniel was worth the effort, he didn't know what was.
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The rest of the afternoon passed in a haze. Jack tried to concentrate on his tasks, but it seemed every time he turned around, he was bumping into Daniel, stepping over Daniel, brushing up against Daniel, climbing above Daniel or looking up at Daniel. Their hands were constantly touching, passing hammers and screws back and forth, handing each other hardware or bracing each other as they added another support to the roof. He was just glad he'd cut most of the lumber yesterday. He could have cut off his own arm, and barely have noticed it was missing until Daniel asked him to hand him another three-penny nail.
He had chickened out on the obvious flirting, but in truth, he didn't really need it. Now that it had been established that there was a mutual attraction going on here, they seemed to have both turned shy. Jack was enjoying the subtle things the casual touches and almost shy glances kept his gut in a constant state of flux. He hadn't realized you could keep your stomach flipping over every couple of minutes and not lose your lunch, but it seemed so.
"Okay, I'm ready for that hinge now, Jack. Jack? Earth to Jack. Are you there?"
Jack was shocked out of his thoughts by the sound of Daniel's amused voice. "Oh, sorry, Daniel, my mind was a thousand miles away. What was it you needed?
"The last hinge for the door. Right there by your foot."
"Right. Sorry."
Daniel seemed to be using the drill with a somewhat heavier hand than he'd used yesterday. Jack cringed.
"Whoa Daniel, lighten up! You're going to strip the screw that way."
"What? Oh, right. I don't know what I was thinking."
Daniel's face flushed and Jack smirked. Looked like he wasn't the only one distracted. Sweet. Daniel stood up and the two wrestled the door into position.
"Looks good. If you can hold the door in place, I'll do the screwing."
Jack laughed out loud.
Daniel looked up in surprise, then realized what Jack was laughing at, and he blushed, rolling his eyes. "You are such a kid sometimes, Jack. I swear. I'll use the screws to attach the door to the doorframe. Is that better?" He tried to hide his grin, but it was too late.
"Damn, Daniel," Jack's grin just got bigger. "You take all the fun out of it."
Daniel rolled his eyes. "Alright, if you insist I can be just as juvenile as you."
"No you can't." Jack was certain of that.
Daniel just grinned. "Shut up Jack and stand back. I'm about to screw this door right into the frame."
Daniel wiggled his eyebrows and Jack laughed again. He hadn't had this much fun with tools since he was in Junior High and spent his entire woodworking class in hysterics laughing at his best friend Rob's dirty jokes. He felt like a kid again. Daniel had no idea how good he was for Jack.
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Jack plopped the drill on top of the coiled heavy duty extension cords in the trunk of Daniel's car, and went to look for Daniel, who seemed to have disappeared while Jack was cleaning up under the oak tree. Heaving his tired body up the ladder one last time, Jack found Daniel sitting on the treehouse porch, his eyes straining in the failing light to run over the floor plan one last time just to make sure they hadn't missed anything.
Jack handed Daniel a cold beer as he collapsed beside him, a loud groan breaking the silence. "Damn. I'm sore as hell."
"No wonder. You were up before the sun this morning, working in your back yard. What the hell was so important that you needed to wake up before the birds just to think about?"
Jack took a swig of his beer, and realized that this was as good a time as any. Time to lay his cards on the table. "That would be you."
"Me?"
"Yeah. I had a revelation last night, with your head in my lap. It took me all night to puzzle through it, and even then, I needed the hours of pure physical labor to work it out to my satisfaction."
"Me. What were you thinking about me that needed all that?"
"The last couple of months have been hard on me, Daniel." Jack intentionally didn't look at him, he wasn't sure he could do this if he were looking directly at Daniel. So he stared out at the foliage in front of him instead. But he felt Daniel shift slightly until their arms and legs were pressed up against each other and that gave him a bit of courage. He knew Daniel felt the seriousness of this conversation. The day had been full of flirting and joking and acting silly, but that was gone now.
The night was settling in and a gentle calm had come with it. A cool breeze ushered in the promise of a clear, star filled night sky. Jack took a deep breath, and continued. "I don't know if it was intentional, if you had a reason or a plan behind the way you've been acting around me lately." He heard Daniel take a breath, as if to speak, so he hurried on, not wanting to be interrupted yet.
"But whatever it was, I think you should know that I hated it. I couldn't stand the distance between us. That was what made me realize exactly how important you are to me. Not to the SGC or to the team but to me. Your friend. I missed you in ways I'd never even realized you were there before. But you were. Always there. Always when I needed you.
"That was what this week at the cabin was supposed to be about. I wanted to find out what was wrong, and see if we couldn't figure out together how to fix it. But then, yesterday, we had a great time. In spite of the hard work. Even all sweaty and covered with sawdust. It was just like it used to be. And I realized that I really wasn't sure I could do without that any more."
Jack stood up and leaned on the railing, his elbows braced, listening to the rustling of the breeze and feeling it cool his face. "Last night, with your head in my lap, I realized that what we already have is wonderful. I love having you as my friend, and I never want anything to damage that. But I think we can keep our friendship, and still manage to have more. And that's what I spent all of last night and this morning thinking about. I want to try. To have more. With you."
Jack heard Daniel stand up, heard him cross to lean over the rail next to him, and then heard him sigh.
"What does that mean?" He was afraid that Daniel didn't want that, after all, the entire last two days notwithstanding. It was still possible. He had no idea what to do if Daniel turned him down now. He held his breath in anticipation as Daniel spoke.
"I had that same revelation, Jack. Just a little earlier than you. I realized I was attracted to the best friend I've ever had, the man that meant more to me than anyone else ever had, besides Sha're. I was okay until we found her. I could concentrate my focus on her, and ignore the feelings I had. But once we found her, I didn't have an excuse anymore. I was so afraid. Afraid you'd find out and push me away. You'd think I was just seeking comfort, that it wasn't real, that it was just me trying to deal with my loss.
"So I tried to separate myself from you, tried to get some distance between us, so I could gain some sort of perspective. To prove to you and myself that this was real. I've never been attracted to a man before, Jack, and it just blew me away, knowing what I wanted, and not knowing if you felt the same. Not knowing if it was worth losing what we already had, to reach for something else."
During the course of this last speech, Jack had slowly turned, until he was facing Daniel, who was still looking out, perhaps not ready to look Jack in the eye yet? But as Daniel spoke, Jack's smile grew.
"I knew it. Yes! I knew it. You feel it too. Don't you?" Jack was suddenly as animated as he'd been all morning, bouncing on his toes. "Admit it. It's true, isn't it?" Daniel turned to face him, Jack's sudden exuberance affecting him, a smile spreading over his face.
"Alright! Yes, it's true. But I think we need to take this slow, Jack. I've never done this before. Fallen for a guy, I mean. I need to take my time. Get used to things. I don't want to rush this. Because I think we could screw this up. If we're not careful."
"Okay. I can see that. That makes sense. But there are a few things we need to talk about then. Rules to be established."
"Rules? What do you mean? What rules?"
"If we're going to take this slow, you have to stop being such a tease."
"A tease? Me? Says the man with the purple popsicle?"
"I only got the idea from you and your red one. And the dill pickle! What was that? That was the most provocative display of pickle licking I've ever seen."
"Pickle licking?" Daniel's eyes were laughing; even in the fading light Jack could tell that. He could hear it in his voice. "You make it sound like I did something indecent."
"You orally assaulted that pickle."
"What?"
"Your behavior was lewd and lascivious. I should have you arrested."
"If you have me arrested, there will be no more lewd and lascivious behavior for you."
Jack was willing to concede that one. "Good point."
Jack stepped forward, until he was directly in front of Daniel. They were just six inches apart, and Daniel took a deep breath and held it, as if afraid if he breathed out, Jack would disappear, just blow away on the breeze. Jack couldn't even take another full step, but he tried, his work boots bumping up against Daniel's, just a few inches separating their faces. Jack was way too close to actually see him clearly, but that was okay, he already knew what Daniel looked like.
"Daniel." His voice was a little scratchy, and his hand shook slightly as he raised it. Cupping the side of Daniel's face, Jack ran his thumb across his cheekbone. Daniel raised his own hand, mirroring Jack's movement. Daniel let his breath out suddenly, blowing across Jack's face. He closed his eyes against it, feeling as much as hearing when Daniel took another breath. He leaned forward, closing the gap between them, his lips brushing softly against Daniel's.
Jack felt slightly dizzy, but then realized Daniel wasn't the only one forgetting to breathe. He took a deep breath in and pressed into the kiss. A little more strength, slightly deeper pressure, but still not urgent, not demanding. Daniel put his hands on Jack's waist, pulling him in closer, until their bodies met. Jack wrapped his arms around Daniel, tentative at first, the sensations of a male body pressed up against his strange and disquieting, but pleasurable at the same time.
Jack tilted his head, changing the angle of their kiss, and he felt the tip of Daniel's tongue run hesitantly across his lips. That made him feel a little better; he wasn't the only one that was feeling a little awkward about his whole kissing another guy thing. Daniel eased his tongue into Jack's mouth, and Jack met it with his own, his stomach doing that flipping over thing again.
Daniel pulled back just a bit, and their lips parted. Not letting go, but separating enough to take another breath, and Jack realized that yeah, maybe breathing was a good idea, as long as it didn't get in the way of the kissing. Because the kissing the kissing was good. Really good. He wouldn't mind doing it some more. So they did.
They kissed again and again. One kiss leading into another, gentle and passionate, strong and aching, sweet and intense. Jack could hear his pulse pounding and pulled back again, needing another breath, but also needing more of Daniel. He lifted his hand from Daniel's cheek and tugged on his ear.
"What?"
"What the hell were you thinking? You could have had me, but you chose Blondie instead? Linea's got nothing on me, Daniel. No matter what her title is."
Daniel laughed, "Jack O'Neill, Destroyer of Daniel's Heterosexuality?" It was kind of dark by now, but Jack knew he'd never seen that smile before. Cool. A new one for the list.
"Oh, yeah? I did that to you, huh?"
"Yeah, well, it was either you, or Sokar's Blood. And I didn't notice any of the others acting funny all of a sudden."
"Yeah, yeah...very funny. You turned me gay, too, you know."
"I think the correct term is probably bisexual, don't you think?"
"I don't know, I kinda like 'Jack O'Neill, Destroyer of Daniel's Heterosexuality' better. Has a ring to it, you know?"
One more kiss, and by the time it was over he was feeling light headed, dazed by the feeling of Daniel's body against his, stunned by the ease with which they fit together, the casual way his body recognized Daniel's.
"It's getting a little dark. Maybe we should..." Daniel's voice was hesitant.
"Oh, right. We should leave. Get something to eat."
"Right. We were going to order pizza, weren't we? Over at your place."
"Yeah. Pizza. Right. We should go." Jack grinned. He knew it was a big shit eating grin, but he couldn't help it. He began to turn away, his eyes still on what little he could see of Daniel, not wanting to leave, but knowing they could do this some more, back at his place. Right? So he turned and walked away. Right smack dab into the wall he'd just help build.
The world spun dizzily for a second, and then everything went black.
