Stimulating Conversation 5

Welcome Home

by Dynojet

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asd/dynojet/stimcon05.php
Summary: Daniel has returned from being ascended and spends a quiet evening with Jack getting reacquainted

He had to make a conscious effort not to stare. It was really hard not to. Daniel was alive and well and back where he belonged with SG-1. Jack had invited his team over for dinner and a chance to reconnect after their latest mission which saw the return of Daniel and the departure of Jonas.

Daniel had been suffering from severe amnesia when they had stumbled upon him while searching for the Lost City of the Ancients. He had been found by the local inhabitants, lying unconscious and naked near a small village on the planet of Vis Uban. There seemed to be more at work than mere coincidence that led SG-1 to visit the planet when they did. However, since Daniel had no memory of his old teammates or his life as an ascended being, he was less than thrilled at their arrival.

It took a bit of convincing to get the leery Dr. Jackson to return home with his team, but once back at the base, his memories of life before ascension began returning bit by bit. The more he was exposed to things in his old life, the more he recalled on his own. In a very short order, he was back on the team and helping to carry out a mission to attack Anubis. Events didn't go quite the way they planned -- not that they ever did -- but the outcome was still satisfactory.

Things were basically back to normal. Jonas returned to his own planet, now more of a hero than traitor, leaving Daniel to reclaim his rightful place with SG-1. Since he no longer had his apartment, he took up residence in one of the VIP rooms at the base. His memory still had a few holes in it, but it didn't appear to be much of a hindrance.

The conversation the team shared over grilled steaks and corn on the cob on Jack's patio, was less about what Daniel remembered and more about what had transpired during his absence. Carter was eager to give full reports of the most interesting missions and Teal'c was more than willing to fill in whatever important details she missed.

All Jack had to do was keep the hot food and cold beers coming and nod his head once in a while to show that he was paying attention. The paying attention part he found a little hard to manage. He was still dealing with the fact that Daniel had returned and was sitting across from him at the patio table eating a steak. Daniel's appetite seemed to be in good form as he devoured everything put before him. Occasionally, he had to stop eating long enough to ask or answer a question, but luckily for him, Carter did most of the talking.

A couple of hours later, the party had left the patio and moved inside to the den. Food had been consumed, dishes had been washed, and Daniel had been all caught up on the past year's events. Jack noticed that Carter had a special glow about her, a smile that would not disappear as she sat next to and stared admiringly at her good friend. Even Teal'c could not conceal his joy at having their old team complete once again. It wasn't until Daniel cleared his throat uncomfortably that Jack noticed that he too had been just sitting and staring, quite possibly with a big, goofy grin on his face as well.

"So!" Jack clapped his hands together to draw attention away from his embarrassed buddy. "Does anybody want anything else to eat or drink?"

Carter snapped alert immediately. "Oh, no, sir. I've had plenty," With a quick glance at her watch, she added, "Actually, it's getting kind of late. I think I'm ready to call it a night."

"I am as well," Teal'c chimed in. "This has indeed been an enjoyable evening, O'Neill. Thank you for inviting me."

"You know you're welcome anytime, T'. In fact, you're welcome to spend the night, if you like. I've got plenty of room."

"I appreciate the offer, O'Neill, but I must decline. I am leaving to visit Ry'ac, in the morning. I wish to return to base and prepare for my...vacation."

"Understood," Jack said with a smile and a nod. He then looked to his second in command. "What about you, Carter?"

"No thank you, sir," Carter turned down the offer automatically, then decided she needed to explain why. "I was planning on going back to the base anyway. I have a couple of things I need to check --"

"Carter!" Jack frowned. "Down time means no working."

"I know, sir. It's just something very minor. I had to leave an experiment to sort of percolate for a few hours. I need to go back and set the second part of it into motion. Won't take me more than twenty minutes, but if I don't do it now, then it's going to set me back several days and —"

"Ack!" Jack held up his hand to stop her. "Fine. Do what you have to do. Just don't get too wrapped up in it. You need to take a break."

"Yes, sir. Twenty minutes in the lab, then it's straight home to a hot bath and a trashy novel." Jack gave her a dubious look, so Sam crossed her heart with one finger and added, "I promise."

"All right. Good." Jack looked at the third member of the team. "You've got plans back at the base too?"

"Well, I do have some more mission reports to read, plus the journal entries made by Jonas, and --"

"You can have your old room back," Jack offered.

Daniel raised his brows in confusion. "My old room?"

"You don't remember?"

"Remember what?"

Carter jumped in to answer the question. "When you first came back from Abydos, the colonel let you move in with him until you could find an apartment."

"Oh. Well, that was nice of you."

Jack shrugged. "I'm a nice guy."

There was no real reason why Daniel couldn't stay the night. He suddenly remembered that first evening back from Abydos and how Jack had brought him home, stayed up late with him, and assured him that he would do everything possible to help find and rescue Sha're.

"I suppose I don't really need to read all the rest of those mission reports. You could just fill me in on the important parts."

"I could do that. And we could play gin rummy and eat popcorn."

"Do I play gin rummy and like to eat popcorn?"

"No, not very well, and yes, you love it."

Daniel grinned and found it easy to accept the invitation to stay. After Sam and Teal'c left, Jack and Daniel settled down to play a few hands of gin rummy while munching on buttered popcorn. The conversation was light and centered mostly on the year in movies, celebrities and pop culture. It was still a little hard for Daniel to wrap his mind around the fact that he had actually been gone for a year and that so much had happened or not happened since his departure. He really hated the loss of his apartment, but was relieved to find that Jack had placed all his belongings in storage. The colonel had lied earlier about tossing out a lot of stuff. He later claimed that he had planned on having a big yard sale, but just never found the time."

It was after midnight when Daniel's constant yawning finally drove Jack to pull a plug on the card game and conversation. He showed his friend to the guest room and presented him with a new toothbrush, a pair of sweats and a robe before wishing him a, "good night, sleep tight."

Jack had a much harder time getting to dreamland. He tossed and turned in bed for more than an hour before giving up and getting up. His mind was too full of thoughts and memories of life with and without Daniel. He slipped a well-worn robe over his underwear and shuffled his feet into his slippers. He stopped off in the kitchen to grab a beer from the fridge, then went outside to climb to his favorite spot up on the roof.

He was thankful that it was a clear night, perfect for stargazing. He wondered how many nights in the past year had he sat up there gazing at the heavens, wondering if his good friend was floating around somewhere in the galaxy. And how many times had he been certain that Daniel was invisibly right by his side trying to communicate by way of a gentle breeze or a hint of a whisper in his ear. That had been well before his capture by Ba'al, when Daniel actually made visual contact with him. But he didn't want to think about that experience. It still haunted him and it still made him a angry.

"Jack?"

It took a moment to realize that the voice he heard this time wasn't imaginary. He looked over his shoulder and saw Daniel standing a few feet away, wearing the borrowed sweatpants but no shirt under his opened robe. A concerned frown creased the younger man's forehead as he took a couple of steps forward.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, fine." Jack responded with a weak smile. "Just, um...not very sleepy, is all. You okay?"

"Yeah. I just needed to use the bathroom. I passed by your room, saw the door open and the bed empty. Got a little concerned when I couldn't find you anywhere in the house and saw that your truck was still in the driveway. I was afraid you might have been abducted by aliens."

Jack grinned. "Well, that has been known to happen on occasion."

"Then I remembered this spot up here. It's kind of funny, you know, because earlier I didn't remember anything about this house. Even got a little turned around trying to find the front door. But, anyway, I see you're still here on earth, so...um...I guess I'll just leave you alone."

As Daniel turned to head back down the ladder, Jack stopped him with one softly spoken word. "Stay." So as not to seem desperate for the company, Jack casually added, "If you want."

It was a pleasant enough night, and since he was now wide awake, Daniel decided to stay. He sat down in the chair beside Jack and tilted his head upwards to view the countless stars above.

"Nice night."

"Yeah, it is," Jack agreed, then took a sip from his beer bottle.

There were several moments of silence after that, subtly interrupted only by the far off sound of a dog barking and an owl making it's presence known. Daniel was the first to speak, keeping his voice at a soft level.

"I want to apologize for how I acted when you guys first found me on that planet. I know I wasn't very friendly towards you."

"Don't worry about it. You didn't remember us. We were strangers to you."

"Yes, but, normally, I welcome meeting strangers. I don't automatically assume the worst from people or dread getting to know them. Even if I didn't remember you, I should have still been interested to meet you guys and find out all about you. It just seems odd that in losing my memory, I lost my natural curiosity, my openness to anything new, as well as my good manners."

"Well, being ascended and then descended probably just has that effect on people."

"I suppose."

"And you're still not remembering anything from being ascended?"

"No. But I remember...." Daniel's voice trailed off as he contemplated some unsettling images.

"You remember what?" asked Jack, more than just a little curious.

Daniel blew out a deep sigh before replying in almost a whisper. "Dying." He cleared his throat and spoke in an anguished voice. "I remember there was a lot of pain. Janet was pretty quick with the drugs but it wasn't too long before they lost their effectiveness. She wanted to put me in a coma to make it easier on me, but I wouldn't let her. I wanted to stay alert for as long as possible. I wanted to hold on to everything I could for as long as I could. Guess I was hoping for a last minute miracle."

"You and me both," Jack mumbled.

"I uh...guess I went through some of those stages they say a dying person goes through: disbelief and anger. I kept thinking, why me? What did I do so wrong in my life that would warrant something like that as punishment? It wasn't fair. Then I started to think that maybe I did deserve what was happening."

"No one deserved that!" Jack spoke out, then added, "Maybe if you were a Goa'uld...."

"But I'm not exactly a saint. I may have done some good here and there, but I still have blood on my hands. After a while, I reached that 'everything happens for a reason' stage. And, eventually, I started to accept my fate and was thankful that I'd lived as long as I had and experienced so many wondrous things. What bothered me the most from the moment I realized I was dying was what kind of effect my death would have on everyone. I mean, I know I've died before or appeared to have died and you guys went on without me.... Still, I just hated putting you through that again."

"Yeah, well, it is starting to wear thin," Jack agreed. "You know, I had not one grey hair before you came along. And in just a few short years...."

"Sorry. You know I don't mean to get myself maimed or killed. It's not like I do it just to piss you off."

"You're sure about that?"

"Jack, there are some things I do that I could care less whether or not it pisses you off. But dying isn't one of them. It's not exactly my favorite thing to do. But I honestly thought that was going to be the very last time."

"I'm of the opinion that you've got nine lives," Jack theorized. "But at the rate you're running through them...."

"Yeah, I know."

"You just need to learn to restrain yourself and not be so impulsive."

"That's easier said than done, but my impulsiveness saved countless lives."

"Those people didn't give a damn about you, Daniel."

"It doesn't matter. I did the right thing."

"Fools rush in where wise men fear to tread."

"Oh, you would have done the same thing if you'd been there, and you know it. I'm just sorry that I caused you guys so much pain. I know it was hard for you all to sit back and watch and not be able to do anything to help. But I appreciated you being there as much as you were, and I'm glad you were able to clear my name so I wouldn't get blamed for the incident."

"Thought you didn't care about that."

"I just said that because I didn't think you'd be able to do anything about it anyway."

"Well, if it hadn't been for Jonas finally stepping forward...."

"You hated him in the beginning, didn't you?"

"No, I never hated him. I just..." Jack took a moment to consider his true feelings for Daniel's replacement and nodded. "Okay, I guess I did hate him for a while there. But, he proved himself to be not such a coward and an asshole after all."

"But you're not sad to see him go."

"No, I'm not. He may have been an asset to the SGC, but he was still a constant reminder of what had happened to you. At times, I was able to forget a little, but I was never able to fully forgive him for his part in it."

"I think he knew and understood that."

The two men fell silent for a minute. Jack took another sip of the beer that he really didn't want and kept his eyes on the stars above. "I missed you," he meekly admitted.

"Yeah, I kind of sensed that. But it's a little odd for me, because I don't feel like I've been away at all. It's more like I've been unconscious, you know. And I wake up feeling somewhat disoriented, but with no significant loss of time."

"So you didn't miss me?"

"No. Sorry."

"You missed me," Jack insisted. "You just don't remember."

Daniel shrugged. "I'm sure I probably did."

"You came to visit."

"While I was ascended?"

"When I was being held captive by Ba'al, you kept me company. When things started looking kind of bleak, you offered to help me ascend."

"Really?"

"Mmh."

"I'm guessing the old ascension route wasn't for you, huh?"

"You seemed convinced I could handle it okay, but..."

"You were afraid," Daniel surmised.

"Hey, being a bright, glowy, spidery ball of energy isn't for everyone."

Daniel smiled lightly and nodded. "I suppose not. You probably would have just gotten us both kicked out a lot sooner."

"So you were kicked out?"

Daniel thought about that for a moment, frowned then shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe. I really wish I could remember. The things I do remember are just so...."

Daniel started to say something but abruptly aborted the attempt. Jack noticed and looked at him questioningly. "So what?"

"Confusing. I'm having problems deciding if some of my memories are actual memories, or dreams or just the products of a vivid imagination. Like when I was dying, I sort of remember or either I dreamt, or I actually had an out of body experience. I saw myself walking around in the infirmary, and everyone was standing over my body lying on the bed. Jacob tried to heal me with the hand device even though it was a useless effort. I went to you and touched your arm, and asked you to stop him. Oma was there and I wanted to go with her."

"It was real," Jack told him. "Oma made it so you could talk to me inside my head somehow. You...your energy went with her through the gate, sort of. Not quite sure how all that works. But yeah, not your imagination. All that really happened in a weird, surreal way. If that makes sense."

Daniel smiled lightly and nodded. "Enough."

"Anything else you were wondering about?"

"Well, there is this one other thing...."

"And that would be...?"

"Sam and me."

"Sam and you what?"

"Is there a Sam and me? Or rather have there ever been a Sam and me?"

"Why would you even think there's a Sam and you?"

"It's just that when I first met her back on the planet, I sort of felt this attraction towards her."

"Did you now?"

"And she seemed to really like me. I asked her if there was something between us and she said there wasn't. But I have this flash of a memory of me and her together, being a lot more than just friends if you know what I mean. Or maybe it was just a piece of a dream, I'm not sure. What do you think?"

"I think that Carter loves you like a brother. You two have never shown any romantic interest in each other as far as I know."

"Oh. So that was probably just me having a wet dream about her?"

"Probably."

"What about you?"

"What about me what?"

"Has there ever been anything between you and Sam?"

"No."

"You answered that rather quickly," Daniel noted.

"I'm her commanding officer," Jack stated as a way of explaining it all.

Daniel decided to let that one alone. He stretched out his arms and let go with a big yawn. "Well, I guess I'm ready for bed again. You coming in?"

"In a few."

"Okay. See you in the morning then. Good night."

"Night."

As Daniel headed back inside, Jack remained seated. He wasn't sure if he felt relief or hurt that Daniel had not recalled their secret liaison. It was probably for the best that those X-rated episodes remained lost in the past. Another thirty minutes elapsed before Jack felt ready to return to bed. He walked silently through the hallway but paused when he reached the opened door of the guest room. The table lamp was on and the bed was empty. Jack glanced further into the room, seeking his guest, but Daniel was not present.

Taking a few more steps down the hall, he came to his own bedroom where he discovered his missing friend. The light from the lamp on the nightstand softly illuminated Daniel as he sat on the edge of the bed, his elbows resting atop his thighs and his face cradled in his hands. Jack approached cautiously and with heightened concern.

"You okay?"

Daniel raised his head from his hands and nodded. "Yeah. I'm fine. I...uh...had some more flashes of memory. Or maybe a dream. I'm not sure."

"What was it?" Jack asked as he leaned against the edge of the dresser with his arms folded.

"I was with Sha're back on Abydos, and we were having sex."

"I would imagine that --

"And you joined us," Daniel quickly added, cutting off Jack's comment. "Real or not?"

"Not," said Jack simply.

"Ok," Daniel nodded to himself. "Just a kinky dream."

"I'd say so."

"What about...."

When Daniel failed to finished his question, Jack had to prompt him to continue. "What about what?"

"Jack, have I ever hurt you...physically?"

One particular incident came easily to mind. "You were suffering from the effects of that sarcophagus, and you tried to shoot me. We tussled a little bit, but --"

"No. I don't mean like that."

"Like how then?"

Daniel felt uncomfortable asking, but he had to have an answer. "Have I ever abused you...sexually?" To his surprise and relief, Jack didn't appear to be phased by the question.

"I think you might be remembering that dream Shifu made you have to teach you a lesson about being a know-it-all. You told me that you were given all the knowledge in the universe and ended up a little power mad. As I recall, you wanted me for your boy toy but you weren't all that careful with your toys. When you woke up from your nap, you were pretty convinced that it had all been real."

Daniel grimaced, "Yeah, it still feels real. I hate not being able to distinguish between fact and fantasy."

"Give it time. Sounds like it's all trickling back to you. If you have any doubts about any of it, feel free to ask."

"I will. Thanks." Having had his questions answered, Daniel stood up and headed for the door.

"Well, good-night again."

"Good-night, Daniel."

Just as Daniel reached the door, he had another one of his memory flashes. He looked back at the rumbled bed and had the distinct feeling that he'd spent some naked time there under the covers...with Jack. He started to ask, but hesitated considering that his other three memories had turned out to be only dreams.

"Something else on your mind?" Jack asked.

"I just...um...I seem to be having a lot of X-rated thoughts -- dreams, memories, whatever -- floating through my mind now. And oddly enough, you're a major star in them."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, and I can't quite figure out why that is, unless...." Daniel looked from Jack to the bed, then back again. "Did you and I ever...have we ever...."

"Yes," Jack answered the unspoken question."

"Yes?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure you know what I'm asking?"

"You want to know if we had sex. The answer is yes."

"Wow!" Daniel was taken aback by the announcement. Even though he had suspected the truth, it was surprising to find that he was actually right for once. "You and me? That's um...wow! How did that start up? What happen?"

"Few years ago you had fallen for a pretty girl from another planet. Turned out she was the destroyer of worlds."

"Linea," Daniel suddenly remembered.

"Linea," Jack concurred. "When things didn't work out between you two, I offered to buy you a beer to help take your mind off things. We came here, and started watching some TV. When the cable went out, you put on one of my porn videos, and we ended up discussing our sex lives, and lack of. And it seems the more we talked about sex, the warmer things got."

"I seduced you, didn't I?" said Daniel with a devilish grin.

"You managed to convince me that a bit of mutual gratification wasn't necessarily a bad thing."

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, I remember that night. A little mutual gratification in the living room, followed by a frozen dinner entree, then dessert in here."

"Yep."

"And then, the next morning I woke up in bed alone and you were showered, shaved and having coffee and toast in the kitchen, acting like the night before never happened."

"That was the agreement."

Daniel searched his memories and came upon more similar nights. "But we've been together more than once, haven't we? There have been other occasions?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, we've gotten together a few more times over the years. It was never really planned. There were just times when we both needed some tension release in our lives."

"So we're...fuck buddies?"

Jack grinned. "So eloquently stated, Dr. Jackson."

"So..." Daniel stepped in closer to Jack and placed a hand on his chest. "Are you in need of some tension release tonight? Is that why you can't sleep?"

"Might have something to do with it."

Daniel slid his hand down and lightly brushed the front of Jack's groin. There was an immediate reaction. Jack hissed as his dick twitched in his shorts. "You really are happy to see me again, aren't you, Jack? Let's see if I remember how to do this." With those words, Daniel dropped to his knees, pushed back Jack's robe, and pulled down his shorts. Jack's cock quickly rose to attention as it disappeared into an eager mouth.

"Fuck!" Jack moaned. One hand rested on the edge of the dresser while the other curled itself around the back of Daniel's head. It had been so long that Jack had almost forgotten how expert his friend was at relieving tension. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back in shear bliss as lips and tongue licked and sucked him into ecstasy. And just when things were getting extremely good, Daniel suddenly pulled away. He stood and finished undressing Jack, pulling off his robe, and pulling his t-shirt over his head.

"Come on," said Daniel, as he grabbed Jack's hand and led him towards the bed. Jack followed, in a slight daze. By the time he was under the covers, Daniel was naked as well and ready to slide in beside him. "Oops, almost forgot. You got some stuff here?" Daniel opened the drawer of the nightstand and rummaged inside a bit. "Oh, good, here we go."

He'd found what he needed, lubricant. He threw back the covers and moved down between Jack's legs. He squeezed a generous amount of lube onto his fingers and slipped them between Jack's ass cheeks. Jack jumped a little at the feel of the cold, slick cream and the warm fingers brushing against his anus, but quickly relaxed because he knew what was coming. Daniel would finger-fuck him while he sucked him off. It blew his mind the first time it happened. He had been really nervous at first, but Daniel had a gentle touch and he knew just what to do with that mouth and those fingers. It was soon very apparent that Daniel had not forgotten those skills.

Jack was in heaven from Daniel's triple combination of pumping his dick, sucking on his balls and sliding two fingers deep inside his ass. It almost didn't register that a third finger had wormed its way inside his anus. Two fingers had always been as far as it went. The third finger was more than just a little uncomfortable. Jack started to complain until those fingers managed to touch a very sensitive spot deep inside, causing his hips to arch up from the intense pleasure. Daniel kept at it, and the minor pain there had been before, receded to the background.

"Ready for me?" Daniel whispered in his ear.

Jack hadn't even realized when Daniel had changed positions, but apparently he was next to him, turning him on his side, grabbing his thigh and lifting it up. Daniel scooted up close behind him, then Jack felt something hot nudging his ass. It wasn't fingers this time; it was Daniel's cock.

"Daniel?"

"It's okay. I know it's been awhile. I'll go slow."

Jack's first thought was to elbow his friend in the guts and get away from him. But, instead, he just froze. "Don't," he whispered in a voice too low to actually be heard.

"Take a deep breath and relax, okay? It'll make it easier. Just pretend you're taking a crap and push out."

Jack took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he felt Daniel's hot, thick cock slowly press into him. "Push out." Daniel instructed, and Jack did as he was told. Daniel inched his way inside while fondling Jack's balls and now flaccid cock. "God, you're so tight, Jack. You feel so good. So fucking good."

The pain made him want to twist away and break free, but something else, something indefinable made him want to stay put. The hot breath on his neck, the wet tongue lapping at his ear, the firm, hairless chest pressing into his back, and the fingers tugging expertly on his family jewels, all worked in tandem to keep him from fleeing the bed. When Daniel pushed inside another inch, Jack tensed and spoke up. "Stop!"

Daniel froze his movements instantly. He even stopped breathing for a few seconds. "Too much for you?" he asked. "Want me to pull out?"

Jack couldn't quite decide on the answer to that. Daniel gave him a few more seconds before asking again. When a few more seconds of silence followed, Daniel became a bit worried. "Jack?"

"No," Jack whispered. "Don't stop." Jack took a deep breath and allowed his body to relax and moaned softly as he felt Daniel ease the rest of the way inside without effort. There was still some minor pain as Daniel withdrew, but the promise of pleasure made Jack hang in there. A few more strokes of Daniel's cock in his ass soon began to have the desired effect. Jack picked up on the rhythm and began pushing forward into the hand pumping his dick and back into the cock plowing into him. To his own surprise, the sensation was more intense and gratifying than he could have imagined. Daniel kept up the momentum for several minutes, stroking in hard and deep before finally reaching climax. Jack followed him a few seconds later, spurting onto his own arm and abdomen.

Coming down from his sexual high, Daniel gently pulled his deflated cock out and rolled over onto his back. "Damn, that was good!" he breathed. He closed his eyes and simply basked in the moment of post sex ecstasy. He felt Jack move away and rise from the bed. Watching from the corner of one partially opened eye, he saw his friend head into the bathroom, walking a little funny. Daniel winched at the sight and started to ask Jack if he was alright, but the door to the bathroom closed before he got the chance.

There was nothing but silence from beyond the bathroom door for several minutes. Finally, the sound of water running in the sink could be heard and it lasted for another couple of minutes. Daniel was on the verge of drifting off to sleep when he felt a damp, cold washcloth land on his belly.

"Oooh! That's cold," Daniel complained.

"Sorry," said Jack, as he went to collect his underwear and robe off the floor. He threw the robe onto the foot of the bed, then slipped back into his shorts.

Daniel used the washcloth to clean himself, all the while keeping a wary eye on his companion. Jack seemed unusually quiet and distant, even as he climbed back into bed. "You okay, Jack?"

"Yeah, fine," came the terse reply.

"I wasn't too rough on you, was I?"

"I'm fine, Daniel," said Jack in a tired voice that indicated that he was everything but fine. He laid down on his side with his back to his bedmate.

Daniel tossed the washcloth onto the floor, then turned onto his side, propping his head up on his hand as he stared at his friend's back. "You don't sound fine. You sound a little...I don't know...pissed? Did I do something wrong?"

"It's nothing. Turn off the light and go to sleep."

"Sure. As soon as you tell me what's bothering you."

"Daniel--"

"Jack, please! Is it something I said, something I did? Something I forgot to say or do? I really want to know."

Jack turned over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. He hesitated speaking at first, then finally took a breath and said, "That was the first time we've ever done it that way."

"What, you mean, on our sides?"

Jack looked at him in annoyance, then turned his gaze back towards the ceiling and said, "First time you've ever...I was always the one to...you know."

Daniel took a moment to silently decipher what his friend was attempting to tell him. "Are you saying that this was the first time I've ever been inside you? The first time I've fucked you?" He got a nod in response. "You're kidding, right?" Jack shook his head, no. Daniel searched his memories but was still left with some confusion. "I could have sworn...."

"Must have been another one of your dreams."

"Oh. But...you've fuck me, haven't you?"

"Yes."

"More than once?"

"A few times."

"That seems a little one-sided, don't you think?"

"It's how you wanted it. You've always wanted me to fuck you."

"And I've never given you the impression that I wanted to fuck you in return?"

"No. You seemed pretty happy with me doing you."

"Well...yeah, I mean... I'm pretty sure I was happy with things that way but I can't believe I never even suggested that I try fucking you."

"If you ever wanted me to be on the receiving end, you never said so."

There was obviously something he had forgotten, a reason why he would not have ever asked Jack to be the bottom man in their relationship. He searched his memories and finally found one that answered his question. He felt instant remorse over his earlier actions and a bit of anger at Jack for allowing them. He sat up straight in bed, wishing he was able to kick himself.

"Oh, God, Jack! Why didn't you say something? You knew I didn't remember."

"It's okay," Jack mumbled.

"No, it's not okay! You're a rape victim."

"That was a long time ago. I'm way over it. Doesn't matter anymore."

"Jack--"

"Daniel!" Jack raised his voice pointedly as he made eye contact. "It's okay. I'm over it."

"Well, if you're so over it, why is it that we've never done this before now?"

"I told you why. You never asked. Why you never asked, only you know the answer to that."

"I never asked because of what you've been through in the past. You were sexually abused when you were a prisoner of war. Naturally, I didn't think you'd ever want to have another cock up your ass."

"You assumed I couldn't handle it?"

"Apparently, I was right. Why didn't you stop me, Jack? You know I never wanted to do anything to hurt you."

"I know. And you didn't."

"Don't lie, Jack. I saw how you walked into the bathroom. Why didn't you stop me? Just tell me that."

Jack really didn't want to explain his actions but he knew that Daniel wouldn't let the matter die without knowing the answer. After a moment of hesitation, he sat up a bit and turned on his side to face Daniel. "You were gone," he said somberly. "Yeah, you came back to visit a couple of times in your ascended energy form but I couldn't touch you. And now you're back and solid and touchable again. And I wanted to...needed...to feel that you were real."

Daniel reached out and gently stroked Jack's cheek with the back of his fingers. Jack closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. "I'm real, Jack."

"I know," Jack whispered, his voice cracking just a bit from the effort to hold back tears.

"Come here." Daniel gently pulled his friend into a much needed embrace. Jack wrapped his arms about Daniel's waist and nestled his head against his shoulder. A warm, soft hand made gentle strokes up and down the colonel's back before coming to rest on his bicep.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Jack."

Jack took a deep breath to compose himself, then said, "I told you, it didn't really hurt."

"I meant when I died."

"You didn't die."

"Technically, no. But in a sense and as far as every one else was concerned, the day I ascended was the day I died."

"You were never dead to me. I knew you'd be back someday."

"How could you know that?"

"I felt it.... Believed it."

"Maybe you willed me back."

"Maybe... And I'd just appreciate it if you wouldn't die, or appear to die, anymore. It takes way too much out of me."

"So you're not as unbreakable as you pretend to be."

"No, I'm not."

"I'll remember that." Daniel gave Jack a comforting squeeze and kissed the top of his head. "So, anyway, about the sex. How was it really? It didn't stir up any bad memories for you, I hope."

"No. Not really."

"Not really?"

"Well, there was a momentary flash of old what's-his-name, but I pushed that out of my mind real quick, and it just became you. And I know you were trying to please me rather than hurt me."

"And did I please you?"

Jack nodded his head. "It was surprisingly better than I thought it would be. And the walking funny afterwards was mainly because things were feeling a bit messy."

Daniel smiled. "Oh yeah, I remember now. You don't like messy."

"No, I don't."

"But messy is what makes it feel so good."

"Mmm, I'd sort of forgotten what a little pervert you are."

"Be happy to remind you."

Jack lifted his head from Daniel's shoulder, and looked deeply into his eyes. His gaze shifted down to a pair of soft, pink lips, and he felt compelled to taste them. The kiss was gentle, sweet and lasted for several seconds, then Jack pulled away slowly.

"I think I can sleep now. Why don't you hit the light."

Daniel reached over to turn off the light, then slid down under the sheets. Jack's head easily found his shoulder in the darkness, and their hands latched together beneath the covers. Daniel drifted off to sleep in a matter of seconds. Jack laid awake for a few minutes more listening to his friend's deep breaths.

"Welcome back, Daniel," Jack breathed a sigh of contentment. "And thank you, Oma. I owe you one."

The End