Of Beer And Pumpkins

by J. M. Griffin

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/asj/jmgriffin/beer.php
Summary: Jack and Daniel celebrate Halloween... alone... together.

"Hmmm," the big alien peered at the image on the computer screen and then at the humans gathered in Dr. Daniel Jackson's office. "So, at this time of year, one hollows out gourds and places them in the front lawn in order to scare off children who come begging for candy. And this is called Hollow-een?" Tealc asked calmly.

"Halloween, with an "a." Daniel explained, leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers in a very "Spockish" manner. "For All Hallow's Eve. It was once known as Samhain and the gourds were turnips, hollowed out and lit with a candle so the dead could see more easily on their journey in this world."

"I didn't know that," Major Samantha Carter leaned over and took a look at the computer screen.

"Oh, pullease, don't encourage him," Colonel Jack O'Neill whispered to himself so everyone else could hear.

Tealc raised an eyebrow as Daniel continued his discourse. "You see, ancient literature has it that on October 31st, the world as we know it is supposed to change for a brief span. Time, the fourth dimension, ceases to exist, and a doorway opens into a fifth dimension normally inaccessible to man that space is the Otherworld."

Jack had had enough. "Are we on the set of the Outer Limits or something? Come on, Daniel, all I did was ask if you guys wanted to come over and help me hand out candy on Halloween. I did not ask for a twenty minute lesson on the history of the event."

"Well, I'm out, sir. I promised Janet I'd help her chaperone Cassie's all-girl Halloween sleep over." Carter bowed out gracefully.

"And, while this event seems the most interesting of all the Earth holidays about which I have learned, I will be going to see my son." Tealc made a tiny bow in Jack's direction, knowing the homage would go a long way in mollifying the colonel.

Jack stretched his mouth into a smile and turned to the last member of the SG-1 team. "Well, Daniel, I suppose you're going to tell me you have a hot date or something and aren't coming either."

Daniel took off his glasses and scrubbed at his eyes as he did his best not to make a remark about how he really would like to come while at Jack's house. Instead, he blinked earnestly and looked SG-1's fearless leader in the eye. "Actually Jack, I'd love to come...over. I'll bring the beer, you get the pumpkin."

~~~

Jack ended up buying the biggest durn pumpkin he could find, forgetting he'd have to lug the sucker from his truck into his kitchen. And once he got it into the kitchen, he realized he didn't have clue how to gut the damn thing without totally ruining it. Pumpkin carving was not his specialty. He was relieved then, when Daniel arrived with Heineken (ugh) and a pumpkin carving kit, no less.

"Whoa, cool, Daniel. Let's use the pattern and make it into a vampire." Jack chortled as he tore open the packet and took a close look at the tiny carving tools that spilled out on the table.

"Watch it. We don't want to lose any." Daniel said, totally unnecessarily as far as Jack was concerned. "Okay, we can do the vampire."

The two men launched into the pumpkin with scoop, scraper, and the tiny blades and about an hour later they had a pretty good rendition of a vampire gleaming eerily from the front of the pumpkin. They also had yucky pumpkin goo heaped in a bowl and all over their hands and, in Jack's case at least, clothing.

"Not bad," Daniel said smugly, "Not bad at all." For a moment, Jack hoped Daniel was giving him the eye, but nope, it was their handiwork the archaeologist was admiring. When he did look closely at Jack, Daniel shook his head, a smile creeping across his face. "You are a mess."

"Am not."

"Jack, go look in the mirror." Jack headed for the bathroom and looked in the mirror to see he was pretty well smeared with glop. Daniel gazed over his shoulder. "So, was I right, wasn't I?"

Jack shrugged. "Yeah, but you're pretty messy, too," he told the younger man just before he took the pumpkin guts he had hidden in his cupped hand and smeared it on Daniel's shirt.

"Jack," Daniel shrieked, which didn't deter Jack in the least.

Daniel slipped out of the bathroom so fast Jack wasn't sure what was happening until the man reappeared at the door and lobbed a handful of orange glop at Jack. It landed squarely on Jack's forehead with a sickening splat.

Daniel burst out laughing as Jack tried to wipe the stuff off his face. When he had scraped off a small amount, he came at Daniel with a menacing growl.

"Jaaaaack, Jack! No!" But it was too late and the gob of guts was sliding inside Daniel's pants. "Gross!"

Jack was laughing hysterically now, and Daniel was red in the face, caught somewhere between mirth and outrage.

He dropped a dollop of guts into Jack's open mouth and the older man stopped laughing with amazing quickness.

"Gotcha!" Daniel yelled and got out while the getting was good.

"Like hell," Jack sputtered. "This is war!"

He charged Daniel, knocking him down perilously close to the edge of the hearth. Jack moved quickly to keep Daniel's head from coming into contact with the stonework and he ended up flat on his back on the floor with the esteemed Doctor Jackson sprawled across him.

Daniel smirked up at the colonel, obviously not realizing he'd just been saved by the man. "Jack, how sweet, I had no idea you felt this way."

"Like hell you didn't." Jack growled, totally forgetting himself in the...er...heat of the moment. Who'd turned on the furnace?

Daniel flipped over so that he was facing Jack, but remained sprawled over him. Jack got a nose full of silky hair and the press of Daniel's hard-on against his thigh. For an instant, he thought of getting up and pretending he hadn't meant what he said, but only for an instant.

"Uh," Daniel said, his voice having dropped an octave. Jack could tell the younger man was trying very hard not to hump against him. The colonel could smell the tang of sweat and pumpkin guts and a touch of aftershave on Daniel's skin. He stuck out his tongue to see what he'd taste. Daniel shivered in his arms.

Jack slid his hands into Daniel's thick, shiny hair, loving the texture against his fingers. Daniel's right hand was on his face now, just tracing lightly over Jack's eyebrows, down his nose. Daniel was breathing hard, his mouth slightly open, and Jack realized suddenly they had no excuse at all for this, they'd only had one beer apiece.

Perhaps Daniel read his thought, because he moved, slipping sideways as if to get off, but Jack held on tight and so Daniel only succeeded in moving his mouth in line with Jack's ear. The soft breath on his ear made Jack shiver and abruptly close his hands in Daniel's hair, making the man wince slightly.

"Oh, sorry, " Why was he whispering?

"Don't be," Daniel gave his ear a delicate lick, like a lizard scenting for prey.

Here I am, Jack thought.

Daniel rubbed a finger across Jack's lower lip and Jack nipped at it, then sucked the tip into his mouth. Daniel made that little "uh" sound again. Suddenly Jack wanted to hear him do that again. That and a whole lot more. He slipped one hand out of Daniel's hair and ran it down his back to where his tee shirt was rucked up at the waist line. Jack slid his hand up under the hemline, stroking the long, smooth back. Sure enough, Daniel rewarded him by making the noise again.

"Been awhile, huh?" Jack whispered gently. He wanted to go forward with this really, really badly, but he felt the need to go slow. To wait until Daniel made up his mind and gave consent.

Daniel's hands were curling around Jack's ears and suddenly he was in front of Jack's face again, so close they could...they were....Wow.

Someone had taught the boy how to kiss. Jack turned the tables, giving as good as he was getting and for a moment their tongues' dueled before Jack surrendered, letting the younger man take control. Danny's tongue in his mouth was sweet and crafty and knowing; Daniel was anything but inexperienced. Daniel had been with a man before.

Jack gave an "uh" of surprise when this dawned on him. Oh boy, this was gonna be good.

Daniel felt it when the tables turned, when Jack relaxed and gave it up to him. It wasn't a mock battle of any kind anymore. With one hand on the floor, Daniel pushed up, using the other to encourage Jack to lose his tee shirt. Then he ran his tongue down the smooth, muscled chest, licking at nipples and tugging at tantalizing grey chest hairs. He knew that Jack had just figured out that he'd been with men before. So neither of them was entirely new to this, but it had been a long time for them both, Daniel guessed.

He reached a hand down and unbuttoned Jack's fly. Rising on his knees, he ran his tongue down the older man's chest to his navel, then down to the band of his briefs. Jack lifted his hips and Daniel slip down both pants and underwear, and, oh god, Jack's cock sprang out at him, hard and hot and ready. His own cock sprang forward, too, and Jack chuckled, low and lasciviously and he wrested Daniel's jeans open and off.

Their hands collided, but they both were quick to give way and soon they had a satisfactory grip on things.

Daniel knew he was giving little deep grunts. The feeling was so intense, it couldn't last. Jack was right there in there with him, in perfect, harmonious accord, breathing hard into Daniel's hair.

"Daniel, Daniel, damn it..." but there was nothing harsh in the words, nothing but heat and lust. "Dannnnny." Jack came and the sudden addition of his come on their hands made Daniel catch his breath as he climaxed in hard shudders against Jack.

He hung there for a few moments, caught between utter fulfillment and a crazy need for more-right-now.

"Easy," Jack whispered, "easy, lover."

Daniel jerked in Jack's arms, jerked away to lie beside him on the floor. Of all things, he hadn't expected that. "Lover." So freely spoken, so freely given...but maybe that wasn't what Jack meant.

"Danny?" Jack had turned toward him. Shirtless, hair in wild disarray, pants down around his knees, Jack suddenly looked young and vulnerable.

"Lover?" Daniel asked in a breathless whisper.

Jack shrugged, reached out and touched Daniel's hair. "With all my heart."

"Good," Daniel said promptly, just before he zeroed in for another long, sweet kiss.

Jack tasted like beer and pumpkin.

The End