Homecoming 5

The Spare Bedroom

by Sistine

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/ass/sistine/homecoming05.php
Summary: At Jack's house, Daniel begins to relearn what he really means to Jack

Jack didn't know what had possessed him to invite Daniel to stay the night - well, actually it had been partly to make up for his behaviour during the past two weeks, and partly because he really really wanted Daniel to stay with him. Carter had brought both Daniel and Teal'c to his house for the SG-1 reunion dinner, and it had been then that Jack had issued his invitation to Daniel, knowing that the younger man would find it hard to refuse with the others there. But he hadn't thought it through. Now that the others were gone, Jack had to deal with Daniel on his own, and he didn't know what to say or do. What did one say to one's lover when they couldn't remember the 'love' part?

Daniel was obviously regretting agreeing, judging by the way he was avoiding Jack's eyes. He was shifting restlessly on the chair across from Jack. And although Jack could look his fill from this distance, he would much prefer it if the younger man was next to him.

"Uh, Jack?"

"Yeah?" Jack focused his thoughts and eyes on Daniel.

"Um, I'm pretty tired, busy day and all that. If you can show me where the spare bedroom is, I'll just go to bed."

Definitely regretting it, Jack decided. "Sure." There hadn't been much time for a grand tour earlier. He led Daniel down the hallway to the spare bedroom - which just happened to be right next to his bedroom. "Bathroom's next door," he pointed out.

"Thanks. Um..."

"Oh, right." Clothes and toothbrush - because of the sudden invitation, Daniel hadn't brought anything with him. Jack got some spare sweats out of the cupboard and handed them to Daniel. "There's a spare toothbrush under the sink in the bathroom." It had originally been Daniel's anyway and Jack hadn't been able to bring himself to throw it away.

"Thank you." Daniel accepted the grey sweats and then looked directly at Jack. "Well, goodnight then."

Jack nodded, getting the hint. "Goodnight," he said, his tone firmly neutral. He went into his bedroom, which now seemed too big and empty for him. What he really wanted - needed - was Daniel in here with him. But that wasn't going to happen, at least, not for a long time yet.

His eyes fell upon the picture of them together on their first anniversary. Daniel's big smile was both a ray of sunshine and a stab through the heart. On an impulse, Jack took the framed picture and put it in the other room next to the bed. Maybe it would jog Daniel's memory. He certainly hoped that it would because he wanted Daniel back. Soon.

~~~

As Daniel stared at himself in the bathroom mirror, he wondered what had possessed him to agree to stay the night. Oh, that's right, he thought to himself; I wanted to talk to Jack about what's going on between us. He had planned to do that but when the others left, the atmosphere had become awkward, so he had decided that the best thing to do would be to go to bed. He had noticed some books on the shelves in the spare bedroom, so he would be able to read - that would be better than trying to make conversation with Jack.

He walked into the bedroom and immediately noticed the photo on the bedside table. Daniel was positive that it hadn't been there a few minutes ago, which meant that Jack had just put it there. Curious, Daniel went over and examined it. The photo was of him and Jack, just their faces and upper bodies. His smile in the photo was wide and expressed his joy, and Jack was positively beaming. There was also a hint of possessiveness in the way Jack's arm rested over his shoulders that seemed in direct contrast to the older man's recent behaviour.

Daniel's fingers traced over the photo of Jack, over the smile, the strong jaw and the warm eyes. Jack looked so attractive, so full of life and happiness - Daniel hadn't seen that expression on Jack since his return. Had they really meant something to each other and Jack was unhappy because Daniel couldn't remember it? Had they been friends or had they been something more?

Pulling his eyes away from the photo, Daniel looked around him at the rest of the room. There was a bookshelf lining one wall, filled with artifacts and books. Daniel went over to investigate properly. They were books on archaeology, myths and so on... things that Jack didn't find interesting and yet he had kept them here. Why?

He looked at the photo again. Here he had been thinking that Jack didn't like him when maybe it was the opposite. How hard would it have been for Jack to be around him knowing that he didn't remember anything about their friendship? Daniel looked back on everything that had happened, his interactions with Jack, from a different perspective - Jack had kept his distance to keep himself from getting hurt again.

Daniel briefly contemplated going into Jack's bedroom and telling him that he knew why the older man had been distant but since he hadn't actually remembered anything, he decided not to. Lying down on the bed, Daniel put the photo on the pillow beside him and closed his eyes, hoping that he would dream of Jack.

Next: Dreams