My Valentine

by Sistine

URL: http://www.area52hkh.net/ass/sistine/valentine.php
Summary: Jack has a few surprises in store for Daniel on Valentine's Day

Jack finished getting dressed and then sat on the bed next to his lover. He had a special day planned, one designed to remind Daniel of just how much he meant to him. This was the first Valentine's Day they would be spending together and Jack wanted to get it just right.

He brushed his hand over the smooth bare shoulders, marvelling at the muscles underneath the sleek skin. Daniel's appearance was very deceptive; the slender body hid physical strength, and geekish demeanour hid a strong soul. It had taken Jack a while to see past the latter to see someone he could love, even though the two of them had bonded virtually straight away. Jack hadn't been prepared to fall for his best friend, and he had fought it for awhile until he could no longer hide from the truth. He hadn't been able to hide from Daniel either, the young man somehow seeing the change in him and welcoming it. The first kiss they shared changed their world. The first night they spent in each other's arms sealed their bond forever. They were two halves of a whole, each complimenting the other in ways that no one else ever could. They still had their arguments, sure, but they never stayed angry with each other for long. Both men knew that they were in this relationship for life.

When Daniel started to stir, Jack leaned down and kissed the back of his neck. "Morning, love." He kept stroking the silky skin.

Daniel's lips curved into a smile. Although he was still half-asleep, he couldn't help but respond to the endearment. He turned his head so that he was facing Jack, and opened his eyes. "What time is it?"

"You don't want to know," Jack replied, a current of desire heading straight for his groin as Daniel looked at him through sleepy eyes.

"Jack?" Daniel realised that his partner was fully dressed.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you dressed?" They usually spent Saturday mornings in bed.

"We're going out."

"Why?"

"Daniel, do you remember what day it is today?" Jack slid his fingers into the short brown hair and made the spikes stick up even more.

"Saturday?"

"And the date?"

"The fourteenth of... oh." Belatedly, Daniel realised that it was Valentine's Day. Unlike many people around the world, he had never really celebrated that day, mainly because he had never been in a relationship on that day. Well, he had with Sha're but the Abydonians didn't celebrate it so he hadn't worried about it. Therefore, he hadn't thought about doing anything special for it. "Um..."

"That's okay, Daniel." Jack knew exactly what Daniel was thinking. "I know it's not your scene but if you don't mind, I've got some things planned for today."

"Really?" He hadn't thought that Jack would have been into Valentine's Day. "Can I have some coffee?" Daniel was going to need his strength.

"Certainly." Jack reached over to the bedside table and retrieved the cup of coffee. "You'll have to sit up though." He waited until Daniel leaning back against the bedhead before handing the coffee over. Then he rested his hand lightly on the younger man's stomach, just enjoying being able to touch.

Daniel glanced at the curtains - they were still closed. "Jack, what time is it?"

"I figured we could watch the sunrise together. I have the perfect place but we would have to leave here in twenty minutes."

Daniel was tempted to groan but didn't because he knew Jack wanted this to be special. But... twenty minutes? How was he going to be functional in that short amount of time? "I'll need another coffee."

"Already brewing." Jack knew his lover very well. "Trust me, you're going to love this."

****

Fifteen minutes after they got into the car - on time, which was pretty good for Daniel - Jack pulled up at the park. At this time of morning it was deserted, so he would be able to be as romantic as he liked and no one would see him except the one who counted. He helped Daniel out of the car, then took him by the hand and led him to a park bench that overlooked the lake and coincidentally, faced the east where they would be able to watch the sunrise.

Jack sat back as far as he could on the seat and lifted one foot to rest on it. He then pulled Daniel down and encouraged him to lean back against his leg.

Daniel obeyed and then snuggled up to Jack; it was a cold morning and not even his thick winter coat could keep out the entire chill. His two cups of coffee had helped him wake up so that he could now appreciated the romanticism of what Jack was doing. He put his arms over the top of Jack's, which were holding him tight, and he rested his head on Jack's shoulder. It was rare that they had a chance to display their togetherness in the outside world, and Daniel was relishing every second of it. It was moments like these that he felt truly happy.

The two of them sat silently and waited for the sun to rise. They didn't need words to talk; everything that needed to be said was communicated through touch.

When the sun finally rose and turned the sky a beautiful orange colour, Daniel could hardly breathe. The orange reflected off the lake, the pattern shimmering as a gentle breeze rippled across the surface. He was so overwhelmed by the beauty of the scene in front of him and the fact that he was sharing this special moment with the man he loved more than anything. He didn't realise he was holding his breath until Jack said in his ear, "You're just as beautiful, Daniel."

Jack was equally as moved by the sunrise as his partner. The emotion just welled up inside him until he thought he would burst. And when he saw the wondrous expression on Daniel's face, he knew that everything bad that had happened in his life had been worth it because it made him appreciate the man he now held in his arms. Daniel saw the world through different eyes than Jack, and he had made the older man start to view things differently too. A year ago, a sunrise was just a sunrise. Today, it was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Jack had an extremely cynical nature, whereas Daniel was almost the complete opposite, despite all the things he had seen and done during his time with the Stargate program. That made it all the more difficult for Jack to understand how Daniel could still see the beauty in the world - and in him. But with Daniel's help, he was learning to see things that way too.

"So are you, Jack." Daniel shifted so that he could plant a kiss on Jack's cheek. "Thank you for sharing this with me." Although he hadn't liked to get up before dawn, he wouldn't have missed this for anything.

They stayed there for another twenty minutes, just watching the sun rise above the horizon. They treasured the quiet time, knowing that it was a rare thing in their lives, and that with their jobs, they might not live to see another sunrise. That made the time that they could spend together even more precious.

Finally, Jack's knees started to ache and he decided it was time to leave. He turned Daniel's face towards him and captured his lips in a long, gentle kiss. There was no urgency in the kiss; it was just meant to convey how much Jack loved his partner. He pulled back mere millimetres so that his lips were almost touching Daniel's. "Pancakes?"

"Please."

****

After large servings of pancakes for breakfast, plus another coffee for Daniel, the men headed off to their next destination. It was going to be a long drive, at least an hour or so, which meant that Daniel could catch up on his sleep. He tried to stay awake so that he didn't miss out on any time with Jack, but he soon drifted off to sleep. Jack smiled indulgently; he loved watching Daniel sleep. There were times in the middle of the night that he would do just that. Watching Daniel sleep often helped Jack centre himself if he was full of doubts or had woken after a nightmare. It was the most peaceful activity he knew of, and it never failed to work.

Jack woke Daniel when they reached Denver so that the younger man would have enough time to wake up before the day's activities. After answering Daniel's sleepy questions, he pulled up outside a museum. "There's a new exhibit on," he explained. "I thought you might like to see it."

Daniel's face lit up with a smile. He hadn't been sure that Jack had listened to him when he had talked about the exhibit earlier in the month. Pleased beyond words, he accompanied Jack into the museum and spent a blissful three hours roaming all the rooms. He explained all the items to Jack, who appeared to be taking a keen interest but Daniel could never be too sure just how much the older man was listening too. Still, he wasn't going to think about that today; negative thoughts were not allowed.

One exhibit had him pressing up against the glass like a little kid. It was a collection of Chinese jewellery, made of jade and of intricate designs. The craftsmanship was exquisite and Daniel wished he could study them in greater detail.

Jack watched indulgently as Daniel took great delight in the exhibits, even absorbing some of the lectures. He smiled as Daniel tried to press through the glass to see some jewellery; Charlie had done the same kind of thing when the two of them had visited museums. He stepped forward to see what was so special about those items. To his eyes, they were pretty but nothing startling. But Daniel definitely liked them so that must mean that they were worth something to him.

When it neared lunchtime, Jack dragged Daniel out of the museum and back to the car. They then travelled to an isolated spot along the river, one where few people ever visited. The two men walked a little distance to find a nice place to have their picnic, and then set up their blanket and food. Jack leaned back against a tree trunk and pulled Daniel into his arms; he just loved holding this man. Taking their time, they fed each other the food, playfully nipping at fingers that didn't move quick enough, and generally enjoying themselves.

Leaning back against Jack, Daniel could tell when his lover's thoughts turned away from food. Turning for better access, Daniel rubbed his hand over bulge in Jack's trousers a couple of times then undid the zip and slipped his hand underneath. He could feel the satiny boxers that Jack was wearing and absently wondered which ones they were. Then he wrapped his fingers around the firm erection and started stroking.

"You know, this wasn't what I had planned," Jack said as he tried to capture Daniel for a kiss.

But the younger man pulled back, wanting to concentrate on giving Jack pleasure. "An isolated picnic spot, no-one around for miles... what exactly did you have planned?" He leaned in and started to nibble on Jack's ear.

"Well, okay, this was kinda what I had planned," Jack admitted, unable to lie when faced with extreme pleasure. "Except I thought it would be happening, uh, in the river."

Daniel sat back, his fingers stilling for a moment. "Jack, the water would be freezing," he pointed out.

"I'd soon get you warm again." To demonstrate how, Jack undid Daniel's trousers and slipped his hand under to cup the warm flesh.

"Somehow I don't think that would work," Daniel said, his hand starting to move again in time with Jack's. "Are you sure that we're not going to be disturbed?" Much as he wanted to make love with Jack, he didn't want to be public.

"Positive."

In that case... Daniel removed his hand and quickly stripped off his sweater and shirt, and then he assisted Jack with his. Then he lay down on the blanket and waited for Jack to join him.

Jack pulled Daniel's trousers down to reveal form-fitting cotton boxers. He ran his hands over the material, being careful not to touch the bulge in the middle, until Daniel arched his head back with pleasure. Then Jack rid himself of his trousers, and kneeled over Daniel so that his lover could get a good look at what he was wearing.

When Daniel saw what was written on the black boxers, he burst out laughing. Jack took advantage of that and started tickling Daniel, keeping him in fits of laughter for several minutes. Eventually, Daniel begged for mercy and Jack stopped tickling him, letting his hands rest on his lover's flat stomach. Managing to get his breath back, Daniel asked, "Where did you find those?"

"Just in one of the shops. You like them?"

"I love them." Daniel looked at the words printed on the satiny material and another giggle escaped him. The bright red words stated 'In case of emergency, pull down'. "Does this count as an emergency?"

"Oh yeah."

"In that case..." Daniel gripped the top of the boxers and pulled them down, revealing Jack's rock-hard erection. "Yep, definitely an emergency."

Jack chuckled; he loved Daniel's sense of humour. "You bet it is." If he didn't make love to Daniel soon, he was going to explode - and not the fun way. Well, maybe as well as the fun way.

After a little bit more teasing by both men, and a lot of preparation, Daniel straddled his partner and eased back until Jack was completely inside him. Every time they made love, the emotions and intensity took Daniel's breath away. He had a complete connection with Jack, more so than he had ever before experienced with any partner. Leaning forward, he captured Jack's lips in a bruising kiss, feeling the hard shaft move inside him. "Love you," he said into Jack's mouth.

"Oh yeah, love you too, Danny," Jack managed to reply as the younger man started to rock. After that, words weren't really needed, except for the occasional exclamation or instruction.

Daniel sank down onto the solid chest beneath him, feeling Jack slip out as he softened. "That was much better than flowers," he commented, catching his breath again.

"Flowers are highly overrated." Jack ran his hand up and down Daniel's back, soothing away the slight tremors. After a minute or so, he tipped Daniel onto his back and then leaned over him. "Enjoying Valentine's Day so far?"

"I suppose so," Daniel replied with a wicked grin. "What else have you got planned?"

"Well, if I told you that, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" Jack smiled down at his lover. "Feel like a swim?"

"You have got to be kidding - Jack!" Daniel protested as he was pulled to his feet then slung over Jack's shoulder. "Don't you dare!" He really hated cold water, and he knew that Jack knew. "Only good things today, remember!"

"Oh, this will be good," Jack promised. He stepped into the water, which was on the warmer side of icy, and then let Daniel down, keeping the young man trapped within his arms.

Daniel gasped with the shock of the water. "Jack, you bast-" His words were abruptly cut off when Jack kissed him again. "Mmph!"

Arms locked firmly around Daniel's back, Jack bobbed down until they were both chest deep in the cold water. He kept kissing his lover, letting the water clean them as it swirled around them. Then, before they both froze, he released Daniel and guided him back to the blanket.

Daniel immediately cuddled up to Jack, trying to get warm again. "Never do that again, O'Neill!"

Jack smiled at the pet name. "Admit it, Danny, it was invigorating."

"Maybe when my teeth stop chattering." He pulled Jack on top of him, aiming to get the older man's body heat - or what there was of it after that cold dip in the river. When Jack rolled his hips suggestively, Daniel groaned. "You did that deliberately, didn't you? Just so you could warm me up again by having sex."

"The thought didn't even cross my mind," Jack lied, leaning down to briefly kiss those tempting lips. "But that's a very good idea. I'm glad you thought of it." His body was still too cold to be reacting to Daniel's proximity but he rocked his hips again just to see the expression on his lover's face. Smiling, he ran the back of his fingers over Daniel's cheek; sometimes he still found it hard to believe that Daniel was his lover. No-one looking at them would ever guess... okay, there were rumours at the SGC but they put the relationship in more crude terms. No one would ever believe that the two of them were in love.

"Remind me again why I love you?" Daniel said dryly while he rubbed his hands over Jack's back. He was melting inside from the pure love on Jack's face, and he knew that Jack would be able to see that in his eyes, but he still tried to look exasperated.

"I'm still trying to figure it out," Jack said with a smile. He wasn't the most lovable person in the world yet Daniel loved him for reasons that had nothing to do with sex. "Do you know why I love you?"

"Why?" Daniel had heard some of the reasons before but he knew he didn't know all of them.

"Because every day you do something that takes my breath away." That was the thing Jack loved the most about Daniel, whether it was getting excited about a new discovery, getting injured, or simply looking at Jack over the rim of his glasses. "Today I wanted to return those feelings and give you something special to remember."

Daniel pulled Jack to him and kissed him hard, forgetting all about the coldness of his body. "Just looking at you sometimes can do that, Jack. Or when you look at me with love in your heart... The simple things are what give me the most joy."

Jack found himself a swell of emotion. He hadn't totally realised that Daniel felt that way too. "Listen to us, we're getting sappy in our old age," he complained, trying to get the conversation back to a guy-guy level.

"Your old age," Daniel pointed out. The age gap between them was a source of many jokes, especially when Jack was feeling very old. "Admit it, you're just a big romantic."

"Hey, a little less of the 'big' if you don't mind." Jack cupped Daniel's face and looked directly into those big blue eyes. "Happy Valentine's Day, love."

Daniel responded by kissing Jack again, slowly and tenderly. Because of his lover, Valentine's Day was no longer a day to be disliked, and life was as good as it could get.