…don’t die on me again…
(The Serpent’s Lair)
~
Jack was just a bit more irritated at his CO than he’d like. How could the man have held out on him like that? Jack liked surprises but this was ridiculous. He’d been holding up a brave front, putting on a smile for everyone, just waiting to be released so he could go scream and beat the shit out of something. Or several someones. A few bar room brawls had been on the agenda. Hell, it’s not like he hadn’t been in trouble before. What more damage could he do to himself, anyway?
“Sir, I wish you’d told us that he was alive and well…instead of springing it on us like that.”
“Sorry, Colonel, but you had other things to contend with.”
“General, please do me a favor and spare my poor heart next time.” Jack rubbed the back of his neck in an obviously stressful gesture and Hammond relented.
“Sorry, Jack,” Hammond said with a paternal look. “But us all a favor and tell Doctor Jackson to stop dying on us.”
“Yes, sir,” Jack mumbled, half a grin forming on his face. His attention seemed to drift then, just as his voice did. “Are we done for the day, sir?”
Hammond smiled at him. “You’ve earned a few days, Jack.”
Jack’s eyes raised. “Really? I thought we’d be in the dog house for a while.”
“You were, Colonel. What saved you and Captain Carter from a courts martial was the very heroic deed in saving the planet.”
“Thank you, sir,” Jack said with relief. Carter and Daniel will probably hole up in their labs–”
“They’ve been ordered to go home, Colonel.”
“Yes, sir,” Jack said, hiding the grin on his face as he took his leave. He went by Daniel’s office, just to make sure the man had left. He had to see him and had no idea why he felt such urgency, but it might have had something to do with the way his body felt.
. . .
Daniel tried to get the tip of the power screwdriver into the slot for the last screw. It had been a month since he’d decided to put in this overhead revolving fan, and as the General had kicked him off the mountain, now was just as good a time as any.
As he worked on the framing, he couldn’t help thinking that the past four days had been a bit of a surrealistic nightmare. Including the part where Jack had hugged him in the gateroom, in front of everybody.
And… and called him…
No, he would not repeat it. God, whatever was wrong with the man? When the chance presented itself, Daniel fully intended to pay Jack back for that weird-assed nickname. What on Earth possessed the man to say that anyway?
Just as he twisted the fan blades into position and hoisted the thing up, a knock came on his door. Daniel snorted, having a feeling he knew who it was.
“Come on in, Jack,” he called out, unable to move–or risk having to start over. He was suddenly glad he’d left the door unlocked.
“Daniel, how many times have I told you not–”
“I know, I know. Keep the door locked, but I’d been running in and out, and honestly, I’m glad I didn’t have to get down to open the door for you.”
“How’d you know it was me, anyway?”
Daniel paused and looked down over his shoulder as Jack walked up to him, reflexively putting a foot on the bottom rung of the step-ladder. “No one else comes to visit,” he said.
Jack winced. “Really?”
“Not a bad thing, Jack, considering my job.”
“Good point.” Jack surveyed what Daniel was doing. “Need some help?”
“No…” Daniel said with effort as he got the last bolt in place. “There.” He looked down, finding that Jack wasn’t moving out of the way. In fact, his eyes were on Daniel’s bare legs and Daniel felt the warmth of it go straight to his balls. He cleared his throat. He stepped down the ladder and moved down the hall, to the laundry room where the breaker panel was housed.
Flipping the power back on for the front room, he returned and turned the dial switch on the outer kitchen wall. The fan began to make a soft whirring noise as it started up. Daniel smiled and so did Jack.
“That’s cool,” Jack replied. “Didn’t know you could do this stuff.”
“I never have tackled stuff like this before. But give me the instructions and I’ll put anything together.”
Jack stared at the softly whirring blades, then shook his head. “Nice job.”
“Thanks.”
“So… got anything to drink?” Jack asked as he started to walk past him.
“Hang on,” Daniel said, stopping him as he held up a hand, then one finger. “I do have some beer, as you well know, but before you get it, I want an answer to a very important question.”
Jack winced. He knew this was coming. “I’m sorry, Daniel.”
“Space Monkey? You have got to be kidding me.”
Jack shook his head a little sheepishly. “I’ve no idea where it came from, Daniel. I just suddenly thought of a guy who’s able to get away with anything. The monkey part… I don’t have a clue.”
“Something between you and your shrink, no doubt,” Daniel said dryly as he went to get Jack his brew.
“Careful,” Jack warned, making Daniel grin.
“The minute you said that, I could’ve sworn I’d entered the twilight zone or something.”
Jack award him with a mock-scowl. “I thought so too when I saw you moving between those airmen.”
Daniel handed Jack his beer and pointed to the drawer with the opener. Jack took a swig as Daniel poured himself a glass of wine, then belched deeply. Daniel looked over his shoulder at him and Jack couldn’t help but grin his head off.
“Not bad manners…” Jack started.
“Just good beer,” Daniel finished, grinning back before corking the bottle and smelling into his glass. He took a sip, then a larger one. “So.”
“So.”
“What’d Hammond have to say?”
Jack grimaced as he leaned against the counter. “Just that we have a few days off for saving the planet. I wanted to kill him for not telling me that you were alive. We were on Earth for almost seven hours, Daniel, going through physicals, debriefing…” Daniel sighed, staring into his wine and Jack raised a brow. “What?”
“That, I think, was your punishment for disobeying orders.”
Jack eyed Daniel darkly. “Tell me you had nothing to do with my waiting to find out you were alive.”
Daniel didn’t answer, but he gave Jack a pained look. “I wanted to surprise you, but not like that. I was gonna walk into the infirmary and say, ‘Surprise!’ but he told me to wait till after the debriefing.”
Jack was going to yell at him, but then decided not to when he saw something cross Daniel’s face. “What?”
“You weren’t the only one who thought someone was dead. I was… I thought, you know. The ships blew up.”
“Shit,” Jack said, suddenly closing the distance between them, hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “How long did you have to wait till you found out we were alive?”
“Nearly as long as you did. Gotta call from Nasa,” Daniel said but his voice trailed off as Jack’s hand slid to the back of his waist, pulling him against him. He then cupped the back of Daniel’s neck and Daniel’s eyes half-lidded as a rush of desire went through him. “Jack.”
“Daniel,” he said, bending his head slightly. “How about a true welcome home?” he asked, his breath gusting tiny puffs of air against Daniel’s parted lips.
“Would it sound crazy if I said I’d been missing you?” Daniel murmured back as he stared into Jack’s darkening eyes.
“As crazy as me thinking it then,” Jack answered as he set his beer on the counter, then Daniel’s wine glass. “Time to get naked, I think.”
“Jack?” Daniel asked, thinking of the memory of Jack touching his cheek after he’d been mortally wounded. The look of pain on Jack’s face had told Daniel that Jack loved him. He knew he’d given the same look back to Jack.
“What?”
“I love–”
Jack crushed his lips, preventing Daniel from saying it or just unable to wait any longer, Daniel didn’t know. Not saying anything seemed to reinforce the idea that they shouldn’t be in love with each other, that it was too painful, too hard a thing to endure. This narrow escape said it all.
But… Daniel needed him and if he could have Jack, then he wanted him. And to hell with the regs. Jack seemed to agree, too, though he probably wouldn’t want to talk about it. Right now, Daniel didn’t care. Their kisses became hot, wanton, lustful; their hands mirrored what they felt as they stripped off their clothes.
By the time they’d reached the bedroom and fallen onto the bed, the only piece of clothing that remained was Jack’s dog tags. Daniel curled his fingers around the chain and tugged, pulling Jack on top of him as he opened his legs.
“It’s time, Jack,” he said softly as he reached between them with his free hand to stroke Jack’s cock.
“For?” Jack asked, pumping his hips through Daniel’s fist as he ran his hands over Daniel’s chest.
“Remember what I said? Next time.”
Jack paused. “Next time,” he repeated, then arched a brow. “Next time.”
Without looking away, Daniel let go of Jack’s cock and reached under his pillow for the lube he kept there. He took Jack’s hand and set it on the palm. “You won’t need a lot.”
Jack swallowed. “Are you sure about that?” he asked, the want very plain in his voice.
“Unless you’re planning on fucking me for several hours…” The words made Daniel groan and he yanked Jack down on top of him, kissing him deeply; one hand caressed Jack’s hair, the other moved up and down his back and over his ass, encouraging Jack, amplifying his want.
Jack growled softly and set the lube aside, preferring to roll around the bed for a while, kissing, caressing, trading places as to who was on top. Jack needed to feel him against him, to feel his strength, and to prolong their foreplay. When Daniel was on the bottom once again, he broke his kisses and slowly caressed his chest.
“I want you, too, Daniel.”
Daniel gave him a tiny smile. “I know.”
Jack grinned back, then moved down to take Daniel’s cock into his mouth.
“Oh god,” Daniel breathed as he arched his back, hands twining through Jack’s hair. When Jack slid his lubed finger into his ass, he groaned loudly, spurting pre-come.
“Don’t you dare,” Jack murmured around his cock, feeling Daniel clutch around his finger.
“Feels too good,” Daniel gasped, and groaned louder when another finger joined the first, moving back and forth, searching, probing. When Jack nudged his gland, Daniel spread his legs wider and lifted his ass off the bed.
“Daniel…” Jack warned.
“Get up here,” Daniel pleaded, pulling at him.
Jack smiled and kissed-bit his way back up, hovering his body over him. He reached down and squirted lube over his cock. “You’ll need to turn over, Daniel. It’s easier the first time.”
Daniel looked down, watching Jack stroke himself. “God.” Looking back up into those dark eyes, he couldn’t help the flush of lust that spread over his face.
“Turn over,” Jack whispered, kissing him.
“For a start,” Daniel told him, trying to remember all those long forgotten positions as he rolled over, groaning as Jack spooned over him, positioning his cock. Lifting ass, he said, “Now, please,” and when Jack pressed his cockhead against his hole and rubbed, Daniel growled. “Don’t tease.”
“But it’s so fun,” Jack whispered into his ear, surrounding Daniel’s arms with his own before he pushed slowly past the ring of muscle. “Oh shit, that’s…” Jack started, and gasped when Daniel opened to him and he sank in deep.
Daniel groaned into the pillow, feeling just a hint of burn as Jack thrust gently, slowly. “You feel so good,” he murmured.
Jack moaned against his neck, breath shallow and fast. “You, too,” he said as his balls hit Daniel’s ass again and again. Adjusting his weight on his elbows, he established a wonderfully slow rhythm, restraining himself from thrusting too fast. The pleasure was incredible and he wanted this to last forever. “So good,” he whispered, over and over.
“Yes,” Daniel answered, trying to raise his hips, to take him deeper. When Jack angled his hips before taking a harder thrust, he found Daniel’s prostate and Daniel let out a loud, startled, happy groan.
“Found it, did I?” Jack smiled, partly laughing, before rocking into Daniel, using the same angle again and again. “I’ll have to remember this one.”
“God, yes!” Daniel cried out, panting, and reached underneath to rapidly pump the head of his cock. “Yes, Jack, yes.” He closed his eyes and begged, “Harder now. Gonna come.”
“Oh shit,” Jack ground out as Daniel’s muscles tightened around his cock. “No, not yet!”
“Now, dammit,” Daniel urged on, fisting his cock faster as he arched his head back. “Please.”
“God,” Jack growled before he pumped his hips in hard, short movements, grimacing as the pleasure spiked and Daniel’s muscles choked around him.
“Yes,” Daniel moaned, a choked keening noise, as he came profusely over his sheets. “Do it, Jack!”
“God damn you,” Jack said, feeling his back and ass muscles scream at the workout he gave them. He dropped his head down next to Daniel’s and gave in to what he’d been wanting to do. He plowed into Daniel’s ass, over and over, and when his balls drew up, he slammed harder, getting a resounding yell of pleasure from Daniel.
When Jack came, it was intense and blinding and he didn’t want it to end, ever. He kept pumping until his dick began to soften. Only then did his body relax. He moaned into the pillow next to Daniel’s face and felt him smile.
When Jack opened his eyes a few minutes later, afterglow mostly over, he pushed off, groaning as he left Daniel’s body, and was robbed of breath for a minute as Daniel turned over and kissed him stupid.
Daniel smiled as they broke apart and reached for a small towel to clean them up. “That was good.”
“Yes, it was.”
Jack’s brows rose at the towel he used and Daniel explained, “I’d like to say I’ve been preparing, but the truth is…” He nodded at his bedtable.
Jack glanced at it, then grinned at the inference. “Got something in there, I take it?”
“I’m not dead, Jack.” He got a knowing, agreeable smirk from the man and sent it back. “Besides, it’s great for stress relief.”
Jack nodded as he sighed wistfully, taking the cloth to wipe himself off. Daniel wanted to ask where the sudden solemnity came from but he knew. He wanted to tell Jack he loved him. Wanted to have Jack tell him the same. Jack seemed to think the same thing and perhaps felt it wasn’t such a good idea to make such declarations. Perhaps it’s why he’d cut him off earlier.
Jack distracted him for a minute as he spooned up behind. “How you feel?”
Daniel grinned, turning his head to try and see some of his partner. “Great. You?”
Jack nuzzled his neck. “More than great.”
They were silent for a time, and just before caving in for a nap, Jack whispered, “Daniel?”
“Hmmm?” Daniel asked, dozing off.
“Don’t die on me again, okay?”
“I’ll try my best.”
Somehow, Jack wasn’t all that reassured but he couldn’t quite figure out exactly why.
~
End