Warnings; None
by
Mrs. Gumby
Daniel stood on a green knoll, looking down into a small valley. There was supposed to be a ruin there; the SG1 team had been dispatched to look for it. But three days of hunting around and being lost in a forest had led them to nothing. The ruin was gone, if indeed it had ever existed. It was the rotten end to a rotten trip, and he wanted to just sit down and cry. Instead, he turned around and looked at Jack.
�I guess it was a wasted trip,� he said quietly.
Jack had also been looking down into the valley. The expression on his face told Daniel that he was really not pleased with the trip being little more than a snipe hunt. He sighed heavily.
�All right, let�s just set up camp for the night. No need to stand here and get any wetter.� He turned and began heading for the shelter of some trees. Daniel followed after him, depressed and a little ill.
�Jack...� Daniel was a little surprised at hearing his own voice. He hadn�t known he was going to speak. Jack paused and turned to look at him.
There was a quiet roll of thunder, and they faced each other in silence. Jack had been cold too this last week; so cold his presence froze Daniel�s bones. It had been a week since they had made love, and at least that long since they had spent any real time together. Daniel didn�t know what was wrong, but the coldness scared him.
�Jack...�
�Look, let�s just get out of the rain, okay?�
Daniel swallowed a lump, and nodded. He began following the older man to the trees.
They made camp. Jack set up his own tent again, Daniel noticed, and tried to keep his sadness inside. Teal�c and Carter said nothing, if they even noticed how Jack had been treating Daniel. The four ate a cold meal in the cold evening rain, then each went to their cold beds. The dead day was done.
Daniel sat in his tent, alone, trying to work out in his head what was happening. Jack was not a great communicator, but he had always at least tried to talk to him. And Daniel had always been more than happy to forgive his lack of communication skills. But he knew if he didn�t get to talk to him soon, something would die. Daniel was scared to death it would be their relationship.
He suddenly pulled his raincoat about himself and abruptly left his tent. He couldn�t stand it anymore. He had to know what had made Jack shut him out.
He entered the tent quickly, without announcing himself. Jack was sitting on his sleeping bag,and he looked up as the younger man entered. He said nothing as he watched him sit down at the other end of the bed.
�Jack,� Daniel whispered. �Please. I can�t do this any more...�
Jack looked away from him, turning his gaze to the sleeping bag he was sitting on. A thick silence settled in the small tent.
�Are you leaving me?� Daniel quietly asked.
Jack slowly shook his head. �I don�t know...�
Daniel felt as though he was going to vomit. �I�ll change, I�ll do anything you want me to, only don�t lock me out like this. I love you.�
Jack looked at him. �You�ll change?�
�I�ll turn into a fucking trout if I have to!�
Jack looked puzzled. �Daniel, you don�t need to change...�
�Then what is it? What have I done to...�
Jack turned to face him. �Oh god is that what you think? You think this is your fault?�
�I must have done something to make you want to leave!�
Jack stared at him for a long moment, then abruptly reached out to pull the younger man hard against him. Daniel held him hard. The embrace was almost painful, but he wasn�t about to let go. He closed his eyes, hoping this was not the last time he would hold Jack in his arms.
�Danny,� Jack whispered, pressing his lips to his soft hair. �it�s not you, I�m so sorry that�s what you thought.�
�Then what? Tell me, please.�
He felt Jack�s warm breath on his hair; the first warmth he�d had from this man in days. �Danny....I�m sorry. I should have talked to you sooner. I never meant to hurt you.�
Daniel held his lover tighter, needing him. �What is it?�
Jack kissed his forehead. �It�s me, the way I feel. You�ll... probably think this is so stupid.�
�Try me.�
Jack moved back so he could look into Daniel�s eyes. �It was four years ago on Saturday... Charlie died.�
�I know, I�m sorry.�
�I started thinking about him, and it just began eating at me. How could I have let something like that happen, how could I let him down like that. It was night, and you were beside me. I started thinking, what if I let you down too...�
�You didn�t let him down. He was a child, kids get into things...�
�I should have been there to stop him...�
�It�s not your fault.�
�Daniel I couldn�t live if I let you get hurt too. I thought it would be better...if we stopped seeing each other.�
�No. No Jack please don�t do that to me. I love you. I love you so damn much. I would die without you.�
Jack kissed him suddenly, and Daniel leaned into the kiss, opening his mouth to let his lover in as far as possible. It was a kiss of need and fear rather than passion, and the intensity of it was almost violent. Daniel felt Jack�s teeth cut his lip, tasted the blood, and pulled him even closer until he couldn�t breathe. Finally it ended, and they moved back to look at one another.
�You still want me,� said Jack.
�Yes. I never want to be without you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, hearing your damn fish stories, watching you drink beer in front of the TV, and listening to you snore in my ear when you sleep. I want to stub my toes on your tackle box, find your worn shorts on the bathroom floor, and watch you offend every single alien we come into contact with. Jack O�Niell, I love you.�
A slight smile crossed the older man�s face, the first Daniel had seen in days. �Well. What more could I ask?�
�You could ask me to get into your bed with you, I�m freezing.�
Jack smiled a little broader now, and he gently touched Daniel�s face. �Dr. Daniel Jackson, would you do me the honour of getting into bed with me?�
�Colonel Jack O�Niell, I can�t think of any place I would rather be.�
Jack kissed his nose. �I�ll go get your sleeping bag, we won�t fit into just one.�
He went out into the rain. Daniel quietly undressed, then opened the bag fully to make an adequate place to lie. Jack returned quickly. pushing the sleeping bag in first, then climbing in after it. He paused to stare at Daniel�s young strong body lying before him.
�You�re so beautiful,� he said softly.
�Come keep me warm.�
Jack zipped the tent flap closed, then began undressing. Daniel turned off the battery-powered lantern and lay down once more, pulling the other sleeping bag over top of himself. A moment later, he felt Jack get in beside him.
His skin was cold as he moved into Daniel�s embrace. Daniel kissed him, stroking his hands over his lover�s strong body, warming him. He parted his lips to let Jack�s tongue enter him, trying to pull as much of Jack into himself as he could. Daniel slid his hands down Jack�s body, feeling the muscles beneath the velvet skin. His mouth moved over his jaw, his throat, down to his collar bone. Then he closed his eyes, throwing his head back and gasping as he felt Jack penetrate him.
�Never leave me Jack. Please, never...�
Jack silenced him with a kiss, tangling his hands into Daniel�s long hair. Their bodies shifted, moving into the best position to feel each other. Daniel drew his legs up, feeling Jack move deeper into him. He held him tighter, moving in response to his lover�s thrusts.
Suddenly he felt Jack�s semen spill into him, filling him with its warmth. He cried out and bit Jack�s shoulder, his own semen splashing across their bellies. Jack collapsed on top of him, panting, his flesh now as hot as it had been cold. Daniel kissed him deeply.
�Never leave me,� he whispered again.
�Never.�
�Promise?�
Jack sighed, then kissed him. �If I could, I�d marry you. If we could, I�d want us to...�
Silence, sad, intense silence. Daniel gently kissed him. �So let�s do it all anyway. We�ll get married in Hawaii, it�s legal there at least. And then adopt. Some poor kids who�d give anything to have parents teach them the joys of bass fishing and digging up old coins in the desert. Maybe some older kids who have given up hope.�
Jack thought about that. �We could do that, couldn�t we?�
�Yes.�
Jack rested his head on Daniel�s shoulder. �We�d need a house. A big one.�
�And a yard. Maybe a pony.�
�Pony?�
�Well what kid doesn�t want a pony? I always wanted a pony.�
�Who do I know who has hay fever and animal allergies?�
�I didn�t say I�d clean up after it.�
Jack grinned and kissed him.. �Fine, I�ll clean up after the pony. And the puppy.�
�Oh man, I am going to have fun breathing...�
Jack kissed him again, slowly, affectionately. He slid his hand over Daniel�s jaw, down his throat, resting it finally on his chest. �Well I�ll be on hand to give you mouth-to-mouth when ever you need it.�
Daniel stroked his hands over Jack�s shoulders. �I have a feeling I�ll need it a lot.�
Jack kissed him again. He slid his hands over the body beneath his, gently caressing him. His hand moved down to Daniel�s hip, feeling the curves of it, the warmth of the skin. He kissed his throat, his collar bone, then paused to lightly bite one nipple before gently sucking on it. He continued his way down Daniel�s body, kissing his flat stomach, breathing in his scent. Finally he reached his half-stiff penis. After a couple tentative licks at the head, he cautiously slid his lips down over it.
Daniel arched and gasped quietly. Jack so far had avoided this particular act; to have him finally do it sent a rush of pleasure and caring through Daniel. It had been hard for Jack to get used to the idea that his new lover was male, but he finally seemed to have accepted it.
Daniel draped one leg over Jack�s shoulder, moaning softly. He squirmed, then gasped as he felt Jack�s teeth lightly scrape the skin. Then he moved up Daniel�s body, lying against him and kissing him. Daniel parted lips, tasting himself as Jack kissed him. He drew his legs up, allowing Jack to penetrate him once more. Their bodies melded together, and they made love quietly in the darkness for over an hour. Finally they settled together into sleep, holding one another close.
The bright sun woke them, Jack first, then Daniel. They stirred under the covers, reaching for one another and kissing.
�Morning,� said Daniel.
�Morning. How did you sleep?�
�Better than I have in days.�
Jack stroked his hand over Daniel�s longish hair. �I�m sorry I put you through that. I thought I was protecting you.�
Daniel smiled at him. �There is nothing you can do to let me down Jack, except leave me.�
�Then I won�t leave.�
They kissed again. Then Carter spoke from outside the tent.
�Colonel! You�ve got to see this!�
There was a note of delight in her voice. Daniel and Jack gave each other one last, quick kiss, then dressed. Carter did not seem surprised when Daniel came out of the tent first.
He put on his glasses and stood up. �What is it?�
�I went to the edge of the valley, and I noticed something glinting in the light. I think it�s metal. It could be the ruin.�
Jack crawled out of the tent and stood up, looking a little stiff. �Well let�s get cleaned up and go take a look, shall we Dr. Jackson?�
�Can�t think of anything I�d rather do, Colonel O�Neill.�
