BLACK SATIN

As the wind blew against the lone figure in black, Jack tried to make out who it was. Taking out the pocket-sized range finder, he put it to his right eye and stared through it.  Instead of a larger image of the mysterious stranger, the figure was still the same size.  Puzzled, Jack took the eyepiece away from his sight and blinking, looked again.  The person remained the same size.  Jack checked again, moving the device slightly and then looking through it yet again.  He repeated the exercise several times, but the figure remained unchanged.  Whoever or whatever it was, the figure did not move.  Clad from head to foot in black robes, Jack could not discern any facial features, just a pair of eyes through the only gap in the robes.

Nothing else had changed either; the bright blue, cloudless sky above him and the custard yellow of the sand around him were just the same.  The wind keened across his face as the USAF officer tried to figure out what was going on; nothing seemed to make any sense.

Glancing over his shoulder at the rest of his team, Jack checked if everyone was still all right.  Daniel was scrabbling around some temple ruins, Carter was poking in the sand taking samples and Teal'c was helping her.

"Carter!  Cover us," Jack commanded.  "Teal'c, you're with me."

Carter immediately readied her P90 and lay on her front, peering over the top of the encircling ridge around the temple site, training her sight to either side of the receding figures of her commanding officer and her team mate.

As Jack and Teal'c neared the top of the huge sand dune, Jack could only blink.  The figure was gone.  Teal'c inspected the area and looked at Jack.

"There are no tracks, O'Neill.  No one has been here for some time."  The big Jaffa brushed his fingers across the sandy crust of the ridge, demonstrating its undisturbed contours.

"I saw him, standing right here," Jack muttered as he scratched his head.

"I saw nothing.  The desert can often play tricks on one's mind."

"Yeah...well...Someone's playing tricks on my mind, Teal'c, and I don't like it."

Suddenly Jack heard a noise.  It sounded like a bang or a gun shot maybe.  Spinning around, Jack dropped to his belly and pulled Teal'c down with him.  Narrowing his eyes, Jack surveyed the territory around their camp at the centre of the temple site.  Carter was still lying prone and alert, and Daniel was still digging in the sand.

What the hell is he doing?  Didn't he hear that?

"Daniel!" yelled Jack as loudly as he could.

Jack woke shaking, the sound of his shouting voice still ringing in his ears.

Sitting bolt upright in his darkened bedroom, Jack quickly ran the dream through his mind as he wondered if there was any significance in it.  Why had Daniel ignored his order to cover him and Teal'c?  More to the point, why hadn't Daniel taken cover when Jack had heard that shot?  Shaking his head he settled down again and pulled the bed covers up to his chin.  Lying on his side he glanced at the clock; it was 3:45am.  Sighing he closed his eyes and drifted into a fitful sleep.

-o-

Two days later saw Jack and Daniel sharing their off-world mission tent.  Jack lay in his sleeping bag and listened to Daniel's regular slow breathing.  This was as unusual situation; it was Jack who usually fell asleep quickly and Daniel who fidgeted, turned, groaned and sighed before he eventually settled down.  Smiling, Jack thought about all the times he had poked Daniel in the side to get him to stop shifting and turning in his sleep, and the amount of times he just wanted to take him in his arms and kiss the fuck out of him.

Propping himself up on one elbow, Jack stared at Daniel's sleeping form.  The bright moonlight afforded Jack just enough light through the open tent flaps to make out the other man.  That dream was still bothering him; it worried at his sub-conscious like a terrier with an old shoe, it just wouldn't let go.  Why didn't Daniel do as he was told?  Surely he knew it was Jack's job to look after him, to protect him and keep him safe?

Groaning quietly Jack released his elbow and flopped down on his back, stretching his arms and placing his hands behind his head, eventually falling asleep.

"Colonel, its time to get up," Carter announced, pushing her head between the tent flaps.  "He's here and waiting."

Jack rose and glanced at Daniel.  He was still sleeping.

"He?" asked Jack as he put on his cap and slung his sunglasses around his neck.  Carter nodded and held the tent flap for Jack to come through.

As he stood in the searing heat and dazzling sunlight of the planet's desert environment, Jack's gaze fell on a tall black clad figure just a few yards away.  Narrowing his eyes, Jack felt he knew the man in the black robes; in fact he was certain of it.  The mystery man turned to walk away and Jack followed him into the sand dunes.  Somehow he felt he had to; there was a promise in this mystery figure, and he would have to follow to find out what it was.

The heat forced Jack to take off and drop his jacket.  How come the man in the robes wasn't hot?  As they moved over the summit of yet another dune the stranger stopped, moving his arm in a wide arc, indicating that Jack should look below them.  Following the length of the man's outstretched arm Jack saw a small oasis, complete with a body of water and the shade of trees and shrubs.  Tagging along behind the stranger, Jack placed his steps in those of the other man's as they worked their way down the other side of the dune.

During the whole time spent in the stranger's company, Jack and the other man hadn't spoken and he seemed to feel surprisingly comfortable with the silence.  Once at the oasis, the men stopped to rest.  Jack's fingers itched to remove the black fabric from the mystery man's face and find out who it was or maybe just confirm who he thought it was.

Slowly the man loosened his robes, peeling off a layer at a time.  Jack could see that the robes were made of a heavy kind of shiny material that pooled softly at the stranger's feet.  Jack noticed he wasn't wearing any shoes or boots and his naked toes sank into the soft fine sand.

Jack knew the man, somewhere in the back of his mind he knew him, and knew him well, but not in this context.  The stranger continued to divest his clothes, in broad daylight, right in front of Jack, all the while keeping the turban and veil on his head and across his face.

As the last item slipped from the stranger's body he turned his back, and Jack saw his broad shoulders and the muscles flex and tense in his back.  Jack's eyes widened as his gaze roamed to observe his taught well-rounded buttocks and muscled thighs.  As the stranger bent from the waist to touch the water, Jack could see the other man's balls swing gently between his legs.  Sucking in a breath, Jack caught sight of the man's tight puckered ass.  He puffed his cheeks and breathed out slowly and appreciatively.  Jack was not one for the study of the male anatomy for sexual pleasure but here he was, in the middle of a desert, staring at the butt of a naked stranger and loving it.

Jack continued to watch as the man dipped a hand into the cool water and rising slightly, reached behind him and slipped a moistened finger into his anus, moving IT slowly and deliberately.

Jack's breath hitched loudly as he felt his own arousal grow, and still watching, he saw the other man masturbate whilst still keeping his back to him.  Jack wanted to join him, giving vent to his own hardening cock.  Mesmerised, Jack found himself focusing on what the man was doing to his ass, how his finger moved effortlessly inside him.  Jack wondered what it would be like to fuck a man, to drive his dick into that willing orifice.

Unzipping and gripping his own cock, Jack started to pull and stroke, never taking his eyes from the other man.  The thought of pushing inside him took over every part of his mind and body as he pounded his dick hard through his fist.

Jack knew who this was BUT frustratingly he just couldn't place him, and suddenly as the man turned again to face him, his head and face were clear of the black wrappings.

"Daniel!  I knew it."

"Jack?  You okay?  Wake up, you've been dreaming."

"Huh?"

"You've been tossing and turning, grumbling and moaning.  You woke me up," Daniel said, sitting, drawing his legs up to his chest and resting his chin on his knees.

"I'm sorry," said Jack quietly, the images of the naked man still fresh in his mind, and the vivid details of his anatomy uppermost.  What bothered Jack even more was that the naked man was Daniel.  Okay, he hadn't actually seen his face, Daniel had woken him too soon, but he just knew it was the archaeologist.

Jack just couldn't look Daniel in the eye; he felt guilty and embarrassed and now he had the problem of dealing with a raging hard-on and aching balls.  Quietly, he rose and left the tent, determined to get relief in the cool night air of PX whatever.

-o-

Two weeks later Jack was feeling relaxed.  His face had a slightly rosy glow to it as he sat sprawled across Daniel's armchair with a glass of Jack Daniels in his hand and the debris of a demolished pizza scattered across the plate on his lap.  Carter was swaying to a slow song, her arms draped around Major Castleman's neck.  A petite attractive nurse from the SGC infirmary wasn't so much dancing with Teal'c as she was suspended from his neck, her feet dangling several inches off the floor.  Daniel and a redhead were chatting in the corner and half a dozen or so other SGC personnel were seated on every other available piece of furniture or on the floor, talking or necking.

Over the next few hours the drunk, disorderly and worse-for-wear guests drifted away from Daniel's party arranged to celebrate his new apartment, leaving Jack and a near-comatose archaeologist to clear up.

"Dan-Yule?"

"Wot?"

"Whatcha doin'?"

"Shlumun."

"What?"

"Ishul'jum."

Jack raised himself off the armchair to peer at Daniel who was laying on his front, stretching full length along the sofa, his head buried in a cushion.  He was groaning softly.

"Are you drunk?" Jack asked, smiling inanely.

"Yeah," breathed Daniel as he turned his head to face Jack.

"You're drooling."

"Not."

"Are too."

-o-

Twenty-four hours later, Jack and Daniel were sitting quietly in Daniel's apartment, still nursing hangovers and they neither moved nor spoke.

Jack had no idea where Daniel's mind was, but he knew where his was.  Feeling a lot better than he had earlier, Jack had got to thinking about his dream of the black clad stranger, the man in his thoughts who had stripped naked in front of him and had shown him his ass, fucking himself with his finger.

Closing his eyes, Jack moaned quietly at his detailed recollections.

"What's the matter?" Daniel asked frowning, as he concentrated on holding his headache at bay.

"Nothin'," replied Jack, feeling more and more uncomfortable.  He'd persuaded himself that the dream meant nothing or at least that it meant he was going through a 'phase' of some sort.  Maybe it was a mid-life crisis and his focus on sex was just that, and not on Daniel at all.

The fact that Jack seemed to be focusing on male sexual activities threw him.  He was straight, for cryin' out loud, and he would have expected to be dreaming about a woman not a man.  He hadn't been with a woman since Sarah, well, all right, since Kynthia, no, okay, Laira, but they didn't count.  He'd been drugged and then seduced by Kynthia and drunk and seduced by Laira.  He hadn't initiated either of those episodes.  Embarrassment and annoyance made him shake his head.

"You're thinking something, Jack.  What is it?"

"It's nothin', really."

Daniel looked at Jack and didn't release eye contact.

"I don't believe you.  Something's bothering you.  You can tell me, we're friends."

"Yeah right," Jack said and then wished he hadn't.

"Jack?"

The older man opened his mouth to say something and then closed it again quickly.  Daniel just stared at him patiently.  He figured Jack might talk eventually.  He just had to wait.

They sat in silence as the minutes ticked by.

"Daniel?"

"Hmmm?"

"It doesn't matter."

"There's nothing you can say that would shock me, you know."

Jack eyed his friend.  Wanna bet?  I'm having sexually explicit dreams about you, and not only that, you're the one doing all the running.

"I don't think so, Daniel," Jack said, getting up off the couch and walking to the window.  He watched a car drive out of the parking lot below Daniel's apartment.

"You can trust me, Jack.  You can say anything you want; tell me anything.  It would never go any further."

"Look, I've just got a few things on my mind.  It's no big deal."

"If you're sure?  I mean, sometimes it takes courage to open up."

Jack tensed at his comment.  Smiling, Daniel made his way to the kitchen.

"Want something to eat?" he called.

"No. Thanks," Jack said quietly.  He had to get away.  He didn't want to get into a talking match with Daniel because right now, he'd probably lose.  Jack knew Daniel was baiting him, trying to get him to bite, but he wouldn't fall for that old trick, no matter how much he really wanted to.

-o-

Later that evening as Jack sank heavily on his bed, he realised he'd been on the verge of telling Daniel about his dreams.  He was glad he hadn't though; he needed to get it straight in his own mind first.  He needed to figure out whether it was just sexual frustration generally or some fixation about Daniel in particular.

The guy was attractive, sure and Jack figured that a straight man was allowed to come to that conclusion without being judged as gay, right?  He'd spent his adult life surrounded by men in various stages of undress and in various situations of close proximity, and it hadn't bothered him at all.  They were all colleagues together, being men and very macho about it.  Wait though, hadn't Daniel made that throwaway remark just the other day about one man in ten being gay but not necessarily admitting to it or even recognising it?  Fuck!  Was he gay?  Nah, he was just going through a phase.

What if this wasn't a phase though?  What if Gate travel was doing something to his hormones!  If that were the case, every man who went through the wormhole would be gay, including Daniel.  Including Daniel?  He'd always assumed Daniel was straight, he'd been married for cryin' out loud, but then so had Jack, and now he was thinking he might be the one in ten.  Shit.

Jack turned over and sighed.  Why was he thinking this?  He'd always been comfortable with the sexual preferences of others, even in an outfit that could support discriminatory behaviour and attitudes from the top to the bottom.  In fact, the SGC was one of the most liberal and liberating places he'd ever worked at and in any case, he wasn't the one in ten, definitely not.

He tracked through the events leading up to the second dream.  SG1 was on an off world mission and he was sharing the tent with Daniel.  They always shared for all the usual practical reasons.

It made tactical sense that the C.O. and 2IC didn't share in case they were attacked and taken out together, apart from the fact that Jack's 2IC was female.

Teal'c needed a quiet and undisturbed opportunity to kelnoream so he needed his own one-person tent.  That left Jack and Daniel sharing.  They could all have their own tents but that meant additional gear they didn't need to bring.

His dream was bound to include Daniel; the man was sleeping only inches away from him, after all.

As Jack reasoned his way through the dream he started to feel much better about it.  He'd managed to justify his very positive and very erect response to the dream as being offered an orifice in which to plant his cock and interestingly, it was genderless being neither male nor female, but somewhere that was common to everyone, except that it did belong to a man, and a man who was masturbating as well.  Get out of that one, Jack O'Neill!  It was a metaphor for something more general, of course it was.  Jack relaxed and yawned.  Yep, that was it, nothing more than a metaphor.

-o-

"Take the case of the Spartans.  They were a formidable fighting force, and they took male lovers to affirm the bonding between warriors."

"What's this?" Jack smiled as he joined the rest of his team for lunch in the commissary.

"DanielJackson was talking about warriors bonding with other male warriors as a way of keeping an army strong and focused O'Neill," Teal'c rumbled.

Jack raised his eyebrows.  "So, you're saying all these guys were...what?  Gay?"

"Not necessarily.  A lot had wives and had male lovers as well.  Their society accepted those kinds of relationships as necessary to ensure the effectiveness of their armies."

"Kinda, looking out for each other?"

"With the additional motivational benefits that being emotionally and physically involved can bring," Daniel added, sipping his coffee.

Jack sat back as the others continued their discussion.  Maybe that was the metaphor.  His dream was no more than a kind of bonding with his fellow warriors, except that he hadn't dreamed about Teal'c only Daniel, and the archaeologist was not what Jack would class as a warrior, even though he always proved handy during a firefight.  His dream was expressing what he couldn't in real life.  Daniel wasn't a fighter in practice though.  He was a diplomat, preferring to deal with conflict with words and reasoning rather than the bullet.  Jack's metaphor was quickly disintegrating; the warrior-bonding thing didn't really hold water when applied to Daniel's pacifist values.

-o-

Jack looked at his reflection in the water.  The place was still and quiet and he was alone.  Surveying the yellow of the sand and the blue of the sky showed that there was nothing else to see, except this small oasis.

He felt an ache deep in his soul, an ache that he couldn't explain.  He was looking for something.  No, someone.  He was looking for Daniel and the archaeologist was nowhere to be seen.  Jack wasn't panicked.  Daniel wasn't in trouble he was safe, it was just that Jack couldn't find him and he needed to, for what reason he was unsure.  The only evidence of anyone being there was a length of black satin, one end in the water, the rest laid out across the sand.  The fabric shimmered in the sunlight.

Jack called for him.

"Jack?"

"You're here, I was looking for you."

"You've found me," the younger man said, smiling softly.

"I thought I'd lost you."

"I'll always be here, by your side."

"Always?"

"You know the answer, Jack.  It's right in front of you."

"Daniel?  Don't leave me?"

"Why would I leave you?"

"Because...you don't know how I feel."

"How do you feel?"

"I love you."

-o-

Waking slowly, Jack found he was shaking as though he had experienced some life shattering, heart-rending truth.  Dragging his hand across his forehead he felt moisture; he was sweating and still shaking.

Now he'd heard everything, Jack O'Neill making a confession of love to his team mate.  Could there be anything in it?  What was he thinking?  He was straight; he liked women, for cryin' out loud!  Daniel was attractive though...Jack punched the mattress with a closed fist, flung the bedcovers off and got up.

Emptying the glass of cold water down his throat, Jack wanted to scream.  His head and his body were playing too many tricks on him, the latest being that he was in love with his archaeologist, a man.  So how come he professed a liberal attitude to others when he couldn't get over this fixation with Daniel?  Was he repulsed by it?  Actually, he was surprised to find that he wasn't.  He should be, he was the hard-assed military guy, the one who had macho male ingrained into his very being.  However, Jack felt an attraction he couldn't explain.

Maybe there was something in it?  Maybe this wasn't a metaphor at all and his subconscious was telling him about his real feelings.  Frowning, he kept seeing the black satin laying in the sand.  The image had a sensuous quality and he wondered if it held any significance. 

-o-

Two months further on and Jack felt he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.  He'd had three more dreams about Daniel, all of a sexual nature and worryingly for Jack; the balance in their 'dream' relationship had changed.  Jack was now the initiator and Daniel the recipient.  It was the older man who was doing the entire running now, or rather all the lovemaking.  Jack had never had any dealings with another man in the way of sex, but it was almost like his dreams were practice for the real thing.  The vivid details never left his conscious brain and he found it more and more difficult to concentrate at work.  He would have to talk to Daniel and try and to resolve this one way or another, he knew he couldn't go on like this, and the last thing he wanted was Mackenzie getting involved.

-o-

It was Friday evening and Jack paced his living room floor waiting for Daniel to turn up with the pizza.  He'd placed a crate of beer near the sofa ready.  Jack had decided he was going to talk to Daniel and now he was pumped up, ready and willing, like a coiled spring.  Once Daniel arrived, Jack knew he would open his mouth and everything would come pouring out.  He'd thought long and hard about this.  He usually held everything in, but he knew if he did he would explode and not in a good way.  Even he knew when it was time to let go.  The thing was, would Daniel punch him on the nose?  Jack decided there and then that he didn't care, if he sat on this any longer he would definitely explode, and taking a fist on the chin would be less painful than how he was feeling right now.

"You're late," Jack muttered as Daniel walked by him carrying a large cardboard box with the smell of pizza wafting through the hallway.

"By five minutes, Jack," Daniel replied, sensing the tension in the air.  Something's about to happen, he thought as he walked into the kitchen.

As they settled in the living room with their supper plates, Daniel looked at his friend; he was primed and charged.

"Wanna tell me about it?"

Giving Daniel a double take, Jack tried to unravel the length of cooked cheese stuck to his plate and hanging like spider's thread between that and his mouth.

"I don't know if I should, it's kinda personal."

"Personal?"

"Yeah, I've been having these dreams."

"And?"

"They're kinda personal."

"Jack," laughed Daniel.  "We all have those kinds of dreams!"

"Yeah well, not like these," Jack hissed.

Daniel's expression changed immediately from laughter to seriousness.  "I'm sorry.  Go on, tell me please," the younger man said, touching Jack's arm as they shared the sofa.

Jack waved the remote in the air and switched off the TV.

"I've been having these dreams," Jack continued and Daniel thought it sounded like a well-rehearsed speech.  "They're about…sex."

Daniel nodded, trying not to let the smile in his mind from showing on his lips.

"And?"

"They're very explicit, Daniel," Jack continued and Daniel thought he detected a look in his eyes, a look of pain and desolation.

"Do you want to give me the details?"

"No, definitely not," blurted Jack, shifting uncomfortably.

"So, how are these dreams different from those dreams?"

"They don't involve women."

"Oh."

"Oh, indeed Daniel.  I can't believe I'm having them, about men I mean."

"I wouldn't worry about it, Jack.  It happens, after all our sexuality isn't encased in concrete you know, we can choose."

"Well, I haven't got a clue what you're talking about.  All I know is, this isn't right and it's driving me crazy."

"What isn't right?"

"I've just toldja, having sexually explicit dreams about men," Jack replied irritably.

"Men?"

"Well...not exactly."

"Jack?"

"I can't say.  Just take it from me; it's a man, one man in particular."

"Hammond?"

Jack sprayed a mouthful of beer over his lap and choking, staggered into the kitchen for a towel and returned to his seat next to Daniel.

"Fuck, Danny!  That's not funny!"

"Sorry, I was going through a series of elimination."

"I'm not gonna tell ya, so don't bother askin'."

"I might be able to help if I knew."

"No, you're just curious, that's all."

"That as well," grinned the younger man.

"Forget it!  Look, let's not talk about this anymore.  Wanna play poker?"

"No, and no I won't forget it.  Whatever it is, whoever it is, it's really bothering you.  I wish you would trust me enough to tell me.  Like I said before, you can tell me anything."

"You don't want to know, trust me."

"Yes. I. Do!" Daniel said, emphasising each word in turn.

"Look, let's just put it this way.  I've been having these dreams about one man in particular and these dreams have been both sexual and emotional.  This isn't just a lust thing, there are feelings involved too and, Danny, I don't know what to do about them."

"Maybe the dreams are trying to tell you something about yourself and that you should go with what they're saying."

Reaching out, Daniel patted Jack's knee and Jack stared at him.  Daniel wasn't a very tactile man, not like Jack who touched, patted and hugged all the time, except for Carter and Hammond of course.

Their eyes met, and Daniel knew immediately.  Jack was talking about him.

"Tell me the truth, Jack.  These dreams are about me aren't they?"

Jack got up and walked to the window, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.  Staring out at his moonlit garden he could see Daniel's reflection in the glass as he moved to join him.

"It's okay, Jack, I understand.  We spend a lot of time together, work together and play together.  We're best friends, after all."

Jack suddenly felt very shy and couldn't look at him.  He stared at his feet for a while, and when Daniel said nothing else, he clapped him on the back and retook his seat.

"Yeah, of course, that's it.  Well, I'm glad we had this little chat, Daniel.  Wanna play some poker?"

"Sure, why not?" Daniel smiled.

-o-

Best friends; Daniel made himself pretty clear.  He didn't make a move but then again neither did I.  Just as well, he obviously doesn't think the same way I do.  Fuck!

-o-

Glancing at his watch, Jack made his way to Daniel's apartment.  What the hell was going on and where the hell was he?  He and Daniel were supposed to be meeting for coffee and his errant archaeologist hadn't shown up.  Jack had waited nearly an hour, and out of frustration, decided to go and haul him out of his bed.  Daniel was known for his late starts when they weren't working, and Jack guessed he must have overslept.  He'd tried his cell-phone but it was switched off.

Letting himself in, Jack knew Daniel would still be sleeping.  There was no evidence of any movement at all and the living room curtains were still drawn.  Jack opened Daniel's bedroom door as quietly as he could and peered in.

The vision that hit him had Jack's senses reeling.  There was Daniel, naked and sprawled across the bed, his body draped in black satin sheets.  Jack could see a naked leg half way up to the thigh; a naked torso and arms spread sideways, the black fabric poured over him laying like viscous fluid around his body and defining the contours of his muscles.  Jack stared wide-eyed and so wanted to touch the younger man, to feel his warm flesh and hard muscles that his hands trembled.  Shaking himself mentally, Jack stepped back for a moment. 

I'm a man, I don't love other men, but Daniel's not other men, he's...well, he's Daniel.

Jack moved forward again, his desire for the other man overwhelming any other thoughts in his head and in his groin.  Maybe this was his chance.  If he woke his friend gently, quietly, maybe under these circumstances he might be able to make it clear how he felt.

As Jack approached the bed, he reached out touching Daniel's shoulder and brushing the smooth pale skin with his fingertips.  At that precise moment, Daniel stirred and turned on his side.  Jack moved away and watched as the younger man pulled the satin sheet with him.

Jack froze on the spot, his dreams turning from hope to disaster, his world destroyed and in tatters.

Daniel's movement had revealed someone else in the bed, naked and asleep.

"Noooooooooooo!" Jack yelled, shocked and distraught by the revelation.

Sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands, Jack shook, his body and mind wracked with the emotion of his latest dream.

-o-

As Daniel closed the door behind Jack, he thought about their conversation and Jack's confession about his dreams.  The younger man felt guilty that he hadn't explained further than his reasoning that Jack's dreams were nothing more than the result of proximity and familiarity.  Jack hadn't denied that his dreams were about Daniel, but he hadn't confirmed it either.  Thinking that his guess was probably right, Daniel wondered if he should have at least put Jack out of his misery.  This was something Jack would have to do before Daniel admitted his own attraction to the tough USAF officer.  Daniel wanted Jack to be absolutely clear about his feelings; the implications would have an impact on both their lives, particularly Jack's.  Deciding to give Jack more time, Daniel made his way to bed.  If Jack didn't make the next move, Daniel still might have to for both of them.  It was important to the younger man that Jack was sure enough about his feelings to fess up.  Jack never opened up easily and this was something Daniel expected him to be doubly circumspect about.  He would give the older man time and if he didn't progress the issue, then Daniel would.

-o-

Frowning, Jack staggered out of bed and went to the kitchen.  His emotions were in turmoil and if he'd had a pack of cigarettes he would have surely smoked them.  Daniel had said he should go with the flow of his dreams, listen to them and make sense of them that way.  So what did this one tell him?  Suddenly Jack felt the grip of panic squeeze his gut.  What if Daniel already had someone?  What if Jack made a move and Daniel rejected him?  His friend had never given him the slightest hint that he was interested so what was the dream saying?

Scrubbing his hands over his face and mussing up his hair even more, Jack sighed and cursed under his breath.  He really only had two choices, do something about his feelings for Daniel by telling him outright and waiting for the other shoe to drop, or saying nothing and letting the whole thing eat him alive.  Of course, there might be a third option, tell Daniel and enjoy the positive response he wanted.  The dream didn't have a very positive outcome though.  There was someone else in his bed... Wait!  Maybe it was Jack.  Damn!  He hadn't thought of that.

-o-

As the snow fell silently outside, Jack and Daniel were sat comfortably in Jack's house watching an episode of Enterprise.  Jack wasn't all that interested in science fiction, he'd much rather watch a game on the sports channel but as Daniel was his guest he made the effort and let the other man watch what he wanted for a change.

"Do you think there's anything between Archer and Trip?" Daniel asked, sipping his wine.

"What?" Jack replied, wondering what on earth the archaeologist was talking about.

"Archer and Trip, there's something going on between them.  Don't you see it?  I think they're attracted to each other."

"You're kidding me right?  It's a TV programme, Daniel.  What you see is what you get."

"No, there's definitely something there."

"Daniel!"

"Oh come on Jack, think about it.  There they are, living extreme lives in extreme circumstances with just a handful of other people.  They spend all their time together.  There's bound to be some kind of bonding between them."

"I think you should keep your anthropological ideas to yourself," Jack grunted as he opened another bottle of wine.  "After all, it's only fiction, make believe."

"So?  Surely the point of this is about allowing your imagination to run riot?"

"Maybe.  I think your imagination has rioted far enough."

"See!  Look at that.  Did you see the way they looked at each other?"

"They're faced with a space monster about to eat the Vulcan, Daniel.  How should they be looking?"

"You have no imagination whatsoever, Jack.  Let your mind go!"

"Oh I've got plenty of imagination, just not about Trip and Archer."

"Who then?"

"What?"

"You said you have plenty of imagination, just not about those two, so who then?  Which two?"

"Do me a favour and change the record, please," Jack said, slightly irritated.

Why did he react like that?  Daniel was just talking, having a laugh, so why did Jack feel so annoyed by it?  He knew why and he couldn't say.  That knot in his stomach started to form again.

"Janeway and Seven, that's who," Jack added, trying to lighten up.

Daniel snorted into his wine glass and when he looked at Jack, he threw back his head and laughed out loud.

"Janeway and Seven? I can see that.  Just goes to show where your imagination takes you!"

"What?  I like women, and two together?  Why not?"

"And why not two men, Jack?"

"Because."

"Because what?"

"Just because, Daniel."  Jack shifted uncomfortably wishing Daniel would drop the subject.

"That's not good enough.  You must have a reason."

"Because it's too difficult, that's why," muttered Jack, not meaning to say anything at all.

"You mean it would be too difficult for two men together to be accepted?"

"No, I meant it would be too difficult for two men to get it together."

"In what way?"

"For cryin' out loud Danny, just drop it, okay?"

"Do I detect a sudden hint of embarrassment here?"  Daniel tried really hard to suppress his laughter; he'd gotten Jack on the run.

"When men and women get it together, it's sort of expected and the messages are easy to read, but for two men?  What if one is attracted to the other and the other isn't.  Just think what a doozy that would be."

Nodding, Daniel eyed Jack carefully.  As he'd hoped, their conversation was turning towards the personal.

"That's a difficult one, I'll give you that.  Of course, honesty is probably the best policy.  If it's handled right, there doesn't have to be death and destruction on either side."

"I guess not," Jack said quietly, his heart and mind racing.  This was the perfect opportunity.  He could say what he wanted and know that Daniel would handle it carefully and thoughtfully, except this was different.  They weren't on some planet where Daniel was playing referee, this was something about to hit both of them, up close and personal.

"Daniel?"

"Hmmm?"

"You remember what I was saying the other day about my dreams?"

Turning his head quickly, Daniel looked at Jack, his heart missing a beat.  Is this it?  Is this when Jack makes it clear how he feels and what he wants?

"Had any more?" Daniel asked carefully.  He didn't want Jack to clam up.

"Yeah, I have.  I didn't really tell you before, about who was in my dreams."

Daniel held his breath.  Come on, Jack say it!

"I have been dreaming about you and it's more than just the fact that we work together, spend time together. I think I..."

Yes, say it.  Tell me you like me, want me, care for me.

"I think I like you."

"Like me?  How do you mean?"

"I like you.  What can I say?"

"Can't you say a bit more?  I need some idea about what you mean?"

Jack let out a sigh and dropped his head.  God this is hard.

"You know what you were just saying, about Archer and Trip?  Well, it's like that."

"What is?"

"For someone with degrees coming out of his ass you can be so dense, Daniel."

"You mean...?  You mean you and me like Archer and Trip?"

"Yes!"

"Oh."

"Oh?  Is that all you can say?"

Jack's expression was intense.  His eyes narrowed as he waited for Daniel to give him some response.  It was almost like he was daring Daniel to say something, anything.

All Daniel could do was purse his lips and look away.  On the outside Jack read this as rejection, on the inside Daniel was struggling to contain his excitement.  He didn't want to frighten Jack off having got him this far.  He needed to say something though, otherwise Jack would back off and they'd never get another chance.

"You've been dreaming about me?"

"I just said that," Jack growled, his irritation growing again.  Having made the confession he was hoping that Daniel would be a little more positive, at least a little more active in his response.

"I...I don't know what to say."

"You're not going to punch me, are you?"

Daniel shook his head, making no comment.

Ha! I've reduced the linguist to silence. That doesn't happen every day.

"Having someone tell you he likes you doesn't happen every day either."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"For fuck's sake, Daniel.  This is hard enough without you making it harder."

"I'm sorry. I'm just surprised.  I always hoped you might feel like this but I never expected you to say so."

"You always hoped?  You always hoped?"

"Yes, I always hoped that you would like me."

"Well, I do.  Now what?"

"What do you want, Jack?"

"If you must know, I want you to want me too."  Jack's irritation was rising rapidly now.  How could Daniel be so...dense?

"I do."

Jack blinked, had he heard Daniel right?

"You do?"

"Yes."

"Well, slap me rosy!" Jack laughed.  "You do?"

Closing the metaphorical and physical distance between them, Daniel pursed his lips, hoping that Jack would get the hint and kiss him.  They tried but it was awkward and having made contact they both withdrew quickly, nerves getting the better of them.

"This isn't going to work.  I thought I would be okay with this, but now I'm not so sure.  Everything feels...weird," Jack said, failing to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"No, wait.  We're just feeling nervous.  Maybe if we gave ourselves the chance to trust, to explore, we might feel better."

"Trust?  I trust you with my life, Danny."

"This is different though.  I'm talking about trusting on a very intimate level."

"Okay, so what do you suggest?"

"A shower?"

Jack thought for a second.  "I can do that."

As the water ran, they undressed.  They couldn't even look at each other, even though they'd seen one another in various states of undress many times before.

Stepping into the shower they had no choice but to stand close together.  Daniel took the soap and lathered it in his hands.

"Shall I?" he asked, desperate to feel Jack's body under his touch.

"Be my guest, just don't do anything...weird," Jack grinned.

Daniel chose to ignore Jack's remark and slowly, he ran his soapy hands across Jack's chest, taking in every inch of the man's body.  Tracking his eyes over the light dusting of grey chest hair, Daniel's eyes focused on Jack's nipples.  He traced circular movements, feeling the small hard points against the palm of his hand.

Jack closed his eyes and gave himself up to Daniel's light sensuous touch.  The eroticism of the younger man's contact sent a bolt of electricity straight through him and his inhibitions started to drain away with the water.  Daniel continued to spread the soap suds over his chest and Jack couldn't believe how good it felt.  Opening his eyes he watched Daniel's expression.  It was focused and full of concentration. Daniel's lips were parted, expectant and as he ran the tip of his tongue over them slowly, Jack's eyes followed it and every nerve in his body twanged with anticipation.

Their eyes met and Jack's flitted between Daniel's darkening pupils and his shower wet lips.  Their slick mouths touched and a rush of desire flashed between them as they made contact with each other.  The effect of their hard muscled and wet bodies touching chased away any residual doubt.  They kissed hungrily, trying to get inside each other's very being.  They both wanted to slow the pace, pull back and explore gently but they couldn't.  They grabbed at one another, kneading and pawing, growling and moaning.  Their need for air forced them apart as they stared at each other, gasping for breath.

Each was pressed against the cool tiles on opposite sides of the shower cubicle.  Each looked at the other, reaching out to touch, each savouring and favouring the feel of the other.  They revelled in the sight and texture of the other.  Daniel's eyes widened as he took in the way the rivulets of water cascaded over Jack's body, pulling and straightening the hairs, darkening them.  His eyes followed the line of hair from Jack's navel to his groin and his breath hitched at the older man's burgeoning erection.  Daniel looked up at him and could see a questioning expression in his eyes, perhaps of one looking for reassurance.

"God, Jack, you are amazing!"

"Likewise, Danny," Jack replied glad for that confirmation and leaning in close, brushed his lips against Daniel's.  "I never thought it could be like this, you and me, here in my shower, doing this together."

"Well, it is and we are," smiled Daniel as he watched his fingers travel the length of Jack's body.

"Jeeze, that feels good!"

"It does and you do."

"Do you always say everything in pairs, Daniel?" Jack growled, draping his wrists over the younger man's shoulders.

"I can do things in pairs too."

Smiling but saying nothing more, Daniel wrapped his fingers slowly around Jack's cock a digit at a time, watching as Jack gasped.

"Fuck!"

"I intend to Jack, if you'll let me."  Pulling at Jack's cock, Daniel did not break eye contact with him for a moment, hungry and thirsty for every morsel of response he could generate.

Not to be outdone Jack responded, enthusiastically and lustfully.  The men held each other close, each masturbating as they kissed and suckled at each other's lips and mouths, their excitement mounting and the novelty of their actions stimulating them further.

"Show me how you come," rasped Daniel, his eyes firmly fixed on Jack's rock hard cock.

Grasping his balls in one hand, Jack pulled and stroked at his own cock with the other, his rhythm changing from long luxuriant strokes to shorter faster ones.  Squeezing and pulling high up on the ample length of his penis, Jack's breathing became more and more laboured.  Throughout, he did not take his eyes from Daniel's, soaking up the younger man's expression as he watched Jack's rapid hand movements.  Thrusting through his fist, Jack's body began to quiver as his climax drew near.

Responding and jerking off at the same time, Daniel's focus was entirely on Jack's hand and his cock.  Jack's eyes faltered, rapidly moving from Daniel's face to his dick.

Shooting out his arm, Jack planted his hand on Daniel's shoulder for support and the need for contact.

"Danny, watch me, watch me come...ohgodohgod...jeeze! I'm gonna come, I'm gonna..."

"Come on Jack, show me, let me see you come!"

Suddenly, Jack's movements became erratic and his rhythm dissolved as his semen purled over his hand.  Running his grip the length of his cock from the root to the tip, Jack milked his orgasm as Daniel watched.  The sight and sound of Jack climaxing generated an incredible arc of energy through Daniel's body and mind and as his orgasm raced through him, he came hard and fast, his seminal fluid joining that of his lover and blending with the water of the shower

Later, as they headed for Jack's bedroom, Daniel stopped dead in the doorway.

"You've got...black satin sheets!"

"I know, just something I thought about a while back, can't think where I got the inspiration from," Jack grinned broadly.

Settling in each other's arms they embraced, still not quite believing their good fortune.

-o-

"Daniel? Wake up, Daniel."

The End