Jack stirred at the break of dawn, slowly coming to the realization of where he was as his eyes focussed on the dim room around him. His arm was trapped beneath Phil - who was sprawled across the bed on his stomach, his face turned away from him - so he shifted onto his side in order to see his companion more easily. Jack touched his hand to the long, black waves that fell down between the shoulder blades then he picked up one thick strand, watching as it curled itself around his finger. He smiled. Philip had the best hair, yet, unlike Jack, the young man hated it. He had often bemoaned that the curls made him look too feminine and that that was *not* a look he liked - so he spent ages straightening it every day or pulling it back off his face in a tight pony-tail. They had discussed the idea of having it all cut off, but Philip didn't think he suited short hair and would look too much like his brother if he did. With that thought in mind, Jack was reluctant to offer an opinion on the subject. He did agree that the raven hair 'could' make his lover look androgynous - especially from the back (well, only from the back because one look at the face and it was blatantly obvious that Philip was a man!) but he was hesitant to have him cut it, especially if it would make him look like Simmons.

The body stirring beside him pulled Jack from his thoughts and he watched as Philip started coughing softly, rubbing his face against his pillow. The colonel reached down for the blankets, pulling them up over the naked body as Phil curled up into a foetal position. Placing his hand onto the blanket, Jack felt the sharpness of Phil's hip bone, even through the thickness of the bedding. He shifted closer, ducking his hand beneath the blanket and seeking out the hip in the flesh. When he found it he rubbed his palm lightly over the protruding bone and realized that Philip had lost weight. With another soft cough, the younger man stirred, again rubbing his face into his pillow and rolling onto his stomach, his face turned now towards Jack.

The watcher moved back so that he could see the face in the growing light. Phil's dry lips were parted and etched pink against the black stubble surrounding them. His eyes were sealed by long, thick black lashes. His expression was serene. Jack's hand trembled slightly as he touched the tip of his two fingers to the scar on Phil's temple, the one from the accident in his bathroom. He reached over and lightly ran his tongue along the mark, and Phil shifted beneath him, rolling onto his back as he flung his arms up over his head to rest against the pillows there.

Jack returned to his position, propped up on one elbow, so that he could gaze at his sleeping lover again. His eyes traced over the lean body, starting from the arms that could almost have been bound above Phil's head as they rested, crossed, at his wrists. He trailed down the arms, seeing the undulating muscles beneath the lightly tanned skin until he reached the dark tufts of hair nestled in the exposed armpits. It was ebony, just like the mane of hair that haloed Phil's face and draped across his arms in wayward waves. Smooth skin stretched across the top of Phil's chest and shoulders then a splattering of short, dark hairs began at the rise of his pecs, growing slightly thicker down at his nipples until it tucked under the gentle curve of muscle in a silky pelt. Jack noted the small, silver stud that now adorned his lover's nipple and wondered about it. It had been a sleeper but Phil had, at some stage, replaced it obviously. Jack found himself wondering what that would taste like but decided to find out later, when Philip was awake instead.

He returned his attention to the body. The otherwise smooth, hairless plain of the stomach was dissected perfectly by a thick trail of dark hair leading Jack's eyes south, towards the soft groin. Even at rest, the shaft was impressive. Uncircumcized, it laid on the raven curls, its tip barely visible under the sheathe of pink skin surrounding it. Jack frowned and wondered where the abandoned condom had gone, but didn't investigate. Much like his own, he decided, it had fallen off during the night, probably as Philip rubbed himself against his bedding, for he fidgeted so much in his sleep. They'd find them and dispose of them in the morning.

The pink tip directed Jack's eyes down the slightly bent leg where the pubic hairs thinned out over the lean thigh and short hairs covered the legs in a dusting of dark curls. Phil's body ended at long, sinewy feet - nails clipped perfectly and skin soft and smooth. Even for someone not given the ultimate pleasure of seeing Phil in all his glory, one look at the length of those feet would tell them that this boy was 'big' when he grew up. Jack smiled to himself at that thought and shifted in his position, draping his leg between Phil's parted thighs and brushing his foot over the sleeping man's feet.

Phil stirred finally, murmuring quietly, "Jack?"

"Go back to sleep," the ardent lover whispered, kissing the corner of the sleeping man's mouth. Phil moaned and rolled his face away, mumbling something Jack couldn't quite hear before he drifted off to sleep once more. Jack smiled, his foot gently caressing Phil's now as he slumbered.

He brushed a curl from Phil's cheek and the perfect face twitched but smoothed out quickly, the sleep-heavy breathing returning to soft, shallow puffs. Jack smiled and caressed the long hair from Phil's face and neck, smoothing it away lovingly as he thought about how close he came to losing it all. Now with things between him and Daniel working themselves out, Jack had half-expected that to mean that things with him and Philip would certainly sour.

During his post-mission check up, Janet had casually inquired after Philip as he hadn't turned up for his regular check up with her and she wanted to discuss the results of his latest tests with him. When Jack asked her 'why' she gave him a sharp look, implying doctor-patient confidentiality. He'd confessed to her that he hadn't really seen him in a while and that he wasn't sure if he was even in Colorado Springs or had gone away with Lieutenant Simmons instead. She'd confirmed that Graham had, indeed, gone to Canada, and instantly Jack was sure that Phil had gone with him too.

As he had waited for the lights to change on the corner of Fifth and Mainland, he started to think about Janet's words. What was in the test results that she needed to talk to Philip about? It wasn't like the conscientious man to ignore an appointment, especially one as important as a check up of his health. Therefore, it

made sense to Jack that Philip had gone away with his brother - thereby missing Janet's appointment and giving him his final answer in regards to their relationship.

Just when Jack had finally become *sure* of his feelings, too......

As he sat there and contemplated what to do next, in relation to seeing Philip and discussing 'things', his fingers drummed on the steering wheel in time to the music playing on his car stereo. The song ended and the announcer gave the time - ten minutes to midnight. Absently he checked his watch and the date caught his attention. Quickly he turned the car into Mainland Street and drove towards his ex-lover's apartment block.

Climbing the stairs, two at a time, he'd almost convinced himself that Philip wouldn't be there but something still compelled him to try. Then he began to worry that Philip *would* be there but that he'd be less than receptive to the visit - cold, hard and uncaring. Jack's mind kept re-enacting the fabricated face-off, playing it out in painful details as he stood facing a stony-faced Philip in the doorway to his apartment. To rest his mind, Jack settled on the only comeback he could think of - to remind Philip, in no uncertain terms, that he had missed an appointment with the Doctor that day and that even if *he* didn't care about his health, he could have at least called the Doc to break the appointment! Surely calling at midnight to remind him of such a thing wouldn't look 'odd'!

By the time he reached the top floor, Jack's feelings has whipped themselves up so much that he was starting to tremble, either from nerves or the stirred anger the imaginary argument had riled within him. He realized that he would gladly face a Goa'uld at that moment than unreceptive Philip, but something kept his legs moving him towards the green door at the end of the hall.

Jack walked quietly and cautiously towards the door, and as he neared it he looked for signs of occupancy. But no light showed under the door and no sound came from inside. The place seemed deserted. He raised his hand to knock but he stalled, recalling the late hour and wondering if they might have a house-sitter during their absence. He told himself that he didn't want to wake them if they had, but deep down he knew the truth - that he didn't want to make a fool of himself in front of them. He instantly thought of his phone. If Philip was in another country the chances were that the call wouldn't go through and Jack would have his answer while saving face at the same time. He dialed up Philip's cell phone then placed his free ear against the door, intently listening for any sounds or movement inside. His heart skipped as he heard the faint ringing then the low murmur of a voice, coinciding with the one on his phone.

The rest, as they say, is history!

The colonel shimmied down the bed, snuggling against his lover's warm body. Phil gave a sigh as his arm reached back, his hand coming to rest on the back of Jack's thigh spooned into the bend of his own legs. With his face buried in the long hair and his arms draped over his lover, Jack slowly drifted back off to sleep. In the morning they could talk through a lot of things - especially the coughs that hadn't gone unnoticed by the older man, and the missed appointment with Janet.

*

When Jack awoke the next time, it was under less serene circumstances! Loud music shook the room, rattled the walls and thumped through Jack's head.

"PHILIP!" he yelled, slowly growing aware of how futile his shouting would prove to be against the volume of the throbbing music.

"PHIL - IP!" He yelled again and flopped onto the bed, burying himself facedown into his pillow. "Shut the damn music off, will ya!" He growled as he gripped the pillow to his ears, unable to believe that the younger man would be so thoughtless first thing in the morning. He laid there for a few short moments then screamed again before grappling around for something - anything - to hurl across the room at the wall. He found a paperweight on Phil's drawing desk and, twisting from where he lay face down on the bed, tossed it across the room, slamming it into the closed door. The music shut off instantly and Jack sighed with relief as he belly-flopped back down onto the bed. He heard the door squeak open and was about to berate his unthinking lover when he heard: "Ugh, hello?"

Jack's eyes shot open wider as he realized that 'that' was not Philip. His first thought was that it was Graham but as he threw himself over onto his back, part of his brain was dismissing that already. Despite the fact that the Lieutenant was in Canada, that was not Simmons' voice - it was definitely *unfamiliar*. As he stared at the stranger at the door, taking in the long, wavy hair, the bright blue eyes and the stunned, agape expression, Jack was surprised to see the large eyes blinked then a pink hue flooded the stranger's face. Jack frowned then realized he was lying face up, completely naked and fully exposed! He swore under his breath as he sat up, grappling for the bedding that had slipped off the side and onto the floor. The young man averted his eyes as he said, "hey man, I didn't mean to wake you!"

"Music that loud could wake the damn dead!" Jack groused.

"Hey, not fair! I didn't know you were in here.. " the stranger said, defensively.

"Who the hell are you?" Jack asked in a tight voice as he gathered the wayward bedding into his lap.

With a slightly nervous laugh now Blair stepped to the end of the bed, resting his hand on the bed-knob. "I'm Blair. You must be Jonathan." He pointed to his chest, indicating the dog tags.

Taken aback by the fact that this long haired man seemed to already know who he was, the colonel muttered, "Jack!"

"Oh, right! Jack-" Blair nodded then extended his hand towards him. "Nice to meet you.."

Warily Jack looked at the offered hand then at the man presenting it. With a little reluctance, he shifted his hands, bringing his other one in to hold the bedding across his nakedness as he extended his right hand. "It's, uh, nice to meet you," then he couldn't resist his curiosity any longer, "whoever the hell you are."

Blair laughed then shrugged. "I'm a friend of Phil's.."

"Oh?"

"I stayed the night.." He indicated to the other room.

Jack's eyes widened. "Oh?"

The stranger laughed. "It's alright, I'm a heavy sleeper."

That wasn't Jack's first concern.

Perching himself onto the end of the bed now, an action that had Jack shifting back slightly, Blair went on to explain, "I came in yesterday from Cascade, to see Graham initially but he's in Canada."

The colonel nodded. "I know... I thought Phil and I were alone here... actually."

With a nod, Blair snorted, "Of course you would." Then he looked up and said, "Sorry, man. If it's any consolation, I didn't know you were here either. Phil was leaving as I got up, and all he told me was not to go into his room. I thought he'd been working on a sketch he didn't want me to see..." His eyes caught a half-finished picture on the drawing desk and he went over to it. "As a thank you thing for the..."

"The what?" Jack asked, craning his neck to see what had caught the other man's attention.

"His birthday gift." With wide eyes he picked up the image of his own face and stared at it. Jack tilted his face to look at the picture then they both noticed a smaller, fainter sketch of Jack's face in the upper right corner. The two men looked at each other then Blair put the drawing down. "I guess he was..."

Jack felt a prickle go through him as he wondered why his face was in the corner of the picture while Blair's was the main focus.

"You did know it was Phil's birthday yesterday?" Blair asked, looking at Jack.

"Of course!" the older man snorted then shrugged. "So what did you get him?"

"I gave him a necklace. It was hand made by a Chopec tribesman..."

Jack recalled the necklace around Philip's throat. "Oh."

"You know, I was surprised that he was spending the day alone.." Blair said, letting the statement hang in the air between them.

Jack tilted his head, his eyes narrowing menacingly. "I had to work..."

The other man gave a sharp nod. "Well, at least Graham called him. That's how I found out..."

"Is it now?" Jack asked, adjusting the bedding in his lap once more.

"So I just .. gave him my necklace.."

Jack's head shot up. "*Your* necklace?"

With a shrug, Blair said, "he was all alone, the only thing he'd received all day was a phone call from his brother.."

Jack wasn't sure if the young man was trying to make him feel bad or not. "Well, let me assure you.. he got a little more than that before his birthday was over.." He said, a tad spitefully.

Blair looked at him then his eyes went wide. "Oh, hey, man, I didn't mean.."

The colonel shrugged. "Whatever. Look, as much as I'm enjoying this frank little exchange of information.. do ya think we might have it a bit later, once I'm actually wearing some clothes?" For some reason, it felt good to Jack to reiterate that he was naked in Philip's bed - just in case Blair had missed that.

Blair nodded. "Sure man, sorry."

Jack nodded, waiting for him to leave and as soon as he did he jumped out of bed, and turned his attention to finding some kind of clothing in the cluttered room - considering his were on the floor in the bathroom. He went over to the pile of clean clothes in the corner, extracting a pair of his own boxer shorts from the pile. He frowned and wondered when he could have left those behind then he came to the conclusion that Phil had worn them back from his house at one time. Finding a pair of sweat pants in the pile, Jack pulled them on then he picked out a plain dark blue t-shirt and tugged it over his head as he left the room.

*

Blair was in the kitchen making tea when Jack found him. "Are you a tea drinker, Jack?"

"Ugh, no. Coffee. Black. Very strong." The older man scrubbed his hands down his face as he yawned.

"Oh," Blair sounded disappointed but he poured out a coffee for the other man and left it on the counter.

"So, where's Phil?"

"I'm not sure. He left but didn't say where he was going."

Jack nodded as he lifted the cup to his lips, sipping the hot brew carefully as he meandered into the living room, going over to the window and looking out at the blue sky above them. He concluded that it might still be a nice day when he finished up at the base and that he and Philip should go out and do something - in the sun - together. They hadn't spent much time 'outside' and he wanted to start doing all those things that 'partners' did together - the first thought was to head to the flea market, knowing that Philip liked to go there to gather items he could later use in his sculptures. He checked his watch, it was already twenty after nine and he hoped that Philip would return before he had to leave to go to the base. He'd put that thought to him, and in doing so, hoped that Blair would decide to make himself scarce.

Blair finished making his tea and came up behind Jack, craning his neck up to look out at the bright day as he stepped in behind him. "Makes a change from the rain in Cascade," he muttered, quietly trying to make conversation. Jack nodded and took another sip of his coffee.

"Weather's been pretty bad here too," he said, then turned, surprised to find the stranger standing so close behind him. Weren't there rules for personal space in Cascade? He caught Blair's eye and the younger man seemed to instantly realize how close he was and stepped back slightly. Jack also shifted his footing, dropping his weight onto his other leg thereby creating a little more room between them.

"So," he said, giving the long haired, hippy-looking man an uncritical glance up and down, "have you known Graham and Philip long?"

With a shrug Blair pointed to the painting. "A little while."

"Oh!" Jack realized who he was talking to now and moved over to the sofa to sit down. "So you're really a friend of Graham's and not Phil's?"

With a shrug, Blair went to the single chair and sat in it as he said, "I guess.." Then reached forward and put the cup on the coffee table. "Grae and I were together about ten years ago, when Phil was going through that 'awkward' stage, you know?"

Jack arched a brow. "Oh, I see," he muttered, looking down into his drink.

"He was a cute kid, really cute, but gangly and awkward.." He said with a grin then lost it as he saw Jack's glare. He wasn't sure if it was because of the unflattering image he'd portrayed or the fact that he knew Philip on a different plain than Jack did. "He would come to me with some of his teenage troubles, if you know what I mean..."

Jack looked straight into the bright blue eyes. "Did he?" It was a statement more than a question. Blair blinked then looked down, away from the intense brown eyes.

"He was kinda trapped. His parents knew about Grae's homosexuality, but they always told Philip that he was their last hope. They put a lot of pressure on the kid."

Jack started to grow interested in the conversation. "They don't know?"

Blair shook his head. "They never had reason to suspect him, I guess. He had a girlfriend, very briefly, when I was with Graham.. That much I can recall. Though," he said with a frown and a sigh, "I know it didn't go too well but I doubt they knew that. Phil always seemed more interested in hanging around with me and Graham.." Blair trailed off now, recalling Philip's confession of a 'crush' last night. No wonder the kid was always hanging around them. With a soft cough, Blair looked down a moment and wondered if the girlfriend might not have been the teenager's defense against what he couldn't have, which was, Blair. He felt a little guilty for the disastrous relationship now and rolled his eyes slightly as he brought his cup to his lips.

Jack watched him silently then averted his eyes to look out of the window. He never knew Philip had had a girlfriend - he'd never told him about that. Not that either of them had discussed past lovers other than Jack's marriage and Phil's ex-Johnathon.

"In fact," Blair said, changing his line of thought a moment. "The last email I got from Grae implied that they still think that Philip's going to give them the grand-child they desperately want."

"Does Phil know this?"

"Now that," Blair said as he reached for his drink again then settled back in his seat, "I wouldn't know, man."

Jack sighed as he rubbed his hand over his face. "Guess I'm not about to be invited to any family gatherings then," he mumbled.

Blair smiled, a little sadly. "No, I wouldn't think so. In fact ..."

Both men looked up as the front door flew open and Phil came rushing in.

"Oh!" He said, skidding to a stop as soon as he saw them together in the living room. He looked from the wide, blue eyes of Blair into the narrower brown ones of his lover. "You've met then....."

To Be Continued....