| Part 10 | Disclaimers |
Spoilers in this part: The Curse/ 2010 / Absolute Power - S4
Paul Davis carried the dinner plates to the table as Daniel elbowed off the lights in the kitchen while skillfully balancing glasses and a bottle of wine in his hands.
“Is that all that the note said? Not to go to this P4C-970 world?”
“That’s it.” Daniel shrugged. “Janet confirmed that it had Jack’s blood on it so we’ve locked it out, but we honestly have no idea why we shouldn’t go there..”
“Or how the message came through.” Paul sat and shook his head in utter amazement at the whole event. He laughed softly as he looked up at Daniel who was sitting in the opposite chair. “It’s mind boggling.” They were quiet for a while then Paul asked, “What does Jack think it means?”
Daniel put his fork down and reached for his wine glass, his blue eyes settling on the man opposite him. “Jack hasn’t had a lot to say to me since the Osiris incident..”
Paul frowned. That was about a month ago. “Osiris? Why?”
The younger man shrugged then he picked up his fork and started to eat.
“God, what is that man’s problem?” Paul expelled loudly and shook his head. “I thought things were good between you? Especially since the X-301 incident..." Daniel had been happier than Paul could remember when he told him about the way Jack treated him after the incident, and for the following week. Daniel told it like they were almost back on track and Paul wondered if Daniel wasn't building up to tell his born-again-best-friend that he had deeper feelings for him.
Paul was too scared to admit to Daniel at the time that part of him hoped Daniel might reveal his feelings to Jack, because he was starting to wonder about the direction the two of them were heading towards. When he couldn't reach Daniel by phone for a few days, and Daniel didn't return his emails for a few days, Paul wondered if Daniel might not have had the same kinds of fears. It had been a week before he could reach Daniel after that and he was happy to hear that Daniel had been spending a lot of time on base with Jack.
Methodically, Daniel licked his lips clean before saying, "Things were good. In fact, things were great .." he said encouragingly before admitting, with a slight wince, "until the Osiris incident.."
Paul shook his head as he blew out a long breath. "When you told me he'd yanked the battery from the cell phone and literally threw it in the lake..."
"Actually, I think that had more to do with being annoyed at Teal'c for concealing the phone than at me.. per se.."
Before he could stop himself, Paul had scoffed at Daniel's insistence on protecting Jack at all costs. "Oh come on! He’s rude to you after the event, despite the brain swipe you got. He’s…”
Daniel put his fork down purposely, made a loud sigh and a glint of something - was it anger? Annoyance? - flashed in his eyes for a moment. Paul's stomach clenched. He'd done it again! He'd stepped all over that fine line he knew he shouldn't cross with Daniel about Jack's behavior.
He didn't blame Daniel in many ways, he'd be the same if Daniel were to make comments on Lockston, he was sure. He was just lucky that Daniel had never met Lockston and didn't have an opinion on that situation. In fact, it was partly the reason he never shared too much about Lockston with Daniel, because he didn't want to be defending the man he felt he loved to Daniel in arguments. It was a selfish way to exist, he knew that, but it was the only way he felt he could play it. It was also unfair on him, to some extent, because he did know O'Neill so he had his own opinions, heavily influenced by Daniel, albeit, about the USAF Colonel. It was a sticking point for them at times, but they managed to maneuver around it most times when it cropped up.
Changing tact, Paul jabbed his own fork in Daniel’s direction as he said, “Maybe he’s jealous?”
Daniel scoffed and took a long sip of his wine. "Of?"
"Sarah.."
Wiping a dribble of wine from his lips as he laughed at that thought, Daniel said, "I doubt it."
Paul tried to stay with the hopeful thought. "Hey, she is an ex-girlfriend.."
"Which makes absolutely no sense as to why Jack would worry about me spending time with her." Paul was about to add another comment when Daniel continued on, nonchalantly dropping in, "He should have been more concerned about Stephen, in that case.."
Paul lowered the forkful of food from his lips and repeated, "Stephen?"
Daniel lifted his gaze, but not his head. "Didn't I mention that bit?"
"Ah-" Paul's head tilted slightly. "No."
Daniel straightened up and ripped open his bread roll before buttering it. "The break up Sarah and I had was nothing compared to the break up Stephen and I had.." He bit into the fresh roll and chewed whilst Paul stared at him, dumbfounded. "Sarah knew I was in love with Stephen, which is why we separated. Stephen and I lasted a few months but he always wanted me to stop pushing my views in Academia as - according to him- it was a pointless case. I saw through that. I know it had more to do with embarrassing him than it had to do with being pointless. I think that's why, in the end, he couldn't bear to find out I was right. I think that's why he tried to hide that.." Paul remained staring at him, barely blinking as Daniel unraveled this piece of news to him. Daniel returned the intense gaze then said, "You're staring at me.."
After another few moments Paul blurted out, "I had no idea.."
A sly smile crept across Daniel's lips. "Paul, if I didn't know better.." He paused, seeing in Paul's eyes that he didn't need to end that sentence. He quickly diverted his eyes to the bread roll within his hands that he'd unconsciously torn into crumbs. He sat back, brushing his hands together to clean them then he took a gulp of wine and kept his eyes averted.
Paul lowered his fork and wiped his mouth with the napkin from his lap. When Daniel couldn't bear the awkwardness any longer he got to his feet and headed to the bathroom. Paul leaned his elbows onto the table and covered his face with his palms. Slowly he breathed out, his breath tickled his palms.
When Daniel returned it was as if nothing had happened. He smiled across the table at his friend then ate his meal in companionable silence.
After dinner and the clean up, the two men settled comfortably in the living room to enjoy some fine malt whiskey. Daniel was sprawled across his sofa while Paul was relaxed in a single chair close by. Soft music played in the background and Daniel had lit a fire to ward off the mid-November chill.
“What really surprised me-" Daniel had been talking of his incident with the Harsesis child a day earlier- “Was how much I seemed to come to disregard the team.”
Paul shook his head to dismiss that concern. “It’s not surprising that you have certain feelings pent up about the team..”
“But to do away with Teal’c? To have Sam locked up?”
Raising his brow to make his point, Paul said, “And the only person you left free was…”
“Jack,” Daniel muttered, with a distinct look of distaste on his face. Could he really destroy his friends in his pursuit of love?
“Exactly." Paul scoffed to lighten the mood. "I wouldn’t be too concerned about it, Daniel. It was a dream; you got rid of the others because you wanted Jack to yourself… It’s pretty standard if you think about it.”
“Pretty standard that Jack pulled a gun on me?” Daniel asked, sitting forward now, engrossed in the conversation.
“Think about it,” Paul said, also sitting forward now. “Jack’s done some pretty hard things to you – I’m not surprised your subconscious expects he could do that as well.”
Daniel pursed his lips tightly. “Jack would never knowingly hurt me..”
“He tried to blow you up a few months ago..”
Extending his finger from the ones around his coffee cup, Daniel shook his head and said, “Extenuating circumstances..”
Paul grumbled quietly to himself, knowing that despite everything Daniel would still protect Jack above all other things.
“Personally, I think it has more to do with your fears of what Jack might do, how he might react, if you were to ever show your true self, your true feelings, to him…”
Daniel smirked derisively. “So you’re saying that the whole scenario was an analogy for my coming out to Jack – eventually?”
“Yes,” Paul said definitely.
Daniel rolled his eyes and gave a soft moan of dissent as he slouched back in his chair, rubbing his forehead.
“So what are you saying then, Daniel? That you are the kind of person that could do this kind of thing - to the world? To your friends?”
With a concerned look, Daniel stated simply, “Absolute power corrupts, absolutely.”
“Right - and you would blow up Moscow as well!” Paul snorted dismissively then added, “Daniel, it’s plain to see that you want Jack to yourself and your dream had you get rid of all the obstacles in your way to have him…”
Daniel stared across the room at his friend. “Is it really that simple?”
Paul shrugged. “I wasn’t there.” He stopped a moment, tilted his head and asked, “Did I appear in this fantasy at all, by the way?”
The younger man rolled his eyes and slowly his concern left his eyes and a smile crept across his face. “Actually – yes. I.. err.. bossed you around..”
Paul smirked as he got up off his chair and sidled onto the sofa beside Daniel. “Bossed me around??”
With a growing smile, Daniel cuddled into him and said, “I ordered you to fulfill my needs..”
Paul’s grin grew wider. “Hey, Doctor Jackson, if you want me to fulfill your needs…” His hand slipped up along Daniel’s arm and came to rest around his throat, where it stroked the prickly skin slowly. The men were cuddled together as Paul purred, “I’m sure I can manage that..”
"You've been managing well enough for a few months now," Daniel cooed as he stared off into middle-distance while he ran his hand down the front of his friend's chest, feeling the dog tags that lay beneath the black ribbed material.
"Is there a problem with that?" Paul asked, noting the disquiet in his friend.
There was a pause then Daniel sighed and said, "Sometimes I think so, yes." He blinked before he focused onto his friend. "Don't you?"
"Do you think we're too dependant?"
"No, no, no-" Daniel said softly. "It's not like we end up in bed every time.."
Paul laughed gently. "Just most of the time."
Quietly and flippantly, Daniel said, "We're men with needs.."
Paul laughed louder now, shifting Daniel who was against his body. "Many needs.. and often."
Paul noticed the way Daniel was caressing the tags through his shirt material. Gently he told his friend, "One day this will be the right set of tags.... the right chest.."
Daniel rolled his head back to meet the green eyes again. "I don't think so.."
Paul cupped him beneath the chin. "Never lose faith, okay?"
Daniel sighed forlornly then said, "I think that's what the dream was trying to tell me." He reached for his coffee then came back to rest against his friend's side. "That when Jack finds out my true nature, he's not going to like what he sees."
Paul closed his eyes and cupped his hand into the soft brown hair. He pressed his lips to Daniel's temple. He had no words to alleviate his friend's worry, and he'd never appease Daniel with false promises.
With the rim of the cup against his lips, Daniel asked, "What about you? How are things with Gary Lockston going?"
Paul shifted slightly to get more comfortable. "Actually, we're a little more friendly than we have been," he admitted through a burgeoning smile.
Daniel sat up straighter and turned to face him better. "Oh?"
Paul nodded then said, "He's been to my place a few times, strictly as friends."
"Hey, friendship's a start," Daniel said with a waning smile as he settled under Paul's arm again. Paul had noted the sadness in Daniel's eyes, and knew that romance aside, Daniel was mourning the loss of his good friendship with Jack as much as the squelching of dreams.
"It sure is," he said, tipping Daniel's chin up with two fingers. He studied the unshielded blue eyes as he said, "You're the best friend I have, Daniel. I wish I could do more for you."
The younger man blinked slowly then shrugged as he settled again. "There's not a lot more any one can do."
Paul pressed his lips to Daniel's temple and then breathed against the brown hair. After a few moments he asked, "Are you ready for bed?"
Daniel sighed then rolled his head back as he met Paul's gaze again. "Actually, Paul, if you wouldn't mind..."
The older man agreed. "I'll sleep in the library tonight."
Daniel squeezed his arm as he said, "Thank you."
End of Part Ten
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Rights held by Nessessitee –Mar 2003