Because once again, Mandarax insisted that there was more to be written, and my muse agreed. Nothing like some SG-1 family friendly goodness to brighten my day, and hopefully yours. Slight suggestion, but more subtle than before.
Set four days after The NotSoInnocent Duvet Cover.
The NotSoSubtle Best Friend...
-0-0-0-0-
It takes Daniel the whole of the first day to notice the change, and Jack's sure it's only because Teal'c says something.
"Jack..."
"Yes Daniel?"
"Was I imagining... or did you, ah..."
From his place at the barbeque, where the meat is not yet reduced to charcoal, Jack rolls his eyes and looks out to the deck where Sam and Teal'c are sitting. They don't seem to be talking much, but then Teal'c never does, and Sam has this amazing ability to get him to say more than he usually would.
When Daniel doesn't continue Jack rolls his eyes again and flips a steak.
"For God's sake, Daniel, spit it out before you choke on it"
"Oh, no, I was, ah... just wondering..."
"Yes?"
"Are you and Sam... I mean... well, what I mean is..."
"Are we more than just colleagues?" says Jack with just a hint of sincerity and a heavy dose of boredom. For a linguist this dear friend of his is having a hard time talking.
"Yeah"
"Well, Daniel, what would give you that impression?"
The sarcasm knocks the sense back into him, as it so often does, and his reply comes out a mile a minute.
"Well, when we first got here you were holding her hand, and then in the kitchen you two seemed a lot more comfortable than I've seen you in, well, months actually, 'cause I know for a while there it was awkward and you two were, well, anyway, that's not important. And then just before, I swear I saw you kiss her, but it was only when Teal'c asked me if I knew anything that I guess I really had to ask..."
Jack, his back still to his friend, is fighting a bad case of the giggles, which was really annoying, because firstly he doesn't giggle, ever, and secondly if he were to turn around Daniel would no doubt notice.
"So?"
"So what?" asks Jack, feigning ignorance as only he knows how.
"So... are you two... you know..."
"Sleeping together?"
Jack hears the soda being sprayed all over the table a second before Daniel starts coughing to clear his throat. He turns around, barbeque tongs in hand, his eyebrow taking a lesson out of 'Teal'c's facial gymnastics handbook'.
"You do know that that's what grown-ups do in a relationship, don't you?"
"Yes, Jack, I am aware of that, thank you, I have been married in case you forgot. I just didn't expect you to be so..."
"Honest?"
"I was going to say candid or... blunt... but I guess honest works"
"Well... what do you want me to say?"
Daniel has known this man long enough to recognise the slight hesitation in his tone, and to see that Jack isn't just talking about his opinion of his skills in communication.
"When were you going to tell us?" asks Daniel, his brow creased not in concern, but in confusion. He's not surprised by the act itself, so much as the timing. Their transfers don't come through until the end of the month, and for two people who have used their jobs as an excuse for eight years, neither of them seem particularly concerned.
"Tell ya the truth, I'm not sure. I guess we just figure that you guys would figure it out... or something"
"Okay. I... can see that logic..." says Daniel, frowning a little more, his brain working it through. "It's a little twisted, but I can see it... sought of"
"Besides, it's not like we've been trying particularly hard to hide it since you got here"
"No. You haven't, though, if I'm being honest-"
"You didn't see it at first"
"Oh, don't get me wrong, I knew something was up. But I wasn't sure until Teal'c said something"
"Teal'c, ya say? Really? Go figure"
"You been... you know... for long?"
"Just over a week" says Jack quickly.
"Yeah? Well, good for you two. Took you long enough... But you're right, you're right. You were obvious once I thought about it. Still... You could have said something"
"I think Sam was planning to at dinner tonight"
"Not you?"
"You know she's better at this stuff than me"
Daniel nods at that as Jack puts the steaks on a large plate and waves to the two on the pier with his tongs. Daniel can't help but smirk, then, when a thought suddenly pops into his head.
"So I take it Sam's better at picking out bedding than you as well"
Jack spins around, his eyes wide in that practiced look of innocence and interest, though Daniel's not fooled for a second. It's classic 'guilty Jack' behaviour, and they both know he's been caught.
"Huh?"
"Bedding"
"What about it?"
"I saw you have a new bedding set. Saw it hanging on the clothes line earlier"
"Oh. That"
Jack turns back to see the other two walking up the lawn side by side, and he stops himself from calling out. If this conversation is still continuing when they get up to the deck, not only will Teal'c join in the teasing, but Sam will too, and he does not need to be caught out at this time, thank you very much. He takes a moment to turn the steaks and sausages, refusing to turn around again until he's taken a moment.
"Yeah. That"
"Well... Sam was shopping for some new sheets the other day at the sales, and thought that set might look nice here"
"In your room" adds Daniel, more as a statement than a question. And damn it, he is not smirking.
"Huh?"
"Well, the sheets in the spare room are the same as last time, according to Teal'c. So, I assume the new ones were for your room"
"Yeah"
Jack's decided that his friend is getting far too good at this teasing game.
"Okay, just checking"
"Okay"
"So... The sheets too itchy? I know I always have to wash mine before using them because they irritate my skin when they're straight out of the package"
By now Sam and Teal'c have made it onto the deck, Teal'c heading for the seat next to Daniel as Sam claims the one next to Jack's space, and judging by the almost guilty look on her face and the worried glance she shoots at Jack, she's very quickly figured out what they're talking about.
"Oh. Yeah. Itchy. Packet. Right"
"Mmm-hmm. Thought so"
"Of what do you speak DanielJackson?"
"I was just saying to Jack that I have to wash my new sheet sets before using them because they make me itchy otherwise"
"I see. Are you referring to O'Neill's new bedding that we saw on the clothes line when we parked the car?"
"That's the one"
"I see"
"You like it?" asks Sam, her nervousness thinly veiled by a look of wide-eyed innocence, her body language mimicking the feeling as she shuffles to smooth her skirt under her bum. It has not been lost on any of the men that she's wearing one.
"Very much" says Daniel with a nod, spooning some salad onto his plate. "Not what I would have imagined for Jack, but very nice"
"Took me a while to warm up to it" starts Jack with an obligatory grin as he places the plater of surprisingly well-cooked meat in the centre of the table. "But once I saw it in the room I was sold"
There's a pause, and for a moment the four continue to dish up their dinner, until Daniel pauses, and Teal'c raises his eyebrow, and Sam freezes, the bread basket suspended mid-air. It takes another tiny moment for Jack to realise what he's said.
"So... it's already been on the bed then?" asked Daniel. The smallest of grins on his face and the way Teal'c smirks- as much as he's capable- say more than the words themselves. Sam's still frozen, waiting to see how this all plays out, no doubt running through exits strategies in her mind.
Jack, in his usual style, only pulls his chair in behind him as he reaches for the serving tongs on the meat plate and grabs a steak and two sausages for himself. His other hand reaches into the bread basket Sam's still holding, and the movement spurs her into action as she lets him handle this train-wreck on his own. Teal'c has shovelled a huge mouthful of salad into his mouth as he waits for his turn for the meat, and Daniel, sitting directly opposite Jack, is picking at his bread roll with the most self-satisfied grin on his face, thinking he's truly outwitted the master.
Jack looks up, meeting Daniel's eye for a moment in challenge, before nonchalantly scooping out some salad and replying just as innocently.
"Oh no" he says. "I was talking about seeing it in the picture on the back of the packaging. It's amazing how life-like those photos are"
If the smirk on his face in any indication, Daniel isn't the least bit convinced, but then again that's not the point. And besides... at least the guys will never know just why the brand new sheet set needed cleaning after only three and a half days. Some secrets, Jack's decided, are not to be shared, not even by the best of friends.