Title: By CandlelightRating: PG-13
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Words: 491
Challenge: contrelamontre's random line in a book challenge.
Summary: By
candlelight, Daniel reads a journal
Notes: The first line
was taken from Mercedes Lackey's I Magic's Price /I
book. i Time: 20 minutes. /i
The candles placed in sconces all around the room flickered only when someone moved, creating a momentary current in the air. The rosy glow would falter, just for a second. Then it would steady again, shining brightly. When another movement was made, again the candles in their scalloped sconces would waver.
As humans make movements almost unconsciously, you can imagine that the candles flickered an awful lot. And you can also image what a chore it would be to read by such erratic light.
That chore was assigned to one Dr. Daniel Jackson, PhD.
He squinted behind his glasses, trying to puzzle through a word as the candlelight flickered again. He allowed his mind to wander just a second to electricity and how privileged the current generation was, never to know the strain of reading by candle- or firelight. Then, with a frown as admonishment muttered at himself under his breath, he continued to read through the journal.
Whoever had written the journal had very uneven, scratchy script. Some words were practically indecipherable.
The journal was the record of the second-in-command of a top-secret facility on the planet SG-1 was currently on. He wrote in great detail about his feelings for one of his team, a male member, the "resident genius" as he'd referred the man once. He'd put down on the aged, dark paper his dark thoughts, "treacherous" feelings, and struggle to hide those feelings. Despite his best efforts, they bloomed and grew, and he began pushing away that team member out of fear.
Daniel absently turned a page, frowning in concentration. Then the man's friend had died, and he'd been enveloped in a haze of guilt, regret, and intense longing. Then, by some miracle, the friend had been returned to him. Sans memories, but he had been confident that they would return with time.
Suddenly, the overhead lights flickered on, flooding the room with a sterile, bright light.
"Daniel! The power came back on!"
"I can see that, Jack!" Daniel called back. Jack ambled into the room, smiling at the image of his lover bent over the journal still, squinting in the new light. He walked around the room, blowing out candles. He took a moment to admire the sconces; when Daniel decided to decorate a room old-fashioned, he didn't cut corners.
"Having fun?"
"It's not quite the word I would use…" Daniel said, leaning back in the leather-covered chair. "It's interesting, most definitely."
"Glad my life is of interest," Jack said dryly.
"There's never a dull moment," Daniel agreed, shutting the journal. A finger absently traced over the embossed gold letters: J. O'Neill.
"How about we make some more interesting moments?" Jack asked suggestively, sauntering over to Jackson and claiming his mouth with a passionate kiss.
"I could live with that," Daniel gasped out when they separated. Jack hooked a finger in a belt loop on his jeans.
Daniel allowed himself to be lead into the bedroom, smiling.