Title: Milkweed
Author: knightshade
Rating: PG-13, I think
Pairing: Jack/Daniel (slash, but not ship – if that makes sense to anyone but me)
Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1 or any of it's characters. See MGM, Gekko and a whole host of others who aren't me.

Summary: It's springtime off-world and there's something in the air.

Author's Notes: Back when I first signed up for 10clichefics, nottabushfan asked me what was meant by a sex pollen story. She then planted a beautiful image in my head of Daniel blowing milkweed. I was scribbling hand written notes by the time I got to work that morning. This story was inspired by her comments.

Thank you to Flatkatsi for beta reading this even though it's not her thing. I owe you one, love. Thank you also to Nutty for beta reading it as well and giving me several helpful suggestions that I tried to implement, but may have come up short with.

Milkweed

The cultural and technological exchange with the Ramallan village elders had gone well and they had bid SG-1 farewell at the edge of town. The gate was an easy two and a half clicks through gently rolling grasslands that seemed to stretch out endlessly. The mission had been a successful one, if excruciatingly boring. The Ramallans had some of the most pedantic rituals, traditions, and ceremonies that Jack had ever had the misfortune of hearing about -- in exhausting detail. Daniel had been enthralled, of course, but Jack had almost hoped for a Goa'uld incursion. Anything to liven up the party.

The team crested the last rise overlooking the gate only to find that they weren't alone. There were pairs and small clusters of Ramallans waist deep everywhere in the golden grass.

"Whoa," Jack said pulling up short, the team crowding around him.

"It's beautiful," Carter said, stepping up over the rise and gazing down in wonder.

All around them a filmy gossamer flax was floating into the air like snow falling skyward. The sun was shining through the filaments and reflecting iridescent colors against a backdrop of clear blue sky. In patches of tall golden grass throughout the little valley around the gate, Ramallans were blowing the flax into the air from large seedpods.

"This must be the Prin ritual that Steffan mentioned," Daniel said.

"Prin?"

"Yeah, he mentioned it when they were talking about the various seasonal holidays they celebrate."

"Oh, right," Jack said, thinking he might have been dozing during that part of the conversation. "That."

Daniel gave him an exasperated look, but thankfully let it go. Carter and Teal'c took a few steps down the path into the valley, Carter craning her head as they moved. Daniel knelt down and picked one of the pods growing next to the path. It was silvery grey, with hulls that bulged on the verge of splitting. "It looks like some kind of milkweed." He pulled open the hulls and the iridescent filaments unfolded out across his hands. Then he blew into the pod sending the seeds billowing upward.

"Daniel!" Jack batted seedlings out of his face, spitting and wiping at his nose where they stuck to him. "I thought you had allergies."

"I do. This doesn't seem to bother them. Or at least, not yet."

"Right. Well, let's assume she loves you not and be on our way." Jack was eager to get back to a nice warm shower. He didn't care to waste time blowing little fuzzy-wuzzies. "Teal'c dial us home, uh?" he called.

"Jack, I'd like to stay and watch the ritual for a while."

"Daniel, if their other rituals are any indication, this could go on for days. We're due back. I don't want to have to tell General Hammond that we were late because we stopped to pick the daisies."

"Um, technically, these aren't daisies."

"Technically, I don't care. Let's go."

"Jack, I could stay here and you could go through the gate without me. I'll watch the ritual a while and come back."

"You want me to leave you here alone?" he asked, eyebrow raised.

"The Ramallans seem like a peaceful people."

"'Seem' being the operative word."

Daniel sighed.

"Look, if everything pans out, we'll probably be back this way a lot. You can stop by for all of their many, many, many holidays. Come on."

Teal'c and Carter had already started across the clearing to the gate. Jack set off after them, listening keenly behind him. It took a moment or two but finally he heard the crunch of Daniel's footfalls following him down the path toward the gate.

---

"Alright, people. Who'd like to start?" General Hammond asked after they'd all taken seats around the briefing room table.

"Well, sir," Carter began, "the Ramallans are a very accommodating people. Their technology isn't very advanced, but they have perfected a way of processing naquadah to make it easier to mold -- making it more malleable while still keeping its essential properties intact."

"And they're willing to share this process?" Hammond asked.

"It appears so, yes."

"In exchange for us helping them shore up their villages against attack by a very large local predator. Kind of like a lion," Jack said.

Hammond raised his eyebrow.

Jack shrugged. "I showed them how a claymore works."

"Any indications of trouble or difficulties?"

"No, sir."

"Dr. Jackson, anything you'd like to add on the cultural front?"

"They're a highly complex society with occupations that are passed down from generation to generation. They seem to be an offshoot from…uh… from Roman society. They...uh..."

Jack looked up to see that Daniel was staring at him. More precisely, he was staring at the pen Jack was clicking. "Oh. Sorry." Jack set the pen down in front of him. Then he pushed it a few inches further away to remove the temptation, but he was still fidgety. Being stuck in a briefing rehashing the Mission O'Boredom wasn't helping any.

"So, as I was saying, the Ramallans place a high value on history. They have very detailed records of their past in a Great Hall which they said they'd be willing to allow us access to if we send back another team. I'd like to…uh…propose that after…"

Daniel trailed off again. This time he was staring directly at Jack. "What?"

Jack shrugged. "What, what?"

Daniel let out a frustrated sigh. "Nothing. It just looked like you wanted to say something."

"No. I'm just listening. Raptly," Jack said, making a point of shuffling the papers in front of him.

Daniel favored him with a perplexed stare and then slowly turned back to Hammond. "We should …uh…send a team back to investigate. A wealth of information was lost when Rome fell. If they are in fact descendants of ancient Romans and they've kept good historical records, then we might learn a lot about ancient cultures here on Earth."

"Of course," Hammond said. "Anything else?"

"Not really, sir," Jack interjected, itching to get this briefing over with. "Yadda, yadda, ancient cultures. Blah, blah, rituals. The usual." He pushed back his chair slightly, hoping the action would encourage Hammond to bring the meeting to an end.

"Actually," Daniel said, glaring at him. "There is one other thing. The Ramallans were apparently in the middle of a ritual celebrating spring when we were on our way back. It might be a good idea to send a team to observe the remaining portions of the ritual," he said, giving Jack a pointed, sidelong glance. "If any."

Jack rolled his eyes and sank back into his seat. "Oh come on, Daniel. We were late."

"Jack, our missions are supposed to include the study of other cultures and the exploration of the worlds we visit. For anyone else to see the Prin ritual first hand, they're going to have to wait a whole year."

"What, to see people blowing fuzzy-wuzzies into the air?!"

"Jack, you have no idea what political or cultural meaning might be attached to that act. To just dismiss it-"

"It's probably the cultural equivalent of hanging lights at Christmas time."

"But you don't know that."

"Then I guess I'll miss that question when they come out with Trivial Pursuit - Off World Edition." He glared at Daniel, hoping he'd get the hint that as far as he was concerned, the subject was closed. "Besides, you can go back and read about it in the carefully detailed history they keep in that Great Hall thingamajiggy."

Daniel was giving him glare for glare back, clearly ignoring the hint. "That may not be the same as actually seeing the ritual itself."

They stared at each other fiercely and Jack could feel the eyes of the rest of the team on them. He spoke very slowly, enunciating every word. "We. Were. Late. I was getting us back on schedule."

"That's not the point, Jack."

"It is, Daniel."

"Gentlemen!" Hammond said, holding up a hand and waiting for both of them to back down. "Far be it from me to encourage tardiness, but Colonel, Dr. Jackson is right. Studying alien cultures is an official part of your mission. Next time, send a message. I don't see the harm in taking a little extra time to explore a peaceful planet."

Jack pursed his lips in a humorless smirk. "Yes, sir."

The briefing room was awash in tension and Jack couldn't take the silence. He picked up the pen and started clicking it again. Mercifully, Hammond moved along. "Teal'c do you have anything to add?"

"The planet appears to be free of recent Goa'uld activity. I did not see any other specific threats aside from the predatory animals the villagers mentioned."

"Thank you. If there's nothing else, you're dismissed, people."

Jack gathered up the file folder and notebook in front of him. He looked at Daniel who was collecting his things as well. Daniel started to leave the table and then caught his eye. "What?" he asked.

Jack shrugged. "Nothing."

"You keep looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Like there's something on your mind?"

"There's nothing on my mind, Daniel," Jack said. "This is how I always look."

"Right. Okay." He all but threw up his hands and left the briefing room. Carter gave Jack a look as she followed Daniel out. It was her patented 'if you weren't my commanding officer, I'd tell you you're being an ass' look. She had it down cold. Even Teal'c gave him the eyebrow treatment. "What?" he asked following Teal'c out, but he was met with stony silence.

---

Daniel was resting against the edge of his desk studying a chalice they'd discovered on P7X-504 a few missions ago. Since they'd arrived back early this morning and the briefing had been short, he had plenty of time to catch up on his backlog of work. But now he was having trouble concentrating. He pulled off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. The translation just didn't make sense. Something was missing.

Daniel got up, tapped the spines of several books before finding the one he was after and plucking it off the shelf. He sat down again and rifled through a few chapters but the pages were swimming. He got up and paced a little, mumbling the alien words softly to himself, but it wasn't helping. Gate-lag. Maybe that was the problem. But if so, he had to try to keep as normal a schedule as possible. He made a deal with himself. If he spent the next half hour diligently working on the translation, he'd give himself a break and get some coffee. With renewed determination, Daniel forced himself to sit down and study the text.

It didn't last long.

In a few minutes he was up again, sitting on the edge of his desk, the book open in his hand. He 'd just decided he needed a more complete antiquities book and set the one he'd been holding aside when he spotted Jack standing in his doorway. Not exactly the distraction he was hoping for but he'd take it.

"Hello, Jack."

"Daniel." He wandered in, letting the door shut behind him, and started to poke and prod the various artifacts Daniel had around his office. "I just stopped by to see what you were up to."

That was probably the closest Daniel could expect Jack to come to an apology. He was willing to take it though. If he got upset enough to take his toys home each time he and Jack disagreed there'd be no point in sticking around. Besides, Hammond had sided with him this time – that usually made it easier to accept the extended olive branch.

Daniel picked up the chalice and turned it around slowly in his hands. "I finished the translation on the cup but I think there's something hidden in these symbols around the stem that I just can't figure out."

"I'm sure you'll get it." Jack picked up a Mayan plate off Daniel's desk and was studying its edges. For some reason Daniel found himself studying Jack's hands. They were large and solid -- worn, weathered, and calloused by his time in the service. Or maybe just by life in general. When Daniel looked up again he found that Jack was watching him watch his hands. Daniel quickly looked away, feeling strangely like he'd been caught in the act.

"Contrary to popular belief I don't break everything I pick up. Just pencils, electronic gadgets, the occasional glass..."

Daniel had no clue what he meant at first. He'd been so intent on Jack's hands that he'd forgotten they were holding a priceless artifact. "Oh. Uh. No. I wasn't worried about that."

Jack slowly cocked his head to the side, asking but not.

Daniel felt strangely at a loss for words. He set the chalice back down on the desk, and leaned back on his hands. Then he glanced up in time to find Jack looking him up and down. Daniel blinked and couldn't quite keep his head from snapping back in surprise. Jack had been giving him a whole body appraisal. And the thing that really surprised him was that it wasn't an entirely unpleasant realization. Surprising, but not unpleasant. In fact, if he were going to be honest about it, it gave him a bit of a thrill.

The corner of Jack's mouth turned up slightly. A smile, but not. He knew he'd been caught too. He gave a nonchalant shrug, but then his eyes were back on Daniel, pinning him. Daniel had been glared at, stared at, had Jack's eyes rolled in his honor, but he'd never had Jack look so intently at him before. He knew twenty-four different languages but only one word came to mind. Smoldering. And for some reason, he couldn't look away.

Jack carefully set down the plate he'd been holding and then slowly crossed the distance between them. Daniel had the feeling of being stalked, of being prey, in a way that made his heart race. He felt like he should move, seek cover, but he couldn't. Didn't want to.

What the hell was going on?

"Jack?"

"Daniel?"

Jack stopped in front of the desk, very close. Much closer than he should have been. Daniel was still trying to work out what was happening, but his head was abuzz. There was a thick tension between them and Daniel was sure it had nothing to do with the argument they'd had.

Jack's eyes were locked on his again -- deep, dark, and intense. Daniel was back to feeling pinned. Jack raised one of those careworn hands to the side of Daniel's face, the heel against his jaw and the fingers pressing lightly against his ear and hair.

"Ja-" he started to say, but it came out a whisper before being choked off entirely. Something about Jack being this close, something about the tension and uncertainty was going right to his head. He'd never thought of Jack this way before. Hadn't ever thought of any man this way before, but somehow in this moment, he was more turned on than he could remember being in a long time. Daniel leaned forward into the few inches between them and Jack didn't give any ground. They were so close, that Daniel could hear Jack's quickened breathing.

And then they were kissing.

Jack's hand tightened against his face, sliding around to the back of his head to give his kiss more power. Then Jack's tongue was between Daniel's lips, probing with harried urgency. Daniel's body reacted immediately. He wrapped his arms around Jack's back and pulled them together, the cotton of Jack's t-shirt stretching underneath his sprawled fingers. He gripped Jack's back and arched into him as the kiss grew almost violent. Daniel was sure he could taste blood in his mouth as his lips crushed against Jack's.

He dragged his fingers down Jack's back and under his t-shirt, then raked them back up along Jack's bare sides, pulling him tighter. He could feel the weight of Jack's body pressed tightly against his, trapping him against the desk. Then Jack's hand was at his waist, undoing his belt.

Something in Daniel's mind snapped with the clinking of the buckle, bringing him back to reality. What the hell was going on? What were they doing? He pulled back from the kiss. Jack went for his neck, nipping the soft skin near his collar bone.

"Jack..."

But he continued on, leaving harsh little kisses against Daniel's neck, blazing a trail up to his ear, before taking the lobe into his mouth. Daniel had to fight against his whole body's reaction. "Jack, stop." He put his hands between them and pushed back. "Jack!"

Jack seemed to hear him this time. He stopped and took a step back. Then he shook his head as if to clear a thick fog, his eyes still clouded and confused.

"Jack?"

"Yeah, Daniel?" he asked, his voice low and throaty.

"Uh. There's something wrong here."

Jack took a few ragged breaths and in his eyes Daniel could see that he was battling his body's reaction as much as Daniel was fighting his own. Jack ran a hand back through his hair, like he was coming out of a troubled sleep. The spark of realization finally seemed to hit.

In a voice that was thoroughly unsettled, he said, "Ya think?!"

------------------
To Be Continued