The telephone rang, and Jack felt the sinking in his stomach when he realized the answering machine was probably going to pick it up. He'd really wanted to talk to Daniel. Not for any particular reason, but he was bored, and Daniel was his anti-boredom answer.
To Jack's surprise, right before the machine picked up, Daniel did.
"H'lo?"
"Daniel!" Jack exclaimed happily, though he frowned a bit. Did Daniel sound depressed?
As if to prove his suspicions correct, Daniel sniffled. "Hi, Jack."
"Daniel, are you okay?" Jack asked, concerned. Daniel sounded like he was crying, or almost. Quickly, Jack brought the date to mind; no, it wasn't Sha're's death-day, or his parent's death-day, or any day important, really. "What's wrong?"
Daniel sniffed again, and tried to inject more cheer into his answer, "Nothing's wrong. I'm fine."
"That was a pathetic lie," Jack said flatly.
"Really, it's nothing. I'm just reading," Daniel assured Jack. Jack didn't feel very reassured. "Did you want something?"
"Nothing important," Jack replied, not to be distracted. "Don't change the subject. Since when did reading make you cry?"
" 'M not crying," Daniel muttered.
"Tell me another," Jack said dryly.
"Really. I'm not," Daniel asserted. "I'm just…it's an emotional book."
Jack thought it must be, to make Daniel almost cry. Daniel may be a passionate young man, but tears did not come easily to him, nor did they come without reason. "What book?"
"Nothing you've heard of, I'm sure," Daniel said.
"Tell me," Jack persisted.
"All right," Daniel said, with a half-hearted sigh of resignation. "It's called Magic's Pawn, the first of the Last Herald-Mage Trilogy, by Mercedes Lackey."
" 'Magic'? As in, 'fantasy'?" Jack inquired.
"Yeah," Daniel affirmed.
"I didn't know you liked that stuff," Jack said.
"Only a couple books. A friend recommended it," Daniel explained. "It's relaxing to immerse yourself in others' problems, instead of being immersed in your own."
"But you're crying," Jack pointed out. "How is that relaxing?"
"There are happy parts too," Daniel defended. "Besides, it's a good book. And I'm not crying."
"Anymore," Jack shot back. Daniel remained silent. Jack rolled his eyes. "I can call back later."
"I am at a good part," Daniel admitted, and Jack interpreted that as, yes, go away and let me read.
"All right, then," Jack sighed. "I'll let you read. Are you sure you're okay?"
"It's just a book, Jack," Daniel said. "A good book, but still a book. I'll be fine."
"Okay. Don't stay up all night," Jack finally said.
"Yes, Father," Daniel grumbled, but Jack could hear the amusement.
"Night, Danny," Jack murmured.
Daniel's fond smile was evident in his voice, "Night, Jack."