So this chapter is kind of split up into two simply because of its sheer volume. It's also a pretty eventful chapter so I don't really want to overwhelm you :)
Day Fifteen, Part One.
Carson shifted in his sleep and John immediately awoke. He gently laid a kiss on the back of Carson's neck as Carson turned to lie on his back. "What time is it?" He asked with his accent barely understandable but John had years of practice.
"It's ten a.m. Hey, you know you got worried because you thought my Dad might turn up?" Carson nodded curiously. "Well…He sort of did."
Carson's eyes shot open and John laughed. "Don't worry, they're still in bed and I told them that I'd tell them everything later. They're sleeping off jet lag so you either have time to calm down or time to run. I won't judge, although my dad really doesn't bite – he had a cute look on his face and normally… only Danny gets that face."
"Does not!" A voiced mumbled against a yawn as Danny traipsed down the stairs. "Good morning." John burst out laughing at Carson's nerves. "Daniel, can you do me a favour." The man murmured as he poured himself a bowl of cereal.
"Can you tell Carson that I'm a grown man, and the fact that I have sex hasn't bothered my father for over twenty years?" Another voiced boomed as it made its way down the stairs.
"I can acknowledge it, but I don't want to hear about it. You're still my little boy Johnny and Daddy don't wanna know. But yes, you're a grown man, and for the first time in your life you've made and outstanding choice of man." A blush crept across Carson's face as he sat up.
"Dad, can you not call me Johnny in front of other grown-ups? It's embarrassing." Carson couldn't help but let out a snort. "Baby, the fact that you still call people 'grown-ups' leads me to believe you're still a child. Therefore, I call you Johnny. Get used to it kid."
Jack wrapped his arms around Danny and was fed a spoon of coco pops by the man. Carson looked at how easy they were with each other.
"See, in our household we welcome love." Carson raised an eyebrow at John's statement, "You sound like a hippy." Jack snorted. "Yeah well, at least I'm not old enough to be one." John retorted to his father who slapped his hand to his heart with puppy dog eyes.
He released his grip on Danny to go back up the stairs to get dressed. Danny stood with his bowl of cereal. "He likes to see you happy, Johnny." He smiled as he put a spoon full of the chocolate rice puffs into his mouth.
"Carson, there's nothing to worry about. Jack may be some hard-ass soldier but he's a massive softy." There was a muffled yell from the upper floor "I heard that! Stop ruining my reputation!" John couldn't help but laugh to himself.
Jack eventually changed into some nice fitting jeans and a flannel t-shirt, he was showered and shaved and ready for the day. "Babe, we need to go shopping." Carson looked surprised at the term of endearment but judging by the lack of reaction from the archaeologist, it was normal.
"Yeah, I noticed. You need to ring Sam too, she hasn't heard from you in a while, and you know how she gets." Jack growled. "She just wants to talk to you, Jack. Last I knew, you two were friends. Now, go." Jack huffed before returning upstairs and making the call.
"You look like you've got a million questions. You can ask, I don't mind." Carson stuttered with the inability to speak due to the openness of Daniel, John gave him a reassuring look. "Not questions, it's just the little things. My family is quite closed, and therefore affection had never been seen or heard of. I'm just trying to adjust." Daniel gave him a supportive look.
"Yeah, I can get that. You've never heard an air force general refer to another man as 'babe', or get spoon fed, or demand hugs. That's just the start of it, I feel like I'm babysitting." Carson grinned as he knew the character he was describing. "Wipe off that look, I know that look. I'm not my father." Danny snorted, "Sure."
"Okay so that's Carter satisfied, what're we doing now?" Daniel shrugged. "Shopping?" Jack gave a shrug in reply and Danny made his way to get dressed after dumping his bowl in the sink. "Johnny?" He wanted the explanation.
"Well, you know it was Lorne's wedding – I was asked to be the best man. Carson persuaded me, unknowingly, to turn up. We decided we'd crash here seeing as though we slept on the beach last night." Jack was waiting for the rest.
"You're nosy, you know that? Fine. Carson and I are sort of…together now. Last night, we got in and crashed, not much else to it." Carson was focusing on the coffee table in front of him. "Johnny?" He prompted.
John sighed heavily, looking at the phased out Carson next to him. John slid his hand into Carson's, without him even knowing. "He told me he loved me and I told him I loved him too. I meant it too, Dad." He waited anxiously for a moment before a proud grin merged onto Jack's face.
"I'm glad, John." He then winced at Carson. "Is he going to be okay? Hey doc, how about we all go out for a beer tonight?" Carson flicked his vision straight to Jack, "Aye, that sounds good." Daniel came running down the stairs just in time and the couple made their way out to the car.
After a few seconds, John patted Carson's thigh. "Are you okay? You've been really phased out." Carson faked a smile. "I'm fine." John shook his head, not believing it. "Come on, tell me what's bothering you." Carson gulped.
"I don't really know. John, I've always been comfortable in my own skin but where I lived, there weren't many people like me. Coming here is overwhelming; I had no idea that this is what it could be like. Your father and Daniel are happier than my own parents were and they had no walls to climb. It's just, weird, in a good way." John squeezed his hand gently. "Is this the kind of life you want?" He asked in a low voice.
Carson bowed his head until his chin touched his chest. His back bounced as the sobs escaped him.
"Carson, this can be your life, our life. If that's what you truly want. They're happy because they've fought really hard for their relationship. Dad had to watch Danny die, twice, in order to get him back again. We've been through Atlantis, and we've found each other again, after all this time. It's been less than two weeks and I've been thrown into limbo. I could never have dreamed of what we have, Carson."
Carson eventually calmed but buried his head into John's chest as he slouched back. "Carson, I love you. I think you deserve to be happy whether it be with me or not." Carson looked up at John, "I want you with me John, and I don't care about anything else."
After a few minutes of just relaxing, Carson sat opposite John on the sofa with his legs crossed, seeing as though you could lay your legs in front of you it was so wide. "Okay, so what are we doing now?"
John shrugged, "Do you want to do anything today, I don't mind if you want to go out or with Jo or something." Carson just smiled,
"I've spent most of my life with, Jo. She can cope with a few days alone – which she isn't because Evan's sister has completely been engrossed by her and she's having the time of her life. I want to stay with you, John. I know it sounds awful but if anything happens to you, I want to be here."
John's mouthed twitched a smile before he sighed. "Okay then."
"Okay, so I was thinking we should do something tonight, I have no idea what though." As John stood in the middle of the living area Carson just strolled up to him and kissed him with his arms wrapped around his waist, "I think anything you come up with is probably an excellent idea."
"Okay you two, break it up." Carson blushed but didn't move away, instead he just rested in John's embrace as Jack and Daniel heaved in the grocery bags. "So, what are you guys doing today?" Daniel asked deviously after almost throwing a bag onto the counter, John raised an eyebrow at him.
"No…thing." John stumbled, which made Danny laugh, "We were thinking dinner, John, if you don't have any plans." John looked at Carson who smiled at the idea. "Yeah, sure. Where were you thinking?" Daniel shrugged as Jack walked in with another set of bags.
"Italian? We haven't done that in a while Danny – and Atlantis doesn't have pasta that good." Danny nodded, and left to make reservations. Jack's phone rang and he immediately answered. "Busy." Jack exclaimed and John smiled.
"No sir, I'm on leave. Yes sir, I know, but I'm not doing anything for that asshole if I don't have to. No the president can shove it up his ass, yes, I know the president so he'd probably find that hilarious. No sir, I'm not going AWOL. No sir, I'm actually trying to spend a little time with my son before I go back to Atlantis. Yes, sir. Have a good day, sir." John just stared at his father.
"God I hate that guy. He's like Paul Davis but worse, he's actually an ass." John was still staring. "It wasn't important, John. I wouldn't have turned him down otherwise, I'm not stupid." John nodded before turning back and kissing Carson once more. "Yep, now I feel better." Carson snorted.
"Want to go for a walk?" John asked Carson out the blue, and Carson agreed. Within ten minutes they'd set off and were going down a dirt track from the cabin. "I thought you might have wanted to get out. I know you're a little more comfortable but still…"
Carson took John's hand in his own, which was something John hadn't done with a man before. It felt intimate and he adored the feeling of their fingers entwined and Carson rubbing his thumb gently over his own. The sun beamed down, peeking through the trees as the fresh air filled their lungs. John frowned and Carson noticed it straight away.
"What's on your mind?" John looked at him before sighing with a bright shine of a smile. "Say you'll marry me. Not now, not anytime soon, but one day. Marry me." Carson's mouth gaped open. He stuttered before speaking coherently.
"One day. One day I will." It was all John needed to hear before he indulged himself on Carson's lips, grabbing his hips and pulling them together, their breaths were shallow and their hearts pounded in sync.
"I love you." John smiled brighter than the sun itself as he stroked the hair at the back of Carson's neck. "Aye, I think I may just love you back." They both laughed as they carried on walking, hand in hand.
"I was wondering when you two would be back. Our reservations are for nineteen hundred and it's seventeen hundred now, so you have a hour and a half to make yourselves presentable, get going." Jack shooed John and Carson up the stairs, rejoining Daniel on the sofa and laying his head in his lap.
"You do realize you've just ordered your son to go have sex?" Jack frowned in confusion. "You gave them a hour and a half, you know John could be ready in ten, Carson maybe twenty… That gives them a whole hour Jacky-boy." Daniel chuckled into his glass of wine whilst Jack snorted, "I hate when you're right."
A hour and a half later the group was ready for their meal, Jack could see the sex written all over the two men but he choice not to comment, "Babe, who is driving?" Danny shrugged easily, Carson still fascinated by the pet name.
"I don't mind driving; in fact it's probably safer if I do." He smiled at Jack's offended look and spoke to him as if he were a child, "now, now, honey. You remember what happened last time don't you?" He teased and Jack gave a pout.
It didn't take long for them to reach the restaurant and it was a gorgeous night. They sat at their table which was in the far corner of the venue, and by far the most private. "So, Johnny…" Jack started, "How was the wedding?"
John smiled, "It was good, Evan's totally whipped, I mean he had pink for a colour. Although, I did get to catch up with a couple of people whilst we were there."
"Ah, Rodney." Daniel stepped in, with an air of sarcasm. "Yes, Rodney. I don't get your relationship with him, Dan. You hate him but you have profound respect for him." Daniel laughed, "Yeah well, he may be smart but he's a total douche."
"I'll agree with that," Carson said with a smile, "Although the poor lad spent a lot of time with me when I was in stasis, I was rather humbled." John's eyes went wide. "You actually remember?" Jack nearly choked, "Oh yeah, it's the magic. Also quite frustrating." Carson agreed once again.
Their meal was served as well as some general conversation but once they had all finished their meals they turned back to conversation, Daniel refilling all of their wine glasses.
"So doc, what are you doing now?" Jack asked casually and got an equal response, "I have a small practice in my hometown." Jack smiled, "Must be nice going back to where you grew up. I take it you have family there?"
Carson nodded, "My sister lives close by but me' mother's gone on some world tour with her friends so it's just me and my housekeeper now." John looked at him sideways, "Housekeeper? You mean the woman who is actually your best friend that runs around and cleans up after you?" Carson blushed and Danny gave him a smile.
They slowly drank their glasses of wine, carefully avoiding any inappropriate and in depth conversations before the waiter came to them with a black payment book. John offered to pay for half but Jack refused,
"Johnny, I make more than all of you put together and I have nothing to do with it apart from take requests from Danny. Plus, this is my treat." John rolled his eyes. "Well, next meal is on me. I don't care how much you earn in your top brass office."
They made their way out of the restaurant but both Jack and John froze at the door. The other two men almost knocked them over not realizing they'd stopped so quickly. "Jack?" Danny asked quietly but only got a reply from John. "Something's wrong." He said simply which made the adrenaline shoot through Carson, "What sort of something?"
Ooh, cliff-hanger, I love it. This is where the drama begins. We all know that trouble finds both of the soldier wherever they go and when they're together it means double-trouble. I promise nobody dies.
Any suggestions for details would be welcomed as per usual but I think I just about covered this chapter...