A/N: This chapter contains content suitable for mature audiences only and has been edited to fit the guidelines of this site. If you are of legal age and wish to read the full, unabridged version of this chapter, it is available on Adult Fanfiction and on my website, Neena's Cabana.

In his dreams Daniel was being chased by an enormous swarm of bees. No matter how fast he ran they managed to surround him, stinging him everywhere, until he succumbed to his surging panic.

Daniel woke up shouting, his hands fending off a swarm of bees that didn't exist. But the stinging pain was real enough. He suddenly found himself yanked backwards and engulfed in a strong embrace. He struggled, still wrapped up in the frightening images from his nightmare.

"Daniel, it's okay. It's me," said Jack, his head turned towards Daniel's so his mouth was right next to his ear.

The sound of Jack's voice had an instant effect on Daniel. The nightmare fled to the far reaches of his mind and he rolled into Jack's embrace, their lips meeting by unspoken consent.

"Jack," Daniel panted. "It's getting stronger."

"I know," Jack answered as he peppered Daniel's throat with small wet kisses.

"It's a pattern. I figured it out—the greater the contact between us, the longer I can go without being touched…but the more contact I need when the pain returns."

"I noticed."

Daniel was silent for a moment, losing himself in Jack's caresses as the other man's mouth ventured past the hollow of his clavicle to lick a trail down his chest—it was a struggle for Daniel to remain focused enough to keep talking. "Jack, I don't think we'll be able to stop this time," he gasped at last, just as the point of Jack's tongue began teasing circles around his nipple. Heat flooded down to his groin, and Daniel bucked against Jack, eager to build up some friction.

"Mmm…" Jack replied, clearly not paying much attention.

"It's too soon. We're not ready," Daniel panted, his nails digging into the flesh of Jack's back.

Jack's head lifted in concern as Daniel's words finally sank in. "We can stop any time you want, Daniel," he promised solemnly. "You'll be okay for a while if we just keep on doing what we've been doing. If you're not ready for more…"

Daniel stared up at the ceiling and took a deep breath to steady his shaky nerves. "I want more, Jack," he admitted to the ceiling. "I'm ready for more—but we have no idea what we're doing."

"Speak for yourself," said Jack with a shit-eating grin.

Daniel's eyes snapped down to meet Jack's and his expression morphed from one of confusion to one of astonishment when he saw that Jack wasn't joking. "You read the book? When? How?"

Jack chuckled. "I think the how is pretty much self explanatory. I may not be a doctor of anything, but I do know how to read." Daniel smacked him in the arm for being so cheeky. "Ow!"

"Answer the question."

"Alright! It's no big deal," said Jack, still grinning. "It's not like I read the entire book—just the important bits."

Daniel was speechless, touched beyond reason that Jack would willingly pick up that book and read it for him.

Jack twitched a little under Daniel's intensely grateful gaze. Feeling his face get warm in what could be interpreted as a blush. "Like I said—no big deal. I just…I wanted to do this right. I didn't want your memory of our first time to suck, you know? After all, I do have a reputation to live up to."

Daniel smiled. "It's not like anyone else is ever going to know," he said, secretly wondering if Jack was even aware he'd said 'first time'…as in 'first time of many'.

"You'd know," Jack countered. "And yours is the only opinion that matters." They were silent for a while and Jack tried to read Daniel's thoughts. "You know that I care about you…right?" he asked at last.

Daniel's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Of course I know you care," he said, as if it was a stupid question.

Jack peered back at the younger man and saw plainly that he didn't get it at all. Jack opened his mouth, intending to explain exactly what he meant by 'care', but it had taken so long to get Daniel comfortable with him that Jack didn't want to risk rocking the boat with an ill-timed declaration of 'care'.

"Never mind," Jack said, realizing Daniel was waiting for him to say something. "So…"

"So…this is awkward," said Daniel.

"It would be less awkward if we stopped talking," Jack suggested with a semi-smirk. Daniel shrugged back his agreement and, with a bit of manoeuvring, he pulled Jack down on top of him and was putting his lips to better use.

Daniel was a good kisser—or so he'd been told by the few women he'd kissed—but kissing Jack was a completely different experience. For one thing, Daniel was enjoying it; kissing had always felt like a bit of a chore to him—something to do to make his partner happy. But somehow, kissing Jack felt right, felt natural. No one else had ever made his blood rush the way Jack did, and it made Daniel wonder, fleetingly, if this was it—if Jack was 'the one'. It didn't bear thinking about, though, because despite Jack's slip of the tongue earlier, Jack wouldn't be doing this if there had been any other option. And there certainly wouldn't be a next time.

Daniel tried to push those thoughts aside, but the emotional strain of the last few days had taken its toll on him and he felt hot, prickling tears building up in his eyes.

Jack sensed something was wrong and pulled back. "Daniel?" he asked, stroking the other man's temple with the pad of his thumb as he searched into watery blue eyes. He felt a fresh wave of shame for having been enjoying himself so thoroughly when it was obviously a painful experience for Daniel.

Daniel shook his head, not wanting to speak, and began kissing Jack with renewed purpose. If one night was all he could get, he would take it and be grateful. To his great relief, Jack got with the program and pretended nothing had happened. For once Daniel was grateful that Jack was a man of action instead of a man of words.

Jack took his time, slowly exploring Daniel's arms, throat and chest, worried that Daniel was on the verge of calling a halt to the proceedings. In an attempt to assuage Daniel's fears, he put everything he felt for the man into his kisses and into his gently possessing caresses, and the power of his true feelings created an almost palpable charge in the air between them. Before long, Daniel was squirming and gasping beneath him, his chest heaving as his hands fisted the sheet beneath him.

Daniel was so caught up in the moment that he hardly noticed when Jack removed their boxer shorts, taking away the last barrier between them—the last means of escape. It was only when he felt the slick heat of Jack's penis rubbing against his own that he realized how utterly vulnerable he was. He needed to slow things down, to take control before the panic set in again. With some reluctance, Daniel gently pushed Jack off him—just far enough so he could get a good look at him.

Jack backed off instantly, letting Daniel take his time, even though his dick was aching to make contact again. He could tell that his friend wasn't calling it quits—just taking a breather—and then he saw Daniel's eyes go wide with fear as they alighted on Jack's hard, weeping cock. Jack felt Daniel's entire body tense up and could actually see Daniel's galloping pulse below the skin in the hollow of his throat.

"Whoa, Danny! Take it easy," said Jack, knowing exactly what was going through the other man's head.

"I don't think that's gonna fit, Jack," said Daniel, his voice tinted with an edge of hysteria.

"I guess it would be callous of me to say thank-you?" said Jack, immediately regretting the flippant remark. "Seriously, Daniel—we'll go slow. It'll be fine, I promise."

Rationally, Daniel knew Jack was right, but he was having a hell of a time convincing his body of that. From head to toe, every muscle in his body had clenched tight as if ready to fend off an attack.

"Right," said Jack decisively. "Turn over." When Daniel's eyes went even wider, he added, "for a massage, Daniel. It'll help you relax."

Daniel hesitantly obeyed, flipping over to lie on his stomach, head propped up on his hands so he could easily check over his shoulder. "You any good at this?" he asked in an attempt to sound casual.

"The best," Jack answered smugly as he dug his thumbs into the knotted muscles of Daniel's shoulders. Daniel grunted and tensed up even more, but within minutes Jack's hands had worked their magic and he felt his stress starting to melt away along with the knots.

Jack smiled to himself as he watched Daniel's eyes flutter contentedly shut. Jack was pretty sure no one had ever done this for his friend, if the rock-hard muscles in his back were anything to go by, and he decided that when this was over, he'd make this a weekly tradition. It was gratifying to see the young man so relaxed because of him. A little too relaxed, actually, Jack realized as Daniel's breathing evened out into the rhythm of sleep. He decided it was time to try spicing things up a bit.

It didn't take much to get Daniel's full attention. All it took was for Jack's hands to venture past the small of his back to knead the pert flesh of his ass, and Daniel snapped his head up in surprise.

Daniel peered over his shoulder as Jack continued to massage his butt. Daniel maintained eye contact, thinking along the same lines he did when Janet had a needle poised at his arm—it always hurt less when you took away the element of surprise. He discovered that he was no longer scared or even tense—he was just curious as to what Jack would do next.

Jack saw in Daniel's lazy gaze that he had permission to continue. His heart beat overtime as he realized that this was it—whether he was ready or not, he was about to cross that final line, and there would be no turning back.

He took a deep breath and stretched his full length over top of Daniel's body. He started with a butterfly-soft kiss at the nape of his neck, inhaling the scent of Daniel's skin and the clean fragrance of shampoo and soap.

Daniel gave Jack an appreciative "Mmm," as warm lips pressed kisses against every one of his vertebra, making side trips to visit the odd rib along the way. His touch was mesmerizing, focusing his attention down to where Jack was heading, but in a way that inspired anticipation rather than fear. Every kiss to his massage-heated back was an affirmation of their trust and friendship, and left him wanting more. The last kiss, placed softly at the base of his tailbone, sent a shiver of pure need up Daniel's spine as all his blood pounded down to his groin in a mad rush.

"Hang on, Danny," Jack whispered, and left the bed.

"Jack!" Daniel called piteously—not because he was in pain, but because he desperately wanted him to come back and finish what he'd started.

Jack was at his side in a heartbeat. "Right here, Daniel," he said, placing a warm hand at the small of Daniel's back in reassurance.

"I'm ready, Jack," Daniel said, looking back at him through a veil of lashes.

Jack swallowed hard and tried to reign in his rampant heartbeat. Daniel's soft-spoken declaration, combined with the feast of smooth skin laid out before him in invitation, had him practically drooling and mindless with lust.

"Okay, Daniel," Jack said in as calm a voice as he could. His fingers were shaking so hard he almost dropped the bottle of lubricant when he went to pick it up.

"Relax, Jack," said Daniel, pillowing his head against his folded arms. "You'll do fine."

Jack shook his head and chuckled. It figured that Daniel would be the one to dispense reassurances when he should have been on the receiving end instead. Jack concentrated on taking care of the mechanics, which had the added bonus of preventing him from chickening out. He carefully positioned Daniel, pillow under his hips to get the angle just right, and this time, when Jack set out to use the lubricant, he was calm enough to keep his hands steady. He was bolstered by the fact that Daniel hadn't panicked so far. Still, with the acid test about to commence, panic was still a distinct possibility.

"You relaxed?" asked Jack nervously. Daniel's 'yes' was muffled by a pillow, but Jack heard it—couldn't pretend he hadn't.

Jack pumped some of the clear, viscous lubricant onto his palm and coated the fingers of his right hand. Well, he thought, here goes nothing…