Falling Star
Author: Orrymain
Author Email: marciastudley@comcast.net (Feedback welcome)
Category: Slash, Romance, Established Relationship
Pairing: Jack/Daniel .... and it's all J/D
Rating: PG-13
Season: 7 Fall/Winter 2003
Spoilers: None
Size: 22kb, short story
Written: August 10-19, 22, 2003
Archive: Area52, Comfort Zone, FanFiction.Net, Cartouche, AlphaGate, TheBoy
Disclaimer: Usual disclaimers -- not mine, wish they were, especially Daniel, and Jack, too, but they aren't. This was a whim; all in fun. I don't have anything to do with them legally!
Summary: Jack speaks to Daniel in their own language of love!
Notes:
1) Jack and Daniel are noted for having what I call double conversations. A simple "Jack" could mean several things, saying much more than just the name itself. A normal question like "what are you doing" could carry multiple connotations, including feelings, desires, fears, etc. At various points during this series, these double conversations are noted like this: "Actual Spoken Words" **(double dialogue meaning)**
2) Thanks to Judy who urged me to take this little fic out an epic I've been working on and give it its own home. It's a much better piece as a result.
Falling Star
by Orrymain
Daniel entered the house, carrying a large backpack full of books and notes from his dig on PCY-882. He'd been gone for five long days, and he couldn't wait to enjoy the comfort of the large king-sized bed he shared with Jack.
Unfortunately, Daniel knew Jack wouldn't be there when he got home. Jack had a planned trip to one of those places he couldn't reveal to do one of those things he couldn't talk about. He'd be gone for another four days, with no contact allowed, not even a phone call.
Normally, when Jack was gone like this, Daniel would spend a day or two at his apartment to keep the deception alive, but he missed Jack too much, and just needed to be around Jack-things and feel the scent of his lover in the air, and in their bed. Besides, there were the girls to think about.
"Hey, Girls," Daniel laughed to the two beautiful beagle staring at him through the glass patio doors. Their tails were wagging rapidly, their faces with large smiles. Daniel opened the door and let the dogs in, kneeling down to play with them awhile. He was greeted with lots and lots of wet kisses which tickled and made him laugh.
"I missed you, too."
After a while, Daniel disentangled himself from the two canines and went upstairs. He needed a shower. He was still grungy and grimy from the excavation. Normally, he would have showered at the SGC, but he wanted to be home, so as soon as Hammond gave him the go-ahead and 48 hours of downtime, he packed a few things into a backpack and drove home. He planned to review his notes and do more research on their finds over the next couple of days.
He peeled off his clothes and entered the warmth of the shower. At first, he just closed his eyes, and let the warm spray caress his bare back. It was soothing and calming, but he missed Jack. Daniel sighed. If Jack were there, they'd be in the shower together. Jack would be massaging Daniel's back, rubbing his stomach, and they'd end up making love under the falling mist.
When he finished his shower, Daniel put on his favorite navy blue sweats and went back downstairs. He needed a caffeine fix desperately, so he pulled out one of his favorite Starbuck's blends and watched the coffee pot anxiously for the brew to heat.
"I should have put this on before the shower," Daniel said regretfully.
He yawned as he waited. He really was exhausted.
On PCY-882, he hadn't slept much. He never could when Jack wasn't around. He was too used to sleeping on his Jack pillow. Plus, it was a humid planet, leaving Daniel feeling hot and sticky from the sweat of his labors ... which only reminded him of his favorite way of getting hot and sticky, and amazing as it might sound to some, it wasn't from digging for artifacts on some planet. He missed Jack. He missed making love with Jack.
As Daniel walked over to the sofa, coffee in hand, he noticed the red light flashing on the answering machine, so he pressed the message button.
"Hi, Daniel, it's Sam. I know the Colonel is out of town for a few days, and you're due back from ... being gone yourself. Why don't you come over for dinner tonight, or tomorrow. Give me a call. Love ya!"
Daniel smiled. He had missed seeing Sam on the base when he returned from the planet, but he really was tired and just wanted to come home. He'd call her later and maybe they would do dinner tomorrow.
"Hey, Jack, it's Jeff. Just checking on Bijou. Don't tell my Mrs. She's glad the pests are gone, but what can I say, I miss the beasts. Give Bij a sloppy one for me. Yeah, I know, bad for that hard-nosed Air Force image of ours, isn't it? Caio."
It was Jeff Cornell. Bijou had been one of two dogs belonging to the old friend of Jack's who had transferred to the SGC earlier in the year. His wife wasn't fond of dogs and when Bijou became pregnant, she insisted they go.
Jack took Bijou and her littlest pup and gifted them to Daniel for his birthday. Jeff called occasionally to check up on them though, and even came by to play with them a couple of times. Daniel laughed at the image of two Special Ops Colonels being kissed to distraction by the dogs as they rolled on the green grass.
"Uncle Daniel, it's Cassie. giggling Hey, can I just call you Daniel now? I'm getting too hold for this uncle business, don't you think? I'm not a child anymore. I know you know that, so would you tell Mom for me. Pleeeeeease. She still thinks I'm 12. Honestly, Unc ... Daniel, just because Dominic and I stayed out a little late the other night.
"Well, anyway, everything was fine with the dogs. Oh, but I had a study group last night, and I'm really sorry but I couldn't take Bijou and Katie for their walk. I know they missed it. They gave me puppy eyes when I left.
"You've been training them, haven't you, Un ... Daniel? Jack says you do puppy eyes better than the dogs. Anyway, see you soon. Love you, Uncle Daniel. Oh, I really don't mind calling you Uncle Daniel. You are my family, and I do love you."
Daniel grinned. No one had ever told Cassie to call him and Jack "Uncle", but as Cassie was first learning about families on Earth, she needed to feel a family connection so she asked if she could call them "Uncle". They'd all gotten used to it. Cassie wasn't a little girl in more either. It certainly didn't make sense for her to keep using the term, but from listening to conversation Daniel knew her conflict was the normal teenage rebellion and nothing to do with him, and thus, the semi-apology at the end.
Daniel looked over at the girls; they were ... staring, as if they had heard Cassie's message about the walk.
"You aren't going to let me out of it, are you?," he asked in mock resignation.
Two tails wagged and ran over to the cabinet where their leashes were kept.
"Okay, okay."
Daniel put his coffee cup on the counter and took the gals out for their walk.
The fresh air was nice. Daniel always enjoyed walking the blocks of their neighborhood. They stopped for a while at a nearby park. There were a few kids with their parents playing on the swings and other equipment. Some of them came up and petted the dogs.
Daniel sat on a park bench for a few minutes, his mind wandering with remembrances of times when he and Jack would bring the dogs here, and turn them loose, running and playing with them just like the kids he was watching now. Daniel's heart ached, missing Jack so very much.
On the way back, Daniel stopped and chatted with Mrs. Valissi. She had virtually adopted Daniel.
"You just look like you need loving," she had told him. She said he reminded her of her little brother who lived in Europe, and once she learned Daniel was an orphan, she doted over him like he was her own.
Whenever Daniel was gone for any length of time, she would pester Jack about his well-being and insist Daniel come down to see her when he got home.
Jack had apparently told Mrs. Valissi when Daniel was due back from PCY-882, because when she ran out to talk with him, she was carrying a plate full of goodies.
"Made these for you special, Daniel, and here's a couple of home-made biscuits for the dogs."
Daniel felt embarrassed by the attention, but she was a nice lady and made him feel accepted in the neighborhood. Actually, all of the neighbors knew Daniel and treated him like he was a friend. Daniel wondered if they knew the truth about his relationship with Jack, but if they did, no one ever blinked or batted an eye.
Back at home, Daniel put away the dog leashes. Bijou and Katie both rolled up next to each other on their little bean bag, filled with cedar chips, that was their bed. It was always kept near the fireplace to provide warmth for their dogs. Daniel grabbed another cup of coffee and sorted through the accumulated mail.
There were a few bills, Jack's issue of Flight Journal, the usual junk mail, and a package from "Build-a-bear" for Jack. Daniel didn't even want to think about what might be in the box. Jack still had the "Boonie Bear" in his office at the SGC, locked away in one of his desk drawers.
Teal'c had bought the bear when he thought Daniel was cursed and he needed a representation of Daniel to help purge the curse. It was a wretched memory.
Daniel wanted to get rid of the bear and insisted it be given away. Jack had argued, but Daniel gave him that "it's me or the bear" stare, and the bear disappeared, or so Daniel thought.
It was a few weeks later that Daniel walked into Jack's office and found Jack smiling at the bear which was sitting in the bottom of his desk drawer.
"Jack, what is that ... that ... that bear doing here?"
"I ... um ... Daniel, come on. It's just a ... stuffed animal."
"Jack, I told you ..."
"... and it's not in the house, Danny. It's ... right here, not bothering anyone."
"Jack!" **(You are really testing me with this, aren't you?)**
"Daniel." **(It's a harmless, little teddy bear, and he ... looks like you.)**
Daniel sighed. Jack stood up, made sure Daniel had locked the office door on his way in, and then scurried over to his lover, putting his hands around his waist.
"Ah, c'mon, Danny. How could I ever get rid of anything that reminds me of you? He's so ... cute ... and soft ... and cuddly."
Daniel put his arms around Jack's neck, his fingers caressing Jack's nape. "Jack, you aren't ... doing ... anything ... with that ... bear, are you?"
"Daniel, really. Give me some credit. I just ... I always liked stuffed animals as a kid, and you have to admit, Teal'c did a great job with the accessories. I mean, look at that boonie and the glasses," Jack pointed to the green rimmed hat and the wire frame glasses the tan bear wore, "You have to admit, Danny, that Boonie bear does look like you."
"Jack, Love?"
"Yes, Angel?"
"You can keep ... Boonie ... here, but I swear, you ever bring that bear home and you'll be sleeping on the couch, and if I ever ... I mean ever catch you doing anything ... you know ... with that bear ... I'll ... I'll ..."
Jack smirked, "Is that a promise?"
Daniel grunted but the sound was cut off by the lips of his lover touching his, and soon their tongues were skating together in their mouths.
"Let's go home, Jack."
Jack had locked Boonie Bear in his drawer and the two returned home to a long night of passionate lovemaking. The memory made Daniel grin. It was a really hot night, "a really really hot session" of lovemaking. Daniel was getting aroused just thinking about it, so he refocused on the package, shaking his head.
"For your sake, Jack, that had better not be another ... bear."
Daniel took the package and the mail and took it to the study, tossing the junk items into a recycle bin.
It was getting late and he decided he'd relax in bed. He grabbed the backpack and lugged it up the stairs. He pulled out his laptop, and did some work on his notes for a while. His work was disturbed by the ringing of the telephone.
Daniel glanced at the clock and saw it was 10 p.m. His heart raced and pulse quickened in the hopes that it might be Jack.
"Hello?"
Daniel's voice was as calm as possible, but inside, he was quivering in anticipation of hearing that one voice that grounded him to life.
"Hi, Daniel, it's Sam. I knew you'd be up."
"Oh, hi, Sam."
Daniel knew he sounded disappointed as he voice dropped.
'Sorry, Daniel. I guess you were hoping to hear from the Colonel."
"Hoping, but ... when he's gone on these things, he can't call. Secret yadda yadda and all that."
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I left you a message earlier."
"Yes, I got it. I'm sorry, Sam, I should have called, but when I got home, the girls demanded a walk, and then I got distracted."
Sam laughed. "You get distracted, Daniel? I can't imagine."
"Very funny, Sam."
Daniel could still hear the laughter through the phone. He was really going to have to talk to Jack about his influence on SG-1's 2IC.
"I'm sorry, Daniel. So how about dinner tomorrow?"
"Sure, sounds like fun."
"Great. I'll let you try out my new meat loaf surprise."
"Meat loaf surprise?"
"Yeah, it's meat loaf and the surprise is to find out if it's edible or not."
They both laughed. Jack and Daniel were men of "take out", but even so, both were better chefs than Samantha Carter. She was fluent in motorcycles, but not cuisine, and they all knew it.
"What time is best for you, Daniel?"
"Hmm ... is later okay, maybe seven-ish? I really need to make sure I get these notes done, and I have some errands I need to do in the morning."
"Sure, seven-ish is fine. So what did you do tonight?"
"Took Bijou and Katie for a walk, talked with ..."
"No, Daniel, what did you have for dinner?"
Daniel gulped. "Dinner?"
Sam laughed loudly into the phone.
"Daniel, the Colonel is gonna cream your hide if he finds out you aren't eating. I bet you didn't have much on ... you know, either."
Daniel looked down. It was true. He had been very busy on the planet, and food just wasn't on the agenda. He lived off of bad coffee and Twinkies that one of the members of SG-11 had sneaked through the gate.
"He won't know unless you tell him, Sam."
"Daniel, the Colonel always knows."
She was right. "I'll ... distract him," Daniel offered with an alluring tone of voice.
"It's a good thing you can't see me right now, Daniel."
"Why?"
"Because I'm blushing just thinking about ... about you ... distracting the Colonel."
Now Daniel blushed, unable to respond.
"Daniel, you're blushing, too, aren't you?"
"Ye...yes, I guess so ... but ... it'll work. Nine days, Sam. It'll be nine lonnnnng days. Trust me, my food intake will not be on Jack's priority list of topics when he gets home."
"I believe you, Daniel."
"Want me to tell you all about it?"
"Oh, no, definitely no. I ... I definitely believe you. And I think I'll hang up now before I turn any redder than I already am."
Daniel chuckled. "Sometimes, you're so easy, Sam. See you tomorrow night."
"Night Daniel. Glad you're back. Missed you!"
"Missed you, too. Night!"
Daniel placed the phone down in the cradle and powered off the laptop. He put it back in the backpack, and did the same with the various notebooks and books he had been referencing. The dinner discussion with Sam made him decide he probably should eat something, so went downstairs.
As he headed for the kitchen, Daniel chuckled. The conversation with Sam was the most overt and open one they had ever had about his and Jack's sexual union. Sam had known for years, but it wasn't discussed, even during dinners and social events. Jack and Daniel never held hands or did anything more than sit by each other during team nights.
They were always careful not to put either Sam or Teal'c in difficult situations. They may know about the two men, but the relationship was never flaunted in front of them. If they never witnessed anything, it would be easier on them if "don't ask, don't tell" ever did step up and bite Jack and Daniel in the rear.
He poured another cup a coffee, and glancing towards the cupboards, realized he really wasn't hungry. He opened the refrigerator. Jack had apparently gone shopping. All the fruit and veggies were fresh.
"Thanks, Jack," Daniel said inwardly.
Still, he wasn't in the mood to eat, so he grabbed an apple to snack on, or truth be told, just to be able to tell Jack he had eaten something when he got home.
As he walked into the room, he could feel something warm on his foot.
"Decided you wanted company, Bijou?"
Katie was nowhere in sight, but Bijou jumped up on the bed, taking the spot by Jack's pillow, giving Daniel a look of longing.
"You miss him, too, don'tcha, Girl?"
Daniel noticed for the first time that his personal journal was still on the nightstand where he had left it. He had written in it the night before he left on the mission with SG-11, and had planned on adding to it the next morning, but when the call came that he was needed, he ended up being in such a hurry to get to the SGC that he didn't have time to put it away.
The team had been scheduled to depart when Megan Williams, the assigned specialist for their mission, had been injured in a car accident. She'd be fine, but would be recovering for several days. The mission couldn't be postponed, so Daniel had to go.
He hated it, knowing Jack would be leaving later in the week, but he had no choice, and hurriedly made his way to the SGC, arriving just in time to change into BDU's and meet SG-11 on the ramp of the gate for their scheduled departure.
It was unusual for Daniel to go more than a few days without writing down his personal thoughts about their explorations and his life. This night, Daniel decided he'd write about his experience on PCY-882, not the technical aspects of the mission, but the feeling of working in his first love, archaeology, the feeling of digging in the dirt and discovering a relic that revealed the character of a long-forgotten people of a world new to the Tau'ri.
Besides, he needed a distraction, and writing in his journal about PCY-882 would provide Daniel a bit of an escape. He hated to sound like a broken record, but he couldn't help it.
"I miss Jack. I'm such a sap, " he said to Bijou, reaching out to pet her a few times.
Carefully picking up his journal, he sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard. Bijou moved over to lay length-wise against his leg. Daniel opened the journal to where the bookmark was placed, and was surprised to see an envelope fall out.
Daniel looked at the light blue envelope. On the front was written "La Mio Bello Stella Cadente", it was something Jack sometimes called Daniel, his beautiful falling star, a memory of that first night together when a wish made upon a falling star finally gave them courage to act on their love. Daniel brushed his fingers along the words, smiling, and then gently opened the envelope.
"My Dearest Love,
You know me. I'm lousy with words, and communicating gives me a headache, even after all these years. You're so much better at words than I am. But I love you, Danny, with every fiber of my being. I am a better person because of you. We can get pretty sappy sometimes. I hope you know I mean every fluffy word of it. You've turned me into a marshmallow, Love, and I'm a happier man for it.
I hope you don't mind that I opened your journal. You are downstairs getting your caffeine fix, oh, sorry, having your fifth cup of coffee today, and I couldn't resist touching your journal when I came upstairs to find my book. It's so much a part of you, Danny. You put so much of your heart and soul into yours words, and touching them makes me feel close to you when you aren't here, with me.
I told ya, I'm a marshmallow, for your words, your touch, your love. I can't get enough of you, and later on tonight, I'm going to ravish you until you can't stand it anymore, until we are both so exhausted that we can't move.
La Mio Bello Stella Cadente, my precious Danny ... Thank you for making my wish come true more wonderfully than I ever could have imagined. I love you.
J
A single tear escaped from Daniel's eye as he held the letter to his heart.
"I love you, too, Jack," Daniel said aloud, as he remembered how Jack had ravished him that night, until they fell asleep totally satiated in each other's arms.
Bijou placed her head on Daniel's thigh, looking up at him. Daniel smiled.
"I love you, too, Bijou."
Daniel wrote for an hour in his journal, but not about archaeology and relics as he had planned, but about his Jack and their love, about how much his heart ached and longed for Jack's tender touch and warm body by his side. He wrote about his heart, and the man who made it sing with laughter and life, and most of all, love.
Finished with writing for the moment, Daniel read Jack's note once more, eating up every word of love it offered, engraving it to his memory.
"Caro Mio Jack ... Love you, Always", Daniel sighed softly as he shifted to lay down on the bed, still holding the note to his heart.
He put the letter back in the envelope and picked up his journal one more time. As he reread his writings, Jack's falling star fell asleep, and dreamed of Jack and the eternal flame that burned forever in their hearts and souls.
~~Finis - Finished - Done - The End - But is it ever Really?~~
Author: Orrymain
Author Email: marciastudley@comcast.net (Feedback welcome)
Category: Slash, Romance, Established Relationship
Pairing: Jack/Daniel .... and it's all J/D
Rating: PG-13
Season: 7 Fall/Winter 2003
Spoilers: None
Size: 22kb, short story
Written: August 10-19, 22, 2003
Archive: Area52, Comfort Zone, FanFiction.Net, Cartouche, AlphaGate, TheBoy
Disclaimer: Usual disclaimers -- not mine, wish they were, especially Daniel, and Jack, too, but they aren't. This was a whim; all in fun. I don't have anything to do with them legally!
Summary: Jack speaks to Daniel in their own language of love!
Notes:
1) Jack and Daniel are noted for having what I call double conversations. A simple "Jack" could mean several things, saying much more than just the name itself. A normal question like "what are you doing" could carry multiple connotations, including feelings, desires, fears, etc. At various points during this series, these double conversations are noted like this: "Actual Spoken Words" **(double dialogue meaning)**
2) Thanks to Judy who urged me to take this little fic out an epic I've been working on and give it its own home. It's a much better piece as a result.
Falling Star
by Orrymain
Daniel entered the house, carrying a large backpack full of books and notes from his dig on PCY-882. He'd been gone for five long days, and he couldn't wait to enjoy the comfort of the large king-sized bed he shared with Jack.
Unfortunately, Daniel knew Jack wouldn't be there when he got home. Jack had a planned trip to one of those places he couldn't reveal to do one of those things he couldn't talk about. He'd be gone for another four days, with no contact allowed, not even a phone call.
Normally, when Jack was gone like this, Daniel would spend a day or two at his apartment to keep the deception alive, but he missed Jack too much, and just needed to be around Jack-things and feel the scent of his lover in the air, and in their bed. Besides, there were the girls to think about.
"Hey, Girls," Daniel laughed to the two beautiful beagle staring at him through the glass patio doors. Their tails were wagging rapidly, their faces with large smiles. Daniel opened the door and let the dogs in, kneeling down to play with them awhile. He was greeted with lots and lots of wet kisses which tickled and made him laugh.
"I missed you, too."
After a while, Daniel disentangled himself from the two canines and went upstairs. He needed a shower. He was still grungy and grimy from the excavation. Normally, he would have showered at the SGC, but he wanted to be home, so as soon as Hammond gave him the go-ahead and 48 hours of downtime, he packed a few things into a backpack and drove home. He planned to review his notes and do more research on their finds over the next couple of days.
He peeled off his clothes and entered the warmth of the shower. At first, he just closed his eyes, and let the warm spray caress his bare back. It was soothing and calming, but he missed Jack. Daniel sighed. If Jack were there, they'd be in the shower together. Jack would be massaging Daniel's back, rubbing his stomach, and they'd end up making love under the falling mist.
When he finished his shower, Daniel put on his favorite navy blue sweats and went back downstairs. He needed a caffeine fix desperately, so he pulled out one of his favorite Starbuck's blends and watched the coffee pot anxiously for the brew to heat.
"I should have put this on before the shower," Daniel said regretfully.
He yawned as he waited. He really was exhausted.
On PCY-882, he hadn't slept much. He never could when Jack wasn't around. He was too used to sleeping on his Jack pillow. Plus, it was a humid planet, leaving Daniel feeling hot and sticky from the sweat of his labors ... which only reminded him of his favorite way of getting hot and sticky, and amazing as it might sound to some, it wasn't from digging for artifacts on some planet. He missed Jack. He missed making love with Jack.
As Daniel walked over to the sofa, coffee in hand, he noticed the red light flashing on the answering machine, so he pressed the message button.
"Hi, Daniel, it's Sam. I know the Colonel is out of town for a few days, and you're due back from ... being gone yourself. Why don't you come over for dinner tonight, or tomorrow. Give me a call. Love ya!"
Daniel smiled. He had missed seeing Sam on the base when he returned from the planet, but he really was tired and just wanted to come home. He'd call her later and maybe they would do dinner tomorrow.
"Hey, Jack, it's Jeff. Just checking on Bijou. Don't tell my Mrs. She's glad the pests are gone, but what can I say, I miss the beasts. Give Bij a sloppy one for me. Yeah, I know, bad for that hard-nosed Air Force image of ours, isn't it? Caio."
It was Jeff Cornell. Bijou had been one of two dogs belonging to the old friend of Jack's who had transferred to the SGC earlier in the year. His wife wasn't fond of dogs and when Bijou became pregnant, she insisted they go.
Jack took Bijou and her littlest pup and gifted them to Daniel for his birthday. Jeff called occasionally to check up on them though, and even came by to play with them a couple of times. Daniel laughed at the image of two Special Ops Colonels being kissed to distraction by the dogs as they rolled on the green grass.
"Uncle Daniel, it's Cassie. giggling Hey, can I just call you Daniel now? I'm getting too hold for this uncle business, don't you think? I'm not a child anymore. I know you know that, so would you tell Mom for me. Pleeeeeease. She still thinks I'm 12. Honestly, Unc ... Daniel, just because Dominic and I stayed out a little late the other night.
"Well, anyway, everything was fine with the dogs. Oh, but I had a study group last night, and I'm really sorry but I couldn't take Bijou and Katie for their walk. I know they missed it. They gave me puppy eyes when I left.
"You've been training them, haven't you, Un ... Daniel? Jack says you do puppy eyes better than the dogs. Anyway, see you soon. Love you, Uncle Daniel. Oh, I really don't mind calling you Uncle Daniel. You are my family, and I do love you."
Daniel grinned. No one had ever told Cassie to call him and Jack "Uncle", but as Cassie was first learning about families on Earth, she needed to feel a family connection so she asked if she could call them "Uncle". They'd all gotten used to it. Cassie wasn't a little girl in more either. It certainly didn't make sense for her to keep using the term, but from listening to conversation Daniel knew her conflict was the normal teenage rebellion and nothing to do with him, and thus, the semi-apology at the end.
Daniel looked over at the girls; they were ... staring, as if they had heard Cassie's message about the walk.
"You aren't going to let me out of it, are you?," he asked in mock resignation.
Two tails wagged and ran over to the cabinet where their leashes were kept.
"Okay, okay."
Daniel put his coffee cup on the counter and took the gals out for their walk.
The fresh air was nice. Daniel always enjoyed walking the blocks of their neighborhood. They stopped for a while at a nearby park. There were a few kids with their parents playing on the swings and other equipment. Some of them came up and petted the dogs.
Daniel sat on a park bench for a few minutes, his mind wandering with remembrances of times when he and Jack would bring the dogs here, and turn them loose, running and playing with them just like the kids he was watching now. Daniel's heart ached, missing Jack so very much.
On the way back, Daniel stopped and chatted with Mrs. Valissi. She had virtually adopted Daniel.
"You just look like you need loving," she had told him. She said he reminded her of her little brother who lived in Europe, and once she learned Daniel was an orphan, she doted over him like he was her own.
Whenever Daniel was gone for any length of time, she would pester Jack about his well-being and insist Daniel come down to see her when he got home.
Jack had apparently told Mrs. Valissi when Daniel was due back from PCY-882, because when she ran out to talk with him, she was carrying a plate full of goodies.
"Made these for you special, Daniel, and here's a couple of home-made biscuits for the dogs."
Daniel felt embarrassed by the attention, but she was a nice lady and made him feel accepted in the neighborhood. Actually, all of the neighbors knew Daniel and treated him like he was a friend. Daniel wondered if they knew the truth about his relationship with Jack, but if they did, no one ever blinked or batted an eye.
Back at home, Daniel put away the dog leashes. Bijou and Katie both rolled up next to each other on their little bean bag, filled with cedar chips, that was their bed. It was always kept near the fireplace to provide warmth for their dogs. Daniel grabbed another cup of coffee and sorted through the accumulated mail.
There were a few bills, Jack's issue of Flight Journal, the usual junk mail, and a package from "Build-a-bear" for Jack. Daniel didn't even want to think about what might be in the box. Jack still had the "Boonie Bear" in his office at the SGC, locked away in one of his desk drawers.
Teal'c had bought the bear when he thought Daniel was cursed and he needed a representation of Daniel to help purge the curse. It was a wretched memory.
Daniel wanted to get rid of the bear and insisted it be given away. Jack had argued, but Daniel gave him that "it's me or the bear" stare, and the bear disappeared, or so Daniel thought.
It was a few weeks later that Daniel walked into Jack's office and found Jack smiling at the bear which was sitting in the bottom of his desk drawer.
"Jack, what is that ... that ... that bear doing here?"
"I ... um ... Daniel, come on. It's just a ... stuffed animal."
"Jack, I told you ..."
"... and it's not in the house, Danny. It's ... right here, not bothering anyone."
"Jack!" **(You are really testing me with this, aren't you?)**
"Daniel." **(It's a harmless, little teddy bear, and he ... looks like you.)**
Daniel sighed. Jack stood up, made sure Daniel had locked the office door on his way in, and then scurried over to his lover, putting his hands around his waist.
"Ah, c'mon, Danny. How could I ever get rid of anything that reminds me of you? He's so ... cute ... and soft ... and cuddly."
Daniel put his arms around Jack's neck, his fingers caressing Jack's nape. "Jack, you aren't ... doing ... anything ... with that ... bear, are you?"
"Daniel, really. Give me some credit. I just ... I always liked stuffed animals as a kid, and you have to admit, Teal'c did a great job with the accessories. I mean, look at that boonie and the glasses," Jack pointed to the green rimmed hat and the wire frame glasses the tan bear wore, "You have to admit, Danny, that Boonie bear does look like you."
"Jack, Love?"
"Yes, Angel?"
"You can keep ... Boonie ... here, but I swear, you ever bring that bear home and you'll be sleeping on the couch, and if I ever ... I mean ever catch you doing anything ... you know ... with that bear ... I'll ... I'll ..."
Jack smirked, "Is that a promise?"
Daniel grunted but the sound was cut off by the lips of his lover touching his, and soon their tongues were skating together in their mouths.
"Let's go home, Jack."
Jack had locked Boonie Bear in his drawer and the two returned home to a long night of passionate lovemaking. The memory made Daniel grin. It was a really hot night, "a really really hot session" of lovemaking. Daniel was getting aroused just thinking about it, so he refocused on the package, shaking his head.
"For your sake, Jack, that had better not be another ... bear."
Daniel took the package and the mail and took it to the study, tossing the junk items into a recycle bin.
It was getting late and he decided he'd relax in bed. He grabbed the backpack and lugged it up the stairs. He pulled out his laptop, and did some work on his notes for a while. His work was disturbed by the ringing of the telephone.
Daniel glanced at the clock and saw it was 10 p.m. His heart raced and pulse quickened in the hopes that it might be Jack.
"Hello?"
Daniel's voice was as calm as possible, but inside, he was quivering in anticipation of hearing that one voice that grounded him to life.
"Hi, Daniel, it's Sam. I knew you'd be up."
"Oh, hi, Sam."
Daniel knew he sounded disappointed as he voice dropped.
'Sorry, Daniel. I guess you were hoping to hear from the Colonel."
"Hoping, but ... when he's gone on these things, he can't call. Secret yadda yadda and all that."
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I left you a message earlier."
"Yes, I got it. I'm sorry, Sam, I should have called, but when I got home, the girls demanded a walk, and then I got distracted."
Sam laughed. "You get distracted, Daniel? I can't imagine."
"Very funny, Sam."
Daniel could still hear the laughter through the phone. He was really going to have to talk to Jack about his influence on SG-1's 2IC.
"I'm sorry, Daniel. So how about dinner tomorrow?"
"Sure, sounds like fun."
"Great. I'll let you try out my new meat loaf surprise."
"Meat loaf surprise?"
"Yeah, it's meat loaf and the surprise is to find out if it's edible or not."
They both laughed. Jack and Daniel were men of "take out", but even so, both were better chefs than Samantha Carter. She was fluent in motorcycles, but not cuisine, and they all knew it.
"What time is best for you, Daniel?"
"Hmm ... is later okay, maybe seven-ish? I really need to make sure I get these notes done, and I have some errands I need to do in the morning."
"Sure, seven-ish is fine. So what did you do tonight?"
"Took Bijou and Katie for a walk, talked with ..."
"No, Daniel, what did you have for dinner?"
Daniel gulped. "Dinner?"
Sam laughed loudly into the phone.
"Daniel, the Colonel is gonna cream your hide if he finds out you aren't eating. I bet you didn't have much on ... you know, either."
Daniel looked down. It was true. He had been very busy on the planet, and food just wasn't on the agenda. He lived off of bad coffee and Twinkies that one of the members of SG-11 had sneaked through the gate.
"He won't know unless you tell him, Sam."
"Daniel, the Colonel always knows."
She was right. "I'll ... distract him," Daniel offered with an alluring tone of voice.
"It's a good thing you can't see me right now, Daniel."
"Why?"
"Because I'm blushing just thinking about ... about you ... distracting the Colonel."
Now Daniel blushed, unable to respond.
"Daniel, you're blushing, too, aren't you?"
"Ye...yes, I guess so ... but ... it'll work. Nine days, Sam. It'll be nine lonnnnng days. Trust me, my food intake will not be on Jack's priority list of topics when he gets home."
"I believe you, Daniel."
"Want me to tell you all about it?"
"Oh, no, definitely no. I ... I definitely believe you. And I think I'll hang up now before I turn any redder than I already am."
Daniel chuckled. "Sometimes, you're so easy, Sam. See you tomorrow night."
"Night Daniel. Glad you're back. Missed you!"
"Missed you, too. Night!"
Daniel placed the phone down in the cradle and powered off the laptop. He put it back in the backpack, and did the same with the various notebooks and books he had been referencing. The dinner discussion with Sam made him decide he probably should eat something, so went downstairs.
As he headed for the kitchen, Daniel chuckled. The conversation with Sam was the most overt and open one they had ever had about his and Jack's sexual union. Sam had known for years, but it wasn't discussed, even during dinners and social events. Jack and Daniel never held hands or did anything more than sit by each other during team nights.
They were always careful not to put either Sam or Teal'c in difficult situations. They may know about the two men, but the relationship was never flaunted in front of them. If they never witnessed anything, it would be easier on them if "don't ask, don't tell" ever did step up and bite Jack and Daniel in the rear.
He poured another cup a coffee, and glancing towards the cupboards, realized he really wasn't hungry. He opened the refrigerator. Jack had apparently gone shopping. All the fruit and veggies were fresh.
"Thanks, Jack," Daniel said inwardly.
Still, he wasn't in the mood to eat, so he grabbed an apple to snack on, or truth be told, just to be able to tell Jack he had eaten something when he got home.
As he walked into the room, he could feel something warm on his foot.
"Decided you wanted company, Bijou?"
Katie was nowhere in sight, but Bijou jumped up on the bed, taking the spot by Jack's pillow, giving Daniel a look of longing.
"You miss him, too, don'tcha, Girl?"
Daniel noticed for the first time that his personal journal was still on the nightstand where he had left it. He had written in it the night before he left on the mission with SG-11, and had planned on adding to it the next morning, but when the call came that he was needed, he ended up being in such a hurry to get to the SGC that he didn't have time to put it away.
The team had been scheduled to depart when Megan Williams, the assigned specialist for their mission, had been injured in a car accident. She'd be fine, but would be recovering for several days. The mission couldn't be postponed, so Daniel had to go.
He hated it, knowing Jack would be leaving later in the week, but he had no choice, and hurriedly made his way to the SGC, arriving just in time to change into BDU's and meet SG-11 on the ramp of the gate for their scheduled departure.
It was unusual for Daniel to go more than a few days without writing down his personal thoughts about their explorations and his life. This night, Daniel decided he'd write about his experience on PCY-882, not the technical aspects of the mission, but the feeling of working in his first love, archaeology, the feeling of digging in the dirt and discovering a relic that revealed the character of a long-forgotten people of a world new to the Tau'ri.
Besides, he needed a distraction, and writing in his journal about PCY-882 would provide Daniel a bit of an escape. He hated to sound like a broken record, but he couldn't help it.
"I miss Jack. I'm such a sap, " he said to Bijou, reaching out to pet her a few times.
Carefully picking up his journal, he sat on the bed, leaning against the headboard. Bijou moved over to lay length-wise against his leg. Daniel opened the journal to where the bookmark was placed, and was surprised to see an envelope fall out.
Daniel looked at the light blue envelope. On the front was written "La Mio Bello Stella Cadente", it was something Jack sometimes called Daniel, his beautiful falling star, a memory of that first night together when a wish made upon a falling star finally gave them courage to act on their love. Daniel brushed his fingers along the words, smiling, and then gently opened the envelope.
"My Dearest Love,
You know me. I'm lousy with words, and communicating gives me a headache, even after all these years. You're so much better at words than I am. But I love you, Danny, with every fiber of my being. I am a better person because of you. We can get pretty sappy sometimes. I hope you know I mean every fluffy word of it. You've turned me into a marshmallow, Love, and I'm a happier man for it.
I hope you don't mind that I opened your journal. You are downstairs getting your caffeine fix, oh, sorry, having your fifth cup of coffee today, and I couldn't resist touching your journal when I came upstairs to find my book. It's so much a part of you, Danny. You put so much of your heart and soul into yours words, and touching them makes me feel close to you when you aren't here, with me.
I told ya, I'm a marshmallow, for your words, your touch, your love. I can't get enough of you, and later on tonight, I'm going to ravish you until you can't stand it anymore, until we are both so exhausted that we can't move.
La Mio Bello Stella Cadente, my precious Danny ... Thank you for making my wish come true more wonderfully than I ever could have imagined. I love you.
J
A single tear escaped from Daniel's eye as he held the letter to his heart.
"I love you, too, Jack," Daniel said aloud, as he remembered how Jack had ravished him that night, until they fell asleep totally satiated in each other's arms.
Bijou placed her head on Daniel's thigh, looking up at him. Daniel smiled.
"I love you, too, Bijou."
Daniel wrote for an hour in his journal, but not about archaeology and relics as he had planned, but about his Jack and their love, about how much his heart ached and longed for Jack's tender touch and warm body by his side. He wrote about his heart, and the man who made it sing with laughter and life, and most of all, love.
Finished with writing for the moment, Daniel read Jack's note once more, eating up every word of love it offered, engraving it to his memory.
"Caro Mio Jack ... Love you, Always", Daniel sighed softly as he shifted to lay down on the bed, still holding the note to his heart.
He put the letter back in the envelope and picked up his journal one more time. As he reread his writings, Jack's falling star fell asleep, and dreamed of Jack and the eternal flame that burned forever in their hearts and souls.
~~Finis - Finished - Done - The End - But is it ever Really?~~