I own nothing, and all my schemes to capture these two have fallen through.
There was something rough scratching against Daniel's cheek, he opened his eyes blearily and looked around. He was at Jack's, in Jack's living room, on Jack's rug and that was Jack lying in front of him.
He tried to remember what he was doing here and came up with a lot more than he expected. Starting at leaving the base last night and working his way forward he tried to remember how far they'd gone and discovered he couldn't remember anything after "petting," he wondered whether that was good or bad.
Jack's shirt was unbuttoned and lay open revealing his--no! He was not going to go there. At least not till Jack woke up.
Daniel stood and wandered off to the kitchen. Trying to formulate his thoughts and decide what he would say when Jack woke up. He would have to say something, he didn't want to admit that it had been a stupid thing to do. That would drive home that Jack didn't care. Well he cared, just not the way Daniel wished he did.
He heard sounds emanating from the living room and tensed. He was not ready to face Jack at all. What was he going to say? What was he going to do?
Before he could freak any further Jack was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. "Hey," he said.
"Hey," Daniel replied.
"Listen about last night," they both began.
"It was completely my fault--" Jack continued.
"I was drunk and let something slip that--" Daniel interrupted.
"I should have left you alone, I mean--" Jack was not to be deterred.
"It should have happened differ--" neither was Daniel.
"It won't happen again--"
"I should have told you--what?" Daniel asked.
"It won't happen again?"
"Just like that?"
"What do you mean?"
"You were really . . . just drunk?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"You guess . . ?" Daniel stared at him. And then he could almost see the little light bulb go on over Jack's head.
"Oh," Jack said.
"Shit," Daniel responded. "Listen, just forget it, okay?"
"No."
"Please, Jack."
Jack looked at him, trying to face him head on, his gaze kept slipping away though, somewhere else. Anywhere else.
"I've got to go," Daniel said.
"Let me give you--"
"No. I'll . . . manage. Sorry."
Danny, don't be sor . . . " but his sentence trailed into nothing as Daniel left the kitchen. Jack could hear him work his way through the rest of the house, he heard the door open and could almost see Daniel standing in the door way, chewing his lower lip and looking back indecisive, then he heard it pulled gently closed.
Jack stood staring at the far wall, his mind as close to blank as if ever got. Daniel had admitted to himself long ago what was going on in his head, and accepted the fact that he'd either get over it (which wasn't happening) or live with it. Jack was completely oblivious to the fact that some sort of mutual attraction was growing between the two of them. Shaking himself brusquely he walked back out to the living room. He looked around absently, vaguely wondering if he should clean up, then, in exhaustion he fell on to the couch.
Daniel . . . what? Loved him? Why couldn't he wrap his mind around that? How could he? Daniel always seemed to so exasperated with him, sure they were friends despite that but . . . loved him? What did that even mean? Why the hell had he let himself get carried away last night? A thought entered unbidden into his head, 'Cuz you love him back.
As a friend, yeah, sure, maybe.
You know what I mean.
Well, considering I'm talking to myself I don't think it really matters whether I do or not.
Stop being a wise ass and think about it.
Think about what?
How you feel about Daniel.
This is getting really weird.
You're arguing with yourself, nothing new. Better than denying it. Now I can convince you you love Daniel or you can do it. Completely up to you.
Aren't we the same person?
Yes, name one person you care about more.
Than Daniel?
This was getting really strange, Jack didn't feel like he'd ever had this detailed a conversation with himself before. And definitely never one where one side of him seemed to know something the other didn't.
You know it too, you just won't admit it.
I'm still hung-over, why don't you leave me alone?
Cuz Danny just walked out of here crushed.
Jack was confronted by an image of Daniel's face as it fell, and Jack realized he would do anything to keep that from happing again.
See! The knowledgeable part of his brain said triumphantly.
Jack lay there thinking about it and ever so slowly began to accept the fact that he loved Daniel back.
There was something rough scratching against Daniel's cheek, he opened his eyes blearily and looked around. He was at Jack's, in Jack's living room, on Jack's rug and that was Jack lying in front of him.
He tried to remember what he was doing here and came up with a lot more than he expected. Starting at leaving the base last night and working his way forward he tried to remember how far they'd gone and discovered he couldn't remember anything after "petting," he wondered whether that was good or bad.
Jack's shirt was unbuttoned and lay open revealing his--no! He was not going to go there. At least not till Jack woke up.
Daniel stood and wandered off to the kitchen. Trying to formulate his thoughts and decide what he would say when Jack woke up. He would have to say something, he didn't want to admit that it had been a stupid thing to do. That would drive home that Jack didn't care. Well he cared, just not the way Daniel wished he did.
He heard sounds emanating from the living room and tensed. He was not ready to face Jack at all. What was he going to say? What was he going to do?
Before he could freak any further Jack was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. "Hey," he said.
"Hey," Daniel replied.
"Listen about last night," they both began.
"It was completely my fault--" Jack continued.
"I was drunk and let something slip that--" Daniel interrupted.
"I should have left you alone, I mean--" Jack was not to be deterred.
"It should have happened differ--" neither was Daniel.
"It won't happen again--"
"I should have told you--what?" Daniel asked.
"It won't happen again?"
"Just like that?"
"What do you mean?"
"You were really . . . just drunk?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"You guess . . ?" Daniel stared at him. And then he could almost see the little light bulb go on over Jack's head.
"Oh," Jack said.
"Shit," Daniel responded. "Listen, just forget it, okay?"
"No."
"Please, Jack."
Jack looked at him, trying to face him head on, his gaze kept slipping away though, somewhere else. Anywhere else.
"I've got to go," Daniel said.
"Let me give you--"
"No. I'll . . . manage. Sorry."
Danny, don't be sor . . . " but his sentence trailed into nothing as Daniel left the kitchen. Jack could hear him work his way through the rest of the house, he heard the door open and could almost see Daniel standing in the door way, chewing his lower lip and looking back indecisive, then he heard it pulled gently closed.
Jack stood staring at the far wall, his mind as close to blank as if ever got. Daniel had admitted to himself long ago what was going on in his head, and accepted the fact that he'd either get over it (which wasn't happening) or live with it. Jack was completely oblivious to the fact that some sort of mutual attraction was growing between the two of them. Shaking himself brusquely he walked back out to the living room. He looked around absently, vaguely wondering if he should clean up, then, in exhaustion he fell on to the couch.
Daniel . . . what? Loved him? Why couldn't he wrap his mind around that? How could he? Daniel always seemed to so exasperated with him, sure they were friends despite that but . . . loved him? What did that even mean? Why the hell had he let himself get carried away last night? A thought entered unbidden into his head, 'Cuz you love him back.
As a friend, yeah, sure, maybe.
You know what I mean.
Well, considering I'm talking to myself I don't think it really matters whether I do or not.
Stop being a wise ass and think about it.
Think about what?
How you feel about Daniel.
This is getting really weird.
You're arguing with yourself, nothing new. Better than denying it. Now I can convince you you love Daniel or you can do it. Completely up to you.
Aren't we the same person?
Yes, name one person you care about more.
Than Daniel?
This was getting really strange, Jack didn't feel like he'd ever had this detailed a conversation with himself before. And definitely never one where one side of him seemed to know something the other didn't.
You know it too, you just won't admit it.
I'm still hung-over, why don't you leave me alone?
Cuz Danny just walked out of here crushed.
Jack was confronted by an image of Daniel's face as it fell, and Jack realized he would do anything to keep that from happing again.
See! The knowledgeable part of his brain said triumphantly.
Jack lay there thinking about it and ever so slowly began to accept the fact that he loved Daniel back.