He turned off the oven and put the roast in the fridge, crock-pot and all.
It wouldn't take much to reheat it tomorrow, and it would take even less
effort – and clean up – if he just kept the whole mess in the pot until
then. He looked around the kitchen, making sure he didn't leave anything on
that shouldn't be, then turned off the light, checked the lock on the front
door and headed back down the hall.
He didn't stop at his bedroom. For one thing, he didn't want to wake up her up again by going back in and checking on her. For another, there was always the chance that she wasn't completely asleep, and would expect him to keep his promise and come and hold her. Not that he had anything against holding her – far from it! – but holding would lead elsewhere, and to places that Sam and he weren't ready to deal with, and to things that he really wanted to have happen, but that really shouldn't. Not until they had a long talk about their possible future.
Sighing in frustration of more than one kind, Jack opened the hall closet and pulled out sheets for the extra bed, then a couple of blankets. It was hardly cold in his house, but after a week of constantly being rained on, he was going to be wrapped up in a practical cocoon of warmth while he slept.
He made the bed in the guest room quietly, which wasn't the norm. Usually he cussed out the fitted sheet that never stayed on all the other corners while he was trying to get that last corner on, and made making the bed into a right pain in the ass ordeal every time. This time, he scowled and glared a lot as the sheet did everything it could to avoid being stuck on his bed, but didn't say a word. He did give it a triumphant slap when he finally got the last corner to hold tight, and even gave it a smug smile when he smothered the bottom sheet with the top one, and then a blanket and a comforter. A pile of pillows later, and Jack turned off the light and got into bed, giving a contented sigh as he closed his eyes. He was asleep in minutes.
~*~
It was a measure of how tired he was that he didn't hear his door open. He also didn't hear the soft footfalls as Carter walked across the room and looked down at him sleepily. When she pulled the blankets back a little and slid into his bed next to him, however, he woke up instantly.
"Sam?"
"Who else?" Her voice was tired, but amused, and Jack wished the light were on because he knew there was a smile on her face, and he loved to see her smiling.
"What are you doing?"
It was obvious what she was doing, since she'd already cuddled up next to him. Not holding him, but pressing her warm body against his, with her head already stealing half of his pillow.
"You said you'd hold me."
"I know."
"Changed your mind?"
He smiled. She had to know better than that. Jack carefully reached out and put his arm around her, pulling her gently closer, and Sam sighed in contentment and shifted just enough that she could rest her head on his chest, her short hair tickling his bare skin.
"I didn't want to wake you."
"I wasn't asleep."
"No?"
"Well... mostly." The amusement was still in her voice, and Jack reached up and touched her cheek, feeling the pulled muscles that told him she was, indeed, grinning.
"What am I going to do with you?" Jack asked her, half in exasperation, half serious, although he tried to make it sound like he was just teasing. He didn't do a very good job of it, though. Sam knew immediately what he was thinking, and she rested her hand on his stomach, just below his ribs.
"For tonight? Just hold me, Jack. I really need to cuddle."
"I can do that, Sam."
He wrapped both arms around her, holding her with a tenderness that made Carter wish the night would last forever. She closed her eyes, the hand on his stomach caressing him idly as she began to drift off once more.
"Sam?"
His voice was a very soft whisper, but there was a quality to it that she hadn't heard before. She turned her head and looked up at his face, even though she knew she couldn't see him in the dark room.
"Hmm?"
"Stop doing that? Please?"
It took her a moment to understand what he was talking about. Then she smiled – which he felt against his bare skin, and he scowled in the darkness, although he wasn't really annoyed. It was a habit.
"It's not funny."
Her hand stilled on his belly, and she turned her head slightly and kissed his chest.
"I'm sorry."
"No, you're not."
"No, I'm not." He was right. She loved knowing what she did to him. Knowing the affect she had on him. Knowing that even though he liked to make everyone think he was always in control, there was always a moment when she'd know that he wasn't. Not completely, anyways.
Jack shifted their position on the bed before Sam could say anything else. He still had his arms around her just as tightly, but they were in a spooning position, now, with her back pressed against his front. While it gave her every opportunity to feel his reaction to her, it also left her completely unable to keep teasing him – which was probably the whole idea, she decided. He had one arm wrapped tightly around her body, with her arms pinned, one against her side, the other under her body, and his other hand rested lightly on her hip. He leaned over slightly, and pressed a delicate kiss against the tender skin of her neck, which made her shiver as if she was back in the rain.
"See how it feels?" He asked her, grinning in the dark.
"Jack..."
"Sam." He pulled her closer to him and hugged her tightly for a moment before loosening his grip on her just enough to let her breathe again. "Go to sleep, love. Tonight I want to hold you. Tomorrow... well... we'll see what tomorrow brings, okay?" There was no way they could discuss their future when they were both exhausted and not thinking beyond their libidos.
She brought her hand up to rest against the back of the one that had her pinned against him so perfectly, and Jack let her go so he could hold it, then brought the hand on her hip over to cover them both.
"Good night, Sam."
She closed her eyes, and drifted off once more. This time, though, nothing would wake her until she was ready to waken on her own. She was where she wanted to be – and so was he – and no, they weren't lovers – not yet - but the embrace was the same, the affection was better, and the friendship was more intimate than even the closest of lovers had ever shared. It was enough.
~*~
The end!
He didn't stop at his bedroom. For one thing, he didn't want to wake up her up again by going back in and checking on her. For another, there was always the chance that she wasn't completely asleep, and would expect him to keep his promise and come and hold her. Not that he had anything against holding her – far from it! – but holding would lead elsewhere, and to places that Sam and he weren't ready to deal with, and to things that he really wanted to have happen, but that really shouldn't. Not until they had a long talk about their possible future.
Sighing in frustration of more than one kind, Jack opened the hall closet and pulled out sheets for the extra bed, then a couple of blankets. It was hardly cold in his house, but after a week of constantly being rained on, he was going to be wrapped up in a practical cocoon of warmth while he slept.
He made the bed in the guest room quietly, which wasn't the norm. Usually he cussed out the fitted sheet that never stayed on all the other corners while he was trying to get that last corner on, and made making the bed into a right pain in the ass ordeal every time. This time, he scowled and glared a lot as the sheet did everything it could to avoid being stuck on his bed, but didn't say a word. He did give it a triumphant slap when he finally got the last corner to hold tight, and even gave it a smug smile when he smothered the bottom sheet with the top one, and then a blanket and a comforter. A pile of pillows later, and Jack turned off the light and got into bed, giving a contented sigh as he closed his eyes. He was asleep in minutes.
~*~
It was a measure of how tired he was that he didn't hear his door open. He also didn't hear the soft footfalls as Carter walked across the room and looked down at him sleepily. When she pulled the blankets back a little and slid into his bed next to him, however, he woke up instantly.
"Sam?"
"Who else?" Her voice was tired, but amused, and Jack wished the light were on because he knew there was a smile on her face, and he loved to see her smiling.
"What are you doing?"
It was obvious what she was doing, since she'd already cuddled up next to him. Not holding him, but pressing her warm body against his, with her head already stealing half of his pillow.
"You said you'd hold me."
"I know."
"Changed your mind?"
He smiled. She had to know better than that. Jack carefully reached out and put his arm around her, pulling her gently closer, and Sam sighed in contentment and shifted just enough that she could rest her head on his chest, her short hair tickling his bare skin.
"I didn't want to wake you."
"I wasn't asleep."
"No?"
"Well... mostly." The amusement was still in her voice, and Jack reached up and touched her cheek, feeling the pulled muscles that told him she was, indeed, grinning.
"What am I going to do with you?" Jack asked her, half in exasperation, half serious, although he tried to make it sound like he was just teasing. He didn't do a very good job of it, though. Sam knew immediately what he was thinking, and she rested her hand on his stomach, just below his ribs.
"For tonight? Just hold me, Jack. I really need to cuddle."
"I can do that, Sam."
He wrapped both arms around her, holding her with a tenderness that made Carter wish the night would last forever. She closed her eyes, the hand on his stomach caressing him idly as she began to drift off once more.
"Sam?"
His voice was a very soft whisper, but there was a quality to it that she hadn't heard before. She turned her head and looked up at his face, even though she knew she couldn't see him in the dark room.
"Hmm?"
"Stop doing that? Please?"
It took her a moment to understand what he was talking about. Then she smiled – which he felt against his bare skin, and he scowled in the darkness, although he wasn't really annoyed. It was a habit.
"It's not funny."
Her hand stilled on his belly, and she turned her head slightly and kissed his chest.
"I'm sorry."
"No, you're not."
"No, I'm not." He was right. She loved knowing what she did to him. Knowing the affect she had on him. Knowing that even though he liked to make everyone think he was always in control, there was always a moment when she'd know that he wasn't. Not completely, anyways.
Jack shifted their position on the bed before Sam could say anything else. He still had his arms around her just as tightly, but they were in a spooning position, now, with her back pressed against his front. While it gave her every opportunity to feel his reaction to her, it also left her completely unable to keep teasing him – which was probably the whole idea, she decided. He had one arm wrapped tightly around her body, with her arms pinned, one against her side, the other under her body, and his other hand rested lightly on her hip. He leaned over slightly, and pressed a delicate kiss against the tender skin of her neck, which made her shiver as if she was back in the rain.
"See how it feels?" He asked her, grinning in the dark.
"Jack..."
"Sam." He pulled her closer to him and hugged her tightly for a moment before loosening his grip on her just enough to let her breathe again. "Go to sleep, love. Tonight I want to hold you. Tomorrow... well... we'll see what tomorrow brings, okay?" There was no way they could discuss their future when they were both exhausted and not thinking beyond their libidos.
She brought her hand up to rest against the back of the one that had her pinned against him so perfectly, and Jack let her go so he could hold it, then brought the hand on her hip over to cover them both.
"Good night, Sam."
She closed her eyes, and drifted off once more. This time, though, nothing would wake her until she was ready to waken on her own. She was where she wanted to be – and so was he – and no, they weren't lovers – not yet - but the embrace was the same, the affection was better, and the friendship was more intimate than even the closest of lovers had ever shared. It was enough.
~*~
The end!