"Love, then." Jack shrugged. "Call it whatever you want."
"So... you think things will work themselves out?" Daniel asked, hopefully, rubbing Jaffer's ears.
"I don't know, Daniel." Jack said, honestly. "What I do know is that things worked out with me and Sam... are still being worked out, for that matter, and that if I'd have given up way back during the first year I knew her, I'd never be as happy as I am now."
He was happy, too. Daniel knew it better than anyone. Even Sam. Daniel had seen Jack at his very worst, and was now seeing him at what had to be his very best. Unless the time with his wife and Charlie was better, but Daniel wasn't sure about that, and didn't want to speculate. He was right, too, Daniel knew. And Sally was worth the effort, at least. Daniel was certain he could be happy with Sally. Was fairly certain that Sally could be happy with him. If they could get past this whole Stargate thing, she was probably the one Daniel wanted to settle down and grow old with.
Jack was silent, watching as Daniel thought things through. This was nothing new for him; he'd seen that look of concentration on Daniel's face a million times, although usually it was when the problem he was considering was far less personal. Translations and moral issues, things like that. He was always amazed and impressed by the fact that Daniel – and Sam – for that matter, could sit and think like that. Jack was more a snap decision kind of guy, and rarely considered himself a heavy sit down and think kind of person. Although the people around him knew better, even if he didn't.
They were like that for quite a while, but Jack didn't interrupt, and he didn't shift his position, allowing Daniel to concentrate on his problems, and the fact that eventually, there might be hope for his future. God knew if Jack and Sam had managed a future together, anyone could. Finally, Daniel looked up from rubbing Jaffer's ears, and looked at Jack.
"Thanks, Jack."
O'Neill shrugged. "I just thought you should know, Daniel. It's not as hopeless as it might seem."
"You're right. I should."
Jack shrugged again, trying to look nonchalant. "If all else fails, you know... and you're pretty much down in the dumps about something like that... just realize that I know how you feel, okay? And if you need to talk... or just... I don't know... whatever..."
"I do know, Jack..." Daniel could help but feel just a little gooey inside. Jack had pretty much just done the nicest thing he'd ever done for him. And he couldn't even imagine what it had cost Jack to come and have this little talk with him. "I appreciate it."
"Yeah, well..." He shrugged, again. "You could offer me a beer, or some coffee... show me just how much you appreciate it."
Daniel chuckled, and slapped Jaffer's side affectionately. Even the black lab had done a part in cheering him up, letting Daniel hold him like that when he'd needed something. He definitely wasn't going to cuddle up to Jack. No matter how gooey he was feeling. He stood up and went into his kitchen, followed by Jaffer, who'd never pass up a trip into the kitchen. Even if it wasn't his house.
"Which would you rather have? Coffee or beer?"
"A beer is fine, if it's cold." Jack called from the living room.
Daniel pulled a couple beers out of the fridge and looked down at Jaffer, whose nose was stuck in the fridge as well.
"And you?" He asked, smiling. "What do you want?"
Jaffer's tail wagged, idly. He wasn't picky. Beer or coffee or the ham he could smell on the second shelf.
Daniel searched the fridge for some kind of doggie treat, knowing from experience that Jaffer would pretty much eat anything that wasn't nailed down. (If it were nailed down, he'd just chew on it) He pulled out a burger that was left over from dinner the night before, and unwrapped it, then cut it up like he'd seen Jack do a million times, and put it on a plate and carried all of it out into the living room.
"A burger?" Jack smiled as he took his beer, and Daniel shrugged.
"A good host is always prepared."
He set the plate on the floor, and Jaffer started in on it, knowing that if it was on the floor, it had to be for him.
Jack simply smiled again, and took a pull of his beer.
"So is Sally coming to my house tomorrow?"
Daniel nodded.
"Good. At least she hasn't given up on you."
Daniel sighed and leaned back against the couch. "I can't imagine why she hasn't. It's been... what?... almost two years, now? We've gotten nowhere."
"I doubt that." Jack disagreed. "I'd never date you for two years, so she must have some serious feelings for you to put up with you for that long."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that, Jack," Daniel said, smiling. "I wouldn't date you for two years, either." He was right again, though, and probably didn't even realize it. Two years was a long time to be dating someone. "Maybe I should..."
"Should what?"
"I don't know..." Daniel shrugged. "Do something special for her. To thank her for putting up with my crap for so long."
"Like what?"
He shrugged, again.
"I don't know... it'd have to be something pretty big. There's a lot of crap to have put up with."
"Maybe you can ask Sam." Jack said. "Ask her what she'd like for putting up with all the crap I put her through. And then tell me, so I can do it."
The younger man looked over at Jack, his blue eyes speculative. "Maybe we should do something for them?"
"What? Tomorrow?"
"Why not?"
Jack was uncomfortable, and it showed. He squirmed.
"I don't know... because it's not something I really have given much thought to..."
"You must have, Jack, or you wouldn't have brought it up."
"Who are you, Sigmund Freud?"
Daniel grinned, feeling much better than he had all day.
"Come on, Jack. If we think about it, we should be able to come up with something at least halfway romantic."
"Daniel..."
"You think Sam doesn't deserve something romantic?"
Oooo, low shot, there. They both knew it. And it was the only time Jack would let him get away with that.
"Fine. Think of something... romantic, then..."
Maybe if he had a few more beers, he'd think of something, too.
"So... you think things will work themselves out?" Daniel asked, hopefully, rubbing Jaffer's ears.
"I don't know, Daniel." Jack said, honestly. "What I do know is that things worked out with me and Sam... are still being worked out, for that matter, and that if I'd have given up way back during the first year I knew her, I'd never be as happy as I am now."
He was happy, too. Daniel knew it better than anyone. Even Sam. Daniel had seen Jack at his very worst, and was now seeing him at what had to be his very best. Unless the time with his wife and Charlie was better, but Daniel wasn't sure about that, and didn't want to speculate. He was right, too, Daniel knew. And Sally was worth the effort, at least. Daniel was certain he could be happy with Sally. Was fairly certain that Sally could be happy with him. If they could get past this whole Stargate thing, she was probably the one Daniel wanted to settle down and grow old with.
Jack was silent, watching as Daniel thought things through. This was nothing new for him; he'd seen that look of concentration on Daniel's face a million times, although usually it was when the problem he was considering was far less personal. Translations and moral issues, things like that. He was always amazed and impressed by the fact that Daniel – and Sam – for that matter, could sit and think like that. Jack was more a snap decision kind of guy, and rarely considered himself a heavy sit down and think kind of person. Although the people around him knew better, even if he didn't.
They were like that for quite a while, but Jack didn't interrupt, and he didn't shift his position, allowing Daniel to concentrate on his problems, and the fact that eventually, there might be hope for his future. God knew if Jack and Sam had managed a future together, anyone could. Finally, Daniel looked up from rubbing Jaffer's ears, and looked at Jack.
"Thanks, Jack."
O'Neill shrugged. "I just thought you should know, Daniel. It's not as hopeless as it might seem."
"You're right. I should."
Jack shrugged again, trying to look nonchalant. "If all else fails, you know... and you're pretty much down in the dumps about something like that... just realize that I know how you feel, okay? And if you need to talk... or just... I don't know... whatever..."
"I do know, Jack..." Daniel could help but feel just a little gooey inside. Jack had pretty much just done the nicest thing he'd ever done for him. And he couldn't even imagine what it had cost Jack to come and have this little talk with him. "I appreciate it."
"Yeah, well..." He shrugged, again. "You could offer me a beer, or some coffee... show me just how much you appreciate it."
Daniel chuckled, and slapped Jaffer's side affectionately. Even the black lab had done a part in cheering him up, letting Daniel hold him like that when he'd needed something. He definitely wasn't going to cuddle up to Jack. No matter how gooey he was feeling. He stood up and went into his kitchen, followed by Jaffer, who'd never pass up a trip into the kitchen. Even if it wasn't his house.
"Which would you rather have? Coffee or beer?"
"A beer is fine, if it's cold." Jack called from the living room.
Daniel pulled a couple beers out of the fridge and looked down at Jaffer, whose nose was stuck in the fridge as well.
"And you?" He asked, smiling. "What do you want?"
Jaffer's tail wagged, idly. He wasn't picky. Beer or coffee or the ham he could smell on the second shelf.
Daniel searched the fridge for some kind of doggie treat, knowing from experience that Jaffer would pretty much eat anything that wasn't nailed down. (If it were nailed down, he'd just chew on it) He pulled out a burger that was left over from dinner the night before, and unwrapped it, then cut it up like he'd seen Jack do a million times, and put it on a plate and carried all of it out into the living room.
"A burger?" Jack smiled as he took his beer, and Daniel shrugged.
"A good host is always prepared."
He set the plate on the floor, and Jaffer started in on it, knowing that if it was on the floor, it had to be for him.
Jack simply smiled again, and took a pull of his beer.
"So is Sally coming to my house tomorrow?"
Daniel nodded.
"Good. At least she hasn't given up on you."
Daniel sighed and leaned back against the couch. "I can't imagine why she hasn't. It's been... what?... almost two years, now? We've gotten nowhere."
"I doubt that." Jack disagreed. "I'd never date you for two years, so she must have some serious feelings for you to put up with you for that long."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that, Jack," Daniel said, smiling. "I wouldn't date you for two years, either." He was right again, though, and probably didn't even realize it. Two years was a long time to be dating someone. "Maybe I should..."
"Should what?"
"I don't know..." Daniel shrugged. "Do something special for her. To thank her for putting up with my crap for so long."
"Like what?"
He shrugged, again.
"I don't know... it'd have to be something pretty big. There's a lot of crap to have put up with."
"Maybe you can ask Sam." Jack said. "Ask her what she'd like for putting up with all the crap I put her through. And then tell me, so I can do it."
The younger man looked over at Jack, his blue eyes speculative. "Maybe we should do something for them?"
"What? Tomorrow?"
"Why not?"
Jack was uncomfortable, and it showed. He squirmed.
"I don't know... because it's not something I really have given much thought to..."
"You must have, Jack, or you wouldn't have brought it up."
"Who are you, Sigmund Freud?"
Daniel grinned, feeling much better than he had all day.
"Come on, Jack. If we think about it, we should be able to come up with something at least halfway romantic."
"Daniel..."
"You think Sam doesn't deserve something romantic?"
Oooo, low shot, there. They both knew it. And it was the only time Jack would let him get away with that.
"Fine. Think of something... romantic, then..."
Maybe if he had a few more beers, he'd think of something, too.