At first Daniel had been overjoyed to find someone new to talk with. He loved his teammates but he couldn't really tell them about the numerous trips and excavations he had made before he had joined the SGC. Sam was the most receptive of the three but she was more interested in her science, Teal'c was a good listener but his knowledge of Earth cultures was extremely limited and as for Jack, well, Daniel knew him well enough to not even try. Pete, on the other hand, seemed genuinely fascinated by what he had to say.
So while the rest of SG1 sat in a comfortable silence, he and Daniel had talked and talked. However, even as Daniel spoke, he could see Pete's attention drifting away with the cool breeze. He no longer looked at Daniel but rather behind him and his eyes began to glaze over. Daniel narrowed his eyes and glanced once or twice at Sam who smiled slightly in return. Putting his mouth on autopilot, he thought about Sam's new boyfriend.
He seemed to be a nice guy, he was intelligent, good-looking and although he had a weak sense of humour (maybe Daniel had been around Jack for too long), he was fun to talk to. He obviously liked Sam very much; all through the morning he had hardly left her side, taking hold of her hand then almost glaring at them as if daring one of them to object.
He was… nice. But Daniel wasn't quite sure if he trusted him. There was something that made him think twice about him, like a single wrong note in a melody. Some people, like Jack, Sam or Teal'c for instance were clear-cut, they had strong values and while they were not predictable, Daniel could depend on them. Pete was somehow fuzzy around the edges; he was, in an indistinct way, volatile.
Of course Daniel would never force the subject of Pete's suitability as a boyfriend upon Sam, he respected her judgement too much to do that. But all the same he was quietly apprehensive about Pete; he didn't want to see the woman he loved like a sister get hurt.
Daniel paused to take a sip of his beer and Pete, perhaps trying to make up for his previous daydreaming, started to speak. Daniel listened intently and watched Pete as he talked.
He spoke with enthusiasm but with a degree of uneasiness; although he gestured eagerly he was leant forwards, his elbows resting on his knees, protecting his abdomen. Daniel had spent enough time in the company of primitive peoples and even aliens to recognise what this meant. He, Teal'c and Jack, intimidated Pete. Daniel was slightly taken aback by this; he didn't think that the males of SG1 were particularly intimidating. Well, maybe Teal'c but then everyone found him somewhat threatening at one time or the other.
Daniel adjusted his glasses thoughtfully. Perhaps it was because of Sam, Pete knew that SG1 were family to Sam and he wanted to make a good impression. No, because if so why didn't he make the effort to listen to Daniel?
Daniel took another swig of beer and plonked the bottle back on the table irritably. Then is dawned on him; Pete was jealous. He couldn't understand the bonds between his girlfriend and her male teammates. Daniel was genuinely surprised; it had never occurred to him that someone would be jealous of that. He took it for granted that everyone knew and accepted it. General Hammond knew, Bra'tac knew, the Tok'ra knew, their enemies certainly knew, even Siler knew. In fact the whole of the SGC knew that the members of SG1 would willingly die for one another.
There was a loud scraping to Daniel's left that made him jump. Jack was leant back in his chair holding an empty beer bottle up into the bright sunlight. Pete, whose head had snapped around immediately towards the source of the noise, was glaring at him with alarming ferocity. The ridiculous image was in such contrast to Daniel's sober thoughts just a moment ago that he almost burst out laughing. Jack then slowly, mock-wearily lowered the bottle and gave Pete a look so familiar that Daniel could almost hear him saying 'What?' in a tone of voice that implied that the whole world minus Jack himself needed to loosen up and have a bit of fun sometimes. Daniel smirked at Sam who was grinning almost imperceptibly.
Pete began to talk again loudly but Daniel didn't turn around. He watched as Jack set his sunglasses down on the table with a click that made Teal'c twist in his chair and raise an eyebrow. Jack had gone back to examining the bottle, the light casting a wavering green shadow over his eyes.
Sighing Daniel resumed his conversation with Pete, the exchange getting more and more laboured. Occasionally Pete's eyes flickered to what Daniel had now realised as the source of most of Pete's unrest; Jack.
Jack had the uncanny ability to piss people off to the point of wanting to hit him at will and within an instant. Daniel knew, he had been on the receiving end of one of his 'lets annoy everyone I meet' moods many a time but he didn't think that Jack had done anything in particular to annoy Pete. Whilst untalkative and subdued all afternoon he had been civil and had talked to Pete politely once or twice.
Pete knew, Daniel realised, or at least he suspected. You only had to spend a while with them when they were together to guess.
"O'Neill." Teal'c said suddenly. "I believe it is time for us to depart for the hockey fixture." He neatly moved the chair back and stood up.
"So it is." Said Jack, checking the time. "You sure you don't wanna come Carter?" He said to Sam guardedly but with a flicker of hope in his voice.
Pete answered for her. "Sorry we've got plans." He moved into Daniel's vacated seat nearer to her.
"Nice to have met you." Daniel said quickly breaking the tension.
"Indeed."
"Yeah." Said Jack tonelessly. "We'll see ya tomorrow Carter." With one last look at the couple he turned and strode down the street. Daniel and Teal'c followed.
They were silent for a few moments but then Jack started to talk about hockey. With his friend's arm resting on his shoulder, Daniel listened, glad for a distraction from the thoughts that were triggered in his mind by the play of green shadows below the coloured glass of a shop window.