Chapter 3 : Jack
He awakaned to the sound of someone rummaging through the kitchen cabinets. He kept his eyes tightly shut as a slow smile crept on his lips. The entire length of a warm, soft and very naked body was pressed against his side and he could even feel a soft strand of vanilla-scented hair tickling his nose. Nice. The serene, steady rythm of her breathing told him that she hadn't wake up yet, despite the fuss Daniel was making and the overall bad soundproofing of the cabin. This wasn't one of the countless military, one-eye-open naps they had had on the field before taking watches. She was into deep, unguarded sleep. She needed the rest ; the past weeks, hell, years for that matter, had been one helluva ride... And Jack had hoped the calm and stillness of his little piece of Minnesotan heaven would reach her and help her relax. Well it did, apparently. There had been no lengthy discussions about the whys and the wherefores, no poignant declarations of undying passion. He had only been there for her - always - and she had made herself clear that she was done with the whole leave-it-in-the-room crap. They had both simply acknowledged that it was time.
He had opened his eyes to look down at her as she stirred a little. The loud bang of what sounded like a frying pan hitting the kitchen floor finally pulled her out of her slumber. She blinked several times and smiled softly as she met his gaze.
- Morning.
- Hi, she whispered.
They stared at each other for a few more seconds, then she spoke again :
- Is that coffee I smell ?
- Yeah, Danny's up. In case you haven't already noticed.
- Gotta love the guy. I mean, for the coffee part.
She shifted slightly as if to get up, and paused when his arm snaked around her waist.
- Don't move. I'll get you a cup.
- How... sweet of you, she stated with a lopsided grin and only one eyebrow lifted in a very teal'cish* fashion.
- Oh, and you haven't seen anything Carter. I'm all sweet and cute. And also, cuddly.
- Sure you are, she snorted.
He went to retrieve his clothes that were scattered all around the room - again, nice - and jumped into his trousers, trying his best to appear unaware of Carter's translucent eyes fixed on him.
- HI JACK !
Daniel was seated in front of the small kitchen's counter munching on toasts, and greeted him with a spray of crumbles flying out of his mouth. Well, not so nice. Jack sighed inwardly. The archeologist seemed just a little too cheerful today. Teal'c's deep voice came from the other side of the room :
- O'Neill.
- Hi T, Daniel.
His muttered response brought him a bow of the head from one side and a piercing blue stare from the other. He decided on playing the usual dumb-O'Neill-part and to ignore the younger man. That he could do very well - had had a decent amount of training throughout the years. He quickly found the two mugs he was searching for and began pouring coffee. Daniel made an obvious slurping noise and it took every little bit of Jack's virtually nonexistent patience not to bark a roaring "WHAT ?" at his friend's face. He clenched his teeth, grasped the cardboard box in front of him and placed a sugar cube in each cup.
- It's two.
Ok, here goes. He turned around briskly.
- WHAT ?
- Sugars. In her coffee.
Daniel was giving him his most innocent puppy eyes, so Jack went for his best "shut up, Daniel" tone :
- I know that, thank you.
The last sugar plopped loudly as he dropped it into the cup.
[* yes, that is a word.]