Temptation

He didn't blame Daniel for misdialing. If anything he blamed himself for letting Daniel do it when he knew the guy had other things on his mind. Going back to Abydos to take medicine to Kasuf had undoubtedly brought it all back: their first trip through the 'gate; Daniel's meeting with Sha're; their marriage; their life together; the life Apophis had stolen from them; and then that last terrible visit, accompanying Sha're's corpse to attend her funeral. A lot of memories for anyone to have to contend with.

They'd visited Sha're's grave and then, as soon as it was clear that Kasuf's fever was dropping and he was going to be okay, had turned around to come back. Daniel had barely said a word and Jack hadn't pushed it. He figured his job this trip was to just keep his mouth shut and lend moral support and that was what he'd been doing. But he did feel like kicking himself now for leaving it to Daniel to dial home. Daniel had done it so many times he'd thought he could do it in his sleep, but maybe, subconsciously, Daniel just couldn't bear the thought of going home yet. After all, he knew what would be waiting for him there – the grief, the emptiness, the loss. Maybe he'd just needed to go some place else.

It was a rough landing, the kind where you shot through the gate and then started bouncing. In this instance down about twenty stone steps into a lot of things that hurt. As Jack touched bottom, he felt something jar nastily in his left ankle and yelped.

"Shit!" Jack hissed as he clutched his foot.

"God, I'm sorry, Jack. I'm so sorry." Daniel rolled onto his front and then crawled over to his teammate.

Jack was trying to assess the damage to his ankle while simultaneously taking in their surroundings. They were in a large, dusty chamber and had just rolled down a whole lot of stairs before crashing into a lot of very large, dusty, and now chipped earthenware pots. They were definitely not in the 'gate room back on Earth. His ankle, however, didn't appear to be broken, only twisted, which was the first piece of good news. The second piece of good news was that the chamber was empty apart from themselves, and they could probably depart without anyone needing to know they'd ever arrived.

Still holding his ankle, Jack said, "Not your fault, Daniel."

"I must have misdialed."

"It doesn't matter. Just dial up again and let's get out of here before someone comes to investigate."

"Okay, I'll - " Hearing the sound of footsteps, Daniel acted quickly, seizing Jack under the arms and dragging him out of sight. Then he darted back and grabbed his pack, pulling that over to where he had Jack hidden.

Jack took out his sidearm and offered it to Daniel but the younger man shook his head. He fingered his Abydonian robes in explanation and Jack nodded, albeit unwillingly. Yes, it probably was useful to have one of them dressed like a local instead of a Tau'ri and yes an Earth weapon would take a lot of explaining if Daniel was caught, but on the other hand he didn't like the thought of Daniel being unarmed either. Before Jack could try to voice any of his concerns, the footsteps got a lot louder. Jack dragged himself a little bit closer to one of those huge urns and peered out past it.

That was when his heart dropped like a barometer right before a thunderstorm. Not that it couldn't have been worse; it could have been a lot worse: a resurrected Sokar, a resurrected Apophis, a resurrected Hathor, a vengeful Nirrti. All worse than Cronos. But that didn't make Cronos a fun guy to know and it did still make Cronos someone who'd told them how much suffering they were going to be doing if they went on using their Stargate and got caught by a System Lord.

Cronos was barking a lot of things at his Jaffa and they were spreading out with zat guns at the ready to hunt in the shadows, so 'search and destroy' seemed to be the gist of it. As Jack was still fingering the trigger of his sidearm and wondering what the hell to do next, Daniel was already acting.

It was one of those Daniel actions that conformed only to a Daniel view of logic: Jack was injured, Jack couldn't move fast enough to evade the Jaffa, therefore it was Daniel's job to lure aforementioned Jaffa away. Jack knew there were secondary considerations that would also have whirred through that super-intelligent mind as well: Jack was dressed in an SGC uniform; Jack couldn't speak the lingo; and therefore if Jack got caught it was going to be obvious he was from Earth. Daniel was banking on: evading capture in the first place, because he wasn't injured; passing for a local because of his clothing; and if he did get caught being able to talk his way out of it without attracting too much suspicion. None of which reasoned considerations took into account the fact that what Daniel was doing was incredibly stupid. Something Jack intended to tell him in no uncertain terms if either of them was lucky enough to live through this.

The biggest surprise was that Daniel so nearly made it. He'd deliberately set one urn rocking then darted away from it to the next one, leaving a tappy, clunky little trail of tiny sounds to lure the Jaffa after him. He'd moved so speedily he'd nearly managed to dart through one of the archways that led into the chamber before a Jaffa pounced, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and lifted him right off his feet.

Still hidden behind the urn where Daniel had deposited him, Jack swore under his breath, prayed to any passing gods that might be listening and lifted his sidearm. Daniel was still showing a lot of sense, keeping his head ducked down, and cringing as he was dropped on his knees before Cronos, trying to make himself as small and unthreatening as possible. Cronos was already looking disappointed, evidently having hoped that the unscheduled opening of the Stargate would have produced something more interesting than a somewhat shabby Abydonian refugee.

Jack couldn't follow the next bit too well. The First Prime barked something at Daniel, who said something back in a small, frightened voice. Jack caught the word 'Ra'. Cronos started talking about 'Apophis' and Daniel was saying something else, still keeping his head bowed as though he was overcome by being in the presence of a god. Jack figured Daniel was saying something about having been sent by Ra to deliver a message to Cronos; Cronos was telling him that Ra was dead and Daniel was shaking his head and saying something about Ra being a god and an immortal. Listening carefully and understanding one word in twenty, Jack could only get the vaguest idea but Daniel seemed to be saying that it was a serpent guard of Apophis who had delivered the message to him and told him where to take it, but that he had been acting for the all powerful and beloved Ra whom they all revered on Abydos. The message itself, Jack couldn't even guess at but he had to admit that Daniel was doing pretty well here. No one was perceiving him as a threat now. The Jaffa were all relaxed, looking down on him figuratively and literally as some slave too dumb to even know his deity was dead.

The problem came when Cronos had heard all he wanted to hear and lost interest. He shrugged and backed up, waving a dismissive hand to his First Prime. That was when the first Prime said something to his god that was so clearly "If you're done with him can I have him?" that Jack didn't need to see the stiffening of Daniel's spine to know that they were in trouble again. Cronos gave his First Prime a look of amusement and then, obviously determined to check that he wasn't missing out on a treat before signing it over, reached down and pulled back Daniel's hood.

"Shit," Jack said softly.

Just for a second he dared to hope that Cronos might not recognize his teammate, but that hope was dashed as the Goa'uld's eyes widened immediately and then glowed with rage.

"You!" He grabbed a handful of Daniel's short hair and yanked his head back so hard Jack was surprised the younger man's neck didn't snap. "You dare to come here? You dare to spy on me?"

"It was an accident," Daniel said quietly. "I misdialed."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"No, as a matter of fact, I don't. But it's the truth."

That seemed to have an effect. The fury died from Cronos's glowing eyes to be replaced by a more thoughtful expression. "Where is the shol'va, Teal'c?"

"Back in the SGC."

"You expect me to believe that also?"

"I didn't intend to come here and I wasn't on a mission. I was traveling to Abydos to visit my father-in-law who was ill. I was distracted and I must have hit a wrong symbol."

Still with his hand clenched tight in Daniel's hair, Cronos turned his captive's head from side to side to examine it better. "You are not a warrior. I remember you. You calmed the Shol'va when he was angry. You speak our language. He taught you this, yes? You are his? You are Teal'c's?"

Teal'c's what? Jack thought in perplexity.

"No," Daniel said firmly. "He didn't and I'm not."

Not what?

"Then why do they allow you to mingle with the warriors?"

"I'm a scholar. They find my knowledge useful."

"Useful enough to trade the Shol'va for you?"

Daniel didn't even blink, just faced the man calmly. "No. There are other people on my world who can speak many languages, there is no one else with Teal'c's knowledge of the Goa'uld. They would never trade him for me."

Cronos released his hair and stroked a finger up the side of Daniel's face. "What if we tortured you and sent them evidence of it?"

Daniel seemed to be ready for that question as well. "It wouldn't make any difference. There is nothing you could offer or threaten that would make us give up Teal'c."

"You do not fear torture?"

Daniel met Cronos's gaze unflinchingly. "Yes, I do. Who doesn't?"

Cronos stroked his face again. "You should have taken the Shol'va with you to Abydos, not only would you have been protected, but he might have offered himself in exchange for your life."

"Then I'm even more glad I didn't take him with me."

"You will summon him here."

"I will never do that."

Cronos smiled. "Oh but you will."

Having watched Cronos's Jaffa lead Daniel away, Jack banged his head against the first hard surface he could find then took a minute to strap his ankle up so tightly it wouldn't dare to even think about trying to slow him down. The prime objective of getting home alive was still in place, but there was also the little matter of getting Daniel away from Cronos ASAP to worry about. So far, the Goa'uld hadn't seemed that hostile, probably because he didn't think Daniel was that threatening. The whole of SG-1 landing in his backyard would have been sure to make him start torturing and maiming just to make certain he was being taken seriously, but he seemed only amused by Daniel so far, secure enough of being in charge of the situation that hopefully he might not start slapping Jack's favorite archaeologist around for a little while. Jack just hoped that was true because watching Daniel getting slapped around was never going to figure very high on his list of fun ways to spend an afternoon.

It took Jack an hour of skulking through dark stone corridors and hiding in shadowy alcoves to find out where Cronos had taken Daniel. He'd been thinking along the lines of torture chambers or dungeons, so looking around the 'best' rooms hadn't occurred to him straight away. It was only after he'd searched all the likeliest places and come up blank that he made his way along the wider marble-floored corridors to Cronos's suite.

He knew he'd found the right room when he heard Daniel, not screaming, not begging, not defying his brutal captor through gritted teeth, but giggling. That was the first oddity. The second was the complete lack of any guard outside the room. The door was still ajar and it was the work of seconds to ease it open wide enough for Jack to slip inside. He ducked behind a pillar and darted a glance over to the bed.

It was without a doubt the largest bed he'd ever seen in his life and although Cronos's impressive physique was pretty much to scale Daniel was just lost in it. There were no guards in the room either, just the bed, a few pillars, a couch, a particularly beautiful mosaic floor, a golden platter upon which was sitting a golden jug, a couple of golden goblets and a bowl of some kind of unguent, and the two men on the bed – one buck naked, the other still wearing a toga-thing. Jack noticed Daniel's Abydonian robes lying in a heap on the floor. Cronos was bent over Jack's captive teammate, whispering something into his ear that made the linguist giggle again.

Although he was trying to keep his mind on the task in hand, Jack couldn't help noticing that Daniel was a package which sure paid for unwrapping. He was lying on top of pale silk sheets, gazing up at Cronos out of dreamy blue eyes, that tongue of his just flickering over that delectable mouth. Delectable? He must be using 'delectable' in it's 'not like I've ever noticed' sense here, or perhaps more honestly, in the 'tried damned hard not to notice but sometimes it gets hard not to notice and then it just gets hard' sense. And of course Daniel's nakedness wasn't really helping matters, making it impossible as it did for Jack not to notice the ways those legs just went on forever and how his skin was so damned enticing, smooth and firm and practically flawless. The shoulders were surprisingly broad, some nice muscle tone on those upper arms, the waist was slender, the hips narrow and those tightly curving buttocks were just –

Jack gave himself a shake. He really couldn't afford to start getting distracted right now. Of course, Cronos putting his tongue into Daniel's ear like that didn't help to keep his mind on the job. The Goa'uld was toying with his teammate in more ways than one. Not that he thought feeling up Daniel was any kind of chore for Cronos, but the snake had more of an agenda here than just shooting his load. Cronos was running the back of his hand down Daniel's hairless chest, rubbing a thumb lazily across one of Daniel's nipples, bending with an arrogant smile to mouth that now erect nub. Daniel was arching his back and looking very willing for the Goa'uld to let his fingers do the walking anyplace he liked.

As Jack watched and wondered what the hell kind of happy juice the Goa'uld had been pouring down Daniel's neck to get him this high and silly, he noticed Cronos had what looked suspiciously like a ribbon device in his left hand. He was letting the beam lick across Daniel's naked body, clearly leaving a heat trail the archaeologist could feel, because Daniel was responding every time the light touched him. He was making little exclamations of pleasure and Cronos was whispering something else in his ear again, nibbling on it for punctuation.

Jack decided to risk shuffling a little closer. There was a pillar a bare five feet from the bed and he really thought Cronos was unlikely to be noticing anything except what his groin was telling him at the moment. Of course, the mood Daniel was in right now, if he did notice Jack darting behind a pillar he'd probably give him a big soppy grin and start waving.

He darted behind the next pillar just in time to hear, Cronos murmur encouragingly, "Who do you want to be touching you like this, Daniel?" The Goa'uld let the light from the ribbon device lap between Daniel's legs, and Daniel's thighs parted at once, although whether because of the force of the ribbon device or as a blind response to what that heat was doing to Daniel's erogenous zones, Jack couldn't tell.

Daniel had his eyes closed and was lying back, clearly enjoying all the touching and nibbling he was getting. "You said it could be anyone I wanted."

"That's right, Daniel. Anyone you want. Now who do you want to be touching you, Daniel? Tell me?"

Jack realized this was obviously a new variant on The Blood of Sokar; only this time it was clearly the NC-17 vintage that didn't just make you higher than a kite but turned you on at the same time. Daniel was so far out of things right now an acid tab would probably have brought him ten feet closer to Planet Earth. And Cronos was having fun with his non-threatening, unmilitary captive in ways that he wouldn't have dreamed of if he'd grabbed Daniel when he was part of SG-1. Which, given that the last time he and O'Neill had met, the Goa'uld had promised him anyone he caught would 'suffer greatly' was a very good thing. Because although Daniel was doing a lot of things right now, 'suffering greatly' sure didn't appear to be one of them. Cronos was turning him on with that ribbon device and Daniel was opening his legs and arching his back in what could only be described as invitation.

Jack licked his lips. He'd never thought he'd envy a Goa'uld but if being able to use a ribbon device meant you got that kind of a response from a naked sweaty panting archaeologist well then maybe there were some compensations to having a snake in your head after all. Daniel was looking so damned...doable right now. Jack couldn't help wondering how it must feel to be Cronos, having those long legs splaying open for you like that, being able to sink your teeth into that white throat, feel that slim muscular body squirming so invitingly beneath you, being able to put your hands on those slender thighs and pull yourself closer to... God, but it was getting hot in here. Jack fanned himself hastily. Given that they were trapped in a Goa'uld stronghold, one member of SG-1 speeding down the highway to Orgasm City was already one too many. He really did need to get a grip and not a grip on that deliciously erect cock Cronos was getting the fun of fondling.

Jack wished there was a bucket of ice water around for him to stick his head into because he sure as hell could do with one. And then he'd need a whole bathtub of ice water to dunk Dannyboy into because the guy was really not strategizing too well right now.

"Well, Daniel? Who do you want to touch you like this?"

Jack could hardly restrain a groan of mingled longing and frustration as Cronos wiped his hand through the unguent and then slid a finger up inside his teammate. And God, this was so unfair; Daniel was welcoming the son-of-a-bitch in, straddling his thighs and arching his back even more as he pushed down onto that finger like he wanted it so badly. Cronos was kneeling over him, still nibbling his ear and murmuring, "Do you want Teal'c to do this to you, Daniel? Do you want him to touch you? Do you want him to put his cock inside you? Do you want him to thrust into you harder and harder, making you beg for it, making you scream? I can give you Teal'c, Daniel, I can have him come here and do anything you want." Cronos pushed his finger in deeper to demonstrate, eliciting a whimper of pleasure from Daniel, then the Goa'uld fastened his mouth on his captive's throat, sucking like he needed the blood.

When Cronos came up for air, he was smiling. "Send for Teal'c, Daniel. Send for him and he can come here and fuck you as hard and deep as you want. You would like that, would you not, Daniel. You would like to feel Teal'c penetrating you?"

Daniel looked lost on a wave of sensory overload, sweating and gasping as that torturing finger probed his prostate so expertly, but he did manage to murmur something faintly.

Jack frowned, not able to hear what the younger man was saying. He was already telling himself that it didn't mean anything. Just because a drugged-up Daniel might start gasping that he wanted Teal'c to come and fuck him didn't mean there was anything between them, didn't really mean that Daniel wanted what he was saying he wanted. Except Jack knew it would kill him if it were true. A Daniel he could never have because Daniel had given his heart to Sha're he could live with. And a Daniel he could never have because Daniel was mourning the woman he loved and didn't want to do it with men however much he liked them, he could live with. But a Daniel who wanted to do it with another man who wasn't Jack O'Neill was going to hit him harder than a punch to the solar plexus

Cronos pushed two fingers into Daniel, making him squirm deliciously on the silk covers. The Goa'uld smiled as he saw the linguist lost in sensation, head thrown back, throat exposed, whimpering with the pleasure-pain of being penetrated. "Say it again?" he ordered, jabbing his fingers into him cruelly so that Daniel moaned louder.

"Not – Teal'c. Want...Jack. Daniel gasped it in between writhing in response to the Goa'uld's deliberately brutal ministrations. "Want...Jack."

Jack's huge rush of delight, arousal and relief was promptly doused by the look of fury on the Goa'uld's face. Cronos jerked his fingers out of Daniel and slapped him across the face so hard Jack was amazed Daniel's neck didn't break.

"O'Neill! You want O'Neill?" Another slap. "You duplicitous little slut, you give me Teal'c or I'll give you to my men to enjoy!"

Daniel was putting up his arms to protect himself, whimpering in confusion because his brain was so befuddled with drugs he had no idea why the pleasure he had been experiencing had so abruptly turned to pain. "Jack!" he cried out in a mingled plea and defiance. "Want Jack!"

And Jack wanted to do nothing more than run forward, kill Cronos, sweep Daniel up into his arms and tell him that Jack was here, that Jack was always here and no one was going to hurt him, not ever, while Jack was around. And what's more, Jack was ready willing and able to give him any of that deep, thrusting, penetrative, fondling type stuff the Goa'uld had been telling him about, any time he wanted it – and how, Dannyboy, and how. With a huge effort of self-control Jack resisted the urge to do any of above, although he filed them away for later. He knew just how much killing a Goa'uld like Cronos could take and his sidearm didn't have a silencer, which meant the first bullet out of the gun was going to bring every Jaffa in the building running. No way was he calling down a whole bunch of muscle-bulging Greek-god-serving supermen upon a doped-up naked Daniel.

Cronos gave another snarl of fury and back-handed Daniel across the other side of his face so hard he knocked him off the bed and straight into unconsciousness. "Miserable little whore," he said furiously. "I'll give you the antidote and then give you to my First Prime. Let's see how you enjoy his attentions when you're in your right mind!"

Jack watched Cronos storm out of the room and thought how much he hated that guy. If doping Daniel up to fuck him wasn't bad enough, telling him he'd get raped if he didn't betray a teammate was even scummier. He was definitely going to get Cronos for this afternoon's work. Sometime soon. But right now, he was going to get Daniel the hell out of Dodge.

"Hey, Dannyboy?" He knelt down beside him and shook him gently by the shoulder. "Daniel, it's me, Jack. Come on, Sleeping Beauty, the wicked witch is gone and your Prince Charming is here to rescue you. Now, open those big blue eyes for me or I might just have go right ahead and kiss you."

Impossibly long eyelashes fluttered then lifted. Daniel winced from the light, focused, recognized –

"Jack!"

Strong arms were thrown about his neck and the softest lips he'd ever tasted were being pressed against his again and again.

"Jack... Jack... Jack... Jack..." The word was murmured over and over as Daniel's mouth clumsily but eagerly fumbled against his. "Oh Jack."

"Oh boy." Jack swallowed and made the huge effort necessary to push Daniel away, holding him firmly by his bare shoulders. "I'm pleased to see you too, Daniel, and you got the name absolutely right every time. And at any other time I'd be more than happy for you to go right ahead and keep doing what you're doing, but given that Cronos is going to be back any minute with a whole load of nasty things he wants to do to you, I think we should get you dressed and then get out of here. Now."

Daniel moistened his lips and gazed up at him out of big dopey blue eyes. "Okay, Jack."

He looked simultaneously on a different planet and absolutely focused on the job on hand, like a six year-old piloting a jet plane. Jack couldn't help thinking how absolutely adorable he was and how kissing Daniel was so very much the only thing he wanted to do right now. It was lucky he had all those years of military discipline behind him because a naked, willing and wanton Daniel Jackson was not something you got offered every day and it was damned hard to turn it down - especially when parts of you were just damned hard -

Snap out of it, O'Neill!

"Clothes, Daniel!" Jack snatched up the Abydonian robes and pushed them into Daniel's hands. "Get dressed quickly and then let's get the hell out of here."

Jack was grateful Daniel had been wearing his Abydonian robes rather than his SG-1 uniform as Daniel was incapable of doing up any buttons and fumbling around near Daniel's groin was not something Jack wanted to be doing right now. However, he could throw the robes over the man's head without too much difficulty and could even, with a great effort, wrench his mind away from what treasures those tattered old bits of cloth were covering.

Daniel was woozy as a drunk and for all his dogged and - really very endearing - determination, Jack realized they were going to have problems. Daniel was doing his best to keep up as they sprinted-limped-wavered along the corridors, but he tended to veer from side to side like a sailing ship tacking into a high wind. However, once Jack reached back, grabbed his teammate by the hand and hauled him along after him, they got along much better.

Jack was greatly relieved to find the gate chamber still empty, and hurried up to the DHD, pulling Daniel after him. (Daniel had just noticed the chamber was full of hieroglyphs and was inclined to turn circles trying to read everything at once if Jack didn't keep a firm grip on him.) He gave Daniel a little shake.

"Daniel, concentrate. Give me an address for somewhere that isn't home."

"Abydos?"

"No, Daniel, they will have buried the gate after us by now, remember? What about the Land of Light?"

"Land of Light!" Daniel gave him a beautiful smile and leaned across to kiss Jack on the nose. Jack suspected the younger man had probably been trying to make contact with his mouth but even having his nose kissed by Daniel was a thoroughly pleasant experience so he wasn't complaining.

He collected himself with an effort. "Quick as you can, Daniel."

"Yes, Jack!" Daniel started pressing symbols happily and Jack just hoped to hell he had some idea of what he was doing.

He had to hope even harder a second later as Cronos's Jaffa burst into the 'gate room. Thinking about what these bastards might have wanted to do to 'his' archaeologist made Jack's aim all the sharper and he sprayed covering fire around the chamber with ruthless efficiency. He didn't want anyone left standing to see where they'd gone, and had the satisfaction of seeing the last Jaffa crumple to the floor as the Stargate whooshed into life.

Jack put an arm around Daniel's waist and hauled him into the event horizon, hoping they were through and out the other side before anyone else came into that dusty chamber and saw which way they'd gone.

***

Although he'd known it would be dark, Jack couldn't repress a shudder as he and Daniel rolled across the leaf mold in Stygian gloom and he remembered those rustles in the undergrowth from last time, that sudden, savage attack. As the event horizon disengaged, he couldn't help remembering how the brutal Touched had snatched Daniel and dragged him away with them to be battered and bruised while Jack was still a caveman back on Earth.

Just the memory of it made him want to hug Daniel protectively to his chest, an action Daniel clearly misinterpreted because as he felt Jack's arms tighten around him, Daniel eagerly began kissing the older man again, happily murmuring, "Jack...oh Jack...Wanted you, Jack...Want you..."

While delighting in the taste and texture of that mouth against his, Jack made a huge effort to regain some control of his body - which seemed very inclined to break off all communication with both his brain and his conscience and go and have its wicked way with Daniel just as soon as it could. His tongue, for instance, was very eager to slip its way between those invitingly parted lips and start a deep and thorough exploration, but he made himself hold Daniel off and say, albeit a little unevenly, "Not right now, Daniel. Come on, we have to get away from the gate and get into the Land of Light, remember? Get into the sunshine where it's warm?"

"Sunshine!" Daniel seemed to like that idea but Jack thought he'd probably get pretty excited about anything right now. And he wondered who the hell had ever invented a potion that gave you a partner who acted like a really horny seven year-old anyway? He had to keep reminding himself that this wasn't Daniel. It might look like Daniel, might have the same big blue eyes, incredibly beautiful mouth, smooth, hairless chest, long, slender legs and irresistibly cute little butt but...this wasn't Daniel. And Daniel didn't, as a general rule, tend to throw his arms around Jack's neck and smother him in kisses any more than he tended to be happy to roll around naked on king-sized beds with strange Goa'uld.

And, of course, it was just as well that Daniel didn't usually spend all his time throwing his arms around his CO's neck and smothering him in kisses because they'd never get anything done on missions. All the same, they weren't character traits that Jack could make himself dislike, however hard he tried. As Daniel was still unsteady on his feet, there was no avoiding the necessity of wrapping a supportive arm around that slender waist, any more than he could really object to Daniel nuzzling affectionately at his neck as they walked along. Nor could he find it in his heart to dislike Daniel murmuring a load of things that didn't make a whole lot of sense due to the currently scrambled condition of their speaker's brain but which were definitely fond and inviting.

Jack couldn't help sighing for what might have been. Daniel was such a happy little bunny right now and he wanted to do what happy little bunnies did; more, he wanted to do it with Jack O'Neill and Jack O'Neill really wanted to do it with him. The situation not helped by them reaching the sunlight because the first flower-strewn meadow they came to Daniel was tugging a thermal blanket from their surviving pack and spreading it out on the grass.

"Daniel, I really think we should..."

Daniel gave him a sideways glance that was endearingly sneaky. Jack could practically see the linguist's drug-addled little brain ticking away to itself. "Tired, Jack." Daniel made a show of stretching and gave a big and unconvincing yawn. "Very tired. Have to lie down now. Go to sleep."

"You want to go to sleep?" Jack said cynically. But his body had already dumped itself down on that blanket next to Daniel before his brain could register an objection.

Daniel yawned again. "Really tired." His show of weariness was rather spoilt by the eager way he reached across to unzip Jack's coat.

"Uh, Daniel, what are you doing?"

Daniel gave him an innocent look from eyes whose pupils were suspiciously dilated. "Have to go to sleep, Jack. Undress." And he pulled the Abydonian robes over his head and tossed them onto the edge of the blanket.

"Oh boy," Jack sighed. He was in a flower meadow on a blanket with a naked and - yes, had to check that little detail and it was just as he feared - fully erect Daniel Jackson, who was now showing a great deal of interest in unzipping his fly. "Daniel, you mustn't...Okay, you just did. Daniel, no - definitely not. No!"

Daniel was nuzzling inquisitively at his groin in a way that was only going to have one consequence. Jack grabbed a good handful of Daniel's hair and yanked the younger man's face out of his lap. He tried to summon up the sternest voice he could find as Daniel blinked up at him in baffled disappointment while licking his lips in a way that made Jack hard by itself.

"Danny, you said you were tired. You're going to lie down and go to sleep now, okay? You're going to go fast asleep, and when you wake up in the morning..." Jack sighed, And when you wake up in the morning, you'll still be a virgo intacto and I'll be kicking myself hard up the ass. He collected himself. "And when you wake up in the morning, with any luck you hopefully won't remember any of this."

"Please, Jack?"

"No."

Daniel was looking mournfully at Jack's groin, still licking his lips, disappointment tangible. "Let me do it a little bit?"

"No."

Daniel held his finger and thumb very close to each other. "Just a little eeny weeny tiny bit."

"No, Daniel. Now stop it and go to sleep." Jack zipped himself back up for emphasis.

Daniel looked upset at being shouted at and Jack automatically pulled him into his arms to comfort him. Having a naked Daniel snuggled against his chest was not unpleasant but he wasn't sure how sensible it was either, especially when Daniel began kissing his neck.

"No more kissing, Daniel."

His reply was some maddening little dabs in the hollow of his throat, then on his chest. Followed by Daniel pulling down the top of his t-shirt and trying to lick his skin.

"Daniel, stop it!"

Daniel snuggled in closer against him and nibbled his ear lobe. Jack sighed. It just felt so damned good; that was the trouble. Daniel's warm wriggly naked body pressing against his felt good, Daniel's breath on his neck felt wonderful, his lips and teeth nuzzling at his ear, cheekbone, jaw, throat and shoulder felt pretty amazing as well. And now Daniel was sneaking one of those elegant long-fingered hands towards his groin, sliding that zipper down very carefully, obviously hoping that he wouldn't be noticed straight away.

Jack hastily slapped the back of Daniel's hand before he lost all self-control. "Bad, Danny! Stop it."

Daniel gave an exclamation of annoyance and reproachfully licked his stinging hand, looking at Jack out of those big blue eyes as his lower lip pouted with disappointment.

Gazing down at that thwarted little face Jack wondered how the hell anyone had ever been able to tell Daniel off when he was a child because that look was a killer. He tried to find a way to stop Daniel stomping off in a huff and throwing himself at the first Minoan he saw. "Look, Daniel, Jack's very tired right now and his ankle hurts and – "

Daniel's face lit up with sympathy and understanding. "Kiss it better?"

"What?"

Before Jack could get a handle on the situation, Daniel was unlacing his teammate's boots and tossing them aside carelessly, peeling down his socks, then very gently undoing the strapping from Jack's wrenched ankle. Before Jack could raise any objection he felt warm breath against his bruised skin. Then a warmer mouth was touching it very gently and a tongue was licking him tenderly, wet heat gliding over his aching ankle like the best liniment ever devised by man.

"Oh boy." Jack pressed a hand to his forehead and lay back. He closed his eyes. "Daniel, that's enough. Daniel, it's much better now, you don't need to...Oh God." It was no good, his cock had been at half-mast for too long and Daniel's tongue against his ankle had just pushed that flag all the way to the top of the pole.

Daniel was raining kisses all over his bruised ankle now, making little crooning noises of sympathy as he did so. Jack kept his hand over his eyes so that he couldn't see the delectably naked body of the owner of that hot wet mouth. He said tautly, "It's feeling much better now, Daniel, thank you. Daniel. Damnit, Daniel, stop doing that!"

The kissing stopped and Jack heaved a sigh of relief, one which quickly turned to a gulp as he felt Daniel sneaking down the zipper on his pants again. Before he could react, that wonderful mouth had dived in and engulfed his groin.

"Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!"

Jack tried to fight his way back through the red waves of sensory pleasure billowing out from his cock to some kind of rational thought. Daniel was sucking him off eagerly, that warm wet mouth now covering his balls, his cock, that eagerly weeping tip, and it felt so incredibly good, so unbelievably wonderfully mind-shatteringly good. And... And Daniel wasn't in his right mind, he was juiced up on Cronos's magic potion, and he wasn't responsible for his actions, and Jack owed it to him as his commanding officer and his friend to stop him doing that right now.

Jack groaned in an agony of frustration, reached down, grabbed a handful of Daniel's hair and hauled him off his groin. "Daniel, no!"

Daniel was surprisingly strong and determined, and managed to pull loose and dive back there for another quick lick and suck before Jack grabbed him again and dumped him down on the blanket next to him. Trying to ignore the pain in a groin now simultaneously bursting for release and stunned with disappointment, Jack kept a hold on Daniel's hair and held up a warning finger. "That's...very naughty, Daniel, you're not to do that any more."

"Want to."

"Well, you can't."

God, Daniel had to have the most delectable pout on the planet. On any planet. That lower lip practically ordered you to bite it.

Jack wrenched his straying attention back to the job in hand. Daniel was looking at him sulkily but pleadingly, a near-irresistible combination. But Jack was a soldier, right? Trained to resist all kinds of temptation?

Daniel licked his lips, obviously still savoring the flavor of the older man's pre-cum in his mouth.

Jack groaned. "Stop doing that! Stop looking at me like that. And close your mouth, Daniel, close it right now and keep it closed. And close your eyes as well. And then lie down and go to sleep for crying out loud!" He shoved Daniel down onto the blanket next to him, pulled off his jacket and laid it over Daniel's middle section.

Daniel gave him another of those reproachful sideways looks and said pleadingly: "Want to."

"Not right now, Daniel. Maybe later."

"Later?" Daniel brightened up at once. Huge blue eyes looked up at the older man with unabashed adoration. "Can do it later?"

Jack swallowed. His throat was so dry he felt like he'd been gargling with sandpaper and the second Daniel was asleep he was going to have to jerk-off or he would explode. He managed to find his voice with difficulty, "We'll see. Now be a good boy and go to sleep."

Daniel smiled, "Yes, Jack." He snuggled down on the blanket next to Jack, gazing at him dotingly. He stroked the jacket covering him as though it was a favorite pet and said, "Love you, Jack."

"That's very sweet, Daniel. Now try and get some sleep."

"Love you lots and lots."

"That's even sweeter, but you really do need to get some sleep now."

"Love Teal'c too but love you best."

"I'm ecstatic to hear it."

"And Sam, love Sam too."

"Good."

"But still love you best."

Jack sighed, reached across and kissed Daniel on the forehead. "Danny, go to sleep before I do something I am going to regret for the rest of my life, okay? Pretty please? Just close those baby blues and go night-nights."

Daniel pulled the jacket up higher so it covered his shoulders, exposing a perfect curve of buttock and an endless length of leg. He snuggled into the jacket sleepily. "Night, Jack."

Resisting the urge to point out that it was in fact the middle of the afternoon, Jack sighed heavily, "Night, Daniel. Sweet dreams."

Daniel said very drowsily, "Going to dream of you, Jack, like I always do..." And then his breathing slowed and he drifted into what was clearly a deep and relaxing slumber.

Jack couldn't resist the urge to reach across and run the back of his hand gently up the side of Daniel's face. If only Daniel was like this all the time, he thought, and then realized that a Daniel who was like this all the time would make for a damned boring conversationalist and really wouldn't be that much of an asset on missions. And anyway, he didn't want a Daniel who was like this all the time; he wanted the Daniel he knew to want him as much as this Daniel did. And that wasn't ever gonna happen. Well, in his dreams perhaps, but never in the cold light of day. And he could have had what he'd wanted for so long, could have had a Daniel who loved and wanted him and was more than willing to do any damned thing that Jack O'Neill wanted to do with him.

But at what cost? Jack collected himself. That was the reason he'd been hauling Daniel's delectable mouth off his groin for the past half an hour, after all, wasn't it? Because he already had something so special it certainly wasn't worth sacrificing even for what had promised to be the most devastatingly wonderful blow-job in the world. He had the friendship and trust and – yes, he was pretty sure he had the love of Doctor Daniel Jackson. Daniel did love him in his own way, and maybe it wasn't the panting, writhing, kissy-kissy way, but it was still love and he still valued it more highly than any decoration he'd ever had pinned onto his chest. If he'd let this poor doped-up Daniel do what a Daniel in his right mind would never have wanted to do, then he would have been betraying that trust and friendship and love, and for what? For one lousy orgasm. He and Daniel and Carter and Teal'c looked out for each other, protected each other, made sacrifices for each other. That was the deal, and he couldn't change the rules just because the precipice Daniel was heading for this time happened to be one he would have really enjoyed the archaeologist falling off. He thought of all the times Daniel had gone to sleep right next to him, with his head on his shoulder, or on his chest, and the times they'd stripped off in front of each other, showered together, and never given it a second thought. He was going to screw all that up for one little fuck?

A delicious little fuck he was sure. He had no doubt whatsoever that making love to even this doped-up, mind-altered, touched-up-by-Cronos Daniel Jackson, would have been a wonderful experience, but it would have been undermined by guilt even as it was happening; even as he was coming, in the back of his mind he would have known it was the Wrong Thing To Do.

Jack sighed and sat up, he reached across and grabbed Daniel's robes, draping them over those impossibly long legs and that impossibly cute butt. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Right. He had resisted temptation. Good for him. It was just a pity that giving into temptation would have earned him a mind-shatteringly wonderful blow-job from someone he desired almost as much as life itself, whereas resisting temptation had earned him – what? Squat. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Nothing. Which was why he guessed they always told you virtue was its own reward - it damned well had to be.

Peachy. And now he had thoroughly convinced himself that he had indeed, done the Right Thing, he just needed to go over there behind that tree and jerk off until his hand was tired.

***

Daniel woke up with a groan and Jack winced in sympathy. His teammate had clearly come back down to earth with a hangover and a half.

"God, what were we drinking last...?" Daniel blinked in surprise and then took in their surroundings. It was late afternoon and the meadow was still humming with warmth, birds and yes, even bees. He rolled over on the blanket and the jacket draped over him slid off his shoulder. "Are we in the – ?"

"Land of Light," Jack confirmed. He tried to sound as calm as possible, hoping that Daniel wouldn't remember what had happened after he'd been given that Mickey Finn by Cronos.

Daniel blinked and ran his tongue over his dry lips. "Didn't we -? Abydos. We went to Abydos because Kasuf was ill, and then we – I misdialed." He stared at Jack wide-eyed, "Jack, I'm so sorry. I misdialed and you hurt your ankle."

"It's fine, Daniel. Don't worry about it."

Daniel sat up and ran a hand through his hair. "I remember – Actually, I'm not sure what I remember. Something about...Cronos?" He looked across at Jack for confirmation. "I got caught by Cronos."

"Actually you got caught on purpose because you were trying to lure his guards away from me - a trick you had better not ever try again."

"It worked though, didn't it?" Daniel frowned as he tried to remember. "And you obviously did get away and then come and rescue me, so clearly my cunning plan worked perfectly – Oh my God." Daniel swallowed convulsively as memory hit him like a tidal wave. "He gave me something...made me drink...it tasted like the Blood of Sokar...it made me..."

"That's right," Jack said quickly, "and he got pissed with you and I went and grabbed you back, then you dialed here and here we both are, safe and sound."

Daniel had gone even paler than usual. He turned his head and looked the older man in the eyes. "Jack, tell me I dreamt all of that."

Jack returned his gaze unblinkingly. "All of what, Daniel? Cronos was asking you about Teal'c, he wanted you to lure him to his planet, you wouldn't do it, Cronos got angry and hit you then stormed off in a huff, you and I skipped out of there and came here. Anything else you must have dreamt or hallucinated."

Daniel stared at him for a long moment, apparently reading the other man's mind because when he'd done he gave a little nod and then put his hands up to his face. "Oh please, just kill me now."

"Daniel, I have no idea what you're – "

The ferocious look Daniel shot him made Jack break-off in mid-sentence. Daniel jabbed a finger at him. "Don't lie to me, Jack, I know you too well and it won't work with me. There is nothing wrong with my memory. I remember everything that happened very well indeed."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Daniel looked at him for a moment. "So, Jack, why did you tell me to dial somewhere that wasn't home?"

He hadn't thought of that one and it caught him unawares. "Because - um, because..."

"Because I was so out of things I kept trying to stick my tongue down your throat and you didn't want me making an idiot of myself in the SGC. Wasn't that it?" Daniel didn't even wait for his answer, just shaking his head. "Now, if you have a gun with you, just hand it over and let me do the decent thing."

"You didn't do anything wrong."

"Oh please!" Daniel gave a decidedly hollow laugh.

"You didn't, Daniel. Cronos drugged you, but you didn't tell him anything. Teal'c is still safe, you and I are both safe. End of story."

Daniel curled up in a ball and wrapped his arms around his head. "I can't even look at you any more," he groaned. "Oh God, Jack, how could I have been so...? How could I have...? How can you even bear to have a conversation with me after what I...?"

"Daniel?" As the man rocked from side to side, lost in his misery, Jack reached across and touched his head. "Daniel, don't do this to yourself, okay? It isn't like you tried to kill me. All you wanted to do was be nice to me. I don't mind at all and there's no harm done to either of us."

Daniel just groaned again and curled up tighter.

Jack watched him helplessly for a moment and then leant across and peered down at him. Daniel's eyes were open but unseeing and they were clouded with misery. Jack winced and said gently, "Daniel? Please don't do this to yourself. It's only you and me here, no one else needs to know."

"I was so...disgusting," Daniel said in a dead voice.

"Daniel, you were not disgusting."

"I was! I tried to – " Daniel let his gaze flicker in the direction of Jack's groin. "You know."

"Actually, you were kinda cute – well, very cute - and if you and me hadn't had to go on working together I'd have been all for everything you wanted to do. And – look," Jack wiggled his ankle, "your treatment worked really well on my foot."

Daniel reluctantly sat up and looked across at the men bleakly. "You're not going to make me feel better about this, Jack. I just can't believe that anyone could feel this humiliated and not actually die from it."

Jack sighed. "Oh, Daniel, I wish you'd learn to cut yourself a bit of slack."

Daniel noticed he was still naked and hastily wrapped the Abydonian robes around his waist, shooting Jack another embarrassed glance as he did so.

Shaking his head, Jack said, "Daniel, I have seen you naked before. It's no big deal."

"It becomes a big deal when I try to go down on you when you don't want me to."

"I never said I didn't want you to. I just didn't think it was a good idea for you to do it when you were full of Cronos's happy juice, that's all."

He was aware of Daniel shooting him another sideways look, assessing, puzzled, trying to read him and failing. Jack shrugged, looking down the hillside to the trees below, letting Daniel study his profile and read what he would into it. He moistened his lips. He was tiptoeing over quicksand now, he knew. "And you're not the only one who has reason to be ashamed of himself."

Daniel frowned. "Why's that?"

"Well, I didn't drink any of that stuff and it still nearly killed me to say no to you, even though I knew you weren't in your right mind. Now, how humiliating is that?" He risked a glance at Daniel and saw he had his mouth open again. Jack had noticed before what a beautiful mouth it was but now he knew how it felt to be kissed by those sweet moist lips it was harder than ever not to gaze at it with outright longing.

Daniel collected himself with an obvious effort, a hint of color in his cheeks as he busied himself with pulling his robes over his head. He kept his gaze averted as he said quietly, "Are you just saying that to make me feel better?"

"I wish I was."

Daniel was darting him another look, he could practically feel it against his skin. Jack shrugged. "Daniel, don't take this the wrong way, but when you and Cronos were – you know. I wasn't exactly a disinterested observer if you get my meaning."

"You mean you – ?" Daniel's mouth dropped open again. "You got – ?"

"Very hard, Daniel, very fast." Jack risked a quick look, wanting to know if disgust or anger were going to show themselves on that familiar face; if he had just taken a step too far in the wrong direction and blown the most important relationship in his life straight out of the water. He swallowed and risked another step. "And then I got very jealous."

Daniel ducked his head and when Jack darted another look in his direction he couldn't tell what the man was thinking. After a long pause, Daniel said tautly, "Jack, if you're just being tactful and trying to make me feel better about the way I behaved, then don't, because I might interpret what you're telling me as something else."

"You can interpret it any way you like, Daniel, I'm telling you the truth. I have never found anything harder than saying no to you when you were offering to go down on me, and I have never been harder than when I saw you frolicking with that Goa'uld in your birthday suit. And I was jealous as hell when I thought you were going to ask for Teal'c to come and play with you in Cronos's bedroom."

Still keeping his gaze fixed firmly on the ground, Daniel said in a small voice, "So when I said that I wanted you...?"

"I was very pleased to hear it." Jack moistened his lips. "And okay, now it's your turn to be honest with me. When you were under the influence of that brain-scrambling stuff, was anything you told me true?"

"Such as?"

"Such as - have you ever wanted to do any of the things you wanted to do when you were drugged when you weren't drugged?"

Daniel flinched and ducked his head even lower. His 'Yes' was said so quietly Jack could hardly hear it.

Jack heaved a big sigh of relief and lay back down. "Yes, Veronica, there is a Santa Claus!"

"It's 'Virginia', Jack. 'Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus'."

"Whatever." Jack rolled onto his side and looked across at the younger man.

Still a little reluctantly, Daniel also lay down on his side and returned Jack's gaze. Daniel gave him an anxious smile but then said, "So, now what the hell do we do?"

"I have no idea," Jack admitted. "But what I really want to do right now is kiss you."

Daniel's little smile got bigger. "Funny, that's exactly what I'd like you to do. That has to be a first, you and me both wanting the same thing at the same..." Seeing the look in the other man's eyes, he stumbled to a halt. "Oh boy," he said faintly.

Jack stroked his left hand up the side of Daniel's face then he leant forward very slowly and allowed their lips to touch. He felt Daniel sigh into his mouth before those lips parted and as he let his tongue delve gently into that warm wet cavern, he felt Daniel's tongue tentatively curl against his. He sucked gently on Daniel's tongue and felt the younger man give a little shiver of pleasure that was very arousing. And God, if being kissed by an adorably dopey Daniel was enjoyable then being kissed by a completely-in-control-of-himself Daniel was about a hundred times better.

All the same it was a very pleasant surprise when Daniel's hands fastened onto the side of his head and he found that tentative kiss turning into a passionate one, Daniel's tongue thrusting into his mouth so hungrily Jack felt himself get hard straight away. Daniel tasted wonderful and Jack couldn't imagine a nicer way to spend an evening than relishing every one of his subtle flavors leisurely but very, very thoroughly. Although he was badly in need of oxygen it was still a disappointment when Daniel pulled away.

Jack cocked an eyebrow at him. "Something wrong?"

"I was just wondering how far you wanted to take this?" Daniel sounded a little breathless and Jack guessed he wasn't the only one with an erection.

Assuming that Daniel was wary of being penetrated, Jack said reassuringly, "Only as far as you want to, Daniel. Kissing is fine."

Daniel ran a hand through his short hair. "Does that mean you want to stop at kissing or...?"

Intrigued, Jack gave him an enquiring glance. "Daniel, anything you want to do is okay with me. Just what exactly did you have in mind?"

"I'm not sure, I just thought if one or the other of us wanted to get inventive, we ought to know where we stood."

Jack couldn't help that slow smile spreading over his face as he saw the humor tugging at Daniel's mouth. "Ooh, inventive, eh? I like the sound of that. But just how inventive were you planning on getting Doctor Jackson, because I have to tell you, you're up against some pretty stiff competition?"

Daniel looked hurt. "You're going to be comparing me with other people you've slept with?"

Jack stretched out a hand and stroked Daniel's fringe back from his face. "No, Daniel, I'm going to be comparing you with you, and, I have to tell you, you were pretty damned hot this afternoon - downright irresistible in fact."

Daniel shot him a sideways glance. "Well, I seem to remember you resisting me pretty well actually, Jack."

"Ah, but if you only knew what it cost me."

"Really?" Daniel pulled the robes back over his head, discarded them then got on to his hands and knees and crawled closer. His gaze was fixed on Jack's face. "So, some of those buttons I was pressing...?"

Licking suddenly dry lips as a naked Daniel crawled towards him, Jack murmured, "Electric current straight to the groin."

"So, you're not averse to...?"

"Oh no. Couldn't be less averse, Daniel."

"So, if I did this, for instance?"

Once more, Jack felt those long fingers sneaking their way to his groin and carefully closing on his zipper, easing it down with agonizing slowness. He swallowed. "Let's just say that if you're waiting to hear screams of protest, you're going to have a long wait."

Daniel finished unzipping him, put his mouth over Jack's groin so the man could feel that hot breath against the tip of his already hardening cock and then...

"No, not yet." Daniel grinned up at him mischievously. "I have lots of things I want to do and if I do that first, you might just roll over and go to sleep on me."

Jack groaned, lay down flat on the blanket and put his hand over his eyes. "You are going to kill me if you keep this up. I'm going to die of Terminal Frustration."

"Everything comes to he who waits, Jack."

Daniel crawled up him carefully, straddling him so that his bare legs were each side of Jack's body. Peeking out from under his hand, Jack had a wonderful view of an erect cock that looked very appetizing. "Well, if you don't want to – "

"No, you don't." Daniel bent his head to kiss him tenderly.

Jack reached up, wrapped his arms around Daniel then rolled them both over so that Daniel was underneath him, then he kissed him deeper and harder, tongue thrusting hungrily into that delectable cavern before he withdrew it gently to nibble at his irresistible lower lip. Daniel very slowly opened his eyes and looked up at him. Gazing into those incredibly long eyelashes and huge blue eyes, Jack shook his head in disbelief.

"God, Daniel you're just so damned – hot."

Daniel gave another of his little half smiles. "Flattery will get you everywhere."

"I'm very relieved to hear it because everywhere was pretty much where I wanted to go." Jack bent down and kissed him again, then moved down from that wonderful mouth to that equally delicious throat, nibbling it gently. Daniel tasted slightly salty, skin silk smooth and wholly edible. Jack craned his neck to tongue Daniel's small but perfect ear and felt Daniel shudder with pleasure and give a little gasp. He couldn't resist paying that mouth a little more attention, filling it with thrusting, hungry kisses that left them both in need of air. Smiling, Jack lowered his head, breathed on and then licked Daniel's nipples and got to find out exactly how it must have felt for Cronos when the SGC's prettiest anthropologist was arching his spine underneath him.

"Oh boy," Jack murmured. "This is even more fun than it looked."

As his trail of kisses moved down across Daniel's abdomen, paused briefly to lave his navel, and then headed determinedly for his groin, Daniel grabbed his head again and held him still. "No, you don't."

Jack looked up at him in frustration. "Damnit, Daniel, you're spoiling my fun here."

"You're still dressed and I want to be on top."

"Nope."

Daniel ran his tongue over his lips. "Well I can't give you a blow-job from this position, now can I, Jack?"

Jack looked at that cock he so wanted to suck on and then thought of the insistent clamor from his own. He groaned and rolled off Daniel onto the blanket. "Ever heard of a wonderful number called sixty-nine?" he grumbled as he pulled off his jacket and t-shirt then slid out of his pants.

As soon as Jack was naked and lying back down again, Daniel's straddled the older man and kissed him on the nose. "You were so damned noble this afternoon, Jack," he said softly. "I really think you deserve a reward."

"It was a piece of cake," Jack assured him. "Having you naked and begging for it when I've been wanting nothing else for years hardly affected me at all."

Daniel wriggled on top of him deliberately, making sure his groin moved against Jack's. "Am I not affecting you now?"

"Oh boy..." Jack put a hand back over his eyes and Daniel grinned and squirmed on top of him as invitingly as he could. "Daniel, if you want to make me come you're going the right way about it."

"You'll come when I let you and not before."

Jack took the hand from his eyes and returned Daniel's gaze. "Think you know what you're doing, do you?"

"Oh, I think so." Daniel slid down Jack's body, kissing him as he did so, throat, nipples, chest, abdomen, navel, groin.

Jack sighed with pleasure as that wonderful mouth breathed on the head of his cock, and then a delicate tongue began to trace a line from the weeping head to his balls. Daniel was deliberately taking his time and if it was torture it was very sweet torture to have his cock licked and his balls nuzzled and gently sucked in their sacs, that sensitive head breathed on like it was a mirror about to be wiped and then mouthed so tenderly. It was Jack's turn to arch his back and groan and he had to grip the blanket hard in both hands to stop himself from grabbing Daniel by the hair and thrusting down that delicious throat.

"God, Danny, please..."

"Patience, Jack."

Jack opened his eyes to see another of those maddening little smiles playing at Daniel's mouth. "Have you done this before?" he demanded.

With his mouth hovering over Jack's straining cock, Daniel looked up at him in surprise. "No."

"So how come you're so damned good at it?"

Daniel smiled again. "Let's just say I find the material I have to work with very inspiring."

He licked up the length Jack's cock as though it was an ice cream and the older man groaned with frustration, shaking with his need to thrust. He clamped a hand back across his eyes. "You're making a happy man feel very old, Daniel."

"Jack, you're forty-four so I'm figuring I only get the one shot at this before you're snoring." Another lick, Daniel's tongue deliberately caressing the sensitive head this time.

Jack couldn't argue with his reasoning but he still thought it damned unfair that Daniel still was reasoning at a time like this. "Death by blow-job - that's going to look good on the certificate, isn't it?"

Taking pity on him at last, Daniel did finally close his mouth over that straining cock and begin to suck him properly.

And for a first-timer, Jack had to admit Daniel was pretty good at this. If he wasn't quite up to full deep-throating he was taking in as much as he could and was using his tongue, lips and mouth to great effect. In fact he was lighting a fire that was spreading out from the cock he was sucking like a burning forest. Jack began to feel an answering wave of sensation rising from his feet, felt it tingle over his wrenched ankle where Daniel's mouth had lingered earlier, and then it was up to his knees, heading along his thighs...

Daniel pulled out and Jack banged his head against the blanket in frustration, "God, Daniel!" He opened his eyes and glowered up at the man as Daniel sat back on his thighs and wiped a hand across his mouth. "Just my luck - the man I've been lusting after all this time turns out to be a prick-teaser!"

Daniel got onto his hands and knees and crawled back up Jack's body, having to raise his rump to hurdle the straining cock pointing at him in accusation. He kissed Jack on the lips before looking him in the eyes, "I don't want you to come in my mouth, Jack."

Jack licked his lips. "You obviously think I have no self-control, Daniel. Can I remind you which one of us it was who managed to resist the blandishments of an unbelievably toothsome archaeologist this afternoon?"

Daniel didn't even blink, still holding his gaze. "I want you to come inside me."

"Oh boy!" Jack rolled over quickly and clenched a hand to his groin. Through gritted teeth he said over his shoulder, "Damnit, Daniel, give me some warning before you say stuff like that! That damned near did it for me."

Daniel bent his head and ran his tongue around Jack's ear. He whispered invitingly, "Fuck me, Jack."

Jack had to wage a brief war with a cock that was threatening to explode before he could roll back again. He reached up, grabbed Daniel by the back of the head and pulled him in for a breath-stealing kiss, then rolled him onto his back before kissing him again. As he felt their groins clash pleasurably together, he had to think hard about tapioca and galoshes to stop the orgasm from overwhelming him.

"Close one," he murmured as he reluctantly withdrew his mouth from Daniel's. "You are just too damned enticing all round."

Lying supine on the blanket, Daniel batted his eyelashes at him beguilingly. "I do my best."

"I nearly died when you did that to Arris Boch," Jack admitted. "I couldn't believe any man with a pulse wouldn't have taken you up on what you were offering. What the hell would you have done if he had taken you up on what you were offering, incidentally?"

"I was counting on you to rescue me before I had to offer him anything of course, Jack."

Jack kissed him again, lingering over that so-biteable bottom lip as he nibbled it tenderly. "Not one of your smartest plans, Dr Jackson."

"Well, my plan worked today, didn't it? I knew Cronos would be bound to force me to drink half a gallon of an aphrodisiac drug before stripping me naked and fondling me in front of you, thereby forcing you to declare your true feelings. Given the glyphs on the walls, it was the only thing he could do."

Jack looked at him narrowly. "You just made that up."

Daniel smiled and Jack thought that had to be the cutest smile to ever grace a human face since the beginning of time. "Had you wondering for a minute there though, didn't I?"

Jack thought it was high time Daniel stopped feeling so damned pleased with himself and started doing a little more moaning and writhing. He slid a warm hand down Daniel's body slowly, lingering over his hairless chest, smoothing fingers across surprisingly hard abdominal muscles, caressing his thighs gently before curling his fingers around the man's erect cock. Daniel gave a very satisfactory little gasp. Jack smiled and began to stroke him.

"Now what was this about you wanting me to fuck you, Danny?"

"Oh yes, Jack." Daniel arched his back, fingers clenching in the blanket in his turn.

Still stroking him firmly, Jack mouthed his throat, murmuring, "Say it again, Daniel. Tell me what you want me to do."

"Oh God, Jack. Oh please."

With his hand pumping Daniel's straining cock, Jack tongued his nipples mercilessly, loving the sensation of those nubs hardening at once beneath his mouth. "What was it you wanted me to do again, Daniel? Cancel my subscription to National Geographic? File my tax return with the IRS?"

"Jack – please. Stop, Jack! Stop or I'll...!"

Jack stopped and grinned down at the sweating linguist evilly. "Two can play at the torture game you see, Dannyboy. I can let my fingers do the walking all over your erogenous zones."

Gasping and sheened with sweat, Daniel moistened his dry lips before panting breathlessly, "Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?"

Jack reached for and grabbed the pack, delved into it and pulled out the sunblock all while still gazing at Daniel. He wanted the younger man to see the heat in his eyes and Daniel certainly seemed to be getting the message because there was a flush of color on those molded cheekbones that hadn't been there before.

Daniel swallowed. "If you keep looking at me like that I'm going to come."

Jack sent his gaze across Daniel's body like a laser beam - who the hell needed a ribbon device, he could leave a heated path across that smooth skin just by looking at it - and Daniel arched his back and opened his legs just as though he could feel where Jack's gaze was traveling. Still not looking at anything except Daniel, Jack squeezed sunblock into his palm and dabbled his fingers in it.

"Okay, this is going to be a little cold going in," he warned.

Daniel gasped as Jack's slicked finger slid inside him. Jack was pleased to find Daniel much more relaxed than he would have expected. He'd always known Daniel trusted him but it was still pleasant to get further proof of it. It was obvious he was a lot more worried about hurting Daniel than Daniel was worried about Jack hurting him. When he began to finger him gently, Daniel just sighed, closed his eyes, and relaxed straight into it, clearly taking to this kind of foreplay like a duck to water.

Jack looked down at the man between his legs in wonder. "Could you be any more perfect if you tried?"

Daniel smiled but kept his eyes closed, clearly enjoying the sensations flooding his system as he was explored, moving his hips a little to meet each probe and drive the finger in deeper.

After a minute or two, Daniel opened his eyes and said hoarsely, "Do it now, Jack."

"Are you sure?" Jack couldn't help thinking that the difference between one finger's length and width to that of an erect cock might be too big a jump.

"I'm getting very close so if you don't get in here and join me you're going to miss the main feature."

That was all the urging he needed because he was damned sure he wanted to feel Daniel tighten around his cock as the pleasure wave exploded through him.

"Okay, Daniel. Here it comes." He hooked Daniel's knees over his shoulders and then very gently began to push in. Daniel closed his eyes and Jack saw him concentrating on trying to relax around the cock inside him, breathing carefully as it penetrated deeper.

Jack entered Daniel as slowly as he possibly could so it took a while before he was buried in Daniel up to the root. Daniel had been wincing a little as it went in but he hadn't made any objection, just kept his eyes closed and concentrated on keeping his breathing regular and deep. Now, Jack stayed as still as he could as he waited for the younger man to adjust.

"Take all the time you need, Danny," he said gently. "It's not like either of us has a plane to catch."

"Speak for yourself, Jack," Daniel murmured. "I've got a hot date this evening I need to get back for."

Jack looked at him in exasperation. "Oh yeah, like that's a sensible thing to say to someone who has you where I do right now. Don't you have any commonsense?"

Daniel opened his eyes and gave him a wonderful smile. "I just trust you."

"You still shouldn't provoke incredibly turned-on men who have their cocks inside you."

"But it's fun, Jack."

It was no good he just had to kiss him. Daniel gave a little yelp as Jack leant forward and pressed his mouth against his, the movement inevitably pushing that cock even deeper inside him. "Let that be a lesson to you," Jack murmured into his mouth.

Daniel's only answer was to tighten around him in a way that made Jack gasp with pleasure. He looked down at the gently smiling Daniel in mingled wonder and admiration, "You're full of surprises today, Doctor Jackson." And then he had to kiss him again, kiss those eyelids, that nose, that beautiful mouth, push his tongue in deep and feel Daniel's tongue curl hungrily against his, had to nibble and then gently bite that pouty lower lip, nibble that throat, lick the little hollow at the base of his neck. Daniel was groaning with pleasure and Jack was so deep inside him now he figured they'd have to be surgically separated.

"Please, Jack, oh please..."

"I really hope you know what you're asking for..."

Jack told himself firmly that he had to take it slow. They were both so damned close to the edge that if he didn't take it slow they were going to be coming before they'd got going and after waiting so long for this moment he really didn't want it to be over in an eye-blink. He pulled out almost all the way and then pushed forward, Daniel giving a sigh of satisfaction that turned into a gasp of enjoyment as Jack obviously made contact with the prostate.

Jack couldn't believe how wonderful it felt to be finally inside that silky heat. Daniel was so tight and yet so obviously wanting him, each gentle thrust eliciting an answering gasp of what seemed to be unalloyed pleasure.

"This okay for you?" he asked as he thrust again.

Daniel gave him a lazy smile. "Oh, I'm really suffering here, Jack, can't you tell?"

Jack decided a few thrusts that really pounded into that prostate were the only possible answer to sarcasm from subordinates.

The ripple of pleasure ran right through Daniel and discharged into Jack. Daniel had his arms thrown back behind his head now, head turning from side to side as the wonderful sensations all but overwhelmed him. He was jolting to the rhythm of each hard thrust. "Oh boy... Oh Jack..."

Jack wanted to respond but he was too aware of the sensations flooding his own nervous system, and it was no good, he really did have to just concentrate on thrusting into the wonderful warmth that was Daniel. As he felt the pleasure building up from his toes again, he drew back and then slammed forward, once, twice, three times, which was when Daniel gave a sudden convulsion, gasping as the pleasure wave licked straight through him. Teetering on the brink himself Jack felt Daniel tighten around him as he came, that movement enough to tip him over into a white noise of ecstasy himself.

He came around to find himself deliriously kissing Daniel, who was equally deliriously responding, their tongues fumbling hungrily together. Realizing that they could be in a much more comfortable position than this, Jack slid out and gently unhooked Daniel's long legs from his shoulders, holding him under the thighs and pulling him back down the blanket so his head wasn't on the grass. Then he dived back in for another kiss and felt Daniel's arms and legs wrap around his body as Daniel pulled him in as close as he could.

They rolled over as they kissed until whoever was underneath felt grass against his back, whereupon they rolled back the other way. Only their need for oxygen finally forced them apart.

Rolling them both over again so that he was on top, Jack stroked a few strands of sweat-soaked fringe from off Daniel's forehead. "Did I ever mention how gorgeous you are?"

"I think it came up. Did I tell you how I feel about you?"

"Yeah, you pretty much covered that this afternoon."

"Oh right." Daniel lowered his eyelashes and looked at Jack from underneath them. "When we get back to Earth will you smack the back of my hand and tell me I'm naughty if I try to – you know – you again?"

"Only if there are people watching, Daniel. If it's just you and me there you can go right ahead with my blessing."

"I'd still quite like you to tell me I'm naughty sometimes when we're alone as well."

Jack felt his flaccid groin give a little spasm of anticipation and swallowed. "You and I are going to have so much fun, aren't we?"

Daniel reached up and kissed him again. "Oh yeah."

Jack collected himself with an effort. "I have to kill Cronos at some point though. The bastard had no right feeling you up like that, or slapping you around."

"I was thinking of sending him a 'Thank You' card myself." Daniel sighed and looked over at his robes without enthusiasm. "I guess we ought to get back."

Jack gave a heavier sigh. Having seen Daniel unclothed, he thought Daniel getting back into those ratty old robes was a crime against the optic nerve, but he did reluctantly kneel up so Daniel could get out from underneath him. Daniel got up and stretched luxuriously, those lean muscles rippling as he did so. Jack felt his throat get dry looking up at him.

Daniel ran a hand through his hair to get any grass stems out and then noticed the way Jack was gazing at him. He did a quick twirl, like a model showing off a designer dress, so Jack got an eyeful of every inch of his naked body. "All yours," he told the man with another maddening little smile. "All you have to do is ask."

Jack swallowed, momentarily finding himself incapable of speech or indeed rational thought. Daniel dropped back down on the blanket next to him, leant forward and kissed him very tenderly on the mouth, sucking gently on Jack's tongue before brushing his lips across his jaw, sending a little trail of kisses up to his ear where he whispered, "All you ever had to do was ask, Jack."

Jack found his voice with difficulty: "You could have offered."

Daniel snuggled in against him and Jack automatically wrapped his arms around him, stroking that smooth skin, feeling that silken strength against his own naked body and thinking that this was happiness, right here, right now. It was something neither of them had ever thought they'd find again, and yet had found – and how.

Daniel said very softly, "Didn't think I had anything you wanted, Jack, or I would have done."

"So, we're clear on that now?" Jack pressed, throat still a little dry. "Or is there any way I can make it plainer how much I like what you're offering?"

"No, I think we pretty much covered that." Daniel rubbed his face in against Jack's neck. "But I really am tired now. Do you think there's time for me to take a nap?"

Resisting the urge to point out it wasn't the forty-four year old amongst them who was flaking out after sex, Jack reached down and stroked Daniel's hair. "Sure, Daniel. We've got all the time in the world."

Daniel gave a contented sigh and laid his head against Jack's chest. Jack managed to lean across and snag his jacket from where it had been discarded. He pulled it over and wrapped it around Daniel's shoulders.

Daniel gave a little smile but didn't open his eyes. "Love you, Jack," he murmured only half in mockery. "Love you lots and lots."

Jack couldn't help that sigh of absolute contentment escaping from him as he looked around at the landscape. It certainly was a beautiful country. And there actually were rabbits hopping about down there, he noticed; he hoped they were getting to do what rabbits liked to do best as well. For himself, he had found out what happiness was; it was a meadow in the afternoon, with a naked Daniel snuggled up against you in the sunshine. Proving that sometimes, virtue didn't have to be its own reward – sometimes fate handed you a Good Conduct prize that was better than anything you'd ever even dreamed of.

The End