Damn

By JayEm

Stepping up to Daniel's apartment door, Jack shifted the six-pack and pizza in his hands, trying to free some appendage in order to knock. When it became clear he couldn’t without risking losing one of the items he held, Jack kicked out with his foot.

Surprisingly the door opened on its own. Jack drew a deep breath in preparation for yet another lecture on the function and practicality of locks, when he caught sight of the lecturee.

Damn.

Daniel was in the kitchen cleaning the walls of some sort of brownish stain. Not necessarily unusual, though a bit surprising, but the real shock was Daniel himself. A bright blue bandanna bobbed along with the smooth movements of Daniel's body, a body encased in faded denim shorts, and a t-shirt that had to have seen better days. Sleeves gone and revealing lean muscle flexing and rippling as
Daniel moved to and fro with the sponge in his hand.

Damn.

Jack was taken aback by his reaction. He'd seen Daniel plenty of times in a lot less, but this was...

Damn.

With a deep swallow, Jack cleared his throat to announce his presence.
Daniel jumped, the bucket of water at his feet sloshing noisily at the movement.
Jack saw the clear blue eyes shift from shock to confusion to warm welcome in the space of a blink.

"Hey, Jack..."

Jack had to swallow again, the blue bandanna had an entirely different effect than the muted green or camo ones Daniel usually wore on missions. His eyes were practically shining. The white t-shirt only accentuated the effect and pointed out to Jack a fact he realized he'd always known.

Daniel was freaking gorgeous.

Thoughts pushed away a hundred times were suddenly begging for attention, thoughts and feelings he knew were better left unsaid, but...

Damn.

"Jack?"

Daniel was looking at him in concern, moving closer, affecting Jack's pulse in a way he hadn't felt in a long time.

“Hungry?” Jack winced at the choked rasp of his voice.

Daniel still had his trademark wrinkle of concern between his brows, but he smiled at Jack and nodded. " I could eat..."

Jack had to swallow again at the reply his not-so-witty libido wanted to make, then moved to the dining table to drop off the pizza and beer.

Losing direct eye contact with Daniel helped clear Jack's head and he reached for a casual tone. "What're you doin'?"

A distinct flush reddened Daniel's cheeks and his head dipped in embarrassment.

"I - uh - the coffeemaker...um...."

Jack sat down and studied the wall in question. The pattern of the stains looked distinctly familiar, almost like...

"You left it on too long and the pot blew up?"

The deepening flush confirmed Jack’s guess and Daniel laughed lightly. "Yeah..."
Jack tried really hard not to laugh, but the stain and Daniel's ‘whipped puppy in need of a caffeine fix’ expression made it impossible.

It earned him a slightly irritated grin as Daniel sat down opposite him at the table.

"Eat up and I'll help, then we'll see about getting you a new one."

Daniel’s smile of gratitude was almost blinding and Jack found himself back in the same decidedly erotic nether zone he'd been in just a few minutes before.

Damn.

As Daniel helped himself to the pizza and slid one of the beers closer, Jack found his attention locked on the pulse point at Daniel's throat, and the lean muscle disappearing below it into the split collar of the white t-shirt.

When the hell had Daniel gotten this...this...

Damn.

Jack jerked himself back to the present, realizing he'd missed Daniel saying something. The concerned look was back, combined with an edge Jack couldn't quite identify.

"Jack...?"

Daniel's voice was soft, the blue of his eyes seeming to glow around pupils huge with...what? Desire?

'Keep dreaming, O'Neill...’

Jack coughed and cast about for an evasive maneuver; he had to have one somewhere, he'd used them all his life.

Daniel's fingers...his long, incredibly agile-looking fingers...were caressing his beer bottle in smooth strokes up and down, and even swallowing wouldn't remove the lump in Jack's throat anymore.

Damn.

"Daniel?" Jack knew his voice squeaked and he'd really passed the point of caring...he had to know.

With a small smile, Daniel leaned forward, his hand reaching across to lightly stroke Jack's, a gesture that *could* just be concern for a friend. Could be if it weren't for the heat practically leaping from his eyes, or the nervous lines that had formed around his mouth.

Jack let his hand raise into the gentle touch, let it move until the palm was facing up and their hands met in a weirdly natural handshake, a quiet hello for two people who were only now meeting.

They'd known each other for years...as CO and team member, as opposites in so many ways, as unusual friends and confidantes. But this was new. This was....

Damn.

With a smile, Jack got up, keeping the hand safe within his own. They met halfway - oddly appropriate, Jack thought - at the end of the table, sliding into an embrace as if they'd been doing it all their lives.

Jack hesitated just a moment, wanting to be sure, but Daniel nodded and moved even closer. The faint scent of the few swallows of beer he'd drunk found it's way to Jack, along with the myriad smells that *were* Daniel...sandalwood and old paper, clean sweat and a slight saltiness Jack had always associated with the younger man's temper.

Reaching up one hand to stroke the face he now knew was all he wanted, Jack leaned in - once again meeting his new lover halfway. It seemed only right.

It was fire and ice, burning its way through his body even as he was overwhelmed by the sensation of time standing still, respectfully acknowledging the incredible thing that had just happened here.

When the need to breathe reasserted itself, Jack pulled back and looked into Daniel's eyes, eyes sparkling with emotion, smiling just for him, happier than Jack had seen them in too long a time. This was more than lust over an admittedly incredible-looking friend. It was more than two warm and willing bodies coming together on a summer's day. It was deep and true and as real as anything Jack had ever known. It was him, it was Daniel, it was love.

Damn.

The clear blue looking back at him reflected thoughts and feelings Jack realized he'd always been able to read...he just hadn't been looking, hadn't let himself look.

Without quite knowing how, Jack noticed they'd moved along the wall of the dining room, two steps down and two up would take them into Daniel's bedroom. Were they ready for this? Was it too soon? Daniel's hand moving along his chest seemed to answer no. It wasn't too soon; this had been coming for too long a time as it was.

"Daniel...?" Jack wanted to be sure, wanted it to be right. Too much had gone wrong for them all their lives, this had to be perfect.

Looking up, Daniel smiled again. "Jack?" It seemed to say a lot of things at once, 'Jack stop thinking', ‘Jack, I want you', ‘Jack, get this damn shirt off before I use it to clean the damn walls'.

With a laugh, Jack complied, moving them though the convoluted maze of steps into the living room and up into Daniel's bedroom. Then - somehow - they were there, the shirt was gone and Daniel was doing things to Jack's collarbone and chest that surely had to be illegal somewhere.

They fell onto the bed together, laughing, touching. Jack took great pleasure in peeling Daniel out of the cut-off denim, fleetingly noting the brand and promising himself Daniel would never be without a pair - or two or three. Amazingly there was nothing beneath them, and Jack grinned at this new side of Daniel he'd never suspected.

The t-shirt disappeared then Jack felt his own pants loosen and slide downward. A few awkward shifts and they were finally naked, the expected embarrassment never materializing. Daniel was Daniel, beautiful in a way unique to him, masculine from the line of his jaw to the tips of his long bare toes. Just Daniel, and all Jack's.

Damn.

From the appreciative moans and hands wandering over his own skin, Jack felt as if he were being consumed, studied as carefully and intently as any artifact Daniel had ever touched in his presence...and for a moment Jack cursed each and every one of them for having had this to themselves for so long. But he had it now. His, only his… And woe be to the damnable artifact that tried to come between them. Jack laughed at his own joke, shaking his head and dipping in for another kiss.

It was too hot to last, too new not to savor, but Jack couldn't stop. Without thinking they found themselves rocking together gently at first, devouring one another with hands, lips, tongues...the pressure driving the intensity to full.

Jack reached between them to spread their mingled precome along their cocks, turning pressure into a sliding friction that nearly took his breath away. Sharp breaths and throaty moans punctuated each touch, the rhythm between them steadily increasing.

It couldn't last....

With a helpless moan Jack gave into it, drawing Daniel closer and feeling long fingers dig into his back as if trying to mesh them into one being. Falling over the edge, Jack knew they already were. Another push against him and Daniel came with a cry that was equal parts pleasure and joy, clinging to Jack as his body shuddered through its release.

Almost painfully slowly, Jack felt his breathing slow, felt his own shudders and Daniel’s ease into warm breaths against his neck and slowly circling hands across his back.

As incredible as it felt just holding on to the newness of this feeling, Jack had to see, had to know...

Pulling back, he looked into Daniel's face.

The blue bandanna was gone, Jack couldn't remember when or where, and sweat beaded on Daniel’s forehead. But it was the eyes Jack noticed most. Smiling, laughing, almost crying at the same time in a way unique to Daniel…touching and heart-breaking at the same time. Jack couldn't help a sense of smug possessiveness, didn't want to, as it washed over him. He'd done this. No, they'd done it together. Daniel was his now, but at the same time he knew he was Daniel's. It should have been frightening, should have sent him running for the door before he lost himself completely...and not so long ago he probably would have. But - now - all he could find to say in response to Daniel's questioning look was....

"Damn."

The End.