Archiving: Inventory - 3:00 a.m. by Cowardly Lion
Written for & posted at the Five Things community for prompt set 79 in September. This fic was to the prompt "Five men Daniel has loved". This is set after Season 10, is G-rated and has minor spoilers from throughout the show. Also, it does contain mention of a canon character death. This fic is half list and half narrative.
ETA: Nominated in the 2010 Gate Fic Awards: Category: Slash Fic > Jack/Daniel > Vignette. Alas, it did not win, but I'm pleased as all get-out that it was nominated. Thank you!
Inventory - 3:00 a.m. by Cowardly Lion
Melburn Jackson - Like many little boys, Daniel grew up thinking his father knew everything, could do anything, was invincible and immortal. He loved his father dearly and wanted to be just like him when he grew up--perfect and strong. Most little boys get the chance to let go of that notion slowly, gradually, as they grow to understand their fathers are fallible human beings like everyone else. Daniel never had the luxury of looking at his father through the lens of his own maturity. He was only eight when he learned with sudden and appalling finality that his father was not only fallible, but made of the same fragile flesh as any other human.
Dr. Jordan- When he began his studies in Chicago, Daniel had found a kindred spirit in his professor, Dr. Jordan. A constant quest for knowledge, a love of learning for its own sake, a resistance to taking any theory as a 'given' no matter how long it had been accepted as fact--the two men had this in common and more. Dr. Jordan had been Daniel's mentor for two of his doctorates and there was a bond between them that didn't exist with any of Dr. Jordan's other students. Dr. Jordan was everything his grandfather could have been--should have been--but wasn't.
Kasuf - Daniel respected the wisdom his father-in-law displayed as leader of the people of Abydos. Kasuf also had treated him like an equal, as though Daniel had been a man of stature among the Tau'ri. Daniel tried to disabuse Kasuf of that notion, but to no avail as his Good Father would invariably smile and point to Daniel's role in the triumph over Ra as all the proof needed to establish Daniel's credentials. But it was thanks to Kasuf that Daniel's wife, Sha'uri, had had the knowledge essential for the overthrow to succeed. In a society where women were not valued as highly as men, making a daughter a fitting gift for a stranger, Kasuf had treated Sha'uri like a son in many ways, giving her the same education afforded to her brother Skaara. As far as Daniel was concerned, it had been Kasuf's indulgence of a beloved daughter that had won the freedom of Abydos.
Skaara - Although his exile on Abydos had been self-imposed, there were times when Daniel had been overcome by home-sickness. Skaara's buoyant spirit and unflagging optimism had helped Daniel immensely. He greatly appreciated it when his brother-in-law went out of his way to cheer him up. He also found himself in the unaccustomed position of being the subject of hero worship by Skaara and some of the other young men which he didn't quite know how to deal with. When he tried to convince Skaara that there must be much better role models, the young man would laugh and say that such humility proved that Daniel was the best choice.
General Hammond - Widower. Grandfather. General. George Hammond had been one hell of a man. Initially clashing with him, Daniel had quickly discarded his assessment of Hammond as military hard-ass and Hammond had dropped his assumption of Daniel as loose cannon. The men had found a mutual respect and built a relationship that brought out the general's paternal side. Daniel had never told Hammond how much it touched him every time Hammond had called him "son" and now he never could. It seemed so unfair that after surviving an active career unscathed, it was a heart attack that had taken Hammond out.
Just one more name on the long list of loved ones that Daniel had outlived.
He shifted restlessly on his back, pushing the covers down to his waist and plumping his pillow, trying to fill his mind with thoughts of his current comfort instead of recalling today's funeral, but it was no use. As they had all night, General Hammond's memorial service then the interment ceremony at Arlington replayed themselves inside his head. Sighing, he rolled onto his side, pulling his knees up and tucking one hand under his pillow.
The sheets rustled behind him and he felt the mattress dip as Jack moved to spoon up behind him. Daniel felt the brief touch of Jack's lips against the nape of his neck as Jack's arm came around him. Threading his fingers through Jack's, he pressed their clasped hands to his heart for a moment then relaxed his muscles to let them rest on the bed, still entwined. Jack's body was in full contact with his from calf to thigh to back to neck. Daniel could already feel the heat accumulating, the slide of sweat in the creases of his joints. The discomfort would be worth it, though, to be wrapped up in Jack.
In a couple of hours the alarm would go off. In a couple of hours it would be time for Jack to go back to the Pentagon and for Daniel to fly back to the mountain. For now, Daniel immersed himself in the embrace and sent out a plea to whatever higher power might actually exist that there never come a day when he lay in bed alone and added Jack's name to the list.
Finis
ETA: Nominated in the 2010 Gate Fic Awards: Category: Slash Fic > Jack/Daniel > Vignette. Alas, it did not win, but I'm pleased as all get-out that it was nominated. Thank you!
Inventory - 3:00 a.m. by Cowardly Lion
Melburn Jackson - Like many little boys, Daniel grew up thinking his father knew everything, could do anything, was invincible and immortal. He loved his father dearly and wanted to be just like him when he grew up--perfect and strong. Most little boys get the chance to let go of that notion slowly, gradually, as they grow to understand their fathers are fallible human beings like everyone else. Daniel never had the luxury of looking at his father through the lens of his own maturity. He was only eight when he learned with sudden and appalling finality that his father was not only fallible, but made of the same fragile flesh as any other human.
Dr. Jordan- When he began his studies in Chicago, Daniel had found a kindred spirit in his professor, Dr. Jordan. A constant quest for knowledge, a love of learning for its own sake, a resistance to taking any theory as a 'given' no matter how long it had been accepted as fact--the two men had this in common and more. Dr. Jordan had been Daniel's mentor for two of his doctorates and there was a bond between them that didn't exist with any of Dr. Jordan's other students. Dr. Jordan was everything his grandfather could have been--should have been--but wasn't.
Kasuf - Daniel respected the wisdom his father-in-law displayed as leader of the people of Abydos. Kasuf also had treated him like an equal, as though Daniel had been a man of stature among the Tau'ri. Daniel tried to disabuse Kasuf of that notion, but to no avail as his Good Father would invariably smile and point to Daniel's role in the triumph over Ra as all the proof needed to establish Daniel's credentials. But it was thanks to Kasuf that Daniel's wife, Sha'uri, had had the knowledge essential for the overthrow to succeed. In a society where women were not valued as highly as men, making a daughter a fitting gift for a stranger, Kasuf had treated Sha'uri like a son in many ways, giving her the same education afforded to her brother Skaara. As far as Daniel was concerned, it had been Kasuf's indulgence of a beloved daughter that had won the freedom of Abydos.
Skaara - Although his exile on Abydos had been self-imposed, there were times when Daniel had been overcome by home-sickness. Skaara's buoyant spirit and unflagging optimism had helped Daniel immensely. He greatly appreciated it when his brother-in-law went out of his way to cheer him up. He also found himself in the unaccustomed position of being the subject of hero worship by Skaara and some of the other young men which he didn't quite know how to deal with. When he tried to convince Skaara that there must be much better role models, the young man would laugh and say that such humility proved that Daniel was the best choice.
General Hammond - Widower. Grandfather. General. George Hammond had been one hell of a man. Initially clashing with him, Daniel had quickly discarded his assessment of Hammond as military hard-ass and Hammond had dropped his assumption of Daniel as loose cannon. The men had found a mutual respect and built a relationship that brought out the general's paternal side. Daniel had never told Hammond how much it touched him every time Hammond had called him "son" and now he never could. It seemed so unfair that after surviving an active career unscathed, it was a heart attack that had taken Hammond out.
Just one more name on the long list of loved ones that Daniel had outlived.
He shifted restlessly on his back, pushing the covers down to his waist and plumping his pillow, trying to fill his mind with thoughts of his current comfort instead of recalling today's funeral, but it was no use. As they had all night, General Hammond's memorial service then the interment ceremony at Arlington replayed themselves inside his head. Sighing, he rolled onto his side, pulling his knees up and tucking one hand under his pillow.
The sheets rustled behind him and he felt the mattress dip as Jack moved to spoon up behind him. Daniel felt the brief touch of Jack's lips against the nape of his neck as Jack's arm came around him. Threading his fingers through Jack's, he pressed their clasped hands to his heart for a moment then relaxed his muscles to let them rest on the bed, still entwined. Jack's body was in full contact with his from calf to thigh to back to neck. Daniel could already feel the heat accumulating, the slide of sweat in the creases of his joints. The discomfort would be worth it, though, to be wrapped up in Jack.
In a couple of hours the alarm would go off. In a couple of hours it would be time for Jack to go back to the Pentagon and for Daniel to fly back to the mountain. For now, Daniel immersed himself in the embrace and sent out a plea to whatever higher power might actually exist that there never come a day when he lay in bed alone and added Jack's name to the list.
Finis