FIC: Out of the Hand by Cowardly Lion
Time for a change of pace. I offer you a J/D first time drama. Set in Season 7, it is an ep tag to Evolution 2 with spoilers for The Curse. Rating is NC-17, word count is 5,620, no warnings. MANY thanks to Mare for the beta.
Summary: Jack has had so many second chances to tell Daniel how he feels, it's about time he actually did it.
Out of the Hand by Cowardly Lion
Slightly bleary eyed, Jack signed the last requisition form then tossed the pen down on his desk top. It skidded across the untidy heap of papers, bounced off of the empty coffee mug and onto the floor. He started to reach for it, but a twinge in his shoulders stopped him. Rubbing stiff muscles as best he could one handed, he stretched back in his chair. Christ he was tired. A quick glance at the clock showed it was almost twenty-hundred hours. Damn. Where did the time go?
Quick efficient movements cleared his work area, everything neatly put away where it belonged. He even picked up the pen from the floor, plopping it into the pencil holder next to his monitor. Keeping one document out, he took it in hand as he turned out the lights and left his office. Daniel had mentioned needing this particular reference book urgently for the linguistics department. Now that the requisition was approved, Jack could drop it directly on Daniel's desk for him to find in the morning, instead of making him wait for Jack's aide to deliver it.
The corridors were always quiet this time of night. The SGC was never completely deserted, but there was definitely an air of isolation once the day shift went home. He only passed one other person as he made his way to his friend's office. The door was open as usual, the interior dark. The little desk lamp which Daniel often forgot to turn off was glowing softly. Jack neared the desk, then tossed the requisition slip onto it. Instead of dropping to the desktop, the paper wafted on a cushion of air, sailing over the edge to land at the foot of the book case on the other side of the desk.
Oh for...what was it with missing the target tonight? First his pen and now this. Faintly annoyed, Jack rounded the corner, bracing one hand on the desk as he leaned over to get the paper. Snatching up the document between the tips of his fingers, he slapped it firmly on the desk. As he straightened up, something at the far end of the middle shelf of the book case caught his eye. The shelves in Daniel's cluttered office held a hodgepodge of books and artifacts all lumped together. If there was a system to their placement, it wasn't obvious. This particular book case was also half hidden by Daniel's desk, so it was no wonder that Jack hadn't seen the relic before this.
Tucked in the bookcase, propping up a motley collection of volumes like a bookend, was a rock. Correction. It was the rock. Slowly, Jack's hand reached out and picked it up. Their support removed, the books slumped over, thumping against the side of the case. He hefted it once or twice, getting a sense of its weight. Heavier than he remembered, it held a residual warmth from the ambient temperature of the room, putting him in mind of the tropical heat of the Honduran jungle from which it came.
Jack still had nightmares of that rescue mission which so nearly failed. He would never forget hearing the gun shots as he drew close to where Daniel and Lee were being held. The jolt of panic that had surged through him then would be forever seared in his consciousness. Fearing the worst, he ran, his legs heavy and slow as though he was running through molasses no matter how fast he tried to move. Harsh green vegetation had slashed at him, slicing and pricking his skin. Heaving lungs had struggled against air so humid it was like breathing soup. He had caught a glimpse of Daniel obscured by fronds, heard the final shot and had seen Daniel go down, sprawled at the base of that tree.
At that moment, he had thought that Daniel was dead. Truly dead. Dead for real. Dead as in door nails and dirt naps and daisies yet he had never slowed in his rush toward Daniel's killers. If anything, he had sped up, his intentions shifting from rescue to vengeance. Lush foliage blocked his view once again as salt sweat stung his eyes blurring his vision. When it cleared, Jack had seen Daniel huddled with his back against the tree trunk, that rock in hand, defiant to the end as he faced down a gang of blood thirsty maniacs who were armed with automatic weapons and a big fucking machete. Surprise, gratitude, and relief had mixed with the sorrow and rage that already filled Jack. He had pulled the trigger of his weapon, terminating those guerrillas with as much extreme fucking prejudice as he could.
Even now, Jack wasn't sure what had possessed him to bring the rock home with them in the first place. He'd waited until Daniel's leg had healed. Waited until Daniel's sense memory of desperation had faded. Slouching into Daniel's office, Jack plonked the rock on his desk and watched as puzzlement turned into recognition then back to puzzlement as Daniel looked at him in wordless inquiry.
"Just a little souvenir of your tropical vacation," Jack had said with a careless shrug. The jaunty attitude hid a racing heart and knotted stomach as he thought of how close he had come to losing Daniel for good. Again. He had let some of his serious mood show as he clapped Daniel on the shoulder. "You did one helluva job keeping yourself and Bill Lee alive. I'm proud of you Daniel."
As the younger man had gaped at the unexpected praise, Jack had retreated with more haste than dignity. If he opened his mouth again, the words he'd kept wrapped tightly around his heart might work free and spill out. He had to leave before that happened. After giving it to him, he thought Daniel would dispose of the rock somehow. It never occurred to him that Daniel would keep it.
Jack had been so grateful that Daniel had survived his latest ordeal that a confession was on the tip of tongue before he knew it. He barely managed to swallow the words unuttered. He had almost done it. Almost told Daniel of his feelings Just as he had almost told Daniel after they found him on Vis Uban, or when Daniel was liquefying from radiation poisoning, or when that damn Unas had kidnapped him, or when...Jack sighed.
So many "almosts" continually changing into "never". So many years of wanting, of yearning, of his heart's desire standing so close yet just out of reach. There was always something holding Jack back: the mission, the uniform, wrong circumstances, shitty timing. Jack had never spoken up, never taken a chance, never told Daniel he loved him.
Jack had clung to a metaphorical rock while in that stinking hell hole in Iraq. From some forgotten corner of his mind had come a dimly recalled bit of scripture, remnant of restless Sunday mornings in catechism class. "Thou art my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man." It had become his mantra, an invocation of strength and hope when he was desperate.
Eventually, his Special Ops brethren had blown open the door to his cell and brought him home. Jack was gratified that God had heard his cries and had answered his prayers. Then God's capricious whim had snatched Charlie away, using Jack's own weapon to call his son Home. Jack knew, knew, that God hadn't been listening, had never heard him in the first place and Jack had never called on Him again.
Rudderless, adrift, he floundered, slowly sinking into a morass of despair. If God didn't care, why should he? Then a brilliant young man showed him why. Showed him what caring could do. Daniel had taken a fatal shot meant for him. Daniel had set in motion the events that freed an entire civilization from countless generations of slavery. From then on, Daniel was his rock. Daniel was his fortress. Daniel had rescued him from becoming the cruel man. He wanted to be to Daniel what Daniel was to him.
Now, standing in Daniel's office weeks later, the grainy surface of the stone scraping across the pads of his thumbs brought back the intense feelings of that day. Staring transfixed at the rock he thought of what it represented. Where it had been. Daniel's hands had wrapped around the surface of this rock and now the rock lay against Jack's skin, transferring that touch, that strength of will, to him. Holding the stone up in his palm, Jack covered it with his other hand. Daniel's fingers had gripped this rock tightly as his tormentors advanced on him. He had clung to the stone the way Jack wanted Daniel to cling to him - for protection, for hope, for salvation.
"Jack?"
Startled, Jack's eyes flashed to the doorway where Daniel stood wearing his civilian clothes, a light jacket tucked in the crook of the arm holding his briefcase and a look of inquiry on his face.
"Jesus, Daniel! Don't surprise me like that!" It was disconcerting to realize that he had been so lost in thought he hadn't heard his friend approach. That wasn't like him. No matter how focused he was, a part of his brain was always aware of his surroundings.
"What are you doing in my office?" Daniel's puzzled glance flicked around the dark room before settling on the item in Jack's possession.
Too late to hide the rock, Jack opted for the next best defense and ignored it. Pretended it didn't exist. Wasn't cradled in one palm and blanketed with the other. "I signed that requisition you were asking about today. Wanted to be sure you had it first thing." His tone was casual, unconcerned. Nothing to see here, folks. Just us Colonels going about our ordinary business.
"Oh. Well thanks." There was curiosity in the tilt of Daniel's head, in the crinkled corners of his blue eyes.
Unmoving, unspeaking, they stood, eyes locked. The silence grew, expanding into an entity all its own, hovering between them. Year after year he had swallowed words unspoken, shoved them deep down inside. Jack felt the press of them building in his throat, constricting his heart which thumped all the harder in his chest. He didn't know what showed in his face, but something must have. Something held Daniel's attention, put a wondering look in his eyes. The words rose inexorably upward flooding Jack's mouth like an incoming tide until he had to release them or drown in the torrent.
As if from a distance, he watched his upper hand move away, displaying the rock for Daniel. "Why did you keep it?" His voice strained with the effort of holding back the gush of words that were clogging his mouth, his throat, choking him.
Daniel glanced briefly at the camera on the wall behind Jack - the camera with no audio feed, visual only. The dim light of the office might protect against lip reading or it might not. Images could be sharpened, lightened, made clear as day. Daniel chose his words carefully but Jack could hear the emotion underlying them. "It reminds me never to give up because you'll come for me. All I have to do is hold on long enough."
"Always." There was a tremor in his voice to match the one in his hand. "I will always come for you Daniel. Never doubt that. No one means more to me than you do."
Without breaking eye contact Daniel carefully set his briefcase on the floor. His jacket tumbled unheeded from the crook of his arm to drape over the case. Straightening, he said, "I'm glad to hear that, Jack because the same is true of me. I will always be here for you."
There was an intensity to Daniel's gaze that was palpable. Jack swore he felt it impact his body. Safely turned away from surveillance and reasonably certain the hallway was empty, Jack dared to quietly admit, "It's not just the bonds of friendship I'm talking here, Daniel. This goes beyond camaraderie. At least, it does for me. And there's a, um, physical component as well."
"So I gathered." Daniel's gentle whisper was full of understanding as he stepped forward. Under the guise of taking the rock from Jack, Daniel's warm fingers stroked sweetly along the backs of Jack's hands to his wrists.
"Daniel?" Hardly daring to breathe, Jack looked at his friend.
"I think..." moving slowly, Daniel set the rock on his desk. "I think perhaps we should continue this conversation elsewhere."
"Yeah," croaked Jack, his mouth dry with nervous anxiety. "That might be best. Think we'll come to a mutual understanding?"
"I think we will," nodded Daniel. "Who knows?" he added with a twinkle in his eyes, "we might even get to the heart of the matter. The naked truth as it were."
Jack's heart leaped into his throat. There seemed to be slight emphasis to 'heart' and 'naked'. Was he implying that Jack's feelings were returned? "The, um, naked truth you say?" The ghost of Daniel's fingers tingled against his skin, lingering like the afterimage from a burst of intense sunlight.
Daniel responded with a sweet smile. "I think that's a distinct possibility."
That smile acted like an overflow valve, releasing the pressure in his chest as Jack smiled in return. "How about we go to my place?" he offered tentatively. "We could talk over pizza and the hockey game."
As the sound of footsteps floated in through the open doorway, Daniel deliberately stepped back, an arm's length away. "So, Avalanche versus Black Hawks. Quite the dilemma for you." He spoke in normal tones for the benefit of whoever was approaching. Picking up his jacket and briefcase he headed out of the room.
Taking his cue from Daniel, Jack fell into step next to him, discussing the game waiting for them on the recorder at Jack's house. He nodded at the airman on security detail who passed them in the corridor on evening rounds. From then on - through the halls, up the elevators, past the security checkpoints and into the parking lot - there was sporadic chat infused with charged silences. As they headed to their respective vehicles, Jack wasn't even sure what they'd talked about except that Daniel would be picking up the pizza.
Within the hour, the men were settled on the couch in Jack's living room watching the recorded hockey game. The pizza box was flipped open on the coffee table as they ate their slices from paper plates and washed them down with Guinness. A small pile of paper towels zipped off of the roll in the kitchen served as napkins. At first glance, it seemed like any of hundreds of evenings they had spent together as friends.
But tonight was different. Tonight, the pizza wasn't disappearing nearly as fast as the beer. In deference to the butterflies in his stomach, Jack was nibbling at the food instead of scarfing it down. He had swallowed enough beer to calm his nerves but was nowhere near tipsy much less drunk. Daniel was doing the same. Between the two of them, they'd downed three and a half bottles of Guinness and not quite two slices of pizza. The mood was awkward with the inevitable talk looming between them.
Picking the pepperonis off his slice, Jack ate them one by one as he gathered his thoughts. How best to start this? What should he say and how should he say it? Washing down a stray bit of onion with a swig of beer, he tried to formulate his opening statement. Daniel beat him to it.
With precise movements, Daniel put the plate with his pizza crust on the coffee table, wiped his mouth and hands with a paper towel, then tossed the crumpled towel onto the plate. Preparing for the conversation to come, Jack likewise set his dinner aside, conscious that once again he followed where Daniel led. Not that Daniel was as confident as he appeared at first glance.
Years of living in each others pockets, both at home and on missions, had given Jack extensive knowledge of Daniel's tell-tales. Like the slight movement at the corner of his eye, not quite a twitch, that signaled uncertainty. And that - tapping his middle finger against his thumb - that meant he was nervous. Knowing that Daniel was anxious acted like a counter agent against Jack's own anxiety, dispelling the butterflies. Jack leaned back against the cushions and waited for Daniel's opening gambit.
It took a couple of indrawn breaths and false starts before Daniel began. "Earlier, you asked why I kept the rock. When I looked up from my work to see you standing in my office holding the rock in one hand, I was overcome by the image you presented. It was the physical embodiment of a metaphorical truth that I had only recently begun to comprehend.
Shifting in his seat, Daniel turned more toward Jack, resting his arm along the back of the couch. "I did an undergraduate thesis on comparative religions. Although I'm not a religious man, I remembered a passage from the Christian scriptures that begins "For thou are my rock and my fortress." That's what got me through the ordeal in Honduras when Bill Lee and I were taken captive. It got me through the interrogation. Through the torture. I would recite the entire verse over and over in my head. It gave me the strength to endure."
What were the odds of him and Daniel both choosing not only a biblical passage, but the exact same one? Jack was amazed at the coincidence. Astronomical seemed too low of a number for those odds. He chose to say nothing yet, focusing instead on Daniel's comments. "It's natural to call on a higher power in times of turmoil. There was a time when I turned to God, too."
"Not God. I, uh, I understand that you may think this is blasphemous, but as I clung to the verse through endless iterations, it wasn't a higher being that came to mind, Judeo-Christian or otherwise. It was you, Jack. You're my rock. You're my fortress."
Jack was struck to the core with the revelation. He had what he wanted. The dream was his. Daniel felt the exact same way about him. Sometimes the two of them were so in sync it was scary. He was so caught up in his musing that he nearly missed what Daniel was saying.
"Before we go any further, I need to know it's safe. I mean, I presume it is or you wouldn't have chosen to come here, but -" spreading out his hands to indicate their surroundings, he looked questioningly at Jack.
"It's okay. The weekly bug sweep was yesterday and the gadget that defeats parabolic mics, thermal imaging and the like is in place and working properly." Jack wished he had held onto his plate or his beer bottle. He needed to fidget. Needed to expel the nervous energy that had built up. Placing his hands in his lap, he used the right thumbnail to pick at the fingernails on his left hand.
"Okay." Daniel nodded absently several times, clearly gathering himself to continue. The finger tapping which had eased up earlier was back with a vengeance. "You have always been important to me, Jack. I've been closer to you than I have to anyone, even Shar'e. I've spent more time with you than with anyone else in my life.
"As my memories returned after I descended, I was able to view each one both as participant, complete with attendant emotions, as I had lived it. But first, as the memory surfaced, I would see it as a dispassionate observer. It was like watching a film that I had seen many years before. Familiar, yet forgotten until I saw it again. Because of this, I could see my behavior - my actions, my reactions, the choices I made - in a clearer light.
"That's when I realized that I had slowly been falling in love with you, but I didn't acknowledge it, couldn't see it, until now. I've been wanting to say something to you, but I didn't know how. And I wasn't sure if that was something you might be open to. If I understand what you meant back on base tonight, the attraction I've been feeling is mutual." "Is it, Jack?" A worried smile flickered across his face. "Is it mutual?"
It took Jack a moment to respond. This must be what it was like to die and go to heaven. He'd have to ask Daniel, to compare the feeling, because Daniel had actually done the whole going to a higher plain and getting what he wanted. Jack wasn't used to that. Even at Christmas Santa never seemed to bring exactly what he'd asked for. Jack had no standard of comparison for what it was like to get what he had wanted for so long. The nearest thing that came to mind was "stunned".
"God, yes, Daniel." His voice was rough with pent up affection. "It's mutual. Very mutual. Been mutual for long before you figured it out, too. There never seemed to be a right time to declare myself. God knows you've had more than your share of pain. The last thing I would do is intrude on you. Give you unwanted attention. I love you enough to stay out of your way, if that's what's best for you."
Jack hesitated, but he owed it to Daniel to ask. "Are you sure this isn't some sort of aftereffect from Glow-ma messing with your head? Like one of those 3-D pictures where you think you see one thing then suddenly everything is completely different and you can't see that first thing anymore?"
Daniel shook his head. "No, not at all. I'm not seeing something that wasn't there. I'm finally seeing something that was always there. This isn't some mid-life, bi-curious fling. My feelings are fully engaged. I love you, Jack. Very much. As for the other, well, from the minute I hit puberty I knew I was bisexual though I didn't become sexually active until I was in college. It wasn't until I turned eighteen at the beginning of my senior year that I even started dating. That may sound like I'm a late bloomer, but remember I started college at sixteen so I didn't have much opportunity at first. The other students were adults or close to it. Nobody was really interested in a gangly kid whose voice was still changing."
"Wait a minute." Jack knew it was a tangent, but he had to follow it. "You started college at sixteen and were already a senior at eighteen? You completed four years worth of schooling in two years?"
"Two and a half, actually. I went straight on to a double masters in archeology and anthropology and continued from there without a break. Study, learning, was my main priority. Still, I had my share of partners, both men and women. Some longer term, some not."
He'd had no idea. Part of what had held him back all this time was Daniel's apparent orientation. Jack knew that the initial background data on Daniel had been pulled together in a hurry, but whoever did the checking had been less than thorough. "I know Sara Gardner was the last relationship you were in before you took Katherine's offer." That notation was in the classified portion of Daniel's personnel file. However, there was no mention of any male partners.
"Yes and no. Sara was the last person I dated before isolating myself to concentrate on my theories of the true age of the pyramids. The last relationship I was in was right before that was with Steven Rayner."
"Rayner? That arrogant prick?" Jack asked sharply. "Well, he's a looker, I'll give you that." It was difficult not to feel inferior in comparison to a handsome, well built, younger man like Rayner. Granted, Rayner was an asshole of epic proportions, but other than that he was a great example of everything Jack wasn't. Daniel was movie-star handsome, physically fit, massively intelligent and could pretty much have his pick of anyone male or female. What could Jack offer him?
"He's also insecure and jealous. Not a pleasant combination. He couldn't stand that I was Professor Jordan's favorite. He tried to undermine me with the faculty as well as manipulate and control me at home but I wouldn't stand for it. Since he wouldn't listen to reason, I ended it. Steven never forgave me for walking away.
"I dated Sara briefly on the rebound. Mind you, she had issues of her own. Very needy. Always marking non-events as anniversaries - so many weeks since we first met in the library, so many weeks since the first time we had coffee together, since our first 'official' date and so on. It's like she was trying too hard to make it a major relationship right away instead of letting things progress naturally. I'm afraid I couldn't take that, either. My work made a good excuse for putting some space between us.
"Now, I've told you a bit about my past. How about you? Have you always been attracted to men?"
Jack nodded. "Oh yeah. Starting in high school. I was just as interested in the guys as the girls, but didn't act on it then. It wasn't until the summer between high school and the academy that I had my first fling with a guy. He was visiting his grandparents for the summer, so we both knew it wasn't serious. Back when I was young and foolish, I did the casual sex thing, guys and gals and sometimes both at once.
"Threeway?" Daniel raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You? Not that I'm judging," he hastily added. "It just doesn't seem like you."
"Gotta remember that this was during the swinging seventies, when the national motto was 'if it feels good, do it' or something like that." Jack shrugged. He hadn't thought about those times in decades. "Can't say I'm proud of it now, but it was what it was."
"Early in my career when I was stationed at Eglin there was a guy there. Bobby Howland. Hot shot pilot like me. Cocky son of bitch. Great sense of humour though." Jack smile fondly in remembrance. "We were together exclusively for about a year, so I guess you could say we had a relationship but we couldn't acknowledge it. We tried not to think about what would happen when one of us got a new post, although we knew eventually it would happen and it did. He got sent overseas to Rammstein. Before he left we talked it over and decided to call it off. Even though it was a mutual decision, I was pretty miserable for a while.
"A few weeks went by and I met a gorgeous college girl on spring break on the beach at Destin. She was as smart as she was pretty. The two of us hit it off right away. We stayed in touch by phone and letters. Saw each other at every opportunity - vacations, holidays, you name it. A little over a year later, Sarah and I were married at a sunset service on the same beach where we had met." Jack thought of how he'd felt that day, pledging himself to a woman he loved with the future bright and promising ahead of them. Even the best of his memories were tinged with sorrow of what had come to pass. He still couldn't forgive himself for his son's death. Shaking off the melancholy, he said, "The rest you know."
There was silence as each man absorbed the new information. The silence drew out, extending past contemplative into awkward. There was a next step that each hesitated to take. Jack's butterflies were back, mixing with a rising urge to touch Daniel. To feel his warm smooth skin. To pull him into an embrace and breathe the smell of him as deeply as he could. Jack wanted to move but despite their declarations, he still felt unsure of himself. The atmostphere put Jack in mind of his first bumbling forays into romance as a gawky teenager.
Reminding himself that he was an experienced adult, and a Colonel for crying out loud - a man of action and resolve - Jack reached out. He heard the quick intake of breath as he placed a hand on Daniel's knee and slid his palm up, following the innerseam of the jeans. The leg began to tremble as he stopped just shy of Daniel's groin. Squeezing the inner thigh got another gasping breath and an increasing bulge behind the zipper. Hearing Daniel's reaction raised his own excitement.
Jack looked up, wanting to see Daniel's eyes, but they were closed, his cheeks flushed. Gripping his lower lip in his teeth, Daniel spread his knees, simultaneously granting permission and begging for more. Flaring his fingers out as far as he could, Jack laid his hand across Daniel's crotch. Daniel had dressed to the right that morning. Jack pressed the heel of his hand against the rough denim then released. Pressed and released in an increasing tempo. The hardness bloomed under his touch, lengthening, becoming more defined.
Tilting his head forward, Jack nuzzled his cheek against Daniel's, enjoyed the scrape of stubble against stubble. He touched the tip of his tongue where teeth met lip and Daniel opened to him. Soft gentle kisses gave way to an urgent clash of lips and tongue. With a strangled sound, Daniel flung himself at Jack, mouths still locked, pushing him back and down to lay on the couch. Jack was rocked with the force of demanding tugs that quickly undid his jeans and boxers, baring his penis. Daniel's calloused hand engulfed his naked cock and the world went white. For a moment Jack was aware only of overstimulated nerve endings. Of desire. Need.
It had been so very long, that Jack had actually forgotten. Forgotten how much he loved the feel of a man's hand on his cock, the strength and power of a muscular body against his. He moaned as the sensation shot electric tingles down his spine to his crotch. Christ it was wonderful. He couldn't keep quiet as he arched up into the welcome weight of the man pinning him in place. It wasn't enough. He wanted more. Craved more.
Frantically, Jack reached between them. Shoved his hand down Daniel's pants, fumbling a little to get into the tight briefs. Whiffs of the musky scent of cock and balls drifted up between their warm bodies. The uncut cock throbbed against his palm as he wrapped long fingers around it and stroked. The aroma made him salivate as he imagined how it would taste. Imagined the weight of the glans pressing on his tongue. The shaft stretching his mouth, his lips, wide open as he sucked Daniel dry.
The fantasy was so vivid that it sent a surge of pleasure through his balls, tipping him over the edge into orgasm. Eyes clenched shut, his hand spasmed, clamping uncontrollably on the flesh it held. Shuddering and gasping under Daniel, Jack's hips pumped wildly in Daniel's tightening grip. A white hot buzz pulsed from his anus, across his balls, and up through his dick as he came.
As he drifted back down from the peak, he opened his eyes to find Daniel gazing intently at his face.
"Beautiful," Daniel murmured. "You look so damn beautiful when you come." He nuzzled Jack's neck, just under the ear. "And I love that I'm the one who put that look on your face."
"Let me do the same for you." With his free hand, Jack pulled his shirt up, tucking it under his chin to keep it out of the way. Adjusting his hold on Daniel's cock, he aimed the head at his bare belly. He stroked the cock hard, fast, with a breathless command of "Come on me. God, I want you to come on me." At Daniel's answering whimper, Jack whipped his fist furiously on the shaft.
"Oh, fuck!" Daniel raised himself up enough to snap his pelvis forward again and again.
Warm wet blobs of semen spurted onto Jack's abdomen. Matching Daniel's movements, he gradually slowed his hand then lightly rubbed the pad of his thumb over the head. Soon, Daniel lay still and heavy, draped half on top of him. Jack cradled Daniel's spent member in his hand. Hot moist air gusted against his neck as Daniel fought to catch his breath.
Even with Daniel on his side tucked between Jack and the back cushions, Jack had been pushed partway off with one foot on the floor keeping him in place. As he lay there in a post coital stupor, his only coherent thought was that he was going to need a bigger couch. Maybe he could get Daniel to pay half, seeing as he was the one who made the purchase necessary. Tomorrow, they could go shopping.
In the meantime, Jack put his arms around Daniel, pulling him close despite the uncomfortable twist in his lower back. "I gotta warn you," he said as he tucked his head under Daniel's chin. "I'm a cuddler."
"If you're trying to scare me it isn't working." Daniel relaxed into the embrace. "I like to bask in the afterglow." He shifted slightly, banging his knee into Jack's leg. "But I think you're going to need a bigger couch."
Finis
Summary: Jack has had so many second chances to tell Daniel how he feels, it's about time he actually did it.
Out of the Hand by Cowardly Lion
Slightly bleary eyed, Jack signed the last requisition form then tossed the pen down on his desk top. It skidded across the untidy heap of papers, bounced off of the empty coffee mug and onto the floor. He started to reach for it, but a twinge in his shoulders stopped him. Rubbing stiff muscles as best he could one handed, he stretched back in his chair. Christ he was tired. A quick glance at the clock showed it was almost twenty-hundred hours. Damn. Where did the time go?
Quick efficient movements cleared his work area, everything neatly put away where it belonged. He even picked up the pen from the floor, plopping it into the pencil holder next to his monitor. Keeping one document out, he took it in hand as he turned out the lights and left his office. Daniel had mentioned needing this particular reference book urgently for the linguistics department. Now that the requisition was approved, Jack could drop it directly on Daniel's desk for him to find in the morning, instead of making him wait for Jack's aide to deliver it.
The corridors were always quiet this time of night. The SGC was never completely deserted, but there was definitely an air of isolation once the day shift went home. He only passed one other person as he made his way to his friend's office. The door was open as usual, the interior dark. The little desk lamp which Daniel often forgot to turn off was glowing softly. Jack neared the desk, then tossed the requisition slip onto it. Instead of dropping to the desktop, the paper wafted on a cushion of air, sailing over the edge to land at the foot of the book case on the other side of the desk.
Oh for...what was it with missing the target tonight? First his pen and now this. Faintly annoyed, Jack rounded the corner, bracing one hand on the desk as he leaned over to get the paper. Snatching up the document between the tips of his fingers, he slapped it firmly on the desk. As he straightened up, something at the far end of the middle shelf of the book case caught his eye. The shelves in Daniel's cluttered office held a hodgepodge of books and artifacts all lumped together. If there was a system to their placement, it wasn't obvious. This particular book case was also half hidden by Daniel's desk, so it was no wonder that Jack hadn't seen the relic before this.
Tucked in the bookcase, propping up a motley collection of volumes like a bookend, was a rock. Correction. It was the rock. Slowly, Jack's hand reached out and picked it up. Their support removed, the books slumped over, thumping against the side of the case. He hefted it once or twice, getting a sense of its weight. Heavier than he remembered, it held a residual warmth from the ambient temperature of the room, putting him in mind of the tropical heat of the Honduran jungle from which it came.
Jack still had nightmares of that rescue mission which so nearly failed. He would never forget hearing the gun shots as he drew close to where Daniel and Lee were being held. The jolt of panic that had surged through him then would be forever seared in his consciousness. Fearing the worst, he ran, his legs heavy and slow as though he was running through molasses no matter how fast he tried to move. Harsh green vegetation had slashed at him, slicing and pricking his skin. Heaving lungs had struggled against air so humid it was like breathing soup. He had caught a glimpse of Daniel obscured by fronds, heard the final shot and had seen Daniel go down, sprawled at the base of that tree.
At that moment, he had thought that Daniel was dead. Truly dead. Dead for real. Dead as in door nails and dirt naps and daisies yet he had never slowed in his rush toward Daniel's killers. If anything, he had sped up, his intentions shifting from rescue to vengeance. Lush foliage blocked his view once again as salt sweat stung his eyes blurring his vision. When it cleared, Jack had seen Daniel huddled with his back against the tree trunk, that rock in hand, defiant to the end as he faced down a gang of blood thirsty maniacs who were armed with automatic weapons and a big fucking machete. Surprise, gratitude, and relief had mixed with the sorrow and rage that already filled Jack. He had pulled the trigger of his weapon, terminating those guerrillas with as much extreme fucking prejudice as he could.
Even now, Jack wasn't sure what had possessed him to bring the rock home with them in the first place. He'd waited until Daniel's leg had healed. Waited until Daniel's sense memory of desperation had faded. Slouching into Daniel's office, Jack plonked the rock on his desk and watched as puzzlement turned into recognition then back to puzzlement as Daniel looked at him in wordless inquiry.
"Just a little souvenir of your tropical vacation," Jack had said with a careless shrug. The jaunty attitude hid a racing heart and knotted stomach as he thought of how close he had come to losing Daniel for good. Again. He had let some of his serious mood show as he clapped Daniel on the shoulder. "You did one helluva job keeping yourself and Bill Lee alive. I'm proud of you Daniel."
As the younger man had gaped at the unexpected praise, Jack had retreated with more haste than dignity. If he opened his mouth again, the words he'd kept wrapped tightly around his heart might work free and spill out. He had to leave before that happened. After giving it to him, he thought Daniel would dispose of the rock somehow. It never occurred to him that Daniel would keep it.
Jack had been so grateful that Daniel had survived his latest ordeal that a confession was on the tip of tongue before he knew it. He barely managed to swallow the words unuttered. He had almost done it. Almost told Daniel of his feelings Just as he had almost told Daniel after they found him on Vis Uban, or when Daniel was liquefying from radiation poisoning, or when that damn Unas had kidnapped him, or when...Jack sighed.
So many "almosts" continually changing into "never". So many years of wanting, of yearning, of his heart's desire standing so close yet just out of reach. There was always something holding Jack back: the mission, the uniform, wrong circumstances, shitty timing. Jack had never spoken up, never taken a chance, never told Daniel he loved him.
Jack had clung to a metaphorical rock while in that stinking hell hole in Iraq. From some forgotten corner of his mind had come a dimly recalled bit of scripture, remnant of restless Sunday mornings in catechism class. "Thou art my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man." It had become his mantra, an invocation of strength and hope when he was desperate.
Eventually, his Special Ops brethren had blown open the door to his cell and brought him home. Jack was gratified that God had heard his cries and had answered his prayers. Then God's capricious whim had snatched Charlie away, using Jack's own weapon to call his son Home. Jack knew, knew, that God hadn't been listening, had never heard him in the first place and Jack had never called on Him again.
Rudderless, adrift, he floundered, slowly sinking into a morass of despair. If God didn't care, why should he? Then a brilliant young man showed him why. Showed him what caring could do. Daniel had taken a fatal shot meant for him. Daniel had set in motion the events that freed an entire civilization from countless generations of slavery. From then on, Daniel was his rock. Daniel was his fortress. Daniel had rescued him from becoming the cruel man. He wanted to be to Daniel what Daniel was to him.
Now, standing in Daniel's office weeks later, the grainy surface of the stone scraping across the pads of his thumbs brought back the intense feelings of that day. Staring transfixed at the rock he thought of what it represented. Where it had been. Daniel's hands had wrapped around the surface of this rock and now the rock lay against Jack's skin, transferring that touch, that strength of will, to him. Holding the stone up in his palm, Jack covered it with his other hand. Daniel's fingers had gripped this rock tightly as his tormentors advanced on him. He had clung to the stone the way Jack wanted Daniel to cling to him - for protection, for hope, for salvation.
"Jack?"
Startled, Jack's eyes flashed to the doorway where Daniel stood wearing his civilian clothes, a light jacket tucked in the crook of the arm holding his briefcase and a look of inquiry on his face.
"Jesus, Daniel! Don't surprise me like that!" It was disconcerting to realize that he had been so lost in thought he hadn't heard his friend approach. That wasn't like him. No matter how focused he was, a part of his brain was always aware of his surroundings.
"What are you doing in my office?" Daniel's puzzled glance flicked around the dark room before settling on the item in Jack's possession.
Too late to hide the rock, Jack opted for the next best defense and ignored it. Pretended it didn't exist. Wasn't cradled in one palm and blanketed with the other. "I signed that requisition you were asking about today. Wanted to be sure you had it first thing." His tone was casual, unconcerned. Nothing to see here, folks. Just us Colonels going about our ordinary business.
"Oh. Well thanks." There was curiosity in the tilt of Daniel's head, in the crinkled corners of his blue eyes.
Unmoving, unspeaking, they stood, eyes locked. The silence grew, expanding into an entity all its own, hovering between them. Year after year he had swallowed words unspoken, shoved them deep down inside. Jack felt the press of them building in his throat, constricting his heart which thumped all the harder in his chest. He didn't know what showed in his face, but something must have. Something held Daniel's attention, put a wondering look in his eyes. The words rose inexorably upward flooding Jack's mouth like an incoming tide until he had to release them or drown in the torrent.
As if from a distance, he watched his upper hand move away, displaying the rock for Daniel. "Why did you keep it?" His voice strained with the effort of holding back the gush of words that were clogging his mouth, his throat, choking him.
Daniel glanced briefly at the camera on the wall behind Jack - the camera with no audio feed, visual only. The dim light of the office might protect against lip reading or it might not. Images could be sharpened, lightened, made clear as day. Daniel chose his words carefully but Jack could hear the emotion underlying them. "It reminds me never to give up because you'll come for me. All I have to do is hold on long enough."
"Always." There was a tremor in his voice to match the one in his hand. "I will always come for you Daniel. Never doubt that. No one means more to me than you do."
Without breaking eye contact Daniel carefully set his briefcase on the floor. His jacket tumbled unheeded from the crook of his arm to drape over the case. Straightening, he said, "I'm glad to hear that, Jack because the same is true of me. I will always be here for you."
There was an intensity to Daniel's gaze that was palpable. Jack swore he felt it impact his body. Safely turned away from surveillance and reasonably certain the hallway was empty, Jack dared to quietly admit, "It's not just the bonds of friendship I'm talking here, Daniel. This goes beyond camaraderie. At least, it does for me. And there's a, um, physical component as well."
"So I gathered." Daniel's gentle whisper was full of understanding as he stepped forward. Under the guise of taking the rock from Jack, Daniel's warm fingers stroked sweetly along the backs of Jack's hands to his wrists.
"Daniel?" Hardly daring to breathe, Jack looked at his friend.
"I think..." moving slowly, Daniel set the rock on his desk. "I think perhaps we should continue this conversation elsewhere."
"Yeah," croaked Jack, his mouth dry with nervous anxiety. "That might be best. Think we'll come to a mutual understanding?"
"I think we will," nodded Daniel. "Who knows?" he added with a twinkle in his eyes, "we might even get to the heart of the matter. The naked truth as it were."
Jack's heart leaped into his throat. There seemed to be slight emphasis to 'heart' and 'naked'. Was he implying that Jack's feelings were returned? "The, um, naked truth you say?" The ghost of Daniel's fingers tingled against his skin, lingering like the afterimage from a burst of intense sunlight.
Daniel responded with a sweet smile. "I think that's a distinct possibility."
That smile acted like an overflow valve, releasing the pressure in his chest as Jack smiled in return. "How about we go to my place?" he offered tentatively. "We could talk over pizza and the hockey game."
As the sound of footsteps floated in through the open doorway, Daniel deliberately stepped back, an arm's length away. "So, Avalanche versus Black Hawks. Quite the dilemma for you." He spoke in normal tones for the benefit of whoever was approaching. Picking up his jacket and briefcase he headed out of the room.
Taking his cue from Daniel, Jack fell into step next to him, discussing the game waiting for them on the recorder at Jack's house. He nodded at the airman on security detail who passed them in the corridor on evening rounds. From then on - through the halls, up the elevators, past the security checkpoints and into the parking lot - there was sporadic chat infused with charged silences. As they headed to their respective vehicles, Jack wasn't even sure what they'd talked about except that Daniel would be picking up the pizza.
Within the hour, the men were settled on the couch in Jack's living room watching the recorded hockey game. The pizza box was flipped open on the coffee table as they ate their slices from paper plates and washed them down with Guinness. A small pile of paper towels zipped off of the roll in the kitchen served as napkins. At first glance, it seemed like any of hundreds of evenings they had spent together as friends.
But tonight was different. Tonight, the pizza wasn't disappearing nearly as fast as the beer. In deference to the butterflies in his stomach, Jack was nibbling at the food instead of scarfing it down. He had swallowed enough beer to calm his nerves but was nowhere near tipsy much less drunk. Daniel was doing the same. Between the two of them, they'd downed three and a half bottles of Guinness and not quite two slices of pizza. The mood was awkward with the inevitable talk looming between them.
Picking the pepperonis off his slice, Jack ate them one by one as he gathered his thoughts. How best to start this? What should he say and how should he say it? Washing down a stray bit of onion with a swig of beer, he tried to formulate his opening statement. Daniel beat him to it.
With precise movements, Daniel put the plate with his pizza crust on the coffee table, wiped his mouth and hands with a paper towel, then tossed the crumpled towel onto the plate. Preparing for the conversation to come, Jack likewise set his dinner aside, conscious that once again he followed where Daniel led. Not that Daniel was as confident as he appeared at first glance.
Years of living in each others pockets, both at home and on missions, had given Jack extensive knowledge of Daniel's tell-tales. Like the slight movement at the corner of his eye, not quite a twitch, that signaled uncertainty. And that - tapping his middle finger against his thumb - that meant he was nervous. Knowing that Daniel was anxious acted like a counter agent against Jack's own anxiety, dispelling the butterflies. Jack leaned back against the cushions and waited for Daniel's opening gambit.
It took a couple of indrawn breaths and false starts before Daniel began. "Earlier, you asked why I kept the rock. When I looked up from my work to see you standing in my office holding the rock in one hand, I was overcome by the image you presented. It was the physical embodiment of a metaphorical truth that I had only recently begun to comprehend.
Shifting in his seat, Daniel turned more toward Jack, resting his arm along the back of the couch. "I did an undergraduate thesis on comparative religions. Although I'm not a religious man, I remembered a passage from the Christian scriptures that begins "For thou are my rock and my fortress." That's what got me through the ordeal in Honduras when Bill Lee and I were taken captive. It got me through the interrogation. Through the torture. I would recite the entire verse over and over in my head. It gave me the strength to endure."
What were the odds of him and Daniel both choosing not only a biblical passage, but the exact same one? Jack was amazed at the coincidence. Astronomical seemed too low of a number for those odds. He chose to say nothing yet, focusing instead on Daniel's comments. "It's natural to call on a higher power in times of turmoil. There was a time when I turned to God, too."
"Not God. I, uh, I understand that you may think this is blasphemous, but as I clung to the verse through endless iterations, it wasn't a higher being that came to mind, Judeo-Christian or otherwise. It was you, Jack. You're my rock. You're my fortress."
Jack was struck to the core with the revelation. He had what he wanted. The dream was his. Daniel felt the exact same way about him. Sometimes the two of them were so in sync it was scary. He was so caught up in his musing that he nearly missed what Daniel was saying.
"Before we go any further, I need to know it's safe. I mean, I presume it is or you wouldn't have chosen to come here, but -" spreading out his hands to indicate their surroundings, he looked questioningly at Jack.
"It's okay. The weekly bug sweep was yesterday and the gadget that defeats parabolic mics, thermal imaging and the like is in place and working properly." Jack wished he had held onto his plate or his beer bottle. He needed to fidget. Needed to expel the nervous energy that had built up. Placing his hands in his lap, he used the right thumbnail to pick at the fingernails on his left hand.
"Okay." Daniel nodded absently several times, clearly gathering himself to continue. The finger tapping which had eased up earlier was back with a vengeance. "You have always been important to me, Jack. I've been closer to you than I have to anyone, even Shar'e. I've spent more time with you than with anyone else in my life.
"As my memories returned after I descended, I was able to view each one both as participant, complete with attendant emotions, as I had lived it. But first, as the memory surfaced, I would see it as a dispassionate observer. It was like watching a film that I had seen many years before. Familiar, yet forgotten until I saw it again. Because of this, I could see my behavior - my actions, my reactions, the choices I made - in a clearer light.
"That's when I realized that I had slowly been falling in love with you, but I didn't acknowledge it, couldn't see it, until now. I've been wanting to say something to you, but I didn't know how. And I wasn't sure if that was something you might be open to. If I understand what you meant back on base tonight, the attraction I've been feeling is mutual." "Is it, Jack?" A worried smile flickered across his face. "Is it mutual?"
It took Jack a moment to respond. This must be what it was like to die and go to heaven. He'd have to ask Daniel, to compare the feeling, because Daniel had actually done the whole going to a higher plain and getting what he wanted. Jack wasn't used to that. Even at Christmas Santa never seemed to bring exactly what he'd asked for. Jack had no standard of comparison for what it was like to get what he had wanted for so long. The nearest thing that came to mind was "stunned".
"God, yes, Daniel." His voice was rough with pent up affection. "It's mutual. Very mutual. Been mutual for long before you figured it out, too. There never seemed to be a right time to declare myself. God knows you've had more than your share of pain. The last thing I would do is intrude on you. Give you unwanted attention. I love you enough to stay out of your way, if that's what's best for you."
Jack hesitated, but he owed it to Daniel to ask. "Are you sure this isn't some sort of aftereffect from Glow-ma messing with your head? Like one of those 3-D pictures where you think you see one thing then suddenly everything is completely different and you can't see that first thing anymore?"
Daniel shook his head. "No, not at all. I'm not seeing something that wasn't there. I'm finally seeing something that was always there. This isn't some mid-life, bi-curious fling. My feelings are fully engaged. I love you, Jack. Very much. As for the other, well, from the minute I hit puberty I knew I was bisexual though I didn't become sexually active until I was in college. It wasn't until I turned eighteen at the beginning of my senior year that I even started dating. That may sound like I'm a late bloomer, but remember I started college at sixteen so I didn't have much opportunity at first. The other students were adults or close to it. Nobody was really interested in a gangly kid whose voice was still changing."
"Wait a minute." Jack knew it was a tangent, but he had to follow it. "You started college at sixteen and were already a senior at eighteen? You completed four years worth of schooling in two years?"
"Two and a half, actually. I went straight on to a double masters in archeology and anthropology and continued from there without a break. Study, learning, was my main priority. Still, I had my share of partners, both men and women. Some longer term, some not."
He'd had no idea. Part of what had held him back all this time was Daniel's apparent orientation. Jack knew that the initial background data on Daniel had been pulled together in a hurry, but whoever did the checking had been less than thorough. "I know Sara Gardner was the last relationship you were in before you took Katherine's offer." That notation was in the classified portion of Daniel's personnel file. However, there was no mention of any male partners.
"Yes and no. Sara was the last person I dated before isolating myself to concentrate on my theories of the true age of the pyramids. The last relationship I was in was right before that was with Steven Rayner."
"Rayner? That arrogant prick?" Jack asked sharply. "Well, he's a looker, I'll give you that." It was difficult not to feel inferior in comparison to a handsome, well built, younger man like Rayner. Granted, Rayner was an asshole of epic proportions, but other than that he was a great example of everything Jack wasn't. Daniel was movie-star handsome, physically fit, massively intelligent and could pretty much have his pick of anyone male or female. What could Jack offer him?
"He's also insecure and jealous. Not a pleasant combination. He couldn't stand that I was Professor Jordan's favorite. He tried to undermine me with the faculty as well as manipulate and control me at home but I wouldn't stand for it. Since he wouldn't listen to reason, I ended it. Steven never forgave me for walking away.
"I dated Sara briefly on the rebound. Mind you, she had issues of her own. Very needy. Always marking non-events as anniversaries - so many weeks since we first met in the library, so many weeks since the first time we had coffee together, since our first 'official' date and so on. It's like she was trying too hard to make it a major relationship right away instead of letting things progress naturally. I'm afraid I couldn't take that, either. My work made a good excuse for putting some space between us.
"Now, I've told you a bit about my past. How about you? Have you always been attracted to men?"
Jack nodded. "Oh yeah. Starting in high school. I was just as interested in the guys as the girls, but didn't act on it then. It wasn't until the summer between high school and the academy that I had my first fling with a guy. He was visiting his grandparents for the summer, so we both knew it wasn't serious. Back when I was young and foolish, I did the casual sex thing, guys and gals and sometimes both at once.
"Threeway?" Daniel raised his eyebrows in surprise. "You? Not that I'm judging," he hastily added. "It just doesn't seem like you."
"Gotta remember that this was during the swinging seventies, when the national motto was 'if it feels good, do it' or something like that." Jack shrugged. He hadn't thought about those times in decades. "Can't say I'm proud of it now, but it was what it was."
"Early in my career when I was stationed at Eglin there was a guy there. Bobby Howland. Hot shot pilot like me. Cocky son of bitch. Great sense of humour though." Jack smile fondly in remembrance. "We were together exclusively for about a year, so I guess you could say we had a relationship but we couldn't acknowledge it. We tried not to think about what would happen when one of us got a new post, although we knew eventually it would happen and it did. He got sent overseas to Rammstein. Before he left we talked it over and decided to call it off. Even though it was a mutual decision, I was pretty miserable for a while.
"A few weeks went by and I met a gorgeous college girl on spring break on the beach at Destin. She was as smart as she was pretty. The two of us hit it off right away. We stayed in touch by phone and letters. Saw each other at every opportunity - vacations, holidays, you name it. A little over a year later, Sarah and I were married at a sunset service on the same beach where we had met." Jack thought of how he'd felt that day, pledging himself to a woman he loved with the future bright and promising ahead of them. Even the best of his memories were tinged with sorrow of what had come to pass. He still couldn't forgive himself for his son's death. Shaking off the melancholy, he said, "The rest you know."
There was silence as each man absorbed the new information. The silence drew out, extending past contemplative into awkward. There was a next step that each hesitated to take. Jack's butterflies were back, mixing with a rising urge to touch Daniel. To feel his warm smooth skin. To pull him into an embrace and breathe the smell of him as deeply as he could. Jack wanted to move but despite their declarations, he still felt unsure of himself. The atmostphere put Jack in mind of his first bumbling forays into romance as a gawky teenager.
Reminding himself that he was an experienced adult, and a Colonel for crying out loud - a man of action and resolve - Jack reached out. He heard the quick intake of breath as he placed a hand on Daniel's knee and slid his palm up, following the innerseam of the jeans. The leg began to tremble as he stopped just shy of Daniel's groin. Squeezing the inner thigh got another gasping breath and an increasing bulge behind the zipper. Hearing Daniel's reaction raised his own excitement.
Jack looked up, wanting to see Daniel's eyes, but they were closed, his cheeks flushed. Gripping his lower lip in his teeth, Daniel spread his knees, simultaneously granting permission and begging for more. Flaring his fingers out as far as he could, Jack laid his hand across Daniel's crotch. Daniel had dressed to the right that morning. Jack pressed the heel of his hand against the rough denim then released. Pressed and released in an increasing tempo. The hardness bloomed under his touch, lengthening, becoming more defined.
Tilting his head forward, Jack nuzzled his cheek against Daniel's, enjoyed the scrape of stubble against stubble. He touched the tip of his tongue where teeth met lip and Daniel opened to him. Soft gentle kisses gave way to an urgent clash of lips and tongue. With a strangled sound, Daniel flung himself at Jack, mouths still locked, pushing him back and down to lay on the couch. Jack was rocked with the force of demanding tugs that quickly undid his jeans and boxers, baring his penis. Daniel's calloused hand engulfed his naked cock and the world went white. For a moment Jack was aware only of overstimulated nerve endings. Of desire. Need.
It had been so very long, that Jack had actually forgotten. Forgotten how much he loved the feel of a man's hand on his cock, the strength and power of a muscular body against his. He moaned as the sensation shot electric tingles down his spine to his crotch. Christ it was wonderful. He couldn't keep quiet as he arched up into the welcome weight of the man pinning him in place. It wasn't enough. He wanted more. Craved more.
Frantically, Jack reached between them. Shoved his hand down Daniel's pants, fumbling a little to get into the tight briefs. Whiffs of the musky scent of cock and balls drifted up between their warm bodies. The uncut cock throbbed against his palm as he wrapped long fingers around it and stroked. The aroma made him salivate as he imagined how it would taste. Imagined the weight of the glans pressing on his tongue. The shaft stretching his mouth, his lips, wide open as he sucked Daniel dry.
The fantasy was so vivid that it sent a surge of pleasure through his balls, tipping him over the edge into orgasm. Eyes clenched shut, his hand spasmed, clamping uncontrollably on the flesh it held. Shuddering and gasping under Daniel, Jack's hips pumped wildly in Daniel's tightening grip. A white hot buzz pulsed from his anus, across his balls, and up through his dick as he came.
As he drifted back down from the peak, he opened his eyes to find Daniel gazing intently at his face.
"Beautiful," Daniel murmured. "You look so damn beautiful when you come." He nuzzled Jack's neck, just under the ear. "And I love that I'm the one who put that look on your face."
"Let me do the same for you." With his free hand, Jack pulled his shirt up, tucking it under his chin to keep it out of the way. Adjusting his hold on Daniel's cock, he aimed the head at his bare belly. He stroked the cock hard, fast, with a breathless command of "Come on me. God, I want you to come on me." At Daniel's answering whimper, Jack whipped his fist furiously on the shaft.
"Oh, fuck!" Daniel raised himself up enough to snap his pelvis forward again and again.
Warm wet blobs of semen spurted onto Jack's abdomen. Matching Daniel's movements, he gradually slowed his hand then lightly rubbed the pad of his thumb over the head. Soon, Daniel lay still and heavy, draped half on top of him. Jack cradled Daniel's spent member in his hand. Hot moist air gusted against his neck as Daniel fought to catch his breath.
Even with Daniel on his side tucked between Jack and the back cushions, Jack had been pushed partway off with one foot on the floor keeping him in place. As he lay there in a post coital stupor, his only coherent thought was that he was going to need a bigger couch. Maybe he could get Daniel to pay half, seeing as he was the one who made the purchase necessary. Tomorrow, they could go shopping.
In the meantime, Jack put his arms around Daniel, pulling him close despite the uncomfortable twist in his lower back. "I gotta warn you," he said as he tucked his head under Daniel's chin. "I'm a cuddler."
"If you're trying to scare me it isn't working." Daniel relaxed into the embrace. "I like to bask in the afterglow." He shifted slightly, banging his knee into Jack's leg. "But I think you're going to need a bigger couch."
Finis