Now You See Me. J. Daniel Atlas/Merritt McKinney/Jack Wilder. 7/100. Prompt #73
Slash_100 challenge
Title: A Friend in Need
Fandom: Now You See Me
Characters: J. Daniel Atlas/Merritt McKinney/Jack Wilder
Prompt: #73. Threesome
Word Count: 2661
Rating: R
Author's Notes: Henley's gone. The remaining three Horsemen need to feel like a team again.
Show's over, lights out.
Their big show finished. Their act a success.
They bankrolled Arthur Tressler. They framed Thaddeus Bradley. They embraced Dylan Rhodes -- as a mentor, not literally embraced. That would be weird.
Their initiation for the Eye was over. Dylan said so. They were in.
Then why were they hiding in an abandoned warehouse for the past seven months? Daniel got it. Let the heat blow over, get their faces off the news, but this was insane. He was going insane. Henley had left more than a month ago. Merritt and he had gotten into snits every other day until they exploded so bad they decided for a cease-fire.
They were doing better now, but not great.
Daniel was the first to notice that something was wrong with the youngest of the Three Horsemen.
"Everything okay, Jack?" Daniel asked the question as offhanded as he could, while in actuality he was genuinely interested.
Jack didn't answer. He was slouched so far off the couch he was barely on it at all.
"Jack?" Daniel dropped the pretence and moved to sit beside him on the couch. "Come on, what's wrong?"
"We're supposed to be a team," he mumbled.
"We are a--"
"No, we're not!" Jack's angry eyes zeroed in on his. "We were supposed to be a team with Henley, but she left. And both Merritt and you keep going for each other's throats. We are not a team."
"I'm trying, okay? Merritt and I are trying."
He stood up so suddenly it was like magic. "Whatever. I'm going to bed."
"Jack!" But he was already gone.
Daniel let out a long-suffering sigh. His fingertips drummed against each other as he thought of a solution. Jack wanted them to be a team? Then they had to do stuff like a team. Daniel sat up. He knew what he had to do. He stood up and went to find Merritt. He had some convincing to do.
~~~~
Jack was lying on his bed stared up at the ceiling. He idly threw cards in the air and caught them again, before repeating the progress.
He didn't acknowledge Daniel entering his room.
"Jack, can you come down from there? Merritt and I need you in the living room."
Without waiting for an answer Daniel turned and left the room. Jack contemplated just staying put, but knowing Danny, he'd just come back and drag him off his top bunk and out toward the living room.
He found Merritt and Danny in conversation, but they stopped when they saw Jack.
"So..." Jack said to break the silence. "What's up?"
"Danny here said you don't feel the team spirit."
Jack shot Danny a glare, who in turn was completely unrepentant.
"And?"
"What, you need it in writing? We're going to change your perspective."
"Really, Danny, it's very sweet what you're trying to do, but you can't just sit us all down, snap your fingers, ta-da! Instant team."
Danny scowled at him and Jack scowled right back.
Merritt cleared his throat. "Danny, you had a plan?"
Danny looked over at Merritt and Danny nodded. "Right. Right." He moved over to Jack. "So I had this idea for team-bonding, but it's kinda unorthodox." Danny moved even closer, his hand hovering over Jack's cheek. "Don't hit me." It was a request and a fear in one.
Before Jack could ask why he would even want to hit Danny the other already pressed his lips against his. Jack's eyes were wide in surprise, before he got his bearings and pushed him off.
"What the hell was that?"
Danny still looked as if he expected to be hit, and to be honest, if Danny hadn't asked him not to, Jack might have done just that.
"This is your grand plan? Make out to get us so much closer together?"
A flash of annoyance crossed Danny's face. "Oh, you'd rather we play twenty questions to get all buddy-buddy? Like that's going to work."
"Merritt, help me out here." Jack turned to the hypnotist for support.
"Hey, I already sided with Danny-boy over there. He's got a point. It's a good way to lose some tension and it's fun, too."
Jack looked from Merritt to Danny. "I hate both of you."
"Nonsense, you love us!" Merritt exclaimed.
Danny's hand gently reached out for Jack's. Jack spared a look at their joined hands before he looked up. Danny looked insecure, even though he tried to cover it up. It was kinda adorable.
Jack snorted. "Alright, fine. I'll do it, just to prove it doesn't work."
Danny shot him a smile. Jack rolled his eyes, but didn't pull away when Danny kissed him again. Instead he put his hand on Danny's neck and deepened the kiss.
Jack didn't even notice that Merritt got up from the couch until he was pressed against his back, his hands on Jack's hips. He pulled away from Danny's lips to look over his shoulder. Immediately he was locked in a kiss from Merritt.
That left Danny free to kiss his neck. Danny worked his way down to Jack's collarbone, alternately nipping and kissing.
Jack seemed to be getting into it. Tiny noises caught in his throat, his hips thrust involuntarily and his hands didn't stop wandering. Neither did Merritt's, for that matter. They moved all over Jack, moving from his thighs, slipping underneath his shirt, caressing his side.
Jack's eyes were closed. He was obviously relishing the attention. Danny grinned as he recaptured Jack's mouth.
~~~
"So, you think you proved this didn't work for you?"
Jack snorted. The three of them had ended up on the plush carpet a while back and were now dozing off. Jack lay in the middle, with Danny and Merritt on either side.
He slapped Danny's stomach from where he lay.
"Don't even go there. I won't stroke your ego with your success. It's already bloated enough."
"I don't need you to stroke my ego."
Jack pushed himself up on his elbows. He raised an eyebrow. "Anything else you need stroked, then?"
A smile spread on Danny's face, he licked his lips, opened his mouth. Then closed it again. "No," he said finally. "No, let's not go there."
~~~
Jack wasn't the only one who felt excluded from the team. Merritt himself had issues as well. It was to be expected. Daniel and Jack were both at least two decades younger than him. Both had an affinity with cards while Merritt dealt in hypnotism.
When Daniel came to him for help to pull Jack out of his pessimism, Merritt had to admit -- at least to himself -- that he also said yes to help himself.
So it wasn't surprising when the other two noticed his melancholy and decided to act upon it.
Merritt walked into the warehouse and startled when Jack wrapped himself around him from behind. His lips attached themselves to his throat. He knew Jack was standing on tiptoes just to reach up.
"You didn't really think that we'd let you walk around all miserable, now did you?"
Jack's quick hands had loosened his belt and slipped inside his pants before he even realised they were there. As they moved further into the warehouse, they encountered Daniel sitting on the couch reading a book. He looked up with an annoyed look.
"Well, it sure took you long enough."
He got up, grasped Merritt's face and kissed him soundly. Merritt's hands rested on Daniel's hips as the other walked backwards to the couch. Before Merritt could push Daniel onto it, the showman knelt in front of Merritt. To say Merritt was startled was an understatement, yet he couldn't say he minded, especially not when those seductive eyes stared up at him.
Merritt's attention was so focussed on the magician in front of him he had forgotten about the sleight behind him. Until said slight pulled his jumper over his head and Merritt realised with a start that he was now completely naked.
"Sneaky, little--"
"Ah-ah!" Jack said, placing a finger on his lips, even as he wrested with his own belt one-handed. "No name-calling."
Merritt was prevented from replying when Daniel's tongue swept a long line against a most private part.
~~~
Merritt was seated on the couch, his head leaned back, his hat threatened to slip off. Each of his hands threaded through one of his partners' hair. Both Jack and Daniel were busy licking and sucking different parts of Merritt's skin. Jack licked stripes up Merritt's cock while Daniel sucked on his balls.
Daniel felt Merritt's hand tighten in his hair. He had no doubt that Jack also felt Merritt's fingers curl tighter. Daniel looked up at Merritt's face. HIs eyes were closed, his lips parted. Daniel smirked. He left his position and moved up. He started his way up Merritt's chest, leaving bite marks on his skin as he went.
Merritt groaned. Daniel felt the pressure on his roots increase as Merritt pulled him up. On the way Daniel's teeth grazed Merritt's nipple. A shudder went through Merritt's body.
"Come here, you vixen," he growled.
Daniel chuckled even as Merritt forcefully kissed him, their kiss more teeth than anything. Merritt's hand slipped from his hair to the nape of his neck. Daniel's palm was pressed to Merritt's chest, his other hand reached for Jack. Jack sidled on up on Merritt's other side, grinning from ear to ear.
Jack's hand slid back down Merritt's body. Daniel's mouth went to Merritt's neck, placing open-mouthed kisses on the skin.
Merritt slung his arms over both their shoulders. "You two will be the death of me."
"Admit it, you love us," Daniel said as he nuzzled into the crook of his arm.
Merritt snorted.
"Yeah, yeah."
~~~
Daniel wasn't immune to the powers of depression. He stared out of the window, a mug of tea in his hands. Steam still curled off it, so he made no attempt to drink it yet. Merritt and Jack got along well together. It was easy to see they had chemistry together. Even before Henley left they were good together. Daniel never had that, maybe a little with Henley, but in the long run no one liked him all that much.
Daniel annoyed people. He didn't invite trust or good team bonding. The fact that his idea for team bonding was even a moderate success stemmed more from need than actual trust, he thought. The fact that both Jack and Merritt enjoyed Daniel's idea had nothing to do with Daniel himself. It was desire, nothing more.
"Danny, where are you?"
He heard Jack's voice, but didn't reply. Danny's forehead rested against the glass. From the corner of his eye he saw Jack appear in the doorway.
"Hey, Danny, didn't you hear me?"
Danny hummed to show he did.
"Danny, man, are you okay?"
Finally Daniel turned to Jack. His eyes glistened as he tried to answer. He swallowed. "No," he said softly, his voice cracking even on that one small word.
Jack's eyes widened a fraction even as he went over to Daniel. He knelt in front of Daniel. One of his hands found Daniel's and he intertwined their fingers.
"I know you guys don't like me, and it usually doesn't bother me, but I just feel so--"
A sob left Daniel's mouth unbidden. He pressed a hand to his mouth but it was already too late. Another sob followed it, tears trailing down his cheeks. Jack's free hand cupped Daniel's cheek, swiping away the tears he encountered. Jack made soothing noises as his hand continued to caress his face.
"It's alright, Danny. It's alright, I'm here."
Daniel buried his face in Jack's chest, one hand clutched the material of his shirt. Jack released his hold on Daniel's hand and pulled him tighter against him.
"Merritt!" Jack called out.
He heard no response. His brows furrowed.
"Merritt!" he called louder.
"It's fine, Jack." Daniel's voice stuck in his throat.
"Shush," Jack admonished, one hand running through Daniel's hair.
He was about to call out again when Merritt appeared in the doorway.
"And what is so important that you couldn't come and--" He stopped when he noticed the position the two of them were in. "What happened?"
Jack glanced at Merritt over the top of Daniel's head.
"He needs our help."
Understanding washed over the mentalist. He moved into the room. Jack moved back a little to look into Daniel's eyes.
"It's okay, Danny," Jack repeated. "We're gonna take care of you."
Daniel's eyes were still wet, but weren't shedding any more tears. With a smile, Jack pressed his lips gently against Daniel's. It wasn't the first kiss they'd shared, but it was the first one where Daniel pulled away.
"No," he murmured. He averted his face from Jack's.
"Hey." Jack's fingers were on his jaw, trying to bring him back. "Danny."
"No." This time Daniel sounded more like himself. "That's not what I want."
Jack hesitated and shot a look at Merritt. With a deep sigh Merritt stepped up to Daniel. He placed his hand at the nape of Daniel's neck, his thumb stroking the skin there. Merritt didn't imagine Daniel's bottom lip quivering. Merritt moved his hand to the side of his neck, still caressing gently as Daniel tilted his chin up, a small whimper forced from his throat.
Jack was still crouched in front of Daniel, his hands now on his knees, rubbing them gently, before he stood. He held out both hands to Daniel, which he grasped almost hesitantly. Jack hauled him to his feet. They were standing so close their noses almost touched.
It was Merritt's arm that first wrapped itself around Daniel's chest. One of Daniel's hand locked on the limb, holding it in place. Merritt drew him into a hug. Daniel's breathing was irregular and he closed his eyes. He melted in Merritt's embrace. Jack joined into the mass of limbs and ran his hand through Daniel's hair again.
"This what you want?" Jack breathed into his ear.
Daniel hid his face against Merritt's chest, his face turning pink, but nodded.
"Alright." He shared a look with Merritt. "Shall we move this to a bed?"
~~~
They lay in bed, with Danny's head cushioned on Merritt's chest and Jack's arm around his waist. Danny's breathing was steady. Jack smiled as he hugged Danny closer. Danny keened in his sleep, a murmured word passed his lips. It caused Jack to chuckle and he pressed a kiss against Danny's temple.
Danny fell asleep all wrapped up in them both. One hand on Merritt's shoulder, the other stretched back to hold Jack. Now he was curled up on his side, both arms folded close to his chest.
Jack ran his hand along Danny's side, eliciting another groan and a shift from Danny. Jack grinned into the crook of Danny's neck. He pressed another kiss against the delicate skin. When his hand slithered up Danny's chest he received a slap.
Jack pulled his hand away quickly. He looked up and saw Merritt's pointed glare.
"Let him sleep."
"He is still asleep, isn't he?" Jack answered innocently.
Another glare.
"So, if he's awake I can have my way?"
"Jack..."
"Fine. Spoil my fun."
"You two know I can hear you, right?" The words were mumbled, but it was clear that Daniel had woken up somewhere during their not-so-quiet arguing. His eyes weren't really open, but for a sliver.
"Sorry, Danny."
"You can blame Jack for waking you, Danny-boy."
"I was only trying to make him comfortable."
"By molesting me?" He was teasing. Jack could tell by the tilt in his lip.
"Oh, you were awake for that?" Jack let his hands wander again.
Danny inhaled deeply through his nose before the air escaped through his mouth. Danny covered his hand with his own.
"You're incorrigable, Jack."
"Come on," Jack purred in his ear. "You know you love us."
Danny smiled.
Masterlist
First post <--Previous Next-->
Title: A Friend in Need
Fandom: Now You See Me
Characters: J. Daniel Atlas/Merritt McKinney/Jack Wilder
Prompt: #73. Threesome
Word Count: 2661
Rating: R
Author's Notes: Henley's gone. The remaining three Horsemen need to feel like a team again.
Show's over, lights out.
Their big show finished. Their act a success.
They bankrolled Arthur Tressler. They framed Thaddeus Bradley. They embraced Dylan Rhodes -- as a mentor, not literally embraced. That would be weird.
Their initiation for the Eye was over. Dylan said so. They were in.
Then why were they hiding in an abandoned warehouse for the past seven months? Daniel got it. Let the heat blow over, get their faces off the news, but this was insane. He was going insane. Henley had left more than a month ago. Merritt and he had gotten into snits every other day until they exploded so bad they decided for a cease-fire.
They were doing better now, but not great.
Daniel was the first to notice that something was wrong with the youngest of the Three Horsemen.
"Everything okay, Jack?" Daniel asked the question as offhanded as he could, while in actuality he was genuinely interested.
Jack didn't answer. He was slouched so far off the couch he was barely on it at all.
"Jack?" Daniel dropped the pretence and moved to sit beside him on the couch. "Come on, what's wrong?"
"We're supposed to be a team," he mumbled.
"We are a--"
"No, we're not!" Jack's angry eyes zeroed in on his. "We were supposed to be a team with Henley, but she left. And both Merritt and you keep going for each other's throats. We are not a team."
"I'm trying, okay? Merritt and I are trying."
He stood up so suddenly it was like magic. "Whatever. I'm going to bed."
"Jack!" But he was already gone.
Daniel let out a long-suffering sigh. His fingertips drummed against each other as he thought of a solution. Jack wanted them to be a team? Then they had to do stuff like a team. Daniel sat up. He knew what he had to do. He stood up and went to find Merritt. He had some convincing to do.
~~~~
Jack was lying on his bed stared up at the ceiling. He idly threw cards in the air and caught them again, before repeating the progress.
He didn't acknowledge Daniel entering his room.
"Jack, can you come down from there? Merritt and I need you in the living room."
Without waiting for an answer Daniel turned and left the room. Jack contemplated just staying put, but knowing Danny, he'd just come back and drag him off his top bunk and out toward the living room.
He found Merritt and Danny in conversation, but they stopped when they saw Jack.
"So..." Jack said to break the silence. "What's up?"
"Danny here said you don't feel the team spirit."
Jack shot Danny a glare, who in turn was completely unrepentant.
"And?"
"What, you need it in writing? We're going to change your perspective."
"Really, Danny, it's very sweet what you're trying to do, but you can't just sit us all down, snap your fingers, ta-da! Instant team."
Danny scowled at him and Jack scowled right back.
Merritt cleared his throat. "Danny, you had a plan?"
Danny looked over at Merritt and Danny nodded. "Right. Right." He moved over to Jack. "So I had this idea for team-bonding, but it's kinda unorthodox." Danny moved even closer, his hand hovering over Jack's cheek. "Don't hit me." It was a request and a fear in one.
Before Jack could ask why he would even want to hit Danny the other already pressed his lips against his. Jack's eyes were wide in surprise, before he got his bearings and pushed him off.
"What the hell was that?"
Danny still looked as if he expected to be hit, and to be honest, if Danny hadn't asked him not to, Jack might have done just that.
"This is your grand plan? Make out to get us so much closer together?"
A flash of annoyance crossed Danny's face. "Oh, you'd rather we play twenty questions to get all buddy-buddy? Like that's going to work."
"Merritt, help me out here." Jack turned to the hypnotist for support.
"Hey, I already sided with Danny-boy over there. He's got a point. It's a good way to lose some tension and it's fun, too."
Jack looked from Merritt to Danny. "I hate both of you."
"Nonsense, you love us!" Merritt exclaimed.
Danny's hand gently reached out for Jack's. Jack spared a look at their joined hands before he looked up. Danny looked insecure, even though he tried to cover it up. It was kinda adorable.
Jack snorted. "Alright, fine. I'll do it, just to prove it doesn't work."
Danny shot him a smile. Jack rolled his eyes, but didn't pull away when Danny kissed him again. Instead he put his hand on Danny's neck and deepened the kiss.
Jack didn't even notice that Merritt got up from the couch until he was pressed against his back, his hands on Jack's hips. He pulled away from Danny's lips to look over his shoulder. Immediately he was locked in a kiss from Merritt.
That left Danny free to kiss his neck. Danny worked his way down to Jack's collarbone, alternately nipping and kissing.
Jack seemed to be getting into it. Tiny noises caught in his throat, his hips thrust involuntarily and his hands didn't stop wandering. Neither did Merritt's, for that matter. They moved all over Jack, moving from his thighs, slipping underneath his shirt, caressing his side.
Jack's eyes were closed. He was obviously relishing the attention. Danny grinned as he recaptured Jack's mouth.
~~~
"So, you think you proved this didn't work for you?"
Jack snorted. The three of them had ended up on the plush carpet a while back and were now dozing off. Jack lay in the middle, with Danny and Merritt on either side.
He slapped Danny's stomach from where he lay.
"Don't even go there. I won't stroke your ego with your success. It's already bloated enough."
"I don't need you to stroke my ego."
Jack pushed himself up on his elbows. He raised an eyebrow. "Anything else you need stroked, then?"
A smile spread on Danny's face, he licked his lips, opened his mouth. Then closed it again. "No," he said finally. "No, let's not go there."
~~~
Jack wasn't the only one who felt excluded from the team. Merritt himself had issues as well. It was to be expected. Daniel and Jack were both at least two decades younger than him. Both had an affinity with cards while Merritt dealt in hypnotism.
When Daniel came to him for help to pull Jack out of his pessimism, Merritt had to admit -- at least to himself -- that he also said yes to help himself.
So it wasn't surprising when the other two noticed his melancholy and decided to act upon it.
Merritt walked into the warehouse and startled when Jack wrapped himself around him from behind. His lips attached themselves to his throat. He knew Jack was standing on tiptoes just to reach up.
"You didn't really think that we'd let you walk around all miserable, now did you?"
Jack's quick hands had loosened his belt and slipped inside his pants before he even realised they were there. As they moved further into the warehouse, they encountered Daniel sitting on the couch reading a book. He looked up with an annoyed look.
"Well, it sure took you long enough."
He got up, grasped Merritt's face and kissed him soundly. Merritt's hands rested on Daniel's hips as the other walked backwards to the couch. Before Merritt could push Daniel onto it, the showman knelt in front of Merritt. To say Merritt was startled was an understatement, yet he couldn't say he minded, especially not when those seductive eyes stared up at him.
Merritt's attention was so focussed on the magician in front of him he had forgotten about the sleight behind him. Until said slight pulled his jumper over his head and Merritt realised with a start that he was now completely naked.
"Sneaky, little--"
"Ah-ah!" Jack said, placing a finger on his lips, even as he wrested with his own belt one-handed. "No name-calling."
Merritt was prevented from replying when Daniel's tongue swept a long line against a most private part.
~~~
Merritt was seated on the couch, his head leaned back, his hat threatened to slip off. Each of his hands threaded through one of his partners' hair. Both Jack and Daniel were busy licking and sucking different parts of Merritt's skin. Jack licked stripes up Merritt's cock while Daniel sucked on his balls.
Daniel felt Merritt's hand tighten in his hair. He had no doubt that Jack also felt Merritt's fingers curl tighter. Daniel looked up at Merritt's face. HIs eyes were closed, his lips parted. Daniel smirked. He left his position and moved up. He started his way up Merritt's chest, leaving bite marks on his skin as he went.
Merritt groaned. Daniel felt the pressure on his roots increase as Merritt pulled him up. On the way Daniel's teeth grazed Merritt's nipple. A shudder went through Merritt's body.
"Come here, you vixen," he growled.
Daniel chuckled even as Merritt forcefully kissed him, their kiss more teeth than anything. Merritt's hand slipped from his hair to the nape of his neck. Daniel's palm was pressed to Merritt's chest, his other hand reached for Jack. Jack sidled on up on Merritt's other side, grinning from ear to ear.
Jack's hand slid back down Merritt's body. Daniel's mouth went to Merritt's neck, placing open-mouthed kisses on the skin.
Merritt slung his arms over both their shoulders. "You two will be the death of me."
"Admit it, you love us," Daniel said as he nuzzled into the crook of his arm.
Merritt snorted.
"Yeah, yeah."
~~~
Daniel wasn't immune to the powers of depression. He stared out of the window, a mug of tea in his hands. Steam still curled off it, so he made no attempt to drink it yet. Merritt and Jack got along well together. It was easy to see they had chemistry together. Even before Henley left they were good together. Daniel never had that, maybe a little with Henley, but in the long run no one liked him all that much.
Daniel annoyed people. He didn't invite trust or good team bonding. The fact that his idea for team bonding was even a moderate success stemmed more from need than actual trust, he thought. The fact that both Jack and Merritt enjoyed Daniel's idea had nothing to do with Daniel himself. It was desire, nothing more.
"Danny, where are you?"
He heard Jack's voice, but didn't reply. Danny's forehead rested against the glass. From the corner of his eye he saw Jack appear in the doorway.
"Hey, Danny, didn't you hear me?"
Danny hummed to show he did.
"Danny, man, are you okay?"
Finally Daniel turned to Jack. His eyes glistened as he tried to answer. He swallowed. "No," he said softly, his voice cracking even on that one small word.
Jack's eyes widened a fraction even as he went over to Daniel. He knelt in front of Daniel. One of his hands found Daniel's and he intertwined their fingers.
"I know you guys don't like me, and it usually doesn't bother me, but I just feel so--"
A sob left Daniel's mouth unbidden. He pressed a hand to his mouth but it was already too late. Another sob followed it, tears trailing down his cheeks. Jack's free hand cupped Daniel's cheek, swiping away the tears he encountered. Jack made soothing noises as his hand continued to caress his face.
"It's alright, Danny. It's alright, I'm here."
Daniel buried his face in Jack's chest, one hand clutched the material of his shirt. Jack released his hold on Daniel's hand and pulled him tighter against him.
"Merritt!" Jack called out.
He heard no response. His brows furrowed.
"Merritt!" he called louder.
"It's fine, Jack." Daniel's voice stuck in his throat.
"Shush," Jack admonished, one hand running through Daniel's hair.
He was about to call out again when Merritt appeared in the doorway.
"And what is so important that you couldn't come and--" He stopped when he noticed the position the two of them were in. "What happened?"
Jack glanced at Merritt over the top of Daniel's head.
"He needs our help."
Understanding washed over the mentalist. He moved into the room. Jack moved back a little to look into Daniel's eyes.
"It's okay, Danny," Jack repeated. "We're gonna take care of you."
Daniel's eyes were still wet, but weren't shedding any more tears. With a smile, Jack pressed his lips gently against Daniel's. It wasn't the first kiss they'd shared, but it was the first one where Daniel pulled away.
"No," he murmured. He averted his face from Jack's.
"Hey." Jack's fingers were on his jaw, trying to bring him back. "Danny."
"No." This time Daniel sounded more like himself. "That's not what I want."
Jack hesitated and shot a look at Merritt. With a deep sigh Merritt stepped up to Daniel. He placed his hand at the nape of Daniel's neck, his thumb stroking the skin there. Merritt didn't imagine Daniel's bottom lip quivering. Merritt moved his hand to the side of his neck, still caressing gently as Daniel tilted his chin up, a small whimper forced from his throat.
Jack was still crouched in front of Daniel, his hands now on his knees, rubbing them gently, before he stood. He held out both hands to Daniel, which he grasped almost hesitantly. Jack hauled him to his feet. They were standing so close their noses almost touched.
It was Merritt's arm that first wrapped itself around Daniel's chest. One of Daniel's hand locked on the limb, holding it in place. Merritt drew him into a hug. Daniel's breathing was irregular and he closed his eyes. He melted in Merritt's embrace. Jack joined into the mass of limbs and ran his hand through Daniel's hair again.
"This what you want?" Jack breathed into his ear.
Daniel hid his face against Merritt's chest, his face turning pink, but nodded.
"Alright." He shared a look with Merritt. "Shall we move this to a bed?"
~~~
They lay in bed, with Danny's head cushioned on Merritt's chest and Jack's arm around his waist. Danny's breathing was steady. Jack smiled as he hugged Danny closer. Danny keened in his sleep, a murmured word passed his lips. It caused Jack to chuckle and he pressed a kiss against Danny's temple.
Danny fell asleep all wrapped up in them both. One hand on Merritt's shoulder, the other stretched back to hold Jack. Now he was curled up on his side, both arms folded close to his chest.
Jack ran his hand along Danny's side, eliciting another groan and a shift from Danny. Jack grinned into the crook of Danny's neck. He pressed another kiss against the delicate skin. When his hand slithered up Danny's chest he received a slap.
Jack pulled his hand away quickly. He looked up and saw Merritt's pointed glare.
"Let him sleep."
"He is still asleep, isn't he?" Jack answered innocently.
Another glare.
"So, if he's awake I can have my way?"
"Jack..."
"Fine. Spoil my fun."
"You two know I can hear you, right?" The words were mumbled, but it was clear that Daniel had woken up somewhere during their not-so-quiet arguing. His eyes weren't really open, but for a sliver.
"Sorry, Danny."
"You can blame Jack for waking you, Danny-boy."
"I was only trying to make him comfortable."
"By molesting me?" He was teasing. Jack could tell by the tilt in his lip.
"Oh, you were awake for that?" Jack let his hands wander again.
Danny inhaled deeply through his nose before the air escaped through his mouth. Danny covered his hand with his own.
"You're incorrigable, Jack."
"Come on," Jack purred in his ear. "You know you love us."
Danny smiled.
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