I'll See You Around, Part One -- Stargate SG-1, NC-17
Title: I'll See You Around
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Pairing/Characters: Jack/Daniel, mention of Sam
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 11926
Summary: Complete AU taking place around the very beginning of Season 1. Daniel was never a part of the Stargate program. Colonel Jack O'Neill is getting comfortable in his new command, getting a feel for the neighborhood, making friends. When he "bumps" into Daniel one morning in a coffee shop, it's the beginning of something entirely new.
A/Ns & Warnings: Written for prehistoric_sea who won me during the last Sweet Charity. As to the warnings, two guys having sex, semi-public sexing...and I should probably mention that Daniel is a prostitute.
It was way too early on a Wednesday morning for anything to be good and the new post was not exactly his favorite in the long history of new posts, but Colonel Jack O'Neill dragged himself out of the house all the same.
He had enough time to stop for coffee at the shop just off base, so he wouldn't have to drink the colored water his assistant called coffee, or the sludge served in the mess. He wasn't exactly sure why he needed an assistant, or what exactly it was his assistant did, but he had one and apparently command thought he needed one and that was that.
Maybe it was because of the whole retiring thing. Though, he didn't suppose it was actually retiring if he kept getting called back to active duty. And, this time he wasn't really minding, although he supposed that if they didn't get the doohicky working again, he'd probably get to go back to his fishing hole in peace. Eventually.
He stopped in front of the shop and sighed. He was in civilian clothes. Still. Not that he didn't have uniforms at home, he just liked to hold on to the illusion. He went in every morning and headed for the locker room to change before finding his office or whatever briefing he needed to be in.
Two weeks now and nothing had changed. The same two girls on their break from the shop were outside smoking their cigarettes and staring numbly at the concrete. The same five cars were parked in front. The same Major and the girl who worked somewhere on base were in line and the same long haired, vaguely out of place, absent minded guy with glasses was just turning away from the pickup window.
Only today, he walked smack into Jack, sending his coffee splattering to the floor. “Shit!”
“I'm sorry.” Jack tried to help, brushing at the coffee on the man's shirt until he pulled away.
“Leave it.”
Before Jack could say anything more, the man turned and headed for the bathroom. He exhaled and headed for the counter. The girl behind the register smiled. “Good morning, Colonel. The usual?”
“Yeah, and another for the guy…”
Her face clouded up. “Sir?”
Jack shook his head and waved toward the bathroom. “Long hair, absent-minded. He just redecorated his shirt with whatever it is he got.”
“Ah, yes. The mocha with extra foam and a shot of peppermint.”
Jack raised an eyebrow, but dropped the money on the counter and went to wait for the coffees. By the time long-haired guy came out of the bathroom, his shirt wet, but no longer coffee-stained, Jack had a fresh cup to hand him.
“Um...thanks.” In contrast to the words, the man was frowning, though he took the cup.
“Least I could do. The girl said that was what you ordered.”
He took a sip and nodded. “Yeah, it's right.” He took off his glasses and made a face that made him look a like he was confused. “I um...thank you. That was nice. It's been a long night, and...” He sighed heavily and seem to shake himself out of whatever he'd been going to say and looked up with a smile. It didn't make it all the way to his eyes, but it was a nice smile. “And you didn't have to do that.”
“My pleasure.”
“I'll see you around.”
Jack watched him leave, sipping on his straight up black coffee, no cream. The man's jeans were baggy and worn, his long hair nearly touching his shoulders. He looked like a man who had seen better days. The bells over the door chimed and two airmen in uniform came in, and Jack took that as his cue to leave.
Thursday there was no sign of the absent-minded-mocha-guy. Jack was oddly disappointed as he walked back to his car. He couldn't help but wonder where the man was. It wasn't like he was there every day. In fact, if Jack thought about it, it was only two or three times a week.
He put the thought aside and started his car, he had actual work to do, if his assistant was to be believed, since they had managed to get the damn doohicky running again, and that meant recon and that meant he needed a team.
He put the young man with the peppermint mocha and the way too loose to be sane pants out of his mind and concentrated on work. His job was about to get a lot more complicated than most Air Force gigs and distractions were never good when things got complicated.
It was Tuesday before Jack saw him again, hanging outside the coffee shop as he pulled in. He was dressed a little better, his jeans tight over heavy boots, a jacket pulled close over his chest, two cups of coffee in his hand. He looked up as Jack got out of the car, a vague smile playing over his lips as he held the cup out.
Jack took the cup, sniffing at the lid. “Straight, black, hot and strong.” The smile was a little bigger. “I asked.”
“Thank you.” He took an experimental sip and nodded appreciatively. “You didn't have to.”
He nodded. “I did. I owed you. I don't like owing people anything.”
“Okay.” Jack held out his hand. “I'm Jack.”
There it was, a genuine smile. The man had a great smile. “Daniel.”
He gestured to the cluster of little tables and chairs and snagged one for himself. Daniel seemed to hesitate, looking around him as if expecting to be seen by someone before he sat slowly. He held his coffee close to him, sat with his back against the wall and his eyes never rested on one spot. Obviously the man was used to watching his back.
“So, Daniel...” Jack wasn't really sure where to start. He'd never really been good at the small talk thing. “What's with the mocha?”
Daniel looked at the cup, then up at Jack, his face confused. “What? I like it.”
“Caffeine isn't enough for you, you need the sugar too?”
Daniel rolled his eyes. “I need something to...” He shook his head and took a long pull from the cup. “Yeah, I need the rush.”
There was something about the look on his face, just before he shook his head. Haunted, familiar. It was the look of somebody hiding something. Jack sipped on his coffee. “I can respect that.” He had his own secrets, and he liked his own kind of rush, after all. “So, you headed off to work?”
Daniel sighed and sat back a little in the chair, relaxing just a little. “Actually, I'm on my way home. I...work nights.”
Jack felt both eyebrows raise. “And you finish it off with a caffeine-sugar rush?”
“It helps me sleep.” Daniel responded a little defensively. “What about you? Off to some office job?”
Jack snorted. “Not hardly. But work, yes.”
“What is it you do?” Daniel's eyes strayed away to a jeep pulling up. Three airmen got out, loud and boisterous as they headed inside. Jack watched Daniel's defenses go up, watched him somehow pull himself inside, make himself smaller. Even after all three men were inside, the man didn't relax.
“Not important.” Jack said quietly. “Let's just say I'm a manager.”
“But not in an office.” Daniel was clearly skeptical.
“I'm more of a people person.”
“Right.”
Jack checked his watch. He was running awfully close to being late.
“You probably have to go.” Daniel said, standing suddenly. “I'm sorry I kept you.”
Jack stopped him, his hand on the man's shoulder. Daniel looked at the hand, then Jack and Jack got the message, pulling the hand back. “I'm not. It was nice to meet you, Daniel. I’ll see you around.”
As he drove away, Jack found himself wondering what kind of job Daniel did, and why he seemed so defensive and thinking inordinately too much about the way his ass looked in jeans that actually fit him. He shook his head, admonishing himself to focus. He was going to be walking through that damn ring in twenty four hours and he didn't know what waited for him on the other side.
The last thing he needed to be thinking about was sex. Particularly of the variety that would get him into the kinds of trouble that could land him a dishonorable and no pension. Besides, it had been years. Back before his wife, back before all the crazy. He hadn't felt that particular urge in years.
So, he would just put it away and forget about it. Leave Daniel alone.
Because Daniel was nothing more than a distraction.
The job was the important thing. Jack changed into uniform and headed for his office, coffee cup in hand. He settled in to finish signing the paperwork that would finalize his team, such as it was. He wasn't overly happy at the egghead quotient, but his general had insisted, and at least she was combat trained, though he doubted she'd ever been in an actual live fire situation. At least he hadn't ended up with the geek boy with the social graces of a shoe and the allergy to anything with estrogen.
Rounding out his team was someone he trusted, a major who had watched his back more than once. Kowalski was a good man. And, he'd been there the first time they'd stepped through the damn thing.
They'd been trying to push him to include a fourth, but none of the options were all that appealing. Besides, they'd left Dr. March on the other side the year before. She could handle any of the linguistics stuff. He didn't need another egghead.
And that was that.
“Colonel O'Neill?” He looked up to find his assistant in the doorway.
“Got my coffee, thanks.” Jack held up his cup, remembering Daniel's smile. He shook his head. Forget Daniel.
“No, sir. General Hammond was looking for you.”
“Been right here.” Jack responded, though he closed the file and stood. “Is he in his office?”
“Yes sir.”
“Good boy, Walt.” Jack patted his head as he walked by.
“It's Walter, sir.”
Jack waved the folder as he left the office and headed up to his commanding officer's. With any luck he could avoid the place the rest of the day.
Of course, he should have known that any mission that involved stepping through some ancient piece of technology to be transported to the other side of the galaxy would never end well, and instead of being a meet and greet on the other side with Dr. March, it devolved rather rapidly into getting captured by aliens and shooting their way free and ending up with some very pissed off new enemies, not to mention a bunch of people in their gateroom and no idea how to get those people home.
And in that whole lengthy process, Jack didn't think about Daniel or his smile once. Except for that time when he woke up after getting hit with that ray gun and his waking thought was that he wanted coffee, which led to thinking about Daniel. And the time when Dr. March mumbled something about some guy she used to know and somehow it made him think of Daniel. Something about glasses or something about blue eyes.
Then there was the moment in the shower once they finally got back, and Jack was just going to stop right there. He'd decided to forget him. So he would.
He wasn't even going to stop for coffee in the morning. Nope. He needed to cut back anyway. Or so he told himself. Right up until the moment he parked the car, his eyes skimming over the front of the building.
Daniel was nowhere to be seen. All the better. He'd get his coffee and go.
Jack opened the door and that was when he spotted him, straddling a chair in the back, his head hung low over his coffee, sunglasses hiding his eyes. Daniel didn't look up, his shoulders hunched over. Jack detoured from the route to the counter, crossing to the table.
“Hey.”
Daniel flinched, his head moving as though he was looking up, but it was hard to tell through the shades. Jack reached for his face, turning it up. His lip was split, but that was all Jack got to see before Daniel jerked his head away.
“Rough night?”
Daniel's mouth was a hard, set line. “What do you care?” He moved to get up, pushing past Jack and heading out the front door. Jack noticed he was cradling his left hand and walking stiffly. He followed.
“Hey, wait.”
“Look...Jack. You don't want to get involved. Trust me. Go get your coffee, go to work. Forget me.”
Which is of course, exactly what Jack should do but Jack had a reputation for not always doing what he should or what was expected. It was probably the reason he was still alive.
“You okay?”
Daniel stopped in the middle of the parking lot and turned to look at him. “Like I said, you don't want to--”
Jack stepped closer and held up a hand. “Let me be the judge of that.”
Daniel shook his head, but he didn't pull away when Jack reached for the sunglasses. Jack whistled low as he revealed the bruises. Daniel's left eye was purple and black, the white shot through with red. The bruising covered most of his nose and down toward his lip.
“Happy now?”
“You okay?” Jack asked again, ignoring Daniel's tone.
Daniel sighed and took his sunglasses from Jack. “I'm fine. I've had worse.”
“Your hand?”
Daniel held it up between them. Jack could see bruises there too. “It isn't broken. I don't think.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
Jack nodded. “Okay.”
They stood there in the middle of the parking lot for a few minutes before Daniel sighed and looked around them. “I should go.”
Jack considered not asking for all of two seconds, before his brain checked out and the rest of him made the decision. “Would you maybe like to get something more than coffee sometime?”
His eyebrow arched and the corners of his mouth tugged up, stretched the painful looking split on his upper lip. “Are you asking me out?”
Jack shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I'm just saying...you know...food is good.”
There was a honking horn and Daniel was moving closer to Jack's car to get out of the way. “I um...you know...thanks, but...I doubt it's a good idea.”
Jack nodded. That was probably true. “Okay. Just...you look like you could use a friend.”
Daniel put his sunglasses back on. “You don't want to be my friend Jack. I'll see you around.”
Jack watched him walk away. The guy was probably right. Whatever he was mixed up in was probably something Jack didn't want any part of. His life was complicated enough. He didn't need to be adding stuff to it. Especially not something that was probably illegal and clearly involved fists. Or worse.
He needed to leave Daniel alone and concentrate on work.
He made it until noon. He stopped by the infirmary to check on Kowalski and whether or not he'd bitched enough for the doctor to spring him, then ducked into his office. “I'm taking the afternoon off, Walter.”
He didn't wait for the inevitable complaint, just grabbed his coffee cup and headed out, stopping long enough to change before he steered his car off base and down to the coffee shop.
Something was wrong and Daniel clearly needed help.
Only, Jack knew next to nothing about the man. He knew his name was Daniel...something, and he knew that he liked his coffee with mocha and peppermint. But maybe there was someone at the coffee shop who knew more.
So he figured that was where he would start.
The girl behind the counter looked tired as he opened the door. She smiled for him though. “What can I get started for you?”
Jack smiled too, suddenly nervous. “Actually, I'm looking for someone.”
“I'm the only one here at the moment.”
Jack shook his head. “No, he...he comes in here in the mornings, about seven?”
“Lot of people come in here at that time sir.”
“Mocha with extra foam and peppermint.”
Her face lit up. “Oh, you mean Daniel.”
“Yes, exactly. Daniel.”
“Well, he only comes in in the morning.”
Jack nodded. He'd already figured that. If the man worked nights, he wouldn't be traipsing out around during the daylight hours. “I was just wondering if anyone knew where I could find him.”
“He usually comes in on Mondays and Tuesdays, and sometimes Thursdays and Saturdays.”
Jack huffed a sigh. “How about a last name? Do you know his last name?”
Her smile dimmed and she shook her head. “No, I'm afraid I mostly know people by their drinks.”
“Thanks anyway.”
What was he thinking? He let himself back out of the coffee shop and stared at his car. Daniel was a grown man. He didn't need Jack coming to his rescue. He wasn't some goddamn knight in shining armor. He could probably call in a few favors to try to find him, but all appearances indicated Daniel was not a fan of the military.
That Jack could understand. There were a lot of days he wasn't either.
Jack wasn't very surprised to find that Daniel didn't show up at the coffee shop the next morning. Or the one after that. Then Jack found himself on a mission that was supposed to be a few days and turned into almost a week when his egghead got herself kidnapped and they had to track her down. At least he'd finally convinced command to let the big alien guy help out.
Teal'c wasn't much of a talker, but he had been helpful, first in helping them escape Apophis and since then giving them intelligence on the bad guys. And on his first mission with the team, he'd proven himself a good soldier to boot.
All told it was almost two weeks before he saw Daniel again. He was leaving as Jack was coming in. “Morning.” Daniel didn't make eye contact, just held up his coffee in greeting as he shouldered past Jack into the early morning cold.
Jack could take that hint. He muttered “Morning” too and kept going for his coffee. He knew the whole thing was a bad idea anyway.
Daniel was leaning on his car when he came out. “You haven't been around.”
It sounded dangerously close to an accusation. “Busy.” Jack tried to make it sound casual and sipped at his coffee.
“Work?”
Jack nodded. “Yeah. I had to go out of town.”
“To manage.” A smile tugged at the corners of his lips and Jack couldn't help but lick his.
“There was...a hostile situation.” He stepped a little closer. “Your face looks better.”
Daniel did actually chuckle then. “Yeah, sorry I was so...cryptic. It was a bad day.”
“Usually is when you get beat up.” Jack observed dryly.
“Yeah, one of the hazards of the job.” Daniel looked away, his eyes half closing. He wasn't wearing his glasses Jack noticed. Which meant he could see Daniel's eyes a lot better. They were impossibly blue. And at the moment slightly embarrassed.
“So, I was thinking...”
Jack blinked back to something more than Daniel’s eyes. “Thinking is good.”
“About your invitation.”
Jack had to back peddle pretty fast because his mind was still stuck on the intensity of the color of Daniel's eyes. “Invitation...oh, right. Food. You turned me down.”
“I was cranky.” Daniel stood upright. “If you were still interested...”
Jack smiled. He was definitely interested. “Dinner? Or is that breakfast for you?”
“Tomorrow good for you?”
Jack's thoughts raced over his schedule. He was fairly certain he didn't have any plans. “Tomorrow's good. What time?”
Daniel tipped his head back and swallowed down the last of his coffee. “I'll meet you here at seven?”
“Seven it is.”
Daniel smiled and tossed his cup into the nearby trash can. “Great. I'll see you tomorrow.”
And just like that, Jack had a date with a man whose last name he still didn't know. If one could call it a date. Daniel hadn't said date. It was food. Two men having food. All he had to do was get through the next two days without getting kidnapped or blown up or stranded off world and all would be good. And, considering he wasn't scheduled to go back off world for a few days, he should be able to manage that.
Right?
“Sir?” Jack tried to ignore the voice of his egghead Major, turning the corner and heading for the men's locker room so he could get changed.
“Colonel?” Her hand connected with his shoulder and he sighed heavily before turning around.
“What is it, Major?”
“Sir, it's about that technology we encountered on P3X-289.”
“Now, Carter?” Jack wasn't doing a very good job of hiding his annoyance.
“I think it bears looking at again, sir.”
“So look at it. I'm going to shower.” He opened the door, but she wasn't leaving. “What?”
“I asked General Hammond to approve a second mission, sir.”
“And?”
She rolled her eyes. “He won't do it unless you back my recommendation.”
“This is where I remind you that those people kidnapped you and would probably have killed you.”
“I know. But I think that if we're careful--”
Jack held up his hand. “No. I'll send one of the marine teams. They can bring it back for you.”
She looked surprised. “Thank you sir.”
“Can I go now?”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” She backed away and Jack let himself into the locker room. He wasn't late or anything, but he wanted a chance to shower and not rush. He had to remind himself this wasn't a date. Not exactly.
Because he and Daniel were...well, not exactly friends. Not yet. But they would be. Jack nodded to himself in his locker mirror as he finished stripping down and wrapping a towel around himself. Anything else would be...well...extra.
Friends.
Jack showered and shaved and was getting dressed when Kowalski leaned against the lockers. “Got a hot date or something?”
Jack raised an eyebrow, but didn't stop buttoning up his shirt. “I'm having dinner with a friend.”
“I thought I was your only friend.” Kowalski opened his locker and started pulling his uniform off. “Where you going?”
Jack stared at him for a minute. “Dinner?”
“Oh, haven't decided yet.” Jack shoved his comb back into the locker and pulled out his jacket. “I'm thinking steak though.”
“Try Mina's on Myrtle Street.” Kowalski was obviously heading for the showers himself, dropping his pants as Jack closed his locker.
“Thanks.” Jack left him to it, heading for the elevator and out before anyone else could distract him.
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Pairing/Characters: Jack/Daniel, mention of Sam
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 11926
Summary: Complete AU taking place around the very beginning of Season 1. Daniel was never a part of the Stargate program. Colonel Jack O'Neill is getting comfortable in his new command, getting a feel for the neighborhood, making friends. When he "bumps" into Daniel one morning in a coffee shop, it's the beginning of something entirely new.
A/Ns & Warnings: Written for prehistoric_sea who won me during the last Sweet Charity. As to the warnings, two guys having sex, semi-public sexing...and I should probably mention that Daniel is a prostitute.
It was way too early on a Wednesday morning for anything to be good and the new post was not exactly his favorite in the long history of new posts, but Colonel Jack O'Neill dragged himself out of the house all the same.
He had enough time to stop for coffee at the shop just off base, so he wouldn't have to drink the colored water his assistant called coffee, or the sludge served in the mess. He wasn't exactly sure why he needed an assistant, or what exactly it was his assistant did, but he had one and apparently command thought he needed one and that was that.
Maybe it was because of the whole retiring thing. Though, he didn't suppose it was actually retiring if he kept getting called back to active duty. And, this time he wasn't really minding, although he supposed that if they didn't get the doohicky working again, he'd probably get to go back to his fishing hole in peace. Eventually.
He stopped in front of the shop and sighed. He was in civilian clothes. Still. Not that he didn't have uniforms at home, he just liked to hold on to the illusion. He went in every morning and headed for the locker room to change before finding his office or whatever briefing he needed to be in.
Two weeks now and nothing had changed. The same two girls on their break from the shop were outside smoking their cigarettes and staring numbly at the concrete. The same five cars were parked in front. The same Major and the girl who worked somewhere on base were in line and the same long haired, vaguely out of place, absent minded guy with glasses was just turning away from the pickup window.
Only today, he walked smack into Jack, sending his coffee splattering to the floor. “Shit!”
“I'm sorry.” Jack tried to help, brushing at the coffee on the man's shirt until he pulled away.
“Leave it.”
Before Jack could say anything more, the man turned and headed for the bathroom. He exhaled and headed for the counter. The girl behind the register smiled. “Good morning, Colonel. The usual?”
“Yeah, and another for the guy…”
Her face clouded up. “Sir?”
Jack shook his head and waved toward the bathroom. “Long hair, absent-minded. He just redecorated his shirt with whatever it is he got.”
“Ah, yes. The mocha with extra foam and a shot of peppermint.”
Jack raised an eyebrow, but dropped the money on the counter and went to wait for the coffees. By the time long-haired guy came out of the bathroom, his shirt wet, but no longer coffee-stained, Jack had a fresh cup to hand him.
“Um...thanks.” In contrast to the words, the man was frowning, though he took the cup.
“Least I could do. The girl said that was what you ordered.”
He took a sip and nodded. “Yeah, it's right.” He took off his glasses and made a face that made him look a like he was confused. “I um...thank you. That was nice. It's been a long night, and...” He sighed heavily and seem to shake himself out of whatever he'd been going to say and looked up with a smile. It didn't make it all the way to his eyes, but it was a nice smile. “And you didn't have to do that.”
“My pleasure.”
“I'll see you around.”
Jack watched him leave, sipping on his straight up black coffee, no cream. The man's jeans were baggy and worn, his long hair nearly touching his shoulders. He looked like a man who had seen better days. The bells over the door chimed and two airmen in uniform came in, and Jack took that as his cue to leave.
Thursday there was no sign of the absent-minded-mocha-guy. Jack was oddly disappointed as he walked back to his car. He couldn't help but wonder where the man was. It wasn't like he was there every day. In fact, if Jack thought about it, it was only two or three times a week.
He put the thought aside and started his car, he had actual work to do, if his assistant was to be believed, since they had managed to get the damn doohicky running again, and that meant recon and that meant he needed a team.
He put the young man with the peppermint mocha and the way too loose to be sane pants out of his mind and concentrated on work. His job was about to get a lot more complicated than most Air Force gigs and distractions were never good when things got complicated.
It was Tuesday before Jack saw him again, hanging outside the coffee shop as he pulled in. He was dressed a little better, his jeans tight over heavy boots, a jacket pulled close over his chest, two cups of coffee in his hand. He looked up as Jack got out of the car, a vague smile playing over his lips as he held the cup out.
Jack took the cup, sniffing at the lid. “Straight, black, hot and strong.” The smile was a little bigger. “I asked.”
“Thank you.” He took an experimental sip and nodded appreciatively. “You didn't have to.”
He nodded. “I did. I owed you. I don't like owing people anything.”
“Okay.” Jack held out his hand. “I'm Jack.”
There it was, a genuine smile. The man had a great smile. “Daniel.”
He gestured to the cluster of little tables and chairs and snagged one for himself. Daniel seemed to hesitate, looking around him as if expecting to be seen by someone before he sat slowly. He held his coffee close to him, sat with his back against the wall and his eyes never rested on one spot. Obviously the man was used to watching his back.
“So, Daniel...” Jack wasn't really sure where to start. He'd never really been good at the small talk thing. “What's with the mocha?”
Daniel looked at the cup, then up at Jack, his face confused. “What? I like it.”
“Caffeine isn't enough for you, you need the sugar too?”
Daniel rolled his eyes. “I need something to...” He shook his head and took a long pull from the cup. “Yeah, I need the rush.”
There was something about the look on his face, just before he shook his head. Haunted, familiar. It was the look of somebody hiding something. Jack sipped on his coffee. “I can respect that.” He had his own secrets, and he liked his own kind of rush, after all. “So, you headed off to work?”
Daniel sighed and sat back a little in the chair, relaxing just a little. “Actually, I'm on my way home. I...work nights.”
Jack felt both eyebrows raise. “And you finish it off with a caffeine-sugar rush?”
“It helps me sleep.” Daniel responded a little defensively. “What about you? Off to some office job?”
Jack snorted. “Not hardly. But work, yes.”
“What is it you do?” Daniel's eyes strayed away to a jeep pulling up. Three airmen got out, loud and boisterous as they headed inside. Jack watched Daniel's defenses go up, watched him somehow pull himself inside, make himself smaller. Even after all three men were inside, the man didn't relax.
“Not important.” Jack said quietly. “Let's just say I'm a manager.”
“But not in an office.” Daniel was clearly skeptical.
“I'm more of a people person.”
“Right.”
Jack checked his watch. He was running awfully close to being late.
“You probably have to go.” Daniel said, standing suddenly. “I'm sorry I kept you.”
Jack stopped him, his hand on the man's shoulder. Daniel looked at the hand, then Jack and Jack got the message, pulling the hand back. “I'm not. It was nice to meet you, Daniel. I’ll see you around.”
As he drove away, Jack found himself wondering what kind of job Daniel did, and why he seemed so defensive and thinking inordinately too much about the way his ass looked in jeans that actually fit him. He shook his head, admonishing himself to focus. He was going to be walking through that damn ring in twenty four hours and he didn't know what waited for him on the other side.
The last thing he needed to be thinking about was sex. Particularly of the variety that would get him into the kinds of trouble that could land him a dishonorable and no pension. Besides, it had been years. Back before his wife, back before all the crazy. He hadn't felt that particular urge in years.
So, he would just put it away and forget about it. Leave Daniel alone.
Because Daniel was nothing more than a distraction.
The job was the important thing. Jack changed into uniform and headed for his office, coffee cup in hand. He settled in to finish signing the paperwork that would finalize his team, such as it was. He wasn't overly happy at the egghead quotient, but his general had insisted, and at least she was combat trained, though he doubted she'd ever been in an actual live fire situation. At least he hadn't ended up with the geek boy with the social graces of a shoe and the allergy to anything with estrogen.
Rounding out his team was someone he trusted, a major who had watched his back more than once. Kowalski was a good man. And, he'd been there the first time they'd stepped through the damn thing.
They'd been trying to push him to include a fourth, but none of the options were all that appealing. Besides, they'd left Dr. March on the other side the year before. She could handle any of the linguistics stuff. He didn't need another egghead.
And that was that.
“Colonel O'Neill?” He looked up to find his assistant in the doorway.
“Got my coffee, thanks.” Jack held up his cup, remembering Daniel's smile. He shook his head. Forget Daniel.
“No, sir. General Hammond was looking for you.”
“Been right here.” Jack responded, though he closed the file and stood. “Is he in his office?”
“Yes sir.”
“Good boy, Walt.” Jack patted his head as he walked by.
“It's Walter, sir.”
Jack waved the folder as he left the office and headed up to his commanding officer's. With any luck he could avoid the place the rest of the day.
Of course, he should have known that any mission that involved stepping through some ancient piece of technology to be transported to the other side of the galaxy would never end well, and instead of being a meet and greet on the other side with Dr. March, it devolved rather rapidly into getting captured by aliens and shooting their way free and ending up with some very pissed off new enemies, not to mention a bunch of people in their gateroom and no idea how to get those people home.
And in that whole lengthy process, Jack didn't think about Daniel or his smile once. Except for that time when he woke up after getting hit with that ray gun and his waking thought was that he wanted coffee, which led to thinking about Daniel. And the time when Dr. March mumbled something about some guy she used to know and somehow it made him think of Daniel. Something about glasses or something about blue eyes.
Then there was the moment in the shower once they finally got back, and Jack was just going to stop right there. He'd decided to forget him. So he would.
He wasn't even going to stop for coffee in the morning. Nope. He needed to cut back anyway. Or so he told himself. Right up until the moment he parked the car, his eyes skimming over the front of the building.
Daniel was nowhere to be seen. All the better. He'd get his coffee and go.
Jack opened the door and that was when he spotted him, straddling a chair in the back, his head hung low over his coffee, sunglasses hiding his eyes. Daniel didn't look up, his shoulders hunched over. Jack detoured from the route to the counter, crossing to the table.
“Hey.”
Daniel flinched, his head moving as though he was looking up, but it was hard to tell through the shades. Jack reached for his face, turning it up. His lip was split, but that was all Jack got to see before Daniel jerked his head away.
“Rough night?”
Daniel's mouth was a hard, set line. “What do you care?” He moved to get up, pushing past Jack and heading out the front door. Jack noticed he was cradling his left hand and walking stiffly. He followed.
“Hey, wait.”
“Look...Jack. You don't want to get involved. Trust me. Go get your coffee, go to work. Forget me.”
Which is of course, exactly what Jack should do but Jack had a reputation for not always doing what he should or what was expected. It was probably the reason he was still alive.
“You okay?”
Daniel stopped in the middle of the parking lot and turned to look at him. “Like I said, you don't want to--”
Jack stepped closer and held up a hand. “Let me be the judge of that.”
Daniel shook his head, but he didn't pull away when Jack reached for the sunglasses. Jack whistled low as he revealed the bruises. Daniel's left eye was purple and black, the white shot through with red. The bruising covered most of his nose and down toward his lip.
“Happy now?”
“You okay?” Jack asked again, ignoring Daniel's tone.
Daniel sighed and took his sunglasses from Jack. “I'm fine. I've had worse.”
“Your hand?”
Daniel held it up between them. Jack could see bruises there too. “It isn't broken. I don't think.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
Jack nodded. “Okay.”
They stood there in the middle of the parking lot for a few minutes before Daniel sighed and looked around them. “I should go.”
Jack considered not asking for all of two seconds, before his brain checked out and the rest of him made the decision. “Would you maybe like to get something more than coffee sometime?”
His eyebrow arched and the corners of his mouth tugged up, stretched the painful looking split on his upper lip. “Are you asking me out?”
Jack shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I'm just saying...you know...food is good.”
There was a honking horn and Daniel was moving closer to Jack's car to get out of the way. “I um...you know...thanks, but...I doubt it's a good idea.”
Jack nodded. That was probably true. “Okay. Just...you look like you could use a friend.”
Daniel put his sunglasses back on. “You don't want to be my friend Jack. I'll see you around.”
Jack watched him walk away. The guy was probably right. Whatever he was mixed up in was probably something Jack didn't want any part of. His life was complicated enough. He didn't need to be adding stuff to it. Especially not something that was probably illegal and clearly involved fists. Or worse.
He needed to leave Daniel alone and concentrate on work.
He made it until noon. He stopped by the infirmary to check on Kowalski and whether or not he'd bitched enough for the doctor to spring him, then ducked into his office. “I'm taking the afternoon off, Walter.”
He didn't wait for the inevitable complaint, just grabbed his coffee cup and headed out, stopping long enough to change before he steered his car off base and down to the coffee shop.
Something was wrong and Daniel clearly needed help.
Only, Jack knew next to nothing about the man. He knew his name was Daniel...something, and he knew that he liked his coffee with mocha and peppermint. But maybe there was someone at the coffee shop who knew more.
So he figured that was where he would start.
The girl behind the counter looked tired as he opened the door. She smiled for him though. “What can I get started for you?”
Jack smiled too, suddenly nervous. “Actually, I'm looking for someone.”
“I'm the only one here at the moment.”
Jack shook his head. “No, he...he comes in here in the mornings, about seven?”
“Lot of people come in here at that time sir.”
“Mocha with extra foam and peppermint.”
Her face lit up. “Oh, you mean Daniel.”
“Yes, exactly. Daniel.”
“Well, he only comes in in the morning.”
Jack nodded. He'd already figured that. If the man worked nights, he wouldn't be traipsing out around during the daylight hours. “I was just wondering if anyone knew where I could find him.”
“He usually comes in on Mondays and Tuesdays, and sometimes Thursdays and Saturdays.”
Jack huffed a sigh. “How about a last name? Do you know his last name?”
Her smile dimmed and she shook her head. “No, I'm afraid I mostly know people by their drinks.”
“Thanks anyway.”
What was he thinking? He let himself back out of the coffee shop and stared at his car. Daniel was a grown man. He didn't need Jack coming to his rescue. He wasn't some goddamn knight in shining armor. He could probably call in a few favors to try to find him, but all appearances indicated Daniel was not a fan of the military.
That Jack could understand. There were a lot of days he wasn't either.
Jack wasn't very surprised to find that Daniel didn't show up at the coffee shop the next morning. Or the one after that. Then Jack found himself on a mission that was supposed to be a few days and turned into almost a week when his egghead got herself kidnapped and they had to track her down. At least he'd finally convinced command to let the big alien guy help out.
Teal'c wasn't much of a talker, but he had been helpful, first in helping them escape Apophis and since then giving them intelligence on the bad guys. And on his first mission with the team, he'd proven himself a good soldier to boot.
All told it was almost two weeks before he saw Daniel again. He was leaving as Jack was coming in. “Morning.” Daniel didn't make eye contact, just held up his coffee in greeting as he shouldered past Jack into the early morning cold.
Jack could take that hint. He muttered “Morning” too and kept going for his coffee. He knew the whole thing was a bad idea anyway.
Daniel was leaning on his car when he came out. “You haven't been around.”
It sounded dangerously close to an accusation. “Busy.” Jack tried to make it sound casual and sipped at his coffee.
“Work?”
Jack nodded. “Yeah. I had to go out of town.”
“To manage.” A smile tugged at the corners of his lips and Jack couldn't help but lick his.
“There was...a hostile situation.” He stepped a little closer. “Your face looks better.”
Daniel did actually chuckle then. “Yeah, sorry I was so...cryptic. It was a bad day.”
“Usually is when you get beat up.” Jack observed dryly.
“Yeah, one of the hazards of the job.” Daniel looked away, his eyes half closing. He wasn't wearing his glasses Jack noticed. Which meant he could see Daniel's eyes a lot better. They were impossibly blue. And at the moment slightly embarrassed.
“So, I was thinking...”
Jack blinked back to something more than Daniel’s eyes. “Thinking is good.”
“About your invitation.”
Jack had to back peddle pretty fast because his mind was still stuck on the intensity of the color of Daniel's eyes. “Invitation...oh, right. Food. You turned me down.”
“I was cranky.” Daniel stood upright. “If you were still interested...”
Jack smiled. He was definitely interested. “Dinner? Or is that breakfast for you?”
“Tomorrow good for you?”
Jack's thoughts raced over his schedule. He was fairly certain he didn't have any plans. “Tomorrow's good. What time?”
Daniel tipped his head back and swallowed down the last of his coffee. “I'll meet you here at seven?”
“Seven it is.”
Daniel smiled and tossed his cup into the nearby trash can. “Great. I'll see you tomorrow.”
And just like that, Jack had a date with a man whose last name he still didn't know. If one could call it a date. Daniel hadn't said date. It was food. Two men having food. All he had to do was get through the next two days without getting kidnapped or blown up or stranded off world and all would be good. And, considering he wasn't scheduled to go back off world for a few days, he should be able to manage that.
Right?
“Sir?” Jack tried to ignore the voice of his egghead Major, turning the corner and heading for the men's locker room so he could get changed.
“Colonel?” Her hand connected with his shoulder and he sighed heavily before turning around.
“What is it, Major?”
“Sir, it's about that technology we encountered on P3X-289.”
“Now, Carter?” Jack wasn't doing a very good job of hiding his annoyance.
“I think it bears looking at again, sir.”
“So look at it. I'm going to shower.” He opened the door, but she wasn't leaving. “What?”
“I asked General Hammond to approve a second mission, sir.”
“And?”
She rolled her eyes. “He won't do it unless you back my recommendation.”
“This is where I remind you that those people kidnapped you and would probably have killed you.”
“I know. But I think that if we're careful--”
Jack held up his hand. “No. I'll send one of the marine teams. They can bring it back for you.”
She looked surprised. “Thank you sir.”
“Can I go now?”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry.” She backed away and Jack let himself into the locker room. He wasn't late or anything, but he wanted a chance to shower and not rush. He had to remind himself this wasn't a date. Not exactly.
Because he and Daniel were...well, not exactly friends. Not yet. But they would be. Jack nodded to himself in his locker mirror as he finished stripping down and wrapping a towel around himself. Anything else would be...well...extra.
Friends.
Jack showered and shaved and was getting dressed when Kowalski leaned against the lockers. “Got a hot date or something?”
Jack raised an eyebrow, but didn't stop buttoning up his shirt. “I'm having dinner with a friend.”
“I thought I was your only friend.” Kowalski opened his locker and started pulling his uniform off. “Where you going?”
Jack stared at him for a minute. “Dinner?”
“Oh, haven't decided yet.” Jack shoved his comb back into the locker and pulled out his jacket. “I'm thinking steak though.”
“Try Mina's on Myrtle Street.” Kowalski was obviously heading for the showers himself, dropping his pants as Jack closed his locker.
“Thanks.” Jack left him to it, heading for the elevator and out before anyone else could distract him.