Ping, J/D, rated PG
This idea came to me one night, and I began writing it the next day but didn't get very far. By the time I came back to it, I'd forgotten where it was going. Note to self: briefly outline from now on.
Anyway, I found a place to take it, and a title that has so many delightful applications (which a little googling for definitions will find for you.) For me, the dynamic between the boys here puts this in Season One, but other interpretations are possible, and I'd be interested in hearing what you think.
Ping
Daniel hadn't been expecting company, and when his doorbell rang he wasn't expecting to find Jack in the hallway.
"Hello."
"Uh, hi. Come on…" Daniel closed the door behind Jack. "What, uh…?"
"Straight to the point."
Daniel pushed his glasses up. "Okay," he said cautiously.
Jack's mouth twitched. "Thing is…not to put too fine a point on it, whatever that means…"
Daniel opened his mouth.
Jack raised a finger. "Another time."
"Sure." Daniel shifted his weight. "Am I in trouble?"
"Do I look angry?"
Daniel surveyed him. "No. On edge, maybe."
Jack's left shoulder went up an inch. "Thing is, I hear things."
"Things?"
"I hear you're queer."
Daniel froze except for his jaw, which he could feel dropping in slow motion.
Jack's hands moved back and forth horizontally between them. "Can we sit down?" When Daniel didn't respond, Jack took him by the shoulder and turned him, walking them both into the living room and pressing Daniel down onto the sofa before sitting in the chair at the end of the coffee table. "Mind you, I'm not asking."
"Not…"
"I know. You're not military. Still not asking. Or caring. Let's be clear about that."
The icy rock in Daniel's stomach didn't react at all. "Why....?"
"I don't like hearing it. It's not my business if it's true or not, but having a rumor like that going around…"
"Reflects on you?"
"Not what I was going to say."
"Then say what you have to say. Then you can leave."
Jack looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Those sorts of rumors don't do anybody any good. Not good for the team, the SGC, or you least of all. Again, this isn't about who you are."
"It's about appearances."
"Yeah. And, yeah, I know, it should never be about that. But we've got eyes on us, Daniel."
Daniel nodded slowly. "The program is under scrutiny."
"Always. That's not ever going to change. We're always going to have enemies, as well as neutrals who can be swayed the wrong way by the wrong thing."
"Like a queer SG team member."
"It isn't even that. It's the rumor. If it were something openly acknowledged, sure, there would still be haters, but…"
"Are you asking me to come out of the closet?"
"I just told you, I'm not asking anything. In fact, I wouldn't advise it."
Daniel sat with his mouth open for a while before asking, "Are you trying to give me a headache?"
Jack's face relaxed for the first time since Daniel had opened his door. "Sorry. Me…bush…beating…"
"I'm not…fragile, Jack."
"Maybe I am."
"Now I'm really lost."
"I guess what I'm trying to get across is that discretion is the better part of yadda, yadda, yadda."
"I don't think I recognize that quote."
"Daniel."
"What? What do you want?"
"I want these rumors to go away. I want to know that you're safe from…assumptions. Prejudices. Physical and verbal attack. I want less unwelcome focus on my team. I want the program as safe from politicians as…well, that part's just dreaming."
"You want me to be more discreet."
"Hey, I'm not even aware of anything that you need to be discreet about. And I'm a pretty sharp guy. That's what I like to tell myself, anyway."
"Uh-huh."
"I'm just presenting you with the idea that if changes are necessary, making those changes would be for the best." Jack stood up. "But, you know, don't change who you are."
Daniel looked up at him. "Who do you think I am?"
There was warmth in Jack's eyes, tinged with sadness. "It doesn't matter to me."
Daniel stood up. "Maybe it matters to me."
They stood and looked at each other for a minute. Daniel could see Jack thinking.
"Look. All I'm saying…"
Daniel sighed.
"Listen to me."
Daniel looked at Jack's face, his eyes. Unreadable, but there was something…
"I am telling you that it is possible to fly underneath the Air Force's radar. I'm telling you that it can be done."
Jack was telling him a lot more than that. Daniel was stunned.
"You hear me?"
"Yes. Thank you." Thank you for trusting me with your secret.
"Sweet." One corner of Jack's mouth jerked up. "Guess I'll get out of your hair."
"And I guess I'll see you in the morning."
They moved toward the door in silence. Jack opened it, stepped through, and pulled it shut behind him without a backward glance.
Daniel walked slowly back into his living room and stood there for a long time, thinking about valor.
This entry was originally posted at http://sid.dreamwidth.org/250241.html.
(there are currently
comments at Dreamwidth.)
Anyway, I found a place to take it, and a title that has so many delightful applications (which a little googling for definitions will find for you.) For me, the dynamic between the boys here puts this in Season One, but other interpretations are possible, and I'd be interested in hearing what you think.
Ping
Daniel hadn't been expecting company, and when his doorbell rang he wasn't expecting to find Jack in the hallway.
"Hello."
"Uh, hi. Come on…" Daniel closed the door behind Jack. "What, uh…?"
"Straight to the point."
Daniel pushed his glasses up. "Okay," he said cautiously.
Jack's mouth twitched. "Thing is…not to put too fine a point on it, whatever that means…"
Daniel opened his mouth.
Jack raised a finger. "Another time."
"Sure." Daniel shifted his weight. "Am I in trouble?"
"Do I look angry?"
Daniel surveyed him. "No. On edge, maybe."
Jack's left shoulder went up an inch. "Thing is, I hear things."
"Things?"
"I hear you're queer."
Daniel froze except for his jaw, which he could feel dropping in slow motion.
Jack's hands moved back and forth horizontally between them. "Can we sit down?" When Daniel didn't respond, Jack took him by the shoulder and turned him, walking them both into the living room and pressing Daniel down onto the sofa before sitting in the chair at the end of the coffee table. "Mind you, I'm not asking."
"Not…"
"I know. You're not military. Still not asking. Or caring. Let's be clear about that."
The icy rock in Daniel's stomach didn't react at all. "Why....?"
"I don't like hearing it. It's not my business if it's true or not, but having a rumor like that going around…"
"Reflects on you?"
"Not what I was going to say."
"Then say what you have to say. Then you can leave."
Jack looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Those sorts of rumors don't do anybody any good. Not good for the team, the SGC, or you least of all. Again, this isn't about who you are."
"It's about appearances."
"Yeah. And, yeah, I know, it should never be about that. But we've got eyes on us, Daniel."
Daniel nodded slowly. "The program is under scrutiny."
"Always. That's not ever going to change. We're always going to have enemies, as well as neutrals who can be swayed the wrong way by the wrong thing."
"Like a queer SG team member."
"It isn't even that. It's the rumor. If it were something openly acknowledged, sure, there would still be haters, but…"
"Are you asking me to come out of the closet?"
"I just told you, I'm not asking anything. In fact, I wouldn't advise it."
Daniel sat with his mouth open for a while before asking, "Are you trying to give me a headache?"
Jack's face relaxed for the first time since Daniel had opened his door. "Sorry. Me…bush…beating…"
"I'm not…fragile, Jack."
"Maybe I am."
"Now I'm really lost."
"I guess what I'm trying to get across is that discretion is the better part of yadda, yadda, yadda."
"I don't think I recognize that quote."
"Daniel."
"What? What do you want?"
"I want these rumors to go away. I want to know that you're safe from…assumptions. Prejudices. Physical and verbal attack. I want less unwelcome focus on my team. I want the program as safe from politicians as…well, that part's just dreaming."
"You want me to be more discreet."
"Hey, I'm not even aware of anything that you need to be discreet about. And I'm a pretty sharp guy. That's what I like to tell myself, anyway."
"Uh-huh."
"I'm just presenting you with the idea that if changes are necessary, making those changes would be for the best." Jack stood up. "But, you know, don't change who you are."
Daniel looked up at him. "Who do you think I am?"
There was warmth in Jack's eyes, tinged with sadness. "It doesn't matter to me."
Daniel stood up. "Maybe it matters to me."
They stood and looked at each other for a minute. Daniel could see Jack thinking.
"Look. All I'm saying…"
Daniel sighed.
"Listen to me."
Daniel looked at Jack's face, his eyes. Unreadable, but there was something…
"I am telling you that it is possible to fly underneath the Air Force's radar. I'm telling you that it can be done."
Jack was telling him a lot more than that. Daniel was stunned.
"You hear me?"
"Yes. Thank you." Thank you for trusting me with your secret.
"Sweet." One corner of Jack's mouth jerked up. "Guess I'll get out of your hair."
"And I guess I'll see you in the morning."
They moved toward the door in silence. Jack opened it, stepped through, and pulled it shut behind him without a backward glance.
Daniel walked slowly back into his living room and stood there for a long time, thinking about valor.
This entry was originally posted at http://sid.dreamwidth.org/250241.html.
(there are currently
comments at Dreamwidth.)