Thought For A Penny
Stargate fic for the AWDT. Jack and Daniel-centric, 508 words.
@}~>~~
The jangle of keys woke Jack from his light doze on the couch, he rose and opened the door before Daniel had managed to negotiate the lock.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.” Daniel gestured wildly as he always did when caught off-guard, his keys rattling metallically as he threw his arms about. Jack stilled his hand and gently took the keys away, putting them down beside his own on the hallway table.
“Where were you last night?” There was none of his usual sarcasm, the calm in his voice matched the gentle pressure of his hand still resting on Daniel’s forearm. The Colonel was either very worried, or very angry.
“Nowhere really.” The words slipped out before he could consider them properly and Jack’s jaw tensed. Daniel ran a hand through his hair as he stifled a yawn.
“I’m sorry. Look, I want coffee, come talk to me in the kitchen. I need some serious caffeine before we head to the base in an hour.” He patted Jack’s hand in what he hoped was a comforting fashion as he shuffled in the direction of the coffee machine with a distracted look in his face. Jack followed after a short pause, trying to regain his previous centred calm. Daniel was already halfway though a mug and didn’t stop to breathe until the last drop was gone. He refilled it straight away and poured a second cup for Jack, who merely wrapped his long fingers around its warmth.
“Still waters run deep.” Daniel muttered, immersed in his coffee. Jack glared at him and took a stool at the bench.
”So where were you? I was worried.” He stared intently into his coffee, not wanting to acknowledge the weakness he felt saying such words aloud.
“Walking. Thinking.” He knew it wasn’t much of an answer, but for once the words wouldn’t come. They sat in silence for some time, listening to the incessant drop of the coffee maker.
“Oma came to me last night. When I was getting ready to come over.”
Jack grunted into his coffee. He had never liked this whole ‘ascended’ business.
“She brought me a message from Sha’re. Yesterday... yesterday our anniversary.”
“Oh.” And with that one word all the breath left his body, all his anger and frustration was gone. He slid bonelessly from his seat and walked over to where Daniel stood, half bent over the kitchen table. He stood next to him, thigh pressed against thigh as he tried to share comfort like body heat. He patted Daniel’s shoulder awkwardly, soon giving up and leaving the heavy weight of his hand resting there. He could feel the lump of his collarbone, and soft skin of his neck a contrast to the rough stubble that was starting to show. Daniel put his hand over the top of Jack’s, their fingers twining together. They stayed like that, their cooling coffees forgotten until Jack’s alarm clock rang out through the early morning and it was time to get ready for the days work.
@}~>~~
The jangle of keys woke Jack from his light doze on the couch, he rose and opened the door before Daniel had managed to negotiate the lock.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you.” Daniel gestured wildly as he always did when caught off-guard, his keys rattling metallically as he threw his arms about. Jack stilled his hand and gently took the keys away, putting them down beside his own on the hallway table.
“Where were you last night?” There was none of his usual sarcasm, the calm in his voice matched the gentle pressure of his hand still resting on Daniel’s forearm. The Colonel was either very worried, or very angry.
“Nowhere really.” The words slipped out before he could consider them properly and Jack’s jaw tensed. Daniel ran a hand through his hair as he stifled a yawn.
“I’m sorry. Look, I want coffee, come talk to me in the kitchen. I need some serious caffeine before we head to the base in an hour.” He patted Jack’s hand in what he hoped was a comforting fashion as he shuffled in the direction of the coffee machine with a distracted look in his face. Jack followed after a short pause, trying to regain his previous centred calm. Daniel was already halfway though a mug and didn’t stop to breathe until the last drop was gone. He refilled it straight away and poured a second cup for Jack, who merely wrapped his long fingers around its warmth.
“Still waters run deep.” Daniel muttered, immersed in his coffee. Jack glared at him and took a stool at the bench.
”So where were you? I was worried.” He stared intently into his coffee, not wanting to acknowledge the weakness he felt saying such words aloud.
“Walking. Thinking.” He knew it wasn’t much of an answer, but for once the words wouldn’t come. They sat in silence for some time, listening to the incessant drop of the coffee maker.
“Oma came to me last night. When I was getting ready to come over.”
Jack grunted into his coffee. He had never liked this whole ‘ascended’ business.
“She brought me a message from Sha’re. Yesterday... yesterday our anniversary.”
“Oh.” And with that one word all the breath left his body, all his anger and frustration was gone. He slid bonelessly from his seat and walked over to where Daniel stood, half bent over the kitchen table. He stood next to him, thigh pressed against thigh as he tried to share comfort like body heat. He patted Daniel’s shoulder awkwardly, soon giving up and leaving the heavy weight of his hand resting there. He could feel the lump of his collarbone, and soft skin of his neck a contrast to the rough stubble that was starting to show. Daniel put his hand over the top of Jack’s, their fingers twining together. They stayed like that, their cooling coffees forgotten until Jack’s alarm clock rang out through the early morning and it was time to get ready for the days work.