ficpost: "Questionable Taste" Jack/Daniel
Title: "Questionable Taste"
Fandom: Stargate: SG-1
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: PG-13
Notes: For scrollgirl in the Jack/Daniel ficathon. She requested a missing scene set around "Rising" and first time fic.
Words: 1168
Summary: A study in Jack's highly questionable taste in books, movies, and men.
Questionable Taste
"Okay, do you understand these things?"
Sam interrupted Daniel's quiet contemplation of how bitterly unfair, exacting, demanding, and cruel Jack O'Neill was with a stack of pink novels that made Daniel blink several times in confusion, then tell her, with no uncertainty, "No idea whatsoever. Have you asked Jack?"
"They're from the General. At least, I can't think of anyone else who would think they were funny. Because of dating Pete."
"Jack gave you romance novels because of Pete?" Daniel smiled a little. That was vintage Jack.
"And they're very confusing," Sam told him. "I don't get why people read these things for fun. Especially all the sword fights -- give me a knife and a place to stick it and I'm your girl, but isn't sword-fighting a bit -- medieval?"
"Jack has weird taste in literature," Daniel told her, finding his own stack of Jack-gifts.
"The Sifting Sands of Egypt, Romance on the Nile and Further Adventures of the Sphinx Hunter? Daniel, what are these?"
"Adventure novels," Daniel told her. "My birthday presents for the last five birthdays I've actually, uh, spent around here." Funny that "around here" should be code for "on this dimension," but no funnier than anything else. "I've got a bit of a Jack problem myself," he confided, ushering Sam further into his office and inviting her to take a seat on his cluttered desk. "It's about Atlantis."
"He won't let you go, huh?" Sam smiled at him sympathetically. "That expedition has thrown this base into an uproar, hasn't it? Rodney McKay has been in my lab almost around the clock for the past three days."
"I'm sorry," Daniel said, grinning. "Anything I can do?"
"Nah. I'll deal. He'll be gone soon, and he's being surprisingly sweet, for McKay. I almost think he's going to miss me."
Daniel nodded, still running through possible arguments for why he should be going with McKay and the rest of the team. But Sam interrupted his thoughts. "You know, he almost reminds me of General O'Neill."
"What?" Daniel was sure neither man would be flattered by the comparison.
"Well, the puppy-dog look. If you were going to Atlantis, you'd better believe he'd be wearing that same expression for you. And giving you more pointless presents." She gestured at the books he still had on his desk.
Dumping them back in the corner where they lived, Daniel asked, "McKay's been giving you gifts?"
"Oh," Sam blushed suddenly, "No, not really. Mostly, just, you know, talking about how he wishes I could come with them."
"You should! But that's perfect. You'll explain to Jack why both of us are essential on the Pegasus expedition. How could he say no to you?"
"Quite easily, believe it or not. The General is actually impressively good at being negative." She smiled. "Besides, I've got a lot to stick around for right here." Daniel sighed and shuffled his work around some more. Seeming to sense his disappointment, Sam jumped off the desk and, grinning, said, "But let me tell you something. You won't win him over by cajoling or lying or telling him about the scientific merits of your going. Just tell him honestly. I somehow doubt even our beloved grouchy General will be able to resist your passion. Just be honest with him." She patted Daniel on the shoulder encouragingly, gathered up her pink novels, and left Daniel wondering when he and Jack had last had a truly honest conversation.
++
Jack's idea of entertaining was a bottle of beer and a gruff snort, but Daniel had never been intimidated by long odds. He sat in Jack's living room, staring at his beer like it was a foreign object and not an ordinary, domestic, not very good alcoholic beverage, wondering where best to begin.
"Jack. I want to tell you -- with respect -- that I think you're making a mistake by not letting me go."
"Oh?" Jack looked disinterested.
"I think you're acting irrationally," Daniel told him. "Can you give me one good reason why I shouldn't go?"
"I don't want you to." In Jack's universe, that wasn't just a good reason, it was the only reason he'd ever need.
"But why?" Daniel pressed. Sam had told him to be honest about his feelings, but he figured a good dose of truth-telling wouldn't do Jack any lasting harm.
"I need you here."
"Other people can do my job," Daniel said. "The scientific world survived without my unique insight for a long time."
"Okay, then." Jack paused, then found another tactic. "I need you out there. Now that I'm not going through the Gate, I need people I can count on to spread the message of -- peace, justice, and literacy for all, or whatever your creed these days is."
"Very convincing," Daniel told him dryly. "Really. Why can't you live without me?"
"Who will steal all my coffee?" Jack asked. "Laugh at my jokes? Tell me when I'm being stubborn?"
"You make jokes?"
"Well, in case I ever make any."
"Jack, you stole that line straight from Clueless. Do you have any shame?"
"Probably not. Cassie made me watch it a couple of years back."
"And you still have the dialogue memorized."
"So do you," Jack reminded him.
"Teal'c rented it the other night," Daniel admitted. "Sam and I were still around, so we made a team night of it."
"I see."
"No, Jack, I'm sorry. That isn't fair. We had a modified team night, sans our fearless leader."
"That's better."
"Let me go to Pegasus."
"This is exactly why I can't let you go?"
"Why," Daniel persisted. Other parents he knew told their young children to shut up, to stop asking questions, but his parents, long ago dusty memories, always encouraged whys. He'd never stopped asking them.
"Daniel, is this really so hard to explain? I knew you could be thick, but this is absurd."
"Tell me." Daniel put his hands on his legs and leaned forward, eager, challenging. But even before Jack could answer, he thought he knew.
And when Jack did answer, with a kiss harsh and sudden against his lips, Daniel knew for sure. Jack limped back to his seat, the fight and bravado gone when he touched Daniel's unyielding mouth. But Daniel was on him before he could pick up his beer again, his answering kiss a surprise to both of them.
Jack wrapped his arms around Daniel firmly and thrust him to one side, so he was leaning lopsided against the back of Jack's couch, but before he could move, Jack pinned him there and kissed him again, and Jack's hands holding his wrists felt like ropes tying Daniel to Earth. Every thrust of Jack's tongue, precise and passionate, was nailing him to this planet, this plane, this house where Jack had spent so many years loving him, this man who, he realized as Jack's hands slid roughly from his wrists to his back, could not possibly ever let him go.
Fandom: Stargate: SG-1
Pairing: Jack/Daniel
Rating: PG-13
Notes: For scrollgirl in the Jack/Daniel ficathon. She requested a missing scene set around "Rising" and first time fic.
Words: 1168
Summary: A study in Jack's highly questionable taste in books, movies, and men.
Questionable Taste
"Okay, do you understand these things?"
Sam interrupted Daniel's quiet contemplation of how bitterly unfair, exacting, demanding, and cruel Jack O'Neill was with a stack of pink novels that made Daniel blink several times in confusion, then tell her, with no uncertainty, "No idea whatsoever. Have you asked Jack?"
"They're from the General. At least, I can't think of anyone else who would think they were funny. Because of dating Pete."
"Jack gave you romance novels because of Pete?" Daniel smiled a little. That was vintage Jack.
"And they're very confusing," Sam told him. "I don't get why people read these things for fun. Especially all the sword fights -- give me a knife and a place to stick it and I'm your girl, but isn't sword-fighting a bit -- medieval?"
"Jack has weird taste in literature," Daniel told her, finding his own stack of Jack-gifts.
"The Sifting Sands of Egypt, Romance on the Nile and Further Adventures of the Sphinx Hunter? Daniel, what are these?"
"Adventure novels," Daniel told her. "My birthday presents for the last five birthdays I've actually, uh, spent around here." Funny that "around here" should be code for "on this dimension," but no funnier than anything else. "I've got a bit of a Jack problem myself," he confided, ushering Sam further into his office and inviting her to take a seat on his cluttered desk. "It's about Atlantis."
"He won't let you go, huh?" Sam smiled at him sympathetically. "That expedition has thrown this base into an uproar, hasn't it? Rodney McKay has been in my lab almost around the clock for the past three days."
"I'm sorry," Daniel said, grinning. "Anything I can do?"
"Nah. I'll deal. He'll be gone soon, and he's being surprisingly sweet, for McKay. I almost think he's going to miss me."
Daniel nodded, still running through possible arguments for why he should be going with McKay and the rest of the team. But Sam interrupted his thoughts. "You know, he almost reminds me of General O'Neill."
"What?" Daniel was sure neither man would be flattered by the comparison.
"Well, the puppy-dog look. If you were going to Atlantis, you'd better believe he'd be wearing that same expression for you. And giving you more pointless presents." She gestured at the books he still had on his desk.
Dumping them back in the corner where they lived, Daniel asked, "McKay's been giving you gifts?"
"Oh," Sam blushed suddenly, "No, not really. Mostly, just, you know, talking about how he wishes I could come with them."
"You should! But that's perfect. You'll explain to Jack why both of us are essential on the Pegasus expedition. How could he say no to you?"
"Quite easily, believe it or not. The General is actually impressively good at being negative." She smiled. "Besides, I've got a lot to stick around for right here." Daniel sighed and shuffled his work around some more. Seeming to sense his disappointment, Sam jumped off the desk and, grinning, said, "But let me tell you something. You won't win him over by cajoling or lying or telling him about the scientific merits of your going. Just tell him honestly. I somehow doubt even our beloved grouchy General will be able to resist your passion. Just be honest with him." She patted Daniel on the shoulder encouragingly, gathered up her pink novels, and left Daniel wondering when he and Jack had last had a truly honest conversation.
++
Jack's idea of entertaining was a bottle of beer and a gruff snort, but Daniel had never been intimidated by long odds. He sat in Jack's living room, staring at his beer like it was a foreign object and not an ordinary, domestic, not very good alcoholic beverage, wondering where best to begin.
"Jack. I want to tell you -- with respect -- that I think you're making a mistake by not letting me go."
"Oh?" Jack looked disinterested.
"I think you're acting irrationally," Daniel told him. "Can you give me one good reason why I shouldn't go?"
"I don't want you to." In Jack's universe, that wasn't just a good reason, it was the only reason he'd ever need.
"But why?" Daniel pressed. Sam had told him to be honest about his feelings, but he figured a good dose of truth-telling wouldn't do Jack any lasting harm.
"I need you here."
"Other people can do my job," Daniel said. "The scientific world survived without my unique insight for a long time."
"Okay, then." Jack paused, then found another tactic. "I need you out there. Now that I'm not going through the Gate, I need people I can count on to spread the message of -- peace, justice, and literacy for all, or whatever your creed these days is."
"Very convincing," Daniel told him dryly. "Really. Why can't you live without me?"
"Who will steal all my coffee?" Jack asked. "Laugh at my jokes? Tell me when I'm being stubborn?"
"You make jokes?"
"Well, in case I ever make any."
"Jack, you stole that line straight from Clueless. Do you have any shame?"
"Probably not. Cassie made me watch it a couple of years back."
"And you still have the dialogue memorized."
"So do you," Jack reminded him.
"Teal'c rented it the other night," Daniel admitted. "Sam and I were still around, so we made a team night of it."
"I see."
"No, Jack, I'm sorry. That isn't fair. We had a modified team night, sans our fearless leader."
"That's better."
"Let me go to Pegasus."
"This is exactly why I can't let you go?"
"Why," Daniel persisted. Other parents he knew told their young children to shut up, to stop asking questions, but his parents, long ago dusty memories, always encouraged whys. He'd never stopped asking them.
"Daniel, is this really so hard to explain? I knew you could be thick, but this is absurd."
"Tell me." Daniel put his hands on his legs and leaned forward, eager, challenging. But even before Jack could answer, he thought he knew.
And when Jack did answer, with a kiss harsh and sudden against his lips, Daniel knew for sure. Jack limped back to his seat, the fight and bravado gone when he touched Daniel's unyielding mouth. But Daniel was on him before he could pick up his beer again, his answering kiss a surprise to both of them.
Jack wrapped his arms around Daniel firmly and thrust him to one side, so he was leaning lopsided against the back of Jack's couch, but before he could move, Jack pinned him there and kissed him again, and Jack's hands holding his wrists felt like ropes tying Daniel to Earth. Every thrust of Jack's tongue, precise and passionate, was nailing him to this planet, this plane, this house where Jack had spent so many years loving him, this man who, he realized as Jack's hands slid roughly from his wrists to his back, could not possibly ever let him go.