Work Text:
Author's notes: Thanks to my Beta, Gateroller
Jack wondered if the general realised he had given him an extra Christmas present this year when he'd delayed their mission and gave SG1 the holidays off. He'd been trying to find a way to get Daniel alone long enough to test the waters and see if he was right that Daniel might be receptive then he'd find a way to ...to... Damn! He was a colonel in the Air Force with special ops training behind him and yet he found the idea of telling his friend how he really felt about him daunting.
Then again, that was sorta the problem. He was a military officer in love with his best friend who just happened to be a man, and even more to the point, he was a team-mate. Yet if he was honest he had come to terms with that -- not the man part; that had never bothered him -- the being on his team part was the problem. He'd been in love with Daniel for a long time, having gradually fallen for him as they served side by side and he had never treated him any differently. It had been his duty to protect him from the very first day and that had never changed. He wasn't sure why he’d finally decided it was time to admit his feelings to Daniel now but he had, though deciding to do it wasn't the same as actually doing it. The hard bit was still to come.
He'd already taken the first step when he invited the archaeologist to stay with him for the holiday season. On the spur of the moment he offered to hold a party on Christmas Eve and again on New Year's Eve, thinking that was the perfect opportunity to persuade Daniel to stay with him in between the two events. Besides his own selfish reasons, he really did think that the last thing Daniel needed just then was to be alone. He had seemed distracted, even a little distant for some time now. As he expected, Daniel tried to politely refuse, assuming he wasn't really welcome and that Jack was just asking because he felt he ought. Jack soon put a stop to that way of thinking and made it perfectly clear that Daniel was more than welcome; Jack wanted his company.
Teal'c was leaving for a few days after the Christmas Eve party to visit with his family but Sam was staying with Janet and in an attempt to make Daniel feel more comfortable he'd declared open house with a invitation for any of their friends to drop by anytime.
Inadvertently he got his first hint from Daniel then, though he wasn't sure if he'd read more into the comment than was actually there. He suggested Daniel and he go for food and drink as his kitchen was virtually empty of supplies.
"Oh, so I have to help with the groceries as well now. Your way to make me pay for my keep?" Daniel had joked.
"Hadn't thought of that! Now I'm gonna have to think of suitable payment and a good way to collect," Jack replied without thinking and Daniel had looked like a deer caught in the headlights for a second before he quickly dropped his eyes. He knew damn well that Daniel usually did that because he believed he was too transparent which, of course, was true. It was one of the things that made him so good at first contact. To someone as close to him as Jack he could be like an open book. At other times though he could build walls around himself that no one could breach, though that more often than not occurred when he was hurting. It was Daniel's self-defence mechanism.
At that moment what Jack wouldn't have given to see the look in his eyes.
The party on Christmas Eve was a lot of fun, probably all the better for being such a last minute affair. Word quickly spread around the SGC and people turned up bringing food and drink. Some only stayed for a short visit being on their way to another party and others stayed, some until the early hours of Christmas morning.
General Hammond remained for a while and shortly before he left he pulled Jack to one side and quietly commented, "Look after our boy, Jack. He seems to have a lot on his mind, if anyone can get him to open up, help him to relax it will be you."
Nodding, Jack wasn't surprised that the general had noticed Daniel's distracted frame of mind; the man never missed anything. Jack hoped he could follow through and that he wouldn't make things worse for his friend. He wondered then if he wasn't being selfish wanting to unburden himself. Would it be at the cost of his friend's peace of mind? He decided then to send out a few feelers and see how Daniel reacted, promising himself he wouldn't say anything unless he was really sure that Daniel was interested.
~~
Next morning, Christmas morning, they slept late. Jack got up first as usual and he decided to cook a good breakfast. Later he planned to cook a slap-up traditional Christmas dinner with all the trimmings and he thought a decent breakfast would keep them going all afternoon while they made the preparations. Daniel jokingly argued about Jack's idea of a full English breakfast but Jack didn't care. It was good to see Daniel laugh and if playing the fool made him laugh more then that was fine by him.
Working side by side in the heat of the kitchen almost proved his undoing though as Daniel kept brushing into him, leaning across him to reach for something and on one memorable occasion, wiping a spot of cream off his nose when he whipped it too briskly in his bowl. It took all of Jack's willpower not to lick the finger so close to his mouth but Daniel quickly moved to the sink to wash his hands and then he suggested they go out for a while; take a walk. Jack was surprised for a moment and then wondered if this wasn't one of those indicators he had been looking for. Daniel had flushed when he’d touched Jack's face and at first he had simply assumed that it was because of the heat of the kitchen, now Jack wondered if there wasn't perhaps another reason.
The snow had been falling on and off for days, only stopping the day before and everywhere was liberally coated and yet a weak sun brightened that Christmas afternoon. Jack walked happily alongside Daniel as he led the way to a nearby park. For a while they walked in silence and then Jack couldn't resist riling his friend, so he asked what the hell they were doing walking. They got into their usual banter and he was enjoying himself, especially when he made Daniel grin. Then he allowed his tongue to run away with him and he had called Daniel cute. Which, of course, he was, but what the hell made him tell Daniel that? In trying to get himself out of that one he had dug himself in deeper when he called his friend a teddy bear. He figured he was still suffering from a surfeit of alcohol from the night before but knew Daniel would never allow that one to pass muster.
Daniel seemed more amused than anything else but Jack decided to play up the apology, declaring the only way he could make it up to Daniel was to take him back home to open up the gifts. They had planned to open them after dinner that evening but suddenly he wanted to see the expression on Daniel's face when he opened his gifts, especially the special gift. He had spent months -- well okay he'd pushed Carter for months trying to find this for Daniel -- long before he'd even thought of telling Daniel how he felt. Ever since Daniel had told him on his last birthday how much he wished he had his parents' book, Jack had been determined to find it for him and Carter had come up trumps finding it just in time for him to get it for Daniel for Christmas. Now he could hardly wait to see the pleasure he knew would light up his friend's face.
As soon as they arrived back home, Jack had made them both some hot chocolate and they settled in front of the roaring fire and Jack handed out parcel after parcel to Daniel. There were all the usual gifts from his friends and then Daniel had begun to open the gifts from Jack. At first there had only been a couple, practical stuff like a new sweater and an intricately carved bone letter opener, then more and more parcels landed on the floor at his side. Silly stuff like a trio of stuffed toys singing a Christmas song, a Mickey Mouse watch because Jack was convinced Daniel had never had one as a child; a pair of blue socks decorated with red Santas that Jack insisted he should put on right away; a small remote control car that Daniel said Jack really wanted to play with himself! There was a DVD set of a children's TV cartoon series and when Daniel raised his eyebrows, Jack just said his education needed completing. Then there was one of those toys that buzzed if you touched the wire as you tried to get the ring around it but this was shaped like the bust of Nefertiti. Jack bet Daniel a go with the car that he couldn't get round it and of course Jack won. Daniel was still laughing over that when Jack finally handed him his special gift.
As Daniel opened it, he guessed it was a book and joked that Jack better have bought him a decent one. The laughter died as soon as he saw what was inside the fancy Christmas wrapping paper. His eyes went wide as he carefully ran his fingers over his parent's names printed on the cover and then he lifted his eyes, lined with unshed tears, at his friend.
"How?" Daniel asked, his voice little more than a whisper, his eyes dropping once again to the precious book.
"I asked Carter to help me search for it. I told her how much it meant to you and she has been trying to track down a copy for months. Finally, about four weeks ago she managed to find one through academic circles." As he was speaking, Jack absently reached out to brush away a lone tear that slipped down Daniel's cheek only realising what he was doing as Daniel lifted his eyes from the book to look at him.
Daniel made some broken comment about what it must have cost but Jack cut him off telling him it was worth it just to make him happy.
Jack didn't tell him the half of it, couldn't tell him how his heart swelled at the expression on Daniel's face, the joy in his eyes, nor the electric current that had run through his body at the fleeting caress. Instead, feeling a little embarrassed, he hinted that he wanted to know what Daniel had bought for him. Daniel had commented that his gifts couldn't compare with what Jack had got for him but the older man was touched by the gifts Daniel had bought, for his friend had obviously put a lot of care into his choices. There was a trio of books consisting of a history of flight, a history of the creation of air forces throughout the world and one about the achievement of the US Air Force since its inception.
"Think I need to catch up on my reading too, eh?" Jack smiled. Daniel grinned and gave a little shrug.
The next gift he opened contained a six-disc CD collection of opera, followed by the latest available DVD of The Simpsons and Daniel joked he had to toss a coin with Teal'c over who was going to buy that for Jack. Last, but not least as far as Jack was concerned, Daniel presented him with a beautifully framed photograph of the two of them together, arms over each other's shoulders both of them grinning widely, eyes on the other.
"Where did you get this?" he asked, never having seen this particular shot before. "Is this PS5...?"
Grinning, Daniel remembered, "Yeah, we'd got the treaty signed and the Chief had just given you a big hug in celebration and he was heading for me. You suddenly grabbed me, pulled me into hug and told the Chief if he wanted to hug someone he should go and hug Teal'c! The man took one look at him and turned back to his wife. I couldn't help but laugh and that was when Sam took the photo."
Jack stared at it, vaguely remembering the bear of a man with the overpowering smell of goats enveloping him but what the photo brought back most clearly was the feel of Daniel in his arms. He could hardly believe that fate had made Sam take a photograph just then for it was that moment that had finally convinced Jack he couldn't carry on hiding his feelings any longer. Those few seconds holding Daniel in his arms had sent shivers down his spine and the blood rushing through his veins. He'd immediately released Daniel and had been heartened by the fact that he hadn't moved away, instead draping his arm across Jack's shoulders.
Considering that now, it registered that Daniel rarely touched anyone so perhaps this was another of those signs that Jack hadn't noticed before; maybe he should start keeping score!
Realising Daniel was still speaking; Jack dragged his attention back to the here and now, "I know it's not much but I just thought it was such a great photo of the two of us and..."
"No, it's perfect, Daniel. Just ... it's us, y'know," he smiled and moved to the mantel over his fireplace to put the framed photograph in a prominent position there. He then stood there holding onto the mantle, his back to Daniel. He closed his eyes a moment as he got a hold of himself and turned back to find Daniel watching him.
Smiling, he said, "You ready to eat dinner yet?"
~~
The next few days were wonderful. Daniel was in a happy mood, enjoying every aspect of the holidays. They played silly games; watched TV, alternately laughing and dissing programmes as appropriate. They listened to CDs from time to time, their diverse tastes covering opera and rock music, classical pieces and they cheerfully joined in with Christmas carols. They went for walks and played in the snow like kids. They had a few visitors but Jack was happiest when they were alone, more so because Daniel seemed more relaxed then too.
Jack needed to remind himself on many occasions to be careful with his touching. It seemed he'd always touched Daniel, he never could remember when or how that had started but his awareness of it was now heightened to such a degree that he was almost afraid to touch him at all while at the same time he simply couldn't not touch him. If Daniel noticed any difference in his behaviour, he never said a word.
~~
As he awoke on the morning of New Year's Eve, Jack realised his time alone with Daniel was coming to an end. If he was going to say something it had to be today, tomorrow at the latest because New Year's Day would be the last day of their leave. He had a party planned for the evening, which he almost wished now he hadn't organised but he knew Daniel was looking forward to it. The more he thought about Daniel and how he had been with him all week, how relaxed and happy he’d seemed to be in his company, Jack knew he couldn't let this opportunity slip by. He would never forgive himself if he didn't say something; he just had to pick his time.
He got up and went to have a shower, debating if perhaps he should speak to Daniel this morning, then again morning was not the best time of day for his archaeologist. Maybe later, after an early lunch perhaps. Finally deciding, Jack slipped his shirt on and began whistling as he moved downstairs, stopping in surprise as he walked into his dining room when he saw the table was set. It was then that he heard sounds coming from the kitchen. He had been so engrossed in thinking about Daniel he hadn't realised the man was already up and downstairs, cooking breakfast it would seem.
"Daniel?" Jack called softly.
The younger man popped his head round the doorway, "Yes?" he asked.
"What's all this?" asked Jack grinning.
"Why, it's breakfast, aren't you hungry? I’ve fixed plenty of eggs and toast, with juice and coffee."
"Er, good but why aren't you in bed?" Even as he said it he could have kicked himself and to his surprise he felt a blush heat his cheeks.
"What?" asked a wide-eyed Daniel.
Trying to deflect the conversation Jack turned to the table and passed some inane remark about Daniel making a New Year's Resolution to get up early to which his friend replied, "No, enjoy it while you can, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity."
Something in Daniel's voice made Jack turn back towards him again, something in his eyes made Jack's heart beat faster. As he saw where Daniel was standing he wondered whether the younger man had done it on purpose, or was it was just a happy coincidence. Not one to waste such an opportunity Jack slowly, deliberately let his eyes track up Daniel until they rested pointedly on what was hanging over his head.
Caught by his glance, Daniel followed Jack's eye movements until he saw the mistletoe over his head. It was obvious by the surprise in Daniel's eyes that it had been an accident, but the surprise died to be replaced by a knowing smile and then he took Jack's breath away when he said, "How much more of an invitation do you need?"
He had known, somehow he recognised that now, that he had known it was only a matter of time before Daniel and he finally got to this point and yet now facing what he wanted most in the world he couldn't believe the moment was finally here. He just stood there and stared until it registered that the smile on Daniel's face was slipping and the light in his eyes, fading. Daniel must've thought that Jack wasn't interested and he moved forward, slowly at first as if waking from a dream and then suddenly he had Daniel in his arms. He heard Daniel sigh, whispering his name and Jack didn't need any more encouragement to kiss those lips he had dreamed of for so long.
It was so much better than he could ever have imagined for in all his dreams he was kissing Daniel but the reality of Daniel kissing him back...that he couldn't have imagined... Finally having to break apart just to breathe, Jack stared at him.
"That wasn't just a once in a life time opportunity was it?" Jack asked, half afraid of the answer.
The smile that broke over Daniel's face was breath-taking, "No, that was the beginning of the rest of my life. A little sooner than I'd planned but ...Happy New Year, Jack!"
Planned? Sooner than he'd planned? Oh god, that meant.... This was even better than he'd thought. They had clearly both been on the same wavelength. Sweet!
Smiling, Jack asked, "Do I get another gift then?"
"I think you've already had a lot of gifts this year," Daniel grinned.
"I guess." Mustn't rush him, let him set the pace. He couldn't help the wistfulness in his tone though.
"But, this isn't just for Christmas is it?" Daniel said in a discerning tone, a smile twisting his lips.
Jack stared at him, waiting.
"You asked before why I wasn't in bed. Did you mean my bed or yours? ...Cause I’ve wanted to try out yours for some time now."
Jack smiled, thinking his Christmas had come twice this year and he was about to start the New Year in a way he had only dreamed about. Reaching out and taking his soon-to-be-lover's hand, he said. "Come on then!"
Pulling a clearly willing Daniel behind him he almost ran to his bedroom and flung open the door. Laughing Daniel moved past him and bounced onto his bed.
He looked perfect there.
FIN