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Sam had always assumed that when they finally gave in to the pull between them that it would be fiery and hard and fast. She had been wrong.
Jack had been so subtle about it that she hadn’t even realized the depth of what was happening for a month, but now, she could pinpoint each moment.
After Jack had been fully detoxed from Ba’al’s sarcophagus, Hammond had ordered the two of them from the base (and to get some rest).
An hour after she got home, Jack had shown up at her door with pizza and beer. They’d put on a game and eaten in silence and then he left. But when she’d walked him to the door, he’d said “Goodnight, Sam,” not “Night, Carter”.
After their next mission (a day trip with little pomp and circumstance), Jack had acquiesced to Teal’c’s request for a Team outing, and they’d headed for dinner and pool at O’Malley’s. He’d been indifferent to Jonas, which was a big improvement from his usual thinly veiled distaste. When Teal’c and Jonas had left to return to the base, he’d talked her into one more game of pool even though he knew she would beat him easily. When he walked her to her car, he again issued her a “Goodnight, Sam”.
And suddenly he was just there all the time. After every mission it was dinner or taking their bikes out for a long ride or watching a game together. And every time, it was “Goodnight, Sam”.
After he’d returned from being stranded with Maybourne, it changed again. Janet had kept him under lock and key for two days before releasing him, again with orders to leave the base and rest. But instead, he’d called her, told her to dress comfortably. She'd exchanged the grimy, stained clothes she had put on for giving her bike a much needed tune up for jeans, a t-shirt and sneakers.
He’d hopped out of his truck to open the door for her as she came down the walk and closed it behind her before circling back around to join her in the cab. She’d asked where they were going, and he’d smiled and told her it was a surprise.
To say she had been shocked when they’d pulled up in front of the indoor mini golf facility would have been an understatement. He’d chuckled at her surprise and told her he wanted to see if the skills that made her so good at pool translated to putt putt. She’d almost walked out when she discovered the place was sci-fi themed, but he’d leaned close to her and murmured in her ear that it would be fun.
He’d been right and by the time they had finished (and she had thoroughly beaten him) they were both laughing. Her hole-in-one on the final green had earned her a free baseball cap, and he’d snatched it off the counter when the attendant had placed it before her. He made quick work of shaping the bill and adjusting the strap as they exited and crossed the lot back to his pickup. He repeated the opening and closing of her door for her before climbing into the driver’s seat.
He had reached over and tugged the hat onto her head with a smile. His fingers fixed an errant strand of hair that was sticking out awkwardly and he’d asked if she wanted him to try to convince The General to let her wear it offworld. She’d rolled her eyes for show but hadn’t suppressed her laughter as he clicked his seatbelt into place and started the truck’s engine.
She’d tried to argue that she wasn’t dressed for it when he insisted on taking her to an early dinner, but he convinced her that the place he had in mind was casual enough, especially so early on a weekday. She insisted on leaving the hat in the truck.
She’d driven past the tiny Italian restaurant hundreds of times and had no idea it was there. The waitress had greeted him by name and the owner had brought their drinks and chatted with Jack before taking their order. Glasses of wine they hadn’t ordered appeared and he had just shrugged. Apparently Aida would be offended if they refused so she had obliged.
They’d sat and talked long after their plates were cleared and the bill had been paid, until the dinner crowd started filtering in. He’d driven her home and walked her to her door. She turned on the step to ask him if he wanted to come in for coffee but he’d pulled the hat from her hands and gently placed it back on her head. This time when he fixed her hair his fingers had lingered on her cheek a moment before he dropped his hand back to his side. He’d issued his “Goodnight, Sam” and strode back to his truck, hands shoved in his pockets.
It had hit her in the shower a short while later. They were dating. Sort of.
It continued on. Spending time together. Casual but innocent touches. And always “Goodnight, Sam.” They had been limited to day trips while Jack had continued recovering from his isolation, so they were home quite a bit and he was just…there. She had decided to follow his lead, grateful for whatever measure of relationship he was comfortable with allowing them.
And then she had almost died (again). Nirrti had nearly killed her before her victims had killed the Goa’uld and fixed Sam.
When she’d gone home, Jack’s truck had pulled into her driveway before she was to the front door. He followed her in and she’d barely gotten her keys and purse hung on the hook before he grabbed her and pulled her to his chest. The hug was desperate and she knew the feeling well. She’d experienced it time and time again from the other side.
She had wrapped her arms around his middle in response, gently rubbing his back and assuring him that she was ok. She let him hold her as long as he’d needed to.
When his shoulder began relaxing and his hold on her loosened, she had led him to the couch. Pizza was ordered. Beers were opened. A game was turned on just as the puck dropped.
A couple of hours later, the third period was drawing to a close and barring a miracle, Jack’s team would win. He was laid back on Sam’s couch with his head in her lap. She’d given in to the urge an hour ago and was absentmindedly running her fingers through his hair. It helped her build up her courage. “What are we doing here?”
His head turned, shifting his gaze from the TV to hers. “I’m pretty sure this is called ‘watching a hockey game’.”
She shook her head, refusing to be deflected by his sarcasm. “That’s not what I mean and you know it. Tell me that we haven’t been dating for the last six months, that that’s not what’s going on.”
His eyes closed briefly before opening to refocus on her. Something she knew he did when he was trying to focus his thoughts. “After Daniel…I needed to make sure you were okay. And I needed you to make me okay. And then I didn’t want it to stop. I know we agreed to put this behind us, but I just couldn’t do it anymore.”
The pained look in his eyes made her heart ache. “You could have talked to me. You should have. When we agreed to leave…this in the room, it fit in there. But it doesn’t anymore. Hasn’t in a while.” She slid the hand that had been petting him down to his chest, over the thud of his heart.
He brought a hand up to cover hers, their fingers interlacing, and turned his face to nuzzle his cheek against her arm. “So what do we do about it?”
Her heart was pounding just as hard as his. “Well, for one, we could agree that we’re dating so we’re both on the same page.”
“That’s easy enough. And as for being on the same page, I took this slow for a reason, Sam. We’ve waited so long, I don’t want to screw this up by rushing it. I intend to continue that.” His voice was soft but firm.
Her heart fluttered. Here was her hardass, headstrong, headfirst Colonel telling her he wanted to take it slow. “I can agree to that with one condition.”
He turned his face back to look at her, one eyebrow hitched up. “And what’s that?”
She smiled at him and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “When I walk you out tonight, Jack, I think a goodnight kiss is in order. I think 6 months is plenty of time to wait for that.”
His smile spread, consuming his face. “I’m inclined to agree.”
True to his word, when he went to leave a short while later, he stopped at the door and turned to her. Her hand was already in his as he leaned down and bush a soft, tender kiss across her lips.
He pulled back far too soon for her taste, a smile playing at the corners of his lips. With one last squeeze he dropped her hand and opened the door. He stepped out before turning to look back at her.
“Goodnight, Sam.”