Work Text:
Bugs
by Grey
″So, what ya doin’?″
Daniel glanced up to see Jack O’Neill in the doorway, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets and wearing his best midwestern grin. It’d been over a month since his ex had come alone to the lab to see him. Daniel didn’t know whether to be annoyed or charmed. He decided to go with staying neutral. ″I’m working on the translation for SG4. They need it before they head back to P34-275 for negotiations on Friday.″
″Is that the desert planet with the half-naked priests who live underground?″
″It is.″
Jack stepped into the lab and stood across the table as Daniel kept his head down. He continued to scribble notes, but his heart raced a little too fast which totally wrecked his concentration. Jack asked, ″So, it’s late. You eat yet?″
Daniel stilled. He slowly lifted his head as he remembered all the times when Jack had shown up to whisk him to his house to have more than a meal. It’d been their thing, where Jack would show up at the end of a long day. He’d order Daniel to stop working and go to his place. They’d eat, make out and then spend the night together. It’d been the longest and best relationship Daniel had ever had. Then suddenly Jack ended it without explanation. It’d broken Daniel’s heart, but it wasn’t like it was the first time he’d been jilted. It likely wouldn’t be the last. But he’d be damned if he was going to just blindly step back into that trap again, not even for Jack Fucking O’Neill.
Daniel put his pencil down and stood straighter. Despite his anger and confusion, he kept his voice level. ″Why are you here, Jack?″
″I thought you might be hungry, that’s all.″
″Don’t give me that. Why are you here?″
Jack had the decency to blush slightly and glance away. He cleared his throat before he finally met Daniel’s eyes. ″I miss you.″
″You see me every day.″
″I see you, but I don’t ‘see’ you.″
″And who’s fault is that?″
Jack held his gaze, but shook his head. ″I don’t want to argue.″
″Neither do I.″ And Daniel realized that was the truth. As angry and upset as he’d been when Jack first called it off, he’d worked through that phase. At the present, he was just sad that his friend and lover had so casually thrown away such a good thing between them.
″We could just go for a steak together. Talk. Maybe iron out a few things.″
″There’s nothing to iron out, Jack. You said what you said.″
In his head, Daniel replayed the horrible words. ″We can’t do this anymore.″ Then Jack just turned and walked away. He didn’t discuss it, didn’t even give Daniel much time to react. What was Daniel supposed to do? Go begging for an explanation? He just couldn’t do that. He had a little pride left, not much, but some.
″I know what I said, Daniel, but we can’t talk about it here. Let’s go to my place and we can figure things out.″
Daniel still resisted. ″What’s to figure out?″
″Come on. Don’t be that way?″
″What way? Not willing to let you trample my heart again?″
″I didn’t do that.″
″Felt like it.″
″Then I’m sorry.″
Jack rarely said those words, but Daniel refused to accept them, not yet. As he went to pick up the pencil, Jack grabbed his hand. ″Just stop. Come home with me.″ He leaned in slightly, his voice soft and inviting. ″We can talk. You like talking, Daniel. That’s your thing.″
Daniel stilled at the touch, so warm, so familiar, but so unwanted at that moment. He stared at it and then lifted head. He forced himself to refuse. ″I don’t think so.″
″Please, Daniel.″
Well, fuck. Like Daniel could ever say no to Jack when he said please. Closing his eyes, knowing he’d regret saying yes, Daniel said it anyway. ″Yes.″
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
The place hadn’t changed. It was the same neat rustic home, but there was a coldness to it that hadn’t been there before. Or maybe the chill was within himself. Daniel still kept himself contained as he walked inside the living room. Jack handed him a cold beer and then motioned toward the sofa. ″Have a seat.″
Still anxious, on the verge of running, Daniel shook his head and instead walked over to the sliding doors. He stared out at the grill and kept his back to Jack. ″I’m here. So talk.″
″You mean explain myself.″
The slight amusement in the tone sliced into Daniel’s resolve to stay calm. He turned and snapped. ″That’d be a good start, yes. What the fuck, Jack? You just call it off, didn’t tell me what I did wrong and then acted like nothing ever happened between us? How is that fair?″
″It’s not fair.″
″Well, at least we agree on something.″ Daniel took a long swallow of his drink and then finally settled in the sofa across from Jack sitting in his favorite chair. ″So, tell me what happened.″
Jack put his untouched beer on the side table. ″First of all, you did nothing wrong. This was all on me.″
Daniel hadn’t expected that confession. He lifted an eyebrow in surprise. ″So what happened? You get cold feet?″
Jack’s silence answered more than Daniel wanted to know. His eyes widened in surprise. ″Seriously? You got scared of us being together and called it off? Am I that frightening?″
″You have no idea.″
″You’re right. I don’t. I’m totally confused now.″ Daniel put his own beer down on the table and then leaned forward. ″You’re the bravest man I’ve ever met. How could being with me scare you off?″
Jack started to speak, but then didn’t. Instead he opened a small box and held it out to Daniel. ″I found this in my bedroom the last time we were together. It was just one of six in the house.″
Frowning, Daniel picked up the small item. His blood ran cold. What the fuck? ″Is this a listening device?″
″Not only was the house bugged, so was your place.″
″My place?″
″Yes. I had a team go in and clear it out soon after I found this. They’re gone now.″
″But Jack, why would someone bug our places and good god, for how long?″
″Long enough.″
Daniel swallowed hard, remembering all the nights of passion they’d had, all the things they’d whispered to one another in the dark. ″Fuck.″
″Yeah. I know. Someone got an earful.″
Daniel handed him back the bug. ″Do we know who?″
″Could be any number of agencies.″
″Good god. What about Hammond?″
″I’ve talked to him. He’s the one who ordered the sweeps.″
″Sweeps?″
″Sam’s place had them, too, as did everyone else on SG teams including Teal’c’s on base apartment.″
″So the base was bugged, too? How is that even possible?″
″There’s an ongoing investigation.″
″And you’re saying that you called us off because of the bugs?″
″Seemed like a good idea at the time.″
″So, Hammond knows about us?″
″Had to tell him.″
″But he thinks we’re quits?″
″I’m not sure what he thinks. When I talked to him, we weren’t together. I didn’t guarantee that it would stay that way.″
Stunned didn’t quite cover it. Daniel was mortified that someone had files of all the erotic times with Jack, but he was thrilled that Jack hadn’t called it off because he didn’t want to be with him anymore. ″What are you saying exactly, Jack?″
″I’m saying that I hated having to cut you off like I did, but it was for your own safety.″
″And now? We still don’t know who taped us. It might still be dangerous.″
Jack stood up and moved to sit next to Daniel on the sofa. He took his hand in his own and the younger man didn’t protest or pull away. ″I wasn’t lying when I said I missed you. Being with you on missions lately has been like torture. I couldn’t touch you or explain why I did what I did. I knew you were upset, but I couldn’t do anything about it.″
″But until we know who planted the bugs, we’re still not safe.″
″Maybe, but it’s been a month and I’ve not been contacted. There’s been no attempt at blackmail. Whoever has the tapes doesn’t seem to care about using them against either of us or any of the other teams.″
″So you think it’s safe to be together?″
″I’m hoping.″
″Is hope enough?″
″I’ve heard hope springs eternal.″
″I heard that, too.″
Jack ran a finger along Daniels jawline, the touch like a live wire against his skin. He closed his eyes. ″Jack, you still should’ve told me. It hurt when you left me.″
″I’m so sorry. But I’m back.″
″What if someone does try to blackmail you?″
″We’ll deal with it. Hell, if nothing else, I can retire.″
″You’d retire?″
″If it comes to that, yeah.″ Jack didn’t wait for a response. Instead he whispered, ″Can you forgive me?″
Daniel opened his eyes to see Jack staring and waiting for an answer. Caution was overrated. He could never say no, not to Jack, not to his future. ″Start with a kiss.″
″Just a kiss?″
″The first of many.″
″I’m good with that.″
And so was Daniel.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&The end