SG Fic: When in Rome...
Jul. 14th, 2008 05:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
switch842Holy crap! It's a new fic from me!! :-D This was written for the ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
jd_ficathon. The prompt was actually a very good one and I had the plot pretty much straight away. I hope I did it justice. :-D
Title: When In Rome
Summary: While participating in an alien ritual, something happens to change Jack and Daniel's relationship forever.
Word Count: 6586
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Not mine. Please don't sue. I have no money anyway.
Written For:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
theemdash
Prompt: 1. team on a mission; 2. tent!sex or sex at ancient ruins
Optional Request: Set pre-Season 8 so Jack's still on the team. Something slightly cracky (aliens made them do it, bodyswap, or just something bizarre that happens) with some teamy-goodness thrown in.
Notes: Set during season 7. Sometime between Enemy Mine and Evolution. Big thanks toregann and erin_anderson for the beta.
“Why are we here again, Daniel?” Jack asked after we’d been walking for half an hour with nothing in sight. I knew he was concerned about it getting dark. Jack hated tromping across unknown planets in the dark. The time on this planet was off by about 8 hours from Earth. So, even though we had left the SGC at mid-morning, it was close to sundown here.
“Because the village the UAV spotted is almost an exact replica of Rome,” I explained. “Well, minus the Forum and the Coliseum, etc. But the way the roads are laid out tells us the inhabitants are most likely a soldier society, like Rome. If they are, then they might have weapons. There are also no obvious signs of Goa’uld occupation. So, either whoever transplanted them here forgot about them, or something happened to make them not want to come back.”
“I like weapons,” Jack said. “Teal’c, is this place familiar to you at all?”
“It is not, O’Neill,” Teal’c replied. “I do not recognize the address for this planet, either.”
“Sir,” Carter interrupted. “There’s some sort of energy signature coming from up ahead.”
“Weapon type energy?”
“I’m not sure yet, sir,” she said with a smile. She fiddled with the controls on her hand-held device to see if she could figure out the frequency and a more specific location. “Looks like it’s coming from about 200 yards straight ahead.”
“That’s right on the outskirts of the village,” I added.
“Maybe it’s some form of shielding?” Sam guessed.
“That could explain why there are no Goa’uld in evidence. Perhaps these people are part of the Protected Planets Treaty,” Teal’c guessed.
“Then there should have been a Thor’s Hammer at the gate,” Sam pointed out.
“Maybe the Asgard had a reason for not leaving a Hammer?” I said, pulling at straws.
“We could just ask that nice looking native man,” Jack said.
Sam and I turned to see a man of about 30 years dressed in similar clothing to that of Ancient Rome, a pale green toga and lace-up sandals. He had a laurel wreath around his head, running through the brown curly locks. He had a broad smile on his face and his arms were spread in a welcome gesture.
“Smile, guys,” I muttered.
“Greetings,” the young man said with a slight bow. “I am Gaius. Welcome to Pomeza.”
“Hello,” I replied with a similar bow. “I am Doctor Daniel Jackson. This is Colonel Jack O’Neill, Major Samantha Carter and Teal’c.”
“You are most welcome. You have a Jaffa as one of you?” Gaius asked calmly.
“Yes,” I said, surprised at the lack of shock we usually encountered with this realization. “But he is friendly and no longer serves the Goa’uld.”
“That is good to hear,” Gaius said with a laugh. “We are fortunate that you have come at such a time as this.”
“And what time would that be?” Jack asked.
“The time of the bacchanalia, of course!”
“Bacchanalia?” Jack whispered to me. “Is he referring to what I’m thinking he’s referring to?”
“A festival filled with drunken debauchery?” I answered. “That would be a yes.”
“And I don’t suppose we’ll be able to get out of it?”
“That would be a no.”
“OK. Well, guys,” he said to Sam and Teal’c. “Looks like we’re in for another mission of fun and frivolity with the alien culture. Try to play nice.”
“Yes, sir,” Sam said as Teal’c nodded his assent.
We turned and followed Gaius along the path to the village. It was only a short walk and I took that time to get what information I could out of Gaius.
“So, do you get many visitors?” I asked. It was always awkward trying to get the necessary information out of a stranger without it seeming like an obvious interrogation.
“A few,” Gaius answered. “There are several worlds we trade with on a regular basis for necessary supplies. Though, it is rare for newcomers that we have not met before to come here.”
“Do the Goa’uld not interfere with your trading?”
“Oh, not anymore. The Goa’uld have not been here for many generations.”
“Really?” I asked, my interest piquing. “Jack? Did you hear that? The Goa’uld have not been here for many generations.”
“Really?” Jack replied. “Any particular reason?”
Sam and Teal’c gathered closer as Gaius recounted what was known of the day that Goa’uld were banished from their world.
“It has been so long that most stories seem to be lost to legend,” Gaius explained. “But tales tell of one day, many generations ago when a great ship came from the sky and banished the evil that was here. It was said to be greater than any other vessel that had previously visited this world. There was a great clap of thunder and then Cronus was gone, along with all his Jaffa. Since that day, we have not been bothered.”
“Asgard?” Sam said to me.
“Sounds like it. Did your rescuers ever show themselves to you?” I inquired of Gaius.
“They did not. They were simply here, then gone,” he answered. “And here we are. This is Pomeza.”
We paused at the entrance to a great city. A great, whitewashed stone wall ran to the left and right as far as we could see and rose at least five stories tall. In the distance ahead, a great white building stood. I took it to be the main temple or a possible town hall, now that there was no longer any “god” to worship.
Gaius led us down the main path from the entrance in the direction of the great building. On either side were smaller clay buildings that seemed to be the homes of the people milling about. We made our way through the village square and market. There were many booths filled with local food, some interesting looking fruits and brightly colored cloth. I noted that the women seemed to be wearing togas made of varying shades of yellow and red while the men wore purple, green or blue.
“Please,” Gaius motioned. “Come this way. Marius is most anxious to meet you.” Gaius led us to the great white building I had spotted as we entered the city. “This was once our shrine to Cronus. After he was banished, it was made into the home for our new government. Marius is our most recently elected mayor. He has served our people well and seen us through a terrible drought.”
“That is enough, Gaius,” a pleasant voice rang out. “No need to make me into a greater man than I am.” A elderly gentlemen, who appeared to be about fifty came out from a nearby room. He was a rotund man with curly, white hair and looked remarkably similar to Gaius.
“I am sorry, Father,” Gaius said blushing. “I am just so proud of the work you have done here.”
“I know, son,” he said embracing Gaius. “Now, you should return to your studies. Master Thracius has been wondering where you’ve been. And you do not want to disappoint him.”
“Of course not, father. I will see you for the ceremony this evening.” With that, Gaius raced off and left us with Marius.
“Greetings,” Marius said. “As my son mentioned, I am Marius, the mayor of Pomeza. We do not often have strange visitors through the Chaapa'ai. What is your purpose for travelling here?”
The group turned to look at me as this was generally my area of expertise.
“Uh, we’re explorers,” I explained. “I’m Doctor Daniel Jackson, this Colonel Jack O’Neill, Major Samantha Carter and Teal’c. We travel through the Chaapa’ai in search of technology and allies that may help us in our fight against the Goa’uld.”
“A noble purpose, indeed,” Marius said. “However, I’m not sure if we have much in the way of technology to aid your cause. However, if you would stay for the evening celebration, perhaps a bond of friendship between our people could be formed.”
“We would very much like that,” I said.
“Excellent! Now, the time for the celebration is just after sundown, which is not far off. We would be happy to give you lodging for this evening and to help you prepare for the celebration. Drusilla!” he called out.
A young woman, though older than Gaius, appeared from a nearby room. She wore a long toga in a very pale yellow shade with curling brown hair down her back. She bowed slightly to Marius and us as she entered.
“This is my eldest daughter,” Marius said. “Drusilla, will you please show our visitors out to the guest house. They will be joining in the celebration this evening.”
“Certainly, Father,” Drusilla replied. “Should I find spare robes for them?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Jack interrupted.
“I’m afraid it is,” Marius replied. “Part of the celebration is a ritual washing and the appropriate robes will be supplied to you.”
“Jack,” I said under his breath, seeing that he was about to interrupt again. “It will be fine. We will be fine. And we don’t want to appear rude to our new friends.”
Jack nodded as he realized I was right. “Thanks, Marius. We would appreciate it.”
We followed Drusilla down a short path to a stately home behind the governmental offices. “This is our home,” she explained. “The one who is elected mayor resides near these offices so in times of crisis he is not far away. We have a small guest house where you can stay. I regret to inform you there are only 2 rooms, so you will need to share. I hope that will not be a problem?” she said nervously.
“Not at all. We’re used to much closer quarters than this,” Jack said with a smile.
I noticed that Drusilla seems to blush slightly at Jack’s attention. Why did Jack always have this effect on alien women? I knew why. Jack was quite handsome and very charismatic when he wanted to be. Even when he wasn’t trying to put the charm on, there was still something that drew everyone to him. It was one of the first memories I had recovered several months ago; my feelings for Jack, that is. Luckily, I also remembered that Jack had no idea. That could have been an embarrassing situation. I had resolved myself to continuing on admiring him from afar. And sometimes nearer when I could manage.
“Here is the first room,” Drusilla said, interrupting my daydream. We looked in and saw that there were two decent-sized beds, slightly larger than the standard twin size we were used to. “The other room is just down the hall, but only has one larger bed.”
“All right,” Jack said. “Teal’c, Carter, go ahead and bunk in here. Daniel and I will take the other room.”
“Just don’t mind me if I shove you in the ribs to get you to stop snoring,” I joked.
“Not at all. It’ll be just like being married all over again.”
“The wash room is just here,” Drusilla interrupted, showing them a small room across the hall from the first bedroom. “If you wish to wash in advance of the ceremony, just pull this rope here and the bath will be filled with warm water. I will leave you now and search for robes that will be appropriate for the ceremony.”
“Thank you,” I said graciously.
We split up and went to check out their respective rooms. The bed in mine and Jack’s room was slightly larger than a standard king back on Earth. There would be plenty of room for the two of us without it getting uncomfortable. For Jack, anyway. Personally, I wouldn’t mind a little bit of snuggling. But now was not the time or place for those thoughts.
I turned to survey the rest of their room. There was a small dresser with several drawers and a small table on either side of the bed. There were a few oil lamps hung on the wall and on each of the flat surfaces. There were light curtains covering the two small windows and a light-weight quilt covering our bed. It was quite beautiful, really. All the colors of the fabrics we had seen in the market were woven together to form a kaleidoscope of varying hues.
We had just finished putting our things away when Drusilla returned with the robes we would be wearing for the ceremony and a pair of sandals for each of us. Given the nature of the occasion, the robes were slightly fancier than the clothing seen in the market earlier. Jack was given a robe that was a lovely bright green, reminding me of a field of clover. There was embroidery in a pure white along the edge. My robe was a brilliant shade of blue with similar embroidery along the hem. Both robes fell to about mid-calf in length and had a matching piece of fabric to use as a belt that had to be tied using an intricate knot. I noticed Jack’s eyes starting to glaze over as Drusilla went through the steps.
“I hope you will find these acceptable,” Drusilla said.
“These are lovely,” I replied. “Thank you.”
“Excellent. My father should be here within the half hour to escort you to the ceremonial grounds.”
“Thanks,” Jack replied, throwing off that roguish grin.
I laughed as Drusilla blushed and scampered out of the room.
“You really should cool it, Jack,” I said as he began to change.
“What? I was just being friendly.”
“I know. And under any other circumstances I would applaud your effort. But think about what’s going to happen tonight.”
I could see Jack thinking for a moment about what his probable limited knowledge of Ancient Roman society told him about bacchanalias. There was usually drinking. And debauchery. That could be bad.
“Oh.”
“Yes, oh,” I said. “Don’t want you to end up with another wife.”
“Hey! That one took us all by surprise.”
“I’m just saying,” I laughed. “Come on, we should get ready.”
I tried. I really did, but I couldn’t help sneaking a peek or two at Jack while he changed. He may be battle-scarred and gray-haired, but to me he was absolutely gorgeous; his years in the military had kept his body hard and lean. I had teased Jack when I first returned by calling him Jim. In all honesty, that was just a defense to try and cover the intensity of the feelings that had come flooding back after stepping foot back in the SGC. I had been so in love with Jack for so long. But Jack's heterosexuality ad the military regs had always stood in my way. Perhaps one day when Jack retired, I would be able to tell Jack how I felt. Until then, I would be content with being friends. And sneaking peeks whenever I could.
“Hey, Daniel?” Jack asked. “Can I get some help with this thing?”
I turned around to see Jack trying to hold the robe closed, the piece of fabric dangling helplessly from his fingers.
“Sure, Jack. Just hang on a second.” I finished putting myself together, then went over to help Jack.
I looped the fabric around Jack’s waist and went through the steps to get the knot just right. I tried not to stand too close, but couldn’t help taking a few deep breaths to capture Jack’s unique scent. And, okay, maybe I took a little longer than necessary to get everything set.
“There we go,” I said, finally done.
I had just stepped back from Jack when there was a sharp knock on the door. I went to answer it to try and gain some of my composure back. Marius was there, dressed in a pure white robe with black trim. The embroidery on his was different and much more elaborate.
“Marius! Please, come in.”
“Thank you, Dr. Jackson,” Marius greeted with a quick bow. “I trust the clothing is acceptable?”
“Oh, yes. Thank you. It’s quite beautiful. Tell me, does the embroidery have any type of significance?”
“Yes, actually. It’s something of a family crest. We were able to procure robes from the same family for you and your friends.”
“Really? That’s quite interesting, actually. I would like to speak with them later if that’s possible?”
“Of course! I’ll introduce you at the ceremony later. Now, if you’ll come with me, we must be on our way.”
Out in the hall, we met Sam and Teal’c who were being led by Drusilla. Sam looked lovely in a robe of pale yellow with dark red embroidery and Teal’c looked positively regal in a deep purple hue and black stitching.
“Well, don’t you all look lovely,” Jack commented.
“Thank you, sir,” Sam said. “Might I say the same for you two? Daniel, that’s a lovely shade of blue. Goes with your eyes.”
“Well, thank you, dear. Shall we?” I asked extending her my arm.
We followed Drusilla and Marius out to the town square. A large bonfire had been set up in the center with groups of tables overflowing with food and wine. There was music playing and people were dancing through the streets.
“I’m afraid that here is where we must separate,” Marius said. “Colonel O’Neill, Dr. Jackson if you would come with me, we will take part in the ceremonial cleansing. Major Carter and Teal’c, please follow Drusilla.”
“Wait a minute,” Jack said. “Why are we being separated?”
“The cleansing we will partake in is for the men only. I thought it best, however, that Teal’c accompany Major Carter so you can be assured that she will be kept safe.”
Jack considered that for a moment and realized that that did make sense. “All right,” he said. “Lead on.”
“Now, what exactly is involved with this cleansing?” I asked. “Do you know how it originated?”
“Yes, the ceremony actually originated as part of the offering to our false god. As one would dare not go before him unclean, the cleansing was established. It has since transformed into something more than just a cleansing of the body. We now consider this a way to wash away past sins and transgressions; a way to have a fresh start,” Marius explained. “I would like to encourage you two to do the same. If you have any worries or wrong-doings that you would like to leave behind, please do so here. You will find no judgment from us.”
“Thank you, Marius. That’s very kind.” I took all of what Marius said into serious consideration. Perhaps it was time to let go. My “sin” may not be so extreme, but I was sure there was something about coveting. And I really had been given a fresh start. Perhaps it was time to take that seriously.
“Here we are,” Marius said leading us up a great marble staircase.
We entered the building and after walking down a short hall entered what could only be described as a large bath house. There was a giant pool in the middle of the room with several smaller tubs around the perimeter. Jack and I stopped short when we saw what was going on – naked men were gathered in small groups washing each other. And, in some cases, doing quite a bit more than that.
“Uh, Daniel?” Jack said.
“Jack. It will be fine. How many times have we showered together after missions?”
“Well, yeah we were in the same room but that wasn’t anything like this.”
“Marius,” I said turning to our host. “How much of this, um, ritual is necessary for us to complete?”
“I’m afraid you must go through the whole cleansing,” he said. “Otherwise, you will be considered still unclean and unable to attend the festivities that follow.”
“I’m okay with that,” Jack interjected.
“Jack. We don’t want to be insulting to our hosts. Thank you, Marius. Where do we begin?”
“This way, please.”
He led us to the far corner of the auditorium where there was a wall of hooks holding the robes of the other men in the room. Marius showed us a couple hooks where we could leave ours and, after a brief pause from Jack, we disrobed and followed Marius to the first tub.
“You will begin here,” he said. There was a small table set to the side with a crystal pitcher and matching glasses. The pitcher held a dark red liquid that was poured into two cups for them. “This is an elixir that will help relax your body and mind for the rest of the ceremony. Please drink.”
I took a tentative first sip and found the taste to be similar to a burgundy wine back on Earth, but with a hint of something vaguely cinnamon. It was quite tasty, really. I easily finished the rest of the glass and set it back on the table next to Jack’s. We were then led into the first shallow pool, the water just barely over our knees. Marius instructed that we were to take handfuls of the water and pour it over each other’s head. I moved as close as I dared as Jack and I took turns doing as we were told.
After exiting that pool, we were led to an even shallower one where the water barely covered our feet.
“This is the sacramental oil,” Marius said holding up a shallow bowl. “You will take the cloth and apply the oil to each other’s body.”
“Everywhere?” Jack asked.
“Yes,” Marius said. “No part must be left untouched.”
Jack sighed and I knew exactly what he was thinking. “It’ll be fine Jack. Just think of Janet giving you an exam and you’ll get through it with no problems.”
“I know. It’s not that it’s just…. Look, Marius said this was a time for confession, right?” Jack said softly.
“It can be.”
“Then, just know that I don’t have a problem doing that. At all. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. It’s just been awhile and I’m afraid of what my reaction might be.”
“Oh,” I said as I understood Jack’s meaning. So, he wasn’t as completely straight as I had believed. Well, crap. That could be bad. “Well, then might I just say that the same goes for me. But we can agree here and now that whatever happens in this room will not be discussed outside. Unless, you want to, of course.”
“Agreed,” Jack said. “OK. Let’s do this.”
I watched as Jack gently picked up one of the cloths, dipped it in the oil and tentatively brought it up to my chest. He dragged the cloth from one side to the other and then down my right arm. He dipped the cloth again and repeated the action to the other side. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, attempting to control the emotions churning inside me. With no water to hide anything, it would be very obvious if I became aroused. Which I was dangerously close to becoming. Jack slowly worked his way down my body, cleansing me almost reverently. By the time Jack got to my groin, I was clenching my jaw so hard I was afraid I would crack my molars. But I took another deep breath and was proud that I was able to control my reaction to Jack finally touching me how I’d longed to have been touched for years. Once Jack was past there, I opened my eyes. Which turned out to be a very bad idea. Jack had dropped to his knees and gently lifted one of my feet to begin washing my legs. I couldn’t help the small moan that escaped at that sight. My head started spinning and I was sure I was starting to feel the effects from the elixir.
“Jack,” I whispered.
“I know,” he answered, placing a gentle kiss to my knee. The rest of the room had faded away and as far as I was concerned, we were the only two people on the entire planet. He finished washing my legs and stood up slowly until we were standing almost nose to nose. “Turn around,” he whispered.
I shuddered at his words and had to struggle to turn without my knees giving out on me. When I had my back to him, I felt the cloth come back to my skin as he gently began washing my back. He was standing close enough that I could feel the heat from his body. As his hand moved lower, I could sense him moving closer and eventually felt his breath on my ear. My head tilted to the side completely of its own accord and I practically melted to the floor when I felt Jack’s lips on my neck. I reached a hand back to drag him closer and sighed as our bodies fell into full alignment. There was no use hiding our arousal now. I felt his hard cock settle into the crack of my ass and couldn’t help pushing back slightly.
“Daniel,” Jack warned. The chuckle I let out at that turned into groan as his hand finally closed fully around me. The oil was amazing; it was slick and seemed to heat up with the friction. It was delicious. I couldn’t take it any more. I twisted around so we were finally facing each other and without even pausing, captured Jack’s lips in a searing kiss. He pulled me in close and the first full contact of naked skin was pure bliss. I felt his cock bump into mine and thrust back against it. His hands were all over me, skimming over my back, stroking my ass, twining in my hair. My own were equally busy on his skin, running through his chest hair and pinching his nipples. That last action brought a groan out from him and he pulled us closer. I managed to work a hand between us and grabbed both our cocks in my fist. The atmosphere was so charged, the situation so unlikely that it only took a few pulls before we were both coming in earnest.
Eventually, we both came down from the temporary high and just sagged against each other, trying to hold ourselves up from just collapsing in the shallow pool. Oh, shit. The pool. We were in public.
“Um, Jack?” I finally said.
“Daniel?” he said in return, sounding slightly confused.
I eventually worked up the courage to look around and felt relieved when no one seemed to be paying us any attention. Not even Marius. He was locked in conversation with someone a few yards away. But who knows how long that had been going on and what he might have seen or heard in the meantime.
“Why don’t we just finish this as quickly as possible?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Jack said clearing his throat and pulling back. “That sounds like a good idea.”
I picked up a clean cloth and proceeded to wash Jack down with the oil as quickly and methodically as possible. When I was done, I turned to call out to Marius to find that he had rejoined us.
“Excellent!” he said. “You are doing very well. Please, come this way.”
We followed him to the last of the pools, this one steaming and filled to the brim with water.
“Here, you will rinse off the oil and with that, also rinse away any cares or concerns you have remaining. Please take your time and consider your thoughts carefully.” Marius then turned and rejoined the other man he had been talking to earlier. I was pleased that he had left us alone at that point. Perhaps I could get Jack to talk about what had just happened.
Jack and I entered the pool and I let out a sigh at the feel of the warm water enveloping me. I closed my eyes and relaxed against the edge, taking a seat on the ledge that sat about half way down the wall.
“So,” I said.
“What?” Jack asked.
“Don’t you think we need to talk about what happened?”
“No,” Jack said studiously avoiding my gaze.
“Jack, come on.”
“No, Daniel. It was that damn elixir and that’s all. Now let’s finish this stupid cleansing and get back to the party.”
“Jack, the whole purpose of this ceremony is to release your burdens. You can’t just keep this bottled up and deny that it happened.”
“Yes, I can.”
“Well, I can’t,” I argued back. “I care about you and so would like to discuss the fact that we just had amazing sex in an alien pool and you came, HARD I might add, all over my hand. And what the hell that might mean for us.”
“There is no ‘us’, Daniel,” Jack said.
“Not yet,” I said under my breath.
“What?”
“I said ‘Not yet’.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that that meant something to me. As much as we might have been under alien influence, I don’t think anything like that could have happened if there wasn’t something there to begin with. The drink wasn’t THAT strong.”
“Daniel…”
I just looked at him. Staring until he finally decided to look back at me. That’s when I saw how scared he was. I knew he understood what I was saying.
“Jack,” I said softly, walking over to him. “It’s okay. It’ll be okay. We can do whatever you want, however you want.” I tentatively put a hand on his chest and was relieved when he didn’t draw back from me. He actually closed his hand over mine and pulled me into a sort of half hug.
“I lost you once, Daniel,” he said quietly. “Almost lost you more times that I care to count. But that last time, when you finally left us…. I don’t think I could take it if that happened again. That’s why we can’t.”
“So, you can’t have a relationship with me because you’re scared I’ll die again? But, Jack. That could happen to anyone at anytime. You can’t be scared of love because you’re afraid you’ll lose someone.”
“I know,” Jack said. “Practically, I know that. But after Charlie and you, I’m just… I don’t know if I could go through that again and not just completely lose it. Even if we aren’t together, it would be too hard.”
“I wish I could promise you that I won’t get hurt or even die again,” I said. “But I can’t. No one can promise that. Isn’t it worth the risk, though? I would love to have someone to fight for, Jack. It’s been too long since I’ve had that. Scary as it may be, it would make me fight harder. Try harder to get back home if I knew I had someone to come home to. Do you get what I’m saying?”
“I do, Daniel,” he replied. “I understand. I just…I need some time.”
“OK,” I said, pulling back away. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be here, whatever you decide. But I do hope you’ll decide to give us a chance. We could be so good together. Come on, let’s get this finished and back to the others.”
We took our time, washing all the oil away. I wanted nothing more than to take Jack away and back to our room. But I also knew that if we had any chance of a relationship, he would have to come to it whole heartedly and of his own accord. I couldn’t force it at all.
“Everything is well?” Marius said as he rejoined us near the pool.
“Yes, thank you,” I said.
“Excellent. The ritual is now complete. If you wish, you may relax in the larger pool or we may go and join in the festivities.”
“I think we’d like to get back to our friends,” Jack said.
“Very well,” Marius replied. “There are towels just over here then you may put your robes back on and we will find your friends.”
Jack and I dried off quickly and efficiently. We were both anxious to get back to Sam and Teal’c. As we redressed in the ceremonial robes, Jack tried to hide the fact that he was once again having trouble with the intricate knot. I walked over to try and help him but he tried to push me away.
“Jack,” I said sternly. “Just let me help. We don’t want to accidentally insult anyone. It’s fine. Just let me do this and then we’ll be on our way.”
Before he could say another word, I took the length of cloth from him and set about tying it in the fashion we had been shown. This time, though, I kept my distance, but noticed Jack breathing quite heavily and moving ever so slightly closer to me. I felt one his hands move up and rest high on my shoulder near the juncture of my neck. His thumb started stroking the sensitive skin there and I had to take a deep breath to try and calm myself. I finished tying the knot and looked up at Jack. His eyes were focused on my mouth and I couldn’t help but lick them slightly in anticipation. I heard Jack’s breath hitch at that action and he leaned in quickly, kissing me again. But this time, neither of us let up. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling us closer. Out tongues reached out as I pushed Jack back up against the wall and leaned fully against him. It should have been impossible, but I felt myself growing hard again as we ground up against each other. And so was Jack. This time it was he who managed to reach between us. The feel of his hand on me again was thrilling. A loud moan escaped my throat as I thrust up into his fist. I was sorry to say that this time barely lasted as long as the first time. A few sharp pulls and we were both coming into his fist.
“You can’t deny that, Jack,” I said after we had calmed down. My head was still buried in the crook of his neck and I had to take the opportunity to lick at the sweat that dripping there.
“I know,” he said softly. “Tell me it’ll be all right.”
“It’ll be all right, Jack,” I said pulling back and smiling. “If you want this, we can do it. And everything will be just fine.”
“Thank you,” he said, kissing me again softly. “Now, let’s go find the others.”
We followed Marius back to the town square and found that Sam and Teal’c had already been dragged into the dancing by a couple of the natives. Sam was laughing and Teal’c was positively beaming. It was nice to see them so relaxed and carefree.
“Ah!” Marius said. “I am glad to see your friends enjoying themselves. Please go and join them. Take whatever food and drink you wish. Tonight, what we have we share with you.”
“Thank you, Marius,” Jack said. “I’m sure we’ll enjoy ourselves immensely.”
With a wink at me, Jack went to join Sam and Teal’c out in the crowd. I laughed at Jack’s actions; I was happy to see he was feeling so relaxed in this environment.
“Yes, thank you,” I added. “This experience has been most…freeing.”
“I am glad to hear it. Please, go and enjoy.”
With that, Marius wandered off to join some of his people over by the food tables and I went in search of my team. I found them near the bonfire, dancing in a circle with some of the natives. They were trying to learn some of the traditional dance steps and I was surprised to see Teal’c doing so well. Jack, on the other hand, was a complete disaster. He was stepping left when he should have been kicking right; turning right when everyone else was going left. I had to stop and just laugh out loud at the sight. It wasn’t often we had missions that turned out this way. Usually at some point, the Goa’uld would show up or one of us would accidentally do something to offend our new friends and we would have to run for our lives back to the gate. But not today. No, today everything would be fine and so would Jack and I.
Eventually, I was dragged into the dancing and managed to get a rudimentary grasp on what they were doing. We finally made our way over the food and drink area and had a pleasant time chatting with some of the locals. Marius did finally introduce me to the family that had leant us their robes. The father was part of the governing body, so it was a great honor to be wearing their robes. And throughout the evening, Jack and I kept exchanging glances and small smiles. I was extremely optimistic that everything would work out how it should.
Finally, the evening seemed to be drawing to a close and we all excused ourselves back to our rooms. Sam had had a little more to drink than may have been proper and was giggling the whole way. Teal’c managed to get her back to their room with no problem, however, and Jack and I bid them a good night. We entered our room and I was suddenly more nervous than I should have been considering everything we had already done. I looked over at Jack and he seemed to be as nervous as I was. He looked up and we both just broke out laughing. It was ridiculous to be feeling this way.
“Come here,” he said.
I walked into his waiting arms and we just stood there, holding each other for a moment. It was nice, though. One of those things you start to miss after awhile.
“Let’s go to bed, Jack,” I said after awhile. I noticed he stiffened slightly at the comment and sighed. “Nothing has to happen tonight. We can just sleep. I don’t know about you, but that party left me feeling exhausted.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” he said relaxing.
We undressed and climbed into the large bed. It seemed natural to gravitate toward each other, so we did. We finally wound up in a position with me on my side and Jack spooned up behind me.
“Good night, Jack.”
“Night, Danny,” he replied with a deep yawn.
Soon, we were both asleep.
The next morning, we were treated to a grand breakfast before being escorted back to the gate. We had told them to expect another of our teams in a few days to finalize the treaty between our worlds. There was a tentative agreement to tell them of more friendly worlds for trading and they would give us samples of their medicine and plants for study. All in all, it was a very successful trip.
“Welcome back, SG-1,” Hammond greeted as we stepped into the gateroom. “Did you get what you were looking for?”
“Not quite, sir,” Jack said. “They didn’t have any weaponry that would benefit us, but they were very friendly and we established a tentative trade agreement. But, all in all, I’d say we came out on top.” With a sly wink in my direction, he continued down the ramp and off down the hall towards the infirmary.
Just a few more hours and I would have Jack all to myself. Oh, yes. I’d say we definitely came out on top in this one.
THE END
jd_ficathon. The prompt was actually a very good one and I had the plot pretty much straight away. I hope I did it justice. :-DTitle: When In Rome
Summary: While participating in an alien ritual, something happens to change Jack and Daniel's relationship forever.
Word Count: 6586
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: Not mine. Please don't sue. I have no money anyway.
Written For:
theemdashPrompt: 1. team on a mission; 2. tent!sex or sex at ancient ruins
Optional Request: Set pre-Season 8 so Jack's still on the team. Something slightly cracky (aliens made them do it, bodyswap, or just something bizarre that happens) with some teamy-goodness thrown in.
Notes: Set during season 7. Sometime between Enemy Mine and Evolution. Big thanks to
regann and erin_anderson for the beta.“Why are we here again, Daniel?” Jack asked after we’d been walking for half an hour with nothing in sight. I knew he was concerned about it getting dark. Jack hated tromping across unknown planets in the dark. The time on this planet was off by about 8 hours from Earth. So, even though we had left the SGC at mid-morning, it was close to sundown here.
“Because the village the UAV spotted is almost an exact replica of Rome,” I explained. “Well, minus the Forum and the Coliseum, etc. But the way the roads are laid out tells us the inhabitants are most likely a soldier society, like Rome. If they are, then they might have weapons. There are also no obvious signs of Goa’uld occupation. So, either whoever transplanted them here forgot about them, or something happened to make them not want to come back.”
“I like weapons,” Jack said. “Teal’c, is this place familiar to you at all?”
“It is not, O’Neill,” Teal’c replied. “I do not recognize the address for this planet, either.”
“Sir,” Carter interrupted. “There’s some sort of energy signature coming from up ahead.”
“Weapon type energy?”
“I’m not sure yet, sir,” she said with a smile. She fiddled with the controls on her hand-held device to see if she could figure out the frequency and a more specific location. “Looks like it’s coming from about 200 yards straight ahead.”
“That’s right on the outskirts of the village,” I added.
“Maybe it’s some form of shielding?” Sam guessed.
“That could explain why there are no Goa’uld in evidence. Perhaps these people are part of the Protected Planets Treaty,” Teal’c guessed.
“Then there should have been a Thor’s Hammer at the gate,” Sam pointed out.
“Maybe the Asgard had a reason for not leaving a Hammer?” I said, pulling at straws.
“We could just ask that nice looking native man,” Jack said.
Sam and I turned to see a man of about 30 years dressed in similar clothing to that of Ancient Rome, a pale green toga and lace-up sandals. He had a laurel wreath around his head, running through the brown curly locks. He had a broad smile on his face and his arms were spread in a welcome gesture.
“Smile, guys,” I muttered.
“Greetings,” the young man said with a slight bow. “I am Gaius. Welcome to Pomeza.”
“Hello,” I replied with a similar bow. “I am Doctor Daniel Jackson. This is Colonel Jack O’Neill, Major Samantha Carter and Teal’c.”
“You are most welcome. You have a Jaffa as one of you?” Gaius asked calmly.
“Yes,” I said, surprised at the lack of shock we usually encountered with this realization. “But he is friendly and no longer serves the Goa’uld.”
“That is good to hear,” Gaius said with a laugh. “We are fortunate that you have come at such a time as this.”
“And what time would that be?” Jack asked.
“The time of the bacchanalia, of course!”
“Bacchanalia?” Jack whispered to me. “Is he referring to what I’m thinking he’s referring to?”
“A festival filled with drunken debauchery?” I answered. “That would be a yes.”
“And I don’t suppose we’ll be able to get out of it?”
“That would be a no.”
“OK. Well, guys,” he said to Sam and Teal’c. “Looks like we’re in for another mission of fun and frivolity with the alien culture. Try to play nice.”
“Yes, sir,” Sam said as Teal’c nodded his assent.
We turned and followed Gaius along the path to the village. It was only a short walk and I took that time to get what information I could out of Gaius.
“So, do you get many visitors?” I asked. It was always awkward trying to get the necessary information out of a stranger without it seeming like an obvious interrogation.
“A few,” Gaius answered. “There are several worlds we trade with on a regular basis for necessary supplies. Though, it is rare for newcomers that we have not met before to come here.”
“Do the Goa’uld not interfere with your trading?”
“Oh, not anymore. The Goa’uld have not been here for many generations.”
“Really?” I asked, my interest piquing. “Jack? Did you hear that? The Goa’uld have not been here for many generations.”
“Really?” Jack replied. “Any particular reason?”
Sam and Teal’c gathered closer as Gaius recounted what was known of the day that Goa’uld were banished from their world.
“It has been so long that most stories seem to be lost to legend,” Gaius explained. “But tales tell of one day, many generations ago when a great ship came from the sky and banished the evil that was here. It was said to be greater than any other vessel that had previously visited this world. There was a great clap of thunder and then Cronus was gone, along with all his Jaffa. Since that day, we have not been bothered.”
“Asgard?” Sam said to me.
“Sounds like it. Did your rescuers ever show themselves to you?” I inquired of Gaius.
“They did not. They were simply here, then gone,” he answered. “And here we are. This is Pomeza.”
We paused at the entrance to a great city. A great, whitewashed stone wall ran to the left and right as far as we could see and rose at least five stories tall. In the distance ahead, a great white building stood. I took it to be the main temple or a possible town hall, now that there was no longer any “god” to worship.
Gaius led us down the main path from the entrance in the direction of the great building. On either side were smaller clay buildings that seemed to be the homes of the people milling about. We made our way through the village square and market. There were many booths filled with local food, some interesting looking fruits and brightly colored cloth. I noted that the women seemed to be wearing togas made of varying shades of yellow and red while the men wore purple, green or blue.
“Please,” Gaius motioned. “Come this way. Marius is most anxious to meet you.” Gaius led us to the great white building I had spotted as we entered the city. “This was once our shrine to Cronus. After he was banished, it was made into the home for our new government. Marius is our most recently elected mayor. He has served our people well and seen us through a terrible drought.”
“That is enough, Gaius,” a pleasant voice rang out. “No need to make me into a greater man than I am.” A elderly gentlemen, who appeared to be about fifty came out from a nearby room. He was a rotund man with curly, white hair and looked remarkably similar to Gaius.
“I am sorry, Father,” Gaius said blushing. “I am just so proud of the work you have done here.”
“I know, son,” he said embracing Gaius. “Now, you should return to your studies. Master Thracius has been wondering where you’ve been. And you do not want to disappoint him.”
“Of course not, father. I will see you for the ceremony this evening.” With that, Gaius raced off and left us with Marius.
“Greetings,” Marius said. “As my son mentioned, I am Marius, the mayor of Pomeza. We do not often have strange visitors through the Chaapa'ai. What is your purpose for travelling here?”
The group turned to look at me as this was generally my area of expertise.
“Uh, we’re explorers,” I explained. “I’m Doctor Daniel Jackson, this Colonel Jack O’Neill, Major Samantha Carter and Teal’c. We travel through the Chaapa’ai in search of technology and allies that may help us in our fight against the Goa’uld.”
“A noble purpose, indeed,” Marius said. “However, I’m not sure if we have much in the way of technology to aid your cause. However, if you would stay for the evening celebration, perhaps a bond of friendship between our people could be formed.”
“We would very much like that,” I said.
“Excellent! Now, the time for the celebration is just after sundown, which is not far off. We would be happy to give you lodging for this evening and to help you prepare for the celebration. Drusilla!” he called out.
A young woman, though older than Gaius, appeared from a nearby room. She wore a long toga in a very pale yellow shade with curling brown hair down her back. She bowed slightly to Marius and us as she entered.
“This is my eldest daughter,” Marius said. “Drusilla, will you please show our visitors out to the guest house. They will be joining in the celebration this evening.”
“Certainly, Father,” Drusilla replied. “Should I find spare robes for them?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Jack interrupted.
“I’m afraid it is,” Marius replied. “Part of the celebration is a ritual washing and the appropriate robes will be supplied to you.”
“Jack,” I said under his breath, seeing that he was about to interrupt again. “It will be fine. We will be fine. And we don’t want to appear rude to our new friends.”
Jack nodded as he realized I was right. “Thanks, Marius. We would appreciate it.”
We followed Drusilla down a short path to a stately home behind the governmental offices. “This is our home,” she explained. “The one who is elected mayor resides near these offices so in times of crisis he is not far away. We have a small guest house where you can stay. I regret to inform you there are only 2 rooms, so you will need to share. I hope that will not be a problem?” she said nervously.
“Not at all. We’re used to much closer quarters than this,” Jack said with a smile.
I noticed that Drusilla seems to blush slightly at Jack’s attention. Why did Jack always have this effect on alien women? I knew why. Jack was quite handsome and very charismatic when he wanted to be. Even when he wasn’t trying to put the charm on, there was still something that drew everyone to him. It was one of the first memories I had recovered several months ago; my feelings for Jack, that is. Luckily, I also remembered that Jack had no idea. That could have been an embarrassing situation. I had resolved myself to continuing on admiring him from afar. And sometimes nearer when I could manage.
“Here is the first room,” Drusilla said, interrupting my daydream. We looked in and saw that there were two decent-sized beds, slightly larger than the standard twin size we were used to. “The other room is just down the hall, but only has one larger bed.”
“All right,” Jack said. “Teal’c, Carter, go ahead and bunk in here. Daniel and I will take the other room.”
“Just don’t mind me if I shove you in the ribs to get you to stop snoring,” I joked.
“Not at all. It’ll be just like being married all over again.”
“The wash room is just here,” Drusilla interrupted, showing them a small room across the hall from the first bedroom. “If you wish to wash in advance of the ceremony, just pull this rope here and the bath will be filled with warm water. I will leave you now and search for robes that will be appropriate for the ceremony.”
“Thank you,” I said graciously.
We split up and went to check out their respective rooms. The bed in mine and Jack’s room was slightly larger than a standard king back on Earth. There would be plenty of room for the two of us without it getting uncomfortable. For Jack, anyway. Personally, I wouldn’t mind a little bit of snuggling. But now was not the time or place for those thoughts.
I turned to survey the rest of their room. There was a small dresser with several drawers and a small table on either side of the bed. There were a few oil lamps hung on the wall and on each of the flat surfaces. There were light curtains covering the two small windows and a light-weight quilt covering our bed. It was quite beautiful, really. All the colors of the fabrics we had seen in the market were woven together to form a kaleidoscope of varying hues.
We had just finished putting our things away when Drusilla returned with the robes we would be wearing for the ceremony and a pair of sandals for each of us. Given the nature of the occasion, the robes were slightly fancier than the clothing seen in the market earlier. Jack was given a robe that was a lovely bright green, reminding me of a field of clover. There was embroidery in a pure white along the edge. My robe was a brilliant shade of blue with similar embroidery along the hem. Both robes fell to about mid-calf in length and had a matching piece of fabric to use as a belt that had to be tied using an intricate knot. I noticed Jack’s eyes starting to glaze over as Drusilla went through the steps.
“I hope you will find these acceptable,” Drusilla said.
“These are lovely,” I replied. “Thank you.”
“Excellent. My father should be here within the half hour to escort you to the ceremonial grounds.”
“Thanks,” Jack replied, throwing off that roguish grin.
I laughed as Drusilla blushed and scampered out of the room.
“You really should cool it, Jack,” I said as he began to change.
“What? I was just being friendly.”
“I know. And under any other circumstances I would applaud your effort. But think about what’s going to happen tonight.”
I could see Jack thinking for a moment about what his probable limited knowledge of Ancient Roman society told him about bacchanalias. There was usually drinking. And debauchery. That could be bad.
“Oh.”
“Yes, oh,” I said. “Don’t want you to end up with another wife.”
“Hey! That one took us all by surprise.”
“I’m just saying,” I laughed. “Come on, we should get ready.”
I tried. I really did, but I couldn’t help sneaking a peek or two at Jack while he changed. He may be battle-scarred and gray-haired, but to me he was absolutely gorgeous; his years in the military had kept his body hard and lean. I had teased Jack when I first returned by calling him Jim. In all honesty, that was just a defense to try and cover the intensity of the feelings that had come flooding back after stepping foot back in the SGC. I had been so in love with Jack for so long. But Jack's heterosexuality ad the military regs had always stood in my way. Perhaps one day when Jack retired, I would be able to tell Jack how I felt. Until then, I would be content with being friends. And sneaking peeks whenever I could.
“Hey, Daniel?” Jack asked. “Can I get some help with this thing?”
I turned around to see Jack trying to hold the robe closed, the piece of fabric dangling helplessly from his fingers.
“Sure, Jack. Just hang on a second.” I finished putting myself together, then went over to help Jack.
I looped the fabric around Jack’s waist and went through the steps to get the knot just right. I tried not to stand too close, but couldn’t help taking a few deep breaths to capture Jack’s unique scent. And, okay, maybe I took a little longer than necessary to get everything set.
“There we go,” I said, finally done.
I had just stepped back from Jack when there was a sharp knock on the door. I went to answer it to try and gain some of my composure back. Marius was there, dressed in a pure white robe with black trim. The embroidery on his was different and much more elaborate.
“Marius! Please, come in.”
“Thank you, Dr. Jackson,” Marius greeted with a quick bow. “I trust the clothing is acceptable?”
“Oh, yes. Thank you. It’s quite beautiful. Tell me, does the embroidery have any type of significance?”
“Yes, actually. It’s something of a family crest. We were able to procure robes from the same family for you and your friends.”
“Really? That’s quite interesting, actually. I would like to speak with them later if that’s possible?”
“Of course! I’ll introduce you at the ceremony later. Now, if you’ll come with me, we must be on our way.”
Out in the hall, we met Sam and Teal’c who were being led by Drusilla. Sam looked lovely in a robe of pale yellow with dark red embroidery and Teal’c looked positively regal in a deep purple hue and black stitching.
“Well, don’t you all look lovely,” Jack commented.
“Thank you, sir,” Sam said. “Might I say the same for you two? Daniel, that’s a lovely shade of blue. Goes with your eyes.”
“Well, thank you, dear. Shall we?” I asked extending her my arm.
We followed Drusilla and Marius out to the town square. A large bonfire had been set up in the center with groups of tables overflowing with food and wine. There was music playing and people were dancing through the streets.
“I’m afraid that here is where we must separate,” Marius said. “Colonel O’Neill, Dr. Jackson if you would come with me, we will take part in the ceremonial cleansing. Major Carter and Teal’c, please follow Drusilla.”
“Wait a minute,” Jack said. “Why are we being separated?”
“The cleansing we will partake in is for the men only. I thought it best, however, that Teal’c accompany Major Carter so you can be assured that she will be kept safe.”
Jack considered that for a moment and realized that that did make sense. “All right,” he said. “Lead on.”
“Now, what exactly is involved with this cleansing?” I asked. “Do you know how it originated?”
“Yes, the ceremony actually originated as part of the offering to our false god. As one would dare not go before him unclean, the cleansing was established. It has since transformed into something more than just a cleansing of the body. We now consider this a way to wash away past sins and transgressions; a way to have a fresh start,” Marius explained. “I would like to encourage you two to do the same. If you have any worries or wrong-doings that you would like to leave behind, please do so here. You will find no judgment from us.”
“Thank you, Marius. That’s very kind.” I took all of what Marius said into serious consideration. Perhaps it was time to let go. My “sin” may not be so extreme, but I was sure there was something about coveting. And I really had been given a fresh start. Perhaps it was time to take that seriously.
“Here we are,” Marius said leading us up a great marble staircase.
We entered the building and after walking down a short hall entered what could only be described as a large bath house. There was a giant pool in the middle of the room with several smaller tubs around the perimeter. Jack and I stopped short when we saw what was going on – naked men were gathered in small groups washing each other. And, in some cases, doing quite a bit more than that.
“Uh, Daniel?” Jack said.
“Jack. It will be fine. How many times have we showered together after missions?”
“Well, yeah we were in the same room but that wasn’t anything like this.”
“Marius,” I said turning to our host. “How much of this, um, ritual is necessary for us to complete?”
“I’m afraid you must go through the whole cleansing,” he said. “Otherwise, you will be considered still unclean and unable to attend the festivities that follow.”
“I’m okay with that,” Jack interjected.
“Jack. We don’t want to be insulting to our hosts. Thank you, Marius. Where do we begin?”
“This way, please.”
He led us to the far corner of the auditorium where there was a wall of hooks holding the robes of the other men in the room. Marius showed us a couple hooks where we could leave ours and, after a brief pause from Jack, we disrobed and followed Marius to the first tub.
“You will begin here,” he said. There was a small table set to the side with a crystal pitcher and matching glasses. The pitcher held a dark red liquid that was poured into two cups for them. “This is an elixir that will help relax your body and mind for the rest of the ceremony. Please drink.”
I took a tentative first sip and found the taste to be similar to a burgundy wine back on Earth, but with a hint of something vaguely cinnamon. It was quite tasty, really. I easily finished the rest of the glass and set it back on the table next to Jack’s. We were then led into the first shallow pool, the water just barely over our knees. Marius instructed that we were to take handfuls of the water and pour it over each other’s head. I moved as close as I dared as Jack and I took turns doing as we were told.
After exiting that pool, we were led to an even shallower one where the water barely covered our feet.
“This is the sacramental oil,” Marius said holding up a shallow bowl. “You will take the cloth and apply the oil to each other’s body.”
“Everywhere?” Jack asked.
“Yes,” Marius said. “No part must be left untouched.”
Jack sighed and I knew exactly what he was thinking. “It’ll be fine Jack. Just think of Janet giving you an exam and you’ll get through it with no problems.”
“I know. It’s not that it’s just…. Look, Marius said this was a time for confession, right?” Jack said softly.
“It can be.”
“Then, just know that I don’t have a problem doing that. At all. Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. It’s just been awhile and I’m afraid of what my reaction might be.”
“Oh,” I said as I understood Jack’s meaning. So, he wasn’t as completely straight as I had believed. Well, crap. That could be bad. “Well, then might I just say that the same goes for me. But we can agree here and now that whatever happens in this room will not be discussed outside. Unless, you want to, of course.”
“Agreed,” Jack said. “OK. Let’s do this.”
I watched as Jack gently picked up one of the cloths, dipped it in the oil and tentatively brought it up to my chest. He dragged the cloth from one side to the other and then down my right arm. He dipped the cloth again and repeated the action to the other side. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, attempting to control the emotions churning inside me. With no water to hide anything, it would be very obvious if I became aroused. Which I was dangerously close to becoming. Jack slowly worked his way down my body, cleansing me almost reverently. By the time Jack got to my groin, I was clenching my jaw so hard I was afraid I would crack my molars. But I took another deep breath and was proud that I was able to control my reaction to Jack finally touching me how I’d longed to have been touched for years. Once Jack was past there, I opened my eyes. Which turned out to be a very bad idea. Jack had dropped to his knees and gently lifted one of my feet to begin washing my legs. I couldn’t help the small moan that escaped at that sight. My head started spinning and I was sure I was starting to feel the effects from the elixir.
“Jack,” I whispered.
“I know,” he answered, placing a gentle kiss to my knee. The rest of the room had faded away and as far as I was concerned, we were the only two people on the entire planet. He finished washing my legs and stood up slowly until we were standing almost nose to nose. “Turn around,” he whispered.
I shuddered at his words and had to struggle to turn without my knees giving out on me. When I had my back to him, I felt the cloth come back to my skin as he gently began washing my back. He was standing close enough that I could feel the heat from his body. As his hand moved lower, I could sense him moving closer and eventually felt his breath on my ear. My head tilted to the side completely of its own accord and I practically melted to the floor when I felt Jack’s lips on my neck. I reached a hand back to drag him closer and sighed as our bodies fell into full alignment. There was no use hiding our arousal now. I felt his hard cock settle into the crack of my ass and couldn’t help pushing back slightly.
“Daniel,” Jack warned. The chuckle I let out at that turned into groan as his hand finally closed fully around me. The oil was amazing; it was slick and seemed to heat up with the friction. It was delicious. I couldn’t take it any more. I twisted around so we were finally facing each other and without even pausing, captured Jack’s lips in a searing kiss. He pulled me in close and the first full contact of naked skin was pure bliss. I felt his cock bump into mine and thrust back against it. His hands were all over me, skimming over my back, stroking my ass, twining in my hair. My own were equally busy on his skin, running through his chest hair and pinching his nipples. That last action brought a groan out from him and he pulled us closer. I managed to work a hand between us and grabbed both our cocks in my fist. The atmosphere was so charged, the situation so unlikely that it only took a few pulls before we were both coming in earnest.
Eventually, we both came down from the temporary high and just sagged against each other, trying to hold ourselves up from just collapsing in the shallow pool. Oh, shit. The pool. We were in public.
“Um, Jack?” I finally said.
“Daniel?” he said in return, sounding slightly confused.
I eventually worked up the courage to look around and felt relieved when no one seemed to be paying us any attention. Not even Marius. He was locked in conversation with someone a few yards away. But who knows how long that had been going on and what he might have seen or heard in the meantime.
“Why don’t we just finish this as quickly as possible?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Jack said clearing his throat and pulling back. “That sounds like a good idea.”
I picked up a clean cloth and proceeded to wash Jack down with the oil as quickly and methodically as possible. When I was done, I turned to call out to Marius to find that he had rejoined us.
“Excellent!” he said. “You are doing very well. Please, come this way.”
We followed him to the last of the pools, this one steaming and filled to the brim with water.
“Here, you will rinse off the oil and with that, also rinse away any cares or concerns you have remaining. Please take your time and consider your thoughts carefully.” Marius then turned and rejoined the other man he had been talking to earlier. I was pleased that he had left us alone at that point. Perhaps I could get Jack to talk about what had just happened.
Jack and I entered the pool and I let out a sigh at the feel of the warm water enveloping me. I closed my eyes and relaxed against the edge, taking a seat on the ledge that sat about half way down the wall.
“So,” I said.
“What?” Jack asked.
“Don’t you think we need to talk about what happened?”
“No,” Jack said studiously avoiding my gaze.
“Jack, come on.”
“No, Daniel. It was that damn elixir and that’s all. Now let’s finish this stupid cleansing and get back to the party.”
“Jack, the whole purpose of this ceremony is to release your burdens. You can’t just keep this bottled up and deny that it happened.”
“Yes, I can.”
“Well, I can’t,” I argued back. “I care about you and so would like to discuss the fact that we just had amazing sex in an alien pool and you came, HARD I might add, all over my hand. And what the hell that might mean for us.”
“There is no ‘us’, Daniel,” Jack said.
“Not yet,” I said under my breath.
“What?”
“I said ‘Not yet’.”
“And what’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means that that meant something to me. As much as we might have been under alien influence, I don’t think anything like that could have happened if there wasn’t something there to begin with. The drink wasn’t THAT strong.”
“Daniel…”
I just looked at him. Staring until he finally decided to look back at me. That’s when I saw how scared he was. I knew he understood what I was saying.
“Jack,” I said softly, walking over to him. “It’s okay. It’ll be okay. We can do whatever you want, however you want.” I tentatively put a hand on his chest and was relieved when he didn’t draw back from me. He actually closed his hand over mine and pulled me into a sort of half hug.
“I lost you once, Daniel,” he said quietly. “Almost lost you more times that I care to count. But that last time, when you finally left us…. I don’t think I could take it if that happened again. That’s why we can’t.”
“So, you can’t have a relationship with me because you’re scared I’ll die again? But, Jack. That could happen to anyone at anytime. You can’t be scared of love because you’re afraid you’ll lose someone.”
“I know,” Jack said. “Practically, I know that. But after Charlie and you, I’m just… I don’t know if I could go through that again and not just completely lose it. Even if we aren’t together, it would be too hard.”
“I wish I could promise you that I won’t get hurt or even die again,” I said. “But I can’t. No one can promise that. Isn’t it worth the risk, though? I would love to have someone to fight for, Jack. It’s been too long since I’ve had that. Scary as it may be, it would make me fight harder. Try harder to get back home if I knew I had someone to come home to. Do you get what I’m saying?”
“I do, Daniel,” he replied. “I understand. I just…I need some time.”
“OK,” I said, pulling back away. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be here, whatever you decide. But I do hope you’ll decide to give us a chance. We could be so good together. Come on, let’s get this finished and back to the others.”
We took our time, washing all the oil away. I wanted nothing more than to take Jack away and back to our room. But I also knew that if we had any chance of a relationship, he would have to come to it whole heartedly and of his own accord. I couldn’t force it at all.
“Everything is well?” Marius said as he rejoined us near the pool.
“Yes, thank you,” I said.
“Excellent. The ritual is now complete. If you wish, you may relax in the larger pool or we may go and join in the festivities.”
“I think we’d like to get back to our friends,” Jack said.
“Very well,” Marius replied. “There are towels just over here then you may put your robes back on and we will find your friends.”
Jack and I dried off quickly and efficiently. We were both anxious to get back to Sam and Teal’c. As we redressed in the ceremonial robes, Jack tried to hide the fact that he was once again having trouble with the intricate knot. I walked over to try and help him but he tried to push me away.
“Jack,” I said sternly. “Just let me help. We don’t want to accidentally insult anyone. It’s fine. Just let me do this and then we’ll be on our way.”
Before he could say another word, I took the length of cloth from him and set about tying it in the fashion we had been shown. This time, though, I kept my distance, but noticed Jack breathing quite heavily and moving ever so slightly closer to me. I felt one his hands move up and rest high on my shoulder near the juncture of my neck. His thumb started stroking the sensitive skin there and I had to take a deep breath to try and calm myself. I finished tying the knot and looked up at Jack. His eyes were focused on my mouth and I couldn’t help but lick them slightly in anticipation. I heard Jack’s breath hitch at that action and he leaned in quickly, kissing me again. But this time, neither of us let up. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling us closer. Out tongues reached out as I pushed Jack back up against the wall and leaned fully against him. It should have been impossible, but I felt myself growing hard again as we ground up against each other. And so was Jack. This time it was he who managed to reach between us. The feel of his hand on me again was thrilling. A loud moan escaped my throat as I thrust up into his fist. I was sorry to say that this time barely lasted as long as the first time. A few sharp pulls and we were both coming into his fist.
“You can’t deny that, Jack,” I said after we had calmed down. My head was still buried in the crook of his neck and I had to take the opportunity to lick at the sweat that dripping there.
“I know,” he said softly. “Tell me it’ll be all right.”
“It’ll be all right, Jack,” I said pulling back and smiling. “If you want this, we can do it. And everything will be just fine.”
“Thank you,” he said, kissing me again softly. “Now, let’s go find the others.”
We followed Marius back to the town square and found that Sam and Teal’c had already been dragged into the dancing by a couple of the natives. Sam was laughing and Teal’c was positively beaming. It was nice to see them so relaxed and carefree.
“Ah!” Marius said. “I am glad to see your friends enjoying themselves. Please go and join them. Take whatever food and drink you wish. Tonight, what we have we share with you.”
“Thank you, Marius,” Jack said. “I’m sure we’ll enjoy ourselves immensely.”
With a wink at me, Jack went to join Sam and Teal’c out in the crowd. I laughed at Jack’s actions; I was happy to see he was feeling so relaxed in this environment.
“Yes, thank you,” I added. “This experience has been most…freeing.”
“I am glad to hear it. Please, go and enjoy.”
With that, Marius wandered off to join some of his people over by the food tables and I went in search of my team. I found them near the bonfire, dancing in a circle with some of the natives. They were trying to learn some of the traditional dance steps and I was surprised to see Teal’c doing so well. Jack, on the other hand, was a complete disaster. He was stepping left when he should have been kicking right; turning right when everyone else was going left. I had to stop and just laugh out loud at the sight. It wasn’t often we had missions that turned out this way. Usually at some point, the Goa’uld would show up or one of us would accidentally do something to offend our new friends and we would have to run for our lives back to the gate. But not today. No, today everything would be fine and so would Jack and I.
Eventually, I was dragged into the dancing and managed to get a rudimentary grasp on what they were doing. We finally made our way over the food and drink area and had a pleasant time chatting with some of the locals. Marius did finally introduce me to the family that had leant us their robes. The father was part of the governing body, so it was a great honor to be wearing their robes. And throughout the evening, Jack and I kept exchanging glances and small smiles. I was extremely optimistic that everything would work out how it should.
Finally, the evening seemed to be drawing to a close and we all excused ourselves back to our rooms. Sam had had a little more to drink than may have been proper and was giggling the whole way. Teal’c managed to get her back to their room with no problem, however, and Jack and I bid them a good night. We entered our room and I was suddenly more nervous than I should have been considering everything we had already done. I looked over at Jack and he seemed to be as nervous as I was. He looked up and we both just broke out laughing. It was ridiculous to be feeling this way.
“Come here,” he said.
I walked into his waiting arms and we just stood there, holding each other for a moment. It was nice, though. One of those things you start to miss after awhile.
“Let’s go to bed, Jack,” I said after awhile. I noticed he stiffened slightly at the comment and sighed. “Nothing has to happen tonight. We can just sleep. I don’t know about you, but that party left me feeling exhausted.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” he said relaxing.
We undressed and climbed into the large bed. It seemed natural to gravitate toward each other, so we did. We finally wound up in a position with me on my side and Jack spooned up behind me.
“Good night, Jack.”
“Night, Danny,” he replied with a deep yawn.
Soon, we were both asleep.
The next morning, we were treated to a grand breakfast before being escorted back to the gate. We had told them to expect another of our teams in a few days to finalize the treaty between our worlds. There was a tentative agreement to tell them of more friendly worlds for trading and they would give us samples of their medicine and plants for study. All in all, it was a very successful trip.
“Welcome back, SG-1,” Hammond greeted as we stepped into the gateroom. “Did you get what you were looking for?”
“Not quite, sir,” Jack said. “They didn’t have any weaponry that would benefit us, but they were very friendly and we established a tentative trade agreement. But, all in all, I’d say we came out on top.” With a sly wink in my direction, he continued down the ramp and off down the hall towards the infirmary.
Just a few more hours and I would have Jack all to myself. Oh, yes. I’d say we definitely came out on top in this one.
THE END
Bravo!
Date: 2008-07-15 08:30 am (UTC)Very well done.
Re: Bravo!
Date: 2008-07-15 11:39 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-07-15 03:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-07-15 06:05 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-07-15 04:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-07-15 06:06 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2008-07-15 06:17 pm (UTC)