jd_ficathon | Title: Waiting and Hoping

Title: Waiting and Hoping
Author: Rivulet027
Summary: It’s never the right time to try for them. After returning from Accession Daniel decides he’s tired of waiting for the right time
Word Count:1215
Rating: Teen
Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Stargate. It’s not my toy box and I’m merely playing.
Written For: gategremlyn
Prompt: Two (2) Requirements:
1. Jack and Daniel fight on a mission
2. find something of value
Optional Request: NID
Restriction #1: no kink
Restriction #2: no unhappy ending
Notes: The first scene takes place after the season one epi “Cold Lazarus” and the second scene takes place after Daniel has been brought back to life in S7. Also I hope you don’t mind the something of value being each other.

Waiting and Hoping:

Daniel hopes that it’ll never cease to amaze him how different and yet somehow familiar the stars seem on other planets. He likes the way it peaks Jack’s interest, likes the extra bounce in Jack’s step when they know they’ll be camping over. He enjoys how relaxed Jack is when a mission has gone smoothly and he’s had time to study the stars in the sky.

Jack and he may not have been friends for long, but Daniel’s seen Jack at his lowest, so lost in his own turmoil and grief that he couldn’t see beyond it. Daniel knows he’ll always appreciate anything that might bring a smile to Jack’s lips.

He thinks he might be focusing on Jack’s lips more than he should. Ignoring that last thought Daniel drops down next to Jack and smiles when Jack bumps their shoulders.

“You’re supposed to be asleep,” Jack points out.

“Couldn’t,” Daniel shrugs.

Jack gives him the hint of a smile, “I didn’t think I could, so first watch.”

Daniel leans in, resting his head against Jack’s shoulder, trying to offer some level of comfort in the physical contact. Jack’s arms wrap around him carefully, almost hesitantly. They sit in silence a moment, enjoying each others warmth before Jack says quietly, “I’m not going anywhere, if you were wondering.”

Daniel reaches up and grips Jack’s hand, wondering at how wrapped around each other they are. It’s new, but comfortable.

“I-I couldn’t do that again,” Jack manages.

Daniel tilts his head up to look at Jack, not really sure what to say. Jack presses his lips together and closes his eyes tightly.

“I know it was difficult,” Daniel tries, “to see Charlie again and I know he was an alien replica, but I hope…”

“It did,” Jack chokes as he opens his eyes to look at Daniel, “It helped.”

Daniel nods his understanding.

“And Sara and I are talking again.”

Daniel manages to hold in his frown at the thought, but the concern must show up on his face because Jack’s frowning at him.

“We’re not getting back together,” Jack wrinkles his nose, “We were great together, but it’d hurt too much and I’m doing this world hopping mission Stargate thing now. She’d get stuck home by herself all the time, without an address to write or any good explanation.”

“It wouldn’t be fair,” Daniel summarizes.

“No, no it wouldn’t,” Jack agrees.

They still then, eyes taking each other in. Jack starts to close the distance between them. Daniel knows he should protest, but then Jack’s lips brush against his and he’s been thinking about Jack’s lips and how they would feel against his own for longer than he’ll ever admit. Kissing Jack is better than Daniel imagined and he wants more than anything to pull Jack closer, but he knows he shouldn’t. Daniel pulls away carefully and finds himself caught in how both he and Jack are breathing each other in, so close that it’d take nothing to be kissing again.

“Married,” Daniel reminds himself, backing away farther, “I’m sorry. I…”

When he trails off into silence Jack suggests, “I think that’s something we’ve both been wanting for awhile.”

“Yes,” Daniel agrees, “but if we do then I’ve given up on my wife and I-I can’t.”

Jack’s face starts to close off, then he takes a deep breath and nods, face clearing as he reaches out to pull Daniel closer.

“It’s just not a good time,” Jack agrees.

~~~~~*****~~~~~

It’s an easy mission, a warm up really, Daniel knows. He’s still regaining his memories, still learning how to be alive again, how to fit into his old life now that he’s no longer Ascended. There are important, dangerous missions that he’ll be thrown into, some he has already been thrown into, but the team wants him to gain experience when not trying to hang onto his life so there are also these easy missions. Sometimes Daniel finds this irritates him, that the team isn’t quite up to trusting his ability to have their backs like he once did, even though he can see the reasoning behind their decision. This mission though, where they’re consulting with a local astronomer, Citlali, has Jack’s personal interests written all over it.

Sam and Teal’c go into town so that they can escort Citlali back to their camp. They’re all looking forward to the promised meteor shower and Citlali has promised explanations and stories behind the local constellations. She’s an enthusiast scientist and it’s fun watching her and Jack bounce myths off each other. It’s one of the reasons Jack’s grouching that he and Daniel have been left behind to set up camp, even though he’s admitting that he and Citlali would likely have gotten distracted.

“She’d have convinced you to explore some site that has to do with one of the constellations and you two wouldn’t have shown up in time,” Daniel points out.

“And you’d pout that you’d been left out of a possible archaeological find,” Jack smirks as they survey the tents they just finished setting up.

Daniel laughs, “Something like that and I wanted to be alone with you.”

Jack stills, turns. Daniel reaches out and takes his hand. Jack jerks away and takes several steps back.

“Jack?”

“Don’t.”

“I-I thought that…look I know I’m not remembering this wrong,” Daniel attempts to explain, “And I know that we’ve got a close friendship, that we’ve kissed a few times, but that it’s just never been…”

“It’s just not a good time,” Jack finishes for him, voice sounding hollow and resigned.

“Yes, it is,” Daniel protests.

“Really? Why do you think that?” Jack challenges.

Daniel opens his mouth, but then he takes in the hurt in Jack’s stance, in his eyes and closes his mouth, frowns instead. Instead of escalating the argument he attempts to reason, “I’ve nearly regained all my memories so you wouldn’t be taking advantage of me. I know that us is something we’ve both wanted, but it’s never been the right time.”

“Because you’re married or I’m in a relationship! Or you’re grieving or I’m having problems! Or…Or you’re dead! It’s never ever been a good time Daniel, so what makes you think that now is?”

“If we keep waiting for a good time we’ll never find one,” Daniel manages.

Jack crosses his arms and scrubs a hand over his face.

“If you still feel that way about me,” Daniel attempts to diffuse further.

Jack looks away, “I could lie to you, decide it’ll hurt less if we’re just friends.”

“Don’t you think that is a decision for both of us to make,” Daniel points out.

Jack laughs, “You’d know I was lying!”

“And I would call you on it,” Daniel promises.

“A few years ago you wouldn’t have,” Jack points out.

Daniel closes the distance between them, “I’m tired of us missing each other.”

Jack huffs out an annoyed breath, “I’m not sure I could handle losing you again.”

“If you want to talk about…”

“Daniel,” Jack stops him.

Daniel lifts his eyebrows in question.

“You’re either going to kiss me now and promise to come back home with me when this mission is over or…”

Daniel cuts Jack’s words off with his lips, then smiles into the kiss when Jack pulls him closer.