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Spoilers: Anything up until Season 3 is fair game.

Rating: PG-13

Warning: language, slash, H/C,

Summary: Hey, I'm still in the middle of writing this. If you somehow managed to find this page (that isn't linked to anything) then, uh, I guess you may read, but keep in mind I'm far from finished. Please wait before you commence the tomato throwing until the fic is finished. Thank you!


"Damnit!"

The curse from within Dr. Daniel Jackson's office made Jack stop dead in his tracks. Daniel didn't curse, not normally. Jack knocked softly on the door. When there was no answer, he opened it a crack. Daniel sat at his desk, sucking on his index finger. "Daniel?"

"Not right now, Jack," Daniel's reply came, soft and mournful. This, of course, only prompted Jack to walk right in.

"Daniel, Daniel, Daniel," Jack crossed his arms and stared down at the younger archaeologist in wrinkled clothes. Daniel's eyes were slightly red-rimmed from lack of sleep. His desk was covered with notes, journals and more than a couple of artifacts. Somehow, however, Jack doubted that Daniel had done any actual work in the last few hours. Jack raised an eyebrow. "Take up finger sucking?"

"Wha-? No," Daniel took his finger out of his mouth, showing Jack a small cut. "Sharp pottery."

"I'll get you a Band-aid," Jack said.

"No, got one," Daniel opened his draw and produced a pack.

"Daniel."

"Jack?"

"When d'ya sleep last?" Jack straddled a chair.

"I've got to finish these translations for SG5," Daniel said as he finished putting the Band-aid on.

"So...twenty four hours?"

"I'm fine."

"So fine that you're cursing over a paper cut." Jack said.

"Pottery." Daniel corrected.

"Yeah, whatever." Jack paused and switched tactics. "Daniel, what's wrong? You've been working too hard for days now. You've practically locked yourself in your office. And Carter tells me she thinks you're living off of coffee again."

"Really, Jack, it's nothing; I'm fine."

"Ah ha! But you admit, there is an 'it!'" Jack pointed his finger in a very Jacksonian way. Daniel smiled weakly as he recognized his own gesture. "For crying out loud, Daniel, we both know I'm going to pry it out of you one way or another. Just think, I'll stay here until you 'fess up. I'll talk to you endlessly about fishing and hockey; I'll call all your artifacts rocks; I'll drink all your coffee. You won't get any work done. I might even bring my video games in here, turn the volume up high and force you to play with me."

This elicted a small smile from Daniel. "No. Please. Anything but that."

"Daniel," Jack said turning serious again, "I know this has been a rough year for you. I know that you're hurting. I want you to know that I'm there for you."

"Oh," Daniel looked at Jack with a little surprise, then down at his paperwork. "Well, I'm fine. I just have a lot of work to do so if you don't mind..." Daniel gestured towards the door.

"Damnit, Daniel, you know this stuff is hard for me." Jack realized he shouted and lowered his voice. "I know what it's like to lose people. I know it was hard on you, losing Sha'uri that is. And now with Nick..."

Daniel looked down suddenly. "I never got much of a chance to know him." The admittance was so quiet, Jack had to strain to hear it.

"It must have been hard." Jack nodded.

Daniel looked up with mild surprise. He expected some cocky response, not empathy. Jack shrugged.

"I never really had a family, you know, after my parents," Daniel continued while looking at his hands as if they were some mysterious archeological discovery. "I don't understand why this should bug the hell out of me. I mean, Nick was never what you'd call family. He was never there. It's just...for a minute there, it seemed like we were connecting, Jack. For once in my life, it felt like I was a part of something. And now..." Daniel balled his hands and rammed them into his legs.

"Daniel. I don't know how someone so intelligent can be so stupid."

"Stupid?"

"Yes, stupid!"

"You know, Jack, you can be such an ass. Here I am," Daniel gestured wildly. "You wanted me to talk, fine, I'm talking. And as soon as I open up to you, you've got to shoot me down."

"Would you just shut up and listen!" Jack shouted back.

Daniel's jaw dropped and Jack spoke up before the irritated archaeologist could find his voice.

"Daniel, you have us! Me! Sam! Teal'c! The team, Daniel, the team. We look out for each other- How dare you ever forget that! We are family, Daniel, we care about each other. What do you think I'm doing here right now in your office! God! Do you have any idea how it hurt to say those things back when I was undercover? You know, about our friendship having no foundation? Do you know what it was like to see that kind of pain in your eyes and know that I caused it? I love you and I hurt you."

Daniel would have taken it as a confession of brotherly love, but Jack's face spoke of shock, fear and horror. Daniel's jaw dropped slightly, but before he could find the language to express himself, Jack suddenly got up and left. Daniel sat still for a moment, then jumped up and went running after Jack.

"Jack! Jack!" Daniel caught up in the hallway. "I think, I mean, I just wanted to say..."

The two stood awkward for a moment. "Forget it, Daniel."

"Ah, no," Daniel pointed to the office. "Come back."

"Rather not," Jack replied.

"I think you do," Daniel said. "Unless you'd rather have this conversation in the hall."

"Okay," Jack took a few quick steps back into Daniel's office. Daniel closed the door behind them.

"Really, just forget it," Jack said, standing by Daniel's desk and nervously picking up various objects.

"What if I don't want to forget it?"

"Wouldn't you want to forget it?"

"Maybe not."

"Oh."

"Yeah." Daniel sat down, then looked up at the still standing colonel.

"So."

"This is silly," Daniel said. "We're grown men. We can discuss this."

"Sure," Jack said. "You start."

"Why me?"

"You said we can discuss it."

"So?"

"So," Jack waved his hand vaguely, "discuss."

Daniel rolled his eyes, "What do you mean when you said that, that you love me?"

"It means what it means, Daniel. You're the linguist here, you know what it means," Jack said, looking for something, anything, for his hands to fiddle with.

"Okay, you said you loved me," Daniel said. "Do you, I mean, you love me?"

Jack tossed the small statue he found on Daniel's desk back and forth. For once, Daniel didn't comment about it. "You know what I mean."

"I want to hear it. I want you to say it. How do you love me, Jack?"

"Daniel," Jack began to growl, but looked up into Daniel's eyes and stopped short. Daniel's eyes spoke a language all their own, a wonderful rich language. Jack listened. He said Daniel's name again, forming each sound of the word with care and reverance. Creating his own language all within the sound of a name. It was all the answer Daniel needed.

"How long, ah, how long have you had these feelings?" Daniel asked.

"Dunno." Jack turned the small statue around in his hands. Daniel grabbed it away from Jack and placed it back on the desk.

"What do you mean you don't know. I mean, you've got to have realized at some point that you were attracted to me." Daniel said. "I certainly remember when I realized that my feelings for you went beyond friendship."

"Oh? When?"

"Netu." Daniel said. "Remember when they gave us all the Blood of Sokar?"

"Yeah."

"Well, when I was hallucinating, I saw you," Daniel shrugged and wrapped his arms around himself. "I realized then how important you were to me. How I'd come to see you."

"Yeah?" Jack knelt down by Daniel.

"Yeah." Daniel said softly and smiled. "So, when did you first realize you loved me?

"When we thought we lost you on Nem's world." Jack said and hesitantly placed his hand on Daniel's knee. "I thought you were gone and I felt... Daniel, I was never good with words."

"No, you're alright."

"No, Daniel," Jack moved his face close to Daniel's and stared him in the eye for a moment. Then he moved in closer and let his lips touch Daniel's.

"Better than talking?" Jack asked.

"Ah, yeah, better," Daniel said. "So we're a couple?"

"Naw, I just like to go around kissing archaeologists," Jack said.

Daniel snorted, and brought his hand to Jack's check. He hesitantly dusted the very tips of his fingers across Jack's skin. The barest of touches. "So, now what?"

"Now we get you in bed," Jack chuckled at Daniel's wide-eyed response. "No, not like that. God knows when you slept last and we have a meeting early tomorrow morning. You need to sleep."

Daniel stifled a yawn. "Yeah, you're right."

"Come on. I'll drop you off," Jack said and led Daniel out of the room, turning the light off behind them.


Daniel was still yawning the next morning as they walked into the Briefing Room. General Hammond and Teal'c were already seated, but Carter hadn't arrived yet. Daniel took a seat and Jack got them both a cup of coffee before taking a seat himself. Once Carter entered, Hammond started the briefing.

"Good morning, people," Hammond nodded to SG1. "You'll find the MALP readings for P3X-984 in front of you."

Jack opened his folder. "Trees."

"More than just trees, Jack," The excitement of a new archaeological marvel woke Daniel up more than coffee ever could. "I've never seen so many pyramids so close together! I mean, just look at these pictures! And they can't be more than a mile away from the Stargate."

"So? We've seen pyramids before," Jack baited.

"But so many? So close?" Daniel shook his head, "I can't tell for sure with these pictures, but these pyramids look like a hybrid of those built by the Egyptians and the Aztec."

Jack smiled slightly as Daniel droned on. While he suspected this mission would be slow and dull, he enjoyed the way that Daniel lit up when there was an archaeological discovery to be explored. Jack's mind began to drift to an image of Daniel Jackson with his shirt damp with sweat, bent over an artifact, delight and excitement playing over his face, gesturing Jack closer...

"Don't you think so, Jack?"

"Huh?" Jack looked up.

"I thought so," Daniel said. "You didn't hear a thing I said!"

"He got you, sir," Carter smiled.

"Apparently," Jack delighted in Daniel's reaction.

"Daniel does not believe the planet is currently inhabited," Teal'c supplied, "as the vegetationis quite dense around the Stargate and the structures."

"You'll leave at 1100," Hammond said. "Anything else?"

"No, sir," Jack replied.

At 1100 the wormhole spit SG1 into a world of dense plant life and with a tropical climate. Jack scanned the immediate area, automatically searching for any possible threat. While Teal'c and Carter did the same, Daniel immediately went into what Jack called 'Tourist Mode.'

"This is amazing, Jack. Just look how close together those pyramids are! And I'm not so sure if they have been abandoned as long as I originally thought. I mean, look, most of them still have retained some of their pigmentation, however faint."

"What about the vegetation?" Jack gestured to the dense plant life that grew close to the stargate.

"It is possible that the plants on this planet grow and spread rapidly, sir," Carter intoned.

"Alright, let's make sure we really are alone here, then we could-Daniel don't touch!"

Daniel took his hand away from a statue sheepishly. "It's the Egyptian god, Thoth."

"I don't care if it's Homer Simpson," Jack waved Daniel over. "I want to make sure we're alone on this planet. You're with me. Teal'c, Carter, make sure our position is secure."

Carter smiled as Daniel and the Colonel headed off towards the pyramids. Something seemed different about the two of them today and she frowned as she tried to pinpoint it exactly.

"Major Carter?"

"Yes, Teal'c?"

"You appear to be confused," Teal'c said as they started walking.

"It's nothing," Carter said.


Jack smiled as Daniel waved his arms about wildly as he explained the significance of their newest discovery. Daniel's whole face had lit up in a way Jack had rarely seen since Sha're's death. His blue eyes just seemed brighter, his face so animated. Confident that they were out of sight, Jack leaned over and pecked Daniel on the cheek.

"...and so the pyramids must be dedicated to the...ah.." Daniel trailed off and turned to Jack. The smile on the archaeologist was face tempting Jack even more. "What's that for? Not that I mind."

"Dunno, felt like doing it," Jack said and enjoyed the way Daniel's eyebrows scrunched up with confusion. "Do you have any idea how long I wanted to be able to do that? To just lean over whenever I want and-" Jack's lips swooped in on Daniel's chin. He bit gently before straightening back up.

"Jack?"

"Yes?"

"I have to explore those pyramids!" Daniel exclaimed, but ran his hand across Jack's cheek, then gently pressed his lips against Jack's.

Jack licked Daniel's bottom lip before reluctantly stepping back. "So, pyramids. Dedicated to who?"

Daniel shook his head with a smile. So they're going to have to figure out how to balance their professional and private lives more smoothly, but they'll do it. "Dedicated to the Egyptian god, Thoth. Thoth was the god of the Moon. According to legend, Thoth invented written language, astronomy, geometry and medicine."

"Egyptian god? So this planet belonged to a Go'ould?" Jack said as he began to walk again.

"I believe so," Daniel said. "But I don't see any signs that Thoth's still here. I don't think anyone has been here in a while."

"Rather make sure," Jack said.

Daniel indulged Jack, following with his own hand gun at ready and walking a few steps behind, admiring the view.

"Should we tell Sam or Teal'c?" Daniel finally spoke up after several minutes of comfortable silence.

"No."

"Why not? I mean, I think they can be trusted," Daniel said. "Being with you, it makes me so happy. I just want to share."

Jack chuckled.

"What?"

"Just never figured you the type to kiss and tell," Jack teased.

"Kiss and tell!" Daniel sputtered. "You're going to pay for that one."

"I hope so," Jack turned back and winked at Daniel. "It looks safe on this end. Let's head back."

"Can I stay here?" Daniel gestured to the pyramid entrace, only a few steps away.

Jack shook his head. "We will all go in together. Let's just make sure Carter and Teal'c didn't find anything."

Daniel started forward and Jack hurried over to him. "Jack?"

"Yes?" Jack turned to find Daniel's blue eyes staring back at him through long lashes.

Daniel kissed Jack. He finally pulled back to speak. "We have to be so careful."

"I know," Jack wrapped his arms around Daniel, pulling his body closer.

"We can't do this back at the SGC. We have to be careful back on Earth. If Sam and Teal'c know..."

"We won't have to be so careful when we're on a mission," Jack finished.

"Yeah."

"I'm just not sure how they would react," Jack confessed. Sam and Teal'c were his friends, no, his family, but he wasn't about to admit that he feared their rejection.

"I don't think they'd get too upset to learn we're bisexual. I mean, Sam already knows about me and she didn't have a problem with it," Daniel said.

"What?" Jack stepped back. "Hold on, know one said anything about bisexuality. And you told Sam, what? You've been with a man before?"

"Once and I've had a few crushes over the years," Daniel shrugged, "and of course you're bi, Jack, you're attracted to a man, me."

"No, I mean, what we have between the two of us, its special. I've never had feelings like this before. I'm not bi, I'm into women!"

Daniel started to chuckle, but stopped short at the look on Jack's face. "If you're bi, you're are attracted to both men and women, Jack."

"I know that!" Jack shouted, "But I've never-I'm heterosexual, its just different with you."

Daniel suddenly nodded, if not in agreement, in understanding, "I had a hard time with it when I first realized I was attracted to a man. I guess spending your whole adult life in the military doesn't help in accepting your own sexuality. Jack, its okay to feel the way you feel. If it helps you, I won't say the word, but you and I both know its true." Daniel stepped forward and awkwardly ran his hand through Jack's hair, "I'll be patient. We don't have to tell Sam or Teal'c yet. This is still new for the both of us."