Title: Resolution
Author: Danielle
Pairing: Jack/Daniel... Getting there :)
Rating: PG (adult themes)
Disclaimer:All characters from the television series ‘Stargate SG-1’ belong to Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. I’m only borrowing them for my personal entertainment, and I promise I’ll put them back all nice and proper. I didn’t profit from writing this piece, though if someone wants to pay me huge wads of cash for the copyright, I won't argue. All original characters and situations belong to me, but you can use them if you really want to - just mail me first. Also mail me first if you want to archive this somewhere else. Thank you kindly.

Author's Notes: Number four in the series I've dubbed 'If Only'... Actually wrote this straight after 'Temptation' but I didn't get around to putting it up. My bad :P

Resolution

"Don't even think about it."

Jack glared at Daniel as the archaeologist glared right back at him, the former silently praying that he wasn't about to get a broken nose (or anything else for that matter) if the latter chose to slam the door in his face. Why the colonel had decided to turn up at Daniel's apartment door was beyond him... It was just one of those compulsions that he just had to obey, even though it was three am and he was still on the wrong side of the legal blood alcohol limit. Thank Christ for taxis was all he could say.

"What're you doing here Jack?" the younger man said flatly, not even having the decency to look like he'd just been woken up.

"We have to talk."

"I thought we did that today... yesterday. Remember, you practically threw me against the door and stuck your tongue down my throat," Daniel shot back, managing to only sound just a touch bitter.

"That's what we need to talk about," Jack rasped, not really believing that he was standing there saying the words.

"Really? And which slant are you going to take? The 'it was a mistake' or 'it was a huge mistake'?" Crossing his arms over his chest, the archaeologist regarded him with eyes that gave nothing away. "Go home Jack."

Blinking, the colonel wondered if he hadn't been kidnapped by the Asgaard and dropped into an alternate universe. This wasn't the real Daniel surely. The Daniel could never sound quite so... well, quite so cold. So no-nonsense and emotionless. "What if I don't want to go home?"

"Then you'll be sleeping in the hall. Goodnight Jack." NOW came the shutting of the door in his face... Or that's what would've happened if Jack hadnt't thrown out a slightly unsteady hand to stop it about an inch before it was shut. "Jack..." came the warning.

"We need to talk Danny," the older man said quietly. "And we need to do it now before my bravado gives out."

There was a brief moment of silence, then the pressure on the door disappeared and Jack was able to push it open to step into Daniel's apartment. It was just as messy as he remembered it, papers strewn over every flat surface, vying with various artefacts and that evening's dinner cartons for space. The man himself was standing almost directly opposite to him, looking out the window with arms still crossed defensively over his chest. Jack suffered from a heartbeat's worth of uncertainty before he carefully shut and locked the door behind him, walking over to the couch to drop onto it ungracefully.

"Whenever you're ready," came the almost resigned prompt from Daniel, who was showing no signs of moving.

Frowning, the colonel took a moment to organise his thoughts into some semblance of coherance before opening his mouth. "I don't regret it," he said without pre-empt. "I tried my damndest to, but I just couldn't make myself do it."

He didn't need to say what it was that he didn't regret, they both knew what he was talking about, but that didn't stop Daniel from taking a shot at him. "So you want to regret that it happened. Do I need to remind you-"

"Yes Daniel, I'm well aware that it was all me! Would you just pull yourself out of self-pity for five seconds and act like the reasonable human being I know you are?!" Jack all but yelled, shoving himself to his feet so that he could adopt an 'okay, I'm pissed now' stance.

"Self-pity? *I'm* the one wallowing in self-pity?" Daniel shot back incredulously, turning away from the window so that he could gesticulate in time with his words without fear of sticking his hand through the glass. "*I'm* not the one who-"

"DAMMIT DANIEL!" Jack roared, finally losing his patience and his temper. Daniel was picking exactly the wrong time to be pig-headed and hypercritical of his motives, the attitude grating on his already raw nerves. Storming over to where the other man stood, he reached out and grabbed his upper arms, shaking the archaeologist as he essentially yelled, "I couldn't regret it because I enjoyed it too much!"

Daniel froze on the spot, eyes widening dangerously as his mouth worked without producing a single sound. "You...?"

"Surprise, surprise," the colonel muttered, smiling thinly and without humour as he released his hold. "Mr 'I'm straight as a board' enjoyed kissing another man. Or more specifically, enjoyed kissing you." Now it was his turn to take up the defensive stance of arms crossed over his chest. "Happy now? I've admitted it."

The archaeologist continued to stare at him for a moment longer, before clearing his throat and looking away. "I, uh..."

"This is the bit where you say you enjoyed it too, or am I really that out of practise?" Jack commented dryly.

"No, no, nothing like that... You're actually quite... Um..." Even in the slightly dim light cast by the standing lamp in the corner Jack could see the way Daniel turned red when he realised what he was saying.

"Gee, you're doing such great things for my ego Danny," he muttered in the same arid tone as before.

"Sorry... I, uh, I just wasn't expecting..." Daniel cleared his throat and finally raised his eyes to meet Jack's. "I mean, you're hardly the poster-boy for the gay lifestyle Jack. You kinda threw me..."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I kinda threw me too." Okay, this should be the point where he'd take a step backwards to cut short the tension that was rising between them. But he couldn't bring himself to do it, couldn't stop that little flicker of hope that had been refusing to die since that afternoon and the saint comment that Daniel had made. Yeah, so he wasn't the epitome of gay, but he was coming from behind after a less than brilliant start in that direction.

"I... Really? Uh, wow..." Daniel blinked at him owlishly for a beat or two before speaking again. "So what do we do about it all?"

Jack's posture changed from defensive to discomfited, his hand making its way to the back of his neck without the need for conscious thought. "I don't know... Its up to you I guess. What do you want to do?"

More blinks. "Me? No way Jack, I'm not making your decisions for y-"

"I wasn't asking you to do that Danny," the colonel broke in, sounding oddly reasonable for probably the first time in the past decade or so. "I'll rephrase... I'm willing to go with whatever you decide. If you want to drop this I can easily forget it ever happened. But if you want to see where this goes then I'm ready, willing and able."

Okay, no blinking this time, just a slack-jawed expression. "Y-you are? Seriously? Wow... again." Daniel licked his lips and fidgeted slightly as he presumably thought about their options. "I... I would like to try this... If you're willing."

"Didn't I just say that?" Jack teased lightly, unable to stop himself from taking a step closer to the other man. "I just have one thing..."

"Uh, sure Jack. What is it?" The archaeologist reciprocated the gesture by shifting closer himself, until they where barely inches apart.

"Be gentle... I'm not as spry as I used to be."