The Gift is in the Giving…

By
JayEm

I hate shopping in all its forms. Christmas shopping is the worst, definitely at the top of my list of things not to do on a cold winter night two days before Christmas. There’s entirely too much involved in the process…what to get for who, how much to spend so you don’t come off looking like a cheap Scrooge or like you’re showing off because you spent more than the other person did. I never gave Sara half enough credit for taking care of all this. Early, no less.

But the job’s done and it’s only – damn – one hour until the Christmas party at the mountain. I duck into Hallmark and pick up some gift bags, no way am I going to have time to wrap all this stuff, then hit the mall doors at a run.

Next year I do this QVC.

Traffic is light heading out of town toward the mountain. Hell, of course it is, everyone’s at the mall and I must have been poked, prodded and stepped on by most of them.

Got some good stuff though.

Hammond gets a new frame to go with the new picture two little birds told me they were getting done for him for Christmas. Carter gets the Harley t-shirt with ‘Motorcycle Mama’ on the front just so she knows I know about the little project she and Siler have hidden in her storeroom - definitely a side of my 2iC I never suspected. Must be Jacob’s influence. Teal’c gets a new hat to add to his collection, ‘Life Begins at 100’…he might even get the joke. Siler, Feretti, Harriman and the two Davis’ get coffee mugs from the logo place, ‘Air Force – we take you farther – faster,’ which on the Stargate project takes on a whole new meaning. Fraiser gets a little statue of Napoleon with a stethoscope borrowed from Cassie’s Dr. Barbie; Fraiser will know what it means. Cassie gets the boxed set of boy bands she’s been hinting after since Thanksgiving. Hope she appreciates it because I know I picked up some bruises getting that one away from the zit-faced, multi-pierced crowd piled three deep around the display rack. Probably a good thing they won’t let me take zats off base.

And then there’s Daniel.

Took me longer to find something for him than any of them. Daniel’s never been the easiest guy in the world to buy a gift for, but this year it was – different.

Less than three weeks ago he was flat on his back in the infirmary - after giving us all one hell of a scare with a burst appendix in the middle of a mission. Two kliks from the gate, no less, and Daniel goes white all over and hits the ground with a sound I never want to hear again. Just the memory of that all-out run to the gate, Daniel trying to hold on to the makeshift stretcher and not scream with every jolt, clenches my gut. He was barely out of the woods when Thor did the beam-up thing, we borrowed the gate, spent nine days stranded on 234 and all I could think about was how Daniel was doing. There were so many things that could have gone wrong back on Earth, and I won 50 bucks from Carter betting that Daniel would be up and trying to help as soon as they told him we were gone and just generally overdoing things too soon. Funny, for all the jokes we made about it, I think we were all worried as much for Daniel as we were for whether or not the Replicators had all blown up with Thor’s ship. The team felt out of balance without him. *I* was out of balance and I had no idea why.

When the Stargate finally engaged on the ninth day, we stepped through all shaggy and smelly to find Daniel and Hammond standing there waiting for us. Hammond kept giving Daniel these sidelong, worried glances; I got the whole story later and collected my 50 from Carter. Daniel was definitely in Doc Fraiser’s bad books. He looked every bit as pale as he had the day I ‘left’, shadowed eyes big and round, speaking volumes about how much he’d missed us, not to mention how badly he’d been taking care of himself. I wanted to give him a hug, but for some reason I knew it wasn’t such a good idea.

The reason why wasn’t clear to me until about an hour ago. I was looking at the Egyptian display in the Discovery store and there was a little archaeologist bear…complete with tiny round glasses and boonie hat. Daniel’s voice hit me while I was standing there holding it. Just my name. Shouldn’t have meant anything more than that, but it did. Daniel’s voice ripping through my soul after I’d told him to kill me and Teal’c on that sub. I realized just how much Daniel could say with those four letters.

Jack – don’t be an ass.

Jack – listen to me.

Jack – it hurts.

Jack – don’t leave me.

Jack…

Epiphany in the middle of the Discovery store.

Jack – I love you.

I finally *heard* Daniel, and knew exactly why I’d felt so strange on 234. I *was* out of balance.

Daniel is my balance.

I bought the bear - if I never give it to Daniel, I wanted it to remind me of the many things that can be said with a single name – and wandered out to the food court, thinking. It wasn't as much of a reach as you might expect for me to wrap my brain around being in love with my best friend. Sitting there looking at the bear with a big dumb grin on my face, I realized it wasn’t even a stretch to know he felt the same way.

And I do know it. He’s told me so many times; I just wasn’t listening. Once I knew what to listen for, I knew it had been said…was still being said…every day. Damn, that boy is eloquent.

The grin faded as I listened to myself, cutting him down more often than not. Not intentionally, at least not consciously, but just the same I knew I’d hurt him – especially over the last year or so. But still he said it.

Jack.

I remembered looking at his eyes when Thor dropped us back into San Diego. Davis told me about Daniel collapsing after they realized we’d been rescued, Fraiser was livid and feeling very justified in her opinion that he shouldn’t have been along in the first place. I just nodded at her then, not really agreeing – Daniel belonged with his team, period, that was never in question – but ready to admit that health-wise he could have had a better time all around. But I’m glad he was there, if not I might never have finally heard what he’d been shouting at me for years.

Jack.

I finally stopped staring at the bear and hustled to find Daniel a gift I could give him in mixed company, a pair of blue pajamas with little gold hieroglyphs all over them. I know he doesn’t wear the tops, but maybe I can get him to model the bottoms for me later. Much later, after we’ve had a long talk. Or maybe a just a small talk with a lot of repetitive words…I can put a lot of meaning into his name too.

Turning into the first checkpoint, I realize I need to work on wiping the grin off my face. It’s hard, but I take a few minutes dropping the gifts into their respective bags and writing the nametags. The bear goes into a bag, but I leave him on the front seat of the car. Later, we’ll see who gets custody. Personally I’m hoping for some sort of joint arrangement. Hustling my booty to the elevator, I know I’m grinning again. Hell, I’ve got 28 floors to work on it. I’ll make it.

The briefing room is decked out with lots of green, red, and gold, and there’s a small tree on the credenza so I drop the gifts off there and head for the punch bowl. Hmmm. Strawberry and something…with a hint of something stronger, Ferretti’s been here. Hammond is holding court at his usual spot at the head of the table; Carter and Cassie sit cross-legged on the floor giggling at whatever he’s saying. Fraiser is picking at the food trays on the far end of the table and talking to Teal’c and Sgt. Davis. Siler, Ferretti, and some of SG3 are huddled together in the corner talking techno-toys. Major Davis is standing behind Hammond looking ready to pop with pride, I really like that guy, he looks out for us with the brass. I scan over the other assorted techs and officers…no Daniel. Where the hell is he?

Hammond starts handing out gifts like Santa in Class B’s, grinning that big Texas grin, and all around looking like a happy man. Saving Earth on a regular basis can do that to a guy. Saving Earth on a regular basis with no casualties makes the eyes smile too. Hammond’s got really happy eyes tonight.

Cassie’s tearing into her gift as if she’s been doing it all her life instead of just a couple years now. Portable CD player, top of the line, too. He gives me a wink; we got our signals right on this one. I pass out my bags, while Hammond finishes his rounds and we meet at the end of the table with one gift left in my hand to his two. He smiles and hands me mine. With a small pause for the sake of decorum, I tear it open just as carelessly as Cassie did hers. Nice. It’s a dark blue cap, with ‘We’re #1’ written on it, looking over I see Carter’s got one just like it, parked at half mast while she holds up the t-shirt with a mighty blush as she takes in the ‘gotcha’ implications. Teal’c has one, too, holding Hammond’s in one hand and mine in the other as if he can’t figure out which he should wear first. I give Hammond enthusiastic thanks from all of us that might have gotten soppy if Cassie hadn’t squealed when she saw what I got her. She’s learning fast. We all break up laughing and Hammond hands me the last gift in his hand.

“This one is for Dr. Jackson. He’s lying down in his office right now, if you want to stop in?”

If I want to…

I look straight at Fraiser, who’s giving Napoleon a glare worthy of the little dictator. She smiles a little, with that glint in her eye that promises many tests in the new year. “Just a precaution, Colonel. His temperature was a little elevated."

I nod at her. “But he’s okay?”

“It’s not unexpected after a major surgery, especially since he’s been ignoring the advice of his doctor.”

Her tone tells me Daniel got an earful of what his future held for not listening to her. I think we’re both in trouble.

Popping my new cap on my head and stuffing my old one in my pocket, I gather up Daniel’s gifts from me and Hammond, plus one Carter passes over, and another from Cassie, I start for the door only to be stopped by Major Davis with two small gifts in his hand.

“These are for SG1, Colonel,” he mutters in that almost apologetic way he’s got. I take the boxes and start to open mine but he stops me. “If you don’t mind, sir, open it with Dr. Jackson.”

Okay, weird, but doable. “Thanks, Major. Have a good Christmas.”

“You, too, sir. Give my best to Dr, Jackson.”

I have to swallow to answer that one, your best, you betcha. “Will do, Major.”

Finally escaping into the corridor, I’m a little shocked at the wave of jealousy sweeping over me at Davis’ words. This is definitely new. In a way I like the feeling, first time since high school I remember anything like it. It’s embarrassing and funny and a little bit childish, but I think I’m okay with that. Or, at least, I will be if everything goes the way I want it to tonight.

Heading down to Daniel’s lab, I can feel my heart start clenching up; this has to work, it has to.

The door is half-open when I get there, soft light from the shelves the only illumination in the room. Daniel’s asleep under an afghan, the Sphinx bordered in bold patterns. What’s that old saying? A puzzle wrapped in an enigma? Guess this would be closer to a case of an enigma wrapped up in a riddle. I’ve never seen it before, but since Fraiser didn’t give me a gift for him, I’m guessing this is hers.

I slip in quietly, put the gifts down on his worktable and slip into his chair to watch him sleep. He looks like a kid. A very tired, very sick kid. He snuffles a little and shifts…dreaming? I’ve known this man for four years now, but I never really looked at him before in exactly this way. I’ve always *loved* him, I know that; as a friend, a teammate, as someone who knows me and still likes me. But I’m looking now as a man who really loves him. As in ‘in love.’

He really is a good looking guy, pretty buff all around, thick hair that just begs to touched, full lips that….well…

I hold my breath on that thought, turning it over for inspection and finding it – exciting. Damned exciting, desirable, hot even…

Really, really hot.

Even lying there looking all pale and washed out with shadows under his eyes and a flush on his cheeks from the fever, he is without question one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. I shove the chair closer to him, laying one hand on his forehead and feeling the warmth there. Not too high.

He shifts again, head moving against my hand like it wants to be touched. He whispers something I can’t catch, even sitting this close, and his eyes flutter open to look up into mine, searching. “Jack…?”

His voice sounds lost, soft and hopeful. He’s telling me again, and this time I’m listening.

“Daniel…” I hear you.

He squints up at me. Not sure you heard that right, big guy?

“Daniel.” I know.

“Jack…” He shifts up with a wince, looking me straight in the eye. I really should have let him wake up before springing this on him. But he looks so darn cute when he’s confused…

I give him a grin, playing with him a little now. “Daniel.” I love you, even if you are being dense.

His head shakes and I’m getting a dimple there on the left. The lights are coming on….

“Jack…I…” Really want to believe this.

“Daniel…” Yeah, me, too, but let’s not drop into a ‘John-Martha’ routine here.

Suddenly tired of all this talking, I reach out to touch his cheek, letting my thumb roam over the soft skin at his temple. His eyes close at the touch and he leans back, I’m getting a deeper dimple now, just one side though, so I know he’s still not quite convinced. Shifting a little I let my thumb wander over his mouth…soft, so soft. The eyes open again, looking up at me…all blue with a haze of moisture. He wants it, can’t believe it, is afraid he’s reading the signals wrong. Guess it’s time to move to another language.

I roll the chair right up to him, motioning for him to sit up. Again with the wince, but he’s upright in no time. Sliding off to join him on the couch, I let my hands do the talking again. He’s shaking, I’m shaking but we’re keeping up the conversation quite nicely. Small touches, stroking fingertips, small gasps and a hum of pleasure from both of us and we haven’t even got to the good stuff yet…

I wait though, until I’m sure he gets the message, loud and clear with no doubts of my intentions. “Daniel?”

He looks up and he’s smiling, a smile I’ve never seen from him. Of course, I’ve never seen him this happy before. It looks good on him. Very good. He looks like a kid who just got every Christmas wish he’d ever whispered in the dark. Which of course makes me feel like Santa on the best day ever.

He nods once, head cocking to one side. “Jack.” It’s a long sigh drawn out until it sounds as if my name just took on a couple extra syllables and an incredibly sexy accent that does things to me I would never in my wildest dreams have imagined a male voice could do. Then I realize it’s *who* is saying it.

“Daniel…” Damn.

He leans forward with a smile, two dimples showing now. Definitely got that message. His lips are on mine, light pressure at first then the raw pleasure hits us both at the same time and we’re leaning into it with all the enthusiasm too many months of holding back allows.

It’s lightning, a rush bigger than the wildest gate ride and the best drunk I ever had…

I’m almost melting entirely into the feeling when Daniel hisses against my mouth and stiffens up. Damn, I forgot. I pull back in time to see the frown of pain he tries to hide from me. Too late, lover…

“Daniel?” I’m worried and for once I don’t even try to hide it. He nods at me, straightening up a little to lean against the sofa cushions. “It’s okay. Just moved a little too fast…”

The implications of *those* words hit us at the same time and we grin like a couple of kids at –

Oh, Christmas.

I nod at the gifts on the table. “You want to open those here or –“ Or what? I wonder suddenly if I really am moving too fast, expecting too much.

“Jack.” Soft and long, like a sigh.

Not too soon. Not nearly soon enough.

Good. Okay. Can live with that.

He pulls me closer and I let him. But gently, treating him like the rare and wondrous thing he is to me. A nibble-bite of a kiss that should tickle, but doesn’t get anywhere near my funny-bone. Not unless it’s suddenly taken up residence in the vicinity of my cock. Damn.

“Let’s, um, open things at home.”

Open things. Yeah. The possibilities behind that phrase almost overwhelm the significance of the*other* important word in that statement – home. His eyes tell me I heard it right. I get up with a grin, careful not to jostle him too much and dig out a box for the gifts before going back to help him up. He gives me a little eye roll at the mother-henning, but doesn’t say anything. Once he’s on his feet he moves slow enough to tell me he’s still hurting a little, but fast enough to tell me he’s as anxious as I am to leave. To go home. I help him on with his coat so I can steal a quick kiss, amazed at how we ‘fit’ when both of us are upright. I might have 3 inches on him, but he’s got more leg, so everything matches up quite nicely.

That thought puts another grin on my face as we make our way to the elevator and up to the parking lot. He stops long enough to pick up a gift bag out of his car and to lock it up before meeting me at my car. I shift the bear into the box – looks like this puppy’s got a home – and settle Daniel into the passenger seat, feeling my own gut ache at the stifled moan he gives as he climbs in. I have to resist the urge to double-check the seatbelt.

“Jack…” Just drive.

Traffic is still pretty light and wet snow is falling by the time we hit town. The dash light shows me Daniel’s face as he dozes in the seat next to me. He tried hard not to fall asleep, but he was out of it in no time. He should look vulnerable, but he doesn’t. He looks…beautiful. The blue glow only highlights his strong features, fine-tuned over these past couple of years, mouth set stubbornly even in his sleep. My attention seems to want to focus on his mouth, distracting me at every traffic light. Yes, indeed, one talented mouth has our – my - Dr. Jackson and I find I’m really looking forward to discovering the entire range of that talent.

I hit a bump, curse and look over to see him rousing. We’re just a few minutes out from my house and I see him take in that fact even as he mumbles and apology. I reach over with my free hand to stroke him on the cheek, nearly swerving when his lips do some kind of dance on my palm. Um hm….wide range of talents.

The snow is coming down harder and by the time we hit the door we’re both pretty well coated. I park Daniel on the sofa with the gifts while I light a fire. By the time I come back, he’s wearing Hammond’s gift and looking up at me with a doubtful grin.

“Oh, it’s definitely you. Number one with a bullet…” I tell him, trying to sound sexy but not quite pulling it off. Hey, I’m a little rusty here. Daniel smiles anyway. Makes me feel better so I hand him Carter’s gift. Some old book about some archaeological expedition, but it turns his smile into the cutest little ‘O’ so I figure I owe Carter one for that alone. His fingers stroke the cover in that sensual way he’s got and I realize my fingers have been stroking the back of his neck in pretty much the same way. Guess I understand better than I thought.

Letting go of his neck for just a moment I pull out Davis’ gifts to us, explaining what Davis told me when he gave them to me, and we tear into them together. Rings. Really nice ones too. Black onyx surrounded by a silver ring with little raised arrows like chevrons but no symbols. Classy guy, Davis. He must have gotten one for all of SG1, but…

He told me to open mine with Daniel.

No…he couldn’t have…

I look up to meet Daniel’s eyes. They’re huge and a little confused. I shrug a little. If Davis knows he knows. “Good timing,” I say, reaching out to take his ring and slip it onto his finger with a whispered, “Daniel?” I’m hoping I’m making myself very clear here.

His fingers tighten around mine and his eyes are very bright now as he reaches over to put my ring on me. “Jack…” His voice breaks on the word and I know he gets my message. Loud and clear.

I swoop in for a gentle kiss, shoving the box of gifts to the floor, feeling the magnitude of the moment sweep through us both, washing us away for a long, long time.

I’m wet. And, no, it’s not that, although that might have been a concern if we’d kept it up much longer…er…metaphorically speaking.

Daniel’s shirt is pretty well soaked from the snow. Luckily I have an answer to this little dilemma. I reach down and bring up a gift bag. The *wrong* gift bag.

The bear makes an appearance, bringing a confused grin to Daniel’s face. He gets the resemblance right off. “Something you want to tell me, Jack?” He’s teasing me.

“Let’s just say we owe that bear a *lot.*”

He accepts that with a raised eyebrow that tells me I have a lot of explaining to do later. I grab the other gift bag and Cassie’s present and kick the box under the coffee table. He opens Cassie’s first, a book of poetry. T.S. Eliot. A facet of the man I never knew, but apparently Cassie does.

He puts his books on the coffee table. They look good there, like they’re at home. Like *he’s* at home. He gives me another shy smile as I hand him the last gift bag and he pulls out the pajamas. He looks suitably pleased and not a little suspicious.

“What?” I try to pull the innocent look, but he’s not buying it. Instead I get a kiss in response, that little kiss-nibble thing that sets my pulse…among other things…on high. When I remember to breathe again he’s on his feet, pajamas in hand, and heading for the bathroom.

Okay. Score one for the archaeologist.

I lock up and head for the bedroom, lighting candles around the room and changing into a pair of black silk pajamas my mother bought me. Yes, my mother. And, no, I’m not going to explain ‘why’ she saw fit to gift her number one son with blatant seduction material.

I’m arranging the candles when I hear Daniel clear his throat.

Oh.

My.

He’s standing there blushing, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything so hot in my life. How the hell could I not have seen this? Felt this? The deep blue suits him. The little gold symbols shine in the candlelight, so does his chest under the open jacket. He just stands there in the doorway, looking me over with a lick of his lips that does amazing things for my ego...and my libido. I figure we could stand here like this all night if one of us doesn’t do something, so I make the first move and head over to him.

It’s the most natural thing in the world to slide my arms around him and kiss him. As of now it is. Natural, expected, necessary…

I dip in for a kiss and he moves in closer, letting things line up again in a burst of heat on heat that just seems to echo what the kiss is already doing to us. Tongues dance, and our bodies move in a rhythm we don’t need to think about. It’s there. We’re there. Finally, irrevocably *there* – where we should have been all along.

We’ve gravitated toward the bed without having to think about it. I slide the pajama jacket off his shoulders, tossing it on the bed, and let my lips wander on a little expedition of their own. He skin is so smooth, hard muscle under silk, and I think I could get drunk on the sensations alone. My tongue wanders to the waistband and I feel him shudder as I find a definite hot spot.

His hands draw me back up for a long lingering kiss. This one’s not nibble-bite, this is more like a starving man with his last meal. Devouring, drowning, his mouth melding with mine as if he doesn’t intend to stop until he’s inside me. And as it goes on, I realize I don’t want him to stop, I want the very same thing. My top is gone, no idea where or when, don’t care, the sensations of skin on skin are more intense than anything I’ve ever felt in my life. Our cocks are hard, sliding against one another through the silk as they get intimately acquainted at long last. I finally have no choice but to break for air, letting my tongue lick down his neck, nipping just where his shoulder and neck meet and causing him to moan my name. No translation needed. Got that message bright and clear, and the happiness in his tone is like music. His song, my song, our song…and I don’t ever want this music to stop.

He’s sinking away from me and my body follows, not ready to lose contact, until he’s lying across my pillows looking entirely too much like the cat - post canary. Never realized he had such a feline nature. Straddling his legs, I let my fingers do a little exploring, over the abs, down the sides, back to the waistband before looking up for permission. He gives me the little impatient, ‘don’t do it and die’ frown and I comply with pleasure. No problem at all following that order. Sliding them down, bit by bit, I see his scar…livid pink against his light tan…and kiss all around it, hearing him hiss, not in pain but in pleasure. Another bit further frees his cock, perfect, just like the rest of him, and I can’t resist a quick lick along the length. His whole body arches with the feeling of it, so I do it again. Guess it has been a while for him, hadn’t thought of that; he’s hypersensitive to every touch. Or maybe he’s always like this. Could be very interesting indeed. As I go in for a third lick, it occurs to me I ought to feel a little strange going down on another man, but I don’t. It feels right. And way, way overdue.

He whispers my name as I let my tongue circle the head of his cock, a plea for…what? I look up to see his eyes on me, full of love and raw need, and his hands are reaching for me. I slide his pajama bottoms off the rest of the way and do the same with mine, then slowly let our bodies meet without barriers for the first time.

It’s like coming home. We fit. And as his arms come up around me, sliding along my back with feather touches that set off sparks in places I didn’t know could feel them, I’m more certain than ever that my epiphany at the mall was the ultimate Christmas gift.

Then I can’t think at all. Don’t want to. Daniel’s tongue is doing impossible things to my neck and our bodies have decided we’ve waited long enough. Our mouths meet again and we’re drowning in the sensation and movement that needs no more words than our shouted names as we come together in a release I don’t even have the words to describe before sight and sound narrow down until there is nothing left in the world but me and the man I love.

Daniel.

His body is shuddering against me, coming down slowly, and I become aware that he’s whispering my name over and over again, his grip around my waist still snug and possessive. I hold him close, nodding my head against his neck. I hear you, Daniel. Me too.

Finally he’s still and I wonder if he’s gone to sleep. Moving carefully, I look up to see his eyes on me. Intent and so happy he’s fairly shining with it.

Yeah. That’s a look I can definitely get used to. As long as I’m the guy putting it there.

Rolling gently, I bring us both face to face and pull the comforter around us. He nuzzles down until his head is resting under my chin and his arm moves around my chest. I let my hands stroke up and down his back, enjoying the little ripples that run through him when I hit one particular spot.

Something is poking me in the shoulder and all of Daniel’s limbs are safely accounted for so I reach back and investigate. His pajama jacket. I start to toss it to the end of the bed when Daniel laughs.

“What?”

His fingers trace the hieroglyphs along the lapels. “You didn’t know what this says?”

I shake my head.

“Archaeologists do it with patience…” He’s snickering to himself, warm puffs of breath that tickle in the best possible way.

“Can’t argue with that one…”

“Jack…”

Love you, too, Daniel. Love you, too.

*fin*