Part 10
Philip and Todd were laughing loudly as they stumbled into the Loft, both carrying a brown bag each. Phil started to cough as he went through the empty apartment and placed the bag on the tiled counter. He pulled out a pack of beer and placed it down then retrieved the packet of chips and a quart of milk. Todd stood beside him and put a pack of plastic wine glasses down then extracted a bottle of good quality Red Wine from his bag. As he poured himself some wine Phil opened himself a bottle of beer and then they wandered into the living space, which was completely void of furniture. He reached down, putting the beer onto the wooden floor, and then he shrugged his jacket off, and put it and the cell phone, on the floor before straightening up.
“You know what this room reminds me off?” Todd said as he kicked his shoes off and then bent over and tugged his socks from his feet. Philip kicked his shoes off but left his socks on, and then he tugged his shirt from his pants, leaving it to hang out over his black jeans as he sighed and he rolled his head back slightly.
“No,” he said in a voice sounding weary but content. He took a long sip of beer as he moved around the dark room, which was lit only by the lights from outside. Todd went over and opened the double doors that led to his balcony. A gentle breeze wafted through the opening, billowing the soft curtains hanging either side of the doors. Turning, he sat down on the doorstep and hugged his knees to his chest as he sipped his wine from the plastic cup. Philip was ambling around the dark room, his head back and his arms opened wide as he spun slowly on the spot.
He stopped briefly to kick the clothing away from the center of the room, the lot slipping into the far corner of the room instead. He held his beer bottle in the hand of one outstretched arm as he went back to twirling. “What’s this place remind you of?”
“The White Room,” Todd said. Immediately Philip stopped rotating. In fact, he stopped moving altogether and looked over at him. “You remember the White Room?” he asked in surprise.
“Of course,” Todd said, “Best damn party room in the whole of Arlington!”
The White room was just one of the rooms in the large home that John and Philip shared together. It was named for the white walls, white ceiling and long white curtains that adorned two French Windows which led onto a large back balcony. There was never any furniture kept in the great hall of a room because its only function was to house parties or events that John and Philip gave and it was this point that put Todd in mind of the huge room. That, and the French windows overlooking a balcony – although his was really the rooftop of the apartment building.
Like so much of his life in that rambling, two-story home in Arlington, Philip rarely thought about it – until now. He thought it was odd that Todd should mention that room – he’d been thinking about that house – and John – a lot over the past few days.
“Man, that was one weird room,” Todd went on to say, slowly sipping his wine as Phil came over and sat beside him, clumsily – dizzy from spinning, from the beer and from fatigue.
“Tell me about it,” he said, as he leaned his head to rest against the older man’s shoulder. “I lived in that house, remember?”
Todd recalled the huge house that Philip and John shared in Arlington. “It was such a beautiful house. I really envied you for a while, especially after Candice and I married and we ended up in that horrible one room apartment.” He physically shivered now and Phil rubbed his friend’s upper arm in a caring gesture.
“I’m sorry things didn’t work out between you and her.”
Todd inhaled a deep breath through his nose. “Could have been worse, I guess,” he said in a lackadaisical voice, “Least we didn’t kill each other!” After downing the rest of his wine he felt Phil shift against his arm and looked down at the upturned face. Cringing with remorse at his last statement, he said, “Sorry, babe, that was a little insensitive.”
Phil smiled sadly but shook his head, his slightly stubbled-covered chin rasping over Todd’s sleeve. “No, it wasn’t. I don’t want you to start walking eggshells, okay? I can’t stand that!”
Todd nodded then cupped the up turned face in his hand and kissed the tip of Phil’s nose lightly. “I won’t treat you like that then.”
“Good!” Phil said as he looked back into the room, which was starting to reveal more details as their eyes adjusted to the dimness. Across the floor was the shadow of them in the doorway, which stretched a good distance across the room. To the right of that was the fireplace. It was large and very ornate, made of some kind of marble with carvings running down the side. It was obviously put there in a revamp of the apartment, as it wasn’t the right circa for the age of the building. Todd didn’t mind it, but he hadn’t had the opportunity to see if it was fully functional as the weather had been too good the past few days.
The young man drained his bottle of its beer then he got to his feet and went into the kitchen. Todd frowned as he returned a few moments later with a candle stuck into the neck of the beer bottle. Laughing at his ingenious friend, then getting to his feet to join him at the mantel, Todd said, “You know I wondered when you bought those if they were for something special with you and Jack.”
Shaking his head, Phil said, “Jack's got some pretty nice candles already. They make the place smell nice. And he’s got this incredible floor candelabra…” Suddenly he stopped talking and frowned.
He must have looked like he was about to fall because Todd gripped him by the shoulders quickly and asked him, “Are you okay?”
Looking up Phil nodded then said, in a quiet voice, “It’s the strangest thing. I been trying to recall something the last few days that I hadn’t thought about ..in.. a while...” He shook his head then gave a soft, bewildered laugh.
“What?” Todd asked.
“I guess it was when you said this place reminded you of the White Room in the house at Arlington. I just recalled ..” He shook his head, dismissing the thoughts from his mind.
“You’ve got me totally intrigued now!” Todd said with a laugh. He was desperate to find out what had suddenly put Phil into such a reflective mood.
With a shy smile, Philip looked around the room then said; “I was just recalling one night in there….”
“At one of your parties?”
An odd smile creased the young artist’s face now, making a dimple appear on his cheek slightly, as he recalled the snow-white room and extensive parquetry floor. His first memory was of him and Graham taking running leaps onto their knees and sliding across the highly polished floors… But now, another thought overcame all others – even the painful ones…
“No,” he said quietly now as he gave another strange smile. As casually as he could he said, “Actually, it was the night John proposed to me…”
Todd was speechless for a moment. His mouth dropped open and his eyes grew wide. Suddenly in a flurry he stammered, “John proposed to you?” He was caught up in the romanticism of it when he suddenly said, “Hang on, was this before or after..?”
“Before,” Phil said then he smiled, a little sadly, as he stared at the gently flickering candle and recalled a memory he’d kept locked inside for many years.
“It was after we’d been together about two years,” he told his friend in a voice void of emotion. “He did the full on thing, you know. He had insisted that day that we go and buy new suits. I didn’t see the need as I rarely ever wore one I already had, but he insisted, so to shut him up, I went. At the time I thought he just liked watching me parade around for him, you know? He got some perverse pleasure from taking me shopping and showing me off I think.”
There was a slight edge of coldness to his voice now. He shuddered slightly then went on to say, “Anyway, after we bought the suits we went home and there was this letter waiting for me in the day’s post. He’d actually posted through the mail to me. It wasn’t until I’d opened it that I knew it was from him but it was basically an invitation to dinner that night at my favorite restaurant.”
“Wow!”
“So I soon worked out what the new suit was for!” He said with a shrug before going on. “After we got home from dinner he told me needed to ask me something and would I meet him in the White Room…?”
“Oh god!’” Despite the circumstances, Todd was still impressed by the man’s attention to detail. He caught the flicker in Phil’s eyes, however, and said, “Sorry..”
“No, it’s alright,” the younger man assured him with a heavy sigh. “So I went in and there was this huge candelabra in the center of the room. I went over and attached to it by a gold ribbon was a note that said ‘turn around’. So I did and John was there, framed in one of the windows…” He faltered, finding it harder to recall the painful memory than he thought it would be.
With a throat-clearing cough he pressed on, “He beckoned me out onto the balcony and I remember, the moon was so large and bright out there that we could see each other easily. I stood there and he had this shy look on his face. He picked up my hand as he went down onto one knee..”
“Oh, my god!” Todd covered his mouth as he gave a slight squeal.
“And he asked if I’d spend eternity with him…” Lowering his face now, Philip realized that he would be, sooner than anyone ever expected.
“I’m sorry, I know that the guy’s a bastard now, but that is so damn beautiful! I’d never have the balls to do something like that…”
“John had a lot between his legs,” Phil said, not too complimentary.
“Oh, but oh! That was gold, boy, you have to admit!”
Phil sighed as he nodded. “It was a very special moment. Beautifully orchestrated – as was everything John did….”
“So what happened?”
“I asked for more time.”
“More time?” Todd asked, clearly finding that an odd response.
“In bed that night, I told him that I didn’t want to be married.. Not yet. I was just 22.”
“How did he react to that? John didn’t strike me as the kind of man who dealt well with not getting his own way.”
“Exactly. But I was crying because I loved him so much and I didn’t want to lose him so I figure he took sympathy on me. Oh god!” He sounded disgusted with himself now, “I was truly the full on sick little puppy Graham accused me of being the other night. He would not have been very proud of me.”
Todd sighed.
Wetting his lips, Phil continued, “Half way through the night, I almost agreed to marry him, just so that I knew we’d always be together… But he just kept kissing me and telling me that that he loved me too and that I wasn’t about to lose him – not because of that! We stayed up all night talking about it and he even got to a point where he agreed that at my age I was a little young to be making a lifetime commitment, because -as you know from me – that I fully believe in gay marriages and that they are for life..”
“I know babe..”
“And the bastard just kept telling me that it didn’t make any difference that I’d said no to him. In fact, he even said that I should be prepared for a marriage proposal on the same date every year until *I* thought I was ready for the commitment…”
“Did he?”
With a derisive snort, Phil said, “Um, no! By the time July 16 came around again, I’d discovered he’d been cheating on me for almost a year and we separated.”
Cringing, Todd said, “Ouch!”
“It’s my own fault. I denied him what he wanted, and he sought it elsewhere… Maybe if I hadn’t.. he’d have remained faithful to me..”
Todd pulled his friend into his arms now and could feel him trembling. “No, it wasn’t your fault!” He said, brushing his lips against Phil’s forehead. “What he did to you – there’s no excuse for!”
Phil tightened his hold on his friend, gripping the back of his shirt in tight fists as he fought valiantly to keep the depression at bay once more. After a long time, Todd eased him back then brushed away a stray tear, seeing that Philip was having trouble keeping his eyes open now.
“God, I’m so tired,” Philip muttered then sniffed harshly. “I should.. go ... home..”
With a gentle smile Todd brushed another tear away then said, “Come on,” as he slipped his hand in to Philip’s and lead him onto the balcony.
Settling himself onto the sun lounge, he splayed his legs, dropping his feet to the ground, then he patted the seat in front of him. Philip frowned momentarily then straddled the lounge. Carefully he eased himself down to sit in front of his friend. By wrapping his arms across Phil’s chest, and adjusting his feet around his legs, Todd engulfed the smaller man with his body completely. Together they lay back on the sun bed and stared up to the sky.
Todd brushed some of the wayward curls from his mouth as he pressed his cheek against the side of Phil’s head. The artist laid his arms along Todd’s legs like they were the arms of his chair.
“This okay?” Todd put his lips beside Phil’s ear and whispered softly.
“Yeah,” the younger man sighed deeply as he melted against the body framing him.
“Not making you tense up?”
“No,” Phil said, and then he tilted his head to look up at his friend. Their faces were inches apart when Philip said to him, “This is the sort of stuff I like,” he said with a smile.
“I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable..”
“I’m not.”
“Good.” Todd soothed the long curls from Phil’s face gently. “Only you were saying earlier..”
“There’s a big difference between you doing this and Jack doing it.” Phil said.
“What’s that?”
Adjusting himself against the chest behind him, Phil said tiredly, “I always have to worry Jack's caresses will lead to more. With you,” he yawned and snuggled back against the warm body behind him. “I don’t need to worry about that kind of thing.”
Todd blinked as he shifted his eyes to the night sky above them. “Yeah,” he said quietly as he felt his friend’s breathing slow and the body twitch as he drifted off to sleep.
*
Hammond sat forward in his seat and looked from Daniel to Jack.
“Colonel, was that everything?”
Jack, who’d been sitting doodling in his note pad, raised a hand slightly as he shrugged. Lifting his eyes he looked into the small, blue eyes of the General.
“Pretty much, Sir.”
“Well, another job well done, SG-1. We have a new ally and more importantly, it seems like we have a limited source, but a source nonetheless, of Naquada.”
“Enough to aid in research at least,” Jack said, casting his eyes over to Sam who gave a small smile as she nodded. He blinked and moved his sights onto Hammond once more. “It’s a start.”
Hammond nodded vigorously. “Indeed it is, Colonel! Well done, SG-1!” He smiled broadly as he pushed himself up to his feet. “You’re all officially on Stand Down until oh-six-thirty Tuesday. Enjoy your days off, people!”
There was an assortment of appreciative mumbles as the weary team headed out of the room.
*
Jack O’Neill wearily shuffled down the corridor towards his office. His finger was perched so that it held his jacket flung over his shoulder like a hook while his other hand jostled the contents of his pockets in search of his office key. Once located he extracted the key, opened the door and stepped inside the dark room. Using his foot to kick the door shut, and his elbow to switch on the light, he tossed his jacket over the back of his visitor’s chair while he went over to his filing cabinet and withdrew his bottle of fine grade scotch. He was pouring himself a glassful when there was a knock on his door.
“Come,” he said, gulping down the last of the amber fluid before tucking the glass away and closing the drawer. Daniel entered and smiled when he saw where Jack was standing.
“You going to offer me one?” He tossed his own jacket on top of Jack's and then went across to his friend’s side.
“Only got the one glass,” Jack said, taking the glass and bottle from the drawer again and poured another drink.
“I’ll live with Jack cooties in my system,” the anthropologist grinned as he took the offered glass. The two friends exchanged tired smiled as Daniel began to carefully sip the liquid. Jack watched him in playful disgust. Sipping good Scotch, for crying out loud!
“So, you’re off home now?” Daniel asked, going over to his jacket and shifting it slightly so that he could sit on the chair. Jack went over and hooked his leg over the corner of his table and leant onto his thigh with one elbow.
“I tried calling Phil, but nothing,” he said, shrugging as he reached for the glass and took a sip before handing it back to Daniel.
“Well, it *is* late..” Daniel said, pressing the glass to his bottom lip then raising his brow when Jack looked at him. Taking a gulp, he swallowed the warming liquid in one big mouthful.
“Maybe later than I think,” Jack mumbled then reached behind himself to pick up the receiver from his phone. He dialed the number from memory then held the phone aloft as he listened to the recorded message that said that the phone was out of range or switched off. Daniel got to his feet, leaning closer to his friend to listen to the message.
“Flat batteries?” The young man offered hopefully. Jack rolled his eyes and put the phone down.
“Replaced them myself before leaving. That phone’s off..” he said, not sounding happy about the connotations that could have meant.
Daniel sat down and put the glass to his mouth before thinking twice about that and holding it out Jack instead. He seemed to need it more. The grateful colonel took it and emptied it of its contents before getting up and going to the bottle again. He refilled the glass then went back, this time sitting on the front of his desk, right next to, but facing, Daniel. He passed him the glass as he said, “I’m thinking he’s gone to bed.”
“But you don’t really believe it?” Daniel asked, handing him the glass. Jack lifted a brow then shrugged.
“To be honest, I’m not sure what to believe anymore.” He rubbed his tired face then sighed heavily.
The anthropologist nibbled his bottom lip, trying to think of a way of helping Jack. He got to his feet and suddenly announced, “I’m hungry. Are you hungry?”
Jack thought about it a moment then nodded. “Sure. I could use some protein.”
“Steaks it is then,” Daniel said with a grin. Jack smiled slowly too then stood up, taking the remaining scotch in one gulp. He sighed loudly after swallowing it then he washed the glass in the hand basin in the corner before putting it into the drawer.
“Want to go to Shrivers? It would be open at this time.” Jack suggested. Daniel nodded his approval. They’d been there a few times before, nice food, good laid-back music, a good place for two friends to dine and talk.
The colonel reached over Daniel’s shoulder, his face coming close to his good friend’s face, then he pulled back after retrieving his jacket from behind Daniel.
Their eyes met and Daniel asked, as he flitted his eyes towards the phone again, “You going to try, one more time?”
Jack looked at the phone then at his friend. “Not tonight. “ He looked back at Daniel. “I think you’re right. I think it’s too late..”
Daniel frowned, unsure what to make of that statement. Wordlessly he stepped into the corridor and waited for Jack to join him, before they both headed out to the night together.
Stories on this page are the property of Nessessitee and Slida. Please do not copy these without the written permission of the Author. All Rights are acknowledged for MGM, Gekko and Stargate Productions as to the Copyrights of the characters within this story and no infringement on the copyrights are intended. For the Bombshells Series the character of Philip Simmons is entirely the creation and intellectual property of Nessessitee and Slida.
While the performances given by RDA and MS help to fuel the author's desire to write for their characters in a niche that she feels is present on the actual show, the portrayal of their characters in loving relationships in no way reflects the Author's opinion of the men's private life, nor should it be construed in that manner.