Part 13
Back at Jack's house Daniel laid back on the sofa, a cushion in his lap and his head supported by his hand. Jack was getting uptight beside him, he could feel it, he could sense it, and the fact that the man was muttering obscenities under his breathe meant that Daniel could - also - hear it.
"Jack, you're not going to win, so hand over your money now!" The reclining man laughed and rolled himself onto his stomach to look at his friend.
The dark brown eyes narrowed and Jack muttered, through clenched teeth, "there's still time!"
The two men had stopped to buy some drinks and munchies on the way home and a bookstore caught Daniel's attention so Jack begrudgingly went in with him briefly before dragging him out and towards the car. By the time they'd finally reached home the game was almost over, so they settled on teams with less than a quarter to go. Jack took whom he thought to be the better team and left Daniel without the choice. This time it was working in the anthropologist's favor.
"Yeah!" Daniel chuckled as he looked back at the television. "Time for you to get your wallet out and cough up the cash!" He yelled and threw his cushion in the air as his team scored yet another goal.
"Oh, forcryingoutloud!" Jack groused and jumped to his feet! "Get in there and play, you useless..." He stopped muttering as he turned and saw the smiling blue eyes watching him. "There's still time!" He said resolutely.
Daniel laughed and shook his head. "You do 'not' know how to lose, do you?"
"Course I do. I just don't have as much practice in it as you do!" Jack teased from his standing position in the center of the room. He clenched his hands and face as he cringed when his team missed another goal. Daniel laughed and started rubbing his hands together.
"All that lovely cash! Wonder what I can do with it!" He retorted.
"You can buy dinner tonight. Should just about cover a pizza and some beer!" Finally admitting defeat, Jack pulled his wallet from his back pocket and withdrew the money.
"I don't like beer, Jack," Daniel said then got to his feet and said, "Besides, who says I'm staying for dinner?" He reached for the cash but Jack yanked it out of his reach.
"I do," Jack said playfully as he teased Daniel with the money. The younger man kept trying for the bills and after several attempts of the snatch variety, he decided a more direct approach would be better. He threw himself onto Jack's back and the two of them went down, crashing to the floor on Jack's knees. Through a groan of exaggerated agony, Jack fought vigilantly to hold the money aloft.
"Gimme the damn money, Jack!" Daniel said, crawling up his friend's back, so that he ended up scaling the entire back, finally reaching up far enough to grab the money.
"Get off me! I swear you way a ton!" Jack groused playfully as Daniel continued to slide himself up his back, until he'd somersaulted over the gray head and onto the rug in the center of the room. Jack looked down at the laughing face beneath him as Daniel caught his breath.
"Thanks," Jack said, looking deeply into the upside down eyes.
"For?" Daniel chuckled then settled quietly. "You gave me the money?"
Jack wet his lips quickly then sighed. "Yeah, but.. space monkey.." He chewed his bottom lip now and Daniel frowned, seemingly puzzled by Jack's unreadable expression.
"Jack?"
Dropping his hands to the ground so that he was now on his hands and knees over the face of the man flat on his back, Jack purred, "Well, you gave me the..." Suddenly Jack threw himself onto his friend, pinning him around the waist as he tickled him mercilessly. "The damn broken kneecaps!"
"Jesus! Jack!" Daniel squealed as he squirmed. As quickly as he attacked, Jack sat back on his heels and looked down at the flushed man who was grappling to get up off his back.
Daniel partially rolled onto his side, his elbows propping him up so that he could look up at his friend kneeling before him. "Christ!" Daniel laughed, and Jack laughed too. Suddenly the blue gaze shifted to the landing and his expression dropped. Jack swung around quickly and saw Philip on the top step, leaning against the wall.
The young artist smiled weakly at the two men in the center of the room; Jack on his knees, Daniel lying almost with his head in Jack's lap.
Quickly his lover leapt to his feet. "Phil?"
"Hi," he said with a wavering smile. Jack's expression clouded as he grew nearer to him. Daniel clambered to his feet and followed him across. As they drew closer it was clear, by the flushed face, that Phil was not well.
Jack placed his hand on the young man's forehead. "Babe?" He looked at what he was wearing - a pair of checkered pajama pants and a sweatshirt. "You've been asleep?"
"Yeah, I came home from work about an hour ago."
"Where's you car?" Jack asked.
"At work. Todd put me into a taxi.." He shifted his view to the man behind Jack. He smiled weakly at his friend. "Hi, Daniel."
"Hi," Daniel responded awkwardly, shooting a quick look to the back of the gray head before him. Jack's attention was firmly on Philip though. The pale young man reached out and Jack helped him down the steps and onto the sofa.
"I had no idea.." Jack said in astonishment. It hadn't crossed his mind to check the spare room where Phil usually slept these days.
Daniel moved over with them, but he remained hovering behind Jack. Sitting on the coffee table Jack reached out and felt his lover's forehead. "You're burning up."
"I think I have the flu.." Philip mumbled as he gathered a cushion onto his lap and laid down, resting his head on the arm of the sofa. Jack turned to Daniel.
"Will you phone Janet for me?"
"No!" Philip reached out and touched his lover's lap. His watery brown eyes focused over Jack's shoulders to the man standing there. "I'm fine. Don't bother her."
"Philip, your T-cell count is way down. This is important.." Glancing over his shoulder Jack asked Daniel to call her again.
"No, Please!" Philip begged the anthropologist. Daniel sighed.
"Phil, I'm with Jack. You don't look so hot.." He said quietly.
“You two are such mother hens!’ The younger man chuckled and cupped his lover’s face before adding, “And I love you for it, but I’m fine!”
Jack held the intense gaze a long moment then said, as he arched his brow, “You love *Daniel* for it, too?”
Philip burst out in soft laughter, but it was enough to make him erupt into a severe coughing fit so that he wound up laughing at the same time of coughing.
“Sorry,” Jack said with a smile as he rubbed his lover’s back firmly and looked back at Daniel with a raise of his brow.
“Listen, maybe I should get going,” Daniel offered.
“No, please,” Philip said, catching his breath once more and sitting up. He looked at his friend standing on the other side of the coffee table. “Stay! He should stay for dinner, shouldn’t he Jack!” His hand fell against Jack's chest now and he patted him, trying to rouse support for the idea.
Jack arched his brow again then slowly turned to look up at his friend. “He should *buy*..”
Daniel rolled his eyes, recognizing the early argument and decided to play along. “No, he should not. He should have a wonderful meal prepared for him by his friend…”
Jack stood up and faced him. “You are so selfish,” he said with a suppressed grin. “You can see how sick Phil is yet you still expect him to cook for you..?”
Daniel sighed and met Phil’s highly amused gaze. “How do you put up with him?”
Phil chuckled. “Must be love!”
“Yeah, right,” Daniel murmured then went and sat beside him on the sofa, crossing his legs and arms as he looked up at Jack, who was still standing. “Well, what’s for dinner? I’m starved!”
Jack threw his hands in the air and headed out of the room, towards the kitchen.
Daniel turned to Philip and smiled when his friend met his eyes. “How are you?”
“Fine,” Phil said, snuggling back into the sofa.
“And now for the truth!” Daniel said, arching his brow in a no-nonsense manner. Phil blinked then smiled.
“Fine. I have the flu I think..”
“Isn’t that serious though? Considering your T-cell count is down like Jack said?”
Philip held his gaze a long moment then he shrugged. “My health’s bound to go up and down. Janet’s looking after me.”
“And she’s happy with your condition at the moment?” Daniel asked, quietly.
Philip’s mouth twitched with a wry smile. “She’s okay with it. If I’m still feeling this badly tomorrow I’ll go and see her.”
Jack re-entered the living room. He had a hot cup of tea for Philip and passed it over. Daniel looked up and grinned.
“Jack O’Neill. Mr. Domesticated!” His friend glared at him, making him laugh loudly. “No, really it’s so sweet!”
Philip was smiling as he looked between the two friends. With deadpan face Jack said, “And your coffee is on the kitchen counter. You can get it yourself - now!” He emphasized the last word as he sat heavily in his armchair and crossed his arms and legs defiantly. Daniel grinned then sighed as he stood.
“Did it to yourself,” Jack said as he shooed him off with a wave of his hand. Daniel narrowed his eyes as he passed him then went to the kitchen.
Jack turned his attention to his lover immediately his eyes softened and a smile filled his face as he saw the sparkle in Phil’s dark eyes.
“Hello, gorgeous,” he said in a low voice as he reached over and took the artist’s hand in his.
The weary man brought the joined hands up and kissed Jack's fingers. “Hello. I’m sorry I wasn’t here last night.”
“Where were you?” Jack's fingers toyed with Phil’s within the grasp.
“I was with a friend. Did you call?”
Jack took the moment to shift onto the sofa and hugged Philip to his chest. “Yes. Several times.”
“The phone didn’t ring,” Philip said, arching his throat to look back at him.
Jack brushed his curled fingers down the unshaven throat then tilted his face and pressed his lips against Phil’s temple. The younger man snuggled into the embrace.
“It said it was switched off,” he told him, his breath warm against Phil’s cheek. The dark brow furrowed.
“I didn’t switch it off. I left it with my jacket and it was on the ground of …” He stopped then tried to recall a moment that Todd might have had to turn the phone off as it laid in the pile on the floor of his loft. He also recalled how adamant Todd had been earlier that day that Jack *hadn’t* called.
“Ground of where?” Jack asked without suspicion as he nudged his lips against the soft face. Philip blinked quickly then shook his head.
Daniel came into the living room at that moment and placed Jack's coffee, which was also sitting on the counter in the kitchen, onto the table. Jack's eyes shifted to see him.
While still in the process of bowing to put the cup down, Daniel looked at the cuddling couple and asked, “Should I go?”
“No,” Jack said succinctly.
At the same time Phil placed his hand along Jack’s thigh and patted his knee while saying, “No,” with a genuine smile. “I can’t recall the last time we had a dinner guest.” As he said that he looked back at Jack for any collaboration. The older man shook his head. Neither could he.
“If you’re sure, I mean, I don’t want to..”
“For crying out loud, Daniel! Just sit down and enjoy the damn evening! Unless you’d prefer for us to not..?” Jack asked, indicating to Phil with a roll of his eyes and clearly asking if the cuddling was bothering him.
“No, that’s fine,” Daniel said, settling into the armchair. “But, you know, if you *wanted* to be alone..”
“Daniel!” Jack growled. Philip chuckled lightly and craned his neck to look at the anthropologist.
“Daniel, please, it’s great to have company,” he told him. “Beside, we’ll be alone when you go home, so there’s no hurry.” He smiled as he felt Jack's gentle caress down his throat once more as he addressed his friend. It was true. They would be alone after Daniel went home, but until then, they could cuddle and caress – just like they were – and Phil had no fear of Jack pushing for more. He could totally sit back and enjoy being with his lover – and his friend.
*
Daniel did remain, for another four hours and by the time he left, Philip was asleep on the sofa - determined not to be put in his room while he had a ‘guest’.
It was still relatively early as Jack walked his friend to the car in the cool evening. As they headed down the front path Daniel turned slightly to him and said, “Thanks, Jack. I had a great night.”
The older man smiled and tilted his head back. “So did I.”
“Phil seemed to pick up as the night went on..” Daniel said, a little cautiously as they stepped off the end of the path and onto the grass patch of the sidewalk.
Jack arched his brow slightly. “I don’t think I’ve seen him that relaxed in a long time.”
“You both seem pretty .. close..” He pushed gently, remembering the conversation they’d had on the last mission.
Jack scratched at the back of his head. “To be honest, that surprised the hell outta me.”
Daniel crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back against his car.
“I hope that didn’t bother you.. Did it bother you?’ Jack asked, waving his hand towards the house but clearly implying the cuddling and caressing that he and Phil kept up all evening.
“No,” Daniel said honestly. “It was well.. nice to see. I thought he was going to throw me out when he first showed up though.” He laughed self-consciously as he recalled the compromising position they were in when Philip first appeared.
“Ah, yeah,” Jack laughed now, remembering it also. “Though we know that nothing was..”
“No, no.. Nothing..” Daniel was nodding hastily in agreement.
“Because we’re just .. friends..”
“Friends..” Daniel said at the same time as Jack did.
Jack met the shy eyes now. “Good.. Good.. friends..” It was almost a question as well as a statement.
Daniel smiled then nodded. “The best, Jack.”
The older man blew out a loud breath then patted his arm. Daniel bowed his head and swiveled to go around the front of his car.
“See you at work,” he said as he reached the driver’s door.
Jack lifted his hand above his head and gave a small wave as the blue car drove off through the evening mist. With a soft cough he turned and went back into the house.
End of part 13
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.