Part 100
Link to Slida's Graham Simmons Website
Daniel stood outside the restaurant and waited for Graham to bring the car around to the front. As it was snowing the younger man had insisted Daniel wait inside with Jack and Philip, but Daniel, being Daniel, decided to wait outside instead. The snow drifts had abated slightly but whenever anyone of the threesome spoke, their breaths came out in thick vapors. All stood huddled against the chill as they waited for the sleek black car to pull up to the curb.
Daniel tucked his chin further inside the collar of his coat as he watched the two men beside him. They were not talking, but the looks between them were speaking volumes.
"You two ought to get a room," the anthropologist commented as he scanned the new load of traffic for the black Probe.
"You know, that's a great idea," Jack said with a suggestive grin towards his partner standing beside him.
"Actually, I was just thinking, how about if we all go to the bar for a few beers?"
"Beers?" Daniel's forehead crinkled with reluctance.
"Yeah," Jack seemed just as reluctant. "Beers?" It was clear he had intentions for later that didn't involve him and Philip being in a smoky, crowded bar drinking beer, despite that being one of his other favorite past-times.
Philip gave a sharp nod. "The 'Bull and Bear'. We haven't been there in a long while, Jack." His black lashes fluttered prettily as he wheedled his lover with an enticing smile.
The older man rolled his eyes and then was about to speak when a quick toot stole his words. They all turned to see the Probe pull up to the curb.
Daniel arched a brow in question towards Jack and the gray-haired man shrugged. "Yeah, sure," he mumbled as he dug his hands further into the thick coat he was wearing. Daniel held a gloved finger up then went over to the car. Graham pressed the button to open the passenger's window as he leaned across to speak with Daniel.
"They want to know if we want to go for a few beers?"
"Beers?" Graham frowned and looked past his lover towards his brother, who was now approaching the car.
"Whiskeys then," Philip supplicated. "I'll even buy the first round."
"First two rounds," Graham told him as he held up two fingers.
"Oh! Get you!" The young brother laughed as he pushed the curls from his eyes that the wind whipped into them. "You who earns a regular pay packet, expecting me, unemployed and between homes, to buy your poison."
Daniel grinned and then tilted his face to look in at the driver. Graham had draped an arm over the steering wheel as he leaned across the car to talk through the window.
"Cut the crap, baby bro. You're way wealthier than I'll ever be."
Philip grinned cheekily and shrugged. "You got that right! So what do you say? A few at the 'Bull and Bear'?"
Daniel straightened up and stepped over to where Jack was waiting over by the wall of the restaurant.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong."
"Sure?"
"Positive."
"Because if you don't want to go for a few beers.."
"Can it, Danny. Of course I want to go for a few beers."
"Sure?"
"Positive."
Daniel didn't ask again but he merely arched his brow as he angled his face slightly - the look saying it all. Jack rolled his eyes then stepped over to the car. He squatted a little - the end of his long-line black coat scraped the small mounds of snow on the pavement - and said, "If you two don't stop arguing over whose bank balance is bigger, I'm gonna freeze my nuts off out here!"
Graham gave a soft laugh, and in the light, looked so surprisingly like Philip that Jack was momentarily confused by the uncanny similarities. That was, until the young officer spoke, "Well, I'm sure that might worry you and him, but it does nothing for me.."
"Point taken," Jack said then looked at Philip. "You - on the other hand.."
"Absolutely!" Philip agreed frantically as he started to pull Jack from the side of the car by his arm. He called to Graham over his shoulder, "'Bull and Bear' - you know where that is?"
"I do." Daniel stepped over to the car, pulled open the door and slid inside. The window closed as the car took off from the curb.
As soon as he settled into the car Daniel felt the warm palm cup his thigh and he turned to look at Graham. With a lassitude smile he twisted and touched his hand to the dark hair as Graham watched the road as he drove.
"Where am I going?" The driver asked as he slowed for the first intersection.
"Straight over. Third on the left," Daniel murmured through his smile as his fingers stroked the temple gently. Graham's dark eyes left the road momentarily to see the man beside him then he returned his concentration to the slippery streets.
*
Daniel entered the bar first, followed by Graham. Both men shook off the snow that had fallen upon their shoulders as they weaved their way through the crowd. Daniel’s eyes scanned the room and he finally saw Jack, hand raised over his head, in the corner near the booth. He tapped Graham’s shoulder and together they moved towards the throng and over to their friend. Jack quickly checked his watch - they'd certainly taken their time reaching the bar, so much so that he’d had actually started to get worried about them.
As the pair approached Daniel grinned when he saw who else was occupying the booth.
"What are you all doing here?" He asked Sam, who was sitting opposite him, as he slid in beside Janet and Teal'c.
Over the din of the music Sam told him, "Oddly enough, Daniel. We're drinking!" She smirked as she sucked her drink through a small black straw. He screwed his nose up at her then lifted his whiskey to his lips and downed a mouthful. Sam shifted slightly to let Graham sit beside her. They exchanged polite smiles but nothing more. Graham's leg rubbed against Daniel's beneath the table while Jack and Philip dragged two chairs over to complete the table.
"I am refraining," Teal'c said, as he lifted his Lemon Soda slightly before sipping it.
"What happened?" Jack yelled over the music to the man beside him. Daniel frowned, pointed to his ear and leaned a little closer to Jack. Philip watched the two of them with mild interest until Daniel sat back, shook his head and pointed to his ear again – a clear indication that he couldn’t hear Jack over the noise of the live band playing - then he picked up his whiskey again and sipped it as he looked across at his lover.
Graham nudged his brother and held up his glass. He leaned towards him as he said, "To you!" He said. "I'm really glad to see you're so happy with him."
Philip pulled back as he nodded enthusiastically. Graham even noted some tears in the dark eyes. He smiled gently at his brother, lifted his glass more and they chinked their drinks together.
"And you seem pretty cozy with Daniel too!"
Graham nodded as he took a sip then he leaned back towards Philip and yelled in his ear; "We've got a long road ahead, but .. it's a very good start."
Philip pulled back again, looked into his brother's eyes and smiled. "I'm glad!"
About an hour later the band finally finished their set and left the stage. Everyone at the table immediately rubbed their ears or made some comment about the ‘silence’ being deafening now, even with the din of the usual sounds of a busy bar.
Daniel rose to his feet, checked out who needed a refill, and, with hand on his wallet in his back pocket, went over to the bar. Jack got up and followed him.
"So, everything alright with the car?" Jack asked as he leaned on the bar. The place was starting to empty out now that the band was finished.
The anthropologist frowned as he turned to look at him. "Car? What do you mean?"
Jack raised both brows then nodded. "Ah, I see that it wasn't car trouble.." He said.
Daniel's frown furrowed deeper. "Jack, what the hell are you talking about.."
"We thought you'd had car trouble you took so long to get here, but I see that it wasn't.."
"See?" Daniel tilted his face slightly.
Jack laughed and lowered his voice as he said, "Nice beard burn you're sporting there, Danny boy!"
The long tanned fingers came up to the lips. "I am?"
Jack grinned. "Not as red as your cheeks are at the moment, but, yeah, you're red around the mouth."
"Damn!" Daniel sighed loudly then looked over at Graham, who was busy talking with Sam and Janet. He could see, even at that distance, that Graham was sporting a shadow.
"Really, you can't even see it over there where it's darker," Jack assured him. "Only here." He lifted his eyes to the row of harsh lighting above them. "Good to know it wasn't car trouble," he added as he reached past Daniel for three of the drinks.
"No," the younger man sighed thoughtfully as he paid the Bartender and picked up the remaining four drinks. "Nothing's wrong with the car, other than it's too damn small!" The innuendo in his tone clearly told his friend what he meant.
Jack threw his head back and laughed. "They're not designed for *that*, Daniel!"
Daniel grinned sheepishly. "So we discovered tonight!"
"Arg!" Jack continued to laugh as they headed back to the booth. "I so did not need to know that! But you see, that's why my truck is 'so' much more superior.." He said as they reached the table and put down all the drinks.
"Superior?" Janet asked with a tease in her voice. "What's superior, Jack?"
"Me, to all of you.. well-" He joked then pointed to Philip - "not to you.."
"Never to me, Fly Boy," Philip mumbled teasingly. The others all laughed loudly.
"Got your work cut out there, Colonel!" Sam laughed.
"Yeah, sure, ya betcha!" Jack sighed then shot his lover a winning grin. Philip winked as he returned the smile.
"We were talking about Jack's truck.." Daniel said then gave a quick look across the table to his lover. Graham grinned wantonly as he rubbed the leg beneath the table.
"Hey!" Philip suddenly cried out then looked at Jack. "That's what we could do tomorrow.."
Jack frowned. "I thought we were having.." He jerked his head slightly and raised his brows a few times.
Sam gave Janet a bemused look then said, "Something wrong with your neck, Sir?"
Jack gave her a deathly look. "And call me Sir once more when we're off duty, Carter, and you'll be pulling desk duty for a week!"
"Yes, Sir.." She saluted him but grinned cheekily. He rolled his eyes.
Philip was still smirking from Jack's comment. "No doubt we will fit it in somehow, Jack.."
Janet gave a loud grunt as she covered her face with her hands and chortled, "I do not want to know what you're talking about!" She shuddered violently amidst a bubble of mirth.
Daniel leaned to Janet and whispered, loudly, "You wouldn't be far wrong with that thought." Both women squealed and covered their faces now.
"Hey!” Jack looked at the two women and said, "Let's go back to that Sir thing, okay? So I can order you to stop laughing at me!"
Sam's blue eyes twinkled with tears of laughter. "Sorry, Jack.. I just.." She shook her head, looked at Janet and dissolved into another round of chuckles.
Janet piped up jovially with, "The mental images!"
"Oh, for crying out loud! Will you two stop it!"
"How much have they had to drink?" Daniel leaned across Janet and asked Teal'c.
"Quite a large amount," he reported with a faint smile as he looked into the blue eyes.
"I gather you're the designated Driver then?" Graham asked him.
"I am," Teal'c said, politely but without the warmth he'd had for Daniel. Graham's gaze shifted to Daniel and he saw the concerned frown on the handsome face. With a reassuring smile he sat back in his seat and drank some more of his whiskey.
"So apart from fitting ‘it’ in.." Sam had to gulp air to keep from laughing again, "What were you going to say, Philip?"
The young artist loved the atmosphere at the table and reveled in the thought of being part of a group of friends again. Now that he was unemployed he would miss the workplace friendships the most.
"I want to buy a car," he told her.
Jack frowned beside him. "Excuse me?"
"A car. I totaled mine, remember?"
"I have the chip of paint on the back of the truck to prove it!" Jack reminded him. Philip nodded.
"So I need a new car."
"Get something sporty!" Sam advised.
"Something red!" Janet offered.
"What's wrong with my truck?" Jack asked over the top of both of them. Philip looked at him, laughed and reached for the pretzels in the middle of the table.
"I'm not driving around in your huge, honking phallic symbol!"
Everyone at the table erupted in a fit of laughter, except Jack. He tilted his head and asked, "What did you just say?"
"Instant divorce there," Graham warned him teasingly. Philip shrugged.
"It's true. It's a 'pick-up'... How can it *not* be phallic?"
"Phallic?"
Philip grinned at him. "Well, think about it. It *is* huge, and fat and.." He screwed his nose up then muttered under his breath, "It's green!"
Daniel almost inhaled his drink when he saw the way Jack's jaw dropped open. Jack saw that and said, in a very indignant tone, "He's referring to my truck!"
That made Daniel laugh even harder, for he knew exactly what Philip had been referring to. The young man wiped the spilt whiskey from his bottom lip as he straightened up.
"You were... talking about my truck just then.. right?" Jack turned to his partner and checked.
The women totally lost it now. Daniel glanced across the table to his lover but noted that Graham's attention was on the man in the corner of the booth. He twisted to look at Teal'c and saw that the intense glare was being returned. His happiness left him momentarily.
"Yes Jack!" Philip chuckled. "Of course I was talking about your truck!"
"That's good!"
"No," Sam sniggered. "That's bad really, when you think about it!"
"Didn't I order you to stop laughing at me?" Jack groused. Sam laughed harder.
"He said it was 'green'!" Janet chortled then collapsed against Teal'c's shoulder.
Daniel nudged Graham under the table and the dark eyes settled on him. Without a word he raised his brow. Graham pressed his lips together as he sighed through his nose, then he picked up his drink and drained the last of it from the cheap glass tumbler.
"I just want something economical to get around in, that's all."
"I can see you in one of those old VW bugs.. You know the sort?" Sam suggested with wide eyes.
"A Beetle?" Philip queried.
She nodded and pointed at him. "That's the one!"
"Really?" Philip frowned.
"You're an artist!" She reasoned. He nodded then shrugged.
"I was thinking of something a little more.."
"But it *could* be a convertible, right?" Jack said and also looked hopeful.
"I don't want a convertible.."
"No, but Jack does," Daniel murmured against the edge of his drinking glass. Jack shot him a quick glare.
"A little sporty red one," Janet offered again.
The two men exchanged looks as Philip raised his bottle to his lips. With a suggestive glint in his eyes he sucked back on the beer as Jack quirked a brow to what Janet had said and muttered, "You'd have the chamois for it!"
Philip choked on his drink and set the bottle onto the table. He shot Jack a deathly glare as he wiped the back of his hand over his mouth. The others all gave each other puzzled looks.
"You'd look fantastic in an MG," Sam suggested.
Without taking his eyes from the handsome face Jack answered her; "He'd look good in anything!"
As the others groaned and feigned gagging Philip smiled at his lover and said, "Thank you. But I'm not getting a convertible. They're death traps and I'm avoiding all death traps these days!"
"A Porshe?" Graham said.
"No. Not really..."
"BMW?" Daniel offered.
"No!" Jack said then looked at Philip and shrugged before stepping back from the conversation.
"What's wrong with Beemers?" Philip asked him with an amused smile.
"Yeah, Jack," asked the only BMW driver at the table. Jack looked at Daniel and shrugged.
"They're alright if you're a thirty-four year old Anthropologist.."
Daniel's nose flared with mock indignity then he said, "And forty-something Colonels need to drive phallic symbols, is that what you're telling me?"
A fresh wave of laughter peeled from the table. Jack faced off with his friend, wagged his finger at him and said, "Hey! There's nothing, what-so-ever, wrong with my truck!"
"It's a gross exaggeration of-" Daniel's eyes drifted to Jack's lap for a second then met his surprised gaze once more, "-other things!"
"It's no exaggeration!" Jack defended his package to his smirking friend.
Daniel merely arched his brow and made a point of shifting his gaze to Philip, who was sucking back on his beer bottle. Jack turned to him as well and the young artist held his hands up and laughed when he said, "For the sake of harmony in my life .. I'm not getting into this one!"
Jack returned his stare to Daniel but quickly shot his cheeky lover another look when he heard him mutter, loudly, "But I will say.. at least he's not green!"
The women erupted into more laughter, Janet was laughing so hard she found breathing hard. Daniel bit his lips together firmly to stem the bubble of laughter rising within him as Jack glared at Philip.
The older man stood with feigned insult and said, "If you'll all excuse me, I have to take a piss. Obviously, considering the slander around this table, you don't think that will take me a particularly long time!" Daniel and Philip exchanged grins then Jack said to Philip, "As for you!" He flicked the younger man under his upturned chin.
Philip laughed and said, "You're more than a mouthful Jack, so don't worry about it!"
Daniel groaned loudly, almost as loudly as Sam and Janet did, then he shuddered and said, "Way too much information."
"Oh! So when you assumed it was small information that was all right, was it Jackson? But now that you know that it's huge - HUGE - information..."
Daniel laughed and waved his hand towards the restroom. "Just go, Jack!"
As he tossed his head Jack said, "And I'll be gone a 'long time'!"
"Apparently!" the anthropologist muttered as he lifted his drink to his lips. Jack quirked his head without another word then turned and left the chortling group.
As Philip raised his bottle to his lips he muttered, "Guess I'm sleeping on the sofa tonight!"
Daniel grinned at him. "Looks that way!" He took a final gulp of his whiskey then looked across the table to his partner. Graham's head was bowed and he was staring down into his drink. Daniel nudged him under the table and the handsome face lifted. As soon as their eyes met Graham's smile returned to him, a little lackluster but at least it reached his eyes. With a twitch of his brow Daniel silently asked him if he was okay? Graham gave a slight nod as he put his elbow onto the table and took a sip of his drink. As he leaned across Daniel reached under the table and touched Graham's knee. "Do you want to go now?"
The lieutenant shook his head. "I'm fine."
"Sure?"
"You're having fun. We'll stay."
With a stroke to the thigh Daniel said, "I'd rather go home."
Graham's smile broadened and he nodded, finished his drink then turned to Sam and Janet. "Goodnight," he said politely, more out of respect for their higher rank than anything else, Daniel knew. Graham was a polite man, a real 'gentle-man' but he was also a soldier who never forgot his rank amongst these people. Daniel noticed that it was with some trepidation that he added, "Good night, Teal'c."
"Goodnight, LieutenantSimmons."
Daniel kissed Janet and Sam on the cheek before he eased himself out of the booth. As he straightened up he looked at Teal'c in the corner and gave his friend a warm smile. "I'll see you on Monday, Teal'c."
With a beguiling nod, Teal'c said, "Yes, you will, Daniel."
As they were finalizing themselves to leave Jack returned. "We're going," Daniel told him.
"My powers of observations haven't left me all together, Danny!" Jack smiled.
"See you on Monday then," he said with a firm pat to Jack's shoulder.
"Bright-eyed and bushytailed."
"Yeah, something like that," the young man grimaced then together he and Graham left the bar.
*
As they walked back to the car Daniel resisted asking Graham about Teal'c. He had a fair idea he knew what the problem was, but he didn't know how to ask his partner about it.
They were inside Graham's car before the younger man spoke. "Your place or mine?"
Daniel's mouth twitched with a smile then he said, "Up to you, you're the driver."
"Yours then," Graham said as he started the engine. He was looking in his side mirror, checking the blind spot as he pulled out into the traffic when he said, "I want to fuck you through your mattress tonight.."
Daniel wasn't sure he'd heard him correctly but still his breath caught in his chest and he tilted his head and said, "Oh.. okay." He sat with a frown on his face for a short while before he ventured, "This wouldn't have anything to do with Teal'c, would it?"
Graham grunted as he concentrated on the slippery roads. "It's got everything to do with him."
"AH!" Daniel wasn't sure he was prepared for the honest answer. With a flutter of his lashes he added, "Only I saw the way the two of you looked at each other tonight.."
"He's as jealous as sin about us," Graham said while he eased the car into the parking bay next to Daniel's car. Daniel's neighbor didn't drive so she told him to use the park like it was his own. These days Graham’s black sports car was an almost permanent fixture in there.
The older man didn't move and Graham asked, after he'd reached for the door release, "Are you coming up?"
With furrowed brows Daniel said, "You know, you could piss in every corner of my apartment too. Really stake your claim!"
The younger man sighed and tugged his door closed once more. He twisted in his seat to look at his lover. Daniel's eyes were a mixture of hurt and anger, and even in this light, Graham could see that clearly. "I'm sorry," he said contritely as he reached for Daniel's cheek.
"You don't need to feel threatened.."
"I'm not threatened.. I'm just -" Graham shrugged - "Celebrating my good fortune."
Daniel rubbed his cheek against the warm palm. "That's crap, Grae."
A smile fluttered over the young man's handsome face. "Really! You've gauged this all wrong. When I saw how jealous your ex got, it just made me really hot for you, that's all. Each time I saw him glare at me I just wanted to laugh out loud and say, 'Get over it buddy, he loves me'.." Graham's smile broadened as he touched his other hand to Daniel's other cheek. He whispered, as he stared at the slightly parted lips, "He loves me."
Daniel sighed heavily as Graham touched his lips with his thumbs. The younger man went on to say, "I just got so turned on by you at that bar tonight.." He whispered lasciviously as his thumb dragged across the malleable lips. "You're so gorgeous when you laugh, Dan.." He touched his mouth gently to Daniel's and then sighed out a moan. "Please, let's go up to your place.."
Daniel pulled back, blinked rapidly a few times as he wet his lips with a dart of his tongue then he turned and grappled with the door release. Graham grinned, turned and got out of the car and the two men almost ran all the way up to Daniel's apartment.
<End of Part 100>
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.