Part 71
Daniel opened the door of his apartment then stepped aside to let Graham enter first. The younger man stood on the threshold as he eased his coat down his arms and allowed his eyes to scan the place - a place shrouded in shadows but that he still knew the layout of so precisely because he once spent a lot of time here. It was the same place that he'd returned to a few days ago - on the eve of Philip's demise - as a stranger again to Daniel.
His thoughts were broken when he felt a soft kiss at his nape, just on the edge of his hairline. Strangers no more, he thought and gave a soft moan as the lips traveled down his neck to his collar and lingered there while warm breath puffed across his sensitized skin. He felt movement and understood that Daniel was removing his own coat now. The soft whoosh told him the long-lined woolen coat was now a crumpled mess at the back of Daniel's feet.
Arms wrapped around him and secured him against the warm body behind as the mouth traveled up and around, finding the tender spot that he loved to have licked, just behind his ear. Cold metal brushed the tip of his ear and he turned within the embrace to look into the darkened blue eyes. Without words he hung up his coat on the hook he knew was behind the door then he removed the frames from his lover's face and blindly tucked them safely into his coat pocket while closed his mouth onto Daniel's bottom lip.
Daniel reached for the hand placing the glasses down and he interlaced his fingers with Graham's, then he brought the joined hands up to press a soft kiss to each tanned knuckle.
As he brushed his other thumb across the ebony brow he asked, "How are you holding up?"
"My head hurts," Graham confessed and his eyes languidly closed as Daniel pressed his lips against his temple. "I can't believe how much my eyes ache.." He words stalled as Daniel's lips tenderly kissed each closed lid then brushed down his nose to the tip.
"You need to sleep," the slightly taller man whispered as he tilted his face and pressed their foreheads together then rubbed noses lightly.
"I need this.." Graham said with a soft sigh as he ran his free hand up the front of his partner, cupped his ear and caressed his long sideburn. "I need you.."
Daniel jerked back slightly and his blue eyes grew intense as he gazed into his partner's eyes. His nose crinkled as he told him, passionately, "You have me." He released the handhold and cupped the slightly upturned face in both hands as his eyes searched from one black orb to the other then, with a gentle smile, he assured him, "I'm not letting you go." To confirm his statement he closed the minuscule gap between them and lightly kissed Graham's top lip before he pulled back to check the eyes once more.
Confidence shone in the black eyes now as Graham returned the smile and gripped Daniel by the wrists. His thumbs caressed the fine hairs on the edges of Daniel's hands as he said, "It's been a hell of a day..."
"Come!" Daniel's voice was soft as he took Graham by the hand and led him through the darkened apartment towards the bedroom.
He left him in the doorway as he rounded the bed to switch on a lamp.
Graham sighed at the site of the bed - Japanese by design and very, very comfortable - he recalled well. Due to the lowness of the bed to the floor Daniel had it on a slight dais, and Graham stepped up onto that as he lifted his sweater up over his head. As it was sweeping past his hair he felt hands glide around his waist and rest across his stomach. With a low moan he leaned back against the man behind him, enjoying the feeling of Daniel's fingers deftly undoing the buttons on his shirt as lips caressed his ear lobe.
"On that you're taller than me," Daniel whispered, referring to the dais. Graham turned to face him and Daniel brushed the unfastened shirt off his shoulders, allowing his hands to glide down the well-muscled arms.
"So I am," Graham said with a dopey smile as he looked over the top of Daniel's head then down into his eyes again. "So this is what it feels like."
"You're not 'that' much shorter than me!"
With a tired shrug, Graham said, “No, I guess Major Carter and I see eye-to-eye.”
Daniel said as he threw himself down onto the cerise-and-black Japanese styled bedding and rolled onto his back, holding his arms wide for his lover to crawl into. "*We* fit together perfectly actually."
With a smile the shirtless man laid against him and Daniel rolled them onto their sides, spooning into the back of him as if to prove his point. He kissed Graham's shoulder then pressed his fingertips to the warm skin before trailing them down the arm that reached around to grip him on the ass. At the elbow he dropped his hand to the furry chest and kissed the shoulder again as he scrunched his fingers through Graham's pelt of soft curls.
Graham's hand dragged down Daniel's thigh and cupped him behind the knee so that he could drag the leg across his thighs, totally engulfing himself with the longer man.
"You're right," he whispered back over his shoulder. Daniel pressed his lips against the moving mouth, distorting the words slightly and they both chuckled then Graham said, "We do fit together perfectly."
"Hmmm," his partner mumbled as he trailed his lips across the stubble then he rubbed his cheek against the bristles. They remained interlocked, just enjoying the closeness for a short while then Graham shifted and rolled onto his side in order to face Daniel now.
"Are you going to sleep in your clothes?" he asked in a voice slowed by languor.
Daniel shrugged then sat up and removed his sweater. Graham shifted onto his hip to unfasten the buttons on Daniel's shirt and as each button released he kissed the exposed skin, making a damp trail down Daniel's stomach. The older man crawled onto his knees now so that Graham could continue to unfasten the shirt - which also allowed him easier reach. As he tugged the shirt from the pants Graham bent to kiss the golden trail of hair below the navel. Deftly Daniel disposed of the shirt and the two topless men knelt together on the bed, hands touching and gliding over warm flesh.
Where Daniel was tall and lean, with fine muscle definition over his long plains Graham's body was slightly shorter, not as wide but rock solid with muscles. In his uniform the only give away that such a body lurked beneath his innocuous white shirt were the strong forearms, sinewy with muscles that rolled and twisted with every movement of his hands. How often had Daniel stood behind him as he worked at his station just to watch the tanned arms move and the lean fingers deftly work the keyboard or the dials before him?
With sleep-hooded eyes Graham smiled at his lover then captured his face in gentle hands before guiding him closer to kiss him languidly, if not a little drowsily.
"You're so tired.." Daniel chuckled at the lackluster kiss.
"Sorry," Graham slurred softly.
Daniel just shook his head and laid himself down onto the bed, his hands never losing contact with his partner's body - first touching his side then, as Graham laid down against him, across his back. Like chalk and cheese, Daniel's white, smooth torso was pinned beneath Graham's tanned, darkly fuzzed chest as they lost themselves in another tired kiss while the younger man's hand slid down the hairless plains.
"I love your smoothness.." He mumbled against Daniel's lips and tongue before he moved down the body slightly and placed a tender peck on one of Daniel's hardened nipples. Daniel craned his neck down to try to watch him but gave up and stared up at the ceiling instead as Graham continued to cover his chest and sides with slow, moist kisses.
After a few moments of attention Graham pressed his hand into the center of Daniel's chest and sat himself up.
"What'cha doing?" Daniel asked in a hushed voice, already growing thick with his own sleepiness as the events of the past few days finally caught up with him as well.
"Shoes," Graham muttered as he tugged his laces then kicked off his footwear. He gripped the backs of his partner's boots and slipped them off for him then he flopped against Daniel's side once more with a hearty grunt. Instantly Daniel's fingers went back to caressing the short black hair while Graham draped himself across him, one arm and one leg almost possessively across Daniel, while his head rested in the joint of his shoulder.
Soon Daniel heard the soft snores from his partner and reached out both his hands to gather the bedding around them. As he cocooned them in the light cover he pressed a kiss to the smooth forehead. Graham shifted, mumbled something against Daniel's chest then drifted back to sleep again. It wasn't long before Daniel's blue eyes drifted close and he fell asleep too.
*
Graham started kicking in his sleep. His feet tangled with the bedding as he fought against it, whimpering softly as night terrors filled his sleep.
"No!" He murmured against the muscle of his arm raised above his head. "No!"
His feet kicked out again then he started to thrash about in the bed as he cried out loudly, "NO!"
The bedroom door flew open and Daniel, now dressed in a set of mismatched sweats, threw himself onto the bed and grappled with the frantic man as he tried to reach him through the nightmare.
"Grae!" He said, wrestling his strong partner in an attempt to secure his arms over his head. "GRAE!" He called out to him as Graham fought him furiously. The sound of hands slapping exposed flesh filled the room as they tumbled together for a few moments.
"NO!" Graham screamed out again as Daniel finally wrestled him to the bed, but not before scoring a slap to the left temple, dislodging his glasses. At the impact the black eyes shot open and he stared at Daniel, sprawled over him and pinning him to the bed with his hands and knees.
"It's okay," Daniel reassured him as he stared into the wide, frightened eyes in the dim light from the next room. "It's okay," he whispered as he released the handholds. "It was just a dream.."
"Oh God.." Graham trembled as he covered his face with his hands then he mumbled, "I dreamt Philip died.."
Daniel slowly sat up and his legs entwined with Graham's across the bed. "I kinda figured that," he said as he smoothed a hand through his hair then down onto his neck.
Graham blinked then turned first one way, then another before he realized that they were not properly in bed. He looked back to Daniel and saw he was wearing his glasses again. "Where were you?"
"I .." Daniel jutted his thumb over his shoulder as he told him, "Reading. I .. couldn't sleep.."
Graham nodded then reached out and cupped him by the back of the head and pulled him closer until their foreheads touched.
"Do you want me to make you a hot chocolate?" Daniel asked, his breath puffing across Graham's parted lips.
"Sure," the younger man said then they both rolled off the bed and went towards the door.
"Here!" Daniel caught him by the shoulders and turned him back towards the bed. "I'll get you something to wear," he said as he glanced down at the black chinos his lover was wearing. Graham sighed and nodded as he began to unfasten his belt.
There was nothing erotic about Graham as he undressed then put on the clothing that Daniel stood by holding out to him. He was a troubled man who was trying to piece together fractions of a terrifying nightmare that haunted his sleep, and Daniel was too concerned to entertain other thoughts either.
"Come here," he said gently once Graham had the baggy sweater on. He laid his arm across his shoulders and steered him out to the living room and planted him on his small, black two-seater sofa as he said, "You wait here, I'll be right back."
Just as he was about to turn away Graham gripped his wrist. "He's okay, isn't he?"
Daniel nodded and said, "Do you want to call the hospital, just to check?"
Graham nodded so Daniel found his phone and dialed the number. Before the Nurses station picked up the call he passed the hand-piece over to the distraught brother and went into the kitchen to make him a hot chocolate.
Graham asked the night nurse all the questions he could then, happy that his brother was sleeping soundly still, he hung up and then picked up the book Daniel had been reading.
"I didn't know you read romance books," Graham said once Daniel returned to the room. He tossed the thick, brown covered novel back onto the coffee table as he took the proffered cup.
"Don't know that I'd call it a romance novel, per se," Daniel said, sitting beside him and tucking one foot against his crotch to rest his arm on his knee. He held his cup in this hand as he reached his other one out to touch Graham's thigh.
"'The gay 'Gone with the Wind'?" Graham said, quoting from the spine of the book.
"Still doesn't make it a romance.. really." Daniel tilted his head to look at the cover then turned back to his partner. "In fact, it's downright depressing in some parts."
"Why?"
"Because the guy's in love - really in love - with his partner and he doesn't have the courage to tell him. Even his current boyfriend, years later, knows he regarded this other love as 'the' love of his life...."
"Okay, so what happened to the 'Love of his life' then? I gather from what you just said, he didn't survive or else the guy wouldn't have a current new boyfriend.."
"Actually," Daniel shrugged, "After a few years of living together they both developed 'commitment' hang ups - guess they didn't like to be the one to openly admit they needed the other one in their life, so they eventually drifted apart, started allowing each other to have 'other partners' as - apparently - that's the expected thing with us gays.." He rolled his eyes at that and Graham did also, thought Daniel wasn't sure it was for the same reason. "So they generally ruined their monogamous relationship..."
"Monogamous, huh?" Graham searched the shielded blue eyes as a smile crept across his lips warily. With a slight quirk of his head he muttered, "That is depressing."
Daniel saw a shimmer of something he didn't feel too comfortable about seeing within Graham's eyes - and started to wonder what he thought was depressing? The fact that infidelity was allowed to destroy the monogamous relationship - or the monogamous relationship itself? He quickly dipped his face as he gave a soft cough. "So, how was Philip?"
"He's.. ugh.. sleeping. So far he hasn't woken up yet.."
Daniel nodded now and his expression grew serious again. "I guess Jack was with him?"
"Apparently," Graham said as he sipped his drink and gave a soft moan of approval. He leaned his head back against the sofa as he sighed and said, "You make the best hot chocolate."
Daniel leaned his elbow against the back of the sofa as he asked, "You want to talk about that dream?"
Graham seemed to consider that then shook his head. "No, I don't think I want to relive that."
"Okay," his partner said with a slight nod. "I understand that. If you want to though, you just have to tell me, okay?"
Graham stared into the blue eyes then he gave a sleepy smile as he said, "Why don't you go back to reading your book?"
Daniel's eyes flickered over to the novel on the coffee table. "It can wait."
"I just want to curl up here..." Graham curled into a tight ball on the tiny sofa and laid his head in Daniel's lap. Before settling completely he reached for the novel and handed it to his lover. "There you go."
Daniel took the book and reached down to the floor to put his drink down. He tried not to think about where Graham's face was, pressed slightly against his groin as he snuggled against him. After a few moments of reading Daniel's hand found its way to his partner's head and his long fingers caressed the sleeping man through the ebony hair.
*
As they remained entwined on the small sofa, Daniel continued to caress his fingers through the hair behind Graham's ear, stopping only to turn the page of the book he read. The sleeping man shifted in his lap again, his face nestled into Daniel's soft groin as his leg hung awkwardly over the arm of the chair.
Daniel's fingers brushed the back of Grae's ear then down his neck, only to return to the tip of the ear and start the languid slide once more. He wasn't even aware he was petting his lover, let alone notice when the dark eyes slotted open and shifted to look up at him.
After a few more moments, where Daniel turned yet another page, he gave a soft groan of disappointment as he read about the antics between them men in the story.
"Doesn't sound good," Graham muttered. Daniel smiled with surprise as he tilted his face to look down at him.
"I thought you were asleep."
"I was, but.." Graham rolled onto his back and brought a hand up to cover is eyes. "My mind won't shut off."
The sitting man cupped his hand around Graham's face as he said, "I'm not surprised.
As he lifted his hand from his face Graham said, through a heavy sigh, "I still can't get over that he's going to be okay..." Then he shifted his eyes to look up at his partner. "He is going to be okay, right? Major Carter's done this before, hasn't she?"
With a nod that didn't really install any confidence in Graham, Daniel reminded him, "She healed Cronos.."
"But he was a Goa'uld, Dan," Graham argued. "He kinda had a head start.."
"Well, yeah," Daniel stammered then laid his hand over the other man's chest. "But I was with Sam afterwards. She's very confident.."
"Confident?"
The blue eyes rolled and he gave a tired sigh as he folded the book closed. "You know what I mean!"
"Sorry, I'm just.."
"Finding it hard to accept? To believe? I understand that," he said and watched as Graham rolled over and sat up beside him. "But we've seen stranger things, Grae. You know what's out there - how this 'can' be. Have some faith.."
"Faith? We're talking about my baby brother here.."
"I know. But it's not like we haven't .. experienced... something like this before.."
"We have?"
"You forget? I've been through this technology myself, Grae.. once or twice," Daniel mumbled the last bit.
"A sarcophagus is hardly the same thing.." the lieutenant said hastily.
Daniel's brow darted into a frown. "It's the same technology. It's Goa'uld.."
"Yeah, but you know you're completely healed when you step out of one of those things.."
"And you know that from 'personal' experience, do you?" Daniel shot back then grimaced when he realized how hard he'd been towards the worried brother. He turned his face away but Graham sensed his agitation and turned it back towards him. His dark eyes searched Daniel's face and he saw worry etched in the fine lines beneath his eyes.
"I never thought about how this all affected you," he said softly, almost repentantly.
"How it affects me?"
"You're almost as worried about him as I am, only you hide it better." He paused then added, "and for different reasons." After a quick swallow he asked, "How many times have you needed a sarcophagus now, Daniel?"
With a flicker of his lashes Daniel pushed himself up out of the chair and tossed his book onto the coffee table loudly. Graham watched him amble around the room, holding his hands over his mouth and nose as he concentrated on his thoughts.
After a few moments of tense silence, Daniel said, "I'm not sure what that has to do with.."
"Bullshit!" Graham got off the sofa and went to him. "You're probably closest to understanding how he's going to feel than any of us. What's it like?"
The blond head snapped around and Daniel's eyes searched Graham's face intently. "It's..."
He recalled nights when he'd wake up alone in his bed, covered in a cold sweat, his mind full of murky images that he couldn't understand. Unlike everyone else in his team he seemed to have trouble just 'accepting' the miracles that happened to him - strange things that brought him back from the dead - but he kept those hidden from the others. He wondered why he couldn't just accept that he'd been saved, healed, brought back to life - like the rest seemed to - and why unexplainable images still haunted his sleep some nights.
He also tried not to think about the last time he'd been healed - the Rectogs incident with the Tok'Ra. Blinking quickly he lowered his chin to his chest and recalled the relief on Teal'c's face when he'd come to in the sarcophagus. Now he clamped his eyes shut and wrapped his arms around his head, not wanting to remember how much he'd hurt Teal'c in his misguided moments.
"Dan?"
"Disorientating.." The older man said before he tightened his lips into a white line and dropped his arms to hug himself. "It's.. disorientating.."
<End of part 71>
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.