Part 5 |
One month later –
Much like the rest of his apartment, Daniel’s bedroom was over-ladened with objects and artifacts that he couldn't find place for in the living area or entrance bookshelves. Add to this the fact that the archaeologist seemed averse to keeping his dirty clothes in the wash basket and his clean clothes in his closet and drawers most of the time, and you had the truth about Doctor Daniel Jackson's bedroom. It was a mess!
Still, when Daniel came home four hours ago, exhausted from a three-day event that occurred on base and resulted in Hammond closing down the base to all incoming and outgoing personnel, the last thing he was worried about was the state of his abode. He barely managed to check the coffee table for a note from Mac, gone from his life for a week before the incident on Base, before falling, face-first, onto his unmade bed and immediately slipping into a coma-like sleep.
He was dreaming about a strange light hovering in the centre of the Stargate on some unfamiliar planet when a small noise disturbed his sleep and woke him groggily. Drowsy from exhaustion, Daniel took some time to comprehend that there was someone actually in his bedroom with him, and when the idea got through his foggy mind he startled and rolled away from the dark shadowy figure.
“It’s okay, Handsome,” came the soft reassurance as Mac dropped the bag, jacket and helmet he was carrying onto the floor by the bed and squatted beside the slowly waking man.
“What’s the time?’ Daniel slurred in a drowsy voice as Mac pressed a kiss to his forehead.
Standing again, Mac unfastened his belt and pants and shucked them before stripping off his tops. “A little after midnight.” He dropped the clothes into a pile beside the other items and rounded the bed, climbed in and spooned against Daniel’s warm back.
“You’re cold!” the sleepy one protested.
“It’s snowing outside.” Mac soon discovered that Daniel was in a sweater and jeans. "Why are you still dressed?"
The response was mumbled into the pillow. "Too tired.."
MacGyver slipped a hand under Daniel’s sweater and gripped him across the chest. “So warm..” he murmured against the auburn hair. Daniel curled and fitted himself to Mac’s frame better. Nothing else was said as both men drifted off to sleep.
* When Daniel woke again several hours later his eyes took a moment to adjust to the mountain of discarded objects on the floor beside the bed. A smile of recollection slowly crept across his face before he reached back, feeling for the warm bump in the bed beside him. Mac was on his side, facing away from him, and seemed to be right on the edge of the mattress. Daniel rolled over, slipped his hand under the waist elastic of Mac's boxer shorts and cupped a firm butt cheek firmly as he molded into the shape of Mac's sleeping body.
“I wouldn’t leave my hand there if I were you,” Mac mumbled into the pillow.
“Oh?”
“Trust me.”
Daniel laughed as he withdrew his hand from the warmth. The bed jounced as Mac rolled over and shifted to face him. His eyes failed to open but he nuzzled against Daniel like a baby looking to cuddle its mother, his face coming to rest on the curve of Daniel's throat. The younger man laced their fingers together while Mac murmured sleepily, “There are just some things I don’t want to share with you..”
Again, Daniel’s laughter shook the bed. “Thank you.”
“Not that there aren’t other bodily functions I wouldn’t mind sharing with you..” Mac muttered dopily as he sprawled both possessively and dopily over his paramour's limbs.
Through his suppressed laugh, Daniel wondered if Mac would recall this conversation when he fully woke up. “Well, thanks for not sharing that one..”
Rubbing his face into the pillow, for Daniel’s hair had tickled his nose, Mac murmured, “I don’t share.. because I care..”
That made Daniel laugh harder and he squeezed Mac’s hand within his own. He felt so very close to blurting out three little unsaid words that it was only the fact that Mac slipped his hand beneath Daniel's top and started to caress his chest with their joined hands as he murmured huskily into his ear, “You have such soft skin..” that Daniel didn’t verbalize the confession. The whisper had sent a shiver along Daniel’s body, making him feel incredibly warm, and very loved.
He picked up Mac’s hand and held it up to the morning light, looking at the tanned skin and downy hairs on his forearm. “I’d give anything for your tan,” he admitted before running his top lip over the hairs.
With a soft growl, indicating he wasn’t at all sleepy anymore, Mac shifted his arm to roll Daniel onto his back then he pushed the t-shirt out of the way to caress the smooth chest as he looked down into Daniel’s hooded eyes. “Give. Anything?” He broke out in his suggestive leer.
Daniel laughed again, pushed his hand into Mac’s face and pushed him away as he muttered, “Yeah, right..”
“I guess it’s actually my turn to give,” the older man agreed as he tugged at the belt and zipper of the pants Daniel had fallen asleep in then he made his way down the white skin towards the thatch of deep auburn curls. Daniel settled against the pillows, combed a hand through his hair to get it off his face and breathed out slowly.
“Yes,” he murmured happily, “I think it is your turn to..” He closed his eyes and sucked back a sharp breath as Mac engulfed him in his warm, wet mouth.
Just as he melted to the ministrations the phone beside the bed rang, surprising both men. Daniel groaned and placed his hand lightly on the back of Mac’s head to encourage him to keep going but when the phone refused to stop Mac raised his face and playfully growled, “Answer the damn thing!”
Daniel reached across and snatched up the receiver. “Yes?” After listening for a moment his hand found Mac’s face, which was hovering close to his groin, and he pushed him aside as he sat up in the bed. “No, I wasn’t asleep. What’s wrong?” His voice full of concern as he reached for his bedside clock. Mac didn’t like the tone of voice nor the look in the blue eyes as Daniel listened to the call. “When did this happen?” Whatever the answer to that was it made Daniel sigh, rub a hand into an eye and swear under his breath. Mac really didn’t like the sound of it now. “I can be there in about half an hour. No, that’s okay, I’ll get there as soon as I can.” He nodded, rolled his eyes as he listened further then said, “Jack, shut up now and I’ll get there faster. Okay. See you.”
He was off the bed and almost in the bathroom before he said, “I have to go to work.”
“Figured that out for myself,” Mac said, following him to the door.
“I’m sorry,” Daniel said as he stripped the clothes from his body and arranged the water temperature of the shower at the same time.
“Anything I can do to help?” Mac asked.
“Nothing.” The naked man disappeared under the spray only to reappear a moment later and said, “Except..”
Mac nodded. “Make you coffee.. I know-” He had already anticipated that request.
After a brief moment in the kitchen of whispered promises and kisses Daniel was out of the apartment, and out of Mac’s life – unexpectedly – for another week. On the sixth day of waiting Mac packed his gear, wrote Daniel a note and headed home to Los Angeles.
*
Three weeks later...
The men were together again, this time they’d managed two days of normality and contentedness, and even a few terse words as they fell over each other in the small apartment. Daniel had put in an uneventful day at work, studying an unusual artifact that they'd recently brought back on a mission, but it didn't hold the usual fascination for him and all he could think about was getting away from the Base.
Added to that was the fact that Jack and Teal'c had had some kind of disagreement, and Daniel wasn't sure if it was to do with the recent mission or something just between them, but whatever the problem was it was affecting morale on the team. He and Carter worked together on the artifact, leaving Jack and Teal'c free to fight in private.
That didn't mean Daniel wasn't there for his friend. He'd observed Jack and saw that the colonel was dealing with it in his usual manner, by keeping it to himself, and so as soon as he could Daniel packed away his research and hurried home to MacGyver.
It was getting late in the evening and the men were contently wrapped together in the living room; Mac was sitting on the sofa, Daniel lay with his head in his lap, and they both read novels by the same author, Joseph Hanson, about the same Death-Claims Investigator Dave Brandstetter. Daniel was on the book ‘Skinflick’ whilst Mac read a novel from earlier in the series ‘Death Claims’.
The men were cuddled up together in the warm yellow glow from a glass bead-fringed lamp, an antique passed on to Daniel by Catherine. When not turning the page, Mac’s fingers caressed Daniel’s face lovingly whilst the man in his lap looked up to watch Mac read from time to time. If he was ever caught doing it they shared a kiss or a comment before returning to their books.
“Are you a Private Investigator, Mac?” Daniel asked, breaking through the comfortable silence engulfing them. MacGyver had never fully explained to him what it was he did, other than the fact that he worked for the Phoenix Foundation years ago and now freelanced on jobs for old friends, mostly Pete and his associates.
The trouble-shooter gave that some thought, shrugged and said, “Of sorts.”
“Of sorts?” Daniel blinked and Mac stroked his thumb up the curve of Daniel's throat. The caressed man almost purred like a cat at the touch and that made Mac smile. “So what does an Investigator Of Sorts investigate?” Daniel opened his eyes slowly, not wanting to break the sweet moment between them. He was pleased to see a smile in return from his lover.
“Things.”
“Wow-” Daniel teased and licked his lips quickly. “Things. That.. that must be.. interesting.”
Mac smirked and suppressed a laugh as his thumb dragged gently across Daniel's lips. “So what does an Archaeologist do with the Military?”
They held their stare until Daniel said, “Things,” with a burgeoning smile.
Mac soon turned the cheeky grin into an uproar of laughter as he tickled Daniel and said, “If I tickle you will you tell me?”
Through gasps Daniel said, “I hate you! No!” as he squirmed across Mac’s lap, trying in vain to stop the attack. “Stop! Stop!” He managed to grip Mac around the waist.
Normally impervious to tickles, Mac just couldn’t help but fall whenever Daniel attacked him. He seemed to find the only right spots. But Mac was still in control at this stage, as he was the one sitting up. So Daniel slid off the lap and Mac followed him to the floor until they were a tangle of bodies, each vying for control but neither gaining supremacy fast. “Truce!” Daniel gasped and Mac’s hands flew up in the air, signaling his compliance.
Both men lay on the floor to catch their breath, still chuckling from the attack. Their heads were together but their bodies were at angles to each other. “God, I hate you,’ Daniel murmured as he swallowed. Mac laughed harder.
“I hate you too, Handsome.”
“I hurt now,” Daniel groused as he started to sit up, lifting his sweatshirt to show Mac the reddened skin. The older man pulled a face then leaned down to kiss the rosy patches.
“Let me kiss you better..” he murmured against the skin. Daniel tilted his face to the ceiling and inhaled deeply as Mac’s lips and tongue tended his skin. “All better,” Mac declared as he sat up and looked Daniel in the eye.
The younger man lowered his top and said, “Thank you. Now, do you feel like something sweet for supper?” He got to his feet and shot a remark over his shoulder that told Mac he knew him very well. “And I’m not on the menu!”
Mac laughed, scrambled to his feet and threw himself at Daniel, hooking himself around his lover. Together they stumbled towards the kitchen. “You know me way too well.”
Daniel reached back to cup MacGyver's butt. “Not too well.. but well enough.”
Suddenly the phone rang. Mac, the closest, reached for it and held it to Daniel’s ear. The younger man frowned and said, “Jackson,” as he took the receiver and checked his watch.
Mac watched as his face went pale and his mouth dropped open. “Is she all right?” Daniel shot a look in Mac’s direction then turned slightly away as he whispered, “The artifact from Px3-556? We were working on that this afternoon..” He listened some more then gave a soulful moan as he dropped his face into his free hand.
Mac placed his hand on Daniel’s back to show some support to his worried companion. “But she’s all right?” Daniel asked again. “Of course I am, Jack! I was the one that insisted we bring the damn thing back with us! God!”
Mac tried to catch the worried gaze. “Yes, yes, of course. I’ll come right away. She’s in the infirmary?” He nodded. “I’ll grab a few reference books from here and come in now. No, it’s okay. Tell her I’m on my way..” He stumbled then nodded and added, “when she wakes up then.”
He put the phone down and Mac grabbed both his shoulders to capture him before he wandered away in his worried-fill state. “Who’s been hurt?”
“Sam,” Daniel said then clamped his jaw as he swore under his breath to himself.
“It’s not your fault,” Mac said, having picked up that Daniel was blaming himself from the phone call.
The archaeologist looked at him a moment then said, “It is my fault. I discovered an artifact; I insisted it posed no threat. I wanted to study it..” He curled his fist tightly and gave a grunt as he continued to tell Mac, “Inside it was a gas that sprayed Sam when she tried to carry out a study I asked her to do..” He left off the rest of what he was thinking, /so I could be here with you/. He looked around for his keys. “I’m sorry Mac but I have to go.”
“I know. But look on the positive side.”
“Positive side?” he shot back sharply then realized Mac was only trying to help.
“She’s in an infirmary. If she was really, really bad, they’d have taken her to the hospital.”
Daniel stared at him. How could he explain how out of the ordinary his life really was? He knew he couldn’t. As he reached out and patted Mac’s shoulder he mumbled, “Thanks.” He turned towards the front door. Mac followed him to the bottom step.
“How long will you be?”
Daniel stopped at the bookshelf by his front door, pulled a few reference books off the bottom shelf and straightened up, clutching them to his chest. “I don’t know,” his voice was soft with worry. “I have some research to do to help Janet..”
“Shall I wait up?” Mac asked.
Again, Daniel felt the rift between their lives widen. He shook his head. “I don’t..” he shrugged. “It might take a while..”
Mac sighed, shifted his footing and put his hands on his hips before he looked up at the man on the landing by the front door. He climbed the steps and looked Daniel in the eye. “Your eyes are telling me it’s probably going to take longer than that.”
Daniel’s lips went tight. “I’m sorry. What can I say?” Genuine remorse filled the blue eyes.
Mac had heard this line before. That usually meant Daniel disappeared for days, even weeks. He nodded, bowed his head then said, “I’ll be here until the morning. Call me. If you don’t, I’ll head home tomorrow.”
“Mac..”
Sadness filled MacGyver’s eyes too. He pressed an open hand to the side of Daniel’s face, swept his thumb over his cheek and said, “I hope she’s okay.”
Daniel’s mouth moved in some kind of response but no sound came out. Mac stepped against him, gently kissed him then said, “Call, if you can.”
Daniel nodded, knowing full well that he would be too preoccupied over the next few hours to even think about calling, unless Sam improved considerably. Without another word he left the apartment.
He returned home three days later. Sam had made a full recovery, thanks to his relentless search for information about the artifact back on Px3-556 and his diligent and meticulous study of the object, cross referencing it with at least five known sources. Thanks also went to Jack and Teal’c who didn’t leave his side it seemed, and only to make sure Daniel got food or drink. One thing that passed through Daniel's mind during all this was that at least Jack and Teal'c seemed on track again.
On returning home, he was bone weary. He didn’t think he could feel worse than he did right now, until he looked down into the living room and saw the envelope on the coffee table. Without bothering to read it he went to his room and fell face down on his bed, where he slept for sixteen hours straight.
* One week later...
With Mac, Daniel knew life never got boring. He’d settle for boring sometimes, for routine, for predictable. Especially when he came home from work to an empty apartment, or when he flopped down dead-tired in his bed craving to be held by his absent partner, or when he woke and wished that there he was in the bed beside him.
Standing by the window he watched the snow drift down outside and wondered if Mac was going to be around for Christmas. It was less than a week away and would be their first together. He blew across the steaming coffee and took a sip.
The front door banged shut and Daniel turned to wait for Mac come into the living room. He’d been to the store to get in some supplies after turning up out of the blue. When he came in late last night Daniel was still awake reading a biographical book on Elton John. Mac had been particularly frisky from the exhilarating ride in the snow, whilst Daniel was mellow, warmed by good red wine and soft music, Elton’s Love Songs, of course.
They made love until the morning, not consecutively but throughout the night, after small naps. This morning Mac’s face again held the fresh glow of winter in its pink cheeks and red lips. Daniel grinned as his lover came and stood in front of him, the light reflective off the snow outside danced in the soft brown eyes, a wanton smile filled his cheeky face.
“What?” Daniel asked.
“You look do-able, standing here, unshaven, bed-hair, your robe.. .” He dropped the robe off one of Daniel’s shoulders- “Opps...falling off you..”
Daniel rounded his shoulder and repositioned the robe. “It is not falling off me..”
“Then it’s parting at the front,” Mac said as he slipped his hand between the edges and wrapped his arms around Daniel’s bare body inside, cupping a bare butt cheek in his cold hand.
“I have a coffee in my hand..”
“So will be your epitaph, my love,” Mac teased and Daniel laughed.
“You’re in a good mood..”
“Hmmm, what could have done that, I wonder?” Mac murmured against Daniel’s warm throat.
“I wonder,” the younger man sighed as teeth nibbled him delicately.
“Do you know what I thought..” Mac said, looking into the blue eyes once more. Daniel grinned mischievously.
“That you want to take me to my room and ‘do’ me again?”
Mac’s happy smile turned lecherous. “Well, yeah sure..” he leered as he stepped Daniel backwards towards the bedroom. “But what I really thought was to hell with cooking lunch. Why don’t we go out and have a proper meal somewhere?”
Daniel stepped backwards up the steps then backed across to the bedroom door. “That sounds suspiciously like a date to me.”
Mac grinned lasciviously. “Could be.”
“You getting serious about me, Mr. MacGyver..?” he joked. Mac steered him into the bedroom, took the cup Daniel was still holding from him and put it on the bedside table.
He pushed him back onto the bed, carefully cradling his head as they went down together. “After nine months, Dr. Jackson, I should hope so.” He closed his mouth over Daniel’s and kissed him tenderly. <<End of part>>
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | More to come....
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slidaproductions April2003
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