Yard Work
Daniel glanced around him at the dirt, mud and rocks. He shook his head, not able to quite believe he'd volunteered for this duty. The sun beat down, yanking what little moisture he had from him in the form of rivers of sweat which were running down his body. It had to be over one hundred degrees - in the shade no less - not that he was afforded the luxury of working in the shade.
Daniel's shovel bit into the unforgiving ground, glancing off yet another rock. He grunted as he felt his gloved hands slip on the wooden handle, the material of the glove rubbing the already sore area between thumb and forefinger. He yanked the glove off and clamped his mouth over the stinging skin. Even through the tough work gloves he was developing blisters.
Jack walked up beside him. "Easy there, Daniel. Not going to be helpful if you die of sunstroke."
"Thanks for the concern," Daniel growled as he sipped from a canteen.
"You could have stayed back – "
"I know, I know," Daniel said bluntly, cutting him off. "We're almost done here anyway."
Jack looked around happily. "And Carter doesn't think I know how to handle logistics."
"Is that what you call this?" Daniel sniped. "I thought it was torture on a mass scale."
"Now now," Jack mocked. "Let's not get pissy." He turned to walk back over to his own dig area.
"You've haven't seen pissy," Daniel snarled under his breath.
"I heard that," Jack sing songed back to him.
"Ears like a goddamned bat," Daniel groused as he turned his aggression to the stubborn rock beneath him.
++++
"I can't believe this," Carter said as she looked around her. "Sir, this is amazing!"
"Yes it is," Jack said happily. He looked up as Carter and Janet Fraiser walked toward him.
Janet, unsure of what would greet her upon her arrival, shook her head in surprise. "All this in one day?"
"Oh yeah," Jack practically grunted with primal joy.
"With the help of half the SGC," Daniel said as he eased his sore and tired body toward the group. "And one very trusting, naive and now very sunburned, thank you very much, archeologist."
"Couldn't have done it without you," Jack said, raising his canteen in a toast.
"Daniel, did you even use sun block?" Janet asked him, moving close to examine the red shoulders and back exposed by the dirty and dingy tank top.
"He used so much I'm surprised he didn't slip clear back to the SGC all on his own," Jack said with a twinkle in his eye.
"It'll be fine," Daniel said, shooting a dirty look to his C.O. "I don't think it's going to blister - just - sting - for awhile."
"You look exhausted," Carter said.
"I am," he said as he sat down on a large rock.
"Hey, don't sit on that!" Jack yelped. "That's got the pump in it!"
Daniel shot to his feet immediately and then spun on Jack. "Well, where the hell are your lawn chairs then?"
"I put all that away so we had room to work."
"This is the last time I let you talk me into coming over to do 'a little yard work' with you." Daniel flopped down onto the shaded cement of Jack's back patio. "I mean, who the hell ever heard of a 'sod laying party?' I should have known better."
Carter and Fraiser tried to cover their laughter by turning around to view the new landscaping.
"You two knew!" Daniel said, sitting up and pointing at them. "You knew what he was going to do to me and you didn't say a word!"
"You volunteered," Carter said with a snicker. She'd heard rumors that heavy labor would be involved. She chose absence as the better part of wisdom.
"You could have warned me," Daniel barked. "And here I got you that expensive chocolate for your birthday and you didn't even care enough to tell me that this - mad man - was going to tear out his entire back yard and re-landscape the whole damned thing in one day."
"Don't forget putting in the new water feature tomorrow," Jack added brightly. He continued to turn the hamburgers over on the grill.
"Oh yes . . . how could I forget that?" Daniel groaned. He pulled himself to his feet and kicked off his grimy shoes. "I'm using your shower."
"Feel free," Jack smiled.
"I'm not going to clean it afterward, either," Daniel sniped as he walked into the house. "And I'm going to leave hair on your soap."
"Now that's just disgusting," Jack scowled.
"Bite me!" came the shouted reply as Daniel walked deeper into the house.
"Okay everybody, dinner's about ready!" Jack shouted to the assembled crowd milling around his house. Sam and Janet laughed as they helped set out the food in the dining room and people came in to wash their hands.
Daniel joined them a few minutes later, dressed in clean clothes and looking like he felt much better. He accepted a plate of food from Sam as he walked outside to take a seat on the grass on the side of the house - the part that hadn't been torn up.
"Teal'c," came Jack's voice, "you've got burger duty while I go take a shower."
The large Jaffa, who'd managed to avoid the work detail at his commander's house, walked regally to the grill to take over.
Daniel smiled at Sam. "I can't believe you didn't tell me," he stated again, giving her a little nudge with his shoulder.
"I just had a feeling," Sam said, nibbling the salad on her plate. "But you can't tell me you didn't have fun today."
Daniel rolled his eyes. "He was in rare form," he admitted grudgingly.
"I bet," and Sam said with a grin. "How'd you all get so muddy?"
"Siler hit a sprinkler line," Daniel said around a mouthful of hamburger.
"What'd the Colonel do?"
Daniel snickered. "Just handed him a wrench and kept digging."
"Well it all looks great. I can't wait to see it when it's done."
"You think he's in the shower right now?" Daniel asked, wiping his mouth and setting down his plate.
"Must be by now. Why?"
"Oh, no reason," Daniel said, rising to his feet and trotting into the house. A few seconds after he'd disappeared inside, he came bolting back out, the sound of loud bellowing following him out the door. Daniel quickly sat down beside Sam, the low chuckle emanating from his throat telling her that he'd been up to no good.
"DAMMIT DANIEL!"
The assembled crowd roared its approval as Daniel stood and gave a low, formal bow.
"What did you do?" Sam asked.
"Jack has a little plumbing problem," he said, laughing. "You can't turn the hot water on in the kitchen while someone's in the shower. It turns the shower ice cold in an instant."
"You didn't," Sam gasped.
"Oh I did," Daniel laughed. "He deserved it."
A very soggy Jack O'Neill appeared at the edge of the yard, hair dripping wet and clothes clinging damply to his body. "You little shit!"
"You needed to cool off," Daniel said smugly. Trying to hide a smile, Jack turned to re-enter the house.
++++
Daniel awoke to light knocking. He went to roll over and groaned as every muscle in his body complained. "Daniel?"
Disoriented, he opened his eyes. He turned his head toward the door and realized he was still at Jack's, apparently having slept in the guest room. Daniel merely grunted in response.
"Hey," Jack smiled, setting a cup of coffee on the dresser by the door. "We should get an early start. I just heard on the weather it's supposed to be even hotter today than it was yesterday."
Daniel groaned hugely. "Oh god, do we have to?"
Jack smiled sympathetically. "No, Daniel, you don't have to. I can finish it up."
Daniel got up slowly, wincing as his sore muscles complained. "It'll be faster with two. I'll be out in a few minutes."
Jack nodded and left him to it.
++++
Daniel ambled out onto the back patio as he sipped on his second cup of coffee. The air was still cool and pleasant. He watched as Jack levered one of the large decorative boulders into place by the new water feature in the far corner of the yard. Jack had already divested himself of his shirt and the jeans he was wearing had seen better days by far. Daniel sighed and set the ceramic mug on a small table then followed one of the stone foot paths through the yard to where Jack was working. There was a soft 'thump' as the boulder fell to the ground in just the right spot. Jack grinned up at Daniel. "How are you feeling?"
"Like I'm not twenty years old anymore," Daniel sighed sadly as he tied a bandana around his head, securing it tightly. "Where do we start?" He yanked his t-shirt off and tossed it aside.
Jack began to instruct him in what he thought was the most efficient way of stacking the pre-formed concrete boulders into place. Daniel nodded and the two men wordlessly began working to stack the rocks into the prescribed pattern. It was mid-morning by the time they'd finished the second tier and the temperature was climbing rapidly.
"Daniel, I need room to move back down," Jack growled.
"If I move this whole thing is going to go. Climb over me."
"I can't," Jack snapped. "There's not enough room over on the side."
"I don't give a rat's ass, Jack! Do something or this thing is going to crush my shoulder!"
"Fercryinoutloud," Jack grumbled and lowered himself between the rocks and Daniel's body. As he slid himself down into the cramped space, he felt the skin all along the length of his back drag across Daniel's smooth chest and stomach. His stomach knotted and he felt his breathing quicken abruptly. He was surprised at the strength of the arousal which gripped him for a moment before finally shaking his head to clear his thoughts. He braced his hands against the rock and helped Daniel finish shoving it along the top of another until it settled into it's spot. Daniel fell to his knees, rubbing at his shoulder that had been holding up the majority of the weight.
"I need a break," Daniel panted.
"We've only got one more to go then we're done," Jack said tiredly. "The guys are bringing the pond by in a couple hours. We need to have this finished." He kept his back to Daniel, trying to hide his obvious reaction to the contact with the scholar's hot, sweaty skin.
Daniel looked up angrily then nodded. You volunteered, came Sam's taunting voice through his mind. This will be the last damned time, Daniel thought.
"You okay?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, fine," Daniel said and grunted as he stood up. "Let's just get this done."
The last boulder was no easier to get into place than the former and the men had to climb and crawl over one another to keep the momentum of their work going upward instead of crashing to the ground in a heap. Daniel found himself braced halfway across Jack's body, leg's intertwined as they fought to secure the piece of concrete in place. His foot slipped from it's perch on the fence and he caught himself against Jack's back with his hand. He felt every muscle tense and tighten under his palm as Jack fought to balance the additional weight that he'd just been forced to support. Daniel could feel the texture of Jack's skin, the heat of his flesh and the taught, corded muscles of his upper back. The contact sent a shockwave through him that caught him off guard and he sucked in a breath in surprise.
"Daniel!"
"Sorry," Daniel huffed and regained his hold on the stone. After a few more frustrated shoves, they heard and felt the two pieces interlock and both men fell to the freshly dug dirt below.
"That's it," Daniel said, trying to catch his breath. "I'm dead. Bury me here. Tell General Hammond I said goodbye." He covered his red, sweaty face with both arms. "Tell Sam she can have my stereo."
"I wanted your stereo," Jack panted.
"Screw you," Daniel groaned as he rolled up and onto his knees. "After what you put me through this weekend, you get nothing."
"But you have my undying gratitude," Jack managed weakly.
"Big deal," Daniel said with a disgusted wave behind him as he headed in to the house and another shower.
"Leave some hot water for me," Jack yelled.
"Fuck you!" Daniel shouted back.
Jack lay in the cool dirt for awhile longer and began to smile. This was a side of Daniel no one got to see but him. Petulant, sarcastic and bad tempered. Jack sighed as he realized that there were feelings that had come to the surface during this weekend that he hadn't wanted to examine too closely before. Now they were demanding attention - among various other parts of his body.
"You Jack O'Neill?" came a voice from the side of the house. Jack arched his head back and saw a large man in dingy coveralls waiting by the side of his house. "We got your tub."
"Bring it on over," Jack said with a wave.
"Uh, yer gonna need to move," said the man uncertainly.
"Yeah, I'm working on that," Jack said. "Bring that thing through the garage. And stay on the walkways. We just laid this sod yesterday."
The man shrugged and disappeared again. Jack slowly climbed to his feet to get out of their way.
++++
"Daniel!" Jack called nearly two hours later. He walked into the house and looked around for the young man and found him sprawled face down on the guest room bed, dressed only in clean running shorts. Jack knelt down by the bed and patted the younger man on the shoulder. "Daniel," he said, much more quietly.
" 'ck off," Daniel growled into a pillow.
Jack chuckled. "Daniel, come on and see. They've got it finished and hooked up."
Daniel rolled his head to look at Jack, his eyes blearily making contact with the brown ones staring at him intently.
"I'm sleeping," Daniel said threateningly.
"Come on," Jack said with a huge smile. He stood up and walked out the bedroom door.
With a loud groan Daniel pushed himself up and off the bed, stumbling sleepily through the house and outside once again. The heat hit him like a fist and he squinted against the bright mid-day sun. Jack stood on the edge of the newly built grotto and spread out his arms. "Well?"
Daniel blinked, amazed at the difference a little running water made. "Wow."
"Great, isn't it?" Jack crowed. The water fell over the large boulders in a steady loud stream, tumbling into a bubbling froth in the converted hot tub below.
Daniel hurried over the sun-hot bricks of the walkway and came to rest in the shade beside Jack. "I didn't think it would be so big."
"I got the four person instead of the two. They made me a deal." Jack held his hand under the water. "Just the right temperature."
"It's great," Daniel said, his face finally breaking into a smile.
"We do good work," Jack said proudly. "You hungry? I'll buy you the biggest lunch you can eat."
Daniel gave Jack a small, apologetic smile. "How about we do dinner instead? I'm still unbelievably tired."
"Sure," Jack said amiably. "Let's get back into the house where it's cool. It's going to be a killer out here today."
++++
Daniel was nudged awake by the sound of thunder. He lay very still, feeling his surroundings and finally realized he was - still - at Jack's. He turned his head and looked up at the clock. It was a little bit after three in the afternoon. He turned his gaze toward the small night stand and smiled when he saw the aspirin and bottle of water beside his glasses. He sat up, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed and digging his toes into the thick, plush carpet beneath his feet. He shook out some aspirin into his hand and swallowed them back with the water. He sighed heavily. Even in the air-conditioned house it was overly warm.
Throwing off the shorts, he dug around in his bag for a clean pair of jeans and a tank top. Once dressed, he scuffled into the living room. He smiled as he saw the older man sprawled on the couch, snoring quietly. Just then a particularly loud crack of thunder sounded and shook the house. All the electrical appliances turned off. Jack sat up quickly and looked around him. When his eyes fell on Daniel, he frowned in question.
"Thunderstorm," Daniel answered. "The electricity just went out." There was a small hum and then the sound of the fridge restarting. It was Daniel's turn to look at Jack.
"Generator. Had it installed last year," Jack said as he eased up off the couch, rubbing his low back.
"You okay?" Daniel asked, still sipping on his water.
"Just a little stiff," Jack grunted as he stretched. "The old grey mare just ain't what she used to be."
"I'm up for that food now," Daniel said hopefully.
Jack nodded and yawned, walking slowly toward the bathroom. "Be with you in just a minute."
++++
"This was a good idea," Jack said as he sat down on the blanket beside Daniel.
"I like coming up here when there's a storm rolling through," Daniel said as he opened the container of hot chicken. He tossed four pieces on a plate and handed them to Jack who grunted his thanks while dishing out potato salad and fresh rolls. They sat beneath the open tail gate of Jack's truck so that any rain that fell wouldn't ruin their meal.
"Of course, this can't be considered the safest environment at the moment," Jack said as he watched a bolt of lightening streak through the sky.
"We'll be fine," Daniel said with a small smile.
Both men dove into their food, eating hungrily and speaking very little. Simply sitting and watching the lightening around them seemed to be enough. Jack's mind stubbornly focused on the events of earlier in the day and his close-body contact with the man currently sitting next to him. To say that he was surprised by the strength his reactions was an understatement.
He'd always been a highly tactile individual. He remembered Sarah commenting to one of her friends that Jack had to keep her within arm's reach. It had been true. Jack would continually reach out, just to feel her near him, enjoy the softness of her skin, run his fingers up into her hair just above the nape of her neck. Even when they were grocery shopping, he remembered, he'd have his hand on her somehow.
When he'd been with Daniel today, working hard to keep them both from getting crushed by the rocks, the sensation of his skin sliding over Daniel's had nearly been too much to take. He'd hoped Daniel had been far to pre-occupied to notice how aroused Jack had become - then and now.
Daniel munched away at his meal, keeping his plate seated securely in his lap. The last thing he needed was for Jack to see what just being near him today did. Daniel laughed at himself quietly. If he'd been with a woman right now, and not his presumably straight male friend, he wouldn't have given a second thought to leaning over and kissing her. Thunderstorms affected him on a visceral level and one of his biggest fantasies had been to make love in a summer down pour with lightening flashing all around and the thunder mixing with the moans of he and his lover.
Suddenly a gust of wind whipped in under the tail gate, blowing napkins and extra paper plates around. Jack moved quickly to snag most of them before they blew away, which in turn caused him to sprawl over onto his side. Daniel looked over quickly and couldn't help but notice the prominent bulge filling the front of Jack's jeans. He snapped his face away quickly and tried not to choke on the mouthful of chicken he had. Jack reorganized himself and went back to eating.
Deciding quickly, Daniel put his plate down and turned to face Jack. The older man looked at him while chewing the last of his dinner roll. "Daniel?"
Daniel reached out and took Jack's plate and set it carefully aside. As calmly as he could he pointed to Jack's crotch. "Is that for me?"
Jack inhaled the bread in his mouth and Daniel spent the next several moments trying to ensure that Jack didn't choke to death. "Jesus Christ!" Jack coughed then took a long drink of soda. "I beg your pardon?"
"I couldn't help noticing," Daniel said, sitting back where he had been before, "that my proximity seems to be affecting you today, so I asked if that was for me."
Jack blanched white while he stared, open mouthed, at Daniel, then flamed crimson. "It's not . . . I mean, you don't think . . . cause it isn't what you . . . because I know you're not . . ."
Daniel merely rolled his eyes impatiently and leaned in close to Jack, pressing his lips against the still stammering mouth. Jack went perfectly still for a long minute before pulling slowly away from his friend. Daniel licked his lips, tasting the sweet taste of cola and Jack that remained behind. He sat back and regarded his friend. "Well?"
"Huh?" Jack grunted, confusion beginning to cloud his eyes.
"What do you think?"
"What was that?" Jack asked blankly.
"I thought it was a kiss. Albeit not one of my best, but . . ."
"I know it was a kiss," Jack stated a little too calmly. "I'm just wondering why."
"Because you wanted me to," Daniel responded.
"Did not," Jack defended.
"Did so," Daniel countered.
"Didn't."
"Did."
"Didn't."
"You know you did otherwise you wouldn't be sporting . . . that," Daniel concluded, waving his hand in the direction of Jack's groin.
Jack looked down as if stunned that he actually possessed the offending appendage. "It has a mind of its own."
"Don't they all?" grumbled Daniel sympathetically. "If it helps, I'm pretty much in the same state here. Have been for awhile. Thunderstorms sort of . . . do things to me."
"So, what - this is weather related?" Jack asked.
"Look," Daniel said, the fear of rejection evident in his voice, "just forget it. I'm sorry I kissed you. I won't ever do anything like that again." He began shoving the remnants of the dinner into the bags.
"Daniel," Jack said.
"No, Jack, really. Just pretend it never happened. Let's just go back to your house, I'll get my stuff and head home. I've got a ton of laundry to do after this weekend."
"I already did it," Jack said softly. "While you were sleeping. Hey, come on . . . let's at least talk about this."
"No, there's really no point. I was willing to pursue something out of the ordinary and special, but it is obvious from your reaction that I am really, really playing in the wrong ball park."
Daniel stood up, pushing up the tailgate as he went. He tossed the bags into the back of the truck and reached down to snatch up the blanket, tugging on it until Jack finally rolled off. Jack watched his friend, wondering what he should do. He knew that Daniel had done something very difficult for him and Jack's male ego wouldn't let him admit that he'd wanted to do the same thing, only first.
Taking a deep breath, he stepped over to Daniel's side and grabbed his hands, wrestling the blanket from the stubborn grip. "You just surprised me, that's all."
"You're not the only one who's been surprised today," Daniel said through grit teeth.
Jack lay the blanket aside and grabbed Daniel's hand, awkwardly placing it over his crotch. "Yes, this is for you."
Daniel blinked a few times rapidly then looked down at his hand. Carefully he cupped Jack in his palm and gave a gentle squeeze. Jack sucked in a breath and placed his other hand firmly on the truck to steady himself. Daniel looked back up at Jack, taking the older man's long fingered hand and putting it over the zipper of his jeans. "I have one for you, too."
Jack's eyes went wide. He swallowed and took a step back. "Let's get back to the house," he said, his voice thick and husky.
"But, I thought . . ." Daniel said, confused.
"I know," Jack smiled. "Let's just . . . get back to the house." Just then a bone jarring clap of thunder sounded, causing Daniel to jump as he looked around at the encroaching storm. "I have a new water feature I'd like to try sometime before the night's done, Daniel."
Daniel's eyes flew open in understanding. "Let's go," he said, hurrying around to the passenger side of the truck.
++++
"This is such a monumentally bad idea in so many ways," Daniel laughed as he and Jack stripped their clothes off quickly.
"What? Being outside in a thunderstorm underneath a couple trees while immersed in a few hundred gallons of water? Why would this be a bad idea?" Jack chuckled as he pulled off his shoes and threw them aside.
"Have you ever done this before?" Daniel asked.
Jack suddenly stopped and stared at the naked man before him.
Daniel tried to look everywhere but at Jack, feeling the warmth begin to creep into his face.
"Jesus, Daniel. I never really noticed before. You're . . . gorgeous."
Jack quickly dispensed with the rest of his clothes and Daniel found it was his turn to stare. "So are you, Jack." Then with his throat dry as a desert he asked, "Have you?"
"Been with a guy before?" Jack shrugged. "Sorta," he said with a sly look. "You?"
"Sorta," Daniel answered with the same look. Daniel stepped into the tub and was surprised at how comfortable the water was. Jack joined him and they settled down together. "You nervous?" Daniel asked.
"I was, but not any more," Jack said as he looked into Daniel's face. Lightening flashed across the sky as he captured Daniel's mouth in a searing kiss.
++++
Rain beat down in sheets around them, threatening to overflow the water in the tub. Daniel wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders as the man ground his groin into and around Daniel's. Moaning deep in his throat, Daniel felt the swell of the thunder through the ground, heard it's deafening roar around him. He clutched Jack tighter, eagerly dropping his head back as his throat and neck were devoured in hot, biting kisses.
"Danny . . . ahh gawwwd," Jack groaned, his movements becoming erratic. Daniel opened his eyes just as a spider web of lightening shot across the sky. He surged his hips up into Jack and yelled as the orgasm tore through him. Another blast of thunder split the air as Daniel shot the first ribbon of come against Jack's stomach and Jack followed him quickly over the edge.
++++
"Colonel O'Neill," greeted General Hammond as he took his place at the briefing table, "I understand your 'sod laying party' was a big success."
"You could say that, sir," Jack smiled. Out the corner of his eye he could see Daniel duck his head, pretending to peruse the report before him. "Got it done just in time for the storm."
General Hammond laid his own reports out methodically before him. "So is that it for the home improvement projects around the house this year?" he asked distractedly.
"Oh you know how yard work is, sir. You just get done and damned if you don't have to start all over again."
- finis -
