Escape

Escape

zoodenizen

Jack was awakened by the early morning light shining through the bedroom window. He sighed softly and stretched feeling the weight and warmth of the body beside him in the bed.

Once, he would have rolled over and watched Daniel as the weak sunlight shined in on his beautiful face and brought out the golden highlights in his hair. Watching Daniel sleep had been a rare opportunity in the two years since they became lovers. A privilege allowed only on the occasions when they weren’t off-world and could spend the whole night together.

Today, he rolled out of bed and headed for the bathroom to shower. Daniel slept on; undisturbed by Jack rising.

Jack opened the front door and, wearing only a worn pair of grey sweats, walked down his front steps to get the newspaper. He knew Daniel would be stirring upstairs and planned to follow their normal Saturday morning routine of returning to bed with coffee and the newspaper to laze away the morning together.

Jack felt like he and Daniel had fallen into a rut. The fire had gone out of their relationship lately. Easy comfort more often than not had become boredom. Jack knew that he still loved Daniel. He felt an ache in his heart at just the thought of Daniel no longer being a part of his life but sometimes, lately, he wondered if they were not meant to spend their lives together as lovers; that maybe they were meant to be only best friends.

Jack shook his head, annoyed with himself. Examining his feelings wasn’t his thing. Daniel was the one who always wanted to talk about everything. If Daniel didn’t think there was a problem then Jack was probably just blowing everything out of proportion. Some difficult missions with the two of them disagreeing more than was normal even for them had probably left him feeling uneasy. God knows he wasn’t very good at relationships anyway. Look at where things with Sara had ended up and he couldn’t blame it all on the devastation of losing Charlie. Couples survived the loss of a child all the time and he and Sara had begun drifting apart long before they had lost their son.

Jack was determined not to screw things up with Daniel. They had always had tension in their relationship, even when they were just friends but he’d never felt more content and whole than when he was with Daniel. He hoped that what they had was enough to keep them happy and together through all the rough spots they would have in their lives.

He went back inside and put the coffee on. As soon as it was ready he headed back upstairs. They didn’t have any special plans for the day. Daniel had a translation to work on for SG-14 and Jack planned on taking care of some long overdue yard work; just your ordinary, common, boring day at home.

When Jack walked into the bedroom juggling two mugs of coffee and the folded newspaper, Daniel, wearing nothing but a pair of navy blue boxers, was returning from the bathroom. They met just inside the doorway and Daniel reached for one of the mugs and kissed Jack softly and deeply.

Daniel smiled. “Good morning.” He lifted his mug towards his mouth, absorbing the steam and aroma of his own personal idea of ambrosia, and said, “Thanks, Jack,” before taking a sip of the hot black coffee.

Chuckling, Jack steered Daniel back over to the bed. “One of these days, Daniel, I’m just going to hook you up to an IV.”

“One of these days, Jack, I’m going to let you,” Daniel responded as he climbed back into the bed next to Jack.

They settled in their normal position. Jack, with the pillows piled behind him, leaning back against the headboard and Daniel cuddled up against his chest. Jack handed Daniel the front pages and pulled apart the paper to get to the sports section.

Flipping through the classifieds to get to the sports Jack’s eye was caught by the personals. These are always good for a laugh. I wonder what weirdos are looking for a date today.

“ENDANGERED SPECIES. Pretty tigress with great lines, swift motion, easy to look at and listen to. Wishes to climb treetops with energetic, well-manned, fleet footed tiger, 54 plus, to maneuver through modern day jungle. Your den or mine.”

“FLOAT MY BOAT. DWF, kayak built for two. Come fill my back seat. Join me in a fun life. Hurry, do not miss the boat. 50+.”

Looking up from the news story he was reading, Daniel asked,” What’s so funny.”

“These personals are a riot. All these bizarre people out there looking to hook up with other bizarre people, they always crack me up.”

“That’s not funny, Jack,” Daniel said as he sat up. Jack could tell he was getting ready to go into lecture mode and decided to cut him off at the pass.

“I know, I know. There are a lot of very nice, normal people looking for other very nice, normal people. But, you gotta admit there are some very strange people placing ads.”

Daniel’s exasperation was obvious but he settled back down against Jack’s chest. And, after one final quelling look up at Jack from under his lashes he returned to his part of the paper.

Jack went back to the personals and immediately spotted an ad that for some reason seemed to be speaking only to him.

“If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain. And the feel of the ocean, and the taste of champagne. If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape. You're the love that I've looked for, come with me, and escape."

He didn’t understand exactly why, but three days later, Jack still couldn’t get that personal ad out of his mind. He loved Daniel with his whole heart; more than he’d ever loved anyone except Charlie. It was stupid to be obsessing over some hokey ad in the personals.

“If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain?” How foolish is that?

“And the feel of the ocean, and the taste of champagne?” Who talks like that anymore?

“ If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape. You're the love that I've looked for, come with me, and escape?" It sounds like something from one of those annoying chick-flicks.

Only, no matter how many times he told himself that he was being ridiculous and was risking the love and respect of the most generous and amazing person he’d ever met Jack still couldn’t let it go.

Daniel rolled his eyes and walked out onto the deck overlooking the yard. Leaning against the railing next to Jack he looked over at his lover.

Jack saw the little furrow appear in the center of Daniel’s forehead that meant that he was trying to decide what his next move was going to be.

After a moment of watching Jack, Daniel spoke. “What’s been bothering you this past week?”

Jack looked away from Daniel and returned his gaze to the yard in front of him. He’d been standing out here looking at nothing and trying to wrestle his thoughts into submission for several minutes. Before that he’d done his level best to wear himself out by mowing the lawn, trimming the hedges, and washing his truck.

None of it was working. Nothing seemed to get those words from last weekend out of his head.

He’d known that he wasn’t going to be able to keep his turmoil from Daniel. There wasn’t anyone else alive who knew him the way that Daniel did. It was only a matter of time before Daniel decided that it was time to confront Jack; to talk things over. He was surprised that Daniel had waited as long as he had.

“Bothering me? Nothing’s bothering me. It’s just your over-active imagination Daniel.”

Knowing that this talk was inevitable didn’t mean that he had to make it easy.

“You’ve been withdrawn and distant since last Saturday. I know that you have something on your mind, Jack. Whatever is bothering you, I want to try to help. Unless…is it me? Did I do something to upset you?”

“No! Of course not.” Jack turned to Daniel. Reaching out he pulled Daniel into his arms, hugging Daniel tightly to his body. “It’s not you Daniel. I swear.”

Pulling back a little, but not letting go of Daniel, he looked directly into Daniel’s intense blue eyes. He stroked the backs of the fingers of his right hand across Daniel’s cheekbone. He spoke quietly and intensely, determined to convince Daniel of his sincerity.

“I love you, Daniel, and I promise you that what’s bothering me has nothing to do with anything that you have or haven’t done. This is something that I need to work out on my own right now.”

“Jack, we’re partners in this relationship.” Daniel cupped his right hand over Jack’s neck. He stroked his thumb up and down on Jack’s throat never taking his eyes away from Jack’s. “Whatever upsets you upsets me too, because it hurts me to see you suffering. I want to help, Jack, but I can’t do that if you won’t talk to me.”

“I just need a little time, Daniel. I promise, when I get this sorted out in my head I’ll tell you all about it. In fact, you’ll be the first person that I talk to. How’s that sound?”

Daniel stilled completely and looked intently into Jack’s eyes for several seconds before finally nodding an affirmative.

Jack leaned forward and eliminated the few inches of space between them to capture Daniel’s full, sensuous lips in a deep and passionate kiss. He slid his hands under the loose grey button-down shirt that Daniel had worn untucked all day long. The feel of Daniel’s warm, silky skin was enough to bring Jack close to the boiling point. He needed Daniel. Right now.

“Let’s move this inside, Flyboy, before we give the neighbors a show.” Jack felt more than he heard the words that Daniel breathed onto his lips.

Hooking his fingers into the waistband of Daniel’s jeans he pulled Daniel toward the house.

“Then we better get inside, Danny, or the neighbors are going to get the shock of their lives.”

Laughing, Daniel allowed himself to be dragged into the house and up to the bedroom.

He’d sent a response to the author of that personal ad. It wasn’t Shakespeare but he though that it got the point across.

He’d spent the whole weekend thinking about what to do. Finally, at about 3 a.m. Monday morning he’d decided. He’d write to the author of the ad and invite the man to dinner tomorrow night at O’Malley’s. Either the guy wouldn’t show up, the guy would show up and they’d hate each other, or the guy would show up and they’d have nothing in common and no chemistry and Jack would once and for all have gotten this…this…insanity out of his system. He’d go back to Daniel happier than ever.

He didn’t, not for one second, contemplate what he would do if the two of them hit it off.

The Mystery Man was almost twenty minutes late. Jack was beginning to think that he’d been stood up and wasn’t entirely sure if he was relieved or disappointed.

O’Malley’s was busy for a Tuesday night. The pool tables were all in use, several tables were occupied by people eating a late dinner, and the bar only had a couple of stools empty of patrons. There were even a few couples out on the dance floor swaying to some romantic song playing on the jukebox.

Jack sighed and wondered, for the hundredth time since he arrived, what he was doing here. He was risking a hell of a lot for some crazy notion. He should leave; just walk out the door and never look back.

Instead he took another swallow of his beer and turned towards the door, hoping to see his blind date walking in. Although, how he would know it was his date he had no idea. Maybe the man had already come in and was sitting at the bar, right now, waiting and looking for Jack.

Just as he was about to turn back towards the bar to give the men sitting on the other stools the once over in the hope that he would spot one that looked like a man waiting for his blind date, Jack spotted Daniel walking in the door.

What was Daniel doing here? He was supposed to be working late with Nyan cataloging some artifacts brought back through the ’gate by SG-11.

As he stared at Daniel, Jack noticed Daniel look at his watch and frown and then look around the room. He realized that Daniel appeared to be looking for someone that he had arranged to meet. A meeting that Daniel not only didn’t tell him about but that Daniel had lied to him to about.

Furious with Daniel, and for the moment forgetting that Jack had also lied to Daniel about what he was going to be doing that night, Jack slammed his beer down onto the bar and stalked over towards Daniel.

When he was halfway to the door Daniel spotted him and his eyes widened in shock.

When Jack was about a foot away Daniel spoke, “Jack? Wh…what are you doing here? I thought you were going to the Colorado Rockies game with Ferretti tonight?”

Jack stopped the moment Daniel reminded him of his little white lie. The one he’d told to keep Daniel from coming over to Jack’s after he’d finished his work.

Suddenly Daniel’s mouth dropped open. “Yes, I like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain. I'm not much into health food, I am into champagne. I've got to meet you by tomorrow noon, and cut through all this red tape. At a bar called O'Malley's, where we'll plan our escape."

Jack stopped trying to come up with a reasonable explanation of why he was at O’Malley’s when he was supposed to be at a baseball game as soon as he realized what Daniel was saying, or rather, quoting.

“I…Wait a minute! Are you saying that you were the one who wrote that ad in the personals?”

Daniel began to laugh. A loud, deep belly laugh that was contagious because after a moment Jack joined him.

When they finally calmed down they moved over to the bar. Jack reclaimed his beer and Daniel ordered a glass of white wine from the bartender.

The moment Daniel finished paying for his wine Jack spoke. “I had been feeling restless lately, discontented, like something was missing. When I saw that ad…I don’t know. It just appealed to me for reasons that I can’t explain, even to myself. I love you, Daniel, very much but…”

“We’d gotten complacent.” Daniel finished Jack’s sentence for him, just like always. It was just one more sign of how connected to each other they were.

Daniel twirled the stem of his wine glass as he spoke, keeping his eyes mostly on the bar surface. “I don’t know why I wrote that ad. I don’t want to leave you, Jack. I feel, for the first time in my life like I’ve finally found where I belong and that’s with you. But, lately I had begun to wonder if we had made a mistake and confused platonic love for romantic love.” He looked up at Jack from under his eyelashes and saw the grin on Jack’s face. “What?”

“I was thinking that exact same thing the day that I read your ad in the personals. I think, Daniel, that for all our differences we’re alike in all the ways that count.”

Daniel smiled at Jack; one of his incandescent smiles that lit up the whole room and was reserved exclusively for Jack. He leaned in close to Jack and whispered in his ear. “Jack, take me home. Now.”

Daniel watched from the beach as his love played in the surf. Coming out to the California coast for the week was a wonderful idea. As much as they both loved their work, they needed the time away from the excitement, stress, and non-stop action at the SGC. This was a chance to reconnect and revitalize a union that was vitally important to the both of them.

They had never really talked about the personal ad after leaving the bar but they both knew how close they had come to losing everything. Daniel knew that they wouldn’t make the same mistake again. He grinned. No, they’d find all new mistakes to make and they’d fix those mistakes together; just like they always had.

His grin changed into an incandescent smile as his love walked back to the blanket that Daniel was stretched out on, supposedly reading a book.

Stepping up to Daniel, Jack shook himself like a wet dog spraying Daniel with salty water.

“Hey!” Daniel yelped and tried to roll away from the shower Jack was giving him. However, Jack was having none of that. He dove down and grabbed Daniel rolling them until they ended up at the opposite edge of the blanket. Jack looked down at Daniel and smirked. “I understand that you like making love on the beach Dr. Jackson.”

“Nah. There’s nobody around here. Not at this time of year. It’s almost a private beach.”

Daniel started to protest. “Almost isn’t good enough, Jack, we could…” Jack leaned down and silenced Daniel with a passionate kiss. When they finally broke for air, Daniel said, “Fine. But if we get arrested you’re the one who gets to call General Hammond to bail us out.” Daniel nearly laughed at the expression of horror that crossed Jack’s face.

Less than five minutes later everything they’d taking to the beach with them was sitting in a pile by the door and Jack and Daniel were enjoying themselves immensely making love near the dunes.

I was tired of my lady, we'd been together too long.
Like a worn-out recording, of a favorite song.
So while she lay there sleeping, I read the paper in bed.
And in the personals column, there was this letter I read:

"If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
If you're not into yoga, if you have half-a-brain.
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape.
I'm the lady you've looked for, write to me, and escape."

I didn't think about my lady, I know that sounds kind of mean.
But me and my old lady, had fallen into the same old dull routine.
So I wrote to the paper, took out a personal ad.
And though I'm nobody's poet, I thought it wasn't half-bad.

"Yes, I like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
I'm not much into health food, I am into champagne.
I've got to meet you by tomorrow noon, and cut through all this red tape.
At a bar called O'Malley's, where we'll plan our escape."

So I waited with high hopes, then she walked in the place.
I knew her smile in an instant, I knew the curve of her face.
It was my own lovely lady, and she said, "Oh, it's you."
And we laughed for a moment, and I said, "I never knew"..

"That you liked Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
And the feel of the ocean, and the taste of champagne.
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape.
You're the love that I've looked for, come with me, and escape."

"If you like Pina Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
And the feel of the ocean, and the taste of champagne.
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape.
You're the love that I've looked for, come with me, and escape."