"Uh, Daniel?" Jack asked. "What is that?"

"What's what?" Daniel asked as he put the carrier on the floor.

"That furry creature that just came out of the box."

"That's Sadie," Daniel answered. "She's a cat," he added unnecessarily.

"When I said you could stay with me until you found a new apartment, I didn't say you could bring a cat." After Daniel's ascension, the members of SG-1 had closed his apartment, which the landlord had then put up for rent, since no one had expected Daniel to return. They hadn't seen any signs of a cat in the apartment. "Where did she come from, anyway?"

"I adopted her a couple of years ago, but she usually stays with my neighbour — that is, my former neighbour — when I'm away on missions. Fortunately, Mrs. Jenkins was able to keep her after I, uh, left.

"I got Sadie from a shelter because I hated coming home to an empty apartment. After living with Sha're and her family, it was hard to adjust to living alone. You never said I couldn't bring a cat."

"That's because I didn't know you had a cat. Men don't own cats. Men own dogs."

Daniel chose not to dignify that comment with a response. He picked up the little tabby cat and hugged her. "Daddy missed you," he said. "Did you miss Daddy?"

"'Daddy?'" asked Jack in disbelief.

Daniel continued to ignore his new housemate as he took a saucer out of the kitchen cupboard and spooned some canned cat food onto it.

"Did I say you could use my good china to feed your cat?" Jack demanded.

"You don't have good china," Daniel replied.

Jack sighed. He knew he'd already lost. He could never say 'no' to Daniel, and Daniel knew it.

The question was, could Daniel say no to him? And would he have the guts to try to find out the answer to that question?

Later that evening Jack, Daniel and Sadie sat on the couch watching Pirates of the Carribean on DVD. To Jack's consternation, the cat sat between him and Daniel. He told himself he was being ridiculous. He felt like he was a teenager on his first date, hoping to cop a feel without getting slapped. Without thinking, he started to stroke Sadie.

Sadie purred and moved on to his lap. Well, at least now he could sit closer to Daniel.

"Hey, cat," Jack said, "I'm not your owner. He is. That guy right there. You belong on his lap, not mine." Although if the cat was on Daniel's lap, that would prevent him from feeling Daniel up, which may or may not be a good thing.

"She likes you," Daniel said with a grin.

Jack didn't answer.

When the movie was over, Sadie was still on Jack's lap. He wondered what the protocol was when there's a cat on your lap and you have to use the john.

"You know, I wasn't that impressed with Johnny Depp before, but I have to admit he's kind of hot in that movie," Daniel commented.

Jack choked on his beer.

Daniel patted him on the back. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern.

"Fine," Jack said in a strained voice. "Just went down the wrong way, I guess."

"You sure?"

"Sure."

"You know, I went to Vancouver back when they were filming 21 Jump Street there. I got to watch them filming, Johnny Depp included."

"Really," Jack muttered, wondering what his friend was getting at.

"And I got to watch them filming MacGyver too. The actor who played MacGyer was definitely hot."

With an effort, Jack managed not to choke on his beer a second time. "Don't think I ever watched that show," he said.

"Too bad. So, what are we going to watch next?"

Jack stretched and looked at the clock. It was almost midnight. "Actually, I think I'll turn in. Don't forget, we have a briefing tomorrow."

"What about her?" Daniel asked, indicating the occupant of Jack's lap.

Sadie yawned and dug her claws into Jack's leg.

"Ever think of getting this beast declawed?" Jack asked, wincing.

Daniel frowned. "Declawed? How can you even think of declawing a cat? That's cruel!"

"Sorry!" Jack said, instantly regretting his words. The last thing he wanted was Daniel upset with him.

"You should be."

Realizing that Sadie had no intentions of moving, Jack said, "I'll sleep on the couch with Her Furriness, here, and you can sleep in my bed."

"You don't have to do that," Daniel demurred. "She can stand to be disturbed. Besides, how do you plan to get undressed without moving her?"

Jack had been thinking of just sleeping in his clothes. Somehow the idea of taking his clothes off when Daniel was around sounded dangerous to him, no matter how many times they'd changed clothes in front of each other at the SGC.

"Good question." Jack gently picked up the cat and handed her to Daniel. "Take her to bed with you. I'm sure she'd rather be with her 'Daddy' than with me. I'm a dog person, after all."

"I'm perfectly comfortable sleeping on the couch, Jack," Daniel insisted.

"So am I. Now take your cat and go to bed, before I change my mind. There's clean sheets in the linen cupboard I'm sure you know where that is."

"You're not going to make the bed for me?" Daniel asked innocently.

"Don't press your luck, Dr. Jackson."

"Good night, Jack. And thank you again for letting me stay with you."

"Good night, and don't mention it." Jack squelched the impulse to kiss Daniel goodnight. After a trip to the bathroom, he stripped down to his shorts and, grabbing the blanket that was draped over the back of the couch, settled in for the night.

Or so he thought. Not long after he turned in, he discovered a cat standing on his belly.

"Shoo," he said quietly, waving his hand at Sadie.

Sadie tried to catch the waving hand.

"Uh, scat," Jack tried again.

Sadie pounced on his toes.

"Why couldn't you be a dog?" Jack asked rhetorically.

Sadie attacked a loose thread from the blanket.

Jack not-too-carefully picked up the cat and placed her on the floor, where she promptly started chasing a moth that had flown in from parts unknown.

"Good, go play with the moth and leave me alone."

About fifteen minutes later, just as he was dozing off, Jack discovered the cat on his chest.

"Now what?" he asked.

Sadie licked his nose.

"You don't need to wash me, thank you. I can do that myself."

Sadie purred in his ear.

"Why don't you go keep Daniel awake?"

Purr.

"You don't happen to work for the Goa'uld, do you? I'm sure they must have a cat god or goddess somewhere."

Sadie washed one of her hind legs.

"Could you do that somewhere else, please?"

Sadie washed her butt.

Jack picked up the cat, threw back his blanket and marched into the bedroom. He discovered Daniel reading a thick archeology text.

"Something wrong?" Daniel asked.

Jack deposited Sadie on the bed. "She won't let me sleep," he complained.

Sadie promptly jumped off the bed and scampered out of the bedroom.

"Does she have a litter box?" Jack asked.

"In the bathroom," Daniel answered, removing his glasses and closing his book.

"Well, normally the idea of kitty litter in my bedroom wouldn't thrill me, but I'm going to bring her, her food dishes and her litter box in here, and then I am going to shut the door behind me. She can bug you for the rest of the night, and maybe then I can get some sleep." He turned to exit the bedroom.

Daniel grabbed his arm. "I have a better idea."

Jack suddenly realized that Daniel wasn't wearing any more clothes than he was, and quite possibly fewer. "What kind of idea would that be?" he gulped.

Daniel gave him what Jack could only describe as a wicked grin. "Close the door, and I'll show you," he said. "Much as I adore Sadie, I don't think we need an audience."

Hoping that his nervousness didn't show, Jack went and closed the door.

As soon as Jack returned to the side of the bed, Daniel threw back the blankets. "Climb in," he invited.

Jack, again, did as he was told. Sure enough, Daniel was wearing absolutely nothing.

"What exactly do you have in mind, Dannyboy?" Jack asked.

In response to the question, Daniel kissed him.

Jack felt his toes curl. He'd fantasized about kissing Daniel before, and about doing a lot more to him, but having it actually happen was.... Well, the best description he could come up with was 'mind blowing.'

The kiss ended, and the two men stared at each other for a long moment.

"Say something," Daniel requested.

"Uh...." Jack couldn't think of anything to say. So he climbed on top of Daniel, straddling him, and kissed him.

"Jack, if you're going to sit on me, I'd like it if you took your shorts off."

Jack knew that if he took his shorts off, if he stripped completely naked, there would be no going back. He would be in this now, for better or worse, 'don't ask, don't tell' be damned.

Feeling his hesitation, Daniel asked, "Jack...?"

Jack was hesitant. If he hurt Daniel, Carter and Teal'c would happily tear him limb from limb. General Hammond might even take a few strips off him. He'd let them, too.

"What do you want, Danny?"

Daniel stroked an arm down Jack's chest, then his belly, and stopped at the waistband of Jack's shorts. "I want you, Jack. I want all of you."

With a groan, Jack admitted, "I want you, too. But...."

"You've never been with a man?"

True confession time. "Actually, I have. But never.... Never someone I cared about."

"You care about me?" Daniel looked surprised, and that surprised Jack.

"Of course I care about you! Haven't you noticed that in the last six years or so?" Jack knew that he wasn't always good at putting his feelings into words, but he'd hoped that his feelings for Daniel would have shown in his actions. "Or is your memory not all back yet?" He remembered Daniel's words to him in the locker room not long after they'd brought him back from the planet where he'd landed after his descent: 'I remember enough.' What exactly he'd meant by that, Jack still didn't know.

Daniel reached out and cupped a hand on his cheek. "I'm sorry. I know you care about me. It's just that you don't often say it."

"I'll say it more often if it'll make you happy."

Reaching once again for the waistband of Jack's shorts, Daniel grinned his wicked grin again. "That would make me happy, yes. What would make me even happier would be you taking off your shorts."

Seemed as if he was doing everything Daniel asked tonight, and he wasn't about to stop doing it, either. Jack moved off Daniel's body and took off his shorts, then he lay facing his friend.

"Jack, if you're having any second thoughts, please say so. I don't want you to do this just because you think I want it."

"Danny, I said I wanted you, and I meant it. I do." He decided it was time to show Daniel just how much he wanted him. Pushing the blankets back, he moved down and took Daniel's cock in his mouth.

Bingo. The sounds he heard from Daniel were all the encouragement he needed. He continued to alternate sucking and licking until Daniel's body shook in orgasm and Daniel cried out his name. Then he moved back up beside Daniel and took him in his arms until the shaking stopped.

"You're good," Daniel said when he was able to speak again.

Jack kissed him again, just because it felt so good to finally be able to do something he'd dreamed of for so long. But now that he'd satisfied Daniel, his own body was demanding attention. "I want you, Danny."

"How do you want me?" Daniel asked.

Somehow, saying, 'I want to fuck you into oblivion,' didn't seem appropriate. While that was what he wanted to do, it sounded crass. Was there a more romantic way to put it? "I.... I want you," he said again.

Fortunately, Daniel seemed to be able to tell what he wasn't saying. "Do you want to be inside me?"

A wordless groan was all the answer Jack was able to give.

"I'll take that as a yes. What do you want me to do?"

"Just.... Just stay there. I, uh, have something...." Jack leaned across Daniel's body and reached into a drawer in the nightstand. He pulled out a tube of lubricant.

"You must have been a boy scout," Daniel observed. "You're always prepared. But I'm surprised that you're prepared for sex with a man."

"Women use lube too," Jack answered, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Not that I've been with any women recently. Or men either," he added, not sure how he was Daniel felt about the possibility of his being with someone else. He himself wasn't sure if this was going to be a one-time thing or not. He felt Daniel's hand on his arm.

"It's all right, Jack. I don't expect you to have been celibate while you waited for me to jump you."

Jack didn't say anything. He squeezed some lube on to his fingers. "Are you ready?" he asked.

"Yes."

Jack carefully pushed a finger inside Daniel's ass. He felt other man jump slightly and heard his hissing intake of breath. "Okay?" he asked.

"More than okay. Keep going."

The finger was soon joined by another finger, then another. Finally, Jack asked, "Are you absolutely sure you want me to do this?"

"Jack, shut up and just do me already."

Refraining from pointing out that it sounded like Daniel was quoting shoe commercials, Jack moved carefully into position and started to push inside. He moved slowly, not knowing how much experience Daniel had with anal sex and definitely not wanting to hurt him. When he was all the way inside, he just stayed there for a moment.

"Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Move!"

Once more, Jack did as he was told. He moved slowly at first, still concerned about hurting his friend. But he could tell that Daniel was enjoying this just as much as he was, and he began to move more quickly, encouraged by small sounds and words of encouragement from his partner.

Finally his own orgasm overtook him and he collapsed, panting, on top of Daniel, who stroked him and whispered what could only be described as 'sweet nothings' in his ear.

Exhausted, the two men just lay in each other's arms for awhile, until Jack heard a scratching at the bedroom door. Reluctantly leaving the warmth of his lover's arms, he got up and admitted Sadie, who jumped on the bed and greeted Daniel with nose rubs and head butts.

"Looks like I have competition," Jack commented as he got back in bed.

Daniel put an arm around Jack's shoulders and pulled him close. "You have absolutely no competition as far as I'm concerned, Jack O'Neill." Then he blushed and looked away.

"Something wrong?" Jack asked, concerned.

"No, nothing's wrong."

"Spill it, Space Monkey."

"All right, all right. I'll tell you. Will that make you happy?"

"Depends what you tell me," Jack answered, worried that whatever it was Daniel had to say would shatter his world into little tiny pieces.

"I love you," Daniel said.

"Excuse me?" Jack said, startled and surprised.

"I said, 'I love you.' You don't have to say anything," he added quickly when Jack started to speak. "It's okay if you don't feel the same way. I mean, you said you care about me. That's enough, really."

"No, it's not."

"Huh?"

"I can tell by the look on your face that no matter how many times I say that I care about you, Daniel, it's not going to be enough for you."

"That's my problem, Jack, not yours."

"On the contrary, it is my problem. There's something I should have said to you before we made love, and I'm sorry I didn't. I love you, Dannyboy."

"You don't have to say that just to make me happy, Jack."

"I'm not. I mean, I want you to be happy, but I'm saying it because I mean it. Don't you believe me?"

"I want to, but...."

"But what? Do you want me to prove it? I'll do anything you want. I'll walk into General Hammond's office tomorrow and tell him about us, if that'll do it. I'll take a dishonourable discharge if I have to, to be with you."

Daniel's mouth had dropped open in surprise. "You'd give up your career for me?"

"If I have to."

"I don't want you to do that. Seriously. Don't tell General Hammond."

"Why not?" Jack asked. "I think he'd be happy for us."

"Yeah, he'd wish us both the best right before he charged you with violating the 'don't tell' regulations."

Sadie the cat pawed at Daniel's shoulder, seeking attention. He scritched the top of her head, but kept his attention on his bed partner.

"I don't think Hammond would have a problem with it, actually. I think he really would be happy for us," Jack stated.

"But we'd be putting him in an awkward position if we expected him not to pay attention to the responsibilities of his office," Daniel pointed out. Then something occurred to him. "When you say you think he'd be happy for us, you make it sound like we're officially a couple or something."

"Aren't we?" Jack asked.

"I don't recall you saying anything about that."

"I told you I love you. Isn't that the same thing?" Jack knew that Daniel could feel insecure at times, but he hadn't realized this would be one of those times. He mentally kicked himself; he should have known this. "Seriously, I want to be with you, and not just for one night."

"Seriously?" Daniel asked.

"Cross my heart," Jack responded. "Now what's wrong?" he asked, seeing tears in Daniel's eyes.

Sadie was concerned too, and tried to lick away her human pet's tears.

"Nothing's wrong," Daniel answered. "I guess I'm just not used to getting everything I want all at once. I've wanted to be with you for a long time, and I fully intended to at least try to seduce you when you invited me to stay with you. I just didn't expect it to turn out so...so perfect."

Jack pulled his new lover close. "I don't get what I want too often, either. I'm glad that you made the first move, because I don't think I'd have had the guts to. So, um, you're not going to keep looking for a new apartment, are you? I'd kind of like it if you stayed here permanently."

"What will we tell everyone at the SGC?" Daniel asked. "I don't want to blow your cover."

"If anyone asks, we can tell them that it's just a practical arrangement. After all, even before you ascended, you spent a lot of time here."

"What about Sadie?" Daniel asked, stroking the cat. "If we live here, Mrs. Jenkins won't be conveniently located next door to feed her when we're both off-planet."

"Cassandra can take care of her."

"Cassandra has a dog. A dog that you gave her."

"She can come here to feed Sadie and leave the dog at home. I'll tell her that she can use my stereo to play all her strange teenage music without driving Janet crazy."

"No wonder Cassie likes you so much."

Jack leered at his lover. "You like me more."

"Correction: I love you."

"Love you too, Space Monkey." Jack kissed both Daniel and Sadie goodnight, and all three of them drifted off happily to sleep.

END