Stargate -- "Where I'll Be At the End"
slash_100, prompt 022: Death
big damn table
Also written for au100, prompt 030: Death
half-sized damn table
prequel to I'll Follow You Into the Dark
Love of mine some day you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark
Where I'll Be At the End | Prompt 022: Death | PG-13 | 700 words
The first staff blast caught Daniel in the leg as he sprinted to the ‘gate and the second square in the chest as he fell. The third flew over Jack’s shoulder as he bent to pick Daniel up, refusing to think as he dragged the archeologist behind a ridge and ducked down with him.
Sam and Teal’c had the Jaffa pinned down, so Jack and Daniel were safe as was possible in the middle of a firefight. Jack turned to Daniel, trying to ignore the way his heart cried out at the sight of pain-filled azure eyes and the smell of ozone and burnt flesh. He ripped a strip from the bottom of his t-shirt and reached for what was left of the front of Daniel’s uniform jacket.
“Don’t,” Daniel said with a pain-filled gasp, resting one had on Jack’s. “Get out of here, Colonel.”
“I’m not leaving you, Danny,” Jack said, pulling the man closer to him, Daniel’s back against his chest. Daniel’s head lolled back against his shoulder, and Jack frantically checked his pulse. It was fast and irregular, but still there - for now. “Stay with me, Daniel.”
“I can’t promise you anything,” Daniel said with a weak smile. He coughed wetly and turned his face into Jack’s neck.
For a moment, Jack felt a thrill deep in his belly at finally having Daniel in his arms, but it was quashed by the sticky warmth of blood seeping through his t-shirt and a hollow feeling settled behind his breastbone. “I can’t lose you again, Daniel, I can’t.”
“Oh God, Jack,” Daniel said, elegant fingers fumbling and then latching onto Jack’s hand. “I’m sorry, I’m so...so sorry.”
Before Jack could ask why Daniel was apologizing, the man squeezed his hand, as if trying to ground himself, and went on. “How long has it been since that first mission? Seven years? Eight? I fell in love with you that first day.” He coughed, and the rough sound made Jack’s heart ache even as Daniel’s words made it soar. “I can’t go without telling you, not this time.”
“Oh, Danny,” Jack said, pressing a kiss to his sweat-soaked hair. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“How could I?” Daniel asked with a laugh that quickly turned into a gasp of pain. He tilted his head back to meet Jack’s eyes. “You mean you…”
“Yeah,” Jack said, squeezing Daniel’s hand and smiling ruefully. “Since that first mission, too, when we left you there on Abydos, but I didn’t realize it until later.”
“What a waste,” Daniel said, shaking his head slightly and then letting it drop back onto Jack’s shoulder. “And now it’s too late.”
”Hey! Don’t talk like that,” Jack said, poking Daniel softly in the shoulder, not willing to admit the truth. “We’ll get you home and Doc Frasier’ll fix you up good as new.” Daniel smiled sardonically and closed his eyes. “Goddamnit, Daniel, you can’t leave me now,” Jack said, shaking him until Daniel’s eyes slowly opened.
“I’m sorry, Jack,” Daniel said, voice soft. The pulse under Jack’s fingers fluttered and Jack cursed. He lifted his hand from Daniel’s wrist and tilted his jaw up so they could kiss. It was soft and chaste and more a goodbye than anything else, but Daniel was smiling when Jack pulled back. Then he coughed deeply, bringing up blood, and pressed his face into Jack’s neck. “Jack,” he exhaled against the other man’s skin, and then the tangled fingers relaxed. Jack’s free hand fled to Daniel’s wrist, and he held his breath as he felt that beloved heart stop.
Jack stared, unseeing, as the body in his arms cooled and the sounds of guns and staffs blared behind him. But eventually they stopped, first the staffs and then the P90s, and Carter’s voice sounded in his ear, saying she’d seen where they’d gone down, and Teal’c was on the way to help them to the ‘gate. Jack reached up and closed those once-bright blue eyes and brushed his fingers through Daniel’s hair. “Wait for me, Danny,” he whispered, touching the bloody kiss on his neck, even as he heard Carter calling from the other side of the ridge. “I won’t be far behind.”
Feedback is better than chocolate.
big damn table
Also written for au100, prompt 030: Death
half-sized damn table
prequel to I'll Follow You Into the Dark
Love of mine some day you will die
But I'll be close behind
I'll follow you into the dark
Where I'll Be At the End | Prompt 022: Death | PG-13 | 700 words
The first staff blast caught Daniel in the leg as he sprinted to the ‘gate and the second square in the chest as he fell. The third flew over Jack’s shoulder as he bent to pick Daniel up, refusing to think as he dragged the archeologist behind a ridge and ducked down with him.
Sam and Teal’c had the Jaffa pinned down, so Jack and Daniel were safe as was possible in the middle of a firefight. Jack turned to Daniel, trying to ignore the way his heart cried out at the sight of pain-filled azure eyes and the smell of ozone and burnt flesh. He ripped a strip from the bottom of his t-shirt and reached for what was left of the front of Daniel’s uniform jacket.
“Don’t,” Daniel said with a pain-filled gasp, resting one had on Jack’s. “Get out of here, Colonel.”
“I’m not leaving you, Danny,” Jack said, pulling the man closer to him, Daniel’s back against his chest. Daniel’s head lolled back against his shoulder, and Jack frantically checked his pulse. It was fast and irregular, but still there - for now. “Stay with me, Daniel.”
“I can’t promise you anything,” Daniel said with a weak smile. He coughed wetly and turned his face into Jack’s neck.
For a moment, Jack felt a thrill deep in his belly at finally having Daniel in his arms, but it was quashed by the sticky warmth of blood seeping through his t-shirt and a hollow feeling settled behind his breastbone. “I can’t lose you again, Daniel, I can’t.”
“Oh God, Jack,” Daniel said, elegant fingers fumbling and then latching onto Jack’s hand. “I’m sorry, I’m so...so sorry.”
Before Jack could ask why Daniel was apologizing, the man squeezed his hand, as if trying to ground himself, and went on. “How long has it been since that first mission? Seven years? Eight? I fell in love with you that first day.” He coughed, and the rough sound made Jack’s heart ache even as Daniel’s words made it soar. “I can’t go without telling you, not this time.”
“Oh, Danny,” Jack said, pressing a kiss to his sweat-soaked hair. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“How could I?” Daniel asked with a laugh that quickly turned into a gasp of pain. He tilted his head back to meet Jack’s eyes. “You mean you…”
“Yeah,” Jack said, squeezing Daniel’s hand and smiling ruefully. “Since that first mission, too, when we left you there on Abydos, but I didn’t realize it until later.”
“What a waste,” Daniel said, shaking his head slightly and then letting it drop back onto Jack’s shoulder. “And now it’s too late.”
”Hey! Don’t talk like that,” Jack said, poking Daniel softly in the shoulder, not willing to admit the truth. “We’ll get you home and Doc Frasier’ll fix you up good as new.” Daniel smiled sardonically and closed his eyes. “Goddamnit, Daniel, you can’t leave me now,” Jack said, shaking him until Daniel’s eyes slowly opened.
“I’m sorry, Jack,” Daniel said, voice soft. The pulse under Jack’s fingers fluttered and Jack cursed. He lifted his hand from Daniel’s wrist and tilted his jaw up so they could kiss. It was soft and chaste and more a goodbye than anything else, but Daniel was smiling when Jack pulled back. Then he coughed deeply, bringing up blood, and pressed his face into Jack’s neck. “Jack,” he exhaled against the other man’s skin, and then the tangled fingers relaxed. Jack’s free hand fled to Daniel’s wrist, and he held his breath as he felt that beloved heart stop.
Jack stared, unseeing, as the body in his arms cooled and the sounds of guns and staffs blared behind him. But eventually they stopped, first the staffs and then the P90s, and Carter’s voice sounded in his ear, saying she’d seen where they’d gone down, and Teal’c was on the way to help them to the ‘gate. Jack reached up and closed those once-bright blue eyes and brushed his fingers through Daniel’s hair. “Wait for me, Danny,” he whispered, touching the bloody kiss on his neck, even as he heard Carter calling from the other side of the ridge. “I won’t be far behind.”
Feedback is better than chocolate.