slash_100, prompt 089: Found
big damn table for
jd_ficathon written for
lilyleia78, prompts:
Requirements: happy ending; marriage of convenience
Optional Request: needlessly-jealous!Daniel (not of Sam)
Many thanks to
princessofg and
muck_a_luck for beta services and title suggestions, respectively. Nerd points to you, dear reader, if you get the title reference.
It began with an alien princess.
(Don't) Look at the Princess | PG | 1285 words | complete
It began with an alien princess, which wasn’t exactly uncommon. And she flirted with Jack, and Jack flirted back, which in retrospect wasn’t that uncommon, either. But Daniel saw red-knowing he had no claim on Jack, and not caring-and the princess was remarkable perceptive, and that’s where it got interesting.
*
“I’m not marrying her,” Jack whispered fiercely. “Daniel, find a way to get me out of this.”
“You were flirting with her,” Daniel whispered testily, hoping Jack would be too distracted to pick up on his irritation. “It’s not my fault she saw it as a proposal.”
“We have another five days here, and a preliminary treaty to iron out,” Jack pointed out. He looked over to where Sam and Teal’c were making nice with the princess and her father. The princess kept looking over at them curiously. “We need to find a way to defuse this situation.”
“One that you caused,” Daniel said, but he could feel an idea for a solution forming in his mind. Oh, Jack was going to kill him. “Do you trust me?”
“Always,” Jack said, without a lick of hesitation, and with that smile that always made Daniel's heart stutter uncomfortably. “You got a plan?”
“Something like that.” Daniel stepped out of the little alcove Jack had pulled them into and into the main hall. “Princess Eirene,” he said, approaching the dais. “I am afraid that there is a problem.”
“Oh?” the princess said, arching an eyebrow. “O'Neill refuses to marry me?”
“He cannot,” Daniel said. “He is...promised to another. It is a...ah, a custom among our people.”
“It is among our people, as well,” Eirene said. “But if this is the case, why did O'Neill behave in such a forward manner?”
Daniel sighed, not having to fake his irritation. “It is a character flaw, but one his promised overlooks.”
“If I may ask,” King Theokritos cut in, and Daniel held his breath. “To whom is O'Neill promised.”
“He is promised to me.”
*
“I am going to kill you, Daniel,” Jack said amiably, once SG-1 was alone in the house they would be staying in until they left the planet. “No one will ever find your body.”
“It was the easiest solution,” Daniel said. “If you hadn't been-”
“I'm going to check out the garden,” Sam interrupted loudly. “Teal'c, care to join me?”
“Of course, Major Carter.”
Jack seemed content to hold his tongue and watch them go until they were out of the room, but then he turned to Daniel, eyes bright. “I wasn't seriously flirting with her. You couldn't have just told her I wasn't interested?”
“She could have put you to death, treaty or no treaty.”
“I could have already been married. You couldn't have said I was engaged to someone back home? Or Carter? How did you even know they'd be ok with two guys being married?”
“I made a logical leap based the Earth cultures these people were taken from, and the art we've seen,” Daniel said, in his best lecturing voice. Really, he'd just wanted the opportunity to claim Jack as his, even if it was just this once.
Happily, Jack responded as he usually did and cut Daniel off with a characteristic, “Aht. Honestly, I don't care. I'm just not looking forward to the paperwork.”
“Then don't mention it,” Daniel said.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and then it opened, revealing one of the men from King T's court. “Honored sirs,” he said, with a little bow. “Princess Eirene wishes to speak with O'Neill and Jackson.”
“Sure,” Jack said, stepping forward. “It's not like we can get ourselves into any more trouble.”
“Never say that,” Daniel muttered under his breath, surreptitiously allowing himself to watch Jack's ass as they left the house and once again walked down the cobbled street to the royal attendance hall. “It can always get worse.”
*
There was a glint in Eirene's eye that Daniel didn't trust, and the minute she spoke he knew he hadn't been imagining it. “To celebrate what will certainly be the beginning of a fruitful union between our peoples,” she said, “I wish to offer you a gift.”
“I'm sure it's great,” Jack began, but Eirene cut him off with a gesture.
“Do not refuse me again,” Eirene said, mouth smiling but eyes cold. “It would honor us if you and Jackson would allow us to bear witness to your union, as well.”
“In what way?” Daniel asked, concerned. “We are usually a very private people.”
“You need not unduly display emotions or anatomy,” Eirene said. “Merely allow my father to officiate your wedding. The celebratory feast will coincide with that for the treaty. It will be glorious.”
Daniel looked sidelong at Jack. “Sure,” Jack said. “Why not? We would hate to dishonor anyone.”
“Right,” Daniel added quickly. Eirene still looked unsatisfied, so Daniel reached forward and grabbed Jack's hand. Jack clamped down punishingly tight, and Daniel bit back a squeak. “You honor us with your offer.”
“The ceremony will take place tonight,” Eirene said. “And negotiations will continue tomorrow once you have had the opportunity to consummate your union. We will move your travelmates to another house. I am sure they would wish for you to have privacy.”
“No kidding,” Jack said, eyes a little wide. He squeezed Daniel's hand fractionally harder and let go. “We'll go tell them.”
*
“At least the ceremony was short,” Jack said afterward, when he and Daniel were alone in the house. Someone had redecorated, and now the main room that had been empty now housed a big bed, and all the furniture was festooned with flowers. “And not too embarrassing.”
“Sam was laughing at us,” Daniel said, sitting down on the edge of the bed and taking off his boots. “Teal'c, too, probably, though it's hard to tell.”
“Yep.”
“What do we do now?”
“This was your bright idea,” Jack said. Daniel's face must have shown some of his dismay, because Jack's expression immediately softened. “I'm aggravated at the situation, Daniel, not at you, really.”
In the candlelight, Daniel could almost imagine that Jack was looking at him with love in his eyes, and it hurt. He closed his eyes, turning his face away. “It's fine. I'm just tired.”
“Bullshit.” Daniel felt the mattress shift beneath him, and then Jack's big, warm hand was on the back of his neck. “Answer me one question?” Jack asked softly, and there was an unexpected warmth in his voice. “Why did you tell her it was you, not someone else?”
Daniel opened his eyes, staring at the wall. “Because just once,” he said, so softly he knew Jack would have to strain to hear it, “just once I wanted you to belong to me.”
Jack took his hand away, and Daniel held his breath, but Jack reached out and took Daniel's chin in his hand, turning his head so their eyes met. “The thing is,” Jack said, with a lopsided grin, “I already did.” And then he leaned in and pressed a kiss to Daniel's mouth.
Daniel moaned softly and wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders, pulling him closer. “You utter bastard,” he said when Jack pulled back. “Why didn't you tell me?”
“How could I?”
“What made you change your mind?”
“What made you?” Jack countered.
Daniel shrugged. He dropped his arms and scooted up to the head of the bed. “Come to bed, Jack,” he said, grinning. “I can't tell you how long I've wanted to say that.”
Jack kicked out of his boots and clambered onto the bed. “Probably not as long as I've wanted to hear it,” he said, kissing Daniel again. “It sounds even better than I'd hoped.”
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