New Year's Resolution ~ sequel to Dress Blues

title: new year's resolution 2/2
series: happy holidays 2
author: rotschopf
mail: rotschopf (at) rotschopf (dot) org
pairing: cameron mitchell / daniel jackson, unrequited jack / daniel
rating: R
warnings: angst, uniforms, language
disclaimer: still not my pleasure slaves. no harm intended, no profit made. for entertainment purposes only.
archive: tddm, my lj, drowfic, poisonsdarkfics, DC_daily, area52, stargateslash, aff.net
beta: Gwen, my loyal First Prime.
feedback: yes, hit me! harder!
summary: cameron should've known if he had been paying attention.

as always, all my stories can be found at groups.yahoo.com/group/TDDM and www.livejournal.com/community/drowfic

~o0o~

As he had anticipated, Daniel found Jack sitting in his car, hunched over the steering wheel, head resting against his folded arms. He sighed. He'd rather not have this conversation right now, but he also knew that they needed to talk. The sooner, the better.

He opened the door and slid into the passenger seat. He was quite sure that Jack had noticed him, but was also ignoring him. "You okay?" Daniel asked finally, wincing at the croak in his voice.

"Mhm." Jack straightened in his seat. "Shouldn't you be in there?"

"So should you," Daniel shot back, turning slightly. "What was that?"

Jack raised his brows. "What was what?"

Daniel snorted. "You know what I'm talking about." Daniel rested his head against the window. "I just wish you had told me."

"I wanted to tell you. Tonight," Jack replied calmly in a, for him, uncharacteristically small voice.

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Jack," Daniel hissed. "Not now. You know exactly what I'm talking about. So, how long?"

"Couple of years. Knew for sure when you did that-- glowy thingy with the Oma Desala fanclub the first time. Maybe longer," Jack admitted, not once looking at Daniel.

"A couple of *years*?" Daniel took a deep breath, not quite believing what he was hearing. "And you never thought about *saying* *anything*?"

"And just what should I've told you, Daniel?" Now, Jack was looking at him. Even in the diffused light of the streetlamp, Daniel could see that Jack was hurt, angry and-- tired. Everything Jack usually hid behind his brass and sarcastic exterior was in plain sight, and it left Daniel wanting to reach out to his best friend.

But Daniel was also getting frustrated, though he hadn't expected this to be easy. Not with Jack. "The truth?"

"And then what? Happily ever after?" Jack ran his hands through his hair. "I didn't want to tell you because-- I-- We couldn't have had a relationship. Back then, I mean. You were my team-mate, my *male* civilian consultant. Then my subordinate when I got promoted. So, I really didn't think it a good idea to tell you."

"Nine years, Jack. Nine fucking years!" Daniel yelled. "I've waited nine years for you to tell me that you love me back!"

"Oh, and why didn't *you* say anything?" Jack shouted before his eyes widened. "You love me back?"

"Loved," Daniel stated matter-of-factly. "You grew closer to Sam when you were promoted, and I didn't want to come between you two. You seemed happy."

"Carter and I became closer because she *knew*, Daniel," Jack sneered. "But it's not like it matters."

"It *does* matter, Jack. It does to me. I just-- Damn! Nine years, Jack. And when I'm finally over you... When I finally found someone I can fall in love with... You drop that on me. And I feel miserable because I feel like-- cheating on you. Somehow. God." He plucked his glasses from his nose, rubbing across his eyes. "Why tonight?"

"Because I was going to retire at the end of January," Jack said quietly. "Come back to Colorado, buy a nice house... That sort of thing."

"If I just had known..." Daniel trailed off. That was the question, wasn't it? What would he have done if he had known?

"Then what, Daniel?" Jack looked out of the window. "We still wouldn't have been able to have a relationship."

"That's why Cameron and I are having one right now," Daniel said bitterly, thinking about the man that was waiting for him to come back. And still be with him.

"Mitchell's a fool. I cared about my career," Jack retorted defiantly. "I had responsibilities."

"Yeah, yeah." Daniel waved dismissively, for once not having the patience of hearing Jack out. "A hint, Jack. A hint would've been all I'd have needed."

"And you would've waited?" Jack snorted. "Come on, Daniel. What would you want with an old warhorse like me anyway?"

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Jack's comment forced a smile on to Daniel's face. "I'm an archaeologist, Jack. I like old things."

"Why, thank you," Jack muttered sarcastically.

"Look, Jack. Give me one good reason to not walk back inside. Tell me why I should take a chance with you, other than you retiring. Make me believe you want this. That the past nine years haven't been wasted on my part."

Jack stared incredulously at Daniel. "What do you want me to do? Get down on my knees and *beg*?"

"If that's all you're going to say, we're done here," Daniel snapped and opened the door.

"Daniel, wait!" Jack grabbed Daniel's shoulder and pulled him back. "I'm sorry, okay? I don't know what you want from me."

"I want you to tell me why I shouldn't go back inside and be happy with Cameron," Daniel snarled, then sighed. "Nine years is a long time, Jack. I care for Cameron. I really do. I don't want to hurt him for nothing. If I'm doing this, I want to know that it's worth it."

"You would give up Mitchell for me?" Jack looked amazed, even awed. "Sweet."

"As I said. Give me a damn' good reason. And I mean now 'cause once I leave this car... Once I go back inside..."

"I get it!" Jack closed his eyes once more leaning his head against the backrest. He looked pensive and thoughtful, but under it, Daniel could see the sadness, the defeat. "I don't know what I can offer you, Daniel. Other than that I love you and that I'm going to retire for you. And the fact that you need convincing tells me that your feelings for Mitchell run deeper than you care to admit. Let me finish, for crying out loud," Jack barked when Daniel opened his mouth to protest. "You don't come out to your friends on a hunch and you definitely don't out your boyfriend along with it, who happens to be an officer in the Air Force!"

"A part of me still loves you, Jack," Daniel offered, feeling more torn by the second. Why was he trying to goad Jack into fighting for him? Shouldn't it be enough that the man Daniel had loved for the better part of nine years loved him back? One year ago, it would've been enough. Then, Cameron had joined the SGC. And had fought for him. Not openly, and Daniel doubted that it even had happened consciously. But thinking back now, Daniel realised that Cameron had always paid special attention to him. Be it the way he went after him to make him stay and leave the idea of going to Atlantis in favour of the SGC or not even asking if he wanted to rejoin SG-1, but rather just-- *marking* him. Cameron had marked him as his back then. "Oh."

"Yes, oh." Jack sighed deeply, turning in his seat to look Daniel in the eye. "But the fact that you're here and not in there means a lot to me. And it's also so typically you, Daniel." Jack shook his head. "Go back inside. You're man's waiting for you," he added gruffly, patting Daniel on the thigh.

"What about us, Jack?" Daniel asked softly. "What about our friendship?"

Jack didn't answer him for a long time, just staring at him. Then, a small smile quirked his lips, lightening up his features for the barest of moments. "Give me some time to come to terms with what's been happening, and I'm not just-- talking about tonight." He gulped. "We're going to be fine, Daniel. Just-- give me some time."

Relief flooded through Daniel. "Thank you, Jack. This really means a lot to me."

"I know." Jack smirked. "You wouldn't be here if it didn't matter."

"Ass." Daniel laughed. "I, uhm. I have to get back in there."

"Okay. I'll be on your six in a couple of minutes."

Daniel smiled again at Jack before he got out of the car to head back inside. He needed to talk to Cameron.

~o0o~

"Stop fidgeting!" Sam said, laughing at Cameron's antics.

Cameron felt the blush creeping into his face. "Sorry. Can't help it."

"You're over-thinking the situation, and that's usually Daniel's department," she added with a smirk. "It's gonna be okay."

"How can you be so sure about that? From what you told me--" Cameron started when he felt a gentle bump into his shoulder; it was Daniel. "You're back." Cameron cringed. There was no way that this needy comment had just come out of his mouth.

"Yeah." Daniel shuffled his feet, looking up at Cameron through his lashes, and Cameron felt himself melting. Oh yeah. Goner. Big time. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

A feeling of dread rolled through Cameron and he nodded weakly, following Daniel out onto the balcony. He could only imagine what Daniel wanted to talk about, and quite frankly, he didn't want to hear it. He didn't want to hear Daniel saying that he would be staying with the general. Or anything else in that league.

Daniel walked the length of the balcony until he seemed sure they were out of sight from prying eyes. He turned toward Cameron, his lips quirking with the same amusement and mischief Cameron could see dancing in Daniel's eyes.

"What's going on?" Cameron asked cautiously, still sure that he didn't want to hear the answer to his question. Daniel was hugging himself again, but it wasn't the same defeated posture he had displayed earlier. It was the pose he usually struck when he knew something no one else did and felt completely at ease with that knowledge.

"You've been courting me," Daniel said in that soft, addictive lilt that had Cameron's dick standing at attention once more.

Cameron's eyes widened slightly. "What?"

"Not overtly or even consciously. But you did. The whole year." Daniel's smirk turned into a smile. "You fought tooth and nails to keep me at the SGC. You practically *marked* me when you didn't give me a choice about rejoining SG-1."

"Well..." Cameron really didn't know what to say. Had he really been courting Daniel? Apparently so, especially if he put the bygone year into perspective with last week. What he had been doing on Christmas Eve had been pretty reckless, if not downright foolish. He had been so sure that Daniel would just let him do what he wanted. "Was it really just the dress blues?" he asked sheepishly. "On Christmas Eve, I mean."

Daniel laughed. "Thinking back now... No. No, they weren't. I'm not a guy who sleeps around with everything that moves, no matter how hot they look in dress blues. I admit that your uniform played a big part in it, but not exclusively."

Cameron leaned against the rail and tugged Daniel between his spread legs. "I guess I needed to hear that. And yeah, I guess I've been courting you. Was I successful?" he added playfully, not caring that he basically sounded like an antiquated fool.

Daniel shook his head and leaned in to brush his lips against Cameron's. "I'm here, am I not?"

Cameron rested his hands on Daniel's hips. "You feel pretty solid to me," he said lightly, grinning at Daniel's snort. "You and the general?"

"We're going to be okay. He needs some time to wrap his head around the fact that I'm with you and not him. In fact, it was Jack who stubbed my nose into my *deeper feelings*."

"Deeper feelings?" Cameron asked, intrigued. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, I took a high risk by outing me to our friends. Even more so by putting you on the line as well." Daniel smiled again, leaning even more against Cameron. "Jack's right. I don't do that for just a friendly buddy fuck."

"I did play my part in that outing, you know," Cameron muttered, burying his face in Daniel's hair. Daniel's scent flooded his senses, making him dizzy. "God, you smell so good," he blurted out, flushing when he felt the soft rumble of Daniel's laughter against his chest.

"You're a very sensual man, Cameron," Daniel murmured, bracing himself against the banister without breaking the full body contact. He rubbed himself slightly against Cameron, the contented little sounds he made almost sounding like the purr of a big cat.

Cameron chuckled, slipping his arms around Daniel's waist. He could hear the commotion getting louder inside, and he figured that it must have been nearing midnight. Just as he wanted to mention it to Daniel, the balcony doors opened once more, and Sam, Teal'c and the general stepped outside. "Get a room, will ya?" O'Neill said good-naturedly, and Cameron couldn't help but admire the man. He doubted that he would be strong enough under similar circumstances to face his love interest and their partner.

Daniel moved away marginally from Cameron and glared at O'Neill. Sam quickly handed both him and Daniel a glass of champagne. "It's almost midnight," she said, pointing out what Cameron knew already. "We thought we'd keep you company to not raise any suspicions."

"Indeed, it was O'Neill who suggested this particular course of actions," Teal'c added in his typically dry manner.

O'Neill waved dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Don't rub it in, T. Is it midnight yet?" Instead of Teal'c, the peal of the church bells answered O'Neill's question. "Happy New Year!" O'Neill said cheerfully, raising his glass in a toast. When he touched his glass to Cameron's, their eyes locked for a moment. Hurt him, and I'll hunt you down, his look was saying; Cameron just hoped that O'Neill could read the answer in his eyes as clearly as well.

"Happy New Year," Daniel murmured, obviously unsure what he should do.

"For crying out loud, Daniel, kiss the shrub and get it over with!" Jack barked, but he was smirking.

Daniel shook his head, stilling again when Cameron tilted his head up. "Happy New Year, Daniel," he said quietly before he covered Daniel's lips with his, quietly formulating his updated New Year's Resolution: Don't fuck this up, Mitchell, or you're going to regret it for the rest of your life. Yeah, that sounded about right, and even more so, when Daniel kissed him back.

~o0o~

end of New Year's Resolution; to be continued... around Easter when an angry Daniel will go hunting for a special pair of "Easter Eggs".