D/C | Mature/Smut/Drama | Season 10, Post-The Uninvited | 43 kb (16 pages; 6,987 words)
Empirical. Adj. Derived from experiment and observation rather than theory.
Summary: Daniel tests his supposition that he can spy without getting caught and resist succumbing to his sexual needs during his observations.
Author Note: For Jennifer D, and her holiday present. :)
"Wake up, Sunshine," Mitchell said in a low voice, startling Daniel out of his peaceful snooze.
Daniel cracked open an eye as Mitchell came round to stand in front, staring down at him. The plastic lounger he'd been lying on suddenly became a lot more uncomfortable. Daniel could feel the nylon strips underneath beginning to dig. Why was it that a minute ago, the damn things were fine? "Why do you keep calling me that?" he asked, then frowned, wondering why he'd said that out loud. He didn't really want to know, even if he was curious.
"Probably because it suits ya," Mitchell grinned.
"It does not," Daniel said grouchily and closed his eyes. "Aren't you and Jack supposed to be out on a boat or in the woods or just somewhere other than here?" When he opened both eyes, he found Mitchell's grin getting worse and Daniel couldn't help the dread that now filled him. Jack and Mitchell were up to something. "What?" he asked warily.
"We're going on a little hike. The General's going to be showing me a few of his favorite spots. Figured I'd tell you so you wouldn't wake up and worry."
Daniel closed his eyes again. "I guess it was too much to hope that you'd have just left me a note or something?"
"No," Mitchell drawled, then shook Daniel's shoulder so he'd open his eyes, and when Daniel obliged, he found Mitchell bending down over him. "We'll be that way," he said, pointing to Daniel's left.
"Okay," Daniel said, brows knotting as he felt distinctly... odd. He could swear the man had more on his mind than giving him a direction. Mitchell straightened and with a cocky grin, set off in the direction he'd pointed. Watching him leave, Daniel caught sight of Jack disappearing beyond one of the wide wooded paths that littered the forested property. Thinking it likely that Jack planned to make Mitchell nervous, Daniel smiled to himself and closed his eyes, trying to recapture the peacefulness he'd had before.
It had been surprisingly easy to do for the last two days since returning from Glastonbury and his research. He'd needed the time to clear his head and think and Jack had invited him to stay at the cabin, even though most everyone had returned to base. While Daniel wouldn't have minded spending some time with his friends, he was glad to have the peace and quiet. He also had a feeling that Jack and Landry had more than a little to do with that. Both men were uncommonly good at reading people.
The one thing Daniel was a bit puzzled over was why Mitchell had stayed behind. He knew it wasn't for babysitting duty and suspected instead that perhaps Mitchell needed the extra time off. The man had been through quite a lot lately, and though Mitchell had never talked to him about Bryce Ferguson, Daniel could understand. The death of loved ones, whether family or old friends, wasn't something he liked to talk about, either, so he had no trouble sympathizing.
Pushing the thoughts away, Daniel concentrated instead on the quiet, on his breathing, using techniques that Teal'c had taught him a few years before. The wind was light, the air slightly cooling. The leaves whispered soothingly as the birds lulled him into a gentle dozing. He was so focused on the sounds that for once, he caught the rhythmic padding of footfalls on grass and leaves. Rather than wait to be snuck up on, or even to pretend he was still asleep--which could still lead to being startled--Daniel sighed and pushed himself to sit up, turning toward the approaching interruption.
Jack paused, stared, then abruptly threw him a mock-scowl. "You're no fun. It's getting so I can't surprise you anymore."
Wanting to smile, Daniel nevertheless kept a bland, droll expression as he got up and followed Jack into the cabin. "Yeah, well, you do manage to sneak in a few every now and again, a fact I'm sure Mitchell can attest to."
"Don't get snippy," Jack retorted, though a grin was forming on his lips.
Daniel looked behind him and didn't see Mitchell anywhere about, which prompted the required comment. "You kill him already?"
"Nah," Jack replied as he gathered his keys. Turning toward Daniel, still standing in the doorway, he gestured grandly. "He's exploring the amazing beauty of these woods."
"Running, huh?"
"Yeah," Jack smirked.
Daniel nodded quickly, then pointed at the keys. "You forget your junk food or something?"
"Huh?"
"Keys?"
"Oh, no, I got a call, have to head back to D.C. I'll leave Mitchell in your very capable hands."
Daniel resisted the dirty smile. "Your confidence in me is touching."
"Not really," Jack said with a crooked smile. "You just know where everything is."
"Ah," Daniel replied, stepping out of the way as Jack came toward him to leave. On the porch, Jack turned, giving him a long, measured look. "We'll be fine, Jack," Daniel said reassuringly. "Just wish you could stay."
Jack nodded, then gave a sigh and waved as he headed for his truck. "I'll come back for my things in a few days, so just make sure everything's all locked up."
"Not to worry."
"You know I will anyway."
"I know."
"Be good. Don't burn the cabin down."
"I'll try to save your pornography," Daniel replied dryly as he leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms. As Jack returned the dirty look with a smirk and got into his truck, Daniel felt a sudden, deep wistfulness, wishing Jack hadn't taken that job in D.C. He missed the man, and at times like this, he felt it more than he normally allowed.
The rise in the wind abruptly knocked him out of his thoughts and pulling his jacket closed, Daniel moved inside and went to the gun cabinet in the living room. Loading a sidearm, he stuffed it into his pocket and headed outside to find Mitchell. As he followed the trail into the woods, he thought of dinner, wondering if Mitchell wanted the steaks in the fridge or if he was in the mood for something else. Daniel found it oddly comforting to think about such everyday things and liked the fact that, for now, he could indulge himself in the normalcy of it. He'd had very little of that lately.
Five minutes later, trail entrance long behind him, Daniel looked and listened but caught no sign of Mitchell. The man tended to take his time when he went on his runs outside the base. It was a little annoying, but Daniel could hardly blame him. He had a feeling Mitchell required his own bit of normalcy, too. Another five minutes passed and still no sign of his team leader. While that wasn't exactly worrying, it nevertheless raised Daniel's defenses.
He approached a rise in the trail and stopped to listen. Not hearing anything at first, he opened his mouth to call out when movement ahead captured his attention. At another time and place, Daniel would have assumed it was Mitchell but, given what had happened recently with the Jaffa or those mutant animals, he was taking no chances. Withdrawing the gun and holding it in both hands, he stealthily approached, hiding behind tree trunks as he moved. The ground continued to rise slightly and as he came up behind one particularly wide trunk, he stepped on a thick root and slipped, nearly falling. Gritting his teeth and cursing himself for not looking down, Daniel stepped between two large roots and stood in the hollow created.
Peeking around the trunk, he finally caught sight of Mitchell's familiar back as the man stood within a circle of shrubs. Wearing his black cap and T-shirt, blue jeans and boots, Daniel frowned, wondering where his camo jacket was. And his rifle. At first he thought Mitchell was taking a piss, given that his hands were in front of him. Daniel waited a moment, looking away out of respect for that kind of privacy, but when he looked back, Mitchell's movements clearly indicated that he wasn't taking a piss.
Daniel looked away again, wincing. He'd intruded on something a hell of a lot more private. Despite that, he turned back--just to double-check, he told himself. It was just to make sure. But deep down, Daniel knew better. The fact was, his curiosity had him wanting to see how Mitchell did his. Judging by the movement of his friend's ass under his jeans, his buttocks were clenching from the instinctive need to thrust, and that one movement had Daniel wishing he could see more. How did he move his hand? Did he use his palm or fingers? Did he grip tightly or loosely keep hold? Did he twist over the head, or just pull up, over, and back down?
The flexing of shoulder and back muscles revealed that he was speeding up and Daniel felt his pulse quicken as his dick twitched with interest. Taking in slow breaths, he told his dick to go back to sleep and refused to touch himself. He could watch, observe, make mental notes. But could he watch through to the end without getting hard, without succumbing to his own lust? Of course he could, and so he did.
Backtracking quietly, making sure that he made no noise, Daniel returned to the cabin and looked around for something to do. If he'd been home or the SGC, that would have been easy, but there was nothing to do here but clean, chop wood, cook, or read. Not in the mood to read, and with the cleaning already done, Daniel went out back. He needed to release the pent up energy and while he could have done the same thing as Mitchell, Daniel wasn't prepared to go there, not with the image of Mitchell still in his mind. Picking up the axe, he applied himself to the task of splitting the small pile of logs stacked next to the chopping stump.
As each swing came down and the wood split open, Daniel's frustration mounted. He still had the image of Mitchell jerking off and his imagination made it worse. He could see the man throwing his head back, gasping as he came. Grinding his jaw, Daniel finally succeeded in cutting off the emotional reaction but he could sense his own intense curiosity lurking just out of sight, waiting to catch him off-guard. He had to get a hold of that, too, or else he would...
"Want some help?" Mitchell asked from behind.
Startled a bit, Daniel missed his swing and turned, finding Mitchell standing at the back door. Throwing him a dirty look for interrupting him, he was rewarded with a mischievous grin.
"Sorry," Mitchell said.
"No, you're not," Daniel replied, turning back to his task. "And no, I got it."
"Okay."
After a few more split logs, Daniel stripped down to his tank top to cool off a little. Several minutes later, as he was setting up another log for splitting, he could have sworn he was being watched. When he looked over his shoulder, there was Mitchell, standing in the doorway again, except this time, he had a glass of something amber in his hand.
"Here, re-hydrate," he said, and came forward to hand Daniel what he realized was ice tea.
"Thanks," Daniel said, taking a big gulp of the beverage. It was then that he felt the damp tingling of his skin and realized just how much he was sweating. It crawled along his hairline, down his throat and back, and experience told him that his skin would be flushed.
"You work that axe pretty good," Mitchell commented as he sat on one of the stacks of logs to the right of the door.
Daniel gave him a measured look and took another long drink from his glass. Was it a compliment? A statement? Or was Mitchell actually surprised? Daniel couldn't tell, and it was annoying.
"Thanks," he said finally, deciding that a compliment was the safer assumption. Unless they were baiting each other, Mitchell was always free with positive recognition.
"You're welcome."
Glass empty, Daniel set it on the ground and went back to work, trying not to think about the fact that Mitchell was watching him. In a way, it was only fair, but it was still annoying. After a while, Daniel managed to focus only on chopping the wood and found himself startled once again when Mitchell called him in for dinner. As he stepped into the shower, Daniel realized with frustration that the emotion that filled him now was disappointment; he'd wanted Mitchell to watch.
. .
"I'm going out for a run. Be back in a while," Mitchell said the next morning.
Sitting on the front porch steps, Daniel looked up from the book he'd been reading and nodded. "Right," he said, then gave the man a smirk. "How long's a while?"
Mitchell grinned back at him and headed for the same trail entrance. "Ninety minutes or so. Tops."
Daniel nodded absently and returned to reading, but twenty-five minutes later, the image of having seen Mitchell jerking off intruded on his mind. A little more than curiosity caused him to put his book aside and as he made his way into the woods, he told himself that if he ran into Mitchell on the way back, he'd simply say that he was out for a walk. It'd pass as plausible, as Daniel frequently went on them.
Coming to that one spot in the woods, Daniel slowed down his walk and approached the same tree, careful of his footing this time. Mitchell wasn't in the tiny clearing and Daniel was surprised by further disappointment. Swallowing with annoyance for feeling it, he leaned his back against the tree and sighed, asking himself what he thought he was doing. He placed his hand against the bark, intending to push off, when he heard the sound of running footsteps. Which stopped.
Daniel braced himself, certain he'd been seen. He waited for Mitchell to call out to him, or to come dashing around the tree, yelling, "Gotcha!" He'd done that before when they'd both gone out for a run and Daniel had decided ever since then to leave Mitchell to run alone. "You're a menace," he'd told him, only half-joking at the time.
But no surprise came, so he hadn't been seen. Instead, Daniel heard the soft rustle of bushes and waited, motionless, for a few minutes before he carefully peered past the trunk of the tree. What he caught sight of made his mouth drop open and he ducked back behind the tree. There had been bare skin this time and stuck in Daniel's mind was the round swell of Mitchell's buttocks peeking out from under his T-shirt as he thrust forward into his hand.
Inhaling slowly and telling himself to stop acting like a blushing virgin, he forced himself to look again. But as soon as he did, the slapping sounds began, accompanied by soft grunts. Daniel froze and his cock started to come to attention when he realized what Mitchell was doing. Perhaps because it was unexpected or perhaps because it was a personal kink, but Daniel couldn't resist wanting to be the one doing the slapping.
When Mitchell began to jerk off, he bent his knees slightly and Daniel knew it was to grab his balls. What he didn't expect was Mitchell reaching behind with his left hand and sliding his middle finger between the cleft of his cheeks. Daniel curled his fingers against the tree, nails scraping over bark, as his lust clamped on the desire to clutch those round buttocks in his hands and separate them; to watch that finger probe. He felt his now-hard cock pushing painfully against its confines, but Daniel resisted once more the urge to touch himself, to jerk off. He could and would resist.
Soft grunts of breath were the only sounds and Daniel had a feeling that Mitchell was close. But instead of waiting and watching, he crept away and when he was at a safe distance, walked gingerly back to the cabin and headed straight for the shower. The cold water shocked his system and he forced his mind to think of the latest research on Minoan translations as he aimed the shower nozzle at his belly, letting the water cascade over his cock.
It took a while, but his cock relaxed and softened, and despite the feelings of relief and accomplishment, Daniel couldn't help the increasing disappointment. As he dried off, he told himself this was nothing, that he could do this, but soon a question popped into his mind, making him pause with the towel over his chest: Why was he torturing himself? What the hell was he so afraid of?
"You'd better not be using up the hot water," Mitchell called out.
The direction of his voice told Daniel that he was in his bedroom, so testing himself yet again, Daniel wrapped the towel around his waist and emerged from the bathroom. Mitchell was standing in the bedroom doorway, already wearing a towel, and Daniel's traitorous mind remarked how sexy his dog tags looked lying between those muscular pecs. Recovering quickly, he gestured at the bathroom.
"Plenty left," he said, then disappeared quickly and shut his bedroom door.
A couple of minutes later, after he heard the running of the shower, Daniel froze again when Mitchell called out in a muffled voice, "Damn, Jackson, did you take a cold shower? The wall's are fucking cold!"
Cringing, Daniel shouted back, "Um, yeah, cold water's good for the pores!" then cringed again when he realized that was possibly the gayest fucking thing he could have ever said to someone like Mitchell. Never mind that it was a lame answer.
Dressing in jeans and sweatshirt, he went to the kitchen to get lunch started, all the while gritting his teeth and chastising himself for being an idiot. When Mitchell joined him, all he said was, "It's the middle of September, Jackson. Cold showers are good in the summer." He said it with a smile and no trace of wariness or suspicion so Daniel allowed himself to relax.
. .
Awoken by a noise that was out of place, Daniel sat up in bed, staring about in the dark, and realized the sound had been the closing of the back door. Wondering why that sound should wake him, he grabbed his watch off the nightstand and stared at the illuminated face. 2:23 a.m. Well, no wonder. It was the middle of the night. What was wrong?
Instantly on alert, he slid on his jeans and T-shirt and crept barefoot through the living room. Seeing nothing out of place, he moved to the kitchen and found the back porch dark. He reached to turn the light on but stopped, wondering if Mitchell had turned it off. Had he heard something out back?
Deciding to follow his example, Daniel opened the door quietly and started to step outside when he paused at the threshold, frozen in surprise once again. Out beyond the chopping stump and piles of split wood, Mitchell stood naked, facing the woods. Moonlight bathed him in beautiful silhouette and Daniel couldn't help but stare. He started to wonder what brought Mitchell out of the house buck naked, but had his answer when his friend began to sensually pass his hands over his body.
The first thing Daniel thought was, "Here? Now?" The second thing that came to him was, "He's getting bolder."
Regardless of the whys, Daniel stepped back and closed the door--but he couldn't make himself leave. Parting the curtain over the door's window, he stood there and watched, knowing that with each passing minute, he was getting as hard as the proverbial stone. Outside, Mitchell dropped to his knees and spread them, hands moving at a quick, frenzied pace. Daniel couldn't help his own excited breathing but he still refused to touch himself. He could withstand it, he ordered, but his hands slid down over his hips, fingers twitching with need, and he rubbed the top of his thighs over and over; a pitiful compensation to the painful straining of his cock confined behind his jeans.
When Mitchell's left hand once more reached around, Daniel's eyes widened to saucers when he realized that he held something short, thick and decidedly phallic. From where he stood, it looked black, and Daniel was about to try and figure out what it was when Mitchell bent over slightly and...
Even through the closed door, Daniel heard the satisfied groan, but he needed more. Turning the knob, he opened the door a few inches and what Daniel heard then nearly made him lose it. Mitchell was mumbling encouragement to himself, asking for more, groaning louder. It didn't take long before he was rapidly fucking himself, his right hand matching the rhythm.
"Oh god," Daniel whispered, fingers quickly opening his jeans. He wanted to be that dildo so badly, to have Mitchell make those sounds because of him. Just when he reached for his cock, Mitchell cried out and groaned through the spasmodic jerks as he came.
Staggering backward, Daniel made his way back to his room, shutting the door and throwing off his clothes. He laid down and reached between his legs, wrapping both hands around his cock. With the pent-up frustration backing his strokes, it didn't take him long to come. Especially with the images in his mind from what he'd just seen.
. .
Daniel didn't realize till morning, as he was brushing his teeth, that he'd left the back door open. He stared wide-eyed into the mirror, trying not to panic. If he was lucky, Mitchell hadn't noticed, or thought he hadn't closed it. But that logic was lame, given who Daniel was thinking about. Mitchell would have remembered. But there was something else wrong here. Why hadn't Mitchell been quieter? He was more than capable. Had he simply thought small noises wouldn't wake him? Perhaps, but as Daniel rinsed his mouth and spat, he couldn't get over the feeling that Mitchell had done it on purpose. Except why would he do that? Only a gay man attracted to him would pull such an obvious stunt. And from all appearances, Mitchell was...
From all appearances. Daniel immediately tried to reject the wishful thought. Appearances meant nothing. He himself was good at hiding behind facades. So was Mitchell. And even if he was bisexual, he'd never shown Daniel any interest. Had he? Staring into the sink, Daniel furrowed his brow, thinking. The more he thought about it, the more he admitted that there had been signs and hints all over the place that he'd purposely misinterpreted. But he'd been wrong, and the biggest proof was that little nickname, the one that Mitchell used on no one else.
Was the man sending out signals and Daniel was only just seeing them? No. Daniel knew from experience that he was more likely over-analyzing it all. This could be nothing more than loneliness and wishful thinking and he wasn't about to risk alienating the man if he didn't know for sure. While Mitchell's attitude in the past had been relievingly non-homophobic, Daniel didn't want to risk being the exception. This could all be coincidence and Mitchell's jerk-off excursions could simply mean the man was as lonely and horny as he was.
Letting out a breath, certain he was right that this was nothing more than a simple misreading of the man, Daniel finished his ablutions, got dressed, and went out to help Mitchell make breakfast. Except the man wasn't there. Puzzled, Daniel went out back, expecting to find him gathering wood, but he wasn't there either. Okay, so maybe he was getting supplies from the freezer kept on the side deck of the cabin. Going to the window on the other side of the living room, Daniel craned his neck and looked to the right, but didn't see him there, either. Had he gone out for a run this soon in the day? Before breakfast? He could have, but Mitchell's habits didn't include early morning runs unless he was with others in PT. Why switch?
Daniel closed his eyes and sighed with dread. The answer was because he'd left the back door open and Mitchell knew that Daniel had seen him. Feeling horribly awkward, Daniel put on his shoes and grabbed his jacket. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he headed for the same trail, and even though Mitchell was embarrassed and didn't want to face him, Daniel would have to apologize. While neither of them were embarrassed about sex, it was one thing to talk about being watched, another to have it happen.
After he'd walked a hundred yards or so, Daniel called out for him but there was no answer. Undeterred, he kept calling out and told himself that when he reached the 'jerk off' spot, he'd wait. When he rounded the trail and began to head up the gentle rise, he froze, nearly tripping in surprise. Mitchell was leaning against the tree he'd used to hide behind, hands in pockets. There was something a little off and pretty soon Daniel realized what: Mitchell had no shirt on underneath his jacket.
"I think you found me," Mitchell said.
Daniel approached slowly, trying to guess Mitchell's mood. He must've been pretty pissed off or embarrassed to go out without a shirt. "Yeah."
When Mitchell didn't move or come toward him, Daniel figured this was where Mitchell wanted to talk. Kind of manipulative, but hey, it was nothing he didn't deserve for intruding on the man. Taking a deep breath, he walked up to him, carefully stepping around roots.
"You're out early," he tested as they stared at each other. Mitchell nodded silently. "And you're out without a shirt on." When Mitchell still said nothing, Daniel gave in. "Listen, I'm sorry."
Mitchell surprised him with a hint of a mischievous smile and said, "About what... exactly?"
Caught off-guard, Daniel didn't know what to say. Had he completely fucked up? Was Mitchell just leaning against this tree for no apparent reason? Had he not noticed the back door? Been oblivious to the innuendo of the cold shower?
No. Daniel wasn't that off his game, and neither was Mitchell. "Respecting your privacy," Daniel offered. "I'm sorry, it won't ever happen again."
He started to turn away and leave but Mitchell reached out and grabbed his arm above the elbow. The action forced Daniel to stare into his eyes while Mitchell snuck his other hand inside his coat, sliding it around his waist. Daniel automatically grabbed at Mitchell's upper arms and froze, mouth open, as the man smirked at him. Amazingly, Mitchell wasn't mad. But what was he up to? Daniel was a little distracted by the smell of his deodorant, the moisturizer he used, musk of his scent. Then there was the warm hand on the small of his back.
"Something on your mind?" Daniel asked, purposely sounding glib.
"I take it you liked what you saw?"
"I did," Daniel said carefully, trying to move away, but Mitchell's hand was insistent. Daniel couldn't help but be wary, waiting for the man to step back and say, "Gotcha!" He really wouldn't put it past him.
"So not fair, you know," Mitchell said softly, voice almost a purr as he leaned in.
He was going kiss him, Daniel thought, and perversely, he tried to delay it. "Other than the obvious reason, why's that?" he asked.
Mitchell smoothly moved his hand from his arm and cupped the back of Daniel's neck. "I never got to watch you," he murmured before he captured Daniel's mouth in a soft but urgent kiss.
Daniel realized that he was still waiting for Mitchell to pull back and say it was all a joke, but the moment he thought this, defiance rose up. If this was a joke, Mitchell would regret it. When he started to pull back, Daniel didn't wait for the punchline but opened his mouth instead, framed Mitchell's head in his hands, and gave in to his desire, kissing him passionately.
What surprised Daniel more was the groan that escaped from Mitchell, vibrating into his mouth as he hungrily sought out his tongue. Probing deeply into his mouth with thrusts that mimicked fucking, Daniel moaned in response, his dick filling alarmingly fast.
Breaking off, panting, Mitchell grabbed his hand and guided it to his crotch. Surprise and lust joined hands and Daniel couldn't resist caressing him while claiming another kiss.
"Let's get back to the cabin," Mitchell said breathlessly.
"What, no al fresco sex?" Daniel teased, somehow finding use of his voice for something other than the desire to detail the sex acts in his mind.
"Another time," Mitchell answered.
Daniel couldn't agree more. What he wanted was a nicely cushioned surface, suitable for leveraged thrusts. And as they walked, albeit shakily, back to the cabin, he could feel the anticipation tightening his balls like nothing had in a long, damn time. When they reached the front door and walked inside, Mitchell locked it, then took Daniel's hand again and led him into his room.
Shedding clothes was the easy part. Neither wanted to take the time to do it slowly and Daniel had no interest, yet, in undressing Mitchell himself. When he got a good look at Mitchell's very nice cock as the man stretched out across the mattress, Daniel was suddenly faced with a dilemma. Top or bottom. It was a choice he'd not thought to ask about till now.
Except he didn't ask it. Instead, what came out was, "We'll need lube."
Mitchell nodded at the nightstand next to Daniel. "In there."
Surprised but pleased, Daniel opened the drawer and spied the dildo, which was indeed short, fat and very black. There were several condoms and a single dark blue bottle of lube--the kind you can only find in sex stores or online. He wondered if Mitchell had been planning this, then thought of the dildo. Perhaps not, but in remembering the dildo, he had the answer to the question he'd wanted to ask. Crawling onto the mattress and looming over him, Daniel flipped open the cap, but Mitchell reached up and stayed his hand.
"Jackson, let's wait on that."
Daniel frowned a little at the use of his name. He'd gotten used to it, so it didn't even bother him, but right now, he wasn't so sure it was appropriate. "Jackson?" he queried. "Still?"
"Give me time," Mitchell answered as he pulled Daniel down on top of him.
Teasingly avoiding the kiss, Daniel swooped down to capture one of Mitchell's nipples, loving the feel of it stiffening from his touch, of the hair around it against his lips. It was wonderful and he earned a groan for the specialized use of tongue. Mitchell's hands were in his hair, mussing it, caressing it, and Daniel knew where he wanted him to go. Taking his time, he moved his tongue as if he were using Mitchell as a writing surface, and by the time he reached his cock, his legs were eagerly spread.
Mitchell's ruddy erection lay heavy and stiff and Daniel wasted no time taking him inside his mouth. Pleasure filled him as Mitchell reacted, gasping and tensing from the tactile use of his mouth. The silky warmth of his cock consumed Daniel's senses and more than once he had to back off so he could keep Mitchell on the edge. The man was amazingly non-verbal, right up the point when Daniel's fingers finally reached his hole.
"Oh god, yes," Mitchell called out, raising his knees. "Please, Jackson, please."
Daniel smiled, determined to change that name on Mitchell's lips. Slicking up his fingers, he thrust two inside while he busily sucked his length into his mouth. Mitchell grabbed at the sheets and lifted his hips, panting uncontrollably. "Yes, Jackson," he repeated, and while Daniel wanted to stay down there, he'd have to reserve that for another time. Right now, it was time to get inside with more than just his fingers.
"Time for more," he whispered as he pulled away, biting at his lip as he kneeled between Mitchell's legs. Mitchell stared up at him, swallowing hard as one hand pulled at his cock and the other slid over Daniel's chest. Hands shaking slightly, Daniel looked away from Mitchell's gaze as he slid on the condom and poured on the lube, slicking up his cock.
"It's cool," Mitchell said, assisting him as he rubbed his palm over the head, making Daniel jerk with sensitive pleasure.
Daniel knew Mitchell wasn't referring to the temperature and he slowly looked up, meeting his gaze, and guided Mitchell's hand over his erection. He was thinking, "That feels good," but when he opened his mouth, nothing came. Mitchell smiled and seemed to understand. Letting him continue to caress him through a thick coat of lube, Daniel let go and placed Mitchell's knees over the crooks of his arms, whispering, "Time now."
Just when Daniel pressed against his hole, Mitchell pulled him down on top of him and claimed his mouth. The thrusting of his tongue was timed perfectly and without hesitation or caution, Daniel took his cue and thrust inside in one long stroke.
"Sweet Jesus!" Mitchell yelled, breaking off as he arched his head back and grabbed his legs.
It was so good, so easy, and Mitchell was so goddamned tight. Grabbing handfuls of the bedding on either side of Mitchell's head, Daniel pulled back and thrust deeply, adjusting his strokes according to the pleased curses Mitchell yelled at him. For him. Because of him. It was sweet and excruciatingly perfect and it didn't take long before Daniel couldn't hold back. In and out, faster and faster, he slapped against Mitchell's ass with a speed he'd fantasized about the night before. Between them, Mitchell grabbed hold of his cock, quickly matching the rhythm.
He yelled ceaselessly and minutes stretched by, making Daniel wish this could last forever. But he knew when it was Mitchell's time, because the man tensed and arched, hollering, "Holy Mary, I'm... Yes! Oh fucking hell, Daniel!"
Daniel couldn't help but smile like the proverbial cat with the cream, and between the way Mitchell thrashed beneath him and tightened around his cock, he let go. Slamming rapidly against his ass, encouraged by Mitchell's "Yes! Come hard, baby!" Daniel yelled out a joyful, pleased roar as he did indeed come hard, pumping forever into Mitchell's ass. All the holding back and stored-up need seemed to explode from him and Daniel figured it was several minutes before he came back to himself.
When he did, he was lying on top of Mitchell, his arms and legs wrapped around him and his heart beating against his own. It was so overwhelmingly satisfying that he whispered, "Jesus."
Mitchell chuckled against his neck. "Why the watching, Jackson?"
"What?" Daniel asked in absent confusion as he pushed up on his forearms to claim a cool, sticky kiss.
"Watching?" Mitchell asked.
Daniel frowned at him, wondering why Mitchell was asking now, of all times. Couldn't he wait till he found his brain, which he figured was somewhere on Mars right about now. "What?" he asked again.
"You watched me till I came," Mitchell went on. "I think that entitled me to meet my voyeur. Why'd you run?"
"Are you kidding?" Daniel said with surprise as his brain began to return to him. "You're not supposed to be starting the Q & A yet."
"I'm not?"
Daniel grinned at him, a little annoyed. "Quick recovery, is that it?"
"You were a little out of it for longer than you think."
Even more annoyed, but pleased nonetheless, Daniel acknowledged it with a nod. "Guess so."
"You want to shut up and talk about this later?" Mitchell teased, that crooked grin on his face.
With a sigh, Daniel stared down at him. "And I thought I was the talker."
"I see your point, but I figure the place to talk about sex is the bedroom. After."
"After?" Daniel grinned with a little patronizing note in his tone.
"Well, if you talk before the sex, you don't really pay attention to the important stuff."
"Sex is important," Daniel evaded, grinning even more as Mitchell's eyes narrowed. "Okay, sorry." Clearing his throat, he said, "Going by what you said, I take it you knew I was watching." Despite his calm voice, Daniel could feel embarrassment coloring his cheeks.
"Yeah, I knew. If you'd only picked up the signs, we could have done this earlier."
In an effort to save himself from further embarrassment, Daniel nuzzled Mitchell and said, "No, I couldn't."
"Why not?"
"I was conducting an experiment in resistance," Daniel grinned, then lifted up and looked into Mitchell's blue eyes, the pupils only just decreasing in size. When Mitchell started giggling, Daniel added, "Don't say it."
"Say what?" Mitchell asked, pretending innocence. "So the experiment is over and this is the result. What's your analysis, Doctor?"
"Sorry," Daniel answered, nipping at his lip, forcing Mitchell to smile. "I'm afraid that being with you now qualifies as empirical research."
Mitchell laughed and lunged at Daniel's throat, biting him. "Gotta title?"
"Doctor Jackson's In-Depth Study on the Differences Between Al Fresco Sex Versus Bedroom Sex."
Mitchell grinned wickedly at him. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't reckon we've had al fresco sex."
"It's on the list of objectives later today," Daniel sighed as he pulled out.
Mitchell groaned and turned them over, giving Daniel another welcome surprise. "Then we'll need to eat a lot of meat today to shore up our strength."
Daniel couldn't help but snicker. "Ya think?" he said, then rolled them over again, separating himself from Mitchell as he sat up.
"You never answered my question," Mitchell said as he looked down at himself, then grabbed the sheet to clean up a little.
"What question was that?" Daniel asked distractedly as he tossed away the condom.
"Why we haven't done this before?" The look he gave Daniel said he didn't really want a playful answer this time.
Clearing his throat, Daniel walked toward the door, then paused and held out his hand. Mitchell paused too, though Daniel didn't know if it was to take his hand or for another reason. He was quite certain he was annoying the man. Finally Mitchell moved forward and accepted his hand and Daniel led them to the bathroom.
As Daniel started up the shower, Mitchell asked, "You're not going to answer the question?"
"I think better in the shower," Daniel answered.
"No you don't," Mitchell argued. "You're stalling."
Daniel held open the shower door but didn't step inside the tub. He ground his jaw, staring at the water as it hit the porcelain bottom. Looking over his shoulder, catching Mitchell watching and waiting, he said, "You're straight."
Mitchell's eyebrows shot up. "You're either suffering from amnesia or in denial, which frankly doesn't sound like--"
"I mean, I thought you were. That's why nothing happened." Before Mitchell could remind him of the hints he'd given, Daniel held up an index finger, holding him off. "No, wait, listen to me. You can be a flirt, Mitchell, and still be straight. It's why I ignored it all. Every time you said something sexual, it had to do with women."
"In mixed company, yeah," Mitchell said softly as he stepped past Daniel to get in the tub. He held out his hand and Daniel took it, stepping inside and closing the door. "But think about it. When we were alone, I never once mentioned the gender of any partner I'd been with."
As Daniel thought back, he realized that Mitchell was right. He hadn't. He hadn't even used any female euphemisms. Blinking with partial embarrassment and sudden realization, he stared into those intense eyes and welcomed Mitchell's warm hands as he pulled Daniel against an even warmer body. "You're right. I was blind."
"Not so good for empirical research," Mitchell teased as he moved them both under the wide shower nozzle, wetting them down.
Daniel grinned as he tilted his head back and wet his face. Lips closed on his own for a soft, amazingly gentle kiss, and Daniel let his hands roam over Mitchell's hips and down over that firm, round ass. "I don't know why I didn't see it before, but it doesn't matter. I see it now. The question is... how far do you want to take this?"
Mitchell took Daniel's face in his hands and held him still as he kissed over his face, licking the water droplets off his chin. "I haven't done casual for a long time," he said soberly.
Daniel suddenly grinned as he kissed him back. "That's a cue for another round of research."
"Sounds like you'll be conducting a lot more experiments," Mitchell murmured back, caressing Daniel's skin, winding him up again.
Daniel reached between them and gently palmed Mitchell's balls, loving the reaction. "I can think of several, Mitchell."
"Cam... Daniel. It's Cam."
Silently celebrating his success, Daniel set another goal as he turned them around and pinned Mitchell's wrists against the tile. "So, I think the next experiment will be how long I can keep you from coming." The pleased groan in Mitchell's throat was almost as irresistible as the stiffening of his cock.
~
end