Part One

Daniel sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed, wearing only his boxer shorts and a very nervous expression. Jack would be back in a moment, and he was having serious doubts about this whole thing. He still couldn't believe that they had gone from yelling at each other to eating each other alive in such a short period of time.

Sure, they loved each other, had said it out loud more than once in the seven years of their aquaintance. They had proven the depths of that love on countless occasions. Daniel had died for Jack the very first time they had met during the original mission to Abydos. Jack loved Daniel enough to let him go after the accident on Kelowna, knowing that all he had to do was ask, and Daniel would have stayed and tried to fight. No, Love wasn't the problem here.

Nor was it attraction. They had both come to terms with that too, dealt with it in their own ways, carried on their daily lives, fought side by side, laughed, cried, existed. But they had never let it strip away their control. Because they were both afraid, and *that* was the problem.

They had maintained an uneasy equilibrium, a status quo that neither was ready to break. They had thought that what they had was enough, that it would always be enough. Until the moment arrived when they found out that it *wasn't* enough.

Daniel shifted uneasily as he remembered the kiss that had changed everything. It had begun with anger; a stupid row about Jack's 'knight in shining armour' complex. Daniel was truly grateful that Jack had saved him yet again, but a little pissed off too. He knew he would have died in the forest if Jack hadn't killed his pursuers, but it still rankled a bit.

They had started shouting, and Jack had tried to shake some sense into his friend. Then suddenly, they were kissing desperately, like their very lives depended on it. Daniel couldn't remember how it had happened, only that once he felt those hot, hungry lips closing on his own, he had been lost.

Very quickly, they got to the point where they either had to stop, or take it all the way. By mutual consent, they stopped, although it was the hardest thing Daniel had ever done. They talked a little about reasons why it had happened. Then finally they admitted that those reasons were actually excuses. They had kissed because they were in love. Not two comrades that shared a deeply forged bond of friendship, but two guys in love with each other.

Getting that out into the open, had led to the next question. What happens now? Daniel told Jack that he wanted more. Neither of them had much of a clue what that meant, but Jack, being Jack, refused to proceed without the proper supplies, and had left to find an all night drugstore. Trust him to focus on the physical aspect of that request. Daniel didn't just want more of Jack, he wanted *all* of him.

Daniel heard the front door open and gulped nervously. Now that the insanity of passion had cooled, he admitted that he was scared shitless. This was a big step, a very big step to be taking after seven years of friendship. The possible change in their relationship scared him more than the physical stuff, although *that* was freaking him out a little too.

He heard footsteps walking slowly down the hall, but the bathroom door slammed shut a moment later and Daniel let out the breath he hadn't even know he had been holding. Of course, he knew what to expect. One didn't study ancient cultures without learning at least the *basics* of gay sex, and Jack was sure to know some stuff too, wasn't he? Daniel looked down at the covers, wondering if he should get into bed. He was still undecided, when the bedroom door opened and Jack came in.

He had shed his clothes in favour of a bathrobe, tied tightly at his waist. Daniel suddenly felt a little underdressed. Jack flopped down onto the bed and tossed an assortment of items onto the covers between them without saying a word.

Daniel examined the small, foil wrapped squares intently, his eyes falling on the bottle of Astroglide with curiosity. He had heard of this stuff but never actually seen it before. He picked it up and began reading the label, then noticed that Jack was staring at him. He looked up into the uncertain gaze of his best friend.

"Daniel, we don't have to do this." Jack's voice betrayed his own nervousness.

"I know." He answered, unable to maintain eye contact. He dropped the lube back onto the bed and picked up the magazine. Its title was 'Gay Times', and the cover featured two attractive looking men covered in body piercing and tattoos. Tentatively he let the magazine fall open at a random page then slammed it shut again.

Jack snorted and Daniel found the courage to look him in the eye again. The smile was genuine. "It was all I could find at short notice. Thought it might give us some ideas." He grinned, taking the magazine from Daniel's fingers and tossing it on the floor.

Daniel bit his lip. "You want to wait until we can find some proper reference material?" he asked dubiously.

Jack reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a video. "The guy in the shop said this is really popular with first timers."

Daniel took the video and turned it over several times in his hands. "Gay Paris? It doesn't sound much like an in structural video to me, Jack."

Jack took the video and tossed it onto the floor beside the magazine. "You know what, we should forget it altogether. I wouldn't be upset if you decided not to, I mean, this was probably a bad idea... we have no idea what... mmmph!"

Daniel had come to a decision. Seven years, seven long years with an itch that was begging to be scratched. This wasn't a spur of the moment thing; it wasn't going to be a one-night-stand. This was a new beginning. He launched himself across the covers impacting with Jack's chest, and they both rolled off the bed, landing on the discarded video and magazine, the condoms and bottle of lube cascading down on their heads as they lay sprawled on the carpet.

Jack plucked one of the condoms from Daniel's hair and tossed it over his shoulder.

"We play it by ear then?" he grinned, letting Daniel kiss him again. Kissing they could do, and as for the rest... well all things come to those who wait.

Part Two

Jack pulled into the parking lot of the 24-hour drugstore and tugged on the parking break. He sat for a moment staring out of the window at the deserted lot. His eyes lost their focus for a moment as he remembered the reason he was here and he shook his head to clear away the disturbing memories. It wasn't that they were unpleasant memories, far from it. He just thought it would be too embarrassing to walk into a drugstore at three in the morning with a hard-on and ask for a packet of condoms.

He took a deep breath, and got out of the car, steeling himself for the task ahead. He approached the store slowly, trying to see if there were many other late night shoppers milling about. The harsh jangling noise from the door bell over his head sounded *way* too loud, and he winced, screwing his eyes shut and letting the door slam in his haste to get inside.

He opened his eyes and found himself face to face with an elderly woman wearing a pastel pink dressing gown and curlers. She was also wearing a lurid green face pack. She scowled at him for several moments before Jack finally realized that she was waiting for him to hold open the door for her.

"Oh, 'scuse me ma'am." he apologised feebly, wincing at the loud jangling racket once again. Jack followed her progress across the lot, wondering if he should call social services, worried that the woman might have wandered out of some old folk's home, but his attention was drawn to a young man in his twenties who had walked up beside him.

"Don't worry about Lois, she's mostly harmless. Insomniac but perfectly sane." the kid grinned, tossing a tube of toothpaste into his basket. Jack returned the smile with a friendly nod and headed for the counter at the top of the shop. He had to keep focused on his mission, and that required him to ask the chemist on duty certain... questions. He halted in his tracks as he got within sight of the counter.

The middle-aged chemist that normally worked here had been replaced by a blonde 'teenybopper' that looked young enough to be Jack's daughter. She was chewing enthusiastically on a piece of gum and examining her long fingernails. Jack sighed. She was going to be about as much use to him as a chocolate fireguard. He ducked into an isle and began perusing the items on sale.

Nope, didn't need haemorrhoid cream, at least not yet. Nor did he have a pressing need for mouthwash, head-lice shampoo or massage oil. He hesitated and threw the oil into his basket. Maybe later...?

He arrived at the isle with all the condoms and smiled. Condoms he knew. Throwing several packs into the basket, he turned to go back to the counter, only to find his way blocked by the young man from the front of the store. The kid looked into Jack's basket and frowned.

"What sort of lube are you using, man? Only those are no good unless its water based."

Jack's jaw dropped open. "Lube?" he stated dumbly. The kid grinned up at him, his teeth so perfectly straight and white that Jack decided his father must be an orthodontist.

"First timer huh?" the young man reached into Jack's basket and replaced his choices with different packets, then taking Jack by the arm, he led him to the lubricant section. Jack felt his cheeks flush. When the kid had said lube, all Jack could think of was that his truck was overdue for an oil change!

Then the young man dragged a very embarrassed Jack over to the video section. "Here." he said, tossing a tape into the basket, "you'll love it, trust me. Great for first timers."

Jack couldn't even bring himself to look at the tape. "Thanks." he muttered, hoping that the guy would go away. "No problem, man." the kid waved as he bounced up the isle like a kangaroo on speed. Jack sighed as he scanned the contents of his basket. Three packs of condoms, a bottle of massage oil, a bottle of something called Astroglide and a gay porn video. He peeped round the support bandages at the top of the isle at the blonde now ringing up the kid's purchases.

Oh well, he thought bravely, faint heart never won fair maiden. Or horny archaeologist. Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the till, snagging a brightly coloured magazine from the top shelf as he went. In for a penny....