Daniel was always the last to be finished in the locker room when the team returned from a mission. It annoyed Sam, who had to wait for him to clear out, but Daniel had never gotten the hang of dressing and undressing quickly the way other men seemed to be able to do. Sam, on the other hand, had fast dressing down to and art form.
The young scientist sighed as he put his glasses back on and ran his fingers through his still slightly damp hair. He adjusted his coveralls one last time and prepared to leave when he noticed an envelope, partly hidden, under the bench in the middle of the room. He stooped over to pick it up and turned it over in his hands. It was blank, so Daniel decided to take out the paper inside to see if he could find the owner by its contents.
He unfolded the paper and recognised Jack's handwriting. *Well that was easy,* Daniel thought to himself as he started to fold the letter back into the envelope. He fully intended to keep the contents private - he wasn't a snoop, but a line caught his eye.
"Every night, I lie awake thinking of you," Daniel read aloud. Unable to stop himself, he kept reading. "I close my eyes and imagine what it would be like to touch your hair, your lips, your heart. Sometimes, I can almost smell you again. I love your scent, it drives me wild." Daniel sat down on the bench hard. Jack was in love! He kept reading, despite himself.
"I wish I could gaze into your blue eyes forever. I could get lost in them - they have a depth I've never seen before. I want you to look at me like I look at you. I want you to see me as a man, not just a team-mate."
*Team mate?!* Daniel did a double-take. *Jack is in love with Sam?* He started reading again, not caring anymore that he was invading his friend's privacy.
"I watch you all the time, you know. I know you don't see me, but I do. I love how the sun glistens in your golden hair, I love how your body moves under your clothes. Damn, you're so sexy and I'll never be able to tell you! And it's not just your amazing body I love to watch. I love how your mind works. You're brilliant - one of the smartest people I know. Maybe you're smart enough to figure out my feelings, but I'm trying so hard not to let them show. I can't ruin our friendship, I know that. I can't put that kind of burden on you, or the team."
Daniel was amazed. He'd never know that Jack had such a depth to his emotions. Jack was such a private man; he never shared much of anything. He felt a twinge of pity for Sam. She'd never know what Jack felt. Daniel would never tell her - Jack wouldn't forgive him. This letter must be a wish letter, never meant to reach Sam's eyes. It was a good thing he'd found it before Sam had come in! Daniel decided to finish the letter.
"I guess what I'm trying to say is that I love you. You'll never know it, but I do. My heart will be forever broken because we can't be together. Although it hurts me deeply, I want to see you happy. The only way I can do that now is by not letting you know how I feel. That would just confuse things, and I don't want to burden you with this. I can't act on my feelings, but I want you to know that I love you Sam Carter. Forever."
Daniel's mind was reeling. What should he do? He couldn't tell Sam! But she should know. This had to be resolved, somehow. Daniel closed his eyes and let his head fall back.
"Daniel? Are you alright?" he heard Sam ask. He quickly opened his eyes and looked at her, blushing.
"I'm fine, really," he stammered, stuffing the letter back into the envelope and standing up. "Sorry I took so long," the scientist mumbled as he hurried out of the room. Sam watched him go, a confused look on her face.
Story Notes: another fic of mine that appeared on another list in a slightly different form!
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]