Oh, no. Oh, *no.* There was no way--*no way*--that she was giving Jonas that laugh. No. That laugh was his. That full-throated-head- thrown-back-glittering-eyes-bright-smile laugh was HIS, and *only* his. She had never laughed like that for anyone else.
Oh, GOD. Now she was touching his arm, still laughing slightly, and saying something that he was nodding and grinning about. Jack found himself subtracting "Good Jonas" points for every second that Sam's eyes glittered like gem stones. Double points for every half-second she laughed.
And, dear God, but what was she thinking? Wasn't one Jonas enough? Forget lunatic fringe. Maybe she just had a thing for the name "Jonas."
Oh, man, that thought was revolting.
Jack ground his teeth together and looked over at Teal'c. He was in hearing range and appeared very amused at what was passing between *his* Sam and Jonas. Jack wasn't within hearing range, and he wasn't amused.
Sam laughed again, drawing Jack's attention once more.
Dammit, but it wasn't fair. First, he'd had to worry about Daniel. Oh, as long as Sha're was in the picture he hadn't been too worried, but then Sha're was gone, and Jack knew how well those two got along. There had been nights when he'd stood outside her lab and listened to the two of them joke and talk, their voices warm, their laughter sweet. Then, when he couldn't stand it any more, he would walk in and join them.
Sometimes, just after she'd lost another suitor, and she'd show up at work, her eyes sad, Daniel would reach out and take her hand and let her know, in a way Jack couldn't, that she wasn't alone. It was then that his chest would tighten, an image of her shining face from the first time she'd met Daniel filling his mind.
["I knew I'd like you."]
Now he had Jonas to contend with. Chipper Jonas. Grinning Jonas. Smart Jonas. Jonas who made her laugh.
He hadn't seen it coming. That was what really bothered him. Well, that and the fact that Jonas wasn't an alien. Well, he was, but he was part of SGC, which meant lots of contact, constant contact, ample time to compare Jack to Jonas and find Jack lacking.
Crap. This sucked. This sucked big time. Jack just knew that he would spend the rest of his life pining over her while she got it on with Jonas.
Sam laughed again, that laugh. Jack watched her, chest tight, heart thudding painfully. She glanced over him, just a quick glance, one that meant nothing. Jack started to look away, suddenly very aware of who she was and who he was and the fact that she wasn't meant for him. He started to look away, but she caught his eye again. He stared blatantly. Her eyes softened, and her smile widened. A blush spread across her cheeks. She glanced down at her lap and back up at him. He grinned and lifted an eyebrow. Her smile was suddenly dazzling, and he knew exactly what she was thinking. They both looked away at the same time, embarrassed and thrilled.
All Jack could think was that Jonas had no chance.
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 ]