Friendship mattered to Daniel. It mattered because it was a rare jewel to be treasured. He didn’t have many friends in his life. He had colleagues and acquaintances and a smattering of jealous professional enemies.
So friendships were to be nurtured and cherished.
Jack’s friendship, in particular, mattered.
He loved the man. He loved him in ways that were difficult and profound and impossible for him to articulate. He couldn’t fully define his feelings, so how could he explain or share them?
When Jack swept into the SGC locker room after returning the life form that looked like Charlie to the planet of the crystal entities, and when Jack just sat that on the bench with his head in his hands, mute, desolate and alone, Daniel tried to offer comfort and reassurance.
But the words wouldn’t come. So Daniel simply sat beside him, making sure their shoulders touched lightly and waited until Jack finally stood silently, nodded to him once and left for home.
When Jack got drunk at Daniel’s place after Frank Cromwell died, when Jack forgot himself and told Daniel things from his past that Daniel hadn’t wanted to hear and Jack hadn’t meant to tell him, and when Jack finally fell deeply asleep where he sat, Daniel covered him with a blanket and watched him sleep. And Daniel didn’t say the words.
When Jack returned from Edora, dislocated from his life and unsure of his place in his world, and when Jack invited Daniel out for surf and turf and told him everything about the planet that was his home for one hundred days, everything except something that Daniel knew was hurting Jack somewhere deep inside, Daniel listened then said he was glad Jack was home. And Daniel still didn’t say the words.
When Jack told him to shut up on the mission that went to hell, and when, later, they had a blazing argument in the privacy of the briefing room, a fierce exchange of views that descended into pain that stretched the boundaries of their love, Daniel shook his head and wanted to say the words more than ever.
When Jack came out of deep freeze, when he made some crass joke about twins and Teal’c’s hair, and when he looked at Daniel with nothing but relief and affection, Daniel felt something crack inside his heart and finally recognized his feelings for what they were. His throat seized and he couldn’t say what he wanted to say. So he smiled and simply luxuriated in the joy of having Jack back.
And then.
When Jack became The Man and cleared his desk at the Mountain, when 1,500 miles stood between the man who was the closest thing to a best friend Daniel had ever had and the aching possibility of something more, Daniel pulled Jack into a desperate, close hug and said the words.
Five times Daniel wanted to tell Jack he loved him, but didn't
So friendships were to be nurtured and cherished.
Jack’s friendship, in particular, mattered.
He loved the man. He loved him in ways that were difficult and profound and impossible for him to articulate. He couldn’t fully define his feelings, so how could he explain or share them?
When Jack swept into the SGC locker room after returning the life form that looked like Charlie to the planet of the crystal entities, and when Jack just sat that on the bench with his head in his hands, mute, desolate and alone, Daniel tried to offer comfort and reassurance.
But the words wouldn’t come. So Daniel simply sat beside him, making sure their shoulders touched lightly and waited until Jack finally stood silently, nodded to him once and left for home.
When Jack got drunk at Daniel’s place after Frank Cromwell died, when Jack forgot himself and told Daniel things from his past that Daniel hadn’t wanted to hear and Jack hadn’t meant to tell him, and when Jack finally fell deeply asleep where he sat, Daniel covered him with a blanket and watched him sleep. And Daniel didn’t say the words.
When Jack returned from Edora, dislocated from his life and unsure of his place in his world, and when Jack invited Daniel out for surf and turf and told him everything about the planet that was his home for one hundred days, everything except something that Daniel knew was hurting Jack somewhere deep inside, Daniel listened then said he was glad Jack was home. And Daniel still didn’t say the words.
When Jack told him to shut up on the mission that went to hell, and when, later, they had a blazing argument in the privacy of the briefing room, a fierce exchange of views that descended into pain that stretched the boundaries of their love, Daniel shook his head and wanted to say the words more than ever.
When Jack came out of deep freeze, when he made some crass joke about twins and Teal’c’s hair, and when he looked at Daniel with nothing but relief and affection, Daniel felt something crack inside his heart and finally recognized his feelings for what they were. His throat seized and he couldn’t say what he wanted to say. So he smiled and simply luxuriated in the joy of having Jack back.
And then.
When Jack became The Man and cleared his desk at the Mountain, when 1,500 miles stood between the man who was the closest thing to a best friend Daniel had ever had and the aching possibility of something more, Daniel pulled Jack into a desperate, close hug and said the words.
And Jack said them back.