Archive of Our Own ^beta

It doesn’t take that long before Daniel notices that something is off.

Well, “off,” isn’t exactly the right way of putting it, he supposes. Different is a bit more accurate. Then again, he’s still adjusting to being back on the team - and being alive, for that matter - so maybe he’s just imagining things.

Maybe.

It starts on what would otherwise be a normal Monday. Although it’s been two weeks since, the SGC is still buzzing with chatter about Major Tenney’s latest house party. Daniel is quite frankly surprised that anyone even remembers the event, considering that the majority of the guests in attendance were, as usual, rather inebriated. His own memories are somewhat fuzzy, most involving too much tequila, bad karaoke, and Teal’c practically carrying him outside so he could get some fresh air. Everything else is a chaotic blur. Not that it really matters, though; he’s certain nothing of consequence happened. Nothing worth remembering, anyway.

But the minute he arrives at his office, Daniel starts to wonder if his assumption might be wrong. He’s sharing the space with Jonas now, having made the arrangement in light of the somewhat abrupt announcement that the Kelownan scientist would be staying on Earth after all. Daniel isn’t mad about it; quite the opposite, actually. He likes the guy, and they work well together. Daniel is honestly grateful to have another friend to bounce ideas off of, someone who “gets” how his mind works and makes him feel a little less insane on days when it feels like no one is listening. But today there’s an extra occupant in the room, one whose presence wouldn’t be so surprising were it not for the giggle echoing out the door into the hallway.

Daniel pauses over the threshold, observing the sight before him. Jonas is already at his workspace - being the earlier riser of the two he always gets there first. But instead of shuffling through a mountain of ancient texts or keeping his nose buried in that notebook of his, he’s leaning back in his chair, smiling up at a figure perched on the edge of his desk. A blonde figure, who is currently gazing down at him with a goofy grin on her face, giggling up a storm.

“I just think it’s silly,” Jonas is saying. “They round up a bunch of random people from all over the country and have them compete on television to marry some guy they just met? Come on.”

Sam, whose grin looks like it’s about to split her face in two, giggles again. “That’s the point,” she argues. “It’s supposed to be silly.”

”I dunno,” Jonas continues. “You seemed pretty into it when you forced me to watch it with you.”

Sam giggles yet again and gives his shoulder a shove. “I did not force you.”

”Yes, you did,” Jonas retorts. “The Bachelor was definitely not on my ‘To Watch’ list until you put it on my radar.”

Sam makes a face. ”Says the man who is a self-professed ‘hopeless romantic.’”

Jonas returns the look. ”Look, I prefer romance that feels a little less manufactured, okay?”

”Oh really?” Sam laughs. “You’re obsessed with Hallmark movies!”

”So are you!”

”Ahem,” Daniel interrupts.

Both heads snap towards him, and maybe it’s just the office lighting, but Daniel swears he can see Sam blush. “Um, hey,” he says, shuffling into the room. “Whatcha guys talking about?”

”The baffling lunacy of reality TV,” Jonas replies.

That earns him a glare from Sam. “Ouch, you don’t have to be so mean about it.”

”I’m just stating the facts.”

”You like Dancing With The Stars.”

”Dancing With The Stars actually has a point to it.”

”Okay,” Daniel cuts in again, his gaze darting back and forth between the pair. “I can see I’ve clearly interrupted something.”

At that, Sam definitely does blush - bright red, in fact. “You’re not interrupting anything,” she splutters, looking like a deer in headlights. “We were just goofing off.”

Daniel squints. “Yeah, okay,” he says, trying to get a read on her. “Well, um, I don’t mind you staying and talking, I just have some work I need to get started on.”

Sam, however, shakes her head. “No, no, I should get going,” she remarks, hopping off the edge of Jonas’ desk. “I’ll, uh, see you guys at lunch?”

Daniel doesn’t miss the way her eyes dart back to Jonas. “Yeah,” Jonas says, nodding at her. Come to think of it, his face looks a little red too. “See ya.”

Sam flashes him a smile, completely forgetting to acknowledge Daniel, and heads out into the hallway.

Once she’s beyond earshot, Daniel rounds on Jonas. “What was that all about?”

Jonas shrugs, looking far too innocent for it to be genuine. “What was what all about?”

Daniel tilts his head towards the door. “You know. You and Sam just now.”

Jonas maintains that innocent expression, shrugging yet again in a slightly exaggerated attempt at nonchalance. “What? We were just talking.”

Daniel narrows his eyes at him. “Right,” he says, nodding slowly. “Just talking.”

”Mhm.”

Daniel appraises him for a moment before finally letting the matter drop. “Okay then,” he says, making his way to his desk. “I guess we should get back to these translations.”

Jonas nods, the red in his cheeks starting to fade. “Yeah,” he agrees, reaching for his notebook. “I guess we should.”

The next few weeks proceed in much the same way, with Sam and Jonas palling around as if they exist in an impenetrable bubble. At first, Daniel tries to shrug it off. They did spend over a year working together without him in the picture, so it was only natural that they developed some sort of a bond. But as the banter and the giggles and the acting-like-he’s-invisible continue on, whatever is transpiring between them starts to grate on Daniel’s nerves. It’s not that they don’t include him at all, but sometimes even when he is included, he feels like an outsider looking in on something he can’t make heads or tails of. Teal’c and Jack seem strangely unaffected by the phenomenon (although Jack has admittedly been making a lot of weird faces and throwing himself into his fishing obsession more than usual). Daniel considers asking them about it, but he ultimately concludes that neither party is going to be of much help. No, if he’s going to crack the code here, he’s going to have to investigate on his own. Well, partially on his own, anyway.

He’s in the infirmary for a check-up - standard procedure after away missions - when he decides to consult the one person he thinks might actually have some answers. Janet Fraiser is no gossip, of course. But being the base’s CMO, she knows everybody’s business, even the details people would rather keep to themselves. Daniel isn’t sure how much she’ll be willing to say, but he’s certain she knows something. Sam is her best friend after all. She has to have some insight that he himself is missing.

Janet has just given him the all-clear when he finally speaks up. “Um, Janet?” he asks, unsure of where to start.

Janet smiles at him, warm and inviting as always. “Yes?”

Daniel frowns, wringing his hands in his lap. “Can I ask you something?”

Janet nods. “Of course. Ask away.”

Daniel makes a face and rubs the back of his head. How should he put this? “Um, it’s a little odd.”

Janet gives him a curious look. “I can handle odd,” she says. “What’s on your mind?”

He takes a deep breath. Here goes, he supposes. “You and Sam are close,” he starts, trying to ease into it.

”Yes,” Janet confirms, eyeing him quizzically.

”Which means she tells you things,” he continues.

”Yes…”

Daniel swallows. “Look, I don’t mean to pry into her business,” he says. “But I guess I’ve just noticed that she’s been acting kind of…weird lately.”

Janet raises an eyebrow. “Weird?”

Daniel nods. “Yeah.” He takes a breath. “Well, it’s not just her. It’s her and Jonas. To be honest I’ve been feeling a little left out and I don’t know if it’s something I did or - “

He cuts himself off when he sees the shit-eating grin spreading across Janet’s face. “What? What is it?” he asks.

Janet dips her chin, trying to suppress a laugh. “It’s nothing,” she replies. “It’s just…”

Agitation starts brewing in his gut. “Just? Just what?”

Janet sighs and shakes her head. “Look, Daniel,” she says, the grin still plastered on her face. “It’s not my place to say. But trust me, they’re not trying to exclude you at all. It’s just…”

There it is again. Just what? “Are you sure there isn’t something going on that I should know about?”

Janet lets out another sigh. “Fine, I’ll tell you this,” she concedes. “I’ve been sworn to secrecy. But I swear it has nothing to do with you.”

Daniel frowns, not sure what to make of that. “You’re certain.”

”Positive.”

His lip twists. He’s not convinced he can live with that answer, but it’ll have to do for now. “Okay,” he says after a moment. “Thanks, I guess.”

”No worries,” Janet says, still looking like she’s two seconds away from bursting into uncontrollable laughter. “Is there anything else you need?”

Daniel shakes his head. “No,” he mutters. “No, I think that’s it for now.”

It’s about a week after his conversation with Janet that the touching begins to escalate.

He’s noticed it before, of course. Along with the shared glances and secretive smiles, both of his friends have been a bit more handsy with each other than normal. At first it’s minimal. A touch on the arm here, a brush of elbows there. But then the touches start to become more pronounced. Sam’s hand might linger a second too long on Jonas’ shoulder, or Jonas’ arm might hover a little too close to Sam’s waist. Up until this point Daniel was at a loss for what to make of their behavior. But now, the haze of his confusion is starting to clear, and the picture being revealed quite honestly has him stunned.

They’re stuck on yet another forest planet this week, waiting for backup. Jack’s gone back through the ‘gate with Teal’c to make a fuss about sending a medical team through, leaving Daniel, Sam, and Jonas behind with SG-15. It’s not anything serious, though. At least, not in comparison to hostile locals or a run-in with the Goa’uld. Then again, the team members currently suffering from some kind of food poisoning might beg to disagree.

The locals, a friendly agricultural community, welcomed them with open arms and invited both teams to a banquet celebrating their recent harvest. All was well for a few hours until Jonas came down with a stomachache that soon spread to SG-15. Daniel, Sam, Jack, and Teal’c were all mysteriously unaffected, and they could only come to the conclusion that their companions must have a shared allergy to some of the planet’s produce. The locals were mortified, of course, and did their best to treat their guests’ condition with the remedies they had available to them.

The strange concoction of herbs seems to have eased some of the discomfort. But Jonas and SG-15 will need more advanced treatment once the medical team arrives. For now, the only thing they can do is rest while Daniel and Sam look after them. The village’s healer has made space for them in her humble home, laying out pallets on the floor for them to lie on while they wait. SG-15 has collectively fallen asleep, the herbs having had some sort of sedative effect on them. But Jonas is somehow still awake. He’s curled up on his side, shivering under a handmade blanket while Sam rubs a comforting hand over his arm.

”You need to sleep,” Sam is saying, her voice soft. “Forcing yourself to stay awake isn’t going to do anything.”

”I’m not…forcing,” Jonas chokes out. “Kinda hard to sleep when your stomach feels like it’s been turned inside out.”

Once again, the two of them seem oblivious to Daniel’s presence, but the atmosphere is different now. Daniel continues to observe them in silence. Somehow he feels like speaking would be an intrusion, and he realizes that he doesn’t want to shatter the moment.

Sam shifts her body a little. “Come here,” she murmurs, patting her legs. “I have an idea.”

Jonas frowns up at her in confusion, but he does as she suggests anyway. Slowly, he leverages his body towards her and scoots close enough so that he can lay his head in her lap. “Now what?” he asks, his voice still hoarse.

Sam smiles down at him and starts stroking his hair. “Just close your eyes,” she whispers. “Try to relax.”

Jonas meets her gaze. “Okay,” he murmurs. His eyes flutter closed.

After some time, Daniel can tell that their friend has finally gone to sleep. It’s only then that Sam glances up at him, her fingers still combing through Jonas’ hair.

”What?” she asks softly.

Daniel tries to maintain a neutral expression. “Nothing,” he says, making sure to keep his voice down. “I didn’t say anything.”

Sam gives him a look. “You look like you want to.”

He does, actually, but now doesn’t seem like an appropriate time. “I don’t,” he lies.

Sam eyes him for one long, uncomfortable moment before glancing back down at Jonas. “I hope they get here soon,” she murmurs.

And then, gently so as not to wake him, she moves her hand to cradle Jonas’ head against her stomach. It’s a simple gesture, but it’s one so intimate that it leaves no doubt in Daniel’s mind about what he’s currently witnessing.

He can only stare at them in awe, wondering why it took him so long to see the obvious. “Yeah,” he whispers, still reeling from the shock of the revelation. “Yeah, I hope so too.”

It only takes another week before acceptance gives way to more annoyance.

Daniel’s fine with it. He really is. After an asshole fiancé, a string of dead alien boyfriends, years of not-so-subtly pining after Jack, and her brother attempting to set her up with some loser Daniel really didn’t like, Sam deserves to be happy. He doesn’t know what the “official” status of their relationship is, but it’s clear to him that she and Jonas are a great match, even if enduring their increasingly obvious flirting does get a bit awkward at times. Jonas is a good man, loyal and caring almost to a fault, and Daniel is relieved that Sam has apparently chosen him and not some stranger who might end up breaking her heart again. He hasn’t seen her smile this much ever since she bought a new motorcycle, and that was three years ago already, if he’s remembering correctly. Seeing Sam so happy makes Daniel happy. So he shouldn’t have anything to complain about.

Except that he does.

It’s petty, really. In the grand scheme of things, Daniel knows that it doesn’t matter much, but he can’t stop thinking about it anyway. Sure, he was technically dead for over a year, but was that really enough to cause such a significant shift in their friendship? Well, okay, maybe not significant. But prior to his ascension, he and Sam were as thick as thieves, and there was very little they didn’t share with each other. But now she’s seen fit to withhold the truth about her and Jonas from him. Maybe it wouldn’t bother him so much if she hadn’t already told Janet. But Janet clearly knows, otherwise she wouldn’t have been so reluctant to talk. He can understand not knowing how to broach the subject to Jack. And Teal’c…well, Teal’c honestly wouldn’t care about her relationship status either way as long as it doesn’t cause any unnecessary drama. But him? He’s Sam’s best friend too. Why would she choose to lie to him?

He’s sitting through yet another lunch hour watching the pair fawn over each other, as they seem to do all the time these days. Daniel’s pretty sure both of them think they’re being subtle, but they’re not. On any other day he might find their mutual love-fest sweet, but he’s in a sour mood today and it’s bordering on insufferable. He has to bite his tongue to keep from making any snide remarks while they make stupid bedroom eyes at each other and giggle like a couple of middle schoolers sharing an inside joke. God, are they ever going to stop with the giggling? Even Jonas is doing it now and it’s driving Daniel insane.

As usual, the couple is oblivious to Daniel’s silent fuming. They’re sitting next to each other today, Sam eating a cup of blue jello while Jonas teases her about the different flavors. His arm is touching hers and he can’t seem to take his eyes off her; Sam, meanwhile, keeps glancing at his mouth like she wants to drop all pretense and make out with him right in the middle of the commissary. Ugh, do they have to be so disgusting? Daniel fights the urge to roll his eyes.

”I hate to break it to you,” Jonas is saying, “but green jello is actually the superior flavor.”

Sam’s jaw drops open. “You take that back.”

Jonas smirks, never breaking eye contact. “Can’t take back the truth.”

”It is not,” Sam retorts, nudging his arm. “Blue is the best and you know it.”

”Nuh-uh,” Jonas counters. “Look, it’s good, but nothing beats green. It’s like eating Key Lime Pie.”

”Then just eat Key Lime Pie,” Sam argues. “Why settle for a lesser substitute?”

”It’s only lesser to you because you have blue jello bias.”

Sam nudges his arm again, giggling. “That is not a thing.”

Jonas nudges her back. “Uh, yeah, it totally is, or you wouldn’t be arguing with me - “

”I actually prefer red,” Daniel cuts in, more out of spite than anything else.

Sam rounds on him. “What?!” she exclaims. “Both of you are insane.”

”Oh, you know what else is good?” Jonas continues, ignoring Daniel’s grimace. “Mixing red and blue.”

”Ew no!” Sam cries.

”It’s berry with cherry, how can that be bad?”

”Blue should never be mixed with anything else,” Sam says. “It’s a crime against jello.”

”A crime against - okay now that is definitely not a thing,” Jonas laughs.

”It is if I say so,” Sam giggles.

”Is not.”

”Is too.”

”You know,” Daniel interrupts again, more loudly this time. “I just remembered I have some work to finish in my office, so I think I’m gonna eat the rest of my lunch there.”

That, finally, gets their attention. “Oh,” Sam says, her expression faltering. “Are you sure?”

Daniel nods. “Yeah,” he replies, trying not to sound too bitter. “You guys, um, enjoy talking about jello.”

And with that, he picks up his lunch tray and turns to leave.

Daniel gets about an hour of peace and quiet, which is a welcome reprieve from all that giggling. A part of him feels guilty for taking off the way he did. But what else was he supposed to do? Continue inserting himself into a flirt-fest over jello just to take part in the conversation? Yeah, no thanks. He’d rather become a hermit than put up with that again.

His hour of relief, however, is soon interrupted by a knock on the door. Holding back a sigh, he glances up to see Sam hovering in the doorway. He has half a mind to tell her he’s too busy to talk, but the expression on her face does him in. She looks somewhat apologetic, or at the very least embarrassed. Fine, he supposes he can take a break. He waves her in and sets the manuscript he’s reading aside.

”Hey,” she says, tentatively making her way across the room.

”Hey,” Daniel replies. “What’s up?”

Sam wrings her hands in front of her - a nervous gesture Daniel is all too familiar with at this point - and comes to a stop in front of his desk. “I just…wanted to check in.”

Daniel nods in acknowledgment. “Where’s Jonas?” he asks.

He doesn’t miss the tiny flush in Sam’s cheeks. “Oh, he and Teal’c are in the training room,” she explains. “He’s trying to make it a regular thing.”

Daniel nods again. “Right,” he says. “Okay.”

An awkward silence falls between the pair. Sam’s eyes dart away, the flush in her cheeks creeping down to her neck. Daniel wonders if he should say something else, but after a moment she beats him to the chase.

”Look,” she starts, glancing up at him again, “I wanted to talk to you about what happened at lunch.”

Daniel swallows. “What about it?”

Sam gives him a look. “Come on, Daniel,” she sighs, “don’t play dumb with me. I know you were upset.”

Well, finally, she’s figured it out.“Yeah, well, that tends to happen when you feel out of the loop,” he grumbles.

Sam’s blush intensifies. “I’m sorry,” she murmurs, taking a step closer. “I know things have been weird, with you being back and Jonas deciding to stay…I just want you to know that I’m not trying to make you feel left out. You’re still my best friend, and just because I’m friends now with Jonas too doesn’t mean I don’t still care about you - “

”Wait,” Daniel cuts in, holding up a hand to stop her. “That’s what you think this is about? Me being jealous of Jonas?”

Sam makes a face. “Um, yeah? What else would it be?”

At that, Daniel can’t help but laugh. “Sam,” he chuckles, “I’m not jealous.”

Sam pulls back. “Then what - “

”Sam,” Daniel interrupts again, “I know.”

It takes her a moment to process that, but the minute she does, her entire face turns scarlet. “Oh,” she mumbles.

”Yeah.”

Sam inhales sharply, her shoulders tensing with the movement. “Did Janet say something?”

”No,” Daniel replies. “You know her, she’s great at keeping secrets.”

”Then how…?”

”Observation,” he answers simply. “No offense, but you two are about as subtle as a train wreck.”

Sam’s face turns an even deeper shade of red. “We were trying to be discreet.”

”Yeah, well, it’s not quite working.”

Sam bites her lip before speaking again. “So you’re mad about us being together.”

Daniel holds back a groan. He’s just going to have to spell it out for her, isn’t he? “No, it’s not that either,” he says. “To be honest, I’m actually pretty happy for you guys.”

Sam makes a frustrated noise in the back of her throat. “So then what is it?” she asks. “Why are you so upset?”

Daniel takes a breath. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Sam blinks, taking that in. “What?”

”Why didn’t you tell me?” Daniel repeats, leaning across his desk. “I get that I was gone for a year and I get that you guys probably want privacy, but I can keep a secret just as much as Janet can. Why tell her and not me?”

Sam frowns at him. “That’s what you’re mad about?”

Daniel makes a face. “Yes!”

Sam holds his gaze before letting out another sigh. “Look, Daniel,” she starts, “I was planning on telling you eventually. I just wanted to give it some time.”

”Time?” he asks, raising an eyebrow at her. “How long are we talking, exactly?”

”I don’t know!” Sam cries, throwing up her arms in exasperation. “Look, we got together after Tenney’s party, and Jonas wanted to tell you right away, but I told him to wait because I didn’t want to overwhelm you.”

”Overwhelm me?”

”Yes,” Sam sighs again. “You’ve been through a lot with the resurrection thing, and getting your memories back, and re-integrating into the team, and adjusting to Jonas staying…” She trails off, letting her arms drop to her sides. “I guess I just didn’t want to add one more thing to the pile before you were ready to handle it.”

Daniel just squints at her, trying to absorb her explanation. “You thought I wouldn’t be able to handle you dating Jonas?”

Sam groans. “You know what I mean. It’s a lot of things to get used to at once.”

Well, he supposes she has a point. His resentment, which is starting to look silly in light of this revelation, slowly begins to fade. “Okay,” he says at last. “I guess that makes sense. Sort of.”

Sam sighs once more. “I’m sorry,” she murmurs. “I thought I was doing the right thing.”

Daniel shakes his head, feeling a pang of guilt. “No, no,” he mutters, “I overreacted. I’m the one who should be sorry.”

Sam’s expression softens. “Let’s just call it a truce and forget this ever happened?”

He nods. “Sure. I can live with that.”

Another silence passes, but this time, the tension in the room finally eases. “So,” Sam says after a moment, “you’re really okay with this? Me and Jonas, I mean.”

Daniel offers her a smile. “Yeah,” he replies. “Really. You guys are good for each other. And I can tell he makes you happy.”

Sam blushes again. “Yeah,” she says, dipping her chin. “Yeah, it’s been nice.”

Daniel’s smile widens. “Just promise me one thing?”

Sam looks up at him. “What?”

His smile shifts into a smirk. “Try to keep all the mushy stuff to a minimum?” he says. “At least around me. You can do whatever you want behind closed doors, but trust me, I don’t need to see or hear any of it.”

Sam bursts out laughing. “Okay,” she agrees. “I’ll promise that if you promise not to tell anybody.”

”Eh,” Daniel teases, “I get the feeling the rest of the base might be onto you now.”

”Oh god, I hope not,” Sam groans. “We’ll never hear the end of it.”

”Well then, I’d suggest trying to be a bit more subtle than a train wreck? Maybe aim for more of a totaled bike.”

Sam snorts. “Noted.”

She grins at him then, and Daniel finds himself grinning back. At last, all seems right with the world again, and things can go back to normal.

Or, at least, what passes for normal around here. In their line of work, there’s no telling what surprises might be just around the corner.