Beta: No beta this time (though I did spell check it at least!)
Status: Complete
Category: Slash DJ/PD
Spoilers: Up to and including season 4 particularly Small Victories & Tangent
Disclaimer: Not mine *sob* no money *sob*sob* don't sue :)
Rating: NC-17 I guess?

Notes: This is my first slash piece so be gentle y'all! :) I was too impatient to get this posted and see if I should continue trying to write this stuff to get it beta'd. All mistakes are mine and mine alone. Questions, comments, and personal abuse will be accepted but only the first two will be answered. As always thanks must go to my soul sister Renee - the encouragement she gives me is what keeps the stories comin'.

They'd been acquaintances for over two years but it wasn't until Paul gave Daniel his quiet but earnest support during the Replicator incident that they became friends. After that Paul made a point to visit Daniel's office whenever he was at the mountain. But tonight was the first time they'd had a chance to get together outside of work. Paul arrived at Daniel's loft a little under fifteen minutes late. When Daniel opened the door, Paul gave him a sheepish smile, "Sorry about that. Would you believe Traffic was a bitch?"

Daniel chuckled and opened the door wider, "C. Springs isn't that busy, Paul.  C'mon in."

Looking around the spacious loft, Paul whistled, "Nice place."

"Thanks," Daniel gestured for Paul to make himself at home then padded back into the kitchen. Paul chuckled quietly when he noticed that not only were Daniel's sweats only loosely hanging from his hips but he was also barefoot.  Paul kicked off his own shoes and followed Daniel into the kitchen. He was immediately asked, "Beer or wine?"

Paul looked at the half full glass of red wine on the counter and pointed towards it, "That looks good."

Daniel gave a nod and poured a glass. "Hope you like Italian."

"Love it. Anything I can do to help?"

A pleased smile crossed Daniel's face and he casually tossed a zucchini towards Paul who barely caught it in time. "Start on the vegetables?"

"Sure," Paul turned and immediately set to work chopping vegetables and carrying on a lighthearted conversation that belied the tension of the past week.

"Here, try this," Daniel suddenly said, holding a spoon full of sauce towards Paul. When he reached to take the spoon Daniel grinned and held it to his lips, "I'm not giving up my spoon, Major. Every time I do, Jack digs into the pot."

Paul swallowed the spoonful of sauce and licked his lips, "Oh man.  Good stuff, Dan. And you're forgetting something."

Daniel grinned and turned back towards the stove, "What's that? What'd I forget?"

Paul tossed a piece of zucchini at him, hitting him in the back of the neck. After a startled yelp from Daniel he said, "I'm not Colonel O'Neill."

Daniel looked at him and nodded, "No. No you're not." Daniel found himself staring at Paul's lips and turned away quickly. Just what was going on with him? To make sure Paul didn't pick up on his odd mood change, Daniel picked up the zucchini piece and threw it right back at Paul, the slice hitting the major in the face earning a laugh. "Jack wouldn't waste a perfectly good vegetable that way!"

The sudden tension that had developed between them eased and both Daniel and Paul went back to their appointed tasks. When Paul handed the bowl of vegetables to Daniel he felt a tingle in his fingers as they brushed the back of Daniel's hand. It startled him and he felt his face flush with embarrassment. Exactly what was going on here? He needed a distraction, because suddenly he was paying far too much attention to Daniel's slender, but obviously skillful hands. "Uh, want some music?"

As Daniel spooned the vegetables into a pan of oil he nodded, "Sounds good.  Stereo's in the living room - through there." As soon as Paul stepped out of the kitchen Daniel drained his glass and poured another one. He had a odd feeling in his gut that he really didn't understand, it was sort of a flutter but he hadn't felt something like that since he'd met Sha're. Was the wall around his heart falling? Was that what he was feeling - for Paul? Daniel shook his head, no, that couldn't be it. Paul was his friend, not someone he could get involved with. There was no way, not when Paul was career military and hadn't given one single solitary hint that he was remotely interested in men. It had been years since Daniel had been interested in a man, he'd thought he'd out grown the impulse, was he wrong?

In the living room, Paul looked over Daniel's extensive CD collection trying to clear his own mind. What was he thinking? Daniel was a handsome well-liked man that could have any woman he wanted in the SGC. He'd been a loving husband, completely devoted to his wife, so why on Earth would Paul think he could get involved with him? When had Paul decided he wanted to? Shaking his head, Paul randomly pulled a CD and stuck it in the player. When Latin dance music filled the apartment he looked down at the CD in surprise then shrugged and put the case back. Something with that beat and fast pace surely couldn't be construed as trying to set a mood, so it would stay. Daniel was a good friend and Paul wasn't going to do anything to threaten that relationship. 

"Quite a collection there, my friend," he said gruffly. Wincing at the rough tone Paul picked up his glass and took a healthy gulp while Daniel's back was turned.

Making no comment on Paul's tone Daniel nodded. His feet had immediately picked up the beat of the music and he was calmly dancing in front of the stove - just a slight shimmy of the hips while his feet moved to the music distracting him from his unexpected thoughts. "Sam's been turning me on to a lot of different styles. Good thing I don't have much else to spend my paycheck on." He flashed a smile and Paul began to wonder if the gods were out to get him.

A splatter of oil caused Daniel to jump back and curse softly under his breath. He held his shirt out from his chest and looked towards Paul, "Can you put the pasta on while I go switch into a less scalding shirt?"

"Sure, take your time." Paul told him, silently adding, ~Please take your time. Maybe then I can calm down myself. ~ Daniel gestured towards the pasta jar on the counter and the boiling water on the back burner as he walked out of the kitchen pulling his shirt off as he went. Paul's mouth went dry as he watched the honey-toned skin of Daniel's back disappear down the hall. He glanced towards the ceiling then muttered, "You think this is funny don't you?"

Daniel threw the oil-splattered shirt in the corner of his walk-in closet and went into the bathroom to sponge his chest off where the oil had soaked through the cloth. He splashed cold water in his face and told himself to get a grip. He looked into the mirror and said firmly, "I am not interested in my friend.  I am not interested in my friend." After a moment he scoffed and groaned, "Who the hell am I kidding?" With a rueful shake of his head he walked back into his closet and pulled a pale blue shirt off a hanger and buttoned it up before walking back into the kitchen.

"Almost ready I think," Paul said averting his eyes by looking down at the pot of noodles.

"Let's see," Daniel said as he stepped up beside Paul.

Paul swallowed as he felt the heat Daniel radiated seeping through his clothes warming his own skin. Giving himself a mental shake he smacked Daniel's hand away from the wooden spoon he was reaching for. "Watch it, Doctor, this is my part of the meal now." Daniel laughed easily and Paul felt a warmth spread through his insides. Daniel's laughter was a rare thing to hear. It pleased Paul that he was so comfortable with him. Stirring the pot he spooned up a couple of noodles and tested them by picking them up. He blew on the hot pieces of pasta and held them in the air, "Want them?"

Daniel played along by tilting his head up and opening his mouth. Carefully Paul lowered the noodles into Daniel's mouth surprised when Daniel's lips closed around the tips of his fingers. The jolt he felt from the feel of that warm velvet mouth must have shown on his face because Daniel quickly swallowed and said tentatively, "Paul? I - I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

Paul gently put a finger to Daniel's lips and softly shushed him. "Don't apologize." Part of him was shouting to just step back and not take any sort of risk, but instead he said, "Daniel, I need you to tell me to step away now, otherwise I'm going to kiss you."

"You are?" Daniel asked in a soft amazed voice. Paul nodded. He waited a moment for Daniel to tell him to get away from him, but when he didn't Paul put one arm around Daniel's waist and stepped into him, pressing himself against the lean muscled body. A gasp of surprise at the contact was Daniel's only reaction. Paul licked his lips and gently pulled Daniel's mouth down, meeting him in a sweet wine flavored kiss. Daniel's hand came up, his fingertips touching Paul's smooth jaw line as his hand trailed around to the back of his neck and fingers wove into Paul's short hair. Daniel angled his head gently and traced the outline of Paul's lips with his tongue as the gentle open-mouthed kiss became deeper.

Paul's hand fisted in the back of Daniel's shirt and a small sound escaped him before Daniel pulled his head back and looked down at him in surprise. It pleased Paul that the kiss obviously affected Daniel as much as it did him. The archeologist's eyes were glazed with desire and Paul could feel the evidence of that desire at his hip. He smiled and was given a slow, wide smile in return. "I think we may have a lot to talk about," Daniel said easily.

-The End?