Jack shifted slightly and shivered as the movement caused droplets of cold water to dislodge from his hair and run down his back. Not that he wasn't already soaked to the skin, but the water in his clothes had warmed slightly compared to the water dripping from his hair.
"Mental note," he muttered, "if the weather channel says there will be rain in the afternoon, don't go hiking at eleven AM."
"You've been watching too much TV," Daniel said.
Jack turned to look at his equally soaked friend and lover. "Who was sitting on the sofa with me all the way through the Buffy marathon?"
Daniel sniffed imperiously. "I was reading."
Jack snorted.
It had seemed like such a good idea two hours ago. The sun had been shining, the sky had been blue with only a few puffy white clouds and the promised rain had seemed impossible. A quick hike through beautiful countryside with no Jaffa or angry villagers pursuing them had seemed like the perfect way to get an appetite up for lunch. Daniel had tried to persuade Jack that they could do plenty of things in bed with the same result, but after three weeks of negotiations in an underground bunker on another planet Jack just had to get outside and breath real air that didn't taste like stale and air-conditioned. There was even a secluded spot that he knew of where they could, if they wanted to, have a bit of privacy, although full sex outdoors with his very male civilian lover where anyone could stumble on them might have been pushing it.
Yes, a short hike before lunch had seemed like a wonderful plan.
The plan stopped seeming quite so wonderful when dark clouds suddenly rushed across the previously clear blue sky. They had immediately turned around to walk back to the truck, but the heavens opened before they'd gone half a mile and they were soaked through in thirty seconds. The only shelter they'd been able to find was in a small cave. Even calling it a cave was being too generous - a hollow in the steep hillside, or maybe an overhang, was more accurate.
The rain currently sheeting down outside the overhang hadn't lessened its ferocity since they took shelter. All it would take was a change in wind direction to drive the rain into their meagre protection.
"I like rain," Daniel said unexpectedly.
Jack turned to look at the man who was currently crouched shivering next to him.
Daniel shrugged and shuddered as a gust of wind blew droplets into his face. "Well, sitting under an overhang in the middle of a storm isn't my idea of a good time either, but sitting in a warm house watching the storm outside your windows can be . . . comforting."
"You are a strange man," Jack said, smiling.
Daniel grinned, but any more comments he might have made were cut off by a loud sneeze. Jack reached out, not caring that their not-quite-cave was open to anyone who might walk past, and wrapped his cold hands around Daniel's equally chilled ones. The rain was now falling hard enough to bounce on the muddy path, obscuring everything more than two feet away.
"We could run for it," Jack suggested.
"We can't get much wetter," Daniel agreed.
A gust of wind suddenly blew some of the rain into their pitiful shelter.
"On three?"
Daniel nodded.
Jack released his hand and shivered as the cold, damp air suddenly hit the skin that had been warmed slightly in Daniel's hand. "Three!"
Even though there was no way it could help, out of habit Jack ducked his head as they ran. Daniel ran ahead of him and for once Jack was able to keep his eyes off the muscular back outlined by his T-shirt because it was taking all his concentration to avoid the rocks and slippery mud on the path.
***
"You're right, this is nice," Jack said lazily.
From his position on the sofa he could see the rain streaming down the windows and it felt . . . comforting.
The fact that he was lying on the sofa with Daniel and the only way for two men to fit on that sofa was if they were very close might have had a bearing on that assessment. Jack was willing to admit to being biased. A joint hot shower, a bit of fooling around and some warm, dry clothes had definitely helped.
Daniel's lazy 'mm' of agreement rumbled through his chest and Jack felt it even through the layers of two sweaters. The sensation sent a flare of warmth through him.
"I think you might have been right about something else," Jack added.
Daniel raised his head and Jack was caught, as always, by his bright blue eyes. "Oh?"
Jack shrugged and slipped a hand under Daniel's sweater to lightly caress the bare skin just above the waist of his jeans. "Staying in bed would have been a lot more fun."
"You didn't enjoy the walk?" Daniel asked, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"It wasn't anything we don't already get on missions."
"Which I believe I mentioned."
"I believe you did."
"Three times."
"I remember."
"And you said that this was a different kind of hike."
"Possibly."
"In fact, you specifically stated that it would be enjoyable."
"Maybe."
"You-"
Jack stretched up and cut him off with a kiss. He tried to talk through it for a moment, typical Daniel, before giving in, opening up and returning the kiss with everything he had. Just like he always did.
They were both panting hard when they separated. Daniel's eyes were dark with desire, a look that never failed to send bolts of shivery excitement racing up and down Jack's spine.
"Do you want to know the other good thing about being indoors on a dark, rainy afternoon?" Daniel whispered.
Jack nodded silently.
"It's a perfect excuse to spend the afternoon in bed."
They didn't make it to bed for a couple of hours, but the sofa was just as fun.
*finis*