S.G.-1 was on stand down for a few days so Jack was at a loose end. Well, that wasn't strictly true. There was that stack of paperwork still sitting accusingly in his in-tray, but while that passed the time of day - slowly - it made him really antsy.

He needed some action, something to get his blood flowing. He supposed he could do a few chores around the house and yard later on, but he was pretty well up to date on that front and anyway, it wasn't the way he fancied spending Friday evening.

The main reason for the break was that Carter had gone to Washington. She was giving a lecture to a few bigwigs about the Stargate and reporting on the scientific and technological progress of Stargate Command in the first half of its third year, so the rest of the team was on stand-down.

Teal'c had taken the opportunity to visit his family in the Land of Light and Daniel had declined Jack's offer of a fun night in with beer, pizza and hockey on T.V. He'd muttered something about translations. Yadda, yadda. It just meant that Jack would be left with the beer, pizza and hockey combo on his own. Much as he loved hockey, somehow it wasn't as enjoyable without Daniel around.

Late afternoon found him sitting in the commissary, resting his chin on one hand and staring morosely into a mug of muddy coffee. He was wondering if it was worth the effort of hitting a local night-spot - by himself - when Ferretti came over and joined him.

"Penny for 'em," he asked, jerking Jack out of his reverie.

"Not worth it. I'd have to give you change."

"Sounds like you could do with a little livening up."

Jack gave him a wry grin. "You could say."

"Well, I can't guarantee you an exciting fire fight with a bunch of Jaffa, but if you've nothing planned, you could join me and the boys. We're having kind of a team bonding weekend..."

After the demise of the original S.G.-6 at the hands - or claws - of the aliens involved in the 'Foothold' incursion, Ferretti had been put in charge of setting up a new S.G.-6 team.

"So tonight we're heading for Silky's in Denver. I hear they occasionally have this interesting singer in their cabaret," he said with an enigmatic smile, "and she's gonna be performing tonight."

"Oh yeah?"

"Gardner's cousin in Denver was impressed anyway, so we thought we'd go check the place out."

"If you're aiming at team bonding, won't I be in the way?"

"Nah. It'll be good for 'em to know that you're actually human like the rest of us, and anyway, there's the rest of the weekend. So why not?"

Well, it would be better than staying home alone. He nodded his acceptance and stood up to leave. He figured he'd go back to the wretched paperwork for another hour or so then leave on time for once and go smarten up for the night out.

As he reached the commissary door, he nearly collided with Daniel, or rather, Daniel, with his nose stuck in a book, nearly collided with him.

"Oh, hi Jack," Daniel said, blinking in surprise.

Jack took the book out of his hands and closed it to look at the title: 'Manuel d'épigraphie akkadienne (Signes, syllabaire, idéogrammes)' by René Labat. Jack rolled his eyes. Daniel took the book back and opened it again with look of mild irritation.

"Ya know, Daniel, you really ought to get out more. Why don'tcha give the studies a rest for one evening at least and join Ferretti's little jaunt to Denver tonight?"

Daniel looked owlishly at him. "Denver? What's Denver got that the Springs hasn't?"

"Well, put like that, not a lot, but there's a nightclub there with a singer that Lou thinks is worth seeing."

"Oh. There are nightclubs here, Jack. Why go all the way to Denver?"

Jack shrugged. "Well the club's called Silky's. Larimer Street, if you change your mind."

"Too much work on, Jack. You know that."

"All work and no play makes Danny a dull boy, y'know."

Daniel sighed. "Yeah. Well... Have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Jack stopped under a light in the parking lot at the rear of Silky's. Gardner's blue and white Chevy pulled in as Jack was walking towards the entrance. Ferretti and his team - Gardner, O'Keefe, and Lipinski,- came over to join him.

"Did ya draw the short straw, or did Lou pull rank?" Jack asked Gardner as they walked to the entrance.

"Hey, what's the point of being a C.O. if you don't make the most of it?" Ferretti grinned.

"We did draw straws actually," Lipinski said seriously.

"Funny how our revered C.O. never seems to lose though," said O'Keefe with a sly look at Ferretti.

"Neither do you," Ferretti shot back.

"Luck o' the Irish." O'Keefe feigned innocence as they went in and headed for the bar.

They took their drinks into the main room, which was like a small ballroom with a low stage at the far end. Little round tables were spread about across the floor, with stylish narrow-backed chairs around them.

A jazz quartet was also on the floor of the room, just to the right of the stage. This band - piano, guitar, bass guitar, and drums - provided an accompaniment to the performers, and the pianist played popular standards in between.

Ferretti found a table, Lipinski grabbed a spare chair from another table for Jack, and the five men settled down to enjoy the show. The standard of the cabaret was pretty good and the evening was a merry one in more than ways than one. Jack was amused by the stand-up comic who was particularly adroit at rebuffing the hecklers.

At their table, alcohol fueled comments from the non-drivers segued from suggestive to explicit as the beer went down. They provided nearly as much entertainment for Jack and Gardner as did the rest of the show. Finally, the compère took the mic. to announce the last act.

"And now friends, would you all put your hands together in a big, big Denver welcome for the fantastic - the fascinating - the fiery French chantooss from Falaise, Miss. Blaze. Dubois!"

Jez Steele and the Boogie Boys launched into the first number and all eyes turned to the right as Miss Blaze Dubois appeared from the wings. She certainly looked fiery with her mass of bright copper-red hair - sexy too, in a floor length electric blue dress and long matching gloves. Its full skirt, with a broad border of glittering beads, was split up the front for greater ease of movement - very provocative movement...

"Ze minute you walked in ze joint," she sang in a dusky, sultry voice, "I could see you were a man of distinction - a real big spender. Good looking, so refined... Say, wouldn't you like to know what's going on in my mind?"

Blaze crossed the stage as she sang and came down the three steps on to the floor. There, she vamped her way around the punters, sitting on knees and whispering heaven knew what in their ears. One guy responded in kind which had Miss Blaze acting shocked for a while. Another apparently propositioned her.

"Oh, no, no, cheri!" she said with a vibrant chuckle, "You could not afford me."

"Big girl, isn't she?" Lipinski said. This caused hoots of laughter from the rest of his team.

"Big girl?" O'Keefe snorted, "Jeez, Rudi, what planet are you on? Big girl?"

"What? What do you mean, Liam?"

This set the others off again. Ferretti slapped the innocent Pole across the head in an affectionate manner.

"She is a drag queen!" he announced in a voice whose volume was enhanced by the whisky he'd moved on to. "Ow!"

Unnoticed by the revelers, Miss Blaze had reached their table and kicked the unsuspecting Ferretti on the shin. Hard.

"A drag queen?" 'she' said indignantly, hands on hips. She gave a proud toss of her head and corrected the stunned Ferretti who was rubbing his bruised shin. "I, M'sieur, am a female impersonateur and do not forget zat!"

For good measure, she gave Ferretti another kick and turned her attention to Jack. He was slightly separated at the end of the line now that they'd spread out to watch the show.

"Et vous, M'sieur? Que pensez-vous?" Blaze asked with an arch look, flicking her hair back with one hand and striking a pose.

Jack flashed a disarming smile and threw up his hands in surrender as if to say that it was nothing to do with him. But Miss Blaze wasn't letting him off that easily. She sat herself down astride his knees.

"Maybe I am your type, hein?"

One hand snaked down to Jack's crotch and gently squeezed. As his jaw dropped, Blaze's other hand wrapped around his neck, and pulled him forward. Suddenly, his tormentor was excavating for his tonsils with a very determined tongue. After a stunned moment, he closed his eyes...

The kiss probably didn't last as long as he felt it had, and then she was away, vamping someone else. His companions were all doubled up with laughter.

"Reckon she fancies you, Jack," Ferretti said wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Ya think!" Jack tried to say, only the words came out as a raspy squawk about an octave higher than usual.

"Oh, god! I swear your eyes were going round and round like Ben and Jerry's," Lipinski laughed.

"Tom," Gardner said. "That's Tom and Jerry."

"Ben and Jerry's is ice-cream," O'Keefe sniggered.

"He-heh!" Ferretti joined in, "Jack and Blaze and a tub of ice-cream. Make for an interesting encounter - if you get my drift."

The conversation, if such it could be called, then shifted into a discussion of flavors and to what uses each could be put. Jack decided to sit that one out and settled into a brown study beside his rollicking companions. His head was spinning, never mind his eyes.

Miss Blaze Dubois was turning up the heat a little more with a smouldering Peggy Lee number.

"Never know how much I love you, never know how much I care..."

He'd just been kissed - in front of his subordinates - in public - by another guy.

"I get a fever that's so hard to bear—"

Part of him was furious - the Colonel part of him, the 2IC of the S.G.C. part of him. But another part of him had responded quite differently.

"...You give me fever, when you kiss me..." It had been a helluva kiss and it had contacted another part of him which, in the homophobic world of the U.S. military he had, mostly, put behind him - dead and buried. Now it was alive again and wide awake. Hell, it was sitting up and begging. Jack was thankful that the spotlight had moved on, leaving him in relative darkness.

"Fever in ze morning - fever all through ze night—"

Which brought him back to the furious part again, because there was no chance of him getting any...

"Fever, 'til you sizzle - what a lovely way to burn..."

Oh boy, coming here had been one bad mistake!

After the show, Jack thanked Ferretti for an interesting evening, which set everyone off laughing again. Amazing how alcohol rendered mildly amusing things hysterically funny. If you could call his recent experience at all amusing...

"Don't worry, Jack, our zips're— um, try again... Our lipssss... are... zippt." He paused reminiscently, tittered again and added, "Gott'admit, it wa-as a great night!"

"It was certainly different," Jack agreed a little coolly. "See you guys later."

He veered off towards his truck. As he reached it, he looked back over his shoulder to watch the others following a slightly more indirect route to the Chevy. He shook his head and reached into his pocket for his keys. There, he found something that definitely hadn't been there before. He pulled it out and stood under the light to examine it.

It was a small publicity shot of Blaze Dubois, autographed in gold ink. He turned it over and saw a message written in blue ballpoint: Come to my dressing room after the show. Albert will let you in if you show him this.

Jack's jaw fell open again. What the fuck? He ran a hand through his hair, at a loss for the moment. All manner of random thoughts flew through his mind—

I shouldn't even be thinking about it~what can I lose?~don't ask, don't tell~that kiss...~no one knows me here~cruising when I was young~great anonymous sex~so long ago~when did I last get any?~can I go through with this?~nothing to lose~unknown here, more or less~that hand on my dick...

Dick to brain - stop thinking and send more blood - my need is greater than yours right now.

So he was going to follow up on the invite then? Better stop by the bathroom and get a pack of condoms. It had sure been a long time... He found himself wondering if it would be any different with a Frenchman. They had a rep. for sexiness.

He looked round to see if Ferretti and co. had left the parking lot. They were just pulling out. Pulling out... hng. He realized his breathing was shallow and he was tingling with anticipation. Like a fucking teenager hoping to get laid. How lame was that?

Jack knocked on the door of Blaze's dressing room. He was amused to see it had a star painted on it in faded gold paint.

"Entrez, cheri," called the sultry voice.

Jack pushed the door open and went inside. The star dressing room was not exactly spacious; any smaller and it would've been a broom closet. To the left, partly hidden by the door, was a rail hung with costumes. It was curtained off, the curtain drawn a little aside.

Opposite the door was a small handbasin. There were a couple of towels on the rail below it. To the right of the door and a little way along was a mirror above a chipped Formica work surface. The small bulbs around the mirror were unlit.

The counter, running the width of the room, didn't look much more than six feet long and had an assortment of drag queen - no, female impersonator equipment on it - wig stand, make-up, tissues and such like.

At the far end, a small table lamp provided the only illumination, back-lighting the room's 'star' occupant. By the counter in front of the mirror, was a stool, its cushioned seat covered in dull red plastic. The stool stood between Jack and Miss Blaze Dubois.

"Ah, mon âme, I knew you would come. When I kissed you, I knew you could not resist," Blaze said with a predatory smile. 'She' ran her tongue over her lips in a way that went straight to Jack's groin.

He cleared his throat, wondering what the guy looked like without the wig and make-up. "Not changing...?" he asked, gesturing towards the blue dress.

"Ah, non. Not yet. You came to see Miss Blaze Dubois, and Miss Blaze Dubois is what you will get - and what you get is something you will never forget, I can promise you, M'sieur," Blaze purred. There was something infinitely seductive in that French accent - a certain je ne sais quoi, as Daniel might have said. "But I do not like calling you M'sieur. What is your name?"

"Jack."

"Jacques? Si bon." Blaze picked up a blue sleep mask the same color as the frock, from the counter and handed it to Jack. "Well, Jacques, first, you must wear zis."

"What? Why?"

"Because it will make ze experience so much more pleasurable. If you cannot see, you will feel so much more... Once, I 'ad a lover oo was blind. 'E saw sings differently - wiz his soul, tu sais. I learned a great deal from 'im."

Jack shrugged and took it. Blaze had a point there, he thought as he slipped the mask over his eyes. The setting, while not exactly sleazy, didn't add anything to 'ze experience'. Moreover, he could 'see' Blaze more easily as a guy. He wondered what experience this guy had in mind, but if he didn't like where they were going, he could always leave. Nothing to lose, right?

"Next, I sink you are a leetle over-dressed, n'est-ce pas?"

Jack obligingly took off his leather jacket. The room was warm and would likely warm up some later on... His hands went to his belt buckle.

"Oh, la la, you are so keen, are you not?" Blaze exclaimed. Jack's hands were gently batted away. "Non, non, you are in my hands now. Allow me..."

So Jack surrendered to the moment. He felt warm hands on his skin as his shirt buttons were unfastened slowly, one by one. After the second button, he felt first a soft huff of breath against his neck, and then lips dropping light kisses there and along his collar bone. Mixed in were little nips and nibbles. Jack shivered.

With all the buttons undone, his shirt was opened and pushed back on to his shoulders. Blaze wasn't stripping him entirely, then. He was rather pleased about that - didn't like feeling too vulnerable. He tried to picture the guy behind Blaze. He found that with the mask on, he could imagine that it was—

Something warm and slippery glided over and around his nipples and he nearly creamed his pants, gasping. Those erogenous zones had never felt quite so... erogenous... before. There was a chuckle of amusement.

"You like zat, hein?"

But Jack was too busy trying to take back control over his hormones to reply. Now that they'd been set free after such a long lean spell - self-gratification aside - they were raring to go and very reluctant to take no for an answer. Whatever Blaze was doing was highly arousing. The hands stopped for a moment, and Jack protested.

"Un moment, mon coeur. Zere is more to come - oh so much more and so much better..."

Jack heard - felt - movement to the side and then behind him. His shirt was slipped slowly and gently down his arms, pulling them behind him. Blaze seemed to be having difficulty with the buttons of his cuffs. As the shirt fell free, Jack found he couldn't move his arms. His wrists were held quite firm.

"Hey, what the fuck are you playing at?" he yelled, suddenly jerked out of his mood of pleasant anticipation and almost into panic.

"Shu-shu-shu-shush. Sois tranquille, Jacques."

"Then let me out of these fucking restraints," Jack fumed.

Fingers began tracing soothing lines down his spine, as Blaze murmured, "You are quite, quite safe, and to prove it, I will give you a 'safe word'—" The slick fingers were weaving tantalizing patterns across his back. "If you really want me to stop, just say 'ice-cold' and I will stop immediately. You may go and we will never meet again."

But the silky tracks left by the patterns were setting his skin on fire in a seriously good way, which made Jack suddenly reluctant to call a halt right now. He had a safe word which suggested that the guy new what he was doing, and Jack liked what he was doing.

The sensual stroking continued a while as though Blaze was tactfully giving Jack the opportunity to take advantage of the safe word and end it. Then the hands strayed around his waist and set about unfastening his pants. Next came the sound of the rings sliding along the curtain-pole, and what felt like a soft robe was settled around Jack's shoulders.

"Would not want you to feel uncomfortable, mon cher," Blaze said. "In any way."

There were more sounds of movement, then Jack was maneuvered a little. Almost like a dance, he thought. Blaze returned to the task of removing the rest of Jack's own clothing. With his pants around his knees, he was gently pushed and guided until he was sitting on the stool. Blaze had him lean back against the counter. The edge was not hard and sharp as he might have expected. Something was padding it, the towels maybe?

"Relâche un moment, Jacques, " Blaze murmured, untying his shoes and slipping them off. "Et donc, tu auras un très bon grimpage."

Jack felt his pants and boxers slide down to his ankles. He raised his feet to let Blaze remove them altogether. There was the sound of them being placed on the counter followed by a fruity chuckle which came from around the level of Jack's dick.

"Mm, je vois tu as un beau tricotin pour moi..." Blaze murmured, moving Jack's knees further apart and settling between them.

One finger altered the angle of Jack's dick, and there was a frisson of pleasure as warm, damp breath flowed around the head. Blaze's mouth was over it, but not yet making contact. Jack was finding that the mask did indeed heighten sensations. Feeling was all there was. And then. Contact. Blaze's tongue glided around the head and over the slit, and Jack almost came right there. Only Blaze wouldn't let him. That was one great thing about a guy giving head; he knew exactly how and when to bring you back from the edge.

In the short hiatus that Blaze allowed him to retake control, a memory flashed through Jack's mind of the first, and only, time Sara had tried sucking his dick...

Back in the present, lips were sliding down his shaft, tongue - magical tongue - was slithering around it, and Blaze was... humming... adding exquisite vibrations. Again Jack felt himself on the verge of shooting his load. Again Blaze held him back, then withdrew all contact. Jack groaned.

He found the restraints, too, added to the experience. For once he wasn't in control of what was going down - ahh... It was freaky and a little bit scary but overall, exhilarating. Ice-cold? No way! Now his balls were getting attention. One and then the other was sucked into Blaze's mouth, tongue fondling each one. And humming. Jack gasped, and contact was broken momentarily. Blaze returned to his dick, deep-throating him for a while, then pulled back a little.

A slick finger moved along his perineum and slid over his asshole, taking him by surprise. And Jack came. Copiously. With Daniel's name on his lips. It wasn't a scream; Jack had learned early on to come quietly. "Daniel," he murmured again, body jerking with each pulse until there was nothing left. He lay back awhile, breathing heavily and feeling little trickles of sweat meander down his chest, tickling the hairs as they went.

"Oh, you sure know 'ow to make a girl feel wanted, Jacques," Blaze said while giving him a brisk rub down.

Jack froze. Surely he hadn't said Daniel's name, had he? Not out loud? He'd certainly drifted deeply into a fantasy in which he was with Daniel - so easily done when he couldn't see... Oh yeah. He'd said Daniel's name. Without the mask, it would never have happened. He relaxed. At least Blaze didn't know him from Adam and their paths would probably never cross again.

"Tell me, Jacques, are you a top or a bottom?"

Jack turned to face the voice. "Top."

"Ah, I sought so." Blaze sounded a little disappointed.

Oh, what the hell. He'd just had the blow-job of his life— "But I have been known to switch hit..."

Blaze positively growled. "Zen you wish to make zis last a little bit longer, hein?"

"Maybe. If you lose these restraints. Getting a little stiff here."

"Ooh-la-laa!"

Jack gave an exaggerated sigh. "I didn't mean like that."

"Zut alors! I must be - 'ow you say? - losing my touch."

"Hey, your 'touch' is damn' good."

"But - not as good as Daniel's...?" Blaze sounded wistful.

"I wouldn't know."

"Oh? It is a case of unrequited love, hein?"

It was Jack's turn to be wistful. "We're just good friends. I can't see him as anything else."

"But you still love 'im?"

Jack thought about it for a while as Blaze removed the restraints. "Yeah..." he said at last. "Yes I do."

Blaze made no further comment but turned him around, slid the robe off, and had him bend over the counter. He no longer minded being naked. He was warm, Blaze was a considerate... lover, and a long suppressed exhibitionist streak found other parts of him— Stiff.

The magic fingers were at work again on his back. The guy sure knew his way around massage. He was drifting back into his fantasy that it was Daniel, not Blaze, weaving mesmerizing patterns across his back, then felt a little guilty. Credit where credit was due. It broke the spell a little and brought something else to mind.

"I have a pack of condoms in my jacket pocket." Way to break the moment, he thought, but better safe than sorry.

"You came prepared then, mon cher?"

"No. At least, I didn't bring them with me, if that's what you mean." He felt a little offended at being thought... calculating. He also felt a tad sordid. Sure, he'd gone cruising in his youth. That had been sordid. What did he think he was doing now, getting laid by a... whatever Blaze was? Female impersonator? Male prostitute? He was certainly good enough at it.

"How much is this going to cost me, by the way?"

The answer was hard smack across his buttock. Damn, the guy was no weakling!

"Salaud! 'Ne suis 's un truqueur!"

"Jeez, sorry. Didn't mean to offend. That hurt, by the way."

"It was meant to," Blaze said harshly.

And that wasn't all it had done... Jack didn't think he got off on pain, but his dick seemed to disagree. Maybe it was the type of pain?

"Maybe you would like to leave now?" It sounded more like an order than a question. It would be a shame to end the night on a sour note, especially as ' ze experience' had been a positive one up to that point.

Jack sighed. "No, no, it's okay— If you want to continue, that is."

Blaze gave a snort then attacked his back again, working more firmly now with the briskness of anger. It was invigorating. The talented fingers worked their way down to his buttocks. Oh, that was so good. Slippery fingers slid between them and over his asshole. Jack gasped involuntarily. Blaze pressed over and around the puckered muscles, taking time and thumbs to prepare him carefully.

"Relâche, mon âme... easy... It 'as been a while, n'est-ce pas?"

"Oh, yeah," Jack breathed, remembering, relaxing.

Evidently satisfied, Blaze broke contact again. There came a susurration of fine satin and a rattle of beads. Jack remembered the revealing slit up the front of the dress and imagined what it might now be revealing.

He heard the sound of a condom pack being torn open. More lube was smeared over his asshole. Seconds later, he groaned as something warm and hard pushed against him. With a soft grunt, Blaze breached him, made easier by Jack's pushing back, greedy for that almost forgotten fullness.

But Blaze stopped him, waited before sliding slowly all the way home. He pulled most of the way out then slammed in, making Jack cry out.

"Are you all right, cheri?"

"I'm fine," Jack gasped. "Just took me by surprise."

Blaze shut up then, grasped Jack's hip bones and settled into a regular rhythm, changing angle a few times till he was grazing his joy button with every thrust and sending tingles shimmering over his skin. The breathing grew heavier, noisier, and Jack thought Blaze was coming. Not so.

There was a pause, then arms, strong arms, wrapped around his waist and a hand took a firm hold of his dick. Blaze took up the rhythm again, using his purchase around Jack's body. Then he stilled a moment. Thrusting in harder and faster he came with powerful groans, finally resting heavily over Jack's back, panting like he'd just run a marathon.

Jack, thoroughly aroused, wrapped his fingers over Blaze's hand and fucked it, rapidly coming again. The sound of heavy breathing filled the room for a while. He wondered vaguely how come his legs were still supporting him. Ah, that would be Blaze, pinning him to the counter.

Eventually, Blaze slid softly out of him, and the weight was lifted off him.

"Merci, Jacques. Zat was... ah, beyond words... Now I shall leave you in peace to clean up."

As Jack straightened up, a little creakily, he heard the door close. He removed the mask and found he was alone. He quickly tidied himself and dressed, then looked out into the passageway, but there was no sign of Blaze. Pity. He would've liked to know what the guy looked like without the wig and all. Perhaps it was as well. He took himself out of the building and off home.

Jack was in a mellow mood as he drove in to work on the following Monday morning. Nothing like good sex - make that great sex - to put a smile on one's face. He made the commissary his first stop in the expectation of finding the rest of his team there.

He grabbed a bite to eat and something that passed for coffee, then went to their usual table. He'd already missed Teal'c, and Carter was about to leave when he set his tray down. Maybe he was a little mellower than he'd thought.

"How was the trip, Carter?" He gave her a beaming smile.

"It... went very well, thank you, sir," she said warily, her smile a little uncertain.

"Splendid! No mothballs for a few more months then?"

"No, sir." She gave him a slightly suspicious look as she left. Colonel O'Neill was rarely quite so cheerful on a Monday morning.

"So, Daniel, had a really thrilling weekend poring over dusty tomes?"

"I had fun, yes. How was your strip joint?"

"Daniel! It wasn't a strip joint."

"You went with Ferretti." Daniel looked over the top of his glasses, a mischievous twinkle in his eye."

"It was nightclub, for crying out loud. With cabaret."

"Ah yes, the famous singer. Any good?"

Jack gave him a considering look. "Mm, not bad."

"Really? I hear she made quite an impression on you— Set you... a-blaze, in fact?"

Jack choked on the blueberry muffin. "Damn. You've been talking to Ferretti, haven't you?"

"O'Keefe, actually," Daniel grinned. "Don't worry. It won't go any further." He paused a moment then added, "And Lipinski really didn't realize 'she was a he, babe'?"

Jack gave a faint laugh at that, glad to move the spotlight off himself. "Yeah. Guess drag acts aren't all that big in Poland."

"Drag, Jack? I thought he was a female impersonator?"

"Well, Lipinski was convinced," he chuckled.

"And how about you, Jack? How did you feel about the whole experience?"

Jack sighed. Daniel was obviously not going to let him off the hook so easily. "Don't you have an urgent translation you need to get back to?"

"Um... No. I'm right up to date," the irritating geek said, "so you have my undivided attention."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Daniel just nodded, smiling smugly.

Jack looked at his tormentor, feeling like a cornered mouse.

"So what's it like - kissing a guy?"

"Shh," Jack muttered with a sharp look around. "Keep your voice down. It was only a peck anyway..." He took a mouthful of coffee, trying to hide behind the mug.

"What no tongues?"

Jack snorted coffee down his nose. "Daniel!"

"Planning on going again?"

"Enough already." Jack stood up scowling. "I have work to do even if you haven't." He stalked off all injured dignity.

He knew he wasn't going to be able to avoid Daniel for long. There was a briefing scheduled for 10.00 about their proposed mission to P7X-377, but till then he would keep out of Daniel's way instead of going and bugging him as he usually did when he had nothing else to do.

He'd go and collect Daniel a little before the briefing in case Daniel forgot. Not actually likely to happen - Daniel had only forgotten on a couple of occasions and now couldn't seem to live it down - but it gave him a good pretext. His hope was that if Daniel had anything else to say about the trip to Silky's, he'd get it out of his system before the briefing.

When he arrived, he found that Carter had beaten him to it. As he walked in the door, she picked something up from his in-tray.

"Having trouble sleeping, Daniel?" she asked, a note of concern in her voice.

Then Jack saw what she was holding - a familiar looking sleep mask. Blue. He inhaled sharply, eyes wide with surprise. The other two looked his way, Carter looking puzzled and Daniel with that deceptive air of innocence oft displayed by choirboys.

Jack stared back at Daniel with narrowed eyes. He remembered what Daniel had said on the Friday afternoon: Have fun and don't do anything I wouldn't do.

His mind filled with a jumble of questions. Had Daniel already been to Silky's? Had he gone the following night? Did this mean that Daniel was... gay? Had Blaze fucked him too? He thought the mask was the same color as the one he'd worn, but then he'd never had a particularly good eye for color. If it was the same, he'd definitely call him on it - not in front of Carter, obviously.

Or was it just a coincidence? Wishful thinking? Maybe he was adding two and two and getting a pink triangle? In which case, the fall-out wouldn't be pretty. Damn. He couldn't get into this now; they had a mission to prepare. But when they returned...

"Jack?"

"Are you all right, sir?"

He realized he'd zoned out a little and shook his head to clear it. "Sure. I'm fine. Come on, kids. Got a new planet to visit.

The mission turned out to be a very short one in the first instance, and only three of them returned from it, much to everyone's consternation. Jack was doubly bothered, and mentally berated Fate for tantalizing him with the idea that Daniel might be open to a less than straight relationship and then whisking him away beyond their ken. He wouldn't entertain the possibility that Daniel was— Certainly not without a body.

He later berated Fate again for reuniting Daniel with his only known relative and then wrenching them apart again almost immediately. The fact that it had been Nick's choice to stay with the giant aliens didn't help any, though of course, Daniel could always go visit, Jack supposed.

He draped a comradely arm across Daniel's shoulder as they left the briefing room after being debriefed. "So, how about a trip out to O'Malley's?" he asked, turning his head to include Carter and Teal'c in the invitation.

"Only if you're buying, Jack." Jack harrumphed a little to keep up his reputation as tightwad and then capitulated.

"Thank you, sir," Carter smiled as Teal'c bowed his acceptance.

"Sure you wouldn't rather go to Silky's?" Daniel murmured in his ear then winced as Jack's fingers tightened on his shoulder in warning.

Jack was pleased to see that, while Daniel hit the red wine fairly steadily, he didn't become sufficiently loaded as to say anything incriminating. He wasn't entirely sure that he could blame numerous sly comments on the wine though - comments about how silky the napkins felt, for instance, or how all the candles made such a nice blaze.

He just gritted his teeth and said nothing, determined not to encourage him. Overall, it was a very pleasant evening. He really enjoyed these post-mission outings. The four of them were together and safe, and all was well with the world.

As he settled the bill, he moaned about the size of it. He rapidly regretted opening his mouth.

"Definitely a 'man of distinction - a real big spender!'" Daniel chortled.

Fortunately, Teal'c was helping Carter with her coat and neither of them paid any attention. The four split up in the parking lot. Carter was taking Teal'c back to the Mountain. Jack grabbed Daniel's arm as he turned towards his car.

"Ah-ah. I think you'd better leave your car here for now. I'll drive you home."

"Oh? Planning to seduce me, Jack?" Daniel said as matter-of-factly as if asking if he was thinking of watching a film.

Jack snorted. He hadn't actually planned on it, but as an idea, it had its merits. Instead, he just said, almost by force of habit, "Not now, Daniel..."

"Oh? Later then?" he giggled.

Jack sighed and steered him in the direction of his truck. Thankfully, Daniel shut up on the drive home. When he pulled into the parking lot beside the apartment block and stopped the engine, it seemed that there was speculation in Daniel's eyes. It made him feel a little disconcerted.

"Come on, Daniel, you're home." Daniel sniggered. "Oy. Here we go," Jack muttered to himself, and went round to the passenger side to help Daniel out.

The fresh air seemed to sober Daniel up a little as he walked in a more or less straight line towards the door and managed the key code without any difficulty. Jack guided him to the elevator and pressed the '8' button. They stood in silence as the car clunked its way up to the eighth floor.

"Coming in for drink?" Daniel asked when Jack didn't automatically follow him into the apartment.

"Okay, thanks," he replied, thinking that Daniel's coffee would round off the evening nicely. And hopefully, while Daniel seemed in a reasonably pliant mood, he would find out a little about his own visit - or visits? - to Silky's— Had to know if there was any possibility of something more than just friendship between them.

"I have some beer in the 'fridge, if you want," Daniel said. "Ice cold - just as you like it."

Jack paused as he was taking off his jacket. Why did that ring a bell? He shot Daniel a suspicious look. "Coffee would be fine, thanks. I'm driving, remember."

"You could stay over..." Daniel said with a bland smile.

Jack considered the offer and opted for the beer. Daniel made coffee anyway, then stretched out on the sofa. Jack pulled up an adjacent chair.

"So, Daniel, you've been harping on about my night out with Ferretti's team for much of this evening. Now it's your turn."

"My turn?"

Jack nodded encouragingly. "Yes, Daniel, your turn. Let's begin with that blue mask you had."

"Blue mask?"

Jack was not fooled for an instant by the ingenuous tone. "That's right, the blue mask Carter was waving about before your disappearing act."

"Oh. That blue mask."

"Yes, that blue mask. So when did you go to Silky's?"

"That weekend, actually."

"You— I thought you were busy?"

"You said all work and no play, Jack," he said,feigning injured innocence as if it had been Jack's fault.

Jack gave him a look askance. "So when you said, 'don't do anything I wouldn't do—' What exactly did that include? I mean, that mask did belong to - um - to Blaze, didn't it?"

"Oh yes."

Nothing equivocal about that, and the look that went with it was - what? Almost hungry, Jack thought. He was in a quandary now. Although he was almost certain that Daniel must've had pretty much the same experience he'd had, it was possible that there was another, perfectly innocuous explanation. He was about to cross the line into 'don't ask, don't tell' territory - if he hadn't already by implication - and that was scary as hell.

"So that means—" How to frame the next question? "Um, that means you went - er - backstage? Into Blaze's dressing room?"

"That would be a yes, too."

He scowled as Daniel grinned. The little shit was getting off on his awkwardness.

"Are you trying to ask, in a tortuously roundabout way, if sex was involved when I went to Silky's that weekend?"

Yes, Daniel was very definitely enjoying this. Jack tried to say 'yes', but all that came out was a half-strangled squeak, at which point Daniel lost it completely. He doubled up howling with laughter while Jack's face took on a distinctly sour expression.

"Okay, I'll tell you all you want know," Daniel said eventually, wiping the tears from his eyes.

"Oh." Suddenly, he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know all the details. On the other hand, as Daniel was - finally - being up front about it— Up front. He swallowed. It did seem likely that there was hope on the horizon. "So you started off with the mask and the restraints?"

Daniel nodded. "Did you find it added to the experience?" he asked.

"Yeah, actually, I did."

"Did you enjoy the B.J., too?"

"You know, Daniel, I don't think I've ever had better. Though it's been such a long time..." he said, looking into the middle distance. When he focused on Daniel again, he was looking a little smug, Jack thought, and his eyes seemed to sparkle. "Then you let him fuck you, right?"

"Actually no. I topped... He said my name as he came." There was smugness in spades as Daniel said that.

Jack felt a stab of jealousy. "How many times this happen?" he demanded.

"Just the once."

"Oh." Jack thought about it. "You gonna do it again then?"

"Oh, I hope so, Jack. I really hope so." The way he looked at Jack as he said it was positively incendiary. He ran his tongue over his lower lip in a manner that tugged at his memory.

Jack blinked. Incendiary... He blinked again. On fire. Aflame. A—

"Blaze," he whispered, suddenly on the same page as Daniel. "Y-y-you bastard! You took advantage of me! I ought to kill you for this!"

He was on his feet now, face twisted in fury. Daniel, shocked, instantly dropped the sultry look - and even in his anger, Jack registered that he could do sultry amazingly well - and raised placating hands.

"What else could I have done?" he pleaded, swinging his feet round and sitting up.

"You could've told me. You didn't have to lead me on!"

"It wasn't like that, Jack."

"It wasn't? Then what was it like?"

"Look, just sit down again," Daniel said, gesturing with his hands. "Let's talk about this—"

"Calmly? Like adults?" Jack snapped.

"Unless you're really planning on killing me, yes. Please."

Jack scowled but then sat down again, breathing hard.

"Whisky? Single malt?"

"Don't think you can get round me that easily," Jack warned.

"I wasn't. I was thinking more of its restorative properties..."

Jack drew a deep breath and waved a hand in a 'whatever' kind of way. Daniel fetched a bottle and a couple of glasses, and poured them both a generous measure.

"Now, Daniel, you've got a lot of explaining to do..."

"Guess so," Daniel sighed.

"First off, what the fuck were you doing? Without any flip remarks. I mean, suppose the N.I.D. - or the press - got wind of it?" He was satisfied to see that Daniel was looking suitably chastened by that suggestion.

"Blackmail? I guess it's a possibility - not that they could do much damage - and only to me. But it's not as if it happens all that often."

"So why'd you do it in the first place?"

"Money, mostly."

"Money?" Jack exclaimed incredulously. "What, the Air Force doesn't pay you enough already?"

"Oh, not now. I mean, yes, I have more than enough money coming in now. When I was first accepted as a student, it was a struggle to make ends meet sometimes."

Jack mentally slapped himself upside the head. Of course, Daniel had no family to fall back on. He must have had some sort of funding at university with his intellectual capabilities. Then again, the subjects he was reading weren't exactly top of the popularity stakes for funding. And that was then. Things change. Times change.

"I had a lover back then," Daniel was saying, "the younger brother of one of the staff. He was about ten years older than me— "

"You have a thing for older guys?" Jack asked wryly.

"Not especially. I don't go looking for love. You either fall for someone or you don't. There's no logic to it." Jack couldn't argue with that. "Anyway," Daniel continued, "he worked for a club - similar sort of thing to Silky's, but rather more down market. They had a drag act—"

"Don't you mean female impersonator?"

"Who's telling this?" Daniel asked with a quelling look over the top of his glasses. "I didn't think he was very good and I - er - I said I thought I could do better. So Rufus said I should give it a try."

"And it went well?"

"Yeah actually. It went very well. I'd put plenty of thought and effort into what I would do first - rehearsed a lot in private - before I appeared in front of paying customers. And I got a great reception." Daniel sighed. "It is kind of addictive. You know, I get more respect as a female impersonator than I do as an academic... Rather ironic, isn't it?"

Jack really didn't know what to say to that. Instead, he said gruffly, " You know you have to give it up now, don't you? Before anyone else finds out?"

"I guess."

In the silence that followed, Jack remembered his original grievance. "So why didn't you warn me when I first said I was going to Silky's?"

"Well if you remember, I did try to dissuade you from going to Denver but you seemed quite set on it."

"You didn't try very hard," Jack complained.

"What did you want me to say? Oh, by the way, I'm the singer you're going to see?"

"Maybe."

"Oh, come on, Jack, I didn't exactly have much time to consider the ramifications. I was thinking on my feet - and the news that you and Ferretti were going posed a bit of a problem. I was potentially looking at years of jokey comments about it."

"It's a pity this well-hidden sense of self-preservation isn't used more in the field and less to save face." Jack frowned and muttered, "Ya just had to investigate that crystal skull, didn'tcha?"

Daniel decided to let that pass. He topped up Jack's glass and went on, "I was really worried that you would recognize my voice."

"Hey, you refused to come with on the grounds of having sooo much work to do, the M.C. introduced you as French and you certainly sounded French. Why would I think it was you were in Denver under all that get-up?" Jack rolled the glass between his palms as he considered further. "Actually there was a point later on where something seemed kinda familiar, but then my attention got diverted elsewhere..."

Daniel smothered a grin and resumed his explanation. "Fortunately, by the time I came on, Ferretti was pretty well trashed— "

"And the kick on the shin was...?"

"An attempt to divert his attention from my face. The other three hardly know me anyway. That just left you."

"Yeah, and just what the fuck were you thinking of, kissing me in public? In front of them? Was that another distraction?"

"Um, no. It isn't a regular part of my act either. It just seemed like a - a heaven-sent opportunity... to test the water, as it were. It wasn't like I was ever gonna have another chance, was it? If you responded like you did, I was going to slip you an invite from Blaze. If not— well, at least I'd know there was no hope."

"Wha' d'ya mean, responded like I did?"

"Didn't exactly push me off, did you?" Daniel grinned, "—didn't dump me on my ass like I thought you might..."

"Daniel!" he protested, "I was in shock!"

"Let's hope Apophis never finds out your response to shock then," Daniel sniggered.

"Euw! That's an image I don't need! In any case, ya think I'd ever let him get that close?" Daniel suddenly cracked out laughing. "What?"

"I was just thinking of Apophis as a drag queen," Daniel chuckled.

"Huh, like that's a stretch of the imagination! Anyway, that kiss didn't last all that long, did it?" he scoffed and was a little disturbed by that smug expression which was taking up residence on Daniel's face again.

"Oh no," he said airily, "only for about fifteen bars..."

"Fifteen? I thought it was the middle eight?"

"They improvised."

"Shit!"

"And you just let it happen. No, I tell a lie. You joined in."

"I didn't! —Did I?"

"Like I'd ever forget..." Daniel said fondly.

Jack moved on to the sofa next to his tormentor. "So, how did it go again?"

Daniel knelt on the sofa and leaned over him. "Well, I put my hand here, and..."

Jack gave a moan, then Daniel's tongue invaded his mouth again. This time he responded with enthusiasm, loving the way their tongues slid around and over each other - and no one was counting the beats.

"Mm, that was... nice," Jack breathed as they separated.

Daniel grinned as he settled back down again. Maybe he was thinking that Jack and romance were pretty much like sushi and fries. Well, tough. He thought back to that night again. "What inspired the mask and the restraints?"

"Well, the part about my blind lover is true, but the restraints were my own idea, seeing as I knew you would be there that night. Didn't want you unmasking me. And I know that not being in control - being vulnerable - heightens awareness too."

"Yeah... It did that," Jack said, remembering the frissons of pleasure dancing across his skin. "So why didn't you tell me afterwards that it was you?"

"I was afraid you'd react like you just did. What we'd had was a wonderful experience, and I— didn't want to spoil the memory. Not after... " Daniel leaned in again, " you said you love me..." He stared lovingly into Jack's eyes.

"Mm, I did say that, didn't I?" he murmured, meeting Daniel half way. "Busted, huh?"

"It's mutual, Jack," Daniel whispered.

He pulled back suddenly, leaving Jack kissing the air. Jack frowned in frustration.

"So - are we going to do it again?" Daniel asked.

"What...? Oh. Oh, yeah. Sure we are. Only I'm not wearing a mask. This time, I want to see your face when you come."

Fizz... Ting!

sois tranquille - be calm
relâche - relax
tu auras un très bon grimpage - you're gonna have a real good ride
tricotin - hard-on
Salaud! 'Ne suis 's un truqueur! - You bastard! 'm not a rent-boy!
mon âme - my soul