FICLET: The Walls of Jericho, Jack/Daniel. Fight.

[icarus]

The Walls Of Jericho
by Icarus




"Daniel..." Jack threw down a t-shirt in frustration and paced the disaster area of his office. It joined a number of wads of paper that had missed the basket. He'd been balling it up in his hands for most of their conversation -- Daniel somehow knew exactly which nerves to hit. "Don't ask, don't tell is a hell of a step forward!"

"I don't see how. It's just another example of the way the military lags behind modern societal norms."

Jack made a cutting gesture, "No." He spun around and pointed at Daniel, who lounged on the corner of Jack's desk as if perfectly, infuriatingly relaxed, crinkling a pile of unsigned forms under his ass. Though his shoulders were as tense as a bow. "You're just mad at me because I wouldn't approve your precious plan -"

"Jack, that's beside the point..."

"You are, and you're trying to piss me off and taking it out on the military deliberately, because you know --!"

"Jack..."

"Ah-Ack!" Jack's finger was up, cutting him off. "Because you know I hate that pointy-headed, eyeglass-wearing, pseudo-intellectual snooty-assed crap!"

"I also happen to be right." Daniel folded his arms around himself, and looked far too smug for someone scoring a mere intellectual point. This was personal. "It's a step backward as a matter of fact. A lot of soldiers have lost their careers over --"

"No!" Jack fist swung out in denial. "No, it's huge step forward because the military admits that we're here, admits that they want the soldiers they've got, who they've trained, who are valued AS IS. And they've promised to keep their damned noses out of the bedroom where they don't belong in the first..." Jack suddenly realized that Daniel was staring, mouth slightly open, the smug look gone. "...place. What're you looking at?"

Jack didn't feel quite ready to abandon the argument just yet, but all the fight seemed to have gone out of Daniel.

Daniel licked his lips, blinked a little. He said quietly, "You said 'we.'"

"No I didn't."

"Yes. You did."

"Did not."

"Did..."

"Didn't!"

"Did, too!"

Jack shook his head and changed tactics. "Now why would I say 'we'?"

"Jack... are you... are you gay?" Daniel asked, determined, with utter disbelief written across his face.

"You're changing the subject just because you were losing," Jack pointed out, placing a whole desk between the two of them.

"I was not los-- ooo that was good, nice try, but you, you're... you are?" Daniel's hand dropped to his side.

Forced into a lie, Jack growled, "Of course not!"

"You are." That look of dumbfounded shock still hadn't left Daniel's face. He stepped forward and Jack retreated a six inches. "Look, Jack, I'm on your side."

"What side? There isn't any sides! The military doesn't want the rep of being a bunch of candy-assed fruit flies and I don't blame them!" Jack exploded. "Reputation counts. Battles are won - and lost! - on reputation alone. The walls of Jericho didn't drop because of trumpets -- that's stupid. Those guys were scared of what they faced. Those Jews were total bad-asses." He leveled a glare to beat the point home. "No soldier would willingly give up that advantage."

He grabbed his jacket and stalked out of his office, forcing Daniel to shut up, out in the open. Of course he heard the footsteps skip a little as Daniel trailed behind him.

"Jack..."

He didn't look back but kept walking, shoulders set. He made for the most public place he could think of, anything to forestall the rest of this conversation. The commissary would do nicely. "The subject's closed, Daniel," he said in a flat voice, pulling on his jacket.

Not for the first time Jack was grateful their security cameras were visual only. Just what part of Don't Ask, Don't Tell didn't Daniel get? Oh yeah - the asking part.

Part II here.

Comments

[melpemone.livejournal.com]

That was really well done. I love how fast and perfectly you've nailed Jack especially - it makes me feel as though you've known men in the past just like him... am I right?

And you're right - Daniel wouldn't let this go. He'd be harming more than helping, but he wouldn't see it that way. This can't end well. And yet, I want to read it. :-)

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

The men I've worked for are respectively:

- an ex-Marine (Semper Fi), post Korean war

- an ex-Army Lt., WWII vet

- an ex-Army Intelligence officer, Vietnam vet

- SAIC, which is a military computer integration systems contractor, quite Top Secret (you had to have clearance to know certain clearances even existed) and mostly staffed by ex-Air Force flyboys... who are the most flirtatious, pampered, spoiled things! Man, the time I've taken telling these guys "No, you can't go first class...."

Other military personnel:

- an ex-Green Beret who'd completed Special Forces training

- wildernessguru, a surprisingly knowledgeable military analyst, groomed for the military, who took a left turn and surprised everyone by becoming a forest firefighter instead. Why? Because there was no war in which to test himself, but CA was in flames at the time.

In personality, Jack's sarcasm is very similar to WG's. They're not exactly alike, but Jack is really WG's kind of guy.

Icarus