A/N: Jara wanted fluff. Jara got fluff!
Rating: PG
Season: Future. Alludes to Season 7 spoilers for 'Heroes'.
As always, feedback is much appreciated.
Sitting on the couch next to him, Sam grumpily dug out the remote from where it had fallen between the cushions. It never failed to slide completely out of reach and she felt her fingernails scrape against the scratchy under-fabric of the couch before she finally gripped hold of the box and dragged it back out.
Sighing heavily, she muted the TV so she could flick through the channels, hoping to land on one of the better sit-coms.
Bored, bored, bored, bored, *bored*.
Eventually, she managed to narrow her choice down to an old re-run of 'Ellen' or an episode of 'The Simpsons' she'd seen approximately eighty times with or without Jack.
Glancing at Jack, she unmuted 'The Simpsons' in the hope that the familiar voices of Bart and Lisa would drag him away from his reading material.
After a good thirty seconds in which he didn't look up at the TV or move in any way, she narrowed her eyes and attempted a little telepathy, but his eyes continued to rove swiftly over the page of The Book, left to right, left to right. He'd always been a fast reader something he perhaps had cultivated when he left all his teammates mission reports to the last minute but tonight it was really irritating her.
Shoulders slumping in defeat, she turned back to the TV, pissed. Punishing 'The Simpsons' for their inability to get Jack's attention, she changed channels and found a suitably dull documentary about soil or rocks or something. She raised the volume a couple of notches and slumped against his side dramatically.
He merely shifted a little, accommodating her by lifting his arm up and sliding it over the back of the couch before turning the page with his right hand and continuing on.
Well. This sucked.
She couldn't understand it. Here she was, all but bursting with energy and he the fidgety one, the one who couldn't stay put for more than a couple of hours unless sleeping or fishing was just sitting there. Hadn't she given him all the signs? The sighing, the surfing, the wriggling?
For God's sake, surely he knew her well enough to realize that she needed to be entertained. Did she need to spell it out for him?
She must have made some kind of unconscious, plaintive noise because he absently patted her shoulder. Swiveling her head, Sam glared at the offending hand, now curved motionlessly over her bare upper arm.
He was *patting* her now? What was she? A dog? A mutt that he was always threatening to buy?
She set her teeth and turned up the volume of the TV in revenge the narrator's voice could charitably be called 'a drone' and the subject was less than stimulating and she just *knew* he would be irritated by it. Enough to, say, raise his head and demand that she switch programs.
She watched his profile intently, noting that he was still studiously reading the book that was resting on his lap. He was slightly far-sighted now, and was forever misplacing his glasses, even though she had bashfully admitted to him recently that the little silver glasses were the *biggest* turn on ever.
Embarrassed, he'd pointed out that, these days, if he wore mismatched socks, he'd probably get the same response which *wasn't* true. At all. Nope. She had complete control.
Miserable, she realized it hadn't worked. Goddammit, she supposed she'd have to talk to him and it wasn't supposed to be like that. He was supposed to know her inside and out. "Ja-ack," she moaned, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Mmm?"
"I want to *do* something." She rubbed her head back and forth and waggled her fingers on his thigh. She decided sex would probably be the most entertaining thing they could do so long as he left The Book here in the living room and there would no post-coital discussion of said book.
The Book was pissing her off.
"Want to watch a movie?" he asked vaguely, one hand gesturing to the pile of DVDs that Cassie had dropped by that morning at some disgustingly early hour. After years of being absolutely vile first thing in the morning, Cassie had now bloomed into one of those irritating morning people. It was something of a blessing that she was now at college and living on campus because Jack was a morning person as well and the two of them would cook *loudly* in the kitchen every morning, much to Sam's dismay.
"No," she said firmly, hoping he'd get the tone of her voice to mean 'I want attention and I want it *now*!'
Jack didn't offer any more suggestions. Obviously, he hadn't got the tone. He was usually very good with her tones, except now there was The Book. The Book that had taken over his life.
She waggled her fingers on his thigh again, encouragingly, hoping he'd get it.
He didn't.
With longing, Sam remembered the days when any *hint* of playfulness on her part transferred to horizontal nakedness. She'd only have to look at him a certain way and he'd jump her, or vice versa. Whole *weekends* would disappear because they'd rarely leave the bedroom...
Okay, that was a slight exaggeration on her part but she was *frustrated*, dammit, and she wanted him to pay attention!
Why wasn't he paying attention? For God's sake, he'd been more attentive when they'd been working together.
"Jack, DAMMIT, will you stop reading that *book*?" she exclaimed finally, managing to imbue her words with every ounce of frustration and resentment she was feeling.
Jack's head jerked up and he looked at her, his eyes wide. "Wow. Tell me how you really feel." His hand started rubbing her shoulder. "What's wrong?"
She was not going to pout, she was not going to pout, she was... crap! "I'm bored," she whined.
He snorted and Sam noted with glee that The Book was set aside for a moment. "Bored, huh. Nothing on TV?"
"No."
She tried to pull that pout back in, but it wasn't happening. God, apparently as well as being nearly permanently frustrated, she was also gaining the maturity of a five year old girl.
Grinning, he pulled her to him and wrapped his arms about her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I got a little absorbed. What the hell are you watching?"
"I'm not. It's about soil, as far as I can tell. I want to have sex."
He shook with laughter. "I'm not going to say no..."
She already had her hands under his sweater. "I hear a 'but' coming."
Jack kissed her mouth lightly, then bumped foreheads with her. "But we're going to have to go to a bedroom."
What was wrong with the couch? Or the floor? Or the coffee table? "This isn't because of something you read in The Book, is it?"
Hate The Book. Hate it!
"No, it's common sense, Sam." He pointed towards the stairs. "Move it!"
She blinked. "Are you ordering me around?"
"Yes."
Delighted, she grinned and climbed off the couch. "Kinky." Sam backed towards the stairs, smiling at him encouragingly until she saw him bend down and pick up The Book. "Hey!"
"I just thought I'd..."
"No!"
".... read you a little bit..."
"NO!"
He was grinning evilly, his eyes all but twinkling with little boy mischief. Damn him. "... about the second trimester..."
She whimpered and stomped up the stairs, whimpering further when she heard him chuckle behind her. She didn't know what had *possessed* Teal'c to get him The Book and the next time she saw him she was going to severely punish him.
-end-
Addendum: 'The Book' can be found here.