Stargate SG-1 Ficlet: Free Gift
Dec. 9th, 2024 04:31 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
badly_knittedTitle: Free Gift
Fandom: Stargate SG-1
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Jack, Daniel.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 956
Spoilers: Nada. Set after the series.
Summary: Jack isn’t happy about discovering a small intruder in his and Daniel’s Christmas tree.
Written For: Weekend Challenge Strange Holiday Superstitions at
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1_million_words.Disclaimer: I don’t own Stargate SG-1, or the characters.
“Daniel!” Jack bellowed. “Daniel!”
“What?” Daniel replied distractedly, nose still buried in whatever it was he was reading, or writing… Jack hadn’t been paying much attention to what the other man had been doing in the first place.
“There’s a spider in our Christmas tree! A spider! I know, because it’s spun a web between two baubles!”
“Oh, well that’s nice.”
“Nice? It’s a SPIDER! What’s it doing in our tree?”
Daniel finally looked up, eyebrows raised. “Well, I don’t know, you’d have to ask the spider. Strangely enough, I’m not conversant with their habits. I’m an archaeologist, not a naturalist.”
“Con what now? No, never mind, forget that. There’s a spider in our Christmas tree!”
“I know, you already mentioned that.”
“It can’t stay there!”
“Why not?”
“What d’you mean, ‘why not’?”
Daniel frowned. “Am I not speaking English? I though the question was self-explanatory.”
“Stop with the big words! There’s a spider! We have to do something!”
“And by ‘We’, I assume you mean me.” Daniel cocked his head. “I never knew you had an aversion to spiders.”
“I don’t!”
“Then I don’t see what the problem is.” Daniel leaned back in his seat. “Provided it’s not a tarantula, which seems unlikely, or a black widow, which could be problematic, why not just let it stay? It’s not hurting anyone.”
“It’s untidy!” Jack scowled at the open books and papers scattered all over Daniel’s desk. “Not that untidiness bothers you.”
“I’m working. That’s why I have a desk here, so I can work when I’m at home.”
“What about the spider?”
“Leave it alone and it’ll leave you alone.” Daniel started to turn back to his books, then paused. “You know, in Ukraine, it’s considered a sign of good luck to find a spider’s web in the tree on Christmas morning.”
“It’s not Christmas for another two weeks, and we’re not in Ukraine! And since when are you superstitious?”
“I’m not, I just thought it was interesting, and who knows, maybe if you leave the spider in peace, it might prove lucky.”
“Sure, for the spider.”
“It’s freezing out. Do you really want to throw a defenceless little spider out into the snow?”
Jack opened his mouth to say something, then snapped it shut, glaring at Daniel, realising there was no good answer to that. If he said yes, he’d be accused of being cruel, if he said no, he’d be agreeing to the spider staying.
“It’s in our tree!” he finally grumbled, a touch petulantly.
“If you think about it, that’s your fault. You’re the one who chose the tree and brought it home, it’s hardly my fault you picked one that came with a complimentary spider.”
“I hate you!”
“No you don’t, you love me.” Daniel turned back to his papers, picking up a pen and making some notes
“Sometimes I wonder why,” Jack huffed, stalking over to the tree to glare at the spider. Not that he could actually SEE any spider, just the web, but that was enough. He considered breaking the web, just because he could, but that would be petty, and it wouldn’t win him any points with Daniel, so he went to the kitchen and made coffee instead.
As the days counted down towards Christmas, nothing more was said about the spider, although Jack still scowled at the tree every time he passed it. The tree itself looked beautiful, scattered with baubles, adorned with streamers of garland, and strung with coloured lights. He and Daniel had excelled themselves with the decorations this year. Last year had been a bit haphazard, they’d only just moved into their new place and there had still been piles of boxes waiting to be unpacked, when they could find the time. All they’d managed in the way of decorations had been a small, artificial tree with a few baubles, and a sprig of mistletoe, so this year they’d been determined to make the place look suitably festive. It would have been perfect, except for the damn spider spoiling it.
Then, Christmas morning arrived, and Daniel all but fell out of bed when he heard Jack bellow from somewhere downstairs.
“Holy shit!”
“What? What is it?” Daniel blundered into the lounge, hair sticking up all over the place, peering blearily though the glasses he seldom wore these days, having switched to contacts years ago, and fumbling to tie the belt of his bathrobe. “Oh!”
“Oh? Is that all you’ve got to say? You’re the one who said we should let it stay! Now see what it’s done!”
The entire Christmas tree was festooned with webs from top to bottom, spun between the branches, the baubles, and the lights.
Slowly a grin spread across Daniel’s face. “Well, would you look at that.”
“I’m looking!”
Daniel turned his grin on Jack. “Isn’t nature amazing? Your spider must have been tending a nest, and now the heat’s made all her eggs hatch.”
“What’re you grinning for? There’s spiderwebs everywhere!”
“I know. But if one spiderweb brings good luck to the household, just think how lucky hundreds will be.”
“Good luck, huh?”
“Maybe that’s our reward for letting the first spider stay.”
Jack stared at the tree. “I guess it is kinda pretty.”
“Yes it is. Happy Christmas, Jack.”
“Happy Christmas, Daniel.” Jack frowned. “What’re we going to do about all the spiders when we take the tree down?”
Daniel shrugged. “Why worry about that now? We’ll figure something out when we have to, we always do. It’s Christmas; we should be celebrating.”
“Guess you’re right, the spiders can wait while we celebrate.” Grinning, Jack grabbed Daniel by the belt of his robe, reeling him in. “Speaking of which, I think I’ll start by unwrapping my gift…”
The End
“What?” Daniel replied distractedly, nose still buried in whatever it was he was reading, or writing… Jack hadn’t been paying much attention to what the other man had been doing in the first place.
“There’s a spider in our Christmas tree! A spider! I know, because it’s spun a web between two baubles!”
“Oh, well that’s nice.”
“Nice? It’s a SPIDER! What’s it doing in our tree?”
Daniel finally looked up, eyebrows raised. “Well, I don’t know, you’d have to ask the spider. Strangely enough, I’m not conversant with their habits. I’m an archaeologist, not a naturalist.”
“Con what now? No, never mind, forget that. There’s a spider in our Christmas tree!”
“I know, you already mentioned that.”
“It can’t stay there!”
“Why not?”
“What d’you mean, ‘why not’?”
Daniel frowned. “Am I not speaking English? I though the question was self-explanatory.”
“Stop with the big words! There’s a spider! We have to do something!”
“And by ‘We’, I assume you mean me.” Daniel cocked his head. “I never knew you had an aversion to spiders.”
“I don’t!”
“Then I don’t see what the problem is.” Daniel leaned back in his seat. “Provided it’s not a tarantula, which seems unlikely, or a black widow, which could be problematic, why not just let it stay? It’s not hurting anyone.”
“It’s untidy!” Jack scowled at the open books and papers scattered all over Daniel’s desk. “Not that untidiness bothers you.”
“I’m working. That’s why I have a desk here, so I can work when I’m at home.”
“What about the spider?”
“Leave it alone and it’ll leave you alone.” Daniel started to turn back to his books, then paused. “You know, in Ukraine, it’s considered a sign of good luck to find a spider’s web in the tree on Christmas morning.”
“It’s not Christmas for another two weeks, and we’re not in Ukraine! And since when are you superstitious?”
“I’m not, I just thought it was interesting, and who knows, maybe if you leave the spider in peace, it might prove lucky.”
“Sure, for the spider.”
“It’s freezing out. Do you really want to throw a defenceless little spider out into the snow?”
Jack opened his mouth to say something, then snapped it shut, glaring at Daniel, realising there was no good answer to that. If he said yes, he’d be accused of being cruel, if he said no, he’d be agreeing to the spider staying.
“It’s in our tree!” he finally grumbled, a touch petulantly.
“If you think about it, that’s your fault. You’re the one who chose the tree and brought it home, it’s hardly my fault you picked one that came with a complimentary spider.”
“I hate you!”
“No you don’t, you love me.” Daniel turned back to his papers, picking up a pen and making some notes
“Sometimes I wonder why,” Jack huffed, stalking over to the tree to glare at the spider. Not that he could actually SEE any spider, just the web, but that was enough. He considered breaking the web, just because he could, but that would be petty, and it wouldn’t win him any points with Daniel, so he went to the kitchen and made coffee instead.
As the days counted down towards Christmas, nothing more was said about the spider, although Jack still scowled at the tree every time he passed it. The tree itself looked beautiful, scattered with baubles, adorned with streamers of garland, and strung with coloured lights. He and Daniel had excelled themselves with the decorations this year. Last year had been a bit haphazard, they’d only just moved into their new place and there had still been piles of boxes waiting to be unpacked, when they could find the time. All they’d managed in the way of decorations had been a small, artificial tree with a few baubles, and a sprig of mistletoe, so this year they’d been determined to make the place look suitably festive. It would have been perfect, except for the damn spider spoiling it.
Then, Christmas morning arrived, and Daniel all but fell out of bed when he heard Jack bellow from somewhere downstairs.
“Holy shit!”
“What? What is it?” Daniel blundered into the lounge, hair sticking up all over the place, peering blearily though the glasses he seldom wore these days, having switched to contacts years ago, and fumbling to tie the belt of his bathrobe. “Oh!”
“Oh? Is that all you’ve got to say? You’re the one who said we should let it stay! Now see what it’s done!”
The entire Christmas tree was festooned with webs from top to bottom, spun between the branches, the baubles, and the lights.
Slowly a grin spread across Daniel’s face. “Well, would you look at that.”
“I’m looking!”
Daniel turned his grin on Jack. “Isn’t nature amazing? Your spider must have been tending a nest, and now the heat’s made all her eggs hatch.”
“What’re you grinning for? There’s spiderwebs everywhere!”
“I know. But if one spiderweb brings good luck to the household, just think how lucky hundreds will be.”
“Good luck, huh?”
“Maybe that’s our reward for letting the first spider stay.”
Jack stared at the tree. “I guess it is kinda pretty.”
“Yes it is. Happy Christmas, Jack.”
“Happy Christmas, Daniel.” Jack frowned. “What’re we going to do about all the spiders when we take the tree down?”
Daniel shrugged. “Why worry about that now? We’ll figure something out when we have to, we always do. It’s Christmas; we should be celebrating.”
“Guess you’re right, the spiders can wait while we celebrate.” Grinning, Jack grabbed Daniel by the belt of his robe, reeling him in. “Speaking of which, I think I’ll start by unwrapping my gift…”
The End
(no subject)
Date: 2024-12-10 12:40 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-12-10 11:39 am (UTC)Small spiders are fine, but big ones get evicted if I can catch them.