by rysler
Fourth in the Ten4Ten Series

* * *

"So, there's beer, right?" Cameron asked Teal'c as they walked down a dirt path. The Stargate fell away behind them. A thousand warrior boots had beaten the path, making the sand soft underfoot. Cameron wanted to scoop the dirt up and let it fall through his fingers. He wanted to marvel at how the Stargate program let him travel to a world like this to make friends with aliens. <I>We come in peace</I>, for real. He wanted to grab Teal'c by the shoulders and shout about how remarkable the universe was. But they were late already.

"There is some debate among the Jaffa people," Teal'c was saying, "That libation weakens the spirit. And leads to violence. That is an evil brought by the Goa'uld to control us."

"Aw, damn," Cameron said.

Teal'c smiled at him, and continued. "But I believe that it is a great equalizer. And in loosening inhibitions, it makes people fearless. From that, stronger."

Cameron remembered the fearless things he had done while drunk, like jumping off a balcony and into a swimming pool, and taking off all his clothes for a group of cheerleaders, and the time he'd made out with that nerd, right in the computer lab, just because the guy had big hands. Nevertheless he said, "I support that."

"Indeed."

The sound of shouting carried from ahead of them, and Cameron caught the smell of wood smoke. "What the--" he said. He and Teal'c crested the hill, and below them there was a clearing filled with tents and bonfires and hundreds of Jaffa--perhaps a thousand, swarming chaotically, not like soldiers under the heel of their God, but like wildmen, warriors.

"Holy hell," Cameron said.

"There is talk of inviting our Jaffa sisters to join us. Next year." Teal'c turned to Cameron with a half-smile, and said, "But not this year."

Cameron nodded. This was a world of men, newly freed men finding themselves, finding each other. He looked at Teal'c, suddenly nervous, and wiped his hands on his trousers. "So? What do we do here? Besides drink?"

"What all men do when they drink," Teal'c said. "Fight."

* * *

"Take one for diplomacy," Cameron quipped. He leaned on the rail encircling a small dirt pit, where two Jaffa fought with staffs. Teal'c had explained that they were from allied tribes--it was important to the ceremony that former enemies never fight each other--and that it was important to prepare, always, for the next Goa'uld to come.

Cameron mumbled something appropriately poetic about vigilance and prices, and then he realized the fight had ended and all the Jaffa were staring at him.

"What?" He asked.

"They know you are Tau'ri," Teal'c explained. "That you were born a free man. They wonder if not having to fight for it has made you weak, as their children might be."

"Hey, I had to fight for it every day," Cameron said. He felt a strange surge of patriotism. Everything they'd taught him in grade school and in boot camp rushed into his chest and his mind. He squeezed his fists.

"Indeed. They also wonder if, being born free, as Goa'uld are, that has made you into a god-king without you even needing a symbiote."

"That's better," Cameron said.

"Who will you choose?" Teal'c asked. "Your choice will mean much, symbolically, for the Tau'ri and the united Jaffa."

"I choose you, Pikachu."

"Of all these men?" Teal'c asked.

"Look, I know you could beat the shit out of me, but I also know you can't, because then I'd look like a sissy in front of all these guys who are relying on the Tauri for help. And you can't let me win, because you're still First Prime, in a way. So, should be fun, right buddy?" He clapped Teal'c on the back.

"But if you were to choose one of the others, and defeat him, you would be asserting your dominance for the whole sector."

"Sure. But it's about the brotherhood. Not the dominance."

"You are right, Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c said.

Cameron always liked the sound of that.

* * *

Cameron had his shirt off. The sun beat down on his back, making him sweat, getting water in his eyes. He blinked. The quarterstaff chafed his hands. He knew the impact against Teal'c's staff would hurt, but he didn't want to wear gloves. No one else did.

Teal'c circled him. He was all Jaffa now, and every man there could see the concentration and the brawn that made Teal'c a warrior. Cameron swallowed. Maybe he should have fought a skinny guy.

He backed away, and then jumped as Teal's swung at his ankle. The staff passed underneath him, and he twisted, swinging for Teal'c unprotected shoulder. Teal'c wasn't there; he'd spun around, away from the blow, and come back with the staff in one smooth motion that caught Cameron in the ribs. Cameron doubled over. There had been hardly any pain, and kneeling, he thrust forward with his staff, catching Teal'c in the thigh.

Teal'c kicked him. He fell backwards, sprawling into the dirt. That had hurt. The dirt tore at his cheeks.

"Are you angry, yet, Cameron of the Tau'ri?" Teal'c asked, sneering at him, standing in the center of the ring. The Jaffa cheered.

"Please. They should see what you do to me in gym class," Cameron said. He got to his feet.

Teal'c smirked.

Cameron parried, letting his staff clang against Teal'c as if they were sword fighting Rat-a-tat-tat. Then, when their rhythm synced, Cameron retreated, planted his staff in the ground, and used it to swing his torso into the air and kick firmly at Teal'c's chest. Teal'c let go of his staff and caught Cameron's legs, twisting him, so that Cameron fell face-down into the dirt.

Then Teal'c was on top of him, pressing on his shoulder and the back of his knee. "That was a good move," Teal'c said, growling into his ear. "Retreat in order to gain force. Few would let them be so vulnerable, even for a greater victory."

"Well, you know us. Always getting captured," Cameron said.

Teal'c chuckled. He allowed Cameron to get to his feet. Cameron rotated his shoulders. Bruises would be forming on his chest and stomach. He could feel the ache already. His cheek bled from the sand.

"Who will you fight next, Teal'c?" A Jaffa called from the crowd.

Cameron limped to the side of the pit and vaulted over the railing. A Jaffa offered him water. He drank deeply.

Teal'c, glistening with sweat, standing triumphant in the middle of the ring, pointed his staff at a Jaffa marked with Apophis' serpent. "You, Nal'c. The man I fought beside for ten years. Let us see if you remember."

Nal'c grinned and jogged to the pit. Cameron jealously pictured Teal'c's life before the Stargate program. A ten year bond, fighting side-by-side, taking on the vast armies of system lords, that sounded like a lot to him.

Cameron had only known Teal'c two years, and Earth wasn't a warrior camp. Hell, the barracks had double beds. He took another sip of water. Teal'c and Nal'c fought, their own private dance, their own moves, practiced together a thousand times.

The Jaffa who handed him the water was looking at Cameron and not the fight. Cameron was very aware that he was bare-chested. He asked the Jaffa, "When does the party start?"

"When we are all too tired to fight anymore, we will feast, and when the moon rises, we will dance."

"The Jaffa dance?" Cameron asked.

"Free men can do anything," the Jaffa said, smiling.

"Anything at all," Cameron said. He kept his gaze on Teal'c.

* * *

Cameron had tried not to eat too much of the barbecued boar meat that had been the central feature of the feast. Between that and the spiced wine, he knew he'd be puking behind the tent most of the night. Instead he'd snuck in a power bar, smiled politely at the Jaffa around him, and listened to the stories in a hundred dialects of fierce battles and women won and lost. He told one of his own.

The men had howled whenever he mentioned Teal'c, or Sam, or even Daniel, which made him proud, but a little lost. He wasn't a legendary member of SG-1 yet, just the messenger, and he certainly wasn't a Jaffa. Being the center of attention didn't feel quite right. He drank another glass of wine, all at once, and felt a little better.

Teal'c sat beside him. "Thank you for coming," Teal'c said.

"What, and miss this?"

"I am glad it was you."

Cameron glanced at Teal'c out of the corner of his eye. Teal'c's eyes reflected the firelight. His dark skin captured the light and almost shone, which made it darker still. He smelled, well, as if he had been fighting all day. Musky and dirty and strong. Cameron's mouth watered. He took another sip of wine, and then asked, "Teal'c, are you drunk?"

"I am not."

"I think I'm a little drunk," Cameron said.

"What do you see?" Teal'c asked.

Cameron looked around him. Men sat together with other men around the bonfires. Some danced. Some stood. Some sprawled in the sand. Many were naked, or partway there, lying with men. Cameron blinked. His head swam. He rubbed his eyes and looked again. All around him, Jaffa were together. Okay, he got it. He was totally on board.

He stretched his arms, and cringed at the ache in his shoulders.

"Was I too rough earlier, Colonel Mitchell?" Teal'c asked.

"It's Cameron. Cam. The Camster. And no, I'm just a little sore. Do we have the Tiger Balm?"

"In our packs inside the tent," Teal'c said. "Shall I retrieve it?"

Cameron stood up. "No. Let's go."

Teal'c lifted the tent flap, and Cameron ducked in. He settled onto his cot, and then frowned. "Teal'c, you don't have to like, show off your prowess, or anything? Exhibit--uh, me?"

"No," Teal'c said. He smiled at Cameron. "I do not."

"Good. Because I haven't had <I>that</I> much to drink."

Teal'c knelt and found the muscle cream in his pack. He furrowed his brow.

Cameron put his hand on Teal'c shoulder and said, "As far as drinking, I've had just enough."

Teal'c straightened. He said, "Take off your shirt."

"Not much for foreplay, are you, big guy?" Cameron tore off his tee shirt and tossed it onto the cot. His shoulders protested, and his back strained. He looked down at himself, to see if bruises mottled his skin. Only a few, but his left side was sore. Being a warrior was fun.

"Cameron," Teal'c said. Cameron looked up. Teal'c smiled. Cameron rotated his shoulders, and twisted, offering his back to Teal'c. The bed shifted as Teal'c sat down behind him, and warm, large hands touched his shoulders. Just being near Teal'c's heat made his muscles turn to liquid. The acrid scent of balm filled the air between them, and then Teal'c touched him again.

"God Almighty," Cameron said. Teal'c's thumbs dug into his shoulders. He groaned. Teal'c's hands moved down his back. Cameron leaned back into him, and by the time Teal'c reached his lower back, Cameron's shoulders were tucked against his chest. With Teal'c's body against him, Cameron was half-hard. He put one hand over his crotch to readjust. The pressure from his own hand made his cock surge. He squeezed, and Teal'c, sensing his rising passion, moved closer to him on the cot.

Cameron could still hear the dancing outside. Drumbeats and stomping feet and howls and the crackling and spitting of the bonfires. He'd seen, though, what was beyond all that. The men were doing what he was doing. He felt the connection to all of them, not just through his connection to Teal'c, but by the way his own actions were mirroring theirs. Teal'c's breath was hot and harsh his neck. His hands slid around Cameron's waist to his belly. Cameron arched.

"Teal'c," he asked. "Was it like this? Before there were free Jaffa?"

"No. We were not free to choose our partners. Rank mattered."

Cameron wriggled out of Teal'c's embrace and stood. He pulled Teal'c up with him, and kissed him hard, holding onto his shoulders. Teal'c kissed him back, and pressed his body into Cameron's. Cameron slid against him, almost grinding his crotch into Teal'c's, as Teal'c bit his lips. Teal'c's tongue forced its way into his mouth, and Cameron tried to swallow it.

Teal'c tore his mouth away from Cameron's. "Undress," he said, and then frowned. "Cameron."

Cameron laughed. He unbuttoned his trousers and pushed them down, realizing belatedly that he still had his boots on. He put one foot on the bed to unlace, and Teal'c put a hand on his shoulder. "That is enough," Teal'c said. He urged Cameron down on the bed, and as Cameron grabbed his cock and began to stroke, Teal'c took off his own clothes. He'd been wearing a tunic and pants, matching the other Jaffa, and they were shed quickly, leaving him large and sleek and erect.

"Oh, man, I can't believe I waited for this," Cameron said.

Teal'c straddled him on the bed, and Cameron yanked him down by the back of his neck, so that his weight would be crushing. Their cocks rubbed and slid against each other, pinned between their bodies. Cameron panted. Teal'c pushed against him, rutting against his belly. Ungraceful, but controlled. Cameron's arousal pushed at Teal'c's torso, and Teal'c reached between them to cup Cameron's balls. He stroked gently with his fingers, letting his thumb brush the base of Cameron's cock.

"No," Cameron groaned, as Teal'c's hand closed around his cock. He massaged the head, and then jerked Cameron twice, and Cameron came, spilling onto Teal'c's fingers and his stomach. "God," he said. His eyes were squeezed shut. When he opened them, he saw Teal'c's mysterious, pleased grin. "Please, buddy," Cameron said, "I want to see you, too."

Teal'c wordlessly knelt over Cameron, and put his hand on his own cock. But he held it still, and then withdrew it. "No. You."

Cameron reached down and took hold of Teal'c's cock. Teal'c thrust his hips, fucking Cameron's hand. Cameron squeezed. The liquid oozing from the tip of Teal'c's cock made his hand slippery, and Teal'c was big. His cock was as smooth as the rest of him, and despite the size, Cameron could imagine it sliding inside his mouth, or inside him--

Teal'c yelled something in Jaffa, and came. He spurted over Cameron's fist and onto Cameron's body. Cameron let him go, and fell back on the cot. Teal'c's orgasm pooling on his stomach was like Teal'c was marking him. Cameron dipped his fingers in the liquid heat and brought them to his mouth. Teal'c slid down the cot and licked the rest off his skin.

"So, Teal'c," Cameron said lazily. Teal'c lifted his head. "Do we do this all night?"

Teal'c grinned. "Indeed we do."

"I know what's next, then," Cameron said, and made and obscene gesture with the finger in his mouth. Teal'c's lips moved lower…

* * *

In the morning, Cameron walked out of the tent, stark naked. He stretched, and then winced. His body felt far worse than it had after the fight, and the stench was terrible. He looked around for water, but there was only the well. The Jaffa probably wouldn't appreciate him using their drinking water for his Oil of Olay. He turned back to the tent, and Teal'c was emerging, wearing a robe.

"What now?" Cameron asked.

"I believe in three days you telephone me and invite me to a meal," Teal'c said.

Cameron laughed. "Until then?" He asked.

"The fighting, feasting, and--

"Fucking," Cameron supplied.

"--will continue for two more days."

"Convenient how that works," Cameron said.

Teal'c bowed his head.

"Well, all right." Cameron walked up to Teal'c and kissed him. Teal'c kissed him back, parting his robe to bring Cameron into the silk. The morning chill touched his bare feet and his cheeks, but Teal'c had the rest of him, and from far off the sounds of drums were starting up again.

When Teal'c finally released him, Cameron grinned and said, "It's going to be a fine day."

END