It hurts.
That part isn't surprising, though Daniel is kind of shocked by how uncomfortable he still is, given that Jack mainly just used his hand. The immediate, awful burn and sting are fading, being replaced by something more like an ache, but he knows from both long-buried and more recent experience that moving will reignite the initial discomfort.
What is surprising is how Daniel feels. He's exhausted, which he recognizes is more from the emotional roller coaster than anything else, but more than that, he feels...lighter. Despite everything they'd talked about and his determination to trust Jack, he'd been afraid that if push came to shove, he'd still fear and resent his friend and commanding officer for carrying out any further discipline. But he doesn't. As much as he doesn't want to admit it, he feels better, less guilty, than before for what had happened on this last mission.
This was nothing like what had happened to him as a kid. Well - it was unpleasant while it occurred, and he would be sore. But that was where the similarities ended. Jack had been fair, and patient, and calm. All things his foster father had never been. Now, Jack was offering him comfort, and he'd promised a clean start. Back then. Daniel would have been left alone to recover, and the issues were never really closed, just revisited over and over and over.
He didn't...want to get punished (spanked if he was going to let himself admit that Jack's word was far more appropriate to what had happened here), but he supposed that was rather the point. If it wasn't an effective deterrent, it wouldn't still be in practice. And he was still critical of the practice as a whole - while Jack was an honorable man, doing this in a just and fair way because he honestly believed it would help make things better and safer, Daniel had to wonder how many officers in positions of power still abused the rights the military gave them. Jack would have trouble even fathoming such a thing, but that was because he would never engage in that sort of conduct. Not everyone was like that. Quietly, he resolved to continue keeping his careful watch on the officers around the Stargate program. He had a better idea now that the General and Jack maybe already did, but another set of eyes wouldn't hurt.
Beneath him, Jack shifts suddenly, startling him out of his thoughts. The steady hand that has been rubbing up and down Daniel's back falters momentarily as the older man lifts Daniel and shifts him about three inches to one side. "Sorry," he says as he's setting Daniel back down, "cramp."
"Oh - I can, um," Daniel starts to push away, to put some space between them, but Jack's hand on his back is a firm pressure.
"Only if you're ready," he says. "I just needed to shift, we're fine."
"I'm okay," Daniel hurriedly ducks out from under the comforting hand and sits up, suddenly embarrassed to be taking up so much of Jack's time and space, and immediately has regrets. He can't contain the hiss when his butt hits the couch, reigniting the fierce burn, and tears spring to his eyes. He ducks his head, hiding the tears, and struggles for his composure.
"Easy," Jack's reaching out, turning him sideways to sit mostly propped up on his hip, and his hand only leaves Daniel's arm when he's steady again. Jack then pulls back and gets off the couch, lazily stretching his whole body in a way that makes several joints pop audibly. "You hungry?" he asks, hesitantly, "I was thinking burgers."
"Sure, burgers sound great," he squeaks out, and when Jack walks into the kitchen, he drags himself to his feet, carefully pulls up the sweats he's half kicked off, and ducks down the hall into the bathroom, where he stares at himself in the mirror. His face feels stiff and sticky, but surprisingly, he doesn't look as bad as he thought. You can probably tell he's been crying, but it's not like a flashing red light overhead blaring 'got spanked!'. Which is...reassuring, if disconcerting. He takes a washcloth and runs it under cool water, wiping his face down and pressing it to his eyes, which helps even more. And then curiosity wins - he slides his pants and underwear down and turns, presenting his butt to the mirror and craning to look over his shoulder.
His rump is a hot, solid red in its entirety, all the way down to about two spans of Jack's hands down his thighs. A couple of places are splotches a darker red than others - but no standout marks, no bruises. Not even where the hairbrush had landed. He does not doubt that the rest of his evening is going to be unpleasant - especially if Jack is the kind of disciplinarian who will expect him to sit through dinner - but by this time tomorrow, he's going to guess there won't be any visible evidence at all. Because all in all, Jack was...he searches for the right word as he carefully pulls his pants back into place and leaves the bathroom, and finally settles on gentle. Despite everything, Jack was gentle.
When he comes into the kitchen, where Jack is just finishing prepping stuff to go on the grill, the man in question puts down everything he's working on to meet Daniel halfway, reaching out to take a gentle hold of Daniel's face, turning it so that he has no choice but to meet Jack's searching look full on.
"Really, I'm okay," Daniel reassures him, seeing the worry and the vulnerability. Yeah, Jack had decided that this was the best course of action because this is what he knows works, this is his normal and his culture, but he's not just a military machine. There was the possibility that this was the outlier, the situation where his normal wasn't going to work, and he was worried about Daniel. He feels a swell of affection for this man, so fundamentally good despite his flaws. "I mean, it sucks. I hated it. But mentally, I'm good. It...wasn't the same as...I'm okay. Better, even."
Jack doesn't look quite convinced, eyes staring intently into Daniel's, hand keeping him from looking away. He searches for the right words, and adds, "It was effective - I'm going to do my best not to land here again. I'm sorry, and going to be feeling sorry for myself until I'm not sore anymore, but I don't feel guilty anymore. If," he winces and corrects himself with a sigh, "when I land myself in trouble again, I know what is going to happen and I'm okay with it. I'm not going to promise a good attitude about it, but...we're okay."
"Alright." Jack's sharp gaze finally softens, and he leans forward to press a quick, feather-light kiss to Daniel's forehead that leaves him momentarily stunned into silence as Jack gathers up the food and heads for the back door. "Grab us some beers, would you?" he calls back over his shoulder as he vanishes.
Daniel does, but he has to take several deep breaths first because...there is no way that Jack meant anything by that. It was...brotherly, that's all, because they've had a hard day and Jack has always been kind of a touchy-feely guy, even if he tries hard to hide it, and Daniel is an easy outlet for that especially when he's feeling vulnerable. Because there's no way that he might like Daniel in any other way. That'd be crazy. Jack's career military. So, he's straight. And even if he wasn't, they're teammates. No, fraternal affection is the logical and only answer. Daniel grabs two beers and heads out to the grill.
