Disclaimer: None of this belongs to me. No matter how much I wish I could take over Lost and bring Boone and Shannon back for some hot faux incestual ghost sex, I can't.
Notes: This was written for the wonderful fadingspark on Livejournal as a Christmas present. Boone is 18 years old, Shannon is 16. Adam is still alive. All is well.
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"Have yourseeeeeeeeelf a Merryyyyyy little Christmaaaaas!"
Shannon's hands flew away from where she'd been decorating the Christmas tree to cover her ears, her eyes narrowing with disapproval as they followed her somewhat drunken father who was dancing and singing around the living-room.
"Wow, he's really not caring that those high notes could break glass," Boone commented from next to her. He grinned when he noticed her expression and draped a piece of tinsel over her head. "Stop being such a brat, don't you know it's tradition for parents to embarrass their children? Watch, in half an hour he'll be covered in wrapping paper and trying to do ballet."
She scowled and took her hands away, brushing off the tinsel. "Shut up. How would you like it if Sabrina came downstairs and started singing?"
"Considering it's," he looked at his watch, "two in the afternoon, I'd say she's currently so drunk that she'll probably fall down the stairs. So I'd love it."
"Aaaaall I want for Christmaaaaaas is youuuuuuuuu!" Adam grinned drunkenly, pointing at Shannon while using a bottle as a microphone.
Boone laughed. "That's seriously disturbing."
"You're telling me!" Shannon all but stomped over to her father, carefully prising away his beer bottle and ignoring his pout. "Daddy, that's enough. What would Sabrina say if you were like this at her party tonight?"
"Who cares? Sabrina's the Grinch!"
"Amen," supplied Boone from over by the tree, earning a glare from Shannon. "What? It's true."
"Ignore Boone, daddy." She took hold of Adam's arm, trying to lead him to the kitchen. "Let's just get you some coffee to sober yourself up, hmm?"
Adam thought about it for a second, swaying gently in the non-existent breeze, and both teenagers watched him try to come to a decision. Eventually Shannon gave up waiting for an answer and tried to drag him away, freezing when a familiar voice floated down the stairs.
"Adam! Goddamnit, Adam, get the hell up here!"
Boone looked away at the sound of Sabrina in all her angry and drunken glory and Shannon bit her lip, keeping a hold of her dad but wishing she could make Boone feel better.
"Princess, I gotta go upstairs," Adam said slowly, the slur in his voice starting to fade, as if just the mere thought of facing Sabrina had started to sober him up.
"Okay," she said quietly, letting go of him. "Will you be okay to go up the stairs by yourself?"
He smiled at her. "Such a sweetheart, Shan."
Without another word he walked away from them with a slight stagger in his step, giggling softly at nothing particular.
The two teens watched Adam walk up the stairs, both glad they weren't in his position, and shared a look when he got to the top and there was the sound of a door opening and a faint drunken ramble.
"Wanna watch a movie and drown out the dysfunction?"
Shannon nodded a little, gently touching his arm. "You okay?"
She knew how much he hated his mother; all she'd ever done was drink her martinis and play around with her business and use him to show what a good and caring mother she was. Shannon secretly suspected that Sabrina didn't even care a bit about Boone.
"I'm fine. Let's just go get a movie." He picked up his mug of eggnog from the side and walked over to the couch. "You can pick."
"Okay, now I know you're not fine, 'cause you never let me pick. Ever. And when I do pick, you just get all grouchy." Shannon put her hand on her hips as she spoke, giving him her best 'I know you, Boone' look.
He smiled, shaking his head a little and sitting down. "Shan, I'm really okay. It's Christmas! Now pick a movie and sit your ass down."
"Clueless!" She said it with no hesitation; it was her favourite movie and therefore her top choice for moments like this.
Boone made a face. "You wanna watch Clueless?! Come on, Shan, they don't even mention Christmas once!"
"You said I could choose," she reminded him, selecting the video case off the shelf. "And I chose this. Just because it isn't some stupid black and white intellectual film with subtitles doesn't mean it isn't awesome."
"Awesome to people who don't have a brain, sure."
She sighed and slid the videotape into the player, grabbing the remote and sitting heavily next to him. "If I drink some of your puketastic eggnog will you watch it with me?"
Wordlessly he handed it over and she cradled the mug in her hands, looking down into the thick, off yellow substance that filled it. She tried to visualise each individual ingredient to remind herself why it would taste so great; the alcohol sprang to mind first.
"If you don't want to drink it, you don't have to." Boone reached out to gently pry the mug away but she kept hold of it. "Shan, don't be stubborn. I'll still watch your movie."
Shannon ignored him and raised the mug to her lips, tilting her head back and taking a long swig. It was even more disgusting than she remembered but she persevered and finished off the entire thing before handing the mug back.
"We're watching Clueless," she managed to get out, the urge to vomit rising in the back of her throat then subsiding as his lopsided smile surfaced.
"You are one brave little toaster."
"Call me that again and you're never having children."
"Any excuse to get near my crotch, huh?"
"In your dreams!"
"You've never been in my dreams. You're too much of a freak."
She hit him and he laughed but didn't say anything else. For most of the movie they sat in a comfortable silence with each other, Boone secretly enjoying the sugar sweet teen comedy and Shan secretly wishing she hadn't denied her dad's offer for Christmas booze. Not for herself, of course. Alcoholics were so passé, and it tasted disgusting, but a drunk Boone was a sight to see and she liked the way he was always extra attentive to her, like she was all he could see in his drunken haze.
Three quarters of the movie were gone by the time either of them spoke. Boone held out his hand and she stared at it for a moment before fixing him with a glare.
"I'm not psychic, moron. Why's your hand out?"
He sighed. "Just hand me your water, would you? Someone drank all of my eggnog."
Shannon grabbed her festive reindeer mug and handed it to him, watching him as he drank it. She knew she probably looked some kind of weirdo stalker considering she was actually staring while her step-brother drank water, but she kinda liked how blue his eyes were. And the cheekbones. Oh and those lips.
No wonder every girl in school kept asking her if he was single.
"Why are you staring at me, freak?"
She snapped out of her thoughts and realised he was staring back. "I was just wondering if you could be classed as a Monet considering you look ugly from far away too."
"Cute, Shan." He put her mug down and leaned over to take the remote. "No more happy Christmas film for you."
"You can't stop the movie just 'cause I called you ugly!"
She grabbed the remote before he could reach it and held it out above her head. For a moment Boone did nothing, or at least it looked like it when actually he was trying not to look at her slightly exposed tummy where her shirt had ridden up, and then he pounced.
He grabbed her sides and she squealed as he tickled her, knowing all her most ticklish spots from years of experience. She desperately tried to keep the remote in the air but failed, letting it drop onto the floor as she tickled him back. There was a slight crack as the batteries departed from the remote but neither noticed; they were both so focused in their tickle battle all they could see and hear was each other.
Shannon laughed hysterically and tried to smack away his hands. "Boone! Boone, stop!
"Promise me I never have to watch Clueless with you again," he demanded, sliding his fingertips higher and making her giggle. "Promise!"
"Never!"
He tickled her more and she managed to successfully push his hands away, making him lose his balance a little and grab the arm of the couch behind her. His face hovered above hers and she felt her heart pound in her chest at the sight of his baby blues up close. It was startling how clear they were; the colour was brighter than she remembered it ever being.
Slowly, almost painfully so, she leaned up and captured his lips with hers. He tensed at first but began to relax when she cupped his cheek, soothing him with her touch.
The kiss ended as slowly as it began. Neither of them had wanted it to end but as soon as they were parted, Boone started to feel the first pangs of guilt at kissing his step-sister.
She gazed up at him, her green eyes brighter than usual, and a small smile played on her lips. "Merry Christmas, Boone."
"Merry Christmas, Shan." Boone slowly sat up, awkwardly trying not to invade her personal space, and went back to watching the movie as if nothing had happened. If Adam found out he would be neutered. If Sabrina found out then Shan would be shipped to boarding school faster than he could say "Cold hearted bitch".
Shannon lifted his arm and placed it round her so she could snuggle into his warmth, her head and palm resting on his chest as they quietly watched the movie together. On screen, Cher realised she was in love with her step-brother and Boone was suddenly acutely aware of why this was her favourite movie.
He pressed a kiss to her hair and she shifted closer; understanding of his small gesture. They'd never needed words with each other, there'd always been a connection between them, but now Boone thought he knew what that connection was.
It was love.
END.