Wrong: Chapter 4

Jack called a celebration that night with a feast, though none were to touch the giant reptile. That was reserved for the day of bonding. He lead the chanting music and blessed various boys with praise and future prosperity. None but him seemed to notice that Roger was not present for the celebration. While the boys ran into the night time waters for a breathless swim, Jack walked silently into the forest, in search of his lost mate.

"Roger, love, are you here," he called walking along the river's edge.

Scurrying animals, flowing waters, flapping wings, and hissing insects. But no Roger. Jack was afraid he had done as he said he would, that he had to go out there to find something he couldn't give him. He would have at least liked for him to have told him if he was going to be gone.

But the night was beautiful. The sky above was clear and the moon shone clearly on the water. Sometimes, Jack would like a bit of peace and quiet. That was a rare thing in his life. The children were always after him; wanting him to go hunting, wanting to call a feast, wanting to show him something. Most of them had reached their double digits, didn't they ever want to just have some time alone?

Walking lazily along the shore, he let fingers trail across the bark of a tree, then sat down on a large, cool rock, back resting against the tree. He let his eyes drift shut serenely.

"Why aren't you with the others," Roger's voice was deep and hoarse in his ears.

"I was looking for you."

"You don't have to worry about me."

"I wasn't worried, I just wanted to be with you." He squinted into the dark but could not see Roger, he must have been hidden somewhere in the trees.

Then something dropped on him and he cried out in pain. Roger had just dropped onto him from the branches above, landing right in his lap. He didn't even apologize before he went in for a kiss, hands cradling his smooth face. Jack could feel the slightest bit of stubble against his own cheeks and noted that Roger hadn't shaved in a few days. Alright, why the hell was he thinking about that when Roger's hands were snaking around his waist, pulling him closer. He wasn't wearing his cloth. He must have discarded it somewhere, as now Jack felt him against his stomach. He had the oddest feeling the boy was trying to fuck him with his tongue.

"Roger," he said breathlessly, pushing the boy away.

"Come with me."

"I am with you."

"Into the forest. Come and run with me in the forest."

"If that is what you need."

"Why the fuck does it always have to be something I 'need'? Can't I just want to do something with my mate? Does it have to have a purpose?"

"Roger, I, I didn't-"

"No, fuck it, I just wanted to let you experience what I do. But you don't understand."

"Love, you're frustrated," Jack reached out for him.

"No, stop it, I don't wanna be touched," Roger pushed him away roughly and climbed to his feet, "You don't understand."

"How do you expect me to understand when you leave for hours at a time and leave me alone with the tribe? I don't know what you're feeling because you never tell me. You just choke me or hit me or bite me and think I'm supposed to understand that."

"I just want freedom."

A shocked look crossed Jack's face.

"You, you're not feeling anxious. You're feeling regretful! You miss society!"

"I don't!"

"You do," he insisted.

"I don't miss the people. Jack, I want you to know that much. I could live forever with only you to accompany me and be entirely fulfilled. I just, I miss the spaces. I miss seeing new things, going different places. I miss a time where something wasn't just there."

"Sit back down here, next to me. I want to talk."

"I don't," he pulled away as Jack touched his hand and whipped around, shielding himself from Jack's eyes.

"Roger..."

"Leave me alone."

"I won't."

"Just do it, okay? You don't need me at your side, I'm no help."

"You've always been a help. Do you think I would have done away with Piggy and, and him, without you here? Do you think I would have had the guts to do it? Do you think I could have kept control these years, without you by my side? You scare the others Roger. I can't do that anymore, but you do. When they look at you, they just see this hunk of strength that could crush them with no remorse. That's why I love you so. I look at you and know you're so powerful and you're all mine. I don't really understand why you'd give yourself to me. I don't understand why you don't just take the power and kill me. I never have."

"Do you really have to ask that?"

"Yes."

"You're my savior."

"Your what?"

"My savior, my saint. I know I would probably already be dead or locked up back on the mainland. I had to pick a path. I would either make myself completely miserable trying to adjust to society. I tried that. Do you know before I went to school, I once spent an entire hour grinding a glass into pieces and swallowing the shards just to see what would happen? I know I wanted to die. Either way, I'd end up dead, my own hand or the state's. But you gave me another option. You let me live as I wish without punishment."

"Then I'm just a judge for you?"

"No, don't think that, don't ever think that. I love you, I do. You compliment me, you fit me. Sometimes, I just look at you and my chest tightens and I worry about what I would ever do if I lost you."

"You won't."

"How can you say that? I almost lost you today."

"Is that what is bothering you? The battle? I thought you wished to hunt."

"I did, I do.

"Please, come here."

"For the last time, no!" Roger took a deep breath then turned and ran, back into the darkness. Jack jumped to his feet and raced after him. Roger had the head start, but Jack was skinnier and quicker. He quickly caught up to him, racing beside him.

"Is this what you need," he shouted through the air, "To run away?"

"You need to learn the difference between need and desire!" Roger grabbed Jack's hand in his own, a tight grip. Jack allowed himself to be directed but refused to run behind his mate, even if it resulted in shoving two bodies in a one-person path, acquiring swipes on the shoulders and legs from the vegetation. They ran quicker into the blind darkness, wind whipping at their faces. The air felt both warm and dense yet cool on their skin. Jack gripped Roger's hand in return. A branch slapped across Jack's face and he felt the blood trailing down his forehead. He ran still faster.

Roger tripped over a log and stumbled but did not fall. Jack felt something entangle around his foot and cut the sensitive flesh on top. Roger, with a taller frame, smacked right into a solid overlying branch. The thud resounded.

They didn't slow down.

The forest cleared and they found themselves running along the sandy beech. Here, it was difficult to race so, in the deep, moving ground. They sprinted through the water, the salt stinging the recently acquired cuts and scrapes. As the camp's fire came into view, it occurred vaguely to Jack that another boy had once ran along the beech like this, alone and frightened. The hunters looked up and watched them race past, but did nothing to stop them. The twins looked towards each other, and shrugged.

The fire disappeared behind them. They were following the trail of blood from their quarry earlier that day. It wasn't visible, as the tide had washed most of it away, but every drop of blood was branded on the island.

Jack's ankle twisted in the unsteady ground and this time he fell. He tumbled forth, Roger's hand still grasped tightly in his own. Roger landed atop him. Jack reacted violently, kicking against him. Roger's hands clasped around Jack's throat, choking him. They rolled over, Jack's face turning red as he hit at Roger with closed fists. Roger pulled back and socked him across the face. The both leaned forward at the same time, head bumping audibly. They fell apart, lying on their back on the sand. Both breathed heavily.

"You understand."

"Yes, I understand," Jack coughed and rubbed at his throat.

They were both silent for a moment, thinking. They both realized something serious just happened, but neither were just quite sure what it was.

"Fuck, my head," Roger broke the silence.

"Ditto.

"Wanna head home?"

"Ugh, no. They're all probably out there chanting still."

"You're bleeding."

"So are you. Wanna fuck me?"

"Whoa, you're so sensual, how could I ever resist. Right here?"

"Why not, they're all at the celebration."

"You know it's a private thing for me."

"Hey, we're making up the ceremony, we should add a rule that we have to make love in front of them all."

"Jack!"

"Prude."

"We're creating it to symbolize that which is important."

"We're by the cave where we killed that reptile."

"Are we?"

"Look, right over there," Jack pointed towards the water.

"It is. Wanna go inside?"

"Why would we do that?"

"Well, I thought you wanted to, er, you know."

"I was just kidding, sex maniac."

"Tease."

"Ass fucker."

"Cocksucker."

"Is that supposed to be an insult?"

"I think so."

Jack rolled his eyes then stood up, wet sand sticking to his legs. He reached down to pull Roger up beside him.

"Feeling better?"

"A little.

"Eh, we were supposed to talk to the twins today. I forgot about that."

"We can do it tomorrow."

"Did you mean it, what you said about wanting to make love in the cave?"

"Why," Roger reached out for him, setting hands on thin little hips.

"Not now, I mean. It's too dark and wet in there, but I was thinking, we will need to escape the others for a few days, on a so-called honeymoon."

"Could you leave them alone that long?"

"I'm sure they would be alright. I'll tell the twins to look after them."

"We could spend all day sleeping and making love, and hunt and run during the night," Roger's voice sounded wistful.

"We could," Jack agreed.

"I like the idea. We'll have to move some of the skins to the cave though. And set up torches."

"Lovely idea. Now, I'm tired and my head feels like shit, so stay still and let me use you as a pillow."

"You always do," Roger curled an arm around Jack's tiny shoulders and placed a kiss on his forehead.

TBC