Title: In Admiration - Part 16

Fandom: Lost

Characters: Jack Shephard, Boone Carlyle

Prompt: #96 Confrontation (Writer's Choice)

Author's Notes: Written for the LiveJournal community slash100 (underscore between "slash" and "100" – for some reason FFN deletes it)

…………

Jack was having a hard time keeping his breathing steady. Boone's face was mere inches from his own, and all Jack could think of was getting lost in the younger man's impossibly blue eyes. Jack began to wonder when he had fallen asleep. There was no way this meeting was real. No one's eyes could be that blue. He became vaguely aware of Boone speaking, moving his eyes down to Boone's mouth to concentrate on the words being formed. Jack wondered how Boone's voice would sound throaty and filled with desire.

"So I hear you've been talking to my sister."

That statement confused Jack. "Oh yeah?" he replied, not entirely sure why Boone would bring up if he'd been talking to Shannon.

Jack watched as Boone's eyes went from focusing on something behind him to Jack's own gaze. "You don't need to act shy, Jack. I know you told Shannon you like me." Boone's expression almost looked expectant as his eyes never wavered.

"I..." Jack tried to put together a sentence, but he couldn't even figure out where to start. He felt like his stomach was doing somersaults, and Jack couldn't remember being this nervous since he'd been a resident. "I haven't talked to Shannon, Boone." Part of Jack began to hurt at the look of betrayal that overcame the younger man's face. "Boone..."

But he was slowly stepping away from Jack, slowly shaking his head, eyes wide. "Why would she...?"

"Boone..." Jack tried again, but he wasn't paying attention.

"This is low, even for her," Boone said, voice sounding nearly hysterical, his hand half-covering his face and eyes looking anywhere and everywhere except at Jack. When Boone's gaze finally did land on Jack's, the evident pain on his face brought tears to Jack's eyes. "I should get to the beach," Boone mumbled, looking down to the ground as he started moving to pass Jack.

Jack turned quickly, spinning around and grabbing Boone's arm in the same movement, feeling the flexing of muscle playing under his fingers as Boone struggled to get away. Jack held onto him until he stopped fighting, giving in. "You need to let me finish," Jack began, trying very hard to keep his voice even, but the effort was fruitless since he was holding Boone and knew his hands were shaking. "I never said she was wrong."

Jack had no idea which one of them initiated the kiss, but quite honestly, he didn't care. Boone was a slightly smaller man, but he clung to Jack with as much strength as Jack clung to him. He relaxed his grip on Boone's arms, feeling hands moving across his shoulders to hold the back of Jack's head. Jack moved his hands down to Boone's waist, tracing lines with the pads of his thumbs over the other man's taut stomach.

When Jack did break the kiss, it was very reluctantly. Although their mouths were separated, Jack couldn't bear to break contact completely, leaving his hands where they were and leaning in slightly to press his forehead against Boone's. "I'm waiting to wake up," Jack whispered, unable to keep the grin from spreading across his face.

Jack smiled when Boone chuckled in response. "Why? You been dreaming about me?"

"Yes," Jack replied simply, and Boone looked surprised by his candor.

Boone leaned his head against Jack's shoulder, teasing the nape of Jack's neck with his fingers. "Well if you're dreaming, don't wake up because I've been wanting this for a while, and that would just be selfish of you." Jack felt Boone sigh against his chest. "So what happens now?"

"I drag you back to my cave and have my wicked way with you." Boone looked up, quirking an eyebrow. "I was joking."

"Too bad," came Boone's response.

Jack chuckled at Boone's disappointment. "I don't want things to be like that with you."

"Well, this can't be a dream, then, because, at least in my dreams, we'd be naked by now." Boone leaned back, holding himself an arm's length from Jack. "Seriously, though, I'd like to know what I'm getting into."

Jack wasn't entirely sure what Boone was trying to get at. "Well...I like you, and you like me, so we can play it by ear and see what happens." From the way Boone was biting his bottom lip, Jack got the idea that wasn't what he'd been expecting. "I'm not sure I'm following you."

"I guess I'm not sure how island dating is supposed to work. I mean...are you looking into something serious or just casual sex? I can work with either, but if you want the latter, it'd be helpful to know if you wanna keep this a secret or not."

Jack couldn't believe how casually Boone was talking about an idea such as that. "Have you done that before?"

Boone shrugged. "Sometimes guys have issues coping... Sleep with women as well. Sometimes people just can't let go of the fact that they can't consider themselves as 'straight' anymore. It's usually just about sex."

Jack moved his hands up so they were holding onto either side of Boone's face. "I think you're a really special guy, Boone, and anything we have here...sex is a bonus. I want to know you. I want to be with you." Jack was happy when Boone smiled at what he said. He'd hate to think Boone was so jaded about relationships. "And about whether we tell the others or not...they can find out when we want to tell them." Jack traced Boone's face with his thumb, studying his expression. "Anything else?"

"Yeah," Boone replied, tangling his fingers in the front of Jack's shirt and pulling him forward so they were kissing again. Jack sighed into it, relishing in the way Boone felt and tasted. He felt like an eager teenager again, unable to satiate desire for Boone, but he didn't want to get wrapped up in too much, too fast. He had been serious about wanting to know Boone. They were all getting a second chance on this island, and Jack's life before the crash had been filled with trying to hide from the world how he really was and what he really wanted.

Jack felt Boone swaying slightly, so he grabbed at his shoulders to steady him. Boone broke the kiss, looking sheepish. "Sorry," he apologized. "I'm more tired than I thought."

Jack nodded, understanding. "It's late. I should probably get back to the caves."

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Definitely."

When Jack got back to the caves, he was grateful for the darkness, because anyone nearby might have seen him grinning like an idiot and wonder if he'd finally lost it.