Title: In Admiration - Part 31

Fandom: Lost

Characters: Jack Shephard, Boone Carlyle

Prompt: #28 Touch

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

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When Boone woke up the next morning, he didn't feel surprised that Jack wasn't there, but he was still a little disappointed. He hoped Jack had woken up on his own instead of being woken by something or someone - Jack did enough for them and sometimes it seemed like Boone was the only one that recognized it. Boone sat up, smiling when he saw the large banana leaf sitting near his and Jack's bags. It was wrapped like a burrito and inside was several pieces of sliced fruit, mostly mango and papaya. Boone got dressed as he ate, finding that his clothes had ended up in a neat, folded pile in the back of the cave.

He spotted Jack sitting with Claire on the plane chair that had become a cot near all the medical supplies. Her hands were on her pregnant belly, and she looked worried, but from where Boone watched, leaning against the mouth of the cave, whatever Jack was telling her was putting her mind at ease. Claire carefully eased herself off the cot, thanked Jack with a small smile, and started off in the direction of the beach.

"It's nearly noon - I thought you were never going to wake up."

"Oops." Boone gave a sheepish smile. "And I was just about to nag you for leaving."

Jack wiped his hands on the legs of his jeans. "I brought you breakfast and fended off Locke. That should count for something."

"You fended off Locke?" Boone didn't know whether he was supposed to feel amused or panicked. John didn't think too highly of irresponsibility, and Boone wasn't looking forward to the lecture he was probably going to receive, but on the plus side, it meant he could stay at camp all day with Jack.

"I told him you weren't feeling well. He gave me this look like he knew I was lying and said that he hoped you felt better soon." Jack got up off the cot and walked over to the mouth of the cave, mimicking Boone's posture as he leaned against the wall to face the other man. "So what would you want to do today?"

Boone's eyes locked with Jack's as he brought his arms up behind Jack's neck, tracing patterns there with the pads of his thumbs. Boone wanted Jack to kiss him, but with so many people around in the light of day, he wasn't comfortable with such a public display of affection, even if they did all know. Jack bowed his head down until it was right next to Boone's ear, and Boone could feel Jack's breath tickling the nape of his neck. "I want to touch you," he said, causing Boone to smile as a shiver ran down his spine. He felt Jack press a firm kiss to his temple before feeling him move away.

"I know where we can go," Jack said, looking as if the idea had just dawned on him. Boone didn't ask when Jack's hand grabbed his wrist, following wordlessly into the jungle. He didn't recognize the parts of the island they were walking through, but that didn't surprise Boone. For the last nearly twenty days, he went between the beach, the caves, and the hatch, without any further exploration of the island. For all Boone knew, there was a Sheraton resort on the other side of the island with a full-service bar and miles of buffet tables.

"How do you know no one's going to need you?" Boone asked, feeling suddenly selfish that he was hogging Jack for himself. If anyone got hurt or sick and needed Jack, he wouldn't be around, and then what would happen?

"I don't." Jack stopped walking, which Boone hadn't expected, tripping into Jack who had turned around to look at him. "Aren't you always telling me I need to relax more?"

"I'm just worried."

Jack put his hands on Boone's shoulders, massaging them gently. "Well don't be. I think I worry enough for the both of us."

This time they did kiss, Jack's arms wrapping themselves around Boone's body as he melted into the embrace. He felt stupid for saying anything, like he might have ruined the afternoon for opening his mouth, but Jack didn't seem upset. He seemed better, if anything, less tense, and a little less like the weight of the world was resting upon his shoulders.

"Come on," Jack said when their mouths broke apart. "We're almost there."

Boone heard the water before he saw it. They stepped out of the tree cover, revealing a calm river running through stepped ground, so every fifty feet or so the water dropped in a small waterfall. Further in the distance the river got shallower, revealing a rocky bottom, that dropped into a much larger waterfall, from the roaring sound Boone could hear.

"How'd you find this place?"

"Kate told me about it."

Boone arched an eyebrow, not believing Kate would be talking to Jack already after what Shannon had told him. "Really?"

"Well...a while ago. She and Sawyer were here; this is where they found the Halliburton." Jack was pulling off his shoes and socks as he spoke. "They were actually in the pool at the end of the big waterfall, but there are bodies from the crash down there."

"Isn't swimming with bodies a little gross?" Boone wasn't sure if he was up to swimming at all. The last time he did was when that woman had drowned and Jack had helped him instead of her. The water in this section of the river was fairly still, though, but he couldn't tell how deep it was.

"They're downstream so the water will be fine." Jack paused with his shirt halfway off. "We don't have to if you really don't want to. I just thought you might like it here."

"I do - it's great," Boone said quickly to alleviate Jack's doubt. "Besides, keep taking your clothes off and you won't find me saying no."

Jack laughed at that, studying Boone's own state of dress. "As long as you plan on joining me." Jack shed himself of the rest of his clothes and jumped in the water, treading in place to watch Boone. They were probably fifteen feet apart, but Boone could still feel the heat from his gaze.

Boone undressed hurriedly. He was already aroused and knew Jack was too, so Boone wasn't in the mood to tease. He entered the water, enjoying the coolness of it and the way the current rushed and swirled around his body. At its deepest part, Boone could stand and the water level was just at his mouth. The bottom was rocky, but the stones were smooth from the constant wear of the water. Boone let Jack pull them together, hands gripping Jack's waist as their mouths crashed together. Boone could feel Jack's erection pressed against his thigh, and Boone knew Jack could feel that he was just as turned on.

A moan escaped Boone's lips as Jack moved from kissing his mouth to down his neck and at the juncture of Boone's shoulder. He wrapped his legs around Jack's waist, giving a little thrust with his hips that drew a deep groan from Jack's mouth that Boone could feel against his skin. Between the water and Jack, Boone felt like he was being touched everywhere. The sensations were almost overwhelming, and when Jack took Boone in his hand, he felt like he was forever lost.