WARNING: JALPH (Jack X Ralph) AHEAD. No smut included. Gosh, how they argue like an old married couple... Sorry to be stereotypical. Sparring dialogues ahead and I hope you won't get confused.

CHAPTER NINE

"Don't point at my arm. I can still hold a spear! So, tell me Jack, why mustn't I go hunt along with you?"

The poorly illuminated cave echoed Ralph's desperation. Jack didn't fail to not hear it. They were standing, inches apart with a limited personal air for themselves.

"Because," he sighed and then gave him a teasing smile. "I'm Chief."

"We always have to have this fight, don't we now?"

"Ralph, that's basically the reason why the world goes round. Because I AM Chief."

"Jack, we can, you know, compromise. I really want to hunt. I won't slow down. I'll try to run fast. I'll keep my hand steady with a spear. I'll be careful. I—"

"I. Am. Still. Chief."

"Is this why you saved me? Just to drive me madly desperate? You just wanted me to torture. Ah! Now I see it! You want my death by your own hands!"

"Must we go back to that day I saved you again? Why won't you ever quit that topic?" Jack's voice rose in a pitch of annoyance.

"Because you saved me when you hate me!" His shoulders were heaving up and down. "I would definitely wonder why and now... I see it. I wish I was dead now."

"It's not that." He quietly breathed out. "I kept you because—"

"Because you wanted me for your own pleasures!"

He jolted and his freckles slowly disappeared due to his reddening face. Finally, he spat, "You said I won."

"What do you mean?"

"Before I saved you, you said that I won. That means, you're giving up and joining my tribe. What else could it mean? So, I treated you well. I don't want you to hunt along because... I care."

"Oh, really now? You're Chief and you—"

"I'm Chief and I'm supposed to care. Aren't I?"

The silence settled and only their ragged breaths were heard.

"That's why you kept me safe? Because you care?" The fair-haired boy huffed out a breath of confusion. "You think I'm buying that joke, right?"

"I won. You said that. Now I'd like to prove that I'm a good chief and yes, I care."

"This is still all about you being king of the world! It's always about you! You! YOU!"

"Oh, Ralph," He sighed. "You taught me how to care." His next words burst out of his mouth. "You showed me to be kind and nice! You made me care! You formed me! You brought me to be good, even better! You! It's always because of you! You! YOU!"

Both of them turned around from each other, looking away.

So, it's my fault, they both think.

The first to make a move was Jack, scurrying out of the cave. Ralph simply followed him. The redhead turned around and smiled before sprinting outside. But, he was halted by a hard pull from the other boy. Jack now faced him with a wide smile.

Ralph, irritated by the last smile, tried to slap him. His hand was caught in mid-air and his lips were suddenly claimed by a touch of desire. Jack tasted those lips he only dreamt to feel. They were surprisingly responsive against his lips. Their eyelids slightly dropped, suddenly losing themselves into the abrupt kiss. Jack inched closer and penetrated Ralph's mouth to open and let his tongue inside. Now he dominated a dance with the other tongue.

"So you really do care?" Ralph pulled away to ask. The other boy pulled him again for another deep kiss.

"It's more than care." He said in between kisses.

After a minute or so, they both heard it.

Stumbling feet and rocks moving beneath each step. Cloth brushed at the sides. A pant. The creature was panting worse than a dog. It was coming closer to the cave's entrance. But their lips had the trouble of feeling the absence and still continued lapping and licking. Wood clinked and collided. Skin was scratched, but the flesh dragged himself til he pulled up to the top.

By the time a dark figure was at the open mouth, Ralph was on the ground with eyes closed and Jack was stroking his cheek.

"Chief, are you coming?"

A pair of dark eyes on a tanned round face materialised into a boy. Jack knew the familiar face.

"Go ahead, Maurice. I'll be coming later."

"Roger told me to not leave without you."

Jack let out a frustrated sigh and went up to the other boy who gave him a spear. "That Roger!" He puffed out. "Sometimes, I think he's doing something behind my back. Oh, I sound... do you understand me?"

"I'm pretty sure that was in English so, yes, Chief." The cave boomed his laughter that had a tone of nervousness. Apparently, Jack didn't recognise it. "Roger is slightly secretive." And he gulped down a ball of lie to dry his throat.

"Oh, come on."

The two hunters left without letting Ralph get started.

"Roger is hiding a secret." He whispered to the wind who didn't even tell to the trees. The cave was the only witness—it knew the secret, too.