LOTF oneshots

Two

CONTEXT: Story takes place early on during the boys' time on the island, sometime before they separated into two different camps. Another Jalph chap cause well, if you know me you know.

Content warning: moderately graphic sexual depictions

Jack Merridew was already growing sick and tired of being awoken in the night for his turn on fire watch. It seemed to be that as soon as he'd get comfortable and finally drift off, what felt like a mere minute or two would pass before he was shaken awake to make that trip up the hill.

The thing about the late night fire watch was that it got rather cold shortly after the sun set. Sleeping in the shelters back down in the camp was much more peaceful than being stuck up at the top of the hill; the bitter wind nipping at Jack's exposed, thin skin.

Jack usually climbed into his shelter before sundown. This was mostly because he was starting to work towards training his body to sleep earlier so he could wake up earlier. The purpose of doing so was for the pig hunts he was planning to make part of his newfound, island routine. The best time to set out for a good pig hunt was just before dawn, Jack concluded, in hopes of catching the animals just before they awoke.

Much to the former choir leader's dismay, Jack was awoken shortly after he'd fallen asleep to take the next hour of fire watch. He unwillingly peeled his blue eyes open to catch a blurry glimpse of the boy who was hovering over him in the semi-darkness of the shelter. It was one of the twins; which one, Jack never cared enough to figure out.

"You're taking over for us on watch now" the twin whispered forcefully in a conflicting effort to stay quiet and to be heard at once.

"Shit, alright" Jack replied in a hushed, groggy tone as he rubbed at his temples on both sides of his face.

Jack crawled out of the hut just after the twin. He stood to his feet as he took in the sun that was borderline close to setting behind the water, leaving behind a semi-dark sky of beautiful, fading colors.

He then located Ralph sitting on a seat of rocks and dirt several feet ahead. Jack tiredly approached the boy, realizing Sam or Eric hadn't told him who else he was heading up the hill with.

"Hey" Jack said with a sigh as Ralph lifted his head to watch the blond boy take the last few steps towards him. "Who else is goin' up?"

"Me" Ralph said as he slipped off the rock, bringing himself to his feet.

"Oh good, I wasn't about to promise that I wouldn't kill one of those second grade rats after the last one I was on watch with spent the whole hour crying about the stuffed animal he lost during the plane crash" Jack shuddered at the dreaded memory.

"He might've not cried the whole time if you hadn't told him that his teddy drowned when it's lungs of stuffing filled with water" Ralph flatly pointed out.

"It's not my fault he was stupid enough to believe me" Jack retorted with a halfhearted chuckle as the two began the walk down the beachfront.

Ralph simply rolled his eyes in response. Though, it may have been dark enough outside that Jack might not have been able to see it.

The two boys settled once they got to the top of the hill. Ralph threw a fresh log on the faint fire Sam and Tony had left behind between rotations. Ralph sat down a couple feet away from Jack as the older boy kept his gaze on the fire that was slowly but surely beginning to burn a little brighter now.

"How many planes or helicopters do you really think could be flying over the ocean at this hour?" Jack broke the silence to ask.

"What hour do you think it is?" Ralph questioned.