(Jack, Joe - 10/16)

[echolls_cursed]

So, okay, he hadn't gone to see the dinosaurs, but he had gone up to the mountain. It hadn't been a long trip or a long stay. Gone on Tuesday, back by Thursday morning. Nothing monumental or exciting had happened, and whatever it was he'd been hoping to find out there hadn't been found.

Still, Linus had enjoyed the trip, and a few days away from the world had helped clear his head a little.

The hut was starting to get a little untidy again, but he made no move to clean anything up, dumping his bag out on the table and tossing the dirty laundry in a pile in the corner before putting down the food he'd grabbed for Linus at the compound when he'd stopped off for a shower.

In fact, his hair was still damp, and when he heard someone head up the steps to his stilted hut he raked his fingers through it, causing it to stand on end as he glanced over to see who it was.

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[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack opened the door and stopped, looking at Logan. Normally he schooled his expression to a sort of cool indifference or a swagging smile. Now he simply looked relieved to see him. He'd hoped that something would click back into place when he saw Logan, but nothing was right. Something had slipped and fallen away and for days everything normal had felt off.

"Have fun?" he asked, his voice tight as he forced himself to breathe. In and out, repeat until forever. "Glad I don't have to go find you and bring you back."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan noticed the look, but he didn't say anything about it, not right away. Jack would tell him what the deal was if he felt like it, Logan wasn't going to push.

"Didn't go," he admitted, moving to shove a few items onto the bookshelf before turning his attention back to Jack. "I went up to the mountain instead. Wasn't all that exciting or whatever. I was just... I dunno, whatever. Anyway, How are you?" he asked, nodding for Jack to come in and close the door, grabbing one of the mangoes he'd brought home and sitting down at the table.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I'm fine," he lied. "Great. Whatever. Just the mountain, huh?" He closed the door but didn't move into the room. His hands sunk deep into his pockets, unencumbered by the strap he'd started wearing again. It was gone, just like the reason he'd had for wearing it again in the first place.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan didn't believe Jack was anything close to fine, and judging by the look he'd gotten when the other man opened the door, he could take a guess as to why.

Someone was gone.

"Yeah, just the mountain. Joe thinks I should start writing songs now that I can play guitar alright, so I... sat down and started writing. It was nice," he shrugged, tossing the mango in the air gently and then catching it as he leaned back in his seat.

"Now, why don't you tell me who's gone? Or is this less of a social visit and more like a head count?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack didn't say anything for a minute. Or the next minute. He watched the way Logan sat and the mango as he tossed it, finally looking down at his feet as he leaned heavily against the door.

"John. Monday morning. In bed. Right...right out of my arms." Short words stated plainly, as if giving a report would help him keep the facts from eating at him.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan's glib indifference faded as Jack spoke, the mango abandoned on the table as he watched Jack and then glanced away. There was a feeling of sorrow lurking in his gut, though he wasn't mourning the loss of the man. Hell, Logan struggled to mourn people he knew and loved, there wasn't much chance of him mourning a stranger.

No, the sorrow he felt was for Jack, and he opened his mouth to apologize before shutting it tightly again.

'I'm sorry', never brought anyone back.

Instead he got to his feet, slowly making his way over to Jack, and resting his hand lightly on the other man's arm.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

It took a moment to compose himself, something made harder by the gentle contact. "I've kept track, you know," he continued softly. "It's got to be some kind of cosmic fucking joke...he's the hundredth person I gave a shit about who has vanished."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

It was on the tip of Logan's tongue to suggest that maybe he just cared about too many people, but even Logan knew now wasn't the time to start spitting venom for no good reason. Jack was hurting, and though part of him still didn't understand why he cared, he did.

"It's just how this place is, you know? It hurts you however it can. It's like it looks for a weakness and just goes for it," he said quietly.

"Jack, I... I'm sorry," he said finally, letting the words out even though he knew they wouldn't help, simply because he was. He really was.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack nodded, pulling it all in and pushing it all down. He'd deal with it in his own time, a little at a time...or not at all. He was torn between grieving for yet another person who had left him behind and being grateful that he didn't have to worry about John unleashing on the island population.

"Thanks," he said, then swallowed hard. He turned his head and closed his eyes as he kissed Logan softly.

"Anyway," he continued, "it's not just a headcount. I sort of missed you."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Returning the kiss, Logan's hand slid lightly down Jack's arm before falling away. "Only sort of?" he asked lightly, going for playful but still sounding slightly concerned.

He let the topic of John drop for the time being though. If Jack wasn't ready to talk about it, Logan wouldn't drag it out of him.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Only sort of," he confirmed, but managed a smile that gave him away. He pushed off the door and took a step so he could pivot and face Logan. His hands moved of their own accord, finding the solid warmth of his waist and Jack held on more tightly than he'd intended.

"You fell asleep before I could tell you to watch your ass out there."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well, I was pretty tired, man. Can't imagine why," He smirked, his own hand moving to rest on Jack's shoulder before slipping up to cup the back of his neck gently. "You should be proud, it takes a lot to wear me out."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"That almost sounds like another challenge," he replied, leaning in to kiss him again. He wasn't particularly interested in sex but it felt good to touch and be touched. To just be close with someone who wasn't off limits and wasn't hurt by John's absence almost as much as Jack.

Logan wasn't his first choice of people to go to, hadn't been his second choice either. But holding onto him and feeling the line of his body so close, Jack thought he might just be the best choice.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Not a challenge, not today," Logan replied between kisses, his fingers combing through the hair at the back of Jack's neck. "I've been hiking all day, wouldn't take much to knock me out tonight."

He kissed Jack again, softer this time, and gently tugged him further into the room. "Don't take this the wrong way, but... you look like crap. I was going to put my pajamas on, lay down for a while. You should join me. I'll even lend you something to wear if you want," he offered.

Logan was hardly the cuddly sort, and yet there he was, offering to share his bed for something as innocent as simply laying there in peace together. It was unusual. Enough so that even he looked a little surprised when he said it.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I never wear anything to bed," Jack replied, following along willingly. "Sleep might not be a bad idea. I've been running a lot."

Once he'd crossed the threshold of Logan's bedroom, he pulled off his shirt. He'd never bothered to go to the clinic after Logan and then after John, and when he got up Monday morning it had been the last thing on his mind. All it meant for him was that he still had bruised ribs and vicious scratches across his back. The scratches continued to his ass when he pulled his jeans off and his knees were both bruised and scraped. It really wasn't much worse than any other fight he'd ever been in, and considering the majority of the damage was from John, he'd gotten off lightly. He'd even had a few days to heal up on his own.

"If you want me to wear something, though, I will."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan had turned away to undress, tossing his shirt aside and shedding his old ripped jeans and replacing them with a pair of simple gray pajama bottoms as he spoke and slowly turned to face the other man again.

"You don't have to wear anything, I just-"

He stopped as he took in all the bruises and marks, a sight he was becoming far too accustomed to when it came to Jack.

"Jesus," he said softly, his eyes wandering over every mark before finally flicking up to meet Jack's. "I mean, no, you can wear as little as you want," he finished awkwardly.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Looks bad, huh?" he asked, looking down and brushing his fingers across one of the darker bruises. "It's not. And, you know, once they're gone I don't think I'll have to worry about looking like this on a daily basis anymore if I don't get to the clinic to use the nanos to keep it all...secret."

He idly scratched his chest, then throat, then moved to the bed. He hadn't lied when he told Logan that he liked his bed. At the moment it was the most inviting bed on the island.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan nearly asked if he'd miss it, but that sounded strange, even in his head. So instead he simply nodded, nearly reaching out to touch one but in the end simply sat down on the mattress. He sat like that for a long moment, his feet dangling over the side, but eventually he lay down, stretching out and rolling onto his side to face Jack.

"Sometimes you really make my head hurt, you know that?" he asked softly.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

After not seeing Logan for a couple of days, Joe had gone looking for him. He hadn't been in his hut, his dog hadn't been anywhere, he hadn't been found in the Compound or on the beach or any of the places Joe would normally find Logan, but at the same time, he didn't feel like Logan was gone. Maybe it was just denial, but Joe was sure that he'd know when Logan disappeared for real.

When he went to check Logan's hut that morning, he didn't expect to find anything new and he was sure his surprise was clear on his face when he actually found Logan there. "Nice of you to come back," he muttered, his arms crossing over his chest.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Offering Joe an apologetic look, Logan shrugged his shoulders slightly as he moved to put a few items back on the bookshelf the other man had built for him.

It wasn't as if he'd intended to worry Joe or anything, Logan simply hadn't thought to pause and tell the other man where he was heading before he left. When Tuesday morning had rolled around, he'd simply shoved his things into a bag and gone, never pausing to think twice about what he might need to do other than pack.

Hell, he hadn't even bothered telling Jack about his change of plans, and he'd been the only one with any idea where he was going.

"Well, you know what they say, no place like home, right?" he said lightly, offering a shrug and nodding for Joe to come in and close the door.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

For his part, Joe wasn't sure he wanted to come inside yet, so he remained where he was, his arms still crossed. "Next time you decide to take off, you let me know," he said finally, his voice still low and more hurt this time than irritated. "Spent all my goddamn time looking for you because I didn't wanna believe that you'd really disappeared."

And considering Logan had just lost someone, considering Eostre had just disappeared, too, Joe hoped he understood just how fucking terrifying that was.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan did understand, he honestly did, but he had never paused to consider anyone might actually think he'd vanished. Hell, he hadn't even thought anyone would notice he was gone at all.

"I took Linus," he offered lamely. "I figured anyone who cared enough to look would notice that and just figure I was out. I wasn't, you know, trying to screw with you or whatever. Honest, man, I'm sorry, okay?"

And he was. Joe was one of the few people left on the island that Logan didn't go out of his way to piss off.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

For a moment longer, Joe stood in the doorway and glowered, looking as irritated and scared and put out as he'd felt for the past few days, but then his shoulders relaxed and he finally stepped inside, closing the door behind him. "I was just fucking worried, that's all," he grumbled, still not quite ready to smile or joke around, but he didn't look ready to bite Logan's head off anymore either. "So where'd you go?"

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Leaning against the shelf, Logan nodded a little. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, look, next time I get it in my head that I need to go away for a few days, I'll leave you a note."

He smiled a little when Joe finally came inside, relieved that it didn't look like he was about to get a lecture or have to charm Joe into forgiving him, and he pushed away from the bookcase as he wandered over.

"Just up the mountain, to that spot where we went camping that one time. I was going to go see the dinosaurs, but..." He trailed off and laughed a little, realizing that saying he'd been too sore to risk it probably wouldn't lead to any sort of conversation Joe would be comfortable having.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack laid on his back and curled an arm behind his head as he turned to look at Logan.

"You're not the first person to tell me that," he remarked.