(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.

Comments

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Yeah?" Logan asked, looking unsure. "I wasn't really sure what I was doing when I started. I was just thinking about what you said before. About how I should try."

He shrugged a little and then looked down at the table as he raked his fingers through his hair and laughed nervously. "I dunno if I'd ever play them in front of other people though."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"No, it's good. You just... it doesn't matter how you do it, y'know? It just has to be honest, that's all that's important," Joe answered honestly, then closed the book and handed it back to Logan. "I mean, shit, if there was a method to it, anyone could write a song, right?"

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan nodded a little, taking the book back and holding it tightly, as if guarding his secrets. Not that he had anything to hide from Joe. Not really.

"Yeah, I guess so," Logan agreed quietly.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"No, it's good, man," Joe insisted as he finally took a seat, slouching down comfortably, his legs stretched out in front of him. "I know you're probably never gonna agree with that, but it's the truth," he said with a laugh, giving Logan another small grin.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well, thanks," Logan said, grateful for the praise, even if he wasn't sure he agreed with it. Though really, he hardly expected Joe to tell him it was crap or slap it down, that was part of the reason he'd let him read it.

He knew he could trust Joe not to say anything negative.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"So what's the story? You gotta head off alone to get the creative juices flowing?" Joe asked and although his voice was teasing a little bit, he was also a little serious. It was something he could understand, anyway. Shit sometimes got to be too much and he found himself overwhelmed with every day stuff and couldn't write.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"I just needed to not be here for a while. Needed some space from, well, me. Sometimes if I don't walk away, I can't see where I'm going. I dunno if I like where I'm going, I still don't, but... Walking away gave me a chance to get a good look at it all. Gave me time to think," he sighed.

"Thinking about all that, it sort of got me started."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Well, whatever works," Joe said honestly, nodding his agreement before he rubbed the dog's ears again. "Guess sometimes the shit here just gets to be too much. You doing okay otherwise?" He didn't know if there was a reason Logan had taken off, something he might have missed.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan knew enough to know that Joe wouldn't want to hear what had been going on with himself and Jack, and he nodded as he glanced away. "Yeah, I'm fine," he lied quietly.

"Anyway, how are you? Did I miss anything exciting?"

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Nah, nothing exciting ever happens 'round here," Joe answered with a laugh. "Been thinking about what I can do to fill my time, thought about the Council again, although I dunno if I'm gonna be any help if I run again. I dunno if I'm doing it just to fill my time or if I really got anything to say, you know?"

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"You were really good on the counsel, man," Logan replied. "Couldn't hurt. Sometimes you don't need an agenda to push, just, you know a chance to voice some common sense in case someone else is pushing an agenda people won't agree with."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, it's something to think about anyway. I'm not used to just sitting around and not doing nothing," Joe admitted, frowning faintly. "I mean, hell, even back home I had shit to do. Not always good shit, but that never really concerned me, y'know? And I can't exactly tour the fucking island, so it doesn't leave many options."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Maybe you just need a project or something. Something you want to build or do," Logan suggested with a shrug. "I was thinking about making Linus' pen a bit bigger. Maybe wrap it around the hut. You could help if you want."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, of course," Joe answered, giving Logan a nod. "You know I'd help you with anything you got going on, man." He didn't work with the building crew as much as he probably could, not because he didn't like it, but he'd never been good at organized manual labour. Or organized labour of any kind, really.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Thanks, man," Logan replied, picking up one of the mangoes he'd brought in earlier and tossing it lightly in the air.

"And, you know, if you need something to do, I still give surfing lessons. You know, those lessons you keep saying you'll take?" he teased.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Hey, fuck off," Joe laughed, looking faintly embarrassed, which was something he rarely looked. "You've gotten me out into the water a couple times now." And just a couple of times. It wasn't that Joe was worried he was going to drown or anything like that, but he kind of felt like a clumsy asshole whenever Logan tried to teach him to surf.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, and if you'd let me take you out a couple more, you'd be doing great by now," Logan pressed. "You aren't half as bad at it as you think you are, man."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

Joe laughed and said, "Fine, fine. Fuck it, let's go now. I mean, you're right. Can't get good at this shit unless I do it more often." He just hated feeling out of control and surfing did that, took control away from him and put it in the ocean, but he could deal with that.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, seriously, you want to go right now? I got my gear right here, man, it'll only take me a minute to get changed," Logan offered, jumping at the chance to have someone to surf with.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, why not?" Joe asked, getting to his feet. "My suit thing is back at my hut, but I can go get changed." And he had promised he'd give it another shot, he didn't think Logan would let him drown.

"Meet you at my place?" he asked, brushing his hands off on his shorts.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I'll be right over with two boards," Logan grinned, heading over towards the bedroom to find his wetsuit and get changed.

[jdick.livejournal.com]

With a nod, Joe headed over to his own place and found the wetsuit, changing into his quickly. Ozzy looked up at him curiously and he jerked his head for the dog to follow him outside, figuring Logan wouldn't mind if he brought her along.

Grabbing a towel, he headed back outside to wait for Logan.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan changed quickly, slipping outside in his wetsuit with a board under each arm. He was grinning as he approached Joe, holding one of them out in offering for the other man to take.

"You can keep that one if you want. My classes are getting smaller all the time, I don't really need it."

[jdick.livejournal.com]

Taking one of the boards, Joe tucked it under his arm and looked down at it questioningly. "Yeah?" he asked, hefting it curiously. "You sure you don't need it?"

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Positive, man. It's yours, take it," Logan insisted.