LOTF: Before and After

Phase 3: Chapter 21

For once in his disorderly life, Jack Merridew didn't know what to say. He didn't want to scare Ralph any more than he already was, but what if he was right? What if this was never really going to end? Word could get out, and he'd be known as that kid who led an island of military boys to ruin for the rest of his life. What if the investigation found them guilty for the deaths on the island? What if there would always be new articles on them and what happened? What if they would turn on the TV, and the news programs never stopped talking about it? What if the internet never stopped talking about it? What if a mere five months of their lives would define them forever?

Jack sat up and scooted himself over a couple feet so he was right beside Ralph. He laid back down and pressed his forehead against the side Ralph's head, and laced his arm around the brunette boy's waist. Ralph turned his head to face him a little more as he clutched onto Jack's arm.

"Even if it's never over, you'll never be in it alone" Jack whispered delicately, his warm breath hitting Ralph's neck as the brunette trembled with relief.

"Who's to say we'll always be friends? We weren't for a while, if you've forgotten" Ralph pressed.

"Because as annoying as you were on the island, I missed you. And even though I felt strongly about most things I did, there was still part of me that wished you were in it with me" Jack struggled to admit, but simultaneously couldn't help it.

Hearing the words made Ralph's stomach knot up with both confliction and exhilaration. His eyes found Jack's easily given there was hardly any space between them at all. He could feel Jack's warm body pressed against the side of his own as he struggled to resist the urges that were building inside him.

Unable to hold back any longer, Ralph pressed his eyes shut tightly as he grasped onto the side of Jack's face and kissed him softly but desperately. He felt Jack sink into it beneath his touch, stretching the arm that had previously sat limp on Ralph's stomach around to grasp the brunette boy's back to pull him closer. Ralph turned himself on his side so he was fully facing Jack now, he too trying to press Jack's body closer to his, despite the fact that there wasn't an inch of space still between them.

Jack rolled away a couple minutes later to catch his breath. His chest rose and fell heavily as he found himself back on his back, staring up at the ceiling and its glowing stars.

"Jack?" Ralph asked as he stayed looking at him, the smaller boy cradled up on his side.

"Mhm hm?" Jack replied through heavy breaths.

"Are we ever gonna talk about this or are we just gonna keep doing it?" Ralph bravely asked.

Jack turned his head to meet Ralph's eyes. He stared at him longingly for a moment before he moved a little closer to press a short but gentle kiss to Ralph's swollen lips. "Keep doing it, I hope" the blond chuckled a little.

"You don't think we should talk about it?" Ralph moved away a little to say.

"Where's the fun in that?" Jack scoffed.

Ralph could see the part of Jack that broke from the group and start his own all-for-fun tribe on the island a little now. He couldn't forget that even though they were in a different reality now, Jack was still the same person. Even when it seemed to Ralph that he was different now, deep down, he was still Jack: chief of the hunters. It'd always be part of who he is; the kid who got himself thrown into military school as a punishment, the kid who was capable of resorting to violence under the right circumstances.

"Not everything in life can be all fun and games" Ralph tried to get through to him.

"But this should be" Jack countered, reaching his hand out to softly stroke Ralph's face.