Title: 3 Tales
Author:  strutterms
Fandom:  Lost AU - Jack/James 'verse
Pairing: Jack/James
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Jack recalls why he ever quit smoking.
Spoilers: None per se...um, through HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN?
Disclaimer: the LOST boys aren't mine...damn it. The Jack/James 'verse also belongs to foxxcub...I'm just playing with her toys.
A/N: Like many others, I have been sucked into the teenage exploits of AU Jack and Sawyer. This is my contribution to foxxcub's fanfic sensation that's sweeping the nation. :P She also beta'd, as did rogueapprentice, and I love them both to death. I pet them and smooch them and feed them cookies, they rock so hard.
 

Jack had started smoking in high school. He'd also quit at the same time.

He couldn't say for sure why he quit...only that every time he lit up, he was back in a locked bathroom, or in the ever-shifting light of bodies passing above him, the roar of the crowd in his ears and the memory of a warm body pressed against his own, fingers fumbling to touch him through the fly of his own jeans...or he was on an open rooftop with the night sky glittering overhead, matching the brilliance of the white lights exploding before his eyes as he came harder than he’d ever imagined he could...

He'd never *wanted* a cigarette, either...it wasn't the same when he wasn't sharing it with someone else. With *him.*

So naturally, now that *he* was around again...Jack was fiending for a smoke something fierce.

Sitting outside the caves, Jack leaned against the rock face behind him as he gazed up at the sky, unblemished by manmade light. Almost without thinking, he picked out the Big and Little Dippers, then searched for
Andromeda out of sheer force of habit.

And as he found it, he felt the itch for a cigarette...and could almost smell the sharp tang of ozone in the air...

* * * * *

“...as you can see, the current from the coil is illuminating the lightbulb. That’s because...”

“Man, is it just me, or does it look like he’s jerking off that thing?”

Jack fought hard, but couldn’t stop the snort of laughter that escaped him at the whispered joke as the tour guide up ahead demonstrated the Tesla coil using a fluorescent lightbulb, running his hand up and down its length as he talked about the current that was flowing through the bulb.

“Yeah, kinda.” He whispered back, still watching the tour guide.

“S’ what I thought.” James muttered in reply, never once looking at Jack. They’d been like that the entire evening...side by side, never quite looking at each other...and yet together just the same, only not.

Jack had been royally pissed about the late night field trip...but he was getting a ‘C’ in physics and the trip meant extra credit if he finished the paper Mr. Ralph was asking for. He’d have blown the whole thing off if his dad didn’t know about it...he figured maybe if he brought the grade up, his dad would notice. Give him a little credit, God forbid. Then again, he’d made it abundantly clear in more than one case that Jack was wasting his time...fuck him.

At any rate, it was a last-ditch effort for all the academic rejects in Ralph’s classes to pull themselves out of the hole...and so it was that Jack found himself at the Griffith Observatory on a Saturday night with a bunch of other kids he didn’t even know when he *could* have been going to that party in Bel Air with Benson. Word had it there were even some college kids coming...

...but the second he’d arrived to meet with Mr. Ralph’s group and seen *him* leaning against the James Dean statue, mirroring the man immortalized in copper in all his sullen, badass glory with a cigarette dangling from his lip…the last thing on Jack’s mind was the party.

It had been two weeks since the game, and Jack still felt weird about what happened...it wasn’t like he was thinking about it a lot, ‘cause it didn’t mean anything...but the more he tried to tell himself that,
the less he believed it. He mostly settled for NOT thinking about it...which was easy, since James had been expelled. At least until recently, anyway...when he appeared in school again a week ago. Jack had seen him, but he’d been pretty easy to avoid, and hard to feel out. Nobody was talking about why he was back all of a sudden, which Jack couldn’t figure out. Was he really so...invisible? How could it be that he was the only one who seemed to be affected by the guy?

When their eyes met, it was the same as before...a lazy jerk of his chin in acknowledgement, and Jack was responding with a nod of his own without even thinking. After all, he didn’t know anyone that was going to be here tonight...no one in his own class, anyway.

That was when he found himself walking over to James without really thinking about it, feeling awkward as he stood in front of the other boy with another nod. “Hey.”

“Hey.” was the low, lazy response. Jack watched James shove his hands in his pockets restlessly, then hastily looked away as both of them found something else besides each other to look at as they stood in
silence for a few moments.

“What period do you have Ralph?” Jack finally asked.

“Sixth. You?”

“First.”

James snorted lightly. “Can’t stand the guy. He’s a jackass.”

“Yeah.”

Silence ruled again until Mr. Ralph came storming out of the observatory, calling the group of restless teenagers to arms. As Jack moved slowly up the steps while James crushed out his cigarette, a moment later he felt James fall in alongside him...not right next to him, but a couple feet away. It wasn’t like they were hanging out together or anything.

Yet they remained that way for the rest of the night. They weren’t together...they couldn’t help it if they happened to match strides, walking side by side but never too close. It wasn’t their fault that they were at the back of the group most of the time, standing next to each other but not *with* each other...they weren’t friends or anything. And if the exhibits and lectures by teacher and tour guide got dull, it wasn’t weird that James would lean in and start cracking
jokes, his breath warm and almost a comfort against Jack’s face, his voice a low, electric vibration in his ear. It was only natural that Jack would feel a little bold and reciprocate with a few cracks of his
own, trying to ignore the weird feeling he got each time James rewarded him with a lopsided half-smile or a slow, amused roll of his eyes.

When they reached the West Rotunda of the Observatory, Jack flinched only slightly when he felt a warm hand curl over his bare forearm, breaking their silent decision never to look at each other as it called for Jack’s attention. Glancing to the side, he found James jerking his head towards the side door, just swinging shut as someone exited into the cool, glittering night outside.

“C’mon...let’s go.” was the low, half-whispered reply. He turned one hand in Jack’s direction, showing him the pack of cigarettes he was palming.

Jack nodded, feeling the sudden need for a smoke as he followed James, discreetly slipping out the door and onto the curved staircase winding upwards to the roof. Over the side, he could see a good deal of the
surrounding landscape sprawled out before him, dark and mysterious looking.

“Up here.” James instructed, taking the stairs with a brisk pace that still managed to be unhurried as they made their way to the roof.

Once up top, they found themselves almost completely alone, save for a small line off to one side by the dome on the right of the building, where the telescope was. Other than that, the roof was totally deserted.

“This way.” James instructed, leading him over to a small corner near the left dome, overlooking the front lawn of the observatory.

“Wow…view’s pretty cool.” Jack observed, leaning against the ledge as he gazed out at the enormous monument in the center of the lawn.

“Yeah…I guess.” He replied, swatting Jack’s shoulder to offer him the soft pack after sticking a cigarette in his own mouth. “That thing’s the Astronomer’s Monument…some kinda tribute t’ the six biggest bigwigs of astronomy. I forget their names.”

“Huh…cool.” He replied distractedly, pulling a smoke out of the pack as he fished around in his pocket for his lighter. “How you know that?”

James just shrugged. “Dunno, heard the tour guide say it last time I was here. Hey, can I get a light?”

Jack nodded, tossing James the lighter. He handed it back a moment later, taking a long pull off his cigarette as Jack looked on. “So you’ve taken the tour before?”

James nodded. “Yeah…my grandmother took me up here once. When I was little…thought it was all cool back then.”

“Yeah…guess it is. Y’know…when you’re younger.”

James nodded, then swatted Jack’s arm again and pointed up. “Wanna see somethin’ cool? Check that out, Prep…Andromeda’s right there. See them stars, in that V shape? S’posed to be a chick chained to some rocks.”

Jack blinked, glancing at him dubiously. “What? No way.”

”Swear, man…some chick this dude Perseus was all hot an’ heavy over. Her momma bragged that Andromeda was prettier than these chicks the sea god was into, so he set a monster on her town. Her parents were told to sacrifice her to save everyone else.”

“Huh. That’s fucked up.”

“Yeah.”

Silence fell for a short while as Jack became aware of James’ gaze on him, like something tangible that he could feel against his skin. He tried to brush it off, meeting his gaze as James moved to lean against the nearby dome.

“So…how’d you get back in school?” Jack finally asked as he exhaled a cloud of smoke.

James snorted lightly, taking a long drag off his own cigarette. “Grams.” He grumbled lazily. “She went to the principal. She can be a real mean ol’ biddy when she wants to.”

“So what…she got you back in?”

“Yeah…surprised you ain’t heard. Figured people in six counties would’ve heard her yellin’ and screamin’.”

Jack couldn’t help but smile a little at that. “She sounds hardcore.”

“Yeah…real religious, always preachin’ fire and brimstone at me and everyone else that pisses her off.” He paused, taking another drag before exhaling the smoke through his nose. “She’s pretty cool.”

Jack just nodded, continuing to watch James before he caught himself staring at the taut cord of muscle that ran from neck to shoulder and looked away.

“So…got laid during the summer, huh?”

Jack glanced back at him as he spoke, and for a moment he swore a hint of heat flickered through his gaze.

“Yeah…older girl.” Jack replied, again feeling suddenly shy and awkward around the other boy. Like that first night, he felt so…*inadequate* next to him. Those glittering blue eyes just seemed to scream ‘Golden Boy’ at him though James never said a word, and it got under Jack’s skin like nothing else ever had.

James raised an eyebrow, flicking a bit of ash away with a lopsided smile. “Really?”

“Yeah…talked like you. Said she came from Memphis.” Jack explained. “She was there when we showed up…said she liked my car.” He tried to ignore the strange gleam in James’ eyes…smug, like he was pleased or…proud?

“That so? How’d it happen?”

“Party up in Hollywood…she had to be at least twenty three. She got drunk and started telling me how she came out here to be an actress, how much she loved the big city…next thing I knew, we were in one of the bedrooms upstairs, and…”

James chuckled, making Jack’s pulse and other parts of him do strange things. Visions of James under the bleachers filled his mind, his head thrown back and his lower lip caught between his teeth as Jack jerked him off…

“So what was her name?” James asked after a moment.

Jack tried not to blush, but knew he was failing as he felt his cheeks grow hot. “I…I never…uh…never caught it.”

James fell silent for a moment…then to Jack’s surprise, chuckled. He was laughing, but he got the feeling he wasn’t laughing at Jack.

“You fucked a girl and don’t even know her name?” he laughed, and Jack swore there was a note of amazement in his voice. “Damn…Golden Boy you ain’t, I’ll give ya that.”

Jack couldn’t help but smile at him, trying not to feel so…*proud* of himself for earning James’ approval.

James smiled back, then pushed off the side of the dome to stand in front of Jack, planting a hand on either side of where he sat. “I’m from Knoxville, ya know.”

“Yeah?”

”Yeah.”

Jack could only nod, the familiar feeling stealing over him…his skin felt too tight, his body too hot, and James felt too goddamn close. “What…what about you?”

”What about me?” he asked, his voice sounding too low and too husky and too good in his ears as James leaned in a bit closer.

“Yeah…when’d you first get laid?”

“Couple years ago…next door neighbor.” He drawled, nose bumping against Jack’s as he tilted his head a bit, he stood so close. “June…had a kid sister named Candy that was always comin’ home drunk and kickin’ up a fuss.”

“Yeah?” His voice was too breathy, and his throat felt too tight, and James was talking again, each warm puff of his breath felt like an electric shock against Jack’s skin and lips, making him think of the Tesla coil downstairs…all that energy without even a connection…

“Yeah. June was always flirtin’, then one night Candy threw up on our lawn…when June came t’ get her, she gave me a funny look. I snuck out that night and went over next door. Candy was asleep in the stairway…dress was torn, looked like she’d had a good time herself.” He laughed, and Jack could feel the vibration in the air. “Lucky fer me, June’s room was downstairs. She was pretty, too…”

Jack’s cigarette had fallen to the ground long ago, completely forgotten as he felt himself getting hard…Christ, James hadn’t even touched him. “Maybe…we should go back…”

“Nobody’s comin’ up here yet. Not for a while.” James assured him, reaching up to rest his hand on Jack’s crotch. “I took this tour before.”

“What…”

”You asked me last time why I came to the game.” James whispered, moving his hand along Jack’s hard-on, making him clench his jaw and hiss sharply, reaching up to grab his shoulder so he wouldn’t tumble off the ledge.

“You…you said you…oh*fuck*…” was Jack’s choked reply as James’ fingers went to his fly, shielding the two of them with his body.

“I didn’t come fer this.” He whispered, moving closer to Jack. “I came fer this.”

The bite of nicotine was fresh this time as James slid his tongue past his lips, flicking it against the roof of Jack’s mouth with a soft growl that made all the rest of his blood rush right to his cock…or so he thought until Jack felt hot, strong fingers close around him, making his head spin and his heart all but stop as he tried to thrust into his hand. Only his grip on James’ shoulders stopped him from falling off the roof, making Jack finally slide off to lean back against it as James stepped back a bit to give him room, then back in to close the space between them.

“Fuck…*James*…”

“Yeah…I know.” Was the breathless, ragged reply, and Jack really liked that…knowing that touching him was what making his voice go low and hoarse like that.

Then James was biting at his lower lip again, soothing the sting with his tongue before sucking hard, then plunging his tongue inside again for another taste of Jack. He thrust his own tongue into James’ mouth in return, in perfect time with his hand as he stroked Jack, making his vision hazy and his breath rapid and shallow. Kissing James isn’t like kissing girls…it’s hard and demanding and almost brutal. He tastes like cigarettes and something else, something musky and different than the way a girl would taste. There’s something satisfying about the scrape of soft stubble as Jack breaks the kiss to run his tongue along James’ jaw, about the low sound of his moan, in the strength of his fingers as he slides his free hand under the sleeve of Jack’s shirt again to trace the lines of his tattoo with his thumb.

Before he can think about what he’s doing…and thinking’s getting hard at this point the way James is pumping and squeezing as he jerks him off…Jack’s hand was opening his fly and slipping inside to return the firm grip and warm heat, stroking him in synch with James’ rhythm. Jack thought he might have growled an ‘ohfuckingyes’, but he couldn’t be sure as he thrust into James’ grip, as he felt his body begin to tense, to convulse before he threw his head back and came with a ragged moan that he only barely managed to silence.

Above him, the stars seemed to pulse with light as he rode out his orgasm, as he felt James growl against him and come in his hand.

James slumped against him for a moment, then drew back, wiping his hand on his jeans as he zipped up. Jack followed suit, feeling strange about how not strange it felt this time. They stood there for a moment, not looking at each other until James reached into his pocket for his soft pack again, pulling one out with his lips before offering it to Jack. Drawing one out gratefully, he lit up before offering his lighter to James again.

This time they leaned side by side against the ledge of the roof, facing out towards the main lawn as the night sky stretched out above them. The silence that fell was awkward…but not. Jack realized it felt…almost comfortable as he took a drag off his cigarette and tried to distract himself by finding the Big and Little Dipper…the only two constellations he really knew. A moment later, he looked for Andromeda again, trying to see if he could figure out *how* anyone could mistake it for a girl chained to rocks.

“Hey…how’d you know that stuff about Andromeda?” Jack finally asked after a moment without looking at James, breaking the strange, easy tension that hung in the air.

”Aw, read it somewhere.” James shrugged, still avoiding looking at Jack. “I read a lot.”

“Yeah…I noticed.” After a moment, he felt eyes on him and looked at James, strangely disturbed by his curious expression. He finally shrugged, looking away from him and up at the sky once more. “I’ve seen you before…in the bleachers around school, reading and shit. That’s all.”

James looked straight ahead again, taking another long drag off his cigarette and flicking the ash carelessly out over the ledge. “Like t’ learn on my own time.” He replied simply, a cold note in his voice. “Don’t believe the shit other people tell me. Believin’ anything anyone tells ya is fuckin’ dangerous.”

Jack found himself chilled by the remark…possibly the most he’d ever heard the other boy say at one time. It also…stung him, just a little. There was something up with this guy…what had happened to him that would make him think like that?

He never got to ask as the tour group reached the roof and Mr. Ralph tracked them down. Both of them got a week of detention for wandering away, and for smoking.

Jack never smoked again after that night.

* * * * *

"Doc!"

Jack was stirred from his thoughts by the familiar drawl, only deeper and harsher with the passage of time. Dropping his gaze back down and glancing around, he found himself staring at Sawyer as he strolled up with his pack over his shoulder. He tried not to stare at the smooth expanse of chest visible above the open buttons of his dark blue shirt.

"What?"

"C'mere."

“What the hell for?”

Sawyer moved forward, swinging his pack off his shoulder and reaching inside, withdrawing a pack of cigarettes with a lopsided smirk. “Still smoke, Golden Boy?”

The acknowledgement of…*everything*…caught him completely off guard. Fighting hard not to let his jaw hang open, he reached out without thinking to pull one out of the soft pack. A moment later, Sawyer was pulling out his lighter and offering it to Jack. He accepted it, tossing it back at Sawyer a moment later as he took a long drag, nearly coughing at the long-forgotten burn of smoke in his lungs.

Exhaling a cloud of smoke, Jack watched Sawyer light his own cigarette before speaking again. “Why?”

Sawyer took a drag off his own, then sighed as he glanced up at the sky. “Came for water…saw you with yer head in the clouds, Doc. Figgered maybe LA was somewhere up in there.”

Jack just nodded, the silence that fell between them almost comfortable after a while.

“Y’know, there was one other girl I slept with that summer.” Jack remarked after a moment, his mouth moving without his mind’s consent. “I was actually in a band, believe it or not.”

Sawyer snorted, rolling his eyes. “Let me guess, ‘nother nameless Memphis Belle that liked the tat?”

“Nah…but you were right, she did want to do me ‘cause she liked the tat.”

Sawyer chuckled, and Jack marveled at how his body so easily remembered the sound, his jeans feeling suddenly tight.

“I was playing drums…took no talent and it looked cool.” He continued after a moment, leaning back against the rock face again as he took another drag, gazing at the heavens. “She took me back to her place, seemed really concerned about her dad catching us. Good reason…second we walked inside, I saw a shotgun behind the front door.”

”Fuck you.”

”Swear to God.” He replied, finding himself chuckling at the incredulous note in Sawyer’s voice. “She told me I wasn’t the first band guy she’d slept with, and her father hated them…I was pretty sure as to why, considering she seemed to be a real…er…’expert’ at getting me into the house. First chance I got, I dressed and got the fuck outta there.”

Sawyer laughed again, and Jack found it a bit easier to hear his own pulse in his ears. “Said it once, and I’ll say it again…Golden Boy you ain’t, Doc.”

Jack’s smile faded as he watched Sawyer for a few moments. “You vanished.”

”Huh?”

”After that stint we did in detention…you vanished a couple months later. What happened?”

Sawyer’s features sobered, blue eyes turning cold again…and Jack knew that James had retreated once again. “Got in some trouble…had t’ skip town.” He paused, flicking away the ash on his cigarette. “Didn’t help, though.”

“Is that when…”

”Yeah. Whole new me. Not much improvement, I know…”

Jack reached out and caught his forearm, biting the inside of his cheek briefly at the feel of warm skin beneath his fingers. “There was never anything wrong with you.”

Sawyer shook him off, taking one last drag before dropping the butt of his cigarette and crushing it out under his boot. “Yeah, says you.”

“James…”

”It’s Sawyer now, jackass. Leggo, I gotta get some water.”

Jack let him shake off the grip this time as he turned and walked into the caves.

When he emerged a few minutes later, Jack didn’t stop him.

He just looked at the sky as the stars looked down.

end

* * * * *

3 TAILS
Mother Superior

She said she came from Memphis
She said she liked my car
Her momma got defensive
She left to be a star
She threw her open arms around the city
And never once complained about the size
But no one was to blame...I didn't catch her name
She knocked me down and hung me out to dry

Candy was my neighbor
She threw up on my lawn
I didn't try to wake her
Her favorite dress was torn
Candy kept on sleepin' in the stairway
I never thought to ask her for a ride
But in the other room...her older sister, June
Showed me how to make a lady smile (and she was
pretty)

Though she had a secret, her daddy had a gun
She knew he wouldn't dig me, but I'm not the only one
She said he didn't like no rock 'n rollers
I know damn well what started it for sure
I waited for the chance
I grabbed my shirt and pants
Shut off the light and closed the bedroom door
(Good night)