Title: Matter of Trust Author: ficklemuse Fandom: Lost Characters: Sawyer/Boone Prompt: 076. Secrets Word Count: 1,887 Rating: PG Author's Notes: For slash_100   “Hey! Sawyer!” Shannon’s loud voice carried across the beach. Sawyer was tempted to pretend he didn’t hear Her Royal Highness of Bitchdom and thought about walking on, but much to his surprise she broke into a run and put her lusciously long legs to good use. “What can I do you for Stix?” “I was just with Boone.” Shannon panted, winded from running in the sand. “I was getting some water and Locke showed up…” “What do you want me to do about it? I ain’t your brother’s babysitter.” Sawyer snapped off even though his body went instantly tight at the mention of John Locke. What right did he think he had getting within fifty feet of Boone after nearly getting him killed? Son of a… “I want you to go over there and kick Locke’s ass and make him leave Boone alone.” Shannon answered with just as much of an edge in her voice. “I heard them talking. Locke doesn’t want Boone to tell something. They have some big secret and he keeps badgering Boone to keep his mouth shut. Just make Locke leave him alone. Boone’s still not totally recovered.” She slapped the back of her hand against Sawyer’s chest. “He’s YOUR responsibility you stupid hick. Now do something before *I* kick *your* ass.” “Women.” Sawyer turned on his heel and headed for CaveTown. When he got there, Boone was sitting outside of the caves with his injured leg propped up on his backpack. Sawyer stayed at a distance for a minute wanting to get a handle on what was going on. Before he killed Locke. “John, I haven’t told anybody about it. But I don’t see why they can’t know about the hatch.” “They’re not ready to know yet Boone. That’s why they weren’t the ones to find it. We were. It’s our mission, nobody else’s.” “In case you haven’t noticed John I’m not really up to any missions right now.” Boone waved a hand towards his leg. “I know.” John’s head dropped along with his voice. “I can’t tell you Boone… I can’t tell you how sorry I am you got hurt. If I could have been the one to go up I would have. I would never ask you to do something I wasn’t willing to do myself.” John leaned forward until he and Boone were practically in a huddle. “But this – this island has a way of getting what it wants. And it wants *us* to be the ones who find our way into that hatch. That’s why you can’t tell anyone about it. Not Shannon or Jack and definitely not …” “Sawyer? I’m not going to lie to Sawyer. Maybe you were right about not telling Shannon. About, me having to let go.” Boone replied quietly. “It hurt like hell but I did. I let go of Shannon. But Sawyer isn’t Shannon. I can trust him.” “Can you Boone? Can you really? I’m not saying Sawyer’s a bad man. But he’s a difficult one. He’s a man who would allow himself to be tortured simply because he didn’t want to tell the truth. Over and over again he’s shown that the only loyalty he has is to himself.” Sawyer felt the urge to kick Locke’s ass across the island increase by the second, but Boone’s next words stopped him. For the moment. “John. You’ve been really good to me since we crashed.” Boone’s voice was firm. “But I can trust Sawyer. I do trust him.” “I know you care for him. Anyone can see that Boone. But don’t let your feelings get in the way of what’s in your best interest.” “What are you talking about?” “I’m just saying, by his own admission Sawyer’s got a shady past. And you’re an…” Locke’s voice faltered for a second. “An attractive wealthy young man. I can’t help but wonder what Sawyer’s agenda might be.” Lock studied Boone’s face. “I’m sorry to say it Boone. I really am. But can you honestly tell me that Sawyer would be the first man to target you for your money?” Sawyer had to strain to hear Boone’s response, and when he did he felt gut shot. “I don’t know. I hate lying.” “You don’t have to lie, just keep the news about the hatch to yourself. Just, just give me a week. If I haven’t found a way in by then, well then you can tell anyone you want.” “Just a week?” Sawyer didn’t stay for the rest of the conversation. He was too afraid that if he did he’d end up killing Locke and ripping off Boone’s leg and beating him with it for being stupid enough to fall for Locke’s bullshit. Sawyer walked until he reached a section of the jungle not too far from the path to the beach. He’d been working on cutting bamboo since right before Boone’s accident and had a huge pile sticking out from under a tarp. Picking up his axe, Sawyer got to work chopping even more bamboo. Even though he might as well hand the whole fucking pile of it over to Sayid for his signal fire. Boone didn’t trust him. Worse, Boone trusted LOCKE more. “Sonofafuckin’bitch!” Sawyer swung the axe and began working on the bamboo. It was hard and difficult and suited his mood perfectly. He wanted to chop something to pieces, tear it down to nothing. He would have preferred using the axe on Locke, but just kept chopping. “Goddamn it!” “Sawyer. Would you like some help?” Sun approached the cleared area and looked at the pile of wood with a touch of admiration. “You cut all of this yourself?” “Yeah. What’s it to you?” Sawyer whipped off his shirt and resumed swinging the axe. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Sun taking a seat on a fallen log and just watching him with her hands folded between her knees. “Is there something you wanted? Or am I just the best thing you can find to watch on this damned island?” Sun’s lips curved into a gentle smile. “You are very entertaining. But that is not the reason I hoped I could speak to you.” Sawyer gave a grunt and continued to chop until his arms felt as though they might fall off. He stopped on a dime and drove the head of the axe into a log before whirling around on Sun. “Alright. Shoot.” “I could not help overhearing some of what was said at the caves.” Sun began delicately tap dancing her way across a minefield. “Yeah? Then maybe you should try harder. It’s none of your business.” Sawyer ignored the look on Sun’s face. He was in a foul mood and felt like ripping wings off butterflies. “Perhaps not.” Sun agreed mildly. “I understand, more than you know.” Her thumb rubbed over her wedding band. “Jin and I had problems with trust. He didn’t trust me to understand the things he’d done and I – I didn’t trust him to tell me the truth.” She crossed her hands together. “We were at a cross purposes. We are still at cross purposes because we did not trust one another the way two people in love should.” Sawyer gripped the axe handle and let out a rough breath. “Boone and I aren’t married.” “I said nothing about married people – I said only that two people in love need to have faith in one another.” Sun’s eyes bored into Sawyer’s. “Boone cares for John very much.” She acknowledged. “But Mr. Locke was not the person Boone cried out for in his fever. He was not there to hold Boone’s hand or wait with him in the hours after the accident.” Sawyer ducked his head and reached for his shirt, feeling exposed in more ways than one. “For someone who says she ‘couldn’t help overhear’ you sure know a lot.” “And you would be wise to listen to me.” Sun stood up and brushed loose bits of dirt and wood from her pants. “Don’t let your pride stand between you and someone you love.” She gave Sawyer a sad smile. “Pride is very cold comfort at night.” Sawyer was speechless until Sun was several yards away. “Well ain’t you just a regular fortune cookie?” Sun made no response but her shoulders shook in silent laughter. Sawyer was still in a foul mood two hours later when he returned to his tent. Walking in he found Boone sprawled on the bed. “What’re you doing here?” He ignored the flash of hurt on Boone’s face and concentrated on putting the axe away. It was one thing to talk about swallowing his pride and another thing to do it. Especially when for as long as he could remember Sawyer’s pride and his ability to hold a grudge were the two things that kept him going. And who the fuck was Boone to expect anything else from him? Sawyer’s movements became sharp and jerky as he stalked around his tent. “How did you get down here? Aren’t you supposed to be resting?” “You didn’t come to the caves.” Boone watched Sawyer with a wary expression. “So I came looking for you.” “Well I’m a busy man. Whaddya’ want?” Hurt was followed closely by irritation. “For you to stop acting like an asshole would be a nice start.” At the end of what Sawyer could admit to himself was a very short rope, he whirled around and grabbed a handful of Boone’s hair. Using his fist he tilted Boone’s head back at a sharp angle until Boone’s wide blue eyes were looking up at him. “You want me to stop being an asshole? Then maybe you ought to stop doing shit that pisses me off.” “What are you talking about? Is this about John?” “No.” Sawyer drew out the two letter word into a fourteen syllable one. “Locke asked me to do something for him.” Boone continued. “There’s – there’s something he doesn’t want anyone to know about.” He looked down at the sand under his feet. “When we were out searching for Claire, John and I found this thing. It’s a hatch in the ground. That’s what we were trying to do in the jungle – open that damned hatch.” Sawyer stopped moving altogether. "Why are you tellin' me?" He asked. The words came out hoarse and Sawyer cleared his throat. "I doubt I'm on the John Locke list of 'Most Trusted'." Boone pulled himself off the bed and wrapped an arm around Sawyer's waist. "Maybe you're not John's most trusted, but you're mine." Boone rested his chin on Sawyer's shoulder. More certain of his welcome now that Sawyer wasn't snapping and snarling, Boone's cheek brushed over Sawyer's. Suddenly Sawyer turned on Boone and grabbing a fistful of Boone's shirt hauled him close. Their faces millimeters apart, Sawyer's eyes burned into Boone's before he lowered his head and devoured Boone's mouth a lick, nip and suck at a time. A little off balance, but completely uncaring about that fact, Boone melted into Sawyer. "Sawyer." "You won't regret it Boone." Sawyer's voice was a dark rumble in Boone's ear. "Fuck what Locke says. You're never going to regret trusting me." Boone pulled back just a little and gave Sawyer a brilliant megawatt grin. "I never thought I would."