Hehe.. Lotf Oneshot, Sort Of Jalph? Idk How Long It Is + My Writing Might Be Iffy :((

hehe.. lotf oneshot, sort of jalph? idk how long it is + my writing might be iffy :((

“Jack.” The voice low and uninterested, yet the matter urgent.

The green eyes wandered upwards, meeting a pair hidden behind lenses. Jack's brows furrowed at the sight of glasses, and winced as the glass glinted with sunlight when Piggy moved his head slightly to the side.

As far as Jack was concerned, that move was on purpose.

“What's your problem?” The hunter scoffed, standing from his spot on the large, stable rock. He was slightly surprised to then realise Piggy had made his way up the rock just to address him. He held his spear tightly for a bit of comfort and support, perhaps even to reinforce the fact that he could impose harm. An unconscious action that left Piggy daring to roll his eyes.

“Ralph is missing. None of us have seen ‘im since yesterday afternoon.”

“And what am I to do about that?” Jack retorts, though he couldn't fight the worry he felt in his chest. It was nothing like Ralph to run off, that was clear to everyone.

“Well, you are a hunter, are you not?”

“Are you really suggesting I hunt him down?”

“Damn it, Jack, you could at least put yourself to use. Besides, tracking and hunting are different. Results are different anyway..”

Jack huffed and his eyes made contact with the forest, if Ralph hadn't returned yesterday, that meant he spent the night in the forest, or— wherever else he could've gone. That left him feeling sympathy for the boy he supposedly wasn't fond of.

“I ought to.. be off then, I suppose.” He murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

“Jack.”

“What?”

“Be quick. And.. careful.”

“Bugger off.”

Jack turned away, before pausing, a guilt lingering.

“I will.” He adds, his voice softer. With that, he climbed down off the tall rock, leaving Piggy with the burden of getting down without help, but then Simon appeared to be on his way anyway.

It wasn't hard to find the boy's prints, for Ralph had flat soles, none of the other biguns had those. Jack was pleased to see that the footprints were still relatively visible, even though he had to fill in the gaps here and there. By the looks of it, Ralph went for quite the adventure. Jack tore apart a bush which was already quite mangled from someone else passing through, though they were much more careful with the bunch of nature than Jack was.

Ralph laid on a tree branch high up, stomach down and back to the tree canopy. It was warm, and for once, he'd had a good rest, uninterrupted by the whining and kicking of littluns, or the whispered bickering of Sam ‘n Eric.

He stayed deep in rest, despite it being afternoon, drool lay at the corner of his lips, which were naturally parted as he slept.

There Jack stopped, where Ralph's footsteps ceased, and he furrowed his brows in frustrated confusion. Ralph wouldn't best him, he was the greatest hunter after all.

He brought his spear closer, his gaze closely examining the area, but it was only his footsteps and Ralph's. His stomach fluttered at the sight of their footsteps alongside one another.

Finally, he tilts his head upwards, catching sight of a restful Ralph, and a grin graces his lips at the sight. He'd found the hiding chief.

The spear fell to the grassy floor, and Jack placed his foot in the hold of a branch, grabbing a higher one, lifting himself upwards.

As he climbed, he slipped for a moment, and a soft squeal escaped scared lips. With unexpected quickness, he clambered higher and in a better spot. Ralph must have been well ambitious when he climbed this unforgiving tree.

Once settled on a thick branch next to Ralph's, he stayed quiet, examining an exhausted kind-of-enemy-kind-of-not. During their days in the sun, Ralph had developed some freckles on the bridge of his nose, a feature he and Jack now shared — despite him having many more than Ralph overall.

“Ralph..” The hunter whispered reluctantly, causing the other to hum lowly in a mix of sleep and consciousness.

“Ralph?” He tries once more, a bit louder but equally soft, laying his hand on Ralph's shoulder to indicate this was reality and no dream.

“Piggy?” A quiet, slurred murmur.

That left Jack with hurt in his chest and an upset frown on his face.

“Piggy, Piggy, Piggy.” He momentarily mocked, childishly, “God, Ralph, wake up!”

Then opened tired blue eyes, meeting contemptuous green ones.

“Morning to you too.” Scoffs Jack, turning his head away. He was better than Piggy. Why would Piggy ever climb a tree for— for Ralph..

Jack looks downwards as an understanding dawns on him.

“Why’d you find me?” Ralph mutters, flattered but unsure of the intent of this gesture. Jack opens his mouth to reply, but he realises he's about to say that boy's name again and stops.

“It… crossed my mind.” Says Jack instead.

“You think of me?”

“That's not what I said.”

“You implied it.” Ralph grinned, sitting up properly, he appeared pleased with the idea that Jack kept him in mind.

“It was Piggy's idea, alright? Now leave it be.”

“Oh. Piggy’s idea. Right.” Ralph's shoulders visibly sagged beneath the dirty grey shirt. A moment of silence allowed both of them to ponder quietly with averted gazes.

“Why didn't you come back? Planning on abandoning us, ‘chief’?” The redhead lightly insults.

“It's not like that!” He quickly retorts with furrowed eyebrows.

“Then what's it like, Ralph?” Jack leaned forward with low, simmering anger.

“‘Course you wouldn't know. You're not chief. You go out all day long and come back with nothing but more sunburn!”

“That's—” Jack stopped, finding no suitable reply, “You shut it!” He points with an accusing finger.

In that moment, Ralph remembered the first day they'd spent together, with Simon, and how they'd laughed together and been friends.

Jack was taken aback by the lack of response, and he drew his finger back into the fist he'd made.

“Ralph?” He gently asks, not sure what the meaning of the other's silence was. Now, both hands on the branch he sat on.

“Jack?”

“I don't know.” The three words oddly soft and solemn.

“I suppose we ought to get back to the huts. Things to get done back there.”

“We?”

“Come, Jack.” Ralph gestures with a nod of his head, already beginning to climb down the giant tree.

Jack watched Ralph swiftly descend, before attempting to do so himself, doing his best to copy what Ralph had done. Once more, he slips, but this time he finds two arms catching him without hesitation.

“You're alright, hm?” Ralph questions, allowing Jack to stand proper before releasing him. The hunter turned around swiftly with a red face.

“Yes!” He proclaims before he stormed off, forgetting the previously abandoned spear.

Ralph eyes it, grinning in amusement before picking it up for the other boy and catching up to him.