I think my muse is feeling overworked. I tried writing today but all I could get out was 500 words involving Jack and Sawyer.

The kicker? It isn't even slash!

Title: Matter of Trust
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Jack/Sawyer (not slash, though)
Word Count: 500
Warnings: Spoilers for "The Long Con"
Summary: Drabble. Jack trusts Sawyer.

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"I can't believe you ain't mad," Sawyer was shaking his head, hair getting in front of his face as he looked at Jack through the strands. "Can't fuckin' believe it."

Jack twisted around from where he lay on the sofa in the hatch, putting the crossword book down on the coffee table, seeing Sawyer standing behind him, and wondering why the hell he was there. Sawyer hated the hatch, the freakishness of it being on the island, and now he was standing there, expecting Jack to play another game with him. Jack gave in with a heavy sigh. "What am I supposed to be mad about?"

Sawyer sauntered around the sofa, watching Jack watch him until he got to the side Jack wasn't leaning against, plopping down on the cushion and stretching his arms out wide on either side. "You can't be serious, Doc."

"Okay...I'm not mad, and I'm not serious. Why are you here?"

"To find out why you ain't mad. It just don't make any sense."

Jack thought back to the day the raft left, when Sawyer had told him about meeting his father. Sawyer had said that kids were like dogs, and if you knock them around enough, they think they did something to deserve it. Jack had a feeling that Sawyer's brand of wisdom came from personal experience. With Sawyer, though, it seemed like he kept doing things wrong to get knocked around, but no one had been there to care.

"Want me to spell it out for ya?" Sawyer's posture on the couch was reminiscent of the lions in the Serengeti Jack's parents once took him to see as a child, long and lean limbs completely stretched out.

"You want me to be mad about the guns," Jack said, standing up as the timer started to beep. He hated pressing the damn thing, but Locke was yet to show up, so he might as well enter the numbers. He knew Sawyer was following him, and when Jack sat down at the chair in front of the computer, Sawyer leaned against the doorway, watching without paying attention. Jack entered the numbers, hit execute, and turned the chair to face the other man. "If anything, I'm glad. I don't trust Locke with them, and after what almost happened, I don't think I trust myself."

Sawyer's eyebrows were knitted together in obvious disbelief. "But you trust me?"

Jack shrugged, checking the timer and seeing it had only been two minutes. He figured he should have enough time to catch a nap before it started beeping again. Jack stood, heading over to the bedroom. "You've had guns before," he spoke loud enough for Sawyer to hear him. "You haven't actually killed anybody with one yet. I doubt there's cause to worry."

There was silence for a moment, and then Jack heard a very distinct snort coming from down the hall. He smiled at the sound of the muttered "Jackass" before lying down on the bed and closing his eyes.