(Jack)
It had been a few days since we arrived at Rick's camp, and both Aaron and I were already feeling right at home. Island life was even better when we had some familiar comforts.
"Right, lads, I think we clear the area over by the stream of brambles and grasses and plant a little veggie patch today. Wha'cha think?" said Rick.
"Sounds like a great idea!" I replied, excited at the prospect.
As we ate breakfast, Rick pulled out a few pieces of labelled tissues. "I've got the dried seeds here: peppers, peas, beans, and carrots. Oh, I already planted a few potatoes before I met you, so be careful of the patch I've already cleared."
"Sounds good. Back on the other side of the island, I saw chickens. I'm pretty sure I heard some last night," Aaron replied.
"Yeah, I've seen them. Maybe we could build a coop to collect the eggs?" Rick suggested.
"Oh my god, you guys! This is going to be such a cute little camp!" I shouted, jumping in the air with excitement.
We set to work digging up the plants on the right of the stream. We used makeshift tools that weren't exactly meant for gardening, but the back of a claw hammer did a pretty good job at hauling out roots.
"Do you think they'll get enough light under these trees?" Aaron asked as he sat back on his haunches and took a gulp of water.
I stood and pushed my sweaty hair out of my face with muddy fingers. "Yeah, but we can climb up there and take a few branches down to make sure they get some more."
"It'll have to be you who does that, Jackie. Those branches up there are thin, and you're the lightest," laughed Rick as he grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder in a fireman's carry.
I screamed and flailed, trying to extricate myself from Rick's strong grip. He finally relented, placing my feet back on the ground and wrapping an arm over my shoulder, using me as a leaning post. "We've done a pretty good job here, boys," Rick said as he admired our morning's work. Between the three of us, we'd cleared a good 6-meter squared section.
"I think it's time we broke for lunch," Rick suggested.
"Sounds good to me. I just wanna get that last root," I stated, reaching down to snatch up the claw hammer, hooking it beneath the thick root. Try as I might, the root wouldn't budge, so I used both hands and pulled back with the whole weight of my body.
"Careful, Jacki--fuckin' hell!" Rick laughed as he covered his head with his hands.
Several things happened in very close succession. The root snapped in two, sending me onto my arse and soil flying into Aaron's face. Not to mention the hammer sailing through the air and missing Rick by mere inches.
"Sorry," I giggled, pushing myself to my feet, my face already scarlet. Aaron was wiping soil from his face as he and Rick clutched at each other's shoulders, howling with laughter.
I was about to object to being made fun of but was pulled into a three-way cuddle. "Don't worry, Jackie, we've all been there," Rick smiled as he kissed my forehead.
I returned the smile and rested my face against Rick's shoulder, snaking a hand up Aaron's back and pulling them both close, loving the feeling of two handsome men so near. "Anyway... you said something about lunch?" I whispered.
(Rick)
"Seeing as we're on a roll, maybe we should sort out of all this stuff this afternoon?" I called out after lunch as I walked towards the tarp-covered pile of items salvaged from the boat. "It's been weeks since I stored it all there, and now I can't even remember if any of it will come in handy."
Sorting through my hoard, salvaged from the boat, took most of the afternoon. Not that any of us minded; it was like a treasure hunt. More than once, Jack scolded me for not doing this sooner. "I mean, this is literally a battery pack, Rick... it could be useful!"
"For what? We're on an island," I laughed sarcastically.
"Erm, this!" Jack said, triumphantly holding up an alarm clock. Aaron burst out laughing, giving Jack time to rummage around and grab a small stereo. "Or this, a bit of music in the evenings? Oh, and you have a shaver!"
"Okay, Jack, you've got a point there. I concede, I should have thought about it."
"Yes," Jack smiled, his eyes twinkling. "Anything else lying around that might be useful?"
"Well, I dunno if it's useful, but there's a handgun in one of my cases," I said casually, watching their reactions closely.
"A gun?" Jack squeaked, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Do you know how to use it?" Aaron asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Well, yeah. My dad was an arsehole, but at least he taught me to fish and shoot," I said, noticing Jacks discomfort. I stepped up behind him, wrapping my arms around him. "I don't use it, but it's good to have, just in case I ever need to protect us."
Jack leaned into the hug, but I could feel the tension in his body. "I guess it's good to have; they just make me nervous," he admitted.
I held him a little tighter, feeling a pang of guilt. There was so much they didn't know about me, about my past. I had something important to tell them, but seeing Jack's reaction made me hesitate. Maybe it wasn't a good idea. Maybe they wouldn't like the real me.
We worked through the hoard, separating it into three piles: burn, put back under the tarp, and keep inside the hut to stay dry. Under the tarp went the tools, wood, and tinned food. The hut became a refuge for two radios, the battery pack, toiletries, several bottles of alcohol, and a pair of scissors. Pots, pans, and knives were piled against one of the open doors to the hut, with plans to hang them up later.
"Jack, you'll have to cut my hair soon, now we have scissors," Aaron said, running his fingers through his messy ginger locks.
"I could have done it with my hair clippers," I said with a grin.
"Not everyone can pull off close-cropped hair and still look as sexy as you, Rick," replied Jack, his eyes sparkling.
"Let's go and wash. I stink," I suggested, feeling the grime of the day's work clinging to my skin.
(Jack)
After finishing our evening meal that night, we sat around the unlit fire, stripping off our vests and continuing to talk. I slid from the log I was sitting on and came to rest on the floor in front of Rick, settling my head in his lap. I then stretched my legs, placing my bare feet in Aaron's lap.
Rick unconsciously adjusted himself to make me more comfortable, opening his legs wider so that my head settled at the base of his stomach. Aaron took hold of my feet and began to squeeze them, digging his fingers into the soles, gaining a mumble of approval from me. I closed my eyes and brought my hands up to settle them behind my head.
"It'll be great once we're growing our own food. We can't rely on the food from the boat forever," I said, feeling relaxed.
"Well, hopefully with that net you made, we'll catch fish on this side of the island too," Aaron added.
"I'm looking forward to turning this into a happy little home, we'll need to add on to the structure you built, Rick," I continued.
"Yeah. We're going to need to strengthen the roof too, in case we have another storm like the last one," he agreed.