Story [LOST] Inside the Lines (Jacob & Esau)

Title: Inside the Lines
Author: dark_jedi_lover
Fandom: LOST
Characters: Jacob, Esau(Man in Black)
Summary: Jacob decides it's high time for a visit. (Spoilers for The Substitute)
Notes: I've been posting lots of Lost fic over at LiveJournal, and only just remembered that JCF had a Non-Star Wars forum. So I thought I'd post one of my faves.


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Jacob steps lightly over the ring of ash, and without knocking, pushes open the rotting cabin door. What little light can get through the smudged window reveals Esau at the table, hovering over a notebook. "Good morning," Jacob says cheerfully, peering down to get a look at the lined page.

Esau squints and doesn't reply, moving the pencil carefully along the paper, as if the scribbled airplane and two stick figures are a great work of art.

Jacob's gaze roams about the cabin, which doesn't look any different than it did the day he left him here. "I see you kept the dog painting."

"He keeps me company," Esau mumbles.

Jacob chews on his lip, wondering if the two of them had missed each other after all, then dismisses the thought as ridiculous. "Know what day it is?"

He finally looks up, and sets down the pencil. "Of course I know what day it is," he says, leaning back in the chair and crossing his arms.

"Well," Jacob says, curious at the lack of hostility in his answer. "I brought you a present."

Esau actually smiles. "Did you really?"

Jacob grins back. Had the time spent in solitude done Esau that much good? He reaches into his bag and pulls out a box of crayons, snatched from a tent on the beach while the inhabitant was out. "They're a bit mangled from the heat, but I thought you could use them."

"What a coincidence. I got you the same thing."

"Oh?" Jacob scrunches his eyebrows together as Esau gets up and rifles through the old trunk. He brings out a small pouch, and trades Jacob for the box. Jacob spills the contents into his hand. Of course, he groans inwardly. Chalk.

"I think that should come in handy." Esau smirks as he returns to his chair.

"And why is that?" Jacob asks, trying to force a neutral expression on his face, and failing miserably.

Esau doesn't hide his enjoyment over Jacob's apprehension. "Oh, no reason." He opens the box and takes out a crayon, deformed and bright red. "Thank you, by the way. This is exactly what I needed to finish my drawing." He makes a large X across one of his stick people.

He tears the page from the notebook, studies the picture with a satisfied Mh-hm, and heads for the cabin door.

Confused, Jacob follows him outside, where he stops a foot away from the ash circle. Esau takes a book of matches out of his pocket and kneels in the dirt.

"Where did you--?" Jacob starts to ask, but falls silent when Esau strikes a match and holds it to a corner of his paper. Together they watch as the plane and two little people go up in flames.

Esau winces as he brushes the black dust from his hands, then smiles up at Jacob, his eyes shining victoriously. "Happy birthday, Jacob."

For the first time since he locked Esau away, Jacob feels worried. "Same to you."

 

Creepy but awesome! Love the interaction between the two.