Of Fallen Queens
Title: Of Fallen Queens
Characters: Sawyer, Hurley
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Through 4.04 “Eggtown”
Disclaimer: Not mine.
lostsquee luau: For aboutbunnies, who requested Sawyer & Hurley.
“Dude, what are you doin’ up?”
Sawyer jumps half a mile, nearly spitting out the beer he’d just tipped into his mouth.
“God damn, Hugo! You tryin’ to kill me?” Sawyer exclaims, reaching out to flick on the kitchen light. He glares at Hurley as his heart settles back into his chest.
“Sorry dude.” Hurley mumbles and looks at Sawyer with the tentative question still lingering in his eyes.
“What the hell’re you doin’, sitting out here alone in the dark?”
Hurley shrugs.
“I couldn’t sleep. Is that why you’re up?”
Sawyer doesn’t reply. He walks into the dim living room and sits on the opposite end of the couch from Hurley, leaning back into the soft pillows and propping one leg up on the coffee table. He cradles his beer in his palm and belatedly thinks to be considerate.
“You want one?”
“Uh, no thanks.” Hurley fidgets with the edge of his shirt, red fabric between his fingers, and sneaks another look at Sawyer. “Did Kate leave?”
Sawyer looks around the room.
“Do you see her here?” Sawyer laughs a little to try to take the edge off his words, but it doesn’t work. Hurley frowns, chewing on his bottom lip.
“Sorry, Sawyer. That sucks.”
“It don’t matter,” he mumbles and takes another drink.
“Is that why you can’t sleep?” Hugo sounds exactly like he’s seizing every opportunity he can to press the issue and Sawyer can hear it in his voice that he’s not going to give this up.
“Hugo, is there something you wanna talk about?” Sawyer asks directly. Hurley shakes his head no and looks away, inching forward to the edge of the couch cushion to grab the television remote from the coffee table.
“No, naw man. Just makin’ conversation.”
“Okay there, Chatty Kathy.”
“Wanna watch something? We could finish Xanadu.”
“As fun as that sounds…” Sawyer makes to get up.
“We could play chess?”
“How about I go read and try ‘n get back to sleep?”
“Oh. Yeah. That’s cool.” Hurley nods, deflated. Sawyer sighs.
“Chess it is then.”
Hurley scrambles from the couch with as much grace and ease as an excited toddler trying to get a toy and sets the board out on the coffee table.
“I’m white. I’m always white.” Hurley tells Sawyer as he sets up the pieces, daring Sawyer to challenge him. Sawyer just grins, sits back with a shrug.
“Sure thing, Hugo. Is this like ping-pong? You a champ at this too?”
“No. I just played sometimes,” Hurley replies quietly. “With my Grandpa Tito. He was good.”
“Well, no matter what you say, I ain’t trustin’ you further than I can throw ya.”
“Dude, that wouldn’t be very far.” Hurley jokes and Sawyer raises his eyebrows, smiling into another sip of his beer.
“You know, Hugo, you ain’t half bad,” Sawyer states and Hurley cracks a genuine grin, chuckling.
“I think that might be the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” He finishes setting up his side of the board and starts doing Sawyer’s, since Sawyer has made no move to do so.
“Yeah, well.” Sawyer leaves it at that.
“You’re not half bad yourself, Sawyer.”
“Hey now, Frisky, we’re just roommates. Don’t go gettin’ any ideas,” Sawyer teases and Hurley rolls his eyes.
“Don’t think Kate would much like my moving in on her territory,” Hurley retorts.
“I ain’t nobody’s territory. And she sure as hell ain’t mine.”
Hurley sits in silence and waits, looking at Sawyer expectantly. Sawyer rolls his eyes.
“What? I’m not gonna talk about it, if that’s what you’re waitin’ for, Dr. Phil.”
“Okay. Just, if you wanted to…I’m a good listener. I mean-“
“Hurley, don’t even-“
“Fine.” Hurley sighs and averts his gaze to the chalkboard. “I miss Libby.”
“What?” Sawyer seems puzzled by the non-sequitor.
“I miss her. Like, all the time, man. So I know how it is.”
Sawyer stares at Hurley for a moment, thoughts tumbling in his head. Finally he lets his shoulders slump, his face falling in shadow.
“It ain’t the same thing.”
“What, you think I can’t understand if you’re sad about Kate leaving?”
“Hugo.” Sawyer says seriously, voice low and flat. “Kate may off runnin’ around with Doc, but she’s still alive.” He takes a breath, brings his beer to his lips readying to drink. “You got it worse. I ain’t gonna compare myself to you.”
“Oh.”
The room falls silent and Hurley eyes the board, biting his lower lip, his hands fumbling with the hem of his shirt again. He waits as Sawyer drinks and then coughs, gesturing to Sawyer’s side of the board.
“Your move dude.”