Neutral Ground

Title: House of Cards
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Jack is faced with a decision...

Kitten...Sorry about the wait darlin'. Hope this makes up for it. PS...I-love-you-too?



Jack watched the rise and fall of Clay's shoulders as he slept. It was such a simple act, breathing; yet Jack couldn't help but be mesmerized by the steady rhythmic motion. He lightly ran a finger tip over his lips, almost afraid that he would lose the memory of Clay's mouth on his. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in the memory of Clay's touch.
Jack was so focused on his thoughts that the feel of fingers gripping his sleeve caused him to jump in surprise. Clay looked back over his shoulder at the other boy with a casual grin.

"Scare ya?"

Jack watched those incredible blue eyes dance with mirth in the natural light. He eased his sleeve from Clay's grip and shook his head.

"Thought you were tired." He murmured.

There was a rumbling chuckle from the blonde and Jack felt it ripple through his entire body. His eyelids fluttered and he gave into the shudder that ate at his exposed nerves. By this time Clay had straightened into a seated position and was sweeping a lazy gaze over the boy. A wave of self-consciousness gripped Jack and he curled up tighter into himself. A frown contorted the cowboy's features and he gave an exasperated sigh. He reached over and ran his fingers through the careless locks shielding Jack's face.

"Ah wish ya wouldn't do that."

A temperate finger traced the contours of a sharp cheekbone and Jack bit his lower lip. The feel of such a gentle touch was just so alien to the pale teen genius. Even when Chase tried not to be harsh, it still felt to Jack like he was being mauled. His own parents barely acknowledged his existence, never mind them trying to be loving. Ironic then how such a reverent caress should come from someone who was supposed to be a mortal enemy.
Jack was pulled from his bitter musings by Clay urging him forward. On hands and knees he crawled until he was kneeling right beside the larger boy. Clay lay down on the mat and lifted his arm, beckoning the gangly youth into his embrace. Jack complied eagerly and nearly dove into the waiting arms. Clay grunted at the sudden contact and Jack cringed.
He was all set to start apologizing until he felt those wonderfully warm arms close around him. His eyelids sank shut and he snuggled down as far as he could go. A tired snicker shook him a bit and Jack moaned indignantly. There was a heart beat of silence before a Texan drawl could be heard asking.

"Kinda a brat when yer tired, aint ya?"

A growl was all Clay got in response so he just let the boy be. Instead, he occupied himself with studying the other boy's face lit by the faint glimmer of dawn's light. He waited until he felt Jack's breathing even out in slumber before he let himself slip off.
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The morning had burned long ago and Jack woke up alone but still cocooned in Clay's lingering warmth. It was like the Texan's body heat was contagious and infected anything he came in contact with. Although at the moment, Jack wasn't feeling too abject about it. He was preparing to settle back into sleep when a sharp gasp quickly lifted his fog of slumber.
He scrambled to a sitting position and saw Kimiko staring straight at him with her eyes bulging. There was a small electronic device in her hands. Jack crinkled his nose as he thought of how the girl practically lived off of her technology. Course, that was a big case of the pot ragging on the kettle for being black.
The two stared at each other for a few more seconds before Kimiko clutched her trinket to her chest and briskly walked away. Jack raised a brow in confusion but shook it off. He would never understand females. A sudden buzz from his back pack caught his attention and he quickly dove to answer his com-device.
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In the courtyard, Raimundo, Omi and Clay were spread out focusing on warm-ups. Rai smirked and called out to a newly arriving Kimiko.

"Hey, look who decided to show up. I thought it was my job to be the one everybody waited for."

Kimiko ignored Rai and hurried over to where Clay was concentrating his energy on getting centered. She stuffed her gadget in a pocket of her robes and folded her arms in front of her. Clay continued his exercises until he could no longer ignore her heated stare. With a sigh he cracked an eyelid and fell into a relaxed stance.

"Mornin' Kimi."

The raven haired fire monk rolled her eyes. "Yeah, can I ask you a question Clay?"

The cowboy shrugged. "Don't see why not."

By now, Omi and Rai had become curious and began to drift closer to listen to the conversation. Kimiko placed a hand on her hip and thrust it out to the side.

"What was Jack doing sleeping in your bed roll?"

Omi's jaw nearly dropped to the ground and Rai's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates.

"He was in your room?! Dude, what's that about?"

Clay cast a glance at his fellow monks. "Jus' like ya said Kimiko. Sleepin'. Everybody does it."

"Ok, why are you being so cool about this? The guy has been the biggest pain in our butts and now you just let him sleep with you like it's nothing?" Kimiko shrieked.

Clay rolled his shoulders. "Ah aint gotta explain nothin' ta ya Kimiko. "Bout high time ya kept yer nose outta things that'r none a yer business ta start with."

The Texan's voice had dropped to a dangerous level and Rai was quick to start backing off. Omi was too stunned to move while Kimiko refused to take the hint. She narrowed her eyes and gave a sharp snort.

"When did Jack suddenly become your business?"

Clay gritted his teeth and tightened his fists until his knuckles cracked from the pressure. Raimundo could clearly see the darkness descend over his friend's powder blues and he knew things were fixing to turn ugly. How much longer until that happened was still an open bet but he knew it wouldn't be wise to wait for the pay out. As nonchalantly as he could muster, Rai sauntered up between the two elemental warriors and raised his hands.

"Come on you guys. Master Fung finds out we didn't finish practice, we'll be stuck out here all day. I don't know about you, but there's other things I'd rather waste my time on."

"Oh yes, Master Fung would be most displeased that we squandered valuable training time." Omi perked.

Seemed the smallest monk had snapped out of his trance. Clay took a deep breath and turned his back to the group to resume his exercises. Kimiko huffed and stormed off, muttering under her breath. There was a relieved sigh from the Brazillian and he slowly began again his stretching.
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Jack groaned as he wandered aimlessly through the halls of the Xiaolin temple. His stomach was in cold knots after his most recent conversation with Chase.

A royal ass-reaming was more like it. He thought grimly. For someone who's been alive a few thousand years, he can be really impatient. Then again, it's not like he was mad for no reason. Everything is going so slow.

Jack felt a blanket of meloncholy settle on him. He had been given a timeline of when the events were supposed to take place. There was no possible grace period. Jack clutched his cramping stomach muscles and bit at his lip until the familiar taste of blood cleared his senses. With an inborn curiousity, he tongued the open wound as his mind wound through all the memories its presence conjoured.
The first was always about his virgin experience with Chase. He could still recall the copper essence on the sheets as he lay in a pool of his own blood. There was the memory of pained cries and shameless pleading. Anything to make the pain stop. Chase had told him the first time was never meant to be sweet. Apparently the same was true for any time after as well.

Jack could feel the beginnings of a headache building behind his eyes and he stopped to rummage through his trusted back pack. After some memorized searching, he was successful and pulled out a small container. He cast a nervous glance about him and quickly determined that he was alone. He popped the top and shook out a few odd pills. These were quickly swallowed dry before he tossed the bottle back into his bag.
As Jack was zipping it up he heard the sound of someone clearing their throat from behind. A small squeak was uttered before he whirled around to face the intruder. Master Fung stood a few feet away with a soft expression on his face.

"Ah, good afternoon young Spicer. I do hope you slept well?"

Jack glanced about before answering. "Yes, thank you. I slept fine."

He tightened the grip on his bag and waited for the elder man to speak.

"I was wondering if you would like to join the monks for lunch? They will be on their break soon and I know you were not at breakfast. It is not wise to go for so long without nourishment."

Jack swallowed hard and shuffled backwards until he was against the wall.

"I-I dont know. I get the feeling that I'm not...exactly....welcome, here."

The monk merely smiled. "It is just an open invitation. If you would prefer I could have Dojo bring you something."

Jack had begun sliding slowly away from the man, his bag still clutched close to him. His eyes darted nervously around the hall, like he was waiting for someone to leap out of the shadows.

"I'm not really hungry, right now. Maybe later."

Master Fung regarded the boy's obvious discomfort with a tempered smile.

"Of course, but not much later I hope."

Jack turned to answer but was only met with empty space. A cold chill ran up his spine and he crouched down against a wall. He would never get used to people moving without a sound. Chase did it all the time and it always made Jack edgy. Speaking of Chase, he had a mission to complete. The sooner this thing was over the better, except of course for the xiaolin warriors.
Suddenly, Jack felt a strange pull in his stomach as the memory of waking up wrapped in Clay's earthy aroma came back. The soft rumble of the cowboy's voice like some distant earthquake still managed to demand a quiver from Jack's slender frame. He closed his eyes as the pills began their run through his system. Everything faded around him and for the first time since waking, Jack felt relaxed. Why couldn't he stay here forever?
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Hours later, Jack stood on a small hill just outside the walls of the temple. A twisted tree towered over him with its limbs and leaves bending down to sweep the air above his head. Jack sighed and wrapped his arms around himself as he swayed gently to a tune only he could hear. Four words repeated over and over in his ears.
Hypocrite. Lunatic. Fanatic. Heretic.

These words became a mantra in his head as he continued to gyrate in the open air. Images of sun-kissed blonde hair, swollen muscles; eyes the color of open waters in a raging storm and hands so calloused that each touch felt like it was scraping away layers flew in front of his vision. Jack's knees gave way from the onslaught of phantom sensations and the boy collapsed onto the cooling grass.
A quiet boom shuddered through the air around his ears and his teeth chattered in response to the buzz running underneath his skin from the sound. It grew louder and before long it took the form of a voice, calmly reciting his name. Sluggishly, Jack forced his eyelids apart so he could get a look at the owner of the vocalism. A thumb brushed across his half-opened eyes and Jack was able to recognize it instantly.
The young inventor jerked upwards and his forehead came into abrupt contact with Clay's chin. The blonde gave grunt of pain and Jack was thrown aback slightly. Thanks to the opiates in his blood he hadn't felt anything besides a faint pressure. Out of reflex he rubbed the spot on his head and looked sheepishly at Clay.

"Sorry, scared me." Why did his voice sound so far away?

The cowboy chuckled as he soothed the ache in his jaw. "Nah harm done. Kinda comes with tha terra-tory of bein' a Xiaolin warrior. Take a lotta beatin's."

Clay settled down next to Jack on the ground and sighed to release the tension in his body. Jack brought up his knees and rested his chin on top of them, tilting his head as he regarded the other boy. Clay felt himself being watched and after a minute cast a glance at the pale youth nestled at his side.

"Somethin' on yah mind?"

Jack blushed and cast his eyes to the ground. Then he remembered something Clay had said before and he quickly brought his eyes back to the earth dragon's face. Clay smiled as he noticed the effort Jack was taking to be more open. Spicer felt a thrill at the approval Clay held in his gaze and knowing he was the cause of it. Jack pulled his lower lip into his mouth and he untangled his coltish legs so they were sprawled along the ground with his palms flat in front of his body.
A dark cloud rolled into Clay's eyes as he took in the sight Jack was presenting to him. A swell of long forgotten emotions filled his chest until he had to fight for every breath he took. Faster than either boy could blink, Clay had rolled and was now hovered just above Jack's form. The slight body beneath him shivered as raw power poured from every nuance of his posture. Jack was feeling intoxicated from the heady potency of Clay's heat. He arched up helplessly, begging for more contact with a tight whimper.

Clay's growl ripped right through him as a heavy torso pressed down and trapped his trembling frame against the ground. Jack moaned pathetically and his legs drifted up to wrap around Clay's thick waist. The cowboy sighed and brushed his lips against the nearly translucent skin of Jack's throat. His fingers treaded reverently through the bright red mess of hair before tightening to a fist and urging the boy's head back.
Jack offered no resistance and instead made a small sound of acceptance. Clay clenched his jaw and tentatively applied more pressure to Spicer's groin. This earned him a loud gasp and Jack jerked hard. The smoldering embers of the other boy's gaze blazed fiercely and Clay felt hard fingers dig into his bicep. He dropped to his elbows as his hips began to grind firmly into the pliant body underneath him.
Jack's head snapped back and he mewled while his pelvis drove upwards for more sensation. He rolled his head from side to side and panted, clawing at Clay desperately. He had no idea what he was asking for but he knew he never wanted this to end. He lifted his head to look directly at the larger boy.

"M-more..."

Clay's tongue darted out to wet his lips and Jack took advantage by surging forward and capturing the slick muscle between his teeth. He sucked the wet flesh into his mouth which had Clay groaning aloud. Jack's legs tightened their hold on the cowboy's hips and his hands drifted up to clamp down on the sinewy muscle at the back of Clay's neck.
Jack felt a tremor travel along the ground which soon grew to an audible roar. He broke their kiss and looked around to see the earth splitting all around him. Huge cracks tore open like vicious war wounds and the ground screamed in protest. Panic hit and Jack pushed at the weighty body that had him pinned. Clay came out of his lustful stupor and noticed the havoc happening around him. His eyes drifted closed and he concentrated his energy.

The rumbling stopped suddenly and the land healed together like nothing had happened. Jack watched with a mixture of fear and overwhelming awe as the realization of his responsiblity for what had occurred dawned. He cast a timid glance up at the other boy and gasped at the combination of pain and exhaustion etched so plainly on those hard features. A deep feeling of guilt settled over Jack and he averted his gaze.
A gentle nudge on his cheek forced Jack to return his eyes back to Clay's face. There was amusement dancing over the bright eyes which helped to soothe Jack immensely.

"What'd I tell yah 'bout that?"

Jack tried his best to form a pout but found it difficult due to the smile that kept breaking out on his face. Clay chuckled and rolled off Jack onto his back. The red head followed and rested his head on the monk's forearm which was draped across his stomach.

"Why does that keep happening? I mean; one minute we're talking, the next we're all over each other. Do we always do this?"

The fair-skinned teen couldn't help the blush that crept across his face. Clay furrowed his brow and shrugged.

"Yer guess is as good as mine. Can't really seem tah help mahself around yah."

A look of surprise lit Jack's face. "Really?" He asked with no small amount of amazement.

Clay gave him one of his "are you serious" looks and shook his head. "Ya gotta stop sellin' yerself short Jack. Why is it so hard tah think that someone might find yah attractive?"

Jack gawked and opened his mouth to speak but clamped it shut when he couldn't think of anything clever to say. Clay strained his neck to look down at the boy and cocked an eyebrow in amusement.

"No quick words'a wit?"

The answer Clay got was a sly pink tongue darting out past swollen red lips to greet him. There was a small surge of something inside his body and all the humor left his eyes to be replaced with a hungry glimmer.

Jack noticed the change right away and swallowed hard. Instead of backing away like he normally would, Jack began to crawl on top of Clay. The cowboy relaxed against the ground as his hands drifted lazily over the other boy's back. Jack bit his lip and shuddered, pressing his forehead against Clay's cheek.
The blonde gently tilted his head to grant the red head access to his neck. Not wanting to be rude, Jack eagerly accepted the invite and pressed his warm mouth against Clay's pulse point. A shakey grunt sounded the teen's encouragement and Jack boldly lapped at the taunt column of flesh. Firm hands grasped Jack's ass in a death grip and a loud, almost obscene moan rolled from Clay's chest.
The sound served to drive Jack a little bit of crazy and he started pushing at Clay's robes, wanting desperately to feel bare skin. The Texan gathered most of his scattered wits to lean up far enough so he could assist Spicer. The instant the opening parted, Jack dove in with his fingers and traced a path over the twitching muscles of Clay's chest.
God, but the cowpoke was perfect. All that farmwork and now his monk training had helped to sculpt the most divine form Jack had ever seen. He felt so sickly in comparison. Reverently, he traced the edge of each pectoral and then down the middle. His fingers fanned out when he reached the guy's abs as he tried to memorize every dip and swell. A quick glance up to Clay's face showed that the boy had his eyes closed and he was concentrating on trying to breath.

A smile formed on Jack's face as he picked up the trail of his fingers with his mouth. Clay gave a hard jerk when the shock of a hot mouth on his skin hit. Jack dragged his lips over the shivering abdominal muscles until the abrupt edge of Clay's pants impeded his descent. A pinprick of fear stuck the boy's spine when he noticed the sizeable swell of the Texan's breeches. So, the saying about things being bigger in Texas was true? Really only one way to find out.
Jack's tried to ignore the slight trembling of his hands as he grasped the edge of Clay's bottoms and slowly rolled them down. Amusement registered a split second later when he noticed the cowboy's lack of underwear. His eyes followed the light dusting of hair on Clay's belly as it widened abruptly underneath his pants. Jack's eyes went wide and he had to fight to keep his jaw from hanging open. While the monk wasn't necessarily huge, he was quite ample. The width almost directly reflected the guy's build, it was close to the size of a soda can.
Spicer sucked his lower lip into his mouth and ran a curious finger down the firm length. A strained groan caught the pale teen's attention and he flicked his gaze up with a gasp escaping him. Clay was looking down at him intently with an intense gleam in his eye. His breath was coming in pants through tightly clenched teeth and there was an obvious tic in his jaw from the pressure. A sudden spike of heat hit Jack's gut and quckly spread to the rest of his body. Not needing any further provocation, the boy wrapped his hand around the standing flesh and began a steady rhythm.
A loud drawn-out sound between a sigh and a moan erupted from Clay. His head fell back with a thump against the ground. Encouraged by the cowboy's reaction, Jack settled himself between the outstretched legs before bowing down and running his tongue teasingly over the swollen tip.

"Damn."

Clay spasmed violently and his head snapped back up to watch what Jack was doing. Those bright red eyes rolled up to meet his and a mischevious smile played across the puffy lips. A pale, pink tongue flicked out again and ran up the underside of his erection. His hands shot out and tangled themselves in Jack's fine auburn hair.
Jack continued to swirl his tongue over the silken skin. He noticed the earthy; what he'd come to think of as "Clay" smell, was stronger down here and included a subtle hint of soap. Clay must have showered recently. The brush of knuckles across the curve of his cheek brought the inventor's attention back to Clay's face.

"Jack..."

The blonde's features were contorted into something akin to pain. Jack felt a stab of pity for the larger boy and finally parted his lips and took Clay's throbbing phallus into his mouth. The salty tinge of precum blossomed over his tongue and caused him to moan softly around the dick in his mouth. Clay gasped and thrust up slightly in reaction to the vibrations.
Jack let his eyes close before slowly swallowing the monk's twitching member down his throat. He had learned long ago how to supress his gag reflex, letting him deep throat with unnatural ease. The fingers in his hair tightened their grip almost to the point of pain. Jack took the hint and began bobbing his head quickly. A steady stream of precum trickled down his throat and he swallowed greedily. His fingers lazily traced the twitching muscles of Clay's thighs.

Without warning, Jack felt himself being propelled backwards and he hit the ground with a sharp exhale of breath. A bit disoriented, the pale teen shook his head and looked around to try and locate Clay. Before he could pull himself together, Jack felt strong hands pull him into a seated position and lift him up until he was straddling Clay's thighs. His head was brought down and hard, hot lips met his in a mind jolting kiss. On reflex, Jack grabbed at the Texan's knotted shoulders and tilted his head to allow the guy more access.
A smooth tongue twisted around his, exploring his mouth in an almost desperate manner. He could feel Clay's rigid cock, still slick with his saliva, pressed into his backside. An intense hunger hit Jack so abruptly that his head began to spin. He pushed insistantly against Clay's chest until the monk broke the kiss and backed off. Jack knelt up and quickly positioned himself over Clay's weeping shaft. The earth dragon read Jack's intent and grabbed the boy's hips to hold him still.

"Wait, ya don't..."

Jack narrowed his eyes before forcing himself down, impaling his slender body on Clay's prick. Tears sprung to his eyes and he screamed from the overwhelming combination of pain and pleasure. A hand clamped over his mouth to muffle the sound. He forced his eyes open and look down at the top of Clay's head. The other boy had his forehead resting against the hand that covered his mouth. His shoulders heaved as he gulped in air.
After a moment Clay raised his head and looked directly into Jack's eyes. A hand still at Spicer's waist held him firmly in place. The boy attempted to squirm so he could acheive more stimulation but the grip prevented him from doing so.

"Tol' ya ah wasn't gonna hurt ya an' ah meant it." Clay rumbled in a strained voice.

As gently as he could manage, the monk lowered Jack down to the ground and hovered over him. Jack's legs drifted up and wrapped loosely around the other boy's hips. Jack let out his breath in a rush when Clay finally pulled his hand away.

"Clay."

The blonde shushed him softly and began slowly grinding against him. A small squeak forced its way past his throat and he turned his head to the side. He could feel his own erection smearing a trail of precum on his flat belly from where it lay trapped between their bodies. Jack whimpered and looked back to Clay pleadingly. The other boy seemed to understand and leisurely pulled out nearly all the way before thrusting back in.
The tip struck something inside Jack and he cried out wordlessly. Lights went off in front of his eyes and his breath became trapped in his throat. Another firm thrust helped to dislodge it and it whooshed out in the form of a guttural moan. Clay took this as a good sign and increased his tempo in steady increments.
Jack felt like he was going insane. He had never felt anything like this when he was with Chase. Every thrust seemed to send shockwaves through his body. He let out a breathy whine and dug his blunt nails into the muscles of Clay's back.

"P-please....harder."

The cowboy growled softly and moved to do as Jack asked. He placed his hands on Jack's shoulders and slammed his hips forward mercilessly. The fair-skinned teen arched his back sharply and screamed.

"YES! Oh, GOD Clay..."

The monk grunted and began a brutal pace. The piercing slap of skin on skin carried on the light breeze before disappearing a short distance later. Jack's head whipped back and forth and a passionate torrent of swear words tumbled from his lips. He begged, pleaded and cried out encouragement to his former rival. His bruising passage spasmed viciously around the thick cock pounding into his body.
A harsh groan sounded from the monk which Jack barely registered before he felt a warm, calloused hand close around his aching need. Jack's nails bit into the hard flesh on Clay's back, drawing blood. The blonde hardly seemed to notice as he swept his thumb over Jack's dribbling crown. Jack sobbed helplessly, tears running freely down his face from the sheer multitude of sensations and emotion.
Clay felt a tightening in his chest from the sight and he dipped his head down to press his lips against the wet treks on the redhead's cheeks. This caused Spicer to weep even harder and Clay slowed down his frantic pace. He took his time; alternating between deep, filling thrusts and quick shallow ones. Jack had no idea what to think. He bit at his lower lip and panted softly. An invisible coil was drawing tighter in his stomach with each loving graze over his prostate.
His eyes focused on Clay as the pressure became too much. He clung to the broad body as huge waves of ecstacy smashed into him. The breath was forced from his lungs and his entire body went ridged. One last thrust and Clay too succumbed to his own orgasm. Jack felt the monk's release fill him and ease the burning ache. With a final shudder, the pallid youth relaxed against the soft grass. A comforting weight pressed into him from above and he sighed.

"Thank you..."
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Jack next awoke to an irritating buzz coming from somewhere. He opened his heavy eyelids and saw that he was back in the temple, in Clay's quarters. He didn't remember having gotten here so he assumed Clay was responsible. He couldn't stop the smile that formed on his lips as he looked back over his shoulders to the sleeping monk.
Another buzz snapped him from his reverie and he realized the sound was coming from the communicator in his pants. A surge of panic hit him when he remembered that Chase was expecting his call. The man was going to be furious when he found out Jack had come up with nothing. With shaking hands, Jack reached for his com-link -and stopped.
He listened briefly to the light snoring coming from the boy behind him and felt a lump form in his throat. The guy was supposed to be his sworn enemy but ever since their incident from what seemed like ages ago, Clay had shown him nothing but kindness. Even in battle, the guy's insults towards him had seemed half-hearted. Then, after tonight...
Jack squeezed his eyes shut and slowly pulled his hand back. He had no clue what the consequences were going to be for this, but he knew this had to stop. Quietly, he turned his back to the rattling communicator and snuggled up against the solid wall of Clay's back. He listened until the device finally silenced before letting his eyes drift shut.