The Little Things in Life
Summary: One Sentence challenge format that follows Sawyer and Juliet through their Dharma Days.
Authors Note: Reading teh-sara's piece 'Subject/Predicate' I was inspired to try my hand at the challenge as well. To make it a little different however, while I used the same words in the same order, the sentences that are products of those words will stay in order of the development of the James/Juliet relationship and their time in Dharmaville. Just thought it'd change the challenge a little bit and not make it so I'm copying teh-sara so much (even though I totally am!) teh-sara please forgive me!! I hope everyone enjoys my rendition of this 1sentence challenge! (and yes most of them are more than one sentence long…I guess I suck at following challenge directions!)
1 Through 25
Walking –Sawyer didn't know how long they had sat in silence, but he liked that he could sit next to her without always having to worry about coming up with something to say. "You ready to go?" he finally asked. "Just a little bit longer." She replied. His footsteps echoed off the water as he walked down the dock back to the shore, and as she watched him retreat, she wondered just exactly what it was that made her decide to stay.
Waltz – Five grown-ups sharing two bedrooms and one bathroom became an intricate dance—one that Sawyer definitely did not know the steps to. On their third day, Juliet made a schedule and they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Wishes – She knows that Daniel wishes things could have been different for Charlotte, and she wonders what he's thinking when he watches the little redhead on the playground. Sitting next to him underneath the shady trees, she absently squeezes his shoulder and gives him a smile. "Thanks Juliet." He replies.
Wonder –Juliet couldn't sleep. As she took an early walk along the beach she was struck by the wonder and awe of the first rays of the sun as they stretched higher and further to kiss the choppy water, the grainy sand and the breezy trees. For over three years she had been held prisoner on this island, been held against her will. But now that she chose to stay here, it was like seeing it again for the first time through new eyes. She has forgotten how beautiful the island could be.
Worry - "Don't worry, I'll be fine." Daniel said as they crowded on the dock to say goodbye. Juliet was glad he was leaving the island; he needed to get away from all of the memories. But she hoped he'd be okay in the 'real world.'
Whimsy – Sawyer always waited till the last minute to get out of bed. The past two days Juliet had observed him as he'd dashed into the kitchen, stolen a cup of coffee, and promptly headed for the door. She and Jin were sitting at the table, waiting for his entrance. As Sawyer entered the kitchen, he noticed the pot of coffee was empty, yet Jin and Juliet were enjoying nice, steamy mugs of it. "What none for me?" He growled. "Get your own red-neck" Jin deadpanned. Once the surprise left his face Sawyer quickly glanced over at Juliet who was working hard to suppress her laughter. He lunged at her, making her quickly hop out of her seat, but at her retreat he simply swooped in and grabbed her coffee. "Redneck my ass." He muttered as he took her coffee and walked out the door.
Waste/Wasteland – Miles, Sawyer and Jin were searching grid seven. About a half an hour earlier Miles had started complaining about the heat. Dragging his feet, he clearly displayed the fact that he didn't want to be out there. "Stop wastin' time." Sawyer yelled at him. "We only have five days left before the next sub comes in." Miles stared at him for a second, and then backing down, picked up the pace.
Whiskey and Rum – A rowdy game of cards ensued, the boys were drinking whiskey and rum but Juliet stuck with a glass of merlot. She watched from the sidelines, only paying half attention to her book. She laughed when she thought about the fact that they didn't even ask her to play. After the ass-whopping they'd received two days earlier, she wasn't surprised though.
War – A war was raging within him. Horace had given him the news not ten minutes earlier that he and his crew were welcome to stay on the island…welcome to become part of the Dharma Initiative. He didn't know why but he was afraid to ask her. It'd taken all the courage he could muster to ask her to stay the first time, and while he could admit to himself there was something inside him that needed her to be there, he didn't have the heart to keep her where she didn't want to be any longer.
Weddings – She knew that they had been invited to stay—she found out when she ran into Amy earlier that day. As he walked in the door, the look in his eyes told her that even though he wanted to ask her to stay, he wouldn't. She wondered why. Later that night she thought about her life. Her wedding and subsequent divorce to Edmund…the work she had accomplished…helping her sister become pregnant. Her sister…if she had even the smallest chance of getting back to Rachel, she knew the only way to do that was by staying. But as she drifted off to sleep she suddenly felt guilty. She felt guilty because deep down she knew her sister wasn't her only reason for not getting on the sub.
Birthday – It was her birthday. After her parent's divorce, a lot of things changed—birthdays became something that were no longer celebrated. Living with Edmund, well, he probably didn't even know when her birthday was to begin with. She resigned herself to the fact that today would be just like any other birthday, no one knows and no one cares. Sitting at the kitchen table she was jolted out of her revere when a single white daisy was thrust in front of her. "Happy Birthday." Sawyer said. She looked up at him and smiled. "How did you know it was my birthday?" she asked. "Maybe I have a file on you too Blondie." He retorted with a chuckle. She stood up and wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you James." She murmured into his neck.
Blessing – Being on the island, working for Dharma, Juliet slowly came to see their entrapment in the 70's as a blessing in disguise. For the first time in a long time she felt safe and happy—she was content. Her heart gave a quick jolt as Sawyer waved to her from across the quad. She had a strong suspicion that her happiness didn't quite stem from fixing cars all day.
Bias – On behalf of their good behavior, the Dharma initiative rewarded them with a second house. The four sat around their kitchen table and quickly decided that Juliet should choose who she wanted to live with, and the other two would be left to fend for themselves. Jin and Miles sat silently with hope radiating from their eyes; Sawyer just sat and drank a beer with a smirk on his face. She tried to be nice by making it seem like she was having a tough time deciding, but they all knew who she was going to pick.
Burning – He was burning up. After coming home early from his shift, he stripped to his boxers, opened up the fridge and lay down on the kitchen floor. No matter what he tried, he couldn't cool off. Juliet found him that way an hour later, he was incoherent and mumbling. She quickly filled the tub with ice cold water and after getting him to stand up—half dragged him into the bathroom. He gave a yelp of surprise as she helped him lower into the water; and after determining that he wouldn't drown she ran to the kitchen to grab an ice pack, some aspirin and a glass of water. After swallowing the pills, he opened up his eyes and stared right at her. "You're beautiful." He slurred before promptly sinking back into water. She just smiled, held her arm across his chest, leaned him slightly forward and pressed the ice pack to the back of his neck.
Breathing – After almost 24 hours of sleep, Juliet was worried something was wrong. The fever had broken the day before but he had been so exhausted by then, he had simply fallen into bed and hadn't moved since. She crept into the darkened room, sat on the edge of the bed and softly stroked his hair. "Mmmmm." He groaned as he stretched his arms and his eyes fluttered open. "What'er you doin' in here?" He asked, not quite recollecting the events of the past two days. "Just making sure you're still breathing." She replied.
Breaking – His will power was slowly breaking down. They had been on the island, living together for over four months, and each day he spent with Juliet was better than the last. The relationships he'd had with women in the past were a joke—a lie. With her, everything was so real…it scared the crap out of him. Yet, the raw want and need he felt for her, they were feelings that were becoming harder to contain. But there was one thing that always stopped him from making the first move—what if she didn't feel the same way.
Belief – Juliet always believed that everything happened for a reason. But as she grew older, she continually used that mantra as an excuse to justify all the horrible things she'd experienced in her life; instead of simply admitting she was too scared and weak to do something about it. But living on the island with James, she'd reinstated her belief in that saying. Because the look he was giving her at that moment and the fuzzy feeling she had in the pit of her stomach because of that look—she couldn't help but believe that she was right where she was supposed to be.
Balloon – It was the official end of the Dharma school year. A huge picnic was being thrown to celebrate, so most of the DI had the day off in order to prepare. Juliet walked across the quad on her way to help get food from the cafeteria when she saw James trying (and failing) to juggle about 50 balloons. One slipped away and flew high into the sky; the loss was immediately followed by a harsh expletive. Juliet rushed over and started grabbing some of the strings from his hands. Within seconds they were completely tangled in a sea of balloons and were laughing hysterically. Suddenly, as their eyes met, the laughter died. Not knowing who made the first move, her lips were pressed against his. She tried to push forward, to get closer, but the balloons kept getting in the way. Neither quite thinking, they unconsciously released the balloons after which he immediately pulled her hard against him. Running his hand up her back and to the base of her neck, he tilted her head slightly in order to deepen the kiss. Should we be doing this? Juliet asked herself, but that thought was quickly lost because all she could feel was his lips against hers and his hands as he tentatively explored the expanse of her back. She ran her fingers through his soft hair and pressed herself even closer to him. "The balloons!" Someone yelled. They snapped apart, looked towards the sky, and watched as 50 balloons floated away.
Balcony – "Who was the first boy you ever kissed." He asked as they lay under the trees, digesting their lunch. "I don't kiss boys," she looked at him with that smirk and one eyebrow raised. "I kiss men." He chuckled. "That would be Steve Patterson," She continued. "9th grade, by my locker after school." He pulled her closer and stared up at the clouds, reveling in the fact that it felt so completely natural to lay with her like this. "How about you?" She asked. "That would be Molly Maloney." He said after a beat of silence. "7th grade, in the balcony during a school play." She laughed. "Always the suave one weren't you." It was more of a statement than an accusation. He rolled over, half on top of her and brought his face inches from her own. The slow sluggish roll of her heart could probably be heard by the entire Dharma picnic. "You tell me Blondie." He drawled out.
Bane – "Juliet and LaFleur sitting in a tree…" Hearing the taunt the pair pulled apart and sat up. Finding the culprit Sawyer growled out, "Shut your mouth Phil or I'll give you something to shut it with." Phil scurried away.
Quiet – It had been two weeks. Two weeks since their first kiss at the Dharma picnic, two weeks filled with long walks, hearty meals and great conversations. Sawyer didn't know why but he was taking things excruciatingly slow with Juliet. The last thing he wanted to do was screw things up, so he'd decided to simply sit back and enjoy their comfortable routine. Sawyer laid in bed thinking about the walk they had taken earlier that evening. Ambling along, they'd eventually ended up at the dock. He, for some reason, had felt the need to apologize for asking her to stay, but before he could say anything she had looked up at him and said, "I'm glad I didn't leave on that sub." He had simply smiled and after murmuring "me too" pulled her in for a long kiss. The opening and closing of his bedroom door jarred him out of the memory, and he watched as her silhouette slowly approached the bed. "Juliet?" he questioned. "Be quiet James." She responded as she lifted her shirt over her head and crawled into bed.
Quirks – After that night he started noticing things about her, things he hadn't noticed before. How she never put milk on her cereal, how she only read magazines from back to front and how every morning she filled her coffee cup up half way…but always went back for seconds. He thought he'd known everything about her, but he was glad to prove himself wrong.
Question – "I have just one question for you." She said one night as they lounged out on the porch. "What's that?" he retorted. After a dramatic pause… "If we're still here when the 80's roll around, do you think you'll sport some stonewash jeans?" He started laughing. "Only if you crimp your hair and wear some leg warmers." "Touché." She laughed in response.
Quarrel – "I just didn't expect to see you there is all." Sawyer stated plainly. "I think you froze because you were struck by something." Juliet responded. "No, I froze because you caught me off guard; the only thing I was struck by was your taser." Juliet couldn't help but laugh. "What you didn't think I was cute?" She asked innocently. "He turned to face her on the couch and gave her a long look from head to toe. "I think you're beautiful." He responded.
Quitting – "Quittin' time." One of the motor pool workers shouted. Juliet always loved those two words. Sweaty and gritty she took off her gloves, set them down at her work station and headed home. Upon reaching the door she found a note tacked there with James' handwriting scrawled on it. 'Down at the beach.' It read. Instead of heading inside she walked down to the shore. She saw a pile of clothes on the sand and James' head bobbing in the water. "Come join me Blondie!" He shouted. "The water's warm!" She put her hands on her hips and giving him her best 'I don't think so' face shook her head. "What'er you scared?" He taunted. Always up for a challenge, Juliet glanced around, when she saw nobody she quickly stripped out of her clothes and ran into the water.
26 through 50 coming soon!