Not Again - 1

Kate first met Sawyer when he'd sauntered into the diner where she worked, boasting a terrible hangover and seeking coffee. He'd flirted mercilessly at first, and stared after her with lust in his gaze, his interest evident. As their conversations grew in length and numbers, that sexually-charged look was soon replaced by something more like curiosity. Sawyer liked chatting with that mysterious, pretty girl behind the counter, he knew that first day that he would have to make it part of his routine.

He started coming in every day for his coffee, or for a drink before hitting the bar. Kate would sometimes let him stay after the diner closed. They'd talk as she finished up her shift, and he'd sometimes drive her home.

Before long, Kate's live-in boyfriend had seen them talking a few times, and he grew suspicious. Kate found this absolutely ridiculous, because she didn't have many friends. If she wasn't at work, she was generally at home, and he knew that. But it was in Jack's nature to be jealous, just as it was hers to want her independence. Jack had seen Kate in Sawyer's car one evening, laughing as he finished telling her a story. This had led to an ugly fight, and their inevitable breakup the next night. Kate had stormed out of the apartment, brushing her tears away angrily, only to realize she had nowhere to go.

She weighed her options for a moment. She could check in to a hotel, but she wanted someone to distract her from the anger and disappointment she felt after wasting the better part of a year with Jack. So she took a chance, and walked to the bar Sawyer sometimes mentioned, just down the road from the diner.

She smiled to herself as she spotted him, slumped over a table in the back, straining to read in the dim light of the bar. "You'll ruin your eyes," She said as she approached him. He looked up, startled. "Well hey, Freckles, what you doing here?" He grinned and motioned for her to sit. "Who reads in a bar, anyway?" She laughed, dodging his question. "Diner's closed," He said, staring at her intently. "Had a fight with Doctor Dipshit?"

Kate sighed and looked away from him. "We broke up," She said quietly. He echoed her sigh, and leaned back in his chair. "Guessin' you need a drink then?" He offered. She smiled. "No, I'd better not. I have to figure out where I'm going to live, tomorrow." She made a face. "But I was wondering if..." She trailed off, and averted her eyes. "Sure thing," He replied immediately, knowing what she didn't want to ask. "Well, what do you say we get the hell out of here?" She nodded, giving him a grateful smile.

They walked in silence to Sawyer's car, but he stopped short before unlocking it. "You know, Princess, I've had a fair bit of whisky," he confessed, looking at her sideways. "If you wouldn't mind ..." He gestured towards the road, feeling the need to explain himself. "Streets are usually empty by the time I get outta there, and if it's just me I don't care, but with you in the car, Freckles..." He shrugged and held out the keys. She smiled at his concern. "Of course," she agreed, taking them, unable to ignore the slight shiver she felt when their fingers touched.

She felt a strange thrill getting behind the wheel of his car, as he climbed in next to her. Kate could smell stale cigarette smoke, and that scent that she felt was distinctly Sawyer. He was a little drunk, she noticed, as she watched him fumbling with his pack of smokes. After a few seconds spent trying her best not to laugh, she managed a sentence.

"Are you going to tell me where to drive, or should I just guess?" Sawyer turned to glare at her, but his face relaxed as he noticed her amused expression. He directed her to his apartment, located in a surprisingly nice part of town.

Kate watched Sawyer unlock his apartment with some difficulty, and she was not sure what to expect when she stepped inside. She was shocked to see a cat on the other side of the door.

"You... don't seem like a cat person," She finally said, after staring at the animal for a minute. He sighed, once again offering her an explanation. "I'm not. My aunt died a couple of months back, she had this cat. My uncle was going to toss it out, but she loved the damn thing so much that it didn't seem right. So I ended up with the critter. Meant to find a home for the beast, but I guess I got used to it." He picked up the cat and it struggled out of his arms. He raised his eyebrows. "We get along, as long as I feed it and leave it alone. Come on in." He walked into the apartment and started turning lights on.

"Bed's in here, for when the time comes, lettin' you know 'cause I've been drinkin' which usually means I'll pass out watchin' the idiot box. Just did my laundry today so no need to worry about no stained sheets." He smirked as she rolled her eyes. He turned to leave the room. "Hey," Kate said softly, grabbing his arm. He turned to face her. "Thank you, Sawyer." He looked down at her, swallowing hard. "It's nothing."

They stood staring at each other for a minute, until Sawyer shook his head and started out of the room again. "Want to watch some tv?" He called over his shoulder.

She followed him to the couch, where they complained about late-night programming for all of five minutes before Kate looked over to see that Sawyer had passed out.

A few minutes later, Kate turned off the television and stood contemplating Sawyer's sleeping face. He looked much younger when he wasn't wearing his usual harsh expression. Kate thought about taking off his boots, but didn't want to wake him. She settled for turning out the lights and curling up in Sawyer's bed. She buried her face in his pillow, smiling.

Kate's failed relationship with Jack was the farthest thing from her mind as the scent of Sawyer and his clean laundry carried her off to sleep.