Show Me What I'm Looking For
Disclaimer: I own nothing. All of the Lost characters are property of ABC and the lyrics and fic title come from the song Show Me What I'm Looking For by Carolina Liars.
Character(s): Juliet Burke, James 'Sawyer' Ford, Miles Straume, Jin Soo Kwon, Jack Shepherd, Kate Austen.
Pairing(s): Mainly Suliet with some tiny hints of Skate and Jacket and Jate.
Summary: Juliet and Sawyer both have their doubts when Kate and Jack return to the island, but maybe now's the time for them both to find what they're looking for.
A/N: Suliet is fast becoming my favorite thing to write so here's my latest go at it. I seem to be far better at writing song fics, because that's where I seem to get all my inspiration. Hope you enjoy!
*****
I'm finding it hard to resist
She saw it; it was impossible not to. She often wondered if she had imagined what she thought she had seen in the past three years. Perhaps she had… maybe just misconstrued what he meant. Maybe he didn't really want this relationship; he was just interested in the rebound. Heck, if she had jumped out of a helicopter to save someone, she'd sure be interested in a rebound relationship too.
But Juliet hadn't jumped out of a helicopter. She had been waiting on that beach when he swam up. And she'd had his back since.
But now, she saw those looks. The lingering glances James sent over to Kate when he believed no one was looking. He didn't realise that Juliet had been watching since Kate got there. She loved James. Simple as that.
That was why she looked. It wasn't anything perverted or voyeuristic; just seeing if he felt the same about Kate as Juliet felt about him. Her findings weren't what she had hoped.
"Why do you think he likes her?" Juliet mused aloud, as she sat in Miles' kitchen, nursing a warm cup of coffee.
"Hm?" Miles replied, confused by her sudden question.
Juliet, who then realised she had spoken, elaborated. "Well, why do you think James likes Kate? I mean, I'll be the first to admit, she's extremely beautiful; enviously so. But for so long on this island, she seemed to just mess around with him. Or maybe that's what he likes…"
Miles just "hmmed" and nodded as Juliet spoke to herself more than him.
"Maybe he likes not being in a committed relationship. Maybe he's not a commitment sort of man," she rambled.
Miles took that moment to interject himself. "Juliet, you've known him for three years. You know what he's like now, surely."
Juliet wondered…
*****
He saw it; it was impossible not to. He saw the way she looked at the doc when she thought no one was looking. James was looking.
He had watched, mainly to see if Jack sent her those looks back. If Jack noticed that he had just ruined what James had worked at for three years.
"I'm a good guy, right?" James quizzed Jin as they ate lunch together.
"What?" Jin responded.
"I mean, the past three years. I've made a real effort you know. I've tried cutting down on the nicknames; I've done work-honest work! - and I've even gotten myself involved with a girl who means the world to me. Yet the doc shows up, throws one smile and she seems to be putty in his hands! Is it cause he's a doctor? Is that it? A doctor's a whole lot more impressive than a redneck conman. I get that. That's what she wants… what she deserves. Juliet deserves someone who's really worked to get where he is and can take care of her."
"You can take care of her," Jin replied as Sawyer finished his rambling.
"No I can't Jin. What am I meant to do if we leave this island? I don't have any kind of qualifications. I can't get a job."
Sawyer continued his monologue leaving Jin to just nod along.
*****
Show me what I'm looking for
Maybe it was pure coincidence, but wherever Kate seemed to be, Jack was there too. Or so it seemed to Juliet. As she saw James look at Kate, she looked at Jack just to see how he'd react. She found slight comfort in the fact that he seemed as hurt as she was.
"So…" Juliet began as she struck up a conversation with Jack. "What's the deal with you and Kate?"
Jack, feigning ignorance, replied, "Me and Kate…?"
Juliet didn't buy it for a second and her face showed it. "Come on Jack, I'm not an idiot. What happened between you two the past three years?"
Jack wasn't sure whether or not to answer his friend. A few moments later, he answered, "Well… we were engaged."
Juliet wasn't expecting that. "Engaged?" she repeated, feeling some hope. "What happened?"
"We broke up," Jack answered, truthfully, feeling no need to lie.
"Why?" Juliet inquired, knowing she was well crossing the line.
Again, Jack took a moment to reply. "She was doing things… for Sawyer… behind my back."
And there goes that hope again…
*****
Maybe it was pure coincidence, but wherever Jack seemed to be, Kate was there too. James often looked over to her, just to see if she was as hurt as he was. From the look on her face, she was.
That gave James a little bit of reassurance. Maybe there was still hope for Kate and Jack, meaning there was still hope for him and Juliet.
"Hey Freckles!" Sawyer yelled over, having missed using the nicknames. Kate smirked slightly before looking over to him.
"Whaddya want, Sawyer?"
"Well you got three years in the real world. How'd it go?"
"Um… yeah… it was good."
"That wasn't a very strong reaction," Sawyer laughed.
Kate smiled softly, not wanting to divulge anymore information.
"How'd the inevitable trial go?" he prompted.
"Fine. No jail time," Kate answered with a relieved smile, as if she was reliving the moment she made the deal.
"How's Aaron?"
Judging from the speed that Kate's head snapped round and the look in her eyes, James had touched a sensitive subject. He had wondered why Kate had returned to the island without the baby, but perhaps this wasn't the time to quiz her on it.
"How about you and the doc?" he slid in subtly.
Kate didn't react as sharply but Sawyer could hear her sharp intake of breath.
"We, uh, we lived together."
Now that's the kind of thing he wanted to hear.
"Lived?" Sawyer quizzed, realising it was past tense.
"Yeah. We broke up."
Dammit…
*****
Save me
I'm lost
After their private conversations with Jack and Kate respectively, Juliet and Sawyer found themselves in separate houses. Juliet had been invited by Jin for a quiet drink to "catch up", despite seeing each other just the day before. Miles had easily talked Sawyer into participating in a game of Backgammon.
"Juliet, you like cocoa?"
When Jin had offered her a drink, Juliet had assumed he meant wine or some kind of spirit. But to be honest, cocoa was a nice change.
"Yeah, I love it," she smiled.
Jin smiled in response and busied himself with making a cup.
*****
It seemed that Juliet and James were under the impression Miles and Jin didn't speak to each other. On the contrary, they had extremely interesting conversations sometimes. The night before in particular.
After being subjected to listening Juliet and James ramble on about each other at great length, Miles and Jin felt the need to share with the other. When they had come to the realisation that Juliet and Sawyer were far more in love with each other than either noticed, they knew desperate times called for desperate measures.
As Jin made the cocoa, Miles approached the window silently, having slipped out of his back door after telling Sawyer he was going to the bathroom.
Jin sent one sharp nod to Miles, who returned back to his house to fetch James. Jin took the cocoa back to an eagerly awaiting Juliet, and sat comfortably opposite her.
"So, do you and Sawyer have plans for the weekend?"
Juliet was a little shocked by the sudden question, but didn't show it. Wiping away the cocoa froth from her lip, Juliet shook her head.
"I don't know. I'm not really sure about much with me and James anymore."
"You do not feel the same about him?" Jin pressed.
That was when Juliet seemed to re-enter her own rambling world. "No, not at all like that. I love him more than I think I've ever loved anyone else. But with Kate here… He likes Kate. I've seen the way he looks at her. She's someone he's happy with. Funny thing is, I've spent about fifteen years of my life trying to find what I'm looking for. What kind of man I really want. And just when I thought I'd found him, I lose him again." At that point, Juliet came out of her self conversation and remembered that Jin was in the room. "Can you show me what I'm looking for, Jin?"
With a slight smile, Jin nodded and inclined his head towards the front door. It swung open, revealing Miles and James with knowing expressions on their face.
James didn't waste a moment of time as he strode across the threshold of the house. Reaching his long-term girlfriend, he grasped her shoulders tightly and pulled her into a loving kiss.
When he pulled away, Juliet remained in her place, a contented smile on her face. "Well, how do you find anything you're looking for?" she asked rhetorically. "You stop looking."
*****
A/N: Now you've got to tell me if that was a pitiful attempt at Suliet. Some of you might know the struggle I'm having against the evil that is staying in character. I have some kind of problem writing Sawyer and Juliet and keeping them in character, so any compliments or concrit you can offer would be fantastic. Reviews make my world go round!