Title: Firm but Gentle

Genre: Romance/Fluff

Rating: G

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: LOST belongs to genius JJ Abrams, not me.

Summary: Sawyer makes a deal with Kate that ends up having quite pleasurable terms.

A.N.: Another challenge fic. I surely wouldn't mind being Kate in this one...

Gentle but Firm

The sun beat down heavily on Kate's back, bathing her skin in the heat of it. She rest her head down on her arms, as she lay on her stomach on the sand. She'd finally found a bathing suit she'd liked in a suitcase; a light purple bikini, and had not been able to resist the temptation of trying it out.

The heat seeped into her skin, warming her to the core, and making her sleepy. Eventually she let herself doze, slipping in and out of sleep as occasional bits of conversation drifted to her from farther down the beach. Then she did fall asleep, for quite a while, the beating sun keeping her warm and cozy.

It wasn't until she felt a shadow fall across her upper body, followed by cooler air, that she stirred. She opened one eye and looked up to see Sawyer standing over her, looking amused.

"You're in my sun." she informed him, squinting up at him, still with just one eye. He grinned at her and made a point of looking up and down her body before speaking.

"You're gonna burn, Freckles. Why ain't you wearing any sun block?" he asked, sitting down on the sand beside her, still blocking the sun from her head. She propped her head up on one elbow and looked at him with a small smile.

"Probably because I don't have any sun block." she told him. Of course she didn't. Hardly anyone did anymore. What little they'd had had run out fairly quickly. Sawyer grinned at her once again.

"I do." he told her proudly. She laughed.

"I'm sure you do, Sawyer, pack rat that you are... but I don't have anything to trade." she told him, folding her arms and resting her head on them once more, though still looking up at him with her eyes. She raised her eyebrow when he looked pleased at this pronouncement.

"Then I have a deal for you." he told her with a nod.

"Oh really?" she said with amusement. She could only imagine what he was going to propose.

"I'll give you the sunscreen... which lets you avoid some nasty burns... if you let me apply it." He said with a cheeky grin. Kate rolled her eyes, but she couldn't stop the smile spreading over her face. He looked at her with triumph, knowing she would give in. But she decided to play hard to get.

"Alright, but only on my back, and I won't enjoy it." she said with a small wink. She turned her head away from him as he knelt beside her, closing her eyes. Sawyer pulled a bottle of lotion from his pocket, and popped open the top. Kate gasped as he squirted a zigzag pattern onto her back, the chilled cream melting into her heated skin.

"So, Freckles..." he began conversationally as he started to rub the beginnings of the lotion into her skin. "Why are you lying here doing nothing? I don't believe I've ever seen you relax like this." Kate smiled slightly.

"Yeah well.. I figured it was about time." Sawyer nodded, then realized she couldn't see him and vocalized his agreement.

"It sure is, Freckles. I've barely seen you sit down let alone relax since we got here God knows how long ago." Kate shrugged, squirming slightly as he spread the chilly lotion evenly over her back. He worked in silence for a while, and as much as Kate hated to admit it, it felt heavenly. His hands were strong and firm, yet gentle, and she could feel the lotion dissolve into her skin. She shivered slightly as he worked on her shoulders as well, gently kneading in the lotion up to her elbows, where her arms disappeared under her head and hair. She expected him to desist now, glad she'd been able to not show signs of enjoyment and therefore boost his ego again, but was surprised, not at all unpleasantly, to feel his hands work into her back again. He was giving her a massage, and she was already trying not to melt from his touch.

"How does that feel?" he asked softly, as he gently but firmly kneaded his thumbs and fingers against her upper back. Kate had to work hard to keep the extreme contentment out of her voice.

"Pretty good." she said casually, but Sawyer grinned. He'd could tell by her tone how much she was enjoying it, and was curiously surprised that she was trying to hide it. Maybe she had feelings for him after all but didn't want to admit it. Either way, it spurred him to be even more gentle, but at the same time, firmly massage her muscles. Her tanned skin shone with the oil of the sun block that hadn't sunk in yet, and he admired it as he worked, reveling in the pleasure of being allowed to touch her like this.

He worked his way down her back, rubbing the first three fingers on each hand in circles along the sides of her back, felt her shiver as he passed over her ribs. He smiled and continued, the heat from her skin warming his pleasurably. When he got to the more fleshy part of her lower back, he was pleased to hear her sigh contentedly. He worked the skin there for several minutes, no doubt leaving tingles on her skin. He then traveled back up, along her sides, but when he got to her ribs, he tickled, shocking her out of her relaxed state with a squeal. He laughed as she scrambled into a sitting position, hair askew, looking at him with mixed emotions. Awe mingled with laughter shone in her eyes and she reached out to poke him in the ribs with a grin. He looked at her fondly, wishing he could hold her in his arms, kiss her, love her. But he'd gotten one step farther; he'd given her a full back massage and she'd loved every moment of it, whether she would admit it or not. A curious look suddenly came over her eyes and he cocked his head slightly to the side, wondering what she was thinking. He watched her eyes travel over his chest, then glance at the sun block sitting beside him.

"My turn." she said smoothly. Sawyer blinked, not sure what she meant for a moment, before he realized. Grinning, he pulled off his t-shirt and lay down on his stomach, shivering at the coldness of the lotion as she squirted it onto his back, but every time her hands touched his skin, he shivered for a different reason...

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