They never should have met. He wouldn't have noticed her, so discreet. She never would have spoken to him, only having awoken in California. But the plane crashed, and with it their unconscious hopes never to know this ache.
It was bearable most of the time, when Sun worked in her garden away from him, when Jack tended to Charlie's wound and others' away from her. Multiple casual events in daily routines they respected faultlessly. But in those dusk hours when the view from the island was too overwhelming to long for home, and nothing left was to be done, the tiredness set in and they made no conscious effort to avoid each other.
And so he noticed her, so beautiful, staring into the ocean as the sun set on another hopeless day. For a peaceful moment, she was everything he saw. She noticed him; too, watching her in silence, she could feel his quiet presence and the security it brought her. For a peaceful moment, that was all she needed. Then he would turn away, and she would offer him a semblance of a smile that always broke his heart a little. I'm okay. He tried to believe and always nodded softly before saying good night. It'll be okay. As he retreated into the jungle, the same shiver always went down her spine. And so another night rolled on, so deep and so sleepless.
The evening after Walt was eventually found, Sun finally let out the tears she had been holding in for an eternity measured in weeks. Further down the beach, every one was celebrating the return of the boy around a fire. Sawyer was laughing again for the first time, Charlie was playing his guitar, people were dancing and Michael cried tears of relief, of happiness; he couldn't stop them. Sun was grieving her loss freely, as Jack looked on helpless from a distance. No smile tonight, but muffled sobs and twilight reflecting in the darkness of her hair. That's how he knew.
She could feel him behind her the whole time, the gentleness of his gaze upon her, never wanting to intrude and not wanting to leave her alone. She knew he would stand there for as long as she needed, as long as she wanted. Jack seemed to understand what she was going through. No words, but she had seen it in his eyes. Only he could see her like this, give her so much space and solace just by being near. When her face and hands were soaked, and she had no more tears to cry, she thought she heard him move and that's when she realized.
He walked over to where she sat and joined her on the sand. Sun looked at him and tried to say she was going to be all right, but the words just would not come out. When Jack spoke, his voice was soft and barely above a whisper. "I know. I lost someone, too." Sun nodded sadly, and Jack swallowed hard as she let her head rest against his arm. He stared ahead trying to make out the horizon line, fighting the itch in his arm to put it around her frail shiver-shook body. When another wave of sobs came over her, he couldn't hold it anymore. His eyes burned. Sun had never felt so safe and so scared all at once. Now they were certain, they never should have met.