TITLE: Birthday Gift
RATING: PG
SUMMARY: Sayid searches through the impractical clothing pile, in search of a birthday present for Shannon. Answer to the paisley jacket challenge.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters from Lost and am not making a profit. If they were mine, then there would be more Shayid moments.
Sayid pulled out another article of clothing from the impractical clothing pile. He held it up and then promptly discarded it. He had been sitting there for over an hour trying to sort through everything. His face still felt warm from all the lingerie he had touched, the image of Shannon wearing them still fresh in his mind. He sighed deeply. Thinking of her only made him that much more frustrated.
He had made the decision earlier that he needed to do something special for her after he learned that her birthday was tomorrow. She had seemed depressed for the past week, and Sayid had not had to probe much to find out what was bothering her. She had reluctantly admitted that while she enjoyed spending time with him, it was not how she had always envisioned her twenty-first birthday. She had drawn her legs to her chest and had described how she had dreamed it would be.
Shannon had told him that she thought she'd start partying as soon as the clock struck midnight signaling the start of her birthday. It's what all her friends always did. She had expected to go in and out of bars dancing and drinking because that was what she knew everyone would expect her to do. She had given him detailed descriptions of what she would have done at each stop along her "pub crawl." Finally, she had glanced down at the ground, seemingly ashamed of what she had planned. Alcohol, she had told him, was one of the reasons she was now on the island. She hadn't elaborated, and he hadn't asked.
The sadness he knew she was trying to mask had led him to the point of no return. He wanted to plan a special birthday present for her. But considering they were on an island, there was not much variety. He had decided that a picnic on the beach would suffice, but his normal clothing would not. His desire to remind Shannon of the men she was used to, brought him to the impractical clothing pile. He wanted to give up, but the knowledge that he would be rewarded with one of her smiles if he finished was enough to keep him going all night if necessary.
Sayid pulled out a salmon colored tank top. He held it up, and was relieved that it appeared like it would fit. He slipped off his tattered shirt, and put on the new shirt. His chest heaved as he sighed. This shirt looked exactly like his old one, only a different color. There was nothing special about this shirt. His search was not over.
He pushed some lacey undergarments out of the way, and his hand brushed against something silky. Curiously, he pulled it out. He smiled as he realized that it was a white dress. It appeared like it would fit Shannon. He remembered how excited she had been when he had given her new shoes; surely this dress would please her as well. He held it out as he tried to determine if it in fact would fit properly. He was not always sure about what went on in Shannon's head, but he knew that she would be offended if he gave her something that was too small.
"Don't think it will fit, Mohammad," Sawyer said as he swaggered over to where Sayid sat.
Sayid frowned. He needed to find something to give her.
"But I think Sticks would be interested to see this more feminine side of you."
Sayid's face grew warm, as he understood the meaning behind Sawyer's words.
"This is for Shannon," he said, biting back what he wished to say. "Her birthday is tomorrow."
Sawyer sat down beside him, and picked up one of the items Sayid had discarded earlier. "Sucks she has to celebrate on this island."
"I hope to still make it memorable for her."
"As memorable as it can be in hell." Sawyer looked around the pile. "What's the plan?"
Sayid paused. He was not sure he wished to share his plans with Sawyer of all people, but Sawyer did seem to be more experienced with women than he was.
"A picnic on the beach, only fancier than the other times."
"She'll like the dress." Sawyer took it from his hands and held it up. "Looks like it will fit her fine. The straps may fall down though. Just fix them for her, woman like that. Now what are you wearing?"
Sayid looked down at the salmon shirt.
"You need more than that, Aladdin."
Sawyer started sorted through the piles. Sayid started to tell him that it was worthless, when he pulled out a jacket.
"This is perfect. Looks like it was made to go with that shirt."
Sayid looked to him in horror. There was no way he would wear that jacket. It was pink and black and too bright and ugly. But when he though of the sadness in Shannon's eyes, he knew he would wear it, just not with Sawyer here. But then would Shannon even like it? Was Sawyer deliberately setting him up to fail Shannon? He was willing to try anything.
"Here's your plan. I'll take her the dress and tell her where to meet you. You get cleaned up, and give her a birthday she'll never forget."
"Why are you helping?" Sayid asked, wondering what was in all this for Sawyer.
Sawyer shrugged. "Guess I always wanted a baby sister." He stood swinging the dress over his shoulder. "And you may have to give me details later." He laughed as he walked away.
Sayid fingered the jacket that Sawyer had picked out. It seemed expensive, unlike anything he had ever worn before. Sighing, he slipped it on. Luckily it fit. He hoped that he would be able to take it off soon.
He stood leaving the piles of clothing strewn everywhere. He needed to hurry to get to the clearing where everything already sat waiting for Shannon. He walked quickly, hoping that no one else would see him in the ridiculous jacket.
He stepped into the area of the beach where he had taken Shannon on their first date, and was surprised to find that she was already there. He had never expected her to get dressed before he arrived. Her back was to him. And from where he stood the dress was a perfect fit. The straps slipped down her arms, just as Sawyer had predicted. Slowly, he walked to stand behind her. Gently, he slid the strap back in place.
"Happy Birthday," he whispered in her ear.
"It's not my birthday yet."
She turned to face him. He looked away as she stared at him, his face growing warm.
"Where did you find that jacket?" she asked.
He waited for her to laugh, for her to tell him he looked crazy.
Shannon ran her hand down his sleeve. "You look hot."
He looked at her perplexed. The breeze from the water made him anything put hot.
She giggled, a sound he loved and wished to hear more often. "It's slang for really handsome."
Had anyone ever told him that before? He glanced down at his feet before he was able to look her in the eye again. He was not used to being complemented.
"You look beautiful, Shannon."
She took a step away from him. "Do you like it?"
He swallowed hard. The way the dress clung to her made him wish that she was ready to take their relationship further, but he would not push her.
"It appears to have been made for you."
"And the jacket was made for you. I think you'll have to wear it every day."
"Only for you."
She smiled, and his heart felt as if it would burst. He still did not understand how he was lucky enough to find her, and to fall in love with her.
"I know there is no music," he said. "But you said that dancing was something you wished to do on your birthday."
He held out his hand to her. She stepped closer to him again, and he wrapped his arm around her slender waist, pulling her tight. He wished that he could explore her curves more, but that would be for another time.
"Much better than the dancing I had in mind."
"What kind of dancing is that?"
"I'll have to show you one day."
"I look forward to it."
They swayed back and forth together. The straps of her dress fell again, but Sayid did not wish to fix them. All he wanted was to keep her close in his arms. It felt to him that this was more of a birthday gift to himself than to her.
The End