Disclaimer: I don't own Lost or any of the characters.
Notes: Takes place during season 6.
Not giving up on you
It was dark and people had started having dinner. Locke and Claire had disappeared somewhere and the rest of the camp felt that they could breathe and feel safe for one night. Everybody wanted to give the kids - and themselves - some semblance of normality, so they were eating all together. Everyone was part of a group, except for Sayid. Even Sawyer, who had once been the outsider who did not want to belong anywhere. Sayid, however, was sitting alone some distance away from everyone else. He did not care about being lonely or the new outsider, just as he did not care about anything else since he had come back to life. Once, he had. Too much even. But not anymore.
He only looked up when he saw a plate of food in front of him. Kate was offering it to him, as if the last few hours had never happened. As if everything was fine between them.
"Bodies need energy and energy means food, so I brought you dinner."
"Why?" he asked, wondering what he had done that had inspired such loyalty. After all, he had not helped her when Claire had attacked her. He had not even cared. Before, he would have. But not now. And yet, she was still there. He looked at Kate without reaching for the food.
"I've not given up on you. Even if you've given up on yourself."
xxxxx
Sayid took the plate and started eating. Kate did not know if she had imagined it. Maybe she was reading too much into it, but she could have sworn that there was hope in his eyes, even if it lasted less than a second.