Title: A Guitar Fic
Ship: Jacket!!
Disclaimer: I don't own Jack, Juliet, or Lost. The song "Sweet Child O' Mine" is by Guns N' Roses.
How long had it been since he had last touched a guitar? Skillfully gripping the instrument, he began to strum a couple chords. He let out a sigh, relaxed. He was on the beach, staring out into the mesmerizing sunset, with a gorgeous guitar in his lap. Life was damn better than it had been a month ago. For once, he could just sit there without stress building up inside of him.
He began to sing softly. How long had it been since he had last sung? Much longer than since he had last touched a guitar.
"She's got eyes of the bluest skies…as if they thought of rain…I hate to look into those eyes…And see an ounce of-"
"So you're a Guns 'n' Roses fan?"
The one voice that could melt him inside. He turned and saw Juliet sit down beside him.
Then he became very conscious of how off key he was.
"Uh…yea," was all he could say. His hands turned a little numb, and he was frozen at being caught singing.
"Sorry. Don't stop on my account," Juliet said, smiling. Even in the rapidly increasing darkness, her blue eyes sparkled.
"No, there's…work to be done, anyway."
"No there isn't," she contradicted. "And I want to hear the rest of it. It's my second favorite Guns 'n' Roses song. "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" will forever be my favorite."
Giving in, he continued, trying to make his voice hit the right notes. "She's got eyes of the bluest skies…As if they thought of rain…I hate to look into those eyes…And see an ounce of pain…Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place …Where as a child I'd hide …And pray for the thunder ….And the rain
…To quietly pass me by…"
Deciding it was as good a time as any to end his embarrassment, he turned his attention to her.
"You try," Jack said, lifting his arm from the guitar and passing it to Juliet.
She shook her head, causing her golden hair to sway from side to side. Jack's heart skipped a beat. "I don't play the guitar," she admitted. "I don't play anything. My parents forced me into piano lessons when I was eight, but I was no good and quit after a year. Then, when I was a freshman in high school, I took up the drums and joined the school band, but I got kicked out after…" her voice trailed off. "I'd rather not say. Music isn't my strong point."
"Come on, I'll teach you," Jack pleaded. "Once you get the hang of it, the guitar's easy. Here, put this groove on your right thigh."
Juliet gave up protesting and did as she was told. The instrument fell comfortably into her lap, and she draped her arm over the guitar like Jack had done.
"Let's start out with an easy chord, E major." Jack pointed to the guitar's neck. "You see these metal bars?" Juliet nodded. "These are called frets."
Juliet groaned. "Great, I'm gonna be taught by a doctor."
"What's wrong with that?"
"All of the terms doctors use. Medical jargon's fine – at least I understand and am fluent in medical jargon. But c'mon, Jack, guitar jargon? You're just gonna make me feel like an idiot." Juliet grinned at him.
"Fine, fine. "Fret" is all you need to know right now," Jack said, grinning. "Now, put your middle finger on the second string from the top…good, now put it on the second fret." Juliet obediently slid her finger along the nylon string until she reached the second fret.
"Good, but you need to arch your finger more. You can only press down the second string – don't touch anything else," Jack instructed. "Okay, good. Now put your ring finger in the second fret, but put it on the third string. Right below where your middle finger is." Her eyebrows pulled together in concentration. "Don't touch any other string."
"Like this?" Juliet asked, pleased with herself for getting her fingers on the right strings.
"Perfect. Let's stop here real quick before moving on to E major. This is E minor. Now strum it."
Hesistantly, she flicked her thumb across the strings. A loud buzzing sound emitted from the guitar, and she cringed at the sound. Sun looked at her, startled by the sound. Juliet blushed. Then she became aware of Jack laughing at her.
"Are you laughing at me?" Juliet demanded.
"Yeah."
She rolled her eyes. "See? Music. Not my thing."
"No, no, it was a good first try."
"It's okay, Jack, I know I suck." Juliet lifted the guitar, attempting to give it back to him. Jack pressed his palm against the back of her hand. "It really was a first good try. No one's going to be Steve Vai right away. Take away all of the buzzing, and it sounded like an E minor chord."
She shot him a skeptical look, but kept the guitar. "Press down the strings harder," Jack advised. "Also, I cannot stress this enough: Don't touch any of the other strings."
Juliet gave it another go. Sun retreated to the safety of her tent.
"Better. Play more by the hole – it may be more comfortable. You're too close to the bridge."
"Jargon…" Juliet warned. Jack muttered a quick apology.
"Here, why don't I hold down the strings, and you strum," Jack suggested. He moved closer to her until his chest pressed against Juliet's back. Sighing contently, she shut her eyes, enjoying his warmth soaking into her body. She leaned back a little and was pleased to feel one of his strong arms wrap around her waist. His other hand reached for the neck of the guitar and he fretted the chord. His hand brushed against hers.
"Now play," he whispered, pressing his cheek gently against the side of her head. He breathed in her soft "Juliet" scent, calmed by it. Tentatively, she strummed the strings. The sound resonated beautifully in the air.
"Didn't that feel good?" he asked. Juliet nodded, though she wasn't referring to the guitar.
"I think that's enough for one lesson today," she said, carefully pushing the guitar off of her lap and onto the beach sand. She turned, kneeling in the sand and facing Jack.
"So will there be more lessons in the future?" Jack asked, pulling her close to him until her face was inches from his.
"It's doubtful," Juliet said ruefully. "I'm hopeless with a guitar."
Jack slowly pressed his lips against hers. Her eyelids fluttered shut, and she ran her hands across his face and to the back of his head. She parted her lips and deepened the kiss. He let out a soft moan into her lips. Breaking the kiss, he wrapped his arms protectively around her and squeezed her tightly. He nuzzled his head into the crook of her neck.
"I suppose I can still love you. Even though you're hopeless with a guitar."
She couldn't suppress a grin. "And I suppose I can still love you, music jargon and all."
"That's good to know. I love you, Jules."
"I love you, too."
She's got eyes of the bluest skies
As if they thought of rain
I hate to look into those eyes
And see an ounce of pain
Her hair reminds me of a warm safe place
Where as a child I'd hide
And pray for the thunder
And the rain
To quietly pass me by