Thanks for the reviews. Some of you have asked me about Sawyer, so I will say that I do have plans for him to appear again, but not until later in the story. I'm not going to tell you when or how or in what context, though!

I wracked my brains for something Jack and Kate could do together in the apartment that would be both romantic and innocent, and still true to character, until I realised that the writers already suggested it to me... then I had to find a song that fit, one that wasn't too contemporary or too corny, that captured Jack's feelings, so hopefully this chapter meets your approval. I think it's my favourite so far!

Chapter 10. Put Your Head On My Shoulder

The morning after Marc's visit, Jack woke feeling optimistic. It had been four days since their return to L.A., and Kate was still with him, asleep in his bed; not only that, but she wanted to fight, and Marc seemed to think they might win.

Pulling the cover from his piano, he sat down at the keys, enjoying their smoothness under his fingertips after so long. He didn't know what he was playing, or how much time had passed, just that for once in his life, everything seemed to be going right for him, and he wanted to express it.

He was so absorbed in what he was doing that he didn't hear the bedroom door open, or see Kate come out, stopping only when he became aware of her presence behind him. She was leaning against the doorframe, her arms crossed, watching him with a soft smile, straightening when she saw that she had his attention.

"Hey. I forgot you were that good."

Jack couldn't help grinning at the compliment now that he was able to enjoy her admiration, fooling around, tapping out the beginnings of another song her benefit. Marc might have been wrong yesterday, but if he were here now, he would be spot on: it was true, Jack was trying to impress her.

"I always wanted to learn – I tried to talk my mom into getting me lessons when I was a kid, but we could never afford it," she continued, coming over to stand beside him, watching his hands over his shoulder. "Do you think you could teach me?"

Her eyes were bright and hopeful, making it easy for him to picture the little girl who never seemed to get a break; scooting over, he made room for her on the stool and she sat down beside him, close enough that their sides were touching. He couldn't tell if it was intentional or not, but she made no move to shift away, glowing with happiness as she waited for him to issue his first instructions.

He was so caught up in looking at her, enjoying the warmth of her hip, her bicep, her shoulder against his, that he almost forgot, clearing his throat when it occurred to him that he should so something.

"We'll just start with some scales," he told her, showing her where to position her right hand when she offered it to him, placing her fingers across each of the keys when she didn't appear to be a quick study. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn that she was flirting with him, letting her hand go lax in his so that he was almost holding it, encouraging him to lean across her chest, his shoulder rubbing lightly against hers.

"This one's called C major, because we start with C," he explained, trying to shake off the thought, but he found that it wasn't easy to concentrate when his face was only inches from hers, close enough that he could brush her lips with his, and almost pass it off as an accident.

Almost.

He wondered what she would do if he tried.

Murmuring instructions close to her ear, he let his hand rest over hers, applying gentle pressure to each of her fingers to get her to tap the right keys; briefly but boldly stroking her palm with his thumb as they moved away from C to D major.

If she noticed this unnecessary gesture, she didn't let on, focusing her attention on the sequence of notes as they worked their way up the keyboard.

This hands on approach to teaching was a thinly veiled excuse for him to touch her; he was pretty sure that they both knew it, but to his surprise, she didn't resist, looking up at him with a flushed grin when they arrived back at C.

"Can we play something now?" she asked, her voice betraying her eagerness, and he nodded, waiting for her left hand to join her right on the keyboard before slipping an arm around her back.

He was doing the work for both of them, bringing her fingers to glide along with his, so while he played, she leant back into him, almost subconsciously, her head resting against his shoulder. It was such a natural pose, for both of them: Jack almost couldn't believe that it had taken them so long to get there.

"Anyone can play, but to play well, you have to feel the music," he told her. "You have to let is wash over you. Do you feel that?" he asked, and she nodded, but her dreamy smile made it hard for him to tell whether she'd heard him or not or not.

"What is this?" she asked as the music continued to wrap around them like a cocoon. "It's pretty."

He didn't want to admit that as part of feeling the music, his choice was inspired by her, or at least, his feelings for her, so he gave her a coy smile, relieved and disappointed that she didn't recognise the melody. It would make his message clearer. "It's nothing – just a song."

"What song?" she pressed, her interested piqued as she tilted her head to study him, holding their position. "It sounds familiar – why don't you want to tell me, Jack?"

He wasn't going to give the game away, so he just smiled and continued to play, earning him a playful swat when she freed her hand from his.

"I don't see what the big secret is," she complained, swivelling around on the stool to face him, but she was grinning, playing with him, just like old times. "You're a tease, you know that, Jack?" she said with a mock offended pout as she got up, causing his heart to contract at the sudden loss of contact. "You almost had me going there."

He hated that the song had come to an end; if he had his way, he would have kept them in that moment forever so that he could go on touching her, bumping and brushing against her until she realised how much she meant to him, and him to her.

"Oh, I'm the tease?" he asked as she sauntered off towards the kitchen to get something to eat, his voice airy and light, but this time, he wasn't kidding around.

He'd tried, but he couldn't switch his feelings off when he was around her, and he was beginning to suspect that, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't either.

Put your head on my shoulder
Hold me in your arms, baby
Squeeze me oh so tight
Show me that you love me too

Put your lips next to mine, dear
Won't you kiss me once, baby
Just a kiss goodnight, maybe
You and I will fall in love

Some people say that love's a game
A game you just can't win
If there's a way
I'll find it someday
And then this fool will rush in

Put your head on my shoulder
Whisper in my ear, baby
Words I want to hear, tell me
Tell me that you love me too

Now who here still thinks Kate is indifferent to Jack?! Or pining after Sawyer?!

Next chapter: Jack contemplates going back to work, and they receive another surprise visit from Marc... ;)