Lost belongs to JJ Abrams and crew, just borrowing for fun. Sawyer's got a little surprise for Kate. Done in response to the "Lost J/K/S" ficathon for Candice. Items requested: Blindfold, Deck of Cards, a Sinatra Song.

Lost – Something Stupid
By Mystic
April 8th 2005

He'd challenged her to a poker game. Sawyer calmly waited for her to make her way to the edge of the path that leads to the caves and he held up a deck of cards. He offered her another round of carte blanche for her if she won. If she won, she got a new backpack; if she lost, he didn't tell her, only held up a blindfold. She was trying to be polite, but despite her knowledge and conning skills, she lost. Kate stared down at Sawyer's hand as he laid it flat on a rock and smiled.

Her eyes met his and he knew, he knew in an instant and the blindfold landed on her cards, still held in her hands, as he stood. "Come on, Freckles, ain't the end of the world."

She let her cards fall, stripping the black cloth that she recognized as part of one of his old shirts out. Kate held it in her hand as she stood. "I'm not going to have sex with you," she told him.

Sawyer snorted. "Wasn't expecting that." It amused him actually. He gave her a grin and held out his arms. "Just wanted to give you a surprise."

"So why didn't you just ask?" She eyed him suspiciously.

He shook his head. "I know you, Freckles. You wouldn't have agreed. You'd have run off to Doc, tellin' him I been a bad little boy back on the beach." He watched her raise the blindfold and narrow her eyes at him. "I promise, no tricks, just a surprise."

Kate held the blindfold up to her eyes and tied it tightly behind her head. She felt him stand behind her and give her body a nudge, in the direction of the jungle. "Sawyer," she warned.

"Hey, won the game, didn't I."

She frowned. "You probably cheated."

"You burn me, baby," he mocked.

Kate stumbled blindly forward, her hands held out as Sawyer laughed behind her. There was a surprise waiting, or so he said. She wanted to believe him because if she didn't, she might ruin the friendship she thought they had. Kate didn't have many friends, especially not males ones – not since she was a child. So she didn't jump when his fingers found her lower back again, guiding her around a tree and then over a log.

Sawyer took her hands gently and pulled her along. He noticed the way she stepped cautiously and grinned. "Come on, Freckles, it's right up this way," he told her, his voice playful as he dropped one of her hands and gave the other a squeeze.

"Couldn't have done this down at the beach?" Kate asked. "You know, without the blindfold."

"Now where's the fun in that?" She could envision him walking backwards in front of her, his free hand held out in a question, his head cocked back ever so slightly and his grin showing off those deep fuzzy dimples. Kate wanted him to shave, but there was no nice way to say it.

Kate kicked at a rock and her head dropped to try and see her footing, forgetting the blindfold. "I guess for you, none."

Sawyer laughed and his motion stopped. She took another step and his free hand met her stomach gently. "Right here," he told her softly. Sawyer released her hand and his warmth left her midsection.

"Sawyer?" Kate asked quickly. She started to lift her hands up to remove the blindfold.

"Ah-ah, not yet." He watched as she dropped her hands.

Listening, Kate heard him pick up something, sounded like a machine, a small machine. A radio? The thought made her smile slightly as she listened to him come closer and set the object down on a rock. He pressed a button and she frowned. Music filled the air. It was a slow tune she'd heard before, but couldn't place it. The mellow voice of Frank Sinatra began to sing, "Somewhere… beyond the sea…" just as Sawyer put his hands on her waist and began swaying with her.

"What are you doing, Sawyer?" Kate asked, her arms hanging limp at her sides.

He laughed. "Found a radio, Freckles, but there ain't no radio tower out here strong enough to pick up a good country station, so I played the CD I found inside." She felt a hand leave her waist a moment and could imagine him pointing at the radio, looking cocky. "Ain't half bad," he added after a moment, his hand pressing back on her hip. She felt him pull her closer and she swayed with him slowly a moment.

Kate couldn't remember the last time she danced. Her eyes were brimming with tears by the time the song ended and the crackled applause filled the air. She sniffled loudly and Sawyer removed her blindfold, letting it drop at her collar bone.

"What're you cryin' for?" Sawyer asked, his face dropping in confusion. He lifted her chin with his forefinger when she tried to look away.

She smiled, shaking her head. "It's been a long time since I've danced like this," she admitted.

Kate found herself laughing and he grinned, but he looked at her with a sympathy she hadn't been sure he was capable of. A new song started, a duet and she laid her head on his chest, wrapping her arms around his neck. Sawyer began to dance slowly, suddenly hesitant. There was something tightening in his chest. Was it fear?

I know I stand in line until you think you have the time to spend an evening with me. And if we go some place to dance, I know that there's a chance you won't be leaving with me.

He could feel her close her eyes without seeing them close and he wondered what was drifting through her mind. It was a strange thought, to want to know what the woman he was with was thinking. Sawyer generally used women and tossed them aside when he was done, but he cared about this one.

Then afterwards we drop into a quite little place and have a drink or two. And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like I love you.

Maybe he wouldn't get her in the end, he was pretty certain she just went along with his games to make him feel wanted, but he cared about her. He touched her hair and watched the way she lifted her head to look him in the eyes, a smile hinted on her face that made him bite his bottom lip. He would never tell her he loved her, it was too strong a word. Sawyer wasn't even sure he really knew what it meant.

I can see it in your eyes that you despise the same old lies you heard the night before. And though it's just a line to you, for me it's true and never seemed so right before.

She had a haunted look in her eyes now, he'd seen it before, by a campfire on a night they'd spent together hunting a boar. Her memories flooded her and Sawyer knew they weren't pleasant. He wanted to ask her what she was thinking. He wanted to ask her what she was running from. Sawyer wasn't stupid; he noticed she wasn't jumping for Jack, despite her obvious affection for him.

"You're a pretty good dancer," he told her softly, his heart not in the sarcasm he had intended to inflict. In all honesty, she'd stepped on his feet three times. She chuckled, her eyes avoiding his as she laid her head back on his chest and sighed.

I practice every day to find some clever lines to say to make the meaning come true. But then I think I'll wait until the evening gets late and I'm alone with you.

Sawyer placed a soft kiss on the top of her head, damp strands of hair stuck to the stubble on his chin and he smiled, lifting a hand to wipe it away, to pull her hair away from her neck. He noticed then she was still crying and he pulled back, waiting until she met his eyes again. They were red, tears streamed down her face and she smiled at him. Not her patronizing smile, but her honest to goodness smile. He leaned forward to capture her lips with his own.

The time is right, your perfume fills my head, the stars get red and all the night's so blue. And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like I love you.

The song drifted to an end and the CD stopped. Sawyer knew the stop, it was a burned CD and an older player, it wouldn't find its way back to the first tune for a few minutes or so. He explores her mouth gently, unlike their first kiss. It's wasn't hungry or angry or anything negative at all. Sawyer can almost make himself believe she feels the same for him as he does for her, but as his hand rises on her back, she breaks the connection.

"I didn't mean to make you cry, Kate." It hurts him to say it.

"I can't love you the way you want me to, Sawyer." She's shaking now, he feels her and he wants to pull her close again and apologize. "But I do have love for you." Her eyes break away awkwardly and she pushes off him, running into the jungle, towards the caves.

He's the last to see her on the plane back to Los Angeles. It almost feels like all those years hadn't passed and they were still in that jungle listening to a radio that shouldn't have survived a crash. Jack has children to attend to; everyone else just wants to go home. Sawyer stops next to her, eyes the Marshall escorting her to prison and shakes his head.

"I'll be seeing you in there, Freckles," he promises. She doesn't hide her handcuffs like she had on her last flight. She raises a hand, gives him a half wave and a brave smile. Sawyer can see her eyes fighting tears. "And I'll come to the party when they let you out." He stares angrily at the Marshall who looks at the seat in front of him.

Sawyer pulls his duffle bag over his shoulder and walks the aisle of the airplane, Sinatra playing softly in his head.

Finis.